The Shattered Soul

I’m reading D.J. Conway’s book, “By Oak, Ash, & Thorn: Modern Celtic Shamanism”.  Within it I found a fascinating topic, and the reason why some people are the way they are; why they seem to have to go through, or put themselves through, a ‘trial by fire’.  It’s in a chapter called “The Shattered Soul”, pg. 167……

“…Every shamanic culture teaches the value of what is called soul-retrieval.  This practice is one of the least understood methods of shamanism.  It does not mean, as the orthodox religions interpret it, total loss of the soul. Rather it recognizes that traumas, personal tragedies, illnesses, and crises can often shatter off a piece of the soul, leaving the individual feeling not quite all there.  This feeling may well be the origin of the saying, “being beside one’s self.”  This separation can open the body to illnesses, the mind to confusion and uneasiness, and the life to disorganization and disruption.

In the cases of comas and long periods of unconsciousness, the shaman may well have to retrieve a greater portion of the soul.  In these instances, the soul may have withdrawn as a whole or have shattered into a myriad of pieces, each of which will have to be found and encouraged to return…

…With the pressures and dangers of our present society and the state of the world, it is no wonder that a great many people are trying to function under conditions of partial soul-loss.  They feel lost, out of it, not all there.  They are constantly searching for something that they can’t quite put into words.  They try to find it through drugs, alcohol, sex, frantic activity of work and play, and/or life-threatening pastimes, but nothing fills the void…”

D. J. goes on to explain just how you can recognize a shattered soul, and she also takes you through the shamanic journeys necessary for healing (the most important part of this chapter, in my opinion).  The things to look for, those things connected with a shattered soul include:

“1.  Chronic depression

2.  Difficulty with being ‘present ‘ in the body

3.  Feeling numb or apathetic

4.  Trouble resisting illness

5.  Chronic illness as a child

6.  Memory gaps

7.  Addictions

8.  Frantically trying to fill life with external activities or people

9.  Difficulty getting your life back together after a broken relationship, loss of a job, death of a love one, etc.”

The Moral Compass…it was spinning

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Every Cat Has a Tale

Every Cat Has a Tale

Simply me– take it, or leave it…… This is my very personal blog spot. I’m not trying to sell any books here nor do anything promotional. This is my space to simply be “just me”…and this might include some whining, opinionizing, reflection, reminiscing, and personal revelations– as personal as I can get without compromising someone else’s privacy, that is.

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Forums…bah

I have pages on numerous pagan social sites, though it’s been a long long time, probably years (I don’t really remember, it’s been that long) since I’ve actually responded on their forums.  At one of these sites, just this week, this title caught my eye…”Just What Is Gray Witchcraft?”…I hesitated (and now I really wish I would have just kept moving along, but alas, I’m thinking I have the answer to this question), so I responded with a brief answer in which I directed this individual to my books :  The Gray Witch’s Grimoire & Natural Magick the Gray Witch Way.  It turned out to be the wrong thing to do, though for me it seems that any type of response within a forum is never quite right– I’m not sure what it is, but it sort of reminds me of public school; I was just never on the same page with those people either.  I was reprimanded for ‘self-promotion’, which it probably was; but I wasn’t going to spend lots of time writing out an answer when I spent a year writing a book on the topic.

My response to the reprimand:

Sorry, C******, self-promotion wasn’t my intention, but I can see your point.  I answered the question as I did because I wrote a whole book on this topic that will give a clear picture of the gray witch and gray witchcraft, and it will give M***** a solid answer to her inquiry.  My bad, but I don’t know how else I would’ve answered– and the topic is what caught my eye in the first place.

The response I received:

I don’t begrudge anyone from earning a living or simply additional income. However, you didn’t answer the question, you only used the question to promote your site and book:  “For more information on gray witchcraft and the gray witch, to find out just exactly what it/she is and what it/she isn’t, I’m going to direct you to my website and my books:”.  Except you gave NO information to provide “more” on.

That’s not answering the question, that’s self-promotion. People come here because it’s meant to provide the free exchange of information among practitioners.  When books are suggested, they’re by recommendation and critique. Of course an author will say their own book is worth buying.

Had you actually contributed something of value it would have come off far less self-serving. Plus there isn’t a definitive way to establish “grey witchcraft” as there are no absolutes, it’s subjective and dependent on the individual and the situation. Magick itself has no color, it’s the person who decides how it will be used. Each person has their own moral compass and what crosses what line. A book will only convey what the author personally thinks and adheres to, which may or may not correspond with the given reader.

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So I look at this hoity-toity response and I think to myself…No, there is no definitive way to describe anything, actually.  It’s all in the mind of the beholder, so in essence any opinion I would’ve left on the topic would’ve been like pouring water on a dead plant.  And of course a book will convey the author’s opinion, that goes without saying, duh…but that’s the point.  And I’m left to shake my head– it’s so damn weird.  Pagans are noted for being ‘Free Spirits’, for breaking molds, for opening up new territories for train of thought, and yet when it comes to these damn tight little forums on these pithy little websites, they bind and rule themselves to death.  I could’ve been snarky (and a bit egotistical) to have told them that some of these sites are gracious enough to put my book covers on their home pages (for which I’m very honored, by the way), but I already felt such negative vibes from this site and this individual that I just let it go.

