Lodestone & Lady's Mantle - Survival Guide part 1

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Survivors Guide to the Magical World
PART I: Call of the Wild, field trips and other sundries, by Carmin

    These assume that you will be practicing outside. Although the Pagans have more "sacred coffee tables" than oak groves, and we practice where we can, when we can, I feel it is essential to the spirit of Nature reverence to actually be out in nature to adore it. So, this article is dedicated to the hairy mountain man that lives within every arm chair wizard.
Blessed Be (with bug spray).

    Provincial Protocol

    1. Wear what you need to be comfortable. This includes shoes. Dancing with your coven in the moonlight is a wonderful way to raise power. Until someone stubs a toe. And then its a wonderful way to have a very angry group of magical creatures with a large power supply and boo-boos. I love combat boots because they survive every hike , spiral dance , root, and pile of scat the woods can throw at me.

    2. If something doesn't serve at least two purposes, don't bring it, because you probably will not use it. That being said, here's a basic guideline for essentials:

   ~ Matches. Lots and lots of matches, preferably waterproof, wrapped tightly in a Ziploc bag.

     ~ First aid kit. Never leave home without it. Unless you like ripping up your embroidered linen robes for bandages.

    ~A good knife. Athame does not count. A SHARP knife.

    ~Ritual clothing you don't mind getting dirty.

    ~ 2 or 3 cones or sticks of multi purpose combustible incense, wrapped securely in a Ziploc bag, or if you live in a high fire danger area, a spritz bottle of spring water and a good essential oil is even better.

    3. Leave your non essential ritual tools at home. I've lost many things that were dear to me by bringing them out to the woods, including a very old, exquisite piece of jade I'm sure was nicked by the Fey.

    4. Food, something that won't leak onto your ritual gear or make funny smells and hard to remove( let alone explain) stains if you forget to unpack.

    5. Water. You can't be assured of finding a fresh, drinkable water source where you go.

    Visit a site you plan to use for ritual many times before the event. I have been through some pretty lonely spots in the mountains, places that look utterly untouched by mankind, only to discover later that it is someone's (unmarked) property, or a popular hiking spot (but not on Thursdays, when I happened to be there), or frequented by unfriendlys.

    Depending on where you live, an unwary hiker stumbling across a group or solitary in full ritual regalia can produce different effects, the mildest being embarrassment on their part and a break in the ritual flow, to the more extreme: terror, harassment, violence, public outcry, denouncement, panic, and lawsuits. Use your best judgment.

The Magical Side of the Great Outdoors

    Aside from receiving human permission to use a site, it is far more important to attain the land's permission to work there. Why, may you ask, wouldn't the land want to be the focus of our natural and healing powers? The Spirit or Guardian of the land has a definite consciousness, influenced, however, by recent events, some violent; the way the land has been used historically, farming, hunting, military installations, or, (and this is rarely the case), left to its own devices; and last but not least, human imprintation. The emotions that we feel when we enter an area tend to build with the passage of time. We do this consciously with intentional ritual imprinting in our sacred space, which is why those lucky few set aside entire rooms dedicated to their Craft. It becomes easier and easier to step into a ritual state of being when the door is partially open. A strong emotion triggers a pattern in the land, particularly if it is a nexus point, where multiple ley lines converge, or has a highly developed energy field. This can be done in a very positive sense, (healing, religious, and sacred sites throughout the world have been heavily imprinted by us, and grow stronger because of it). Don't let what I say spook you, just be aware of what the land is telling you, and don't dismiss your gut feeling.

    Also, please don't rush in to wave sage all over your future stomping grounds and banish everything that goes "woogie woogie" at you either. The land has its own karma to work through and you may not be a part of it.

    Once you've gotten permission to work there, you have a very powerful ally.

SAFETY

    One final and practical note on safety. I cannot stress this enough. Put out your fires. If you are working on a beach, do not just bank the fire or attempt to suffocate it with sand. Enough oxygen can still reach the embers to keep them hot and burn the feet of someone walking by. If you are working in the woods, simply banking a fire isn't adequate either; it can heat dry grass or travel through a dry root system to catch ablaze. Pour water and stir.
    Do not leave the area until the pit has stopped smoking.

    Carry your I.D. and any essential medications. Let at least one trustworthy friend know exactly where you are going or leave the location on your voicemail, and your E.T.A. home. And lest we forget, one of the most annoying and marvelous modern inventions, a fully charged cell phone.

    Blessed Be ,

    Carmin

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