The Lion's Gate: A Powerful and Ancient Shift in Energy.

Between the 28th July and the 12th August, we go through a particular energetic period called Lion's Gate, during the alignment between our Sun and Sirius, the brightest star in the firmament. We can observe the approach of Sirius during the summer, carrying with its energy load new beginnings and an increase in global and individual levels of consciousness.

The 8th of August is considered the peak of this energy change, marking the day when Sirius is closest to Earth and aligns perfectly with the Orion's Belt.

This is not a phenomenon known only to modern astrologers, humanity has celebrated this passage for millennia: just think that the pyramids of Giza are positioned in such a way as to be aligned with the Belt of Orion and Sirius during this period of the year. Not surprisingly, the new Kemetic year began in this period by marking the flooding of the Nile and the transit of the Sun in the house of the Lion.

From the astronomical point of view, therefore, we have the leonine influence dictated by the transit of the Sun: the Lion's Gate is aligned with our heart centre, with our fourth chakra that absorbs the traits of courage, strength and expressions typical of this Zodiac sign.

At the same time, in numerology, the eight represents the infinity: a number that chases itself, a sacred ouroboros that feeds itself, dies and is reborn. It supports and manifests our intentions that we want to manifest.

The fulcrum of this energetic passage is unconditional love, towards oneself and towards the Universe. Let go of what you don't need so you can access the best version of yourself.

♃Ludna

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Meditation: The first step towards Ourselves.

I find myself to resume again my magical routine, after one year. Last year was quite an intense one: I moved into a new house that we are renovating, I had guests for shorter or longer periods, I got promoted at work, I traveled to the other side of the world ...2017 was awesome for my personal goals.

But of course all of this has taken my attention away from my personal practice; despite the path inside the coven. Having the fortune to practice with sisters is a blessing, but the backbone of our spiritual journey is the growth we perform alone.

So here we are, picking up the pieces of my spirituality again and start anew...

After starting the day with my Sun salutation and having arranged the offerings on the altar, I continue with a moment of silence in the evening.

This can be a prayer for one's own deity, thanksgiving or simply an opportunity to meditate. Whatever the motivation, it is an essential moment in our day: an opportunity to give us a fragment of “me time” from the buzz of everyday life.

We spend hours in front of screens, willy-nilly: television, our smartphone, computers. Whether for work or pleasure. This eye, perennially looking at the world, is a double edged sword: while allowing us to see in real time what happens on the other side of the globe, it also allows this technology to enter the depths of our soul and plumb its abysses...Harming our true Sight.

The twenty-first century opium is called "virtual reality". It is our duty to detoxify ourselves, so that we can develop our sensitivity to what surrounds us and that we can perceive with all our senses - in this plane or in the other.
It is our responsibility to make sure that this virtual audience does not affect our abilities, obfuscating them with negativity - thrown at us through the keyboard of perfect strangers.

Use that time, spent on smartphones, to meditate. So you can open your third eye and start to really see.

Lord Shiva depicted while meditating

Meditation is a practice used since the dawn of civilization, in different traditions, religions and areas of the world. It was immediately clear to the human being that, to understand the mysteries of life, it is necessary to first explore our unconscious.
From the Latin meditatio - reflection, the first written testimony of this powerful technique comes from India, in a Hindu sacred text dating back to the IX Century A.C. where it is called dhyāna (ध्यान); which, in Sanskrit, means vision. The same vision that would bring us closer to God, according to the yoga philosophy.

According to the Hindu religion, one would reach the godhood state through the awakening of the Kundalini and the opening of the various chakras located along our spine. The rise of Kundalini would be achieved through targeted techniques such as yoga and, indeed, meditation. Similar concepts can also be found in the great monotheistic religions.

But we do not have to adhere to a specific religion or follow a philosophy to practice and benefit from the results, there are many personal paths that make use of meditation. It has been scientifically proven that meditating also improves our physical health: stress reduction, improved mood, increased concentration and memory and greater acceptance of ourselves.

So how do we meditate?

There are many schools of thought in this regard, the main target is in any case to make the mind free from worldly thoughts and achieve enlightenment through relaxation and awareness. We can self-induce us into a meditative state or, if we need a guide, we can use a guided meditation (we can find really of all kinds, both on YouTube and on the various apps).

