sleepystarlette

[sleepystarlette]

° lost in the woods at dusk °

-things can get scarier when you're off the beaten path and the sun is going down. Pack a map. And a flashlight-

* not my images *

[sleepystarlette]

So you may have noticed some big changes in my blog's look. You're going to see the same thing in the style of content I post. Hoping to be more organized and aestheticly pleasing to look at !

[sleepystarlette]

A few photos of the beautiful Druid Animal Oracle Deck as I begin to work with her 💙 I'd like to offer $2 card pulls to anyone who might want a reading! Feel welcome to comment or message me!

[sleepystarlette]

The tlacuache or possum is an American marsupial, highly esteemed by our ancestors for its ability and stealth.

According to the Sacred Narrative, the possum stole the first fire, which was in possession of dark beings, and took it to the humans to give us light, warmth and to teach us how to cook our food. During this action, the fire burnt the fur of its tail, making it hairless.

The tlacuache is considered an expert thief. It grabs all sorts of objects with its hands and hides them in its pouch. It is also associated with maguey, as it usually drinks the aguamiel from this plant.

The possum is the nahual, spirit animal, of thieves, and thanks to its influence they acquire the ability to steal.

Please consider supporting me on Patreon, where I post exclusive content on my work and Mesoamerican thought!

[sleepystarlette]

The metate, or metlatl, is a large stone slab traditionally used by many cultures from Mexico all the way to the Caribbean for crushing and grinding mixtures or food. It is still in common use today.

[sleepystarlette]

The Aztecs believed that a soul-like aspect of oneself left the body while one slept, and spent time in the dream world as a “nagual.” A nagual is a sort of spirit animal (very rough translation). If one’s nagual got hurt, then one’s body got hurt.

[sleepystarlette]

Coyolxauhqui, Bells Ringing on her Cheeks, is Our Lady the Moon. Here She appears enthroned on the moon, which is a bone vessel filled with water, within which is a flint-stone blade. The water is life and the knife, death, for the moon is born anew and dies every month, and symbolizes death and rebirth. Her body is painted yellow, the color of women, and her arms, legs, and waist are encircled with coral snakes, symbols of sex, for she is a Teotl of sexuality. Her joints are painted with monsters, for she is also symbolic of chaos and night. She is a warrior, and therefore wears balls of eagle-down in her hair, symbolic of warriors, and carries in one hand a flint-stone knife, her weapon, and in the other Malinalli, or twisted, woven grass, which is the principle from which life springs. In accordance with her name, bells are painted on her cheeks. She floats in a dark and stary night, and hovers over the ancient city of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Mexica empire. She is the embodiment of the female energy which rules the cosmos; of birth and life, regeneration and rebirth, of fertility and death.

You can find Coyolxauhqui as a print in my Etsy store, Click here

[sleepystarlette]

Itztli, obsidian, is the mineral of cold, war and obscurity. It is one of Tezcatlipoca's nahualtin or beings with whom He shares His spirit and qualities.

Obsidian is associated with sharp things, such as wind (which cuts our skin like blades), harshness and judgement, hostility and darkness, which cuts our sight like a knife. Arrowheads for hunt and combat, utilitary and ritual blades are made with obsidian. It is also the avatar of Itztlacoliuqhui, the Lord Who Is Like a Curved Blade, ruler of nighttime, stone and ice.

Click here to see Itztlacoliuqhui as a print in my Etsy store!

[sleepystarlette]

Small Witchy Challenges to Reconnect to Your Practice

Sometimes it can be hard to really feel connected to the actual magickal side of being a witch. Personally I’m involved with my deities or other spiritual/personal things 110% of the time but I don’t always feel connected to my actual witchcraft. So here are a few small magickal challenges I thought up to help anyone in a similar situation.

✨ – Set aside a time once a week to burn a candle. Make it a color that connects to whatever aspect of your life you would like insight or growth in and spend 10 minutes watching the flame and opening yourself to whatever it is you’re seeking.

✨ – If you have any books with pre written simple spells in them (most intro to witchcraft books have a section) flip through it and find a spell that calls to you and do it! As written, just to practice getting out of your head and going through the motions of spell work.

✨ – Send out blessings. To your crush. A new friend. Your best friend. Your mom. Whoever.

✨ – Call up your energy into your palms and then place them on your own heart to send yourself love and healing and to connect yourself to your energy.

✨ – Spend some time picturing the kind of witch you wish you were, your ideal witchsona if you will. Then tell yourself that’s exactly who you already are. Keep reminding yourself whenever you feel disconnected from your craft that you are already an unbelievable witch.

✨ – Go back through your old book of shadows/grimoire and reflect on what’s worked for you in the past.

✨ – Wake up and tell yourself first thing “I am a witch. I am magick. My life is full of magick. I see and feel all the magick around me. I am a witch.”

✨ – Pick out outfits or accessories that make you feel witchy. (Bonus points for intentionally planning a super witchy outfit on the full moon)

✨ – Do a spell for anything that’s coming up in your life that you want to work out a certain way, no matter how trivial it seems. Test this week? Do a spell. About to start a work out routine? Do a spell. First date? Spell. Gotta stay on budget grocery shopping? Spell. Your worth it, it’s good practice, and if it all ends up working even better!

