Stardust & Witchery

valenaiya - twentyfive - sydney, australia - eclectic witch - exploring the occult

[stardustandwitchery]

My First Altar Supplies

I just bought my first altar supplies. I got an altar bell, chalice, candles, candle-holders and a charcoal resin incense kit. I am hoping to buy some more supplies next month, namely an athame and a cauldron.

I was hesitant to purchase, mainly because it’s hard to find affordable supplies and that has prevented me from purchasing such supplies for many years but I figured, I can’t keep putting it off. I want to actually practice magick, not just read about it. I realise that magick can be practiced without such tools, and I do dabble but I feel like the tools will be a great way to really ritualise it and create a better environment and headspace for practicing.

I am thinking about preparing for a ritual to help heal my depression but perhaps that would be too advanced. Maybe I should really start with the basics. 

[allthingsfinnish]

[stardustandwitchery]

Redirecting Negative Energy

Taking inspiration from theories around visualisation and energy work found in the literature I've read on Wicca, I've decided to try some practical work of this nature. The aim of this practice was to try and push out the negative energy in my body and to pull in a better, purer energy to revitalise me. Over the past few months, my depression has gotten progressively worse and I am struggling. I don't want to let it overtake me.

I pulled myself out of bed and ran myself a warm bath. I sat in its warmth and washed myself as usual. I felt the the bath would be a good place to try this exercise as I find them incredibly soothing. As I washed myself, I tried to imagine that I was also washing away my sadness and fatigue.

Once I'd washed myself, I took my right hand (the hand I feel is stronger at directing energy) and faced it downwards toward the water. I took my left ha d (the hand I feel absorbs energy better) and turned it upward towards the days light Wah was shining through the window. I tried to imagine that I was pushing the dark energy of my depression into the bath water and taking in the radiant energy of the sun. The dark energy was quite literally black and the energy of the sun was white. I tried to imagine the ener inside my body becoming lighter and lighter.

I did struggle with this exercise. Perhaps I was jumping too far ahead in terms of what I am capable of. I'm not sure if it did or didn't work, but I do know that if it did work, it didn't work as strongly as I would have liked. It is possible that it did help though. Even though I felt disappointed as I was trying the energy work, I got out of the bath feeling fresh and more energised. I made a healthy breakfast, did the laundry and cleaned my room - it doesn't sound like much, but I've been so low that I hadn't done either of these things for two weeks. When I imagine the energy inside, it's no longer black, but a gray - and I suppose some positive change is preferable to none at all.

I am thinking I will try a similar practice again in the future. I will try and keep practing regularly so I can become stronger and more concise. I am also wondering if putting the dark energy into the bath water was a bad idea since I was submerged in the water. What do you think? I feel like the calmness of the water could nesturalise it but I'm really not sure as I'm so new to this. Any reflections or advice to help me improve is always appreciated.

[dennybitte]

weekend clouds

by Denny Bitte

[stardustandwitchery]

‘Sex is Sacred’

Taken from: Thea Sabin, ‘Wicca for Beginners’ (pp. 32-33).

In Wicca, sex, the physical joining of two people, is a sacred act , one that brings joy and wonder, not shame and guilt. Sex is treasured and revered. Sexuality is considered a gift from the gods, a pleasure and responsibility that comes with a physical body, and a manifestation of the polarity of the God and Goddess and the fertility of the Earth.

I don’t think I could agree that sex is inherently sacred. I am open to the idea that it can be in certain circumstances, especially if those participating seek to make it so. Sexuality, to me, seems like just a natural function of human and animal life - and perhaps it could be seen as sacred for that very reason but I wouldn’t be able to say how it is any more sacred than any other natural function. If it is sacred due to how it connects people, than any intimate social interaction, I would say, is equally as sacred (and most intimate social interactions aren’t sexual). And if it seen as sacred because it is a process which creates, then one couldn’t say it is any more sacred than any other creative process. I am curious to hear more about the various reasons why people consider it sacred though.

