Ritual Stephen

Secular urban witch. D.Va main. Fuelled by coffee, bullet journals, cardcaptor sakura.

[thedeedwithaname]

How to Get Started as a Chaos Magician, with Links and PDFs

Step 1: start to meditate daily. This is not particularly complicated and will do you a world of good both in your magickal and mundane life. [here] is a no-nonsense video in which some breath control and meditation techniques are explained by some navy seals.

Step 2: Go out and get 2 notebooks, they can even be google docs or word documents. Doesn’t matter what they are so long as you have 2 distinct places to write shit down. Use notebook 1 as a dream journal and stick with it daily. Write down as much detail as you can, and even if you don’t remember dreaming write down “I do not remember any dreams I had yesterday night”. Notebook 2 is your magic notebook. In this you will take very detailed notes about any operation you do, the results, analysis of any failure that may occur, etc. Treat this thing like a lab notebook from a science class: to get anything out of this in the future you’ll not want to slack off when something works. 

Step 3: It is often recommended in posts like these to begin the process of learning 2 divination systems. Yes, 2. One of these should be some esoteric shit like Tarot (I recommend the classic Rider-Waite-Smith for beginners) or I Ching, and a yes/no or more straightforward system like Pendulum or Geomancy (which is super cool to learn because it can become unto itself a system of magick as you become more advanced, for example this). Learning 2 systems in this way has a few advantages, such as having a reliable system to determine if your magick is working as you expect (and if it is not, why), as a gauge of events to come, and potentially communication with entities that arise throughout the course of your work. 

Step 4: Read Oven Ready Chaos [PDF] by Phil Hine. It’s super short, pretty funny, and to the point. The key takeaways from this text are methods of attaining gnosis and the SPLIFF technique of sigilization, which is in theory the most basic discreet unit of magick. 

Step 4.5: While you’re downloading Oven Ready Chaos, Dig around on Chaosmatrix [here]. Some of the articles can be a bit silly (bonus points if you can find the story about a dancing bear helping you get a job), but if you use your best judgement and treat everything on there as though a strange old man were yelling it to you across a busy street, there are some real gems. 

Step 5: Begin to apply the above tips and tricks alongside the methods contained within Oven Ready Chaos to shape reality around you. In your explorations, you may find other systems of magick from which chaos magick “technology” [referred to as tech, these are the spells and techniques adapted from other systems or developed within the chaos magick paradigm for use by the magician], which you are encouraged to explore. The emphasis in this step is application- practice is so much more useful than theory at almost all levels of experience in chaos magick. 

Step 6: You’ll eventually want to learn a method of “Banishing”, which is the fancy name for a ritual act that helps protect you from any magickal dust, grime, wear, and tear that you may pick up along the way. The best banishing procedure for beginners is likely the Gnostic Pentagram Ritual, which can be found [here]. It’s Great for beginners and experienced magicians alike because it’s surprisingly effective and pretty fun- who doesn’t like to spin in circles and say IEAOU while drawing pentagrams in the air?

So what does this all look like in practice? 

Lets say you wake up one morning and remember a distinctly vivid dream. You roll over in bed, grab your notebook, and write down the gist of the dream and any important personal symbolism that may have appeared. After this, you go and put on a pot of coffee. While you wait for it to brew you sit quietly in the kitchen and practice box breathing technique until the coffee is done. Over coffee and a bowl of cereal, you grab your shiny new tarot deck and draw a card, both to familiarize yourself with the meanings of the cards and to get a general overview of how the day may go. Let’s say you draw the 3 of Pentacles Reversed, indicating that there may be some problems at work today. Seeing this, you decide that you should do some quick magick to make yourself more agreeable to your coworkers, and decide on making a sigil using the hot new SPLIFF method you just read about. You decide on the phrase “I will have positive interactions with my coworkers today” and turn it into a glyph, use a breath control technique to induce gnosis, and fire away. You ditch the sigil and get the process out of your mind, then go about the rest of your day. You avoid any conflict at work, and have a surprisingly pleasant day, even with those coworkers that you aren’t super fond of. Once you get home, you write down in your magick journal what card you drew, how you interpreted the card, what you did about it, and if what you did worked. Before bed, something in your gut feels slightly off, so you decide to perform the Gnostic Pentagram Ritual before getting into bed. You run through the script and feel much better after the fact, making a quick note of this in your magick journal for the day. You go to bed, satisfied that you’re on your way to becoming a competent chaos magician. 

This has been Part 1 in what will hopefully be a long series of posts about doing practical magick and how to actually approach systems of magick in an effective way. Feel free to drop asks with any questions.

-Key

[battythewitch]

I don't know who (if anyone) needs to hear this, but witchcraft isn't sacred to every practitioner. It's not always filling some spiritual void they had, or becoming a huge part of their life and identity. It's not a religious experience for a lot of witches. Not everyone takes it super seriously at all times.

It can be a hobby. It can be a casual thing. It can be something fun they do every now and then.

Just because it's a certain thing for you, don't expect everyone else to feel exactly the same way.

[windvexer]

TWO REBLOGS because I have something to say.

I don't have the spare brain folds to go into the depth I want to, but...

