Happy Halloween

The Review of Transmutation Circles

In some ways this month seems to have rushed by. I feel the rushing part when I try to make sense of the very little I learned about transmutation circles. In other ways, October felt like an incredibly long month. I felt this every time I got behind on blog posts. That's why I'm doing a little less recipes in November. I think I'll do one per week. Despite my family's assurances that they all prefer a 'simple' Thanksgiving, we currently have a guest list of 9 people and a menu with 22 dishes. Nothing is ever simple.

I started looking for information on transmutation circles. I found almost nothing. I mostly found pictures. There was nothing about how to use them, how to activate one, or a list of what the symbols mean. Remember, some sources say transmutation circles are a made up thing not a legitimate magickal tradition. I don't believe that. I think it is an under-utilized source of magick. It is not a simple practice; those circles require a good bit of patience and effort to draw.

I think transmutation circles do have power. Circles are always magickal things anyway. Our world is a sphere. Our a universe is a wheel. Cells are rounded. Atoms have particles spinning in round orbits. Power will draw to the basic shape of life itself.

Because there is very little practical information on transmutation circles, I believe it is acceptable to adapt them to personal use. This is how magick evolves anyway. Our ancestors probably worked spells for a bountiful harvest. We work money spells so we can pay our bills and buy food. The need is the same. Only the process is different. Even though some of the spell components have changed, we probably still work the spell keeping in mind the best time such as a waxing moon or early in the day when the sun's light grows. Magick evolves when a spell calls for something we haven't got and we have to make a choice to either leave it out or use something else. Magick is a very personal thing. We use what speaks to us. My magick will not be your magick.

In trial and error, I learned it is best to use one transmutation circle per spell. I believe this is because it takes so much effort to make a transmutation circle. The intent gets locked in from the beginning and it can't be changed. I think of it like an electrical wiring diagram. The power is there but everything in the house cannot be on at the same time. Things have to be plugged into the proper outlet. Three prongs will not fit into two. Overload the circuits, blow a fuse, and no matter how nice your appliance is you have nothing working.

I think transmutation circles hold magick until it is released. I believe if one is drawn on paper it should be burned. I think if one is drawn on the ground the magick will work when the rain washes away the chalk or the wind scatters the herbs or dirt.

Which leads me to my mirrors. I drew a 16 point start and painted it with nail polish. How is that activated? It isn't, not until I draw in other symbols. When I wash them away, then my spell is released. So why did I paint the star on the mirror? To define magickal/sacred space. Because I am using a mirror, I think this puts the spell firmly between the worlds. I can do many things to the mirror. But I can not enter the mirror itself. I feel that the mirror is a portal to other planes and what I do to the mirror is reflected on this plane.

I was searching for a resource on transmutation circles and their uses. I don't think there is any such thing. I do believe people practice transmutation circle magick, I just don't think they broadcast what they are doing. Of all the magick I have tried over the years, this one requires the most effort. Voodoo dolls and poppits are easier to create. A Voodoo doll can have one leg shorter than the other. The pin doesn't have to go in an exact place. A good circle on the other hand must be perfectly round. Math is a necessity. Even if you are just drawing a simple circle with very few symbols, placement has to be taken into consideration. Things cannot be so bunched together that they are unreadable. In our society of quick and easy everything, I don't think anything that requires this much work will ever be widely popular.

Because of their complexity, transmutation circles are likely to remain in secrecy. Even if someone finds your circle, it is unlikely they will know what it is for. Transmutation circles are not obvious in meaning. There are layers of sigils and signs. It is not likely anyone can figure out all symbols present. And if someone found your circle and decided to destroy it, in all likelihood they would just be releasing the magick for you. Which could have interesting results if you chalked out a curse on your enemy's doorstep.

I intend to keep studying/using transmutation circles. I may create a new page on this blog showing circles I've had success with. I still think magick should be used and shared.

A Month of Witches & Magick- What I Learned About Transmutation Circles Day 29

Finally! I'm back on track AND I have a transmutation circle to show you. On a mirror no less. Yay!

