Autumn-Rue

she/her - Celtic witch - novice - Cernunnos is best deer dad 🦌

[irelandseyeonmythology]

I’m personally thrilled to say that, after being in progress for years, the Fionn Folklore Database is now up and running and is now viewable at fionnfolklore.org. 

Generally speaking, it’s very hard, when discussing the Fenian Cycle, to talk about the oral tradition, which is often understudied compared to the medieval material. Thanks to the hard work of the Harvard department, we now have an extensive list of folktales, collectors, and Fenian characters, neatly organized and sorted, with geodata placing each individual tale in its geographical context, in three different languages and including tales collected in Ireland, Scotland, England, the United States, and Nova Scotia. 

If you have any interest in the Fenian material, I highly recommend it, and my thanks to the Harvard department for the enormous gift they’ve just given, not just to the field, but to anyone who wants to get into this. 

[chaotic-archaeologist]

You Can Now Explore All of ‘The Book of Kells’ for Free Online

Zoom in on every page of this legendary illuminated manuscript.

BOOK OF KELLS BOOK OF KELLS BOOK OF KELLS BOOK OF KELLS

[djlechat]

[alder-bos]

Deity Work Guides: Brigid, Thor and Cernunnos

Brigid

Culture: Celtic

Goddess of: Spring, Fertility, Family, The Hearth, Childbirth, Fire, Blacksmiths, Scholars, Physicians, Prophets, Healing, Poetry, Occult knowledge, and Justice

Symbols: Brigid’s Cross, Candles, Triquetra, Faeries, Four leaf clovers, Cauldron, Chalice, Corn Dolly, Anvil, Hammer, Poetry, Forges, Hearths, Wells and Rock Formations

Colours: Green, Red, White, Gold and Blue

Animals: Snakes, Ewes, Sheep, Cows, Bees, Oxen, Owls and Hibernating animals

Plants: Cinnamon, Chamomile, Blackberry, Hawthorn, Basil, Mugwort, Apple, Heather, Dandelion, Snowdrop, Willow, Oak, Shamrock, Crocus, Trillium, Corn, Lavender and Sage

Incense: Myrrh, Wisteria, Frankincense, Cinnamon

Other Associations: Water and Fire,

Offerings: Blackberries, Milk, Bread, Herbal Teas, Heather, Brigid’s Cross, Beer

Devotional Acts:

Dedicate some Art to her

Meditate with fire

Learn blacksmithing

Watch the sunrise

Say hello to Cows and Sheep

Hang a Brigid’s Cross above your doorway for blessings and protection

Study healing magic

Plant a bee garden

Thor

Culture: Norse

God of: Thunder, Lightning, Strength, Protection, Fertility, Masculinity, Protector of Humanity

Symbols: Mjolnir, Thurisaz Rune

Colours: Red, Gold, Blue and White

Animals: Goats, Bulls

Plants: Oak, Garlic, Onion, Gorse, Thistle, Hawthorn, Leeks, Houseleek, Mountain Ash, Hazel, Pine, Acorns, Oak Moss

Incense: Oak, Dragon’s Blood, Juniper, Pine, Rain and Amber

Other Associations: Strength, The Chariot, Thursday, Jupiter

Offerings: Hearty Foods with lots of meat or onions, Mead, Beer, Flattery, Oak, Whiskey, Coffee, Honey

Devotional Acts:

Be gentle and compliment others

Work out and be strong

Protect the vulnerable

Talk to him a lot. He flirts a lot too

Be out in the rain and safely admire a thunderstorm

Learn to craft with wood, especially oak

Watch Action Movies with him, like Lord of the Rings

Wear a Mjolnir necklace

Practice using weapons safely

Cernunnos

Culture: Celtic

God of: Forests, Wild Animals, Finances, The Underworld, Death, Hunting, Balance, Grounding and Healing, Transitioning into the Afterlife and Fertility

