In spirit work, we often connect with the spirits that have crossed over and are present in the physical world. However, there are also ways to cross over into the spirit world and connect with spirits in their home environment.
Pathworking
As I mentioned in a previous post, a pathworking is a specific type of meditation where you go on a psychic journey, but are still anchored to your physical body. It’s sort of like dipping your toes into the spirit world.
There are two important elements to a pathworking: a clear entrance/exit point and a way to retrace your steps. Pathworking journeys are typically cyclical — there is both a journey out and a return where you go back the way you came. This makes it easier to fully return your consciousness to your body, and failing to do so can cause you to feel disoriented upon the return.
Your entry/exit point can be absolutely anything, but common examples include a door, a gateway, a tree (or sometimes The World Tree), a cave/tunnel, or a natural landmark like a beach or mountaintop. What’s important is that it’s recognizable and easy to find your way back to.
If you want to try pathworking, make a rough “road map” of your journey beforehand. This doesn’t have to be super specific, but it should contain the following: a goal for the pathworking (such as to connect with a certain spirit), an entry/exit point, and a general idea for the route you’re going to take. If you’re worried about getting lost, author Thea Sabin recommends using “the Theseus trick.” Like in the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, you can tie a golden thread or rope to your entry point and the other end to your astral body. If you get lost, you can follow the thread back.
Pathworking is fairly beginner friendly, and I highly, highly, highly recommend starting with pathworking and becoming comfortable with this method before trying astral travel. Even for more advanced witches, pathworking is often a better option than astral travel because it’s less involved and requires a little bit less effort. I personally prefer pathworking for most situations.
Performing a Pathworking
Before you begin, establish a clear goal for your pathworking and write out a rough “road map.” At the very least, you should know what your purpose is, where your entry point is, and how to find your way back.
Begin in a dark, quiet room. Cleanse the room by burning incense, diffusing or spraying essential oils, or using a ritual broom to sweep out old energy.
Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down and begin meditating. You may want to play meditation music, practice breathing techniques, or use some other method to help you reach a meditative state.
Once you reach a meditative state (you should know what this feels like if you have experience with meditation), see yourself standing at your entry point. This is your entrance to the astral realm.
Set out on your pathworking.
When you are ready to leave the astral realm, you will need to find your way back to your entry point. Once you reach your entry point, it should be fairly easy to return to your body.
Once you’re fully present in your physical body, use your favorite method to ground yourself.
Write down everything you experienced during your pathworking in a journal.
Astral Travel
If pathworking is dipping your toes into the spirit world, astral travel is diving in the deep end. Also called spirit flight and hedge riding, astral travel includes actually sending your soul/consciousness out of your body and into the spirit world. As you might guess, this is more complicated and requires more effort than pathworking. For this reason, astral travel is not beginner-friendly. If you are completely new to meditation, witchcraft, and spirit work, it’s best to learn to pathwork before you attempt astral travel.
A word of warning: you may want to avoid astral travel at times when you’re in a very vulnerable or volatile emotional state. Some days you just aren’t up for it, and that’s okay. On those days, a pathworking or another form of spirit work may be a better option.
Triggering Spirit Flight
In astral travel, a trigger of some kind is used to help disconnect the soul from the physical body. Common triggers include drumming, special music, shaking a rattle, chanting, and dancing.
You can find shamanic drumming tracks on YouTube that can help you achieve astral travel. If you find that repetitive motion helps you trance out, you may look into getting a small drum or rattle to play.
Animal Guides
In many cultures, those who travel into the spirit world do so with the guidance and protection of an animal spirit. From the Norse fylgja, to the shamanic power animal, to the witch’s familiar, history is full of examples of these types of guides.
Before you begin astral travel, do a pathworking to meet your animal guide. It’s important to note that you aren’t choosing an animal guide — only meeting one that has always been with you. Your guide may be an animal that you like or identify with, or it may not. When I first began experimenting with astral travel, my guide was a coyote — an animal I had never identified with before, but who I learned was deeply connected to my inner self.