First, I'll tie in to yesterday's post about scrying mirrors by showing you mine:

When I first heard about making a scrying mirror the article suggested using an old clock face as the author was fairly insistent about the mirror being convex. I think this was just to make the scrying mirror more like a crystal ball. When you scry, you look at and deep into the surface. It is a little harder to do on a flat surface. Wavy glass works very well. I didn't have an old clock face. This is the glass out of an old electrical box. It's rather bumpy. I spray painted the back of the glass. I bought the box at the craft store and lined it with some fabric I hand dyed. I know when I made my scrying mirror I anointed the back with oil, but now I couldn't tell you what kind I used. It had a slightly spicy scent and it may have been ginger oil. I have seen picture frames used as scrying mirrors. The benefit is your paint job is protected by the frame. It is hard to paint glass. Paint flakes off glass. Unless you want it off, then it doesn't budge.

I wrote down the images I saw or what came to mind as I looked into the mirror. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, just trying to get back into the habit of using this divination tool. Later I will read over my list looking for patterns. Sometimes I use either the mirror or my crystal ball when doing Tarot readings. I will lay the cards out then focus my thoughts on the card as I gaze into the ball. This can be very helpful when I don't understand a card or can't see how it relates to the other cards in the reading.

Now, on to the other mirror!

I am so pleased with this for a couple of reasons. 1.) I finally made a transmutation circle. What you see here isn't the completed circle. I decided I wanted something both permanent and multi use. Which leads me to the second reason- 2.) I finally figured out how to draw that damn 16 point star. Never mind dividing a circle into 16 points. Get a square.

I used a refrigerator magnet. It fit just right on my mirror. I tried drawing it on paper first and it was tricky spacing my points. When I traced the square on the mirror I turned the mirror itself before repositioning. That way I could always find the center where the point should go. After I traced my square four times on the mirror, I painted the lines with nail polish. That's the permanent part. Now I always have a transmutation circle ready to go. I can add, and wash off, symbols, sigils, and runes. If I decide I want to work with something other than a 16 point star, I'll get another mirror.
So what will I use the mirror for? The first thing that comes to mind is a crystal grid. To me 16 is a good number because it is that wonderful when you can finally drive. 16 is full of promise and potential. I'm thinking of my mirror as bustling with energy. I think it would work well in spells where things needed to grow or needed a fresh start. I think it would be good for spells involving abundance and good health. But that's just some of the possible uses for one mirror. I'm seeing a whole collection of them.

Day 28- Nope, Still Nothing

I got a lot accomplished yesterday. None of it had anything to do with blogging. But I did think of some good ideas for my daily practice. This morning, I saw HecateDemter had a post about changing your daily practice. I thought it was very fitting, both for me personally and for the time of the year.

This year my practice has changed a lot because I am now the sole Pagan living in an Xian household. For the most part, my family is fairly respectful about my beliefs. I don't do magick around them because I know that will lead to many questions. I don't think magick works very well when you pick it apart looking for the clues about what makes it go. I think magick is around us all the time. Often magick is just having the right perspective. Sometimes it's just being able to find joy. Sometimes it's enjoying the mystery rather than trying to solve it. Aerodynamically, bumble bees are unable to fly. Their wings should be too small to lift their heavy bodies. The bumble bee doesn't know it shouldn't be able to fly. It just flies anyway.

Most of my practice now consists of planning. It really annoys me that I can't just do. But planning helps me not only have enough time, but it makes me really think about what is necessary for a spell. Things have become much more streamlined.

Magick has spilled over into other areas of my life. I now use magick every time I sew, cook, or garden. I've started using magick when I clean. When I wash dishes or mop or dust, I chant to remove baneful influences. When I pull weeds I say I am removing obstacles. When the house is clean I envision glowing white energy filling the room to promote harmony, happiness, and good fortune.

Some things I would like to change about my practice is journaling more. Specifically, I would like to start a sewing journal where I can write down what an item was made for, how I made it, what spells I used, and any problems I may have. I'm wavering about tracking how long it takes to make things. I do like knowing how much time is invested in a project, but I also know projects take me longer than normal because much of my time revolves around providing for my family. And I'll let you in on a secret- I HATE doing homework with my kids. I have two school-aged boys and it is a rare event to get one started on an assignment while I help the other. Every time I try this, I have to go over the assignment again and tell him to correct. every. single. answer. Every one. Even if he did it in class and should know how to do it. If the boys are anxious or worried or acting out homework can take hours. There are times when I want to call the teachers to ask what in the hell I ever did to them.

I would also like to get back into casting circles. I think spending some time in a cast circle each day would help me. Ground, center, and be. Not worry about anything, not think, just be.

