Guardian Muse

The magical and everyday musings of a heathen practicioner, father, husband, and warrior.

[sheikonfleek]

“You need to believe in things that aren’t true. How else can they become” - Hogfather, Terry Pratchett

[kingrudegyalchina]

Reblog so you make enough money to cover your bills .

#luckymoney

[lamourdemoi-deactivated20220112]

And more more money left to save and spare🙏🏾🤑🤑🤑🤑

[kingrudegyalchina]

Amen

[pemupemu]

guys this works,, i suddenly got £20 in my bank account out of nowhere?? im so happy i can afford to buy lunch every day this week now omg

[guyver]

Ok BUT, i reblogged this before I went to work today l- my check was 30$ more than I expected AND I got 40$ from a friend. So. I mean???

[breelandwalker]

-all the prayer to the money post gods-

[breelandwalker]

Y’ALL I SHIT YOU NOT WE GOT A WEDDING GIFT CHECK FOR $2000 TONIGHT. THIS FUCKING WORKS.

[handofchain]

Ito- A bind rune for the protection of possessions and prevention of theft. Feel free to use this bind rune if it appeals to you. If you have any questions please send them my way! Walk Strong!

[handofchain]

Elder Futhark in Modern Magic

If you are interested in magic chances are you’ve run into the Elder Futhark in your studies. The appearance can be a bit daunting to some, it is after all an ancient form of writing. The sheer history behind the runes can be discouraging to some due to its gravity and size.

I have practiced with the Runes for as long as I have practiced magic of any kind, and I won’t lie to you, it took a long time to feel comfortable enough in my knowledge to teach them to others. This post isn’t going to be a catchall, more it will be a supplement to inspire further use of the Runes with a basic knowledge. To get that basic knowledge I would reccomend Lisa Peschel’s Practical Guide to the Runes. This book is an great starting point for both Rune magick and the use of Runes in divination.

Rune magick takes form in two basic was: Through the use of Runescripts and the use of Bind Runes. The first we will talk about is Runescripts.

A Runescript is a string of Runes placed together with a chosen amount of Runes and in a particular order to portray your desired intent through universal symbolism. The number of Runes varies from script to script from as few as 3 to as many as 9 typically staying inside those bounds but not bound to do so. Different numbers have different significance to everyone and so the choice is purely yours. (Personally I love eight a number significant to the norsemen and to any fan of Terry Prathett’s Discworld.)

Selecting your runes should tell the story of your intent. It becomes a simple matter to slect them if you turn their meanings and uses within the script into a declaration of intent. Consequently this could also be useful to you during casting. As to casting this type of magic, it can be accomplished in as many ways as you can imagine. From person experience paper script burning, freezing, woodcarving and mounting, candle carving, burial, and discreet placement on an object or in a room all work fabulously.

Bind Runes are a bit different but maintain the same principles. You want to select the Runes you will work with but instead of ordering them in a line you combine them, meld them together, much like modern sigil work. The guidelines are sparse in that you simply seek to make the combination aestheticly pleasing, which is relative to the Runester, so as to balance and hormonize the energies you are bring in together. From personal experience this is the true power of Rune magick as the results I have achieved with the use of Bind Runes surpass other forms. I will share a Bind Rune for all of you soon by way of example.

As always if you have any questions please send them I will always reply! Until we meet again, Walk Strong!

P.S. source link is for above mentioned book :P

[handofchain]

Fir! This was an amazing wood to work with from a maker's perspective. The darker coloration at the forward end is actually more dense than the back half. My assumption is that the forward section was in the process of dying and drying much longer than the back. This is a little guy at just over 12 inches.

[fawn-and-fang]

Advice to those new to the craft

To all new witches…

Put down the purchased spellbook, stop hoarding candles, resist the urge to pilfer the family spice rack for ingredients you think you need, don’t feel bad because you can’t afford the beautiful wand your friend has and you think your magick won’t be as powerful, please for the love of goddess don’t insist to everyone that your spirit animal is a wolf, lion, hawk, or bear just because you think they’re cute/powerful. Just stop. Breathe. Relax.

