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🍊☀️Sunshine Happiness Bath☀️🍊

Hello witchlings! With the sun in the sky and summer all around us in the Northern Hemisphere I thought I'd share one of my favorite bath recipes! It's focus is around solar magic and the oranges - to fill you with vibrations both hearty and gentle, bold and elegant, vibrant and soft. ☀️ It's time to take care of and connect to your divine self! 

Ingredients:

☀️ 3-4tbsp of sea salt

☀️ the peel from one orange(preferably local or organic so you know it's pesticide free)

☀️ a handful of lavender buds

☀️ optional: for more intention(or simply the comfy aesthetic) you can make a small altar on your bathroom counter. You can use a candle, light incense, crystals with solar or intended energies(i.e. orange calcite, carnelian, sunstone, citrine, quartz point, etc.), put on music with the right vibes, etc.

Directions:

☀️ Best done when the sun is out - draw a warm bath for yourself. While the tub is filling up add in your spell ingredients and stir the water in a clockwise direction focusing on your intent. As you stir visualize the golden rays of sunlight rippling off the water, the energy of sweetness and joy filling the bath.

☀️ Optional: while the bath is still filling; light your incense, candles, set up your little solar offering, open a window, etc. get comfy!

☀️ Once all set up - soak for at least ten minutes(or whatever is comfortable for you), feeling all the heaviness and darkness be washed away, instead filling you with the bright light of joy.

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Archive moodboard for lovely @happyheidi ❀ུ۪

plants 🍃

x - x / x - x / x - x

devonchristenson

[via]

Hi could you please make a post about devotional acts for anubis?

Ways of Honouring and Worshipping Anubis

( thank you for your patience ❤ )

As with most deities, researching them is a great form of worship! I've found this one goes a particularly long way with Egyptian deities

The number 9

Beer, wine or preferably strong alcohol like rum

Bread was a traditional Kemetic offering

Water (cold)

Frankincense, myrrh, cedarwood and kyphi incense

The colour black! Gold is also associated with Anubis

Cypress and Cypress oil

Tigers eye, hematite and obsidian

Keys!

Star imagery

Some say he enjoys spicy foods, spices and dark chocolate

Learn his names/epithets and their origins: Anpu (to decay), Yinepu, Inpew, "The First of the Westerners", "Lord of the Sacred Land", "Master of Secrets", "Who Is Sacred Upon His Mountain", "The Right Hand of Osiris". And many more

Do your shadow work (this can mean going to therapy)

Visit cemeteries

Visit museums with Egyptian and Mummy exhibits

Reflect on your thoughts and feelings about death

Offerings related to mummification! Like mummified statues and figurines

He's also fond of dog related items! Such as dog toys, dog collars, spending time with pets etc

Foster some doggos! Or donate to rescue shelters, anything you can to help take care of dogs (the Sacred animal of Anubis)

Do protection work with him or in honour of him! Anubis was a divine protector

A statue of him!!

Wear a mask or simply have one on his altar

Visit cemeteries and treat the spirits there with kindness, leave them libations and offerings too

Help guide and care for others such as helping the homeless, donating to shelters and helping orphaned or homeless kids

Ankhs/Ankh imagery

A day in the life of Anubis

Joanna Karpowicz

Msgs & Guidance from Anubis

I don't talk much about what or who I work with, but I must say. I love Imeut dearly. <3 So lets see what messages he has for you all! I apologize for the shortness of this message, Imeut tends to be pretty brief. PILE 1

Channeled Song: Paranoid - Kanye West

Imeut wants to remind you that you are in fact overcoming your shortcomings. I know thing are moving at a pace slower than you like, but have you taken a moment to actually appreciate the things you DO have? I feel like you are so wrapped up in what you don't have and stuck in this mindset of constant need and lack. I know you are feeling high strung and so stressed out. He wants you to remember that you do in fact have a foundation to stand upon, your abundance is right under your feet. All you need to do is have faith in yourself. Have trust in resources, manifestations, and most importantly release the need to constantly judge yourself. You are so mean to yourself for no reason, it's not even fair. Give yourself a chance, you deserve to feel confident and strong. You ARE confident and strong, you may not physically self harm but I see you absolutely emotionally self harm. Like I was saying, you do in fact have a very strong foundation, though something I think that should be said is that you spend too much time seeking divine intervention or guidance from the divine. You are missing out on legitimate opportunities in the physical due to your preoccupation with the ephemeral. It's time to tap out and ground for a bit. It's time to go outside and appreciate the sun, smile, laugh, have a good meal and take some time at least a few times a week to disconnect and be present. PILE 2

Channeled song: Pretty - Coco & Clair Clair This might be really niche, but the sample from Odd Toddlers (tyler the creator), and One Beer (MF DOOM) is also a channeled song. (Huit octobre) You guys could be moving on from someone from the past, perhaps someone you emotionally depended on or saw as a pillar in your life. I feel like this group is so powerful because you're taking the pain and grief this person caused you and turning it into stability. You are at times though kind of lacking in gratefulness for what you have. Like, okay things aren't perfect yet but take some time to actually appreciate how far you've come instead of condemning everything because you feel like it's not good enough for you yet. I know you don't do it because you think you're better than everyone else. I think for a lot of you that you feel like you're not good enough. So therefore you need to work as hard as you possibly can and anything you achieve isn't good enough for you. Drop the expectations, learn to be fair to yourself, your inner child, and your loved ones. I feel like a lot of old ways of self defensiveness and functioning are being ripped and torn down. I also do feel like you're being asked to surrender and release your childhood trauma. I don't want to detail, but that one big thing you went through that was really fucked up? Yeah, it's time. It's possible this tower moment will remove any financial blockages you are currently experiencing. Despite feeling confused and misguided, you guys are being blessed with luck. For those of you dealing with a younger person trying to meddle in your life or cause issues, they will go through a healing transformation. You are being protected, however, go your own length to protect yourself and the emotional sanctity of your relationships. Spend more time developing your romantic relationship as well. There is more blessings to come, but you must do the dirty work to receive them. Someone here could get 1,000 dollars for doing some type of very intense shadow work. Best of luck pile 2. PILE 3

Channeled song: Curse of the witches - Strawberry Alarmclock This is so funny, I usually get very opposite messages from Imeut. This group could be really avoidant of conflict, like you will do anything you can to get out of conflict. Sometimes you could also go to unintentionally manipulative or toxic lengths in order to avoid conflict. You could have some extremely deep rooted trauma dealing with conflict. Perhaps a verbally or physically violent household, I'm thinking it was a mother figure. For some it was an older sister. I feel like you're being told to stop being scared and have confidence. You are not going to be the one who suffers in response to ur self defense/standing up. In fact, this person that's been meddling and gossiping about you recently will get their shit rightfully wrecked. Have more faith in your words & your mind. Some of you could have 12H placements. Honestly you're being told to say what the fuck you need to say, move on, get some alone time, and uproot that connection. That shit is very much past life, there is so much going on for your pile spiritually. I wish you the best of luck .

Bast Deity Guide

Who is Bast?

The Egyptian goddess is known by many as Bastet, her name is transliterated as b-ꜣ-s-t-t and is pronounced as “Bast”. The Hieroglyphs for her name look something like this: 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 or 𓎯𓏏𓏏

She is most notably a goddess of domesticity, the home, cats, and women. Bast was among the most popular Egyptian deities and her cult ran as far as Rome.

