Vampyre's Guide to Protective Magick

Beneath the Sheltering Oak by Belfazaar Ashantison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one that you will definitely want to read , especially if you are into protections spells and what not. The book is full of them and that is the entire content of the book protection spells. There is no rambling here just straight to the point instruction on how to do your protective magic. Another thing I like about the author is that he keeps it really simple and easy to follow. His favorite protective incenses seem to be Jasmine and Sandalwood. His method is a bit different from what I have been used to . He first calls his quarter and then casts his circle. His candle and incenses are lit before doing anything. His outlook seems to be primarily Wiccan as he calls upon the Earth mother and Sky Father.
There are different types of protective magic. The two most common ones are shields and wards. Shields seem to be more of a temporary protection that goes around with the person being protected. A ward is more permanent and tends to stay in one place. Finally there are mantras which help being about protection that are used in a quick jiff if you need them. There are also more complex protection spells.
Simple wards are used with a mantra and connected to a place or object in the house. More complex may require a ritual of sorts. The thing is how do you decide which one you wish to use. Well four simple things will help. 1) Who are you protecting? 2) How much time do you need. 3) Check your supplies and finally, 4) How much money do you have? Fortunately there are ma y affordable magical actions here in this book.
With shield ones can link them to a hand gesture. Something like snapping your fingers or arching your fist over your body raise a magic shield To lower your magic shield use a dismissive hand gesture. The object here is to keep it simple so as it is easy to remember. Verbal commands are another way of enacting a shield. For verbal commands it is advised to use one to two syllable words and not long winded phrases. Also when making a command you should bark it out like a drill seargent.
Now let us go into shield techniques of a more advanced nature. First off you will need a white or red candle, incense and 20 minutes. First you light your incense and then you light your candle. Stare at the flame envisioning thoughts of being safe. Holding on to those feeling of safety see the aura around the flame and then visualize that aura around you. Imagine it is made of the densest material and that only you can control what passes through it. This shield can be recharged by any light source.
The Circle of Stones technique is a technique that uses the Earth mother power to invoke protection. First you pick one stone either quarts or opal and feel the entire stone in your hand. Feel the stone filling your hand with warmth and having that warmth travel to your heart. It’s energies mingle with your energies.
Now different stones have different uses. Red ones have very active energy that strengthens the body and will. Long thin stones are the male aspect and can be worn around the neck or hung near windows for protection. Smokey quartz not only protects but also clouds the vision of anyone who is trying to read you. Opal aids in whatever you like especially if you are not harming others. Foot shaped stones can protect the feet, while triangular stones can condound and confuse any bad intent. Citrine, salt, amber ,opal apache tear and smoky quartz can be used as a protective circle. For further references the author advises using Cunningham’s book on crystal magic.
Not only can rocks be used but also colors can be used as well and we all have our comfort colors. These colors can be invoked for protection. A nice spell was included but I decided to leave it out of the review. You can always read the book to learn I though. But a simple technique involves using a flower pot, soil, 4 larger stones and 24 smaller ones. Your large stones will be painted as follows North is blue, East is yellow, south is red, West is green. Now when the stones are dry with a silver paint pen draw in some protective symbols then charge them for there purpose. When done fill your pot with soil from your yard and potting soil. Mix them thoroughly letting the energy from your hands charge it up. When doen press down on the soil and place the stones in their respective places. The ares between the painted stones are filled smaller stones then you can place the persons picture or name in the center.
Chords of protection is a simple protection simple and I just love simplicity. For this you take a gfoot long red cord. In the Middle you say “With knot one this spells begun” then move to the left end and tie a knot saying “With knot two we shall see it though” Then go all the way to the right end and tie a knot saying “With knot three I gather energy” Then go back to the left between the central knot and the left end knot and tie a knot saying “With knot four protections at the core” Move back to the right again and between the central knot and right end knot tie a knot saying “With knot five protections come alive” Now move to the left between knot 2 and 4. Tie another knot and say “With knot six all harm is nixed” then you move right between knot 5 and 3. Tie another knot saying “with knot seven no harm will get in”. Now move left again and go between knots and 4 . tie a knot and say “With Knot eight I seal harm’s fate” Finally move right between knots one and five tie a knot and say “With Knot nine the last I tie no harmful intent will come nigh.”
(2)----(6)----(4)----(8)-----(1)-----(9)----(5)----(7)----(3)
Another quick shielding technique involves thirty minutes of your time, incense and a red or white candle. Light your incense and let the area permeate with safety. Let it also grow within you. Light your candle and focus on the flame. Draw the protective feeling deep within your body. Next focus on your heartbeat and then your blood and it’s travels through the body. Now take the protective energy within you and put it into your blood and have it flow freely through out. The protection is now within you.
Another quick and easy is get three red candles etch them with a symbol of protection and anoint them with a protection oil. Place them in triangular fashion. Light the first one saying “Lord and Lady I call upon thee with this first of candle three May protection be granted to ( persons name) Light the second candle saying “Thank You Lord and Lady for the protection offered to (Persons name) Finally light the third candle saying “I claim protection of the lord and lady with this third candles three. So mote it be , so mote it be”
Lamps and Lanterns are also useful. Mix the unscented lamp oil with these essential oils. 3 parts jasmine, 3 parts sandal wool, 1 part Tunisian opium, 1 part Somalian black rose, 1 part honeysuckle and 1 part patchouli. This could also be worn as a body oil for protection or put into a potpourri ring.
This review has given over but a sample of the protection magic offered in this book. I am copying other stuff down for my own book of shadows or grimoire. If you want to find out more read the book.


