Moonlight

19 y/o

[degenderates]

it truly is so strange that richard siken's work in tumblr/queer circles is known for this sort of pure yet devoted gay love when the devotion is actually obsessive and the purity is nonexistent. i half wonder if half the people who claimed to be fans of his poetry have not actually read crush or war of the foxes, just seen the bits about being in a car with a beautiful boy, and wearing the boy's jacket, or the inability to touch the stars. but have you actually read "you are jeff?" did you read all twenty four verses and the part about confusing the intimacy of a father, an uncle, a lover? did you read the part about a fraternal brawl on the side of the highway, the refusal to watch it from the inside of a car, the comparison of love to cancer? or did you take the entirety of crush to be a story about not being able to tell someone you love them? because yes, that's important, but the violence of the entire poetry collection has somehow been lost to the internet. crush's cover is a man wiping blood from his lips. the collection is about grief, love, obsession, violence, youth, self-destructiveness, mental health. it's not just "gay yearning" and god if that implication hasn't messed up so many people's goddamn perception.

[conjuredsun]

The Witch Father

In traditional witchcraft, we often come across mentions of the enigmatic Witch Father. His Folklore is scattered, and there is little consensus to who He is. The mythology of Witch Father folklore is spread across centuries, hidden in tales of the Devil and in the transcripts from witch trials. He is a multifaceted being who rules over life, death, initiations, knowledge, and the untamed wilderness lurking at the edges of society.

The Witch Father is an archetypal Divine Masculine Spirit that illuminates life and is a lord of death. Witch Father is a catchall title for the myriad spirits witches have historically contracted with and have since been omitted by the witch trial transcripts across Europe. 

He is most commonly known as the Devil in today’s craft. As we know him, The Witch Father is an initiator and holds the keys to our disinhibition towards pleasure. He opens the way to occult knowledge and gives us the opportunity to explore (legal) pleasures without the need for guild or shame. Walking with the Witch Father allows us to dive into the hidden realms and learn the Occult Arts to change our lives. He also allows us to revel in primal human desires. 

As the Initiator into Witchcraft, the Witch Father takes on the mantle of the Light Betwixt the Horns. He comes into our lives and offers us the choice to go down this path and walk with Him. He grants us an understanding of magick, nature, and pleasure. He empowers us to uncover our Truth and the Truth of the World. As the initiator, some see the Witch Father as Lucifer. He is also the Serpent who revealed to Eve that the fruit from the Tree of Life will not cause her to die but will grant the wisdom of the universe.

The Witch Father allows space for us to free ourselves from the inhibitions placed on us by general society, and especially the church. He encourages us to rebel, sing, dance, and uncover wisdom. He leads the Witch’s Sabbath, which grants us a place to revel in the freedoms offered there. By leading us to this sacred experience, He fills his role as an emanation of the untamed wilderness, the primal subconscious of our most human desires. He gives us the Church of Nature. Taking the liturgical prayers of the Church and the Book of Psalms, mixing that with more ancient pagan animism, we are given access to a hidden power through His teachings.

Now, while I talk as if the Witch Father is a God, he is not. He is an ancient and powerful spirit who has led witches over the centuries and demands reverence. He is not all-powerful and is not a creator. He works his charms through magic and shapes the world. He is not a distant, impersonal being. He is immediate to us and is a mentor for us. 

Disinhibition

At the Witch’s Sabbat, our spirits fly away to commune with Our Devil, other witches and spirits in His retinue. It was a place to mix business and pleasure. At the Sabbat, witches would learn new spells, come together to work rituals, learn new forms of magick from the Witch Father, and of course partake in enjoyment. 

The Sabbath is a place of Initiation for new witches and also a place for learning new aspects of the craft. Once the business concludes, the Sabbat becomes a celebration. We may forget the staunch rules of mundane society and revel in our animalistic and beastial joys. There is singing, dancing, food and drink. We can indulge in these desires and these delicacies. All of which is orchestrated and gifted to us by the Witch Father. 

The Wild

There is a deep connection between the Witch Father and Nature. They are ‌synonymous with each other. He is an emanation of the land and its spirits. As Christianity became the dominant religion, and as society shifted further away from living in harmony with Nature, the figure of the folkloric Devil grew. He calls to us to return to the untamed lands and to forget the society that weighs us down. He offers liberation instead of our oppression. 

The Witch Father, as Nature, holds a duality over life and death. He is life itself and the bringer of light. But he is also the Lord of Death and of shadows. As the year turns, we see both aspects and the cyclical nature of them. Death giving way to new life and of life giving way to death. He is destruction and creation. Death and resurrection. 

Even His iconography and the existing descriptions that we have of the Devil show the immense connection He has to the Land. He is a shapeshifter comfortable in being a recognizable animal, a humanoid form, or even a hybrid. He reminds us of our baser instincts and that we are not above animals or the land just because we, as humans, have subjugated them for centuries. 

He is the Horned one, the light betwixt the horns, Terra Pater, Primus Magus. And he has revealed himself to us in so many other forms throughout the centuries. It’s hard to pigeonhole the Witch Father as any one being, or to even say “this is what he looks like.” He’s shown us he is comfortable changing his shape on a whim. He takes on the mantles of mentor, guide, and is a safe space for us to let our guard down and find enjoyment outside of our mundane lives. 

