All Things Other

An online compilation of resources in paganism, polytheism, magic, mysticism, and more. Feel free to learn from the site and to use the resources provided. Suggestions and submissions welcome. If you take issue with any of the posts or links, you are free...

[suzuki-left-hand-method-deactiv]

hey there LGBTQ kids who are also Christian/Jewish! If you feel like you’re disobeying God, questioning your faith, or feel wrong and dirty for loving who you love, there’s this fantastic site I found today called hoperemains that accurately and thoroughly combs through scripture and its (many) mistranslations, validates your orientation, and basically let’s you know that you’re not pissing off God. It’s insanely thorough and after reading through every page on the entire site it’s super helpful. Go check it out!

[wearyewe]

No no no! Jewish LGBTQ kinderlach! Go to Keshet! 

hoperemains is completely from a Christian perspective, and not pluralistic or interfaith at all.

[metallikato]

If you reblogged the first post from me please reblog this amendment so the Jewish peeps can access this resource too! 

[peppermintfeminist]

Trans Jewish kids, you can go to TransTorah as well!

[fuckyeahsexpositivity]

Muslim LGBTQ kids, you can go to iamnotharaam! It’s run by a mod squad of different genders and orientations, and they take submissions from everybody!

–BB

[spacevinci-blog]

MAY ANYONE WHO REBLOGS THIS BE ELEVATED TO THE EQUIVALENT OF SAINTHOOD IN THEIR RELIGION BLESS ALL OF YOU OH MY GOD.

[wickedkhaleesi-blog]

REBLOGGING THIS AGAIN BECAUSE IT’S SO FREAKING IMPORTANT TO ME AND ALL MY FOLLOWERS TO READ THAT DEAL WITH GRIEF AND GUILT WHILE BEING LGBTQ AND RELIGIOUS

[darklantern00]

^^YES!

Always reblog. 

[hear-that-music-in-the-air]

Couldn’t not reblog this

This is so, so important

[eirikrjs]

is it me, or does Goetia's Buer sound like a good guy? or at least a true neutral at that, this descriptions make him look like a intellectual in philosophy, a tea aficionado and a skilled medic. so what if he is a polite daemon? MAYBE he lacks true morality but from what i can tell from this descriptions, he seems like at least a cultured (possibly) polite dude.

You know, there’s a lot of them that sound like they wouldn’t want toimmediately rip your throat out. That’s why I was waiting to answer this one; Iwanted to go through all 72 and pick out the Goetia Goodies (O) and theGoetia Goons (X). Let’s see, in order…

BAEL: Hoarse voice, spider legs, fussy. Sounds like a royal pain! (X)

AGARES: I doubt he can always rein in that croc. (X)

VASSAGO: One of many to tell the past and future, he can also helpyou find things you’ve lost. Just so long as you keep it clean, I guess. (O)

GAMIGIN: A horse with a hoarse voice. That’s unethical. (X)

MARBAS: Can cure diseases, but also cause them. Surely in league withBig Pharma! (X)

VALEFOR: Tempts people to steal! (X)

AMON: Spits fire, but cures controversies between friends. Can alsocause feuds? But I have a soft spot for Amon, so… (O)

BARBATOS: Lets you understand birds and dogs, opens magical chests. Whata pal! (O) 

PAIMON: The most obedient to Lucifer, definitely a Bad Boy. (X) 

BUER: And here we are at the gentle Dr. Buer. (O) 

GUSION: Depending on what a “Xenopilus” is, he’s otherwise all aboutfriendships. (O)

SITRI: One of those who makes people horny. Armed and dangerous. (X) 

BELETH: He’s got all those trumpeters. Very annoying! (X)

LERAJE: The belligerent demon Robin Hood. (X) 

ELIGOR: Knows all about wars, but doesn’t seem to be all about fightingthem. Still, will err on the side of caution here. (X) 

ZEPAR: Can make people infertile! What a dickweed. (X) 

BOTIS: Future-telling, reconciliation, but never trust a viper with asword. (X) 

BATHIN: The first of those who can teleport people. Neat, but rife forabuse (and Star Trek-style transporter accidents). (X) 

SALLOS: Another croc-rider, but specifically saying he’s peaceful. Well,I’m sold. (O) 

PURSON: Rides a bear. Despite that,the Kings are probably not to be trusted. (X)

MORAX: Thebull-man who just want to make the world a smarter place. (O)

IPOS: The UgliestDemon, but he makes people witty. A Cyrano in our midst? (O)

AIM: Apyromaniac. (X)

NABERIUS: Another teacher! (O)

GLASYA-LABOLAS:“An author of Bloodshed and Manslaughter.” (X)

BUNE: Dispensesmoney. Commie! (X)

RONOVE: Themonster man who nonetheless is a rhetoric expert. (O)

BERITH: He is thePhilosopher’s Stone in demon form. All that gold will crash the markets! (X)

ASTAROTH: One ofthe nastiest. Plus he has bad breath! (X)

FORNEUS: Morerhetoric and friend-making. (O)

FORAS: Can makepeople invisible. Lead us not into temptation! (X)

ASMODEUS: Need Isay more? (X)

GAAP: Makespeople ignorant. (X)

FURFUR: Anotherfickle one about summoning, can also cause thunderous storms. (X)

MARCHOSIAS:Vomits fire, but really wants to be an angel again, so perhaps would still beon his best behavior. (O)

STOLAS: All aboutthat astronomy and those herbs and precious stones. No bias here! (O)

PHENEX: A sweetsinger and poet. Another who wishes to be an angel once more. (O)

HALPHAS: Probablynice, but is also the bad kind of gun nut. (X)

MALPHAS: Can readthe minds of your enemies. As if you don’t already know from their passive-aggressivetweets and comments. (X)

RAUM: Anotherdirty thief (but of rich kings, so maybe it’s OK), but also destroys cities.Oh. (X)

FOCALOR: Killsand drowns people. Right to the point! Or to the bottom? (X)

VEPAR: Guideswarships, but also putrefies sores and causes worms to breed in them. Gross!(X)

SABNOCK: LikeHalphas, only for armor, but shares Vepar’s vile worm-breeding-in-sores power. (X)

SHAX: The stealerof senses! (X)

VINE: Discoverswizards and witches (!), but causes rough storms on waters. Also a King. (X)

BIFRONS: Doesn’tseem so bad, but hangs out with the dead so he’s probably fetid. (X)

UVALL: AnotherGoetia PUA. (X)

HAAGENTI: Morealchemy. These demons need some new hobbies! (X)