Originally she was depicted as a goddess with a lioness’ head instead of a cat, and she was closely related to Sekhmet, the warrior goddess. Bast’s role was that of protector and avenger of Ra Over time Bast’s depiction softened and she became a goddess related to domesticity and the home. However, she kept the ferocious side of her, only ever using it when needed. She was known to be loving and nurturing but also she was a force to be reckoned with. Bastet used this fury to avenge those who have been wronged, carried on through her son, Maahes, the protector of the innocent.

Due to her association as the Eye of Ra, Bast was more of a solar deity before she became conflated with the Greek Artemis.

Parents and Siblings

Ra (father)

Isis (mother, later in antiquity)

Horus (brother, twin brother later in antiquity)

Anhur (brother

Lovers or Partners

Ptah

Children

Maahes (son)

Nefertum (son, sometimes)

Epithets

Beautiful sistrum (rattle) player

The Golden One/The Beautiful One

The Lady of Dread

The Lady of Slaughter

The Eye of Ra - a title held by a group of deities.

Lady of the Ointments

Lady of the East

Goddess of the Rising Sun

Sacred and All Seeing Eye

Notes

Her name also is rendered as B'sst, Baast, Ubaste, and Baset

Though sometimes synchronized with Mut, the goddess Bast was never depicted as fully human. She was always depicted as either a cat or a woman with the head of a cat, lion, or desert cat.

In Ancient Greece, she was known as Ailuros (”cat”) and she was likened to Artemis. Because of this association, she was given a twin brother just like Artemis has: Horus became her twin brother and since Horus is Isis’ son, Bast became Isis’ daughter.

Bast was also synchronized with Sekhmet, Hathor, and Isis and picked up some of their associations throughout time.

The meaning of her name is uncertain though it’s possible that her name meant She of the Ointment Jar (Ubaste). This would also point to her relation to perfume.

The central city of her cult was Bubastis. People would travel to this city to have the bodies of their pet cats who have passed buried.

It’s common for people to view Bast as a sexual deity or a goddess of lust, but she tends to lean more toward domesticity and protection. This misunderstanding likely came from her later conflation with Hathor as well as one account from Herodotus who had observed the festival in Bubastis in honor of Bast.

An annual festival was held at Bubastis where supposedly all constraints on women were released and they would celebrate “by drinking, dancing, making music, and displaying their genitals" (Gerald Pincher, quoting Herodotus). This display depicted the fertility aspect of the goddess as well as being a sign of freedom from societal constraints.

Bast has been depicted holding a sistrum, a musical instrument similar to a rattle.

Bast is one of many gods who are referred to as the “Eye of Ra”, a title that belongs to deities that are protectors or avengers.

She has been known as the protector of the dead as well.

As cats were sacred to this goddess, to harm one was seen as a slight to Bast.

Mummified cats were often delivered to Bast’s temple as an offering.

Modern Deity Work

These are modern correspondences, anything with historical or traditional backing will be marked with a (T).

Correspondences

Rocks/Stone/Crystals

Gold (T) - Cats of royalty were sometimes known to don gold jewelry

Tiger’s eye

Cat’s eye

Bronze (T) - Bronze statues were used as votive offerings for Bast

Herbs/Plants

Ivy

Catnip

Rosemary

Mint (catnip is in the mint family also)

Animals

Cat, namely housecats but all cats could qualify

Symbols

Sistrum (rattle) (T)

Cat (T)

Eye of Ra (T)

Offerings

Cat imagery

Whiskers, claws, and teeth of cats (only if sourced ethically!)

Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Emerald, Carnelian, Quartz, Malachite, and Galena were used in Ancient Egypt for jewelry or various cosmetics and could be offered. (The Structure of Crystals. Early historical notes)

Perfume or scented oils

Alcohol (such as wine or beer)

Fruit

Grains

Honey

Incenses or resins (T)

Jewelry

Acts of Devotion

Donate to, volunteer at, or otherwise support cats at shelters.

Pray to her or write poems in her honor

Research her

Honor your mother or the mother figure(s) in your life

Protect and fight for the innocent

Dance!

Play music or curate a playlist in honor of her

Learn about perfume and scented oils and how they were used and made in Ancient Egypt

Take care of your home

Of course, these are only suggestions based on my research but when making offerings to deities it's always best to do what feels right to you. You can also reach out to the deity and ask them yourself if you feel comfortable doing so.

References and Further Reading

Bast - eqyptianmuseum.org

Bastet - Britannica

Bastet - World History

Bastet - ARCE

Per-bast.org (The whole website is informational but this link will send you to their sources page!)

Offerings for Bast - The Gourmet Witch (blog)

Kemetic Offering Guide - The Twisted Rope (blog)

Black folks looking for some books on spirituality,root work ,herbal medicine ,ancestor working and candle work here are some good book suggestions:

Tips for when you’re considering Paganism

For my lovely friend @whoooooisthis!! I hope this helps love!

First things first, learn the basics. Cleansing, Warding, Banishing and Protection. 

Cleansing: You should cleanse when you’re having a bad day, are/were sick, after a breakup or loss, after arguments, during a major transition in life (graduation, birth, etc) and when you feel you need to. Cleansing cleans up the energy around you and keeps you safe. You can cleanse by lighting incense and passing the smoke around an object or room, bathing yourself or an object, burying an object, with salt (just don’t put it near dirt and plants!!), setting something in moonlight or sunlight (Make sure you keep track of which moon phase to cleanse on), with sound like bells or singing bowls, clapping, cleaning, burning sage or candles, using holy water or a protection spray, and touching each corner of a room and saying a prayer for each one. 

Warding: Wards are spiritual shields that keep you safe. There’s two types of wards - spacial (for spaces and rooms) and personal (for objects and the self). You will need to maintain wards by charging and clearing them. You can ward by using enchanted jewelry or objects, sigils (magical symbols with purposeful energy), energy shields, magic circles, spells, protective crystals, protection spell bottles, anointing the corners of a room and window and door sills with holy water or another warding substance. I personally like to drill holes in peach pits to wear as necklaces, they work quite well for warding. 

Banishing. There are tons of spells online that will teach you how to banish negative entities. If an entity is fucking with you, bad things keep happening or things just feel off, don’t be afraid to banish. Letting spirits know you’re not to be fucked with is incredibly important.

Protection. Light a black candle. Use salt and pepper for warding. Learn banishing and warding spells. Use protective sigils. Protection is incredibly important when concerning spirits, so educate yourself on this thoroughly. 

Now onto the fun stuff…

- Talk to things! Your house, your trees and plants, your spirit guides. You can do this out loud or in your head. And remember, even if they don’t respond, they’re probably still there. Just trust me on that

- It’s alright to forge your own unique path. I personally am Autistic and have terrible memory, so it’s important for me to forge my own craft. If something doesn’t work for you, don’t be afraid to change it. Substitutions can always be made.

- Meditate. Everyone says this, but it’s very true. Meditation not only calms the mind and body, but it opens you and your intuition/senses up to new forces

- Don’t ask for things without giving something in return. I lost my pillbox once and couldn’t find it anywhere. I walked out of my room, politely asked for it to be returned, and a few minutes later it was right there on my desk in plain sight. I left a little dish of honey out for whoever (or whatever) returned it. It’s always polite to approach with an offering and give one either before or after asking for something. You can do this with something as simple as picking a flower, always ask permission.

-  Make it an everyday thing. That doesn’t mean you have to do daily rituals or meditation sessions. Simply talking (again, in your head or out loud) to your spirit guides, practicing mindfulness and doing little spiritual things here and there are enough. This could be meditation, interpreting a potential sign you got today, saying good morning to the spirits you work with, leaving an offering (especially if you’re asking for something or something has already been done for you) and plain researching to expand your craft and knowledge. 

