Learning Alchemical Correspondences

Learning alchemical correspondences

What’s neat about alchemy is that if you know a little about it, you can immediately apply the knowledge because so many magical, scientific and other disciplines were and still are built on basic alchemical principles. This isn’t about whether or not alchemy is right or wrong, just about its place in the evolution of our thought and art and sciences. You will it everywhere because it’s been around… and knowing how to read its tracks will help you understand a lot of things!

For instance, the shorthand of alchemy is used a lot in many places in magic and history. You can find it in heraldry, where it also bridges into the history of important aristocratic houses, and you will find it in chemistry, where it defines our earliest understandings of the behavior of metals and materials. You will especially find it in descriptions and charts dealing with spirits and magical ingredients, or names and descriptions of magical items.

So, here is a list of seven things you can look for that will give you alchemical knowledge about whatever subject is referencing alchemy. If you’re researching historical subjects, it’s especially useful because the further in the past you go, the more you’ll find people depending on alchemical knowledge, because at one time it was all we had. If you understand the thinking of the writers, you can understand their writing more, and find hidden references. You’ll also be more likely to pick up on the things they forgot to explain because they assumed some knowledge would be common to the everyday reader that no longer is. And you’ll know that if a ritual is supposed to be on a certain day of the week, and it asks for iron tools and red decor, you’ll be doing it on a Tuesday, and you’ll know that because you’ll know how to recognize Mars in a ritual.

I’m going to identify the metal, the day of the week, and the color. I say ‘color of decor’ to mean altar cloths, text color, colors of flowers and gems… etc. I’ve listed the colors I’ve often found “in the wild” in different correspondence charts and magical systems–it’s usually determined by what ink colors the author/culture had at their disposal, so don’t stress yourself out on getting it perfect. Once you have these basic correspondences down, you’ll be able to find many more.

Gold

Gold is the metal of the Sun. Sunday is the day that corresponds. The color of decor can vary from yellow to white to gold, depending on the constraints of your palette.

(Since Venus is copper, sometimes your palette’s limits may mean that the Sun is white, Venus is yellow, etc. You’ll find similar behavior with Mercury’s color associations.)

Quicksilver

Quicksilver is the metal of Mercury. Wednesday is the day that corresponds. The color of decor can vary–grey or silver or iridescent is typical, with some way that it is contrasted from the Moon.

(By the way, if you need a shortcut for remembering days of the week and which correspond to which metal, just look at them in French! Here’s a table.)

Iron

Iron is the metal of Mars. Tuesday is the day that corresponds. (Mardi Gras is always on a Tuesday!) The color of decor will be red. Iron is what makes dyes and paints–and blood–red, in fact.

Silver

Silver is the metal of the Moon. Monday is the day that corresponds. The color of decor will be silver or blue, depending on your palette’s constraints, and there’s the option of using white if the Sun isn’t doing that.

Copper

Copper is the metal of Venus. Friday is the day that corresponds. The color of decor will be copper or orange–gold/brass will work if it doesn’t conflict with other planets. (This last part only refers to the color brass. If you use the metal brass instead of copper, that can create conflicts, so be aware of that.)

Tin

Tin is the metal of Jupiter, so put on your tinfoil hat. Thursday is the day that corresponds. The color of decor will typically be green for Jupiter, which gives you a real break from having to find yet another shade of grey or silver in this system.

Lead

Lead is the metal of Saturn. Saturday is the corresponding day. The color of decor should be black or a dark color like purple, just goth it right the heck up.

This is why magicians end up keeping so many correspondence charts–you can find plenty of associations to add with just this basic set of information to start from, I’m sure, and every magician has their set of correspondences they prefer. You’ll find various systems that build on or copy off of this system, or that modify and mutate it. From it, you can also see the structures that make up a base foundation for a creative, scientific and magical system. If you’re interested in rolling your own, then this is a good place to start studying!

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witchcraft alchemy

About Lucia

Going by the old Julian calendar, December 13 was the darkest night of the year — the eve of the winter solstice. This, however, changed after the calendar reformation in 1753, when the Gregorian calendar was put into use in Sweden, and the winter solstice shifted to December 21. But the folk tradition still stood — the night before the 13th was still popularly known as the darkest night, and therefore also the most dangerous, for the darkness allowed evil entities to thrive longer than any other night. This, in turn, has led to a number of traditions, but the most important aspect has always been the one of light and feasting. To keep the evil away, it was important to stay awake and to stay indoors with lights.