CROCELL: Candiscover baths and warm them up real nice, but also creates noises that soundlike rushing torrents, like some weirdo. Consider it ambiance, I guess. (O)

FURCAS: ThisKnight is a “cruel old man” who teaches pyromancy. We live in theuniverse where pyromancy is OP, so… (X)

BALAM: Invisibility,King, Bear. Not a good enough ratio. (X)

ALLOCES: NO MORE WARRIORSON HORSES, PLEASE (X)

CAIM: The bird-man, he lendsunderstanding of animals and the waters (!), and things to come. He answers inhot coals, so as long as he’s not summoned near flammable objects Caim probablywon’t give you any trouble. (O)

MURMUR: A PERFECTphilosophy teacher and mediator to the dead. Just wear earplugs for histrumpeting cohorts. (O)

OROBAS: Tells ofthe past, present, future, and of divinity and the creation of the world. Saidto be “very faithful” to the summoner. What’s not to love? (O)

GREMORY:Future-telling, but another that messes with the hearts of women, if commanded.Come on occultist, just use a dating app like everyone else! (X)

OSE: Ose cantransform the summoner into “any Shape.” Keep your fetishes toyourself. (X)

AMY: The flamingliberal science teacher. Like Caim, practice fire safety and you should becool. (O)

ORIAS: Anastrologer, but can also magically promote people through ranks, presumablythose undeserving of it. (X)

VAPULA: A winged,lion-headed professor of “all handicrafts and professions.” (O)  

ZAGAN: The bullKing, can transmute blood into wine. Sounds a hair more effective than a winefestival. (X)

VOLAC: Tellswhere hidden treasures are and where serpents may be seen. Needs a friend,badly. (O)

ANDRAS: If youtreat him as a joke, Andras will straight up kill you; suppose he’s tired ofbeing laughed at for being an owl-headed man riding a wolf. (X)

FLAUROS: Anotherparticular demon; will lie if things aren’t just right, but can also burnpeople to death. (X)

ANDREALPHUS: Whowouldn’t want to learn geometry from a peacock? (O)

KIMARIS: The lasthorseback warrior. Logic, rhetoric, rules spirits of Africa,etc. (O)

AMDUSIAS: Themusician of Hell, Amdusias can also bend trees to the summoner’s will. That’sso weirdly specific I think I have to give it a pass. (O)

BELIAL: The KingBelial seems to be another fickle with the summoning process, requiring giftsand sacrifices, but is written to have a better demeanor than many others.Still, play with fire… (X)

DECARABIA: Theoriginal star man and ornithologist, he just wants you to understand birds! (O)

SEERE: He’s likea demonic U-Haul truck, carrying things to and fro as demanded. Tells of thievery,but doesn’t seem to condone it explicitly. (O)

DANTALION: Thelast great teacher of the 72, but can control people’s minds. (X)

ANDROMALIUS:Perhaps the most just of all the demons, Andromalius is said to catch andpunish thieves and “discover all wickedness.” There must be a lot ofinternal conflict in Hell’s hierarchies, eh? (O)

So out of the 72, I have determined that 27 of them would be kind of nice. That’s not bad! But aside from the many teachers among them, Buer probably ends up with one of the best professions and demeanors, if not the best.

Of course, all of these demons still have command over X number of demon legions, Buer with 50, so it’s probably all relative, anyway.

[honor-loyalty-sovereignty]

Peer Counseling Skills for Ritualists and Warders

I’m going to be guest-teaching a class for Strong Roots & Wide Branches, a lovely pan-polytheist learning group headquartered in the Bay Area of California.  The official description:

Marjorie will be sharing information and techniques to help ritualists and warders cope with various emotional issues that may arise before, during, and after a ritual, such as triggers and outbursts, to ensure the emotional, mental, and physical safety of all involved.  This class will provide ritualists and warders with practical tools for holding space for folks in various levels of distress in ritual space.

Marjorie is a certified advocate for survivors of domestic violence at the Walnut Avenue Women’s Center, specializing in peer counseling and emotional crisis support.  She has been a practicing polytheist for six years and has a Master’s degree in modern religious movements from the University of Edinburgh, UK.

Wednesday, April 26th Gather at 8pm, class at 8:30-10pm (Pacific Time)

Sliding scale payment: $5-20+

Please note that this class does not provide any kind of certification or actual training; it’s designed purely to share some techniques and info for safely handling emotional crises during spiritual/religious events.  The host and primary teacher, River Devora, has years of her own experience in social work, healing, and private clergy work, so she’ll be adding her own expertise.  Group discussion and questions are encouraged.  :)

This class is offered both in person and online via Zoom, so location doesn’t need to be a barrier.  Just email [email protected] to sign up.

[duskenpath]

Are you overcomplicating astral travel?

Here’s the thing: By far the most common question I get from people is “how do I astral?” Which is, well, a big question. It begs other questions, like:

>Why do you want to travel

>WHERE do you want to travel

>Do you have jobs you need to do over there or are you gonna hang out

etc etc

But here’s the thing: Often people decide to travel, and then they get stuck. They try a method they maybe heard about once, and it doesn’t work, so maybe they research another method. Maybe they pick up a book on the topic, maybe the book tells them “you’ll know you’re astral traveling when you can rise out of your body and see it on your bed.”

BOOM. Imma stop you for a minute.

There it is. This is the moment the Gold Standard™ for the new person gets set in stone. The mind now says “If I’m not hovering above my body with full range of vision, I’m not Traveling, with a capital T.”

So now we have this goal. The person may feel a little more confident because there is a road map in front of them, and that map may have steps, often detailed by a book author, or maybe even a blogger here on tumblr. Maybe the person tries the steps, and fails. Maybe it takes months. Maybe it takes years, but eventually, maybe the person gets frustrated, and they give up.

“I just can’t travel”, they say, truly discouraged, or “I’m just not meant for this, if I was, I would have been hovering outside my body by now.” They maybe pack up the books and leave it be.

Perhaps you see people on tumblr or blogs that talk about full blown OBE or extreme situations, and then you internalize THEIR gold standard, and then you fail to achieve the standard. Same situation applies.

Imma stop you right here. What happened?

Person decided they wanted to travel

Person researched or was told what “authentic” travel looks like

Person attempted to reach the “authentic” standard

Person failed, and then

Assumed they were not meant to travel, due to their failure to reach “Authentic Travel”.

