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The Cosmic Witch Part 9
Written for Coven life
By Priestess Hypatia
30/01/2020
The 4th Pentacle of mercury- Seal of Solomon
Continuing from the previous post of aligning with Universal Powers for effective magickal practices…….
In this post I will be discussing the 7th of the Sacred Seven (in no particular order) that I have been mentioning in the previous posts.
Here I will be talking about the final planet of the sacred seven and not in that order, the planet Mercury. Ruling over Gemini and Virgo it is the planet that influences the intellect and of communication and therefore the element of air.
Mercury the planet is androgynous and neutral, it is neither masculine nor feminine, neither positive nor negative, taking on the qualities of whatever aspects it comes into contact with.
The Planet
Distance from Sun: 57.91 million km
Orbital period: 88 days
Length of day: 58d 15h 30m
Mass: 3.285 × 10^23 kg (0.055 M⊕)
Surface area: 74.8 million km²
The God
In the Ancient Roman World Mercury was the equivalent of the Greek God Hermes. The swift-footed messenger God traversed between the upper and lower worlds and his origins can be traced back as far as 13th– 15th Century BCE.
The many associations of Mercury include that of fertility, communication that include writing, messengers, trade, luck, and thievery. He was the patron saint of merchants, business people that were involved in all types of trade. The staff of Hermes, the Kerykeion is recognized as a symbol of trade and commerce and not that of medicine.
As the God of Medicine Aesculapius and His Rod is attributed to the arts of health and healing.
In the ancient Egyptian world he was connected to Thoth that is also connected with communication and responsible for writing the Emerald Tablet.
Planetary Magick Correspondences
Day- Wednesday
Colour– Purple, yellow and sometimes Orange
Element– Air
Gem stone– Opal, aventurine, moss agate, fluorite, and sodalite
Herbs– Almond, Anise, Clover, Dandelion, Dill, Hyssop, Lavender, Lemongrass, Lilac, Mace, Peppermint, Rosemary, Vervain
Number(s): 8, 64, 260, 2080
Archangel: Raphael
Metal: Mercury (toxic), safe replacement used in modern magick is Aluminum, sometimes also Zinc is mentioned
Olympic spirit (ruler): Ophiel
Importance in Alchemy– Spells, ritual and charms
Astrology
Due to Mercury’s speedy elliptical orbit, Mercury often appears to be going backwards, with frequent retrograde motions of about 3-4 every year. The good news is that these retrogrades are short lived, the bad news is that when they are in that motion they can at times wreak havoc in your life. Caution in signing contracts, breakdown in communication, avoid surgery, avoid travel, heightened anger, frustration, anxiety and of course the list of all your insecurities goes on. Now the majority of the time such retrogrades go unnoticed, that is until something happens in your life, then there is always Mercury retrograde if it does.
Spell Against Mercury Retrograde
If you are familiar with spell work you can try this to draw the positive aspects of Mercury during its retrograde. It encourages harmony, balance, protection and healing is such tumultuous times.
Spell work-
- Purple candle
- Anointed with frankincense
- Surround with your choice of crystals and herbs from the magickal correspondences above
- Light the candle and say:
‘My mind is a fortress, backwards Mercury, shall cause no deceit, nor damage. The light and stones shall save me’.
- When the candle has burned all the way down, and extinguished itself, take the stones, place them in a mojo bag, and carry with you as long as Mercury stays in retrograde.
Orphic Hymn
Below is a beautiful hymn or prayer to the great God Mercury- Hermes. Use this if you want to invoke the energy of Mercury- Hermes, use the planetary magickal correspondences for extra guidance and remember as with any spell work to understand, observe and respect the energies that you are working and drawing from and with.
Invocation/ Prayer to Mercury- Hermes
The Fumigation from Frankincense.
“Hermes, draw near, and to my pray’r incline, angel of Jove [Zeus], and Maia’s son divine;
Studious of contests, ruler of mankind, with heart almighty, and a prudent mind.
Celestial messenger, of various skill, whose pow’rful arts could watchful Argus kill:
With winged feet, ’tis thine thro’ air to course, O friend of man, and prophet of discourse:
Great life-supporter, to rejoice is thine, in arts gymnastic, and in fraud divine:
With pow’r endu’d all language to explain, of care the loos’ner, and the source of gain.
