Adana

30-something | cisfemale | she/her | Aries | pagan | roleplayer

[tea-and-tarot-with-allie]

Cauldrons in Hearth and Home 🏡🌿✨

Cauldrons as Hearthcraft

If there’s one tool that any witch should have, but especially those following a green, hearth, or home based spiritual path, it’s a cauldron! Cauldrons are a symbol of your hearth, your spiritual hearth, your inner flame, as well as a symbol of abundance, wisdom, nourishment, introspection, and spiritual rejuvenation.

Choosing a Cauldron

When first choosing a cauldron for your craft, keep in mint that you want one that is easy to clean and one that fits well into your space. You don’t want a huge cauldron that you cannot lift in a tiny space or you’re unable to move it to clean it regularly. If you’re going to be using your cauldron to actually cook in, consider that as well. There are cauldrons available in a variety of sizes. Most importantly though, you want to choose one that you feel drawn to and feel comfortable working with. I found mine at an antique shop and felt immediately drawn to it, and it was also the perfect size for my altar space. Look for what serves you best!

Caring for your Cauldron

Make sure you regularly clean your cauldron, depending on the material your cauldron is made of, care will vary. Most find iron cauldrons to be easiest to care for, and cauldrons that are not being used to cook in will require less thorough cleaning.

Daily Cauldron Uses:

Use it to hold incense or herb bundles that you are using to smoke cleanse

Place offerings inside your cauldron at your altar such as flowers or herbs, just be sure to remove them the next day

Place a candle inside of it during rituals

Use it as a focal point during meditations

Place flowers inside of it from your garden to look nice in your space

Use it for scrying or divination

Burn bay leaves in it during new moon release rituals

Build yourself a tiny, contained needfire

A Small Cauldron Needfire 🔥

A Needfire is a bonfire built for a specific spiritual purpose. In ancient times, some cultures defined a Needfire as a fire built by a group of men started by rubbing sticks together, still for a spiritual purpose, or others put emphasis on the duration of the fire. Even so, today, Needfires are still used and are still an important component of a witch’s craft, especially when it comes to hearth and home. Many witches find themselves limited on space, especially outdoors if they live in the city or in an apartment. You can build yourself a small Needfire inside your cauldron if you have a small (and safe) balcony, porch, or other outdoor spot! Again, always remember basic fire safety when building a fire: keep water nearby to extinguish the flames and make sure you are in a well ventilated area away from flammable objects!

You will need:

Fire-Safe Cauldron (Mine is iron!)

Herb Mix of Your Choice (I pick the herbs based on their metaphysical and healing properties to meet my needs)

Small Twigs and Leaves for Kindling (I personally use Oak or Magnolia)

A Small Tea Candle

Matches or a Lighter

Building Your Fire:

Take your cauldron outside to your chosen and safe spot to burn at. I usually build a Needfire on my patio after dark, so that the flames can be viewed and admired most clearly.

Place the tea candle at the bottom of your cauldron. This will help keep your fire going for longer and it will burn stronger.

Next, sprinkle in half of your chosen herbs, and then place your kindling carefully into the cauldron. Make sure you can still safely get to the tea candle to light it when ready, as you can always add more twigs later to kindle the fire.

When ready, light your tea candle carefully. You may need to poke and prod the fire gently and safely to stoke the flames. Try not to smother the flame of the tea candle with the leaves and twigs. Once the fire picks up, you can always toss in any remaining twigs or leaves you have to feed the fire.

Remember! Once the fire is going inside your cauldron, do not touch it!! Your cauldron will get extremely hot!

After the fire picks up, you can sprinkle in the last half of your herbs. Since the flames should be going steadier and stronger, the smell of the herbs will be lovely (and stronger) too!

Gazing into the flames (from a safe distance!) as a focus for meditation during this time is wonderful and very therapeutic. Enjoy yourself and relax.

Once the flames begin to die down, let the fire smolder first and smoke before carefully pouring water into the cauldron the extinguish the flames completely. Allow the cauldron to cool for a bit before touching it. You can dump out the contents of your cauldron the next morning or if you have some yard space outdoors you can immediately dump it somewhere safe into the grass and hose out your cauldron to clean it. Proper clean up and care will ensure your cauldron doesn’t get messy with wax or debris!

Give thanks to the fire element for soothing your soul. 🙌🏻🔥

Cauldron Blessing 🙌🏻🔥🌿✨

A cute little ritual blessing to welcome and appreciate your cauldron into your craft and sacred space! This is adapted from Arin Murphy Hiscock’s lovely book The House Witch! I highly recommend her books!

You will need:

Cauldron

2 white taper candles

Rosemary

Herb Bundle of Your Choice (optional)

The Blessing

Place your cauldron between 2 white taper candles on your altar or in your sacred space.

Sprinkle some rosemary inside the cauldron, and you may also want to light an herb bundle and allow it to smoke inside the cauldron while you do the blessing. Palo Santo is also great.

Say: “Cauldron, Sacred Symbol of the Home and Hearth, Symbol of my Inner Flame, Transformation and Wisdom, Share with me your secrets and abundance, may my life be touched by your energy, as we work together, Cauldron, I welcome you into my home, Blessings upon you.”

[adana-knows]

The best way to learn Wicca is to practice it.

