The Witch of Auldearn

 

Bitter Magic

Nancy Kilgore

In Audearn  Scotland around the 1800's when catholics and protestant were still at each other's throat there lived in Scotland a certain cunning woman named Isobel Gowdie. This women had commerce wit the faery queen and king. Her charms would heal just about an sickness. In the end she was accused of practicing witchcraft and using baneful magic to harm her neighbors. Held in a tower witches were imprisoned, denied food and sleep and ultimately tortured. In the end everyone confesses just o escapre the torture, because once one was accused they were automatically considered guilty. The people of Auldearn were beyond dirt poor. they lived in hovels with mud as a floor. Oftentimes there was not enough food to feed the starving children. In each of these villages there was a lord who sort of owned everything. If there was a shortage they would often plunder from the peasants. the peasants were often oppressed by the lords and their only recourse was magic.

Nancy Kilgore did some serious research for this book, she researched Isobel Gowdie and Scottish witchcraft. She also studied the coventers who were part of the reformation. People's view on faeries and magic was in the process of change. Some of the religous people felt that the only power on earth was that of god and that devils and faeries was the stuff of mere fantasy. Other moched both religion and magic. Many of the Lutherans and presbyterians believed that Catholicism was filled wit superstition and the magic was a result of that. During this time there was much upheaval and the English had nominal control over scotland.

The story itself centers around three women. The first and most obvious  is Isobal Gowdie. Next is Margaret she is the eldest daughter of the Hays family.  Third is Katherine Collerace who is a deeply religious and compassionate woman who believes strongly in god and in kindness. For Margaret this is a journey into another world. Meeting with her friend Henrietta is a meeting that will change her life forever. As she was riding wit her horse she has a chance encounter with Isobel Gowdie. they exchange a few words and then as she is about to go back to her castle she hears the rustle of hooves . The MacDonald's raid the village an steal  plenty of crops and cattle. At this point Margaret's life will change drastically. Her friend Henrietta is kidnapped and she meets and English soldier named Andrew.  The English soldiers are tasked wit rescuing Henrietta but cannot find her. As the search progresses the soldier and Henrietta develop a courtship.   No one can find her until Isobel gowdie uses her second sight. That is when her friend is found. This prompts more meeting between Isobl and Margarete. Margarete explores the reals of magic with Isobel. She learn charms to heal sick people and she gets great insight into the world of magic. But things come to end when isobel is accused of witchcraft and confesses. No one knows for sure the ultimate fate of the accused witch but the ending does put a more positive spin on things.

The Devil and the Witch

 Magic at the Crossroads

By Kate Frueller 

The Witch and the Devil the two most iconic and evil characters in literature. Going back to the beginning both were depicted in the most vile way. As time rolls by their image in literature improves. The witch who was once portrayed as an old hag who lived out in the forest and performed spells to harm mankind. Having made a pact with the devil it was her undivine mission to harm mankind. The Devil was the highest angel who was cast out due to his pride and arrogance. Often he was portrayed at a beast with cloven hoof and horns. Over time their image and meaning have improved. Kate frueller does just that and more in this awesome and ground breaking work. Not only is she covering the two iconic images in literature and history but she also delves into witchcraft and Satanism often times standing two parallel elements side by side which often times have conflated meaning . The paths of Satanism and Witchcraft are two different path that have often interwined with each other. 

The witch has definitely changed over time. In the olden days she was portrayed as an evil hag. Lately though she is being portrayed in a more positive manner. Now she is being portrayed an young and good looking and is usin her magic for the benefit of mankind. For women she is seen as a rebel going against the oppressive patriarchy and rules that should be overturned and changed. Witches are now seen as social warriors fighting for the good of mankind. In fact witches have been showing up for protests that are all about immigrant rights, abortion rights etc. You name it and they have been doing spells for this end.

The Devil once seen as evil has also gone through an overhaul.  During different periods of time he has been pictured in a variety of different way.  Now he is seen as a liberator, rebel an warrior. He fights for freedom, womens rights. He is the opposer and the light bringer. The Devil can also be seen as a seductive force leading one o follow ones will in defiance of outdated taboos. The Devil is the one who tells you take care of yourself.