- Write it down. In witchcraft/paganism, almost everybody is journaling. It’s the best way to keep track of signs, experiences, feelings, omens, knowledge that may pertain to your craft, dreams, anything that might seem important. Many witches have a grimoire or book of shadows where they keep their witchy knowledge stored. These are often very personal, can be online or written by hand, and are entirely unique to you. You don’t need a 50 dollar designer spellbook. My grimoire is almost entirely online and printed out into a binder. You don’t have to be fancy. - Research!! Keep finding white feathers? Look up what that means! You want to give an offering? Look up what nature spirits and specific deities prefer! Make sure you’re knowledgeable about what you do.

- Incorporate what you know and what you’re used to. I grew up in a Polish family in an Eastern Orthodox church. Many of the practices I learned from my family and culture have carried on into my craft. Such as knocking on wood to prevent jinxes, wearing clothes backwards to see spirits and keep them from messing with you, and little cultural tricks like stepping out of a room and asking for lost items to be returned when you can’t find something. Keep it familiar.

That's really all I can think of for now, love. If you have any more questions, just let me know in a relog!!

General Advice for Beginner Witches

A brief masterpost of some of my advice posts for beginner witches and the episodes of my podcast dealing with the same. (There is UPG here, particularly where marked, as I base a good deal of my advice on my own experience and observations of other witches.)

Hex Positive Podcast Episodes

Hex Positive, Ep. 04 - Advice for Beginner Witches (July 2020)

Hex Positive, Eps. 6-7 - Come In For A Spell 1 & 2 (Sept 2020)

Hex Positive, Ep. 12 - Witching From The Broom Closet (Jan 2021)

Hex Positive, Ep. 24 - Warding A Witchy Home (Dec 2021)

Hex Positive, Ep. 27 - When Inspo Takes A Holiday (March 2022)

General Tips & Advice

I Feel Like I Might Be A Witch...But I Don't Know

I Have Mental Health Issues - Can I Still Be A Witch?

Can I Still Be A Witch And Use Magic If I Take Medication?

How Do I Teach Myself To Believe In Magic?

How Does Magic Work? (upg ahoy)

Will I Be Possessed Or Haunted If I Try Witchcraft?

What Are Some Things I Can Do To Get Started?

How Can I Start My Practice If I Don't Have Tools Or Books?

How Do I Organize My Study Materials?

How Do I Contact A Deity?

How Do I Worship My Deity If I Can't Have An Altar?

Tips On Working With Deities And Spirits (here be upg)

My Intuitive Spark Feels Low - How Do I Get It Back?

I'm In A Slump - How Do I Get Out Of It?

I've Reached A Stopping Point - What Do I Do Next?

My Candle Is Flickering - Does It Mean Something Bad?

How Do I Make A Magic Circle For Spellcasting?

What Happens If I Get Interrupted While Casting A Spell?

Do I Need To Maintain Positive Vibes For My Spells To Work?

What Should I Do If I REALLY Want To Hex Someone?

How Do I Know / What Do I Do If I've Been Hexed?

How Do I Become More Skilled And More Powerful?

How Do I Know When I'm Ready For The Next Step In My Practice?

Additional Tips For Developing Your Practice

Witchcraft Exercise - Quantifying Your Craft

Witchcraft Exercise - Dig Through The Ditches

Witchcraft Exercise - The Book of Lessons

Witchcraft Exercise - Home Brews

Tips on How to Visualize and Construct Basic Wards

Practicing Your Warding Technique

Cleansing Before Warding / Warding A Shared Space

Refreshing / Patching Existing Wards

Non-Appropriative Herbs for Smoke-Cleansing

Smokeless Cleansing / Other Methods

Recommended Reading & Book Suggestions

10 Prompts for Shadow Work

🌒 🌕 🌘

Keep track of your feelings from day to day. Record how you felt and try to pin point why you felt certain ways in different situations. How could you habe handled it better? Why did you react the way you did?

Write a letter to your past self, or your future self. Then break down your thoughts on why you said the things you did. Address any emotions that pop up during this process and record them. Why did you feel that way? What events in your life made you right what you did?

Are you living true to yourself? Are you changing who you are based on who you're around? What are those changes? Why do you make those changes?

Are you holding on to something or someone that you should let go of? Why do you hold on to it? What are steps you can take to let go of it?

What are your fears? Your REAL fears not just spiders or heights. Why are you afraid of those things? Are there any steps you can take to lessen that fear?

How do you treat the people in your life? Is there anything you could do for them to better your relationships? Are you being a positive, healthy influence on their life or are you being a toxic one? If toxic, what changes are you going to make to your behavior to stop being toxic?

What do you wish other people knew about you? Why do you keep it hidden?

Are you healing from past traumas and or incidents or have you just distracted yourself? What healthy ways could you address unhealed trauma in order to move to a healthier place?

Make a list of people you don't like. Why don't you like them? Are they actually bad or do you see bad parts of yourself reflecting in them and that's why you don't like them? Be honest.

Write down everything that happens to you in a week that makes you feel bad in any way. Examine this list and ask why certain events make you feel bad.

BONUS: Write down what you believe about a variety of things (from religion and karma all the way down to relationships and your career path). Why do you believe those things? Are these feelings set in stone or are you willing to accept alternate views? Why or why not?

Remember Shadow work is all about unlocking your subconscious. This helps you understand yourself better which is important for many different aspects in witchcraft, and your star seed will thank you for it.

🌟 🔮 🌟

Energy Work: Energy Types and Sources

Independent Energy

Independent energy is a type of energy that never loses it’s charge or can recharge on its own with little to no help from outside sources.

Personal energy is the energy that your body makes by itself. It is most commonly recharged by sleeping and calorie consumption and can be easily used as a source in most aspects of witchcraft.

Organic energy is derived from life. This includes humans, plants, animals, and some entities. These can be used as sources. Personal energy falls under this category but is distinguished for crafting purposes.

Rooted energy is the most common source to recharge from and it has a substantial or near unlimited amount of energy. This includes planetary bodies, the elements, and the weather.

Artistic energy is a non-sentient type of energy created by an artist. Despite being able to affect the emotions of those who view or listen to it, the energy itself is trapped within the original product. This energy can be duplicated and used as a source for other creations and magical purposes. This includes things like music, paintings, movies, or stories.

Dependent Energy

Dependent energy is energy that depends on other sources of energy to prevent becoming stagnant with usage over time.

Natural energy is stored in objects not created by humans. It is limited as a source and has to be recharged to keep its individual characteristics. This includes things like crystals, stones, and dead matter.

Manufactured energy is stored in objects created by humans. This includes things like paper, clothing, and machines.

Spiritual energy is created from organic energy sources or nature itself. They heavily depend on other sources of energy in order to maintain themselves. This includes once-living spirits, thoughtforms, and nature spirits.

Programmed energy is a non-sentient energy that is created for a purpose. It can be crafted from any energy source and needs to be recharged in order to continue doing its duty. It can be a free-flowing energy or it can be stored in a vessel. This includes things like spells, curses, and enchantments.

Emotional energy is a non-sentient type of energy created by emotions, thoughts, and words. If fed into, it can turn into an energy parasite. If not fed into, it will neutralize. It can permeate into the world around it or stick to its creator.

Parasitic energy is a non-sentient type of energy and is generally an outcome of sustained emotional energy. It feeds on and encourages the original emotions it stems from and is stuck to a host.

Consumable energy is a non-sentient energy source that is stored in food products. This includes things like harvestable food and crafted food.

💀 Offering Oil For The Dead 💀

Here’s a oil that I made in honor of Thanatos (also props to him for giving me this advice to fill my skull dropper!) This oil is to be used as a offering to Chthonic deities and spirits. You can anoint a candle when working as well as this oil is suppose to have a soothing feel to it for comforting!

