Sacred Fire

Fire is – undeniably – crucial to human history as we know
it. Without the kindlings, we as a race could not exist as we are now – cooking
food would be impossible, thereby preventing the reallocation of energy from
our gut, to feed and nourish our mammalian brain into becoming the anomaly that
it is. As such, I think as humans we are – both physically and spiritual – entranced
with our debt to the fourth state of physicality, and have made great strides
to incorporate its nature into our innumerable myths and legends.

Numerous cults and faiths uphold the idea of an unending
fire – the Sacred Fire – that burns as an infinite testament to life and the
immortality our collective human psyche so longs for. It is the great seat of
power: that fiery dualism of both creation and destruction. We were forged in
flames, but so, too, might they consume us.

This recipe is by no means comprehensive. Numerous mixtures
and solutions work just as well, if not better, but I will present the one that
is best fitting to my own personal needs, and hopefully might prove useful to
those reading.

Liquid Fire Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 91% isopropyl alcohol
  • An alcohol-based, liquid perfume or an eau de toilette of
    your choosing

For Use:

  • A Fire-Safe dish (preferably insulated or suspended – I have
    a large, copper bowl that rests on a short, metal stand)
  1. To make, simply combine the above ingredients in a 10:1
    ratio and bottle. Give a gentle shake before each use to make sure that the perfume
    has distributed correctly.
  2. To use, place a small amount of the liquid into your open
    mouthed, fire-safe container – as a word of wisdom, you always need less than
    you think you’ll need (basically, if you pour some in, fight the urge to add “just
    a bit” more). You should immediately smell the perfume, but hopefully in a
    manner that isn’t too pungent – if that is the case, simply dilute with a touch
    more alcohol. Light with a long lighter and stand back, as there will be very
    audible (and possibly startling) whoosh
    as it ignites.

It is at this point, the fire might aid in your work. This
can be integrated into regular ritual, as a more primal alternative to candles,
but most (I’ve found) use it as a means by which work by, in that, if you’re
working the craft, you instinctively light the fire. It then becomes not merely
a force of power, but a symbol thereof. Can also be used as a beacon of
communication to any number of spirits or deities.

As an added benefit (depending on your choice of perfumery),
it should be clean burning and entirely smokeless. If there is a smell of
burning, something is not right and the fire should be doused and investigated.

To put the fire out – which should be done only in cases of
emergency, as dashing out the fires of life should be avoided (obviously) if
possible – I recommend sand. Simply smother the fire with a handful (or two) of
sand depending on the size of your bowl. Water can be used, as well, however
there have been cases when after being doused with water the fire reignites
itself – hence its best to smother.

WARNINGS:

DO NOT PUT THE BOWL NEAR ANYTHING FLAMMABLE; NOTHING THAT
HANGS (LIKE CURTAINS, ROPE, ETC.), BE VERY CAREFUL AROUND DRIED FLOWERS, AS
LITTLE HEAT IS REQUIRED TO SET THEM ALIGHT, AVOID HAIRSPRAYS AND OTHER AEROSOLIZED
SPRAYS OR SOLUTIONS – IF YOU WOULDN’T PUT A CANDLE NEAR IT, OBVIOUSLY DO NOT PUT A LARGE, FLAMING
BOWL NEAR IT. BE SURE THAT IF YOUR BOWL IS NOT SUSPENDED, IT IS RESTING ON A
HEAVY (COTTON) CLOTH TO PREVENT ANY HEAT RELATED DAMAGE. DO NOT LEAVE
UNATTENDED. LIGHT ONLY WITH A LONG LIGHTER (A GRILL OR CANDLE LIGHTER BEING
PREFERABLE) AND BE SURE TO KEEP YOUR HANDS, HAIR, JEWELRY AND CLOTHING AWAY
FROM THE MOUTH OF THE BOWL WHEN LIGHTING – WHEN IT TAKES, IT TAKES, AND MUST BURN OFF THE VAPOROUS
ALCOHOL BEFORE CALMING DOWN. USE COMMON SENSE. IF YOU HAVEN’T ANY, I DO NOT
RECOMMEND UTILIZING THIS. AND FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, DON’T TOUCH THE DAMN THING.
FIRE IS HOT.

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Guiérda’s Philtre

Used to arouse enamor and playful infatuation – given to a
potential sweetheart or lover to sway them to your favor, romantically,
sexually or (maybe) platonically

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This recipe sounds very bright and not something I would
have come up with – but that’s the beauty of it, I didn’t have to! I transcribed
it from a recipe given to me by my newest Spirit Teacher: hence the namesake.
Given I am not currently shopping for love, I figured I would post it here
(with her permission, of course) and see if all of you could get any use out of
it. Be mindful, I haven’t tried this recipe, so I cannot vouch for its
effectiveness – but Guiérda’s recipes haven’t let me down yet, I don’t see this
being that one that does so.