WITCHCRAFT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A LIFESTYLE

Witchcraft doesn't have to be super intense or deep or soooo serious all of the time.

It doesn't even need to be something you do all of the time.

People are out here like... how do I maintain structured practice? How do I find the energy to cast spells on a regular basis? What skills do I need to learn next?

What if... witchcraft wasn't a job.

What if we didn't need to train for it like boot camp.

What if witchcraft is an ornament in our hair, a lovely little gem we wear when we are desirous to do so.

What if you learn magic tricks to make your life easier, and various spiritual skills as part of self care, and that's all you need? What if you don't need to train like you're trying to get on an Olympics team? What if it's any other hobby you pick up and set aside when it pleases you to do so?

I am a person who needs witchcraft in order to fill a spiritual void. It's an extremely huge part of my life and identity.

And not even I take it seriously all the time. Exhibit A, my public persona is a chicken with sunglasses called Fool.

I know there is a culture out here where witchcraft is treated as an identity, as a responsibility, as something you must train in and work for.

Yes, I enjoy producing content for the people who want to get elbow-deep in this big ol mess we call The Craft. But I worry that people find blogs like mine and think all that shit is necessary.

It ain't necessary and there are probably a lot of people out there who could be having a beautiful time but chose to stop at square one and pick up fifty pounds of Witchblr baggage instead.

[thebloodgroove]

Persephone 

[mcsiggy]

couldn’t decide which to post so i posted both

[screeching-0wl]

A guide to worship of Persephone- cheat sheets

Hellenic cheat sheets

[will-o-the-witch]

Spell Loopholes

Wording a spell correctly is extremely important! We’ve all heard the stories of someone who cast a spell and technically had it come true, but in a way that wasn’t what they actually wanted at all! Here’s a list of common “loopholes” spells will take to get the job done, and how to make sure you get what you want!

🕯Taking its time- “I want money,” you tell the Universe, hoping to get some help with rent. Well, rent comes and there’s no extra cash in sight! Then, two weeks later, a surprise wad of cash all but lands in your lap. The spell came true, but not in time for when it mattered. This is easily fixed by adding “…by the end of the month,” or specifying what the money is for, which in this case was this month’s rent.

🕯No help needed- “I want money,” you say again. Magic will often take the path of least resistance, so if you’ve already got a paycheck on the way, the spell might not do much besides make sure it doesn’t get lost. There. Money. It can be good to specify that you want your spell to work in addition to everything you’re already doing!

🕯 Bare minimum- This time from your money spell, it arrives on time from an unexpected source! But it’s a quarter you found on the ground. Maybe three quarters. Not much help! If your intent would require the money to be close to a certain amount or any other specific like that, let it be known! The universe isn’t there to make assumptions.

🕯 For the worst- Let’s say you have two friends that have been flirting, so you cast a nice little spell to let any mutual interest between them blossom into a relationship and save them some trouble. It happens, but it turns out they do NOT work well with each other. They are interested in each other, but argue constantly and bring out the worst in each other. The relationship is hurting them both. You had the absolute best of intentions, but there was no way of knowing that would happen! This is why a lot of witches include the phrase, “for the highest good” in their spells, as a failsafe for any unexpected pitfalls like this that may be lurking. The universe will see them but doesn’t know to care unless you specify.

🕯Another layer- Once I made a dream bear to bring me more dreams. Well, I had lots more dreams, but couldn’t remember any of them! I didn’t think that was something I needed to specify. Make sure you hit every point you need to be satisfied with a result.

As a general rule, if my spell includes a prayer or petition of any sort, I take a few minutes and comb through it for stuff like this beforehand. What am I specifying? What am I leaving up to interpretation? Could any of that manifest in a way I would be unhappy with? Take a little time before you start casting to smooth out all those wrinkles! Best of wishes!

[breelandwalker]

Secular Celebrations - Spring Equinox

Next on the calendar is the Vernal Equinox, which marks the beginning of spring and the start of the growing season. In the northern hemisphere, this usually happens right around March 20th to March 22nd, depending on the year, while in the Southern Hemisphere, this occurs around September 20th - 23rd.

This is the time to start shaking off the winter and those cold weather blues. And as someone who is firmly on that Seasonal Affective Disorder train, believe me when I tell you that this is IMPORTANT. So when you think about what you’re going to do for the spring equinox, make sure you include self-care and a continuation of that cleaning kick you hopefully started back around Imbolc. Actually, every holiday observance should include a little bit of both of these things. Not just because they’re important, but because holidays are easy to remember, and even if you don’t always have time to fit these things into your schedule, it might be more feasible to work them into your holiday observances.

If the weather allows it, try cracking a window, even for a few minutes, and get some light and fresh air into your home. Even if it’s still chilly outside, sometimes it helps alleviate that dry, stuffy feeling we all get from being stuck inside with the heat on for months at a time. Open up those shades, let some sun in, turn on a sun lamp or one of those little antidepressant desk lights if you have one. Like the musical says, “Let the sunshine in.”

