Aromagick Online Course

Discover the enchanting blend of aromatherapy and practical magic in this transformative course. Beyond mere study, Aromagick invites you to explore the mystical realm where fragrance meets intuition. Here’s what awaits you:

1. Basic Principles of Aromagick:

   – Develop your practice and intuition skills.

   – Unveil the secrets of the **Kalas**, those mysterious cosmic energies.

   – Learn how to synchronize your practice with lunar cycles.

2. Lunar Perfumes:

   – Dive into the scents of lunar flowers.

   – Explore their unique fragrances and magical properties.

3. Kali and Shakti Sequences:

   – Balance the forces of light and dark.

   – Harness the energies of each sequence for daily empowerment.

4. The 4 Cardinal Kalas and Moon Phases:

   – Understand the cosmic rhythms.

   – Align your magic with the celestial dance.

5. Witch’s Ritual Year:

   – Delve into the 8 Sabbats, marking the turning points of the year.

   – Uncover the hidden magic within each season.

6. Magical Recipes:

   – Create ritual baths infused with mystical intent.

   – Craft your own magical perfume oils.

   – Explore edible spells and their enchanting effects.

Embark on this aromatic journey and unlock the secrets of Aromagick! 🌙✨

Course Outline

1. Duration: A Year and a Day

  • According to ancient witches’ traditions, this course unfolds over 365 days—a year and a day. This sacred timeframe allows for profound transformation and alignment with natural cycles.

This course aims to empower participants with the knowledge and practical skills to harness the magical properties of aromatic plants and essential oils. Whether you identify as a witch, natural magician, pagan, or tantrik, this course will provide valuable insights into the mystical world of aromatics and magic.

2. Cost: $365

Aromagick Online Course $365

  • The investment for this magical exploration is $365. Consider it an offering to the cosmic energies that weave through our existence.

3. Payments and refunds

One instalment of $365 is to be paid in advance

Refunds within 30 days of the beginning of the course of the remaining credit.

4. Enrolment Periods

  • Spring Equinox: As the earth awakens, so do our senses—Enrol during the vernal equinox, when daylight and darkness balance perfectly.
  • Summer Solstice: When the sun reaches its zenith, embrace the fiery energy of midsummer. Enrol during this potent time.
  • Autumn Equinox: As leaves fall and nights lengthen, step into the mystical embrace of autumn—Enrol during the equinox of balance.
  • Winter Solstice: Amidst the longest night, kindle your inner flame. Enrol during the solstice of introspection and rebirth.

The Aromagick online course invites you to explore the enchanting world of aromatherapy, magic, and self-discovery. Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or a curious beginner, this course promises to ignite your senses and awaken your inner alchemist.

Remember, the magic lies within the fragrant molecules, waiting for you to unlock their secrets. 🌿✨

*Graduates of the Aromagick online course will be invited to join The Morgan Witches Coven.

Meet Diti: A Magician Artisan Perfumer and Chaos Craft Witch

  • With nearly 30 years of devoted practice, Diti has immersed herself in the aromatic world of aromatherapy. Her expertise extends beyond mere oils; she weaves magic into every scent. As a Magician Artisan Perfumer, Diti crafts fragrances like a sorceress at her alchemical bench. Each perfume bottle holds a spell, an invocation of energies. Her potions dance between realms, invoking memories and dreams.
  • Diti walks the labyrinth of chaos, where order and disorder entwine. She embraces the unpredictable, harnessing its raw power. Chaos is her canvas, and she paints spells with its vibrant hues.
  • Beyond magic, Diti conjures comfort. Her apple cakes are more than desserts; they’re portals to hearth and home. Each bite carries whispers of love and nostalgia.

Diti, the weaver of scents, the chaos dancer, the seeker of cosmic threads— invites you to join her on this fragrant odyssey. 🌙✨🍎

 

 

Yogini Magic

 

Yogini Magic

The Sorcery, Enchantment, And Witchcraft of The Divine Feminine

By Gregory Peters

ISBN: 9781618697257

U.S. Price $24.95

When I heard about the release of Yogini Magic by Gregory Peters, I was filled with excitement and anticipation. As I was already in the process of writing my book Aromagick, I knew that Yogini Magic would provide valuable insights into the Kalas and shed light on the more enigmatic aspect of the Yoginis. My understanding of the Kalas/Yoginis was based on classical texts and Kenneth Grant’s theories on “Lunar Perfume,” as well as my own practical and intuitive experiences through meditation, dreams, and heightened sense of smell. When I finally received a copy of Yogini Magic, I was deeply immersed in my own “Kala Magic” and didn’t want any outside influences to interfere with my experiences. Thus, I decided to postpone reading it until after completing Aromagick. In the meantime, I placed Yogini Magic on my altar alongside my collection of perfumes dedicated to the Kalas I was currently working with. This allowed me to continue writing about my encounters without interruption.

It was only after reaching out to Ugraprabha that I decided to seek Gregory’s thoughts on her. My past encounters with Yoginis have shown that when you are ready, one of them will find a way to connect with you. Nityaklinna, for instance, appeared in my dreams for months before I mustered the courage to engage with her and learn from her wisdom and sorcery. Once I opened the ‘gate’ and reached out to her, other yoginis quickly followed suit (at times, it felt like a flood of them entering through the gate, which can be quite overwhelming…)

Upon meeting Ugra, I was struck by a sense of familiarity. But when I tried to connect with her sister, Ugraprabha, I was disappointed to find that we did not share the same connection. Despite my efforts to gather information about her, I came up empty-handed (perhaps due to searching in the wrong places). At times, it seemed as if she was annoyed with me for reasons unknown and other times, I felt frustrated that there was something right in front of me that I couldn’t see. In light of this, I have decided to turn to Gregory Peters’ Yogini Magic for insights on her.

As I flipped through the book, it was clear that this was a must-read for me as there were countless useful insights within its pages. In the first section, Yogini Magic delves into the origins and development of Yogini worship and lineage. With his simple and approachable writing, Gregory introduces us to The Sahaja Matrikas and explains in easy-to-understand terms the concept of Who are the Yoginis – something I had struggled with for a long time and am still learning. Chapter 4 offers practical meditation techniques and pranayama for daily use, followed by an exploration of sound sorcery in Chapter 5. Then, in Chapter 7, we are introduced to the powerful tools and energies of the Yogini stones and how to utilize them. I was particularly drawn to this concept and have already started collecting some stones myself.

In the second half of the book, we are guided through the practical use of various techniques such as sigils, day magic, and working with dreams. We also learn about opening the Yogini circle and how to approach The Crossroad in our magical practice. Each chapter offers valuable insights and leads us on a personal journey of initiation into the magic of the Yoginis.

Personally, chapter 16 and the author’s depictions of the Yoginis had a profound impact on my understanding and practice. The vivid descriptions and personal gnosis brought about by both left a lasting impression, greatly transforming my relationship with these mystical beings.

Gregory Peters’ portrayal of Ugraprabha provided the final motivation for me to complete Aromagick. In my quest for knowledge on Ugraprabha, I felt as though I was overlooking a crucial element that was right in front of me.

Gregory wrote about her “Sometimes she appears with the head of a fox…” 

For me, an initiate of the Fox Magic cult, this single sentence offers a complex understanding of the intricacies and mysteries surrounding the sorcery of the Fox, Yogini, and Lalita’s never-ending game.