Old Scratch

Old Scratch is a more antiquated term for The Devil or Satan primarily found in the Southern United States and the South Midlands. This name has been memorialized in Faustian Folklore such as “The Devil and Tom Walker” and “The Devil and Daniel Webster” where our protagonist sells his soul to the devil for prosperity. 

This reinforces the theme that our Witch Father, the Folkloric Devil, offers us a chance to change our luck and our lives. Now, in these stories, the protagonist is taken away and dragged into the fires of hell, but in the living practice of Traditional Witchcraft, it doesn’t happen that way. We see these stories as what happens when trying to break deals with the Otherworld. Contracts and Pacts made with Spirits should be kept up with. It’s imperative. 

Black Shuck

In East Anglian folklore, Black Shuck is an omen of death. If you see him, it is said that you will die before the year is up, and if you meet his eye you’ll be dragged away. 

The first mention of the Black Shuck is in “The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle” in 1127 where He is affiliated with a Wild Hunt that was in Petersborough from Lent through Easter. Later on, in the 1500s, he is said to have broken into a church and killed two paritioners while kneeling in prayer. 

Here we see the Chthonic side of the Devil. He is a psychopomp taking souls to the Other Side. He is a shepherd of the dead, warns us of impending doom, and teaches us about life, death, and ways to travel between the Worlds.

[lunarticxenia]

Degree Theory: Venus 💋

Hey guys, it’s been a while, decided I’d start back up with a degrees in Venus post! Make sure to look at the degrees of your Venus itself and the degree of the house it falls into! I’m going to try and stay consistent with this again. 

💋 Aries Degrees- 1°, 13°, 25°: 💋

Aries degrees in love are typically the kinds to take charge in relationships and love to call the shots (this doesn’t always apply to making the first move, in the actual relationship they just prefer to make all the decisions). Aries degrees also tend to fall in love quickly, and want the relationship to move quickly. They don’t want to sit around and wait for things to develop, once they fall in love, they want all the romantic movie shit. Alternatively, they can also be the types to struggle to fall in love, this can perhaps be to past ab*se whether it’s in love or an ab*sive upbringing that may make it hard for them to fall in love. If there was past ab*se wether in romantic relationships or in their upbringing, it plays a big role in their romantic life. They can either pursue love too hastily, looking for it in the wrong people if they have to, or struggle to fall in love. All in all, with Aries degrees there’s either the need to want to be in love as quickly as possible and take control, or just completely struggle to do so. There’s also the third option where they just deal with both. This is a pretty hard degree to have Venus in, but once the person masters this placement, they are bold and not afraid to show love. 

💋 Taurus degrees- 2°, 14°, 26°: 💋 

Taurus degrees in love are hardcore romantics, they crave the traditional romance, and love to woo & be wooed. They are not afraid to shower their partner in gifts. This is the degree of “wealth” of course. Nothing is too good or too much for their partner. They will give the best, but of course expect the best in return. They have high expectations of both themselves and others in a relationship and this can become messy for them. Taurus degrees, you must be mindful of when you’re showering your partner with affection and luxuries that they’re going to return it in a way that they know how to. Taurus degrees must learn that everyone has their ideas of love and it may or may not align with their idea of it. Regardless, once a person masters this placement, they will give you their best and will aim to make you feel your best. Side note- I could see these people utilizing music on dates i.e. taking their partner to a concert, playing romantic music for dinner, etc. I can also see them perhaps even serenading their partner. 

💋 Gemini degrees- 3°, 15°, 27°: 💋

Gemini degrees in love are the types who prefer to be friends with someone before dating them. They love the “friends to lovers” troupe. In love, they have a different side to them. Gemini deals with duality, and this degree truly shows that. They show a different side to their partner than they do to everyone else- i.e. they maybe boisterous and wild with friends but are calm and soft with their partner. Gemini degrees are also the kinds who would write love notes to their partner and are very expressive with how much they love their partner. I could also see Gemini degrees wanting to go on educational dates like taking their partner to a bookstore or a library. I feel like the struggle here with Gemini degrees is their duality, they might struggle with the two sides to them, they could possibly see themselves wanting to have another side to show their partner because they feel their “real self” might not be good enough for them. I could also see alternatively, an unevolved Gemini degree might struggle with communication. However, with this placement mastered, a Gemini degree in Venus is both a communicative and intellectual lover.

💋Cancer degrees- 4°, 16°, 28°: 💋

Cancer degrees in love are very traditional. They want to go through the “courting stage”, the exclusively dating stage, and then the official label of being romantic partners. Cancer degrees in love are also extremely loyal and wear their heart on their sleeves in love. This however can be their downfall in love, unevolved Cancer Venuses in love can become emotionally attached too quickly and are too emotional in relationships. They have to be very mindful of this and not get attached too quickly, and let the attachment grow over time. I’d also like to emphasize that their family approving of their partner is VERY important to them. This doesn’t always have to be their actual family, it can be friends they consider family. I have a friend with this placement, and he’s broken off relationships that his parents didn’t approve of. They are also are very nurturing in love and want to nurtured. Also as soon as y’all start talking to a Cancer degree, they’re looking at houses on Zillow for you guys to move into and are already thinking of names for your kids. They want an established home and family with their partner- whether it’s with kids, pets, or just the two of you. Also side note, I could see this placement taking you on dates near the water or involving the water, i.e. a cruise, a restaurant on the water. All in all, mastered Cancer degrees are your traditional and soft romantics and your unevolved Cancer degrees are clingy overly emotional bitches. LMAO. 

