Feri Ceromancy Wax Divination with the Divine Twin Candles
Feri Ceromancy
Wax Divination with the Divine Twin Candles
by Chas Bogan
A typical Feri altar holds a pair of candles, each representing one of the Divine Twins. The colors of these candles vary among sects of the tradition, sometimes blue and red, white and black, silver and gold. The Divine Twins are often represented as opposites (although each is said to contain the other), and are commonly addressed in the guise of female and male, light and dark, moon and sun. How the Divine Twins are represented is not of major importance for this work, only that each is represented by an altar candle, and that their wax is together poured into a bowl of cold water for the purpose of having them bear insight into the future through symbols seen in the wax.
For the purpose of promoting and innovating traditional practice we will use the color associations and deity names from the Bloodrose sect of Faery Tradition. Although some are not comfortable with representing the Divine Twins in a gender binary manner, I will describe their traditional Bloodrosian aspect and leave it to the individual Feri Practitioner to find something more fitting if he chooses.
Although some Faerie like to cast a circle before a working, many do not, and so I will not detail a circle script here. What I do believe is important is the lighting of the black Quakoralina candle, since a flame is lit from it in order to light the blue candle, symbolic of how all things emerge from the Star Goddess. You may say whatever invocation you believe is appropriate for calling in the Great Mother, or use the traditional one described at:
http://www.feritradition.com/grimoire/practices/practices_candleprayer.htm
After the Star Goddess has been invoked, we focus on conjuring one of the Divine Twins, in this instance a female aspect represented by a blue candle. With a lighting stick we carry the flame from the black Star Goddess candle to the blue candle at its left. Lighting this we then chant the following goddess names: “Ashtoroth, Ashtoreth, Belili, Belkoreth, Lilith-Alure, Anatha-Tiamat.”
To summon her twin, we ignite a lighting stick from the blue candle and light one that is red, and that is positioned to the right of the others candles. We chant: “Keraillos, Keranos, Kernunnos, Krana, Kronos.”
At your altar you will need a bowl of chilled water. Something from your faucet is fine, or you may use blessed or conditioned waters, even add some scented cologne if that inspires you. Personally, I prefer to charge the water with Blue Fire in a manner similarly found at the following Feri Tradition site
(http://www.feritradition.com/grimoire/practices/practices_bluefire.htm).
Now that your candles are alive with flames, and the Divine Twins have manifested through the ancient names of Goddesses and Gods, the bowl sits charged and ready to receive insight. Speak aloud your question. The more succinct your question the more exact your answer will be. If you wish to be poetic, that is fine, query the Divine Twins with rhymes and flourish, however have a concise version of your question clear in your mind so that it is not lost amidst grandiloquence. The Divine Twins will answer the question that you most truly wish to know, so be certain that this is what you ask of them and not some lesser concern.
Once spoken, simply take a candle in each hand and turn them towards one another. Let their flames touch, and say:
"From the One who is all
By the Two who are one
Divine Twins hear my call
Show my future as done"
By now a fair amount of wax will have poured from the two candles into your bowl of water, so reposition the candle on the altar and behold what forms have taken shape in the bowl. Their significance may mean something solely to you, or you may look for definitions of these symbols in dream books to find meaning. Often you will find such things as numbers, animals, or the shapes of things in your environment such as planes and telephones.
If the future is to your liking, then you may wish to keep the wax, perhaps carry it with you in a pouch, or even pair it with a lodestone to draw your positive future to you quicker. If your destiny is bad, then you may melt the wax and petition the Divine Twins for a better outcome. I personally like to light a charcoal in a cauldron, burn some Frankincense and Myrrh resin as an offering to the Divine Twins, tell the smoke what better outcome I would like, then burn the regretful wax on the charcoal after the resins have died away. Those are creative ideas, however if neither appeal to you just be sure to dispose of the wax in a respectful manner, for this is symbolic of the bodies of the Divine Twins that have been shed to give you insight, so bury them properly. The crossroads would be a great place for this, as each road represents one of the twins, so burying it there where they meet is a way of returning their essence to them. Barring that, you can bury it wherever earth is available and simply draw an X over it. The water should similarly be disposed of with intention and reverence. Throw it to the West if you reject the future that was shown to you, or toss it towards the East if you wish to invite it to you.
Candles should be snuffed out in reverse order with an appreciative heart.
-Chas Bogan, 2012