Step 2 on the Magical Path: Magical Tools

Ever wanted to learn how to really use the Firebowl, Wand, Athame, Chalice, and Plate? Then Basic Magic 2 is for you. This 10-lesson course covers the basics of each of these magical tools, from choosing or making the perfect tool to personalizing, using, and storing that tool. The information is simple yet effective, and builds on the knowledge from Basic Magic Part 1, which covers the four magical elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Once the use of the four elements is mastered with hand magic, magical tools can be used to extend our "reach," since they can handle more energies than we can handle with our hands. Each of the four magical elements has its own corresponding tool, as follows:

• Air element = Wand
• Fire element = Athame
• Water element = Chalice
• Earth element = Plate

By using magical tools, magical practitioners can affect situations on many levels, ranging from the personal level to the global level. For example, it is easy enough to put up a personal shield around your body with your hands, but for a larger shield such as around your entire property, a magical tool such as the Wand or Athame makes the job much easier. Along with the magical tools associated with each element there are other useful tools such as the Firebowl, pendulum, dowsing rods, sun crystal, tarot cards and more that are needed for such magical techniques as spellwork and divination.

Some of your magical tools you will be able to make yourself like the Wand and Firebowl and others such as the Athame and Chalice you will need to select and purchase. The pendulum is one of your magical tools that you can choose to buy or that you can make yourself. In the Basic Magic 2 course you will not only learn what tools to get or make and techniques to use them for, but also how to turn simple things such as a cup or plate into magical tools. This is done by keying, charging and/or training the tools. In the case of the pendulum, here is an exercise you can try out to make a pendulum yourself and then train it for magical use.

Making a Pendulum
To make a pendulum you will need a lightweight object and a chain or some type of string to hang it from. You can use a paper clip, small rock, earring, pendant, small medallion, crystal, talisman or other similar small object. If you use a crystal, use an amethyst, and store it in a pewter box to protect it from negative energy. Don't use Aurora crystals, which have been treated with petroleum. If you hang your pendulum on a chain, use a silver chain as it is more stable energetically. You can also hang your pendulum on any kind of natural fiber such as cotton or silk, horse or human hair or leather. Make sure the pendulum is on a long enough chain or string to swing freely.

Training Your Pendulum
Once you've made your pendulum your next step is to train it so that it answers your questions quickly and accurately. Here's how:
1. First cleanse your pendulum with smoke. The smoke from burning pine resin and sage works well. Just hold the pendulum over a column of smoke from your firebowl until the smoke begins to "stick" to it.

2. Next, your pendulum needs to be keyed so that it responds to your energies. To key it, hold your pendulum in your dominant hand (the hand you write or point with). Flow energy into the pendulum for a minute or two, or until it grows warm and tingly.

3. Begin training your pendulum by establishing its yes and no directions. Decide if you want your pendulum to indicate "yes" with a vertical or horizontal swing. The "no" indicator will be the opposite of the "yes" indicator (if "yes" is a vertical swing, then "no" is a horizontal swing). Hold your pendulum suspended from your dominant hand. Rest your elbow on a table or your knee to stabilize your hand and swing your pendulum in a gentle clockwise circle telling it, "Show me yes." Wait for the pendulum to settle into the proper swing (whatever direction you chose). If it doesn't, ask again. Once your pendulum consistently swings in the proper direction for "yes," use the same process to ask it to show you the proper swing for "no."

4. Now you are ready to start training your pendulum to give you actual answers by practicing asking questions about short futures. Ask yes/no questions that can be verified in a 15 to 30 minute time frame. For instance, at the end of the work day you might ask your pendulum, "Will my roommate be home in the next 20 minutes?" Verify the correctness of your pendulum's answer, and then ask another question. In the beginning, it doesn't matter whether your pendulum gives you the correct answer or not, this is just the practice period and giving your pendulum a lot of practice is the important thing right now. The more your work with your pendulum, the more accurate it will become. Don't get obsessed with the "rightness" of the answers during this training period.

