Deity Blog

They/Them for me

[normal-horoscopes]

PIGS ARE SACRED TO HESTIA AND A COMMON LIBATION FOR HER IS PIG FAT. WHAT IM TRYING TO SAY IS THAT HESTIA IS THE PATRON GODDESS OF GRILLIN'

[icajax]

what is a hearth if not a stove without a top

[flagellant]

every time you season your skillet with bacon grease hestia becomes more powerful

[normal-horoscopes]

PROPER CAST IRON SKILLET CARE IS MODERN HESTIA WORSHIP

[flagellant]

[normal-horoscopes]

Hey did you just imply that you think we are grilling live pigs?

[thewhisperingwood]

Woke up today to happy birthdays, my birthdays off to a great start. Thanks

[thewhisperingwood]

Most of my Greek gods have left. All I’ve got left is Hecate and Athena. At least I’ve don’t what they wanted me to do but I miss them

[thewhisperingwood]

Freya said “get yourself a knife to just hang around your neck for protection” and I love her for that

So did I spend like $50 to do that. Yeah. Worth it :]

[hiswitchcraft]

what are some alternatives for sage to smoke cleanse with and what works for which situation?

-🕛

Alternative for cleansing/purification:

Bay 

Cedar

Lavender 

Lemon 

Peppermint 

Pine

Rosemary 

Thyme 

Remember that smoke cleansing isn’t the only way to cleanse! Also depends on what you mean by situation. Smoke cleansing is most often used for spaces, or small objects. I think all the above cleanse and purify, but with a different approach if you will. I’d use different herbs to cleanse a space routinely than I would somewhere with really negative energy. Maybe that’s just me. Any plant that you use in your practice especially one you will be burning must be researched and I would advice against it if you have pets. 

[driflloon]

jpg fw06

[thewitchystuff]

A little witchy calendar to look forward to next year, since this one was a little bit.. cursed.

This lets you know about the full moons, new moons, wheel of the year celebrations and zodiac entrys, I hope you can use this to aid you on your practice.

[thewhisperingwood]

This just in this stupid being didn’t realize my love for thunderstorms/watching and listening to them my entire life was a sign from Thor

Sorry Thor ilu

[adventures-of-a-queer-witch]

November 16th: Night of Hecate

November 16 is the Night of Hecate which begins at sunset. This is the night of the Three-formed Goddess. Hecate is part of the most ancient form of the triple Moon goddess as Crone or Dark Moon. This is also the night of Hecate’s supper at the Crossroads. People who worshiped Hecate honoured Her by performing Sympathetic Magick and holding a supper at what they believed to be the Crossroads.

HECATE, GREEK GODDESS OF THE CROSSROADS

Hecate (or Hekate), Greek goddess of the three paths, guardian of the household, protector of everything newly born, and the goddess of witchcraft.

The pronunciation of Hecate’s name has been muddled and changed over the years. But there is a correct way to say her name. Most say “heh-kah-tay” or “heh-kah-tee” with no emphasis on the middle syllable. But in ancient times, her name would have been pronounced with emphasis on the middle syllable like this: heh-KAH-tay or heh-KAH-tee. Practice that a few times out loud. Feel the difference? Pronouncing her name correctly is one simple to honor the goddess of witches.

Once a widely revered and influential goddess, the reputation of Hecate has been tarnished over the centuries. In current times, she is usually depicted as a "hag" or old witch stirring the cauldron, but nothing could be further from the image of Hecate's original glory.

A beautiful and powerful goddess in her own right, the Greek goddess Hecate was the only one of the ancient Titans who Zeus allowed to retain their authority once the Olympians seized control. Zeus shared with Hecate, and only her, the awesome power of giving humanity anything she wished (or withholding it if she pleased).

Usually classified as a "moon goddess", her kingdoms were actually three-fold: the earth, sea, and sky. Having the power to create or withhold storms undoubtedly played a role in making her the goddess who was the protector of shepherds and sailors.