And even though I haven't been able to do much with the mirrors lately, I definitely want to use them more. I like the idea of going beyond turning back negative energy. Years ago, when I was still Wiccan and trying to find my path, I made a scrying mirror. This isn't a mirror per se. It's a piece of glass painted black giving a reflective surface. The object of scrying is simple- stare into the mirror and left your mind drift. Eventually you will see images, either in the mirror itself or in a daydream sequence. I had better results scrying with my crystal ball. I will admit I didn't practice with the scrying mirror very much. Now that I'm an older Witch who could care less about whether something is 'real' or 'imagined' scrying might work better for me.

I'm also wanting to use a mirror on my altar. I have three altars. The one in the kitchen is where I do darker work and I have a small mirror to send back negative energy. I use my hutch as a family altar. This is where I do spells to promote good luck and healing. And my personal altar is an antique vanity table. I understand spells done on the vanity can be amplified by its mirror. But I want to see what happens when I lay a mirror flat on the table and work spell directly on the mirror. I think this makes more of a portal type of energy. I feel more like it would be a direct link to the astral plane. Remember, the astral plane is a mirror to reality. If you can create something in the astral, it is easier to manifest your desire on this plane.

I would like to mention one other thing involving mirrors. You can try it at home but be prepared to deal with what may come up. Mirrors can bend time. You need at least three mirrors to do this. They should be a few feet apart and they should indirectly reflect each other, meaning the second mirror should reflect the first and the third reflect the second. Watch the space between the mirrors. You may begin to see shadows, shapes, or even full bodied appropriations. Here's where you need to be prepared. The longer the mirrors are in place, the stronger the portal will be. That means you could see ghosts after the mirrors are moved. While this is an interesting experiment with definite results, I know of no way to predict when in time/space the portal will open. You could open another realm. And since it is an opening, something may come through. This isn't something I would do on a whim. If you want to try it, think of everything that could happen and figure out how to deal with it. Be careful.

Day 27- Falling Behind

Ah, the best laid plans.

I don't have anything to show you today because I didn't have enough time alone to work another spell. I thought I could write a post early this morning, but I'm not going to be home long enough to get any thing done. That means I don't know if I'll have anything to show tomorrow. For someone who is unemployed I sure do have a hectic schedule.

I think the best course of action is to tell you how things are progressing.

On my last post, I said the Sharpie marker washed off with vinegar. And it did. The vinegar didn't even faze the words I wrote on the larger mirror. I'm not sure if this is because I left the mirror in sunlight or if I pressed down harder or what. I had to use nail polish remover to clean the second mirror. Maybe the difference was in the mirrors themselves. Although they looked the same, the tiny mirror had a different feel like it was plastic rather than glass. I think both were the same brand. Both mirrors came from the same store anyway. I'm going to say use nail polish remover to remove any writing from your mirrors and you probably shouldn't write on one that you want to keep. Or you could be smarter than me and not use a permanent marker for your spell. I think an eyebrow pencil would work great.

Of course, if you don't want it to wash off, get some glass paint  and make it pretty. I really want to try this. I have mirrors over my doors to turn back negative energy. I really want to paint a protective dragon. Or maybe a hex sign.

The prosperity spell seems to be working. We didn't run out of money this weekend.

I would like to point out something if you decide to use mirrors in your magickal work. I have been told if you use a mirror to turn back negative energy you don't look into it. I understand the logic of that. It's sort of like keeping your bathroom mirror clean. When mirrors are dull or dirty then your reflection is dull too. If nothing else, there is the psychological factor of thinking you are less attractive because the reflection was unflattering. I think it is unwise to use a mirror to turn back negativity and then you use that same mirror to brush your teeth. This is why I bought new mirrors for my spell.

I try not to look into the mirrors above my doors or the one I use for banishing work. What I want you to be aware of is mirrors reflect everything. Even if I do not stand directly in front of the mirror, I know that if I can see the mirror then it can reflect me. If you want to see how this works try photographing a mirror without getting a flash reflected. Walk up to a mirror hanging on a wall. Back away. Come at it from a different angle. How much of the room do you see? How does this change if you are kneeling? Objects you didn't think the mirror could reflect will appear when you are laying on the floor. Stand to the side of the mirror so that you can see the mirror but not your reflection. Have a friend stand on the other side. Tell each other what you see. You may be surprised at how much of a view is available from just a few feet away.