Scott Cunningham

from Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner

[adana-knows]

The magical significance of gestures is complex, and stems from the powers of the hand.  The hand can heal or kill, caress or stab.  It is a channel through which energies are sent from the body or received from others.  Our hands set up our magical altars, grasp wands and athames, and pinch out candle flames at the conclusion of magical rites.... When invoking the God and Goddess, the hands can be held uplifted with the fingers spread to receive their power.  The Goddess can be invoked individually with the left hand, the thumb and first finger held up and curled into a half-circle, while the rest of the fingers are tucked against the palm.  This represents the crescent moon.  The God is invoked with the first and middle fingers of the right hand raised, or with the first and fourth fingers up, the thumb holding the others against the palm, to represent horns.   The elements can be invoked with individual gestures when approaching the four directions: a flat hand held parallel with the ground to invoke Earth at the North; an upraised hand, fingers spread wide apart, to invoke Air at the East; an upraised fist for the South to invite Fire; and a cupped hand to the West to invoke Water.   ...The Goddess position is assumed by placing the feet about two feet apart on the ground, holding the hands out palms away fro you, elbows bent slightly.  This position can be used to call the Goddess or to attune with her energies.   The God position consists of the feet together on the floor, body held rigidly upright, arms crossed on the chest (right over left, usually), hands held in fists.  Tools such as the wand and athame are sometimes held in the fists, echoing the practice of pharaohs of ancient Egypt who held a crook and flail in a similar position while trying disputes.   ...Gestures are also used in magic.  Each of the fingers relates to a specific planet as well as an ancient deity.  Since pointing is a magical act and is a part of many spells, the finger can be chosen by its symbolism.   The thumb relates to Venus and to the planet Earth.  Jupiter (both the planet and the god) rules the forefinger.  The middle finger is ruled by the god and planet Saturn, the fourth finger the Sun and Apollo, and the little finger by the planet Mercury as well as the god after which it is named.   ...Other ritual gestures used in Wiccan rites include the "cutting" of the pentagrams at the four quarters by drawing them in the air with the athame, wand or index finger.  This is done to alternately banish or invoke elemental powers.  It is, of course, performed with visualization.   The hand can be seen as a cauldron, since it can cup and contain water; an athame, since it can be used to direct magical energy, and a wand since it can also invoke. Gestures are magical tools as potent as any other, ones we can always take with us, to be used when needed.

Scott Cunningham

from Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner

[adana-knows]

Four distinct types of instruments have specific powers.  The drum, rattle, xylophone and all percussion instruments... are ruled by the element of Earth.  Thus, such instruments can be used to invoke fertility, increase money, find a job, and so on.  They can also be used to invoke the Goddess in ritual, or to "drum up" energy to send to the Earth.   The flute, recorder and all wind instruments are under the dominion of Air, the intellectual element, and so can be used to increase mental powers or visualization abilities, to discover ancient wisdom or knowledge, to improve psychic faculties and to call upon the God.   Fire rules stringed instruments such as the lyre, harp, guitar, mandolin, ukulele, and so on.  Such instruments can be used in spells or rites involving sexuality, health and bodily strength, passion and will power, change, evolution, courage, and the destruction of harmful habits.  They are also excellent tools to use before ritual to purify the area in question, and also the celebrant... Strings can also be used to invoke the God.   Resonant metal such as the cymbal, sistrum, bell and gong are symbol of the element of water.  Since water encompasses healing, fertility, friendship, psychic powers, spiritual love, beauty, compassion, happiness and other similar energies, bells, gongs, or cymbals can be features in such spells and rites.  The sistrum of Isis reminds us that resonant metal invokes the Goddess.

Scott Cunningham

from Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner

[adana-knows]

Musical spells... can be simple and effective.  ...If you're depressed, find a bell with a pleasant tone and ritually strike or ring it... When you're afraid, play a six-string or listen to prerecorded guitar music while visualizing yourself as confident and courageous.

Scott Cunningham

from Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner

[ladykalila]

✨ How To Wake Witchblr ✨

We’ve all seen the hashtag #wakingwitchblr or the term itself at one point. Still, I found that there’s a lack of info on what you can actually do to make witchblr more active. 

So I took it upon myself to create a list of things that anyone can do to revive our amazing community! Enjoy !

1) Don’t Like, Reblog instead 📣

There’s nothing inherently wrong with liking a post, it’s just that due to how Tumblr works, liking a post does virtually nothing. Reblogging, however, lets that post be seen by more and more people. The surefire way to revive witchblr is by reblogging as many witchy posts as you can. 

But what if some posts just doesn’t fit into your blog’s theme, even though you want to support it? Well, you have a couple options:

Reblog anyway. Diversifying your posts actually makes your blog more interesting. You can always tag it as ‘off-topic’ if the different theme bothers you that much.

Create a reblog/spam account! I have one and it is so simple. The post may not gain as much traction compared to if you RB-ed in your main blog, but trust me when I say a single reblog goes a long way.

Share it on other social media. See that arrow-like button down there? Click it and you can share the post anywhere. Send it to your witchy discord servers or your insta groupchat !

 2) Get off the ‘Top’ page. Go to ‘Recent’ 💌

AKA reblog from lesser-known bloggers.

Not only will you support fellow witches creating content, this also give you a chance to talk to them and find your place within Witchblr! Which brings me to my next point…

3) Interact with The Community 💬

If I’m a witch who wants to move away from Tumblr, there will be only one thing that can stop me, and that’s the friends and connections that I’ve made here.

