#there are desires and needs and wants that spells and charms and spirit petitions can achieve and bring

[parsleysagerosemary-and-time]

Heck yeah, 100%. To quote Terry Pratchett “It’s still magic, even if you know how it’s done.”

A lot of "daily witchcraft" stuff just boils down to practicing basic mindfulness and self-awareness. That's not a bad thing. Like mysticism aside, yeah your little daily witchcraft practices are certainly going to yield good results if it's making you reflect on your emotions, identify your goals, analyze what food and drink you're putting in your body, ground yourself, and act with intention on a daily basis if you weren't doing it before.

[fluidity-stupidity]

Types of Spells

When I talk about spell types, I'm not referring to different spells, as in a protection spell versus an anti-anxiety spell. I'm going to go over the different types of:

Spell Jars Most of what's on this list are going to be self-explanatory, but these types of spells are typically in a glass jar and have ingredients like herbs, flowers, incense, essential oils, and liquids, and are sealed using wax. Spell jars do not actually have to be in glass jars, you can use old medication bottles, empty seasoning bottles, gum containers. These types of spells are meant to last years, decades if needed.

Spell Candles These are typically used for a quicker and more prolonged spell. The bigger the candle the longer it's going to take to burn all the way down. If you want to use something like a tea-light, take the candle and the wick out and place the herbs on the bottom, making sure to burn the candle all the way. You do not need to burn the entire candle all at once to get the effect you desire. Remember, this is a *personal* practice.

Sachets These are fabric pouches, with herbs and typically stuffed with cotton so one may sleep with the satchet. I highly recommend researching your cultures history(ies) with sachets as they all differ and diverge from one another. (It's quite fascinating to see the synchronicities.)

Scroll Spells I mentioned these in a previous post of mine and I've been wanting to discuss these as I don't see many of any one else talk about them. I got the inspiration from Naruto, although if you wanted to you could take inspiration from other pieces of media, from the scrolls used when summoning animals and types of ninja tools. You take a piece of paper, I prefer to use construction paper (use that colour magick!), and write a small ask of what you need and/or what you want, along with a sigil or as many sigils you want! Wrap use the paper and tie a string around it, seal it in wax if you prefer, and Boom you're done! I like to add a small piece of a broken off crystal inside of the drying wax for a bit of extra pizzaz!

A Witch's Box or a Witch's Jar These spells are not-quite all encompassing, these are historically ambiguous as these types of spells are so old, we as humans don't remember what they were once used for. They were typically thought of as a second-body of sorts, as they are tag-locked using urine or hair of that who made it, and spirits and evil-entities would get confused as to where that person's body is, and go after the jar or box.

Charmed Objects These spells are used to charm objects, these can range from your jewelry and make them in something that can protect you, your shoes - to help you go on more adventures, a salt lamp to ward off negative entities, or ornaments/nicknacks around the home to do various tasks. I like to create salt dough, it has protective properties from the salt and creates various shapes - moons, stars, marshmallows - and charming these objects for the associations of these objects.

Petitions These are letters you write or type and print, and set up for manifestations. Sealing the letters in wax definitely help give the vibe of an elder witch practicing.

[this-isnt-magic]

you always talk about casting spells and looking for unfalsifiable proof afterwards, so i was curious what have been occasions in your personal practice or just any examples you could give of casting a spell and being proven 100% right that it worked?

In terms of operative magic specifically, here are a few from recent years:

Target A was extorting Friend B for a large sum of money. He had been hounding him daily asking for the money which B absolutely did not want to pay and frankly had no reason to owe. B asked me to make A forget about the money. Within two days of the ritual, not only did A completely forget him calling B, the cash, and the original situation that arose that made him go after him in the first place, he also randomly sent B the same amount he had been asking for over PayPal just because he felt like he owed him money, though he couldn’t remember why. He never contacted him again. 

Someone had been harassing a good friend of mine. Through a series of well-timed curses taking advantage of immigration bureaucracy, his own lawyers and closest confidants within the system began to ignore him past every deadline and he was unable to renew his visa. Needless to say, he was Hot Footed out of the country. The list of residual misfortunes that waited him upon his return is extensive.

I had an extremely specific list of characteristics, personality traits, ambitions, qualities, etc. in a romantic partner which I included in a petition to draw an ideal lover. I met my now-boyfriend out of the blue shortly after enchanting it under the guidance of a guardian spirit and the archangel of Venus, and he checked off every single one.

I have also repeated this working for a friend, who met his now-wife the week after. They now have two children as well. 

I conjured a demon to bring me the monetary resources and personal connections to knowledgeable and powerful adepts of a particular tradition I knew was obscure and difficult to initiate into, whose personalities I would get along well with, respect, and genuinely care for. When the individuals were made known to me, I confirmed their validity with a corresponding angel. I have since then become close friends with these people and have learned secrets and ingress far beyond what I had initially even hoped for. 

An abusive landlord was trying to evict a friend of mine who lives in Nigeria. He had hired men to intimidate him and tried to bribe other individuals to testify against him as well. My friend asked me for help, and I began my court case work, targeting the judge, the landlord, the landlord’s lawyer, and my friend’s lawyer all separately. The landlord didn’t show up for all three court hearings, his own lawyer began to give advice to my friend and advocate on his behalf, the hired thugs disappeared, and the case was decided massively in my friend’s favor. 

I personally do a lot of weather magic, which is a really easy way to test for results. I check to see report so I know what’s likely to happen, and then do something radically different. Pulling hail in the summer, sudden rain, precise winds up to a desired strength, etc. are all possibilities to practice with. 

There are a lot of asks floating around this blog that essentially repeat the same question: what is the most powerful spell for X goal? I would offer that it is more helpful to consider operative magic along a spectrum of factors far beyond recipes. The actual structure and technique of the ritual is one aspect, but so is the divination done prior to working magic to see potential outcomes and how they would change if you adapted the spell differently; which targets you focus on and how (who do you charm, who do you curse, who do you bless, what do you do to which area first and in which order?); the physical links you have (hair, nails, spit, etc.); and most importantly the relationship you have with the spirits you are relying on. 

If a stranger asks me for $500 on the street, I’m not going to give it to them. But if my best friend did, I happily would. Look at who you already have relationships with and ask them - if you needed to manifest this result, how would you do it? I would caution anyone from shopping around for different spirits for every single ritual, and similarly to not over-assign roles to spirits. You can conjure for money using every single planet, not just Jupiter. Sol can make you outshine all your competitors for the job, garbing you in brilliance so bright only you remain visible in the eyes of those who have the power to award you what you seek. Venus can sweeten all parties to your favor, while Mars grants you victory and expels all opponents. Absolutely do explore other spirits and powers you’re interested in cultivating working relationships with, but do not forget how nuanced and deep your existing alliances go. Always divine on what you are missing, what information you need that you lack, how your working would be improved upon, etc. Where is there room for what you are looking for? Oftentimes I’ve enchanted directly for the financial success and prosperity of my bosses and academic advisers, so that the new money and grants they received would both relieve them of stress (making them more useful for me in the long run) and have more resources immediately on hand to pass on to me in the form of raises, new opportunities, projects, travel funding, and so on. 

Now with that out of the way (and I’m aware I’m giving way more than what the OP was asking for, but I do hope it will be helpful for people!) - there’s an implication in questions like these that relates to more than just verifying spells, but rather about proving that magic itself is real and tangible. I would offer that the possibilities of spirit contact described in both literary grimoire magic and among traditional oral lineages of witchcraft and sorcery are most definitely not being exaggerated in their testimonies. What follows are examples I have either personally seen or facilitated through conjuration:

A spirit manifesting visibly so that everyone in the room could see and hear it. It could also catch objects thrown at it and suspend them in the air plainly for all to see. 

A spirit physically manifesting an object from thin air that I to this day keep as a powerful amulet. It can move on its own and never rusts or tarnishes. 

A spirit manifesting to fill the sky with its body, with numerous witnesses who did not believe in any kind of non-physical entities witnessing it. 

Spirits manifesting as physical, concrete shadows that could be picked up with the hands and manipulated plainly for all to see. 

Within the context of mounting/spirit possession in ATRs, mounts (or horses, aka possessed persons) when incorporated with spirits have: spoken languages fluently they have no knowledge of but which the spirit speaks; been cut with knives/stabbed/had their hands placed in boiling oil/hot peppers rubbed on their orfices and so on without any injury, pain, or wounds/blood; defied gravity; suddenly healed major diseases and illnesses; caused all the animals in the room to die suddenly at the same time upon possession, physically transformed in skin and eye color; and more.

Not every working requires physical spirit manifestation. Not every magical goal requires the same amount of effort. But it is always possible to push deeper, as we are inclined to do. For as occultists, we pursue the hidden, especially what is hidden from us, no matter how practiced we are. That hunger for knowledge and ingress into the unknown defines magicians of all skill levels. Whether you end up initiating into a living tradition or working a grimoire that promises visible spirit manifestation by the book, there are myriad ways of discovering just how viscerally tangible and “real” magic is for yourself, if you’re willing to put in the time and exercise the diligence and cunning for it. 

- Mod D

[thestarlitcrossroads]

Grimoire: The Sacred Grammar of Magick

Or how to add a little something extra to your GriMORE (heh)

Puns aside, lets begin...

Firstly, what is a Grimoire?

"The derivation of 'grimoire' is not entirely certain. In the early nineteeth century it was suggested that it came from the Italian 'rimario', a book of rhymes or Bible verses. It more likely derives from the French word 'grammaire', which originally referred to a work written in Latin. By the eighteenth century it was being widely used in France to refer to magic books..."

- Davies, Owen (2009). Grimoires: A History of Magic Books

A book of magic spells and invocations. Origin- Mid 19th century: French, alteration of grammaire ‘grammar’.

-Oxford English Dictionary

Despite its original derivation not being certain, it is known that the most common modern association is with the French word ‘grammaire’. It was during the 18th and 19th centuries that France allowed a way for Grimoires to become more available to the general public with the use of Bibliothèque bleue (blue library). This wider publication also increased the interest in occultism among the British following the publication of Francis Barrett's The Magus in the early 19th century, the term entered the English language in reference to books of magic( Davies, Owen (2009). Grimoires: A History of Magic Books).

It was because of these various factors that the word ‘Grimoire’ began to be used as a more general reference of magical books and texts, vs what it had been before as a word describing magical texts that were typically written in Latin.

And in the more modern sense, grimoire is certainly a word used to describe any book of magic.

That all said, there are certainly many magical books and texts that are similar to grimoires or that could easily be labelled as grimoires; however, not all magical books are grimoires.

Per Owen Davies, a grimoires is “...being based on the conjuration of spirits, the power of words, or the ritual creation of magical objects.”

A VERY Brief History

The history of grimoires can be laid out in the following: Ancient period, Medieval period, Early Modern (with a special note for the 18th and 19th century), and modern day.

