Tarot Inspired Journal Prompts

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."

Hades and Persephone - Alexandria Huntington

Sorry, this may be kinda basic but I'm getting some conflicting info. Can you please explain the diff between the terms Hellenic, Hellene, Hellenist, Hellenistic, Hellenism, Hellenismos and Hellenic Polytheism? What is the proper term to use for a practitioner of the religion who is not culturally/ethnically Greek? Or does it matter? Is Hellene referring to a Greek person? Do any of those terms have anything to do with recon vs revival? I want to be sure I'm using the terms correctly.

I don’t think I’ve ever addressed these terms on this blog, so here goes.

Hellenic (adj.) simply refers to something Greek. Whereas the word “Greek” comes from Latin Graecus, the word “Hellenic” comes from Ancient Greek Ἑλληνικός (Hellênikos) and is still used by Greek people to refer to Greece, or Ελλάδα (Ellada) in modern Greek, to this day. Because of this, any phrase with the word Greek can be replaced with Hellenic: for example, Hellenic food, Hellenic music, Hellenic culture, and yes, Hellenic polytheism.

Hellene (n.) is the term Greek people use to identify themselves. Just like a German person might say “I’m a German” or a French person might say “I’m a Frenchman”, Greek people call themselves Hellenes (or Έλληνες, Ellines, in Greek). Within the Hellenic polytheistic community, there has been debate on whether non-ethnically Greek polytheists should call themselves Hellenes, the main argument in favour of this being that Hellene was historically the term for polytheists, whereas Greek Christians called themselves Romans. I personally don’t encourage this, given that regardless of the term’s history, it’s currently the term in use by Greek people to describe themselves. A non-Greek person calling themselves a Hellene is misleading, just like it would be for a Norse polytheist to call themselves Norwegian (despite both terms having similar etymologies).

Hellenist (n.) refers to a person who admires and/or academically studies (usually Ancient) Greek civilisation. If you have a bust of Socrates in your home, you’re probably a Hellenist. If you have a degree in Classics, you’re definitely a Hellenist. (The equivalent term for people who study Rome, by the way, is Latinist.) Hellenist can be used to describe Hellenic polytheists, but while I don’t discourage using it like I do with Hellene, I’m personally not a big fan of it, since it can lead to confusion as to what, exactly, we do.

Hellenistic (adj.) specifically refers to the period of history between the death of Alexander the Great and the Battle of Actium (323 to 31 BC). As a result, Hellenistic polytheism is the religion that was practised at the time in Greece, and which involved a large amount of cultic exchange and syncretism (for example, Zeus-Serapis).

Hellenic polytheism (n.), by contrast, is the general term for the polytheistic religion practised by Ancient Greeks, in all its forms. Hellenistic polytheism is Hellenic polytheism; Mycenaean polytheism is Hellenic polytheism; the modern revival of the religion is Hellenic polytheism. When it comes to modern movements specifically, I would define a practise as Hellenic polytheism if it strives to honour Hellenic deities within the spirit of Ancient Greek belief. According to this definition, a Wiccan who calls on the four quarters while summoning Hekate for a spell is not a Hellenic polytheist, despite a Hellenic deity being involved, since this practise functions within the belief system of Wicca. On the other hand, an eclectic polytheist who worships each deity according to their culture of origin could call themselves a Hellenic polytheist, despite not strictly worshipping Hellenic deities only.

Hellenismos, and its anglicised form Hellenism (n.), is another term for Hellenic polytheism. It was invented by the Roman emperor Julian in the 4th century AD, and at the time, it applied not only to the religion, but also to all other aspects of Greek culture Julian was attempting to popularise instead of Christianity. Nowadays, Hellenismos generally - though not exclusively - denotes Hellenic reconstructionism, a Hellenic polytheistic movement that aims to stay as close as possible to ancient practise (as opposed to revivalism, which allows for more modern innovations).

Other terms for Hellenic polytheism include Dodekatheism, Olympianism and Hellenic ethnic religion. The latter is mainly used by Greek people in Greece, and as with Hellene, I would discourage its use by non-Greek people as it implies you are ethnically Greek. Olympianism is rarely used. As for Dodekatheism, a while ago, there was some debate in the Tumblr community as to whether we should call ourselves Hellenic polytheists or Dodekatheists, a term which some people viewed as more respectful towards Greek people; I myself chose not to involve myself in the debate, and still don’t. Personally, I call myself a Hellenic polytheist because it’s an accurate descriptor of my religion (whereas Dodekatheist implies I only worship twelve Gods), and because all of the Greek people I have interacted with have been fine with it. However, I have no issue with the term Dodekatheism and if someone feels more comfortable with it, I encourage them to use it instead.

