New Age Gathering

Praeternatural Play
Radionics is that branch of the occult sciences which started with dowsing rods and pendulums and worked up to wild devices like the Hieronymous machine. The thought occurred to me that this would be ideal to produce a technmage version of a magick wand.

Praeternatural Play - Radionics Wand

Radionics is that branch of the occult sciences which started with dowsing rods and pendulums and worked up to wild devices like the Hieronymous machine. The thought occurred to me that this would be ideal to produce a technmage version of a magick wand.

I'm still in the process of constructing a prototype of this thing, so don't expect any cut and dried directions. This is a hobbyist project, expect to have to do some tinkering with it.

A valuable reference for this kind of work is Amazing and Wonderful Mind Machines You Can Build by G. Harry Stine. Don't be put off by the cutesy title, it has nice circuit diagrams and construction details.

There is no consensus on how these things work, but experimenters manage to produce results. The magick of symbolism is obviously involved, though. The famous John Campbell discovered the disquieting fact that not only would many of these machines operate just fine if they were not plugged in, but would still produce results if the internal circuitry was replaced with a piece of paper with the wiring diagram drawn on it in iron-based ink.

My brainstorm is based on the radionics Wishing Machine. It is basically an amplifier wired to an antenna.

Refer to the wiring diagram of the amplifier here. If you are familiar with making electronic projects, go to Radio Shack or equivalent, get a LM 386 N-1 power amplifier chip and the indicated resistors and capacitors, heat up your soldering iron and put it together.

If you've never held a soldering iron in your life, you can either get somebody else to make it, or draw the wiring diagram on a piece of thin cardboard with iron based ink (India ink will do). Another possibility is taking an old walky-talky, removing the circuitry, and incorporating the circuitry into your wand.

Get a dowel for your wand, and attach the amplifier to it in an artistic fashion.

On the business end of the wand, attach a telescoping antenna. This can be obtained from cannibalizing an old transistor radio or purchased from Radio Shack. On the wiring diagram, the antenna is symbolized by the tree-like icon on the right attached to the 220 microfarad capacitor. Run a piece of copper wire from the capacitor (or the drawing of the capacitor) to the antenna.

From Radio Shack, get a nine-volt battery and a battery clip. Mount the battery on the wand in an artistic manner. On the wiring diagram, the "ground" is symbolized by the upside-down triangle of lines on the bottom of the diagram. Run the black wire from the clip to this wire (or this point on the drawing). Run the red wire to an on/off switch, then run a wire from the other jack on the switch to the point at the top of the diagram labeled "4-12V DC" (four to twelve volts Direct-Current).

On the section of the wand you hold with your hand, you will have to place two small pieces of metal. Two one-inch discs of aluminum foil will do. The idea is that when you hold the wand for use, your hand with touch both discs. So placement will depend on whether the wand is intended to be held Harry Potter style (Remember, class. Swish and Flick!) or more like a light-sabre. From each contact run a wire to one of the two points labeled "input" on the diagram.

To use, extend the telescoping antenna, flick on the switch, hold so your hand touches both discs, concentrate on the intended effect of the spell, work the emotion appropriate to the spell to a foaming frenzy, aim the wand at the target and fire that spell!

Refinements:

Supplement or replace the battery with Orgone Tubes. These are empty film canisters with many layers of alternating steel wool and cotton.

Cut one of the wires leading from a disc. On each cut end place an alligator clip. Draw the sigil of an appropriate daemon on paper with iron-based ink. Attach the clips to either side of the sigil. (If you really want to get fancy, put each sigil between two glass microscope slide with metal contacts attached to the sigil. Construct a grooved slot on the wand that will hold the glass slide)

Like I said, this is still a very experimental field. Don't be afraid to tinker with this idea a bit.

Posted by Cougar Sunday, September 03, 2006 (01:42:32)