The Ancient period constitutes as pre the Fall of the Roman empire.. It was during this long time frame that European Grimoires took great inspiration from. Specifically, it was the ancient civilizations that surrounded the Mediterranean and middle east, and countries within the middle east. Particularly, the religious traditions of various pagan practices, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam were some of the greatest influences on Medieval European grimoires.

The Medieval period marked the period of what folks would label as the “classical” grimoires. Despite the rise of Christianity and the Church attempting to stomp out all pagan worship, it was never able to mark a clear line between religious worship and magical working, “ The use of such books on magic continued. In Christianised Europe, the Church divided books of magic into two kinds: those that dealt with "natural magic" and those that dealt in "demonic magic,” (Davies, Owen (2009) Grimoires: A History of Magic Books).

In the Early Modern period, grimoires had become more common place and known within society. The Renaissance had fueled the increase interest and pursuit of Medieval grimoires, as well as a rise of interest in Hermeticism, Judaic Mysticism, and the occult.

And with the rise and improvement of printing in Europe, which soon resulted in mass printing, allowed for more exposure towards the general populace.

Particularly during the 18th and 19th century, grimoires had become mass produced and widely available across western Europe (especially within France).

Due to this increase of interested in folklore, mysticims, and the occult, many historians took an interest in magic and in grimoires. Many even went on to publish snippets of grimoires within their own history books.

In the late 19th century, many famous grimoires (such as the Key of Solomon) were reclaimed by various magical groups, the OTO and Golden Dawn being some famous examples.

In Modern Day, we find that access to many ancient and more recent grimoires are far easier to access, than they ever have been before.

One can easily log into sites (such as sacred-texts.com) and view a number of different grimoires and magical texts for free. And even before the internet, many books and texts could be found in the local library or purchased.

This has resulted in the rise of many new magical groups, traditions, and societies (even the resurrection of old ones). There are many modern day grimoires that have become quite popular and influential to the magical scene, pulling from both historical information as well as new found knowledge and experience: such as Azoetia and The Dragon Book of Essex.

Here is a generalized interactive timeline of grimoires throughout the centuries

Famous Grimoires

There are dozens and dozens of grimoires out there (here have a list), way too many to mention all in one post. So instead, I will briefly talk about some of the more famous, influential, and well known ones. So please, do forgive me if I leave out a few important ones.

-

The Keys Of Solomon (Greater and Lesser)

Perhaps one of the most influential and well known grimoires, The Key of Solomon is a 16th century grimoire which gives a thorough description of the process of summoning a spirit, with chapters on the various supplies the magician will require, and the tasks they must perform. -X

The Lesser Key is one of the best-known grimoires, primarily for the first section, the Goetia, which features charming descriptions of the 72 demons conjured by Solomon, along with illustrations of their sigils, and the tools required for summoning. -X

Unlike the Key of Solomon, the Lesser key contains content from multiple different books.

The original texts having been written in Latin, these are truly is the idea of what a grimoires is in every sense. Their influence is widespread both historically and magically speaking. Find yourself in a group with a random bunch of occultists, and you’ll easily find a dozen pulling from these books.

-

Petit Albert

Le Petit Albert is an French grimoire that has gained some degree of fame or infamy. It lists a number of spells for results such as dental health and invisibility. -X

Though not quite as famous or influential compared to some grimiores. Petit Albert still had a large mark on the modern development of the grimoires and folklore of magic. It included instructions on making a Hand of Glorey.

But most of all, it marked a historical importance of the mass print. It was one of the first widely available grimoires in France.

-

The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses

This grimoire is an important text of folk magic from the German tradition. It was first published by Johann Scheible in Germany in 1849, and in New York in 1880, although versions circulated in Western Europe in pamphlet form as early as the 18th century. -X

The Sixth and Seventh books of Moses had a particular influence in both Europe as well as America, used within Appalachian and Pennsylvanian Dutch magical practices. They even circulated within Scandinavia and Central Europe and were at times referred to as “Black Bibles.” Though with this one, I have not seen a valid source given, aside from “Versions of this work circulated throughout Scandinavia and Central Europe. In Sweden and Finland these books are compiled and published under the titles Den Svarta Bibeln and Musta Raamattu, respectively, meaning "The Black Bible". found on various sites like Wikipedia.

-

The Magus

Francis Barret's The Magus is a compilation of magic, alchemy, and accounts of historical magical adepts, which copies extensively from Agrippa's The Books of Occult Philosophy, The Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy, and the Heptameron.

It is a foundation text of the occult revival, and is thought to have influenced the work of later occultists such as Eliphas Levi. -X

If Petit Albert marked the moment of cheap mass producing, The Magus marked the moment that grimoires were beginning to be translated into English and later being mass produced.

-

The Book of Shadows

Not necessarily a single specific grimoire or text, the Book of Shadows is a book containing religious texts and instructions for magical rituals specific towards Wicca, a religious tradition of Witchcraft and Paganism.

I assume that a lot of people’s first interaction with a grimoire or mention of one is via a Book of Shadows. Today, Wicca, and its related traditions, are a lot of folks’ first step into the magical and occult communities.

Despite its name, a Book of Shadows is exactly the same as a Grimiore. Doreen Valiented stated in “The Rebirth of Witchcraft” that most likely Gardner adopted the term for his Witches' grimoire (The Book of Shadows) from an article found in The Occult Observer V1 N3 1949.

Applying this knowledge to your own Grimoire

So you know a thing or two about Grimoires, what now?

You can create your own of course.

How? I see this appear all over the place online, as well as get asked occasionally by folks in person.

At the end of the day, a Grimoire is a magical book containing information about a person’s personal practice. It can even be an instructional guide if desired.

Its looks how you want it to be, it contains what you want and need, and it acts for whatever purposes you need.

That said, this doesn’t help a lot when a person has no idea what to do or what to put in it. So, I will provide some more ample advice.

1. - Look towards other grimoires for inspiration and reference

A number of historical grimoires already do this, so why not you? Look at how these grimoires are organized. What do they contain? How are they framed?

As an example, lets take a look at the Lesser Key of Solomon

Opening invocation

Initiation

Definitions

Lists of Spirits (the 72 demons)

magical seals

specific rites

You might include an opening charm or invocation at the beginning of your Grimoire. In certain books, such as Long Lost Friends, the tome begins with a written charm of protection for the carrier of the book. Others might include a written hex or curse to ward unwanted readers.

You might include such rites as an initiation (if you have one), specific rituals of importance (such as a rite of banishment or cleansing), etc.

A page of reference for definitions and specific might also be helpful. Lets say you reference a recipe for oil often, but don’t want to write it down every time. You can have a page that has it once, then reference that other times.

Next, you might want to list specific about spirits and various entities. I’d suggest straying away from ones that tend to be common knowledge. Stick more to personalized things that you want to remember and can’t find from a quick google search.

Magical seals can include anything from privately created ones, or even well known ones. These can act as a reference for future use, or even as physically written charms in their own right. The Grimoire is not only a book of magic, it is a magical book.

2. - Decide how it will be written

Are you going to write it in a more factual and straight forward practical piece? Is it going to act as a teacher’s manual? Is it going to be vague and hard to read, so that only the writer can understand it? Is it going to be written as a story (Such as the Black Pullet)? Is it going to consist mostly of art and only a little bit of text?

Think about how it will be laid out on the paper. There is more ways to write a grimoire than simply a book of charms and spells.

3. - Avoid putting in common knowledge

Don’t put in something that you can easily search for online. Put in things that are personal to you, things you won’t find online (or at least easily), things that are secret.

In my experience, I found that I got disappointed with old magical journals that held a bunch of stuff, but all that knowledge I could easily find on my phone or in one of my books. It left me feeling unsatisfied and I often gave up finishing the journal completely.

When I started to put more personalized things, more secret things, things you couldn’t find anywhere else, I felt satisfied. The same could be said of others.

4. - Don’t worry about organization

A lot of the old historical grimoires were a strange conglomeration of information, lore, and art. They have no real rhyme or reason behind how they were organized (or maybe they did haha).

Don’t worry too much about being exact and perfect with your organization. I find that if I worry too much about that I will never end up writing anything down.

Get it down first. You can later reorganize by re-writing it, taking out the pages and putting them into a 3 ring binder, rebinding the book with a new order, or copying the pages and organizing them into a PDF or a separate copy.

Just get it down.

5. - Its for you. Make sure its useful

Having a grimoire is fun and wonderful, but if its not useful for you it will never get finished/used. Make sure you’re writing it for yourself.

I sometimes find it helpful to imagine that I will pass it down to my children or a student. How useful would they find it?

6. - Make it an act of magic

A grimoire is a book of magic, but it is also a magical book. Make the act of writing it magical. Make it apart of your ritual and practice. Infuse it with your power and desire. It’ll help make things easier.

Use it for automatic writing, use it for trance art. Allow your tradition to fuel its creation.

The Grimoire cultus and magical art is something that will easily continue onward throughout modern time, even with the push towards digitization. Its built from hundreds and hundreds of years of lore and reference. And, I imagine it will continue to grow as more people are creating their own, both for public use and private study.  

For further reading on Grimoires, I would suggest the following

Grimoires: A History of Magic Books by Daives Owen

https://www.grimoire.org/

http://www.sacred-texts.com

[tristan-forester]

At Risk of Nostalgia

Tristan had been watching the woman outside the funhouse for several minutes before he saw his opportunity to approach her. While Dorjan was sharing a tender moment with Dun’Yazad, their companion slipped away. Beneath the dark sky and garish lights of the faire, he was a shadow in the crowd, using only enough magic to pass unnoticed, stalking towards his petite prey.

“Why don’t you go inside?” He asked quietly, leaning down to speak directly into her ear.

He got a trivial thrill out of startling people and the small Rendorei woman did not disappoint. The cone of cotton candy slipped from her grip as she gasped and turned. The seemingly human man caught the candy deftly and offered it back with a charming smile.

“Sorry, darlin’. I didn’t realize you didn’t hear me come up,” he lied through crooked lips.

“No. I didn’t,” she replied, rolling her softly glowing eyes.

“Why don’t you go inside?” He asked again, trying to keep her from retreating entirely.

Conflict colored her periwinkle complexion as she tried to decide if she really wanted to stay and talk to him. He could feel her indecision and the urge to influence her was almost too much to bear. He didn’t want her to leave. He wanted her to stay and to be his first real test.

For that to be, though, he would have to let her make the decision herself, so the results were pure.

“I loved funhouses once. Especially this one. It is spooky but not in a cheap, jumpy way,” she confessed. “But now, I don’t like mirrors.”

Her words came as a surprise to both, as he had not expected such a deep hesitation and she had not realized she needed to say it aloud. However, for as much as she needed to be heard, she was afraid of opening any further to the strange man beside her.

“Well…what if I told you, I have the power to let you see what you want to see? Would you go in then?” He asked in a quiet, sensuous tone.

