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The Serviceberry- Robin Wall Kimmerer

I found out that @deadspitfaedm and @plantyhamchuk are both (re)reading this at the same time I am! I see that Planty reviewed it a while back but I still gotta ask both of you: what's sticking out this time through? The most recent bit that got me was her description of community as an alternative "unit of success".

There are many examples of functioning gift economies--most in small societies of close relations, where community well-being is recognized as the "unit" of success--where the interest of "we" exceeds that of "I." ...Security is ensured by nurturing the bonds of reciprocity... You can store meat in your own pantry or in the belly of your brother.

p.48-50

I've experienced food insecurity in the past and it left me with some hoarding mentalities that are not really in tune with the perspective Kimmerer is offering. Which, you know, that is what it is, but I found this to be a very helpful perspective for gently challenging that view. Food shared IS food stored. There's a lot to be anxious about right now, and asking myself not just what my metric for success was, but my unit for it (that we > I) gave me something to chew on as I considered what my community needs. I think I was reading this around when the tariff sabre-rattling was taking off, and food access is a big challenge in my area for a lot of people. Gave me some constructive direction so my response to the news wasn't just can-counting.

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A guest (or perhaps a neighbor, I'm not sure how long she has been or how long she intends to stay) and our first fruits of the season.

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Transported an Io lady to the patch of hypericum at work. Also, apparently, we have a patch of hypericum at work.

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A raccoon, a vulture, a snake. Fingers stained red with the most flavorful berries, biting at yarrow (I forgot my knife) the peppery stem yielding. Spreading the seeds of both mullein and yarrow in exchange for a modest harvest.

The first part of the arrival of Summer, the longest day felt deeply in my bones and heart.

Bombarded by a flurry of thoughts while hiking, heavy with a meditative quality I have been lacking in the weeks prior. They left me as they came and even now I find it difficult to recall them in specifics.

That said the overall message was more or less "I am alive".

Obviously the state of the world is a barrage of misery and death and we're all grieving and mourning someone (or several someone) or ourselves. It is raw, and, overwhelmingly achingly immense.

However entire those feelings, I remembered all that comes with remembering I am here.

The water was cold, the company was minimal and therefore preferable and the harvest was a self-imposed minimal gathering. I hope you reading this managed something pleasant for the Solstice, I'll be posting additional portions periodically. I had fallen into a habit of forgetting my camera which I have adopted into best practice.

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Characteristics of Vega / Wega Falling Vulture (Handle of the Lyre) Arabic word wāqi’ (واقع), meaning “falling” or “landing,” via the phrase an-nasr al-wāqi’ (النّسر الْواقع), “the falling eagle.”

Mediator between worlds | Music, Performance, Charm

Beneficence, Ideality, Hopefulness, Refinement & Changeability

Nature of Venus and Mercury and Alvidas (Capricorn & Taurus)

Used as the standard for measuring the brightness of other stars and galaxies for over a century . It is considered “the most important star in the sky after the Sun.”

1st magnitude (the brightest stars in the night sky, with apparent magnitudes lower than +1.50.) 5th brightest star, pale sapphire (magnitude (V) +0.026 (−0.02 – +0.07), spectral class A0Va.).

(Hercules Cerberus et Ramus, Vultur et Lyra, Cygnus, Sagitta, Vulpecula et Anser.)

The first distant star ever photographed (1850). It became the first star to have its spectrum photographed (1872).

Vega's stone is the Chrysolite (Peridot) and plant is Savory.

