Category Archives: Spirit Communication

The Ways of the Witch: Communication with Spirits Part 1

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The way of the Witch, the Shaman, the Worker of the Ancient Ways is the way of Spirit; communication and veneration of the Unseen and Those who dwell within it.  Spirits are the Life Force of the galaxies. The Universe hums and vibrates with Their presence.  They are all around us. They are the voices in our head, the daggers in our hearts and the joys of our lives.  They existed long before man and They will exist long after we are gone.

For people like me, the Spirits and Gods I venerate are what give my life purpose.  I am consumed by Them.  I am hopelessly and eternally lost in love for Them. Because of this devotion, my life is not my own and I am grateful it is not.

As I have grown older, my life’s journey has taken a turn and now, instead of just living for myself, I live and breathe to ensure  They are not forgotten.  There are not many True walkers on the Witching Road.  Many profess to walk, many profit from selling useless trinkets and vague promises, but few actually take the time to travel it; to feel the ruts of those Ancient roads, carved in the Earth by our venerable Ancestors who often gave up their lives for their Gods.

There is much misinformation regarding Spirits. It is no wonder so many of us feel that Spirit communication is difficult or that one must go through a series of complicated initiations and rituals to ensnare the attention and favor of these difficult Beings.  This is the ‘command and compel’ school of thought.  You don’t forge a relationship with the Spirit; you order It to do your bidding.  You protect yourself with sigils, circles, emblems, ceremonial garb and magical tools of all kinds to keep the aggravated Spirit from harming you.  You work in fear, because you know, deep down, one day, your luck will run out.  You will misplace a protective sigil or fail to close the circle entirely, and the very Thing that you have bullied and coerced through discourteous and ungrateful means will finally get you. And They will. And They do.

This practice is an anathema to true Workers who know, that really, Spirits are like humans.  There is nothing complicated here. To get the best out of Them and to get the best out of ourselves while working with Them, we need to forge a relationship.  This takes time.  No ritual, no working, no sigil, no herbal incense or commanding incantation can take the place of spending time with your Spirits and Gods, building that trust, that bond, that communication that only the True Worker knows.

There are kind Spirits and malevolent ones. They are Those who adore us and Those who are not so fond. There are Those who wish to help with very little prompting and then, there are Those who require bribery (grand offerings, sacrifices).  The Spirit mentality is like ours; there is much self-interest. They are grander than we. They are Ancient; Their wisdom timeless and Their vision stretches through the Universe, seeing and taking in all.  Remember your place.  Always treat Them with respect, honour and reverence.  Remember your place. You are mortal; you are requesting Their assistance and aid. Never take Them for granted or treat Them in a callous manner. You will pay for this disrespect.

To me, building a relationship with a Spirit is rather like dating or courting. You meet, you exchange glances, you sense Their interest and They sense yours. You take an interest in what pleases Them, what offends Them, what causes They feel passionate about.  Like us, Spirits have moods, favourite foods, desires, lusts and emotions to express.

Time and attention is what is needed. You need to take the time to get to know the Spirit, because hopefully, your relationship will grow and flourish for years. My Goddesses are my best friends. When I hurt, They are my solace.  When I am frightened, They are my bodyguards. When I am mistreated, They are my avengers.  No human takes the place of the Divine in my life.

Before you decide to embark on the Spirit Road, make sure you’re ready. For once They enter, your life will be forever changed.  Your heart, your perceptions, your priorities, your entire existence will be altered. It is a grand thing. It is the Shaman’s Path that beckons. It is the Way of our Ancestors. It is the Way of the Witch.

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Speaking Through the Veil – Ancestor Veneration

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The idea and practice of ancestral honour for modern pagans is one that has not found a huge following. This is strange when you consider that every continent and almost every country on Earth, practices or has practiced ancestor worship or honouring of the familial dead for thousands of years; Africa, Egypt, Rome, China, Japan, Korea, Burma, Mexico, South America, India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Europe and North America.

It is sad that we as modern pagans, especially those of us who claim to communicate with Spirits regularly, ignore or neglect this basic tenet of paganism.

