#pagansoftumblr

[actiwitch]

🌱 pagans, witches, and other spiritualists,

Interest poll for a later interest poll. if you'd at all be interested in a vegan/vegetarian spiritual zine lmk👀

[booksandwitchery]

Why I ghosted y'all for five months

I'm just going to say it: I was absent from this blog for so long because...I was incarcerated. I never thought I would ever be writing something like this! How crazy. I was, though. While I don't want to go into too much detail, suffice it to say that 2021 was a shitstorm. Some very bad things happened in rapid succession, and I started to rely on some very unhealthy coping mechanisms that (ultimately) led to one emergency room visit, one 5150 stay at a behavioral health unit for suicidal ideation, and 150 days in jail.

In fact, it was the shitstorm of 2021 that led to my spiritual journey into witchcraft, paganism, and nature worship. I'm happy to report that in 2022, I dug myself out of a deep, dark place and when I reached the surface, the whole world unfolded before me like a flower--even though I knew I would still have to say goodbye to nature and personal agency for some time. Now that I'm back to the free world, I'm as eager as ever to continue learning, refining my practice, and recording the journey. Also guys--just because I was in jail doesn't mean I stopped reading. I read 27 books and took extensive handwritten notes that I will be transcribing here! I hope you all enjoy reading my thoughts and findings about books I read during a very weird chapter of my life in county jail.

One more thing. When I logged on here after I got released two days ago, tears filled my eyes because I saw that this blog still got attention throughout those months I hadn't posted anything. I am filled with gratitude and a renewed energy to share everything with all of you wonderful creatures. Thank you.

[ele--noir]

Witch Medalion

[fromashandwax]

Check out our Patreon, where you can get the full months' worth of cards before anyone else. 

Get a Personal Tarot Reading starting as low as $5 check out our full Tarot Menu and Patreon at the link in the bio 

[thewideopenwitch]

30 Days of Witchcraft ~30-Day Challenge~Day 1

Merry meet, and welcome to my first 30-day challenge! I'm excited to talk "30 Days of Witchcraft" with you! To read more about why I'm doing my own 30-Day challenge, go to my "Write Your Craft" page. 

While Samhain starts the pagan "New Year, I'm started with Lughnasadh/Lammas because it was August 1, Monday and I wanted to get a little ahead of it so that we could all celebrate in our own ways. 

First things first, Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-NAS-ah) has been spelled about 5 different ways in my research. Pick the spelling you can remember LOL! Lughnasadh is also the Celtic version of this Sabbat and can be used interchangeably with Lammas. 

Lughnasadh/Lammas occurs on August 1st, the midpoint between the summer solstice (Litha) and fall equinox (Mabon). As a midpoint, its date doesn't change yearly, whereas 4 of the sabbats do to match the solstices and equinoxes.

This holiday celebrates the fall harvest that fed our ancestors through the year. It was a celebration of the fruits of their labors.  If crops were harvested before Lughnasadh, it meant that the previous harvest ran out before the year was up. It meant that the previous year's crops were scant, and that could mean a vicious cycle of running out of food too early in the year. 

The Lammas Fest was savored with gratitude and village sharing of the crops. Some ancient pagan cultures held sacrifice: some a horse - to Freyr, some a bull or their king (sometimes in effigy - sometimes not), to their Sun God, some cornhusk dolls made in effigy of each member sacrificed into the fire for their Harvest God. Many broke bread together made with the first grains harvested that year. 

The Celts also honored Lugh (Irish), or Llew (Welsh), the God of skills and craftsmanship; the Many-skilled God, as he was self-proclaimed to be able to do it all!!! It is lost in lore as to the specific reason the Celts honored Lugh on this Sabbat. Some say it was a wedding fest he held for his new bride, some say it was a feast he held in honor of his stepmother who died of exhaustion after clearing a wooded area for crops.

Whatever the reason, it is  Lugh (Irish), or Llew (Welsh), the God of skills and craftsmanship; the Many-skilled God, as he was self-proclaimed to be able to do it all!!! It is lost in lore as to the specific reason the Celts honored Lugh on this Sabbat. Some say it was a wedding fest he held for his new bride, some say it was a feast he held in honor of his stepmother who died of exhaustion after clearing a wooded area for crops.

