🌿🌹🌊

♒️ ♓️ cusp • ♒️ moon • ♊️ rising Romy | 24 | PNW Secular filipinx witch interested in crystals, herbs, and green/sea witchcraft Sideblog to llamacorns

[witchcastors]

The Great Goddess Hecate (Hekate)

Who is Hecate? She is the Goddess of Witchcraft, Necromancy, Ghosts, Magic, and, in some instances, the Night, Darkness, The Mist, and Moon. For some She is also the goddess of motherhood, protection, and the sea. She is a Hellenic deity, born of the Titans Asteria and Perses. There’s a few beliefs circling around Her being a crone goddess or a Triple Goddess, but those are modern and neopagan beliefs—which She predates. I also consider Her to be a part of the Chthonic deities.

Symbology: Black dogs, Wolves, Keys, Torches, Flames, Torches, Crossroads, Serpents, Daggers, Birds of Prey (crows, ravens, owls), the Moon, witchcraft tools (such as cauldrons, tarot, athames)

Offerings & Devotional Acts for Her:

Figurines of any of Her symbols

keys, skeleton keys, lockets

fire witchcraft and candles, flames, matchsticks

dedicating any lunar or symbolic jewelry to Her

black/dark crystals such as obsidian and onyx

nocturnal animal imagery

black/cool colored glitter

baneful/poisonous herbs and plants

pomegranates/berries (She seems to really like blackberries)

dark blend wines

honey, cinnamon, poppy seeds, chocolates (dark)

mugwort, lavender, roses, jasmine, dragon’s blood

bones and feathers from birds of prey (please check your local laws about obtaining these)

pinpricks of blood (please DO NOT attempt this if you struggle with self harm/etc, blood magic is particularly strong and isn’t for everyone. She will understand if you cannot offer that to her).

Taking midnight walks, setting up altars and rituals at crossroads, paying respects to the dead and practicing your craft in a cemetery 

Any playlists, poems, literature, whether it be your own or just a piece you associate with Her, also make wonderful offerings. 

Lunar Influences & Connections: Reaching out to Hecate tends to work best at night, and really any time the moon is at it’s peak. The Witching Hours, midnight to 3A.M., during strong lunar influences (blue moons, blood moons, eclipses, new moons, etc) all hold strong bonds with Hecate. Also, any time it is particularly foggy or your surroundings are covered in a mist is a good time to try to connect with Her.

Disclaimer: These are correspondences that have been gathered through my personal experiences working through my craft with Her. If you find She responds better to different offerings/during different times, by all means, stick to it! Your bond with Her is your own and should be cultivated in whichever way works best for you and Her. Thank You!

[just--a-small--town-witch]

The old gods are not dead

I hear Athenas war cry in the shouts of protests, fighting a war now closer to home, I see her in the young women with picket signs clenched tightly in their fists

Hera curses the names of the abusers The ones who break families and marriages Her voice heard in the wedding bells of young lovers

Poseidon now resides in a beach home Going out every night to pick of trash left by the day Shooting daggers at the drunk men letting their bottles be swept away

Demeter can be heard cursing the politicians refusing to believe in global warming Names of scientists and studies on the tip of her tongue She is found teaching young children how to grow their food at the community garden

Ares is found on the front lines of a different war, not fighting but protecting the innocent Guiding classrooms of children away from gunfire, His shield protecting the terrified

Apollo can be found at opens mics Reciting his latest works Or walking down the street in docs on his feet and a guitar on his back He knows he’s the coolest

Artemis is seen on the streets Her bow and arrow have long left her Carrying nothing more than a knife and mace She hunts a different kind of monster now

Hephaestus resides in a workshop at all hours of the night Creating custom pieces for the right price and a warm smile The hammer making him feel invincible

Aphrodite’s song is heard in the breathy kisses of teenagers Shes found walking down the street, lips a blood red Punching the men who dare disrespect her  

Hermes is seen with a smirk as he walks long well-traveled roads Delivering the messages of those needing to be heard Traveling, telling stories, and wearing out another pair of shoes

Dionysus’s voice heard only over the pounding bass in the bar Keeping watch over young girls drinks Dancing, partying and living as he throws another one back

Hades is seen weeping over the graves of those taken much to soon Looking to his wife for comfort He’s long lost his faith in humanity

Persephone found in the gardens beside her mother in the spring Brushing off girl’s dirty knees and putting flower crowns on their heads She can be seen holding onto hades as he mourns the loss of life

Hecate will be found running metaphysical shops Bringing hope to powerful women wanting more Selling potions, nobody thinks will work And collecting graveyard dirt for a new spell

Zeus is watching over everyone Watches Athena cry Hera curse the men, he being one of them Poseidon’s glares Demeter’s harsh words Ares raising his shield Apollos singing Artemis as she tracks a new beast Watches Hephaestus work Sees Aphrodite punch Hears Hermes words Sees hades weep And Persephone plant and comfort her partner And grins as Hecate keeps magic alive

The old gods are not dead

They are alive

And they are watching

[linen-shroud]

new moon, rebirth me. full moon, cleanse me.

[an-island-of-bunnies]

Day 1 & 2: Seasonal + Urban Witch

The mischievous fall witch would have never noticed her if she didn’t catch her enchanting some spray cans. What a discreet-looking witch! She thought of an idea. How about she gives her her very own spotlight?