Go outside and look around you. Take long walks through your neighborhood every single day no matter what the weather. Linger in the places you feel drawn to, whether that is an abandoned lot with glass on the ground or a pristine mountain waterfall. Listen to how your body feels in different environments. Pay attention to the places that lend you strength. Pay attention to the sad places that are in need of healing or sympathy. Get to know your local environment intimately. Dream about these places. Write all your feelings down.

Study the minerals, plants and animals around you. Collect local crystals if you can. Find a place where you can mine for them yourself. Identify local trees and herbs. Find plants that call out to you. Listen to them. Spend time with them. Learn from them. If something is out of balance you will be able to recognize it. Notice what animals live near you, which creatures you are actually going to be around every day. Watch a single spot outdoors in all seasons, all times of day, to learn the secrets of the animals there. Then you’ll know which ones you really identify with. Pay attention to your dreams at this time and you may be contacted by other familiars and Gods/Goddesses who will lend their energy and wisdom to your work.

Read your witchcraft books to learn from others in the craft, but also read books on natural history, geology, field guides, local naturalists, Ed Abbey, Thoreau, Emerson, Rachel Carson and Darwin. Read and study local legends and find out who used to live where you do. Research local First People beliefs. Learn to read the land itself.

Craft your ritual tools with your own hands, from materials you collect yourself.

Leave magickal offerings but also do practical things for the other species around you. Pick up trash on your street, clean up a local stream, donate money and time to the causes you believe in. Volunteer locally and in exotic places that you wish to experience and learn about. Clean up that abandoned lot and start a community garden. Back up your spirituality with sweat and hard work.

Do all this and more and you will become wise no matter what your path is or where it takes you.

[handofchain]

This is Maple at approx. 18 inches. I am not entirely sure what caused the irregular scarring on this piece. Not seen its like before or since. The branch that birthed this wand was struck down from a tree in my yard during a particularly windy storm. It’s one of my favorite pieces.

[handofchain]

Wands: The Basics

Okay so I promised a post on wands right? Here are some basic tips and tricks I’ve gathered over about 5 years of wand making. ( I guess as a semi-pro? I don’t really know the qualifications here but I make them and sell/give them to people...) I have learned a lot over the years about wandlore and even more about the art of wand making itself. In this post we will be examining the latter.

First and foremost in this creative process is wood selection! though it usually takes the least amount of physical work the energy expended hunting the info for the perfect wood can be exhausting. To make it easier on yourself check out what wood you can source locally then once you know that study those woods first. 

Gathering the wood that will be your wand is a bit of an adventure sometimes. Personally I have ninja’d my way through willow branches next to a highway on the side of a building (with the owner’s permission) for that perfect piece, and I have even seen someone climb 80ft. into a tree to recover a branch that had been struck by lightning! Best practice dictates that we use primarily ‘’deadfall’’ for our art, but its not always the will of the universe that we find a pre-fallen branch. Also occasionally a tree may even invite you to take its branch for your tool. In these cases its always important that we thank the tree for its offering and give something to it in return, such as a nice organic fertilizer or a decorative offering. I always like to use cut sealer where I take the branch as well to ensure the best healing.

It is the most common tradition that the wand match the length from your fingertip to the crook of your elbow. Personally I don’t hold with an exact form of measurement and prefer to let the wood show me its base and its tip. 

Many people hold that the energy flows through the wand more efficiently if it follows the direction of growth. While this may not always be the case I have found it to be correct more often than not. 

There is a large debate on whether or not the use of stains and sealers affect the wand in a negative way. Rather than dig up that debate now I will say that it is entirely possible to achieve all of the aesthetic results that you get from those products in a natural way. To me that says quite simply: Why do it any other way? But to each their own. :)

Bark removal is easiest while the branch is still fresh so that is the time to decide if you are going to want to leave some on for handle material. Once the decision is made and executed I like to let the branch sit for about a month to dry out. You can speed this up to a few hours with a baking sheet and and oven set to 350(Fahrenheit). 

