Introduction
Most people who live in an urban environ-ment tend to believe that nature is only tobe found in the countryside. Indeed manypagans, even, feel that to engage withnature one has to go out into the country-side, to a field or wood to do so. This is aresult of the deep alienation that is felt bymost urban dwellers, an alienation from notonly nature but the very processes of lifeand death, fecundity and decay.
In this paper I shall introduce various tech-niques and practices that will enable theurban witch or sorcerer to fully engage withtheir local environment and magickal-ecosystem, and as such empower one in theprocess.
However, the problem always arises whena witch or sorcerer attempts to communi-cate their personal practice of where tobegin. So let us begin naturally. Let usbegin with the earth, the ground…
The Lair as a Place of Power
Lair (definition): Earth, Ground… A BurialPlot (Scots).
The sorcerer will have numerous sites thatare places of power or power points;however the lair is a special case for it isthe feral sorcerer’s earth, their ground, theburial plot… the nexus. It is the centre ofthe spider’s web and is connected with all
those other places of power or powerpoints that the sorcerer has identifiedthrough the use of the psychogeographicdrift as they weave the threads of their be-coming into/from the warp and weft of theWyrd.
The power points are sites that the sorcererhas activated/awoken to and in a very realsense awoken through their use of the psy-chogeographic drift as they beat thebounds… these are woven into their webof wyrdii. The feral sorcerer is a creature ofthe city… Thus these power points can beanything; a de-commissioned churchyard,a crossroads, an area of waste-ground, evena bar or public house. Each has its own ener-gy, its own resonance, and each is in a veryreal sense a portal to the various realmsthat the sorcerer engages with.
The feral sorcerer is a fence strider, theyinhabit the liminal space, in betwixt the oneand the other, they surf the angles and canhear their song… But enough I digress, letus return to the lair.
Thus it is and always will be for the lair is theplace of power, it is where the sorcererreturns, it is their ground, their earth. It is herethat they place all the objects of power thatthey have won or been gifted in every realm.
The lair is their home, their hearth, it is alsothe home of those spirits and deities withwhom they live and have a special relation-ship. I cannot over stress the importance ofthe lair in our work for the feral sorcererdoes not create sacred space in the sense asunderstood by most modern magicians andwitches… All space is sacred and unholyboth.
The feral sorcerer, like the city-fox, doesnot differentiate between nature and thecity-scape. All is of nature born, and begatsall our sorceries.
So the question arises as to how one estab-lishes the lair as a place of power, as one’searth or ground.
The first step, as with most traditions, is toundertake a period of banishing and protec-tion. This is equivalent to the fox whochoosing to utilise an abandoned earth orlair will take the time and care to dig out allthe detritus that has collected and removethe scent of it’s previous inhabitant(s) bymarking it with their own scent.
Feral Sorceryby David Blank
Just been out for a walk with the dogsi... psychogeography... connecting with my local environment... engaging with nature and thespirits... October evening – East London... chill air on my bare arms... the hounds loping along beside me... witchblood coursing ahare through my veins... the stars veiled... city lights cast a glamour on the cloak… clouds... buildings hang from low... I stop andlook through a window... see crazy patterns on the white walls.... strange shapes... witch horse... which house... the magician stares
out the window to see the room staring back... the witch watches the magician entranced by his reflection.. patterns on the wallpaper.. patterns on the white walls.... the witch feels the chill of the night air on her arms... at her side her hounds... she shiftsher gaze from the white room and looks up at the night sky... the clouds hang low... plants creep slow... worms glow... trees rustlesilent in the empty streets... the witch walks ON... the taste of the chill October evening in her nose... flaring gently to a melody
known by her kin...blood coursing a hare... tickling a salmon... stroking a squirrel... ...
Meanwhile... in the white room... the magician constructs model ships and studies the patterns on the walls.
The witch walks on... the chill night air on her bare arms... her hounds loping along beside her...
