Latest Posts by endless-witching - Page 3
Advice for if your practice is feeling stressful or unfulfilling (that isn't 'just stop practicing')
Before you expand: long text post!
I think it's interesting that the first line of advice stressed and unhappy practitioners often receive is 'stop practicing! take a break,' because besides a breather this doesn't actually do anything. When a person is done with that break they're still going to have the same stressful, unfulfilling practice they did before.
Stop practicing is useful advice for someone who is about to deep-fry their brain in uncontrolled Witch Fire. It's useful advice for someone who experiences unexplainable catastrophe every time they engage in magic.
I'm not sure it's useful advice for people who want to practice and are actively seeking help figuring out how.
So here are some ideas. Feel free to add your own.
If your practice has too much of a time load:
Scrape over-engineered ritual. Examine ritual formats. Are you spending a majority of your practice time engaging in elaborate ritual? Where can that be paired down?
Swap ritual for enchantments. If ritual performs an action (laying a compass), can you substitute for that ritual action by making enchanted objects that take less time to activate (enchanted compass altar cloth)?
Minimize ingredients. If you regularly perform spells that require lengthy enchantment of ingredients, can you use fewer ingredients to achieve the same results? If you're using more than 3 correspondences for any spell, is this because you are wise in your own ways, or because you just feel that more is merrier?
Mash rituals together. Do you have a string of rituals, even small ones, that you perform one after the other? Is it possible to reorganize these so they're all done at once, in the same ritual? For example, setting out an offering to the gods, a different offering for the ancestors, another for helper spirits, etc. Can you combine these all into one single offering?
Check for over-tending. Is it possible that you're repeating magical acts, like feeding wards and cleansing, more often than you need to? Did you arrive at this schedule through trial and error, or did you just guess this is how often you should do them?
Check for your own levelup: spell maintenance. If it's been a while since you re-evaluated your ritual/offering/maintenance schedule, your increase in skills may mean you need to do these tasks less often to achieve the same result.
Check for your own levelup: techniques and routines. Some techniques, like carefully entering trance, grounding, and centering, are like training wheels that wear ruts into our paths of magic. As we improve in skill, old rituals and techniques that have been carefully couched in these helpful devices may become ingrained in us so that we can perform them in almost any state of mind, much faster and easier than we could before. Experiment with any technique you've been doing for a while and see if you still need to perform time-consuming meditative or focusing techniques before you can perform the skill.
Be reasonable with your own goals. I find most 'laywitches' give themselves daily and weekly schedules that would put actual cloistered monks to shame. Did your spirits tell you they expect daily offerings, or did you decide on that an run with it? Where are you overcompensating and overexerting in your path when nobody, including yourself, asked you to?
If your practice has too much of a work load:
Much of the advice of the prior section applies. Also,
Just work less. Are you putting in 100% effort when 20% or 30% would do? Are you treating every act of magic like a performance review that will control the outcome of your magical career? I'm not being sarcastic; an actual solution to your path being too much work is to just put in less effort. If you've never tried this you may be shocked at how effective magic can be when you're only doing what needs to be done.
Find simpler, more reasonable stuff. Find new techniques, and spell and ritual formats that are paired down to fit the amount of effort that's reasonable to exert for any given magical act. If you can't work with correspondences without a lengthy act of activation, find a way to cast simple spells that doesn't rely on correspondences.
Limit research and prep. Ask yourself how much research you reasonably need to get started on any given project. Remember that a huge amount of a witch's education is experiential; you will probably never know enough until you've already done it three or four times.
Be goal-oriented; prioritize actions. Ask yourself if you've set arbitrary workloads before you can get started with anything, such as forcing yourself to write artistic grimoire pages before you're allowed to perform a ritual you're interested in.
Learn skills to help prioritize actions. If your practice is consumed by acts of upkeep such as cleansing and empowering objects, focus on learning energy sensing so you can reasonably determine whether or not an object actually needs to be cleansed or empowered.
Administrate your own practice - what can go on the back burner? Make a list of all your active ongoing projects and maintenance, including upkeep of energy batteries, spells that require maintenance, and situations you want to change and are casting spells on. Prioritize them; see which ones you can set aside.
Restructure your projects to minimize maintenance. Consolidate spells and projects where possible. For example, if you have multiple protection spells for many people that require upkeep, condense them all onto a protection altar so you can feed and tend to them all at once.
Work in batch and bulk. See where you can do batch work to lighten your load. You can bulk enchant candles and incense, instead of enchanting incense every time you do a ritual. You can enchant oils, waters, and incense to feed your spells, taking time out of upkeep.
Levelup your charging and maintenance skills. Learn energy work to attach energy tethers to batteries and other important projects so they're able to drink from the wellspring you attach them to, and stay charged.
Scrape routines that don't serve you. Examine any daily routines. Are you doing them because they're helping you, or because you feel like you're supposed to be doing something every day? See if you can replace more intensive daily routines with something less tiring, like a prayer to your path itself.
If your practice feels too silly:
You have a right to privacy. Cocooning is valid. It's fine to take steps to limit who can see and potentially judge your practice. You can keep things to yourself until you're ready.
Tend to your emotional wellness. Self-therapy, in any form you feel comfortable with, can help mitigate the inner eye of judgement.
