Obsidian's Moon Journal

[Ethereal-Star]

On Moon Magic:
By Obsidian Silvermoon

Introduction:
As a lunar mage, I practice both moon magic and dream magic. In this entry here, I shall discuss moon magic. Moon magic can be seen as a type of elemental magic or even celestial magic, which falls under that of nature magic. It encompasses the elements of light and dark, each separate forms of magic that draw upon the power of the moon Herself and the energies of night. Below, I shall describe light and dark in two separate categories to keep things simple.

Light: My most common light spell is simply called "Light". It takes on the shape of a soft orb of moonlight, bluish-gray or silver in color. I can expand or contract this as I wish, to varying degrees. This one is also the most simple, for it draws directly upon the beams from the moon.

From there I can create an array of stars, tiny pinpoints of light that have exploded outward from this orb to surround my current environment. This effect is called "Star Burst". It draws upon the exact same energy as "Light," simply dispersed.

"Moon Beams" is another one where I can call upon the moon above to shine down luminescent rays of gray light on an area.

"Moon Flood" is where I can cast pale light from my hands to slowly illuminate all corners of a room or area to fill the entire space with moonlight.

"Illuminate" is more mysterious, allowing me to draw upon the moon's energies to glean insight into a situation that is not readily apparent. For this spell I breathe in the moon rays directly into my being and let them fill me completely. From there, I can get a sense of whatever answers I seek.

I am also able to make "moon water", by letting the light from the moon charge a silver bowl of pure spring water. This blessed water can then be drunk before practicing moon magic or dream magic of any kind and before bedtime as it helps to bring about a deep restorative slumber. A simple prayer to the Moon Goddess herself stated aloud over the bowl amplifies any moon water being made.

"Moon Journey" spell is more complicated, but it basically involves becoming more in tune with the moon's energies in a state of meditation.

Other uses have yet to be discovered for I am still learning.

Dark: Dark spells draw upon the night itself. The simplest dark spell is called simply "Darkness." I can use this spell to create an area affect of darkness, encasing it entirely in shadow to the point where most cannot see their own hand in front of their face, for it is such an intense inky blackness. Of course, being elven helps tremendously with that, for my eyesight can pierce through this darkness to a much stronger degree than a human could.

"Cloak of Night" is a spell where I can quite literally drape myself in a cloak of shadow to become very much invisible to others. The shadows of this 'cloak' mix with the surrounding darkness to blend in seamlessly, making it seem as though I've disappeared entirely. It is quite a useful hiding spell.

"Wall of Shadow" is exactly what it sounds like: a wall of shadow to separate myself from the prying eyes of others. The wall is about ten feet in length, twenty feet tall, but only about an inch thick so one could walk around it if they desired.

"Dark Orb" is a ball of darkness that I can conjure in the palm of my hand, much like I can with 'Light'.

From here I can disperse the orb to create ''shadow ropes'', to bind an enemy if I need to. This spell only lasts for as long as the night is around, dissolving in the light of day.

As with Light, more Dark uses have yet to be fully discovered.

Conclusion:
All moon magic is best done with an implement of some kind, for me that means my staff. The magic could be performed without one but would not be as potent or strong. Moon magic is best performed at night, for obvious reasons. I have found that I even have an effect on large bodies of water, creating tidal waves when standing nearby. The amount of force can vary, however I can temper this to some degree. In general, moon magic is a more subtle type of magic, not as fierce or harmful as some other kinds of elemental magic can be. It can be used for combat purposes but I mostly try to avoid such things.

[Ethereal-Star]

On Dream Magic:
By Obsidian Silvermoon

Introduction:
A little bit on dream magic includes the following. Since the moon is a symbol of mystery, magic, intuition, insight, dreams and the Goddess herself, it stands to reason that my practice should include this as dreams are very much a lunar aspect and of nighttime. Dream magic can involve many things, however, I only know best two forms of such. They are dream interpretation and lucid dreaming. Both are detailed below, separately.

