A Witches' Blessed Full Moon Purimfest

י'ד באדר תש"ע
Keowulf 16

Today is both the Full Moon (as observed in the practice of Celtic Witchcraft) and Purim (as observed in the practice of Jewish Kabbalah). In practical observance of both of these entwined magical times, this weekend's personally entwined (from The Witch's Hat, the Hebrew 3-letter root צנף also means 'entwining') entries:

The Witch's Hat
On High And Low Styles Of Magical Practice
Tsunami Warning Cancelled For Hawaii

In The Spirit Of The Holy Days

כ"ה אדר א' תשס"ט
Keolwulf 26

Today is my oldest son's birthday. It is also Sabbat Ostara, marking the spring equinox.

Today, I filled and adorned two bottles of Passover Protection Ritual Oil (which had been prepared on Purim and set aside at that time for later completion). The two bottles of Passover Protection Ritual Oil completed today were filled and adorned during the planetary hour of Mercury, with the waning crescent moon 28% full, and with the sun in the 29th degree of Pisces in the 8th degree of the constellation Pisces.

I'm planning on taking pictures of the two bottles and listing them for purchase at WITCHCRAFTS by Liorah Lleucu sometime this weekend or early next week prior to the official opening of my etsy shoppe March 29 so that they can be delivered to whomoever may purchase them in time for Passover April 8 (should anyone actually want to acquire them for their ritual observances). My photography skills are not professional at all, but I'll do the best that I can.

These two bottles of Passover Protection Ritual Oil are true ritual treasures, offered in the spirit of sharing the magic born of spiritual liberation. The price for each of these two bottles of ritual oil will cover my cost only - no monetary profit will be made from them.

It is with this spirit that I bless those who might purchase them, I bless the spirit of WITCHCRAFTS, I honor my oldest son's birthday, and I honor the spirit of the holy days, namely Purim, Ostara and Passover.

So mote it be!

A Heavy Downpour Ran Through It

י'ג אדר א' תשס"ט
Keolwulf 14

An(other) interesting synchronicity of my dreams with 'future' reality - within the context of a dream I dreamt last night - an extremely heavy downpour of rain ran through it, in the area surrounding my house and a neighbor woman's house. In the dream, I felt secure that my house would withstand the high waters. Well constructed and sturdy, it did.

This afternoon, between times of bright blue sunny skies, an extremely heavy downpour of rain ran briefly through the area.

Happy Pour-em! LOL.

Stones Of Memory

י'ה באדר ב' תשס"ח
Raven 16

My astrological sun sign using the tropical zodiac is Capricorn. However, the more accurate sidereal zodiac used by astronomers is the zodiac I have been using to interpret my natal birth chart. Using the sidereal zodiac, my astrological sun sign is Sagittarius.

In my sidereal natal chart, there are 4 planets under the encircling embrace of Sagittarius (ס), the sidereal sun sign of my birth. They are, in order:

Jupiter - tav (ת)
Sun - dalet (ד)
Saturn - reish (ר)
Mercury - pei (פ)

The inner two planets, the Sun and Saturn (dweller, דר), are surrounded by Jupiter and Mercury (middle ear, תף). Significantly, the inner stone (dar, דר) called dweller establishes Malchut, and the satellite stone (socharet, תף) called middle ear establishes Binah. Together, they form the stones of memory.

Purim Stones - Selection & Clarity

י'ד באדר ב' תשס"ח
Raven 15

Just in time for Purim! I received the tumbled garnet stone, garnet earrings, and the garnet and onyx pendant I ordered a few days ago in the mail this afternoon. Garnet is my birthstone.

Happy Purim!

Related Walking On Fire Entries:
Disasters That Never Happened
The Contest That Never Happened
Consciousness Without Death
Up From The Grave
Holy Holy Holy Host
The Holy Serpent & Creating The Future
Scepter Of Selection

Other Related Articles:
Almog & Coral
The Pur Of Purim
Garnet, The Pomegranate Stone Of Seven Species
Onyx, The Stone Of Clarity

The Contest That Never Happened

ט' באדר ב' תשס"ח
Raven 10

I dreamt.

A jousting match had been set up between the two "warring" factions of the kingdom to decide the singular united fate of the kingdom. Each side sent it's undefeated hero.

I saw the dark knight holding his uniquely long jousting stick which glistened with radiant sparks of light at his side as he rode upon his dark steed into the place where the jousting match had been set up. He had never been defeated and was without a doubt that he would win this joust with the opposition's hero.

Then, I was no longer watching him, I was upon my own light steed. With my equally uniquely long jousting stick which glistened with radiant sparks of light at my side, I rode up to the place where the jousting match had been set up. I had never been defeated and I knew without a doubt that I wouldn't be in this match either.

