I am an Asian trans bisexual antifascist anarchist pagan, wizard and an aspiring occultist.
My main practices as relevant to this blog are miscellaneous paganisms, bioregional worship/witchcraft, and animism. Paganism is plural, as sometimes life (and gods) takes you strange places. I never intended to be anything beyond Hellenic pagan and a witch. I also worship an undocumented god.
I like learning about religions in general, so posts about religions I don't practice (like Catholicism and ATRs, for example) will be shared for educational purposes.
I’ve been building a little browser-based digital grimoire / webgrimoire for my site, and it’s finally at the point where I want to let other people try it.
https://shrine404.neocities.org/grimoire
It’s still in beta, so im basically just asking people to poke around, play with it, and tell me what works, what feels clunky, and what you’d want added.
It's not a productivity app so don't go in expecting that. I wanted it to feel personal, decorative, a little old-web, a little devotional lol..
I worked really hard on this so if you can give me feedback and maybe reblog I'd be so happy. Again it is FREEEEE.
What it can do right now:
☾ create entries for different sections like spells, materia / correspondences, dreams, lore, links, journals, divination / omens, and more
☾ has an altar / webshrine area where you can make little devotional pages with things like:
shrine images
candles
offerings
blinkies / extra shrine images
shrine frames / styles
relics / decorative bits
“now playing” style details
guestbook / shrine personality features
☾ has a practitioner / about area so you can personalize it with your own path, signs, beliefs, deities, tools, icon, etc.
☾ includes writing tools so entries can be more than just plain text — invocation blocks, prayer cards, omen / warning boxes, poetry formatting, ritual steps, foldaway notes, dividers, and other little text charms
☾ lets entries link to each other, so it can work more like a tiny personal web or wiki instead of just isolated notes
☾ has optional ritual metadata / seals for entries, but they can also be turned off if they don’t fit the page
☾ has backup / export options all grouped together, including a full HTML export option
☾ has different palette / theme options in settings, including lighter and darker modes for readability / vibe
☾ has a header image option and other little personalization settings
A few important notes before using it:
𖹭 it is still a beta
there may still be bugs, odd save issues, awkward layout moments, or parts that need smoothing out
𖹭 it currently saves in your browser storage
so if you use it a lot, please export backups regularly
𖹭 it’s meant to be a little expressive and decorative
so some features lean more “digital shrine / personal archive / weird old web object” than “minimal serious app”
If you try it, I’d especially love feedback on:
✴︎ anything confusing or unintuitive
✴︎ bugs / things not saving properly
✴︎ sections or features you wish existed
✴︎ readability / accessibility issues
✴︎ whether the altar / shrine side feels fun enough
✴︎ whether the writing tools feel useful or too much
✴︎ anything that feels especially charming, broken, annoying, inspiring, messy, or missing
Basically: if you use it and have thoughts, I want them.
This is my weird little beta grimoire child and I’m trying to make it genuinely beautiful and fun to use, not just functional.
Also, if you like strange personal websites / old web things / occult tools / shrine pages / browser toys, you may enjoy it just for that alone.
The figure of a gazelle-headed guardian creature: overlain with plastered linen. Ancient Egypt: Qena (Governorate): Luxor West Bank (Thebes): Biban el-Muluk (Valley of the Kings - Thebes): Tomb of Thutmose III.
The Magician
The second card in The Courtly Beasts Tarot.
The Magician stands in a stone pavilion at dawn, surrounded by his tools. With a full day ahead of him, and all his resources at his disposal, he has the ability and the drive to bring his goals into being. The structure and the blooming flora around him are physical evidence of his will made manifest, his thoughts and preparation come to fruition.
The Courtly Beasts Tarot is intended to be a deck that draws loosely from the imagery of the classic Rider-Waite illustrations, but creates a world of its own through the use of anthropomorphic animals cast in the archetypal roles, historically inspired costume, and lush environments. Each card is another step in the journey.
I’m giving Patrons a look at my working process, as well as early access to the full illustrations before I share them publicly.
I have The Fool available for everyone on Patreon as a bit of a preview post!
Insects are fierce protectors. What happens when you notice a bug close to/on you, or one of them bites/stings you? Your awareness and focus sharpens. You may even move out of the area.
When I've experienced danger, I have found bugs in places they shouldn't be (like in my food, or general living space). I'll have flies attempting to go up my nose. When I've successfully evaded danger, I've noticed dead insects, or even found them entrapped within melting candle wax!
Bugs (especially flies) will also swarm death, decay, and toxic waste (carriers of disease and signs of impending danger). As well as locations close to water (attracts larger wildlife, flooding).
Other types of insects, like butterflies, bees, and spiders, are also powerful messengers with their own unique symbolisms.
Bugs will throw themselves at humans, even risking death, in order to protect us or warn us within their means. (They don't always get things right, though, just like us, so no need to take every overly friendly critter as a sign.) In the past, I was extremely averse to bugs, and would even cry when I found one of them on me. Now I know that the reason for that sensitivity is so that I can notice them more easily. I still bug out (pun intended) from close contact with them, but appreciate them as my protectors.
Hi, I've got questions about sistrum. I know there's not much info about it so anything helps! First, is sistrum ritual use restricted to Hathor and Bast? If not, does it function as a means to call the netjeru in the beginning of a ritual, a bit like incense?
Many thanks <3
i totally forgot this ask was in my bin rip. Have an info dump about sistra
The sistrum usually comes in two styles: the hathor-headed style (above) and the loop style (below)
The sistrum is heavily associated with Hathor. It's thought that the sistrum may have originated as shaking papyrus flower bundles. This is mimicked a bit in the "sesheshet" name. Hathor is associated with the papyrus and it's shaking (imagine cattle walking through papyri groves).
According to Wilkinson, the sound of the instrument was regarded as protective and the instrument itself was a symbol of divine blessings and embodied the concept of rebirth. In certain circumstances, the sistrum can carry erotic or fertility connotations (also closely related to hathor).
Originally, it was central to Hathor's cult center, specifically with Ihy playing it for her. He says the sistrum entered the cults of other deities, especially those of Amun and Aset. So if you want historical backing to use the sistrum outside of Hathorian/Bast contexts, there is a precedent.
He mentions that it was specifically used by priestesses in antiquity, but i don't think that really matters in the modern era.
imo, the sistrum can be used to call gods, even though Wilkinson doesn't specifically mention it. They seem to come to nice things, things that smell good, taste good, sound good, look good. So why not? Also worth mentioning that it can also be used to pacify gods.
Bright child born of Queen Aset
Overcomer of evil, who tramples chaos to the ground
Blessed Heru, oh son of Aset
Your name I call and proclaim high above the kings on earth
Mighty Avenger, Fierce Protector
Healer and revealer, upholder of Maat
Be praised oh Heru, triumphant hand
Holy Eye, be praised
Bringer of Blessings, all hail
Egyptian Amethyst Horus Amulet, Late Period, 664-332 BC
A carved amethyst amulet of Horus in the form of a falcon standing on a rectangular plinth, wings folded back over body; ribbed suspension loop to the back. 11 grams, 30mm (1 ¼")
Fundamentally unlikable and horrible person complaining about "parasocial relationships" while their real life friends cut them off. Maybe it's because you won't shut up about incest porn and the like?
