restingsword

[restingsword]

brigid — celtic goddess of healing, smithing, poetry, fertility, divination, fire and water.

brigid bless this hearth and home, keep us safe from harm. no matter how far we might roam, guide us safe and sound. heal me with your sacred water, shield me with your flame. your love is my sword and shield and so it shall remain.

[restingsword]

I have such a bad habit of falling asleep at random, so I don’t often light candles for the Gods. Sometimes I light incense. But I just have announced to the Gods what of my actions are for them and that’s enough. You’re allowed to adjust, you also don’t have to do everything you see online. I hope to someday soon be able to do more, but also what I do now is perfect for my practice.

[restingsword]

this is definitely a long shot, especially because i don’t have many followers but anyone here interested in IRL Chicago meet ups for other Hellenic Polytheistic / Hellenic Pagan? likely on north side or west side but can be discussed! i’m feeling isolated and would love to cultivate some community feel free to respond or message me if interested!

[restingsword]

Things To Work On With Your Deities

"I want to do rituals and spells and deity work but don't even know about what!"

You've come to the right place, I had this issue for almost two years before actually getting into regular deity work.

If you want a regular magical practice with your deities or even without them, you gotta stop seeing it as a practice that's disconnected from your every day life. Witchcraft/deity work is just another way of dealing with things, just in a spiritual way.

If you never seem to have ideas for spells or rituals, consider writing down a few lists.

One with all your long time future goals & dreams (don't be afraid to be a bit delusional, dream big)

One with goals you want/need to accomplish in the near future

One list with external issues you have (people, health issues, job, things that are outside your control)

One list with internal issues (mental struggles, thought patterns, feelings, your personal journey that lies mostly within your control)

One list with all of your character strengths and personal resources

One list with all your weaknesses (be realistic, but not self-destructive)

Now, when looking for something to work on, you can choose between these three options:

pick a strength from list 5 that correlates with a goal from list 1 or 2, choose a deity that aligns with the specific topic, and do a ritual or meditation on it. Ask them for help, guidance, inspiration for your future accomplishments

pick a strength from list 5 that correlates with a topic from list 3 or 4. Match it with a deity that aligns with the issue you're trying to work on and do a ritual or meditation on it. Ask them for help navigating the issue

pick one weakness from list 6 and choose a deity that is the opposite of that weakness, or one you think would not have this weakness. Do a ritual or meditation on the issue and ask the deity for advice

Go through your lists one step at a time. It might take you months or even years and you'll probably never run out of material, because that's how life is.

I got this idea from the book "The complete Book of Demonolatry" by S.Connolly, in the chapter "Meditation and Ascension – Demonolatry core"; it helped me a lot to get started on deity work. Credits go to the author.

[restingsword]

Rhea giving Dionysus the amethyst

However small her part in his story was, it was profound nonetheless, and people often forget about it. With the amethyst Dionysus not only snaps out of Hera's punishment, but also helps control or balance the overwhelming effects of intoxication.

Imagine the state he was because of Hera, causing him to wander the earth for many years in a state of confusion and suffering. How low and hopeless it was before Rhea found him. She who's always depicted as a maternal figure who aids gods in moments of hardship, proves it yet again.

[restingsword]

crying in front of your altar(s) at 2 am talking to the deities because nobody else will listen and their presence just helps you open up so much more than any human

[restingsword]

Astagyromancy: Dice Divination

Astagyromancy (also called astragalomancy) translates to "spinning of the dice" and is an ancient form of divination using dice. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are the best days to cast dice. Traditionally, three dice are cast within a 12 inch circle. It is said that if the dice fall out of the circle, you should try again later and if they fall out three times it's a bad omen. However, if one die falls on top of another it is an extremely good omen and signifies a coming gift.

The dice should be interpreted as follows:

• 3- One of the best numbers that can appear. Pleasant surprises, good fortune, positive responses.

• 4- Disappointment, bad luck.

• 5- Wishes granted, new friendships.

• 6- A loss of some kind in the near future, possibly with money or friendship.

