Tuesday, May 22, 2018

ALTARED STATES: THE USE OF ALTARS IN WITCHCRAFT


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” coming soon!
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!

Altars are the crossroads between the spirit realm and physical world, and have been usedfor centuries in nearly every faith, from Catholicism to Paganism. Their use in witchcraft is no different  witches  use  altars  for prayer, performing rituals and  as a focal point for practicing  the craft.
 There is  no specific way altars are used by witches; it all depends on the  family traditions or the   training and beliefs of the practitioner. Some place statuary on a large altar and make  offereings  to a group of spiritual beings  who share the space, while others incorporate  many small altars in their working area.  Mulitiple smaller altars each can have a unique designation:  to honor the living and the dead,  or to  invite ancestors, spirit guides, the fae or other entities to assist in the work the witch is doing, for herself or for clients.That being said, it is not necessary to have a different altar for everything you do. An altar  (no matter  what its function) is a sacred space and very personal to every practitioner.

 Here  are some different types of altars and how they can be used to enhance your practice:
Personal Altar
 A place for talismans, mojo bags, spirit babies, crystals or any other items a witch may wish to place there. There are no rules for a personal altar- have fun with it!  Many witches like to change my personal altar with the seasons and  for  certain holidays.
Candle Altar
This  is self-explanatory: it’s an altar used when performing candle magick for yourself or clients.
Ancestry Altar
This altar is specifically used for honoring deceased family members and fur-babies. Photos, personal items and cremation ashes are placed here, where you can burn candles or give offerings. Usually the cloth and candles are white but some witches like to use the mantle of their fire place, as the hearth is the heart of the home.

Working Altar  This is where a witch does the majority of work for clients. It can be a spot in a room used only for spell-crafting… or even  the kitchen table! It should be large  enough for witch craft – as in making mojo bags,  filling spell bottles and jars, creating  poppets or  spirit babies- any object  that a witch needs to construct.
Money Altar
This altar  is used specifically for prosperity and money drawing. Coins, money frogs, crystals, lodestones and any other objects corresponding to attracting cash are used here. This altar is  always hungry and must be fed often-much like a mojo bag- in order to keep working. Burning a green seven-day candle is one way to do this, but once again it is the witch’s traditions and training that will dictate how to maintain a working money altar.

Boveda (Spiritual or Religious Altar)
 An altar used by witches who petition spirits of the dead, saints, the Fae or any other entities in their spell-casting. Statues, skulls, candles or animal bones are placed on this altar and it is used to give offerings and prayers to these spirits.


Use your imagination and  intuition  to design an altar that reflects your individuality and beliefs; be creative and have fun with it. Your intimate connection to  creating your altar(s) will personalize  it, enhancing your magical practice.
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Crystal Ravenwolf & Pleasant Gehman  photo: Maharet Hughes

We’d LOVE to connect with you!
Visit us 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, May 10, 2018

SEERS AND SAGES: INTERVIEW WITH MARCELLA KROLL

Seer & Artist Marcella Kroll in her element



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” coming soon!
We’ve created this blog to share our knowledge and to connect with the vibrant worldwide metaphysical, pagan and paranormal community. We hope it’s as fun for you to read as it is for us to write…Enjoy!

 Marcella Kroll is one badass witch.  Based in Los Angeles, she’s a talented artist and metaphysician, and both those areas have become her life’s work. For Marcella, there really isn’t a dividing line. A sought after intuitive for the past ten years and professional artist for over two decades, she’s the creator of two fabulous divinatory decks, Sacred Symbols and  The Nature Nurture Oracle. She’s also  the host of the popular podcast, “Saved By The Spell”, and does Tarot readings, cord cutting ceremonies, and  teaches workshops on these and other topics worldwide. We were absolutely thrilled to get a glimpse into her complex  and otherworldly soul… here she is, in her own words:

 Divination  Nation:  Where did you grow up, and what was your childhood/young adulthood like?
  
