Of Ego and Spirituality

**Clicca qui per leggere questo post in Italiano

It was a sunny day in early February, when the daylight began to increase and the golden rays of the sun to heat a little more tenaciously, that I found myself contemplating writing this post: I watched the world flow outside the window, in an altered state of consciousness and in the company of the person I love. The seagulls flew high in the sky, playing in the wind, while distant clouds created playful patterns on the green hills of Britain... now it seems a distant memory, despite the fact that spring is knocking on the door with a promise of new hope; a vain hope that is difficult to perceive when winds of war blow strong in the East.

But also thanks to this latter, great threat that casts shadow on the Western world, I find myself again thinking the same thing, the same inspiration that prompted me to conceive this article in the first place - albeit in a different interpretation from how originally conceived.

**Click here for helpful self-care tips for practitioners.

These days I have seen a lot of people on social media unleash hatred, frustration and disinformation - perhaps products of a smoke screen of confusion, terror and propaganda, which is frightening and therefore proportional to the fear and feeling helplessness in front of a situation bigger than us. And immediately everyone to share the news that cause more shock, sensationalism, the real pornography of pain; but a doubt arises spontaneously: despite the first, instinctive desire to sincerely help others, how much is an egoic choice to make so much noise? Of explaining why you share useful material and links or, otherwise, the need to justify why you don't? To show that you are on the right side of history, to be able to tell those who watch with a wakeful eye "I have done my part" and avoid the virtual guillotine of cancel culture?

It is in the nature of the human being to seek the approval of others, in any social, economic and political sphere. It is part of our most basic and hidden needs, being social animals that rely on the concept of community for our survival, it has been so for millennia and still is now, although we like to think that we are evolved creatures who will soon be able to conquer the Solar System and beyond.

From when we are born to the day we die, in all aspects of our life, we seek the approval and love of our peers... yes, even in the event of a war: from the head of state who declares it, an emblematic façade of who knows what real interest behind it, to the general of an army, looking for career advancement, to the single citizen of a foreign country who assists helplessly and divulges via social media.

Despite being part of our nature, it is disputable though when "errors" of this type are made by people who define themselves as spiritual and accustomed to occult disciplines. Shouldn't we be the first ones to know the depths of the microcosm, the labyrinths of our psyche, before we can heal the macrocosm and try to influence the Universe in a positive way?

Yet, in this sea of ​​old and new practitioners, holistic operators, healers and holy people, unfortunately the essential work of Shadow Work takes a back seat (we will deepen it soon, don't you worry). 

If we cannot heal ourselves and we do not know the limits of our knowledge, how can we expect to instil it in others?

The Ego is part of us, it is not an aspect of our being that we can eliminate.

It is a natural defence, which allows us to reason and act when the irrational is on the loose... To the detriment of the subconscious though, that part of us that instead allows us to pick up the vibrations in the thin web of the cosmos.

We have already talked about it in another article, which I strongly urge you to read, in the age of social media it is very easy to obtain consensus and popularity in a very short time. And find also quick information, at the mercy of any reader.

**Click here to read how communities are changing.

And in recent years I have (I think I can also speak on behalf of other practitioners) noticed the spasmodic search for the more niche, alternative cult and the need to disclose it in blogs that are sprouting like mushrooms everywhere, in the shadow of such a spiritual current. The desire to share, the enthusiasm and the search for people similar to us is once again a common feature of all human beings. Especially in a country like Italy, which is strongly Catholic and retrograde from this point of view... Am I not here talking about it with you on a blog after all?

But precisely because it is a life that we live in a showcase thanks to social media (the dish we eat at the trendiest restaurant, the unboxing of our latest fast fashion order, the holidays in the Instagrammable Air B&B, etc.), we must honestly and truly ask ourselves if that that we profess is for the sake of our spirituality and not for our personal validation.

In recent months I have seen a rather worrying phenomenon developing in the pagan community, with blows of screenshots, tags and Instagram lives, accusing each other of little moral integrity and/or of worshiping fake gods - like any story of newspaper gossip.

And while the sun caressed my skin, at the gates of Imbolc, I felt this warmth growing in my chest, essential gear of a perfect reality in its imperfection: an agglomeration of star dust, on a tiny blue point in the middle of an infinite space-time ocean. Where everything is love and indifference at the same time, coexisting in an eternal dance of balances.

And as I pondered this divine pattern, I wondered: if there really is an entity out there, call it the Universe, Jehovah, Allah or whatever your spiritual path suits you best, do they really give a shit about our battles in the name of the most integral and historically correct cult? Of our wars, under one banner or another - heralds of absolute truths?

When I approached the world of the Occult, I approached it for the love of knowledge and my planet.

To be able to feel myself in the middle of the axis mundi, to grasp even for a fraction of a second the infinity of the Cosmos.

To be everything and nothing at the same time, suspended on a thread between death and life and understand their mysteries.

And this is what drives me every day to practice, research and study not only on the textbooks of ancient scholars, but also to live them on my skin and understand the complexity of the world around me.

It does not matter if you have heard your call differently, we all got there in different ways and from different worlds but the constant is the same: a gesture of love; every day towards ourselves, our community and the nature that surrounds us - without the need to excel and make a lot of noise about nothing. It is an all-round discipline and the path of a lifetime - followed with humility, not just confined to casting a spell on a full moon nor demonstrating anything to anyone on a virtual stage.

