The Triune Path

A Pagan Path for those who sit on the outskirts of existing Paths. For those who wish to see something outside of the traditional cisnormativity and bioessentialism in existing Pagan Paths. Enter with peace, and be welcome.

[thetriunepath]

What is The Triune Path?

Welcome, friends and acquaintances, to the Triune Path. This blog shall be an account of my personal beliefs and many religious paths consolidated into one cohesive Path that any can use as a template for their own journey.

What is the purpose of this?

At its core, the Triune Path is a Pagan religious structure which encompasses a threefold, nongendered structure as opposed to the “Divine Masculine/Feminine” dichotomy we so often see. Rather than the Wiccan belief that we must choose one male and one female Deity, the Triune Path deals with three archetypes that most Gods will fit into.

Essentially, we wanted to create something that had the structure of a traditional Pagan path such as Wicca but without any of the exclusion and biological essentialism they usually entail.

How did this come about?

It came from a desire for community, but also from a need to organise my own faith. We have attended many Pagan groups which claim to be non-denominational and open to all faiths, but still uphold the basic wheel of the year, god and goddess structure that most Pagan faiths do. This is designed to be something that any eclectic beliefs can fit into without exclusion.

Is this based on something else?

On top of the general framework of Pagan faiths I’ve observed and partaken in, it is heavily based on my own practices -- that is, Lucifarianism and Pop Culture Paganism. It is an inherently eclectic practice consolidated into a structure.

Where can I find out more?

There will eventually be a Discord for people willing to help build and follow this path, but for now it will be a collection of my studies and ideas kept on this blog.

START READING: The Tenets

[eesirachs]

How do we deal with doubting the divine & its existence ? As a kid I learned that religion was irrational, that divinity could not exist, and these ideas still live inside me, making me feel ridiculous whenever I attempt to acknowledge or worship god(s).

lean into feeling ridiculous. it is less about making a leap of faith towards god than a stumble, a trip, a graceless jolt. loving god is bizarre and bogus and only after you start doing it does it feel so right

[homewardskies]

Hey, don't be afraid of things that challenge your faith. Seriously, don't.

Either they'll give you a new perspective on things, or you'll become more secure and confident in your current beliefs. But avoiding the hard questions leaves you in an echo chamber with half-baked ideas and an insecurity in yourself. Step out of your comfort zone so you have room to grow.

[sag-dab-sar]

⚧️ The Gods & Gender ⚧️

Discussing Trans-Exclusive Radical Feminism and the views of the Gods is not "speaking for the Gods,"—it is looking at facts and information and drawing completely reasonable conclusions that squarely put the foundations of trans-exclusion in opposition to the Gods.

(definitely not audio proof read, sorry for the dyslexia)

🌿Aphrodite & Venus🌿

Aphroditos (or Aphroditus) is Aphrodite with male characteristics including a penis and/or beard.

A cult of Aphrodite included a bearded Aphrodite at Amathus, Cyprus on a high cliff temple. [Wikipedia citing Macrobius, Saturnalia III]

Her relationship with bisexuality (referring to being dual sex not sexual orientation in this paper), androgyny, and transvestism is also documented in Cyprus:

— Aphrodite in the Theogony by William Sale in Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association Vol. 92 X

(Sorry for the shitty screenshot JSTOR did not want to work with me)

This worship of Aphrodite with a penis was also seen as equal to Venus:

There's also a statue of Venus on Cyprus, that's bearded, shaped and dressed like a woman, with scepter and male genitals, and they conceive her as both male and female. Aristophanes calls her Aphroditus, and Laevius says: Worshiping, then, the nurturing god Venus, whether she is male or female, just as the Moon is a nurturing goddess. In his Atthis Philochorus, too, states that she is the Moon and that men sacrifice to her in women's dress, women in men's, because she is held to be both male and female." — Macrobius (c. 400s AD), Saturnalia 3.8.2

🌿Hermaphroditus🌿

There is also the "intersex child of Aphrodite & Hermes" named Hermaphroditus.

I have seen many use Hermaphtoditus as an excuse to wipe away the Goddess Aphrodite with a penis that the ancients worshipped. Which doesn't even make sense because I hate to break it to you— Hemaphroditus also opposes TERF ideology by its nature. A God existing as bisexed/dual-sex/bigender (however you'd like to word it) negates the idea that the Gods somehow support the ridged biological essentialism and gender binary that TERF ideology necessitates.

