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George Seferis, tr. by Edmund Keeley & Philip Sherrard from, “Stratis Thalassinos among the Agapanthi.” [ID in alt text]

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“This is fine” by @banefolk

Pen and ink illustration with digital colouring.

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percy jackson core

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Charging Methods

This is no where near all the ways you can charge things so feel free to add to the list or send me other methods. I intend to go back and add to it occasionally.

Edited 12/10/16

Fire

Draw it on paper (or something safe to burn) and burn it

Draw it on a firework and set it off

Carve it into a candle, light it, and let the sigil melt away

Place it close to a flame to absorb the light and heat

Air

Draw it on wind chimes and hang them up

Hang it up somewhere it can blow around in the breeze by a fan

Draw it on a balloon, blow the balloon up, and pop it

Draw it on a kite and fly it

Water

Draw it on something soluble and dissolve it in water

Draw it on a rock (or something non-soluble) and place it in running water

Draw it with something food safe on a tea bag and drink it (It’s more using a sigil to charge the tea, but whatever)

Draw it on yourself then take a shower and let it wash away

Draw it in chalk on the sidewalk to wash away in the rain

Earth

Draw it on something biodegradable and bury it

Transfer energy from previously charged crystals

Draw it in the dirt somewhere it will be worn away

Light

Place it in the sun or moonlight

Draw it with/in something that will disappear: lemon juice on paper, fog in a mirror, etc.

Paint it with glow in the dark paint, the light used to charge the paint and its own glow charges the sigil

Technology

Place it on/under a device that is plugged in and charging

Open the image on your computer and play a video game on top of it

Use the sigil as your background or screensaver or just leave it up for a while to be charged by the screen’s light and energy of the computer

Open the sigil in a paint or photo editing program, cut it to pieces, and delete them (like you would tear up a piece of paper)

Place the sigil on/near speakers and play music (match the music to the intent of the sigil)

Post the sigil on social media with the intent that it charge with every like/reblog/thumbs up/etc.

Personal Energy (Mental and Physical)

Direct your own personal energies into the sigil (How to)

Draw it on yourself or something you have on you as you exercise: dance, run, play sport, etc.

Have the sigil on/near you and focus on it as you have sex/masturbate and orgasm

Have the sigil on/near you and focus on it while experiencing pain

Have the sigil on/near you and focus on it while experiencing extreme emotion

Add a drop of blood to the sigil

Other

Sing or play an instrument to it

Place it in a music box, wind it up and let the music charge it

Draw it on paper and tear the paper up

Draw the sigil with food or carve it into food and eat it (bonus if it’s baked/cooked/etc.)

Draw it on the bottom of your shoes and walk around

Draw it on yourself with lotion or makeup and blend it in

[torchwithin]

Sigil Magic & The User Interface Theory Of Perception

The user interface theory of perception posits that what we perceive is not an accurate representation of reality but rather a constructed experience designed to promote survival and reproductive fitness. This theory can intersect with the theories of sigil magic in several compelling ways:

1. Constructed Reality and Sigils as Tools for Modification:

- If perception is a constructed interface rather than a direct experience of reality, then sigils could be seen as tools that help alter that interface. By creating and activating a sigil, practitioners might be effectively "reprogramming" their constructed experience to align more closely with their intentions or desires. This altered perception can then guide their behavior and decision-making in ways that increase the likelihood of achieving those goals.

2. Predictive Hallucinations and Sigil Magic:

- In the user interface theory, perception involves predictive coding, where the brain generates predictions about sensory input and then adjusts based on the actual input received. Sigils could be considered a way to introduce new predictions into this system. When a sigil is charged with intention, it embeds a new prediction or expectation into the subconscious. The brain then works to align perception and behavior with this new prediction, effectively making the desired outcome more likely to occur.

3. Behavioral Guidance towards Fitness Goals:

- Sigils might function by shaping the predictive models that guide behavior. If perception is tuned towards fitness ends, a sigil can be seen as a way to bias this tuning process towards specific goals. For instance, a sigil representing success in a career might subtly influence a person's behavior, confidence, and decisions, increasing their chances of achieving success in ways that ultimately support their survival and well-being.