It is part of our nature to simply be "human" and "make mistakes", to the best of our ability; so don’t be too harsh on yourself and others, perfection is only godlike but I would like to invite you all to simply ask yourself questions.

Without arrogance, without pride and without judgment - no one needs gurus who boast of truth and spit dogmas about absolute practices, but only to open your hearts to the spirits with sincerity and begin to listen.

Do little acts of kindness every day, little acts of magic where no one can see you.

Do not lose your compass on what your spiritual calling truly is and yourself if, what you’re just about to do, it is just for a simple desire for recognition in front of your community.

The Ego, although it is an essential part of us, does not carry us that far when we immerse ourselves in narratives as an end in themselves. Just look at the current political situation, a fragile and dangerous example of what our mania for grandeur can do without the humility of listening to our soul and the spirits around us.

Good Listening. 

♃Ludna

Jupiter in Pisces: The Return of the Summer of Love

If you too follow pages that talk about Astrology like we do, surely you have seen the hype on the internet in recent days: on the 13th May, Jupiter entered Pisces - one of its natural domiciles.

As we have already seen previously during the Great Conjunction in Aquarius, Jupiter is a social planet along with Saturn. Unlike the latter, the strict teacher of the zodiac, it is a planet linked to luck, spirituality and philosophical knowledge.

Jupiter will stay in the house of Pisces until July 2021, and then re-enter Aquarius in retrograde motion until the 29th December, when it will officially enter the twelfth house and stay there until the end of the year 2022 - except for a brief stop in Aries.

We can safely say that these months will give us a taste of what lies ahead in 2022, a year dominated by this fortunate union.

So what should we expect from this transit?

The title chosen for this article is not accidental, we have already seen the first thrust with the transits in Aquarius in the previous months: a sudden focus on social justice and environmental sustainability, it cannot be denied that the atmosphere is almost sixty-eight.

Our journey now continues under the banner of transcendence, while Aquarius is a sign linked to the concept of collective humanity, the sign of Pisces instead regulates everything related to the unconscious, the oneiric, the spiritual and the artistic expression of our mind.

Furthermore, being the last sign of the zodiac, it is often referred to as a final sign of a cycle, which involves a deep knowledge of oneself and the cosmos.

Since Jupiter is the planet of abundance and expansion, let's expect to see these themes greatly amplified, not only on a personal level but also on a social level.

We will therefore notice an increase in interest (also at a media level) in spirituality and occultism, reaching its peak probably in April 2022 when the gas giant will be conjoined with Neptune, also the home of Pisces and transiting in the same sign.

There will also be new discoveries in the psychological field, regarding our mental health and how we deal with it - especially in the field of holistic medicine.

You have surely heard of the Psychedelic Renaissance: more and more people, media and even health institutions are (re)taking an interest in these fantastic psychotropic substances. A growing number of doctors are testing and introducing psychedelics as an alternative cure to the "traditional" approach to treating diseases like depression and post traumatic stress disorder - which makes me smile a bit, thinking that we are simply rediscovering a medicine as old as humanity itself.

But this is also part of the Pisces theme: regain possession of ancient knowledge handed down by our ancestors. A pattern that can be seen both in the renewed popularity of psychedelics but also in the spirituality: more and more people are re-appropriating their heritage from a non-colonial perspective and claiming back their identity.

It is therefore a propitious time to reconnect with yourself, heal your inner child and break the chains of generational trauma - looking for our place in this infinite universe.

Despite these wonderful aspects, which we will certainly see reflected in the arts (another domain of Pisces), let's not forget the duality of this sign: it is no coincidence that it is represented as two fish swimming in different directions, united by a karmic thread.

In our mad rush in search of ourselves and mystical meanings, we could fall victim to dream illusions that could lead to unwanted results; it is very easy to get lost in the labyrinth of our subconscious.

We invite you to continue with caution, so as not to be subjugated by your own convictions and lose your bearings; especially now that both Pisces domiciles have returned home.

May the optimism of Jupiter and the magic of Pisces be with you.

Have a good trip.

♃Ludna

Clicca qui per leggere questo post in Italiano

Saint Lucy - The Return of the Sacred Light

When I think of the Christmases of my childhood, I would be hypocritical to say that I think of the figure of Santa Claus. No, that came later - when I was then a little less susceptible to the magical charm of the holiday season. I don't even think of the Epiphany or the Three Kings, deeply felt traditions in Southern Europe but not in the heart of North East Italy…Yule, the winter solstice, was a rather recent discovery for me.

Being Venetian, born and raised in Verona, I can't help but associate this period of the year with the 13th December. A date that will make me think forever of childish enthusiasm, bated breath, going to bed early with the hope of making the morning arrive in the blink of an eye... The next day, in fact, was not just any day: finally the year-long wait ended and I would find the gifts brought in the night by Saint Lucy.

According to the Veronese custom, the Saint would pass from house to house between the 12th and the 13th December, riding a donkey, leaving gifts and sweets for the children; who went to bed leaving offerings and food for her and her mount.

Typically, she is depicted as a blind woman, dressed in white and wearing a crown of candles as a headdress.

The interesting thing is that Saint Lucia is not celebrated only in Veneto, but in various areas of Italy, Croatia, Hungary and even up to Scandinavia - a land that is so distant, both geographically and culturally, from the origins of the celebration. 