Whatever the reason, it is a time to celebrate the fruits of the season, as well as your skills as a person. Think hard about what skills you have. What are your talents? What do you excel at? Think of all the things you can do, all the things you want to do, and all the ways you want to grow in your skills. Forget your modesty for this one day, and proclaim your skills as Lugh did!

Correspondences for this sabbat:

Deities (across all pantheons)

Lugh

Tailtiu

The Green Man

The Grain Mothers

Gaia

Ceres

Demeter

Persephone

Luna

Selene

Colors

Bronze

Brown

Yellow

Gold

Orange

Stones

Botswana Agate

Jasper

Moonstone

Citrine

Carnelian

Moss Agate

Peridot

Aventurine

Herbs, Plants, & Spices

Wheat and other grains

Onion

Caraway

Basil

Rosemary

Yarrow

Vervain

Caraway

Wheat

Roses

Calendula

Sunflowers

Ash Tree

Apples

Pears

Blackberries

Honey

Food and Drink

Bread

Corn

Potatoes

Apples

Pears

Beer

Mead

Animals

Bees

Bats

Horses

Cattle

Bears

Ravens

Snakes

Deer

Salmon

Spells

Self-Reflection

Prosperity

Transformation

Ways to Celebrate this Sabbat

Decorate your altar with things related to your skill. 

Light a grain-colored candle for Lugh: brown, yellow gold, bronze

Harvest your own garden and share it with your "village"

Make bread of all kinds to share with your family and friends.

Host a canned food drive or donate canned goods to your local food pantry.

Make corn husk dolls (no sacrifice necessary!)

But you can!

Renew your home protection spells.

Have a Lammas ritual of self-reflection by meditating on the blessings in your life and the sacrifices you need to make to better your life.

Historically, I've ended this ritual by sipping a local fall wine and eating a slice of the bread my family made, alternating a bite and a drink until gone.

[morganawarboyswitch]

[the-witch-queen]

Fried Honey Cakes

🥞🌸🥞🌸🥞🌸🥞🌸🥞

for Beltane

1/2 cup sweet white wine

2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

1 cup honey

2/3 cup flour

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Oil for frying

1/8 teaspoon salt

Beat the wine and egg in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt & sugar in a small bowl. Stir into the egg mixture. Let stand 30 minutes. Combine the honey & nutmeg in a small bowl. Heat 1/2-inch of the oil in a frying pan until hot, but not smoking. Drop the batter into the oil 1 tablespoon at a time; fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Dip into the honey.

Yield: 1 ½ Dozen

🥞🌸🥞🌸🥞🌸🥞🌸🥞

These cakes are similar to ones women in the past would make the night before Beltane. If you practice faerie magick you may want to put some outside with a bowl of honey milk sprinkled with flowers or sweet herbs. This recipe is much like one my mother used when I was a child when she would make fry bread, minus the wine. If you find it's too sweet for you, 'flitter bread' was another favorite of mine, she made it with leftover dough from making biscuits in the morning by frying the dough instead of baking it. We would then dip the warm bread in a mix of butter and honey. I'm sure it's not a healthy food but it's so delicious.

[ajtheheathen]

The Old Gods and Goddesses are amazing.

Hail to the Old Gods! Hail to the Old Ways!

Skál!

&

Blessed Be. 🌛🌝🌜

[outenthelights]

✨ Happy Imbolc✨

To celebrate this wonderful time I baked some Rosemary Lavender Shortbread

[magick-with-a-k]

Witchy Knowledge with Waya!

⚔️Norse Deities⚔️

Hi guys!

By popular demand, here’s a list of Norse gods and goddesses, their correspondences, and some offerings for them :)

~As with all posts, this is my take, my opinion, my knowledge. If you make your magick in a different way, great! Don't hate on other ways of the Craft. As I say again and again, there's no wrong way to witchcraft.~

⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️

Air/Sky

- Gods: Kári, Njord, Odin

- Offerings: Air related plants, chimes, music, and feathers

Animal/Nature/Earth/Plant/etc

- Goddesses: Jord, Idun/Ithunn, Fjörgyn, Freya/Freyja, Skadi, Sif, Zisa

- Gods: Freyr, sometimes Thor

- Offerings: Plants, stones, gems, earthy foods, acts of kindness towards the earth and animals (volunteering, cleaning up trash, planting trees, etc)

