The Magical Art of Crafting Charm Bags: 100 Mystical Formulas for Success, Love, Wealth, and Wellbeing
256
The Magical Art of Crafting Charm Bags: 100 Mystical Formulas for Success, Love, Wealth, and Wellbeing
256Paperback
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Overview
Charm bags, also known as mojo bags and gris-gris bags, may be the most popular style of amulet or talisman in the world today. Around the globe, they are crafted by people from many cultures and spiritual traditions and are created for many purposes. Until now there has been no definitive guide to the art of creating these magical power objects. The Magical Art of Crafting Charm Bags remedies this situation.
Author Elhoim Leafar provides an introduction to the topic in this clear, focused book of practical magic, which features detailed instructions for making these bags. The strongest amulets are those you make yourself, and The Magical Art of Crafting Charm Bags shows you how.
The Magical Art of Crafting Charm Bags contains 100 formulas intended for various purposes including love, luck, success, happiness, health, wealth, protection, prosperity, and the attainment of goals and desires. Based on an eclectic blend of Wicca, hoodoo, and Latin American folk magic, the book also contains extensive lists of herbs, gems and minerals, essential oils, astrological positions, and colors that contribute to making your own personal amulets. Instructions for casting circles and how to charge your charm bags are also included.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781578636198 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Red Wheel/Weiser |
| Publication date: | 10/01/2017 |
| Pages: | 256 |
| Sales rank: | 473,960 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d) |
About the Author
Elhoim Leafar, a resident of New York City, is a shaman, diviner, and traditional magician who hails from a family of spiritual and magical practitioners from Venezuela. He is also a palm reader and dowser dedicated to teaching the principles of practical magic and spirituality. Visit him at www.elhoimleafar.com.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
The Magic Circle
A magic circle is a ritual space created for use as part of a magical work or summoning. It also plays an important role as a link or portal between two planes — the physical and the spiritual. The circle symbolizes greatness, unity, eternity, wisdom, the continuity of the universe, and the infinite cycles of time. It is used to frame a neutral space in which to carry out various spells or rituals. Within that sacred space, you are protected from all kinds of hauntings or negative manifestations.
Every time we perform magic or rituals that somehow work with a different form of energy from our own, we manifest powers of other planes in our world, making invisible portals that remain open for a long time in that place. It is very common for other entities of different planes to take advantage of these portals to move into our world and cause conflict. In magic and sorcery, we perform all kinds of rituals, spells, and incantations inside a magic circle so that their energy will not be altered in any way by external elements.
When you draw a magic circle, this automatically encloses the space and dissolves the energies within it, thus creating a neutral place within which to work. Inside the circle, you can channel and transform energies and use them to create the effect sought by your ritual. Magic circles are especially recommended for those just being initiated into the practice of the occult arts so they can protect themselves from negative spiritual manifestations.
In traditional magic, the circle serves two primary functions: it protects you from external forces and gives you power for your rituals. The proper performance of an effective spell or ritual always involves the use of an enchanted portal that can be created from different elements. The circle keeps the energy focused at a specific site and allows for the closure of these magical portals at the end of the ritual. It also creates a shield against all kinds of psychic attack and energy loss.
It is common in magic performed in the home to create a magic circle to separate yourself from mystical powers that work with external energies that might somehow alter or interfere with your magical work. After using the circle, you can always erase it. But be sure to close the circle first to dissipate the energy completely. The proper way to close a circle will be explained later in this chapter. After closing the circle, you can sweep it away with a broom, always sweeping from east to west in order not to corrupt the energies and to maintain a perfect balance.
As we say in magic: "All inside the circle; nothing outside the circle." Inside the magic circle, you can perform all sorts of spells, invocations, and rituals. Its magic will keep you protected during these operations and also prevent other individuals who may be present in the house (but not in the same room) from perceiving any change in mood or energy while you are performing your ritual.
You can perform spells and rituals outdoors or in closed sites. When magic is performed outdoors — for instance, in parks or at beaches — it takes on more power by coming into direct contact with Nature and the elements. When performing magic outdoors, we tend to feel less oppressed, and this feeling is transferred to our spells, allowing them to develop more freedom and power.
