Call me Lantern! They/them, xe/xem, ve/ver pronouns! A lantern is a light used to find your way through darkness. I would say our world is pretty dark, so our own morals and beliefs must be our lanterns. The goal of this blog is to share how “fictoreligons” or “pop culture paganism” can be a beautiful and meaningful practice. I have been hellenic, I have been wicca-adjacent, I am MOST comfortable in my path that I share about here. It’s constantiy in flux and I am constantly learning. That said, please please please feel free to submit asks. Messages are okay to, as long as you are 18+. My day job requires that level of separation, and considering I love my day job, I will not risk it. Lets light your lantern, yeah?
"Magic and belief, however, are like a dense forest. It is full of paths and trails and secrets. However many paths exist, however, there are 3 times that number unknown. Finding your path, treading your trail, marking your map, that is up to you. The only right answer comes from these three places in balance: Belief(from your heart), knowledge(from your mind), and respect(from your actions). Treat this sacred and magical place with respect, and you will find a place of acceptance, love, and great impact on yourself. Magic is a journey. Lace up your hiking boots," grab your lantern, "and get to walking."
I wrote this quote for the first time in a notebook. It was written after multiple false starts, and as a new introduction for a book I am still trying to write. It's a book I wish I had when I started my own path. It now exists on this tumblr, and in a google doc, and still within that notebook.
Let me be clear. My username does not in any way shape or form denote that I am against baneful magic. The "light" is representational of wisdom, knowledge, and learning. My "lantern against the dark" is my vow to learn in-spite of everything that prevents my own learning.
My hope is that my blog can be a bastion of knowledge for people who are lost like I was, in the darkness of unknowing, and being unknowable. My lantern is one of acceptance and will be here to mark the trail. I hope to help you find your lantern.
Shall we begin the journey?
Hiking Boots is a book I have the bare bones of. I have been writing it has a how-to guide for building or finding your path-because that is what belief needs. A path, one you follow or one you make. It is linked to #Hiking Boots(Magic).
Pop Culture Paganism- the bulk of my path is made along this. I will not be responding to any hate or rudeness in regards to this.
Mudoran Paganism/Hyrulean Paganism/loz paganism-Legend of Zelda based beliefs, practices, spells, and rituals. This is mostly focused on the Lady Farore, as she is who my practice is focused around. These are the major tags I use for those posts.
Emelan pagan- focuses on the practices and beliefs of the Winding Circle Temple in Tamora Pierce's books the Circle of Magic/Circle Opens/Circle Reforged. Most of the posts authored by me are for Lady Mila of the Grain. I reblog some posts from the past for others, but my focus is Lady Mila.
Minecraft Paganism- nothing posted, and I seem to be moving away, but anything that ends up here will be tagged this.
Star Wars paganism/Jedi Magic/The Force is Within Me- I have recently moved into star wars in my practice, so you can expect posts to be under these tags.
Popular Tags
epithets- I am very fond of sharing epithets- and in the PCP realm, creating them. Feel free to ask me to think of some for your deity, I would love too!
my personal practice- personal practice and UPG, as well as spell work, ritual work, sigils etc.
magic 101- anything that I think is useful for young witches and/or pagans to know!
Over the years, I have made a lot of different sigils in a lot of different ways.
Methods including the normal chaos magic, a sigil "code" or "language" where I linked symbols together for various meanings, gestural channeling, constellation grids, etc
But recently, I decided to actually make my own sigil. Its based on 3 concepts:
1. Normal first step- create a positive, specific intention to focus with.
2. Gestural, except I theme mine as to mimic of star charts/orbit tracking.
3. Color magic.
So! An example that others can use:
Step 1, the phrase:
I am overflowing with creative energy.
Step 2: colors! I would pick my favorite color to represent me, or use a symbol for myself, the color blue, and the color orange. In this case, I will just use the blue(creativity/intuition/ideas) and orange (energy, power, the sun)
So apparently my addition of the drawing and drawing video didnt save? Here are those:
The video Hates me. It keeps unadding. Sorry y'all, maybe some other time.
Anyway, here is the sigil. I usually have the phrase on aits own layer as text that I then delete when I finish. Changing the background color is how I activate it, personally, or I will open the image on my ohone and think "I invoke this sigil. This sigil is now active".
Hope it helps!
PS: 9 muses are invoked in this sigil, so if you don't like that 🤷
Over the years, I have made a lot of different sigils in a lot of different ways.
Methods including the normal chaos magic, a sigil "code" or "language" where I linked symbols together for various meanings, gestural channeling, constellation grids, etc
But recently, I decided to actually make my own sigil. Its based on 3 concepts:
1. Normal first step- create a positive, specific intention to focus with.
2. Gestural, except I theme mine as to mimic of star charts/orbit tracking.
3. Color magic.
So! An example that others can use:
Step 1, the phrase:
I am overflowing with creative energy.
