A Cathedral in the Woods

I am 21+ and queer. This is a sideblog. Magic and spiritual/religious studies.

[tlirsgender]

You are not the daughter of the witches they couldn't burn you are a white woman with a rock collection and wicca was invented in the 1950s

[tlirsgender]

I have a little spiritual woowoo to me so I Am familiar with some freaky neopagan/new age/etc stuff & every time I'd be like "hmm I'm getting a weird vibe from all the bioessentialist gender fertility stuff, what's up with that?" & I'd look it up & it's like "the founder made all of this up based on appropriating other cultures he didn't understand as well as fabricating historical documents, to make as many women have sex with him as possible" & I say Oh ok. And this is like really easily accessible information but people are still being grifted into buying penis candles for their fake ancient rituals

[morbidmomma]

scar-lip

Bring Chaos to set us free.

[rain--goblin]

If anyone is wondering what working with/worshiping Loki is like, this is it

[theflaminggoat]

"–Then the mistletoe dart struck the bright, beautiful Baldr! Mirth turned to mourning as Frigg's favored son collapsed. The Gods gathered for the game looked around frantically, their eyes asking the question their lips could not bear to. What foul play could have caused this?

The Blind God, with the Trickster beside him, spake only two words in reply:

"Skill issue.""

[elizatungusnakur]

"Loki sits and tells legends to the Asgardian children on a long winter evening."

Artwork by Lotur Norn / Norna Severnaya on VK.com

Please also, in your efforts to reblog, go support the artist directly at the sources provided. :)

[moirasgrimoire]

About Ancestors

The Ancestral Current

In Traditional Witchcraft, there is no sharp division between the living and the dead. The breath in your lungs, the fire in your blood, the voice in your bones—none of these are yours alone. They belong also to the ones who came before. To honor the ancestors is to honor yourself, for you are their continuation, their vessel, their dream carried forward.

Every culture has known this truth. From the Roman lares and manes who guarded the household, to the Japanese Obon festival where lanterns guide the dead back to visit their kin, to the Mexican Día de los Muertos, where food, candles, and marigolds create pathways for ancestral spirits. The Norse left offerings at burial mounds, while the Slavs poured libations of mead and milk on graves. Across the world, the witch has always stood as a bridge between both realms, ensuring that the living remember, and the dead are fed.

The Types of Ancestors

Not all ancestors are of blood, and not all guardians share our name. Witches recognize different streams of ancestral presence:

Blood Ancestors – those bound to us by lineage, by flesh and bone.

Mighty Dead – witches, healers, mystics, and practitioners of the Craft who shaped the path before us.

Cultural Ancestors – those who shared our land, our people’s struggles, our history.

Vocational Ancestors – the ones who worked the same craft as we do: the blacksmiths, midwives, soldiers, poets.

Adopted Ancestors – spirits with no blood bond to us, but who have chosen to guide, protect, or accompany us.

Each current flows differently. Blood speaks to blood, but the Mighty Dead answer to devotion. Vocational ancestors awaken when we work with the tools of their trade. To live as a witch is to weave all these voices together into a living tapestry of memory.

Chthonic Guardians: Gods of the Underworld

To call on the ancestors is often to call on the gods who dwell with them. These deities are keepers of the threshold, guiding spirits to and from the realms of the living:

Hades and Persephone (Greek) – rulers of the underworld, keepers of cycles.

Hel (Norse) – the Lady of the realm of shades, stern but just.

Hecate – torchbearer and psychopomp, guardian of the crossroads.

Anubis (Egyptian) – protector of tombs, opener of the ways.

Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacihuatl (Aztec) – lords of the dead, honored during Día de los Muertos.

The Morrígan (Celtic) – goddess of death, fate, and prophecy, often appearing as a crow over the battlefield.

Santa Muerte (Mexico) — La Madrina, La Flaquita, the Holy Death who governs the crossings of life and ending, sought for protection, justice, healing, love, and deliverance.

The Gede (Haitian Vodou) — the family of the Dead: bawdy, blunt, compassionate psychopomps who heal through truth and laughter.