Ugraprabha, an AI image inspired by Gregory Peters’ vision

Ugraprabha, an AI image inspired by Gregory Peters’ vision

Diti J Morgan is the Author of Aromagick: A Scentual Guide to The Kalas And The 8 Colours of Magick  

Aromagick: A scentual guide to the Kalas and the 8 colours of Magick

Featured

 

Aromagick offers genuine insights into the mysteries of the Tantrik “kalas”, something often referenced by other esoteric authors such as the AMOOKOS mages, Kenneth Grant et al. The fruit of a lot of experimentation and personal insight, this ought to be a welcome addition to the library of any mystoi, magician, or yogin, indeed anyone with an interest in the most direct of our senses and how these may be enlisted in the work of deep magick. The author also offers a second scentual sequence explicating the eight-colour system made famous in chaos magick. It is perhaps no surprise that the UK chaos magick scene grew out of, or developed pari passu with an interest in aromatics, real essential oils and incense. We recommend this for all mind explorers, especially those with a good nose for a mystery. 

 

 

In creating Aromagick,  Diti J. Morgan has crafted a beautiful and inspiring book about the use of botanical essences in magic of many kinds. Her deep knowledge and experience of the properties of plants lays brilliantly combined with her equally deep knowledge and experience of Hindu Tantra, Western Esoterics, Mythology, and Folklore, and contemporary Neo-Paganism and Magic. She provides a rich cornucopia of spells and recipes, poetry, imagery, and lore to guide us through the seasons of the year and the many forms of magic that we can attempt at any time. A great deal of research and creativity has gone into this book, and I found much in it to surprise and delight me. I recommend this substantial and remarkable book for deep and enjoyable study and preservation in one’s reference library. 
Peter J CarrollStokastikos. Southwest England, 2023.
 

“Aromagick: A Scentual Guide to the Kalas and the Eight Colors of Magic”,  is a tantalizing book which wraps Egyptian and Hindu myth, ritual, and magic around a core of expert aromatherapy and plant magic to create a complete system of magic powered by interpenetrating cycles of time.  Just as the cycles of moon and sun weave together to form a calendar, so does this book twist together many strands of magic to form an eternal braid.  In part one, we learn about the kalas, and ritual baths for every phase of the moon.  With each phase, we deep-dive into a ritual bath.  Deep and loving attention is played to the spirits of the plants on which the baths rely; each is a master class in plant and perfume magic.  In my opinion, just the bath rituals alone would easily be worth the “ticket price” for this book, but there is so much more!  Nearly every chapter is bursting with poetry, essays, and juicy magical tidbits.  

In part two, we expand our circle, now focusing on the eight witch’s sabbats of the wheel of the year and their relationship to the eight colours of chaos magic.  Here too, Diti’s depth of knowledge and joy in practice shine through.  Each sabbat has a ritual bath, as well as additional material that extends, contextualizes, and tantalizes.  I received the manuscript shortly before the autumn equinox, so that is where I started.  The chapter opens with the powerful gnostic poem “Thunder, Perfect Mind” from the Nag Hammadi manuscripts, continues with an invocation of the Egyptian fertility goddess Ipet, moves on to a short essay about the magical virtues of the colour blue, and its relation to the season, and then provides an essay by noted scholar of Egyptian magic (and Diti’s husband) Mogg Morgan about Ma’at, the Egyptian deification of Divine Balance.  The chapter concludes, as each does, with an amazing dreamy bath recipe – this one centred on blue lotus, chamomile, jasmine, frankincense, and bergamot.  Just listing the ingredients is enough to make me swoon at their intoxicating fragrance!  All of that is just one chapter of this fascinating book!  I can’t wait to continue working with it throughout the year. 
Sara L Mastros author of The Sorcery of Solomon: A Guide to The 44 Planetary Pentecals of The Magician King

 

Diti is an Aromatherapist, a magician/witch/priestess/dragon
and none of the above. She is an Artisan Perfumer of the Jitterybug kind. When she has time she hangs out at the Apophis Club and studies at the Fox Magic Mystery School. She also makes great apple cakes.

 

Scroll down for the full interview with Diti J Morgan

Can you introduce yourself and say a little about what you do, your aims and objectives with your writing?

I am Diti J Morgan, an aromatherapist with almost 27 years of experience. I learned that when I blend certain essential oils with a meditative and ritualistic mindset, something special and magical happens. Those who walk the magical path will discover that they have this challenge, to share their vision of the mysteries, instead of accepting what is already given. My challenge is to reveal the scentual path of Aromagik.

If you haven’t already, can you say a little more about your family background, ie past and current – ie are you married, have children, work – people like a little bit of personal stuff if you ok to share.

I feel extremely privileged and blessed to be sharing my life with a very special person. We explore together, which is perhaps one of the secrets of a magical life.

Do you call yourself an aromatherapist/witch/magician? –  if so what does this mean to you? And is it important?

I never liked using titles as I feel they are restrictive.

I go by Diti, which is a nickname for Judith or Yehudit in Hebrew. I was given this name (Diti) when I was a baby of three months. In Jewish culture, and more so in Kabbalah, a person’s name has a lot of meaning and influence. Judith was a lovely Jewish widow, who left the city that was under attack by pretending to join the enemy and predicted to Holofernes that he would be victorious. She entered his tent, where she cut off his head while he was in a drunken slumber and took it in a bag to Bethulia. The Jews then overcame the Assyrians who were leaderless. 

The greater the quality of the name, the more positive its influence is believed to be on the person’s life. According to Kabbalah, the letters that form a name connect the physical and spiritual worlds, not only in the way the name is written but also in how it is perceived and recited. As a result, a name acts as a “channel” that transmits energy, whether positive or negative and serves as a bridge between a person’s physical and metaphysical worlds. In Hebrew, the name Yehudit contains within it the letters of God
– י ה ו י

A few years ago, when studying and exploring the path of the Kaula-Naths I was very excited to learn some more about the name Diti. In the excellent book, The Myths and Gods of India, the author Alain Danielou writes a short entry about the legend of the Maruts:

A Legend of the Maruts 

“In the Ramayana (1.46), the Maruts spring forth from an unborn son of Diti, the mother of the antigods. 

The mother of the antigods was in great distress. Vishnu had destroyed her two sons, Golden-Eye (Hiranyaksa) and Golden-Fleece (Hiranya-kasipu). In her desire for revenge, Diti, with womanly patience and cleverness, endeavoured to please her husband Vision (Kasyapa) and obtain from him a son who would destroy Indra, himself a son of Kasyapa.

Vision would not cooperate directly, but he advised Diti to perform the son-giving (pumsavana) penance. As the penance approached its completion, Indra felt anxious. He descended upon the earth and began to serve Diti like a disciple. Should she succumb to pride but for one instant this would give him a chance to frustrate her aim. For a long time, Diti was cautious in her austerities, but one day, at sunset, she fell asleep. Indra took advantage of this. Entering the womb of Diti, he tore the fetus into forty-nine fragments with his thunderbolt. These fragments became the Maruts. Indra made them guardians of the chalice of Soma.”

Judith or Diti, you may call me either, but I know for sure that both of my names are my “paths” that convey energy, good or bad, and connect my material and spiritual realms.

Mandrake has published your book – can you say a little about it?

The book Aromagick merges magical thinking and practice with my love for scents, aromatics, and perfumes. In the opening section, you can explore the fragrances and scents of the lunar journey through the Kalas. 

Kala means part, perhaps also a “lunar perfume or flower”. These mysterious but extremely important principles, derived from esoteric Hinduism, were related to the cosmic tides of the moon, those that ebb and flow during a lunar month. 

Following several years of studying the esoteric cycle of the lunar divinities, the Kalas, I gained a fresh perspective and understanding of these enigmatic deities. Each lunar day is said to have its unique magical quality represented by a Kala and a specific fragrance. In Aromagick, you can explore the lunar-Kala cycle’s two distinct sequences, namely the light and dark cycles, and discover the fragrances and perfumes that correspond to each of them.

