The use of animals in the field of magic, and especially in witchcraft and folklore, is not unknown. Roosters and hens hold a special place, probably due to the ease of obtaining these birds—or at least parts of them—especially in rural areas. Because of their benefits (eggs, meat, low maintenance, etc.), the hen immediately had positive...

In the previous article, History of Occultism III. The Early Renaissance, we saw the giant leap forward that the Renaissance represented in the occult arts, and also in its confrontation with the Christian religion. The contrast with the Middle Ages is notable in all cultural aspects. Now we will look at the Cinquecento, the period of...

These two Nordic symbols have different meanings that are often confused. Their popularity is primarily due to their aesthetics, and their prevalence in the realms of amulets and tattoos.

Macumba is the generic name for magic of African origin, primarily practiced in Brazil, although it also occurs in several South American territories. Macumba is a word of Bantu origin, that is, from the language and cultures of central and southern Africa, which appears to be related to a percussion instrument used in their religious and magical...

It seems evident that, just as there are rituals guided by the lunar phases or key dates of the seasons, there are also some precepts about which days or hours are most auspicious for certain spells. Although all these rules are guided by astrology, these "rules" have changed over time: today we can find a wealth of information and many...

Although previous excavations of Cloggs Caves—350 km east of Melbourne, Australia—had revealed the existence of two small, palm-sized chimneys, those seemed to be the only significant artifacts at the site in 2020.

Tattvas (Sanskrit: तत्त्व) are the elements that make up human reality. In other words, they are the essence or principle of reality and help humans perceive it. Depending on the philosophical and esoteric school, tattvas are vibrations of the ether, energies, manifestations of the creative divinity, virtual mirrors of reality beyond this world, or...

Continuing with the first part of the article on Gardner's Book of Shadows, in this second part we will focus on the more "general and repetitive" tasks that can occur when carrying out Sabbaths and other ritual acts.

In alchemy, we know that all mixtures and fusions have a chemical component and a spiritual, symbolic component. One of these symbols is the so-called Rebis (res-bina, in Latin, "two things" or "double entity"), represented as an anthropomorphic and hermaphrodite being, often with two heads, who unites the characteristics of both male and female...

The Lenormand Tarot is little known, as it radically breaks with the usual structure and interpretations of cartomancy. Its origins lie in Europe, probably in Germany, in the 18th century, based on a card game called "das Spiel der Hoffnung" (the game of hope). However, its name comes from the French fortune teller Marie Anne Adelaide Lenormand,...

We continue with the Celtic curses, in this case with those that require a physical support. For spoken curses, you can refer to the first part: Celtic curses (I).

As we have already seen in previous articles of this blog about Celtic magic and the druids, natural magic had great value within the Celtic worldview. And just as good things could be obtained, the duality of it was clear in the very stories where magic took place: creating a storm to strike down an enemy was good...