A practical guide to the creation of natural wands for magical work • Explains the variety of woods and other botanicals that may be used to craft wands, their magical and hermetic attributes and virtues, and how these influence the adept’s intention and magical workings • Offers detailed harvesting advice, explaining the necessary magical actions specific to each tree as well as important influences such as the phases of the moon and the seasons • Offers step-by-step instructions for wand practice, including magical workings, cleansing, intention, potentializing, and how to properly return a wand to nature From Moses to Merlin to the power of the royal scepter, the wand has been a key magical device found in nearly every civilization and esoteric tradition throughout history. The fundamental purpose of a wand is to act as a spiritual conduit, harnessing the power of the adept’s intention and channeling it into manifestation. Exploring the history, lore, and creation of living wands—those crafted from local natural materials—fifth-generation Druid Jon G. Hughes presents a practical guide to the harvesting, crafting, and potentializing of living wands, as well as rods and staffs. He offers detailed harvesting advice, explaining the magical actions and meditations specific to each tree that should accompany crafting work as well as important influences such as the phases of the moon and the seasons. He looks in depth at woodlore, explaining the variety of woods and other botanicals that may be used to craft wands, their magical and hermetic attributes and virtues, and how these influence the adept’s intention and magical workings. Trees and botanicals examined include oak, hawthorn, hazel, birch, apple, ash, mistletoe, holly, and ivy. The author explores various types of wands, such as rood, entwined, thorn, and compound, detailing how each differs in its use and intended outcome. He offers step-by-step instructions on how to use wands for magical workings and explains other aspects of wand practice, including cleansing, intention, potentializing, and how to properly return a wand to nature after its purpose has been fulfilled. Presenting a complete guide to crafting and using living wands as well as the history and lore behind this traditional form of Druidic natural magic, this book allows you to harness the magical essence of the living natural resources that surround you, helping you elevate your manifestations from the mundane to the higher spiritual planes.

A guide to ancient beliefs including instructions for magic and spellcasting • Describes the arcane rituals, ancient beliefs, and secret rites of the Welsh Marches, including those of the Sin Eaters, Eye Biters, and Spirit Hunters • Shares extracts from ancient texts stored in the archives of the National Museum of Wales, along with many original photographs of related artifacts • Includes a Grimoire of the Welsh Marches, a wide collection of spells and magical workings along with practical instruction on crafting and casting In this collaboration between a Druid and a witchcraft researcher, Jon G. Hughes and Sophie Gallagher describe in intricate detail the arcane rituals, ancient beliefs, and secret rites of the Welsh Marches, the borderlands between Celtic Wales and Anglo-Saxon England--one of the oldest and most significant locations for early witchcraft and a lasting repository for ancient Druidic lore. The authors explore the repressed rituals and practices of sin eaters, those who take upon themselves the sins of a recently deceased person; eye biters, powerful Witches able to cast malevolent curses simply by looking at their victims; and spirit hunters, Witches who gain control of their victim’s spirit. Drawing on their personal access to the archives of the National Museum Wales, as well as the local museums found within the Welsh Marches, the authors share extracts from ancient texts, along with original photographs of related artifacts, such as charm and spell bottles used to ward off evil and “poppets,” wax effigies crafted by Witches to inflict pain and death on a targeted subject. In the second half of the book, the authors present a Grimoire of the Welsh Marches, a wide collection of spells and magical workings along with practical instruction on crafting and casting. Offering a comprehensive look at the earth-based beliefs and practices of primal witchcraft and Druidic lore, the authors show not only how the traditions of the Welsh Marches had a profound influence on the cultural and spiritual history of the British Isles but also how their influence was exported to all corners of the world.

A practical guide to using flowers in magical practice • Provides detailed instruction on every stage of the harvesting, crafting, and practical use of flower magic potions, including a comprehensive herbarium of all the flowers that may be used • Discusses what type of flower and form of flower magic is best for specific enchantments and rituals in the areas of love and sex magic, healing and focusing, and protection • Looks at the physical and spiritual gifts of bees and the importance of bee culture in Druidic flower magic Flowers are found in magic traditions around the world, from those in ancient Egypt, China, and India to the traditions of the Norse and Native Americans. Yet many of today’s well-established flower traditions—like bridal bouquets—originated in the Druidic magical lore of Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. As fifth-generation Druid Jon G. Hughes explains, flowers hold a preeminent position in Druidic folk magic with their own special branch of magical workings. In this practical guide, Hughes details how to use flowers in magical practice, focusing on flowering plants with a long history of magical use going back to Druidic times yet many of which are commonly found throughout the world, such as buttercup, blackberry, and dog rose. He discusses what type of flower and form of flower magic is best for specific enchantments and rituals in the areas of love and sex magic, well-being and good fortune, and protection. He looks at the magical use of fresh flowers and provides detailed instruction on every stage of the harvesting, crafting, and practical use of flower magic potions, including a comprehensive herbarium of all the flowers that may be used. Examining the complex relationship between flowers and bees, the author looks at the physical and spiritual gifts of bees, such as honey, propolis, and beeswax, and the importance of bee culture in Druidic flower magic, including the tradition of the honeymoon, the significance of the hexagon, and medieval beekeeper lore. Inviting you into the gentle yet powerful realm of Druidic flower magic, the author also details how to plan, plant, and take care of your own magical flower garden with all the botanicals you will need to pursue the path of flower magic.

