riding with the dioskouroi

[fishbphotography]

Stairway to heaven

Jojakku-Ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan

[lionofchaeronea]

Title: Guanyin Riding a Dragon Artist: Harada Naojirō (Japanese, 1863-1899) Date: 1890 Genre: religious art (Buddhism) Period: Meiji Movement: Yōga Location: National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan

Guanyin is the Chinese name of Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. She is known in Japanese as Kannon/Kwannon.

Harada Naojirō was a master of yōga, Western-style Japanese painting. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

[statelibraryqueensland]

Entry on arachnids, Ortus Sanitatis, 1511. Held in the Rare Books collection, State Library of Queensland.

Source

[kafkasapartment]

A rare 18th century planetarium, silvered drum plate engraved with "Principal Affectations of the Planets", tables of the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, and their details such as distance from the sun, periods, etc., as well as tables for the satellites of Saturn and Jupiter, and finely engraved zodiac calendar scale at border; plate mounted onto drum with geared mechanism, the whole turned by a manual hand-crank with ivory handle. Central coppered brass sun with silvered engraving of sun's face, five planetary arms with ivory planets and satellites, 1 1/2 inch terrestrial globe with 12 hand-colored engraved paper gores, the earth and moon rotating on separate geared mechanism with 2 rotating discs, showing the phases of the moon, the moon's path, and the time of day. Signed on the engraved silvered drum plate, "Made for Rich. D. Aldridge, Esq. by John Handsford, Bristol.

[heartnosekid]

madagascan silk moth (antherina suraka) | source

[grimnirs-child]

cannot recommend enough just walking around your neighbourhood, noticing the plants, trees, birds, creepy-crawlies, mammals, rocks, watercourses, etc that are around you. looking them up and learning about them, how they behave, their seasonal rhythms and changes. learning about their presence in folklore and mythology and culture.

these are your neighbours. if you take a few minutes to learn about them, if you make the small effort to notice them, be mindful of them on a regular basis, honour them and respect them - this is animism. this is re-enchantment.

we all live alongside and in community with a myriad of spirits. it is truly so beautiful and life-affirming and sacred to appreciate that and the unique character of your neighbour-spirits.

[brightgnosis-hebe-deactivated20]

*This is not always specifically and inherently Animism; There are more worldviews out there than Animism that do this, including from the view of spirt acknowledgement- though it is also a core part of Animism too.

But that constant reminder to Pagans aside: In general, just becoming more aware and more observant of the world around you is so, so good for you on so many levels: Spiritually. Mentally. Emotionally. Physically. It does good for our Environment in many ways, too ... The list goes on.

If you don't know where to start, and getting into local Ecoregionalism (not Bioregionalism- another common error), learning to identify local flora and fauna, etc, seems too daunting? Start with simply learning how to be more observant in the first place, first!

There are so many books and articles that can help teach you how to be observant if you don't know how (because it is a skill you have to learn, despite how it should seem; learning to be tuned into your environment isn't something we just innately know how to do. It's something we do actually need active training in if it's not relevant to our everyday!) --- On Looking: A Walker's Guide to the Art of Observation (previously published as On Looking: Eleven Walks With Expert Eyes), and Look: A Practical Guide for Improving Your Observational Skills are two I liked, personally. And I also think The Art of Making Memories: How to Create and Remember Happy Moments is strangely a great supplement to that list as well.

[grimnirs-child]

yes - I mention animism because I am an animist, and that worldview is foundational and inherent to my practice and all that I do, that's the standpoint I write from always. but the practice as described is probably worthwhile for anyone.

as for resources, I have a great affection in this regard for art and creativity around found-objects - Keri Smith's How To Be An Explorer Of The World, The Pocket Scavenger & others are great in this regard. and really field guides/identification guides are my absolute go-to.

[90scakeboy]

Three cupids being led by tortoises, swans & butterflies

Michelangelo Maestri, Italian

[t-hornapple]

the psychopomp - pen on paper, some digital - 6"x9"

Patreon | SubStar

[profetizamos]

A work on the uses of the psalms in circulation in ritual magic circles includes the use of the fourth psalm for dream provocation. The psalm advises the reader to spend the night in quiet meditation, asks to see the light of God’s face, and concludes with the author lying down to sleep secure in God’s protection. The magical ritual involves writing a portion of the psalm with certain magical characters on a tile or potsherd (testa). This is then to be placed under the sleeper’s head.

