Unicorn & Thistle

Mother. Artist. Tea & Coffee lover. Brigid & Manannán mac Lir. Gaelic Polytheism. Traditional witchcraft. Irish mythology. Scottish folklore. Faeries. Dragons.

[perse-phoneee-deactivated202007]

New England Traditional Witchcraft/Folklore/Superstitions

As many of you know, I'm from New England (specifically Massachusetts.) Since I've lived in this area my whole life, I've come into contact with a variety of different superstitions and folkloric tales even before I became a witch. Here are a few of my favorites that I find interesting, and a few that show up in my personal practice!

Painting the front door of your house red will ward off the Evil Eye and malefic witchcraft. The red door will also attract wealth and prosperity.

To determine who you shall marry: write 12 names on 12 slips of paper and place them in an envelope. Sleep with the envelope under your pillow each night, and each morning, remove one of the papers at random. The last slip of paper that remains in the envelope will have the name of the person you will marry written on it.

If you dream about a person three nights in a row, you will marry them.

To prevent a prophetic dream from coming true, do not discuss it until after eating breakfast the following morning.

The best day to get married is Wednesday. The unluckiest day to get married is Friday.

Falling up stairs is a sign of good luck

Make sure you have all your intended belongings before going on a trip- Turning back for a lost item after starting a trip is bad luck.

Draw a daisy wheel to ward of malefic witches.

[amateur]

[roccondil]

Whenever the seasons changed my mom would always pull the new season’s clothes out and I’d have to try on EVERY SINGLE PIECE and wear it in front of her so she could make sure it all fit still… it was like a fashion show of hand-me-downs…

[unicornandthistle]

This is too real 😳

[oglach-uisce]

If I see one more bullshit post about Brigid being “stolen and corrupted” I will fucking attack someone with a staple gun

[bransrath]

Omg are the pagans at it with Brigit too ???

[oglach-uisce]

It’s the whole the evil Christians stole the goddess Brigid an made her a saint the saint is actually a goddess like… No

the first rule of Christianity is basically no other gods other than God an there’s a lot of bullshit surrounding the myth of Brigid herself for example there’s the whole firekeeping, Smith god, poetry goddess, childbirth thing that’s a standard then people add more stuff like divination an shite an it’s like… How can the goddess be a saint if she’s a divinator specifically when the church is against any form of divination the only “exception” being prophecies, visions, an word from god or a heavenly messenger ykno it’s jus sooooooo bad

[irelandseyeonmyths-deactivated2]

Ah it’s pure mad. They’ve no idea what they’re saying but they’re so certain about it.

They’re blatantly just making excuses for the weird Brigid stuff that they already had before the internet brought them into contact with us.

[oglach-uisce]

True but at least it’s not as bad as the mabinogi in Wales cause it jus s EMS like it’s a fuckin free for all there about which characters are what an what they’re the patron of

[irelandseyeonmyths-deactivated2]

I’ve no idea what the story with wales is.

Their national dish is cheese on toast… Their language is all Llandudno’s. It’s like they’re another country lol

[oglach-uisce]

They are another country…

But like I meant with their characters it’s like here’s like 2-3 interpretations based on their story then here’s some random shit that’s totally not based off of the Greeks like whatsoever

[irelandseyeonmyths-deactivated2]

Mythology isn’t an explanation of pagan theology through stories tho so there’s always different interpretations. (Informed ones).

Even the Iliad was criticized because the drama the gods were involved in didn’t reflect their real world cults. It was blasphemous in its day.

I think people want the religious truths that come from dogma because it gives them a sense of certainty. So they get sucked in by people who say ‘they’re scholars’ and act confident about the made up answers they have. The Welsh stuff might seem looser because it probably doesn’t have those cringy Wafflers yet.

@ofborrowedlight you’re into welshy stuff. What do you think?

[angrbodic]

In terms of The Mabinogion? Yeah, there is similar stuff going on. 

Particularly with figures like Cerridwen, Bran, Branwen, and I’d probably say Blodweudd. Just at the top of my head. 

Though, you can argue that, yes, Bran and Branwen can be seen as deities; either way, that doesn’t change the fact that their father is the sea god, Llyr. And it doesn’t particularly with these characters; I’ve seen people also speculate that Gwenhwyfar and Morgan come from goddesses; a lot of people try to connect Morgan with either the Morrigan or Modron and Gwen is seen sometimes as a triple goddess figure. Arthur, I’ve read, may be seen as a psychopomp.