A Month of Witches & Magick- What I Learned About Transmutation Circles Day 26

Finally, we're to the spell itself.

Before I start, a few days ago I showed you my own version of a transmutation circle. It was my spell to obtain a new house for us. I cast the spell and two days later my husband told me he had a found a builder and even better, we could actually afford him. I am very happy!

Now on to the mirror spell!

First I got out my journal to make notes. One of my dogs kept me company. As I flipped through the journal looking for a blank page, I saw a previous entry with the words 'In Aeturnum' which is Latin for eternity. This got me to thinking, how powerful is mirror magick? Is it more lasting? I think so because not only will all your spell components be present, but they will be reflected in the mirror giving you at least two of everything. Maybe I should be doing a spell for a permanent change or at least something I wouldn't mind having forever. I finally settled on prosperity work. Things have been going fairly well for us but it would be nice if we knew we would always have enough money to pay our bills rather than waiting anxiously for payday.

I was at a bit of a loss for what to use to mark my mirror. I marked an x on a small mirror with a silver Sharpie. I then ran errands giving the marker plenty of time to dry. When I came home, I couldn't wipe the marker away with my fingers. But it did wash off with vinegar. I decided I would empower my marker to bring wealth to me and I would activate the spell by wiping the mirror with vinegar empowered to remove debt. I tested things out with this small mirror because if I couldn't remove the marker I wouldn't mind throwing it away. It's too small to really use in magick.

I wrote my desire around the edge of the mirror. Because I want to bring wealth to me, I have the words going clockwise with the energy directed into the mirror. If I was banishing I'd have the words readable from the outer edge of the mirror. I also used a domino because it has a dragon on the back. I love dragons. Dragons are experts at gathering treasure. Finally, I used star charms because I think stars are lucky. I placed stars both on the mirror and around it because I want my spell to manifest on the physical plane. I'm visualizing the mirror as a beacon that draws money. I'll leave it in the sun for a while then wipe everything clean with the empowered vinegar. The star charms will be used in a family sewing project.

I think tomorrow I'll try to show you something that is just symbols drawn on a mirror.

A Month of Witches & Magick- What I Learned About Transmutation Circles Day 25

When I was laying in bed thinking of posts to write and vaguely slipping into dreamland, the answer appeared brightly. I couldn't believe I didn't think of it before, especially since it's a magickal practice I'm very familiar with. Mirrors.

I only have one round mirror, and it's currently tied up with darker work. Mirrors will easily trap negativity. I decided I should buy fresh ones. Off to Hobby Lobby I went.

I stood in the store for a long time weighing my options. There was a pack of five mirrors for the same price as these two mirrors, but they were much smaller. I liked the idea of being able to easily hold the mirror in my hand, but if I chose to set the mirror on my altar I need enough room to draw symbols, place crystals, or burn a candle. I also liked the idea of 7" mirrors because that would give me plenty of room to work. But a bigger mirror means it's harder to hold, thus easier to drop, and more surface area means my circles need to be bigger. That makes good sense if I'm drawing many symbols, but I intend to keep things simple. I may get the bigger mirrors later. Or I might get the smaller mirrors. Or both. I got to the store as soon as they opened. I was one of three customers. A girl restocking shelves stared at me staring at mirrors. I almost told her I had very important magick to do. I love buying spell supplies in a store owned by fundamentalist Xians. I decided to behave and keep my mouth shut. Then at the check out counter I was asked if I found everything I was looking for. It was a struggle not to say yes, I believe the Pagan ritual will go well. One day I'll be unable to control my smart mouth and I'll get kicked out of Hobby Lobby. Which is okay, there's two in my area.

Step two is to cleanse the mirrors. First I left them in sunlight. The sun will burn away any thing negative attached to the mirror. I believe these mirrors are fine but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Haunted mirrors feel eerie, are generally cold to the touch, and all sorts of awful emotions surface when you look into them. After laying in the sun for several hours, I'll smudge them with incense. This is mainly because I smudge all my tools. Smudging cements in my mind the idea of an item being magickal. Last, I will physically clean the mirrors with vinegar. Sometimes incense smoke can cloud the glass.

