The Evolution of Spell Cards

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My early spell cards were plain. Quick brush strokes on manila paper. I included them as free presents along with orders of magic scrolls.

While the artistry was simple, the enchantments were strong. It felt good to give them away.

These were all for protection. I loved making them. They just feel right in the hand.

Once I returned to the United States I cut up big sheets of heavy duty watercolor paper. The stuff is stiff, thick. Feels more like card stock. I made a new set.

You can see the paper wasn’t the only change. I started to make the sigils more complex. I got more free and loose with them. Early sigils were relatively straightforward constructions of traditional magical symbols, but now I made modifications.

The great thing about sigil magic is you can lose the shapes of the different symbols + combine them into a completely new form, without losing the meaning or effect.

I started to push the bound.

I also laid down color washes before adding the sigil to the paper. It gives an illusion of texture and depth. Most were blue-on-blue, but some had yellow or gray backgrounds. Those are all gone now!

I give these spell cards to friends, family, and people I meet along my travels. When someone offers me hospitality they are likely to be given their very own spell the next day.

I love the look when they see these cards. They reach out and hold the card with wide eyes. When they touch it there’s an exhale. Sorcery + art, that’s what we do here.

My favorite is to fan out all the cards face down and tell someone to pick one. The one they draw is the one they keep.

Hint: make friends with magicians. Life is way more fun.

Copyright 2012 Drew Jacob

I knew I wanted to focus my practice more around enchantment cards. Today’s lot of spell cards are made on reclaimed vintage playing cards. Previously they were used for fortune telling and gambling. Now, they bear my signature magic sigils. Acrylic paint, Mexican potions, layers of color.

Above are two custom jobs and the sex charm. I pre-sold several (shipping today!) and have others ready to go. I also saved a number of blanks, carefully catalogued by what suit and number hides beneath their new white coat.

You can now order magic spell cards while supplies remain. Or a brand new magic scroll at a special sale price.

Where are the Missing Gods?

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Not many things surprise me, when it comes to Celtic gods.

But Gordon over at Rune Soup penned something that made me fall back in my seat and think:

Quick. Name a high-profile Celtic rain god. (Not thunder, not water, rain.) We tend to form gods around desirous, unpredictable outcomes like military victory, agricultural yield or stable monarchies. I was not short of indigenous rain gods in Australia.

He was talking about the drought in England: in a country that never runs out of rain, is there even a rain god to pray to?

The answer is yes: Dagda, the god of the sky and thunder, is the one to pray to. He’s present in force whenever a rainstorm shows up, and even if the thunder is his weapon and blah blah, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s the sky and all it holds.

(Dagda is Gaelic, not Celtic, but swap Taranis for you Continental types.)

Celtic folklorist Alexei Kondratiev also put forward that Lugh is specifically connected to bringing the harvest-saving August rainstorms in Ireland. He only had one example from the lore, but it makes sense.

So sure, there are gods who bring the rain, even in rainy ol’ England; but Gordon’s point stands. There isn’t a “rain” god there per se, while dryer climes have plenty.

This fits in just fine with a sensible polytheology. Even if you believe all the gods are totally individual beings – not faces of a single force – it still makes sense that, for example, the soul of the sun is going to appear quite different to people in the Sahara than to people in the Yukon. Much of divine personage is human trappings, or trappings used to communicate with humans. If a tribe never once has to worry about lack of rainfall, it makes sense that they won’t make a big deal out of the rain spirit.

But I usually think of the plurality of gods (and their cultural adornment) as different perspectives on an essentially equivalent set of beings.

But to realize that some cultures are totally blind to certain gods, even when those gods are present in their environment? That’s a revelation.

It makes me wonder how cultural values relate to the recognition of more abstract deities. For example, are there cultures that don’t have love gods? I can only think of a few societies that have specific money gods, or gods of compassion.

Here’s the real Saul-on-the-ground though:

What gods have I never even conceived of?


Want to add magic to your life? Grab a magic spell card and feel it for yourself.

How To Make Spell Cards

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It feels good, putting so much power in such a little item. Cards are special. It’s no coincidence that tarot became the predominant system of Western fortunetelling (or that Pokémon took off).

I only make something if it can be high quality. The original plan was to get some card stock and cut it to shape. But it felt sterile, empty. Too plain to be magic, especially after working with handmade paper.