Step 2: colors! I would pick my favorite color to represent me, or use a symbol for myself, the color blue, and the color orange. In this case, I will just use the blue(creativity/intuition/ideas) and orange (energy, power, the sun)
So apparently my addition of the drawing and drawing video didnt save? Here are those:
The video Hates me. It keeps unadding. Sorry y'all, maybe some other time.
Anyway, here is the sigil. I usually have the phrase on aits own layer as text that I then delete when I finish. Changing the background color is how I activate it, personally, or I will open the image on my ohone and think "I invoke this sigil. This sigil is now active".
Hope it helps!
PS: 9 muses are invoked in this sigil, so if you don't like that 🤷
Over the years, I have made a lot of different sigils in a lot of different ways.
Methods including the normal chaos magic, a sigil "code" or "language" where I linked symbols together for various meanings, gestural channeling, constellation grids, etc
But recently, I decided to actually make my own sigil. Its based on 3 concepts:
1. Normal first step- create a positive, specific intention to focus with.
2. Gestural, except I theme mine as to mimic of star charts/orbit tracking.
3. Color magic.
So! An example that others can use:
Step 1, the phrase:
I am overflowing with creative energy.
Step 2: colors! I would pick my favorite color to represent me, or use a symbol for myself, the color blue, and the color orange. In this case, I will just use the blue(creativity/intuition/ideas) and orange (energy, power, the sun)
Thinking about creating and selling spell kits/beginner kits for pcp, as well as general witch kits that are budget friendly. Curious about the interest in this.
Huh. Got more votes back than I was expecting. Welp, guess I’ll kick that off? Updates will come at the end of the month about the store. Probably gonna be etsy however.
Thinking about creating and selling spell kits/beginner kits for pcp, as well as general witch kits that are budget friendly. Curious about the interest in this.
In late January of 2025, I joined a group of witches online to conduct a ritual for the protection and healing of our communities and for hope to sustain us though the weeks and months to come. Many wonderfully talented people contributed to this working, and I was honored to present an invocation of Brighid and to lead the portion of the ritual where we created the Web of Light.
With the permission of the rest of the circle from that evening, I want to share my portion of the ritual with all of you. (I'm not looking for notes or feedback - this was purpose-built and it exists as it was written.) The more strands in the web, the more lights in the dark, the more love and energy we can give this spell and others like it, the better.
If you feel comfortable doing so, I'd like to invite anyone who is willing to help to join in this working, either by yourself or with your circle. You can do the full blessing, invocation, and casting if you feel comfortable doing so, or just the casting alone. Feel free to invite any helpful spirits, ancestors, deities (especially fire-related), and so forth that you work with to lend their aid.
All you need for this spell is a quiet place to sit and a candle. (Live flame or LED, either is fine, and if you can't find either one, a flashlight will do.)
Perform whatever opening steps you usually do to begin a ritual (preparing the space, casting a circle, grounding and centering, etc) and when you're ready, begin.
WEB OF LIGHT
Suggested Music for the warmup:
"Brighid's Flame" and/or "Brighid" by Kellianna
"Imbolc" by Lisa Thiel
[BLESSING]
Into this sacred space, I call the light of creation, the light of inspiration, the light of healing, the light of the forge, the light of the hearthfire, the light of hope, which neither wanes nor falters, but burns bright and perpetual within and around us all. Bless those who are gathered here and may the spirits, deities, ancestors, and powers almighty that we invoke here strengthen our resolve, shield us from harm, and guide us in our workings, as we gather to do what is RIGHT, not what is easy.
[INVOCATION]
With the consent of those assembled, I invoke the name of Brighid and invite her presence in this place. Holy Lady of Cill Dara (pron. Kill Dahrah), protector of hearth and home, teacher, poet, healer, forgemaiden, flamekeeper, living link between the old ways and the new, be with us and lend us your aid.
Brigid of brightness, I bid thee welcome,
Brigid of blessing, come thou in.
Brigid of strength, I bid thee welcome,
This night and every night, this day and every day.
Brigid of the threshold, come thou in,
Brigid of the hearthfire, take your ease,
Brigid of the cook-pot, sup with us,
Brigid of all comforts, live in our hearts.
Ancestors all, I embody your legacy,
Ancestors all, I ask for your blessing,
Ancestors all, I offer Brigid’s flame
To light the needfires of deep memory.
Brigid of the timeless flame, bless your [children]:
Those who keep the circle bright,
Those whose faith has never failed,
Those who keep your name ablaze.
Brigid, lend your righteous sword
To those who work for justice,
To those who speak the truth,
To those who seek a better world.