Guess who’s doing the Inktober x Witches challenge? (Hopefully I stick through this one). I’ll be doing two challenges at a time for cute interactions aa, so here’s Mei and Gabby as Seasonal and Urban witches respectively! <3

[deactivated-blog]

Ready? :D

[ochibrochi]

Thank you for everyone’s warm response from last year’s 31witches, and everyone who has been asking for another list for 2017! I’m so happy to know that I can help people like this!!! I hope you enjoy the list!

Please tag your posts with #31witches or #21witches2!

Want a similar list? Check out 2016′s list, or Modern Witches Daily!

GOOD LUCK, EVERYONE!!

(FAQ under the cut)

Keep reading

[ochibrochi]

ochibrochi’s 31 WITCH PROMPTS

Inktober is soon upon us, and this year will be my first time really trying my best to participate! I’ve made a little prompt list for myself following the theme of witches!!

Feel free to use this list too, for Inktober, or just for inspiration! 

If you use this prompt list, I’d love to see it! You can tag your post with @ochibrochi, or tag it with #31 Witches

Good luck, everyone!

[cunningcelt]

Advancing beyond 'Witchcraft 101'

I want to talk a little bit about letting go of that beginner stage and actually advancing in your knowledge and your abilities.

You were unsure about getting started, and nervously bought your first book on witchcraft, and it was probably Wiccan. You devoured it and became eager for more, knowing that you were on the right path. You soon amassed a great deal of Witchcraft 101 books, and likely a lot of tools that you may not have used. You’ve noticed the differences in your books: one says to have the altar in the north, another says the east, a third says in the centre of the circle. You probably know a lot of the magical properties of many common herbs and crystals, having zealously memorised lists of correspondences. You’ve performed spells and rituals from those books verbatim. And now you’re starting to feel stalled. At least, that’s how it was for me.

‘Witchcraft 101’ is, I found, a safe zone. You could make mistakes, or doubt your own knowledge, because you were just a beginner. But you soon feel that you’re safely on a precipice, and off the edge is the big wide unknown. You feel that you’ve become a big fish in a small pond. (Who doesn’t love a good mixed metaphor?). For me, acknowledging that I had grown beyond Witchcraft 101 was a big step, both as a witch and as a person. It takes confidence and courage to say “I am ready to move forward.” I worried that it smacked of arrogance saying that I had mastered the basics, or that I was trying to advance too far too quickly. But that isn’t the case at all. In every form of education you must give yourself credit for what you have learned, and allow yourself to move onto more challenging subjects. So it is for witchcraft, as well.

There was also the fear of being a fraud. Of not being worthy to call myself a witch next to someone who has been practicing a lifetime longer than I have. A fear that other witches would look down their nose at me. “What would he know?” they’d say. But that fear was thoroughly unfounded. When I spoke up, contributed my opinion and my knowledge to discussions, it was met with welcome.

Give yourself permission to advance. Only you can know when you’re ready to move beyond the basics, but you have to allow yourself to do that. You have to acknowledge your knowledge, to own your wisdom. You’ll still make mistakes, you’ll still stumble over some concepts, you’ll still be confused by things, and that’s okay. But witches weren’t made to live in safe zones. We were made to step off the precipice and fly.

[beardysgarden-blog]

Ten Mistakes New Herb Gardeners Make (and How to Avoid Them!)

Mistake 1: Growing from seed. When you first start out trying to grow fresh herbs, I recommend you begin by trying to grow from seedlings rather than planting your own seeds. These great little starter plants are widely available in grocery stores in the late spring. For the same price as a packet of fresh herbs from the produce section, you can buy your own little starter plant. Lots can go wrong in the seed to seedling transition (including not thinning out plants properly), so its probably best to begin by skipping that complicated task or you are in danger of washing out before you really begin.

Mistake 2: Starting with the wrong varieties. I recommend you start by trying to grow fresh basil. It is the perfect trainer herb. First, basil grows quickly, allowing you to observe the effects of your care more easily. Second, basil leaves wilt visibly when not watered enough, but recovers well if you water the wilted plant. This makes basil a great ‘canary in the mineshaft’ to help you figure out how much water is enough.

Mistake 3: Watering herbs like houseplants. Instead, water herbs a moderate amount every day. While some houseplants flourish with one solid watering per week, most delicate herbs require moderate and regular watering. This is particularly true during hot summer months. If you have good drainage at the bottom of your pot (at least a drainage hole, possibly rocks beneath the soil), it will be difficult to water herbs too much.

Mistake 4: Not cutting early and often. As a novice gardener, it may seem like your puny little plant just isn’t ready for a trip to the barber, but then you will find yourself sitting there wishing for leaves without much success. Again, basil is a great herb to practice pruning. As with all herbs, you want to cut the herb just above a set of growing leaves. With basil, when you cut the plant that way, the originally trimmed stem will no longer grow. However, two new stems will grow around the original cutting, creating a “V” shape (see the photo above, can you spot the Vs?). If you don’t trim basil aggressively, it will continue to grow straight up, and become too tall and top-heavy. Making your first trim approximately 3-4” above the soil produces a nice sturdy plant. Of course you want to be sure you are always leaving a few good sturdy leaves on the plant (see below). As it continues to grow, continue to prune it approximately every 3-4" for a nice solid plant. I like to let it grow for some time and then cut back to within 2-3 inches of the original cut. After only a few early trial cuts, this usually makes for a nice clipping with plenty of basil to use for a pizza.