Marcella Kroll: I grew up in Providence, Rhode Island. Childhood was more chaotic than fun, and young adulthood was filled with lots of experimentation and adventure.

 Divination Nation: How did you start getting interested in spirituality and metaphysics?

 Marcella Kroll: I have been fascinated with the occult and all things paranormal since I was around 6 years old. I would visit childhood friends of different religious denominations gatherings and walk up the street by myself to light candles and smell incense at the church. I could see ghosts and talk to spirits when I was small, but quickly shut it down when I would get made fun of by others for it. 

 Divination Nation:  Did you realize  that both were your calling right away, or did it take a while?

 Marcella Kroll: Well I shut it down at a fairly young age, and did everything I could to keep it suppressed. After a near death experience at 18 all of my facilities came back and I couldn’t shut them off. It took me till around 30 years old to fully understand what was happening.


 DN:  Did you have a mentor?  Was this something your family taught you, or is it your own path?

MK: No mentor, just me stumbling through witch shops and lots of reading and exploring. I’ve met fantastic teachers along the way and have shared space and practice with others, but no formal training. 

  DN: How do you become inspired to create the images the cards on your two decks?
 Marcella with her Sacred Symbols deck

MK: The Sacred Symbols deck came through over a years time of images that would come to me through my clairvoyant abilities during readings. I would keep notes and sketches and had a list. I never intended on making that deck, it just happened organically.  I was homeless at the time and staying at a friends and started drawing. 

The Nature Nurture Oracle came in a psychic download from Spirit aka a Higher Power. It told me I needed to make a deck that would not only provide guidance for the individual but would help heal the creatures and nature represented in the deck. 

DN:  Tell us about your deck creation process….  How you selected imagery,  how long it took to make the deck… or each card…. do you  have  a favorite card in the deck? And why?

MK: Both decks creation process were intuitively motivated and not created with a plan. I let them guide me in what needed to come first. The Sacred Symbols was created with what little tools I had at the time. As I mentioned I was homeless. They were drawn with a roller ball pen and edited in an app on an iPhone 3. Nothing fancy. People often critique the simpleness but that’s all I had, and I worked with what was available. My whole life has been like that. 

Nature Nurture was a different story. I was truly channeling. The drawings were done in 2 weeks. But the writing and fund gathering for printing took another 9 months. Not long in the scheme of things, but seemed like it took forever. 

DN: How do you prepare for your  creative work? Any specifics, or just start working?  Do you need to be in a certain “zone”?

MK: I do need to be in a zone, “not stressed” hahahaha… I like quiet. 

 And for

DN: How much would you say your creation of art is tied into your metaphysical practice(s)?

MK: All of my art is connected to my spiritual work. To me art is a ritual and a tool to create a spell. 

DN: What do you love most about your life?

MK: My ability to still see wonder and magic 

DN: Tell us what you enjoy doing when you’re not working 

MK: I am an avid adventurer and I like to enjoy life. Visiting friends, horseback riding, hot spring soaks, being in nature, and spa time are great enjoyment to me.

DN: Would you  please share some  tips and advice for our readers…and blog viewers.

 MK: Be patient with your learning. Don’t get caught up in the hype and the patriarchal machine that tells you that you have to be at a certain point in order to be relevant. Protect your energy and remember that this isn’t all love and light all the time. You will face your greatest and worst moments some times doing this work. It’s ok, it’s all relevant, and changing all the time. 



 To find out more about Marcella, book her services  or purchase her  beautiful Oracle card decks, click here:


  Marcella  also gives in-person Tarot readings in Los Angeles on Wednesdays and Fridays at Madame Pamita's Parlour Of Wonders, 5503 N. Figueroa, LA, CA 90042.  To schedule a reading with her, book through  her webisite.

 Wednesday, May 16, Marcella Kroll is leading a prosperity ritual  at this event:
 Belle, Book And Candle
 El Cid 4212 Sunset, Los Angeles
 Doors 7pm, Show 8pm purchase online tickets here:









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We’d LOVE to connect with you!
Visit us 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