Or, if you can, get outside for a little while. Hopefully there will be a nice clear day that allows this. Look for signs of spring in your neighborhood - birds, flowers, buds on the trees, maybe some snowmelt if you live in a place that still has snow in late winter. If you have children, this might be a fun spring bingo type activity. The birds will be coming back, so scatter some seeds for them while you’re out and about. And speaking of snowmelt, melted snow and icicles can be used as a base for moonwater. Just make sure you select...er...CLEAN material to work with, and strain the meltwater through some paper towels before you store it for magical use.

You can also note the progress of seasonal changes in your journal or your planner, if you have one. This doesn’t always have a magical application, but it’s important to mental health to be able to track the passage of time through changes in your environment. If you have trouble with Seasonal Affective Disorder, or if you just hate winter, noting when the weather starts warming and the sun comes out and the early bulbs start to come up can be very encouraging.

Getting back to the subject of children’s activities, this is a great time for spring-related crafts, fingerpainting (you are NEVER too old for fingerpainting), and a discussion about why the seasons change and what it means in your household as far as traditions go. Your kids may be seeing their peers going on Easter egg hunts and getting baskets of candy, so if you’d like to do something similar but secular, maybe have a “signs of spring” scavenger hunt. If you want to decorate some eggs, go right ahead! Make some special witchy equinox eggs, why not.

If you want to make a special meal to celebrate the change in seasons, I suggest a breakfast. It’s the beginning of the yearly planting cycle, so why not mark it with the first meal of the day? Appropriate foods include bread, eggs, cheese, cured meats, preserves, sprouts, sweets, and pastries. So bust out that french toast casserole recipe, the good jams, and your best quiche lorraine and go to town!

Once you’ve recovered from the food coma, get cracking on that spring cleaning you started back on Imbolc. There’s always more to do! If you’ve finished decluttering one area, start on another. If you’ve finished one project, pick another one. Keep yourself motivated and moving as much as you can. If you’ve been meaning to start a new self care routine or exercise program, go for it. The world is waking up and coming back to life after a long winter’s nap; you can do the same.

Freshen up your household wards and protections while you’re tidying. This can be as simple as “cleaning with intent,” whereby you banish negativity or bad luck or sickness along with the dirt and grime, or as complex as a full casting to patch whatever needs patching, or anything in between. Get rid of any lingering stale energy from the winter. You’ll know best what needs to be done. It never hurts to have a freshly-cleansed home.

If you’re planning to plant a garden, the Vernal Equinox is a great time to start. Whether you’re buying seeds, filling starter trays, or just sketching out what you want to plant when the ground thaws, get a jump start on your green witchery. Housewares stores should begin stocking seeds around this time, or you can order free catalogs from places like Burpee, Seed Savers, or Baker Creek to help you plan.

Of course, not all of us have green thumbs. If you’d like a garden but can’t seem to keep your sprouts going, try putting together a succulent patch. These hardy little plants are easy to care for and harder to kill than the mutant offspring of a rabid zombie and the T-1000. (I can personally speak to this - I have two sprouts of aloe that are actively growing in trays that have no dirt or water in them. It’s a little bit freaky.)

For those who are more inclined to crafty activities, you can create a fairy garden with a couple of flowerpots, some moss or lichen, and whimsical miniature decorations like fairy gardens.

You can also bring fresh flowers into your home. Give yourself a bouquet or a potted plant for a splash of color and scent. Swap that wintry pine bunting for early blooms like forsythia, dogwood, pussy willow, and cherry blossoms. Some traditions call for a bonfire in March or April, on which the old bunting will be burned, but obviously, please only do this if you’re using actual pine boughs, not plastic and silk.

And silk flowers ARE valid seasonal decorations for the witchy home, by the by. If you don’t have access to fresh foliage or can’t keep houseplants for whatever reason, go with silk ones. They can stay up for months on your walls or on your altar with just a little dusting, and provide ambience and magical symbolism with comparatively little effort. Plus, you can save them from year to year to be reused. I have a set of seasonal garlands that I hang over my altar that is entirely composed of silk flowers and leaves, and they provide a really nice aesthetic without too much worry about dead flowers or crumbling leaves catching on fire from the candles.

We experienced the promise of spring on Imbolc, and now we see that promise fulfilled at the vernal equinox. Sketch out your goals for the upcoming season. Think about the positive changes you wish to make and how you intend to grow. Meditate on the importance of keeping promises, both to yourself and to others, and on making only those promises you know you can keep.

And remember - you’ll reap what you sow later in the year, so sow ever so carefully.

-from Hex Positive, Ep. 011 - Secular Celebrations (Nov 01, 2020)

Other Posts In This Series:

Imbolc

Spring Equinox

Beltane

Midsummer

Lughnasadh

Autumn Equinox

Samhain

Yule

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

The Hex Positive podcast is a proud member of the Nerd and Tie Podcast Network.😊

[will-o-the-witch]

Do you have any tips for astral work for a witch with ADHD who either has 0 focus or extreme hyperfocus and can't choose which side they'll be on? ;;

First of all mood

Second of all, I'd say to not be so hard on yourself, astral stuff takes time and practice and anybody who says they could always just naturally do it perfectly is a liar. It's also possible you just do things in a different way than others or are working off a definition of astral work that you're not actually compatible with.