Try making your own pendulum and practicing with it. Then when you are ready to move on to other magical tools, the Basic Magic 2 course is waiting for you online to take in your own time on your own schedule.

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Stuck in a Rut? Need Money Magic Help? Read the Blog

The Esoteric School blog is kind of like a wandering magical wizard. On our blog, we wander over all kinds of topics, from which elemental type you might be to magical ways to find a new relationship to money. Want love advice? We've got that, too, along with truly satisfying ways to do a Big Burn ritual to really get that frustration and anger out of your system. Good fun. Check out the blog here.

Twice a week we post magical articles on the blog that provide magical solutions to common problems and give you magical techniques to try out for yourself. If you find yourself stuck in a rut, feeling blue, losing control of your anger, needing a magical way to increase the flow of money into your reality, or a magical solution to any other problem you are facing, this is the place to find some simple, magical solutions. For example, here's just a few of the tips you'll find on attracting money:

How to Attract Money: Change Your Thoughts
Stop counting pennies and dollars in your thoughts. In fact, stop all thoughts about quantity as much as possible (i.e., food, calories, money, time). Instead, each time you start thinking that there isn't enough of something, say to yourself "That was then, this is now. There is abundance in my life now." While this seems like a very small change against a lifetime of measurement and feelings of "not enough," magically a small change in the present creates a larger change in the future. Just know that a small change--such as redirecting your thoughts with this mantra will create much larger and different changes/manifestations in the future.

How to Attract Money: Shift Your Focus
Focus on what money will do for you, not the money itself. Money has a lot negative vibrations, along with oughts, shoulds, and mixed messages from authority figures conflicting with your own desires. One way to short circuit all this is to focus on what you want money to do for you in your life. If you want to do something from your bucket list, for instance, focus on manifesting that instead of the money that will allow you to do so. The money will show up when it needs to.

How to Attract Money: Practice Abundance
Act everyday as if you already have what you want (i.e., if you want to go on a trip, start packing your bags regardless of what your bank account says). It's an internal feeling, unrelated to external facts (like how much is in your bank account). Practice feeling like you would at the successful end of your financial journey. Like the mantra, this is a small change that will produce a larger change in the future.

Seek Guidance from the Spirit of Owl
The Owl totem specializes in hunting down information that is hidden or not immediately available. Follow the steps of this ritual to request help from Owl.

1. Aloud or in your mind say, "Spirit of Owl, I request your help."

2. Wait quietly for a few seconds until you "feel" the presence of Owl. If you aren't familiar with working with spirit beings and aren't sure you feel the presence, go ahead to the next step since Owl always comes when requested.

3. Tell Owl what you are requesting. For example, in this case you might say, "Owl, please come with me today and show me what is causing my financial situation to not improve. Please show me this in a way that I can clearly understand. Thank you in advance for your help." Thanking Owl as with other Spirit beings is a necessary part of the request as the Owl totem thrives on appreciation.

4. Now go about your day with an open mind as to what Owl will show you. Owl will ride on your shoulder, whispering in your ear, giving you knowledge and understanding where you had blindness and confusion previously. The messages may come in many different forms such as an overheard conversation from a stranger, old memories appearing in your thoughts, a significant symbol or picture you come across on a sign or in a book or magazine, the words of a song and many other ways. Just stay aware and open to any communications that come.

5. Once you get your messages from Owl and have received the information you are seeking, be sure to offer appreciation and gratitude again.

Use Rooting to Get Anchored
Get anchored by practicing rooting daily. Rooting works as a way for how to attract money based on the principle that the least anchored object comes undone first. Also, people who are anchored are less likely to encounter "accidents" or events outside their control. If you are the most anchored, what you want will come to you. Rooting is a technique in which you flow earth energies deep into the Earth, releasing excess energies of any kind and pull Earth energies into you. This would be a good way to expel any doubts or insecurities you have about receiving money and give yourself the extra Earth energies to help anchor yourself. To do rooting follow these directions:

• Sit comfortably with your feet on the ground.
   
