I don't have a lot of time this morning to write but I just wanted to say that I have the new oppressive abortion laws on my mind. Alabama being the most repressive forced birth extremist state. But then it has so many hate laws. A haven for the followers of the Dead God.
Patriarchy.
Females as breeders. Lineage holders for the Dead One. Why do so many white women fight the hardest for the Dead One's institutions of patriarchal oppression? Well it is human nature to survive. It is how they survive. It won't be them passed around as a sex slave in a mining camp. It won't be them being torn asunder by Nazis in the streets. It won't be them whose children are torn from their arms to be thrown in cages to die. To be raped. To never smell the delight of their mothers hair and the love in their hearts. Their demented men will protect them. If, they tow the line. And boy do they tow.
I am wondering what will happen in my country. I live in a powerful, rich and progressive blue state. My presidential vote doesn't really count because of the racist electoral college but I do enjoy the protections of a progressive state. No one will force me to have a baby here. Not even my husband.
But we know.
Certain poisons to snip one thread yet preserve another.
Ancient brews.
We've always been here on the cusp of life and death. Been where women's mysteries are.
Moon.
Blood.
Power.
No wonder they fear us. No wonder. The Dead God will use the very science cherry pick to put women in prison for being raped and not wanting the baby or what ever. Christian Sharia Law. But bad women deserve to be punished. Science to punish. To push patriarchy. But science and magic are not the same thing. Our technologies are unknown to them. We work in the dark. We see by night. Our allies are old and wise and ruthless.
Don't let them see you coming. We are not of the brightness of the sun. Don't tell them who you are.
What will happen in America? Your guess is as good as mine but we have the tools to navigate these times as we always have had to navigate when times have been hard. Stay the course.
M
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Sunday, May 12, 2019
Teonanácatl
Some of us, however, have consumed more than the apple. Some of us have dedicated ourselves to the Poison Path. Witchcraft is the Poison Path Snow White, so take the apple and then go deeper. Take the mushroom Alice. Go deeper. Well, let me say this because you can read me but I cannot read you.....
If you are afraid of drugs or of altering your mind then stop reading. This post is not for you. If you still have echoes of Christian guilt about freedom and Nixonian racist drug laws rattling in your brain, this post is not for you. If you don't believe mind altering substances are part of witchcraft and that you can achieve THE SAME results with meditation, this post is not for you.
But.
If you want to go deeper. If you want to follow the bread crumbs and you have an open mind then let us proceed.
Bread of the Gods. This is our heritage as North American witches and we have the keys to our salvation in the very land we walk. We have the keys to freedom and Gnosis.
But know this. The war on "drugs" is a religious war. A war of enslavement for your mind and soul.
Being free takes courage. Being free is dangerous.
Genus Psilocybe has many active species: Psilocybe azurescens, P. baeocystis, P. bohemia, P. semilanceata, P. cubensis, P. mexicana and many more....
Walk with me if you will in the desert. In the mountains. In Michoacan, Jalisco, Oaxaca, Puebla, Xalapa and Veracruz.
Mushrooms are the Voice of the Earth. The Voice of our Mother.
Set and setting are important. To walk in beauty you must prepare. Altar. Fast. Purify with copal.
The mushrooms like to grow free in wild spaces. Interesting, however, that they follow so close to human camps. Boundaries. This world and that. Go beyond the hedge if you can. If you dare to be free. Hail Maria Sabina, Huautla and the nameless shamans of the mountains!
Walk with me if you will in Thessaly, Monte Bego, Valcamonica. Twelve thousand years or so they have dated the Neolithic rock paintings with the magic mushrooms on them. Ancestors guide us. Oh how the Thessalian witches were feared. Because they could see in the dark. Because their spells achieved results. Because they consumed the bread of the Gods. Hail Circe, Medea, Erichtho, Calypso, Dido and Folia!
Set and setting are important. To walk in power and to see in the dark you must prepare. Collect only a certain amount. Never take the first and never take the last. Give gifts to the old Gods. Purify with sage (the modern Italian witches added this from Native American rituals in the 1970s). But then mushroom people KNOW mushroom people and they share. Fast. Consume in the forest.
Now.
Be prepared for the fear.
It will hit you first. This is ego death. It is necessary so that you do not fall into the traps of the Guru. So that your illusions shatter. A witch must be clear in self. Some traditions of witchcraft have within them realms of illusion. The Fae traditions especially. These realms protect the deeper mysteries. Some initiates never pass through these realms because they cannot even see that they are in an illusion. Oh how the Ego lust is intoxicating. It reminds me of a scene in "The Holy Mountain" by Jodorowsky, where the dedicants, who desire to be initiated, are brought to a market where all the traps of illusion are sold. Addiction. Sex. Cash-Grass-Ass, Power, Guru-hood, BNPs. A distraction to be sure on the way to the Mountain. Push past it witch bitch. Push past. The mushroom can help. But I digress. My apologies. I wish that you were here with me in my garden so I could look in your eyes. Then we could really talk. Shall we have a glass of wine? Something stronger?
So.
Purify. Honey. Hot Chocolate. Push past the fear. Release. Now the medicine can show you.
"The great gift of the mushroom ally is a special clarity and intelligence, a special and compassionate healing presence. The experts, the people who kept the ally alive for four hundred years while the rest of the world pursued more destructive visions, say that matters relating to the mushroom ally are muy delicado. The mushroom people know that the little ones have a sacred nature, and they use them within sacred space--that is, there is an alter of some sort and prayers are said. The interaction with the mushroom is reverential, even if it is sometimes punctuated by laughter or shouts of wonder. The spirit opens the gate to "that which matters", so respect and a certain humility are appropriate." (Pendell 2009, 29-30)
Do you ever ask your teachers questions? Ever ask why? Or do you already know?
Why cakes and wine? But specifically in our quest....cakes. Do we follow the rituals of the Cult of the Dying God. Or do his children follow ours? They who destroy all other faiths? They who cannibalize? They who drink blood? They who revel in death?
Cake...Eucharist...Sacrament....Bread.
Bread of the Gods.
God within.... Entheogen.
Gnosis.
Yes, we too take God(s) within our bodies and not just in the popular trance possessory methods that are so en vogue these days. Not if you walk the Poison Path.
Your body is the corporeal laboratory. Your connection to God(s) is within you. Shhhh the priests don't want you to know you are God(s). They would gladly kill you to protect their profits/prophets.
