Milkwitchin

19, Sydney, Sagittarius Sun, Aries Moon, Pisces rising

[flawlessflesh]

thistle clowning around!

[tintincat]

The poster for "The Two Towers" that I drew a long time ago

[ghostsofmemories]

art by Seth Tobochman

[sadclowncentral]

living in a village of farmers is the fucking best i just left a party and the butcher was like hey i got some bones for your dog. your dog specifically because i like the cut of his jib. hell yeah

do you know how fucking great it is to get home tipsy as hell wake up your dog he is already exited to see you and you are like here you go a big bone for your majesty...my man thought he was damn heaven!! so good

[sadclowncentral]

his majesty himself

[sadclowncentral]

[ID: tags by @m-e-w-666 that read: #this blue dog is just like that green cat ///end ID]

now you know damn well my dog is not blue.

[lakevida]

your dog is tumblr colored

[pangur-and-grim]

I’ve had some trouble with Belphie, because he’s a picky eater in a way I’m not used to.

Grim is a vacuum and will eat anything. Pangur stops recognizing food as food if it isn’t the exact flavour of the exact brand she’s used to. and Belphie….. gets bored.

he’ll eat dry food perfectly for a week, and then one day look at it like “no thanks, I’d rather starve.” and then presented with another brand of dry food, he’ll scarf it down like he’s starving.

I’ll stop worrying about it when he’s an adult, but given that he’s a baby who needs enough calories to grow and develop, I’ve been indulging him by buying single-servings of several different brands and flavours, to get him interested enough to finish his meals

[dorian-v-gaye]

[memeuplift]

[skaldish]

Norse Animism is based on the notion that we can socialize with the world and that the world socializes in return.

Which means our relationship with anything is inherently collaborative. We are not just interactinv with things, but participating in their existence as they participate in ours.

[skaldish]

PRACTICAL EXAMPLE:

Go outside

Grab some dirt

Feel it in your hands. What's it like? Is it dry? Wet? Sandy? Full of clay?

This is the story the dirt tells you of itself. And in my experience, cool shit starts happening when you get better and better at listening.

(No seriously, go get some dirt and tell me what it's like.)

[reflectionsfromalostgirl]

My hand is now full of snow. It is cold and wet and heavy, which is not normal for this time of year. This time of year has been historically for dry powder and wind cold enough to freeze your skin in seconds

This snow is sorrow and loss.

[skaldish]

I like this! Great start. Thinking of things in terms of an ecosystem—"This is unusual for this time of year"—is a big part of it.

The snow's telling you of an anomally with unfortunate implications. It comes with that feeling of grief. That's the socializing aspect at work.

[lacewings-and-lavender]

Tried this with the wind last night, because I couldn’t sleep due to the noise it made outside my window as it passed through the trees. The branches kept thumping against the wall and my first thought was that the wind was angry. The gusts were 50km/h, after all. I listened for a little longer, and changed my mind. I know what an angry wind sounds like; I’ve been in blizzards before. This wind just had places to be, and simply had no intention of straying from that path. That path just happened to pass right by my house. There was nothing personal or emotional about it, and I was projecting that anger because I couldn’t sleep.

Funny enough, it was a bit easier to fall asleep after I thought through what the wind could be trying to say.

[foolmarquis]

Do you have a giant PDF library of occult and esoteric texts?

Are some of them of dubious quality because it’s a crusty scan or glorified photo of a printed book?

Look into PDF OCR. I didn’t know it was a thing until right this moment. Maybe I’m late to the party, but in case anyone else didn’t know, the ability to turn PDFs into a searchable text seemed useful to folks who might browse witchblr tags…

[bogleech]

Please look at this highly underappreciated animal, the “seven armed octopus.” It’s a FAT octopus. It’s a stubby, puffy round octopus with tiny little eyes. But it’s also huge! It’s twelve feet long. That’s four meters if you’re one of those weirdos who can’t picture how long a “foot” is (hint: literally around as long as someone’s foot) It really has eight whole arms, but one pair is extra large, then it has a medium pair, a smaller pair, one extra small one, and then the eighth is kept hidden in the body, used only for mating. And it’s believed to eat primarily jellyfish! That’s just like the mola mola! No wonder it’s big and round and dopey looking, it’s a mollusk that convergently evolved like the ocean sunfish!!!

[architeuthisducks-blog]

The opossum’s most famous trait is feigning death as a defense against predators; it appears to have shuffled off the mortal coil, but is, in fact, alive and well, engineering its own resurrection at will. When it does so, it secretes chemicals that produce the appearance of rot and decay. It therefore bears an association with death, and specifically with the liminal boundary between death and life, and further, with rot, the manifestation of life that feeds on death.

