#goth 101

[vampiricvenus]

EXCELLENT deep dive on Ethereal Wave!!

If you have an interest in hazy, romantic, melancholic, poetic, emotional, and otherworldly dark music, often featuring some of goth's most downright hauntingly angelical voices, this video might hold the key to a new world of incredible music for you.

Some of my all time favorite bands from any genre that exists are mentioned here, such as Faith and the Muse, Cocteau Twins, The Eden House, Lycia and Miranda Sex Garden.

Give this video a chance if you're attracted to the imagery of long ruined gothic cathedrals, ghostly gossamer apparitions, moonlit graveyards, long flowing dresses and gloomy waltzes between lovers.

[vampryn]

new video!! trying to help people who never learned how to sew a patch on :) it’s super easy and hopefully has clear instructions :) leave me a comment to help out a lil spooki jus tryna help the babygoffs

[dark-comforts]

Source: Pinterest, @wihtc on TikTok

[ancientcraftnoccultism]

Introduction To Candle Magic

Ancient Craft & Occultism

___

By KB

Introduction

Welcome back witches in training! We've been covering a lot of ground bases lately, especially within the realms of spellwork. Today, we're going to take that a bit further by opening our horizons to the infinite world of Candle Magic! In this lesson, we're going to discuss basic color magic, the history of candles, and how to use candles in your craft. Let's get to it!

A Brief Candle History

The exact origin of the candle is quite a debate among historical scholars, but there is a large sum of evidence that suggests candles made of beeswax were used in Egypt and Crete as early as 3000 BCE. Other early candles were fashioned using tallow-soaked tapers manufactured from fibrous materials like rushes. Rushlights were one of the first types of enclosed light we are aware of, yet they were unlike candles as we know them today because they lacked a wick. The impoverished continued to utilize them for centuries because they were also inexpensive to produce.

It may come as no surprise that the Romans are credited with creating the first wicked candles by continuously dipping a roll of papyrus into tallow, a converted form of beef or mutton fat, while wrapping it around a length of twine. Candles were still used in the same manner, but they had superior quality and a longer lifespan than rushlights.

However, candle production was not only practiced by the Romans. Wicked candles were "invented" by numerous other ancient civilizations who also used local plant-based waxes. The eulachon fish, which is so oily that when dried, it would burn like a candle when you ignite one end, was used as a candle by tribes in Alaska and Canada. The Chinese used wrapped ricepaper as wicks. In India, wax was created from the fruit of the cinnamon tree.

Candles, in any form, were a significant component of religious rites throughout this time. The Jewish Festival of Lights, Hanukkah, was originally documented around 165 B.C. Constantine, the Roman emperor between 306 and 337 A.D., mandated the use of lamps during Easter celebrations. Indeed, from roughly the time of Constantine, lights have played a significant role in religious events and signify the purifying light of God.

Candle flames were seen by ancient peoples to reveal enigmatic things. One could experience an altered state of consciousness and see gods, spirits, or the future by gazing into a flame. In a magic ceremony for "dreaming true," or getting information from dreams, the late Egyptians of the third century B.C. utilized lamps and possibly candles. He retired to a pitch-black cave that faced south and sat there gazing into a flame till he saw a god. Then he went to sleep, hoping that the deity would show up in his dreams and provide him with the answers he was looking for.

The Roman Christian scholar Tertullian fiercely objected to the ancient Pagan practice of lighting candles and lights during religious ceremonies, calling it "the useless lighting of lamps at noon." Candles and lamps were used in Christian rites from the fourth century, but candles weren't put on church altars until the later Middle Ages, starting in the twelfth century. Consecrated holy candles are used in ceremonies for blessings, atonement for sins, and the exorcism of demons, all of which were instituted by the Catholic Church.

Using Candles In The Craft

Candles have long been used as versatile tools, but in witchcraft, they can also be used for divination, spirit sensing, casting spells, and a variety of other things. Let's jump right in.

Divination - Reading the wax and observing how the candle really burns are the two most popular techniques for candle divination. You must observe the candle's burning pattern, including its height, flickering, and the presence of many flames, in order to make a prediction based on how it burns. Two flames could indicate assistance from the afterlife in achieving your objective. Even the hues of the flame may give you a clue as to how well your efforts are going. However, there is no agreement on what these indications signify. While some practitioners hold that a candle that burns tall and strongly indicates that one's request will be granted, others draw attention to the fact that the wick's length and quality, as well as an air vent, can affect how the candle burns. Prioritize your intention over the candle's burning process. You can always read the wax once it hardens, or pour the wax directly into cold water for it to harden and then interpret the symbols, much like you would with bone throwing, or scrying. Personally, I also like to pay attention to the smoke and interpret the way the smoke from the candle flows in order to interpret surrounding energies.