In the second part of the book, I deal with the Eight Witches Sabbaths of the Ritual Year and how they resonate with the Eight Magics and the corresponding colours and scented essences.

Is the journey in your book for everyone or only for the expert or indeed aimed at the beginner?

Everyone can benefit from Aromagick. It provides a great introduction to essential oils, the moon cycle, the Kala sequences, and the Eight Sabbaths for beginners. For advanced magicians and witches, Aromagick offers new and deeper insights into familiar subjects. Additionally, advanced Tantrics and Naths can discover a fresh perspective on the Kala system.

 

 

Octarine Magick, Baphomet & Winter Solstice

Featured

 

Twice a year, on the winter and summer solstice, a very unique portal reveals itself. Through this opening, we are given the opportunity to explore both the chill, yet still spirit of tranquillity and the effervescent radiance of brightness. The deep, indigo night sky of the winter solstice is reminiscent of Saturn, Lord of Time. There is something special about its seemingly timeless journey; almost as though time actually has stopped. The winter solstice marks the occasion when the Earth’s axis reaches its highest angle away from the Sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is where we observe the least amount of sunlight, leading to a day that’s shorter than any other of the year and a night that’s longer. This day mirrors the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun— with daylight hours beginning to grow again afterwards. 

Octarine is the so-called Colour of Magic or King Colour, only perceivable by magicians and cats. According to Discworld texts (see Terry Pratchett’s The Colour of Magic), it is a combination of fluorescent greenish yellow and purple, mixing all primary colours, and serves as a representation of imagination.

The Octarine power lies within us, kindling the spark of the magician self in our inner being. When this flame is lit, we become familiar with various god forms, such as Baphomet, which can be summoned to inspire our magical creativity. 

The essence of Baphomet restores the balance of our universe.

I see Baphomet as a symbol of equilibrium between all living things. This consciousness allows us to recognize and embrace the connection between humans, mammals, reptiles, fish, angels and demons, heaven and earth. It also encourages us to accept the innate cycle of life and death, plus the concept of

eternity. Light and dark, left and right; these are all balanced by Baphomet’s equanimity. I found it easier to identify with Baphomet consciousness when I think of it as a model for a unique and original thought, a primal idea of balance. This concept once initiated, will ignite the flames of a passionate heart and open a clear passage for communication with our higher selves. 

Using Baphomet perfume oil on the Winter Solstice or Kapalini’s nights will help us surrender and let go of old attachments that bind us and prevent us from moving forward.

Check out AROMAGICK  for more information about the magical ingredients of Baphomet perfume oil. The Winter Solstice coincides with Nitya-Nitya night this year, ‘She who is timeless, the immortal goddess’. I will put an additional rare fragrance into the mix, to embody the essence of Nitya-Nitya.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hierophant

 

responsibility of embodying Demeter and Persephone respectively in ritual.

From the above, we can understand that the hierophant is a top religious
figure like the Pope, or the chief Rabbi, whose job was to be a conductor,
a channel, funnel, or mediator between the gods and the people. In this
particular card, focusing only on the hidden symbolism, the hierophant
is the representation of the goddess Nuit.
Nuit is the embodiment of infinite space and also the mother of all stars
— for it’s known that “Every man and every woman is a star”(Liber AL,
chapter 1, verse 3). With this in mind, she is where each star returns.
Additionally, she is also the divine law which must be given to those who
follow the hierophant.
“Let the woman be girt with a sword before me” (Liber AL, chapter 3,
verse 11) At the front of the card, before the hierophant, we can see the
woman girt with a sword. The Book of Thoth speaks of the ‘Scarlet Woman’
as an emblem of the new era; she stands for a transformation away from
her traditional image as a housewife or accessory to her male partner,
instead embracing her identity while searching for autonomy and equality.
We can see how all of this manifests in the MeToo movement of our
days.
“The woman is the priestess; in her reposes the mystery. She is
the mother, brooding yet tender; the lover, at once passionate
and aloof; the wife, revered and cherished. She is the witch
woman.” (Freedom is a Two-edged Sword, Jack Parsons)
The deeper we look into the hidden symbolism and meaning of this
mysterious woman, the clearer it becomes that she can be Nuit herself,
guarding the divine law. The law is simple and clear and the hierophant’s
job is to pass it to their congregation:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law”
“Love is the law, love under will”
Or in our words:
“Love and do what you will.”
“The symbolism of the Wand is peculiar” – Solve et Coagula (Aleister
Crowley, The Book of Thoth). Crowley describes the three interlaced rings
of the wand, as a “representative of the three Aeons of Isis, Osiris and
Horus”. However, on a closer look, we see that the hierophant holding
the wand with its three rings aspiring upward, in his right hand (solve).
As a Setian/Typhonian, I couldn’t help the thought that the three
interlaced rings would be much more comfortable in the right hand of
destruction (solve) as a representative of Set, Osiris & Ra.
Set and Osiris are both Ra’s grandsons and make a sacred triad. Both
brothers have to sacrifice themselves for the continuation of Ra — of
life — Osiris being killed by his brother Set, and Set killing his brother
and becoming the ‘outcast’ God.
The demonstration of the cycle of life through destruction and creation
is continued with the symbolism of the hierophant’s left hand. His left
hand (coagula) is pointing downward in the Shamak mudra hand position.
I must admit that this never occurred to me before, but once I became
aware of it, I could not un-see it. The Shamak mudra, also called the
kidney mudra, is the perfect hand position to deliver the message of
Solve et Coagula (destruction and creation). At the start, I had difficulty
understanding how the Shamak mudra was linked with Solve et Coagula
and its role in occult symbology in particular for the hierophant and his
wand.

Shamak mudra

Coagulation means the action or process of a liquid, especially blood,
changing to a solid or semi-solid state. (OED)
The main function of the kidneys is to cleanse the blood of toxins and
transform the waste into urine. The hierophant’s right hand in the Shamak
mudra, suggests that before we can coagulate, we must be cleansed and
purified of all toxins. Only then can we coagulate into our new and
transformed selves.
“The Throne of the Hierophant is surrounded by elephants, which are
of the nature of Taurus; and he is actually seated upon a bull.” (Aleister
Crowley, The Book of Thoth). At first sight, the card seems to resonate
with the symbolism of the zodiac sign Taurus, which is an earth sign.
The element of earth is represented in this card as the Bull/Kerub and
symbolizes the earth element at its most balanced and strong. If we look
at the symbolism of the bull from the Setian perspective, it takes us back
to the prehistoric ‘cattle cult’, which is probably one of the world’s oldest.
Egyptian male deities often have a bull representation. Set is most notably
known for the ‘Bull of Ombos’. It is likely that this bull cult evolved out
of the Cattle cult, which was centered around the Heavenly Cow/Hathor,
who symbolizes the feminine aspect of this tradition.
The bull is associated with male fertility and strength, as seen in energy,
stamina, and endurance. Worshipped in antiquity, it is also linked to the
zodiac sign Taurus, which is associated with spring in the agricultural
calendar as a symbol of renewal, prosperity, and abundance. However,
this powerful creature can be equally connected to hard-headedness,

Cave paintings from the Tassili n’Ajjer mountains (photo courtesy of wiki commons wikimedia.org)

ferocity and brutality — all the qualities of a deity — where it would
accept a sacrificial offering as an act of reverence. It is easy to believe
that religious reverence for the bull’s cult has been forgotten in modern
times, yet our practices today have still taken on a new form – the dairy
and meat industry.
Just to remind you, a hierophant is a person who brings religious
congregants into the presence of that which is deemed holy. As such, a
hierophant interprets sacred mysteries and arcane principles. In this card,
the hierophant symbolizes the link to the secret of the rhythm of time
and the ancient practice of the worship of the bull.
The secrets of the Timelords are encoded in the divine law which is
guarded by Nuit/Nwt and delivered by the hierophant.
– From Aromagick by Diti J Morgan, 2023

Purple Magick – Mayday/Beltane

Featured

 

 

These sea snail shells were excavated from Roman sites near Tyre in Lebanon. The creatures inside were crushed and boiled in a salt solution to produce the famous ‘Tyrian Purple’. It took 10,000 snails to produce just 1.4 grams of dye, making it very valuable and it became the preserve of Emperors, hence its alternative name, ‘imperial purple’. (Pitt Rivers Museum, Various collections)

Mayday/Beltane falls midway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. The rite of spring has probably been celebrated since time immemorial. In the Western world, in Europe in particular, May 1st will be celebrated by dancing around the Maypole which symbolizes phallic energy. The Maypole is decorated with flowers that represent the buds of fertility and sexual energy. 

