For more information about the Reiki Attunement Classes in the Denver Metro area and to sign up for class; please visit Better Hags & Gargoyles.

I will be providing the following Attunements this spring.

Reiki I Saturday February 11th, 2012

Reiki II Saturday March 10th, 2012

Reiki III Saturday April 14th, 2011

Please contact me in regards to Reiki Master/Teacher training.

All classes begin at 1PM and will be held in Aurora, Colorado. Be sure to bring something to drink and a pencil and paper.

Visit Better Hags & Gargoyles for more information about Reiki Attunements and feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

Deep peace……………….

Rev. Ivy Chapman

I am pleased to announce the long awaited and requested Tarot Class!

Please join us on Sunday June 26th from 1-3PM. Bring your favorite deck. You will leave class with a working understanding of how to read the cards and actually begin to make sense of the cards you are pulling!

Volunteer to be the subject of a free 10 minute Tarot Reading to assist me in demonstrating for the class, how I read the cards.

Experienced readers are welcome to attend and share their skills with us all as well. The fee for the class is $30.00 per person. Anyone younger the 15 or older than 60 may attend for free!

Please contact me with any questions. You may view my experience with the Tarot here.

Deep peace……………

Rev. Ivy Chapman

To begin; choose a magic seal for your purpose. For this example we will work with the Seal of the Sun. The Spirits of the Seal of the Sun carry the vibrations of honor and wealth.

Now you choose an auspicious time tot charge the Seal of the Sun. Full Moon,  New Moon or simply; During the waxing moon, would all be good choices. Sunday would be the best day to do your work.

Next, gather your gear. You will need; water, salt, Sun Oil, Sun Incense, and a yellow, gold or orange candle. Feel free to use any other color that is a Sun color to you. Red ink and a quill. And of course your Seal of the Sun. If you are going to place your seal in a conjure bag have it (and anything else you are going to put in there, if anything) on the altar as well.

Work where you will not be disturbed and where you will be comfortable. Begin my lighting the charcoal. Anoint your candle with the Sun Oil. Light the candle. Place the Sun Incense on the charcoal. Be sure to give the charcoal enough time to get hot or the incense will smother the charcoal. Add three measures of salt to the water. Flick the water upon the seal and say; ‘With this salt and water I cleanse thee, thou Seal of the Sun!’. Pass the seal through the incense smoke and then through the candle flame and say; ‘With this smoke and fire I do charge thee, thou Seal of the Sun!’. Anoint the seal with Sun Oil in any fashion you like and say; ‘With this oil I do bless thee, thou Seal of the Sun!’ Now hold the seal aloft and declare; ‘Be thou cleansed, charged and blessed thou Seal of the Sun!’.

Use your quill and red ink to draw a line around the seal on the front. The line that you draw will be drawn on the edge of the seal. It will encompass the seal. This line creates a boarder around front the seal. On the back of the seal you write your petition, your wish (write small). Your petition has three parts to it. First you address the power you would call upon for their assistance. Something like; ‘Great Seal of the Sun’. The second part of the petition is your request; ‘Grant me great success and prosperity!’ The third part is your signature or ‘mark’. So my seal would say something  like;

Great Seal of the Sun,

Grant me great

prosperity for ever

and a day!

Ivy

Place the seal under the candle holder and allow it to remain there until the candle has burned out.

You have now effectively charged the seal to do your work. It can be placed on your altar, carried in your wallet, placed in a conjure bag with other roots & herbs and carried with you. Or whatever. Once again let your imagination be your guide. No matter what you do with it be sure to anoint the seal or ‘feed’ your conjure bag with Sun Oil every Sunday. After a fashion the paper seal becomes permeated with the oil and changes texture as you might imagine.

If you choose to purchase Better Hags & Gargoyle’s Sun Oil & Incense, mention this blog post and I will include a Seal of the Sun with your order at no added cost to you.

Great Success to Your Work!

Rev. Ivy

What happens when the tower card comes into your life?

