Shamanic Judaism

כ'ו באייר תשס"ח
Mab 27

Hat tip to Asherah's Place for posting links to two available YouTube (of three) videos featuring topics related to earth-based Shamanic Judaism. The teacher in the videos is Rabbi Gershon Winkler of the Walking Stick Foundation.

Part 2



Part 3



I want to make a drum like the one in the videos.

Ofra Haza - Daw Da Hiya

Wow. Hat-tip to lil_tike_oon.



Ofra Haza

Natural Olive Wood Mortar & Pestle

י'ט באייר תשס"ח
Mab 20

I have several stone and porcelain mortars and pestles, but I've recently purchased a natural olive wood set for grinding herbs. Unique and handcrafted from Tunisian olive wood, the mortar measures 5" W x 3.5" H x 1" Thick. Measurements for the pestle are: 7" L x 1.75" W.

Crocheted Natural Hemp Circlet

י'ט באייר תשס"ח
Mab 20

Handmade natural goddess jewelry. My circlet is hemp cord crocheted around a copper wire base. Then wrapped are bone, seed and wood beads that were strung on copper and gold wire. Complimenting the circlet, feminine energy spiral dance earrings feature snowflake obsidian. Obsidian is traditionally used to keep away negative energies and as a skrying surface.

Chaniel & The Mystic Moonstone Of Joy

ט'ז באייר תשס"ח
Mab 17

I received my mystical moonstone pendant today, which I picked up at the post office after work.

The ogham letter I drew out from among twenty feda this evening, under a glorious gibbous moon 99% full (חניאל), during the planetary hour of the moon, was gort - a fid of happiness and joy.

The attribute of joy, the inner dimension of Binah (Understanding), empowers my moonstone.

Four Winds From The Lips Of A Song

י'ב באייר תשס"ח
Mab 13

In kabbalistic shamanism, there is a wheel of 4 winds, where each wind is associated with a corresponding direction/quality [1]. They are:

mysterious NORTH wind of yhvh (illumination)
cleansing SOUTH wind of seeing yhvh (reflection)
shining EAST wind of balance and counsel (balance)
blending WEST wind of wisdom and understanding (healing)

In addition to these directions/qualities, are the lips (יהיה) of a Song (the primeval Breath which is the source of the 4 winds). They are:

wellspring UP
nurturing DOWN

Footnote:

[1] Magic Of The Ordinary, Recovering The Shamanic In Judaism by Gershon Winkler

מכתם לדת - Michtam L'Dat

י'ב באייר תשס"ח
Mab 13

מכתם לדת

I ritually stained the wood of my carved staff this evening with a red-ochre pigmented blend of botanicals, under the waxing gibbous moon 92% full, beginning during the planetary hour of Jupiter (ת) and finishing for the night during the planetary hour of the Sun (ד), drawing out from among twenty feda the ogham letter Saille (aravah) whose keyword is flow and whose corresponding mystical concepts [1] include:

female moon times
connecting with the Ancestors
knowledge of proper timing, tides of time

Additional associations [2, 3]:

liminal zones
witchcraft, magic and the feminine mysteries
divination, seership and prophecy
psychic perception and intuitive sensitivity
interweaving the revealed (itkafia) and the hidden (ithapcha)
water and mystic eloquence

lips
sukkot, joy
hoshanah rabbah
the temple in Yerushalayim


Footnotes:

[1] Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom by Erynn Rowan Laurie

[2] Ogam: The Celtic Oracle Of The Trees by Paul Rhys Mountfort

[3] Inner Dimension, ערבה

Witchin' In The Wild Woods

ה' באייר תשס"ח
Mab 6

For magic in the wild woods, I've purchased a large 1920-1930's vintage Hawkeye basket by Burlington Basket Company for carrying ritual supplies. In excellent condition, without splits, cracks or damage, it is a wood woven basket, with hinged lid, painted metal handles, and an insert for separating items. It measures 12 3/4" tall, 20" tall to top of handles, and 14" wide handle to handle.

This is going to be a fun summer!

Staff Of Beauty Consecration Blend

ג' באייר תשס"ח
Mab 4

Preliminary list of botanicals to be used to make my staff consecration blend:

base oil (1)

sweet almond

drops of other oils (3)

bergamot
cedarwood
vanilla (absolute)

resins (6)

amber
black mayan copal
dragon's blood
galbanum
labdanum
sweet myrrh

herbs and botanicals (27)

aloeswood
balm of gilead
broom
burdock root
calamus root
calendula
damiana
dandelion
elder flowers
gall nut
ginger root
hawthorne
juniper berries
milk thistle
mugwort
nettle
passion flower
pomegranate seeds
saffron
sage
uva ursa
vervain
white sandalwood
white willow
witch grass
woodruff
wormwood

pigment (1)

red ochre

In addition to the clear natural crystal point that I've already used in crafting my staff, other stones I've chosen with which to empower it are:

amethyst natural point
herkimer diamond
jet
spirit quartz

Bardic Alphabet

ג' באייר תשס"ח
Mab 4

Colbren of the Bards alphabet.

Vowels



Consonants



Information Source: How To Make A Druid's Wand

Staff Of Beauty

ג' באייר תשס"ח
Mab 4

This past Sunday afternoon I found my witch's staff and de-barked it. Then after letting it rest for a few days, this evening I did my initial carvings. I am planning on filling up most of the surface with mystical and symbolic designs.

I have no idea what kind of wood the staff consists of, but it is a hard pale wood. When I decided this past weekend that the time was right to go look for the wood with which to craft my magic staff, I found it immediately, within 1 minute after exiting my car and entering the forest. My staff of beauty measures 58 inches long and is shaped like a tzadi sofit (the fifth of the final letters).

In between cycles of carving (and before sealing it with a protective varnish), I am going to treat the wood with a herb, resin and red ochre pigment mixture in a base of almond oil. I haven't decided on the exact recipe yet. Maybe tomorrow.

I've placed a small clear natural crystal point in one of the top ends of the staff. Other things may be added after the carving, (and initial) protective pigmenting treatments and varnishing are complete.