Astral Parasites

Last updated on: January 31, 2019 at 7:54 am By Mat Auryn

Astral parasites are exactly what they sound like - energetic entities that are parasitic in nature. They aren't necessarily malevolent anymore than physical parasites, but just like physical parasites - they're not something we want and are harmful. They're all part of a spiritual ecosystem. I liken them more to the creatures that are meant to break down excess pools of energy. When we begin witchcraft or any other form of energy work, we begin to light up on the astral. To these creatures, it's like a moth to a flame. They're drawn to that energy and want to start breaking down and eating that energy. Read more

Reiki Facts & Myths With Nicholas Pearson

Last updated on: December 12, 2018 at 4:45 pm By Mat Auryn

It is hard to believe that so many myths about the system of Reiki and its founder have propagated in less than 100 years since its discovery. Thanks to the linguistic, cultural, and geographic divides there will always be gaps in Reiki history, but said gaps are narrowing with each passing year. Read more

Review: Encyclopedia 5,000 Spells

Last updated on: January 31, 2019 at 8:17 am By Mat Auryn

Someone recently asked what everyone's favorite spell book was. This is so easy for me. I think the Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells by Judika Illes is the best spell book you can get, hands down. Read more

Misconceptions About Shadow Work

Last updated on: January 31, 2019 at 8:23 am By Mat Auryn

The Shadow is not something to be fought against or condemned. It is not something that's meant to be defeated or suppressed. The Shadow is an aspect of ourselves that is crying out for inclusion and integration into our personality. The more it is ignored, the more it throws unconscious fits crying for our attention and inclusion. Disowning the shadow or allowing it to be an excuse is only a permission slip for the shadow to run more rampant, which is antithetical to the path of self-sovereignty. The more the shadow is ignored, the more it unconsciously rules us. Read more

Review: Six Ways

Last updated on: January 31, 2019 at 8:17 am By Mat Auryn

Aidan Wachter’s Six Ways: Approaches & Entries For Practical Magic is really unique in its undertaking. He breathes new life into the basic foundational practices of magic. His practices and approaches are rich because of his style of diving deeper instead of over-complicating the techniques, something that’s really refreshing. As such, you could approach this book from any skill level and have it enhance your practice. His approach isn’t cookie-cutter and the best I would be able to describe his... Read more

Review: The Rede of the Wiccae

Last updated on: January 31, 2019 at 8:17 am By Mat Auryn

During the 1960s and 1970s, many folks came forward stating that they came from a long line of witchcraft that had nothing to do with Gerald Gardner. The most common narrative of these claims involved having the information passed down through the generations, often from a grandmother. These are often referred to as the “grandmother tales”. Read more

I’m Not Your Marionettist

Last updated on: January 31, 2019 at 8:23 am By Mat Auryn

Individuals are individuals and we're all wired differently and different things work for different folks. This becomes super clear when teaching psychic development to others. Experimentation and exploration are necessary, and different people come to different conclusions and find things that work the best for them. Read more

Preparing Candles For Magick

Last updated on: January 31, 2019 at 8:23 am By Mat Auryn

There are countless methods and ways to work with candles, but I wanted to share my process while omitting tradition-specific ideas, just boiling it down to the main mechanics that I use which I feel can be adopted and worked into any tradition or eclectic style of witchery. Read more

Review: Traditional Wicca

Last updated on: March 31, 2019 at 4:09 pm By Mat Auryn

As someone who is not Wiccan myself, I still enjoy reading about other traditions. I finished this book understanding Traditional Wicca so much better and had many misconceptions about these traditions cleared up. Read more

Your Ego Is Holy

Last updated on: March 31, 2019 at 3:07 am By Mat Auryn

In modern spiritual teachings, the ego is viewed as a negative thing and in abusive cults there's an emphasis on abandoning the ego altogether, thus making someone easier to control when they lack self-identity. Read more