A lover of solitude, the Greek goddess Hecate was, like her cousin Artemis, a "virgin" goddess, unwilling to sacrifice her independent nature for the sake of marriage. Walking the roads at night or visiting cemeteries during the dark phase of the moon, Hecate was described as shining or luminous.

In other legends she is invisible, perhaps only glimpsed as a light, a "will-o-the-wisp". Perhaps it was this luminous quality that marked Hecate as a "moon goddess", for she seemed quite at home on the earth.

Some scholars believe it is also was because her mother was Asteria (the Titan goddess of the Shining Light or "Star") or perhaps it was because she sensibly always carried a torch on her journeys.

Like Artemis, Hecate was usually depicted with her sacred dogs, although Hecate and even her animals were sometimes said to have three heads and that they could see in all directions. Although usually depicted as a beautiful woman having three human heads, some images are fearsome indeed (one with a snake's head, one with a horse's, and the third a boar's head).

This farsightedness, the ability to see in several directions at once (even the past, present, and future) featured largely in her most famous myth, the abduction of Persephone. For it was the goddess Hecate who "saw" and told the frantic Demeter what had become of her daughter.

Hecate continued to play an important role in the life of Persephone, becoming her confidante when she was in the Underworld. Hades, thankful for their friendship, was more than hospitable, honoring Hecate as a prominent and permanent guest in the spirit world. Surely this had the effect of enhancing her reputation as a spirit of black magic with the power to conjure up dreams, prophecies, and phantoms.

Hecate's ability to see into the Underworld, the "otherworld" of the sleeping and the dead, made her comfortable and tolerant in the company of those most would shun out of fear or misunderstanding.

In her role as 'Queen of the Night', sometimes traveling with a following of "ghosts" and other social outcasts, she was both honored and feared as the protectress of the oppressed and of those who lived "on the edge". In Rome many of the priests in her sacred groves were former slaves who had been released to work in her service.

The goddess Hecate was often accompanied on her travels by an owl, a symbol of wisdom. Not really known as a goddess of wisdom, per se, Hecate is nevertheless recognized for a special type of knowledge and is considered to be the goddess of trivia.

Hecate's farsightedness and attention to detail, combined with her extraordinary interest in that which most of us discount as irrelevant or arcane, gave her tremendous powers.

She knew what the rest of us did not.

Not surprisingly, the people thought it best to give the goddess Hecate (and any friends that might be accompanying her) a lot of honor and a fairly wide berth. When darkness descended they wisely retired to the fireside for supper, but put the leftovers outside as an offering to Hecate and her hounds.

That the homeless and destitute were often the actual beneficiaries hardly mattered...after all, they were under Hecate's protection.

In a similar fashion, food was often left at the crossroads to honor Hecate, especially at junctions where three roads converged --what we often call a "Y-intersection".

Frequently a pole was erected at the intersection and three masks would be hung from it to pay homage to Hecate and to request her guidance in helping to choose the right direction.

Three-faced masks also adorned the entrances of many homes, honoring the goddess Hecate who could, of course, wield her influence over "the spirits that traveled the earth" to keep them from entering the household.

It is hardly surprising that a woman who needed to make a trip alone at night would say a brief prayer to Hecate to seek her protection. The goddess Hecate, like her cousin Artemis, was known as a protector of women, especially during childbirth.

Not only was Hecate called upon to ease the pains and progress of a woman's labor, but especially to protect and restore the health and growth of a child.

Similarly, Hecate played a role that, in contemporary times, we would describe as "hospice nurse", helping the elderly make a smooth and painless passage into the next life and staying with them, if need be, in the otherworld to help prepare them for their eventual return to the earth in their next life.

Familiar with the process of death and dying as well as that of new birth and new life, Hecate was wise in all of earth's mysteries.

