Thursday, June 25, 2009

Why Magic Protection Symbols are More Important Than Ever

Have we reached the "End Times"? Are we approaching them? Are we in danger of a pole shift or some other form of catastrophe?

No, no, and no. I get asked these questions all the time by people who are concerned with the approaching "deadline" of 2012, when the Mayan calendar supposedly "ends." In truth, according Tony Shearer, who dedicated his life to studying the Mayan calendar, the calendar doesn't end in 2012, but instead simply starts over.

There are plenty of books and articles on the Mayan calendar, so I won't go into a detailed explanation of this predictive tool, but I will say that each time the calendar prepares to shift into a new cycle, our world does experience major energetic shifts.

What Energetic Changes Are Happening Now?
One major energetic shift I notice occurring with this change of cycle, which will happen around 2012, is that energy moves much more quickly than it has in the past. Specifically, the energy of our thoughts and feelings are manifesting much more quickly into physical events and occurrences. For instance, a negative thought like "I hope I don't lose my job!" is translating much more quickly into a lost job than it did about a decade ago. At the same time, a positive thought such as "I really feel soul mate is on her way to me" now manifests as a meeting between soul mates very quickly. It's a fast-changing world that is much more reactive to our thoughts and feelings than ever before. This is both good and bad--the usual double-edged sword.

Another major energetic change has to do with the Law of Contagion. The Law of Contagion deals with how easily we are affected by other people's thoughts and feelings. In the past, when energy moved much slower, it was easier to maintain our own sacred space, and not be affected by other people's energy. These days, not only does energy move faster, but the whole stream of energy pulsing around the globe is much larger. This means that not only are we more affected by the energy of another person, but we are also much more affected by global energy.

Every nation in the world is currently being affected by the economic downturn, and this is creating a large stream of energy filled with doubt, fear, and paralysis. You may have noticed that it is more difficult for you to be positive and proactive in your life. You may feel it is more difficult to take action or make choices. This feeling of oppression doesn't mean you are becoming a lazy slob or that you are losing your motivation. You may simply be affected the current global energy.

You may have also discovered that you are easily affected by the energy of another person. For instance, suppose you talk on the phone who is feeling down in the dumps. Do you notice that you also feel down in the dumps, or anxious about your own situation, after getting off the phone with that person? That's the Law of Contagion at work. You are simply more easily affected by any energy you come in contact with.

What to Do About the Law of Contagion
So what can you do about the Law of Contagion? How to preserve your sacred space? From a magic point of view, I would suggest cleansing your space (your home, office, car) with sage and pine resin, or other cleansing herbs. That's a good start.

Next, look around your environment and decide whether protection symbols would be useful, both to wear on your person or to put up around your environment. For instance, I recently re-shielded our property and added some protection symbols, like the Eye of Horus and pantacles. Other people have reported useful shielding results by wearing the psychic shield amulet, which is in the design of the seven-pointed faery star. Finally, others like introducing the energy of animal totems to gain the protection of Wolf, Buffalo, and so on.

Finally, on a mundane level, you may want to become far choosier about the people you contact. In a wonderful mixing of technology and magic, the prudent use of caller-ID to help you decide whether to pick up the phone can mean the difference between feeling down in the dumps and accessing a more positive flow of energy. In this day and age, you have the very real possibility of manifesting what you want in life faster than ever, but only if you take the time to create true sacred space around yourself. Cleanse your space, protect it, and choose your contact with other people in the world carefully!

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Photo credit: Mayan Sun Calendar

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Which Magic Rituals Should You Do Now?

It's amazing how, during this economic downturn, people are suddenly confused about what kind of magic spells and rituals they should do now. Sure, more people are unemployed, the economy is pretty rocky, and times seem uncertain, but in actuality nothing has changed.

Here's the deal: we are all students in the Earth school and there are a limited number of problems we need to learn to solve while we're in school. The basic lessons are health; wealth and career; and relationships and sex. Sound familiar? Just about everything else can be put under these basic categories. And, here's the real kicker: we get happy and graduate when we solve these problems.

Your Big Life Lesson
Each person usually has one main lesson to learn in Earth school. If you look back on your life, you can probably easily figure out which lesson you signed up for. You can look at your friends, and do the same. For instance, you probably have one friend who has never had relationship issues but can't seem to get healthy. Then there is your friend who has money problems like crazy, but is as healthy as a horse, which is good because he can't afford to go to the doctor.

No matter which life lesson you have, chances are that the world economic situation hasn't really changed it, right? Maybe the lesson or "problem" has intensified, but it's still the same old problem. In the worst-case scenario, you might still have your major life lesson, but now you have a minor in some other life lesson, too. If health has been your main lesson, maybe the economic crunch has now made it more difficult for you to get the healing you need. But the bottom line is that health is still the main issue.

In short, nothing has really changed.