- Book of Shadows (2006)
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The Spider’s Web & Power Points
and stir the spell, make love with it. As theright hand stirs the spell the left arm is heldat an angle to the body of between 10 andninety degrees (variable – the variance isfluid). The left hand is not fixed, nor staticbut will move as when caressing a lover,caressing her and teasing her forth as yougather the chthonic energies unto oneself –thus one draws the energies from the earthand the underworld to further empower thespell for the feral sorcerer’s power is root-ed in the chthonic. The feral sorcerer makeslove with the chthonic forces and takesthem into themselves for it is within thesorcerer, the lower Dan Tien (TheCauldron), that the spell is brewed.
Begin spinning once more gathering theenergies from above and below, from theheavens, the earth and the underworld. Asbefore stop spinning and dance – stirringthe spell within the cauldron. Repeat untileither exhausted or the spell is brewed.When one first does this exhaustion maycome upon one before the spell is brewedin which case let it sit awhile (sometimes aspell will take several days or longer tobrew and requires a period to ferment with-in), then repeat the whole process as above.
When the spell is brewed tease it out withthy right hand from the cauldron. As oneperforms this operation one will find them-selves dancing the wyrd dance of the feralsorcerer which is an elemental ballet,graceful and powerful. When one hasreached down inside the cauldron and gath-ered the spell in thy cupped hand, beginspinning once more, widdershinsvii, weav-ing the spell into the One-Spell. The poeminto the One-Poem, the Uni-verse.
To close, place the right hand on the heart,continue spinning (slowly), the left hand atan angle to the body caresses the earth andthe underworld. Dance and smooch withthe beat as you spin – making love with thechthonic forces and feeling the love in thyheart as you do so.
When the lovemaking reaches its climaxthe right hand takes the love from the heartand offers it to the Uni-verse, the One-Poem. Spin faster and faster and faster, thearms at right angles to the body as when webegan and weave thy love into the Uni-verse, the One-Poem, the One-Spell.viii
Have some wine and food.
NB: This is a very simple and effectivespell casting technique.
(continued on next page following)
have its own energy and magickal currents,even though these may be latent. Thepower points can be awoken throughengaging with that site magickally… nour-ishing and feeding it, which can be as sim-ple as walking the site and acknowledgingit, or tending it and removing the rubbish.One may make certain offerings, these canbe anything from food, alcohol, incense, orparts of dead animals that are excess toones fetish requirementsv. One is requiredto take the time to nurture ones powerpoints. In turn they will nurture you.
The web can extend not just to one’s localenvironment, but can also include sites farremoved. Indeed one can even have severalwebs in different locations that are con-nected to each other by drift lines oranchors. One is not limited to the environ-ment that is local to the lair.
Drift lines or anchors are established utilis-ing psychogeographic techniques. Forexample, one can connect two or moredifferent locations through an exchange ofobjects (stones, earth, etc.), between thoselocationsvi. In this way one can create driftlines or anchors between different webs orconnect a power point far removed fromthe web and feed it’s energy into the localweb to further empower it. In this way onecan, for example, connect sacred sites tothe web… however, a word of caution, thislatter practice is not without its dangers.
Spinning: Weaving the Spell
The feral sorcerer is the spinner of webs, the weaver.
We spin to weave our spell into the One spell.
We spin to weave our poem into the One-poem, the Uni-verse.
We spin to weave our love into the Uni-verse, the One Poem.
Stand in thy lair. Put on music that stirs theblood. Begin spinning widdershins, armsoutstretched, left palm facing down, rightpalm facing up. As one spins gather theenergies from above and below and weavethem the one to the other – unto the sorcerer. Spin at a pace that is comfortable, withpractice one will find that one can spin forlonger and longer periods without becomingdizzy or losing focus of intent. When onefinds oneself becoming dizzy stop spinningand dance slowly – sensually. Place theright hand on the stomach at the point ofthe lower Dan Tien. Feel the warmth andenergy, caress the stomach with the righthand in a slight circular motion (deosil)
For myself I performed a banishing andcleansing for a period of six months. Isealediii all the portals; windows, doors,toilet, sinks, every entrance point withsigns, gestures and salt. The lair must becleansed of EVERYTHING that is not ofthe sorcerer’s scent. We are seeking hereinto create a safe space within which to dothe Work.
Integral with this is beating the bounds.
Beating the Bounds
Of interest this being Beltane,iv is that oneof the customs of May Day was beatingthe bounds, walking the circuit of one’sproperty, repairing fences and boundarymarkers.