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Canadian Celts

Fellwater by Brendan Myers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Katie Corrigan and Eric LaFlamme are at a crucial point in their relationship. A make or brake point in time when Katie is questioning their relationship. When asked about the nature of their love Eric of course being the typical guy answers it the wrong way. This send Katie to a couple of clubs and a bar where in she meets a dark and handsome stranger. Carlo Di Angelo is his name. He is the leader of a hidden house that dates back from Roman times. He wants Katie to be part of his house as Katie has a special destiny. He invites her to his mansion and takes her to the inner temple. Where in she is given a special elixir that knocks her out cold and leaves her disoriented for several days.
Meanwhile someone breaks into Eric’s apartment and tries to kill him. Going on the run he steals a car and gets picked up by some corrupt cops. In jail he is interrogated by a corrupt attorney named Nicholas who claims that Katie has been engaged with Carlo for quite a while and that soon they are to be married. None of this makes sense to Eric. Coming to the rescue is the House of Brigantia. Some lady named M gets Eric out of the mess and also helps Katie.
What follows is a wild pursuit of Katie by Carlo and several threats against Eric’s life. Turns out that the House of brigantia is a celtic tribe that managed to create a mystical grove called Fellwater. Carlo sort of wants that as well. Along the way Katie finds out that she is pregnant with a child, all thanks to Carlo’s evil doing. Katie is also descended from the Morrigan, another ancient Celtic Goddess.
Carlo believe that he is Jupiter incarnate. He has big plans that could involve both Katie and the child whose name is Tara. At one point Carlo kidnaps the child and a magical rescue attempt ensues. This leads to battle between the Roman house of Di’Angelo and brigantia. Katie is also told by M that she is to succed her as Queen of the House of brigantia.
The battle is rough with man y dead of both side. The trees take part in the battle and some key characters die both during the battle and after the battle. Always interesting to know what one thinks death really means.
The book was over all very entertaining to read and thoroughly enjoyable especially if one is into Celtic mythology. It shows that the author has done some reading on the subject of Celtic lore but the book does not go entirely into depth, which for this piece of literature is appropriate. There are sequels planned and it will be interesting to see if the Celtic mythos are more thoroughly explored.


