Spellwork and Magic and Prayer, oh my!

I was recently asked by a friend and Voudisant how Feris create change in the world externally through magic, since what he has seen of Feri so far is about inner work and the accumulation of inner power. This is understandable. In most public Feri material, the focus is on the alignment of the Triple Soul and purification through Kala, with little to know 'practical' magical guidance, such as spell-work. 

My Voudisant friend mentioned that in Vodou, there is a principle known as ashe, which is inherent in all things and through spiritual practices, one can gain more ashe. To me, this was pure Feri! In Feri, the concept of mana or energy is very similar, and through the alignment of the Triple Soul and regular spiritual practice, you naturally accumulate a store of mana. I also think that through the Feri practices, you start to live in 'right relationship' with the world, and from this natural state of grace you affect the outside world in a myriad of ways. Obviously this does not happen overnight, and living in 'right relationship' will take years of work.

However, I think it's safe to say that most Feris do engage in spell-work in some form or another. I certainly do. But I don't think that there are any authentic Feri 'flavours' of magic, given the syncretic nature of the tradition. Personally, I am most comfortable with simple folk magic and I am currently looking into Hoodoo as a source of magical practices. Victor and Cora Anderson also worked Hoodoo magic and I think that Hoodoo naturally lends itself to Feri. 

Weaving Cords

Whoop!

I've just finished weaving my first two sacred cords for my Feri training. 

As well as honouring Guardians of the traditional directions from the Western magical traditions, Feri recognises the Guardians of Above, Below and Centre, making seven in total, and as part of my training I have to make a cord for each Guardian, with which I can do cord magic, use for devotional work, or wear as a link to the Guardian during ritual. 

As of tonight, I now have my cords for the Guardians of North and Centre. Finally!!

The weaving process itself became a magical act, forging a link between me and the Guardians. While I was weaving the cord for the Northern Guardian, I could picture the Guardian in my mind, and I could recall the energy I felt when I was first introduced to the Guardian in November. While I was weaving the cord for the Centre Guardian, who in Feri is also recognised as the Witch Hirself, the amount of energy that was raised in my body was tremendous. I actually got quite sweaty while I was weaving.

The reason that it has taken so long to do them was that I found it quite frustrating, and the cords kept on getting tangled up. And then then solution hit me, I tied the cord to a nail high on the wall so that the cords would fall to the ground, making them easier to separate. I managed to do each cord in less than an hour for each one, which I think is quite quick really!

Now I have to actually use the cords...

Daily Practice

More so than most other Pagan traditions, Feri places great emphasis on daily meditations, energy and breath work, and prayer/devotional work. There are a variety of practices that Feri practitioners are encouraged to do on a daily basis, such as the Triple Soul Alignment and sitting practice. Depending on your stage in training, daily practice can be as simple or as complicated as you make it. But the important thing is to do it! Practice changes your body and soul, as well as keeping your mind focused. Without practice, religion becomes mere philosophy. 

But it's so difficult to keep up!

I've found it really hard to get in my daily practice. I usually do it about four times a week, but given that it's a new year in a few days, my resolution is commitment to daily practice whether I like it or not! The work is not always easy, and Feri work is not simply devotional prayers and offerings - it includes facing the darker parts of the personality, which is not an easy thing to do at 6am. 

I try to change my practice every few months while keeping certain elements, so that it doesn't become mindless. I'm reading Teachings of Gurdjieff - A Pupil's Journal and a phrase has really stuck in my mind. "Self-remembering doesn't become habit", meaning that it takes continual effort. So what is going to be my daily practice for the coming months? 

1) Prayer to the Star Goddess

2) Prayers to other Gods, including Patron

3) Prayer to the Guardians

4) Triple soul Alignment

5) Sitting practice

6) Self-blessing pentacle

7) Triple soul and body divination

8) Any other divinations

9) Any other practices (Iron/Pearl pentacles, sacred dances etc)

10) Journalling

It's going to be hard and take a lot of effort, but it'll be worth it.

A belated prayer to my patron Ganesh to help me with the upkeep of this blog.

Aum gam ganapataye namah

Blessed be, Ganesh. And thank you!

Whoops!

Still getting the hang of blogging. 

The link for the history of Feri Tradition is here.

What is Feri?

So, I've been training in Feri for about 9 months now and I would like to try and explain what Feri means to me.

In T. Thorn Coyle's excellent book "Evolutionary Witchcraft", she mentions that the late Feri Grandmaster Victor Anderson said that the Fey want us to become more human, more ourselves, and I think that is what Feri essentially is: a Path in which the layers of muck that we have caked over our essential selves are removed or transformed, allowing our true essences to shine brightly. Through practices such as the Kala rite, triple soul alignment and the Flower Prayer, I can connect to my more essential self, which is also the Star Goddess, from whom all things emerge and unto whom all things return. 

I have explored various traditions of both Wicca and Witchcraft, and I've noticed a sense of adding things on to oneself within those traditions, whether rightly or wrongly. And while Feri does impart a lot of knowledge and practice, when I practice I feel part of me being lost. And that's a good thing! Parts of me that no longer serve my true purpose are transformed and given new meaning. 

And I feel more "me".

For a more objective definition of Feri, please click the following: 

Introduction

Brightest blessings!!

My name is Maythen, I've been training with Feri/Reclaiming initiates for about 9 months and I've finally succumbed to the lure of blogging! My reasons for starting a blog are manifold:

1) I need a space to record my magical and spiritual progress, and I type faster than I write ;-)

2) I would like to meet more people of varying spiritual Paths, with whom I can converse, debate, and hopefully learn

3) For those who are interested in studying Feri or Reclaiming, my blog will provide a glimpse of what this Path entails

3) I want to increase my self-discipline, and writing this blog will help with this process.

I will include more information on me as and when, but hopefully this will be on a daily basis.

Brightest blessings!

Maythen