But let's go in order, who was Saint Lucy?

Lucy (or Lucia, in Italian), in reality, is of Sicilian origin - where she is still celebrated today with long processions, lighting of candles and abstention from the consumption of wheat on December 13th. This tradition has ancient origins, memories of a terrible famine that struck Sicily and, during the day dedicated to the saint, it is said that a ship loaded with wheat appeared on its shores - finally feeding the exhausted population. Hence the figure of Saint Lucy as the bearer of gifts… At least, according to the Catholic Church.

Although there are no confirmed historical sources, Lucy was born in Syracuse in the year 283 AD - from a wealthy family of Christian faith. Devoted only to God, she did not want to submit to an arranged marriage in order to follow her religious vocation.

Legend has it that she brought food to persecuted Christians, hidden in the absolute darkness of the catacombs, illuminating her path with the dim light of candles - which became one of the symbols par excellence of the saint.

She died in 304 AD, executed thanks to the ferocious persecution against Christians perpetrated under the emperor Diocletian - denounced by her own husband, who did not want to accept her refusal. At first, guards tried to set her on fire, but her strong faith in God made her unburnable so she was then killed with a dagger and eye gouged - taking away her beautiful eyes.

As you can easily expect, the feast of Saint Lucy is nothing more than another pagan holiday that has been Christianized over the centuries. The name itself, Lucia, means "light" from the Latin "lux": in fact, the return of light is the main theme of this holiday (remember the candles?), like so many solstice festivals celebrated in this period.

The symbols of the saint themselves are actually solar symbols: the crown of candles, the blond hair with which she is usually represented, the eyes on the tray, the ears of wheat (later wisely replaced by the palm grove in her iconography, symbol of martyrdom), the sword… In the northern Italian tradition, she is represented by riding a donkey.

Another recurring theme in the myths of Santa Claus and the Befana, symbolizing the shamanic flight and the Wild Hunt.

*** Click here to read our article on Krampus, the Wild Hunt and other winter traditions.

Not surprisingly, before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, the Winter Solstice fell precisely on December 13: even now, in fact, there are several proverbs linked to the days that gradually become longer, after the long darkness.

I leave you the Veronese version below:

De Santa Lussia na ponta de ucia,

De Nadal el passo de on gal,

De l'Epifania el passo de na stria,

De Sant'Antonio el passo de un demonio,

De San Bastian un'ora e on passo de can.

On Saint Lucy (13th December), the point of a needle

At Christmas (25th December), the step of a rooster,

On the Epiphany (6th January), the step of a witch

On Saint Anthony (17th January), the devil's step

On Saint Sebastian (20th January), one hour and one dog step

The Sacred Light of Northern Europe

It is not clear how an Italian saint is venerated in Scandinavia, where her celebration is even
more popular than in her native country. The cult is thought to have arrived during the Middle Ages, carried by Catholic missionaries; then being syncretised with local customs.

It seems that it was precisely the return of the Sacred Light that made the saint so loved in Scandinavia, where the evangelization came much later than the rest of Europe: it is not so much the figure of Lucy that is celebrated, but the meaning behind it.

In the heart of winter, people could only take advantage of a few hours of light before the cold darkness fell again; the winter solstice was therefore eagerly awaited in order to finally be able to return to the comfort of the light and warmth of the coming season.

Traditionally, on the night of December the 12th, the vigil (Lussevaka) was celebrated: during the then longest night, the Earth was believed to be infested with hordes of evil spirits; it was customary to stay awake until dawn, safe in the homes lit by many candles, to make sure that none of them crossed the threshold.

On the morning of December 13th, dawn would then come (in this case, symbolised by Lucy), dispelling the darkness and bringing relief and awareness that the longest night had finally come to an end.

Nowadays, tradition has it that a member of the family (usually the eldest daughter), impersonates the figure of the saint and takes care of preparing typical sweets and hot drinks to be served to begin the celebration of Lucia Dag.

And on this day, wherever you are, I wish you a peaceful celebration: may Lucy bring you light in a world that at the moment needs to find its way again, in this long winter. A light of comfort, joy and carefree laughter - like happy memories of our childhood.

I, of course, will spend the day wrapped in the most beautiful memories and greeting the return of the sun.

Bright Blessings.

♃Ludna

Clicca qui per leggere questo post in Italiano

 

Love Thyself - Crisis of Faith, Self Care and Ramblings of a Lesser Witch

2020 was a year that deprived us of many things: those who lost their jobs, those who lost someone dear, those who lost their freedom. We knew from the beginning that it would not be a year like any other, given the astrological picture that has accompanied us in recent months.

And we are not yet at the end of this mad rush! In December another important planetary conjunction awaits us: on December 21st Saturn and Jupiter will unite under the progressive sign of Aquarius, bringing further shocks to the current global situation. We also remind you that the 21st December will mark also the Winter Solstice (or Summer Solstice, depending on where you are), another very important date from an esoteric and energetic point of view.

If you have been bored so far between climate change, pandemics, riots, social justice and international political crises; fasten your seat belts well because we are flying one more time.

Yet, despite all this fervour on both the subtle and the mundane planes, not all of us felt electrified by this energy boost - for better or for worse.

I myself, despite having tried to inspire souls to take a position in a year so unique in its terrible singularity, I have often found myself helpless in the face of all this, losing my feisty attitude.

