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GuardiCorp: The New Structure
by Estara Korai
Our original concept for The Five Trees page, when we were conceiving it in our collective little minds on the AOL Guardian board, was a noble ideal: we would post the Grimoires; add a list in which everyone, not just AOL members, could participate; expand into a glorious network of nationwide, if not worldwide, confederated Guardians exchanging news, advice, and training in free and open communication. We might even have real-space conferences. Everyone would pitch in, of course: we wouldn't want any Uberguardians taking over the whole thing.
Ah, idealism.
Having spent a couple of years in Reality now, SharTasha and I (the only remaining active members of the original consortium) have been pondering the wisdom of these old ideals, and decided that some changes are in order. From now on you'll be seeing some exciting changes in The Five Trees, now to be known as GuardiCorp, Inc.
THE TERM "GUARDIAN"
When we began the research for this new enterprise, we learned that in contrast to popular belief, Mercedes Lackey, famous fantasy author, has in fact *not* incurred exclusive legal ownership of the word "Guardian." Indeed, the word has up until now been squandering its potential in the public domain, available at no charge to any fool with a dictionary. Well, no more. We have put right this shameful situation by buying exclusive rights to the word "Guardian" and all its derivatives. As soon as the last of the paperwork goes through, no one in the known world will be able to make any public use of these words without express permission from GuardiCorp. We expect to make a killing in the children's custody market.
This raises again the question we've been hearing all along, "What will the word Guardian mean exactly?" The answer now, as it has been traditionally, is "If you have to ask, you're not a Guardian." Nonmembers of the organization (to be referred to for the remainder of this document as Mundanes) will be given only this definition of Guardianship. Members of GuardiCorp (to be referred to as Marks) will receive the current definition upon their acceptance into the organization. The definition will be decided by Estara Korai and SharTasha (to be referred to as The Masters), and will be changed periodically. By this means a Mark in good standing will be able to test whether another potential Mark is, in fact, current in hir membership, or lapsed/outcast.
THE DUTIES OF THE GUARDIAN
The primary duty of the Guardian is to follow slavishly the superior wisdom of the Masters in all things. Secondary duties of Guarding will be assigned as appropriate to rank and current standing with the Masters. No Mark, regardless of rank, is by any means permitted to reveal the secrets of GuardiCorp to any Mundane person or organization. A vow to this effect will be taken on entry into GuardiCorp, and is considered valid for life, regardless of future standing or membership.
There is a perfectly sensible reason for this, which is that the Masters, through their years and lifetimes of training, research, and introspection, have gained a level of mastery of the spiritual and magical worlds that is unsurpassed in the modern civilized world. They would like to be able to pass down their wisdom to those who are ready to receive this special call: unfortunately, this simply cannot be done by any means other than membership in GuardiCorp. The information cannot be granted openly to the public, because there are so many people whose understandings and egos simply could not absorb it properly, and this would result in misguided Mundanes doing themselves and each other harm.
But *you,* dear reader, are different. Just by reading this, *you* have shown that your spirit may be ready to hear this clarion call to Wisdom, Power, and Enlightenment. If so, you may be ready to join the exciting world of GuardiCorp!
MEMBERSHIP IN GUARDICORP
The initial membership process is begun by getting in contact with your local Guardian Training Center. There, a testing and interview process will determine your present level of spiritual, magical, and financial development, and thus the optimal place for you within the organization. After final approval of your file by the Masters, you will be accepted into GuardiCorp for a one-time initial processing fee of $250.
After your dedication, at which your Vow of Silence will be taken and the current definition of Guardian bestowed upon you, you will be considered a Level 1 Mark, and your membership will be maintained for $20 a month.
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
As a member, your most important benefit is access to training from higher-level Marks and, eventually, the Masters themselves, in the True Path of Wisdom, Power, and Enlightenment. You will have the satisfaction of knowing that your path is the right path, that your head has been anointed by the Sacred Keepers of Guardianship, that your life and indeed your personhood are much more meaningful than any Mundane's. Your Will, in regards to Mundanes and lower-ranked Marks, will be supreme, because of your superior connection to the divine forces of the Cosmos. Of course, you will in turn be subservient to higher Marks and the Masters, because of their superiority, but this is only meant to encourage you to advance further in your training, rather than allowing the ego-feed of your present Mark status to cause you to stagnate spiritually.
