‘Tis Necromancy season! Autumn – the Dying Time – when the
lines that bissect fade into a liminal channel. Of course, the Dead are never
far from me, but not all share my inclinations. For those of you seeking
temporary “admittance” into the world of the Dead, I’ve brought to you a ritual
that might allow you to ride the boundary. In essence, it is similar in part to
me previous post Walking on Water (about hedgeriding), though with the specific
purpose of contacting the Cold Ones.
The process – in theory – is quite simple, though some will
undoubtedly find it easier than others based on their own innate talents.
Regardless, it should allow for contact in one form or another.
Things You Will Need:
A Shovel/Spade
Mugwort, dried
Wormwood, dried
Mullein, dried
Rolling Paper/Emptied Cigarette
Liquid Oil (of your choosing)
Preparation:
Begin by drawing the following sigil on a square of paper.
Burn the paper in a fire-safe dish or your working vessel – such as a pot or
cauldron. Collect the ashes and add them to a few tablespoons of oil, mixing
thoroughly. If you desire, you can warm the oil and add in some black wax
shavings to give it a more robust, black color.
Take your rolling paper/empty cigarette tube and roll or
stuff with a mixture of the above herbs. Don’t worry – wormwood has a
surprisingly light taste when smoked, nothing
like its brewed taste. Feel free to add in lavender, bay, marigolds, or thyme
for added flavor and effectiveness. Tobacco may also be added, as it too has
connotations with the dead. If you are unfamiliar with rolling, smoking (though
this blend – sans tobacco – should have little to no longstanding effects on
health, as none are addictive, mullein has even been used to aid smokers in
quitting) or prefer otherwise, they can be burned as a loose incense on a
briquette – if you choose the latter root, I’d say opt as well for a bit of
sandalwood.
Ritual:
When night has set in and you’ve made your preparations,
take your oil, smoke/incense and shovel/spade to a nearby graveyard – one that
is comforting and secluded being the best, though if you wish to make contact
with a particular spirit, it would be ideal to go to their grave (if possible).
Pay the Gatekeeper, and make your way to the center or a crossroads if one
exists. Once you have found an appropriate location that suits you, take your
shovel (this is why seclusion is best – you don’t want to get thrown in the
pokey for “attempted grave-robbing”) and dig into the earth. You don’t need to
dig far, only six inches or so, loosening the dirt. Remove your shoes.
Center yourself, taking a few deep breaths. Light your
cigarette/incense, breathing in the smoke (for those of you who aren’t seasoned
smokers, do not breath the smoke directly into your lungs – first draw it into
your mouth, then into the lungs…
unless there also happens to be marijuana involved, in which case, straight to
the lungs). Close your eyes, calm yourself and relax. Don’t let the graveyard
intimidate you. When you feel ready – slip your feet into the earth, covering
them with the removed dirt. Pat the oil onto the lids of your eyes – using it
in moderation. It will makes your eyes feel strange and your lashes stick
together – but only momentarily.
Verbalize your request. Ask that you might be allowed (temporary)
entry into realm of the Dead. If you wish to speak to a specific person, ask
them (nicely) to present themselves. The Dead are not seen with the eyes –
remember that. And pay close attention to your intuition. You will feel their
presence when they arrive. Trust yourself and your abilities and you should
have no problem. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring an offering to leave for
their help.
When you are finished, remove your feet from the soil and
replace the moved dirt. Drizzle the remaining oil over the earth, and thank
them again for their help and guidance. As is customary, take three steps back,
turn around and do not look back as you walk away.
My dreams recently have been leading. For a while now, I’ve
wanted to write something on the “Ariadne,” or more accurately, the Mistress of the Labyrinth from Minoan
lore. I’ve always been fascinated by Minoan religion for a number of reasons.
Foremost being their exclusively matriarchal pantheon that served for much
inspiration in regards to most of the Greek goddesses. I probably also love it
in no small part for the great mystery that still surrounds it – what with
Linear A and the Cretan hieroglyphs still yet indecipherable. I can’t help it –
I love a good mystery. And recently, I’ve sought to explore and explain it
through a most interesting source – one that existed a world away. As such, I’ll
preface this by saying this is very much theoretical – I can produce no
concrete evidence, but nonetheless, I find it interesting. And as they say, you
can’t apply evidence without first framing a hypothesis.