Her long, plum brows pinched upward as she considered him with increased suspicion. Rendorei, better than most, knew the dangers of power offered so freely. Before she could protest or leave, though, he held up a hand and smiled with understanding.

“It is just an illusion. I thought I would offer. I know what it is to want to go back to the way things were. To feel it with every breath and wish for it with every step on a new path. I can’t claim to know your struggle precisely, but I know that if someone could offer me just a moment of my past life, even if it was an illusion, I would take it. So, since I can offer that to you, I do. No strings attached.”

Her features relaxed as her doubt deflated and her fear retreated. Her desire became a palpable air around her and it ignited another layer of lust in the veiled demon. She didn’t desire him, but that didn’t matter. As the tool of her deliverance, he could still bask in the glow of it.

“Alright, Magician, show me,” she smirked.

Tristan offered his arm, which she took only after laughing and rolling her eyes. He paid the admission fee for two, and just as they dipped through the doorway, he could hear Dun’Yazad finally realizing he was gone.

“Where is Tristan?” She asked from afar, her panic pitching only slightly when she realized he was denying any psychic contact.

He knew they would worry and that they would search for him, but he couldn’t let them interfere.

He needed this.

Because the hallways were narrow, he adjusted his contact with the woman, moving his arm to her lower back to direct her through the darkness towards the first series of mirrors. He paced their progress so that he could establish a link with her and manipulate her memories just enough to bring them to the surface. When they rounded the corner into a hall of distorted mirrors, she gasped, and he could only smile.

“Is this you? Or the mirrors?”

She broke away to approach the glass while reaching up to touch her face and hair. She turned a circle, keeping her eyes on the reflection as best she could. From where he stood, without digging deep and seeing the memories for himself, he had no way of knowing what she saw. However, he did know his influence was working.

“That’s me, and well…you, of course.”

“How? Am I different? Oh, no,” she said as she looked at her hand and laughed. “How are you doing this?”

“Magic,” Tristan chuckled. “I am just manipulating your perception. It really isn’t different than what the mirrors do. However, they distort indiscriminately. I am trying to make you smile.”

She turned and smiled at him. He could just make out the indigo hue rising beneath her skin as she blushed faintly.

“Well, thank you.”

“We aren’t done yet, my dear,” he smirked, moving to take his position with her again.

The hallways turned dark again, with electric lights flickering faintly to illuminate strange glowing drawings on the walls. The ambience of the funhouse was eerie and in the spirit of the ill-ease, the woman pressed herself more into Tristan. The contact was intoxicating, pulling a whimpering moan from him. The sound was blessedly lost in the groaning of the twisted hallway. Flash impulses to push her to the wall or implore her to abscond into the woods with him coursed through him like electrical currents created with each beat of his dark heart. Those demonic desires he contended with each day were made more demanding as she started to embrace this strange fate.

He tore himself from dangerous introspection as they passed glass cases filled with oddities from around the world. Again, the contents of the cases were just meant to further disturb the patrons of the funhouse before they entered the official hall of mirrors. It was meant to put images in their heads, things they would see out of the corner of their eyes as they moved through the glass halls. The woman beside him took only mild interest in the items, as she was now more invested in what she would see in the next room. Tristan disengaged from her, allowing her to lead the way without obstruction.

She stepped through the dark curtain, smiling brightly. However, the expression was fleeting as she was greeted with her true reflection.

“Your trick stopped working,” she frowned, turning back.

The curtain billowed slightly but when she opened it, she found Tristan was gone. She was about to step back into the hall of oddities when she heard footsteps behind her. When she turned, she saw just the passing shadow of someone retreating further into the hall of mirrors.

“Wait. Your spell…” she called as she started after him, ignoring her reflection as best she could.

No matter how fast she navigated the mirrors, she always seemed to be a few steps behind. Worse, though, was the glimpses she caught of herself. In the dim light, she saw shades and shadows closing in on her from behind and she could see her transformation into something of the Void playing out in her peripherals. If she looked directly at any mirror, she would only see herself, but the mirrors around her would laugh and shift, promising threats she could never see directly on. At one point, she was certain she had even seen a demon opening its wings as it closed in on her.

“Magician!” She called, realizing she didn’t even know the man’s name. “Help! Please.”

She ran straight into a pane of glass, and as she followed it, she started to fear that she had somehow trapped herself in a box. She felt the world closing around her, and in that claustrophobia, she felt vulnerable and afraid.

“Please hel—”

She started to call out for Tristan again, but as she did, a pair of arms closed around her from behind and she shrieked and collapsed defensively.

“Shhhh. It’s alright. I am here,” Tristan whispered into her ear, speaking her native tongue softly. “I turned back, and you were gone, but I am here.”

The tears were falling involuntarily, and each sobbing breath betrayed her as she turned to bury her face into his chest. The horrors were real. She knew they were. She also knew that she would sound ridiculous trying to explain what she saw and felt.

“It’s alright. You’re alright. I promise. I can protect you,” Tristan stated softly.

The woman looked up at him through tear stained cheeks and found he wasn’t looking at her at all. He was glancing, focused, into the mirrors. She turned to see what it was he saw now, to see if the spell was working. For a moment, less than even a single breath, she saw a different woman in the mirror.

However, when she blinked, she saw her former self clinging to Tristan. He was looking down at her now and smiling faintly.

“Magic isn’t always perfect. I am truly sorry, my dear. Shall we?”

The small nameless woman nodded and clung to him so that she would not be alone for the remainder of the hall. When the exit was finally in view, she sighed in relief and paused.

“Thank you. Although I…lost my mind for a moment, thank you for letting me see myself once more.”

“My dear,” he said softly, reaching up to brush her plum colored curls from her damp cheek. “You are beautiful as you are, and you will only be more beautiful as you finally find your way again. There is nothing more stunning than a woman in pursuit of her full potential.”

“That’s…You know I don’t even know your name,” she laughed as she blushed once more. “That is very kind of you, though.”

Tristan didn’t offer his name. He didn’t offer so much as another murmured word as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. He drank deeply of her kiss, drawing from her soul and desire. She was receptive before he kissed her, but as he did, she melted into him and succumbed entirely. He drew on her memories and dreams, feeding, taste by taste, on little things she offered. And when he was aware of how good it was, how much he wanted more, he broke from the kiss. With his forehead pressed to hers, he gathered the reins of his control.

“Thank you for making my night something memorable,” he whispered. “Now, I should rejoin my family before they fear I have lost myself in the forest.”

She was speechless as she opened her eyes and nodded dreamily. She broke the embrace slowly and moved to the exit, looking back several times. She would feel fatigued and sleep deeply, dreaming of far more carnal outcomes, but in the morning, she would only remember the edges of his features. He would be a shadow of a memory even if his words stuck with him.

Tristan moved to the exit a moment later and opened the link to Dun’Yazad as he pressed his forehead to the cool glass beside the doorway. The two other Sayaad were drawn to him instantly, both watching the Void Elf leave with concerned looks etched on their features. It hurt to see the annoyance in Dorjan’s features as he locked eyes with him, but Tristan counted the risk he took as worth it.

It was a victory, even if it could have been a catastrophic failure.

@sayaadoftheforest for mentions

[blogging-phelddagrif]

EDH Deck Tech: Kess Storm

[you can see every deck tech here]

Hello & welcome to this weekly deck tech! This week it’s time for some EDH action. I’ve had to think long & hard as to which deck to talk about today since I have a few EDH decks on queue, but I decided to go with this one, even though it’s supposed to be further down the list, I’m just too excited about the deck and it can’t wait. So I’ve got a very special & very explosive deck for you this week: Kess Storm.

This is one of my favourite decks I’ve brewed for EDH, maybe second behind the Gitrog Monster, but the deck is SUPER fun to play, it’s very competitive, and even more explosive. This deck can be pretty pricey though, the version I’ve built to playtest sits at around 1500$, so yeah it might not be a deck you just want to buy into, but if you’re a Legacy player you probably already own most of the expensive cards which happen to be Legacy staples, so if that’s the case the deck is pretty easy to build. In any case, let’s get right into it!

The Win Condition

Let’s start with the end game, the deck is called Kess Storm, so it’s pretty obvious the deck is a Storm deck. The whole goal of the game is to storm off during a single turn and kill all your opponents. It might sound hard since you might have multiple opponents with like 40 life each, but between Tendrils of Agony & Grapeshot, it’s doable, though you need to know the deck, know when to go off and really practice it A LOT so that you don’t make any mistakes. Every spell counts, the order of the spells count as well, it’s really easy to mess up and end up fizzling or being a few points of damage short and then lose. If you want to play a Storm deck, you need to practice, practice, practice. It’s a deck that is hard to pick up, but so much fun when you get comfortable with it. In any case, the goal is to cast a metric ton of spells and then finish your opponents with a Tendrils of Agony and/or Grapeshot; we’ll see how you can cast that many spells with the rest of the deck tech.

Secondary Win Condition

You got a couple of other ways you can win, like if one of your opponent has hexproof for example. Having cards that do things when you cast a spell is really good in here since they don’t require any action, just do whatever you’re doing and they’ll win the game on their own. I’d recommend just playing Young Pyromancer & Guttersnipe, they should be enough, but if you want to diversify a bit more it’s up to you really, just don’t dilute the rest of the deck too much because it’s finely tuned.

Go Off I Guess

This card is just plain RIDICULOUS there is no other way to describe it. In general it can be a solid card in EDH, but in this deck it’s completely insane. Imagine, you’re up to like 10 storm count, you cast this you get to cast on average 6 free spells (if we say that 30% of the deck is lands), bringing your storm count up by 6 for your next spells AND getting SIX SPELLS FOR FREE. This card is one of the MASSIVE enablers for your combo, as a general rule, if you can resolve this, you’ll be able to go off that turn and kill all your opponents. It doesn’t really matter what spells you hit with it, as long as like 50% of them aren’t lands, you almost certainly won the game. It’s so so soooooo good!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Speaking of ways to go off, this kind of effect is another massive enabler. Imagine the last scenario, you decide to go off, you cast 10 spells, resolve a Mind’s Desire, cast another 6 spells off of it for free, now your storm count is up to 17, you cast a Past in Flames, recast those 17 spells, you now have a storm count of 35, including ANOTHER Mind’s Desire that will hit another around 20 spells, bringing you storm count to around 55 in a single turn. Now you might think that scenario is unlikely, but it’s very easy to achieve with the deck, trust me, as long as you know how to navigate the deck you can constantly get this situation on turn 5 or 6. I’m telling you this deck can be VERY strong. You’ll want to play cards like Yawgmoth’s Will, Past in Flames, Mizzix’s Mastery & Snapcaster Mage; you commander also serves a similar purpose, which is really hopefully.

