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Balenciaga evening dress, fall/winter 1951

Tyto tenebricosa, the greater sooty owl, is a medium to large owl found in south-eastern Australia, Montane rainforests of New Guinea and have been seen on Flinders Island in the Bass Strait.  They have also been known as Black Owls or Dusky Barn Owls.

Memento Mori

Gregory Halili (b. 1975) carves and paints mother-of-pearl shells, creating memento moris. The artist has embarked on a series of skulls, which utilize the entire mother-of-pearl shell, the form mirrors and contains the skull. Halili carves into the shell to bring forth the skulls’ features: bones, teeth, eye sockets, the contour of the head. These are captivating and beguiling objects, they seem to depict the life enhancing part of dying, suggesting the cycle of life goes on and on. The artist writes about his skull series: “I have carefully chosen and selected the large, raw shells that form an almost natural shape of a skull. I find this incredibly amazing and beautiful.” 

Curses are nothing to fool around with. As enlightened folk who carry with them the spark of magick, the damage that can be wrought through the concentrated force of your will is phenomenal. Because of this it is reprehensible to walk down the path of a curse especially toward one who is blind to magick. Not only that but to curse someone is to risk the negativity from that act returning to roost.

That being said, those people who are blind to magick are still capable of effecting acts through the force of their will. Basically, those schmucks do not know the full potential of the human will and so they can and do sling their own negativity outward and can and do focus it toward individuals. Much of the time the results are harmless or are deflected by the person’s Hama or even fizzle out before hand. But other times, especially to those sensitive in magick, these hexes can be potent forces to contend with.

A more dangerous situation arrises when another person of magick slings ill will your way. Those negative forces can be terribly dangerous to say the least.

In either case I would say that retaliation is not a just cause; if the person is unaware of their hexes especially. It is arguable in the other circumstance but still not advisable. The best course of action going forward then is to erect wards.

Wards can take many forms. They can be physical, they can be worn, they can be placed somewhere, they can be drawn, they can be mental, they can be visualized, they can be representative, they can be simple, they can be complex, or they can take other forms entirely. Wards have a million different iterations across most every magickal system.

Sigils, runic or otherwise, are effective for a lot of the little negativities you may encounter. A bindrune or even a helm of Eolh is an effective block to small scale stuff. But for when the big hexes fly your way or for when your sigils fail, sometimes it helps to have stronger wards.

To ward your home and self, find a hawthorn tree. This is actually the most difficult part because hawthorn trees are the embodiment of the Thorn rune and as such not many people keep them on their property. That being what it is, when you find your hawthorn tree, take the time to sit beneath the tree and understand it’s nature.

The Anglo-Saxon Rune poem regarding Thorn says:

Hawthorn is exceedingly sharp for every servant, seizing it is evil, and it is extremely harsh to each man who rests among it.

- Translation from Alaric Albertsson

This part of the rune poem tries to explain the mysteries of the Thorn rune by association. In the Futhark the rune is Thurs and the internal meaning remains. The underlying message to this rune is simple, “do not mess with this,” “keep away,” or better still “do not touch.” Hawthorn embodies this mystery and so is perfectly suited for this role.

Once you’ve come to understand hawthorn and asked the tree for a branch, take a small bough from the tree. Cut and tie the branch into the shape of Thorn. I used red jute string in the process of this. Ensure the shape is secure because you do not want it to fail.

Once the thorned Thorn is finished, use a thorn that was extra from the bough and carry it on your person whenever you feel the need. Keep the rune hanging in your home or outside your home to ensure continued warding. Visit and thank the tree after you have completed the Thorn ward.

This ward is powerful on a number of levels. You are creating a literal physical representation of a phenomenal force, Thorn. Another, by creating it permanently and through the effort involved in its creation charges the runic ward with your Meagen. The ward is further reinforced by being metaphysically tied to the mother tree whose forces are now aiding you.

US metal bands: The lead singer was born in an apocalyptic christian cult and got excommunicated by 3 different churches as he left. One of his 8 sisters is in prison for first degree murder of her boyfriend over a meth dispute.

Norwegian metal bands: The band met in prison after the head guitarist murdered the bass player of his previous band, and the record company didn't let them use pictures of the murder scene for an album cover. The second bass player escaped the band to start his own apocalyptic christian cult.