#heddwyn post

[wolverinesorcery]

Paleoancestor veneration

Paleoancestors (also called deep time ancestors) are a collection of Ancestors I’ve not often seen talked about. There is a lot of overlap between paleoancestor veneration and paleoanimism/deep time spirit work – it is important to establish a firm connection with the paleoancestors you’re interested in venerating so they have a link to you as well. It’s also something I’ve found to be far more research-heavy than ancestor work involving humans and both more enjoyable and more challenging (palaeontology talks are enlightening but can also be an information overwhelm).

There are two main branches of paleoancestor work that I’ve found, that being paleoancestor archetypes and paleoancestor individuals (there are many mammoths, but only one Mammoth). I have a preference for the archetypes over individuals currently so the majority of this post will be from that perspective. Paleoancestor veneration is a practice I’ve found to be incredibly meaningful and a way to connect to the world around me.

There are a few methods I’ve used to contact paleoancestors, the main one being ‘walking back’ (a meditative exercise posted below). My second favourite option is connecting via the land and taking into consideration what megafauna + other extinct beings would have inhabited it before me - it’s easy to find what fossils have been discovered in your area and what more recently extinct animals called it home. 

‘Walking back’

A technique I’ve found fantastic for initially contacting paleo-ancestors is ‘walking back through time.’ It’s a meditative exercise that roughly follows this structure:

Find yourself at the mouth of a cave through whichever sense you find best – smell the damp cave walls, touch the rough rock, or look down into the depths.

Enter the tunnel, feel the ridges of rock layers on the wall and the fossils embedded within, feel the history of the rock and look at the striations of time.  

Walk deeper into the tunnel, find yourself travelling back through the ages, past the industrialisation of the world, past the spreading of agriculture. With each major mark of an extinction event, find a branching passage.      

When you find a passage that feels ‘right’, explore it – walk down it, feel and look at the fossils extruding from the walls. At the end, there is a light and fresh air – perhaps it has a peculiar taste to it if you are in the Cambrian era, or maybe it is heavy with moisture from a Cretaceous polar forest.  

Emerge from the tunnel into a new, exciting, unexplored place. Venture into the environment and see what approaches you. If at any point you are afraid, or in danger, there is an easy out – look down at your feet for a hole, crevice or chasm into the ground below and slip into it, back into the tunnel, and walk home.    

Communication

Ancestors communicate in different ways, depending on the era they are from. Pikaia has a much more basal version of communicating with me, a human, than Cave Lion does. Pikaia only communicates with the most basic essence of a sentence or message: it resembles talking with ‘feeling words’ only but has no bearing on the depth or complexity of the messages 

An example of this is, when seeking advice on a situation regarding anxiety for the summer, Pikaia’s advice was “warmth, joy, blue (colour)” and I roughly interpreted as the summer will be joyful and warm if I make it that way, but not to forget my needs (the blue colour’s meaning in my personal practice). 

Cave Lion’s communication style is much more familiar to me and uses full sentences (though, he is reserved with how much he speaks).

Something that has been invaluable with paleoancestor work is keeping a constant record of communication, advice, and lessons. This is especially important if engaging with them on a personal level outside of asking for general advice and favours at an ancestor altar. This has been most helpful with learning Pikaia’s communication style!

Not all deep time ancestors are receptive to human contact (at least initially), especially if they are a relatively recently extinct animal whorse distruction humans may have played a part in. I’ve found that giving them gifts and allowing them to dictate the terms of communication (within reason) is deeply helpful and even gives them space to grieve their loss. The most recent experience of mine that has made this necessary is Aurochs, who expressed grief and rage over her own species fate as well as the fate of her descendants (domesticated cows).

Outside of direct communication through meditation, it is entirely dependent on the ancestor what they’d prefer as an intermediary. Cave Lion talks through my animal tarot, Aurochs prefers only direct astral communication, and Pikaia works in mysterious ways and will only occasionally talk through specific decks, tools, or will sometimes appear through my intuition.

Altars and gifts

This is entirely dependent on the ancestor – Pikaia has not asked for anything beyond that I swim in the ocean regularly, while Cave Lion asked for a hand-drawn charcoal art piece reminiscent of cave art and an object so I can carry him with me regularly. Aurochs has asked of me that I don’t consume beef at all and dairy as rarely as possible (which is something I am okay with doing for her), because of her grief over the loss of her species. Altar-wise, I’ve given all of them the option of space on my main working place side by side with the deities I connect with. This is where Cave Lion’s art lives, along with a dish for any food gifts they may request or receive as a surprise.

