Mediosamonios also says summer solstice or Saint-Jean, Litha, Alban Eifin (Alban Hefin variant), Mediosamonios and Midsummer. In Scandinavia, we speak of Sankthans, Jonsok, Johannesvake, or Midtsommer.
We know this festival well, which has current resonances in the "fires of St Jean". At the summer solstice, the Sun makes its longest course from northeast to northwest.
The days are at their maximum amplitude and the solar energy is at its maximum activity. It is also a particularly favorable period for picking magic and medicinal plants that are traditionally collected at the dawn of the solstice.
Among the sacred plants lunar mugwort, solar St. John's wort and verbena officinalis which creates the link between the two.
Mugwort
Verbana officinalis
St John's wort
There are others, the list is long, fern, ground ivy, stonecrop, loosestrife, piloselle hawkweed, warbler mint, figwort, yarrow... So many plants which were not only endowed with powers over illness but also over luck and bad luck. It is enough to hang a bouquet of these plants on the threshold of the house or the barn to ward off bad luck.
The Sun has become a handsome, vigorous male, he 's at the peak of his strength. And paradox, in doing so, already presents the germ of its fall. Solstitial rituals are complex and are often held in several parts. The observance of the vigil, the dawn ceremony and the noon ceremony.
The vigil is held near the mounds or places of memory, they are an inner quest, a quest for vision at the same time as the occasion for exchanges, discussion, music or poetry The dawn ceremony is a homage to the Sun and an appeal to the life force of the Sun.
The following ceremony welcomes the coronation of the King and honors the ancestors and Tradition.
One of the most famous ceremonies is held on the site of Stonehenge and sees hundreds of people flocking to celebrate the sunrise in this place. Celebrations take place every year in this place. They are often marked by joy and a certain eccentricity that has always been characteristic of pagan celebrations.
The solstice is a moment of extroversion, we dance, we jump, we sing, we make music.
Photos : Aurelie Scouarnec (all rights reserved).
Sometimes sun wheels or firebrands (bures) are turned to celebrate the triumph of the Sun. Moments of jubilation that are accompanied by moments of reflection because we know that the Sun at its highest is already beginning to decline.
Fire, its implementation, its maintenance and the offerings made to it, are important elements in the art of the Druids. It is beneficial by the protection, the health, the illumination that it offers. It is said that the strength of a Fire is related to the art of its construction: "Mog Ruith said to Cennmhar: 'Light and prepare the fire. Cennmhar got up and arranged the pyre thus: he formed it like a churn with three sides and three angles, but seven gates, whereas there were only three gates in the northern fire.
Midsummer fire
Making the “bed of fire” is still part of the druidic arts.
Druidic Fire Rite
The Fear lasraichean will come forward to build the bonfire, with the 7 sacred woods that will have been chosen before the ritual, think about having beautiful logs and twigs to light, paper and everything else too.
The 7 sacred woods for this rite are: Fir, Birch, Beech, Elm, Chestnut, Apple and Oak.
When the stake is ready, the officiant comes forward and says:
“O power of Nature and the ascents of Awen I honor you. By this feast of Tantad here in the height of the season of Light. I light a Druidic fire to pay homage to the Gods. »
And say the following Druidic prayer:
“Give us, O Gods, your support.
And with your support, strength.
And with strength, understanding.
And with understanding, science.
And with science, the science of what is right, the power to love.
And by loving, the love of all living beings.
And in every living being, the love of the Gods.
Elder Gods and just good! »
Mediosamonios is therefore a celebration of Fire, Fire of life, fire of Men. A fire kept up all night, during the vigil, while waiting to be able to greet the fire of Heaven, the Sun of Dawn which is “the eye of Belen”, or even the eye of the Day.
It is even said that fairies sometimes join in the feast of the living as Mediosamonios is also a night of the spirits like Samonios and Belotennia.
Altars are considered a key element of witchcraft for deity worship, elemental, planetary or ancestral connections, or spell work. However, they can be costly, you may not have the space for it, or you may be in the broom closet. But you don't need a physical altar, you don't even need physical tools. Digital altars are a great way to worship deities in the case you’re unable to set up a physical altar. There are heaps of alternatives if you’d like to get creative with it.
Some people doubt the integrity of digital altars, however I believe they gain metaphysical energy as they’re created, which can be used for witchcraft. Think about emoji spells for example!
Digital altars are different to digital shrines, which are similar in concept, but different in purpose. Shrines are more of a permanent honouring of a being, and they don't necessarily have to be used actively. Meanwhile altars are for active worshiping, when you’re actually giving an offering or trying to contact that deity. However, digital altars can also function as a shrine, depending on use!
Below are 19 different options for digital altars (but I'd suggest using multiple!)
Image/Collage Altars
Picrew Altar Sketch (by Camade)
This game was designed specifically for creating altars suitable for sacred spaces to perform deity worship, to connect with ancestors, and to be a witch’s working table. After saving it you can edit the picture frames to add pictures of your deity, your family or any other being. It has a lot of variability so it’s great for creating multiple altars very quickly in a consistent aesthetic.
Here’s a link to one I made the other day, using colours and imagery to suit my purpose. This is probably the easiest of the options, while also being the most versatile. However, there are limitations as you can't really make it specific to your chosen deity unless you edit the image later.
Canva / Morpholio / Photoshop
These allow for creating single image collages to set as your phone or laptop background with crystals, cardinal directions, deity images, candles, wands or any other altar tools, along with quotes, intentions and prayers. This can be as subtle or structured as you want, making it helpful for closeted witches.
You can use the collages you create for wallpapers on your laptop or phone, or you could get them printed out and stick them on your wall!
In-Game Altars
Minecraft
On Minecraft you can built entire structures as an altar or shrine, but you’re limited with decorations unless you install a mod. Mods can give you a lot of room to be creative and have a strong aesthetic. Alternatively, you can build just one room and line it with books, add an enchanting table, potions, diamond/emerald blocks, brewing stands, cauldrons and more, using the standard texture pack.
@gailcraft was kind enough to speak to me about her experiences using altars on Minecraft. She usually uses her Minecraft altars to function as a travel altar or when her physical altar hasn’t been cleansed, mainly as a visual representation of her physical altars rather than an actual workspace. When using her Minecraft altar, she generally keeps it strictly digital, writing out prayers on signs and giving in-game offerings of food and potions which correspond with the deity.
As you can see in the images she’s provided, she’s created a cottage-like structure to house her main digital altar to serve as a safe space, decorated with candles, crystals and plants inside. She has separate deity altars for Hades and Persephone, decorated with skull paintings, gold, spiders eye, crystals, flowers, a skeleton skull, lanterns and the aforementioned offerings in picture frames.
These are great altar alternatives as they don’t require much maintenance or energy, and are suitable for witches who are unable to have a physical altar or who travel a lot.
Another really cool idea for digital altars by @neonswitchhouse is to make digital spell jars by placing items in chests that may best represent your purpose, and you can specify this by writing intents on signs above the chests.
An added bonus is that you can design a skin for your avatar to look like yourself, and you can get pets like wolfs or cats.
