The Divination Nation: June 2016

Friday, June 17, 2016

BURN, BABY BURN: USING CANDLES FOR RITUAL

Crystal and Pleasant: photo by Maharet Hughes

Welcome to The Divination Nation blog!

We are Pleasant Gehman and Crystal Ravenwolf, a duo of divination divas, “spiritual sisters from another mister”. We’re life-long Tarotistas, obsessed with all things esoteric and paranormal. Look for our forthcoming book, “Walking The Tarot Path” in late 2016.
We’ve created this blog to share our knowledge and to connect with the vibrant worldwide metaphysical and paranormal community. We hope it’s as fun for you to read as it is for us to write…Enjoy!

There are many ways to use colors in ritual and one of the foremost is with candles. Every color has it’s own vibration and several associated uses, depending on what practice you follow. Even though you could pretty much just use a simple or “standard” white candle in your work, selecting a color that corresponds with your intent will make your work that much more powerful.

If you are new to using candles for magick, there are some important things you need to know before getting started. We’ll start with the more mundane first: be sure to choose good quality candles; you don’t want cheaper ones that might burn improperly or unevenly. You must observe the common-sense rules of fire safety- keep burning candles away from drapes, curtains, dried flowers, gusts of wind or flammable altar cloths. If you are planning on burning a candle for several hours or days- and yes, there are such things as two-day to seven day candles- it’s essential that you keep the candle lit in a place where there are no children-or animals-nearby. The last thing you want is for the candle to get knocked over. This will not only ruin your work, but could put your life and residence in jeopardy!

Just burning a candle for ambiance during, say, a meditation or during a Tarot reading is fine, but if you are going to use a candle for ritual, you’ll need to do some thorough research first. To begin with, there are various kinds of candles: pillars ( often enclosed in heavy glass) tapers, votives, tea lights, figure candles, miniatures. So let’s say you wanted to represent a person, or two people, as you would for a love spell… you might want to use figure candles instead of a taper or pillar.

There are several ways to dress candles ( with herbs, oils and inscriptions) as well as for writing the petitions that correspond to your intent. For example, you would need to know what phase of the moon would be most optimal for the type of work you are doing. You’d also have to be familiar with which oils or herbs correspond best with the work you are doing.

Here, we share a general guide to candle colors and some of the intents and purposes each color corresponds to:

White: Use white candles for gaining clarity, healing, to signify purity, and for communicating with the spirit world or for any type of spiritual work

Black: Black candles are used for reversing spells, protection from evil, for banishing and repelling, and for getting rid of enemies

Red: This color influences love and attraction spells, to promote energy, and increase sexuality. Red is a very physically oriented color and can increase vitality

Orange: Burn orange candles to support success: for new projects and business opportunities, to open new paths, and for vivid or clairvoyant dreams

Yellow/ Gold: The color of the eternal optimist, this color attracts positive energy…yellow candles are used to increase happiness, prosperity, luck in general and also for increasing the odds in gambling

Green: This color assists with any work related to finance and abundance, including prosperity, fertility, money drawing, gambling, fertility, and general good luck.

Blue: For use in healing rituals, blue candles support peace, harmony and and calm. Very good for meditation, blue candles also increase empathy and understanding, and help to connect with higher powers

Purple: Think of royalty…use purple candles to empowerment, to control events for a successful outcome, or for mastering a skill or task

Lavender: Use lavender candles for tranquility, to promote calmness and restorative health, and to increase intuition

Pink: Pink influences romance and is also used to soothe emotional wounds; it is beneficial to promoting warm feelings, affection and friendship

Gray/ Silver: A candle of these colors can assist in working with spirit, increasing memory and developing clairvoyancedeveloping

Brown: The color of our Earth, brown candles are used to ground and balance, and are also beneficial for business or legal matters

Often, candles crafted with dual or even several colors are used in magick. For example, a black and white candle could remove negative energy and usher in healing and blessings, and some seven day “multi-purpose” candles are actually made with seven layers of color.

Oh, and one last thing- even though we mentioned it before: when using candles and open flames for ritual: SAFETY FIRST!

We’d LOVE to connect with you!

