Egyptian Revenge Spells

Egyptian Revenge Spells
Ancient Rituals For Modern Payback

Author: Claudia R. Dillaire
Crossing Press
2008
ISBN #978-1-58091-190-0

From the promotional material: “Modern spells, rituals and incantations based on ancient Egyptian magic designed to help release our revenge impulses.” This does not impress me. We are not going to grow as individuals if we carry negative emotions within us to the extent that we feel the need to exact revenge. I am brought to mind the caveat that the energy that we send out comes back to us threefold. So, in using these “dark” rituals, are we not bringing this same energy back to us threefold? Just a thought. I also noted that the publishers felt the need to add the words “ For Entertainment Only” at the bottom of the title page.

Dillaire calls herself a practicing pagan, coming from a background of traditional, mainstream religion. She then studied Wicca, moving on to paganism. An interest in dark, destructive magic led her to study mythology and deities. Finally, Egyptian mythology and cosmology as the area that she settled on. Revenge, retribution and coercive magic were practiced alongside with positive, beneficial magic. Dillaire equates Egyptian magic with pagan tradition. Her aim is to make Egyptian magic a viable alternative to Wicca.

Revenge magic is presented here as a way to get closure in bad situations, so that the practitioner can move on in life. The spells are not seen as toys, but as practical expressions of one’s beliefs.

There is a small amount of background information presented on revenge magic, and on the differences between incantation, spells and rituals. The section on Egyptian deities includes the correct pronunciation, how they fit into the Egyptian pantheon, correspondences, associated animals, symbolic associations, epithets, offerings, and the type of spells they are best used for.

There is a section entitled Recipes For Spells, where the literal recipes for concocting the oils are presented. (For example, Anger Be Gone is made up of 8 drops of benzoin essential oil, 6 drops of honeysuckle essential oil, 8 drops of myrrh essential oil and a pinch of basil (fresh or dried).) There is also a section on base (carrier) oils, and their physical properties.

The section on spell casting lists the necessary items required for a spell, what they are used for, and how they are best used. The types of spells are also listed, such as banishing, controlling, courage, reversing and transition.

The section on revenge spells is broken down into four different categories: End Desire, Cause Harm, Protect and Reverse, and Empower Yourself. The directions for each spell listed are very specific, the oil to be used, the type of candles, deities addressed, type of incense, suggested herbs, incantation paper, and custom spell directions.

I would not advise anyone to use a revenge spell, but, if they chose to do so, this book takes the practitioner through the very specific path that is necessary to be followed to achieve the desired results. The book is clearly written, and could be followed by anyone with great ease.

© June 2009

Lessons for the Living

Lessons for the Living
Stories of Forgiveness, Gratitude, and Courage
At the End of Life

Author: Stan Goldberg, Ph.D.
Trumpeter
2009
ISBN #978-1-59030-676-5

Stan Goldberg is a very interesting person – a professor emeritus (Professor Emeritus in Communicative Disorders at San Francisco State Univesity) who suddenly finds himself diagnosed with prostate cancer. His Gleason score (a system of grading prostate cancer tissue results) places him on the cusp between living and dying – a very rough place to be! Support groups and books are not helping him, so he follows his intuition and becomes a hospice volunteer. (Goldberg has worked as a bedside volunteer at the Zen Project Guest House, the George Mark Children’s House, and Hospice By the Bay. He currently works with Pathways Home Health and Hospice.)

So here he is, working with people who are going through the same life/death scenario he is, and working in an environment (the hospice setting) that he himself may one day end up in. This is a deeply personal book – filled with stories from Goldberg’s own life, and the stories of the patients that he works with. It is an emotional book, yes, but not necessarily a sad one.

It addresses an area of life that is still not too often discussed. We have certainly come along way with the work of people like Elizabeth Kubler Ross, but death and dying is still an area of life that many, if not most people try to avoid addressing.

Through Goldberg’s experiences we learn about the gifts that witnessing dying gives us – those of compassion, understanding, and embracing the act of dying.

