The Seventh Door

The Numerology of 2021

So here we are. It was a long journey through 2020 with many hardships and trials. Many of us are apprehensive to what will come this year after living through the previous one and are not quite sure what to expect. There are many methods of divination that can lend some wisdom as to what is coming, but for the purpose of giving everyone a general message instead of an individual one, I am going to execute some simple numerology combined with tarot to offer a message of what’s to come.

Numerology uses the numbers 1-9 and literally any number can be broken down into one of these values. For example, 101,245 would turn into 1+0+1+2+4+5 which equals 13. This would become 1+3 which would equal 4 and give you your meaning. The year 2020 is also a 4 resulting from 2+0+2+0. So let’s take a look at what a four would mean.

The number 4 carries with it melancholy and outbursts of violence. It carries with it the message of performing lots of work for little reward. It is an unlucky number that carries with it a dull, lifeless existence. Finally, Misery and defeat are associated with the number 4. After the previous year, we can all plainly see that this description clearly fits 2020 in its entirety.

Switching over to the tarot can lend how 2020 was also full of social justice and people speaking for what’s right. The number 4 in the RWS deck that many people use is The Emperor. The Emperor shows that people must take a stand and rely upon their own power. All activity should be motivated by a need to take action. Circumstances require people to be protective of themselves and the ones around them. An expression of force combined with love is required.

Knowing all of this really lends a window into the immediate past that we have all experienced. The question now is, what comes next? What are we to expect in the immediate future? Turning back to numerology allows us to see that where 2020’s numerological value was a 4, 2021’s value is a 5.

The year as a 5 brings adventure, the avoidance of responsibility, sexual enjoyment, and the bringing together of the masculine and feminine. This bringing together is physically but also metaphysically. Additionally the year is going to bring feelings of freedom and being released from the binds of the previous year. You’re going to want to run free and not feel tied down. 5 is the number of the senses and in this, everyone is going to want to enjoy every single sense that they can. In short, everyone is going to want to go wild. To release all the pent up energy that has been stored of the last year. The thing to be mindful of is to not overindulge. This can lead down dark roads and not make the coming year a bright new path. The number 5 is the connection of the gods, man, and nature. It is the pentagram that represents the connection of all things, along with man. Take to the forests this year. Have an adventure. Just be mindful while doing so that you are making positive decisions for yourself.

The number 5 in the tarot is The Hierophant. The Hierophant shows the need to make change. There are patterns that have been acquired over the last year that do not serve us and this is the time to get rid of those. This year requires an indulgence in religion and philosophy. This will be of great assistance to having a fresh and positive start to the year.

So this is what to expect for the following year. It would seem pretty obvious that after living in the depressing solitude of 2020, we all want to break free and experience the things we felt we were missing out on over the last year. Protect yourself and those around you, while executing moderation so that you can move forward from the darkness and towards the sun.

How to Manifest

In the world of witchery and magick, one thing you will constantly hear about is manifestation. It is important to understand this practice to make it achievable for yourself and to understand that it is more than just making wishes.

Manifestation can be explained through the concept of the multiverse. In this theory, it is explained that there are multiple parallel universes to our own, in fact the number could be endless as to how many parallel universes exist. The range of these universes is truly endless as well. In one, everything being exactly the same except last Monday, you wore a red shirt instead of a white one. On the other end of the spectrum, the whole world could be vastly different and unrecognizable to the reality we are all currently inhabiting. The important thing to remember in this is that multiple universes means multiple versions of yourself. Stick with me, we’re going to dive even deeper.

In a world famous thought experiment (an experiment done without physically performing it) quantum mechanics is utilized and I think can it can help us to understand manifestation better. In 1935, Erwin Schrödinger devised an imaginary experiment that would come to be known as “Schrödinger’s cat”. In this thought experiment, you place a cat inside a box that also contains a capsule of a tiny bit of radioactive material. As the radioactive material decays, it triggers a Geiger counter which causes a poison to be released that will kill the cat. This is all dependent on the substance decaying and the cat can survive as well if the rate of decay does not allow for the poison to be released. This next part is what’s really important for our purposes. With a multiverse, both outcomes will be achieved. In one universe the cat dies, while in another, it survives. Your perceived reality will determine what you witness when you open the box and observe the state of the cat. Even more amazingly however, before your perceived reality can be achieved, for however small amount of time, the cat is both alive and dead at the same time. This is possible through the theory that all choices and outcomes happen simultaneously until one is perceived as reality. This means every time you decided to make a left turn while driving, you made a right turn at the same time, but one gets pushed though as perceived reality and one does not. Every time you decided to not make that spur of the moment choice, somewhere you did.