Magic performed in closed sites has a major disadvantage because the magical energies are obstructed and transmuted, slowing the effective development of the spell. On the other hand, magic done indoors has the advantage of conveying calm and privacy — important factors today, considering how crowded many outdoor spaces have become with children playing, runners, smokers, and many other sources of loud noises.
European folklore prescribes a magic circle drawn with salt to ward off headaches resulting from psychic attack or spells. Spanish and British lore calls for a circle of salt under the dining table to prevent diseases and food poisoning. In many traditions, salt is a purifying element that prevents evil and wards off bad luck. According to the mystical legends of Avalon, witches who dedicated themselves to evil and ghosts who sought to do harm could not step on salt or pass through an area blessed with it. Because of this, perhaps the most common kind of magic circle is one drawn on the floor in a clockwise direction using coarse or rock salt, or even common table salt.
The circle can also be "drawn" with elements of protection like a cord or rope, or a ribbon blessed on St. John's Eve. In white magic, it is common to draw circles under the bed with ropes or salt to avoid having your sleep disturbed by negative entities that commonly move at night. All these versions of the magic circle have protective qualities. Salt and rosemary are recognized in white magic, along with garlic and vervain, as elements of powerful protection against evil, malicious hauntings, and spirits. A line of salt in door frames and windows, for instance, protects you from people with bad intentions.
Some practitioners add pieces of quartz to their circles to create a more effective and powerful space. To do this, collect pieces of quartz and consecrate them on a Monday night by anointing them with essential oil of rosemary and verbena. Save them in a silver or purple bag like one you would use for an amulet. Before performing a magical ritual, make your circle as usual and place the consecrated quartz crystals as part of the circle to charge it with their protective energies. When you are finished, return the crystals to their pouch for use in future rituals. In chapter 9, you will find a list of crystals that lend themselves to magic circles, along with information on their various properties.
Casting a Magic Circle
To create a magic circle, choose a site for your ritual and draw a circle four to six feet in diameter on the floor. The circle must always be traced by a single person and always in a clockwise direction. Magic circles are usually drawn using chalk or salt, as the color white symbolizes the absolute power of purification. You can also use sea salt and a mixture of protective herbs like rosemary and melissa to ward off negative energies and evil spirits that may be involved in your ritual.
Rope Circles
Another common version of the magic circle is one "drawn" with magic rope. Consecrate the rope to charge it with the magical power of protection on your personal altar with a mixture of oils and herbs on a St. John's night. Keep the consecrated rope under your altar as a means of protection. When you are ready to perform a ritual, shape it into a circle on the floor to create a space that will channel and focus the mystical energies required for your work. Make sure your ceremonial circle is large enough to accommodate all aspects of your ritual.
The Full Moon, Samhain, or Walpurgis night are the best times for consecrating your rope. Once consecrated, roll up the rope and bury it in a yard or garden at a shallow depth, or place it in a large pot and cover it with soil and some poppy seeds or fruit peels to symbolize the forest and its mystical energy. The rope must remain buried at least until the next night, when you can dig it up and "show it to the Moon" for a few minutes, as if presenting it to the spiritual world. A rope buried on the Full Moon and released the next night symbolizes rebirth, reincarnation, and all the cycles of life and death.
Keeping a consecrated rope on hand as a practical, fully charged ceremonial tool can save you time when performing your rituals. For many practitioners of various forms of magic, creating a circle of protection may seem tedious, as it involves laying the circle and then closing it and sweeping it away. These practitioners often prefer to use a consecrated rope because they can simply retrieve the rope from their altars, lay the circle, and then return it to its place once their ceremonies are complete.
Consecrating a Magic Rope
You can consecrate your magic rope on your personal altar, or in a small garden nearby if you want to channel energies from Mother Earth more effectively. Start with a thick rope at least six feet (two meters) long. Make a preparation with water from a nearby river or spring — avoid bottled water and only use tap water as a last resort. Combine the water with essential oils for protection and blessing, like rosemary, sandalwood, eucalyptus, or vervain. In chapter 10, you will find a list of essential aromatic oils that can be used for this consecration and blessing.