Beltane is a significant festival in Gaelic culture, alongside Samhain, Imbolc, and Lughnasadh. It was traditionally celebrated throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. The festival featured special bonfires that were believed to have protective powers. People and their livestock would walk around or between these bonfires and sometimes leap over the flames or embers. All household fires were extinguished and then re-lit from the Bealtaine bonfire. 

So what has the colour purple got to do with Beltane and Mayday?

I’ve always loved the colour purple. It’s a unique colour that combines the stability of blue and the passion of red. It’s inspiring to me because it encourages me to reveal my innermost thoughts and feelings. When I think of purple, I’m reminded of how it stimulates my imagination and encourages my creativity. It’s a colour that promotes spiritual growth and intuition, which is something that’s important to me. At the same time, purple also promotes understanding and acceptance. It reminds me that there are so many great unknowns in the world that are waiting to be explored. But even as I explore those unknowns, purple keeps me grounded and reminds me to stay focused on what’s truly important in life.

“4. The deep violet is episcopal. It combines 2 and 3, a bishop being the manifested through the principle of blood or animal life.” (Column XV, King’s Ladder, The Qabalah of Aleister Crowley)

In other words, the colour purple is the bishop of colours, it combines the red of blood and the blue of the sky. Red symbolises blood, fire, love, passion, warmth, lust and sexuality. Blue represents the sky, freedom, intuition, imagination, inspiration, depth, sensitivity and the infinite horizon of the open spaces. And most of all, abundance and balance. When blending the two, purple is created, which allows us to explore and experiment with a range of complicated emotions at once and gives us the freedom to be inspired by sexuality, passion, lust and imagination.

“The colour violet, generally speaking, signifies a vibration which is at the same time spiritual and erotic; i.e. it is the most intense of the vibrations alike on the planes of Nephesch and Neschamah…” (Column XV, The Zodical Attributions: The Qabalah of Aleister Crowley) 

The wickedest man in the world, the Beast 666, Count von Zonaref and Alastair McGregor were some of the aliases Crowley used to go by, but every now and then he used the title “The Purple Priest”. The colour purple is used to designate a specific position in the church, such as Bishop or senior Bishop, and by using the title The Purple Priest, Crowley is hinting at his specific position in his church (of Thelema). 

Crowley uses the colour purple as an erotic-spiritual motif to convey the esoteric message in the rituals and worship of Thelema. 

For example, in Liber Al – The Book of the Law, paragraph 61, we can see how Crowley uses the colour purple in his writings:

“But to love me is better than all things: if under the night stars in the desert thou presently burnest mine incense before me, invoking me with a pure heart, and the Serpent flame therein, thou shalt come a little to lie in my bosom. For one kiss wilt thou then be willing to give all, but whoso gives one particle of dust shall lose all in that hour. Ye shall gather goods and store of women and spices; ye shall wear rich jewels; ye shall exceed the nations of the earth in splendour & pride; but always in the love of me, and so shall ye come to my joy. I charge you earnestly to come before me in a single robe and covered with a rich headdress. I love you! I yearn to you! Pale or purple, veiled or voluptuous, I who am all pleasure and purple, and drunkenness of the innermost sense, desire you. Put on the wings, and arouse the coiled splendour within you: come unto me!”

By using metaphors such as pale or purple, the author might be hinting at the physiology of the lingam. “Pale” suggests a flaccid lingam, and “veiled” could be the stage just before the lingam is fully erect, also it might suggest an uncircumcised lingam. “Purple” suggests its “voluptuous” erection. There are several veins and arteries that carry blood to and from the spongy erectile tissue in the penis. Veins may look larger than usual during and immediately following an erection. The appearance of prominent veins indicates healthy blood flow and gives the lingam a “purple hue. 

Next, the colour purple is used to describe “she” who is “all pleasure and purple,” and here the purple is used as a metaphor for the yoni —  the purple pleasure…  

By using those metaphors, the purple priest emphasises the intensity and depth of the spiritual and erotic vibration in religious-like practices of carnal pleasures. The second half of the sentence – “and drunkenness of the innermost sense,” hints at the ecstatic heights of the orgasm that awaits in the palace (Liber Al 1:51). The Palace is another metaphor for the yoni – see Mogg Morgan’s Aleister Crowley & Thelemic Magick page 39.

In his Hymn to Pan we can see the “purple motif” again:

“…Dip the purple of passionate prayer

In the crimson shrine, the scarlet snare,

The soul that startles in eyes of blue

To watch thy wantonness weeping through…”

There is something very special at this time of the year, the ancient earth dragon, Kundalini, is now fully awakened. The air is fragrant with the sweet heady aromas of many colourful blossoms. Insects, animals and humans alike walk or crawl out of their burrows, rub their eyes, stretch their limbs and start dancing a sensual mating dance. It’s the season to celebrate desire, lust, fertility, or in other words, nature’s tantric celebration. 

This is the season of Pan, the “All-devourer, all-begetter”. There is something very salacious about dancing around a Maypole. And by leaping over the Beltane fires, we awaken the most ancient magick of all, the passion for the union of body and spirit — “a vibration which is at the same time spiritual and erotic”.

This is the perfect time to wear the K-23 perfume oil which will connect you to the spirit of Pan and his passionate lust for earth and life. Then, go outside and do the Jitterbug. 

The term jitterbug is used to refer to different swing dances, such as the jive and the lindy hop. It comes from slang used in the early twentieth century to describe alcoholics. The term became associated with swing dancers because, like the jitters of alcoholics, they were seen to be out of control.

K-23 perfume oil

As discussed earlier in the book, the properties of water allow us spiritual cleansing, where immersion in a ritual bath is always desirable and recommended before magical activity. To connect with the purple magic frequency and awaken the energies of the Kundalini serpent I recommend my special purple bath ritual which is specifically designed to raise our sexual and magnetic powers and to synchronise ourselves with potential or existing partners. Partners can share their bath in the spirit of a purple magick ritual for play, however, here at the Morgan Witches’ headquarters, we prefer to have our ritual baths separately (usually one after the other) and by doing so, each of us has the time to relax and meditate. It takes 15 minutes for our body to reach a general relaxation that allows the blend of oils to work its magick on our consciousness.

Prepare your bathroom as you would any other ritual space, you can have a ‘purple altar’ if you have the room for it, but remember that the altar is the bath, and the water is the vessel which conducts the transformation of the offering which in this case is in the oils and you. 

