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[art-vvitch]

a coworker and I went to a work event a few months ago and we talked witchy stuff on the way there, and I explained to them how I see angel numbers on the regular and some of the weird stuff that has happened with me (like seeing three dead crows in the road while out getting food with my wife one evening) and then lo and behold I saw a dead crow on that trip, and also license plates with repeating numbers

the dead animal thing is getting a bit weird

one morning they came in and they were like "uh, so there's a dead frog outside" and sure enough there was this dried out little frog buddy outside the store. they buried it in the planter near where we park

the other day I was coming in and there was... most of a rat (???) by the trashcan near our front door. it was like it was the skin and at least one leg and maybe a tail but literally nothing else

then this morning before I even came in this same coworker texted me a photo going "you're not gonna believe this" and there was what looked like a freshly dead bird just outside of work again. not a crow this time but some little buddy with a black+grey+white body.

When I was closing I was trying to count the til down and there was a murder of crows screaming up a racket outside to a point where I stopped to try to go see what in the fuck was happening, and they were circling the same planter area near my car and flying EVERYWHERE. once I clocked out I saw like a few yards away there was some trash discarded they were picking through and I know earlier they were fighting off some seagulls, but they were literally. circling the trees near my car and my car itself.

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it is Very, Very clear to me after this reading that my ancestors have been watching me work too hard and burn out and they’re going HEY, SLOW DOWN A BIT

I’ve been to psychics and palm readers before, I’ve had my cards read, but this is the first time that I’m sitting down with a medium and I am VERY, VERY EXCITED

[art-vvitch]

I’ve been to psychics and palm readers before, I’ve had my cards read, but this is the first time that I’m sitting down with a medium and I am VERY, VERY EXCITED

[art-vvitch]

Hey. I posted this before I was offered a job at my current work place. I think this is about my boss, bringer of good news, opportunities the last several months over really getting into the depths of my neurodivergence, a whole new start in an industry I’m brand new in, and the last card... this one is an advice slot??

memento mori

I pre-ordered the Memento Mori oracle deck ages ago and it was finally delivered today! My initial first reading is similar kinda to readings I’ve been getting across other forms of divination, indicating changes and such… also an animal that keeps coming up for me (raven) made it’s appearance here as well.

1. Woman: a feminine figure in my life, like wife or girlfriend or someone maternal

2. Raven: messenger, bringer of news (good or bad), the hard truth

3. Scissors: a clean start, cut, removal, new independence

4. Crystal ball: clairvoyance, scrying, meditation, seeing spirits

Considering that I just talked with my mom today about her health, I can’t help but immediately think of her for this reading. The order is recent past, present, recent future, and advice from spirit. The scissors don’t really seem to indicate something health wise and I’m newer to oracle reading than tarot, so… more introspection is needed.

[art-vvitch]

Knight Duties by La Draws

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My mom went to a psychic yesterday because she felt an eerie need to be there, and the woman she talked to apparently had a lot to say about me. Typically in the times when I’ve heard family members share their stories from when they went to mediums I was never really like... mentioned and it always felt weird. This time apparently the crowd of people pushing to communicate are very invested in my life right now, but the one who was the loudest was my paternal grandma. I never met her, but this woman said that she’s been with me my whole life. I do know that my grandma and I share a middle name and the psychic was able to pick up on the exact name immediately (and it’s not really a common one either).

Because none of us really know a lot about my grandma though, I have no idea if she’s been sending me signs this whole time or what I can even look out for. I do still see repeating numbers often but I think I might have to speak with this psychic as well and be like “hey, this is [mom]’s kid so let’s see if we can get specific because you have my full attention now”

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Me after quitting the grocery store: I’ll probably see less repeating numbers now because I’m not going to be staring at a 24 hour clock on the register anymore. It was probably all coincidental.