Its other defense is a posture of rage, hissing and snarling viciously to dissuade its attacker.

The Virginia Opossum, while omnivorous, is notable for insectivorous habits, and specifically for its consumption of thousands of ticks in a season. They are unusually resistant to rabies, a deadly disease which is among the greatest dangers of contact between human and animal at the fringes of society. As a destroyer and consumer of vectors of disease and death (the tick) and one who ‘turns away’ rabies, the Opossum can reasonably be said to have an apotropaic function or association.

The Opossum is nocturnal. It walks by night, under the light of the moon alone.

The Opossum dwells in burrows beneath ground, or underneath structures, including but not limited to homes (where they are often encountered). It is therefore chthonic in nature.

In fictional depictions, the Opossum is often associated with ‘hillbillies’ or characters of rural or woodland mien; like the possum, such populations are often by necessity omnivorous (sometimes including consuming the possum itself), and their diet requires considerable knowledge of forage and of plants both beneficial and baleful in their area.

Hecate is variously named and attested:

Triodia, goddess of boundaries or in modern parlance, liminality.

Per Lucan, “rotting goddess” of witches.

Apotropaia, who turns away.

Brimo, who rages.

A goddess of the moon.

Kleidouchos, who holds the keys to the underworld.

One who bears and grants knowledge of poison and medicine.

Therefore, it is a fully reasonable syncretism or occult practice to supplement her traditional associations and address reverence and practice to Hecate in Her Aspect as an Opossum.

[friend-crow]

So this looks like a good read. Text: after half a year of work, my academic zine on the history of antisemitism & appropriation in western occult movements is done 🖤 a 22-page PDF full of citations, illustrated with historic & public domain images, pay-what-you-want (or FREE!): https://ezrarose.itch.io/fyma-a-lesser-key

twitter thread

[birchcraft]

I HIGHLY recommend this book for spirit workers or anyone interested in spirit work!

Here's a few things that the author goes over

Working with local spirits (water spirits, spirits of trees, etc)

Methods of talking to spirits

Spiritual dreams

Manifestation

Prayers and spells

Respecting spirits while also maintaining authority over them

Those are just some of the things I read so far, and I'm only halfway through!

[normal-horoscopes]

Was having trouble getting my woodburning stove to pick up the other morning. Did all the normal fire reviving tricks like a normal person and got nothing. Wrote 火 on a post-it and tossed it in there in annoyance. Fire started back up. :)

Literally the correct way to do magic

[normal-horoscopes]

“idk normal shit isn’t working lemme try some fuckin uhhhhhh runes”

[joofers-the-red-deactivated2022]

The channel Esoterica is so good btw, like one of the most entertaining educational youtube channels

[normal-horoscopes]

Dr. Justin Sledge my beloved

[necrobotany-bos]

Correspondences for Death (Necrobotany)

FLOWERS

Dandelions, ideal for connecting with certain spirits

Roses, to show your love for the deceased

Calendula, for blessings and love

Marigolds, perfect for ancestral worship

Lilies, for a sense of security and togetherness, ideal for deceased children

Orchids, for balanced emotions and adoration, ideal for deceased lovers

Daisies, also ideal for deceased lovers and lost family members

Tulips, to spread happiness

Carnations, a common funeral flower, especially in France. Used in The Netherlands to remember fallen veterans specifically

Heather, said to conjure ghosts and open portals between worlds. Can be used to heal deceased warriors, as it’s said to only grow where no blood has been shed. Heather also marks the resting places of fairies

Holly, often planted in graveyards to protect both the dead and mourners

Hyacinth, helps souls cross over the veil after death

Bluebell, used to comfort those who are mourning

Cowslip, associated with death and rebirth

HERBS

Lavender, for peace in passing on. Used to heal the dead, aid with divination and dreams, and protect the home. 

Thyme, to give peace to those who died in violence. Use to contact both the dead and fairies

Rosemary, for remembrance

Chervil, often used in rituals for the dead

Mugwort, usually used to aid in divination and communication with the dead

Bay, usually used to aid in divination and communication with the dead

Lemon Balm, for peace and healing

Wormwood, to strengthen communication with the dead, as well as for healing and revenge

Basil, used in purification and cleansing rituals, a common symbol of sorrow in Ancient Greece. Use to aid in divination, hedgecrossing and spirit communication

Cinnamon, can amplify divination magic, and was used in the Ancient Egyptian mummification process. It’s commonly associated with spirit and deity work

Dittany of Crete, burned to manifest spirits, also valued as a symbol of love and healing