Given the obscuration still surrounding the Minoan mythos,
we must first begin with its successor – and most importantly with the myth of
Persephone, which I’m sure most of you are familiar with. Both of her “aspects”
– as an agricultural/fertility goddess and a chthonic one – are very important
for the correlations I will make in regards to the Aztec pantheon. While the
similarity is obvious, it’s not extraordinarily well noted in regards to the
Aztec goddess Xochiquetzal, who undergoes a nearly identical circumstance. She,
too, was an agricultural/fertility goddess before her abduction by Tezcatlipoca
– at which point she was irrevocably forced into chthonic divinity. And while
these similarities in and of themselves are interesting, the real weight comes
with their elder counterparts, as both are believed to be manifestations of
elder figures reworked into the framework of inclusive faiths. Looking at
Xochiquetzal, I believe, might grant insight into the history of Persephone –
given the obvious enough similarity.
It’s been postulated that Xochiquetzal may in fact be tied
to the unnamed Spider Goddess of Teotihuacan – who is an interesting figure in
her own right. She was thought to be a Great Goddess, an instrument in the
creation of man and was rightly also tied to agriculture and fertility (as well
as being tied to War) – though most intriguingly, she most often appears
bedecked in characteristic items and dress (as well as with animals) that were all
characteristic Mesoamerican symbols of the Underworld (including but not
limited to both the Spider and the Jaguar). While her worship seemed to be quite
local (reserved mostly to Teotihuacan, wherein she acted as patroness), I would
argue her archetype would most probably be left over from older beliefs. As
such, it would make sense for this duality to persist on into the Aztec
incarnation of Xochiquetzal – who existed dually in the same capacity. Of
course, given her abduction, this capacity would no longer be innate –
something that can be seen with the patriarchal overthrow of the matriarchy. I
would posit that undoubtedly, in both regards these “abductions” were but a way
to explain the already existing nature of these beings, but with a way to incorporate
male divinity as justification. Assuming the correlation between Xochiquetzal
and the Spider Goddess is rightly, I think we can assume that Persephone
undoubtedly existed similarly as a Great Goddess before her annexation.
I’m inclined to believe that Persephone and Ariadne are in
fact two heads of the same coin – both later aspects of who had been called The Mistress of the Labyrinth. While
Ariadne’s story is far more obviously related (as the daughter of King Minos of
Knossos, and her story featuring the Cretan Labyrinth and the Minotaur – which on
a side note was no doubt related to the bull worship that seemed to be a common
Minoan practice), the Chthonic aspect thusly suggest to me a correlation – which
is in no small part also due to the Aztec mythology, specifically that
surrounding Tezcatlipoca and divination. It has been noted that the Aztecs used
obsidian mirrors to scry, the act of which was likened to fire caught in a pool
of water (as the obsidian was often placed on the bottom of a vessel that was
then filled with water, the visions therein were the “fire.”) This concept
extends to the idea of a butterfly caught within a spider’s web. The Aztecs
held spiders to be related to water – given the fractal waves can be reminiscent
of a web, and the butterfly related to fire. Not surprisingly, one of the
animals associated with Xochiquetzal was the butterfly (and as previously
mentioned, the Spider in her previous incarnation – further cutting
Tezcatlipoca’s true relevance down). But it was not only the Aztecs who revered
butterflies, but the Minoans – as the labyrs. The double-headed ax and the
butterfly – both of which being symbols of their Great Goddess, The Huntress. Unsurprisingly, based on
her name, Artemis (and Rhea) were most probably born from her. She was known to
be the keeper of wilds, guardian of animals and made her home in/on the
mountain (it was in the mountains that the system of sacred, labyrinthine caves
existed – which will prove to be important later) – it’s also important to note
that the Great Goddess acted as creator immaculately, reminiscent of Artemis as
a Virgin Goddess and Rhea as Mother Goddess.
Fun Fact: Artemis and Xochiquetzal are both twins. Their
brothers. Apollo(n) and Xochipilli, both act as solar, entheogenically-inclined,
oracular deities – relating to arts, markets, music, enlightenment and homosexuality
– though Apollo wasn’t the only one.
