"Prayers in Greek religion, as scholars have noted, generally have a tripartite form, consisting in a preliminary invocation, some sort of argument or narrative that explains why the divinity should grant the prayer, and the actual wish itself. The invocation serves to get the god's attention and request the god's presence, often invoking the god by a variety of epithets and titles that identify the god. Such addresses are not so much to make sure that the prayer reaches the right entity as to begin the process of establishing the identities of the prticipants in the prayer relation...The process of identifying participants in the relationships continues in the argument section, which often sets out a narrative of the god's past deeds or of the previous relationship, the history of the interactions and exchanges of favors between god and mortal. The actual wish of the prayer may come at the very beginning, but often comes at the end of the prayer, following all the descriptions of the status of the god and the mortal and their relationship that provide the reasons why the god should grant the mortal's request."
Drawing Down the Moon, Radcliffe G. Edmonds III, p. 155
Some fun and totally harmless ways to worship some of the gods!
Zeus:
Climb a tree and screech like an eagle
Throw a stick at someone you hate
Drink milk from the gallon you coward
Hera:
Point out how your life is going better than that nosy aunt's marriage
Wear ridiculously vibrant dresses and thick eyeliner and only speak in peacock
Make fun of the neighborhood Karen
Poseidon:
Make someone step in water with socks on
Step in water with socks on
There are many benefits to being a marine biologist
Æügh
Hades:
It's time you went through an emo phase
Train your local dogs to bark at the neighborhood Karen
Lose your 50/50 to Qiqi
Hestia:
Cosplay as Guoba
Arson
Eat your teacher's apple, it's probably plastic but eat it anyway
Demeter:
Stalk the vegan teacher
Stalk vegan booty
Learn about the chemical properties of green onions
Athena:
Make Kokomi crit
Arson (2)
Spend money on Ovid's book. Then burn it.
Ares:
Arson (3)
Learn about the properties and history of battle axes
Make Kokomi crit (2)
Artemis:
Buy a shirt saying "MILF, Man I Love Fishing"
Cosplay the Lorax
Become the Lorax
Apollo:
Learn how to use a shotgun, though you probably already know that if you're a white American
Make friends with crows
Become a crow
Hephaestus:
Socialise
Learn how to build a tank
Build a tank
Aphrodite:
Shove sea water down Karen's throat
Be gay do crime
Arson (4)
Dionysus:
Be gay do crime (2)
Get drunk on vodka
Blast Cult of Dionysus on four big speakers at the middle of the night
Hermes:
Commit tax fraud
Commit theft
Be gay do crime (3)
Helios:
Chug a questionable amount of monster down
Stare directly into the sun
Arson (5)
Selene:
Be gay do crime (4)
Sing Bohemian Rhapsody at the top of your lungs every full moon at the middle of the night
So the fandango
Hecate:
Arson (6)
Adopt a dog despite your parents saying no
Adopt a weasel
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:
Slow dances to your favorite tune alone or with someone you love
Random and unexpected hugs
Handwritten letters
The smell of books and the sound of turning pages
Hearing the phrase "I love you"
Compliments from strangers
Returned smiles
Someone playing with your hair
Sunrises and sunsets
Handwritten notes found in old books
Cardigans, big sweaters and knitted socks
The taste of food after a long, tiring day
When you finish reading a great book and you feel like you've lost a good friend forever
Feeling the cold wind caressing you skin and hair
When you're at the beach and you close your eyes to listen to the sounds of ocean waves crushing against the shore
Playing with children and hearing them laugh
Making lists
Long, meaningful discussions with someone who means a lot to you
Slow kisses
Being brave enough to do the right thing
Hearing "this made me think of you" and "I miss you"
Playing with animals on the street
Visiting your grandparents
Long peaceful baths
unexpected car trips
No homework
The excitement of new beginnings
Waking up after remembering a nice dream
please pause your scrolling to look at this ancient egyptian figurine of a cat with kittens currently in the brooklyn museum
okay you may continue
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 .
Just a quick compilation of the posts I've made about exercises to help improve your craft. These can be used as journaling prompts, inspiration for activities, or as methods for pulling yourself out of a slump and recharging your witchy inspiration.
Witchcraft Exercise - Quantifying Your Craft
Witchcraft Exercise - Dig Through The Ditches
Witchcraft Exercise - The Book of Lessons
Witchcraft Exercise - Home Brews
Prompt - Music to Witch By
Most of these are also available in the May 2021 bonus episode of Hex Positive (check your favorite podcatcher).
Happy Witching!
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?
🌟 🔮 🌟
Ajoite - overcome sorrow, emotional healing
Amethyst - eases grief and sadness
Andalusite - crossing over into the afterlife
Apophyllite - spirit communication
Bixbite (Red Beryl) - eases grief
Black Tourmaline - eases grief
Bloodstone - to strengthen ties with ancestors or loved ones who have passed on
Blue Lace Agate - connection to the spirit world, eases passage into the afterlife
Calcite - emotional healing, peace
Carnelian - eases sorrow, protection in the afterlife
Celestite - spirit communication
Charoite - eases passage into the afterlife
Cuprite - spirit communication
Halite - dispelling negativity, protection
Hematite - grounding, peace, transforming negativity
Jade - protection in the afterlife
Jasper - safe passage into the afterlife
Jet - eases grief and mourning
Kunzite - eases heartbreak
Labradorite - spirit communication
Lapis Lazuli - spiritual connection
Obsidian - healing, deflecting negativity, grounding, protection
Onyx - grounding, protection
Pink Tourmaline - emotional healing
Quantum Quattro Silica - eases grief
Quartz - safe passage into the afterlife
Selenite - spirit communication, eases passage into the afterlife
Sunstone - spirit communication
Tanzan Aura Quartz - spirit communication
Tsavorite - connection to the spirit world
Turquoise - spiritual attunement
Violet Flame Opal - spiritual awareness
Sometimes the gods will seem like they aren't there, but they are.
Sometimes you will feel like a small child learning how to ride a bike. You can feel the hands on your shoulders, you can hear their voice close by. Then, suddenly, you don't feel their hands and their voice is farther away.
They didn't abandon you in your time of need. They're watching you take everything they've taught you to apply it. They've got the band-aids if you need them, and they're standing at the top of the driveway watching.
They cannot pedal that bike for you. They cannot hold onto the bike so you never fall.
They're watching you and they are proud. They are proud even if you fall down or crash.
Don't panic. Now's your time to show them what you've learned! Go as far as you can. You're not alone.