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Solstice Serpent Seal

13 Jun

Solstice Serpent Seal by X.A.121

Only one week left until midsummer! This seal is dedicated to the rituals surrounding the summer solstice, when the sun reaches it’s annual zenith. The seal is inspired by the viper’s bugloss (Echium vulgare) herb and adorns the vessels containing the solstice incense, which you can order from my etsy shop and which will also go up at the mail-order site in a few hours. Below is a preview of how the blend looks:

Summer Solstice Incense

Summer Solstice Incense

The ingredients are the herbs and flowers traditionally associated with the summer solstice. The incense blend evokes in particular a vision of a summer meadow at dusk: bushes of blue flowering viper’s bugloss cover the ground and transform into nests of serpents. Plantain, thistle and St. John’s wort grow at its side. Nearby, the fragrant yellow flowers of the evening primrose glow in the evening light and emit their sweet scent into the sweltry air, attracting the most wondrous kind of fairy folks…

Use this incense blend for cleansing, purification and letting go of the old, for protection, renewal, celebrating the night, inspired dreaming and creativity. The blend can also aid in decision making: cast out the serpent as a symbol of “evil” or embrace it as a symbol of wisdom and become a serpent yourself.

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Forward Look 2016: Changes, Ideas, New Projects

31 Dec

Keywords: road maps, systematic approaches, reduction, advancement

Looking back at 2015, an important step was the birth of Planta Magica/ Pflanzenkunst. This project shall receive more attention in 2016. As I continue updating and publishing articles about plants at the new site, I may also start offering downloadable e-books and printed booklets. This can happen in the form of a journal series, discussing in depth certain plants under different aspects. The texts would be accompanied by my photography and plant inspired art. As an example can serve my article about the Mandrake, which was published in Anathema’s Pillars Journal.

Teufelskunst - Pflanzenkunst copy

Pertaining to Teufelskunst, which is now heading into its 5th year since the site went online, there shall also occur some changes. As the work with the green is now receiving space within a new frame, Teufelskunst will focus more on products and creations tied to certain esoteric lines of practice, these being foremost the qliphoth. On top of my list for 2016 are two spiritual maps to be offered as prints, as well as the continuation of my qliphothic incense line. Expect incense for Adramelech/Sammael very soon.

Along with this the Teufelskunst website shall undergo a trimming and the Garden will move here. I will cut it down to three site sections: the first is to give an overview of available products and tools. A second site section, the Devil’s Trumpet, is dedicated to interviews with other artists and the exploration of different esoteric concepts. Secondhand Literature, the third site section, will continue, despite animosity from different directions. I feel it is now more important than ever to appreciate but also to grow a critical view at the esoteric book genre and recent book releases. Besides, lets face it: some want to part with their esoteric library, others want to get their hands on sold out titles. Herein lies potential for magical experience to be passed on along with the books and, being handed on, their prestige grows as well.

What more? At the end of 2015 I found myself in a loop of crafting and delivering. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, I did not find any time at all to work on drawings or possible collaborations, as my mail-order kept me busy 24/7. I also did not find time to work on larger commissions, such as statues. The road to take in 2016 will be to focus on fewer products, higher quality and commissions that challenge me on an artistic level. In 2015 part of my life time got sucked up in bureaucracy, e.g. pertaining to customs and import regulations. I learned some new lessons there, however I doubt whether these were conducive experiences. Some things I wouldn’t do a second time.

In 2016 I hence hope to get to projects talked about in 2015. One would include doing artwork for a band. The other is a photography collaboration with Mr. James Patrick of Death Sex Electronics.

But before all of this enrolls, I look forward to spending New Year’s in a small circle of friends, then a relaxed and creative first week of January, where I see myself preparing a new print edition.

Stay tuned for more and thanks for the great feedback on my work.

Lets rock 2016

Wiebke

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Plant Riddle #3 – Solution

30 Dec

As a reminder, I gave the following hints:

This time the herb I’m looking for is not a poisonous one – quite the contrary! It is a classic healing herb, which belongs in any herbal apothecary. A giant in the garden, its name relative is associated with an adversarial hero, who helped man and offended the gods…

The riddle included an illustration, which was to aid in finding the answer. Here is the drawing again:

riddle-no3

 

The illustration hinted at the legend of Prometheus, who stole the fire from the olymp in the shaft of a Giant Fennel (Ferula communis). The drawing also shows the planetary ruler (Mercury) and associated element (Fire), which apply to both herbs. Hence the relative I was looking for, was the Common Fennel (Feoniculum vulgare). I admit this time the riddle was a little more tricky.