When a witch speaks with the ancestors, it is wise to acknowledge the rulers of their realm. A candle, a libation, a prayer—small gestures open vast doors.

How to Speak to Your Ancestors

You can find the full traditional rite here, passed down to me by my lineage.

[kitsunesmoke]

wonder if loki would like the furby i pulled the mechanics outta and made into a lil plushie

[natequarter]

"christianity—" stop. what you just said only applies to american evangelical protestantism.

[natequarter]

"religion—" Stop. What You Just Said Only Applies To American Evangelical Protestantism.

[schizotrinkets]

What Are Scribble Sigils?

Unfiltered magickal marks, created by letting your hand move on instinct

Not meant to be read - they are meant to hum, twitch, ripple

Cast from the flow of emotion, not logic

They pull from your chaos and shape it into a haunting, lovely mess that works

They are living glyphs. They don’t ask permission.

The Flow of Chaos/Consciousness: How It Works

Scribble sigils operate on a principle goblins call “tangle trust.”

You feel something.

You move.

The line becomes a container for that feeling.

That container then leaks reality into itself until it matters.

It’s like automatic writing, but more emotional, more erratic, and sometimes fanged.

When you make a scribble sigil, you are not inventing a shape - you are catching a shape that’s already happening in your nervous system. You are translating emotion into spell-form without slowing down to name it.

How to Create a Scribble Sigil (Goblinflow Method)

1. Feel Something Too Much

Love. Spite. Hunger. Fear. Wonder. Grief.

You need to be brimming. Not elegant - uncontainable.

Take that feeling. Let it shake your hand.

2. Grab Something That Writes

Pen. Crayon. Glitter glue. A spoon dipped in ink. Your finger on foggy glass.

Goblins say: “If it stains, it spells.”

3. Let the Scribble Begin

No planning. No language. No shape-seeking.

Just loop, scratch, twitch, whirl.

Stop only when you feel the snap of “done.”

4. Name It After

Only after it’s drawn, ask: “What spell are you?”

It might answer:

“I’m the one that keeps you from crying in public.”

“I make your crush notice you and forget your name.”

“I am a door that opens into better luck.”

Write that name underneath in the same ink. Underline it once.

Activation Rituals (Pick One, Don’t Overthink)

Crumple and uncrumple the paper three times

Spill tea on it and say “May this be mess with purpose”

Tuck it in your pocket and forget about it until it pulses

Burn it while singing off-key

Tape it to the back of your mirror and stare until you forget why

The sigil doesn’t need you to believe in it.

It needs you to mean it when you make it.

Warnings and Goblin Notes

Scribble sigils sometimes linger

You may dream them. Others may copy them unconsciously. That's fine. They like to wander.

Some develop personalities.

If your sigil starts “watching” you, it wants to help. Feed it praise or glitter.

If a sigil refuses to draw, your chaos is blocked. Cry. Dance. Scream into a cup. Try again later.

[cryptotheism]

Hi, just wondering if you've ever done any studying of quantum physics/quantum mechanics. Seems like the fact that it was proven several decades ago that matter doesn't exist, only energy, and what we experience of the world is only a small fraction of the energy that exists should have some sort of effect on the views of materialists. I'm curious to know what you think of it and what your exposure level to it all is.

Well just because matter isn't a discreet substance doesn't make the notion of material reality less useful. Like, it didn't suddenly make the periodic table useless. Chemistry still works. Newtonian physics still works. The writings of Jabir ibn hayyan and other alchemists that led to modern chemistry are still valuable to study. New paradigms of understanding do not negate the value of previous ones. Science is a body of knowledge that can only grow! The materialists are going strong.

[cryptotheism]

There is a desire, I think, within occultism to find some philosophical angle on quantum physics that will free us from the tyrany of brute physics. A similar thing happened with the discovery of electricity, and again with radiation. Suddenly! The soul is actually electromagnetic waves! No! Now it is alpha-rays! Mesmer swings around again to drag his wonderful magnets over our etheric fluids.

