The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Thoughtforms and Spirits

Whenever we concentrate our thoughts, we draw psychic energy together. This is called a thoughtform. Usually the energy dissipates as soon as we break the concentration, but it is possible to purposely concentrate energy in this way, producing very strong thoughtforms. Such thoughtforms are vortexes or centers of psychic energy. They can exist as entities by themselves, at least for a while. They are basically inanimate, non-thinking forces. Talking to one is about as logical as talking to a chair. In this way, thoughtforms are similar to elementals, ghosts, and spirits. All of these psychic entities consist of a psychic energy vortex which could be described as a localized field or as a discontinuity of the physical world. Psychic entities respond to certain electrostatic and magnetic fields, and to other energy vortexes. That is why they respond to Magick ritual. Psychic entities are sometimes able to affect our thought processes. Thoughtforms and elementals, are usually not very smart. If they display any intelligence at all, it is limited. They are the morons of the spirit world. Their behavior is usually automatic, repetitive, robot-like (just like some people). We see that artificial elementals are little more than astral robots. Spirits and deities are more intelligent and volitional.



Directed Attention

Your mind follows your attention. Wherever you direct your attention, there will your thoughts go too. By directing attention to a specific place or purpose you focus mental energy upon it.



For example: you're having lunch in a cafeteria crowded with people. It is a large place, and everyone there is talking at once, so that the room is a constant jumble of noise. You happen to notice a man across the room; he reminds you of someone. All at once he drops his fork and you hear it hit the table. But would you have noticed the sound of his fork if you had not been looking? No. Only by focusing your attention there were you able to pick out that individual event and associated sound.



It is a dark night. You are walking and the only light you have is from the flashlight you hold in your hand. As you move the flashlight around, the beam of light from it directs your attention first one way then another. Now, the mind is something like that flashlight in the dark. And by directed attention, you point the mind to one place or another. As with that flashlight beam, you see where the mind is pointed; nothing more. The rest is 'noise'. And so we could define mental noise as anything not focused upon. In another way, noise could be considered as negative emotions, attitudes, and thoughts which make it more difficult to direct the attention. Your emotions follow your thoughts quite easily. Your emotions are not you, but are rather reactions prompted by your model and ego -- like a performance or an act, while the real you watches. In a similar way, directing your attention toward a specific emotion will cause you to experience that emotion.

Many years ago “Potions” were made by using herbs, plants, bark, roots, seeds and other materials from the land for a specific purpose, whether it was a practical use such as in cooking a meal potion, or used for a healing drinkable potion. Some potions were made as healing salves such as an herbalist in the modern day would make. In days gone by, the title "Herbalist" was not used nor was the term "Holistic Medicine." Years ago the titles that were given to potion makers were witch doctor, witches, healers, shamen, village healers, community midwives, or medicine man usually referring to an Indian. Most of what we know as potions of the past is what we now call folk medicine. Some folk medicine was done with a bit of a twist. Meaning..... depending on who you were, many potions required you to do something else to make it work like a ritual or spell if that was your belief.



Years ago you didn't have 10 doctors and 30 nurses in each town like you do today and you didn't have a local pharmacy to go get headache tablets from either. On that same note you can't get the latest potion that would ~get someone off your back~ at the local pharmacy either.



Note: The title "Herbalist" was not used years ago like it is today.

Nor was the term "Holistic Medicine."



Back in the old days folks relied on good old fashioned, time tested folk remedies which are still used today. Old potion recipes were handed down from generation to generation from potion makers from years ago and most of these very same potions are still used today. We know now this referred to as alternative medicine or holistic medicine.



Many times potions are magical as in hallucinogenic's used to open the mind to perform difficult magic. Also sometimes associated with what was once know as witchcraft, spell casting (and or spellcaster) which sometime had the use of amulets and charms.



Note: There are still people all over the world who have the gift of magic who can cast spells and are very experienced with potion making. All who study this great art is not always good and they do not always use it for the good of others. We must make note that.... In this modern day we hear the term "Wiccan" more and more. Often Wiccan's are thought of as evil which is a great misconception.



______________________________________________________



"The Spooky following of Potions and why."

Long before we had pharmacies like CVS and Rite-Aid which are now found in all towns, villagers and communities depended on potions from the local Native American Indian or from a potion maker who most likely lived deep in the woods. Potion Makers, Medicine men, witch doctors and herbalists naturally had to live in the middle of no where, where they could gather the supplies to make their potions and medical salves. Naturally the best place for this was in the forest or mountains or in places that were not common to most people. After all.... there were no such thing as the local herbal stores like we have today. These places often seemed lonely and spooky to say the least. Not to mention the fact that it all seemed like magic to most people who were not aware of the pharisaical side of using healing herbs, plants, nature and the land to make our lives better. Today we know them as herbalists that are involved in natural healing /and or holistic medicine and they no longer have to live deep in the woods now either.





