Seeing Through The Darkness, An Otherworld Journey

כ׳ באב תש"ע
Lughnasadh 21

Last night, I dreamt.

I was on a snowmobile-like vehicle with others who were going on a dangerous adventure to each meet our Guardian Angel. Only the worthy would be able to safely return. The unworthy would remain stuck in the Otherworld.

To go to the Place of the Guardian Angels, we were going to slide free-fall together in our snowmobile-like vehicle down from the top of the snowy mountain we were on and crash into the Great Unknown Dark Sea at the bottom of the snowy mountain. This Great Unknown Dark Sea interfaced with and joined the snowy mountain we were on with a Great Dark Mountain on the horizon (which I couldn't see at this point).

Naturally and complainingly, I thought "I am just too old to crash down this snowy mountain into the sea. I could break a bone or something. I'd rather not do this." But, I didn't have a choice now because we were all already on the snowmobile-like vehicle and on our way. So, since it was inevitable that I had to do this now and couldn't not do it, I thought "I hope these are nice angels." The guide in the group on the snowmobile-like vehicle said to me "no, Ma'am, they are not." "Oh, that's just Great," I naturally and complainingly thought, "I'm going to meet not-nice angels in a Place from which I may or may not return. Just Great." I wasn't fearful at all, but I did have to pee. I was going to have to wait until we got back now.

Our vehicle sped down and crashed into the Great Unknown Dark Sea. After recovering from the disorientation of the crash, I reoriented myself and found myself on the Seabed under the Great Unknown Dark Sea. It was dark and shadowy for sure, but despite that, I could still see forms of the things there. I could see through the Darkness. The vehicle I arrived in was crashed around me. The only other person who remained standing in the vehicle with me was another young woman (young, like I was in this Place), except that she was made of the same Darkness as the Place we were in.

I looked up ahead at the Great Dark Mountain on the horizon opposite the snowy mountain from which we had come. It ran the entire length of the horizon like a black shadowy silhouette. Its dark ragged top reminded me of the surface of bloodroot roots (like the specimen I have included in my Snake Oil).

I looked forward and to my left, toward a Great Staircase which led from the Underworld to the World of the Living. The entrance to the Great Staircase was guarded by two forms which reminded me of Anubis, only they were whitish-like in comparison to the Darkness of the Place and even though they too were dark of form. One Anubis-like guardian angel-creature stood at each side of the Great Staircase with its arms folded across its chest - they stood like Osiride Pillars. The Great Staircase had a handrail running down and up the center of it, dividing the Great Staircase into one side for going up and one side for going down. I wondered if these staircase guardians would let us onto the Great Staircase leading back up into the Land of the Living.

I said to the dark young woman with me still inside the crashed vehicle, "if we are going to make it out of here, we are going to have to go together." We joined hands.

Holding hands, we got out of the relative safety of the crashed vehicle together and stepped into the shadowy Darkness of the Great Sea. As we were walking together toward the entrance of the Great Staircase and toward the Guardians, my spirit friend suddenly pulled me aside, toward the area left of the Great Staircase, and toward the area hidden behind the Great Staircase toward the bathrooms. We told the Guardians we were going to go to the bathroom first, before coming before them to ask permission to enter the Great Staircase. So, they didn't stop us from going behind the Great Staircase to where the bathrooms were - to go to the bathroom there (which like eating faery food in the Otherworld, would prevent us from leaving).

But, we were trying to trick them, I knew it. Even though we did truly have to urinate, we were not going to the bathroom in that Place. Instead, we were going to sneak up onto the Great Staircase from behind without asking the Guardians for permission. We circled around looking around ...

The Guardians then got an inkling of our plan and started to move toward us (now standing under the right side of the Great Staircase). "Uh-oh!" I thought. My spirit friend exclaimed, "oh! we have to go back to the bathroom and wash our hands now," trying to trick the Guardians once again, and as if her words would ward off the Guardians in their approach toward us to investigate just exactly what we little she-devils were up to. "There's pee here!" she exclaimed and pointed toward the floor for the Guardians to see, although I didn't see any there at all. "There's pee!" she exclaimed, "we have to go back to the bathroom now and wash our hands first." The Guardians weren't fooled by her exclamations that we were going to go back to the bathroom to wash our hands first. They knew we weren't really going to go to the bathroom there. We little upstarts were trying to sneak onto the Great Staircase leading back into the Land of the Living, they knew it. The Guardians kept coming toward us. My spirit friend's exclamations then became like a magic command drawing me to awaken, "Pee! Pee! Pee!"

I woke up. Of course, I had to go to the bathroom. And I went to the bathroom, here in the Land of the Living. My body and my personal Guardian Angel together had commanded me to return to the Land of the Living.

I returned.

Such a funny journey into the Otherworld, but nevertheless, I returned to my body with my Guardian Angel joined in tow.

Another interesting link to my herbal magic - in addition to the resemblance of the top of the Great Dark Mountain to the bloodroot in my Snake Oil (I have my own bottle too), last night before going to bed, I had ordered some certified organic earth kosher Calamus Root to try it out as an antifatigue and overall health medicine (as the Cree use it). Calamus Root is found in the recipe sourced in Exodus for the Abramelin operation which "facilitates contacting one's Guardian Angel." Wow, potent stuff - just placing the order for it worked magic!

Bloodroot and Calamus Root - I think I now have some "totem" roots!

Protective Power Of Unity In Plurality

כ"ב אב התשס"ח
Lughnasadh 23

The SILVERED FINGER, a three-fold cord of the Divine Feminine not easily broken ...

Noting mystical synchronicities of two previous entries (The Three-Fold Cord At Dawn and The Inverted Seal) with today's news event:

Plane Crashes Near Utah's Arches National Park, Killing Ten
Foxnews, Saturday August 23, 2008

MOAB, Utah — A twin-engine plane crashed and burned near an airport not far from Arches National Park in southeastern Utah, killing all 10 people on board, an official said Saturday.