My altar, although it is still decorated for every sabbat, has been waiting patiently to be used for months - apart from sporadic magical work.

And that's okay.

Why am I telling you this?

Because, like probably many of you, I felt guilty for my negligence. Inadequate. Weak. Not worthy of the practice.

There are heavy energies all around: the Earth suffers, humanity suffers.

So many of us have found themselves dealing with anxiety and depression at best.

This feeling is further amplified by the omnipresent and oppressive media presence of pagan influencers, pass me the term: instagram, pinterest and tiktok (or "witch-tok", if you are part of the community) are studded with #aesthetic photos, always on the hunt of the perfect chromatic combination and the most captivating font.

Like everything, spirituality has become the object of pride and consumerist accumulation of trendy witchy items, bought from famous e-shops.

We must remind ourselves that not all that glitters is gold: the web is a flashy showcase, but it is not a window to the real world.

Just as we cannot compete with the influencers, queens of Photoshop, in the same way ostentatious spirituality is probably not a mirror of a person's personal practice.

A jumble of magical tools nicely arranged in a #witchaesthetic photo doesn't suddenly make us enlightened gurus.

We must learn to accept it and, above all, to accept ourselves.

You cannot expect to be able to practice on the subtle level if you are not healthy on the material level, both from a physical and mental point of view.

Does this make us witches worse than others?

Absolutely not.

Each of us is a different person, with a unique story behind them, with different problems and situations. We cannot in the least compare ourselves to another person, as each of us is unique in the world - and fortunately, because diversity is what makes us wonderfully human!

The main thing is to get to know yourself and know your limits, on every level.

It seems like a cliché, but the first step to love ourselves is acceptance.

This does not mean, of course, giving up on continuously improving (we’re living this life to learn a lesson, after all) but I also invite you to love yourself and not be a slave to such a competitive world. Especially in a historical moment like this, where we are all inclined to jump to the throat of others for the most futile reasons.

What other things can we do next, then, to help us feel better about ourselves?

☽ Disconnect from the media! It is important to stay up to date on what's going on in the world, but if you are feeling low and have anxiety problems, surely the last thing you need is more negative news, over which we have no control, and the usual biased debate between users. As explained above, they increase competition anxiety and a sense of inadequacy if we don't feel fit to practice as we would like.

☽ Another thing probably trivial but worth mentioning: connect with Nature. In general, our society has detached itself from the sacredness of Mother Earth in the name of the god of capitalism - causing deep generational wounds. The one and only underlying cause of racism, climate change, any pandemics and so on: the lack of empathy that connects us to the thin energetic web of the cosmos.

And if you live in a populous city, don't despair: Gaia can be found everywhere, even in the smallest corners of a metropolis. You don't need to be in an impenetrable forest to connect to Earth.

**Click here to learn how to reconnect with Nature**

**Click here to learn about Genius Loci**

☽ Furthermore, we are going through a very delicate period: Samhain (or Beltaine) is approaching and the veil that separates our world from other dimensions, is thinning more and more. This year, in particular, will be even more challenging than usual given today's climate.

It is natural that the energies in circulation are heavy and not particularly positive, so an energetic cleaning is recommended - in order to lighten the environment around you.

**Click here for some useful tips on how to cleanse your house from negative energies** 

☽ A method that can help us get back into the magical perspective is to fix a routine, without too many complicated rituals: just light an incense in the morning, as a small thanks, or a moment of meditation in the evening.

The third eye is an organ like any other, the more we train it, the easier it will be to practice. I, for example, am a creature of habit who only works with a list in front of my face and having a magical routine helps me a lot in staying anchored to the practice.

☽ If you feel like it, this is a great time to start doing Shadow Work. While it is natural to want to return to light and carefree, one must take note of one's dark side: darkness is part of us, as much as it is our bright side. Don't try to hide it under the rug, hug it.

☽ Seek professional help, in case you feel the need. These tips are designed to help you but do not substitute medical help or therapy you are following in the slightest.

This feel-good society has taught us that only light, goodness, life and love are positive and
useful, completely ignoring that grey area that sooner or later will catch up with us. 

In fact, in this modern age, we no longer know how to manage emotions that are considered "negative" such as anger, sadness, grief, etc. And when there are times when we feel down, we don't know how to react.

So, why do Shadow Work? This practice helps us to identify our weaknesses and the skeletons hidden in the closet, through a real inner journey. And what better time of the year than during the descent into darkness?

And therefore, during our journey towards the darkest part of the year, I hope that the advice above has been useful to you and I wish you a peaceful - however complex - descent into womb of Mother Earth. Have courage, embrace it: make it your ally to improve yourself.

♃Ludna

Clicca qui per leggere questo post in Italiano

Easy Steps to Banish Negative Energies from your Home

 Many of us have experienced to perceive as if there was something strange in our environment, as if something was "wrong", causing us that feeling of discomfort, which we don't know how to define or what to associate with, but which we hear loud and clear.

Trust your intuitions! If you feel it, it means that something in the house has actually changed, and often in a very simple way this is what many refer to as "negative energies".

 

Where do these energies come from? They usually have different sources and origins and almost never they are linked only to a single object or person.

Negativity can be emanated by a person who lives in the house, or even who simply stays in it for a moment, and thus can be transported from the outside to the house, where it then stagnates until it is eliminated.

The same reaction can also be caused by a particular object, which perhaps previously belonged to another person and therefore has absorbed the entire emotional baggage linked to the previous owner.