Our bread and our cakes are the sacrament of the little mushroom. We don't fear shamanic dismemberment. Well maybe a little. But we do it anyway. We know the fairy ring is dangerous so we master the Poison so that we can see in the dark. So that we can walk past the illusion into power. Step over the ring. Step back.
I believe we are going to need these technologies in the coming days. I believe that we are going to need strength and the ability to see in the dark. As witches. As the wise. As those who walk on the Poison Path. As those who choose to walk in Beauty.
M. Grey
Laessoe, Thomas, "Mushrooms: How to Identify and Gather Wild Mushrooms and Other Fungi", DK London 1996.
Pendell, Dale, "Pharmako Gnosis: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path", North Atlantic Books 2009.
Ratsch, Christian, "The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants", Park Street Press 1998.
Schulke, Daniel, "Veneficum: Magic, Witchcraft, and the Poison Path", Three Hands Press 2012.
Siegel, Noah & Schwarz, Christian, "Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast", Ten Speed Press 2016
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Why?
Why would you apologize for those who have oppressed you? Why would you extend your hand? Why would you take on the ethos and hegemony they put upon you with the sword? This is different than dual faith observance where you wear their faith on your skin so they will be at ease but in your heart you speak to the Old Ones.
The cult of the dying god and his followers are faltering. Losing power. HE is hungry for more blood. HE rages. His priests know that to chain women is to gain in power. They know that he desires the twisted expressions of sex rage and they provide....secretly and not so secretly. So why, why apologize for or trust even the sleeping ones? They too feed the Dead God with their fear prayers.
Brothers. Sisters. War is coming. We know this. We remember it in the future. It lingers in our Mitochondria. How will you survive it when you have no armies, no gold, no temples? Crashing fists against tanks? Will you martyr yourself like the followers of the Dead God? Or will you take the other road?
Walk in power. Sharpen your knives. Be strong. Learn. Listen. Be flexible and nimble. Let them never see you when you come.
M
The cult of the dying god and his followers are faltering. Losing power. HE is hungry for more blood. HE rages. His priests know that to chain women is to gain in power. They know that he desires the twisted expressions of sex rage and they provide....secretly and not so secretly. So why, why apologize for or trust even the sleeping ones? They too feed the Dead God with their fear prayers.
Brothers. Sisters. War is coming. We know this. We remember it in the future. It lingers in our Mitochondria. How will you survive it when you have no armies, no gold, no temples? Crashing fists against tanks? Will you martyr yourself like the followers of the Dead God? Or will you take the other road?
Walk in power. Sharpen your knives. Be strong. Learn. Listen. Be flexible and nimble. Let them never see you when you come.
M
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
On Dittany of Crete
[re-posted from 2013]
"Sing to me o' Goddess of the Mountain. Sing and fill me with inspiration as I tread your paths for my love. Let me be nimble as a goat. Let me not fall. Let me find your beloved dittany. Let it fill my basket. Let its perfume waft and coil around my love. Let her be impressed. Let her be desirous of me. For I shall sing praises to you. I will make love in your name. I will honor the mountain!"
In times past we hunted plants as we hunt animals and from that time to now we have had Gods, myths, legends and stories connecting us to plants and interweaving though all aspects of our lives. Our relationship to various plants is sung in epic poems and lives on in charms and even the highest of honors, a simple olive leaf crown, was the ultimate reward for games won. Plants are with us at weddings, funerals and surround us at all times. A plant is not just simply a "thing" we eat or use for recreation or healing. Every plant has a spirit and these spirits shape us as we shape them. Some follow us and help us. Some seem to hinder us. And some are so "threatening" that we throw people in jail for life for the possession of even the smallest amount of certain plants. They alter our minds and consciousness. They heal, kill and exist in every facet of our lives each and every day.They are a foundational point in the magic of almost every worker and they even have an effect on the Spirits in various ways. An intimate and working knowledge of them is critical if one is interested in magic. I focus in on one herb at a time and go as in depth as I can with them to learn "why" they work in the magical context that they do. It has to make sense. There have to be connections. I was never satisfied when reading magical herbal books with their one to two sentence "explanation" of what herbs to what magically. Why? How? Where did they get that? Some of the lore out there is watered down at best or merely a shadow of the actual power. Some is flat out untrue. So my friends please let us explore and make connections. While I am a Rootworker my background is Traditional American Witchcraft. The two systems are intertwined in many many ways and as they are both living, breathing traditions with a body of workers and a body of lore they continue to fuse, grow, expand and develop as all systems that are "working" do. Hopefully you can gain some insights and understanding as I have.
One herb that has always interested me is Dittany of Crete. In my early years I had only heard of it through whispers and it was held in high regard by fellow witches and workers I knew. When I asked them what it "did" the replies were vague and simplistic like "it is powerful" or "it calls to the spirits". These answers were not good enough for me then nor now and so I decided to pursue my own knowledge of this plant in my own way and in my own time. I would encourage you to do the same in your magical studies.
I wanted to know what makes it powerful? What does it do and why would the Witch or Rootworker want to use it? Do the dead really like it and how so? As I have learned and grown I have seen many people work natural magic as if it were a cook book and take what people say as gospel truth. A little dash of chamomile, a pinch of patchouli, and a nugget of frankincense and you have a money incense, voila! Maybe. But why those herbs? Can you just grab them whilly nilly? What goes deeper? Do they contain the power to make the spell work or do you or both? I know now that it is the Spirit of the plant that lends the power and that the plant itself is the teacher. The worker must be gifted and go forth with will, desire and belief and the drive to go deeper. So I decided to go deeper.
Dittany of Crete.....Origanum dictamnus (Lamiaceae Family).
