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Rebel Witch

I got a new book the other day which has re-sparked my desires to study wicca again, i go through these lulls of wanting to read and learn and share and going off the grid. Now I have not read much of this book that is titled Rebel Witch . but I have found one exercise to be the most intriguing. To create a time line of ones life and how the word witch effected you.

0-5 I want to say most my understanding was fairy tails and most witches were in fact these bad creatures.

5-10 a lot of sailor moon input and again witches were bad, till about the time i got a Barbie witch who was just the cream of the crop beautiful in here green clothing and red hair, that is when i started to go yeah i want to be this, with those cat like eyes.

10-15 is where I am going to say my understand started to change more drawn by more then just the ascetic appeal of a doll. I have always been a reader so I can only guess that some form of book became responsible for this change.

15-20 . Around this time frame a lot of us women are finding out who we are and breaking from the path, high school I wore a lot of black and went goth and started to learn about the Salem witch trials and all the pain that went into that, along with a girl scout trip to Salem. All this did was wet my apatite and my grandmother became angry as i started to explore religions and wanting to find where I fit. for the peace of mind I let the religion that interested me the most fall to the way side and just didn’t practice anything at all.

20-25 I begun to learn that I can not make people happy but I can make myself happy and i started to study once more in secrets of sorts, My mother knew but was not okay with it, which is an interesting place to be when she buys you the books and tarot cards. It came with the warning of don’t speak with your grandmother about this, I know 20 and my mom bought me stuff. We are close and always have been and I count her willingness to purchase me things as a true gift.

25-30 This is where I am now, studying and not, expressing and yet not, my husband supports me and is apart of my journey but this is ultimately a journey we all take alone.

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Hecate

Hecate Greek Goddess of Witchcraft: A Complete Guide (2021) (mythologysource.com)

Associated with witchcraft and the occult and even necromancy Hecate is misunderstood and Mysterious. Shakespeare is one author who has made her name connected with dark magic and some disturbing rituals.

She was seen as a goddess of magic and the underworld in Greek mythology along with the protector of the home and a guardian of borders. She has an association with some of the most respected goddesses on Olympus. Hecate’s powers tended to be changeable and unexplained. Hecate like most of the pantheon predates the written mythology of Greece.

The stories that were passed by an oral tradition often changed and there is evidence of this in Hecate’s story.

“Some scholars of ancient Greek religion have noted that Apollo was occasionally given the name Hecatos, which they interpret to mean “one who reaches far.” These academics believe that Hecate, therefore, may have once been another name for Apollo’s twin sister, Artemis. As the worship of Artemis evolved over time, the Greeks began to focus more on her purity and positive aspects. The aspects of the goddess that had darker connotations were separated from her to create another goddess altogether in the character of Hecate.”- Greenberg, B. M.

 There are many other goddesses that Hecate has had parallels drawn to, some compare her to a sun goddess from before the Greek era, along with the Egyptian goddess Heqet.

There is also a discrepancy in the parental line of Hecate, from Titans, to Zeus, to her being a princess of Iphigenia who was saved from death by Artemis then turned into a goddess.

 Depicted as holding two torches are the statues that you could find by gates and near crossroads. She was known to be one of the only goddesses who could freely move between life and death. She held the keys to the underworld and could control the passage of others.

Due to the fact she was associated with borders Hecate took on a more protective role. She was said to watch over the passages into homes, cities and even states.

 “One of her epithets, Apotropaia, references the protection she gave in these spaces. From the Greek word for “to turn away,” apotropaic magic is that which defends by turning away evil or harm.”

 A Black dog was her frequent animal companion. One story is that Hecate brought Hecuba the queen of the fallen city Troy back to life after she leapt to her death and then kept her as her companion. This act along with giving aid to Demeter while she searched for Persephone where two key tails that showed the compassion that Hecate had. There are also other stories but some of those have the reverse as well such as the story of how Hecate became associated with a pole cat.