Exactly where did witchcraft begin ? well witches have been with us for ages , ever since the first civilizations of mankind. The witch even back in Sumerian times would be called upon to work her magic, usually for healing and for fertility. Sometimes the witch would do baneful magic for hire.   While he witch was called upon for healing and such she was also feared because she was powerful. If one offended a witch one could be sure they would experience bad luck. If someone experienced bad luck they would usually blame the local witch. This fear carried into the middle ages with the burning times. Everyone feared the witch had had something to do with their misfortune. It was during the burning times that mostly women but also some men were burned or hung after weeks of being tortured and denied food. A mere accusation could get one thrown in prison. There were laws passed against Witchcraft. Eventually as society became more enlightened the laws against witchcraft were repealed.

What are the origins of the devil ? That is a good question. In the old days there was no evil incarnate. Gods like humans had both good and evil traits. Set was Osiris's evil brother.  Lord of foreigner and desert, good old Seth was a master of Chaos. he could also be a trickster god. Papa Legba could also be a devil prototype. He was a shape shifter and a trickster.  Or maybe Hades the greek God of the underworld.  In the Hebrew Bible he is called the Satan which means the opposer. He was a servant of god meant to test the loyalty of mankind and then give his report. Lucifer means "Morning Star"   he was called the light bringer or a giver of knowledge. The Mornin Star used to refer to the planet Venus which is associated with Venus or Aphrodite. Could it be that the devil was once a womon.

Satanism is a spiritual form of atheism that does no believe in the spirit realm or in any deities. It is more of an attitude that says take care of yourself and your needs first. It is ok to be selfish and indulge in the things you love. No one should be allowed to dim your light. Rituals are a form of psycho drama that strive for a release of psychic o mental forces. The Rituals tend to be rather simple. Wicca or witchcraft believes that the spiritual world exists  and depending on the tradition gods and goddesses.  No one knows what witchcraft looked like back in the day. When Gerald Gardner introduced witchcraft to the world it had many elements of Ceremonial Magic thrown in. Groups that venerated the devil went through their progressions as well. Mostly with groups trying to break the mold.

The book has rituals, recipes , symbols and spells that could be used by either witch or Satanist.  There is a huge difference between the Black Mass and the Witch's Sabbath.

The Hidden History of Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison : Secret Teacher of the Occult

By Paul Wyld

 If there was a bible to Jim Morrison's life and how to be like him I would say the best go to book would be "No One Here Get's Out Alive"  . This book somehow gets into the nooks and crannies of Jim's life and somehow manages to garner some occult secrets.  It is common knowledge among Jim's fans that he was impacted immensely by the death of native American Children he saw lying dead on the road after a traffic accident. He believed one o the souls entered him and lived through him.  It could have been the source of his divine madness. Jim could be classified as one of those poet thinkers who sa away rom the crowd and sought mysical wisdom. He was meant to open the doors to the mystical world and lead others to it.  While in high school he would devour many written works penned by many great thinker and poets. He would read Nietze, Rimbaud, Zeligman,  T.E Lawrence and many others. He spend high school in Alameda wit his girlfriend Tandy Martin. His father was in the navy and wa a hihly decorated officer as well, Jim and his dad did no get along too well. In fat they were polar opposites.  Whie his dad was tightly would and uber disciplined, Jim was wild and unruly .

These prophetic poets often times were isolated from everyone else.  Poets and mystics try to develop something called faculty "X"  According to Colin Wilson this faculty is the laten power in human beings to reach beyond the present. It gives them a glimpse into another world, the world of the subconscious. Jim saw his role as helping humanity wake up and shake off the shackles of society and pursue thei enlightened dreams.  Often times these messianic mystics are persecuted by those that want to remain asleep and by those who want everyone to remain asleep. This could be evidenced by the way Jim had all those run ins with law enforcement. Messianic people often had a masochistic streak. Jim would often confront people without having the intention of hurting them. .T.E Lawrence could also endure lots of pain and seemed  relish in it.

