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The Kabbalistic Secrets of Candle Magic

June 5, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

I did not intend to restart the “Cosmic Weather Forecast” in the portion that involves candles and lighting the candelabra, yet I was rather amused that this (Beha’lota’cha) is the Kabbalistic portion of the week. I suppose being the co-creator of a magical candle line the understanding of how candle magic works is an important metaphysical philosophy to me. Despite our modern attempts at sanitization and simplification, candle magic is a powerful tool that can be used to link us directly with the light of the creator.

Although the modern translation of Beha’lota’cha is “when you light the candles” the word actually means “to elevate”. Elevate is a word in English which means “to rise”. Many people believe spiritual elevation simply means the internal change we go through in the process of our journey. However, the kabbalistic mystics disagreed and believe that true elevation are those times when we “instantly” get it, and begin to see reality in a different way. Often these are the moments when we truly are “connected” to the light force of God.

There is an interesting discussion that occurs in this week’s Zohar, which I spent a lot of time meditating on. I suppose with all the talk in the media over the “Rapture” that occurred last month, and its connection to the “world to come,” I found it rather interesting that this phrase appeared in this week’s Zohar portion. Religion interprets the “world to come”, as what occurs after we leave this particular life time. However, what would be the purpose of experiencing the “world to come” if we are not experiencing it during this lifetime?

What does this “world to come” really mean? To fully understand this we have to travel back to the beginning – as in Genesis! Why? So we can understand the concept of cause and effect.

It surprises me the number of people that are not aware that the book of Genesis has two creation stories! The first creation story is when God created the heavens and the earth, and everything that walks upon it. If you read the story, you will see that everything is instantaneous. God creates and it instantly appears. There is no separation between cause and effect! This means that the results of our actions were immediate, because time in the first creation myth really does not exist. Unfortunately, this also limited freedom of choice. The sages are very clear when they talk about the first creation that the limits upon our freedom of choice prevented us from earning what we were receiving from Light which caused ‘Bread of Shame’. In essence, ‘Bread of Shame’ is when we receive something that we did not merit, and ultimately holds little or no value to us.

In the second creation story of Genesis 2 reveals the spiritual elements that were created that allow us to grow, change, and earn the light we are receiving. These spiritual elements are time, space, and motion. Simply put, if we decide to perform an action the results of our actions are not always instantaneous, which creates a space. So, if we decide to take a higher spiritual path often the results of our positive actions are not immediate. This leads us to question our actions, and we will fill the space with either positive or negative thoughts. For example, say you begin a new business endeavor and you do everything right – the correct marketing, you communicate and networking with others, and you do everything you are supposed to do to make your business grow. However, you cannot see any results. This created space becomes an opening for our negative thoughts to begin to creep in. We begin to question why we are doing it, and whether or not we made the right decision. We begin to seek advice from others, and in many cases become fearful of failure or anxiety.

Let’s put this into a formula: CAUSE+SPACE = EFFECT

We decide to take an action, and immediately a space is created. We will attempt to fill a spiritual void or a space with something – whether that be the positive or negative. What comes after the space? The results! So, according to the kabbalistic mystics the “world to come” is the world of results (the effect of our cause).

Let’s revise the formula: CAUSE+SPACE = EFFECT = WORLD TO COME

So, I am sure you are wondering how this connects to candle magic? In order to understand this we have to change our perception of spiritual tools (whether they are tarot, astrology, a cross, an ankh, or a candle). We need to view them as tools for us to connect with the life force of the creator. According to the sages, candles allow us to fill the space with an intention (prayer/petition) that brings about the desired effect. Through this process we then control the results of the world to come.

Astrological Guide:

Good Days: June 7, June 8, and June 9
Challenging Days: June 5, and June 10

Storm Cestavani — June 4, 2011

The 12 Days of Yule: Day 12 — Everything That Has a Beginning Comes To an End

January 1, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

Can you believe it? We are on the 12^th Day of the 12 Days of Yule! What an interesting and amazing journey it has been. I first want to thank all of the people that participated, and I hope that this has been a rather insightful experience for you. Understanding the workings of our unconscious is the first step to making lasting change in our lives. Doing these simple exercises of self-reflection will get you started on a powerful New Year that you can manage in a more effective and productive way.

