#fayerie traditionalism

[poisonerspath]

We’re happy to welcome back the talented and deadly Scarlet Loring @poisonthicket for 2023!!!! Last year Scarlet gave an outstanding presentation on the pre-historic use of Henbane 💀 @botanicaobscuraconference Scarlet Loring, is a third generation folk practitioner, certified Usui Reiki Master-Teacher, member of Cylgh An Carow Gwyn, oath-sworn practitioner of Fayerie Traditionalism, and initiate of pre-modern sorcery. She is the owner and creatrix behind The Poison Thicket where she brews herbal products, crafted from homegrown, ethically foraged, organic and therapeutic grade materials and ritual tools which are individually designed and crafted by hand. Scarlet is an established practitioner of the Poison Path with over a decade of experience growing and crafting flying oils, incense, smoking blends and other trance induction mediums like infused candles and scrubs from plants in the Solanaceae or Nightshade family, specializing in a variety of species of Datura. All products prepared with poisonous or mind altering herbs are grown at home by Ms. Loring with rare exception. Additionally Ms. Loring specializes in creating precious sacred ritual tools and items designed in keeping with the methods and aesthetics of Fayerie Traditionalism as taught by author Robin Artisson. - -We have a lot of presenters to announce and presentation topics! This year is going to be even bigger than last year! Tickets go on sale Dec 21 on Eventbrite link in bio and be sure to keep checking back for updates! Background for promo graphic by Steven Thomas Pearson-Walsh #poisonpath #thepoisonpath #traditionalwitch #traditionalwitchcraft #faerietraditionalism #robinartisson #nightshadefamily #nightshade #veneficium #witchcraft #DeadlyNightshade #AtropaBelladonna #Belladonna #Solanaceous #WitchingHerbs #HexingHerbs #botanicaobscuraconference #poisonpath #thepoisonpath #veneficium #banefulherbs #poisonousplants #ethnobotany #pharmakeia #ethnobotanical #ethnobotany #pharmacognosy #plantspiritmedicine #plantspirithealing #plantlore #poisonousplants #toxicology #ethnopharmacology #entheogens #entheology https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl9Aa9hrqAd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[saintedsorcery]

Heresy As Healing

When I first got into paganism and witchcraft, I did what I think a lot of people do and took a very hard turn in to “fuck Christianity!” The literature and discourse of the early and mid 2000′s didn't help this mindset either. There was a lot of talk about how Wicca (I was an eclectic wiccan at the time) was the survival of an ancient pre-Christian religion and that Christianity stole its practices, holidays, and pretty much everything else, from paganism.

Needless to say my religious baggage went unpacked for YEARS?

That was until i left my more Wicca-inspired practice and found “traditional witchcraft”. In these spaces i found something that i had been lead to believe was impossible: Witchcraft and Christianity coexisting. Not only coexisting, but a style of witchcraft created by almost biblical teachings on their heads and pulling out the magic. Lucifer and Azaezel being sources of witch-power, Cain being the first Sorcerer, the witch’s horned one as the Devil! Seeing the witch-trials as not simply a tragedy, but pulling wisdom and magic from the confessions. All of this was new and exciting!

Beginning my research into this amazing new avenue was the first step in healing my heart and soul from the hitherto ignored scars left by my time in the Church. The more I walked this strange and crooked path, the more I found value in heresy. Calling to the Man in Black at a crossroads, flying from my body to the Witch’s Sabbath, reciting the Lord’s Prayer backwards. All of these were powerful in ways I never thought they could be. I laughed at myself. If you had told me at 18 that in 5 years id be dancing with the Devil, I would have raged about there being no Devil in the Craft. While I understand now why the 90s-2000s were so “anti-devil” and “love and light” I’m glad that we can now look at witchcraft and its history with a more nuanced lens.

Now in some ways I've come full circle. I am not a Christian, and I don't think i ever will be, but I pray to saints, I have a growing interest in Mary, I use psalms and bible verses in my spell work, i craft rosaries as a devotional act to the spirits I serve and honour. My patron goddess has even started to come to me with Marian imagery and titles.