ADVANCING LEVELS
Rigorous training is required to advance to higher levels of Markdom. This training involves several facets, including:
*Magical training, in which your magical practices are brought into closer alignment with those of the Masters
*Philosophical training, in which your mind will be slowly but thoroughly emptied of all thoughts, ideas, and priorities not in keeping with your advancement as a Guardian in good standing
*Spiritual counseling, in which you will confide your innermost heart and soul to a specially assigned trainer, who will lovingly point out their defects for your information and assist you in remolding yourself
Although this training is essentially lifelong, it is divided into seven stages for your convenience and for the sake of mapping your progress. Each stage takes a minimum of one year, but may take as long as your teacher deems appropriate. Level 2 training is an additional $20 a month, which will be collected along with your membership fee. Higher levels of training, which require additional work by the teachers, will of course demand a higher cost. This will be discussed with you as you reach the levels in question.
It may be decided by you or your teacher that additional Classes in specific courses would be beneficial to your development. Teacher Marks and the Masters offer various courses in New Age bookstores across the country for your further edification. Of course, we must cover traveling, space, and material costs for these courses. The fee required for attendance will range from $50 for a single evening class to $700 for a weekend intensive. We assure you that the help you will receive from these courses is well worth twice the cost.
When you have completed a stage of training, you will be treated to a special Initiation.
INITIATIONS
Initiation is an intense spiritual event, and for this reason we normally hold special Seminars dedicated entirely to the purpose of initiating Marks who have recently completed their courses. These Seminars are held four times a year in various lovely and exotic locations. We offer special travel packages for those who want to travel to the Seminars together with other Marks, which we strongly encourage. The price will naturally vary according to the location. We also offer special accommodations and meals at our special GuardiCorp Compounds for an additional cost. Again, we highly recommend that you take advantage of these offers, so as to derive the full benefits of total immersion in the Seminar experience. So much is gained spiritually by those who are willing to put selfishness aside and give themselves totally to the experience.
Initiations are always conducted by the Masters themselves, who choose the locations and attend every initiatory Seminar personally. Typically they will conduct private interviews with each candidate for initiation, to ensure that their progress is sufficient to proceed. The Masters retain the right to refuse initiation to anyone for any reason, or conversely, to advance anyone to special Attendant Status, which is a great honor (see below).
ATTENDANTS OF THE MASTERS
Those who are chosen for this truly special honor live in the personal service of the Masters. They are able, for the duration of their Attendancy, to have access to the wisdom and teachings of the Masters at all times, to put their training into practice by assisting the Masters and attending to their needs. Occasionally, a truly blessed individual will be called upon to perform the Great Rite with one or both of the Masters and/or their Lifemates. This magnificent ritual is like a total immersion in pure Spirit, beautiful and cleansing, and therefore it is never to be refused. Any hesitation in receiving this honor is sacreligious and may result in your unfortunate banishment from GuardiCorp, at least until such time as you are able to put your "little self" aside and accept the higher wisdom of the Masters.
Attendants, living as they do with the Masters themselves, have no further need of material possessions, which are ceded to the Masters as a condition of their service; this is no great loss, really, since the Attendants live with the Masters and therefore in a sense receive them back again, as well as doing good to GuardiCorp as a whole.
***
We hope that you're as excited as we are about the new structure for GuardiCorp.
With Love and Light,
The Masters
(Editrix's note: this seems like a good time to introduce you to my friend Auntie M's Coven Abuse Self-Help Index, a tool for helping you determine whether you've fallen in with decent folk or dangerous loons. She is a trained psychologist as well as a pagan, and her work is very sound. We recommend seeking it out at the WyrdWeavers homepage, http://www.wyrdweavers.org)
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by Edward Laughing Wolf
originally appeared in the Five Trees List
1) Service to others is a duty and an honor regardless of the form that it takes.
2) To refuse aid to another that needs it is a disgrace to Clan and Core.
3) Respect the elder and the child for they have much to teach.
4) Respect the Guides and Deities that come into your life for they have much to impart.
5) Control of self is a must for control of the situation. Anger and despair are tools for the enemies.
6) Knowledge is power. Take knowledge from all that offer it. Even your enemy has much to offer.
7) Love for others is of paramount importance. Without love there is no understanding. Without understanding there is no knowledge. Without knowledge there is no power. Without power there is nothing you can do to aid those that need.
8) We are all related.