[90377]

* 90377’s almost Autumn Giveaway *

It’s been some time since my last giveaway and this is my way to say thank you for all the great support. Thanks for following me!

Contents:

Wire wrapped rainbow moonstone pendant *

Wire wrapped 925 sterling silver green labradorite pendant *

Wire Wrapped blue labradorite pendant *

Rough clear quartz

Rough rose quartz

Medium size druzy amethyst

Clear quartz point

Two small clear quartz points

Amethyst point

Stunning green yellow moss agate cabochon (5.79 grams)

Opalized iridescent ammonite fossil (11.10 grams)

Asymmetric green labradorite cabochon (6.45 grams)

Rainbow moonstone cabochon (4.64 grams)

Huge purple/pink/orange labradorite cabochon (21.36 grams)

Tumbled white moonstone (10.92 grams)

Round blue labradorite dome (8.74 grams) * = handmade by me

Rules and qualification:

Reblog this post to enter the giveaway, likes count as extra entry.

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It would be nice if you also follow my Instagram @s90377.

Don’t spam this post, don’t annoy your followers.

Deleting or editing the text of this post will disqualify you.

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Your ask box or messaging system must be activated so I can contact you and you must be willing to give me a shipping address to send the prizes.

The winner has to respond within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.

Don’t tag this post as giveaway but as 90377 so I know you read the rules.

Other information:

The giveaway ends on Sunday, October the 1st, 2017 at 10am pst. I will pay for shipping worldwide and the winner will be chosen at random with a number generator. - This giveaway is not affiliated, sponsored, or endorsed by tumblr - Good luck and have fun! 🌱

[junibloom]

Lovely citrine(heated amethyst)

[stardustandwitchery]

What can I do to further progress my spiritual development?

‘Magical Messages from the Fairies’ Orancle Cards, 3 card spread

1 - Be Yourself

This card is reminding you to stay grounded and focused. You have a habit of setting unrealistic goals, shaped by idealised imaginings. Be aware of your limits and remember that spirituality isn’t a competition. Spiritial development is a personal journey so reflect on your desires and identify whether they are true, or if they are merely disguised external pressures. Spiritual growth will sometimes be challenging, but it shouldn’t be stressful. Learn to feel secure with your own intuition and judgments and remember that external approval is not neccesarry on this particular journey.

2 - New Career

One possible meaning is that your current job is draining you. It may be emotionally, physically, intellectually or spiritually taxing. Feeling drained will always make any type of growth more difficult. Of course, this doesn’t mean growth is not possible but it will require more effort and motivation. Keep an eye out for new opportunities that provide the neccesarry material needs, but at a smaller cost to your wellbeing.

Another possible meaning may refer to your current studies. While they may be quite exhausting, remember that you are working towards a career that is rewarding. Use this card as reminder of why you’re working so hard and what you will get out of it in the end. A fulfilling career is critical for emotional, physical and spritual well-being.

3 - Emotional Healing

You are suffering. It may be emotional trauma from the past or it could be an emotional situation that is currently occurring in your life. Emotional healing is a part of most spiritual journeys and for you, healing emotional wounds will be a critical step in yours. Remember, that while spirituality is one way of healing, taking care of yourself mentally and physically are also very beneficial to mental health. As you heal, you will begin to feel more invigorated for life, but also in your spirital life.

[we-love-rain]

[stardustandwitchery]

‘Reincarnation’

Taken from: Thea Sabin, ‘Wicca for Beginners’ (pp. 31-32).

Although most Wiccans will tell you they believe in reincarnation - the soul returning to the earth again in a new body or form after death - their views vary widely on what that means. Some simply believe that our souls are reborn into new bodies, and others think that our essence ‘recycles’ after our bodies die and becomes cosmic energy. Some even believe that we all share one soul, and that this soul experiences the many possibilities of life by inhabiting all of our bodies at the same time.

I do believe in reincarnation and I believe I have had past lives both on Earth and elsewhere in the universe. My concept of how reincarnation works, however, is much less developed. The three ways suggested in the above excerpt all seem like possibilities to me and sound like they could even operate together quite harmoniously, rather than choosing one. I’m also sure threre is an endless string of reincarnation theories, some which I will find plausible and others which won’t resonate with me.