• In your mind's eye, see and feel yourself extending roots out of your feet, through your shoes, through the flooring, into the sub-floor and down into the Earth
   
• Once your roots reach down deep into the Earth past topsoil and into bedrock, lock them into the bedrock layer.
   
• Now sit for a while and breathe. Each time you exhale, send fire energies such as tension, anger, frustration and anxiety or stuck water energies such as depression down your roots and into the bedrock. Earth is a very receptive element and will take these energies very easily so you don't have to push real hard.
   
• Each time you inhale a breath, pull in the minerals, fluids and other energies from the Earth to nourish and balance yourself.
   
• Do this with your breathing until you feel relaxed and nourished.
   
• When you feel you are done, start pulling your roots back up starting with unlocking them from the bedrock, then pulling them back up through the topsoil, flooring and your shoes, if you are wearing any.

Be sure you are doing this during a time you won't be interrupted or have any reason to get up until you are finished. Moving before pulling your "roots" back in can cause you to be sore for a few days.

Like what you see? Then bookmark our blog in your web browser as a magical reference available to you anytime. Real magic solutions to real problems are waiting for you just a click away. To make sure you don't miss anything and that you get the latest article right away, sign up and have blog articles delivered to your email. Just takes a few seconds to sign up and you'll be on your way to having a wide variety of magical solutions to help you live in magic.

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Image courtesy of hyena reality / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Ready to Get Serious About Magic? Start Here...

For those who have dabbled in magic and are truly serious about getting on the magical path, Basic Magic I is the place to start. This online beginner magic course will teach you the foundations of a solid magical practice. You will learn the basic techniques necessary to work with the four magical elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. It is said that if you can understand the four magical elements, you can understand anything in the Universe... Ready to give it a try? Then get started with the Level I basic Magic Course. Not sure yet? Here's a look at the four elements to get you going.

By having an understanding of and a working knowledge of the four elements, not only can you understand anything in the Universe, you can also create anything you desire. Four element magic is at the heart of everything in the Universe including magical powers and abilities. For example, clairvoyance and telepathy can be developed by working with the Water element since Water is the language of Spirit and lets you access information and emotions at a Spiritual level. Telekinesis is the ability to channel your Fire energy. Our classes teach students to practice this skill by throwing firebolts at a candle flame. When they are able to make the flame "jump" by pointing a finger at it then they have begun to develop this magical skill.

Understanding the four elements goes deeper than just developing magical abilities. They help in just about every aspect of life. For ourselves, they can help us follow our birth visions, listen to our Spirit guidance and live more creative and peaceful lives. In our everyday life, understanding of the four elements helps us to know ourselves better according to our elemental makeup and see what types of careers we are well suited for, help us choose compatible relationships and have a better understanding of the lifestyle that will make us happy. We are also able to apply this knowledge to others and provide service in the forms of healing, divination and facilitating communication. Having an understanding of this magical foundation of four element magic and the laws of the Universe allow us to be in accordance with the Universe instead of running into constant resistance with it.

Four element magic is the first step to developing a deep understanding of the driving forces of life and opens the doorway to direct knowledge and spiritual scientism. You can get started on this path for yourself with our online Basic Magic courses and bring some serious magic to your life.



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Got the Blues? Dump It Magically!

If you need help with mood swings, we have a ton of magical techniques to help, from the simple to the complex. Read all about them in the Mood Changes section of our library of magical articles. You can also learn about dreams, divination, protection, manifestation, and much more. The wealth of magical treasure is there, just waiting for you to come visit. No cost, just a little investment of time and interest on your part. Here's an example of the type of magical treasures awaiting you in our library.

