Dionysus

By Aleister Crowley

I bring ye wine from above,

From the vats of the storied sun;

For every one of yer love,

And life for every one.

Ye shall dance on hill and level;

Ye shall sing in hollow and height

In the festal mystical revel,

The rapurous Bacchanal rite!

The rocks and trees are yours,

And the waters under the hill,

By the might of that which endures,

The holy heaven of will!

I kindle a flame like a torrent

To rush from star to star;

Your hair as a comet’s horrent,

Ye shall see things as they are!

I lift the mask of matter;

I open the heart of man;

For I am of force to shatter

The cast that hideth -Pan!

Your loves shall lap up slaughter,

And dabbled with roses of blood

Each desperate darling daughter

Shall swim in the fervid flood.

I bring ye laughter and tears,

The kisses that foam and bleed,

The joys of a million years,

The flowers that bear no seed.

My life is bitter and sterile,

Its flame is a wandering star.

Ye shall pass in pleasure and peril

Across the mystic bar

That is set for wrath and weeping

Against the children of earth;

But ye in singing and sleeping

Shall pass in measure and mirth!

I lift my wand and wave you

Through hill to hill of delight :

My rosy rivers lave you

In innermost lustral light..

I lead you, lord of the maze,

In the darkness free of the sun;

In spite of the spite that is day’s

We are wed, we are wild, we are one.

At Shigar Baltistan. 

Thracian Magic

By Georgi Mishev

Thracian Magic: past & present is a phenomenal volume of work by the Bulgarian author Georgi Mishev, which opens up the treasure trove of folklore and magical practices of the Balkan Peninsula into the English language for the first time. The author examines the magical practices of modern day Bulgaria and the surrounding Balkan countries, tracing them to their roots in the ritual traditions of Thrace and the Mystery Cults of the ancient world.

The ritual practices of the Thracians survived through Christian and other overlays for many centuries in Balkan communities through into modern Bulgaria, carried by successive generations of practitioners. Evidence for the antiquity of these modern survivals can be found in numerous ancient literary sources, including the Hittite ritual texts, the Greek Magical Papyri, the Orphic Argonautica, the Derweni Papyrus, as well as in the writings of Homer, Plato, Strabo and others.

Further clues are found in curse tablets and other archaeological finds. The transmission of the ancient mysteries through Orpheus, Musaeus, Eumolpus, Zalmoxis, Rhesus, the Thracian Prophetess of Dionysos and the nymph Thrake are all considered in turn, to help demonstrate the distinctive flavour found in the practices of the region. Likewise the ways in which secret knowledge was preserved, as well as the roles of both the Healer and the Magician in Bulgarian traditional culture shed additional light on the diversity and depth to be found in the research presented in this volume.

The importance and survival of the Great Goddess in the practices and beliefs of the region is explored in the final chapter of the book, ‘Concepts Of The Goddess’. Here the reader is introduced to the roles of goddesses such as Hekate, Artemis and Bendis, as well as to the Mother of the Sun, the Mountain Mother, the Virgin Mistress of Fire and the She-Wolf. Additionally, both the continued existence and re-emergence of the Great Goddess in the form of Christian saints such as the Mother of God, Fiery Marina, Petka and Nedelya are examined in turn, alongside the Samodivi forest spirits who combine the characteristics of both nymphs and ancient goddesses. From divination to healing, initiation to fertility spells, curses to protection from the evil eye and other malefic influences, this book embraces and reveals the scope of a living tradition with its roots deep in the ancient world. Thracian Magic: past & present opens up the field of study in a unique way, being both practical and accessible, whilst simultaneously maintaining its scholarly integrity.

~ “One writes about magical practice most commonly either from the position of a scholar or from the position of a practitioner. The book, which G. Mishev offers us, leads the reader into the secrets of the magical with the dignity of a descendant and carrier of millennial traditions, preserved in the South-eastern European area, and with the passion of an explorer, rushing towards the light of knowledge.” —  Prof. Dr. Sc. Valeria Fol ~

Incense Blend I

"Betwixt"

Sandalwood    1T

Frankincense  1 Tsp

Myrrh            1/2 Tsp

Bay              1/2 Tsp

Clove            3/4 Tsp

Benzoin         1/2 Tsp

Honey           2 Tsp

Ingredient Background

Sandalwood : Santalum Album

Planet - Moon

Gender-Feminine

Element - Water

Basic Powers: Sacred, consecration, protection, exorcism, divination, meditation.