Ingredients:

  • Hollyhock Flowers (dried and powdered; I’d say Hibiscus
    could be used in place of)
  • Honey
  • Blooms of Alisma
    lanceolatum     (though I’d say any wetland, flowering fern might do)
  • Very dry, white
    wine     or (dry, not sweet!) vermouth
  • Orange Rind/Peel
  • A Sprig of Fresh Thyme
  • A Pinch of Crushed Anise Seed

Preparation:

  1. In a clean, glass bottle (of any size) rinse first with
    spring water or the water of a moving (clean) creek. Allow this to dry, then
    add in just enough honey to coat the bottom and come roughly ½ inch up. To
    this, add, in order: Hollyhock powder, the orange peel, Anise seeds and just a
    scant bit of wine/vermouth to get things moving. Spin the bottle to combine the
    honey with the vermouth, warming it slightly if need be.
  2. Cap or cover the bottle and allow the mixture to sit overnight.
  3. The following day, pour in a small amounts of wine/vermouth
    incrementally, swirling with each addition to ensure proper mixing. When the
    mixture nearly fills the bottle, add in the fresh blooms and thyme, then shake
    gently. From the bottle take a drink, and allow the contents to fall from your
    mouth back into the bottle – basically backwash, there’s really no sweet way to
    put that. Cap/Cork.

Best served chilled, if drinking straight, or can be sneaked into food or drink of any kind. I’d say it would keep (refrigerated) for no
more than a week.

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Wheel of (Mis)Fortune

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This concept is much like that of a Witch’s/Witches’ Ladder
– only round. It serves much the same purpose: to inflict harm, but can also
be used as a ward or an instrument of protection, much depending on the
construction – of which I will name a few. That which goes into it is heavily
reliant on the will of the witch assembling it and can be taken, reworked and
revised depending on most any situation.

My simple construction is as follows:

Gather your supplies. For this I will include only a few
boughs of a weeping willow (the leaves removed – and hopefully dried for
further use), nails and string. However, a few other ideas include bramble
sprigs and/or thorny, rose stems, broken glass (tied up with string and hung
from the round like a macabre wind-chime), hair, black hen feathers, hot chiles
(hung much in the same fashion as the glass), and whatever else one might find
befitting.

From the aforementioned materials (string, willow and
nails), take the willow strands and braid them together. For a tighter fit, you
can soak them for a few hours to make them more flexible, but so long as
they’re freshly cut, they’re usually pretty pliable. When the strands are
braided to your liking, arc the sides into a ring and either braid then
together or (much more simply) tie the ends to form a circle. Note: if braiding
then wet, you’ll probably want to braid the nails in as you go – which should
hold them in place, but may require reinforcing once dry.

If working with dry boughs, simply take the nails (in
multiples of 9s or 7s, depending) and work them into the braid. For inflicting
harm, organize the nails pointing inward, for protection, face then outward.
You may find that some of the nails remain loose and this can be remedied by
fixing them tightly with string, which, for continuity’s sake, I’d say go ahead
and extend this to all the nails.

To this base, you can add almost anything you’d like, but
some ideas may require integration earlier on, so plan accordingly.

When complete, you have something reminiscent of a
frightening dream catcher or horrific wind-chime – both of which serving a
useful purpose.

You can hang it any number of places, inside or outside of
the house – though I’d recommend near the front door. If being used to inflict
harm, the curio can be tossed into the yard of the victim or simply hung in a
tree on your own property.

As far as its similarity to a dream catcher goes, it can
also be used as a snare for malicious witchcraft when hung near a bedroom
window or workstation.

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Walk-A-Mile Hex

Call me old-fashioned, but I am a strong believer that
curses inherently have the power to help as much as they have to harm. While
witches have used them maliciously countless times, I prefer to learn towards
curses that not only seek justice, but change ways. This is of the latter
variety – meant not to damn (for the sole purpose of damnation), but to
enlighten through disciplinary action. To force someone to see through the eyes
of another, for the oppressor to feel his/her own oppression – to walk a mile
in another person’s shoes. Hence the title: Walk-A-Mile.

Here I will present three variations to the hex, hopefully
befitting a number of different circumstances, budgets and personal tastes.

