"With wings of eternal devotion, I approach you with being; where the layers of my Celestial fabrics strip into nothingness, revealing you. To all which shape mere existence— to be put on by the fabrics of your knowing; beyond the narrowings between Space and Time, I begin to see you in different forms. With sanctity in our Spirit awaiting like Sparrows of certainty, I await you through these Spheres of ever-warming, ever-lasting; Righteousness." ~Mise-n-abyme
|Artwork: 'Samudra Manthana' (Churning of The Ocean of Milk), Unknown
The world of the Estonians’ ancestors – Metsavana, the old man of the forest
Metsavana, also known as metsataat or metsaisa, is a forest deity in Estonian mythology. Metsavana is a compound of metsa ("forest") and vana ("old, ancient"). The names metsataat and metsaisa translate to "forest father" or "forest old man".
Metsavana is one of the many types of forest spirits found in Estonian mythology, such as Metsaema ("forest mother"Ref) and Metsik ("forest fairy" Ref2). Finnic folklore has links with Slavic mythology, shown in Metsavana's similarities with the Leshy and corresponding other spirits.
Estonian forest spirits are often seen as tricksters, generally benevolent but posing some danger to humans who stray from the path or act against them. In Komi folk religion, he is referred to pseudonymously to avoid catching his notice, using names such as "uncle" (djadja) and "old man".
Each forest has its own metsavana. Metsavana is described as a tall elderly man with an unkempt beard, overgrown with moss. His clothes are made of birch and he wears a large birch hat and boots. Metsavana rules over the forest, deciding how plentiful the hunters' harvest will be, and he can speak with the birds and animals. They can be the protectors of wild animals, for example bears, wolves, snakes and foxes.
Cleansing is the act of cleaning or clearing away any stagnant energy that is around you, your space, your home, or around others. Cleansing is getting rid of any icky, yucky, energy that’s in your space or around you. It can be negative energy bad vibes, etc. Before you do protection or magick you need to cleanse your space and your surroundings.If you haven’t cleansed in a while then the energy will accumulate until you get rid of it.
What is it used for?
Cleansing is used for getting rid of any unwanted energy that you don’t need in your space, around you, or others. We use many different things to cleanse like, for instance, sound cleansing, smoke cleansing, envisioning a white light, etc. Cleansing is used for whenever you want to clean out the negative energy or when you enter a new space and you want to remove the negative/stagnant energy in your space.
Why do we need to cleanse?
We need to cleanse to get rid of any yucky, icky, bad feeling, negative energy or entities that are in our space, around us, or others because if we don’t cleanse they will accumulate and keep accumulating till it’s hard to remove the energy or become something else entirely. We also need to cleanse when it comes to spell work except when it comes to baneful magick. We need to cleanse the tools and ingredients we are using. We also need to cleanse when doing divination as well. Cleanse when you feel it is necessary or when you need to do it.
Here are some ways that you can cleanse:
Sound Cleansing (Bells, clapping, music, using your voice, singing bowl, etc.)
Smoke Cleansing
Candles
Imagining a white light
Carrying crystals
Sigil magick
Herbs corresponding with your intent
Runes
Cleanse as many times as want or when you feel the energy leave or dissipates. You don’t have to cleanse every day or cleanse how you see someone else do it but I recommend cleansing every two weeks or when you feel it is necessary.
protection magick - we’ve all heard of it, and if you haven’t, then welcome to a very important post. generally, protection magick is a great place to start for beginners, but its always super important to incorporate it into your craft even as an 'advanced' practitioner (I really don't like that term, because no matter how long you've been practicing for or how much magick is in your family there is always something new to learn!). protection magick is important to implement when doing spirit work, doing any type of offensive/return to sender magick, or honestly most magick in general - i will almost always draw up some kind of protection during ANY magick working, from big rituals to my meditation practice.
Protection work can vary a lot, from simple incantations, to candle magick, to full-blown protection rituals that are perfectly coordinated. personally, I like to practice an in-between - I'll do small acts regularly, then bigger practices if a situation calls for it.
Now onto the fun stuff; if you're a little short on time, then the following are some great ideas for small protection workings:
drawing a pentacle into your food/drink
visualising a protective light surrounding you/your space
burning a black spell candle* (can take this further, see below!)
sprinkling salt around your home
burning a protection incense (dragons blood or sandalwood are my current faves; you can even just place an incense stick on your altar if you can't have it burning)
calling on your spirit guides/guardian angels/ancestors/whatever term you prefer for protection
just mentally or aloud setting an intention for protection for yourself and your loved ones
If you have a little more time for a larger ritual, then these are some great options:
* burning a candle on its own is great, however you can up the oomph by anointing it with a protection oil (there's a simple recipe below, or you can use a bought one!) and herbs, and carving runes or sigils into it
you can do a 'home-protection' ritual by walking the perimeter of your property or around your home, and either visualise a protective barrier forming around your designated space and setting the intention to protect your home and those within it. this can also be done with a candle or incense in hand to provide some extra protection
Herbs are a great addition to your protective practice, and can be used as the raw herb or in essential oil form. These herbs can be used together, or alone, in an oil or spray or just around the home in a small bowl. I love to leave some salt on my altar for quick use.
sage - i personally grow my own, you can get it from most garden stores and will grow nicely inside or in a windowsill!
rosemary - a great protective herb, and can be used as a stand in for most other herbs!
mint
lemon - great for cleansing negative energies
tea-tree
nettle - great for protection and defensive magick, as you can imagine
eucalyptus
juniper
chili - anything spicy is good for protection and defensive magick
SALT - can come in many forms, i've found that sea salt is great, however you can mix the ash of a protective incense like dragons blood with salt to make an extra-powerful blend!
pepper - good for banishing
cinnamon
cloves
dill
garlic - cliché, but it works
hawthorne
rose - the thorns especially are great for protection
I am leaving a method to crafting an oil that can be used for protection work under the cut! sending protection energies your way, have a blessed day xx
making a protection oil to anoint candles, doorways, window sills, your body, etc. is a really great way to provide yourself with something that will last, and is quick to use once made. Start by selecting any oil of your choosing, I personally don't like the smell of olive oil and have found it leaves my skin kinda greasy, so I generally opt for a grapeseed oil, almond oil, or a fractionated coconut oil. Place your chosen oil into a container, preferably the container you will be storing it in once finished (you can get small dropper bottles from most craft stores or online relatively cheap!). From there, add in any essential oils and/or herbs you like (I've included a list of herbs/oils that are great for protection above!) whilst setting the intention for protection of your person/space. Lighting a black candle is also a great addition to this ritual if it suits you. Once you have added your oils and/or herbs, you can visualise or infuse the oil with your intention and your magick, calling upon any spiritual guides, ancestors, deities etc., then place it on your altar. I like to surround it with cleansing and protective herbs and salt, as well as crystals like black obsidian, tourmaline, and selenite. I have a personal preference of leaving something on my altar for 3 days (often around a corresponding moon cycle; almost any moon cycle can be used for protection, I have a few posts about moon cycles so check that out!), before using it however you need to.
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