Ares, exceeding in strength, chariot-rider, golden-helmed, doughty in heart, shield-bearer, Saviour of cities, harnessed in bronze, strong of arm, unwearying, mighty with the spear, O defender of Olympos, father of warlike Nike, ally of Themis, stern governor of the rebellious, leader of the righteous men, sceptred King of manliness, who whirl your fiery sphere among the planets in their sevenfold courses through the aither wherein your blazing steeds ever bear you above the third firmament of heaven; hear me, helper of men, giver of dauntless youth! Shed down a kindly ray from above upon my life, and strength of war, that I may be able to drive away bitter cowardice from my head and crush down the deceitful impulses of my soul. Restrain also the keen fury of my heart which provokes me to tread the ways of blood-curdling strife. Rather, O blessed one, give you me boldness to abide within the harmless laws of peace, avoiding strife and hatred and the violent fiends of death.

Household shrine to Ares. Onion flowers and peppers from the TAL garden. Ares incense compounded from yarrow, basil, and hyssop from the TAL garden, with dried ginger, myrrh, and dragon’s blood resin.

An engraving of the same.

I had a woefully unsuccessful ritual experience last Wednesday. Sometimes you just cannot get your head out of the Malkuth Daily Grind.

I did, however, learn a black fishies purge-your-brain-of-crap meditation, which I’m finding to be tremendously useful.

This philter enhances beauty, charisma, and attraction, but in a very specific way. This philter encapsulates the mysteries of night and shadow, the seduction of darkness and secrets. It is for the femme fatale, the dominatrix, and the succubus. It is for Queens of the Underworld, Night Creatures, and Daughters of Earth and Darkness.

It can be used as an personal enhancement philter by adding drops to the bath or anointing pulse points. It can be used in personal ritual, and it is also suitable for rituals honoring Lilith, Hecate, Persephone, Ratri, Nyx, Gorgyra, the Lamiai and Lampades. This philter can be used to dress ritual items, candles, talismans, and statuary.

Twilight Alchemy Lab’s philters contain herbs that are organically-grown and pesticide-free, and the oils within them are all first distillations from small farms. This philter includes fermented pomegranate, labdanum hydrosol, myrrh essential oil, Sumatran patchouli steam-distilled from dried fermented leaves, jasmine grandiflorum, rose concrete, and tincture of rose, benzoin, orris root, and tincture of Queen Elizabeth root.

This is a creativity blend geared specifically towards musicians. It is more than an inspiration blend: it is an oil designed to help you tap into the harmony of the universe — the music that propels, sustains, and expands all life – as a direct source of inspiration.

Twilight Alchemy Lab’s Harmonices Mundi Oil contains essential oils, absolutes, and CO2 extracts that are organically-grown and pesticide-free, and many of the oils’ components are first distillations from small farms. This oil includes wild-crafted steam-distilled frankincense, organic rosemary verbenone from flowering tops, sweet orange essential oil, organic lavender essential oil, Somalian patchouli, organic star ruby grapefruit essential oil, Himalayan cedar, and mugwort distilled from the TAL garden’s 2010 harvest.

Music of the spheres was created on February 3, 2012, and was charged as part of our in-house Neptune in Pisces event.

All of our products are created using the finest quality herbs, resins, oils, absolutes, and compounds. They contain no filler and no synthetic materials.

Colophony is tremendously useful, and is has a wide range of applications within the fields of music, dance, construction, visual art, electronics, medicine, cosmetics, and prestidigitation.

It is an effective tool in the Art of War. Roger Bacon provides instructions for creating Flying Fire with colophony:
Flying Fire (ignis volatilis in aere) may be obtained in the following manner: take one part of colophony, the same of sulphur, and two parts saltpeter.

A fourteenth century recipe for Greek fire called for a mixture containing colophony, sulphur, and Roman glassa to be distilled in an alembic. Bombax was then soaked in the mixture, and the resulting missile was hurled from ballista.

Conversely, it is also a tool in the Art of Healing:

A remedy for scratches taught me by the Herald to the King of France. 4 ounces of virgin wax, 4 ounces of colophony, 2 ounces of incense. Keep each thing separate; and melt the wax, and then put the incense and then the colophony, make a mixture of it and put it onto the sore place.
– Leonardo DaVinci

It can be used for dressing blisters, in drawing salves, and as a balm for bleeding piles.

Its volatile nature and its applications in warfare have scooted colophony into Fire’s jurisdiction, ruled by Mars, though some hold that it is governed by the Sol and Air.

The scent is resinous (surprise!), though a bit green.

Colophony has been known to cause contact dermatitis, and burning this resin in excess may cause occupational asthma. According to the 1888 edition of the American Journal of Pharmacy, powdered colophony may spontaneously combust. Please use caution.

Disclaimer Time! Also, please don’t try to make Greek fire or flying fire or anything else nutty with this info. I don’t want anyone using information that I provide for horrible, horrible crazytimes. I also can’t be responsible for Leonardo DaVinci’s questionable medical advice.