Visit our website to book metaphysical and occult workshops, Tarot readings and healings, or to have us come out for a paranormal investigation:

https://www.facebook.com/TheDivinationNation?fref=ts

Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TarotAlimah

To find out more about Pleasant or request a reading or healing session, click here: http://pleasantgehman.com/tarot.html

For more on Crystal’s background, or request a reading or healing session, click here: http://crystalravenwolf.com

Thursday, June 9, 2016

NATURE AND THE SUPERNATURAL: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO PLANTS FOR METAPHYSICAL AND MEDICINAL PURPOSES

Since the beginning of time, plants have been used for healing and magick. Witches, sorcerers, conjurers, root workers, and medicine people from every continent and culture have employed the bounty of nature into their occult and therapeutic practices. Even some of your grandma’s home remedies were probably at one time considered magick! Today, homeopathic medicine, spiritual practices are widely accepted across the globe…and are every bit as important as they once were in ancient times.

Each and every plant has it’s own unique vibration, and when matched with your intent -or ailment- can serve you in manifesting your desires or as an herbal cure or beauty aid. Nowadays, we no longer have to rely on using plants that are native to our geographic location, so the natural materials you use for your practice can come from anywhere- a local farmer’s market, a metaphysical shop, Home Depot or even from Etsy!

Before you start using plants and seeds for your magick, be sure to do thorough research, because some can be quite toxic to you or your pets.

For example, plants that are extremely poisonous for cats include-but aren’t limited to- most lilies, geraniums, chrysanthemums, and good old marijuana. Dogs can die if they ingest daffodils, amaryllis, tulips and many other species. Oleander, along with several plants and seeds are also deadly to humans. It’s kind of crazy to think that a beautiful shrub growing in your backyard could kill you, but it’s the truth.

A hard and fast rule when working with any plants is that if you’re not one hundred percent sure about its potential toxicity, never ingest or burn it!

If you’d like to start incorporating plants in your magickal practice, you won’t have to go much father than your local grocery store, and you probably already have several in your kitchen.

We made a short beginner’s list of some readily available herbs, fruits and seeds that are commonly used in magick…and none of them are toxic. Have fun kitchen witchin’!

Basil

Aside from the fact that basil pesto sauce pretty much equals Pasta Porn, it has all sorts of magickal uses. Sprinkle some in a ritual bath to attract love or money or to rid yourself of negative energy. Basil is an integral part of spells to keep the home peaceful, and it’s said to bring wealth to those who carry it in their pockets. If you own a business, to increase prosperity, tuck a few sprigs into the cash register.

Bay Leaves

Bay leaves are a strong hex-breaker or jinx antidote that is used to keep others away. The term “at bay” which probably originated in the 16^th century, means “unable to come closer” or “ at a distance”.

Cabbage

When you’re done making a yummy batch of coleslaw, save a few cabbage leaves, dry them out and use ‘em for money-drawing and prosperity spells.

Cinnamon

Aside from the fact that cinnamon is absolutely divine in a chai latte, it’s known as a purifying spice that promotes success. It’s used to encourage spiritual purity, and when burned as incense, stimulates psychic powers. Cinnamon can draw love your way, and is also a lucky herb for gamblers.

Not only that, it’s super-healthy. Cinnamon is loaded with antioxidants, has highly beneficial anti-inflammatory properties, and can actually lower blood sugar levels.

It’s also handy around the house to use as a non-toxic insecticide. To keep ants away, sprinkle thick, healthy-sized lines of cinnamon around doorsills or any place ants might enter, like cracks in baseboards. It won’t kill the ants but the little buggers find cinnamon so damn repugnant they’ll actually migrate their entire colony away from your home.

Garlic

If you’re vampire movie buff, you already know that garlic has a nasty effect on supernatural bloodsuckers. But it’s also traditionally used to ward off any unwanted mortals.as well as to protect the entire household from evil spirits.

Garlic also boots the immune system, improves cholesterol levels, and contains antioxidants, which may prevent Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Lemons

For medicinal or preventative purposes, drinking a glass of warm water with a few drops of fresh lemon squeezed into it each morning is cleansing and healthy. Lemon water aids the body in expelling toxins, and can help with elimination problems like constipation or diarrhea by ensuring smooth bowel function.

For occult purposes, lemon leaves are used in Cut And Clear spells, which sever ties to negative relationships in the past or present. The fruit itself has been used all over the Middle East for centuries to banish the Evil Eye.

Lemons can also “sour” the luck of others. A traditional spell for this purpose is to cut a slit into a lemon and stuff it with the personal concerns of the person you want to hex. Close the incision using pins, then seal the lemon tightly in a jar filled with vinegar.