Going in DEEP

Now the deck is very reliant on finding the pieces of the combo, so like 80% of the deck is ways to find the cards you need. You have a few cards that can dig really deep into your library like Ad Nauseum & Lim-Dul’s Vault, even cards like Windfall can be useful, but they tend to cost a bit too much mana. Ad Nauseum though is insanely good since you can just keep digging on & on until you’re barely deck (depending on the situation I’d stop at around 8 life, giving you a bit of slack if any cards you need to cast would cost life) and since most of the deck costs 1 or 2 mana, you’re able to dig really really deep into the deck. If you’re feeling spicy you can even play a Platinum Angel so that you can draw your entire deck, being at negative life points, but it doesn’t matter since you can just win the game on that turn, just be careful of removal spells (I personally wouldn’t play Platinum Angel, but I can see the appeal of it). Oh, Necropotence is also amazing in this deck, but in the right scenarios, not all the time since the discard into exile clause can bite you in the ass, just be careful of when to play it.

Not too Deep

Cards that dig really deep are usually expensive mana wise and you want to do most of your set-up during the first few turns of the game, so you want cheap cards, cantrips, etc. So the deck is FILLED with cheap draw spells, stuff like Brainstorm, Fact or Fiction, Frantic Search, Impulse, Izzet Charm, Opt, Faithless Looting, Gitaxian Probe, Ponder, Portent, Preordain, Serum Visions & Sleight of Hand. With those you’ll have enough card draw to find what you need during the early turns of the game, setting up your turn 5-6 win. (there are scenarios where you can win really earlier than that, but they are rare).

Knowing What You Want

When you don’t have time to waste digging for your cards, you might as well just go grab it directly. The deck plays a good number of tutors to really ease your plans. You can go get any combo piece you need, whenever you need them. So cards like Intuition, Mystical Tutor, Vampiric Tutor, Dark Petition, Demonic Tutor, Gamble & Infernal Tutor (you’ll want to get hellbent anyways). These tutors are really important since the deck, even while being a combo deck, is very reactive. There are some cases where you’ll want specific cards, sometimes you might even tutor a mana rock, or another tutor to up your storm count. I can’t stress enough how much practice this deck requires, because it’s not as simple as “I tutor my Tendrils of Agony” there is a lot of complexity and a LOT of things to think about for every action you take. From playtesting I can assure you that in 90% of the cases you’re not even tutoring your combo pieces; it’s a very situational deck.

Cost Reducers

These cards are really important to the deck since they end up reducing the mana you spend by a crazy amount. Just think if you cast 10 spells at 2cmc, with just 1 of these you end up saving 10 mana in a single turn, that’s another 10 2cmc spells you can cast now! They are an integral part of the deck and you just need 1 on the battlefield, but they are sooo important. I’m talking about cards like Baral Chief of Compliance, Goblin Electromancer, Nightscape Familiar, Primal Amulet (which can flip into a land that COPIES A SPELL when you use its mana to cast something, this can be game-winning) and Jace’s Sanctum. Those cards usually guarantee you can go off so protect them at all cost.

Acceleration

The deck wants to play A LOOOOOOT of spells, so naturally you need a lot of mana to do so. We saw the cost reducers, but the deck also plays mana acceleration in two ways, the first are mana rocks like Chrome Mox, Dimir Signet, Izzet Signet, Rakdos Signet, Lion’s Eye Diamond, Lotus Petal, Mana Crypt, Mox Diamond, Sol Ring, Talisman of Dominance & Talisman of Indulgence (also Skirge Familiar & Simian Spirit Guide which aren’t really a mana rock but whatever). Those mana rock are great set-ups for your early turn, just accelerating of waiting to enable your combo. Some of them can count towards your storm count like the petal or lion’s eye, and can even be brought back with your Yawgmoth’s Will, but in general they will serve as a pre-combo set-up.

NEED MORE MANA

The other part of the ramp are rituals, which are THE MOST IMPORTANT part of the deck, those spells bring up your storm count, all while providing you mana for that turn so you can cast all your cantrips, storm spells, Past in Flames, etc. You’ll want to play cards like Cabal Ritual, Culling the Weak, Dark Ritual, Desperate Ritual, Pyretic Ritual, Seething Song, Infernal Plunge & Rite of Flame. If you’re able to cast a few of these and have a way of casting cards from your graveyard that turn, you’ll end up with PLENTY of mana to do whatever you want to do. This is where the big interaction with your graveyard takes place when you’ll want to maximize the amount of mana you can produce in a single turn, this is also where people will tend to make mistakes when they don’t know the deck too well, because the colour of mana is also important, make sure you keep track of that!

Protecting Yourself

It’s no surprise that if you’re playing a combo deck, that plays blue, you’ll want to run counterspells. You only really need one in your hand when you go off, just to be safe. The best options are Daze, Force of Will, Mana Drain, Foil, Misdirection, Thwart & Pact of Negation. You want counterspells that are essentially free since when you need them it’ll be the turn you’re going off and you won’t care about the drawback (returning lands to your hand) because there won’t be a future turn, this will be the last turn of the game. Mana Drain is more of a precaution where you can counter a big spell on turn 4-5 (before your turn) and then you have an extra 5 mana to go off, but yeah.

Wrap-Up

That’s it, we’ve covered the deck! I hope you guys enjoyed this deck tech as much as I did, because I really did. This deck probably comes second as the most fun I’ve had playtesting an EDH deck! It’s a lot of fun and it requires constant thinking and adjustment, you have to get to know the deck in-&-out to tutor the right things, know when to go off, when to wait, etc. it takes some practice, but when you get comfortable with it, it’s really rewarding and so much fun. If I missed anything please let me know! I’ll see you guys next week for a Standard deck tech.

[tipsycad147]

Maximón

By shirleytwofeathers

Titles: The Old Man; The Uncle

Also known as: Maam; Don Pedro; Saint Simon; Brother Simon; Brother Peter

Pronounced: Mah-shee-mon

Origin: Maya

Maximón is a master shape shifter, reconciling religious traditions and offering guidance to indigenous Mayans who venerate him in Guatemala. He is also a heavy drinker and smoker.

Maximón, also known as San Simón, is an important Mayan folk saint in Guatemala represented by a dressed up wooden effigy sitting on a chair who, unlike other saints, smokes cigars and drinks alcohol. Today Maximón is actively worshiped as part of what we could refer to as “folk Catholicism“, especially in the highlands of Guatemala.

His visitors travel from near and far to come see him and ask for protection, money, to be cured or even find a husband. Maximón receives everyone – men and women, villagers and urban dwellers, prostitutes and entrepreneurs – who come with many offerings including tobacco, liquor, money and tortillas (his favourites).

Christian missionaries who came to Guatemala to convert the local people encountered the primordial Mayan deity Maam, Lord of the Universe. Attempts to syncretize him to Saint Simon backfired. Instead of the Mayan god fading discreetly into the identity of the saint, Maximón, as he became known, took on a whole new life and personality of his own: defiant, rambunctious, anti-social. The Church then attempted to syncretise him with Judas Iscariot or even Satan, but it was too late. All they did was enhance Maximón’s outlaw image and make his devotees love and admire him even more.

Maximón’s appearance varies greatly by location. While he’s popularly depicted as a man in a suit and hat, this isn’t a constant. In Santiago Atitlán, he wears colourful garlands and scarves, while in Zunil, he wears sunglasses and a bandanna.

Although his wardrobe has been updated and modernised, Maximón is an ancient, primordial spirit. He has survived numerous attempts to suppress his veneration and is now more popular than ever, venerated throughout the Americas and Europe.

He is generally benevolent, associated with healing, prosperity, and protection. In Guatemala, Maximón is traditionally invoked for protection for or from anti-government forces. Nothing is beyond his assistance or outside his jurisdiction. Maximón is said to represent both light and dark, and to be a trickster. He is both a womaniser and a protector of couples. Be wary.

Maximón is a crossroads spirit. He mediates between the living and the dead, people and spirits. He serves as a bridge between malevolent and benevolent spirits. Maximón is an extremely responsive spirit who works for comparatively modest offerings.

He makes people’s dreams come true. He challenges believers. He heals. He helps overcome obstacles. He stands against injustice. He dances the night away. He brings wealth and success. Fertility and prosperity. He wins the heart of women and protects from infidelity. In fact, he is the lord of sexuality standing for all unresolved matters of a moral nature.

Legend says that one day he was caught sleeping with the wives of the village men who had supposedly gone to work. Furious, they cut his legs and arms off. So Maximón also makes mistakes, which makes it easier for people to relate to him. Sometimes when he brings justice to a person, it is even at the expense of another. Thus, he sits at a crossroads between being both a deity and a trickster, a friend and a fiend.

Maximón may indicate his presence via the smell of cigar smoke when no cigars are present. He visits in dreams.

Spells, Rituals and Operations:

Maximón is invoked in numerous magickal spells, rituals, and operations.

Protection of your business

Place his image in your shop or store to stimulate better business and for luck, money, and protection. Maximón foils and/or punishes shop-lifters and thieves

Abusive people or situations.

If someone abuses you, whisper your needs directly into the ear of Maximón’s image. Place the person’s photo under Maximón’s left foot, or write a note and place it there.

Requests for love.

Coil a rope around his image (even around his neck!) to show him that you need his help capturing someone’s heart or alternatively, for hobbling competing suitors. Whisper in his ear to tell him what you need.

Marital issues.

Wrap a rope around his image to keep your spouse from running off with another.

Maximón is invoked to heal addictions.

He will accept request on behalf of others, especially addicts. He may be invoked on behalf of someone else who cannot or will not ask him themselves. It is not necessary to tell the person that you have requested Maximón’s blessings on their behalf. The deal is between you and Maximón. Make offerings and tell him what the other person needs. However, even if the other person reaps the blessings, Maximón is doing YOU the favour; YOU must fulfil any vows or promises made.

Colours and Candles

An elaborate colour scheme is used to communicate with Maximón. Those who are experienced candle-burners may choose to retain their own candle colour associations, but the following colour chart is commonly used to communicate desires and petitions to Maximón. Burn the colour candle that closest represents your needs:

Black: Protection from envy, jealousy, enemies, and the deliberately cast Evil Eye

Blue: For good luck, employment

Brown: Protection from resentment and the accidentally cast Evil Eye

Green: Business, prosperity, cash

Light Blue: Cash, travel, education, and happiness

Pink: Hope, health

Red: Love, fidelity

White: Protection of children

Yellow: Protection for adults

Offerings:

Hats, silk scarves, flowers (he likes bougainvilleas, carnations, and gladioli), fruit, tobacco products especially cigars, copal incense, water, Coca-Cola, tequila, aguardiente. An elaborate offering when you really need a big favour or as a fulfilment of a vow is forty candles plus copal incense.

Images:

The oldest images of Maximón consisted of masks and mysterious wrapped bundles. However a modern votive image has also evolved possibly based on the only known existing photograph of shaman, wizard, and Maximón devotee Francisco Sojuel (died circa 1907), credited with crafting the first modern Maximón mask. This image depicts Maximón as a moustached man wearing a black suit and a Stetson or similar hat. He is usually, but not exclusively, depicted sitting.