But to be able to stay awake a whole night, one must eat. Tradition decreed that almost all preparations for jól (the midwinter celebration) should also be completed by the 13th, including the slaughter of the festive pig, meaning there was fresh food prepared already and the long night served as a good reason to get an early start on the seasonal feasting. Sometimes, the teenagers and young adults would walk from neighbor to neighbor, singing songs in exchange for food and drink, protected with light. Sometimes they would dress up, and sometimes they would do some pranks to scare people.

Today, the tradition is still standing: to lussa is to dress up as Lucia and walk to neighbors or family members with song and cakes. However, the act of lussa was originally to stay awake during the night between the 12th and 13th and was called Lussevaka (Lusse watch). Lucia can still be equally called Lussefirande (Lusse celebration) today.

But why Lussa? Lussi, otherwise known as Lussekäringen (the Lussi witch) or Lussegubben (Lussi man), was an evil entity. She often took the form of a woman who came riding through the skies with her companions called lussifreda. She was one of the evil spirits who would lurk around in the night and take naughty children away through the chimneys, or punish those who had not completed their jól preparation.

And it is due to this, in the dark of the longest night with a despair for light, with evil all around, that the myth of a female figure of light arose. During the pre-Christian era, the light was sworn to keep evil away. The tradition of a light-bringing woman may therefore have its foundation in a heathen goddess of light who was invoked during this night. The tradition of celebrating light in this manner through Lussevaka has stayed on in different forms ever since.

There is also a theory that Lusse is Freya, hence the traditional bread called “lusse cats” would refer to the cats pulling her wagon.

Lusse bread is baked to honor Sunna (the sun) and attract it back when it was at its darkest, today's lusse cats still have the old Sunna symbols (the spirals at the ends).

In the 19th century, a special interest sparked in the Lusse celebration, due to the first wave of nationalism and the search for old folk traditions all around Sweden. Lusse, which was mainly celebrated by men or women dressing up in white with a crown of flowers, holding candlesticks and walking around the farm with food while singing in the morning, gave the foundation to the modern Lucia.

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witchblr paganism winter solstice lucia

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forestwitchnika

4 years ago

TAROT CHEAT SHEET #1

MAJOR ARCANA

0. THE FOOL | blank slate, beginning, innocence ®* | reckless, negligence, unaware of consequences 1. THE MAGICIAN | willpower, manifestation of desires ® | trickery, illusions, lies, out of touch w/ truth 2. THE HIGH PRIESTESS | intuition, inner voice ® | repressed/unheard inner voice 3. THE EMPRESS | mother figure, nurture, earth/nature ® | smothering, dependence, needing to let go 4. THE EMPEROR | authority, structure, control, father figure ® | tyranny, too much control 5. THE HIEROPHANT | tradition, conformity, morality ® | rebellion, subversiveness, divergence 6. THE LOVERS | union, duality, choice, harmony ® | disharmony, loss of balance 7. THE CHARIOT | self-control & willpower leading to victory ® | loss of control, lack of direction 8. STRENGTH | bravery, inner understanding that radiates power ® | self-doubt, insecurity, weakness 9. THE HERMIT | solitude, contemplation, seeking inner truth ® | loneliness, isolation, disconnect w/ fellow humans 10. WHEEL OF FORTUNE | change, cycles, inevitability ® | bad luck, helplessness, series of bad events 11. JUSTICE | cause & effect, karmic retribution ® | unpunished misbehavior, unfair, turning a blind eye 12. THE HANGED MAN | willing sacrifice, release of control ® | stalling, needless sacrifice, waiting to no avail 13. DEATH | end, cyclical closure, metamorphosis ® | fear of change, stagnation, limbo, holding on 14. TEMPERANCE | moderation, balance, middle path ® | extremes, excess, lack of balance 15. THE DEVIL | materialism, destructive patterns, excess ® | freedom, release, restoring control 16. THE TOWER | sudden disaster, upheaval, collapse ® | delaying inevitable disaster, avoiding suffering that could lead to growth 17. THE STAR | hope, faith, guidance ® | faithlessness, lack of guidance, negative thoughts 18. THE MOON | unconscious, intuition, illusions, dreams ® | confusion, misinterpretation 19. THE SUN | success, clarity, positivity, conscious ® | negativity, depression, sadness, pessimism 20. JUDGEMENT | reckoning, honest evaluation of oneself ® | lack of self-awareness, self-loathing 21. THE WORLD | completion, wholeness, fulfillment ® | incompletion, no closure, nearing end of journey but something is missing

