Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

I was recently speaking with a friend of mine who is still fairly new to our path. She had been reading about cardinal, fixed and mutable signs in a book, but the book had given no explanation as to what these terms actually meant in terms of astrology. I know many practitioners for whom astrology is an integral part of their everyday lives. I know others who don’t give astrology a second thought and don’t care to do so. As with so many things in our craft, choosing whether or not to weigh in on astrological matters is purely a choice of personal preference.

The word “cardinal” comes from the French word cardo, which is loosely translated to mean “a hinge” or a “pivot point.” In astrology, cardinal signs are signs that mark an integral part of something, a beginning. Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn are the cardinal signs of the zodiac. Not surprisingly, these signs are often associated with each of the four seasons. Aries corresponds to Spring, Cancer to Summer, Libra to Autumn and Capricorn represents Winter. Without the change of seasons, nature cannot grow and change as intended. Thus, these signs are the hinge upon which nature’s cycle rests. Those born under the cardinal signs have the ability to create and accomplish anything they set their minds to. Aries is a sign of enthusiasm and energy. It cannot wait to accomplish the plans of the mind, and though highly motivated, it can sometimes grow impatient due to it’s eager nature. Cancer uses the power of caring emotion to create and build. Librans are balanced and when faced with a task or project, Libra takes the viewpoints and considerations of others very seriously. Because it is an Air sign, Libra will typically use the power of language to accomplish it’s goals. Capricorn is the most practical of the cardinal signs, preferring to take a logical, down-to-earth approach to projects and tasks.

Maintaining and changing things to stay as they are is the primary concern of the fixed signs. At first glance, the terms “fixed” and “changing” may appear to present an oxymoron, but consider our bodies or a garden. If our bodies do not get the sustenance that they need, they will change into an undesirable state. The acts of eating, drinking and keeping ourselves in good health effectively “change” our bodies so that they remain as they currently are. The same can be said of a beautiful garden that is weeded, watered and tended to to keep it in its current, desirable state. The fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. Taurans are mainly concerned with stabilizing products of the self, especially material wealth. When the state of a personal accomplishment is threatened, Taurans are generally far more upset than many of the other signs. Leo is a sign of personal power, and will make changes to ensure that it’s impressive relationship with others is maintained. Scorpio is a sign of emotion. It desires to remain fixed in terms of others’ emotional reactions and will make the changes necessary to learn and understand the deepest feelings of others. Aquarians are fixed in relation to the mind and their personal beliefs. They seek to keep a stable circle of friends, and it is very difficult indeed to change an Aquarian’s mind on matters of personal ethics and morals.

The mutable signs are most comfortable when things are changing into something else. While the fixed signs will bring about their own controlled change to keep things as they are in relation to their personal needs and wants, the mutable signs are more likely to accept change and adapt their needs and wants to the changing world around them. They are concerned with moving from the end of one cycle to the beginning of another adventure. The mutable signs consist of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. Gemini is an Air sign, concerned with words and communication. They adapt rather easily to their environment and can make themselves feel comfortable in almost any situation due to their keen communication skills. The Virgo is thoughtful and analytical, often to the point of criticism. It is through the powers of careful analysis that Virgo is able to bring about an end to a previous belief, thus changing and moving to a new state of mind or being. Sagittarius is a Fire sign and is primarily concerned with the pursuit of knowledge. Thus, Sagittarians are able to bring an end to ignorance and misunderstanding in order to move to a state of knowledge and truth. Pisces is the most emotional of the mutable signs and adapts and changes by immersing itself into the “oneness” of all things, bringing an end to raw emotion based on a specific situation or state of mind.

Many witches draw upon the power of their signs’ types and elements to make spells and ritual work more powerful depending on the time the work is performed. Others use the types when deciphering a birth chart to get a more specific astrological picture of themselves. However you choose to use (or not use) astrology in your spellwork and everyday lives, the most important thing to remember is to stay true to yourself and your deepest feelings and inclinations.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”

Dear Friends,

Using a pendulum is one of my favorite forms of channeling and divination. It is very easy and requires very few tools, and can be performed by just about anyone. Using a pendulum is an excellent way to help find the answer to a particular question you may have, without having to worry about outside influences affecting your answers.

The best pendulum is made from a natural source, generally from some type of stone or crystal. You can find pendulums made from just about any type of gemstone, though there are some that work best for channeling than others. Many people prefer to use a clear quartz crystal pendulum, as this stone is a magickal all-purpose stone that can be used for just about anything. Others prefer to use a pendulum that is made from a particular stone that they enjoy, and these will also work quite well. As with any type of tool that you use for magick, as long as it feels right for you it will work powerfully.

The pendulum should hand from a chain or length of cord that is at least nine or ten inches long. You want the chain to hang long enough that you can hold the top easily, and allow it to swing freely. If you choose a pendulum with a chain, make sure the chain is made from a good conducting metal such as silver, gold, copper or brass. If you use a pendulum with a plain cord, make sure it is a fiber based cord, not anything derived from an animal such as sinew.

