Astral Doubles: Doppelgangers, Flying Witches & Werewolves

In ancient times, astral projection was a natural, spiritual phenomena. One that was considered a gift and a sacred ability. It went hand-in-hand with shamanic journeying, witchcraft practices, and shapeshifting rituals. Here, you learn how the astral double left the body to warn others of oncoming danger, traverse the spiritual and otherworldly realms, and shift forms into other creatures. And we may be left wondering…do we still have these abilities?

What is Astral Projection?
Before we dive deep into the topic of astral doubles, we first have to define the roots of this concept. For that we have to take a brief look at the idea of astral projection. If you’ve heard any of the terms out-of-body experience, astral travel or lucid dreaming, you’re on the right track.

Out-of-body Experiences
An out-of-body experience is the inexplicable feeling you’ve left your body and can look down at yourself from above. Usually there’s a sense of floating up out of one’s body or detachment of some kind. These are used to explain near-death experiences as well as drug-induced states and also in our dream-time.

Astral Travel
What is astral projection or astral travel and how are these things different from an OBE (out-of-body experience)? Astral projection takes the OBE one step further – each of us have an astral body or “soul” that can separate from our physical body and travel. So it’s basically the same thing. These are old, primitive concepts that are still present in modern society in various guises. Many ancient cultures have talked about people having the ability to leave their bodies and travel. Ancient Pagan people from all over Europe have tales of this. Astral projection can be found in Hinduism, Buddhism and even Christianity. You just have to dig a bit to find it.

Dream Sleep Photomontage Woman Fantasy Bed
The Concept of Multiple Souls
The idea that we have an “astral” body seems bizarre but was a basic belief across the ancient world. If we look back to ancient forms of shamanism, the shaman had the ability to enter a trance-like state and travel to the other worlds. If we look at some of the oldest legends in pagan history in the Nordic and Germanic texts, there are references to people who have the ability of leaving their bodies. These people were said to fall asleep and travel great distances to deliver messages or perform deeds.

Even in Christianity…
Even in Christianity there is a concept of a person not only having a body and soul but having a body, spirit and soul. As a little girl, I remember my grandmother talking about this concept. She believed the soul was what made us who we are and the spirit was the part of us that was eternal. The part of us that left our bodies after death and traveled to Heaven or Hell (according to Christian beliefs). Looking at this theory now I can see the similarities in many cultures when it comes to seeing the human being as a multi-level, complex creature who may or may not have more than one soul or spirit.

The Ka in Ancient Egypt
In ancient Egypt, there was the belief the human being was composed of 9 bodies. One physical body and the rest spiritual or energetic in nature. The Ka was the part of the individual that could separate and travel to other places. We would call this the astral double today.

There are also those who believe we have more than one soul. That we can have multiple souls that have the ability to do different things. In Claude Lecouteax’s work Witches, Werewolves and Fairies: Shapeshifters and Astral Doubles in the Middle Ages, he presents striking evidence of this belief in not only ancient pagan people but also in modern day religions. The question is why would we have more than one soul? And if we have more than one soul, what can we do with them?

Astral Doubles: Separation From the Body
If the concept is correct, this means everyone has a soul or spirit or piece that separates from one’s body and travel elsewhere. This is often called an “astral double”.

Methods of Astral Projection

But how does an astral double separate from the body? Some say it’s an ability that everyone has, it’s just that most of us forget how to do so. Or that we do it in our sleep but forget by the time we wake up. Others say only certain people have this ability. Learning how to become lucid in a dream is one method. Meditation, trance-work, and psychotropics have also been used. In my experience, astral projection was during sleep and involuntary. There are certain signs and symptoms that I personally experience when I’ve been out astral traveling. OR when my astral soul is about to separate from my body.

Why do astral doubles separate from our bodies?
Going back centuries, a person’s astral double left the body while the person was asleep or in a trance-like state to gather information for an upcoming battle, deliver an important message, torment a sleeping enemy, or to warn of impending death. In ancient times, the shaman’s astral double traveled to other realms in search of lost souls (soul-retrieval), to learn how to heal someone, and to learn about the hunt. Today, if you google astral projection, people claim to use this method during dream-time to “have a trippy experience” or have some sort of encounter with otherworldly beings. But this ritual of separating from one’s body has a much deeper reason.