9) All is one. Everything is connected. We are kin to plant, animal, earth, air, etc. Care for them as you would yourself.
I'll try to explain where each one came from and the meaning behind the statement from my perspective.
1) Service to others is a duty and an honor regardless of the form that it takes.
This forms the backbone of the Path that I follow. Guardian and Shamanic Warrior tradition that I have had the privilege of learning from such great individuals as Johnathan Slow Turtle, Normand Singing Wolf and many others whom have touched my life.
2) To refuse aid to another that needs it is a disgrace to Clan and Core.
This is from my Native American heritage and something that was drummed into me from my earliest memories. My Grandfather grew up on the Apache reservation in New Mexico and without this form of tribal sharing our people would not have survived as long as we have. All that we have and hold we share with those that need it regardless of what form of aid it is.
3) Respect the elder and the child for they have much to teach.
This is also a Native American belief. The child can teach us joy and the elder can teach us wisdom. These things are central to the life of the clan and tribe.
4) Respect the Guides and Deities that come into your life for they have much to impart.
Yet another tribal belief and a primary source of information for the Shaman. During our Walks we contact Spirits of all sorts and gain information on what to do from them. Respect for someone that has given you aid of some sort is a basic of courtesy that all should follow.
5) Control of self is a must for control of the situation. Anger and despair are tools for the enemies.
This is an Asian martial arts belief as well as a Shamanic one. This was first written of by Sun Tzu in his writings on "the arts of war". Control of self is essential for control of power of any kind. Violent emotions only aid those that would use your lack of control against you. It's also hard to Walk the Paths when your emotions are not in control.
6) Knowledge is power. Take knowledge from all that offer it. Even your enemy has much to offer.
This came from my days as a Ceremonial Mage as well as being a part of my martial arts training. The more knowledge you have the more options you have when dealing with a situation of any sort. This also does benefit my Shamanic Path. The more tools a shaman has when doing his Work the greater the chance of that Work to succeed.
7) Love for others is of paramount importance. Without love there is no understanding. Without understanding there is no knowledge. Without knowledge there is no power. Without power there is nothing you can do to aid those that need.
This has roots in many different things that I have studied. It's a fact that I have come to slow and painful realization of. When you understand your enemy well enough to defeat them you come to the realization that you also understand them well enough to love them. This brings you to the thought that if you love and understand them well enough to destroy them you also love and understand them well enough to aid them to a more positive path. This unfortunately doesn't apply to all that you meet. Some just really don't want to change their ways and must be stopped from their negativity in a different and less pleasant way.
8) We are all related.
This is a fact of Amerind Spirituality that came to me from my Grandfather and others that have taught me along my path. The minor differences are unimportant and important at the same time. We are all creatures of the Great Spirits and we should respect and love our cousins of all types. At the same time we should embrace our cousins differences for that is what makes them unique in this incarnation. From their relation to us we can draw comfort and from their differences we can draw a new point of view if we open ourselves to them.
9) All is one. Everything is connected. We are kin to plant, animal, earth, air, etc. Care for them as you would yourself.
This is another way of looking at #8. We are all part of the cycle. Plant and animal, air and water, earth and fire, material and spirit. We all come from and rely on them for life and health. All things are of the Creator and the Great Spirits and are touched with their energies. Through them we are related. Through our relation to all things we are balanced and healthy. When we reject that relation we open ourselves to illness and un-balance. This leads us to commit atrocities upon our relations that no sane entity would even consider. This is why I have embarked upon the Path that I have been Walking for my entire life.
Try living by those little rules of conduct. Be faithful to those beliefs. They can be rather harsh to your free will. There are times when I just don't want to love my fellow man. There are times when I don't want to help someone in trouble. Regardless of my condition or state of mind I abide by this code of conduct. It can be tiring.
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by Fishgoat
originally from Fishgoat's Leaves of Wonder: http://www.gatewest.net/~dem/low/low.html
used with permission
When I talk about the effects of magick I am not referring to the expected effects of magick, like having your spells work, the Gods appearing during ritual, etc. I am referring to those unexpected side effects that can disrupt a ritual or spell. (I suppose this series could have been named "Things I Wish Those Beginner Books Had Told Me". Life has become so much more...um...interesting....) With that in mind, here for your viewing pleasure is a list of side effects of doing magick that I or my friends have encountered so far:
The Sensing of Magickal Energy
To many people this a goal in itself, since actually telling if the energy is there or not during ritual can greatly help in judging whether or not your ritual or spell is having any effect, or if your circle needs re-casting. This particular sensitivity may take time to manifest (in my case, it took two years...others usually take less). As with any skill the more practice, the better (within reason, of course). Sensitivity to magickal energy can take many forms: seeing it as a bluish (or whatever colour) light; feeling it as a tingle, pressure, or as heat. The other senses may get involved, too. Don't be surprised if more than one sense is involved.
