Did a spirit come to me last night in a dream? Was the message I heard from a spirit or is it all in my head? How can I be sure that I am really communicating with spirit X, Y, or Z? Ok, I think I made contact, whats next? These and similar questions regarding the […]
Language is the vehicle through which we transmit culture. It is the manner in which we package and exchange information, ideas and concepts and is the most basic symbolic unit upon which we can progress and grow as individuals, as a society, and ultimately as a species. The oft-quoted statement by Isaac Newton that “if […]
Palo Mayombe is a path that my ancestral spirits have intended for me to walk. Following more than a year of intensive working with my ancestors this has became undeniably clear to me. I was initially hesitant to commit to Palo because I was very comfortable, successful, and happy with my existing magical and spiritual practices. But the second […]
Over these past winter months I have dug deep into my personal spirit work. My focus has been on the ancestors and through them I’ve been led back to the Afro-Cuban traditions that were sprinkled onto me as a child. I have thus been exploring these paths and, in particular, the tradition of Palo Mayombe. I don’t intend to give a detailed description of the […]
Tradition is: : a way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, society, etc., for a long time : the stories, beliefs, etc., that have been part of the culture of a group of people for a long time This definition (from Merriam Webster […]
I write quite a bit about the PGM, clearly it is very important element of my magical and spiritual practice. Yet despite working very closely with some Graeco-Egyptian deities, I do not strongly identify with either Greek or Egyptian “religion.” So why do I place such high value on the PGM? This is a question that I have recently begun to […]
This post has been republished by Anthony Arcanum over at ArcanumTarotMagick.com For many cultures the end of October heralds the holy days that celebrate the ancestors and the dead. In the northern hemisphere this is the midpoint between the autumnal equinox and winter solstice when nights get noticeably colder and longer as we enter the darkest time of […]
The ritual is concluded, the candles flicker while the smoke from the burnt offerings lingers as a ghostly witness to the incantations spoken into the night; the journey however, has just begun. Stillness comes forth as a dark and silent mist, slowly and surely engulfing the land and my senses. I am consumed by sensations; my heart searches […]
Across the magical traditions of the world we find evidence of a primordial practice of mapping and anchoring the spiritual realm to the physical landscape. For most, this act of hallowing space begins by defining and honoring the four cardinal directions, the sky above, and the underworld below. Through these a physical, mental, and spiritual center is […]
From our earliest origins we as a species have kindled a sacred relationship with our dead. Fueled by a belief in the continued existence of the soul and the ability of the dead to influence the lives and events of the living, the cult of the ancestors arose as our most primordial and universal tradition. Our ancestors are our strongest allies, teachers, and guides unconditionally looking […]
‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’, surely this idiom borders on the cliche. Yet, it speaks to an undeniable truth – one that those of us experimenting with the Greek Magical Papyri should keep in mind as we leaf through this rich collection of spells. Spells with titles that rarely appeal to our current and modern lives. Seriously, how […]
Greetings friends and readers of Reflections from the Black Stone. This is the new home of my blog, I hope you enjoy the layout and future content to come. – Leonardo