Mistake 5: Taking the leaves from the wrong place. When you are just starting out it seems to make so much sense to pick off a few big leaves around the bottom of the plant, and let those tender little guys at the top keep growing. Wrong. Leave those large tough old guys at the bottom alone. They are the solar panels that power your herb’s growth. Once your plant is big enough to sustain a decent harvest, keep on taking from the top, as you have been when you were pruning. That way you get all those tender new herbs that are so tasty, and your plant gets to keep its well developed solar power system in place. Plus, if you pluck from the base and leave the top intact, you get a tall skinny plant that will flop over from its own weight (and yes, I know this from experience). When you pluck from the top, instead of clipping off just below a pair of leaves, you want to clip off just above a pair of leaves. It is a bit counter-intuitive as a novice, but trust me it works. The place where the leaf joins the stem is where new growth will occur when your plant sends off new stems in a V.

Mistake 6: Letting your plants get too randy. If you are pruning regularly, this may never become an issue, but unless you are growing something for its edible flowers, be sure to cut back herbs before they start growing flowers. My friend once brought me to her backyard garden and pointed, frustrated, at her wimpy, small basil plants. “I just keep tending them, but they don’t even produce enough leaves to put on a salad!” she lamented. I pointed to the glorious stalk of flowers at the top of each plant, “That’s your problem” I explained. Because herbs are kind of like college boys: if you give them half a chance, they will focus all their energy on procreation and neglect growth. If you want leaves, keep cutting off the little flower buds whenever you find them (see photo above), and it will encourage your plant to focus on growing more leaves.

Mistake 7: Using tired soil with no nutrients. Tired soil that has been sitting in your garden or lawn for ages often looks grey and a little depressing. Would you want to grow in that stuff? Give your plants a dose of the good stuff and they’ll thank you for it. I grow my herbs in a combination of potting soil, used coffee grounds (with a near-neutral PH, available for free at Starbucks), and organic compost. If I have some on hand, I also throw in crushed egg shells. Those without access to compost (and no deep commitment to organic growing) may find Miracle grow useful. My momma swears by it for tomatoes. A diluted solution of Miracle grow occasionally can help many herbs flourish.

Mistake 8: Getting in a rut. There is an element to passion about herb gardening. In order to be good at it, you need to feel rewarded. So don’t stick too long with one or two herbs just because they work. Branch out to a few other basic herbs that you will use regularly in your kitchen. There are few things more rewarding as an urban foodie than being able to pop out to the fire escape to clip fresh herbs to use in my cooking. Once you have become comfortable with basil, I recommend moving on to try growing oregano, mint, rosemary and thyme. All are regularly useful herbs in the kitchen, and all are relatively easy to grow. You will notice that rosemary cleaves after cutting in a somewhat similar way to basil, but grows much more slowly, so the effect is difficult to notice. Some plants also respond to clipping by throwing out more full leaves at their base. I have long wanted to grow cilantro but have not had much luck with it.

Mistake 9: You mean there’s more than one kind of mint?When choosing herbs, read the label carefully. For example, there are two main varieties of oregano: Mediterranean and Mexican. Mediterranean oregano is the more common variety, and what you likely own if you have conventional dried oregano in your cupboard. I have Mexican oregano growing on my back fire escape. I love Mexican oregano in spicy dishes, for making beans from scratch, and often use it in tomato dishes where I don’t want the flavor to seem too much like marinara. Similarly, there are many different kinds of mint. You don’t want to be thinking of the pungent spearmint plant and accidentally take home the much more subtle (and not mojito savvy) applemint by mistake.

Mistake 10: Feed me Seymour! If you are planting in soil instead of pots, take care that your cute little herb seedling doesn’t become a giant plant that takes over your garden. A word of warning for oregano and mint: both can be voracious growers. If you are planting outside in a garden, rather than in pots, you may want to consider potting these herbs and then burying the pots in the ground. This will add a measure of control to the root systems of these herbs, which can otherwise take over a garden and strangle nearby neighbors. When in doubt, check out wikipedia, they usually are careful to point out which herbs are in danger of overwhelming your garden.

Some really useful info here if you’re new to herb gardening.

[furstyphoto]

[strangesigils]

I don’t really know what people generally call this method of sigil making, so I’m just calling it “Letter Shaping” because you’re using the basic shapes from certain letters. This is the most common form of sigil making, and it allows the most creative influence. As you see above the sigils are for nearly the same thing, yet the sigils came out completely different. Not because the purpose was different, but because I approached them both a different creative way, and that’s what I like so much about this method. There’s a lot of freedom and personalization involved.

[etsycult]

The Dark Exact Tarot Deck by TheDarkExact

[silahis]

Philippine Mythology & Folklore Masterpost

click here for an updated version!

Hello friends!

Like Filipino culture, our mythology and folklore is colorfully diverse, and frustratingly ignored. Reading about them might be a bit confusing as they are tainted and erased not only because of our colonizers, but also because of the way we were deprived of knowledge about them, hence our ignorance towards them.