• 7- Sorrow, setbacks, people talking behind your back

• 8- Sign you will be falsely accused of something

• 9- Sign of weddings and good luck in love

• 10- Career advancement, child birth

• 11- Important news, happiness

• 12- Temporary separation or sickness

• 13- A good omen for some, bad for others

• 14- Secret admirer or helpful friend

• 15- Dishonesty, disagreement, gossip

• 16- Upcoming travel, pleasant journey

• 17- Change is coming

• 18- The best number that can be cast, wealth, success and happiness

Single die numbers:

• 1- Generally favorable

• 2- Your success depends on your friends

• 3- An omen of success

• 4- Disappointment and trouble

• 5- Good indications

• 6- Uncertainty and indecision

[restingsword]

Personal Do Not Read Witchy Author List

There will be a google doc with updates as I find more authors to avoid. These are all my own personal opinion and I do take the author's actions into account when judging their ability to write legitimate information.

TW: Slavery, serial killers, racism, TERFs, creeps, neonazis, asylums, and a slew of other super unsavory things. I tried to make this list as PG as possible while highlighting the issues with these individual people. 

*Alestier Crowley. *

   He's a literal piece of garbage. Misogynistic, thief of a toooon of closed practices, has entire cults still dedicated to him, called himself a voice of God (both Abrahamic and apparently like 5 Egyptian deities??? I mean excuse me sir how about no??) He also declared himself ‘above’ Gods back in 1922 calling himself Ipssissimus. I hate Crowley so much I have literally stuck a picture of him to a dartboard before. He can suck an egg in the afterlife. He also put his own wife in an asylum for 'alcoholism’ because she wanted a divorce. The only thing he ever did right was get kicked down a flight of stairs at a temple once by a poet.

*Anastasia Greywolf*

   Appropriates at least Jewish practices if not every Indigenous practice there is. Wholeheartedly encourages people to use magic instead of going to a doctor for things like oh I dunno EPILEPSY And claims she has spells for like Marvel-level super powers which uh no Ana. You don't. Lots of Christianity for a supposedly FULL pagan and wiccan author. Her spells are all controlled like...so wrong. So, so wrong. Don't ask please. I can't begin to describe it. Advocates for smudging and uses phrases like "Cherokee Rituals", and the Romani G-slur. 

*Gerald Gardner*

   Made his own branch of wicca, the first technically, and his own coven had to make rules just so he wouldn't spill everything to any reporter that asked. Used Crowley as a main resource.

*Jason Miller*

   Claims to do Hoodoo. A horrible formatter, and generally super dismissive of being a rootworker and other potentially closed practices, has not been initiated. Has claimed that anyone can petition/pray to Papa Legba without initiation because "Vodou is a congregational religion/practice". From the Vodou and Haitian Vodou practitioners I have talked to that is VERY incorrect, it may be congregational but you still have to be involved in the community to be trusted with those practices because so much of it has been bastardized for media and racism purposes. He is also a student of Catherine Yronwode, who is another SUPER problematic figure in the Hoodoo/Rootwork community.  

 A link of his own words on culture appropriation which includes mild inaccuracy towards Indiginous Peoples and that they don’t ‘own’ certain practices when it’s very clear the wording of those practices DOES in fact come from those peoples. He’s fine with people being Yogis, or Shamans, or calling satchel spells mojo bags, and other such phrases and won’t correct people if they use such words out of context because “language changes”. Also says if someone within a practice says it’s closed to go to ANOTHER AND ANOTHER until you find someone willing to teach you??? That’s not how it works sir.

Source: https://www.strategicsorcery.net/on-cultural-misappropriation/

*Lisa Chamberlain*

   Not an actual person. This is a ghost writer name for a bunch of garbage literally copy and pasted from wikipedia into books. I wish I was kidding. 

*Lisa Leister/Lester/whatever other spelling she's used.*

   Such a major TERF. Like JK Rowling level TERF. Claims magic comes from a womb so anybody that doesn't have one isn't a real witch. Like WTF lady.

*Raymond Buckland*

  Where to start...uses the G-slur often. (His grandfather was romani so it blurs the line of blood quantum.)  Very sexist and obsessed with the idea of a woman getting uh...undressed for rituals while men stay dressed and more things I cannot say ina PG space??? As magic?? VERY anti-minor and LGBTQA+. Toxic, just plain toxic. Can't do it. I have read his Blue Book and it's the least problematic thing he wrote. I'm alright with it.

