Warm Dark Sky

 Sonoran/Mojave desert witch things. I collect/write/research desert plants, rocks, spells involving solar heat, and locale-based practice. Fellow witchy/pagan folks in the desert, say hi!

[nehetisingsforhekate]

I pray for Justice, Liberty, and Victory.  To come up, rise and be our salvation.  Sweep aside those who do violence to the souls of children Who chain them as hostages For paltry ends or grand designs alike.  Let the world descend upon these foulnesses That sit upon the Hill And crush them with your blessings and virtues!  O Goddesses who stand for Righteous Acts. Justicia, Libertas,  Hear our pleas and save us from this wickedness. 

Hekate Megiste, Pammetor,  I have sworn my oaths in Your Names,  I have built Your altar, given offerings in Your honor,  My work has been dedicated to You,  Hekate Kourotrophos,  Let loose Your servants into the dreams of those who harm the children,  Let terror fill their dreams until Justice comes upon them,  Let the gates of the camps be thrown open and families be brought together once more!  Hekate Kourotrophos,  Pammetor, Brimo,  Unto You have I sworn my oaths,  Hear my pleas now,  O Goddess! 

[dianasson]

ευτυχισμένος δείπνον

ef̱tychisménos deípnon!

[hellenic-reconstructionism]

Historically Accurate Offerings to the Theoi

Zeus

Oak

Carnations

Olive branches

Styrax incense

Eagle, bull, swan images

Hera

Lilies

Peacock feathers or images

Pomegranate

Incenses

Cuckoo images

Athena

Olive branch/oil/fruit

Weavings

Myrrh incense

Perfume

Owl images

Apollon

Laurel

Red roses, sunflowers

Frankincense (manna) incense

Palm tree

Raven, swan, wolf, mouse, dolphin images

Artemis

Cedar, palm and cypress trees

Tokens of deer

Jasmine

Myrtle, white flowers

Frankincense (manna) incense

Amaranthus

Peanut

Wormwood

Deer, dog, bear, partidge, quail images

Hestia

Incenses

Chaste-tree

Pig images

Poseidon

Sea anemone

Myrrh incense

Pine

Bull, dolphin, horse images

Dionysos

Ivy

Grape vine

Pine

Styrax incense

Leopard, panther, donkey, bull images

Hermes

Tongue-shaped tokens

Rosemary, saffron

Almond tree and pine tree

Frankincense and styrax incense

Mint (for Kthonios epithet)

Cow, ram, hawk, turtle, hare images

Wild strawberry (purslane)

Ares

Bronze weapons

Frankincense (manna) incense

Swan, vulture, dragon/poisonous snake, owl images

Aphrodite

Roses, myrtle, anemone (poppy)

Quince

Apple, pomegranate

Perfumes and fragrances as incense

Dove, goose, sparrow, turtle images

Hephaistos

Daisies

Frankincense (manna) incense

Donkey, dog, crane images

Asklepios

Frankincense (manna) incense

Bread

Serpent, dog, goose, rooster images

Pan

Pine, beech trees

Fern

Wild flowers

Herbs burnt as incense and the smell of perfumes

Reeds

Goat, turtle images

Demeter

Poppy

Tokens of pigs

Styrax incense

Mint (for Kthonia epithet)

Wheat

Dove, bee, pig images

Persephone

Asphodel

Wheat

Hades

Pitchfork

Pomegranate

Daffodil

Styrax incense

Dried laurel leaves

Poplar, cypress trees

Mint

Daffodil

Hekate

Saffron

Rosemary

Garlic

Red Mullet

Amphiphon (candy)

Styrax incense

Dry laurel leaves

Oak

Ferret, dog, bull, lioness images

Source: LABRYS’ Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship and Theoi.com

[teawitch]

There really is no guarantee that someone who posts lots of witchcraft info harvested from the web knows more than the witch posting mostly pictures. 

[loveage-moondream]

“The moon is my mother. She is not sweet like Mary. Her blue garments unloose small bats and owls.”

— Sylvia Plath, from The Moon and the Yew Tree.

[buffy-screencaps]

[phoenyxoftheashes]

Holy fuck it’s true though

[witchynights]

I’m screaming at how accurate this is

[asksecularwitch]

How does a spell actually achieve the goal?

Me: *a while back* blah blah blah

Me: *now: shruggies, a wave, a wink, a chin to a shoulder* its magic!

[desertwitchcraft]

Happy Mabon 🍄🍎🍠🎃🥞❤🧡💛

[havencraft-deactivated20200917]

“Don’t Work with Death!”

“Don’t work with death, because then you invite it into your house.”

Death is already in my house. Death is everywhere. Death is what decays the plant matter that feeds my garden. Death is what feeds the herbs I use in my spells, for each grows from what died before it.

Death is what feeds my family - death of plants, the death of animals. I would not disrespect the spirits of that which feeds us by ignoring their sacrifice. 

Death is the veil between my ancestors and myself, keeping them at rest and then acting as the gate for them to step into their next life.

When I do hospice work and sit with someone who is accepting their approaching death, I don’t tell them death is something to fear or avoid. I tell them death is the friend that walked beside them, every step of their life, maintaining the balance of the world, and waiting for them with open arms, to escort them to rebirth. 

“Don’t work with death!” 

I would not ignore life’s partner, not for arrogance or fear or ignorance. When I go to my own, I want to greet death with respect, acceptance, and gratitude. 

[bythegods]

Trivia, Roman Goddess of Sorcery

Goddess of sorcery and witchcraft, Trivia was said to have power in graveyards, crossroads, and other places of transition, mirroring her sway over the space between life and death. 

Her Greek counterpart was Hecate, and both were often visualized in a triple-form. She was a Titan of the underworld, but in the Titanomachy–the great war between Titans and Olympians to determine which generation of gods would rule the universe–she aided Jupiter, and was thus allowed to keep her powers and position.