Why Grounding is a GOOD IDEA
You do not agree? Just try doing a working without it.... I remember learning how to heal headaches using the energy ball technique for the first time. About 10 minutes after I had stopped I suddenly felt as if someone had pulled out my "plug", so to speak; just totally drained. I had used up all of my personal energy instead of augmenting it with earth or celestial energy. (I had grounded, or so I had thought...) Since I had a tendency towards depression when tired anyway I then proceeded to convince myself that there was no way I could re-connect and replenish myself, as my teacher was trying to get me to do. This is often a beginner problem, as I have seen many a beginner suffer from the side effects of not grounding properly. They will either not ground at all in the first place and drain themselves, or they will forget to ground out any excess energy after the ritual. (And you can't tell them ANYTHING *sigh*...)("We give you these books, we show you these movies...")
The most common side effects of not grounding properly are:
1. That "drained" feeling - caused by depleting your own body's energy. Re-grounding and drawing in energy will replenish you. Don't overdue it though or you'll get...
2. That "high" feeling - A side effect of having too much energy, the person will wander around being totally spinny and "high" until he/she suddenly "crashes", i.e. suffers from a sudden depletion of energy. Irritability is also a symptom of this. Grounding out the excess energy until you feel normal will fix this.
NOTE: The energy of a ritual or spell is not to be soaked up like a drug!!!!!!
The energy is supposed to power the intent, not you. If you find your spells not working maybe this is what is happening...If you are into energy vampirism, go somewhere else - don't waste our time and energy (pun intended).
3. Headaches - These are often symptoms of not grounding properly, especially if they only happen right after a working. If you are also suffering the effects of too much excess energy, grounding it out should work. Eating or drinking will also ground you out. Foods with a high potassium content, such as bananas or Gatorade can be helpful, too. It is a good idea to make sure there is not some other cause, though, especially if you suffer from frequent headaches anyway. If it is a tension headache, remember to relax before doing the ritual, and figure out if there is a problem relating either to the ritual or your coven-mates (if applicable) which is making you tense in the first place. If you suffer from migraines and doing ritual aggravates them try taking your usual migraine medication before ritual (barring prohibitive side effects, of course). Use your own judgement.
"Seeing" Things
Ah, yes, just the side effect to make you think you are losing your mind. (That was a joke...sort of....) That's the problem with living in such a "rational" society...no respect for non-left brain activities. Basically what I'm referring to here is the ability to "see" or sense non-corporeal beings or energy forms (including the Gods). This is related to sensing magickal energy but is more specific. It can also refer to the development of latent PSI powers, such as precognition, far-seeing, bi-location, telepathy, etc. If you find yourself constantly seeing things out of the corner of your eye, then you are probably starting to get the sight. (I suppose walking under streetlights and having them suddenly turn off would be telekinesis...)If these kinds of manifestations terrify you then go to the library and do research! The more you know about these things the less fearful you are likely to be. If you do not have a fellow Wiccan to go to for advice and/or training there are many books out there to help you get a handle on your abilities. Some of my favourites are:
Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain by Sheila Ostrander and Lynn Shroeder (Bantam 1971) Real Magic by Philip E.I. Bonewits (Samuel Weiser Press)
-has definitions and descriptions of all of the known psi abilities.
Passages: A Guide For Pilgrims of the Mind by Mariane Andersen and Louis M. Savary (Harper & Row)
-wonderful exercises in trancework.
Psychic Self-Defense by Dion Fortune
-exercises based on the Western Ceremonial tradition. Take her paranoia with a grain of salt.
Inner Traditions of Magic by Wiliam G. Grey (Samuel Weiser Press)
-good training advice
The Miracle of Universal Psychic Power by Al G. Manning (Parker)
-If you can get past the infomercial-like writing style you can find lots of information and exercises.
The Development of Psychic Powers by Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips (Llewellyn)
-another good book of exercises marred by an infomercial-like writing style.
