Séances , Ouija boards & Tarot cards: What's up with that!

© Copyright 2006 http:// www.Occultresearch.org/ - occult, cults, witchcraft & black magic - All rights reserved. Séances and Ouija boards are a form of black magic and witchcraft which are a method of divination involving the summoning of the dead in order to gain information about future or past events. Séances involve the use of a medium, which is the person who will go into a trance like state and then invoke spirits of the dead and open a channel of communication with them.Séances are usually held in a darkened room with the participants being seated around a table holding hands. During the séance, the table can tilt and move slightly and a breeze can often be felt when the presence of the spirit is said to be in the room, some say these are all tricks by the medium and associates.

When the spirit of the dead person is within the room they will then speak through the medium and questions can be asked, very often people will go to a medium and request that they speak with loved ones who have departed.

Another popular method of communication with the dead is by use of a Ouija board where people will place their fingers lightly on a planchette on a board with letters of the alphabet, once the spirit has been raised then questions are asked by the medium and the planchette will begin to form letters on the board resulting in answers.

Belief in communication with the dead stems back to the 1820`s and was widely known as a form of sorcery and witchcraft, it is a form that is still practiced today and many sceptics regard mediums and séances as nothing more than scams.

Channelling during the séance

Channelling is a very common practice to the séance and is the practice of allowing the spirit to enter the body of the medium in order for it to be able to communicate with those present. This process is thought to be entirely different from that commonly known as possession, possession is said to be the non-consensual take over of a persons body by a malevolent spirit or demon.

Channelling involves welcoming the spirit of the dead into the body for the sole purpose of gaining information and interaction between the living and the dead. The physical manifestations of the channelling is the onset of an unusual voce and uncharacteristic behaviour of the medium, due to the nature of this, this is why so many people are sceptical as to how genuine séances are.

Sceptics believe that, as the bereaved are so emotional over the loss of their loved ones they can easily be tricked into giving information before the ritual which the medium then uses to their advantage during the séance.

Very often, the bereaved will clutch at any straw and if they believe they have a chance of speaking with their loved one for one last time then they take it with open arms and wallets. How genuine séances and Ouija boards are is something that has been debated for many years and will continue to be debated and regarded with scepticism for some time to come.Tarot cards

The exact origins of the tarot cards are unknown but they are thought to closely resemble a pack of cards which were used to play a game in 15th century Italy where the cards were known as tarocchi. How exactly tarot cards came to be used for divination is unclear but as early as 1540 drawings show simple cards being drawn and used as methods of divination or fortune telling.
The tarot deck

The typical deck of tarot cards holds 78 cards and are in two distinct parts, the first part is called the trump cards and these consist of 21 cards without suits, with the addition of a 22nd card which is called the fool. These cards are known as the major arcana or greater secrets; the second part consists of 56 cards which are divided into 4 suits of 14 cards in each.

In the traditional Italian card deck, they were known as swords, batons, coins and cups but decks that are more modern call the baton suit rods or staves while the coins suit is called pentacles or disks. These cards are known as minor arcana or lesser secrets.

The use of the tarot cards

In most parts of the world, the tarot deck is widely used as a form of divination or as a tool for assessing the unconscious. The cards are shuffled as a deck and then dealt out in various formations or patterns; they are often thought to show a persons thoughts or desires. The cards can be used to show events that have happened in the past, present or future and are able to give answers to questions regarding uncertainties and indecision.

Each card in the deck has a variety of meanings which have varied widely throughout the years and many decks are customized for a particular person’s use, the kings, queens, pages and knights signify different people in the readings of the cards and each suit can provide information about the person’s attitude, emotional state and physical characteristics.

Scepticism of tarot readings

Many religious groups oppose the use of tarot cards because of their association with divination and fortune telling and consider them a form of witchcraft, many sceptics also oppose the readings of the tarot deck and believe that readers mislead their clients and exploit vulnerable people. These people often come to depend on the tarot reader and return on a regular basis for help with problems of course at great expense. The witches' pentacle

The pentacle has long been thought of as a symbol of witchcraft, the pentagram dates back over 8,000 years and is said to represent an ancient philosophical concept both in the east and in west and is the most misunderstood and stigmatized of all symbols.For the modern pagans of today the five points of the pentacle symbolize the four directions with the fifth as the sanctity of the spirit, with the circle symbolising unity and wholeness. The pentacle is used and is one of the most powerful symbols, by those involved in ceremonial magic and Wicca, in magic the shape of the pentacle is draw in the air with a sacred blade.