If the harmful energy is not removed it can feed itself and grow, causing disharmony and discontent among those who share the same environment which, afflicted by these negative vibrations, will emanate others, worsening the situation.

 

The Autumn Equinox is just passed, this is an ideal time to get rid of everything you do not want, including energies, I will explain here below some methods to carry out a thorough energetic cleansing, of our environment, including ourselves.

However, remember that these methodologies can be used whenever you feel the need, they are therefore not linked only to this time of year and have no expiration date.

 

HOUSE CLEANING

The first thing to do in these cases is to physically clean the environment in which we live, since energy can nestle in every corner of the house and certainly dust and dirt do not help in eliminating all its traces. First of all, look around and eliminate everything you don't need: that dress you haven't worn for 3-4 years, that cracked cup at the bottom of the shelf, that book you have already read and didn't like; collect items in a box, give them away or take some items to a flea market, throw away the unusable ones! (please, recycle as much as possible!)

 

Now that you have cleared some space in your environment, clean it thoroughly: use natural cleansers with essential oils that will help release positive vibrations (I personally recommend Eucalyptus, Lemon and Mint).

Once you have tidied up and cleaned your house it will be easier for you to keep it that way.

 

JARS WITH SALT

Collect a few jars with lids or bowls of more or less the same size, you will need at least one for each room in the house (if a room is very large and you feel the need to use two, do it.)

Add a generous handful of salt to each of them, then fill them with fresh water. Now, place them in every room of the house, preferably in the corners and somewhere not too visible. If you have pets at home, make sure that they cannot reach them or choose glass jars that can be closed, in this way they will not cause damage to your things or to the health of your furry pets.

 

The salt contained in the water will exorcise the negative energies present, dissipating them in the water, and will also ensure that no new ones are formed.

 

When you feel that your containers are "saturated" simply throw the contents down the sink, wash them well and fill them again with fresh water and salt.

Remember that you can also use salt to purify yourself by adding it to your bath water.

 

FUMIGATIONS

A very powerful tool for the purification of the environment are herbs for fumigations.

This practice consists in the use of dried aromatic herbs, collected in bunches and burned with incense or crumbled over a charcoal.

This is a very ancient methodology, since immemorial time it has been used in many cultures especially to purify the places where magical or shamanic celebrations are practiced.

 

it is necessary to make a note here: 

on the web market and in holistic shops there are some herbs ready to use for this purpose, especially White Sage and Palo Santo. These plants are part of millenary traditions still active today, they belong to cultures that are still very alive and practiced by specific populations.

Unfortunately, due to a consumerist conception introduced by some New Age doctrines, these plants are now harvested without respecting their natural life cycle with the sole purpose of making money. A real cultural appropriation that make them became protected species at risk of extinction.

 

There are multitudes of aromatic plants that can be used for this purpose, the best thing to do in fact would be to personally collect the typical plants of your territory, which therefore belong to your own culture, carefully selecting them based on what we want to achieve. For example, the same result can be obtained using Sage, Rosemary, Rose petals or Basil leaves. (Be careful not to pick poisonous plants!)

 

If you really don't want to give up fumigation with White Sage or Palo Santo, there are companies that cultivate these plants in full respect of the cycles of nature and that, on the contrary, contribute to reforestation in the plundered territories. Get informed and buy only from ethical companies who will provide you with a clear certification.

 

Returning to us, fumigation consists in filling every room in the house with the smoke of aromatic herbs, literally visualizing the negative energy that dissolves. Take advantage of this practice to direct the smoke also towards yourself and meditate for a few minutes. Then open all the windows and let the air change completely. As I told you, you can use bunches of dried herbs, lit at the top like an incense stick (the so-called "smudge"), or you can prepare a mixture of herbs and powdered resins to burn on a charcoal.

 

SPRAY WITH ESSENTIAL OILS

In some situations fumigation can be difficult as not all people / animals can tolerate it.

You can solve this problem by creating a customized spray mixture to vaporize in the rooms whenever you feel the need.

I leave you my personal recipe below, but feel free to modify it to your according to your intuition:

 

Ingredients:

- Spray vaporizer, at least 100ml

- Hyaline quartz or rose quartz (just the right size to fit into the container)

- Alcohol for liqueurs or pure Vodka

- 9 drops of Neroli essential oil

- 9 drops of Lemon essential oil

- 9 drops of Orange essential oil

- Three grains of salt

 

Put all the ingredients in the spray vaporizer and use the mixture in every room, if you wish you can also use it on yourself and your clothes (Warning: some essential oils can cause allergic reactions).

 

MANTRA

Music can be an ideal remedy to clean up the energy in the home, it is suitable for anyone but especially for those who live with people who may not tolerate the smell of incense well or if you do not want to reveal your spirituality to others.

If you have it you can use the Tibetan bell or some other musical instrument that produces relaxing sounds, otherwise on the internet you will find a myriad of specially created songs.

I personally recommend Mantras or harmonic frequency music, which you can play as a pleasant background music while you do something else.

Below is one of my favorites:

 

These that I have listed are the main methods of purification that I use in my daily practice, personally I find them very effective and I am sure that even less experienced people will undoubtedly perceive the energetic swich that happens immediately after using them.

There are many others, perhaps a little more specific, but which I will explain better in other articles.