Attributes: Warm, The heartwood is a bit spicy, sweet, and distinct; blends well with others combining the notes with a gifted capability.

Mindful Use: It is endangered due to modernization and strictly controlled by the Indian Government.  Sandalwood oil is one of the most valuable and expensive raw materials used in perfumery and often referred to as 'liquid gold'.  The wood used in incense comes from the heartwood of the tree.

Frankincense:  Boswellia Carterii

Planet: Sun

Gender: Male

Element: Air and fire

Basic Powers: Cleansing, sacred, exorcism, consecrations, empowering, protection.

Mindful Use:  Resin drips from gash made by the harvester in the tree which causes it to bleed and harden.  The bits and pieces when gathered are called 'tears'.  Endangered due to its over harvest.

Myrrh: Commiphora Myrrha

Planet: Moon

Gender: Feminine

Element: water

Basic Powers: Meditation, purification, exorcism, death, consolation.

Mindful Use:  Best burned with other woods and resins due to it's bitter aroma.

Bay: Laurus nobilis

Planet: Sun

Gender: Male

Element: Fire

Basic Powers: Protection, Healing, Psychic Powers, Strength, Purification

Clove: Eugenia Carophyllus

Planet: Jupiter

Gender: Masculine

Element: Fire

Basic Powers: Protection, Exorcism, Romance, Prosperity, to End gossip, Bereavement

Benzoin: Styrax benzoin
Planet: Sun

Gender: Male

Element: Air

Basic Powers: Purification, prosperity, concentration, astral projection protection, success.

Honey: Mel Mellis

Planet: Earth & Sun

Gender: Feminine and masculine

Element: Fire

Basic Powers: Used as a binder in incense formulas enabling ingredients o blend together and be shaped as needed.  Healing, cleansing, victory, purity, strength, protection, love.  Sacred to the Gods.  Honey use is throughout the world and deep into ancient history. Honey is frequently used as a talisman and symbol of sweetness.

Mindful Use: Honey produced from flowers of oleanders, rhododendrons, mountain laurels, sheep laurel, and azaleas may cause honey intoxication and should be avoided. Symptoms can include dizziness, weakness, excessive perspiration, nausea, and vomiting.

Scott Cunningham Magickal Herbalism

A Druid's Herbal Ellen Everett Hopman

Botanical.com

Wikipedia.org

Invocation of the Horned God

By the flame that burneth bright 

O Horned One!

 

We call thy name into the night 

O Horned One!

 

Thee we invoke by the moon led sea

By the standing stone and the twisted tree

Thee we invoke where gather thine own

By the nameless shrine forgotten and lone

 

Come where the round of the dance is trod

Horn and hoof of the goat-foot God

By moonlit meadow on dusky hill

When the haunted wood is hushed and still

 

Come to the charm of the chanted prayer

As the moon bewitches the midnight air

Evoke thy powers, that potent bide

In shining stream and secret tide

 

In fiery flame by starlight pale

In shadowy host that ride the gale

And by the fern-brakes fairy-haunted

Of forests wild and wood enchanted

 

Come! O Come!

To the heartbeats drum!

 

 Come to us who gather below

When the broad white moon is climbing slow

Through the stars to the heavens height

We hear thy hoofs on the wind of night

As black tree branches shake and sigh

By joy and terror we know thee nigh

 

We speak the spell thy power unlocks

At Solstice, Sabbat, and Equinox

Word of virtue the veil to rend

From primal dawn to the wide world's end

Since time began---

The blessing of Pan!

Blessed be all in hearth and hold

Blessed in all worth more than gold

Blessed be in strength and love

Blessed be wher'er we rove

Vision fade not from our eyes

Of the pagan paradise

Past the gates of death and birth

Our inheritance of the earth

From our soul the song of spring

Fade not in our wandering

Our life with all life is one,

By blackest night or noonday sun

Eldest of gods, on thee we call

Blessing be on thy creatures all

Invocation from Witchcraft for Tomorrow by Doreen Valiente

Illustration: Francisco de Goya y Lucientes - Witches' Sabbath