With this, we have presented The Huntress, the butterfly, and the Mistress of the Labyrinth, the spider (which weaves labyrinthine
webs). Agricultural/fertility and chthonic, respectively. My theory is that,
while both of these Goddesses were unique, they were aspects of one another. The Huntress – as Artemis, Rhea, Kore/Demeter,
even Xochiquetzal – were the lighter aspects. The Mistress of the Labyrinth,
alternately, represents the darker and more mysterious, chthonic aspects of the
Great Goddess – such as with Persephone, the other half of the Spider Goddess
(perhaps as Tezcatlipoca), and Ariadne. The
Huntress is the Mountain, and The
Mistress is the Cave. As such, it would not surprise me if the entire
Minoan pantheon were merely aspects of a singular, Great Goddess – whose aspects
were adopted into polytheistic Gods by the so-inclined Greeks (such as Hera,
Demeter, Artemis, Athena, etc.). I think with time there will be discoveries
made to back this conclusion up, though I highly doubt they’ll compare them to
an “autonomous” pantheon such as the Aztecs. But rest assured, I will be eagerly
awaiting new evidence to surface and Linear A to finally be deciphered!
Okay so I’m sort of flipping shit right now because all of the animals & goddesses (including archetypes) mentioned in this posy have been showing up repeatedly /very/ aggressively through signs & dreams & I don’t know what any of that means for me because they only show up in regards to myself–as in I’m related to all of these things too??
This is EXACTLY what has been happening to me for years. I still haven’t wholly cracked the code, but I’m working on it. Feel free to message me about it!!
What have you figured out so far? A lot of different goddesses from a bunch of pantheons I noticed are beginning to have similar aspects, like war, fertility, death, agriculture, hunting/hunter
I feel like this all started for me when I woke up from a nap with the name Inanna on my mind (I didn’t remember what kind of dream I had beforehand, just that name)
Also I noticed my companion likes to send me spiders, & the animal I associate with him is the jaguar/bear/tiger/bat, & possibly large canine related animals too, as well as bulls. Like some male fertility god (to my female nonetheless lmao)
Also I noticed I have a strange connection to the moon, especially it’s darker aspects, but it’s a minor one compared to the hunting, fertility, sex, & war aspects I’ve been getting. The dark moon/black queen deals with more journey-path working-shadow workings type thing, very internal.
It’s funny you should mention Innana – because I thought about including she and Ereshkigal in the original post. Undoubtedly the duality of the two and their own symbolism are similar to the above mentioned. I actually thought it may have been Ereshkigal whom I had met in a dream some years ago, but since then – having worked with her – I now know her to be different. She was the top contender for awhile – because of her similarity!
I’d say the moon/black queen bit would undoubtedly relate to “Ariadne” (The Mistress of the Labyrinth). Because while you undoubtedly have the chthonic connotations, sorcery, etc., you also have the sense of the labyrinth of the subconscious – which is very internal. It goes back to how most Gods/Goddesses have that other duality, as well – their own existence as both outward figures and internal notions/concepts. They can affect in both regards.
This was an experience I had a few nights ago that boundaried
somewhere between dream and vision – through my own sort of meditation (I
really can’t do the whole, traditional, sitting meditation – I must be moving
or doing a repetitive task). This came through, however, when I was not looking
to receive any messages. It just sort of hit me – out of the blue. It’s quite
obviously related to my recent post regarding the Minoan Great Goddess, and due
to a few inquiries, I thought I’d share the experience for all those dealing
with similar situations. I’ll undoubtedly be following this up with a number of
related dreams.
As with most “visions,” this one came very fluidly. While
circumstances and positions were changing, they did so abruptly, but not
segmentally, as I’m sure will become clear.
With that being said, this was the Vision:
It began with a woman. She was massive – her crowned-head
divided the clouds above, and her feet rested proudly on either side of a rocky
mountain. She wore layered clothing, though the exact details of which I can’t recall.
I do, however, remember her dress/robe being a cream color with a length of
crimson fabric decorating her shoulders. She wore a golden crown that had an
evident, helmet-like motif, and from which cascaded a curtain of long, dark
hair. It wasn’t black, but instead a very deep, dark shade of brown –
almost like raw umber. She stood atop the mountain, which paled in size to her great
stature, swathed in gold. The sky seemed to embrace her, wrapping around her
like a cloud-veil, without masking her face which beamed down with knowing
eyes, the sparkle of humor and an ecstatic penchant for warfare. There was
undoubtedly a militant air, but one in balance with the other facets of
herself. She was a Warrior, but it was not her only claim.