Reduce your beliefs to palatable doses. Believing in magic for only the duration of your work is perfectly fine. You don't have to 'believe-believe' 24/7. If you're not ready to integrate the belief of magic and spirits into your baseline worldview, don't - you can agree to buy in to those beliefs only while you practice techniques and cast spells, and then put them away the rest of the time.
Scrape stuff you really can't get past. Ask yourself what about your practice feels silly. Are there trappings - like altars, ritual movements, and speaking aloud - that you don't like? Change them. Is the idea that religious faith itself is a bit cringe? Self-therapy (or you know, the regular kind) may be assistive.
Ask for help modifying your process.Is there something very specific about a ritual or technique that you just can't get past, but you don't know how to change it? Research and see what other substitute rituals are available. Ask others and see if they can help you brainstorm.
Embrace the silliness. It's not going anywhere. Believing in your practice and holding it dear and sacred is not the same as being ✨super serious gravitas✨ all the time. There are lots of things about witchcraft, and the acts of the witch, that are silly and make you realize you're doing something ridiculous. I came out here at 2 am after it's been raining to climb down a slippery riverbed to get a branch of a tree that I think is talking to me?? Because some medieval guy said Tuesday is the planet Mars and I think trees talk to me?! Ridiculous. Yet I still love it dearly in a sacred place in my heart. It can be silly and glorious at the same time.
Cast a wider net. See if you're barking up the wrong tree. Traditional Witchcraft, folk magic, lodge magic, chaos magic, eclectic neopaganism... these things are not interchangeable. If you've never explored different traditions, why not give it a go? You might find another path that feels a lot more natural to you. A lot of people fall into a certain path just because they don't know what else they could be doing!
If your practice feels unfulfilling:
What are you doing to bring yourself fulfillment? Why did you get into witchcraft? Make a list of your top 5 reasons (if you have that many). Which techniques, spells, and rituals are you regularly performing are designed to deliver these desires to you? If one of your goals of practicing witchcraft is to 'feel connected,' how often are you performing acts where the only goal is to make you feel connected?
Grow your path deliberately in the direction of your needs. What do you wish you had in your life right now? Is it the feeling of being loved? Inner peace? Feeling like nature is alive and watching you? Look for what techniques and rituals in your practice will bring these things to you. If there are none, find or develop them.
Ask for help and share your feelings. If you work with gods and spirits, do you regularly tell them how you feel about your practice and ask them for help finding fulfillment?
Find contentment in the process. It's vital to find joy in the process. If you have regular routines or upkeep you need to do, how can you modify it so that process in and of itself is satisfying to you? Try considering the visceral element of witchcraft: the words, scents, sounds, moods, and thoughts that you want to experience in your present moment. Witchcraft is experiential: a great deal of the experience you create in the tidepools of routine is under your control.
Contemplate the larger purpose. Some witches do have magical chores and responsibilities they can't or shouldn't shirk. If this is true of you, and you can't modify those routines, try refocusing on why you're doing them and the importance they hold in your path. See if you can find balance elsewhere in your practice that feels rejuvenating; sort of a 'work-play' balance of your own craft.
Set short-term goals you can celebrate. Are you undertaking a lot of 'workout routines' that are designed to basically make you magically buff, or get good at a particular skill, but you're doing them with no endgoal? Try creating short-term goals that excite your sense of wonder or accomplishment. Like, practicing tarot until you can read the Celtic Cross, or practicing energy work until you can make a four-element layered energy shield. Build goalposts for yourself, both in the short and long-term, and celebrate your successes.
Scrape routines you're not doing for any good reason. Are your regular practices things you're doing because they fill you with mystery and wonder, or because you're just pretty sure that's the kind of thing witches do? If you're bored or unfulfilled by a particular routine, consider stopping it altogether, especially if you can't think of any short-term goals that it's helping you work towards. Think about the reasons you got into witchcraft: what practices would help you fulfill those reasons, while also feeling good to practice?
Seek out a likeminded community. A good working group of friends can be invaluable. My close group of witch friends, whom I've been hanging out with for years, started as a Tumblr post asking if anyone wanted to make a small server to study witchcraft. Reach out and see who's out there to study with, talk to, and practice with. It can be loads of fun to do short-term study and practice challenges with friends, and a great way to get feedback and support.
Evaluate your spiritual relationships. Although it can be painful and challenging, sometimes we enter into our paths working with gods and spirits that after some time, we need to move on from. Is it possible your path has become stagnant because you don't want to keep working with a god or spirit that your path has been built around? It may be time to see how you can move on.
When 'take a break' might be helpful advice to heal your practice:
Of course, YMMV :)
'Taking a break' doesn't mean stop being a witch, stop believing in magic, or stop 100% of your practice. It can also mean putting a lot of projects on the back burner, switching to bare-minimum (or below minimum) maintenance, and squashing regular routines.
I'm talking specifically about taking a break in the interest of your own practice - not the conditions under which someone is ""allowed"" to stop practicing witchcraft.
Take a break to rest and let your seeds germinate. 'Fallow periods,' when you have no desire or motivation to practice witchcraft, and when it seems like there's nothing for you to do, are normal. Some witches experience this cyclically, perhaps during certain seasons or when predictable life conditions are met. There's no need to force yourself to practice when it's just not flowing. The snow on your mountaintops needs to melt to replenish your waterways, bestie. There's nothing wrong with you, the sun just isn't out yet.