In my tradition, the Veil of Death is a reality; a thin gauze of perception that separates the ‘Living’ from the Dead. It can be breached, and Those on the other side can come to us, and we can go to Them. It is the Way of the true Worker to operate on both sides of the Veil, traversing back and forth with caution, care and courage.

Veneration of the deceased is based on the belief that souls of the Dead have an existence past this world and can help influence (for good or ill), the daily fortunes and circumstances of the living. Some people make propitiation to their angry Dead, trying to placate and appease. Some honour out of filial duty and consider it a cultural obligation, nothing more.

In many Egyptian, Eastern and Native American cultures, homage is paid to ensure the soul’s well-being in the land of the Dead; to ease their journey across the Death River and to help make them comfortable in their new home. In that way, the living help the Dead in the transition and hopefully, the Dead will return the favour when once safely across the River.

There is a difference between ancestor veneration and ancestral worship. While I honour my Dead, I do not worship them. They are not Deity. The veneration is a remembrance, an offering of gratitude for what they did for me when they were alive and hopefully, for what aid and guidance they can offer me through their deaths. In cases where the relationship may have been strained or tenuous while one party was alive, showing respect and honour after death can bring healing and reconciliation.

I have found this true in my own case, with my mother especially. There were things I meant to ask her and things I wanted to tell her before she passed. I have now told her those things and received of her the same. Even in Death, our relationship is one of constant change and shades of emotion. Death does not heal all wounds.

Ancestral veneration is neither difficult nor complicated. I have an altar with pictures of my father, mother and grandma (the three most influential people in my life). I have a bit of tobacco for mom and dad who were both smokers, snuff for grandma, a few candles and some vodka (mom loved vodka). For my aunt, who I stayed with often, I have a handkerchief (she cried very easily) and one fresh flower.

I usually honour them when the Sister is full, sitting in quiet thought, conversing with them. I remember their influence on my life; what they gave, what they took away, and how I can still learn from them. It’s interesting because often, during these meditative states, my memories are jarred and I recall things that I thought I had forgotten; plant Spirit workings with my dad, card reading techniques with my mother, jokes, stories….memories from the Shadows.

The Veil is thin. We tap into that unconscious state, where the living and the Dead are the same. This mortal coil cannot hold our Spirits back from our ancestral bloodline. Our family lineages provide us strength and stability in a world of constant change. I know that I too, one day, will be deceased. I hope to be a help to my bloodline, to my family tree. I hope to provide wisdom and a helping hand to my descendants as I am able.

Often, many people won’t have a permanent altar, but will honour their dead on certain days of the year. For me, this day is Dia de los Muertos, (Day of the Dead), usually on November 1st. The night before (Halloween or Samhain), I prepare Mexican dishes that my family enjoyed and set out their portions on a table lit with candles and decorated with fruits and flowers. I ask for their presence, aid and guidance. I leave the food overnight. The next day, (November 1), I remove the food and return it to the Earth Mother.

This food has been ‘eaten’ by the Dead. We are not to eat it or throw it out as this is disrespectful. Laying the food outside allows the creatures of the Earth and the Mother’s own grounding capabilities to safely dissipate the energy of the Dead. I offer prayers and written petitions to them on this day. I keep a consecrated candle lit for all three of them. I feel gratitude, I feel honoured to have known them and I feel blessed that their presence is still in my life.

If you are not quite ready to commit to an permanent ancestral altar, please do take the time to remember your deceased, at least once a month, preferably when the Sister is full. Light a candle, burn some incense, make an offering, say a prayer. Just REMEMBER. Their blood pulses through your veins, their heritage is yours, their aid and assistance yours for the asking. The Veil is thin. We can communicate through it.

“We die with the dying:
See, they depart, and we go with them.
We are born with the dead:
See, they return, and bring us with them”.

T. S. Elliot – Four Quartets

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Plant Spirit Communication – Foundations of Primitive Witchcraft – Essay 2

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In the darkest recesses of our ancient imagination, where the collective unconscious of ages past rests on our minds like a heavy blanket;  in this deep, dark place, shrouded in mystery, if we allow ourselves , we can become as we once were.