It’s important to always have your animal guide with you when going on astral journeys, as they are an important source of protection and power. They may also literally guide you to the things you need to see and the spirits you need to meet.
Flying Ointments
Historical accounts describe witches using “flying ointment” to help them achieve spirit flight. These traditional flying ointments contained toxic and/or hallucinogenic plants like belladonna, datura, henbane, mandrake, and opium poppies. For obvious reasons, most modern witches do not use these herbs.
Please do not try to create your own flying ointment with poisonous plants. If you’re a true traditionalist and feel like you just have to try a historically accurate flying ointment, Bane Folk Apothecary sells several. Bane Folk is run by Sarah Anne Lawless, a kickass witch who knows her stuff and produces safe, medicinal products inspired by traditional flying ointment formulas. I am usually very pro-DIY, especially when it comes to witchcraft, but this is one case where it really is best to defer to a professional.
To create a modern, non-toxic flying ointment: heat eight ounces (or one cup) of poppy seed oil over low heat on the stove. Once the oil is warm, add 2 ounces (or ¼ cup) of beeswax into the oil. (Use carnauba wax for a vegan alternative.) Take the mixture off the heat, and allow it to cool off a bit. Once it has cooled (but before it’s begun to solidify), add nine drops each of mugwort essential oil, star anise essential oil, and peppermint essential oil. Pour the mixture into a mason jar and seal tightly. To extend your ointment’s shelf life, add a few drops of Vitamin E oil and store in the refrigerator. If you don’t have access to essential oils or prefer a more traditional method, you can buy dry herbs and infuse them into your oil instead — to do this, crush up 2.5 ounces (or 1/3 cup) each of dried mugwort, star anise, and peppermint and add them to a mason jar; add enough oil to the jar to cover the herbs completely, with about an inch of oil above them; seal the jar and place it in a sunny window for 2-3 weeks to infuse; and finally, strain the herbs out of the oil with a mesh sieve or a cheesecloth. You can then add your Vitamin E oil and beeswax to create an ointment.
This modern recipe does not contain hallucinogens, but it does contain plants that are commonly used in magic to increase psychic abilities and aid in astral travel. You can say an incantation over this ointment while making it to add some extra magical potency. Applying the flying ointment can also become a sort of ritual that prepares you for spirit flight by helping you slip into a more spiritual head space.
Performing Astral Travel/Spirit Flight
Before you begin, know why you are journeying to the spirit world. You should always have a clear goal for your astral journeys.
Begin in a dark, quiet room. Cleanse the room by burning incense (mugwort incense aids in astral travel), diffusing or spraying essential oils, or using a ritual broom to sweep out old energy.
Use your favorite method to ground yourself.
If you are choosing to use a flying ointment, rub it on your skin now.
Hold a protective item in one of your hands. I like physical items for protection during spirit flight, because they can ground you and help you find your way back to your body. Examples of protective items include a sprig of rue, a piece of iron, or a protective crystal like black tourmaline. If you ever feel scared or uncomfortable during your journey, you can bring this object into the astral realm to protect you. It will also keep your body safe while your consciousness is occupied.
Start up your trigger, whether this is drumming, rattling, dancing, etc.
Allow yourself to drift into a trance state, and then to disconnect from your body.
Call your animal guide to you.
Set out on your journey in the spirit world.
When you are ready, feel yourself returning to your physical body. Allow yourself to come back slowly — don’t rush it.
Ground yourself. One good way to ground after astral travel is by eating a snack.
Write down your experiences in a journal.