I watched him watch her as she rode up to the place after he had already arrived. He saw her as a woman robed in light. He wasn't even going to try to knock her off her steed. He recognized her in his heart and mind as his bashert. He resigned from participating in the jousting event even as she rode by him into the place.

The joust (נאבק) was set aside and replaced with a merry feast, while the two "talking" sides decided what to do if the joust wasn't going to take place.

I woke up.

Holy Holy Holy Host

ח' באדר ב' תשס"ח
Raven 9

Tzav, Pakod, Meumah - Holy, Holy, Holy

In Unblemished Mitzvah I brought down the idea that the vulnerability of meumah to blemish (mum) is neutralized by the presence of tzav (command of mobilization), and that materiality neutralized of potential blemish is actualized through the endless action pakod. Remembering.

Interestingly, as mentioned in the earlier entry, meumah and tzav each have a gematria of 92. The digit sum of 92 is 11. Eleven is the number of Temple incense spices corresponding to the rectification of Tohu (the state from which the vessels may shatter and become seemingly disconnected from Wholeness), the elevation of Tohu back into the realm of Holiness, and the "distillation and transformation of all corporeality and physicality into supernal luminescence."

Torah instructs us not to duplicate the Temple incense compound for personal use, lest s/he be "cut off" (shattered and seemingly disconnected). In other words, the duplication of meumah implies that bringing down the power of meumah without tzav (bringing down something from something), may shatter the personality, while the power of meumah tempered with tzav (bringing down something and nothing), does not shatter the personality. The personality remains whole in the case where the 92-compound meumah is not itself duplicated, but tempered through a different 92-compound, namely tzav.

Tzav tempers meumah by adding it's own digit sum of 11 to the 11 of meumah, bringing down the whole essence of the 22 Creation Letters of the aleph-beit.

Thus, meumah is not duplicated for personal use, it is completed in a wholistic bodily realization (a Host) of Intelligent Creative Consciousness.

Importantly, with respect to the upcoming observance of Purim, the word-set tzav-pakod-meumah corresponds to the "holy, holy, holy" descent of my soul through all contractions of the created world, while yet still remaining bound to the Divine Essence.

The Holy Serpent & Creating The Future

א' באדר ב' תשס"ח
Raven 2
Rosh Chodesh Adar II

In follow-up to Soul Of Shomer Shabbat, the final 4 of the 8 Elemental Fire astrological points in my natal chart concentrate in the first zodiac house (the house of personality/purpose). The 4 points are:

Uranus/Hod - Tam (תם), with a gematria of 440, digit sum 8
Pluto/Malchut - Geut (גאות), with a gematria of 410, digit sum 5

According to the Gra configuration of the Tree of Life, the channel connecting Hod/Uranus and Malchut/Pluto is kuf (ק), the letter of kedushah (holiness). With a gematria of 100 (digit sum 1), it connects together 8 + 5 = 13. This is a holy 13, the hand (yad, 13 + 1) of holiness.

North Node - Rosh Ha-Teli (ראש התלי), head of the serpent, with a total gematria of 946, a reduced gematria of 19 (Chavah, חוה), and a final digit sum of 1 (echad אחד). Thus, the Chavah archetype mediates transformation of serpent consciousness into the consciousness of Echad.

Ascendant/Leo - Tet (ט), with a gematria of 9, the vessel of peace.

All of these numbers are very feminine essences - Hod of Binah (8), Malchut of Malchut (5), Chavah (19) and Tet (feminine Yesod, the ninth sefirah).

The digit sums taken together and brought down as one into Malchut through the holy (ק) gates of understanding are:

8 + 5 + 1 + 1 + 9 = 24 = 2 + 4 = 6, one pillar creating the future, the redemptive vav

Related writing (background music - Keeper Of The Stars):
Impulse, Chasdai David Hane'emanim & The Keeper Of The Stars

Scepter Of Selection

ו' בשבט תשס"ח
Imbolgen 6

Though I am currently employed using my qualification as a registered nurse in the area of clinical data management for reimbursement purposes, once upon a time, I was employed as a biologist-biochemist in pharmaceutical discovery research (my university degree is in biochemistry, not nursing). As a biologist-biochemist, much of my work involved investigating interactions between cells of the immune system in the bloodstream within the contexts of protective or pathologic inflammatory responses. For those unfamiliar with immune cells in the bloodstream, a subset (T Lymphocytes) of the cells I worked with during my investigations into cell-cell interactions are also intimately involved with positive and negative selection processes critical to a healthy functioning immune system. When I became a kabbalist, I wrote the following poem in recognition of the work I did as a research biologist-biochemist ...