Today, we focus on letting go of the past. What past? Your past! As 2010 draws to a close it is time for us to dump our attachments to the particular experiences of the year that have left us stuck, frustrated, and out of sorts. I know, easier said than done! However, perfection is not necessary – only the willingness to let things go. Whether your issues were financial, career, or relationship oriented now is the time to let go of the past and prepare for the new.

Activity 12:

Write down the issues that you wish to let go of from the past on your Yule page.

Get out your decks. Shuffle the cards thoroughly and ask the following question, “How can I best let go of circumstances that I may have attachments to from the past?” Fan out your cards in front of you, and select one card from the deck.

The card that I drew from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot is Faith.

First, I found it interesting that both of the cards from our last Beyond Tarot intensive on Beyond Worlds appeared in my spread. The Faith card in most Tarot decks is called “The Hierophant” – it is also one of the most difficult cards because of its pseudo religious connotation. For many it brings issues surrounding religious dogma and the abuses of religious authority. Thankfully, I have always seen this card as a need to study or become educated about the mysteries of life and the laws that govern the physical universe.

Personally, one of the ways for me to let go of the past is for me to concentrate on my faith and my spiritual work. I made a decision several weeks ago that I want to focus more on the connection between Tarot and Kabbalah in 2011, and my pulling this card was the universe giving its blessing.

What card did you draw?

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Faith from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot is Courtesy of Llewellyn

The 12 Days of Yule: Day 11 — Honor Thy Inner Parent With Reservation

December 30, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Are we a culture that just does not like authority? Or has authority got it wrong so many times that we have an innate tendency to view them negatively? These were questions that came up for me as I was preparing for Day 11 of the 12 Days of Yule. It appears that many views (at least from the metaphysical perspective) consider any ruling authority or ruling concept as limiting, constrictive, rigid, and dogmatic. So, attempting to work with the content today has been a task.

Yesterday we explored our inner child and how to energize that archetype in our lives. Today, we will explore the Inner Adult, another area in transactional analysis that needs to be healed for many people. This is a trying concept because we tend to put the clothes of our parents on the Inner Parent. If you had a good relationship with your parents then you will probably evoke the Wise Old Man or the Crone. If you had a negative relationship with your parents then most likely the Synex or Dark Mother will be activated. However, our inner parent is something inside of us – and he or she is a positive force that helps us make constructive decisions about our future. At times the Inner Parent has to put some restrictions on the Inner Child (which often the Inner Child then acts like an Inner Spoiled Brat), but they are a pair and we have to give life to both of them.

Activity 11

Get out your deck. Shuffle your cards thoroughly and ask the following question, “How do I best activate my Inner Parent?” Fan the cards out and select one from the deck.

The card that I drew from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot is The Queen of Coins.

In my astrological system for Tarot, I equate the Queen of Coins with the sign of Taurus. She is stubborn, steadfast, able to do business with a single bound, and has the discipline to be able to stay focused. My inner child card The Chariot says to use the power of my will to push forward with all the activities I have before me, but the Queen of Coins requires me to do it in a stable and structured way. I really like the energy of these two cards together, and am rather pleased and excited that I drew them.

What card did you draw?

The Queen of Coins from Legacy of the Divine Tarot is courtesy of Llewellyn

The 12 Days of Yule: Day 10 — Energize Your Inner Child

December 30, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

During the 1970’s, the initial steps of analytical psychology merging with pop culture began with the advent of transactional analysis. The recovery movement quickly jumped on the “band wagon” addressing new concepts such as codependency and adult child issues. The movement gave birth to noted authors such as Melody Beattie, Ernie Larsen, John Bradshaw, Alice Miller, and Pia Melody.

One of the most written about subjects in transactional analysis was the inner child. The inner child is all of the emotional experiences that we have stored in our brain from our earliest memory. The main question that emerged was whether or not we all had been damaged by our childhood? There have been numerous books written about it, and the recovery movement believes that healing the inner child IS paramount for long term recovery.

