chthonic-witch-blog

[chthonic-witch-blog]

A Bit Bout Yule

Hey lovely witches, Yule is almost upon us so here are just a few things about Yule that I would consider useful for everyone

❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄

Also known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, the sun’s “rebirth” was celebrated with much joy. On this night, our ancestors celebrated the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth. From this day forward, the days would become longer.

Symbols of Yule:

Yule log, or small Yule log with 3 candles, evergreen boughs or wreaths, holly, mistletoe hung in doorways, gold pillar candles, baskets of clove studded fruit, a simmering pot of wassail, poinsettias, christmas cactus.

Herbs of Yule:

Bayberry, blessed thistle, evergreen, frankincense holly, laurel, mistletoe, oak, pine, sage, yellow cedar.

Foods of Yule:

Cookies and caraway cakes soaked in cider, fruits, nuts, pork dishes, turkey, eggnog, ginger tea, spiced cider, wassail, or lamb’s wool (ale, sugar, nutmeg, roasted apples).

Incense of Yule:

Pine, cedar, bayberry, cinnamon.

Colors of Yule:

Red, green, gold, white, silver, yellow, orange.

Stones of Yule:

Rubies, bloodstones, garnets, emeralds, diamonds.

Activities of Yule:

Caroling, burning the Yule log, decorating the Yule tree, exchanging of presents, kissing under the mistletoe

Best spells during Yule:

Peace, harmony, love, and increased happiness.

Deities of Yule:

Goddesses-Brighid, Isis, Demeter, Gaea, Diana, The Great Mother. Gods-Apollo, Ra, Odin, Lugh, The Oak King, The Horned One, The Green Man, The Divine Child, Mabon.

❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄

[chthonic-witch-blog]

Tips for the Dark Half of the Year

Winter is coming quickly. A lot of people see this time of year as bleak, depressing, or just boring. Here are some tips to stay attuned to nature during these months.

❄️ Go outside. Even if it’s cold, the trees are bare, and the only colors are muted and dull. We often think that summer is the only time to enjoy the outdoors—the only time to hike, meditate outside, etc. In winter, there are no lush green trees or balmy days filled with sunshine and the smell of flowers. While summer is intoxicating, winter is a time to contemplate and reflect. Go outside. Feel the cold. Feel the mud and the dead grass and the chilly wind. Listen to how quiet it is. Understand that the dark half of the year is a time of silence, stillness, and death. It’s natural to have an aversion to these things, but take some time to sit down and just listen. Breathe. Feel the reality of silence and death around you. It’s a sobering experience, but also a very insightful one. If you have any fear of death or quiet, now is the time to go sit with those things as they appear in nature and just meditate with them.

❄️ Eat cozy foods. It’s cold outside—warm up with hearty soups, stews, homemade bread, and root veggies. Warm spices and hot drinks will keep you feeling grounded. This is a wonderful time of year to practice kitchen witchcraft—focus on coziness, family, protection, and rest.

❄️ Study magic! The Dark Half of the year is devoted to self-reflection, rest, and contemplation. Snuggle up indoors with a fluffy blanket and devote some time to studying magic and witchcraft with a hot cup of magically-brewed tea.

❄️ Think spirits are sleeping along with all the greenery? Think again! The Dark Half of the year, in many cultures and spiritual traditions, is considered extremely spiritually active. Deities like Odin, Berchta, Hekate, and spirits such as elves and ghosts are very active this time of year. You can choose to honor them if you want, or practice various spirit-working techniques. If you’re into necromancy or divination, this is a wonderful time of year for those things.

❄️ Be kind to local wildlife by installing things like bird feeders outside your home. We modern humans may have an easy time of it in winter, but animals struggle to survive during these months. Any bit of kindness will be much appreciated.

❄️ Nurture your fire energy. During winter, it’s easy to internalize the cold and take on its characteristics—sluggishness, sleepiness, a foggy-headed feeling. Some crystals that are great for winter include golden rutilated quartz (aka Venus hair), citrine, carnelian, obsidian, and garnet. All of these crystals contain a strong fire element as well as offer grounding qualities, mental clarity, and protection.

❄️ Go out and forage for magical ingredients! Melted snow is extremely purifying and can be incorporated into spells for purification and cleansing. Icicles can serve as temporary wands, especially in spells that require a strong water element. The ash from bonfires (or hearth fires) can be used to make black salt. Fallen branches can be crafted into wands. There may be nothing growing this time of year, but you can get creative and still find magical ingredients in unexpected places. Just be respectful and don’t collect from places where it’s illegal!

This is by no means a comprehensive list—these are just some ways I’ve celebrated the colder months. I hope they’re helpful in any way!

[chthonic-witch-blog]

🌙 deity devotion journals

if you’re anything like me, the desire to meet and communicate with a new deity might be stunted by the idea of actually, ya know, communicating. whatever the reason (you don’t use divination, cant speak aloud, are afraid of being overheard, can’t meditate easily, etc.), initiating contact with deities can seem intimidating, and might even deter you from following the god or pantheon at all. but rest assured, there are easier and more discreet methods of talking, other than whipping out a dozen tarot decks and chanting pagan prayers

💫Why a Devotional Journal? What Is It?

devotional journals are journals dedicated to a specific deity or pantheon, where you can write messages, prayers, questions, or anything else you’d like to speak with Them about. i like to think of these journals like writing letters to a good friend- except your good friend is also a god!

