SUPERNATURAL NATURE: USING PLANTS FOR RITUAL, PART TWO

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 2017.

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!

 This is Part Two in our series of plants that are used in ritual and magic.  If you haven’t read Part One yet, you can find it here: 

http://divinationnation.blogspot.com/2016/06/nature-and-supernatural-beginners-guide_9.html

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, and spiritual practices using botanical ingredients 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’!

 Allspice

Allspice tastes great and is often used during the holidays; it’s sprinkled on eggnog or as an ingredient in pumpkin or mince pie; however most of us have no clue that the ancient Mayans used it in the process of embalming their dead!

Aside from cooking, the magickal properties of the spice itself, the berries it comes from or Allspice oil is all used in prosperity and good luck spells.  It is said that if you keep seven berries in a mojo bag (and on your person) for a week, you’ll have good luck the whole time. On the seventh and last day, throw the berries into running water and make a wish.

 Allspice purportedly has great healing attributes too: sleeping with mojo bag or bowl full allspice near you is said to increase physical stamina and  provide and energetic uplift. Allspice oil or powder is often used in money-drawing work.  It’s believed that if you sprinkle the threshold of your home or business with Allspice, it will improve your finances.

  Calendula

  You probably know Calendula by its more common name: Marigold. A favorite garden flower, this hardy plant has been symbolic of love and faithfulness for centuries. The petals are edible and have been used in salads or as a festive garnish.

This plant also has several magickal uses. The flower petals are an ingredient in love spells from many different cultures, and can also be used to consecrate an area for ritual. A Calendula sachet placed under your pillow can inspire visionary dreams; oil or the petals can also be used as candle dressings to promote clairvoyance.

 Traditionally, wreaths of Marigold or Calendula   are hung on the front door to protect a house from evil spirits or the ill will of humans.

 Comfrey

 This plant, which grows wild in cooler climates, has a variety of uses. 

  It is used as a protective herb for travellers- place a comfrey sachet in your luggage to prevent it from getting lost, or in your car for a safe journey.

Comfrey has always been used for healing, and some of it’s colloquial names- bruisewort, boneset, knitbone-reflect that. Comfrey leaves have a high concentration of allanatoin, a natural compound found in many commercial dermatological products.   Allanatoin-rich Comfrey has been used to soothe the skin, curb inflammation from acne and can aid in wound closure.

 Scatter Comfrey leaves and flowers in a ritual bath to boost a love spell… and if it turned out that lover wasn’t good for you, Comfrey can also be used for healing after breaking off a bad relationship.

 Palo Santo

 The Spanish words Palo Santo mean “Holy Wood”, and accordingly Palo Santo sticks have been used by several cultures for spiritual work. Palo Santo grows in the tropical dry forests of South America, and belongs to Burseraceae, the same botanical family as the trees that myrrh and frankincense come from. Its shamanic use can be traced back to the Inca people. 

Medicinally, Palo Santo oil can be used to boost the immune system and to combat stomachaches and arthritic inflammation.  It is also well known as a safe and natural insect repellent.

 Today it is widely available today in occult or New Age stores.  Similar to sage or cedar, Palo Santo is known for it’s purifying and cleansing properties. It’s pleasing scent   while burning- a mixture of citrus and woodsy fragrances- makes it fantastic to use as incense or for a smudge stick. Either way, the smoke will encourage grounding, decrease negative thoughts, alleviate stress   and clear away negative energy.  

 Yarrow

   The Yarrow plant is what is known as a nervine- meaning it has an effect on the nervous system.  Like Hops, which are used in beer, Yarrow is a relaxant nervine; it will also cause a warming sensation within the body. Because of this, it has been used for centuries as a pain reliever and anti-spasmodic and is often included in in tinctures or baths to ease menstrual cramps or reduce fevers. It’s relaxing properties   also make it an ideal herb to mix with chamomile to make a tranquil sleep-promoting tea. Many like to use Yarrow in dream pillows because they believe it promotes vivid dreams.

Folkloric Magick has  several other uses for Yarrow, too.  During the Middle Ages, this herb was used to summon-and banish- Satan himself. Hanging a bouquet of the pretty white or pale yellow flowers above a bed on the wedding night will bring happiness and good fortune to the newlywed couple. And if the activities on the wedding night result in a pregnancy, it’s said that if the mother-to-be holds a bunch of Yarrow during child birth her labor will be quick and easy.

 Yarrow can be burned, used in oil or infused in tea to promote psychic vision, prophetic dreams and spirit communication

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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

Our new book, “Walking The Tarot Path”, will be available for pre-order soon!

 

Walking The Tarot Path: photo by Maharet Hughes

TAROT AND NUMEROLOGY

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 Summer, 2017.
 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!