*® = reverse card meaning*® = reverse card meaning

Tarot Cheat Sheet #1 - Major Arcana

Tarot Cheat Sheet #2 - Wands

Tarot Cheat Sheet #3 - Cups

Tarot Cheat Sheet #4 - Swords

Tarot Cheat Sheet #5 - Pentacles

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witchcraft

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forestwitchnika

4 years ago

Witch Tips

Witch tips from a witch who has practiced for many years; here are some of my traditional beliefs as well as things I picked up along the way. 💫

🔮 When foraging, do not forget to thank for what you took. Thanks the gods, the fae, the earth, or whomever you worship, but do not just take.

🌙 Wear beautiful clothes when performing a ritual. Before I get into saying anything else I want to say - There is NO PRICE VALUE which makes the ritual clothes beautiful. They do not have to be expensive, or a certain brand, or from a certain place, or anything of the sort. Just make sure that they are well taken care of and that you think they are beautiful.

🔮 People will rarely understand you, and most do not actually even want to. But the trees. The plants. Animals of the earth. Rivers, still and moving water. The stars and the moon. They understand, they will listen, and if you listen, too, you will hear what you need to and be validated and understood. People alive thousands of years before you have been sharing the same heartbreak, pain, suffering, and struggle with the universe. It understands. It has heard before, and will listen again.

🌙 When trying to meditate, you are not actually doing anything wrong by being unable to “clear your mind.” The goal is not actually to have a blank mind, but an open and receptive one. If a thought pops in suddenly, acknowledge it, dismiss it, and move on. It doesn’t mean you’re not focused or doing it wrong.

🔮 Another note about meditation; there is no shame in needing herbs to achieve meditation. There is nothing wrong with you. Some people just need the extra help, and that is okay! It is also a traditional part of many practices to smoke, ingest, or otherwise consume herbs before a ritual/meditation/journey/etc. This pertains to herbs such a kava, sage, wormwood, mugwort, and cannabis. (Do not use unless you ask a doctor, know it’s safe, and so on.)

🌙 Wisdom is the combination of emotion and logic. To make a wise decision, validate the emotion and why it is being felt, look at the logic and the facts, and combine the information for the answer.

🔮 Do not be discouraged that you cannot find witches (or Wiccans, Pagans, Druids, etc) where you live. We are here. We are all over the world. It is just unsafe in some places to practice openly. But if you look for us, you will find us.

🌙 Intent is the most powerful ingredient you have.

🔮 There are hundreds (if not thousands) or ways to create a sigil, and you can make a sigil hundreds of different ways. This also goes for charging and activating sigils.

🌙 You can practice both black and white magick at the same time.

🔮 Bullying other witches is never a good idea. Obviously, bullying anyone is never a good idea and you shouldn’t, but in my years I have seen over and over again it happen when one witch attacks another and then that witch comes down with horrible luck. That is not just because they were cursed by people who support the witch who was being bullied (which is also a huge risk, and causes a lot of issues and conflict) but the universe knows when a witch attacks another witch, and it doesn’t like that. (This does not include calling someone out in an appropriate way for unacceptable behavior and so on. But when you do it about differing opinions….)

🌙 Never stop researching. You will never know everything.

🔮 Deciding that you want to start to practicing witchcraft does NOT mean you have do denounce any previous beliefs.

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forestwitchnika

4 years ago

🌱 grow ur psychic gifts! 🌱

✨ Hi everyone! By popular request, I’m going to be covering the topic of psychic/spiritual gifts and how to fully utilize them. Before I get into it, I want to clarify that EVERYONE has these abilities but not everyone is aware of them. Some people have easier access to their gifts, much like how some people struggle at math while others naturally excel (lmao not me). Like any skill, psychic abilities can be strengthen and exercised through dedication, consistency, and patience. You won’t instantly wake up as fucking Jesus. Another note, being ‘psychic’ isn’t as wild and whimsical as it sounds. It can be at times but don’t expect to start seeing ghosts popping up on every corner or fairies chilling out in your bedroom. It doesn’t work like that! The energy is much more subtle and takes time to understand, much like learning anew language. Anyways, lemme shut up and get into this shit….🔮🔮

1. Be conscious of you health & drink tons of water! Your body is a vessel for your spirit and, if it’s not functioning at it’s fullest capacity, it will limit your connection to your higher-self. Water is also a cleansing/charging tool for the body, mind, and spirit. When you’re doing readings or energy readings for other people it can be extremely draining for your soul. It’s important to replenish through water, high-vibrational foods, and keeping the energy circulating with exercise. For those of you with chronic illness or physical limitations, it’s okay if you can’t do intense exercise everyday. Do as much as you can within your given situation! Respect your body, it takes good care of your soul and is the vehicle for all of your spiritual work!

