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Slavic Witchcraft

Old World Conjuring Spells and Folklore

Published by Destiny Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

A practical guide to the ancient magical tradition of Russian sorcery and Eastern Slavic magical rites

• Offers step-by-step instructions for more than 300 spells, incantations, charms, amulets, and practical rituals for love, career success, protection, healing, divination, communicating with spirits and ancestors, and other challenges and situations

• Reveals specific places of magical power in the natural world as well as the profound power of graveyards and churches for casting spells

• Explores the folk history of this ancient magical tradition, including how the pagan gods gained new life as Eastern Orthodox saints, and shares folktales of magical beings, including sorceresses shapeshifting into animals and household objects

Passed down through generations, the Slavic practice of magic, witchcraft, and sorcery is still alive and well in Russia, the Ukraine, and Belarus, as well as the Balkans and the Baltic states. There are still witches who whisper upon tied knots to curse or heal, sorceresses who shapeshift into animals or household objects, magicians who cast spells for love or good fortune, and common folk who seek their aid for daily problems big and small.

Sharing the extensive knowledge she inherited from her mother and grandmother, including spells of the “Old Believers” previously unknown to outsiders, Natasha Helvin explores in detail the folk history and practice of Russian sorcery and Eastern Slavic magical rites, offering a rich compendium of more than 300 spells, incantations, charms, and practical rituals for love, relationships, career success, protection, healing, divination, averting the evil eye, communicating with spirits and ancestors, and a host of other life challenges and daily situations, with complete step-by-step instructions to ensure your magical goals are realized. She explains how this tradition has only a thin Christian veneer over its pagan origins and how the Slavic pagan gods and goddesses acquired new lives as the saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. She details how the magical energy for these spells and rituals is drawn from the forces of nature, revealing specific places of power in the natural world as well as the profound power of graveyards and churches for casting spells. She explores the creation of amulets and talismans, the importance of icons, and the proper recital of magical language and actions during spells, as well as how one becomes a witch or sorceress.

Offering a close examination of these two-thousand-year-old occult practices, Helvin also includes Slavic folk advice, adapted for the modern era. Revealing what it means to be a Slavic witch or sorceress, and how this vocation pervades all aspects of life, she shows that each of us has magic within that we can use to take control of our own destiny.

Excerpt

Chapter 1. Pagan Christianity, or Christian Paganism

Even before the Orthodox Christian faith made its appearance, whole provinces that refused to recognize the new gods appeared. They didn’t want to betray the faith of their homeland and their grandfathers. Mysticism played a huge role in their lives. The Old Believers’ faith was bound tightly to their magic and rituals. The majority of spells that originate in that Slavic period come to us from the era of the Old pagan gods. The great Slavic magic that drew its power from nature was born in this period.

This power stemmed from Earth, the mother and protector. It gave us food, clothes, and the ability to sow and harvest crops. It also came from Water, without which there would be no crops. Then there is Air, which is no less essential than Water, and Fire, which gives us warmth, light, and protection from wild animals. With Fire, it was possible not only to cook food and warm your home, but also to make weapons. By then, Slavs had already mastered metal.

These four elements represented pure nature for all Old Believers. It was nature that fortified their magic and combined the strength of all the elements at once. The rites of the Old Believers formed the basis of today’s elemental and natural magic.

Magic was an important part of calendar rituals related to household, agriculture, and family life, including birth, marriage, and death. Rituals often included acts such as submerging something in water, jumping over fire, and using fur coats to symbolize wealth. The most common form of mind-driven magic was sorcery. Sorceresses were considered capable of depriving the cow of milk, spoiling crops, and causing illness and even death to individuals, but also charming young people, protecting people from disease and defending against the incantations of other sorceresses.

Chapter 2. Spells

Spells and incantations are a concept familiar to us from childhood. A spell is a sequence of words with a certain rhythm and order that gives them a particular sound, made to achieve any purpose. A sorcerer uses a spell to accomplish the desired effect. It doesn’t matter what language the words are in, as this does not diminish the effectiveness of the action and in some cases even increases it. The spell is usually composed in a poetic format. Spells come in different styles and sizes, but their crucial feature is the rhythm used to say them. This rhythm helps a sorcerer enter into a kind of trance and complete the planned rite. Spells can apply to various spheres: love, finances, influencing a person or nature, addressing the dweller of another world.

The spell will not work by itself. It is impossible to just say the words aloud and get the desired effect. Correct spells steer the power of the sorcerer in the right direction, as they’re one of the tools of trade, but directing the energy on the desired route is still rather complicated. Along with spells, more experienced sorcerers often use additional auxiliary materials such as plants, stones, knives, candles, and much more.

The vibrations that occur when saying words with a certain rhythm and directed intention can perform genuine miracles. The areas in which people use spells are very different, from household magic to healing.