When you're hitting yourself with a hammer. When something in your practice is triggering or harming you, and stopping will have no consequences, then stopping your practice for a while is probably a good idea. Use the downtime to seek healing or reformat your practice.
To open your life up for necessary work. Not every witch can out-path every problem. Consider taking a break when the problem is something you will have time and energy to work on if not for your regular magical practice.
When you're about to deep-fry your brain with Witch Fire. Consider taking a break when the problem with your practice is that you are practicing too often - such as fatigue due to excessive spellwork, divinatory obsession, trouble staying out of the spirit world (compulsive astral travel), or focus on spirits/magic/the spirit worlds are starting to erode your home, school, or work life.
To let the ripples settle. When you've done so much magic or ritual work that your life is a boat on a stormy sea, and you just need to batten down the hatches for a while and let things settle.
Early Summer Morning by Mikhail Kornilov
hey i saw you across the room at the devil's sacrament and loved your vibe
Be silly sometimes
I was at my local book store for some new reading material and saw "Metaphysical AF" by Maggie Wilson and it got me thinking. So much I had to buy a copy.
But it got me thinking about how serious people have started taking the craft. I say this as someone who suffered from this in the being myself. Some time cleansing your space is just lighting a incense opening the door a blaring some music that makes you feel strong or shake your ass. Sometimes your glamour is just looking in the mirror and reminding yourself you are beautiful. Sometimes you write down someone's name, ball up the paper and throw it around to get someone to leave you alone.
The universe can be very serious but it can be just as silly as you
your humorous post has delighted me. i will now absorb it into my dark crystal
no more "sigil for anxiety" this or "love spell" that. give me your worst, most terrifying curse
the type of shit that'll tarnish their ancestral line for generations to come or ruin their chance of ever seeing the gates of elysium
sometimes magic is literally just opening the windows and putting on some good music while you clean the house ✧
i was seeing all these little blue flowers everywhere and kept thinking "dang what are these bitches, i can't remember..." well guess what. they were fuckin forget-me-nots. can't believe i failed step fucking 1, the hot girls on iNaturalist are going to laugh at me and i'm gonna flunk out of hobby botany school.
The Plagues song in Prince of Egypt goes so hard
We are witches, of course we always want to go to antique shops, thrift shops, bookstores, apothecaries.
How could I look away?
warm up study on the new IPad I got with commission money! Gonna make a whole post ab that later. Thank you so so much to everyone who has supported me so far, you guys are literally keeping me fed. Ily!!!🖤 :)
Baneful Magic Masterpost
***I understand that cursing is a controversial topic for some people. I don't believe in the threefold's law or whatnot, so such things aren't a concern for me. I do, however, advise you to only curse someone who truly deserves it. Curses are meant to be permanent and difficult to break, while hexes aren't nearly as potent. Do with that knowledge what you will. Intense spells will be marked with "***".***
Curses (long-term, usually permanent)
"Supernatural Soul Eater" curse***
"Gentle Curse" curse
"Hekatean Witchcraft Curse" curse
"From This Pain, I Will Rise" curse
"Blood Rain" tied with protection↓***
"Curse For Protection" tied with blood rain↑***
"Drown In Your Horrors" curse
"To Sink A Sailor" curse
"Curses For Empathy" curse
"My Pain To Yours" curse
"Beauty & The Beast" curse
"Your Joy Will Turn To Ashes" curse***
"Your True Nature Revealed" curse
"Releasing The Hounds" curse***
"The Curse Of Arrows" curse
"Lollipop Curse" curse
"Anon Hate" curse
"Sickness Killer" curse (DOES NOT REPLACE MEDICAL HELP)
"A Bellyful Of Stones" curse
"Bind & Break" curse***
"Forget Me Not" curse
"Did You Miss Me?" curse***
"Dragon Fire" curse
"Red Heart" curse
"Headless Horseman" curse
"Only A Memory" curse
"Hurricane Curse" curse***
"Let Loose Your Crimson Arrow" curse
"Hypnotic Flame" curse
"Drown In Your Guilt" curse***
"Stomp Out The Bastard" curse
"Duress" curse
"Essence Extraction" curse
"Red In Your Ledger" curse
"Sin Collector" curse
"The Ferryman's Curse" curse
"An Ancient Greek Curse" curse
"Knitting Curse" curse
Hexes (short-term, usually temporary)
"The Seven Stings" hex
"The Lemon Hex" hex
"Coffin Hex" hex***
"Curse Alternative" hex
"Hex Bramble" hex
"Black-Out" hex
"Burse Your Bubble" hex
"Year Long" hex***
"Ants Nest" hex
"By All Means, Panty Away" hex
"Hazy Smog" hex
"Hexing In A Pinch" hex
"Hexball" hex
"Revenge On Cheaters" hex
"Frostburn" hex
"Mess With A Witch" hex***
"Bring About Consequences" hex
"Riddle Of Lightning" hex
Jars, Charms, & Pouches
"Jar Of Consequences" jar hex
"Feel The Pain You've Caused Me" sigil
"To Banish & Bind: For Abusers" jar curse
"Wither & Rot" jar curse***
"Your Hatred Is Your Own" jar curse
"Revenge Curse Cage" jar curse***
"Box Of Terror" box curse***
"Catcall Hex Stone" hex charm
"Begone Neighbors" jar hex
"All Purpose Curse Powder" curse powder
Removals, Reversals, & Protection
"Curse Removal & Reversal" removal, reversal
"The Healing Pool: Cursebreaker" removal
"Mild & Spicy Cursebreaker Powders" removal
"To Stop Someone From Casting On You" prevention
"Return To Sender Spells" reversal
"Curse Removing Wash" removal
"To Reverse A Spell" reversal
"Curse Removal/Protection" removal, prevention