In her hands she carried the golden labrys – which looked
oversized in her hand, as though it would weigh any mortal’s arms to the ground
– but it was naught but an extension of her, evident in the ease with which she
wielded it. I looked to her and she, with a proud and playful smile, returned
my gaze.
As soon as she did, she began to spin. She danced at the
craggy foot of the mountain, spinning and dancing like a dervish, all the while
letting the axe hang and swing with her. A joyous laughter echoed against the
stone, mingling with the sound of her bare feet slapping gently on the rock.
Just as she’d reached her fastest pace, she let loose the labrys and it
rocketed skyward – and I, along with it.
Suddenly, by the same hand, it was snatched from mid-air and
brought down viciously against a frightful creature. She was in the heat of
battle, surrounded on all sides by foes and comrades alike, expertly cutting
down with swift and serpentine motion all who stood to face her. Never have I
seen a weapon (of any sort) so skillfully willed as the labrys in her hand.
With one hand she sliced her enemies in two (or four…), in such a beautiful way
that it was as though she were dancing – the axe her baton. She would twirl the
blades above her head on a single palm then put them through the cheeks of her
aggressor – who surrounded her on all sides. In every direction, she struck
them down, writhing like a snake, turning like a top. Someone called to her
from across the battlefield and her head whipped to face them with curiosity.
I was in the mountain, then – running at top speed.
Throughout its stone body was an intricate, labyrinthine set of cave-tunnels – at first
lit by torches, but then by nothing at all. I ran as fast as I could, pursued
by an unseen evil that sounded like barking hounds and screeching bats. Though
I could not see through the darkness, I ran trustingly – Guided by the Goddess,
I leapt, dodged and scaled all that impeded my path. I ran my fingernails
against the cave walls that suddenly opened into a room – lit above by a single
sky-light. A heavy stone door closed behind me, the heavy grinding noise a
testament to its great, impenetrable weight. She was waiting there – in the
cavern – the labrys still in her hand. She circled me, the axe hand poised at
her side, the blades resting just above the floor. Around me she slinked, like
a feral beast surrounding her prey. Her eyes were lidded, looking unto my like
a cat unto a mouse. She paused for a fraction of a second and from my waist I
produced a dagger, parrying the swing of her axe down on me.
She swung again, and I twirled the dagger in my hand,
side-stepping and using its hilt to bring the axe down away from me and placing
a foot solid between her squared feet. With lightning quickness, she released
the labrys and used the same hand to grab my wrist and twist the dagger from my
grip. I drove a hand to her throat and the two of us both went down – now in a
full grapple. I growled and she laughed heartily, working my arm behind my
back. I used my toes to overturn myself, landing on her, using my other elbow
to jab her in the rib. She let loose of my hand long enough for me to snatch it
away, but she simply rolled backward, immediately on her feet, and lunging at
me again. Reflexively, my hand shot up at her throat and, at the same
instance, we both took the other’s neck in our nails. She smiled a devilish
smile, and we released each other. I dabbed the sweat from my forehead with my
forearm, while she rose her clawed fists in front of her face. She came at me
again, and again, I put my feet between hers, this time snatching her wrist and
spinning her over me. She landed, agile as a cat, on her feet and landed a bare
foot directly to my stomach – knocking me back against the cavern wall. I fell
to the floor, doubling over in pain. She approached slowly, silently, but with
an accomplished smirk on her face. She came to me, and offered me a hand up,
but my face was yet to the ground. As my arm moved, I took hold of her ankle
and yanked it out from under her, my other hand making contact with her
discarded labrys that had been within my reach. She fell flat and I spun the
labrys around and held it to her throat – then flashed her my own satisfied
grin, to which she responded with a proud smile and an echoing laugh.
Suddenly, the stone door began to grind open and I
immediately looked to it – and when I looked back, she was gone, but in my
hands remained the labrys.
While not witchcraft (per se) – I composed this to capture the way October makes me feel. I sat down to create a lullaby for my friend’s newborn and thought what better motivation than autumn (our births share the same season).
Warning: I have literally no musical background, so don’t expect this to follow any rules – I just make what I think sounds nice.
I made this handy playlist for the season! It’s currently the equinox and the SuperMoon, Eclipse and Blood Moon are all on their way! It went for the witchy-atmospheric route – that can be used during ritual, but I’ll probably post one full of “hype” jams in the coming days!