The universe, apparently: (makes me roll quadruple nat 1s in DnD, 666 on 2d6 and 1d2, has a package delivered to my mailbox at 11:11 AM, pops up with license plates I drive by with repeating numbers constantly, takes down patient information at work with repetition in their phone numbers)

[art-vvitch]

the moon

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jack grayle, the hekataeon

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2023 Witch's Calendar

For all my witches out there, here's a handy list of the 2023 dates for the major holidays, full and new moons, and special events. I've listed my sources at the bottom. Dates and times for all events are calculated for Eastern Standard Time, USA, Northern Hemisphere. Adjust for your location as needed. Enjoy!

WOTY Holidays and Solstices

February 1-2 - Imbolc

March 20 - Spring Equinox / Ostara

May 1 - Beltane

June 21 - Summer Solstice / Midsummer

August 1 - Lughnasadh

September 23- Autumn Equinox / Mabon

October 31 - Samhain

December 21 - Winter Solstice / Yule

Full Moons

January 6 - Wolf Moon ♑

February 5 - Snow Moon ♒

March 7 - Worm Moon ♓

April 6 - Pink Moon ♈

May 5 - Flower Moon ♉

June 4 - Strawberry Moon ♊

July 3 - Thunder Moon (aka Buck Moon) ♋

August 1 - Sturgeon Moon ♌

August 31 - Blue Moon ♍

September 29- Harvest Moon ♎

October 28 - Hunter's Moon (aka Blood Moon) ♏

November 27 - Frost Moon ♐

December 26 - Cold Moon ♑

Fun Fact: The title of Harvest Moon is given to either the September or October full moon, whichever falls closest to the autumn equinox. In 2023, as in 2022, that month will be September.

New Moons

January 21 ♒

February 20 ♓

March 21 ♈

April 20 ♈

May 19 ♉

June 18 ♊

July 17 ♋

August 16 ♌

September 14 ♍

October 14 ♎

November 13 ♏

December 12 ♐

Special Events

May 5 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

August 30 - Blue Moon

September 29 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

Mercury Retrogrades (in case you need them)

Dec 29, 2022 - Jan 18, 2023

April 21 - May 14

August 23 - September 15

Dec 13, 2023 - January 1, 2024

SOURCES:

Moon Info - Full Moon 2023

Calendar-12.com - Moon Phases 2023

Full Moonology - Full Moon Calendar 2023

Yearly Horoscope - Mercury Retrograde 2023 Dates and Times

Your Zodiac Sign - 2023 Astrology Calendar

The Pagan Grimoire - The Wheel of the Year: The 8 Festivals in the Wiccan Calendar

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[art-vvitch]

memento mori

I pre-ordered the Memento Mori oracle deck ages ago and it was finally delivered today! My initial first reading is similar kinda to readings I’ve been getting across other forms of divination, indicating changes and such... also an animal that keeps coming up for me (raven) made it’s appearance here as well.

1. Woman: a feminine figure in my life, like wife or girlfriend or someone maternal

2. Raven: messenger, bringer of news (good or bad), the hard truth

3. Scissors: a clean start, cut, removal, new independence

4. Crystal ball: clairvoyance, scrying, meditation, seeing spirits

Considering that I just talked with my mom today about her health, I can’t help but immediately think of her for this reading. The order is recent past, present, recent future, and advice from spirit. The scissors don’t really seem to indicate something health wise and I’m newer to oracle reading than tarot, so... more introspection is needed.

[art-vvitch]

A lot of signs I’ve been receiving from readings to repetitive numbers to animal associations have ALL been centered on death+rebirth, and when I thought I had it figured out and what it was pertaining to they still persist! I feel like I’m about to have a spiritual tower moment.

[art-vvitch]

You’re going to be a transphobe and invoke Hekate’s name? Hekate? Hekate Ameibousa?? Lady of crossroads and thresholds and the liminal??? MODERN GODDESS OF OUTCASTS, TRANSFORMATION, COSMIC WORLD SOUL

YOU REALLY THINK SHE GIVES A FUCK??

