Headless Rite: an Invitation to the Members of Studio Arcanis

[Brother_Moloch_969]

Where I think people might get confused is in the T shaped crossroad.

A 'T' crossroads is really no different than a 'Y' crossroads only its three angles come together at a different degree, nothing more. The spirits don't care about that because they consider both 'Y & T' crossroads to be male for obvious reasons. There are times when one is preferred over the other.

Ideally for the best uncrossing work, one should bathe in the middle of a crossroads although that is not always an easy thing to be able to do. There are streets in Haiti where this is done but even then it is done quickly as one does not tarry in the street lest an errant driver runs your ass over. And usually a person does an uncrossing bath with spiritual help in the crossroads so you can get done quickly and it is done right.

[monsnoleedra]

Where I think people might get confused is in the T shaped crossroad.

A 'T' crossroads is really no different than a 'Y' crossroads only its three angles come together at a different degree, nothing more. The spirits don't care about that because they consider both 'Y & T' crossroads to be male for obvious reasons. There are times when one is preferred over the other.

Ideally for the best uncrossing work, one should bathe in the middle of a crossroads although that is not always an easy thing to be able to do. There are streets in Haiti where this is done but even then it is done quickly as one does not tarry in the street lest an errant driver runs your ass over. And usually a person does an uncrossing bath with spiritual help in the crossroads so you can get done quickly and it is done right.

I can't deny the idea of a T or Y being relatively the same on a road way. In that regard I agree with you.

Where my understanding comes in (and I admit I might be reaching the wrong conclusion) is more the idea of the leg which forms the T would be an entry into a home space, temple space, sanctuary space, etc. So the living and spirits can exit the main travel way and enter into one of those areas. Yet the idea is that statuary placement, pediment engravings, etc can repeal or deny entry to any wandering spirit or non welcome human. Sort of the idea of the gorgon adorning the pediment over a temple will scare away or frighten spirits, restless dead, etc from entering the space. That or the same idea where a statue of Hekate would be placed just inside the threshold of the entry way to perform the same sort of denial / prevention.

I will admit you raised a question in my mind though. We assume a travel way is a road where traffic will move through. Yet what if it is a three way intersection of water? Don't know how many times I've sat at the juncture of three streams, or two streams and a body of water such as a pond, lake, even ocean. Always had the notion at such places that they were ideal for purifying, uncrossing, etc. It is IMHO a liminal spot which is similar to a regular road way in that regard.

[Brother_Moloch_969]

Where I think people might get confused is in the T shaped crossroad.

A 'T' crossroads is really no different than a 'Y' crossroads only its three angles come together at a different degree, nothing more. The spirits don't care about that because they consider both 'Y & T' crossroads to be male for obvious reasons. There are times when one is preferred over the other.

Ideally for the best uncrossing work, one should bathe in the middle of a crossroads although that is not always an easy thing to be able to do. There are streets in Haiti where this is done but even then it is done quickly as one does not tarry in the street lest an errant driver runs your ass over. And usually a person does an uncrossing bath with spiritual help in the crossroads so you can get done quickly and it is done right.

I can't deny the idea of a T or Y being relatively the same on a road way. In that regard I agree with you.

Where my understanding comes in (and I admit I might be reaching the wrong conclusion) is more the idea of the leg which forms the T would be an entry into a home space, temple space, sanctuary space, etc. So the living and spirits can exit the main travel way and enter into one of those areas. Yet the idea is that statuary placement, pediment engravings, etc can repeal or deny entry to any wandering spirit or non welcome human. Sort of the idea of the gorgon adorning the pediment over a temple will scare away or frighten spirits, restless dead, etc from entering the space. That or the same idea where a statue of Hekate would be placed just inside the threshold of the entry way to perform the same sort of denial / prevention.

I will admit you raised a question in my mind though. We assume a travel way is a road where traffic will move through. Yet what if it is a three way intersection of water? Don't know how many times I've sat at the juncture of three streams, or two streams and a body of water such as a pond, lake, even ocean. Always had the notion at such places that they were ideal for purifying, uncrossing, etc. It is IMHO a liminal spot which is similar to a regular road way in that regard.