This focus on reincarnation stems in part from a belief that the earth is divine. As we’ve seen, Wiccan practice is earth-focused, here-and-now focused. It’s natural, then, that Wiccans would believe that death is not the end of their existence, and they’re going to be back again in some form.

This claim didn’t really make any sense to me. I can’t see any logical link between thinking the Earth is divine and believing in reincarnation. Reincarnation, in my opinion, goes way beyond Earth. Earth is not significant on the universal scale and I believe reincarnation is universal, not limited to Earthly life.

Please feel free to comment with any of your own reflections, responses or relevant resources. I appreciate input as a fundamental aspect in my development and growth.

[xbunnyclawsx]

[stardustandwitchery]

Sabin - Crystal Energy Exercise

Taken from: Thea Sabin, ‘Wicca for Beginners’ (pp. 45-46).

 Crystals are natural batteries so their energies tend to be easier to feel. Sit comfortably, relax and pick up the stone or crystal in your hand. Hold it gently and see what you feel. You may not feel anything in your hand at all but instead may “feel” the sensation in your head. You may get a mental image instead of a physical sensation. Or you may just feel the crystal zinging in your palm. Is their energy different? If so, how? Are some easier to sense than others?

I will explain my experience with each rock, from left to right.

Far left: This one was the last of the four minerals which I attempted this exercise. I felt that I connected with the energy almost instantly. It felt universal, like it wasn’t as attached to the earth as the other minerals. I visualised myself zooming through the cosmos with its vibrancy all around me.

Centre left: This was the first mineral I tried this exercise with. I saw it in my mind as surrounded by energy which appeared wispy and white, and I felt an association with the moon. I also felt that it was a serene energy capable of healing, light and calm protection.

Centre right: This was the second mineral with which I attempted this exercise. This one was harder for me to pick up. I was expecting to see and feel the energy in a similar way to how I’d picked it up from the first rock, but instead of seeing energy, I was visualising a forest setting with a stream running through it. It was a very grounded feeling, and I sense the the rock is very connected with the Earth.

Far right: This was the third rock I tried the exercise with. As a little test, I closed my eyes to pick the third rock so I wouldn’t be able to see what it looked like. I felt that it was possible my visualisations were being impacted by what the rocks looked like (as opposed to its energy alone). When I picked this one up, I could feel the smooth exterior. The energy I got from this was strong, defensive, protective, impenetrable. In my mind, I saw images of armour.

I don’t really know what these visualisations mean. I know that it feels I am sensing their energies but the sketpical part of my brain says it is just my imagination. To be quite frank, even if it is my imagination I experience it as if it were real and I believe I can experience benefits either way. I find the sensation of trying to feel the energies of these rocks quite calming. I would like to do some more research into different crystals and their meanings.

Does anyone know what any of these rocks/crystals are called?

[collien0]

[astrolocherry]

Spirit Guide Communication Guide

Aries rising

Spirit guides communicate through the natural watery flow of intuition, typically erratic in its presence. Spirit guides are guardians. They respond through those you have close, intimate bonds and attachments with. 

Taurus rising

The inner world is glowing, alight, and alive with messages of intuition, often too compelling and magnetic to overlook or ignore. Your spirit guides communicate through your instinct, through tapping into the essence of yourself and projecting it outward, they join in the display

Gemini rising

The intuitive message of spirit guides passes through the conduit of the mind, breaking into thought and self talk. Dialogue with the inner self generates conversation with spirit guides. Questions are answered by more questions 

Cancer rising

You are not likely to receive informative forms of guidance but rather enhancing beauty around you, a moment of stillness in the sun and fresh air as your spirit guides deliver a gentle moment of bliss and exile from reality so you are reminded of pure, true, and everlasting beauty

Leo rising

The most harrowing and profound experiences of life taps into the everlasting wisdom of your spirit guides, like tools of sacred knowledge they arise at moments of catastrophe, it’s very hard to silence their instinct 

