☽ Little Tips For Witches ☾

Protection Pouch

As we all know, it's very important to use multiple methods of warding when practicing our craft. I decided to make this pouch as a permanent fixture for my altar to keep my space protected at all times.

For this spell you will need:

Salt (any salt will do; I used Black Salt)

Basil

Clear Quartz

Obsidian

Sunstone

Reptile shedding (I was lucky enough to receive a beautifully intact shedding from my partner's pet Corn Snake)

A pouch

As always, be sure to cleanse the area, the items to be used, and yourself! Before filling my pouch, I inscribed it with my own protection sigil. This is optional, but I find making sigils quite fun! Give it a go! And if you'd rather not, you can always use mine!

As you fill your pouch, chant the phrase:

"My energy is protected."

Okay so Hades contacted me, and i have no idea where to start. i've been cruising the Hades tags and there is virtually nothing useful. I've read most (if not all) of his stories, and the ones that include him. Any tips? it came from left field to be ones, always thought it would have been Poseidon.

Omg, hello and welcome to the club!!! :D Personally this makes me very happy, because I know how rewarding a relationship with Hades can be! I will add, also, that you may have a relationship with both Hades and Poseidon if you wish. :)

If you’re interested in strengthening this relationship with Hades, here are some devotional acts you can do:

Money and stones are greatly symbolic of Hades, especially dark, jagged stones (think obsidian, smoky quartz and onyx)

As with all chthonic deities, offerings are usually poured down instead of rising up. This means incense is a less common offering, as you want to offer things that are poured down into the earth, where Hades symbolically resides. I usually offer oils and teas (you may offer wine and juice as well), and pour the physical remains into the earth after ritual.

Also, I know it’s common with heavenly deities to take a sip of the drink before offering it. With chthonic deities, DON’T DO THAT. Offer the entire drink to Them. (I got such a death glare from Hades when I didn’t do this correctly pun intended).

Cleaning up cemeteries and tending to old graves are GREAT versions of philanthropic worship!

If you believe in the Hellenistic underworld, you may want to offer money to the spirits of the dead to let them pass on

You may make an altar to Hades easily. Black/grey candles, stones, money, any bones (or representations of bones) you have, and items passed down in your family (a form of ancestral worship) work well on the altar!

You may create an altar to spirits of the dead or your ancestors too if you wish!

Mint and pomegranate are sacred to Hades :)

Remember that the element of earth is sacred to Hades as well. Using dirt, herbs and any other earth elemental magic works in devotion to Him.

If you communicate to spirits, treat them kindly and help them move on

And finally, but most importantly, talk to Him. Talk to Him silently, out loud in front of an altar, or write to Him in a journal (which I do all the time). Hades will respond to you again when He believes the time is right.

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask! I’m so excited for you that I’m literally having trouble typing because my fingers are trembling. Have a blessed path, lovely!

🍊☀️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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Symbols for Loki

We frequently receive requests for lists of Lokean symbols. I’m not going to lie: I’ve always been against the idea, and I still kind of am. I do not believe it’s respectful to treat deities as beings you can summon at will with the right combination of symbols and offerings. And I really, really don’t believe in encouraging people to base their practices on lists of symbols on the internet, since a symbol partly loses it meaning when divorced from its original context in the myths. But the truth is that people are going to seek this stuff out regardless.

And so, I kind of consider this list the lesser of two evils. Instead of just listing things, I’m going to include a bit on where each symbol comes from and whether it’s historically attested or a modern association. This list is no substitute for actual research or a relationship with Loki. It is meant only as a starting point for those things.

That said, don’t stress if you find out that some of the symbols you’ve been using aren’t attested in the lore. Remember, a symbol does not need to be attested in order to be valid. A symbol does not need to be shared with anyone else to be valid. Loki can and does make use of whatever associations we happen to have. A personal symbol can often feel more meaningful because it’s unique to your individual relationship.

Animals

Birds - Loki can shapeshift, but for some reason he borrows Freyja’s falcon cloak on occasion. For example, in Þrymskviða, he uses it to search for Mjolnir. He also has kennings associating him with crows (meinkráka, harm crow), hawks (barni öglis, hawk’s child), and vultures (gammleið, vulture’s path.) 

Flies - In Skáldskaparmál,Loki transforms into a fly in an unsuccessful attempt to win a bet against the dwarves forging Mjolnir.