"Amoungst stones... is the Chrystolite/Peridot amoungst the plants... succory and fumitary." -Agrippa

Portion of Talisman prescribed for protections against spiritual attacks: "Savory juice with an equal amount of the herb called fumitory and with a little of the stone called turonso grants favors with b easts, protects from demons , nocturnal phantoms, and fears". -Translated by John Michael Greer (BM Bodleian MS)

(as drawn by Agrippa)

Bibliography: Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts Three Books of Occult Philosophy or Magic

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Witch Bottle* Apotropaic magic | ἀποτρέπω (apotrép) 'to ward off' Crafted on Mar's Day, during Mar's or Saturn's hours in places ruled over by either. Bottles are crafted during light hours and hidden at nightfall the same day.*

Uses:

deflecting misfortune or averting the evil eye

cures for sickness, bad luck, or poor harvest

trap and ultimately break curses

kill the witch or wizard who cursed the person

Contents:

needles/ pins / nails (bent & colorful)

red wine / vinegar / salt / oils

sprite traps / knotted thread

taglocks: urine / hair / menses / spit / natal chart* / imagery*

bottle / jug (see Bartmann jugs)

sea water

earth / sand / stones

feathers / shells / bone

plant matter / thorns / rosemary / lemon

coins / glass

ashes

Locations:

buried in walls

near or under the hearth / chimney stack / fireplace

buried at the farthest corner of the property

placed in an inconspicuous spot in the house

thrown into a fire (killing the witch)

"... He therefore advised him to take a Bottle, and put his Wives Urine into it, together with Pins and Needles and Nails, and Cork them up and set the Bottle to the Fire well corkt, which when it had felt a while the heat of the Fire began to move and joggle a little, but he for sureness took the Fire shovel, and held it hard upon the Cork, And as he thought, he felt something one while on this side, another while on that, shove the Fire shovel off, which he still quickly put on Again, but at last at one shoving the Cork bounced out, and the Urine, Pins, Nails and Needles all flew up, and gave a report like a Pistol, and his Wife continued in the same trouble and languishment still. Not long after, the Old Man came to the house again, and inquired of the Man of the house how his Wife did. Who answered, as ill as ever, if not worse. He askt him if he had followed his direction. Yes, says he, and told him the event as is above said. Ha, quoth he, it seems it was too nimble for you. But now I will put you in a way that will make the business sure. Take your Wive’s Urine as before, and Cork, it in a Bottle with Nails, Pins and Needles, and bury it in the Earth; and that will do the feat..." Joseph Glanvill’s Saducismus Triumphatus

Sprite Trap: Set at night, constructed at sunrise blackthorn, red thread and animal hair. Once caught, the threads were removed and sealed in a witch bottle.

*Disclaimer: This is information that has been specifically collected for my own practice, with focuses on ancestor overlap. This is not all encompassing, and was not created with the intention to be used as a teaching tool. *Also these items are personal additions and have no historical basis.

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Hexafoil | daisy wheel, witch marks, rosette | apotropaic mark This symbol was used to protect one from harm, evil, malefic magic, and bad luck. It was carved into wood or stone in buildings (often places of worship), graves, or other objects or items.

Limestone ossuary from Jerusalem, ROM

A geometric design "with six-fold dihedral symmetry composed from six vesica piscis lenses arranged radially around a central point, often shown enclosed in a circumference of another six lenses."

As with many symbols ancient, this one cannot be accurately ascribed to any single people, religion, or culture. Those who have studied it's origins have proposed overlapping theories about the symbol being a solar symbol, or a storm symbol. Each attributing the origin to various gods (Taranis, Perkwunos, Perun, Tarhunz, Thor, Jupiter...) or delving into the name of the symbol across many languages ('little sun', 'sun of the Alps', 'thunder sign', 'thunder wheel') without definitive conclusion.

While some have tried to claim the symbol of Christian origin, hexfoils have been discovered on several Jewish ossuary boxes (dating around 100 BCE- 100 CE) and it was suggested that the symbol was borrowed from earlier pagans.

When looking into what tool would have been used to craft the geometric image left behind (difficult/near impossible to do by hand) it was suggested that either dividers, sheep sheers, or race knives could have been used.

Dividers were less accessible as they were tools primarily used by masons, which has been recorded throughout history in various artworks. Alternatively it was suggested that common people would have had access to sheers (sheep) which were a common enough tool for farmers. The race knife is still used today by carpenters, however most would not have been the appropriate size for large hexfoils found carved into beams and boards.