I made this tiny compilation in high hopes of encouraging people (specially Filipinos!) to learn; and more so, create art & literature about our mythology. And if you happen to see/know about Filipino mythology & folklore, my ask and chat are both open! I’m actually really new to this fandom (is this a fandom?????) pls feed me info :DD

the deities

deity: alunsina god/goddess of: the eastern skies originated from: visayan

to alunsina by @poetfrommanila​

deity: amanikable god of: hunting (usually mistaken as a sea god) originated from: tagalog

amanikable aesthetic by @vespeir

about amanikable by @bunnycorcorans​​

amanikable punk modern aesthetic by @bunnycorcorans​​

deity: apolaki god/goddess of: the sun; lord of war originated from: tagalog

apolaki edit by @stannide​​

deity: bathala god/goddess of: “supreme god” originated from: tagalog

forgotten deities of the philippines: bathala || spaniards be damned by keith f. mangana

deity: dimangan/dumangan god/goddess of: harvest originated from: sambal

dimangan edit by@stannide

deity: diyan masalanta goddess of: love, conception and childbirth; protector of lovers and stopper of storms and deluge originated from: tagalog

diyan masalanta aesthetic by @achillics​​

diyan masalanta aesthetic by @mythaelogy

diyan masalanta aesthetic by @ofringmasters

the spaniards have mistaken our goddess of love for their virgin mother by @bunnycorcorans​

deity: haliya god/goddess of: the moon; protector of women originated from: bikolano

haliya (game) by @pentados​

haliya art by @abbydraws​

deity: lalahon god/goddess of: fire, volcanoes, harvest originated from: visayan

lalahon aesthetic by @philippinemythology​

deity: laon god/goddess of: “supreme goddess” originated from: visayan

laon edit by @oxeyedhera​

deity: magwayen goddess of: the sea; ferrywoman of the underworld originated from: visayan

magwayen art by @brbianca

magwayen art by @abbydraws​

magwayen art by @aegisdea​

magwayen aesthetic by @kindvongift​​

creatures & beasts

anggitay art by @aegisdea​

aswang aesthetic by @stannide​

aswang aesthetic by @oceanhunters

aswang art by @johnleedraws​

aswang aesthetic by @allinye​

aswang aesthetic by @pooricarus​

bakunawa art by @eydscarreon​

bakunawa infographic by @kabtor​

kapre art by @shaeiira​

mananaggal aesthetic by @pooricarus​​

manlalayog aesthetic by @silahis​

maria labo aesthetic by @evanrsiers​

meet the mythological creatures of philippine folklore (infographic) by @travelbookph-blog​

​the truth about the manananggal by @michaelcupon-blog​​

sirena art by @johnleedraws​

sirena art by @aegisdea​

fairies & nymphs

forest diwata art by @shellysoneja​

maria makiling aesthetic by @diveintotheunknown

maria makiling aesthetic by @oceanhunters​​

maria makiling art by @blokmagnaye​

mariang sinukuan art by @jovaline​

witchcraft & wizardry

babaylan by @plaridels​

headcanons for a wizarding school set in the philippines (ongoing)

mambabarang art by @pervandromantic​mangkukulam aesthetic by @daisycalloway​​

types of philippine folk magic by paolo chikiamco and mervin malonzo

places

biringan city by philurbanlegends

biringan art by @japmikel​

romblon triangle by philurbanlegends

poetry

daragang magayon by @bunnycorcorans​

forgotten deities of the philippines; mayari, tala and hanan || mercy; they all cry out for mercy by keith f. mangana

the four horsemen of death by keith f. mangana

folktales

ang alamat nila tungkung langit at alunsina: bakit umuulan?

bisayan mythology series by @diwatahan​

filipino mythology, ghost stories, folktales and superstitions by @shackleboltrps​

tagalog mythology series by @diwatahan​

other aesthetics & edits

sidapa and bulan by @durchartist​

arao and buan by @mythaelogy

apolaki and mayari

the daughters of bathala by @seventhblueballpen​

the three gods by @seventhblueballpen​

other art

apolaki and mayari by @yosilog​

character profiles for the agla webcomic by kael molo

tala and buan by @kabtor​

visayan deities (fanarts of gma7’s tv series “indio”) by @squeegool​

visayan deities and creatures by @aegisdea​

favs

filipino deities in a modern setting by @clockworkrequiem

excerpt from philippine mythology: centuries erased by keith f. mangana

“filipino mythology” does not exist; don’t tag something when it does not even exist, how stupid are you?

sidapa headcanons by @en-sam-malas​

masterposts

bikolano deities by the aswang project

creatures and beings of philippine folklore and lower mythology by @nueromancer84​

creatures & mythical beings by the aswang project

encyclopedia of deities, monsters, and creatures

family tree of the tagalog gods by @muchymozzarella​

glossary of mythical creatures & beings by the aswang project

guide to filipino polytheism (with resources) by @diwatahan​

know your ghouls, from aswang to diwata by @lunarsolstice​

list of 93 monsters and creatures by philurbanlegends

list of deities in the various pilipino mythologies (tagalog, bisayan, sambal, bikol, ilokano, kapampangan) by @diwatahan​

list of resources by @pinoy-culture​

manobo mythology by the aswang project

mythical creatures gothic by @jeahnprouvaire

philippine pantheons by paolo chikiamco

sketches and descriptions of creatures from filipino folklore by alex niño and @cv-zedricdimalanta​

structure of visayan, tagalog and bikolano deities

tagalog deities  by the aswang project

visayan deities by the aswang project

books (reference)

