I'm moving the Blog!

Hi everyone!

I've been tossing up for quite a while now on what to do with my little Blog.

I have two websites, Instagram, facebook pages and groups, Twitter, Pinterest and even YouTube (though I have neglected that one a bit!) - anywho... I'm only one person, with a family and lots to do, so having an additional and separate Blog, which I have enjoyed putting together, has just become a little too much and as a result; I keep forgetting to update it!

After much consideration, I have decided to move everything over to my main website and online store, www.LyllithsEmporium.com.au to be renamed "Grimoire".

I've already begun moving things over, including the long awaited Spell pages, which I've started putting together (finally!!!)

Thankyou so much for your support and cyber-friendship, I look forward to seeing you over at the Emporium!

Many Blessings,
Lyllith Xx

What to Expect ~ Paranormal Investigations Part Three: What Happens in a Spiritual Clearing?

In this article I’ll be explaining what generally happens when we perform a Spiritual Clearing or House Clearing

Generally most cases are quite simple, they usually involve a small number of energies usually human spirits or an “easy to deal with” supernatural energy that was never alive on this planet or plane as a human being. Many also involve a small Portal which needs to be shifted to another level so as to not interfere with the people living in the home.

We always begin with an Initial Investigation, (see Part One of this series). This enables us to determine what is present, what it may be causing and how to deal with it. Rarely will we need to deal with something immediately but it does happen.

When we arrive for a House Clearing, we will do another quick check just as we did in the Initial Investigation, this to make sure the energies, spirits etc. first discovered in the home are still present, it also helps us tune into their energy, the energy of the home and connect to the levels we need to work on. When we first arrive, most of the time these energies will know what we are there to do and may react either with interest and disbelief (often laughing at us) or get angry and aggressive.

Usually, we will light a candle in the kitchen as this is the heart of the home. This helps us with a couple of things, firstly to see how many spirits are present and secondly as we generally light a black candle it helps absorb the smaller lesser energies so we can focus on the main issues and energies which need to be dealt with. We will then explain what needs to be done, if we haven’t already when discussing  your quote. Depending on the situation, we may ask you to stay in a specific room of the home or to take your family outside until we have done our work.  Each case is completely different and even the best prepared plans can be thrown out at any stage!

We may also give each occupant a quick smudge with white sage, Palo Santo or our blend of herbal incense and depending on the case we may place shields around each person and animal, give them protective items such as crystals or herbs or symbols etc.

We often do a smudging with White Sage or Palo Santo at the beginning, this helps reduce the number of energies we need to clear out and calms the remaining energies (usually... it can do the opposite)

As each case is so different there is no real general guide as such, but we generally use a special incense blend of herbs & resins to smoke the house, we may chant ring bells or cymbals, create a circle and perform a ritual, call in Deities (Gods, Goddesses etc.) Or we may be silent as we communicate with the Spirits telepathically. We most likely seem quite odd to our clients who are present and we do apologize for the “weirdness”.

It is not like the movies, your family won’t be thrown against walls or tied to chairs while we throw holy water on them reading bible verses or speaking Latin. It is extremely rare that an actual possession takes place and most cases will only take an hour or so. So basically, while you can expect a lot of smoke most of the time, we will do our best to explain what we intend on doing but it may not end up being as simple – or as complicated as first thought.

Items and tools we use often include, incense, candles, crystals, crystal balls, tarot cards, dowsing rods, cymbals, holy or blessed water, salt, protective symbols, chants, spirit guides and intuition – we may use other tools if required, we have used paper and pens in some cases to help communicate with the ghosts of children and pretty objects to help them feel safe.

Human spirits need to be able to trust us during a clearing, as we need to help them move on if they are stuck. This can be challenging at times, though generally they know we are there to help them and work with us enabling us to help them easily and fairly quickly. It may sound odd but sometimes the non human spirits are easier to deal with!

I hope this helps or makes some sense, I’ll write about some of our actual cases over time and add to them in the future. The main purpose of this article (and the previous parts of this mini-series), is to let you know that you’re not crazy, supernatural experiences are real and can be dealt with correctly.

We are here to help you, this is what we do and love doing it’s a huge part of our own Spiritual Journeys in this lifetime and we are always learning and growing as we go along!