• So let us come to a quiet place, away from the buzz and daily interruptions. Maybe we can use relaxing music or the sounds of nature to help relax and filter out the noises in the distance.

• Let's sit down or lie down in a comfortable position, with a well-aligned back. Let us remember that we will be in the same position for several minutes, so it is essential to be at ease. It is important to keep the spine straight, as the Kundalini energy flows through it.

• We close our eyes and concentrate on our breathing. This will help us reduce external distractions and focus on the present moment, keeping the mind clear. Some instead prefer to meditate with open eyes, focusing on a sacred icon or on a candle flame.

• We can resort to aid like mantra, crystals and incense. Each of these tools, of course, brings different results so we can choose them before meditation based on what we want to achieve; particularly indicated is the rock crystal - stone notoriously recommended for stimulating calm. An incense recommended for meditation is sandalwood, its aroma increases awareness.

Whatever we decide to do, we must consider meditation a journey. An interior pilgrimage in search of ourselves; and as such it presents its difficulties along the way: we cannot get results with a couple of sessions but, with perseverance, we can obtain great benefits. Both in our spiritual practice and in everyday life. Once we reach the summit, we will be rewarded with a breathtaking view: the dawn of our spiritual albedo.

♃Ludna

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The Candle: a Magical Tool

The candle is one of the basic tools for anyone who decides to embark on a magical journey. It is a tool that can be easily purchased or crafted but it is no less powerful than others, if used in the right way. We can say that it is a complete magical object, as it represents all four elements: the wax can be associated with the element of Water, the flame with the Fire, the wick with the Earth and the oxygen - necessary to start the fire - with the Air.


First of all, which candle do we choose? 

Those commonly found in the shops are made with paraffin, which can be used if we cannot find other types, but for important rituals I suggest to produce your own candles with naturally derived waxes, such as beeswax, vegetable stearin, carnauba wax or candelilla wax. 
Why? These materials, as well as being environmentally friendly and respectful towards Mother Earth, have their own energy and high vibrations. The bee has always been considered a sacred animal linked to the sun, and the plants, (producing the other types of wax) feed on sunlight to survive.

In addition, by producing our candles, we have the opportunity to decide the colour, add the most suitable fragrance for the purpose of our ritual, add herbs and spices to the mixture, and last but not least, we can infuse our energy at all stages of production. In this way the candle is no longer an accessory to be used during a ritual, but a real tool that can channel the energy in the right direction.

However, it is not always possible to make our own candles, as the process requires time and effort; in this case we can buy vegetable candles.
If we do, since no one knows which kind of energies got into contact with the candles we buy, it is advisable to purify them through the use of oils and incense.

The candles can be in different colours, each one of them radiates a certain type of vibration that will influence the channeling of energy in our ritual, therefore we must accurately choose it.

The colour choice, influencing our body (and consequentially the ritual function), has been known since ancient times. The ancient Egyptians used to paint the walls of healing places and temples with well-selected colours, each one had a precise vibration and a magical potential, “magical” meaning the original energy of the universe, the spark that created everything. For example, Yellow is the solar colour par excellence, associated with male deities and immortality, Blue is the colour of fertility, along with Black corresponding to the night and death, but also to rebirth because it was the colour of the silt of the river Nile: a dark substance that rendered the land fertile and arable; Red, however, was the colour of blood, death as it represented the red sands of the desert (which was considered the land of the deads, the “West”), but also of anger and victory in war. The Egyptians, after winning a battle, painted their bodies with red ocher and wore with jewelry made of carnelian, a dark red stone.

The Greeks instead associated the colours to the four elements (air, fire, water and earth) and the latter to the four "humours" or body fluids (blood, red, bile, yellow, phlegm, white, and black, bile), generated by the four main organs (spleen, heart, liver and brain). The balance of all these elements corresponded to health, the imbalance corresponded to the disease, and the disease was cured also using the corresponding colours.

In India, the Ayurvedic tradition always associated the colours to our subtle energy centres: the chakras. The colours were used both to treat diseases and for spiritual motivation.