I found it incredibly interesting that the work that Goldberg does now is that of coaching both individual and corporate clients on how to effect change more efficiently. The first thought that came to my mind was “cutting through the debris of life”, which would certainly go along with learning to face any major life issue. In the web of life, Goldberg has made the connections!

Goldberg has broken this book down into the following sections: Forgiveness, Letting Go, Unconditional Giving, Heart Communication, Faces of Compassion, The Dilemma of Hope, Undifferentiated Love, Forgiving and Epiphany. Each carries a story of a specific patient, or group of patients, that he has served.

There are two running stories here – those of the hospice patients, and that of Goldberg, and the lessons that he learns through working with them. Both stories are given excellent voice. In fact, he stopped me in my tracks at one place in the book. Through some bureaucratic maneuvering, a hospice that he worked at was being closed down. They were taking no new patients, but the time was coming near when the remaining two patients would have to go to another facility. What Goldberg was saying was that in his mind he wanted to place himself in their shoes, to see how they were feeling. What I was reading was that he could no longer function at home, that the hospice was his last resort. I am sitting there going “This cannot be happening! There is half a book to go – he can’t go into hospice now!” I had to go back and reread the material to see that he was not in a hospice himself, that he simply wanted to see how these patients must feel. That was incredible writing!

In “Letting Go”, we get a first hand view of forgiveness between a mother and adult daughter, and a literal letting go of the past. We have to let go of how we were in the past to become who we are in the present.

In his epilogue, Goldberg quotes the noted author Marion Wright Edelman: “Service is the rent we pay for living, It is the very purpose of life and not something that you do in your spare time.”

Goldberg also presents practical suggestions for working with those who are dying. Amongst them are:

· Relax – don’t be too concerned about doing the “right things”.
· Be kind to yourself – take breaks, and acknowledge all of your emotions.
· Sit when talking – this allows your eyes to be on the same level as the patient, and makes for better personal contact.
· Reduce noise – the less distractions, the easier it will be for the patient to deal with his/her condition.
· Create a calming environment – surround the patient with objects, music and smells that are comforting to them.

At the end of the book is a listing of helpful resources – books on a myriad of subjects, hospice agencies, and hospice volunteering and training.

I cried my way through this book, even through the positive stories. The reality of reality is a very moving thing. This is a “must read” for anyone facing the care giving for a terminal patient. It is a very positive book, and allows the reader to see the hospice picture from the point of view of both the patient and the care giver. This is a reference book that can be returned to time and time again.

© June 2009

WSJ – 6/2/09

I love the WSJ (Wall Street Journal)! Today’s technology section had so much good stuff in it that I decided that it needed a blog of it’s own. What set of this lovely section? The seventh D: All Things Digital conference last week in Carlsbad, CA.

There are several interviews included (Steve Balmer on Microsoft’s new entry into the search war, Carol Bartz on how Yahoo’s organizational structure got in the way of innovation, NBC Universal’s Jeff Zucker on why TV is still paramount, John Malone on how to get consumer to pay for content they now get for free, Roger McNamee and Jon Rubinstein on how Palm hopes for a comeback, Twitter’s Evan Williams and Biz Stone on finding revenue in Tweets, and Mark Cuban on why Internet video has been disappointing), and some very interesting blog links.

Out of all of the above, I was rooting for my homeboys (Microsoft), and not surprised at the interview with Carol Bartz (the new Yahoo CEO, replacing Jerry Yang). I have read interviews with her before, and I will say this – she is who she is – brash, hard nosed, and not someone that I would want to work with (or under). I am sure that she will do a good job – but at what cost? She resented the question about her moving from running a computer generated software company to running an Internet site like Yahoo, and likened Jerry Yang’s attempt to show her an organizational chart to a Dilbert cartoon. When asked about bringing in a strong number two that was more “Internet-y” (yes – that was how the word was written!), she abruptly insisted that she did not need a number two because that would remove her from the business. My take – I hope her board reads her interviews, and reigns her in!

I really like Twitter, but tend to wonder about its future myself. I am only minimally business savvy myself, but after reading the interview with Twitter co-founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone, I do give myself more credit! These boys have no plan, and have basically built the site by allowing tech savvy people to associate applications that they come up with to Twitter. The boys are happy with this – I think it is a big, chaotic mess!