Goats - Goats are traditionally a symbol for Thor. However, some Lokeans like to make stealth references to the story in Skáldskaparmál where Loki ties his balls to a goat in order to entertain Skadi.

Horses - In Gylfaginning, Loki is commanded to keep a giant from finishing building a wall in time so the Aesir don’t have to pay him. Loki turns into a white mare to distract the giant’s work horse and gives birth to Sleipnir as a result. The Edda is ambiguous as to whether this was consensual or not, so use discretion when considering whether you find it appropriate to use as a symbol.

Salmon - Loki turns into a salmon in order to hide from the Aesir after the events of Lokasenna. Unfortunately, Thor catches Loki with his own net.

Seals - In a tragically mostly lost poem called Húsdrápa, quoted by Snorri in Skáldskaparmál, Loki  steals Freyja’s necklace Brísingamen. Loki and Heimdall transform into seals and fight over it.

Snakes - Loki is the father of Jormungandr, the serpent that encircles the world. Additionally, when Loki is bound, Skadi hangs a venomous serpent above his head to torture him. In modern Western culture, snakes are usually considered very crafty (likely because of the serpent in Genesis.) They also transform and renew themselves regularly by shedding their skin, a very Lokean concept. However, it should be noted that the “Urnes Snakes” symbol popularized by the jeweler Trove of Valhalla is actually a modern design that, despite the company’s claim, does not originate from the Urnes stave church.

Wolves - Loki fathers Fenrisulfr. Another of his sons in turned into a wolf as a punishment. Finally, Loki is the blood brother of Odin, who’s heavily associated with wolves.

Foxes - Loki is never associated with foxes in the lore. However, foxes have long been trickster characters in our culture (see Aesop’s fables, Reynard, Br’er Fox, etc.) And because people associate tricksters with foxes, they associate Loki with foxes.

Spiders - Pretty much the same deal as with foxes. There isn’t solid evidence that Loki was associated with spiders historically, but spidery tricksters like Anansi and Charlotte have led modern devotees to see them as a Loki thing. A scholar named Anna Birgitta Rooth put forth the theory that the name Loki is related to Swedish locke (spider), but that theory didn’t gain much acceptance among academics.

Plants

Mistletoe - The plant Loki uses to kill Baldr in the Eddas, as it’s the only thing that hasn’t sworn not to harm Baldr. Keep in mind that mistletoe is not the same plant as holly. (You want the one with white berries.)

Birch - Because of the Norwegian rune poem. (see below)

Common Haircap moss, aka “Loke’s Oats” - In parts of Denmark, Loki was said to be “sowing his oats” when extreme summer heat caused things to look distorted and wavy. This was considered to be an act of trolling on his part, since the “oats” he sowed were useless and inedible.

Bentgrass, aka “Loke’s Grass” - Another type of inedible grass that Loki was presumably sowing instead of something agriculturally beneficial. 

Cinnamon - Modern Lokeans very commonly associate their deity with this tastiest of tree bark. However, there’s nothing connecting Loki to cinnamon in the lore. Surprisingly though, the Norse actually would have had access to the spice through trade with the Middle East.

Dandelion - The dandelion was colloquially known as “Loki’s bloom.” This surprises absolutely nobody who has ever had a yard.

Runes

Bjarkan - The only rune with an attested connection to Loki, in the Norwegian rune poem: “Birch has the greenest leaves of any shrub;   Loki was fortunate in his deceit.” 

Logr - His name starts with it. Also, water is a very liminal thing.

Cen - Based on SPG about Loki and fire. (see below.)

Pretty much all of them can be tied to Loki with some creativity TBH

Stars

Lokabrenna - Yes, really, Loki is a star. (But we knew that.) The Norse named the star we call Sirius Lokabrenna, “Loki’s burning” or “Loki’s torch.”

Holidays

Lokablót, the sacrificial celebration of Loki, has no set date. There is no evidence for the historical worship of Loki, and so modern devotees do their own thing. That said, a couple particular days have become somewhat popular.

April 1 - A lot of people think that April Fool’s Day is an appropriate time to celebrate Loki’s trickster nature.

Lokabrenna Day - Because the star Sirius was named for Loki, some people in recent years have decided to celebrate Lokablót when Sirius rises. (The same day Kemetics celebrate Wep Ronpet, basically.) Unfortunately, because of the laws of physics and stuff, that day is going to vary based on your location. Here’s a guide on how to calculate it. Yes, it’s kind of complex.

