Category Archives: weaving the web

Pesach: Reflection, Resilience, and Hope

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Pesach: Reflection, Resilience, and Hope

Pesach, also known as Passover, is a sacred time for the Jewish community. It is an eight-day holiday celebrated in the early spring, and it holds deep historical and cultural significance. As we gather around the Seder table, we reflect on our identity, values, and the enduring spirit of freedom and liberation.

Emancipation from Slavery

At the heart of Pesach lies the commemoration of the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. The story of their exodus resonates across generations, reminding us of the power of resilience and faith. But let us pause and consider: Were the Israelites truly slaves?

Historical evidence suggests that the Israelites were not mere labourers toiling under the whip of taskmasters. The construction of the pyramids, often associated with their suffering, was likely carried out by a system of paid labour. Skilled workers, organized by professional construction organizations within Egyptian society, contributed to these awe-inspiring structures. Yet, the symbolism of emancipation remains potent—the Israelites physically left the comfort and wealth of Egypt, embarking on a journey toward new beliefs and ideals.

Challenges of Being Jewish Today

Fast-forward to 2024, and being Jewish remains a complex experience. For Israelis, political upheaval and security concerns cast shadows over daily life. But even beyond Israel’s borders, challenges persist. Antisemitism, once hidden, now rears its ugly head openly. In the UK and American universities, Jewish individuals face discrimination and fear. Yet, the most insidious form of Antisemitism emerges from within our own ranks.

The Golden Calf of Social Media

Among so-called leftists, liberals, and even occultist Jews, a troubling trend emerges. They chase the Golden Calf of social media fame, acknowledgement, and likes. In their pursuit of “freedom” and activism, they unwittingly align themselves with Amalek—the ancient enemy of the Israelites. Their activism often takes the form of supporting terror activities against fellow Jews and Israelis. Worse still, some become internet trolls, dispensing unsolicited wisdom with a self-righteous air.

The Maror: Tasting Bitterness

As we gather around the Pesach Seder plate, one item stands out: Maror, the Bitter Herbs. Why do we eat it? Why connect to the “taste of death”? Perhaps it mirrors our current reality—a world grappling with pain, discomfort, and uncertainty. We must confront bitterness head-on, just as the Israelites did when leaving Egypt.

A Cry for the Hostages

Tonight, as we partake in the Seder, we cannot ignore the plight of 133 Israeli hostages. Held captive by the terrorist organization Hamas and its proxies in Gaza, they endure unimaginable suffering. The bitter taste of their captivity lingers, and our hearts ache for their safety and immediate release.

Resilience Across Millennia

The Jewish people have thrived in the Middle East for over 4000 years. Against all odds, we persist. We chew on the bitterness of adversity until it turns sweet. Our resilience lies not in avoiding pain but in transforming it. So, this year, I refrain from wishing you a “Happy Pesach.” Instead, I pray for the freedom of the hostages—a prayer that echoes across time and space.

Amen. 🕊️

Yogini Magic

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Yogini Magic

The Sorcery, Enchantment, And Witchcraft of The Divine Feminine

By Gregory Peters

ISBN: 9781618697257

U.S. Price $24.95

When I heard about the release of Yogini Magic by Gregory Peters, I was filled with excitement and anticipation. As I was already in the process of writing my book Aromagick, I knew that Yogini Magic would provide valuable insights into the Kalas and shed light on the more enigmatic aspect of the Yoginis. My understanding of the Kalas/Yoginis was based on classical texts and Kenneth Grant’s theories on “Lunar Perfume,” as well as my own practical and intuitive experiences through meditation, dreams, and heightened sense of smell. When I finally received a copy of Yogini Magic, I was deeply immersed in my own “Kala Magic” and didn’t want any outside influences to interfere with my experiences. Thus, I decided to postpone reading it until after completing Aromagick. In the meantime, I placed Yogini Magic on my altar alongside my collection of perfumes dedicated to the Kalas I was currently working with. This allowed me to continue writing about my encounters without interruption.

It was only after reaching out to Ugraprabha that I decided to seek Gregory’s thoughts on her. My past encounters with Yoginis have shown that when you are ready, one of them will find a way to connect with you. Nityaklinna, for instance, appeared in my dreams for months before I mustered the courage to engage with her and learn from her wisdom and sorcery. Once I opened the ‘gate’ and reached out to her, other yoginis quickly followed suit (at times, it felt like a flood of them entering through the gate, which can be quite overwhelming…)

Upon meeting Ugra, I was struck by a sense of familiarity. But when I tried to connect with her sister, Ugraprabha, I was disappointed to find that we did not share the same connection. Despite my efforts to gather information about her, I came up empty-handed (perhaps due to searching in the wrong places). At times, it seemed as if she was annoyed with me for reasons unknown and other times, I felt frustrated that there was something right in front of me that I couldn’t see. In light of this, I have decided to turn to Gregory Peters’ Yogini Magic for insights on her.

