#folk spirits

[brujadepinarrio]

🗡️Saint Barbara🔥

Saint Barbara, known in Spanish as Santa Bárbara, is a legendary figure venerated as a virgin martyr in Christian tradition. Her story, though considered apocryphal, has been cherished for centuries.

According to tradition, Barbara was the daughter of a wealthy pagan named Dioscorus. To shield her from the outside world, he confined her in a tower. During her seclusion, Barbara embraced Christianity. Upon discovering her faith, Dioscorus attempted to force her to renounce it. When she refused, he handed her over to Roman authorities, who subjected her to severe tortures and ultimately sentenced her to death. Remarkably, Dioscorus himself executed the sentence, beheading his daughter. Legend holds that immediately after her death, he was struck by lightning and killed, leading to Barbara’s association as a protector against lightning and sudden death. 

Afro-Cuban Syncretism:

In the Afro-Cuban religion of Santería, Saint Barbara is syncretized with Changó, one of the most powerful Orichas(Orishas). Changó is the Oricha of thunder, lightning, fire, and war, embodying virility, strength, and passion. This syncretism likely arises from the shared symbols of lightning and fire, as well as the vibrant and formidable characteristics attributed to both figures.

December 4th, the feast day of Santa Bárbara, is celebrated with great fervor in Cuba and other parts of the Caribbean. Devotees participate in processions, music, dance, and offerings, reflecting a blend of Catholic and African traditions. In Cuba, the National Sanctuary of Santa Bárbara in Párraga becomes a focal point for pilgrims who light candles and offer prayers, exemplifying the island’s rich cultural and spiritual tapestry. 

This fusion of beliefs highlights the resilience and adaptability of African spiritual practices in the face of colonialism and slavery, resulting in a unique cultural and religious identity that continues to thrive in the Caribbean today.

Afro-Brazilian syncretism:

In Afro-Brazilian religious traditions, syncretism—the blending of different religious beliefs—has played a significant role in shaping practices and deities. One notable example is the association between Santa Bárbara, a Catholic saint, and Oya Iansã (also spelled Yansã), an orixá in religions like Candomblé and Umbanda.

Brazil was one of the countries to experience a Yoruba slave trade along side with Cuba,Guyana and other nations especially with the Caribbean, just like the Spanish the Portuguese were also Catholic and enforce Catholicism onto anybody from indigenous peoples to the Africans and to the new mixed race people that resulted from colonization and violation, Yoruba slaves just like in Cuba also syncretized and blended in Catholicism with their spirituality as Brazil has one of the largest African influenced cultures

Offerings given:

Depending on your tradition, culture and family, the ways of offering and what you give is very different 

On December 4th, the feast day of Saint Barbara is celebrated with various offerings and traditions across different cultures. In Middle Eastern Christian communities, a traditional dish called Burbara is prepared, consisting of boiled wheat grains, pomegranate seeds, raisins, anise, and sugar. This dish commemorates Saint Barbara’s miraculous escape through a wheat field, which grew instantly to conceal her path. Additionally, planting wheat grains on this day is customary; if they sprout by Christmas, it’s considered a sign of good fortune. 

In Germanic regions, cherry tree branches, known as “Barbara branches,” are cut and placed in water on December 4th. If these branches bloom by Christmas, it’s seen as a symbol of good luck and prosperity.

In Afro-Brazilian traditions, where Saint Barbara is syncretized with the orixá Iansã, offerings include red apples, red wine, and red roses. Devotees also light red or white candles and may prepare altars adorned with these items to honor her. 

In Afro-Cuban traditions, December 4th marks the feast day of Santa Bárbara, who is syncretized with Changó, the orisha of thunder, lightning, and fire. Devotees honor her with offerings such as red roses, red or white candles, red wine, and red apples. Many prepare shrines or altars adorned with red fabrics, images or statues of Santa Bárbara, and other symbolic items. Communal celebrations often include music, dance, and processions, with participants dressed in red, reflecting the vibrant cultural syncretism of Cuba.  

These diverse practices reflect the rich cultural syncretism surrounding Saint Barbara’s veneration, symbolizing protection, prosperity, and resilience.