A complete and instantaneous change in the daily events in your life: A car wreck. A broken

foot. Extreme behavior by your loved ones or their health issues, or yours. A divorce. Getting

the opportunity (getting laid off) to look for new employment. Each of these things brings

immediate changes as to how you conduct you daily life. These are just a few of the

circumstances that, as a tarot card reader in Denver,  I have come across when the Tower

is active in someone’s life.

Why does the Tower come?

To shake the very roots of your soul. To call you into action. The Tower is represented by the

element of fire. Fire can also relate to ‘spirit’.  Your spirit. Your soul. If you are not

walking your life’s true path the Tower card is there to rock your world.  Fire is also

cleansing. The Tower can destroy that which is no longer of use, by fire. Harsh, but so

effective. The Tower forces you into attention.

So how does one deal with the rigors of the Tower Card?

I have found that being active and doing magick is empowering for me. So, I take

responsibility for my life and I actively participate in getting back on course.

I ground myself. I protect me and mine. I resolve to remain flexible and creative.

Ground & Center

I ground myself first so that I am clear on the situation(s) at hand. Rushing into magick is

never a good idea. These things take time. So a hot salt water bath is in order. I use Dragon’s

Blood bath salts. This bath has a two-fold purpose. First, to cleanse the body before

entering into sacred space. Second, to set the tone for the rite. This bath can be as elaborate

or as simple as you like. Let your imagination be your guide.

How to do protection magick.

I love candle magick! It is so empowering to me to call the elements into a cleansed and

blessed space and work my magick!  I believe you will find it to be so as well.

I use the color blue for protection. (You use the color that seems appropriate for you.) A

crayola blue, not too light and not too dark. There are many different scents that can be used

in for protection. I choose to use Dragon’s Blood Oil to anoint the candle before I light it.

And I burn Dragon’s Blood Incense (just a pinch) on charcoal to fill the space with the

vibration of protection. Why do I use Dragon’s Blood above all others for protection magick?

Imagine if you will the power and the force behind a fire breathing dragon! The dragon fears

nothing!  Just like us after we have finished our spell of protection. Now I focus my attention

on the candle flame. I see in my mind’s eye the protective armor of the dragon’s skin forming

an orb around me that is translucent. I can see through the dragon scales of protection. But

naught can penetrate the scales of the dragon without my permission! Only love and light may

pass into the orb. As I bask in the protection of the orb of dragon skin I have created around

me, I can then feel the protection of the dragon itself. I sit and relish in the protection I

have manifested for myself. I stay as long as I wish.

To keep the protection with me I wear the Dragon’s Blood Oil and I place the wax left from

the candle I burned in a conjure bag for protection with other roots and items of

protection. I anoint the bag with the Dragon’s Blood Oil and I charge the bag with

Dragon’s Blood Incense. I carry this bag with me until I feel the need for protection

has passed. Does this seem too simplistic for you? Then by all means, beef it up! However,

if you are new to spell casting, this will fill your plate.

Remain flexible & be creative.

Remember; the changes you have to face are not the focus of the Tower Card. The focus is the

spiritual transformation that the changes of the Tower Card bring. The aftermath of the Tower

Card is likened to the plight of the Phoenix; it is not about the consumption of one’s self

bursting into flames. It is about rising again from the ashes of seeming destruction and

becoming more beautiful, more full of grace, more of who you are meant to become. Much

better than you were before the process began. The same, but, more marvelous than you

were before the total destruction of life as you knew it.

Each spell I cast is different from the last. Each spell is unique.

When anointing your central altar candle for your rites always begin in the middle. At the center of the candle make one full circle around it with your finger that has your oil of purpose on it. Then, anoint the top of the candle by moving your oiled finger around it in a circle. The bottom of the candle is anointed the same as the top. Then anoint the top half of the candle. Start in the middle at the spot where you began and make upward strokes, As Above, until the whole top half of the candle has oil on it. Move to the bottom half of the candle. Start where you began in the middle and make downward strokes, So Below, along the candle with your finger that has oil on it. Now your candle has been anointed and is ready to be lit.