Spirit Work - Fire scrying is the most common way to communicate with spirits, and as it's the only method with candles I have experience with, that's what I will be discussing here. I encourage you to do your own research into spirit communication outside of my suggestion, because I'm sure there are plenty other methods out there. Again, there is no base consensus in a means to interpretation, as spirits and practitioners alike have different ways of communication. Just like with any other scrying, its imperative to stay connected to your personal energy while connecting with surrounding energy to properly interpret the signals you are receiving. Connecting with deities is also possible using this method of Candle Magic.

Rituals/Spellwork - In rituals and spells, candles are used to increase vibrations, represent specific elements and other important objects or creatures, use symbolism, and seal items like letters or spell bottles. Even candle spells can be created simply lighting a candle with intention. It is very common to carve, dress, and anoint candles in aid for ritual and spellwork as well. Fire being the main force driving the work, of course.

Worship - Candles are often used as offerings for various deities. Symbolism, color, and dressings can all play a part of this as well. They are also used as a beacon for an entity to guide you through your working.

Candle Correspondences

When undertaking serious candle work, choosing the right candle colors is crucial. Each hue has a unique meaning and possesses unique abilities. It's crucial to pick colors that align with your aims while working with candles in spells or rituals. Please remember that this is a very basic list and that the things you will read in your personal correspondence are far more significant than anything you will read here.

White - Attraction, Purification, Protection, Balance, Clarity, Grounding, Healing, Hope, Innocence, Optimism, Peace, Truth, Willpower

White can take the place of any other color when not available. Just a bit of visualization is required.

Black - Acceptance, Afterlife, Banishing, Binding, Determination, Endings, Justice, Loss, Release, Break, Security, Grief, Negativity, Patience, Persistence, Rebirth, Strength, Self Control

Red - Assertiveness, Courage, Creativity, Energy, Desire, Loyalty, Motivation, Power, Survival, Change

Yellow - Action, Communication, Learning, Finances, Business, Intellect, Inspiration, Knowledge, Wisdom, Stimulation

Pink - Acceptance, Affection, Beauty, Compassion, Healing, Family, Harmony, Kindness, Longevity, Nurturing, Partnership, Prosperity

Green - Abundance, Agriculture, Beauty, Creativity, Family, Fertility, Healing, Luck, Environment, Nurturing

Purple - Authority, Enlightenment, Spirituality, Emotions, Imagination, Influence, Truth, Wisdom, Overcoming Fear

Orange - Adaptive, Ambition, Confidence, Courage, Discipline, Energy, Freedom, Justice, Positivity, Pleasure, Stimulation, Travel

Blue - Honesty, Truth, Trust, Dreams, Sleep, Mental, Wisdom, Leadership, Fertility, Marriage, Healing, Study

Brown - Endurance, Animals, Balance, Courage, Grounding, Stability, Protection

Silver - Awareness, Intuition, Money, Purification, Potential, Stability, Success, Celestial

Gold - Abundance, Ambition, Money, Happiness, Power, Influence, Solar energy

Even if you aren't aware of it, the type of candle and the type of wax it is made of may have an impact on your craft. It can all come down to functionality or magical implications.

Taper Candles

Taper candles are tall, thin candles with a tapered top; they are often placed in vintage, smaller candle jars and are more ornamental and symbolic. Shorter taper candles are typically used to seal objects with wax. They can, however, be utilized for any task.

Pillar Candles

There are many different types of pillar candles, but these are the ones I see used almost exclusively. They differ from being short and fat to being tall and slim. They can be utilized for a variety of purposes, but I've found that rituals are where they're most useful.

Votive Candles

Votive candles are little and barely taper more at the base. They are frequently placed in glass candle holders and are used as offerings to deities. Given that their modest, tapering size is what makes them votives, their sizes rarely fluctuate. But they do come in a variety of colors. They are often white.

Tealights

Tealights are tiny, thin, and short candles. You can use them to make offerings, perform spells and rituals, decorate, or even keep wax warmers warm. I frequently observe this kind of candle being used, largely because they are the least expensive candles available.

Now, let's go over some of the different wax types.

Beeswax

It used to be difficult and dangerous to obtain beeswax, which added to the candle's mystique and spiritual power. Beeswax is a natural substance that burns more slowly, making it a premium item among contemporary candle spiritual practitioners; yet, because of its price, it may not be the best choice. Beeswax candles are available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and hues and can be rolled, poured, or dipped. Longer ancestral rituals that demand higher vibrations and purpose work best with these candles.