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Psychopomp of the Dead and the Thieves

Hermes Guide of Souls by Karl Kerényi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The book is classic especially to those who enjoy reading up on Greek mythology. The author who wrote the book passed on in the 1970’s and academic who was self-exiled from Hungary and lived out his days in Sweden. Yet the Greek God Hermes is alive and well. Hermes, the psychocpompos was active in the life of Karl Kerenyi, often times adding bits of fortune here and there and at other times sabotaging things.
Just who exactly was Hermes? or any of the other Greek Gods for that matter. Some modern scholars would narrowly define these gods as ideas or archetypes. Karl Kerenyi thought that they were more than idea or abstract personalities. The Gods were living beings and could be considered a world unto themselves. So Karl Kernyi goes about defining the lord Hermes.
Hermes is mentioned in the Iliad but not extensively as the Iliad is a story about fighting and wars. These are not the domain of Hermes. Destinies of war that are choses by men just are not his things. He is a god of luck, death and wild unplanned whim. He does soften the blow and instruct especially in thievery. When the slain are laying out of the battle field it is Hermes who summons their spirits to rise and follow him into the realm of the Dead or more apt to say Hades. That is what psychopomps do they guide you after you die. He also teaches Achilles how to enter the city of Troy and he helps a grieving father steal his son back.
Perhaps his best known area is depicted in the story of the Odyssey. This is a story of traveling or journeying not of wars. Hermes is a patron god of the roads and for travelers. The Odyssey is about Odysseus’s travel home. Travelers will move from place to place but they are adding more inches to their home as they travel. The Journey man will journey like he is floating in the wind never settling down permanently but always on the go with no ties. This nomadic existence seems to be Hermes specialty.
So far we have learned that Hermes is a guide to the dead, protector of travelers and now we shall learn that he is the master of trickery and the god of thieves. AS soon as he was born within days he steals Apollo’s sheep. Apollo confronts him but Hermes denies it. In the end Hermes is not only the lord of thieves but also the protector of cattle and sheep as Apollo appoints him that role. Hermes alos shows a cold heartedness to his nature by killing a turtle and making an instrument of it’s shell.
What are the real origins of Hermes? The Olympian mythology paints him as being the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia and growing up in a mountain cave of Cyllenica. In reality though he has rather pre Olympian origins that are rather obscure. In fact I would say that many deities have origins that are outside the Olympian tradition. Hermes may have had his origin in Northern Greece near Samothrace and Lemnos and might have been part of the pantheon Gods called the Cabiri.
Most Gods and Goddesses are paired up with someone, like Zeus with Hera, even if they are not entirely faithfull. Some diety couples do not last forever like Aphrodite and Haephestus. Hermes is not known for staying with one person. He gets it on with Artemis I and with Aphrodite II. The union with Aphrodite produces Hermaphrodite. People had Hermaphrodite statues in their homes and oft prayed to them and gave them gifts. There were also statues of Hermes designed to protect the home. Even Hecate showed her face in the home. Which leads us to the next Goddess he cavorted with.
Much like the maenad of Dionysus Hermes is seen as dancing with three nymphs. These nymphs are seen as being a representation of a three fold Goddess. The one who fits the bill is Hekate, Hekate is a psychomp like Hermes and she has wings. Both were worked with at the crossroads. Both in way were ambassadors to Hades. The Herms were altars at the crossroads with four corners. They marked property boundaries and lead to water. Offering were left there for Hermes.
It is a short book one that I finished in a day yet is totally loaded with information. Quite the enjoyable read. Definitely want to read more of this author’s work.


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History of the Jedi

The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force by Daniel Wallace
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It is said that the fastest or at least one of the fastest growing faiths in Britain right now is the Jedi faith. It must mean that there are books about Jedi spirituality out there just waiting to be read by the avid seeker. Sadly this book is not one of them, although I expected it to be so. This book while not being what I would call a bad book left me a bit disappointed on several fronts.
For a kindle book it did not look like a kindle format but rather it looked like someone scanned in the pages of a fancy book. None of the usual kindle feature worked with it either. Such function would include high lighting and sharing to your facebook account. Another problem that faced this book in both kindle and printed format was the shortness or brevity of the book. Glance at the number of pages in this book and you will see what I mean. For such a short book the price was very high as well. Most books averaging 9.99 and if they are of few pages they will even be cheaper.
While not offering the spiritual seeker much it does have some value documenting the history of the Jedi for kids. Now we all know that the Jedi universe is not comprised solely of the vision of George Lucas but that of several other authors who have made their contributions. Let us clear up something else while we are at it. In the original scheme of things Darth Vader was not Annikin Skywalker. Much like the original premise in the first movie where Luke was informed that his father was killed by a young apprentice Darth Vader, the original story has Annikin named as Annikin Starkiller and he is a top notch fighter who gets killed by Darth Vader.
The book itself documents the historical rise of the Jedi on their home planet. They soon branch out and are forced to flee when there is the first of several wars involving the Sith. Their main academy is on Coruscant. The book gives a brief insight onto the Jedi philosophy and describes the path from beginning to end of the Jedi. Starting with the younglings who chosen at a very young age and then going through the Padawan stage, knighthood and then finally being a Jedi master. The book describes life inside the training center. Jedi do not just fight. Some are healers, some philosophers, other work with farming techniques. Alo on discussion are some applications of the force, sabre techniques and how a young Padawan would go about building their own light sabre. The book has several informative diagrams and illustrations that assist the reader in comprehending the material and light sabre techniques.
Through out the book are scrolling and notes left by previous Jedi knights who had studied the book. I do not know if this is supposed to make one believe the book is authentic or not but I took it as a joke like something to be laughed at. Well if you are looking for a history and over view of the Jedi then this book would be one for you to get.