There are different accounts of Hermaphtoditus' creation but one, Ovids, tells of him merging with a nymph and then asking his parents to make the water transformative causing men to have thr effeminate bodies like women:

Her prayer found gods to hear; both bodies merged in one, both blended in one form and face. As when a gardener sets a graft and sees growth seal the join and both mature together, thus, when in the fast embrace their limbs were knit, they two were two no more, nor man, nor woman--one body then that neither seemed and both. So when he saw the waters of the pool, where he had dived a man, had rendered him half woman and his limbs now weak and soft, raising his hands, Hermaphroditus cried, his voice unmanned, ‘Dear father [Hermes] and dear mother [Aphrodite], both of whose names I bear, grant me, your child, that whoso in these waters bathes a man emerge half woman, weakened instantly.’ Both parents hears; both, moved to gratify their bi-sexed son, his purpose to ensure, drugged the bright water with that power impure." — Ovid, Metamorphoses 4. 28 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.)

🌿More on Aphroditos vs Hermaphroditus read @theoi-crow's excellent post about them here.

Also some lovely statues:

Marble copy statue from a fresco at Herculaneum, Italy. X (left)

Statue from Pergamum, Turkey. X (center)

Statue from Nymph Sanctuary in Lacori, Italy X (right)

Statue from Pompeii, Italy X

🌿Inana & Ishtar🌿

From a hymn to Inana

To open up roads and paths, a place of peace for the journey, a companion for the weak, are yours, Inana. To keep paths and ways in good order, to shatter earth and to make it firm are yours, Inana. To destroy, to build up, to tear out and to settle are yours, Inana. To turn a man into a woman and a woman into a man are yours, Inana. Desirability and arousal, goods and property are yours, Inana. Gain, profit, great wealth and greater wealth are yours, Inana. Gaining wealth and having success in wealth, financial loss and reduced wealth are yours, Inana. Observation (1 ms. has instead: Everything), choice, offering, inspection and approval are yours, Inana. Assigning virility, dignity, guardian angels, protective deities and cult centres are yours, Inana. — A Hymn to Inana (Inana-C) ETCSL 4.07.3 in Lines 115-131.

This shows:

Inana has the power to change a person's gender/sex .... which means people can change gender/sex

This is listed among other normal things such as journeys, wealth, settlements so on. Suggesting that it wasn't super special, it was a part of Sumerian society that Inana was given power over.

This was written by Enheduanna High Priestess of Nanna, Ur's city God, and Inana. Inana was a popular Sumerian deity and Enhenduanna's father, Sargon of Akkad's, personal deity was Ištar. One of Enhenduanna's goals as a priestess was to conflate the popular Sumerian deity Inana with her father's Akkadian personal Goddess Ištar. Then raise Inana (and thus her father's personal Goddess Ištar) to an extremely high place in cosmology and explain just how much control she had in society— including over sex/gender.

Also from @sisterofiris's post on Inana's queer priests here.

🌿Nanaya🌿

In later times Inana/Ištar was equated with Nanaya but in earlier times they were worshipped side by side as separate deities. While Inana's hymn gives her rule of gender, a Nanaya hymn has her directly declaring she has breasts in Dadumu and a beard in Babylon. Leick also mentions here that Ištar was worshipped in both genders.

—Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology by Gwendolyn Leick. Page 125.

🌿Asūšunamir with Ereškigal🌿

In Ištar's Descent (not Inana's) Ea's plan to distract Ereškigal and get her to bring Inana back to life is to make a beautiful being. Ea makes an incredibly beautifully brilliant being that's mere aesthetic presence will make Ereškigal happy and let her defenses down. And Asūšunamir's beauty works..... and he is an eunuch, an effeminate male, potentially queer from the ancient's eyes. And yet he is so beautiful he distracts a Goddess.

— The Ancient Near East and Anyhology of Texts and Pictures, edited by Pritchard. Ishtar Descent translation by E.A Speiser. Page 80.

🌿Eštan / Ištanu🌿

The Anatolians (Hittite in particular) loved to both mix deities and keep them entirely dependent like 8 solar deities and 50 storm Gods. But sometimes Hittite, Hurrian, Hattic, Indo-European, Mesopotamian all meld together making the identification of gender ambiguous or even interchangeable.

Eštan is one example (who has numerous equatings):

—A Handbook of Gods and Goddesses of The Ancient Near East by Frayne & Stuckey. Page 105

You can also learn more about the Ištanu and the Sun Goddess of Arinna and her gender from @sisterofiris in a post here.

__

I'm sure there are more! But this was my quick round up and sources I could put together. To all the trans & non-binary polytheists out there, you aren't abnormal and the Gods see you for who you truly are.

