Gale's Grimore

digital grimore |gale|20s|it/its| icon by kirstendoodles

[squaredcirclebaby-deactivated20]

[not-ur-average-anything]

Transcript:

I’m signing part of what I’m saying tonight because while we were making the movie, we all became more aware of the problems of the handicapped. Over 14 million people are deaf. They are the invisible handicapped, and can’t share this evening, so this is my way of acknowledging them.

[bakasara]

[teaboot]

Why are you pantsless around your cat? That seems really weird to me

Like I don’t mean to shock you so maybe sit down but my cat is rawdogging his whole little life dickballs naked, so

[grimthetransman]

I have run out of pain medicine. I fucking hate winter.

If anyone has like anything to spare I need 50$ to afford more. Honestly any amount helps. I had to get a CPAP hose holder and cat treats and probably should have made the CPAP hose holder wait, cus then I'd only need 30$.

My v3mmo here

[grimthetransman]

My PayPal is [email protected] for those of you who can't use Venmo. Sorry bout that.

[grimthetransman]

May I have 20$ to get my partner to urgent care and back today? He is not okay going on day 3 and I can't physically drive. This man has a fear of doctors, so for him to say we need to go today means we probably should have been gone yesterday.

Prices are listed below, 20$ would also pay for the return trip. He's a bigger guy so if I could get 25$ he would be more comfortable getting there and back. It's less than a mile but he is literally screaming when he moves his body and I don't think it would be safe for him to drive himself

Images edited to remove my address.

[breelandwalker]

Magical Oil Recipes - Baneful Edition

For anyone looking to brew up a potion with a less-than-friendly bent, here are some recipes I've created that you might find useful.

To prepare them, blend the ingredients in such proportions as feels correct for your purposes (or as supplies allow). Use dried material except where indicated. Place a few spoonfuls in a mason jar with a screwtop lid and fill the jar with a bland oil of your choice. (Vegetable oil of the sort you would buy for cooking works fine.) Screw the lid on tightly and shake well to combine, then leave the jar in a dark dry place for 2-4 weeks to steep.

Once steeped, prepare a clean storage bottle (also with a secure lid) and label with the type of oil and the bottling date. Strain the oil through paper towels or cheesecloth to remove the plant material, then bottle immediately. Store away from sunlight and heat for up to one year. Use for spellwork as you see fit.

(Observe all proper safety measures related to glass, fire, and potentially harmful plants as necessary.)

*- Ingredient is potentially harmful if inhaled or ingested. **- Ingredient should not be used or handled if you are pregnant or nursing.

All-Purpose Hexing Oil For general hexing, cursing, and baneful magic.

Dried Chili Pepper

Fresh Lime Peel

Lemongrass (dried or fresh)

Rusted Nail (place in bottle with finished oil)

All-Purpose Hexbreaking Oil For general negation of baneful spells cast by oneself or others.

Agrimony**

Cinquefoil

Fennel

Vervain

Solomon's Seal Root (place in bottle with finished oil)

Backhanded Blessing Oil For blessings that are anything but benevolent.

Burnt Cinquefoil

Bay Leaf

Pine Needles

Bayberry Root NOTE: Prepare as you would a blessing oil, then twist the blessing into a curse, i.e. May You Get Everything You Deserve.

Done in the Dark Concealment Oil For secrecy, confidentiality, and general deception.

Juniper Berries

Licorice Root

Black Hemp (Dogbane)

Ferns or Dried Seaweed Note: For the final ingredient, use whichever is easier to obtain. Both bracken and seaweed work well for basic concealment spells.

Eye of Newt Disruption Oil For disrupting and confounding magical efforts against you.

Black Mustard Seeds

Bloodroot**

Nettle Leaf

Garlic (1 clove, bruised)

No Rest For The Wicked Hexing Oil For punishing one's enemies.

Chili Pepper (any)

Horseradish Root

Cramp Bark

Bayberry Root

On Your Own Head Retribution Oil For counter magic and revenge hexes.

Elderberries*

Bloodroot**

Devil's Shoestring**

Vetiver

Tangled Shoelaces Binding Oil To impede someone's ability to move or act against you.