The plane was fully engulfed in flames when emergency responders arrived late Friday at the site about 2 miles from the Canyonlands Field airport, and there were no survivors, Grand County Sheriff James Nyland said.

The airplane was a King Air A-100, said Mike Fergus, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration in Seattle. He said that "to the best of our knowledge" no flight plan had been filed for the trip, but he said that isn't unusual.

Nyland said the victims were the director of Red Canyon Aesthetics & Medical Spa, a dermatology clinic headquartered in Cedar City, his clinic staff and the pilot.

He identified them as pilot David White; Dr. Lansing Ellsworth; David Goddard; Mandy Johnson; Marcie Tillery, 29; Valerie Imlay, 52; Keith Shumway, 29; Dallon Ellsworth, 24; Camie Vigil, 25; and Cecilee Goddard, 25.

Lansing Ellsworth had recently started a monthly skin clinic in Moab, Nyland said.

Read full article at link above.

Significant corresponding mystical concepts linking the entries with the news item:

king - sight - unity - prophecy

keter (crown) / 10 in Unity / power of sight / guardian cherubs of the ark/arch (Miriam / Mimir)

white - moab - skin - wisdom

wisdom (chochmah) / 10 in Unity / Moab

tzara'at/skin condition consisting of white patches ringed with red

transformation of sightlessness to insight

ring - judgment (red) / favor (silver finger directing sight)

tzara'at is a skin condition consisting of white patches ringed with red (judgment)

arches - sight - unity in plurality

chatoteret / sight / Unity in Plurality / run and return of the lifeforce

Taken together, the successful mystical experience/prayer/spell is not only able to run to Unity, it is able to return to bring forth and make manifest that Unity from within the world of Plurality, bringing prophecy and wisdom peacefully together into a single stream of enlightenment.

Sentinels Of Chashmal & Smoke Signals MiSinai

כ'ב בניסן תשס"ח
Annwyn 23

I dreamt.

I wanted to go to a warehouse in the midsouth of downtown Danville to get some of my belongings out of storage. A masculine voiceless Voice with me silently spoke, telling me not to go through the business section of downtown Danville, but to "go around" near the edge of the city, through the southeastern corner which ran by the cemetery beside the VA (וא), to get to the warehouse. The voiceless Voice warned me of a Nazi gathering happening in downtown Danville and provided me with an alternate route to go to get to my belongings. I immediately knew the essential and specific content of his transmitted communication without the need of any words to articulate the message. The words which describe the content of the message are my words.

As the voiceless Voice was silently speaking my traveling instructions, I saw giant living forms set in an "encircling line" at periodic distances like sentinels, facing away from me, looking out, like solid dark shadows against the dusk (a liminal crossroads) of the horizon. They were looking out over the land as if guarding me. The living forms reminded me of the giant stones of Easter Island, except those in my vision were not of stone but were dark living creatures. The living forms were also completely bodied, not just heads of stone. Though generally sitting rooted directly upon the ground, they were able to get up and walk an encircling patrol. I saw one rise from a sitting position and walk its circle. The positions of the living creatures reminded me of electron orbits, where each sentinel was like an orbiting electron - I saw the creature as a particle when I focused to see it, but it also existed as a protective wave within the entire orbit of its place. When I relaxed my focus, like Yitzchak, I saw the one I was observing "get up and walk" its orbit.

The living creatures also communicated to my mind in the dream that they functioned as signaling agents - like when sending messages by smoke signals, signalers are stationed at periodic distances from one another at each edge of one complete circle of horizon to the next. The living creatures could communicate danger or other information to one another from one section of the land to the others. They and I were all connected like one huge protective network, communicating telepathically and simultaneously one to each other. I too, was part of the network of sentinels and warned the others of the Nazi gathering, even as I simultaneously moved away from the Nazi gathering, going toward the place where some of my belongings were being stored.

The dream shapeshifted, communicating other information to me. After that, I woke up.

This dream follows my Hebrew letter tarot reading of last night, as described in Circuits Of Fire.

Unified Aspects Of Tradition

י"ב בשבט תשס"ח
Imbolgen 12

In follow-up to my earlier posts, Advent Of The Black Crow & The Exodus and Raven Of The Land, I also want to point out that my one dream as described in the first entry contains within it three major aspects of transmutative Tradition (just as the Morrígan is sometimes perceived as a triple goddess and sometimes as a single goddess), namely:

1. The Black Crow, symbolizing the archetypal Feminine Power of the UnderWorld.
2. The Guardian and the Guide, symbolizing guardianship of Sovereignty and guidance toward one's correct developmental path.
3. The Summoning of the Ancestors, evident in the correlation of the Green Lion alchemical stage with both the greenfield of the dream and my Jewish ancestors, Will and Sue Grunwald (meaning Greenfield); and Remembering the Future, evident in my dream's interpretive link to my chotimah (the flame of the future world).

Raven Of The Land

י"ב בשבט תשס"ח
Imbolgen 12

Black ravens are members of the Crow family. Typically associated with terror and cruelty, ravens/crows are alternatively associated with righteousness and mercy.

Rav Fraund writes of Eliyahu's raven:

There would come a time when a righteous person would make the land dry (Eliyahu the prophet). There would be a tremendous famine in the land and the ravens would bring him food and meat.

Consequently, not only is Black Crow associated with transmutation of consciousness in esoteric Celtic Tradition, but so too is Black Crow associated with transmutation of consciousness in esoteric Jewish Tradition, where I, myself, am a tapestry of both in peaceful harmony.

Celtic Morrígan and Hebrew Lilith.

Morrígan as the guardian of Sovereignty.