That's a good question. Typically there are river & ocean spirits who govern bodies of waters including water ways however if three waterways connect? Yeah that would form a crossroads of a sort. On the banks of the intersection one could perform an Uncrossing OR get out into the water and take an Uncrossing bath. You'd have to check with the water spirits to see if they would be okay with it and most likely they would. Just use some simple divination to confirm.

[Provenant]

Just popping in to say i love the cool riffing going on in this thread between Mons and BroMo. Never thought of a water crossroads before, and this original thinking between you two isn't in some book somewhere.

[Wanderer]

Its super interesting that y'all would start talking about something that's been on my mind recently around crossroads, patterns of traffic and flow.

If I open three windows in my house, I create a crossroads. Its a crossroads of air where three breezes meet in the hallway, but its a crossroads nonetheless. Where three tributaries meet, we would likewise experience the same, and I suspect that would make living in Venice pretty interesting, magickally.

Food for thought! I'm going to ponder this some more.

[Brother_Moloch_969]

Well Wanderer, FYI the original crossroads were just footpaths not driving lanes. Thus even alleyways behind buildings where three or more meet, are in effect a crossroads. You have to open the crossroads and the safest way is to use the crossroads guardian from the pantheon you regularly work with. Hermes or Mercury can do it as can Mananan MacLir if you're Celtic or Heimdal if you work with the Norse. At the very least, you can always use a generic address such as "Crossroads Guardian" without specifically naming anyone. Yes this does work as I and numerous students have experimented with this method.

Today, spirits like Hekate (Hecate) hang out at x or + crossroads and the Hermes tends to hang out at the T or Y crossroads. This doesn't mean you can't call them at other crossroads, however it means they are easiest to contact at their respective crossroads.

And once you have established a relationship with them, then you should be able to summon either at a crossroads you make over your working altar by drawing the crossroads and calling to them.

[monsnoleedra]

Not sure anyone else would benefit from this discussion but seeing as how I follow more of a shamanic like pathway I always found other crossroads that I tended to use in my workings. Most often simply discovered on the landscape as I explored or honestly just happened to be in the right spot at the right time.

Animal trail crossings. There was one site I used all the time before I moved. It was a series of animal trails that came together and the environment had formed sort of a natural amphitheater. The area had a series of fallen trees that formed benches or rows. The three's formed a circle with wild vines completely wrapped around the tree canopy and gave it sort of a crown over the site but at points actually fell to the ground as well. A long running banner of vines that just rose and fell about the site. It was located just beneath the ridge line where an open field was located. The animal trails sort of circled about the place going around the circle forming sort of a triangle in the soil. In the center of the ring was a depression where at one time a large rock had been partly buried

Near this same area was a series of tree's with trunks that were split to form various sized Y shapes. Some V's starting just above the ground, others forming several feet up in the tree. One particular tree, can't recall if it was oak or cedar, but during the winter around Christmas time I happened to go up there when the moon was rising. The moon actually rose up on the horizon and came up through the V shape in the tree. The moon light created a shadow that formed a Y over the entire area and walked into the circular ring. The rays of the moon seemed to concentrate through the V and to me appeared to be brighter than the surrounding area. Only saw something sort of similar once when I was at sea and the moon rose on a pedestal of light running across the surface of the ocean back towards our ship. The light of the moon in each situation appearing to be funneled into a bright light stream. Yet the sides of the pedestal dark compared to the brightness of the pedestal.

During the spring and summer months the area was pretty well hidden by the foliage. During the late fall and winter months the evergreen's gave it a coloring on the otherwise grayish landscape.