101 kagila-gilalas na nilalang // edgar calabia samar (2015)

a handbook of philippine folklore // mellie leandicho lopez (2006)

aswang complex in philippine folklore // maximo d. ramos (1990)

the aswang syncrasy in philippine folklore // maximo d. ramos (1971)

boyhood in monsoon country // maximo d. ramos

creatures of philippine lower mythology // maximo d. ramos (1971)

creatures of midnight // maximo d. ramos (1990)

folklore in philippine schools // damiana l. eugenio (1987) (pdf)

the girl who turned into a fish and other classic filipino water tales // maria elena paterno (1997)

legends of lower gods  // maximo d. ramos

notes on philippine divinities // felipe landa jocano (pdf)

outline of philippine mythology // felipe landa jocano (1969)

philippine demonological legends and their cultural bearings // maximo d. ramos (1990)

philippine folk literature: an anthology // damiana l. eugenio (2005) (google books preview)

philippine folk literature: the epics // damiana l. eugenio (2001)

philippine folk literature: the folktales // damiana l. eugenio (2005)

philippine folk literature: the legends // damiana l. eugenio (2002)

philippine folk literature: the myths // damiana l. eugenio (1994)

philippine folk literature: the proverbs // damiana l. eugenio (2002)

philippine folk literature: the riddles // damiana l. eugenio (1995)

philippine folk tales // mabel cook cole (1916) (pdf)

philippine folklore bibliography: a preliminary survey // e.arsenio manuel (1965)

philippine myths, legends, and folktales // maximo d. ramos (1990)

the soul book: introduction to philippine pagan religion // francisco r. demetrio, s.j., gilda cordero-fernando, and fernando n. zialcita (1991)

tales of long ago in the philippines  // maximo d. ramos

treasury of stories // e. arsenio manuel and gilda cordero-fernando (2007)

bonus:

manila guide on where to get books

where to get books that are out of print (1) (2) (3)

books (fiction)

bloodline maharlika // anne plaza (2015)

the forgotten children of maui: filipino myths, tattoos, and rituals of a demigod // lane wilcken

the lost journal of alejandro pardo // budjette tan, kajo baldisimo, david hontiveros, bow guerrero, and mervin malonzo (2016)

ang pagbabalik ni maria makiling // will ortiz (2015) (ongoing series)

graphic novels

14 // manix abrera (2014) (preview)

agla // kael molo (ongoing webcomic) (tapastic)

alternative alamat // paolo chikiamco (2011) (preview)

janus silang // edgar calabia samar (ongoing series) (facebook)

mythspace // paolo chikiamco & koi carreon (ongoing series)

skyworld // mervin ignacio and ian sta. maria (2012) (2 volumes)

tabi po // mervin malonzo (ongoing series) (download ebooks)

the mythology class // arnold arre (2005)

trese // budjette tan & kajo baldisimo (ongoing series)

videos, animations, documentaries

marianing by @nikosalazar

marianing documentary; a legend is born by @nikosalazar

mythical creatures rap by mikey bustos

sites and blogs

the aswang project (facebook) (youtube)

@diwatahan​

@philippinemythology​

@bisdak-nation (weebly)

@nueromancer84

click here for an updated version!

[anituo]

What it means to practice and revive our indigenous belief system?

I often get asked what is it I actually practice, what I believe in, and if I practice alone or with a group. These are questions I sometimes ponder myself as I try to reconstruct and revive the indigenous beliefs and practices of the Philippines. Working alone, I don’t have the fortunate privilege of having a community to turn to, to discuss with in regards to Anituo. I have found very few people really interested in our indigenous beliefs and the structure of it. I hope one day there can be a community of like minded individuals where we can practice and celebrate together while sharing stories, thoughts, and contributions to the religion but for now I have to accept it as is. 

As someone reviving our ancestors indigenous beliefs and bringing them to the modern day, there is a lot of work and research. Oh yes the constant research. We don’t have any written sources from our ancestors that we have found in regards to religion and folklore prior to colonization. Heck, the only document we do have is the Laguna Copperplate which talks about someone getting released from his debts. As simple as that document is though it does give an insight on what the people practiced as we now know at some point in time the people around the Tagalog regions followed an old Hindu calendar that is still used in India based on the inscription of the Saka year and mention of the month of Waisakha which is the local term for the Hindu month Vaisakha. But other than this we have no other documents written by us prior to colonization that we have found to date. In that regard we must make due with what we do have which are the Spanish historical written accounts of our ancestors. Some notable accounts well worth mentioning are those from Francisco Alcina, Pedro Chirino, Antonio de Morga, Juan de Plasencia, and Antonio Pigafetta, just to name a few. 

Reading those various accounts one must take in what they mention about our ancestors beliefs and practices. I have written notes in a notebook dedicated to the research, writing down where the information comes from and by what group of people it was practiced by. Often times a problem that comes with Reconstructionist faiths is that all your time is consumed by research and not actually practicing. In a sense without the involved practice its not a living religion. That has been a problem with me in regards to my practice as I have spent my time researching but not actually practicing. However when there is no book or resource with the information I have learned and gathered readily available it is understandable but something I must also overcome if I want to revive the indigenous beliefs into a living religion in our modern age.

Besides those hardships however I have come to love what I do and what I have learned through all that research. I have learned names of deities that have been long forgotten today. Of rituals for harvests, sickness, and offerings to the spirits of the forests and seas when hunting and fishing that aren’t practiced anymore. Of the spirit houses our ancestors had by the rivers, forests, and outside the villages, that were often given offerings.  Of a cosmology that derives from a native point of view coming from our environment living in islands by the sea and mountains, and of our understandings of where we as a people come from. Its this system of beliefs that are indigenous to us that make me continue researching and using that information into a modern practice.

One such example is the celebration of the moon. Our ancestors celebrated every full moon as a joyous and spiritual event as to them it was the time when the Diwata came down to earth. It was a time of feasting and welcoming the Diwata. I have taken this practice and celebrate every full moon as a holiday toward the Diwata. However, what I do that our ancestors didn’t do is that along with celebrating the Diwata, I also celebrate and give offerings to a specific Diwata for that lunar month and the following month another Diwata is celebrated.