As a semi-gift for my paleo-ancestors I follow rewilding projects closely and involve myself with the land & sea – it’s something that has been fairly continuous throughout time after all. Keeping the environment free of litter, well cared for and 'understood' has also helped strengthen my connections to them. This has extended into the political too – trespass and rewilding are political issues that I’ve thrown my weight behind (along with various others).

Paleoancestor veneration is a practice I’ve found to be incredibly meaningful and a way to connect to the world around me and something I am always excited to talk about and share with other folks that might not realise it's an option! My askbox is open for any questions about any of the above post.

Links

Dinosaurs in your locale (website, global)

DIY Animism (animism & spirit work text that has been foundational in how I interact with animal spirits, book, global)

The Missing Lynx (book about UK extinctions from oldest to most recent, book, UK)

Royal Tyrrel Museum (posts paleontology talks for free, YouTube, Global)

Paleoancestors mentioned

Cave Lion, Panthera Spelaea (wikipedia) / Pikaia (wikipedia) / Aurochs, Bos Primigenius (wikipedia)

(Some tags of mine that include paleoancestors - paleoancestors + deep time ancestors)

[wolverinesorcery]

Unfortunately you're gonna be disappointed - it's largely an unrecorded (and outright lost, in parts) pantheon thanks to English assimilation & linguistic imperialism. Your best bet is to 1 - avoid Gemma Gary's writings like the plague until you've got a good basis of research and 2 - start looking at Cornish folklore. If you don't have any experience unpicking Christian influence from folklore, start small and work slowly. Unfortunately a lot has been lost and it's hard to build it back up.

The hard part with 2 is that Cornish folklore is incredibly inaccessible online, and for people outside of Cornwall or who weren't raised here. I currently have a post listing some folklore resources here, and I'm scanning in and building an archive of resources that's found here.

Generally speaking the main deities you'll find are the Bucca - a folk deity with a twin aspect of summer/winter, Ankou - a nice old lady that helps you along to the afterlife, and sometimes Joan the Wad & Jack o the Lantern, the piskey leaders. That's it and even those aren't certain because the pantheon has been almost entirely lost, everything now is UPG and shreds of mentions in folklore texts.

TL;DR: its not a lot and the few we have are all regional, very land tied & based on generalised Cornish culture, customs & history.

What are some Cornish celtic deities and if you can find it what are some good resources for them

I'm not a cornish/celtic pagan, but @wolverinewitch may have something to say about it!

[solarfrey]

Alternatives to "Spirit Animal"

Words that avoid coming close to Spirit Animal

"A lot of us have animal spirit companions that are part of our regular practice. These creatures may function as our animal besties, our other halves like Daemons, or be symbolic animals we relate to, such as heart animals or affinity animals. Regardless, we don't want to appropriate even unintentionally, so we've provided options. " Use: animal spirit companions ( @Heddwyn 🐐 (they/xe) ) animal besties ( @Heddwyn 🐐 (they/xe) ) Daemons (from His Dark Materials) heart animals ( @Heddwyn 🐐 (they/xe) ) affinity animals ( @kakkaratchka ) Don't Use: spirit animal -- unless it's specifically part of your tribe background Patronus (see JK Rowling's history of transphobia, especially transmisogyny) Answers are not my own, but contributed by the Discord community: Crossing Paths https://disboard.org/server/916845019091050497 (Currently open to new members!) I am just posting these answers for anyone who is wondering :0

[fuelein]

🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱🌿🌱

@wolverinewitch archival & original post blog wolverinewitch has been shadowbanned for a while, this will be active as long as that continues.

🌿 Felen/Fuelein or Heddwyn 🌱 24, xe/xem, 🌿 Cornish polytheist & folk witch 🌱 Deity & spirit initiated/undergoing initiation 🌿 Godspouse/consort

Ask me about Bucca.

[wolverinesorcery]

'Sometimes parents would warn misbehaving children that if they would not behave properly, the "Bucca-Boo" woulc come and take them, much like with traditional bogeyman characters'

Written about by Bottrell (potentially in Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall) & Margaret Ann Courtney (Cornish Feasts and Folklore)

Bucca Dhu is accurate to grammar according to Kernewek, but "Bucca Widn" would be either Bucca Gwidder/n (old Cornish) or Bucca Gwynek (modern Cornish + following the example of this entry in the Cornish Dictionery).

'People used to leave food (especially fish) as an offering for these creatures'

This with fish is (mentioned later too) largely specific to the Newlyn fishermen, while beer was common further in. It's still something done semi-regularly during Crying the Neck. Here's a source that isn't favourable to pre-christian folklore & witchcraft.

The story about the prince that was transformed is "Tale of the Sea Bucca " printed in Traditional Cornish Stories and Rhymes by Lodenek Press, which isn't available online yet.

