My Spiritual Safe Place

My witchy side blog. Always happy to make new friends. 26/f/Witchcraft - Hellenistic

[themoonandravens]

At it again. Guess this is a sign I’m pulling myself together and trying to fight the depression that’s been holding me down. Today is my first day at a new job, a job I’ve been after pretty much since I graduated 4 years ago. I created a sigil for being confident today. I also created some sigils surrounding sleep as that’s been so hard lately.

[themoonandravens]

Me again. I’ve been having lots of bad things hitting in the last 6 months. I’ve been very strong, I’ve tried to hold it together. Maybe I didn’t. Sensitive content was marked out. Otherwise enjoy my sigils work. Some I’ve used before and some are not.

[themoonandravens]

Alright took a few days to get this posted. I made my first altar. I dedicated it to Hecate, Soteria, and Eirene. I sewed my own table cloth with a section dedicated to each. Then placed items that made me think of them.

[grimlilli]

Hecate

Hecate, also known as “The Distant One”, is the Greek Goddess of the crossroads and witchcraft. She is also Queen of the Night and is highly connected to All Hollows Eve. She is commonly depicted as a three-headed Goddess or the Greek version of The Tripple Goddess, being the Maiden, Mother, and Crone depending on the season. Hecate is also seen to rule/have power over magic, the night, ghosts, necromancy, pathways, heaven, earth, and sea.

General Symbols: torch, new moon, crossroads, three-headed animals/statues, raisin and currant cakes,  masks, candles, and the number 3, stars, the night sky

Plants: willows, dark yew, blackthorn, groves of trees, saffron, pumpkins and other gourds, raisins, currants, any night blooming plants such as moonflowers or night lilies

 Animals: snakes, dogs, horses, bats, owls, boars, and sheep (especially black female ones) 

Colors: black, orange, yellow-orange, red-orange

Scents/Insense: cinnamon, honey, myrrh, mugwort, lime, lemon verbena, Queen of the Night (a very light floral scent) 

Gemstones/Crystals: Sapphire, silver, gold, moonstone, black tourmaline, black onyx, hematite, smoky quartz and any stone that is dark or luminous

Prayers/Requests: strength in magic, to help choose the right path, when doing anything magic related, protection, patience, understanding, help with ghosts

Prayer to Hecate Hecate when I doubt, show me strength; When I am wrong, show me the right path; Light the crossroads before me, that I may see my way. Queen of transitions. Guardian of doorways. Hecate, bless my journeys, Through dark and dawn, day and dusk. Help me to bring into balance the forces within myself- Light and dark, above and below. As a coin cannot have only one side. I am not whole, one without the other.

Hecate Blessing Hecate, beautiful crone of night, I call upon you to put things right. Transform the negative thought, the fear, and pain and help my life be whole again.

[anthonythewitch]

Ideas for Hekate Devotion

I know this a super specific post, but I’m feeling the hell out of my matron goddess tonight. This is mostly for personal reference but feel free to utilize for your own practice!

Light a candle for Her

Craft an oil with Her sacred herbs

Listen to self-empowering music

Meditate

Practice self-care

Kiss your hand to the West

Collect seashells at the ocean

Explore caves

Visit your local cemetery and clean up the graves

Leave out offerings for the dead

Honor your ancestors

Write in your Grimoire/BoS

Read a book about spirituality/witchcraft

Commune with your Higher Self/Holy Guardian Angel

Make plans to fulfill your goals

Perform a water channeling in the bath/shower

Cleanse and spend time with your crystals

Go on a hike

Spend time with yourself, and learn to revel in your own company

Read the Tarot, or practice any type of divination

Perform an act of magick

Perform an act of charity

Introspect

Dream big, and allow yourself to have what you want

Happy Witching 🕉

[100witches]

1- Hecate

1- Hecate

Greek Titan of Witches, Witchcraft, Sorcery, and Crossroads.