As early as the 5th century bc hekataion were the standard of showing the goddess in statue form. Hecate became a three-form goddess not the first and not the only in Greek mythology along with other forms. The fates, the charities, the horai, the norns, Brigid, the Matres, the Morrigan, Zoya and The Tridevi to name a few. The three forms are mostly described as the maiden the mother and the crone to show the correspondence with a woman’s life cycle.

 “In literature, there is a clear link between her, Demeter, and Persephone. When Persephone was abducted to the underworld by Hades, Hecate was the only witness willing to help Demeter search for her daughter. When the marriage of Persephone was finalized and she became the queen of the underworld, the bond between the three goddesses was strengthened. Demeter descended to the underworld every spring to bring her daughter back to the surface, making the three goddesses share an association with the underworld.”- Greenberg, B. M.

 These three goddesses are also linked in the Mystery cults. As goddesses that straddled the boundary between this world and the afterlife, they were believed to be the keys to uncovering the secrets of what lay beyond that boundary.

There is a belief, therefore, that the three goddesses may be aspects of a singular, earlier deity. They are sometimes represented with the familiar aspects of the maiden, mother, and crone.

 Greenberg, B. M. (2021, April 26). Hecate Greek goddess of witchcraft: The complete guide. MythologySource. https://mythologysource.com/hecate-greek-goddess/.

Hekate (Hecate) - Deity Spotlight - YouTube

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Ostara was last weekend and I celebrated in the best way I could find. I ate eggs in the morning with my husband and saved the shells. Later that night we wrote our intentions for the season on the shells and then put them in the bottom of a pot and covered them with dirt before we added seeds and planted flowers. 

Here is to hoping our intentions grow with the flowers!

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The holiday that celebrates the time of going from cold to warm, of new life and of hope in the growth of the world.

For wiccans one can adapt their alter to have a spring feel with rabbits and eggs, use a guided meditation to ground your self and become in sync with nature once again after such a long time inside.

More to come!

All About Ostara, the Spring Equinox (learnreligions.com)

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Ale Wives and how they became the stereotypical witch

 Making ale was originally the job of a woman. Due to the fact it was one task found in the kitchen and the kitchen was where woman belonged. Woman made bread, planted herbs, ground grain, and boiled the grains in the cauldron over a fire.

It was not uncommon for woman to utilize their children in the brewing endeavors. Widowed mothers were well known for partaking in this.  She could monitor her children rather then send them to school she would ensure her children would stay out of trouble while earning the family money.

What makes this a witch thing?

Well the garb of the ale wife became associated with that of witched due to the fact the church started to frown on the woman to earning money and having independence.

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I find myself again sharing a tale of the gods.

Hyacinth or Hyacinthus was one of Apollo's male lovers. He was a Spartan prince, beautiful and athletic. The pair was practicing throwing the discus when a discus thrown by Apollo was blown off course by the jealous Zephyrus and struck Hyacinthus in the head, killing him instantly. Apollo is said to be filled with grief: out of Hyacinthus' blood, Apollo created a flower named after him as a memorial to his death, and his tears stained the flower petals with άί άί, meaning alas. The Festival of Hyacinthus was a celebration of Sparta.

Another male lover was Cyparissus, a descendant of Heracles. Apollo gave him a tame deer as a companion but Cyparissus accidentally killed it with a javelin as it lay asleep in the undergrowth. Cyparissus asked Apollo to let his tears fall forever. Apollo granted the request by turning him into the Cypress named after him, which was said to be a sad tree because the sap forms droplets like tears on the trunk

Apollo - Mythology - Consorts and Children - Male Lovers (liquisearch.com)

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I had someone request my thoughts on candle magic recently. To be honest I have not fallowed any existing spells or fallowed the cleanse and anointing for candles.

I have acknowledged all elements and lit a candle as the element of fire then sat and stared at the flame allowing it to lull me before I wrote my desires my intent on a slip of paper then used that flame to burn it. Leaving it in the cauldron to become ash then giving that ash to the land and air and night time dew.