BUT

Here’s the secret, my bros:

1. There is no one form of “authentic” astral travel. You will find this is an epidemic with older books on the astral, when astral “travel” or astral living was equated on a wide scale with your classic OBE, or Out Of Body Experience. So in reality, what many people are trying to achieve, when they want to travel, is an OBE. Based on what books/people tell them. But that is FAR from the only way to astral—in my case, for example, I’ve never achieved full OBE—and not for lack of years of trying. (Because I thought that was How One Astral Traveled)

1-A. THERE ARE MANY FORMS OF ASTRALING BESIDES “TRAVEL”. I don’t travel because I lead an astral double-life—I “tune in”. An OBE is wrong for my circumstances, and if I would have learned that sooner, it would have helped me a lot. There are people that astral-trip only in dreams! People that astral-trip only while DAYDREAMING! People that mentally trip but never leave awareness of their body, people who can’t “see” anything there but hear everything perfectly, people who can only see the astral in black and white, people without a “form” or a body, people with only a bizarre pinprick field of vision! HONESTLY IT’S ENDLESS. Learn your style!

2. Because there is no one form of “authentic” astraling—there is no ONE WAY to achieve the travel! If you fail at going OBE, there may be a perfectly good reason you aren’t suited to that route! The failure here also lies on authors and books that imply there IS one way of authentic travel, and therefore, the user is set up for a failure situation a lot of the time. (And for example, OBE LEAVES your body open for attack or walk-ins in a lot of cases—did you ever think this was your natural energy defense system preventing you from leaving yourself a shell?)

3. Your way of travel is probably NOT going to match someone else’s, so you absolutely need to drop the gold standard now. I am NOT telling you to give up on discernment, because that will keep you alive when you reach the astral. I am telling you that if you have lofty expectations of what the astral is going to be like for you based on someone you’ve read (including me!) you need to drop it before you go, because it’s likely to fuck you up. I have listened to hundreds of different astral experiences, and I co-run the astral atlas—it’s all remarkably different for each individual based on your needs and jobs.

4. Your ideas of the astral are probably going to get blown out of the water when you get there anyway. Know this. Expect it. It will constantly surprise you and remind you that this isn’t In Your Head, and in doing so it will shatter your ideas of what it is, over and over again. 

5. Stop complicating things. If I had a nickel for every time person that came to me and asked why they can’t astral, and I gave them the idea of “Well, did you try opening a door?” and then the look of revelation descended, I’d be rich. This is not a blame on you, because I don’t blame you for this over-complication thing. We’re humans, we like to complicate everything, it makes us happy and whatnot. It makes me almost tremendously happy to shroud things in pomp and circumstance. But seriously—have you tried opening a door? Like. Visualize a door, and then open it, and then walk through. That’s how I first got to the astral.

After weeks of trying and doing all this complex shit, eventually I was told to visualize a door, and walk through. And then I was fucking there.

(Can you imagine how pissed I was, though. Like wtf I WAS TOLD MY ENTRANCE WAS TO BE GRANDIOSE AND MAGNIFICENT, not a fucking shitty wooden-ass door with nobody around to see me. Harumph, I said. I ended up in an empty field in fuck-all nowhere, if you wanted to know.)

I’m not saying it’s always easy to get to the astral. It has ways of keeping you out (or in) inside mental spaces or white rooms until you’re ready to be out on your own. This is where discernment and patience come in. But I AM saying if you find yourself failing over and over again at this thing, ask: Is it because you have an unconscious Gold Standard? Analyze why. And then, let it go. Because it’s not going to help you, it’s just going to make you anxious and perpetuate the failure cycle, trust me. And then ask: Am I overcomplicating my approach/expectations because of my gold standard? Analyze that, let it go.

Then, try an amazingly simple thing like opening a door, and stop cutting yourself off at the pass, and just let it happen.

You might be surprised at the results.

(This post is aimed at people who a) WANT to astral and b) have a hard time doing so for unknown reasons. It is not suggesting everyone should astral if they don’t want to or have no interest, if that wasn’t self-evident.)

[honor-loyalty-sovereignty]

Free ‘Irish’ Guided Meditations

I’m not-so-secretly a big fan of Lora O’Brien, a native Irish polytheist oathed to the Morrígan, namely because she’s pragmatic, hilariously sarcastic, and has the academic knowledge as well as experience to back up her practice.  I bring her up because she’s offering free downloads of guided meditations, and while I haven’t listened to these particular ones yet, I have taken some of her journeying classes and found them well worth the time and effort.  Here’s the Facebook link and the direct link to a mailing list sign-up that says:

You’ll receive a weekly(ish) message from Irish Author and Guide Lora O'Brien PLUS - first notice of the new Personal Development Meditation Podcast episodes. Once subscribed, you’ll be directed to a link to download your FREE Guided Meditation and Journeying in the Irish Otherworld Class Files & bonus Personal Development Meditation Files. As a Pobal community member, you’ll receive weekly(ish) news on: Native Irish Mythology, History, Society, Spirituality, Storytelling, and Travel - all direct from Lora in Ireland. If you don’t want the news - no bother! Just complete to access your FREE Guided Meditation Files download and then Unsubscribe any time.

Alternately, here’s her home site.

[an-tarbh]

Deity devotions templates tumblr.pdf

I made this today (literally about 30 minutes ago after I finished making a workout log for April) because I got an idea about making devotions a little bit easier for new polytheists as well as more established ones. The layout is pretty simple and allows you to keep track of what deity you prayed to, the date, any offerings that were made, etc. I’ve also included a journaling option. Also (and though it’s not viewable in the pictures below), I’ve left enough room around the borders so people could do their drawings or whatnot. I’m more than happy to provide the documents I created since the pics aren’t that great via email or messenger.

Update: Okay, I think I fixed it so now people can download and begin their devotional book. 

[helleborea-deactivated20190328]

Necromantic Herbs: Plants of the Dead

Sourced from Grey Necromancer on Wordpress: There are a number of plants which can be extremely useful to the necromancer. Among these are the following.

Mullein: Erroneously described as a substitute for graveyard dirt, this in fact is a misconception. Known as the “Hag’s Taper”. The soft leaves are used as candle wicks and the dried stalks are soaked in beeswax or tallow to make a torch for rituals of necromancy. It is also burnt to see manifestations of spirits of the dead at night, to see into the Otherworld, and communicate with the spirits and deities that dwell there. Can also be used in talismans.

Wormwood: Used for summoning spirits and to help them manifest.

Cedar: The dried needles when smouldered serve both as a sustaining feast and call for the blessed dead, and the smoke is used to exorcise malevolent shades. The wood works for this purpose as well when turned into a fetish or as a staff.