💋Leo degrees- 5°, 17°, 29°: 💋

Leo degrees in love are very bold and like to take charge, they’re very similar to Aries degrees in this respect. They like to call the shots in the relationship and are very bold in how they love you. They’re also the type to show you off to their friends and family and all over social media. They’re also very fun and creative, they’ll likely make creative projects with you as their muse. If not creative, they’re at the very least very fun to date. They’ll think of fun things for you guys to do for dates, i.e. going to amusement parks, laser tag, etc. They’re also very big on self-expression as well, and are the types to shower you in compliments and be vocal in their love for you. Leo degrees are honestly Aries and Gemini degrees combined. I could also see mountains being a thing here, maybe going mountain climbing or hiking on a mountain for the view. I’d say the downside of Leo degrees is that they always want to call the shots and don’t want to compromise. Even if they seem “submissive”, they secretly want to pull all the strings and will do what they have to do make sure things go their way i.e. being manipulative. This is of course, unevolved Leo degrees. I could also see an unevolved Leo degree still wanting attention from other people, and not wanting to give that up, because let’s face it, Leo degrees do love praise. So if they feel they’re not getting an appropriate amount of praise from their current partner, they’ll look elsewhere. However, an evolved Leo degree is a creative and fun lover, who is bold in how they love you. 

💋 Virgo degrees- 6°, 18°: 💋

Virgo degrees in love are allll about acts of service. They take pride in doing things for their partner- whether it’s making them dinner, giving them a massage, cleaning their house, etc. They want to make life easier for their partner. They’ll also make time with their partner part of their daily routine. To them, time with their partner is as imperative as brushing their teeth. Also Virgo degrees? The partner to have when you’re not feeling well. They’ll take care of you and be your personal doctor. Some downsides of Virgo degrees? Virgo degrees are extremely work oriented, so while they are about acts of service and taking care of their partner, the second it interferes with their job? They’ll break it off. Their job is very important to them, and this can be a downside of dating them, in unevolved Virgo degrees, work comes first. Also, Virgo degrees may avoid talking about problems or diminish their importance to make their partner happy. Virgo degrees also may do too much for their partners and can be too selfless when it comes to love. They need to learn how to do acts of service for their partner but not to the point where they spread themselves too thin. Also I could totally see Virgo degrees wanting to get a pet with their partner! Overall, an evolved Virgo is one that provides for their partner without overdoing it and one that doesn’t always put work first.

💋 Libra degrees- 7°, 19°: 💋

Libra degrees in love are all about harmony and balance in the relationship. They don’t respond well to being bossed around or their partner wanting them to be the boss. Libra degrees in Venus are also very charming and know how to tell their partners what they want to hear. Libra degrees, like Leo, express their love to their partner through creative means. If you want an example, I have this and for my last ex I would make playlists for him, I drew a portrait of him, and I wrote poems for him. He didn’t deserve it, but hey I didn’t like him that much anyway. This is also what I do with every crush I have, the amount of poems I’ve written for girls I’ve had a crush on, oh my god. Anyhoo, Libra degrees who are creative, and I imagine a lot of them are, see their partner as their muse and inspiration. Libra degrees also date to marry, and this can unfortunately make them victims of love-bombing because once they hear that their partner wants to marry them and sees them as their soulmate, that’s all they need to hear to fall in love. This of course is a downfall of Libra degrees. I’d also say that on the other side of the coin, Libra degrees can be very manipulative to get what they want. Like I said, they’re very charming and know how to tell people what they want to hear, and unevolved Libra degrees will use that to their advantage. On a lighter note lol, Libra degrees are the types to want to take their date to art museums, broadway shows, etc. just anything creative. They also like to take their partner to beautiful places. Libra degrees also have the same flair for romance that Taurus degrees have as well, since both degrees are ruled by Venus. Overall, Libra degrees are romantic and creative lovers when evolved. 

💋 Scorpio degrees- 8°, 20°: 💋

Scorpio degrees in love are possessive and secretive. Scorpio degrees in love tend to be very secretive and it takes a while for them to let people in. This of course can be an issue because their partners may feel like they don’t know who they are or their true feelings for them. Scorpio degrees need to learn how to be vulnerable. Despite Scorpio degrees being secretive, they are possessive when it comes to their partners. They can be very jealous. Scorpio degrees also tend to be very sexual with their partners (unless if they’re asexual lol). They’re the type to flirt with their partners by making subtle dirty jokes and are very sensual. Scorpio degrees when in love, will do anything for their partners. They literally will love you until the day they d*e. Like the Taurus degree, this degree also deals with wealth. Scorpio degrees will also spend a lot on their partner and be generous with gifts and affection (of course after they warm up to you lol). The Scorpio degree also rules pregnancy, like Cancer, they likely dream of having kids with their partner or adopting (if they’re into that sort of thing of course). All in all, Scorpio degrees are intense with how they love, even if they don’t show it. The downsides here can be jealousy and possessiveness as well as having a hard time being vulnerable with romantic partners! Also Scorpio degrees in Venus are very magnetic and have a charm to them like Libra, but theirs is a much darker charm. 