Advent Of The Black Crow & The Exodus

י"ב בשבט תשס"ח
Imbolgen 12

I began reading my new book, Underworld Initiation by R. J. Stewart a few days ago. Nearly three weeks ago, I posted my dream, Cleave Land, writing in that post of red birds and of the advent of one black bird:

Off to the side of the road there was a huge field completely full of singing red birds. There were so many singing red birds that the songs and the birds themselves blurred into one sound and sight of indistinct red chaos, yet I concentrated (almost as if pulling myself inward together) to listen for a distinct message to come out from among them.

I focused. Many of the red birds suddenly just disappeared as if lifted off the page of the "place" I was seeing. No longer was there a blur of song and redness. Though the field was still full of birds, now I could see individual birds, whereas before they had all blurred together. Most were still red birds, but I could now see that there were birds of other colors scattered among them as well. Now, there was even a particular black bird whose voice emerged from the group and pulled my attention toward it. The black bird's song rose up as an individual song directly into my ear distinctly, out from the field of many birds.

In Underworld Initiation, R. J. Stewart writes:

This sphere is in fact, Feminine ... acting as a bridge of pure catabolic power between the Dark Mother and the Light or Instructing Mother. In Celtic lore, She is the Morrígan, the Red Bird of Battles, the active power of Death and Breakdown.

Mr. Stewart additionally writes of the Morrígan, whose totem is also a Black Crow, as the Archetype of Female Power as it pertains to further esoteric transformation of consciousness:

The Universal Tree may only be experienced direct, so words are of little value other than as loose instructions upon the way. Let us, like alchemists of old, seek the advent of the Black Crow.

The advent of the Black Crow in alchemy is a further development of the carrion crow who haunted the battlefields of ancient wars. The Crow is the Totem Beast of the Goddess of Death, breaking down the body that the spirit may be released. In our alchemical context, it is often described or shown in pictoral form as one of the stages of Transmutation.

Significantly, emergence of the Black Crow of liberation brings forth from the battlefield a particular path from among the various open paths which will lead one to the castle of the Kingdom.

The Red Sea of Birds of my dream symbolized wrestling with Judgment and the limitations of physicality (the Massa Confusa of Red Birds which lifted). The Red Birds which remained (Pelican stage of alchemical transmutation) in the (green) field of my dream acted as an anchor to physical incarnation. The "greenfield" of the dream correlates to my Jewish ancestral name Grunwald (meaning Greenfield) and to the alchemical stage of the Green Lion. The Birds of Many Colors in my dream refer to the Peacock's Tail stage, "the turning point" and signify that I am on the right path for my particularity. The Black Crow symbolizes liberation of consciousness from the pressing restrictions of the physical and psychic bodies, and an exodus from the dire straits of Mitzrayim. It's flight (as described in Cleave Land) symbolizes the rising of the Phoenix from The Flame:

The difference between my dream symbolism and that of typical alchemical transmutative processes is the absence of the "whitening" and "White Stone" stages. My particular chotimah is not only white, it is both a whitish (white flame and aura) and blackish (dark flame and coal) Flame of the Future World.

The cosmological Morrígan - an archetypal vehicle of deciding who will live and who will die.

Celtic Morrígan and Hebrew Lilith.

Morrígan as the guardian of Sovereignty.

Ehyeh & The Guardian Malchitzedek

כ"א בכסלו תשס"ח
Shamash 23

In follow-up to my Peace Talks entry on Monday, where I saw 4 of the 5 shots fired at me by a guard, the news report below emerges today about the murder of Sean Taylor which occurred on Monday. My birth surname is Taylor. The name "Sean" is similiar to the word "shin", where the 4-Shin of Binah "guards" the entrance to my musical website, Walking On Fire. Sean/shin - similiar, but not quite the same. ברוך דיין אמת

Four Arrested In Taylor Slaying
Saturday, December 1, 2007
By Michael Christie

MIAMI (Reuters) - Tipped off by the public and armed with a confession, police in Florida arrested four young men on Friday for the murder of Sean Taylor, a star defensive player [#21] with the National Football League's Washington Redskins.

Taylor, 24, who was the Redskins' first pick in the 2004 draft, was shot in the groin area during a home robbery on Monday, resulting in a severed femoral artery. He died the next day in hospital after losing massive amounts of blood.

The four men, aged 17, 18, 19, and 20, were arrested after tips led police to them in the Fort Myers area on Florida's Gulf coast, a police spokeswoman said.

Police said the men intended to burglarize Taylor's home on the other side of the state and had not expected to find anybody there when they broke in.

Police and family friends say Taylor and his fiancee were awakened by noises in the middle of the night and Taylor was shot in the groin when his bedroom door burst open as he went to lock it. He had grabbed a machete to defend himself while his girlfriend hid with their 18-month-old baby beneath the bedcovers.

The hard-hitting safety had five interceptions this season but had been sidelined the last two weeks with a leg injury.

In my dream Monday, with my back to the shooter, I had not seen the first shot toward my "Kaf Ha'Yareich". With no weapon (machete) in my hand nor ill-will (zayin hara) in my head, I did not "connect" with the single bullet I did not see. My connection is through another one. Understand this.

After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying: 'Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield, thy reward shall be exceeding great.' Bereshit 15:1

Foxnews reports:

MIAMI — The family of slain Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor will get little comfort from the arrest of four suspects, a family friend said, particularly since it appears the killing happened because of greed.

"They targeted him for his wealth," said Richard Sharpstein, Taylor's former attorney. "It makes his death even more pathetic, unnecessary and just actually disgusting."

Amen to that.