I know that what people know in the pagan or witchcraft communities about dittany comes from what Aleister Crowley wrote, that it summons spirits, is related to Persephone and should be burned in copious amounts and often associates it with Abramelin. That is to say that he as well as other Thelemites held it in high regard. Daniel Schulke, in his "Viridarium Umbris" calls dittany a kapnomantic herb---used for divination with smoke. I have used dittany in this way, it ties back to the legends that it was burnt at various Greek oracular sites, such as the Delphic Oracle. Other references to dittany are equally as vague, though, and come from the Hoodoo community which says dittany is good for love and use it as a love charm. Looking at Crowley's work I wondered where he got to his conclusions as in my own research into Greek mythology there is nothing about summoning spirits to manifestation associated with dittany. The Greek link to Goddess is Athena not Persephone. The only reference I could find to the "Spirits" was in Agrippa which states that dittany is good for prophesy, and driving away of evil spirits. So there is kind of a link there but it still was not good enough for me. It was too vague and I knew that magicians in the past borrowed from other magicians and grimoires (as they do now) and things can get lost in translation. The Hoodoo love spells with dittany made more sense because in the Greek lore dittany has love rituals attached to it. However, Hoodoo is "newer" as it is a combination of various traditions which came together to battle the pedagogy of the oppressed so sometimes it is all over the place in terms of lore, how each individual worker works and how it differs in different areas of the country. And of course we all argue with one another about everything so back to the research we must go. We are on a journey here so let us go to the home of dittany. Let us delve into the myth of this beautiful plant to see if we can gain some magical insights.
Dittany is native to Crete and is found all over the island but especially on the western side and usually on the steep slopes of the mountains. Being a Mediterranean plant it enjoys a dry hot summer with lots of sun and a mild and rainy winter season. . Being a type of oregano it is a short plant with bifurcated leaves of a greyish green that appear to have a furry lace upon them, almost like a weaving and feel soft like the plant 'lambs ear'. They produce elegant red and pink flower stalks which dip down.
Dittany is well known for its medical healing properties and is anti-microbial, antioxidant and anti-ulcer. It is used in Crete and Greece extensively as a healing herb and can be found in many local markets.
Taxonomy and medical science are interesting but what does the smoke whisper? What do the Spirits know? Shall we climb the mountain in search of answers?
The old Minoan Goddess of the mountain has no name that has survived, though she is depicted as a gorgon headed woman with ritual accoutrement. However, once the Greeks got to the island they named her Britomartis (sweet maid) and later she morphed again and was given the name Diktynna (of the nets). The name "Dittany" was derived from Diktynna and at its root is 'dikti' which is Greek for "net". Like many of the Gods of old, Diktynna has experienced a transformation in human consciousness as cultures shifted and as people assimilated one another. First being a Minoan Goddess of her own volition (Britomartis/Diktynna)- to being a toned down lady of the woods to a nymph and finally an "aspect" of Artemis (Artemis-Diktynna). The story goes that Britomartis, beautiful and maidenly and a charmer of animals, was pursued by king Minos. Not wanting to be at the end of the amorous king's advances she threw herself off of a cliff and into the sea to escape him. Luckily for her she was caught in the nets of some Greek fishermen who called her Diktynna (of the nets) and brought her to Greece. We can see this not only in terms of her changing name but as a spread of her cult to mainland Greece where because of her nature with animals and hunting she was associated with Artemis, sometimes as an aspect of Artemis and sometimes as a companion or nymph. What is also interesting is that even though these "aspects" are associated with Artemis, Artemis herself is depicted with the head of the gorgon on her shield. So we circle back to the ancient pre-Greek myths of the area and to the power and mystery of the gorgon. An apotropaic charm to be sure, everyone seemed to want the head of the gorgon for himself from Perseus to Alexander the Great!
But let us go back to the old Goddess for a bit. Back to Britomartis. Back to the mountain. Mount Ida to be exact and to a gorgon headed Goddess holding a double headed axe with serpents twining around each arm accompanied by feral dogs and other animals as is depicted in Minoan art. Quite a turn around from the skipping virgin maid who runs from the lustful glance of a powerful king. But then the ancient Greeks had a different view of women than did the Minoans and the blushing virgin was much more palpable than the gorgon who would turn you to stone and Lord knows what else. We also see that Mount Ida is centrally located on Crete and has lore connected to Zeus, but Mount Dikit (ahhh etymology how I love thee) is far to the West. Remember that dittany mostly grows in the West? Two mountains. Two faces of a Goddess. Two cultures. Consider that the ancient Minoan culture was as steeped in mystery and lore and as far removed from the Greeks as we are from those ancient Greeks ourselves today. Time fades memories, weathers stones and stories, and the victors write the tales. An ancient Goddess transformed into something more palatable? Seen that one before.
So let us confuse the story a little bit more shall we? Britomartis is translated as "sweet maid", or "fair maid" and yet is depicted as a gorgon or demon with snakes, axes and dogs, so what gives? Why this opposite? We know that Diktynna was also considered to be sweet and fair and without the nastiness of the Gorgon. Now we must leave the age of Aquarius archaeology and the scientific rationality and tread the path of the Witch. We walk now into myth and dream so let us make some connections.
We know that dittany, being of the oregano family, has amazing healing properties but where it grew naturally was in a very precarious place indeed. Right up the steep slopes of mount Ida and Dikit. To procure this amazingly healing and magical herb one took their life into their very hands and a tale of the "quest" grew up around such ventures. The flowers of dittany are beautiful indeed and what young maid would not be desirous of such a beautiful prize? Oh to impress the girls! This is where the love mythos of dittany comes in and even today young men will venture up the slopes (hopefully with carabiners and on belay) to get some for their girlfriends. In times of old though this was quite the quest and proved to the young lady that the lad really did desire her. Thus dittany was used in a variety of love charms and potions and consequently still is. So if you ever read that dittany is used for love now you will know why. Here is one of my favorite dittany formulas used in Hoodoo. It is simple but effective:
A Hoodoo Love Sprinkle
To be placed where the beloved will come in contact with done on a waxing moon preferably in the hour and day of Venus.
Procure:
Dittany of Crete
Red Rose petals
Damiana
Catnip (if lover is a man)
John the Conqueror chips (if lover is a female)
Mix these thoroughly
Spell:
Bring yourself to climax while thinking of your love. Say their name and tell them to be yours aloud as you climax. Wet both your left and right hand with your fluids. Take the herbal mixture and mix with your hands your fluids into the mixture as if you were kneading dough. Breathe your desire into the mixture. Say aloud as if you were speaking to your beloved and tell them all that you desire with passion!!!
Next you will sprinkle these where your lover will come in contact yet not be aware of them such as under a door mat or bed or mixed into some soil where you know where they will walk. You should be able to see "movement" in about 7 days.
Love play is all well and good. Sex is great and using folk and natural magic to get a lover is awesome but what about sex to call down the very Gods? How could these snakes and axes relate to sex and power?