Various works by W.E. Butler (Samuel Weiser Press)
-useful for their training exercises
MotherWit by Diane Mariechild (The Crossing Press)
-Lots and lots of trance inductions, exercises, and info. Comes from a New Age, Feminist Wicca perspective.
If you are invoking the Gods and you "see" them SHOW UP (I mean with full colour and 3D sound) or they decide to manifest THROUGH you...well, be polite. They are not pleased with fear (they tend to be resigned to it) but they will be happy to be given their due. So at least make the effort of acknowledging them regardless of the fact that your insides have turned to ice and your knees are knocking hard enough to register an 8.5 tremor...(but of course THAT would never happen, would it? *grin*)
A note on that "possession" thing - In all my years of acting as Priestess in ritual, I have never had the Gods take me over completely. When they have manifested through me, I may take on their attributes during the course of the ritual, but I am still ME. I have never had to get an exorcist to "banish" an entity I had invited in the first place (and which, in some schools of thought, is just another part of me anyway). The "Farewell to the Gods" at the end of ritual has always been enough. Those people who say they have trouble becoming "themselves" again may be more attached to being the Gods than they would care to admit...or they may want a scapegoat for behaviour they want to do anyway but are too afraid to normally (i.e. "It wasn't me who did that, it was the God!"). Now this can be a good thing, but unfortunately it can also be an excuse to behave abominably (whatever your definition of "abominable" is). Remember the Rede...
Why Witches are So Horny...
Probably one of the most exhilarating, terrifying, and problematic of the side effects (depending on your opinion and experience). My discussion as to why this happens must digress into a short blurb about the chakras, or energy centres.
There are seven energy centres along the spine (as practiced in Western Magick: other systems have different numbers). I will go into the details another time. The important thing is that when one is doing energy work these seven centres are activated (energised, open, whatever). One of them is the root chakra (or mooladhara chakra), located (you guessed it) in the pelvis/groin area. This particular chakra governs the life force, survival and such but it can also affect sexual response; so, the more energy, the more "horniness". (Some authors attribute the swadhishatana chakra, located at about the navel for men and at the ovaries for women, with sexual energy). In any event doing ritual should (ideally) activate all of them more or less equally. As a result any and all emotional/intellectual/physical responses will be enhanced, including sexual response. If the energy is concentrated at the lower chakras the sexual effect will be more pronounced.
Can you begin to see the pattern? NOW you know why there is all that ritual nudity and ritual sex and sexual symbolism and frolicking in the woods on May Day and.... All that sexual energy needs an outlet. Putting it into the ritual is the ideal, but that never seems to use it all. So, don't be surprised if you suddenly, inexplicably, develop a crush on your very gay (and not interested) coven-mate...or anyone else you are working with, for that matter.
For something else to think about, here is a quote from Starhawk:
1. In any small group in which people are involved sexually, sooner or later there will be problems.
2. In any small group in which people are involved, sooner or later they will be involved sexually.
3. Small groups tend to break up.
4. If a group can survive one break-up, subsequent conflicts between lovers will be less threatening. When the group has survived several affairs, members of the group will feel very safe, and bonds of trust will deepen.1
So if you are considering bringing sacramental sex into a group, caveat emptor.
The Magnifying Glass Effect
Remember those chakras and how they tend to amplify intellectual/emotional/etc. response? Well, that effect is not limited to the sex drive. Each chakra has its own sphere of influence, for example, the heart (anahata) chakra governs compassion, love, and understanding. When they are activated for the first few times the balance between all of the energy centres can go awry. People who are normally shy can become more extroverted...or even more reclusive. Normally assertive people can become obnoxiously arrogant. (There are good and bad things about this.) Consistent practice and conscious balancing of the centres will help mediate the effects.
There is a list called "Thirteen Goals of a Witch"; the first is "know thyself". Knowing where your strengths and weaknesses are will help forestall any great problems with dealing with suddenly newly-activated energy centres. (Celeste has listed these goals on her site, go to http://www.pathcom.com/~newmoon/Goals.htm to see them.)