The other place I tended to use quite often was what I called an Elemental crossroads. The place was located near the mouth of a ravine / cut that ran down into the actual pond that had formed from the rising spring water. The spring water came up in the corner of the ravine and was used to feed the pond as well as provide water to our home. Then add that anytime the wind blew it would funnel down into the ravine opening and blow across and through the opening. I used to perform various rituals / ceremonies on a concrete slab that was placed where the water ran into the pond but also had the pipes that ran to our house passing under it. At that juncture I naturally had Earth, Water and Wind. Then when I did my rituals / ceremonies I'd add fire via the various methods I used. Figure I'd have an actual bonfire at times, sometimes I'd simply use various colored candles placed inside a light cover. The light covers were the old type where you had a section cut out on the side but the base was solid but open. Made it easier to use IMHO when the fog / misty rain socked the area in or heavier rains fell. Quite often the heat from the flames would cause the mist / fog to swirl and move about forming images or shapes. Granted, the shapes and images were my own mind reading what I believed I saw so others might see something different than I did.

I don't get out as much now to explore but still try to find junctures where animal trails / paths cross or meet.

For me these always seemed to connect me to either Hekate or Artemis. Though I have to admit at times it was more the idea of the conflated image of Hekate-Artemis or Artemis-Hekate depending upon who I felt was stronger but acting in the methodology of the other. That they were mostly located in the wilderness or fringe areas they re-enforced the separation of civilization and non-civilization / wilderness.

[Wanderer]

These are some fantastic points, and I would add to them that emotional crossroads are a kind of subtle, elemental crossroads between the mind and heart. Recognizing this space and working within it with the appropriate spirits, presences, attending assistants and so forth often populates that space with the means of creating meaningful change in ourselves to do the same in the outside world.

[monsnoleedra]

These are some fantastic points, and I would add to them that emotional crossroads are a kind of subtle, elemental crossroads between the mind and heart. Recognizing this space and working within it with the appropriate spirits, presences, attending assistants and so forth often populates that space with the means of creating meaningful change in ourselves to do the same in the outside world.

I find using ones internal landscape to be quite the project at times. It's especially influencing / destructive when one is dealing with shadow / traumatic issues. We do have guides and / or assisting spirits within but IMHO many times they are both primordial and animalistic in nature. But I do attribute that to the fact many times in my experience we're dealing with base emotions when doing so. The more base the emotion / situation the more animalistic the guide / presence that aides us is.

The idea of working between the mind and heart makes me think of chakra's and kundalini (rising or descending). Perhaps its just me but I find colors play a significant presence when I am doing such workings / contemplation's. Admit that that idea ties back into the climbing the internal tree via color association.

[Wanderer]

I find using ones internal landscape to be quite the project at times. It's especially influencing / destructive when one is dealing with shadow / traumatic issues. We do have guides and / or assisting spirits within but IMHO many times they are both primordial and animalistic in nature. But I do attribute that to the fact many times in my experience we're dealing with base emotions when doing so. The more base the emotion / situation the more animalistic the guide / presence that aides us is.

The idea of working between the mind and heart makes me think of chakra's and kundalini (rising or descending). Perhaps its just me but I find colors play a significant presence when I am doing such workings / contemplation's. Admit that that idea ties back into the climbing the internal tree via color association.

I wholeheartedly agree, and yet the internal landscape is a part of what we interface with whether or not we acknowledge or understand that this is happening. Our emotions and perspectives seem to influence and guide the manifestation of Spirit, and I would concur that the more base the emotion and situation, the more animalistic the guide.

This tracks with my own experiences almost separate from path or practice. Whether I use Jewish mysticism, pre-Buddhist animism, Buddhist meditational practices, or Abrahamic theism tied to conjuration, the resulting intensity of emotion holds. It doesn't seem to matter if we're dealing with angels, demons, or the spirits in-between either, which I find to be fascinating.

I would further concur that the colors and contemplations do seem to matter, too. As a portion of my personal practice, I meditate and send specific color waves & frequencies of energy and emotion in connection to them, and I find that it makes a substantial difference to the way that these energies are received by others. This seems to occur with or without foreknowledge of what I'm doing and how I'm doing it.