Thirdly, I recommend repetitive motion. Let yourself rock back and forth or fidget with something in your hands, something that let's body move while your mind trances, which is a lot easier than standing still.

[grayseekerswritinglife]

Some folks have expressed an interest in my portable writing altar, so here are a few additional views. It's made from an empty mint tin and decorated with fancy papers, stickers and washi tape.

[thishippiekid-deactivated202205]

Witch Tip: Travel Altars

Hello Everyone, Today I wanted to share a tip with you all that I learned from TikTok! This works great for those of you who may be in the broom closet or those of you who want to be able to practice your craft wherever you go. Today we’re talking about travel altars!

What is a travel altar? A travel altar is literally what it sounds like; an altar that you can travel with. Travel altars can be as complex or as simple as you’d like; you can make them really small or make them relatively big. The main idea of a travel altar is that it’s easy to travel with and its discreet. 

How do I make one? Start with what you are going to carry your altar supplies in; this could be anything from an Altoids tin to a match box or even a small plastic jar. The vessel that holds your altar supplies will vary based on what you plan to carry, what you have readily available, and of course your personal preference. I personally use an Altoids tin mainly because it was the only thing I had readily available but also because its super discreet. 

What do I put inside of it?  So this will really be up to personal preference along with the type of craft you practice. If you are a kitchen witch, you may want to carry around some herbs that have special meaning to you. If you’re a tech witch, you may only need to carry chargers with you or phone accessories. The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to what you want to carry in your travel altar.  If you’re really stuck on what to carry in your travel altar, keep reading to see what I carry in mine as an example; feel free to use my travel altar to base yours off of. 

My Altar:  My altar is very specific to me; I based mine off of protection. I find that for me, I need to be protected from various things so it just made sense. As I’ve mentioned before, I use and Altoids tin and quite frankly I have loved using one ever since I decided to use it. On the outside I have a match strike strip glued to the side for whenever I need to use a match. On the inside, I created a protection sigil and tapped it to the lid so it’s one of the first things I see when I open it. 

I cut a piece of black felt to use as an altar cloth as well as to protect the items inside when traveling. I added a black tealight candle for whenever I feel like I need a little fire magic for added protection. I keep matches and a wooden stir stick in the event that I want to add something from nature to my altar. I also carry a mini bell to call quarters whenever I begin a spell. I personally like using statues in my craft so I added an amethyst guardian angel and a little fairy to use as protective wards while I cast spells. Some of my favorite personal items are my spiritual coins; I have a goddess one that has the phrase “My mind is calm” on the back, this helps keep my mind clear and free during spell work.  I have another goddess coin with the word “relax” on the back and an earth coin with the word “fearless”. These coins are just small reminders to stay calm, just relax, and be fearless. Crystal wise, I bring black obsidian and black onyx which are both protection stones that also absorb negativity.  On occasions, I will also carry a spell jar or a spirit orb with me depending on what is going to happen that day. I will also sometimes carry a mini crystal wand, some other crystals, my mini Genish statue, and my small elephant statue if I know that I’ll be doing a more complicated spell while away from home. 

I’ve heard that some witches will also carry some salt and maybe some sage with them as well but personally I prefer not to carry them because I live near protected land and potential fire zones.  I hope this blog helped you to learn a little more about travel altars and maybe inspired you to try making one yourself. If you do end up creating a travel altar and don’t mind sharing a photo or two, I would love to see what you decided to do with your altar! 

[herbwicc]

The Witchy Apps I Use:

Seen a few of these posts so I figured I'd share as well! I use these for reference mostly, and personally prefer to do my practice irl. All are free!

Labyrinthos- this is a tarot app mostly, though it also has some astronomy info. I wouldn't recommend it if you're just starting with tarot, because the descriptions are over simplified and lacking. It does have a "learn" feature that can help you memorize/learn the basics though and for that it's pretty good! I use this to save tarot spread layouts that I use with my cards irl. It let's you create your own custom spreads and save them.

Co-Star- an astronomy/horoscope app. I love it because it does your birth chart for you in an easy to understand format and you can go back and reference it quick if you need it! But the descriptions of what everything in the chart means is also lacking and waay oversimplified here too, and none of the "aspects" are included. It'll do "daily horoscopes" but it won't have info on why/how it concluded that information based on your birth chart.

Moon phase calendar- a must for me! Always gotta know what the moon is doin. It has a lot of detail, including the percentage of visibility and rise/set times.

Make it rain- rain/thunderstorm sounds for meditation and practice

PictureThis- this is my favorite free plant identification app, and I'm pretty picky lol

Herbs dictionary- this is purely scientific information on an insane number of herbs, with medical uses as well. No magical uses listed. Again, this is for quick reference!!. If I'M personally using an herb for medicinal purposes it's because I'm familiar with it and know which are safe for me, don't just use whatever random herb some phone app says may help... Be safe.

Herbalist Grimoire- I think this one has about 70 herbs? And their magical correspondences. I love it for quick reference! It also explains how to use herbs (like making tinctures, oils, satchets, etc), a glossary of medical terms related to herbs, basics on how to grow herbs, and a brief history of herbs in witchcraft.

