Wahya Circle
Wednesday Works

Magickal Vocabulary 101
Shamanism

As we have studied, shamanism is found in most indigenous cultures around the world. The one who is considered the “shaman” is a highly trained and deeply respected individual by their Community. In other indigenous cultures they are called Medicine People, Healers, Hilot and various other names all meaning the same they practice the same art.

They have spent a lifetime following their called-to Path. One does not simply declare oneself a shaman in some cultures; instead it is generally a title granted after many years of study and apprenticing in a culture of Elders or Wise Ones, or what title that Path carries for their “medicine” people.

Many do believe that “shaman” has come to be an umbrella term that covers many Indigenous medicine people. However, despite the transformation of the word to a blanket term, some Practitioners do not take the time to discover and know the origin of the cultural Path they are sometimes choosing to walk. (This is part of the “white washing” of Medicine and Magick that some feel occurs.)

What do you genetically descend from? All cultures have Medicine People. Who do you descend from?

Sympathetic Shamanism

Shamanism is a type of Sympathetic Magick. Basically speaking, it involves using Plant Allies, Stone Medicine or crystals, Found Feathers, and other effigies from Mother Earth. Also utilized are fetishes or poppets that affect the world around the Practitioner who utilized it.

The most popular use of Sympathetic Magick is in Vodou. Poppets are an example of a fetish that is used in this way. Take for example, using a lock of hair on the doll creating a "link" -- known as a "taglock" -- between the doll and the person the hair was taken from. Hence, whatever happens to the doll is believed to also happen on the target that is to be Hexed or Healed.

Correspondences are another concept based on the practice in which one can influence something else based on its relationship or resemblance to another thing. This is found to be true throughout all Medicine and Magick of the world. Many Practitioners hold fast to the belief regarding properties of plants, fruits and vegetables and other tangible items that have evolved in the folk-medicine of different societies —owing the concept to the Sympathetic Magick of shamanic origin.

This includes holding beliefs such as “herbs with yellow sap can cure jaundice”, or that walnuts could strengthen the brain because of the nuts' resemblance to the organ, or that red beet-juice is good for the blood, that phallic-shaped roots will cure male impotence, etcetera.

We have lost much of the essence of that magick from what the “Shaman” gained from aligning with the Plant People, or Plant Ally, and learning from their cooperative nature as extensions of the Creatrix. The Creatrix encoded the energy around us so that we may interpret its physical manifestation in this way.

Many traditional societies believe that an effect on one object can cause an analogous effect on another object, without an apparent causal link between the two objects. For instance, many folktales feature a villain whose "life" exists in another object, and who can only be killed if that other object is destroyed, as in the Russian folktale of Koschei the Deathless. For a more “modern” take, look at Davey Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean and what has to be done to his heart to free souls from the ship. Again, all things are encoded with energy.

It has been documented as being believed that instead of requiring an image of an individual, influences can be exerted using something that they have touched or sneezed on. Consequently, Russian Folk Magick also describes how someone could be influenced through sprinkling cursed salt on a path frequently walked by the target.

Take a look into the 15th-century crown princess of Joseon Korea, who was recorded as having cut her husband's lovers' shoes into pieces and burnt them Intented on effecting change with her spouse or killing the lover. These beliefs reinforce the notion that all things are connected - something we have lost as Practitioners over time, tempered with a lot of human Ego.

To further that, some Practitioners believe these plant, or Earth, “correspondences” stopped working with certain groups after a time as humanity was going down a seemingly self destructive Path. The rest of our environment is not that way in which the Human animal appears to be going. It is thought that humans became motivated by non productive factors. The origin of their Magicks are pure but they themselves are of a lineage of Akashic or Familial Shadow that is yet to Heal or be Healed.

The example we are often given is that of 7 generations of sons having difficulty, energetically, that even one son trying to survive in the world is unable to do as that one individual — many generations ago — killed dozens of people.

It is believed on other Paths that the soul must atone to achieve cosmic balance and eternal peace. On even more Paths, that is how Familial Shadow, Cultural Shadow, or Global Shadow occur.

Hypotheses about prehistoric sympathetic Magick have been considered in relation to Paleolithic cave paintings such as those in North Alkebulan (Africa) and at Lascaux in France. The theory, which is partially based on studies of more modern hunter-gatherer societies, is that the paintings were made by Practitioners of Arcane Arts who could potentially be described as shamans.

The shamans would retreat into the darkness of the caves, enter into a trance state and then paint images of their visions, perhaps with some notion of drawing power out of the cave walls themselves. This goes some way towards explaining the remoteness of some of the paintings often found in deep or small caves.

These paintings have a variety of subject matter from prey animals pooping to predators and human hand-prints. In his book Primitive Mythology, Joseph Campbell stated that some of the paintings "...were associated with the magic of the hunt." For him, this sympathetic Magick was akin to a participation mystique, where the paintings, drawn in a sanctuary of "timeless principle", were acted upon by rite.