Scepter Of Selection

cell to cell, receptor to receptor
a fit communication
an exchanging interaction, immortalized, specific
naturally essential, particularly recognized
the only true selection
universally evident in the matter
with perfect complimentary
positive and negative
working completely together for good
ordering with chaos
a most functional system of defense
in the complex environment
full of simple orchestrations
a developing music into being
playing through generations and times
turning over
the epiphany of history
through her handle on blood biology

Miracle Cell Of Esther

כ"ו באלול תשס"ז

I dreamt.

Of an encounter with an alien man from another planet. We were both in process of escaping a hostile, swampy environment and met briefly on a planet not native to either of us. The forces we were escaping forced us each back to our home planet after our brief encounter. I had the feeling that we had infected one another with a memorable experience - neither of us had ever known an alien before.

Next thing I knew was looking through a laboratory microscope and seeing a single cell tightly packed with dark green material like chorophyll. No one had ever seen anything like this cell before. Everyone in the laboratory "oohed" and "ahhed" over it. It was a "miracle cell". I felt like I was looking at the "origin of life" cell. In other words, all life in the universe would be brought forth from it.

I woke up.

Esther was green. Like in my dream of the 14-line-letter row composite of two forces, "Esther's inner light is a composite of two forces".

Thus, the "vav" of huathe may also pertain to Unity through the mysticism of Purim.

Yoreh Yoreh, Yadin Yadin

Throne Of Good Strength

כ"א בתמוז תשס"ז

An elucidating observation (yoreh yoreh) regarding my two previous posts, Meforash and Ba'alat Shem Tova, from the footnote of Ba'alat Shem Tova:

The four holy names of Purim are Moses, Moses, Mordechai, Esther (the second "Moses"-"the final redeemer"-replaces the wicked Haman, in the secret of "evil becomes the throne of good" in the Messianic era." R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh

Significantly, the shem hameforash (horse rider) part of my first dream, Meforash, came after my bashert and I had escaped those pursuing to harm us, as I was riding my horse home without fear, in exquisite control of its steps through the rows [1] of dining diners (yadin yadin). In other words, the shem hameforash was not used to escape danger as the Ba'al Shem Tov had once done to escape danger; it does guide me with strength even now as I ride.

Also significantly, this past Friday afternoon, for lunch at work, I ordered delivery food from a local country restaurant (not literally called Moon Glo like the one in my Meforash dream). I didn't receive what I had ordered. The restaurant sent a pork tenderloin sandwich. I didn't eat it. Not that I keep many laws of kashrut in my current living situation - I had ordered homemade macaroni and cheese with the Italian beef I had, in fact, ordered. But the pork, I just couldn't eat that pork sandwich.

Footnote:

[1] Bashurei - "in rows" at Yavne, Zohar

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Witches' Purim - Old Story, New Spin

י"ג באייר תשס"ז

A new spin to an old story. Esther 4:13-14 on modern day witch hunts. It is a Jewish issue.

Then Esther bade them to return answer unto Mordechai: 'Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the witches.

For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then will relief and deliverance arise to the witches from another place, but thou and thy father's house will perish; and who knoweth whether thou art not come to royal estate for such a time as this?'

Technorati tags: psychics discrimination injustice intolerance philadelphia crusaders witch hunt purim

Nicanor, Master Of Elephants

י' באדר תשס"ז

Usually the fast of Esther is on Adar 13. However, this year Adar 13 falls on shabbat, so the fast day is observed on Thursday, Adar 11 (this year). With the fast of Esther moved to Thursday, Nicanor Day, a feast day, can be observed Adar 13 if one so chooses.

Nicanor Day celebrates the beheading of Nicanor, the master of elephants, who fought against Judah and the Maccabees.

And Judah hung the head of Nicanor from the citadel as clear and evident proof of the help of the Lord. (Second Book of the Maccabees) Think so? Wasn't the Temple destroyed 231 years later? 231 has a digit sum of 6. Six is the value of the truth of the matter.

David Holzel writes:

Nicanor was a Syrian general of the Hellenistic persuasion who battled Judah and the Maccabees at Beit Horon in 161 BCE. That was three years after the Jewish victory over King Antiochus that brought us Chanukah. The battle against Nicanor took place of the 13th day of Adar — the day before Purim.

From wiki:

In 66 CE, the Jewish population rebelled against the Roman Empire. Four years later, in 70 CE, Roman legions under Titus reconquered and subsequently destroyed all of Jerusalem, including the Second Temple.