Group Mind
The term "group mind" can have two meanings. On the surface it refers to working together with like intent. It can also refer to the phenomenon of members of a group who work closely together to start thinking, acting and speaking alike. In Wicca that can extend into telepathic or empathic communication between members, not always intentional. Incidents such as suddenly knowing when a fellow witch is in trouble or sad, or three people saying the exact same thing at the same time, will start becoming commonplace. (Don't you just HATE it when that happens?...*grin*) Group mind is a sign that the group is working together well, but it can sure be annoying sometimes ("Ack! I want my individuality back!!!"). Make sure you actually WANT to be that close to your coven mates. The only way to get rid of it is to stop working magick together. Then it will fade...eventually.... In a close-knit group, group mind can be an indispensable asset, making communication during ritual and other work easier.
If you or anyone you know have experienced other side effects, let me know at dem@gatewest.net and I will try to include them here.
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1Starhawk, Truth or Dare: Encounters With Power, Authority and Mystery (Harper & Row, San Francisco, 1987), p. 153.
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by Yetl
As Core and Key for the Nascakiyetl Group, much of our Work takes place in locations not accessible through consensus reality. We do, however, answer requests by the Land and its Guardians in the more concrete aspects of the world, particularly now, after Key's adoption by Lord AllFather Wyrm. Those that make requests of us rarely know what we are, although most know that we work with the Families of Dragon, Wyrm and Raven. Occasionally we are asked to invoke these Families for rituals, but this we have never done. The requests we fulfill are of the type with which we can deal and then report back to the querent once successful, most involving the reworking of damaged Land energetic patterns.
In this particular instance, a woman of our acquaintance, a Guardian of a sacred site and a good friend whom we had helped often in the past, brought up the subject of an old public house. She told Key that people she had known, and others besides, had found the place to be highly energetically disturbed. Some of them had found it so disturbed that they had been unable to enter the place. Some had tried to remedy the situation, and had found themselves plagued by misfortune afterwards. The pub was being run by a woman who hosted pagan events during the summer months, and was quite well known for its re-enactments of mediaeval banquets. A mutual acquaintance of ours had also met with unhappiness there while in a relationship with the landlady, which caused him and his family some severe problems. The rumour was that the building had been owned by an alchemist at some point, and that he must have left some sort of Guardian beast or curse behind him. Our friend wondered if we would be prepared to do something about it.
We do, of course, answer all properly made requests.
The first step was to find out some background. The first mistake most practitioners make is to try to complete a task in as short a time as possible, as if speed will make all the difference. In the vast majority of cases, damage to a site or place has been there for some time, and a few days or even weeks spent doing background research will not make any difference to the damage. It will, however, make a great deal of difference to one's ability to carry out the task successfully. The exception to this, as there is always an exception, is when one is an assigned Guardian of a particular site, undertaking regular and frequent reparation of damage caused by insensitive use for, e.g., magical workings.
There is always someone who knows more about a situation than you yourself. Friends and Family are the most important resources any practitioner has, far more than ritual garb or spell books. Thus we asked around amongst our friends for information about the place. Due to the way we work, Key will not tell Core any pertinent information regarding the site energetics that may come from such inquiries. Core does not wish to be prejudiced by information of that nature, and it is a measure of how correct our assessment and our information are if Core's judgement of a situation and independently obtained information match. The information we discovered was interesting, confirming that there had indeed been an alchemist there, and providing Key with some idea of what the alchemist had actually done. We also discovered some interesting, but largely energetically irrelevant information about the landlady.
Our next step was to consult maps of the area. Maps are very, very useful when assessing a site. Not just ordinary maps; geological maps can be consulted and can give a good idea of the likely energetic make-up of a site. The area has a wealth of megalithic sites and sites considered sacred, and we identified the trackways of two ley lines which passed through the area, as well as making a note of a complex water course in the immediate vicinity of the public house. It was at this stage that we began to get some hint of what had actually been done, and began pondering how it had been done and what to do about it.
At this point we coincidentally had arranged to meet with a good friend of ours who knows all about what we do so that he could show us one of his favourite places. We took the opportunity to discuss this project with him, to see if he knew anything about the place that we had not already discovered. He did not, as it turned out, but being a practitioner himself, was keen to get involved. He is a good enough friend that we can work with him without having to be in his presence, and an extra pair of capable hands is always useful. We told him what we knew, and what we thought, and we agreed to keep each other up to date with our investigations
It was finally time to have a look at the place. Not visit it, not yet, but to make contact and make preliminary assessments. We did this from one of the sacred sites in the area, and we did it cautiously.