Resources:
Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin
Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon
Hedge Riding by Harmonia Saille
“How to Make Herb-Infused Oils for Culinary & Body Care Use” and “How to Make Herbal Salves” from the Mountain Rose Herbs blog
I feel the need to protect my house, so I prepared a few sigils (all found on @sigilathenaeum , great blog btw)
I went for a black and white style, but it didn’t feel right to let them like that. Plus, I didn’t feel like grounding to charge them and my crystals are kind of exhausted (oopsie). Watercolor seemed the best idea to me.
Not to be confused with volcanic salt/Himalayan black salt/kala namak. Black salt has strong protective properties, especially when combined with other protective/uncrossing herbs (herbs meant to undo a curse or hex). It’s used to absorb negative energy, create wards, and undo curses. It’s also good for banishing and binding. Here’s my recipe:
What you’ll need:
Cleansing items, such as palo santo, sage, bells, spray, whichever you personally use.
Sea Salt
Charcoal Disk (or charcoal powder)
Black Candle
Rosemary
Garlic Powder
Chili Powder
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Paprika
Black Pepper
Black Candle
Bowl
Mortar & Pestle
Black stones/crystals
Any additional protective items you may have. (Here I gathered dried red peppers, dried chili peppers, lemon, sage, and ashed from a Litha bonfire.) These items are for You to draw some extra energy from, and won’t be directly added to the salt.
Frankincense and/or Dragon’s Blood incense.
Instructions:
First, cleanse your space using whatever best works for you.
After cleansing, start your frankincense and/or dragon’s blood incense, this will be going for the duration of the spell.
Light your black candle.
Gather your supplies as seen in the picture.
As always, make sure your intention is strong, and continuously draw from it. Return to your intent no matter how often your mind wanders (which it will, that’s ok).
In a bowl, mix the salt with the herbs first.
Remember your other protective items are there for you to use. If needed, refocus on their protective energies and draw from that.
Use a mortar and pestle to crush the charcoal disk separately. This takes a lot of physical energy, and it is very messy. If you prefer to use charcoal powder, that’s ok, though charcoal disks will be cheaper. I like charcoal disks because I feel more energetically involved in/connected to the process.
Mixing counterclockwise, mix the very finely crushed charcoal into the salt. Mix. Use as many charcoal disks needed to get to the level of darkness you want.
Mind wandering? Remember your intent! Refocus!
When you’re done, transfer the black salt into a jar and set the crystals around it in a circle. Let it continue to build and charge this way, until you feel it is ready. If you’re not sure, it can also be until the candle or incense goes out.
Done! Sprinkle this around the parameter of your wards, such as along doorways and windows. It can also be used during unhexing/curse breaking spells, general protection spells, banishing, and binding.
This is NOT FOR CONSUMPTION.
Even if you used edible activated charcoal, know that 1. charcoal interacts with many medications by basically absorbing them and rendering them useless, including birth control, diabetes medications, cancer drugs, and more. and 2. I’m not sure this would taste great?
So I just sent in my application for a new apartment today, and I realized an hour before work that I never did any type of magick to make sure the application got approved! With basically no time left before I had to leave for work, I was panicking because my likelihood of being approved is pretty if-y. Then, it dawned on me: I could make a sigil.
Today reminded me of how much I love sigils. They’re really one of the quickest and easiest types of magick, yet they yield some of the most incredible results if utilized effectively. I realized, though, that I don’t have a post about them anywhere on this blog! So here goes.
What is a sigil?
A sigil is essentially an energy that has been converted into a drawing. You begin with an intention (ie: “My application is approved”, “I receive a large sum of money this week”, “I am safe and protected”, etc.). Then, you use your subconscious mind to shape that intention into a symbol. The symbol can take on any shape, any size, any color, any complexity or simplicity. Once you have crafted the sigil, it contains the energy of your intention. It can then be carried, burned, inscribed, worn, or any number of other actions which allow the sigil to attract your desire to you.
How does it work?
Everything in the universe is energy, in all planes of existence. The lower you descend through these planes, though, the more dense this energy becomes. In our physical world, energy is so dense that it presents the illusion of matter, of physical substance.