Dittany of Crete: Used to aid in the manifestation of the spirits of the dead. Also has somewhat of a nasty reputation because of where it tends to grow. Harvesters tend to fall from the cliffs and crags where it grows and plummet to their death.

Aconite: Also known as Wolfsbane or Monkshood. Because of its incredible toxicity it is better to not to harvest it. If one has the dried root it can be preserved in order to serve as a tutelary spirit. Not to be used by amateurs.

Yew: Known in European countries as the Death Tree, it is a symbol of death, reincarnation, and longevity. Is planted in graveyards to protect the spirits of the dead. It can be used to banish malevolent spirits of the dead. Often associated with sorcery and dark magic. It is considered the sister of the Tree of Life, the birch.

Apple: Considered the food of the Irish dead and the inhabitants of the Otherworld. Can be added to incense blends to feed the spirits of the dead and ancestors.

Mugwort: Ingested as a tea to aid in divination and talking to the dead. Also boiled in water and, then the liquid is used to wash divination tools.

Copal: Serves as a offering to the dead and can be used to appease the spirits  who remain in states of trauma or confusion after death.

Willow: The wood of the willow is used in incenses and in the construction of fetishes dedicated to the dead.

Tobacco: May be presented as a herbal offering upon a ancestral altar or a grave in the form of a incense or sacramental smoke to honor the shades of the dead.

Cypress: The oil of this tree serves as a great addition to incenses and formula of the underworld.

Myrrh: The oil aids in all blends of a necromantic design. Can also be mixed into incenses.

Graveyard Mold: Technically no folklore or magical traditions associate this herb with necromancy of any kind. However I have included it here because I believe it can be used as a compound in necromantic incenses. Since it grows on graves it should contain some of the essence of the dead.

Mandrake: According to legend King Solomon carried a piece of this root in his seal ring to give him sovereignty over souls. Since one of its names is the “Little gallows man” it can be used as a poppet for laying curses of death, illness, pain, etc.

Birch: Petitions and blessings are written on the bark of this tree which is then burnt or buried in the grave of the spirit.

Bay Laurel: Used to communicate with the dead, possibly through use as an incense. Easily available in the form of bay leaves.

Chervil: Also known as garden chervil or “gourmet’s parsley” a tea or other drink made with it can be imbibed to aid in rituals of communion with the dead.

Lavender: Burnt as incense in order to bring peace of mind to the dead.

Marigold: Associated with funerals and used in funeral sprays.

Asphodel: In Greek legend is connected with the dead and the underworld. Sacred to Hades, Persephone, and Hekate. The roots were eaten by the poor of Greece and hence thought good enough food for the dead. Could be burnt as incense or the roots could be given as food offerings.

Thyme: Burnt as an incense helps ease the soul of a person who died a violent death.

American Sycamore: Known as “Ghost Trees” for their distinctive patchy appearance. Associated with the dead and poverty.Elder: In Norse mythology the tree is considered the Guardian of the Road to Hel (and thus sacred to Hela, Goddess of the Dead). Also associated with the ancestors.

[theheadlesshashasheen-deactivat]

Re: Mandrake:

The Galgen-Männlin (Little Gallows Man) is not used for cursing, death, or illness. The familiar specifically procures wealth, and falls along the lines of the ‘Hand of Glory’ found in the Black Dragon, some editions of the Grimorium Verum, & etc.:

“At the awful yell which the plant utters in the process, the poor dog drops dead to the ground, but you have got the mandrake. All you have now to do is to pick up the plant, wash it clean in red wine, wrap it in white and red silk, and lay it in a casket. But you must not forget to bathe it every Friday and to give it a new white shirt every new moon. If you only observe these precautions, the mandrake will answer any question you like to put to it concerning all future and secret matters. Henceforth you will have no enemies, you can never be poor, and if you had no children before, you will have your quiver full of them afterwards. Would you be rich? All you need do is to lay a piece of money beside the mandrake overnight; next morning you will find the coin doubled.” - James Frazer, Jacob and the Mandrakes.

Compare with:

“Pull out the root, with its root, from a mare in heat, the closest to nature, saying: Dragne, Dagne. Conceal this hair. Go at once and buy a new earthenware pot with its lid, without haggling. Return home with it, fill this pot with water from a fountain to within two fingers from the top, and put the aforesaid hair within; cover the pot and put it in a place where neither you nor others can see it, for that would be dangerous. After nine days, and at the same hour you hid it, uncover the pot; you will find within it a small animal in the form of a serpent, which will raise itself upright and after which you say immediately: I accept the pact. That done, you take it without touching it with your hand, and put it in a new box expressly without haggling. You give him some wheat, nothing else, and do not forget to give him some every day…” -The Black Dragon (from Crossed Keys by Michael Cecchetelli.)

[rootandrock]

Re: Mullein, too. 

It’s the flower stalk of Mullein, not the leaves, used to make hag-tapers. The leaves are anything but “soft” when dried and are more akin to the texture of a crinkly paper bag, but covered in needle-fine, itchy, hairs (that suddenly dislodge in your eyes, nose, mouth, lungs, and skin). In short: Not just a “bad” time, but the WORST time. 

PSA time deluxe on that one.

[bodaciousbanshee-deactivated202]

Re: Yew

Don’t burn yew. It will release toxic fumes and potentially kill you. These are not the get-you-high kind of fumes, these are the actual painful death kind of fumes. It’s the Death Tree because it is poisonous…and also useful in bowmaking.

[unfuckyourhabitat]

Emergency cleaning: Unfuck your whole house in the shortest time possible

So, your landlord/parents/home inspector/favorite movie star is dropping by, and your place is a disaster. You don’t have much time to clean it up. You’re in emergency mode. Let’s get started.

Don’t panic. Panic leads to fear, fear leads to procrastination, procrastination leads to the dark side. You can do this, but you have to stay calm.

Unlike maintenance cleaning, we’re not looking to completely unfuck one space at a time. Instead, we want to decrease the overall mess in stages, spread evenly across the whole area that we’re concerned about. If you think your home is at Level 10 filth, we want to bring the whole thing down to a Level 9, and then down from there. One really clean spot in an otherwise messy home is not going to be helpful here.

Get prepared. You’ll want to shut the computer down (or turn the modem off if you need your computer to play music). Trust me. Get your music going. Gather up trash bags, your vacuum and mop, some rags or paper towel, sponges, and other cleaning supplies. Use what you have on hand. Don’t get distracted running to the store and spending an hour browsing cleaning supplies. A multi-purpose cleaning concentrate or a jug of vinegar will be just fine.