The next step is to figure out what kind of spell to do. I use mirrors a lot. Most magickal practitioners that I know use mirrors. I was very sure that if I Googled mirror spells or mirror magic or Witch's mirror that I would immediately get results very similar to what I am planning to do. To my surprise, none of the results gave me a magick circle drawn on a mirror. I found quite a few scrying mirrors, but none of them showed any kind of writing or symbols drawn onto the mirror. Words were inscribed around the frame. This shocked me. I can't believe I'm the only one thinking of this.

This mysterious lady came up in the first search results. She looks brooding and haunting. I believe this is why we humans have a fascination with mirrors- they show us ourselves but it's a reversed view of what everyone else sees. I read that if a person met someone who was identical to themselves, they would not recognize that person as being like them.

Most of the mirror spells I found were for protection or turning back negative energy. Here we have mirror shards in a box. This spell is sometimes used to cause insanity.

I kept playing with the wording of my search, and when I searched magick circles on mirrors I got this. I was happy because it's a transmutation circle. But it's not on a mirror. I can't figure out why it came up as the picture doesn't show a mirror, nor were there any mirrors on the site. Maybe this is the Universe telling me never mind what others are doing, go do your own thing.

This is simply showing how to create a kaleidoscope design. I thought the symbols all looked very magickal. If you want to try it you need two mirrors set at a right angle.

This is the same idea but the image was made with found objects rather than drawn on paper. This might be useful for 'building' or manifesting. I would add a little bit each day until I reached my goal.

This has been interesting, but I think I need to heed the Universe's advice. Tomorrow I'll have a spell to show you.

A Month of Witches & Magick- What I Learned About Transmutation Circles Day 24

While trying to figure out how to use transmutation circles, I realized there are circles all around us.

 

I was laying in bed thinking of future posts. Suddenly, I had the answer for how to make transmutation circles work for me. It was so simple I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it before. I was so sure it would work that it took major effort to stay in bed and not get up at 2am to do magick.



A Month of Witches & Magick- What I Learned About Transmutation Circles Day 23

I would be very remiss if I didn't mention some of the most beautiful circles of all- stained glass windows.

Tomorrow- the magick circles of every day objects.

A Month of Witches & Magick- What I Learned About Transmutation Circles Day 22

Today we are looking at mandalas which are simply designs meant to be colored for meditation. The coloring itself is meant to be a form of meditation because it allows you to understand how the design is put together, and therefor, how it works. After the mandala is colored meditation is supposed to come easier because the next time you look at it, your body will remember the stillness/peace/relaxation it felt before and automatically return to that state. If you are having trouble figuring out what a transmutation circle does, it may help to color it like a mandala.

Tomorrow- stained glass windows.

A Month of Witches & Magick- What I Learned About Transmutation Circles Day 21

I want to talk about string art just a bit more and trust me, eventually I will make it relate to transmutation circles. Let's go back to one of yesterday's designs so I can talk about how it could be a spell. Everything is going to be drawn pictures not sewn pieces because I don't have that much time. I still haven't made Halloween costumes which is a shame because Halloween is happening RIGHT NOW. The veils are really thin this year. My dreams are sketchy, fluid things. Magick bubbles up everywhere. Enjoy the season, but mind you, take care.

This design makes me think of spinning blades like a fan or windmill. It also makes me think of the huge turbines beneath Martin Dam. Here's a picture of one that has been retired so you can compare:

 

This would be a useful design for working with either air or water. Or industry if you were seeking a job with a power plant. What do wheels mean to you? Turn of the wheel? The cosmos? Are they production, motion, or energy? Maybe Tarot is more your thing and wheels bring to mind the Wheel of Fortune. Besides air and water, wheels make me think Steampunk. I might employ this in a Steampunk costume. How dashing would it look in gold thread on a corset and embellished with tiny gears?

If you think I'm going all over the place, that's kind of the point. I would like for you to employ magickal thinking. Look at objects with new eyes and see not just what they are, but what they could be.

I know I can't draw; shut up. I added green lines which instantly made me think of waving grass, furrows, and seeds springing up. Now we have a garden or growth charm. Red made me think of blood. Maybe if all the lines were red it would be a spell to heal or to increase circulation. Brown made me think of dry river beds, dust, and sand dunes. Brown is barrenness. Purple looks like magick, but not of the friendly sort.

You might be thinking the spell would be further changed if the threads ran in reverse. Correct. Our design would also change if we went from string art to actual stitches because a pattern would then emerge on the back of this design. That could be useful if you needed support or an infrastructure or even a network of communication.