In the name of Brigid, who empowers the oppressed,
In the name of Brigid, who released the enslaved,
In the name of Brigid, who lifts up the downtrodden,
May all our people be honored and free.
[Casting]
Tonight, we come together with courage. Tonight, we come together with hope. Tonight, we come together in common purpose, to turn our combined strength to save what can be saved, to shield what can be shielded, to heal what can be healed, to burn away what must be cleansed, and to keep the darkness of despair and hatred at bay.
Tonight, each of us is a point of light. We are the tenders of the hearth. We are the bearers of the flame which lights the way. We are the workers at the forge. We are the spark before the fire, the dancing light upon the snow, the seekers of snowdrops, the keepers of the healer’s tent, the knowers of the promise of spring.
For even as summer fades into fall, and fall into winter, so the cold and dark must one day yield to warmth and renewal. Even the longest night must end and we will see the sun rise again.
(Light your candle.)
Hold the light within you. Warm, bright, everlasting, a fire which burns bright but does not consume or diminish. This is a fire which shields the helpless, which offers illumination to the lost, which gives hope to those in sorrow. Each of us alone is but a candle, but together, we are a conflagration.
Picture the array of us, spread out across the sleeping world, a scattering of earthbound stars twinkling in the night. Physically, we are apart, but in our hearts and in our magic, we are all a part of each other and of this world. We are the weavers and keepers of this spell, a web that spans mighty distances and connects us all. We are the beacons which will hold the darkness at bay.
Let the light of your magic spread out from you like the lines of a spider’s web, like the roots of a tree, like the paths of a river, like the crackle of lightning. Picture it spreading across the distances between us, each strand connecting one working to another, and another, and another, strengthening with each bond, growing until the space is covered. Each of us holds a line and weaves a portion of the web, and we are blessed to know that none of us walks alone.
Like the roots of the trees, like the mycelium of the mushrooms, this web of light is not visible to all. Those that seek to harm, to disrupt, to oppress, and diminish, let them be blind, let them be powerless, let them find nothing. We give them NOTHING. But those who have need of us, those who need healing or shelter or knowledge or hope, we give them eyes to see. And those that see, let them light beacons of their own, until the night is bright as day and the sun comes up again.
(Extinguish your candle. If you ever feel that you need strength or hope or the time feels right to further empower the spell, light it up again.)
Suggested Music for the cooldown:
“Star Maps” by S.J. Tucker
(If you choose to share this ritual elsewhere, please credit me. Thanks!)
mormon kids under the age of 18 being told their church is a cult
mormons 18-24 after they go through their endowment ceremony and receive their new name and secret clothing and learn the secret handshakes and passwords and realize everyone around them has been secretly doing this the whole time and now theyre going to be sent away from their family for 2 years where they will literally not be allowed to be alone for 1 second of the day except to go to the bathroom and they have no idea how to get out of what they just got into
one of the only perks of being a mormon woman is that i didn’t get my endowment at age 19 and i had a little extra time to mature and be out on my own. that’s all i needed to make a clean break and i got out at 21 before i wouldve gotten my endowment.
basically when youre a mormon kid growing up you realize your church is a little strict but you’re like whatever. i have friends at church because i go to church 6 days a week and everyone around me is affirming that this is the right thing to do and we have special knowledge no one else has otherwise everyone would be like this. so youve gotta go teach them & it’s the greatest thing in the world to be a missionary. also the temple is beautiful and amazing and spiritual and holy and everyone wants to go there. but it’s a secret! :) because it’s holy and sacred
then if youre a boy and u turn 18 they’re like wow amazing!!! you get to go on a mission and be like all the great men around you!! and now you get to go through the temple! so #blessed!
and then you go through the temple and all the above mentioned SECRET CULTY SHIT happens (EXPLANATION HERE http://mormoncurtain.infymus.com/topic_templeceremonies.html) and youre shipped off to a strange place where everything you eat, wear, go, listen to and do is controlled, and you’re not allowed to talk to your family or friends (except through a once-a-week email) and you literally are being watched by your companion at all. times.
some might say “you can leave at any time” but consider that i never went on a mission and i never went through the temple and i still consider leaving the mormon church the hardest thing i ever did. you have no social network outside the church. you are lacking major knowledge and skills. you have to grapple with the fact that you may never see your family again.
Leaving is such an isolating experience. No one inside wants anything to do with you anymore and no one outside understands the scale of messed up that Mormonism is. Like it’s easy to point and laugh at the ridiculousness, but it’s literally a cult. There’s so much trauma involved and there’s trauma in leaving.
