indigoshell

[indigoshell]

♡    olympians  ♡ artemis

for she may be alone in heart, but in spirit she is plentiful

[indigoshell]

Prepping for a Ritual

So since I am doing these things as we speak I thought I would go through some ritual things that I find useful, for anyone that feels overwhelmed or unprepared for ritual work. I know tumblr and tiktok have pushed a lot of easy jar spells on us, but there really is something more to a ritual setting, even a simple one. And as it goes without saying, this is my personal idea of a guide and everyone is entitled to their own opinion and practice.

Get your supplies ready the day before the ritual. ESPECIALLY if you are going outside/somewhere outside your home. Collect all the things you will need and put them together. This will give you a day to remember all the things you forgot before it's time, instead of in the middle of your ritual

Choose what you are going to wear the day before, too. Some people take aesthetic very seriously but others dont. Either way, give some thought to what you are wearing. Is that crystal necklace good for what you are doing? Are those pants comfortable enough to sit for 30 minutes in? Comfortability is just as important as presentation for ritual, so dont wear that corset that hurts you after 15 minutes. You will need to focus on more important things.

Foot wear is also super underrated. Are you hiking 10 minutes into the forest to find a ritual spot? Wear boots. Are you in your house and want to go barefoot? Make absolutely sure you are not going to step on a ritual tool and make yourself bleed, or curse to some gods about the existence of legos in the middle of your ritual

Make some stuff for a cleansing/power bath. I usually assemble ingredients and things day before, then go to bed, and do a quick ritual bath before the actual ritual. Steep a hair rinse or charm a fancy body wash before hand so you dont have to focus on that spell, too.

Do a tarot reading/your preferred divination, before bed the day before you do a ritual. It can be quick or extensive, it doesnt matter. But it can be good to get some guidance before you are gearing up for a spell or ritual, and have some time to think about it before you are minutes away from it.

Prepare food and water, once again especially if you are going outside. Rituals can take a lot out of you depending on what you are doing, and food and drink are very easy and quick ways to help ground yourself if you are shaky or need help coming back to a relaxed state. If you are struggling, boiling pasta or microwaving stuff is the last thing on your mind, or maybe even your ability. So have some fruit snacks or granola bars or cookies or something-- easy to take and easy to eat-- with you. Trust me, this is more important than a lot of people realize. It's a good after-ritual practice and one you should be ready for

Think about your intent and purpose. Set aside some time day-before to do this, maybe 30 min to 1 hr I would say. Maybe make an entry in your BOS if you are the journaling type. This serves 2 functions: one is to charge your intent before the spell. It will give you more oomph and precision in your spell casting, or more prepared behavior if you are speaking to gods. Think about what you want to ask them, what you want them to know, how much respect you should give them, or what they may ask of you. What are you willing to do for them, and what are you not?

The second function is that it gives you time to back out of something. Not all spells are meant to be cast, and especially not if you are in a high emotion before it. Give yourself a day to prepare, an hour to think over, why am I doing this? SHOULD I be doing this even? There is nothing wrong with changing your mind. Doing things impulsively in magic isn't typically beneficial to the caster most of the time. Think through potential consequences, too. How could it back fire? How could it go right but in the wrong way? Is there a better way to get what you want? Can you add a caveat, or a time limit on the spell? Are you using parts of a closed practice and not really thought about it before now?

If you are doing spell work in the out-of-your-house-space-land, even if it is just like, in your appartment parking lot, the park down the street or even your own backyard, make sure someone somewhere knows about it. I know not everyone is out of the broom closet, but even if you just have to tell your friends you are stargazing or something, make sure SOMEONE knows and has a check in time for you. There are creeps and terrible people everywhere, and not to spook anybody, but doing magic can often attract animals or any assortment of beings who want to watch/investigate you. I have been given a heart attack by a baby antelope at dawn before. I have also been given a heart attack by a forest spirit asking wtf I was doing there. I know it doesnt exactly feel witchy to have your cellphone crammed in your waistband, but trust me, better safe than sorry. Be it humans or otherwise, doing magic in the dark in total secret is just not realistic to your safety. Take someone with you and have them wait in the car or around the corner if you can. Once again, make sure someone, somewhere, has a set time to call or come get you in, incase you get kidnapped or fae-napped. Your wellbeing is a much higher priority than any magic spell.