 

I would like to conclude by leaving you some advice, perhaps trivial, but which I think are really useful for not falling back into the old patterns, allowing negativity to return to our lives.

 

• Protect yourself as much as possible: it seems obvious but it is not; how often do we continue to hang out with people we know are clearly negative for us? Learn to set boundaries, take your distance and, if for various reasons you can't avoid them, agree to do it only when you are at your full strength and cleanse the environment up immediately afterwards.

• Learn to say no: Some people take advantage of our empathy, behaving like real psychic vampires. If you don't feel like doing something, say it, don't be afraid to deny something to someone, don't dissipate your energy if you already feel tried.

• Work on yourself: if you are the first one to focus every day on negative thoughts, it is useless to work on the home environment, the negativity will keep coming back. Concentrate to change your way of thinking, meditate, do Yoga, help yourself with anything that allows you to change your mindset.

• Crystals and Plants: Everything that comes from the earth keeps its positive vibrations. Decorate the room where you spend the most time with plants and crystals, plants in particular improve the air quality and give the environment a sense of serenity, plus they are also beautiful to look at!

• Visualization: this is a method that I could define as "emergency" to cleanse the energies of the place where we are (or of ourselves or of an object), it is a practice that we can use in moments when we have no possibility to use other equipment, perhaps because we are in a hotel or with people to whom we do not want to reveal our spiritual side, but we are perceiving energies that make us uncomfortable. Close your eyes and visualize for a few seconds the room, the person or the object slowly being enveloped in a golden light, which dissipates every dark corners.

♄Unornya

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Zeitgeist - Remember your Power

Zeitgeist ‹tsaɪt.ɡaɪst›, noun [ S ] German [Comp. of Zeit "time" and Geist "spirit"]. - Expression coined in the context of German romantic-idealistic philosophy between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and translated into English "spirit of the age", which is used to indicate the ideal, cultural, spiritual climate that is considered characteristic of an era.

This post will not be poetic and embellished with refined words, it will be naked and raw.

This tumultuous period we are experiencing and this recent lunar eclipse in Sagittarius, coinciding with a sun in Gemini, are throwing petrol on my feisty Aquarian nature.

The stars had already predicted it, this will not be a simple year.

And they will not be the only astrological aspects to consider: we have just passed the full moon, the Solstice is approaching and also June will be dotted with six retrograde planets.

We are already seeing the fruits of Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto, which are uncovering Pandora's box: we are questioning our personal values, our way of communicating, the society in which we live and its laws. The well-loved Mercury in Cancer (bringing hidden wounds to the surface) and Neptune in Pisces will also join the party (showing us the naked and raw reality, stripping it of the veil of illusion). Sound familiar?

I'm not going to look into it more in depth, because there would be a lot to discuss and there are already numerous articles about it - written by people who are much more competent in this regard. I conclude by saying that the sky is favourable to us, in a historical moment like this.

Those who practice esotericism and walk its path know that nothing is random: everything happens for a specific reason, in the great divine plan. But I also firmly believe in free will and that we can be the architects of our fate: the astrological picture is propitious, but revolutions cannot happen without the spark that makes them explode in wildfires.

And this is where I appeal to you, because believe it or not witchcraft is also political.

But it is not a question of choosing between right or left, it is a question of following the centuries-old path of the oppressed and persecuted and defending their rights.

Some of you have said that we are not our ancestors, if we live in a racist world it is not our fault. When we decide to call ourselves witches, we take responsibility for accepting the weight of our ancestors, for better or for worse. It is up to us to remedy the mistakes of our people.

Because we may not be racist ourselves, personally, but the society in which we live is: a system based on the blood of oppressed peoples and stolen lands. And if we do nothing to change it, we are accomplices of those who commit injustices every day - because silence is as serious as violence. Remember there is a substantial difference between not being racist and being anti-racist.

Nobody is born a racist, we become racist thanks to an obsolete Eurocentric vision.

It all goes back to the disconnection we have with our planet, there is no respect for life - this disconnection is the same that pushed us to oppress other peoples, destroy entire ecosystems and put life itself in chains.

So what can we do?

If you can go out into the streets to demonstrate, perfect: do it, physically support the cause. If you can also help on the subtle plane, even better.

Activism has many forms, including magic, since the dawn of time: from court wizards to the witches of the New Forest, who made a banishing spell on the Nazis during the Second World War. Certainly other factors have played their part including the extraordinary stubbornness of the English people and the determination of the Royal Air Force, see it as you wish but Hitler never set foot in the United Kingdom.

We are going through an asphyxiating period, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the heaviness of the energies in circulation: too much suffering, anger and death (I also remind you of the recent pandemic, still ongoing). For those who are particularly empathetic, it can be very difficult to fight physically or on the esoteric plane.

But don't worry, there are many other things that can be done to contribute: spread information, donate your time or your money if you can and especially we can use this time to educate others and ourselves.

They are all useful and necessary aspects, rivers that flow into the same sea; one does not exclude the other and are equally important.

We leave here underneath one of the many links where you can find out how to help:

https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

Do not underestimate your power: secular empires have fallen because someone has had enough of them one day. The colossus of the Third Reich did not expect to have to fight a fierce resistance from people who were fed up, in addition to the enemy army.

Humanity is capable of terrible things, we know it well, but also of extraordinary achievements.