💋Sagittarius degrees- 9°, 21°: 💋

Sagittarius degrees in love want to take their partner and travel the world and learn all of life’s secrets with them. Sagittarius degrees in Venus are likely to date and/or marry people who are of a different culture than them, from a different country, etc. Sagittarius degrees might in fact meet someone while traveling. If not, they want someone who will travel the world with them. They also want someone who’s intelligent and will be able to have deep, philosophical conversations with them. This is the degree of wisdom, of course. This degree also deals with expansion and abundance, they want to build something with their partner, whether it be a business, a life together, a family, etc. They also have so much love to give. This is also the degree of exploring, so they’re likely to explore different kinds of relationships and people who may not be their type. This of course leads to the downside of Sagittarius degrees, since they’re always exploring and wanting to try new things, they might find it hard to settle down, and it can take them a while to do so. Sagittarius degrees also can be very selective with who they date, and this again can make it very hard for them to settle down. This is the degree of planning, they have their ideal life planned out and if they meet someone who won’t be able to fit their plan, then they’re not interested. However, with an evolved degree in Sagittarius, they are intelligent and adventurous lovers.

💋 Capricorn degrees- 10°, 22°: 💋

Capricorn degrees in love are enthralled with the idea of becoming a power couple with their partner. They also may take longer than other Venus degrees to get into a relationship, as this is the degree of delay. In relationships they also like to take their time and truly get to know the person, as they want to ensure that this person is truly right for them. Like Leo degrees, Capricorn degrees want to show their partner off to everyone they know. Since this is also a degree of a “parental” sign (Capricorn rules the father), like Cancer, people with this degree want a family with their partner. On the more negative traits of Capricorn degrees, they may have a fear of love and this can make it hard for them to either get into a relationship or be vulnerable in a relationship. In relationships, they can also be cold and have a hard time opening up, similarly to Scorpio degrees. Like I said, they’re slow with love and take their time. Unevolved degrees can also be controlling in love. Capricorn degrees are the CEO type of placements, they want to be in charge. Overall, they are cautious and ambitious lovers.

💋 Aquarius degrees- 11°, 23°: 💋

Aquarius degrees in love are unique and filled with surprises. Like Gemini degrees, Aquarius degrees prefer to date someone they’ve been friends with. I bet they also love the “friends to lovers” troupe. Like Virgo degrees, they also love helping their partner and doing things for them. Aquarius degrees also are big on surprises in relationships, they love to plan little surprises for their partner, i.e. surprise dates. They’re definitely the type to be able to hide an proposal well, and truly surprise their partner. This degree also rules high places, so I could see Aquarius degrees wanting to go on dates to rooftop restaurants. Since this is also a humanitarian degree, they also might want to volunteer for a date. Also this degree deals with flying, so perhaps a date on a hot air balloon. Since this degree deals with technology, I could see them preferring to date on dating apps because they find it easier to talk to people that way. They also might meet people online, i.e. on social media to date. For the downsides of Aquarius degrees, since they’re unique and have an unusual approach to love, it maybe hard for them to find people who they feel truly get them. All in all, Aquarius degrees are unique and exciting lovers. 

💋 Pisces degrees- 12°, 24°: 💋

Pisces degrees in love are intense and mysterious. Like Scorpio degrees, Pisces degrees are also secretive and while they maybe open with love, they tend to hide certain parts of themselves that they deem undesirable. This can make them feel as if their partner doesn’t know who they truly are and if they did they’d be disappointed, and this can be quite distressing for them. Pisces degrees are also intense when it comes to love, it’s quite literally a drug for them. Therefore, Pisces degrees need to be mindful of how they approach their relationships. Since this is also a fairly creative aspect, Pisces degrees will likely show their love to their partner in creative ways as well, i.e. playlists, art, etc. Also if you’re dating someone with a Pisces degree in their Venus? Prepare to see them in your dreams. This degree also deals with water, so they likely will want to take you on dates near bodies of water, i.e. a lake, the beach, etc.  The downsides of Pisces degrees like I said, they can be secretive with certain parts of themselves and can be too intense with their love, perhaps to the point where it drives them crazy or their partners crazy. All in all, Pisces degrees are intense and dreamy lovers. 

Hope you guys enjoy this post! It’s been a while, lol. 

[stellar-wing]

(credits under the cut)

unknown

i am a dog. i have blood all over my teeth. - sciencedfiction

no offense, none taken by mischevious dog on tumblr

the final empire brandon sanderson

little soldiers by the crane wives

the life of the party by olivia gatwood

the moon will sing by the crane wives

unknown

absolutelynotsanebaby on tumblr

allies or enemies by the crane wives

brutus by buttress

strangler fig by the crane wives

Problem Area by Melissa Broder

knightober: hostile by juliettecousin on tumblr

brutus by buttress

anonymous

Little Red Riding Hood Addresses the Next Wolf by Brenna Twohy

richard siken

[servantofthefates]

How I Sanctify a New Home

With Jupiter being in my Fourth House, I am always pulled back to our ancestral home where I currently am. But previously, I have lived in four cities in three countries. Here is how I would always sanctify my new surroundings.