Animal Crossing
New Horizons has so much potential for digital altars as it’s super customisable. You can dedicate an entire room in your house to witchcraft, decorating it with a glowing magic-circle flooring, candle wallpaper, candles, stonework kitchen sets, gothic mirrors, decorative bottles, cauldrons, brick ovens, pillars, stone and candle chandeliers. They also have divination sets with crystal balls, incense, bones (in the form of dinosaurs) and a whole load of other decorative options. The main issue is that collecting all of these is time-consuming unless you purchase them online. You can make offerings by placing items that correspond with your deity in your room.
There are heaps of examples of this. @spookynerdghoul has one here and @blomi-isle has one here. Alternatively @ostarasghost has a dedicated corner which you can see here.
You could also make an outdoor altar space, or multiple all around your island. You can create patterns to put on the floor as runes or sigils that correspond with your intent, if you’re looking to do spellwork or deity worship in-game. You could make offerings through art by creating patterns and placing them on stands.
There’s even a zodiac-themed item set that you can create by wishing on shooting stars. You can customise and dress up your avatar to wear cute witchy clothes too, or download outfits from their online section that other players have designed.
On my island, I have one section with a stonehenge which lines up with the full moon, as well as a separate rocky-section with some candles and a skull-hat, and a crescent moon island with a pattern of Saturn that I created, but I encourage you to go more full-out than I did!
Stardew Valley
@baduhennasravensraven classifies these as shrines, but I’d like to show it as an example as a potential altar. They’ve set up multiple sheds to serve as shrines/temples for different deities! You can see images in their post here.
Like for Minecraft, you do needs mods to get the full experience, but again you can make digital spell jars by growing the plants that best represent your purpose and placing them in with items that may best represent your purpose.
Sims / Avakin
I’ve grouped these together because they’re similar, but in both you can design and decorate houses in a 3D virtual world.
Again, expansion and stuff packs are needed to use Sims to the fullest, but you can find some great ones by @simdertalia here and here, or one by @lycheesmods here. Some more of the relevant ones are the Magic School mod (fair warning: it’s Harry Potter inspired) and the Paranomal pack, where you can have ghosts as roomates and perform a séance.
Here's an example altar made on Avakin by @onixdace. I'm not that familiar with this program, but it looks similar in concept to other house-design/decoration games.
Hollowmoor
@hollowmoor-game is a steam game still in the works with a planned release in 2023. I’m not sure yet of specific ideas in using it as a digital altar, but I’m sure it’ll be great, and I’ll update this post when it does come out.
According to their page, “As a budding young Witch or Wizard you’ll need to manage your farm and explore the mystical world to gather your ingredients. Brew potions! Forge enchantments! Complete orders for the townsfolks and learn their stories! Bring magic back to Hollowmoor!”
It seems promising! I believe it’s similar in concept to Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, so I’m sure you could form a digital altar in the same way in Hollowmoor once it’s released.
Abstract Art Altars
Dream AI
Dream AI is an artificial intelligence art-creating app. You can use this to make an abstract artistic altar by typing in words like your deities name and their associations or a short prayer or intention, use the outcome as an altar by making it your phone background. You can also set a base image to inspire the art with your deity of choice, making a sort of subliminal image of that deity within the creation. This is helpful for closet witches, you can just claim you like the art the AI produced if anyone asks.
Alternatively, you can use the art as a digital offering by posting it on your tumblr altar captioned with a prayer, like @crazyskirtlady has here. Check out her page for more examples of techno witchcraft!
Mixed Media Altars
Notion
Notion is a great organisational app where you can add a mix of photos, gifs, text, embedded videos, music and playlists onto a page, making for a multi-media style altar. You can also store resource notes and links for any research you do.
@caduceussky and @arabellascraft were both kind enough to walk me through how they use their Notion altars!
@caduceussky has multiple different altars for different uses, like for deities and spirits, productivity, work-life balance, and prosperity spells that she uses in conjunction with physical altars, depending on convenience and her personal preference.
For deity/spirit work, she typically sets up her Notion altar first as a placeholder while she’s working on setting up a physical altar, then she treats it like a travel altar. She also use Notion for spell altars that have to do with work and study, since she uses her laptop for those, with separate pages set up for certain spells, sort of like digital spell jars.
For deity/spirit altars, she plays a devotional playlist while setting up the altar and adds a photo of a candle and photos of the deity/spirit or their associations like a collage. Digital offerings can go here, too, such as devotional writing or art. It can also be used as a journal to write her experiences and lessens she’s learnt from the deity/spirit.
For spell altars, she writes her intention at the top of the page, and any additional manifestations underneath. Similar to her deity/spirit altars, she includes photos of associations of the spell’s intentions, and sigils specific to the spell.
@arabellascraft uses her Notion altar for spontaneous rituals and spellwork as her physical altars are generally temporary. She meditates to her Notion altar or leaves a note, for example for gratitude.
She practices Irish folk traditions, one of which being having a moment of reflection and prayer when you first see the new moon of the month. Having her Notion altar in her pocket makes practicing this simple as it’s portable, however, one weakness is that there’s a lack of a physical connection. On the up side, the ability to embed playlists into Notion keeps her in the spiritual mindset rather than having to go back and forth in Spotify.
There’s about to be a Notion AI too, with the function of brainstorming assistance. This means you can type in something such as “What can I do to increase my mindfulness,” and a list of related answers and ideas will be produced, or “Write a poem about the God Apollo,” and the AI will generate one for you. You can join the waitlist here.
Phone App Altars
#Self-Care
This game includes a digital altar with a function to integrate your personal experiences by setting objects to a meaning, memory or realisation, like a journal. It also has organising functions to put objects away from you altar when you’re done with them and bring them back out when you’d like to display them again.
You can gain objects for your altar by performing in-game tasks like putting away laundry, fill-in-the-blank word activities with your choice of affirmations or life tips, simple puzzles, and gain tarot cards by picking a daily tarot card. You can also light a candle and type in an intention!
It does take a while to collect enough objects to display for a particular purpose, but if your digital altar is going to be your main altar, this one is a good long-term option.
The app is customisable to a certain extent with colours and designs, but some of the fancier stuff you have to pay for (like nicer backgrounds and patterns).
Here’s an image of my current altar on this app after about a week of use, along with an image of the main page.
Discord
On Discord, you can join a public server with custom categories to use as digital altars, such as this one by @homeiswherethehearthis. Alternatively, you can create a private server with chat rooms for various areas of worship and then post pictures/gifs and write prayers there.
With Discord altars, you can write messages to your deities, send them pictures, links to articles or books about them, as well as send them offerings of your creations. It’s a great way to have a massive private or shared space dedicated to your deity.
Further, you can add Discord bots that can do divination for you, as suggested by @lyresstrings in this post, such as a pendulumn bot, a daily tarot bot, or a horoscope bot. There’s even one that states the current moon phase!
Notes App
In the standard Notes app you can create folders for specific deities, and inside each folder, add notes daily, with images, links, song names and lists of correspondences to that deity. Further, you can write letters to your deity within the notes app, as well as intentions, wishes, and things you’re greatful for.
A great feature of this app is that you can actually lock your notes with a password just incase you’re worried about someone going through your digital altar.
