Fox’s Fair Folk

My Faery Witch/Irish/Nordic/Welsh Paganism things to keep in one place. They/he. DNI: radqueer

[lightofthemagdalene]

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but:

Her name isn’t Morrigan. Her TITLE is THE or AN Morrígan. I’ve been seeing English phrases like “in Morrigan we trust” and just… it’s grammatically incoherent and vaguely disrespectful. That’s literally saying “in Great Queen we trust” and it’s just… not correct.

I struggle with feeling like this is pedantic to point out, but I also struggle with the fact that people who use Morrigan as her name are often covered in “I’ve never read the lore and think the name for the Irish language is Gaelic” red flags and just… c’mon, y’all.

Especially when she’s your main focus.

If I’m talking casually and don’t want to use the title I say Herself. If I’m talking SUPER informally within private practice I might use the name I do associate with her (spoilers: it’s not Danu because no one is named Danu).

Morrigan is not a name.

In the Morrígan we trust.

[honorthegods]

Second temple dedicated to Hecate identified in Türkiye

Ancient temple identified as rare sanctuary of Hecate

A temple discovered 113 years ago at the Men Sanctuary in the southwestern province of Isparta’s Yalvaç district has been identified as a sa

A 113-Year-Old Archaeological Mistake Reveals a Temple to One of Anatolia’s Oldest Goddesses | Arkeonews

Archaeologists in Isparta have identified a 113-year-old mystery as a rare temple of Hecate, one of Anatolia’s most ancient goddesses.

[thoodleoo]

reading about the participation of children in rituals as a form of play in ancient greece and came across an incredibly charming story from julius pollux's onomasticon where a flood prevented the adults from reaching a sanctuary to sacrifice a ram to heracles, and the children solved the problem by....sticking a bunch of sticks in an apple to give it "legs" and "horns" and offering it as a sacrifice instead. it's such a charming thought and i can perfectly picture kids these days also pretending at sacrificing an apple "goat" at recess

[hometoursandotherstuff]

[notthesomefather]

Simple, Daily Practice

While I haven't been able to conduct many "formal" rituals lately, something I've tried to do is incorporate a brief prayer into my morning routine. I'll take a quiet moment where I can clear my mind and focus on the gods, close my eyes and say:

May the gods guide me May my deeds free me May my oaths keep me May my ancestors aid me May the gods' blessings be with me

If I have more time/energy, I might offer gratitude towards specific entities or contemplate how I can go about my day in a way that would honor them particularly. But even with that ^ brief prayer, I feel grounded and connected.

[hallow-witxh]

So You Want To Use Fruit In Your Spell Work

Here's a list of some common fruits (at least here in my corner of the USA) and their most commonly practiced properties.

Apple: Love, success, healing, happiness, joy, peace

Apricot: Lust, love, peace, affection

Banana: Spirituality, fertility, luck, love, prosperity

Blackberry: Lust, protection, healing, prosperity

Blueberry: Protection, peace, calmness

Cherry: Joy, love

Cranberry: Protection

Grape: Dreaming, prosperity, fertility

Grapefruit: Cleansing, healing, purification (eat with caution if you're on meds!)

Lemon: Purification, cleansing, removing blockages, energy

Lime: Love, peace, protection, cleansing, purification

Mango: Protection, lust, affection, love

Melon: Purification, healing

Nectarine: Love, affection, intimacy

Orange: Purification, healing, luck, love, prosperity

Peach: Longevity, wisdom, joy, fertility, love

Pear: Longevity, lust, love, prosperity, luck

Pineapple: Love, lust, protection, prosperity

Plum: Protection, love, lust

Pomegranate: Creativity, luck, prosperity, wishes

Raspberry: Energy, joy, love, protection

Strawberry: Success, romance, love, luck

Watermelon: Healing

Remember, everyone, always dig a little deeper if you're struggling and never accept the first answer you find as ultimate truth! Knowledge is power, and power is control. Safe practicing and blessed be!

Support your local witch on Ko-Fi!

[the-lokean-fox]

Blessed is Loki, the mother of monsters

Blessed is Loki, father of outcasts

Blessed is Loki, the caring god who is home to those who don’t fit the norms of society

Loki, you are therefor those of us without homes, those of us who have been outcast for being queer, those of us who have known nothing but hate and discrimination.

Loki, may you continue to gather those of us that need you. May you continue to help us find who we are and not be afraid to speak out against the evil and unfairness in the world

Blessed be, followers and children of Loki

(Collage made by me)

[skaldish]

I don’t think people realize just how many USChristian attitudes get passed around in Heathenry, so I compiled different statements and behaviors I’ve seen over the years that reflect Christian notions not original to Heathenry. These examples are illustrative rather than definitive, since I’m only somewhat familiar with different Christian frameworks, but it should be enough to give you the picture:

General Christianity

“The first and most important thing you need to do to practice Heathenry is read the Eddas.”