People on the outside don’t understand how hard it is to leave. I grew up where all my friends were catholic and are no longer religious and they’re like “well everyone hates church, you just stop going” but Mormonism isn’t like that at all. For starters I had to get a lawyer involved to leave and then the ostracization from the entire community that nurtured me growing up was just the cherry on top. It’s effectively being shunned. Everyone you were forced to call sister and brother growing up no longer wants anything to do with you. And you deserve it, because you shouldn’t have fallen for the anti-Mormon lies.
Leaving The Church was the hardest thing I ever did and my family accepts me so I’m a lucky one. But they still ardently adhere to the institution that hurt me and has resulted in the deaths of people I love. I will never understand.
“There’s so much trauma involved and there’s trauma in leaving.”
It’s easy for people looking in from the outside to forget this. Thank you for the reminder. Can anyone recommend resources for young Mormons looking to explore their options?
Please note: this post will be directly addressed to those hypothetical young Mormons
If you know you’re ready to leave, use quitmormon.com. It’s run by the guy from reddit who is now famous in exmormon circles for offering absolutely free legal services to anybody who needs help leaving. You can give your church id number if you know it, but it’s not required (I never memorized mine, and I sure wasn’t going to ask for it). He takes care of everything. This keeps TSCC (the so-called church) from getting all your latest info and keeps them from hassling you or harassing you. They have to talk to your lawyer instead. Pre 2015, it felt almost impossible to try to leave, but it’s a lot easier now! The years of picketing General Conference to force an excommunication trial are over!
Find a support system. Lean on your friends that have never been mormon, any family members who left, anyone you know who left. I’m an exmormon happy to answer any questions, and I’m sure there are plenty others in the notes who would be super willing to be supportive too. Exmormon groups are many and varied now, and it’s best to find the one that vibes for you. There’s a subreddit that’s popular, but I personally used - and I know this sounds weird, since I don’t have kids - a forum called Mormonism & More on the site babycenter.com. It was started several years ago by some mormons who had questions they weren’t allowed to ask on the normal mormon board (because that board required uplifting, mormon-approved answers at all times). It’s since shifted to ex-mormons or people who want to leave but can’t right now because of family situations. Even though the threads were years old, I spent weeks on that forum, reading about what other people had gone through and how they got through it, and to me, that was super helpful.
Research the culty stuff at your own peril. I liked learning about that stuff for a really long time, because I felt learning about all those secrets (I especially liked learning about the truth of the Book of Abraham) … it helped me feel valid in my choice. It helped me keep in mind that this was something that I had escaped, something that had wanted to hurt me. Missing your abuser doesn’t mean you should go back, it means you should keep moving forward. Missing your cult has the same solution. Lots of people fell for the “we’re totally not a cult!” line by TSCC. Some of them will not offer sympathy. If you want to watch the hidden camera videos of endowments and other temple stuff, I would super super recommend you have a trusted friend watch them with you. And bring comfort food. You’ll probably need it.
TSCC put out a series of essays on controversial (read: faith-killing, eye-opening, omg how could I have ever supported the people who did this) issues in mormon history. They are the Orthodox LDS pre-approved responses to a lot of the more incriminating accusations that have been leveled at TSCC over the years. They should be hosted on TSCC website somewhere, and would have been posted around or after 2015. They may reaffirm your faith now that you know TSCC’s defense, but they may push you right out the door. (Or break the shelf? Do Mormons still use the shelf analogy, or is that retired now?)
Lots of mormons become atheists after leaving. Many join mainstream xian churches. Some become witches, some study every religion they can get their hands on, some try to go back and realize all the magic (or holy spirit, if you prefer) is gone. Don’t think you have to know right away. Some people throw away or burn all their mormon stuff, some people keep it to show their kids, but again, you don’t have to make that decision right away. Some people call TSCC a cult after they leave, myself included, but you don’t have to if it makes you uncomfortable or it it doesn’t feel true to your experience.
Look up religious trauma syndrome. It’s real. The pain you will probably feel is real, the grief you will probably feel is real, and in many ways, you may have to mourn the death of what you were always told Life Will Be For You.
And learn that the world is not half as evil as TSCC told you. Your coworkers who drink a beer at the end of the day are not evil or abusive. Your friends who wear sleeveless shirts are not evil or promiscuous. You’re allowed to wear short shorts! You’re allowed to drink coffee! You’re allowed to ask questions in a faith community without being silenced or condemned! You’re allowed to not want kids! There’s a lot of unlearning here.
TLDR? You have options. You have freedom. Find nonmormon friends who will support you. Be kind to yourself.
People joke about Mormons but this is the first time I’ve seen anything at all directed towards people who need to get out.
I had a high school friend turned college roommate who left, moved 4 hrs away, and I had to lie to people who showed up repeatedly that he wasn’t home. That’s just the smallest outside perspective of this. They kept coming.