When using the Purple Magick Perfume Oil you can add about 10-15 drops to a tablespoon of sea salt, Himalaya salt or Epsom salts and add it to the bath water. Each of the essential oils suggested here can be used on its own or in combination with one of the other essential oils which are recommended in this chapter. However, mixing and blending essential oils is a form of art and technique that need to be learned and mastered. You can use the recipe at the end of the chapter as a guideline for making your own bath blends.

Make sure that the water is hot enough for you to relax in them for 15 minutes.

Get in the water and lie comfortably, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and listen to the mantra or music of your choice.

I find that the Kirtan Kriya (Sa Ta Na Ma) mantra is most suitable to listen to in the purple bath ritual. 

You can find it here.

If you want to experience the purple magick in its full power I recommend the Great Purple Hoo-Ha meditation while in the bath. The Kirtan Kriya mantra will amplify the experience. 

The Great Purple Hoo-Ha Meditation

This meditation is based on a technique described in Phillip H. Farber’s book The Great Purple Hoo-Ha. Philip H. Farber is a writer, hypnotist, NLP trainer, ritualist, and consciousness explorer. He is best known for his book on ritual magick, Future Ritual: Magick for the 21st Century and as the creator of Meta-Magick, a system of practice combining elements of magick, NLP, hypnosis, and more.

Sit in a comfortable position with your spine upright (if you are in the bath, just make yourself comfortable and relax in the water).

Close your eyes.

Imagine a circle around you, with a diameter just slightly greater than your outstretched arms, with you at the exact centre.

Inhale, filling your lungs completely, from bottom to top. 

As you inhale, allow your attention to expand and fill the circle around you with purple. 

Exhale, and as you do so place your attention to a tiny spot within the centre of your chest.

Continue to practice like this, filling the circle with every inhalation, contracting down to a single point in the middle of your chest.

When your circle is full of purple, inhale and expand your attention to fill the entire room with purple. 

Then, when you exhale, contract it down to a single point in the centre of your chest. 

Once the room is full of purple, on the next inhalation expand your attention to fill the largest area you can conceive: the city, the county, the state, the world or even the solar system and the whole universe, with the colour purple. As large as you can manage. 

And again, when you exhale, contract your attention down to a single point in the middle of your chest. 

When you are ready, open your eyes and return to your regular breathing.

Thank yourself, the water and the oils, climb out of the bath, dry yourself and get dressed (or not) and carry on with your Purple Magick celebrations.

Purple Magick Perfume Oil

Image created with the collaboration of the Craiyon AI and Photoshop.

The first essential oil that comes to mind concerning Purple Magick, as Scott Cunningham put it “downtrodden Patchouli”.

Even now, most people still associate its sweet musky and earthy aroma with the ‘Hippy’ culture of the 60s & 70s. 

So what has Patchouli got to do with Purple Magick?

Patchouli Pogostemon cablin

Patchouli is a bushy herb about a metre high with a sturdy, hairy stem and large, fragrant, furry leaves and white-purple flowers.  It is native to Southeast Asia. Once harvested, the patchouli leaves are left to ferment in the shade and then dried for three days. The fermentation process apparently improves the quality of the oil, which is extracted using steam distillation.

In the 19th century, cashmere shawls and bed linen were imported from India to Europe. To keep the delicate fabrics free of moths, they were packed with patchouli leaves, which were used throughout the East as an insect repellent. These Patchouli-scented shawls and linen became a must-have item for well-to-do and fashionable women of the time. It didn’t take long for the Patchouli fragrance to be associated with wealth and indulgence.

The earthy sweet aroma of the plant soon became a trend with many European manufacturers of fabrics and furniture which started to infuse their goods with the scent of Patchouli. It is almost unavoidable to thus visualise and smell the luxurious, heady, musky, scented bedrooms of 19th-century ladies. The richness of the scent has been associated as an aphrodisiac for centuries, the earthy-musky notes make us feel secure, relaxed and open up to our own sexuality. The smell of the bed linen and the furniture infused with Patchouli oil was evocative and sensuous, and the link between Patchouli and sensuality has never been forgotten from our collective memories of those 19th-century bedrooms.

So next time you watch a period drama or read a novel about this period, and you want to intensify your experience of the novel/drama, make sure you have a bottle of Patchouli at hand so you can smell it during the bedrooms scenes or whenever a cashmere shawl appears.

The sweet and heady scent of the Patchouli blends perfectly with the exotic fragrance of  Ylang-Ylang. On its own, I find Ylang-Ylang a bit overpowering and far too sweet, but the earthiness of Patchouli seems to anchor the sweetness of the Cananaga odorata and turn it into a somewhat lighter and mysterious exotic fragrance. 

Ylang-Ylang Cananaga odorata

Ylang-Ylang is a tall tropical tree with large, tender, sweet fragrant yellow flowers. It is native to Southeast Asia. Its essential oil is extracted by water or steam distillation from freshly picked flowers. There are 5 grades of distilled essential oil, with Ylang-Ylang extra as the top grade.

The sweet, exotic-balsamic scent of Ylang-Ylang will balance and calm an overactive mind or any over-emotional state or feelings. In Indonesia, its fragrant flowers have long been associated with aphrodisiacs. To promote a relaxed and sensual atmosphere, fresh Ylang-Ylang flowers are harvested and spread on the newly wedded couple’s bed. 

Both Ylang-Ylang and Vetiver are under the planetary influence of Venus, the goddess of love, beauty and sensuality. Together they combine two of her most precious elements, the stability of the earth represented by Vetiver and the fluidity of water represented by Ylang-Ylang. On the emotional, physiological and magical level, these two oils blended together act as the psychic lubricant of body and mind. Once the harmony between these two Venusian oils has been established we can introduce Jasmine, the “King of flowers” to the formula (Cunningham: 1997). Jasmine is known for its qualities as a sexual tonic and aphrodisiac. The intensely rich, warm and sensual, sweet floral scent, has a direct effect on our emotions and can produce a feeling of optimism, confidence and euphoria. Its association with the moon will add a silvery reflection to a sensuous magical rite, where there is a union of lovers. Its elemental characteristics of both fire and water will intensify the sacred sexual union with a magical oomph of flowing passion.

To balance out the richness of the sweet and heady aroma of the blend I added a few drops of Bergamot. The fresh and fruity, citrusy scent of the oil, is just sharp enough to break the nearly overwhelming sweetness of the heady blend. 

Bergamot Citrus bergamia

This small tree, about 4.5 metres high with smooth oval leaves, and small round fruit,  ripens from green to yellow, similar to orange in appearance but smaller. Native to tropical Asia. Extensively cultivated in southern Italy, Sicily and the Ivory Coast. Essential oil extraction is by cold expression of the fruit’s rind.

Safety data: Certain furocoumarins, notably bergapten, have been found to be phototoxic on human skin; that is, they cause sensitisation and skin pigmentation when exposed to direct sunlight. 

The scent of Bergamot resembles that of orange but with more floral and zesty underlying characteristics that add a spicy edge to it. Bergamot possesses magical qualities that can alleviate nervous tension and physical stress, acting like a wand by lifting, shifting, releasing, and dispersing these feelings. Bringing peace and happiness and creating a space allows both body and mind to rest and relax. The lightness and uplifting touch that Bergamot adds to the blend, accentuates each of the other fragrances and mixes them together into a bewitching sensual perfume which will work both ways on its wearer and their partner.

Purple Magick bath recipe: 

In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of sea salt, Himalaya salt or Epsom salt,

1 drop of Patchouli

1 drop Ylang Ylang

2 drops of Jasmine

3 drops of Bergamot

For your safety, I recommend using the following recipe for a night-time bath due to the sensual nature of purple magick and the potential risks associated with Bergamot essential oil. 

It’s important to note that the Purple Magic Perfume Oil is safe to use as it contains bergapten-free essential oil.