If you think we may be able to help you please don’t be scared or embarrassed to contact us, nothing is too far-fetched or “out there”. 

While we do charge a service fee for what we do (to cover time, fuel, materials/ingredients, crystals given to clients etc.), if you can’t afford it or even a partial amount please still contact us if you are having troubles it’s not all about the money for us and we will do our best to help anyone we can.

Blessings,

Lyllith Xx

What to Expect ~ Paranormal Investigations (Part Two): What are we dealing with?

I was going to jump straight into what we actually do and what you can expect as a general guide to a Spiritual house Clearing, but I feel as though I should explain what we deal with first as its’ own article, so here goes….

Firstly, I’ll explain the differences between ghosts, spirits, energies and entities. Most people assume that all energies are ghosts, the truth is that there are as many human spirits as there are other species from different dimensions, realms and even planets. Here is will only be explaining a few of the most common energies we deal with on a regular basis.

A Ghost is a human spirit or soul, one which previously lived and died on Earth as a human. Many times the ghosts that haunt homes are family members, ancestors or people who had lived in the home itself previously. Most of the time human spirits are not there to hurt us, they are either there to keep an eye on us, check in on us to see how we’re doing or because they are lost and can’t find their way to the otherworld.

[Pictured above: the photograph of Freddy Jackson, WW1 - believed to be the face of Freddy Jackson, an air mechanic who had been accidentally killed by an airplane propeller two days earlier. Members of the squadron easily recognized the face as Jackson's. It has been suggested that Jackson, unaware of his death, decided to show up for the group photo.]

Spirits are similar to ghosts, they are not always in “human form”, these can include animal spirits, some human-like spirits and ghosts, tree spirits and other forms of previously living souls or spirits – Spirits can be a tricky subject as we are all technically a spirit or soul living inside our human shells at present, so a Spirit doesn’t technically need to be deceased, it is also living.

Orbs are new spirits or “young spirits”, they can be human spirits or other forms of energies but are generally “fresh” new spirits can be loved ones who passed many years ago as time in the otherworld is different to that here in the physical realm. Many of us have taken photographs with orbs appearing in them, these are harmless energies who are curious or just want to see how things are going and are nothing to worry about. Please note however, that not all “orbs” in photographs are an actual Orb – as Paranormal Investigators it is our duty to find a logical explanation of things first where plausible and Orbs in particular are one of the most commonly mis-interpreted things we come across. Many photos people show us with “Orbs” are actually just dust particles or smudges on the camera lense, we feel bad discrediting such images, but we feel it’s best to be honest!

Energies cover a broad range of not only spirits, ghosts and other forms of energy. Everything is, was and will be made up of an energy force. Energies may be light or dark, good or bad, positive or negative. The most common way people feel or sense an Energy present, is when you have that feeling that someone is watching you, or you feel that there is someone or something there but can’t always see it. Energies can make us feel happy and safe or on the other end of the scale, Energies may make us feel psychically sick, scared or emotional.  Negative Energies will feed off human emotion, particularly fear and sadness, this can often cause illness and “bad luck”.

An Entity is of the supernatural world, it was never human and can also be good or bad. Most Entities that we have dealt with have been negative forces and these are the ones which may try to cause harm to the living. We have also experienced positive Entities who are here to help. Again these can be difficult to work out which side they are on as some strong forces may not be “evil” but may feel as though they are dark and heavy, while some of the evil Entities may trick the living into thinking they are there to help when they have other plans in mind. Entities may also feed on human emotion and life force and are the hardest to deal with.

[This sketch of a shadow ghost/person is something we deal with quite often. Not to be confused with shadows and spirits appearing as shadows, these are quite different.]







Along with these mentioned energies, spirits, ghosts and Entities there is a whole range of other “creatures” and forces. There are far too many to discuss here in this particular article, but I will do my best to write about them over time.

The other types of things we often deal with are Portals. Portals are doorways which connect our world of the living here on Earth to other dimensions, realms and the Otherworld.

Portals themselves are generally not an issue, however what comes through them may cause problems for the people living near them. Every Portal has a Portal Master, their job is to open and close the doorway between worlds and help the energies in and out as they like. Some Portal Masters are friendly, easy to deal with and co-operate when asked though some are like the Trolls under the bridge in Fairy Tales and can be quite stubborn making the shifting of the Portal difficult to achieve without the help of some Higher Source powers.