Others interpreted the cave images as depictions of hunting accidents or even seasonal ceremonies. It is felt that many academics sorely missed the mark of their purpose inserting opinions from the Church and being overshadowed by a colonist mentality. They ignored the indigenous practices which already existed and instead chose to view them negatively as many of the Indigenous were viewed as “lesser humans” — so, their practices were too.

The theoretic analysis of the prehistoric shamanic mind continues to this day, without the expected understanding one would have if they simply walked the Path. Personally Experience it and were then able to talk about it freely. Now, we sort truth from fiction.

Beginning Practicum
Tools
Florida Water: Origins

You should know, several Practitioners at 3CMM have use 100 Proof Vodka, brand indifferent, for this endeavor. Why? Because it is “non toxic” to the environment around us for the most part. It is odorless after a few minutes in this mixture. It is also not known to completely destroy any whole plants that are placed into the water for their essence.

ADD SOMETHING OF YOURS. AN OIL. AN HERB. A FLOWER.

TIE IT TO YOU. Tying this cleansing, Protective oil, to you. Doing this can help it serve that Intent you give it. This is the mistake people make when buying other Practitioners’ Florida Water. You can do that, but do something to it to make it YOUR Medicine and Magick, not theirs. For the ingredient listed, it is only stating the Intent of its use in THIS Water. All of the ingredients have other uses.

INGREDIENTS

Links are provided for complete articles:

2 CUPS OF VODKA (Vodka can be made from potato (Chopin), corn (Smirnoff), rice (Haku), sorghum (Milo), rye (Belvedere) or wheat (Grey Goose), though you can also make it from fruits or even just sugar. Recipes on distilling spirits are something we do not currently share or allow other Practitioners to share directily – per the “laws” of the society we choose to live in. Regardless, verify what you buy or use versus what your Intented Works are going to be. Correspondences matter. The Plant Ally the vodka is made from has metaphysical properties. Learn them for the Intent at hand.

2 TBSP ROSE WATER = PROTECTION
(WHOLE FOOD MARKETS SUCH AS SPROUTS HAVE IT FOOD GRADE.) IF you make your own, consider the color of the rose for your use.
LINK (Wicca Now)

16 DROPS BERGAMOT = PROTECTION; ABUNDANCE
The jury is out on this one. Some think it is used for “money” because it is green. Some think “protection” as it is from the Earth, “peppery” in fruit/seed and has “masculine” properties. Either way, it is a “lime” type citrus scent that goes well with its peppery base-note.
Other uses LINK (Goddess WitchCraft)

12 DROPS LAVENDER = PROTECTION
This is a very healing, protective plant. Look for this naturally growing is area fields.
LINK Blue Relics Flowers

6 DROPS MAY CHANG = CLEARING; UPLIFTING
From the plant’s fruit and difficult to obtain, Litsea Cubeba is the botanical name and also what the flower oil is called. The Indigenous of several Asian countries, such as the Ataya in Taiwan, call it “mountain pepper”. If you want an ethically sourced replacement to this exploited plant try lemongrass or juniper or both for the scent — or cinnamon for the metaphysical property. It is one of the few plants that was removed but physically does not like to grow outside of its Indigenous home. Many in Western Magick still try to obtain and colonize this plant RATHER than use their own native plants.

3 DROPS ROSEMARY = PROTECTION
Try your hand at growing some. It does well world wide.
LINK Grove and Grotto

2 DROPS JASMINE = …let’s be honest. We do not see a magickal reason for Jasmine in Florida Water. Florida Water was created as a cologne rival in the Ego driven “Americans vs Europeans” cologne wars and has connections with the endless Spanish search for the “fountain of youth”. Jasmine – which has the property of “beauty”, is not native to ANY American Continent and only ONE species lives on the European continent. This is yet another plant taken from the indigenous of South Asia and Southeast Asia, its home.

Jasmine is a beautiful, heavy, sweet scent, no denial, but many Practitioners who are trying to “decolonize” their practices are seeking out locally indigenous alternatives. Practitioners have been looking to the honeysuckle for the North American continent. The flowers are edible and the nectar is drinkable, as the scent is heavenly. This plant is ethically sourced for most part. Honeysuckle are said to be aligned with Divine Love which is closer than Jasmine’s ill-fated “beauty”. THIS ingredient is the one we change at APMS to “make it our own”.

Read more about honeysuckle here:
LINK Hazel Planchette

2 DROPS ROSE ATAR (ROSES AGED IN SANDALWOOD) = PROTECTION
As true Sandalwood is hard to come by for this tree native to India, Western Magick Practitioners (Druid) of the United States are looking into the Eastern White Cedar for this correspondence. This cedar is really a cypress and is native to the land of the United States and Canada. It is know for Protection and Longevity -- living over 1000 years in many places. If you can acquire Eastern White Cedar, try your hand at aging your own roses in the wood tincture for a better energetic effect as it will tie your Intent of Protection to THIS land, not India.