But Rome did not fall in one day, for this reason I want this awareness to go far beyond the hashtag on Instagram. Don't forget this fight, once the waters calm down; unfortunately we tend to have short memories: we were all feminists at the time of the #metoo, we all demonstrated during the pride month, we all became environmentalists when we talked about climate change, we all praised the beauty of nature and human solidarity during the covid . Now who's talking about these? Have we forgotten already? Yet everything is still there, nothing has disappeared.

The key word is resilience.

We must insist until a society is created that guarantees full rights to all its citizens, regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity and physical characteristics, where NO ONE is disadvantaged and where diversity is celebrated as enrichment, not seen as a reason for shame.

It is up to us to change these world views as witches and humans.

♃Ludna

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Waldeinsamkeit - Thoughts on Genius Loci and Covid

The Moon Rising as The Milky Way Sets - © Chad Powell Photography 2019

Those who also know me in my private life, know that I am a tireless traveller: my unstoppable desire for wanderlust, always pushes me in search of new places, intense colours, exotic dishes to savour and dive into cultures far from mine.

Probably I inherited a little the curiosity that characterises me from my father, who travelled in his time far and wide on the continent armed with a camera, an old and broken-down car and a sleeping bag during the glorious 70s, a little might be thanks to my Aquarius placements; as soon as I was old enough to travel, I found myself on a plane to explore horizons other than the usual Veronese sky I was used to.

After travelling most of my dear Europe, so familiar yet so multifaceted at the same time, I decided to change continent. I then hopped to Thailand, Cambodia, India until my recent trip to the United States of America.

2020 not only marked a new decade, a new era for everyone - both numerologically and astrologically: 2020 was to be my year for travel too. My partner and I had planned Morocco, Norway, Madagascar and probably South America at the end of last year.

And instead, here we are. Like the rest of humanity, we find ourselves forced into our small island. Literally, since our house is located in a strip of land off the English Channel.
When the pandemic started, our reaction was of dismay and uncertainty, not knowing what we were dealing with. Until resignation and acceptance, a process I believe can be shared with the rest of humanity.

As we have mentioned in several articles, nothing happens by chance: this virus is a reminder for us to make us understand we are living the wrong lifestyle, both spiritually and not. Fruit of a consumerist way of life, reckless and not in line with the laws of Mother Earth, it forced us to stop and reconsider our actions. It will then be up to us to decide whether we want to learn from this lesson or whether we want to persevere on our journey, then paying the consequences again in the near future.

Having said that, what lesson can I have learned - personally?

In recent years I admit that I felt confused, I may have gone through perhaps what is called a crisis of faith: while my esoteric knowledge grew exponentially in a theoretical way, my sensitivity to the world of the occult that led me to approach it in the first place, it was getting thinner and thinner. I could read voluminous tomes on how to connect with spirits, but I no longer felt that shiver at the base of the spine that made me excited during my first, rudimentary rituals.

Why?

The answer is very simple, and it has been under my nose all this time. But I was too focused on everything else to realise it: a busy working life, a social life to be maintained both in reality and in the social media sphere and various frivolities filled my time but took away the focus from the essential. I was so used to getting on a plane, to get out of the routine, to convince myself to look for beauty elsewhere - completely forgetting to really appreciate the land in which I live.

Twilight at Mount Bay -
© Chad Powell Photography 2019

That same land that offered me comfort and wonder when I moved to England: away from 
smartphones, social media, work and commitments. I didn't know anyone, I didn't have a job, I didn't have a smartphone and I limited my online presence to sporadic access in front of an old laptop. 
My only company, during my long hours of solitude, were my thoughts and the beauty of nature around me: the impervious cliffs, the intoxicating scent of foxglove, the green open spaces kissed by the sun, the shady woods ... That amazement which then became apathy and habit, like covid.

During this forced break, not being able to get away to chase that traveller's thrill and nauseated by the toxicity of the media, I learned again to appreciate the beauty that surrounds me and to enjoy the company of Mother Earth. Far from human beings full of resentment, frustration and ignorance.

I am isolating myself, I am detoxifying, I am finally aligning myself with the rhythms of the spirits around me. This was the lesson I was taught: I forgot to honour the sacred land on which I live, consequently moving away from its power and losing my vision as a Witch. Yet the answer has always been there, under my nose. But sometimes we need to go against a wall, to realise what we are doing incorrectly.

That's why I no longer felt like a powerful, aware Witch: the more I studied, the more stupidly I walked away from Gaia.

Waldeinsamkeit is a German word, made up of wald-woods and einsamkeit-solitude. It is a word that contains the feeling of wandering in solitude in the forest, in symbiosis with nature. A word that does not have a translation into another language outside of German, but a mood certainly known to many of us.

As I mentioned in my very first posts, my first rituals all took place in the woods. A wonderful forest, located at the gates of Verona and at the foot of the Alps, where nature made sure that I found my calling.

The feeling of being a parallel dimension, where everything remains suspended in fragments of time, is indescribable. The smell of the undergrowth, the lapping of the waters, the lazy buzzing of a bee. It is here, where the sunlight barely filters through the leaves of the trees, that the Gods walk among us.

Where I currently reside, I am fortunate to have an ancient forest near my home. Parkhurst Forest covers 500 hectares with oaks, conifers and thick undergrowth; one of the last strongholds of the red squirrel - now extinct in most of the country, supplanted by the grey squirrel.