The Invocation

At my first witching hour in my new place, I imagine that the entire house is a square, and I position myself in its very middle. Sometimes that is in the living room; other times, in the dining room.

Dressed elegantly, with a white candle in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other as an offering, I invoke my higher power. I call upon The Fates, Authors of Destiny; Pluto, Lord of Power; and Venus, Goddess of Love. I thank them for my new dwelling. Anything I do from here on out, I perform with their blessing.

I make sure I am alone in the house. If that is not possible for you, at least ensure that everyone else is asleep, so that you are the sole forceful energy in your environment as you proceed.

The Shielding

Still imagining the house to be one big square, I now go to its four corners. In each one, I leave a piece of paper with a protection spell written on it using a consecrated pen.

The spell I use is something obscure from our family grimoire. If you do not have your own, feel free to use Siras, Etar, Besanar. It is rather popular, so I believe a little internet research would tell you more about these words. One of their oldest uses is to invite benefic spirits to keep you safe under their cloak.

I store the spell behind a plant, inside a vent or under a baseboard. Sometimes I put it in a small box first. The bottle of wine I leave on my altar, until it is time to replace it with another offering.

The Greeting

Now that my higher power has graced my home with their divine presence and me with their protection, I make myself known to its other inhabitants. Ghosts, entities, mysterious beings.

Still holding the candle, I tell them, “I am Diana, a seventh-generation witch who comes from an even older bloodline of pagans. The Fates themselves write my story. Venus herself grants me harmony. And Pluto himself punishes those who wrong me. This home is now mine. I understand you have been here much longer. I wish you no harm, so long as you too wish me none. I gladly offer you my friendship. Or we can ignore each other in peace, if that is your wish.”

I leave them a plate of homecooked food as proof of my good will. Because of this, every supernatural presence I have ever felt inside a house of mine has been warm and friendly.

The Celebration

Lastly, I hold a party the day after. Lunch or dinner. A small and humble gathering with my friends and new neighbors.

I do this to celebrate my higher power’s kindness and generosity in protecting my new home, and to show the occult creatures who have remained that I intend for the house to be filled with happiness, which they too can enjoy and harness.

I have found, from others’ experiences, that a house which has not been sanctified tends to give its inhabitants a rather miserable or unremarkable life. That is why even Catholics sanctify their dwelling. They call it a house blessing.

[servantofthefates]

The card chooses the reader.

Contrary to popular belief, you cannot determine your personal card in tarot by simply adding the digits of your birthdate. I cannot think of anything more detached than that.

You also cannot just pick your favorite. The card we love is not the same as the card we are.

Your true card is the one that appeared consistently in your self-readings when you were still a beginner. Do you remember?

Before you felt confident about your tarot skills, there will have been a card that always showed up in your Present, Subconscious and Environment, or in any other position where it was not a possibility, but a certainty.

Mine was The High Priestess. My grandmother’s was The Empress.

[kairologia]

How to read a natal chart in 13 steps.

This is simplified guide geared towards beginners and people who want to transition to a more traditional approach when assessing a chart. There is no standard method of reading charts, this is simply the method I follow & find most comfortable. It’s a practical, methodical synthesis and just the right amount of intuitive.

Before I begin, I must mention that while assessing planetary conditions I personally verify the following factors — in this order: the sign, house, angularity, direction, whether a planet is direct or retrograde, sect (day vs night), hemisphere (1-6 vs 7-12), phase (morning vs evening, especially notable for venus & mercury), domicile lord (draw a disposition tree if needed), exaltation lord, triplicity lords, bound lord, decan lord, dodecatemoria, aspects to domicile lord if any, aspect to the ascendant if any, apsects to other planets, bonification conditions (i.e aspecting benefics, so supported by aspect), maltreatment conditions (aspected by malefics). This is important to remember because the term “conditions” will come up a lot.

Now onto the actual guide :

1. For starters, you should (assuming you don’t already) learn how to read a whole sign house circle chart. Table charts are nice as a gateway drug, but if you're somewhat serious about learning astrology this is an important transition to make. Once you do, put the chart you’re aiming to assess in front of you, then proceed further.

2. Determine the sect of the chart. This becomes an automatism once you’re used to looking at charts, but if you're not there yet — draw a line on the chart (or visualize said line) going from the degree of the ascendant to the degree of the descendant. If the sun is ABOVE that line — it’s a day chart, so of the day sect. If it’s BELOW that line — it’s a night chart, of the night sect.

3. Take a look at the ascendant. Take note of the rising sign, its modality, & its ruling planet. Does this chart have any 1st house planets? Also, remember to do a quick overview to pinpoint which planets are angular (as in, located in the 1/4/7/10th houses)

4. Track down the ascendant ruler. Check its house placement, condition (see above), and aspects (applying vs separating).

5. Track down the Sect Light. If it’s a day chart, the sect light is the Sun. If it’s a night chart, that would be the Moon. Assess the sect light’s condition (see above), aspects.

6. Check which houses are ruled by the Luminaries (Sun/Moon). The interpretation of the luminaries is intrinsic to the areas of life (Houses) they rule, in addition to their independent significations.

7. Check out the phase of moon at birth. The lunation phase is extremely important as it defines the dynamic between this individual’s luminaries.