Dream Interpretation:
Quite simply, the interpretation of dreams and the subconscious symbolism which permeates them. There are two types of meanings, that of universal meanings, and then we have personal meanings. Universal is of course as stated, common to many and is seen as being the norm for something. One example could include the moon herself is a symbol of night. That is a universal meaning. Whereas a more personal symbolic representation could be if someone views the moon to be associated with trickery because of something which happened to them under the light of the moon or they associate with that. So a moon symbol appearing in that person's dream could represent trickery or that someone may be out to deceive them or they are in fact deceiving themselves somehow without knowing it.

Or for example, a horse. A typical horse interpretation could be that of freedom or speed, since horses can run quite fast. Whereas someone who had a traumatic incident with falling off of a horse might associate the animal with danger or as a death omen, depending on what exactly their situation entailed. A horse symbol for them appearing in their dream could simply mean their fear of horses in general or it could prophesy some danger involving horses for them. Maybe this in fact could serve as a future warning, or again simply represent a deep-seated terror of theirs that they do not know how to deal with. It could also mean a generic feeling of danger for them, wherein some enemy appears as a great terrifying equine beast, at least for them it seems that way.

In other words, personal meaning is heavily based on what that particular person views a symbol to mean for them and only them. Universal is more widespread, incorporating many well-known archetypes in myth and history alike. One of the first things to do to decode a dream is to examine the symbols, colors, sounds, sensations and anything else one can remember about it. Even the simplest of images or sensations could prove monumental in interpreting said dream. It also helps tremendously to keep oneself a dream journal, where one writes down all their personal symbols and what they mean to them. If one has recurring symbols, that is important and should be kept track of.

Sometimes it even helps to re-enter the dream while awake to discover more about it. This is a simple process which I have done many a time myself as well as help others to do likewise. It can involve questioning an image and asking it "Who or what are you?" or "What do you want to tell me?" and then listening within for an answer from one's subconscious mind. Being in a relaxed state helps greatly to achieve the best results.

Dream interpretation is a complex thing and sometimes the dream can have more than one meaning or the meaning is not exactly easy to comprehend. Recurring dreams can often tell a story or have even greater significance to the dreamer than a single dream by itself. I find that those who have had traumatic events in their lives often relive said events in their sleep, sometimes different aspects or from different angles or perspectives. Nightmares are often trying to tell the dreamer something important and that to listen to it may make it lessen or vanish entirely. Of course, the last one requires a great deal of work to accomplish this in most cases.

One more thing about dreams is that dream figures often represent different personas of the dreamer or things that that person can relate to most easily. Overall, dream interpretation is an ongoing study, one that very few ever become a 'master' of, if there is even such a thing. It is also a delicate practice, for to decode one's dreams is to know thyself on a much more deeper and personal level, sometimes to the point where one may not be comfortable with knowing and prefer to remain in the dark about what their dreams are trying to tell them.

I have found this practice to greatly enrich my search for self and it has been a marvelous boon to one such as I. It may be frightening at first, but from there on it slowly gets easier and more enlightening the longer and deeper one does it for. Dreams are one of the best ways to reach self-realization, a journey that in some ways never ends. For the destination is the journey itself.

Lucid Dreaming:
The ability to know that one is dreaming and to control it to some degree, that is the art of lucid dreaming. With this practice, one can move along in the dreamscape of their own accord and not simply be "pulled along for the ride". One has a greater hand in what they see and experience. It can involve traveling the dream world for clues and answers for what a person seeks or to just get a taste for the whole stream that dreams operate on. It enhances the interpretation of dreams immensely. The flow of the dream is more in the hands of the dreamer as their conscious mind has more of a hold of what they experience. To move through the gray pervasiveness of the dreamscape can be daunting but is extremely rewarding in the end. I am not as well-versed in this as the above, but do possess some decent skill here. The requirements for this are more involved than simply writing down the details of one's dream and pondering the various imagery of it. Moon water is an excellent way to prepare for this and the results can be easily felt.

Conclusion: As I conclude this entry for today, I will write one more thing. While dream magic is obviously more difficult to master than moon magic, it is in some ways far more rewarding as it can tell so much and be quite a liberating thing to experience. It is the language of the subconscious itself. And that is a grand thing.

Obsidian's notes on the practices of moon magic and dream magic, recorded on the twelfth month of the year. Written by Obsidian Silvermoon, a moon elf and lunar mage practitioner.