Edit: Want some more? Learn about the feminine qualities of Apollo

[two-facedgod-deactivated2024071]

idea: build an altar to yourself. include dried petals from your favorite flowers. a candle in your favorite scent. include a figurine of a wolf if you're a wolf, of an angel if you're an angel. burn incense. play your favorite song. lay back and close your eyes and... honor yourself. you know?

[daedrc]

Okay! Now that I have spent the past ~4 hours filling up my drafts with reblogs that I’ll tag later I’m going to make an intro post and ask for blogs to follow!

Hi! I’m very very new to the whole pagan/witchblr thing. Please reblog or like if you post any of the following: 

Pop Culture Paganism

Paganism / Witchcraft in general

The Elder Scrolls / Dragon Age

Anything about the Daedric Princes, especially Nocturnal and Meridia

Witchy resources / tips etc

Tarot

I’ll check out your blog and most likely follow you! I’m really tired so I’m going to sleep now but thank you in advance!

[thetriunepath]

Basic Ritual Template || The Triune Path

Ritual casting is personal and practice-specific, but there are basic formats which many pagan rituals take. Specifically with opening a circle or ritual space, there are steps which most will take.

This template covers these possibilities in a basic script which can be adapted and altered as the individual practitioner chooses, and works for both group and solo rituals (just change out the pronouns and such).

No actions are described, to allow for freedom of individual expression -- this is merely a basic script as a jumping-off point for any looking to include the Path format in their ritual practices.

We gather today / I stand today in reverence and peace, and call upon the universal powers to guide and protect us / me.

≻─────────────────── ⋆✩⋆ ──────────────────≺

The Corners

We call to the Eastern Wind to greet us with its breath, which carries all the gentle gifts of spring. Hail and welcome.

We call to the Southern Fire to protect us with its warmth and all the power of summer. Hail and welcome.

We call to the Western Waters to gift us with its patience and all the bountiful blessings of autumn. Hail and welcome.

We call to the Northern Earth to gift us with its patience and blanket us in the resiliant darkness of the winter. Hail and welcome.

≻─────────────────── ⋆✩⋆ ──────────────────≺

We call the corners of the vessel we reside upon, but also to the threefold Gods residing over us.

The Archetypes

We welcome the Sky and Stars, the mother who provides us with fierce love and careful warmth. Grant us Your wisdom and share in our Love. Hail and welcome.

We welcome the Sea, the father of secrets who keeps all knowledge. Grant us Your patience and share in our discoveries. Hail and welcome.

We welcome the Middle-Air, the space between mystery and mastery who guides us to divinity. Grant us Your balance and share in our philosophy. Hail and welcome.

Finally, we welcome the Self. We who carry each corner of Earth to anchor us here, and a spirit to tie us to the divide. We grant each other our minds and share in our spirit. Hail and welcome.

[SOLO ALTERNATIVE]

Finally, I welcome the Self. I carry each corner of Earth to anchor me here, and a spirit to tie me to the divine. I know my own mind and trust in my spirit. Hail and welcome.

≻─────────────────── ⋆✩⋆ ──────────────────≺

Closing the Ritual

To the Sky who guards our bodies, we thank you. Hail and farewell.

To the Sea who guards our minds, we thank you. Hail and farewell.

To the Middle-Air who guards our souls, we thank you. Hail and farewell.

To all else under our command: the Self and the corners of our current home of Earth. we thank you. Hail and farewell.

We close this circle in love and gratitude as above, so below, and in all life in-between.

[broomsick]

Just in time for Samhain (Vetrnaetr)!

This challenge is meant for you to develop your bond with a chosen deity, or deities. Indeed, you can use it to honor as many deities as you want. You could choose a single deity to devote this challenge to, or you can switch it up as you go and devote certain days to certain deities! Since this challenge’s goal is to improve one’s connection to a deity/deities, it won’t require of you to do any active magical work or elborate ritual. These are all simple actions that can fit into your schedule easily. Enjoy!

Keep reading

[thetriunepath]

Pain Is Relative: The Responsibility of the Small || The Triune Path

A modern metaphor describes two wolves. One, the larger and elder of the two, stands strong despite its back being marred with arrows. The other only finds itself injured by one arrow but, being smaller and younger, is crippled by its injury.

We know by now that pain is relative. One cannot judge how deeply a wound will hurt another. What we also cannot do is allow that knowledge to grant the smaller wolf the feeling of superiority instead.

It is the responsibility of the larger wolf to tend the smaller’s wounds; to use its pain to teach its fellow how to tend it them self.

It is the responsibility of the small to know its size and listen.