This one is a good option to use in conjunction with a Collage altar if you make it your phone background.
Pinterest Shuffles
Pinterest Shuffles is a sister app of Pinterest, but instead of boards, it’s like scrapbooking. It’s an amazing tool for creative expression with a similar vibe to what Polyvore used to be.
The altars you can make with this are similar in concept to collage altars but the uses are specific to phones, meaning you can only make phone wallpaper images. With Shuffles, you can incorporate images directly from your Pinterest boards, which is great if you already have a deity board and want to condense it into a single image to set your wallpaper.
You can add text with intentions and prayers, or you can just use symbols of your deity of choice. I’d suggest making multiple of these, all with different intentions, so you can change your wallpaper based on what you’re asking of the deity for that day and worship on-the-go just by looking at your lock screen.
I made one as an example which you can view here. This is currently my home screen wallpaper! I added symbols of Saturn such as a clock, skeleton, herbs, capricorn, the world tarot card, the shrine of Saturn in italy, a crow, the number 3, karma, saturn-related texts, and my favourite images of Saturn.
Social Media Altars
Tumblr Blogs
This is probably the most common digital altar, mainly because of the massive witchcraft presence on Tumblr, and the ability to make multiple secondary blogs for each deity.
You can reblog general posts that remind you of your deity, images, gifs, spells, associations, prayers, emoji spells and more. However, are often considered to be more shrine-like activities. You can turn it into an altar by creating posts with digital offerings such as art and collages captioned with text spells, emoji spells, or prayers/worships (as inspired by @crazyskirtlady), or write poems for your deity.
Blogs are totally customisable, and you can change the designs with pictures, music, fonts and more. One important thing to note with secondary blogs is that you cannot initiate social functions like DMs, comments, even following and liking, and you can never change your secondary blog into a primary blog (trust me, I’ve tried. I made the mistake of making this account a secondary blog, now I can’t interact with any of you unless you reach out first).
The tagging system is a little weak though, and it can be difficult to search through all your posts and reblogs, so I suggest if there’s anything you want to keep track of, you have a separate space for it, such as on Notion.
Pinterest Boards
With Pinterest, you can create multiple boards for different deities or spirits, adding images that remind you of those beings from what others have posted. Finding inspiration is super simple! You can add images of representations of your deity, like food, clothes, crystals, art, sculptures, elements, animals, objects and more.
Instagram
In the same sense as creating a Pinterest board, you can dedicate an entire Instagram account to your deity. You don’t have to follow anyone, and can keep it on private, or you can share it publicly. You can post your offerings, photos of things you come across in every-day life like images of the sun, the ocean, trees, plants, bugs and more.
Be careful with this option, however, as you can’t just download photos from Pinterest and post them without credit. This option is more appropriate for art you’ve created yourself and documenting your experiences with captions, poems, emojis, short letters, gratitudes, and intentions.
Musical/Playlist Altars
Spotify
One post by @asatroende got me thinking about how apps like Spotify can be used as digital altars by creating playlists with songs you associate with a deity as a form of prayer. Some examples other than normal music includes subliminals, podcasts, instrumentals, and white noise sounds. If you add a short ambient candle sound in the middle of the playlist, this can aid in visualising a candle, making your prayer or offering, then it
You can add a picture of your deity as the album cover and add an intention or emoji spell in the description to customise it further. Spotify also allows you to make folders, and insert multiple playlists within those folders, which is great it you have multiple deities you’d like to make altars for.
An added bonus is that if you have a Notion altar, you can embed this playlist into it!
For my Spotify altar for Saturn, I added Sleeping At Last’s ‘Saturn’ from Atlas I, a 1:24 minute candle sound, then the planetary/space sounds recorded and posted by NASA called ‘Nasa - Saturn’. This way, I can get in the mindset, make my devotional prayer to the candle visualisation, then mediate to the sounds of Saturn for 30 minutes. I used an emoji spell as the description, and used an image of Saturn eclipsing as the cover.
Apple Music
I’m not a user of Apple Music, but I’m sure it can be used in a similar way to Spotify. If you have the free version, you can only add songs that you own to a playlists. To get around this you can use a youtube-to-mp3 converter to get ambient sounds, subliminals and more. However, this isn’t necessary, and you can just include music you own that reminds you of your chosen deity.
Virtual Reality Altars
Oculus
One last idea is if you have the technology and setup for it, you can create an altar in a VR game or space. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find any practical examples of this one.
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Special thanks
I’d like to give a big thank you to @gailcraft, @caduceussky and @arabellascraft for giving me permission to talk about their personal digital altars, and for providing me with information regarding them. A further thank you to @gailcraft for providing me with images to share with you all. Go check them out!
Here’s the explanation for baby withces:
Some people doubt the integrity of digital altars, however I believe they gain metaphysical energy as they’re created, which can be used for witchcraft. Think about emoji spells, for example!
Digital altars are different to digital shrines, which are similar in concept, but different in purpose. Shrines are more of a permanent honouring of a being, and they don't necessarily have to be used actively. Meanwhile altars are for active worshiping, when you’re actually giving an offering or trying to contact that deity. However, digital altars can also function as a shrine, depending on use!
Altars can be used for multiple purposes, for deities, patron planets, ancestors or general spirit work. Some people have one altar for everything, or separate their altars to keep these purposes separate, minimising the ‘cleansing’ you may have to do between each ritual.
Traditionally altars include tools to represent, the four elements, the cardinal directions, genders (although this is sort of being phased out), and offerings. The sub-categories of these are where you can get creative in the representations. More on that in a future post!
By putting certain things underneath your pillow, you will allow those metaphysical properties to interact with your dreams and being throughout the night when you sleep upon that pillow. Here is a small list of constructs you can put underneath your pillow that will provide you with specific kna, minds states, and physical stimuli throughout the night based on what they are:
Lapis lazuli is placed under your pillow for awareness of your dreams and the vividness of those dreams.
Clear quartz to wake up with more kna after you awake from your sleep.
Bayleaf to have more prophetic dreams.
Chamomile to promote relaxation and good dreams.
Rose petals to bring love into your waking life.
Peppermint to promote relaxation and vivid dreams.
Lavender to promote calm and for you to sleep well.
Anise to prevent nightmares.
Rosemary to prevent nightmares and to bring deep sleep.
Garlic to promote good sleep.
You can put a blade of grass or a leaf underneath your pillow to promote growth and change in your waking life.
Money for wealth and prosperity in your waking life.
A Picture of someone to connect with them better.
A name of someone to connect with them better.
You can put all manner of sigils underneath your pillow to get the effect of that Sigil into your dreams and waking life.
protection magick - we’ve all heard of it, and if you haven’t, then welcome to a very important post. generally, protection magick is a great place to start for beginners, but its always super important to incorporate it into your craft even as an 'advanced' practitioner (I really don't like that term, because no matter how long you've been practicing for or how much magick is in your family there is always something new to learn!). protection magick is important to implement when doing spirit work, doing any type of offensive/return to sender magick, or honestly most magick in general - i will almost always draw up some kind of protection during ANY magick working, from big rituals to my meditation practice.
