Luciferian Challenge - Day 15

Easy Ways to Connect More Strongly with your Deities

Say Good Morning when you wake up, say Good Night before you fall asleep

Share your food with them. If you’ve ever wanted some of your friend’s french fries, you know how they probably feel. 

Donate to causes that fall under the jurisdiction of your deity. Are they a goddess for women? Donate to a women’s shelter or Planned Parenthood. Is your deity a patron of the arts? Give to PBS or local theatres.

Cook a full meal in honor of your deity. Seriously. It sounds silly but you can definitely find a regional cookbook based on your pantheon to cook a full ass feast for them.

Write them letters or notes. Keep a little notebook of notes and letters to your deity. Did you see a cute cat that you think Frigga would’ve liked? Maybe you saw a girl’s outfit that would’ve made Aphrodite drool. Let them know, or give yourself a reminder to tell them about it later.

Change your phone background. Does your deity have a temple or built pantheon? Put that shit as your wallpaper! Did you find a picture that so perfectly captures the spirit of your deity? Make it your lock screen.

Make them a Mix Tape. You know, so you can belt out songs in their honor while making your way downtown. Faces pass. And you’re home bound. 

DIY your Altar. I’m not going to lie, I’m not to altar type. However, it is a fantastically personalized space that you can do anything with. So don’t let anyone stop you from knitting that mini statue of Hecate a scarf. 

Rebel Angel

Angel of Darkness

You've experienced heaven and hell

You have strength of mind and body

Spirit of self-preservation

Guide me, advise me

Lead me to a better me

A wiser me

A Prayer To Vepar For Protection

Come, charming Vepar, demon of the seas,

Of enchanting voice, oh siren of old,

Fierce as a storm and gentle as a breeze,

One whose heart is kind yet vengeance ice cold,

One able both to bring and kill disease,

Come, warrior mermaid, terrible yet sweet,

Be our defender, oppressors defeat.

More about Vepar in my new Wordpress post.

Of Bald Mountain

Introducing Vepar

Come, charming Vepar, demon of the seas,Of enchanting voice, oh siren of old,Fierce as a storm and gentle as a breeze,One whose heart is kin

Eva, Artur Volkmann c.1893

I had never seen this sculpture before until today and I have been obsessed with it all day.

Here is Eve looking God in the fucking eye.

Prompted by Lucifer she takes what rightfully belongs to humanity - the knowledge of good and evil. Not afraid of God’s threats, not ashamed of her nakedness, (that goddam sassy hand on the hip!): it’s as if she’s daring him to do anything about it.

This is not a Fall - this is mankind rising up against the tyranny of servitude and the suppression of sexuality. It’s as if she’s grabbing God by the balls.

In medieval paintings of this theme Eve is either portrayed as innocent (pre-apple incident) or ashamed (post-apple incident). Usually Lucifer is depicted also, coiled around the tree. We don’t see Him here but we know He’s in the background, about to be cursed by a vindictive and controlling tyrant.

But He is here. We see Him in Eve: full of pride, rebellion, power, wisdom, and knowledge; unafraid of death and assured of her future. This is not a Fall. This is freedom.

OK, here’s a tarot spread I made up for talking to Lucifer. 

It’s an inverted cross, because bite me, that’s why. 

Who are you to me?

Who am I to you?

When did you enter my life?

What must I learn?

What can I give you?

Anything else?

I did a whole ritual to accompany this. I cleared the kitchen table and set up two chairs, one for me and one for the devil. I lit my homemade Lucifer prayer candle, and some frankincense (because if Jesus can have nice things Lucifer can too, dammit). I put on my moldavite pendant, and some Ruth White on the stereo. Then I sat down and invited Lucifer to come sit with me. I shared a piece of fruit with him, because Eden/knowledge/you know the story. Then I shuffled the cards and commenced the reading.

You don’t have to do a whole song and dance like that, but I do recommend you take some steps to consciously invite Lucifer to the reading and make him comfortable. Make sure you are making yourself comfortable too, and avoid “sucking up” excessively. Your mileage may vary, but I find he hates it when I place him too far above me. Be a little egalitarian about it. Invite him to your table like a friend, and behave as a generous host. 

I’m not going to share my results because that’s between me and the devil. Please feel free to use this spread if you like, and alter it to suit your needs. Obviously it could be adapted to talk to many other deities, although the inverted cross shape might not be your jam in that case.  

Reciprocity

There are a lot of things pagans value. Most of them are the same universal values everyone appreciates, like kindness, personal responsibility, and community. One that seems to be unique to paganism, at least among Western religions, is reciprocity.

