#charmer's Psalter

[spiralhouseshop]

Big restock on Troy Books at The Spiral House! Check out this link to see all the Troy Books we carry.

[funeral]

Gemma Gary, The Charmer's Psalter

[delightingintragedy]

Charms for Illness and Plague from The Charmers' Psalter by Gemma Gary

For Illness in General:

"The Abracadabra charm may be inscribed in ink upon parchment or paper to be worn as a charm against illness. Enclosed in a black silken bag, it is also a potent charm against witchcraft and evil influences.

In the working of curative magic at a distance, the charmer may also employ the Abracadabra charm by writing it out in the usual manner, and scratching a line away with a new knife, kept for the purpose, each day with the following words:

"As I destroy the letters of this charm, Abracadabra, so, by virtue of this sacred name, may all grief and dolour depart from (name) in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. In the Name of the Father I destroy this disease, in the Name of the Son I destroy this disease, in the Name of the Holy Ghost I destroy this disease. Amen.""

Against Epidemics:

"God the Lord went over the land; ninety sicknesses came from the sand. Said the Lord to the ninety sick: 'whither go ye? Answer me quick.' Then said the ninety of the sand: 'to take men's health we walk the land. To hurt their limbs and fester their skin, to shake them well without and within.' Then spake the Lord: 'to the elder-bush go that grows where the healing waters flow; see that ye do this thing just now, and ullthe bush down bough for bough. Name the diseases ye bring from the sand. Leave God the Lord to walk the land."

Witches' Herb-Gathering Charms:

"The first charm is to be used in the gathering of any herb for magical healing purposes, it may also be sung during the preparation of herbal healing substances to increase their efficacy. The second is to be spoken in gathering the herb pimpernel for uses against witchcraft, and the third is a gathering charm for vervain.

"Hail to thee, holy herb, growing on the ground, all on Mount Calvary first wast thou found. Thou art good for many sores, and healeth many a wound; in the name of St. Jesus! I take thee from the ground."

"Herb pimpernel I have thee found, growing upon Christ Jesus' ground; the same gift the Lord Jesus gave unto thee, when He shed his blood upon the tree. Arise up, pimpernel, and go with me, and God bless me, and all that shall wear thee. Amen."

"All-hele, thou holy herb, Vervain, growing on the ground; In the Mount of Calvary there was thou found; thou helpest many a grief, and staunchest many a wound. In the name of sweet Jesus I take thee from the ground. O Lord, effect the same that I do now go about. In the name of God, on Mount Olivet first I thee found; in the name of Jesus I pull thee from the ground."

To Hasten the Healing of the Sick:

Recite Psalm 41:

"Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee. Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish? And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it. All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt. An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more. Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them. By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me. And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen."

[lailoken]

“Witches' Herb-Gathering Charms

The first charm is to be used in the gathering of any herb for magical healing purposes, it may also be sung during the preparation of herbal healing substances to increase their efficacy. The second is to be spoken in gathering the herb pimpernel for uses against witchcraft, and the third is a gathering charm for vervain.

Hail to thee, holy herb, growing on the ground, all on Mount Calvary first wast thou found. Thou art good for many sores, and healeth many a wound; in the name of St. Jesu! I take thee from the ground.

Herb pimpernel I have thee found, growing upon Christ Jesus' ground; the same gift the Lord Jesus gave unto thee, when He shed his blood upon the tree. Arise up, pimpernel, and go with me, and God bless me, and all that shall wear thee. Amen.

All-hele, thou holy herb, Vervain, growing on the ground; In the Mount of Calvary there wast thou found; thou helpest many a grief, and staunchest many a wound. In the name of sweet Jesus I take thee from the ground. O Lord, effect the same that I do now go about. In the name of God, on Mount Olivet first I thee found; in the name of Jesus I pull thee from the ground.”

—

The Charmer’s Psalter

by Gemma Gary

[saint-of-the-pit]

[the-swamprat]

Talk about a great mail day (of course it would be a Wednesday)

Books from left to right

The Charmers’ Psalter by Gemma Gary & published by Troy Books

Apocalyptic Witchcraft by Peter Grey & published by Scarlet Imprint

The Long Hidden Friend written by John George Hohman, edited by Gemma Gary & published by Troy Books

[saintedsorcery]

VOCES MAGICAE

I’ve noticed a trend in modern magick that “the words don’t matter, only the intention” and this has never really been something that has sat well with me. If the words in spell craft “don’t matter” then why do we have such a long history of magickal words of power, incantations, prayers, liturgy and charms? The spoken word has always been one of the most potent forms or aspects of my magickal workings.