For example this coming full moon I will be celebrating the Bisayan Diwata, Banwanun, who is the Diwata of the forests. During this coming full moon not only will I leave offerings to the various Diwata but I will also set aside a special offering to Banwanun of pork and chicken. If I was a hunter and hunted my own food I would give my first catch as my offerings as what was traditionally done by hunters as thanks to Banwanun for providing them game. However seeing as I live in the suburbs and don’t hunt, my humble offerings will suffice for the forest god. This celebration is part of a modern calendar that not only has a historical basis as a day of celebration but has added on something I have personally decided to celebrate as well during each full moon as a holiday for a specific Diwata.

Is it hard to practice Anituo when you aren’t living in the islands of your ancestors where the Diwata & Anito reside? At times yes, depending on the situation. For example, I would love to make a pilgrimage to Mt. Madyaas (or Madjaas) in Panay as it the home of the Bisayan Diwata, the Bisayan version of Mt. Olympus. There are so many myths revolving this sacred mountain, one that this is where some Bisayans go in the afterlife (the other place being in a tall mountain in Borneo). Another belief is that there is a tall tree belonging to the Diwata Si Dapa, that marks the lifespans of every individual once they are born. Another mountain I would want to personally give my offerings to is Mt. Kanlaon, the home of Laon, the Goddess of agriculture & harvests who is also the supreme deity among the Bisayans based on many of the historical accounts, all specifically mentioning that Laon is a woman.

However the Diwata aren’t the only aspects in our indigenous beliefs. More importantly was the veneration of our ancestors and spirits, known as Anito by many groups. There are numerous Anito, comprising of nature spirits, spirits of our dead ancestors, spirits of cultural hero’s, etc. There is an anito of the river, mountain, a specific tree, rock, etc. This belief is very animistic and the belief that there is a spirit in all natural things can be extended outside of the Philippines to nature in general. 

Practicing in an environment outside the Philippines isn’t that hard though if you know how to connect with the Diwata and Anito and there are no real holidays practiced collectively throughout the islands besides harvest and planting festivals as well the celebration of the lunar months. Of course harvest and planting times here in the Northeast of the U.S. differs greatly compared to that in the Philippines, but even then there are variations of planting and harvesting times in various regions of the Philippines.

But back to the original question of what does it mean to revive our indigenous belief systems? For me as a Pilipin@-American living away from our homeland, practicing Anituo is something spiritual for me in connecting with my ancestors, nature, the Anito & Diwata, and reclaiming an indigenous spirituality that shaped who our ancestors were and our cultures.

Illustration by Pen Prestado

[anituo]

List of terms in Anituo

To help those getting started in their own research on Anituo and our ancestors precolonial beliefs and practices I decided to come up with this terminology post as a start and reference. The post will continue to be updated as I find new terms in my research.

The Moon

Subang - new moon Gimat/ungut - full crescent Hitaas na an subang - high new moon (3rd day) Balining - the 4th or 5th night Odto na anbalan - quarter moon Dayaw/paghipono/takdul/ugsan - full moon Madulumdulum - waning moon Banolor - night or 2 later of waning, set on Western horizon just before dawn. Parik - 5th or 6th night of waning Katin - 3rd quarter so it crossed the 2nd barrier by the 24th or 25th night. Malasumbang - 29th night; getting ready for the new moon

Offerings

Harang/halad - offering Banwanun - When hunters offered their first catch, whether it was wild hogs to deer, to the spirits dwelling in the mountains. Palahi - The spirit of the balete tree which was given offerings. Ginayaw - Offerings of spherical yellow rice cakes. Tinorlok - the hog reserved for sacrifice that would be pierced with a spear by the babaylan conducting the ritual and whose blood would soak to the ground for the Anito and Diwata before it was cooked and roasted and laid on the table filled with offerings for the participants to eat. Bani - the sacred mat to be burned. Kamangyan - incense, which was often placed in a coconut shell. Pagpunas - performance when you kill a red rooster and go around the field and put a drop of blood on the rice leaves to pray to the spirits to take care of plants. Kalipayan - a herb used in planting rituals, symbol of happiness. The plant is the Codiaeum variegatum, a tropical shrub native to the Philippines and other parts of Southeast Asia and South Asia. Ihalasan - secondary dragon burial jars, coming from the term ihas, snake. Pitarrilas - earthen jar full of rice wine as an offering during paganito. Salagmat - a term from Bikol that was a table for offerings in atang. Pang-asi - fermented rice used in rituals Puso - Offerings, that were made of woven palm leaves in various designs, in paganito rituals according to Alcina. Tuyog - pouring of wine on the ground as an offering to the spirits. Bongoy - Offering to the anito for the sick, either by hanging a chicken or another animal by a stick. Galal - offering to the katalona. Diwang - song or chant to the anito. Was also used as a song to the anito for healing the sick.