Breaks are very important. Depending on your time constraints, work in 20/10s (20 minutes working, 10-minute break) or 45/15s. But take breaks because otherwise you’re marathoning, and marathon cleaning is no one’s friend. Keep hydrated, don’t forget to eat, and check in with yourself frequently to make sure you’re physically doing OK.

Make your bed. This will be your home base if you get overwhelmed or need somewhere clear to take a break.

Start with the garbage. Going from room to room, throw out anything that is obvious trash. Once you fill a bag, take it out. Repeat as many times as necessary.

Move on to dishes. Gather the dishes from all over your house and bring them to the kitchen. If you can, start them soaking in a sink of hot, soapy water or start loading the dishwasher. After the dishes are all in one place, spend one 20/10 getting started getting them under control.

Now it’s time for your flat surfaces. Countertops, tables, dresser tops, etc. Clear them off and wipe them down. Don’t get distracted in too much sorting and organizing. We’re in crisis mode here. There will be time to get in-depth once this is all done. The same applies to cabinets and closets. Unless you have reason to believe people will be opening closed doors, leave these alone for now.

Attack the floordrobe and shoe pile. Get your clothes either put away or in the hamper. Start a load of laundry if you need to, but keep in mind that laundry and dishes have three steps: wash, dry, and put it away, goddammit!

Get random stuff up off the floors. If something is trash-worthy, throw it away now rather than just move it around a bunch of times. Otherwise, put stuff where it belongs.

Take another 20/10 or 45/15 to catch up on more dishes, if needed.

Head into the bathroom. Pour some cleaner in the toilet bowl, fill the sink with hot water and cleaner, and either spray the tub and shower with cleaner, or fill the tub up with some hot water and add cleaner and let it soak. Put everything away that’s out and shouldn’t be, clean the mirror, counters, and toilet seat. Sweep or dry mop the floor. Wipe down the sink and tub/shower, and give the toilet bowl a scrub. Mop the floor.

Sweep and mop the kitchen floor.

Vacuum everything you can, and sweep everything you can’t.

Walk outside of your house (don’t lock yourself out, please). Walk back in and see what catches your eye first. Go and deal with that.

If you’re being inspected or your landlord is coming in for repairs, spend time on whatever area they’ll be focusing on.

Give the whole place one more once-over and pay attention to anything you’ve missed so far.

It’s an old trick, but if your place is a little funky-smelling, put a pan of water on the stove on low heat and add some citrus or cinnamon or vanilla. Don’t leave it unattended or forget about it.

Take a shower, put on something clean, and eat something.

You can do this. It’s overwhelming, yes, but it is not impossible. You just need to do it. You have a list. You have directions. You have a whole bunch of Internet strangers who have been there before and who are cheering you on. You can do this, but you need to get started.

Why are you still here? GO. START. NOW.

[river-b]

the number of times in my past that I desperately wanted/needed someone to sit me down and tell me this stuff. I will never get back the hours and hours lost to headless-chicken mode, but it’s nice to know that in the last year I’ve learned so many coping mechanisms :D

[thayerkerbasy]

I can remember wishing I had something like this.  Sharing for anyone who might need it.

[serapphire]

A Beginner’s Guide To Spirit Companionship

So, you are either interested in companionship or you have already taken the plunge and adopted an entity or spirit into your family… You may be wondering ‘now what?’, and this guide is here to give you the basics on what the next steps should be.

Be Aware Of Your Psychic Abilities

Very rarely are people born with abilities that are strong and do not need practice to keep sharp. A majority of people start with little to no psychic awareness, and everyone needs to practice to keep what abilities they do have in top shape. The psychic mind is like a muscle. If you do not exercise that muscle often, you will find that it will grow weaker over time.

What abilities are you interested in honing? Do you want to see physical manifestations and communicate through visual cues? Clairvoyance is what you will need to work on. Want to be able to hear your companion’s voice or audible manifestations? Clairaudience. Clairsentience is feeling your companion, whether it be through touches, changes in temperature, or pressure. Dream-Walking is another option, where you can use Lucid Dreaming to communicate with your companions through all the senses. Astral Travel is another popular one.

Choose which method speaks to you, and learn how you are able to adapt those abilities. We will create a guide on strengthening psychic abilities in a later post.

When choosing, you should also be aware of how your companion can manifest. Several shops list the potential manifestations of their companions, which can be a huge aid for those who do not know what to expect, or are adverse to certain types of manifestation. If you practice your clairvoyance abilities but your companion is better at feeling-typed manifestations, you may soon realize that communication is difficult between you two. Compromise is important within spiritual relationships.

Keep Calm & Do Not Worry

As a beginner who is not used to their psychic abilities, it may be difficult to not worry about whether what you are experiencing is real or not, but the thing about Spirit Companionship is that trust and hope is important. Don’t let anxiety concerning a spirit being fake, or the manifestations being ‘in your head’ get to you, as that will be far more damaging than if they were fake. If you received your companion from a reputable seller who has handled hundreds of customers and entities and as a history to back them up, ease yourself into trusting your conjurer and the work they have done for you. Once you are able to trust your conjurer, you will find it easier to trust yourself and what you experience.

Leave It Open To Interpretation

Always keep communication open. Messages may come in parts and not all at once, depending on your companion. They may say “I like ice cream”, but later on add that they don’t like ice cream with sprinkles. Always keep an open mind concerning the information you receive, until your companion says something to support or deny a certain fact. Don’t worry about your companion not liking something, unless they have told you in the past something of that effect! Keep an open mind, and don’t let anxiety about ‘offending them’ or making them upset, stop you from giving them offering, bringing them with you on errands, or other activities unless there is experience to support them not liking something.

If you are still unsure, contact your conjurer for confirmation until you are comfortable with your communicative skills with your companion. Most conjurers will be happy to give you information on what the being likes/dislikes!

Tarot, Maybe Not

As a beginner, I highly recommend staying away from divination techniques that will give you an answer even if the spirit/entity does not choose what to answer with. These methods would include Tarot, Oracle, and Music Divination. Because you are going to be pulling a card no matter if your spirit has chosen one or not, it can very easily lead to a situation where a card is pulled that does not answer your question. Stick to psychic senses before you move onto Tarot/Oracle.

House Rules House Rules are what keep things clear during your relationship. They aid your companion in knowing what is expected of them, and what will not be tolerated. Most companions are not intimately familiar with human customs, so never assume that they know not to do something in your household or to you/your loved ones. House Rules keep everyone safe and comfortable, and prevent miscommunication. You can read more about house rules here and here.