In old times, if a person couldn’t dream (and therefore astral project), they were considered unfortunate. People who were particularly skilled in astral travel and dream-time were frequently elevated to high status in a society: druids, shamans, priests and priestesses, witches, volvas, healers and seers.

Are doppelgangers actually our astral doubles?
Doppelgangers & Bad Omens
A doppelganger is defined as a living person’s double. They have been featured in horror films and fictional novels. Stories say doppelgangers appear right before a person’s death. This dates back to the Middle Ages and crosses religious boundaries – between pagans and Christians. Often the doppelganger will appear to a loved one to warn of his/her impending death, and when the loved one looks into the matter he/she finds the person is in fact dead. Typically they die right around the time the doppelganger appeared with the warning.

Bad Omens and Shapeshifter

Because of the correlation between doppelgangers and death, they are usually considered a bad omen. Some folk tales tell of a person seeing his/her own doppelganger before they are stricken ill or die. What does all of this have to do with astral doubles? Well, we demise that one’s doppelganger is simply one’s astral double separating from the body in order to deliver an important message. The astral double can take the form of an animal (which we will dive into further in the section below), and the “bad omen” of an owl or other bird appearing right before a person’s death might actually be the person’s astral double in animal form.

The Teacher’s Doppelganger

Doppelgangers have been seen on other occasions, apart from death or illness. There’s a well-documented story of a teacher whose doppelganger was seen by her entire class of students while she was proven to be physically somewhere else. This happened on several occasions and was not in conjunction with her impending death or a bad omen of any kind. This was simply her astral double traveling and appearing to her students.

Flying witches might have been the astral double of people on psychotropics.
Werewolves & Flying Witches
Not many people realize the connection between werewolves and witches dates back to the witch trials in Medieval times through the Early Modern Period. There were a series of witch trials in Estonia and other northern parts of Europe in which both men and women were accused of witchcraft and the ability of turning into wolves. They were said to attack and kill people in werewolf form. One man named Hans was convicted of witchcraft and lycanthropy, and he admitted to being given this power of shapeshifting by a man in black.

But how do flying witches relate to astral doubles?
If we look back through time at accounts of “flying witches”, there’s a pattern. This pattern has been identified by scholars – witches used psychotropic plants to induce trance. At that point, they were able to “fly” to their sabbath to meet with other witches and their master. This flying might very well have been the separation of their astral doubles, as theorized by Claude Lecouteux. Emma Wilby, a writer and scholar on Scottish witchcraft, also relates the flying witch to the shaman, and their similar abilities to move in and out of their bodies into the other realms.

Shapeshifting via the Astral Double
What about shapeshifters, werewolves and otherwise? How are they related to astral projection and astral doubles? As previously mentioned, astral doubles project themselves into the form of owls or other birds to warn their families of death. So too did the werewolves and shifters of the past use their astral double to travel to other places away from their bodies, either in sleep or trance, meditation or coma/illness. How were these werewolves able to do physical harm to people and places? We may never know, but there are theories that the astral double manifests in the physical plane with a very real physical mass.

Astral Double – Exit and Re-entry
Lecouteux also mentions how an astral double leaves the body as a snake, lizard or mouse through the person’s mouth. And re-enter the body through the mouth. This is why most people claim they can’t astral project if they’re not lying on their backs. Their mouths have to have easy access to let the astral double back inside. We clearly see the relationship between the animals and astral doubles. And how werewolves might have been the astral doubles of shamans, witches or sorcerers.

Astral Plane

The Astral World, through the plane of forces, receives the thoughts and vibrations of actions from the Physical World. Just as solid materials are used to create objects in our world, our thoughts and vibrations create objects on the Astral Plane.

Therefore, what people strongly believe in enough can be created astrally. This is one method by which ritual Magic is performed. Energy is first raised with a simple purpose in mind, then this is given up to the Plane of Forces, where it is drawn and channelled to the Astral World, and so obtains a thought form. The true purpose of the Astral Plane is to prepare us for future lives and existences by burning out (purifying), or exhausting, all of our fears, desires and false concepts. These bind us to the lower worlds. So it is our afterlife experiences in the lower astral worlds which transforms us.

The Astral World is under the divine Law of Cause and Effect, action and reaction. It is the essence of the Three-fold Law.