4. Reprogramming the Interface:

- Since the user interface theory suggests our perceptions are not veridical but rather useful constructs, sigil magic can be interpreted as a method of intentionally reprogramming these constructs. By changing the symbols and meanings within one's perception through the use of sigils, practitioners can reshape their experiential reality in ways that are advantageous to them, aligning with their desires and goals.

5. Influencing Predictive Models:

- The theory that perception is based on predictive models aligns well with the psychological theory of sigil magic. The creation and activation of a sigil can be seen as a way of implanting a new predictive model in the subconscious mind. This new model influences the brain's predictions and therefore the individual's perceptions and actions, steering them towards outcomes that align with the intention behind the sigil.

In summary, the user interface theory of perception and sigil magic both emphasize the constructed nature of our experiential reality. Sigils, within this framework, could be understood as tools for intentionally modifying these constructs. By introducing new predictions or altering existing ones, sigils help align perceptions and behaviors with desired outcomes, thereby guiding individuals towards their goals in a manner that enhances their overall fitness.

by ᐯ丨丂丨ㄥㄩ乂 - ©️ 2024

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It's magical. Well, well Old Friend... it looks like everyone is your teacher, no one is your master.

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every good thing i lose comes back to me tenfold

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I would buy a sad boy art book SO FAST.

welcome back to tumblr. <3

I know this is informal rambles but I am genuinely serious in that I am thinking maybe of making a book someday … a lot of my prints of my originals that I sell tend to have one image or a combination of them, but it is true that a lot of my originals tend to be sets and their full impact is in sets … it would be a dream to have enough art someday, just filling an art book full of my sad boy …

[torchwithin]

Elemental Work Crash Course

Hello friends! As a west witch I find myself in a lot of elemental spaces, but as an elemental pagan I feel like we get little to no representation without wicca being present so this post is for all my friends who may be looking into elemental work and want to know what to expect! This is an introductory post so if anyone is interested in further information let me know in the comments!

Earth

Common Lessons tend to include grounding, understanding your place within it all like your social circles, life itself, or even the ecosystem. People also tend to find out how to see beauty even when they feel there is none, home and hearth magic, generational magic, and harnessing your own power. Its important to recognize earth is extremely giving, often giving things without expecting anything in return. Remember to give back to the earth when you can in your practice, it isn't fair to take things without giving back. Eventually earth takes all things back from the living, so remember that earth is as powerful as she is kind Darker Aspect/Element: Rot How to honor and find these teachings:

Going out in nature

Taking care of plants

Herbal work

Community service

Exploring

Grounding and meditation outdoors

Connecting to earth itself

Evaluating what it means to be human

Common forms of divination

Osteomancy (Burning Bones)

Abacomancy (Dirt)

Dendromancy (Tree reading)

Falling petals or leaves

Air

Common lessons from air tend to be quick and ever present, air speaks rather quickly to people and messages change! Its best to keep a log of signs and messages you receive because it tends to be a pebble trail on your journey. Air teaches how to keep calm in tense situations, creating your own path on the journey of life, going with the wind and learning to not value materialistic lifestyles, plus learning how to be more gentle with yourself and others!

Darker Aspect: Tempest How to honor and find these teachings:

Breath work

Spontaneity and leaving your comfort zone

Living to the fullest (however that might look for you!)

Dance or Hand motions

Meditations

Keeping sword or athame imagery as a talisman

Storm tracking

Common forms of divination:

Smoke Scrying

Wind Watching

Electromancy (By Lightning)

Austromancy (By Clouds)

Fire

Common lessons in fire encourage you to listen closely and not rely so much on searching for messages. In most mythos fire speaks once per session, when its burnt out usually the message is over. Fire teaches us how to be confident in our work, ambition, and performance. Fire likes to throw a lot at you and teach you adaptability, and most importantly how to be the best you can be. You can learn a lot from just a little flame.

Darker Aspect: Magma

How to Honor these teachings:

Practicing Confidence

Glamour Magic

Using your backbone/saying no more

Making friends in odd places

Hosting bonfires/tending to a hearth fire

Using candle magic

Common forms of divination:

Fire Scrying

Candle/Wax reading

Flame Shape reading

Casting knives

Water

Common lessons range depending on what you are looking for! Water can teach you how to be calm and collected, but also encourages you to be fluid! so if you need to unleash the flood you know when its appropriate to do so. You also learn how to go with the flow, how to be persistent, and how to be a fierce enigma. Water is also very humbling at times, so you will learn a lot about yourself.