The Greek goddess Hecate reminds us of the importance of change, helping us to release the past, especially those things that are hindering our growth, and to accept change and transitions. She sometimes asks us to let go of what is familiar, safe, and secure and to travel to the scary places of the soul.

New beginnings, whether spiritual or mundane, aren't always easy. But Hecate is there to support and show you the way. She loans her farsightedness for you to see what lies deeply forgotten or even hidden, and helps you make a choice and find your path. Often times she shines her torch to guide you while you are in dreams or meditation.

Hecate teaches us to be just and to be tolerant of those who are different or less fortunate, yet she is hardly a "bleeding heart", for Hecate dispenses justice "blindly" and equally.

Whether Hecate visits us in waking hours or only while we sleep, she can lead us to see things differently (ourselves included) and help us find greater understanding of our selves and others.

Although her name may mean "The Distant One", Hecate is always close at hand in times of need, helping us to release the old, familiar ways and find our way through new beginnings.

GODDESS SYMBOLS & SACRED OBJECTS OF HECATE

Goddess symbols, individualized for each goddess, were incorporated into the worship of the ancient goddesses, were often worn as jewelry, and also used in the household decor as talismans to seek the goddesses special gifts, blessings, or protection. A large number of goddess symbols have survived in statuary and other works of art.

Many of the goddess symbols come from the legends surrounding a specific goddess and were "characters" in her story. Other goddess symbols were derived from the rituals used in the ancient rites of worship of these pagan goddesses.

Hecate, "The Distant One" ( best known as Hecate, Greek goddess of the Crossroads) is often represented by symbols associated with her personality traits and her role as Queen of the Night. Since Hecate is the goddess of witchcraft, it should come as no surprise that many of her goddess symbols play a prominent role in the celebration of Halloween.

General: Torch, dark moon, raisin & currant cakes, crossroads, three-headed animals or statues, the number 3, masks, and candles.

Animals: Dogs, horses, sheep (especially black female lambs), owls, bats, snakes, and boars.

Plants: Willows, dark yew, blackthorn, groves of trees, saffron, raisins and currants, and gourds (especially pumpkins)

Perfumes/Scents: Queen of the Night (a light flowery fragrance), cinnamon, myrrh, mugwort, honey, lime, and lemon verbena

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

Colors: Black, orange, yellow-orange, and red-orange

Offerings: red mullet, (a scavenging fish that was taboo in other cults), sprat, breads, raw eggs, cheese, garlic, cake and honey. Ideally, the offerings are left at a crossroads and you should leave without looking back.

[heatherwitch]

Yule Resource Masterpost

A collection of categorized links for your Yule needs! What is Yule? [X] Yule is celebrated on slightly different days depending on who you ask, but the broad spectrum is: December 20th to January 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and around June 20th (give or take a few days) in the Southern Hemisphere.

 The basics:

Yule correspondences

Celebrating Yule

Yule: A very merry sabbat

Guide to Yuletide plants + herbs

Yule - ‘tis the season

Yule practices

A Yule ritual

50 Yuleisms

Yule Crafts:

Yule potpourri recipe

Witch balls / more witch balls

A twelve-herb sachet for Yule

Mini herb wreaths

Yule log

Yule craft ideas

Pine protection balm

Dried orange slices

Yule Recipes:

Herbal shortbread

Bread dipping oil

Chocolate Yule log

Yuletide muesli

Yule tea

Yule Punch

Non-alcoholic mulled wine

Winter sabbat wine

Yule Spells:

Merry Yule spell jar / Season of peace spell jar

Holiday ornament snow spell

Yule bath spell

Blessed Yule - for a positive holiday season

Winter solstice spell

Spell for a happy family gathering

Yule energy sun spell

Winter stasis spell sachet

Holiday home blessings

Safe delivery envelope spell

Yule Tarot Spreads:

The return (2 card)

Yule spread (3 card)

Tarot spread for Yule (3 card)

Winter inspired spread (5 card)

Yule reflection + advice spread (5 card)

A Yuletime tarot spread (6 card)

Other:

Music ideas / Winter witch playlist

Altar/celebration ideas / Yule altar guide

Yule plants / Mistletoe Lore

Yule oils/incense / Yule incense

Emoji spell for luck during Yule and Solstice

Spell ideas for the holidays

Updated June, 2020. Please inform me (via askbox) of broken links!