Anoint the rope from one end to the other with your magical mix, channeling your positive thoughts, your desire for protection, and your best energies into it. Focus on the rope for a few moments to make it a barrier of energetic protection for all of your rituals. Keep your consecrated rope in a sack or bag of dark fabric. You can anoint it with a few drops of aromatic herbal oil each Full Moon at midnight, just as the spirits and deities walk among us, in order to keep it positively charged.
Herbal Circles
Herbal mixtures are also widely used today to draw magic circles. These mixtures usually consist of dried herbs of protection, like rosemary, sage, vervain, garlic, and orange flower. Mix and crush the herbs together and save them in a bottle. Each time you perform a magical operation or work, draw a circle on the floor with the herbal mix you prepared. You can also store your herbal mix in a little bag of green cloth and perfume it with a few drops of essential oil of peppermint, vervain, and sandalwood to create an amulet you can wear to protect yourself from all evil.
Consecrating Magic Herbs
On the night prior to the Full Moon, fill a pot or large vase with equal parts of mint, sea salt, rosemary, verbena, apple, and sage. Crush the herbs and mix them together, then add a few drops of essential oil of geranium and verbena. Let the mixture sit overnight by the window under the light of the Full Moon. The next morning, transfer your blend of consecrated herbs to a covered jar and keep it sealed in a cool area. You can periodically make more of this mix using the same herbs and add it to the jar. You can use this consecrated mix to replace salt or white chalk to create a magic circle full of herbal energies that will give your rituals the blessing of the Earth and the increased energy of the most powerful phase of the Moon.
Closing the Magic Circle
There are several methods to close a magic circle. Which one you use will depend on the type of circle you have made. Be careful when choosing, however, because closing the circle in the wrong way can easily spoil the magic work that has been done.
It is important to close a magic circle when your ritual is finished, because it can act as a portal between worlds that various spirits and diverse souls can use to pass between the physical and spiritual planes. Your circle of power is literally a metaphysical elevator that allows you to move to other planes of existence and extract from them what is necessary to make your ritual effective — spirits to consult on some matter, extra energies to strengthen your spell, forces to empower an object or talisman, or even ethereal knowledge from ascended masters and higher spirits.
As you close your magic circle, I suggest thanking those who have accompanied you during the ritual, whether alive or dead. Whether you have performed the ritual in a group or with the deities and spirits of your own pantheon, it is always best to give thanks for any help you may have received. If you have invoked any particular spirits or divinities, thank them by placing a glass of water, incense, and scented candles on your altar. Once you have given thanks, you can close the circle.
To close the circle, start with a brief magical prayer. This can be something simple, like:
Thanks to all those present during the ritual.
The magic is done correctly today and always.
Blessed be tomorrow and always.
May the circle be closed until it is necessary to open it again.
Or:
The magic work has ended.
The circle has closed.
The magic for today has ended.
If you wish, you can also develop your own magic spell or phrase to close the circle. If you do, memorize it and pronounce it many times in front of a mirror to give it greater power.
If the circle was made with powder — talcum powder, salt, sugar, or herbs — you can close it by sweeping with a broom from east to west to dissipate any remaining energy. If, on the other hand, the circle was made with an enchanted rope, retrieve the rope from the ground with both hands and store it in a large bag previously anointed with herbal oils to maintain its properties. If the circle was made with flower petals, collect them and store them in a large jar. Then bury the jar at the foot of a tree. To close a circle made entirely of consecrated crystals, collect the crystals one by one, moving in a clockwise direction, and place them in a large bowl of cold water mixed with sea salt. Let them remain there for several hours, or even a whole night, to purify them.
To close a circle cast with herbs and flowers, use a bowl of water that you have blessed in advance with a few drops of essential oil of vervain, mint, or cascara. Sprinkle the water over the circle, moving in a clockwise direction — first from one end to the other, and then from the inside to the outside.
In Santería and Candomble, as well as in other esoteric traditions linked to Afro-Caribbean spiritism, it is customary to close circles by sealing them with rose water or the popular "florida water," which can be found in esoteric shops. According to popular belief, this calms the spirits and dissipates the energies.
Some more recent traditions, like Wicca, use "Moon water" to close the circle. This consists of fresh water mixed with pieces of quartz that has been exposed to moonlight for a full night before the day of the ritual, then placed in a sealed container inside the magic circle. When the ritual is finished, the Moon water is poured onto four points in the circle, symbolizing lunar rain that seals the four cardinal points from which the energy emanates.