Reciprocity means a mutual positive exchange. It means rewarding kindness and respect with more of the same. It means that all parties involved in a relationship benefit from the relationship in some way.

This is similar to, but not quite the same as, fairness. When you strive for fairness, or justice, or any other similar concept, everyone gets what they deserve based on their actions. If you act like a jerk, you lose favor or get excluded from the group.

Reciprocity is a similar concept, but it has the added connotation of working toward positive relationships. When the word “reciprocity” is used in social psychology or in politics, it almost always refers to an exchange that benefits both parties. This desire for mutual benefit is a big part of pagan philosophy, especially in how pagans interact with their gods.

Pagans don’t worship their gods just because the gods exist, or because they feel a moral obligation to. Pagan worship is a relationship — and like any relationship, it is based on reciprocity.

You probably already practice reciprocity in your interpersonal relationships without even realizing it. If you want someone to be your friend you treat them well, pay attention to their needs, and respect their autonomy. In exchange, you get quality time with a person you like, a fulfilling emotional connection, and help when you need it.

Building relationships with pagan gods works much the same way. The focus is on the connection, rather than on what the gods can do for you or vice versa.

That’s not to say that pagans are casual about their worship of the gods. The gods are ancient, wise, and incredibly powerful, and all of that deserves respect. Pagans approach their gods with a sense of awe and humility, just like practitioners of any other religion. The difference lies in the belief among pagans that the gods also benefit from relationships with humans. We need the gods but, likewise, the gods need worshipers.

This is part of the reason offerings form the backbone of most pagan worship. Offerings “feed” the gods, giving them a metaphyiscal boost. (I’ve heard some pagans call them “energy snacks.”) These small gifts are a great, friendly way to get a god’s attention. After all, who doesn’t like presents?

It’s important to remember that offerings aren’t just payment for divine favors. Many pagans (myself included) have fallen into the trap of only making offerings or saying prayers when they need something from the gods. That’s no way to maintain a healthy relationship! We all have friends who only contact us when they need a favor — and most of us are annoyed and fed up with these people. Why would we assume that the gods are any different?

Reciprocity doesn’t just mean making an offering before you ask for something. It’s an ongoing commitment to a healthy, mutually beneficial relationship. Regular offerings and prayers are a great way to outwardly demonstrate this commitment.

How often “regular” offerings are depends on the pagan. Some pagans offer to their gods every day. Others only make offerings on major holidays or festivals. Once you begin working with deities, you’ll get a feel for how often you need to offer to your gods.

In general, it’s polite to make an offering when you first introduce yourself to a god or goddess. Don’t ask for anything at this point — think of the offering as a “getting to know you” gift. From there, continue making regular offerings for as long as you work closely with that god. You should also make an offering any time you ask for a big blessing or favor. (More on offerings in a future post.)

Offerings are an important part of practicing reciprocity, but they aren’t the only part. Reciprocity also requires you to uphold shared values.

For example, if you have a friend who can’t stand liars, and they find out you’ve been lying to them, you probably won’t stay friends for long. Likewise, if you want to keep a good relationship with a god, you need to value the things they value and live in a way they can approve of.

If you abhor violence and confrontation, it may be difficult for you to maintain reciprocal relationships with warlike deities like Ishtar or the Morrigan. On the other hand, if you are the kind of person who thrives on confrontation, a relationship with these deities may be natural for you. This is why I cannot stress enough how important it is to choose gods who share your core values. Like any relationship, you need some common ground to build a strong foundation.

(When we talk about specific pagan paths in future posts, we’ll talk more about their gods and what those gods ask of their followers. We’ll also talk about the difference between a religion that challenges your assumptions and a religion that violates your core values.)

This may seem complicated, but here’s the basics: reciprocity means that both parties benefit from a relationship. If you take one thing from this post, let it be this: pagan worship is a mutually beneficial partnership, not one-sided servitude.

Resources:

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

The Way of Fire and Ice by Ryan Smith

Where the Hawthorn Grows by Morgan Daimler

Temple of the Cosmos by Jeremy Naydler

A Practical Guide to Irish Spirituality by Lora O’Brien

if you're a witchcraft/pagan blog, you need to block the following accounts immediately:

these blogs are known for being part of a neo-nazi, antisemetic hate group that sends spammy asks to nearly every witchcraft blog on this hellsite. these asks usually include a link to their website, which just boosts their seo and gives them more traffic. do not interact with them. do not answer their messages/asks, and do not engage. i highly encourage you block the following accounts:

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i also recommend turning off anonymous asks - they tend to prefer to send asks anonymously, and if you have that feature turned off on your blog, they'll be less likely to bother you.

i'll be adding to this list as i discover more!