"Decoy For Protection Purposes" prevention
"Protection From Curses" prevention
"Curse Decoy" prevention
"Substitute Spell" prevention
"Witch Bottle" prevention
"Blackthorn Reversing Spell" reversal
"Break A Curse Candle Spell" removal
"Curse-breaking, Purifying, Protective Witch Jar" prevention, removal
"To Destroy A Curse" removal
"Hex & Curse-breaking" removal
"Hex-breaker Candle" removal
Information
"Curses vs. Hexes: What's The Difference?" info
"So You Think You've Been Cursed" info
"Object Cursing" info
"Jinxes, Hexes, & Curses" info & spells
"Lessons Learnt From A Hex" info
"Curse Correspondences" info
"Cursing101" info
"So You Just Did A Big Curse...Now What?" info
"Foxen's List Of Baneful Ingredients" info
"Nasty Shit To Put In Curse Jars" info
"Something To Consider Before You Curse" info
"Taglocks" info
gentle curse
the most convenient way for me to stir up a little trouble for someone who needs a little push in the right direction:
- grab a small jar (or large, it doesn’t matter)
- fill it a quarter way with vinegar
- add any type of brutal pepper and salt
- write out a person’s full name on a scrap of paper
- drop the paper into the jar while stating the intentions
- seal the jar with either a lid or cloth and string
this way the person of interest drowns in their own negative energy until they learn from their mistakes
so embarrassing when i forget im checking someone's blog and i start scrolling through and liking and reblogging shit as if it's just my dash. it feels like wandering into someone else's apartment and not noticing and making myself lunch
In a world full of instant gratification.. may we never lose sight of the natural cycles of life.. how the moon takes its time to be full or how the crops take their time to harvest..
May we slow down & just be present..
Your gods are listening to you. Yes, even when your tears are falling and you think you are alone. You are not.
oh man it’s beltane today and i don’t think i even have the energy to do anything for it :// sucks
have to say tho, i was kinda sceptical about doing divination at first because i thought it was just tarot. so you can imagine my surprise when i saw dice and playing cards and casting runes are also divination methods. i was curious enough to try out dice and playing cards and like. y’all. they actually Work.
dice are a bit finnicky, at least the 3d6 method, they’re very vague and give too little information (and my rolls have all been So Low, but maybe that’s because my dice don’t like that they’re also used for dnd and were kept in a big pouch of dice with little regard) but that doesn’t matter much because i use them in addition to playing cards.
now Those? i fucking Love. i’ve used them to speak to lucifer (and it was really fucking nice, he’s so kind and reassuring… also might’ve been testing me but i’m not sure, my intuition with cards isn’t the best by question 3, i get tired really fast) and today my cards told me that Yeah, asmodeus is Definitely sending me signals. again, by question 3 the answer was jumbled, but it could’ve(???) been asmodeus trying to talk directly to me? i’m not really sure. but when i was shuffling the cards to end the reading, a card jumped out and it was like my deck wanted to reassure me or like. solidify that This Will Happen. when i realised, i had to laugh a little because damn, my cards are so good to me.
so yeah, since those two methods work Beautifully for me, i bought a tarot deck off vinted. the. smith waite centennial one i think? yeah. the illustrations are Gorgeous. i’ll be taking some precautions before i actually use them, like cleansing them and using a protective sigil on them, introducing myself, etc etc. i really can’t wait until they arrive :33
getting signs from asmodeus :33 who knew i’d be so popular among demons /j
The questions I ask myself, roughly in this order, to interpret any* tarot spread:
How did the cards appear? Because I shuffle for jumpers, it matters whether cards pop from the deck together. They form pairs (or groups) which have stronger connections to each other than other cards in the spread.
What types of cards are on the field? Majors? Minors? All numerical cards? Court cards? What suits? What numbers? This is where I consider the raw, memorized meaning of individual cards and the archetypes they represent.
Are there obvious patterns or cadences in the order? Think like poetry, ABAB or AABB, but with the types of cards. In a hand of five, it's interesting if the order is Major-Minor-Major-Minor-Major. Or maybe the cards are in a descending numerical order, Nine-Eight-Seven-Six-Five. Or, perhaps Nine-Eight-Six-Five-Four -- the jump in the pattern matters.
Are there repeating numbers or suits? Repetition strengthens the significance of a number's or suit's meaning.
Are there repeating motifs in the card art? Again, repetition strengthens the significance. This includes colors, background details, people, animals, and so forth.
Where are figures in the art looking? Are they looking at other cards? At each other? Away from each other? The direction of figures' attention directs where that card's focus might be.
Is there a cohesion or flow in the spread, or is it interrupted and disorganized? Some spreads flow smoothly left to right, while others show disruption and a lack of coherency. This question looks a the spread as a whole again after all other questions have been asked to consider all elements together.
Does it make sense? Do the cards answer the question being asked? How do they apply? Is there something missing? Is there a deeper meaning to delve into? Do I need clarifiers? Do I need to try again with new cards? Can I explain these cards to the querent and have them understand my meaning?