Pine Needles

Devil's Shoestring**

Scullcap**

Coffee Grounds

Iron Nail in master bottle

Wicked Witch Heavy-Duty Cursing Oil For occasions when a regular-strength hex just won't do.

Wormwood* **

Ghost Chili Pepper (or the hottest chili you can get)

Lemon Seeds

Lobelia* Note: Use With Extreme Caution And Cover Your Ass.

Witchbane Warding Oil For repelling and countering harmful spells.

Bay Leaves

Elderflower

Star Anise

Birch Bark

Should the reader require supplies, I recommend the following:

Penn Herb Company

Starwest Botanicals

Bulk Apothecary

Mountain Rose Herbs

Specialty Bottle

Image Credit - Shaiith

All recipes are (c) 2017 Bree NicGarran, published in Pestlework: A Book of Magical Powders & Oils. Please check out the book if you would like more recipes.

If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar, tune in to my podcast Hex Positive, or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop.

[windvexer]

the Chicken furthermore tries to convince you to practice sorcery in a fun and fulfilling way

There is a difference between practicing goal-oriented practical sorcery, and placing the entire value of your sorcery on whether or not you achieved the goal. One of these things is soul-crushing.

Practicing sorcery should be it's own reward. The actual steps you are performing should be stuff that you like, or thrills you, or captures your fascination. As an activity, practicing sorcery should be satisfying regardless of whether or not the spellwork manifests properly.

If the sorcery on your plate is not satisfying, compost it and return to the endless buffet and try a different type of sorcery.

If you do not have the things you need, your first step to a spell becomes innovation. What is the purpose of the thing in the spell, and how can it be replaced?

A spell can be cast with a length of string, or a paper and pen. Or with a bit of crayon. Or a dead fly. Or with just you.

Sorcerous knowledge tends to reveal itself when the clutter of correspondences is placed aside, so having few things to practice with is not a curse.

You do not need an interpersonal spiritual friendship with every single spirit you want to work with in magic. YOU DO NOT.

Interpersonal friend relationships with spirits should probably be reserved for very special spirits in your "inner court," the beings with which you choose to share your life and that you honor as teachers and guides.

Many spirits are pleased to assist with magic, but have no interest in getting to know us personally.

Imagine if everyone in your askbox wanted to ask you for help on something you're knowledgeable about, but instead of just asking for help, they first wanted to DM you for a few weeks to make sure you're comfortable with being asked for help, meanwhile on your correspondence chart pinned post it says "I can help with [topic]! Just ask!"

Asking spirits for help in magic is a good, valid way to start building a relationship with them.

Repeatedly calling on the same spirit or type of spirit over and over in spellwork is a fantastic way to deepen your relationship with them.

Working with a spirit in magic does not mean you are obligated to build a shrine to it, venerate it, talk to it outside of spellwork, or any of that.

Practicing sorcery is not the same thing as casting a spell. Practicing sorcery also means practicing the composite skills which come together to make a spell.

A spell is like a completed painting. But to make that painting, the artist needed several skills: the ability to sketch the scene, knowledge of how to apply and work with their paint, color theory, an understanding of how to render landscapes, and so forth. As a sorcerer, your skillset might be imbuing intent, raising energy, centering and grounding, practicing trance, practicing psychism or divination, etc. As you gain familiarity with these things, spells become less like an imposing stranger, and more like someone you're sure you've met before.

Practice can be it's own reward, but discipline is often required for progress.

Raising energy once a day, forever? I think not.

Raising energy once a day for seven days? Or, dedicating to doing it a total of ten times this month? Perhaps so.

An artist may not be in love with every single step of the process, and sometimes a sorcerer may have to get good at a skill that's not their favorite. But if no part of the process sparks joy, then something is wrong.

Sucking at something is the first step to being kind of good at something. Be reasonable with yourself: does the beginner artist doodle a landscape, then look at their work and declare that their art "doesn't work"?

Not every witch is talented at every sort of sorcery. Not creating a potent prosperity spell after five tries doesn't mean you're bad at magic. It might mean that your current understanding of prosperity magic precludes good results, or that you are casting on one very intransigent situation, or that your true talents lie in destruction and chaos instead of peaceful growth.