To use your pendulum, you will need to create a pendulum card. Your pendulum can only provide answers to basic yes or no questions, so creating a pendulum card is simple. The easiest way to make a pendulum card is to take a piece of paper, and draw a cross in the center. At the North and South points of the card, write yes. At the East and West points of the card, write no.

Feel free to personalize your pendulum card to make it more permanent or more personal. You can inscribe symbols and runes on the card to make it more powerful. For my own personal pendulum card, I used a wood burning tool to draw my Yes/No table into a piece of tree bark that spoke to me. It is a permanent card, not as easily damaged as a piece of paper, and as I created it for my own personal use, very powerful in the answers that it provides.

To use your pendulum, sit in a comfortable position with the pendulum card in front of you. Close your eyes and meditate for a few moments to completely clear your mind of all unnecessary thoughts. Ask your Deity for guidance in receiving the answers that you seek. Allow yourself to become completely calm and clear before you begin to seek your answers.

Pick up the pendulum in your dominant hand. (Right hand if you are right-handed, left hand if you are left-handed.) Allow the chain to run through you fingers, until you are holding the last few inches of the chain. There should be at least 7-8 inches of chain hanging freely. Hold the pendulum over your pendulum card, so that the tip of the pendulum is in the center of the cross.

Begin focusing on the question you seek answers for. You do not have to ask the questions out loud, though you certainly can if that feels right, but the only thoughts in your head should be about the question you have. Focus on nothing but the question.

Hold your hand still, even as you feel the weight of the pendulum begin to shift. This is the pendulum doing it’s job, providing the answers that you seek. The pendulum will begin to swing back and forth, in line with the answer it is providing. If it swings East to West, the answer to your question is no. If it swings North and South, the answer is yes. Should your pendulum start to swing in a circular motion, the answer is not yet determined. This may be because the question that you asked was too ambiguous and vague, or because you are simply not meant to know the answer at this time.

Using a pendulum can be a powerful tool for magick working. It is also a great way for building your magick working abilities. Once you become adept at using a pendulum, there are many other tasks you can perform using one such as pendulum dowsing, or using a pendulum to find lost things, all of which are skills that are learned as your talent grows.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”

Dear Friends,

Today I’m going to share with you a powerful exercise that you can perform that is not only fun, but will also help to develop your extra-sensory perception. Psychometry is a form of divination, and consists of being able to determine what an object is, simply by touching it or being near it. When you develop your skills of psychometry, you can go on to possibly develop the ability to divine information from an object and associate it with certain people or events.

Learning to psychometrize takes time and patience. Though some people certainly may have more skill in the art than others if they already have a strong extra-sensory perception, it can take weeks or even months for you to perfect the art. If at first you don’t succeed, you should definitely try and try again. Do not be ashamed or embarrassed if it takes you some time to catch on. It is perfectly natural. And please realize, if psychometry is something that you cannot perfect, it does not mean there is something wrong with you or your skills. As with any kind of talent, some people have it and some don’t. But do not give up right away and assume psychometry is out of your league. Give yourself time to practice first.

To start learning how to psychometrize, you will first need to gather some objects. You do not want to use too many at first and overwhelm yourself, about 5-10 objects will do. Find samples that are made from different substances such as wood, stone, metal, fur, leather, velvet, cotton, etc. The samples do not need to be large, in fact smaller pieces will work best. In the second part of this psychometry exercise, you will need to place these pieces into an envelope or box, so you do not want the samples to be too big.

Once you have your samples gathered, start spending some time with each peace. This is best done in a quiet environment where you will not be disturbed so that you can fully concentrate on the object. Taking only one object at a time, hold the object in your hand and give your full attention to the object. Feel the textures of the object. Envision the origins of the object into your mind. Open yourself to the energies that come from it. Spend as much time as you feel comfortable with holding each object before moving on to the next. I personally recommend breaking this part of the exercise down into a few days, spending a day with each object so that the objects energies do not become mixed and cause you to feel confusion. This may take a few weeks, but learning to psychometrize is not something that should be rushed.

After these initial weeks of becoming familiar with the objects, place each object into it’s own unlabeled envelope or box. Each envelope or box you use should be identical so that you cannot distinguish one from the other. That would be cheating! The key here is to completely make yourself unaware of which object is in the box or envelope, so that you must use your extra-sensory perception to determine which is which.

Now it is time to start experimenting. Hold each box in your hands, on concentrate on the energy of the object inside. You may start feeling certain mental “hints” that will give you a clue as to what is inside. Have a notebook handy to chart your progress. Here are my recommendations for how to accomplish this.

1. As you hold each envelope or box, once you get your impression of the object, write it down in your notebook and place the box or envelope to the side.

2. Perform the same task with the next envelope. Once you get your impression, write down what you think it is. Place the envelope or box in order next to the first one. This way, you can easily keep track of what order you opened the envelopes in.
3. Once you have went through each envelope and written down your impression, go back to the beginning and open each envelope to determine if you are correct. In your notebook, write down what the actual object is next to what your impression of the object was. This way you can chart your progress.

It can take some time before you start to see real success in your experiment, but don’t give up hope. While learning to psychometrize does take time, it is worth it in the end, as you will be building your perceptions to the world around you.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”