“You must worship Odin even if you don’t want to, because he’s the head god.”

“The point of being Heathen is to live life in a way that grants you entry to Valhalla.”

“Valhalla is the good/awesome afterlife and Helheim is the bad/boring afterlife.”

“The Æsir are good and the jötnar are evil.”

“Odin is like God, Loki is like the Devil, and Baldr is like Jesus.”

“Odin is more powerful than the rest of the gods.”

“Ragnarok is the End Times.”

(“Us vs. them” attitudes.)

(Not knowing what to do with the the goddesses in general, regardless of one’s gender.)

Catholic-Specific

“To be Heathen, you must serve the gods.”

“We can’t truly know the gods, only attempt to understand them through the Eddas.”

“The gods are distant and don’t care about our personal needs or lives.”

“We must act as the gods’ ambassadors on Earth.”

“Making sacrifices should be painful. That’s why it’s called a sacrifice.”

“Ragnarök is the End Times and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

(Treating the Hávamál as scripture.)

(Using medieval Icelandic law-tracts as a stand-in for Heathen religious orthodoxy.)

(Observing strict worship and insisting others do the same.)

(Adopting a very feudalistic relationship with the gods; lord/servant dynamics.)

Protestant-Specific

“Showing devotion to the gods is done by acting as their hands and feet on earth.”

“You must think about the gods all the time and involve them in everything you do.”

“Why should we merely ‘work with’ the gods when we can worship them?”

“Ragnarök is the End Times and we must prepare to fight on the side of the gods.” OR...

“Ragnarök is the End Times and we must help fulfill it.”

(Behaving as marginalized on the basis of their faith.)

(Reacting badly when confronted with new information about Heathenry.)

(Making bold or even standoffish declarations of faith.)

If you come from a Christian background and hear someone make statements like this, you’re probably going to feel pressured to come up with a counterargument for why it’s okay for you to disagree. What you actually need to do is dismiss the premise entirely. These arguments aren’t reflective of Heathen truths and you don’t have to argue with them as though they are.

This is also not a dig at those who’ve made these statements / done these behaviors before. It’s not exactly second-nature for us to break out of the habit of believing in a specific idea or behaving in a specific way when we believed / behaved that way for most of our lives. However, it’s still worth understanding how specific to Christianity these things are and trying to move away from them.

It’s up to you if you want to point out the nature of these arguments to the people making them. But if you do, I recommend doing so tactfully, with a clear head, and with a very clear understanding about what makes the premise Christian in nature.

Let me know if you want clarification on any of these points and why they aren’t reflective of Heathenry. I’m happy to go into it.

[snigepippi]

Gods yes. Here in Scandinavia is not a major issue among older heathens, because we mostly found heathenry through libraries, person to person and speaking to the gods, and of course growing up with mythology and local history. (And the strict Christians migrated to USA 150 years ago). But I see it so often with young people who find heathenry online.

May I add:

* Verses and prayers. Like: "may Odins spirit entering me and take out the evil and ... etc ...etc."

* Lists of heathen Virtues.

* Alternatively treating Thor or Tyr as Jesus.

* You can sin and be forgiven by saying the right things.

As Skaldish say, it is not a dig or admonishing. Everyone know it's hard to figure it out on your own. Especially when young. And those who make groups are often inspired by Christian ideals of a congregation.

The heathens who have mostly removed christian ideals from their life, can be a bit closed off. Many don't want to join large groups or take in and teach strangers. We practice with friends and family, or maybe a small community. And we have a life and jobs. You have to meet us through our hobbies and interests, make friends and then we'll talk and give you pointers.

[lokavisi]

These kinds of things are seen across all flavors of paganism, but this is definitely how it shows up in Heathenry. Always gotta check yourself, y'all.

[crazycatsiren]

"Casting spells doesn't drain energy." For you maybe.

"Energy work doesn't take spoons." For you maybe.

"Divination/tarot reading doesn't burn out." For you maybe.

For some of us, it takes almost every ounce of what we've got. Because we're disabled. Because we're chronically ill. Like with everything else in life, witchcraft takes a lot out of us.

We're not lazy. We're not less witches. We do try hard enough. We do use our powers wisely. We do what we can to save our energies. We are capable.

And yes, we have tried whatever you think you got. Just don't even start with any of the ableist bullshit.

[lokisspanana]

I hear analysis that Loki betrayed the gods in the mythology stories but i read it as sometimes what happens when you build a community and don’t watch out for everyone.

In all myths where Loki betrays the gods. Loki is first kidnapped and tortured into an oath. He keeps his word on forced oath and in return help fix the problem he caused.

The gods failed Loki because he went missing, no one noticed or rescued Loki before he’s forced into an agreement. Loki is left to be tortured. They were quick to get their apples and hammers however. Cared more about golden hair than a person in their group.

I do wonder if Loki snapping at the gods is result of someone who while in a community was not treated as equal, was not cared for, often abandoned to violence. The rebellion that happens when someone is not treated as equals.