And then I write out my analysis! There's obviously more to it than this, with a ton of nuance at every step, and I could probably write a whole essay about any individual part of this... and I probably still will, honestly. (And I started to, then decided to just write up a little list instead, lmao.)
*May not work for some tarot spreads, depending on the style.
the gods understand your disabilities, mental health, and neurodiversities.
they understand if your disabilities, mental or physical, prevent you from being able to go outside.
they understand you even when you cannot articulate what you mean during prayer or cannot find the words to express gratitude and love.
they understand if you can't spend much time or stand still at their altars.
they understand if executive dysfunction keeps you from making offerings or doing a lot of active practice.
they understand if you have to take breaks and hiatuses from practicing to focus on yourself and your mental or physical health.
they understand if you lose focus during meditation/trance work or cannot do it to begin with.
they understand you and are with you when you cannot get out of bed for mental or physical reasons.
they understand you and are with you during times when you cannot care for yourself or love yourself.
the gods will always understand, love, and accept us for who we are. we are all valid, and we are seen and heard by the gods, even when it feels as if we are alone. 💙
Working With Asmoday
The Lord of Lust
Enn: "Ayer Avagen Aloren Asmoday Aken"
Rank: King
Other names: Asmodai, Asmodeus
Colors: Red, yellow, black
Herbs: Patchouli, cinnamon, damiana, sandalwood, amber, belladonna, bindweed, dandelion, wormwood, bergamot, saffron, hibiscus, rose, orchid, frankincense
Crystals: Bumblebee jasper, carnelian, fire quartz, opal, red tiger's eye, bloodstone, garnet, herkimer diamond, rainbow obsidian, shungite, jet, black quartz, black jade, nuummite, phenacite, pietersite
Element: Fire/Air
Planet: Mars/Neptune
Zodiac: Aquarius (Scorpio)
Metal: Gold, titanium, blue copper
Tarot: The Devil, 6 of Swords
Direction: East
Dates: January 30th - February 8th, August 28th - September 1st
Day: Saturday
Animals: Dragons/chimeras, snakes, goats, rams, whales, roosters, wolves
Domains: Sex magick, lust, love, revenge, protection, luck, finding treasure, invisibility, risk and reward, protection, life's luxuries, sacred geometry, gambling, astronomy, physical and spiritual strength, mechanical sciences and skills, weoponry ability (blades), victory over rivals
Offerings: Blood, sexual acts/fluids, meat, crystals and gemstone jewelry, gold, coins, dice, whiskey, coffee, tobacco, anything related to demons, devils, or Hell.
Sigil:
Here's a reminder that I don't tolerate TERFs in pagan spaces, and if anyone following me is a TERF, get out.
The gods don't subscribe to your hateful rhetoric, and they love all of their trans worshippers.
communicating with deities
now of course this is a multi layered topic that is different for everyone. some people will use some of these techniques, some people use none, others may use all in sparing amounts. and some techniques may not work for you at all, and that's okay!
just remember that you and your practice is valid, this is just advice for whoever needs it (and that may not be you! it's okay!).
HOWEVER it should be said that a lot of cultures place an emphasis on cleanliness--both spiritual and physical. so, hey, maybe set up some incense and wash your hands before doing some of these methods.
1. Tarot, Runes, Etc.
Now this section is probably the biggest out of all of them. There are so many different physical divination techniques across several different cultures including tarot and runes, but also bone/charm casting (here's a good tutorial for that), psephoi, coin flipping, geomancy, the ogham, and gods so many more I just can't get to all of them.
I like to do this at or near my altar space while wearing my devotional jewelry or sometimes even while veiling, depending on the deity.
What I like to start with is just a simple "Please [deity name] guide this reading." before I ask my question and cast lots. I imagine the deity during the question, during the pulling, and while interpreting.
Sometimes, with deities, the question you ask isn't always the one that is answered. If there is a certainmessage they deem more important, they will give you that instead. This happens to me very, very frequently.
I don't have a particular spread that I always use, but I tend to go for a simple five card pull. I also tend to place a lot of importance in cards that fall out while shuffling, and will look at them with and apart from the other cards I pull. Other than that, a simple past-present-future can also be very useful here.
2. Meditation
This is what I know most practicioners to use, as it seems to come the easiest to most people. However, if you're someone like me who's on certain psychiatric medications, this may not work for you. Furthermore, if you have difficulty visualizing (which is Not your fault, some people are just built differently and that's okay), this may be difficult for you.
The way I used to go about it is that I would find a dark, quiet place, I would light some incense, perhaps even play some light music or nonspeaking ASMR. Here is a good tutorial on YouTube. I just needed to get relaxed enough to be almost asleep, but not so relaxed I lost focus. Recently, I've also noticed that doing some,,, gardening (iykyk),, helps a lot with reaching the right state.
You're looking for just the fine line between sleep and wakefulness, it should almost feel like you're being pulled upward (at least, that's how it feels to me).
Messages may come in the form of images or words, and can be direct or very vague. Just remember to be patient with yourself and your deities, the time may not always be right for you to hear some messages.
3. Pendulums
The reason why pendulums get their own section is just because they're so dang good. Yes, pendulums can and do answer yes/no questions, however they can also be used with certain alphabetical charts to discern individual words and phrases from your deities.