The specifics of quantum reality are interesting! But swing a baseball at my head, and brains will come flying out to chase the gold at the end of gravity's rainbow. Curse the demiurge.

[ashleythetraveler]

[thingsstingshouldsing]

For more information on this phenomenon, look into The God of the Gaps.

[travelingthief]

btw the gods love you. It's okay to feel loved by the gods.

[coven-of-genesis]

TAROT CARD TIMING 🌙

Ever wondered when something will happen based on your tarot reading? Each suit in the Minor Arcana is linked to an element, a season, and a sense of time. Here’s how to interpret it:

⸻

🔥 WANDS – Ruled by Fire

• Timing: Days

• Season: Summer ☀️

• Fast-moving energy. Think passion, inspiration, quick action.

⸻

🌬️ SWORDS – Ruled by Air

• Timing: Weeks

• Season: Spring 🌸

• Sharp and swift, but requires clarity or preparation first.

⸻

💧 CUPS – Ruled by Water

• Timing: Months

• Season: Autumn 🍂

• Slow, emotional, intuitive. Follows the cycles of the heart and moon.

⸻

🌱 PENTACLES – Ruled by Earth

• Timing: Years

• Season: Winter ❄️

• Grounded, steady progress. Seeds take time to grow and flourish.

⸻

Use this guide to get a sense of timing in your next tarot reading. The cards speak, but time has its own language

[whitemoonkitteh-blog]

Honoring Hel

Want to honor Hel? These are ways I personally honor Hel. Please add to the list if you have other ideas on how to honor Hel.

🖤Visit a graveyard or cemetery.

🖤Veil your hair for her.

🖤Decorate your altar with animal fur, animal bones, skulls, horns, grave rubbings, skeletons, skeletal hands, dried roses, black shrouds, black mirror, black and white candles, plantain leaves, rue, wormwood, yarrow, yew, black roses, the runes Ehwaz, Isa, or Hagalaz. It is not uncommon for a Hel altar to be an ancestor harrow as well, with pictures of, and offerings to one’s own beloved dead.

🖤Make a cup of black tea.

🖤Learn about burial types, tombstone symbols, graveyard tendings, and assorted death related topics. Dedicate this to her.

🖤Make a “bring love, peace, and protection to the dead” sigil for Hel.

🖤Make a moodboard in honor of Hel.

🖤Sing a song dedicated to Hel.

🖤Dedicate your outfit to her, dress in black and white.

🖤Living life to it’s fullest is important to Hel. She doesn’t like you to live a half-life dreading death, so taking care of yourself mentally and physically are devotion acts.

🖤Place black roses on your altar as an offering.

🖤Go apple picking.

🖤Walk through an apple orchard in honor of Hel’s apple orchard.

🖤Pour her a glass of wine and tell her this represents the blood of our ancestral dead.

🖤Thank her for keeping your ancestors for you.  

🖤Never miss a funeral, always pay your respects to the dead.

🖤Bless Hellheim.

🖤Use the runes Ehwaz, Hagalaz, and Isa in your craft or altar.

🖤Dedicate your time walking through snow covered forests.

🖤Honor Hel on Saturday, Saturday is Hel’s day.

🖤Pray to her.

🖤Offer her your own blood, Hel will also accept your pain and sorrow.

🖤Plant beech, elder, elm, ivy, juniper, mullein, willow, yew, blackthorn, jasmine, evergreens, any white flower, or an apple tree in honor of her.

🖤Create artwork for her.

🖤Light incense or candles like myrrh, storax, appleblossom, or rose.

🖤Write a poem about her.

🖤Create an online shrine of her.

🖤Set up an altar dedicated to her.

🖤Practice silence and solitude.

🖤Dedicate a piece of black agate, jet, lead, obsidian, cook agate, moonstone, quartz crystal, hematite, or onyx to her.

🖤Leave offerings to her of an apple, anything with apples, tea, good wine, meat, bread, soup, meals that your ancestors would have liked, chocolate, or coffee beans. Any food offering left on her altar must be left until it is rotted and/or desiccated.

