(In front of OAO Ganesha altar)

Raven Digitalis (Missoula, MT) is the author of Shadow Magick Compendium, Planetary Spells & Rituals and Goth Craft, all on Llewellyn. He is a Neopagan Priest and cofounder of an “Eastern Hellenistic” Coven and Order called Opus Aima Obscuræ (OAO), and is a radio and club DJ of Gothic and industrial music. Also trained in Georgian Witchcraft and Buddhist philosophy, Raven has been a Witch since 1999, a Priest since 2003, a Freemason since 2012, and an Empath all of his life. Raven holds a degree in anthropology from the University of Montana and is also a professional Tarot reader, animal rights advocate, and is the co-owner of Twigs & Brews Herbs, specializing in bath salts, herbal blends, essential oils, soaps, candles and incenses. He has appeared on the cover of newWitch magazine and Spellcraft magazine, and has been featured on various print, radio and television media outlets including MTV News.

Planetary Spells & Rituals: Practicing Dark & Light Magick Aligned with the Cosmic Bodies
(MARCH 2010. Llewellyn)

Organized by the planets (including Earth, Sun, and Moon), these powerful spells are aligned according to astrological energies. This includes 55 significant rituals that can be easily customized according to one’s magickal and spiritual path. From personal growth to practical concerns, you’ll find numerous workings, including the following: Glamoury, healing childhood wounds, exorcism of a house or property, revealing truth, divination magick, halting gossip, safety in travel, summoning love (from inside and out), mending quarrels, banishing heartache, physical healing, etheric cleansing, grounding, breaking addictions, cursing a violator, releasing anger, cord-cutting, breaking through stagnation and sorrow, drawing abundance, croning and saging (Second Saturn Return), summoning the ancestors, guiding the dead and dying, averting the evil eye, uncrossing and curse-breaking, weather magick, psychic work, prophetic dreaming, scrying, binding, past-life regression, ritual death, and spiritual rebirth.

Shadow Magick Compendium: Exploring Darker Aspects of Magickal Spirituality
(Llewellyn Worldwide)

Exploring the shadow—in its variety of forms—is not only safe, but is necessary for balance and healing. Raven Digitalis invites you to navigate inner and outer darkness and harness the shadow for spiritual growth. Shadow Magick Compendium includes ritual meditations for exploring past experiences, dispelling harmful behavior patterns, and healing a fractured soul. Learn how to safely perform fasting and other methods of self-sacrifice, learn about crosscultural mysticism, get in touch with your spirit animal, take advantage of the dark moon and eclipses, and learn the history of the European Witch hunts. Discover methods of godform assumption, shamanic journeying, and the magick of the dying season. From astral journeying to sigils to dark herbs, you’ll find an array of magickal techniques to navigate the shadows and mysteries of yourself and the world at large.

CLICK BELOW TO ORDER!

Goth Craft: The Magickal Side of Dark Culture (Llewellyn Worldwide)

Raven Digitalis explores the dynamic intersection of dark culture and occultism in Goth Craft. The book introduces many kinds of Goths and Witches, and the philosophy of each. It covers the basics of magick and beyond, with special attention to blood magick, death magick, and necromancy. You’ll also learn how to proactively channel dark emotions, and express spirituality through clothing, hair, makeup and body modification. Also covered is vampyrism, BDSM, gender/sexuality issues, and the magickal-spiritual use of drugs. From working shadow magick to spellcasting on the dance floor, Goth Craft revels in the exciting convergence of two vital lifestyles.

Thanks to Jack Smith for the design!

I haven’t written a blog in quite some time, so here’s a little update of what’s been going on in my world!

I suppose I just don’t like looking at the computer screen — that’s part of the reason why I’m ten times more likely to respond to handwritten mail than emailed letters (note: PO Box 2666, Missoula, MT, 59806). This rose incense, burning on back the counter in my office, makes screen-staring a bit more palatable at the moment — I’ve been an incense freak since I became a Witch at 16! It’s impossible to avoid computer work, so my computer time is generally brief in the scope of things.