The double headed axe also known as the "Labrys" was a powerful symbol of the Goddess and has been found all over Crete and especially at Knossos as well as Catal Huyuk and dates to the neolithic in terms of its use. The labrys is curved which represents the "arc of creation" and perhaps the pregnant belly and is the only way an axe can be double bladed. This "double bladedness" is important because it is the two faces of the Goddess, the Gorgon and the sweet maid. This speaks to the dual nature in such a Goddess and interestingly enough if you look at the leaves of the dittany plant you will see that they themselves look like a mini labrys. That is a double headed axe like shape with a rounded blade. If you are familiar with the doctrine of signatures you can see it at work here with these links.
Another animal associated with dittany but not necessarily with Britomartis was the goat. There is a fabulous tale told by Aristotle (4th C. BC from the Historia Animalium), that when a wild goat was struck with a poison arrow (some tales it is just arrows) it would eat the dittany and this caused the arrows to leave the body and to heal the wounds. This tale was so beloved and believed that it stuck around and a famous engraving by the artist Dapper of Amsterdam showing a little wounded goat eating the leaves of the dittany was quite popular. Because of this lore (as well as its actual healing properties) it was valued indeed and the myth of the goat is repeated again and again in regards to dittany of Crete. Virgil too wrote that Aphrodite used the herb to heal her wounded lover Aeneas and the myths of the virtue of dittany go on and on. This truly is the "kindly maid" side of the plant.
But let us not just stop here with the lovely symmetry of the labrys and the plant itself. Another symbol of Britomartis was the gorgon head and the snakes winding around the arms. If you are reading my blog then you probably have an interest in all things occult and ancient religions and you will of course recognize the famous Minoan statue of the bare breasted woman holding the snakes. These winding serpents were actually a common theme in Minoan art. The ophidian mysteries are here in the dittany. They are writhing with them. This is the face of the Gorgon. The double edged blade of the Goddess. The Ouroboros, that serpent coiling in upon itself and the very raising of the kundalini. This is the dangerous face of the Goddess because it is that which can consume you. Unleashing the kundalini before you are ready can have dire consequences. Here is not the sweet play of love but the creation of the Universe. The very crossroads of magic. Three. Four. The intersection of power. The serpent is lodged deeply in our minds and we have a primal instinctual fear of them. Those who walk in power and opposition often find them as allies. One of the "powers" of dittany is that it is a snake repellent. Again we see the apotropaic nature at work. It is also used as a snake repellent in Hoodoo, though I believe it got there from the Native Americans. What is this you think? Were we not just in Greece? Yes and we will return gentle readers, but first a little lore from the Americas. We do after all work both Hoodoo and Witchcraft.
I believe that dittany entered into the Hoodoo consciousness and workings from a very interesting route, that is first via its name (dittany) from the Europeans and by analog (different plans with similar functions) via the Native Americans. When the European settlers came here they looked for plants familiar to them to those they had left behind in Europe. They did this in two ways. First they looked at plants to see if they were visually and physically the same as ones they knew and second they learned about plants from the Native Americans. Of course not really wanting to call the plants by their native names they often called them by European ones and there are several plants which were called "dittany" which, aside from lore associated with snakes, have nothing to do with true dittany of Crete.
One of these "dittany's" was the Mountain dittany from Virginia which the Natives used to cure snakebites and to kill snakes with its mystic properties. One John Clayton, an Englishman in the 17th century tried to disprove the Natives belief in the magical properties of this "dittany" through his writings and thanks to them we know that both the English and the Natives used this plant (later thought to be Dictamnus Virginianus or Pulegium Virginianum ) as a snake repellent. The powers of this plant were so strong that it was labeled "dittany" by the Europeans who associated it with the actual dittany from across the seas. The Virginian Native word for this plant was "Ki Kasch Kon Ko" which means "death to snakes". It was not a true "dittany" or even an oregano but a plant with strong snake medicine to be sure. There was much confusion with herbal snake remedies being named "dittany" by the Europeans that herbal historians and taxonomists have had a difficult time figuring out what the actual plants were. Snake roots and charms were important in Hoodoo and there were other herbs associated with snakes. Another such example is that of Sampson snake root (Psoralea psoralioides) which was used as a blood purifier and protection charm against snakes shown to the Europeans by the Cherokee and later to the African slaves which is how it found its way into Hoodoo. However, the "dittany" used in Hoodoo and in the Americas was not the actual Dittany of Crete of this article, it was the "mountain dittany" of the North American mint family (or other various "dittany plants"). Dittany of Crete needs a Mediterranean climate to thrive and the only place in North America that this is found is California and does splendid here! The earliest references I can find of Dittany of Crete (Origanum dictamnus) being grown in the US is from 1936, when it was introduced by Anne Burrage to the Herb Society of America.
The "American Dittanys or Mountain Dittanys" use was that of snake repellent as well as love charm which is direct from the lore and myths of Crete and placed upon these other plants as an analog, which is interesting because the Cretan lore lived alongside the snake lore of the Virginian Indians and Cherokee Indians and seemed to absolutely work in magic. That is to say that even though this plant was not the actual dittany of Crete it was given the name and worked with in much the same way. Though different plant species, the serpent power seems to be found in various plants to which humans gave the mantle of "dittany". Here I think we see the weaving of the ophidian current and the road of the magician and worker. Here we begin to work with Spirit and not just flesh. So how do we learn? How do we walk these roads?
I do not have a simple recipe spell to share with you here because these are the paths and mysteries walked on by the witch or worker alone. The way we each make to these ancient halls will be different indeed but the place is the same and those who have ventured there will know the mysteries and will know the words. They will each know one another as they look into their eyes or meet them in the dream time. Words cannot convey. But if you are interested in the dangerous edge of the labrys then start with the information at hand. Your journey will be yours alone. Know also that archaeologists unearthed three herbs in the palace at Knossos, dittany of Crete, wormwood and sage. Let these be your guides. Let them waft and coil and speak to you. Let them teach you the mysteries of the temple.
It seems to me that before you begin a ritual with dittany of Crete that you call down one of the specific aspects of its nature. That of the "maid" which is to heal and to find a lover. Or that of the "gorgon" which is to open to the dangerous nature of the plant and call upon the serpent energies. There are different rituals which one could use for each and I would encourage you to create you own. You could look up some Greek words and chant them as well as build a beautiful altar. See what calls to you, see what comes up. Part of the "work" of the magician and worker is to experiment and see what does indeed work and is successful. Even those hoary forbidden books of magic, the grimoires, are only "grammars", that is bare bone outlines of where to get started. The work my friends is up to you. And of course write it down in your magical journal.