Rosemary

For luck, protection and and prosperity, plant a rosemary bush by the door to your home. This herb is said to empower women, and when used in spells along with angelica root, can sublimate a spouse or romantic partner to your desires.

Traditionally, rosemary was known as a remembrance herb. Rosemary sprays were gifted to travelling family members so they’d think of the folks at home. It was also carried at funerals to encourage happy memories of the departed loved one.

Rosemary has been used for l thousands of years to make the hair look glossy, and it will also help to keep dandruff under control. The natural astringent properties of rosemary will also strip product buildup without damaging the hair.

Since we all need to look foxy while workin’ our magick, here a fabulous and easy recipe that will give your hair a supernatural sheen.

You’ll need 3-6 large sprigs of fresh rosemary to make this rinse.

In a saucepan, combine the fresh rosemary with about three inches of water, or enough to fully cover the herbs. Simmer the mixture without letting it boil or evaporate for about fifteen minutes on low heat.

Let the mixture cool naturally, or just pop it in the fridge for a few minutes; either way is fine.

Transfer the mixture into a clean jar to rinse your hair in the shower after shampooing, or put it in a spray bottle to spritz the rosemary rinse directly onto your freshly washed hair and leave it in.

Hello, gorgeous…and goodbye for now!

Crystal and Pleasant: photo by E. Kohan

We’d LOVE to connect with you!
To book metaphysical and occult workshops, Tarot readings and healings, or to have us come out for a paranormal investigation, like us on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/TheDivinationNation?fref=ts

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TarotAlimah

To find out more about Pleasant or request a reading or healing session, click here: http://pleasantgehman.com/tarot.html

For more on Crystal’s background, or request a reading or healing session, click here: http://crystalravenwolf.com

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

FOUR MISTAKES METAPHYSICAL WORKERS MAKE ON THE INTERNET

Something you were once keenly interested in- Tarot, Reiki, witchcraft, palm reading, or whatever- has morphed from a hobby into a part-time or new full time job. You’ve been taking on clients and a few of them have become return customers. That’s fabulous! But now you want to take you’re your business to the next level.

Keeping up a healthy metaphysical business is a lot of work…it’s not all just playing with potions and throwing cards. As spiritual or occult professionals, we are usually on our own, with no support staff.

That means you’ll be doing everything by yourself. You’re your own PR person, secretary, personal assistant, and travel agent. You do the negotiations; you book the gigs and travel. Most of us don’t have “management” to rely on; we’re our own bosses… that means we also wind up doing all of the work! For many, this part of their career is something they don’t bargain for when they were dreaming of becoming professional. But doing this often-tedious work is really what enables us to be successful at what we really want to do…making a living off the practices we’ve diligently studied and become good at.

Here are some common mistakes that many metaphysical and spiritual practitioners make on the internet…and how to fix them:

1) YOU DON’T HAVE A WEBSITE

You need a professional website.

It’s important for many reasons- it allows people to connect with you and to read your bio, access your schedule for appearances, book live or Skype readings, attend classes or workshops that you’re teaching, buy your products and services, and to get a general feel for what you do.

The people who visit your site will be able to “see” you, to contact you, and to take you seriously, realizing that you truly are a professional, and a trustworthy businessperson, not just a dabbler. It doesn’t need to have all the latest bells and whistles, but it does need to impart the who, what, where and why of your career.

“But I have a Facebook page!” We can hear you cry, “Isn’t that good enough?” No, it’s not. Not if you’re serious about your career.

Ok, a Facebook page is better than nothing, but you still need a website! Your website and your Facebook page should be linked. If for some insane reason you don’t have a Facebook account, this brings us to:

2) YOU DON’T HAVE A PRESENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is awesome in general, but it’s especially great for connecting with your fans, potential clients, and/or sponsors or for events. It’s great for engaging in spirited (and spiritual!) discussions, shop talk and conversations about occult history, as well as for joining groups that will inform you even more about your area of interest. These interactions are extremely important for our careers!

If you aren’t actively involved in social media, you’re doing yourself and career a serious disservice.

Social medial equals free marketing!

