Horse Magick: Spells and Rituals for Self-Empowerment, Protection, and Prosperity - Lawren Leo 2020
The Marble Horse
Horse magick was always strong and deep, and, in the end, loud and victorious. And it has withstood the test of time for over two millennia. When Poseidon, god of the ocean, and Athena, goddess of wisdom, fought to be the patron of a key port city in Attica, they each offered a gift to the city's first ruler, Cecrops, and its citizens. Poseidon raised his trident and struck the face of the flat-topped, massive hill that dominates the cityscape, known as the akropolis (literally, “the place high above the city”). Cracks radiated out from the point of contact and the ground shook. Salt water gushed forth in a plume and filled a well, also revealing a brilliant, white horse, the first of its kind. In this manner, Poseidon demonstrated his power over the sea as well as the land.
Athena, unperturbed, held her spear aloft, point down, and let it drop, leaving a chink in the marble on which she stood. She leaned over and touched it and a brilliant green shoot rose from the stone, and then another, and another. They began intertwining and rapidly grew in height and width. Bark encased a gnarled trunk and a canopy of branches created shade, as deep green leaves shot through with silver sprouted on them. In the twinkling of an eye, the boughs were heavily weighed down with a hitherto unknown fruit. And the citizens marveled at Athena's gift—the olive. The fruit was destined to make them hale and wealthy; it became a staple in their diet and its oil became a lucrative export. Because of this, the city pledged itself forever to Athena and bears her name to this day—Athens. Poseidon vanished in haste, but the event was recorded in stone.
The Athenians enshrined these sacred points of heavenly contact with the earth by building a multichambered temple there, known as the Erechtheum, to safeguard Poseidon's well and Athena's olive tree. Much of this story has been forgotten and today the temple is, perhaps, most renowned for its balcony, which has columns in the form of maidens, properly referred to as caryatids.
The Parthenon
The Akropolis, even in ruins, holds traces of the magickal bond between the horse and the ancient Greeks. On it sits a lavish temple devoted to Athena, which is called the Parthenon (parthenos refers to Athena as a “virgin”). The temple was built between 447 and 438 BCE. One of its most distinguishing features is its sculpture, the work of Pheidias (c. 480—430 BCE), and there are literally hundreds of horses on this monument.1
On the exterior of the Parthenon, horses appear on the pediments. These triangular, gabled spaces rest on the columns at the east and west (short) ends of the rectangular building, and their sculptural content tells mythic tales on a monumental scale. The east facade, the entrance, depicts the birth of Athena, who emerged fully grown from the head of Zeus. On it, the horses of Helios, god of the sun, and Selene, goddess of the moon, are ingeniously situated in the left and right corners, as if the steeds are rising and descending, respectively. They provide a sense of heavenly rhythm in which the cycle of day and night is forever in motion. Helios' horses emerge eagerly, lifting their heads and snorting, to pull his chariot. Their ears are pricked up at attention and they have upraised hooves. At the other end of the pediment, the head of one of Selene's horses literally hangs over the edge of the sculptural frame with its muzzle open in exhaustion, blood pumping in bulging veins and nostrils dilated, having worked hard for its mistress throughout the night.
The other group of horses on the Parthenon is completely visible only to those who walk in its colonnade. This sculptural section most likely immortalizes a civic, religious festival held every four years in Athena's honor, the Panathenaia (literally “all of Athens”). On one section of the frieze, which runs in two parts down each long side of the Parthenon, a parade with horses commences far below the Akropolis, in the city. One can still imagine their hooves clattering on marble while participants and bystanders sang and cheered.
Just as Prometheus introduced fire to humanity, Athena introduced the horse bridle, thus making it possible to control an otherwise unused source of power. According to most ancient accounts, Athena gave the mythical hero Bellerophon a golden bridle to tame Pegasus. The Parthenon frieze, as described above, is nearly half horses, either pulling chariots or being ridden in strict formation. None of these horses have names, just like the unknown forces of power that lie dormant or semi-dormant within your own temple of the mind, so it is not surprising that you can call on them to help you access those powers, as in the next spell.