On to the really cool links in this section! Under phone culture we have Tokyo Mango, written by Lisa Katayama – www.tokyomango.com. She talks about a treasure trove of things Japanese, and has a book out entitled “Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks From Japan”.

“Get Rich Slowly” – www.getrichslowly.org/blog - is a blog written by J. D. Roth – an average person showing people how to educate themselves about money. A major component of this blog is the ability of the reader to add their own theories/strategies for dealing with financial matters. On today’s blog, Roth addresses “lazy portfolios”, and gives some excellent examples. There is an incredible amount of information on this site!

“Bargaineering: Egineering A Richer Life” – www.bargaineering.com/articles - is a blog written by Jim Wang, focused on the role money plays in readers lives. Great site, with a wealth of information presented. I have to stop and read an author who writes things like “Five Life Lessons My Dog Has Taught Me”!

I hope that you enjoy this material as much as I did. Lots of food for thought – well presented, well thought out.

Tarot For Life

Tarot for Life –
Reading the Cards for Everyday Guidance and Growth

Author: Paul Quinn
Quest Books
2009
ISBN #978-0-8356-0879-4

“… Paul Quinn transforms the Tarot from fortune-telling into the ultimate self-help tool for intuitive guidance, empowerment and well-being. Discover how you can use the Tarot as a vibrant way to access inner wisdom and gain meaningful, practical nsights into your relationships, career, family and personal development. … No one better shows how to use Tarot as it was designed to be used – for conversation with your Higher Self. This book is a delightful way to grow to your fullest potential. …” Sonia Choquette, Ph.D.

In her foreword, Rachel Pollack notes that Quinn’s approach to the Tarot involves the esoteric and the mystical, along with Jungian psychological theory. She also notes that he never uses any of this to impress – rather, he uses it to help the reader see who they are, and how they can cope with their life. I love the mystical and the esoteric – and the archetypes certainly exemplify Jungian psychological theory. The manner in which the cards were presented was something that impressed me, and something that I wish I had had available when I was beginning to study the Tarot.

I was especially excited to see Quinn base his presentation of the Major Arcana on the Tarot septenary (also known as the 3X7 theory), and his nod to one of my favorite people – Christine Payne-Towler – for her historical research into this subject. Nods also go to Rachel Pollack for her concepts on the trump number reductions, and to Mary Greer for giving her permission to share many of her collaborative card reading techniques. You know right from the start that this is going to be one great book!

Quinn sees the use of the Tarot as one way of letting both our inner and outer universes know that we are listening. He also talks about that guiding force that leads us to communicating with Life through the symbolic language of dreams, images, and coincidence. As Quinn puts it, the cards tell us what we are otherwise too distracted to hear. (Been there, done that, designed the tee shirt!)

From the book: “Know Thyself “ is not a private indulgence, it is a global imperative. Our world is in need of radical awakening and transformation, a process that accelerates as we look honestly at the beliefs and motives that drive our actions, observe how those actions play out on the personal as well as collective levels, and learn to make more loving choices. Until we recognize our creative purpose and power – with or without the aid of the Tarot – we weaken under the limitations of conditioned responses, the manipulation of an anxiety-driven media, the bullying of dogmas, and the mind-numbing complacency of escapist lifestyles.”

Before you even begin to read the book Quinn suggests that one card be drawn, to represent why you were led to pick the book up n the first place. Well, I skim books from back to front before I read them, so I had to go back and draw this card. From the Alchemical Tarot Renewed (by Robert Place) I drew Knight of Swords. Place talks about this Knight slaying evil and righting wrongs, but he also talks about the quality of being judgmental. In reality I felt that this book gave me power – a deeper understanding of the septenary, and a better understanding of the vertical as well as horizontal relationships between the cards using this theory.