Whose hand contains of blameless peace the rod, Corucian, blessed, profitable God;
Of various speech, whose aid in works we find, and in necessities to mortals kind:
Dire weapon of the tongue, which men revere, be present, Hermes, and thy suppliant hear;
Assist my works, conclude my life with peace, give graceful speech, and me memory’s increase.”
The Cosmic Witch Part 8
Written for Coven life
By Priestess Hypatia
23/12/2019
Saturn
“A wise man, recognizing that the world is but an illusion, does not act as if it is real, so he escapes the suffering.” ~ Buddha
Continuing from the previous post of aligning with Universal Powers for effective magickal practices…….
In this post I will be discussing the 6th of the Sacred Seven (in no particular order) that I have been mentioning in the previous posts. Here I will be talking about the planet that is connected to your 6th chakra and spiritual evolution. Saturn is the highest planet in the hierarchy of planets (of those known to the ancients) and thus the closest to the Gods and thus associated with immortality and longevity.
Saturn is associated with time and is timeless.
So what does this mean?
In Mythology:
In Greek antiquity Cronus was the counterpart of the Roman Saturn. Cronus was the titan son of Uranus (heaven) and Gaia (earth). The word Cronus in Greek actually describes time therefore he was the personification of time itself and ruled the cosmos during the Golden Age. Later the Romans adopted him into their religion and renamed him Saturn.
Saturn helps us realize that we are beyond time, that we are one with the universe, originating from the very energy that created us. We are all STARDUST. This energy was created during chaos, and yes the Greeks also had a God by this name that personified the chaotic birth of the Universe.
3rd Eye
This planet assists in unlocking our sacred place in the universe and by meditating on your 6th Chakra you can learn to melt away the complicated world around you. The 6th Chakra is connected to what they call your 3rd eye. This is the place where the human body meets the celestial spirit, it is the Anja (in Hindu).
The 3rd eye is actually our Penal Gland in in our anatomical structure, so once again the ancients knew what they were talking about. Shaped as a pine cone- hence its name derivative, this gland is responsible for secreting melatonin which plays a role in the body’s internal clock or what medical science calls the circadian rhythm, one that regulates our relaxation and sleep.
This chakra is also called the brow chakra as it is located between your brows on your forehead and is considered to be the ‘seat of your soul’.
In Ancient Egypt
The eye of Ra or Horus is actually a representation of the penal gland, not only in a spiritual sense but also in a pictorial depiction.
Below is a picture comparing the 2 with rather uncanny similarities.
http://www.ourwonderlife.com/de-calcify-the-pineal-gland-our-eye-of-horus/
The penal gland is where we perceive or see all things as energy around us. This is a place where you gain your multi-dimensional vision.
Meditation
The colour of this Chakra is Indigo. Each Chakra also has a sound, this is the sound of the universe- the sound of OM, the symbol is.
Below is a short meditation on YouTube that you can try to assist you in connecting to this Chakra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab9LTtBZjeM
You can meditate on the above- sounding the OM loud or within and using the colour for visualization.
Saturn correspondences
Ruling planet of Capricorn and Aquarius
Astrologically Saturn is associated with the principles of limitation, restrictions, boundaries, practicality and reality, crystallizing and structures.
Governs ambition, career, authority and hierarchy, and conforming social structures.
Peoples sense of duty, discipline and responsibility, and their physical and emotional endurance during hardships.
Day- Saturday
Herbs- Bindweed, Bistort, Bluebell, Comfrey, Enchanter’s Nightshade, Foxglove, Hellebore, Holly, Indigo, Juniper, Mandrake, Monkshood, Mullein, Pine, Rue, Solomon’s Seal, Witch Hazel, Wolfsbane, Yew.
Minerals- Jet, Obsidian, Onyx, Sapphire, Smoky Quartz, Tourmaline,
Color- Black
Number- 3
Elements- Water and earth
Incense- Myrrh
Animals- Goat, crocodile
Angel- Tzaphqiel
The Magick of Food 3
Written for Coven Life
17/12/2019
By Priestess Hypatia
Marshmallow Root
This plant has been used as food and medicine in Africa for more than 2000 years.