The feral sorcerer much like the fox orferal cat will walk their territory and markcertain boundary points. However, I useterritory here in the loosest sense for whilemany sorcerers will consider their localarea as their territory, for me personally itis rather that one is a custodian.
The sorcerer has a certain responsibility fortheir local environment and magickal-ecosystem. A responsibility both to one’slocal community as normally understood,and to the local community of spirits thatlive there – the magickal-ecosystem.
One walks the circuit, casting a circle asthey do so, marking boundary points. Bydoing this in effect one casts a circlearound the lair as one weaves the spider’sweb. One thus does not need to cast a circleeach time one does a ritual, indeed as theferal sorcerer is so 24/7 the whole conceptof casting a circle each time one does aritual is meaningless. Of course when Iwork with others I may cast a circle for thatspecific ritual, however, in my personalpractice the circle is cast by beating thebounds and maintained on a regular basis;as are the power points, for if they are notthen one may find that one loses the con-nection with that site, that current. The sor-cerer, like the spider, is required to main-tain their web. Their web becomes theirbody extended…
The sorcerer draws power from the powerpoints and is nourished by them as theylikewise nourish the power points – therelationship between the sorcerer and thepower points is symbiotic and mutualistic.Each of the power points is a community –a biological and magickal ecosystem – andin a very real sense an actual entity. It will
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by Maryam Hashemi 2007 The Feral Sorcerer
exchange of objects as the very process ofbeating the bounds and engaging with thepower points on a regular basis weaves theweb, and the web unto the lair – which isthe nexus.
vii The arms should be at right angles to thebody as when we began, yet this time theright hand cupped, facing palm upwardsand holding the spell, releases the spell intothe Uni-verse. As one spins it is woven intothe One-Spell.
viii The sorcerer’s love is their offering tothe Wyrd.
The feral sorcerer will begat several servi-teurs as they will whose function it is toguard both the lair and the sorcerer as wellas perform other various functions. In part2 (next issue) we will discuss how animalfetishes can be employed as serviteurs/spirit-familiars and the techniques involved inthis practice.
with community and to love and nurturethem, one finds that one’s needs are met,and more. One does not need to do a spellfor every specific need to be met, indeedone’s life becomes a huge spell…. a livingand vital spell.
Endnotes
i The dogs of whom I speak are spirithounds - for the feral sorcerer walks withthe spirits.
ii The sorcerer weaves the threads of theWeb of Wyrd to create new patterns, webs,tapestries, and thus weaves their web of wyrd.
iii When we talk of sealing all the portalswe are in effect establishing a boundary orgate (a portcullis) so that only that whichwe invite into our lair can obtain ingress.
iv This paper was originally given as partof a talk at The Secret Chiefs moot,Britain’s longest running pagan/occultforum, on the 2nd May 2007
v See Feral Sorcery (Part 2) – AnimalFetishes as Serviteurs/Spirit-Familiars.
vi When one creates the web local to one’slair one is not usually required to utilisethe psychogeographic technique of an
The Quickening
When we engage and connect with natureand the spirits, we quicken the witchbloodthat flows through our veins.In a sense everything in life is blood….EVERYTHING!!There is blood that is fluid and vital andthere is blood congealed. In the urban landscape blood tends to con-geal and as a consequence living in such anenvironment the witchblood that flowsthrough our veins congeals and hardens. Bytaking the time and care to connect andmesh with nature and the spirits, mesh as into weave a web, mesh as in the way gearsmesh when then synchronise, we awakenand quicken the witchblood. When one comes to the gnosis that every-thing (in life) is blood one comes to a deeperunderstanding of the Mysteries and willawaken to our responsibility to quicken notonly the witchblood that flows through ourown veins but also the blood that hasbecome congealed; both in our environ-ment (the urban landscape), and other people.
Conclusion
In conclusion I would like to say that basedupon my personal experience I have foundthat if one is willing to enter into a mean-ingful relationship with one’s environmentand magickal-ecosystem, with other people,
Stuart Howarth – Wood Carver38 Beightons Walk, Healey Gardens, Rochdale, 0L12 6EA
Tel: 01706 341 544
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