No indication is given as to why the operator might want to dream, what kind of dream it might be, what the operator might do with it, or how it might be interpreted.

Klaasen, Frank. "Magical Dream Provocation in the Later Middle Ages." Esoterica vol. 8 (2006).

[vipereaspic]

from On the Heavenly Spheres, by Helena Avelar de Carvalho, Luís Campos Ribeiro

[1111jenx]

What would it mean if I inherited my mother’s Saturn in the second house? Am I doomed to live in survival mode forever?? is this something to do with our family’s karma maybe? I feel like we have bad luck or make bad decisions especially with money 🥺 help is appreciated

Hey theree🤎

So I have wanted to talk about Saturn for a while, thank you for giving me the chance too love:) And ofcourse! I'll be more than happy to answer ya🥺 My mother also has this placement, and while it is true that there were major struggles at the first half of her life, I think we can finally say that all those years of dealing with Saturn has finally bear its fruits. 

Saturn in the 2nd house🤎

Saturn's themes, words, and touches are like a road map that shows you what you'd like to accomplish for yourself and others in this life, which may or may not be what you wish to do. Think of Saturn like our cosmic alarm clock:) Saturn is serious about business. Saturn makes an appearance that demand to be known. Saturn is the dependable, committed, and responsible planet.

It's not enough for Saturn to contemplate, analyze, fantasize, or speculate about the future. Saturn desires that we plan. Saturn will teach us lessons after lessons, trial after trial, struggle after struggle from the beginning of its existence until the moment we perish, all in the service of changing our fear into fearlessness.

You can genuinely make money with this placement. You will not go famished unless you allow yourself to be depressed by the tight months or years that we have all experienced. Saturn might make us feel as if we are incapable of meeting a task, but Saturn also confers power and authority on the house in which it is positioned, so the fact is that you may be the boss of money rather than money fear being the boss of you.

Saturn in the Second House earns their money by hard effort. They put forth a lot of effort to earn every dime. There is no way to sugarcoat the reality. They may be outstanding at their profession and at making money! Money, on the other hand, does not come cheaply to people with the 2nd house in Saturn earlier in life; they must work very hard for it. It is not a punishment, despite the fact that it may appear to be at times. With that stated, I believe the gift of this Saturn is the ability to chose to pursue what makes them happy because they will spend a lot of time working for it anyway.

Saturn in the Second House has a "daily grind" fate and will never be joyful unless this path is confronted and embraced, and the best vocation for the native is selected! Another example of how Saturn in the Second House may manifest itself is how s ome people may not need to work or earn a daily paycheck in order to pay their rent, mortgage, and expenses. They either inherited money, wedded into it, or earned it all themselves and retired. They don't have to be concerned about money flowing in or flying out. It isn't infinite, though it can feel that way at times. The Second House governs not just our earnings, but also our self-worth. 

The perfect profession for Saturn in the Second House is one you are totally in love with, a vocation you pursue with tenacity and never give up on. Do not squander your time with mediocre jobs, artificial interests, or doing what others believe you should do. It will only work in the short term.

Saturn in the Second House individuals will experience this difficulty, not in regards of savings in the bank, but in terms of esteem, and they will have to work endlessly hard to increase theirs, to invest in theirs, to have plenty on hand, always something to spare, but plenty left over, and it will seem like labor to them. This procedure becomes their responsibility. It may require counseling or any number of self-development methods. Just as the laborer must roll up their sleeves and go to work, so must the one who does not have to worry about making money.

At its best, Saturn in the 2nd house will instill financial discipline in your life. You'll discover out how to save money and stay inside your budget. You'll have enough money set up for one bad day and still have extra left over

The Second House is related with the planet Venus, which controls art, beauty, and style, therefore Venus occupations will benefit you and you will benefit them. Finance is also a good choice because the Second House is one of the money houses.I always tell my clients that it is never a bad idea for them to check their 2nd house, since this is the house where you can make money off your OWN resources. 