Also familiarize yourself with nearby wildlife. Even if you are in the city, check out what raccoon eyes look like in flashlight, or maybe if your suburb is prone to stray cats or dogs. Check out a rabies registry as well, so you know what kind of risk you are looking at around such animals. Rabid animals are actually more prone to being unafraid of human contact and will readily let a person touch them. Do NOT interact with wild animals. No, they are not a sign or a gift from your god. Most animals are curious about magic in general, but that doesnt make them not wild. Do not interact. If you are in a less populated space, you should also check out what kind of wild life is native to your area and how dangerous they are. Deer will startle themselves into you like getting hit by a BMW and bears and cougars can be active day or night, as well as Bobcats, snakes, or coyotes. Check out your local wildlife center for advice on how to handle what lives in your area

(Last outdoors advice, I promise) also check out what kind of myths and legends existed on the land you are on, ESPECIALLY if you live in north america. Knowing who's land you are on should be important to your practice anyway, and knowing what kind of creatures may be out there may save you some distress later. Indigenous cultures should be respected, and their tales can tell you what's around your area. And I dont care where the hell you live, if you hear whistling in the darkness/forests, it is one of several things coming to get you and none of them are good. Get gone and DONT whistle back. Or at all. No whistling guys. Bad.

For indoor rituals, make sure you wont be disturbed. Much like meditation, rituals are very dependent on focus and intent. Interruptions can mess with your outcome.

More indoor advice, checkout your lighting and ventilation well before you do your ritual. For instance, my altar is in a walk in closet-- there is no way in hell I am burning 4 candles and an incense in that room. I would have to do it in my living room or bedroom where there are windows, or find a way to eliminate the candles. Is the room dark enough to fit your ritual? Is it light enough that you can read your notes? (also make notes/write up a copy of the spell, it helps so much) Make sure you have enough light to see what you are doing properly.

I am a big advocate of "do not over cleanse your life, stop over cleansing" however, if that is something you do a lot of, make sure all your tools and whatnot are cleansed and prepared day before. You can shave a 2hr ritual down to 30 min if you get all of your prep work done day before, which is nice. And it once again gives you time to say "shit I forgot that one thing I need to cleanse" an hour later and still not interrupt your ritual because it is day before.

If you are an of-legal-age type person and doing some drug/alcohol part of your magic, make double sure you have food, water, and a buddy system. You may not need a designated driver if you aren't going out of your house, but you still need a designated sober person to make sure you dont like, astral travel out of your body and get replaced with a pod person, or get hurt trying to cast a circle with a ritual knife while high. Know your limits well before you use them in ritual and, I cannot emphasize this enough, have a friend to keep you under scrutiny incase something goes wrong and you need help.

If you are having the OTHER kind of must-be-of-age type of ritual, be sure your partner is well informed. Maybe have a dress rehearsal so you are both on the same page about mechanics and consent. Speed run through the general timing and motions, and talk about what each of you expect to get out of the ritual. Is it for bonding? Or are you using the energy to try to charge something? Is it for fertility? Are you both good to have ritualized sex (I know that seems like an obvious question, but you would be surprised by how many partners clam up about sexual things to try to not disappoint their partner). If you are a witch and your partner is not, be sure they know what to expect, and that they 100% want to do it even though it's not necessarily their practice and not just to be a people pleaser. If you havent done anything like this before either, tell them that, too. Honestly is 100% required here

And lastly, keep your cool. It's easy to get over excited or over anxious about this kind of thing, but honestly with a little prep time you have a high change of doing awesome. And even if you dont? That's okay too. Everyone makes mistakes, we all learn from those mistakes, and every single experience you acquire will level you up until you are the best at being you. Do what feels right, trust your gut, do some reading, and keep calm and witchy on.

[indigoshell]

Witch Aesthetics

[indigoshell]

Want to Witch But Not Sure What to Witch? - College Edition

Try…

Upgrading your spice collection for dorm kitchen witchery 

Cleanse your laptop and textbooks 

Draw sigils in your notes

Make literal “lucky charms” for exams using necklaces, rings, pencils, shoes, jackets, etc. 