The new Temple Haus is amazing: 2.5 acres of property right outside of Missoula (which I think has now grown from a “big town” to a “small city”). An orchard, riverside, a proper library, a large ritual room, very little traffic… I’m blessed beyond measure.) The property was ‘cheap’ because it was such a major fixer-upper. (Luckily my dad knows some of the best local contractors available!) The OAO Temple Haus is located 5 miles outside of town is the perfect distance; I’m living with the Coven, and the events held at the Temple feel so much more special in this environment that’s not centered in a hub of activity. There’s something magickal about being surrounded by nature and by loving individuals — I love to be here and to share the space with others.

Myself, my Priestess, the Coven and the community have all been working extremely hard on creating the organic gardens (veggies are getting huge!) and working with the poultry (3 layer hens and 6 turkeys being raised for meat) — it feels ecstatic to be taking these steps toward sustainability; to dance so much more deeply with the tides of the land! Meanwhile, the OAO community continues to expand and people continue to express interest in spiritual training. Additionally, my Priestess and I continue to look for our third partner, our Oak King, to complete a spiritual and romantic Triad, and are excited to see what (or who) the future brings. Things generally feel “right” at the moment, and this sense of balance really has been a long time coming, with much magick and dedicated effort having been invested.

If a person puts their mind to it, life CAN get better and better every year. (A year-and-a-day is a full turning of the wheel that allows a person to experience a full cycle of Earth energy and apply it to their lives as they wish.) A person can refine their goals, their ethics and their values to fit a higher purpose — life will always be a struggle for everyone who lives one — dukkha is the nature of life, but the important thing is how we choose to respond, both inwardly and outwardly, to life’s twists and turns. I’m a believer in THELEMA / WILL: that everyone has a path they’re meant to walk in life. This path isn’t a single thing, but is included in every moment of reality. If a person’s Will is represented by a straight line, the path that most people walk is a series of waves around that line — the less waves, the more equilibrium, and the greater alignment to one’s own Thelema. If a person is happy and isn’t causing harm, that’s often the first indication that their Will is becoming more deeply aligned with. Of course, this is only one metaphysical philosophy; everyone should cultivate their own belief that fits their personal truth. Everyone is enlightened in different ways: spirituality isn’t a hierarchy, but an ever-dancing spectrum. I don’t believe that everything is perfect if a person is aligned with their Will, but that a general equanimity with life can be struck if one reevaluates their mental state and continues to work toward their goals, ideally for the greater good.

Continually questioning oneself, one’s views, and everything around oneself is essential to creating true individuality — but it should be done in lightheartedness! To quote a plaque I purchased a couple years ago, “Don’t take life too seriously: no one gets out alive.”

I haven’t written much book-wise for over a year; I’ve just been too busy with the move and all of the aforementioned goings-on! Though the book I’m currently writing (er, taking a break from writing) is over halfway written, I’m going to take it a bit more slowly than prior works, not rushing the material and not giving myself any self-imposed deadlines; maybe it’ll allow for a bit more trueness to the artistic process! I also hope to be able to travel more for book tours when that time eventually comes.

Toward my right, this big shelf of “books to read” continually summons my name — maybe it’s time that I reserved some days of the week to shut down the computer, turn off the phone, and do nothing but reading. Sounds nice to me! (Eventually I’ll do the same with emails.)

Oh; I also busy my time with regular Tarot readings (phone and in person) and a couple of “job-jobs,” which are also very rewarding! I’m also lucky enough to have taken the first steps to become a Freemason :) I’ve also quit my nicotine addiction (still smoking for pleasure on occasion, such as the pipe) and am currently in the midst of a 3-month fast from caffeine! So far so good… for the most part.

I must brainstorm more performance art pieces for the future — and then reserve the time for it. Time… is on my side… yes, it is. (I’ll just keep telling myself that.) Hence the comedies and tragedies of a Saturnal spiritual path..!

Namaste,

~ O.R.D.N. ~

For eight years, I didn’t eat a touch of meat. Not an ounce of animal flesh passed through these sometimes-black-painted lips, aside from the occasional bit of sustainable seafood — and only then, my choice in seafood was (and still is, and shall forever remain) based in sustainability. When choosing seafood, I always refer to my “pocket seafood guide” provided by the Monterey Bay Aquarium (for information on getting your own free pocket guides to which seafood is sustainable and what is not, please visit http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/download.aspx to print them out or click on “order large quantities” to order 10 or more pre-printed copies for yourself and friends).