Until next time see you later🍎⚡️🗡️

[weirdlookindog]

Jean Edouard Dargent (1824–1899) - Les Lavandières de la nuit (The Washerwomen of the Night), c. 1861

[bastardofharrenhal]

when im playing rdr2 can slowly start hearing arthur start wheezing and coughing more and more during stranger missions as he starts losing weight quicker and his whistle dont sound right no more and i can see his skin getting paler as time passes

[sitting-1n-silence]

Graveyard etiquette from a cranky traditional witch:

-Leave shit at the gate (coins, cigarettes, eggs, flowers)

-If alone go in silence, if with others speak in a hushed tone

-Wear a hat or head covering to prevent possession or bringing home unwanted spirits.

-Bring bells and/or rattles to wake the dead if desired

-Smoking in the graveyard or carrying a flame is an easy way to get the attention of the dead at night.

-Bring a knife or object made of iron should things get hairy (always bring a knife). Canes are also excellent tools for working with the dead

-have a way of gathering occult materia without being noticed by people or spirits (invisibility charms work best)

-If you're bringing spirits home with you (intentionally), don't turn around until you're across the threshold of your home

-Upon leaving the cemetery, say a prayer for the dead and wild things that inhabitant there

-When home, spread white powder (flower, salt, ect...) at the door to keep unwanted spirits out. A colander over a key hole works too.

[lancelil]

me, finally locking in on drawing jay: >:)

[lailoken]

My husband gave me permission to share a picture of this special offering vessel that he made to propitiate his Kiln Spirit when working on ceramics.

I love it SO much.

[dark-corner-cunning]

Honoring the Spirits of Home: Creating Sacred Spaces for the Unseen

Welcome back, Seekers! Within my local coven, we are journeying through the mysteries of Spirit until Winter Solstice. Today, I introduced the art of crafting Spirit Houses, and I thought it would be fitting to share a bit of that here. I like to keep these crafty posts simple and open-ended, leaving space for the practitioner to add their own touch. The best magick often arises from just diving in and letting your intuition guide the way. May this inspire you to connect, create, and explore! 🌙✨

As witches, we work with spirits every day, whether we realize it or not. Our homes, like ourselves, are steeped in the spirit world, alive with layers of unseen inhabitants that have their own roles, wisdom, and stories to tell. For many of us, it’s a quiet understanding that a witch’s home should be haunted—not in the fearful sense, but filled with life that pulses in harmony with our craft. From ancestral guides and house spirits, to the land’s ancient beings, these entities weave themselves into the very fabric of our spaces, enriching them with energy and presence.

Regardless of whether a home is newly built or weathered by decades, each dwelling becomes imbued with spirit. There’s an existing ecosystem of energies that connect to the land itself, the history of the area, and the layers of life that once lived or passed through. These spirits, sometimes subtle, sometimes profound, thrive within the space we call home, coexisting with us and enhancing our magick. But it is up to us to nurture a balanced and harmonious relationship with them.

Why Connect with the Spirits of Your Home?

Developing a deep, reciprocal relationship with the spirits of your home doesn’t just benefit your craft; it offers blessings for everyone under your roof. When these spirits feel acknowledged and respected, they offer protection, lend strength to your magickal workings, and create an atmosphere of peace and nourishment. A home can truly feel like a sanctuary when the spirits that dwell within it are in harmony with those who reside there in the flesh. This connection turns your space into an anchor—a place of personal power, healing, and resilience.

Building Friendships with Spirit

Nurturing relationships with spirits requires time, care, and a commitment to reciprocity. Just as with human friendships, there is a cycle of giving and receiving. Spirits respond to sincere attention and intention, as well as the gifts and gestures we offer them. One meaningful way to foster this connection is by creating a spirit house or a dedicated space where spirits can feel welcomed and honored.

A spirit house is both a physical symbol and a spiritual anchor. It becomes a place where offerings can be left, and it serves as a gateway for interaction with the spirit world in a respectful and clear manner. It’s a way of saying, “You are welcome here, I honor your presence, and I seek your guidance and protection.”

Creating Your Spirit House

Designing a spirit house is a creative, personal process. It need not be elaborate; sometimes, the simplest gestures carry the deepest respect. You may choose a small altar, a shelf, or even a discreet box placed in a peaceful corner of your home. Consider using natural materials—wood, clay, or stone—as they tend to resonate well with spirits of place. Personalize it with items like stones from your land, soil, dried herbs, or even water from a local stream. Each addition builds a bridge between your energy and the spirits you invite into your home.