When I first began this project, I knew that I wanted to end with Hecate. She is simultaneously the final and the first, our alpha and omega of Witchcraft. She dominates popular witch lore, but you would never know it as she resides in the shadows, side plots, and brief mentions. Only when you seek her out does she reveal herself to you, lighting your path while casting shadows and ghosts. Many, if not all, modern Witches, Pagans, and Wiccans see Hecate as a Goddess of Witches, amongst other appropriate attributes, and continue her worship and reverence now several thousand years ongoing.

As is the case with most of Greek Mythology, Hecate has multiple origin myths and genealogies. This is most likely the result of her originating outside of the Greeks, and being adapted and merged with the existing pantheon. Most traditions have Hecate as the daughter of the Titans Perses, titan of destruction, and Asteria, titan of falling stars and nocturnal prophecy. Hecate was their only child, and was able to retain her powers post Zeus’ coup as she helped him fight the Giants. As child of Asteria, her grandmother was the Titan of the Moon, Phoebe, and her cousin was Olympian lunar all-star Artemis.

There are various stories in which Hecate plays a part. Her most notable and appropriate for this time of year, however, is her integral role in assisting Demeter’s search for her beloved daughter, Persephone. Upon Persephone’s decent into Hades, Hecate, through the light of her torches, helped Demeter discover her daughter in the underworld. As such, Hecate has become a chthonic Goddess, and Persephone’s yearly attendant and psychopomp to the underworld. Her position as gatekeeper and guide to Hades solidifies many of her numerous attributes.

Hecate is associated with ghosts, necromancy, and magic. She is identified with crossroads, torches, and dark hounds. She was a common household deity for the Athenian—her shrines placed in doorways and city gates to both protect from restless spirits and bestow blessings and safe passage. Her worship and cult was as extensive as her various attributes, with temples and shrines scattered across the Mediterranean. As a key figure in the Persephone saga, Hecate was integral in the ancient Eleusinian Mysteries, impacting secret societies and occult rituals to this day.

Out of all her characteristics, her association with the crossroads is perhaps the most pertinent to my series. Most often, we think of crossroads as the intersection of two roads, yielding four directions. This was not always the case, however, as it was more common to have a proverbial ‘fork in the road’, yielding three directions. This is the kind of crossroads in which Hecate resides. Her statues depict her in triplicity, forearms outstretched, holding torches, keys, serpents, daggers, etc. One face in each direction, Hecate is the arbiter of passages, and in this way is the consort of the God Hermes.

Hecate is one of the original Triple Goddesses of Witchcraft, if not the primordial one. Her triplicity has defined much of Modern Pagan theology, with her stance representing the three phases of the moon, Waxing, Full, and Waning (Maiden, Mother, Crone respectively). Her mythological genealogy as the granddaughter of Phoebe and cousin to Artemis has yielded Hecate as a Goddess of the Moon in her own right, most often known as the unseen phase of the moon, the New Moon (however she is just as often associated with all moon phases). In Greek/Roman Mythology, Hecate joins many lunar goddesses in addition to Phoebe and Artemis, including Selene and Diana. The five were often conflated, confused, and worshiped both in tandem and in conflict. This ever shifting, impossible to pin down, lunar association echos her transient nature of existing in the shadows.

Hecate is both mysterious and severe. Her face is hidden behind her torches, or on the dark side of the moon, however her presence is a constant. She is life, death, and rebirth. She is both light and dark magic. She was beloved in her association with rites of passage like childbirth, and feared in her role as Queen of Shades, present at the final rite of passage, death. Her nature has permeated my entire series in such a profound and indescribable way, I can only show you:

#93: Lilith— often worshiped by modern Pagans in tandem with Hecate #92: Circe: Daughter of Hecate #89, #54, #39: Bewitched: A common expression “For Hecate’s Sake!” Occurs throughout the show. #79: Aradia: Daughter of Lucifer and Diana. Often seen as the daughter of an amalgamated Diana-Hecate. #70: Medea: Priestess of Hecate #67: Charmed: The Halliwell Sisters: Appears in the episode “The Wedding from Hell” #56: Ceridwen: Often worshiped in tandem with Hecate as Dark Mothers by modern Pagans. . #52, #27: Practical Magic: The necromancy ritual the Owen’s Sisters perform, albeit pronounced incorrectly. “Black as night, erase death from our sight. White as light, Mighty Hecate make it right.” #10: Willow Rosenberg: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Mentioned in several episodes and referred to as “Queen and Protectress of Witches.” #7: American Horror Story: Coven: Supreme Fiona Goode invokes Hecate “Come to me Hecate, Mother of Angels, Cosmic World Soul.” #5: The Weird Sisters: Macbeth: Hecate is their master

This list is pretty fitting for a Goddess whose name etymologically may mean “she that operates from afar.” She is seldom a central figure or even visible, however witches from the Owens to the Goodes, from Willow Rosenberg to Endora, invoke her name and ask for her spirit, guidance, and presence. Hecate, in many ways, is both the first witch, and the last. She is our alpha and omega. She is the embodiment of power and strength. As a Goddess of Witchcraft, she does not merely exist in the margins of society like the rest of us—She is the margin itself.

Hail Hecate.

“Hecate, Cerridwen. Dark Mother take us in. Hecate, Cerridwen. Let us be reborn.”  

[themoonandravens]

Research :)

[heatherwitch]

Hi! I hope you're well! I was wondering if you had any ideas for altar items or sda to Soteria, Greek goddess of safety and salvation? Thank you so much ♡♡♡♡

Great question! There really isn’t much information about Soteria so first I’m going to compile what there is :)

(Source)

Soteria (Σωτηρια) is the goddess or daimona of safety, and deliverance and preservation from harm.

Her counterparts are the daimon Soter and god Dionysus Soter. The Romans named her Salus (Preservation).

Father is most likely Dionysus or Zeus but there is no certain account.

Description of Greece 7. 24. 3 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue 2nd century AD): “[In Aigion in Akhaia (Aegium in Achaea)] they also have a sanctuary of Soteria (Safety). Her image may be seen by none but the priests, and the following ritual is performed. They take cakes of the district from the goddess and throw them into the sea, saying that they send them to Arethousa at Syrakousa (Syracuse).”

Pausanias, Description of Greece 7. 19. 7 & 21. 7: “Eurypylos [the hero of the Trojan War] opened the chest [containing a sacred idol of Dionysos], saw the image, and forthwith on seeing it went mad. He continued to be insane for the greater part of the time, with rare lucid intervals … There is a sanctuary [in Patrai in Akhaia (Patrae in Achaea)] with an image of stone. It is called the sanctuary of Soteria (Deliverance), and the story is that it was originally founded by Eurypylos on being cured of his madness.”

Ovid, Fasti 3. 879 ff (trans.Boyle) (Roman poetry 1st century BC to 1st century AD): “March 30 Comitialis. When the shepherd feeds and pens his kids four more times and the grasslands whiten with four fresh dews, Janus should be worshipped and gentle Concordia (Concord), Salus Romana (Safety of Rome) and the Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace).”

The following are obviously UPG/ideas I came up with because there’s no additional information on her!

Altar ideas:

Olive oil / water / sea water

Gold laurel, gold band/bracelet.

Smooth stones (plain or painted)

Anything that calms you down (lavender, a worry stone, etc.)

SDVA:

Donate to/volunteer with organizations that help people get out of bad situations.

Make an effort to practice safety in something you’ve gotten lax with (chopping vegetables, driving, etc.)

Throw an (eco-friendly) offering into the ocean.

Refresh your emergency kits in your house and car (medical kit, flashlight, matches, jumper cables, tow rope, etc.)

Make a sand/stone garden.