Rituals

Awut - An oath that promised fasting and abstinence. This was done especially after the death of a loved one during the mourning period. Paganito/Maganito - act of sacrifice, ritual (Visayan) Pandot - Tagalog festival, celebration, worship, usually conducted in the house of the Datu. Paglihi - Visayan religious observances, rites Iganito - thing being sacrificed Atang - Ilocano ritual offering to appease the spirits. Pagobo - A type of paganito performed to offer to the Diwata of the family hearth when drought threatened: a white hen and a bird shaped rice cake together with leaves or sprouts from the crops threatened were offered. Dating - a Tagalog menstrual rite and coming of age for a young woman. The eyes were blindfolded for 4 days and 4 nights where she stayed in a room in her house. Meanwhile while friends and relatives were invited to partake in food and drinks. At the end of the period the katalonan took the girl to the water, her feet never touching the ground, ritually bathed her, and washed her head before removing the blindfold from her eyes. Taruk - term for the babaylan dance during the paganito. Bodyong - bamboo instrument used in ritual dance Anahaw or Banay - palm leaves that are shaped like a fan, used when making paganito by the babaylan. It was used in dancing to keep time when preparing sacrifices and offerings. It was also the symbol of the babaylan and was often a symbolic memorial in their graves. The scientific name of the plant is Saribus rotundifolius. Paguli - Rite performed to call back the departed soul. A coconut shell of water was placed on the stomch of the inert person and rotated while chanting, “uli, uli, kulog” (Come back, come back soul) Pasalamat - Thanksgiving dinner after harvest. Babat - to thank the spirits responsible for a good harvest. Soni or Pagsoni - old term, means Thanksgiving ceremony. Pag-luon - (smoking). This was a ritual used to cure a deseased plant. Using an incense, kamangyan, go around the field. The incense is placed in a coconut shell with fire in it and then pray to the Goddess of Harvest (Laon) to drive away pests and watch over plants. Pagtigman - Most important paganito. It was a big gathering where many pigs (both wild and domestic) are slaughtered and sacrificed. To catch the wild ones they bring together the people with their nets, called Batung. One of the men who had a good voice climbed one of the highest palm trees and called out summoning the men. This cry was called Pagaatigman, “what gathers”, or “join us!” Then whatever pigs or deer they captured and the fish that they were able to catch with all the rice and other roots they brought together; they roast the meat then the Babaylan gave them as offerings. Kangai - “union”, feasts, and large feasts. Tinganok or Paginganor - Meaning “hand over to the current”. This paganito was done on the banks of the rivers which the Visayans called Yraia, which is the nearest to their place of birth. They placed on the banks of the river on both sides various rafts of canes. On them they placed a variety and abundance of all their foods, and allowed them to be taken by the current which carried the rafts down the stream. They didn’t eat this food but left it for the Diwata or the Humalagad to eat. With this they asked them to care for the fields and guard them from preying animals. They also tied to those rafts rats, locusts, and other animals that they can capture which did damage to their fields. From this they were rendered secure. If this wasn’t performed they would be unsuccessful and lose everything. Pagadap - It was the same paganito as the Tinganok, however in a smaller gathering. Both of them, their purpose was to assure a good harvest and not to suffer from hunger. Hola/ hulak/tagduk - spirit possession of the babaylan Taho - whistling sound when Diwata was speaking through the babaylan Bayung Danum - literally meaning “new water”, it is a Kapampangan yearly celebration, their New Year, to appease a water deity, Apung Iru, who would cause the floods and monsoons as the monsoon season came. The festival was held in June during the full moon near the Summer Solstice and a water procession was done. Today it has turned to a celebration of St. John the Baptist and the procession toward St. Peter but has retained most of its original celebrations.

Shrines & Places/Things of Worship

Ulango - a term by the Tagalogs meaning a spirit house. It was a home/shrine dedicated to the anito. Dakit - balete tree that was a sanctuary for paganito. Simbahan - a temple or place of worship. A typical simbahan was often held in the Datu and Rajah’s home for big celebrations. Today it is the term for churches. Sibi - the roof made in the sides of the house in temporary sheds to protect the people from the rain. They made it so many people can fit and divided it in the fashion of ships into 3 compartments. Sorihile - small lamps placed in the posts of the house. In the center of the house they placed 1 large lamp adorned with leaves of white palm wrought in many designs. There was also many large and small drums which they beat during the whole feast. This lasted usually for 4 days.

Likha/larawan/tao-tao/bata bata - idols and images of the deities and ancestors found in peoples homes, caves, along the rivers, and other natural places. They were the guardians the home and were often invoked and anointed with sesame seed oil, in some cases dressed in cloth and gold.  Pantao - a platform constructed that is about a branza or a little more in height. In width it depended on the quantity of things that were being offered. This platform made out of pieces of palm was made with as much ornamentation as they were able. Pararatgan - It means a place where the Diwata had to arrive or come by because when arranged or adorned they came without fail. They adored it with chains and other decor made of lucai; the white heart of the palms which they make various toys and other ornaments that was called sareman. They adorn with all their draperies and cloth. Latangan - A little house on the shore of the river for a paganito that was for the sickness of a person. In this little house they put only rice cooked with water called loto, or at best full of the yellow rice cakes called ginayaw. They drew water from the river and sprinkled the tiny house and food.  Maglantang - just like the latangan but they were larger in size and used for larger and major community sacrifice. Dagusan - Ilocano term for spirit shrine.

The Afterlife

Sulad - purgatory. The place where all souls go to first after death by being ferried by the Goddess Magwayen. Saad - The final resting place. For the Visayans living along the coasts they are brought to a high mountain in Borneo. For the Visayans in the mountains they were brought to Mt. Madyaas. Lalangban - a spiritual river which divides Sulad and Saad Longon - a coffin the size of a grain of rice where the soul was put after it died 9 times becoming smaller and smaller. Lalangban - a deep cave that is the entrance to Sulad/Saad and that from it a loud noise like the slamming of a door could be heard prior to a ruling datu’s death. Agrakrakit - from rakit or raft. The Ilokano term for the raftman spirit responsible for ferrying souls to the next life.