Thanks to everyone, who commented and shared their ideas! It was great fun reading your remarks and seeing the chain of thoughts that lead most of you to the right answer. Other suggestions included angelica, dill, chamomile and yarrow. Since Angelica had been mentioned often, I’m sharing here for comparison my sigillum for it:

Angelica

Angelica

Some of you recognized, the difference in foliage and some other elements. I feel inspired though to give this image, which is already a bit older, a make-over and add planetary as well as some more hints at its folkloristic and magical attributions…

For more info about these herbs, please visit my new blog dedicated solely to the Green.

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Plant Riddle #3

17 Dec

Only few days left until the Winter Solstice, I am excited to share my next plant riddle with you. This time the herb I’m looking for is not a poisonous one – quite the contrast! It is a classic healing herb, which belongs in any herbal apothecary. A giant in the garden, its name relative is associated with an adversarial hero, who helped man and offended the gods.

The riddle is again accompanied by a new illustration I did earlier in autumn and which may help or confuse…

riddle-no3

Which is the plant in question?

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New Plant Riddle

14 Oct

Sharing this here as well…

New Plant Riddle

The game is as usual: guess the plant depicted and leave a comment with your suggestion! If you have been following my recent postings on my new herbalism blog you will easily find the plant in question. A hint: it has to do with autumn. 😉

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Regina Bombina

17 Jul

 

"Regina Bombina", ink, 2017

“Regina Bombina”, ink, 2017

My contribution to the mystery and folklore surrounding the bumblebee. This sigil is inspired by my garden work and continues my line of magical images dedicated to the otherworldly emanations that cross between plant, animal and human realm.

Watch this awesome documentary about bumblebees: www.3sat.de/mediathek/?mode=pl…

Did you know? Bumblebees collect up to 5 times as much pollen and nectar daily as honey bees. In the animal realm they are the fastest at recognizing colors. No other insect cares as devotedly for their offspring as bumblebees.

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Die Toten Kommen (the dead are coming)

28 Jun

Die Toten Kommen

If you are wondering about the grave-cross photo I posted last night, here is the background story: the “grave” is part of a nation-wide campaign against European refugee policy. Berlin art group, “Zentrum für Politische Schönheit”, calls out to create awareness and establish artificial graves all across Germany and Europe in memory of the unknown refugees that died when trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Part of the campaign is also the transferring of bodies of dead refugees to Germany for giving them a proper burial and giving relatives the possibility to say goodbye in a respectful manner. Their activism is of course not welcomed by the German government. However people all across the country and the EU can take part in the activities that aim to create awareness, as opposed to ignorance and looking away from what is happening at the Southern European border.

It was a surprise to find this “grave” last night. I’m occasionally lighting grave-candles here in necromantic cross-road workings. I’m usually honoring Hecate and other, known and also unknown dead, e.g. I also give offerings to anonymous dead. Now I come here and find a grave with offerings, looking so familiar. I really do support the cause behind it.

“Die Toten kommen ” (The dead are coming) – the motto is to be taken literal. If you want to support the efforts made to give the dead a proper burial right there, where it hurts politicians the most, please consider donating: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/die-toten-kommen#/story

In turn for donations you can chose to receive art items, postcards, posters, shirts etc.

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The Leaper Between

19 Feb

18 February 2015

In the mail today: Andrew D. Chumbley’s “The Leaper Between”. The book was released in 2012 by Three Hands Press. The text was written by Chumbley in 2000, an abridged version was first published in The Cauldron magazine in 2001. I yet have to understand in how far the essay is related to ONE: the Grimoire of the Golden Toad (or isn’t). Apparently the Golden Toad is more of a personal account whereas the Leaper is a historical research. I’ve been recommended to read both, but unfortunately the Golden Toad is now very hard (and costly) to obtain. The hardcover editions of the Leaper had sold out rather quickly as well and it was only thanks to a customer that it came into my hands.