When crafting your spirit house, remember that offerings and gifts can strengthen this relationship over time. Spirits, like friends, appreciate time, energy, love, and tokens of appreciation. Remember, spirits are aware of intention as much as they are of the physical offering, so approach this creative expression with reverence and sincerity.

For my spirit house, I’ve chosen to weave in unsea, or “old man’s beard,” gathered lovingly from my mother tree, a sacred link to the ancient and wise energies of the land. I've placed birds within the space, their forms standing as messengers and symbols of spirit, guiding and connecting with the unseen. Mushrooms, too, find their place here, embodying my bond with the natural world—grounded yet reaching into hidden realms. They carry the magick of spiritual growth, reminding me of the mystery and connection to realms beyond. Each piece breathes life into the space, deepening my relationship with the spirits I honor… and I placed a bell at the entrance, placed with the hope of hearing it softly chime as the spirits pass through.

[haulinghearse]

VIY (1967)

A group of seminary students from the city go on summer break, drunkenly wandering the countryside. They end up lost, and spend a night in the company of a haggard witch. A scuffle breaks out, and one of the students, Khoma (Leonid Kuravlyov), murders the witch. Only it turns out he really killed a beautiful landowner's daughter (Natalya Varley), and now he must sit with her body in a church for three days, protecting it from evil spirits.

[wolfhoundwitch]

I think we need to bring local shrines back. Not in the sense of like, a church, but somewhere in a local community where offerings to the spirits, fae, deceased loved ones, can be left. not too dissimilar to community shrines to local spirits in Japan.

[hourcat]

Who do you get on best with out of the drivers on the grid?

🩷pierre🩷

[stars-obsession-pit]

During that early period of Gotham’s time as No Man’s Land where Batman was nowhere to be found, many hoped desperately for his return. For most, it was the normal sort of desperation engendered in everyone trapped in the collapsing city.

But for others, that desperation went much deeper. First into superstition, then gradually growing into a zealous, cult-like fervor.

Maybe if they sacrificed something valuable enough, their shadowy protector would return and save them.

And as for what that sacrifice would be, it was obvious.

For even in No Man’s Land, what is more valuable than a human life?

That Batman is just the human Bruce Wayne is immaterial. To the Infinite Realms, belief and reality are oft interchangable

And that much faith, funneled through a sacrificed soul, was more than enough to bear fruit.

Unseen by anyone down below, the Spirit of the Bat coalesced from the shadows of Gotham to begin their ceaseless hunt.

[weirdlookindog]

Jaroslav Panuška (1872–1958) - Vodník, c. 1890-1900

[rinksrats]

hockey screencap 8/???

[sitting-1n-silence]

Thoughts on the way spirits present themselves:

Sometimes, when we're calling spirits, they're arrive without us knowing. The spirit could be standing right in front of us waving, and our subtle senses just aren't fine-tuned enough to see them. Some get around this by working with a scryer. Others might build the ritual pressure in the space until the spirit is compelled into become more visible. Something i find consistently reliable is utilizing forms of passive divination.

This way, you have ways of diving a spirit's presence without having to pull your attention away from your conjurations or ritual actions.

Passive divination methods for spirit conjuration could include:

Burning incense to see figures and signs in the smoke

Letting candles melt to look for symbols in the wax

Hanging bells around the space

A water scrying set up where the surface is oily to more easily produce images

Above, I included photos from a ritual I did a while ago where I used candles and stone with a similar purpose. This stone was being consecrated as a tool to scry with in the future, and I wasn't receiving clear signs that the spirit i called had come. It wasn't until I looked down and saw the melted wax in the form of a black hand that I realized they were sitting with me. It was small and very subtle, so subtle I could've easily missed it.

Having passive ways of scrying and divining the presence of spirits can be a huge help when exploring new spirits and conjuration methods. It takes some discernment to know how to use them, but when applied well, they are a huge boon to one's setup.