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram really are where it’s happening, they’re terrific promotional tools that can link you to others who share your interests. We know it sounds trite, but it’s true. If you don’t have accounts on these top sites, take the time to set one up and learn how to use them. They’re fun, yes, but they’re also extremely important to you as a professional. You can get hired, get professional advice, learn about conferences, acquire new clients and buy the tools of your trade via social media.

If you’ve been holding off on this, now’s the time to explore it…which brings us to:

3) NOT USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

Many metaphysicians literally shoot themselves in the foot while using social media.

One common mistake is to set up a page on (any) social media site, and then let it die a long, slow death by not doing anything with it. Ok, so you set up a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram page…and you can’t see the big deal about it. You’re not so happy with it because you have like, four followers…. You can’t see what’s so great about having an occult-oriented professional page, cause nothing is happening.

But did you think to yourself “If I Build It They Will Come?”

Nice fantasy, but that isn’t how it works! If you’re using social media for marketing, you need to put the necessary time into your page, or it’s going to go belly up really quickly.

“But I don’t have the time!”

This is a common complaint, but it means you need to make the time- remember, social medial equals free marketing!

Do some posts and interactions with your morning coffee… you can even set an alarm so you don’t go over ten or fifteen minutes and get sucked into a rabbit hole. “Like” a few pages or make some comments while you’re waiting for your first client… log on from the dentist’s office, while the baby’s asleep, at a dog park, a show, the airport or in line at the grocery store.

In order to get an audience, you have to engage an audience. Like courtship, you have to woo people to your page. Invite people to your page(s) and make sure there is something interesting and fun for them to enjoy…so they will be sure to check back for more updates.

Don’t blast out promotions non-stop, it will be off-putting to your followers…though you do need to be consistent with announcing a gig, a reading special, a new book or a new magickal product, cause posting just one time isn’t going to cut the mustard. People visit many different pages, and their newsfeed is getting updated by the second by all of their friends, as well as all the pages they like.

That means your post will come and go in the blink of an eye, so you definitely have to post multiple times. Just don’t over-do it, and please, for the love of god, don’t tag people who wouldn’t be interested.

Engage with others by “liking” and commenting on their status posts, be personal and personable! Make sure your social media interactions find a balance between the fun stuff and hard-core promo or people will start tuning out.

4) OVER-SHARING ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Ok, so we’ve just told you to post a lot of stuff…pictures, event announcements, videos, etc. But if you have a fan page or group set up just for your spiritual practice, please keep it “on topic”. A really common mistake- and one that makes many people actually feel embarrassed for you- is to “overshare” or post TMI, the abbreviation for “too much information”.

If you’re running a metaphysically oriented page, people don’t need (or want!) to know that you’re having your period, fighting with your significant other, having a rough day emotionally, fell off the wagon, or that a relative died…or you broke a nail.

Your professional page should reflect your professional career.

It isn’t a tell-all site, or a place to get virtual hugs. Use your personal page for that kind of post…if, indeed you really and truly want to post all your dirty laundry on the Internet!

Presumably the reason you made your page on any social media site is because you want to grow your career. It’s doubtful that you would walk into your day job and complain about any of this stuff, right? If you want your spell crafting or Tarot reading to be your day job, then you need to behave professionally when you’re online.

There are a few exceptions to this rule. For example, if something went horrendously wrong at a gig, but it turned out to be a funny story- something that many can relate to- then go ahead and post away! Similarly, if your addiction is Lenormand decks, buying state of the art ghost hunting equipment, or something like that- as opposed to some sort of illegal controlled substance- go ahead and post about it…cause many will relate to it. Also, if something not so good happened to you- maybe you got into a fender-bender on your way to a psychic fair or your cold turned into bronchitis- please feel free to post about it, but be brief. It will be a way of letting everyone know (all at once) why you aren’t showing up or have to cancel some sessions. And in a tough situation like this, which everyone can relate to, you will probably be pleasantly surprised at how supportive and generous your clients, students, fans and the worldwide metaphysical community can be!

We’d LOVE to connect with you!
Visit our website to book metaphysical and occult workshops, Tarot readings and healings, or to have us come out for a paranormal investigation: https://www.facebook.com/TheDivinationNation?fref=ts
Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TarotAlimah
To find out more about Pleasant or request a reading or healing session, click here: http://pleasantgehman.com/tarot.html
For more on Crystal’s background, or request a reading or healing session, click here: http://crystalravenwolf.com

Pleasant and Crystal: Photo by E. Kohan