About the Candle

The candle represents all four of the elements when it is burning:
It may be made of many different types of waxes; earth.
Once lit; fire.
As it burns it releases smoke; air.
& as it melts; water.

Choose your candle color by your purpose.

Personal Power – Purple
Health – Yellow (sun) or Pink (healthy tissue)
Prosperity – Gold or Green
Love – Red (sexual) or Pink (friendship)
Home & Hearth – Brown
Spiritual – White, Silver or any of the pastels
Protection – Blue
Scrying – Dark Blue or Dark Purple
To Attract – Orange
To Repel – Black

 Obtain a container made of any material you like & fill the bottom with unscented cat litter, dirt or ashes. This provides the necessary insulation that will prevent the heat of the charcoal from breaking your incense burner & marring the surface of the table it’s on. The charcoal becomes extremely hot.

Hold the charcoal tablet with a pair of tweezers & light it. A lighter is very handy because you only need one hand to strike it. Hold the edge of the tablet over the flame. It will begin to spark after a moment, just like a sparkler on the 4th of July. Watch it closely because it must sparkle completely across the whole charcoal tablet. It is often necessary to light the charcoal 3 or 4 times. Once you have accomplished this allow the tablet to burn for 3 to 5 minutes before placing the incense upon it. Placing the incense upon it too soon will smother the charcoal.

When burning Better Hags & Gargoyles incenses inside, use only a small amount at a time. The incenses do not contain fillers so you are burning herbs, roots, barks, resins, oils and other materials that smoke when burning & may smolder quite nicely. You might even want to open a window before you begin your rite. 

Store unused charcoals that have been open in an airtight container. They absorb moisture from the air and can be quite difficult, if not impossible to light if they have been left out for too long.

Light the charcoal at the very beginning of your rite. Getting it lit is often a ritual unto itself!

Much Success to Your Workings!

Ivy

I am so happy to announce that I have a beautiful new web site up and running! And the e-store will be coming up next! Please share in my excitement and visit http://betterhagsandgargoyles.com.

Brightest of Blessings!
Rev. Ivy

From the first moment that you begin to think about the work that you would like to do, the spell has begun. It is very important that you are specific in your request and very clear on what it is that you want. Do you want your most perfect life’s mate or maybe you just want your perfect lover? Can you see the difference? Are you working toward the most perfect career for yourself? Or simply a job? Is it money you need or are you after prosperity? The wording of your request must be clear. Your request will be answered quite literally. Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it!

Your request has been formulated. When will you do the work? As they say, “It’s all in the timing.” Works of gain and increase are done during the waxing moon. Works to rid ones self of something are done during the waning moon. Hummm… Waxing, waning. What’s that all about? Are you sure you are ready?

Will you be taking a ‘ritual bath’ before casting the spell? Will you cast a circle to protect yourself during your spell casting? Or not? What magickal supplies will you use? Will you invoke the Gods for assistance? What color candle will you use? How do you safely burn a candle all the way down without worrying about burning the house down!? What will you do with all the stuff that remains after the spell casting is completed?

I bring all of these questions up because it seems to me that having just the recipe for the spell casting is not enough. One also needs to have the instructions. I can tell you the ingredients in one of my essential oil blends, but unless you have the proportions, the likelihood of you being able to duplicate the scent is slim at best. The same is true for casting a spell.

Make your choices wisely. Go step by step. Do your research. Gather the things you will need to get the work done. And for impeccable guidance on these decisions and any other questions about spell casting, I am available by appointment for spell casting consultations.

May the Fates Smile Favorably on all of Your Spell Castings!

Ivy

After discovering myself to be on the receiving end of a spell, I was utterly aghast. I went through the gamut of feelings; surprise, astonishment, disbelief, denial, anger. I became indignant. Do I retaliate?

The experience, albeit distasteful, was one of the greatest learning experiences of my life. It forced me to come into alignment with what type of magick I was willing to do, for myself, or for someone else. 

