The Four Elements of Magickal Powers

Each week we receive many emails from people wanting to know about magickal powers such as clairvoyance, levitation, telekinesis and telepathy. They want to know whether this kind of magick is real and, more importantly, how to do it!

Since it's become such a popular topic, inspired by movies like Harry Potter and shows like Charmed, we thought it might be time to shed some light on this topic. To answer the first question, are such magickal powers and abilities real? In other words, is it possible to do these types of things in this world at this time? The answer is yes! Absolutely. In fact, you'll find that the masters of many different traditions, such as Aikido or Buddhism, can and do levitate. There are also many popular clairvoyants and telepaths, such as the well-known medical intuitive Louise Hay. And, many Tai Chi masters have telekinetic abilities (meaning they can move objects without touching them).

The second question, of course, is how you can develop these abilities for yourself. There are, of course, many paths to mastering these abilities. At the foundation of all these paths, though, is an understanding of the four elements of magick: air, fire, water and earth. One of the basic tenets of magickal studies is that everything in this Universe is made up of some combination of these four elements, and if you understand and know how to work with these elements, you can understand (and create) anything you desire.

That's why four element magick is the first area of study for our students – it is at the heart of everything in the Universe, including magickal powers and abilities. For instance, you can develop clairvoyance and telepathy, which is access to knowledge not available to the five senses, by developing and working with your water element. Water, being the language of Spirit, allows you to access almost any information (or emotions) at a Spiritual level. Another ability, levitation, is the result of increasing your air element and decreasing your earth element. And telekinesis is the ability to channel your fire energy toward a specific object. For instance, we teach our students to begin using their telekinetic ability by throwing firebolts at a candle flame. They know they have begun to develop that ability when they can make the flame jump and split by pointing their finger at it.

Beyond the development of these psychic or magickal abilities, however, the four elements help us develop and follow our birth visions, listen to our Spirit guidance, and generally live more creative and peaceful lives. By understanding the basic "makeup" and laws that drive our Universe, we can learn to go with the flow rather than swim upstream. This is the true benefit of four element magick. Is the development of magickal abilities great fun? Absolutely! It's useful, too, for self-defense, personal power and more. But it's also the beginning of a deep understanding of the driving forces of life. It's a strong first step onto the path of direct knowledge and spiritual scientism. When the shamans were kicked out of the tribe centuries ago, the world lost access to such direct knowledge. Now we need the shamans more than ever, and we invite you to step on this path by studying the four elements of magick with our online classes. We have a free offer that will give you access to the first 10 classes of our Basic Magic Course which covers each of the 4 elements in depth. If you are interested, just email us at info@shamanschool.com and ask about the Free Offer for Basic Magic classes.

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The Power of Magickal Tools

If you have watched any television shows or movies about magick, then no doubt you have seen characters do all kinds of wild and wonderful things with Wands, potions, herbs, Athames (magickal knives), Chalices, and more. But since these tools are being used in a fictional setting, you may wonder what magickal tools really can and cannot do.

For instance, you may wonder:

• Can you really throw a lightning bolt with a Wand? (Nope)
• Do magickal potions really exist and do they work effectively? (Yes, if created correctly)
• Can you ride a broomstick to the moon? (Nope)
• Does telekinesis, the ability to move things with the mind, really exist? (Absolutely)
• Is it really possible to read someone's mind? (Yup)

Magickal tools do have immense power if formed and used correctly. In fact, most magickal tools are simply extensions of the self. For instance, any well-trained magickal practitioner can throw lightning bolts using only his or her bare hands. However, if you add an Athame, or magickal knife, into the mix, a practitioner can throw a lightning bolt much further and with greater power than by using only bare hands. The same with the Chalice, a tool that allows a practitioner to see into the future or the past.

But for magickal tools to have power, they must: 

1. Be correctly formed or "keyed"
2. Be used properly

While many magickal tools could serve double duty as ordinary objects -- such as a Chalice that resembles a wine glass or an Athame that looks like a hunting knife -- the difference between an ordinary household object and a magickal tool is the process of "keying."

Keying a tool so it becomes a magickal tool accomplishes three tasks: 

1. Cleans the tool of any junky or unwanted energies
2. Aligns the energy of the tool correctly so it can be used magickally
3. Personalizes the tool to your specific energies so others cannot use your magickal tools without your consent

Once a magickal tool has been keyed, it is ready for use. To maximize its power, the practitioner has to use it as it was intended and "keyed." For instance, although Harry Potters sends lightning bolts through his Wand with no trouble, in the real world sending Fire energies such as lightning bolts through a Wand would cause the Wand to catch on fire or explode. Wands are meant to handle Air energies, which are associated with communication, planning, breathing, seeing, enlightenment, and understanding to name a few. If you want to throw lightning bolts, then you need to use an Athame, the metal of which is designed to handle Fire energies without catching on fire. So choosing the right magickal tool to do a specific ritual or spell is as important as properly keying a tool.