So is dittany powerful? Yes. Is it sacred to the dead? Well I am sure that you could say that it is but I believe that its powers are more attuned to the living as well as to the energies of sex and not necessarily "sacred" to the dead per-se but more of the energy of sex that they crave. That is, more of a "food" for them to help them manifest. But burning it for them is not the key, the key would be to burn a small amount to raise the sex energy for the participants in a ritual. The actual sex is the KEY for the spirits in this case. Sex and death are married and dittany coupled with darker more Gorgonic herbs would be appropriate. We step into facets of the realms of ophidian current and its coiling halls. It is up to you, the witch and worker, to experiment and see what this herb has to offer. I think your results will be most interesting indeed....
Miss Maya
Sources:
Agrippa, H.C., "Three Books of Occult Philosophy" Llewellyn, 2005 8th Edition.
Blakely, Sandra, "Myth, Ritual, and Metallurgy in Ancient Greece and Recent Aftica", Cambridge University Press, 2006.
Dickie, Matthew, "Magic and Magicians in the Greco-Roman World", Routledge, 2001, 2003.
Gimbutas, Marija, "The Language of the Goddess", Thames and Hudson, 1989.
Graves, Robert. "The White Goddess", International Authors NV, 1948.
Schulke, Daniel, "The Viridarium Umbris", Xoanon Press, 2005.
Stratton-Kent, Jake, "Geosophia: The Argos of Magic", Scarlet Imprint, 2010.
Articles:
Robinson, Martha K. "New Worlds, New Medicines: Indian Remedies and English Medicine in Early America", Early American Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Volume 3, Number
1, Spring 2005, pp. 94-110
FeestSource, Christian F.: "Another French Account of Virginia Indians by John Lederer", The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 83, No. 2 (Apr., 1975), pp. 150-159
Lefler, Lisa J., "Southern Foodways and Culture: Local Considerations and Beyond", Newfound Press, Selected Papers from the Annual Meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society, Oxford, Mississippi February, 2007
"Sing to me o' Goddess of the Mountain. Sing and fill me with inspiration as I tread your paths for my love. Let me be nimble as a goat. Let me not fall. Let me find your beloved dittany. Let it fill my basket. Let its perfume waft and coil around my love. Let her be impressed. Let her be desirous of me. For I shall sing praises to you. I will make love in your name. I will honor the mountain!"
In times past we hunted plants as we hunt animals and from that time to now we have had Gods, myths, legends and stories connecting us to plants and interweaving though all aspects of our lives. Our relationship to various plants is sung in epic poems and lives on in charms and even the highest of honors, a simple olive leaf crown, was the ultimate reward for games won. Plants are with us at weddings, funerals and surround us at all times. A plant is not just simply a "thing" we eat or use for recreation or healing. Every plant has a spirit and these spirits shape us as we shape them. Some follow us and help us. Some seem to hinder us. And some are so "threatening" that we throw people in jail for life for the possession of even the smallest amount of certain plants. They alter our minds and consciousness. They heal, kill and exist in every facet of our lives each and every day.They are a foundational point in the magic of almost every worker and they even have an effect on the Spirits in various ways. An intimate and working knowledge of them is critical if one is interested in magic. I focus in on one herb at a time and go as in depth as I can with them to learn "why" they work in the magical context that they do. It has to make sense. There have to be connections. I was never satisfied when reading magical herbal books with their one to two sentence "explanation" of what herbs to what magically. Why? How? Where did they get that? Some of the lore out there is watered down at best or merely a shadow of the actual power. Some is flat out untrue. So my friends please let us explore and make connections. While I am a Rootworker my background is Traditional American Witchcraft. The two systems are intertwined in many many ways and as they are both living, breathing traditions with a body of workers and a body of lore they continue to fuse, grow, expand and develop as all systems that are "working" do. Hopefully you can gain some insights and understanding as I have.
One herb that has always interested me is Dittany of Crete. In my early years I had only heard of it through whispers and it was held in high regard by fellow witches and workers I knew. When I asked them what it "did" the replies were vague and simplistic like "it is powerful" or "it calls to the spirits". These answers were not good enough for me then nor now and so I decided to pursue my own knowledge of this plant in my own way and in my own time. I would encourage you to do the same in your magical studies.
I wanted to know what makes it powerful? What does it do and why would the Witch or Rootworker want to use it? Do the dead really like it and how so? As I have learned and grown I have seen many people work natural magic as if it were a cook book and take what people say as gospel truth. A little dash of chamomile, a pinch of patchouli, and a nugget of frankincense and you have a money incense, voila! Maybe. But why those herbs? Can you just grab them whilly nilly? What goes deeper? Do they contain the power to make the spell work or do you or both? I know now that it is the Spirit of the plant that lends the power and that the plant itself is the teacher. The worker must be gifted and go forth with will, desire and belief and the drive to go deeper. So I decided to go deeper.
Dittany of Crete.....Origanum dictamnus (Lamiaceae Family).
I know that what people know in the pagan or witchcraft communities about dittany comes from what Aleister Crowley wrote, that it summons spirits, is related to Persephone and should be burned in copious amounts and often associates it with Abramelin. That is to say that he as well as other Thelemites held it in high regard. Daniel Schulke, in his "Viridarium Umbris" calls dittany a kapnomantic herb---used for divination with smoke. I have used dittany in this way, it ties back to the legends that it was burnt at various Greek oracular sites, such as the Delphic Oracle. Other references to dittany are equally as vague, though, and come from the Hoodoo community which says dittany is good for love and use it as a love charm. Looking at Crowley's work I wondered where he got to his conclusions as in my own research into Greek mythology there is nothing about summoning spirits to manifestation associated with dittany. The Greek link to Goddess is Athena not Persephone. The only reference I could find to the "Spirits" was in Agrippa which states that dittany is good for prophesy, and driving away of evil spirits. So there is kind of a link there but it still was not good enough for me. It was too vague and I knew that magicians in the past borrowed from other magicians and grimoires (as they do now) and things can get lost in translation. The Hoodoo love spells with dittany made more sense because in the Greek lore dittany has love rituals attached to it. However, Hoodoo is "newer" as it is a combination of various traditions which came together to battle the pedagogy of the oppressed so sometimes it is all over the place in terms of lore, how each individual worker works and how it differs in different areas of the country. And of course we all argue with one another about everything so back to the research we must go. We are on a journey here so let us go to the home of dittany. Let us delve into the myth of this beautiful plant to see if we can gain some magical insights.