🖤Use divination to talk to the dead.

🖤Place black rose petals in your bath, light some black candles, and soak in your warm bath.

🖤Bring patience and understanding into all areas of your life.

🖤Offer sincere aid to the dying, the recently bereaved, the mentally ill, the chronically ill, and the socially outcast.

🖤Work in a soup kitchen (Hel feeds the vast underclass who would die a “straw death”).

🖤Work to alleviate proverty, work on, and expunge your own delusions.

🖤Leave anything that represents an owl, raven, dog, or wolf.

🖤Take a look at your life and figure out any changes you need to make.

🖤Dedicate dark magick to her.

🖤Dedicate revenge magick to her.

🖤Call upon Hel for spirit communication.

🖤Call upon her for ancestor worship.

🖤Call upon her when working with astral travel.

🖤Dedicate your protection spells to her.

🖤Ask for her guidance when in need.

🖤If your in need of seeking answers ask for her help.

🖤Leave a drop of your blood in freshly fallen snow as an offering (this also works for Skadi).

🖤Use snow water and graveyard dirt in your practice or altar.

🖤Practice crystal ball scrying.

🖤Leave offerings or say devotional prayers under the new/dark moon.

🖤Have a glass of apple cider, apple tea, or spiced teas like chai in honor of her.

🖤If you feel anxious, depressed, or insecure give those feelings to her as an offering. Focus on healing after.

[sitting-1n-silence]

Graveyard etiquette from a cranky traditional witch:

-Leave shit at the gate (coins, cigarettes, eggs, flowers)

-If alone go in silence, if with others speak in a hushed tone

-Wear a hat or head covering to prevent possession or bringing home unwanted spirits.

-Bring bells and/or rattles to wake the dead if desired

-Smoking in the graveyard or carrying a flame is an easy way to get the attention of the dead at night.

-Bring a knife or object made of iron should things get hairy (always bring a knife). Canes are also excellent tools for working with the dead

-have a way of gathering occult materia without being noticed by people or spirits (invisibility charms work best)

-If you're bringing spirits home with you (intentionally), don't turn around until you're across the threshold of your home

-Upon leaving the cemetery, say a prayer for the dead and wild things that inhabitant there

-When home, spread white powder (flower, salt, ect...) at the door to keep unwanted spirits out. A colander over a key hole works too.

[veilroot]

𝕆𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔹𝕠𝕨𝕝𝕤

Today, while discussing my goddesses and practices with my best friend, I was inspired by her decision to follow a path of devotion to the Celtic goddess of war, death, and fate, Morrigan. Her enthusiasm motivated me to finally take action and make a devotional offering to my goddesses, after a long period of personal healing.

Usually, I place offerings for Aphrodite directly on her altar. However, I haven’t been able to create a proper altar for Hel*, so I decided on an alternative approach: offering bowls.

So, without further ado, I present my offering bowls! I’ll be color-coding sections to help you easily find the important information through my ramblings.

[Content Warning: Mentions of real animal bones, blood.]

Let’s start with Hel’s offering bowl. In my digital journal, I mentioned/found that it’s best to leave food offerings until they are completely rotted away. Once that happens, all non-perishable items will be thoroughly washed and returned to Hel for devotional purposes. Any perishable remnants will be buried and returned to the earth.

What’s Inside Hel’s Offering Bowl?

Let’s begin with the more unusual items:

- Animal bones and a small vial of my own dried blood.

This might sound intense, but everything was ethically collected. The dried blood comes from a series of stress nosebleeds I had during a difficult time in my life. Offering blood to Hel is said to be a way for her to accept your pain and sorrow, so it felt fitting to include this little bottle of ground dried blood. The small animal bones are from a poultry dinner I had years ago. Initially, I saved them for work with another deity, but it turns out Hel was the one calling to me.

Now, for the rest of the offerings: In the bowl, there’s a Viking apple from my local orchard, honoring "Hel’s Orchard." There are also chunks of black obsidian and rainbow moonstone. Along with these, I’ve included crushed dried rose petals, dried yarrow buds, and dried rosebuds. To complete the offering, I added a black chime candle and a stick of myrrh incense.