To Read: Daisy Wheel, Hexfoil, Hexafoil, Rosette: Protective Marks in Gravestone Art - Robyn S. Lacy

Goodenough, Erwin R. 1957. The Study of Man: Pagan Symbols in Jewish Antiquity. Commentary

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Hey so, I uh....

I'm probably going to slowly be dwindling off this specific blog and transitioning to another... Longtime followers know this is a reoccurring trend, I think because Tumblr is deeply personal and I am a person who prefers to freeze moments of blogs in time and toss them in the junk drawer.

Without getting into to much detail (especially for those new here) I was in a long distance relationship with someone I met on this website, utilizing this blog for a good portion of it. If you go back far enough you will be able to find content that I cannot bear to see in my notifications. I've reconnected with a few old friends who shared a lot of information I didn't know about this now ex which tossed me into a bunch of unpacking emotions again.

I found myself not wanting to use this website as much because of it, and making smaller side blogs to distract myself, but that were still tied to the main.

This is all to say I have made a new blog and followed a few people through it already. You're under no obligation to follow obviously.

If you're interested its: @deadspitfaedm if you're not that's also cool. I'll be posting less here blah blah blah...

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"Depending on where you are, the sauce could be called different things. Greeks have a similar sauce called Lemonolado. In Sicily, some recipes replace the lemon juice with white wine. Other recipes might include fresh tomatoes. The first version I was shown included long strands of lemon and orange zest. I make the sauce with wild oregano (Monarda fistulosa) and it's one of my favorite bee balm recipes."

see also: #monarda, #oregano, #recipe

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Solstice /Standing Still / Sol

6/20/2025 (5:00 AM | 10:42 PM) ♊︎→♋︎ | ♀♉︎ | ☿♋︎ | ♂♍︎ | ♃ ♋︎ | ☽♉︎ |♄♈︎

Harvesting of Hypericum Sleeping Draught for the Dead (Cannabis, Valerian, Motherwort) Warding / Bathing / Well Blessing Feeding the Garden/Guardian Leaving For the Lake

Additionally: Heavily Modified Recipe [x]

Next: Kupala (Ukraine) June 23rd → 24th

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Longingly gazing at completely making a new blog from scratch because this one has history and unwelcome content that would truly be horrible to try and clean/remove/ otherwise address.

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Summer is coming and I am not prepared but this is also a part of the tradition of it all.

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THE ENTIRE WEST IS BEING PUT UP FOR SALE AND I AM BEGGING YOU TO CALL YOUR SENATORS

Trump’s budget bill has many, many things in it, but buried amongst it is the MILLIONS OF ACRES OF PUBLIC LAND FOR SALE.

This is the entirety of the Arizona state forests, the entire Cascades mountain range. Swathes of pristine desert around the national parks in Utah. On the doorstep of Jackson Hole.

THIS BILL IS BIG, BUT IT CAN BE AMENDED AND ABSOLUTELY MUST NOT PASS AS IS please.

If you have ever enjoyed the wilderness, we stand to lose it all forever.

CALLING your senators - NOT JUST IN THE WEST. ALL SENATORS, is CRUCIAL.

Outdoor alliance has a great resource for reaching out.

I don’t have a huge following but please, everywhere I have ever loved, the forests I grew up playing in, the land I got married on, is all at risk and I am begging.

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Your dislike or phobia for certain animals never outweights the animal's right to exist and live, i keep running into this behavior and i don't know why some folks never got to learn that. Who do you think you are

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Ghoulsteed (Shadows over Innistrad) - Jason Kang

More cards with art by Jason Kang on Scryfall

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evangelicals being like "god made men to do This and be like This and women to do That and be like That that's just how it is" and it's just a picture of a white man and woman following traditional gender norms makes me so insane like you boring fascist fucks. god made 2 million species of beetles. god made whales, ducks, humans, and 1500 other species capable of same sex behavior. god made fish and amphibians that change sexes. god made more than 30 different intersex variations in human beings. god, in his infinite curiosity. wake up!!! fuck!!