Again, like with tarot, I like to set myself up near my altar with my devotional jewelry. Then I'll ask my pendulum to please contact the deity in question. The reason you want to do this is because I've noticed pendulums may have energy of their own, and may answer questions themselves if given the opportunity. This is not inherently bad, it's just not what you want.
Remember to always ask your pendulum if they're okay being taken over by a deity, some will already be occupied by their own force and won't appreciate being budged out. Others won't care and you'll have an okay time with it.
4. Dreams or Visions
Some of our polytheist friends will be given the ability to receive dreams or visions from their deities. This often comes in it's own package of strange messages and symbolism, but it works nonetheless. Keep a look out for dreams that include your gods' symbols, holy animals, or popular visages.
Remember, it is totally alright if you don't receive direct messages from your gods. I, for one, do not. Sometimes I will dream about my deities but I almost never remember what happened in the dreams, much less if there was a message. Those that receive dreams and visions are not better than you, nor do they automatically have a better relationship with that god than you.
In this case, there isn't much you can do except pray for visions. You can't force them to happen, there's no way to make yourself the perfect vessel or devotee (unlike what some might claim), it just works or it doesn't.
Also if you're having frequent visions and seeing full apparitions while awake that are convincing you to do things or are encouraging paranoid delusions, please seek therapy. I don't automatically believe you need to medicated because you see apparitions of the gods in broad daylight, but you should see someone who can help you discern if these are real messages from your gods or are figments of poor brain chemistry. Take care of yourselves, please.
5. Devotional Acts
Some people, especially in antiquity, communicated the gods in a mostly unidirectional manner. This includes burning offerings and incense, setting up altars, engaging inprayer, and doing devotional activities.
My favorite devotional activities include:
-going thrifting for fun nicknacks for my altar space
-eating food in their name, especially ones that remind you of them
-making devotional jewelry, including prayer beads
-doing divinational readings for others
-going out to look at the sunrise/sunset/moon
-spending time with family, especially female family members
-doing kind things, like making donations to charities you like or giving money to the unhoused
-reading books or stories about your deities
-loving and taking care of your furry friends, especially strays
Anyways, that's all I've got for today, Khaire! <3
the ogham alphabet and their divinatory meanings
FIRST AICME
ᚁ beith
UPRIGHT: joyful beginnings, new possibilities, renewal and rebirth--even if it is uncomfortable
REVERSED: a blind path, wasted efforts, fixation on the past, longing for the impossible
ᚂ luis
UPRIGHT: clarity, attention to detail, purification, danger avoided or overcome, two paths are open to you
REVERSED: vulnerability, uncertainty, deception, delusion, something (possibly your own emotions) is misleading you
ᚃ fearn
UPRIGHT: protection and guidance, emotional security, good advice, prophecy, unexpected solution(s), music, poetry
REVERSED: willful blindness, refusal to listen to advice, arrogance or not enough information
ᚄ saille
UPRIGHT: go with the flow, intuition, dreaming, unconscious, letting go of preconceptions, feminine energy/connection to the moon
REVERSED: inability to adapt, feeling defeated or lost, lack of movement, difficulty that will inevitably pass
ᚅ nuin
UPRIGHT: connection and transformation, being a part of something bigger, fate, divine action/inspiration
REVERSED: isolation and boredom, being blind to (either good or bad) possibilities, take control and be assertive
SECOND AICME
ᚆ huath
UPRIGHT: patience, protection/purification, reserve, feeling suffocated, problems that will eventually change, self-sacrifice
REVERSED: you are acting too hasty, take a second to think OR you're at a standstill, you need to take action
ᚇ duir
UPRIGHT: sacred spaces, forward movement, power and energy, the power to endure, leadership, endurance
REVERSED: help from those in power, success despite means, borrowed strength, a gift, cowardliness
ᚈ tinne
UPRIGHT: challenges or tests, recommends decisive action, balance, integrity, talent/skill/expertise, growth
REVERSED: attack, hardship, aggression, lack of direction or balance
ᚉ coll
UPRIGHT: knowledge and learning, transformation and flexibility, creativity, daydreaming, rituals/divination
REVERSED: intellectual/creative blockages (art/writer's block), lack of insight, fear of failure, ignorance
ᚊ quert
UPRIGHT: happiness, healing, beauty, love affairs, awakenings and new experiences, opportunity (or the choice) to live more fully
REVERSED: despair, ailments, unavoidable choice(s), mixed gain/loss, procrastination
THIRD AICME
ᚋ muin
UPRIGHT: inspiration, prophecy or psychic senses, community and celebration, freedom, rest, examine life's lessons
REVERSED: burdens, difficulties, a need to relax/unwind, you're strung out or trying too hard OR overindulging
ᚌ gort
UPRIGHT: slow/indirect progress, wildness, purpose, determination, transformation, follow life's path
REVERSED: entanglement, think twice about what you're doing, and arduous path
ᚍ ngetal
UPRIGHT: vitality, awareness of environment, creating order from chaos, prioritizing personal health, you aren't finished yet
REVERSED: inability to act, need for healing and patience, you aren't ready to act yet OR you have done all you can
ᚎ straif
UPRIGHT: necessity/inevitability, fate or omens, death, rebirth, some things cannot be changed, wheel of fortune