LunaDiary- a password protected night-mode diary with adjustable font and formatting and calming music. I use it for note taking, spells, ideas, some of which later goes into my grimoire. It has a back-up feature that uploads it to my Google drive. Plus the more notes you make, the more lunar phases and stars you get in the home page, so that's cute.

The occult library- exactly what it sounds like, it's got different witchcraft related books you can read for free.

Play Books- the basic Google play book app, I go to the android play store and download free books of interest related to my craft and philosophies I follow and read them here.

Improve intuition (called "intuition test" in the playstore for some reason tho)- this one has several choice-related activities that challenge your intuition skills! Big recommend.

Respire- a meditation app with different breathing exercises. I'm not a fan of hearing someone talk me through a guided meditation, so following a breathing exercise works much better for me. You can close your eyes and it'll make a ding sound to let you know when to breathe in, hold, and breathe out.

Down dog- an AMAZING free yoga app! It has restorative yoga, hatha, quick flow, and sun salutations in the free version. With different music genre to choose from that plays what seems like a genre radio. You can adjust the difficulty level, speed, and length. The instructors are great at guiding and the video to follow is aesthetically nice and it's all very easy to understand. Truly can't recommend this one enough.

I'm hoping to find an app that has a sheet to fill out for saving spells, like it would be great if it has the day/time, lunar phase, title, intent, tools, instructions, and outcomes to fill out. If you know of one, please let me know!

[strawberryapollo]

I wanted to share my pocket/travel altar to Hermes!!

I have a larger regular altar but some things I ordered for it don’t get here for a few days so I’ll share that one when it’s fully ready! But I thought someone might like to see my Hermes travel altar in an alto if’s tin!

Inside the tin is a drawing I did of Hermes on the left, it’s based after numerous paintings and sculptures of him basically with my own spin and interpretation. On the right there is a drawing of his winged sandal and one of my abysmal attempts to write in Greek, my handwriting always looks not too good when I do that. Inside are a silver birthday candle (it’s being held up by a lego of all things...) and 3 small rocks which I couldn’t identify, a small peice of pyrite aka fools gold, a penny I found on the sidewalk, some SUPER small, like the smallest possible, dice in a little bag, and a lighter to light the candle! It also has a few beads on a string attached to the top. I hope you guys like it, I think I did a pretty decent job!

[breelandwalker]

The Promise of Spring - Imbolc for Secular Witches

I am the spark before the fire From winter’s cold, I do inspire I am the promise of the Spring I am the tiniest of flames

-Kelliana, “Brighid’s Flame”

As we begin to come to the end of (an unseasonably warm) January, a tiny candle flame appears on the horizon. The beginning of February is marked by a number of “signs of spring” holidays, among them Candlemas, the Feast of St. Brighid, Groundhog Day, and of course, Imbolc.

Now, depending on where you live, Imbolc (or Imbolg) and the Feast of St. Brighid may be celebrated sort of interchangeably. In Ireland, the day is called Lá Fhéile Bríde and it is as much a celebration of an old Gaelic festival halfway between the solstices as it is a celebration for the nation’s other favorite saint. 

The religious and spiritual significance of the holiday is very entwined with the traditional activities we often see depicted online. The reed crosses, the dollies, the ceremonies, the offerings of oatmeal and milk - all of this is wonderful, but it can leave secular witches feeling left out in the cold.

So what’s a witch to do?

The main importance of the holiday, apart from venerating the blessed Brighid or the unconquered Sun, is hope. The glimmer of new beginnings, the warm hearth in the midst of winter, and the promise of renewal with the coming spring. It is a time to evaluate where you are, to determine what can or should be cleansed from your life, and to begin planning your way forward.

If you’re inclined to divination, cast your fortune for the coming season. Contemplate your path to personal growth. What obstacles are in your path? What is holding you back from flowering and how can you either conquer it or work around it? Where would you like to see yourself this year? What changes do you need to make?

Take a day to focus on self-care. Winter darkness can be hard on those of us with depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder (amongst other things). A day spent doing things that make you feel happy, healthy, and fulfilled can buoy your spirits and help get you through that winter slump. Have a home spa day. Watch your favorite movies and eat your favorite foods. Curl up with a good book. Or, if you’re socially inclined, have an outing with friends or loved ones. Visit a favorite shop or cafe. Go see a movie. Plan a date with your sweetie or your bestie. Reconnect with yourself and with the wider world in a way that brings you comfort and joy.

Start on your spring cleaning projects. It’s a bit soon to begin airing out the house, despite the January warm spell (thanks a lot, climate change), but you can still begin clearing the clutter. Organize a closet or plow through one of those projects you’ve been putting off. Scrub down your kitchen and/or bathroom - they ALWAYS need it - or clean out the fridge. Do a few loads of laundry, or just pick up whatever clutter is keeping your space from feeling relaxed and harmonious. If you’ve been saying you’ll get around to it, consider this your Round Tuit.