Fennel, a protective and purifying herb used to prevent spirits from entering your home

Juniper, guards against ghosts and illness, used in healing and purification spells. Juniper berries make good offerings for the dead

Mint, a popular funerary herb in Ancient Greece, also used for healing and protection during travel

Mugwort, used in spirit work

Mullein, can help one see spirits of the dead and the afterlife

Oregano, it was believed that growing oregano on graves ensured the dead were happy

Parsley, has a strong association with the dead, also has protective qualities

St John’s Wort, used in spirit work and divination

Marsh mallow (Althea), associated with death and rebirth, marsh mallow can be used in departing rituals and to honor those who have passed

Foxglove, used for contacting the dead and underworld deities

TREES

Cypress, heavily associated with death and spirits, as well as being sacred to Hades and Persephone. Makes a good offering for the dead

Hawthorn, associated with death, and serves to drive away unfriendly spirits. Was also said to be a portal to the Otherworld and is sacred to fairies, so don’t mess with it

Hickory, associated with mourning and death

Poplar, is sacred to both Zeus and Hades, and represents death and rebirth. Often used for Samhain, ancestral rites, funerals and ceremonies involving the underworld

Willow, a common symbol of death, even being a popular ornament on gravestones. Sacred to both Hades and Hecate, as well as being associated with ghosts and spirits

Yew, represents death and rebirth, and is sacred to Hecate. Runes, Ogham sticks and Ouija boards are commonly made from Yew wood

Elder, used in death rituals and funerals

FRUITS

Apples, a common Irish symbol for the dead

Pomegranates, to represent various Death and Underworld Deities

INCENSE

Myrrh, commonly used in death magic to give off good energy

Frankincense, a traditional incense to offer the dead

Dragon’s Blood, burned to aid in spirit work and protection

Sandalwood, burned to support spirit work, protect a space and consecrate tools

Wormwood, develops psychic powers, carried to provide protection, and hung to ward off malicious spirits

LIQUIDS

Water, a traditional offering for the dead, often left out for passing spirits

Wine or other alcohol

Juice, namely pomegranate or beet

Oils, such as olive oil, pomegranate oil, coconut oil, almond oil, etc. 

OTHER

Coins

Grains, especially brown bread

Darkly-colored or Earthy-tone Candles

Foggy Weather

Marsh Water

Snow, especially snow collected from graveyards

Cleaning up graveyards

Songs and Music

Anything personal to the person you’re giving an offering to

DEATH DEITIES

Anubis, Egyptian God of Death, Mummification and the Afterlife

Arawn, Celtic ruler of the Otherworld, Leader of the wild hunt, and God of Death and The Underworld

Baba Yaga, Slavic Goddess of Death and Rebirth

Cernunnos, Celtic God of the Wild as well as Liminality and the transition to the afterlife

Cerridwen, Welsh Goddess of the Moon, Rebirth, Transformation, Death, The Underworld and Magic

Ereshkigal, Mesopotamian Goddess of Death and the Underworld

Hades, Greek God of the Underworld

Hel, Norse Goddess of the Underworld and Death

Morana, Slavic Goddess of Winter and Death

Odin, Norse God of Wisdom, War, Poetry and Death

Osiris, Egyptian God of the Underworld, Death and Resurrection, Fertility and Agriculture

Oya, Yoruba Orisha of Weather, Death and Rebirth, Patron of the Niger river and a Psychopomp

Persephone, Greek Goddess of the Underworld

Santa Muerte, Mexican folk goddess of the Afterlife, Healing and Protection

Thanatos, Greek personification of Death

The Morrigan, Celtic Goddess of War, Magic, Death and Rebirth, Sovereignty and Fate

Veles, Slavic God of The Underworld, Earth, Water, Music, Magic, Trickery, Cattle and Wealth

WHAT TO DO WITH OFFERINGS

Write a message on an herb or flower and burn it to “send” the offering

Leave coins, flowers and herbs on the grave

Pour liquid into the ground, or leave them out in a bowl (make sure it won’t harm the local wildlife)

Leave them out as “standing offerings” for any dead who pass by

[flagellant]

My new favorite hobby is pouring myself a nice glass of wine and browsing popular Amazon reviews for tarot decks.

[flagellant]

In all seriousness, as a theologist I find this sort of thing utterly fascinating. There is a complete disconnect of the self in the kind of person that the first reviewer must be, an utterly uncritical cosmology of what external pressures likely brought them into the occult community.