REVERSED: pain, difficulty, retribution, necessary suffering, no choice is a good one
ᚏ ruis
UPRIGHT: resolution, completion, looking ahead, omen of success, difficulties permanently overcome
REVERSED: endings and departures, face the facts, shame, illness/disability
FOURTH AICME
ᚐ ailm
UPRIGHT: insight, grounded in the present, clear vision, start new project(s), new perspective, foresight
REVERSED: ignorance of the broader picture, unrealistic ideas, step back and reassess, fear and anxiety
ᚑ onn
UPRIGHT: energy, life, vigor, sexuality, attraction, gathering together, consider changing your life's direction
REVERSED: difficulties and delays, overconfidence, taking too many risks, unrealistic desires
ᚒ uhr
UPRIGHT: spiritual/magical power, forces of nature, deep connections, fulfillment, death and memories of loved ones
REVERSED: deception, deceit, loss of contact with nature/spirits, need for recuperation/reconnection in a relationship
ᚓ eadhadh
UPRIGHT: courage and tenacity, a struggle for victory, quest for inner strength, enlightenment
REVERSED: addiction, terror, declining health, compromise and negotiation, choosing a different path
ᚔ iodhadh
UPRIGHT: ancestry, aging or dying, things unchanging, old age, memory
REVERSED: stagnation and immobility, death or mourning, the past is a burden, things lingering past their prime
FORFEDHA
ᚕ eabhadh
UPRIGHT: spiritual wisdom, complexity, place of balance/harmony, presence of many factors, spiritual wisdom
REVERSED: confusion, bewilderment, too many factors at work to allow for a successful prediction/decision
ᚖ oir
UPRIGHT: radical transformation, abundance, sudden illumination or destruction that is set about by outside forces
REVERSED: patience, preparation, the path before you is a slow one, wait for outside forces to act
ᚗ uilleann
UPRIGHT: knowledge and lore, learning and study, wisdom of the past as a guide, private thoughts or secrets
REVERSED: ignorance, failure to learn from the past, future instead of past
ᚘ ifin
UPRIGHT: secrets and revelations, subtle influences, releasing emotions of guilt/shame
REVERSED: the situation is not as it seems, the information that you need is not available to you
ᚙ eamancholl
UPRIGHT: unexpected change, arrival of new influence, illness
REVERSED: sudden endings or disruptions
devotional jewelry
the poll that i put up the other day (which i know isn't even done yet) has dictated that this post shall be about devotional jewelry/prayer beads! which honestly, i'm really excited for this, i've been meaning to get an excuse to show these off
btw i did provide image descriptions but if they're missing something or you have suggestions please don't be afraid to comment them!
(SOME) EXAMPLES
japa mala: hindu. usually consists of 108 beads (separated by a larger one at the beginning/end), these are used to keep track of mantras/prayers/sacred phrases recited during meditation
mala: buddhist, most commonly tibetan. likely adapted from hinduism, these also have 108 beads (ending in a tassel or amulet), used to count mantras or direct breathing during meditation
prayer rope: eastern orthodox. usually made of 33, 100, or 300 knots ending in a cross (also made of knots) and/or a tassel. used to count repetitions of the Jesus Prayer
rosary: catholic. arranged in five decades (sets of 10 beads) each separated by a larger bead and ending in a strand with a crucifix on the end. traditionally, a person does three cycles, saying Hail Marys on the small beads and different prayers relating to the mysteries on the larger beads
misbaha/subha: islamic. three groups of beads totaling to 99, each section with a different prayer separated by imams and ending in the yad (used as a handle), used in dhikr after regular prayer
ANCIENT GREECE: as far as i can tell, prayer beads were not in use in ancient greek worship. however, jewelry was a somewhat common offering at temples, and a large part of archeological findings have depictions of deities on them. these are my favorite
(SOME OF) MY DEVOTIONAL PIECES
HADES (left) -red/gold glass beads: reminds me of pomegranate seeds
-gold: association with wealth (Plouton)
-silver: association with wealth
-snowflake obsidian: protection, associated with the underworld
-smokey quartz pendant: protection, association with the underworld
PERSEPHONE (right) -unakite: association with nature/the earth
-rhodonite: pink to remind me of spring
-flower beads: association with her Roman form Flora
-hematite: protection, association with underworld
APHRODITE (left) -pearls: association with the ocean (i venerate her strongly as an oceanic deity)
-shells: association with the ocean
-art deco style beads: opulence and beauty
-mint quartz: it's kinda a sea green, reminds me of the ocean where i live
ATHENA (right) -sodalite: intuition, complex thought (wisdom, some might even say)
-lapis lazuli: intuition (also associated with zeus)
-blue aventurine: just fit the theme lol
-obsidian: protection (like against enemies)
-sword pendant: representative of her war aspect
DIONYSUS (left) -aventurine: prosperity, fortune (similar to fertility, kinda?)
-fluorite: just fit the theme
-amethyst and pendant: bc of the story of rhea curing his madness with an amethyst
this was one of the first pieces i made, so i didn't have as big a variety of beads to work with
HEKATE (right) -garnet: associated with Persephone, a companion of Hekate
-labradorite: magic
-bloodstone: the underworld/the dead
-skull beads: underworld/the dead
-tarot cards: representative of her domain of the sky, earth, and seas, also divination/magic
-black tourmaline pendant: the underworld
i chose specifically three skulls on the short section to represent her tripartate depiction
APOLLO (left) -tree agate: nature and hunting
-wood beads: nature
-bells: music (yes they actually make noise!)