SPELL TO ENTER A TRANCE STATE
To give more depth to this spell, I suggest that you choose an “unknown” horse from the Parthenon frieze and make it your own through creative visualization. If you need help bringing up a visual image, you can find an excellent representation of the freize at https://en.wikipedia.org. Once you have chosen a horse, give your “unknown” a name. Give it wings, assign it a breed, make it your own—as if it had already sprung forth from within you. You will ride your horse in the creative visualization below, as Bellerophon rode Pegasus, galloping along an earthly path, up into the air, beyond the clouds, and into a trance state. Then, with this imagery intact, you will begin chanting the Spell to Enter a Trance State.
What you need:
A comfortable chair, a deep-purple candle, and essential oil of honeysuckle. For optimal results you will need a strong, steady candle flame, so be sure to place your lit candle in an area free from drafts.
Instructions:
Burn the honeysuckle oil/fragrance in an oil diffuser or burn honeysuckle incense in stick or cone form (the bark is not suitable for this spell). Light the candle. Place it close enough that you can stare into the flame. Sit comfortably in your favorite chair and enter a relaxed state. Then read this creative visualization:
A white stallion standing regal and strong notices your presence.
Instantly, there is a connection between you, an understanding
of what is to come, your purpose for meeting.
You hear:
I am the horse unknown, finally known, that you will ride
effortlessly. I will grow wings and lift you to a higher plane.
You respond:
And I am the one who gives thanks for your awakening. I will
ride upon your back through this open field, become one with
you, and up into the heavens above.
Once on the white stallion's back, you notice something
different—your horse has grown wings. They are the size of
the largest eagle's wing times three. They are kept folded neatly
and drape in a compact form from its shoulders, past its flanks,
to the tip ends of its haunches. Leaning forward, you are about
to stroke your mount's neck and mane, but you embrace it
instead. Suddenly, the scent of honeysuckle fills your nose. The
stallion's fragrance, as mystical as it should be, still catches you
off guard. You close your eyes and allow the stallion to walk.
Breathing in deeply, tightening your embrace, the left side of
your face pressed against the stallion's soft coat, your hands
caress him in long, slow strokes. You follow the hypnagogic
images forming behind your closed eyelids. Now you match the
stallion's frequency and you are one with the unknown that is
now known. You are the winged horse. And you begin to pick
up your pace. You are trotting.
Mother Earth offers you the gift of an immense field of dark
earth, cool and dry beneath you. It is a perfectly steady foundation,
and you never falter. Its only purpose is to serve you
and keep you. Thank you, Mother Earth.
You snort and break into a canter at the feeling of security
beneath your hooves. Steady and balanced, you take the lead
with your right hoof, running three beats to the gait. Wind
cools your muscles and you fall more deeply into union and go
faster. Now a thirst to move even more quickly takes over. You
are ready. Gallop! You are galloping!
You stretch your wings away from your haunches, from your
flanks, out straight, perpendicular to your shoulders. They force
the air downward and you catch the lift. You take flight.
No more sound of hooves on ground. Just peace, a whisper of
white noise, and the slow, limitless, rhythmic pulsing of the
hypnagogic images.
You are now in a trance state and ready to perform the spell.
The trick is to begin chanting the spell in a rhythmic manner (commit it to memory or record it and keep it playing on a loop) while staring intently at the flame of the candle. Keep in mind that the goal here is not to “see” a vision in the flame, but to keep your mind calm and focused so you can enter a trance state. Close your eyes and continue chanting the spell below:
The chant to trance
From stance to dance
First start to walk
Then trot, don't stop.
Next canter, get faster.
Now, galloping free;
Emotion, slow motion,
Rhythm in me.
Thought-less, free flowing;
Relaxed with not knowing.
Take astral landscape
Enough to escape
Time.
Now read through and imagine the creative visualization again. Finally, with your eyes shut, continue to chant the spell as long as possible in the same rhythmic manner, while trying to keep your mind empty of thoughts. Paying attention to the hypnagogic images will help keep your mind clear. Their kaleidoscopic movement focuses your attention away from distracting thoughts.
