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March 29 through April 4, 2021

The astrological weather is pretty calm this week, with only one significant change on the agenda. Monday's Libra Moon brings love and relationships to the forefront, so if you're in the middle of any conflicts in that arena, now is the time to get those straightened out. A Scorpio Moon prevails Tuesday and Wednesday, setting a rather intense tone. You could find yourself caught up in the details of a highly focused project, but take care not to miss the forest for the trees and stay alert to what's going on around you! The workweek ends under a Sagittarius Moon, and you may finally feel like you're all caught up! Maybe for the first time in two months! Enjoy the lull, as things will pick up again next week. Mercury will move into Aries on Saturday, and you could find yourself going down the internet rabbit hole with how-to videos on YouTube or researching your family tree. Either way, there's a pull to learn more with this Mercury placement, so enjoy surfing the intellectual highway! Saturday and Sunday unfold with a Capricorn Moon overhead, making this a most productive and satisfying weekend!

Elemental Powers: Energies vs. Spirits, by Frater Barrabbas

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

In my book Elemental Powers for Witches, I have seemingly merged energies and spirits together in my approach to working with elemental powers. Some might find this strange and even a bit exotic, but there is a reason for approaching an energy working using both the qualities of energies and also spirits. It is really a matter of complexity versus simplicity. In the real world in which we live, everything is always more complex than we might initially suppose. Gender, once perceived as binary, is actually more complex. The ethical division of values into either good or evil is an over simplification, since the world doesn't seem to comply with that kind of binary perspective. The same is true for much of what we have learned and seem to know.

This problem of complexity can also be found in the occult and in magic in general. We typically approach magic using models and tables of correspondences that are useful, but represent over-simplifications of what is a very complex and nearly indescribable reality. The conscious view of the world of magic, spirit, and magical powers will often use symbolic metaphors as tools to describe and manipulate psychic events; but, as useful as these tools are, they are not to be confused with what they are describing or emulating. The model or metaphor is not the actual phenomenon. It is a method of describing the indescribable. That means that the revelation of truth, or what is behind everything within the guise of magic is hidden in plain sight—it is the inexplicable experience of magic itself.

Accurately describing the experiences that one undergoes within a magical working can only be accomplished using symbolic metaphors. We describe magical experiences as being like something or use a term that we know and seemingly understand. The same thing could be said about other kinds of experiences, such as love, religious visions, and the insights of genius. We are left with art and poetry to accurately describe the nature of these experiences, and even these are beyond the domain of words and semantic meaning.

Therefore, it shouldn't be too surprising if we find that the ordered and structured paradigm of magical energy also includes spirits and even places. Energy, as defined in magic, is not a simple "energy" as we would expect to find in the scientific definition of energy. Certainly, magical power is not a category within the electro-magnetic spectrum. It is a metaphor and the energy model of magic is also a metaphor. Like all symbolic metaphors, they are not restricted to just one set of phenomena; they can also be compared to other qualities as well. A metaphor and a model are actually quite flexible because they refer to an experience that is very complex and not reducible to a simple set of qualities. Magic is ruled by the mutable power of metaphor, but our perception of it is also limited by the same.

This is especially true in the study of magic. The reality of magical energy, as defined by both modern and traditional occult concepts, must include qualities of energy (metaphors of electricity and magnetism), animal totems (four elemental creatures), spirits associated with the four directions (four winds, four seasons, and their associated archetypal deities, etc.), four Elemental Kings, various elemental deities, and the events of universal creation and dissolution (cosmogonic cycle). There are even four archetypal elemental domains or locations such as the sky, waters, surface of the earth, and the fire of the underworld (volcanos). All these things are qualities and associations of the four elemental powers. Elemental powers are, therefore, not just simple energies but represent a whole array of qualities and correspondences. They are complex, merging qualities, spirits, deities, and domains into a vast array of four basic elements.

The simplicity of the four element powers and their complex grouping of qualities can also be used to develop more complex qualities, such as the 16 elementals and the 40 qualified powers. As I state in Elemental Powers for Witches, the number 4 is the foundation for a whole collection of different attributes. In addition to the elementals and the qualified powers, there are also the 12 signs of the zodiac (triplicity and element), the 36 decans (planet and zodiacal sign), the 28 talismanic elementals (planet and element), and the 256 binary elementals. The list of derivations is nearly endless, but the inherent complexity limits how far one can go with this expansion of the basic four elements. Still, each of these attributes has certain qualities that makes it useful in magical practice and ultimately, in my opinion, essential.