Nicanor was a master of elephants. Elephants are significant to Purim and symbolize G-d's greatness [1]. Consequently, Judah "beheaded" the one who brought down the greatness of G-d into creation. Not good, Judah. I think the link to the destruction of the Temple is clear evidence that the Lord thought differently about Nicanor and Shimon than did Judah. Nicanor was a rectifying force for Shimon. Nicanor's destruction led to the degeneration of Shimon and to the destruction of the Temple [2]. Consequently - wonder of wonders - I actually agree with the rabbis on this one. While I will note it's passing, Nicanor Day is not one I will "celebrate".

Footnotes:

[1] The Hebrew Letters, R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh (pp. 289, 293)

[2] The degeneration of the power of Shimon leads to the destruction of the Temple.

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The Golden Sceptre

ו' באדר תשס"ז

As mentioned in the previous post, the Torah source of my chotimah is found in parashat Tetzaveh (Shemot 28:36), in the phrase pituchei chotam פתוחי חתם.

Pituchei chotam has a total gematria of 952, a digit sum of 16, and a final digit sum of 7. Seven is the value of the letter zayin, where zayin represents both the woman of valor and the King's sceptre of selection.

As Purim is soon upon us, the phrase for "golden sceptre" in Esther 8:4 is שרבט הזהב.

From the root שרב, the spelling שרבט for sceptre as found in Esther implies "dry heat" [1]. Normatively however, sceptre is spelled with a letter yod in it - שרביט. The letter yod is the kabbalistic source of chochmah, and associated with water. Thus, the addition of the letter yod to the word שרבט removes the dryness associated with feminine fire and adds to it the "core" element of water, mayim מים. Consequently, the "extension of the sceptre" to Esther, is in fact, the giving of this yod to fire. It is not the extension of the yod of mayim into a vav, creating a blemish, mum מום. Neither is the extension of the sceptre the creation of a sword (zayin) of war. To reiterate, the extension of the King's sceptre to Esther is the giving over of the core masculine element of water to the feminine element of fire.

Normally translated as golden, הזהב from the root זהב, can also mean well-lit and pure [1].

Here's the form of my chotimah which has graced my profile and/or various websites for years. It's easy to see all the letters yod in this well-lit version of it.



Footnote:

[1] Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew, R' Matityahu Clark











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Clear Confusion, A Witch's View Of Purim

ה' באדר תשס"ז

Jason Miller (Protection & Reversal Magick) writes regarding confusion spells:

Another way to remove an enemy working against you without bringing him or her into direct harm are rites of confusion. Some see this as a type of jinx in and of itself, but confusion spells have been used in hoodoo and witchcraft as protection for many, many years. When faced with an obsessive enemy who will not give up, a bit of confusion can be a tame but effective way to deal with that enemy.

While Mr. Miller discusses confusion spells independent of general reversal magick, confusion may also return to sender in natural consequence to reversal magick alone, if one's enemy has, in the context of casting a curse, incorporated a "confusion spell" into the curse.

Considering that a rite of confusion is a commonly known occult method of protection and/or cursing, one could posit a link between this occult rite and Purim. Three primary themes of Purim are cursing, protection-defense and confusion. While Mordechai and Esther emerged alive from the occult-induced "time of confusion", Haman did not - testifying clearly as to the underlying motives of all hidden amidst the confusion.

Consequently, we can see that true clarity emerges when a curse of confusion doesn't kill the witch. Importantly, each is accountable for the "magick" he or she performs, whether he or she calls his or her magickal operations "magick" or not.

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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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Purim Torah For Sukkot

ומאי בהו אלא תהו היתה וחזרה
Sefer HaBahir, verse 2 excerpt

Traditional interpretation: "What is bohu (desolation)? It is something that has substance."

Liorah's interpretation: "And what is bohu, but tohu sent out and returning?"

ומאי and what is

בהו bohu

אלא but

תהו tohu

היתה sent out (projected out)

וחזרה and returning

In other words, tohu and bohu, whatever they are discovered to actually be in terms of substance, are MADE OF THE SAME ESSENCE, for bohu is nothing more than tohu which has been "projected out" and is now "returning to its source". In other words, tohu is like aur yashar, while bohu is like aur chozer.

Interestingly, tohu is usually considered feminine, and aur yashar masculine. Similarly, bohu is usually considered masculine and aur chozer feminine. There is an interesting gender mix here.

As with tohu and bohu, another interesting "same essence" connection flowing through my translation is with Purim, where we are commanded to drink wine until we can't distinguish between 'cursed be Hamen' and 'blessed be Mordechai'.

Purim celebrates metamorphosis, the transformation of anguish to joy. Sukkot is the "season of our joy". Tonight for shabbat and sukkot, this is my Purim Torah!

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