The Greek physician Hippocrates valued it as a wound treatment because if it’s anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Grow
Slow growing plant that is to be sown in autumn, place in trays under a glass, simply recreate a small greenhouse. In spring they should be large enough to plant leaving 45cm between them.
Marshmallow flowers in its second year and develops roots a few years before it is harvested. With the flowers you could make flower essence, a beautiful energy medicine.
I will at some stage write up some basic information for how to make your own flower essence.
Try
In Roman time it was used to stuff sucking pigs. In the meantime if one is not at hand (lol) you could simply boil the marshmallow roots until soft, peel them and fry in butter. It makes a wonderful addition to any vegetable or even meat.
And my favorite…….
Herbal marshmallow Hot Chocolate:
- 3/4 oz of Marshmallow root dried
- 1/2 lit milk (raw is best if you have available if not homogenized is fine)
- 1/2 cup sugar I love using coconut sugar or you can even use honey.
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder (good quality), I also love to use pure cacao. Ixacacao is the Goddess of the Cacao bean.
- 1 tsp vanilla bean optional.
- Grated nutmeg and cinnamon as garnish
Method:
- In a saucepan, heat up milk and marshmallow root. Infuse for 30 minutes without bringing to a boil but still very hot not allowing the milk to burn. Once complete, strain out marshmallow root ( use a tea bag or tea infuser to make it easier) and return milk hot saucepan.
- Add honey or sugar, melt, and combine completely.
- Add cocoa powder or raw cacao and stir until completely melted and combined.
- Add vanilla, combine well.
- Serve warm with freshly whipped cream or marshmallows.
It’s that easy! Serve this delicious hot cocoa on cold winter days as a winter warmer, when fighting a cold or flu, or to simply assist as a respiratory health booster for you and your family!
Heal
The leaves are used in tinctures, capsules and teas. They can alleviate a sore throat and dry coughs that occur in the winter months. Teas are wonderful for indigestion, capsules may assist with digestive issues.
As a powerful mucilage plant Marshmallow works wonders in hot chocolate, the recipe is provided above.
Magick
Gathered beneath the full moon this herb can be used to encourage creative energy. As an herb for the dead it can be used for ancestral ceremonies or grown on the graves of the dead.
Burn the dried root to improve psychic abilities and protection.
This herb falls under the planet Venus. I have correlated magickal correspondences for this planet if you choose to use this root for its magick.
The link for this is provided below……
https://covenlife.co/2019/11/12/the-cosmic-witch-part-5/
Many Blessings and Happy healing
Priestess Hypatia
The Cosmic Witch Part 7
Written By:
Priestess Hypatia
for Coven Life
12/12/2019
JUPITER
Continuing from the previous post of aligning with Universal Powers for effective magickal practices…….
In this post I will be discussing the 5th of the Sacred Seven (in no particular order) that I have been mentioning in the previous posts. Here I will be talking about the giant of the solar system, the grand planet Jupiter known as the Lord of Plenty.
Its magnitude commands respect with dozens of moons and an expansive magnetic field, this mighty planet has its own miniature solar system.
“Beyond the sphere of Mars, in distant skies
Revolves the mighty magnitude of Jove
With kingly state,
the rival of the Sun,
About him round four planetary Moons
On earth with wonder,
all night long beheld
Moon above Moon,
his fair attendants dance.”
… Raphael …
Jupiter’s expansive size reflects its principle of drawing us towards a sense of fullness and offering a grander, more expansive vision of reality. Taking these things into consideration as well as the Mythos of the God(s) associated with this planet makes Jupiter’s energy prime for workings relating to abundance, most notably financial prosperity. This speaks both to the laws of attraction but also to the ability to being open and receptive to that attraction through cultivating a broader view of what the possibilities and potential may be.
Writing about this beautiful giant has come at the most auspicious time. It is that time of the year again where we are overwhelmed with all that is happening around us. Using the power of Jupiter to bring the calm, allow the balance within that radiates without and lastly but not least understand that WE ARE sitting in abundance. Jupiter is about realising that precious perspective of having enough, feeling enough and being enough is simply enough!