Set practice goals, give it an honest go, and move on when the time is right: "I am going to practice raising Fire energy and putting it into this stone using the Pore Breathing method. I'm going to do it fifteen times." (3 months later): "That sucked and it never worked, but I did it all fifteen times. Next I'm going to do a grounded roots visualization and use it to channel water energy to cleanse my room." (10 days later): "That was awesome, I want to do it more than 15 times."

Play around and be silly with it. Taking your path seriously is not the same thing as taking your path somberly.

Sports teams practice drills to be ready for game day. Sorcerers are wise to take a page from their book, because when real-life game day arrives, it feels much better to deal with it when you know you've been having pretty good success with channeling water energies, so maybe it's best to do something with that, because you can't move fire for dick.

[asksecularwitch]

wrt last rebagel

So, my thoughts here are two fold. Sometimes you have to show people what experiments you're doing in order for them to understand the pattern. So what ARE YOU doing, Anon, content wise, to show folks what kinds of experimentation you can do with tech? What are YOU DOING? Be the change you want to see - you want to have a conversation about how certain shit works, then fucking start one (and not in someone else's ask box). Provide the specs. Provide the details. Provide the items. Provide the numerical evaluations. Provide the speculation. Provide. The second is, sometimes. People just hate tech.

There I said it. We were all thinking it. But we said it. I hate electric candles for witchcraft because as much as I could sigil that shit or as much as I could work for the batteries, it's a lot of effort for me. Versus lighting a kitchen length match and putting it on a candle that I bought or was given or found in a yard sale collection. The gate of entry for me, as a witch is much lower with a candle than an electric candle. That's why I hate them for spellwork. I can DO IT, i just don't enjoy it. And we don't do joyless witchcraft here. We don't do tortured witchcraft here. Simply put: Electric candles and Candles are not the same. Thinking they are the exact same is a fallacy discussion, doomed to fail from the start. Without recognizing that key difference, fundamentally the conversation can go no where.

However, I LOVE enchanting my backgrounds and my images that I make for spellwork. It's very similar as me painting or crafting my physical witchcraft. It is the same to me. It's the same as writing. It's the same as pointing my finger at something and working the magic. It's the same. So the bar of entry? LOW. and my willingness to do so, HIGH. And I enjoy it. So we do it. I have a lot of spells built into paintings on my phone. It's great. 10/10 recommend. But I've already made posts and blogs and more posts about this. So again, I ask. WHAT ARE YOU doing?

[libraford]

My problem with the electric candles has always been that the process of using a candle isnt about light so much as using fire to alter an object (setting it on fire to destroy it) and keeping a sense of time (marking the end of the spell when the wax runs out, or when it hits the marker I put in it.)

So for me, electric tealights arent a good method of that. Instead, I destroy a thing by flushing it down a toilet, or cooking it in a pot on the stove if I need to use fire as an element. I use my phone as a timer in those situations.

But I should also mention that, at least to me, electricity and fire are similar but not the same- so cooking something in an electric stove is not the same spell as setting it on literal fire. The behaviors of those types of elimination are different and when we write spells we need to recognize that electric candles might simulate fire, but they are a closed circuit electric element and that is a quality tgat fire does not have.

As such, electric candles have a place in witchcraft, but the nature of their electricity is, in my opinion, better for things that are meant to be ongoing- like memorials and shrines, or things that are like a steady drumbeat and not results-oriented. More like maintenance because they have that property.

Sorry I rambled a bit but the coffee just hit and I've been thinking a lot about the elements and how theres kind of... more than four of them when you think about it in a granular kind of way.

[coinandcandle]

If you haven’t given an offering to your deities/spirits/ancestors/etc in a while because you feel icky mentally or physically, here are some quick and easy options:

- water (drinkable, preferably)

- make a playlist of at least 3 songs (you can add more later if you’d like)

- talk to them, just say hi, tell them what’s going on in your life

- if you’re physically able, dance or exercise a bit!!

- read or re-read stories about them if they’re a deity

- recall fond memories you’ve had together, tell them why these memories are fond

- Buy or pick a flower/plant, put it on your offering space

- buy a lil pastry and offer it to them

[blackwitchspace]

Don't buy these they ain't by us

[thegrapeandthefig]

Metal playlists for the gods (part 1?)

@thepastelpriestess You asked for it lol. 