Image sourced from the Internet - depicting what an Energy Portal may look like, the ones we have seen are quite similar to this image hence my including this here

In most cases we have worked on, Portals have appeared in closets, back-yards and even bathrooms. Remember when you were a child, were you ever worried about or scared of the closest at night? Chances are you had a Portal inside and were feeling, sensing and perhaps even seeing the energies coming out through your closet! We often suggest to our clients to ensure closet doors are kept closed as it helps deter the Portal Master from staying as it can be harder for some energies to pass through a closed door – at least this is what seems to be the case.

These are all just the most common energies we work with, some cases may include more dangerous energies and malicious spirits, we’ve experienced cases with goblins, dog-like creatures, aliens, dark faeries and even spirits which have posed as the clients’ own spirit guides or family members. It truly is a strange and interesting Universe, and we are only living on one small Planet, in one dimension and one realm – there is much more going on around us that most people don’t even notice!

Please note that the above descriptions are how we ourselves interpret these energies based on our own experiences and information gathered from investigations. We do not claim to know everything about everything and enjoy what we do, as well as learning constantly as new cases are taken on.

Blessings,

Lyllith Xx



Coming up in Part 3: What Happens in a Spiritual Clearing? I'll do my best to describe what we actually do, each case is entirely different so it will be a very basic and general guide for those who are considering our services.

What to Expect ~ Paranormal Investigation (Part One)

(Originally written for my old blog 02/06/16)

The other night, Saydor and I finally got around to watching the movie “The Conjuring” and it got us thinking.  In the movie, there’s a scene where Ed & Lorraine Warren (the paranormal investigators) enter the haunted house for the first time and while watching this and the following few scenes we got an insight as to how we may come across when we ourselves investigate our clients’ homes in real life.

So after watching the movie we both saw from the clients’ perspective, how it all happens and I thought I would write an entry on what to expect, what we need from you and a general guide of what happens.

Now let me just start off by saying, actual human possession like in this movie along with many others, is extremely rare. While it may be fairly common for an energy or Entity to attach itself to a person, family, animal, home or object this is quite different to an actual possession.  We have been fortunate enough to not have dealt with an actual possession to date.

When we visit a home (or office) to investigate an issue, disturbance or possible haunting we will need to take a look around, we need to see each room if possible meet each resident including children and pets and this can often be a little invasive to our clients as we often open cupboards and closed doors – this is not us snooping around, majority of the time we don’t notice material objects such as clothing or anything else physical we are not there to look through your personal things we are there to tune into the Spiritual plane and see, feel, hear and sense what is causing you and your family the problems which prompted you to contact us in the first place.

The other thing we will often need to do is talk to each person involved, anyone who has seen things, heard or felt anything that seemed odd or made them uncomfortable. This often includes children as they are quite sensitive and open to the other realms and spirits and energies will usually try to contact them as they are so open. You as their parent are of course welcome to be present while we speak to your children, I generally talk to the children as they are usually more comfortable speaking with a woman, sometimes we will do it together or if Saige is with us she is extremely helpful when other children are involved as she is on their level and they can talk while playing.

(Above image: scene from the movie The Conjuring, where the paranormal investigators discuss their findings and options with the clients)

If you have pets, we will check them for attachments and communicate with them also. Pets are often a great way to find out what is going on, which areas of the home the energy “likes” etc. So if you notice your pet doesn’t like certain areas of the home or often growls, barks or hisses as a specific spot – please let us know.

Probably the most important aspect of an investigation is for you to be completely honest with us, if we ask questions it is because it may be related to your case and we need to gather as much information as we can to decide which way to go about dealing with it. If you have played around with an Oijia Board let us know, if you have attempted spells or rituals without knowing what you’re doing let us know, if you’ve noticed things happening since purchasing an antique item let us know. The more we know and the more honest you are the better things will work out, the faster we can help you and the chances of something being missed heavily reduced. We have seen, heard and dealt with a lot more than you could imagine, nothing can scare us, nothing will freak us out and we don’t judge you. People make mistakes all the time, none of us are perfect, but if you think it may help don’t hold it back.