As I flipped through the book, it was clear that this was a must-read for me as there were countless useful insights within its pages. In the first section, Yogini Magic delves into the origins and development of Yogini worship and lineage. With his simple and approachable writing, Gregory introduces us to The Sahaja Matrikas and explains in easy-to-understand terms the concept of Who are the Yoginis – something I had struggled with for a long time and am still learning. Chapter 4 offers practical meditation techniques and pranayama for daily use, followed by an exploration of sound sorcery in Chapter 5. Then, in Chapter 7, we are introduced to the powerful tools and energies of the Yogini stones and how to utilize them. I was particularly drawn to this concept and have already started collecting some stones myself.

In the second half of the book, we are guided through the practical use of various techniques such as sigils, day magic, and working with dreams. We also learn about opening the Yogini circle and how to approach The Crossroad in our magical practice. Each chapter offers valuable insights and leads us on a personal journey of initiation into the magic of the Yoginis.

Personally, chapter 16 and the author’s depictions of the Yoginis had a profound impact on my understanding and practice. The vivid descriptions and personal gnosis brought about by both left a lasting impression, greatly transforming my relationship with these mystical beings.

Gregory Peters’ portrayal of Ugraprabha provided the final motivation for me to complete Aromagick. In my quest for knowledge on Ugraprabha, I felt as though I was overlooking a crucial element that was right in front of me.

Gregory wrote about her “Sometimes she appears with the head of a fox…” 

For me, an initiate of the Fox Magic cult, this single sentence offers a complex understanding of the intricacies and mysteries surrounding the sorcery of the Fox, Yogini, and Lalita’s never-ending game.

Ugraprabha, an AI image inspired by Gregory Peters’ vision

Ugraprabha, an AI image inspired by Gregory Peters’ vision

Diti J Morgan is the Author of Aromagick: A Scentual Guide to The Kalas And The 8 Colours of Magick  

Wolfman Denny Sargent reviews Fox Magic

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Fox Magic – Handbook of Chinese Witchcraft and Alchemy in the Fox Tradition

Jason Read

978-1-914153-07-5 (pbk) 168pp

UK £15.00+p&p Order

USA $22.00+p&p Order

Ebook Order

Special “Altar” edition, jacketed case laminate, colour images

978-1-914153-08-2 (Jacketed cased laminate) 172pp

£30 UK Order

$40 USA Order

Fox Magick is both delightful and unusual in that it covers a fascinating and rarely discussed Fox spirit/deity rooted in China and Japan and which is honoured as both. To clarify the Fox goddess began as an animistic spirit which, in various places and forms was later also worshipped as a goddess. I am pleased to review and recommend this fascinating book because I am particularly interested in this entity because I lived in Japan for four years, studied and then wrote a book about Shinto, and became intimately familiar with the Fox spirit Kitsune and her deity form Inari Sama. 

Kitsune was seen there as Inari’s avatar or familiar but sometimes Inari appeared in the form of the nine-tailed Kitsune fox. I knew that this remarkable divine spirit had originally come from China, but knew nothing much about its origins and was delighted to get this book and learn so much more about her and her ancient origins and connections with the Taoist magick of China.

Jason Read has done an expert job walking the reader through the vast kaleidoscopic myths, legends and magical practices of the ‘Fox Magic’ cults and sorcery as well as the beliefs, myths and practices still alive today in China by a variety of sects and lineages. Spirits and deities do evolve in time and his description of this is well done and fascinating for I am a devotee of such things.

The beginning drops us right into the legends of the fox spirit in China and then offers a related segway into the fox spirit in Japan, showing one of the Inari shrines with fox guardians I know so well. As is common in Asia, such spirits and deities are not all good or all bad, and the dark fox spirits are discussed both thoroughly and in-depth as entities that can possess and manipulate people. Mr Read really dives deeply into the subject of many sorts of legends and continually broadens and organizes what is clearly his vast knowledge of the subject in a clear and interesting manner. He weaves this with his knowledge of Taoism, Chinese magic and much more. As a Tantric, I was surprised to discover that the Fox spirit originated with the Dakini which had never occurred to me! This was a fantastic and important intercultural connection and was riveting. I was also amazed by his explanation of the evolution of the fox spirit as it was elevated to being a deity, the fox goddess Hu Xian (later Hu Li Jing). As such evolution is common in Shinto and other spiritual practices. The stories about the Japanese Kitsune and the kitsunebi were familiar to me, but seeing the interconnections between earlier Chinese beliefs and their spread into Japan was particularly fascinating. Mr Read’s writing style is clear, concise, full of information and also easy to follow as he navigates complex myths, legends, practices and histories. A big plus for me were the rites and spells associated with The Fox spirit/deity in both China and Japan, all were completely new to me! This final section of the book is filled with clear, applicable and fascinating glyphs, sigils, rites and clear instructions and explanations of the various magickal systems for the working with Fox deity. I can not recommend this book highly enough and this book should become part of your library.

I am thankful to be given a chance to read and interview this book! I have recently written books on the animistic wolf spirit and its evolution into wide-ranging cults and magick and will admit that this book delighted me to no end as a fellow devotee of feral spirits and entities

Denny Sargent

www.feralmagick.com

Raised by Wolves

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Raised by Wolves a new sci-fi tv series created by Aaron Guzikowski and produced by Ridley Scott.