This should be no surprise but I’m stil going to say it: this is going to be brutal on many levels, both musically and lyrically and will most likely highlight darker aspects of the gods. 

Apollon

Leader of the Rats - Arch Enemy

Pestilence and Plague - Judas Priest

Under Apollyon’s Sun - Celtic Frost

Eyes of Prophecy - Emerald Sun

Sun King - The Cult

Dionysos

Twice-Born - Alghazanth

Resurrection by Erection - Powerwolf

In Praise of Bacchus - Type O Negative

Dance of Dionysus - Alunah

Downhill Drunk - Tyr

Pan

The Great God Pan - Blood Ceremony

Hymn to Pan - Blood Ceremony

Homage to Pan - Ancient

Pan Satyros - Behemoth

Satyr’s Wine pt. II - Tersivel

Aphrodite

Dance Macabre - Ghost

Nothing Else Matters - Metallica

The Death of Love - Cradle of Filth

Body of Clay - Agathadaimon

A Dreaming Beauty - Graveworm

Ares

The Hundred Days Offensive - 1914

Of War - Samael

The Rise of Hannibal - Ex Deo

For A Voice Like Thunder - Rotting Christ

Visions of Fate - Primal Fear

Zeus

Ride the Lightning - Metallica

When the Eagle Cries - Iced Earth

Crimson Thunder - Hammerfall

Lightning Strikes Twice - Iron Maiden

The Storm - Ablaze My Sorrow

I might do a second part with other deities at some point. Meanwhile, feel free to add your own. 

[thegrapeandthefig]

Want more? Here’s more. 

Artemis

Great is Artemis of the Ephesians - A Hill to Die Upon

The Forest Whispers My Name - Cradle Of Filth

The Wild Hunt - Watain

Artemis - Aesma Daeva

Like to a Silver Bow - Darkseed

Hermes

Wanderer - Shade Empire

Psychopomp - Manimal

Wanderlust - Megadeth

Joker and the Thief - Wolfmother

Need for Speed - Saxon

Demeter

Mother Earth - Within Temptation

Mother Earth - Avalanch

Demeter’s Grief - Alunah

King’s Harvest - Avatar

Temple Of The Earth - Domain

Persephone

Seed: Core And Persephone Act 1: A Ray of Hope - Persefone (the whole album is about her btw)

A Field of Flowers - Ecnephias

Spring Will Come - Illnath

Red Winter - Entwined

Six Grains Of Pomegranate - Mandragora Scream

Hades

Pro Memoria - Ghost

Keeper Of The Underworld - Lonewolf

Erebus - Septicflesh

A Graven Winter - Hecate Enthroned

Hades - Kalmah

Poseidon

Ghost of the Navigator - Iron Maiden

Shipwrecked - Alestorm

Burial at Sea - Metal Church

Beneath the Waves - Ayreon

Kiss Me Kraken - Dagoba

Hera

Silver Bride - Amorphis

Mother of All Gods, Mother of Mine - Nightfall

Lotus - Liv Kristine

The Womb, The Woe, The Woman - The Moth Gatherer

Hera’s Orchand - Bleeding Gods

Hephaestus

Rise, Vulcan Spectre - Nekromantheon

Forging Metal - Hazy Hamlet

The Forge - Autumnblaze

Spell Of Iron - Tarot

The Song of Hammers - Nocternity

Hekate

Queen Of The Dark Horizons - Rhapsody

Destroyer Hekate - Belphegor

Lykaria Hecate - Acrimonious

Dance Of Hecate - Stormlord

Goddess of Dark Misfits - Hecate Enthroned

Athena

Athena - Metalium

The Philosopher King - Ex Deo

That’s What The Wise Lady Said - Angtoria

Behead the Gorgon - Lair of the Minotaur

The General - Unleashed

Hestia

Hearth - Saor

Scene Six: Home - Dream Theater

Home Again - Thyrfing

Safe Home - Anthrax

Keep the Flame - Stratovarius

[anarchofairy]

i made a uquiz - of the many faces of dionysus, which is turned toward you?

[theunfairfolk]

What do you think of Joyofsatan.org? They claim to follow the Sumerian God Enki-Satan and they’re the largest Satanist group in the world.

They’re Nazis. Full stop they are self proclaimed Nazis.