An initial investigation may take anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours depending on what is actually going on, what kind of energies are present and how well we can all communicate the issues.

Saydor and I will then discuss a few options, offer some advice on things you can do yourself and if we feel that you may require our services to move the energies along we will offer you a quote. If your home is a little more involved we may only be able to provide a general estimate until we have time to look further into your case, which involves investigation on the home in the physical world (searching for any records of deaths etc. in the home etc.) as well as speaking with our spirit guides to see what is required. Once we have established a “plan” we will contact you with a brief outline of what needs to be done and an official quote.

More often than not, initial investigations reveal something simple which can be dealt with on the spot and no further service fees will be required. The reason we do charge a service fee for House Clearings is for several factors including – our time, travel expenses, our energy (it can take a lot out of us energetically at times), professional advice, and probably the most important factor, the level of risk involved to ourselves and our own family. If you do have energy or entity attachments these can quite often try to follow us or cause problems for us as well. Just like in the movie, they know what we are doing and they don’t like it!

Another note I'd like to add is that we don't use any special equipment, purely our own Intuition, mediumship abilities, and direct contact with the other realm/s. We do plan on investing in some recording equipment in the future though this will purely be for our own records and as something to help in certain cases. So don't be expecting some fancy contraption from Ghost Busters with us 😜

 No matter what is happening, what you’ve seen or heard or felt, if you are worried about it or it scares a family member please contact us if you can’t afford to pay for our services we can try to work something out but never, ever try to get rid of it yourself!

Blessings,

Lyllith Xx

I plan to write a part 2 to this entry, which will be based more on what happens during a house clearing or entity removal including a couple of our actual cases as reference (names will be changed for privacy) - Stay tuned!

Main Image Source: http://www.livescience.com/images/i/000/017/787/i02/ghost-stairs-110705.jpg?1309898997 

Earth, Air, Fire & Water

In magick we work with four main elements - Earth, Air, Fire & Water (along with a fifth, Spirit/Ether). We call upon the elements when casting a circle and when casting certain types of spells.

The elements make up everything around us, they are within us and all around us in nature and even in man-made objects.

Earth:

The element of Earth represents grounding and keeping our feet on the ground. It is the element closest to the physical world as it is linked to our own physical planet. Earth governs responsibility, money, security, loyalty, business, stability and growth. Earth is considered by many to be the foundation for each of the other elements as without it they would not exist.

Earth is represented in the North (or South for those in the Southern Hemisphere), it rules the season of Winter and is represented by forests, gardens, caves, valleys and fields.

Those born under the Astrological signs of Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are considered Earth personalities. Earth personalities tend to be very family orientated, are grounded and very practical people. Earth personalities need to grow continuously and may feel confined if they are not allowed to do so – they love to be doing something at all times and are often natural gardeners or find work within natural therapies working with herbs and oils.

Within magick, Earth is represented by the Pentacle, earth (dirt) or salt. It is generally associated with Thursdays and the Winter Solstice. The element of Earth is called upon for spells and rituals involving money and finances, growth, gardening, business, horticulture, male fertility, career and work, happiness and family stability.

Correspondences of Earth:
Sabbats/Season: Winter Solstice, Yule.
Day/Times: Thursdays, Night/evening – particularly midnight.
Zodiac /Tarot: Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. The suit of pentacles, The Devil.
Planets: Saturn, Earth
Animals/Elementals: Bull, Cow, Stag, Deer, Bison, (all horned animals), dog, bear, snake, wolf, ant, horse. Gnomes, Dwarves, Brownies, Trolls.
Colour: Earthy tones, browns, black, white, gold and dark green.
Chakra: Root Chakra
Deities: Adonis, Athos, Arawyn, Gaia, Diana, Persephone, Cernunnos, Pan, Thor, Herne, Marduk, Demeter, Epona, Rhiannon.
Symbols: Upside down triangle with horizontal line across. Circle with a cross in the centre marking four quarters. Caves, Valleys, dirt, salt, grounding, farmland, pentacles, rocks & stones, hag stones.
Tools: Pentacle, Earth (dirt), salt, stones, cord.
Gemstones: Raw stones and crystals, rocks in general, quartz, bedrock, jet, emerald, tourmaline, granite, peridot, onyx, jasper – all rocks and stones particularly brown or black
Herbs: Cedar, Cypress, Comfrey, Ivy, Grains and Seeds, Honeysuckle, Patchouli, Motherwort, Primrose, Sage, Vetivert, Nuts, Oak, Mugwort, Nutmeg, Salt.