Altars feature a pentacle in the form of a flat disc and are widely used as a tool in rituals and are featured on many tools such as cauldrons, chalices or the handles of daggers.

Spells and invocations are often repeated 5 times to ensure the effectiveness of the spell and many pagans wear the sign of the pentacle for protection and to show others that they are involved in the practice of magic and divine wisdom.

The pentagram is used the world over and has been recognised as a sacred symbol since ancient times with almost all cultures having some form of five folds symbol which bears significance to religion.

The elements of the pentacle

When the pentacle is drawn or written, it is called a pentagram and was originally made from clay or dough but today pentacles are more often found crafted in metals such a copper, brass and silver or gold. Many witches wear the pentacle as a sign or their religion and when made out of silver it is said to represent the moon energy.

It is widely used in the practice of magic and is used to either invoke or banish energies when draw certain ways, the simplest of these magic spells will usually involve the use of a candle placed on the points. Each of the five angles on the pentagram are said to represent the five metaphysical elements and these are:

* Earth – this is the lower left hand corner and represents stability and physical endurance.

* Fire – the lower right hand corner and which represents courage and daring.

* Water – the upper right hand corner which represents intuition and the emotions.

* Air – the upper left hand corner which represents the arts and intelligence.

* Spirit – the topmost point which represents the divine.

The circle which encloses the points is thought to represent God or Goddess which brings protection and gives the wearer universal wisdom. The pentagram dates back to pre-Babylonian times and is used by many people in many different cultures and has slightly different meanings to each religion. Pagan cults & evil practices

The origins of witchcraft date back to times when drawings were found in caves revealing that from the beginning of time magic rituals involving animals, birth and death have been associated with evil doing and witchcraft. Tribes and communities each had their own form of leader such as high priest or priestess, sorcerer or wizard or witch.
The sole functions of these were to assist the tribe or village with weather conditions causing poor crops, disease, wars, birth and deaths. Many of these practices involved the use of elaborate rituals or ceremonies and included the use of certain objects and plants which had carefully been passed down over time.

It was the Romans who associated Christians with magic and witchcraft believing them to take part in rituals involving sexual orgies, worshipping a god who had the head of an ass and who were said to make sacrifices using babies.

The empress Theodora ordered the death of over one hundred thousand members of what was believed to be a sect or cult, however after the 6th and 7th centuries were past the witch hunts died down and there were only a handful of executions for practicing witchcraft until the beginning of the 12th century.

When the church became the official cult in Europe, the Christian monks and priests began trying to eradicate any religion or belief that wasn’t Christian or part of the churches beliefs. Witches and wizards became sworn enemies of the church and those who followed Christian beliefs; it was the theologians of the Middle Ages who created the appalling witch massacres that occurred in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.

The popular image of the devil or Satan as being horned with the hoofs of a goat was brought about by the early missionary church of the European horned god who was known in Greece as pan, to the Nordic people as Thor and to the ancient Gauls as cernununos.

The Jewish and Muslim religions were also considered as demons and heretics as these too opposed the church and their beliefs, as were the pre Christian cults of South America and India. Christianity was therefore imposed upon the world and it is thought that only by sheer force on such a scale has the church maintained its dominance on religion for so many centuries.

Interesting facts

* A study into the victims of witch trials has shown that among the poor people, rich people were also condemned as witches; it was so easy to accuse and destroy reputations as tangible proof was claimed for the evidence of witchcraft. It is thought that very often jealousy and rivalry were the prime motives for making accusations.

* Over 90% of all people accused during the witch-hunts were woman and many of these were old women, it is thought that the church believed that the devil could easily seduce women into joining him and so they were persecuted on this belief alone.

* The church itself used witchcraft in major accusations against other religions and followers of those religions, the albigensians of France were drowned in their own blood on the orders of pope innocent III. When King Philip le bel of France tried to take over the vast knight’s templar wealth and dispose of his allies the templar’s were captured and tortured.

They subsequently confessed to worshipping an idol by the name of bapomet who was said to take on the form of a cat. Perhaps the most famous was Joan of ark who it was thought became such a political threat to the hierarchy of power and being a woman, she was accused and burnt as a witch. What are Runes?

Runes are connected to witchcraft and they are a tool used in divination and magic which have been used throughout Europe, Scandinavia, the British Isles and Iceland from around 100 b.c.e. They are used as an oracle for seeking advice and are said to work best on asking a specific question once having given details of the circumstances, although the outcome is sometimes questionable and unclear.The runes at best will point you in the right direction but you will have to conclude the answer yourself from the information they give you and figure out exact details yourself, there is never a clear cut and dry answer to your problems.