***

Purple Magick – Mayday/Beltane is an extract from my soon-to-be-published book Aromagick – A Scentual Journey Through The Ritual Year.

For any inquiries about the Aromagick perfume oils series, please contact Mandrake at https://mandrake.uk.net/contact/

Have a fabulous Purple Magick season

Diti J Morgan

 

 

 

 

The Jitterbug Cult

 

This chapter is written by my dear friend Miryamdevi, high priestess of the Jitterbug Cult.

Tom Robbins,

 our prophet

***

The highest function of Love is that it makes the loved one a unique and irreplaceable being.

Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume

Imbolc is celebrated on February 1st, which is about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. At this time of the year, flowers are starting to come back and little buds start to form on the trees. This is the first sign of Mother Nature slowly waking up after the long winter sleep and reminds us that we are also reawakening, letting go of the past and making space for new beginnings and new plans.

Most of the snowdrop species flower in winter. In the language of flowers, the snowdrop is synonymous with 'hope', as it is seen as 'heralding' the new spring and new year.

Snowdrops

Most of the snowdrop species flower in winter. In the language of flowers, the snowdrop is synonymous with ‘hope’, as it is seen as ‘heralding’ the new spring and new year. 

Green is the colour of nature and it resonates with growth and expansion, stability and endurance. Green also symbolises harmony, healing, fertility, hope, love and protection. These qualities make us broaden our hearts and fill them with the love and excitement of a budding new dream.

On February first, just before dawn, if you listen very carefully, you just might hear the hypnotic melodies of the magical panpipes of the ancient god, and if you are lucky you might just see him skipping along the shadows doing his crazy Jitterbug dance.

Pan Archmus Herkalion

Herodotus wrote that according to Egyptian chronology, Pan was the most ancient of the gods

A couple of weeks after Imbolc, on February 14th, we are celebrating St. Beetaroota day. On this day we immortalise the love story between the field maiden Beetaroota and Pan. We also learn how the humble winter root is a key ingredient in two of the most important magical formulas of all time.

Jitterybug Perfume oil (K23)

Grape seed oil & beetroot extract

Horny Goat weed extract

Leather fragrance

White Musk fragrance

Oud fragrance

Amber fragrance

***

Vetiver

Palma Rosa

Jasmine Sambac

Jasmine Officinale

Bergamot 

Lemongrass

The above 4 fragrances are representative of the scentual aroma of the body of Pan:

  • Leather for flesh and blood. 
  • White Musk for its earthy, animalistic, sensual qualities like the animal pheromone secretion.   
  • Oud also known as agarwood, is extracted from the fungus-infected resinous heartwood of the agar tree, which is primarily found in the dense forests of Southeast Asia, India and Bangladesh. It is either extracted by distillation from the wood or by melting the resin. The unique fragrance of Oud is rare and precious, just like the characteristics and charisma of Pan.
  • Amber is a ‘fantasy’ perfumery note. It consists of a few ingredients (natural and synthetic) such as vanilla, patchouli, labdanum, styrax, benzoin and a few more, to create a warm, powdery, sweet scent. The God Pan is the wildest fantasy of mother nature.

The second stage of making the Jitterybug perfume oil was to recreate a scent that will represent the sweet earthy – tangy aroma of the beetroot.

The beetroot is the taproot portion of a beet plant. It is one of several cultivated varieties of Beta vulgaris grown for their edible taproots and leaves (called beet greens). Beetroots are a great source of many essential vitamins and minerals. It’s packed with essential nutrients and is a great source of fibre, folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C and also it contains high concentrations of the element Boron, which is believed to play a key role in producing human sex hormones.  

Beetroots have long been considered an aphrodisiac in many cultures.

Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love, Pleasure and Fertility, was irresistible among the Goddesses and desired by all. Legend tells us that eating beets was the secret to her ageless beauty. The Oracle at Delphi decreed beets to be worth their weight in silver because of their deep mystic potency. (Wikipedia)

Aphrodite, Eros & Pan (National Archaeological Museum, Athens/Wikipedia commons) In the picture above both God and Goddess seem stimulated after (probably) indulging in just a little too many beets, Poor little Eros above them, not sure if to separate the two or join in…

As I mentioned above, beetroot contains high concentrations of the element Boron, which is thought to have a major role in adjusting the body’s natural production of testosterone, and estradiol – a type of estrogen.

Both Aphrodite and Pan were well aware of the benefits of the beetroots. 

Unfortunately, beetroot doesn’t produce any essential oils, so I used a little beet extract as a symbolic gesture. To recreate the scent of the beetroot I used the essential oil of Vetiver and palmarosa. 

Vetiver essential oil has a deep smoky, sweet earthy-woody aroma like the earth which resonates with the deep earthy scent of beetroot, connecting us to our deeper roots, to the pulsating heart of nature. (For more details about vetiver see the chapter Black Magick).

Invocations to the green power should begin with self-love; an attempt to see the wonderful side of every self one consists of, and then proceed into a ritual affirmation of the beauty and loveability of all things and all people. Suitable god forms for the Love-self include Venus, Aphrodite and the mythical Narcissus…

Peter Carroll/Green Magic/Liber Kaos

With all respect to the mythical Narcissus,  this chapter is dealing with the ancient god of Nature and earth, a god that some might say is long dead. But for us, of the Jitterybug cult, he is very much alive and kicking. He is the god of the Green Magick season.

Io Pan

Invocations to the green power should begin with self-love

When we think of self-love, we must take into consideration the differences between Pan and Narcissus.  

The path of self-love is a narrow one and could lead to destruction through self-delusion, obsession and isolation. This was pretty much Narcissus’s way. On the other hand, we have the wild, beasty, earthy way of Pan which can teach us self-love through the appreciation of nature, music and dance. Through pleasures of body, ecstasy and trance, we can learn to see the hidden beauty in every living being and situation. Pan teaches us to have the courage to be wild and leads us to liberation.

Palmarosa Cymbopogon martinii 

Cymbopogon martinii

Palmarosa is a wild herbaceous plant with long grasslike fragrant stems. It is native to India and Pakistan but also grown in Africa, Indonesia, Brazil and the Comoro Islands. Palmarosa essential oil is pale yellow or olive liquid with a sweet, balsamic, somewhat citrusy, geranium-like scent.

While vetiver is related to the earth element which resonates strongly with Pan and his affinity with the land and nature, Palmarosa is related to the water element which resonates with the flowing nature of love and healing. Both vetiver and palmarosa are under the planetary rule of Venus, which might explain the strange and wild attraction between Pan and Aphrodite in the picture above (Aphrodite, Eros & Pan). The flowing nature of palmarosa oil soothes the mind and can help heal broken hearts and overcome negative emotions and move forward with our lives.

Pan is dead?

In the story, De Defectu Oraculorum Plutarch wrote:

 “[the] ship drove with the tide till it was carried near the Isles of Paxi; when immediately a voice was heard … calling unto one Thamus, and that with so loud a voice as made all the company amazed; … the voice said aloud to him, ‘When you arrive at Palodes, take care to make it known that the great god Pan is dead.’ … this voice did much to astonish all that heard it, and caused much arguing whether this voice was to be obeyed or slighted…” 

The announcement of Pan’s death was spread throughout the Roman Empire during the reign of Emperor Tiberius.  As the ancient empires began to grow, the wild suffered, as did Pan’s life essence. 

Pan was the God of the Wild and his essence filled his surroundings with life and vitality. Nature was at its most bountiful when Pan was present.

Pan’s death and his symbiotic relationship with nature represent the crisis over the loss of nature and pagan worship and the shift to Christian monotheism. The growth and spread of the Roman Empire led to many new roads laid through woodlands, fields and forests. New settlements started to flourish and spread along those new and modern roads, destroying the natural habitats of flora and fauna.