Symbols: Horns, The Torc, Gold Coins, Serpents

Colours: Yellow, Gold, Forest Greens, Silver, Black

Animals: Stags, Elk, Goats, Deer, Bulls, Horses, Ram Horned Snakes, Snakes, Boars, Owls, Hawks, Ravens

Plants: Ash, Bayberry, Chamomile, Cedar, Cinnamon, Heliotrope, Holly, Ivy, Lavender, Juniper, Myrrh, Nettle, Oak, Patchouli, Pine, Sandalwood, Sunflower, Vine, Yarrow

Incense: Musk, Benzoin, Frankincense, Patchouli, Pine

Other Associations: Earth and Air, Sunday,

Offerings: Venison, Cooked Meats (ethically sourced), Roses, Sunflowers, Lavender, Wildflowers, Juniper Bark and Berries, Oak wood carvings, Green or Gold Candles, Cinnamon, Cloves, Pine scents, Pelts (ethically sourced), Feathers, Bones, Forest Moss, Antlers, Horns, Pine Cones, Gold Coins, Daggers, Poetry art, Celtic Music

Devotional Acts:

Hiking and Hunting

Connecting with nature

Meditation and Grounding, especially Outside

Dancing

Listening to Irish/Celtic Music

Cooking with his favorite foods

Talking with him

Singing in Irish

Wearing a pendant for him

Taking care of your body, especially if you're chronically ill

[frankincenseandsun]

Getting the same message from the universe 6 times:

[thenightaquarian]

Ways to Celebrate Mabon - the Autumn Equinox 🔥🍂

🍁 Take a walk in nature to observe the transition of the seasons

🍁 Gather fall leaves, acorns, creek stones, and mushrooms

🍁 Gratitude journaling

🍁 Host a bonfire with music & dancing

🍁 Have a potluck or feast with loved ones

🍁 Hang up plants & herbs to dry

🍁 Practice ancestor veneration

🍁 Give offerings to your God or deities

🍁 Works of charity — give to others

🍁 Rituals for prosperity, protection, and power

🍁 Bake bread or fruit pies

🍁 Honor the Harvest Moon

🍁 Decorate your altar to honor and highlight the season

🍁 Visit an orchard or vineyard

🍁 Use grapes and apples in your spellwork

🍁 Pray or set intention for a bountiful harvest, new opportunities, and protection of your blessings

🍁 Pyromancy and fire rites

More detailed tips and info about the Autumn Equinox 🍂 HERE 🍂

[i-sirics-things]

[tabithalovesstuff]

A Lazy Witch's Mabon

Today is Mabon (September 21st-23rd, technically celebrations can last through the 28th though) this is the holiday where the day and night are again equal right before the nights start getting longer than the days and the cold sets in. Around this time is when the second harvest would take place for those with farms.

The main themes that are celebrated in this holiday are balance, changing of the seasons, gratitude, and sharing.

Here are some simple things you can do to celebrate!

Decorate your altar, you can do this with just things you have around the house or on the ground. If you live in an area with pinecones, those work just fine! Acorns? Perfect! Leaves? Wonderful! Any red, yellow, brown, or orange cloth? Include it! (This can even be clothing if you don't mind having it on your altar)

Since feasts are out of the question (partly because that's a lot of work for a lazy witch guide, partly because there's a pandemic and having a feast goes against social distancing), you can see incorporate the holiday into your personal meals. Have a lot of seasonal foods, like carrots and potatoes. Apples and pomegranates are also used traditionally to celebrate mabon.

Either set up or recharge and check on home protection wards. Especially as the cold season approaches (and Samhain on roughly a month) you want you house protected from negativity.

Make a talisman or sigil to help with seasonal depression. Something that will help keep your mood and energy balanced over the next few seasons until the weather warms up again. Might post a very simple talisman spell for a necklace after this.

Make or buy a potpourri. For those that don't know what it is, its a collection of dried herbs, leaves, flower petals and spices that are used to make you house smell good. Put traditional ma on herbs and spices in there as well as acorns or pinecones, bark from trees, and more to give it a more fall, woodsy look. Just put it out in pretty bowls around your house and you're all decorated!