Dittany is native to Crete and is found all over the island but especially on the western side and usually on the steep slopes of the mountains. Being a Mediterranean plant it enjoys a dry hot summer with lots of sun and a mild and rainy winter season. . Being a type of oregano it is a short plant with bifurcated leaves of a greyish green that appear to have a furry lace upon them, almost like a weaving and feel soft like the plant 'lambs ear'. They produce elegant red and pink flower stalks which dip down.
Dittany is well known for its medical healing properties and is anti-microbial, antioxidant and anti-ulcer. It is used in Crete and Greece extensively as a healing herb and can be found in many local markets.
Taxonomy and medical science are interesting but what does the smoke whisper? What do the Spirits know? Shall we climb the mountain in search of answers?
The old Minoan Goddess of the mountain has no name that has survived, though she is depicted as a gorgon headed woman with ritual accoutrement. However, once the Greeks got to the island they named her Britomartis (sweet maid) and later she morphed again and was given the name Diktynna (of the nets). The name "Dittany" was derived from Diktynna and at its root is 'dikti' which is Greek for "net". Like many of the Gods of old, Diktynna has experienced a transformation in human consciousness as cultures shifted and as people assimilated one another. First being a Minoan Goddess of her own volition (Britomartis/Diktynna)- to being a toned down lady of the woods to a nymph and finally an "aspect" of Artemis (Artemis-Diktynna). The story goes that Britomartis, beautiful and maidenly and a charmer of animals, was pursued by king Minos. Not wanting to be at the end of the amorous king's advances she threw herself off of a cliff and into the sea to escape him. Luckily for her she was caught in the nets of some Greek fishermen who called her Diktynna (of the nets) and brought her to Greece. We can see this not only in terms of her changing name but as a spread of her cult to mainland Greece where because of her nature with animals and hunting she was associated with Artemis, sometimes as an aspect of Artemis and sometimes as a companion or nymph. What is also interesting is that even though these "aspects" are associated with Artemis, Artemis herself is depicted with the head of the gorgon on her shield. So we circle back to the ancient pre-Greek myths of the area and to the power and mystery of the gorgon. An apotropaic charm to be sure, everyone seemed to want the head of the gorgon for himself from Perseus to Alexander the Great!
But let us go back to the old Goddess for a bit. Back to Britomartis. Back to the mountain. Mount Ida to be exact and to a gorgon headed Goddess holding a double headed axe with serpents twining around each arm accompanied by feral dogs and other animals as is depicted in Minoan art. Quite a turn around from the skipping virgin maid who runs from the lustful glance of a powerful king. But then the ancient Greeks had a different view of women than did the Minoans and the blushing virgin was much more palpable than the gorgon who would turn you to stone and Lord knows what else. We also see that Mount Ida is centrally located on Crete and has lore connected to Zeus, but Mount Dikit (ahhh etymology how I love thee) is far to the West. Remember that dittany mostly grows in the West? Two mountains. Two faces of a Goddess. Two cultures. Consider that the ancient Minoan culture was as steeped in mystery and lore and as far removed from the Greeks as we are from those ancient Greeks ourselves today. Time fades memories, weathers stones and stories, and the victors write the tales. An ancient Goddess transformed into something more palatable? Seen that one before.
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| The head of the Gorgon |
So let us confuse the story a little bit more shall we? Britomartis is translated as "sweet maid", or "fair maid" and yet is depicted as a gorgon or demon with snakes, axes and dogs, so what gives? Why this opposite? We know that Diktynna was also considered to be sweet and fair and without the nastiness of the Gorgon. Now we must leave the age of Aquarius archaeology and the scientific rationality and tread the path of the Witch. We walk now into myth and dream so let us make some connections.
We know that dittany, being of the oregano family, has amazing healing properties but where it grew naturally was in a very precarious place indeed. Right up the steep slopes of mount Ida and Dikit. To procure this amazingly healing and magical herb one took their life into their very hands and a tale of the "quest" grew up around such ventures. The flowers of dittany are beautiful indeed and what young maid would not be desirous of such a beautiful prize? Oh to impress the girls! This is where the love mythos of dittany comes in and even today young men will venture up the slopes (hopefully with carabiners and on belay) to get some for their girlfriends. In times of old though this was quite the quest and proved to the young lady that the lad really did desire her. Thus dittany was used in a variety of love charms and potions and consequently still is. So if you ever read that dittany is used for love now you will know why. Here is one of my favorite dittany formulas used in Hoodoo. It is simple but effective:
A Hoodoo Love Sprinkle
To be placed where the beloved will come in contact with done on a waxing moon preferably in the hour and day of Venus.
Procure:
Dittany of Crete
Red Rose petals
Damiana
Catnip (if lover is a man)
John the Conqueror chips (if lover is a female)
Mix these thoroughly
Spell:
Bring yourself to climax while thinking of your love. Say their name and tell them to be yours aloud as you climax. Wet both your left and right hand with your fluids. Take the herbal mixture and mix with your hands your fluids into the mixture as if you were kneading dough. Breathe your desire into the mixture. Say aloud as if you were speaking to your beloved and tell them all that you desire with passion!!!
Next you will sprinkle these where your lover will come in contact yet not be aware of them such as under a door mat or bed or mixed into some soil where you know where they will walk. You should be able to see "movement" in about 7 days.
Love play is all well and good. Sex is great and using folk and natural magic to get a lover is awesome but what about sex to call down the very Gods? How could these snakes and axes relate to sex and power?
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| Dittany of Crete |
The double headed axe also known as the "Labrys" was a powerful symbol of the Goddess and has been found all over Crete and especially at Knossos as well as Catal Huyuk and dates to the neolithic in terms of its use. The labrys is curved which represents the "arc of creation" and perhaps the pregnant belly and is the only way an axe can be double bladed. This "double bladedness" is important because it is the two faces of the Goddess, the Gorgon and the sweet maid. This speaks to the dual nature in such a Goddess and interestingly enough if you look at the leaves of the dittany plant you will see that they themselves look like a mini labrys. That is a double headed axe like shape with a rounded blade. If you are familiar with the doctrine of signatures you can see it at work here with these links.