Pan’s name could also mean “all”, which leads to the assumption that his death had been that of all the demons of the pre-Christian era. The goat-legged god became the image of the devil and Pan’s image was vastly used in Christian literature and art as the image of Satan.

However, besides Plutarch’s work, there was no indication that Pan had ever died. In fact, a century after Plutarch’s time, Pausanias described shrines, grottos and sacred caves devoted to Pan that were still very much in use for rituals and pilgrimage.

In the second aeon, Men knew me as the Horned God, Pangenitor Panphage 

Verse 0 Book 1: Sacred scriptures of the Jitterybug cult

Pan is not Dead. He is Just resting

Verse 1 Book 1: Sacred scriptures of the Jitterybug cult

The only way Pan could shake off the satanic image the New Christians attributed to him was to go underground. But Pan, being the God of nature and a fertile symbol of the land, knew he would be found and hunted till the edge of the world. The new lords of the land will track him down and sniff his beasty pheromones out. The only place they will not be able to track his scent will be if he hides (or make them think he is hiding) in the depth of the sea. 

The rumour about Pan’s death started onboard a ship cruising the Ionian Sea when Thamus, an Egyptian sailor, sailed to Italy. As he passed by the Greek islands, he heard a divine voice call to him from across the water saying – “The great god Pan is dead!” 

Plutarch ‘forgot’ to mention, that Thamus was a devotee of Pan (some say he was one of Pan’s most celebrated high priests) who started the rumour as part of Pan’s manifesto to keep the balance and harmony of the land by letting the wild things be wild at heart and nature.

The sacred scriptures of the Jitterybug cult tell us how Kudra created a special scent, a perfume to mask the scent of Pan, so he can walk free among us without being detected or recognised, the K23.

Kudra had to apply all her perfumery skills, aromatic knowledge and scentual abilities to cover the scent of Pan.  As you know, Pan is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks. He has the hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat. For those of you that have never experienced the farmyard smells of a goat pen, there are not many ways to describe the distinct smell of goats, especially male goats — They stink.

Creating a perfume that will be suitable for a god is a serious task, even more so if the perfume in mind needs to conceal the scent of one of the stinkier gods around. 

Kudra was somewhat vague about the ingredients she used to create the k23. We know she collected the very rare pollen of the beetroot to balance out with earthy tones and the animalistic stench of the goat, and then she added the best quality Jasmine oil she could find. In Kudra’s case, it will probably be ok to assume she used Jasmine Sambac. 

Jasmine has the honour of being one of the highest-priced plant scents and has often been called the king of flowers. (Scott Cunningham:1997). 

Earlier in the book, Jasmine was also dedicated to the Amrita Kala (Amrita means “immortality”) and resonates with the sexual magic elixir. She is also associated with Lalita. Lalita is a Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the supreme goddess Mahadevi. The intense scent of Jasmine can affect our emotions by producing feelings of optimism, confidence and euphoria in the hearts of the devotees at the time of worshipping the gods.

The powerful aroma of Jasmine will be sufficient enough to tone down the stench of the goat, and at the same time will support its life essence and vitality, sexual appeal and stamina, which are so vital for the man-goat-God Pan. 

The last of the ingredients of the perfume according to Kudra should be a light and airy note of the citrus family.  Without much thinking, I reached for the bottle of Bergamot and added a few drops to the perfume oil blend. After all, what is better than the fresh fruity sweet aroma of Bergamot to lift the spirit and keep the vital essence of life, flowing freely and smoothly throughout the body and mind. However, after letting the blend settle, I noticed that one high keynote is still missing to make the perfume whole.

So what would it be? 

It was very difficult to decide between the fresh, grassy-lemony scent of the Lemongrass with the equally fresh, lemony, fruity-floral fragrance of Lemon-Verbena, so after a few trials, I decided to ‘keep it in the family and chose Palmarosa older cousin – Lemongrass. As already described in Octarine Magick’s chapter, the intensity of the fresh lemon-herby scent of the lemongrass can bring up fragments of deep and long-lost memories of ancient wildlands and open spaces. 

This version of the K23 is a very complex and paradoxical blend of scents, aromas and fragrances. The journey to create a perfume that at the same time will represent the essence of the God Pan, and conceal it within its unique scent, took me on a journey exploring the rhythms and vibes of Green Magick which I never expected when I started writing this chapter. I am grateful for the author who recognised my skills and knowledge of the sacred teachings of the cult of the last God who can still dance the Jitterbug.

Before I go, I entrust you with the cult’s most sacred scripture — the teaching of St Beetaroota and the secret of the beets.

February 20k23

Miryamdevi, Jitterbug priestess 

 

Overcoming Apep

Featured

 

 

Part of my day job is reading and editing books, recently I was preparing the ebook edition of Seth & The Two Ways (Morgan 2019). Reading Appendix 2 – Book(s) of Overthrowing Apep (Bremner Rhind Papyrus 3), a papyrus found in Thebes (in Upper Egypt), probably from the tomb of a priest from the Ptolemaic period, filled with the most powerful and hostile of curses. To get the editing job done, I had to read the nine books in one go. Working on these texts I noticed a strange feeling creeping over me. As I read the first two books, I felt upset and unsettled, as if the disturbing words of the text caught me off guard and were now literally directed toward me. By the time I got to book three, the heavy feeling of despair changed to something else, difficult to describe. By books three and four, I could feel a surge of energy shooting up and down my spine and I could sense a powerful circle forming around me. When I started book five, The Book of Knowing The Creation Of Ra And Of Overthrowing Apep, I could almost see the circle of power enclosing me, on all sides. I felt protected and at the same time strong and ready, but for what?

By the time I finished reading book six, I had an insight into the nature of cursing and the importance of the god Seth in Egyptian Cosmology and its pantheons.

The ninth book vibrates the victorious rhythms of mission accomplished, the priest ferried through the most horrendous and atrocious curses, his spirit never failing, his heart never broken, his body fully charged with the primaeval power of the ancient serpent that vibrates with the secrets of creation. He is one with the Dark Lord, with the Red God, with the Black power of the North, he is ready to take on the ancient worm.

By the time I finished reading the ninth book, I felt powerful, strong, determined, and mighty. I was ready to slay a dragon.

Most of the curses and “grimoires” we are familiar with are working on a very specific psychological level – earthy and primal, to intimidate and bully a person, in the most extreme and influential ways, to make them believe they are cursed. As we know, this power is indisputable and when a person believes in something, it can be nearly impossible to argue with them or to change their minds.

This type of cursing is directed straight to the emotional centre, resonating with the lower and earthly vibrations to cause fear and upheaval in the lives of the ‘victim’. On the other hand, the person who does the cursing is as much trapped in the emotional realm of aggression and intimidation as the target is. 

In order to curse an awesome and primaeval power such as Apep, the priest who conducted the ritual, needed to be as strong and as powerful as Apep, probably stronger. 

I have come to believe that the Book(s) of Overthrowing Apep was meant to be read and performed as one ritual without a break. Like many other Egyptian texts, the Bremner Rhind Papyrus 3 is a text that takes us on a journey of becoming. The priest or priests build up their mental and physical resilience by vibrating those hostile words, channelling the power and assimilating them into themselves, transforming those nine books of curses into a powerful and mighty weapon of protection and strength. 