The last few years of working within Fayerie Traditionalism and the rites within “An Carow Gwyn” and “An Cawdarn Rudh” I’ve come into contact with barbarous names. Also called “voces magicae” these are words that are seemingly meaningless words that are supposedly magickal or powerful in nature. These words were/are usually bastardised words from languages that were not Greek or Latin. Incantations containing barbarous words come to us from The Greek Magical Papyri (Papyri Graecae Magicae or PGM), a collection of spells and rituals and liturgy from Greco-Roman Egypt. The power of these words comes not from any supposed meaning but from their sound of resonance. This can make employing them difficult because the magician must know the proper pronunciation. For this reason I am very thankful to Robin Artisson for giving phonetic spellings of any barbarous names (commonly referred to as “strange words” in the Fayerie Traditionalism material) used in rites and spells.

Other types of magickal words similar to these are ones Robin has given in “The Clovenstone Workings” the words of power given in that book are channeled words taught to him by the fayerie close to him. One such word is the word of the Gateway Ring: NURTANUMO. This word is in itself as spirit as well as an incantation. Speaking it correctly and with the correct ritual actions create a liminal space within which a sorcerer may commune with helpful and “friendly” spirits(I say friendly to mean that the word helps to keep out any spirit that might mean one harm or does not resonate with the purpose of ones magickal working). Along with NURTANUMO and other words of power given in “The Clovenstone Workings” they are accompanied by sigils formed by the letters of the word.

Another form of incantation or words of power that I want to start exploring is charms. I mean by this the spoken charms found in most forms of American folk magic. These re usually rhyming couplets that are believed to contain a power all their own, in some traditions though, one must be born a “charmer” to use them with any effect. Seeing as these come from forms of folk magic, many of these charms call upon the power of God, Jesus, the saints, apostles, or the Holy Trinity. Many pagans within the U.S. are coming into witchcraft and paganism from Christianity and carry with them some level of trauma. This in turn can cause hang ups of one kind or another when employing any types of magick that have any Christian trappings. I personally had these issues early on in my Path. Over time I came to a realisation that helped me (the following is UPG so take it accordingly) Power is Power. I personally believe that charms and and psalms that have a history of magickal use contain their own power that has been generated through belief. Generations of people spoke these words and believed in the power of them and so they have that power. Along that line of thinking is my belief that when I speak a charm it is not just me, but every person before me who spoke it for the same purpose. I am chanting and charming with the Ancestors and they bolster no only my Power but the Power of the charm. You can find collections of charms like this in the braucherei text “The Long Lost Friend”. Another source though not American is the “Carmina Gadelica” a collection of Scottish charms, hymns, prayers and lore. Gemma Gary as also written the “Charmer’s Psalter” a collection of psalms and biblical scripture used in English folk magic. (I do plan on getting my hands on all three of these eventually)

One last note on rhyming charms. I’ve seen a an explanation for rhyming couplets being used in magick as a way to enter into light trances to work magick. You write or find a charm that aligns with your purpose, and chanting it helps to “set your intention’ as you slip into trance. As far as I can tell this is a relatively modern explanation for their Power, it is however no less of an effective method. I have used this technique to help me enter trance, more specifically the level of trance I want when using glossolalia; speaking in tongues (another potent and powerful form of spoken word magick).

Looking back at the idea of belief giving words power. This idea is why I think it is possible to use incantations from media and pop culture in actual spell work. There are cases where a tv show or book will take a pre-existing spell or incantation and reword it slightly to fit the show or scene. In this case the ritual action accompanied by the spoken spell can have great effect. In other cases if you know how the spell operates within the fictional universe, this can signal your own spirit and those spirits you work with what you want to achieve. One personal experience I have with this is using the lost and found spell from Charmed. Anytime I employ this spell I fix an image of the object in my mind, breathe deeply, recite the spell three times, and then set the spell with a sharp clap and a “so mote it be”. In this way I’m not simply reciting the spell and expecting things to appear as happens in the show. I use the incantation in conjunction with real world magickal techniques and have always gotten positive results. Once I do this spell and continue searching I will often find the lost object within an hour, sometimes a day at most.

Regardless of your views on words in magick I think it does our history and Ancestors a disservice to simply dismiss them as an arbitrary or useless aspect of magickal practice.

[serpentstole]

Luciferian Challenge: Day 9

How do you feel about God?

This might be an unexpected take from a Lutheran-raised Luciferian, but I don’t really have strong opinions about God. I have strong opinions about harmful actions taken in God’s name, the misrepresentation of history, and an abuse of social and political power enacted by any religious group, but not really on God Himself. 