So I’m American and I may not know a whole lot about Druidism and Celtic history, but I feel like that may be an indirect result (or possibly these figures were different variants of a deity) of the fact there isn’t a lot of written records of them, because we know that the druids and Celts passed their history orally. Compound that with the fact that Romans weren’t completely factual in their documentation with them and then, of course, that lovely, lovely period where Romantics muddled their own versions of what they thought Druidry was and we have this mess.

Over here in North America, we have new age writers that have and continue to pull from what the Romantics wrote in their day as well as Wicca mixing elements. Then again, sometimes we don’t have a lot to go on and what one person speculates that Cerridwen is a goddess turns into people venerating Cerridwen as a goddess without people considering or realizing that it’s speculation. We just don’t know!

I’m not sure if Irish Druidry has the same issue as Druidry in Wales, in terms of no written records by religious figures unlike Romans and Christians, but perhaps that’s also a contributor?

….

Also, Gnostic hot take? Maybe they’re Aeons or descendants of Norea or Seth. Ooooh. 

[irelandseyeonmyths-deactivated2]

Ah cheers. Tbh I prefer the new agers because they’re not pretending to other people that their paganism is authentically Welsh Irish etc. If people are into romanticism, ceremonies and generally being good to each other and the environment that’s fair enough in my book.

Like OBOD is inspired by Latin lit that mentions druids. They don’t say their religion comes from books to get other people to believe what they’re doing is authentically Irish, Welsh etc

King Arthur a god tho you couldn’t make it up 😂

Have you heard of the Druid activist who says he’s the reincarnation of King Arthur? He does good stuff and even if noone believes him it shows that the culture even the pagans from it see the character as a guy not a god.

[unicornandthistle]

You prefer new agers over who? Reconstructionist? I’m not a reconstructionist so I’m not offended.

To be fair though, I have not seen any recent posts saying Brigid is corrupted and stolen. I have seen people claim Christians stole from pagans in a general context (also not recently), which is usually pretty quickly shut down. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[nameless-shrine]

Brigid of the outstretched hand, for the small kindnesses and clear morning dew: praise within praise, blessings upon blessings upon blessings.

[unicornandthistle]

Brigid painting I finished today for Imbolc!

[unfetteredwood]

As the serpent stirs, as the sap rises, as the land awakes, may you feel Brigid’s quickening flame in your hearts, in your minds, and in your spirits.

Beannachtaí na Féile Bríde agus Imbolc oraibh/ Brigid’s Day & Imbolc blessings to you all!

[ghostlyparallel-deactivated2021]

A lot of witches talk about Tarot, about the questions you can ask, how to cleanse your cards, how to memorize their meanings, and more.

However, rarely have I seen any witch talk about just sitting down with your cards and chatting with them.

In this way, I mean not having a question to ask them beyond, “Whatcha wanna say today?”

This, unbelievably, is how I developed a relationship with my Tarot cards.

To read Tarot, you don’t have to have a question before you begin. Sure, if you have a client then having a question is the best course of action (and is needed); however, if you’re having a one-on-one and are trying to develop your relationship, sit down with your cards and treat them like you would a friend.

Start a conversation.

Ask their opinion.

Tell them about your day.

Let them tell you about their day.

(And on and on and on, ya know)

Your cards are more than just cards. They are more than a business proposition or venture. They are more than just a tool for you to use whenever you deem them appropriate.

You grow, they grow. You stop talking to them, they will become silent too.

So, talk to them. About nothing, about everything. And watch your relationship grow exponentially.

[an-stoirm]

May Manánnan guide the souls lost to us in violence.

May Brighid help those who have lost someone grieve and heal.

May Lugh protect those who are LGBTAQ+ and frightened by these acts.

May the Morrígan give us strength to seek out justice.

[medievalthymes]

Celtic Mythology

Goddesses (pt 1) 

[irelandseyeonmyths-deactivated2]

I can’t talk about Welsh culture but none of the characters from Irish mythology here are goddesses. It’d be cool if people read myths like literature more.

The word cailleach is originally a Latin word for a nun that got associated with old women because joining the nunnery in your old age was a tradition in Medieval Ireland. So it was never a name for a pagan Goddess.

It was an early poetic term, it was the name for the Irish version of Chaucer’s Loathly lady motif, it’s the ‘umbrella term’ for the feminine supernatural in the Medieval (based on the literary cailleachs a in myths) and today it’s a hare and a folk craft.

