#slavic chthonic

[penetrationmaster-2]

[aerachnaodnagren]

Chthonian Caroling Cavalcade

[inkyami]

Worked on a book dedicated to slavic folklore antagonists and the way their image shifted with time.

Baba Yaga in her oldest shape. Fun to compare with the latest witch-inspired character and how far the image moved on from the chthonic guardian of non-human worlds.

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[wayfind-er]

what other pagan/helpol tumblrs do you recommend?

[If you get tagged in this, just know that I love your account]

Hi Anonie!

Thank you so much for this question. In my 31 Days of HelPol post, I mainly recommended digital temples and shrines, but I love a lot of HelPol/Pagan blogs!

If you are looking for good informational HelPol blogs:

@error404-witch-not-found

@differentsoulsweets

@templeofelysium (e-temple for chthonic deities)

@hermes-winged-sandals (shrine for Hermes)

@uponsteppingstones (devotional blog)

If you are looking for good HelPol blogs that are more personal:

@ave-hestia (devotional blog)

@abyss-king444

@thespiritpriestess

@thel1m1nalspaces

@a-temple-to-nyx

@sunlit-arrow

And here's a mixed bag of Pagan blogs I highly recommend!

@theanic-devotion (Eclectic Pagan)

@witchesofvaliant (Hellenic & Infernal Polytheist)

@buriedpentacles (Mother Nature Devotee)

@diana-thyme (Eclectic Witch)

@jezzzebel (Slavic/Roman/Arab Pagan + More)

@sillysybilsden (Roman Polytheist)

I hope you're able to find some new blogs that you love!! 🖤

[fayromance]

I wonder how these idols could be connected 🧐

Pic 1 is the idol from episode 1 where Vereya was crying. It's there she made that quite ominous promise to Lada: "I will NEVER leave you" (which sounds sweet but then you realize that, true to her word, after her death she started haunting Lada as a ghost 😰)

Pic 2 is the new secret altar Lada and Ozar found in the forest in episode 3, season 2

The first idol was identified by fans as a replica of the Zbruch idol (discovered in Ukraine and now on display in Krakow, Poland). In RC it also has an inscription in Polish which roughly translates to English as follows:

"Three tiers of figures symbolize three cosmic realms. The moon, the sun, the sky. Four figures. Four seasons. Four faces. The universe"

Some scholars believe that those three tiers and three realms are the Heavens (where gods live), the Middle World (where humans live) and the Underworld (where chthonic beings live)

The second idol is actually a group of exactly three idols — which is a very significant number in ATHWTU, as stated in my previous posts

Interestingly, the alter nearby has the Star of Ingly carved on it. This star is apparently supposed to symbolize the Unity of Three Worlds in the Slavic cosmology — Prav, Yav, Nav

Prav is the abode of the gods

Yav is the human realm

Nav is the Slavic Underworld

Sounds just like those three tiers in the previous idol, doesn't it?

There's also another curious thing I've noticed 👀

The three tiers on the idol match the tiered order of the Three Sisters on Season 1 cover. I don't think it's accidental, there's actually a pattern here:

The upper tier — the Heavens on the First Idol — Prav on the Star of Ingly — Hanna on the cover

The middle tier — the Human World on the First Idol — Yav on the Star of Ingly — Lada on the cover

The lower tier — the Underworld on the First Idol — Nav on the Star of Ingly — Vereya on the cover

As to why the sisters are put in that order, I guess it's because:

Hanna seems distant from other characters because she doesn't talk (their gods are also silent)

Lada at the start of the story is an average girl with nothing special going on for her (of course, she can later discover her strength but the middle part works for her best)

And Vereya gets the lower tier and the Underworld because she dies very early in the story and spends the rest of it as a ghost

So I suppose both idols are another hint that the Three Sisters and their bond is the key to everything in that village 🤔

[blood-orange-juice]

@narcoticwriter

Ok, this is semi-crack but if Hoyo decided to make the bad guys Russian I'm allowed to invoke Slavic symbolism.

In East Slavic cultures the hearth used to be associated with meanings you normally attach to the netherworld.

(no one really thinks like this anymore, of course, and most city dwellers never encounter a proper hearth in their lives, but it's still there in fairy tale imagery and sometimes in language and the metaphors we use for things)

I actually don't know what the correct translation is. Oven? Fireplace? The thing is HUGE, incredibly ugly and also building one is an art (it's supposed to distribute heat in a very specific way). We do not spread this symbolism to Western fireplaces or fire in general.

It's a bit chthonic and associated with everything pagan and unclean (ritually and literally. the soot).

Very far from the cozy "sitting near a fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate", it's a place where Real Stuff Happens and most real stuff in this world is messy and unpleasant.

But also only because of it a home can be called a home. It's the heart of the house.

In superstitions it's home to a friendly fae househelper (the little dude lives behind it) and in fairy tales it's sometimes an entry point for minor demons (I don't remember if they get through the chimney or through the fire itself).

