your life, your path.

enkhtuya 安希子 ★ 🇲🇳+🇯🇵 she/彼女/тэр | gmt+8 i post about tengrism and things tengrism related! mostly in relation to mongolian traditions. pfp by li_sakura on danbooru

[miffygrrl]

introduction ‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡

hello! my name is enkhtuya but you can also call me tuya. I'm 19 years old and i currently live in Mongolia. i was born to a Japanese mother and Mongolian father. here i post about tengrism! my fraternal family are khar darkhad so I'm trying to learn about our traditions.

other things about me can be found here! https://rentry.co/miffygrrl

[miffygrrl]

types of spirits in tengrism

(beliefs/names or terms may vary from region and/or tradition)

⋆˙⟡ —

spirits are a huge part of tengrism, especially in terms of nature / the ones that are in nature and shamanism. first, ill mention the land spirits. land spirits are the spirits that are spirits of mountains, bodies of water, rocks/boulders, trees, and places on earth in general. the spirit can be the personification of that particular place or simply just spirits that live at that particular place. sometimes there is conflict with them and ancestral spirits that want to live in certain places of nature that the land spirits are already living at. there are shamanistic customs that allow these ancestral spirits to live with them peacefully which involves reconciliation. there are also specifically spirits of the sky. these sky spirits live in the 4 directions; north, east, south, and west. (before these terms it was front, back, left side, right side). each direction has its own associations. sky spirits living in the east and west are associated with black shamanism and white shamanism (khar böö and tsagaan böö). western sky spirits are believed to have made humans (us!), dogs, and animals used for food and other resources. eastern sky spirits are believed to have made eagles, animals not used for food/resources/forbidden to eat, and spirits of disease and misfortune. (eastern sky spirits aren't evil as the world is a balance of good and bad and is needed to be that way for stability.) that being said, spirits of disease and misfortune generally just cause sickness, misfortune, and mental confusion/fog. you will usually go to a shaman to deal with these sorts of spirits. then there's other spirits like ancestral spirits and 'neutral' spirits. these spirits tend to be morally grey and therefore will do good or bad depending on what they want to do and what is necessary. they can also be helpers/providers for shamans, being like an "extra soul" for them. these sorts of spirits can be found in nature as well.

thank you for reading! :)

[tengerist]

“All children are born equal and distinct under the Eternal Blue Sky.” This is an important teaching in Tengerism. It is based on the position that there is no fundamental difference between people other than their own being. Things like, class and ethnicity are human constructs which only change a person’s position if humans impose those. This extends to see other beings as equal. A fish is a fish because it has the body of a fish. But being a fish says nothing about it’s worth and the relation to others. The relation between humans and the fish is something imposed by people because of how they view things.

[star-spiral-eye-symbols-of-mine]

Can't stop thinking how magnificent Umay Ana is.

To understand this, you need to know one thing about Tengrism: that is Tengrism differs from region to region and there is no universal one. Which means, every practitioner will have something to them unique.

I have been gaining information on Umay Ana from different areas and worship Her as all what I have found.

Firstly, Her name. In Turkic, root "umāy" meant "placenta", "afterbirth". So here comes Her one of many roles, She is the Mother Goddess, Goddess of pregnancy, motherhood, birth, children, as well as protector of children and pregnant people. It was said, that when a baby laughs, it is Umay Ana with them.

As well, as being the Goddess of children, She is the Goddess and protector of women as well. With that, comes Her role as Goddess of fertility and virginity.

Beside that, She is The Earth, The Nature. She is a Creator Goddess, wife of supreme God Kök Tengri, it was to Her hunters prayed, so that they would have a good game.

Some equate Her with other Goddess, Od Ana, which I do, which gives Her domain of marriage and fire, especially the fire that burns in the human soul.

The last I have, is Her role as carrier of the souls, psychopomp, if you will. On Her hands soul enters the world, and on Her hands it leaves. That's why, it was said, there was blue stain on newborn baby's backs, it is Her mark, that soon fades.

She is the first cry of just born child as well as first whine of a baby animal. She is the last breath of an old man, as well as last rale of and old animal.

She is the first menstruation, She is the little girl, She is the maiden, She is the mother and her children, she is the grandmother and her grandchildren.

She is the laugh of baby boy, She is the hunter, that returned from hunt with his new food.

She is the harvest we eat, She is the fields, She is the steppes.

She is your cat at your side, as well as She is a mighty bear, that could kill.

She is the mountains, She is the caves, She is the forests, She is the planes.

She is the first flowers waking up after the snow, She is the naked trees in the winter. She is the seed, that was planted in the soil, She is the most mighty trees, that hold the earth.

She is the old bones, covered in moss, She is the flowers on fruit trees, She is the new beginning in spring, She is the abundance of life in summer, She is the going to rest world in autumn, She is the calmness in winter.

She is there, when trans women realise themselves and seek their new place, She is there, when trans men realise themselves and seek new place. She is there, when two people want to spend their life together.

She is the fire, that beats inside your heart, that keeps you warm.

She is soft and full of love, She is the Mother, the creator of this world, and She wants us to love it. She can be both accepting, as well as destructive, as nature can feed you or kell you, as fire can warm you, as burn you.

She protects with bow and arrows, Her hair is long and golden, She wears three-pronged crown.