Whichever method you choose to close your circle, always remember to light an incense stick in the center of the place where the circle was positioned. You can also include a white candle to balance any energies that may remain. Lighting a white candle at each end of the room near the corners can also help to cleanse the space and repel any residual energy.
As a very traditional spiritist, I also recommend that you prepare a small bundle of herbs known as a sahumerio. To do this, take peppermint, mint, parsley, and a couple of chrysanthemum flowers and bind them tightly with white, red, and black ribbons (the colors of God Eleggua, the Road Opener). Anoint the bundle with rose oil or rose water and use it like a small broom to cleanse every corner and surface of the room where a magic ritual has been performed.
CHAPTER 2
The Altar and the Pentagram
Like the magic circle, the altar and the pentagram are elements common to most magical traditions — elements that will play a role in our discussion of charm bags in chapters to come. Altars usually consist of a small table or other piece of furniture covered with a cloth or a colorful scarf on which you place objects and symbols associated with your personal faith — candles, an incense burner, magical tools, objects of divination, and any other items appropriate to your practice. The pentagram is a magical symbol so ancient that its true origin remains unknown. It is a symbol that has always been linked to folklore, mysticism, and magic in all its incarnations, from traditional paganism to modern Wicca.
The Altar
Although most spiritual and magical traditions use altars in their practice, these altars take many different forms. Spiritualist altars usually contain glasses of water representing life, candles symbolizing energy, and photographs and images of ancestors or deities. Some include a large mirror to reflect the mage during rituals, as well as candles of different colors and shapes, and images corresponding to the deities in his or her pantheon. For practitioners of Wicca and other forms of white magic, altars usually incorporate representations of the four elements of Nature: candles to symbolize Fire, a censer to represent Air, a saucer or pot of salt or sand to symbolize Earth, and a glass or cup of water to represent the element of life. In Afro-Brazilian folklore, altars are usually filled with aromatic and medicinal herbs, images of clay symbolizing the sorcerer or priest, bells to honor the spirits and deities of the Yoruba pantheon, fans, ethnic ornaments, and white candles. On the other hand, a traditional Voodoo altar usually contains representations of the four elements; herbs; aromatic flowers; candles to honor the dead and familiar spirits; ornaments made from bones, skin, and colored feathers; and different oracular and divination tools.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Magical Art of Crafting Charm Bags"
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Copyright © 2017 Elhoim Leafar.
Excerpted by permission of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
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Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Foreword,
Acknowledgments,
Introduction,
Part I The Ancient and Noble Art,
CHAPTER 1 The Magic Circle,
CHAPTER 2 The Altar and the Pentagram,
CHAPTER 3 Enchanted Objects,
CHAPTER 4 Incense,
Part II Charm Bags in Tradition and Practice,
CHAPTER 5 What Is a Charm Bag?,
CHAPTER 6 Crafting and Consecrating Charm Bags,
CHAPTER 7 Using Colors in Charm Bags,
CHAPTER 8 Using Plants and Herbs in Charm Bags,
CHAPTER 9 Using Gems and Stones in Charm Bags,
CHAPTER 10 Using Oils and Essences in Charm Bags,
CHAPTER 11 Using Animals and Bones in Charm Bags,
Part III Charm Bags for Everyday Magic,
CHAPTER 12 Charm Bags for Abundance and Success,
CHAPTER 13 Charm Bags for Physical Health and Balance,
CHAPTER 14 Charm Bags for Love and Attraction,
CHAPTER 15 Charm Bags for Mental Health and Balance,
CHAPTER 16 Charm Bags for Protection and Power,
CHAPTER 17 Charm Bags for Mental and Psychic Powers,
CHAPTER 18 Harnessing the Zodiac,
Conclusion: Believe in Yourself,
Afterword,
APPENDIX A Creed of the Mage,
APPENDIX B Plant, Flower, and Gemstone Magic,
APPENDIX C Weekday Magic,
APPENDIX D Incense Magic,
APPENDIX E Candle Magic,
Index of Charm Bags, Amulets, and Rituals,