Air:

The element of Air represents our intellect, thought, mentality and memory. Air is the most ethereal of the four main elements as it helps create balance between them.

Air is represented by the East and the season of Spring (like all elements, those practicing in the Southern hemisphere may be drawn to reverse the direction and/or season). Air is associated with change, travel, thoughts and ideas, creativity and study.

Personalities of those born under the influence of Air, or Astrological signs of Gemini, Libra and Aquarius, tend to be more analytical in their way of doing things. Air types are rational thinkers who like to plan ahead and have every piece of information available before making their decisions. They enjoy intelligent conversations as well as a good debate! The shadow aspect of this element and personality trait is that they can become too critical and potentially paranoid leading them to live in their own fantasy world.

In magick, Air is represented by the wand, feathers, censer and incense (some paths also include Athame or Sword). It is associated with the time of Dawn and any spells or rituals involving study, memory, practical and creative endeavors along with psychic work and manifestations. Air is also connected to communication.

Correspondences of Air:
Sabbats/Season: Ostara, Spring
Day/Times: Zodiac /Tarot: Dawn/Day break, Aquarius, Gemini and Libra. Suit of Air or Swords (traditionally), The Fool and the Kings.
Planets: Mercury
Animals/Elementals: Birds, particularly Hawk, Eagle and Falcon. Insects and Spiders. Fairies and Sylphs, Dragons.
Colour: White, light blue, lavender, grey (light grey), yellow – colours of dawn, pastels.
Chakra: Third Eye
Deities: Mercury, Hermes, Thoth, Shu, Arianrhod, Ostara, Aradia, Athena, Urania, Nuit, Iris
Symbols: Upright triangle with horizontal line through it, circle with a dot in the centre. Tornados and whirlwinds, leaves blowing.
Tools: Wand/Athame (depending on personal preferences), Feathers, Incense, Censer
Gemstones: Amber, Citron, Blue Quartz, Blue Chalcedony, Blue Lace Agate, Topaz, Fluorite, Amethyst, Howlite, yellow and blue stones – gems in general.
Herbs: Acacia, Almond, Apple, Anise, Benzoin, Comfrey, Cypress, Citrus peel and fruits, Clover, Fern, Frankincense, Gum Arabic, Bergamot, Honeysuckle, Horehound, Ivy, Lavender, Lemongrass (most lemon herbs), Mugwort, Myrrh, Oakmoss, Pansy, Parsley, Peppermint, Primrose, Sage, Vervain, Violet, Yarrow, Vanilla.

Fire:

The Element of Fire is associated with the Sun and rules passion, desire, imagination and creativity. Fire not only cleanses and purifies, but it also causes destruction and is often seen to represent death and rebirth most commonly in the aspect of the birth of the God. 

Traditionally, Fire rules the South, however many in the Southern Hemisphere reverse this when casting a circle to be called in the North quarter - toward the equator where the Earth is at its’ hottest.

Fire is the only element which can not naturally exist without another, it needs to consume another element in order to physically exist. This does not make it “scary” or dark, it simply means it needs a spark to ignite it’s fiery passion. We too need that spark or an idea or feeling in order to use our own fire within to create and give birth to our ideas and aspirations. 

In witchcraft, fire is commonly used in spells to increase energy, passion, love and lust, courage, new beginnings, strength and protection, power, purification, transformation and destruction or releasing (generally by writing on parchment what you wish to release before burning it to ash). It is also used in kitchen magick, infusing ingredient as cooked.

Athames, swords and candles are placed on altars to represent the element of fire and it relates to Summer, Sundays, the waxing moon and 12 noon. 