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Hunting Vampires Over the Ages

The Vampire Hunters' Casebook by Peter Haining
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Standing at about 363 pages this book has sections of different vampire stories giving the reader an anthology of sample to peruse and read. Stories are excerpted from the likes of Bram Stoker, Anne Rice and Robert Block. THe most famous Vampire hunter is always Abraham Van Helsing.He features in several stories fighting off the undead. I think in one version he loses it to a pretty girl. Van Helsing is not always fighting against Dracula. Sometimes is is new vampires. Not bad for an old man.

Some of the stories are pulled from Camilla and Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. Camilla is a female vampire that has been around for ages until she finally meets her match. In Rice's little section. Rampling Gate is a caste in the English countryside with a town set up around it. The father wanted it destroyed for some strange reason.In the end they do not destroy it but let it and the vampire living there remain. Guess not all vampires are bad. Some stories involve reincarnation. One lady was turned into a vampire thus freeing her soul into reincarnation. When she comes back during the 70's she cofronts the vampire who stole her body centuries ago. Another story involves espionage with the German Government putting Vampires in London to create an army of the undead to undermine Great Britain's army as young men of fighting age are turned to vampires. A nice fight happens in the German consulate. Still another story involves the deat of a werwolf witch who comes back as a vampire.

To say the least the stories are interesting and in most cases hard to find. If you are a hardcore fan of vampire literature then this book is for you, it will give you an avenue leading to some older vamp literature.Old lit shows the newbies how it should be done Vampires were not always these sexy hot guys and gal with fangs. They were the undead who smelled like a rotting corpse. They never went about in daylight and they certainly did not sparkle like diamonds. Holy water, crucifixes and garlic still kill these guys. Oh yeah and the vampires of old can shapeshift into animals, mist and what not. They can even control animals. Vampires have changed a lot since the old days. I like the old ones better.

A note before I go. Vampires share many characteristics with shamans, wizards and even faeries. Shamans and wizards can shapeshift into the form of different animals. They can even control animals while some have been known to levitate. Faeries cannot stand iron and neither can vampires. The Shamans of Europe believe that we had an astral body of sorts that could travel about separated from the physical body. Tthe old lore of vampires believed that the astral body sometimes hung around after death to keep itself intact it fed off blood. Think of the succubus and incubus who seduced people in their sleep and drank their blood.


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Heart Warming Channukah Story

Nine Spoons: A Chanukah Story by Marci Stillerman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A wonderful little children's book that can be read in an hour. Gives a great over view for children about Jewish culture and the experience of a comunity under duress. Oma the grandmother tells a story of her childhood experience in the concentation camp. Nights before Channukah it is snowing out and the people want to celebrate channukah. A craftswoman who sews clothes and workes well with her hand is given the task. But she needs nine spoons in order to craft her menorah. Spoons are like gold and people do not part with them easily. So the race is on to find the spoons. Will they make it? Along the way miracles occur. People show solidarity by giving up their precious spoons. SOme are found by miracle on the ground and some are pilfered from Nazis. The community is involved but they must do it without the Nazi guards finding out.