Because of this, one can venture into theorizing that all of the things you didn’t achieve, were achieved by a parallel version of yourself in a parallel universe. This is going to be how we achieve manifestation. If you are wanting something, it is easily achievable when you have already gotten the sought after result. The goal now is to make what is part of your parallel perceived reality into your current perceived reality.

Thought magick is definitely real and most people have probably achieved it before without even realizing it. When you hope for something, knowing how good it will feel to get what you desire and then it happens that is simple thought magick. This is the same tactic to manifest, but with an emphasis on one major point. To achieve manifestation, it truly helps to be able to place yourself into the mindset of your parallel self that has already received what you desire. Think about how it feels to already have what you want, and truly, it will help to pretend that you have already gotten what you want. Placing yourself in this state draws to you what you want more easily because your mind and body are already in a state of achieving the desired result. You can further help yourself but doing physical magick to aid you in manifesting such a sigils, folk spells, etc., but it is not necessary to do so.

This is how you manifest without gimmicks or payouts to someone who claims they can manifest for you. You use quantum mechanics to achieve results, while realizing the truth that magick is just science that we have yet to understand.

Magick of the Maple

Summer is in the air. This years summer is filled with heat, pollen, and longing for vacations we most likely won’t get to take. There is, however a silver lining. The summer release of Wytchwoods new maple syrup line. When my friends at Wytchwood released their new magickal maple syrups, it immediately made me want to share something from my magickal reserves. If you’ve kept up with The Seventh Door over the years, you’ll know that I believe anything can be used for magick and maple syrup is no exception.

Before we jump into the spell work, let’s take a minute to consider how magickal maple syrup is to begin with. Now many of your store bought syrups are less than 5% actual maple syrup and are full of fillers like corn syrup and processed sugars, but when you get a bottle of the pure stuff, you are consuming a gift from the earth. The blood of the tree. This fact is going to allow you to use this syrup for anything from a replacement for blood sacrifice, cursings, bindings, and because of what it is, spells to make things sweeter.

When these syrups were conceived as an idea, before launch, they were all given an association to a pagan god. I stuck to Greek gods in my purchase, but there are many choices, if one wants to stick to a theme of their pantheon. For this reason, the first spell I performed using this new tool was an adaption of an Ancient Greek binding spell.

The Ancient Greeks would perform binding spells in the presence of the gods by taking a piece of lead and inscribing a name upon it. This lead would then be rolled and have nails stuck through it. The spell would then be placed in a specific place, especially if the spell was one of comparison. Allow me to explain; There were multiple ways to perform these bindings, but one of the ways was to make a comparative statement when calling upon the gods to fulfill your magick. If you were in a tomb placing the spell, it would go something like, “Mighty Hermes, make the body of __________ as still and unmoving as this corpse.” In other methods of comparison, you could put the spell between rocks to make the target feel crushed by the weight of life, under water to make them drown in sorrows, etc. So in this, I was inspired to adapt one of these spells and make it one to make your target feel stuck and to have their thoughts become cloudy.