Arts/Music/Dance/etc

- Gods: Odin, Bragi

- Goddesses: Freya/Freyja

- Offerings: Handmade art, dances, songs, wine

Chaos/Discord/Strife/etc

- Gods: Loki

- Goddesses: Vali/Váli

- Offerings: Rotten fruit, messy art, dead plants, blades, bones, blood, anger, mistletoe

Childbirth/Children/Fertility/Life/etc

- Gods: Lodurr, Njord, Freyr

- Goddesses: Eostre/Eastre/Ostara, Freya/Freyja, Frigg

- Offerings: Play, children’s toys, breast milk, baby dolls, fresh fruits, warm blankets

Communication/Messages

- Gods: Hermod

- Offerings: Writing implements, paper, prayer, communication

Death/Underworld/Afterlife/etc

- Gods: Odin, Ve, Vili

- Goddesses: Beyla, Freya/Freyja, Hel, Irpa, Rán/Ran

- Offerings: Deadly herbs, pomegranates, Fire, rich soil, gems, death, antiques, mistletoe

Fall/The harvest/Food/etc

- Gods: Freyr

- Goddesses: Sif, Zisa/Cisa

- Offerings: Apples, wheat, honey, scythes, sickles, seeds, grains, bread

Fame/Renown/Riches/Wealth/Heroes/Athletes/etc

- Gods: Freyr, Tyr

- Goddesses: Saga

- Offerings: Statues, gold, coins, prayers, adoration, laurels

Fire

- Gods: Loki

- Goddesses: Sol

- Offerings: Fire herbs and stones, bonfires, candles, coals, metals

Home/Hearth/Family/etc

- Goddesses: Frigga

- Offerings: Fire in a fireplace, love, brick from a home, pinecones

Justice/Judgement/Law

- Gods: Baldur, Forseti, Tyr

- Goddesses: Ullr, Syn

- Offerings: Scales, scythes, righteous acts, silver

Knowledge/Wisdom

- Gods: Bragi, Odin

- Goddesses: Gefjon, Mimir, Saga, Snotra, Vor

- Offerings: Books, writing, studying, researching, apples, tea, coffee, silver

Love/Beauty/Sex/Marriage/Women

- Gods: Baldur

- Goddesses: Freya/Freyja, Frigg, Gersimi, Lofn, Sjofn

- Offerings: Romance, love, sex, self love, roses, flowers, brushes, sweets, candles, mirrors

Luck(bad and good)/Changing Luck

- Gods: Freyr

- Offerings: Aventurine, clover, dice and cards, liquor, green candles, apples, almonds

Magick/Prophecy

- Gods: Loki, Odin

- Goddesses: Frigg, Saga

- Offerings: Anything purple, plants for psychic enhancement (like mugwort), tea, mirrors, crystal balls, crone, maiden, and mother statues, triple moon sign, moon glyphs, runes

Moon/Night/Darkness/Stars/Dreams/Sleep/etc

- Gods: Mani

- Goddesses: Bil

- Offerings: Moon Art, herbs related to the Moon, good sleep, silver, Moonstone

Peace/Joy/Hope/Harmony/etc

- Gods: Baldur

- Offerings: bright flowers, sweet songs, smiles, laughter, play

Protection/Healing/Medicine/etc

- Gods: Heimdall, Thor

- Goddesses: Eir, Eostre/Eastre/Ostara

- Offerings: healing and protective herbs, protective runes, citrus fruits, self-care, baths, keeping yourself well-maintained

Spring

- Goddesses: Ostara, Idun

- Offerings: Greens, seeds, songs, eggs, blooming flowers

Summer

- Gods: Odin, Thor, Loki, Baldur,

- Goddesses: Sumarr, Freya

- Offerings: Sun art, sweet wine, sport and play, summer herbs

Sun/Day/Light/Time

- Gods: Dellingr, Loki, Odin

- Goddesses: Sol

- Offerings: Sun art, herbs gathered in the daylight, mindfulness, hard work, cool drinks, hourglasses, watches/clocks

The Hunt/Archery/The Wild/etc

- Goddesses: Skadi

- Offerings: Fresh meat, water, dog/hound statues, arrows, antlers, walking in nature, burnt offerings