It is a cult. It operates by manipulating people. My aunt, who also left, converted from Catholicism when she was a single mother in her 20s who needed help. The church gave her a network of tangible support and got her through a vulnerable, scary time in her life–and used that
(originally taught in The Alexandria Archives on 4/9/2020)
Divination is most certainly one of the oldest practices of witchcraft. Reading omens, trancing for prophecy/scrying, and using tools to read symbols or patterns have all been used in some form for practically as long as society has existed. Many people are familiar with the mainstream ones: Tarot, runes, tea leaves, scrying, etc.
Last time I went over some more unusual methods. Today, in light of the current global situation having many person’s stuck in limited spaces with limited supplies, I thought we could touch on some modern methods. Most require nothing more than what you already have at your fingertips!
We will explore in some detail:
Shufflemancy: divination using randomized songs
Stichomancy: divination using passages in a volume of writing
Traffic omens: Modernizing weather style omen reading using things like cars, stoplights, types of buildings passed, etc.
We’ll also touch on a couple other ideas you might try expanding on:
Online Randomizer: Think like the old web extension Stumble upon or even those websites that give you random quotes, images, names, etc.
Social Media Image Scrying: using a collection of images online to select a particular one for interpretation.
~~~~~~~
Shufflemancy
Many of you have probably heard of this method, likely even tried it! Shufflemancy is the method of divination that uses a platform or application to randomize a selection/playlist of songs for interpretation. You can either just hit the shuffle button once and go with that initial song or you can incorporate a more personalized experience by having the querent choose a number of skips to hit. It can also be tailored by using specific playlists you’ve compiled or certain genre options on applications like Spotify or Pandora.
You can expand on this with applications like Youtube to include videos. It’s my fantasy that platforms like Netflix or Hulu will come up with a “randomizer” or shuffle type option someday. It would be such a blast to play a random video and then use that for divination!
It’s important to take into account both the lyrics and the melody/mood of the music when your selection is being interpreted. If you aren’t sure if you’d be comfortable with that initially, I recommend building a “beginner’s” sort of playlist that is filled with songs you know very well and have personal feelings about. It makes the interpretation that much easier. Much like using a Tarot or Oracle deck that has art styles or characters you’re familiar with. You may also incorporate the visuals of a music video if there is one for the song. Shufflemancy usually works better for more expansive readings rather than just yes/no questions. Although you can sometimes get that sort of immediately “positive” or “negative” impression from many songs, assuming it doesn’t have both!
This method is a therapeutic way to delve into some modern divination. The emotional and cathartic aspect can be soothing for both the reader and the querent. Not to mention the connection it builds as you share music between you. A feel good way to practice some divination with no physical tools beyond some technology access.
~~~~~~~
Stichomancy
This method of divination, sometimes called bibliomancy, uses a book or similar volume of writing to select passages from to interpret. Most people use the page number as the way to select, telling the querent to select a number between the first and last page (and what the highest number possible is). But there are intuitive methods as well. Using the physical shuffling of pages until it feels right to stop rather than a selected number. I find the latter method more useful when reading for myself and the former method more cooperative when I’m reading for others.
Like with shufflemancy, stichomancy is much affected by your personalizing of the tool. Use books you love! Use books that have specific genres for specific queries (a romance book for a relationship reading?). Use anthologies (short story or poetry collections) to get a variety of styles and language to work with.
You can also use books that are more visual, like my headstone symbolism book pictured above. It makes the reading more akin to Tarot, but you can use captions to help expand on the interpretation. Practice trial and error with multiple books until you feel comfortable and confident that the results are accurate enough. The books I have in the photo I shared are the five I’m comfortable using in regular readings. I play with others for myself or specific queries for friends or family but often I’m not comfortable adding them to my regular repertoire. I have a series of dimestore style paperback mysteries that love to give readings for a dear friend but are useless in accuracy for anyone else. Books have personalities- if you didn’t already know that this method will teach you that fact quickly.
You can also create your own specific stichomancy book using a notebook with numbered short passages and poems of that have significance to you. It can be an enriching process to collect all the passages to add to your own book and you can give them more specific and more easily remembered associations when compiling them yourself. Do remember to give proper credit/sourcing to all your collected passages though!
You don’t need the largest book possible to be effective with this method of divination. “Desperation” and “Chilling Ghost Short Stories” are my thickest books, but honestly I’ve gotten more insightful readings from my two slim fairy tale volumes. It’s truly a method you make your own. I have friends who prefer to exclusively use books of poetry rather than fictional prose. That is good too!
A note: don’t feel like you need to have a physical book- I’ve had some success with ebooks! It can be trickier to do the flip-through for sure, but not impossible.