The Spirits, Ancestors, & Deities

Umalagad/Humalagad - Ancestral spirit that were guardians and companions to a person. They are the souls of the ancestors who are able to help the living. They were invoked on leaving the house and during agricultural rites in the fields. Some were believed to take the form of a python, which was a symbol of good luck and fortune to the one who was born with a snake twin as their umalagad. Diwata - the term for Gods and Goddesses, commonly used among the Visayans and some ethnic groups in southern Mindanao. In some ethnic groups it is the name of an actual deity. Maniwata or Magdiwata - to invoke the Diwata Anito - For the Visayans anito meant “sacrifice”. For others such as the Bikolanos and Tagalogs it meant ancestor spirit often represented by wooden carvings. Kalag - soul Palahi - The spirit of the strangler fig, known as the balete tree, who was often given offerings to appease it. Tigmamanukan - blue and black bird that symbolized Bathala Maykapal in which it was also an omen. If one encountered a Tigmamanukan flying in their voyage path, they should take note of the direction of its flight. If the bird‘s flight direction goes to the right, the traveler would not encounter any danger during their journey. If it flew to the opposite direction (meaning from right to the left) the traveler will never find its way and will be lost forever. While today no one knows and remembers exactly what species of bird the Tagalogs revered in the past, most scholars believe it was a type of fairy blue bird, either the Asian Fairy Bluebird of the Philippine Fairy Bluebird Limokon - A kind of turtledove with striking green and white plumage and red feet and beak that was an omen to the Visayans. It is believed to be a messenger bird from the spirit world.

Religious Figures

Daitan - Another Visayan term for the priestess, with dait meaning friendship and peace. Babaylan - The prominent Visayan term for priestess. They were the bridge between the ancestors, spirits, and deities with the people of her community who communicated between them. She was also a healer and was of a high social rank just after the Rajah and Datu. Alabay - a Babaylans apprentice, one in training to become a Babaylan Asog - a male priest who considered themselves and were considered by their community, more like women than men in their manner of living. They often were recorded as having relationships with other men. They were just like the Babaylans except they couldn’t produce children. Katalonan - The Tagalog term for the Babaylans for their own priestesses.

Divination

Himalad - Palmistry Paghimalar - to tell ones fortune by reading the lines on the palm of the hand. Sibit - term used when getting rid of bad luck. This was done by drawing the palm of the hand what is causing it. They would take a needle, pierce the part where they said was the bad fortune and draw out a little blood. With his the bad luck went away. This was always done on the right hand where good and bad luck is located; they pay no attention to the left. Some rubbed the palm with palm oil and raised the arm of the person whose fortune they were telling. If the oil ran down and came as far as the elbow, it was a good sign and all the bad luck was gone now. If not, it wasn’t. Luknit - cast lots by 4 crocodile teeth or boar tusks. Tali - stone or egg made to stand upright on a plate. Abiyog - to swing; like a bolo suspended from a cord. 

Witchcraft

Habit - spell Ginhabit - one bewitched by habit Lumay/Gayuma - love potion Buringot - the opposite of a love potion. Also made one fearless in the face of danger. Mantala - incantations Tagarlum - herb charmed to make owner invisible Awug - spell put on coconut palms to make a thief's stomach swell up. Tiwtiw -spell that made fish follow the fishermen to shore or wild boar follow hunter out of the woods. Oropok - caused rats to multiply in someones fields. Tagosilangan - Persons with a charm that enabled them to see hidden things.

Spiritual Healing & Soul Retrieval

Agaw - It was to carry off by force, to snatch a pain from the sufferer, which was done by the babaylan. Tawag - to call out, summon the spirit that kidnapped the soul. Bawi - to rescue, free the invalid from the grip of the spirit

Chants & Invocations

Darangin - perfunctory invocation of ancestor spirits when leaving the house. Balata or lalaw - oaths taken during mourning

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Filipino Mythology, Ghost Stories, Folktales and Superstitions

Because Filipino stories are scary and just yes. 

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Filipino Mythological Creatures

Philippine Urban Legends

Philippine mythical creatures

Philippines Legends and Myths

Top 10 Scariest Filipino Monsters

Filipino Ghost Stories

Ghosts in Filipino culture

Ghosts in Filipino culture

Eerie Tales From Philippines

Ghost stories from Philippines

Multo: Ghosts of story, myth or anywhere else

The Boogie Men of the Philippines: Aswang, White Lady, Witches, Batibat, Spirits, Ghosts, And Demons!

Filipino Folktales

Philippine Folk Tales

Philippine Folk Tales

Filipino Superstitions

Superstitious beliefs of Filipinos

Philippine Beliefs and Superstitions

[dreiidrie]

Illustrations for our school magazine. I was instantly messaged by their head illustrator. This is not a commissioned work, just a thing for school.

First artwork is an interpretation of a Filipino deity named Magwayen. In Filipino mythology, Magwayen was the goddess of the sea and water then she became the woman who guides souls to hell. Much like Charon only prettier. 

Second is an illustration of a Sirena. Sirena = Siren. Same banana. 

These were both rushed because I was told the night before the deadline. I had fun despite the sleepless night. It was a good destress. I would have coloured them but they told me the work should only be in grayscale with red accents. So voila. 

Baii.