Accountant, financial adviser, stockbroker, set designer, architect, makeup artist, aesthetician, hairdresser, fashion designer, model are all viable occupations for you. You may be a painter, filmmaker, sculptor, arts administrator, or museum director. If you are an artist, you will not easily brush away as a leisure; you will have a strategy for your work and will be able to make it a true profession. Because the Second House is related with the throat, you might be a vocalist/singer even:)

People with Saturn in the 2nd house, at their worst, do not think they are deserving of pleasant things. Certainly, you must labor to earn your daily bread, money wise or esteem wise, but it does not exclude you from indulging in extravagance and delight. After all, you've worked hard for it!

Please don't let your everyday grind deprive you of the pleasures of your work. Finding job that you enjoy will set you free:)

So here are some thoughts I have for Saturn in the second house, once again, I really hope this in one way or another, reassure you and make you feel somewhat better. If anything, I would tell you that I can somewhat understand where you’re coming from, I have Saturn in 10th house and when I tell you its a daily battle haha. Please don’t stress yourself out and get rest when you need too. I can’t help it but just feel the need to tell you to take your time and work hard on things that you love, instead of doing things that benefit you momentarily. Take a deep breath for me beautiful.

love,

saint jenx🪐

[meandmypeace]

Me who have saturn most prominent in sideral and in 2 house of d10 chart(the chart of career)... I can surely tell all of this is true..

But I really really really adore saturn as in my point of view.. Saturn always aims for higher platform then we are at now.. The moment we decide we are enough is where saturn pulls the string back.. All it does is to make you analyse yourself where you stand and where you need to be.. What you HAVE to do in order to achieve your dreams.. And as for today the hardest thing a human can do is SELF ANALYSIS and I am not going to lie THIS IS THE MOST BENEFICIAL THING WE CAN DO FOR OURSELVES

I did had to work twice as much as others to achieve the platform.. But I know that saturn always guarantees fruits where he sees us sow the seeds and taking care of it.. But I know this hardworking habit made me the human I am today...

So don't be afraid.. Be open to your own failures cause we need to get back up.. Be the one to never give up and soon you will reach the galaxies you aim for..And we need to move forward.. With our heads up.. I wish you the best of luck for your future

[1111jenx]

YES to all of this!! Saturn 2nd house can be extremely fulfilling later in life!!!! These people also make one of the strongest people I've ever met.

[bad-moodboard]

Face stone, Urra Moor, North Yorkshire

[pieandhotdogs]

I don’t have the willpower for a real post at the moment but if you’re trying to deepen your connection to the spirits of the land on which you live, I recommend visiting the following locations:

Nearby bodies of water

Nature trails and forested areas

The highest and lowest points, both natural and otherwise

Community cemeteries and memorials

Places of worship

Other prominent landmarks and characteristic sites

Bring field guides, maps, and brochures if you can find them. Study the topography of the area, note how they relate to other parts of the town, how they are accessed by travelers. Can you get there by car, or did you have to approach on foot? Is it within walking distance of your home? What plants do you recognize? Critters? What’s the history of each site, who lived here before?

Visit each place at different points in the year. The sun slants through the trees differently in spring than in fall, this trail is inaccessible in the winter, the river always floods when it rains, if I cut through the graveyard on my way home I can grab a couple fallen branches from that cyprus by the gate. Leave offerings, say prayers, speak to the spirits.

[vipereaspic]

illustration of Cassiel from The Magus by Francis Barrett (1801)

[noise-vs-signal]

“The Characters of the Angels of the Seven Days”, from “The Discoverie of Witchcraft” by Reginald Scot (1584), as reproduced in “The Clavis or Key to Unlock the Mysteries of Magic” - Stephen Skinner (Ed.), (2018).

Beside the name of each Planetary Angel are sigils associated with them from the “Heptameron” by Pietro d’Abano. After this is the common planetary symbol, followed by associated signs from the zodiac.

The planets are listed in the order of the days of the week, starting with Sunday.

Below the names are the Triangle in which the Spirit is asked to appear. Beside this is a lamen which calls upon the great God in Greek (“O Theos Pon Mala”) and in Latin (“Alpha et Omega”).