The Astral Planes contain all the heavens and hells which the followers of all religions believe in. They will experience that which they believe awaits them.

On the Astral Plane, thoughts are things. And as you believe, so shall it be

Astral Travel

This is one of those things that can be a little strange on our path. It’s not exactly a gift because anyone can learn to do it. It’s not exactly a skill either because it can happen unconsciously.

What is astral travel? Astral travel is that allows a part of the spirit, the ka, to travel to other places without the body. I know the idea of this cn freak some people out, so let’s talk about it.

I’ve heard people are afraid to astral travel out of fear of loosing their spirit. On connection to this, some fear that they will loose their way and not be able to find their way back to their body. Neither of which can happen. When you astral travel there is a silver cord that attaches the ka to the body. This cord cannot be cut, misdirected or moved so that you end up going somewhere else. This cord is a permanent part of the overall ba, or spirit, that remains with the body until death.

Dying during astral travel is another fear expressed by some. Unless you have an underlying health condition, death isn’t possible. Even with a health condition, the chances of death during astral travel are no greater than simply going to sleep.

Another fear I often hear, and it’s the last one I promise, is that something could follow your ka, or follow the cord, back to your body. This simply can’t happen. First off the cord isn’t a straight line except for you. In fact, if you look back at it during astral travel it bends, turns and curves in a multitude of directions. However, when you decide to return it becomes a straight line, so you can’t get lost. Secondly, you’re the only one who can see, feel or sense your cord. Basically, it is impossible for another to follow your ka or your cord back to your body.

Why astral travel? Astral travel gives you access to places you can’t get to on the physical realm. It is a way to learn and explore things you otherwise couldn’t. Astral travel can also put you in contact with other beings, given the realm you visit. This means you can come in contact with other travelers, spirits, angels and even Gods. This allows a great opportunity for learning things you might otherwise never able to learn.

How do you astral travel? There are a lot of techniques you can use, but here I’m going to give you the one I was first taught. Without the education that comes with this technique youll miss the steps that lead you to the more advanced techniques being easier to do.

Now, the first thing is you have to abandon any fear you may have. Fear is a good way to assure failure. If it helps, in the beginning, you can keep a protective stone, use a protective incense, or cast a circle.

Secondly when you’re just beginning you need quiet and stillness. Noise and movement, such as a snoring spouse or a cat moving around, can be distracting which leads to failure. This isn’t as much of an issue as you gain confidence but for now keep this in mind.

Now that you’re ready let me give you a simple technique that’ll help you start your astral travel journey.

Find a dark quiet room. Set a candle to where the top of the candle is at eye level. Breathe deep and relax. Light the candle. At the base of the flame you will notice a gap between the flame and the top of the candle. Gaze into this gap. Don’t stare, don’t force it. Just simply see into that gap. As you gaze you’ll feel yourself pull away from the candle. This is the beginning of your ka pulling away from the body, ready to travel. You may have to try several times but you’ll eventually find yourself able to travel.

It’s a really simple process to start to astral travel. Try it and have fun!

THE MYSTERIES OF ASTRAL PROJECTION

In the realms of the unknown, there lies a phenomenon that has captured the curiosity and fascination of countless individuals throughout history – astral projection. A subject shrouded in mystery and mysticism, astral projection is the practice of consciously detaching one’s consciousness from their physical body and exploring higher realms of existence. This intriguing phenomenon has fascinated philosophers, spiritualists, and scientists alike, as it challenges our conventional understanding of reality and offers a glimpse into the vast potential of the human mind.

Astral projection, also referred to as astral travel, has been documented across various cultures and spiritual traditions for centuries. Stories of individuals separating their consciousness from their physical form to traverse the ethereal planes have been ingrained in ancient texts and oral traditions. From the ancient Egyptians to the Tibetan Buddhists, astral projection has held a prominent place in the pursuit of higher consciousness and spiritual growth.

At its core, astral projection is believed to allow the individual to explore realms beyond the limitations of the physical world. It is said to provide access to dimensions that exist beyond our regular sensory perception, where the laws of time and space may no longer apply. This notion resonates with the age-old adage that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. Astral projection, in this context, becomes a gateway to unlock the true nature of our existence and tap into the vast potential of the human mind.