War/Warriors/Victory/Men/etc

- Gods: Odin, Thor, Tyr

- Goddesses: Baduhenna, Freya, Hariasa

- Offerings: Blood, blood stone, blades, bones, war water

Water/The sea/Rain/Sailors/etc

- Gods: Njord, Odin

- Goddesses: Baduhenna, Nerthus, Rán

- Offerings: Sand, shells, clean up of water areas, meditation, blessed water

Weather

- Gods: Njord, Odin, Thor

- Goddesses: Baduhenna

- Offerings: Rainwater, enjoying the weather, prayers, dance, cotton

Winter

- Goddesses: Skadi, Vetr

- Offerings: Berries, bonfires, meat, hard liquor, warm drinks, winter herbs, mead, furs

⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️

Hope you enjoyed this post! Look at my earlier post for the same list, but with Greek deities! Blessed Be 💕

[justsomewiccanstuff]

Witch’s Guide to Camomile

I’ve been drinking tea almost everyday for the past year or two. Chamomile is one of my favorite teas as it helps me relax and sleep

Chamomile is a masculine plant, it’s associated with the sun, the zodiac sign Leo, the element water and sun gods such as Lugh, Ra and Cerunnos

Magical Properties:

- Healing

- Love

- Prosperity

- Tranquillity

- Purification

Magical Uses:

- Burn the flowers everyday to attract money

- Drink the chamomile tea before doing rituals or spells to help prepare your body

- Sprinkle the flowers in powder form around your house to undo any spell cast against you

- Wash your hands in Chamomile tea to increase your luck when you’re gambling

- Put the flowers in your hair to attract love

- Keep some in your pockets to attract general good luck

[actiwitch]

The amount of pagans I run into at work?? >>>>>

And this is just at a random, niche produce farm!

There are so many more of us than we think!

[crazycatsiren]

[gandvadi]

Tarot: it’s not a magic tool anymore. @tarot_derek newsletter #2

Welcome to your newsletter.

I don't use tarot for divination purpose anymore. My spiritual path got me thinking that I should've stopped to wait an answer from gods, spirits because it wouldn't be called "spiritual path" but "material path". In this perspective I realized that tarot (in the way I use them) and "goetic magic" stop my path. I’ve become more inclined to read metaphysical, neoplatonic philosophy, psychology, scientific books and articles so I revalued some thought. One of these thought I revalued was tarot. Being obsessed with tarot and looking always an answer when I was bad in some situations I was betrayed by myself. Not just this. I subconsciously trusted my life to the answers tarot cards gave to me and this is not good because your life does not go forward. "Tarot said to me that I will pass the next exam, I should not be worried about that", then I was goofing around. I started to read some different ways to use tarot. I find the Jodorowsky method that did not convince me although it was the more rational way to read tarot. I've been thinking about three things:

1. the meaning around "inspiration" 2. the role of tarot in my life 3. the proper language that a tarot reader must use to read tarot cards

1. What does it mean "being inspired from tarot cards"?

- If I know that tarot is a divinatory tool maybe I will consider the idea that I should convinced myself that what tarot is telling to me is pure gold and I have to trust in them. - If I know that tarot is a divinatory tool that doesn't tell me the future (closely related) and that it can always change thanks to us I'll assume that if I have a positive card ("yes he/she loves me since the first time!") in front of me then what I have to do is nothing; or conversely whether tarot shows me a negative card I have to assume that it is time to be afraid of tarot and my actual situation in life. So it is pretty evident that I'm giving my precious attention to (it must be said) dangerous cards. Personally my experience (it's a private matter of love) taught me that tarot used as a divinatory tool is a dumb thing. - If you know that tarot is a philosophic tool that always change his way to show your possible future I think that you probably are very near to see my way to read tarot. I think it is more accurate of a divinatory tool because you literally have time to see the images and think by yourself what you want to read leaving you subconscious speaks. Ask yourself questions and give yourself answers. It's neither my job nor of the tarot give you an answer. That's where I find the real inspiration using tarot. If you believe that philosophy is a part of your spiritual path like me probably we can get along. 2. Read tarot like a story. How?

I stopped to use tarot for quite a while and I considered recently to take them promising me to find a productive way to use them. I thought that sometimes the engine that makes us all active is courage, strength, fortune and for a creative person like me "inspiration" that leads me to never stop me in what I love to do. I am inspired when I see a character in some tv-show, movie, book, etc that shares with me a passion, an hobby, a job, some situation that is related somehow with my life. Sometimes it happens that other stories resonate with us, we start to cry, we start to think to us due to them. That's what I learned and I liked from the Jodorowsky's method. But there's a lot of things that I didn't like. The practice of the reading. Continue to read the last point, please.

