Horse Magick: Spells and Rituals for Self-Empowerment, Protection, and Prosperity - Lawren Leo 2020
The Oldest Horse
Today, travelers to Khustain Nuruu National Park, situated in the great steppes of Mongolia, can see scattered herds of dun-colored, stocky horses roaming freely, just as Johann Schiltberger did in the 1390s. It is hard to imagine, but these are truly the last wild horses in existence.
Terminology here is important. “Wild” designates the horse to which Przewalski (shuh-val-ski) gave his name as a species in the late 19th century. This horse was related to the Botai culture, which may have first domesticated the horse, as we saw in chapter 3. It does not designate a breed that has gone feral, like the American mustang. Mustangs were not native to the Americas, but are descendants of horses the Spanish brought in the 15th century, as discussed in chapter 17. In fact, by then, eohippus had been extinct in this area for millennia (see chapter 2). Over the fifty years following Przewalski's identification of this Mongolian horse, it became extinct in the wild and was only saved by breeding examples that were found in zoos. But there is a twist! Although the Botai culture did not last, their horses certainly did, as geneticists have now proven.1 They lived in the wild for almost 4,000 years before being rediscovered.
The horse played a key role in the life of the Mongols and it is sacred in their mythology with associations to the creator and the solar deity, Ülgen. He, it was believed, provided abundance and protection to his faithful, but he demanded the sacrifice of a white horse as part of his worship. This was accomplished by shamans who participated in complex rituals involving trances and travel into the spirit world where they could gain secret knowledge about the well-being of the people.
By honoring Ülgen with the sacrifice of a horse, the Mongols sought to bring abundance, justice, and protection to their communities. Would that we should seek the same! There is so much social injustice in our lives today that it is nearly impossible for our true selves to emerge. Our true selves are threatened with extinction, just like Przewalski's horse. This is especially true when we enter a new environment—a new job, a new social setting, or a new school. It can be difficult to make your voice heard.
But I keep a small light burning deep inside me—a vision of an ideal future, if you will, in which all people are treated equally within their diversity. In the distant future, the human race will most likely become a new species—cyborg. Perhaps we will be living in round “studio apartments” that orbit the Earth. Perhaps we will be downloading knowledge from sources as different as traditional languages and birdsong directly into our brains. Perhaps we will finally grasp artificial intelligence and astral travel enough to use both to enhance the quality of our lives. Because we desire instant gratification, perhaps we will eventually become telepathic.
As appealing as this vision of the future may be, however, for now, we must live in the present. But we can improve that present by beginning to accept one another's differences as beautiful, right now! How else will we survive peacefully in the distant future?
SPELL TO EMBRACE YOUR UNIQUENESS
This spell is designed to help you to embrace your own “fierce” self—the truly wild horse within you. But you can do that only by embracing your uniqueness. Accept yourself. Accept yourself with confidence. Accept yourself with confidence and courage. Do this and you are destined to be a leader or a pioneer.
What you need:
A titanium aura quartz crystal.
Instructions:
Hold your hands in prayer position with the titanium aura quartz crystal between them in front of your heart chakra. Imagine Ülgen's bright, golden light pouring through your body as you chant the uniqueness spell:
Ülgen, send your light to me,
Bright and strong for all to see.
Of flesh and blood I am built.
On this planet's axis tilt—
Straight, curved, serpentine—
I fit perfectly, not in between.
Ülgen, send your light to bless;
I proudly own my U-Nique-Ness.
Why did I choose a titanium aura quartz crystal? Titanium aura quartz is an alchemical blend of clear quartz with titanium and gold. It has a futuristic quality and is neither masculine nor feminine. Its magickal associations include joy and psychic ability. This stone will protect your own personal transformation and evolution. It will enhance your inner strength and courage and pride, allowing your true self to emerge.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
For images of and general information on Przewalski's horse, see: https://arkive.org.
Primary sources
Schiltberger, Johannes. Hans Schiltbergers Reisebuch nach der Nürnberger Handschrift, ed. Valentin Langmantel (Tübingen, Germany 1885). This 14th-century, eyewitness account is available in full on https://archive.org.
Secondary sources
Boyd, Lee, and Katherine A. Houpt, ed. Przewalski's Horse: The History and Biology of an Endangered Species (Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1994). Although certain parts of this book have been superseded by advances in science and archaeology, it remains an important source of information with contributions from multiple disciplines.
Gaunitz, C., et al. “Ancient Genomes Revisit the Ancestry of Domestic and Przewalski's Horses,” Science Magazine 360 (6384) (April 6, 2018), pp. 111—114.
Jansen, Thomas, et al. “Mitochondrial DNA and the Origins of the Domestic Horse,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 99.16 (2002), pp. 10905—10910.
NOTES
1 Gaunitz, 2018.