This planet brings a greater freedom to think and act for ourselves. Such freedom calls for conscious awareness of what we do, why we do it, and how we balance the urge for instant gratification against the need to invest in the future. If we fail to acknowledge the value of caution and moderation, we can be fooled into exploiting opportunities that lead towards financial failure, spiritual dissatisfaction, or the boredom and depression that accompanies surfeit and over-indulgence.
In Greek mythology Jupiter is Zeus, heavenly father, lord of the day and king of the gods. No star shines as brightly as his; Venus may do so at times, but she is constricted to morning and evening. Jupiter’s celestial brilliance portrays vitality, power, strength, and freedom of will.
Jupiter and Spell Work
Always remember, that “with great power comes great responsibility” and I would add that with more knowledge comes greater selectivity in its use.
There are many spells concerning the energy of abundance, freedom, expansion, etc….. regarding the planet Jupiter. Allow yourself to be adventurous and create your own. Here I will give you the correspondences and a kind reminder of the foundations concerning undertaking any Spell Work. The rest is up to you!
The following magickal correspondences are used to enhance your spell work. Understand these aspects well before beginning.
Jupiter Correspondences:
Jupiter Animals
Eagle
Unicorn
Jupiter Astrological Correspondences
Sagittarius
Pisces
Jupiter Colors
Deep Green
Deep Purple
Jupiter Crystals & Minerals
Amethyst
Emerald
Green Aventurine
Diamond
Lapis Lazuli
Tin
Jupiter Day of the Week
Thursday
Jupiter Deities
Adonai
Archangel Zadkiel
Chango
Dagda
Hera
Isis
Juno
Jupiter
Odin
Zeus
Jupiter Elemental Correspondences
Air
Fire
Jupiter Gender
Male
Jupiter Health Correspondences
Blood
Liver
Pituitary gland
Jupiter Herbs & Plants
Carnation
Chestnut
Dandelion
Nutmeg
Oak
Rose
Sage
Jupiter Incense
Cedar
Nutmeg
Jupiter Magickal Correspondences
Abundance
Authority
Career Advancement
Career Growth
Expansion
Fatherhood
Fatherly Traits
Growth
Influence
Increasing Personality
Leadership
Legal Matters
Politics
Self-Awareness
Self-Confidence
Stability
Success
Jupiter Number
4
Jupiter Oils
Almond
Aloe
Cinnamon
Clove
Jasmine
Nutmeg
Sandalwood
Jupiter Tarot Association
The Wheel of Fortune
Jupiter Symbol
Remember with ANY Spell Work it is important to Recognise and Understand:
Why you are doing the spell work?
When you are doing the spell work?
What you are doing the spell work with- that is your equipment?
Who you are doing the spell work for or even with and most importantly do you have their permission?
What are your intentions for doing it?
What is your outcome?
Define the time span, in other words set yourself a time goal of when you want to achieve the result of this spell.
What are the benefits and what are the consequences?
Are you respecting your space, others privacy and of course the integrity and love of the Earth?
Are you familiar with the rules of protection?
Are you in a safe environment?
Are you in a good mental and physical space to perform the spell work, if not, please avoid?
You need to recognise and understand the powers that you are working with. Ensure you are familiar with those energies and their aspects. For every action there is a reaction.
Spell work can be greatly rewarding, but please ensure that you follow the rules, do as much research as possible and only then can you begin.
For further understanding I have supplied links below:
http://www.dragonoak.com/Rules-of-Spell-Casting.html
Many Blessings and please enjoy your Journey with the Great Jupiter.
The Cosmic Witch Part 1
Image credit The De Morgan Foundation, The Love Potion, Evelyn De Morgan, 1903, 40″ x 21″, oil on canvas, held by The De Morgan Center, London.
Written by Hypatia
For Coven Life
30/07/2019
Planetary knowledge that can assist you in developing your Magickal Practice.
Know They Self
While embarking on my path to understand the self, I stumbled on the magickal world of the Alchemist. ‘Know thy Self’ the very words inscribed on the entrance of many great temples from Kemet and Luxor in Egypt to Delphi in Greece.
This was an axiom practiced by the great minds of the ancient world that brings the knowing of one’s self in accordance with the understanding of the creation of ‘All That Is.’