To achieve a silky smooth finish without the use of sealers gradual sanding can be used. Start at a medium grade sandpaper and work your way down to a very fine grit. Finish with a ‘wet or dry’ sandpaper (very fine) and use your preferred oil while sanding. You might wear gloves because you want to achieve a decent level of heat from the friction. 

That concludes a rather lengthy tips and tricks post on wands. I will post some photos of wands I have in waiting for context sometime in the next day or so. I will be sure to label each with pertinent info for your viewing pleasure. As always if you have any questions shoot em my way I will expand further upon request. 

Walk strong!

[handofchain]

Wands! This is a frequent subject in my life and not even because I use them in my craft on a regular basis. For me their use has been infrequent at best. However making wands is something that I do frequently and with great ferver. Typically you are going to use a wand as a directive tool for your exceedingly long distance magic. The energy involved for me has been equivocated appropriately to a catapult. There are other considerations when casting magic at distance but the primary tool to simplify your job is a wand. Look in the future for a tips and trick post about wandmaking as I dive into one of my favorite subjects with you all. In the meantime if you have any questions feel free to ask! Walk strong! P.S. The wand pictured is honeysuckle and is approx. 17 inches long.

[handofchain]

Loose Herbal Incense

I have always loved the art of making a custom herbal incense for my spell work but it has been a long path full of learning through trial and error. While taking the long path typically has its merits so too does learning the lessons of those that have come before. I have a few tips and tricks for you from my own style of making for you:

First things first, Burning incense in this manner while inside can be a bit dangerous so take proper fire precautions and remember to either be in a large space or ventilate your small space to avoid setting off smoke alarms or choking yourself out and NEVER leave a burning bowl of herbs unattended. I made all of these mistakes in the past with varying forms of bad results. :P

I recommend using a mortar and pestle to grind your herbs to a more consistent gradient so that the incense burns evenly. You can also use a food processor or even some coffee grinders if you like bit they are more expensive. You can find a mortar and pestle set for pretty cheap with just a little bit of searching and the act of hand grinding your herbs can lend them more energy of intent if you chant, focus, or even meditate on your purpose while doing it. I always grind the herbs separately then blend them after because it makes matching the consistency easier, but let your magick guide you. 

To achieve a more pleasant aroma a very useful trick is to add some essential oils relevant to your purpose to the mix as you blend the herbs. This will also make it easier to keep the blend smoldering as opposed to outright burning as the oils retain the heat but slow the burn. Be careful however on what oils you put in the blend as some oils, when used in this way, can cause major irritation to your eyes, skin, and respiratory tract. 

I also use various forms of resin when appropriate to maximize the smoke quality of the incense. I powder these with a separate mortar and pestle these days because cleaning them out of the bowl after powdering can be more difficult than the herbs. I use a ceramic set for my resins. 

A burn bowl or a censer are the easiest ways to burn incense of this order. Lighting it can be tricky; however, with practice you should be able to light just the herbs and with a copious amount of blowing in the beginning you should be able to keep them lit until the blend is spent. There is an easier way if you have access to the little coals used to light hookahs. These little round coals are a blessing when it comes to ease of use with loose herb incense so use liberally or as your practice requires. 

If you have any questions shoot them my way, I will be happy to answer them or expand upon something in the post. Hope this has been helpful!

Walk Strong!

[handofchain]

Hello

This is my first post on tumblr! Yay me. In the description I title myself heathen and that is true, however a more specified genre classification would be heathen-ecclectic. In this blog I am going to be post in a lot of my magickal workings sprinkled with a bit of my everyday perceptions. I am a father as well as a husband and my views and opinions are gladly colored with everything that comes from those roles. I will gladly answer any and all questions though I realize that won't come for a while. Walk strong!