2. Meditation + meditation + meditation. I feel like this is the dreaded tip because so many people convince themselves that meditating is hard! My suggestion is to sit or lie down for five minutes after you take a shower in the morning/night. Be still and take a few breaths. It’s completely normal for thoughts to pop into your head. Don’t try to push them away! Instead, acknowledge them & then set them aside. Keep focusing on the stillness. Move your attention into your body. Is your breathing natural and rhythmic? Are your shoulders tense? Is there any discomfort? Keep breathing deeply until all of the tension evaporates. Next, try to extend your awareness to the energy around you. What does the energy of the room feel like? What are you hearing? Are you smelling anything new or unusual? Can you physically feel energy? Keep expanding your energy during meditation until you feel connected to the space that you’re in. You should finish feeling a buzzing energy flowing through your body. This is called a receptive or psychic state. Learn how to reach and hold this state because it will increase the clarity of your intuition x100!

3. Be present. Realize that these gifts are with you 24/7 and you can practice them whenever, all you have to do is live calmly in the moment. If you’re not actively listening then how are you ever going to receive messages? Psychic energy usually comes in gentle, subtle waves which means we have to be attentive if we wan’t to feel it. Focus is also necessary. You can’t fully receive info from your intuition while also thinking about a million other things!

4. Listen to high-vibrational music! I’m a hoe for rap music and alternative-pop artists with lyrics that are either depressing af or kind of trashy haha. While music is awesome, it also carries a vibration that can influence our own state of being. The majority o music being made now produces a lower vibration which blocks some of our receptivity. In order to boost your vibration again, listen to about 5 minutes of 528hz or 432hz beats at the end of the day! 528hz & 432hz are described as restorative, healing frequencies that help us get our energetic shit together. I always feel 100x better after five minutes of listening! I’ll link some of my faves!

1 // 2 // 3

5. Journal & then journal some fucking more! Write down predictions so you can check them later, record any spiritual experiences, and possibly try some automatic writing. To tap into my intuition, I like to just as a question and write down the first things that come to mind. Don’t worry about rather or not they make sense, literally DO NOT THINK ABOUT IT. When you feel like you’ve written everything you need, read over what you wrote and see if any of it connects. Look for an answer within the random shit that came to mind. 9/10 you’ll find what you need! This teaches you to trust that little voice in your head or the visions that come to your minds eye.

6. Practice, duh. Ask your friends if they’re okay with you trying to read their aura or pull some cards for them! Think of your psychic abilities as a muscle, in order to strengthen them you have to actually put in the work. One of my favorite exercises is a guessing game involving cards. You can use playing cards, tarot cards, UNO cards, whatever! Place the deck face down and, before you pull from the top of the deck, try to guess what card you’re going to flip over. Then do it again and again until you’re damn near 100% accurate. Or until you’re wrist is exhausted form flipping over cards all night. Whichever one comes first! Another wonderful exercise is psychometry which is the act of reading an object. It’s easier to start off with an object with tons of energy such as a wedding ring, anything metal, a beloved stuffed animal, or a crystal. Try to find the story behind the object and really feel the energy behind it!

7. Get yo self some crystal babies! I’m obsessed with crystals. I seriously can not live without my children! Crystals hold energetic properties that can help us align with out psychic nature and enhance our gifts. There are tons of options but some of my personal favorites for intuitive + psychics are amethyst, clear quartz, black tourmaline, labradorite, rose quartz, and fluorite.

8. Leave your house and go out in nature. You don’t have to live near an abundant forest or breathtaking mountain to reap the spiritual benefits of fresh air! Mindfully spending time in nature is a refreshing form of meditation and brings us closest to our own intuition!