What you’ll need: A Carrier oil (I would recommend olive oil but I’ll be using Vitamin E oil), Lavender (essential oil or the herb it self), Rose petals/buds, Myrrh (since this works well for Hades and Thanatos I’ve heard and can be either essential oil or the ashes from incense)

Optional things you can add: Poppy seeds, a bone, graveyard dirt, something dead, a quartz crystal, Selenite crystal, Willow bark or leaf (this aids with safe passing in the afterlife and is also good for protection against negativity and evil).

Directions: (usually when I’m making an oil or potion I light candles and burn incense, along with playing soothing/fitting music. Just a quick note!)

Cleanse the bottle first ( I did so with my juniper smudge wand). Add each item into your bottle, making SURE your adding your intent. (Lavender for peace, Rose for remembrance, Myrrh for troubled souls and can help with protection.) When adding a bone or something dead make sure to thank the spirit to the item. And your done!

NOTE: If you do not want to use oil you can use water for this! You can always modify this as well :)

TAROT GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS

Hi cuties! I tried to create an apposite blog for witchcraft/spiritual stuff but tumblr decided to be a bad bitch and marked my blog as a spammer, so I decided to post this guide here on my main blog. These observation are based on my 6+ years experience with tarot cards. I need some friends in the witchcraft community and more blog to follow, like this post and I will check your blog! <3

Sorry for my bad english.

MAJOR ARCANA: 

The Fool (0) :  This card is all about cycles, it could be referred to a new beginning in your life, a feeling of joy and excitement. It could also be associated with an happy ending followed by the beginning of something even better.

it’s usually a positive card and it’s energy’s able to protect you from the energy of negative cards. It suggests you to have faith, to act in a positive and optimistic way and to follow your instinct.

in some occasion it could mean impulsive and childish behavior and a return to “point zero”.

It’s referred to something that’s going to happen pretty soon.

The Magician (I) : This card’s about YOU and your ability to excel in a specific aspect of life. You have the ability to be successful and the strength to overcome obstacles, it reminds that you are the creator of your destiny. It’s also connected to intelligence and suggests you to connect to your higher self. It’s an invite to ACT NOW and to avoid procrastination.

In a negative scenario it could be referred to a manipulative person with bad intentions.

It’s referred to something that’s going to happen pretty soon.

The High Priestess (II) : This card’s all about secrets and things that are hidden from you. It could also mean that you’re not allowed to receive the answer for your question (I noticed that if this card come out frequently during your readings it’s signal to stop doing tarot for a while and to recharge your energy). It suggest you to connect with your spiritual side and to follow your intuition or that you’re going to receive a wise advice from someone that’s close to you.

The Empress (III) : It’s all about confidence, self-love and being happy with your yourself, sometimes it could be related to a mother or to a woman in your life. It announces a time of personal growth, self discovering and connection with your truer self. It’s related to a happy state of mind, creativity, new projects and love stories. It suggest you to believe in yourself and in your ability to create something new.

It’s related to spring/summer and announces that you’re going to see the product of your work in a while, changes will not be noticeable immediately.

The Emperor (IV) : This card suggests you to act in a strong and powerful way, to persist and to follow your goals. Like The Magician it suggests that the right time to act is NOW and that you should put your needs first. What you’re hoping to achieve is already yours.

In a negative scenario it could be related to a stubborn and closed minded individual who’s not going to compromise.

The Hierophant (V) : Like the High Priestess, this is a card about secrets and things that are hidden, in this case the card shows you that a secret’s going to be revealed pretty soon or a conflict will be solved. It reminds of a situation of peace and clarity. It’s also referred to a marriage or a long term relationship, to your father or an older man in your life, to a teacher, mentor or a guide. It announces the resolution of a problem.

In negative scenarios this card protects you from the negative cards and suggest you that the obstacles will be solved fast.

The Lovers (VI) : This card’s all about duality, choices and relationships. It could suggest a romantic relationship or romantic interests, but it’s not always the case, sometimes it suggest an important decision that’s going to change your life. It reminds that you should trust your emotions and follow them. It can talks about a partner or someone who’s in love with you, a reciprocated crush, good choices and happiness.

The Chariot (VII) : It’s a card about victory and overcoming fears. It suggests that you’re going to win and to excel, but first you need to overcame some obstacles. It could be related to travels. It reminds you that success is around the corner, your commitment will be repaid.

The Strength (VIII) : It’s a card about commitment, power and pride. In a love reading it reminds of a strong feeling, true love and honesty. It suggests to maintain a positive and optimistic attitude e to stay focused on your goals. In a reading about a specific problem it suggest that you need to be patience because the solution of the problem’s not there already, you need to wait for a while and to fight against your problem a little more, it suggest you to be optimistic because you have all the abilities to overcame your obstacles.

It’s usually referred to the summer.

The Hermit (IX) : It’s related to intelligence, being wise, loneliness and research. It suggests a lonely period and introspection, a transitioning phase in your life, you should take advantage of this period for studying something new and the card suggests you to read more books. If you are asking if you’re on the right path the answer is “yes”, it suggests that your soul chose a difficult path but you’re going to overcame all the obstacles. It’s the right time for counseling or seeing a psychologist.

It’s associated with waiting for a long time for an effective change in your life.

The Wheel of Fortune (X) : It’s about changes, new opportunities and the beginning of a new cycle, usually it’s a positive card but it’s pretty sensitive to the influence of other cards. It suggests that you’re entering in a new chapter of your life or that you’re going to move on in a painful situation.

The Justice (XI) : It’s a card about equality and fairness. It could be either a positive or negative card, it means that those who act good will be blessed with a positive change, those who act bad will be punished for their action. It could be related to authority and making choices, a marriage or a divorce. It suggests you that your problems will be solved in the right way, you just have to trust the universe and allow the divine energy to guide you. It’s about telling the truth and talk in a clear way.

It’s related to patience and long time waiting.

The Hanged Man (XII) : It’s a card about blockages, anxiety, bad periods, waiting for something, impossibility to act, stagnancy. It’s related to a bad situations, feeling trapped and problems that cannot be solved for now. It suggest you to wait for better occasions and to explore your spiritual side, the right intuition will come to you at the right time.

It’s associated with long time waiting.

The Death (XIII) : This card’s about the natural end of a cycle, radical changes, moving on and ending in general. It’s not always a bad card and generally it’s not related to an actual death, it will just bring a change in some aspects of your life or in a relationship. It suggests you to let go of the past. In some cases it could mean that someone of your past is going to get back into your life.

The Temperance (XIV) : It’s about finding a new balance after a bad period, healing and inner work. It suggest you to relax, to calm yourself, to stay in the present moment and to take care of yourself. It’s a positive card and announces a period of calm and peace of mind. It’s a good time for counseling, seeing a therapist, begin a diet or take care of yourself in general.

The Devil (XV) : It’s a card about obsession, secrets, negativity, manipulative behavior, gossips and bad energy in general. It announces an obstacle in a situation or that someone’s not being honest to you. It’s related to anxiety, being worried, hyper sexuality and toxicity.

In a good scenario it could be related to a passionate person, with persuasive manners and a charismatic personality.

The Tower (XVI) : It’s about destruction, surprises, shocking events. It’s not necessarily a bad card, it’s always associated to an unexpected event, in a good scenario it could mean “love at first sight”. As a mental state, it’s connected to depression, anger and mental breakdowns. It forces you to let go of something to make space for something better.