Join online covens and discord servers, ask your witchstagram and witchtok friends for their tumblr url, and just have fun together. 

Interacting with other witches, making friends, even just giving compliments or advices. This is what makes us a community. It’s what makes us stay here. If we don’t interact with each other, than we’re just a bunch of people who likes the same thing without any connection. That’s not witchblr.

4) Diversify Your Tags 🎪

There is a kind of… exclusivity, when you look through the hashtags of witchy posts. Witches only ever tag with “witchblr”, “witchcraft”, and “magick”.

This creates an accurate, non-spammy post, but it is also a post that will only show up on other witches’ dashboard and no one else’s. The community will never grow in this way because there will be no new people finding the community. It’s just an echo chamber.

Instead, diversify your tags. I’m not telling you to tag your ritual oil with ‘cars for sale’, but if you made a travel altar yourself, there’s nothing wrong in tagging it #crafting, #diy, #handmade, etc. 

Non-witches will then find the post and potentially become interested in the community, thus making it grow.

5) Make Original Content 🔮

Original content is the backbone of any community, and witchblr is dying because we’re not producing any. So if you want to revive witchblr, make content of your own.

No, it doesn’t have to be well thought-out. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be good. Original content can be anything! It can be you posting about a witchy thing that happened. It can be your drawing, or a picture you took. It could even be memes???

Or it could be a ‘how to wake witchblr’ post that you wrote because you have a script due 3 weeks ago and somehow this is your idea of procrastination

The point is: just click that ‘Make a Post’ button, and make a freaking post !

6) Share This, and Add Your Own Tips! 🖤

Now that you know these, it’s time to let other people know too ! I put a lot of thoughts into this post, but I have to admit that these tips will only work if everyone in the community is doing it. 

If you have other tips or ways to make Witchblr more active, feel free to reblog with your own addition too.

I love this community, and if you’re reading this post I’m sure you do as well. It’s not gonna happen overnight, but I know that we can be as active as we used to be. We’ve got the heart, we just need the action.

[returntoeden]

🕯️spiritual veiling🕯️

Veiling (or head covering) is a spiritual practice that is found within nearly all world religions! Veiling is the act of covering ones head, partially or fully, with an article of clothing or hanging cloth. The type of veil or head covering varies from faith to faith. Also, everyone has different reasons for veiling. In general, it is a sign of respect to ones deities, to the self, and to the sacredness of the body. Vestal Priestesses of Vesta veiled before their goddess, Yoruba initiates cover their head for spiritual protection, Catholic Nuns veil for spiritual distinction and modesty, etc. Historically, women are more likely to practice veiling but there are many practices where men are also called to cover their heads. Veiling is for anyone and everyone who feels called to practice! 💐🌹

✨ BENEFITS OF VEILING ✨

(Note, this is an amalgamation of different reasons why people veil. Not everyone shares these same benefits or beliefs. This is a generalization!)

DIVINE DEVOTION

The crown of the head is, in many practices, believed to be the center of divine communication. It is the part of our body that is closest to divinity. As a result, many people veil in order to respect the sacredness of this connection. It’s almost as if placing a crown upon our head to symbolize our pure connection with our gods. It can also be a sign of humility and humbleness before divine. Veiling for divine devotion is often worn during rituals or worship but may not be worn for everyday use (this varies). This practice of veiling results in a closer, sanctified bond with our divinity. 

SPIRITUAL PROTECTION

Similar to the last point, the head is believed to be sacred. If the head is not protected, the rest of the body may suffer. Emotional empaths may be called to veiling out of a desire to protect their energy from the world around them. Full-body veils can also be worn for this purpose. It offers comfort, peace, and a sense of spiritual protection!

DISTINCTION

For many people, veiling is a way of “wearing their faith”. A clear religious habit (form of clothing) sets you apart from the rest of the world. Not in the sense that you are higher or holier than the world but in the sense that your life is lived in devotion. It is a reminder of the covenant you have made within your spiritual path. It makes your faith visible and tangible. My Muslim sisters often express that wearing their hijab creates a sense of unification and connectedness. 

EMPOWERMENT

I’ve noticed a lot of people, especially women, express how empowered they feel when they’re wearing their veils. It can often garner a sense of respect and reverence. Sadly there are spaces where veiling (especially for muslim women) is met with judgement but, even when faced with criticism, it is an empowering practice. It forces the world to view us as more than bodies to be objectified. It adds a sense privacy that demands respect. 

SELF AWARENESS 

Wearing a veil is a reminder to the world but also to ourselves. When we wear a veil, we are wearing the tradition of our respective beliefs. It is a physical symbol that aligns us with our spiritual practice and reminds us of why we do what we do. I find that I am much more aware of my actions when I am veiling (for rituals and for everyday wear). There’s a sense of responsibility that comes with wearing a veil. It’s highly symbolic and we have to respect its importance. 

A BLESSING

For many, it is a reminder that we are forever blessed, protected, and empowered by our spiritual practice! It’s like taking up a mantle of power. For some it’s out of modestly but, for most, it’s an outward sign of the blessed relationship that we have with our respective spiritual paths!  ✨✨✨✨ Thank you for stopping by! My askbox is always open for anyone who wants to learn more! If you are someone who veils, I would love to hear your reasons and experiences. I feel like there are so many misunderstandings about the purpose of veiling and I hope this post could shed some light! 💐 🌷 🌹 P.S anyone can veil, as it’s a part of pretty much every culture, but be mindful of the style of veil you choose! There are some styles that are sacred and should not be used unless you are a part of that religion/tradition. Do your research. 