Spend some time outside and take notice of the change in the air. Is the air colder? Are the plants changing? Are leaves changing colors yet? Meditate on this.

You don't have to go all out for every holiday every year. Be easy with yourself and do as much as you can while preserving your mental health.

Happy Mabon witches 💛🍃🍂🍃🍂🧡

[queenofboheme]

Celebrating Mabon 🍂

🍂 Bake! Apple pie, pumpkin pie, caramel tart, cinnamon rolls, caramel cookies.

🍂 Eat: corn, apples, plums, grapes, BBQ chicken, pies/tarts, cinnamon donuts.

🍂 Indulge in the fruits of the season.

🍂 Buy fruit & vegetables from a local farmers market.

🍂 Acknowledge & burn or release any bad habits.

🍂 Visit the cemetery or graves of loved ones lost.

🍂 Take care of plants & gardens: weed, sow, repot, fertilise, mulch, prepare frost protection etc.

🍂 Harvest any home grown fruit or veggies.

🍂 Bask in nature!

🍂 Star gaze, have a bonfire & fire gaze as well.

🍂 Watch: Brave, Pocahontas, Open Season, Spirit, Brother Bear, Fly Away Home.

🍂 Research the history & folklore of Mabon.

🍂 Express gratitude! Reflect on successes/ failures & celebrate blessings!

🍂 Declutter & deep clean the house in preparation for Winter.

🍂 Wear gold, red, brown or yellow.

🍂 Do a Mabon rune cast or tarot spread.

🍂 Donate time, money or items to a charity.

🍂 Meditate, write in journal, do yoga & raise vibration with music.

🍂 Review what is in & out of balance/harmony.

🍂 Have quality family time; no screens, outdoors & include pets.

🍂 Create a Mabon mood board on Pinterest.

[the-wilderness-calls]

Every day I wake up and yearn about working in environmentalism and wildlife preservation to honor of the old gods and everyday I am instead stuck in this capitalist hellscape

[sons-of-the-craft]

Who is Cernunnos without Wiccan influence?

Cernunnos has been adopted in the neopagan community as a god of “fertility” and “masculinity”. This is not true to his Gaulish Celtic origins. There’s no surviving mythology of him, so all we know today is from ancient artifacts depicting his iconography and context within the Celtic pantheon. Lets look at what archeologists have gathered from these objects.  

  His Domains

Crossroads, Paths

Spirit work

Blocking/unblocking paths

Deaths, Ancestors

Change

Wealth 

Business 

He Guides 

Spirit workers

Priests

Diviners

Travelers, Messengers

Funerary Directors

Merchants

Immigrants

Spiritual Associations   

Dreams

Sprit work

Ancestral Honor

Graveyard Dirt

Bones, Necromancy, Funerals 

Divination

Cernunnos Epithets 

“God under the earth”

“Antlered Serpent, Horned Serpent”

“Clearer of Paths”

“Sitter-at-the-crossroads”

“Liminal one”

“God Undying”

“God of the in-between”

“He between life and death”

His Mundane Associations  

Roads, Bridges, Fences

Coins, metals, gems

Bread, earth-grown food (like carrots or potatoes)

Bones, mirrors

Sacred Animals  

Snakes, Serpents

Deer, Bucks

Cattle, cows

Dogs (hunting breeds)

Where can he be found?

Thresholds

Crossroads

Marketplaces 

City limits, borders

Woods

Graveyards

Bridges 

What to petition him for?

When you need obstacles unblocked

Hard decisions, significant choices

Spiritual blocks, path direction

Perusing clergy studies

Ancestral work, connecting to the dead

Moving, changing living situation

Invoke transitionary periods

Change

*Disclaimer. This is not to say the Wiccan version of him is wrong or bad. It’s simply inaccurate to his depictions. Wiccans and practitioners are free to worship him whichever way they want, but this post is for those with an interest to his origins.*

Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/188yMO0_VEum2QL-b04s-fcWRMJkAAEMyFSslIXswdwE/edit 

[blesscernunnos]

Interesting He’s associated with helping with spiritual blocks and path direction, and so many have said their experience with Him is like one of a guiding spiritual father.