I hope this clears up some of the confusion!

Practical tips for Hellenic Khthonic Ritual

Khthonic deities are of the earth or ‘under’ it so offerings were made outside on low altars (escharai) or into specially dug pits.

For libations wine was replaced with water, milk, honey or blood.

Animals sacrificed were black in contrast to white, which were reserved for Ouranic (sky) deities.

Rituals were traditionally performed at night.

Seeing as animal sacrifice is frowned upon nowadays and not feasible for most practitioners, votive offerings can be offered instead, i.e. black animal figurines, predominantly sheep and rams.

Other offerings may include coins as traditionally an obol or oboloi (plural) was used as currency in Hades.

Epithets were used more than plain names.  Persephone  - Kore (Maiden,) Carpophorus (Bringer of Fruit), Despoina (Mistress), Praxidice (Exacter of Justice). Hades  -  Aidoneos (The Hidden), Necron Soter (Saviour of the Dead), Eubouleus (Good Counselor), Necrodegmon (Receiver of the Dead), Plouton (Wealth), Polydektes (Receiver of Many Guests), Theon Khthonios (God of the Underworld).

Any food offerings were wholly burned or buried (holocaust), none of it was shared with the ritual attendees as with Ouranic offerings.

Gods associated with or make the Underworld their home includes Hades, Kore, Hekate, Hermes Khthonios, Kerberus, Erinyes (Furies), Kronos, Thanatos, Charon, Hypnos, The Moirae and Nyx, among a myriad of others.

Heroes and ancestors were also worshipped in this manner, thought to exert great power from their tombs and the Underworld. F’ex, Asklepios and Herakles.

Caves or deep chasms were also thought to be gateways to the Underworld though mortals were discouraged from venturing there before their time.

Disclaimer - This is solely from personal research and in no way indicative of how everyone should approach Khthonic ritual. Feel free to omit or adjust anything you see fit.

Witchcraft Exercises

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!

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!!

Reconnecting with your spirituality ✧̣̇˳·˖✶

Great for baby witches!

I gathered a few really simple rituals I do to reconnect with my spirituality after some time without practicing magic or when I feel like I lost my touch.

Firstly, it’s important to remember your place in the universe. If you’ve never taken some time to consider the nature around you, do that before trying anything else. Of course it’s ideal that you explore the nature that surrounds your home frequently, but it’s possible to connect with it while being someplace else. Ask yourself:

⭒ How do the seasons change where you live? Which changes can you see and feel throughout the year? How is it right now?

⭒ How does the moon influence you, in particular? Which phase of the moon is it today?

⭒ Which plants that are native to your region can you find around your neighborhood? Which ones are most abundant?

⭒ Which animals are native to your region? Do you see them around sometimes?

⭒ What’s the nearest body of water? In which direction is it located? How do you think it must be today? (The sea must be agitated because it’s a full moon, the river must be at high tide cause it rained, etc.)

Knowing the natural spaces around you is what forms the solid base you need to connect with nature on a larger scale. There’s some simple exercises that help you gradually build a relationship with the world around you, starting small and expanding as you gain experience:

To start 𓆸

Choose a plant or a rock that you’re already familiar with, like a house plant you may have. Approach it like it’s the first time you really see it. The purpose is to gain some form of intimacy with it. Pay attention to its appearance, texture and smell (and if it’s an edible plant, its taste), and to the sensations it gives you. After trying it with a plant or a rock you already know, move on to one you’ve never interacted with before.

Connecting with plants 𓆸

This method is used by a lot of witches to gather information about a plant’s energy based on their own energy. Different people may perceive the same plant differently cause each of us have our own, singular energy that’ll interact with it. That’s why gathering information from personal experience is so important. A herb that is said to help with something might affect you differently than it does to most witches, that’s normal. So:

❀ Choose a plant you’re already familiar with and touch it in a way that makes you comfortable.

❀ Close your eyes and imagine your palm glowing with light. Focus on how that feels. Some people say they feel their hand tingle or warm up at that. Either way, imagine your palm’s energy vibrating, into the plant.

