Blessing of the Ballots
/A sigil and a candle spell you can participate in to speed and assist ballots bringing justice and hope back to the United States of America
Are you anxious or full of fire about the election? Do you want to do more than just vote? Volunteering to help get voters the information they need to get through red tape and rampant voter suppression schemes is a good avenue for that energy. Here is another.
If you read my blog, I doubt you’re vehemently against metaphysical action. If you are among those who firmly believe in the power of real-world, non-fantasy magic, then you’re reading the right post. If you are—like me for most of my life—still skeptical but desperate enough to try, you’re also reading the right post.
The past ten years of my life have been outwardly drab and unsuccessful. But these years have been a cauldron for me to brew and stew in. I have spent that time studying the arts of the disenfranchised, the powers of the powerless, what has been called “witchcraft.”
There are some of us who when trapped and downtrodden beyond all hope in the physical world, go beyond the physical in our efforts, rather than languish in despair. That’s what I did and I have finally come to a point where I am confident enough to share some of what I’ve learned.
I have learned that one person can influence their own fate or the fate of someone close to them through force of will and the powers willing to help. To influence something vast, something that affects hundreds of millions of people, a whole country and in truth the whole world—that is a harder proposition. But there are ways.
You have to choose a leverage point, something small that is possible to lift with the power you have. And this working to bless the ballots of change and justice is one such.
I don’t regularly publish my. workings—first because to speak or write about them before they are finished can, in some cases, be detrimental, and second because as someone already vulnerable to social exclusion, I fear judgment and attack due to yet one more thing that sets me outside the norm.
In this case, the need is stronger. While Trump supporters might notice and try to counteract this working, my blog has a pretty focused audience and the nature of this working—to support ballots—makes it particularly hard to counteract. It would be like trying to swat a swarm of gnats as they blow past.
And as for my fear… well, there are other workings for that.
This working is one that I could do alone. Even one person doing it can have significant effect, but more workers should also have significant effect. It does not need to be millions though or even thousands of us. Not every person casting a ballot needs to do magic. Those few of us will be enough because of the power of the symbols involved.
The leverage point
With any kind of magic it is important to remember that it still takes our personal energy and effort, including practical steps in the real world. We won't influence the election very much if we don't vote. Just as it feels like a tiny thing to send in one ballot, it also feels like doing magic for a good and just election result is probably just a drop in the bucket.
But it is possible to add an extra boost that will actually matter if we are very specific and ensure that we are pushing on a leverage point that doesn't have too much focused will against it.
Just doing magic to get Biden to beat Trump may not actually be that helpful. There are plenty of people putting their wills to work on both sides of that. It may not be useless to put your will toward it, just as it is far from useless to vote. But using a more strategic leverage point may be a better use of your time and energy.
One such leverage point is simply the ballots themselves and the ability of every citizen to vote. Every objective indicator shows that if everyone who wants to vote is able to vote, Trump will not win. And while a lot of people have their wills focused on trying to get Trump to win and other people have their wills focused on trying to get Biden to win. only a few corporate hacks are actually sitting around focusing their will on not allowing people to vote in the first place.
There were widespread reports of voter suppression and vote tampering by Republicans in the 2000 election. That was the first election where I really became aware of the issue. But most of the concern came after the fact and all such reports were denied by those accused of carrying them out.
This time it’s different. Trump has called for mail-in ballots to be rejected and has openly disrupted the Post Office system in service of that goal. This is because statistics show some 70 to 75 percent of mail-in ballots are Democratic. It’s the best gamble Trump has got.
Trump talks about his opponents using “voting fraud” but never gives any specifics. It’s a classic tactic. If you’re doing something nefarious, accuse others of doing it. At the very least, it muddies the waters and creates chaos. Only very precise investigation will be able to tell what is real and what isn’t and who was actually breaking the law.
But at the same time, Trump and his supporters call for paramilitary poll watchers to intimidate voters, particularly people of color, and to get as many voters struck from the rolls as possible. It’s all about figuring out which demographics—such as people of color, mail-in voters, people in historically liberal locations or citizens living abroad—are likely to vote for his opponent and then throwing every possible barrier to voting against them.