Once you start getting familiar with Tarot, you’ll  realize what a multi-layered system it is. Eventually, you’ll want to dive a little deeper , and really start exploring  all the things that  are  happening on every card face. One of the easiest  correlations to look into – at least initially- are the numbers of the cards themselves. Each number is there for a reason…and once you grasp the foundations of numerology,  you’ll realize just how much  the numbers add to each card.

There are 78 cards in a standard Tarot deck, and 62 of them are numbered. The numbers assigned to each of the cards are patterned on the basic tenets of numerology, a divinatory or occult science, which assigns traits and characteristics to numbers.  In the context of interpreting the Tarot, these numbers can provide insight on the various aspects of each card, so a simple familiarity with numerology is a boon to readers of any level…even absolute beginners.

 Depending on how deep you want to go, these numerological impressions can be applied to interpret a single card or  to the reading as a whole. For example, many readers look at the numbers to provide a timeline for a certain situation, with lesser digits suggesting a more immediate course of action. Another illustration could be the predominance of a certain number in a layout. The qualities assigned to that particular number could be used to determine the underlying feeling or flavor of the whole reading.

Let’s start by breaking down the Minor Arcana in terms of numerology.

The four suits of the Minor Arcana- Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles, add up to 56 cards total. Each of the suits contains 4 Court Cards: a King, Queen, Knight and Page. Though these 16 Court Cards are not numbered, the remaining 40 cards all have a numerical association. These cards, sometimes known as “pips” or  “pip cards” are numbered 1 through 10, and like standard playing cards, the first card in each suit is an Ace.

 Understanding the unique traits of the numbers will help you to make association with the divinatory meaning of each card.

 To get you started, here are some key concepts for each number:

1.  (Aces) Potential, opportunities, ambition, dominance, a new beginning

2.  Balance, duality, unions, partnership, relationships

3. Growth, expansion, creativity, groups, realization of goals

4. Stability, structure, manifestation, progress, foundations

5. Changes, conflicts, instability, chaotic events, ups and downs

6.  Harmony, healing, communication, balance, solutions

7.  Wisdom, knowledge, spirituality, assessment, choices

8. Manifestation, business, leadership, mastery, accomplishments

9.  Fruition, fulfillment, attainment, compassion, courage

10.  Completion, results, renewal, recognition, endings

 Moving on to the Major Arcana, each of the 22 cards are assigned numbers, too-and you guessed it- every card has a specific numerological correlation.  They start at 0 (zero) with The Fool and end with 21, The World.  But since many of the Majors have been assigned double-digit numbers, simply   reduce them. This is done by adding the digits together so they can be interpreted as a single digit number.

As an example, The World is the twenty first card. 2 +1=3.

 So, 3 becomes the numerical value of The World. Among other things, the number 3 signifies expansion and growth… which could easily be shorthand for The World… As in “the world is your oyster”!

Try it with some of the other cards of each Arcanum and you’ll notice how much sense the numbers make with each card. Actually, it’s tons of fun once you get the hang of it…Not even close to being as brain-breaking as you thought, right?

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Crystal and Pleasant, photos by 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

SEERS AND SAGES: AN INTERVIEW WITH TAROT READER FATHER OF WANDS, AKA SEBASTIAN AKESSON

 Father Of Wands aka Sebastian Akesson at work

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 2017.

 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…Blessings!

  Father Of Wands, aka Sebastian Akesson, is a Tarot reader, numerologist and astrologer.  He’s also somewhat of a celebrity on Instagram, which, not coincidentally, is where we discovered him.  His daily Tarot draws have garnered him thousands of devoted fans because of their gentle depth and  compassionate tone. His interpretations  seem to be consistently spot-on for many, but it is his writing that really weaves a spell.  His  descriptions of each card are heartfelt and complex, full of such beautiful verbiage, it’s hard to imagine that  English is his second language!  He only recently moved from his native Sweden to British Columbia, where he now resides with his new wife, Amanda.

  Here’s what he has to say…Enjoy!

 Divination Nation: Tell us about how you started your spiritual practices-and how long you’ve been reading Tarot, how old were you when you became interested in the metaphysical…were you self-taught, did you have a mentor, or take classes?

 Father Of Wands: Spirituality has been with me since early childhood, I remember saying prayers and praying to God with my mother before bed in my childhood homeland of Sweden. Growing up I pretty much discounted organized religion as an institution developed to control the masses but the seeds of spirituality, which it had planted in me, grew and developed into a strong belief of interconnectedness and the unlimited power of the Universe. As always seeds grow and evolve over cycles of time and between being where I was and where I am now I had time to explore strange lands, both Inner and outer. At times I lost myself along the way, only to rediscover a different me, and finally reaching the stable plateau of Spirituality where I now find myself.