Why did I design my spell in counterpoint rhythm? Counterpoint rhythm, another term for syncopation, places the accent on words that you wouldn't normally accentuate. In this case, I create a sense of a building momentum followed by a hard stop, not unlike the technique used by the sculptor(s) who created the multitude of superimposed and staggered horses on the Parthenon frieze. This also helps you commit the spell to memory more easily. Most important, it can help to lull you into an alpha state.
The best way to manifest results from magick is by entering an altered state, preferably an alpha state. You may enter an alpha state, sometimes known as a “twilight state,” just before you fall asleep. For this to happen, however, your body must be asleep and your mind still awake—simultaneously. These two affirmations may help you train your mind to enter an alpha state more readily. Say them prior to meditation or spellwork:
Physical body, relax and go to sleep!
Mind, stay awake!
Why did I choose the color purple and the essential oil or fragrance of honeysuckle? Deep purple is one of the colors easily seen in hypnagogic imagery. Honeysuckle is used to induce astral sight.
Helios and Pyrois
Immortal horses pull Helios' chariot with an indomitable force. Do they know that they are immortal? If they do, they've accepted a sacred function—to display the glory of the sun for all time. Their desire to pull the chariot of Helios for eternity parallels the blind force within humanity, and specifically those who are incarnated, to obtain fame and recognition or who feel they merit it.
Two diminutive men in history made themselves giants through willpower and artful advertising. Alexander the Great had himself deified in Egypt as a sun god, as he is depicted on ancient Greek coins. His force burned so brightly that he expanded his empire from the small province of Macedonia to the edges of the known world. And what of Louis XIV of France, le Roi Soleil (the Sun King)? He had himself depicted as Apollo, sometimes behind the chariot of the sun, throughout the fountains and gardens of his château at Versailles. His genius was powerful enough to manipulate the Parisian aristocracy to move the royal capital itself. He burned an indelible mark in history.
This power is not limited to kings, however, for we are all spiritual royalty. The spell below will help you allow Helios and his fiery horse, Pyrois, to awaken in you.
SPELL FOR FAME AND RECOGNITION
This spell can help to arouse your own indomitable force and ambition. Let your yearning for life challenge you to leave behind a second sun around which the earth can orbit!
What you need:
One carnelian, one rough opal (a fragment or small vein of opal in matrix will do just fine), one natural citrine (not irradiated/heat-treated amethyst), essential oil of cinnamon or cinnamon incense, and one gold or deep-yellow candle.
Instructions:
On an altar facing east, light the incense or burn the essential oil of cinnamon in an oil diffuser. This is your offering to the solar deity, Helios, and his steed, Pyrois, whose name means “the fiery one.” (His other three steeds are named Aithos, Bronte, and Euos.) Light the gold or deep-yellow candle. Hold the three crystals in your left hand and make a fist. Take your right hand and place it over your left hand. Raise them both to your solar plexus chakra. Face east (facing your altar) and close your eyes. Conjure a feeling of intense, fiery purpose. Say these words to the spirit of Pyrois:
Vanquisher of night, supernatural fire,
Unleash your force within me, do not tire.
Now open your eyes and turn 180° clockwise (to your right). You should now be facing west, and your altar should be directly behind you. In this way, you have symbolically awakened the spirit of Pyrois within you and have symbolically traveled his path—raising the sun and journeying from east to west. Turn to your right another 180° clockwise, finishing the circle. You should be facing your altar and the cardinal point east.
Place the crystals on your altar to the right of the candle. While standing, with your eyes closed or open, say the following spell six times (not five, not seven, but six):
Oh, Helios, oath-maker, I invoke thee,
Thou who holdest the reins of Pyrois,
That horse of pure fire and indomitable force,
Make room in thy chariot for me.
This pact I make for thee to endorse;
Together, not alone, let us rise and become the sun.
Do not let our names be forgotten;
Not thine, not mine, not that of Pyrois.
Do not let them be erased,
For that is my task I wholly take up,
A pact, an oath, between us three.
I swear on my soul; I brand it in fire;
And as my will, so mote it be.
Let the candle burn out naturally. Collect your crystals and keep them in a place in your bedroom where you can see them.