Let's see then how the colours of the candles, and their vibrations affect our spirit and our mind:

BLACK CANDLE

The most evocative one, contrary to what a person not accustomed to magic might think, Black has no negative or evil connotation.
The black candle is, in fact, recommended for all types of ritual because Black absorbs all the negative vibrations; it is a protective colour, which acts as a screen and sends the harmful energies back to the sender. It is a colour that hides, so it can be used to discover hidden things. Black contains all the colours of the spectrum, it absorbs them, making it in this way the most powerful colour and, at the same time, the most versatile one. In the rituals of destruction, it gives a slow strain rather than a fast attack. It can be used to bring discord and confusion to the enemy.
It is the colour linked to Saturn, so it is advisable to use it on Saturday, the day dedicated this God, otherwise during the waning moon phase.
Black is also the alchemical Nigredo, the philosopher's stone that can transform matter, so it is a great colour for new beginnings. It is also suited for communication with the world of spirits and entities.

Element: Earth.
Sign: Capricorn.
Planet: Saturn.
Chakra: Muladhara, Root Chakra.
Day of the week: Saturday.

WHITE CANDLE

White is usually associated with purity and goodness, in fact it is the colour of the clothes of the priestesses and virgin brides, but it is also associated with death in many cultures.
It represents the alchemical Albedo, the next step after the Nigredo in the Great Work: the stage where the formless black mass is cleansed, washing away the impurities. In chemistry it can be compared to distillation, and, spiritually speaking, it is a metaphor for the purified soul getting rid of its worldly shell.
White is a mixture of all colours of the spectrum and reflects them so hence it reflects all their energy, expanding it. It can be used as a colour to amplifiy the energy that we use.

Element: Ether.
Star Sign: Aquarius.
Planet: Moon.
Chakra: Ajna, sixth chakra, the Third Eye.
Day of the week: Monday.

RED CANDLE

Red is the colour of blood, the first colour ever used by manhood in paintings: it was sprinkled on the face of the deads, as if to give them back a healthy and vital complexion, it was also used as war paint .
It is an ambivalent colour, recalling life,flames, associated with many gods, but also it is the coulour of blood, war and death.
According to Christian tradition, Red has an evil connotation, associated with the Goddess Lilith, the "whore of Babylon" (in fact we still think that Red is the colour of prostitutes and seduction) and the devil. Animals with red fur like foxes or women with red hair were considered malignant.
In alchemy Red is the "Rubedo", the last stage of the Great Work. If the Nigredo represents the putrefaction and the Albedo the distillation, Rubedo represents the sublimation of matter through the spirit. It is considered the intermediate colour between black and white, so it represents the union of the opposites.
In magic, Red is the colour of love and passion, perhaps because of its classical conception linked to eros.
It is undoubtedly a colour that leads to amplifie and expand our energy, acting on impulse and strength, it can then be used to enhance our rituals.
In ritual magic, depending on the shade of the red chosen, it will be possible to attribute a particular power: a bright and vivid red is linked to carnality, strength, vigour, blood, passion and seduction; while dark red is used mainly for black magic rituals to exert a stronger and fast effect.

Element: Fire.
Star Sign: Light - Aries, Dark - Scorpio.
Planet: Mars.
Chakra: Muladhara, Root Chakra.
Day of the week: Tuesday.

BLUE CANDLE

Blue is a colour always used in magic, due to its high spiritual potential. It is the exact opposite of Red (masculine): Blue is the representation of the sacred femminine, water, energy that is absorbed from the outside inwards and retained.
It promotes communication, healing, peace. Its energy stimulates the activity of the spirit, creativity, inspiration, calmness and patience, it is the colour of the infinite clear sky and of the vast depths of the ocean. It is used in many divine representations, like the colour of Krishna's skin or coat of the Odin.
Assyrian-Babylonian amulets were often forged with lapis lazuli, as this blue stone attracts and deflects the negative energies from the wearer, absording them within. 
Similarly, in magic, it can be used to attract energies that we want to obtain, as luck or love, or to cancel the effects of the evil eye and diseases.
Blue candles are used in rituals to ward off all forms of evil, to invoke good fortune and to cure diseases.

Element: Water.
Star Sign: Pisces.
Planet: Jupiter.
Chakra: Vishuddah, the fifth chakra.
Day of the week: Thursday.