[will-o-the-witch]

Jewish Angel Work

I don't see a bunch of writing about angel work in general, and what I do find is often heavily Christianized! I wanted to talk about what angel work can look like from a Jewish perspective.

(Gentiles may interact and enjoy, but understand that this is for educational purposes and not an invitation to appropriate! 🤍)

A Jewish-Specific Perspective

Judaism views angels in ways other traditions may not share! Some examples:

Angels aren't former humans. They are their own distinct beings just like demons, cows, land spirits and butterflies. People who pass away, even children, are not considered "angels returning home." These angels have specific forms and looks depending on the type, some more humanoid than others.

Angels don't have free will. This does not mean they are held hostage or can't have their own personalities, but their will is an extension of HaShem's Will, serving a specific role in making that Will manifest. Kind of like employees in a corporation doing their tasks!

They don't have names. Or at least, they don't have names we're supposed to know or ask for. They may be incomprehensible to humans, or maintaining a level of anonymity as to not distract from HaShem. Either way, asking for a name is often discouraged in traditional texts.

They AREN'T all here to help you. While it all serves a Divine Will and is therefore Good in the grand scheme of things, many angels serve completely neutral functions from a human perspective. Some could even be considered harmful to humans, the most prominent example being HaSatan. (Even still, HaSatan isn't seen as a true villain. He's just doing his job.)

Some of them are ONLY here to help you! Historical Rabbis were big on the concept of guardian angels. The Talmud says "Every blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it and whispers, 'Grow, grow.'" (Midrash Rabba, Bereshit 10:6.) Every living creature, including you, has a guardian angel to help you along your path. Some translations say the angels hit the grass, and that's not the only story of angels smacking things, so that guidance isn't always gentle, but it's always in the right direction.

Types of Angel Work

Spirit guides. Like mentioned above, guardian angels can help encourage you to "Grow! Grow!" and keep you on a path in line with spiritual health and lovingkindness.

Communing with HaShem. Gd is extremely esoteric. Angels help us send and recieve messages in an easier-to-conceptualize way! Meditation and prayer can also play into this. Beyond every-day applications, angels can also appear unexpectedly with important messages.

Communicating with other spirits. As angels are often messengers, I also think it's helpful to call upon their aid when working with other spirits!

Working with angels of various functions. Modern day Rabbis often marry angelic theology with scientific phenomena, with angels overseeing the process. By that extent, we could ask those angels for help/guidance when relevant!

Protection. Psalm 91, often recited for protection, depicts HaShem commanding angels on your behalf to guard you in all ways. One bedtime prayer names the four archangels to surround us.

Shalom Aleichem is traditionally sung on Friday nights before Shabbat dinner. It invites angels of peace to basically come and hang out with us during shabbat, then to leave in peace once shabbat is over. Many arrangements also make a good lullaby.

Other Notes

Metatron (מֶטָטְרוֹן) is a specifically-Jewish angel who gets appropriated a lot in spiritual circles. He does not appear in the Tanakh, but is mentioned in the Talmud and largely fleshed out in kabbalistic literature! (Islamic literature does mention him by different name, ميططرون, Mitatrun/Mitatrush. Solidarity.)Lots of people recognize Lilith as closed, but the same attention hasn't been given to Metatron. He's a very complex and ambiguous figure worth a whole post of his own so I won't get into it here!

This post is by no means comprehensive! This is just a very "quick" overview of a very rich field of study.

Further Study

On My Right Michael, On My Left Gabriel: Angels in Ancient Jewish Culture-- Mika Ahuvia

A Gathering of Angels: Angels in Jewish Life and Literature-- Morris B. Margolies

Ascending Jacob's Ladder: Jewish Views of Angels, Demons, and Evil Spirits-- Ronald H. Isaacs

[vipereaspic]

I tried to ask for my spirit guide/guardian angel's name a few days ago. I heard Matthew, Matthieu (and later Joshua but I was maybe starting to think too much about it). I'm not sure what to do? Should I just trust the first name that came into my mind? How can I be sure the communication worked?

but maybe it's about just that, trust and stay mindful.

[vipereaspic]

bringing this old post into 2023, as I'm again dealing with a being who might be named Joshua, just want to track dates of apparitions

all these judeo-christian names are not helping tbh