If I was going to use this as a spell, I'd start with the original design. I'd make a list of what I wanted. I'd try to assign colors to those desires. Then I would pick a day, moon phase or time. I don't get too hung up on the when of spells because there is always a good time to begin a work. Let's say you really need money but the moon is waning. Just start your spell after the half hour. If it's 2pm, wait until 2:30 when the clock hands are moving up. Or you change the wording a bit and instead of asking for money, ask for debt to decrease. Then 2pm is a great time to start your work because the clock hands are moving down. Timing can be very helpful but I don't put my life on hold while I wait for the right moon phase.

Since I am a person who sews, my spell would be worked in textiles and fiber, but this could all be drawn on paper with colored pencils or markers. After I had chosen colors, I'd chose threads or yarns. I would cleanse the canvas I was working on. I might place some stones on it or leave it in the moonlight to charge. I would charm my thread, filling it with my intent. I might chant before I began sewing. I could chose to work in a particular place like the porch to represent a between place or the living room to represent home and family. While sewing, I would try to focus my thoughts on my goal. I might listen to certain music or light a candle.

If I needed to stop before I completed the project, I'd carefully put everything in a special box or bag to contain the magick until I was ready to release it. Each time I worked on it, I'd try to do things the same way, same music, same place, same candle, same chant.

When I finished the project, I'd empower it again. This might be another night in front of the window to catch moonlight. It could be me singing over the piece. I might leave it in a stone circle for several days. I could sprinkle herbs around it.

After the project is finished, it should either be given to a person so it can begin to work, or it needs to be used immediately. If it was something meant to stay in my home, occasionally I would rework the spell to keep it going. Eventually, the item might begin to have a 'life' and would need to be 'fed', this could be sprinkling it with water, giving it blood or honey, or it could mean placing crystals or live plants nearby. The item will tell you what it needs.

If we were using an actual transmutation circle, our spell would go the same way for the most part. We'd think of what we needed, find symbols to match those intents, then chose colors, then start drawing on either charmed paper or we'd chalk it on the ground. The difference is transmutation charms aren't meant to be long term. They seem to work better if the destroyed to release the magick either by burning or the rain washing away the chalk drawing.

Tomorrow- mandalas.

A Month of Witches & Magick- What I Learned About Transmutation Circles Day 20

Today I want to talk about string art. There are several knot spells. You can tie up your troubles, you can literally tie the knot in a hand fastening ceremony, or you can untie knots to release wind and storms. These spells generally use very simple knots. It's one of those things that I am sure could be so much more and I wonder why there isn't a whole tradition dedicated to it. The older I get, and the more I refine my personal practice, the more possibilities I see to use it. Every time I sew, I see the magick in what I do. The act itself is magick and I can add even more power by enchanting the thread. This is really easy- before threading your needle, run the thread through your fingers several times while focusing on your desire. And if you pay attention to how your thread is made, this can actually help keep the thread from tangling while you stitch.

For me it has gotten to the point where I can't not use magick when I sew. I must say, projects seem to go much better now. I am more likely to finish rather than walk away in frustration. I am also more inclined to take on things a bit above my skill level. Finished items seem to hold up better and last longer.

This is one of those things where I wonder why there isn't a whole tradition dedicated to Stitch Witchery. I think we all agree it can be done. It's not a new idea. Think Aladdin's flying carpet. That was a powerful Witch who made it.

But when you go on the hunt for spells in sewing, one comes up woefully short. While there are lots of quilt blocks with magical sounding names, and there are lots of cross stitch patterns depicting everything from dragons to wizards, there isn't much about textiles being actual spells. Though every once in a while, I do find interesting little hints. Once I found a quilt book which mentioned a certain pattern meant to keep your husband from having an affair. Just make sure you had the right side of the quilt covering his half of the bed. When I find things like that I'm first excited to have evidence of people using every day objects for spells, then I'm disappointed that with the whole range of spells in the world the best they came up with is keeping a tom cat at home. Where's the spell for cutting that fool loose so you can move on to something better?

Sometimes occult publishers produce books for the 'crafty' Witch. I find these books to be very simplistic. It seems like the projects presented get dumbed down. If it's easy, why is it even a spell? I know magick is hard work. I'm okay with time consuming projects because lets face it, the best magick comes slowly, building over time. I would think a cross stitch protection spell would need to be worked over a long winter and it should be stunningly beautiful. How much protection does it really offer if I finish in one afternoon?