Charge your bed to repel stress and hold onto relaxation

Create a Pinterest board with your career/personal goals, and include sigils for manifestation. Great for future visualization exercises. 

Bless your car with good fortune, that you will always find a parking space

Pay it forward in the coffee shop, as an offering to a deity or to add more gratitude into the universe

Make something for your roommate and bless it before giving it to them

Take a walk around campus and scatter birdseed on your way

Get lost in the library and make friends with the ghosts. 

Draw sigils/incantations for glamour/confidence/power on mirrors in dry-erase markers

Charm a stuffed animal/favorite hoodie/fuzzy blanket with good vibes and take a well-deserved nap 

[indigoshell]

Apollo and Artemis <3

[indigoshell]

Ares Offerings

"Ares is the Olympian God of war, battlelust, courage, and civil order."

Large Altars:

Strong, dark red wine

Strong whiskey

Pure water

Black coffee

Black tea

Olive oil

Beef

Red meats in general

Cooked fat from meats

Blood from cut meats

Heavy spices

Spicy foods

Garlic

Frankensince

Sandalwood incense

Red, black, and dark purple candles

Art or statues of Him

Statues of horses or dogs

Weapons, armor, and shields (art, statues, toys, handmade, etc.)

Trophies

Small/Hidden Altars:

Spicy jerky

Sport drinks / protein shakes

Hand drawn or printed art of Him

Art or images of dogs, horses, and vultures

Feathers from vultures, woodpeckers, or barn owls

Red crystals such as garnets, rubies, bloodstone, etc.

Iron or steel jewelry

Red flowers, like roses

Thorns

Miniature or toy weapons and armor, especially helmets

Snake skin

Animal teeth

Write down your fears or successes and give them to Him

Medals and ribbons you've earned

Antiques

Photos of riots or past wars

Devotional Acts:

Create a playlist and listen to music that makes you feel brave/empowered

Donate to the Rape Crisis Center or other similar programs

Donate and support victims of war

Cook with garlic or heavy spices that you haven't tried before

Try new things and don't feel ashamed about doing so

Tell Him about your accomplishments

Tell Him about your fears

Learn about shadow work and try it for yourself

Learn about history, past wars, and past riots. Learn what they accomplished or failed to accomplish

Learn and educate yourself about the downsides of war and what can happen to the people affected by wars

Take care of your mental health by going to therapy, eating, drinking enough water, and remembering to take your medication

Partake in combat sports like martial arts, fencing, etc.

Exercise, find some fun workouts to do!

Play some strategy games like chess, Risk, Civilization, etc.

Stand up for yourself and what you believe in, write to your governor/mayor for things you want to see changed, attend riots, etc.

At the same time, don't push yourself if your physical or mental health isn't well, He doesn't want His devotees injured

A good place for His altar would be at the front door of your house or bedroom as He was considered to be the frontline of protection.

Pray to Him for strength, ability to fight and defeat enemies, courage, to keep others safe, and help in a battle.

Sources:

Artwork from the game Hades by Supergiant Games

https://occult-world.com/ares/

https://vocal.media/futurism/ways-of-worship-ares

https://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Ares.html

[indigoshell]

witchysyv’s astral barriers

✨Ghello fellow vessels!✨

Today I want to share some ways of protecting yourself out on the astral! From magic armour to elemental barriers. Anything to protect yourself during a sticky situation! I’ll also include stationary barriers for protecting f.e a place.

All of this is UPG since it has either been taught to me by spirits I’ve met or something I found out myself during my many travels! (and some research)

Magic Armour

This comes close to what Violet does in the gif above, only I personally do it closer to my body like a second skin (hence I call it magic armour). It’s more of a passive and almost invisible barrier made of energy in case I ever get attacked by surprise. I highly recommend this in general even if you never get into a fight yourself. Better safe than sorry!

Elemental Barriers

Since on most astral planes the elements are ever present it’s handy to know and use your surroundings to your advantage whenever is needed.