We can regain our lost heritage, history, wisdom and wholeness. When the Earth was young and the Divine Feminine held sway; in this place, the Earth spoke. We were wiser then, and silent, moving in honour and showing reverence.

Here, in our primordial past, the plants would speak to us. We were made whole by their presence and with their medicine, we were healed. They were our green saints; giving audience to our petitions, offering relief, regeneration and direction.

Now, we watch TV. We play video games or spend endless hours on the internet. We rarely even sit outside, or take the time to notice the flora that surrounds us. All more the pity, for it’s in this consecrated place,  outside our front door, that the Spirits of the plants would still speak to us with shadowed, whispered movement and delicate breath. They wait.

This is plant Spirit communication. This is knowledge gained, wisdom shared and the cycle of life continuing, one species bestowing gifts upon another, in an endless parade of sharing, taking, sharing, taking. How glorious it all was and how far we have wandered from this shaman’s Paradise.

It is not too poetic to state that my life has been radically influenced by plants. I have been blessed with a tradition that honours them and was trained from a young age to be respectful of them. How thankful I am for this training, for this appreciation. The greatest gift my dad ever gave me was the gift of Spirit awareness,  listening, ever listening, to the multitude that surround us.

Each plant has a special Spirit within; a personality, a characteristic, a method of co-existing with the world around it. Just like humans, they have their likes and dislikes; their preferences and predilections.  Some love the water, keeping their toes forever in the moist earth and wilting almost instantaneously when that moisture isn’t available. Some crave the heat of the Brother, the hotter and more focused His rays and light, the better. Some are nocturnal, putting out scents and shows for the waxing or waning  Sister and those of us who prefer  the Dark.

Just like our human friends,  plant Spirit communication is built over time, as a relationship. It doesn’t happen overnight. The plants have come to mistrust us and rightfully so. We take and take, greedily breaking the cycle of giving and sharing. We use and take from the Earth Mother without regard. Because of this, the Spirits of all the plants from the grandest trees to the tiniest wildflower are now ill-at-ease and introverted. It will take patience to mend this chasm. It will take dedication and diligence. It will take discipline and a walking away from the things of this modern world to step back into the past.  Are you up for it?

What sets dedicated farmers and gardeners apart from plant shamans, witches and medicine men is that of SPIRIT.  Most people can grow a plant. Most people can harvest a good supply of whatever seed is sown. The Mother is good to us like that. But where we miss the trick and where we lose the thread, is ignoring the Spirit inherent in the plant; that invisible, intangible Force that permeates each growing thing.  To really learn, to really be healed in Spirit and body, one must make contact with this Force. In times past, one learned this from an elder of the tribe or the village wise woman. Now, unfortunately, in most cases, we must educate ourselves.

The easiest way to do this to get acquainted. Just like dating, just like that tender beginning of human relationships, building plant Spirit communication is no different.  Choose one plant that you feel drawn to, either because of scent or appearance; attraction is key.  Start with one. Learn its name. Just like dating, you can’t get to know someone without knowing their name. Learn the common and Latin botanical name.  Learn its habitat (where it lives).  Take time to research what it likes: dampness, dryness, heat, or cool shade. Take time, every day if possible, to touch it, speak to it, sit in silence next to it.  Mentally ‘connect’ with the Life Force of the plant.

Silence is key to all paths of true shamanistic wisdom. Close your mouth and open your heart. Lean into it and listen. Listen. Listen. Calming of your own inner chatter and restless mind is part of the training. All Spirit communication, no matter what form it takes, will always start the same: in silence.

You will find as you practice this, as you start to learn various plants and recognize them by their auras and faces, as you take time to listen, and sit in solitude with them, that just like your human friends, they will start to trust you and open up to you. They will share their lives and their ancient memories with you. You will become initiated into the great brotherhood of plant and root doctors who for eons have healed and been healed and have been transformed.  The primal path can begin anew, with you, today.

Go outside.

 

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