Also love your note about the Wiccan version not being wrong or bad. As someone more inclined to His Gaulish origins I find the Wicca bashing in Gaulish circles a bit tiring and sad. Remember that all we have are earthly depictions and personal experience, truly, we cannot be certain of the absolute nature of the Gods, who knows?

[autumn-rue]

she shivered

and she cried

broken and shattered from abuse

left with nothing but a spark

and the will to ignite

and so she ate her first meal after a lifetime of starving

and the bones on her body fell under protection

and warmth returned to her hands

and the blood thrummed in her like a battle drum as she found her strength

and her roar was bloodcurdling

her teeth bared to the world

for winter was coming

but it would not claim her

[autumn-rue]

and yet i find myself disappointed that you are like me

that while our minds are vast and different

a myriad of colors

we are fundamentally the same

by bone, by blood, by skin, by heart

we are too similar to be similar

and yet too different to belong

how could i ever belong next to you...

while you look for you, for home, for us

i look for other

dangerous eyes and minds so much wiser than mine

something that can see me with different eyes

something that will make the fire run wild in these ancient bones

[moonlightacademy]

Beginner Witchcraft - UPDATE

A common post request.

How to begin:

Begin by reading everything you possibly can about witchcraft, plants, other religions, etc.

Take notes on everything you can.

Be creative and use your imagination, look for symbols in your day-to-day lives.  

Re-read your notes and important information,

Do your research.

Make sure you research all paths and philosophies.

Start a consistent meditation and visualization regime.

Find a path you love.

Learn about yourself and your path and beliefs.

Work with your energy and practice harnessing it.

Start practicing your spells after enough research.

Write your own spells and start a grimoire.

Continue reading and learning.                                                                                                                                                                                      

Topics to research:    

Herbalism

Different witchcraft paths

Witchcraft history and its origins.

Different deities in different cultures

Folklore, superstitions,  and wives tales

Mythology from different cultures

The elements Air, Earth, Water, Fire

Basic tools and supplies for the craft

Sabbats and esabats

Witchcraft misconceptions

Nature cycles and lunar phases

Divination

Alchemy

Chakras

Auras

Working with spirits and angels

Tarot

Crystals

Runes                                                                                                       Magickal theory

Spells

Curses - the dangers and how to cast them properly

Sigils

Familiars

Incense

Ways to stay safe when practising

Types of Witches

Cheap witchcraft supplies

Dangers of witchcraft

Solitary v.s Coven witchcraft

Ritual structure

How to set up an altar

Study Nature

Negative energy and how to rid of it.

Candle magick

Astrology

Psychic Practises

Faeries

Protection against harm

Things to practice:

Grounding and centering

Meditation

Casting and closing a circle

Raising, releasing, and visualizing energy.

Record any magick practices, visions, or dreams you receive.   

Spend as much time as possible in nature.        

Listen and observe.               

Practice invoking Gods, Goddesses, and elements.  

Cleansing

Charging

Warding

Keep your grimoire up-to-date

Find a mentor - Someone to help you find your path

Practise staying concentrated

Intent

Remember:

All paths are good paths, do not insult anyone’s path.

You do not need any fancy equipment to practise

You don’t need to practise everyday

Follow your path don’t  let others tell you what to do or force their beliefs on you.

Believe in yourself!

Take care of yourself

Be respectful of others paths and beliefs

Never stop learning

Ask questions

Make lots of friends in the community

Stay safe

Make sure you do not steal from closed religions!

Have fun!

May the moon light your path!

==Moonlight Academy==

[samwisethewitch]

Pathworking and Astral Travel

In spirit work, we often connect with the spirits that have crossed over and are present in the physical world. However, there are also ways to cross over into the spirit world and connect with spirits in their home environment.