I feel like this is such a powerful form of magic. I have had luck useing it to help me in my life and I also truly feel that there is no way for one to screw up magic because it is so personal to the one casting it.

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I AM LOVING MYTHOS. Why because I am learning amazing greek mythology. Like that which helps us understand that transgender ideas existed back then.

When Galatea was pregnant, Lamprus told her he would only accept the child if it was male, but Galatea gave birth to a daughter while Lamprus was away pasturing his cattle. Following the advice of seers, Galatea gave her daughter a masculine name, Leucippus, and told Lamprus that she had given birth to a son. Leucippus was raised as a boy, but as she reached the age of adolescence, it was becoming difficult to conceal her true sex, so Galatea went to the sanctuary of Leto and prayed that her daughter may be changed into a son, invoking a series of mythical examples of magical sex change, such as the story of Caeneus, Teiresias, Hypermnestra (otherwise known as Mnestra) who sold herself as a woman and then changed into a man to return home, and Sypretes of Crete who transformed into a woman to see Artemis bathing. Leto took pity on Galatea and changed Leucippus' sex to male. In commemoration of this event, people of Phaestus surnamed Leto Phytia (from Greek φύω "to grow"), because she let Leucippus grow a penis, and established a feast in honor of Leto, which was called Ecdysia (from Greek ἑκδύω "to undress"), because Leucippus got rid of woman's clothes after his transformation. It was a custom for women of Phaestus to lie next to the statue of Leucippus before their wedding.[1]

The story of Leucippus is similar to that of Iphis the daughter of Ligdus and Telethusa.

-Wikipedia

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Listening to the adio book mythos allowed me to learn this interesting myth.

On the occasion of his wedding with Hera, “Zeus issued a challenge: whoever could devise the best and most original wedding dish could ask any favour of him… The winner was the seemingly modest submission of a shy little creature named Melissa [whose] name for it was honey”. And the reward? “Zeus said, ‘from this moment forward the gathering of your honey will be made easier by my decree that you shall not labour alone. You will be queen of a whole colony, a whole swarm of productive subjects. Furthermore, I shall grant you a fatal and painful sting.’ … ‘But,’ Zeus continued, ‘while it will bring a sharp pain to the one you sting, it is to you and your kind that it will bring death.” ~Stephen fry, mythos

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I am an avid reader along with a wiccan and this series of fictional novels was amazing to me. Whike magic exixts in the world it is in two forms. For witches it is about intentions and working in much the same way that we in the real world work magic.

Then there is another form of magic that in which we normally think of the unexplainable form, that of a genie.

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A witchy woman is till a woman and sometimes you can have an amazing experience embracing your self. Mind you this is not me in the photo but let me tell you of an adventure I went on. I planned a surprise for my husband that is me doing a Boudoir photoshoot. This is the first time I have seen myself in false lashes and this was the first time I have ever felt so very powerful and sexy all at the same time. I felt beautiful and like I was capable of anything. Including standing in four inch leather heels something I have never done. It is amazing let me tell you I left with a sense of confidence I haven’t felt in ever.

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Alcyone

There are two versions of Alcyone, one version has her as the nymph daughter of the titan atlas and a sea nymph Pleione. The second has her as the daughter of Aeolus (god of winds) and his lover Enarete.  The is some overlap in the stories making it hard to tell them apart.

Alcyone is one of seven daughters who are named the Pleiades, a group of mountain nymph companies of the goddess of the hunt, Artemis. All of them share the same father, titan Atlas. Not all stories name their mother but the most commonly brought up is the sea nymph Pleione. She is the second born of the Pleiades sisters and also considered their leader, however there are other accounts that the eldest sister, Maia, is the leader instead.

After gaining the attention of the god of the sea, POSEIDON, she had several children with him. Their names are Hyrieus, Hyperenor, Aethusa, Hyperes, Anthas and Epopeus.