Why You Should Keep Track of the Tarot Cards You Pull

People will often notice patterns to the cards they pull - you’ll notice that certain cards come up more often. This tends to be based on a feeling though, rather than any real data about which cards you’ve pulled - and the real data may surprise you. 

I’ve kept track of the cards I’ve pulled in my single card readings over the past three months, and here are some things I’ve noticed: 

I pull one card more frequently than any other card. In my case, that card is The Magician. It’s really useful to know - not just suspect - that one card turns up constantly for me. 

Some cards don’t actually appear as frequently as I think they do. I recently pulled the Nine of Pentacles and thought, “Again?? Why do I pull this card so much??” but when I look at the actual data… I’ve pulled other cards way more frequently. I think it’s a form of the Baader-Meinhof effect - a card can stick in your brain for some reason and you remember it as appearing more often than it actually does!

There are interesting things about the cards that I don’t pull. In three months, these Major Arcana cards have never come up at all: The Emperor and The Devil. I can look at the data of what archetypes don’t appear in my life and draw some interesting conclusions. I’ve also not drawn a single court card (page, knight, queen, or king) from the suit of swords - swords tend to deal with conflict, which I maybe have less of during this particular time in my life

I can identify which suit and which numbered cards appear the most and the least in my readings. While the totals of Swords, Wands, Cups, and Pentacles I pull are pretty close to even, Wands eke out a little bit higher total than the others. Cups and Pentacles are tied, with Swords coming in last. If I didn’t have this data, I’d probably assume I pull Swords the most - because they leave the biggest impact on me when I do pull them! Of the numbered cards: I pull Aces of any suit the most, and Twos of any suit the least. This makes for some interesting patterns: The Magician is sort of the “Ace” of the Major Arcana, as well. Aces are about a very singular willpower whereas Twos are about partnership and duality. Through this pattern I can identify the focus the cards have on my life at this particular point in time.

I pull Major Arcana cards more than is statistically likely. The Major Arcana makes up 28% of the deck, but 39% of my pulls. The Major Arcana are more associated with long-term messages, and so my life may have more long-term type changes needing to be made during this period.

This is a quick guide to how you might interpret some of the overall themes you notice:  Minor Arcana: temporary, easily changed, daily life, current situation Major Arcana: long term, archetypes, themes, life lessons, current lesson Wands: spirituality, inspiration, determination, strength, intuition, creativity, ambition and expansion; energy, motivation and passion. Cups: love, feelings, relationships and connection; emotions, intuition and creativity Swords: action, change, force, power, oppression, ambition, courage and conflict; thoughts, and words Pentacles: work, business, trade, property, money and other material possessions Aces: new beginnings, news, movement in a positive direction Twos: duality, connection Threes: creation, creativity, growth, action Fours: stability, structure Fives: tension, conflict, challenge Sixes: relaxation, harmony, reevaluation Sevens: mystery, disruption, adjustment Eights: action, movement, growth, change Nines: contemplation, reflection, looking to the next step Tens: conclusion, culmination, new beginnings, complexity Pages: youth, vitality, fascination, learning, and focus Knights: adventure, energy, missions, conviction, willfulness, recklessness Queens: curiosity, openness, expressiveness, creativity, flexibility Kings: authority, leadership, expertise, mastery, inflexibility

Sulfur and Satan

Sulfur as an element

Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16.

Sulfur is the tenth most abundant element by mass in the universe and the fifth most on Earth.

Historically and in literature sulfur is also called brimstone, which means "burning stone".

Sulfur is an essential element for all life, but almost always in the form of organosulfur compounds or metal sulfides.

Sulfur is one of the core chemical elements needed for biochemical functioning and is an elemental macronutrient for all living organisms.

As a solid, sulfur is a characteristic lemon yellow; when burned, sulfur melts into a blood-red liquid and emits a blue flame.

Sulfur, usually as sulfide, is present in many types of meteorites.

The distinctive colors of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io are attributed to various forms of molten, solid, and gaseous sulfur.

Elemental sulfur can be found near hot springs and volcanic regions in many parts of the world, especially along the Pacific Ring of Fire; such volcanic deposits are currently mined in Indonesia, Chile, and Japan.

The radical anion S3− gives the blue color of the mineral lapis lazuli.

History

English translations of the Christian Bible commonly referred to burning sulfur as "brimstone", giving rise to the term "fire-and-brimstone" sermons, in which listeners are reminded of the fate of eternal damnation that await the unbelieving and unrepentant. It is from this part of the Bible that Hell is implied to "smell of sulfur" (likely due to its association with volcanic activity).

Early European alchemists gave sulfur a unique alchemical symbol, a triangle at the top of a cross (🜍).