Soy

People who use earth magic sometimes like soy candles since they are natural. Although they tend to burn for a shorter period of time than beeswax candles, they keep fragrances quite well. When dressed, they can also be extremely fragile and challenging to mold or carve. The majority of soy candles are already housed in glass. They are most effective when utilized in ancestral rituals for healing and rebirth.

Paraffin

Since it's a byproduct of the petroleum industry, many people consider it to be less natural than the available alternatives. The fact that it releases chemicals like toluene into the air makes it a poor choice for poorly ventilated areas. Other than providing the foundation for candles, I haven't discovered any sources that discuss the magickal powers of paraffin itself. I found a few for petroleum jelly, which is frequently used as a foundation for herbal salves, but they mainly praised how simple it was to use as an ointment. Even our non-human ancestors may have used petroleum, according to some sources, which makes it a solid foundation for ancestor magic.

[candieduranium]

THIS IS AN OFFICAL

✨CLAWED BEAUTY 101✨

APPRECIATION POST

the photos are blurry😔but you get the point !!

[kematian-disreally]

"Mum, can we buy Fran and Mr. Midnight?"

"But we already have Fran and Mr Midnight at home."

Fran and Mr Midnight at home:

[thenothlng]

★ BEATRIZ VOIDCALLER ; reference image .

she has quite the wardrobe.............

[steelsponge]

Pastel goth Dante, as inspired by @notsoblackandwhite101's grid aesthetic Drawcember. I won't cover everything, but I thought I'd add my own little contributions to these.

[fuckitinc]

Stuffies!!!!🥳🥳🥳🥰🥰🥰

[cinematicfashion]

[wolfcomix]

Tybee Island, Georgia

[vampiricvenus]

Good news to those using this post as music recs! I have tags for goth music, including by genre; dark Post-Punk, Gothic Rock, Darkwave (Neoclassical Darkwave too), Ethereal Wave, Deathrock. I had those same tags in my longer running previous account; here for general goth music, dark Post-Punk, Gothic Rock, Darkwave (Neoclassical Darkwave again), Ethereal Wave, Deathrock.

I also have a goth 101 tag, goth playlists based on different gothy aesthetics, goth playlists based on the Haunted Beauty Barbie collection dolls, and a comprehensive Goth 101 post with some brief goth history, clearing of misconceptions, trivia and massive playlists for each of the 4 main subgenres.

As an aside, Christian Death's most (in)famous song is Romeo's Distress, which contains the uncensored n word supposedly for satire/anti-racist reasons (🙄). Kinda had to list them in the Deathrock option because talking about Deathrock without talking about them is like talking about Thrash Metal without talking about Metallica. Check them out at your own risk. To be frank, nearly every classic goth band has Done A Racism, unfortunately.

I'm making my own goth subgenres poll because I'm both annoyed and annoying.

I'm not arguing with losers who'll probably bring up germanic tribes or fucking architecture about why I didn't include some Metal genre or their favorite Pop Punk band.

[notsoblackandwhite101]

Destiny in the goth pastel aesthetic!

Broken heart ribbon collar, spiked frilly cuffs (Altered Dante collars), spiderweb eye makeup, goth heart tiara and a bat purse I found online!

Wait, is anyone asking Dante before they borrow these?!

[ambiguous-existence]

Explaining subcultures: goth.

Goth falls into a lot of sub-categories and I don’t plan to go over all of them. If this is something you’re interested I definitely encourage you to look further into them.

In this post I’ll talk about: music, ideology, aesthetic/style, and media representation.

Music: goth is a primarily music-based subculture. If you listen to the music you’re a goth. Regardless of how you dress. Early goth music most likely originated with post punk and evolved from there

Some bands include, the cure, strawberry switchblade, siouxie and the banshees, and many more.

Here are some playlists!

Happy listening!

Goth ideology:

Goths advocate free thinking and self expression. The bizarre is not something to be feared but something to be explored and celebrated. Gothic music, art, and literature also explore the beauty in dark themes.

Style/aesthetic:

Although there are many ways of dressing, the examples I share here will be mainly more traditional goths. You should definitely check out more sub-styles though! They’re really interesting. Another thing to remember is that just dressing the part doesn’t make you goth, and you don’t even need to look a certain way to be goth.

Bats nest hair is common but there are lots of other styles to try. The main color palette is black sometimes with other colors accenting it. Some people do incorporate brighter colors as well, though! For example strawberry switchblade.

Another common theme is layering and using different textures. Rosaries are a popular accessory. There are existing stores catering to goths but it’s also great to thrift and diy for a unique look.