Colors

None of these are attested, but I include them for the sake of completeness and because it’s a surprisingly common question.

Green and Gold - These come from the Marvel character.

Red and orange - These, as far as I can tell, are SPG, likely tied to the aforementioned fire association SPG.

Misc

Fire - Wagner combined Loki with Logi, the fire god, in his Ring Cycle. And ever since, Loki has been associated with fire and magic  in pop culture. There are some very iffy pieces of evidence that Loki might have had some historical connection with fire (e.g., the Snaptun stone and medieval folklore about the Ash Lad) but the scholarly consensus is “Nope, blame Wagner.” That said, fire, with its dual roles of creation and destruction, enlightenment and passion, is a pretty potent symbol for Loki even if it doesn’t have a historical basis.

Red hair - Loki’s hair color is never mentioned in the lore, and there are some illuminated Icelandic manuscripts in which he is shown as a blond or brunette. The fire god mistake mentioned above probably popularized the redhead image. (Interestingly, Thor is canonically a redhead.)

Fishing Nets - In Gylfaginning, Loki weaves a fishing net while on the lam and hiding from the Aesir. (The story kind of implies it’s the first fishing net, although Ran is also credited with inventing them elsewhere.) Loki turns into a salmon to escape but ends up being caught with his own creation,

Earthquakes - The prose epilogue to Lokasenna claims that earthquakes are caused by Loki writhing in pain when Sigyn leaves to empty her venom-catching bowl.

Masks - While Odin, not Loki, takes the name of Grímnir (the masked one) in the lore, masks are a fairly logical thing to associate with a shapeshifter.

This list only includes things that are in the lore or that I perceive to be extremely common SPG. I want to reiterate that it is perfectly acceptable to have personal associations that have nothing to do with the lore. My goal here is merely to shed some light on where the most popular symbols come from. I hope it’s useful!

-Mod E

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

💀 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 :)

Warding

I've covered warding recently in my protection post. But here I will go into more detail on what warding is, the most popular ways to ward and how to create them as well as when to know when a ward is no longer useful or has been broken. I will also go into baneful warding and what it is.

What is warding?

Warding is a form of defensive magick which acts as your first line of defense against negativity. Be this baneful magick from another practitioner or negative entities and general negative energy. There are multiple ways to ward with each practitioner warding differently to the other. Wards come in all shapes and forms, and there is no limit as to how much warding you should do, you protect yourself as you see fit.

What is baneful warding?

Baneful warding is a form of warding in which the negative that hits a ward gets sent back to its source. Baneful warding is seen as a more "advanced" form of magick, however not too advanced for a novice to do with the appropriate amount of research. Baneful warding can come in the same forms as normal warding would.

Warding jars

Perhaps one of the most common wardings on this post, warding jats usually contain ingredients charged with the intention of warding. These ingredients usually range from herbs to bodily fluids such as saliva or blood. These jars are either buried on the practitioners property, left above entryway, left on an altar, or are carried with the practitioner when they want protection on the go.

A warding jar might contain: ashes of a warding sigil, bodily fluids, herbs and plants, crystals, bones, warding or protection oils, spices, metals, glass shards etc. These jars are then sealed with black or white wax (or are sealed in any other way, with glue, tape or simply just with intention).

When a warding jar is broken, you might find the contents of the jar to become moldy, the jar shatters, the seal might break or the contents of the jar to go off, you also might feel that the jar no longer has its power. When this happens, if the jar is intact, break the seal and empty the contents into the bin/trash or return them back to the earth. You can then cleanse the jar with your preferred method of cleansing and reuse the jar for another ward or spell.

Talismans and symbols

Talismans are objects which are charged with the intention fo protection or warding. A well known example would be the Nazar, known to ward off the evil eye.

Symbols are used to represent something or represent an intention example would be the pentacle/pentagram, a well known protection symbol. Another example could by the Eye of Horus, a symbol used by the Ancient Egyptians for protection, health and restoration.

You can create your own talismans and symbols to aid in warding. These might be used to ward against a specific thing, or can be used as a general ward to all negativity.

A talisman or symbol might break or feel like they're no longer useful once theyve done thier job. If this time comes, you can simply dispose of the old one and create a new one.

Sigils

Sigils are created and can be programmed with any purpose necessary. May this be warding ot cursing, they can be used for almost any working.

Sigils can be burnt to activate them, with the ashes being used in spells to add extra power. Sigils can be put up around your house or around your room for warding. These sigils can look like anything, simply draw them with the intention of warding.