For maximum results, work this spell on six consecutive full moons or during a waxing moon in the astrological sign of Leo. You can also replace cinnamon incense with the resin storax.
Who is Pyrois and how can his magick help us obtain fame and recognition? Pyrois pulls the chariot of Helios, the sun God, with all his force until his job is complete, when the day is done. This intensely spirited horse will work until you reach your goal—as long as you work just as hard and keep your promise to raise up his name, along with Helios, as you reach the top and raise your own!
Helios is known as the oath-maker, so please do not work this spell without proper respect. Do not make a promise if you cannot keep it. In magick, I call that playing with fire. Helios and Pyrois are archetypes. Helios, as the sun, the center of our solar system, bestows light on and sustains our planet. He determines whether life continues. He creates the seasons and the beauty of a sunrise, the signal of dawn. Pyrois represents indomitable strength and unstoppable willpower. Helios controls this blind force with his reins (a secret symbol for our central nervous system). This is power of such a high degree that it can change your destiny—without concern for consequences. It is pure, distilled dynamism.
Why must the spell be recited six times? Six is the number corresponding to the sun in the Practical Qabalah and on the glyph of the Tree of Life.
Why did I choose cinnamon and/or storax? Both cinnamon and storax (a resin from the trunk of Liquidambar orientalis) attract solar energies. Cinnamon is also associated with prosperity and good luck. Storax can be burned for protection.
Why did I choose a gold or deep-yellow candle? Both colors represent the sun and solar deities. Gold and yellow are also associated with the solar (sun) plexus chakra, and with good luck, prosperity, positive energy, and recognition.
Why did I choose carnelian, natural citrine, and rough opal? Carnelian is associated with fire and passion. Its properties align with Pyrois and can attract and enhance his energies within you. Natural citrine is associated with the sun, solar energies, and protection. Its properties align with Helios and can attract and enhance his energies with you as well. Rough opal is associated with Mercury, speed, and power. Its properties, when used in conjunction with carnelian and natural citrine, will quicken your magick.
Selene and the Moon Chariot
Selene, the Titan goddess of the moon, was, according to most accounts, the daughter of Hyperion and Theia. She was thus the sister of Helios and Eos, the goddess of dawn. Winged horses drew Selene's chariot across the night sky, driven by the goddess wearing a crown bearing the moon in its various phases. Some called her Phoebe and said she had wings; others claimed that she had oxen horns on her head, reminiscent of Isis.
In an interesting example of magickal synchronicity, the crescent moon headdress and the crystal ball or sphere can both be considered reflections of two of the Hindu tattwas or Tattvas—geometric shapes in Hindu philosophy that represent each of the elements: earth, fire, water, air, spirit—specifically apas, representing water, and vayu, representing air. When the circular vayu sits within the crescent cradle of apas, they combine to create focus and concentration, two key elements in magick. Use them to enhance your magickal skills and to create your own destiny in your crystal ball with a little help from Selene and her gleaming, silvery horses.
SPELL TO CREATE YOUR OWN DESTINY
Before you begin this spell, you need to understand the difference between a vision and a thought. A vision is not a self-construct—it does not originate in your mind. You are not its author. When a vision occurs (if you are not clairvoyant or used to having visions), you will be in a state of wonderment because it is an unexpected arrival. A loud noise or any distraction can interrupt a train of thought, whereas a vision will come to you in the twinkling of an eye, no matter where you may be, no matter what you may be doing. A vision will affirm itself by manifesting in the physical realm. In other words, it will happen. Or, as the ancients say: As above, so below.
Visions are not hallucinations. Hallucinations do not manifest naturally. They are the result of external stimulation and can also derive from mental illness or any number of pathologies. But no external stimulants—no drugs or mind-altering substances—are necessary for a vision to occur.
A thought, however, is, for the most part, something you actively construct and create with your mind. It is a notion or idea. We have so many thoughts during our conscious hours that we have become accustomed to receiving them—unlike visions, which can startle you.
There are two necessary elements for this spell to work properly: a point of inspiration and a well-formed thought based on your inspiration. For example: You find yourself watching two lovers holding hands as they walk down the street. Conflicting feelings of resentment, jealousy, happiness, warmth, loneliness, and love compete for your attention. You, my friend, have just been inspired.