As you read a spell, the algorithm of magic acts in the most direct way, affecting nature and men. Ancient spells work regardless of whether you believe in them or not. Words that are part of a spell can often be incomprehensible to a modern person, but they shouldn’t be replaced, as the result of your work depends on it.

Spells range from very simple to quite elaborate and difficult to pronounce, such as the ones meant for solving fairly complex problems.

You can charm water for health, and it will take minimal time and energy, but you cannot just say the text aloud with an image in your mind and expect an instant change from negative to positive. You will need a whole set of measures and a built-in work pattern.

Spell needs to be read and spoken by heart, melodiously, aloud or in a low voice, with mental focus on the result. As you work with spells, you must demonstrate your sincerity and faith. You should have no doubts about what you do; you haven’t resorted to such means for help lightly. You must know that it will work and affect your situation as you want it to.

Love/Binding spell

Purchase a bottle of good red wine in the store. Do not take change. If this is not possible, drop the change at the shop’s doorstep. Go home. Close the doors and windows, and make sure that nobody will bother you. Calm down, relax, and sit in the center of the room. Take the bottle in both hands, and hold it up so while you read the spell, your breath touches it. Close your eyes, picture before you the image of your beloved, and speak these words for about ten minutes:

“As I speak I spell this wine,
(The name of the chosen one)’s passion to be mine;
His thoughts and feelings, submit to me.
As soon as he sips this wine,
His love eternal will be mine.”

You need to put in your maximum of emotions and feelings (energy).

Now wrap the bottle in a clean white towel and lay it under your bed. It must stay there for three nights. During this time, the energy of your desire will fully enter the drink. Then within 24 hours you need to treat this wine to your lover. To avoid suspicion, think of an occasion in advance.

When the man takes the first sip, repeat inwardly words of the spell, once is enough, while looking into his eyes.

About The Author

Born in the Soviet Union, Natasha Helvin is an occultist, hereditary witch, and priestess in the Haitian Vodou tradition, as well as an avid scholar of other magical traditions. She learned the ancient Slavic secrets of magic and healing from her family and, as a child, often saw her grandmother and mother use magic in their everyday lives to help neighbors and friends. A professional rootworker and spiritual coach, she lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Destiny Books (August 6, 2019)
  • Length: 224 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781620558430

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Raves and Reviews

“This book is a lifeline, preserving a lineage of practices passed through generations, graciously presented to the public to partake of the experience and insight gained.”

– Maja D’Aoust, Witch of the Dawn and author of Familiars in Witchcraft

“Natasha Helvin has not shied away from including both blessings and curses in a comprehensive Slavic grimoire that addresses just about any life situation. Within these fascinating pages you will learn to craft love spells and breakup spells, spells for money and business success, spells to win in court, to surround yourself with protection while traveling, spells for peace in the home, for health and healing, and for prophetic dreams. The author concludes with traditional Slavic tips for how to live a good life. A very practical how-to guidebook for anyone interested in ancient forms of peasant wisdom and magic.”

– Ellen Evert Hopman author of The Real Witches of New England and The Sacred Herbs of Samhain

Slavic Witchcraft is a deep dive into the spells and practices of traditional witches from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. Natasha Helvin shares cultural and familial practices--real old world witchcraft--that can’t be found in any other modern book on the subject. This book reveals the ancient pagan practices that are still entwined with the current Orthodox religion that is very much in place.”

– Phoenix LeFae, author of Cash Box Conjure and Hoodoo Shrines and Altars

“In Slavic Witchcraft, Natasha Helvin offers us a fine selection of Slavic charms arranged by type--love, money, protection, health, and more. Her book reflects ancestral beliefs that Christianity and the demonization of former deities were unable to eradicate. This book is definitely worth going out of your way to get.”

– Claude Lecouteux, author of The Book of Grimoires

"This book offers unique insights into regional Slavic magical practices and superstitions that have remained mostly unchanged for centuries. It gives a singular insight into the region’s culture and its accommodation of Christianity over time. The book is nicely formatted and the material is well--organized and easily accessed. Recommended for those interested in studying regional traditions."

– Elizabeth Hazel, FacingNorth.net

“The book gives you some great reference and resource for Russian witches and sorcerers who just adore learning more about the entire craft and what they may learn… this is one book out-of-a-million that brings such clearness and ease to the one that reads it, like those of a first-timer in witchcraft or who've been part of this religion for so long.”

– Inspired 2 Craft

"The book feels very much like a deep dive into the charms and practices of Slavic Witchcraft, both beneficial and baneful. From hexing noisome coworkers and stealing the luck of others, to protecting oneself from curses while utilizing love and healing charms, Helvin’s thin book is ostensibly opulent with orisons of all varieties. Looking for a quick charm to stop nasty rumors? Perhaps something a bit more banishy? This book’s got a slew of clever ideas one can springboard from. In fact, I challenge any Witch worth their salt to not find an extremely useful hex or charm within Slavic Witchcraft’s pages. Highly approved and recommended."

– The Witches' Almanac

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