Goths in media:

Lydia Deetz: Beetlejuice

The South Park goths:

Mortician Addams from the Addams family:

Thank you for reading! If this caught your interest I encourage you to research further! Any goths reading, please let me know if I got anything wrong.

[cushionydeer4]

Christian DeVil with a cool goth s/o

* I made these headcanons, I hope that’s ok

First things first, Christian loves your sense of fashion, it’s not far off from his but enough to be different and make him excited

He especially likes your use of leather pieces and heavy black eyeliner (one time got him to agree to trying the black eyeliner and you had such a great time and he looked so hot)

I picture him loving to shop with you. He loves to go with you to thrift, oh how he loves thrifting. His favorite is when you are able to find a piece of clothing you want to up-cycle and then he does it for you, it makes him feel needed

And if you don’t really need his help he still appreciates that if you did need help he’d be there

Oh if you share the interest of fashion oh man you have brought Christian to his knees. And maybe you don’t even really have to be interested in it as a personal thing but if you learn more about it for him ugh!

This goes both ways because even though he dresses in black a lot, goth is not something he’s really familiar with, he’s more of a furs kinda guy so you teach him more about your special interest in the fashion

And he loves to hear you talk about anything you are passionate about, the more passion the better

Christian himself is a very ‘cool’ person so your energies match well

Occasionally one of you have your overly cool moments that is able to break the others facade and fluster them. Sometimes you have battles of who is able to do that the most.

Seeing Christian blush is just ah, it’d make me pass away

But back to y’alls passion for fashion

On non busy days, Christian has you come into his office with to do whatever. Sometimes you help him with fashion concepts other times you’re just emotional support.

He’ll let you professionally model clothes for if if that’s something you’d be interested in. Obviously he’d make sure you were well trained in the model industry because while he loves you more than fashion he needs everything to be perfect (I may be projecting a little here but anyway)

If not he still has you try things on for him at home. He loves to use you to see his ideas/designs on a live model

Overall Christian loves you and your sense of style

* I’m so sorry this took so long, life is crazy and every time I was like this is enough I added more

[pixie-skull]

215th edit and this a personal one. I tend to avoid making edits of those I know from real life as a respect of privacy, but this needed to be made/vent. So I am about 6 months in of using testosterone and today I made time to let my mother share her concerns and questions, as I understand it does take time for change. Especially as I am only now physically transition, not just socially, transition, and I am my late 20's. Only, of my immediate family (sorry excluding my half-siblings) my mother only one who seems still stuck in a sense of worry of my choices. My father pleasantly surprising me in how well he is doing, like other day when aiding me with auto insurance (I had two car accidents in June) he referred me as his son, and I was so happy (I strongly believe he has NPD).

Now I get my oldest sister (represented by character Sarah*) still getting use to things, but understandably I did for a few years did go by they/them pronouns, but I am so proud of her, my next sibling, my brother, and younger sister are all doing amazing.

However, any advice besides be patient and offer a space to answer my mother's questions? She tells me she is worried that taking testosterone is not understood of the long term affects, which I understand to an extent, but she brings up religion as a reason to be weary. I am a Spiritual person, so to hear her compare people born with disabilities yet they learn to love and not change their bodies, like the Lord would want, bothers me. On one hand, sure, sure I am grateful for what health and my body is, but this seems accidentally Catholic guilt. Speaking of which, rest assured, my family is open minded or/and supportive of LGBTQ+ Community. I mean dang no issues me being bi/queer.

Back to topic, I am unsure what to say and offer more to my mother to understand. I mean my therapist let me give my parents a number to call of my health insurance to offer trans Q&A meetings for families. I mean I even explained I am the happiest I am in understanding myself as a trans man, but no change. Just more push back and worse "you can be whoever you want... you are non-binary to me, not a man". I mean even when I did think I was non-binary, she would still call me she/her and deadname me more, so I feel that a shortcut (or whatever) for her. Rest assured she been good with my name change and not judge in recent past changed all my documentation to that name and even list myself as a man, but actually addressing me as he/him, nope.

Again any advice would be happily encouraged. I also had to make a vent post edit, because realize through a conversion on a former relationship of most 2020 and snips 2021, my ex partner, they, they will were more emotionally harmful to me, and taking time to debate being friends still, being hurting me. As well been busy with work and university.

*= What movie is Sarah from? I want to see if I can finding it streaming to watch full thing. NOT clips XD yet thanks Youtube.

P.s. Thank you @airasora for your insight that I look like Cinderella's Prince Charming, Kit, or Christopher, and overall being a great friend lately. As well thank you @little-bloodied-angel for your friendship.