Darker Aspect: Abyss

How to honor these teachings:

Emotion based meditations

Shadow work

Being in tune with yourself

Swimming

Boating

Fishing

Beach cleanups

Exploring your waterways

Common types of divination:

Water scrying

Waves

Rainfall

Storm tracking

Mist/Dew

Tip Jar

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November 2023 Recap

I am moving back to tumblr. It is sad I ever left. This was clearly the place to offer and receive too many words on obscure personal theories. So I have returned.

No one needs to read this. This is just a monthly entry I'd like to keep for myself, an emotional time capsule of the prior month.

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Dear You,

I used to write these "newsletters" to a friend, and that spirit still feels right, although I am no longer friends with this person. That may change, but for now it is necessary.

November was my birthday month. What does this mean to me?

My birthday means a lot to me. It's a time to celebrate me! It's been harder to enjoy the new years because I've been doing my refreshes every quarter instead of waiting until the end of the year. It's my favorite activity, so I figured I should do it more often! And the more frequent resets are also very practical and productive. But now I need something else to make this year-end time feel more special.

This year I decided to get a tattoo and change my hair on my birthday month. These felt truly festive for my birthday month. The tattoo are the hedge witch stars from The Magicians on my left forearm. I have Howl blowing life into Calcifer on the same spot on my other arm. It makes me feel powerful to have these two power symbols on each arm to remind me of what I have access to. Howl who dodged his duties to his nation in favor of himself and Sophie. The hedge witches who will train their magic no matter what, even when barred from the elite magic schools. If the librarian's daughter who steals from the library had her own logo, I would have gotten that. I love this spirit of defiance, anarchy, and striking out on your own. Seizing power even at a cost, even against the law.

I was worried my tattoo appointment wouldn't go through, but since it did, it ended up being the perfect day. My love and I went to one of our favorite bakeries and got fancy cakes, and they gave us free macarons. They have a habit of doing this, and I am always unsure if they will do it again because I wouldn' t dare ask for freebies just because I received them before. But they do toss in extra treats, and it delights me every time. I'm really obsessed with Jujutsu Kaisen right now and have felt a bit feverish and selfish, so I've also been hesitant to press for more time with it. But my love asks if I'd like to watch, and that feels like another treat to indulge in. He drops me off at my tattoo appointment, and I can tell my artist is underwhelmed by the simplicity of my tattoo haha. But whatever makes me happy, he says, and he does a great crisp job of it. And we have such a fantastic conversation, the best I've ever had with an artist. I should do this every time, just ask about their tattoos and how they got into it and their favorite styles. It made me want to bring some monster tattoo for him to do since we both share an interest in mythologies. He also had this mellow disarming vibe that made me feel so safe to say whatever I wanted and go with the flow.

Towards the end of the month, I got a haircut, androgynous hair #2, my second time going this short. I've been dipping my toes into boyish androgynous hair as a way to ease into my masculine expression. It's such a nice birthday treat to get a scalp massage, to feel the warm shower spray whose jets are as numerous as hair and make me feel so smooth and pampered. My hair stylist made me feel extra special. She remembered me from last time and said she loves how adventurous I am, and she loves doing these unconventional kpop cuts for me. Their clientele tends to be more traditional. It makes sense. They're a very chic aesthetic place, not so much a rockstar place. My brother told me he has 3 different stylists depending what neighborhood he's currently in haha. Short hair is such a new life, gosh. It really does whatever it wants in the morning. It really needs to be styled if I want the texture to go a certain way. I have to do the unruly look on purpose, ha. I am learning that I don't really want it this short if the intention is to just let it air dry because then it's just fluffy and round and not super interesting. I might learn to style it into upright styles. That looks cool to me. I prefer short boyish past my cheekbones, but still fwippy, and without bangs.