“Joy of Satan Ministries believe that one of the benign aliens, Enki, which they consider to be Satan himself, created with his collaborators on Earth human beings through their advanced technology of genetic engineering. It's considered by Joy of Satan that most salient of his creations were the Nordic-Aryan race. They declare that the Reptilians have, in turn, created their own kind by combining their own DNA with the DNA of semi-animal humanoids with the result identified as the Jewish race.”

I’ve found absolutely no source saying they’re the “largest satanist group in the world” though, and I’d be highly skeptical of such a claim. Scientology does something similar (we have Millions of members and you can’t prove otherwise!) so I’d take that with a grain of salt.

[3liza]

occult/witchy blogs are getting spammed with this anon ask so it looks like JoS is attemlting to recruit on Tumblr now. remember, this stuff is cognitohazard: the goal of the asks is to get you to Google the cult, do research, read their forums and PDFs and eventually get sucked in. i debate even talking about or acknowledging these cults on clear web because of the cognitohazard risk especially for their target recruits: young people with mental illness who can be sucked in through their tracts and inducing states of derealization, psychosis and other forms of susceptibility

[strangesigils]

“I Am Hired”

Burn this sigil and sprinkle the ashes around a copy of your resume before handing out resumes while job hunting (that aren’t covered in ash)

[strangesigils]

How to use a sigil wheel.

A tutorial. 

I rarely use this method myself, but I know people are always looking for tutorials on different methods of sigil making and not finding any. I’ve had a few different people asking for more graph based sigil making techniques, and this is a fairly well known one that fits that category. I hope this tutorial is coherent and answers questions instead of making things more confusing. If you have any questions, however, never be afraid to ask.

[crazycatsiren]

Baby witch here!

I REALLY wanna take an oath on my gods, Artemis and Athena.

But idk how to take an oath!!

How long have you been worshipping them? If the answer is less than 5 years, please don't. And if you're still a minor, please don't, period.

[jasper-pagan-witch]

Seconding that. You can worship deities without taking oaths! Oaths are not the be-all end-all of worship or relationships with your deities.

[crazycatsiren]

Most people who worship deities aren't oath takers.

People who are life long devotees don't even swear oaths.

Oaths are serious business when it comes to the Hellenic deities. If you have to ask any question, any question at all, then it is not the time for you to oath.

[pinkhellenicgods]

regardless of age, anyone who calls themself a "baby" at their practice has absolutely no business swearing an oath to a god.

oaths are serious stuff, for sure... but beyond that, they're also expert level.

The hardest thing about being new to this is that you don't know what you're doing but you want to know everything. unfortunately, sometimes you gotta put in the time to learn and grow your praxis before certain things are appropriate. Oaths are among these things.

If you're curious about oaths, I recommend research. I googled "oaths to hellenic gods" and found this paper that, I think, clarifies the dangers with oaths:

The swearer calls down on himself a conditional curse, and specifies superhuman powers (gods, heroes, even objects, abstractions, etc.) to witness and guarantee truth or performance. The self-curse fortifies credibility and ensures completion. (x)

So an oath is a conditional curse you call on the gods to cast on you.

That article also has its own sources and looks to be itself a reliable source so if you're feeing drawn to the concept of oaths, do research and learn what they mean. in the meantime, devotional promises like "i will do this for you" and "i will do this to show my love" and "i will do this with you by my side" without the context of an oath persay are probably more appropriate to your experience level in practice.

[thegrapeandthefig]

Everything has been said. Just wanted to point out that the book Oaths and Swearing in Ancient Greece is downloadable for free and legally via https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/30134 at least in Europe as it's considered Open Access.

[hellenicrisis]

Important Distinction Between 'Devoted To', 'Worshipping', and 'Working With' Concerning Connections with Deities🕯

I feel like there's a huge misunderstanding surrounding the use of the terms 'devoted', 'worship', and 'working with' in Hellenist, pagan, and polytheist communities. So many times I see people using terms incorrectly or even scolding others for saying they 'work with' certain deities, so I think it's time we clear the air here.

Honestly though, I don't blame anyone for misusing terms like these as they are somewhat obscure even in these communities.