Then in other fairy tales there's Baba Yaga, The Evil Witch, who is also probably an aspect of a forgotten goddess of death (as in many other places, Christianity weeded out Slavic myths to the point of near disappearance and fairy tales were a form in which some of those survived). This lovely lady occasionaly cooks adventurers in the oven/hearth as a part of their rebirth process. Occasionally she just cooks and eats them. Folks with good work ethics are usually safe (in most tales they offer to perform some work for her in exchange for help or simply for not being eaten).

Baba Yaga, as far as I know, is somewhat recognized by the English-speaking pagan community, they interpret her as yet another name for the Crone face of the Triple Goddess (the archetype on which Hoyo likely relied when writing the Moon Sisters).

(do you see the fire and moon connection now?)

I'm surprised how well it fits a lot of Arle's themes. A fire that is otherwoldly and demonic and associated with rebirth and an almost-forgotten goddess of death and moon, but also it's just fire in a hearth, something to warm your house with.

This was probably not Hoyo authors' thought process and they just thought of rebirth, destruction and tamed fire.

But the author is dead and the hearth means what it means, and if you dig into humans' relationship with fire long enough you end with this sort of symbolism anyway, so I declare this angle valid.

[ofrunestoruins]

Introducing Rune ✨️

Hello! I'm Rune! If you saw my name as something different on my blog before I changed it, no you didn't haha

Anyways, some quick facts about me:

🦊 I'm nonbinary, (Although more along the lines of gender fluid)

🦊 I'm 24

🦊 I love languages, history, writing, tea, and have a special connection with foxes; I tend to study pretty frequently in my free-time and I also love a good ttrpg, video game, and book.

🦊 I'm Polish American but sadly the only thing passed down from my grandparents were those lovely, lovely polish recipes, and they passed long before I can ask them more about how they grew up, so you may see some content on this blog about me discovering my roots as a Polish American from Appalachia living (suffering) in the south haha

🦊 I'm also striving to learn herbalism, but not in a crunchy, conservative way (Because yes, that does need to be clarified these days it seems)

🦊 I hate bigots and I WILL stand on business if you try to come on my blog and interact with me if you're one of them. (Aka I will block you if you are anything from a neo-nazi, to a terf, to a homophobe. Do not interact with me if you're gonna hate on others for being who they are.)

🦊 And finally- I love baking and cooking, so there might be a bit of flare of that as well.

Now, onto some facts about my practice:

🦊 I am.. very heavily pagan. Specifically Norse and Hellenic, however I've recently been looking into Celtic, and Slavic Paganism

🦊 Although rn I'm more of an eclectic witch, I'm currently building my craft from the ground up with a much heavier focus on folk magic. I will be splitting content, however, across 3 blogs. This one will be more basic, lighthearted stuff, things I wanna review first, take my time with, or very introductory; @ofwoodandash which will cover more intense, darker, and more specialized topics including but not limited too: Seiðr, traditional witchcraft, Appalachian Witchcraft, Spirit Work, chthonic aspects and the like; and finally @apagansprayers which will cover things more religious in Nature, mostly as a digital prayer book and personal e-shrine to the deities I worship, as actual information may be reblogged here (To this blog you're reading this from),, I'm still.. debating how to use that blog specifically BUT that´s a general outline.

🦊 I also have almost a decades worth of experience with Tarot, Oracle, and Pendulum readings, and I'm also currently learning the Runes

With that being said, I believe that covers enough of the basics, but! If you ever have any questions about me or my practice or just wanna chat- feel free to send me an ask or a message! I'd love to chat!

Check out Rune's Tag Masterlist for a handy guide on how to navigate this blog! (Will be posted soon)

[violetmagician]

My Kickstarter has about a week left now. Trying to get some of the stretch goals funded now. It has folklore and mythical figures all related to death and the underworld. I’ve tried choosing some more lesser known stuff, like the Etruscan psychopomps. I’ve chosen the Slavic Weles/Veles as the first since they’re an important mythological figure to me. I’ve included some basic info on all of them on the Kickstarter page https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/violetmagician/chthonic-carousel-enamel-pins

[literatureloverx]

Hello,

I have an interest in Greek mythology as well, so I don’t mind the discussion in the slightest. It is cool that she is both an agricultural deity and a chthonic one: life and death. Seeing how her absence from Earth is associated with winter, I find it somewhat distantly related to your name “Snow White” as well.

You are not bothering people just by discussing your problems with them. If they are unable to support you or don’t care, it is on them to communicate that. Also, even though you believe your struggles are comparatively “not that bad,” that does not make them any less worthy of addressing if it bothers you. However, I am glad you seek support from your family and friends. Do you feel that being independent and primarily trying to solve issues on your own has been effective thus far? As someone who also does not typically seek others for help, oftentimes it can be lonely or inefficient.

