Guardian Training Program Thesis 2018-2019

By Guardian Trainee: Selene Blackwell

Mentor: Guardian Frank Stormcatcher

Question

As a Guardian Trainee we are able to construct wards and shields around ourselves, others, places, groups. But what about warding an entire city? How would having a ward or filter against noxious non-human entities affect a city? How would having a ward/filter against noxious human entities affect a city? Would it affect only the non-human entities or also the human ones? If it were to affect the human ones how would it affect their mood and actions? Would there be any measurable data on violence, accidental injury, or mood such as depression?

Background

Definitions:

Druid – Practitioner of a dynamic nature spirituality
Elements – The four spiritual Elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, often talked of in conjunction with the fifth element of Spirit. Often utilized and called to while creating a temporary protection circle.
Grounding – The method of dispersing excess magical energy, typically through the elements, for the purpose of resetting an object, human, or situation to net zero energy.
Guardian – A spiritual practitioner of any religion, spirituality, race, color, sex, or orientation, who specializes in offensive and defensive magic for the purpose of protection of others and themselves against human and non-human living and dead entities.
Offering – A gift made to a deity, Genius Loci, Fae, or other spirit
Pentacle – Five pointed star inside of a circle, a sigil of protection
Pentagram – Five pointed star, typically representing the elements
Shield – Defensive Magic. Magically created force field around a person, place, or thing for the purpose of obstructing movement of energy or non-physical entities in or out of the barrier.
Sigil – Offensive or Defensive Magic. A symbol, drawing, or design created and charged for magical intent.
Spell – Offensive or Defensive Magic. A series of actions performed with intent and energy to bring about change.
Ward – Defensive Magic. Magically created force field around a person, place or thing, for the purpose of partially obstructing movement or allowing movement in only one direction in or out of the barrier.
Witch – A human of any race, color, creed, religion, orientation, sex, who has the ability to sense their own energy and the energy around them.
Witchcraft – the manipulation of magical energy by a witch

Hypothesis

If a ward is placed around a city for the purpose of protection against noxious non-human and human entities, then there will be a measurable decrease in violence, accidental injury, and improved sense of well-being within that city.

A card was drawn from Philip Carr-Gomm’s Plant and Animal Oracle to give guidance for this work. The card Garbhag an t-slèibhe, or Fir Club Moss, was drawn upright. This is card of Initiation, Beginnings, and Power. This working will prove to be powerful, the premise of protecting a city is descended from the ancestors of old. Choosing this card augurs well if you are stating a new project.

Experiment

Date & Time

For maximum energy available to the witch creating this ward it is best done in the light half of the year, before the summer equinox, and on a full moon when the sun is also at peak height.

Proposed Date: Mon, June 17, 2019 at 12:30PM

Sun is in Gemini: Knowledge and Diversity motivate us. Increased intelligence and communication and versatility.
Full Moon, Disk 100% Full
Mercury, Rise 7:38AM and Set 10:34PM is in Cancer: The need for quality is greater than the need for quantity.
Venus, Rise 4:54AM and Set 7:33PM is in Gemini: We are more communicative and want to bond on a mental level with others.
Mars, Rise 7:43AM and Set 10:33PM is in Cancer: We pursue our interests ardently, we are defensive without overt aggression.

Creation of the Pentacle

Pick areas that won’t have development on them in the next 100 years at least. Therefore, pick protected areas such as National or State Parks, Wildlife Management Areas, or Cemeteries.

Little Indian Creek Park
1. Earth
  1. What could be more earthy then a state park in West Virginia? Here there are trees, rivers, stone, and no development to disrupt the pentacle’s work.
Pedlar Wildlife Management Area
1. Air
  1. Air to me means intellect, communication, teaching, and knowledge. This Wildlife Center is also near multiple training centers for a myriad of jobs.
Lazzell Cemetery
1. Spirit
  1. This cemetery is in the middle of an elementary school, an energy plant, and a raceway. When I think of West Virginia, this triad is perfect for representing the spirit of the people.
Mt Union United Methodist Church Cemetery
1. Water
  1. We cross over a body of water to get here and it is near my previous home. I have bonded a lot with the active spirits of this cemetery. There are a lot of soldiers here, drowning victims, and other emotional ghosts who would be happy to work to keep Morgantown safe.
East Oak Grove Cemetery
1. Fire
  1. Oak is Fire of Fire. This cemetery is on top of a hill overlooking all of Morgantown. It is the perfect place to end the pentacle and tie the pentagram to the stone beneath this cemetery that will never be disrupted.