I wanted something you’d feel.

I started digging around the family house. I wanted cards that had been used for both divination and gambling. Blind luck in one hand, blind prophets in the next. Somewhere under the cribbage board and the “penny jar” we gambled with as kids, I found them:

Grandpa’s cards.

These are them. Probably >50 years old.

My maternal grandfather was a high functioning alcoholic. He died before I could ever meet him, but not without a legacy of triple-shot lowballs, tasty cigars and a lawless sense of humor. I told my mom I wanted to take his old deck of cards and paint over them. To my surprise, she couldn’t care less.

But she’s not their true keeper. I wanted permission from the old man himself. I started to gather things.

We have a set of his glasses, with his initials K. H. stenciled on each one. We have whiskey and, with careful instruction from my mother (“more booze… no, more than that… more!”) I reconstructed his classic evening sipping drink.

With his drink, his glass, and his pack of aces I went before the shrine. I could feel him strong, joking and thirsty. Ever get an offering before, gramps? Call me Ken, son, and pass that thing down.

Grandpa was a killer salesman. I asked about painting over his cards.

“Why would you want to do that?”

“I’ll put magic symbols on them to help people.”

“And do what with them?”

“Sell ‘em.”

“Do it.”

Well, at least he has an ethos.

With all dead relatives propitiated, and a little drunker for the wear (Ken wanted me to down most of the offering myself, a request I was happy to grant), I sorted the cards by suit.

Turns out we’re a little short on hearts. A commentary on the family, perhaps? At least I know why our solitaire games suck.

I’m using hearts for love spells, clubs for sex spells, spades for protection charms and diamonds for money spells.  I’m saving face cards for custom orders, and aces for overdrive.

They’re getting painted over, so I need to keep them carefully in order. This is the most annoying part of the process, but when the paint is dry I can lightly mark each one with pencil. The pencil will be erased before painting and finishing a card.

Sexy.

If there’s one thing I love it’s magic spells that work, and these will crackle in the hand. At $38, they’re cheaper than a lot of online “magic spell” services, and you get something tangible (and beautiful) you can feel for yourself.

Preorder now. The first batch ships Saturday.

+ Love Spell Card // [order]
+ Money Spell Card // [order]
+ Sex Spell Card // [order]
+ Protection Spell Card // [order]
+ Or a custom spell based on any need // [order]

The Escape Spell

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Have you ever just wanted a way out?

This is a spell I always knew I would make. I have a feeling there’s s someone out there who’s just waiting for it… maybe a woman in an unhappy relationship. Maybe someone trapped in a dead end career. They’d like to jump to a better situation, and don’t know how.

The last few years I’ve had a lot of changes in my life. I gave up my job, left my home to travel, and now I write books and make spells for a living. At the heart of all these changes was a will and a desire to live a different life, a more memorable life. One I could be proud of.

I wanted those changes for years, but for a long time I felt I had no way of making them. How could I afford to travel? What if my writing failed?

Of course, magic can change those things.

This is a spell for freedom. Don’t take this one lightly: it may mean a revolution. This is for that person who wants to change everything, to stand up and walk away (and have somewhere to go), to start back from the beginning—to reinvent their life.

This is my Scroll of Escape.

Scroll of Escape (during construction). Copyright 2012 Drew Jacob.

The scroll is hand painted on distressed, handmade paper. The paper was placed out in the elements and then traced in ink to make something uniquely beautiful. A survivor.

Scroll of Escape (finished + enchanted). Copyright 2012 Drew Jacob.

The paint is goauche mixed with magic potions and holy water, plus a touch of gold paint. This scroll can be hung anywhere in the home or office. Or it can be rolled up and kept in secret until the day your situation changes.

Scroll of Escape (detail). Copyright 2012 Drew Jacob.

I created this scroll because I know how hard it is to make a change. It’s frightening. You’re surrounded by uncertainty, and the comfortable path you hate is the only one that seems secure.

But the day you strike out on your own, you will be filled with a sense of joy and sheer exhilaration that makes everything look different.

That is what this scroll conjures. A summer of freedom, after a long winter of forgotten dreams.

//

Normally the scroll would be $180; thanks to the 101 sale it’s $101 this week only. At the end of the week, scrolls will be unavailable indefinitely.