I would say I don’t have nearly as much pride or impulsiveness as Anakin, but I find his intense fear of loss and subsequent obsession in regard to Padmé relatable. He is a fascinating character and somehow both extremely smart and childishly naïve in some aspects. In all honesty, I think I share more traits with Obi-Wan, only less morally upright and more inclined to bend or break rules.

I hear you are learning Russian (for the accent)? Knowing so many as many languages as you do is impressive. How do you typically approach learning new languages?

My (joking) guide to a Slavic accent:

1. Watch Victor Arcane clips.

2. Repeat "Glorious Evolution", "viral bronchitus", and "Victor Nation: how we feeling?" in his voice until you get it right.

I hope you feel better soon,

— 🫀 Cœur anon

(Also, I don’t find it creepy, it is clear that I look at your blog as well, after all. I am not a medical student - although I could have been/kind of wanted to be - but I do like organs. I am curious about what academic or professional fields you are in, if you are comfortable sharing.)

You have such a unique mind; I hope you’re aware of it. I was initially fixated on the pomegranate and apple symbolism, but you’ve drawn a much more thoughtful and logical connection with the winter parallel. Do you always think this way? Very impressive.

Thank you so much for caring—it truly means a lot to me.♥️ Most of the time, I’m able to work through things on my own if I can approach them logically and with a calm perspective. But when it comes to emotional struggles, it’s a different story. I often get stuck in analysis paralysis or feel completely overwhelmed, and I can’t always pull myself out of that on my own.

I also hesitate when it comes to trusting others’ advice because I’m not always convinced they fully understand the heart of the issue. So… it can feel a bit isolating at times. How is it for you, though?

I hope also that you have people in your life who can truly understand and support you during tough times. I can imagine you’d rather share those thoughts with someone closer to you than with a random stranger on the internet. But if you ever do feel like talking, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d be honoured to listen to anything you want to share. (And no, this isn’t me mirroring your words, I promise—though I do hope it doesn’t come across that way, haha.) So yes, overall, I agree that it can feel lonely or inefficient.

I can see why you might find Obi-Wan relatable (does the humour factor in as well, by the way?). Personally, I feel I relate more to Qui-Gon Jinn. I’ll keep it gender-neutral here, as there aren’t many female characters in the prequels. Besides, the women in Star Wars often seem so self-assured and authoritative, which doesn’t feel particularly representative of me. That said, you’re always welcome to suggest another character if you think someone else might suit me better.

I actually started learning Russian because I wanted to read Russian works in their original language someday, but… it doesn’t seem like a realistic dream so far, unfortunately. I’ve been really inconsistent lately. At this rate, it might take me a couple of years, haha. Thank you very much for the compliment, but I don’t think I’m particularly gifted at learning new languages. I’ve just been watching a lot of movies in the language I’m trying to learn, which worked for me with French (though it didn’t help with my inconsistency… but anyway, I can at least understand conversations, right?). The same isn’t really possible with Russian, though, because there’s censorship and, generally, a lack of Russian media here in Germany due to the current situation. I hope that’s at least a little helpful.

The reason I’m trying to fake a Russian accent is simply because I find it attractive. I actually tried following your guide to a Slavic accent. Believe it or not, it works. Hahaha.

Regarding my academic field—yes, I’m comfortable sharing, and thank you again for being so sensible. I originally wanted to study psychology because I’ve always been passionate about it, and I hope to eventually become a psychologist. However, due to some issues with matriculation, I would have had to wait about four semesters to enroll. I could have attended another university, but that would have required moving, which wasn’t really an option for me. So, rather than doing nothing while waiting, I decided to matriculate in art history, as it made the most sense under the circumstances.

I’ve always had a strong interest in philosophy and art history as well, but psychology remains my primary focus. I’ll likely pursue it after completing my current studies. I’ll probably finish everything by the time I’m 30… so maybe finding a rich husband wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all. No responsibilities—it does sound rather appealing, doesn’t it? Hahaha.

Edit: I don’t think I’ve said this before—in fact, I checked and I really haven’t—but I genuinely like this letter format. It feels like receiving real letters, haha. Not many people do that here. Also, I’m actually curious about things regarding you too, but I’m not sure if I should ask since you’re quite discreet about yourself (and I can totally understand why), which is why I’m holding back a bit.

[earth-scented]

DAZBOG’S DAY

The wolf days, like similar multi-day holidays dedicated to animals are related to the cult of the ancestors. The wolf days last for a week, ending with Dazbog’s day which is also called “Rasturnjak” meaning “The scattering day”.

Rasturnjak is a day that exists in every multi-day holiday dedicated to the ancestors.The souls of the dead (which are in this case embodied in wolves) feasted, ate and drank until that day, and on that last day they had to scatter. According to beliefs, Dazbog gathers the wolves, and assigns each wolf where and how much sheep they will eat for the next year, provides them with some food for the winter and disbands them afterwards.