When summoning the symbolic qualities of an attribute of the four elements, I believe that it is the optimal approach to give it a name and an overall personality. That is where I have discovered the whole notion of using the names of spirits to define magical powers. You can devise and use any set of names, even ones wholly made up and meaningful only to you. However, using spirit names that are part of a magical tradition will anchor your magical work by giving it a context and levels of meaning that it might not ordinarily possess if you used made-up names. If we understand that a spirit name attribute applied to an element quality, such as an elemental or a qualified power, represents a whole array of correspondences and qualities that are simplified through the use of a single name, then we can see the genius of using this approach. You can think of it in this manner: to summon an elemental, then use a single spirit name to encapsulate a whole array of qualities. It is simple and elegant.

While there are many traditional and grimoire-based lists of various spirits, I have focused on those lists whose quantity match the number of element attributes that I want to characterize. For instance, there are 16 elementals, so I would want a list of 16 spirits that I could use to characterize the 16 elementals. This handy approach has already been done for us regarding the 16 god-name pairs as found in the Enochian system of magic. However, I felt that finding another set of spirits not associated with Enochian magic would be a good approach to use in my magical workings. I never like being dependent on just one way of doing things, which makes me somewhat different than the average Witch or ritual magician.

Therefore, having in my resources a list of 16 spirits in the collection of Theurgia-Goetia (an early Renaissance grimoire) known as the Grand Dukes (there are a total of 79 spirits listed in this book), I decided to apply them to my list of 16 elemental qualities. However, there wasn't any such organization to these list of spirit names, so I had to rely on trance techniques to briefly contact each one of these spirits and determine their associated elemental quality. Later magical workings confirmed that these spirits match up with the elemental correspondences, but that could also be because I had organized them as such. My expectations may have made this match work, but that is the way that magic functions. It allows for much experimentation and the creation of hybrid associations and constructions. The basic rule of thumb in magic is that if it works then it must be true, even though the mystery of why it works might never be determined.

Now, these 16 Grand Duke spirits of the Theurgia-Goetia were, as based on their historical precedence, wind demons associated with a specific compass point or direction. In the grimoire they are described as a collection of spirits, some that are inherently evil, some good, and others, neutral. Of course, there are no specific qualities defined that would allow the operator to differentiate whether they are good, bad, or indifferent, and one might have to extrapolate that the qualities of the winds of the sixteen directions would be dependent on one's geographic location. That kind of variable would indicate that some of the directional winds have a propensity for causing storms and damage while others would be benign or ineffective.

It seemed to me that the qualities of these spirits, as defined, were arbitrary, and like the wind, they could be destructive or beneficial. I felt that it is really the motive and objective of the magician that would determine the effect of any one of these spirits, so whether they should be classified as either good or bad, seemed to me to be too simple. This would also imply that because they are classified as demons any ethical Witch should avoid them or that the classification of either good or evil just doesn't apply to any spirits in general. I have found the latter to be true, and as a practicing Witch, I have evolved my beliefs and perspectives about spirits. Spirits can be hot, cold, or neutral. They can be passionate, thoughtful, or indifferent. What they can do in the material world is based on a combination of their nature and our magical intention.

Demons, or my preferred name for them, daimons, are spirits that are close to the earth whether arial, earthy, or infernal (dwellers of the underworld), and I have found that such spirits are best employed on material matters. If we, as Witches, do not subscribe to the Christian definition of reality (even though we have to live in a Christianized world), then we should approach spirits as individuals and judge our experience of them accordingly. The whole dichotomy of good and evil regarding spirits is far too simple of a paradigm to be useful. Therefore, we can approach the grimoire-based magic and their associated list of spirits with an open mind and a neutral disposition, basing our judgements solely on our own magical experiences.

This is the reason why I chose the 16 Grand Dukes to represent the Elemental Spirits in my book Elemental Powers for Witches and why I thought that doing so was a good approach to working this kind of magic in a Witchcraft setting. It is also why I believe that using a spirit characterization to represent an element-based energy is an optimal use of magical metaphors. Things are always more complex than they might seem, and as we evolve in our practice, we discover that there are new ways of working magic, projecting elemental energies and engaging with our spiritual hierarchy and the Goddesses and Gods of Witchcraft. We must endeavor to be flexible, open and willing to experiment in order to emulate the very protean nature of magic itself, and to keep our pledge to the Gods to progress and grow in our knowledge and wisdom.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2021. All rights reserved.