The Star (XVII) : It’s all about dreams, good luck, protection and hope. It’s a good card and encourages you to dream bigger and to trust the universe. It announces a dream that’s going to came true, a good opportunity and success. It’s connected to spirits and suggests that they’re protecting you. Everything will turn out fine. It suggests you to pray and to connect to your higher self.

In presence of bad cards, it could be referred to a dream that’s not going to came true or false hope.

A change will shows up into your life at the right time.

The Moon (XVIII) : It’s a card about fears, insecurities, danger and lies. Like The High Priestess, it suggests that the cards are not able to answer your question. The situation in unstable and it generates anxiety and fears. It suggests to connect with your spiritual side and make clarity inside you mind.

The Sun (XIX) : It’s a positive card that announces happiness, joy and clarity. It’s connected to a secret that’s going to be revealed, peace after a conflict, harmony, beauty, something good in your love life or good times with friends.

It’s related to summer.

The Judgement (XX) : It’s a positive card related to resurrection, resolutions, shocking news. In some ways it’s like a positive version of The Tower, it could be connected to love at first sight, someone of the past that get back into your life, insights and unexpected news. It could be referred to the internet.

It’s associated with something that happen in an unexpected way.

The World (XXI) : Like The Fool, it’s a card referred to cycles, ending a chapter, receiving gratification after hard times. It means that now you’re able to see the “biggest picture” and see things in perspective. It could be referred to an important gift, a resolution to a problem or a dream that came true. It’s connected with abundance and being wise.

Single Word Spells

Because I’m lazy and don’t like to monologue while I’m doing a spell, here’s a couple of the single word spells I use in my personal practice.

absum - to make something be concealed from sight

     ↳ def. to be away, be missing

advoco - summoning spell

     ↳ def. to summon

casso - destruction spell

     ↳ def. to destroy, make void

bellus - glamour spell

     ↳ def. beautiful, charming, handsome

explico - reveal information

     ↳ def. explanation, to unfold

mutare - transmutation

     ↳ def. to change

cessabit - calming spell

     ↳ def. to rest, be free of

uro - burning

     ↳ def. to burn, inflame

conturbo - invoke confusion

     ↳ def. confound, to throw into confusion

taceo - to silence

     ↳ def. shut up

Tips to Avoid Negative Manifestations of Spells

Sometimes we do spells and the outcome comes about negatively. For example, a money spell could lead to a car crash that would result in the insurance giving you money. The spell technically worked, but not in the way that you wanted or expected. These tips can perhaps prevent these negative or unwanted manifestations.

-Add honey to a spell. Honey can sweeten the results of a spell since it is a natural sweetener. Sugar is also another ingredient that can sweeten the manifestation of a spell. -Add jelly or jam to a spell. Like honey and sugar, jellies and jams can create a more positive manifestation due to their sweet nature. Use the different flavors to your advantage, too. Strawberry jam can sweeten the outcome of a love spell, grape with prosperity, etc. -Close any loopholes. Adding a few extra words can save you a ton of trouble. “This spell shall manifest without any negative consequences by this Friday” is a way to avoid negative results and speed the process of the spell’s manifestation (the faster you want it to manifest, the more energy is required). -Clear your mind before performing a spell. Meditation, grounding, and centering are just a few simple things that you can do to clear your mind before doing a spell. It isn’t necessary, but it is helpful to just focus on the spell rather than other things in your life. I’ve found that when I think about other things during a spell, my spell will get clouded up with emotions that I do not want attached to it, like anger or sadness, and that that can sometimes lead to negative manifestations. -Keep your spells in appropriate places. Keeping curses in the dark and keeping positive spells in the light will help the spell to manifest as you want it to. For example, if you have a spell jar for love, putting it in a dark closet may result in a darker manifestation due to it being infused with the dark’s energy whereas putting it in the sunshine or by a rose quartz will give more positive results due to the more positive energy that is associated with the sun and the quartz. This may not be possible for all witches, so if you cannot have your spells in open places, remember to close the loophole. -Add spell ingredients that have a strong connection to the spell’s intent. Some ingredients have more of a connection to the spell’s intent than others. For instance, if a person wanted to be a hired at a certain company, they could add the dirt from the company’s premises into their career spell. Doing so could greatly increase the spell’s chances of manifesting as desired.

Major Arcana Tarot Meanings

The Fool  – 0

Upright: Innocence, freedom, originality, adventure, travel, foolishness, carelessness, idealism, youth, spontaneity, lack of commitment, new beginnings Reversed: Recklessness, carelessness, negligence, stupidity, distraction, apathy, irrationality, lack of fun, hope or faith

The Magician  –  I

Upright: Power, influence, willpower, resourcefulness, skill, ability, logic, intellect, concentration and psychic powers Reversed: Manipulation, greed, unused ability, untrustworthiness, trickery, conniving, cunning, lack of mental clarity

The High Priestess  – II

Upright: Desirability, unattainability, mystery, sensuality, spirituality, thirst for knowledge, mystery, subconscious, higher power, creativity, fertility Reversed: Repression of intuition, blocked psychic powers, unwanted attention, uncontrolled outbursts and sexual tension, lack of self-belief, fertility issues

The Empress  –  III

Upright: Pregnancy, fertility, motherhood, sensuality, nurturing, creativity, beauty, femininity, nature, harmony, art Reversed: Insecurity, infertility, lack of confidence, lack of growth, overbearing tendencies, disharmony, negligence

The Emperor  –  IV

Upright: Older man, stability, dependability, fatherhood, father-figure, structure, protectiveness, authority, logical, practical Reversed: Abuse of power, excessively controlling, rigidity, stubbornness, lack of discipline, lack of control, absentee father, paternity issues

The Hierophant  –  V

Upright: Traditional institutions, traditional values, conventional, conformity, marriage, commitment, religion, beliefs, knowledge sharing Reversed: Challenging tradition, unconventional lifestyles, unconventional relationships, reversed roles, non-conformity

The Lovers  –  VI

Upright: Love, soulmates, kindred spirits, perfect unions, partnerships, relationships, major choices, romance, desire, sexual connections, shared values Reversed: Disharmony, trust issues, imbalance, conflict, disconnection, lack of accountability, disunion, detachment

The Chariot  –  VII

Upright: Victory, overcoming obstacles, success, ambition, determination, willpower, control, self-discipline, hard work and focus Reversed: Forcefulness, lack of direction, lack of self-control, powerlessness, aggression, coercion, being blocked by obstacles

Strength  –  VIII

Upright: Inner strength, courage, bravery, confidence, compassion, taming, control, overcoming self-doubt Reversed: Vulnerability, self-doubt, weakness, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, feeling inadequate

The  Hermit  –  IX

Upright: Spiritual enlightenment, soul searching, self-reflection, introspection, contemplation, inner guidance, solitude Reversed: Loneliness, paranoia, isolation, reclusiveness, withdrawal, anti-social, restrictive, paralyzed by fear.

