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Medieval Catholic Christian Magical Incantations: Historiolae or Narrative Charms During the Middle Ages, magical incantations were a popular means to ameliorate suffering and reduce fear. One such form of incantation was the narrative charm, based on a short mythical or legendary story. The mythical story (or narrative) provided the paradigm and context for the desired magical result. A narrative charm could be recited orally for the benefit of the recipient, or it could be used in a textual amulet. Modern scholars also refer to narrative charms as historiolae. The historiolae contained brief anecdotes about sacred, legendary, or mythic personages who had suffered in ways that foreshadowed the current sufferings of a person in the present day. These anecdotes therefore could metaphorically erase the barriers of time and space; past and present were no longer separate entities. Like the mythical personage featured in the charm, people who turned to such narratives held firm the hope of...

The Medieval Grimoire "The Picatrix" on the Colors and Pigments of the Zodiacal Sign of Aries The Picatrix (or in Arabic Ghāyat al-Ḥakīm) is an early medieval book of magick, astrology, and alchemy (an early form of chemistry). In the study of esotericism and the magickal arts, this book has been used for centuries as a grimoire, as well as an important historical source text. One section of the book is dedicated to describing the colors associated with the Zodiac signs, and how to make inks, pigments, and paints corresponding to those colors. The instructions for the sign of Aries are as follows (some of these substances are toxic, so do not try this at home!): "§13 The color of the first face of Aries is red and is made thus: take one part each of oak gall, gum arabic, and orpiment. Grind them up separately, then mix them together. When you desire to write or paint anything with it, combine it with egg whites." [The word "Orpiment" is an elision of the L...

A Simple Yet Effective Grounding Meditation Exercise 1. Sit or stand in a comfortable position, with your back straight but not rigid. 2. Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose. When you are ready, breathe out through your nose, and relax. 3. Proceed to let your breath flow slowly and naturally without pause - in and out. Breathe calmly and without restriction. 4. Gently focus your attention on your root chakra at the base of your spine. 5. Imagine a connection opening up between your root chakra and the Earth. This connection can take many forms and can be different each time you practice. Some like to visualize it as a tree trunk or roots, a hollow bamboo stalk, a silver tube, a beam of light, a flow of menstrual blood, and so on. 6. Visualize this energetic connection extending from your root chakra down into Mother Earth, passing through the crust and bedrock, deep into the planet's molten mantle or metallic core. 7. Once you have formed this connection, allow any overwh...

The Ahl al-Bayt are the Door to the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge An excerpt from Nahjul Balagha (Peak of Eloquence) by Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (s.a.): "Remember, that we are the Ahl al-Bayt of the Holy Prophet. We are his true companions; we are trustees and treasurers of the knowledge granted to him and we are the doors through which one can reach this store-house of wisdom and learning. It is unlawful to enter a house but through its door, and he who disregards this principle is a trespasser or a thief. "The Ahl al-Bayt own and possess in their deeds and words the excellence and nobleness which the Holy Qur'an preaches. They are the treasure-houses of the Mercy and Benevolence of God, and they are the sources from which real wisdom and true knowledge, destined by Him for man, can be obtained. "Their (successors of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.)) speeches contain nothing but truth. If they do not speak about any subject, it is not because they do not know anything abou...

Answering Questions with the Pendulum - A Method of Divination Get a blank page of copy paper and draw a line down the middle or diagonally across. Ask your pendulum to show you which side means "Yes"; and after that, ask your pendulum to show you which side means "No." Write these words on their proper sides of the page, in accordance with the pendulum's movements.  For the next few days, periodically ask the pendulum to show you Yes and No on this piece of paper. Once you are feeling comfortable with this procedure, think of a question you want to ask and go to sleep. Sleep until you feel refreshed - do not attempt this exercise while you are tired, otherwise your results may be inaccurate.  Upon waking up, as soon as you can, sit down with your piece of paper and pendulum. Say, "Universal Mind, whenever I ask a question and the answer is Yes, you will cause this pendulum to move in the direction of Yes." Then command it to move in the required direc...

The Metaphysical Origins of Amber: Healing Stone of Divine Tears Helios was the ancient Greek god of the Sun, who drove the solar chariot across the sky. When his son, Phaëthon, attempted to drive the chariot without his father's permission, he lost control of the horses and drove the sun towards the Earth. Zeus had to strike down the chariot with a lightning bolt in order to save the Earth from burning up. The Milky Way was thus formed by the scorched path of the Sun across the sky. Phaëthon fell to his death, and his sisters, the seven Heliades, grieved and mourned for four months. The gods turned the sisters into poplar trees, and their tears into amber, which often washes up on the Baltic shores. According to Apollonius of Rhodes, in his Argonautica, the Celts said that the amber drops are the tears of Apollo himself, after his banishment by Zeus to the land of the Hyperboreans. Among the Norse and Vikings, amber was believed to be the tears of Freyja, the goddess of love and b...

A Theosophical and Esoteric Interpretation of the Zoroastrian Karshipta Bird The ancient Zoroastrian scripture named Vendidad or Vidēvdād (“The Law Repudiating the Demons”) mentions a holy bird sent to humanity by God (Ahura Mazda), for the purpose of bringing to them the true religion of Mazda. This holy bird was named Karshipta (sometimes spelled Karshipt, Karshift, or Karšift, from the Avestan Karšiptar). "O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One!  Who is he who brought the Religion of Mazda into the Vara (Enclosure) which Yima made? Ahura Mazda answered: ‘It was the bird Karshipta, O holy Zarathushtra!’" - Vendidad 2:42 According to the Bundahishn, chapters 19 and 24, "The bird Karshipta dwells in the heavens: were he living on the earth, he would be the king of birds... He brought the Religion into the Vara of Yima, and recites the Avesta in the language of the birds." Theosophist H.P. Blavatsky, in Volume 2 of her Secret Doctrine, offers an esoteric interp...

Transformative Effects of Out-of-Body Experiences Out-of-body experiences often result in the following transformative effects: - Spiritual awakening or divine revelation - An expanded concept of Self which extends beyond the physical world - Increased interest in (or motivation for) a personal search for knowledge and wisdom - Increased awareness of spiritual connection or interconnectedness - Increased respect and appreciation for life - Reduction in feelings of anger, hostility, or violence - Greater awareness and expanded concept of reality - Increased sense of responsibility toward others as well as oneself - Increased self-respect and self-love - Personal verification of the immortality of the soul or consciousness - Impactful psychological changes due to personal encounters with spiritual beings, deceased loved ones, or spirit guides Have you experienced any of the above after astral projection or lucid dreaming? Please let us know in the comments! Originally posted on our Rando...