So, late last week, while I was riding high on German darkwave and fire energy, I went and finally got my ears pierced.  It’s always been something I wanted, but I never had the money to pay for it, the balls to go through with it, or the gut to handle the potential pain.  Well, so much for that.  I got an industrial piercing in my right ear and a combination lobe and transverse lobe in the left all at once; not bad for a first time, and the lobe + transverse lobe isn’t something commonly seen.  The pain was surprisingly minimal, even for the industrial, which might’ve been described more as “crunchy”.

Of course, this begins the whole process of dealing with the pain, healing, and potential infections that could arise from having several new holes punched into my head.  Although the lobe will only need a month or two to heal, the transverse lobe and industrial may need upwards of six to twelve months.  That’s a nontrivial time to keep the wounds clean and free from infection, and although there are some ways to speed up the healing process, it’s largely a matter of my own body playing nice.  I’m taking extra zinc and vitamin C supplements in addition to my normal vitamins to help out the immune system and healing process, and using warm saline compresses twice a day to keep the wounds clean.  Still, isn’t there something else I can do?

I’m a magician.  I make shit work.  There is something else I can do.  Q.E.Duh.

I’m adopting a multifaceted approach to helping these wounds heal up ASAP.  Having gotten them done just before the start of Aquarius this year, I’d like them to finish up healing by around the start of Leo (approximately six months afterward).  That’s my big intent and stated goal for this, so let’s see what I might be doing.

• Like I mentioned, I’m using warm saline compresses to clean the piercings.  Well, it turns out that the holy water I make is nothing more than saline, and I already use the appropriate kind of salt for the saline solution as I do for holy water (uniodized sea salt).  Plus, I make holy water using a variation on the instructions in the Clavicula Solomonis, which involves making it in the day and hour of Mercury.  Mercury’s angel is Raphael, who has traditionally been associated with the healing arts (cf. the Book of Tobit).  When I make my own batch of saline solution next time, I’ll conjure Raphael in a day and hour of Mercury and ask him to consecrate the salt, water, and resulting saline to aid in the speedy healing process of all wounds and to keep them free from infection and disease.  This will be specifically healing water that I’ll be making, to be kept separate from the holy water (I use different amounts of salt for each), and I’ll undergo further Mercurial consecration on the saline just for the added benefit.  Dunno how I’ll fit a gallon jug on my altar, but I’ll make it work.
• In addition, these are specifically ear piercings I have.  Ears are for communication and observation, which are also Mercurial in nature.  Things that pertain to them would also tend to pertain to Mercury, although Saturn and Mars rule the ears specifically, the art of hearing and perception is more under Raphael’s jurisdiction.  I’ll ask Raphael, next I conjure him (both the Raphael of Mercury and the Raphael of Air) and ask him to keep the piercing jewelry themselves clean and free of infection.  In addition, I’ll ask him to straight-up bless them to aid in healing and perception and hearing, since I’m going to enchant them anyway once I can take them out safely (not for a while).  May as well get a head start on that.  Plus, I’ll ask him for any other advice he might have for healing or keeping them clean.
• In a magical working group I’m involved with, I was suggested to begin basic energy work, a field of magic that I’m woefully inexperienced at.  I know that at least one of my friends has experience with healing using energy, and I’ve been told before that I’ve got a natural temperament and talent for healing.  I may as well pick up some skills with this and see where it gets me, and if it works, I get speedier healing as well as more mad skillz.  Practice with this can take up some of the extra time on my non-conjuration nights, so at least twice a week or more depending on how much I drink or go out with friends.

Those are a few ideas that I came up with, besides stuff like incorporating prayers into my daily practice.  In the meantime, I’ll check out my copy of the PGM, Munich Manual, and other occult texts I have for any rituals or workings to aid the healing process (though it might get me mixed results to adapt rituals intended for bite wounds from black dogs to being pierced).  What about you?  Do you know any healing techniques, spells, or rituals, or are there any specific deities or spirits you work with for healing?  If you’re willing to share, please do in the comments.  The world needs more healing, as much physical as spiritual.