Protection work can vary a lot, from simple incantations, to candle magick, to full-blown protection rituals that are perfectly coordinated. personally, I like to practice an in-between - I'll do small acts regularly, then bigger practices if a situation calls for it.
Now onto the fun stuff; if you're a little short on time, then the following are some great ideas for small protection workings:
drawing a pentacle into your food/drink
visualising a protective light surrounding you/your space
burning a black spell candle* (can take this further, see below!)
sprinkling salt around your home
burning a protection incense (dragons blood or sandalwood are my current faves; you can even just place an incense stick on your altar if you can't have it burning)
calling on your spirit guides/guardian angels/ancestors/whatever term you prefer for protection
just mentally or aloud setting an intention for protection for yourself and your loved ones
If you have a little more time for a larger ritual, then these are some great options:
* burning a candle on its own is great, however you can up the oomph by anointing it with a protection oil (there's a simple recipe below, or you can use a bought one!) and herbs, and carving runes or sigils into it
you can do a 'home-protection' ritual by walking the perimeter of your property or around your home, and either visualise a protective barrier forming around your designated space and setting the intention to protect your home and those within it. this can also be done with a candle or incense in hand to provide some extra protection
Herbs are a great addition to your protective practice, and can be used as the raw herb or in essential oil form. These herbs can be used together, or alone, in an oil or spray or just around the home in a small bowl. I love to leave some salt on my altar for quick use.
sage - i personally grow my own, you can get it from most garden stores and will grow nicely inside or in a windowsill!
rosemary - a great protective herb, and can be used as a stand in for most other herbs!
mint
lemon - great for cleansing negative energies
tea-tree
nettle - great for protection and defensive magick, as you can imagine
eucalyptus
juniper
chili - anything spicy is good for protection and defensive magick
SALT - can come in many forms, i've found that sea salt is great, however you can mix the ash of a protective incense like dragons blood with salt to make an extra-powerful blend!
pepper - good for banishing
cinnamon
cloves
dill
garlic - cliché, but it works
hawthorne
rose - the thorns especially are great for protection
I am leaving a method to crafting an oil that can be used for protection work under the cut! sending protection energies your way, have a blessed day xx
making a protection oil to anoint candles, doorways, window sills, your body, etc. is a really great way to provide yourself with something that will last, and is quick to use once made. Start by selecting any oil of your choosing, I personally don't like the smell of olive oil and have found it leaves my skin kinda greasy, so I generally opt for a grapeseed oil, almond oil, or a fractionated coconut oil. Place your chosen oil into a container, preferably the container you will be storing it in once finished (you can get small dropper bottles from most craft stores or online relatively cheap!). From there, add in any essential oils and/or herbs you like (I've included a list of herbs/oils that are great for protection above!) whilst setting the intention for protection of your person/space. Lighting a black candle is also a great addition to this ritual if it suits you. Once you have added your oils and/or herbs, you can visualise or infuse the oil with your intention and your magick, calling upon any spiritual guides, ancestors, deities etc., then place it on your altar. I like to surround it with cleansing and protective herbs and salt, as well as crystals like black obsidian, tourmaline, and selenite. I have a personal preference of leaving something on my altar for 3 days (often around a corresponding moon cycle; almost any moon cycle can be used for protection, I have a few posts about moon cycles so check that out!), before using it however you need to.
The Laws of Magick are concepts that describe patterns in the effects of witchcraft. Here are some simple definitions.
The Law of Attraction
What you put out to the world will be returned to you. This is manifestation through intention: "I want kindness so I will give kindness"
The Law of Knowledge
Knowledge is power. The more you know about something, the more you understand it and can use it or have power over it.
The Law of Self-Knowledge
Know thyself. The more you know yourself, the more you are capable of becoming the master of your own destiny and the facilitator of change in your own life.
The Law of Cause and Effect
Consistency is key. If you do the exact same action in the exact conditions, you will get exactly the same results every time.
The Law of Synchronicity
There is no such thing as coincidence. Though possible, it's extremely rare that two things happen at the same time that are not interconnected in some way.
The Law of Association
If any two patterns have elements in common, the patterns interact through those common elements.
The Law of Similarity
Having an accurate physical or mental representation of something facilitates control over it.
The Law of Contagion
Objects or beings in physical contact with each other continue to interact after separation. More contact = more connection.
The Law of Names
Knowing the complete and TRUE name of an object, being, or process gives one complete control over it.
The Law of Words of Power
Certain words hold great power. Even if their meaning is lost, the power is still there. An example is names: though you may not know what your name means exactly, it still holds a lot of power.
The Law of Personification
Personifying (considering it alive or to have a personality) anything makes it an entity. This can be beneficial in many ways: one example is personifying an object to channel a deity through it
The Law of Invocation
It is possible to establish internal communication with entities from either inside or outside oneself, said entities seeming to be inside of oneself during the communication process.
The Law of Evocation
It is possible to establish external communication with entities from either inside or outside oneself, said entities seeming to be outside oneself during the communication process.
The Law of Identification
Prolonged connection or association with another (person, being, entity, etc) can result in becoming said person/thing, including holding their knowledge or power. In other words, possession is possible.
The Law of Personal Universes
Reality is only our perceived conscious understanding of the world around us (and within us). It's possible that "reality" means different things to different people.
The Law of Infinite Universes
The concepts that multiple realities can exist at once, whether that be your own (like "multiple/alternate reality theory") or yours vs another's (like your perception of reality being different than your friend's).
The Law of Pragmatism
If a belief system allows someone to cope, survive, or achieve their goals, it becomes "real," "true," and "sensible" to them.
The Law of True Falsehoods
It's possible for two belief systems to contradict but still exist at the same time. Basically, just because something doesn't make sense to you, it doesn't mean it won't make sense to someone else. This is like a TL;DR of the above 3 laws.
The Law of Synthesis
If two "opposing" patterns combine to produce a new pattern, that new pattern will be more true than the previous two alone. In other words, if two understandings of reality combine, the new understanding will be more "true" or reasonable/understandable because it applies to more realities and therefore can be believed by more people.
The Law of Polarity
Any pattern of data can be split into (at least) two "opposing" characteristics, and each will contain the essence of the other within itself.
The Law of Opposites
The "opposite" of something contains information about said thing, by providing information on what it is not. This creates control or power over it because you now have knowledge over it, even if through its opposite; once again showing how interconnected all existence is.
The Law of Dynamic Balance
Balance is key. To live life to its fullest, one must allow themselves to not fall into extremes so that they can experience all that life is and can offer.
The Law of Perversity
Murphy's Law. If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. Emotional stability and self-awareness can help avoid things becoming utter disasters.
The Law of Unity
Every phenomena in existence is linked directly or indirectly to every other one, past, present, or future.
Clean and cleanse your space. Open doors and windows while you cleanse. As you get to every door, cleanse in a counterclockwise direction and state "I banish all negative energies and entities. Anything that does not serve my highest good (and the good of my family) leave now! (You can add an angry "get the fuck out" here if you wish ;) !)" In a clockwise direction state "I welcome positivity, light, love, healing, cleansing, happiness, abundance, prosperity, (good things etc.) and the protection of Diana (or whomever, you can choose elements, a deity, the universe...)." You can call the corners /elements to assist you as you cleanse the home. Make the sign of a pentagram after you state your intentions to lock the protections in.
