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All essays from this blog and the now-sunset Voces-Magicae site will be archived in a new home:
www.via-serpentis.com
FB Page: Via Serpentis
Instagram: @via.serpentis
Authentic Spirit Contact: Navigating the Unseen
Did a spirit come to me last night in a dream? Was the message I heard from a spirit or is it all in my head? How can I be sure that I am reallycommunicating with spirit X, Y, or Z? Ok, I think I made contact, whats next? These and similar questions regarding the ability to discern authentic spirit contact whether through dreams, meditation or full-fledged ritual is something we all struggle…
Reclaiming the Language of Magic
Language is the vehicle through which we transmit culture. It is the manner in which we package and exchange information, ideas and concepts and is the most basic symbolic unit upon which we can progress and grow as individuals, as a society, and ultimately as a species. The oft-quoted statement by Isaac Newton that “if I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants” doesn’t…
PGM IV 154-285: A complete Magical System
This is the first post, on a series of posts I intend to make on PGM IV 154-285, “Nephotes to Psammetichos letter concerning bowl divination.”[1] The intent here is to introduce the passage and present it as a complete and workable system of magical practices. Future posts will delve deeper into the individual rituals of the passage and document my personal progress.
As the title suggests, the…
Piango Piango: First Steps in Palo
Palo Mayombe is a path that my ancestral spirits have intended for me to walk. Following more than a year of intensive working with my ancestors this has became undeniably clear to me. I was initially hesitant to commit to Palo because I was very comfortable, successful, and happy with my existing magical and spiritual practices. But the second I set foot in the Cuban wilderness everything…
Pact-Making in Palo & Bakongo Religion
Over these past winter months I have dug deep into my personal spirit work. My focus has been on the ancestors and through them I’ve been led back to the Afro-Cuban traditions that were sprinkled onto me as a child. I have thus been exploring these paths and, in particular, the tradition of Palo Mayombe. However, let me be crystal clear. I am writing this post purely as a research piece and…
Tradition is:
: a way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, society, etc., for a long time
: the stories, beliefs, etc., that have been part of the culture of a group of people for a long time
This definition (from Merriam Webster online) hits the basics. It identifies tradition as a source of cultural identity and something…
I write a lot about the PGM, clearly it is very important element of my magical and spiritual practice; however, despite working very closely with some of their spirits and gods, I do not strongly identify with the Greek or Egyptian “religions.” So why do I place such high value on the PGM? This is a question that I have only recently begun to dig into and attempt to understand for myself. But…
Across the magical traditions of the world we find evidence of a primordial practice of mapping and anchoring the spiritual realm to the physical landscape. For most, this act of hallowing space begins by defining and honoring the four cardinal directions, the sky above, and the underworld below. Through these a physical, mental, and spiritual center is established from which to perceive and…