This was also a month of healing love for myself. I had completely forgotten exactly when my love and I started talking again, so I looked through all our past emails to figure it out, and it slammed me with how I fell in love all over again. I instantly recalled the giddiness of that first email. I thought that by being in such a long committed relationship that I probably wouldn't experience those new love butterflies again, but I did just by going back in time. I promptly told my partner that he should send me emails whenever he has follow-up thoughts on any of our conversations, for I would like to keep them! I would like to have emotional time capsules of him as well. We've been together 9 years total, and I notice that this month is always a bit of a cursed month for relationships. I will end things, my friends will end things, either with each other or someone else. I think the scorpio energy grabs everyone by the neck and shakes you a bit. Terrible, but I love it. So I am promising myself not to start or end things in this month from now on, ha. Please, let us finish the month so that the autumn restlessness can be out of our system and we can make life-altering decisions from a place of sobriety instead of a place of byronic angst.

Every year, I've gotten a new tattoo, and each one has marked another year of freedom that I got away from my abuser. But as I read through those emails with my love, I got to flip the script. I have gotten a tattoo per year that I reunited with my love, that I chose myself, my dignity, and my happiness.

I'm extra proud of my love and me this month. It is month two of doing RADAR together. We recapped September and October this time, and I decided to modify the structure to be more effective for us than the original template. RADAR is a polyamorous resource in order to check-in monthly or even more often. Originally, it's a multi-hour affair, but I got it down to less than 2hrs. The idea is that you start with something positive by recapping the last month, then you discuss several life areas whether they are doing well or struggling. It is a great opportunity to validate what is good for extra good feelings, and it's a safe recurring space to address things that still weigh on us. And then you decide on actionables together and it ends with reconnection through compliments, massage or a nice outing. We've decided to just end in a kiss and to express gratitude towards what came up in the session as we got to relive the best parts of the prior month and we got to cover meaningful topics.

In other news of healing my heart, I healed my capacity to receive venting. Ironically I finally put up a boundary with the one who vents to me most, who re-taught me how to have more of a stomach for them, but he crossed the line. I've been so worried since my abuser that people will be inconsolable, so I get nervous listening to people's problems and woes. I get nervous if they will be okay. I've only been able to stomach a handful of friends who I know take care of themselves, and who I know will be okay regardless of my contribution, where my contribution does mean something, and who allow our friendship to be other things beyond just split misery. I am gradually expanding my capacity in both directions. I am less reactive to bad stuff, while still having boundaries about how much I can be expected to endure. I am getting out of my comfort zone and asking for more substantial reciprocity from others, while forgiving people's weaknesses so long as they are overall contributing in an active way. It is unfortunate how guilty I've started to feel for... being too empowered? Healing from codependency and narcissistic abuse means that I stop being a bleeding heart for the tears of perpetual victims. That's hard. I see someone in pain, and I want to help. But not everyone is capable of benefiting from you, and so I have to check, did people bring their own cup or do they expect me to provide everything? I can't be the only uplifting force in the relationship. This is really an early December issue, but alas, it is coming up now, here.

I reconnected with some other key aspects of myself this month. I reconnected with my tumblr-style activism. It disturbed me how much my perfectionist attitude was from internalized fear of my ex, and not my true feelings. Sure, there are plenty reasons where I've refined my activism and now prefer to speak from a mental health lens instead of social justice terminology. But I know myself, and I know that my voice that wanted "only the most positively impactful" news over general news was just avoidance I had picked up to survive my ex. Nothing was ever good enough for him. But I thought, "wait a second!" Back in my tumblr days, I didn't look for the best takes. I took it all in broadly, and then zero'd in on the best takes. I didn't avoid the heavy news and useless actions. I skimmed, discerned, and selected where to allocate my energy. Leena Norm's video defending the value of "small actions" woke me up to how much I like doing every little good thing I can. recycling, reusable cups, asking for people's pronouns, spaying/neutering your pets. It is hard to feel like our actions are very important, but we can definitely do little things so that we are not part of the problem. Spaying my cats prevents this world from having even more homeless kittens. It prevents the trouble of having unsuitable parents who give up perfectly great cats. I was always doing little things like this. When did I start to lose confidence in every minor action? It's good to be back.