Next is Aphrodite’s Offering Bowl.

For her, I’ll be removing the apple at the first sign of rot or decay—I like to keep her offerings as neat and beautiful as she is.

What’s Inside Aphrodite’s Offering Bowl?

Not to quote a popular meme, but compared to Hel’s bowl, Aphrodite’s is very mindful and demure.

Her bowl contains crushed dried rose petals and dried rosebuds, complemented by a scoop of crushed basil and a few sticks of cinnamon. There is a small collection of shells, including an “aura” shell*. Alongside the shells, I placed a chunk of rose quartz, a heart-shaped rose quartz, and a piece of angel aura quartz.

She was also given a Viking apple from my local orchard, as the apple is one of Aphrodite’s sacred fruits. To finish, I included a pink chime candle and a stick of myrrh incense.

Closing Thoughts

I found so much joy in creating these offering bowls, and I encourage you to try making one for your own deity—I’m sure they would appreciate it.

One last note: While assembling these bowls, I noticed a good few similarities in the offerings for both goddesses, which I found fascinating! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading through this, and thank you for taking the time to read my little post about the goddesses I am devoted to.

* For now, I have a mini or travel-sized altar for Hel in an old mint tin until I can create a proper altar.

* When I refer to “aura,” I'm talking about a treatment used on quartz, where platinum and silver are bonded with pure quartz to create “angel aura quartz,” which has a similar effect.

[witchofspirits]

November 2nd is All Souls' Day and of course as a death witch/spirit worker I'm going to the cemetery.

Here's what you can do to celebrate this holiday and honor the dead:

Visit your local cemetery, and before entering, ask for permission to do so. Whether that be to a guardian (gargoyle, gates, christ, etc) or the spirits themselves.

Clean the grave of a deceased loved one or someone else's that looks like no one has visited them in a while. Trust me, they'll appreciate it, even if they don't know you.

Leave offerings to the guardian statue of the cemetery for their hospitality or to a loved one to show that you still keep them close to your heart

Put up a photo of a deceased loved one or pet on your altar or create an altar for them

Light a white candle for someone who passed (whether you knew them directly or not)

Honor the death deities you work with or that are from your pantheon (Hades, Anubis, Hel, Santa Muerte, etc)

Things to keep in mind:

Don't invite a random spirit to follow you back home, you don't know who or what can go with you.

Always protect yourself when interacting with spirits, energies, and entities. This includes when entering a graveyard/cemetery. You can do so by carrying a crystal, putting up a ward, protection shield, or creating a sigil or protection charm (ring, necklace, charm bag, etc). This must always be on you.

Be respectful to the dead!!!!! How would you feel if someone comes into your space taunting you or stepping on you? If you want to speak to them, do so kindly and calmly, hold a conversation instead of yelling, "If you're here, punch me in the face!" That's taunting and it's not nice.

Don't step on grave areas. If you accidentally do so, make sure to apologize. It's also recommended to say "excuse me" if you need to walk through a tight space where it's difficult to move forward without stepping on them.

Avoid direct pictures of grave stones. I know some people do it because "aesthetic", but I personally think it's rude. It's like shoving a camera in someone's face who didn't give consent to take a picture with you. If you want to do cool photography, you can do that without invading their space or showing their names.

[normal-horoscopes]

Christians keep stealing shit from other esoteric traditions when St Barbara is right there.

[normal-horoscopes]

Y'all have a PATRON SAINT OF BOMBS AND EXPLOSIONS AND NONE OF Y'ALL EVER MENTION HER

[normal-horoscopes]

Her symbology is the Chalice and Cannon. Queen.

[cannibalcaprine-deactivated2024]

her Wikipedia page says she's lesbian

[cannibalcaprine-deactivated2024]

*LEBANESE

[dearings]

patron saint of osha

[drpepper77]

PATRON SAINT OF OSHA

My mother is so glad I didn't know about this one when I had to choose my saint name for confirmation

[omgbeersforqueers]