In Fayerie Traditionalism/Fayerism we’re encouraged (sometimes outright told) to avoid and expunge all Abrahamism from our lives and certainly from our Sorcery. We’re told that there is no magic or value in Abrahamic traditions. This has been my biggest hurdle with this path. For me, i find so much power in using folk magic that would be deemed “witchcraft” by the Church, regardless of how much scripture is in it. I think to continue this idea of “there's no place for Christianity in witchcraft” does such a disservice to the history of witchcraft in Europe and the US. So many practices would not exist if our ancestors had not learned to synchronize and hide in plain site. I’m not calling on God when I use a psalm to heal, I'm speaking words of power that have been spoken for centuries by other healers and workers. When I pray the rosary, I do it to honor my ancestors who found comfort in it. 

For me, the catholic folk magic and heretical aesthetics do not deter me from path of Fayerie Traditionalism, it is simply another avenue to the same goal. The spirits of this tradition have not shown any ill-will to how I work. Gwynn still comes when I call him “Devil” or “Master” and Gwynnevar herself told me to call her “Our Lady Down Below” or “Our Lady of the Mound/Hill” Taking back my power from Christianity and seeing the Wisdom in its heresy has made me a better person and a stronger sorcerer. I have not lost my faith in the Fayerie People but have come closer to them. 

All this is to say:

Be free

Be powerful

Be a Heretic

Nema

[mason-dunn]

Folklore & Scholarly Books for the Traditional Witch :

• The Visions of Isobel Gowdie: Magic, Witchcraft, and Dark Shamanism in 17th Century Scotland by Emma Wilby

• Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits: Shamanistic Visionary Traditions in Early Modern British Witchcraft and Magic by Emma Wilby

• Witches at the Bpundary Od South-Eastern and Central Europe by Eva Pocs

• Witches, Werwolves, and Fairies: Shapeshifters and Doubles in the Middle Ages by Claude Lecouteux

• The Tradition of Household Spirits: Ancestral Lore and Practise by Claude Lecouteux

• Encyclopedia of Norse and Germanic Folklore, Mythology, and Magic by Claude Lecouteux

• Carmina Gadelica: Hyms and Incantations compiled by Alexander Carmichael and John Machnes

• The Mabirogion - Welsh Mythology

• The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries by W.Y. Evans-Wente

• Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry by WB Yeats

• Tales of the Celtic Otherworld by John Mathews and Ian Daniels

• Ozark Magic and Folklore by Vance Randolph

• Teutonic Mythology (Volumes 1-4) by Jacob Grimm

• Grimms Complete Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhehm Grimm

• American Witch Stories by Hubert J. Davis

• Popular Magic: Cunning Folk in English History by Owen Paries

• Arcadia: Gospels of the Witches By Charles Leland

Poison Path & Herbal Books:

• Pharmako/Gnosis: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path by Dale Pendell

• Thirteen Pathways of Oculy Herbalism by Daniel Schultes

• Plants of the Devil by Corinne Boyer

• Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers by Richard Evan Schultes

• The Witching Herbs : Thirteen Essential Herbs and Plants for Your Magical Garden by Harold Roth

• The Witches Ointment: The Secret History of Psychedelic Magic by Thomas Hatsis

• The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants by Christian Ratsch

• Witchcraft Medicine: Healing Arts, Shamanic Practices, and Forbidden Plants by Claudia Muller-Ebeling

• The Devil’s Garden : Facts and Folklore of Perilous Plants by Edward R. Ricciuti

• Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart

• The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart

Traditional Witchcraft Books :

• The Black Toad : West County Witchcraft and Magic by Gemma Gary

• The Mill: Workings in Traditional Witchcraft by Nigel G. Pearson

• Traditional Witchcraft : A Cornish Book of Ways by Gemma Gary

• A Deed Without a Name: Unearthing the Legacy of Traditional Witchcraft by Lee Morgan

• The Devils Dozen : Thirteen Craft Rites of the Old One by Gemma Gary

• Besom, Sting & Sword : A Guide to Traditional Witchcraft, the Six-fold Path & the Hidden Landscape by Christopher Orapello