Acting on that inspiration, you decide to try this spell in order to create your own destiny. A thought begins to form that would otherwise have remained dormant. Searching for the ideal mate now appeals to you. You conjure up romantic images of standing in front of the famous Trevi fountain in Rome with this person. You take it a step further and imagine that you are both wearing wedding rings. Now you are ready.
What you need:
One silver candle, one moonstone, and one crystal ball (clear quartz or leaded glass).
Instructions:
Create a well-formed thought based on your point of inspiration. Write it out in simple, everyday terms if you feel this will help. No poetry or classical literature is necessary. If you've been journaling or keeping a diary, that's a great place to start. Next, sit comfortably holding a moonstone (it can be palm-sized; tumbled or rough; white, peach, black, or rainbow). Place your crystal ball and lit silver candle on a table, ideally an altar.
Project your thought into the center of the crystal ball. Ask Selene to hold the thought for you. It's difficult for most people to hold a thought with clarity for more than several moments. With this spell, you're in luck. Selene herself will hold your thought in her bosom even as you sleep. Place your trust in her with this matter, for she is benevolent, wise, and ever watchful. Even as her steeds carry her moon chariot across the night sky, she will collect all your thoughts and forgotten dreams with a scoop of her hand only to return them as metaphorical nourishment in the morning.
Once you have projected your thought into the center of the crystal ball, recite this spell at least nine times:
By the time I spend time on holding this thought,
I will have remembered what you will have not.
Oh! Eye in the sky, permit me to try,
Like your horses that fly both distant and nigh.
Carry my wish from star to star;
Bring into my hands what once was afar.
May moon drops form in a silvery cup;
I lift it now and drink them all up.
Don't underestimate the powers of the moon. Remember the eagerness with which you began, and when you're ready to give up—don't! Selene just may surprise you!
Why did I choose a moonstone? In ancient Greek lore, the moonstone is associated with Selene.2 In the 5th-century-BCE Greek epic tale of Dionysus, the author Nonnus writes of Selene's pure white stone, which waxes and wanes as the moon purifies her liquid light and milks out the fire of the sun.3 Nonnus also emphasizes that Selene's stone makes men full of desire.4
Why did I choose a crystal ball? Crystal balls are divinatory tools that help focus thoughts. They are what you use to see a vision. So why not project your own inspirational thought into this spiritual vessel?
Why did I choose a silver candle? The color silver, as well as the metal, is associated with the moon.
Why must you recite the spell at least nine times? Nine is the number corresponding to the moon in the Practical Qabalah and on the glyph of the Tree of Life.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The Panathenaiac Festival Frieze on the Parthenon is enormous! If you wish to do Athena justice, you will study it carefully on the websites of the British Museum, where much of the sculpture is now located, and of the Acropolis Museum in Athens, where you will find stunning recreations of the sculpture with its original paint, gilding, and trappings. See https://britishmuseum.org and https://theacropolismuseum.gr.
The original text of Nonnus' Dionysiaca is available in English translation in full at: http://theoi.com.
Secondary sources
The traditional interpretation of the Parthenon's frieze as the Panathenaia does not stand alone. For a range of opposing schools of thought, see, for example:
Burkert, Walter. Greek Religion, trans. John Raffan (Cambridge, MA: Basil Blackwell Publisher and Harvard University Press, 1985).
Condos, Theony. Star Myths of the Greeks and Romans:A Sourcebook (Grand Rapids, MI: Phanes Press, 1997).
Connelly, Joan Breton. The Parthenon Enigma (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2014).
Jenkins, Ian. The Parthenon Frieze (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1994).
————. The Parthenon Sculptures (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007).
Neils, Jennifer. Goddess and Polis: The Panathenaic Festival in Ancient Athens (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1992).
————, ed. The Parthenon: From Antiquity to the Present (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2005).
NOTES
1 On his involvement with this project, Plutarch, Life of Pericles, 13.4—9.
2 Nonnus, Dionysiaca.
3 Ibid., 5. 88.
4 Ibid., 32. 22.