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slavic cult of the dead - complaints and curiosities

as you know, a great part of knowledge we possess about the beliefs of old slavs comes from sources much less educational in nature and more aimed at lamenting and complaining and ridiculing the pagan ways. Adam Fischer gives us a plethora of such wonderful compaints in his 1923 work Fête des morts where he gathers examples from various chronicles and sermons, regarding the slavic beliefs surrounding their dead.

Cosmas of Prague laments in his chronicles regarding old Czechia: “So they would bury their dead in forests and meadows and then organise games in accordance with pagan ways on the crossroads, seemingly to soothe the souls, but they would also play ungodly jokes and call upon the spirits, and having put on masks, they would go wild in celebration themselves: these disgusting blasphemies the young duke (Bretislav I) would have to root out.”

A sermon from Czechia from XII century mentions that people would worship their dead relatives as deities (home deities, a belief spread widely across slavic people) and “call upon angels giving them false names”

Similarly, Al-Mas'udi mentioned that Slavs would burn the bodies of their dead and then venerate them as ancestral deities.

Other Arabic source mentions that Slavs would visit the burial site of their dead on the first anniversary of their passing and offer them 20 jugs filled with honey, and then gather around the grave to have a feast before heading back home.

Sources regarding Rus lamented that people would heat up bath houses for the dead: leave them towels and bowls of food and drink, and pour ash on the ground around the bath house to see whether the dead would leave the marks of their presence in it.

The 1551 Synod laments that people in Russia would still gather at the graves and have feasts in the name of their ancestors, and the custom remained strong for years to come, as in 1634 Adam Olearius had a chance to observe it and describe in detail during his travels. 

A 1497 Polish sermon mentions that people still practiced lighting small fires for the souls of their dead in the belief that the souls would gather around the fire to warm themselves.

Another text from the XV century complains that there are sinners who not only worship some foreign false gods but also organise pagan plays and games during which they summon demons; then the text laments that there are people who, during that period, refuse to sleep underneath a roof, refure to speak to other people, or only walk barefoot. Some would leave parts of their supper as offerings to demons (most likely house spirits and ancestral deities) and some would refuse to wash the dishes after supper on Good Friday so that “souls could eat from them”

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I was studying the Norns today and came up with a cool personal interpretation I thought I would share:

Urðr (Fate) represents that which is outside of one’s control but which affects their fate regardless.

Verðandi (Happening) represents the actions one can take to change their fate, for better or worse. These are things in one’s control.

Skuld (Debt) represents the fact that every action taken in the 9 Worlds affects everyone within them. She asks us “What do we owe to each other?” She also represents the energetic debts you take on and pay off in your life (similar to the Westernized idea of Karma).

What do y’all think?

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Kyrilla's Curse

“Come to me, you who are in the earth, chthonic daemon, you who rule and bind, Abrasax; come, Hecate, three-form queen, Ereschigal; come to me, king Pluto, by your great name Yesemmigadon; come to me, chthonic Earth and chthonic Hermes and Pluto and queen Persephone. I strike and strike down and nail down the tongue, the eyes, the wrath, the ire, the anger, the procrastination, the opposition of Iennys, whom the womb bore, so that he in no way oppose, so that he say or perform nothing adverse to Kyrilla, whom the womb bore, but rather that Iennys, whom the womb bore, be subject to her. Lady Phersephoneia, fulfi ll this perfect spell.”

Kyrilla’s Curse Tablet discovered in Jerusalem. (4th century)

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Todays witchcraft is realizing that my body is a temple so taking care of it is actually sacred work✨

When I brush my teeth it’s like intention setting and cleansing of my mouth and all the bad things I’ve said about me

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Tell me, everyone: What is your experience with Freyja?

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Tell me, everyone: What is your experience with Freyja?

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Happy Vetrnætr! Verses of the Nine Worlds is now officially out!

Paperback:

Ebook:

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Nothing makes me have more faith in my community than posting something in the discord about how I'm hesitant to work with Freyja as an ace person due to her more sexual aspects and getting replies from five or six different acespec people confirming that they absolutely love Freyja and sex has never once come up in their relationship with her, then segueing into a conversation about how of course she's great at boundaries, how else would she get cats to pull her chariot

Inclusive Heathens really walk their talk when it comes to inclusivity and I'm continually fucking floored.

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I'm so sick of AI, I can't even put it into words😫 Every time I search for images of deities, I only find these fake Ai pictures and can't express how much I hate it. I miss the days when it was easy to find beautiful paintings or artwork created by talented people

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Sunset this evening marked with an offering of fresh yew and heather to Freya-Frigg for the approaching Freya-Frigg’s Day.

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Dead Man's Dust

Intent: For preventing spirits from following you home.

Ingredients:

1 pt Chili Pepper (any type)

1 pt Salt

1 pt Basil

1 pt Garlic Powder

1⁄2 pt Dill

1⁄2 pt Lemon Peel

Optional: Add a pinch of Curry or Cumin for extra oomph.

Note: Powdered versions of most herbs are available online. I recommend Starwest Botanicals and Penn Herbs for quality products at reasonable prices. Also, if you can get your hands on a good electric spice grinder, you can make your own powder from dried herb products. If you don't have premade powdered herbs, grind each ingredient separately to produce fine powder. Sieve the material through the mesh strainer into the collection dish; this removes the larger unground pieces and gives you cleaner powdered herb. (Pro-Tip: Putting a funnel under the mesh strainer reduces lost material and makes collection much easier.)

Combine the component powders in the collection dish, mix well, and bottle immediately. Label with the name, date, and ingredients for future reference.

This powder performs one of the functions of Banishing Powder, but with special attention to warding off pesky ghosts. After visiting historical or haunted locations, or any time you feel spooked while walking home, sprinkle a palmful of powder on the ground and scrape your feet on it (as if you were wiping off dirt) to keep anything ghostly from following you home. Take three steps backward and spit toward the powder, then continue on your way.

For extra protection, toss a pinch of Banishing Powder, Threshold Powder, or Black Salt over your doorstep when you get home.

Note: For safety's sake, make sure you never cast this powder into the wind and wash your hands after use. Leftover particles on your skin can cause pain and irritation if they come into contact with your eyes or breathing passages.

-adapted from Pestlework: A Book of Magical Powders & Oils, (c) 2017 by Bree NicGarran

(If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊)

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I tested my ROSE MJÖLNIR stencil as an embroidered patch and now I can't wait to sew it on something~

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Your deities love you. They understand you. They understand when you are overwhelmed with internal challenges that seem insurmountable. They will still be there for you when you come out of the other side. They will listen to you and validate your feelings and help you understand something if you’re having trouble.

You are not ruined. There is no difficulty that is permanent. You will be able to do whatever you need to do to see the sunshine again.

Drink some water. Maybe eat a food. Be a little silly. Know that you are loved so deeply.

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So I know the Pagan youth pastor thing is a skaldic shitpost bit, but I just remembered I have free Heathen coloring sheets available 😅:

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I’m so sorry. @elodieunderglass

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[grabs your shirt] listen. listen to me. the practical is holy. the everyday is sacred. the simple act of surviving is divine. do you get it? sanctity begins at home, in the hands that build and the lives we live and the deaths we die and the worms that eat our bodies. if making something by hand is not worthy of veneration then nothing is.

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People like to divide the sacred and the profane... But why can't existence itself be sacred? Every person and plant, every step you take, every love story and every rant, everything you ever make. It's all so beautiful and grotesque and perfect and flawed.