The first things you will want are a small piece of paper, three nails, a pen, and of course, your syrup. Write the name of the intended on the sheet of paper and roll it up. As you do this, you’re going to want to start speaking to the gods. Traditionally, the gods of death were called upon, this being gods like Hades, Hermes, Hecate, Persephone, etc. There is however archeological evidence that shows that the Ancient Greeks would beseech all of the gods for their purposes. Speak to the god you feel you should. If you know me, you know that I will be speaking to Poseidon, as he is the main deity I follow. So it would go something like, “Mighty Poseidon, King of the earth, god of the sea, mighty earth shaker, I have been wronged and call upon you to lend your service in balancing the scales of justice.” As you speak, roll your paper. Take your nails and pierce the paper in three places while saying something along the lines of, “I bind _________ so that they may no longer cause me harm and hardship.” Then, the part you’ve been waiting for, the syrup. Since we are doing a comparative binding, your going to be describing something that you want the intended to be like as we saw in the previous paragraph. For this, I have used Wytchwoods Poseidon syrup because it is named after the deity I follow and also because it is aged in a rum barrel. Pour your syrup over your spell while saying, “I bind ________ to be like this syrup. Stuck in their actions, with drunk and unclear thoughts.” Then comes the last part. Traditionally the Greeks wanted to get this spell as close to the underworld as was possible. They would use rivers and streams that ran underground to place their spell and this is where archeologists have recovered hundreds of these ancient binding spells. If you have access to one of these, that’s great. If your like me and don’t, you’re going to want to use what you have. A well, a cavern, or simply digging a hole will do the trick. Always keep in mind that the gods know your intentions and what you’re trying to achieve. Dig a hole and place your binding spell inside. Cover it and walk away. Your spell is done and you just recreated an Ancient Greek binding!

Cursings and bindings may not be everyone’s thing, so next we’re going to travel to the other side of the world and much closer to home for me. This next spell is inspired by Appalachian folk magick. If you’re having a spat with a friend or a lover, being treated unfairly at work, or just need someone to have better feelings towards you, this spell is going to make someone “sweet on you”.

To make your sweet jar, take any old jar that you still have a lid for and start adding your ingredients. You’ll want to add some maple syrup, sugar, a little water, herbs corresponding with what you’re looking to achieve, such as red rose for love, garlic for protection, etc. Now add a slip of paper with the persons name on it to your jar. This can even be your own name, if your goal is to love yourself more, which many of us need to do. You could once again use the Poseidon syrup we used in our binding spell, with the intention of making someone feel “love drunk”. Whatever the purpose, after the name is added, shake up your jar nice and good. While you’re doing this, think about the intended person treating you differently and being “sweet on you”. Repeat the shaking once a day, until the person has changed towards you. In the meantime, store the jar in a place such as a window sill, where it will be exposed to the sun, making the situation sunnier. Now, if you’re careful about the ingredients in your jar, your concoction can become edible magick that you use in baking or just eat a spoonful a day until the jar is empty. However, please be careful that what you’re consuming is non toxic. If you are using something that’s going to make you sick, stick to shaking the jar. This spell is also going to come in use when you’re syrup bottle runs dry. You would perform it the same way, just with the bottle being unwashed.

And there you have it! These are just a couple of the hundreds of things you could do with this syrup, besides eating it of course! Go buy some wytchwood syrup and summon a spell to stop gossip by making their words stick in their mouth, add a drop to a money spell to sweeten the deal, paint a small sigil on your front door to make good luck stick to your home. I suggest adding a splash of the Hecate syrup to your coffee to sip on while you conjure the magick of the maple.

For Syrups and more visit: http://www.wytchwood.com

Pagans Need To Do Better

In the wake of everything that has gone on and is is continuing to happen, I feel it’s important to speak to the absolute fact that if you are pagan, you have a responsibility to do better.

The worship of Yahweh carries with it a dark history. This is one of racism, oppression, and slaughter. A more egotistical name for the deity is simply God. The followers of the Judeo-Christian have many dark spots in their history. The owning of slaves by the Catholic Church, the crusades, witch trials around the world, and much much much muchmuchmuchmuch more. Pagans are not without their faults as well, as the gods are not a perfect system and therefore we are not able to create a perfect system from imperfection.

The purpose of this blog however, is not to bash Catholicism, Christianity, Judaism, or anyone who follows the Judeo-Christian god. It is also not to prove that the Judeo-Christian god doesn’t exist as all deities exist through the collective human conscious. The point of writing this is to emphasize that witches, mystics, and especially pagans, more than anyone, have a responsibility to do better. To show the world we can do better.

We are in a time where more people than ever in recent history are reclaiming the ways of the old gods and old religion. Studying history, magick, cultures, and embracing the old beliefs. In this act, we are embracing our rights and freedoms to choose to break away from the conventional church and exercise our faiths in a different realm. The world as a collective is now, finally, experiencing a similar scenario, where people are breaking away from the institutionalized “normality” that has been taught to be accepted, no matter how wrong it may be.