However, rune casting or runic divination as it is called is not a way of fortune telling but rather a way of analyzing the particular path you are on and what the outcome is likely to be. The word rune means mystery or secret and each rune has a special meaning and properties associated with it, each of them translates into a word or phrase that has a special meaning representing the forces of nature and the mind and each is associated with a Norse god.

The runes were also used as a method of writing and first made their appearance among German tribes in central Europe, it is thought that some of the rune symbols may have come from other languages such as Greek and early roman. Inscriptions on the runic stones have been dated as far back as the 3rd century AD though it is thought that they existed a long time before then.

How to read runes

By far the simplest way of reading runes is to use the one rune method, after you have cleared your mind of all other thoughts ask the question in mind, concentrating on it. When you have concentrated on your question and you feel the time is right take just one rune from your bag and from this stone, you will gather information relating to the question at hand, what you make of this information is entirely up to you.

If you think that more information is needed then you can take three runes instead of just the one from the bag, you will deduct information from the first rune regarding the circumstances of your question.

The second rune will give you an indication of the route you should take and the third is the likely outcome should you choose to go with the action. This of course is only a very brief glimpse of casting runes and there are several books and websites you can read should you wish to delve deeper into the magic of runes. The tradition of Halloween

When we think of Halloween, we think of pumpkins, candy, tricks and treats and of course witches, with the witches costume being the most popular of all costumes when Halloween comes around. The number one place to be at Halloween is of course Salem, Mass in the U.S.A where the famous Salem witch trials took place, but you have to book early. We know that Halloween is all about trick or treating and carving pumpkins but how did all this start and what does Halloween symbolise?
The ancient origins of Halloween

Halloween actually dates back to the ancient festival of samhain, 2,000 years ago, the Celts lived in a small town called Ireland in the United Kingdom and New Year was celebrated on November 1st. summer ended and the harvest traditionally began on this day and it was the beginning of the cold, dark winter months. This was the time that the Celts associated with death and believed that the night before New Years Eve was when the boundary between those dead and living were crossed.

On the night of Oct 31st, the Celts celebrated samhain, as they believed that this was the time the ghosts of the dead walked the earth. These spirits were said to help the Celtic priests predict the future so to mark this event they built huge bonfires where people gathered to sacrifice crops and small animals to the Celtic deities. During these celebrations, the people wore costumes usually consisting of animal skins and heads.

By A.D 43, the Romans had conquered the majority of the Celtic territory and over the course of 400 years; they ruled the land of the Celts. When this happened, two major festivals of the Romans were combined with the samhain celebration, the first of the roman celebrations was called feralia which was a day in late October and the second was to honour the roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of this was the apple and this probably explains why we hold the tradition of bobbing the apple on Halloween.

Today Halloween is celebrated in several countries around the world, some countries however celebrate it on different days in Mexico and Spain the day is called El Dia De Los Muertos which means all souls day and is celebrated on Nov 2nd. In Ireland where it all began, the celebration still takes place and bonfires are still lit as they were originally and children will get dressed up in costumes and go trick or treating. The practice of obeah

Obeah or obi as it is sometimes called is a form of witchcraft that is practiced mainly in the West Indies, it is primarily practiced in Jamaica, the Virgin Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago and is similar to voodoo or hoodoo. The practice of obeah is thought to be both black and white magic and is associated with luck, charms and mysticism.
Obeah in Jamaica

The West African Ashanti tribe called priests who practiced sorcery or magic "myal men" or "obeah men", which is the word they use for sorcery. Obeah also has another meaning when linked with magic; it means a charm or talisman that was used for evil magic. Despite obeah being linked with black magic, it is also considered to be a good form of magic which is practiced for healing, bringing luck and good fortune.

During the 19th century, some people believed that the obeah men would come and steal their shadows and these people were then coerced into helping the obeah men with the hope of having their shadows restored. During this period, the British government of Jamaica sent myal men to prison but obeah remained a vital form of black magic.

Obeah in the Virgin Islands

Perhaps the most famous form of obeah that we are all familiar with if we have visited the Virgin Islands is the mocko-jumbie or the stilt dancer. Obeah tradition in the virgin islands proclaim that a jumbie is a lost or evil spirit and is thought to be related to the word nzumbi or as we more commonly know them zombies.

However as dark as the word suggests a jumbie might be they are totally opposite and wear brightly coloured clothing, they dance during the daylight hours and stilt dancing is very popular at holidays and at carnivals.