~~~~~~~
Traffic Omens
I was probably about 8 years old when I first played the “If, Then” game. “If this next light turns green before we reach it, then I’ll get McDonalds for lunch.” A simple and almost childish game of course. But essentially, traffic omens. I expanded on it as I got older to include seeing certain makes and colors of cars during my commute. Or a certain number of common buildings like churches or banks. A type of architecture or statues featuring certain things. It can be as common or uncommon as your needs require.
This is a method that’s a little trickier to lay out for others in step-by-step ways because it is omen based and therefore requires you to select what works for your specific area/region, what type of commute based omens you feel comfortable noticing, what meanings they have for you, etc. And since this is omen-based, it isn’t exactly ideal for actively standard divination reading. It’s more ideal for a passive style, or personal predictions in your own life.
You can build a system that works for you and could predict luck in a career, prosperity in the home, or a new friend. I recommend starting a journal of the sort of “omens” you notice on your commute. Follow up with a short blurb about how your day went and how you felt. Then you can refer back to it and create the personal system from there. You can vary the more common with uncommon omens- just remember to ascribe the appropriate association. Seeing a certain number of bank buildings can be good for meaning an increase in general finances but you’d likely want something more uncommon like an usual make and model of a single car for snagging a dream job. You can also create variations for when you’re walking during your day instead of commuting!
A bit more involved but something interesting to experiment with in our modern society. And keep a bit of that childlike wonder!
~~~~~~~
Online Randomizer
Did you ever play with the web extension “Stumble Upon” back when it existed? The idea was that you installed it in whatever web browser you happened to be using and then clicked it to get directed to an entirely random website. Though it’s intention was obviously to curb boredom, it is definitely something interesting to try as a divination tool. Stumble Upon no longer exists (as far as I know), however there are similar extensions or webpages that let you do the same thing (this one comes to mind: https://theuselessweb.com). There is also options like Wikipedia’s “random article” ability that works along the same lines. This method is similar to stichomancy in that you’ll likely be working with text a lot of the time. But be aware of the medium you’re working with- a webpage is more than just a page in a book. What is its purpose? How well is it designed? What sort of visuals does it use? What emotional impressions do you get from it? It can start simple, but you can see the options are there for expanding an interpretation pretty elaborately. And again, a number of clicks can be incorporated if you like.
~~~~~~~
Multi-Image Scrying (Social Media Image Scrying)
It’s hard for me to come up with a concise name for this. But it’s possible you’ve come across persons doing this on various platforms like Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, etc. There is a selection of images in a format similar to a moldboard to view. The reader has a querent select an image that stands out to them and builds a reading based on the selection. Similar to a random draw from a Tarot or Oracle card with symbolism and art imagery lending itself to the interpretation. This can be great to try if you are into color symbolism or can easily see how certain artwork evokes certain emotions. Similar to what websites like Buzzfeed or the astro.com color chart quiz is! Almost like an alternative horoscope based on visual selections you are drawn to.
Be sure to ethically collect images for something like this if you plan on offering it to others. There are many websites that have royalty free images you can use for projects like this. Or you can even use ones you have yourself! These don’t have to be high art photographs, simple ones on your phone can absolutely work. The biggest goal is to make sure they are varied so a large amount of interpretation is possible.
There is a version of this using face down Tarot (or oracle) cards as well. You take a photo (or have video) of them face down and then have your querent select one at random without either of you knowing what it is. Then once you flip it over you can giving a reading based on that. It’s not especially different from a standard long distance Tarot reading except it can be used on a mass scale. For example, I’ve done this for my business Facebook or Instagram where I have a grid of numbered face down cards. Then I put the meanings of each card in the comments so someone can select the card before reading the comments and get a low-tech daily reading without an app.
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Even though many of these methods evoke playful games of childhood, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have potential as a valid form of divination. Many forms of divination in the past started as games or ways to pass time before they were built into the forms of divination we know today. A modern technique may seem “sillier” to traditionalists but just like younger generations are proving the further reaching use of modern technology to previous generations; it is time to prove the modern forms of divination as valid to the traditionalists!
ok! i think tumblr ate my fucking apple cider recipe post. still, my autumn equinox tradition must carry on!
Apollo's Foolproof From-Scratch Apple Cider That Was So Good It Allegedly Landed Me A Boyfriend
you will need:
12 apples (the variety is up to you, i usually do half granny smith and half whatever's on sale plus a red delicious for garnishing)
10oz raisins
cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom pods, any other warming spices u like (whole > ground) (follow ur heart on the amounts, it's like garlic just throw so much in there. just go wild)
1 orange
brown sugar (i don't have measurements but be prepared to use a LOT lmao, i always buy at least one 32oz bag. you'll be sweetening to taste.)
large pot with lid
potato masher (optional)
two large bowls/pots/receptacles to strain the cider into
fine mesh strainer
cheesecloth or coffee filters (optional)
apple corer or knife
citrus zester
slotted spoon or ladle
the steps:
1. scrub apples gently under hot water to remove grocery store wax coating. core apples making sure all seeds & stems are removed. add apples, raisins, and mulling spices to pot with enough water to fully cover ingredients, and bring to boil. reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
2. scrub orange to remove wax. zest and juice, avoiding the pith & seeds. use a potato masher or other utensil to lightly mash boiled apple mixture so every apple slice is at least partially broken up, then add the zest & juice to the pot. bring back to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for another hour. then turn off the heat and allow mixture to cool.