Deity Dazbog (Dajbog,Dabog,Dazdbog) is very difficult to explain because in the scientific community there are many different opinions. We can say that Dazbog is the Slavic god who gives life to the earth, because he is both the god of the sun (sunlight) and rain (“Dazd”) which are essential for human existence. However, he is also related to the ancesotrs as a god of the underworld (South Slavs) which may be his most important characteristic. Judging by this, gods can’t be assigned to have strict solar or chthonic principles, because one deity can be both solar and chthonic. Similar example of opposites exists within god Hors who is believed to be a god of the rising sun and the moon god.

In November, according to traditional belief, the year is divided into two parts. Solar period ends and chthonic begins. There is an interesting belief according to which, on this day, dragons can be clearly seen as they depart for the underworld where they will be spending six months waiting for the sun to regain it’s strength.

[translation from Serbian by Predrag Randjelovic]

art: this guy

[chyertsar]

♔. synopsis: koschei is the youngest of the seelie queen’s three sons: two of which she bore through her late husband, and the youngest being the son of her royal guard. after her death, koschei’s father took him away from the faerie realm to protect him from the deadly plot of his older half-brother, casimir. the runaway prince was ultimately left to the charge of a witch woman named jadwiga, who raised him as her apprentice and stable hand. in his reckless youth, koschei revealed his whereabouts to the faefolk by the improper use of his magic. tricked and abducted by a pooka who'd served casimir, he was flung into a prison realm where he battled for his life for nine infernal years. now having finally escaped, koschei seeks to take revenge on his brother and unseat him as the new seelie king . . . affiliated with rainfile

♔. not set to any particular canon, but will be drawing from a mix of inspirations: slavic and irish folklore, dante’s inferno, naomi novik's uprooted, as well as koschei’s original fairytale ( specifically, his ties to baba yaga and her horses ). i’m happy to comply and/or adjust this to other canons though !

♔. he can possibly be encountered: 1 ) in his youth – as a witch’s apprentice and stable hand – in a village outside the faerie realm that i can easily integrate with any fantasy setting 2 ) traveling through a chthonic realm(s) after being wrongfully cast out from his world; 3 ) as the returned seelie prince, now in possession of the sun stone and gathering allies to dethrone his brother

♔. once he becomes the new seelie king by forcing casimir's retreat, he's either still hunting the traitor down or ( if he’s managed to find and kill him already ) fully settled into his position. . . although proving to be not much of an improvement. 

♔. something he encountered in the prison realm is trying to seek retribution for his escape and/or use koschei as a vessel which is driving him to venture further into the dark arts to mitigate the threat. consequently, a seelie king’s unnatural use of magic is having adverse effects on the realm and those surrounding it (e.g., fluctuating temperatures, overgrowths, root rots). many are starting to question what is really afoot or whether he should remain king

it is said by those who ought to understand such things, that the good people, or the fairies, are some of the angels who were turned out of heaven, and who landed on their feet in this world, while the rest of their companions, who had more sin to sink them, went down farther to a worse place. . . . t. crofton crocker the priest's supper

shortly after the birth of the seelie queen's third son, a solar eclipse brought with it the end of a reign. the seelie queen was struck with an incurable illness and decided to leave the matter of succession up to the morrigan by taking her crown jewel ( the sun stone ) and casting it out into the realm. on the eve of her death, she declared that whoever ventured to find the stone would be the recognized monarch of the seelie folk.

her two eldest sons, casimir & oisín, searched every corner of the realm for the stone, but they had no luck. the eldest, aggrieved by his mother's ploy to refuse what he felt was rightfully his, conspired with an unseelie fae to get rid of his brothers, allowing him to take the throne by proxy. oisín was the first to mysteriously disappear, but before any harm could come to the infant prince, his father fled with him back to the eastern lands where his people, the víly, had migrated from. there he called on a favor from an old friend, the bear guardian of an untamable wood.

she could not house the prince. after giving up her bearskin to marry a mortal man, lord lenkov, she knew of only one person who could rival the faerie's magic and thus better protect the child: jadwiga, the local witch woman. she was a capricious crone who the villagers avoided where they could, but they also greatly depended upon her. she was the best healer that could be found within a day's journey, so the people turned a blind eye to her impious nature and allowed her to make a discreet living out of curing their ailments ( and personal vendettas ) via a mix of herbalism and zagоvory ( incantations and sorcery ). but to the priests and boyars who traveled near ( and lived to tell the tale of it ) she was known as one of the finest horse breeders in the kingdom.

jadwiga was convinced to take in the faerie child, if only for the convenience of having an extra hand to help tend to her fields and mounts. she named him koschei, her servant, though she endeared herself to him in time. jadwiga also never lied about his being an orphan brought to her door, nor had it been possible to hide from him that he was one of the fae ( a vilak, is what she called him, even when the boy questioned why he had four wings and not two ) she glamoured his faerie form until he was old enough to learn the art himself. koschei proved to be an eager pupil, and not even the crone could deny his gift for sorcery. at the age of 10, she took him on as an apprentice; her one condition was that he was not to wield magic outside the confines of her hut. jadwiga made it clear that his survival depended upon heeding this, but his coming of age was rife with mischief and recalcitrance.