The first and only Druidic book of spells, rituals, and practice. The Druid Magic Handbook is the first manual of magical practice in Druidry, one of the fastest growing branches of the Pagan movement. The book breaks new ground, teaching Druids how to practice ritual magic for practical and spiritual goals within their own tradition. What sets The Druid Magic Handbook apart is that it does not require the reader to use a particular pantheon or set of symbols. Although it presents one drawn from Welsh Druid tradition, it also shows the reader how to adapt rites and other practices to fit the deities and symbols most meaningful to them. This cutting edge system of ritual magic can be used by Druids, Pagans, Christians, and Thelemites alike! This is the first manual of Druidic magical practice ever, replete with spell work and rituals.

• Explains the techniques used to achieve trance in seiðr, how to journey in the Nine Realms, and the different gods and spirits you may encounter • Discusses the tools of seiðr, such as the seiðr staff and hood, and how to create them, empower them, and care for them • Details Norse divination methods, ways to alter fate, healing techniques, the use of protective songs, and the practice of Norse soul retrieval While Norse rune work is well known, there is another major ancient Norse magical practice: seiðr (pronounced “sayther”), a form of trance spirit work and divination. Although seiðr is often considered an ancient form of witchcraft, recent archaeological evidence suggests it is more closely related to shamanism. In this practical guide to seiðr, Dean Kirkland, Ph.D., reconstructs the magical and shamanic techniques of the seiðr priest or priestess using the sagas and other literature from the Viking age, tools found in the archaeological record, and surviving indigenous shamanic traditions. He addresses the misconception that seiðr was a practice reserved only for women and shows how anyone called to this work would have been accepted in ancient Norse society. He discusses the tools of seiðr and how to create them, empower them, and care for them. He explores the use of protective songs (varðlokkur) that involve forming bonds with spirits, a practice he likens to the medicine songs of Amazonian shamans. He explains the techniques used to achieve trance in seiðr and how they are based on finding balance between the light and the darkness. Looking at trance journeying in the Nine Realms of the Norse cosmos, the author discusses the different gods and spirits the seiðr practitioner may encounter in the Upper Realms, the Middle Worlds, and the Lower Realms. He shares exercises on the Wyrd, divination methods in seiðr, as well as ways to alter Ørlög, or fate, through spiritual work. Discussing soul-healing techniques in seiðr, the author looks in depth at the Norse shamanic practices of soul retrieval and reintegration of the soul parts. He then explores seiðr’s role in death, dying, and dealing with the dead, including work with the Valkries and the ancestors. Presenting a historically based handbook for contemporary heathens, this book offers a practical path for anyone seeking to explore Norse trance magic and mysticism.

Learn the secrets of wandmaking and gain a powerful new tool for magical workings of all sorts. This enchanting, one-of-a-kind guidebook is for anyone who's ever wanted to know how magic wands work or longed to have a real magic wand of his or her own. Written by the foremost authority on the making of wands, this book is the first devoted solely to the art of wandmaking and its mysteries. Discover how a tree branch is transformed into a wand of magic, from selecting the wood and working in harmony with the tree spirits (or dryads) to understanding the magical correspondences of different stones, colors, and metals. Wandlore reveals aspects of wand theory that have never been discussed before in print—such as how the four-part design of a magic wand relates to the four alchemical elements, and the role of astrology, elemental correspondences, and the spheres of existence in wandmaking. It shares the magical process for empowering wand cores using phoenix feathers, unicorn hair, and elements of other mythical creatures. This groundbreaking masterwork belongs in the library of every practicing magician, witch, wizard, or druid.

A step-by-step guide to the ancient tradition of sex magic as practiced by generations of Celtic Druids • Details a wide range of sex magic rituals that may be used by couples, groups, and solitary practitioners • Explains how to channel, intensify, and project your sexual energy for magical purposes • Provides instructions for crafting the necessary ritual tools, including wands, chalices, cauldrons, and attire, and for brewing the potions that accompany these rites One of the Druid’s most powerful tools, sex magic harnesses and projects the immense natural energy produced by orgasm to liberate your consciousness from everyday awareness and influence reality at will. With more than 50 years in the Druidic tradition, Jon Hughes reveals the fundamentals of Celtic sex magic passed down secretly from generation to generation. He explains how to channel, intensify, and project your sexual energy for magical purposes and offers authentic instructions for a wide range of sex magic rituals that may be used by couples, groups, and solitary practitioners. In addition to the steps of preparation and closure for each ritual, he describes the workings of the 9 stages of the sex magic ritual--Awakening, Augmentation, Intensification, Quickening, Orgasm and Projection, Continuance, Relaxation, Scattering, and Gift. Hughes provides detailed instructions for crafting and consecrating the necessary ritual tools, including wands, chalices, and cauldrons, and for brewing the potions that accompany these rites. He also explores the power of emotion and intention in these sacred rituals, providing a complete guide to this ancient path of empowerment and magic.