Victim Of A Botched Break-In at Truth Blog Celebrity

Kaf Ha'Yareich

י'ח בכסלו תשס"ח
Shamash 20

In follow up to my previous post, Peace Talks, where I disclosed that within a dream yesterday my head (kaf כ) was targeted and shot at by a factory gate guard, I found these tidbits regarding Yaakov's wrestling match with the "guard of Esau" as it pertains to the "remembrance thread of techelet", lashon kodesh and the meaning of the word "yerech":

The posuk says that the guardian angel struck the “kaf ha’yareich.”

"Yerech" is Lashon Kodesh.

Yerech is the place of conception (see also Rashi Bamidbar 5:20 D"H Es Yirecheich), Yerusha which is mainly from the father is expressed as the leg which is an extension of the body.

Taking all this together, my dream is telling me of "the wrestling match" of my "husband" where the "guardian angel" of Esau struck at my head using the discarded weapon of Yishmael. Esau's angel sought to strike me through the place of conception of holy or unholy language (the difference between the two being good-will or ill-will). Had I been struck, all in the car would have been splattered with my blood and the shadow of murder (which would have stained Esau's guard as well).

Importantly, the guardian of Esau could not wound us. Had we harbored ill-will and been a genuine threat to Esau, the guard would have been able to harm us. So even more importantly than highlighting the failure to wound, perhaps my dream is establishing a foundation of trust for the children of Yaakov (as we were not harmed in the Arab couple's home), the children of Yishmael (as we came without any weapons) and the children of Esau (as the guardian angel could find no way to legitimately harm us as we harbored no ill-will).

Lenpw, Guardian Of The Flame

י"ח באדר תשס"ז

I prepared my unique Abramelin Blend (hereby named Liorah's Abramelin Blend) tonight under the daily archetypes of Aaron and Lugh (given it was after sundown). The planetary hour was Mercury. I have been very depressed and tired today. Neverthless, I made myself do it - against the psychophysical forces conspiring to prevent me from doing it.

I ground and blended the ingredients in my mortar as tonight's 6th portion (of 13 total portions) of the reversal candle was burning. I also burned a small 4 inch black chime-size ritual candle (as well as other daily altar candles) in parallel. Witch's Brew incense was burning.

After completing the blend preparation and cleaning my tools, it was time to snuff out the reversal candle (in the center of my altar) for tonight. As I was doing it, I noticed the 4 inch black ritual candle near it (on the left side of my altar) was burning low to the candlestick. The bottom of the flame was at the top of the silver candlestick and the melted wax was even with the top of the candlestick.

Oddly, similar to once before, another formation (as drawn above) had "climbed up" from the right side of the candlestick. This time the formation towered over the flame, as if guarding it. Immediately, the formation called into my mind the name "Anubis". The formation looked like pictures of Anubis I've seen! It even had a tail and two pointy ears and a nose! Anubis was guarding the flame of my ritual candle.

From Wiki on Anubis:

Anubis is the Greek name for the ancient jackal-headed god of the dead in Egyptian mythology whose hieroglyphic version is more accurately spelled Anpu (also Anup, Anupu, Wip, Ienpw, Inepu, Yinepu,"Inpu", or Inpw). He is also known as Sekhem Em Pet. Prayers to Anubis have been found carved on the most ancient tombs in Egypt; indeed, the Unas text (line 70) associates him with the Eye of Horus. He serves as both a guide of the recently departed and a guardian of the dead.

Anubis was the guardian of the dead, who greeted the souls in the Underworld and protected them on their journey. It was he who deemed the deceased worthy of becoming a star. Ancient Egyptian texts say that Anubis silently walked through the shadows of life and death and lurked in dark places. He was watchful by day as well as by night. He also weighed the heart of the dead against the feather symbol of Ma’at, the goddess of truth. One of the reasons that the ancient Egyptians took such care to preserve their dead with sweet-smelling herbs was that it was believed Anubis would check each person with his keen canine nose. Only if they smelled pure would he allow them to enter the Kingdom of the Dead.

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Te'amim Mysteries Ancient Of Days

י"ג באדר תשס"ז

These are the results of the fourth tarot reading I've done on myself using my standard procedure, cards and spread. The data:

status post initiation of reversal and protection spell
performed 3/3/07 Adar 13, 5767
began at 2:38 pm, planetary hour Jupiter

moon data: 24 deg. constellation Leo, 11 deg. signe Virgo, 100% full moon

sun data: 15 deg. constellation Aquarius, 12 deg. signe Pisces

weather-snowing; mood-fair; health-tired
approaching total lunar eclipse in Virgo (5:17 pm)
Shabbat Zachor; Nicanor Day

S/Q - ten of swords (disillusioned and withdrawn)

position 1 - Hierophant (Taliesin) ה
position 2 - Hermit (Myrddin) ט
position 3 - nine of cups
position 4 - Moon (Lake Of Maidens) צ
position 5 - knight of wands
position 6 - Star (Branwen) פ
position 7 - eight of pentacles
position 8 - nine of pentacles
postion 9 - page of cups
position 10 - four of swords

p1 - relationship to current situation: guardian of knowledge

p2 - forces in my favor: withdrawal from outside world, reflection and contemplation

p3 - message from higher self: this time is a cauldron within which the future is brewing

p4 - subconscious preoccupation: memory and mysteries, increasing sensitivity to unseen forces

p5 - past influencing current situation: unique way of recognizing patterns in chaos

p6 - current relationship with others: inspiring and guiding

p7 - psychological state influenced by unemployment, knowledge and experience

p8 - influential unseen forces: patience, honor

p9 - hope for use of artistic abilities

p10 - current outcome: waiting, protection in withdrawal

There are 4 cards from the major arcana indicating very strong Divine direction from the universe of Kadmon. The 4 Hebrew letters הטצפ corresponding to the 4 cards of the major arcana have a combined gematria of 184 (מקדם), a digit sum of 13 and a final digit sum of 4. From these gematria, it can be seen that the direction from Kadmon (מקדם) is rooted in the echad of that universe and brought down through all 4 subsequent universes, Atzilut-Beriyah-Yetzirah and Assiyah.