at barely 17, koschei was forced to reckon with his foolishness when jadwiga had no choice but to leave the hut on important business. she was gone for three days, and in that span koschei tended to the villagers who came to her hut during the day, and wrangled her wandering horses back to the stables at night. on the third day, he broke the witch woman's rule for one final time. on the third night, a stallion had strayed farther than the others. he found it in the middle of the main road to the lenkovs’ village, but something was off. the beast, its mane mangled and flank covered in mud, refused to move forward, apparently too spooked. 

unable to assuage its fear, koschei did as he was taught: he used a handkerchief to blind the horse and mounted it to spur it forward. sure enough the horse began to trot – and then galloped at breakneck speeds. try as he may, koschei could not reign in the beast nor unmount his back. its laugh was a wicked sound which made clear that this was no horse. it was the pooka who'd come to deliver on the final piece of his bargain with casimir. koschei was dragged through the bramble of the wood until the pooka finally came to an abrupt stop and launched koschei into a boghole–  an ancient portal that swallowed him, like his brother before him, into a prison realm where no soul could hope to escape.

the search was deemed futile. jadwida could sense that koschei was no longer in this plane. still, lord lenkov's son, mishka, who had grown up with koschei and considered him his best companion, scoured the woods for him until even he lost hope. for nine years koschei had been assumed dead. then, on a cold night, he showed up again at jadwiga’s doorstep: covered in mud and blood, smelling of brimstone and decay, but he was alive and tied loosely around his neck was the sun stone. refusing to speak on what he endured or how he had managed to come back from that underworld, he instead demanded to know the truth about how he came to be jadwiga’s charge. she gave him the whole of it, but he only cared to know who was responsible for his banishment into the hellmouth. 

there was no reasoning with him then. koschei set out for the faerie realm, posing as a vílak refugee to infiltrate his treacherous brother’s summer guard. he didn’t trust that revealing his true identity and possession of the sun stone would be enough to stave off another one of his brother’s ploys and earn his seat. it was his mother's mistake to underestimate casimir's influence with both the seelie and unseelie folk, and it was not one koschei intended to repeat. now he hides in plain sight, biding his time forming secret alliances with whomever he can ( the other víly especially ) bent on gathering the forces he needs to stage a successful coup.

♔. the víly ( pl.) [ sing. fem. víla , mas. + neu. vílak ] in this verse are not subject to a particular gender and is generally known in the faerie realm as a subclass of "lesser" fae. they originally lived among mortals, serving as guardians of the forests or sworn to protect chosen heroes, who they refer to as their vílenik. eventually, christianization ( or some similar cultural shift ) turned the mortals against them, and they were driven to seek refuge in the faerie realm, where they were accepted into the military class. the víly are similar to the valkyrie in appearance and function, but also have other distinguishing features dependent on the element of nature they embody. they can be found in both the seelie & unseelie courts.

♔. koschei's faerie form is a mix of his parents: his father was a vílak with a universal pair of bird-feathered wings, but was distinguished as one from the woodland víly by his horns made of tree bark. his mother as the seelie queen of summer had four fairy wings of gold, which leaves koschei's true form to appear as four white feathered wings, horns made of tree bark, golden hair and lots of summertime whimsy

♔. his wings were badly burned in the time he spent within the hellmouth, rendering him flightless, but he'll still glamour them and all other markers of his struggle so as to appear unmarred. it's not that others aren't aware of his inability to fly, but that he's conscious of appearances being deemed important in the seelie court, and he'd rather not incite further discourse of his being unfit to rule

♔. koschei mayyy or may not be deathless post-hellmouth -- that's not a theory anyone has managed to test yet, so most muses can assume he isn't :3 also we're heavy on the yarilo and icarus-vs-lucifer vibes here; this (zombie) fae boy is looking no older than his late 20s.

[theeclecticwitchblog240]

Hecate: How To Work With The Goddess Of Magic & Necromancy

BY TEAANDROSEMARY2

JANUARY 4, 2022 APRIL 8, 2022

DEITIES/WITCHCRAFT

Hecate is the Greek goddess of witchcraft, magic, necromancy, and spells, so it’s no surprise that the worship of this archetype has boomed in popularity with the dawn of a new era of witchcraft.

In the Underworld, she guides those who have passed on, lighting the way in the darkness with her torch as she once did to find Persephone.

Whether or not you believe in or worship this goddess, it’s hard not to adore her more and more with each fascinating story of feminine badassery, unbridled kindness, and acceptance that she brings forth.

The Goddess Hecate In History & Myth:

Hecate is a chthonic goddess born of titans and has existed since long before the creation of Mount Olympus.