[samwisethewitch]

Cults? In my life? It’s more likely than you think.

In my last post, I talked about how the Law of Attraction and Christian prosperity gospel both use the same thought control techniques as cults. I’ve received several public and private replies to that post: some expressing contempt for “sheeple” who can be lead astray by cults, and others who say my post made them scared that they might be part of a cult without knowing it.

I want to address both of those types of replies in this post. I want to talk about what a cult really looks like, and how you can know if you’re dealing with one.

If you type the word “cult” into Google Images, it will bring up lots of photos of people with long hair, wearing all white, with their hands raised in an expression of ecstasy.

Most modern cults do not look anything like this.

Modern cultists look a lot like everyone else. One of the primary goals of most cults is recruitment, and it’s hard to get people to join your cause if they think you and your group are all Kool-Aid-drinking weirdos. The cults that last are the ones that manage to convince people that they’re just like everyone else — a little weird maybe, but certainly not dangerous.

In the book The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple, author Jeff Guinn says, “In years to come, Jim Jones would frequently be compared to murderous demagogues such as Adolf Hitler and Charles Manson. These comparisons completely misinterpret, and historically misrepresent, the initial appeal of Jim Jones to members of Peoples Temple. Jones attracted followers by appealing to their better instincts.”

You might not know Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple by name, but you’ve probably heard their story. They’re the Kool-Aid drinkers I mentioned earlier. Jones and over 900 of his followers, including children, committed mass suicide by drinking Flavor Aid mixed with cyanide.

In a way, the cartoonish image of cults in popular media has helped real-life cults to stay under the radar and slip through people’s defenses.

In her book Recovering Agency: Lifting the Veil of Mormon Mind Control, Luna Lindsey says: “These groups use a legion of persuasive techniques in unison, techniques that strip away the personality to build up a new group pseudopersonality. New members know very little about the group’s purpose, and most expectations remain unrevealed. People become deeply involved, sacrificing vast amounts of time and money, and investing emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, and socially.”

Let’s address some more common myths about cults:

Myth #1: All cults are Satanic or occult in nature. This mostly comes from conservative Christians, who may believe that all non-Christian religions are inherently cultish in nature and are in league with the Devil. This is not the case — most non-Christians don’t even believe in the Devil, much less want to sign away their souls to him. Many cults use Christian theology to recruit members, and some of these groups (Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.) have become popular enough to be recognized as legitimate religions. Most cults have nothing to do with magic or the occult.

Myth #2: All cults are religious. This is also false. While some cults do use religion to recruit members or push an agenda, many cults have no religious or spiritual element. Political cults are those founded around a specific political ideology. Author and cult researcher Janja Lalich is a former member of an American political cult founded on the principles of Marxism. There are also “cults of personality” built around political figures and celebrities, such as Adolf Hitler, Chairman Mao, and Donald Trump. In these cases, the cult is built around hero worship of the leader — it doesn’t really matter what the leader believes or does.

Myth #3: All cults are small fringe groups. Cults can be any size. Some cults have only a handful of members — it’s even possible for parents to use thought control techniques on their children, essentially creating a cult that consists of a single family.  There are some cults that have millions of members (see previous note about Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses).

Myth #4: All cults live on isolated compounds away from mainstream society. While it is true that all cults isolate their members from the outside world, very few modern cults use physical isolation. Many cults employ social isolation, which makes members feel separate from mainstream society. Some cults do this by encouraging their followers to be “In the world but not of the world,” or encouraging them to keep themselves “pure.”

Myth #5: Only stupid, gullible, and/or mentally ill people join cults. Actually, according to Luna Lindsey, the average cult member is of above-average intelligence. As cult expert Steven Hassan points out, “Cults intentionally recruit ‘valuable’ people—they go after those who are intelligent, caring, and motivated. Most cults do not want to be burdened by unintelligent people with serious emotional or physical problems.” The idea that only stupid or gullible people fall for thought control is very dangerous, because it reinforces the idea that “it could never happen to me.” This actually prevents intelligent people from thinking critically about the information they’re consuming and the groups they’re associating with, which makes them easier targets for cult recruitment.

So, now that we have a better idea of what a cult actually looks like, how do you know if you or someone you know is in one?

A good rule of thumb is to compare the group’s actions and teachings to Steven Hassan’s BITE Model. Steven Hassan is an expert on cult psychology, and most cult researchers stand by this model. From Hassan’s website, freedomofmind.com: “Based on research and theory by Robert Jay Lifton, Margaret Singer, Edgar Schein, Louis Jolyon West, and others who studied brainwashing in Maoist China as well as cognitive dissonance theory by Leon Festinger, Steven Hassan developed the BITE Model to describe the specific methods that cults use to recruit and maintain control over people. ‘BITE’ stands for Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control.”

Behavior Control may include…

Telling you how to behave, and enforcing behavior with rewards and punishments. (Rewards may be nonphysical concepts like “salvation” or “enlightenment,” or social rewards like group acceptance or an elevated status within the group. Punishments may also be nonphysical, like “damnation,” or may be social punishments like judgement from peers or removal from the group.)

Dictating where and with whom you live. (This includes pressure to move closer to other group members, even if you will be living separately.)

Controlling or restricting your sexuality. (Includes enforcing chastity or abstinence and/or coercion into non-consensual sex acts.)