✨ – Write down spell ideas as they come to you. Save them as notes in your phone and then come back and flesh them out in your BOS later.

✨ – Come up with your own challenges! If you’d like to share, tag me on your post or send them to me, I’d love to hear your ideas!

[sleepystarlette]

here’s a shout out to all the students who pulled through during this chaotic year - and whether you are satisfied with how you did or not, please know that grades do not define you or your worth and that you should feel proud of yourself no matter what <3

[sleepystarlette]

Deadly Nightshade

[sleepystarlette]

every day i find new ways to loathe white western vegans who willingly remain ignorant of indigenous cultivation and culinary traditions

like, in southern mexico, the maya have been tending honey bees for thousands of years. it is part of tradition, nutrition, and cultural endurance. meanwhile, the white vegan demands to use agave nectar as an alternative. but agave nectar, which comes from the desert plant the agave, requires an absurd amount of water to grow in order to meet the rising demands for this honey alternative. so not only does the white western vegan participate in an unnessary usage of precious desert water, which they pretend to care so deeply about when they somewhat correctly critique the meat and dairy industry, they are also diverting water from communities (to a growing form of industrial agriculture) and ignoring the cultural value of a foodstuff, honey, that has been sustainable for thousands of years in the hands of indigenous central americans (among others).

[sleepystarlette]

A few of my favorite pics from Les Miserables! I was Madame Thenardier as well as in the ensemble : ) I'm definitely already wanting to begin working on another show. That'll happen this fall, so I'll keep you all updated on any auditions or projects that come up !

[sleepystarlette]

First honey extraction of the year 🐝🍯🌻

[sleepystarlette]

Magickal Times: Hours of the Day

1 am - Focusing on the wholeness of self and the banishing of any shadows. 2 am - Ridding partnership or relationships of negativity 3 am - Focusing on determination and endurance, especially in matters that seem to hold you back. 4 am - Improving luck or inspiring victory over a specific set of deterring circumstances. 5 am - Encouraging the growth of your psychic self 6 am - Tenacity building and perseverance building, especially with something you’ve been putting off. 7 am - Hope. Improving insight and perspective. 8 am - Personal change and growth aimed toward the conscious mind. 9 am - Assisting others. Focusing on concrete matters. 10 am - Improving personal convictions and resolutions. 11 am - Focusing energy directed towards transformation, especially those which seem impossible. Noon - *See below* 1 pm - Self image and personal security. 2 pm - Building relationships. Encouraging, understanding and love between people, and sexual symmetry. 3 pm - Balancing matters of safety, protection and completion. 4 pm - Harmony of the elements, adhering to schedules, and magick to accentuate goals. 5 pm - Insight of self. Communicating with spiritual guides. 6 pm - Matters of safety, protection, and completion. 7 pm - Diversity, blending or healing differences. Gentle care towards others. 8 pm - Leadership, command and guidance. 9 pm - Comprehension of universal truth. 10 pm - Improving the rational mind. Sensibility and clear mindedness. 11 pm - Coping with drastic change in a positive manner. Midnight - *See below*

Midnight and Noon are seen as the ‘in between’ hours and are seen as the times between hours where elemental creatures such as the Fair Folk and disincarnate spirits are most active. Excellent for any and all magick that will positively impact your life, new beginnings or endings.

[sleepystarlette]

environmental racism isn't a thing. God how can people be so stupid. Plants don't have fucking opinions.

I’m … legitimately blown away that you think environmental racism is about the marginalization of plants.

[sleepystarlette]

Days 2 & 3: Grounding & Centering

Grounding:

“Practice grounding today (and every day this challenge)! What is your favorite way to do this? If you have never done this before go to YouTube and do a search for grounding techniques.“

***

Before this portion of the challenge, I had never made grounding a part of my practice. I never connected to the imagery of roots sinking down into the soil or understood the purpose of feeling “grounded” before performing magic. But tonight, I turned instead to imagery from my own spiritual upbringing and adapted it into a grounding ritual.

I come from a long line of Quakers, and as such, learned early on about ‘the Light within,’ that spark of the divine that resides in all of us. I adapted that philosophy into a grounding ritual of my own. Instead of rooting myself down, I first reached up to the Divine, the ultimate source of Light. And as I sat in the stillness, the Light filled me up, weighing me down to the earth like an anchor. I was grounded, yet receptive to unearthly phenomena. I now understand why a witch needs to ground, because otherwise, they are blown away in the jetstream of the world beyond.

Centering:

“Spend 5 minutes today (and every day this challenge) focusing on your breath. Notice your breath as it enters and leaves your body. Try alternating between breathing in through the left nostril and out through the right. Use your fingers to close each nostril if you need the extra assistance. Try to increase this from 5 minutes to more as you do this every day this month.“

***

As someone who experiences frequent panic attacks, I have used breath control techniques before to control my anxiety. However, I am not in the practice of doing it regularly for a set amount of time and so this challenge was…hard. 

Throughout the five minute period, I found myself itching to check the timer. It was like the way time seems to slow to a crawl when your shift is just about to end at work. I caved at the very end and took a peak, but it was at that moment when the timer went off. I guess I have a good internal clock!

Centering is something I need to get better at, but hopefully, since the challenge calls for daily centering from here on out, I’ll get some good practice!

@30daymagicroots