She is a liminal deity, which is a deity associated with thresholds and transition. Her powers were invoked to aid in childbirth, and also to guide the dead: as part of her role as an Underworld goddess, she was called Queen of Ghosts. 

—

I think liminal deities are fascinating, because they’re attributed with wisdom of (or power over) the thresholds we find most important/most terrifying. Our ancestors infused these figures with mystery and dignity; they’ll be there, they know what we dream of knowing, but they won’t be forthcoming with answers or comfort. Death is scary, and life is mysterious, but they represent and embody a uniquely human courage to comprehend the incomprehensible.

[apenitentialprayer]

“When reading the Old Testament it becomes clear that it was the Baal cult that provided the greatest and most enduring threat to the development of exclusive Yahweh worship within ancient Israel. The fact that the Israelites were settled among the Canaanites, for whom the worship of Baal was so important, and that Palestine is a land utterly dependent for its fertility upon the rain, which was held to be Baal’s special realm of influence, accounts for the tempting nature of this cult as well as the strength of the Old Testament polemic against it.”

— John Day, Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan (2002)

[astrolocherry]

Pisces

[silverjirachi]

me reading tarot for other people: it’s really just for advice i really cant see the future haha

me reading tarot for myself: tell me the future bitch

[thedogandthewitch-deactivated20]

Autumn in the Desert? It can be witchy too!

Spicing up last year’s desert witch post —

Personally to me, autumn is the most beautiful season of the year. Nothing compares to the colors, the smells, the sounds, and let’s not forget the tastes you experience in this season! It’s a great way for many witches to awaken their mind, body, and soul. But, not all witches live in vast forest or suburban areas with trees. If you live in the desert like me, (Sonoran Desert, Arizona woot woot 🌵), then you have to find the beauty of autumn in other ways. Seeings how the local cacti aren’t “dropping leaves” and the temperatures are still in the 90°F - 100°F zone it can be hard to get into the spirit of things. So, here are some tips for my fellow witches in the desert!

🍂Get up early to experince dawn ☀️

Set those alarms early. You’ll want to wake up and brew that tea as soon as the sun starts to peep over the horizon. Gotta be up no later than 6 am, trust me. It’s the only time of day where there’s sunlight and it’s only in the 60°F - 70°F temperature zone outside. The best time to get that “fall feeling” you miss is right now. The nip from the desert night’s air meeting the warmth of the morning’s beaming sun rays is indescribable. Nature at her most beautiful and serene. It’s also a great opportunity as witches to charge or cleanse anything you’d like (water, crystals, spell jars, etc) to give an extra “kick” from the day’s first light.

🍂Go Hiking 🏃‍♀️

No, seriously. I know it seems silly but, go out on a hike and THEN tell me you don’t come back more “one with nature” lol. Whether it be by yourself or with friends, go out an enjoy the life that is teeming all around you. Some of the most beautiful scenes in the desert are during autumn months because the summer rains have left behind all that new green foliage. Not to mention the beginning of migrant animals can be seen on your walks as well. Hiking in general is just a great way to realign yourself with nature. To recharge, cleanse, and give yourself a good “boost” in positive energy.

* Helpful desert tip: Remember to always keep a charged cell phone, water, and food on your person when you go out hiking. Also it is super important that before you go out on a trail monitor the weather in the area you are going to. Monsoon rains and flash flooding on trails is still a big threat to hikers until October. Make sure if you hike alone somebody knows exactly where you are going, how long you are planning on hiking for, and when to expect you back from your hike.

🍂Plant something new 🌱

This time of year for us desert witches is great for planting new seedlings. Those precious flowers and herbs that died this summer? Try replanting them now. Mints, lavenders, berries, peppers, all sorts of plants can now flourish. With temperatures still warm during the day but short of freezing at night, even outdoor planting and gardening is perfect in autumn. If you have succulents put them outside in the wee hours of the morning. The early rays are perfect for even delicate babies to enjoy outside safely.

🍂Celebrate with local foods 🥐🍎

Anyone can eat pumpkin pie or have apple cider. It’s in the markets EVERYWHERE. But, fall for me means prickly pear and mesquite trees. Prickly pear is a fruit from the cacti plant, Opuntia, and it is heaven. It’s our pumpkin here in Arizona in a lot of ways. Culturally it’s a staple to welcoming autumn in the desert. The monsoon rains have brought a lot of new harvest. The fruit is picked for grilling, baking, soups, candies, jams, jellies, drinks, breads, cakes, you name it, it’s made with prickly pear. lol. As well with mesquite trees, you can mill the pods that the trees drop in the fall and make flour with it. The rains from the monsoons has been making the pods sweet and ready to bake into breads, pies, cakes, all sorts of goodies. I can always tell it’s autumn out here when you sit fire side to mesquite wood burning, prickly cakes, and a nice tall glass of prickly pear cider. yum! 😊

Where ever you are, remember to embrace all the moments fall has to bring. Enjoy the changing season around you and celebrate it however best fits you 🍁

fair winds my friends 🔮 ~ @thedogandthewitch

[desertwitchcraft]

autumn in the desert is about harvest AND renewal. Time to clean house, go outside, and do other stuff stereotypically “spring”

[desertwitchcraft]

I really want a figurine of the Statue of Liberty for my altar but honestly, where do you find those besides New York

[desertwitchcraft]

Celebrating my first deipnon tonight, I'm so excited. Building an altar, dressing candles, preparing offerings. I've picked a spot to go tonight on a hill above the railroad, border between two towns, perched above where the homeless camp in the trees by the riverbed

[dianasson]

ευτυχισμένος δείπνον

ef̱tychisménos deípnon!