Brigid is a saint. If anyone really needs the difference between Catholicism and paganism explained to them. Im sorry can’t undo their bigoted upbringing and I’m not going to waste my time arguing Catholicism v protestantism that’s gone on long enough. No the odd line in non mythological sources like a reforming bishop king and an English Monk don’t count.

Badb just means raven. The popular image of the horrors of war (a raven eating corpses after a battle) was personified in myths to add drama. The character is a mix of that and the bananach and genit demons who cause terror and madness on battle fields. Theyre are female and just like them the Badb never has a human name.

[unicornandthistle]

I agree with most of this, except Brigid and Badb. Regarding Brigid, I have read scholars that disagree with the theory that the goddess and the Saint were connected (such as Lisa Lawrence), but even she doesn’t reject the notion of a goddess Brigid altogether. Although there is not much literature on Brigid, she is in the myths.

Both Brigid and Badb are mentioned in the Second Battle of Magh Turedh. Badb is said to be a sorceress along with Macha and Morrígan. Obviously, the Morrígan is a complex case and there are several interpretations, but I don’t think considering Badb a goddess is a far off notion.

Now, Welsh figures in the Mabinogi contrast from Irish as they are clearly more like heroes than gods. However, there are popular theories that the origins of Welsh heroes and heroines featured in the Mabinogi are based on Welsh mythology that over time was anthropomorphized. However, a lot of this theory is based on percieved connections with Irish mythology; thus, it can be easily rejected. Still many consider Welsh figures to be gods. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[irelandseyeonmyths-deactivated2]

Ah sometimes people try and muddy the waters to Squeeze things through on reasonable doubt. I think they’re taking the Mickey a bit too much where Brigid is concerned though.

Just for the fun of arguing the toss. Looking at what a cult figure called brigid might’ve been like do you think the character in the battle of Moytura matches up? I don’t see it myself.

Ptolomys map of Ireland has tribes called the Brigantes on it and if Brigantes was a theonym then there was a cult figure with a name like Brig. But there’s swiss cheese holes in that idea it mightve just meant Highlanders and even if it was a theonym itdve been unusual for it to involve a goddess.

The word Brig means high, elevated etc and Ptolemy put that name on the Black stairs mountains in Ireland and the Pennines mountains in the UK. Strabo said the Briganti lived in the Alps a centuryish before hand. That could be where Ptolomy got the idea for calling Highlanders Brigantes.

Their cult figure might not have been female because tribal theonyms usually involve male cult figures. The Luigne had Lugh, the Ciannacht had Cian lughs dad in myths, the Connachta had Conn, the Eoghannacht had Eoghan etc. Those semi divine ancestors are male because of ‘patrilineal’ descent. We go down the father’s side of the family not the mothers. Matrilineal descent is rarer.

Say it wasnt Highlanders, it was a theonym and it was the exception not the rule and was about a goddess. The character Brigid has nothing to do with the mountains in the myth as far as I know. In the narrative she marries a fomorian, her kid dies and she cries. She’s not involved in any motifs that’d say she’s a sovereignty figure etc and that’s common as muck for female characters in myths. I don’t see anything pointing to the character being based on the Brigantes cult figure.

I think people just assume that the Brigantes, the character in myths and the saint are the same because of a name… And that’s a bit much.

[unicornandthistle]

I agree that there are a lot of theoretical assumptions presented as facts. However, I think must of it points to the likelihood that there are a lot of lost texts on the mythological Brigid. The small snipets in the mythology stand out to me as important but obviously incomplete. Also, her marriage to Bres may point to her associated with sovereignty (http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/jce/brigit.html). I definitely agree that there are missing links, but I also don’t think writing the figure off as solely an Irish saint makes sense either.

Brigit

[unicornandthistle]

Also, I do think Brigid the goddess and the saint are connected, but I admit a lot of the modern pagan imagery is likely based on the Christian saint and not on the pagan goddess. However, I still think there was a pre-Christian pagan goddess Brigid, we just unfortunately have fragments of information.

[medievalthymes]

Celtic Mythology

Goddesses (pt 1) 

[irelandseyeonmyths-deactivated2]

I can’t talk about Welsh culture but none of the characters from Irish mythology here are goddesses. It’d be cool if people read myths like literature more.

