Category Archives: Aromagick

Purple Magick – Mayday/Beltane

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

 

כמה מילים על האיכויות האנרגטיות של שמן הברוש

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כשאני חושבת על הברוש, המילים שתמיד עולות לי הן: מעברים, שינוי, טרנספורמציה והתחדשות. 

כשאני עוצרת לקחת נשימה, צפות ועולות עוד מילים ודימויים שמזכירים לי את מהות סימליותו של הברוש:

“לא נשבר בסערה”, חוזק פנימי, התחזקות הנפש ועוצמה רוחנית, נחישות, טהרה וחמלה.

הברוש –Cupressus semperviren, נפוץ בעיקר ברחבי המזרח התיכון אולם זנים אחרים שלו, גדלים בכל רחבי העולם.

הברוש, עץ ירוק עד, גבוה מאוד-שורשיו טמונים חזק באדמה וראשו נוגע בעננים, עמיד בסופות ורוחות חזקות הוא העץ הנפוץ ביותר בבתי הקברות ברחבי המזרח התיכון. הברוש מסמל את מסע הנשמה מרגע המוות ועד החזרה אל המקור, אל האחד.

כשמגיע אלינו מטופל או מטופלת המתאבלים על אובדן יקיריהם, ברוש יהיה בדרך כלל השמן הראשון שאפתח איתו את הטיפול. הניחוחו הרענן והצלול של הברוש מטהר אותנו ומבהיר את המחשבה. צלילות הניחוח סוללת את הדרך להכלת הכאב, האובדן ושחרורו במטופל, ומשרישה את הכלי החשוב ביותר במטפל – החמלה.

במקרה של יולדת לאחר לידה שקטה, שימוש בברוש מבחינתי, הוא הכרחי כמעט בכל המקרים. 

בלידה שקטה, הברוש מסמל את כאבה של האם שעולה ומציף אותה מהשורש – הרחם, הכאב על אובדן התינוק שנולד אבל לא השתרש בחיים ומאיים לשבור אותה. בדיוק כאן נכנסת האנרגיה של הברוש “שלא נשבר בסערה” ומטהרת בצלילות ניחוחו את המקום הזה שעומד להישבר.