Yourconscious mind operates in this physical world, where energy is very concrete. This part of you is rational, cognizant, and usually in control of your actions. This is the part of your mind that moves through the world on a day-to-day basis and allows you to function as a member of society. Because this part of your mind is so caught up in your physical existence, though, it isn’t really able to perceive metaphysical energy. It buys into the illusion of physical substance, of matter, and prevents you from completely connecting energetically with everything around you.
Yoursoul,on the other hand, is a part of you that operates in higher dimensionswhere energy is very fluid. It completely disregards the illusion of physical substance and recognizes that everything around you truly is just energy. This is the part of you that creates art, that can feel love, that crafts your intuition, and that can manipulate the energies of the world around you.
Yoursubconscious is a special part of you, though, because it exists somewhere in between, mediating between your conscious mind and your soul and linking the two together. Your subconscious mind is therefore able to translate your thoughts and intentions back and forth between matter and energy, allowing you - among many other things - to perform magick.
In the case of sigils, your conscious mind creates an intention. Let’s say, “I need a new apartment.” You then take that intention and translate it into the language of energy using any number of techniques that harness your creative subconscious. When the process is finished, you have a unique symbol which represents that intention and contains its unique essence. You have essentially ‘converted’ your desire into a magickal energy.
How do I make a sigil?
There actually is no right or wrong way to create a sigil. When you are sitting in class or at work, bored out of your mind, and you start to doodle in the corner of a piece of a paper - you are creating a sigil. Your subconscious is taking an energy that your soul perceives somewhere and is expressing it in the form of a drawing. The process is as natural to us as breathing, really. Because everyone’s mind is unique, though, it will take some trial and error to figure out which method works best for you.
1) Some people enjoy a very raw method.
This involves a lot of practice with meditative states of mind. Essentially, you begin by breaking out a pen and paper. Stare at the blank paper in front of you, and hold your intention in your mind. Mull it over in your head. Truly try to visualize yourself accomplishing this goal. Then, when you feel that the intention is secure in your mind, pick up the paper and just begin to draw. Create squiggles or broad strokes, straight lines or nonsensical swirls. Do not think about your actions: just allow the pen to glide across the paper wherever it wants to go.
Eventually, you’ll reach a point where the drawing feels ‘complete’. Once you reach this point, put the pen down and examine the drawing. Study each individual part. See what pieces you like and what pieces feel a bit off. Then, pick the pen back up, and re-draw your sigil. This time, though, tweak it to be slightly more pleasing. Fix the details that feel off. Repeat this process of redrawing and refining it until the whole thing feels ‘right’. The final product is your sigil.
2) Some people prefer a more structured method.
With the previous method, you are essentially plucking the sigil straight out of your subconscious with no assistance. For some people (including myself) this method can be effective but VERY time-consuming. I also have ADHD, and so it can often be difficult to invent a sigil from scratch - especially if I’m under stress or pressure.
Therefore, I personally prefer this structured method. I know I’ve heard of this before from some source or other, but I’m unsure who originally invented it. I do know, though, that it is discussed extensively in The Chaos Protocols by Gordon White, which is where I was recently reminded of it. That’s a phenomenal book, btw, if any of you are interested in exploring practical chaos magick.
Basically, this method allows you to tap into your creative subconscious while still giving your conscious mind enough of a task to keep it preoccupied.
Begin by writing out your intention. This should be a complete sentence written in the present tense and in active voice. I have a new apartment. Large sums of money come to me. I am safe and protected.
After writing down a phrase you feel comfortable with, cross out all of the vowels. Then cross out all of the multiple copies of letters. You will use what is left - a string of consonants - to create your sigil.
