| Creating a Soul Doll |
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| Written by Ben Gruagach | |
| Friday, 10 August 2007 | |
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Various reasons have been given for Inanna's descent to the Underworld: one version claims She went Below to rescue her Beloved, Dumuzi (repeated in Greek myth in the legends of Persephone and Hades, and in Psyche and Eros, among others); another version brings Dumuzi into the story only at the end, when He must go Below to serve as Inanna's proxy in the Court of Ereshkigal. While the first version has merit, and is certainly the most frequently related narrative, the second version seems to instill more power in Inanna's purpose. Working from a matrifocal pantheon where Ereshkigal and Inanna are sisters, but in different and separate realms, the antagonistic elements of the rescuing Dumuzi story do not quite fit. It would seem that it is just as likely that Inanna would go Below to seek out Her sister as a friend, and not as an antagonist. Jungian-based psychology postulates the existence of an interior self that mirrors our outward appearance and behaviour, but is of the opposite gender. Humanistic psychologists who work in the area of mythology and sacred psychology have done much to explore and expand upon the idea of this psychic twin that we carry within each of us. Of particular note in this matter is the hypnotic-journey textbook, The Search for the Beloved by Jean Houston (J.P.Tarcher Inc.: L.A. Calif., 1987), which emphasizes the connection between the ideal self and the object of affection, in the form of the anima or animus. However, from an occult and wiccan background, we can contact and work with our animus or anima through the contruction of a little soul doll, a poppet constructed to house the spirit of this inner self.The poppet has a long tradition of use in occult practices. Written references to the use of images to perform magick have been discovered in Akkadian-Chaldean (Mesopotamian) inscriptions, dating in the second millenium B.C.E. Medieval grimoires and witch-hunting manuals describe the use of wax figures by witches and magicians. Traditional African and Carribean magicians are well-known for their use of voodoo dolls. Modern witches have a long history of poppet use behind them; it is not surpirising that they are still in use today. Poppets can be made from a wide variety of materials, from corn husks or straw, wax, clay, or cloth rags stitched together. The doll can be as small or as large, and as complex or as simple, as the witch desires. The only real limitation is based on the witch's ability to create the doll itself. Often when creating a poppet, the witch tries to use materials that have close associations with the intended person. For example, a cloth poppet can be made from the target's favourite old shirt, preferably after the shirt has been worn by the target and will still hold some of the target's sweat and body odour. Bits of hair can be sewn or glued onto the poppet's head; gather the hair from the target's hairbrush, comb, or after a haircut. Nail clippings, a bit of saliva absorbed in cotton or tissue, even semen or menstrual fluids can be discreetly gathered and included in the poppet's manufacture. An imaginative and discreet witch can be very successful in obtaining physical links to include in the doll, and make it the magickal twin of the intended target. It is important to note at this point that an ethical and moral witch will never create a poppet for a target without the target's explicit approval. That means that never, ever, should a poppet be created to invoke harm on another. Poppets can be used in healing rituals when the target is not able to be physically present, and can also be important parts of other, much more personal rituals. One very important instance of the inclusion of a poppet in a ritual is during the "Opening of the Eyes" ritual, when the Descent of Inanna is enacted. The little soul doll mentioned earlier is the specific type of poppet necessary for the "Opening of the Eyes " ritual. This poppet represents the inner shadow, the opposite gender spirit that dwells within each of us. As Jean Houston puts it, this anima or animus holds all the qualities that we find most attractive in a potential mate, and it is thus the image of our ideal lover. The anima or animus is our mirror image, but represents all those things that we are not. It is our perfect complement. For gay men and lesbians, this inner shadow does not necessarily represent the ideal sexual partner. The anima or animus in this case might be hermaphroditic or androgynous, combining the complementary qualities of both genders that the individual lacks. Or, it might truly represent the opposite sex, in that a gay man would have a lesbian anima, and a lesbian would have a gay male animus. Another alternative could be that the shadow would indeed be the ideal sexual partner, and would embody the individual's ideals. No one of these models needs to be true for all people; the shadow is likely to be more varied in the case of gays and lesbians. When you decide it is time to establish a relationship with your inner shadow, and construct a poppet to facilitate your connection, it is important that you work carefully to explore the nature and personality of your shadow. You might be surprised by what you find out; ask it to speak to you, and be ready to listen. Information can come to you in dreams, meditation, divination (especially the "channeled" divination forms, such as Ouija boards and automatic writing), or hypnotic work. Sometimes, you will find that you knew your shadow as a favourite childhood imaginary friend, or favourite doll. If your shadow manifested through a doll when you were young, and you still have that doll with you, your work of constructing a poppet is already done for you. You will probably still want to ritually consecrate the doll to house the spirit of your shadow, though. You need to build up a mental picture, a personality profile of your shadow. Sit down with some personality mapping charts (such as the one detailed in Carol S. Pearson's Awakening the Heroes Within, HarperSanFrancisco, 1991). Meditate, focussing on drawing out your shadow self, and allow it to express itself on paper; ask it to fill out the questionnaire. Ask to hear its history, its songs, poems, stories. The more information you can obtain from your shadow, the more you will come to understand, respect, and love it. Your shadow is there to help you grow, to be there for you when you need its help. It is your twin, who lives within your body, and never completely leaves you alone. When you have built up an understanding of your shadow, and have constructed a suitable poppet to house its spirit, a ritual of consecration or naming ceremony should be done. This ceremony is identical to that which you would perform to name a live person, but in this case you are ritually blessing and welcoming a spiritual being, housed in the poppet's material form. After the poppet is blessed and named, treat it as you would treat your own twin. The poppet has a life of its own, inextricably linked with your own. |
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