I’m a big fan of some of His people, both living and dead. I have many Christian friends who are just the nicest people, and magically speaking, I work with one Christian saint so far in the form of St Expedite, and I’ve sometimes considered trying to add St Cyprian to the mix. I am comfortable approaching Saints and other Christian entities in the way that’s appropriate to them, and this hasn’t negatively impacted me in any way so far, though I don’t know if that’ll change after I undergo a more spiritually impactful apostasy. 

This feels brief and anticlimactic, so I’m grabbing another prompt from the bonus list! Another thematically appropriate one, this time in the form of…

How do you feel about the religious texts of the Abrahamic faiths? Do you use it as part of your path?

This answer is going to be longer and thus under the cut, but if people read anything I write during this entire challenge, I genuinely hope it’s this one. I will say now for any Christian, Jewish, or Muslim readers or followers I have, it will not be an answer that is hostile towards you, as I don’t want anyone to worry that they might have to either skip this answer completely or else brace themselves against an incredibly shitty take.

To get the “do you use it” part of the question out of the way, I own the Charmer’s Psalter and have used Biblical verse in magic before, but I don’t know how long that’ll continue as my magic develops and changes. I might end up just using the parts that reference the spirits and deities I work with when writing rituals, the ever popular Lord’s Prayer In Reverse, etc.

Now, onto the important stuff.

By Abrahamic faiths I assume they mean Christinity, Judaism, and Islam, since those are the three people tend to lump together during these sorts of discussions. To get two of those out of the way, I don’t think I should really feel any particular way about the religious texts used in Judaism and Islam, as I’m not Jewish nor Muslim. 

I know it’s a sadly common thing for Luciferians or Satanists (or many neo-pagans and wiccans, for that matter)  to be “anti-Abrahamic” and claim that while they don’t have an issue with the people that belong to those religious, they don’t like the religions themselves or the dogmatic rules those religions might encourage. But that’s sort of… missing the point, isn’t it? 

The idea that anyone is a victim of their own religious belief is only half formed if you don’t look at the people or groups that will use the twisting of religious texts, ideas, or communities to victimize others. Lawmakers will often use Christian ideas to try and control women’s bodies, for example, which is something groups like TST vocally push back against. But the expectations they are willing to make on those laws reveal the hypocrisy of their stance, and that belief is being used as a smokescreen to obscure the true intentions of control over women’s bodies for the sake of it. Someone cherry picking or outright misrepresenting the words and ideals of their holy texts or religion to suit their selfish or political needs is not the fact of that holy text or religion.

We claim to reject dogma, but the assumption and blanket statement that these three religions are inherently harmful and oppressive is (in my opinion) dogmatic, and often we Luciferians or Satanists or even Pagans sometimes fall into the trap of regurgitating right wing talking points when it comes to how Judaism or Islam in particular are perceived. The issue is the people who would encourage dogmatic thinking or worse, lawmaking, while using faith as an excuse and to add legitimacy to their bigotry. To demonize the religion is to abandon great swaths of its victims, such as the women and LGBT people of that faith who are being abused by bad actors in the name of a religion they share. 

If the idea of why someone would remain a member of their religion when there are so many bad actors, religious texts, or even just passages they might disagree with is a hard thing to wrap one’s head around, I ask this: would you expect rejection of their faith by a Norse pagan for the historic sexism and homophobia of old Norse societies? For the modern associations it has with neo-nazis and bigotry towards women and queer people? 

If you say yes, if you would stubbornly and genuinely say yes… then what does it say about you, when we share a label with Anton LaVey’s books that were so influenced by Social Darwinism and Might Makes Right? With groups like the Order of Nine Angels, the Joy of Satan, and others who would claim to be Luciferians or Satanists while advocating for hate speech, bigotry, or literal actual murder? If a few bad actors or communities or specific books can ruin religions as old and as complex and as culturally varied as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, how the hell are there any Satanists and Luciferians left that aren’t transparently proud bigots?

If we can accept for ourselves that not all Satanists and Luciferians will use the religious label with good intentions, and that not all Pagans hold ideals that are befitting the gods they claim to serve or the communities they want to be a part of, why can so few of us extend that basic courtesy to other religions?

And all this is to say nothing of how separated from its original historic and linguistic context the bible has become, and how our view of sin is very different to how those that penned Leviticus likely saw it. 