Clean and cleanse your mirrors and do the same, but move your cleanser in a clockwise direction to banish and counter clockwise to welcome protection. You can draw pentacles with water and black salt or charcoal powder on all your mirrors and windows.
Make a simmer pot with vinegar and protective herbs/spices (bay leaf, mustard seeds, salt, lemon, black pepper, fennel, rosemary, clove...whatever you have on hand really). If it won't damage your floors, you can strain this mixture and wash your floors with it (dilute with water & add a bit more vinegar). You can make a separate floor wash with just vinegar & water + essential oils as well. You can wipe down your door frames and window sills with this too. Remember to salt the outside areas of your home after cleansing.
Cut a lemon and put slices surrounded in salt on a plate in every room, especially under beds (don't salt the lemons, just let them sit atop the salt!). If the lemons rot, the entity is still in the home. If the lemons dry without molding, your home is cleansed.
Take a nice long shower or ritual bath after you cleanse your home to avoid any residual energies sticking onto you. You can even smoke cleanse yourself if you feel it will help.
You can repeat this process as many times as necessary. Attrition warfare works if entities refuse to leave. They get weaker with every act of cleansing and banishing until they disappear completely. Of course, if you feel that this is not up to snuff for your particular situation, please find outside help!
This is an area of spellcraft that doesn’t get a lot of publicity because for most people it just becomes a natural part of the process. However, if you want to mix up how you do it, try something new, or otherwise let go of the way you were originally taught, this might be a good resource for performing rituals!
What are Sealed Spells?
In the context of magic you usually hear about sealing and binding like binding a person or something from being able to do something. Here we're talking more like a binding contract. This is a binding or seal locks in an action or intent. It is binding in the way an agreement is binding. You have given it firm parameters that it must follow and you have endeavored to finalize the action. You have provided certainty, locked in your answer, sealed the deal.
The benefits of this are inherent in the finality. You have a set thing that now is much harder to alter and is much harder to waver in its purpose. This is no longer some multi-purpose object. It has varitably been christened for this and this alone. The work to undo it will be just as rigorous as the work to do it in the first place. A light cleansing of your materials afterwards might not be enough. You're gonna need the spiritual bleach.
To some extent you might just feel that something needs to be finalized. If you feel it in your gut like you need something to formally end the working, these are what you might be looking for.
More Common Than You Think
This might be more familiar to you than you would initially think. Signing your name on something at the end is a common one, but even in a ritual sphere there are many examples. This is going to be your “so mote it be”, your “Amen”, and your other declarations of finality. Even purely secular situations often have rituals of finality. I think you’ll find that when these things are left out, there is sometimes a feeling of the energy hanging in the air. In a lot of ways it does not feel right. Whether this is the social convention of signaling to everything and everyone present that the ritual has come to a conclusion, or just to announce you’re finished, there is some power to it.
Types of Seals
There are several different ways to express finality in your workings. Here are just a few examples.
Shutting the Door and Sealing the Envelope
If your work involves some kind of lid or package, you can physically seal it. Whether this is corking a jar, sealing with wax, tying a string around something etc. If this is a possibility it is a good way to finalize a spell.
Written and Spoken Seals
Whether this is through signing something like you might finalize a formal contract or expressing that it is finalized verbally. A few examples of this are listed above that you may have heard before, but there is really nothing stopping you from making your own.
Kiss Seals
Sealing with a kiss. Kissing something to finalize has historical precedent and takes no extra tools to complete besides your lips. Whether this is physically using your lips or the other means, this is one option for a quick seal. Just don’t kiss poison.
Burning, Burying, and Bestrewing
Few things are more final than destruction. Once you’ve set the flame, you’ve pretty much confined what you’ve set on fire to that purpose forever. Burying something in the ground would be another example of this. Whether you feel the finality is from returning it to the earth, or because you are sealing it in a tomb of soul, this will certainly signal that it is done. Some feel like things are not complete until they’ve scattered the ashes, in which case throwing something to the wind could be your version of finality.
Whether this is through signing something like you might finalize a formal contract or expressing that it is finalized verbally. A few examples of this are listed above that you may have heard before, but there is really nothing stopping you from making your own.
Sigil Seals
An extension of the written or spoken seals are sigil seals. It accomplishes much the same thing, but can be a little more formal. Some might think this is kind of a stretch, but wax seals, like what might go on a letter, could fall into this category, technically.
Many witches believe that the human body is sacred. Whether they’re pantheists, animists, or somewhere in between, most magical practitioners agree that there is some sort of divine or magical essence contained in all living things, including our bodies. But if that’s the case, why do so many witches hesitate to use parts of the body in their craft?
Part of it is the “ick” factor. Western society is shaped by religious and cultural influences that tell us our bodies are unclean, gross, or even scary. In order to comfortably work with the energies of the human body in magic, we have to unlearn these cultural influences.
This post covers the uses of human effects (materials that come from the human body) in witchcraft and magic.
Why Use This Stuff, Anyway?
By far the most common use of human effects in magic is as a taglock. A taglock is an item from the person a spell is meant to affect — either a small piece of their person (such as hair or fingernail clippings), or a personal belonging that is energetically connected to them. A taglock acts as a sort of anchor, tying the energy of a spell to that specific person and providing a direct link between them and the magic. Think of it as an energetic targeting system. This brings faster, more powerful results.
The use of taglocks is connected to the concept of sympathetic magic, which states that what is done to a small part of a person or thing (including an image or effigy) affects the whole. This idea is as old as humans — in fact, some archaeologists believe that Paleolithic cave paintings of injured animals were a form of sympathetic magic meant to manifest successful hunts.
If you need a taglock for a spell and can’t or don’t want to use hair/fingernails/etc., use one of the person’s belongings instead. This can be a business card, a child’s stuffed animal, or a napkin they used at dinner — whatever you can get your hands on. If you can’t get a personal belonging, use a photograph of the person.
Aside from linking magic to a specific person, different human effects have their own magical correspondences (see below). Depending on your spell, it may make sense to include hair as a symbol of personal power and self-expression or menstrual blood as a symbol of releasing old energy. Most witches don’t think twice about using milk or eggs, which come from the bodies of cows and chickens, in their magic, so why shouldn’t we use things from our own bodies as well?
There is an unfortunate stigma around the use of human effects in magic. Things like blood and hair are unfairly associated with dark magic, and many witches avoid them for that reason. Like any other magical tool, human effects can be used in spells for good or ill. You could use a taglock to add power to a healing spell, for example, or put your own hair in a success spell to anchor that success to you. These items are a part of you — they are no more evil or scary than you are.
Ethics and Safety
We’ve already discussed the ethical implications of doing magic on other people. This is especially important to keep in mind when working with human effects, either your own or someone else’s, because you are working directly with that person’s energy. Sympathetic magic gets very up close and personal, so it’s important to take care.
Don’t do anything to the personal effect, whatever it is, that you wouldn’t do to the person themselves. (Yes, this still applies if you’re using one of their possessions, or even a photograph.) Be gentle and respectful. Don’t throw it around or be careless with it. Don’t set it on fire or cut it up unless you really know what you’re doing and really want to fuck with the person it came from.