Controlling your clothing or hairstyle. (Even if no one explicitly tells you, you may feel subtle pressure to look like the rest of the group.)

Restricting leisure time and activities. (This includes both demanding participation in frequent group activities and telling you how you should spend your free time.)

Requiring you to seek permission for major decisions. (Again, even if you don’t “need” permission, you may feel pressure to make decisions that will be accepted by the group.)

And more.

Information Control may include…

Withholding or distorting information. (This may manifest as levels of initiation, with only the “inner circle” or upper initiates being taught certain information.)

Forbidding members from speaking with ex-members or other critics.

Discouraging members from trusting any source of information that isn’t approved by the group’s leadership.

Forbidding members from sharing certain details of the group’s beliefs or practice with outsiders.

Using propaganda. (This includes “feel good” media that exists only to enforce the group’s message.)

Using information gained in confession or private conversation against you.

Gaslighting to make members doubt their own memory. (“I never said that,” “You’re remembering that wrong,” “You’re confused,” etc.)

Requiring you to report your thoughts, feelings, and activities to group leaders or superiors.

Encouraging you to spy on other group members and report their “misconduct.”

And more.

Thought Control may include…

Black and White, Us vs. Them, or Good vs. Evil thinking.

Requiring you to change part of your identity or take on a new name. (This includes only using last names, as well as titles like “Brother,” “Sister,” and “Elder.”)

Using loaded languages and cliches to stop complex thought. (This is the difference between calling someone a “former member” and calling the same person an “apostate” or “covenant breaker.”)

Inducing hypnotic or trance states including prayer, meditation, singing hymns, etc.

Using thought-stopping techniques to prevent critical thinking. (“If you ever find yourself doubting, say a prayer to distract yourself!”)

Allowing only positive thoughts or speech.

Rejecting rational analysis and criticism both from members and from those outside the group.

And more.

Emotional Control may include…

Inducing irrational fears and phobias, especially in connection with leaving the group. (This includes fear of damnation, fear of losing personal value, fear of persecution, etc.)

Labeling some emotions as evil, worldly, sinful, low-vibrational, or wrong.

Teaching techniques to keep yourself from feeling certain emotions like anger or sadness.

Promoting feelings of guilt, shame, and unworthiness. (This is often done by holding group members to impossible standards, such as being spiritually “pure” or being 100% happy all the time.)

Showering members and new recruits with positive attention — this is called “love bombing.” (This can be anything from expensive gifts to sexual favors to simply being really nice to newcomers.)

Shunning members who disobey orders or disbelieve the group’s teachings.

Teaching members that there is no happiness, peace, comfort, etc. outside of the group.

And more.

If a group ticks most or all of the boxes in any one of these categories, you need to do some serious thinking about whether or not that group is good for your mental health. If a group is doing all four of these, you’re definitely dealing with a cult and need to get out as soon as possible.

These techniques can also be used by individual people in one-on-one relationships. A relationship or friendship where someone tries to control your behavior, thoughts, or emotions is not healthy and, again, you need to get out as soon as possible.

Obviously, not all of these things are inherently bad. Meditation and prayer can be helpful on their own, and being nice to new people is common courtesy. The problem is when these acts become part of a bigger pattern, which enforces someone else’s control over your life.

A group that tries to tell you how to think or who to be is bad for your mental health, your personal relationships, and your sense of self. When in doubt, do what you think is best for you — and always be suspicious of people or groups who refuse to be criticized.

[octoberwitch]

[octoberwitch]

[adana-knows]

My Daily Routine (Imbolc 2020)

I change up my daily routine frequently - I like to shake things up each time a new Sabbat rolls by, sometimes more often if things aren’t working.  I should also note that I have a lot of free time at the moment, and the luxury of making my own hours.  I have no children or time restraints, other than making sure my boyfriend doesn’t sleep through his work alarm.  

My Morning Routine

Wake up.  I stretch, grab my glasses, climb out the bed, and head to the bathroom.  

Kitty Care.  It’s time to feed the cats and re-fill their water fountain.  I also take this time to do a quick scoop of their litter boxes.  

Unload the Dishwasher.  After I wash my hands, I then take a moment to unload the dishwasher, and to load any dishes or glasses left out since the last time I ran it.  

Hydration.  My goal is to drink more water, but let’s face it: I like sugar.  I like tea, and I like soda.  If I have either ready-made or on hand, I’ll usually choose that over water in the morning, but I do make an effort to drink at least a couple glasses of water every day.  This is also when I take my meds and vitamins (B12 and D3).  

Bullet Journal.  My bullet journal helps me keep track of all kinds of things - cleaning, birthdays, appointments, holidays, sabbats, moon phases.  I try to make time for sitting down and figuring out what needs to be done each morning.  My goal is to list at least three of the most important tasks that need to be done, and actually do them before the end of the day.  It’s also at this time that my cat, Xena, likes to flop down on top of my paper and demand attention, so I’ll pet and groom her at this time.  

Read.  I spend an hour or so reading and/or researching.  Usually this means reading a book that can help build a skill, improve my life, or informs me on a subject, such as paganism, spirituality, minimalism, or witchcraft.  If I’m researching a specific topic that I have no books for, then I’ll spend this time Googling, but it’s easy to slip down the deep dark internet hole and not get anything really done on this front.  