The Wheel of Fortune  –  X

Upright: Good luck, destiny, change, karma, soulmates, decisive moments, cycles of life, fate, fortune, upheaval, chance Reversed: Bad luck, upheaval, disorder, external forces, lack of control, disruption, unwelcome change, delays, set backs, karma

Justice  –  XI

Upright: Justice, karmic justice, consequences, legal disputes, law, truth, honesty, integrity, cause and effect, life lessons Reversed: Injustice, karmic retribution, dishonesty, corruption, lack of accountability, dishonesty, unfairness, karmic avoidance

The Hanged Man  –  XII

Upright: Feeling trapped, confined, self-limiting, uncertainty, lack of direction, needing release, letting go Reversed: Discontentment, apathy, disinterest, stagnation, impulsiveness, negative patterns, detachment

Death  –  XIII

Upright: Spiritual transformation, new beginnings, letting go, endings, change, transition, sudden or unexpected upheaval Reversed: Inability to move forward, fear of beginnings, repeating negative patterns, resisting change, dependency

Temperance  –  XIV

Upright: Balance, peace, patience, moderation, inner calm, perspective, tranquillity, harmonious relationships, soulmates Reversed: Imbalance, self-indulgence, excess, clashing, lack of perspective, discord, antagonism, recklessness, hastiness

The Devil  –  XV

Upright: Addiction, depression, mental health issues, secrecy, obsession, cheating, dependency, bondage, materialism, sexuality, powerlessness, hopelessness, abuse, violence, assault Reversed: Detachment, independence, overcoming addiction, freedom, revelation, reclaiming power, reasserting control

The Tower  –  XVI

Upright: Chaos, destruction, sudden upheaval, trauma, unexpected change, disaster, loss, tragedy, revelations, confusion, pain, divorce, abuse, violence, bankruptcy, natural disasters, inevitable endings Reversed: Resisting change, averting disaster, avoiding tragedy, delaying the inevitable, avoiding loss, lack of insight, codependence

The Star  –  XVII

Upright: Hope, inspiration, creativity, calm, contentment, renewal, serenity, spirituality, healing, positivity Reversed: Hopelessness, despair, focusing on the negative, lack of faith, lack of inspiration, lack of creativity, boredom, monotony

The Moon  –  XVIII

Upright: Intuition, illusion, dreams, vagueness, instability, deception, anxiety, fear, misconception, subconscious, insecurity, clouded Reversed: Releasing fear, unveiling secrets, subsiding anxiety, truth, regaining composure, self-deception, blocked intuition

The Sun  –  XIX

Upright: Positivity, freedom, fun, success, optimism, vitality, joy, confidence, self-expression, good luck, enthusiasm, happiness, truth, openness, pregnancy Reversed: Lack of enthusiasm, excessive enthusiasm, sadness, pessimism, unrealistic expectations, ego, conceitedness, oppression, infertility

Judgement  – XX

Upright: Judgement, self-evaluation, awakening, renewal, composure, decisiveness, homesickness, snap judgements, apportioning blame, forgiveness, judgemental Reversed: Indecisiveness, self-doubt, malicious gossip, lack of self-awareness, unwillingness to learn karmic lessons, unfair blame, false accusations

The World  –  XXI

Upright: Success, achievement, accomplishment, travel, completion, fulfillment, sense of belonging, wholeness Reversed: Lack of success, stagnation, lack of achievement, disappointment, burden, lack of completion

✨Angel Numbers✨

Angel numerology is a universal code that higher entities (such as angels and spiritual guides) use to communicate with you. Different numbers have different meanings:

✨111✨ - The Intuition Number: follow your gut feeling and trust your heart. Follow your spirit and stay true to yourself.

✨222✨ - The Alignment Number: you are in the right place at the right time. Don't worry about the future, and trust in what you want.

✨333✨ - The Support Number: your spiritual guides and higher beings are sending you support and guidance. You're in good hands!

✨444✨ - The Protection Number: you are protected by your spiritual guides.

✨555✨ - The Change Number: the universe is moving around you, and change is coming. Trust this transition.

✨666✨ - The Reflection Number: take a step back and refocus your thoughts. Reconnect with your spirituality.

✨777✨ - The Lucky Number: great things are about to happen, and luck is on your side. Keep doing what you're doing!

✨888✨ - The Balance Number: everything is falling into place and your thoughts will be in harmony.

✨999✨ - The Release Number: it's time to let go of things that no longer serve you. Start a new journey and prepare for the next level.

I hope this guide helps a little :3

edit: for some reason this post has kinda blown up??? thanks :) anyway if you dont follow me, maybe consider checking out my blog :3

Some different herbs and their magickal uses

Just so you know, these aren’t all the magickal herbs out there. These are just ones I have written down in my grimoire and that I typically use.

Sea Salt: Purification and cleansing. (I like to sprinkle some at my doorway and windowsills).

Sage: Purification, banishing negative energies, and consecrating magickal tools and spaces. (This is an herb that I highly recommend all witches have in their possession).

Black Pepper: Banishing negativity, warding off evil, and protection.

Thyme: Invigorates the user and helps them move on from something that may be holding them back. Good for getting over losses.

Rosemary: Cleansing, purifying, and deals with matters of the heart.

Chamomile: Attracts money, luck, and helps reverse hexes.

Bay Leaves: Psychic matters and divination, success, money, and making wishes/intentions.

Basil: Domestic harmony, home protection, purifying, and warding off negative influences. (I’ve actually used this around my own home before. I’d say it works).

Parsley: Divination, psychic advancement, and protection.

Cinnamon: High levels of spirituality, psychic ability, and works in matters of lust and love. (This is a personal favorite of mine).

Cloves: Drive away negativity, cleansing, and bringing prosperity.

Ginger: Adds strength to any magickal working and can draw in new experiences. 

Oregano: Joy, strength, vitality, and energy.

Peppermint: Cleansing, peaceful sleep, bringing about change, and abundance.

Spearmint: Healing, sleep protection, and vitality. (I’ve found that combining this with peppermint really helps me get to sleep).

Poppy Seeds: Heightened awareness, luck, and helps with insomnia. 

Cayenne Pepper: Helps deal with separation, and can speed up any magickal working.

Orange Peel: Love, divination, money, luck, and emotional peace. (They also make great air fresheners!)

Paprika: Adds and extra boost to any magickal working.

General Etiquette for Working with the Dead

These are some of the guidelines I follow when working with the dead:

When entering a graveyard, be sure to greet and leave something for the guardian of the graveyard.

Never walk on the graves of the deceased.

Never take anything out of the graveyard without permission of the guardian or a specific grave’s resident.

Never take items people have left for their loved ones off the graves.

Only gather graveyard dirt from the perimeter of the graveyard, never from the graves themselves.

Upon leaving the graveyard, say farewell to the dead you encountered, and the guardian.

Never force the dead to work for you, if they are unwilling or unable to aid you try again later or try another spirit.

Be mindful of the dead’s beliefs in life, not all will be friendly to those who practice magic.

Give the dead the same respect and thought that you yourself would wish to be given.

Obey your local laws and ordinances regarding the dead and graveyards/burial sites.

Warding Methods

General wards

Sigils

Moon water

Run water

Rain water

Holy water

Grave dirt

Salt

Crystals

Burning protective herbs

Growing protective herbs

Oils

PSI balls(around what needs protecting)

Spell jars

Personal Wards

Enchanted jewelry 

Pendants

Most glamor magick

Witches bottles

Poppets

Herb satchels

Spatial wards

Circles

Candles

Incense

Hearths

Outdoor decor(sigils, etc)

Nature

Waterways

Stones

Trees

Herbs

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/531565562272684814/

For witchcraft practitioners who work with plants, be it in spells, charms, being tactile in nature or gardening, this list contains some of the plants that can bring harm if used incorrectly or have a high level of toxicity.

Always be cautious and so research on any plant or herb you’re planning to utilize or grow.

Rosary Pea (Abrus precatorius) • Ingesting a single seed can kill an adult human. Symptoms of poisoning include nausea, vomiting, convulsions, liver failure, and death, usually after several days.

Wolfsbane (Aconitum spp) • All parts are poisonous, if ingested, it usually causes burning, tingling, and numbness in the mouth, followed by vomiting and nervous excitement. Even casual skin contact should be avoided. Symptoms include numbness, tingling, and cardiac irregularity.