Imbolc / Ostara / Beltane / Litha / Lammas / Mabon / Samhain / Yule / Bedridden ideas

[skyewilversteanbooks]

Recreational Witchcraft’s Sabbats Masterpost

I thought linking all of these in one post would be very useful for those of us who are stuck for ideas on celebrating the sabbats.  Celebrate Yule

Celebrate Imbolc

Celebrate Ostara

Celebrate Beltane

Celebrate Midsummer

Celebrate Lammas

Celebrate Mabon

Celebrate Samhain

[thewhisperingwood]

So my friends and I were talking and I asked if I had a special ability like them using my pendulum. I got a no, I had the urge to ask if I was a familiar to one of them I am. So that’s neat

[thewhisperingwood]

Idk what’s with me but do I really need the help of 7 deities????

[thewhisperingwood]

8. Anubis is now here

[thewhisperingwood]

Idk what’s with me but do I really need the help of 7 deities????

[growing-yet-into-magic]

House Rules.

One of the things that I have come to terms with over the last few years of building my craft is that I eventually get little…quirks…about how I handle things. They might not occur to others, and they’re certainly not universal, but I have found that having them solidifies my practice, just like little superstitions build a core belief in the supernatural. I’d like to share a couple with all of you, if you’re willing to read along!

1) The phone does not go on the altar.

The phone is an outside implement. If I am at the altar, I have to be focused on the now, and on the spiritual time, and now what the phone represents. The phone can be playing music, but it cannot be playing commercials, anything unrelated to what I am doing on hand, or sit on the altar.

2) A book does not return to the library without notes having been taken on it.

If there weren’t any notes, there were things missed. Notes help me organize my thoughts and record them. Hence my review series!

3) Spirits do not hang out here.

This one is a teensy bit controversial. I know a lot of spirit workers focus on coming to terms with coming to terms with living with spirits and providing a balanced coexistence with them, but not me. I am an adult, this is my room, everyone else can wait downstairs for me. Even my ancestors live downstairs. We all deserve our own personal space.

4) Wash before heading to the Gods’ altars.

This one’s so and so. I’ve worked out with the Neteru I work with exactly what the standard of cleanliness the expect from me when I approach them. I’m not as stringent as others might be, but I have specifics of how clean I am when I approach, and how careful I am to keep myself clean. I don’t get down to the nitty gritty of trimming my nails and shaving, but I try to keep dirt free, stay not-gross, and put on a little perfume.

5) Do not take pictures of any active altars.

…So the decoy altar is half a joke, half a useful tool. When I post cute pictures of my altar, it’s usually the decoy altar. It is not used for spellwork, as it’s in the wrong location, lacks all my regular tools, and is, overall, a little small, but it’s out of the way of the sun, so I use it to store sun-sensitive crystals, more delicate objects, and ritual tools I am not using at the moment. And, since it isn’t a functioning altar, I can post pics of it guilt free. Who cares? It certainly can’t be used as a taglock to break the spells I am not doing there. I do not take pictures of any active altars.

6) If there is a bath, a candle is lit.

Especially if it is a spiritual bath, but even a regular bath needs a candle. It is essential. To what? No idea. But it is.

Have any similar rules? Feel free to add them! I feel like private superstition is so ignored when we all focus on the larger strokes of paths and deity worship.