The word cailleach is originally a Latin word for a nun that got associated with old women because joining the nunnery in your old age was a tradition in Medieval Ireland. So it was never a name for a pagan Goddess.

It was an early poetic term, it was the name for the Irish version of Chaucer’s Loathly lady motif, it’s the ‘umbrella term’ for the feminine supernatural in the Medieval (based on the literary cailleachs a in myths) and today it’s a hare and a folk craft.

Brigid is a saint. If anyone really needs the difference between Catholicism and paganism explained to them. Im sorry can’t undo their bigoted upbringing and I’m not going to waste my time arguing Catholicism v protestantism that’s gone on long enough. No the odd line in non mythological sources like a reforming bishop king and an English Monk don’t count.

Badb just means raven. The popular image of the horrors of war (a raven eating corpses after a battle) was personified in myths to add drama. The character is a mix of that and the bananach and genit demons who cause terror and madness on battle fields. Theyre are female and just like them the Badb never has a human name.

[unicornandthistle]

I agree with most of this, except Brigid and Badb. Regarding Brigid, I have read scholars that disagree with the theory that the goddess and the Saint were connected (such as Lisa Lawrence), but even she doesn’t reject the notion of a goddess Brigid altogether. Although there is not much literature on Brigid, she is in the myths.

Both Brigid and Badb are mentioned in the Second Battle of Magh Turedh. Badb is said to be a sorceress along with Macha and Morrígan. Obviously, the Morrígan is a complex case and there are several interpretations, but I don’t think considering Badb a goddess is a far off notion.

Now, Welsh figures in the Mabinogi contrast from Irish as they are clearly more like heroes than gods. However, there are popular theories that the origins of Welsh heroes and heroines featured in the Mabinogi are based on Welsh mythology that over time was anthropomorphized. However, a lot of this theory is based on percieved connections with Irish mythology; thus, it can be easily rejected. Still many consider Welsh figures to be gods. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[irelandseyeonmyths-deactivated2]

Ah sometimes people try and muddy the waters to Squeeze things through on reasonable doubt. I think they’re taking the Mickey a bit too much where Brigid is concerned though.

Just for the fun of arguing the toss. Looking at what a cult figure called brigid might’ve been like do you think the character in the battle of Moytura matches up? I don’t see it myself.

Ptolomys map of Ireland has tribes called the Brigantes on it and if Brigantes was a theonym then there was a cult figure with a name like Brig. But there’s swiss cheese holes in that idea it mightve just meant Highlanders and even if it was a theonym itdve been unusual for it to involve a goddess.

The word Brig means high, elevated etc and Ptolemy put that name on the Black stairs mountains in Ireland and the Pennines mountains in the UK. Strabo said the Briganti lived in the Alps a centuryish before hand. That could be where Ptolomy got the idea for calling Highlanders Brigantes.

Their cult figure might not have been female because tribal theonyms usually involve male cult figures. The Luigne had Lugh, the Ciannacht had Cian lughs dad in myths, the Connachta had Conn, the Eoghannacht had Eoghan etc. Those semi divine ancestors are male because of ‘patrilineal’ descent. We go down the father’s side of the family not the mothers. Matrilineal descent is rarer.

Say it wasnt Highlanders, it was a theonym and it was the exception not the rule and was about a goddess. The character Brigid has nothing to do with the mountains in the myth as far as I know. In the narrative she marries a fomorian, her kid dies and she cries. She’s not involved in any motifs that’d say she’s a sovereignty figure etc and that’s common as muck for female characters in myths. I don’t see anything pointing to the character being based on the Brigantes cult figure.

I think people just assume that the Brigantes, the character in myths and the saint are the same because of a name… And that’s a bit much.

[unicornandthistle]

I agree that there are a lot of theoretical assumptions presented as facts. However, I think must of it points to the likelihood that there are a lot of lost texts on the mythological Brigid. The small snipets in the mythology stand out to me as important but obviously incomplete. Also, her marriage to Bres may point to her associated with sovereignty (http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/jce/brigit.html). I definitely agree that there are missing links, but I also don’t think writing the figure off as solely an Irish saint makes sense either.

Brigit

[steambastet]

Фигурка “Лесной царь”

[medievalthymes]

Celtic Mythology

Goddesses (pt 1) 

[irelandseyeonmyths-deactivated2]

I can’t talk about Welsh culture but none of the characters from Irish mythology here are goddesses. It’d be cool if people read myths like literature more.