Do things for your mental health and devote them to her.

Thank her for all of the things that didn’t happen to you that could have, whether you knew about them or not!

Create your own sanctuary; in your daily life or in your mind.

I hope this was a helpful starting point! Be creative and trust your intuition :)

[themoonandravens]

I was looking for altar ideas and how I could show her respect. Saving this for me :)

[cosmictulips]

Eirene and Soteria: Finding & fighting for Peace.

Two goddesses I worship are Eirene (the greek goddess of peace and spring) and Soteria (a spirit of safety, salvation and deliverance).  I’ve been asked before about how to work with them, and how they felt about someone who worships them fighting for justice for people to live peacefully, protesting in general and what not. 

I’ve taken a hot minute to think of this because I also worship gods who deal with Love, Justice, Knowledge, War and Home and so it easily fits with me to do those things naturally.  I don’t know if you could say Eirene and Soteria have kind of gave me these thoughts but here’s what I’ve come up with on the matter.

Being about Peace and being about Safety,  I think they are perfectly okay for you to help those who need it.  Eirene was specifcally worshiped during times after war,  and most of that was during the spring.  and so, I think she, personally is okay with you protesting, and fighting for that type of peace because ultimately it leads you to her.  

On the other side to that,  I think she also has to do with inner peace as well.  Just as Soteria has to do with safety within yourself as well.  You can do these safely and peacefully.  Peaceful protesting is a thing after all.   I think that by working with them both you are not only learning to find peace within yourself but you can also learn how to safely and effectively learn to gain peace for others.

because ultimately without peace of mind,  you really can’t give someone peace can ya?

I think,  they are personally okay with you going out there and fighting for that justice.  for people to be safe and be at peace within their homes, communities, themselves.  Just make sure you, yourself are okay to do so.  if you lose yourself in the battle, there will be no peace and no safety or salvation for anyone. 

Let me know what you think. 

[themoonandravens]

I like this as I am learning more about these two. Thank you for your thoughts :)

[themoonandravens]

Guess who is back? I’ve gone through a lot but I’m back growing spiritually. Here’s some sigils from last night :)

[witchcraftyful-blog]

Sabbat Altar and Celebration Ideas for the Solitary Witch

YULE Altar ideas: Put mistletoe and pine on your altar; put a candle up there to represent the Sun; keep your Yule log on your altar; use symbols of the Sun; decorate with red, green, white, blue, and yellow (red and green for holly, white and blue for snow and wintery colors, yellow for the Sun). Celebration ideas: Kiss a consenting person under the mistletoe for luck; give gifts; have a feast; make magickal wreaths with herbs corresponding to the spell intent (you might use lilac, lavender, and camomile for a wreath that brings peace into your home).

IMBOLC Altar ideas: Use candles to represent the return of spring; make a cute little corn dolly; put a Brigid’s cross on there to honor her; decorate with yellow and green to represent the Sun and return of spring. Celebration ideas: Clean your house; have a self-dedication ritual (to a particular path, deity, philosophy, standard of life, etc.); clean off your working altar and redo it; cleanse and charge any tools or crystals you need to.

OSTARA Altar ideas: Use fake eggs, rabbits, and other symbols of fertility or spring; put some potted plants on the altar; place some packets of seeds you might be planning on growing; decorate with purple, yellow, green, white, and other spring, pastel colors. Celebration ideas: Paint and blow eggs (take proper precautions when handling raw eggs, obviously, especially if you’re putting your mouth on them); if you have a greenhouse, want a potted plant, or it’s warm enough where you live to plant outside, plant some seeds; buy a potted plant; organize your herb shelf.