I mentioned above how these texts were probably found in the tomb of a priest. They were included in the funeral rites and preparation for the underworld or night journey. Whichever way one looks at it, one can’t avoid the awareness that Apep is eternal, bornless and cannot be killed. This realisation could cause a psychological battle in the mind of the priest, leading to doubts, despair and resentment of his beliefs, and losing their ability to perform their roles properly in the temple. By turning the tables and learning the secrets powers of the curse, the priest acquires a tool of power, channelling the powers of the cursed one onto himself, freeing himself from the mundane state of existence, transforming and attuning his mind into the cosmic rhythm of the eternal.

Being equipped with such a papyrus, with such a powerful curse, in the tomb on your final journey, would be like the ultimate insurance policy against the immense forces of Apep the eternal, to protect his “soul” (Ba, Ka, Akh) on the final journey.

The Names Of Apep Which Shall Have No Existence – Book nine is like a repetitive mantra to be chanted and written on papyrus and to be burned in the fire. In the mantra, the name of Apep is repeated twenty-nine times! Each repetition is written with one of his terrible and horrific powerful characteristics, for instance – (21) Apep Kher Amam (Apep, The Fallen, The Devourer) (25) Apep Kher Kenemmti (Apep, The Fallen, The Dark One) (28) Apep Kher Sekhem-her (Apep, The Fallen, The Potent of Glance). Ostensibly it looks as if the priest is chanting and writing a very fierce curse. From my personal experience with mantra chantings, I can say that the more you repeat the same word,  vowel or seed mantra, the more one can actually feel the energy gathering, charging and vibrating around and within you. You are becoming one with the rhythm, like the physical vessel of the mantra vibrations. The repetition of Apep’s name is the way in which the priest channels and charges the power into himself. 

According to the instructions on the Abydos Temple walls, the daily temple ritual was performed three times a day.  Based on information from Temple Ritual at Abydos by Rosalie David (2016), before entering the temple, the priests had to purify themselves in the water basins, the sacred lake or any other convenient pure water source. Weapons must be left outside the temple and only then can they approach the shrine door. 

They open that door while saying: “I remove the finger of Seth from the Eye of Horus” step into the shrine and look at the God, saying whatever comes into their mind as a greeting. Perhaps something like this: “Be not unaware of me (Ra), If you know me, I will know you”. They

move into the shrine and stand before the altar and clean away any debris, tidy the place, lighted the fire and anointed all the deity’s statues and figurines with the daily perfume and made an offering of food etc saying: “Hetep di nesew asir neb djedu neter Aa neb Abdu” Which was the standard offering formula in Egyptian rites and can be adapted to any deity. Once all this was done, the priest positioned himself in front of the offering table and started to read the Book(s) of Overthrowing Apep, building up the energy to the triumphant crescendo of the chanting the words of book nine – The Names Of Apep Which Shall Have No Existence, finishing the rite by throwing the papyrus into the purifying flames of the temple fire. 

One can almost see the rite taking place, almost feel the vibrations of the chants resonating within the temple.  Now imagine how would it feels to visit that temple when the ritual of Overthrowing Apep has been performed a myriad times, since the Middle Kingdom when its existence was first recorded. For the uninitiated and the laymen, the temples in which this rite has been regularly performed must have been the most forbidding and eerie of places, haunted by wild-eyed priests. For the cult and its initiates, this was a place of power, a place to immerse yourself and to be charged with the endless baraka of the eternal one.

The Sethian myth is established on the sacred triad: Ra, Seth & Apophis, none could exist without the others. It is the battle-dance of creation, one dies, another must kill and one must shine.  

 The complete version of the Books of Overthrowing Apep (The Mother of all Curses) is reproduced in Mogg Morgan’s Seth & The Two Ways

Seth & The Two Ways
Ways of seeing the demon god of Egypt
Mogg Morgan
Format: Softcover/illustrated/many in colour.
ISBN: 9781906958831
£18/US$26
Subjects: Ancient Egypt/Egyptian Magick

Click HERE for Seth & The Two Ways / UK / £18

Click HERE for Seth & The Two Ways / USA and Worldwide / US$26

 

New moon Bath ritual

Featured

 

The New Moon brings with it another cycle of new beginnings and rebirth. A fresh start and time to focus our intentions, ideas and dreams into creative manifestation. 

The Amrita kala and Kameswari correspond with the essence of the Clary Sage.  As its name suggests, Clary is the oil of clarity, clear thinking and clear visions.  Using Clary sage on the new moon will direct the Amrita kala and Kameswari’s essence our way. Few drops in the ritual bath will help us to become open to changes, new ideas and new perceptions, clear our mind and make space for new visions and dreams.

Clary Sage 

Clary Sage essential oil, is mainly used for menstrual complaints, childbirth and can help in releasing female sexual dysfunction (frigidity). Clary sage is a general nerve tonic and like the garden sage, it cools inflammation and is especially useful for throat and respiratory infections.

It has a calming effect on the mind and it is known to induce euphoria.

Clary sage has a relaxing effect on the body and mind, encouraging sleep and vivid dreams.

Salvia Sclarea

Salvia Sclarea

The ritual

Prepare your oil blend in a small bowl, 1 tablespoon of sea salt and about 6-10 drops of Clary Sage oil.

When your bath is full, add the blend into the bath and make the figure 8 with your hand in the water while focusing on your intentions and prayers, offer yourself (by getting into the water) to the spirit of the oil. Once you’re in the bath, let your body relax into the water. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths inhaling the scent of the oil and listen to your guided meditation: 

Chandra (Moon) gayatri mantra:

om kshira-putraya vidmahe

amrita-tattvaya dhimahi

tanno chandra prachodayat

 

I bow down to Lord Chandra holder of the lotus. 

Who shines in the brilliant color of gold. 

May Lord Chandra illuminate my intellect

and shed light on my path. 

*I recommend recording the meditation beforehand, so you can listen to it while you are bathing. I make a playlist that lasts about 25-30 minutes, starting with about 7-10 minutes of some relaxing music, then guided meditation for about 10 minutes, followed with 10 minutes of more relaxing music. When the music stops, it’s your queue to get out of the ritual bath.

  • When a bath is not an option, you can inhale the oil while listening to the mantra/meditation. Once the mantra is over, utter license to depart (say thanks and put the Clary sage bottle away).                                   ***Excessive inhalation of the Clary sage oil might cause headaches!

 

The energetic qualities of cypress oil

Featured

When I think of Cypress essential oil, the words that always come to mind are: transitions, change, transformation and renewal.

I stop and take a breath and more words and images flow in, which reminds me of the essence of the Cypress tree symbolism:

Inner strength, strengthening of the soul and spiritual strength, “Not broken in a storm”, determination, purity and compassion.

Cypress — Cupressus semperviren, is native to the Middle East and the Mediterranean, however, its other varieties are grown all over the world.

The cypress, an evergreen tree, very tall — its roots are firmly buried in the ground and its head touches clouds, is resistant to storms and strong winds and is the most common tree in cemeteries throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

The cypress symbolizes the soul’s journey from the moment of death to the return to the source, to the one.

Dealing with someone that just lost a loved one, cypress oil will usually be the first I’ll start the treatment with. The fresh scent of the cypress cleanses us and clarifies the thoughts. 

This quality of the fragrance paves the way for the containment of pain and loss. 

It also transforms and prepares the patient for the acceptance and relief of their grief. 

At the same time, it enhances the most important tool in the therapist tool kit – compassion.

In the case of a postpartum stillbirth,  for me, using cypress is necessary in almost all cases.

In a stillbirth, the cypress symbolizes the pain of the mother. The pain which is rising and flooding her from the root – the womb. The pain of losing a baby, who was born but did not take root in life, threatens to break her.

This is where the energy of the cypress enters and with the clarity of its fragrance, purifies our body and soul just before at the point when it is about to be broken.