The techniques for inducing astral projection vary across different cultures and spiritual practices. Some rely on meditation and deep relaxation techniques, while others employ the use of sound frequencies and binaural beats to alter brainwave patterns. Regardless of the method employed, the goal remains the same – to separate the consciousness from the physical body and embark on an otherworldly journey.

It is important to note that while astral projection is often associated with the spiritual and metaphysical realms, scientific research has also delved into this enigmatic phenomenon. Parapsychologists and neuroscientists have sought to identify the neurological and psychological processes underlying astral projection. While the scientific community remains divided on the subject, some studies have shown intriguing results that hint at the potential validity of astral projection.

For example, in a study conducted by Swiss neuroscientist Olaf Blanke, the stimulation of specific brain regions in participating subjects induced out-of-body experiences, lending credibility to the idea that astral projection may have a tangible neurological basis. Similarly, studies exploring the effects of lucid dreaming, a state in which individuals become aware that they are dreaming while still within the dream, have also uncovered parallels to the astral projection phenomenon.

Yet, as much as science may strive to unravel the mysteries of astral projection, it is undeniable that this phenomenon touches upon the profound depths of human consciousness. It offers a profound opportunity for self-exploration, spiritual growth, and the quest for higher truths. Whether the experiences during astral projection are mere hallucinations or genuine journeys beyond our perceived reality, the impact it has on individuals’ lives cannot be ignored.

In conclusion, the mysteries of astral projection continue to captivate and enthrall those who dare to venture beyond the boundaries of the physical world. Whether approached from a spiritual, scientific, or philosophical standpoint, astral projection challenges our preconceived notions of reality and invites us to question the true nature of our existence. Though much remains unknown, one thing is certain – the exploration of higher realms through astral projection offers a gateway to uncover the vast and uncharted territories of human consciousness.

The Astral Plane, Part One

Belief in the astral plane is part of the common heritage of occult philosophy which is shared by the witch and ceremonial magician alike.

The word ‘astral’ is derived from the Latin Astrum, a star.

It was used by medieval occultists to designate that super-physical medium by means of which the influence of the heavenly bodies was conveyed to the earth, and affected all things upon it.

In brief, the astral plane is part of the super-physical world, a world composed of finer essence or of energy at a higher rate of vibration, than that of the physical world.

It is not higher in the sense of being above in heaven.

On the contrary, everything in the visible world of matter is surrounded and permeated by its astral counterpart.

Occultists see the universe as a great scale of vibrations, of which our physical plane is only one, and the one to which our physical senses respond.

Because the writings of such nineteenth-century Theosophical authors as Madame Blavatsky, and the many books on modern Spiritualism, have tended to familiarise readers with the idea of the astral plane, it is not always realized that this is in fact a very old magical concept.

Nevertheless, Francis Barrett in The Magus, published in eighteen o one (one of the classics of ceremonial magic), explains it as one of the fundamental ideas upon which magical practice depends.

Eliphas Levi, another great nineteenth-century magus, treats extensively of this concept, which he calls ‘the Astral Light’.

One of the chief claims made by occultists about the substance of the astral plane is that it is responsive to thoughts and emotions.

Hence the astral body of man, the double, doppelganger or ‘fetch’, is called by the Hindus the Kama Rupa, or ‘desire body’.

It is a remarkable fact that all ancient occult philosophers, even though they lived continents and centuries apart, have had these ideas and beliefs.

The Ancient Egyptians, too, believed in the human double, which they called the Ka. Old Norse legends tell of the Scin Laeca, or ‘shining body’, the apparition of the human being surrounded by ghostly light.

If the beliefs of occultism are a mere chimera, why does the same mythical beast gallop through the minds of men, from one race and one time to another?

The astral body is the means by which man functions upon the astral plane, and which survives the death of the physical form.

He can, however, visit the astral plane, and perceive visions in the astral light, while still incarnate upon this earth.

This clairvoyant travel is one of the attainments sought by the witch.

It is the reality behind the wild stories of witches flying through the air.

The flying witch is not in her physical but in her astral form.

This was realized by Henry More as long ago as sixteen forty-seven.

More was a Platonist and a student of occult philosophy.