If you’ve got a green thumb, start planning your spring planting. The gardening catalogs are starting to show up in mailboxes, and they can be treasure troves of inspiration. Places like Seed Savers and Burpee will even send you a free catalog if you just want to have a look. Look back on last year’s garden. What worked? What didn’t? What do you want to try growing again, and what new and exciting plants would you like to try?

Start a new project. If you’re crafty with yarn and textiles, make a stashbuster project with the odds and ends you’ve got sitting around. If you’re a maker of shiny things, pick up that special piece you’ve been waiting to work with and make something gorgeous. Brainstorm ideas for new artwork or sculpture or costuming. Fill a few pages in your sketchbook. Fiddle around with some writing prompts and see what happens, or pull out that old piece you’ve been meaning to finish. Find a creative outlet and let the ideas flow.

And if you can, watch the sun rise. There is nothing quite like the light of dawn on Imbolc day. There’s something peaceful about it. The sun seems to wink at you through the early morning clouds, as if to say, “Soon.”

Happy Imbolc, everyone!

-later incorporated into Hex Positive, Ep. 011 - Secular Celebrations (Nov 01, 2020)

Other Posts In This Series:

Imbolc

Spring Equinox

Beltane

Midsummer

Lughnasadh

Autumn Equinox

Samhain

Yule

[breelandwalker]

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

The Hex Positive podcast is a proud member of the Nerd and Tie Podcast Network.😊

[artfulendeavors]

I made an incense holder and fox for Loki's alter and now one of my lighters doesn't work and I can't find the other one

[the-world-that-was]

11th century Byzantine honey cakes

Today, I’ll be taking a look at a medieval Byzantine honey cake - which itself is based on an earlier Greek iron-age cake, amphiphon. This is going to be a light, fluffy cake with a rich, honey flavour!

In any case, let’s now take a look at the world that was! Follow along with my YouTube video, above! If you like what you see, consider supporting me over on Patreon!

Ingredients 1 cup flour ¾ cup butter ¾ cup sugar ½ cup walnuts salt orange rind

1 - Cream the Sugar and Butter To begin with, toss about ¾ of a cup of room-temperature butter into a mixing bowl. Into this, place about ¾ of a cup of sugar. Mix everything together using a wooden spoon, smearing the butter into the sugar along the side of the bowl. Do this until it takes on a rich, creamy texture. At this stage, beat three eggs into the mixture, taking care to mix them all thoroughly before progressing!

2 - Add Dry Ingredients Next, toss in about a cup’s worth of plain flour, along with a pinch of salt. Mix this together into a smooth batter. If it’s looking a little dry, add a tiny splash of milk to rehydrate it a little.

When the whole thing is combined, and still sticking to the side of the bowl, toss in about a half a cup of roughly crushed walnuts. While it’s stated that walnuts are served alongside this dish, it’s likely that they would have also been baked into the cakes, which help soften the nuts.

3 - Prepare Tin Using the butter wrapper, grease a baking tin. While metal tins were likely used in late antiquity/the early medieval period, stoneware would have also been widely used! The original recipe doesn’t seem to discuss baking instruments, so I opted for using a shallow square dish.

When it’s been greased sufficiently, grate the rind of an orange into the dish. Though oranges and lemons were seemingly grouped together as “citron” in antiquity, we can assume that cooks would have known the difference between the two. So, I used an orange, as it pairs nicely with the honey and the walnuts here.

4 - Bake When the tin is prepared, pour your batter into the dish. Make sure it’s spread evenly across it, so it all bakes at the same rate. If you want, you can dust the top of your cake with ground cinnamon. Keep in mind that this will brown faster than your cake will, so it may look burnt in the oven, but really it will only be barely cooked!

Place your tin into the centre of an oven preheated to about 200F or 175C for about a half an hour, or until the edges of your cake have browned and turned crisp!

5 - Finish Cake

Take it out of the oven when it’s done, and let it cool to room temperature. But before it’s fully cooled, pour a good amount of honey over the whole thing! This will let the whole cake become infused with the sweetness of the honey!

When the cake has fully cooled, cut it into segments, and serve up with some walnuts!

The finished cakes are wonderfully light and sweet! The caramelised orange rind on the base gives a wonderful zesty kick to the honey taste. The cake rises a fair bit due to the number of eggs used, but retains a great airy texture.

[wytchoftheways]

Wind Stones 🌬

A wind stone is a tool to aid in both conjuring and suppressing wind. Simply tie a hag stone (a beach stone with natural hole) to a good piece of cord and tie eight knots along its length.

To use:

Take the stone out to an exposed area and whirl the stone above your head, whilst invoking the spirits of air. Remember the speed at which the stone is swung, must be adjusted according to the speed you wish the wind to roar.

To slow the wind and conjure calm weather, one must begin by whirling the stone at a great speed and gradually slow it down.

[the-imperfect-pagan]

Okay, I’ve been really struggling to connect with certain aspects of Hellenic polytheism and I think my main issues are not really knowing where to start. Who to start WITH that wants to work with me.