YELLOW / GOLD CANDLE 

The colour Yellow governs everything associated with our mind: it helps improving concentration, study, communication, creativity and all activities related to the left hemisphere of the brain. It is a colour that has always been associated with the sun and consequentially to the sacred masculine, a symbol of enlightenment and knowledge.
Its vibrations can amplify our ability to do astral travel (combined with Purple). In black magic rituals,Yellow stands for sickness, infidelity, lack of consistency and folly. 
This colour works on the Throat Chakra and the Solar Chakra, respectively, for work on knowledge or willpower. It is the colour of sulfur and therefore it is related to the god Mercury. 
In alchemy, it represents the phase of Citrinas, the stage of healing and consolidation; the combustion becoming incandescence, and then the transformation of matter.
Using a golden candle, we are going to amplify some sides linked to the divine as seen with the colour Yellow, Gold is a suitable colour for communication with the Gods.

Element: Air.
Star Sign: Gemini.
Planet: Mercury.
Chakra: Manipura, the third chakra.
Day of week: Wednesday.

PURPLE CANDLE

Purple is a very powerful colour, it reflects the mystique and pure essence of magic. It is used to amplify our psychic abilities, our wisdom, meditations, to get in touch with the spirit world and our higher self.
It is a colour that draws energy from our Third Eye, the sixth chakra. All the activities linked with the colour Purple are more likely to be successful if carried out during the full moon.
Chromatically talking, Purple comes from the blending of Blue (femminine and attraction) and Red (masculine, power), in alchemy it represents the union of opposites, the androgynous.
In black magic, Purple causes abuse, extreme power, tyranny, sadness and treachery. 

Element: Fire.
Star Sign: Sagittarius.
Planet: Moon - Jupiter.
Chakra: Ajna, the sixth chakra, the Third Eye.
Day of the week: Monday - Thursday

GREEN CANDLE

The Green colour is formed by the union between Yellow (sun, gold) and Blue (attraction), so it is suitable to use in all those rituals for luck and prosperity. It is also the colour of vegetation; along with Brown, it is used for green magic and to communicate with the spirits of nature. Plants become green, sprouting after the apparent death of winter; in some alchemical texts, this step is called "Viriditas" and follows the "Nigredo". It symbolizes rebirth, sprout.
Green is used in spells for growth, healing, attraction and success. While Red affects the  "passionate" side of the amorous sphere, Green influences the “practical” side of the relationship, loyalty, balance.
It is used in black magic to cause illness, greed and jealousy.
It is the colour that rules the Heart Chakra and all the healing energies; it is linked to the planet Venus, so it is recommended to use it on Friday.

Element: Earth.
Sign: Taurus.
Planet: Venus.
Chakra: Anahata, the fourth chakra, the heart chakra.
Day of the week: Friday.

ORANGE CANDLE 

Orange is a colour formed by Yellow (mind) and Red (spirit), so this colour is suited for spiritual communication, its vibration makes concrete our messages and emotions. Orange helps our creativity to take shape and become matter, it translates our inspirations into tangible products and it does the same with our feelings. It is the right colour to use in creative processes and to enhance our sexuality.
It gives us enthusiasm, zest for life and vital energy; it attracts luck by giving us a way to put into action our will. It can also be used to derive lust and sexual pleasure in other people.

Element: Fire.
Sign: Leo.
Planet: Sun.
Chakra: Svadhisthana, the second chakra.
Day of the week: Sunday.

BROWN CANDLE

It is the colour that represents the earth, so the physical body, everything that is related to the worldly plan.
It is obtained by blending Red, Yellow and Blue; thus it contains within itself the mind, body and spirit: our whole being.
Brown is perfect to communicate with the spirits of the earth and the forest (along with Green), to work with nature and to seek magically stability and solidity; suitable for those who want to get their feet on the ground.
Binding us closer to our physical body and our grounded side, however, we are going to feed less our spiritual side; it is advisable to use this colour only in certain situation and match it to other colours to counter balance. It can be used in black magic to cause sadness. At the same time, it neutralizes malicious forces and it is linked to material goods.