Here's a sneak peek at what magickal tools can do: 

• Firebowl: Send a message to higher beings and Spirit guides by burning your written request and letting your wish ride the currents of smoke upward until they reach the higher beings

• Wand: Create communication between two people who refuse to speak to each other by using the Wand to create a "communications link" (the Wand uses Air energies, which govern communication)

• Athame: Banish any unfriendly beings from your sacred space in five minutes or less

• Chalice: See into the future or past by putting a dark liquid into your Chalice, giving the Chalice a command, such as "Show me .." and then watching the show play out on the surface (this technique is also called scrying)

• Pantacle (plate): Heal broken bones or soft-tissue injuries far ahead of any doctor's predictions by focusing and gathering the power of the Earth element into a cone of energy projected by the Pantacle

• Pendulum: Got trouble? Swing your pendulum counter-clockwise to "undo" your troubles

These are just a few of the things that a properly keyed magickal tool can do when used in an appropriate manner. If you want to learn more about magickal tools, delve into our tools ebooks. Read more about those ebooks HERE.

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What Harry Potter Doesn't Know About Magic Tools

In the Harry Potter movies, Harry uses his wand for every type of magical act, from throwing bolts of lightning to using it underwater. Unfortunately, the Wand is an Air tool and is best used for acts such as magical communication, message-sending, and Air-type healings. But not to criticize Harry too much since he is entertaining and we enjoy his stories; even most Tarot decks use Fire colors for Wands and Air Colors for Swords or Athames, which is completely backwards. So what are real magic tools and what elements do they conduct? Here's a short list of the tools for each of the four elements and what types of magical operations you could expect to use each of the magic tools for.

Wand – Air Element Tool
The Wand is the magic tool that is designed to conduct Air element energies. It would be used for:

• sending messages to others in the Air colors clear, white or sky blue
• constructing Air element omnils and shields for doors and windows
• putting up Air element half shields for protection
• healing techniques including sweeping with Air colors, pulling Air colors and Touch Assist

Athame – Fire Element Tool
The Athame is a magical knife designed to conduct Fire element energies including the colors of Sun Yellow, red-orange, yellow-orange, bright red, red-purple, and electric blue. It would be used for magical operations such as:

• creating Fire element color door and window shields and omnils that last longer than Air shields
• putting up Fire element half shields for protection
• banishing unwanted spirits from a space
• cutting psychic lines
• healing with fire energy including sweeping Fire element colors, pulling Fire element colors and using beams of Fire energy to breakup and remove problems (i.e. – kidney stones)

Chalice – Water Element Tool
The Chalice or Cup is the magic tool designed to conduct Water element energies. It would be used for such magical techniques as:

• Four Element cleansings of an area, person or object
• Nighttime Blessing ritual
• throwing bolts of water energy
• making a standing shield similar to an ominil to capture watchers or archetypes or for protection for small objects to keep negative energies away or for simulacra
• sending messages that affect others on an emotional level
• creating a psychic communication link with another
• healing by flowing water energy to flush something out of the system or dissolve something such as calcification in arthritic joints, and pulling excess water energy from someone

Plate – Earth Element Tool
The plate or pentacle is the magic tool designed to conduct Earth element energies of grass green and earth brown. It can be used for magical operations such as:

• shielding
• cutting psychic lines on yourself
• healing by using beams of Earth energies
• keying Tarot cards and for use in Tarot readings
• making a plate and chalice protection

Basically anything you can do with your hands and the elements magically, you can do with tools. The magic tools just help you extend your reach and often give more strength to your technique. You do have to be sure you are using the right tool with its corresponding element however or your results could fail or even worse you could damage your magic tools. If you are ready to move on to using magic tools and learn all the techniques mentioned above and more, our Magic Tool ebooks might be just what you've been looking for. There is an ebook in this series for each of the magic tools that correspond to the four elements as well as for using the Firebowl. Learn how to select or make each tool, key it to your own energies, align its elemental energies, and techniques for using each tool on your own schedule in your own time. It's a great way to extend your magical practice and bring more magic to your life.

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 Image courtesy of  Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Debunking 3 Myths About Real Magic

Debunking 3 Myths About Real Magic

Harry Potter and "Charmed" are great introductions to magic, but they do often mislead the general public about magic. Hopefully this article will demystify five of the common myths about magic created by popular media.