• Weave The Liminal : Living Modern Traditional Witchcraft by Laura Tempest and Zackroff

• Liber Nox : A Traditional Witch’s Gramarye by Michael Howard and Gemma Gary

• Craft of the Untamed : An inspired vision of Traditional Witchcraft by Nicholas de Matteo’s Frisvold

• Children of Cain : A Study of Modern Traditional Witches by

• Letters from the Devils Forest : An Anthology of Writings on Traditional Witchcraft, Spiritual Ecology and Provenance Traditionalism by Robin Artisson

• To Fly By Night : Craft of the Hedgewitch by Veronica Cummer

• An Cracow Gwyn: Socery and the Ancient Fayerie Faith by Robin Artissin

• The Robert Cochrane Letter: An Insight Into Modern Traditional Witchcraft by Robert Cochrane and Evan John Jones

• Folk Witchcraft : A Guide to Lore Land, and the Familiar Spirit by Roger J Horne

• Balkan Traditional Witchcraft by Prademir Ristic and Michael C. Carter

• The Call of the Horned Piper by Nigel Jackson

• Ecstasies : Deciphering the Witches’ Sabbath by Carb Giazburg

[eclipse-star-and-stang]

Tree stumps become their own miniature terrariums of the world outside. For me, this makes them wonderful sacred spaces- a macrocosm/microcosm situation. ⁠ ⁠ If I but only lived closer to this humble tree stump, I would probably surround it with the most beautiful offerings and include it within an elf-cup. ⁠ ⁠ The Elf Cup is one of the rites in Fayerie Traditionalism, one of the paths I continue to study and follow as it aligns with much of the workings of my original coven. ⁠ ⁠ Elf Cups or Fayerie Cups are sacred spaces that are set aside to give offerings to the Fayerie folk or to other spirits. ⁠ ⁠ Offerings are the normal types of things- things like milk and cream, honey, bread, fruit, eggs, ale, whisky, or even small amounts of blood given from the person making the offering. ⁠ Different spirits seem to crave different offerings in my experience.⁠ ⁠ The creation and tending of the Elf-Cups, as well as the regular offerings given to them, represents one of the main rites of devotion and relationship-keeping with the Unseen beings and powers.⁠ ⁠ Do you set any space aside for offering to the Unseen Ones?⁠ ⁠ °⁠ °⁠ °⁠ °⁠ °⁠ °⁠ °⁠ #wortcunning #herbalism #herbalist #plantlore #botanicals #apothecary #plantsaremagic #plantlife #plantmagick #witch #traditionalwitch #spells #spellwork #witchesofinstagram #witchlife #witchythings #witchaesthetic #greenwitch #hedgewitch #naturalwitch #witchcraft #magick #instawitch #witchythings #solitarywitch #witchythings #witchesofig #gardenwitch #witchery #witchlife Remember to follow me on Instagram to keep updated and also unique Instagram-only competitions! https://ift.tt/2t4vMEx

[saintedsorcery]

VOCES MAGICAE

I’ve noticed a trend in modern magick that “the words don’t matter, only the intention” and this has never really been something that has sat well with me. If the words in spell craft “don’t matter” then why do we have such a long history of magickal words of power, incantations, prayers, liturgy and charms? The spoken word has always been one of the most potent forms or aspects of my magickal workings.

The last few years of working within Fayerie Traditionalism and the rites within “An Carow Gwyn” and “An Cawdarn Rudh” I’ve come into contact with barbarous names. Also called “voces magicae” these are words that are seemingly meaningless words that are supposedly magickal or powerful in nature. These words were/are usually bastardised words from languages that were not Greek or Latin. Incantations containing barbarous words come to us from The Greek Magical Papyri (Papyri Graecae Magicae or PGM), a collection of spells and rituals and liturgy from Greco-Roman Egypt. The power of these words comes not from any supposed meaning but from their sound of resonance. This can make employing them difficult because the magician must know the proper pronunciation. For this reason I am very thankful to Robin Artisson for giving phonetic spellings of any barbarous names (commonly referred to as “strange words” in the Fayerie Traditionalism material) used in rites and spells.