In all much o what yo read here can be found in" No One Here Get's Out Alive"  but I was unaware o Jim's dealings with he occult. Jim read Seligman's  "History of Magic and the Occult" and Colin Wilson's "The Occult" when he wsas in high school and had no idea that they strongly influenced him.  Of Course he one time married a witch named Patricia. Jim was a Dionysian mystic o poet which meant that he reached ecstacy and wisdom through strong drink and physical exertion and relations.  If you are a fan of Jim and the Occult this book is one you will enjoy.

A Quick Guide to Working with Angels

 Raziel's Paths of Power volume 1

 72 angels of the name

 by Jarreth Tempest

Follow is a simple path working to reach the angels. the first angels will work with Israel; the author depicts the angel as a She. Once you start with Raziel you wait a moment to get a response then you choose the angel you want to work with you, the path working for that angel and you say its name and you wait for a response from that angel. Raziel is the guide; he is the psychopomp. Here is a sample ritual that you can use at one close your eyes step two think about the time you have messed up or been foolish step 3 imagine your Divinity approaching. next you say the name which in this example is na ka eeahoheh. Then you imagine the deity spreading throughout your heart and body knowing that you and God are one and you can act with the divine Authority.  Motions work very strongly with magic when you can write an invocation for an angel that includes an intense amount of their feelings with the situation being described. one can also leave offerings not just food or drink but other things like incense candles different objects flowers are also good some people don't like fruit because fruit rots and the angels don't really eat it but the offerings are kind of like extra credit you don't really have to do it either by the way Angels do not like bodily fluids but they do like wine though. and important note about magic you must create a pathway in the physical world for the magic to manifest itself for example if you want a job you have to fill out a resume new job applications dress up and go out for job interviews or you have to be invest in the stock market or some other investment it's not going to happen just on its own just because you invoked an angel. here are some examples of pathworkings. they are very simple.

The first  One is Raziel. You can start off by pronouncing his name Raziel. your past working is inside a dark cave a waterfall at the exit of the cave in the distance at the exit the sun shines through the waterfall creating rainbows a light filled Forest of pine trees. rossio helps you grow in wisdom guide you through the inner world in the dark Mysteries and he reveals the secrets about your life and Magic you can free you from your old ways of thinking and increase your second abilities he also guide you to other spirits 

The next angel I chose to document here is Chahoel or Kah Haw El. His path working is dark clouds gathering rain falls in the dust a muddy puddle.  This Angel helps you connect to your personal magic and the energies in the world around you you can also help you develop your magic repel Vermin and thieves and help you trust in yourself as a magician.

You know that I like to work with is Hahael The path working is a dog walks through a field a dove freezes and listens for danger she runs into the forest stunning Stillness and silence. how's powers are showing you where you need to go Bringing peace to build a home helping with politics and trade and help create wealth out of your knowledge and intuition and he gives definitive answers

The angel Shahael Angel that will help you heal and recover from illness increase your energy and maintain your health or help you start a new Venture thus increasing your passion of life so you can Thrive rather than survive the path working as a tall strong Mountain black storm clouds low in the sky the clouds Collide into the mountain the storm piles up against the mountain unable to pass.

Examples of working with angels people have found Angels be very powerful allies to work with this path is simple not too complicated not too expensive and be useful for most people 

A History of Witches

 