"Why were potion makers perceived as ugly scary people?"

Because in the old days they actually were.

Many times if it was a woman who had the gift of herbs, you can bet that she was automatically named a Witch by someone who didn't understand her abilities. Witches... we will call them - who lived in the woods most likely looked pretty haggard since they had to live the hard life in the mountains. They spent most of their time searching and forging for roots and herbs to cook their potion concoctions up with.



If you were to walk up on a potion maker while hunting in the woods..... more often than none you would find them dirty from crawling around in the dirt and most likely with a few torn places in their clothing from crawling under brier patches and bush brush. Potion makers would never wear their best clothes while they were out on their forging days anyway.

Often times you would see them with a string of animal bones that they collected from their long day that would be strapped and dangling from their back. (see below for one reason they collected bones) Normally potion makers would also have a large leather pouch that was put across their shoulders that they carried little bottles in. They took small bottles or small leather pouches with them so they would have something to put their herbs, roots, moss and mush in.



If you happened to run up on a person that looked like this it would most likely give you the willies! Why would it give shivers up your spine?? Because.... we all know that these people would deal with many different types of people coming to them for many different types of needs. Such reasons as getting potions for love, potions to be healed and even potions that would kill as well. Just thinking about having to visit a potion maker was a scary thing for most people and most people in need would try to do it in secret. This is one of the reasons why potion makers of the past has such bad reputations.



Many people didn't want others to know why they were seeking out a potion maker so they would search them out by sneaking through the woods and lurking back until the coast was clear; until they could knock on their door. When a person is hiding in the forest waiting for their turn.... it would have to be a pretty un-nerving experience. Big cauldrons would be simmering and many times simmering outside, bones would be piled up and herbs would be hanging to dry. The smell around the place would be full of uncommon smells if the potion maker was in the middle of his or her work.

http://www.advance-health.com/fourthievesvinegar.html











According to herbalist Elizabeth Kastner, "During the height of the plague in France in 1721, it was discovered that the homes of disease victims were being ransacked. At first, no effort was made to find the criminals, since all knew they were fools, soon to die of the plague.



"As time went on, it became apparent that the thieves were continuing in their raids... and quite inexplicably, avoiding falling victim to the disease. Soon, they became highly sought -- not due to their crimes, but in an effort to learn their secret.



"When they were finally captured, they refused to speak until a bargain was offered: remain silent and hang. Divulge the secret to their resistance to the deadly plague and walk away.



"It seems that the mother of several of the boys was a midwife and had a recipe which used plants which were easily wildcrafted... yet, she knew that this would change immediately if anyone learned the formula, so she swore her children to secrecy. Her sons saved their necks and shared the recipe for the disinfectant, which is still used in France to this day."



Given the simple ingredients of Four Thieves Vinegar and with all the yammering about smallpox, bioterrorism diseases, and flu vaccine shortages in the news these days, it seems prudent to me to prepare a home stock of this historical preventative for dread diseases. According to Kastner, the traditional recipe for Four Thieves Vinegar "makes a lot of sense, medicinally speaking."



You can make your own "Four Thieves Vinegar" by following the simple recipe below.

Four Thieves Vinegar







The Legend of Four Thieves Vinegar



One version goes that in the 1630's, when the plague was raging in France, the town of Toulouse was beset with looters. Four looters were apprehended, but rather than punish them, the judge offered them a deal. Amazed at their continued health after wandering though homes and businesses abandoned by their terrified (or dead) owners, the judge offered to let the thieves go if they gave him the secret of their resistance to the plague.



What was their famous secret? It was a vinegar made from thyme, rosemary, sage, and lavender. This infusion was termed thieves vinegar. Although garlic was added to the mixture later, this basic infusion became famous, and was used for hundreds of years, both internally and externally, to provide protection from the dreaded plague.



****************************************

The primary purpose of Four Thieves Vinegar is to provide personal protection from disease and magical attack, especially if the attack is ongoing and looks to continue for a time. In addition, it is used to strengthen you and weaken your enemies while you work to drive away unwanted people or to make a family quarrel and fall out among themselves.



Drink it by the teaspoonful, use it in salad dressing, or even add a spoonful to your bath water for personal protection. Sprinkle or dash it against an enemy's doorsteps or serve it to an enemy as a condiment to protect yourself while you lay other tricks get them out of your life.



Recipes for this formula vary quite a bit. I was taught -- in the Ozarks, during the 1970s -- that it must have four spices in the vinegar, one for each thief, and that is the way i prepare it.





According to John M. Hansen (jmhansen@erols.com), the original recipe for Four Thieves Vinegar dates to the 15th century in Italy and consists of garlic steeped in soured red wine. Based on his own family's experience, John says that, "As an inoculation against epidemic diseases it actually works. Its use in magic came about much later; as with many other substances it became useful in the magical arts."