The archetype of the inner child has morphed over the last 40 years, and has worn many sets of clothes. However, its essence has remained the same. The problem that I see with this archetype is that we have spent years attempting to heal the inner child, but little time actually letting him or her play. I will be the first to admit I spend way too much time working (my comfort zone), and not enough time playing. Yet, it is necessary to give life to the inner child in some form of constructive way in order to live a well-rounded life.

Activity 10:

Get out your deck of tarot cards. Shuffle them thoroughly, and ask yourself the following question, “What is the best way for me to energize my inner child?” Fan the cards out and draw one.

The card I drew from The Legacy of the Divine Tarot is The Chariot.

One of the easiest ways for me to energize my inner child is possibly through my work. I like to work hard and then when that is done I like to work even harder. Could the power of my will to push forth many of the creative projects I am working on access this energy? In addition, The Chariot refers to harnessing two different pairs of opposites – which in this case are work and play. A likely remedy would be infusing my work with creative play and excitement giving birth to both worlds.

What card did you pull?

The Chariot from Legacy of the Divine Tarot is courtesy of Llewellyn.

The 12 Days of Yule: Day 9 — Receiving Blessings!

December 29, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

We are heading into the homestretch of the 12 Days of Yule! I cannot believe how fast this has gone; it seems like only yesterday that I wrote my first post. Over the past 2 days we have focused on blessings – how we can count our blessings and how we can be a blessing to others. Today, we will discuss how we can receive blessings.

I must admit that this is extremely difficult. Many people do not like to feel obligated to others, and as such do not receive many of the blessings that the light bestows upon them. It brings up tons of issues; especially our questioning the motives of other people. In some cases, motivations need to be questioned. However, in other cases we are preventing good intentioned people from being a blessing to us.

Let’s face it – everyone has motivations no matter how good intentioned they are. Some of our motivations are unconscious. They key is developing boundaries that prevents you from feeling uncomfortable with the person attempting to be a blessing. When all else fails remember that a person’s past behavior is an indication of the way that they will behave in the future.

Activity 9:

Get out your tarot deck. Shuffle your cards thoroughly and ask yourself the following question, “How do I best receive blessings from others?” Fan your cards out and draw a card.

Using the Legacy of the Divine Tarot I pulled The Queen of Cups.

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If you listen to my radio shows (Psychic Friends Live and Beyond Worlds) you know that this is my least favorite card in the deck. Although beloved by many tarot readers as the compassionate, loving, nurturing, and caring Queen, I must admit that I question her motivations entirely whenever I am doing a reading that she appears. However, the cards are directing me to integrate some of her qualities into my personality in order to allow other people to be a blessing to me. It could reflect my need to be sensitive to other people’s desire to give or to go with the flow rather than intellectually analyzing everything. After all, part of the circuitry of love is receiving love back from others.

What card did you draw?

The Queen of Cups from The Legacy of the Divine Tarot is courtesy of Llewellyn.

The 12 Days of Yule: Day 8 — Becoming Blessings!

December 28, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Yesterday, we looked at the blessings in our life. Did you realize the many ways you are blessed? Today, we are going to look at something radically different! How can we be agents of blessings for others?

Activity 8:

Get out your tarot deck and shuffle the cards thoroughly. Ask the cards the following question, “how can I be a blessing to others”. Fan out the cards and select one.

The card that I pulled from The Legacy of the Divine Tarot is the Three of Cups.

This is a very interesting card because the three of cups has to do with marriages, relationships, and celebrations. In most decks, usually there is more than 1 person in the card implying the social factor of the 3 of cups.

I played around with many of the keywords while I was shoveling through 2 feet of snow. I stuck with the word celebration, and realized that the card was telling me to celebrate other people’s ideals, their individuality, their creativity, and attempt to nurture them on their journey. In other words, help others celebrate their personal victories.

So today, I am celebrating you my readers! What card did you pull?

The Three of Cups from Legacy of the Divine Tarot is courtesy of Llewellyn