The Witch’s Chronicle: a History of Witchcraft 

By Cerridwen Maeve 

A book about the history of witches it is a perfect book for Muggles, children and people with no exposure to witchcraft. This book deals with the history of witchcraft starting All the Way from beginning of time back to the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt were priest in religious workers doubled as magical workers during the day helping people solve their problems . Whereas magic  could be seen as a force for good. It could also be seen as a force for evil because if you got one of these magical workers really angry, they could use magic against you. Magic also plays out during the great times as we go much later in two history Hecate was the main goddess of the witches for the Greeks and she’s featured in many mythologies and once again the witch is seen as someone who can do good and someone who can do great evil turns men in the pigs sorcery also had a place in the Roman emperor were magic were called upon to do various things but also at times with craft was condemned and witches were killed basically. The attitude against witches carried over into the times of early Christianity, where we enter into the dark ages. Pagan traditions, often filtered through into the religion, and they were accused of being witchcraft. As you progressed to the middle ages, we have the witch hunts. The most famous of these is the Salem witch trials the Penndel witch Trials And they went across America and Europe. There were known as the burning times influential in these witchhunt was the malleus Mallleus Malificorum Corum. It told the witch hunters how do identify witch and how to hunt for witches. Often times the victims of these witch hunts were elderly women who had property and no other family to protect them so the main thing was against women. Remember that Christianity taught that women were easy targets for the devil they were prone to sin and subject to temptation it was very easy to accuse someone of being a witch. The evidence was often spectrum meaning that there was nothing to back it up, and it was often based on someone’s visions as things progress and science took over and the enlightenment took over people demanded a more rational approach. people were not so suspicious as to be afraid of witchcraft and eventually witchcraft trial subsided, and the laws against witchcraft were repealed. The image of the witch changes over time at first it was an evil person. Then the witch becomes a symbol of resistance of sexuality and a more positive connotations Many different cultures are using their magic as a form of resistance and cultural identification they are trying to resist the pole, the dominant culture to make them erase their culture once again a great book for beginners someone who who is just new to the history of witchcraft and it’s a great children’s book

Martians Among Us ?

 

The Martians: evidence of life on the red planet.  

By : nick Redfern

Lately with the probes landing on Mars and taking photographs on some really strange things and with Elon Musk talking about settling Mars with a colony of human by the year 2015 Mars has been a topic of interest. The big question is can life be sustained on Mars or has there been life on Mars in the past . Author Nick Redfern believes that life on Mars has been there in the past and that it was rather intelligent, probably more advance than we are today. He furthermore believes that some of these Martians left the planet Mars and settled down here on earth, which is why some of the human beings have an Rh negative blood.

There have been connections with Mars in the past some of the most notable connections are in the work of fiction. The author of Gulliver‘s travels wrote a book in which he documented two moons rotating around Mars. This was well before we even knew that Mars had two moons orbiting around it Also other authors have speculated that their pyramids on Mars and they’re oboist on Mars and it turned out they were correct some people believe that Martians in the past or in the present were sending us signals that could be radio signals given to someone like Nicola Tesla, who is a great inventor he believed he heard signals from Mars Other people have also heard communication for ours from their radio, or they have heard it through a psychic connection. Remote viewing has also been employed to explore the surface of Mars besides, the Rover and other pros are going around collecting information about Mars. One person is named Ingo Swann and he was one of the people who was given a assignment to remote viewing of Mars there were several others in this as well, and they would view the surface of Mars, both the past and the present, and they would also view our moon And the moons on Mars and what they found was rather interesting. They saw pyramids obelisk. They also saw a huge spider, light creature, a face, hugging, alien, tight creature and long tall Spinley people walking around Mars of course this was in the past there’s an area in Mars called Cydonia, which has pyramids very similar to what is an Egypt also a sphinx or a dog like creature very similar to Egypt they also found a structure very similar to Stonehenge on Mars. These are rather interesting fines, which is at a connection between Mars and earth in the past they’re various theories as to how and why the Martian civilization got wiped out One speculations at asteroids from the asteroid belt, came hurtling towards the planet and destroyed it. Another speculation at the Martians were a war like people who use nuclear weapons on each other and wiped out their planet yet a third speculation states that the asteroids destroyed their planet what was left of Martian civilization turned on each other with nuclear warheads. Some of the Martians that made their way to earth may have established colonies in our planet and they may have Wage War on each other. One of the most spectacular examples of this is in the Bible when they talk about Sodom and Gomorrah the way he describes could be nothing else, but nuclear warheads. There’s a final theory that states at the Martun came down to Earth along side. Some ultra terrestrial are an alternative human race that is living underground and they decided that they’re gonna live here and they take common cause against us because we’re such violent people so we could be sharing the planet with Martians and with people in an underground civilization or more advanced than we are but only by a little bit This book is juicy. It has lots of information. I really enjoy reading Nick Redfern‘s work. I certainly look forward to reading more of his books and find them more about life on Mars.

Advocating For Israel?

