Spells For Travelers- A half finished system

Posted on by
1

I get the sense that with my writing on here, I am tending to come across as having much more of an idea what I am talking about than I really do.
My actual practice is really quite a wild mush of trying things out. Picking up new activities, dropping old ones.

Early next year I am setting off to explore Europe and possibly the rest of the world. As such I am in the process of putting together a system of protective travel sorcery that I can carry with me/perform on the road.
So to give you good folks a more rounded view of my practice I am going to post now what I have come up with so far in my research.

And will post again a more polished version of the system in a few months when I have put everything into practice.
I personally find the exploring new ideas, and trying new techniques to be at least half the fun of the whole magical operation!

Carrying the Gods with me
So my first line of defense is simply that of holy protection. I have the benefit of practically all the gods I work with having travel connotations!
I will be making offerings and saying prayers before I leave and at various times during my travels, as well as carrying tiny statues, or representations of Them.

Archangles
As far as I have found so far Raphael seems to be the Archangel to go to with matters of travel.
BUT I quite like the idea of invoking a bunch of them and asking each to protect from their given direction.
Will have to mull over which way to go, or if I do both perhaps?

Psalm  121
A prayer from the good book.
This psalm apparently has a long history of use in the tradition of using psalms as spells.

Commit to memory and use as a spoken spell when feeling threatened? Or perhaps write down and carry as a written spell.

Swallow’s Blood
Swallow’s blood (a magical recipe, no bird killing) is said to comfort and protect travelers.

Dragon’s Blood
Red sandalwood
Rose petals
Jasmine
Orrisroot

Dry and powder the above botanicals and use to fumigate travel clothes, bag, self, and any travel charms.
My main issue with this one is that red sandalwood is endangered- I am thinking of using paprika as a substitute as it has similar colour and properties.

Garlic and Mirror
There is a spell where you simply rub a garlic clove onto a small mirror and place it under your bed.
This one I am a bit on the fence about. Maybe if I take a small travel mirror, I could use this technique to charge it up every now and then.

Compass Rune

Compass Rune

I don’t know why this wasn’t the first thing I thought of when I started coming up with ideas for charms.
I’m aware enough of its historical ambiguity to not get it as a tat. But as a small “doodle”, somewhere on my bag, for instance. Gold!

Condition Oils
I will probably have to make simple versions of these when I get over there, as I can’t see customs being too please with bottles of oil and botanicals!

But I think a money oil, a protection oil, and a luck oil (van van?) would be the way to go. Could even mix them them all together into one little bottle after making the to save space and for ease of application.

Then simply anoint self daily or as needed. Could also be used on belongings and surroundings.

Working with the Spirits of Place
Here I am talking about invoking… the places you are traveling through? to be your guides and protectors.

So start big. I will begin with invoking europe as a whole. Then making offerings and asking  the blessings and aid of europe.
Then get smaller, invoke the country, then the region, then the city or town, then the specific building/park/whatever.

If the very land beneath your feet is on your side, then you are at a big advantage!

I would suggest visiting power sites as a way to deepen the connection with the land. Also make offerings to the nature/land spirits, spirits of the roads and crossroads, and any wandering spirits in the land.
Basically get everyone on side!

Eyes
Eyes are great, paint them on your bag, hang them off it as charms, doodle them on your skin.

Eyes everywhere. Eyes to watch, Eyes to guard, Eyes to alert, Eyes to find.

Blessed Padlocks
I will be blessing my padlocks by the God of Thieves himself. A little engraving and a short prayer that all thieves be kept away, and all my belongings stay with me.

 

So that is my layered system of travel charms/spells/deals as far my research as gone so far. I will likely change a lot of things. Add in, take out, rethink.
I will also be creating a mundane protection system to compliment this sorcerous protection system. Cover as many bases as possible for ultimate safety!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black spirits and white, red spirits and gray- Talking With The Spirits

Posted on by
Reply

The other night during a much needed uncrossing ritual my mind strayed to a spirit that I used to work with, and in a flash the three main ones I have worked with all were back around me.

A little sad and annoyed at my ignoring them since my agnostic thinking started, but happy enough to work with me again it seemed.

And so I have been talking with my familiar spirits again the past few days. Am I talking to other worldly beings, deep parts of my psyche, or do I just have an “over active imagination”?

I am generally only aware of them when I think about them. They do not bother me unexpectedly as many other spirit workers claim. And they are nearly always there when I think of or call them.

This leads me to three likely possibilities:
1) They are always around me, but being not too sensitive, I need to think of and focus on them to “tune in”.
2) Thinking about them acts as a gentle summons, which they are happy to answer.
3) That I am making them up, and being imaginary don’t talk or interact with me when I am not thinking about them.

 

 

View of spirits as a Pagan Humanist
By Pagan Humanism I mean the view that spirits, gods, and magic are not literal, objectively real things, but concepts, archetypes, psychological phenomenon, and living poetry.

At first I was a bit unsure how the spirits, and working with them could fit into an agnostic humanist worldview. But with a few spirits coming back, and talking with them- I had to start thinking.

And I hit upon the thought that personal spirits are something akin to small gods; If gods can have a place in paganistic humanism, then why not small gods too?

I imagine there are a goodly number of reasons a humanist might find talking with spirits, that they view as likely not real, to be a useful practice.
The main few that I can think of are:
1) The things they say to you might give some insight to the inner workings of your own mind.
2) It may provide a useful way of communicating with the subconscious.
3) When lonely “imaginary” friends may be of comfort.
4) The inner voices might be able to help in making decisions when you feel stuck.
5) It can be a lot of fun if you let it.

 

 

View of spirits as a Pagan literalist
By Pagan Literalism I mean the view that spirits, gods, and magic are literal people and things that can have an objective effect on the outer universe.

After the uncrossing ritual I have been talking with my spirits a little and it doesn’t feel like just my own voice.

I also feel my tarot readings are more accurate now that I am asking one of my spirits to guide the cards (though I gave them a little uncrossing juju in the ritual so that probably helped also!)

I don’t feel the need to say much about the reasons having spirit friends would be useful from a literalist view as they are probably quite obvious and I would just be re-saying what many have said before me.

Suffice to say that having a friend that knows the spirit world better than you and can interact with it more easily and effectively can only be good! 

 

 

Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?
The above Harry Potter quote raises another interesting point. Namely, something may not need to be objectively real to be real to you and your view of the universe.

The inner world of the mind can be just as real as an outer reality. It is simply more subtle, changeable, and is only your own.

 

I have no clue if spirits are objectively real, and if they are then I don’t know if what I think I’m talking to are actually spirits, but I am having a fantastically interesting time interacting with these things, be they spirits or imaginary friends.

Small strange happenings in my life keep me curious I must say.