She is so many. She is everything and everywhere and everyone.

I can't stop thinking how magnificent Umay Ana is. And I am excited to learn about Her more.

[nine-billion-names]

luv me some omnipresent gods

[irithnova]

Head empty

Just thinking of the stuffed sneks that Mongolian shamans wear

[tengerist]

Umay-Ene is the deity of children and fertility. She is said to live by the Turge, the World Tree, where she draws water from the well at the roots, to water the garden in the center of the world. She cares for the reincarnating amin souls, who live as birds in the garden. And she makes sure the amin go to their new life. Traditionally she is worshpped at great trees, called ‘grandmother trees’. She is given milk and fabric. Children are given an ongon of her so she may protect them.

[tengerist]

All over the world there are significant places. In Tengerism these places are sacred. If a human is to go to these places they should behave like they are in someone's home.

Because these places are the homes of the spirits. Ezen (masters) of nature, övög (ancestors), savdag and lus may live at these places. Worship in Tengerism is done in a place where the spirits that are communicated with in the ritual are present. So, these places are important to Tengeristic practice.

In Inner Asia many homes of spirits are known. But in other parts of the world people may be unaware of the homes of spirits. But through observation and being open to nature anyone can find the spirits.

[plumplom]

There's this idea that shamans will always become shamans because if a shaman doesn't find and teach you the spirits from beyond the earth will. That is the true meaning of a spirit guide. So all y'all folks out there not finding mentors or books or whatever, don't worry you'll end up fine even if it may be a bumpy ride :)

[miffygrrl]

how to make an altar in within tengrist tradition (how to set up an altar will/may vary on differing traditions)

⋆˙⟡ —

for inside altars: to start off, we dont use things on our altars that dont have a purpose in practice/worship. so things for aesthetic purposes shouldnt be used. although an altar cloth is fine. but things like fake plants or decorations should be kept somewhere else. make sure the place you will be setting up your altar on (preferably a table that is dedicated to the altar only) is clean and tidy. it is preferred that you keep the altar somewhere like your bedroom or the living room. what is recommended to use are offering bowls made from brass, an incense holder for offering, a candle holder for offering preferably made out of brass, candles separate from the ones you use in the holder/container as you will light these when you are interacting with spirits, and tools you use during worship like a tsatsal, khadag, etc.

a tsatsal is a type of spoon specifically used for providing liquid offerings and is usually only used when offering outside. although throwing the liquid or sprinkling the liquid with your fingers is good as well. a khadag is a long piece of fabric often made out of silk mainly used on outside altars, as offerings, and during ceremonies. they come in different colors that signify various things. for example, blue represents the sky and is the most common one used on outside altars, while white symbolizes milk and pure kindness, often given as offerings. they also are used as gifts as they generally symbolize compassion.

outside altars: we call our outside altars ovoo/oboo. the shrine is made up of a bunch of rocks/stones/boulders over time and branches which usually have khadags hanging from them. they are usually located on more higher ground. when you pass an oboo you are meant to circle the oboo 3 times clockwise to have a more safe journey. it is recommended to also add more rocks to the oboo. offerings are also given at the oboo like money, forms of sweets/pastries, vodka, different types of milk, tea, etc. in order for the oboo to be housed by spirits, a shaman must go through a ritual for spirits to be enshrined/housed there. although using it as a dedicated place to worship Tengri will suffice. although keep in mind that you dont need an oboo to worship Tengri. while there are people trained in shamanism you can find online in engrist communities that are willing to do this said ritual somehow long distance, you can still offer things to spirits. one way is providing liquid offerings to the spirits of each direction (north, east, south, west).

i hope you enjoyed reading! <3

[miffygrrl]

tsagaan sar (mongolian lunar new year) is on march 1st! heres some things you can do to celebrate. this is how i personally do it from what i grew up doing :)

wake up before sunrise and get ready along with a nice outfit. its usually traditional clothing, but putting on a pretty outfit is just fine.

make suutei tsai (mongolian milk tea) and give some to the nature/land spirits first as they are just waking up for the spring. i also offer it to Father Heaven (Tengri) and Mother Earth (Etugen). make sure to greet the spirits and deities beforehand as well.

how i personally make suutei tsai is by first boiling black tea. remove the leaves and add whole milk, 1:1 ratio. then boil once. after, add a pinch of salt or even a bit more depending on how much you made. some even add a bit of ghee, so if that seems to strike your fancy you can add that as well.

watch the sunrise. my grandmother would tell me that watching the sunrise reminds us of a new beginning for the new year and the return of spring.

clean your house. i personally like to do a deep clean of the whole house alongside removing clutter. if you live on a farm, you should clean up your farm as well.

thank the gods and the spirits. i personally like to burn herbs and dried flowers and/or light a candle or two as an offering. then i thank them for always providing me with support and blessings.

make food! it doesn't have to be traditional mongolian food, it can just be foods and dishes you enjoy. although if you do want to make traditional foods, i recommend making gambir (basically mongolian pancakes) and/or khailmag since theyre quite easy to make. you should also share the food with your loved ones as well!

set goals and acknowledge what you appreciate in life. this isn't inherently traditional but my father would make me write down such things as a way to teach me how to be grateful and ambitious.

amaar baina uu? ("are you living peacefully?", a greeting on tsagaan sar). thank you for reading!!