Estrella Oscura – Lila Downs
Feral Love – Chelsea Wolfe
Risus Sativus – Musica Romana
La Llorona – Chavela Vargas
Ritual del Fuego (de Falla) – Kupinksi Guitar Duo
Me & the Devil – Soap&Skin (cover of Robert Johnson)
Serenata – Charo
Keep the Streets Empty for Me – Fever Ray
Benediction & Dream – Lila Downs
Prende la Vela – Toto la Momposina
Tawa Yama Bele Le – La Famille Dembele
The Death Letter – Edward Shearmur (which samples Son House)
My dreams recently have been leading. For a while now, I’ve
wanted to write something on the “Ariadne,” or more accurately, the Mistress of the Labyrinth from Minoan
lore. I’ve always been fascinated by Minoan religion for a number of reasons.
Foremost being their exclusively matriarchal pantheon that served for much
inspiration in regards to most of the Greek goddesses. I probably also love it
in no small part for the great mystery that still surrounds it – what with
Linear A and the Cretan hieroglyphs still yet indecipherable. I can’t help it –
I love a good mystery. And recently, I’ve sought to explore and explain it
through a most interesting source – one that existed a world away. As such, I’ll
preface this by saying this is very much theoretical – I can produce no
concrete evidence, but nonetheless, I find it interesting. And as they say, you
can’t apply evidence without first framing a hypothesis.
Given the obscuration still surrounding the Minoan mythos,
we must first begin with its successor – and most importantly with the myth of
Persephone, which I’m sure most of you are familiar with. Both of her “aspects”
– as an agricultural/fertility goddess and a chthonic one – are very important
for the correlations I will make in regards to the Aztec pantheon. While the
similarity is obvious, it’s not extraordinarily well noted in regards to the
Aztec goddess Xochiquetzal, who undergoes a nearly identical circumstance. She,
too, was an agricultural/fertility goddess before her abduction by Tezcatlipoca
– at which point she was irrevocably forced into chthonic divinity. And while
these similarities in and of themselves are interesting, the real weight comes
with their elder counterparts, as both are believed to be manifestations of
elder figures reworked into the framework of inclusive faiths. Looking at
Xochiquetzal, I believe, might grant insight into the history of Persephone –
given the obvious enough similarity.
It’s been postulated that Xochiquetzal may in fact be tied
to the unnamed Spider Goddess of Teotihuacan – who is an interesting figure in
her own right. She was thought to be a Great Goddess, an instrument in the
creation of man and was rightly also tied to agriculture and fertility (as well
as being tied to War) – though most intriguingly, she most often appears
bedecked in characteristic items and dress (as well as with animals) that were all
characteristic Mesoamerican symbols of the Underworld (including but not
limited to both the Spider and the Jaguar). While her worship seemed to be quite
local (reserved mostly to Teotihuacan, wherein she acted as patroness), I would
argue her archetype would most probably be left over from older beliefs. As
such, it would make sense for this duality to persist on into the Aztec
incarnation of Xochiquetzal – who existed dually in the same capacity. Of
course, given her abduction, this capacity would no longer be innate –
something that can be seen with the patriarchal overthrow of the matriarchy. I
would posit that undoubtedly, in both regards these “abductions” were but a way
to explain the already existing nature of these beings, but with a way to incorporate
male divinity as justification. Assuming the correlation between Xochiquetzal
and the Spider Goddess is rightly, I think we can assume that Persephone
undoubtedly existed similarly as a Great Goddess before her annexation.