❀ Visualize the plant is glowing as well, and that both your energies are connecting into one. When you feel you’ve achieved that, concentrate on how you feel. Is it an specific emotion or sensation? Do any thoughts or ideas pop into your head? It can be a pretty vague feeling, that’s okay; it’ll grow into something stronger and more defined as you work with it, if you decide to.

❀ When you feel you’ve observed enough, be thankful for the plant’s cooperation and visualize your energy separating from the one emanating from the plant and retrieving itself back into your palm as it stops glowing.

❀ Open your eyes and let go. You might want to shake your hand around as if you’re trying to dry it off after washing your hands; some witches do that to make sure they’ve really disconnected.

After trying it with a plant you’re familiar with, repeat the exercise with one you’ve never interacted with before.

Grounding 𓆸

Connecting with the earth helps you stay balanced. If you’re feeling anxious and all over the place, you can discharge that excess energy into the earth; if you’re feeling lethargic, the earth can energize you. To do that, you need to ground yourself. Some spells and rituals are so draining that you need to ground yourself beforehand so it doesn’t take too much of your energy. Here’s a simple grounding method I think pretty much every witch has used before:

❀ Take a deep breath, slowly, three times. Be aware of your own energy going through your body. You may close of eyes, if you want. Focus on your chest, and visualize a beam of light in its center. Imagine that’s your energy source.

❀ Visualize a branch growing from that center and reaching downwards, into the earth. Let it go beyond your body and touch the ground. I like to imagine that I’m a tree and that my roots are digging into the earth, and take a moment to appreciate how deep and strong they are, and how strong and stable that makes me.

❀ When you feel you’ve formed a connection, you can let your energy work with the earth, and let go of any excess that’s stressing you or receive what’s lacking.

Connecting with the elements 𓆸

There’s several ways to connect with the 4 elements, and a lot of witches renew their connection periodically with an exercise. For that, gather something to represent each element. For the element earth, use fresh dirt, salt, a rock or a crystal. For air, use an object that’ll make an air current; preferably a hand fan. For fire, a candle. For water, a small bowl of water will do. Touch each object, close your eyes, and visualize their energy connecting with yours. (Since you can’t touch fire, obviously, hold out your hand over the flame, from a safe distance where you can still feel the heat.) Do that for a minute or two, and try to put into words what you feel. Be sure to disconnect yourself from an element before connecting with the next one. What I said about the plants goes for the elements as well: different people may perceive them differently, which is why you need to gather information from personal experience, and build your own relationship with them.

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

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.

💀Unusual Death Witchcraft💀

Visiting natural history and art museum. Not only for the spirit work (museums are surprisingly rife with spirits) but also the reflection on the objects themselves that are imbued with death energy due to their age.

Kitchen witchcraft with fermentation. I’m talking both home starters/yeasts and drink based fermenting! The process of encouraging fermentation is literally a controlled necromancy if you think about it! Also your own fermented product will be excellent to use in spellwork!

Upcycle crafting! The process of reusing items in a new way that you already had or seeking out items to use instead of letting them become trash is also working with death energy!

Playing death related games or watching movies with friends and family. Death witchcraft tasks and energy work doesn’t have to look witchy! If you have a weekly or monthly hangout where you play tabletops like Betrayal at House on the Hill or even online games. Or watch documentaries or movies with loved ones that related that totally counts! Especially as a lower spoon option.

Drawing or photographing abandoned buildings/architecture. So often people forgot that the decay of manmade objects and places do hold death energy and weight. Tapping into this side of death witchcraft can be an interesting experience.

Visiting a 24 hour store or restaurant in the middle of the night. This is a personal experience of mine but that quiet low level liminal space energy is such a similar transitional energy as to help you grow your experience and sensing of death energy. Also walking through a store at 3am is a good time to practice a walking meditation or some simple spirit communication without too much trouble. Just have your headphones in for an excuse!

Learning to maintain your own compost! I’m hopeless with the green thumb side of things myself but I still have composting I do for my yard in general. My wildflowers and natural growth is lovely because of it! The cycle of your kitchen supplies life and decay is such a simple and deep way to access that death energy and maybe even work your way up to having that green thumb! Also using this compost in spellwork will pack a punch!

What are some unusual ways you experience death witchcraft and energy?