There are certain safety precautions that need to be taken when working with human effects, especially bodily fluids. I’ll talk about safety protocol for blood magic in a future post, but for now just be aware of the danger of bloodborne diseases and other possible contaminants. Sexual fluids may carry STIs, for example. For this reason, you should always take care when handling someone else’s bodily fluids. Wear gloves and make sure you don’t have any exposed cuts or sores.
Hair and fingernails are the safest human effects because they contain dead cells, and thus the risk of contagion is low. They’re also usually a little easier to get a hold of, especially if you’re doing magic for another person. Hair and nail clippings are most witches’ go-to taglocks for these reasons.
And finally, do not ever, under any circumstances, eat, drink, or bathe in anything that came from another person’s body. Some older spells call for adding blood or some other bodily fluid to food, and some old initiation rituals require the initiate to drink wine containing a drop of blood from each group member. In modern times, we know that this is dangerous because it could potentially spread disease. Trust me when I say there is no good reason to ever consume someone else’s DNA. Just don’t.
Correspondences
Below are correspondences for some human effects that can fairly easily be incorporated into spells. I have also included substitutions, for those who truly just aren’t comfortable working with human effects. These substitutions may not be quite as powerful, but the symbolism is similar.
Note: The use of blood in magic is a huge topic with a rich history, so I have chosen to devote an entire post to it. Blood is not mentioned in this post, but I will be posting about it soon!
Correspondences of Human Effects
Hair is closely tied to a person’s essence and personal power, perhaps more so than any other effect besides blood. In many cultures, hair is never cut to avoid dispersing this power. (Think of the story of Samson in the Bible.) Hair is also associated with the head, mental abilities, and thoughts. Hair is one of the most powerful taglocks, and can also be used in spells related to strength, beauty, and mental clarity. Use a few of your own hairs to tie something up to bind it with your personal power.
Saliva lends itself to many purposes because of its wide array of correspondences. On one hand it is associated with kissing and sex (think of the phrase “swapping spit” to describe kissing), but on the other it can be extremely offensive (spitting on someone is a very old and very strong insult). Saliva can also be substituted for any other bodily fluid.
Substitutes for Saliva: cardamom (for love and lust), vinegar (for cursing and insult)
Fingernails are, of course, linked to the hands and to a person’s ability to act. They’re also one of the easiest human effects to collect, which make them a good choice for a taglock. I usually see fingernails used in this context rather than to bring a certain energy to a spell.
Substitute for Fingernails: clove (to empower action)
Semen and Vaginal Arousal Fluid are, naturally, associated with sex. Both are associated with pure potential, fertility, and action, and can give your spell a heck of a power boost. Use sexual fluids in spells for growth and new beginnings. They are also useful in love magic — anoint a red candle with your sexual fluids to attract a lover.
Substitutes for Semen and Vaginal Arousal Fluid: penis or vulva shaped candle (for sex magic), rice (for fertility), rose (for love), cinnamon (for lust)
Urine is a traditional ingredient in the witch bottle, a powerful protective charm. It’s also found in both curses and love spells in American folk magic. Interestingly, it’s also used to break curses. One of my teachers practiced Appalachian folk magic, and she used to say that the most surefire way to get rid of any curse was to “piss on a brick.” (Red bricks are also associated with protection.) As you can see, urine is perhaps the most versatile bodily fluid when it comes to magical uses.
Substitutes for Urine: vinegar (for protection, cursing, and curse breaking), cardamom (for love and lust)
Human effects are a powerful way to add strength to any spell. Next time you’re conjuring healing, manifestation, or love, consider throwing some hair or fingernails in there. Let your body’s magic be a part of your craft.
Resources:
Utterly Wicked by Dorothy Morrison
Of Blood and Bones by Kate Freuler
“The Meaning of European Upper Paleolithic Rock Art” by Cristian Violatti on ancient.eu
Metawork Terminology Series: [ Energy Work ] [ Astral Work ]
These definitions are not put forward as the only possible meanings, they are simply based on my own experiences and personal definitions. Like my other two posts, there are no citations because these definitions are based on my own experiences and may or may not describe the experiences of others.
BASIC SPIRIT TYPES & CLASSES
Spirit - An organized cluster of energy with at least some level of sentience that has an energy body and in most cases also an astral body. Spirits generally do not inhabit physical bodies unless they are possessing an entity with a physical body, are attached to a vessel, or are reborn as a spirit incarnate.
Vessel - A physical container that helps a spirit manifest on the physical plane.
Spirit incarnate - Any living being with a physical body (usually a human being) whose energy and astral bodies would be classified as a non-human spirit. This most frequently occurs as the result of a non-human spirit being reincarnated as a human, which is how the spirit became incarnated in a physical body.
Spirit species - A variety of spirits who all share many common traits in their general appearance, energy signatures, and other features. Spirits of the same species will generally be able to produce offspring that carry most of the same traits as their parent(s).
Class of spirit species - A broad grouping of many spirit species that are interrelated in terms of their energies and morphological features. They may also possibly share cultural, linguistic, political, regional, and other commonalities.
Deities - A class of spirits who are powerful beyond the scope of most other spirits and who have control over forces in a specific area or the entire universe on a macro scale. (friendly reminder: these are all my personal definitions, not universal ones)
Nature spirits - A very broad class of spirit species that relate to the forces of nature. I consider plant spirits, tree spirits, fae spirits, land spirits, and many elemental spirits to all be types of nature spirits.
Fae (faeries) - The faefolk are a sub-class of nature spirits. The many different fae species have a wide diversity of outward appearances, but they are all distinguishable by the common aspects of their energy signatures that every fae species shares. Fae energy is a specific combination of nature and pure magic energy. Some live on Earth’s physical plane while others reside in any of the many different fae realms across numerous astral planes.
Land spirits - A sub-class of nature spirits who are very closely associated with a certain territory and primarily live to protect that land.
Night spirits - A class of spirit species that are aligned with the nighttime. They are often classed as “demons,” but many are actually just various species of nature spirits. Usually but not always quite dangerous.
Parasite - A class of spirit species who are energy feeders and prey on certain entities as their hosts. Often warded and protected against.
Human spirits (ghosts) - The deceased spirit of a human being. All human spirits are a part of one single spirit species.
Ancestral spirits - A class of spirits who are the ancestors of an entity either from that entity’s current lifetime or across other lives. Typically, the terms “ancestral spirits” and “ancestors” refer to a person’s human ancestors from their current lifetime.
Twin flames - Two entities with energy signatures that are identical, almost identical, or so interrelated in some fashion that they clearly are two halves of a whole. Twin flames being reborn during the same lifetime seems to be rare.
SPIRIT WORK
Metawork - The practice and discipline of the three highly interrelated fields of energy work, spirit work, and astral work.
Spirit work - The practice and discipline of sensing, interacting with, or commanding spirits. A sub-field of metawork. This is not necessarily a type of witchcraft, but can be referred to as witchcraft when spirit work is incorporated into someone’s witchcraft practice. Closely associated with hedge craft. Many other types of magical traditions that are not forms of witchcraft also include spirit work.