Movement.  It’s winter where I live, and if it’s under 40 F outside, I’m not walking to the gym (which is about a 15-20 minute walk from my home).  This means moving at home, usually with some yoga.  I like to do Sun Salutations, but if I’m in the mood for something a little extra, I might pop in an Ashley Turner yoga video or follow a video by Yoga with Adrienne on YouTube.  

Meditation.  My best meditation sessions are always after expending a lot of energy and working up a sweat.  I’ll devote about 20 minutes to meditation.  I generally don’t do guided meditations unless I’m performing ritual; this is usually just me with my eyes closed.  

Self Care.  I’ll shower, get dressed, brush my teeth, run a brush through my hair, and spend some time on me.  Sometimes this is as simple as shaving my legs, exfoliating, painting my nails, or taking a file to my heels.  Other times I’ll try out a new hairstyle, put on a full face of makeup, or give myself a mani-pedi.  My goal is to go out of my way and do at least one thing every day to pamper myself that’s not part of my daily routine.  

Prayer.  This is the cornerstone of my morning ritual, and the reason I do it!  What I do depends on the moon phase, but I honor Hestia everyday by lighting a candle and offering a prayer (usually with my prayer beads), giving an offering of water to the ancestors, and burning incense for the Lare.  If I’m currently working on a skill, I’ll end my session with a related exercise, and maybe journal about my experience.  

Creativity.  After a long hot shower, I then do something creative.  Sometimes this is doing extra research or reading.  Other times I create a new bullet journal spread, color in a coloring book, work on a page in my Book of Shadows, brainstorm ideas for something, or write.  While I’m doing this, I like to watch TV or YouTube on a related topic.  For example, if I’m working on my bullet journal, I’ll watch YouTube videos of bullet journal layouts and spreads.  If I’m working in my Book of Shadows, I’ll watch videos on the topic of paganism.  If I’m working on writing, then I’ll put some themed ambient noise on so that I can fully concentrate on what I’m doing.  If I’m coloring, doodling, sketching, etc, I might just put on Hulu and catch up with a recent TV show.  I’ll do creative work for about an hour.  

Brunch.  If I have to cook my meal on the stove, I’ll light my Hestia candle, give a prayer, and then cook; when done, I’ll say thanks and extinguish the candle.  When I’m ready to eat, I’ll say another prayer to Hestia (because I do a LOT of meal prepping, I can go days without actually needing to cook), give Her an offering of my first and last bite (because She was born first and last) or an offering of cornmeal or grain.  

Free Time.  From this time to my afternoon routine, I’ll do whatever I feel like.  I might play a game, get lost on Pinterest, watch YouTube videos, watch movies, chat on the phone, or work on some project or another.  

Afternoon Routine

Honoring Hestia.  All acts of cleaning in my home is dedicated to Hestia.  I’ll light a candle, say a quick prayer, and leave the candle to burn on my altar while I clean.  Sometimes I’ll burn incense as well, depending on my mood and as inspiration strikes.  

Open up the apartment.  For me, this means cracking open my sliding glass door and let in some fresh air.  It’s pretty cold out, so it’s only cracked about an inch or two while I clean.  

Dishes.  I’ll collect any dishes I’ve dirtied throughout the day, and sweep my boyfriend’s computer area for dishes, glasses and silverware as well.  If I skipped unloading the dishwasher in the morning (sometimes I get lazy or distracted), I’ll do it now.  No matter how full or not, I’ll run the dishwasher now.  

5 Minute Tidy.  This is when I spend 5 minutes in every room of my apartment and tidy up.  It’s great when I get overwhelmed with how much to do and helps identify the most important mini tasks that need to be done per room; just set a timer and work as quickly as I can until it goes off.  

Weekly Cleaning.  There are some things that need to be done each and every week, like changing the litter box, scrubbing the toilet, dusting, emptying the refrigerator of leftovers, etc.  I keep a detailed list in my bullet journal and track when I do these things.  I generally group these tasks by day: Mondays are the bedroom, Tuesdays the bathroom, Wednesdays the kitchen, Thursdays the living room, and Fridays are the hallway and getting done whatever didn’t completed earlier in the week.  

Deep Cleaning.   There’s also things that need to be done seasonally, like sweeping the ceiling for cobwebs, cleaning underneath and behind the fridge, and tackling the mess that is my cabinets and drawers (they get messy over time).  These tend to be tasks that need to be done all over the apartment or are a rather big task, so I’ll do one a day.  

Garbage.  If there’s garbage that needs to be taken out, I do it.  I’ll grab the mail coming back in, and go through that.  

Miscellaneous Tasks.  If there’s anything I wanted - or need - to get done that doesn’t fit into the above, but was important enough to make it on my daily list in my bullet journal, it gets done now.  

Close the Apartment.  Close the sliding glass doors to prevent the cats from getting bold enough to try and pop the screen and run outside.  Not that they stay out there long when it’s cold.  It’s just a pain in the butt having to go out there and retrieve them, especially if they manage to get out of courtyard.  

Fragrance.  If I didn’t burn incense, then I’ll spray some febreeze around.  We have 3 cats and let me tell you - the apartment smells like it in the winter.  Opening up the house helps, but it doesn’t get rid of the scent completely.  I’ll febreeze my couch and bed with the febreeze for cloth and sheets, and spray scented stuff (usually Glade) around the apartment.  