*Silver Ravenwolf*   WhOOO boy. So super anti-christian, which is fine and dandy...if you didn't claim to be in a lineage of braucherei/hexerei. Wiccan, like the type of wiccan that says no other witchcraft exists and yet has written folk magic books??? She really needs to make up her mind. Claims Satanists don't actually exist. Claims most Jewish powers worshiped "the Goddess" (whoever that is)??? Very cult-like language about "not telling friends and family about your new life/reality/experience/whatever". Also SO MUCH APPROPRIATION. SO SO MUCH. She also gets her history wrong, on a lot of basic information that most non-witches know about like say the Salem Witch Trials.

*Catherine Yronwode* Ooh man. So Catherine Yronwode’s career started as a comic book artist. She’s worked on such things like the Elvira comic, DNAgents, and a gaggle of super controversial trading cards which included the Kennedy Assasination, a serial killer collection, and the AIDS epidemic. Of which she was sued for using one half of the Hillside Stranglers duo in said killer trading cards without his permission, the judge sadly threw the case out because and this is a quote, “ If Bianchi had been using his face as a trademark when he was killing women, he would not have tried to hide it from the police.” There were two more from her comic days, but those aren’t super relevant besides the one that pushed the envelope of what sort of trading cards should be sold to children. On the magical side of things, I will be blunt here: As one of the ‘big bads’ of the Rootwork/Folk/Hoodoo community? I really REALLY dislike her. She has made numerous false claims about New Orleans/Haitian Vodou and that it’s only a very recent practice, non-religious, and slaves never used it because it didn’t exist yet??? History books and entire generations will disagree. An example would be this link of an open letter to her written by a New Orleans Voodoo practitioner and someone she wrote a whole article about: https://conjureart.blogspot.com/2013/10/open-letter-to-cat-yronwode-and-lucky.html

She owns a few different websites namely https://www.luckymojo.com/, has written numerous Hoodoo based books, and actively has accused numerous people who have asked her for sources and or disagreed with her of plagiarism and has slung more mud that you can shake a stick at. 

She also praises a book on Marie Laveau and yet discredits herself by calling New Orleans Voodoo a new religion/neopractice??? She’s just confusing as all heck to me.

*Christian Day*   This guy’s just a creep. One stuck in the early 2000s mall goth phase even though he’s over 50. He also appropriates Hoodoo and owns two Hoodoo shops as well as multiple other witch shops in Salem and recently New Orleans on the French Quarter (Which is pure tourist fodder and not a reflection of true New Orleans Voodoo/Vodun/Rootwork). He has also harassed ex-employees so badly it’s landed him in court. His book The Witch’s Book of the Dead also reads very much like a list of accomplishments rather than anything useful. All about his television spots and experiences doing that. (Did I mention he was in an episode of Ghost Adventures? Yes, that one with Zac Bagans??? And it did not make us witches look too great, honestly speaking.)

Sources for Harassment Claims: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/salem-witch-gets-protective-order-against-warlock/

https://www.wcvb.com/article/warlock-christian-day-ordered-to-stay-away-from-salem-witch/8228072

*Yvonne and Gavin Frost*   I dunno how else to say this, I really don’t. These two? Pedophiles. Multiple writings of theirs included not-safe-for-work-or-children rituals that must include minors. Avoid. AVOID AVOID. AVOID ANYONE WHO USES THEM AS A RESOURCE! This should NOT be okay in any circle. They are VERY used within the Wicca religion so please be careful!!

*Orion Foxwood* Some of his information is very sound! I can’t fault him there. He does have a tendency to blend different traditions without actively TELLING you he’s blending them though. He’s and this is a direct quote, “He is a witch and Elder in Romano Celtic-Traditional Craft, High Priest in Alexandrian Wicca and teacher of the Faery Seership tradition. He is also the founding Elder of Foxwood Temple and a primary founder of the Alliance of the Old Religion, a national network of covens in his line that have united to preserve the ways of his Elders. He was the co-director of Moonridge, a center for metaphysical, Craft and Faery studies in Maryland” That’s an awful lot of traditions to juggle and not only write on but actively teach. He also performs conjure, which in of itself might not be an issue but Conjure usually blends into Hoodoo really quickly if one isn’t careful! A lot of the traditions he talks about from his family sound quite familiar, he’s clearly from Appalachia but his books on the subject blend in his other practices instead of keeping them separate. 