9. Sage + Incense! Clear space = clear mind. Spoke cleansing and burning incense allows us to remove any blockages in our surroundings. Before reading for a client, I always burn some sage or light up the incense. For those of you in dorms or are hush hush about your spirituality, use Florida Water! It’s a liquid household cleansing and spiritual cleansing tool that I adore. You can buy it as a spray or in a bottle.

10. Visualize. Practicing visualization stimulates your third eye, allowing you to receive vivid and powerful clairvoyant messages. There are a hundred different ways to practice visualization but I recommend visualizing your third eye/pineal gland, located between your eyebrows, opening up. As you imagine it opening and glowing, you may even feel a slight tingle on your forehead. This is a sign that you’ve actually opened your ‘third eye’ chakra. From there, simply have fun visualizing whatever you want. Imagine a tiny pink dinosaur flying over your wall or something lmao. This just warms up the psychic muscle!

Once again, these gifts require effort and consistency. Your psychic intuition is not an accessory to play around with. It should be taken care of with hella respect and gratitude! At the same time, don’t stress too much of none of this comes easily to you. I’ve worked incredibly hard to get where I am, incorporating every single one of these tasks + more & I still have way more to grow! If I can make sense of this weird psychic shit, you can too haha. Start applying a few of these tips and you should see improvement within weeks. Now go out there are slay the spiritual game of life bby! ⭐️⭐️

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witchcraft

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forestwitchnika

1 year ago

The Nature of an Old Soul ♡

• Your idea of bliss is singular to the vibrations of a certain place: Preferring to frequent history or art museums, antique or secondhand shops, haunted inns and cemeteries, or historical + architectural sites; you love to experience the large role played by the various energies which make up your surroundings

• A deep fascination is held by you when presented with trinket collections (no matter how much dust has correlated upon them over time!), ghost stories, vintage copies of books or albums, or aged family photographs

• You can see yourself inhabiting a cozy cottage home somewhere in the faroff countryside - or an old, towering castle whose stairways and cooridors are rich with the frequencies of days gone by

• You hail simplicity as the truest form of abundance: Love letters, songs played on the turntable, watching black-and-white films, flower bouquets, visiting the theatre, or spending hours reminiscing beneath the stars or sun are some of the truest ways to your heart

• "I love this song!" you often proclaim when an older tune comes on, only then realizing that you're the only one around who knows it!

• You have a tendency to get along very well with older beings or with animals; as you are more than happy to listen to the memories shared by humans who have seen more than you, or to whisper secrets to the furry ears of dogs or cats

~ L-PF ♡

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inspo

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forestwitchnika

4 years ago

Tarot Cards Cheat Sheet, I Found These Tarot Stickers Online Which Is What I Had Been Waiting For Before

Tarot cards cheat sheet, I found these Tarot stickers online which is what I had been waiting for before I could start on these.

I'm debating on whether I want to put borders at the top of some pages because they seem very plain and need something, any input would be appreciated, even if you think I should keep it plain

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witchcraft

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forestwitchnika

4 years ago

Key Herbs for your Craft

Here are some really basic herbs for your magic workings :

Sage - Cleansing (properties : purification, wisdom, immortality)

Lavender - Calming (properties : love, healing, sleep, dreams, divination)

Rose - Opening (properties : psychic awareness, opening the heart, love)

Eucalyptus - Inspiration (properties : healing, protection, purification, invigorating)

Bay Leaves - Divination (properties : psychic powers, success, money)

Cardamom - Arousal (properties : lust, sexuality, reigniting intimacy)

Rosemary - Focus (properties : mental powers, banishing, purification, protection)

Bergamot - Increasing (properties : manifestation, wealth, success, prosperity, adds power to magic)

Oats - Grounding (properties : wealth, abundance, prosperity)

Dandelion - Releasing (properties : divination, wishes, summoning spirits, releasing)

Yarrow - Banishing (properties : banishing, death, courage, psychic powers)

Cloves - Luck (properties : driving away negativity, cleansing, prosperity)

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witchcraft

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forestwitchnika

2 years ago

dreamy recipes

♡ lilac cream tarts

♡ honey lilac posset

♡ rose honey rice pudding

♡ plum blossom honey panna cotta

♡ wild violet sweethearts

♡ white clover pudding

♡ lavender tea milk punch

♡ dutch puff pancake with lemon curd & primrose cream

all recipes sourced from gathervictoria.com, which also has loads of interesting information on ancestral food traditions, herbalism, and women’s history ❦

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inspo

2K notes View Post

forestwitchnika

4 years ago