Lastly, massive doubt about that presenting Bucca or any Cornish folklore, Cornwall during the tudor period was pretty inaccessible :^) If it had a source I'd like to see it.

The folklore that spins Bucca as a merman, mine creature, etc is trying to fit a pretty unrecorded element of Cornish folklore and mythology into a box it doesn't fit and tbh pretty cringe to post stories unsourced when they are Literally Free online, outside of ONE (which is in the Kresen Kernow Archives).

ETA: The Penwith Eye is a fucking letting agency by the way, I wouldn't trust that website for more than were you can buy overpriced second homes. The Valley is a HOLIDAY HOME WEBSITE.

The Bucka [Cornish folklore; Celtic mythology]

The Bucka, also Bucca, is a Cornish folklore creature. Traditionally male, it is a kind of marine spirit that can be found along coastal settlements but apparently also in mines. It has smooth brown skin – described as the skin of a conger eel – and seaweed instead of hair. Sometimes parents would warn misbehaving children that if they would not behave properly, the “Bucca-boo” would come and take them, much like with traditional bogeyman characters. The term “Bucca-boo” was derived from “Bucca Dhu” or “black Bucca”, which refers to the evil Bucca. Their benevolent counterparts were called “Bucca Widn” or “white Bucca”. People also used to leave food (especially fish) as an offering for these creatures.

One Cornish myth tells of a human prince who was the victim of a curse cast by a powerful witch. The dark magic transformed him into a Bucka, but despite looking like a monster, he was not malicious and lived among humans in peace. He assisted local fishermen by driving the fish into their nets. In return, the local villagers would leave offerings to the creature. This tradition of leaving offerings for the sea Bucka persisted for some time in Mousehole and Newlyn, specifically.

Sources: https://www.thevalleycornwall.co.uk/news/ultimate-guide-cornish-folklore/ https://www.penwitheye.co.uk/2021/09/tale-of-the-sea-bucca/ (image: this head, on the Tudor gate, supposedly represents the head of a Bucka. Image source: PicClick UK)

[wolverinesorcery]

Lych Gates & Holy Wells Saint Feock Church & Saint Feock Holy Well, Feock, Cornwall. / Eglos Synta Feoca & Fenten Synta Feoca, Lannfyek, Kernow

[wolverinesorcery]

Babalon - One Month In

A recent connection I have made with a deity is Babalon of the biblical Revelations, instigated by a ‘ping’ while working with a demoness and looking for items that she’d like to be associated with. 

So far I’ve been engaging with her separate from the scant thelemite writings on Her, but mindfully reading books and texts from people who are using thelemite writings as part-basis for their works. While The Red Goddess by Peter Grey was largely a disappointment, I’m looking next to read Mystery Babalon: The Bhaktic and Ecstatic Rites of Babalon by Hagia Aureavia (a review reads that this book has a ‘pro-feminist axe to grind’...so my hopes are higher than usual for occult books). 

My first experiences have been overwhelmingly positive, a heady mix of intense and affectionate too. She’s largely influenced my dreams over the last few weeks and imparted various gnosis (the UPG kind) about Herself to me which I’ve been recording faithfully. The dreams have also been incredibly encouraging regarding my approach and interest in connecting with Her. My astral experiences have generally leaned into gender affirming but NSFW territory - something I was anticipating and (very enthusiastically) consented with! 

Gifts have been something I’m exploring through trial and error and She has been happy to receive gifts of roses and ‘sacred ritual’ incense. Babalon has also expressed interest in a flowering plant as an altar rather than the standard shelf/dresser top, as well as her own tarot/oracle deck to communicate with. The main method we’ve been using for communication is godphoning and intuition to know what is working for us both, which has been a learning curve with how direct She is with Her desires (Bucca is much more relaxed in general). 

She has communicated to me that She values the aspects of our relationship that are inherently boundary crossing - like my transandrogyne and queer nature and my altered thinking through neurodivergence. She values my ability to relax myself into ecstasy rather than work myself up to it, and my willingness and contentment to create a foundation for future traditions and workings.

So far I have been incredibly joyful about her libratory and sex positive (or, more sex esctatic) attributes along with Her impressive ability to completely affirm and help me celebrate my identity. It’s also a vastly different style of relationship compared to the other deities I connect with and I’m keen to explore it more, it focuses much more around the self, pleasure and experiencing (and experimenting) with delights of the ‘flesh’. I’m interested to see where else this may lead and eager to work further on our relationship!  my Babalon tag // radfems + TERFs DNI

[wolverinesorcery]

The first year I've been active on this blog and haven't seen the "Easter is Ishtar" post getting passed around earnestly......