Pathworking

As I mentioned in a previous post, a pathworking is a specific type of meditation where you go on a psychic journey, but are still anchored to your physical body. It’s sort of like dipping your toes into the spirit world.

There are two important elements to a pathworking: a clear entrance/exit point and a way to retrace your steps. Pathworking journeys are typically cyclical — there is both a journey out and a return where you go back the way you came. This makes it easier to fully return your consciousness to your body, and failing to do so can cause you to feel disoriented upon the return.

Your entry/exit point can be absolutely anything, but common examples include a door, a gateway, a tree (or sometimes The World Tree), a cave/tunnel, or a natural landmark like a beach or mountaintop. What’s important is that it’s recognizable and easy to find your way back to.

If you want to try pathworking, make a rough “road map” of your journey beforehand. This doesn’t have to be super specific, but it should contain the following: a goal for the pathworking (such as to connect with a certain spirit), an entry/exit point, and a general idea for the route you’re going to take. If you’re worried about getting lost, author Thea Sabin recommends using “the Theseus trick.” Like in the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, you can tie a golden thread or rope to your entry point and the other end to your astral body. If you get lost, you can follow the thread back.

Pathworking is fairly beginner friendly, and I highly, highly, highly recommend starting with pathworking and becoming comfortable with this method before trying astral travel. Even for more advanced witches, pathworking is often a better option than astral travel because it’s less involved and requires a little bit less effort. I personally prefer pathworking for most situations.

Performing a Pathworking

Before you begin, establish a clear goal for your pathworking and write out a rough “road map.” At the very least, you should know what your purpose is, where your entry point is, and how to find your way back.

Begin in a dark, quiet room. Cleanse the room by burning incense, diffusing or spraying essential oils, or using a ritual broom to sweep out old energy.

Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down and begin meditating. You may want to play meditation music, practice breathing techniques, or use some other method to help you reach a meditative state.

Once you reach a meditative state (you should know what this feels like if you have experience with meditation), see yourself standing at your entry point. This is your entrance to the astral realm.

Set out on your pathworking.

When you are ready to leave the astral realm, you will need to find your way back to your entry point. Once you reach your entry point, it should be fairly easy to return to your body.

Once you’re fully present in your physical body, use your favorite method to ground yourself.

Write down everything you experienced during your pathworking in a journal.

Astral Travel

If pathworking is dipping your toes into the spirit world, astral travel is diving in the deep end. Also called spirit flight and hedge riding, astral travel includes actually sending your soul/consciousness out of your body and into the spirit world. As you might guess, this is more complicated and requires more effort than pathworking. For this reason, astral travel is not beginner-friendly. If you are completely new to meditation, witchcraft, and spirit work, it’s best to learn to pathwork before you attempt astral travel.

A word of warning: you may want to avoid astral travel at times when you’re in a very vulnerable or volatile emotional state. Some days you just aren’t up for it, and that’s okay. On those days, a pathworking or another form of spirit work may be a better option.

Triggering Spirit Flight

In astral travel, a trigger of some kind is used to help disconnect the soul from the physical body. Common triggers include drumming, special music, shaking a rattle, chanting, and dancing.

You can find shamanic drumming tracks on YouTube that can help you achieve astral travel. If you find that repetitive motion helps you trance out, you may look into getting a small drum or rattle to play.

Animal Guides

In many cultures, those who travel into the spirit world do so with the guidance and protection of an animal spirit. From the Norse fylgja, to the shamanic power animal, to the witch’s familiar, history is full of examples of these types of guides.

Before you begin astral travel, do a pathworking to meet your animal guide. It’s important to note that you aren’t choosing an animal guide — only meeting one that has always been with you. Your guide may be an animal that you like or identify with, or it may not. When I first began experimenting with astral travel, my guide was a coyote — an animal I had never identified with before, but who I learned was deeply connected to my inner self.