As mentioned above, the key to eating ethically (which has always been my focus) is to choose food wisely, whether plant or animal. Save seafood, I didn’t eat meat (and certainly proselytized vegetarianism) for reasons of ethics and Read the rest of this entry »

* Falling Façades: Removing the Masks You Wear * (Alignment: SOL)

Throughout our lives, we learn ways to cope with our experience. Sometimes these modi operandi are learned from others, but more often than not they are gained through our own successes and failures throughout life. In terms of daily operation, it would be silly to think that we all don’t—even to a slight or subconscious degree—alter our behavior depending on the people we’re interacting with in any given circumstance.
As a prime example, and one that certainly makes sense to readers, we naturally alter the words and descriptive depth we use when discussing our esoteric viewpoints with fellow practitioners, as opposed to discussing them with those completely unfamiliar with magick or earth-based spirituality. For one, those who are unfamiliar with our path, regardless of how open they are, simply won’t understand certain terminologies, ritual procedures, and so on. Instead, we then communicate with terms and concepts they comprehend. As another example, if a store manager was training an employee, they would use different terms, descriptions, and examples than they would if they were at a managerial meeting. The examples are endless, and this communicative adaptation is something we do regularly to one degree or another.
Depending on one’s routine, we all interact with a wide variety of people on a daily basis. Thus, Read the rest of this entry »

8 UPCOMING ONLINE-RADIO INTERVIEWS!
To mark the release of ‘Planetary Spells & Rituals’

Please mark your calendar so you can tune in, call up, cheer on, or throw virtual tomatoes at!

(non-interview event) DARK DREAMS: CORPORATE SLAVES
Book-release party! I’ll be signing copies of all my books, and giving free hugs.
This Friday: April 2nd.
Missoula, MT: Elk’s Club downstairs / 18+ / $5 / 10pm-2am
DJs ir8prim8, Hauli, Tobin / Dress in a CorpGoth fashion!

Easter Sunday, April 4th:
WITCHTALK RADIO on BlogTalk Radio
4pm-6pm Eastern (3-5 Central, 2-4 Mountain, 1-3 Pacific)
www.blogtalkradio.com/witchtalk

April 5, Monday
MODERN WITCH podcast
You can now download my interview on this great new podcast.
Also appearing on the show is the illustrious Storm Faerywolf!
modernwitch.podbean.com

April 7, Wednesday
HEX EDUCATION, SALEM
9pm-10pm Eastern (8-9 Cent Read the rest of this entry »

Add us up! :) http://www.myspace.com/opusaimaobscurae Namaste! ~OAO~

I hadn’t gotten much sleep. Daytime appointments and engagements can be difficult when working a fulltime graveyard shift. Regardless, it was time for Uba, the sleek, slinky black Witch-cat that she is, to see the veterinarian. The ringworm she had on her skin was starting to spread, and it seemed the right time to make an appointment both for a checkup, and to get prescribed some medication to stop the fungus from spreading any further.

I woke up, washed my face, cleaned a fresh piercing with some saltwater, Read the rest of this entry »

Well, my lovely publicist said that it’s about time I write a new blog (the ones on Amazon and my website are severely outdated). I’m not quite sure why I have an aversion to blog-writing. Maybe it’s connected to my frequent lack of email correspondence (or, I should say, email *responding* skills!). Maybe it has something to do with my introverted aspects (which have been more present lately), or maybe it’s because I put a heavy amount of my spiritual/philosophical/esoteric musings and information in my *books* (and find the Internet to be a more superficial/ephemeral medium than printed media–though its influence is indeed far-reaching!), or maybe it’s directly linked to one of my other current life challenges, which is Time. Time management and having ‘enough of it’ in this busy life, to be specific. Though I know that, ultimately, time is an illusion Read the rest of this entry »

Interview conducted in June ‘08, Denver, CO (International New Age Trade Show), by Ed of the Correllian Tradition. With my Priestess Estha McNevin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErbHChfZ7UI

Hey all! How do you do? Thanks for wanting to read my ramblings. I’m back and settling back into the daily grind, following my big book tour promoting my second book, Shadow Magick Compendium (which, I might add, is *not* at all Goth-focused and is notably deeper, more spiritually directed and diverse than my first book—things that some readers have reported liking about it). After the tour, I was Read the rest of this entry »