[astra-ravana]

Mirror Magick Applications

Mirrors are a big part of our lives. Mirrored surfaces, both man-made and natural exist almost everywhere. Every culture has myths regarding mirrors and I'm sure some of these we have all heard. Such as breaking a mirror is worth seven years of bad luck, that you shouldn't keep them in the bedroom, or to cover all your mirrors after someone dies, so their soul isn't trapped. Mirrors are more than just shiny bathroom fixtures, they are literal portals and amplifiers with several magickal utilities.

Trapping Energy by Charging Mirrors

Mirrors can be used to 'trap' the energy of any setting you find particularly powerful. For example: leaving your mirror close to the ocean waves or in a dark forest overnight. It will absorb the potent natural energies, then you can use the mirror in late workings as you please.

Lunar magick is another area where mirror work is ideal. Place a few mirrors under the moon to charge them with the energy of that phase. If you want to use them for a specific purpose, consider marking them with a symbol or sigil. When you need the energy of the moon, or a moon phase, you can access it as needed by using an appropriately charged mirror.

Amplification

Mirrors, like crystals, can help to amplify the power of your spells ans rituals. Keeping a mirror on your altar can bolster and increase the success of your workings. Just as focused sunlight on a mirror ignites a fire, focused magick will ignite a spell. Make sure your spell components are reflected, or better yet, perform the working on top of a mirror, to substantially increase its power.

Scrying and Accessing Other Realms

When correctly utilized mirrors can be used to access messages and visions that we wouldn't normally be able to connect with. Scrying is an ancient divinatory magick that is often used as a form of fortune-telling. Traditionally, a lot of scrying was done with water, the ancient Celts and Greeks even practiced this form of divination. Mirror scrying is an evolution of these water oracles, with historical practitioners like the famous John Dee, who used highly polished silver, brass, mercury, or obsidian.

Scrying wit mirrors can be particularly powerful due to the idea that your reflection is the manifestation of your soul. When viewing your reflection, if you're well in tune with yourself, you can ask your soul questions regarding your life and development or even open up the door to another dimension entirely. Mirrors can be enchanted and sigified into being gateways in and of themselves.

Many scrying mirrors are black because one's own reflection can be rather distracting. The traditional material of a black mirror is obsidian, however you can craft your own by painting one side of a piece of glass black. Picture frames are great for this. A black mirror is the best option for scrying as you won't be distracted by your own features, leaving you open to interpret your visions.

Banishing

Mirrors, as reflective surfaces and magickal conductors, are often used in banishing spells. Banishing magick can be used when someone is directing negative energy your way or you're being harassed. In this case, a mirror can be used to return bad energy back to the person who sent it.

Banishing magick can be a wonderful tool when applied to bad habits or negative thoughts as well. To banish an idea or behavior, encant something akin to: "[what you're banishing] you've caused me pain, I banish you, now stay away. Mirror help to reflect my plight, and keep [what you're banishing] out of sight". Keep the mirror close to you in order to protect you from what you're banishing.

Defense

Mirrors are also an incredibly effective defensive tool. They can deflect any negative energy, ill intent, or malevolent spirits sent your way. By placing mirrors in areas where you need the most protection, you can repel any unwanted energy trying to infiltrate your space. For added potentcy, draw a protective sigil/symbol on the mirror and/or place a protective crystal in front of it.

Hexenspiegal: The Witch's Mirror

A hexenspiegal is a small mirror used as a protective charm to reflect away baneful/attack magick, the evil eye, and other bad omens and intentions, as well as return the energy back to its sender. Its basis is in German folk magick. Translated, it means "witch's mirror". Hexenspiegals may be suspended from cords, fastened to walls, or, in the case of small ones, worn as jewelry. You can make your own by cleansing, decorating (optional), and sigifying/enchanting a small mirror to your intent.

[dandelion-roots]

[ID: a digital drawing of sklonda, pok and riz gukgak from fantasy high. sklonda is sitting in an armchair and holding newborn riz, her head angled slightly back and leaned up against pok's. pok is leaning over the back of the armchair, face pressed half against sklonda's and half against her hair. he's hugging sklonda, one hand at the nape of her neck and the other leaned against riz's little head. riz is holding pok's index finger with his tiny claw as he sleeps. everyone's eyes are closed and pok and sklonda are smiling. End ID]