She’s such an ancient deity that there’s quite a bit of confusion surrounding who her parents were – although much credit is given to the titans Perses and Asteria. Some texts say that she was a daughter of Zeus, but others speak of her as the very midwife who aided in his birth.

Nevertheless, Zeus adored and honored Hecate enough to allow her to maintain power over heaven, earth, and sea once he staked his reign over the gods.

Hecate & Persephone

Regardless of how you interpret the story of Persephone and Hades, when Demeter discovered her daughter was missing, goddess Hecate showed up with torches blazing to light the way back into the Underworld and find her. When they did, Hecate hugged her, held her close, and swore companionship to Persephone in her return to the Underworld.

To this day, Hecate roams Hades with the Lampades, her loyal torch-bearing nymphs, who act as handmaidens to Persephone during the cold months below. She also guides spirits crossing over so that they too may find their way in Hades.

Hecate As The Triple Goddess

In many ancient artworks and statues, we see Hecate depicted in triplicate. In some texts, she possesses three heads or faces, or even three separate forms entirely.

Hecate also shares distinct commonalities with the goddesses Artemis and Selene, and their epithets are used almost interchangeably in late Roman texts.

But it’s not only Greek and Roman mythologies with tales of triadic deities. We also see Brigid and the Morrigan of Irish culture, the Libyan serpent goddess Anatha, Zorya of Slavic lore, and the Hindu Tridevi represented as triple goddesses at times.

More famously, we see the ever-present holy trinity in the Christian faith, and some modern Wiccans have adopted Hecate as their maiden-mother-crone archetype.

Why is the number three so significant?

Using numbers as symbols has been practiced all over the world since before recorded history. In Greek numerology, the number three represents harmony and unity. We see the trinity echoed in many other cultures, often representing the omnipresent and all-knowing.

In some cultures, the trinity represents birth, love, and death; waxing, waning, and full moons; the maiden-mother-crone archetype; past-present-future, or even the mind, body, and soul.

Hecate’s Appearance:

The goddess Hecate sometimes wears a short dress and hunting boots, much like the Goddess Artemis. In other depictions, she dons a floor-length gown and bears a torch in one hand and a serpent in the other.

Godess Hecate’s statues often appear in triplicate, posed back-to-back as if standing watch over a three-way crossroads.

Other records describe her as a terrifying monster with three necks or heads – a horse, a dog, and a lion head, respectively.

Hecate is almost always portrayed with black dogs by her side. It is even said that she has taken the form of a dog herself.

Hecate’s Powers:

Hecate has power over all realms of existence – the earth, heavens, and sea – and walks the liminal spaces in between. As such, she holds dominion over thresholds, gates, hedges, and boundaries of all kinds. She then helps us to build personal boundaries and challenges us to invest in and take care of ourselves.

As the Witch Mother, goddess Hecate is powerful in all realms of magic and sorcery and has a deep sense of intuition. If she chooses to lend her favor to your craft, then your manifestation abilities can become more powerful than you have ever imagined.

With a mighty reign over the Underworld and the domain of necromancy, Hecate is the deity you want to have by your side if you have an interest in reaching out to those who have crossed beyond the veil. Through working with her, we can unlock the secrets of life, death, and the liminal space, and learn to safely and respectfully commune with spirits.

Not only a guardian to souls who have recently passed on, Hecate also attends to women and children and oversees childbirths. Travelers and sailors may also find themselves in her favor if they’re lucky.

Along with Artemis, Hecate is a goddess of the wilderness, which holds a trove of magic and wonder in its own right. In her ties to Selene, she harnesses the moon’s powers of regeneration and deep intuition.

Hecate is also an herbalist who honors the use of medicines, poisons, and even psychoactive plants in practicing one’s craft.

How Do You Know If The Goddess Hecate is Calling To You?

Although you can theoretically call upon a deity with extensive amounts of worship, deities often reach out to us when they want to work with us.

The Goddess Hecate tends to reach out in very subtle ways. It can be difficult to determine if she is the goddess reaching out to you, but there are a few specific tells.

Some of the indicators that the Goddess Hecate is reaching out to you include:

1. She comes to you in your dreams. This may be in the physical/personified form or as a symbol.

2. You’ve found yourself doing more shadow work. Hecate challenges us to acknowledge the darker parts of our being in order to become the best forms of ourselves. In learning to embrace these difficult parts of ourselves, she teaches us how to be truly whole.

3. She called out to you in times of darkness or great distress. As the torchbearer, it’s not uncommon for Lady Hecate to reach out a helping hand in times of dire need. If you’re facing the Dark Night of the Soul, this chthonic deity will help you to get back up and see the light.

4. You are undergoing a difficult transformation. If you feel like you’re going through a tough transitional phase in your life, then the goddess of the crossroads may be reaching her hand out to you.

5. You’re seeing her symbols everywhere. If you’ve been encountering more animals and symbols associated with goddess Hecate then it’s very possible that she may be reaching out. It might also mean that the animal is just more active this time of year, so be sure to do your research of the local flora and fauna before assigning any sort of spiritual significance to something.

