Anyone that knows me could tell you that Fall is my favorite Season.... And Samhain (Or Halloween, if you prefer) is one of my absolute favorite holidays. More than just dressing up and candy, Samhain speaks to a very fundamental part of me. The weather is cooler, the nights are longer, and there is definitely something witchy in the air! I start Fall decorating in early September, and as soon as October hits, I pull out the Halloween decorations. Some of them are totally campy, but I love them! This is also the time of year that I display my spirit board, crystal ball and scrying mirror. The veil is thinning and communication with the other side is a skill that is not as strong as I'd like. I have some clairaudience, but that's generally the strongest when I work with the Fae or entities of a darker nature. Tonight's blog is about some tools to use when piercing the veil and communicating with the other side.... here are a few of the tools that I use:
My spirit board is the Cat Pentagram Board (pictured right). I fell in love with this board the moment I saw it! The engravings on both board and planchette are gorgeously done. I've not worked with this as much as I'd like, but I hope to remedy that soon.
If you are newer to working with spirit boards, I cannot say enough: THIS IS NOT A TOY, do your research and be careful. You are connecting to a world full of unknowns. When treated with respect, spirit boards are a wonderful tool for communicating with lost loved ones, and for gathering information, if you know how to ask and interpret. Working with a spirit board is also on of the few times I will cast a protection circle. But I have gained a great deal of knowledge through them in the years working with them .
If you work with divination tools, you've possibly worked with a scrying mirror. Scrying mirrors are another great tool when you learn how to interpret the information. When I first started working with mine, I don't really know what I expected. I had some idea that it would be like watching a story in my head. It was actually quite different for me. As I gazed into the mirror, i got images in my mind. Just random, not rhyme or reason. After the session I made sure to write them all down and research what the images symbolized and how they pieced together to answer my question. It was actually one of the most accurate readings I've ever done for myself. Scrying mirrors are relatively easy to find online, or you can make one very simply. Mine was actually made and gifted to me by Diana. It is not elaborate, which works better for me. I like to keep things simple so I don't get distracted haha!
Crystal balls...... I do have one, but unlike the spirit board and scrying mirror, I don't really have much luck with them. I think perhaps I've given up too quickly? Or perhaps it just hasn't been my time for that particular tool yet. I keep trying in the hopes that I will someday have an epiphany and get it to work somehow. Until then, it stays in its little blue box, safe and snug.
More commonly known tools include Tarot cards and pendulums. It takes me a while to get Tarot cards to "speak" to me. And I never remember the meanings, but I think that's kind of good. I read whatever story they tell me, and when it works, it's always interesting! I have a few decks, but my newest (and current favorite) is the Tarot for the Green Witch by Ann Moura. The illustrations are beautifully done, and the names are not the usual ones you find. Names like the Sidhe (Temperance), and the Oak King (the Hanged Man) truly speak to me. The descriptions are fairly easy to follow and the book it comes with has techniques as well as the outlines for spreads.
Pendulums are a tool I like very much, especially when used in conjunction with cards. They tend to give me a better idea of where to focus, then I can get more details with the tarot spreads. I have a lovely black agate pendulum I bought a few years ago. The trick with pendulums is after checking yes and no, I ask if it would like to work with me. I've noticed the answers are more accurate when it's willing to work with me. If I ignore it's wishes or if I don't ask, things usually seem a bit off.....
Divination is a fascinating field of metaphysics. There are more methods of divination out there, some I've explored, many that I haven't. I do not, for example, read tea leaves. Tasseography has been a divining method as far back as Ancient China. The querent asks a question, and the reader looks at the leaves and deciphers meaning. Other methods include astrology, numerology, oneiromancy (dream interpretation), and palmistry. There are so many cool ways to divine, take a look at what's out there and find what resonates with you!
That's all for now loves, take care of yourselves! xoxox, Nikki