Obeah and wanga

The wanga is associated with obeah and it is a small magical charm packet which is used in the practice of black magic in Haiti, it is a form of magic that is associated with voodoo. Wanga is also known as mojo, toby and jomo, it is usually a drawstring bag in which a charm is held and is worn under the clothing.

They are thought to hold supernatural powers and can protect the wearer from harm and evil, they are also used in the casting of evil spells with the intent to harm others, usually something relating to the person such as a lock of hair or fingernail clippings is used.

Particular attention is taken to the tying of the bag as this is thought to ensure that the particular spell works correctly and once it has been sealed then it is encouraged to work by using perfume or anointing oils on it regularly. The witches coven

When we think of a witches coven, we think of a group of old wart nosed witches standing around a simmering cauldron reciting incantations, however the true witch’s coven is nothing like this and they do exist today. Of the covens existing today, the Wicca coven is perhaps the most notable and joining a coven or becoming the leader of one is is not a task that should be taken lightly.
There are many unqualified Wicca teachers out there who give bad advice and teachings, and it seems that just about anyone can and will set up a website claiming to be a Wicca. Before letting you join the coven you will have to take a kind of interview and of course, you will have to decide as much as the coven if you want to be a part of the group.

The pagan belief system is very diverse and as such, practices from group to group will vary, however one thing that all groups or covens have in common is that they rely on the blending of spiritual energies within the group. There are several questions you should ask of the group leader or high priest or priestess and also yourself before you join the group, questions to ask could be:

* What is this coven trying to accomplish?

* How many members are in the coven and how big do they expect to grow?

* What is the group’s general experience in the Wicca practice?

* What is the turnover rate of the coven, do members leave frequently? * Have the coven been forced to banish a member and if so why?

* What qualities are the groups leaders looking for and why?

* How do the covens leaders get to chosen as leaders?

* Do leaders have an excessive amount of power over the coven?

* Does the coven have a set of written rules they will let you see?

* What contributions are expected of its members?

* Who prepares and decides the rituals?

* What magical practices does the coven perform or use?

* Do the other members of the coven seem welcoming?

* Are the members committed to spiritual progress?

* Is input readily accepted from members?

Points to be wary of

* Be very wary of anyone who approaches you to ask you to join the coven, this is not normal wiccan behaviour, people aren’t asked to join.

* Beware of any covens that have young people under the age of 18 within their coven, responsible high priests and priestesses will never have anyone under the age of 18 in their coven.

* Beware of any coven that asks members to do chores or work for the high priest and priestesses, genuine high priests and priestesses never have this rule.

* Beware of any coven that abuses members for wrongdoing.

* Beware of any coven whose leader insists that a sexual ritual must take place with the high priest or priestess before being enrolled into the coven. The Salem witch trials

Perhaps the most famous of all witches and witch hunts were those accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials in what was then known as Salem village in Massachusetts U.S.A. It was the bizarre behaviour of two of the daughters of the towns minister reverend Samuel Parris who started events in the small town in 1692.
The events of the Salem witch trials

In January of 1692 Elizabeth parris age 9 and 11 year old Abigail Williams began to show signs of disturbing behaviour which ranged from seizures, trance like states, blasphemous screaming and shouting and mysterious happenings around them.

Within a very short space of time, other girls of similar age began to show these strange signs and symptoms, doctors were baffled as to the cause of these happenings and when they couldn’t find any medical cause for them they were declared to be under the influence of Satan.

By late February of that year after many prayer meetings and fastings conducted by the reverend parris in the hope of revealing their true identity and expose them as witches and under ever-increasing pressure, the girls named three women as witches.

By the end of February of that year these three women Tituba a Caribbean Indian slave of the parris family, Sarah good and Sarah osbourne were all arrested despite proclaiming their innocence. However, the slave Tituba confessed that the devil sometimes appeared to her in the shape of part dog, part hog and said there was a conspiracy of witches at work in the village of Salem.

By march 1st after unrelenting questioning from the people of Salem Tituba finally admitted to practicing witchcraft, following this confession several of the towns people came forward and claimed they had seen or being harmed by strange apparitions of people in the community.

Accusations were made of many people in the village and among those accused were faithful churchgoers and upstanding citizens in the community along with those who had records of criminal activity.

During this period of time, several people were accused of witchcraft examined and denounced, with many of the townsfolk now starting to oppose the witchcraft trials petitions were being signed to protest people’s innocence.