I’m inclined to believe that Persephone and Ariadne are in
fact two heads of the same coin – both later aspects of who had been called The Mistress of the Labyrinth. While
Ariadne’s story is far more obviously related (as the daughter of King Minos of
Knossos, and her story featuring the Cretan Labyrinth and the Minotaur – which on
a side note was no doubt related to the bull worship that seemed to be a common
Minoan practice), the Chthonic aspect thusly suggest to me a correlation – which
is in no small part also due to the Aztec mythology, specifically that
surrounding Tezcatlipoca and divination. It has been noted that the Aztecs used
obsidian mirrors to scry, the act of which was likened to fire caught in a pool
of water (as the obsidian was often placed on the bottom of a vessel that was
then filled with water, the visions therein were the “fire.”) This concept
extends to the idea of a butterfly caught within a spider’s web. The Aztecs
held spiders to be related to water – given the fractal waves can be reminiscent
of a web, and the butterfly related to fire. Not surprisingly, one of the
animals associated with Xochiquetzal was the butterfly (and as previously
mentioned, the Spider in her previous incarnation – further cutting
Tezcatlipoca’s true relevance down). But it was not only the Aztecs who revered
butterflies, but the Minoans – as the labyrs. The double-headed ax and the
butterfly – both of which being symbols of their Great Goddess, The Huntress. Unsurprisingly, based on
her name, Artemis (and Rhea) were most probably born from her. She was known to
be the keeper of wilds, guardian of animals and made her home in/on the
mountain (it was in the mountains that the system of sacred, labyrinthine caves
existed – which will prove to be important later) – it’s also important to note
that the Great Goddess acted as creator immaculately, reminiscent of Artemis as
a Virgin Goddess and Rhea as Mother Goddess.
Fun Fact: Artemis and Xochiquetzal are both twins. Their
brothers. Apollo(n) and Xochipilli, both act as solar, entheogenically-inclined,
oracular deities – relating to arts, markets, music, enlightenment and homosexuality
– though Apollo wasn’t the only one.
With this, we have presented The Huntress, the butterfly, and the Mistress of the Labyrinth, the spider (which weaves labyrinthine
webs). Agricultural/fertility and chthonic, respectively. My theory is that,
while both of these Goddesses were unique, they were aspects of one another. The Huntress – as Artemis, Rhea, Kore/Demeter,
even Xochiquetzal – were the lighter aspects. The Mistress of the Labyrinth,
alternately, represents the darker and more mysterious, chthonic aspects of the
Great Goddess – such as with Persephone, the other half of the Spider Goddess
(perhaps as Tezcatlipoca), and Ariadne. The
Huntress is the Mountain, and The
Mistress is the Cave. As such, it would not surprise me if the entire
Minoan pantheon were merely aspects of a singular, Great Goddess – whose aspects
were adopted into polytheistic Gods by the so-inclined Greeks (such as Hera,
Demeter, Artemis, Athena, etc.). I think with time there will be discoveries
made to back this conclusion up, though I highly doubt they’ll compare them to
an “autonomous” pantheon such as the Aztecs. But rest assured, I will be eagerly
awaiting new evidence to surface and Linear A to finally be deciphered!
Okay so I’m sort of flipping shit right now because all of the animals & goddesses (including archetypes) mentioned in this posy have been showing up repeatedly /very/ aggressively through signs & dreams & I don’t know what any of that means for me because they only show up in regards to myself–as in I’m related to all of these things too??
This is EXACTLY what has been happening to me for years. I still haven’t wholly cracked the code, but I’m working on it. Feel free to message me about it!!
Water is – in essence – life, and has no shortage of uses in
the Craft. Given its fluid nature, it is often likened to the realm of emotion
which, like an ocean, is vast, changing and unpredictable. While not often thought
of as so, water can be extremely volatile in its capacity for change and
motion. It’s this volatility that makes it a perfect conductor for spirit. I’ve
said it once and I’ll say it again, all water is connected. It dwells in pools,
constitutes the body of all living organisms and even occupies the air and
atmosphere. All water that is has been – in a constant state of physical
flux since the earth was yet new.
This “ritual” (more a procedure, really) allows for a vast
range of applications – though despite the title, there is no actual walking on
water for we humans. Instead, we might use water as a medium – one that will
free us (if only temporarily) from the solid physicality we know. I have used this procedure for a few different purposes, including channeling,
astral travel, “time travelling,” spiritual communion, oracular visions, subconscious
exploration, and descension (that’s right, Orpheus, I’m coming for your crown). In
a sense, is promotes a sort of trance-like state for those not innately gifted
with the capacity for such. As I said, it loosens the ties to this plane –
allowing the spirit to more easily traverse unencumbered.
To perform, you’ll need only three things: water, a vessel,
and a relatively tall chair. I use a large copper bowl for my vessel (which I
literally use for almost everything in the Craft; at this point I feel like I
should set up its own college fund, it’s like my child) and it serves me
nicely. I have, however, also used a bathtub, perched on the edge, but this is
far more difficult to do considering the short distance from the water you’ll
be sitting at. By all means, however, put yourself a tall chair in a bathtub –
if nothing else, anyone walking in will be dumbfounded.