Magic and Your Big Life Lesson
So what kind of magic rituals or spells should you do now to help you learn about your life lesson? Your first magical act should be to meditate on the fact that, magically, size doesn't really matter when it comes to problems, or their solutions. As our teacher Abraham-Hicks is fond of saying, "It's just as easy to manifest a button as a castle." By the token, it is just as easy (or difficult) to magically solve the problem of unemployment today as it was when the economy was going strong. Your big life lesson is the same as it always has been. So, if you are feeling depressed, fearful, or pitiful, stop it. Get off the pity pot. Nothing, regardless of the gloom-and-doom of predictions of economists, is any worse than before.

The Sun Candle: A Magic Ritual for Today
Now that you've discovered that you are no worse than before, it's time to start using a magic ritual that will help you stay positive, and make forward progress toward learning your big life lesson.

One of the simplest magic rituals you can do to help you stay positive is to use the Sun Candle. Burning the Sun Candle with the appropriate litany on a daily basis will not only nourish your spirit, but give you tangible magical act to do, so you feel like you "doing something" about your situation.

Here's how you use the Sun Candle.

You will need a pure yellow candle (a bright yellow that is not too orange) and wooden or paper matches. You can find pure yellow candles at most grocery stores in the section with the religious candles (in glass containers).

You will also need to know which direction is South. To create sacred space with the Sun Candle, you will need to "charge" it, or program it to do so. Here's how:
  • Stand or sit in the South facing North with the Sun Candle in front of you
  • Light the candle using wooden or paper matches (do NOT use a lighter)
  • Wait until the candle flame is steady and tall
  • Hold your hands up to and around the flame, focusing your attention on the candle and flame.
  • Say the charge verse below in a voice of command (a strong, powerful voice)
Child of Wonder,
Child of Flame,
Nourish My Spirit,
And Protect My Aim!

If there are other people in the room with you, you can change the "My" to "Our" and the word "Spirit" to "Spirits." Leave the candle burning in the room for at least 30 minutes (be sure the candle is on a protected surface such as a plate and is not a fire hazard).

At the end of 30 minutes or when you feel ready, blow out the flame (don't snuff it). Spend a moment or two in the area to see if you can detect a difference in the level and quality of energy. The area should feel lighter, more harmonious and/or more peaceful to you.

Have fun using this daily magic ritual to regain balance!

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Photo credit: Scent of a Candle Sunflower

Monday, June 1, 2009

The Tower Card in Tarot Readings - What It Means

Recently I did a Tarot reading for a client who has been having a lot of trouble with accidents, like fender benders and such. This client was so banged-up and bruised from all of his recent misfortunes that he asked for a reading to find out what was going on.

Not surprisingly, in both the present-time and progressed Tarot readings for this client, the Tower card showed up, both times upright. A lot of practitioners of magic shudder when they see the Tower card because they think it automatically means chaos. It does, sort of, but it means something more specific than that.

The Tower card talks about complete material disorganization or chaos, caused by spiritual forces beyond one's control. The world is obviously experiencing a lot of chaos and change right now, as we approach the end of a cycle on the Mayan calendar and prepare to enter the next. The Tower card talks about chaos coming into people's life from the outer world. As you can see on the card itself, the lightning comes into the picture from the outside world.

The Tower Card Upright in a Tarot Reading
These days, when the Tower card appears upright in a reading, it means that a big change is coming that you should be prepared for. Sometimes this means a natural disaster, and sometimes death, but in most cases it is just a warning to be prepared for a major change in your environment.

In the case of my client for whom I was doing the Tarot reading, the Tower card indicated that he wasn't being aware of his surroundings. He needs to be more conscious of the Law of Accident at work around him. The Law of Accident says that if we don't have a strong intention and focus, then we fall prey to "accidental and coincidental" occurrences, like fender-benders. The Law of Accident is more at work during these times of extreme change than at other times. Luckily, nothing serious had happened to him, and he is going use some daily rituals to focus his intent and be more aware of his surroundings.

The Tower Card Reversed in a Tarot Reading
If the Tower appears as a reversed card in a Tarot reading, then the implications are different. If it's reversed, then you need to start looking at whether you have broken any Rules of the Road (the laws that govern magical practice) or whether there is something karmic going on. Maybe you've gotten crosswise with a deity.

If you see a reversed Tower card, do some exploration, through divination or possibly a blow-up Tarot reading, to find out what the situation is about. During this time of world upheaval, it's important to correct situations like this as quickly as possible. Luckily, the world is also much more plastic or flexible right now, so correcting situations may be easier than you think.

A Few Additional Notes About the Tower Card
The severity of the change or chaos indicated by the Tower isn't necessarily related to whether the Tower card is upright or reversed. Whether the card is upright or reversed merely tells you what kind of change you are dealing with. Remember that that Tower card represents changes appearing in the outer world, and often reflects deity-level changes. This card has shown up a lot in recent years, tying in with world and galactic changes. Changes indicated by the Tower card can be violent or drastic, and are simply a warning for us to be prepared. The Tower card isn't bad, it's just a warning to be aware.

Want to Learn More About the Tarot?
The Tarot is an infinitely deep study of magic. The Tarot can be used for divination, spells, spell take-downs, and many other forms of magic. If you would like to learn more about how to use the Tarot, consider joining our upcoming Basic Magic class or learning with our home-study Tarot Course.

Basic Magic
Home Study Tarot Course
Recommended Tarot Decks

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