Hebrew letter permutations:

צפה ט watcher over feminine yesod, protector of power to judge properly

פצה ט open to the mysterious meanings of the טעמים (cantillations, te'amim)

טף הץ "tap" is (writing) board in Aramaic => a righteous vessel to receive prophetic words

As noted above, the total gematria of the Hebrew letters of the 4 cards from the major arcana is 184, the same gematria as the word מקדם meaning "from Kedem". Micah 5:1 speaks of this sphere of highest Keter [1] associated with the partzuf Atik Yomin [2]:

But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from ancient days.

Footnotes:

[1] Sha'are Orah (Gates Of Light), R' Yosef Gikatilla (p. 362)

[2] see Yemei Kedem (Ancient Days) here.

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The Golem Watcher, A Wizard's Familiar

Researching defensive magick, I came across this about "familiars" in Mastering Witchcraft (Paul Huson) which sounds amazing like the magical golem of Jewish tradition.

There are several types of familiars, or magistelli, to give them their more correct title. Basically, there are three types of magistellus.

The third type, and to the individual witch (or wizard), most important type of magistellus is that of the magical servant. This may be a demonic entity who has been "bound" to some magical instrument such as a show stone or mirror, permanently or temporaily. It may also be an elemental creature formed by the combination of your witch (or wizard) power and some natural phenomenon. This type of magistellus becomes the protective spirit or Watcher, a magical guardian of the home. They take time to formulate, but really can prove to be of tremendous value. For unlike the general Earth spells which are effective to guard your home from general bad vibrations, to guard against out-and-out magical attack, a magistellus is ideal; it possesses a definite will of its own, the entire aim of which is to protect the house and those that dwell in it from all offensive sorcery. As such, it is really a magical type of vigilant robot, programmed solely to watch over the safety of the home. A sorcerer's watchdog, in fact.

Interestingly, in Jewish tradition, the term golem (a creature created "artifically" by magical means) is also used to describe newbies to the tradition and Torah study. In other words, ba'alei teshuvah and converts are often used as golems, magistelli and familiars are used. They are "simple" people, in terms of Torah scholarship, and are eagerly looking for acceptance into a community. Consequently, they can easily be used as watchdogs and to "bide the issue" as discussed in a previous entry on Craftwork Of A Jewitch regarding lost curses, where a wizard or witch uses the uniformed to absorb the "cost" of curses that misfire or fail to find the intended victim.

In my own way of thinking, a wizard or witch ought to be willing to take full responsibility for his or her magic. If he or she isn't willing to do this, then something is terribly wrong with the kavanah and/or magic of the wizard or witch, and clearly he or she suspects that the magic may have a cost that he or she is unwilling to pay.

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Purim Torah, Mysteries Of The Night

ג' באדר תשס"ז

לה Five sacred times fall out this year for this Jewitch on Saturday, 3 March. Each time is represented by one of five Welsh goddesses of Avalon (Isle of the blessed). (Goddess information from Avalon Traditions)

Shabbat - Blodeuwedd is the Lady of Initiation.

She calls us to cast off the garments of expectation and to peer into the darkness of the self to find, and ultimately live, our inner truth. She teaches us to fly where others would see us grounded. Mythological Sources for Blodeuwedd – The Mabinogion - "Math, Son of Mathonwy"; Hanes Blodeuwedd.

חזק חזק ונתחזק

Lunar Eclipse in Virgo - Ceridwen is the Lady of Transformation.

She calls us to enter into our darkness to seek out the seeds of our wholeness. She teaches us that the only path to wisdom is through trial and experience [1]. In Her Cauldron, the mysteries of death and rebirth are revealed, and we emerge to initiate the process once more. We ride the Wheel with our newfound insight and understanding, so that we may illume the next phase of our journey with what we have learned. Mythological Sources for Ceridwen: The Tale of Gwion Bach and Hanes Taliesin.

חזק חזק ונתחזק

Full "Worm" Moon - Arianrhod is the Great Teacher.

She holds the energy of the active principle. She is the embodiment of the Wheel, yet not Herself subject to it. She is the force of Bound and Rebound, the Karmic Lesson Bringer that brings the Universe into Balance. All cycles and time are within Her realm of influence. Arianrhod is the Source of Awen, the Divine Spark of Inspiration, although it is through Ceridwen that Awen is bestowed. Mythological Source for Arianrhod: The Mabinogion - "Math, Son of Mathonwy".

חזק חזק ונתחזק

Rhyfeddod Lleiaf o Rhiannon (begins at sundown) - Rhiannon is the Lady of Manifestation.

She calls us to stand strong regardless of the challenges to our truth. She teaches us to ask for what we need, and grants abundant and loving support to carry us through our dark times. Mythological Sources for Rhiannon: The Mabinogion - "Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed" and "Manawydan, Son of Llyr".

חזק חזק ונתחזק

Purim (begins at sundown) - Branwen is the embodiment of Sovereignty and is the Guardian of Avalon.

She holds the energy of the passive principle. She is the Whole, the Center, the Axis Mundi. The primal Feminine energy, all things emanate from Branwen. She is the Goddess of the Land Manifest, as well as the Spirit of the Land. On Avalon, Branwen was primarily consulted in matters dealing with Her Realm – that is, concerning the full tapestry of Avalon, rather than the individual stitches. She is the Goddess of the grand scheme of things, the broader perspective that allows the greater patterns to be revealed. Mythological Source for Branwen: The Mabinogion - "Branwen, Daughter of Llyr".

חזק חזק ונתחזק

Footnote:

[1] "No one is wise (in Torah) but the mistress of experience." - Akeidat Yitzchak 14

Note: Rhyfeddod Lleiaf o Rhiannon lasts for 3 nights, from sundown March 3 through dawn March 6. Purim and Shushan Purim last for 2 nights, from sundown March 3 through sundown March 5 - for a total of 5 nights (where 2 of those nights are "double nights") followed by 1 dawn.