*Starr Casas*   She’s in the same category as Orion, only she doesn’t necessarily give her credentials to be teaching Hoodoo, and even wrote a whole book filled with Hoodoo love spells. She also co-owns a French Quarter Conjure Shop, which if you ask any practitioners from New Orleans...is catered to pure tourists and not a true example of the crafts from the area. 

*Shawn Engel*   I’m gonna be blunt here. More appropriation of the Jewish practices, Hoodoo, and other information that is just plain UPG without saying it’s UPG and encourages throwing hexes at political party members solo. I read The Power of Hex and had to put it down numerous times just to gather myself and not throw it away, I don’t know if it was tone or sheer level of appropriation...likely both.

*Kate Freuler*   Of Blood and Bones is chock full of Hoodoo, full stop. Only acknowledges that something comes from Hoodoo once and also gets basic mythology information on the Deities she mentions wrong in some cases. Also a lot of the book seems to be UPG because the bibliography is super small for a 300 page book.

*Dorothy Morrison*   I picked up Utterly Wicked once. A very odd book full of Hoodoo and Vodun spellwork and misinformation, the author is also Garderian Wiccan so even the writing of a book full of hexes is slightly...concerning compared to the Wiccan traditions and redes. Odd is the best I have to describe how I personally feel. I will say this again: Voodoo Dolls are not used to cause pain, stop bastardizing that single aspect of the practice. Thank you.

*Helena Blavatsky*

 I dunno how else to say this either, her philosophy and occult knowledge, called Theosophy is a portion of what inspired Hitler. Pure unadulterated racism veiled in a ‘Atlantian Race Theory”. Horrible stuff, read for a class project once and felt disgusting.

*Christopher Penczak*Whoo boy. On the surface he seems alright, one of the first ‘male’ witches I had ever heard of except for Scott Cunningham. But the more you dig into his work the more inaccuracies and Christian bashing you see. For example: Christianty was the first patriarchal society. Uhm...I believe you’re kinda forgetting the men who ran Rome and Greece there sir. He also fully proposes the ‘burning times’ were like a ‘witch holocaust’. NO! NO IT WAS NOT. You can’t compare the hundreds of years and MAYBE a thousand-ish people dying to the millions that died in the short timespan the Holocaust was a thing. Fuck Christopher for that comparison and also for claiming it was a ‘burning time’ to begin with. (History says that most were hung...or tortured. Burning is a very small number of that list in general. 

He makes a lot of sweeping statements and sees witchcraft as a religion and NOT a practice. He whitewashes, fully harps on the Wicca = witchcraft = religion thing and THEN hones in on the difference between “white and black” magic and how cursing is evil and yet highlights certain practices that actively practice...cursing...as they have for generations??? He (atleast) doesn’t demonize Satanism but does still backhand the idea anyway, that they CAN’T be witches because witches only ‘heal’. Cultural appropriation and fetishization of ‘Native’ practices while calling them primitive all in the same breath, I just can’t with this guy. I really can’t. 

*Amy Blackthorn* 

Owns a tea brand called ‘Blackthorn Hoodoo Blends’ she is white. When questioned by BIPOC individuals she complains and blocks them instead of explaining why she chose the name Hoodoo for just teas. TEA. She is also the author of Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic, Sacred Smoke (A book on smudging yikes on trikes), and Blackthorn’s Protection Magic. 

Proof of blocking: https://thisblackwitch.com/2016/04/01/blackthorn-teas-whose-culture-is-it-anyways/

*Tarl Warwick *

Is more commonly known as Styxhexenhammer666 on youtube and other social media sites. Has written a pile and I mean a PILE of occult based books including ones on Hermetic magic, ritualistic magic, demons, solomon, folk plants and healing, Kabbalah, and many MANY more. 