A heartwarming story about solidarity and community unity in the face of adversity. Enjoy

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Feeding into Darkness

Embracing the Darkness: Understanding Dark Subcultures by Corvis Nocturnum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Just got through reading “Embracing the Darkness” by Corvis Nocuturnum. Got it as a digital loan from Amazon. Suffice to say this is one book I will heartily recommend with no reservations although there is some room for improvement. The book serves as a guide and explanation of the various dark cultures and it explains them in good depth by use of historical explanation and interviews. The book is a real eye opener for white lighters or someone totally unfamiliar with the various scenes.ie Wiccans and Christians.
For someone like me who has read up quite a bit on dark cultures there is nothing new here or not much but that should not detract from the books value. As it does turn you on to some great new reading material, organizations and recorded music. I only wish I could go more in depth with this book. The kindle edition does suffer rather greatly in some areas from poor editing. They should brush up on that.

Dark cultures are often times misunderstood. People dressing in black with multiple piecing and being into vampires and magic is rather a turn off for most and that is because they do not understand the dark cultures. Life is filled with pain more so for some than others. To strengthen ourselves we must not deny our shadow self but embrace it to make ourselves whole. The diffent sub cultures do not fit into tiny little boxes but rather they over lap. A Goth is not just a goth but could be a Satanist and a vampire at the same time.

The first culture to be discussed is Goth or Gothic. The author seems to feel that most people who dress in black are poseurs who into it just to be chic. No less I remember Goth coming out in the 80’s and being a heavy metaller myself did not pay them too much mind. These people tended to be quiet and melancholy realizing that life was not all fun and games. That was ok. There were two types of Goths . The Apollonian Goths tended to be more quiet and withdrawn gravitating towards creativity. Apollo was the god of poetry. Dionysian Goths were the wild party types. The movement sort of faded out and has recently resurfaced. The old schoolers do look upon the newbies with a measure of disdain but the internet could help bridge that gap.

The next area he dives into is dark pagan. Those Pagans who like to work at night with darker and more Cthonic deities. Some Ceremonial Magicians definitely fall into this and even fewer Wiccans. Goddesses like Hecate, Erkigal and other dark goddess form are worked with as are gods like Hades and Loki. There is an interview with an follower of Asatru or those who follow the Norse way. The Norse path is often frowned upon by a false notion of being associated with the Nazis. The curse of anything being Germanic. Asatru followers are a warrior path that believe in living with strength and honor. One of my favorites Konstantinos and John Coughlin are mentioned and quoted as sources but missing are the likes of Raven Digitalis and Edred Thorrson …Oh come on.

The next subset is Vampyre. Some Vampyres do like to drink blood and they are Sanguinarian Vampyres, but most tend to feed off of people’s extra psychic energy. Temple of the Vamire is interviews along with Michelle Belanger and Father Sebastian. I have read the works of Father Sebastian and Michelle Belanger both of whom disdain blood drinking and believe in energy consumption. Michelle is into straight up energy work wile Father Sebastian is a fang smith who like high ritual. Temple of the Vampire does believe in elitism and their ideology borrows heavily from Anton La Vey’s Church of Satan.

Which leads to the next subset. Satanism. No this is not devil worship where babies and animals are slaughtered on an altar. That is a false notion. Anton La Vey found the church of Satan and as followers of the Left Hand Path they are into deifying the self and not giving their power away to other deities. They believe that a certain class of higher evolved individuals will bee drawn to their ideology. With a disdain for weakness they frown upon begging for charity and giving t the undeserving. People want to enjoy things then they must earn it.

BDSM and Dark metal are covered next. Tying someone up and spanking them is viewed by many as a form of violence. In fact quite the opposite it is performed with consenting adults as a form of play and therapy. Safe words are installed to stop things from going too far. Black Metal or Death metal with heavy guitar riffs and dark lyrics is another dark culture. Starting out in Scandinavian countries it is associated with Church Burnings.The band members of varying bands have connections to Asatru, Satanism and Vampirism.

The Last area covered are the groups that help victims of abuse. There are several and people in dark cultures do need organization to help them with drug addiction, drug abuse and child abuse and they need it from a non judgemental indivividual who understands their background.

Definitely want to read more of this author’s works and I hope he comes out with more in depth material. I will read

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