The word cailleach is originally a Latin word for a nun that got associated with old women because joining the nunnery in your old age was a tradition in Medieval Ireland. So it was never a name for a pagan Goddess.

It was an early poetic term, it was the name for the Irish version of Chaucer’s Loathly lady motif, it’s the ‘umbrella term’ for the feminine supernatural in the Medieval (based on the literary cailleachs a in myths) and today it’s a hare and a folk craft.

Brigid is a saint. If anyone really needs the difference between Catholicism and paganism explained to them. Im sorry can’t undo their bigoted upbringing and I’m not going to waste my time arguing Catholicism v protestantism that’s gone on long enough. No the odd line in non mythological sources like a reforming bishop king and an English Monk don’t count.

Badb just means raven. The popular image of the horrors of war (a raven eating corpses after a battle) was personified in myths to add drama. The character is a mix of that and the bananach and genit demons who cause terror and madness on battle fields. Theyre are female and just like them the Badb never has a human name.

[unicornandthistle]

I agree with most of this, except Brigid and Badb. Regarding Brigid, I have read scholars that disagree with the theory that the goddess and the Saint were connected (such as Lisa Lawrence), but even she doesn’t reject the notion of a goddess Brigid altogether. Although there is not much literature on Brigid, she is in the myths.

Both Brigid and Badb are mentioned in the Second Battle of Magh Turedh. Badb is said to be a sorceress along with Macha and Morrígan. Obviously, the Morrígan is a complex case and there are several interpretations, but I don’t think considering Badb a goddess is a far off notion.

Now, Welsh figures in the Mabinogi contrast from Irish as they are clearly more like heroes than gods. However, there are popular theories that the origins of Welsh heroes and heroines featured in the Mabinogi are based on Welsh mythology that over time was anthropomorphized. However, a lot of this theory is based on percieved connections with Irish mythology; thus, it can be easily rejected. Still many consider Welsh figures to be gods. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[sobeitjay2]

This is what happens when you have children, they take over your music

[aaliyah-apollonia-deactivated20]

this is so fuckin cuteeee

[afronerdism]

I just can’t get over her little “aaayy”

[onlyblackgirl]

Kids be turning tf up to Baby Shark.

[writing-prompt-s]

Rules to follow when at sea

The ship should be treated with kindness.

Not all waters are good.

Don’t look deeper than you absolutely have to.

A sudden shallow means something is beneath you.

Never sail alone at night.

There are things best left unseen.

Whales are wise. Do not anger them.

You are very, very small.

There may be eyes in the fog. Don’t make contact.

Some ships sail under no flag. They are not real. Not anymore.

Occasionally, you will get a distress transmission from the Atlantic. Don’t answer it.

The sound of motors in the fog is never, ever, a good sign.

Some lighthouses move. Don’t depend on them.

Make as little sound as possible whenever your chest feels strange.

It is entirely possible to lose time at sea. Do not worry. You will remember eventually.

If the water goes murky, leave the top deck.

There may be blood in the water. Don’t look.

If you startle at nothing, it was not nothing.

There are some kinds of fog your lights won’t shine through. When you encounter it, take a different route.

Some fjords are not for human travel.

The singing is most likely not sirens. Pray that is is not.

Never dive and expect nothing strange to happen.

If something feels off, check your ropes.

If someone shouts to you in the dark, do not reply.

Sometimes curious things knock on the hull. They will usually leave.

Nothing is ever entirely as it seems.

Moonlight on the ocean has a hypnotic effect. Don’t stare.

There will always be something watching from the coast.

When the sky turns strange colours, close your eyes. It is best not to see.

If your compass does not work, let yourself drift on the current. Something wants you gone.

[nerdvanauniverse]

@charminglyantiquated

[charminglyantiquated]

@weremouse

[revisionsong]

@edderkopper Dunno if you’ve seen this.

[smalltownboymp3]

Reblog if you're a Ravenclaw.

gryffindor | hufflepuff | slytherin

[baeddelshinsgirl]

Besides training all the major Greek heroes, Chiron was also a doctor.

That would make him the Centaur for Disease Control.

[docchloroplast]

*sigh*

[sufficientlylargen]

He was a strong supporter of herd immunity.

[unicornandthistle]

Working on a series of astrology themed paintings.. here’s Aries! #watercolor #tombowbrushpens #gouache #astroart #astrology #aries