When the sisters were chased by the mortal hunter Orion for their beauty, Artemis begged with Zeus to step in to help. Instead of offering support to the nymphs, he turned them into doves and they fled into the heavens, well beyond Orion’s reach but also no longer Artemis’s companions. In rage over losing her friends, the goddess killed the hunter Orion with a scorpion after persuading her brother Apollo. That act offended Zeus, who then placed the dead hunter among the stars to pursue the Pleiades for all of eternity, where the constellations are seen today. Of all the Pleiades stars, Alcyone shines 1,000 times more luminous. At one point Maia shone brighter than Alcyone, but that is no longer the case; Alcyone is 1,000 times more luminous. Some say it represents sibling rivalry.

Alcyone is also mentioned as the daughter of the god of wind, AEOLUS with the woman Enarete. She married Ceyx, King of Thessaly and the son of the Morning Star (the planet Venus) Phosphorus. Their love and devotion for one another and their immense physical beauty earned the admiration of both the gods and mortals alike. Being so in-love and happy with their marriage, they playfully called one another Zeus and Hera. Insulted by their words, Zeus decided it was necessary to punish the husband and wife. He waited until the time was right.

Ceyx still mourned the death of his brother Daedalion. While telling the story of his brother’s fate, a servant interrupted by warning Ceyx of a wild wolf attacking his people and cattle. Viewing this as an ominous sign, he decided to go across the sea to visit the oracle of APOLLO. Knowing not even her father Aeolus maintained full control over the fury of the winds, Alcyone begged her husband to take her along. Ceyx refused and left without her. It was then when Zeus decided to strike. The thunderbolt that he threw created a massive storm and pulled Ceyx’s ship into it. Knowing he was on the brink of dying, he prayed to the gods that Alcyone would find his body on the shore so that she could perform the funeral rites.

Each day Alcyone prayed to Hera for her husband’s safe return. Knowing that Alcyone truly loved her husband, Hera sent the god of sleep, Hypnos to appear to her in her dreams. She learned of her husband’s fate and in desperation, ran out to the coast where she found Ceyx’s body. Unable to contain her grief, she jumped into the water to her death. The gods took pity upon the couple for their undying love for one another and to atone for his impulsive action, Zeus turned them into the kingfisher (Halcyon) birds.

When someone brings up the “halcyon days,” it comes from the myth of Alcyone and Ceyx. According to legend, a few weeks every January is when Aeolus calms the winds enough for the waves to die down so that Alcyone, as a bird, can safely make her nest. Halcyon days are a period of peace and calm.

While this Alcyone and the Pleiades Alcyone appear to be separate people, their stories may be related. In 2000 BCE, a time where ancient astronomy was at its peak, there are records that the Pleiades came up nearly four hours earlier than they usually do today for that same time of the year. They were also overhead on the night of the winter solstice when the Halcyon birds supposedly nested. That, along with the sun during the spring equinox, may have something to do with their association of the cluster of birds who symbolize life and renewal.

               <a href="https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/goddesses/alcyone/">Alcyone: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net</a> - Greek Gods & Goddesses, October 21, 2019

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Achelois (pronounced “A-khe-LO-ees”) was a minor Greek goddess from ancient times. She was one of the deities, many of them female, identified with the moon and its monthly cycle. Achelois has been translated in English as “she who washes away pain”, and she was often looked to by the ancient Greeks as a source of comfort and healing.

Achelois was associated with the oracle at Dodona, located in the Epirus region of northwestern Greece. The Dodonian Oracle is widely believed to be one of the oldest Hellenic (Greek) oracles. Oracles acted as intermediaries between people and gods, and were viewed by many as the means by which the gods could speak directly with humans. Homer, famous for writing the Iliad and the Odyssey, chronicled the Dodonian Oracle which dates back as far as 2,000 BCE.

While the Dodonian Oracle was known for its association with major Greek deities, including ZEUS, the king of the gods on Mt. Olympus, the oracle also frequently directed that sacrifices should be made to Achelois. These sacrifices were meant to act as a request for her assistance in curing illness.