Crystals

Crystals can be placed above entryways or in windows to act as a ward. Crystals can also be added to spells to give a desired effect or worn as jewellery to act as warding or protection on the go.

Some examples are: black obsidian, black tourmaline, clear quartz, amethyst, hematite.

When a crystal ward has been broken, the crystal might shatter, or go missing. Or you may feel the crystals energy feels different than usual. With crystals you cam simply cleanse and recharge the crystals to be used again!

Spells

Warding spells can be as simple as a dressed candle, or can be a complex ritual. Warding spells differ from practitioner to practitioner. Similar to warding jars, these spells might include the use of herbs, bodily fluids, crystals, plants etc. The methods of creating a warding spell vary, as there is no one way to create one.

When a ward breaks down, you might feel the ward break, or if it does what is intended, you might feel something bounce off the ward. Depending on the negativity sent your way, the ways in which you might feel a warding spell break down vary, this could range from feeling sluggish or nauseous to downright feeling psychic attack. (Whenever this happens, please consult a doctor, mundane before magical. What you may feel is a magical occurrence could be explained by illness, so please consult a doctor of you feel this way constantly)

Warding is a great form of protection which is used very often in a persons practice. While not all practitioners use warding, this is just to inform you of the ways you can ward to keep yourself safe in your practice!

shadow work prompts that have left me crying (i felt good after though)

- letter to a parent (hurts so good when you have mommy/daddy issues)

- letter to your younger self (bonus points for pre transition self if that applies to you)

- letter to your childhood pet/pets

- letter to your childhood best friend

- listing out your insecurities and then complimenting said insecurities

- listing everything you’re grateful for,, even if it’s just a few things

- letter to your ancestors or just all ancestors in general (i like doing it for all ancestors that way no one feels left out)

I’m not sure whether I should laugh or cry.

Is OP aware that oh so many books exist on this subject?

And that almost universally the ones authored by people with doctorates in classicism and mythology disagree with OP?

Including the… epic hymn that first told this story? You know what’s in that original source material… right?

Abducted, yes. Demeter mourned? Definitely. Rape, no.

So here’s some info on Ancient Greek wedding traditions which (oh my stars and garters!!) included abducting the bride. With the father’s permission, which Hades got before he took her away.

Here’s a whole book on the subject of Ancient Greek wedding custom and its conflation with funeral rites. (Which sounds a bit like Hades and Persephone to anyone who’s ever dabbled in things like explication and context)

Here’s a link to another book that talks about Persephone’s rise to power as a result of her willingly eating the pomegranate seeds.

Oh shit!!

Here’s a whole bunch of myths and hymns that talk about her Queen of the Underworld badassery!!

Holy pug tacos Batman!!

Here’s another book about the myth focusing on the seasonal religious and liminal rites. WHICH TAKE PLACE IN THE DRY SUMMER (not the fucking winter), which you know if you read a book.Way to go, OP!

All these fucking books!  What could anyone possibly do with them all?!?!?!?! Do you eat books to absorb their powers instead of read them?

A better guess would be that you got into a moral panic over the name of a certain Renaissance statue and maybe after reading three pages of Edith Hamilton or the first paragraph of a Wikipedia article. And then used that to castigate and demean not only the people who actually take their limited time to create gorgeous art but also to denigrate modern day worshippers of Persephone and Hades?

Maybe next time, you stringy piece of over-boiled okra, you might want to take your own advice and pick up a book, instead of reducing the feared and respected Queen of the Underworld who held power equal to or in many interpretations GREATER than her husband into a meaningless pastiche of female disenfranchisement that you seemingly plucked from your own ass.

Pagan pro-tips

Having been pagan and polytheistic for about 7 years, I can attest to these tips’ efficiency:

Pinterest is your best friend when it comes to devotional art

But don’t ever trust a single line of information on there.

Casually call out or whisper a deity’s name when something makes you think of them, so you can invite them to witness it!

If someone asks too many questions and you don’t feel like “coming-out” as pagan, tell them you’re ~more spiritual than religious~ and they’ll act like they get it.

Write your own prayers who tf cares

Playlists playlists playlists

I’m serious, even the simplest stuff people would label as “aesthetic” works well when you’re on a busy schedule but you want to stay casually connected to your faith.

Sure, paganism is deeply personal, but are there other people you could learn from? People you could help? Listening + sharing = community building!