What I discovered was this; unless I know the stories of all of the sides of a situation, I will never act. And the chances of knowing all the sides to a story are slim at best. The caveat of this of course (for me) is protection for me and my loved ones. The Goddess has granted us the knowledge of magic so that whenever we need something ‘once a month and better it be when the moon is full’ we ask the Goddess for Her assistance. And it is our Goddess given right to protect ourselves. So, here we are aware of the fact that we will never really have full disclosure of a situation.

The Wiccan Rede talks about harming none. For any one who has not come across the Wiccan Rede before it goes like this:

Abide by the Wiccan Law you must:

In perfect love and perfect trust.

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:

An Ye harm none do what you will.

How can I possible know what harm I am doing, or good, unless I have complete disclosure. Also, what I think might be mild or ‘ethical’ magickal practices may appear to the recipient of such actions, quite differently. This is a consideration because of the Law of Three Fold Return: What you send out returns back to you three times as strong as it was sent out. I took it quite hard when I became aware of the spell that I was the recipient of. So my reaction, through no action of my own, will return to the sender three fold, simply by the Law of Three Fold Return. So wisdom tells me I have no reason to retaliate. What goes around comes around.

Here is another example; so, your neighbor is very ill. You really like your neighbor and you decided to do healing work for them. Your spell works! In no time at all they are up and about. What have you really done? Have you interfered with your neighbor’s karma? What if it was their choice, prior to this existence, to come into this life to overcome this severe illness? Have you harmed them? It appears you have helped. Did you disrupt their karmic path? They did not overcome the illness on their own. Will they get sick again or have to recover from an accident or something worse? And, how will this return to you?

Now what if your neighbor asked you for assistance? The simple act of the request for healing by the neighbor is the neighbor overcoming the illness on their own. Then if you choose, it is perfectly fine for you to assist. But without the request you never really know what is going to be the result of your work. Or how it will return to you.

So, as I was taught, I do teach here. Never do magick on anyone without their request. This for your own protection.

So you say, “Well, I will just go ask my neighbor if they want me to do the healing work for them”. Here we come to the fine line. You need a request. Not an answer to your imposing question. What can you do? The only strict ethical thing would be to let your neighbor know that you can do healing work. Not offer. Then wait for the request. This way the neighbor influences their own karma without your interference.

There are many different schools of thought on this subject. What I have described here are my ‘default settings’ if you will. Circumstances are many and varied. What are your magickal ‘default settings’?

I welcome your comments.

Ivy

Whenever you have need of anything, once a month, and better it be when the Moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place and call upon the spirit of me who is Queen of all the Witches. And to those who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet not won its deepest secrets; I will teach thee things that are yet unknown. And you shall be free from slavery and as a sign that you are truly free, ye shall be naked in your rite; dance, sing, feast, make music and love all in my name. For Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine is also joy on earth. My law is love unto all beings. Keep pure to your highest ideals: strive ever toward them. Let naught turn you aside, for Mine is the secret door which opens upon youth. And Mine is the cup of Life; the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of immortality. I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the hearts of all. Upon earth I give the gift of the knowledge of spirit eternal and beyond death I give peace, freedom and reunion with those who have gone on before. Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for I am the Mother of all things and My love is poured out upon the Earth.

Hear the word of the Star Goddess;  the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, whose body encircles the universe: “I am the beauty of the green Earth and the white Moon among the stars and the mysteries of  the waters. I call upon thy soul to arise and come unto Me, for I am the soul of nature who gives life to the universe. From Me all things proceed and to Me all things must return. Before My face, beloved of Gods and humans, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the Infinite. Let My worship be within the heart that rejoices, for all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. Therefore, let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And to you who think to know Me, know that your seeking and yearning shall avail thee not, unless you know the Mystery: If that which you seek, you find not within thy self, you shall never find it without. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning and I am that which is attained at the end of Desire.

Original author – Doreen Valiente