Are there any fairly reputable places to get a deity reading? I know they won’t be 100% accurate, but I still would like all the help I could get. 😅

If anyone knows of anyone that does good deity readings please let me know! 💜

[sag-dab-sar]

While a God "wanting you" might be a concept for various witchcraft traditions (or neo-pagan traditions I don't know about) when it comes specifically to Hellenic Polytheism you do not need to find a God who "wants to work with you." I recognize that you might still want divination for the matter and that's perfectly fine. But I want to stress how this is not the case within the religion of Hellenic Polytheism hence this long post.

Think about all the God you like, throw all their names into a hat, pull one out. Ta dah you've picked a God— I'm going to give much more thoughtful ideas but it is literally that simple.

In this religion you can pick any of the Theoi and begin worshipping period end of story. No divination, no signs, no feelings, just sincere worship. That is all that is needed.

The Gods are worthy of worship and will appreciate that worship from any sincere person. There are zero historical precedents to say that Gods wanted worship from these individuals but not these individuals. There is zero historical precedent that every individual person needed divinations or signs to figure out which God to worship.

Ancient people's lives were permeated by the Gods both in the home, community, and government. Thus they worshipped which ever Gods played major roles in the traditions of their area and region.

Where To Start:

If you want an altar:

Clear up a space big or small. Make sure it is clean.

Choose an item for the God such as a picture of them, a statue, or some other object. Place it in that space.

Add anything you might like: candle, incense, flowers, cloth to cover surface, decorations, etc. This is a space for the Gods in your home and life.

Many Hellenic Polytheists will also keep Khernips (by @/forthegloryofthetheoi) aka purified water on their altar/shrine

If you'd like you can keep a cup and bowl for libations at this space

You can keep a prayer book or religious journal here also

Basic Act of Worshiping— I'm using Zeus as an example:

Wash hands.

Prepare a glass of water or other liquid

Go to the altar if you have one

Wipe hands with Khernips (unless you made an entire bowl to wash hands in the sacred water which I don't)

Sprinkle Khernips lightly on the altar space

Light the candle or incense if you use either

"O Mighty Zeus, King of the Gods, you are strong and powerful. I have come to honor you"

Hold up the glass of water

"Zeus, Lord of lightning, I offer you this water out of gratitude and love. I have given to you before and I will give to you again"

Pour the water slowly either into a separate bowl, onto the ground, into a fire, or down a clean sink.

"Zeus, strong and powerful, I ask that you help me get through today's conference call. I thank you and say farewell."

Simpler, you can even do this at a sink or in a shower:

Wash hands

Take glass of water and hold it up

"Zeus you are mighty and powerful, I seek your help for this meeting, this water I have brought is to show my desire to honor you"

Pour water out into bowl, ground, fire, or clean sink.

"Thank you, Zeus, King of the Gods"

The above is important because it builds reciprocity (Kharis) between Gods and mortals. But other worship activities include:

Say a prayer when lighting incense to state that it as an offering

Meditate at the altar. Let the idea of your gods help calm your soul

Dance or sing for the Gods at your altar or play them music

Read the myths aloud to the Gods at your altar

Say longer prayers and supplication if you desire. Guide by @/olivewreathed and Guide by @/sisterofiris

Give food, which is similar to the libation formula. Hellenic Polytheists disagree on what to do with the food afterwards which is why I always suggest a libation at the beginning.

Make sure to tend to the space you've created and keep it clean

Create a Kathiskos. Guide from Hellenion. Video Guide by @/baringtheaegis who is very recon centered.

Continue to learn but do not let the idea of learning hinder your worship

Not so much worship but practicing, Arete ("excellence" being your best self), Xenia (Hospitality and I also take this to mean treating other's well), Eusebia (piety towards the Gods), and Sophia (pursuit of knowledge). These are important aspects of Hellenic Polytheism beyond prayer and the altar.

I suggest Labrys Household Worship book here is an article that has a lot of the book. And while I have not finished reading it yet, thus far Hellenic Paganism by Samantha Leaver has been excellent. Also a masterpost on Hellenic Polytheism compiled by @/pinkhellenicgods.

Some Ideas for Choosing a Theos to begin with:

You can pick literally any (or none) of these I'm not trying to overwhelm anyone I'm just trying to give a whole dump of ideas for people. I suggest Theoi.com for easy access info on the Theoi.

🔹You could start with Hestia because she is Goddess of the home and thus an excellent place to start in my opinion.

🔹Zeus and Hera the King and Queen of The Theoi

🔹A Theos or Daimon related to your work/studies. Examples:

Apollo or Asklepios for the health care field

Hermes for communication or information technology fields

Gaia for environmental fields

Themis, Dike, Zeus for legal fields

Athena, Metis, or Sophia for general studies

Hephestios for engineering fields

Rhea, Artemis, Apollo, Hera, or Zeus for parenthood

Nyx if you work the "graveyard shift"

🔹A Theos or Daimon related to something you want to improve in your life. Examples:

Aphrodite or the Khairtes for self-love or if you struggle with body image issues

Hermes or Iris for communication abilities or interpersonal conflict

Hygeia for struggles with hygiene or disorganization

The Nymphai for building environmental sustainable life habits

Sophrosyne or Dionysos for substance abuse (You cannot convince me that his realm of drinking excludes moderation or elimination if it is a problem for a worshipper)

Demeter, Hestia, Hephaistos, Pan, Artemis for any problems surrounding food

Hypnos for sleep hygiene or sleep disorders

Soteria for easing fears

Hermaphroditos, Aphrodite, Dionysos, for LGBT+ identity and issues (Ace inclusive)

🔹A Theos or Daimon related to things you want to do. Examples:

Athena for weaving or other handcrafts

The Mousai for learning an instrument

Themis or Dike for activism work

Nike for sports

Apollo or Phoibe for divination

Poseidon for ocean or water activities

Xenia (or any of the Gods with that epithet) for charity work

Hermes for writing

There are many more bullets that could be added and Gods that could be added to each of the existing bullet points. Especially when epithets come into play.