Through the process of alchemy -transformation and transmutation, one takes a glimpse into the world of the Divine by looking into their own being. The Wise person, Witch, Seeker call yourself what you may, understands that the search of the Holy Grail, the Philosophers Stone, the meaning of life and the reason for all existence only lies within. The Witch that realizes their true power and potential understands this well, giving them the power to create a beautiful existence for them selves and all they are in contact with.
Alchemy- Word Origin.
The word originated in ancient Egypt from the word Khem meaning the black land. It was here the sacred art of alchemy was practiced through methods of mummification for the goal of immortality. It was then later taken by the ancient Greeks that introduced the word Khemica meaning chemical. It trickled down to the Arabs where they then called it AlKhemica- Al- meaning the all mighty or sacred and Khemica meaning the chemistry. Putting that all together it translates as the sacred chemistry of the Divine. Egyptians were big on magic and it was all through their practice of alchemy that connected them to the celestial energies of the ‘Sacred Seven’.
Who are the Sacred Seven?
The ancients spoke of the Seven Sacred Planets that were Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon. You may also know them as Cronus, Pluto, Aries, Helios or Apollo, Hermes and Selene or Artemis.
They are in Druid, Norse, Indian Ayurvedic, Australian and American Native Aboriginal Law, in the Far East of Asia to Europe, Scandinavia, and beyond! All the ancients were observers of the same sky, just from a different perspective.
The Witch as the Alchemist
Much like the Witch, the Alchemist is the seeker of truth obtained through a perpetual path of encountering the Divine and a mystical path of knowledge.
Alchemy is not just restricted to that of the Alchemist. It is the formulation and the foundation of creation itself. Its essence belongs in all spiritual, philosophical and religious paths. It connects ourselves to that of the spirit and the soul of the earth and that of the whole of the celestial spheres. In fact it is the very root of our modern science, medical and spiritual Reductionism.
Now astrology may not be for everyone, however it is very important, that in order to understand the natural order, and be in tune with the Great Mother and The Great Father, we at least need to learn the foundations of the rhythm of the earth. It is respectable that we learn to understand the essence of the ephemeris of the planetary cycles such as the moon phases, especially when we are drawing down the moon, creating affirmations, spells, wishes, call it what you may. What does each moon phase mean, the new moon, the waning, waxing, gibbous and crescent moon, the full moon? Each phase of the moon has its own energy that is created by the other planetary alignments in the celestial spheres.
How about the energy of the other planets such as Mercury that is connected to the ancient God Hermes. The planet Venus, this is connected to the Greek Goddess Aphrodite and so on. The ancients knew this connection all too well and honored these planets as their Gods. They called them the ‘Sacred Seven’ and built grand temples in their honor. Their temples were built according to astrological alignments such as Stonehenge, the Acropolis, the pyramids from Machu Picchu to Egypt.
In the study of Witchcraft, Alchemy, Wicca etc., in fact any other earth based religion as well as philosophy and spirituality, such knowledge is not only invaluable but imperative for the connection to the natural environment that one will be closely working with. In our modern world of sciences we have completely removed ourselves from this energy. Have we forgotten that the seasons are connected to this energy created in the celestial spheres? The earth’s rhythm is expressed through the seasons, this is why we honor each and every turning of the Wheel. We see this respectful honoring through the animal, plant and mineral kingdom, it is all around us, it is right there in front of us.
It’s important and respectable that a Witch or any one studying a nature based religion understands where the very energy that they are drawing for their magickal use comes from.
So how is a Witch connected to Alchemy, Astrology and the Elements?
Every time you make a potion, an elixir, cast a spell, make a wish on a full moon, perform a ritual for Esbat, Sabbat of ANY form that includes the Great Mother Earth, the Great Luna Mother and Solar father or Solar King, you are performing Alchemy. In fact when there is a solar and Luna eclipse they call this the Alchemical Wedding. The time where 2 great celestial energies merge in the quintessence of the Cosmos (celestial bodies).
The very elements that a Witch honors are the quintessence of these celestial bodies. Most advanced civilizations understood that our origins were from the stars, the Star Nations, the Star Seeds, The Pleiades etc… It was believed that of these classical 5 elements we (including all that is on earth and Earth Herself) were created from.
“To the elements it came from
Everything will return.