Walk-A-Mile #1

This one is (objectively) the simplest of the three as far
as supplies go, but is heavily reliant on the witch’s ability to acquiesce the
foot-tracks of their victim and the power of time. I’ll be the first to note
how difficult that can be at times – and one of the reasons I have created
numerous variations to fulfill the same basic objective.

Things You Will Need:

  • Glass Bowl/Jar/Cup
  • (9) Nails – as per usual, iron being the best, but this one
    can be accomplished with any make
  • Dirt of the Foot-Track

Instructions:

  1. Again, this one is quite simple – merely fill the glass
    vessel with the dirt. Optionally: add to this dirt Hoot Foot Powder, Goofer
    Dust     or drizzle with your favorite crossing oil.
  2. When the dirt has been added and lightly packed down, take
    the first of the nine nails (again, can be primed with an oil of your choosing)
    and drive it directly into the center of the dirt – naming your victim and
    whose misfortune you wish to inflict upon them.
  3. This is where the process can get a little timely. Take one
    of the remaining 8 nails, driving one in every day for 9 days (the original
    nail being Day 1) – each time repeating the name of your victim and the
    misfortune. Ex. (Victim), take upon yourself the misery you have inflicted.
    When all the nails have been added, allow them to remain in the dirt for
    another 9 day period.
  4. After the 18 day period, begin the last 9 days by removing
    one of the 9 nails each day – speaking something to the extent of: From your
    sorrows, you will grow. Each day, repeating the process until all 9 of the
    nails have been removed.
  5. On the last day, return the foot-track from whence it came,
    sprinkle it on the land of the victim, or scatter on the pavement of a road.
    Ritually wash the nails so they might be reused or drive them into the earth of
    their property, where every day they might cross them as a reminder.

Walk-A-Mile #2

The process is relatively the same, but can be accomplished
in a shorter period of time with a few added “ingredients.” This one also has
the benefit of not requiring the foot-tracks of your victim, but a personal affect
is still required.

Things You Will Need:

  • (1) Old Shoe – not your own, unless you seek to make them
    walk-a-mile in your shoes. I recommend a Goodwill or second-hand shop wherein
    you might find a cheap, old pair of shoes – just make sure to ritually cleanse
    them unless you want to risk dragging a stranger into the mix.
  • (9) Nails – iron or otherwise
  • A Hammer
  • The Shoe Laces or a length of string
  • A Personal Affect (or at least their name)

Instructions:

  1. Begin by affixing the affect to the shoe in some way. For a
    name you need only write it on the shoe, some things work better stuffed
    inside, others are better held onto and affixed later. This is a decision that
    must be left to the witch cursing – it’s all a matter of taste.
  2. Now, for the fun part. Turn the shoe upside down on a sturdy
    work surface (outside and on concrete probably being the best idea). Using the
    hammer, drive the first nail into the center of the sole. Depending on the type
    of shoe, it may be easier to drive nearer the toe than the heel, as heels are
    often tougher and thicker.
  3. This has the added beauty of angrily hitting things, which
    is a useful energy for curses. Similar to the first variation, make sure to
    note who you are afflicting and the parameters of your desires. With the first
    nail through, add the others in a cross-like fashion. One above, one below, one
    to the left, and one to the right. Drive the remaining 4 nails in at the
    diagonal – making a box design with one nail in the center, or 3 vertical lines
    of 3 (which ever you see it as).
  4. Flip the shoe back over and (if your shoe has laces) pull
    them as tight as you can, working and tightening them as you work down the
    laces. If you shoe doesn’t have laces, simple bind the entire shoe with twine
    or string, leaving a good length for the “ears” (you’ll see why in the next
    point).
  5. To complete the working, take the shoe and string it up: 1)
    in a cemetery, 2) in a tree in the victim’s yard (this one has the added
    benefit of freaking the victim out) or 3) hanging it anywhere where they might
    see it.

The cross is complete.

Walk-A-Mile #3

This one is somewhat a combination of the first two, and
also requires a personal affect, name, or foot-track (as always, being most
preferable). This one requires only a rudimentary knowledge of sewing (just a
straight/running stitch) and a collection of sewing pens; ending in something
like a charm.

