How The Gods Feel To Me:

Autumn Roses

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!

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.

How to pray to the chthonic gods 🪦 🌒

Position

When praying to underworld deities, we should direct our prayers downwards. An example of this is seen in the ninth scroll of the Iliad when Althaea prays to Haides and dread Persephone by kneeling and beating her hands on the ground. Whereas women wore their hair up or covered for ouranic rituals, they wore their hair down in chthonic rituals. The prayer should be murmured.

Offerings

Chthonic Theoi received special nighttime offerings of black animals, unmixed wine and special libations of milk and honey. Animal sacrifice was always done in a holókaustos--a sacrifice where the entire animal was burned and none of the meat was saved for human consumptions.

Homer in the Odyssey writes Circe advising Odysseus how to perform a libation to the dead:

"Draw near then, as I bid you, hero, and dig a trench two feet square, then pour a libation all around to the dead, first of milk and honey, then of sweet wine, thirdly of water, sprinkled with white barley meal."

Prayer format

The format is the same as when praying to any other theoi: Invoke the god, introduce yourself, make an argument as to why they should listen to you, and make a request .

Who are the underworld deities?

- Haides, King of the underworld

- Persephone, Queen of the underworld

- Hecate, Goddess of magic

- Thanatos, God of death

- Hermes Athanatus Diactorus, the chtonic aspect of Hermes in which he guides souls to the underworld

- Nyx, primordial Goddess of the night

- Hypnos, God of sleep

- Charon, ferryman of the dead

- Cerberus, guardian of the underworld

- The Furies, goddesses of vengeance and retribution

Sources:

- http://hadesandtheafterlife.weebly.com/respecting-hades.html

- http://baringtheaegis.blogspot.com/2015/03/how-to-pray-to-khthonic-gods.html?m=1

- https://homericist.tumblr.com/post/677291374969815040/there-are-three-main-parts-to-prayer-in-ancient

💀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?

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.

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

plants 🍃

x - x / x - x / x - x

SMALL DEVOTIONAL ACTS I DO FOR MY DEITIES

(THIS IS NOT A GUIDE, THIS IS JUST WHAT I DO)

ALL

Made them all a Pinterest board of their aesthetic

Made them all a separate Pinterest board for things of their choosing

Made them playlists

APOLLON

Play him songs on my ukulele

Play video games with the sound up

Read poetry to him

Write him poetry

Bitch about people to him

Honour him while I take my medication

APHRODITE

Practice self-care

Practice self-love

Honour her while I masturbate

Make an extra cup of tea whenever I have one

Sit in the shower and relax

Gush about my crushes (If Applicable)

PERSEPHONE

Take walks around my local park

Pick up rocks that I find

Drink herbal tea

Use all natural face-masks

Honour her while I work

Tell her all the things I learnt in class

Use pomegranate washing up liquid

HADES

Honour the dead by preserving animal bones

Offer hospitality to anyone that enters my home

Honour him while I take a day for myself

Take walks when I am feeling down

Sit in my garden at night

Stream calming games on a discord server for people who can't sleep

Use pomegranate washing up liquid

Use mint shower gel

Did Persephone willingly walk into the Underworld?

There is no story in Greek mythology about Persephone leaving her mother in which Hades was not part of the story. 

There is no story in Greek mythology in which Persephone willingly walked into the Underworld out of compassion for the souls of the dead. 

There is no  “pre-Hellenic original” version of any myth, and that includes myths about Persephone.

However, there is a modern story claiming to be a “pre-Hellenic” myth about Persephone. It was written by Charlene Spretnak around 1978 and it’s found in her book Lost Goddesses of Ancient Greece: A Collection of Pre-Hellenic Myths. (Google preview here, e-book available here) 

Charlene Spretnak’s M.A. is in English and American literature. In her introduction to Lost Goddesses, she records that she re-imagined some myths for her young daughter because didn’t think the versions by Homer and Hesiod were appropriate to read to a 4-year-old. Her stories are feminist-inspired fiction based on mythology that she presented as rediscovered “pre-Hellenic” myths.

Marjorie Graham retold and created splendid illustrations of Spretnak’s version of the myth in The Archetypal Myth of Demeter & Persephone: A Story for Mother & Daughter Celebrations. An addendum in recent copies of the book credits Spretnak’s inspiration.

No one knows for certain what stories pre-Hellenic peoples told, or the specifics things they believed about their deities, because there was no written language in Greece at that time. The earliest Greek script yet deciphered is Linear B, a Mycenaean language that dates to around 1450 BCE and was used mainly to record commodities and transactions. Greek literature - and “literature” means  “written works” - began in the 7th century BCE. The  Homeric Hymn to Demeter (X and X) was  composed in the late 7th or early 6th century BCE. It is the earliest version known of the myth of Demeter, Persephone, and Hades. 

There is a difference between a myth told long ago, and a modern work of fiction based on myth. The former distills cultural and religious beliefs of an ancient society, and the latter contains the creative imaginings and values of an individual from a modern culture, with 2000 years or so of monotheist and secularist bias filtering the original myth, its culture, and its religion.

I’m not here to enforce religious orthodoxy. If the story told by Spretnak and Graham resonates with you, that’s okay with me. If you want to base your practice on it, that’s fine, too. If you want to call that practice “Hellenic  polytheism”, we will disagree, because HP is based on ancient religious beliefs, not on modern fiction. 

I’m going to take this one step farther.

There is no ancient version of the myth of Persephone and Hades in which Persephone was kidnapped and sexually assaulted. This is a false impression created by translation of the ancient word for “to be carried away” as the word meaning “sexual assault”.

The story of Persephone reflects ancient Greek marriage customs. Marriages were arranged with the father of the bride, often when the woman was a teenager, usually without consulting her. After a ceremony at her home, the bride was carried off in the groom’s chariot to live at his home. The Homeric Hymn to Demeter confirms that this was the case with Persephone: “… cloud-gathering Zeus… gave her to Hades, her father’s brother, to be called his buxom wife.”

In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Hades is shown to treat Persephone with great respect. He tells her: 

“Go now, Persephone, to your dark-robed mother, go, and feel kindly in your heart towards me: be not so exceedingly cast down; for I shall be no unfitting husband for you among the deathless gods, that am own brother to father Zeus. And while you are here, you shall rule all that lives and moves and shall have the greatest rights among the deathless gods: those who defraud you and do not appease your power with offerings, reverently performing rites and paying fit gifts, shall be punished for evermore.” 

In fact, their marriage was regarded as an ideal model for human marriages among the Greeks in southern Italy.

Please don’t take my word for this. If you’re interested in learning more, read Spretnak’s book and consult the academic resources - a list of some of those can be found here.

Please love Persephone enough to separate the modern fiction about her from ancient belief.

EDIT: To read my reply to comments on this post by @metvmorqhoses, who avers the existence of a myth in which Persephone entered the Underworld willingly  please click here:  https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/188435396046/did-persephone-willingly-walk-into-the-underworld