The Raven’s Crucible
Musings on magic, divination, and the occult.
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Spagyric Alchemy II: The Selection of Ingredients
In last week’s post, we talked about the general theory of alchemy – solve et coagula – and how it relates to the vegetable kingdom in the form of spagyric alchemy. We covered a number of different theoretical frameworks for how alchemical separation can be effected, but stopped short of actually delving into the specifics…
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Spagyric Alchemy I: Theory of Herbal Transformation
For centuries, alchemy has been seen as a transformative art – a mystical science wherein base lead is turned into gold, the mundane elevated into the extraordinary. While the scope of alchemy as a whole is huge and sprawling, many texts recommend students start first with spagyric alchemy: the application of alchemical principles to extract…
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Materia: Lemon Balm – Melissa Officinalis
Overview Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is an herb of gentle power, offering profound rejuvenation to body and spirit alike. Its cooling, drying energetics, combined with its uplifting nervine properties, make it a soothing remedy in times of turbulence. It calms the anxious mind, brightens melancholy, and eases digestive discomfort born of stress, embodying the nurturing…
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Divination for Beginners: A Practical Guide to Getting Started
I’ve previously discussed the importance of divination. It’s a great entry point into the occult arts for a number of reasons. First, it’s a phenomenal way of generating spooky coincidences; if you’re just starting out and trying to figure out whether there’s anything worthwhile to be pursued here, it can help quickly answer that question.…
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On the Role of Grimoiric Traditionalism
I’ve encountered a couple folks recently asking what are essentially variations on the same core question: “I’m reading grimoire X, and there are a lot of heavy-handed Christian elements that seem excessive or make me uncomfortable. Can I modify these bits or take them out?” It’s a great question, and the answer (as with most…
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Ink Making I: Vine Black Ink
In the last post I discussed something of the theory of ink and ink making. Since then (while taking several weeks hiatus from new posts for the holiday season), I’ve started experimenting with ink making in actual practice. For a first attempt, I wanted to take a shot at preparing one of the oldest and…
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On Ink and Ink Making
In a previous post I wrote about my fascination with writing as it pertains to magic. An important part of this practice is the creation and use of magical inks. Up to this point, that has involved taking commercial inks and adding my own materia and consecrations to them as appropriate.1 But recently I’ve gotten…
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On Fate and Free Will
I’ve always struggled with the idea of karma. The notion that the universe is cosmically just and balanced, and gives each of us what we deserve.1 At the root of my dissatisfaction is a simple question: why do Bad Things happen to good people? Because, make no mistake, bad things do happen to good people.…
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Materia: Garlic – Allium Sativum
Overview Garlic is pure Mars. Its essence is one of violent, transformative fire – a potent force that cleanses body and spirit alike. This humble bulb hides within it a warrior’s heart, driving out corruption and restoring vitality. Medicinally, garlic is a protector, its antimicrobial action expelling parasites and infections, invigorating the blood, and dissolving…
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On Magical Language
Meredith Graves, occult powerhouse and magical director for Kickstarter, makes a wonderful observation that our own first exposure to magic – whether it comes through fairytales, Disney movies, or stage illusionists – leaves a lasting impression in the way we comprehend and interact with the unseen later in life.1 That initial conception of magic sets…