In the beginning of the book Quinn talks about taking the Tarot beyond fortune telling. In his “treasure box” he lists the following:

* a lifelong key to unlock your Inner Wisdom
* a catalyst for your creativity and inspiration
* flashcards for your intuitive development
* a set of visual affirmations
* a meditation focuser
* a decision-making aid
* a dream interpreter
* a perspective enhancer
* an emotional compass
* a metaphysics teacher
* a spiritual advisor
* a tool for self-understanding

Quinn also lists six principles that underlie the Tarot:

1. As Above, So Below
2. The Law of Attraction
3. Synchronicity
4. The Self and Individuation
5. Integration of Opposites
6. Masculine and Feminine

In his chapter on the structure of the Tarot, Quinn introduces the concept of the septenary – three rows of seven cards each (I – VII, VIII – XIV, XV – XXI), with the Fool centered above them. Quinn has entitled these rows The Essentials for the Journey (I – VII), The Inward Path (VIII – XIV), and The Heat Is On (XV – XXI).

The Minor Arcana are defined traditionally:

Wands/Fire – desire, vision, ambition, challenge
Cups/Water – feeling, merging, imagination, depth
Swords/Air – intellect, clarity, conflict, judgment
Pentacles/Earth – physicality, stability, security, money

The Court Cards are defined as sixteen different types and personalities. Pages are the parts of us that are curious, Knights embody the warrior archetype. Queens represent the soul of their particular element, while Kings carry an external focus of doing.

In discussing how to use this book, Quinn addresses reversed cards, shadow aspects, and just when the cards are there to give advice. In his presentation of the cards, the deck used is the Rider-Waite. The card presentation begins with a short quote and a black and white scan. There is a discussion of the quality of the card, of where it lies on its line of seven cards, how it relates to the cards around it, the mystical symbols on the card (I wish I had access to this information much earlier in my studies!), a small story (from Quinn’s life experience, or from the life experience of one of his students or clients), a list of card attributes, and a list of question for rflection.

From the book – The Fool:

Quote: “First you jump off the cliff and you build your wings on the way down.” Ray Bradbury.

Attributes:

* Keywords: Innocence, Lightness, Trust
* Being: Curious, open, childlike, spontaneous, lighthearted, adventurous, innocent, naïve, playful, arbitrary, unencumbered, noncommittal
* Doing: Simplifying, taking a leap of faith, acting on a whim, improvising, traveling, taking life as it comes, enjoying the moment, just passing through, asking “Why not?”
* Shadow: Delayed maturation, irresponsibility, gullibility, absent-mindedness, recklessness, defenselessness, intolerance for detail or complexity.
* Reversed: Cautious, risk averse, denying the Inner Child, taking yourself or a situation seriously.
* Possible Advice (Reversed): “Look before you leap, or you may go off the deep end.” “Stop wandering. It’s time to commit.”

Questions For Reflection:

* What risks have you taken without a safety net?
* Where would you leap if you took a leap of faith?
* When have others discouraged your Fool qualities?
* What would you like to experience for the first time?
* When do you express Fool playfulness and spontaneity?
* Where in your life could you use some Fool energy?

At the end of the book there is a chapter entitled “Intimate Conversations: Reading For Yourself”. There are some very good insights here, including when “not” to read for yourself. (When you are feeling spacey, when you are feeling down on yourself, and when you become obsessed.)

A sample interpretation is given using the Celtic Cross spread, with templates given for a seven card Chakra spread, a three card Solution spread, a one card Yes/No spread, a seven card Exploring Options spread, a three card Life Journey spread, two card spreads for Let Go/Grow and Gift, as well as a three card Past Life spread. Tips are also given for creating your own spread.

Quinn also goes into phrasing questions in the best possible manner, reading for others, and when “not” to read for others (or for yourself).

There are appendices at the back of the book for Major Arcana attributions for Soul Task, Shadow/Excess and Deficiency/Blockage (reversed), and number meanings, Astrolgoical and Planetary Correspondences, and the Chakras.

I found this book to be easy to follow, containing an enormous wealth of information, and well enhanced with Quinn’s own life experiences, as well as those of his students and clients. I feel that this is an essential book for any Tarot library, for any level of Tarot student.

© May 2009