Begin by filling the bowl part-way with water (and some
salt, if you’d like). You don’t need a lot – in fact, you’ll want to be scant
so as to prevent any overflow. Arrange the chair and bowl in an open space,
such as the center of a room. Feel free to light any candle and put on music that
might benefit your preferred process for trance – hell, use an entheogen if you
have to! You may also seek to set up a form of protection or safeguard – one that
might pull you from the trance if need be. This can also be set as a sort of
alarm, one that signals for you to return if you get caught up. It’s all the
same principle as any sort of astral/trance work or hedgeriding/edgewalking.
It is at this point that I flick off the lights. Whether a
mere aesthetic choice or practical, I’m not sure, but doing trance magic under
electric lights just pains me. The darkness or warm glow of a candle is much
more leading.
Sit in the chair, arranging yourself comfortably, but the
more upright the better – resting your back against the chair’s – this prevents
any physical discomfort from drawing you back too early. Begin with a bit of
breathing, maybe some stretching if that’s what you’re more comfortable with. When
you’re ready, begin. Raise your legs and touch the soles of your bare feet to
the water’s surface. You can even submerge them partially, but the goal here is
to have the touching nothing but the water. Don’t rest them on the bottom of
the bowl, at least not until you’re “in.” This is where a higher chair pays
off, because holding your legs up can be strenuous and cause for some sore
thighs and back the next day or two. This, however, can act as a sort of safeguard
for beginners when it comes to trance-work. It allows you only to stay “under”
so long as your feet are held up. Dropping them snaps you back. This can be
useful for those who are unfamiliar with the process and allow for brief jaunts
instead of long hauls until the time has come and you’re comfortable enough to
do so.
From that point, the worlds are your oyster. You might now
move unencumbered to the darkest reaches of the realms, through time, through
space, etc. For channeling – however, you will most certainly want to set up a safeguard – even with trusted
deities. When it comes to the occupation of your own body by another
(especially those who are very powerful), it’s always extremely important to
have a failsafe. While host will reject a spirit that is not its own, it can be
a varyingly timed process. For spirits, occupation of a mortal body can be
detrimental to the spirits well-being as well as your own. And as you made the
choice to allow their entry, it is your responsibility to ensure both theirs
and your own safety.
For those of you interested in other elemental mediums
(earth, air, fire) for trance, I will happily write up a tutorial upon request!
All of which are interesting, I simply chose water because it was my first
medium and the simplest/most accessible to perform.
My dreams recently have been leading. For a while now, I’ve
wanted to write something on the “Ariadne,” or more accurately, the Mistress of the Labyrinth from Minoan
lore. I’ve always been fascinated by Minoan religion for a number of reasons.
Foremost being their exclusively matriarchal pantheon that served for much
inspiration in regards to most of the Greek goddesses. I probably also love it
in no small part for the great mystery that still surrounds it – what with
Linear A and the Cretan hieroglyphs still yet indecipherable. I can’t help it –
I love a good mystery. And recently, I’ve sought to explore and explain it
through a most interesting source – one that existed a world away. As such, I’ll
preface this by saying this is very much theoretical – I can produce no
concrete evidence, but nonetheless, I find it interesting. And as they say, you
can’t apply evidence without first framing a hypothesis.
Given the obscuration still surrounding the Minoan mythos,
we must first begin with its successor – and most importantly with the myth of
Persephone, which I’m sure most of you are familiar with. Both of her “aspects”
– as an agricultural/fertility goddess and a chthonic one – are very important
for the correlations I will make in regards to the Aztec pantheon. While the
similarity is obvious, it’s not extraordinarily well noted in regards to the
Aztec goddess Xochiquetzal, who undergoes a nearly identical circumstance. She,
too, was an agricultural/fertility goddess before her abduction by Tezcatlipoca
– at which point she was irrevocably forced into chthonic divinity. And while
these similarities in and of themselves are interesting, the real weight comes
with their elder counterparts, as both are believed to be manifestations of
elder figures reworked into the framework of inclusive faiths. Looking at
Xochiquetzal, I believe, might grant insight into the history of Persephone –
given the obvious enough similarity.