Other types of magickal words similar to these are ones Robin has given in “The Clovenstone Workings” the words of power given in that book are channeled words taught to him by the fayerie close to him. One such word is the word of the Gateway Ring: NURTANUMO. This word is in itself as spirit as well as an incantation. Speaking it correctly and with the correct ritual actions create a liminal space within which a sorcerer may commune with helpful and “friendly” spirits(I say friendly to mean that the word helps to keep out any spirit that might mean one harm or does not resonate with the purpose of ones magickal working). Along with NURTANUMO and other words of power given in “The Clovenstone Workings” they are accompanied by sigils formed by the letters of the word.

Another form of incantation or words of power that I want to start exploring is charms. I mean by this the spoken charms found in most forms of American folk magic. These re usually rhyming couplets that are believed to contain a power all their own, in some traditions though, one must be born a “charmer” to use them with any effect. Seeing as these come from forms of folk magic, many of these charms call upon the power of God, Jesus, the saints, apostles, or the Holy Trinity. Many pagans within the U.S. are coming into witchcraft and paganism from Christianity and carry with them some level of trauma. This in turn can cause hang ups of one kind or another when employing any types of magick that have any Christian trappings. I personally had these issues early on in my Path. Over time I came to a realisation that helped me (the following is UPG so take it accordingly) Power is Power. I personally believe that charms and and psalms that have a history of magickal use contain their own power that has been generated through belief. Generations of people spoke these words and believed in the power of them and so they have that power. Along that line of thinking is my belief that when I speak a charm it is not just me, but every person before me who spoke it for the same purpose. I am chanting and charming with the Ancestors and they bolster no only my Power but the Power of the charm. You can find collections of charms like this in the braucherei text “The Long Lost Friend”. Another source though not American is the “Carmina Gadelica” a collection of Scottish charms, hymns, prayers and lore. Gemma Gary as also written the “Charmer’s Psalter” a collection of psalms and biblical scripture used in English folk magic. (I do plan on getting my hands on all three of these eventually)

One last note on rhyming charms. I’ve seen a an explanation for rhyming couplets being used in magick as a way to enter into light trances to work magick. You write or find a charm that aligns with your purpose, and chanting it helps to “set your intention’ as you slip into trance. As far as I can tell this is a relatively modern explanation for their Power, it is however no less of an effective method. I have used this technique to help me enter trance, more specifically the level of trance I want when using glossolalia; speaking in tongues (another potent and powerful form of spoken word magick).

Looking back at the idea of belief giving words power. This idea is why I think it is possible to use incantations from media and pop culture in actual spell work. There are cases where a tv show or book will take a pre-existing spell or incantation and reword it slightly to fit the show or scene. In this case the ritual action accompanied by the spoken spell can have great effect. In other cases if you know how the spell operates within the fictional universe, this can signal your own spirit and those spirits you work with what you want to achieve. One personal experience I have with this is using the lost and found spell from Charmed. Anytime I employ this spell I fix an image of the object in my mind, breathe deeply, recite the spell three times, and then set the spell with a sharp clap and a “so mote it be”. In this way I’m not simply reciting the spell and expecting things to appear as happens in the show. I use the incantation in conjunction with real world magickal techniques and have always gotten positive results. Once I do this spell and continue searching I will often find the lost object within an hour, sometimes a day at most.

Regardless of your views on words in magick I think it does our history and Ancestors a disservice to simply dismiss them as an arbitrary or useless aspect of magickal practice.

[saintedsorcery]

Triangle and sigil cloths prepared and concentrated for use is scrying.

[saintedsorcery]

An invocation and a boon

[saintedsorcery]

In modern Heathenry there is a concept of spirits known as the Disir (singular Dis). While there is some debate on the true origins of these spirits, it’s a common belief among todays Heathens that these are female ancestral guardians. I personally equate these spirits with The Mothers in Fayerie Traditionalism, those femme spirits that serve The Great Mother.