The pagan beliefs are not untouched by being suppressed and oppressed. The destruction of our places of worship, the satanic panic, the theft of our gods and celebrations, and even the murder of those who shared our common beliefs. In this aspect, we should strive to understand that there are people, right this second, experiencing these same injustices. The difference is oppression of pagans happens from their choice of gods and beliefs. The oppression of black people happens because of their inability to choose the color of their skin. There is literally nothing more ridiculous. There is nothing sadder and more enraging than the fates cutting a thread prematurely because of the choices of man.

This is the time to stand up. This is the time to speak out. I challenge all of you as pagans to open your mouths and let the words of truth come out. Be inspired by the gods to take a stand and fight for what is right.

In this, we must also eradicate racists from our ranks and make paganism a welcome place for all. Unfortunately, all aspects of life have the potential to be infiltrated by those that represent hate and we need to take on the responsibility of showing them that they are the one group that is absolutely not welcome in our world. No exceptions, no questions about it. There is no place for this in modern paganism.

Strive to make yourself a part of this monumental history. The world is changing. Humanity is rising up as the old gods have risen up. Place yourself on the right side of history and represent the gods properly.

Black lives have never, ever been acknowledged as important by white culture. If you want to tell the gods that their creation isn’t important, I can guarantee that will not work out well for you. That kind of lack of empathy, acknowledgment, and respect is not what we are and not what we strive to be.

Take up your shields. Open your mouths. Keep Demanding, keep fighting, keep speaking, keep struggling until justice is served. No Justice – No Peace.

For more information here are a few of the many websites you can go to:

https://blacklivesmatter.com/

https://support.eji.org

https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/freeblackmamas2020

Pay Attention! Everything Means Something

This world is full of signs and symbolism. It’s always been there, but chances are before you involved yourself in witchcraft or paganism you just didn’t notice it or stop to think about what it could mean. The world will try to speak to you and all you have to do is open your eyes and ears, take notice, and choose to listen.

Animals are a huge part of this. It could be a rabbit stopping right in front of you, telling you to slow your life down and take a minute to reflect on things or a male deer, showing you the message of spiritual death and regeneration. Many animals carry god associations as well, such as a hawk for Apollo, ravens for Odin, a ram for Khnum, or a white owl for Lakshmi. In this, animal symbols can show you the gods are currently with you, and that is a very empowering feeling. Paying attention to the animals and the symbolism they represent can be quite beneficial in your daily life and offer you messages about how you should react to certain situations or align with to better your attitude for the days ahead.

Objects that would generally be passed over can be signs and symbols to you as well. A penny on the ground or found feathers can represent those who have passed trying to send you a message. A found key should always be picked up, as it is considered bad luck not to do so. This key can be used in the contact with the spiritual realm. On the other hand, a randomly found comb should always be left alone. This is the sign of the banshee and foretells death being nearby.

Although there is no historical origin of the popular angel numbers such as people seeing 11:11 on their clock, numbers do play a part in messages and can be interesting when offered to you. The number 3 for example is the only number with a beginning, middle, and end, showing you the completion of a cycle is on the way. Of course numbers tend to carry different messages, depending on what you believe in. If you are a follower of Thelema , for example, the number 11 (being the joint of 5, the pentagram, and 6, the hexagram) is the number of the joining of the macrocosmos and microcosmos, showing a number of reality modification and magick. It is most likely where the reference of seeing 11:11 on your clock carries the association with making a wish. Numbers doubled or tripled are a stronger manifestation of the singular counterpart, so look for numbers in your day and life and pay attention to their meanings. In this, it is more beneficial to have a random number show up, instead of on something like a clock where you know it’s going to show up daily.

Nature is of course a huge carrier of messages. From a circle of mushrooms,that can show fairies are near, to a flower blooming out of season offer you a specific message based on what it is. Wild herbs that come across your path, cloud formations, and even the direction and strength of the wind. This is all useful for speaking of your current life and for divination also, to tell you what’s to come.

