The Man In Black

The first of the Devil’s Dozen: a rite to initiate contact. As mentioned in my previous post, a friend and I had agreed to work our way through Gemma Gary’s ‘Devil’s Dozen’ rituals for a spot of fun. The Devil is an entity who fits snugly into both our cosmologies and has been somewhat prevalent…

A Rededication

Having recently been discussing the years plans for my Craft explorations and development with a fellow practitioner, I have recommitted myself to the idea of working through the Huson manual. 2018 finished with somewhat of a shake up and a flurry of unexpected activity which meant a series of massive changes. Whether the dust has…

Preparations For Chapter 2 – A List

So, looking ahead to beginning the practical aspects of the book I have read through the chapter (and the Martial list from chapter 6, which is referenced in the process of consecrating the Athamé) and compiled a list of the items used throughout. My friend and I have begun the process of collecting the materials…

Chapter 1.3 – Casting Your Spells

This section of the chapter is fairly small, but rather dense as you realise once you begin to extrapolate.  It deals broadly with two main topics: Incantations, and; Religion and Spirits On Incantations The use of incantations (or chants/charms/mantras) are a useful focal point for focusing and applying your Imagination, Will and Faith (as discussed…

Chapter 1.2 – The Witches’ Pyramid

“Now you can begin developing your powers, the initial step of commitment having been taken.” Having dealt with the arena of mythology, or establishing a magical worldview, and performed a ritual act of beginning this path, Huson begins to explore the groundwork for developing the Witch Power. He provides us with two broad concepts from…

Chapter 1.1 – Reversing the Lord’s Prayer

The first chapter (appropriately titled First Steps) starts us down the practical path of the Huson system. It is broken into a handful of subtitles, each addressing specific pieces of the foundational information which will provide the floor for all the work going forward. These categories are: The Powers and Their Attainment (really the subheading…

Firechild – The Life and Magic of Maxine Sanders

I picked this book up at the Atlantis Bookshop while passing through London on the day of the store’s ninety-sixth birthday. It was my first visit to the store and I happened to get into an interesting discussion with Geraldine Beskin who happens to be a fascinating and involved member of the occult community. She…

The Witch’s Pyramid: Origins

We’ve all come across it. It waxes and wanes in popularity but any degree of initial research into Western Esoteric practices will eventually turn up the familiar “To Know, To Dare, To Will, and To Keep Silent” or some variation on it. But what exactly does it mean and where has it come from? It…

A Foray Into Initiation

So, I’ve been pondering the concept of initiation a little lately – considering different perspectives of what constitutes a valid initiation; wondering what exactly initiation was; mulling over how the concept varies across cultures and traditions – and I found myself full of questions and a nagging need to understand more. I set about exploring…

A Challenge, A Contract, A Guide

I return to my body – the location burnt into my mind, the words still fresh and ringing in my ears. I feel weak and a little spaced out, but that’s normal after connecting with Spirits in this manner. Incense pools and drifts over the altar and my eyes fall on my notebook – I…

The Trouble With Structure

If you are anything like me you like a bit of structure. I tend to make the assumption that we – as humans – seem to like a degree of organisation, of rational order, of clarity and delineation to assist us with understanding and functioning in the world around us. But Witchcraft isn’t rational. I…

Kindling the Black Flame

The candle light flickers in the inky darkness: four for the quarters and one for Him. I lay the boundary and prepare the water… “Water and Earth, where you are cast…” The incense is kindled… “Creature of Fire, this charge I lay…” and then I call the wards – the Serpent, the Bull, the Bird,…