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 October 2023 mraked a turning point for me and how I relate to Israel and the middle east.  In fact I think it goes for many Jews and non Jews alike. Many of us felt that the Israeli -Palestinian conflict was one of mutual blame to both sides . I condemned the settlers as well as Hamas.  A conflict requires two sides. Israel might do a land grab o make it really tough for Palestinians to move around Gaza or Israel. This of course would raise frustration, hence the rise of terror. I felt that in some instances the Palestinians were right to resist . The suicide bombing and other attacks against civilians were not act of resistance but pure terror aimed at murdering as many Jews as possible. My view has shifted after the brutal attacks of 10/7 and how the hostages were treated to viewing the Palestinians as the main cause of the conflict.

This authoress would staunchly disagree with me, which is not a bad thing. In fact it might be a good thing. I you ever want to find the solution to a problem you need multiple points of view.  She is more entitled o her opinion than I am of mine as she has livd though it all first person. She was raised in Brooklyn, New York in the chassidic neighborhood.  Brought up a nice religious girl she attended Chinuch where in her teacher named Tomer ran a class on Israel and Zionism. According to her he parroted the company line saying that the state of Israel was all good and the arabs were bad and how it was justified for the Jews or Zionists were entitled to the whole land. they needed it as a safe haven for Jews.  

My upbringing was different. Raised in the permissive climes of So Cal. I was raised eating cheeseburgers, bacon and shrimp dinners. My only Jewish education was Hebrew School thre times a wek which did not leave me with a good impression. I did not fully become Jewish until 10 years after my Bar mitzvah. It was there that I was introduced to Israeli education or should  say propoganda. Tagar programs and other programs funded by Israel in the Jewish agency often had the feeling that they were trying to make you g impressionable Jews into mouth pieces for Israel. For some it worked and others it did not.

Israel's possession of the land is justified on some major arguments. The first argument states that jews are inherently good and can do no wrong. Whenever Jews hear about a crime o the news sometimes the reaction is . No way could a Jew do something lke that. Of course we are astonished when a jew does commit a crime. Sometimes we are guilty of helping cover it up or lookin the other way. The other argument is that Palestinians are ba people who are out to destroy the jewish people. Of course there is good an bad in everyone. After witnessing October 7 and the joyous reaction of every Gazan I begin to wonder. Anytime Israel is criticized it is chalked up to antisemitism. Let us be frank. Sometimes criticism is justified and other times not. Jews have been one of the most persecuted if not the most in all of history. Cetain levels of mistrust and paranoia can be expected from a group that has gone though so much.

the premise of Zionism is the Jews must live in the historical land of Israel and must have the majority. This is based on our fear of persecution and while it may not be balanced tht is what persecution does to you. This could lead to racism and trying to dehumanze the other.  The argument goes that it was a land without a people and the Jews were a people without a land. Perfect marriage, save fo the fact tha people were livin there. When Jews first started settling the land it belonged to the Ottoman empire.  Neither Zionist nor Palestinian owned it . The province of Palestine was Ottoman territory.

Like many Jews Elana has had a journey unpacking her religious upbringing and realizing the pain her people have caused others by settling the land and dispossessing Palestinians. In fat her view like many on the Israeli left view it not as a conflict but rather Palestinians resisting a brutl occupation. She has children in the IDF. She is proud of there service and dedication to the people of Israel as the army instills many positive values. At the same time she decries the way the IDF is forced to treat Palestinians in an inhumane fashion. She also decries the way the government wantonly uses teh soldiers for political ends without safeguarding there welfare.

While I do not share this author's view at the moment. I still feel it is an important work. It is a book that talks back to the culture that the author was raised in. Yes it is important to question your culture an analyze where it is right or wrong. Israel has a lot of work to do, as do other countries. Women need more empowerment, there is racism in Israel and it is not against just Arabs but also against other Jews.  The right wong and the left wing are at each others throats.  The country s divided and Netanyahu miht be the biggest dividing factor.

Elana's unpacking has caused her to reach out to other organizations where in Palestinians and Israelis try to help eah other and share there pain. It teaches how to dialogue and hold space for the other one ho is on a different side. Such wok is important. After all this conflict is said and done we will be returning to the negotiating table and we will be talking and empathizing with the other. Then this work will be of much more importance.