Hello and welcome to Folk Magic Friday! 🖤
✨ Today is Friday the 13th. A perfect date for this post as I want to write something about slavic superstitions and old wives tales. And, as we all know, there is always something true in all old wives tales. Well, there was a reason they were told. I will also tell you something about making your own lucky amulet for days like this
✨ Most popular, still believed in and practised are:
red ribbon tied on baby's crib/trolley/hand as a lucky charm and for protection from evil powers or hexes
gathering of straw or branches placed under the roof of the house under construction
swallow's nest on your roof brings luck, be good to them
welcome newlyweds with bread and salt
burning and drowning effigy of Marzanna (I wrote about this here --> https://www.facebook.com/groups/487888341893851/posts/697057317643618/ )
eating mushrooms and poppy-seeds on Christmas - poppy was a connection with Nawia, slavic Nether. All Christmas dishes were typical for funeral meal
worshiping and being respectful for storks, waiting for their come back at the beginning of spring
divination by wax, especially for singles that are looking for love, at Saint Andrew's Day
no welcome or goodbye on the treshold of the house as it brings bad energy - always do this either in or out of your house
three kisses in the cheeks as a welcome and goodbye - for health, luck and prosperity
if you're pregnant don't go under or across any strings, ropes or wires as it may make umbilical cord tangled on your baby's neck
building a wayside shrines next to crossroads for protection
✨ As a protection from evil powers and bad luck Slavs made their own amulets called nawęza. It was little pouch with things closest to the person that was wearing it. Nawęza was wore as a necklace or was tied to the belt. Old Slavs usually put in their amulets animals fangs, feathers, magickal stones (especially hag stones), shells and herbs.
✨If you want to make your own nawęza, you can make it with little pouch with little things that make you feel powerful, safe or brings you luck. There are three types of nawęza:
❤️ nawęza of love - put there the closest things that belongs to the love of your life: hair and nails. Add two tangled red ribbons, rose quartz, mugwort and lovage. Spray it with musk oil and keep close with you or sew into your partner's clothes.
💎nawęza of wealth and prosperity - put there few wheat grains, acorns, some money, wallnut, leaf of mint and sunflower petals. Keep close with you.
🌿 nawęza of cleansing - put there garlic, quartz, sand, little piece of salt (not grinded), St John's wort and marjoram. Keep close with you or put under your pillow.
✨ Good thing to put on your own nawęza is magick symbol. It may be typical slavic symbol or symbol of your beloved goddess/god/entity. Typical for slavic nawęza would be one of these symbols:
Swarga/swarożyca/swarzyca or kołowrót (turnstile) - symbol of Swarog, the divine blacksmith. This symbol is also a slavic uroboros, snake eating his own tale. Arms of swarga are going on and on in the circle like sun and moon. Eight arms are a reminder of eight holidays important for slavic witches through the year. It was common symbol found above the doors or on cribs. It protects from evil in forms of illness, demons and bad luck.
Triskelion - known for Celts but also for Slavs. It was believed triskelion is a symbol of Weles, known as Three-headed god. Weles is a god of Nawia, to which leads a spiral way which was a metaphore of life.
Six-petal rosette - most popular symbol of Perun, the god of thunder, but also warriors. It was a protection from thunders and lightnings, placed inside the house, mostly on roofs or windows. Wear this symbol when you need to feel your inner strenght (for example before important interview).
Lunula - known for ancient Romans, but also for Slavs. It's a symbol of Mokosza, Mother Earth, patron of all women. It's good for love spells and rituals, helps with beauty and protects from health issues typical for women.
Symbol of Veles - a letter V that makes a triangle with added horns. God of Nawia, patron of cattle, god of magic and divination. It was also believed that a bear is an incarnation of Weles, so you can also use a bear paw as his symbol.
Hands of God - symbol of Perun, it is believed that four arms of this symbol are four powerful hands of Perun and each is reaching for each side of the world. It's used as a symbol of protection and inner strength.
Sun Cross/Solar Cross - symbol of Świętowit, most important god in Slavic pantheon. He is a god of all creation, the world maker. Circle means Earth divided by four seasons. It means the beginning of the world. Wear it when you need calm, harmony and inner peace.
Would you like to make your own nawęza? What would you put in your magick amulet? Tell me in the comments 🖤
And have a great Friday the 13th! 🐾
Iga
