☀️Beginning a Devotional Journal

depending on personal preference, this can be as intricate or as simple as you please. if you feel inclined to introduce yourself, explain what you’re doing or why you’re keeping a journal, or anything else, then feel free to! when i started mine i kept it as easy as writing “dear Apollo,” in a composition notebook, then explained my reasons and goals for keeping a journal specifically for Him. so honestly? go wild

⚡️What To Put in a Devotional Journal

prayers

Their name written in its orignal language

stories about your day

your relationship goals

tarot spreads for/to Them

song lyrics

poetry

hymns

Their family tree

things like the delphic maxims (hellenic) or 10 commandments (christian)

pressed flowers

printed pictures of what They look like to you

artwork

a list of things you associate with Them

gratitudes

what your altar to Them looks like (or what you wish it could look like)

messages you’ve received from Them

devotional acts

sigils/runes/etc

Their symbols

Their myths and lore

offering ideas

Their sacred animals, plants, cities, etc

famous works about Them

if you can think of anything else to put in a devotion journal, please feel free to add on! no matter how crazily beautiful or inconspicuously simple you make yours, the important thing to remember is your gods appreciate all efforts to strengthen your relationship with Them

-Mason Lane

[chthonic-witch-blog]

Mundane witch tips!

-when you’re about to sneeze, picture the negative energy going out of you

-when showering, take in that energy from the water! Water contains lots of energy!

-don’t have time to/forget to bless your tea when you make it? Bless the box of teabags with the intent on the energy being released when the tea is brewed bing bang you’re done, time saved

-GROUND YOURSELF ONCE A DAY MINIMUM, TRUST ME

-enchant you’re jewelry for whatever mood or purpose you’re feeling that day

-cleanse your crystals every once in a while

-meditate for five minutes when you are feeling bored

-for my witches who wear glasses, put a spell on them to prevent you from dropping them!

-send a little positive energy into a pen at a bank/office so when the next person picks it up they get a little pick me up, for a little pay-it-forward kindness 

-glamours are great spells to put into sunglasses

-brush yourself to rid of negative energy when you’re feeling stressed

-put a lil essential oil in whatever school textbook you dread most to help you feel more positive towards the subject

-protect yourself daily, especially my empaths out there!

-touch your tarot deck/ shuffle it to stay in tune with it’s and your energy even if you don’t do a reading that day

-sigils on shaving razors so that you won’t cut yourself while shaving

-open your third eye when divining

-pick up those heads up pennies you find for good luck

hope this helps! feel free to add something! (Just give me credit and don’t delete my tags when reblogging) 

[chthonic-witch-blog]

Put flowers on the graves of children (headstones with lambs are my favorite) as part of my Samhain celebration. The air was cool and crisp, the leaves were golden, the sun was warm, and there was a peace and excitement of discovery in the vacant cemetery. I felt like I was the only one there.

[chthonic-witch-blog]

A beautiful fall day at Loudon Park Cemetery. Took these photographs as part of my Samhain celebration.

[chthonic-witch-blog]

Some shots from the cemetery today. Love that the fall colors are coming through! (Loudon Park Cemetery)

[chthonic-witch-blog]

Some shots from the cemetery today. Love that the fall colors are coming through! (Loudon Park Cemetery)

[chthonic-witch-blog]

Some shots from the cemetery today. Love that the fall colors are coming through! (Loudon Park Cemetery)

[chthonic-witch-blog]

Got a besom at the MD Rennaisance Festival this year that my sister and I will be using on our household altar. #besom #witch #witchcraft #deathwitch #rennfest #mdrennfest (at Maryland Renaissance Festival) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpVs5iiAWBN/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=i0cb69omivww

[chthonic-witch-blog]

Sunset on a lovely figure at Loudon Park. #cemetery #graveyard #headstone #tombstone #gravestone #angel #sculpture #deathwitch (at Loudon Park Cemetery) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpVstRWAgSD/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1fzhy5jk0slne

[chthonic-witch-blog]

Some shots from the cemetery today. Love that the fall colors are coming through! (Loudon Park Cemetery)

[chthonic-witch-blog]

Some shots from the cemetery today. Love that the fall colors are coming through! (Loudon Park Cemetery)

[chthonic-witch-blog]

Praying mantis buddy from a cemetery visit today. He was super active and looked right at me after I took this photo! I'll be doing some research into mantis associations but it's been hard to find anything thus far. To me they represent power, grace, and determination. They are lovely creatures. #mantis #prayingmantis #deathwitch #cemetery #headstone #graveyard #tombstone #gravestone #necromancy https://www.instagram.com/p/BpTVbpwARsj/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=6oh08bvwk7ib

[chthonic-witch-blog]

[chthonic-witch-blog]

[chthonic-witch-blog]