The hard part is that because we live in a world where everything means something, it is very complicated to keep track of all the symbolism in your daily life. A combination of different cultures, paths and religions, mixed with folklore, urban legend, and much more all combines to make these very long lists of symbolisms. It is my suggestion to keep a journal and maybe concentrate on one symbolistic path. If you feel more called to animals over numbers, concentrate on those and the world around you will follow suit. When something stands out to you that seems especially abnormal for your daily way of living, this is especially when you should hop on the internet, or reference books to research the symbolism and messages with what has occurred.

In witchcraft, it pays off to be as closely associated to the world around you as you can. This helps you to mold and form your personal reality to become more powerful in your practice. So, pay attention! Everything means something.

666

Six hundred and sixty six, more commonly referred to as six, six, six, is a number that lays in infamy. Associated with the devil and evil itself, some people to this day won’t even let themselves utter the number for fear of its connotations.

In reality, the number is much less ominous than it seems, but does indeed carry a dark history. The reality is that the number was used in the Bible as a semi secret code to reference a political power and the resistance of that power.

Imperator Nero Cladius Divi Claudius filius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, who we will simply call Emperor Nero (37 AD – 68 AD) was an adopted by his great uncle Claudius, making him heir to the throne and then ruled for 14 years. He was widely viewed as a cruel leader and in the summer of 64 AD, during his rule, things took a major turn.

Fire spread through Rome destroying and killing all in its path. It burned for six days and seven nights before coming under control and the general consensus from the people was that the cruel Nero set the fire on purpose for his own amusement. Whether this is true or just rumor remains a mystery. Nero saw his opportunity to persecute the Christians, a group of mainly poor and destitute people within the city. He blamed the fires on them and since they were generally hated, it didn’t take much to convince Rome. First arrested were those who admitted to being Christian and then through torture the people they implicated to be Christian as well. Nero put them to death in many ways including being chased down by dogs, crucifixion, being burned alive. It is even said that the burning bodies were used as lights during the night.

Now we come back to 666. There are actually two numbers to be considered “numbers of the beast” that are both made to mean Nero, the beast that slaughtered the Christians.

In Hebrew there is a practice called Gematria, which is assigning letters or phrases numerical values to names, words, and even phrases. When we look at Neros name we are given an equation of 50 + 200 + 6 + 50 + 100 + 60 + 200 which equals, you guessed it, 666.

The second number to consider is the number 616. You may have heard people talk about how 616 is the actual number of the beast and it was replaced by 666 for reasons unknown. Well the reason is not unknown. 616 is the same process but done in with the Latin version of Neros name instead of the Greek version.

Now let’s discuss the mark of the beast. This has been interpreted as many things. An X on the forehead, the swastika, and even the number 666 itself, but the word mark in Greek that appears in Revelation has a variety of meanings. It can mean something engraved, stamped money, documents, or coins. Therefore, we see that when the mark of the beast is referenced in the Bible, it is talking about the mark of Nero. The mark of the emperor was needed to buy or sell in Rome and the coin of course has his image upon it as well.

So what we are actually presented with is an anti political text describing Nero as a beast among men and essentially as a type of antichrist which we see commonality to even in modern times. I distinctly remember George W. Bush being called the Antichrist and Barack Obama as well. Imagine if the people making those claims had access to writing a religious text that would span generations.

It makes perfect sense that a text like this would be written with what was going on at the time and the revolt against the crushing of rising Christianity, but has been morphed over time into something its not by reading this text as a prediction for the end of the world.

Nero May have been a heartless ruler who persecuted those who didn’t believe in the Roman/Greek gods, but this falls in line with how people of all faiths have been quite quick to persecute those whose ideals do not align with their own and claim its in the name of the gods.

Do Crystals Work?

Recently I was asked if in my opinion I think crystals work. By “work”, the understood meaning was if I think crystals actually hold metaphysical properties that can enhance your livelihood by carrying them, doing spells with them, having them on your alter, etc.

Believe it or not, crystals and their uses can become a very touchy subject. After reading the first paragraph, there will already be a large group that says, “Of course they work! How could you think otherwise?” And another group saying, “Of course they don’t work. They’re rocks.” Now as I, myself am a witch and a practitioner, you may feel that I would be biased to the first opinion, but I don’t really use crystals in my practice. Despite that fact, I’d really like to dive deeper, examine, and figure this out.