Concerning Offerings Conjurers tend to leave what the being likes within the profile, or you can contact them after a transaction to receive that information. Or, you can experiment! Until you know what your companion dislikes, offer what you can, and what you think they will enjoy. There is no harm in asking if they would like something, and if they don’t want it, you’ll know for the future! Food, drink, physical items, and energy are all viable offerings. How often you give offerings is completely up to you and your companion. They are gifts, and not required to be given.

Bonding With Your Companion

You can bond through an assortment of methods. Bonding is simply getting to know each other, and being comfortable together. Share information about yourself either out loud, in your mind, or through writing. What is your personality like? Your family? What do you like and dislike? What do you think is the most important quality in a relationship? What are your spiritual beliefs? You can also carry the vessel around with you during your daily activities to give your companion an idea of your daily life and surroundings. You can read a book with them, watch television, offer to have meals with them, do energy exercises, or simply dance and sing to express yourself with them! As they become comfortable with you, they just might join in.

[dumbbbunnnyy-deactivated2021021]

How to Enchant Items

To enchant an item is to infuse it with magickal energy. This energy can come from a variety of sources, including planets, crystals, herbs, or even yourself. 

Some individuals use the words “enchant” and “charm” synonymously as a way to describe the process of infusing something with energy, but for the sake of this post and due to my own beliefs, you enchant something and it then becomes a charm. Alternately, a charm can be something with its own innate energy, like a crystal or herbal amulet. 

The process of enchanting is extremely versatile and there are many ways to do it successfully, so long as you keep your intent clear in your mind. My personal preference when it comes to enchanting items is to allow 12-24 hours (overnight or a full day) for the item to be infused with energy and become a charm - although, this is completely left up to the individual spell-caster. 

Here are a few ideas on how to enchant items, in no particular order:

Surround the item with crystals of corresponding intent

Surround the item with herbs of corresponding intent 

Place the item in a jar filled with herbs that represent your intent

Place the item in front of a candle and meditate on your intent 

Anoint the item with an oil, charged water, or crystal elixir of corresponding intent 

Hold the item in your hand(s) and visualize it filling with the appropriate energy 

Hold the item in your hand(s) and speak your intent aloud

Craft a sigil or symbol to keep near the item in an envelope or sachet

Write your intention on paper and keep in an envelope with the item 

Pair the item with a corresponding runestone or tarot / oracle card in an envelope 

Take the item and put it in a box with other items that represent your intent such as crystals, herbs, talismans, amulets, etc. 

Bury the item in soil with herbs and/or crystals that match your intent (please don’t put salt on your lawn though, unless you want dead grass)

Pass the item through incense smoke that matches your intent 

[dianasson]

I am interested in the Sicilian and Italian traditions! Can you direct me as to where to learn more about this/explain the basics of this practice? Thank you so much- your blog is great:)

Italian Witchcraft and FolkloreHey! That’s wonderful! They’re surprisingly difficult to find any accurate information on! My best resources are the article by Sabina Magliocco titled Witchcraft, healing, and vernacular magic in Italy, a less reliable article (that mixes witch-lore and folk magic all together) by J.B. Andrews called Neapolitan Witchcraft, and Carlo Ginzburg’s book The Night Battles about the benandanti in Friuli (Northeastern region of Italy).

If anyone knows any other sources feel free to list them!

Italian witch lore is very old, as there have been legends of witches in this region for a very long, accountable period. The word strega (witch) most likely comes from the Latin strix (screech owl) which witches were thought to take the shape of in the night. The practice of witchcraft is called stregoneria, a male witch is a stregone, and a female witch is a strega. There are more legends of Italian witches in the south (particularly near Naples). One of the most famous is the story of the witches of Benevento, who convened beneath a walnut tree on a hill therein, and danced and worshiped the Devil. This tree was supposedly cut down.

There is a popular image of a witch who arises among Christian tradition in Italy, even still today. This witch is called Old Befana or Bella Befana(Bruta Befana, Bella Befana or Vecchia Befana) who is a good witch who lived alone in a small cottage. One day, three wise men knocked on her door. “Behold! The child of God is born, (yada yada) we’re going to find him and bring him gifts! Will you join us Old Befana?” Now, Old Befana was glad to hear the news and excited to meet the new babe and give it what gifts she could. However, she was not one to shuck her responsibilities so she said she would have to wait until her chores were completed. They agreed and she saw them off, before finishing her cleaning. Once her duties were completed, she packed up her presents for the babe, hopped promptly onto the broom she had just finished sweeping with, and flew out the chimney into the cold night. However, they had not told her how to find them again! Not wanting to deny the boy his gifts, she decided to give some to all the little children she passed on her way, as any might be the new born child of God. Every year on that same night, Old Befana rides out on her broom and deposits gifts for little children, in hopes that one day she will finally find the baby Jesus and give him the presents she has been holding all this time.In southern Italy, many of the tales of witches (streghe) and folk healers (fattucchiere, or ‘fixers’) tell of the songs they sing to work their magic. Unfortunately, this seems to be all anyone knows on the subject, and I can’t find any references or information on these songs! In lore, the witches of both benevolent and malefic natures are closely related or interchangeable with more faerie-like spirits. The Janare of Naples/Janas of Sardinia (lit. followers of Diana) are magical women said to live in Neolithic shaft tombs and are expert weavers and spinners. They sometimes intermarry with humans, but are very different from the cogas  (or little cooks) of Sardinia, who are malefic witches that cook and eat their victims.

Most folk magic in Italy has died out, even in many of the rural areas. What is documented and what remains is all, unsurprisingly, Catholic magic. Much of it draws to saints, prayers, and Catholic holy tools. One name for this form of magic is benedicaria. However, much of it seems more agricultural or magical and less religious in nature. There is no point assuming this other source is pagan, because we could never prove where almost of any of it originated. Most witchcraft you will find today in Italy, especially in urbanized areas, is of a New Age or Neo-pagan persuasion. Neo-Wicca is about the best you can hope to find, and even that is comparatively rare to that found in Great Britain, Australia, and the U.S.In conversations about Italian magic and witchcraft, Raven Grimassi’s book Italian Witchcraft tends to come up. THIS BOOK IS UTTER BULLSHIT. HOGWASH. STUFF AND NONSENSE. It’s almost literally just Neo-Wicca with different names and some made up information. I’m not exaggerating. If you have this book, it’s better off as kindling than on your bookshelf. Just saying. Charles Leland’s book Aradia: The Gospel of the Witches is a pretty piece of poetry, and perhaps has some truths in it, but it can never be relied upon. His source is not credible, and the information doesn’t add up well. It is a beautiful book, but not an accurate account of Italian magic or witchcraft. Here are a few blog posts I have made relating to Italian witchcraft and folk magic:

The Curse of the Lemon and Pins

Neapolitan Flying Ointment

The Use of Stones in Italian Folk Magic

Charm Against the Evil Eye

To Cure Jaundice

To Cure Worms

To Bind an Eagle from your Flock

To Keep Birds from the Crops

[thekemeticdeathwitch-blog]

Does anyone have any guides to honing psychic abilities? I’d like to be ready for my spirit companion. (I should’ve started before now but I am so lazy and such a procrastinator…)

[sith-marauder-deactivated201702]

http://spiritvexer.tumblr.com/post/148740813015/in-depth-psychic-communication-guide-for-spirit

http://spiritvexer.tumblr.com/post/148591886770/contacting-spirit-guides-and-other-entities

http://witchtips.tumblr.com/post/130789194538/psychic-abilities-and-how-to-develop-them

http://serapphire.tumblr.com/post/145842173760/a-beginners-guide-to-spirit-companionship

http://ioqayin.tumblr.com/post/151859859321/do-you-have-any-tips-on-sensing-spirits-and-stuff

http://sith-marauder.tumblr.com/post/150079308198/hiya-would-it-be-possible-to-develop-spirit  (The purple rectangles are links idk why my theme does this)

(I thought I had more but I guess I didn’t tag em ahhhhhh)

What I did to develop my sight was find what worked for me within each guide (if there was something) and then combined them to make my own routine. It took me a while to find what I liked and dump the rest but ever since then I’ve improved so much faster than when I was strictly following one guide.  

[clairdenoir]

How to Banish a Demon with Pop Culture Witchcraft

with apologies thanks to Tenacious D

You will need:

at least one guitar

at least two people

all other instruments helpful but unnecessary

DO NOT CHALLENGE THE DEMON TO A ROCK OFF JUST STRAIGHT UP PLAY YOUR INSTRUMENTS AND SING:

Hey anti-christ aaah, Beezleboss We know your weakness our rock it sauce We rock the kasbah , and blow your mind We will defeat you for all mankind! You hold the scepter, We hold the key You are the devil, We are the D [repeat until banished] 

[theaquarianmage-deactivated2017]

You could also probably say, “anyway here’s wonderwall.” And by the time you’ve strummed the first few notes the spirit should clear out.

[thiscrookedcrown]

Cleansing & Cleaning 101

Cleansing & Cleaning 101

Cleansing is kind of the metaphysical version of “did you turn it off and on again?” It’s sort of the ubiquitous answer for when things are off-kilter. But let’s get some real talk going. Cleansing works because it clears the air. Cleansing works more on a spiritual and emotional level. But it can only do so much. Want to know what the biggest form of mental clutter is? Actual clutter. Yeah,…

View On WordPress

[childofthewanderer]

A while back, my boyfriend and I were talking about feeling disconnected from our deities. I gave him some advice that I’d like to repeat here.

First, it is not a vital thing to have a deep, exciting, saga-worthy connection to a deity. They do not have to be your bosom buddy, your confidante, or the most important figure in your life. If you never have any deep, personal interaction with them, and all they are in your life is a distant figure whose stories you find meaningful…that’s okay. That’s enough. That’s wonderful, and amazing, and perfect. 

Mysticism does not have to be the backbone of your faith. To borrow a phrase that I heard often growing up Catholic, not all of us are called to spiritual service; most of us will live and die without ever intimately knowing the will of God (or, in this case, gods).

My advice is to make a list of all the things that first drew you to the deity or deities you honor. If it’s more a case of you feel that they called and you were compelled to answer, make a list of the things that made you want to answer.

Make a list of the traits, associations, and behaviors that made you look at that deity and say, “Yes, this is who I want to hold up as important. This is who I look at and am inspired by.”

Then do what you can to honor those things. If you value a deity’s creativity, do what you can to foster creativity in yourself and others. If you value a deity’s connection to agriculture, tend your own garden, support sustainable farming, or just stop to smell the roses. If you value a deity’s knowledge and wisdom, spend time researching and reading about the things you find interesting. Etc., etc.

These things don’t even have to be formally dedicated to that deity, if you don’t want to make them a big deal. It is enough to just do them, and live your life as a reflection of what inspires you.

You do not have to develop a grand, epic, personal relationship with a deity to honor them. You do not have to even fully believe they exist. It is enough to know what it is about them that you find valuable, inspiring, and worthy of emulation.

[laughicate]

Journals, articles, books & texts, on folklore, mythology, occult, and related -to- general anthropology, history, archaeology. 

Some good and/or interesting (or hokey) ‘examples’ included for most resources. tryin to organize & share stuff that was floating around onenote.

Journals (open access) — Folklore, Occult, etc

Culutural Analysis - folklore, popular culture, anthropology — The Mythical Ghoul in Arabic Culture

Folklore - folklore, anthropology, archaeology — The Making of a Bewitchment Narrative, Grecian Riddle Jokes

Incantatio - journal on charms, charmers, and charming — Verbal Charms from a 17th Century Manuscript

Oral Tradition — Jewish Folk Literature, Noises of Battle in Old English Poetry

Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics — Nani Fairtyales about the Cruel Bride, Energy as the Mediator between Natural and Supernatural Realms

International Journal of Intangible Heritage 

Studia Mythologica Slavica (many articles not English) — Dragon and Hero, Fertility Rites in the Raining Cave, The Grateful Wolf and Venetic Horses in Strabo’s Geography

Folklorica - Slavic & Eastern European folklore association — Ritual: The Role of Plant Characteristics in Slavic Folk Medicine, Animal Magic

Esoterica - The Journal of Esoteric Studies — The Curious Case of Hermetic Graffiti in Valladolid Cathedral 

The Esoteric Quarterly

Mythological Studies Journal

Luvah - Journal of the Creative Imagination — A More Poetical Character Than Satan

Transpersonal Studies — Shamanic Cosmology as an Evolutionary Neurocognitive Epistemology, Dreamscapes

Beyond Borderlands  — tumblr

Paranthropology

GOLEM - Journal of Religion and Monsters — The Religious Functions of Pokemon, Anti-Semitism and Vampires in British Popular Culture 1875-1914

Correspondences - Online Journal for the Academic Study of Western Esotericism — Kriegsmann’s Philological Quest for Ancient Wisdom 

— History, Archaeology

Adoranten - pre-historic rock art

Chitrolekha - India art & design history — Gomira Dance Mask

Silk Road — Centaurs on the Silk Road: Hellenistic Textiles in Western China

Sino-Platonic - East Asian languages and civilizations — Discursive Weaving Women in Chinese and Greek Traditions