Before shipping, each scroll is fitted with handmade wooden rods and arrives ready to hang. Shipping is free in the United States and Canada.

Wish you had a spell, but want something cheaper? Consider a magic spell card for just $38!

Put a Magic Spell In Your Pocket

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What if magic protected you wherever you went?

What if you had enchantments you could give to anyone, or keep all for yourself?

Magic works best when it’s tangible. Something textured you can hold in your hand, and know: this is sorcery.

As I travel I make enchanted spell cards. Each card is a unique, hand painted work of art. They start with a playing card that’s been used in gambling + fortune telling. I paint over it again and again until it forms a blank canvas, and I apply a magical sigil.

The cards are then ritually enchanted, sealing their purpose upon them. The spell will benefit whoever carries the card. You can loan them to others, or give them away as gifts.

Tilt the universe, and shake the odds in your favor.

This week will complete the first set of spell cards. They can ship as early as Saturday, and they’ll go fast—some have already sold. Spell cards are available for Love, Money, Protection, and Sex spells. I’ll also make a custom card at your request, for any purpose you can imagine, but only while my stock lasts. Move quick!

This is your chance to pre-order:

+ Love Spell Cards:/ Why can’t you just find her? Or him? You don’t need to: they’ll find you. BUY $38

+ Money Spell Cards:/ A little extra to finally get ahead. The job you wanted, the promotion you earned. Windfall. BUY $38

+ Sex Spell Cards:/ The body, the look. Electricity when you touch. In the morning no one looks back. BUY $38

+ Protection Spell Cards:/ It could have been you… but you had a feeling. They say it’s a miracle. BUY $38

Or, to get a custom spell, order here. I’ll email you and make sure you get exactly what you want. [No curses.]

Pictures will go up as soon as the cards are ready, but don’t wait. They may be sold out by then.

Please share this on Twitter or Facebook — Thank you.

Magic Spell Scrolls and the $101 Sale

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I took my magic scrolls off the market. It was when I started to travel. I can’t carry them with me [and have no assistant back at the atelier], so the logistics would have been too much. There were some disappointed folks, but I promised that whenever I got back I’d have a sale to celebrate.

This week only, I’m back at home base. I’m staying here through Saturday, then back on the road Sunday morning—possibly not to return.

So for one short week, magic scrolls are on sale at a specially reduced price: $101. 

Every single scroll is $101, no matter what the original price was. What does 101 mean? It’s the odd unit out. A classic theme in magic (and one of my favorites). Why go a year when you can go a year and a month, why get a dozen when you can get a baker’s dozen?

And why pass up the scroll you’ve wanted when in some cases they are more than 50% off?

I paint each piece on handmade paper, mix the paints with potions, and enchant the finished product. The ceremonies often take days, with special ritual preparation of each piece and hours of chanting. You will feel it.

Take a look at the scroll gallery and see what grabs you. Sale ends Saturday afternoon so be quick!

[I can also take custom orders during this time. Email me with inquiries.]

Would one of your friends like an altmagic scroll hanging in their home?

altmagic rebooted: spell cards, how-to, and telling it like it be

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There hasn’t been much activity here since July 1, and that’s no coincidence. July 4 I started extensive travels that will continue for the next two years or more. I’ve been busy.

But frankly, that’s not the only reason the atelier was quiet.

I knew I wanted to take altmagic in a new direction, but I wasn’t sure what. Making scrolls has been a blast, but it’s difficult to do on the road. I also want to make my work more accessible, so more people can add magic to their lives.

But how to do that? It took a while, but I think I know the answer.

1:/ Spell Cards

Scrolls are large, take a long time to make and carry a high price point. Each time someone bought one I knew it was a big investment and a show of faith in my work. So when I shipped a scroll I made sure to include an extra present. Typically, these presents were small pieces of heavy paper hand-painted with a magic sigil for protection, and then enchanted. In other words, spell cards.

I’ve wanted to produce cards for some time now, but I hesitated. It would be cheap and easy to mass-product them through a printer, but I like doing things handmade. Plus I can’t carry 500 cards with me while I travel, and if they ship direct from the printer I can’t enchant them for you. No fun!

With six weeks of travel under my belt, I have a better sense of what’s practical. I carry a small container of art supplies and have space for just a bit of high quality paper.

This means I can produce hand painted spell cards wherever I go.