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The King's Daughter

I dreamt.

I was a young woman with a baby. We were both hidden together in some way at my earthly parents' home. There was a family reunion or some similar summertime gathering with picnic tables upon which sat many kinds of food items brought to the gathering by the different people.

I tried to get a plate of food for the baby and myself, but the baby was big and I couldn't manage it well as it took both my hands to hold the baby securely. No one would help me. I was getting frustrated and resigned myself to not feeding the baby or myself until after everyone was gone - when it was safe to put the baby down long enough to gather up a plate of food.

Some part of me was aware that something wasn't quite right. This was my human family, but I was not an earthling. I was an alien on this planet. I didn't know how I had gotten here or why I was here, lost among the humans, but I was for some reason. That much I knew.

The dream morphed. I was now a schoolgirl of teenage age. The local school called upon all parents to send all their children to school for some screening test. All parents complied. Mine too. So, off to the school building I went and stood in line for the "medical" screening, like schoolkids stand in lines for vaccinations.

When I came to the front of the line, I had to sit down in this special chair for the test. I sat and the screener put a headpiece-helmet over me that looked like the head of a monkey. The "bill" of the headpiece looked like a monkey's top lip. I RECOGNIZED this monkey in whose image the headpiece had been made, though I said nothing to the screener. For some reason, I knew I was hidden yet I didn't know why. The monkey was the same monkey who had cared for me when I was a newborn on this planet! THIS MONKEY WAS MY MONKEY! For some reason I felt relieved and very very happy.

As soon as the screener fit the headpiece securely over me, it lit up. It perfectly fit only me, like Cinderella's shoe. They had found me! "We have found her!", the screener whispered to the other screeners. The news reverberated quietly down the line of screeners.

The screening lines shut down and I was quickly and covertly whisked off to a waiting spaceship. I was the King's daughter. I had been hidden because of rebellion in my father's kingdom. Many were trying to find and kill me, to steal my father's throne.

I was grown up enough now to return to my rightful place in the Kingdom. We were flying still in secret, but not entirely in secret, because the King wanted those in his Kingdom to know that His daughter was returning. My father also wanted the rebels to know that His daughter was returning with power. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

On the journey home, my guardians would be instructing me regarding all I had not had the opportunity to learn as a human being.

I woke up.

Jewitch Shabbat Ritual

Here is the first formal Friday evening shabbat ritual I have written for the solitary Jewitch. It may tweaked and refined as time goes by. This is the basic format from which I will build:

1. Take a bath or shower. Visualize washing away physical, emotional and spiritual impurity, letting all negativity flow down the drain with the water. Dress in ritual attire. Put on Jewitch pentacle (pentacle + magen David), saying:

Blessed is this Unity. Her Glorious Name is One. So mote it be.

2. "Sweep" (counterclockwise-"widdershins" and out) ritual space with besom. Visualize removing all negative energy from it, saying:

From this place, I banish all negativity and evil. So mote it be.

3. Perform ritual bath. Add herbs and oil of choice [1] to ritual bowl containing warm water.

Relax. Breathe. Stand facing north (Gevurah, fire) in front of bath bowl. Purify and consecrate the water mixture, placing tip of athame into the water, saying:

Out from you I cast all that is impure and unclean. Blessed are you, with the heart of the Shechinah. You are Holy. So mote it be.

Lay athame upon empty altar "place" (where altar will be or is permanently located). Face north/ritual bath bowl. Hold palms facing upward, saying:

Shechinah, fierce and intense, gentle and mild, blessed are You, and I am Your beloved child.

Dip finger of choice [2] in bath, close eyes. Anoint eyelids by drawing a small pentagram (invoking air [3]) on each with your finger, saying:

Open my eyes to see, my mind to understand and my perception to clarity.

Open your eyes. Dip finger of choice in bath, anointing lips in same fashion, saying:

Open my lips to speak the truth.

Similarly, anoint your breast, saying:

Open my heart to beat with compassion.

Similarly, anoint the palms of your hands, saying:

Open the strength of my hands to do rightly.

Similarly, anoint your loins, saying:

Open my lifeforce to flow with the Source of Peace.

Similarly, anoint your knees, saying:

Open me to be a revealed blessing.

Similarly, anoint the tops of both feet, saying:

Open the path to all good and guard my way upon it.

4. Cleanse the ritual space.

Sprinkle salt-herb water from ritual bowl, starting from the north and turning clockwise ("deosil", pronounced "jess-el", also called "sunwise" and the "holy round"); i.e. north to east to south to west. Repeat by carrying a representative of each of the four elements [4, 5], working with one element at a time.

5. Set up your altar.

Faced north, located on the eastern side of the room/space. Sprinkle salt-herb water over altar area. Set up table or other surface. Cover with black altar cloth. Individualize set up of altar space. Place candle trays upon the altar cloth now if you are going to use them. Place "circle" quarter candle (black anointed and consecrated tea candles in clear crystal circle holders) on each side of the altar north to east to south to west.

Generally, and in this order [3], place fire element (main illuminator black candle anointed, consecrated and inscribed using athame) and athame on the northern side of the altar. Place air element (incense in cauldron censor) and witch's wand (symbolizes "order from chaos") on the eastern side. Place water element (bowl of water) and chalice/kiddush cup on the southern side. Place earth element (stone or piece of wood) and pentacle on the western side.

Place besom on eastern corner (on or near the altar). Place other objects pertaining to your ritual intent upon the altar if desired [6]. Note, the only steel or iron item upon your altar should be your athame.