Fire

One of my close spirit friends told me that a barrier made of fire is the quickest way to create a barrier, but it is also the most feeble in my opinion. It solely depends on if the fire hurts the other party enough so they either get startled or back off and if the fire you use is strong enough to incinerate whatever the other party is throwing at you. However I have personally found a way to protect myself with fire that is way more tangible and that is glass. Now for a glass shield first of all; you need to be in an area with sand and second you need blue/violet fire for it to be hot enough (from a science stand point at least). I know that on the astral things work a little bit different so basically I did my research IRL and tried this out on the astral afterwards. The idea is that if you get something thrown at you, you kick the sand up in front of you and then use fire to quickly create a glass shield. I personally use this as a last resort because it does use a lot of energy. (And tbh I only managed to do this twice but it is something that can be used as a shield, nonetheless!)

Earth

Earth is probably the most well known when it comes to shielding yourself. Whether it’s protective plants in your home to a literal wall. But seeing how we have many more possibilities out in the astral there are different ways of shielding yourself. If you want to protect yourself but still want to be on the offensive using rock as armour (as seen in atla) is a nice way of doing it. A stationary rock barrier is also a nice way of protecting yourself. Heck, you could even use lava to make a basalt rock barrier or armour just for style points.

Water 

I think water and ice are maybe the most well known way of shielding besides earth. Water in its liquid form can slow down objects thrown to you while ice can either freeze them in place or act like a glass shield does. Water is particularly handy since it’s all around us. Be sure to keep a liquid barrier in motion!

Wind

Personally, wind is my least favorite way to protect myself because in terms of a barrier it needs very high velocity in order for it to work. But, like a fire barrier it is one of the quickest barriers to whip up and it’s easily created.

Darkness/Void

I couldn’t find a gif for this one, but basically the idea is that you create a portal as a shield like Claire does often with her shadow staff in Trollhunters. That way you won’t get hurt and the objects are somewhere lost to the void. Not an actual barrier, but still a nice way of protecting yourself, nonetheless!

Light

I really like using light based sources on the astral plane because you can sort of customize it. You can use moonlight, sunlight, starlight, etc. Back when I worked with Luna my main light source was that of the moon. You could even say it was blessed since it came from a deity. (Now that I think about it that was kinda what I needed back then.) Although I use light mostly for the offense, light actually has the possibility to become something tangible like crystal. So light based protection can be done in more ways than energetic. Now that I work with the stars and starlight more I use light more for stationary barriers. Stars are always in the sky whether they’re visible or not so by fixating a couple in place around the place I am protecting there will always be a barrier. 

(and that helps since we are talking about an island here)

Happy Travelling!✨

[indigoshell]

[indigoshell]

A Crash Course on Channeling

What is Channeling?

Channeling is allowing a nonphysical entity to use your physical body, in order to accomplish something. If that sounds, vague, it’s because it is. Channeling takes many different forms and intensity levels! Depending on how it’s done, it can be a medium-difficulty task or one of the most advanced things a spirit worker can do. 

Types of Channeling

I once heard channeling described as a car ride, and in my experience that’s very accurate. The car is your body, and you’re in it with an entity. Sometimes you’re in the driver’s seat, and the entity is in the back seat giving directions. Sometimes you or the entity is in the passenger’s seat: not calling most of the shots, but able to reach over and grab the wheel if needed. Sometimes you’re in the backseat watching the entity drive, and sometimes you’re in the trunk. In practice, this can take a number of forms.

Speaking on Behalf. This is the kind of channeling people do most often. The entity isn’t controlling you, just feeding you lines which you can then relay to a third party. You’re translating their messages to something other people can comprehend. If you’ve ever answered a question for a spirit in their words, you’ve done this. 

Isolated Channeling. The entity takes control of just a part of the body, usually the hands or fingers. This is mostly used for things like automatic writing.

Assuming Form. Also known as consensual possession. The entity is in the driver’s seat, speaking and acting for themselves without your help. Some people will call this “horsing.”

Possession. While the word “possession” could technically cover all of this, within the spirit work community it’s usually reserved for channeling where the human did not consent beforehand. This doesn’t necessarily mean in a violating way- I once had a friend who got possessed just long enough for an entity to yank them out of danger; once I was taken for just a moment to convey a quick (but very direct) message to a devotee, and snapped out of it right after. 