-the sun tarot card pendant: he's the god of the sun AND oracles/seers, which this kinda represents
this is one of my faves but i never wear it just bc the bells can be obnoxious in public lmfao. i know most people wear yellow or orange for him but tbh i don't really enjoy those colors and it's important to me to explore his other aspects
ARTEMIS (right) -lepidolite: aids in transitions
-moss agate: nature
-obsidian: protection (i see her as a personal protector)
-labradorite: looks like the moon
i actually went shopping for this one specifically (i had another set for her i wasn't happy with) so that's why there's so many plastic and glass beads (i got them from a craft store). the old set had howlite cause howl=wolf=lykeia and blue aventurine for the sky
HOW TO USE THEM
personally, devotional jewelry is my first go-to when i have low spoons and need to spend the day in bed. i can wear it taking a nap, making my lunch, taking a walk, whatever! i don't always wear it though, since i try to keep it meaningful. this may differ from person to person, but that's just the way i do it
you can also use them as prayer beads and count each bead as a set prayer or phrase to your deity OR use them to help you focus on relaxing during meditation
for those who are devoted to one deity/oathbound/etc., this could also be your way of showing your faith, like you would in a romantic relationship (although you don't need to be godspoused)
they also work as a great altar decoration, you can wear it while doing prayer and put it back after
but also, at the end of the day, i got a lot more value out of the making of these than wearing them (i forget oftentimes), and it was a great devotional activity for me
HOW I MAKE THEM
for my specific pieces i used a style that's commonly seen in modern rosaries--the bead(s) on separate but connected pieces--but you can use whatever style you like
here's an example of what my friend's looks like:
and my brother's:
if you want them all on one strand like these, i say go ahead! if you want them all separate bead by bead then do that! if you want plastic, stone, wood, shell, seed, whatever, go ahead!
ultimately i make my devotional jewelry personal to me and my relationship with the deity, and i encourage you all to do the same. don't worry about what other people are doing (although im always down to provide suggestions!)
MATERIALS I USE -pre looped pins OR bead stringing wire
-a kit like this if using wire string (crimp the small beads or the vertical rectangle with the loop on top instead of tying the wire)
-just jumprings if using pre looped pins
-a round and flat pair of jewelry pliers
-a one step looper (optional)
-whatever beads and pendants i can five finger discount from stores or find at home
if you want recommendations for what crystals or colors to go with you can see my common crystals post and my altars for series. i choose crystals related to the domain of the deity, or ones that show up in their myth
techniques or materials may vary depending on what piece of jewelry you're doing. if you're doing earrings ofc you won't need the wire string and you'll need a different kit with earring backs
ALTERNATIVES
don't have the dexterity, materials, tools, or money to make your own jewelry? here are some ideas: -thrifting/buying them pre made
-thrifting beads
-using old jewelry you already own and just consecrating it for a specific deity (ill make another post about that)
-making something other than a necklace, like friendship bracelets, kandi, earrings, or even a knotted rope
but ultimately, you don't have to have or wear devotional jewelry. it isn't necessarily a vital part of my craft, i just really enjoyed making them. if you don't enjoy making them or can't, don't! you don't need to stress about forcing it into your practice
SOURCES
britannica
wikipedia on misbaha (briefly)
Resources for Luciferians
Firstly, my asks are always open and you can search through my blog. The #information tag is full of info. My number one recommendation is to go on the r/DemonolatryPractices subreddit search bar and type key words for any questions you may have:
https://www.reddit.com/r/DemonolatryPractices/s/ulXKba2pO5
I made a post with a list of communities you can join. Each community has its own resources you may find helpful:
TikTok is full of a lot of misinformation surrounding demonolatry, but my personal favorite account on the subject is MadameFortune. I don’t agree with all of her gnosis, but she’s got some fantastic information and cites her sources. Her Geography of Hell series is my favorite: Edit: Apparently she scammed people so DO NOT send her money
Dancing Corpse Witch is a blog that I like. It has good information and experiences that line up with what I’ve experienced:
They also have an Instagram where they post channeled messages from the infernal divine on their stories:
https://www.instagram.com/dancing.corpse.witch?igsh=MW9yNmxzYTRrdzZkZA==
As for informative blogs here on Tumblr, these are my top three picks:
@astra-ravana
@thrashkink-coven
@siren-sovereign
Texts
These are just what I’ve read so far. I know there’s much more out there. I’ll get to them… eventually Edit: I would like to add Apotheosis and Bible of the Adversary both by Michael W. Ford, but it appears Tumblr won’t let me add more links here
The Lesser Key of Solomon:
http://www.labirintoermetico.com/06Numerologia_Cabala/Lemegeton_1_Goetia.pdf
The Complete Book of Demonolatry by S. Connolly:
Demonolater’s Handbook by Mirta Wake:
A Luciferian's View Deity Work and Ideas for Diversifying Your Practice by Mirta Wake:
Lucifer: Princeps by Peter Grey:
Rites of Lucifer by Temple of Ascending Flame:
The Diabolicon by Michael Aquino:
https://cdn.preterhuman.net/texts/religion.occult.new_age/occult_library/Aquino_M-Diabolicon.pdf
For historical literature, which can provide great context, I recommend Paradise Lost by John Milton, Dante’s Inferno, and Goethe’s Faust. These are all free on Apple Books and can probably be found at any public library.
Life finds a way, even in the cracks of concrete.