It’s important to always have your animal guide with you when going on astral journeys, as they are an important source of protection and power. They may also literally guide you to the things you need to see and the spirits you need to meet.

Flying Ointments

Historical accounts describe witches using “flying ointment” to help them achieve spirit flight. These traditional flying ointments contained toxic and/or hallucinogenic plants like belladonna, datura, henbane, mandrake, and opium poppies. For obvious reasons, most modern witches do not use these herbs.

Please do not try to create your own flying ointment with poisonous plants. If you’re a true traditionalist and feel like you just have to try a historically accurate flying ointment, Bane Folk Apothecary sells several. Bane Folk is run by Sarah Anne Lawless, a kickass witch who knows her stuff and produces safe, medicinal products inspired by traditional flying ointment formulas. I am usually very pro-DIY, especially when it comes to witchcraft, but this is one case where it really is best to defer to a professional.

To create a modern, non-toxic flying ointment: heat eight ounces (or one cup) of poppy seed oil over low heat on the stove. Once the oil is warm, add 2 ounces (or ¼ cup) of beeswax into the oil. (Use carnauba wax for a vegan alternative.) Take the mixture off the heat, and allow it to cool off a bit. Once it has cooled (but before it’s begun to solidify), add nine drops each of mugwort essential oil, star anise essential oil, and peppermint essential oil. Pour the mixture into a mason jar and seal tightly. To extend your ointment’s shelf life, add a few drops of Vitamin E oil and store in the refrigerator. If you don’t have access to essential oils or prefer a more traditional method, you can buy dry herbs and infuse them into your oil instead — to do this, crush up 2.5 ounces (or 1/3 cup) each of dried mugwort, star anise, and peppermint and add them to a mason jar; add enough oil to the jar to cover the herbs completely, with about an inch of oil above them; seal the jar and place it in a sunny window for 2-3 weeks to infuse; and finally, strain the herbs out of the oil with a mesh sieve or a cheesecloth. You can then add your Vitamin E oil and beeswax to create an ointment.

This modern recipe does not contain hallucinogens, but it does contain plants that are commonly used in magic to increase psychic abilities and aid in astral travel. You can say an incantation over this ointment while making it to add some extra magical potency. Applying the flying ointment can also become a sort of ritual that prepares you for spirit flight by helping you slip into a more spiritual head space.

Performing Astral Travel/Spirit Flight

Before you begin, know why you are journeying to the spirit world. You should always have a clear goal for your astral journeys.

Begin in a dark, quiet room. Cleanse the room by burning incense (mugwort incense aids in astral travel), diffusing or spraying essential oils, or using a ritual broom to sweep out old energy.

Use your favorite method to ground yourself.

If you are choosing to use a flying ointment, rub it on your skin now.

Hold a protective item in one of your hands. I like physical items for protection during spirit flight, because they can ground you and help you find your way back to your body. Examples of protective items include a sprig of rue, a piece of iron, or a protective crystal like black tourmaline. If you ever feel scared or uncomfortable during your journey, you can bring this object into the astral realm to protect you. It will also keep your body safe while your consciousness is occupied.

Start up your trigger, whether this is drumming, rattling, dancing, etc.

Allow yourself to drift into a trance state, and then to disconnect from your body.

Call your animal guide to you.

Set out on your journey in the spirit world.

When you are ready, feel yourself returning to your physical body. Allow yourself to come back slowly — don’t rush it.

Ground yourself. One good way to ground after astral travel is by eating a snack.

Write down your experiences in a journal.

Resources:

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

Hedge Riding by Harmonia Saille

“How to Make Herb-Infused Oils for Culinary & Body Care Use” and “How to Make Herbal Salves” from the Mountain Rose Herbs blog

[cernunnnos]

*blows a kiss through my doorway* for Cernunnos

[lilachexe]

being a witch, expectation: magical af 24/7, feeling the energy of the sun and moon seeping into your soul with every single breath, always knowing the right spell/incantation for the right time

being a witch, reality: lol i wonder what i can use this leaf i found on the sidewalk for