He makes no claim to being Jewish, and given his political wishy washiness, and multitude of controversies which includes claiming the Holocaust wasn’t ‘that many dead’, Charles Manson deserved release because he was ‘extremely innocent and didn’t kill anyone’, and fairly recently also wrote and published a book on Critical Race Theory and why it’s ‘garbage’. I can’t support him no matter how accurate some of his information may be (if any at all). 

*Temperance Alden* This really pains me to say, Temperance in her Wheel of the Year book made a claim that birth control “stunted her magical abilities” because it affected her hormones…in OTHER words unless you are a perfectly hormone producing WOMAN you don’t have great magical power. AVOID. AVOID. AVOID. That is a slippery slope to claiming medication will harm you, not to mention how TERF-y it is AND completely disregards that magic is for well…everyone. Such a stupid gatekeep-y concept. 

*Sarah Kate Istra/Dver*

Advocates for using ‘spirit animals’ regardless of Indigenous beliefs and concerns. Is also a known ally with the Piety Posse, a neo-nazi group of pagans who claim the term polytheist can only apply to them and if you aren’t a Hellenistic pagan…you aren’t pagan at all. They also advocate for animal sacrifices, blood tests to prove purity, and other horrible HORRIBLE stuff. 

*Sannion/H. Jeremiah Lewis*

Obvious Neo-nazi, keeps images of swastikas on his personal blog, and not the ones that the nazis stole from, the nazi one. And super SUPER transphobic.

*Edward P. Butler*

Major persecution complex, spends half his twitter complaining about how monotheists are destroying…I dunno…everything? Also defends Krasskova quite heavily. Antisemetic as well.

*Galina Krasskova*

Hellenic pagans watch out. Defends the AFA. A ringleader of the Piety Posse. There’s a lot more horrific stuff about her and I won’t go into extreme details. But TW: Romanticizes SA with deities, human sacrifice, animal sacrifice. Compares debating to the holocaust, lots of victim blaming, gatekeeping, and screams folkish. 

*Diana Cooper*

Racist. Hard stop. Also appropriates chakras. Has a weird belief that food controls skin color and that Africa will never be a good country because it’s the solar plexus of the universe…or something like that. I got 20 pages into the book and literally couldn’t go any farther. Did I mention this book was supposedly on dragons???

*Judika Iiles* So much appropriation, advocates for making altars and working with closed deities. Lots of incorrect information including dangerous spellwork like obsession spells. And one in particular that has roots in a racist stereotypes. Avoid please! 

[restingsword]

devoting things to Dionysus is devoting your tiredness and low mental health but also that blissful thoughtless ecstasy devoting things to Dionysus is acting and performing a dramatized role for a deeper meaning most people are yet to uncover devoting things to Dionysus is respecting the old and the young, the traitors and the victims devoting things to Dionysus is knowing chaos had to come from order which was broken and beaten devoting things to Dionysus is knowing all good things take time to grow like fermented wine devoting things to Dionysus is knowing at times you need to start all over and rebirth devoting things to Dionysus is knowing just like the saying "its not about the destination but the journey" could be applied to travel but also life

[restingsword]

this is definitely a long shot, especially because i don’t have many followers but anyone here interested in IRL Chicago meet ups for other Hellenic Polytheistic / Hellenic Pagan? likely on north side or west side but can be discussed! i’m feeling isolated and would love to cultivate some community feel free to respond or message me if interested!

[restingsword]

Question! I was wondering if like in Christianity , if helpol has a specific "prayer sign off"( ex. Amen) that you know of?

Just trying to perfect my prayers !