As I wrote about earlier this month, I was hit by this tactic myself. Every year since I turned eighteen and registered to vote, I have received a mail-in ballot automatically, as long as I kept my address up to date. This year, Trump supporters forced through quiet new rules and my ballot didn’t arrive as it always had. I never would have received one at all had a volunteer for Democrats Abroad not called me and tipped me off that I had to specifically request my ballot this time.
Another new regulation means that the postmark on the ballot envelope is of no use. The ballot must arrive in the ballot box by November 3 or the vote does not count. And of course, between Covid and Trump’s actions to disrupt the Post Office, there is a significant chance that many ballots won’t arrive on time.
So this is a good leverage point where positive energy can help volunteers reach the right people, mail processes flow smoothly and circumstances favor voters and their ballots. The negative energy opposing this effort is likely to be lower than if one simply pits one’s will against the wills of Trump supporters in a head-to-head contest of who can raise the most energy, and the results we want will still be the same in the end.
It also helps that you will have all the spiritual powers of justice on your side since all you're asking for is fairness in the democratic system.
Natural allies
National politics are often matters we as ordinary people can do little about. The volunteers help to get out the vote, but at this later stage even they have done all they can. Now we need help from beyond the purely physical, ordinary reality. We need to harness the energies of will and the power of natural justice.
As I’m sure you’re aware, this election is both an issue of human justice against an unjust, bigoted and criminal regime and also a matter of justice and survival for many of the earth’s other inhabitants.
Both the fact that this working calls upon basic fairness—every person who wants to vote having the chance to vote and all votes being counted—helps to call in primal energies. The fact that the Trump regime endangers the climate and many vulnerable populations both human and non-human around the world also means that many natural entities will willingly stand with us.
Here is a list of herbs, essential oils and stones that will be particularly helpful to you in this working. If you can get any of these, it will be that much easier to call on the natural energies of the earth that are eager to support this kind of work. Don’t worry over much if you can’t get exactly these herbs and stones, however. I list more widely available substitutes and even if you have none of them, calling on the powers of herbs and stones found in the world around you will draw this helpful energy.
Herbs
Rosemary (for clarity of mind and electoral processes, and for protection against thieves and fraud in the election)
Plantain (for the power to withstand all difficulty and rush against the current regime)
High John (for strong will power and added luck, and to remove obstacles and protect the vulnerable and disenfranchised)
Substitutions: You can use just rosemary or oregano or these two kitchen herbs in combination. Like High John and plantain, oregano has a subtle warrior energy for the protection of the vulnerable. I prefer High John in this case largely because it has a history of protecting African Americans and it was named for a slavery resister according to old herb lore.
Essential Oils:
Bay laurel (to break the power of the unjust and power-hungry)
Patchouli (for a strong woman on the ticket).
Rosemary (see above in the herbs section, particularly for protection agains voter suppression, which is a form of theft)
Substitutions: pine and cedar are also useful in this kind of working for their clarifying, protective and communication enhancing energies..
Stones
Obsidian (to block and bury negating and opposing forces)
Amethyst (for written communications such as ballots and mail, clear pathways, truth and justice)
Jasper (for added protection, strength and energy)
Substitutions: If you don’t have these specific stones, you can use clear quartz. You can also use any stones collected on the territory of the United States or other areas impacted by the U.S. election, even just pebbles from an empty lot. Stones have their own ways to communicate with one another and will pass on your call for assistance.)
A symbol for many uses
Here is where things get specific to my path. This past year I have begun studying Anglo-Saxon runes, thanks to learning more about my genetic ancestry. From an ancestral perspective, I can call upon Norse and Anglo-Saxon runes as well as the Irish Ogham alphabet as symbols related to my ancestry.
But here’s the thing, this working can be made universal. You are welcome to use my Anglo-Saxon runes, even if you have no relation to them. That is because this is my working, developed through my studies and it is my gift to others.