I also thought of how much I used to admire my ex, how I would hide behind people who seemed stronger, how I always longed to be strong, and I can now proudly say, I am strong. I know who I am. Naysayers can't shake me so easily. I will go boldly into disagreements, and we will come out of the other side of discussion with more fleshed out ideas. Just like my first book club in forever. It was so refreshing to be back in what felt like a college-level discussion. People who read and are passionate about what they have read. It felt so safe to have different views, and my unique perspective contributed to others appreciating things from additional angles. And likewise, I benefited similarly from them.

[torchwithin]

heres something i wrote while i was on a lot of medication

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Has anyone else heard of a practicioner who mainly uses eclectic technomany in their practice? My methods involve a combination of Chaos Magick and things such as music being mantras/spells, my social media accounts being literal altars to myself and what I want to manifest in my life, a digital BoS that is hosted on a cloud service, thus connected to the Internet (and yes my tablet and it's case are black and allow for hand-writing with a stylus), creating sigils using online sigil generators or creating custom sigils digitally in other ways.

IMO one of my greatest technomantic feats is that I am now the top Google image search result for the genderswapped version of the Harry Potter villian Fenrir Greyback when you search the term "Femrir Greyback" (you have to make sure to correct for the M and click "search instead for" or it will give you the original character). What's funny is I'm not even in cosplay in those images, they are just selfies of my 100% natural appearance and everyday clothes. While yes, Google does sort based on tags, it also sorts by "most relevant/similar to" which means the AI compared my appearance to other images and deemed me the most similar in appearance to what that would actually look like. And before you also try to claim that that's a super obscure tag so of course I would be a top search result if I tagged myself as that a lot, it's actually *not* a super obscure tag. There are several cosplayers on Tumblr *intentionally cosplaying* Femrir regularly for things like video series' and tagging themselves as such yet just a selfie of me is *literally* the first image result, as well as the majority of the top image results for the term just being me looking like myself. This was literally my entire goal and IMO means I successfully manifested what I intended.

Anyway, does anyone else use *mainly* technomancy or has heard of anyone who does, and who has been successful? I first started trying to go the mostly tech Magick route anout 2 years ago when I had the epiphany that the Internet is an energetic field that permeates and extends beyond the entire planet. There are literally wifi and cellular data waves going *through* every person on Earth. And encoded in those is every intention anyone has ever put online.

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One of the tenets of chaos magic is that one must 'smile inwardly at all things' because emotions are power and laughter and joy encompass the strongest of all emotions simultaneously. That you should banish your energies with a laugh and a clap. I love this. But it's not always feasible? Here's something that I have been practicing instead:

Expect nothing and delight in everything.

Humans are weird emotional little goblins, aren't they, uh I mean, we? When one takes the time as I have had to recently, one begins to see a little bit of a pattern.

We expect too much. Of ourselves, of others, of nature, of the gods, of the aliens, of everything and all at once. Then, when things don't go to those expectations we often react, poorly. Moreover, when things go according to those expectations we think highly of ourselves. We think of ourselves as a great and mighty force in the world. We haven't really done anything, though.

Watching my nieces and nephews at play I had a realization. They find delight in anything and everything. Chasing cats around the farm, exploring the woods, and building up those fun childhood narratives many of us recall.

So, find the joy of a child within you. Make art just because you can, throw paint on the walls of your house with reckless abandon and an utter disregard for color theory. I am learning that this is the path to embracing chaos (the good kind) and that will lead to mastery of yourself and your universe.

Within chaos magic's limited literature it has been mentioned that one must master one's mind through rigorous discipline. I think what we really need to discipline ourselves to bring about the magic we want is to just take part in the activities that feel magical to us with the joy of a child, with no expectations that it works, and with no rules, laws, or self-critiquing. True magic I think isn't born of self-discipline, but self-indulgence.

Now, take this all with a grain of salt. I am just your weird internet uncle spewing nonsense but if this awakens something in you, run with it. Don't look back. Be truly and horribly beautiful in your authenticity.

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My attempt at explaining a concept from Condensed Chaos by Phil Hine

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I JUST HAD THE STUPIDEST FUCKING IDEA FOR CLEANSING A SPACE

put liquid soap in the moonlight. moon soap. get a bubble wand. blow moon bubbles.

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My wonderful wichy home 🥰 protected and guided