TIL That Aleister Crowley Literally Told People That He Was The Beast From Revelations And All I Could

Little things I've picked up

When blowing out candles, if I have trouble blowing them out, it usually means I'm not finished yet

Offering homemade goods is a surefire ancestor pleaser

Let nature help you create. Ask kindly for supplies, and you will receive

It's okay to take breaks. Recharging your metaphorical batteries allows your brain to processes the knowledge it's learned and integrates it into your system

While getting caught up in aesthetics can make your craft vapid, they play a role. Making yourself look fearsome to ward off "evil" spirits is an incredibly old tradition that spans many cultures. Aesthetics matter. But don't get lost in them

Like becomes like. The more I find myself gathering from the pine forests and leaving offerings for the land wights, the more I find myself becoming like the land. If you do the same, you'll find the same. And embracing this will embolden the power you hold over your craft

Whistle. Whistle to everything. To the birds, to the trees, to the bugs and the leaves. Whistle. And if you can't whistle, hum. Just make sure you take caution if you hear a whistle back.

Taking control can be hard. But you need to assert yourself. Stomp on your ground. Breathe deeply. Affirm your presence. You are a metaphysical lightbulb, and deciding how brightly you shine depends on where you plug yourself into. Be bright when needed. And dim when necessary

The most common trees in your area will be your best friends. Learn of them. Commune with them. Hug them

Bones. That's it. Bones

And always remember to use critical thinking skills and discernment. Be open, but be critical. Make sure you're not deluding yourself

My friend sent me this today and I thought it was very important to share for all my fellow Viking/Norse mythology lovers. Daily reminder: fuck white supremacy.

Nathan J. Anderson on Instagram

{Barn Owls in The Oak} by {Mike Rae}

Covet this.

Mother, Queen, Harlot

I feel the need to state that I am not a Thelemite and that my relationship and understanding of Babalon is informed mostly via direct contact with Her.

 It was almost 10 years ago that I first felt Her presence. She would not give me a name but simply images, symbols, and emotions that represented her. I saw images of sex, blood, fire, blades, and serpents. Feelings of lust, love, passion, rage, sovereignty and feminine power.

 Truth be told I wasn’t in the place to have a spirit like that be active in my life so it would be a few years before I set up a shrine to Her.

Her shrine was simple. An inexpensive goddess statue with a red costume rosary wrapped around it, a red candle, and a letter opener with a crown motif. I would burn incense and meditate on Her, sometimes seeking guidance, sometimes just simply being with her. I began referring to Her as “The Red Queen” while still not having a proper name. I was becoming comfortable with her ambiguity and in turn she was helping me become comfortable with myself.

It was around this time that I began working with a teacher who was helping me with visionary work and spirit flight. It was during one of our sessions that I made a breakthrough and came face-to-face with my Red Queen. She sat on a scarlet cushion in a rooms who’s lamps were draped with red scarves. Her hair was a deep brown almost black, her skin was an inhuman pale white. Her arm was casual laying across one upraised knee. She has gold bangles and armlets, gold anklets and rings, a gold hoop around her neck and in her ears, but ironically no crown. Her clothes were reminiscent of an Indian saree the colour of blood. 

I sat across from her and bowed, placing my head on the cushioned floor. When I raised my head, she locked eyes with me. 

“I am have many names, I am many. I am Ishtar, I am Innana, I am Lilith, I am the Queen of Heaven and Hell. But you, you will know me as Babalon.”

Thats when I returned to my body. I was flooded with joy and exhilaration, She had told me Her name, I had a better focus. 

I knew that Babalon was a goddess in Thelema, but I knew next to nothing about Her other than that. To this day I still don’t really know much about her role in Thelema but I've been considering studying it. I’ve continued to go straight to Her when it comes to offerings, prayers, etc. Reading how others interact with her from time to time. Her shrine has grown but not by much, She’s comfortable with it being simple but beautiful. I have been searching for a new statue for Her though, something that I feel fits her better. 

Babalon, The Red Queen, has been my strongest spiritual ally during my transition. She has held my hand and guided my feet as I find my femininity, rediscover my sexuality, and navigate the world as a woman. I’ve taken her epithet “Mother of Abominations” as a sort of trans mother goddess. Trans people are Her children and Her prophets. We are the drops of blood from Her Grail, we are the swords in Her hands. I doubt this is what Crowley had in mind when conceptualizing the goddess but honestly, I don’t care. 

I’ve come to understand Babalon in three sort of facets or faces. The Mother (of Abominations), The Sacred Whore, and The Warrior-Queen. I don’t know if any other people would agree with me or if there is literature to back it up but this is my personal gnosis. 

The Mother I already discussed above. The Sacred Whore and Warrior-Queen are both reminiscent of Ishtar/Inanna, but the Sacred Whore for me personally aligns with her Lilith aspect. Babalon-Lilith is feminine sexuality embodied, but even more she is the taboo side of femme sex, she is trans and kink, she is queer, she is unbridled and selfish, she is the side of our sexuality that is without limit and free. She’s taught me to not be ashamed of what I like and what I want when it comes to sexual satisfaction. My sexuality is mine and no one else's.

The Warrior-Queen is the aspect I am the least in touch with. I’m a pacifist person and seek non-violence in my regular life as much as I can. I have a rather hot temper that I’ve had to learn to keep under control. My most powerful weapon is my tongue and I’d rather talk my way out of a situation than ever resort to violence. Maybe my disconnect with the Warrior-Queen is that I need to recontextualize what it means for me, personally, to be a warrior. We’ll have to see how it plays out. 

I’ll leave this post with an A.I. generated art piece I made as a devotional act using the phone app “Dream”

Sean Mundy

Cycles, 2020

Instagram //  Prints // Twitter

When someone blogs about a spell, consecration, ritual or any personal magical or witchcraft work, they usually leave something out intentionally or unintentionally, said or unsaid. My first witchcraft teacher taught me to always add something to my spell work and especially if a spell had an even number of components to make it odd by addition. As a witch you need to make a spell your own, something that you and your spirits add to the mix. While most anybody can use a well made spell without edit to reasonable success, a witch tends to seal theirs with some personal flair. I have not heard this specific advice repeated by any of my subsequent craft teachers; however, it rings so true and perhaps sensible that I have always held it. Of course my subsequent teachers have emphasized making your own spells. So the emphasis on personalized witchcraft holds.

Korean Folk Magic (Herbs): Sogeum

Sogeum 소금 is salt! It is used in various household god rituals, including feeding Yongwang 용왕 and rites to prevent fires. 

It is also used to purify spaces, chase out negative entities and repel bad luck. 

There actually isn’t a lot that’s different with how korean folk magic uses salt. Because of its color (white) it is connected to purity. Because of salt’s effects on food (keeping it longer before spoiling) it is connected to dispelling misfortune.

We usually sprinkle it in all corners of the home to purify and cleanse before a rite. 

소금 can also be used for offerings, primarily to certain Gashin 가신 (household gods) like Samshin 삼신, the Goddess of Childbirth. 

Keep a small bottle or packet of salt on you at all times. If you suddenly get a bad feeling, sprinkle the salt in its direction. 

Join me on my journey to finally unbalance my hormones, toxify my body, boost my inflammation, maximize my cortisol and absolutely destroy my gut health.