8. Take a look at how Mercury is doing in said chart. Condition (see above)? Aspects? Morning or Evening star?

9. Take a look at the Benefic Of Sect & Malefic Out Of Sect (day: Jupiter/Mars, night: Venus/Saturn). Assess their condition (see above), aspects they make, etc. Regarding Venus: verify if she’s Morning or Evening star (if Venus is on the right of the Sun - Morning star, if it's on its left - Evening star). For the Malefic OOC, check if it is bonified by enclosure (i.e : Saturn or Mars are touched by a benefic (Venus/Jupiter) on each sides) — it’s a huge alleviating factor.

10. Then, assess the Benefic Out Of Sect & Malefic Of Sect (day: Venus/Saturn, night: Jupiter/Mars).

11. Then, take a global look seeking anything that may be of note. Stelliums, several retrograde planets, a Cazimi, Out Of Bounds planets, a void moon, etc.

12. Lastly, I go through each house individually. This is where the chart synthesis proper begins. In practice, I like to tell a story beginning from the 1st house & culminating in the 12th, while highlighting the thematics of each house as I go.

13. This is optional, but I like to take a look at annual and monthly profections to see which themes are presently highlighted/emphasized for the individual whose chart I’m looking at.

And we’re done.

[voyeur-clairvoyant]

The thing about fortune telling with cards 'aka' cartomancy is that you're between two major styles:

Tipe of deck

Use non based in reality cards.

Use high based in reality cards.

Secret third option (not necessarily better).

Tipe of consultation

Specific question about a specific topic.

The classic combo (love, work, money, health, family).

Has no fucking clue.

Non-based in reality cards

Here are classic tarot decks like the Marseille style ones and the very old ones like the Visconti-Sforza and any deck that has almost no root in tangible concepts. Yes, there is a Pope and there is a Sun and a Moon but you will never be close enough to call them 'tangible' in a everyday life context. That's the exact same reason they can answer almost any question*. Here are also playing card decks in the context of abstract type of reading interpreatation.

Doesn't matter if you were a high aristocrat or a humble baker's daughter, the Sun shines for everyone the same way Death will come for all of us. These decks are perfect for specific questions and the development of specific situations but kinda vague with general topics like Work and Love. They will answer? Of-fucking-course they will but keep in mind that this kind of reading will demand more steps:

Symbol -> Symbolic meaning -> Tangible situation.

And the final conclusion will still be vague without an additional layer of meanings because our mind will see the literal object before the simbolic information. This cards are also vague with the third kind of consultation (I don't know what to ask :3) but vague answers to vague questions, what were you expecting hahshasha.

(*Althought they will answer ANY question this doesn't mean that the answer will be more easy to understand. You could ask the exact number of atoms in the universe but good luck trying to extract any comprehensible information from the reading.)

Highly based in reality cards

In this category we have the sibyls and other oracles that have specific cards for specific everyday life situations:

The House, Money, Happiness, a Meeting, receiving a Message, sudden Luck, sudden Misfortune, Travel, Love, Marriage, etc.

These decks are born with the concept of fortune telling in mind. This can be the actual deck design or the meaning associated with every card. Old school tarot cartomancy is also here (+ the advantages from above). La Sibilla Italiana, traditional meanings for spanish/french/german/etc playing cards, Kipper cards and more.

These decks are vague with specific topics UNLESS the topic itself can be expressed within the cards of the deck. If your question can be related to any of their cards is your lucky day because these decks will answer with a lot of actual details, easy to understand and read.

But another of their advantages is that you can see the Classic Combo type of reading in a more efficient and accurate way. There are less steps in the interpretation:

Everyday life scene -> Tangible situation.

The House will usually be your house, Money will usually be money. Less steps are less loss in the translation from illustration to meaning. And this is the reason they're also excellent with I don't know what to ask :3 readings, cuz the deck itself with will give you a significator to focus the reading on.

Althought their advantages they are restricted to their own meanings. The can't adapt like symbolic decks without falling into more frustrating steps:

Everyday life scene -> Symbol -> Symbolic meaning -> Tangible situation.

The best path is to use them exclusively for everyday fortune telling readings and let the symbolic decks take care of the qustions beyond this field.

Secret third options

And of course that's not all pals! We still have a lot of decks that are either symbolic or straight up literal. The first one I can think of is Petit Lenormand. Althought the deck itself is usually used for everyday questions its cards are symbolic, so we face both the advantages and cons of both type of decks. Old school tarot could also be here.

My final thoughts in this dilemma is to use one Symbolic deck and one Literal deck (marseille tarot + kipper cards). I don't use the Petit Lenormand or third secret oprion decks because I think they do a lot of things but none of them with the excellence a specific deck can do in that specific situation.

[songsofbloodandwater]

Honestly the soft vs hard polytheism thing can be solved rather easily and I don't think any practitioner should be 100% on one side or the other. I think it's not a matter of beliefs or "how you understand magic to work", it's rather a matter of understanding who (or what) you're dealing with and their history.

If the Spirit you're approaching has a name, an individual name, has lived an earthly life before somehow ascending or reaching God status, as did many Major Spirits and the Mighty Dead, that's a person. A hard polytheist approach is suitable.