In his Poems (the University of Manchester, nineteen thirty one and AMS Press, New York, eighteen seventy-eight) published in that year, when witchcraft was still a capital offense in Britain, occurs the following significant passage

And ’tis an art well known to Wizards old And wily Hags, who oft for fear and shame Of the coarse halter, do themselves withhold From bodily assisting their night game.

Wherefore their carcasses do home retain, But with their souls at these bad feasts they are, And see their friends and call them by their name, And dance about the Goat, and sing har, bar, And kiss the Devil’s breach, and taste his deadly cheer.

More, as a Christian, regarded the witches’ Sabbat as being diabolical but his occult studies had enabled him to penetrate to the truth behind the tales of popular fantasy, namely that astral projection is one of the secrets of witchcraft.

This is also the explanation of the old belief that a witch or wizard casts no shadow.

If one saw them in their astral form, of course, the double, not being of physical matter, would cast no shadow, and such was the superstitious terror engendered by the Church’s ban on any use of psychic powers, that a person who could project their astral body was automatically regarded as a witch.

The Astral Plane, Part Two

The astral plane and its related phenomena constitute such a vast subject that whole books could be and have been written about it.

Any brief sketch such as this must necessarily omit many interesting and important points.

Many occultists divide the astral plane into seven gradations, or sub-planes, from the lowest to the highest, though it must be remembered that in this connection the terms ‘lowest’ and ‘highest’ do not refer to the position in space, but to different states of being.

The higher gradations of the astral plane are regions of beauty transcending that of earth, they are the ‘Summerland’ of the Spiritualist.

The lowest regions of the astral, on the contrary, are the dwellings of spiritual darkness, but this darkness proceeds from the debased and vicious souls of their dwellers.

The mind creates its own surroundings; this is even true of the physical world, and still more so of the astral.

Like attracts like, and the soul after death is drawn to that region which is its natural affinity.

These ideas are by no means the invention of modern Spiritualists or Theosophists.

They are as old as Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt, and probably older.

Even Neanderthal Man buried his dead with grave goods, indicating a belief in continuing life in the Beyond.

Beside the discarnate human souls who dwell upon the astral plane, there are many orders of other spirits that are not human.

There are the souls of animals, some of whom have achieved individuality, while others belong to a group soul of their species.

There is the vast kingdom of nature-spirits, which contains many ranks, some lower than humanity and some much higher.

The nature spirits were divided by medieval occultists according to that element of Nature with which they had an affinity.

The earth spirits were called gnomes, the water spirits undines, the air spirits sylphs, and the fire spirits salamanders.

These spirits of the elements should not be confused with the semi-intelligent entities called artificial elementals.

The latter is formed from the elemental essence of the astral plane, by the power of human thought and desire acting upon that essence.

Hence they may be beautiful or hideous, protective or menacing. Their life depends upon the power of the thought which calls them forth.

Most people are quite unconscious of the power of their thought, and what it can do, but the occultist uses this power deliberately, to create artificial elementals and thought-forms.

This power of thought is another of the fundamentals of magic, which have been known all over the world, throughout the ages.

It is known in the East as Kriyashakti. Artificial elementals and thought-forms may be perceived by one whose power of astral vision is opened, intentionally or otherwise.

They account for many of the fantastic visions seen by people who rashly experiment with so-called ‘psychedelic drugs’.

Beyond the astral plane are still higher and more spiritual levels of being. To attain these is the goal of the true occultist and magician, so that he may master the astral light, instead of being mastered by it.

Astral Projection

Make a conscious effort to go completely limp.

Begin with your feet and, working upwards, relax all of the muscles in your body.

This should take about four or five minutes.

While in this relaxed state, visualize your inner self becoming light and lifting free of the physical body.

Imagine yourself floating directly above the body as though you were on a cloud of air.

Allow yourself to experience this feeling for about five minutes and then slowly lower yourself (your astral self) back into your body.

Do this exercise several times until you feel comfortable floating and then continue with the next step.

Once you are free of the body, walk into another room. Go slowly and take the time to examine everything in the room.

Take note of pictures, how furniture is arranged, and where objects of interest are.

Do this exercise several times, and then have someone rearrange the room just prior to your journey.

After you have returned to your body, write down exactly what you saw and where everything was positioned.

Return to the room and check on your accuracy.

The results will then indicate if you actually did the astral project.