The modern image closest to his ancient one consists of a bundle of fabric topped with one or more Stetson hats.

The name Maximón is often interpreted as deriving from Maam and Simon. Another theory suggests that it derives from Maam and ximon, a Mayan word that may refer to a bundle or the act of “tying up,” essentially creating a bundle. The use of bundles as sacred objects is not uncommon in indigenous American spiritual and magickal traditions.

Votive images range from pocket-size to life-size. The mouth of his statue may be open so a real cigar may be inserted.

Alternatively, the statue may be designed so that the cigar can be placed in his hand. Ashes and stubs from offerings are collected and preserved. Placed in a small charm bag they serve as amulets, allegedly bringing good luck. Sometimes tubes are inserted into statues so Maximón can actually “drink.” Liquor passing through his system is then reserved for ritual use.

Maximón often accumulates an extensive wardrobe. He is a fastidious spirit whose clothes must be kept clean. The rinse water used when hand-washing his clothes may be preserved as Holy Water, or magickally charged water. It is said to have magickal and healing powers.

Festivals and Sacred Sites:

Guatemalan festivals dedicated to Maximón coincide with Holy Week, culminating on Good Friday.

One of the aspects of Maximón is that he can appear in any form. During Easter week he takes on the form of Judas Iscariot, who in betraying Jesus became the catalyst who put into action the events ended in the crucifixion of Jesus. Judas (Maximón) then hangs himself.

What has sometimes been described as a lynching in Guatemala, is actually a Easter Week re-enactment of the crucifixion where the hanged man is Maximón in his guise as Judas Iscariot. The Tz’utuhil Maya workers on the fincas [plantations] on the coastal side of the Volcano Atitlán have brought their customs with them from the highlands in Santiago Atitlan.

Maximón is the subject of innumerable home shrines, but his major public shrine is in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.

In Santiago Atitlán, Maximón’s effigy resides in a different household every year. His image is normally only taken out of this house during Holy Week, where after it will change households, but is on display year-round due the popularity of pilgrimages. The effigy of Maximón in Santiago stays with one of five families, who are members of a religious brotherhood looking after the saint. He stays there for an entire year, and is moved during the procession of Holy Week.

Maximón lives in a room within the family home, and he is accompanied by two chosen family members at all times. Yep, you read that right: at all times…for a year. The chosen two won’t work for a year; guarding Maximón and spending time with him is their full-time job for 365 days. They stay by the altar year-round, drinking and smoking alongside it.

But that’s not all. These guys are also there to pass on offerings from visitors to the effigy, which are usually in the form of cigarettes, cigars, money, tobacco, and moonshine. Visitors can then ask for good health, good crops or marriage counsel. The two guardians usually put on one of Maximón’s two cowboy hats and speak to him in a local dialect.

It looked like they were having a casual chat, the guardian resting his arm on Maximón’s shoulder in a brotherly way, stopping his speech every once in a while, as if listening for Maximón’s reply, or simply to tip the ash off his cigarette.

If you want to share a drink with Maximón, you can do that too. He likes the local ‘Quetzalteco’ and his guardians will pour it through Maximón’s mouth. Because he’s hollow, the liquid flows through him and out between his leather boots. It’s then caught in a glass and drunk by the guardians or other family members who happen to be passing through. Like some kind of spiritual keg you can tap. This means the guardians are always drunk, or at least sleeping off a big drink. All the time.

In the town of San Andrés Itzapa, there is a large temple to Maximón. Here, offerings such as corn, flowers, and candles are burned in public by Shamans for the deity. Pilgrims travel to this temple from all across Latin America.

Maximón is more than just a saint. He represents the resilience of Mayan people in the light of their struggles against oppression, a symbol of hope and transformation.

Myths and Legends:

According to some legends, Maximón was an elder who reincarnated to protect his people. During the Spanish Conquest, an elder named Ri Laj Mam, upset by the evils of the Spaniards, encouraged his people to start a rebellion. He was eventually executed, but returned to life in the form of a judge named Don Ximon, who fought to give land back to the native people of Guatemala.

Another legend states that Maximón was hired by travelling fishermen to protect the virtue of their wives. Instead, Maximón disguised himself and slept with all of them.

In Santiago Atitlán, an alternative tale says that Maximón was never a man, but a wooden figure created by Shamans to defend the village from witches. However, Maximón used trickery to harm the people of the village, so the Shamans twisted his head around and broke his legs to stop him. He then did his job properly and protected the people of the town from evil.

Sources:

The Encyclopedia of Spirits

Wikipedia

Lifegate

https://shirleytwofeathers.com/The_Blog/powers-that-be/maximon/

[miss-tina-susanne]

Double-edged

Athenais fixes Chuen with a steady, if a little sad, smile. "So," She exhales, a little dully, as if resigned. "You love me."

"You know," Chuen says with a twist of his lips. "I thought you'd be far more excited."

Second Floor Bedroom

  A chaotic mess of books piled high spans out across the second floor of this petite abode, littering floors, tables, and chairs alike in the manner of a maze without form nor efficient pathing. Dark wood floors and rust-red walls sit hidden beneath the clutter, warm, and yet stifling. For all intents and purposes, the space appears to be the home's designated bedroom, a detail affirmed by the heavy double bed pushed right up against the northern wall; covered in rumpled bedding and at least eight large pillows, the bed is well-used, tens of unraveled, messy scrolls scattered across mismatched bedside tables alongside a huge tin mug of dark, tar-like coffee and a single half-empty tumbler of strong bourbon. A chest-of-drawers occupies the southern wall beside a soot-stained fireplace, while an accompanying standing mirror is relegated to a dark corner, covered in a pallid, ghostlike shroud. While wrought iron candle stands give light at night, a singular window in the western wall provides a view of the streets below. A thousand delicate crystals hang from the rafters above: uneven slivers of amber, fire agate, malachite, obsidian, and selenite in various sizes swirl gently in the wind, chiming softly as they clink off one another to play a haunting, and yet soothing melody reminiscent of bells in faraway monasteries.

  Obvious exits: down, up and east.

Chuen and a spirit totem Dragon follow you.

Chuen eyes the bed warily.

Athenais instantly unravels her spell, all the illusions dissipating in an instance. Panting softly, she leans against the chest of drawers, seemingly drained. "Sorry, I cleaned it out," She glances back after a while, slightly pale. "Sorry. I think I might have overexerted myself a bit. Don't worry."

Chuen's visage immediately loses its playful demeanor as he flows forward and enfolds you within his embrace. Tugging you to his chest, the man's hands rest splayed across your back. "Are you alright, Darling?"

Athenais starts to tug off her various items of clothing, shivering a bit as she waves her hands, leaning into Chuen thereafter. "Sorry," She repeats, eyes a bit glazed despite the smile that curls her lips. "I'm okay, I promise. My magic is limited, you know. I think I exerted too much force today getting all that pee off, and then upholding the enchantment. I'm okay, really."

Chuen shakes his head. "You should have just told me, Darling. I could have cleaned it up for you." He peers at you sternly. "If you need help, just ask." The man then leads you to the clean bed and gives you a gentle nudge to sprawl you out atop it.

Athenais winces a bit as she hobbles over, laughing softly once she has settled down and curled up under the blankets. "Aidoneus is my responsibility. My curse, my mistake. So I guess, by that logic, his piss is also my problem." She reaches up to stroke Chuen’s cheek gently, fingers trembling a bit, though she is evidently at peace at present. "I'm sorry. I'm a little bit much to deal with. You can go hunt, though? I get like this a lot, and it's nothing some sleep doesn't fix."

Chuen shakes his head, casting his gaze towards the nearby window where the siamese may be waiting in ambush. "It's fine, Darling. I will sit here with you." So saying, he scoots up onto the bed, gently tugs you to him so that your head lies pillowed in his lap, takes your hand with one of his, and uses his free hand to stroke your hair in what he imagines to be a soothing manner. His gaze, when looking down at you, is filled with equal parts concern, adoration, and the desire to protect.

Athenais gazes up at Chuen, her expression softening a touch as she licks her lips, wetting them a bit. "You don't have to protect me, you know." She snuggles in closer, getting comfortable on his lap despite lingering traces of uncertainty, as if she were not entirely used to being so cordial and cuddly. "I want you to live as you would. Don't make me your loadstone."

Chuen waves dismissively with the hand still wrapped in yours, accidentally pulling your hand about willynilly. "Oooops," he mutters. "And I'm not protecting you. Just... making sure that you stick around. If I'm to have a truce with you forever, I need to ensure that you do not over exert yourself unduely."

Athenais chuckles tiredly, shutting her eyes and inhaling deeply as she turns her face, burying it into Chuen’s abdomen. "You're playing with fire, Riftwalker." She sighs yet again, before turning her gaze upwards, the gold and amber shimmering for a moment. "I should tell you not to love me," She admits softly. "You deserve someone whole. Someone good for you, someone who doesn't need to be held or protected."

Chuen's hand tightens for a touch on yours in a silent attempt at reassurance. "And yet," he continues, "I do. If flames are my fate, if to be broken is to be the design that the Cosmos has for me, I'll take it. It led me to you, after all." One shoulder lifts in a muted shrug as the shaman seems to fight within himself. Finally, he speaks. "Perhaps it is too soon - who knows if one must wait 8 months, 2 weeks, 3 days, 4 hours, and 13 minutes when 'I love you' is in the cards, but damn it, Woman. I do. I am so utterly and completely besotted with you, so utterly in love, so magnetically bound to you, so soon, so fast. I don't care if you believe yourself to be broken, fragile, and scarred - I just want you, and only you, from now 'til either the ice within me quenches the flame within you, or 'til the fires of your fate turn me to ash. I don't care. I just want you."

Athenais stares at Chuen for a good long moment, gaze unwavering, chest unmoving. For these few seconds, it appears almost as if the woman herself had ceased to be, her spirit perhaps taken upwards into the crystals that sing overhead - yet that moment passes, and she regains her mental faculties, blinking a few times as if to clear something from her eyes. Brows furrowed, she raises the hand upon his cheek, giving an idle wave that causes a few of the crystals to sway a touch more, the pendulums heavy as one might expect of fate. "I always thought it would be easy to die," She whispers faintly, eyes affixed above. "As long as I did not love, and as long as I were not loved. You weren't supposed to." Her gaze returns to meet his own, chest swelling as she takes a deep breath. "But I guess we're both," A pause follows, in which she whispers the word again. "Both, too far gone. Something has shifted in the crystals, that I don't understand yet. Whatever it is, will you let me protect you too?"

Chuen's eyes are drawn upwards towards the overhead crystals before being pulled, almost magnetically so, back to your visage. "It's a two-way street. If I need protecting, I have no doubts that you will be there." His head shakes a little, a myriad of expressions flittering over his face. "Didn't think I'd become so snared this swiftly. The way things pan out is odd, yet I'm not complaining."