What I like about string art is that it makes complex designs out of just string and nails (and a bit of math). I can see how this could be so much more than art if just the right string was chosen, and maybe if say those were coffin nails. Now it's starting to sound like a portal, isn't it?

What I don't like a string art is the instructions often suck. I found a lovely 16 point star. I knew it was a perfection protection spell. I tried to draw it on paper first because I intended to construct in on the side of my house and I wanted a clear understanding of how to put it together before I drove nails into the wall. Right off the bat I realized half the instructions were missing. Presumably to save space, rather than show diagrams of how the star is made, they only had one photograph of the completed star. It's easy to divide a circle into four. It's easy to divide it into 8. It's even easy to divide a circle into 12. But at 16 things are rather tricky and it's not evenly divided.

Miffed, I looked for other examples of string art.

This one has points 1 through 5. Then it skips all the way to 14. That's not the least bit helpful to me. Let's try again.

 

I can at least follow this one without difficulty, or I understand as long as I don't try to make sense of why things are numbered in the this fashion. Evidently string art is just like transmutation circles; it is meant to be impressive and nobody's gonna tell you how to do it. If you figure out, congratulations! You are now a member of a very elitist group who withholds information. I imagine the whole point of not telling how or why is just so you can feel smugly superior.

I like the idea of textile magick whether that be a quilt, cross stitch, tatting, crochet, or string art. I like transmutation circles because they are things of beauty but trying to understand them is like trying to figure out a person based on their living room. Yes it tells you a lot, like how they live and if they share that space with others, and it might tell you some of their interests and hobbies, but it doesn't tell you the whole story like why the walls are one color and not another. It doesn't tell you if they are planning to redecorate soon or even if they ever enter the room on a daily basis.

I really think magick is meant to be used. And shared and taught. It does no good to create powerful spells and never pass them onto others.

I'm going to come back to the string art. This is the start of something good but it really needs refining.
 

A Month of Witches & Magick- What I Learned About Transmutation Circles Day 19

I love rocks. I grew up in a rock house. My father built the house and he placed every rock in the wall himself. I naturally gravitated towards crystals when I became a practicing Witch. I don't use grids very often mainly because carrying a stone in my pocket gets the job done just as well. But it is lovely to see a circle of stones or a triangle of quartz crystals.

It works simply- place stones in a pattern. These can be the stones laid in a shape or stones on top of a drawing.

Crystal grids are most often for either protection or healing but really, you are only limited by your imagination. I used a crystal grid in a love spell when I wasn't sure which suitor to choose. I asked the crystals to protect me from the one who didn't have my best interests in mind and to draw the best man closer to me. The relationship lasted 7 years.

Crystal grids usually use geometric designs as grids but really most sigils and symbols will do.

There are no rules about where to put the crystals. They can surround the design, lay inside the lines, or on top of the lines. Most people try to follow the pattern and lay the crystals on top. It takes many crystals to cover all of the lines so people sometimes lay the crystal where the lines intersect. And if you don't have a design or grid, crystals in a circle work great. Remember what I said before- crystals are very willing to do all kinds of work for you.

 

Tomorrow- string art.



A Month of Witches & Magick- What I Learned About Transmutation Circles Day 18

I'm doing the sigils today. Like the transmutation circles, they are obviously magick. They are simpler. And most often they come with instructions or at least some note about what they are used for.

Okay, so this one doesn't have instructions. But they look cool.

Here's some instructions. There's a faint circle of symbols in the background. I think these are simply what the Witch thought was protective and other symbols could be used without altering the spell. This isn't really a sigil, it's a crystal grid which I'll talk about tomorrow.

 

I believe this is just altar decoration, though I can think of ways to use it in magickal work. It comes from the Etsy shop White Magick Alchemy. Fair warning- I've purchased for them before and some of the items are not of high quality. If it's fairly cheap in the shop don't waste your money. You'll only get what you paid for.

Because the onyx pendulum I bought was just badly dyed agate, I am hesitant to purchase anything else. I fear the wood may crack or wrap. These plates do not appear to be sealed or varnished. I think the designs are cool, but it might be better to draw the design on paper rather than risk being disappointed with another purchase.

If you have any artistic flare it should be too hard to make what you need.