Chants are one of the most popular ways of raising power in the Craft today. They are used in groups and by individuals alike. Sometimes they are used on their own, at other times they may be combined with dance and/or music. There are a great number of chants in common use, many of which you can learn at conferences and the like, or which appear on CDs, including my own. Alternatively, you can create your own.
‘Spells’ is used here in a slightly confusing way as it refers not to pieces of magic, as in ‘a candle spell’, but to verses, whether rhyming or not, which are used in a spell as in the verses for weather magic in the preceding chapter. Again, there are many spells available today in books and the like, or you can write your own. It is usually the repetition of the verse which makes it take effect as it is actually a method of focusing the mind on the desired magic.
Calls are usually wordless cries which are sometimes combined with dancing. They are a common feature of ritual dances in many non-western societies, especially those which have strong traditions of inducing states of altered consciousness.
Invocation is the act of calling upon a deity or spirit in such a way that their presence and energy come to the person invoking them. Drawing down the Moon is a powerful invocation which is covered in detail towards the end of this chapter.
3 Trance and astral projection
Very few people are capable of entering a trance state whilst still maintaining the focus necessary to perform effective magic.
Astral projection is a form of trance in which you send your astral body, or spirit, out of your physical form and travel elsewhere. Whilst some people find this easy, there are also those who never master the technique. Should you be one of the fortunate few who find it easy to astrally project, it is important that you do so safely. You need to ensure that both your astral and physical forms are safe at all times, and take care that you know how to return at any time. Certainly, it is not something which is easy to learn through reading, and you may need to find an experienced mentor to assist you. Personally, I feel that neither trance nor astral projection are going to be successful ways of raising power for the vast majority of people, although working on the astral is a different matter.
4 Incense, wine and other aids to release the spirit
The practice of burning herbs and other substances has long been used to create a state of altered consciousness. Indeed, other forms of fragrance can also be used, as they are in aromatherapy. There are many blends of incense around or you can make up your own. If you choose to do the latter it is as well to test anything you create before you actually intend to use it, as you do not want to fill your home with an evil-smelling fog, even if it is effective!
Again, alcohol has been used for thousands of years, but there is a very fine line between the amount which will help to release the spirit and the amount which can interfere with, rather than enhance, magical working.
No responsible person would advise the use of any kind of drugs, whether legal or otherwise, to achieve a state of altered consciousness. Furthermore, it has been found that those who do use them in this way subsequently have enormous difficulty in being able to work without them. Having said that, there are many household herbs which can be made into teas which can help with accessing the subconscious mind, and which are very effective in psychic readings rather than in power raising.
5 Dancing
Again, dancing has a very long history as a way of achieving an altered state of mind. In group workings the circle dance is a very effective way of raising power, and the solitary Witch can dance magic into working. The most effective dances all include moving in a circular motion. To gain a brief taste for this, try spinning on the spot for just a minute: when you stop you should detect a change in your perceptions.
6 Blood control and use of the cords
Using cords to bind a person with the intention of reducing the flow of blood to achieve a state of altered consciousness is something which I do not recommend. Whilst it is possible for a skilled person to tie another in such a way as to achieve this, for the Solitary it is fraught with hideous potentialities, including the possibility of causing brain damage or even death. However, there are safer ways of controlling the flow of blood, such as those used in yoga to slow the heart rate.
7 The scourge
Regular rhythmic use of the scourge can induce a trance-like state, but it is not something that very many people feel comfortable with. Furthermore, it is virtually impossible to achieve on your own.
8 The Great Rite
The Great Rite is a part of Ritual which is usually carried out by a working partnership of Witches. The Rite involves a Priest and Priestess invoking the Goddess and the God into one another and then celebrating their union. It can take place symbolically; in which case the union will be performed with Chalice and Athame in a similar way to the Rite of Wine and Cakes; in token, where the Priest will overlay the Priestess but not penetrate her; or actual, in which the rite is consummated. Note that the Rite of Wine and Cakes, however, has neither the same intent nor effect as the Great Rite; they just appear similar.
Outside of the Eight-fold Path, there are other ways of raising energy: limited fasting; drumming and clapping and other forms of music; working with strong feelings and emotions; giving energy form; grounding; and certain Rituals, such as Drawing down the Moon and the Charge of the Goddess.
FASTING
One method of enhancing your ability to raise power and to work magic which is not included in the Eight-fold Path is to limit the food and drink you put into your body, or partial fasting. Note that this is not the same as starving yourself! For the first 18 hours of the 24-hour period prior to your magical working you limit your food intake to fresh fruit only, taking no food at all for the final six hours before the working. For the whole of this 24-hour period you may drink as much water or plain herbal tea as you wish. Obviously, you should not do this if you have any kind of illness or have a hectic schedule, nor should you do this more than once a month. This cleansing regime will enhance your ability to raise power, and to focus and control it.
MUSIC
Another aid to raising power which is not actually mentioned in the Eight-fold Path is the use of music, although it is perhaps implied in the sections on chant, dance and calls. A timeless technique, music of one kind or another has a long history of being used to enhance magical working. This is especially true of drumming and other forms of percussion, including clapping, and of singing. You only have to go to a well-attended performance of vibrant music to be able to see the way that the atmosphere becomes charged. Performers will tell you that they can feel the energy of the audience rising when their music is appreciated, and that they in turn can use that energy to enhance their performance. Many Witches use music to enhance their working, either creating it themselves or sometimes using pre-recorded pieces. It is worth noting, though, that as many electronic items malfunction when taken into the Circle, the actual machinery is best situated outside of the Circle.
Of all the above techniques, probably the most successful for actually raising power are the use of music, chants and dance, whilst limited fasting will enhance any kind of magical working.
PRACTICAL WORK 1
Experiment with several different kinds of recorded music to see which you find raises your energy levels. You might also like