By October 19th of that year over 20 people had been condemned as witches and hanged on the gallows during what was to be known as the Salem witch trials. A letter was wrote during this time criticizing the trials and eventually the governor by the name of Phips ruled that spectral and intangible evidence no longer be admissible in the trials.

Salem today

Salem village is now known as Danvers and still standing is what was then known as the witch house on the corner of North and Essex in Salem, where guided tours with tales of the Salem witchcraft trials take place. After all this time over 552 documents documenting the trials are still stored and preserved at the Peabody Essex museum along with several other pieces of memorabilia such as the pins used in the examination of the witches and what is said to be the finger bones of one of the victims of the Salem witch trials. What is Satanism?

Satanism is a form of witchcraft which is religion based and is more prevalent in the United States with the church of Satan being the most popular choice for followers of the devil. It is based on deep-seated philosophy and followers are bound by certain conditions and rules.The nine satanic statements

* Satan represents indulgence and abstinence is forgotten.

* Satan represents vital existence.

* Satan represents wisdom instead of self-deceit.

* Satan represents kindness to those who earn it.

* Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek.

* Satan represents responsibility to those who deserve it.

* Satan represents man as just another animal.

* Satan represents all of the so called sins.

* Satan is the church's best friend without him the church wouldn’t have lasted.

The eleven satanic rules of earth

* Do not give opinions or advice unless asked for it.

* Do not profess your troubles to others unless you’re sure they want to hear them.

* When in another lair treat them with respect.

* If a guest in your lair treats you disrespectfully treat them cruelly without showing mercy.

* Do not make advances sexually unless you are given a mating sign.

* Do not take something that doesn’t belong to you unless given it.

* Acknowledge the power of magic and use it successfully to obtain your desires.

* Do not complain about anything which doesn’t concern you.

* Do not harm small children.

* Do not kill non human animals unless they are food or for your protection.

* Bother no one but if someone bothers you ask them to stop, if they don’t destroy them.

The nine satanic sins

* Stupidity – Satanists must learn to see through the tricks that people can try.

* Solipsism – never show people your true feelings, reactions and responses.

* Self-deceit – never deceive yourself, the only time this is permissible is when self-deceit is for fun.

* Herd conformity – only conform to a person's wishes if it benefits you.

* Lack of perspective – never lose sight of who and what you are and the threat you can be to others.

* Forgetfulness of past orthodoxies – this is one of the keys to brainwashing people into accepting and trying something new.

* Counter productive pride – pride is acceptable up to a point but only if it works for you.

* Lack of aesthetics – aesthetics is important in lesser magic and should be cultivated. What is Voodoo?

Voodoo is one of the world’s oldest forms of religion which has been associated with witchcraft and has been around in Africa since the beginning of human civilisation. Those who practice voodoo believe that nothing and no event happens on its own but that all things are connected, following this theory what you do to another, you do to yourself.
Rituals involved in voodoo ceremonies include prayers, singing, dancing and the sacrifice of animals, those following the beliefs of voodoo believe that god manifests through the spirits of dead ancestors and so must be honoured in these rituals.

Music and dance play a key role in the rituals and this has often been portrayed as the lead up to sexual frenzy and orgies, this however isn’t true. Voodoo dancing is an expression of spirituality, a way of connecting with divinity and the spiritual world.

The ancestors of those who follow the voodoo religion are thought to be part of the world of spirits and these spirits can be called on to help and give protection and guidance. The voodoo priest or priestess can also use herbal remedies or medicines which have been passed down through families to help those who are sick, with faith healing playing a big part also in the religion. Voodoo has always wrongly been categorised as an evil form of witchcraft with the rites and rituals being performed for evil doings however this is untrue.

The misconceptions of voodoo

Despite voodoo being one of the oldest of all religions it has been characterised as being barbaric and primitive based on superstition and fear, the Europeans seem to fear anything that comes out of Africa and especially anything they don’t fully understand.

Voodoo has however adopted several elements from Christianity but despite this when the French colonised Haiti they saw the voodoo religion as a threat and prohibited the practice of the religion severely punishing those who took part in rituals. The struggle to banish the religion of voodoo lasted over three centuries but despite every effort it couldn’t be stopped and voodoo is still practiced today in a number of countries.

The power of voodoo

Due to the strength the Africans gained from their religion, voodoo survived the persecutions of the French and it is thought that the voodoo priests used their religion to determine how to fight the political battle in order to win it. In 1804, the Haitians finally won the battle and independence and today the practice of voodoo reflects its history. © Copyright 2006 Occultresearch.org - occult, cults, witchcraft & black magic - All rights reserved