Achelois Facts

in order to receive word from the gods, such as an order to make sacrifice to Achelois, a priest or priestess at the Dodonian Oracle might listen to the rustling of oak leaves, or the chiming sounds of bronze pieces hung from tree branches, similar to the wind chimes we know today

According to Greek poet Tzetzes, Achelois was one of the Muses, a group of goddesses dedicated to inspiring literature, science and the arts. Alternatively, she is said to be the daughter of Asclepius, god of medicine, and Epione, goddess of the soothing of pain

Achelois is also thought to be the surname, or family name, of the Sirens, daughters of the river god Achelous. The Sirens famously lured sailors toward the rocky coastline, leading to many shipwrecks

Achelois further serves as a general name for water nymphs, minor female nature deities

               <a href="https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/goddesses/achelois/">Achelois: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net</a> - Greek Gods & Goddesses, June 12, 2018

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confessions of an empath witch

I confess I may seem cold. 

I confess I am tired and I need more then a nap to deal with this. 

you are here and your emotions are wild, I can lay next to you and feel the hurt and anger the anxiety and the sadness. I am feeling what you are because I forgot how to put up a wall in my own home. 

I confess I get angry that I must do this, you do not know your emotions are loud and I am hearing them clear as day feeling them like they are my own. If I say something you bottle up and shut me out for my own good. 

I am an empath and I must confess I love and hate it all so much. 

I confess I need time alone with out you in the house pacing about.

I confess I need to reset cleanse myself and ground myself in myself see what I am really feeling as you hurt so deep telling me how much you love me and how you don’t show it like I do which leaves me confused. 

I am an empath witch who sits alone inhaling the sweet scent of incense letting them alter my mood bring comfort and peace. 

I must confess I lie awake staring at the celling long after you have fallen asleep enjoying you near but with you shut down for the night.  Like a robot I have unplugged allowing you to reset before a new day arises.

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Grounding

Grounding is about more then witchcraft and witchy things. It can help with anxiety, ptsd, disassociation, self harm urges, traumatic memories, and substance abuse.

Physical techniques

1. Put hands in water of different temperatures, warm to cold, cold to warm. I have pushed my hands into snow to snapp myself out of an anxiety attack so this really can work. Concentrate on how tge temperatures makes you feel.

2. Touch items, feel how heavy or light they are, cold or warm, soft or hard.

3. Breathing, sometimes if you work on your breathing it can help. Concentrate on how it feels to breathe in and out. Think in and out as you breath.

4. Food and drink. Concentrate on how small bites and sips taste or feel. Also sour things can reset the brain for anxiety issues.

5. Walks, concentrate on how your foot falls feel, what is your rhythm, if able to go bare foot do so feel the grass between your toes.

6. Listen to your surroundings. Close your eyes and just listen as you breath.

7. Feel your body, close your eyes and start at your toes slowly scan up your body and acknowledge how different parts feel. Legs, stomach, chest, arms,hands, fingers, neck, head.

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Imbolc

A holiday that occurs between February 1st and 2nd. IT is traditionally a festival honoring Brigid who so loved in pagan worship was woven into the Christian church as a saint. She is the goddess of health along with poetry ,smith craft and fire.  This is the time to clear out the old and make way for new beginnings as we wait for spring.

Snowdrops, swan feathers Brigid cross, bridey doll and white and green candles are all suggested for the alter around this time of the year.

Brigid Crosses are traditionally made from reeds but can be made from several alternatives so long as they are pliable. Here in Glastonbury we have often used willow which grows plentifully on the Somerset Levels and also because of its symbolism. It needs a long soaking and is perhaps not the easiest to work with but makes a wonderful cross. Go for a walk, see what you can find in the hedgerows and on the river banks, use straws or even cut long strips of paper.

Begin by bending your reeds and hooking them into each other as in the first figure and follow the diagram. When it is the size you want it to be you will need to tie the four ends, the four quarters - with string, thread, ribbon etc. Decorate the completed cross with ribbons and swan feathers if you have them - whatever is meaningful for you.

Some of the symbols attributed to Brigid are:

The Snowdrop. The first gift of Spring in the bleakness of Winter.

