Veil of Night: The Shadow Witch’s Flying Ointment.

The legendary Flying Ointment has long been whispered of in the shadowed corners of witchcraft, steeped in folklore, mystery, and danger. It is a salve of visions, a key to the liminal spaces between worlds, used by witches who sought to untether their spirits from the confines of flesh and travel beyond the veil.

First recorded in medieval Europe, the ointment is deeply entwined with tales of the witches' sabbat, where practitioners were said to anoint themselves before soaring through the night sky, crossing vast distances in a heartbeat, slipping between worlds like the mist that clings to the earth at twilight. But these were not journeys of the body; they were flights of the soul, astral voyages undertaken in deep trance states induced by the potent botanicals within the salve. The infamous inquisitor Johannes Nider wrote of such unguents in Formicarius (1435), as did the demonologist Nicholas Rémy in Demonolatry (1595). The works of Andrés Laguna (1555) and Giambattista della Porta (1589) contain formulas using henbane, belladonna, and mandrake—herbs known for their ability to summon visions, break the boundaries of consciousness, and send the spirit hurtling beyond the mundane.

This ointment was never merely for flight. It was a conduit for deep Shadow Work, allowing witches to slip into the Underworld, commune with spirits, walk with ancestors, and unearth the hidden corners of the self. It was applied during rites of necromancy, divination, communion with the dead, and to move between the waking world and the realm of the unseen.

To use such an unguent is not for the unprepared. The herbs contained within can be both sacred and deadly. The old ways must be approached with knowledge, reverence, and caution.

The Risks of Practicing Shadow Witchcraft Under the Influence: Mental Health, Medication, and Substance Use.

Shadow Witchcraft is an advanced spiritual path that requires mental clarity, emotional stability, and a strong personal will. It involves working with intense energies, spirits, and forces beyond the physical world—forces that can manipulate, deceive, or overwhelm those who are unprepared. While some traditions have historically used substances to induce altered states of consciousness, it is a dangerous misconception that these are necessary for spiritual awareness. In reality, those who have cultivated true awareness understand that heightened perception comes from discipline, training, and inner balance—not from chemical alteration.

Why Mental Stability is Essential in Shadow Witchcraft.

The nature of Shadow Work, necromantic practices, and spirit communication requires a strong, centred mind. Practitioners must be able to separate their thoughts from external influences, recognize deceptive energies, and remain in control of their own consciousness. Those struggling with mental health disorders, especially conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe anxiety, or psychosis, may find it difficult to distinguish between spiritual experiences and symptoms of their condition.

Many prescribed medications work by altering brain chemistry, stabilizing mood, or dampening hallucinations. Engaging in Shadow Witchcraft while taking these medications can interfere with their effectiveness or lead to dangerous situations where practitioners misinterpret their own thoughts, experience heightened paranoia, or create self-reinforcing delusions. Additionally, certain rituals, particularly those involving trance work, can induce dissociation, worsening symptoms in those already prone to losing a sense of reality.