The structure that is building up protections and defensive magics and energies is incredibly underrated in certain circles. Having control over your miniscule space in the grand scheme of things is incredibly important. It is with good conscious that I emphasise the importance of grasping that we are so very small and insignificant that protective alarms and bells are some of the most reliable forms of magic that you can master. If anything, know that there are things that can completely bypass the wards and shields that you put up. But the important thing is that we master them so we know when we are in the line of fire or in the presences of things that are more than capable of making any sort of protection look like it is made out of cellophane.
And by not giving these schools of study enough scrutiny, we are able to witness failures and shortcomings of these particular circles. Their performance is easily scrutinised and observed and clear cut analysis makes itself present. It is easy to hold a comprehensive understanding for where they fall short. And more often than not, what you are bearing witness to is an uneducated individual who thinks highly of themselves through a distorted concept of ego. Energy and magics are everywhere and it is indeed a true statement that they function based upon the sheer will of the person that is wielding them. It comes from a poor and lacking attitude towards the relevance of our own understanding of insignificance. This understanding is so incredibly important. I cannot stress how much it is important to grasp your relative perspective and how microscopic you may truly be and how this sense of relativity is actually far more beneficial than it is a curse.
However, there is a commonplace ego that announces itself like a large heradling banner. Someone, and many many individuals, have this amazingly twisted view that just because they have this concept of “Willpower” over the energies at play that they have control over them. And that is entirely far from the truth. They operate on pretences that they are somehow powerful innately. And this is a horribly hilarious and mocking lie. They operate on this fantasy that they hold the secrets within themselves already. I cannot help the wickedly cruel smile that I get whenever any foolish sap believes this of themselves. It’s actually almost cute in its own innocent and ignorant way. I have had the utmost pleasure gazing at the statements from silly mainstream trendsetters in the occult community. And it is with my own ego that I know better.
I would never have the audacity to assume I am somehow innately more powerful than the forces around me. It does not work quite like that. They word their ass-wipe papers and books with this grandiose and predatory text. They prey upon the ignorance of people that already acknowledge that they are helpless and adrift in space and time and life. They wave an aroma towards a particular type of individual. People that are already susceptible because of their predisposed feelings of inadequacy and lack of control. They predate people that want a sense of control and power by mimicking an air of authority that “you, too, can have this ultimate strength and power!” as if it is something that can be marketed.
And idiots buy into it. We see it in BALG content and authors like Koetting and VKJ. We see it in the poor unfortunate and depraved souls that just want to be admired and full of power and a sense of authority! And it is incredibly laughable. We see it in other groups and circles that mock the concept of our true place in relative space and time. And I personally believe it comes from a place of fear and discomfort. It is like admitting defeat or not crying because it would be so horribly unmanly and uncool to cry. It is like thinking your sexual position during coupling makes you weaker or less dominant. It falls under the same silly concepts for me. The ignorant concept that showing emotion or weakness is somehow beneath you.
This is both about power and understanding and not about power and understanding. In this way, we absolutely must have a grasp as to where we actually stand on the grand cosmic scale of things. 1:1 we have to really grasp our place in the scheme of things. You may be able to pass as a wannabe badass to a local spirit that shies away at the force of fire or water or some banishment spells. You may be able to pass as a halfway competent magician to a local group because you have memorised three pretty solid spells that you are decently confident that you can pull off nine times out of ten. You may be able to pass as a thoughtful student to a larger Divine like the Demonic or Angels or Deities of other classifications. But there is something beyond all of that you may be completely ignorant of, and it can and will creep into the depths of your mind from the cracks and corners that you leave exposed because you are a reckless teenager-at-heart with no real concept of relativity. And everything is relative. Know the scale upon which you are operating. Know the level upon which you stand and what rules those spaces and where the lines need to be drawn. This is far more important than deciding that you can bypass any sense of security because you have a false sense of authority over the “Powers that Be”.
For there are things that are not explosive or even cunning in the ways you think they are. There are things that are going to sink into your skin because you did not think to prepare yourself or your spaces. And it will not matter how many sticks hang from your windows or patrols you give some sort of paid-off shackled thing you bought off of a .com website. You forget that poison can be administered in many ways that are not you directly drinking from the glass. What I am talking about is skin on skin contact or even airborne, metaphorically speaking. You may brush against something in the background and think: “Oh. Strange. I don’t know what that was.” And because you did not think about it, that simple contact has left a scent upon your tender flesh and it has sunk into your pores and your lungs and crept into the little soft hairs of your body and it soaks and marinades into your being until you are sleeping poorly and picking up habits you know are wrong, but what’s just one time?
You end up down a hole that you did not see open up before you and swallow you down. It’s slow. Like squeezing the life out of your shit lungs all tainted with kush and cigarettes bought for 10.50 at the petrol station. You think you know better and you just “fix” a few things. Maybe you lay off the extra alcohol for a bit and decide some good hearty reading will set you straight. What about meditation? Sure, sure, that helps doesn’t it? Oh of course, we’ll just do some shadow work and I’m sure it’s “just something I haven’t been dealing with” and it’ll resolve itself with some self-service help desk spirits and guidance from “Something from above”. We’ll use magic to solve this problem, of course. You’ve been sober for two months, congratulations! That is an achievement, isn’t it? What a “feel good moment” that must be.