Thank Hestia.  I go back to my altar, give a prayer of thanks, and extinguish my Hestia candle.  If incense is still going, I’ll let it burn itself out and then clean up the ashes.  

The BF Comes Home.  Right about now, my boyfriend comes home from work.  I’ll take a moment to say hi.  

More Free Time! 

Evening Routine

Kitty Care.  Refill cat bowls for the night.  If a bowl is looking kind of gross or needs to be cleaned, this is when I’ll do it (before refilling it).  

Dishes.  I’ll bring any dishes or glasses left in the living room or around the apartment to the kitchen sink.  

Quick Tidy.  I tend to make a pretty big mess when I’m in the middle of a project, or when I’m just having a lazy evening, so I’ll take a few minutes to put away books, shelve binders, organize papers, throw pens and pencils into my pencil case, and fluff the pillows on the couch.  

Evening Prayer.  I don’t do this every evening, usually because I tend to stay up until I start to doze off, and at that point, all I can think of is the bed.  But if I can, I’ll go to my altar, say a gratitude prayer to any deities that I’m working with, and clean up any offerings left on the altar.  Offering clean up might be postponed to the next morning.  

Self Care.  I’ll brush my teeth, wash my face, change into pajamas.  

Read.  If I’m still a little too awake for bed, I might read for 20 minutes to an hour, depending.  

Sleep.  

[heatherwitch]

Hestia/Vesta

Small devotional acts.

Keep a tealight on you, light it wherever you may be

Clean one small area of your house

Savor a hot drink

Do small, unnoticed acts of kindness

Always greet animals, both big and small

Do anything by candlelight 

Get cozy and read a good book 

Wear colors you associate with her

Practice your patience, both external and internal

Be a listening ear or shoulder to cry on for those who need it

Make compromises when it is healthiest for both parties

Bake!

Become the one who always has a lighter or matches

Listen to music that reminds you of her

Spend time tending to your body

Leave a big tip the next time you have a chance

Practice kindness in all areas of your life - including driving

Host/organize a gathering of friends or family

Take a hot bath or shower with no time limit

Decorate a space

Leave the first bite of your food for her

Build a fire!

Veiling (can come in many, discreet forms)

Compliment people - both strangers and loved ones

Donate something, be it clothes, money, or your time 

Create something - I really like knitting!

Look at photos and embrace the happy nostalgia 

Wear makeup or jewelry that reminds you of her

Wake up early to see the sunrise - or watch the sunset

Watch/read about acts of kindess - be inspired!

PRACTICE LOVING YOURSELF

Many, many, many other things not said here

Additionally, this post is great!

[adana-knows]

Lare

I have always believed that there are spirits of the land, of my home, and I have made occasional offerings to them.  But I didn’t really know much about the subject at hand - I couldn’t seem to find any books that mention land spirits, or if they did, how to honor them in a daily or seasonally fashion.  

And then, not too long ago, in a book I’ve had for about a decade, I found an entry for Lare while looking up something else.  It was the Encyclopedia of Wicca and Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi (a really old version).  

Once I had that description and name, I did what I always do: I turned to Google.  And from that, I developed my own idea of what the Lare are to me, and how I work with them in my practice.  

Lare

The Lare (lar-ray) are ancestral spirits that protect and preserve family lines and family knowledge.  They are the bridge to the past, connecting the present to all that has come before.  

Originally spirits of the fields, and after the rise of agricultural knowledge they became associated with plots of farmland.  In this aspect, they guarded specific places and were honored with small towers that served as altars.  Lare were associated with planting and were also linked to the seasons and to time itself.  

Janus was associated with the Lare as spirits of the heart.  Janus was the Roman god of doorways and the threshold, and served to protect the home.  The Penates (pen-AH-tays) spirits that protected the food supply, and were also associated with the Lare.  So too were the Mane and the Lemures (lay-mur-rays.  It was generally thought that the Lare brought offerings of spelt grain or cakes to the Mane (spirits of the dead) or the Lemure (veangeful spirits of the dead who were neglected, and thus caused bad luck and ill events).  

A shrine is generally set up in the home, typically occupying the west quarter, or on the hearth mantle, or wherever you have a household shrine erected.  The Lare were honored with special offerings and a lit flame (usually an oil lamp) whenever important events occurred in the family: birth, marriage, death.  

When I picture the Lare, I visualize a serpent, something along the lines of a garden snake.  

My Practice

Personally, I honor the Lare as part of my household worship, along with Hestia, and my ancestors.  I consider the Lare to be the guardians of my household, a sort of link or messenger to my ancestors, the spirits of my small courtyard guardian, and an entity that I should honor regularly through ritual, but also on a daily level.  For me, the ancestors, Lare and Hestia work and exist so closely together that when I honor one, I generally consider all to be honored.  

Ritual:  I honor the Lare and give formal offerings (grain, corn meal, or baked goods) to them during the Dark Moon in a Deipnon Ritual.  

Daily:  I’m a believer that a practice is as good as the effort you put into it.  I struggle with maintaining a daily practice (mostly because my sleep schedule gets so screwed up that it makes it difficult to create a solid daily practice), but I put forth my best effort.  I usually honor the Lare with an act of service, or a simple prayer.  

Devotional Acts:  

Household maintenance, like fixing leaky sinks, replacing dead light bulbs, cleaning the track of the patio of the patio doors, etc.  