We were fairly astonished by what we found. At some point in the past, some very powerful working had been undertaken, and two ley lines diverted some way off their correct paths and forced to cross within the building. They had been bound and anchored using physical and energetic means, probably with the aid of magnetised iron, and lots of it. At the point where they crossed, the node had been worked to provide energy on demand, the flux coming upward rather then the more usual downward. It had been anchored to a base structure and then capped with a structure that was both an access cypher and possibly the energetic component of an altar. The cap had the appearance of a faceted teardrop in some respects, and could be used for information retrieval amongst other things, by those with the correct access pattern. The access pattern was obtained by the induction of the correct trance state using a set ritual, and the cypher itself was mesmeric, so that the leader of the ritual, the man responsible for the cap, could use the group mind for his own ends.
Guarding the cap and preventing anyone from interfering with it were several guardian constructs, including one who had been partially summoned, partially constructed. These were the things responsible for the negative results suffered by those who had attempted reparation of the site before.
As shapeshifter, Core was able to avoid detection by the guardians quite easily, and the next step was to access the cap to find out more about it. It was at this point that we discovered our first hurdle. The mesmeric nature of the cypher meant that shifting to conform to that pattern left Core trapped in a merged state, unable to break free from the cap. Access was achieved, but it was not possible for Core to separate from the cap once merged. Key had to forcibly remove Core in order to achieve separation.
It was quite obvious at that stage how best to deal with the cap. It was designed as a cypher and anchor point, created to hold the two ley lines in place and tap the energy opened up at the node of their crossing. In order to provide a firm anchor, the energetic make up of the cap had to be very specific. Anything more generic would not have been able to hold the lines away from their natural course for so long, and would have been easily accessible by anyone with a reasonable idea of how such things worked. We therefore constructed a temporary artificial ley line from the node from which we carrying out this exercise, and Core accessed the cap and Key went through Core to attach the end of the line deep inside. Thus we had an energetically incompatible line feeding energy in the cap, when the cap was designed to keep energy from coming out. It was only a matter of time before it broke under the stress. Key, of course, then had to extract Core from the cap. We left the line to do its work, after making sure it was sufficiently disguised to be left alone by anyone coming along who thought they could make use of it or otherwise interfere with it.
Several weeks later, we were visited by one of our cousins, a Clan member, and decided that it was time we went to have a look at the place and see how things were getting on. We had the notes from a remote viewing session conducted by our friend, and had several things to confirm on site, including Core's assessment of the the local watercourses and the energetics created by them. We had also discovered that there had been an ancient battle nearby and wanted to be sure that we had not missed anything connected with the dead. The dead do not form part of our remit and it is difficult for us to assess such matters, but our cousin is adept and well-connected in this area and we would have been foolish not to take advantage of her expertise.
Our friend's remote viewing notes, from three weeks before our visit and somewhat abbreviated here, are as follows:
And news from Denmark; Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern are dead...
In view of the "not unguarded" comment, since there might be a problem with "visiting" the place, I envisaged a remote viewer, which I imagined as an old brass spyglass, and since I never underestimate the trouble one can get into, also a tripwire-follower thingy which is a nice floaty silver bell on a thin wisp of silk. Now, when you've stopped laughing, it is up to the reader to figure what I left out, answers are at the bottom.
Anyway, it's dark, there are dark beams and some new brickwork which might be covering something, have been put in because it's fashionable, perhaps.
And there's a single red light source, could perhaps be eyes, but more likely a red glass over a candle, high up. Could be disco lights, of course, but I doubt it. And a serious hallucinogen - poppy in deep red wine...it could be anything, other than that it's ingested rather than contact.
And ?our friend?, cloaked in something with rich, silly-looking embroidery on the hem and cuffs, which is either red or is catching the light. He knows what he's about, or thinks he does, has been here many times before. I don't sense malice, or anything much other than confidence.
And there's a woman. Either she's the power behind the throne, telling him what to do, or she's allowing herself to be used because she knows she'll gain something out of it. That sort of relationship, certainly his aims and hers are different somehow.
And a serious sense of tightening an elastic band by repeatedly twisting it around itself; pouring a large amount of energy into it? In the hope of building a battery rather than connecting to one?....
By now you'll have figured out a major problem with this, which is that I forgot to tell it when I wanted it to be.... As almost always I'm left with the sense that if I knew the right person to ask, it would all fall into place.
And worst, I'm sure that I now have enough knowledge to cope with a visit. But, since I'm absolutely sure, that probably means it's a glamour (again).