This is number 219 of 231 “deluxe hand-numbered casebound copies in iridescent brick cloth”. It has a gilt toad device on the cover, designed by James Dunk. The same illustration is used on the title page, which is wrongly referred to as showing the toad at the roots of the alchemical tree from Samuel Norton’s Mercurius Redivivus. A correction for this is given with a bookmark, along with the title for the illustration being “Waters of the Moon”, a reference to the ritual account of the Norfolk horseman Albert Love (b. 1886) as well as the initiation rite given in Chumbley’s Golden Toad. The title illustration is a beautiful work of illustrative calligraphy, reminiscent of Arabic calligraphy and said to contain hidden links to Chumbley’s own alphabet.

Besides, paperback copies of the Leaper are available and unlimited in number.

On the above photo I added my own toad talismans. One is a mummified pet toad, which I’ve worked with in various ways. It’s not really connected to the ritual described in the book, apart from that it does serve as a talisman. Perhaps one day I’ll share my own working in this regards.

Some toad related artwork of mine:

“Alkhemist”
“Lunar Toad”

PS: Tonight it’s having a “black supermoon“. This means the moon is in close proximity to the earth (occuring larger than usual) just that we cannot see it at this time, because it’s positioned right between the sun and the earth. So watch out, perhaps you can see even more darkness than usual on this night.

Edit: I’ve just been told one could read the Golden Toad grimoire at the Museum of Witchcraft. It’s certainly on my list of places to visit…

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Original Art by Samuel Araya

12 Feb

11 February 2015

In the mail today, this raven painting by Samuel Araya. If you have been following me, you will remember the interview I did with the man for Teufelskunst. Fate has it, this was my first interview with a visual artist. And in retrospective this interview was more than just that, it helped us both evolve. Fate also had it, the painting arrived on this auspicious date and in an even more auspicious moment. (It’s been a rather sombre day…)I’ve placed it now in my ‘cabinet of obscurities’, where I’m keeping my small yet growing collection of occult books and religious/ritual paraphernalia. Now is just missing my stuffed crow to top it all…

Most fittingly, there was also a postcard included, which reads:

May the wings of the raven carry you

from nigredo to the stone of Gold

– SA. 30.1-15

Keeping it sombre (in a positive sense), here is how my workplace looked until a week ago. You see the crow and raven are ever-present:

Old Workplace, 1.2.2015

I’m changing stuff in my room and workplace since. After this long sick period, which I used however for updating and adding important content to this website (see the additions to the menue), I just want to get started. But not without some actual changes.

PS: Sam now also has a website. To view his work go to http://www.samarayaart.com/

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Pillars 1.III – The Ebon Kteis

27 Jan

Pillars 1.III Pillars 1.III

Today arrived my contributor copy of Pillars Journal 1.III, The Ebon Kteis, which contains my very first published essay and where I delve into the concepts and personal motivations behind one of my artworks. The topic is inspired by the many question I keep receiving about the Mandrake and is titled Regina Amandrakina – Exploration of the Image and Strange Idol. So now all those, who asked me questions, receive here 11 pages food for thought (and of course everybody else is welcome to read this as well, because it’s a heart piece and will help you understand how and why I do what I do!) (;

I immediately started reading and, as with the previous Pillars issues, this one has become again a masterpiece of editing and type setting! It’s obvious there was put again a lot of thought into the editing and arrangement of the different contributions. Photos, art and texts by different authors come together and compliment each other seamlessly. Also the line breaks and paragraphs of written contributions are arranged thoughtfully. Besides this the bronze print on the cover compliments the vibe and aura of this tome just perfectly.

“‘The Ebon Kteis’ is a journey back into Darkness; somber in tone than its older siblings and aiming to be more of a visual feast to inspire Minds & spark the Sacred Flame Within.”

But it is not only the visual side that is utterly appealing about this publication. Anathema has specialised in bringing together artists, occultists and lonesome wolves, which, as different and individual each of them may be, share a mutual vision and idea of truth and searching. And there is another interesting aspect that emerges once you skim through the pages. The topic was given, but each contributor works independently and usually there would not be much interaction, yet each piece of art and writing seems to harmonize with the other, as if led and guided by the same spirits. This is the subtle magic of Pillars, which strikes me with each new release.

This issue is the last in the series (though a new volume, with different outfit is planned). There are once again 230 copies available, half of which have already been sold. So better hurry, least you’ll have to spend ten times as much, once the sold out publication ends up on eBay!

Pillars 1.III – The Ebon Kteis | out January 2015 | www.anathemapublishing.com/

 

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