BELTAINE Altar ideas: Make a mini Maypole for your centerpiece; smack some candles up in there, especially beeswax, if that’s in your budget; put some faery symbols, like little statues or bells or something like that; a jar of honey or some beeswax is always dope; if you’re comfortable with it, some people like to put representations of genatalia on their altar. Celebration ideas: Light an awesome bonfire (also be very cautious with this because fire can quickly turn dangerous); leave offerings to the faeries; have a dance outside; this is a good time to plan to have a handfasting ceremony or wedding; cast any love workings you’ve been meaning to do; if you’re an adult and have a person/people who consent to it, you could choose to have sex during this time (but do be safe!); many people try to conceive children during Beltaine.

LITHA Altar ideas: Symbols of the Sun and the Moon, feminine and masculine symbols if that’s a thing in your tradition; decorate with black and white to symbolize the night and day. Celebration ideas: Get up before the Sun rises and go to sleep after it sets, so you can experience the day and night; have a bonfire (again, safety is important); have a picnic; just spend a lot of time outside.

LUGHNASADH Altar ideas: Put bread and grain on the altar; maybe some apples and other autumn fruits; pinecones and leaves are fall symbols; decorate with red, orange, yellow, brown, and other colors of the season. Celebration ideas: Bake (especially make the cute little bread men); give an offering to the Earth; go to an apple orchard and pick some apples; share a feast with the family or your friends.

MABON Altar ideas: Wine, or grape juice if alcohol is unavailable for any reason; leaves and pinecones; apples; a money jar (see first celebration suggestion below). Celebration ideas: For a week or two before Mabon, put money you can afford to give up in a jar, and donate it to charity or a cause you support on Mabon; have another apple harvest; have another feast; do a ritual to honor the Earth.

SAMHAIN Altar ideas: Pop a few gourds in there, more apples if you want; pictures of the deceased; tools for divination and spirit contact; decorate with black, white, and orange. Celebration ideas: Divination, spirit communication (obviously only if you know what you’re doing); hold a seance or a dumb supper if that’s more comfortable for you; light a candle in the window for spirits (use a fake one if you want it lit all night); leave some milk and honey for the Fair Folk; give offerings to the dead; put up wards and shields if you’re one of the people who would prefer to avoid spirit activity.

[extramidwestwitch]

☆Ostara Plans☆

Ostara falls on Spring Break, so I’m super excited, y'all. Here are my plans! ♡

Foods:

Cheesy spinach eggs for breakfast

Vietnamese tofu spring rolls with lots of veggies and peanut sauce for lunch

Veggie tray (carrot, cucumber, radish, and red bell pepper chips) with spinach artichoke dip, basil lime marinated strawberries, and carrot cake for dinner

To do:

Spring cleaning the days before

Ready the garden

Start flower seeds in egg shells

Self cleansing

Begin my grimoire

Three intentions to manifest:

Organization

Creation

Self-nurturing

I would love to hear about your plans too! Tag me in your posts or send me an ask!

[macb3thany]

Imbolc is February 1-2

What is Imbolc?

Imbolc is the preparation for the coming spring. The light is slowly returning and the new year has begun. It is a great time to gather seeds for planting, start planning new projects, and cleaning out old, unwanted energy.

Colors

Green

White

Brown

Yellow

Stones

Amethyst

Ruby

Bloodstone

Clear quartz

Plants

Basil

Violet

Sage

Blackberry

All white flowers

Incense

Cinnamon

Vanilla

Violet

Altar Decorations

Berries

Seeds

Flowers

Candles!!!

Activities

Light candles

Plan

Organize

Clean

Food

Food and breads with seeds

My favorite are poppy seed muffins 😄

[witch-of-color]

Small Witchy Challenges to Reconnect to Your Practice

Sometimes it can be hard to really feel connected to the actual magickal side of being a witch. Personally I’m involved with my deities or other spiritual/personal things 110% of the time but I don’t always feel connected to my actual witchcraft. So here are a few small magickal challenges I thought up to help anyone in a similar situation.

✨ – Set aside a time once a week to burn a candle. Make it a color that connects to whatever aspect of your life you would like insight or growth in and spend 10 minutes watching the flame and opening yourself to whatever it is you’re seeking.