It is advisable to call on Woden (the Anglo-Saxon name of more widely known Odin) who is the master of the runes and who, according to ancient myth, discovered them through a harrowing sacrifice. You may ask his permission to use these runes for this purpose, even if you have never spoken to him before because the rune sigil has already been made with his blessing.
However, you can do this working with other symbols from other cultures as well. I advise you to include symbols for focus, truth, justice, a nation or tribe, fair results based on merit, patience rewarded, protection and just leadership. If you can combine such symbols from another culture and call upon other gods, ancestors, guides or entities to aid you, the result should be completely compatible with my working and those of others doing the same working.
If you aren’t comfortable using esoteric symbols and calling on gods or spirits, you can also simply write the words “truth,” “justice,” “fairness,” “nation,” “protection,” “ballots,” “votes,” and “good leadership” as well as other relevant words in an artful way to create a symbol for yourself and focus the power of your will.
It’s like baking a cake. The ingredients may be different if you’re vegan or gluten-free or lactose intolerant, but the basic types of ingredients are needed. In this case, those ingredients are the meanings of the symbols and the energetic power of your will and entities willing to lend support to your will.
Here are the Anglo-Saxon runes I have chosen for this particular working:
Runes:
Tir (pronounced “teer,” for steadfast direction and focus as well as for objective truth and justice)
Gear (pronounced “yee-ar,” for fairness to all based on their effort and for a long awaited beneficial result)
Ethel (pronounced “ethel,” for justice and protection of the nation)
Several extra runes appeared without conscious intent in the sigil: Sigel (pronounced “see-yel,” for a good leader and speaker for the nation), Rad (pronounced “rad” for the swift and smooth journey of ballots) and Eolh (pronounced “eh-olkh,” for protection of the poor and vulnerable)
When the instructions ask for you to draw the sigil, you draw each of these runes fully, even though that requires you to trace the same line more than once. As you trace the rune, you speak it’s name and call on it for the particular power we want here, such as, “Tir, I call the rune Tir to bring focused direction, truth and justice in this working.” And so forth with the other runes.
The function of these runes is to create a visible sigil or symbol that can be inscribed onto the candle you will use in this working, onto a piece of paper to be placed under the candle, on a photocopy of your ballot or a picture of a ballot from the internet or on the back side of your ballot envelope in a corner where it does not obstruct anything official.
This sigil can also be drawn in the air as you stand in line to vote or when you see people standing in line to vote on TV or while driving or walking by. The sigil can be put on your kitchen table, on your computer monitor or on top of your TV, where you will see it often until the election result is secured.
The blessing
The way this magic works is that you build energy and strength of will through calling on deities, ancestors, other entities, herbs, stones and symbols, such as runes, and then you release that power in a focused moment while lighting a candle and saying a blessing for the ballots.
I have written this blessing to include the rune sounds of the main three runes of the sigil—T, Y and OY. (Ethel’s sound correspondence is OY. I am not advanced enough in old English linguistics to know why its name is so different from its sound.)
“Total trust, truth this time.
Ye ballots of change speed to the mark.
End the reign of vicious crime.
Bring us to joy out of the dark.
Yay joy! Yay joy! Yay joy!”
Here is the blessing to recite both while inscribing your sigil onto the candle, while lighting the candle and while sprinkling herbs on your ballot or an image of a ballot.
The step-by-step working
If you are experienced and you have been skimming, this is the brief recipe part that you’ll want to stop for. All philosophy, lore and background aside, here’s the working for the Blessing of the Ballots
Other than the herbs, stones, sigil and blessing text listed above, you will also need the following for this working:
Printable symbolic ballot image: Print, mark symbolically and draw your sigil in the space on the right. This does not count as an actual vote.
A blue or orange candle (White can always be substituted for any color in a pinch)
A heat-proof candle holder
A pin or stiff metal wire
Matches or lighter
Olive oil or other oil that doesn't irritate your skin
Small bottle or measuring cup for mixing oils
Piece of paper and a pen or pencil
Your ballot, a copy or a picture of a ballot from the internet, such as the one posted here. (Caution: In some states it is illegal to publicly display or copy a pre-marked ballot, which is why this copy is blank. There is no law against printing and marking a photo for your own private use.)