[wolverinesorcery]

I am the mosswood jester, look at my jingle jangle hat

@witchlign "hey, here's some incredibly personal and sensitive information"

half the people on the sever: "oh? time to tease you?"

[wolverinesorcery]

The way some people on witchblr talk about psychosis/schizophrenia, delusions, etc. is so degrading.

"We're not like those CRAZY people" yeah? say the wrong words to the wrong person and you too can experience the humiliation and lack of agency given to psychotic/schizophrenic people. Undo your own sanism.

[wolverinesorcery]

"Lucky Summer" Wild Garlic/Ramsons Pesto

Following this general recipe - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/wild-pesto (with some additions/changes for my diet.) These are my personal correspondences

Wild Garlic/Ramsons: Abundance, productivity in the realms of spreading (reproduction, influence, friendships/relationships, etc.)

Garlic clove: Protection against unhelpful "drains" (anything that will drain me and provide no benefit to me - e.g, wearing myself out with work and having no good result at the end), home and hearth happiness

Sunflower seeds: confidence and summer contentment

Olive Oil: Peacefulness, richness of experiences.

Nooch/Nutritional Yeast (replaces cheese): 'All of the good without the bad', enjoy the luck this brings without suffering ill consequence.

Lime: Strengthens it all, adds a kick of ~ zest ~

Blend together and enjoy with anything you'd enjoy regular pesto with! I especially like using it at the start of summer when ramsons are in full swing to help make my summer season especially productive and good.

[wolverinesorcery]

Bucca and Their incredible Pantomime Dame energy

[wolverinesorcery]

No longer shadow banned 🎉

[wolverinesorcery]

A selection of Cornish Folklore books & pamphlets

Lodenek Press

Fairies forever - Corneau, Marie-Helene Arthur's Cornish legend: secrets of the holy grail revealed - Corneau, Marie Helene; Corneau, Jean Cornish Sayings, Superstitions and Remedies - Hawke, Kathleen Traditional Cornish Stories and Rhymes - Rawe, Donald R. Haunted landscapes: Cornish and Westcountry tales of the supernatural - Rawe, Donald R.

Oakmagic Publications

Signs, omens and charms: a Cornish clergyman's guide to the superstitious - Anon Hawker's tales of ghosts & witchcraft - Hawker, R. S: Cornish giants - Bottrell, William; Jones, Kelvin I The little book of ancient charms - Dyer, T. Thiselton The Cornish folklore handbook - Kinsman, John Customs & superstitions of East Cornwall - Couch, Jonathan; Couch, Thomas Weird Cornish tales: three stories of the supernatural - Jones, Kelvin I Folklore & witchcraft of Devon & Cornwall - Jones, Kelvin I Cornwall's wonderland - Quiller-Couch, Mabel The popular mythology of Cornwall. Vol.1, Faeries - Jones, Kelvin I: The Cornish Cross: its Pagan origins - Courtney, R. A. (Richard Acutt) Seven Cornish witches - Jones, Kelvin I Arthur's lost land: the legend sites of North Cornwall - Walters, Jack Cuming Cornwall's ancient stones: a megalithic enquiry - Dymond, C. W Folklore in the Cornish language - Nance, R. Morton (Robert Morton) Bizarre Cornish beliefs - Penn, Peter Cornish folklore collection: witchcraft, spells, charms, cures & superstitions (volume one) - Jones, Kelvin I; Kent, Alan M. associate series editor Superstitious Cornwall - Jones, Kelvin I; The Cornish Magazine and Devon Miscellany; The West of England Magazine Cornish Year: Cornish Folklore, Festivals and Characters Throughout the Year - Clinnick, A.A The popular mythology of Cornwall. vol 3, Giants and ghosts - Jones, Kelvin I Cornwall's pagan heritage - Courtney, Richard Acutt Anne Jefferies and the fairies: and other Cornish fairy tales - Jones, Kelvin I Padstow's faery folk: and other faery tales of North Cornwall - Tregarthen, Enys:

Tor Mark Press

Cornwall's haunted houses - Caine, Margaret; Gorton, Alan Piskies, Spriggans, Knockers and the Small People: Traditional Tales From Cornwall - Anon Classic Cornish ghost stories - White, Paul Cornish Charms & Witchcraft - Anon

[wolverinesorcery]

Another day, another metaphysical 'Celtic' book that only focuses on Ireland & minimal parts of Scotland. Written by a 'Celtic Expert', but forgets half the nations. Lol.

[wolverinesorcery]

Now I've entered a comfortable point with my paleoancestor veneration, I'm branching into another group of beloved ancestors - mad ancestors. The folks that came before me that were institutionalised and abused by the psychiatric system. It's going to be much heavier but I hope it will afford them the respect and care they deserve.