Some Practice Ideas...

...I've considered (most of which I haven't done) that could be useful brainstorming:

🔹Which ever of the Gods you chose simply give them a libation once a day with the short prayer. You can pick a time or better yet an activity to make it consistent. For example, do it directly after you finish getting dressed. Do it right before you eat breakfast or dinner. Do it before you get ready for bed. Etc, that way it stays consistent and you always have a reminder.

🔹Surrounding the passage of the day/time. The prayers can be very short letting you do them by simply pausing for a minute or two. You can offer a simple libation in the morning and/or night with the prayer.

Prayer to Hemera or Helios in the morning

Prayer Example: "Beautiful Hemera, I thank you for this day, I seek your favor and honor you with my actions. Good morning."

Prayer to Nyx or Selene at night

Prayer to Helios at noon if you don't pray to him in the morning. (I do solar noon but you can just do noon)

Prayer Example: "Shining Helios, as you reach your peak this day, I remember you, I thank you for your life giving light."

Incorporation of 12-Horai such as Mesembria at noon, Dysis at sundown, not sure if Auge would be dawn and Anatole sunrise—but you get the idea.

Prayer to one of the 4-Horai each day of the season we are in— so right now in Northern Hemisphere Kheimon (Winter) tacked on at morning or night [EDIT: I just realized its not winter whoops. Phthinophôron for Autumn, Eiar for Spring, and Theros for Summer]

🔹Surrounding daily activities. And I do mean like 3 sentence prayers.

Prayer to Hemera or Auge upon waking

Prayer to Hygeia before showering or brushing teeth

Prayer Example: "Gentle laughing Hygeia, I enter this shower so I may cleanse myself. I remember your beauty and wish to honor you with my actions, so you may look favorably upon me"

Prayer to Apollo or other health Theoi when you take your medication (if you have it)

Prayer to Hestia at mealtime or before cooking

Prayer Example: "Hestia, first and last among the Olympians, home maker, I cook this food through your strength and thank you for this flame. May my body be replenished"

Prayer to Hermes, Hekate, or Apollo Argyieus, or Soteria when leaving house

Prayer to a Theos related to work/education as you arrive at work or school.

Prayer to a Theos related to a hobby or leisure activity when you start it

Prayer to Hypnos when you go to bed

You can make any combination that would follow the path of your daily activities; it could be any number too this is just an example. And perhaps one libation in the morning or night

🔹Focus on the "Household Gods" which I linked info above

Hestia

Zeus Ktesios

Zeus Herkeios

Apollo Argyieus

Hermes

Hekate

(Modern) Hera Oikos

🔹Follow a calendar like schedule to give a libation & prayer, as outlined above, to specific deities on certain days:

2 week period based on the order the Olympians were born in (or rather the order the internet told me)

1st Hestia

2nd Hera

3rd Demeter

4th Hades

5th Posideon

6th Zeus

7th Athena

8th Aphrodite

9th Ares

10th Artemis

11th Apollo

12th Hephestios

13th Dionysos

14th Whomever you wish

7 Day Version

1st Hestia, Zeus & Hera

2nd Apollo & Artemis

3rd Hades with Persephone during Fall & Winter

4th Aphrodite & Ares

5th Demeter with Persephone during Spring & Summer

6th Athena & Hephestios

7th Poseidon & Dionysos

I took this and simplified it. Its based on historical stuff like Heisods Work and Days some days have no Gods listed:

1st Selene, Apollo [Noumenios], Zeus Herkios and Ktesios, Hestia, and the other Theoi of the Household

2nd Agathos Daimon

3rd Athena

4th Aphrodite, Eros, Herakles, and Hermes, as well as perhaps Poseidon, Apollo, and Hermaphrodite

5th The Erinyes, Eris, and Horkos

6th Artemis

7th Apollo

8th Poseidon, Asklepios and Theseus

9th The Mousai, Helios, Rhea

11th The Moirae (Klotho, Lakhesis, and Atropos)

13th Athena

15th The Erinyes, Eris, and Horkos

16th Artemis

21st Apollo, [Demeter]

23rd Athena

25th The Erinyes, Eris, and Horkos

30th Hekate

I'd love to make my own 30 day thing (as well as the 2 weeks or 7 days not focused solely on the 13 Olympians) because the above just doesn't click, but that's a project for another day. Also do not worry about calendars or festivals this is just an idea.

I think that covers the ideas in my head, thanks for reading if you got this far