While I can understand and empathize with those who have a negative view of a religion that’s done them personal harm and caused lasting trauma, that’s the shape that their abuse took. It was the fault of the people that enacted that abuse and any churches or organizations that stood by it, not the religion they used as an excuse.* I will genuinely never blame any who shy away from a religious upbringing or culture that tried to condemn their sexuality, or gender identity, or one which tried to control their bodies. That kind of negative association lingers, and there’s no doubt that people have done terrible things in the name of their faith, like I’ve said. But to treat those religions like the root of all societal ills when there are so many who would or are be cruel regardless of their beliefs, or to be hostile towards those that follow such religions without trying to impose any restrictions or beliefs on others, is missing the broader issue and (in my opinion) far more likely to do harm than good.

Also like. Dual faith practices exist and are also fair and valid and doubtless rewarding for those people.

*Please note that I am not including small, cult-like sects in my statements about these religions as a whole. There are plenty of Christian communities who are outright hate groups or otherwise dangerous to their members. Hopefully no one tries to point to some pack of weirdos as their justification to me on why all Christians are either bad or misled, or worse, tries to apply that to other religions as well because they have some historic point of connection.

[spiralhouseshop]

It's bee awhile since I posted an update here, but we've been updating the website all the time! Here's whats new in the PBW Witch Shop catalog for July 1, 2021

The Charmers' Psalter by Gemma Gary

Of Chalk and Flint: A Way of Norfolk Magic by Val Thomas

Rituals & Declarations Vol.2 Iss. 2 Spring 2021

The Elements of Spellcrafting: 21 Keeps to Successful Socery by Jason Miller

Financial Sorcery: Magical Strategies to Create Real and Lasting Wealth by Jason Miller

The Folklore Cookbook: Fairy Tales and Recipes by Eric Johnson

Morbid Magic: Death Spirituality and Culture from Around the World by Tomás Prower

Rebel Witch: Carve the Craft That's Yours Alone by Kelly-Ann Maddox

Runa: The Wisdom of the Runes by A.D. Mercer

Grimoire Silvanus Zine Issue 3

Wassailing: The British Midwinter Blessing Custom by Simon Reed

ALSO!

July is International Zine Month!

All orders that contain zines will come with a free International Zine Month mini poster made by Alex Wrekk! It has an activity each day for the whole month!

[hadit93]

Sorry for bothering you for such a small ask, but can you open a sweetening jar to add more names? I couldn't find reliable resources on this. Also, what psalms would you suggest to read over a honey jar to make it more potent?

It depends on the jar and how you’ve consecrated it. If the jar is consecrated to help with a goal adding names shouldn’t be an issue. If a jar is consecrated for a specific person I wouldn’t add names to it- it’s for that person.

As for psalms it again depends on your intention- your end goal. You can find many psalms for magical uses on Google and luckymojo website.

The charmers psalter by Gemma Gary is also a good book for psalm magic.

I should also add you don’t need to use a psalm to activate/consecrate a honey jar. It’s a good method but there are many others.

[ivy-kissobryos]

Not gonna lie I'm a noob at witchcraft. But I saw you post about the evil eye and was wondering if you could point me in the direction of the prayers that could be said. Or would your basic lords prayer hail Mary combo work. Dont mean to bother but trying to figure out how to make dual faith catholic thing work.

Hello. Firstly, I’m not a Catholic myself, I mostly like to reblog these type of content out of intellectual curiosity more than anything. So, I’m not sure how much help I can be with regards to your dual faith, but I do recommend reading through the blogs of @mayweatherscunning and other practitioners who are into Catholic folk magic.

Although, I have used some of the psalms from Gemma Gary’s The Charmers' Psalter to great effect. And if I’m correct, Psalm 51 is useful for cleansing and many other things, including cleansing yourself after dealing with the evil eye. Bathing in hyssop while reciting “purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” is also a good way to cleanse yourself too.

[lailoken]

“I curse thee! I curse thee! I curse thee standing, walking, riding, driving, running; awake and asleep; at morning, noon, and night; both eating and drinking, going out and coming in. I curse all that is made and done by thee, all that is touched by thee. May thy crops and fruit be cankered, thy flocks and herds diseased; thy daughters be ailing, and thy sons maimed! May thou die thrice accursed, and may thy descendants for seven generations reap the harvest of this curse! Then shall thy house be the home of the raven and the bat, the snake and the viper!”

—

‘A Welsh Cursing Charm’

The Charmers’ Psalter

by Gemma Gary

[skepticaloccultist]

Silent as the Trees

"Silent as the Trees" Gemma Gary

The West Country of the UK, an area that stretches across the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire is a magical region filled with localized customs, dialects and folk beliefs.