That is not to say the larger wolf holds authority over the smaller — nay, that would defeat the original lesson. Rather, the smaller must understand that while its pain may be great, and that is nothing to shame, it’s experience may be limited.

The small wolf’s voice is loud to cry for help and alert others to its pain, not to shout over the large wolf’s howl. It could be older in years but smaller in experience. The younger wolf may be larger and hold two lifetimes of arrows in its back.

And the large wolf must remember: there is always someone larger.

[cryptonature]

Hey. Your matter recalls cosmic explosions and you tasted oblivion before you learned your own name. Fear nothing.

[campyvillain]

“do it for the vine” = allow yourself to live life in the moment instead of maintaining a facade of normalcy for the enjoyment of not only yourself but of those around you

“commit to the bit” = adhere to the guidelines of an event that will in retrospect be nothing but a minuscule footnote, but continue to execute it for the complex web of happiness it brings you and your collective now

“fuck it we ball” = get the most you can out of life by putting the very thrill of being alive first and everyday occurrences and responsibilities last

[creature-wizard]

Hey folks, as you're exploring your various paths of spirituality and magic, it's important that you're mentally prepared to find out that you're really, really wrong about something somewhere down the the line. You might discover that a practice you take for granted is appropriative and misrepresented from its original form and intent. You might find out that something you thought was real history was actually made up by somebody fairly recently. You might find out you've been subscribing to an idea that has its origins in a hate movement.

It's not a matter of if this kind of thing will happen, but when. Even if you're doing your very best to research reliable sources as exhaustively as you possibly can, you can be certain that somewhere along the way, you'll absorb something like this. No one is immune. This won't make you a bad person. It's not like you misinformed yourself on purpose, much less went out there with the intention of harming someone or misrepresenting their practices. It's not like the people giving you bad information told you "hey, guess what, I'm a hateful shithead and I'm lying to you." You just didn't know, that's all. Nobody can know everything, not even the most well-read scholars. While being wrong isn't good, it's also not a moral failing. What's important is that you acknowledge that you were wrong, and accept this as an opportunity to learn and grow. It's the most anyone can do, and if someone tries to make you feel bad about being wrong in the first place, don't listen to them. (Being right doesn't inherently make someone morally superior!)

Ultimately, what's really going to speak to your moral character is your ability to admit that you've fucked up and your willingness to do better. You will fuck up one day, so have a healthy plan in mind for dealing with that.

[poisonnxkki]

Protection Magic & Baneful Protections⚡️

What are Baneful Protections?

Baneful protections can be considered both a form of baneful magic and a form of protection magic. When beginning baneful work, this is usually what I recommend starting with. Baneful protections are protection spells that produce some sort of consequence when energy hits it. This can be done without the use of physical taglocks (like names or dates of birth) because energy is able to act like a taglock. For example, some of the baneful protections I have set up will reflect any energy that hits it back to its source while others trap that energy instead (so it can used later on).

It is very important that even though you are protecting yourself, you aren't accidentally tethering the energy to you. In my first baneful protection, I used my saliva to tether the protection to me but instead I tethered all the negative energy the spell had trapped to me and had a horrible case of bad luck for weeks before I realized what I had done. As a rule of thumb i personally don’t include any personal taglocks in baneful protections and always make sure to include a petition that details my exact intent for the spell.

When to use Baneful Protections:

Baneful protections can be used instead of or in conjunction with other forms of protection (see my blog posts for more information on alternative forms of protection magic). I personally didn't have any baneful protections before I was hexed (for the first time) and now I have some just as a precautionary measure. Baneful protections are most beneficial (in my opinion) if you are surrounded by a lot of negative energy or work in an environment that is mentally draining. These protections can help combat the toll that it takes and prevent much of that energy from staying with you for an extended period of time.

It is really up to you whether or not you choose to incorporate baneful protections into your practice. It is worth it to note that this spell work is considered baneful magic, so those who believe in "doing no harm" may choose to forgo this and stick to regular protections instead. Whatever you choose, be sure to do your own research before attempting any new forms of spell work.

Return-to-Sender Spells:

Mirrors- mirrors have the ability to reflect an image so they are also able to reflect energy. Putting up a mirror on your altar or incorporating a piece of a mirror into a spell is very effective at returning energy to its source.

Burning the bottom of a candle- this is a common one and it is also my preferred method at returning energy. The way I do it is by burning the top of the candle like normal and visualizing the energy that you wish to return. Once the candle is flat, I will flip it upside down and light the other end of the wick, symbolizing the return of that energy to its source. This can be done many different ways so check out what other practitioners do to come up with your own method.