Symbols Of Hecate:

Dogs, particularly black dogs.

Deer

Polecats

Snakes and the Ouroboros

Spiders – although this is more of shared personal gnosis rather than something taken from historical texts.

Torches

Keys

Rope

Hecate’s Wheel

Sickles

Crossroads

Triple Moon imagery

Daggers or athames

The number three

How To Work With The Goddess Hecate:

The goddess Hecate is known to be very particular about those with whom she chooses to work. If she doesn’t see that you’re willing to put in the time and effort, Hecate won’t waste her time on you either.

It’s also imperative to cleanse yourself before approaching Hecate. I do this out of respect for her, but I also think she encourages her worshipers to practice self-love through acts of cleanliness and mindfulness by asking this simple task of them.

Dating back to the Chaldean Oracles, it’s clear that Hecate favors the virtuous, and expects her followers to show kindness and integrity to others through acts of charity.

Hecate is not only the goddess of physical crossroads and boundaries but spiritual ones as well. In working with her, she will push you to set personal boundaries for yourself and provide guidance on the many crossroads your life path may have in store.

While this may all sound very cheerful, many know Hecate for having a darker side. Those who work with her may do so with the intent of working on their traumas through shadow work. Others choose to consort with this liminal goddess for her guidance in communing with the dead.

As the goddess of witchcraft, magic, and spells, I often evoke Hecate to ask for guidance on intent, stronger manifestation, and more effective spellwork.

One thing I’ve learned about working with Hecate is that you have to put in the physical work to see results – she won’t sugarcoat things for you or give you an easy ride. A great way to earn her favor is by performing mindful acts of devotion to show your commitment to her and her core principles.

Devotional Acts To Hecate:

Dedicate altar space to Hecate – this can be as simple as a single candle if you’re just getting started or if you need to keep it low-key.

Clean your home as part of a new moon ritual.

Plan, create and cast spells.

Perform other dark moon spells and rituals.

Light a devotional candle in Hecate’s honor.

Finish projects you started earlier in the month.

Volunteer at your local animal shelter.

Serve a local soup kitchen or food pantry.

Practice green witchery by taking care of houseplants and being mindful of your local ecosystem.

Clean up a cemetery.

Perform Hecate’s Deipnon.

What is Hecate’s Deipnon?

Deipnon is the Ancient Greek word for supper and is practiced by leaving a meal or offering for Hecate and the spirits of the dead.

Hecate’s Deipnon is typically observed on the night of the dark moon, but for me is a process that begins much earlier in the day.

Start with a New Moon cleansing ritual to purify the home, beginning by sweeping the halls and entryways. If you have dogs or other pets, collect some of their hair or claws from your dustpan to include in your offering.

I also like to take care of any other messes that I don’t want to bring with me into the next lunar month. This may mean different things depending on what needs to be done around the house.

Then, cleanse your home with incense, smoke, or bells, and ask for Hecate’s blessing and protection during the next blossoming of the moon.

Next, I gather my offering in a bowl or tray to prepare for nightfall. During this time, I like to make sure I’ve showered before I present my offering.

Offerings For Hecate:

These can be left as part of Hecate’s Deipnon, but offerings can be made at any time that works for you!

Garlic

Onion or leeks

Wine

Honey

Almonds

Grapes

Apples

Mushrooms

Bread or cakes

Fruit

Flowers

Bay leaves

Incense

Used up spell components

Crystals like moonstone or labradorite

A piece of paper with aspects you’d like to leave behind written on it

Plant debris, if you’re a green witch. (Avoid cuttings of invasive plant species!)

Strands of dog hair collected from your new moon sweepings

Other biodegradable materials gathered from your monthly cleaning

Anything that calls out to you! If you have a strong feeling that she’ll enjoy something, then it’s likely a sign that she wants it as an offering. Just make sure leaving it outside is safe for the environment and local ecosystem.

Once gathered, the offering is left at a three-way crossroads just before nightfall, and Lady Hecate would have you know that the poor, starving, and strays have just as much claim to it as she does.

When you arrive at the crossroads, create a circle of protection in which to leave your offering. Remember that this circle should protect the needy that may take from your bowl, not keep them from it.

All hail Hekate!

I am not the author, just sharing the knowledge.

Blessed be!

[cymorilcinnamonroll]

The Primary chronicle alludes to the Bible - there’s way too many unnecessary details to go over, but basically, some researchers point out that some details of the Primary chronicle look suspiciously similar to the biblical plots and might have been intentionally written this way to present Slavs as the new God-chosen people.

Big breasts are the chthonic trait - many creatures like Baba Yaga and Poludnica are described as having big breasts. Not in the “big tiddy mommy” way, in the “they are so long, that she has to throw these things over her shoulders” way. I’m pretty sure someone would still be into it.