Gardening, landscaping, yard maintenance 

Calling (or texting) a family member every week 

Keeping an updated and detailed family tree 

Passing on knowledge of the family to the family

Participating in family traditions (think stuff like Sunday dinners, Thanksgiving meals, birthday cakes, etc).  

Prayer:  I like to stick to historically accurate prayers, if at all possible, but have not been able to find anything along the lines of “traditional” prayers for the Lare.  So, I make it extremely simple.  

Hail Honorable Lare, Guardian of the Home, Spirit of the Field.  Accept these [offerings], made in your honor.  Continue to bless this home with your gifts of bounty, peace and good luck.  

Hail Honorable Lare, Guardians of the Home, Spirit of the Field.  I call upon you this day to announce [major family occurrence, such as birth, marriage, death], and ask that you bless and guide [person(s)] along their path.  

[aesthetics-of-a-sick-girl]

Hestia, Goddess of the hearth

[archaeologicalnews]

Man finds 3,400-year-old Egyptian anchor during his morning swim

Rafi Bahalul was taking a morning swim off the shores of Atlit, Israel, when he spotted hieroglyphs in the seabed.

“I saw it, kept on swimming for a few meters, then realized what I had seen and dived down to touch it,” Bahalul told Haaretz. “It was like entering an Egyptian temple at the bottom of the Mediterranean.”

Bahalul had discovered a 3,400-year-old Egyptian stone anchor, confirmed by Jacob Sharvit, head of the Israel Antiquities Authority’s maritime archaeology unit.

The anchor is currently on loan from the Israel Antiquities Authority to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and is on display as part of its Emoglyphs: Picture-Writing from Hieroglyphs to the Emoji exhibition. Read more.

[adana-knows]

Prayers To Hestia [Prayer Beads]

The following is my devotional prayers that I use to honor Hestia.  I have a bracelet with twelve beads and a pendant, so I start with the pendant as a way to evoke her, then I offer a prayer of service before I move onto the actual beads.  Since there are twelve beads, I offer twelve praises in honor of Hestia.  Some of these prayers are things that I’ve dug up on the internet over time, some are edited, and some are made by me.  I have not always been as careful with writing down my sources, so if you recognize your work below, please let me know, and I’ll link you in this post!  

I would also like to note that there are five praises (the last 5) that were inspired form https://www.academia.edu/37996004/The_Five_Sacred_Flames_of_Vesta.  If you’re a devotee, or someone interested in learning more about Hestia Vesta, I would recommend reading that article, if for nothing else than to see someone else’s point of view concerning the goddess.  

LADY HESTIA

Lady Hestia, Gentle Mother, Goddess of the Eternal Flame, we ask You, She Who Tends the Hearth, to bless us with your Holy presence.  Be here in this place, hear these prayers, accept your praise, and receive our humble offerings with delight.  

PRAYER OF SERVICE

I make offering of praise and good intentions, Mother Hestia, and offer myself to be changed and used as a manifestation of your good will.  

THE TWELVE PRAISES

I.  I praise you for your beauty and hte kindness you show myself and others each and everyday.  Glorious Hestia, may your fires burn bright.  

II.  I praise you for your power, for you are of Kronos and Rhea, and are both first and last.  Glorious Hestia, may your fires burn bright.  

III.  I praise you for your high standing, eternal maiden of the Flame of Olympus.  Glorious Hestia, may your fires burn bright.  

IV.  I praise you for rising homes, for the high ceilings and low doorways which you possess.  Each belongs to you.  Glorious Hestia, may your fires burn bright.  

V.  I praise your for your protective spirit, who makes followers feel safe and loved and at home in your embrace.  Glorious Hestia, may your fires burn bright.  

VI.  I praise you for altars, for you are the altar itself, the Sacrificial Flame of which you are duly granted a portion.  You are the heart of spirituality.  Glorious Hestia, may your fires burn bright.  

VII.  I praise your for your peace and loving kindness that turns a candle into an atlar, an altar into sacred space, sacred space into a temple, and a temple into a home.  Just as my body is a temple, so is my home, and both are always welcome to You.  Glorious Hestia, may your fires burn bright.  

VIII.  I praise you for the Flame of Tradition, for it is around your flame that we forge strong familial bonds and develop our identity through you.  Glorious Hestia, may your fires burn bright.  

IX.  I praise you for the Flame of Understanding, for lighting the spark of curiosity that can be stoked into the blaze of enlightenment.  Glorious Hestia, may your fires burn bright.  

X.  I praise you for the Flame of Creativity, the ability to access Divine Inspiration, to let the power of passion consume us and culminate in the sacred act of creation.  Glorious Hestia, may you fires burn bright.  

XI.  I praise you for the Flame of Purgatory, for casting a light within and thus allowing us to find ourselves and stoke the Flame of Individuality.  Glorious Hestia, may your fires burn bright.  

XII.  I praise you for the Flame of Revolution, to allow us to dispose of what no longer words and to establish a new order with the Flame of Stability.  Glorious Hestia, may your fires burn bright.  

HESTIA OF SACRED FIRES

Goddess of Sacred Fires, Primordial Mother, whose hearth lies at the center of all, and who protects those who gather ‘round your warmth, be watchful for our good.  Yours is the incorruptible fire.  As it is clean, it cleanses; as it is pure, it purifies.  Purify our mind, heart, and intentions so that our intentions align with the goodness of your will.  Dispeller of cold and darkness, we wish you joy, we do you reverence, we pray that you protect this household, and that this offering has found favor with you.