I’ll get samples up on the site in the near future. They will carry much lower prices than the scrolls, but will still be enchanted. What do you think?

 

2:/ How to Learn Magic

I’ve become more and more interested in creating a how-to book that will walk people through the steps of casting their own spells. Magic is one of the most breathtaking and life-changing arts in human history; to practice it is a tremendous privilege. I want more people to experience that.

In the past, I’ve talked about a How to Summon a Familiar product. I think a more general How to Learn Magic book would also be good. I’m wide open to suggestions or requests.

 

3:/ Advancing the Study of Magic

Earlier this year I wrote an article called Magic in the 22nd Century. It challenged skeptics about how they think about magic, and it makes the case that magic ritual is a technology. The article exploded with comments and discussion. It was an outgrowth of an earlier post of mine, Three Magic Spells That Work, which outlines traditional magical techniques that are accepted by science. That post continues to be the single most popular piece on altmagic.

I’d like to expand my work on the scientific study of magic and make advance it as an art form and a technology, one with proven effects. Magic is very real, and it’s time for educated people to see it as such.

Are you ready for the next incarnation altmagic?

A Wizard’s Review of Dr. Dee – The Opera

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Casting Queen Elizabeth's natal chart. Image via Gordon White.

I didn’t know that the life of Dr. Dee was made into an opera, but it sure has. And it sounds like one hell of a show.

Gordon White, the chaos mage over at Rune Soup, gives a very enlightening review:

A wizard is someone for whom the act of temporarily inhabiting a meatsuit is hard and uncomfortable.

Is this suit really a rental? Then where’s the rental receipt? Show me.

[Director] Albarn has found that in Dee which was clear to magical people all along. He must know. Can you cast a natal chart for an empire? What do angels sound like? Where do they live?

Read more at Rune Soup.

Burn Sale

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This update is overdue, but there are big changes afoot at altmagic—including all new kinds of artwork on the way.

Right now I’m announcing a Burn Sale for the existing scrolls. My life is about to change significantly, as I will be traveling nonstop for the next few years. My goal is to meet the gods, wherever they may be, and I’ll mostly be on bike or on foot.

What that means for altmagic is that it’s not practical for me to carry large scrolls with me wherever I go. There are four scrolls currently available, and they’re not coming along. If they haven’t found a good home before I leave on July 4, they’ll be enshrined or ritually burned. They will no longer be available.

So this is your chance: if you didn’t have the cash for a scroll before, now is the time. For less than two weeks prices on all scrolls are deeply discounted. Discounts range from 40% to over 50%.

Take a look at the scroll gallery and see how you can add magic to your life.

You can expect news soon on the new form my magic art will take on the road!

Sacred Land Scroll Unveiled

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I finally got a chance to use the distressed paper that I recently added to my collection.

A client requested a custom scroll. She and her husband are seeking a piece of land that will be just right for them. They want it to be a place they can spend time with their family, connect to the land, and hunt. But more than that, they want it to be a spiritual hub where they can help people learn to live a sustainable lifestyle.

Sacred Land, copyright 2012 Drew Jacob.

The client liked my plan to use a ceremony similar to the consecration of a temple or sanctuary. The paint on the scroll was mixed with magic potions and holy water, and the finished scroll was washed in incense and chanted over with the consecration rites.

I processed around the scroll just as one would process around a temple during consecration.

The image itself consists of one large sigil for a peaceful family anchored by the geomantic figure for happiness and fulfillment. Flanking it are custom sigils relating to the client’s specific needs. The overall image evokes the wide, clear sky over the sacred land that they find.

Sacred Land (detail), copyright 2012 Drew Jacob.

This was also my first composite scroll. I used three separate sheets of distressed paper: the one it’s actually painted on (which resembles a tanned hide to me), a thicker one backing it, and a green-smeared sheet torn into four pieces to hold the scroll rods at the four corners.

Sacred Land (detail), copyright 2012 Drew Jacob.

I was nervous about joining all six bits of paper and making it work, but it turned out just as I pictured it. I  strength-tested the whole construction when it was done. This is a terrifying moment on every scroll, but I was pleased to find it strong and durable. Making it was a blast.

Hankering for a custom scroll of your own? If so, send me your idea at drew@roguepriest.net and we can work out the details.

What do y’all think?