Our body to Earth
Our Blood to Water
Heart to Fire
Breath to Air.”
-Empedoclese- (495 BCE)
The fifth element is the quintessence or spirit that brings everything on this Great Mother Earth into existence as a result of the celestial energy.
Please Remember…..
whenever you use a herb for magickal purposes, a crystal, make a talisman, burn a candle for a desire, burn a piece of paper with written words to acquire an effective outcome, collect rain water or morning dew of a plant for spell or any magickal work, this is practicing Alchemy!
When we take something with intention and desire it to be turned into something else we are are performing alchemy. It is the transformation and transmutation that is achieved through the energy of the soul, connected to that of the body and spirit that originates from the celestial sphere, the cosmos, the Universe, the Goddess, God, Great Spirit etc……
The more that you are in tune with these energies and understand what they are ‘gifting’ you, the more effective your magick will become. This method puts you in alignment with the very essence of your path.
In Hermetics the saying ‘As Above so Below, as Within so Without’ explains that what is in the celestial spheres above is in the very essence of ourselves, hence the God and Goddess living within our being. It is through alchemy that we connect and are the embodiment of the God and the Goddess and representation here on earth.
What next……..
In the following weeks I will attempt to include a small list of ephemeris that will include the ‘Sacred Seven’ and hopefully this will give you an understanding and a foundation to your energetic emanation of magickal power.
Alchemy and astrology can be a very precise science that includes specific times of the day, hours of planets and so forth. In this short series of posts I will only give you the outline, the basic understanding of where these energies are coming from and what their foundation concerning your magickal ephemeris can be. If you wish to do further studies and have an interest in this area the rest is up to you.
Many Blessings
Week 3 – More Information on and Images of Gaia
This is a link for a general search for the Goddess Gaia, there are a few different spellings of her name as there are with all Gods and Goddesses.
Gaia’s image has been depicted in many ways through different cultures so explorer the images until one jumps out at you like your idea of what she may look like.
When I am asked what kind of Witch I am, first let me say I really do not like to label anyone as one type of Witch or another because to me that is narrow-minded thinking, but my answer is, “I’m an Earth Witch.” Because I work a lot with Gaia in her form as Mother Earth and the Triple Goddess. I can feel her wax and wane during the seasons of the year and my spirit, mind, and body flow along with her. I suppose in Neo-Pagan terms, I am an Eclectic Witch.
I also work with the Moon Goddess Luna or The Triple Goddess depending on what I am doing and when. I just never think or picture Luna as a Crone. The reason I work with her is she and Gaia work in a beautiful dance of harmony to help all living beings on this planet to live.
As for Gods, my main go to for many things is Ra especially if I am doing a spell and/or ritual during the day. He also works in harmony with Luna and Gaia to keep the planet we live on not to hot or cold and offers us his light. His light and warmth are very important during the growing seasons to help ensure a bountiful harvest. Whichever name for the Sun God you prefer is fine.
From Gaia, Ra, and Luna the elements of Air, Water, Fire, Earth, and Spirit are possible.
The above mentioned Gods and Goddesses are who I prefer to work with. Each person needs to find the deity or deities they find it easiest to work with most of the time. There are times to branch out to different ones that may help with a specific spell and/or ritual. Example when I doing healing work I call upon Kwan Yin (oriental Goddess) and Sirona (Celtic Goddess) to work through me to help whoever I am sending healing to.
The Meaning of the Four Directions in Native American Culture
As part of the Lakota culture, when people pray or do anything sacred, they see the world as having Four Directions. From these Four Directions — north, east, south, west — come the four winds. The special meanings of each of the Four Directions are accompanied by specific colors, and the shape of the cross symbolizes all directions. Like many Native American beliefs and traditions, specific details regarding colors associated with directions varies.
East (Yellow)
The direction from which the sun comes. Light dawns in the morning and spreads over the earth. This is the beginning of a new day. It is also the beginning of understanding because light helps us see things the way they really are. On a deeper level, east stands for the wisdom helping people live good lives. Traditional people rise in the morning to pray facing the dawn, asking God for wisdom and understanding.
To read about the rest of the directions please click on this link: Native American 4 Directions
Enchanted Circle of Witches® 