There are two modern festival/feast days associated with them: Mother’s Night, and Disablot.

But why not today? Why not Mothers Day? Today is a day that we celebrate the mothers of our respective families (blood and chosen) Today is a modern festival to venerate those enfleshed Matriarchs that we love and hold dear. To me it would make sense to extend that love and devotion to the Mothers that walk with us in the Unseen. Just sort of wondering out loud I suppose. I think in the future I might set aside time to honour all the Mothers in my life, Seen and Unseen.

[saintedsorcery]

Half-formed ramble about magical identity

I’ve recently started coming to the realisation that, well that I don’t think “witch” really fits me anymore. This isn’t to say that I still don’t practice witchcraft or that it would be wrong to call me a witch, but more that my personal craft has developed in way that makes me question if it’s a moniker that still fits me.

Over the past several years, my craft has been moving more and more into the realm of charms and cures. I craft simple charms for people to gain luck and love. I walk folks through the processes of pulling off stagnant energy and uncrossing work. I still get requests to cleanse and bless homes. Owning a home and land for the past year has pushed me even more into the role of “village witch” I’ve started learning the language of my land, looking at potential plant and animal allies around me.

I think the two biggest influences for this change are my joining Fayerie Traditionalism/Fayerism and my study of folk magic

Fayerism focuses on spiritual ecology and the harmonious relationship between the Seen and Unseen worlds. Folk magic (as a magic of the people) is all about domestic life of the individual and the community.

All this is just a round about way of saying that I feel as if I’m growing into more of a “cunning woman” than a witch. My arte focuses on healing ailments (alongside modern medicine of course), attracting prosperity, and blessing those around me. I use my craft to help those around me whenever I and however I can, whether they be human or other-than-human persons.

And to be honest I’ve been moving away from the “witch” title for a while, although privately. Testing different mantles to find something that fit, sticking with “sorcerer/sorceress” for the most part. It wasn’t until last night that it stuck me how much like the cunning folk of Europe I’ve become.

I won’t correct any that call me “witch”, for as I said, I still practice witchcraft alongside other forms of magic. I’ll still be using the hashtag to appease the algorithms and I’ll still promote my services as a witch, but I think I’m going to start referring to myself as a “cunning woman” and see how that feels. I might even look into regional variants of the profession and see if the French had a localised term for the “cunning person/folk healer/white witch” as a nod to my ancestry

[saintedsorcery]

Of Toads and Toxins

Warning: This post is super rambley and I’m sorry

(Shout out to Courir le loup-garou for being an amazing resource)

Three things have been on my mind a lot lately: ancestors, malefica, and the toad. So imagine my happiness and surprise when reading a blog post about Toads in French-Canadian folklore/folk magic being poisoners.

Since discovering French-Canadian sorcellerie via courir le loup-garou I have been trying to incorporate parts of it into my practice as a way of connecting with my Québécois roots. I’ve even recently found a language learning app that offers Canadian French/Québécois so I plan on learning the language as a way to further connect. Very very exciting!

I’ve also been slowly getting into using poisons more in my practice, specifically working with the plants spirits as allies and less working directly with them in herbal preparations. I’ve been particularly drawn to mandrake and foxglove. Foxglove specifically for its link to the fayerie folk so it makes sense to work with as someone who follows Fayerie Traditionalism.

~(I blame Coby of The Poisoner’s Apothecary for the poison path focus lol)~

In connection to the poison path is malefic magic. The idea of the witch as a poisoner, a blighter of crops, a caster of curses. Not that I’m someone who wants to just throw hexes around like they’re nothing but I’m more interested in studying them and researching how they operate magically.

The toad spirit has been one that has floated in and out of my craft for YEARS never fully leaving but not always being of high importance. I think that’s really because I’ve never figured out how to work with this spirit in a way that makes sense to my and my craft. Reading the blog on toads in French-Canadian folklore has given me some possible inspiration. I’m hoping to commune with the spirit of Toad to learn more of cursing and malefica and to employ my toad imp to carry out any curses or hexes that I may weave.