Blessings! <3

[hiswitchcraft]

A New Witch’s Dictionary 📖

Disclaimer: This is all based on my opinion. It is not perfectly alphabetized. Altar • A place for all of your witch supplies, tools, a place to meditate and worship your deities. It is the center of your practice. Astrology • You’ve probably heard of astrology, in witchcraft it is used as a form of divination.  Astral projection • Astral projection is a purposeful out-of-body experience where you, well, project a version of your consciousness (also known as an astral body) to a location that is separate from your physical body.  Athame • A ritualistic dagger used as a tool in witchcraft. Aura • An energetic field that surrounds a living creature, usually people are referring to humans when this term is used. Baby witch • A witch who is new to the world of witching and the community.  Beltane • A sabbat that celebrates fertility and the coming of summer. Besom • A broom used as a tool in witchcraft to cleanse.  Binding • A type of spell or magick used to bind something, as in keep it from continuing behavior or causing harm. Boline • A dagger or knife used as a tool in witchcraft to cut and harvest herbs. Banishing • A type of spell or magick used to get rid of something or someone. Book of shadows • A book or journal used by a witch to store information.  Candle magick  • The usage of candles in magick, usually in combination with color or sigil magick.  Cartomancy • A type of divination that involves cards (Can be oracle or tarot cards) Cauldron • A metal pot, used to mix herbs, or potions, or really anything you might want to mix in your practice.  Chalice • A fancy cup used to keep water in as a representation of the West when casting circles or to drink from during your practice. It can also be used to give offerings of liquid to any deities you work with. Chant • A type of spell or magick that includes speaking or singing aloud. The words can rhyme and often correspond with your intent. Clairovoyance • A type of divination where you see or perceive events in the future. Cleansing • One of the foundations of witchcraft, it has many methods. It is the act of ridding a space, person, or object of negative, stagnant, or previous energies. Circle • A circle is a type of spell you cast in magick, it enhances your powers and protects you. Closed culture/religion  • A closed culture, or religion is something that is closed off to people outside of it and does not condone taking (appropriating) anything from it. Color magick • A type of magick based around color, the idea is you use certain colors that you associate with certain things to make a spell more powerful. Ex: Using pink in a love spell.  Correspondence • A connection or association with something, you could use the example I stated above. If pink corresponds with love, you use it in a love spell. This usually refers to the usage/picking of ingredients for a spell. Coven • A group of witches that often socialize, or gather. Crystal magick • The usage of crystals for magick. Ex: Using clear quartz to cleanse something. Curse • A negative spell that has permanent, sometimes deadly effects on someone. Divination • Seeking information or guidance by supernatural means. Dream Interpretation • A form of divination where the events/symbols/scenery/actions ect in a dream are interpreted.  Empath • A person with a heightened level of empathy for others mental or emotional state. Enchant • A type of magick or spell that gives something a certain property, typically permanently. Esbat • A gathering of witches that does not take place on a Sabbat. Fae/Fair folk • Another word or term for fairies. These terms are more preferred by them, especially the term “Fair folk.”  Familiar • An animal, sometimes described as possessed by a spirit or entity that assists a witch in their craft. Glamour • A type of magick or spell that changes someones appearance or energy. Grimoire • Another word for a Book Of Shadows, a book or journal used by a witch to store information and experiences. Grounding • Like cleansing, this is a foundation of witchcraft. It is like meditation, the goal is to focus yourself and afterwards to feel more connected to this world and moment. Hellenism • A Pagan religion that worships the Greek deities you most likely know from mythology, such as Zeus, or Aphrodite. It is based around the 12 Olympians.  Hex • A negative spell, like a curse but less powerful, unlike a curse it’s usually not permanent.  Imbolc • One of the sabbats, it celebrates the coming of Spring.  Intent • Another common word that makes up the foundation of witchcraft, intent is that purpose or desire you have when you cast a spell. Ex: My intent is to banish a toxic person from my life with this spell. In other words, you have to really want it to get it.  