From physical appearance, crystals are beautiful and quite amazing. Compacted minerals that have built up over time to form a geometric design. The remnants of which are literally broken down stars that have placed these “building block” minerals on our planet to even be able to form these “rocks”. That in itself is something to behold.

From a metaphysical standpoint, there is generally a Crystal for just about anything you need. Amethyst to enhance intuition, Garnet to increase energy, Moonstone for balance, and the list goes on and on. You can purchase these raw, tumbled, sliced, pointed, and in a variety of other ways.

The metaphysical qualities of an item generally mirror the physical qualities of said item. For example, salt is believed to be a protective agent. Just as it has the capability to preserve food it has the metaphysical capability to preserve you. The traditions and beliefs of the qualities of herbs, stones, and everything else in magick stem from many sources including old world medicine, folklore, mythology, modern medicine, and various other sources all combined to tell us what the magickal purpose is.

Crystals are also used in healing to draw out negative energies and bring in good ones. By placing certain stones on certain places of the body, it is believed that you can achieve a flowing current and truly enhance someone’s way of living while relieving stress and other ailments.

So let’s talk science. Lots of the belief on a crystals ability to affect the mind and the body is based on vibration. The crystal vibrates at a certain frequency, your body at another frequency, etc. Well, this is of course true, because as wild as it may seem, everything is vibrating all the time. We all vibrate at a certain frequency level, but can those frequencies alter each other? That I cannot tell you.

Crystals, just like salt, can also have metaphysical capabilities based on their physical qualities. Quartz for example, believed to amplify energy does exactly that within your computers, watches, etc. So from that point, I would ask if it is so hard to believe that this stone is able to amplify energy within a modern device, and therefore able to amplify energy within your body as well?

Our bodies absorb constantly. There are constant (very real) energies passing through your body. Some are harmless, and some are definitely not good for you. So if the human body holds spongelike capability, once again, is it so hard to believe that we are able to absorb from these stones?

So right here, right now, in an article I did not plan to do this in, I’m going to tell you the secret of magick. This is the absolute key to your work. The one thing you need more than anything is belief. Now, as cheesy as that may sound, it is absolutely the truth. Let’s use the crystal as an example as to what this means. Let’s take the latter side of the argument for just a second and let’s say that these stones have no capabilities and are not able to effect your body in any way. Does it really matter? If you carry a quartz and you feel amplified energy because you’re holding it, then isn’t it still doing its job, even if there is not a measurable result? In the latter argument, it is hard to say they do nothing, because the human mind is quite powerful and you can spend all day reading about placebo tests that show just how powerful it is.

So, it all comes back to the original question. Do crystals work? In turn I’d ask you, “Do you believe they work?” Belief is the key to magick, to manifestation, to anything you’re setting out to do. It really comes down to they are physically altering your body, or your mind believes they are physically altering your body and makes modifications to your body based on this belief. If you think they work, then they work. Believe in yourself, believe in your practice and mold the world to what you want it to be. Don’t spend so much time worrying about if something is “real”. If it’s real to you, then it is part of your reality.

Listen to Your Divination

In the world of witchery, most of us are quite familiar with divination. Be it cards, dice, bones, scrying, runes, or countless other methods. The temptation to use a tool to gain insight and possibly even a glimpse into the future is almost irresistible. There is another temptation involved however. Not listening to your divination.

We’re all guilty of it. You pull for yourself and don’t like the reading you get so you quickly explain to yourself why it’s not accurate and then pull again, hoping for a more positive message to yourself. This “changing the channel” is not positive because you are essentially throwing away a message that may have been something you really needed to hear and take the time to ponder.

I am no less guilty in this than anyone else. No one wants a three of swords, two dice outside of the circle, or fehu reversed. The key is to stick with one pull or one pull per question and when a message keeps getting pounded into your skull, LISTEN TO IT!

Think of divination as a glass of water. Your question is black food coloring. When you ask a question, one drop of color goes in the glass. It’s pretty clear the message you’re trying to be given. The more times you ask the question, the more drops go into the glass and soon the water is opaque and you can’t see your answer at all because at this point all the answers have made the result quite murky for you.