MELA Notes - Middle East Librarians Association

Didaskalia - Journal for Ancient Performance

Ancient Narrative - Greek, Roman, Jewish novelistic traditions — The Construction of the Real and the Ideal in the Ancient Novel

Akroterion - Greek, Roman — The Deer Hunter: A Portrait of Aeneas

Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies  — Erotic and Separation Spells, The Ancients’ One-Horned Ass

Roman Legal Tradition - medieval civil law — Between Slavery and Freedom 

Phronimon - South African society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanities — Special Issue vol. 13 #2, Greek philosophy in dialogue with African+ philosophy

The Heroic Age - Early medieval Northwestern Europe — Icelandic Sword in the Stone

Peregrinations - Medieval Art and Architecture — Special Issue vol. 4 #1, Mappings 

Tiresas - Medieval and Classical — Sexuality in the Natural and Demonic Magic of the Middle Ages

Essays in Medieval Studies  — The Female Spell-caster in Middle English Romances, The Sweet Song of Satan

Hortulus - Medieval studies — Courtliness & the Deployment of Sodomy in 12th-Century Histories of Britain, Monsters & Monstrosities issue, Magic & Witchcraft issue

Annual of Medieval Studies at CEU

Medieval Archaeology — Divided and Galleried Hall-Houses, The Hall of the Knights Templar at Temple Balsall

Medieval Feminist Forum  — multiculturalism issue; Gender, Skin Color and the Power of Place … Romance of Moriaen, Writing Novels About Medieval Women for Modern Readers, Amazons & Guerilleres

Quidditas - medieval and renaissance 

Medieval Warfare

The Viking Society - ridiculous amount of articles from 1895-2011

Journals (limited free/sub/institution access)

Al-Masaq - Journal of the Medieval Mediterranean — Piracy as Statecraft: The Policies of Taifa of Denia, free issue

Mythical Creatures of Europe - article + map

Folklore - limited free access — Volume 122 #3, On the Ambiguity of Elves

Digital Philology -  a journal of medieval cultures — Saracens & Race in Roman de la Rose Iconography

Pomegranate - International Journal for Pagan Studies

Transcultural Psychiatry

European Journal of English Studies  — Myths East of Venice issue, Esotericism issue

Books, Texts, Images etc. — Folklore, Occult etc.

Magical Gem Database - Greek/Egyptian gems & talismans [x] [x]

Biblioteca Aracana - (mostly) Greek pagan history, rituals, poetry etc. — Greater Tool Consecration, The Yew-Demon

Curse Tablets from Roman Britain - [x]

The Gnostic Society Library — The Corpus Hermeticum, Hymn of the Robe of Glory

Grimoar - vast occult text library — Grimoires, Greek & Roman Necromancy, Queer Theology, Ancient Christian Magic

Internet Sacred Text Archive - religion, occult, folklore, etc. ancient texts

Verse and Transmutation - A Corpus of Middle English Alchemical Poetry

— History

The Internet Classics Archive - mainly Greco-Roman, some Persian & Chinese translated texts

Bodleian Oriental Manuscript Collection - [x] [x] [x]

Virtual Magic Bowl Archive - Jewish-Aramaic incantation bowl text and images [x] [x] 

Vindolanda Tablets - images and translations of tablets from 1st & 2nd c. [x]

Corsair - online catalog of the Piedmont Morgan library (manuscripts) [x] [x]

Beinecke rare book & manuscripts  — Wagstaff miscellany, al-Qur’ān—1813

LUNA - tonnes from Byzantine manuscripts to Arabic cartography

Maps on the web - Oxford Library [x] [x] [x]

Bodleian Library manuscripts - photographs of 11th-17th c. manuscripts — Treatises on Heraldry, The Worcester Fragments (polyphonic music), 12 c. misc medical and herbal texts

Early Manuscripts at Oxford U - very high quality photographs — (view through bottom left) Military texts by Athenaeus Mechanicus 16th c. [x] [x], MS Douce 195 Roman de la Rose [x] [x]

Trinity College digital manuscript library  — Mathematica Medica, 15th c.

eTOME - primary sources about Celtic peoples

Websites, Blogs — Folklore, Occult etc.

Demonthings - Ancient Egyptian Demonology Project

Invocatio - (mostly) western esotericism

Heterodoxology - history, esotericism, science — Religion in the Age of Cyborgs

The Recipes Project - food, magic, science, medicine — The Medieval Invisible Man (invisibility recipes)

Morbid Anatomy - museum/library in Brooklyn

— History 

Islamic Philosophy Online - tonnes of texts, articles, links, utilities, this belongs in every section; mostly English

Medicina Antiqua - Graeco-Roman medicine

History of the Ancient World - news and resources — The So-called Galatae, Gauls, Celts in Early Hellenistic Balkans; Maidens, Matrons Magicians: Women & Personal Ritual Power in Late Antique Egypt

Διοτίμα - Women & Gender in Antiquity

Bodleian Library Exhibitions Online — Khusraw & Shirin, Hebrew Manuscripts as a Meeting-Place of Cultures

Medievalists — folk studies, witchcraft, mythology, science tags

Atlas Obscura — Bats and Vampiric Lore of Pére Lachaise Cemetery 

[graycloak]

Hong Kong's 'villain hitters' use sorcery to vent political anger

“Known locally as “villain hitters”, the group of mostly elderly women set up stall every day under a flyover in the former British colony’s busiest shopping district. As Hong Kong residents have become increasingly disillusioned with their leaders, more and more have sought out a more ethereal method to vent their anger.”

“At roadside stalls with burning incense and an assortment of statues of deities, the sorcerers hit a paper effigy with their shoe while cursing the villain in question. If there is a specific target, patrons can write a name on the paper or bring a photo.Once it has been beaten to shreds, the sorcerers rub the remains with a slab of pork fat and burn it. They then chant for good fortune, and all for just HK$50 (£5.25). 

The ritual originated centuries ago, when farmers in southern China performed the ceremony to drive away evil spirits. It has since evolved into a means for people from all walks of life to release their anger, but many of the women casting spells under the flyover are from rural villages in China.”

Read the full article on [The Guardian]’s site. An archived version, sans video, is located [here].

[heathenchinese]

Paper tigers used in villain hitting. Credit: SoHome Jacaranda Lilau

Friedrich Nietzsche: “The concept of politics will have then merged entirely into a war of spirits…there will be wars such as the earth has never seen.”