[rain--goblin]

Yes, it's exactly that

Loki causes problems a lot, sure, but let's be so honest, what gods don't? Not just in Norse mythology but across the globe. Loki being mischievous isn't a good enough justification for his mistreatment

He's almost always the scapegoat and is made to fix not only the problems he caused, but problems he had nothing to do with also. Everyone is happy to Reap the rewards and gifts Loki brings in, but don't really care what expense he went to to make it happen.

Rarely is there ever a group discussion on how to deal with issues, it's just "Loki, fix it" and then if Loki makes a mistake, he's immediately threatened with no one else taking the blame

And let's not even get into what was done to his kids- and I don't just mean the big 3

Did he really betray them? Or was he betrayed first and just had enough?

[undead-x-deactivated20201019]

Experimenting with pixels 🔆

Terfs & Radfems dni 🚫

[nocuturnal-deactivated20211223]

To all my fellow witches, losing interest in your craft due to depression doesn't make you a bad witch. You are not a bad witch if mental disorders keep you from practicing daily. Practicing daily isn't even an official rule or requirement. So tell your anxious brain to calm down, it is doing fine. You are doing fine. You are not worse than other witches if you feel an aversion to it bc depression is making you hate what you like.

[honeysuckle-hymns]

How I long for a group of friends that I can disappear into the woods with for some good old witchcraft.

[shinigamibookworm-deactivated20]

[the-shining-ones-and-me]

[the-shining-ones-and-me]

[legend-collection]

Clíodhna

Clíodhna (Clídna, Clionadh, Clíodna, Clíona) is a Queen of the Banshees of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Clíodna of Carrigcleena is the potent banshee that rules as queen over the sidheog (fairy women of the hills) of South Munster, or Desmond.

In some Irish myths, Clíodhna is a goddess of love and beauty, and the patron of County Cork. She is said to have three brightly coloured birds who eat apples from an otherworldly tree and whose sweet song heals the sick people. She leaves the otherworldly island of Tír Tairngire ("the land of promise") to be with her mortal lover, Ciabhán, but is taken by a wave as she sleeps due to the music played by a minstrel of Manannan mac Lir in Glandore harbour in County Cork: the tide there is known as Tonn Chlíodhna, "Clíodhna's Wave". Whether she drowns or not depends on the version being told, along with many other details of the story.

Pic by SineadMeehan on DeviantArt

She had her palace in the heart of a pile of rocks, 5 mi (8.0 km) from Mallow, which is still commonly known by the name of Carrig-Cleena, and numerous legends about her are told above the Munster peasantry. In general, it has been observed that Clíona is especially associated with old Irish families of Munster. Clíona has long been associated with the lands that had been the territory of the Ui-Fidgheinte (O'Donovans and O'Collins) during their period of influence (circa 373 A.D. to 977 A.D.), or were later associated with what had been the Ui-Fidghente territory (MacCarthys and FitzGeralds).

Clíona is referred to as an unwelcome pursuer in Edward Walsh's poem, O’Donovan’s Daughter. And, in an ode praising Donel O'Donovan upon his accession to the chiefship of Clancahill, Domhnall Ó Donnabháin III he is referred to as the "Dragon of Clíodhna".

Clíodhna is also associated with the MacCarthy dynasty of Desmond, who adopted her as their fairy woman, and the O'Keeffes and FitzGerald dynasty, with whom she has had amorous affairs Clíodhna appears in the name of one O'Leary in a medieval pedigree, as Conor Clíodhna or "Conor of Clíodhna", and it is notable that the family were originally based in the area of Rosscarbery, very near to Glandore, before moving north to Muskerry. The O'Learys belong to the ancient Corcu Loígde.

Surviving traditions of Clíodhna in narrative and poetry associate her with the O'Keeffes and O'Donovans. The latter, originally from Uí Fidgenti in North Munster with its own traditions, where their original goddess was Mongfind, later moved south to Carbery on Cuan Dor Harbour, Clíodhna's traditional abode on the South Munster coast, and she then features in poetry associated with them. The O'Keeffe narrative tradition is more extensive, and Clíodhna has other Desmond associations too.

Clíodhna is said to be a rival of Aibell, in one tale, Clíodhna cast a spell that turned Aibell into a white cat.

The most traditional story of the famous Blarney Stone involves Clíodhna. Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, the builder of Blarney Castle, being involved in a lawsuit, appealed to Clíodhna for her assistance. She told him to kiss the first stone he found in the morning on his way to court, and he did so, with the result that he pleaded his case with great eloquence and won. Thus the Blarney Stone is said to impart "the ability to deceive without offending". He then incorporated it into the parapet of the castle. To be fair, Clíodhna does not take credit for all the blarney of the MacCarthys. Queen Elizabeth noted in frustration that she could not effect a negotiation with Cormac MacCarthy, whose seat was Blarney Castle, as everything he said was 'Blarney, as what he says he does not mean'.