Stumbling upon the Tarot was pure happenstance, I’d actually taken a course in journalism thinking that would be my cup of tea as it was something I’d wanted to do when I was younger. As it turned out it wasn’t even my pot of tea. I started looking for more inspiration, this time in my childhood, and I remembered that I did a stint of work experience in a metaphysical store in my hometown as a teenager. The crystals always fascinated me, the dusty old books intrigued me, and the smell of incense and of course the astrological natal chart the lady prepared for me. An artifact I still happened to have squirreled away at home, some fifteen years after receiving it… At the time of thinking back to those teenage days I lived in Sydney, Australia, and so I looked for any courses in the vicinity of anything to do with the metaphysical. I found a course in learning how to read the Tarot and instantly applied. My teacher and mentor for the year to come was an incredibly nice chap from South Africa who’d lived in Australia for many years. At first I was slightly apprehensive and a bit skeptical but the things he taught us and the things he could discern from the cards were nothing short of amazing. I fell in love with the practice, the aspect of helping people in a tight spot, the Magic of it all. And so began my fascination with everything metaphysical, esoteric and  the interconnectedness of everyone and everything.

I’ve been reading cards and studying the esoteric sciences for three years now and I learn something new every day and every time I read someone’s cards. It’s an incredible journey and one I foresee myself enjoying for the rest of my days…

Divination Nation: How did you decide on the name “Father Of Wands”?

 Father Of Wands: At the time of starting out I was looking for a name which was tied to the tarot, one that would evoke trustworthiness and dynamic power, I looked through the deck and played around with some names before I decided on Father of Wands. It seemed to me that the name was arrived at by part logical deduction and part chance. As I later discovered nothing ever happens by chance, the king of wands, which the name is taken from, is linked to the fifth sephirot on the Tree of Life. The sephirot of Geburah and that’s where my consciousness rests in this lifetime as I’m a ruling number five in numerology.

 DN: You practice many types of divination:  you read cards, do numerology and astrology many types of divination…  what is your favorite, and how do you think they inter-relate?  

  FOW: It’s quite a few different types of divination and I’m always looking to learn new ones to add to my arsenal. I find that every single one of them is interrelated and knowing one adds to the complexity and understanding of another and vice versa. Picking a favorite is difficult as each of them have their own charm and work well in different situations and with different people. What I really love about all of them though is that they all increase my understanding and respect for other people and their situations; they help me see more clearly that we’re all One and in fact not separate beings.

 DN: How do you prepare for your work?

 FOW: Depending on whether it’s an in-person reading or a distance reading I have different rituals but they involve crystals, grounding, lighting candles, burning essential oils and brewing tea. It’s always about creating a comfortable and sacred space for the querent and myself. If I’m doing a numerology or astrology reading I like to prepare and research the day before I see my client.

 DN: You moved from Europe to Canada very recently; have you noticed a difference in the way metaphysical arts are practiced in Europe as opposed to North America?  If so, can you please elaborate on it?

 FOW: I found that spirituality here in North America is very much in your face, it’s become commercialized, a consumer product to sell, with t-shirts and gift shop items aplenty. Back home it’s subtler, and not as mainstream. That’s popular spirituality as a whole. In terms of serious practitioners of different types of spirituality and divination techniques, I find the community to be very welcoming and warm-hearted wherever you go in the world. A wonderful world of magic to be part of!

 DN: What do you love most about your job?

 FOW: I love helping people through difficult times, through blockages and to break repeating patterns of lessons so that they may rise above them to grow and transform. I also love hearing back from my clients, months and even years down the line, telling me about their successes and where they’ve ended up.

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

  FOW: I love drinking  (and smelling) new types of tea and coffee. I really enjoy cooking and I love gardening, exploring the biodynamic principles set out by Rudolph Steiner. There is something incredibly satisfying about gardening in accordance to the rhythm of nature and the heavens. And most of all I love hanging out with my best friend, who also happens to be my wife. And our dog Sprite of course…

 DN: Our readers are interested in several types of divination, so would you please share some of your favorite tips and advice for our readers? 

 FOW: In terms of exploring the arts of divination, the best teacher is yourself and your inner voice. Practice and actively tune into your intuition, it’ll be your greatest ally, and not only during sessions but all throughout life. Read that which interests you, remember the information that speaks to you, and discard the rest. Find ways of connecting with your inner child and have fun exploring the metaphysical…

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   Visit Sebastian’s website here: http://www.fatherofwands.com/

 Check out his Instagram feed: @fatherofwands

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