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Me: (putting out garlic and figs for deipnon) hey sorry this isn't a lot, I've been doing a lot of physically exhausting work for the last 5 days. (shuffles tarot deck)

Cards: 7 of wands reversed

Me: thank you for recognizing my exhaustion

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study notes

I’m doing a dive into Gaulish polytheism and it’s resonating with me in a way that other pantheons have not. The Hellenic pantheon has really been comfortable for me since I started learning about it, and I know that it is an open pantheon for everyone, but I still felt a bit like... a guest. Gaulish polytheism is open for everyone as well but this one feels more like I can solidly learn and grow.

My entry back into paganism started with genealogy actually. Figuring out who my ancestors are, where they’re from, trying to repair the holes that genocide and displacement caused, and also trying to karmaically undo the harm that my (many) colonizer ancestors caused morphed from a hobby into somewhat of a spiritual practice. Gaulish polytheism has ancestor veneration as part of it for a lot of people and I love that.

I do have ancestry in a lot of the regions the Gauls inhabited as well. Genealogy started with my surname and trying to uncover where it was from, and it turns out that we have deep roots in the Lorraine region in France. I’m drawn to wanting to learn particularly about the Dêuoi that were heavily worshipped in this region. Apollo is becoming more and more of a name that is coming up often. 

Current questions that I have:

Gaulish polytheism is a religion and witchcraft is a practice. Are the two compatible? Witchcraft has greatly enriched my life and it’s something I don’t want to stop. (EDIT: they are compatible; look more into soto (magic) and curse tablets)

Do the Dêuoi want or expect permanent shrines in households? What about shrines/dedicated spaces for ancestor veneration?

UPG: The Gauls are an ancient civilization and there are great efforts into recreating the ancient traditions but how much of Gaulish polytheism is made up of UPG as well?

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Just some thoughts about where I’m at. In meditation (when I remember to do it) I contemplate why I’m doing all of this: why do I do genealogy? Why did I pick witchcraft back up again? Why am I devoting a lot of my time, energy, and money into doing these things? My spouse and I are not having children so we won’t have blood descendants to pass any of this down to... if we look at trying to heal generational trauma, I feel like I might be the last one in my family to give it a shot. In this branch, anyway.

I have half cousins who’ve had kids but they’re not at all connected to what I’ve uncovered in that side of the family. My dad’s sister wasn’t interested in the slightest when I gave her the information about what our family survived and didn’t even thank me for what I compiled for her. She was expecting more information about the Mormon side. For my other cousins on my mom’s side, I don’t know if they’ll have kids of their own. One cousin lives half his life in mission trips and is studying nursing, and the other has moved all the way to North Carolina away from our ancestral ties and graduated college. I want to stay in touch with them desperately because I feel like they’re the best shot that exists for maintaining the ancestral knowledge that I’ve been accumulating over the last several years. What I fear is that without that knowledge, then the genocide won.

I contemplate liminality a lot given that I work with Hekate. For a while, I wasn’t sure why her presence was in my life but then I look at how I also tend to occupy the in-between spaces: Fire and water in my big three. I’m non-binary. I am both a sibling and an only child. I have colonized and colonizer in my family tree. I’m talented and skilled but not the star of the show and instead tend to kind of like... lead people to their own conclusions and self-discoveries. I’ve been cited as the friend that helped other friends realize their own gender identities by the fact that I just exist. I’ve been trying to become comfortable in the knowledge that as we all die we will all be forgotten and being forgotten, frankly, has been my biggest fear.

That’s the part that gets me coming back to these questions: Why do I do all of this? If we’re all forgotten in the end, why have I been putting in so much of these efforts to preserve the names and histories of people who have died ages ago? What am I trying to heal if I am the dead end? If reincarnation is a thing, I’m banking on the hope that the energy I invest into this lifetime can carry over to the next and that maybe our souls--whatever you want to call them--can be ready for the next stage.

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queering witchcraft is enchanting my giant pride pin that I wear on my work apron to also be a baneful protective amulet