If the Spirit doesn't have a name but rather... a title, that's not a who. I would respectfully classify that as a what, some major force of the Universe you're dealing with... and the title is commonly the work they're known for, how they affect human life, or a symbol associated to their work. It's not crazy to see them through soft polytheist lenses and acknowledge that there can be (and possibly, already are) many different expressions of that Spirit, even within the same culture.

Of course, there is a spectrum in between. Things get more complicated when some names can be titles or viceversa. Sometimes a Spirit's name gets lost over time but their titles remain. I also adhere to the idea that ancestors can become deified over the centuries through more ways than one, but my point stands. If you're approaching a Spirit by name, a hard polytheist approach may serve you better, if you're reaching to them by title, try starting out with a soft polytheist approach and slowly get to know which face of this Spirit will show up for you, to make your practice more specific and personalized slowly over time.

[witches-bottle-deactivated20241]

The Magus and the Posture

Postures have played a large part in occult history and even religious. There are certain gestures and bits of stance that are found in a variety of traditions and each one has, beyond physical, a more spiritual and subtle form. One example is that the Chthonic Worship in Ancient Greece. The rituals were centered the earth, with people knocking on the earth, pouring offerings and the like rather than the raising of the hands upwards for Ouranic Worship.

A more known example is the kneeling during prayer, a symbol of humility, and the mudras used in rituals and puja. I consider these signs to be a way of expressing bhakti, and entering the mind into a transformative state. With than in mind, we can now look at some of the different postures that the magus can make use of in ritual:

Slamming or knocking on the earth: chthonic worship, or rituals in relation to the dead. An interesting thing is that there was a distinction made between worship of the spirits of the dead and the Gods thereof. The spirits were often propitiated with pits dug into the earth rather than the mounds that were used for deities.

Hands to the Heavens - used in ouranic worship, can also be used to raise the "Cone of Power", or even for invocatory procedures. Depending on the format, it can also be come the symbol of the World Tree, in which the magus establishes themselves as a bridge for spiritual energy.

Arms over the Chest, head Lowered: This is found in Golden Dawn and Wiccan Ceremonies, as a symbol of the God Slain. This can be used in the Invocation of Dark Masculine Forces, as well as during Winter Festivals. The Crossing of the arms over the chest can also be used in the invocation of Death, aiding the necromancer in attaining a closer state.

The Goddess Posture - the Hands raise upwards to the heavens with the feet slightly spaced - can be used in Goddess invocations, Lunar Invocations, can also be used to represent dominion and activity. I would assume that the averse, with the hands facing downwards, the Goddess takes on the Dark Goddess Figure, which would be good for operations involving Dark Goddesses.

Hands in prayer posture at the chest - in the Qabbalistic Cross, the Chest is the Meeting Point of All Polarities (the right and the left, active and passive, Mercy and Severity, Masculine and Feminine, Mother and Father, above and below, The Material and the Immaterial, the Kether/Thaumiel and Malkuth/Nahemot), each of the fingers also correspond to one of the five elements, the two hands correspond to the dual energy, so the meeting of the two comes to represent a deep balance, especially when placed in prayer position at the chest.

The Cup Hand - with the pinkie side of the hands placed together and the hands cupped as though one is asking for alms. Can be used in petition rituals, but also used to gather spiritual energy before offering.

The Mandala Mudra - used for offering the world for the benefit of all sentient beings. One thing I've done is used this mudra to offer Maya, the illusion of duality, essentially representing the giving of my own perception and illusion to the deity.

[songsofbloodandwater]

on daily practices...

The easiest way to have a consistent daily practice is simply communication, but on the long term, it's about building a repertoire of everyday charms.

I believe we talk a lot about the importance of divination without giving proper examples of everyday use outside of the more ceremonial sphere. Divination isn't just a tool to communicate with familiars or spirits for your witch endeavors, it's also a tool to sit down at your ancestral altar and chat whenever you want to talk to someone who's already crossed to the Other Side, or even just to receive daily guidance on the most mundane matters from those Spirits that watch over you.

Some witches struggle with daily practice because it seems like everything has to be a Big Ritualistic Thing, when it can (and probably should) be more casual on the daily. It's less likely your daily practice will involve planning a Big Ritual with Big Bad Demons and more likely it'll involve lighting a candle to your folks, a cup of coffe or just a deck of cards.

Big Rituals are important but they do not represent what we do on 90% of days. Daily witchcraft for me looks like simple libations, divination, and small charms and tricks, subtler and simpler than you'd think, but that can also be a challenge for the beginner because it doesn't rely on invoking external powers but rather on your own acquired ability to pull certain strings.

It's not something done overnight, it requires consistency, to build that muscle a little at a time and also experience to build that repertoire of tried and tested everyday charms. But you have to start if you want to get somewhere.

[wolfricivarrwitchythings]

People have this misconception surrounding hauntings and spirits. They feel that anything to do with the Spirit World is unnatural and doesn’t belong there, and should be banished as soon as possible.

But spirits are diverse. And they are just as much a part of our world as we are. Witchcraft isn’t evil for attempting to conjure “unnatural” spirits. Sometimes a good haunting is exactly what a place needs in order to heal and grow, and there is absolutely nothing unnatural about that.

It’s all just part of a grand process. It’s an ecosystem of energies, this universe of ours, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of understanding any of it.

