Monday 23 January 2012

22nd Spell - The Curse

When I answered the phone groggily from my bed, Lore's grandmother was on the other line, and she was casting a voodoo hex on me.

I stayed on the line as she chanted my name, basically told me to die and get hit by a car or something, and said that the “devil was going to take my soul” before hanging up on me. I stared blankly at the phone for a moment, before setting it down on the bedside table, and laying back in bed with the confused look still on my face. Lore was in the bathroom at the time.

My body was shaking.

But it wasn't in fear, oh no.

It was almost as if a surge of magickal energy had rushed through me, practically begging me to put it to use. It was consisted entirely of a strange mixture that included rage, justice, and just plain will-power. I couldn't believe what had happened.

Lore has had problems with her family but I had thought her grandmother and her were all right. I could only imagine what Lore's mother must have said to her to get her riled up like that. She just threatened my life over the phone. Wasn't that grounds for some minor legal action? Why did it always come down to suing each other with Lore's family?

I was still tired, but I was sincerely thinking about calling the cops. Sure, she used references to cursing me and casting voodoo on me and all of that, but in the end, she was still hoping that I'd be killed. In the end, I decided doing anything wasn't worth it in the long run, at least not for what seemed like some foolish family feud.

During the conversation, all I had managed to say were a few things. Most notably, at the end, when I stated, “...Your words will do nothing to me. You're asking for my evil to come back to me... and I have done nothing, and so, nothing shall happened.” I know the Threefold Rule. I also know basic multiplication. Times it by three, ten, one-hundred, how every many numbers you want: when you multiply by zero, you still get zero.

Why, one must wonder, do people cast curses? While this is a long, drawn out explanation with plenty of history behind it (perhaps I shall go over it at a later date), there is one thing that always comes to my mind when I think of curses.

Before Lore left for work, I had done a protection spell on her. I took sage and burned it in the house, around every door and window, and in every room. We both shook the Witch Bottle. She looked to me with that usually smiling face of hers, but her usual, slightly-cocky look was gone and filled with worry as she gazed at me. Lore told me she was anxious.

“I'm not,” I stated faintly as I held the steadily burning sage incense stick in my hand. “...Because no harm will come to me.” But curses don't just vanish into thin air. They will always go somewhere. “...But your grandmother is foolish. She's trying to curse me... and we all know the best way to hurt someone...

“Is to hurt the people you care for,” We both said in unison.

When she left the house, I stood in the dining room, moving the stick on incense in front of me, around me, meditating, zoning out, and allowing myself to become completely focused on the scent of sage and the calming air around me as I enveloped myself into an attuned state.

Cast whatever curse you wish on me
It will only come back to thee.
Harm not I, nor yourself, or she.
But if pain comes with the retribution
Then I hope you learn your lesson.
Only one can rain down hatred and hurt
Your God, my God, our God.
Heed these words:
I bear you no ill-will
Just the inevitable.

If you ever find yourself in a bad position in life, and someone curses you, always be wary. No, not all people believe in magick, but there is magick in every person. You curse someone by wishing them misfortune and hurt fueled by your own hatred... so think about everything that you say.

...Because it will come back to you.


Thursday 12 January 2012

21st Spell - Techno-Witchcraft

Lore always cracks jokes at how technologically-challenged she is, but that's truly not the case. Entirely, at least. But, I'm a gadget and tech-nerd, so automatically my tech-savvy trumps hers. I love the newest shiny things, even if I can't afford them. An important part of magick to me is to find it in everything... even in science and technology. Though, any other form of media will tell you that science and magick don't mix together (anyone ever read Saiyuki)?

A couple of days ago, I got one of my Yule gifts from Lore in the mail. It was a little belated, but I didn't mind at all. So what was this gift?

A Kindle Touch.

"Heavenly Lights" only included with the addition of imagination.

When I initially received it, I thought it was a strange gift. I wasn't a big fiction reader, and had no idea as to what I would use it for. Though, it would be a great gateway to start reading more, but it was missing the feel of holding a real, hard book in your hands.

So what could I use it for?

I thought about it for awhile, but when I looked more into its features (it even had its own email address, how cool was that?!), an idea struck me.

I had always been tech-savvy, on the go... the idea of a portable library suddenly became extremely intriguing. While no, it could never truly replicate the feel of an actual library, the thought was certainly powerful in its own right: so much knowledge at your fingertips. And, with the ability to import documents onto the Kindle, I immediately fell in love with the idea:

An electronic Book of Shadows.

I immediately downloaded a few starter books and things of interest for the beginnings of a BOS. What did I want to put in here? I decided to start with basic things such as a book on amulets and stones, as well as one on herbs for magickal as well as practical uses. I was never very big on spellbooks, but I thought that if there were any that did catch my interest... I could keep them on here! Also, with the document uploader, I could easy write notes and put them on the Kindle, or email the Kindle itself!

I gave it a name: BOSS, which is short for... well, you wouldn't get it.

I had written a book over a year ago, which was what prompted me to start up this blog. Since all it does is sit on my computer collecting dust, perhaps I'll publish it so it can be downloaded as an eBook. Wouldn't that be swell? I had often thought of tech ways to have a BOS... and really, this is a lot smaller and cheaper than a netbook, or keeping it all on an easily losable USB drive that you still have to plug into a computer.

So what does Lore have to think about all of this so called “techno-witchcraft”?

Lore has her own idea for the Kindle... a Kitchen Witch's compilation of recipe books.