Moving mountains - if you know the story of Argonauts, you may remember the moving mountains that would crush any ship trying to sail between them. Turns out, many Slavic epic tales mention something similar - mountains that threaten to crush any traveler passing between them. Egory the Brave “pacified” one of these pairs with his holy hymns.

Will-o-wisps - these things are mentioned in many folk tales, and Slavic folklore is not an exception. They were typically considered to be souls of the dead or some parts of them. Often will-o-wisps were thought to be candles held by otherwise invisible spirits.

Adam and Eve's children became spirits - a popular “origin story” for the likes of Leshy and Domovoi tells that Adam and Eve had many children, but were ashamed to show them to God. So, they hid them in various places - in their house, in the woods, near the river and so on. Of course, not only did this do nothing to actually hide them, but those children were transformed into respective creatures.

White Polyanin - this bogatyr is mentioned in the tale of “Ivan Tsarevich and White Polyanin”, where the titular protagonist encounters sleeping warrior White Polyanin. After a bit of fighting and making friends, Polyanin reveals that for many years he's been fighting Baba Yaga (who in this version has a golden leg). Ivan helps to find and destroy the source or Baba Yaga’s army - a legion of tailors and shoemakers who somehow create troops out of thin air, and then finishes off the hag herself.

Death of bogatyrs - tales about bogatyrs are often concluded with the tale of their death. Typical scenario for such a tale features bogatyrs easily defeating an army of invaders and then boasting about how they’re even able to defeat “a force from another place”, which is strongly implied to be angelic armada. This force descends onto warriors, who, to their horror, discover that those mysterious enemies regenerate, and when you cut one of them in half, it becomes two whole creatures. Frightened bogatyrs run towards some unnamed mountains to hide, but are turned to stone once they’ve reached them. There are many conflicting versions of this story, in some of them two armies are merged into one Mongolian regenerating horde, protected by enchantments, and in another bogatyrs just kinda leave and turn to stone on their own free will.

Paraskeva Friday - the folk interpretation of the Saint Paraskevi, who became a personification of Friday itself. It was believed that she travels in the form of a woman with unbridled hair and punishes those who work on Friday, her sacred day. Paraskeva Friday is surprisingly creepy and often does things like flaying people alive for breaking the No Work Friday rule. However, she also helps those who pray to her with curing diseases. There are also saints associated with Wednesday and Sunday with very similar traits. Some researchers think that Paraskeva Friday used to be Mokosh, one of the gods from the Slavic pantheon, but others argue that their connection is way too weak

Moryana - Moryana (no relation to Marena) is a daughter of the Sea Tsar and the personification of the wind, sometimes specifically of the cold southeastern winds in the Caspian Sea. Moryana is sometimes described as a beautiful woman, and sometimes as a giantess, who sinks ships (in this case there can be a lot of Moryanas). Moryana of the Caspian Sea has her nemesis, Grandpa The Tattered Hat, who embodies the northwestern wind and typically loses to her in a fight (yes, this is a mythological explanation for some weather phenomenon).

Artisans have magic powers - a very common theme in Slavic folklore is that “knowing people” like builders, smiths, millers, beekeepers, hunters, farriers and shepherds always have some ties with demonic creatures and can perform magical tricks. For example, a builder, who didn’t get his payment could curse a family by embedding some enchanted trinket into the walls of the house.

The Slavic Iceberg

[trzpiotka]

i was just walking around the neighborhood and randomly found the name of the Slavic goddess of death written on a wall... seems threatening tbh

[russianfolklore]

Do you lnow anything about barabashkas? I once worked for an eccentric Russian artist in Paris who was obsessed with them

Barabashka (Russian: барабашка) is a poltergeist. A noisy spirit. The word “barabashka” means “he who is drumming”. People belive that every building has its own barabashka.

There are two kind of barabashka:

1. A small, weird and cute creature who loves to make noises in buildings. Looks like that:

Most of the time he is peaceful. But if you piss him off, he can be dangerous, even harm you.

2. Also “barabashka” is a nickname for an angry domovoi. Domovoi is a household spirit. If for some reason domovoi gets angry (It’s easy - just be lazy and don’t clean up at home) then he begins to make mischief, noises, chase your cat and throw furniture at 2 am, steal things. After that people start calling him barabashka. Domovoi looks like a small old man:

[natache]

Razkovniche is the Bulgarian-language name for the real plant Marsilea quadrifolia, which shares some features with the legendary raskovnik.

In Slavic folklore, the raskovnik or razkovniche (Serbian Cyrillic and Macedonian: расковник; Bulgarian: разковниче [rɐsˈkɔvnit͡ʃɛ]; Russian: разрыв-трава; Polish: rozryw) is a magical herb. According to lore, the raskovnik has the magical property to unlock or uncover anything that is locked or closed. However, legends claim it is notoriously difficult to recognize the herb, and reputedly only certain chthonic animals are able to identify it.