The Magic of Small Changes To Cure the Blues
Part of the Universal Law of Divination says, "A small change in the present will create a larger change in the future." There are two reasons that small changes now can make bigger changes for you in the future. First, they help change your habitual thought patterns enough to let you open the door to new ideas and inspirations. Second, because they are small changes, you are able to avoid running into the resistance factor. Changing your thought patterns helps you get to a new level or pull yourself out of the blues. You know that what you think and feel determines what you will bring into your reality. So if you are experiencing the blues, you will bring more depression and sadness to yourself whereas if you are upbeat, positive and happy, you will attract more of the same. By changing your mood or making a small change in your habits you can rise up the ladder a step or adjust your position just enough to be able to access different thoughts and feelings. The doubt factor is often a cause of resistance that keeps us stuck in where we are. Small changes in habit will be less noticeable and are things that we are more comfortable with. This helps break down the resistance letting us move forward.

So what kind of changes are we actually talking about? Take a good look at yourself and see what types of things you do just by habit. Do you always wear a particular ring on a certain hand or finger? Do you always sit in the same place at home or at work? Do you always perform your morning routine exactly the same way and use the same hand to do certain tasks? These can all be examples of things you can choose to do differently that no one but you will really notice. Wear that ring on a different finger, get up on the opposite side of the bed, wear your socks wrong side out, open doors with your left hand instead of your right and so on.

You get the idea now I'm sure. See what small changes you can make consciously instead of the mechanical habits you usually perform and make a shift as to where you stand inside yourself. This will open the doorway for new thoughts and feelings to come in, allow you to raise your level, and help magically beat the blues.

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Take the Guesswork Out of Magic

Magic can be fun, useful, and very effective at attracting what you desire. But what if you are not sure that you are on the right magical path? One way to learn more is to sign up for our twice-monthly newsletter, in which we cover all manner of magical topics. We discuss ways to form beneficial relationships with higher beings, magical techniques for self-protection, and much more. You can also delve into magical topics in our magical articles library, Facebook page, Twitter page, and blog.

Ever feel like you are alone in following your magical path? Join in the conversations on our Facebook page and share your experiences with those of like mind. It's a great place to get insights from other magical practitioners and get your magical questions answered. Just starting to explore the world of magic? Our articles library, blog and educational resource courses, ebooks and books in our store are a great place to start. We give you such a variety of magical topics that there is sure to be something to grab your interest. Many of the articles include exercises for you to try out and experience for yourself what magic can bring to your life. No cost to explore the blog and article library so nothing to lose by giving it a try. Then when you are ready to get serious about your magical studies check out our courses, ebooks, Kindle books and other educational materials in our online store.

Just to get you started, here is a very basic beginner exercise for you to try out. Give it a try and see what you experience from this exercise. Then jump onto Facebook and share your results with our magical community.

Sun Candle
A sun candle is a great magical tool to use for creating sacred space, giving yourself an energy boost, clearing negative energies or picking you up when you're feeling blue. A sun candle is simply a regular candle that is pure, bright yellow in color with not too much orange in it. To turn this common candle into a magical tool it needs to be charged. Here's how to charge and use the sun candle.

1. Stand or sit in the South facing North and have the yellow candle in front of you

2. Light the candle with wooden or paper matches. Do not use a lighter.

3. Watch the flame grow steady and tall until it reaches what we call a good "working" flame.

4. These next steps will charge the candle. Hold your hands so that they are close to (not too close that you get burned though) and cupped around the flame.

5. Focus your attention on the candle and flame and say this verse out loud in a voice of command (strong, powerful voice):

"Child of Wonder,
Child of Flame,
Nourish My Spirit,
And Protect My Aim!"

6. The candle is now charged. Leave it burning for at least 30 minutes making sure it is on a plate or other protective surface so as not to be a fire hazard.

After at least 30 minutes, when you feel ready, blow the candle out. Check in with yourself to see if you feel a difference in your energy level or the quality of your energy. You may also feel lighter, more harmonious and more peaceful.

This very simple, basic magical technique could be the start of your journey into magic. Try it out for yourself, examine your results, and then decide what your next step will be in exploring the wonderful world of magic.

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