I have deleted my account from this site.  However, I’m keeping the name of the site, as well as the individual who responded, anonymous…just to avoid any problems in the future and to allow people who are happy at such sites to continue on, why make waves…but honestly, geesh…forums are for the birds.

My advice…”Lighten up!”

Money Chain, Money Charm…keep it going

I ran onto this at Tumblr, and although I don’t usually get into the chain letter thing, this was just too intriguing to ignore, especially with the oddity and uniqueness of the timing and the extra days:

This year July has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This happens once every 823 years. This is called money bags. So copy this and money will arrive within 4 days. Based on Chinese Feng Shui, the one who does not copy, will be without money. Figured I’d pass this on!

Just for a little extra “oomph”:

3. Keep It Flowing
This is another spell based on hoodoo tradition– gotta’ love it. It’s one of those money spells that won’t make you filthy rich, but it will protect you from running out of money for life’s essentials. (One of these days I’ll come up with a spell to make us filthy rich, until then, this will have to do.)

Items needed:
1. A small bowl or a decorative container that
resonates with your own energy

 2. Salt

3. Drawing powder

 4. Rice

 5. Crushed mint leaves

 6. An open safety pin– for this spell I could also suggest, in place of a safety pin, a brooch that you will leave open, unclasped. This could be something that resonates with the idea of money, or in my case– I used my grandmother’s brooch, a deceased family member who loved me and who would want me to have all that I needed, a family member who would help me in life any way that she could, and who will help me from the spirit world.

 Fill your bowl or open container with a handful or pinch of each of the ingredients listed above, depending on the size of your receptacle, usually an equal amount of every ingredient used. Within the center, place the unclasped safety pin or brooch. If you’ve used a brooch that belonged to a family member, it would be a good idea to include an invocation to this spirit, as well as a thank you for their help.

 Keep this bowl in an open place within your home, and when you feel it needs it, refresh the ingredients; perhaps at regular intervals, such as every third full moon.
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The spell “Keep It Flowing” can be found in my book,
“The Gray Witch’s Grimoire”

Tarot Card for the Day…

10/pentacles (Reversed)…the golden coins are falling away for someone, floating to the ground like huge soap bubbles going to pop when they hit bottom.  If it’s you this card is for, you’re involved with a family situation, perhaps multi-generational.  You’re trying to conduct business without every member of your household being in on it, and this is where the trouble might lay.  The idea of ‘co-conspiracy’ comes to mind, but also the idea of someone who feels left out, perhaps threatened in some way by all the secrecy they feel going on around them, paranoia and suspicion also come into play with this scenario.  Of two people involved in this situation, one carries the value of honesty and loyalty, and the other does not– know this and work from there.  Money can be such a sticky subject, even among family, and sometimes especially among family.

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Tarot Readings
with Amythyst Raine

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How do you deal with hexes, curses, & negativity?

I get asked this question all the time, whether through emails or, as in this case, a comment left at my website.  This individual had some very good points and this is a typical situation.  The answer is really much more simple than you’d think:

The Question:

I have been browsing around the internet for a place to inquire about a specific problem I have, and I am hoping you can answer my questions. I married a woman who is a wiccan (I guess that’s what you’d call her) back in 2006. We did get divorced in 2011 but that unfortunately has not ended my problem. She has been casting curses upon me nonstop (she admitted to doing so multiple times) and now she’s saying she isn’t but nothing has changed. Basically, since I’ve known her I’ve been unable to hold down a job, my health has been affected, everything is always falling apart for me (it’s much more complex than that but that’s just a summary). Now as I said, she admitted to being responsible for all of this just 2 years ago and now she’s saying it’s not her, but everything’s still the same. What am I to do at this point? I have asked her what she wants, what I can do to make peace with her, etc., but nothing has worked. Like when you’re dealing with a witch that just hates you and wants you to suffer no matter what, what can be done? Thanks for your time.

My Answer:

Magickally speaking, Chris, there are spells to throw back negative energy sent your way through hexes and curses. Mundanely speaking, you’re still dealing with energy, the nasty energy of people’s negative thoughts and wishes– this is something you can also shield yourself from and rise above. I’ve dealt with plenty of people who weren’t witches (and a couple who at least think they are), who have treated me badly…aside from actual spells to break their negative magick, it helps to put life (and these people) in perspective– in the end, they are not important, their ill-wishes and negative feelings can only impact you *If You Let It*…in layman’s terms– you have the ability to tell them to fuck off (whether you do so literally to their face, or you do so figuratively in your own mind.)……and that’s about all I have to say about this

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You’ll find  more information on protection/defensive magick at these links:

Protection Magick the Gray Witch Way, click  Here

The following spells can be found in my book, “The Gray Witch’s Grimoire”  :
hex; bind; binding negative behavior; return to sender; divide and conquer; bind me not; reverse the curse; breaking another witch’s spell

Mojo bags for protection & retribution can be found in my book, “Tarot: A Witch’s Journey”  :
(pages 226 and 235)