6. Call the quarters or watchtowers.

Pick up athame. With projecting hand (right), hold it point up parallel to your heart. Face north, raise up athame, drawing a pentagram in space with your athame in the manner invoking fire [3], saying:

Blessed is She, the Eternal Flame and the Essence of Truth.

Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the north, element of the fire, I, (your name), do summon, stir and call you forth to witness this rite, and to protect this sacred space and time. Welcome to my circle. Stand in strength. Blessed be in joy, love and light. So mote it be.

Point athame into (toward) the earth, walk/turn the circle clockwise (deosil), then return athame to the altar. Face the east, light incense, raising it and drawing a pentagram in space in the manner invoking air [3], saying:

Blessed is She, Mistress of the mysteries of spices and perfumes, the One over Death, and She who loves me.

Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the east, element of the air. I, (your name), do summon, stir and call you forth to witness this rite, and to protect this sacred space and time. Welcome to my circle. Stand in strength. Blessed be in joy, love and light. So mote it be. [7]

Holding censor, turning a complete circle (or walk the circle) deosil, reface the altar. Return censor to the eastern quarter of the altar. Pick up water bowl on the southern quarter.

Repeat with south-water, west-earth.

Blessing over water element:

Blessed is She who bestows Wisdom.

Blessing over earth element:

Blessed is She who sustains Life.

7. Cast your circle, pick up athame, extend it outward and down toward the earth, walking deosil starting from the north, saying:

I conjure you, O Circle, to establish in this place sacred ground, with the Brilliance of the Shechinah surround, Her Power within it found.

No place or time or barrier may there be, between Her, my word and me. So mote it be.

Baruch shem kevod malchutah leolam va'ed, amen.

ברוך שם כבוד מלכותה לעולם ועד, אמן
Translation: Blessed is the Glorious Name, Her Kingdom stands forever and ever, amen.

8. Light the illuminator-shabbat candle(s), (covering eyes) saying:

Blessed are You Shabbat, Goddess of all life, Who transforms darkness into light.

Uncover eyes and circle flame 3 times with hands (starting and ending over your heart), each time drawing light toward you.

9. Pour and bless wine, saying:

Blessed are You Shechinah, Goddess of all life, Who guides me to wise understanding, proper compassion and right action.

Take a drink.

10. Blessing over bread:

Blessed are You Shechinah, Who nourishes me with all goodness.

Take a bite.

11. Perform other specific observances, shabbat spellwork, meditative study, etc.

12. Release quarters and open circle [8] following havdalah.


Footnotes:

[1] Dragon's blood, frankincence, myrrh, pinch of salt, drop of vanilla oil, drop of olive oil, drop of red wine (may vary according to intent of ritualwork). Ritual bath general reference: The Craft (Dorothy Morrison).

[2] See Ari's chiromancy correspondences.

[3] Pentagram invocations and banishings according to correspondences of the Zohar (hat-tip to Jack Nathanson for Zohar reference).




[4] Examples of elemental representatives: earth (stone, small piece of wood, bowl of salt, pentacle), fire (small lit candle, athame), air (lit incense stick or feather, wand), water (bowl of water, seashell, chalice).

[5] Elemental correspondences according to the Zohar: north-fire, east-air, south-water, west-earth.

[6] Book of Shadows (BOS), cauldron, tarot cards, dream journal, ritual jewelry, cakes/cookies/challah, kosher wine or grapejuice.

[7] "Hail, Guardians ... so mote it be" - standard quarter call revised from Solitary Witch (Silver RavenWolf).

[8] Walking and moving widdershins (counterclockwise), using pentagram "banishing" formations at the quarters to return the energies from whence they came (if one desires to take down the circle).

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Da'at Torah, Cauldron Of Connection

Exploring my new tarot deck, it became immediately clear that at least four mythic archetypes have already made obvious appearances in my recent experience, both here (where the World-Universe card became my querent/significator) and in various dreams over the past several months.

Rhiannon (Tzipporah), Aranrhod and Asibikaashi (Spider Woman) have all appeared in dream journeys. Consequently, these three goddess archetypes are my guardian angels of sorts, forming a triple spiral cauldron “goddess energy” uniting together for some purpose. Aranrhod is the maiden aspect of the moon (yesod), Rhiannon is the mother aspect, and Asibikaashi is the crone aspect. Importantly, these Sacred Feminine archetypes have come together yesodically in my psycho-spiritual environment with purpose and have chosen me as part of that purpose.

Aranrhod is represented in Welsh tarot by the Wheel of Fortune card and the letter kaf כ.

Rhiannon is represented in Welsh tarot by the Empress card and the letter dalet ד.

Asibikaashi is represented in Native American tarot by the Devil card and the letter ayin ע.

The querent card, representing me the seeker, is the World-Universe card and the letter tav ת.

What do these letters taken together spell? An encircling crown (keter) of da’at כ-דעת. In other words, keter and da'at exist in simultaneous expression in this "tarot spread" brought forth into reality from my superconsciousness soul (as evidenced by the fact that the dreams and the tarot-blogquiz occurred prior to my acquisition the tarot cards). According to the kabbalah of the Ari, keter and da'at exist simultaneously in the universe of tohu.

Represented by 3 goddess archetypes, each feminine energy in turn, represents one of the three meanings of the word keter: “wait” (Aranrhod), “crown” (Rhiannon) and “encircle” (Asibikaashi). The querent binds them all together with the myth of Cadair Idris, ascends the mountain, and descends with the Torah of the Shechinah, the Holy Light of Tohu.