Athenais studies Chuen’s visage with something like a pained frown upon her own face, her fingertips returning to stroke his stubbled jaw. "I didn't want to snare you," She admits softly. "I thought of pushing you away, but the other part of me begged for you to stay. Once, I thought ----- would be the person I brought down into hellfire with me, for having given him my heart." Her expression hardens a hint, the bitterness in her voice stark as she barely gets out the words. "I wish it were he, and not you that I loved. I would die happily, knowing you were safe."

Chuen gives your cheek a little pinch. "I certainly am glad that isn't the case." His eyes are playful as he continues to rove you with his gaze. "I'm a big boy. Promise. I can handle whatever comes."

Athenais takes several deep, queeling breaths, wincing a bit, before finally seeming to calm, as if having consciously forced back the bitter bile in her throat. "The irony," She laughs faintly then, her grip of Chuen’s hand tightening. "While ----- are out there thinking you and I are using each other for sex, the truth is much less exciting."

Chuen says, "Ahh, -----, if only ----- weren't such a dumb bitch. I'd feel far more sorry. Alas."

Athenais fixes Chuen with a steady, if a little sad, smile. "So," She exhales, a little dully, as if resigned. "You love me."

"You know," Chuen says with a twist of his lips. "I thought you'd be far more excited."

Athenais quirks a lip. Her fingers move to touch Chuen’s lips, gently brushing the tender flesh as she seems to be memorizing the bow and curl of them. "Love has always been a double-edged sword for me. Yours is the one I will impale myself upon, I suppose." She pauses then, seemingly regaining some of her wits. "Do NOT make an impaling-yourself-on-my-cock joke."

Chuen laughs quietly and shakes his head. "I was going to say something like: well I'm just glad I am the sword of guy whom garnered your attention."

Athenais lets out a sleepy laugh, this time fully burying her face in the fabric of Chuen’s clothes. "Don't you daggered all punny on me, when I'm trying to be romantic here."

Chuen continues to stroke your hair, soothing you into what he hopes is a calmer state of being. "Sharing puns is my love language. I'm glad you mainly find them hilt-larious."

Athenais nods just once, evidently starting to fade. The essence of her in your mind, swirling a deep purple at present, softens into a dark slate, dormant, yet always there - always present, always Chuen’s. Before him, her corporeal self murmurs softly, "You're absolutely blade-ing with punny charm, my heart." A few short breaths follow, and then the woman is asleep, lulled, as it were, into a state of rest - certainly a success for today, at the very least.

Chuen continues to stroke his fingers along your hair as his senses press outwards. His gaze meets Layth's, and a silent communication seems to pass between the two.

Spirit totem Dragon shifts his weight and rears his reptilian head up, silvered moonlit orbs meeting Chuen's.

A quiet thrum of energy is heard - though barely - as the shaman and his totem meet gazes: dark and silver, round and slit-pupiled. That energy, while invisible, sings out from the two as their wills begin to flex and bow against one another and, in the manner in which an item might swell when air is pushed suddenly into it, the sound deepens and grows as it rolls throughout the chamber. Like the bassal beating of drums, pure notes seem to mix and twine amongst that bedrock-deep tone, the music, for that is what has been created, seeming to be more psychik than truly dwelling in the physical realm. Those pristine notes of power resonate, playing quiet melodies of soothing peace, of protective wards, of a defense so sound and secure that only the truly vast of intellect and willpower might break through. "Rest." The word is spoken in unison from both shaman and totem, and as the music begins to fade, amethyst energies circulate about the building in a shroud of protection that was literally given birth and meaning by the combined wills of two beings whom dwell so intimately within the matricies of the Cosmos: Chuen and Layth.

As the shroud vanishes into an invisible, yet present source of protection, Chuen leans back against the wall, breath a touch uneven from the mighty effort. His hands, having never ceased their motions over your hair, continue their soft dance, even as his eyes close, even as sleep quickly comes upon wings of midnight to sweep him away.

[phynxrizng]

COLOR AND CANDLE MAGICK

Color and Candle Magic

Every color has corresponding magical significance, each color possessing a unique vibration, attribute, symbolism, and influence.

RED: Fire, strength, health, vigour, courage, energy, vibrancy, driving force Survival, will power, career goals, fast action, attracts and magnetises Lust, passion, sexual love, physical desire Danger, enemies, war. It is the color that represents the South quarter element of fire.

PINK: Healing, healing emotions, spiritual healing, femininity, banishing hatred Unselfish emotions, honour, service, compassion, caring, nurturing, peace, morality Romance, emotional love, family, friendship, affections

ORANGE: Encouragement, adaptability, stimulation, vitality, energy, stamina, mental agility Attraction, kindness, encourages fun, luck, fortune Prosperity, plenty, success, business, career, ambition Justice, legal matters, selling, taking action

YELLOW: Air, The Sun, activity, creativity, imagination, visualisation, unity Knowledge, learning, concentration, confidence, insight, knowledge of healing, memory retention Persuasion, charm, eloquence, comfort, joy, travel Alters dark mental mood swings, breaking mental blocks, selling yourself. It is the color that represents the East quarter element of air.

GREEN: Earth, fertility, growth, rejuvenation, herbal healing, physical healing, tree and plant magic Employment, ambition, personal goals, prosperity, success, finances, luck, charity, harmony Counteract greed and jealousy. It is the color that represents the North quarter element of earth.

BLUE: Tranquillity, peace, calm, patience, understanding, reassurance, guidance Spirituality, devotion, Inner Light, inspiration, wisdom, creativity Sincerity, honour, loyalty, truth, health, cleansing, emotions, harmony Psychic work, meditations, astral projection, prophetic dreams, protection during sleep. It is the color that represents the West quarter element of water.

MAGENTA: Use where immediate action and high levels of power or spiritual healing are needed

GREY: Balance, neutrality, erasing, cancelling, neutralising, confusion

COPPER: Passion, money goals, professional growth, fertility in business, career manoeuvres

PURPLE: Amplification of other energies, power, success, idealism, independence, ambition Wisdom, high ideals, recognition, piety, sanctity, sentimentality Psychic ability, protective energy, psychic manifestations, Third eye, meditation, astral projection Male energy, spiritual protection and healing, tension, sadness.

BROWN: Earth Influence, grounding, concentration, telepathy, eliminates indecisiveness Stability, attune with trees, protection of familiars, pets, and animals Locate lost objects, hesitation, protection, special favours, friendship, material increase BLACK: deep levels of the unconscious, deep meditation, protection, to get rid of nasty habits Negation, banishing evil or negativity, repelling, binding, loss, discord, confusion, shape shifting. Black is also one of the traditional colors of the Samhain sabbat and the Goddess in Her Crone aspect.

WHITE: You should always burn a white candle with spells to ensure the purity of the Spirit. White may be used for any other colour, spirituality, sincerity, virginity Spiritual enlightenment, truth seeking, build purity, spiritual strength, contact spirit helpers, balance the aura, healing, peace, cleansing, defensive magic, and physical energy, the Goddess, higher self, consecration, meditation, divination, exorcism, the full moon, clairvoyance

SILVER: The Mother Goddess, the moon, purity, values, female energy, treasure The unconscious mind, helps develop psychic abilities, astral energies Psychometry, clairvoyance, telepathy, intuition, dreams Removes negativity, encourages stability, communication

GOLD: The Father God, the sun, cosmic influences, male energy, conscious mind, intelligence Attracting happiness, activity, heal and rejuvenate, wealth, financial wisdom, winning

Source,

©1998-2009 WiccanOne.com (some information taken from Practical Candleburning Rituals ~ Raymond Buckland, 1970)  

CANDLE MAGIC

One of the easiest of the natural magic arts is candle burning. It is simple because it employs little ritual and few ceremonial artifacts. The items nescessary for candle magic can be purchased at any department store and the rituals can be practiced in any room. Most of us have performed our first candle magic as children. Blowing out the candles on our birthday cake and making a wish is magic. This custom is based on the three magical principals of concentration, will power and visualization. The child who wants his wish to come true has to concentrate (blow out the candles), visualize the end result (make a wish) and hope that it will come true (will power). The size and shape of the candles you use is not important. However, highly decorative, extra large, or unusually shaped candles may cause distractions and an inability to concentrate on the work at hand. Most prefer to use candles of standard or uniform size. Candles sold in different colors for domestic use are ideal. The candles should be previously unused. The reason for this being, vibrations picked up by secondhand materials or equipment may disturb your magical workings and negate their effectiveness. Some prefer to make their own candles for ritual and magical use. This is practical, because not only does it bestow upon the candle your own personal vibrations, the mere act of making your own candle is magically potent. Candle wax and molds, together with wicks, perfumes, and other equipment; can be purchased at some department stores. The wax is heated until liquid and then poured into the mold through which a suitably sized wick has already been threaded. The wax is then left to cool and the mold is removed, leaving a perfectly formed candle. Special oil-soluble dyes and perfumes can be added to the wax before the cooling process is complete to provide suitable colors and scents for a particular magical ritual. Stores, which sell candle-making supplies, may also provide do-it-yourself books explaining candle making to the beginner. Once you have purchased or made your ritual candle it has to be oiled or 'dressed' before burning. Dressing the candle establishes a psychic link between you and the candle through a sensory experience. By physically touching the candle during the dressing procedure, you are charging it with our own personal vibrations and also concentrating the desire of your magical act into the wax. The candle becomes an extension of your mental power and life energy. When you dress a candle for magical use, imagine that it is a psychic magnet containing both a North and a South Pole. Rub the oil into the candle beginning at the top and work downward to the halfway point. Always brush in the same direction downward. This process is then repeated by beginning at the bottom and working up to the middle. The best type of oils to use for dressing candles is natural. Some occult suppliers will provide candle magic oils with exotic names. If you do not wish to use these, you can select oils or perfumes from your own sources. Virgin Olive Oil is suitable for this purpose. Oil soluble perfumes, sold by craft shops for scenting candles, may also be used. The candles you use can be chosen in accordance with the magical properties of color. The simplest form of candle magic is to write down the object of your working on an unused piece of paper. You can use colored paper, which matches the candle. Write your petition on the paper, and as you write down what you want to accomplish through candle magic-- a new job, healing for a friend, a change of residence, a new love affair, etc.-- visualize your it coming true. Visualize the circumstances under which you might be offered a new job, imagine your employer telling you that your salary has been increased or conjure up a vision of your perfect love partner. When you have completed this, carefully fold up the paper in a deliberately slow fashion. Place the end of the folded paper in the candle flame and set light to it. As you do this concentrate once more on what you desire. When you have completed your ritual, allow the candle to have completely burned away. You do not need to stay with the candle after the ritual, but make sure that is in a safe, heat resistant holder where the hot wax will not cause damage or fire. Never re-use a candle, which has been lit in any magical ritual. It should only be used in that ritual and then allowed to burn away or returned to the Earth (buried) afterwards. If you are conducting a magical ritual, which involves two people (such as a healing for a person some distance away), then the second person can be symbolically represented during the ritual by another candle. All you need to do is find out the subject's birth date and burn the appropriate candle for that zodiacal sign. These are as follows:

ARIES RED TAURUS GREEN GEMINI YELLOW CANCER SILVER LEO ORANGE VIRGO YELLOW LIBRA PINK SCORPIO RED SAGITTARIUS PURPLE CAPRICORN BLACK AQUARIUS ALL COLORS PISCES MAUVE Numerology Colour Associations

1=Red

2=Orange

3=Yellow

4=Green

5=Blue

6=Indigo

7=Violet

8=Rose

9=Gold 

POSTED BY, PHYNXRIZNG

[alexandraburton-x]

@zachwinthrop

       his eyes diminished to taut lines. his heart jolted to and fro, gaily as it went, but something much darker encumbered her chest and he was beginning to see its gloom eclipse her auric rondures. the ample innards of his cheeks clamped between rows of argent pearls, urging dregs of champagne to ooze from the skin, urging the pain to alert the receptors in his brain. anxieties arose that perhaps the games they were playing were not the same, and once they collided, it could be devastating. he needed to be S H A R P E R. for an inane moment, he desired nothing more than to reach out and touch her. feel the pulse throbbing beneath unsullied flesh and align his to match.        zach’s attention became diverted among the arising of a challenge from a competitor he could crush in an instant, should he need to. he almost pitied him. zach’s spine erected slowly, eyes connecting with asher’s. ❝ that is a good question, asher, ❞ he mocked, with all the innocence of a child playing upon his smile. alex continued to eject barbed falsities hoping that one of the thorns would puncture his sorry heart, but he was too occupied with trying to deduct her mindset to feel the sting. she deserted the threesome, and two pairs of eyes colossal with anticipation settled upon him. at this point, he had almost omitted faith’s presence from his precinct entirely.       ❝ to be honest with you, asher, i wanted to F U C K her so badly that it was all i could think about for weeks. but she wasn’t having it, you know? like you said, ❞ his eyes widened mockingly, ❝ complicated, isn’t she? but eventually she caved, just like she did for you, and the rest is history. in alex’s words, that was practically a lifetime ago. but this is now. did you ever stop to wonder why she’s never mentioned me? ❞ zach stands, approaches asher, then bends to his knees until they’re eye-level with one another. he wasn’t sure his risk would pay-off, but he took it, because he couldn’t live his life wondering what the look on his face would be if he didn’t. his voice lowers to a whisper that only asher can hear. ❝ did you ever wonder what that tattoo on her hip was? Z-J-W. that’s all me, asher. ❞ he tilts his head in the direction she fled. ❝ everything you curl up at night with, everything you play happy families with, that’s all ME. and i swear to you, you don’t know the half of it. if you think i’m a handful, she’s the weight of the fucking world and it’s about to come crashing down and break your fucking shoulders. ❞       he stands and turns to the two of them like a famously esteemed host, grinning bashfully. ❝ well! you both heard the lady. if she comes back to a champagne-less table, it’s all of our necks on the line. and a promise is a promise. ❞ he pivots away and saunters to the bar, positioning himself just right to catch her as she exits the restroom. he orders a fresh bottle of ❝ whatever the fuck the little brunette ordered earlier, please, ❞ and caught her by the hook of the arm as she emerged through the doorway. ❝ hi, gorgeous. what’s with the attitude? i thought we were f r i e n d s now, ❞ he utters playfully into the shell of her ear. and as if the gods themselves were watching over him, the opening notes of hotel californiabegan to ring through the lounge speakers. he suddenly becameINFECTED. he waltzes her toward the booth, spinning her body beneath his raised arm in a twisted dance, displaying her to asher and faith as though they were four close companions sharing a laugh, singing to the group, a private zach winthrop show attracting the eyes of other guests. ❝ baby, it’s ourS O N G ! ❞ he crows spiritedly, loud enough for the group to hear, giggling to himself. and for that moment, the song does what it always does for him – elevated his spirits to near euphoric, the haunting lyrics chiming between his ears acting as some kind of temporaryspell.

        ebullient champagne coursed through her negligible tenement like calescent cruor deluging through a chasmal wound. she felt I L L & it wasn’t because she was lush with sweet liquor. alexandra nudged the restroom door open, arching ( s w a n k ) curves to determine if any intoxicated patrons lingered within the stalls. they were uninhabited and for a moment, she felt placated by the silence. she placed a hand on her stomach, the other outstretching to balance upon the frosted, marble sink. was it as temperate as she perceived? she inhaled, haltingly drawing in cool breaths to soothe the fire that consumed her embodiment. ❝ it’s fine, you’re fine, ❞ she persuaded herself, well acquainted with the afflictive symptoms of P A N I C. her heart thrashed against her chest and it ached, pinching and twisting within its delicate confinement. i’m dying; ❝you’re not dying, you’re breathing. you’re fine, snap out of it. ❞ alex careened on lux four – inch heels, her head parallel with the tiled floor.          her coping skills were I N U T I L E, pointless when pressed against the thought of having to face him again. he couldn’t help but to be vile. he couldn’t ( h e l p ) but to torture her, even though he explicitly expressed his disinterest in her for the time being. so, why couldn’t he just leave her be? she was T R Y I N G to the best of her ability, but he had to keep prodding and pushing. alex frantically reached for the sink faucet, her eyes fixated upon the pallid flooring as the water rushed over her fingertips. meanwhile, asher swilled the bitter taste of bourbon between his cheeks, intrigued by zach’s persistent interest in H I S girlfriend. he sneered softly, his foot deliberately pouncing up and down as he awaited a nauseating response from the psychopath. i wanted to F U C K her so badly, of course he did. asher curled his fingers into tight fists, knuckles kissed lily white, & ready to clout zach’s inviting jaw, but he resisted.          he couldn’t – with a budding reputation, the last kind of headline he desired was one that pined him against an industry veteran; no matter how satisfying and how deserving it was. ❝ tattoo? it’s actually funny that you mention it, because i can’t say that i’ve ever seen it. she must have had it covered, ❞ he lied with a twist of hisimpeccably chiseled features. ❝ and i just suspect she never mentioned you because you weren’t worth the conversation. you had such an intense relationship, but i never even knew you existed in her world. ❞ asher averted his gaze to the dainty blonde beside him who must have been abhorred at the notion that her charming sovereign was actually a fucking M O N S T E R. what could he say to make it better? if he could have shoved the words back down zach’s throat, he would have.          moments later, alexandra had self – soothed, collecting her composure before she escaped the limits of the quaint restroom. one meager foot in front of the other, she ambled through the lounge like she owned it, lustrous tresses sweeping the curve of her back. her parity, however, had been disrupted by a hot hand coiling around her petite limb. ❝ what the fuck are you doing? ❞ she directed, her brows furrowed together in provocation as he taunted her. ❝ if i wasn’t trying to be your friend, i would have already buried you. consider yourself lucky. ❞ he gripped her lithe silhouette against his, defeating any attempts she may have made to writhe free. ❝ zach, ❞ she whined softly as he paraded her through the bar and back toward their respective dates. ❝ you’re making a fool of yourself. stop it. ❞ the song was P A I N F U L, his display ( e x c r u c i a t i n g ) as he carelessly whipped her around. O U R song; asher’s broken tinctures bore into her.         ❝ really? ❞ he fashioned with a nimble shake of his head. and he’d been so sure he’d won her affection with diligence, but he was only a reminder of what she didn’t have. she’d fucking had it. ❝ what is fucking wrong with you? your girlfriend is R I G H T here. why would you do this? are you that fucked? ❞ her prostrated muscle begged for relief as it pounded, threatening to drag her back into the depths of her angst. ❝ god, give it a – ❞ she suppressed the sonants, terrified they would suffocate her. ❝ don’t do this, ❞ she managed. { you didn’t want me, why are you acting like you can’t fucking live without me? just tell me what you fucking want. }

[edc-creations-blog]

Seducing Abby Rhodes by J.D. Mason Coming July 18, 2017

“Chock full of unexpected twists, turns, secrets, and spirits plus a healthy dose of redemptive love.” – Kirkus

When Abigail Rhodes bought that old house she fell in love with in Blink, Texas, she got more than she bargained for. After being told by the local psychic that it is filled with a passionate energy from the previous owners, who died years ago, Abby decides to fix up her beloved house and reluctantly moves in. But ever since then, strange things have been happening in her newly renovated home, and Abby has been plagued with dreams that wake her up and leave her breathless.

After a tumultuous life these last few years, Jordan Gatewood is following what amounts to a trail of breadcrumbs in an effort to find a renewed sense of purpose. Searching for the truth about the man his adoptive father really was, Jordan makes his way to the old house where his father was murdered, in Blink–and right to the petite, understated beauty that answers the door. It’s not long before Jordan realizes, quite unexpectedly, that Abby is the perfect woman for him. Jordan doesn’t believe in ghosts or fate, but he does know that the powerful connection he feels for this woman started the day he met her in that house and he is determined to make her his.

Robin is a successful Corporate Attorney and was proud to be the lover of the most sought after bachelor in the state of Texas–until he abruptly breaks off their relationship, leaving her confused, heartbroken and bitter. When she discovers that he’s left her for another woman, a woman she considers beneath her, Robin is determined to teach him a brutal lesson.

A man like Jordan has too many secrets, secrets that, if found out, could not only destroy his relationship with this other woman, but that could also cost him the biggest business deal of his life, and possibly, his freedom. Robin is the last person he wants to go up against, and she will stop at nothing to get him back or to make him pay for his betrayal, even if that means unleashing those secrets. The question is, will Jordan let her? Or will his all-consuming obsession with Abby win out, in Seducing Abby Rhodes by J.D. Mason?

Seducing Abby Rhodes by J.D. Mason The propulsive second novel in a new contemporary trilogy about unforgettable love, scorching desire, and dangerous secrets. https://www.amazon.com/Seducing-Abby-Rhodes-J-Mason/dp/1250052262/

  The Real Mrs. Price by J.D. Mason

“A heart-pounding and terrifyingly awesome story!” – RT Book Reviews Top Pick 

Lucy Price is living the American dream. She has been married to her successful husband and businessman, Edward Price for a year and couldn’t be happier until she learns that Eddie is a dangerously ruthless man, heavily involved in illegal activities that threaten not only her marriage, but her life. Eddie abruptly disappears, but not before warning Lucy that if she wants to keep breathing she’d better keep her mouth shut. Six months later, word of her husband surfaces when she learns that he is presumed murdered in a small Texas town, apparently killed by his “wife”, Marlowe Price.