It’s been postulated that Xochiquetzal may in fact be tied
to the unnamed Spider Goddess of Teotihuacan – who is an interesting figure in
her own right. She was thought to be a Great Goddess, an instrument in the
creation of man and was rightly also tied to agriculture and fertility (as well
as being tied to War) – though most intriguingly, she most often appears
bedecked in characteristic items and dress (as well as with animals) that were all
characteristic Mesoamerican symbols of the Underworld (including but not
limited to both the Spider and the Jaguar). While her worship seemed to be quite
local (reserved mostly to Teotihuacan, wherein she acted as patroness), I would
argue her archetype would most probably be left over from older beliefs. As
such, it would make sense for this duality to persist on into the Aztec
incarnation of Xochiquetzal – who existed dually in the same capacity. Of
course, given her abduction, this capacity would no longer be innate –
something that can be seen with the patriarchal overthrow of the matriarchy. I
would posit that undoubtedly, in both regards these “abductions” were but a way
to explain the already existing nature of these beings, but with a way to incorporate
male divinity as justification. Assuming the correlation between Xochiquetzal
and the Spider Goddess is rightly, I think we can assume that Persephone
undoubtedly existed similarly as a Great Goddess before her annexation.
I’m inclined to believe that Persephone and Ariadne are in
fact two heads of the same coin – both later aspects of who had been called The Mistress of the Labyrinth. While
Ariadne’s story is far more obviously related (as the daughter of King Minos of
Knossos, and her story featuring the Cretan Labyrinth and the Minotaur – which on
a side note was no doubt related to the bull worship that seemed to be a common
Minoan practice), the Chthonic aspect thusly suggest to me a correlation – which
is in no small part also due to the Aztec mythology, specifically that
surrounding Tezcatlipoca and divination. It has been noted that the Aztecs used
obsidian mirrors to scry, the act of which was likened to fire caught in a pool
of water (as the obsidian was often placed on the bottom of a vessel that was
then filled with water, the visions therein were the “fire.”) This concept
extends to the idea of a butterfly caught within a spider’s web. The Aztecs
held spiders to be related to water – given the fractal waves can be reminiscent
of a web, and the butterfly related to fire. Not surprisingly, one of the
animals associated with Xochiquetzal was the butterfly (and as previously
mentioned, the Spider in her previous incarnation – further cutting
Tezcatlipoca’s true relevance down). But it was not only the Aztecs who revered
butterflies, but the Minoans – as the labyrs. The double-headed ax and the
butterfly – both of which being symbols of their Great Goddess, The Huntress. Unsurprisingly, based on
her name, Artemis (and Rhea) were most probably born from her. She was known to
be the keeper of wilds, guardian of animals and made her home in/on the
mountain (it was in the mountains that the system of sacred, labyrinthine caves
existed – which will prove to be important later) – it’s also important to note
that the Great Goddess acted as creator immaculately, reminiscent of Artemis as
a Virgin Goddess and Rhea as Mother Goddess.
Fun Fact: Artemis and Xochiquetzal are both twins. Their
brothers. Apollo(n) and Xochipilli, both act as solar, entheogenically-inclined,
oracular deities – relating to arts, markets, music, enlightenment and homosexuality
– though Apollo wasn’t the only one.
With this, we have presented The Huntress, the butterfly, and the Mistress of the Labyrinth, the spider (which weaves labyrinthine
webs). Agricultural/fertility and chthonic, respectively. My theory is that,
while both of these Goddesses were unique, they were aspects of one another. The Huntress – as Artemis, Rhea, Kore/Demeter,
even Xochiquetzal – were the lighter aspects. The Mistress of the Labyrinth,
alternately, represents the darker and more mysterious, chthonic aspects of the
Great Goddess – such as with Persephone, the other half of the Spider Goddess
(perhaps as Tezcatlipoca), and Ariadne. The
Huntress is the Mountain, and The
Mistress is the Cave. As such, it would not surprise me if the entire
Minoan pantheon were merely aspects of a singular, Great Goddess – whose aspects
were adopted into polytheistic Gods by the so-inclined Greeks (such as Hera,
Demeter, Artemis, Athena, etc.). I think with time there will be discoveries
made to back this conclusion up, though I highly doubt they’ll compare them to
an “autonomous” pantheon such as the Aztecs. But rest assured, I will be eagerly
awaiting new evidence to surface and Linear A to finally be deciphered!
The Qedavian Apocrypha 