Possible Determents and Bias

Only one person will be involved in creating the ward. Perhaps if more people did it as a team with a greater amount of energy built then it would have a stronger effect on those living within its limits.
One issue would be concentration. If I was driving myself around the circle I would not be able to concentrate on the ritual creation of the pentacle nor the act of creating a ward. Therefore, I will need to enlist the assistance of a driver whose energy will not distract me from doing the work at hand.
In this case, a Druid Witch will be the creator of this ward, therefore the ritual is being done in a Druid fashion with elements of non-religious witchcraft such as sigil creation, Black Tourmaline, and the Elements and their animal representations. No gods will be mandated in the creation of this pentagram, nor any non-human or non-living human entities. However, if a god, goddess, genii loci, or other spirit creature wishes to be a part of the creation and maintenance of this warding then they will be welcomed to join.
The Police Departments etc are all also a part of protecting this city and the data below should also be attributed to their efforts. To remove human involvement and police involvement from the equation we will try to look at statistics of that which would be more likely to be affected by non-human or non-living human involvement.
West Virginia is going through an Opioid Epidemic, especially to the southern counties of West Virginia.
West Virginia, including Monongalia County which contains Morgantown, has been seeing a rise in deaths by intentional self-harm, suicide.
In the statistics related to insufficient sleep it the statistics were equal across the board for gender, race, ethnicity, urbanicity, education, and income.
Nationwide, the biggest contributors to non-intentional injury are falls, motor vehicle accidents, and poisoning. West Virginia also falls into these statistics and the below takes all three into account.

Ritual Wording

Earth

(Draw Pentacle)Powers of the Earth. Bear of the North Winter in the Appalachians. Protect this land and be the strength of this ward. Establish balance, strength, endurance, and physical protection for all within this domain against all ill both within and without. So will there be growth. So will there be peace. (Draw Protection Sigil & bury Tourmilated Quartz and Tobacco Blessing)

Air

(Draw Pentacle)Spirits of the Air. High flying White Tailed Hawk of West Virginia. Protect this land and be the strength of this ward. Establish balance, level-headed understanding, strength of mind, and improve communication amoung strangers and friends alike. Within these borders may there be the purity of air, which is wisdom. So will there be understanding. So will there be peace. (Draw Protection Sigil & bury Tourmilated Quartz and Tobacco Blessing)

Spirit

(Draw Pentacle)Spirit of Spirit. KOAD. Spirit of the Grove of the Druids. Spirit of the Pentagram of the Witches. Spirit of the Lodge of the Guardians. Spirit of the Land of the GENII LOCI. I call on you to protect this land and be the strength of this ward. For those within, be our guides, our honor, and our protectors. So will there be guidance. So will there be peace. (Draw Protection Sigil & bury Tourmilated Quartz and Tobacco Blessing)

Water

(Draw Pentacle)Powers of Rejuvenating Water, of the Catfish and Trout in our streams. Protect this land and be the strength of this ward. May all that wish well be encouraged to come here for the benefit of the land and its people. May all leave Morgantown in Freedom. I call on you to instill flexibility into this ward and in the minds and actions of the people and creatures within. Encourage an open mind, self-control, and balance of emotions in all within. So will there be love. So will there be peace. (Draw Protection Sigil & bury Tourmilated Quartz and Tobacco Blessing)

Fire

(Draw Pentacle)Powers of a tempering Fire, of the Wild Stag of these hills bathed in the light of purpose. Protect this land and be the strength of this ward. I call on your to protect these borders from all entities that have a low frequency, reject their admission. Within your domain inspire, spark passion, and instill courage. May all that wish ill never cross this ward. May all who do ill be found and punished according to their crimes either in this life or the next. So will there be Truth. So will there be peace. (Draw Protection Sigil & bury Tourmilated Quartz and Tobacco Blessing)

Ritual Sigils

The Pentacle

A symbol of combining the elements for the purpose of protection. As per tradition, for protection the pentagram is started in the lower left hand corner created by the right arm holding the wand, completed by a circle around in, thus creating a pentacle.

Protection Sigil

Start in the upper most area, drawing down and then moving the wand clockwise until you end at the center of the triangles. This sigil was created utilizing the Kamea Method with the words: Protect Morgantown. This breaks down to PRTCTMRNGNTOWN once vowels are eliminated, which breaks down further into PRTCMRNGOW once duplications are eliminated. Thus the sigil is created utilizing the Sun 6×6 Magical Square.

Analysis

Pre-Warding Statistics for Monongalia County/Morgantown City

	2015	2016	2017	2018
Population Total	29,948	30,552	30,547	31,073
WVU Enrollment	28,776	28,488	28,409	29,959
Unemployment Rate	4.6%	4.5%	4.1%	4.4%
Opioid Related Deaths for WV*	722	750	833	pending
Binge Drinking	7.8%	7%	8%	4.5%
Aggravated Assault	10	20	26	17
Rape	1	1	4	3
Obesity	33%	34%	44%	31%
Suicide	4	5	5	6
Unintentional Injury Deaths	30	30	32	34
“Poor Mental Health Days” for WV	4.5 days/month	4.6 days/month	5 days/month	5.2 days/month
Insufficient Sleep	35%	36%	40%	40%

*Less than, on average, 120 per year were in the Monongalia County where Morgantown resides.

Post-Warding Statistics for Monongalia County/Morgantown City

*PENDING*

	2019	2020
Population Total
WVU Enrollment
Unemployment Rate	4.2%
Opioid Related Deaths for WV*
Binge Drinking
Aggravated Assault
Rape
Obesity
Suicide
Unintentional Injury Deaths
Population Total

Conclusions

Conclusions are pending following the completion of the post-ritual analysis of statistics for Morgantown, WV in 2020.

The Three Druids

Warding a City

Question

Background

Hypothesis