For centuries the tales of its local people have filtered out into the world in verse and song. The black dog, the fisherman's wife, tales of haunted coves and wood, Gabriel's Hounds barking the Wild Hunt in hot pursuit through Wistman's Wood. The mists of the moors like a shroud separating the worlds.

From the late 18th century onward the particulars of Devonshire and Cornish folklore have been a popular subject of antiquary and folklorist, consumed by the general public in quantity. Throughout the 19th century the number of volumes, covering much of the same material, published as collections of folklore, superstition and custom runs into the thousands of titles.Yet these folk traditions are living traditions even today. They have continued down the centuries to be practiced, seasonally, both privately and publicly.

Gemma Gary is an author, witch, and folklorist whose practice as a Cornish traditional witch is outlined in her previous works; "The Black Toad", "The Charmer’s Psalter", "Wisht Waters", and "The Devil’s Dozen". Her recent collection of Devonshire folklore and witchcraft "Silent as the Trees: Devonshire Witchcraft, Folklore & Magic" is a welcome addition to the literature of Devonshire folk practices.

"Silent as the Trees" is a wide ranging volume that lingers at the border between the genre of folklore and practical witch history. What makes Gary's work special is that in retelling these old tales she dissects them with commentary, illustrating the important variables that relate to practical witchcraft.

A chapter on Cecil Williamson, founder of the Museum of Witchcraft, is a long overdue addition to the history of folklore in the UK. Williamson's contribution to the study of folk tradition and craft practice are too often overlooked in the narrative of craft history.

The final portion of the book, 50 or so pages, is "A Black Book of Devonshire Magic" and outlines dozens of spells, charms, and rituals from a practical viewpoint derived from Devonshire folkwitch traditions. As with all books from publisher Troy Books the binding is beautifully done, with a copper metallic lettering on green cloth boards. The layout is well presented, with beautiful illustrations by Gary and wonderful black and white photography by Jane Cox. It's a handsome volume that glints on my bookstack in the evening light everyday.

In "Silent as the Trees" Gary has captured the form of the folklore collection, and yet has managed to make it feel contemporary as well as practical. A perfect edition for fans of folklore, traditional witchcraft, and Devonshire history.

Get your copy at Troy Books here:

"Silent as the Trees" Gemma Gary

[paganhareswitchcraftblog]

#Repost @exploringwitchcraft • • • • • • Today I set about making some pouches for two of my stroking stones, one for healing and one for cursing. I also had a mini blackthorn rod which is going into the mini altar set. I do think I will make one for myself as a would like a full size blasting rod of blackthorn which is used for cursing, this one could alsl be used as a wand. Blackthorn is a wood that I am drawn too, you may see a few blackthorn posts. I could wander into any wood or feild blindfolded and I guarantee I will stop by a Blackthorn tree 😂. The book is The Charmers Psalter by Gemma Gary which is also going into the altar kit. It's a fantastic little book but only if you understand the use of psalms in the cunning craft. I used this for 3 nights leading into the full moon. Using psalms for witchcraft purposes is an old tradition. The practise of employing sacred books, or words and verses thereof, for divination or for magick cures, cursing is universal in many practice's. It's often used by cunning folks In the making of talismans but also depending on the need, they can spoken over items, written down and inscribed into a charm. The psalms are normally uttered under a hushed tongue, in thought but never really out loud in front of folk. The Psalms can be written on paper, added to a charm bag and specially prepared, sewin into items, hidden around the home for protection and such. I like to to perform divination with this book, I will ask my question and look to a page, run my fingers over the page with eyes closed and then when I feel right I stop or if I get a image in my mind I go by that. Its amazing what information can come back by joining the words into a basic sentence for an answer. #witch #witchcraft #witchyvibes #witchy #witchesofinstagram #tradcraft #witchdecor #pagan #pagansofinstagram #traditionalwitchcraft #wicca #wiccan #wiccansofinstagram #occult #cunningfolk #cornishwitchcraft #britishtraditionalwitchcraft #peller #witchesofinstagram🔮🌙 #hedgewitch https://www.instagram.com/p/CBeQI_HnmS7/?igshid=1icqnewu079kh

[newworldpellar]

I do love some good old school cursing charms. From the Charmer’s Psalter, collected and edited by Gemma Gary. Some of the Hebrew is incorrect, but still, a useful resource #traditionalwitchcraft #cunningfolk #cunningcraft

[theholywitch]

The Abracadabra Charm, in this instance, rendered in Gemma Gary's "The Charmers' Psalter". The curative nature of the charm is widely varied depending on the source, though the magical practice is quite ancient.