Another animal associated with dittany but not necessarily with Britomartis was the goat. There is a fabulous tale told by Aristotle (4th C. BC from the Historia Animalium), that when a wild goat was struck with a poison arrow (some tales it is just arrows) it would eat the dittany and this caused the arrows to leave the body and to heal the wounds. This tale was so beloved and believed that it stuck around and a famous engraving by the artist Dapper of Amsterdam showing a little wounded goat eating the leaves of the dittany was quite popular. Because of this lore (as well as its actual healing properties) it was valued indeed and the myth of the goat is repeated again and again in regards to dittany of Crete. Virgil too wrote that Aphrodite used the herb to heal her wounded lover Aeneas and the myths of the virtue of dittany go on and on. This truly is the "kindly maid" side of the plant.
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| Dapper's Engraving, notice the arrow in the goat as he eats dittany: Amsterdam 1703 |
But let us not just stop here with the lovely symmetry of the labrys and the plant itself. Another symbol of Britomartis was the gorgon head and the snakes winding around the arms. If you are reading my blog then you probably have an interest in all things occult and ancient religions and you will of course recognize the famous Minoan statue of the bare breasted woman holding the snakes. These winding serpents were actually a common theme in Minoan art. The ophidian mysteries are here in the dittany. They are writhing with them. This is the face of the Gorgon. The double edged blade of the Goddess. The Ouroboros, that serpent coiling in upon itself and the very raising of the kundalini. This is the dangerous face of the Goddess because it is that which can consume you. Unleashing the kundalini before you are ready can have dire consequences. Here is not the sweet play of love but the creation of the Universe. The very crossroads of magic. Three. Four. The intersection of power. The serpent is lodged deeply in our minds and we have a primal instinctual fear of them. Those who walk in power and opposition often find them as allies. One of the "powers" of dittany is that it is a snake repellent. Again we see the apotropaic nature at work. It is also used as a snake repellent in Hoodoo, though I believe it got there from the Native Americans. What is this you think? Were we not just in Greece? Yes and we will return gentle readers, but first a little lore from the Americas. We do after all work both Hoodoo and Witchcraft.
I believe that dittany entered into the Hoodoo consciousness and workings from a very interesting route, that is first via its name (dittany) from the Europeans and by analog (different plans with similar functions) via the Native Americans. When the European settlers came here they looked for plants familiar to them to those they had left behind in Europe. They did this in two ways. First they looked at plants to see if they were visually and physically the same as ones they knew and second they learned about plants from the Native Americans. Of course not really wanting to call the plants by their native names they often called them by European ones and there are several plants which were called "dittany" which, aside from lore associated with snakes, have nothing to do with true dittany of Crete.
One of these "dittany's" was the Mountain dittany from Virginia which the Natives used to cure snakebites and to kill snakes with its mystic properties. One John Clayton, an Englishman in the 17th century tried to disprove the Natives belief in the magical properties of this "dittany" through his writings and thanks to them we know that both the English and the Natives used this plant (later thought to be Dictamnus Virginianus or Pulegium Virginianum ) as a snake repellent. The powers of this plant were so strong that it was labeled "dittany" by the Europeans who associated it with the actual dittany from across the seas. The Virginian Native word for this plant was "Ki Kasch Kon Ko" which means "death to snakes". It was not a true "dittany" or even an oregano but a plant with strong snake medicine to be sure. There was much confusion with herbal snake remedies being named "dittany" by the Europeans that herbal historians and taxonomists have had a difficult time figuring out what the actual plants were. Snake roots and charms were important in Hoodoo and there were other herbs associated with snakes. Another such example is that of Sampson snake root (Psoralea psoralioides) which was used as a blood purifier and protection charm against snakes shown to the Europeans by the Cherokee and later to the African slaves which is how it found its way into Hoodoo. However, the "dittany" used in Hoodoo and in the Americas was not the actual Dittany of Crete of this article, it was the "mountain dittany" of the North American mint family (or other various "dittany plants"). Dittany of Crete needs a Mediterranean climate to thrive and the only place in North America that this is found is California and does splendid here! The earliest references I can find of Dittany of Crete (Origanum dictamnus) being grown in the US is from 1936, when it was introduced by Anne Burrage to the Herb Society of America.
The "American Dittanys or Mountain Dittanys" use was that of snake repellent as well as love charm which is direct from the lore and myths of Crete and placed upon these other plants as an analog, which is interesting because the Cretan lore lived alongside the snake lore of the Virginian Indians and Cherokee Indians and seemed to absolutely work in magic. That is to say that even though this plant was not the actual dittany of Crete it was given the name and worked with in much the same way. Though different plant species, the serpent power seems to be found in various plants to which humans gave the mantle of "dittany". Here I think we see the weaving of the ophidian current and the road of the magician and worker. Here we begin to work with Spirit and not just flesh. So how do we learn? How do we walk these roads?
I do not have a simple recipe spell to share with you here because these are the paths and mysteries walked on by the witch or worker alone. The way we each make to these ancient halls will be different indeed but the place is the same and those who have ventured there will know the mysteries and will know the words. They will each know one another as they look into their eyes or meet them in the dream time. Words cannot convey. But if you are interested in the dangerous edge of the labrys then start with the information at hand. Your journey will be yours alone. Know also that archaeologists unearthed three herbs in the palace at Knossos, dittany of Crete, wormwood and sage. Let these be your guides. Let them waft and coil and speak to you. Let them teach you the mysteries of the temple.
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| "Madea" by Fredrick Sandys 1866-1868 |
So is dittany powerful? Yes. Is it sacred to the dead? Well I am sure that you could say that it is but I believe that its powers are more attuned to the living as well as to the energies of sex and not necessarily "sacred" to the dead per-se but more of the energy of sex that they crave. That is, more of a "food" for them to help them manifest. But burning it for them is not the key, the key would be to burn a small amount to raise the sex energy for the participants in a ritual. The actual sex is the KEY for the spirits in this case. Sex and death are married and dittany coupled with darker more Gorgonic herbs would be appropriate. We step into facets of the realms of ophidian current and its coiling halls. It is up to you, the witch and worker, to experiment and see what this herb has to offer. I think your results will be most interesting indeed....
Miss Maya
Sources:
Agrippa, H.C., "Three Books of Occult Philosophy" Llewellyn, 2005 8th Edition.
Blakely, Sandra, "Myth, Ritual, and Metallurgy in Ancient Greece and Recent Aftica", Cambridge University Press, 2006.
Dickie, Matthew, "Magic and Magicians in the Greco-Roman World", Routledge, 2001, 2003.