Correspondences of Fire: 

Sabbats/Season: Beltane, Samhain and Litha (Summer Solstice)

Day/Times: Sunday, Waxing moon, 12 noon

Zodiac /Tarot: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius. Judgment (major arcana), Wands (traditional minor suit)

Planets: Sun, Mars, Pluto

Animals/Elementals: Lion, Dragon, Snake, Scorpion, Phoenix, Ram, Coyote, Fox. Salamander, Sprites, Djinn

Colour: All shades of Red, Orange, Gold, White

Chakra: Solar Plexus

Deities: Ra, Apollo, Mars, Ares, Vulcan, Horus, Brigit, Freya, Vesta, Durga, Themis (and more)

Symbols: Flame, Triangle with point up (Alchemical symbol), Sun, Stars, Volcanoes, Lightning bolts, Double-edged Axe.

Tools: Athame, Fire, Wand, Candles, Burned items (herbs, parchment)

Gemstones: Red Jasper, Blood Stone, Fire Opal, Garnet, Ruby, Carnelian, Tiger Eye, Obsidian, Lava Stones, Gold, Steel & Brass. (Plus most red, orange, gold or yellow stones & any formed from fire or volcanoes)

Herbs: Dragons Blood, Patchouli, Bay, Marigold, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Clove, Mustard, Tobacco, Allspice, Basil, Garlic, Juniper, Onion, Almond, Chilli Peppers.

(Fire herbs tend to be spicy or “warm”)

Water:

The Element of water is associated with Venus and the Moon and rules our emotions, both conscious and subconscious, along with our dreams. Water as an element heals, cleanses and purifies, revitalizes and offers emotional release. 

In Tarot, Water is represented by the suit of Cups – an easy way to remember this is that water is often drunk from a cup, to connect with emotions think of tears. 

Typically, Water is represented in the West and by the season of Autumn – however in the Southern Hemisphere, some prefer to align Water to the East and with the Season of Spring. There is no real right or wrong way, just remember that your magick is as unique as you are and trust your intuition. 

Water personalities, those born under the Astrological signs of Pisces, Cancer and Scorpio, are generally very connected on a Spiritual level. Water types can often be more emotional and sensitive to other signs. They are also often very aware and possess high intuition, psychic and even mediumship abilities. Water personalities tend to live their lives based on feelings rather than using their head, they follow their hearts, often leading them to acting quite spontaneously. These personalities need to be near water and will find that spending time in watering holes or on the beach keeps them grounded and balanced.

Within Magick, Water is represented by the Chalice, Cauldron and often mirrors. It is ruled by Mondays, the Twilight hour and the Moon Cycles. Water is often used in spells of love, forgiveness, clarity, healing and compassion as well as seeking visions or in meditation.

Correspondences of Water: 

Sabbats/Season: Autumn (not a Sabbat, but used in cleansing rituals) 

Day/Times: Zodiac /Tarot: Twilight (sunset), Monday, Pisces, Cancer & Scorpio, Queens and The Hanged Man (Tarot) and the suit of Cups.

Planets: Venus, the Moon (feminine)

Animals/Elementals: All creatures of the Ocean, lakes, rivers and watering holes; cat, frog, turtle, swans, bear, dragons, sea serpents, mermaids and undines. 

Colour: Blue, white, all shades of blue-green-black, watery colours.

Chakra: Heart Chakra

Deities: Aphrodite, Isis, Yemaya, Kupala, Tiamat, Ran, Ea, Osiris, Neptune, Poseidon, Varuna, Manannan, all Water Gods and Goddesses from all traditions and beliefs.

Symbols: upside down triangle (point facing downward), circle with single line through the middle (horizontal) 

Tools: Cauldron, Chalice, Mirrors

Gemstones: Aquamarine, Atlantisite, Amethyst, Blue Tourmaline, Blue Topaz, (all blue stones), Beryl, Coral, Lapis Lazuli, Opal, Pearl, Silver, Sodalite.

Herbs: Aloe vera, apple, catnip, chamomile, ferns, gardenia, lemon, lettuce, lilac, lily of the valley, lotus, mosses, orris, passionflower, rose, seaweeds, thyme, valerian, water lilies, willow, all water plants and all plants associated with the Moon and Venus.

(Originally written for and published as individual articles for Mystic Tribe Magazine, 2017-2018 as a four-part series on the Elements, visit the magazine online: https://www.facebook.com/mystictribemagazine/)