1. There Are No Muggles
Magic is the birth right of every single person on this planet. You don't have to be "born" into a magical lineage, a witchy heritage, or a wizarding family. Everyone can learn magic. Magic is both an art and a science, with real rules, logic, and reasoning. Magic can be learned just as any science can be learned. You can start right now with cloud magic, the library of articles on our website, or (for those who really want to dive into the deep end) our 32-week Basic Magic teleclass.

So go ahead, learn magic. There are no muggles, only people who don't yet know how to do magic!

2. The "Personal Gain" Thing and Magic
The whole myth that you can't do magic for personal is bogus. If you can't use magic as a recourse in a life that is admittedly unfair at times, what is it for? Magic should be used to improve your life. Many practitioners have used magic to attract money, recognition, and other life conditions, all without backlash. Can you use magic to win the lottery? You can try, but it probably won't work. Why not? Because the stream of resistance against it from society is too strong. Most people buy lottery tickets "expecting" not to win. This is a topic for a whole other article, but know that Rules of the Road, the universal laws that govern magical practice, do not prohibit the use of magic for personal gain. So ahead, gain!

3. Magic Should Be Given Away for Free
We get the occasional snide email from someone who thinks that magic should be given away for free. "You claim that magic is the birth right of every planetary citizen," they say. "Why don't you give it away then?"

Good question. Let's clarify this issue about birth right. We have the right to many things on this planet, including knowledge of all kinds (magical and mundane), love, consciousness, joy, and faith. But just because we have a right to it does not mean that we come into this world owning it. Having a right to something simply means that we have the option to "get" it if we choose, but it is up to us to "get" what we want.

For instance, every single person on this planet has the right to be a rocket scientist, should they so choose. Does that mean that MIT or Princeton should give away their knowledge about rocket science at no cost? No. Can you learn a lot about rocket science by going to the library and "getting" the knowledge at no charge. Yes. But how many people will actually do that?

The same is true for magic. We give away a lot of knowledge about magic, but the one thing we cannot give away is the desire to learn and work at magic. Magic allows you to do some amazing things that you could not otherwise do, but it's still an art and a science. It still requires effort to produce the results you want. A major spell to bring money to your mailbox can take several weeks to set up and launch. Is it worth it? Absolutely. It would take months of slaving away at a regular job to earn that kind of money. So magic can help you do what you can't achieve in ordinary life, but it is still work. And the knowledge is valuable. When you pay to learn magic, you are not paying someone else for the knowledge. Instead, you are paying for the privilege of owning the knowledge. Magicians don't charge for magic because they need to earn a living. There is a charge because people do not value what they do not pay for.

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Photo credit: Terri at 9 3/4

What is Magic, Really?

Confused About Magic?

With Harry Potter, the Halliwell sisters on Charmed, Race to Witch Mountain, and all the other books and movies out there about magic, people can get very confused about magic. People ask us all the time, "What is magic, really?"

Good question. And we have an answer. So here goes ...

Magic is a precision science! It is also:

• The science of deliberate creation.
• The science of effective prayer.
• The science of manifesting Higher Will (God's Will) on the energetic and material planes.
• The science of heightened awareness, selective perception, and dynamic, harmonious relationships.
• The study of intention (as per Aleister Crowley, one of the greatest magicians).
• The system of creation, not coercion.

Note: The word manipulation is often used in conjunction with magic, but manipulation simply means the use of the hands. It should be an "OK" word without a lot of charge, but currently it is used mostly to mean coercion. Look it up!

Every intentional act is a magical act! Magic gives us the ability to communicate with beings on all levels, and allows us to understand, through direct experience, the actual workings of the Universe.

Magic is the traditional path of spiritual growth.
Magic is not extraordinary knowledge. It is the "normal" way of life. We've just lost access to it. When you have this kind of knowledge in your understanding, you have the ability to resolve spiritual questions that otherwise become catechism. From a magician's point of view, catechism is not acceptable, since a magician must experience and verify everything for him or herself. It avoids the trap of dogma. In past time, having a magical foundation was essential so that we could go and talk directly to God, the devil, etc.

Magic is necessary to effective religious practice,
In religious practice, a priest is qualified to perform rituals, but not to create them. Only the magician has the ability to create because he has the tools of divination to test the rituals he creates.

How Do You Spell Magic?
There is some confusion as to how to spell the word "magic." There are three different commonly used spellings: magic, magick and majick. Eliphas Levi first used the form "magick" to differentiate religious or ceremonial magick from stage magic.

Does this make sense? Have more questions? Here are a couple more resources so you can delve deeper:

How to Study Magic

Basic Magic Course (starting soon)


Photo credit: Dreaming Like a Fairy