These are the actual notes, and they bear a great deal of pertinence to the situation as was responsible for the request being made in the first place. The description of the people meets the facts we had about the nature of the relationship between the landlady and the acquaintance of ours with whom she had been involved. The fact that this is the aspect our friend picked up is not surprising, as we had told him that there was a mutual acquaintance involved, although it is worth noting that he did not know about the relationship between our acquaintance and the landlady. The image here shows the fairly accurate depiction of the interior of the public house.
We had not told him of what we had done to the cap itself, although it is obvious that he picked up on it from his description of the energetics. Once again, friends had proven to be very valuable.
Armed with these notes we had some idea of what to expect when we got there, and our expectations were met. Core's assessment of the local water courses proved accurate, although there was a great deal of flooding there at the time, and the energies of the place were becoming stifling as they built up to breaking point.
Behaving as if we had just stopped by for a drink, we noted that the landlady seemed, while overtly suspicious, to be making a real effort to run the place well. It was very quiet, but she seemed to have at least one family living on her land in return for help on her smallholding. The information we had was that she was someone to beware, being possessed of a criminal record and known for leading newcomers to magic astray. However Core determined that she was making a worthy effort, and that indications were that people who came to her knew exactly what she was about and so had to take some of the blame. This assessment included the acquaintance whose experiences had initially led to the request. The energetics were most definitely not welcoming, and could only be improved by the completion of our task.
A brief examination of the energetics pinpointed the rough location of the cap and the node it was anchoring, and further investigation determined that the entire structure was underneath the present fireplace, approximately six to eight feet down. We therefore suspect that there was an accessible cellar or basement there at one time, which has since been built over. It may even be that the cellar is still accessible, although it was impossible for us to tell. The cap itself had not been used for its intended purpose in a very long time.
While sitting warming ourselves quietly in front of the fire, our cousin ascertained that there were no problems being caused by the dead at the site. Core dealt with the guardians, deciding to keep the main one for use later, while our cousin watched with wry amusement. Key made a detailed assessment of the landlady, determining her health problems and deciding whether a push to finish the task would cause undue stress. The only one of the pub's inhabitants to notice what we were doing was the old arthritic alsation dog. Rites and rituals are not necessary for us, and do indeed tend to distract from the task at hand. We prefer to work quietly without fuss, and to get the job done as efficiently as possible.
Finally, Core merged once more with the cap and attacked the base of the structure, seriously fracturing the anchor. The cypher was still mesmeric, but was no longer pleasantly so. Core complained that being merged with it was like being part of a balloon inflated to bursting point. Once Core was satisfied that the entire structure was about to disintegrate, we made a hurried exit. We had no desire to be at ground zero when it did so.
We felt it go after ten minutes, when we were about 5 miles away. At this point the guardian that Core had retrieved died, as it had been connected to the cap itself. There was no immediate effect in the landscape. The leys had been on a diverted course for so long that it took a few weeks for them to return to their natural course. We have not yet been back to the public house, but the connected landscape is now very different, much clearer and brighter, more free-flowing. We expect that the building will be far more welcoming and that business might even have picked up. It will be interesting to find out.
Some time later Key remembered to tell Core that the independent information and the analysis matched.
This is fairly typical of the site-specific requests with which we are asked to deal. Such tasks require patience, good analytical skills, lack of prejudice despite background knowledge, and a willingness to spend time and effort doing the job properly. The number and variety of people who had already attempted and failed, and those who had suffered extreme misfortune merely by working there, demonstrate that some problems have very powerful consequences. It is vital to know one's skills and weaknesses, to obtain assistance from those with greater expertise than oneself if necessary. Do not ignore a potential problem just because you do not have the skills or abilities to assess its importance yourself. Find someone who can. Try to think of everything, do not rush into anything. Time spent on background research is likely to save you time in the long run as well as possible damage when it comes to doing the work. Do not push yourself beyond your abilities on something that is likely to cause harm. You will learn far more by calling for assistance and stretching yourself as part of a team, with other people who can take some of the load. Taking on such a task alone without anyone to help is foolish and dangerous. There should always be someone with you, even if only to watch and be there should you have difficulties.
Finally, it is always worthwhile getting as much independent corroboration as possible. This is helpful for maintaining the sanity in the face of what is, after all, mainly non-consensus reality, and it is very satisfying to match assessment with independent data after the fact.