Intuition • A supernatural or unexplainable feeling that warns, guides, or helps you. Evocation • To call or summon a spirit/entity/deity. Jinx • This falls under the category of curses and hexes, as in it is a negative spell. Jinxes are the least powerful of the three, they usually last a few hours or days and don’t cause any permanent or irreversible harm.  Lammas • Another Sabbat, it is the first harvest, a representation of a time to relax and appreciate your hard work.  Litha • A sabbat that celebrates Summer and the sun.  Mabon • One of the Sabbats, this one celebrates Autumn.  Magick • It’s as you’d imagine, magic. The only difference is the spelling which is used to differentiate between stage magic and what we do.  Medium • A person who has supernatural or clairovoyant abilities that they use to relay information or messages from the spirit world.  Moon (sign) • Your moon sign is the planet in your personal natal chart that represents your innermost emotions.  Moon water • A magickal water this infused with the moons power. Numerology • A type of divination based around numbers. Oracle/oracle cards • Similar to tarot cards but less common, these are a type of cards used for cartomancy or divination. The different between them and tarot cards is they are more modern and do not follow the same major/minor arcana system that tarot does. Often they do not follow any common system at all. Ostara • A Sabbats celebrating spring and the coming of fertility and well being. Rising (sign) • Your rising sign is the planet in your personal natal chart that represents how you appear upon first impressions, your outermost self. Runes • Nordic in origin, runes are symbols used for divination. Sabbat • A neo-pagan holiday. There are 8 Sabbats. They follow the wheel of the year and are based on the changing of the seasons and nature.  Samhain • A Sabbat that celebrates the last harvest, the veil between worlds is thinnest at this time.  Scrying • A form of divination where one peers into a reflective surface. Traditionally a crystal ball is used, but there are many ways of doing it.  Sigil • A type of magick or spell, a sigil is a symbol you create, the intent of the sigil is embedded into the symbol. (If you look into making sigils, it makes a bit more sense.)  Spell jar • Any spell that is made in a jar, usually you’d mix common ingredients like magick waters, oils, and herbs that correspond with your intent. Sun (sign) • Your sun sign is the planet in your personal natal chart that represents your personality as a whole.  Taglock • A representation of someone in magick, it connects your magick and intent to this person. The term and usage of taglocks is typically used when you hex/curse someone. A taglock can be hair, spit, blood, nail clippings, you get the idea. Tarot/tarot cards • A type of cards used for cartomancy, or divination. There are 78 cards in a set, which are categorized as the major and minor arcana. The minor arcana are separated into 4 suits. Tarot spread • A way you lay out tarot cards when you do a reading, each card represents a question. Ex: A tarot spread for love. Tasseomancy • A form of divination where tea leaves are used. Theban Alphabet/Script • An ancient alphabet used by modern witches. It’s Latin based and centuries old. Its origins are unknown. Because of its modern use among witches and Wiccans, it is also known as the witches alphabet.  Paganism • An umbrella term that refers to many religions practiced by witches, including Wicca & Hellenism, the commonality between all Pagan based religions is they are based on nature and or multiple deities. Palmistry • A form of divination where you inspect someones hands and the lines present on them. Pentagram • A symbol that contrary to popular belief is not Satanic in nature, but actually represents the 4 elements and the spirit. Pendulum • A form of divination where a pointed object hung from a chain/string is used. The way the pendulum swings is what determines the results of a reading. Warding • A magickal barrier that protects you from energetic/magickal threats, such as bad spirits or curses even. One such barrier can be formed in many ways. Wicca • A Pagan religion based on nature and the divine Masculine and Feminine. Wheel of the year • A witchy calendar used to track the Sabbats, holidays based on the changing of the seasons.  Yule • One of the sabbats, this one is based on celebrating winter but also the coming of spring. This is also when the dark half of the year ends and the light half begins. Let me know if you have any corrections or additions and I might add them. I hope this helps someone. Enjoy! Have a lovely day 💖

[steampunktendencies]

Embellished rusty old keys ~ Spark