[luulapants]

My dad and I once had a disagreement over him using the adage "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

I said, "That's just not true. Sometimes what doesn't kill you leaves you brittle and injured or traumatized."

He stopped and thought about that for a while. He came back later, and said, "It's like wood glue."

He pointed to my bookshelf, which he helped me salvage a while ago. He said, "Do you remember how I explained that, once we used the wood glue on them, the shelves would actually be stronger than they were before they broke?"

I did.

"But before we used the wood glue, those shelves were broken. They couldn't hold up shit. If you had put books on them, they would have collapsed. And that wood glue had to set awhile. If we put anything on them too early, they would have collapsed just the same as if we'd never fixed them at all. You've got to give these things time to set."

It sounded like a pretty good metaphor to me, but one thing I did pick up on was that whatever broke those shelves, that's not the thing that made them stronger. That just broke them. It was being fixed that made them stronger. It was the glue.

So my dad and I agreed, what doesn't kill you doesn't actually make you stronger, but healing does. And if you feel like healing hasn't made you stronger than you were before, you're probably not done healing. You've got to give these things time to set.

[mamaangiwine]

This may be a great big, juicy Controversial Opinion (tm) that I'm throwing out to the wolves here, but I personally feel that if you're gonna go down the path of magic and the occult, you need to just come to terms with the fact that somewhere, at some point, there is going to be something that fucks you up a little bit.

[eldritchhorror06]

Worshipping the Gods is a form of healing and projecting love into the world. And sometimes that projection will hit a mirror and you'll find yourself healing as well.

Certain Gods can provide different forms of healing. Familial relationships can be repaired through Dionysus and Hermes not to mention the creative side of them both. Courage and safety can be found in Ares, and freedom and fun in Dionysus.

Persephone can inspire you to worship the dead and nature. You could start growing plants, or taking care of already grown ones and in that you'll find more doors opening up. Suddenly, thanks to her, you have herbs for spell jars which gives you a sense of reassurance, not to mention your home is flourishing and so are you.

Hades can protect you and your home, and Death, Thanatos, and Anubis can inspire you to honor the dead and even write letters to them.

Apollo can help with cleansing your home, and his aspect of music and healing is wonderful. The sun is our life force, and it should be appreciated more.

All of the gods can inspire you to seek out healing and renewal. They can offer you advice when you're struggling, but they won't hold your hand the whole time. The gods are inspiration for me to heal not only myself but the world as well. Working with them is different for everyone. People will find different versions of healing themselves and the world through worship, but every unique way of worship is exactly what the world needs.

So find healing, have fun, be free, feel safe and courageous. Fight for what's right, tear down what's wrong, and offer your best version of healing to humanity.

[wishbonewitch]

common outdoor items & their uses

a guide to common outdoor items and their magickal uses.

acorns- luck, protection, wisdom, power

walnuts- healing, protection, self care

pinecones- fertility, masculinity, growth, nature

pine needles- cleansing, healing, strength, banishment

pecans- employment, protection, success, abundance, prosperity

grass- growth, learning, healing, new beginning, grief, recovery

maple leaves- feminine, travel, change, decisions, healing

oak leaves- truth, justice, knowledge, steadfastness, protection, guidance

birch leaves- protection, cleansing, fertility, purification

dandelions- calling spirits, divination, healing

dandelion seeds- divination, wishes, manifestation, dreams, luck

dandelion leaves- defeating negativity, steadfastness, growth, purification

2 leaf clovers- love, luck, courage, cleansing

3 leaf clovers- protection, luck, fidelity, divination

4 leaf clovers- spirit work, luck, psychic ability, attraction

5+ leaf clovers- wealth, luck, attracting money, sanity

wild clover flowers- animal magick, blessings, breaking curses, luck, love

apple seeds- love, secrets, knowledge, gateways, divination, prosperity

tree bark- protection, binding, banishment, cleansing, purification

rocks- many rocks have crystals hidden inside, the most common is quartz types. if unsure, rockcs can represent strength, stability, protection and banishing. if you suspect its a crystal, look it up and discover the correspondences that matter to you!

will add more as i can, feel free to add your own!!

[evilios]

Some people are sort of starting to get a little too critical of the whole “Gods asking a person to become Their worshipper/calling onto them” thing, and I actually want to speak in support of it.

The argument I most often see is that Gods don’t have the need for followers and that it’s humans who come into the faith when they feel ready - and that’s true. However, that doesn’t mean They can’t request some of us to become a worshipper - it’s just not for the reason of Them benefitting from it.

Why are we even focusing on the Divinities here as the ones benefitting from this communication? It’s obvious that worshippers aren’t a necessity for the Gods to exist, but They are out there looking out for us as creations of the same Cosmos. It’s completely logical to assume that sometimes They appear in our lives through signs that tell us: hello, little one, I’m out here waiting for you; you’ll achieve greater things in that life of yours if you follow my path - but you can still say “no”.

It’s Them seeing that we would be better off in worship.

[khaire-traveler]

THIS. I completely agree with this.

I wouldn’t have worshipped Hermes had he not reached out to me first, honestly. But I’m glad that he did because he has improved my life significantly since being apart of it.

It shouldn’t be a taboo to have a deity reach out to you first, but it’s also not taboo if you reach out first. Both should be allowed to coexist.