It comes down to the fact that there are three different categories of relationships you can have with your deities, these being guidelines. Now, this concept is more of a pagan concept than a polytheist concept, and I'm not sure how present it is in Hellenism specifically. But, there's a definite difference between polytheism and paganism in this regard.

This is one of the main reasons I most often refer to myself as a Hellenic Pagan when talking about my religion. Sometimes I'll say Hellenist, but not polytheist.

Quick simplified explanation: polytheism is the belief in multiple gods, whereas paganism is more about connection with energies, divine or not. There are polytheistic, monotheistic, and atheistic pagans. Hence, witchcraft and paganism overlap more than witchcraft and polytheism do.

Now back to my original point. Because of this slight difference in approach and values between paganism and polytheism, the idea of having these three categories of relationships with deities will likely appeal more to pagans than polytheists (that's not to say this can't apply to polytheists as well, or that it applies to all pagans).

Now a simple breakdown of each term.

'Worship': To worship a deity is, for the sake of the explanation, like the standard issue package. You make offerings, you connect with them, they bring their influence into your life in one way or another, etc.

You frequently interact with the deities you worship.

You don't necessarily need a deity's consent to worship them, though it depends on the deity and situation. Personally, I have found that you, for the most part, don't need given permission.

I personally worship Dionysus and Ares.

'Devoted to': A devotee is, you could say, like the next level up from a worshipper. It doesn't mean one is better than the other. It is simply a different relationship. You and your deity must know each other very well, which is why it is generally not recommended for beginner practitioners to become devotees right off the bat. In most if not all cases, including my own, you must ask and receive consent from the deity you wish to be devoted to, and it is generally oath bound.

For me, oath bound didn't mean anything elaborate or ritual-ly. I swore a simple promise to Apollo, and he swore one to me. He and I have been connected since day one, and I think even before I became a Hellenist. Devotion implies an intense relationship and a deeper connection between you and your deity. I won't go into detail, but it's an interesting topic to read up on should the fancy strike you.

'Working with': This is a term that receives a lot of backlash, simply because it is misunderstood. The problem a lot of people seem to have with the term, is the fact that it sounds like the mortal involved is holding the deity at the same level as themselves. This is very false.

Working with a deity is a beautiful practice that involves you connecting with them and their divinity to bring the values they hold into your life. It is the method you turn to when worshipping this particular deity frequently just doesn't work for you, but you really don't want to lose your relationship with them. It means that you invoke a connection with them at certain times. It is not always a frequent thing like worship, although it can be.

Personally, this was the case for me when I started connecting with the Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux). The values they hold and embody are important to me, personally and professionally. I turned to them because I felt drawn to them, but when I tried to start worshipping them, everything just stopped. Nothing worked and all connection got inadvertently cut off. I was gutted for a while, knowing that I must have approached them in a way they didn't want me to. Then, I started working with them, changing the dynamic of our relationship to one that actually works perfectly for us.

Personally as an athlete, I usually connect with Castor and Pollux before a competitive fight. I invoke a connection with them when I feel that I need them. It does not mean that I take without giving back; I give offerings and I am even working on a small altar dedicated to them. I simply don't connect with them as often as I do with the deities I worship. That's all it is. It is a wonderfully liberating practice if it happens to be right for you.

I know this was a long post. I just feel that this is such an important distinction to make. Thank you so much for reading. Have a blessed day ☀

Also please tell me if I got anything wrong, and I'll correct it.

[thegrapeandthefig]

I'm conflicted about this post. I don't think you're wrong, but I think those definitions are really only applicable and used by witches and pagans in the vague sense of the term and, as you've stated, are not entirely accurate for people who consider themselves more historically oriented polytheists.

My issue with the way they have currently been defined is that it also doesn't line up with academic definitions of the terms (when they exist). A lot of people are going to say it doesn't matter since we're worshippers, not academics but here's what I think the biggest issue is: you're going to misunderstand a lot of content if you internalize those definitions and you're going to have a harder time researching because you'll be lacking the proper terminology to find what you're looking for.

Here are the main points I disagree with:

"You frequently interact with the deities you worship.": I really disagree there. Worship is just the core part of this religion. Even if you honor Poseidon once a year for a festival, your action in doing so is still worship. Worship is just the consequence of taking part in this religion.