Ex: (Intention) I AM SAFE AND PROTECTED
(Remove vowels) M SF ND PRTCTD
(Remove double consonants) M SF ND PRTC
The final string of consonants to be used is then: M S F N D P R T C
Once you have your string of consonants, begin arranging them into different shapes. Feel free to invert them, flip them upside down, stretch and contort them, overlap them, or whatever feels right. For your first draft, just try to figure out where each of the letters goes relative to the others. Create a diagram where every letter is used. Don’t worry, this first draft won’t be pretty, and it won’t feel complete. Just try to make it satisfying to you in that every letter is where it should be.
Then, in your second draft, redraw the sigil. Stylize it this time, however. Allow the concrete shape of the letters to fall away, and tweak the details to make it feel pleasing. If a line would feel better as a curve, change it. If this piece should be longer, change it. If this part would be better with three dots and an arrow above it, change it. Keep refining it with however many drafts it takes until the sigil feels ‘right’.
3) Some people prefer something different altogether.
There are an infinite number of other ways to create sigils. These are just two of the most popular that I’ve encountered. Some other very notable mentions include:
Using a Sigil Wheel - Create a circle that is subdivided into 26 sections; label each section with a letter. Then, create an intention phrase. Once you have your phrase, take a pen and place the tip on the section of your sigil wheel that corresponds with the first letter of your phrase. Then, trace a pattern across the wheel from letter to letter, following the order of letters in your intention phrase. The final assortment of lines serves as your sigil.
Using Kamea - Kamea (defined very loosely) is a Middle Eastern type of planetary magick. Basically, the belief is that every planet in our solar system has a spirit - a consciousness - attached to it, which can be appealed to for specific blessings. A ‘kamea’ is a unique square grid of numbers that is specifically designed to tap into the energy of each planet’s consciousness. Using different methods, a sigil can be crafted by using the numbers on the kamea, allowing you to tap into the energy of that spirit for help. I’m unsure of the methodology, but I’ve also heard of kamea’s being created for specific elemental energies as well as deities.
Using Runes and Bind Runes - I have not used this process myself because I haven’t worked extensively with Germanic and Nordic magickal systems. However, I do know that this is a very popular type of sigil magick, especially on tumblr. Runes are a type of language originating in Germanic and Nordic cultures several thousand years ago. They are one part literary system, one part magickal system. I don’t know the full mythology, but I know that in some beliefs, the runes were created by Odin after receiving inspiration from the source of all things. Each rune is a vastly complex magickal energy which represents an energy current in nature. These runes can be utilized individually or in conjunction with each other (known as a bind rune) for a plethora of purposes, including in sigil magick.
How do I activate and use a sigil?
The final important step in sigil creation is activation. Once you have translated your intention into a magickal symbol, you have to imbue it with a magickal charge so that it can begin attracting your intention to you. There are literally dozens and dozens of different ways to activate a sigil. Whichever one you use will depend on personal taste more than anything else.
Meditating with the sigil and charging it with your energy the old-fashioned, chaos magick way
Leaving it out in the sunlight or moonlight
Letting it sit near some plants
Imbuing it with crystal or herb energy
Passing the sigil through smoke
Focusing on the sigil during orgasm
Literally any other method you can think of - there is no wrong way.
After the sigil has been activated, it is now charged and ready to do your bidding. This is where different schools of thought begin to break away from each other. No one can completely agree on the BEST way to use a sigil, so experiment, and see what works for you!
Some people believe you have to burn/rip up/destroy the sigil after activating it, which will release its energy and allow your intention to manifest.
Some people believe you have to hold onto the sigil and feed your energy into it until your intention manifests.
Some people believe you have to put the sigil somewhere that you can see it everyday, but in order for it to manifest, you have to wait until - one day - you forget what the sigil was even originally for. This belief suggests that, once you have forgotten the sigil’s purpose, its energy has left the piece of paper and is now actively manifesting in the real world.
Like I said, see what works best for you, because there really is no wrong way to perform this kind of magick. Make it personal to you! Give it your own style. And have fun with it, because this is definitely one of the types of magick that really allows you to express your creativity.