The Swan. The swan mates for life and represents loyalty, fidelity and faithfulness. Swan feathers are a powerful amulet.

The Flame. Imbolc is a Fire Festival and fire of all kinds is associated with Brigid - the fire of creativity, the protective hearth fire, and her fire wheel - the Brigid Cross, which heralds her as a Sun Goddess.

Brigid's Cross. This is a traditional fire wheel symbol - found at the hearths of homes throughout Ireland and beyond as a symbol of protection. A customer in the shop recounted finding a hearth in Ireland, in recent years, adorned with over 200 Brigid Crosses - 200 years in the life of a hearth and a family, overlit and protected by Brigid.

Brigid Doll. A very old tradition involved the making of a Brigid doll which can be included in ceremony and/or placed in 'Bride's Bed' to bring fertility and good fortune to the home.

The Serpent. In Celtic mythology Brigid was associated with an awakening hibernating serpent which emerged from its lair at Imbolc. Traditionally serpents were associated with creativity and inspiration - the powerful Kundalini energy of the Eastern Mysteries. Paths of earth energy were called serpent paths and at Imbolc they are stirred from their slumber.

Sheep. Brigid's festival is at the beginning of lambing - eat ewe's milk cheese!

Imbolc Colours: White and silver for purity, green for the fresh burst of life.

 Herbs of Imbolc

Blackberry: Sacred to Brigid, the leaves and berries are used to attract prosperity and healing. A Goddess plant, belonging to the planetary sphere of Venus.

Coltsfoot: Coltsfoot or 'sponnc' (Gaelic) is a herb associated with Brigid. A herb of Venus, moves emotional and physical stagnation and is used magically to engender love and to bring peace.

Ginger: revitalises and stimulates the 'fire within' - helps alignment with the rise of Kundalini serpent energy at this time of year!

Trees of Imbolc

Rowan: Luis, or the Rowan, is the tree usually assigned to this time of year in the Celtic (Ogham) Tree Alphabet. It has long associations with the Maiden aspect of the Triple Goddess. It is also known as the 'Quickening Tree' and is associated with serpents. Traditionally it protects and wards of evil. A sprig of Rowan can be put near the door of your home (we have a whole tree), or a sprig worn for protection. Rowan berries have a tiny five-pointed star on the bottom reminiscent of the pentagram.

Willow: The fourth tree in the Celtic Tree alphabet - S Saille, is also long associated with the Maiden aspect of the Triple Goddess. Willow is the great 'shape shifter' of consciousness and emotion and symbolises feminine energy and the lunar cycle. Its branches are flexible - expressing movement and change rather than resistance. It is a tree of enchantment and dreaming, enhancing the confidence to follow one's intuition, and inspires leaps of imagination.

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Athena

 I have been having this goddess come to my mind quite a lot in the last week.

Athena

Greek goddess of wisdom, courage inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic warfare mathematics, strength, strategy , the arts, crafts, and skill.

She is known for her strategic skill in warfare and is often portrayed as companions of heroes. She is also considered the patron goddess of heroic endeavors.

She was born from Zeus after he experienced an enormous headache, and she sprang fully grown and in armor from his forehead. She has no mother, but a commonly cited story says Zeus may have lain with Metis a goddess of crafty thought and wisdom who he then swallowed out of fear that she would birth a child who would be more powerful than he. But Athena already conceived just continued to live and grow.

She is the female counterpart to Ares, she was said to be Zeus’s favorite child, she is known to be a fierce and ruthless warrior, angry and unforgiving at times. Striking Ajax’s with madness during the Trojan war. She was also the goddess of cities.

Some say she was praised for her compassion and generosity. Zeus trusted her to wield the aegis and his thunderbolts. She is known as the gray-eyed goddess. She turned a weaver into a spider a priestess into a gorgon. She is one of three virgin goddesses never having born a child but did have a foster child.  She fought against Paris in the trojan war.

               <a href="https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/goddesses/athena/">Athena: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net</a> - Greek Gods & Goddesses, September 19, 2014