Once all of these ingredients are mixed well, you may store them in a glass jar or bottle, shaking or mixing it on occasion to keep It “fresh”. The basic uses in most works is for cleansing, purifying and protection. Many Practitioners use this to clean Ritual tools, altars, their homes, etcetera. Florida Water is thought to do more “Protection” than purifying but you can Intent any spray (Water), smoke (Fire and Air), salt or consecrated soil from your property (Earth) to do that and use this magickal water for cleaning tools before and after Ritual or clearing the space before and after for residual energies.

Selenology 101
Power Senses Spell

This spell is for the “increase of psychic ability”, something that many desire to awaken. Practitioners from many Paths have copied this spell because it works. The “senses” as we have learned, are very connected to our psychic abilities. But, they are also connected to all other aspects of our Self. Why not write a spell in this way for other Intents?

We are!

What we are proposing is a spell for your Magick that utilizes the “senses” for an Intented Work or Craft of your choosing. Something such as “Abundance”, or “Health”, or “Strength”. We would like for each Practitioner to spend some time with themselves in a neutral spot talking, dialoguing with Higher Self and Shadow.

”What do I need?”

The conversation you have with Self should involve “something you can empower” utilizing your tangible sense. What do you need to clear, or improve, or benefit from the connection senses more, etc? What your answers are to those questions will be the driving factor of this spell. The Intent, to better one or all senses for your Psychic or Personal Magick and Medicine abilities.

You have until the FIRST WEDNESDAY in September to write, tweak and attempt this spell with both a before and after picture and a few sentences about what you chose for the spell, the “why”.

We also ask for you to report on results.

“Positive” (it worked as intended),
“Negative” (it did not work or did not work as intended, etc), or
“Neutral” (still waiting for results, spell requires more time.)

You will know the answer to these Intuitively.

ITEMS

For your prescribed Intent:

You will use ONE item for each of the Six, yes six, senses, in addition to a candle (any size, actual or LED).

A candle in the color and size of your chosen Intent is preferred but not necessary. It then is preferred that each prescribed item be found in the color family of your Intent.

OR YOU CAN PROGRAM WHAT YOU FIND FOR WHAT YOU NEED.

Make sense?

You will SEE the power …
(Item to look at, or, some Practitioners simply close their eyes before this portion, stating the Affirmation upon opening the eyes.)

You will HEAR the power…
(An item that produces sound.)

You will SMELL the power…
(Something corresponding to your Intent OR something you enjoy the smell of.)

You will TASTE the power…
(A pleasurable item to taste, i.e, chocolate (love), mint (money), pepper (banishment), etc.)

You will FEEL (TOUCH) the power…
(A piece of cloth preferably in the color of your Intent.)

You will INTUIT the power…
(Touch Third Eye chakra)

Choose something for EACH of these senses.

AFFIRMATION
Once you have chosen your items based on both Correspondence relevance and Intuition, write a brief Affirmation for the spell using “I” statements, “I SEE”, “I HEAR”. The ‘affirmation’ is typically your emotional tie to the spell.

“I will pay close attention to messages I receive.”

Kind of like a promise of balance with your Intent. Another example,

“I will save $5 per week with my abundance.”

Or,

“I will improve my diet to better my health.”

It is what YOU will do to meet the Universe on the field of Medicine and Magicik.

SPELL
Here is where you will write the words with Intent for each item and imbue them with their purpose. The items are written in their stated form above, you will simply place your items in order of your words.

END
Claim the end of the spell in your tradition or your Path.

“As We Will It, So Will It Be.” ~TCMed

Once everything is written and all is set in its place and you are ready, choose the best DAY AND MOON PHASE between now and our due date to perform the spell that corresponds best with your Intent. (You do NOT have to perform it unless we are passing through that moon phase.) If we miss the phase you choose, please state which phase we need – as we are passing through many.

ORDER OF SPELL
1 Affirmation

2 Spell

3 Close

You may perform this spell per your tradition or Path, inside a Circle or out, it is ALL how you Intuitively feel about your Magick.

Please email Three Circles Medicine if you have any questions.

Happy Crafting!

Wednesday WS2

General - Journal - Book of Shadows

PRACTICUM
WS2 WED POWER SENSES SPELL
(Due by FIRST WEDNESDAY of September)

Please take a moment with the Lesson above. Submit written spell, one before photo and one after photo. Tell your motive for choosing to Craft in this way in ONE PARAGRAPH or less.

EMAIL
Three Circles Medicine & Magick™
Please utilize the above email link
IF NO BUTTON IS PRESENT
to receive full Submission credit.