Thank you you're literally so awesome

Khaire, Nonny! Thank you for the kind compliment! 🫂

I've asked this question myself many times and seen it be answered by other blogs as well, and the typical consensus everyone seems to come to is that there is no "official" way to end prayers. I've seen people come up with their own sign-offs, most of the time, which is also what I do, personally. I'll give a brief list of things you can implement, if you'd like to:

"Go with peace and love" or "I close with good intent"

"With my respects", "With thanks", or "With my gratitude"

"Amen" (this phrase doesn't belong to Christianity; it can be used for whatever you want to use it for; it translates to "So be it" from Hebrew)

"May it be so", "Verily", or "Truly"

"By the great names of the gods above, below, and in-between"

"From Olympus to Styx, and the earth in-between"

"Thank you kindly", "My kindest regards", or similar sentiments - I like to think of prayers like letters, so sometimes I end them like letters

"My heart is with you always" - for deities you have a very close connection with; expressing affection is something I do often with my deities, personally

An ending that changes depending on the prayer topic, such as "May joy always brighten thy face" when asking for happeniness/comfort or "May the winds always blow in your favor" when asking for luck/fortune

"Peace out", "Goodbye", "Have a wonderful day/night", or other such casual sayings; I actually use these myself because being casual is comfortable for me

I hope this list can give you some ideas to start with, at the very least. Others are more than welcome to add in the comments or reblogs! Take care, Nonny; I appreciate you. c: 🧡

[restingsword]

He is very much a God of disabled and working class people!! I grew up in a very low class, working class family and both of my parents have physical disabilities. My biological mom, bless her heart, worked multiple jobs at a time with those disabilities. I myself have disabilities and work, and Hephaestus is inspiring! I love worshipping him.

Hephaestus is such an under appreciated god in modern times, I imagine because people only associate him with blacksmithing and forges. I propose we all file ‘disability’ and ‘working class people’ under his domain as well.

[restingsword]

Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh, and the greatness which does not bow before children.

Khalil Gibran

[restingsword]

⚔ Quick reminder to Ares devotees ⚔

If you do a sport or go to the gym or exercise regularly, and you take a day off for no reason other than you're tired and just not feeling it today... Ares will not be mad! He will not be disappointed. He will be so proud of you for listening to your body. In fact, the thought in your head making you consider staying home and kicking your feet up is probably him saying "Take a load off, kid. You've earned it."

If you push yourself too hard when you're not feeling it, you're not gonna be able to push yourself as well as you could tomorrow and you will risk hurting yourself as your chances of getting injuries are higher. Take a rest, take a nap, kick back with a good book, and wake up ready to tackle the next day.

Ares is here to support you, to protect you, and to push you, not to break you. He doesn't want to see his devotees bone-tired and injured. He is so proud of you. He is with you always. He loves you. Taking a day off to take care of yourself will never change that.

[restingsword]

Possom's Grimoire

A little collection of all the spells, chants, and witchy things I find useful 😌💕

(I’ll update this as often as I can! I hope you find all my resources to be useful for your spiritual journey💜)

About Rain Water💧

About the Moon

About the 8 Sabbats

Binding🪢

Candle Magic

Crystals

Deity Work 🛐

Divination

Edible Magics 🍽️

Emoji Magic

Grimoires & How to make one!

Healing ❤️

Herbs n plants 🌱

Hexing

Justice ⚖️

Peace

Protection 🪬

Runes & Sigilcraft

Wands & Tools

Other Resources 📚

[restingsword]

Bealtaine (not Beltane) is pronounced ‘Beeowl-tinna’. It does not originate the neopagan wheel of the year. It is one of the four Irish fire festivals.

If you’re celebrating it this year, regardless of your tradition, please take some time to research the roots of this holiday. Do your part to help reverse some of the damage done by the neopagan appropriation of this holiday by learning and incorporating some authentic Irish tradition into your celebrations.

Good luck with decolonizing your practice!

[restingsword]

Wanna learn energy work? Wanna keep yourself on your toes? Get a rock.

Legit any rock, bonus points if it's got personal meaning. Put it in your hands or in a space where you can see it. Connect to something, like the sun, the moon, a spirit, the earth... Create a circuit, energy goes into you and energy goes out of you. You're not the proprietor of the world, you sustain it and it sustains you.

Find your center point, find the source's center point... Now find the stone's center point. Continue with the circuit. Energy comes into you, leaves you and enters the stone, leaves the stone and back into you, and then back into the source.

The stone becomes more affected and resonant by exposure, now pump it with energy. Give it its own circuit (it takes in energy and sends out energy, sustaining itself) and repeat constantly to just build up the muscle.