Element: Earth.
Star Sign: Virgo.
Planet: Mercury.
Chakra: Chakra of the Feet.
Day of week: Wednesday.

GRAY / SILVER CANDLE

It is a difficult colour to use as it has the same characteristics of White and Black, containing them both. It represents the union of opposites: visible and invisible, matter and spirit, light and shadow; it is the colour of the spirits who are between life and death. 
It has changing vibrations, for this reason it is unstable to use. It is used in black magic to instill chaos and disorder in the target. 
If we want to use the positive sides of Gray, it is advisable to use silver candles. Silver has the same features of Gray, but it shines in the darkness, so it can help to overcome challenges, illness, indecision and to get what we want.
It is like a mirror, so it reflects what we really are and forces us to face us; it does the same with the other colours, doubling their power, and it reflects malevolent energies to the sender.

Element: Water.
Star Sign: Cancer.
Planet: Moon.
Chakra: Visuddah, the fifth chakra.
Day of the week: Monday.

♄Unornya

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Surya Namaskar - The Sun Salutation

Being a Yogini, as well as Witch, the Sun Salutation is my way to start the day and pay my homage to the Star. Surya Namaskar is a sequence of 12 poses (asana), to be practiced preferably at dawn or early in the morning. A sequence that brings benefits to both the body (through movement) and the mind (through the solar plexus), it became so popular to be also known to those who are not practicing yoga.

The Sun Salutation improves our blood circulation, our immune system, our balance and coordination, it helps us to govern the mind and diseases such as anxiety.

From head to toe, every part of the body is involved in the flow of Surya Namaskar. But simply knowing how to do it, applying the merely physical part, it would not be enough.

The key is to know the science that is behind this ancient, sacred and powerful technique.

In Sanskrit "Surya" means "Sun", "Namaskar" means "Bowing." Without the Sun, there would be no life on Earth.
The Sun is present in everything we eat, drink or breathe. All forms of life would cease to exist if its rays were to disappear.
Solar energy is essential also for our body. The light therapy has been practiced since the time of Ancient Romans: the Sun's light activates vitamin D, which is essential for the development of our skeletal system, it stimulates blood circulation, metabolism and the autonomic nervous system, as well as haematopoiesis and the appetite.

The heat of the sun allows us to live, cultivate the land and create - both in natural form in inanimate form. If you are in tune with the cycle of the Sun, your physical health, vitality and energy will gain tremendous benefit from it.

Only by learning to "digest" the Sun and internalise its energy (making it then an integral part of our bodily system) we can benefit from the Sun Salutation. Hence why Surya Namaskar is a process to harness solar energy to make sure that its physical cycle become one with ours.

Photo of  Jessica DigitalArt & MakeUp

According to the ancient Indian Rishis, different parts of the body are governed by different energy nodes (chakra). I will not digress on what the chakras are, as there is so much material available online.
Long story short: the chakras are the centres where the divine energy lies within each one of us. In Hatha Yoga, in particular, they represent the stages of the route that the Kundalini is crossing, once awakened with appropriate rituals and practices.

This dormant energy (Kundalini) is imagined and symbolised as a serpent, lying coiled on itself. Once activated, the serpent stands erect long our spinal chord, releasing other dormant energies contained in the chakras. Once the chakras are touched by the Kundalini, they are represented as colourful lotus flowers blooming in all their beauty, releasing hidden potential.

Similar concepts have been found in other ancient civilizations such as the Egyptian, Greek and even some pre-Columbian cults in America.

The solar plexus, located behind the navel, is considered the centre of the body and it is said to be connected with the sun. All our emotions are located in the solar plexus, which is also the point where our "gut" feelings arise.
Our stomach is also scientifically known as the "second brain", the contraction of the third chakra contributes to diseases such as depression and anxiety. Its expansion, on the other hand, helps us to be more focused and balanced.

The size of the solar plexus it is said to be the size of an almond. This dimension can be increased through yoga and meditation, until it reaches the size of a palm. The bigger is the solar plexus, the greater will be our mental stability and intuition.
That is why the ancient Rishis recommended the Surya Namaskar: the daily practice of this technique allows us to increase the size of our third chakra and, consequently, our intuitive abilities.

♃Ludna

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