Starring: Amanda Collin, Abubakar Salim, Winta McGrath, Niamh Algar, Travis Fimmel

Raised by Wolves touches on a lot of issues, concepts and ideas (some might even say taboos) that are so weird we rather not think about but at the same time will raise many questions and a deeper look into the concept of distorted time and how our future actions actually affect our past. 

From the first episode, I was hypnotised by the bleak and oppressive atmosphere that was induced by the very clever use of the colour scheme of grey, dark grey, off-white and cream, even the green and the blue had a greyish effect on the viewer’s psyche. 

The idea that the future of the entire human race, is in the caring (?) hands of two very advanced and sophisticated androids (super androids?) is quite unsettling. It raises questions and awareness, about the ethics of investing in the future development of the human-like androids. At the same time, the realization and understanding that surface from our subconscious are that maybe now is the time, that we need to start getting used to these kinds of ideas and concepts. As it seems that the technology is already here. If that wasn’t enough to fill one with questions and the feeling of dread of “what is going on?” it didn’t take long before a new idea crept up to raise even more questions, adding to the overall feel of uneasiness that flows through the series. 

We learned that our future is in the hands of the super-androids, but now we know they can get hurt, badly and even bleed!  I don’t know about you, but as far as I know, or thought I knew, androids are supposed to be machines and when they get broken we either fix or scrap them. But we all know how Mr Scott works, so why do I find myself surprised and unsettled by a very damaged and bleeding android? Maybe it’s because of the whitish colour of the blood like substance that is pouring out of the body of the android that’s just been shot.

To my mind, if androids had veins, I would be expecting to see a darkish maybe even black oily substance coming out of them. After all, they are machines that run on grease and oil. But here, I think, the white substance is representing two things:

1- The white substance might symbolise that these particular androids are “creatures” of light – you will not find any bit of darkness in them, not even in their veins.

2- The white substance resembles battery acid, hence the androids run on some very advanced batteries. The battery powers the android’s nervous system, sending electric charges all over their very complex body-systems, enabling them to think and to feel?

Those of you that have read thus far probably think to themselves, that there is nothing new in these ideas, we’ve seen all before, and I agree. There is nothing new in the concept of human-android hybrid and definitely is a recurring theme in Ridley Scott films such as in Blade Runner, Alien Covenant. In the classic sci-fi TV program Battlestar Galactica, the human race faces a threat from the Cylons, which are another type of very evolved android in search of god, which brings me to the next unsettling thought that crossed my mind while watching Raised by Wolves. The mother android has been programmed to carry out a mission no matter what. It will use all its power, resources, advanced technologies, calculations and its wits (did I just say wits?) to carry out its mission to success. 

Their android technology is so advanced that at times I find myself thinking that the android really believes in its mission and that belief makes it act and behave in a certain way. It even rejects a different human belief – embracing its maker’s belief as an atheist and rejecting the belief in the all-powerful god – Sol. 

All through the series the theme of believers versus non-believers is slowly advanced as we watch our non-believer heroes beginning to accept the idea that there might be something out there, some kind of power that just might pull the strings on its behalf if they just believe in it. 

On the other side, some of our heroes from the believer’s camp are starting to realize that maybe some aspect of their belief is not acceptable and based on lies. Belief versus non-belief is, of course, the ultimate human dilemma, but now there’s a new player – an atheist programmed android that starts to believe (or is it just malfunctioning?) Throughout the episodes, we watch our heroes, both human and androids trying to understand and work through the complexities of surviving on a cold and dark planet. It gets even more complicated when the android realizes it can dream – and why not, if we go with second theory: (The white substance resembles battery acid, hence the androids run on some very advanced batteries. The battery governs the android’s nervous system, sending electric current all over their very complex body-system, enabling them to think and to feel?) so why not to dream too, deep android electric dreams. The dreams are so deep and mystical, the android becomes some kind of a seer into the future or maybe the past of humankind. 

The last episode blew my mind, the possibilities of a new theory, well new to me anyway, of where we came from and where we are going, made my head spin. And like all of this wasn’t enough, there is a serpent too. A sacred serpent. 

Many of the ideas that unsettled me are not new to sci-fi fans. The difference in Raised by Wolves is that it is done in such a brilliant way that you have to face these ideas while at the same time processing the information. With each episode, the ideas are getting more complex and presented in such a way that they seem completely real and feasible. The horrors of those ideas coming true might make some of us think that Raised by Wolves is another sci-fi horror and gore tv series, but it’s not. There aren’t any Alien type monsters and gore on this planet, and hardly any blood crazy scenes (if at all). What makes us feel this way is how we are presented with those far-out ideas and concepts.

I wish I could say some more, but then it would contain spoilers. Raised by Wolves definitely won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, and I think it might raise some questions and a few eyebrows even with hardcore sci-fi fans. I think it was great, definitely made me think and hope for a better future so we can have an even better past.

You can watch the trailer HERE