"you must ask and receive consent from the deity you wish to be devoted to, and it is generally oath-bound.": This might be true for you, but I find it otherwise quite hazardous to equate devotion with oath-binding. What you describe as being your oath would be recognized as an informal one (for a full breakdown of formal vs. informal oath in ancient context, see this). Informal oaths are not meaningless in any way, but they were not considered as binding as a formal one, which tends to include a self-curse. And by self-curse, I mean consequence for oath-breaking that tends to be disastrous. Devotion can definitely happen without a promise, be a personal choice or even, be something you are pushed towards by a deity.

On the whole debacle about "working with", I honestly think all that you have described is worship, but with the twist that the Dioskouroi are your patron deities in the original sense of the term: the gods that have patronage over the main activity you are engaged with. Seen in this perspective, it makes sense that the formal approach did not work out, but it's still not quite akin to what most people mean when they use the term "working with" especially when occultists use it. To me, it mostly looks like you are tapping into the dynamic of patronage, which tends to be activity-focused because that's the point and the context in which such worship would have been found (eg. blacksmiths having a shrine to Hephaistos in their workshop and organizing worship specifically for their guild).

Again, I'm not writing this in order to invalidate your post or experiences, simply express my position on those overused words outside of the witchy/online paganism context and hope that it can help someone.

[littlequartzwitch]

Yea as a chronically ill practitioner I particularly resent the frequent interactions thing. I *don't* frequently interact with the Gods I worship, because I'm too sick to do so on top of stuff I need to do to stay alive (eat, sleep, work a job, etc) to worship more than pretty infrequently, but I'm absolutely still worshipping them

[thewitchoftheforest]

✨ W𝕚𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕔𝕣𝕒𝕗𝕥 + C𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕚𝕔 I𝕝𝕝𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕤 ✨ Following on from yesterday’s post, this tarot spread is at heart a self care spread. Sometimes we need a little guidance and help, especially when suffering from any kind of chronic illness and pain.

Just be kind to yourself where you’re at now! You’re not alone! 💕

This spread works well with oracle cards too!

Lindsay 💜 —————————————————————— #chronicillness #spoonies #eclecticwitchcraft #greenwitchcraft #wiccan #moonphases #themoon #astrology #balance #cycles #energy #tarot #instagram #bruja #traditionalwitchcraft #traditionalwitch #wicca #pagan #witch #witchcraft #witches #witches #tarot #tarotspread #nature #witchesofinstagram #witchy #magick #witchyvibes #witchythings #witchystuff #witchywoman https://www.instagram.com/p/CWLZVcPNzms/?utm_medium=tumblr

[normal-horoscopes]

Please help. I'm asking this in all seriousness, and prefer to ask *you*. Explain (if you please) how it's ok to talk to spirit guides and "fae", see them and connect with, but it's only ok if you're not diagnosed as neurodivergent. Except for the person who was diagnosed as all the things, it's ok for him. Honestly, not following and some people are getting really rude as opposed to being clear. There's a lot going on here and it's gotten confused in The Drama. Please help.

Consider the difference between a priest going to school to learn scripture and slowly build a deep and intentional relationship with God over the course of several years, and an unmedicated scitzoeffective person being the victim of hallucinations.

It's the difference between writing a story, and hallucinations with a plot.

Additionally, you can form relationships with the strange and divine, but you need to be able to discern the lucid from the delusional.

[cecillias-garden]

Caretaker, I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds by weighing in, but I think I understand why people are upset, and would like to help them understand your points.

The issue is not, and never has been, with neurodivergent people interacting with the spirits, with the divine, with the fae. Rather, it is when the lines cross and symptoms of mental illnesses are confused for spiritual experiences.

When I worship my goddess, or reach out to her, I do not hear a voice in my head claiming to be from the divine. I simply look for signs and use the best interpretation I can to understand what it is that she desires of me. If I were to ever hear a voice in my head, or see something with my eyes that couldn't possibly exist, no amount of spiritual beliefs are going to prevent me from seeking a therapist about my experience right away.

There is nothing wrong with practicing spirituality as a neurodivergent person. All The Caretaker and their associates are concerned with is the conflation of your practice with your symptoms. I say this as a neurodivergent person myself, and it takes conscious effort to keep myself grounded in reality, but it is important work for any practicioner.