I even fell victim to not listening to my divination just the other day. There has been a little running card game at my day job (I’m apparently considered essential) that gets played on breaks among 3-5 people. The other morning, I took out my dice for some Roman style divination. My result told me that I would experience a financial loss. I decided to not listen to my divination and played cards anyways. I didn’t win any hands and lost $18. Not a major loss, but still a loss. Later in the day, I rolled again with my dice assuring me that earlier wrongs would be righted. I went out to the table with the $6 I still had in my pocket and walked away with $130. This is a small example of why it is important to listen to your divination.

If you pull a reading you don’t like, this is more important than getting the sun and the ten of cups because these “negative” readings allow you to now asses yourself and your situation, leading to growth and development. In my opinion, the tower reversed paired with death can be one of the most exciting card pulls you can receive. It’s a seemingly negative pull that actually shows your own rebirth and death of a cycle that no longer needs to be in your life. This cycle will cause some issue for you, but it’s not complete destruction and will allow you to now build something better.

Listen to the messages you are being given to move to a better place, mentally, spiritually, and physically. Otherwise you’re essentially trying to hammer a nail with a wrench. You may get it in, but you could have made it easier on yourself and come out with a cleaner result. Pay attention to what you’re being shown. Don’t “change the channel”.

The Magic 8 Ball. Toy or Tool?

One of the first divination devices used by children besides a common quarter is the infamous “Magic 8 Ball”. Is this piece of plastic, filled with blue liquid a common toy, or is it an actual divination tool that should be trusted? Diving into the rich history of the origins of the “Magic 8 Ball” may shed some light on the subject.

The story starts with clairvoyant Mary Carter. She performed a miraculous feat where a chalkboard and chalk were placed inside a box. After closing the box, Mary would contact spirits and they would in turn write messages on the board. The box would be opened and the message presented. She called this practice the “Psycho-Slate” and to my knowledge, it has still not been debunked.

Her son, Albert Carter, upon seeing his mothers success decided to capitalize upon it. His first model was dubbed “The Syco-Seer Miracle Home Fortune Teller”.Definitely not as catchy as “The Magic 8 Ball”, but you have to start somewhere. It was essentially a two chambered cylinder that contained liquid and two dice with answers written on them.

After trying to market it to local shops, Albert came into contact with Max Levinson and Abe Bookman. Abe was an engineer by trade and went to work on Alberts design. Ridges were added to the interior to help the dice spin and randomize the answers. An outside designer was then hired to give the product a “mystical look”.

In 1946, these three men would found the Alabe Crafts Corporation to produce their new product. Sadly, that year, Albert passed away, never seeing the 1947 release of the “Syco-Seer” or what his invention was destined to become.

The “Syco-Seer” was released the following year under the two remaining partners of the company, but wasn’t generating sales like they had hoped. Abe decided the product needed a lower price and even more engineering, most of which Albert had always resisted while he was living. The double chamber was made into a single chamber, now only containing one die and one window instead of two. The product was then renamed the “Syco-Slate, the Pocket Fortune Teller.” This was in reference to Mary Carter’s original method.

Still, the fortune telling device resisted sales. It was thought that the problem might be the design once again as the product just kind of looked like a can. Abe put his brain to work asking himself what people liked to see in a fortune telling experience. Then it came to him.

In 1948, the “Syco-Slate” was now incased in a “crystal ball”. The die was upgraded from six sides to twenty sides and Abe hired Lucien Cohen, a professor of psychology to come up with the answers for the die. It was finally ready to be a hit! But it wasn’t. It once again completely failed.

When all hope was lost, something strange happened. Abe received a call from the Brunswick Billiards Company of Chicago. They wanted a promotional item and they wanted it to be the “Syco-Slate”, but with some changes. They wanted the crystal ball casing turned into a billiard ball. Specifically an 8 ball.

Once the 8 balls were out there, the public loved them and they were destined to be a major part of pop culture.

So the question to answer, the one you’re here for, is “Is the Magic 8 Ball just a toy, or a tool used for divination?” The answer is, it’s both. Not quite a Magic 8 Ball answer, but allow me to explain.

