A stranded rusałka’s guide to; connecting with the old ones
So, this has come up as a subject in the Slavic discord (you should totally join, it is a wonderful place). I have had a number of people ask me what it is I do to connect to the old ones, how do I reach out. So I have decided to make a post, and maybe give a few examples.
Disclaimer; I am by no means some omnipotent being who knows everything and has everything figured out. This is just what I do, based off research, conversations with others and personal experience.
First of all… Pray. A lot of people don’t like that word. For a lot of people, it is a word associated with mindlessly repeating words that are not our own to appease a distant diety. That is not what I mean. Talk to them. The old ones always listen. When I talk to them… I tell them secrets; I tell them about the annoyances and fears. I tell them the mundane; like when I feel low and lonely because the sky is grey and gloomy. The big; like that I am afraid of the shadows the talk to me. And everything in between.
Another way I have found much love for is dedicating my creativity to the old ones. Write, draw, sing and dance. The old ones do not care if you are a professional. Your devotion is enough. The effort and intention counts.
Maintaining an altar for the old ones is a very good way to connect to the old ones; it has the virtue of being as simple or as complex as you wish it to be. You can make it as personal as you wish, decorate it with fruits and flora of the season, your own craft, candles, crystals… Cloths etc. It can be as small as a tin box with a candle light and some leaves, if you have to hide your beliefs or simply don’t have the space. Tending to your altar, adding to it and changing it up is a wonderful exercise of connecting with the old ones.
Along that note, making offerings is another very good way. I have found many people around me struggle to come up with fitting offerings so I will suggest some down below. I personally like to use blood (normally own) as an offering to the two old ones I communicate with most often, as well as baked goods and different flora. Those are rather universal offerings, and can be used in addition/mixed in with other things. So here are a few examples of offerings and altar decorations I make and use;
Morana; dog rose, lilies, poppies, chrysanthemum, crow and raven feathers, fresh blood, bones (I like to use bones from my meals), graveyard dirt, black and white candles, obsidian, labradorite, dried fruits, velvet, rag dolls, pieces of paper with things I’m afraid of
Veles; pine cones, willow leaves, daisies, coins, bear or cattle statuettes, black, grey, and green candles, song lyrics, sheet music, drawings quartz, emerald, lightning stones, most fabrics really, apples, blueberries, raspberries, herbs, incense, secrets I’m not supposed to tell anyone written down on things like napkins, pieces of fabric etc.
Mokosh; roses, lavender, chicken feathers, flowery materials (such as shawls and table cloths), phallic statues and imagery, knitted handywork, locks of hair, sweet foodstuffs, red, brown, white and purple candles, interestingly shaped pebbles, carnelian, drawings, daily matters, such as things I need to remember organised on a list
Perun; oak leaves, nuts, steel, blue and white candles, silk, fresh produce such as bread and spiced meats, leather, celestite, sapphire, lightning imagery, white feathers,
Jarilo; any and all flowers, knives and daggers, braided bread (I’m not sure what it’s called in English), wreaths, strawberries, oranges, scented candles, essential oils, quotes that inspire courage, dove/hare statuettes, blood, straw dolls, dyed cotton fabrics, soldier figurines
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