What You Will Need:

  • Fabric (no more than an 8inx8in square should be necessary;
    design, color, etc. are unimportant)
  • Needle and Thread (Black would be best, but really it doesn’t
    matter)
  • Personal Affect
  • Sewing Pins
  • (Optional: Stuffing if your personal affect is not
    substantial enough to fill the charm, graveyard dirt (paid for) is a perfect
    stuffing)

Instructions:

  1. Sketch out a rough foot shape on your folded-over square of
    fabric – roughly 3 by 4.5 inches. Depending on what you intend to stuff it with
    (for instance dirt would require a tighter stitch), stitch from the curve of
    where the heel begins around the front and to the other side (leaving the heel
    unstitched) – allot a .5in to .75in seam allowance and trim the excess. Flip
    inside out.
  2. Add into the pocket the personal affect and stuffing, pinch
    the heel and stitch it closed – giving you a sealed, foot-shaped charm. (At
    this point, you could add a tie or string so that the charm may be hung or
    carried)
  3. With sewing pins at the ready, drive them one-by-one into
    the foot – speaking just as the other variations require, who you wish to
    inflict and the parameters. You can add as many or as few pins as you want, but
    for best results use multiples of 9 (9,18,27…), with each one, repeating the aforementioned
    phrase. 
  4. When all the pins have been pushed it, keep in a visible
    place (on a key-chain or hanging from a car mirror being two good options), so
    that anytime you see it and think about it, the hex grows. When the victim has
    grown or you feel it has run its course, remove the pins, cleanse them and burn
    the rest.

Photo Source

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Black Dog Cross

Black dogs have long since been symbols of misfortune, omens
of death and undeniably connoted with the Underworld – Anubis, Hecate, Cerberus
– all patrons the Crossroads: the bridge into the Unknown. This cross is
formulated to bring down a steady stream of misfortune, one that grows with
each passing day until this great weight plummets your victim into madness,
paranoia and paralyzing fear. You are, after all, releasing the Hounds of Hell –
it wasn’t going to be a pretty process. Be warned, reigning them in is much
harder to do than letting them hunt.

The process is relatively simple, but one that takes a particular breed (no pun intended) of concentration – you’re going to want to summon up the most violent, angry and feral parts of yourself to make this one come perfectly to fruition.

(A hound’s-tooth necklace also helps)

Things You Will Need:

  • Black Dog Hair – from a solid black dog, not from one with any white – it’s IMPERATIVE.
    Black and white dogs have an entirely separate symbolism.
  • Sulfur
  • Raw Meat
  • Black Salt
  • Black Fabric
  • (2) Iron Nails
  • A strong, red wine – such as Merlot
  • Black string (any sort will do)
  • A person affect of he/she you wish to cross – foot-tracks
    would be best, but most anything will do

Instructions:

  1. Begin by soaking your black square of fabric (8in x 8in
    should suffice) in the red wine. It only need be wet, remove and allow to dry
    in the sun (or in the oven if you’re in a hurry).
  2. Take a cut of meat (it needn’t be large – about an inch
    square) and “season” it with a generous portion of salt and sulfur.
    Take your first nail (dressed with a crossing oil of your choosing, if you
    wish) and secure the personal affect to it, driving the nail through the meat.
  3. Wrap the black dog hair around the second (if the hair is
    long enough, if not, just dampen the nail with water/oil and affix the hair as
    best you can). Drive this perpendicularly to the other nail through the cut of
    meat – speaking or visualizing that which you seek to accomplish.
  4. If the nails are small enough, lay the trick on the fabric,
    gather the corners and cinch with the black string – creating a bag. If they
    are too long, simply lay the trick on the fabric and gather the corners between
    the nails, and tie at its center – leaving you with jutting nails and quite the
    statement.
  5. Leave the trick at the foot of the central cross in the cemetery
    – having paid your way in, or at a very dark, deserted crossroads.

The cross is done.

As is customary, when your wishes are fulfilled, leave for
them a gift in the same location – again, meat is always welcomed.

Photo Source

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Really rough photos of my cards being put to use. Expect high quality photos soon!

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My cards came today. And when I turned the first cards, I cried.

They told my story.

They told it just as it had been, and continues to be.

And to see something of my design, in use, telling my story – it was just overwhelming.

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La Muñeca de Tutela

La Muñeca de Tutela,
or “Doll of Tutelage,” is something that – to the best of my understanding –
crosses nearly all faiths and is utilized by most traditions, even if I find
very few modern mentions. Which is upsetting, if I dare say –
something I find that most solitary witches (like myself) could truly benefit
greatly from.

The idea surrounding La
Muñeca de Tutela, is simple: it is a vessel that anchors a spirit or guide
to the physical plane. It’s really that simple – most dolls and poppets used in
the craft have similar purposes, but La
Muñeca de Tutela has a more concise job. It is used as vessel for a teacher
or guide entity – of any number of origins, depending on one’s specific craft
or needs. A few examples being: ancestral teachers, former lives, familiar
spirits, animal totems, etc.