Reasons to Channel

Everyone will have a different reason to channel but most of them fall under a few categories:

Helping Someone Else. You’re channeling on behalf of someone who can’t [easily] reach the entity themselves, in order to ease communication between the two parties. This is often seen with mediums contacting spirit guides and Ancestors.

Aid in Other Works. The entity is better suited to accomplish a certain task than you, so you let them take the lead. This is often seen with a familiar or spirit companion, someone the practitioner works with closely enough to know their strengths and trust them. 

Easier Communication Overall. Channeling is a way to get really familiar with an entity’s energy. Again, we often see this with spirit companions and is more to bond than to achieve another goal.  This would include automatic writing or letting a spirit experience things “through” you. 

Ritual Invitation. In some traditions, it’s common to invite deities to ritual events. Often, some type of channeling/possession is expected and is usually reached through ecstatic experiences. It’s taken as a sign the deity has arrived at the party, either a sign the offerings have been received or a time for the deity to convey important messages. 

Before-You-Begin Essentials

Know How To Protect Yourself. This is non-negotiable. Is your discernment tuned enough to spot an impostor or malevolent entity? Do you know how to end a session early? Do you know how to banish a spirit in an emergency? If the answer is no, then study up and return to channeling when you’re ready. 

Know Your Entity. Channeling, by nature, puts the practitioner in an intimate and vulnerable place, so you don’t want to give that access to an entity who may misuse it. If it’s your first time channeling, make sure you trust this entity with your life. 

Don’t Channel Alone. When you channel, you’re in an altered state of consciousness. Having someone grounded near you helps keep the session on track and keep you out of trouble should you need it. (Either by forcing an entity out if needed or just keeping you from climbing that tree.) 

Other Notes

It’ll Probably Take a Lot Out of You. Have something ready to ground and rehydrate yourself after a session, and make sure you don’t have anything high-demand planned after. 

Start Small. No need to jump head-first into the most advancecd and high-intensity types of channeling! Start with automatic writing or painting and get used to the feeling and work your way up.

Don’t Make It Weird. Basic etiquette still matters. Channeling is not a pass to give unsolicited messages to other practitioners, speak on behalf of their deities to them (unless they’ve specifically asked), or say hurtful things cushioned by: “What? It wasn’t me who said it.”

Messages Are Rarely “Pure.” This means everything is still filtered through you, the practitioner. Your values, morals, biases, and beliefs can inform what messages get through and how they are conveyed. Nobody wants to send out a message they disagree with, after all. This becomes less of an influencing factor with experience as one learns to hone their skill and let go more, but it’s important to always keep in mind. (If a channeling friend says a deity doesn’t accept your gender identity or something, that’s a good sign that really your “friend” doesn’t accept it.) 

[indigoshell]

greek myth meme  ☰   [8/10] olympians

ares, son of zeus and hera, is one of the twelve olympians. he is the god of bloodlust, civil order, and war, although he often represented only the violent and physical aspects of battle.

[indigoshell]

Greek Mythology art by IrenHorrors!

Nyx, Hecate, Selene, Artemis, Melinoe, Hades and Persephone, Athena, Aphrodite, Thanatos.

[indigoshell]

The Ludovisi Ares

The Ludovisi Ares is a 2nd century copy of a late 4th century BCE Greek statue.

A young, clean-shaven ares sits surrounded by his weapons, while an Eros frolicks at his feet.

This statue displays a level of composure uncommon for a war god, and combined with the presence of Eros, this statue serves as an excellent reminder of the duality Ares posessed. Not only is he a symbol of war, but also a symbol of passion and love.

[indigoshell]

artemis in autumn | @ofmoonlightandthesun

does the moon call my name? I hear it every time..

[indigoshell]

-P E R S E P H O N E- Third in my goddess series! I originally had a completely different concept for this one since she was the goddess that I actually started with, but I’m happy that I pushed myself and ended up with something I love rather than like. ✨

[indigoshell]

Apollo and Athena on a full moon 🌕

Academy of Athens

[indigoshell]

“fear cuts deeper than swords”

                                          favourite deity edit for @ofmoonlightandthesun

[indigoshell]

I have a really complex relationship with religion, but here’s something positive