Left: alchemical sign for sulfur/the combustible elements/Pallas

Center: 2/3rds of the Trinity sign, inverted/inverted phosphorus sign

Right: the alchemical sign for brimstone, an older/archaic name for sulfur.

In alchemy

Sulfur or soul, the principle of combustibility

Sulfur represents the soul in Alchemical philosophy. It is a volatile principle that relates to the individual essence of a being and expresses itself through unique compounds that are typically found in the oil of any given substance.

In association with Satan/Lucifer

Fire and brimstone frequently appear as agents of divine wrath throughout the Christian Book of Revelation culminating in chapters 19–21, wherein Satan and the ungodly are cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone (Greek: λίμνην τοῦ πυρὸς τῆς καιομένης ἐν θείῳ, limnēn tou pyros tēs kaiomenēs en thei).

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Brimstone, an archaic term synonymous with sulfur, evokes the acrid odor of sulfur dioxide given off by lightning strikes.

The church fathers brought the fallen lightbringer Lucifer into connection with the devil on the basis of a saying of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke (10.18 EU): "I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning."

Sources

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_and_brimstone

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemical_symbol

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_and_brimstone

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_in_Christianity

http://www.alchemycology.com/sulfur/

How do I know which deity I’m talking to, or if it’s just my own inner voice?

Silas’s guide to Deity Communication 101:

Okay, so the absolute first step is to get to know yourself. You need to be able to identify what it feels like to be alone in your head/body, in order to identify when something else is there with you. So step away from your altar, don’t call upon any deities, and just spend a few days alone. Things to pay attention to:

what does your inner voice sound like? does it change or is it always the same?

do you think in a monologue, or have conversations with yourself? do you play different voices?

have some imaginary conversations, with your mom or best friend or a celebrity even. what does that feel like, sound like, etc?

how often do you hear your own voice? are you monologuing constantly? do you have to convert your thoughts into words?

is it usually quiet in your head, or pretty loud with lots happening? what do each feel like to you?

how often do you visualize? what does that look like? do you pick what you’re seeing or does it pop up randomly?

Talk to yourself out loud. does your inner voice respond?

Talk to someone else out loud. what happens in your head during that conversation?

Really pay attention to these things and getting a solid grasp on how your own brain works and responds to all sorts of situations.

Ready to move on? Now you can start learning to identify your deities. Depending on how your brain works and how your relationship with each specific deity works, communication could look any number of ways. Be open to learning what that is, rather than trying to force a certain communication style!

Start out by just trying to get time with your deity:

pray or talk to them, out loud or in your head!

spend time at your altar, gather things that remind you of them or that are associated with them.

write them letters

meditate while focusing on them & your connection to them

Hold crystals you associate with them, light them a candle, so a spell for them with herbs they like, etc

give an offering, invite them to join you for a meal

read their stories and myths, get to know them, learn how their worshipers usually get in touch with them

go out in nature, find a spot that reminds you of them. Could be a tree, a body of water, a clearing in the woods, a patch of wildflowers or mushrooms, a big rock, etc. Make that your place, meditate there and invite them to join you.

use tarot, a pendulum, etc. (pay attention to the energy you feel, if the same cards come up frequently, etc.)

Look for art, music, etc that reminds you of them. or make some!

Now WHILE you are doing all of the above, pay very close attention: does it ever feel different than when you’re alone? what does it feel like? Pay attention to all your senses!

How does it sound in your head? is it louder or quieter? does your inner voice respond the same as usual? does it take on a different tone or pace sometimes? do you hear a different voice altogether?

do certain things pop into your head, like you don’t hear a voice but knowledge or answers are just kinda… air-dropped to your brain?

How do you feel emotionally? is there a sense of calm/peace? is there a rush of excitement? does your energy feel different?

what do you see visually? is anything different about your visualizations? do you picture certain animals, imagery of your deity or things associated with them (plants, the sun/moon, water, etc)?

do you taste or smell anything specific?

do you have any bodily sensations, like butterflies in your stomach, a tingle down your spine, hair standing on end, goosebumps, a warm feeling in your chest, a sudden burst of energy, or a suddenly so calm you’re almost sleepy?

does music play in your head?

do you recognize an energy or “vibe” when you’re interacting with them? what does it feel like?

Be patient with yourself, it may take time to really tune into these things and feel the connection. But eventually you might see a pattern of how you feel when you interact with your deity. I recommend trying to start with just one, and really master how it feels when you’re together.

Once you know what they sounds like or feel like to you, it will be easier to tell when they’re around or communicating with you. You’ll learn to recognize them even when you’re not at your “spot” or specifically praying to them.