Humanity has repeatedly sought to create religion in times of upheaval, both on a societal and a personal scale. There's a reason why New Age spirituality and interest in the occult have so rapidly exploded within the past decade or so of the Information Age. People are distancing themselves en masse from organized religion--and ESPECIALLY Christianity, and its politicized trappings within the United States government--but feel the need to keep the religion aspect. In difficult times, belief in something beyond the self and the material is a thing of fundamental comfort. It makes the random suffering and confusion of the world more bearable, grants a sense of satisfaction and control in your life otherwise lacking.

But the occult, specifically, is antithetical to the Information Age in many ways, and utterly anathema to capitalism, and this intersects in a very key way for a person like Jen B. The occult is the infallibly unknowable. It is finding things you can never understand and the joy of trying to grasp the impossible however you can. The world is filled with unexplainable and the strange, and there is a deep and potent joy I feel in studying it, both on a practical level and in an academic level. I love examining why we as a species keep reinventing wizards and powerful spirits who exert influence over our lives in ways we cannot comprehend.

But that is not the occult that Jen B wants. Jen B wants a very, very, very, very, VERY new understanding of the Occult. She wants the occult to be a place of peace and tranquility and sterilized, sanitized self help. She wants clean pale blues and neutral earth tones with lots of natural lighting in a yoga group. She wants to buy crystals that will alleviate her anxiety and realign her chakras, and she does not want to examine why she thinks buying crystals will alleviate her anxiety, and she does not want to research what chakras actually are beyond Pinterest infographics of see-through people in a lotus pose. She, as a Lightworker VERY specifically, wants to feel important, and like it is her duty to heal a broken and toxic world, but she has no idea why she wants to do it or how she could actually do that, and she won't examine that because the answer isn't easy and comforting.

The world is a chaotic and cruel place filled with random suffering and deeply ingrained toxic power structures which seek to literally profit off of sucking the life out of billions of people in a slow and miasmic way. But Jen B cannot approach this from a radical mindset, cannot bear the mundane and banal reality of "These problems are caused by political and corporate structures to enforce government control and subservience". Jen B seeks the occult because she wants to discover that the reason she hates her job and feels no satisfaction from it is actually psychic emotional vampires draining her life force chi, and she can prevent them from feeding off her by thinking really hard about how they can't actually do that.

For the marketing directors of Target's next New Age self help book, for the contracted freelancers who are hired to write a cutesy pastel purple "101 Spells For The Working Witch" to be sold for $10.99 at Barnes and Noble, for the white reiki masters and yoga instructors who like houseplants, the occult is not a place of wonder and mystery and the unknown and the unknowable. The occult is not the occult for them, because they want to learn that spiritual enlightenment can be found on Amazon.com for 24.99 plus shipping and handling, because the world is scary and complicated and doesn't make sense, and crystals are pretty little rocks you can arrange into shapes, and this makes them feel like they can survive another day of being forced into doing absolutely nothing of worth, meaning, or time, so that they can use an imaginary high score in their bank account to buy water and a studio apartment.

[polyetheleneform]

Overall this is super good, but i disagree that the occult is antithetical to the information age. Id say its antithetical to the narrative that society and especially corporate powers often impose onto the information age, and what corporate and state interests want the information age to be. But at the bones of it… its defined by an unfathomably massive and deep well of raw… stuff. Images. Recordings. Peoples day to day thoughts. Corrupted garbage data. Art. Things that may or may not be art. Genuine and non-genuine communication. Near unfiltered access to the trillions of facets of the human experience.

The sheer scale is utterly beyond human comprehension . The clean corporate controlled web 2.0 is ultimately little more than a scaffolding built over the surface of this thing, one that will one day collapse.

If you use a packet capture program such as wireshark you can quickly see that the internet is not as clean and well structured as it tries to appear. Even the communications of one device with one browser tab open are too numerous and quick to try to read as they flow in. Its held together with the data science equivalent of duct tape, full of weird quirks thats purpose is now so obsolete that they seem more like rituals now.

The information age is not an age of perfect reason, or well ordered and organized data. It is not an age of conquering information itself. Its an age of trying to tame an untamable frothing sea of raw information and failing. Its an age of being exposed to a reservoir of thought and stupidity and archives and profoundness and archives of archives and profound stupidity and seeming garbage data so large that its incomprehensible

[flagellant]

You know what, I actually love that take and I fully agree with it! My intent with saying it was antithetical was sorta more along the lines of, "The occult is trying to understand the unknowable, and you can't really mass-produce magic like a listicle". So I guess maybe a better way to understand it is that the Information Age that the corpos want to sell you can never truly be magic, but the technology of the Information Age is not necessarily as fettered?

[normal-horoscopes]

Is being trans mildly occult.

There are actually several thousand years worth of magical thought regarding gender nonconformity. One of the most magical things you can be is transgender.