Ancestor work - The practice and discipline of working with ancestral spirits. A sub-field of spirit work.
Conjuring - The act of bringing a spirit to a specific location. Conjuring encompasses a wide variety of different methods which can range from voluntary such as using a beacon of energy to request a spirit’s presence to involuntary which magically force a spirit to manifest at the target location.
Banishing - The act of sending a spirit away from a certain area (the opposite of conjuring). Banishing techniques can be voluntary such as communicating or negotiating with a spirit for them to leave or involuntary when magical methods are used to forcefully remove the spirit against their will.
Binding - The act of using magical means to control a spirit’s behavior in some way. Binding is frequently used to ensure that a spirit remains connected to a vessel, but it can also be used to keep a spirit in a general location or prevent them from transgressing certain predetermined rules. It not uncommon for binding to be completely consensual between spirits and spirit workers.
Possession - When a spirit inhabits and/or takes control over a physical body that is usually controlled and inhabited by someone else. To some, this term implies that a spirit with harmful intentions has forced control over a human being, but in many religions, spirit possession is welcomed and invited. Whether or not being possessed by a spirit is a negative thing usually depends a lot on the specific context and the spirit involved.
Spirit adoption (reverse adoption) - When a spirit wishes to become a spirit companion or live and work with a spirit worker and voluntarily chooses to do so. Adoptions are often facilitated by a spirit adoption center or shop.
SPIRIT ROLES
Spirit spouse - A term usually used to describe a human spirit worker’s spouse who is a spirit or a deity.
Spirit companion - Any spirit and spirit worker who have established some kind of meaningful relationship and who wish to use this term to describe that relationship.
Spirit guardian - A spirit who has taken on the role of protecting something or someone. I typically use this term as a generic way of describing a spirit who spends a lot of time and energy looking after a person or another spirit. It is not uncommon for people to have spirit guardian(s), and sometimes a spirit companion may also wish to act as as a guardian.
Thoughtform - Any spirit who was created by a spirit worker through magical means (whether purposefully or accidentally). “Tulpamancy” comes from the Tibetan word tulpa that relates to practices within Vajrayana Buddhism, so this is not a secular spirit work term that is appropriate for general use.
If any of these definitions resonate with you, feel free to use them but if quoting me or reposting somewhere, please attribute credit back to me. Thanks!
In my last post, I talked about different types of spirits that witches may work with. Today, we’re going to discuss how to approach spirits and establish a working relationship.
Keep in mind that these are general guidelines, and every spirit is different. I encourage you to do your own research beyond this post, especially if you plan to work with powerful entities like deities, angels, or fairies.
Remember the Four R’s
It’s important to keep these things in mind when working with spirits:
Respect. The spirits are powerful, and you need to have a healthy respect for that power when working with them. It’s also important to respect them as individual, autonomous beings.
I’m not saying that every interaction you have with the spirits needs to be a full blown ritual with incense and chanting. (In fact, some spirits don’t care for those types of rituals.) But every interaction you have with them should be conducted with an air of respect and reverence.
What this mostly boils down to is good manners. Being polite will get you better results — and it will also keep you from being on the receiving end of spirit mischief. Proper etiquette depends on the type of spirit you’re working with, which is one reason it’s important to do your research. In general, it’s polite to make an offering, use respectful language, and thank the spirits before you leave (unless you’re dealing with fairies — some traditions say you should never thank the fae).
Respecting spirits also means respecting their desires — even if that means respecting their wish not to work with you. Not every spirit you reach out to will want to form a relationship with you, just like not every person you meet in your life will want to be your friend. When a spirit turns you down, respect their decision, politely bid them farewell, and move on.
Reciprocity. The goal of spirit work is to establish a mutually-beneficial partnership — not for one partner to serve the other. On one hand, this means that you can’t just command spirits to do your bidding without giving anything in return. On the other hand, it also means that you won’t be worshiping/honoring them without receiving some kind of boon.
This is why it’s important to make offerings to the spirits you work with. These offerings “feed” the spirits by giving them power, and a good offering will likely make a spirit more willing to work with you. Offerings are not payment for favors from spirits (it’s not quite that simple), but they are a sign that you intent to practice reciprocity in your relationship.
In general, it’s important to make an offering when you first introduce yourself to a spirit and again before you ask them for anything. But you shouldn’t only make offerings when you’re about to ask for something! How would you feel if you had a friend who only did nice things for you when they were about to ask for a favor? You’d probably start avoiding them, right? You might even get angry. To avoid this kind of dynamic in your spirit work, make regular offerings to the spirits you work with. If you’re especially close with a spirit, you may want to offer to them every day.
Relationship. The spirits are not vending machines where you put offerings in and blessings fall out. They are living, sentient beings with feelings, and deserve to be treated as such. Your relationship with the spirits you choose to work with is just that: a relationship. And like any relationship, it requires time, energy, and emotional labor.
If that sounds like more effort than you want to make, there are plenty of ways to do magic without ever working with spirits. You don’t need to do spirit work to be a witch. It may not be your thing, and that’s okay!
But if you choose to work with spirits, it’s important to remember that you are working with them as an equal partner — you’re not their boss, and they are not obligated to like you, help you, or even tolerate you. Relationships with spirits are built over time, through mutual respect and trust.
You wouldn’t drive up to your friend’s house, throw a fast-food burger at them, and then demand a special favor. Likewise, you shouldn’t just dump an offering on your altar and demand something of the spirits. Take the time to sit down with them. Talk to them. Get to know them. Put some thought into your offerings, instead of just offering the same thing every time. Spirit work is, at its core, about building an authentic relationship with the spirits we choose to include in our practice. Enjoy it.
Research. When it comes to spirits, it’s important to know exactly who (and what) you’re dealing with. As previously mentioned, the etiquette for dealing with fairies is very different from other land spirits. Different deities have different standards for their worshipers, which vary from one pantheon to the next. The way you interact with your ancestors will probably be shaped by their personalities, cultures, and values. All this is to say it’s important to know who you’re reaching out to, preferably before you reach out to them.
With deities, this is easy. Most witches who choose to work with deities will feel drawn to a certain pantheon, or even a specific god or goddess. There’s a lot of information out there about most historical pantheons, so researching them is easy. The same goes for angels, saints, demons, and even fairies.
It can be a little more difficult to do your research when you’re dealing with land spirits, spirits of place, or other less well-known figures. In these cases, it’s best to take three steps: 1.) figure out what type of spirit you’re dealing with (land spirit, animal spirit, ancestor, etc.), 2.) find out what this type of spirit is like generally, and 3.) find out how that applies to your specific spirit.
For example: you want to connect with your local land spirits. You do some research to find out how land spirits have been treated in various cultures — you find out that they’re typically benevolent, are closely tied to the natural landscape, and were often given food offerings. Then, you do some research into your local plants and animals — what form might a nature spirit take in your local environment? Would it be a huge moose with snow-covered antlers, or a magnolia tree in full bloom? Is there any local folklore in your area that could be describing a land spirit? Once you have answers to these questions, you’ll have a much better idea of how to approach the spirits and start up a relationship.