The origins of the Magic 8 ball are in some fashion magickal, or at least had magickal intentions. Things such as these can be used the correct way or the incorrect way. Ouija, tarot, the 8 ball, etc. All of these items can be used as tools or as toys. It all depends on how you, the user, enter in and what intention you carry. If you do not believe that these items are indeed divining, then chances are they are not and you are simply gaining some low level of entertainment value out of their use. If you do believe they are divining, then chances are that is exactly what is happening.

In my opinion, The Magic 8 Ball falls in line most with Astragalomancy and Astragyromancy, which are both old methods of divination that use random dice rolls to tell a message or fortune. It’s really no different except for the length in responses and how it is marketed.

The only downfall to the Magic 8 Ball is the fact that it is biased towards the positive. Out of the 20 sided die, 10 are positive, 5 are neutral, and only five are negative responses. However, in knowing this, you can be sure that getting a negative response was meant to be as it is harder to get one over a positive response.

So take down your Magic 8 Ball from its dusty home on your shelf. Blow it off and give it a shake (the correct use is to ask while the window is facing down and then turn the window up to reveal your answer). It is no less of a tool than any of the other methods in your divination arsenal that originated with Mary Carter’s chalk writing spirits over eighty years ago.

There is No Right Way To Do A Spell

There is no right way to do a spell, but there is a wrong way.

Magick is very special for many reasons, but one of those reasons is that everyone’s practice is going to be different than everyone else’s. This can range from small differences to vast differences that will make your own personal practice seem worlds apart from others. It allows us to show our individuality while honing our skills and possibly even specialize in certain areas too.

The thing to always remember is there isn’t anyone doing it “the wrong way”, even if it’s not the way you would practice. We are all just trying to draw from science that is not yet understood to fulfill the role of the magician (specifically the magician as represented by the tarot), to mold our own realities and benefit, based on our own human capabilities. This thought process is why there is no right way to do a spell. But if there’s no right way, then how can there be a wrong way? To answer this question, I would turns to the four R’s of spell work. Reaction, Replacement, Reparation, Result.

Reaction:

There are going to be many things in your life that are going to cause you to want to react with magick. The number one cause of magickal reaction being anger. Anger will drive you to do all kinds of unwise things and if you’re doing magick out of anger it’s going to be messy and give you a messy result. Wait until you are calm and can clearly think out your situation before breaking out your tools to do something about it.

Replacement:

Be ready to replace things that are needed for spellwork. There may be a hard to get ingredient, something you don’t have, or something that doesn’t resonate with you. An example of this could be performing old world magick that is just not possible based on the world we live in now. Replacement is NOT a wrong way to do a spell and shouldn’t make you feel as though your work is any less powerful. Feeling this way will weaken your magick.

Reparation:

Some spells are going to require something from you and it might be something you’re not willing to give. In short, you need to be prepared to sacrifice for whoever you are asking from, to fulfill your request. This is just the way of things. Resisting this sacrifice is going to result in it being forced from you or simply not getting what you’ve set out to achieve. Paying a reparation for what was given will not always be required, but you as the practitioner need to be willing and ready for it to be required of you.

Result: Your result is not going to always be exactly what you had in mind. If I do a spell for abundance and in turn get more hours at work, it may not be how I wanted to achieve abundance, but I still got what I wanted. Learn to see how your result was given to you instead of doing more magick to try and force it to be the way you originally envisioned it. Accept and be thankful for the result you are given.

In all of this, be willing to fail and to succeed. Especially starting out, you’re not going to pick up a basic witch book and be shooting spells out that drastically change your life. If this were possible, the witch community would be full of millionaires, only there to increase their wealth. Practicing will however increase your quality of life in many aspects, such as abundance, protection, power, and appreciation of the world around you. There is so much basic magick that will instantly change your outlook and allow you to feel the magick in everything around you. Trust me, when you put negativity into a rock and throw it into the woods, you can feel that result. It is very real.

You must enter with confidence in your own capability. Follow the four R’s and remember there is no wrong way to do this as long as your belief in yourself is rooted and you know it to be true. Practice for you, not for others. Research, read, and do what feels right, because as I always say, if it feels magickal, then it is.