But it creeps back in. This time it isn’t your usual. It seems to have come out from the wood itself but it seems to have no true meaning in how it works. You just feel terribly awful. You tampered with things that said “Wear Gloves”. But you were too important for this sort of thing because somewhere along the lines you convinced yourself that you were just too hot to touch without understanding that what may burn your flesh is actually cold to the sickening tendrils of something else. All you needed to do was be aware. You called things and you did not even know it. You were just reaching like a grabby infant that wants and wants and wants and it must have because “Do you know who I am???”. And really, it is your fault. So how do you fix it?
Well, there are a few options, but quite frankly, that’s not my problem. What you should have done to begin with was take caution seriously and not allow your ego to run rampant. If you have so much control over the cosmic wholeness of your pitiful existence, then why are you here wasting your time staring at a screen that you think has answers you want to hear?
I digress. We are going to get to the real meat of the reason why I am here and writing this segment. Mostly, I have brought these words to form because I find that this time of year is a perfect time to discuss how important and relevant it is to use these sorts of protections. But specifically I wanted to discuss the Elder Sign. And I wanted to use a clear cut point that no one is above the concept of protections or security. Even, if after all, they cannot actually truly stop the things that may be coming your way, but provide an idea of when you are absolutely in danger.
The hamster ball may protect the small critter from the cat, but it does not stop it from being batted around like a ping pong ball. And OH, how there are things that delight in the shrieks of terror of watching you spiral out of control all between two massive claws.
This time of year (no matter which part of the year this may be for you, Northern or Southern)... the cold season. The season, whichever it may be for you when it is dark and cold, always has a way of cycling through the eldritch in ways that will sink into the core of your bones and leave you shaking. But temperature is just as relative. When you are alone and isolated in spaces that are cold and cruel, finding a sense of security may be quite the challenge. We want to feel safe, especially as resources diminish during the winter seasons. We want to feel fed and secure. We want to feel safe and protected. But when we tamper with things within the wheelhouses of eldritch natures, it may come as a surprise or a known concept that our usual defences are not something that holds up. Normal wards and security is paper thin at best and this leaves us feeling rather exposed when things creep into our spaces that make us shudder and shake.
We have a few tools at our disposal. Using tools that originate specifically from the eldritch is one way. It is not exactly fighting fire with fire, but the principle does require us to meet a particularly tuned in calibre that matches the signals that we want to guard against. Eldritch language works well enough and the sigils and works can be used to apply enough netting to capture smaller fry that wander about in a blind and chaotic manner, reckless and thoughtless, propelled only by the impulses of things much much larger and coercive. Fetishes and structures that are bound by the eldritch workings and unique structures that are specific to particular forces seem to be one of the only truly reliable sources of protection. And oftentimes it is due to allyship that you find a sense of security. It is not required for you to seek shelter through the King in Yellow, but it may provide respite from Mother Shub-Niggurath as she is claimed to be the Mate of the King in Yellow and thus the Thousand Young may turn a blind eye to you, but it is only a mayhaps and not a guarantee. You may find yourself safe from the biddings of the Black Pharaoh as Nyarlathotep and the King in Yellow do not particularly take pleasure in sharing space. You may find they all turn a blind eye to you through the watchful gaze of The Gate and the Key, for Yog-Sothoth sees all and knows all and is the sanctuary through which you may experience all of the Outer and Old Ones. The secrets of R'lyeh may prospect the concept of understanding and wisdom, a sense of security as Mother Hydra and Father Dagon may see to it that those under the schools of Cthulhu, the High Priest, are like the Vatican of the Outer and Old Ones. They are neutral and peaceful, if that can be considered much of a thing within these spheres of influence and power.
But all in all, while it is not an ultimate source of security, there is indeed always the Elder Sign. There is dispute as to what the Elder Sign actually is and how it functions. Does it summon or does it repel? Does it invoke or does it involve? Does it shield or open the door? I believe it does all of these and provides the hamster ball through which you stand. You are not immediately reachable but do not feel the forces you are contending with do not know how to twist the top off and reach inside. It does, however, announce that you are not looking for conflict and seek some sort of sanctity and respect for space due to how so terribly small you are. And this is usually respected.
But do you use the branch? Or do you use the star? That is a huge question. Myself? I do use both. However, I prefer the branch. You know the one. The star with the eye I find is far more useful for alerting you of the presences of things that lurk and move about where we cannot see. The branch, however, is the most potent, I find, at truly providing a strong and ample barrier when it is needed. But do not think for a second that it will hold the Black Pharaoh himself at bay. It will be stepped over as one does any threshold. But overuse of these tools will turn on the user, I find. It may be beneficial to learn to lay low and remain small in your own ways. Drawing less attention to yourself is one of the greatest forms of defence. If you are passing by completely unnoticed, then it is better to have these at your disposal and not need them then have to use them and fail to use them properly.
When applying the Elder Signs upon things, try to bear in mind what they are facing and what directions. Be aware of what else may interact with the Elder Signs you are using and how other spirits and energies may react. In fact, it cannot hurt to be aware of how you yourself conduct the execution of these sigils. Be aware of how they function for you.
Keep your weapons close but your camouflage closer. The eldritch commonly operate on a scale that makes it quite convenient to remain undetected if you are clever enough to avoid the entropic nuances of their natures. Calling upon them when needed does indeed bring you closer to the spotlight. This can be beneficial and harmful depending on your ability to remain flexible. Do not be afraid to be creative with your skills and adapt to the forces you are working around. And do not forget that protections are just the beginning of creating a successful and healthy relationship to the eldritch forces that seek to shed light on the shivering twitches that dance around your peripheral visions.