Tips For Witchcraft In The Dorm

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.

Persephone Keeper of the Dark With hair wreathed in flowers Hands gentle yet firm She takes her throne with grace While the world falls asleep

Persephone Keeper of the Spring Whose ethereal pulse gives life To the light With a gown laced in blooms The ivy climbs up to greet her

🌸🌸🌸

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!

Hidden places for sigils

A lot of witches are in the broom closet and can't really have sigils just showing or you may just not want anyone to see your sigils. Whatever the reason may be you might want to keep them hidden or not super visible. Here are some places where you can put them.

On the lip of your shoes

Inside your phone case

In your wallet

Behind your watch

On your cosmetics

Tags of clothing

On your water bottle

On a key ring

Nail polish designs

Written on your skin in places others won't see or notice

On the bottom or on the heel of your shoes

Those are some places you can put sigils I hope this helps !!!

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

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!!

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

Working In Graveyards & Graveyard Etiquette🕯

Why Incorporate Graveyards?

Graveyards have always been associated with the supernatural and metaphysical. In both ancient and modern cultures, funerary rights and the dead have always held great significance in society. When working in these spaces, the most important thing to remember is respect. The dead are not as mutable as the living and it may take longer to rectify a mistake and earn their trust again than it would have been to learn the proper etiquette from the start.

Which begs the question, why work in these spaces and with these spirits? Well lots of reasons, some people choose to only work in graveyards that they have a direct ancestral connection with (ie. family members or distant relative are buried there). Others, like myself, find it a good way to honour the local spirits. Even spirits of people you don't know and have no connection too are worth honouring. Some people believe that since all of humanity has a common ancestor, we are all related and so even cemeteries you have no direct connection to, are connected to you by our common ancestor (another reason I am quite fond of). Maybe you just think it's cool, which is valid. Whatever your reason, just make sure you have one and are not going there with insincere intentions.

What is Graveyard Etiquette?

Graveyard etiquette are the ways in which we should behave when entering and visiting a graveyard in order to be respectful to those resting there. Although there are general rules of thumb which many witches follow, as you develop a relationship with a particular graveyard, those customs can change. Here are some I like to follow:

Leaving an offering- I always bring an offering of coins or flowers. If I'm visiting a graveyard that I've never been to before, I will leave coins at the gate, for the guardian and at some of the older and unkept headstone (also graves of young children if I find any). During regular visits, I leave offerings with the guardian and at headstones of spirits I've developed a relationship with.

Walking the entire graveyard- this is not something I do every time but I like to walk around the entire site and introduce myself especially if I plan on having a working relationship with the spirits there (this may be more difficult for larger sites, I recommend picking an new area each time you visit if that is the case).

Entering and leaving through the same gate- this is not one I stick to every time if I know the spirits really well. If I've never visited before I will always leave through the same exit that I entered from.

Throwing salt or spinning- I heard this one from ChaoticWitchAunt (on TikTok) and it's something that I've just always done. They recommended spinning around three times before leaving to prevent spirits from following you home. I've also thrown a bit of salt over my left shoulder outside the entrance for the same purpose (beware: salt is not good for the earth). This is definitely something that just resonated with me after a bad experience and that's why I continue to do it.

A Note on Necromancy & Death work:

Necromancy is often a term used in many scary movies and cult fiction. It is actually a form of divination which utilizes the dead. Anyone can learn necromancy however it is an integral part of death work. Death worker (practitioners who practice death work) are involved with crossing spirits over. The job requires some level of mediumship abilities and can be very taxing on your mental health. Some death workers take on the lingering emotions of the deceased (pain, fear, anger, etc.) in order to help that spirit. Death work is much more than the small bit that I've described but it is important to note that the path is not for everyone. You can still work in cemeteries and utilize necromancy without doing death work (& a big thank you to the death workers who continue on their path despite the toll it takes, we love you!).

*All images are from Pinterest*

~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

A list of lovely moments and feelings

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