White Baneberry (Actaea pachypoda) • All parts are poisonous, especially the berries, the consumption of which has a sedative effect on cardiac muscle tissue and can cause cardiac arrest.

Arnica • Poisonous in great quantities. Symptoms of poisoning include gastroenteritis, fever, nausea, dizziness, abnormal cardiac frequency, diarrhea, skin reaction and internal hemorrhage in the digestive system.

Azalea (Rhododendron simsii) • If ingested it is poisonous. Continued contact should be avoided. Symptoms of poisoning are nausea, depression, respiratory difficulties, coma. It is rarely lethal.

Anthurium (Anthurium spp) • Prevent getting in contact with the sap. Symptoms are skin irritation and eye irritation.

Cedronella canariensis • Can cause skin irritation, indigestions. Should not be used or touch by pregnant people or lactating people.

Belladonna (Atropa belladonna) • Extremely poisonous, it is lethal and it can be absorbed through skin. Symptoms of poisoning are fogged vision, staggering, loss of balance, dry mouth and throat, headache, skin eruptions, constipation, confusion, hallucination and convulsion.

Lamprocapnos spectabilis • Can be poisonous in big quantities, which causes convulsions and other symptoms in the nervous system.

Iris versicolor • Symptoms pf poisoning include nausea, vomit, mouth and throat irritation, irritation on the digestive system, skin irritation, headache and epiphora.

Bryony • All parts are poisonous and any type of contact causes death.

Ranunculus • If ingested, the juice can cause serious damage to the digestive system.

Acorus calamus • Toxic in big quantities, can cause hallucination, nausea and vomit.

Physostigma venenosum • Extremely toxic, can cause intense sweating, extreme salivation, nausea, vomit, diarrhea, irregular cardiac rhythm, change in blood pressure, confusion, convulsion, coma, muscular weakness, paralysis, respiratory difficulties and death.

Cinnamomum camphora • Skin rash, itchiness, respiratory difficulties, mouth, eyes, face or lips swelling.

Ricinus communis • Poisonous. Can cause burning in the mouth and throat, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea. At a long period of intoxication, can cause dehydration, low blood pressure. If not treated, death will occur in 3 to 5 days

Daphne • Poisonous. Causes burns in the mouth and digestive tract, followed by coma. Can cause death.

Vinca • Must not be ingested, causes nausea, vomit, loss of hair, loss of hearing, dizziness, bleeding, nervous difficulties, convulsions, liver damage and death.

Asclepias tuberosa • Cardiac difficulties, nausea, vomit and skin rash.

Agave spp • The juice of a number of species causes acute contact dermatitis, with blistering lasting several weeks and recurring itching for several years thereafter.

Columbine (Aquilegia spp) • Seeds and roots contain cardiogenic toxins which cause both severe gastroenteritis and heart palpitations if consumed, columbine poisonings are easily fatal.

Mercurialis perennis • Symptons happen after some hours, they include vomit, pain, gastritis, renal inflammation and sleepiness.

Colocasia • All parts are poisonous and cause mouth and tongue irritation. Can be fatal.

Gelsemium • Extremely poisonous, even in low quantities. Causes headache, problems with vision, difficulty swallowing, dizziness, muscular complications, convulsions, respiratory complications and low blood pressure.

Laburnum • Causes excitation, loss of balance, convulsions and coma. Can be lethal.

Helleborus • Dangerous if ingested or applied on the skin. Cause irritation in the mouth and throat and low blood pressure. Big quantities can cause vomit, diarrhea, difficulties swallowing, nervous system complications, blindness, convulsion, paralysis, respiratory complications and death.

Ilex aquifolium • The fruits can be lethal and the leaves cause diarrhea, nausea, vomit, stomach and intestine complications.

Hedera helix • Causes stomach pain, respiratory complications and possible coma.

Impatiens capensis • Dangerous when ingested in big quantities.

Datura stramonium • Don’t inhale or ingest. Causes dry mouth, extreme thirst, vision complications, nausea, vomit, constipation, tachycardia, hallucinations, fever, convulsion, loss of conscience, respiratory complications and death.

Convallaria majalis • Causes irregular blood pressure and cardiac rhythm, indigestion and confusion.

Mandragora officinarum • Fogged vision, dry mouth, difficulties to urinate, headache, tachycardia, vomit and hallucinations.

Viscum album • Gastrointestinal discomfort, diarrhea, low blood pressure, convulsion. It is rarely lethal for humans.

Morning glory (Ipomoea tricolor) • Diarrhea, indigestion, disorientation, loss of apetite, ataxy and hallucinations.

Artemisia vulgaris • Prolonged contact may be fatal, so it’s best to use in a open and ventilated place.

Oak (Quercus): In big quantities is poisonous and affects the renal kidneys.

Nerium oleander • Causes cardiac complications, indigestion and can cause death.

Taxus baccata • Fatal. No symptoms come as a warning.

Hypericum perforatum • Causes fatigue, dizziness, confusion, dry mouth and can affect medicaments.

Angel’s Trumpet (Brugmansia spp) • All parts of this plant contain toxins and are often fatal. Effects of ingestion may include losing connection with reality and hallucinations.

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) • The leaves, seeds, and flowers are poisonous. These cause irregular heartbeat, general digestive upset, and confusion; can be fatal.

Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis) • The bulbs are poisonous, causing nausea, vomiting, gasping, convulsions, and possibly death. Even handling the bulbs can cause skin irritation.

Hydrangea (Hydrangea spp) • Hydrangeas are moderately toxic if eaten.

Frangipani (Plumeria spp) • Contact with the milky latex may irritate eyes and skin.

Hades devotion 101

Lately, there has been a surge of newcomers to Hellenic polytheism circles, and there is definitely a vibrant discourse about Hades. It’s hard to tell whether it’s Rachel Smythe’s Lore Olympus webcomics or the SuperGiant Hades game, there are so many new practitioners making their first steps towards Hades nowadays.

Which is amazing.

Surprisingly, I couldn’t find a lot of guides, not on tumblr, not on reddit, tiktok is a dumpster-fire of misinformation, and youtube is a weird rabbit hole you'll easily get lost in.

This series of posts will hopefully help those who are making the first steps in getting to know Hades. We'll cover who he is, a bit about the context of Hellenic polytheism (because some of you might not be coming from that direction, or just starting out with this path as well), and some info about rituals, offerings, and devotional activities. I plan to end this series with a list of sources (not necessarily academic).

So just a few points to remember when reading this series:

There is no one true experience or one way of doing things. If you’re a revivalist Hellenic polytheist your practice will look different than a non Hellenic witch’s practice. You make your own choices, you claim your own titles.

There is a context though. Whether it be a historical context or a modern context, it’s important to know those. Myths are stories connected to actual cultures, what people say on social platforms is heavily affected by modern-day ideas.

Think critically but have faith. I know it sounds contradictory but it isn’t. Think critically about your experiences, what others say, what you read even if it’s academic material, and on what you believe in. But at the same time, allow your logic to rest sometimes. Not everything has to make sense, not everything is evidence-based. That’s the nature of faith. just make sure you walk between those two states and not stay stuck on one side.

It is what you make of it. there are no rulebooks or perfect recipes. Each of us is an individual, a tiny world of its own. One of my UPG’s (unverified personal gnosis) is that Hades appreciates individuality, meaning what you make yourself will probably be more special to him than what you take from someone else’s. It’s also not about elaborate rituals and extra formal prayers. but we’ll get to this.