Marlowe is no stranger to trouble. An outcast in her own community for being one of those “hoodoo women,” who can curse you or cast you under her beguiling spell, Marlowe is shunned at every turn. Six months ago, a whirlwind romance in Mexico led Marlowe to marry the man she thought she’d spend the rest of her life with. For Marlowe and Eddie, there is no such thing as trouble in paradise. But late one night, when Marlowe witnesses her husband putting the body of a dead man in the trunk of his car, the illusion comes crashing down around her and she knows she has to move fast before the devil comes calling once again.

Now, Lucy and Marlowe must come together to find out where and who Eddie really is, and help each other through the threat he poses. There’s nothing more dangerous than a woman scorned…except for two women scorned who are willing to put their pasts behind them and band together to take one bad man down…

The Real Mrs. Price: A thrilling novel of contemporary suspense https://www.amazon.com/Real-Mrs-Price-thrilling-contemporary/dp/1250052254

  Blink, Texas Novella Series by J.D. Mason

Farrah Hart has made her escape. Running from a violent ex, she finds her way home to Blink, TX. With nothing but the clothes on her back, Farrah hopes to lay low at her abandoned childhood home until she can get back on her feet. But when an eviction notice comes in the most dangerously handsome of packages, Farrah might just need someone to lean on after all…

Jackson Burris can’t believe Farrah is in his house. The last thing he ever expected to see was the gorgeous girl all the Texas boys-including him-crushed on years ago, standing in the doorway. But she needs a place to stay that isn’t a run-down house, and his place is much cozier, much hotter. But as the nights grow darker with passion, demons from both their pasts close in, and Farrah and Jackson have to give in to love, in order to not break apart.

Ellis Brewer is a free man and is, surprisingly, the darling in the international art world. After seven long years in prison, he found refuge in his paintings and in the old farm house his late grandfather left to him in his will. No longer the hot-headed trouble maker he’d once was, Ellis is a loner and prefers to keep it that way. But when an old friend calls in a favor and asks Ellis to agree to an interview with a beautiful freelance reporter, Ellis throws caution to the wind and finds a love he never felt he deserved.

Christina Cole prides herself on her insightful and thorough reporting skills. When she gets an opportunity to interview the recluse and rising star Ellis Brewer-devastatingly good-looking and charming down to every last one of his ex-con fingertips-she soon realizes that she’s getting way more than she bargained for. Cristina came to Blink, Texas with every intention of uncovering all of his demons, but it’s not long before Ellis turns the tables, and begins to unravel her deepest, darkest secrets, exposing the most vulnerable part of her heart and proving to him that she needs him, body and soul.

Omar Reid is about to make the biggest leap in his career. As the City Planner for the town of Blink, Texas, he is spearheading the building of a megastore in place of an old strip mall will have the cash flowing like water downhill. There’s just one problem-Lola Knight won’t have it. A fiery woman with big dreams, she’s worked hard to own her own business and pursue her dreams, and without her piece of the property, the megastore goes nowhere. As their heated arguments lead to steamy encounters, Omar and Lola both know that, despite being opposites, their attraction is off the charts. But some key players aren’t willing to to see the deal fall apart, and will stop at nothing to keep the wheels in motion, leaving Omar and Lola to fight for what’s right and fight for each other.

Novels in the Blink, Texas Novella Series by J.D. Mason Hart Breaker Stone Cole Stormy Knight

  Praise for J.D. Mason Books

“Chock full of unexpected twists, turns, secrets, and spirits plus a healthy dose of redemptive love.” – Kirkus on Seducing Abby Rhodes

“A heart-pounding and terrifyingly awesome story!” – RT Book Reviews Top Pick on The Real Mrs. Price

“Readers are taken on a phenomenal journey that elicits gasps when the bombshell hits. Mason pens another astounding work.” -RT Book Reviews on Crazy, Sexy, Revenge

“Taut, suspenseful and unforgettable. Run, do not walk, and get this book!” -Zane, New York Times bestselling author on Beautiful, Dirty, Rich

“Mason’s characters create an addictive drama with universal themes of laying claim to family–and to the truth.” -Publishers Weekly on Beautiful, Dirty, Rich

“Effortlessly leaves no stone unturned in the lives of these tormented characters. Mason will take your breathe away.” -Romantic Times Book Reviews on You Gotta Sin to Get Saved

  “J.D. Mason has become a major name in African American fiction. Her stark portrayals of her characters and their innermost thoughts bring the readers right into the emotional center of the story. Those who enjoy Carl Weber and Eric Jerome Dickey will add Mason to their list of favorites.” –Booklist

J.D. Mason is the author of more than twenty novels including Seducing Abby Rhodes, The Real Mrs. Price, That Devil’s No Friend of Mine, You Gotta Sin to Get Saved, This Fire Down in My Soul, Don’t Want No Sugar, And On the Eighth Day She Rested, and One Day I Saw a Black King.

During her career J.D. has been nominated for The Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Awards in the African American Fiction and Best Contemporary Fiction categories. Her work has appeared on bestseller lists for Barnes and Noble, the Denver Post, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com. In addition, she has also been featured in USAToday, Essence, Pride Magazine in the U.K., and Today’s Black Woman. Q. What sparked your decision to become a writer? A. An unhappy marriage and a long postponed decision to follow the dream to write a novel. The first time I thought it was really possible was when I read Terry McMillan’s “Disappearing Acts”. It was the first book I’d ever read that I, as a young, black woman could relate to and I marveled at the fact that, not only were our stories worth reading, but that they were worth telling. So, I decided to tell one of my own, and began my first novel called “And on the Eighth Day She Rested.”

Q. Is there a story or character idea out there written that you wish you could’ve written first? A. Yeah, anything by Octavia Butler or L.A. Banks’ Vampire Huntress series. The Harry Potter series is at the top of my list, and maybe something exceptionally creative like The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo, The Brothers Jetstream: Leviathon by Zig Zag Claybourne, or commercial gems like Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan or Addicted by Zane. The thing is, had I written any of them, they wouldn’t be the books that they are, and so, it’s all kind of moot.

Q. How do you develop such unique characters? A. I let them develop themselves. Initially, I might have a general idea of what kind of character I hope to create, but as most writers know, with time, especially when you commit to writing a series, the characters naturally evolve into who they are meant to be based on experiences that reveal themselves throughout the story, relationships and other underlying factors. Characters in books evolve like real people evolve, and if a writer is paying attention, that’s the way it’s supposed to happen. That’s the part I find most exciting, too. If my main characters haven’t changed by the end of the book, then I’ve probably missed the mark somewhere.

Q. What do you love most/hate about being a writer? A. I love telling myself the story and watching it unfold as I type it, as if I don’t know how it’s going to end, because 99% of the time, I think I know, but I’m always surprised. I hate that I can’t write faster.

Q. If you could go back in time and talk to your younger, aspiring writer self, what advice would you give baby J.D.? A. I’d tell her that she was much skinnier than she believed she was, and to embrace how cute she really was. And I’d tell her to be true to her writing self. I’d encourage her to believe in her abilities and to write the kinds of stories that resonated the most with her. I’d tell her to not limit herself to writing in a specific genre and to write what she loved, to slow down, and to trust that she was a much more talented than she gave herself credit for. I’d tell her to be confident and to walk with her head held high because no one else would be able to tell the stories that she told, the way that she told them.

J.D. Mason Website: booksbyjdmason.blogspot.com

Literary Agent – Sara Camilli at: sabcamilli@hotmail.com

St. Martin’s Press, Publicity Department 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 100101 Email contact: publicity@stmartins.com

  Seducing Abby Rhodes by J.D. Mason Seducing Abby Rhodes by J.D. Mason Coming July 18, 2017 "Chock full of unexpected twists, turns, secrets, and spirits plus a healthy dose of redemptive love." - Kirkus…

[tipsycad147]

Using the Psalms for Solving Problems

By shirleytwofeathers

For hundreds of years the Psalms have been used with surprising results for helping to solve many of the problems that arise from daily living. Pow Wow, or Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Magick, uses the Psalms extensively with good success. If you would like to try it, the following list will aid you in deciding which Psalm to use for your problem.

When using the Psalms, it is important to softly sound the words so that the vibrations gently fall or vibrate upon your ears. If you can chant the Psalm in this soft tone, so much the better. At the end of the Psalm, imagine/petition your desire with as few words as possible.

To bring peace or blessings to the home – Psalm 1, 128

To cast out evil influences from another – Psalm 29

To change an unhappy situation into a happy one – Psalm 16

So daily needs can be obtained and avoid harm – Psalm 77

For defence against enemies, rivals, and assailants – Psalms 3, 59, 70

To do good and avoid evil – Psalm 87

For anyone who drinks too much – Psalm 87

If enemies caused you to lose money and be mistrusted – Psalm 41 and 43 (3 times daily for 3 days with appropriate prayer to your situation.)

For possession by an evil spirit – Psalm 66

If appearing before a judge and want a favourable verdict – Psalm 20

To free yourself from harmful or evil habits – Psalm 69

To have good luck in all you do – Psalm 57

To receive grace, love, and mercy – Psalm 32

To bring harmony between people or groups – Psalm 133

To receive Holy Blessings – Psalm 62

So idle gossip will not harm you or cause agitation – Psalm 36

For illness or bad health – Psalm 23, 35, 38

If the law is taking measures to punish you – Psalm 35

To be respected and loved by others – Psalm 47

To keep the love of friends and acquire more friends – Psalm 133

To make your home lucky – Psalm 61

To petition for material needs (money, food, clothing, etc.) – Psalm 41

To have more friends – Psalm 111

Before moving into a new home for luck and blessings – Psalm 61

To rid yourself of strong negative influences – Psalm 19

To overcome an enemy in a just manner – Psalm 70

To overcome trouble and loss from business partners – Psalm 63

To bring peace and harmony between families – Psalm 98

For protection from an enemy who will not leave you alone – Psalm 109

To receive justice and a favourable hearing from a lawsuit – Psalm 119

For reconciling between man and wife – Psalm 45, 46

To reconcile with an enemy – Psalm 16

To release from the heart deep seated hate, envy, and spite – Psalm 137

To remove negative influences you feel around yourself – Psalm 10

To be accepted, liked, and respected by all – Psalm 47

To revenge yourself from secret enemies – Psalm 53 – 55

To be safe from any planned robberies or danger – Psalm 50

For safety if travelling alone at night – Psalm 122

For someone in prison to be released early – Psalm 26

For a person who wishes greater spiritual awareness – Psalm 99

For spiritual support in stress or affliction – Psalm 3, 25, 54

For thanksgiving or recovery from illness – Psalm 30

For a safe ending in your travels – Psalm 34

For trouble by slander – Psalm 38, 39

For all your undertakings to be fortunate and advantageous – Psalm 65

To protect against unjust slander – Psalm 36

To win a lawsuit if opposed by an unjust or revengeful person – Psalm 35

From: Charms, Spells, and Formulas

https://shirleytwofeathers.com/The_Blog/bookofshadows/psalms-to-solve-problems/