Gimbutas, Marija, "The Language of the Goddess", Thames and Hudson, 1989.
Graves, Robert. "The White Goddess", International Authors NV, 1948.
Schulke, Daniel, "The Viridarium Umbris", Xoanon Press, 2005.
Stratton-Kent, Jake, "Geosophia: The Argos of Magic", Scarlet Imprint, 2010.
Articles:
Robinson, Martha K. "New Worlds, New Medicines: Indian Remedies and English Medicine in Early America", Early American Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Volume 3, Number
1, Spring 2005, pp. 94-110
FeestSource, Christian F.: "Another French Account of Virginia Indians by John Lederer", The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 83, No. 2 (Apr., 1975), pp. 150-159
Lefler, Lisa J., "Southern Foodways and Culture: Local Considerations and Beyond", Newfound Press, Selected Papers from the Annual Meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society, Oxford, Mississippi February, 2007
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Thoughts on Notre Dame
Notre Dame burned down yesterday. I didn't cry. I watched fires engulf this old bastion of Christianity. I watched the spired cross as it fell to the ground. Some of us have waited lifetimes for certain moments. It is not lost on me that this ancient church and nexus burned on holy week. I would have preferred it not burn. Unlike the monotheists I do not believe in total destruction of other religions icons, art and architecture. A secular museum would have been preferred.
A chink out of the old storm gods armor to be sure. He won't go down without a fight.
The priests of science will have to wait though, because the monotheists still have war in mind. Excited dreams of apocalypse. Crescendo. And the wheel turns. I feel weary. Wild spaces must be protected. Life revered. We will need stamina in the coming days. And as always I walk in service to the Lady.
M
A chink out of the old storm gods armor to be sure. He won't go down without a fight.
The priests of science will have to wait though, because the monotheists still have war in mind. Excited dreams of apocalypse. Crescendo. And the wheel turns. I feel weary. Wild spaces must be protected. Life revered. We will need stamina in the coming days. And as always I walk in service to the Lady.
M
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Thoughts on Witchcraft
I recently watched a YouTube channel from a so called "witch". As I have removed myself from all public pagan and witchcraft groups to focus on my Work I was curious to see what the new trends or thoughts were. What is the current trad de jour? So I found this account which had over 100k followers. 100k!!! Times be crazy.
So I went to the first video, a "what is witchcraft 101" type video. Curiously I watched. And do you want to know what I learned from this person?
That all witchcraft is, is intention. Yep that is it. Intention. Just think good thoughts all "The Secret" like and you will change your reality and create the life you desire. Oh. My. Gods. Were it only so easy. The video then went on to explain that you do you and everything is valid. Now don't get me wrong I don't buy the rabid liberal cultural appropriation thing. You're white so you can only do white things and white culture things and wait that sounds like white supremacy. Wait. No. Shit. I am so confused. According the the video anything goes. However, no, no it does not. What I find interesting is that these massively popular videos/blogs are written by the profane. The un-initiated. And they are ANGRY. As are so many other disempowered people in America. Public witchcraft always does better in dark times as do occult shops.
Then I watched a bunch more of these videos. And observed...more "expert" pontifications.... intention...universal energy....Gods and Goddesses....folk magic techniques.... positive thought.... meditation.... healing techniques....crystals....
All of these technologies are nice and can be mastered but they aren't witchcraft. Not once did I actually hear anyone get close to any understanding of witchcraft. Had I, I would have emailed them.
Not once did anyone explain that the core of witchcraft is the trafficking in Spirits. I don't believe that this can be learned online, in witch camps, through books, YouTube videos or phone calls. No it cannot. How can you learn what your lover likes without touching their body? No, my students sit on my couch in my home. We break bread together and drink wine together. We walk the eerie wilds together. They all came to me through strange circumstances and unique situations. I never advertised. Never wrote books. They are all powerful in their own ways. They were all spirit led.
So I see that nothing has changed. In a way it has gotten worse because the profane now have more access to some of our paths with social media and instant gratification. However, perhaps, in a way this is better. It allows those of us who want to go deeper to remain hidden and to really focus on the work and not get distracted with the glitter, glam and the illusions of self. So to the true seekers I salute you! To those ego bound and suffering I say there are always other lives to figure this out and perhaps this truly isn't the path for you. I hear the priesthood is recruiting.
In Darkness and Light.
M
So I went to the first video, a "what is witchcraft 101" type video. Curiously I watched. And do you want to know what I learned from this person?
That all witchcraft is, is intention. Yep that is it. Intention. Just think good thoughts all "The Secret" like and you will change your reality and create the life you desire. Oh. My. Gods. Were it only so easy. The video then went on to explain that you do you and everything is valid. Now don't get me wrong I don't buy the rabid liberal cultural appropriation thing. You're white so you can only do white things and white culture things and wait that sounds like white supremacy. Wait. No. Shit. I am so confused. According the the video anything goes. However, no, no it does not. What I find interesting is that these massively popular videos/blogs are written by the profane. The un-initiated. And they are ANGRY. As are so many other disempowered people in America. Public witchcraft always does better in dark times as do occult shops.
Then I watched a bunch more of these videos. And observed...more "expert" pontifications.... intention...universal energy....Gods and Goddesses....folk magic techniques.... positive thought.... meditation.... healing techniques....crystals....
All of these technologies are nice and can be mastered but they aren't witchcraft. Not once did I actually hear anyone get close to any understanding of witchcraft. Had I, I would have emailed them.
Not once did anyone explain that the core of witchcraft is the trafficking in Spirits. I don't believe that this can be learned online, in witch camps, through books, YouTube videos or phone calls. No it cannot. How can you learn what your lover likes without touching their body? No, my students sit on my couch in my home. We break bread together and drink wine together. We walk the eerie wilds together. They all came to me through strange circumstances and unique situations. I never advertised. Never wrote books. They are all powerful in their own ways. They were all spirit led.
So I see that nothing has changed. In a way it has gotten worse because the profane now have more access to some of our paths with social media and instant gratification. However, perhaps, in a way this is better. It allows those of us who want to go deeper to remain hidden and to really focus on the work and not get distracted with the glitter, glam and the illusions of self. So to the true seekers I salute you! To those ego bound and suffering I say there are always other lives to figure this out and perhaps this truly isn't the path for you. I hear the priesthood is recruiting.
In Darkness and Light.
M
Saturday, March 9, 2019
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