On the next post: who is Hades

Hades devotion 101- part 2

Part 1

Read the Wikipedia page, the theoi.com page, or even the hellenicgods.org page, what we know about Hades from ancient writings is quite limited.

Much of what we know about Hades, is collected from various sources, in them, he is actually almost never mentioned as a deity, but as a place- the personification of the underworld. The most famous myth around him is the abduction of Persephone, his wife, and the Goddess of spring- which is part of the Hymn for Demeter and is told to explain the changing of seasons. After marrying Persephone, she receives the status of a queen and does most of the management of souls in the underworld (as can be seen in the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice). Hades is always in the background, wearing an invisibility helm that he got as a gift from his uncles, the cyclops (hence his epithet: the unseen).

Biographic details give us some valuable context- Hades is the oldest son of Rhea and Chronos, followed by his 5 siblings- Hestia, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, and baby Zeus- all but the last consumed by their father right after their birth, in fear of a prophecy that one of his offsprings might rebel him. When Zeus freed them all and defeated their father, the war between the Gods and the predecessors- the titans, began. Once the war was over, the world was under the Olympians rein, and each of them received a realm to rule on- Zeus is the king of Gods and ruler the sky, Poseidon got the seas and oceans, and Hades got the underworld- the land of the dead.

The underworld itself is believed to have 3 different sections: Elysium- islands of the blessed, Asphodel plains, and Tartarus- the pit of the cursed. Around the underworld circled 5 different rivers: Styx separating it from the land of the living, Lethe is the river of oblivion or forgetfulness, The Acheron is the River of Misery, Phlegethon the river of fire that leads to Tartarus, and the Cocytus the River of Wailing, for the souls that Charon refused to ferry over because they had not received a proper burial. On the gates, stands Kerberos, a hellhound with 3 heads. This is the kingdom ruled by Hades.

Back in ancient times, Hades had only a few cults of his own. Usually, he was partnered with his wife and her mom to form a chthonic agricultural cult. 'Chthonic' means 'earthly', all agricultural and underworld Gods are chthonic in a sense. He was venerated both as an agricultural deity- his absences allow for abundance, and as the lord of the dead in any ritual that involved necromancy.

Now, modern interpretations keep a steady narrative about Hades as evil, devilish, cunning, deceptive, and most of all- as aspiring to leave the gloomy underworld, fight Zeus over the throne and become the king. Those views, obviously inspired by Christian belief, are not representing the ancient world view. It's not to say people in the past did not fear death or were afraid to speak Hades' name aloud so he won't pay his attention to them, but the God himself was one of the most just and level-headed in the pantheon. For example, he judges the souls that enter his realm with attentiveness and does not punish anyone just for the fun of it.

Regardless of what you knew of him before starting your practice- you are reading these lines. So you, just like me, must find him fascinating and admirable.

On the next post: what is this devotion thing all the kids or talking about- anout Hades in Hellenic polytheism context

Hades devotion 102

Part 5- Upscaling your practice

(The entire Hades devotion masterpost)

If you reached here you probably initiated some kind of interaction with Hades by now. The relationship with our deities usually starts with a casual acquaintance at a business event. You stepped into a room full of strangers, walked around holding a glass of wine, and heard many snippets of conversations. When you found something that caught your attention- the Gods themselves, the topic of their discussion, the “business” opportunities they can offer you (by that I mean of course the business of spiritual development), or just plain good old-fashioned curiosity. Some of these relationships turned out to be a one-time interaction, maybe a tip or a lesson. But some of these relationships went on to be something more- a truly deep connection you carry with you wherever you go. 

All the terms I use in this part of used sometimes interchangeably by different people. This is my own personal interpretation of them, take them as it resonates with you or not at all.

How does a relationship with a deity is starting out?

Well, in the beginning, everything is more official. You might be having an easier time reciting a written prayer, offering by-the-book offerings, and using known forms of divination to communicate. You might start a routine of prayers and rituals, and build up your own records of experiences (“How I felt after offering dark chocolate to him?”), and your own associations (like a private joke you had that associated Hades with bears for some reason). The point is to build kharis, to feel this reciprocity. This should not feel completely one-sided for long periods of time (even though in my case I spent 8 years of one-sided devotion).

At this point you can feel like you are a follower,as opposed to a practitioner who honors him occasionally.

Those first steps are valuable. Follow your insights, gather them, study them, and analyze them. Research your own experience in this worship like a laborant.This will make it easier to learn more and deepen the relationship.

Worth-relationship

I once read somewhere that “worship” is a portmanteau of the words “worth” and “relationship”. I don’t know if that is true in any way, but I like the poetic sense of it and I agree. Our devotion should have some kind of worth to us. Worth can be an actual gain of spiritual lessons or progress you wished for, but it can also be just the comforting feeling you get while you pray. In a kind of deity-worshipper relationship I feel like it should be clear what you derive from it, and what are you in this connection for. Gods are not vending machines and not ingredients in a spell jar, but the effect they have on our daily life is so incredibly heavy and nothing less than transformational- before we go deeper into one of those relationships, we should understand what it stands for. If you figured it out, and you are willing to keep this thing going, you can call it devotion, or being a devotee. You are no longer a follower, you took the active decision to participate in a reciprocal partnership.

At this point, you might want to add more and more elements of your spiritual practice into your daily life. You’d want in immerse yourself in this experience and have the effects of it on every aspect of your life. This is a great time to select a few devotional acts to incorporate into your practice- start a new hobby dedicated to your Gods, and try to actively promote what they stand for. It can also be a great time to create connections with other devotees and work together on things related to your worship. Some people choose a professional path that aligns with their Gods, some choose a major based on that. Some people choose to sell their things and go live in a forest. No one can guarantee us we are doing the right thing for us, but no one but us can learn our lessons, and trusting our Gods to lead us to the best lessons for us out there, is a good way to go.

This could also mean that your narrative about your life story might alter and get some new adjustments based on the spiritual context. You are no longer living two separate narratives- the mundane one where you go to work and pay bills, and the spiritual one where you pray by your altar. Those two narratives are merged into one, enriching each other. Discernment is importamt here as in any stage of course.

End notes- Where do we go from here?

I couldn’t tell you even if I knew. When our devotion is such a big part of our lives, and the reciprocal relationship we have with our Gods is steady, there is no limit to where will go. The Gods are not some distant forces sitting on a cloud and sending us dreams, they are active participants in our lives, companions, teachers, bosses, and family members. And like human companionships, we can’t really know where things will get us. This is part of the mystery and the journey. Who we are as people will probably develop and evolve through time and adventures we will have, with our Gods and regardless of them. We can only hope that through these ties we will turn out to be better than we could've been without them.

how the gods feel to me:

hades: grounding, calming, the warmth you feel when you press your cheek to the earth, quiet affection, tiredness, relishing in some rare luxury, unquestionable power and authority, loneliness, single-minded devotion, carefully unbuttoning your shirt after a long day of work

hermes: teasing, gentle, having your hand held as a child when you cross the street, restlessness, bubbling anticipation, finding beauty in the sound of a language you don’t speak, the satisfaction shared in an inside joke, the thrill of running and being chased, following train tracks and playing chicken with the train

hestia: turning on the oven to warm your home in the winter, empathy, familial love, the pride you feel for the accomplishments of a loved one, nostalgia, safety, motherly disappointment, black tea with milk and sugar, the smell of clean laundry, being held tightly as you cry, “let it out, I’m here”

apollo: joy, understanding, loud laughter, raucous applause, a kiss on the cheek or forehead, falling asleep in a spot of sun, confidence, bandaids on scraped knees, lullabies, old annotations in secondhand poetry books, gap teeth, calluses on fingertips from playing the guitar