Initiating a Relationship with a Spirit
Begin by identifying who this spirit is. For example, let’s say you choose to reach out to a specific ancestor spirit — maybe a deceased grandparent. Make sure you’re familiar with the etiquette for interacting with this type of spirit so you don’t accidentally do something disrespectful. (If your Grandma hated cussing, try not to drop any f-bombs while communing with her.)
Create a special space to communicate with the spirit. This can be as simple as lighting a candle or as elaborate as setting up a special altar. If you’re reaching out to a grandparent, you might set up a small ritual space with a photo of them, any of their belongings that you have access to, and some things that they enjoyed while they were alive. These items may make the connection easier, but you don’t need them to communicate. What matters is that you’ve taken the time to create a special space for this moment. (Like all ritual spaces, it should be clean and tidy, and it’s a good idea to do an energetic cleanse beforehand.)
Make an offering. Make sure your offering is appropriate for the spirit you’re connecting to. Offerings should be made with an air of reverence — don’t just toss a bag of Doritos on your altar and expect it to be well-received.
Introduce yourself. Speak out loud. State your intention and who you are hoping to connect with.
Wait and listen. You may feel a presence or receive some kind of sign — or you may not. Just because you didn’t get a sign doesn’t mean that your offering wasn’t noticed or that you’re being ignored. You may also receive a sign several hours, days, or weeks after you first reach out. Be patient.
Say your farewells. Express your gratitude for the spirit’s presence, and let them know that you are ending your little ritual. It’s up to you whether to invite them to stick around or politely tell them to leave, but if you’re going to give a spirit permission to linger in your home you better be 1000% sure you know who they are and what their intentions with you are.
Moving Forward
As you work with this spirit, it is important to establish clear boundaries for the relationship. Be clear about what you want to accomplish by working with them, and make sure you understand what they expect from you in return.
You might want to establish a time limit: for example, maybe you’re choosing to work closely with the goddess Brigid from Imbolc to Samhain, at which point you can choose to continue the relationship or to take a step back. Or, you may choose to work with a spirit on a specific task — for example, working with the goddess Aphrodite to get back on your feet and rebuild your self esteem after a breakup. Once this task is accomplished, you may choose to form a more long-term relationship or to take a step back.
Forming a permanent or long-term working relationship with a spirit is a very big, very serious commitment, and should not be taken lightly. This goes double for anything involving a ritual commitment, such as dedication to a deity. When you make these commitments, you are choosing to make a spirit and their energy a permanent part of your life. This decision requires some very serious introspection and consideration, and should not be made impulsively.
Resources:
Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon
A Practical Heathen’s Guide to Asatru by Patricia M. Lafayllve
Where the Hawthorn Grows and The Morrigan: Meeting the Great Queens by Morgan Daimler
Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin
Azrael Loves Chocolate, Michael’s A Jock: An Insider’s Guide to What Your Angels Are Really Like and The Angel Code by Chantel Lysette
New World Witchery podcast (several episodes, including “Episode 164 — Irish Folklore and Magic,” “Episode 161 — Practicing Safe Hex,” and “Episode 152 — Honoring Ancestors”)
House Guardians help keep wayward negative energies from accumulating too quickly or from “sticking” from day to day activities. They do not, however, stop massive amounts of it from being brought in.
Materials:
River stone that catches your eye and “feels right” (can be a land stone, any color but preferably you have a stock of these things you have picked up and can pick the one that your guard symbol can stand out on)
pen or brush (I prefer a short quill as you can see from the photo)
Black ink (Normally I have some ink I’ve made from fire ash but I haven’t had the chance to restock yet, so India Ink it is!)
Process:
Your House Guardian is going to essentially be your security guard, so treat it accordingly.
As you pick out your stone, feel its energy. If it seems to resonate with a particular frequency that you associate with masculine or feminine, or if the stone outright says it refuses to be referred to in such a manner, give it that dignity. Most stones are neutral in that regard but “identifying” a stone in such a way only helps in naming and building a relationship. Every stone is different.
This process can take a long time, so don’t expect to get it done in a half hour. With this particular stone pictured above, I have been working at building a connection for a few months (and asked permission for it to be a part of this post). Over this time it has let me know what to call it, how to treat it, and what “face” it was comfortable with displaying. Sometimes a stone won’t tolerate a face but a symbol, sigil, glyph, sometimes a word in a certain language, sometimes even random squiggles or nothing at all. The stone will let you know.
The important thing to remember is that stones are OLD. They’re made up of millions of tiny dust particles that have traveled on the wind and water, been buried and compressed under immeasurable amounts of pressure, melted and “frozen” throughout the life-age of the Earth. They are parts of a larger whole broken off and slowly eroding away again to start that cycle anew. Essentialy they are the Earth’s “blood.” They’ve been through so much more than any of us can imagine and carry with them a steadfast stubbornness that has allowed their spirits to persist for so long.
Being labeled and used as a House Guardian is hardly a lasting moment for them, but aside from that… and like a security guard they might divulge a few old war stories or open up about the state of things in the Hidden World. Just keep in mind as well that what they may share is not often comprehensible by humans….and is said VERY slowly.
When you’ve given it a face (literally or metaphorically) you’ve also more than likely been given suggestions on where your House Guardian would prefer to be stationed, now that it knows what you want out of the relationship as well.
Be it on a windowsill, in a forgotten corner of your home, buried in a flowerpot or in the yard somewhere, even in a purse or messenger bag (should they be a rolling stone ^w^).
At this point the “process” is little more than suggestions as each stone reacts differently to different people and different situations it is asked to guard within and against. Listen to your chosen stone and come to a compromise that works for you both and don’t be afraid to chose another stone if the one you are currently working with just isn’t working out (generally if it’s been a year you know for sure the stone does not want to be a House Guardian).
🌑 Wands: New Moon
🌗 Swords: Waxing Moon
🌓 Cups: Waning Moon
🌕 Pentacles: Full Moon
While it’s definitely possible to have a timing system for the Major Arcana as well, it’s certainly more complicated. Generally, I prefer to read the timing as “this will happen once the issue represented in this card is resolved.” However, I did find a neat, simple system that associates the days of the week with several Major Arcana cards:
Days of the Week
🌟 Sunday (Sun): The Sun
🌟 Monday (Moon): The High Priestess
🌟 Tuesday (Mars): The Tower
🌟 Wednesday (Mercury): The Magician
🌟 Thursday (Jupiter): The Wheel of Fortune
🌟 Friday (Venus): The Empress
🌟 Saturday (Saturn): The World
As with everything related to tarot and divination, remember that tarot merely predicts a possible future – not an unchangeable one. Always take timing associations with a grain of salt, and remember that you have power and control of your future! 🔮 💖
I praise and honor the Earth Mother, Sister Moon, and Brother Sun
I praise and honor my Ancestors. The ancestors of my blood, my bone, and my spirit
I praise and honor the Spirits. Of the Land, the Sky, and the Sea
I praise and honor the Spirit of Life, the essence of us all
I wrote this combining Unitarian Universalism and (Irish) Paganism. But I feel this could be used for all brands of Polytheism, Paganism, and Earth-centered spiritualities
Fred Cerdeira @fred-cerdeira - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