This forest, sometimes obscure, healed me in one of the darkest moments of my life: on a rainy day, I decided to follow one of the less travelled paths and go into the green meanders of the forest. I was the only person in the woods that day, and I stripped myself of all the pain and ghosts that tormented me. I found myself dancing in the rain, singing and feeling free as never before in my whole life.

And here I am, after years, once again to retrace these forgotten paths to pay homage to the ancient spirits who welcomed and healed me - calling me after all these years, while I was groping in the dark looking for answers. It is funny how nothing is casual in esotericism, in one way or another we always get where we need to go.
Nothing will ever give me the same feeling of tranquillity, peace and inclusion as walking in nature - not even getting on a plane in search of divine illumination on the banks of the Ganges.

This I feel like telling you, in the light of my quarantine reflections: study, travel, learn as much as you can, broaden your horizons. But never forget to relate to your land, you don't have to go to the top of a mountain. Even the city park of your country is full of microcosms and spirits, just connect to it. If you take care of the earth, the earth will take care of you.

Both in our small ways and in the grand scheme of things.

Being disconnected, believing ourselves to be gods on Earth and trampling and mistreating our ecosystems have led us to today's situation: deforestation, intensive breeding, unbridled industry are the causes of climate change, covid and suffering that we are living as a planet and humanity. It all comes together to be distant from Gaia, let's start again from small things to build a world that lives up to everyone's rights.

♃Ludna

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Saturn in Aquarius - A Wake Up Call

Have you ever tasted fear? The kind that leaves a metallic taste and dries your mouth? It is not something we are often used to in our small Eurocentric world.

Our generation, born in luxury, has never had to worry about wars, famines, plagues; at best we are concerned about cyberbullying.

As we already anticipated in January, 2020 will be a tough year, which will test our society: the Saturn / Pluto conjunction in Capricorn will denude us, highlighting our fragility, both personally and institutionally . We are already seeing its effects: entire nations under martial law, against an invisible threat.

We are barricaded in our homes, slaves of a chaotic enemy, with the fear that something may happen to us or, especially, to our loved ones. This virus is making us aware that we are not exempt from death and suffering, even in this part of the world. We are part of a larger reality, where other human beings and other creatures suffer every day.

Technology helps us, but it does not make us exempt from the laws of Nature. A Nature that we fail to respect, that we try to subjugate for our vile personal gain. And now, after ignoring the signs of a suffering planet, we face the consequences. Because Nature is a strict and impartial mother, and there is no more democratic judge than an illness - which indiscriminately affects different ethnic groups, the poor, the rich, the young, the old. And we are not untouchable gods, as we often think we are.

This is the lesson that Saturn and Pluto want to teach us: coronavirus, like global warming, are caused by our greed and our materialism. These are consequences of a selfish and unethical lifestyle that has created an imbalance in the universe.

But don't worry, nothing is eternal. Not even the pandemic.

We can have a little taste in these months: Saturn enters the house of the Aquarius until July 2020, and then re-enters Capricorn retrograde until the end of the year.

What can we expect from the meeting of these two aspects?

Saturn, as we have already seen, regulates our perception of society while Aquarius, a sign governed by this celestial body, regulates the sense of community and sense of innovation. Already at this moment, in fact, the futuristic Water Bearer is defining our social interactions: in the quarantine, we find ourselves talking with the people we love only through technology; an exceptional event given the social nature of the human being. A necessary measure, which will probably last weeks if not months, when we can finally go out to breathe the fresh air and hug our loved ones.

We will experience then a small preview of 2021, when Saturn will officially enter the eleventh house, one of its beloved domiciles, to stay there for the next three years - defined by social justice, progress and innovations.

It is impossible to predict with certainty that repercussions will occur in the coming years, but we can take a look at the previous transits in Aquarius:

• 1962-1964: In this three-year period, humanity saw for the first time a worldwide broadcast on TV (the invention that defined the post-war generation, until the next great invention) and the birth of the first industrial robot, these years were also decisive for the civil rights movement, culminating in the fateful words "I Have a Dream" by Martin Luther King.

• 1991-1994: We see another great invention born, which defined the next generation: we are talking about the World Wide Web or the internet, born in 1991. In the same year there was the fall of the last provinces of the Soviet Union; with the collapse of communism in Europe the free market was born in 1993 thanks to the Maastricht Treaty, defining the EU as we know it today.

So what can we hope for during this new, illuminating transit? The landing on Mars? A cure for cancer?

We hope for a fairer society, where the materialists finally realise that they are living in a community; a community that extends to all creatures on the planet, not just those of the same species. We dream of a conscious humanity, respectful of the planet and in contact with themselves and their own spirituality. We want equal rights for all and harmony.

Maybe it's just a utopia but, if we look carefully in this climate of uncertainty, the first signs have been seen already: the Italian people have joined together to sing from the balconies during the quarantine, the Chinese citizens for the first time have been able to hear the melodious song of birds without noise pollution whilst people across Europe applaud the health workers every evening as gesture of gratitude. The waters of Venice have returned crystal clear, as are the ports in the Mediterranean - which have seen some playful dolphins appearing there; Nature is taking back its spaces, reminding us we are only guests on this Earth,  just as we remembered the importance of our loved ones by our side, often taken for granted.

The future is not only written in the stars but it is also in our power.

If we want a better future, we need to embrace this change and sow the seed to grow a better, more humane society.

♃Ludna

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