3. place two mesh strainers over two bowls or pots (and cover each with a cheesecloth or coffee filters, if you have them). with a slotted spoon or ladle, remove as much of the solids from the pot as you can and place them in one strainer (the larger one, if they are different sizes) to drain, then press out as much liquid into the cheesecloth as possible.
4. pour the cider from the simmer pot into the second cheesecloth and press. combine the liquid from both bowls.
5. add brown sugar to taste
cooking tips:
the times listed above are bare minimums. once all the ingredients are in the pot (minus sugar!) you can simmer as long as you want, so long as someone's nearby to supervise.
always add any sweeteners after the cooking process. otherwise, they'll burn and make the whole thing bitter.
if it's too acidic, add baking soda or more spices. if it's not acidic enough, add lemon juice, additional orange juice, or apple cider vinegar.
variations:
add 12oz fresh cranberries to the first step
sub oranges for lemons or apple cider vinegar
sub brown sugar for straight molasses, maple syrup, or alternative sweetener of your choice (I'd imagine fig or other fruit-based sweeteners would work best)
report back to me if you try something new!! i want to hear how it turned out!
serving suggestions:
add three or four cinnamon imperials (red hots) to your mug, along with a dash of fireball whiskey if you're so inclined. i cannot stress enough how fucking amazing this tastes.
garnish with apple slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and/or star anise
if you have dairy-free ice cream on hand, pour some cider over a scoop. you can use dairy ice cream, but it's more likely to curdle.
freeze some in an ice cube tray, then blend with some non-frozen cider for a slushie
ok I've never tried this, but i bet blending with pumpkin puree would slap. PLEASE tell me if you try it
this makes a metric fuckload of cider, which is very rich and can be watered down considerably (seriously). share with your friends and/or freeze some to last the season (or halve it, i guess, but that's no fun :P)
Daily Spiritual Habits That Took My Practice to the Next Level
I’ve really been trying to strengthen my spiritual practice into something more regular these past few months. As I’m trying to prepare myself eventual chaplaincy training, it’s forced me to identify what really adds to my spiritual practice and what just distracts me.
Here are the habits that have really restored my spiritual life over the past few months. My hope in talking about them is to help you evaluate what practices are your spiritual pillars in your life.
Prayer
Prayer is something I wind up doing everyday. I usually pray to my goddess and my spirits. I also regularly pray to my ancestors. I used to use some pagan prayers I memorized but I haven’t lately. I might go back to it for morning and evening prayers.
On a mundane side, this lowers my stress quite a bit. Prayer reminds me I have folks looking out for me. I’m not going it alone. Which helps me feel less helpless and more connected to the world at large. On the spiritual side, this helps strengthen my ability to communicate with those beings - a skill I’m definitely still working on. While my goddess comes in loud and clear, I’m still learning to listen for my ancestors and other spirits.
It’s so practically and spiritually helpful, I don’t tend to forget this one. I’m still getting comfortable praying in my own style which I don’t think enough people talk about. I don’t like praying out loud unless I’m leading a ceremony or circle and I’ve come to accept that. I don’t think it’s any less powerful because in many ways it’s more me.
If you haven’t liked praying in the past, switch it up. Prayer beads, ancient hymns, modern poetry, freestyle, out loud, in your head - it’s all valid.
Offerings
I usually put out a stick of incense and some water most days on our home hearth altar. I miss some days but it’s deeply gratifying for me so it’s right below prayer for me.
Offerings just help me feel closer to the spirits I work with. In the same way, when you invite friends over and cook for them you tend to feel closer to them - it’s like that for spirits. I like “having them over” and my prayers feel like they’re received a little better when I make it clear my relationship is reciprocal.
They’re also just so distinctly different from what I did when I was raised Christian so it helps me feel like I’m actively participating in my own separate path. They really do help fill me up spiritually.
Journaling
Journaling is something I do at least once a week but often more. I focus on shadow work journaling but I’m opening up to other forms too. It’s just such a needed way to process what I’m going through in a way that doesn’t overburden my support system. It’s not that I can’t talk to people in my life about stuff, it’s that they’ve got stuff going on in their lives and I want to take things that I properly can’t figure out on my own to them. It’s a good faith effort so to speak.