Virgo rising

Spirit guides are accessed through pilgrimages in the higher mind, a place where wisdom and symbolism integrate in the human experience, so the spirit guides are leaders toward knowledge and answers, meditation is the easiest way to reach these guides, they are not far away

Libra rising

Your spirit guides arrive at moments of most peril, but you may doubt your worth or entitlement, you may sense that you don’t deserve their help. This of course, weakens their vibration and makes it very difficult for them to reach you. They have already seen your past, present, and future, trust in their understanding of cosmic justice

Scorpio rising

Spirit guides buzz through a sort of electric intuition, almost pulsating, but their presence is erratic and unpredictable. They can leave puzzling messages and it can be like it’s all up to you to figure everything out. Spirit guides enact themselves through this conduit of fast acting intuition 

Sagittarius rising

Your whole world is the conduit where your spirit guides express themselves, they are flying ahead of you, never truly graspable, but always present. Your world is the poetry of your spirit guides and they assemble a personal and private message just for you 

Capricorn rising

Intuitive resources are like a hotplate, they can sizzle uncontrollably and fizzle out at moment’s you deem of most importance. But your spirit guides are what keep you grounded and remind you of what is really important, and it’s very possible for that to get lost in your volatile inner world amongst fury and battles with the self, they are protectors of your insides 

Aquarius  rising

You are not likely to receive informative forms of guidance but rather enhancing beauty around you, a moment of stillness in the sun and fresh air as your spirit guides deliver a gentle moment of bliss and exile from reality so you are reminded of pure, true, and everlasting beauty

Pisces rising

The intuitive message of spirit guides passes through the conduit of the mind, breaking into thought and self talk. Dialogue with the inner self generates conversation with spirit guides. Questions are answered by more questions 

-C.

[naturalxcauses]

visit my page for more nature

[stardustandwitchery]

‘Psychic power’

Taken from: Thea Sabin, ‘Wicca for Beginners’ (pp. 28-29).

Wiccans believe that psychic abilities exist, that they work, and that each of us is born with our own psychic gifts. If each of us is infused with the same divine force, and the earth and everything around us is too, we ought to be able to tap into that force to get information and do things beyond the realms of the five senses. Psychic ability might be interpreted as being in tune and developing a sensitivity to patterns and occurrences found within the universal energy.

I wouldn’t say I have a concrete belief in psychic powers, but the explanation provided - that psychic power means tapping into the knowledge ingrained within this grand universal energy - does seem fathomable to me. If we are full of such energy and the energy is all around us, and it exists outside of space and time and is truly universal, it seems to me that it would contain all possible knowledge and that there could be ways to access that knowledge. 

I have personal experiences which affirm some belief in psychic abilities. Firstly, I have experienced scenarios which I dreamt about previously - sometimes down to fine details. The most affirming of these experiences was when I recognized that I had dreamt being in a certain bathroom (which I had never been to previously) and in the dream, I had gone into a certain bathroom stall and found $20. With this in mind, I went to the same stall as I had seen in my dream and I found a $20 note in the exact place I had dreamt of finding it. Furthermore, a friend and I were stoned and we put our heads together and started ‘shharing thoughts’. I was verbally describing the image in her mind and she was saying “yes, how did you know?”. I thought she might have just been pretending, but when it was her turn to guess the image I was seeing in my mind, she was describing the exact image I was visualizing in fine detail. I also have tried my hand at past life regression and believe I have had some success.

Like many other talents, psychic abilities can be sharpened and honed through practice and belief. Actions such as meditation, ritual, divination and other psychic exercises can help us grow our psychic power. Wicca assists by encouraging belief in such abilities since one cannot practice until belief is established.

This is definitely an area I am interested in exploring and trying to practice. I have tried a couple of past life regression sessions which I believe have been successful. This is something I would like to keep working on. I am also interested in tarot/oracle cards and dream interpretation.

Please feel free to comment with any of your own reflections, responses or relevant resources. I appreciate input as a fundamental aspect in my development and growth.

[thepumpkinqueenn]