Petitions- petitioning is a really great tool that I utilize in most of my spell work because it is an effective way at manifesting a specific intent. It helps if you know the name of the person who sent you the energy for this method but it is not necessary. As long as you have a clear intention and some return-to-sender oil you can make an effective spell.

Running water or rivers- running water has been viewed as being able to carry energy from place to place so it is possible to use it to return energy to its source. In the shower, you can imagine the energy running off of you, down the drain and back to the person who sent it. Another method is throwing your petition into a river and having the river carry it back to its source. (This method also works with a toilet if you are feeling especially feisty!)

*All images are from Pinterest*

[wildwitchm]

[thetriunepath]

working on a couple of things

namely an initiation and an essay on trauma/pain and its relativeness, but both are going to take some time so I may start reblogging relevant information/aesthetics for a while

[thetriunepath]

Building a Rapport || The Triune Path

Before one initiates into the Triune Path as a commitment it is reccommended you first introduce yourself to the Archetypes and become accustomed to Their energies. This will give you an opportunity to know the Archetypes and the Ways on a more intimate level before choosing to commit to Them.

These instructions, of course, are merely a guide and can be adjusted as per your ability.

The Process

Turn first to the Stars.

On a still night, preferrably a clear night where the stars are visible but don't fret if that isn't possible, stand under the darkened sky and look up. Outside is best, but at a window is fine too.

Count the stars, if you can see them, or simply bask in the cloak of darkness above you. As you count or bask, imagine the power held in each visible or invisible star beaming down upon you. Whether you have chosen a God or not, imagine what a God of the Sky might look like. Imagine Them taking form in the stars; looking down at you with Love. Imagine the sterngth of Their power as They protect the world from harm. Name Them aloud if you wish, and let Their power flow through you.

Repeat as often as needed to become familiar with Them.

When you know the Stars as a child knows Their guardian's embrace, turn to the Sea.

If you live near a natural body of water or can easily reach one, be it sea, lake, river or otherwise, travel there. If not, run a bath or stand under the shower, or in the rain.

Whatever you choose, close your eyes and listen. Hear the rush and drip of the moving water and imagine each as a breath from the lungs of the Sea God. Imagine the secrets in every inch of water; the memory of every century that water has existed and travelled. Visualise what the God of the Sea might look like. Allow the water to run over your hand and feel Them holding yours. Feel Their gently seeking eyes on your body and allow Them to see through and into you. Allow Them to know you.

Repeat as often as needed to become familiar with Them.

When you know the Sea as deeply as They know you, turn to the Middle-Air.

The Middle-Air is the Space Between the Stars and Sea. To familiarise yourself with the Space Between, we must turn inward. Sit in a quiet place, within nature if you can, and close your eyes.

Take a moment to breathe deeply and focus on each inhale. Feel the power enter your lungs; hear the Middle-Air's gentle sighs as They breathe with you through your mouth and nose. Imagine what this God might look like and feel Their love filling your blood; running through your veins. Know that this Divinity is as much a part of you as They, and imagine each exhale as a return of that Love and Power to Them: a give and take. A Balance.

Remind yourself that in this balance, the God of Middle-Air connects the Sky and Sea with you, the Self. Recognise that in this moment you all breathe together, connected eternally through invisible thread. Remain there, within your Divinity and Theirs, connected to the Divine in this tiny piece of Apotheisis.

When you are ready, thank the Gods for Their time and open your eyes. You may find Their power remains with you for a time. Allow it to pass through you, and move on.

Repeat as often as you need, until the connection becomes as comfortable and instinctive as breathing.

When you know your power and that of the Gods combined, you are ready to enter the Path proper.

Remember that this familiarisation can be performed at any stage of your journey through the Pagan arts, and is an excellent way to remind yourself of Their love if you fall distant or needed to break from Them for a time.

The Gods are always waiting to welcome you.

[thetriunepath]

The Fourth Archetype || The Triune Path

Did I say there were only Three Archetypes? That is not entirely true. You may have noticed that there was a core element missing from the Archetypes: Earth.

If we do not necessarily worship the Earth Goddess, and our nature and divinity comes from ourselves... You can see where this is going.

The Self

So. We have The Stars, The Sea, and The Space Between. All else is Earth and under our temporal command. The fourth Archetype is the Self: the body that holds us to the Earth, the mind we use to Believe and Understand, and the spirit we use to Love which ties us to our true home in the Universe.

We are ourselves a spark of the Divine. We are ourselves a Three-in-One. We are a Triune. In our community, the space we take in the Universe, the creatures we protect and the passions we hold dear, we hold the key to Divinity itself.

In this way, the fourth deity is Life.