Process:
Sit quietly and center yourself in which ever way works for you. envision your roots going down into the earth or ground yourself in some other way.
Clearly state that you are going to vote or have voted and that you intend to support everyone's right to vote in this election through this work.
Call on your gods, ancestors, guides or other spiritual entities to bless this endeavor and aid you with their energy.
Call Woden, master of the runes, and ask for his blessing in using the rune sigil I provided (or call on other deities or entities relevant to your own symbol, if you choose).
Pour a teaspoon of olive oil into your bottle or small measuring cup and add one to three drops of each essential oil. As you drop the essential oils into the carrier oil ask the spirit of each herb to lend the particular blessing listed above to the work.
Draw the rune sigil onto the piece of paper while speaking the name of each rune: Tir /teer/, Gear /yee-ar/ and Ethel. Envision each rune lighting up in turn as you say their names again and ask for their particular energy listed above. Place the paper on your table or working surface where you are going to put your candle holder.
Take up your candle and using the pen or stiff wire inscribe the same runic sigil into the candle wax, while repeating the names and energies of the runes.
Dip your fingers into the mixed oil or dab drops of it from the bottle onto your fingers and rub these into the candle swirling in a clockwise direction. Meditate on your intent.
Place your candle in its holder on top of the paper with the sigil.
Place the stones around it, while calling on the specific energies of each stone as listed above.
Read the Blessing of the Ballots text out loud until you can say it from memory.. Then speak it while lighting the candle.
Prepare your ballot or copy safely away from the candle. Take a pinch of each dried herb, calling on their specific blessings listed above. Rub them together in your hands and smell the aroma. Then sprinkle them over your ballot or copy, while repeating the blessing of the ballots again. Scatter any extra herbs around the candle holder. Recite the Blessing of the Ballots again.
If you are using a copy or a picture from the Internet, draw the runic sigil on it while repeating the Blessing of the Ballots a third time. Also rub some of the mixed oil onto the photocopy or image. Using a copy or image is effective, using the principles of “sympathetic energy.” If you are doing this with your actual mail-in ballot—which lends another level to this working—your best bet is to draw a small version of the sigil on the back of the outside of the envelope where it will not interfere with any official texts. (Don’t mark anything on the inner “secrecy” envelope or the inside of your mail-in ballot that is not exactly according to the instructions. Dust off any herbs before putting the ballot into the envelope and don’t put oils on it.)
Put your hands on the ballot or image of a ballot and pour the energy of your need and will and all the power you have gathered around you into it.
Place your ballot or copy at a safe distance from your candle and let the candle burn out.
Thank all deities, ancestors, other entities, friends, animals, herbs and stones that have helped you in this working. Release the pent up energy in your space, sending it out to assist other ballots all over the country. I find it helpful to ring a bell to signify releasing the energy or to go outside and throw my arms up in the air and feel the energy spread out wide.
If you feel jittery or “keyed up” even after releasing the energy, place your hands on the ground and allow any scattered and unfocused energy to dissipate into the earth.
Mail your mail-in ballot if that is what you used. Or keep the copy or picture from the Internet under the stones until the election result has been secured.
That’s the whole of it. Pass this along to friends and family who want to put their wills toward a just and hopeful outcome to the election. I did this after I voted, using a copy of my actual ballot. There are benefits to doing it with an actual mail-in ballot that will be sent, but if you have found this only after your ballot was submitted, you can still add your will to this working. Use my photocopy image or another from the internet that you can print.
Keep passing this working around, making the sigil and repeating the Blessing of the Ballots words until election day. There are no done deals or guarantees in this season, but the only major possibility that Trump could win relies on the suppression of these ballots. This work complimenting the work of voter-assistance volunteers has an excellent chance to prevail.
Regardless of the imperfection of any other outcome, the overthrow of a dangerous, bigoted tyrant will serve to protect the nation and further justice. With the free expression of the voices of the many that is already coming to pass.
Blessed be!