The process of creation is as simple or difficult as you
desire to make it, but I will outline my own process that I have used most
readily (in that it’s not the only processed I’ve used, but basic enough to be
altered in any way one sees fit).

Things You Will Need:

A Vessel

A Door

A (preferably Willing) Spirit

That’s not so hard, is
it? But I will be the first to say – being a medium helps, if not even almost
necessary to utilize this process. There are many ways to convene with spirit,
but trust me when I say for this – mediumship makes things a lot simpler.

For my process, I usually use a rudimentary doll as a
vessel. Something simple, plain and unspecialized – (if I know who I wish to bind the doll to, I will cater its
appearance to that of the spirit, and, if not, will leave it plain until I come
to meet the spirit that inhabits it, then specialize it). Don’t let that deter
you. You can use anything from a rock to (while not suggested) another human.

*for ancestral dolls, I also recommend the use of your own blood, wherein they still reside*

As for a Door – that’s quite simple. In favor of an actual
door, which would actually work just fine, I create a door with chalk. In fact,
I have a chalk door drawn on the wall of my bedroom so that I might invite any
spirit through (otherwise, my bedroom is barred to all spirits). While it is preferable to
know a spirit by name, charms and conditions may be scribed around the door –
inviting a willing spirit of x, x, and x criteria to pass through and make your
acquaintance.

Which, of course, leads to the last ‘item:’ The spirit. Undoubtedly
the most important part – be cautious about who you invite. Always. Much less
ones you ask for Guidance. Be cautious, be weary and be safe. Conditions are
key. Invitations are much like wishes – think things through to their entirety.
And then do it again. Once written or vocalized, the invitation may be done. At
which point, discuss with the spirit the conditions of this agreement, and
their “qualifications.” And yours, for that matter. Understand that this
relationship will most likely entail mutual respect and obedience. While it’s
not impossible to find a spirit charitable to Guide simply out of the
kindness of their heart, it’s rare.

When all things are accounted for, connect the spirit in
whichever way you see fit to the vessel. It’s nice to present it with a small
offering, a token of thanks for their travel, if you would. Place the vessel in
a convenient location or one of the spirits behest.

Do not take them for granted.

Do not believe, for a moment, that you own them.

And be receptive to their tutelage.

To sever the tie,
explain to them that no longer are they bound to the vessel, and thank them
(regardless) for their guidance. Deconstruct the vessel or wash with salt and
vinegar.

image credit: African Fetish Dolls

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Transmogrification of the Spectre

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Despite the difficulty the title suggests, this process is
relatively simple. But, foremost, we must define “Spectre.” While noted
regularly in witch trials in and following the Inquisition (specifically in
Salem, wherein “spectral” evidence consisted of the “victim” only need visually
see the “spectre” of a given witch perpetrating crimes against the church to be
formally prosecuted). While as unjust, unfounded and unpleasant those
circumstances may have been for innocent parties, the ideology is not so far
off – assuming we equate the “spectre” to an astral body. Thereby, a witch’s
spectre is naught but the astral manifestation of the witch – tethered most
often to the body, save in cases of astral projection, remote viewing and
occasionally during sleep.

Given these circumstances, the “spectre” may indeed be
transformed for any number of reasons – foremost (I could argue) for secrecy
and indiscretion. Depending, however, on the aim of the witch in astral form,
it could also serve as a(n) convenience/experience.

As such, the witch might adorn the guise of animals, others,
or even an entirely new (visual) being – all while in the astral form.

However, it is important to note that this is not only
applicable (and useful) while unattached to one’s vessel, but also while still
tethered: allowing for a shift in appearance on the spiritual plane. For many
the same reasons as aforementioned: discretion and secrecy – even so far as
mimicry.

No matter how unsavory, a witch could theoretically alter
his/her appearance to mislead other beings that reside therein – spirits and
the like. For protection, I would suggest being the most applicable. While one
may not easily alter their “astral fingerprint” or energy, the appearance may
be easily changed. Which should grant protection from most lowly entities for
brief periods.

The means by which this is accomplished, as I mentioned, is
very simple: merely change your own projection. It’s as simple as maintaining
the visualization of yourself as you wish to be seen. So long as you can
maintain adamant concentration, your form may easily be manipulated thusly.

Again, a breath of caution: this trickery will not fool all
spirits. I dare say even most. The more practice, the better you will become,
but even then there is an innate risk. It’s very much up to you which
situations you deem appropriate.

*I have also used this methodology to disguise myself in the
dreams of another – with great success*

image credit:  19th century engraving from Cornell’s Witchcraft collection.

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