I have a six-week old baby boy. His father deeply wanted me to have this baby, but when I actually got pregnant he got scared, and now he's not in the picture at all. Since the baby was born, I keep having dreams that he or someone in his family comes to me and is angry with me for some reason - why, I don't know. They are trying to get my baby one way or another, and when I get mad, they leave. I don't know what to make of this recurring dream, since I got on very well with them. Also, I don't think he told them that I was pregnant, or if he did, I think he told them that the baby is not his. What do you think these dreams mean?

- Dorene

Dreamchaser:

These dreams are nothing more than you working out your fears and anger at your son's father and his family. While you're awake, your logical mind tells you that the father could not have told his family about the baby, or that the father said your son is not his.

That's the only explanation your logical mind can accept for the way things are, because you can't understand how his family hasn't stepped up and helped in any way. When he was asking you to get pregnant and telling you how badly he wanted this baby, the vision you had in your mind was very different from your reality now.

You are alone with a small baby and have no one to really help you. When you imagined having this baby before you got pregnant, you believed you'd have a loving, supportive father for the child, and a family that helped you with your every need and was THRILLED to have a baby around again. Can you see how your dreams and your reality are banging into each other inside of your head?

Your subconscious takes over while you're sleeping, and it's trying very hard to help you sort through your feelings of anger, abandonment, and fear. While you are awake, you refuse to look at how you REALLY feel about this. You refuse to accept that your reality is the way it is.

From one single mother to another, please face the reality of your situation and make plans based on that reality. You are the one who is there. You are the one who is going to be providing for your baby. You need to realize that you are the only person he can count on right now. It's difficult and scary, but you have to step up to the plate because you have no other choice.

No one is going to take your baby from you. He is your son and he is going to stay your son. The father and his family obviously don't want him, so you don't really have to worry about that.

What you are grieving over in these dreams is the loss of this relationship. As you said, in these dreams when you get mad, they leave. You believe that when you start to show your anger, people will leave you, so instead of expressing your real feelings, you've repressed them.

You haven't consciously faced some of the darker emotions you have stored up inside. You shove them down during the day, and you not only hide them from others, you try not to feel them yourself. You keep thinking that maybe it will get better, that things will change.

It's time to accept the way things are. Begin by feeling your true emotions: Cry, scream, get mad - whatever allows all that repressed energy to flow through you and OUT.

Then it will be gone, and you will stop having these dreams. It's time to grieve the loss of your son's father and his family so you can truly move on.

I wish you and your son a very happy, healthy and wonder-full life!

*****

Astrea:

While there are many reasons for recurring dreams, in your particular case, I think you have some anxiety that your son's father or his family will come and try to take your baby away from you.

This could also be a warning from your Guides that you need to take the necessary legal steps to make sure that doesn't happen. Though grandparents have very few rights to their grandchildren, with a good lawyer, they can make tons of trouble for you and the baby.

Please note that this is not what I am seeing for you! It's just a good idea to make sure you have covered all your legal bases just in case something unpleasant happens, or someone gets a crazy idea that may involve something or someone who belongs with you.

It could also be that the baby's father's lack of involvement bothers you so much that your subconscious is taking over. When you're dreaming, he and his family are trying hard to get involved with the baby, though it's in a very negative way. In the dream you get mad at them and they leave you alone, but this is actually the opposite of what you'd like to see happen in your waking life, where you'd like them to show more interest and support.

Is there any way you could speak to them and ask them to be more attentive to you and the baby? That would certainly be better for all of you. I feel they are nice, accepting people, and would probably want to be present in the life of their new grandson if they knew about him. Perhaps a paternity test would set their minds at ease and convince them that the baby really is their son's.

Your boyfriend might not have told them about the baby at all, and in that case, these dreams may be a signal that YOU should! In dreams we tend to do exactly as we want or exactly the opposite of what we want. Our minds sometimes present the worst thing that could happen in our dreams, and most psychologists feel that's so we aren't surprised and frightened if the very worst happens.

Dreaming about the worst can help us get over our fears. That could be why you're having all these problems with these people in your dreams. Your mind is trying to sort things out for you before anything happens that you actually have to figure out in your waking life. It's like practice for handling the worst case scenario.

If you want to get rid of those dreams, one of the easiest remedies is to put your shoes facing opposite directions under the head of your bed. Another is to hang a green ribbon from one of your bed posts. Bad dreams are easily chased away by putting a whole clove of garlic wrapped in red string over the door to your bedroom so that the dreams don't enter the room.

I hope your son's father comes to his senses and gets over his fear of fatherhood soon, because he's missing out on a LOT with you and your wonderful baby!

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.