✨ – If you have any books with pre written simple spells in them (most intro to witchcraft books have a section) flip through it and find a spell that calls to you and do it! As written, just to practice getting out of your head and going through the motions of spell work.

✨ – Send out blessings. To your crush. A new friend. Your best friend. Your mom. Whoever.

✨ – Call up your energy into your palms and then place them on your own heart to send yourself love and healing and to connect yourself to your energy.

✨ – Spend some time picturing the kind of witch you wish you were, your ideal witchsona if you will. Then tell yourself that’s exactly who you already are. Keep reminding yourself whenever you feel disconnected from your craft that you are already an unbelievable witch.

✨ – Go back through your old book of shadows/grimoire and reflect on what’s worked for you in the past.

✨ – Wake up and tell yourself first thing “I am a witch. I am magick. My life is full of magick. I see and feel all the magick around me. I am a witch.”

✨ – Pick out outfits or accessories that make you feel witchy. (Bonus points for intentionally planning a super witchy outfit on the full moon)

✨ – Do a spell for anything that’s coming up in your life that you want to work out a certain way, no matter how trivial it seems. Test this week? Do a spell. About to start a work out routine? Do a spell. First date? Spell. Gotta stay on budget grocery shopping? Spell. Your worth it, it’s good practice, and if it all ends up working even better!

✨ – Write down spell ideas as they come to you. Save them as notes in your phone and then come back and flesh them out in your BOS later.

✨ – Come up with your own challenges! If you’d like to share, tag me on your post or send them to me, I’d love to hear your ideas!

[merialethscottage]

So who’s still here???

Hey all!! My dash is slowing down considerably and that means it’s time to follow more blogs!!! I don’t know who’s staying or going, but if you’re staying please reblog this if you post about the following!! I’ll be following from @merialeths

Please reblog if you post about:

Hecate

Pan

Apollo

Hircine

Pop culture paganism

general witchblr stuff

Spirit work, experiences, talk, etc

Witchcraft

Kitchen Witchery & Recipes

Tarot, pendulum, divination in general

Cottage Core, Elven stuff, LoTR aesthetic

anything witchy really!!

[themoonandravens]

[pube-farmer]

Stewed Apples for Sabbats

There is a lot of sabbats that stewed apples are appropriate for, like Yule, Samhain, and Mabon. Here’s my version of how to make stewed apples.

*Note there is no certain amount of ingredients due to the fact that it is different for everyone, use as much of the ingredients as you wish. Also there is no time because it is different based on the amount of ingredients you use*

Ingredients:

•Apples

•Cloves

•Oranges

•Cinnamon

•Pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg

•Brown sugar

•Water

•Optional - apple juice

Directions:

Peels and cut up apples, add to pot then add all other ingredients. Cook on low/medium for a while, stirring occasionally. When the apples are soft remove them from the pot, put them in a container and add a little but of syrup over them. Then with the left over syrup leave it on the heat and reduce it down to make a gel to go with the apples or to put on bread

[leodrune]

witch’s harvest sangria

this is a wonderful recipe for a sangria with flavors of harvest fruits; apples, figs, and pomegranates. harvest fruits tend to carry magickal properties that honor spirits, promote the growth of love and prosperity, and cultivate wisdom. you can make it with or without alcohol; just replace the sparkling cider with sparkling wine. you will need:

☾ 1 cup of pomegranate seeds (love, honoring spirits)

☾ 1 large apple (beauty, love, prosperity)

☾ 5 figs (love, prosperity, fertility)

☾ 2 cups of pomegranate juice (wisdom and wealth)

☾ 1 bottle chilled sparkling cider

cut the figs into quarters, and slice the apple thinly. add the figs, apple slices and pomegranate seeds into a bowl; top with ample ice, then pour in the pomegranate juice and sparkling cider/wine. stir with a wooden spoon clockwise and serve.