3. I think it is pretty clear that I would like to read tarot like a story and then thanks to that story finding (if it is there) a resonance with me. How do we start then? We don't have to ask anything to tarot. Let me clarify.

I've seen many tarot readers (youtubers) and Jodorowsky too make premises of their ways to read tarots before their readings. I noticed that I loved the premises, really philosophic and rationalist like me but when I started to listen their speaking I noticed something strange and I asked to myself "What is it changed from a divinatory reading?" The language they used, indeed. It doesn't allow you to make a detachment in order not to affect your life on an unconscious level which is what happened before using tarot as a divinatory tool. From the cards I would like a sheet that reflects a situation/a story and not a question: when we read a book we don’t ask a question, but we suddenly find ourselves in tune with a character, with a situation, because it resonates with our experience. For this reason I would "turn the cards" to make a story that is not about me directly (it's not my intention, because I want to speak with my subconscious so that I will order my thoughts in a kind of meditative state). Let me show you an example, a classic expression that is used in divination is "Will I have the job?", then you lay the cards, right? But this kind of question implies an answer for how it was formulated, an answer that is related to my question in its entirety, and there is no detachment. It’s a back and forth. It may seem little but for how I am language is very important and influences both positively and negatively. For me using tarot cards in a divinatory way, not to denigrate anyone, is like wearing a cloak to hide ourselves.

Welcome to the unknown zone of this e-mail. Please continue the reading… If you want to unsubscribe to the newsletter feel free to send me an email. These are my contacts. — Instagram Profile @tarot_derek — — Paypal — — tarotderek@gmail.com —

May you always be blessed. ------------------------------------------------------------ Do you want a free offer tarot reading using this particular method? Do you want to subscribe to my newsletter? For any request let me know it with a message. :)

[fromashandwax]

Lupercus/ Faunus

Join us in celebrating Valentine's Day/ Lupercalia from 2/14 to 2/15.

Tell us how you celebrate and tag @fromashandwax if you use our suggestions.

#pagans #pittsburghpagans #burghwitches

#pagansoffacebook #witchesoffacebook #witchcraft

#eclecticwitches

[thewideopenwitch]

30 Days of Witchcraft ~30-Day Challenge~Day 2

Merry meet, and welcome to my first 30-day challenge! I'm excited to talk "30 Days of Witchcraft" with you! To read more about why I'm doing my own 30-Day challenge, go to my "Write Your Craft" page. 

For Day 2, I'm going to talk about a witch's tool kit.

The first things you HAVE TO HAVE are:

1. You 2. That's it!

Anyone who tells you that you have to have all these things are wrong. Anything else is extra tools. Things you use to carry out a purpose. But you can just do it yourself by speaking to your universe and asking for "the thing".

Simple for baby witches and witches in the broom closet. You need no outward tools. Much the same as Christians praying you can do the same thing to your universe. It can be to the Christian God, or any God or Goddess from any pantheon, or literally just to THE UNIVERSE - whatever your beliefs are. Use them. Remember: You do not need a deity (God/Goddess) to practice witchcraft. You can be a Christian witch. Wicca is a religion., so just as not all Christians are witches, neither are all Wiccans witches, nor all witches Wiccan.

Other Tools of the Trade

The important thing is to use whatever fits your budget and needs. I started fleshing out my personal tool kit in my 30s and 40s! For a long time, I had a simple paper printout (below) to represent the things I did not have, for visual purposes when I was trying to envision something.

Here are some basic tools and what they represent. There will be more later as our 30-day challenge progresses!

Paten or Altar Plate

a flat plate-like surface 

symbolic of the element of earth

usually carved with a symbol, often the pentagram

used to bless or charge items

often fireproof to act as a trivet for objects that use flame

Athame

a knife, doesn't have to be sharp

symbolically represents the element of fire

it can be inscribed

used to direct energies for ritual purposes

is usually only used for spell work, and not for everyday tasks

Wand

yes, that kind of wand

symbolically represents air

can be made from any material or a combination of materials

as the athame, it is for directing energies that aren't drawn to an athame/knife.

Chalice

also known as a goblet

is symbolic of the element of water

Can actually hold water on your altar

similar to the Christian "Holy Grail" it is symbolic of the Goddess's womb in many traditions.