This goes for spirits too. My goddess works with thousands of people all over the world and she’s got plans of her own. I only really want to go to her with the stuff I really need her help with. Since she’s a goddess of sovereignty, I think it helps me feel like I can stand on my own and I think she’s grown to trust me with more work as I’ve gotten more emotionally independent.
Journaling really has been key with that. Your brain is for having ideas, not for storing them. And I get kind of “emotionally backed up” if I don’t journal regularly so this is a practice that has stayed.
Tarot
I’m kind of in a tarot slump at the moment but I still find it a useful tool. Instead of drawing cards, I’ll sometimes just use a card as a point of focus to center my journaling or prayers. Tarot is more than a divination system to me, it’s a way to understand life.
I find myself relating my experiences back to tarot cards and using the system as a whole to work out what the best course of action might be. If I’m feeling stuck, I think about what reversed card best embodies my situation and then think about what clues the upright card might give for breaking through.
There’s really not a day that goes by where I don’t interact with the tarot in some way but it’s not always in the form of divination. So it’s stayed now that I better understand the place it holds in my practice - it’s a tool, not a performance.
Study
I’m embarrassed to say it but properly studying is pretty new to me at the moment. I’m still learning how to do it well. I’m really lucky I have cool friends who can point me in the right direction and the internet is so full of great resources.
Right now I’m working on studying the myths of my goddess more. I’m working my way through a reading list to know her more fully. I’m still new to it but it really has helped. I feel more grounded in my relationship with her. I feel closer.
There really is a form of intimacy that comes from studying the lore deeply that you can’t necessarily get from unverified personal gnosis alone. I see this becoming a real solid pillar for me going forward.
Conclusion
I think it’s worth evaluating what small forms of practice you get the most out of. It’s really helped me cut down on shoulding myself and I reframe it as I want to do this and I can. This isn’t all I do, to be clear. It’s because of these things that I’ve had the knowledge and the energy to pursue my interest in traditional witchcraft more and get hands on practice casting spells. It’s made learning new forms of energy work way easier and helps me when I need to act as a spiritual intercessor for others. These practices are my foundation that allow the rest of my practice to flourish.
*I am not Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Bahai, Jainist, or Umbandan (?). I am pagan. I researched this from various sources, I apologize for any misinformation in the sources I used, this is the first time I’m covering this topic.
Okay so I had this in mind for a while and then I cranked out research in about an hour so be prepared for chaos. Surprisingly, a lot of the sources AGREED on all the big key points, which is definitely a first in this field. And by “this field” I mean every field.
So prayer beads have been used in Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Umbanda, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, the Bahá'í Faith, Jainism, and paganism. They’ve also been found and used in all of east Asia, India, the Middle East, Turkey, Greece, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. The oldest beads have been found in Africa. As a tool, prayer beads can be used secularly and can represent things like elements, spirits, figures, and so forth.
Let’s talk about that oldest beads, shall we? They were made of ostrich shell beads and date back to 10,000 BCE (before common era). Depictions of the use of prayer beads are from the Greeks of ancient Thira, from 1600 BCE. In the depictions, women the ones using them. Prayer beads were also used by Hindus in 500 BCE, and the Buddhists also joined them in using prayer beads.
Prayer beads have also been called many things depending on the religion:
Subha/Subhah, misbaha, tasbih/tasbeeha, or dhikr in Islam.
Japamala/japa mala or mala beads in Buddhism and Hinduism.
Sikh mala or mala beads in Sikhism.
Mala beads in Jainism.
Mala beads in Shinto.
Bahai beads in the Bahá'í Faith.
Rosary in Roman Catholic. Rosary for Anglicans in Anglican Christianity. Chotki in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The Wreath of Christ in non-denominational Christianity.
The closest thing to prayer beads that Judaism has is the tallit, which is a prayer shawl. Eastern Orthodox Christians have knotted ropes instead of strings of beads. When not used for religious work, prayer beads are instead known as worry beads (or kompoloi or komboloi).
Prayer beads are used for keeping track of and counting prayers, chants, mantras, and devotions.
Komboloi or worry beads can serve as stim toys to pass time or to limit smoking. They can also be used as an amulet against bad luck or as a mark of power or social prestige – the fancier the worry beads, the higher you were in the society’s hierarchy.
Nowadays, in places like Greece and Turkey, komboloi are used as a men’s accessory for stress relief and to pass time.
Prayer beads are made of some kind of string, along with a number of beads that varies from religion to religion. The beads can be made from wood, glass, crystals, minerals, metals, bone, shells, plant seeds, and pearls, among many other things. Anything that can be made into a bead can be made into prayer beads.
Prayer beads do not need a religious symbol or a tassel, as the importance of prayer beads is in the number of the beads and the beads themselves, not in the other things attached to it.