And Moshe entered into the cloud and ascended to the mountain ... Shemot 24:18

We can see the triple spiral cauldron nature of the feminine "moon" archetypes clearly evident in kabbalah. On the mysteries of Jewish femininity, R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh writes:

Every lunar month, the moon goes through a cycle of phases—from completely disappearing to full moon and back again. The zero-point, the point at which the moon disappears, is actually the eve of the new Jewish month (erev rosh chodesh). It is on this day that a woman can reach her inner sense of nothingness, or nullification, in the spiraling cycle that goes from somethingness to nothingness to somethingness, and so on. When we merit the revelation of the Mashiach, there will no longer be a diminishment of the moon, and the feminine (the “woman of valor”) will become her husband’s crown (eshet chayil ateret ba’ala); that is, the female will rise above the male and super-consciously provide guidance and nourishment.

The querent binds them all together (ateret hayesod, the source of malchut) into a crowning cauldron of connection, and brings it down.

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Mighty Mouse Of Emunah

Earlier this evening, Jack shared the Anishinaabe medicine wheel (shown above) with me. Anishinaabe (keepers/protectors of the Sacred Fire) is one of the two Native American tribes of my ancestors through my father.

Interestingly, "mouse" rules the water according to this tribal medicine wheel. Mouse is also one of the two power animals which have "spoken" to me during states of altered consciousness. Significantly, mouse is distinguished by the pivotal role he played to the epiphany of 1967.

Instrumental to protecting my life in 1967, mouse may have also protected my life in the event described by my dream this morning. In the dream, enemies attempted to drown me. Yet, I emerged unshackled and alive (as did my "husband") from the water, which mouse rules. This is one mighty mouse I have for a power animal.

הטוב והמטיב

As mouse is also associated with the south on the medicine wheel shown above, the south I have associated with the vowel (nekudah) kametz on the medicine wheel I made previously. In recognition of mouse's ever-faithful (אמונה) service as my "guardian angel" which endures the test of time, the vowel kametz (ָ) will mark the mem מ (the letter corresponding to water) "casting" my sacred "circle", the one cast by HaMasovevet. Both the vowel kametz and emunah are associated with the sefirah keter; more specifically, with the "unknowable head" in Atzilut of partzuf keter, Reisha d'lo Ityada.

May my ancestors and the people Anishinaabe be blessed with shalom v'kol tuv (peace and all good, שלום וכל טוב).

ללאכו המָסובבת

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Chazan / Guardian Of The City

Interestingly, in my dream this morning (pertaining to kedushah and karet) I wrote of guarding and of assassins, both of these specific ideas mentioned also in Balashon's later post on the etymology of the word machsan through exploring (among others) the words chazan חזן and hassan חסן.

With respect to the idea of guarding, I wrote:

The little girl protectively and instinctively clutched her belly. I had the impression the little girl (either herself or members of her family) had been murdered by one of the secret assassins in a past life.

In the quote, I linked an essay to the word "protectively" (e.g. chazan) pertaining to the idea of guarding (shamor through rectified binah) against secret assassins (e.g. hassan) who, in my dream where I oversaw all, are complexes one meets along the path into keter. In other words, the assassins serve to prevent one with impure intent from advancing spiritually - much like the kruvim (cherubim, Bereshit 3:24) guard the gate to Gan Eden. Only one whose mind has been sanctified and made taharah is permitted to "enter into" keter.

This idea of advancing into keter, guarding and assassins is further indirectly elucidated through Balashon's post on the etymology of machsan, where he writes (quotes):

Kutscher finds a number of examples in the Talmud where a chazan meant a guard - for example Bava Metzia 93b, where it mentions חזני מתא, which Rashi explains as "guards of the city".

like in my dream where the little girl protectively "guards" her belly ...

He (Kutscher) continues by saying that the origin of chazan may be from חזה - he saw, making a chazan an overseer.

like in my dream where I oversaw all ...

In the end, he writes that we simply don't know if there is a connection between חזן and חסן - and provides a Rashi (Makkot 22b), where Rashi admits he also doesn't know the origin: ולא שמעתי שום משמעות "I have not heard any explanation (for the word חזן)."

Rashi is a man. In addition to Rashi's hint toward the unknowable head of keter, the central letter of the word chazan is a zayin ז, the letter which epitomizes female nevuah (zeh זה), the prophecy of Sarah Imenu, and with expression through the letter ה, the prophecy of Moshe Rabbeinu and Chavah's shield of protection.

What of the name Hasan (Hassan)? This is a very common Arabic name, and we also find the similar names Hosni and Hussein. All of these derive from the Arabic hasuna - "was beautiful" and husn - "beauty". I don't know if this Arabic root is related to any of the previously mentioned meanings of חסן.

There is one theory that the origin of the English word "assassin" comes from the name Hassan - the leader of a Muslim sect known as al-Hassan ibn-al-Sabbah. Another theory is that it derives from the word "hashish" - read more about that here and here.

Taking all this together, we can see that chazan, hassan and keter are all connecting to the idea of guarding. Perhaps dreaming as I have of these matters makes me somewhat one of the mystical Neturei Karta (Guardians Of The City) myself.

Tying it all together, regarding sanctification of the mind as it pertains to keter, Rabbi Nathan Schapira writes (translated by Rabbi David Slavin):

She is then called Eretz HaKedosha, for she subsequently contains within her the Kodesh HaKedoshim (the Holy of Holies).

JBlog Me

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Sticks And Stones

Liorah (ogham, left; cursive hebrew, right)

The Druidic mystical alphabet of the Celtoi is called the Ogham. Ogham is pronounced "aum", like the Sanskrit word "ohm" and the Hebrew root word "alef-vav-mem". Ogham, aum and alef-vav-mem אום refer to the foundation of existence; to the ability to hold a "spark" of no-thing in physical existence. Each represents the emergence of light from darkness. Like Moshe Rabbeinu of Torah and the Dati of today, the Druidic class of the ancient Celtoi are givers and faithful guardians of the Law.

Not by sword or spear, not by strength, not by might, but with spark's of Hashem's spirit ... throwing ogham sticks and hebrew stones ... 1 Shmuel 17:47; Zachariyah 4:6