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I was very optimistic when I made this post. I was deep in the throes of finishing college and did not have any time for this endeavor. However I am now finished with school, so this will now actually be happening! I am practicing more than ever before thank to joining a group on discord. I am going to be rejoining a Facebook page that I used to be a part of specifically for Louisiana witches. I am in a more confident stage of life. I do not feel the need to hide.

So, I will be revamping this page, part of that is redoing the playlist I have made for the deities. I hope this page can become a resource for others looking to learn and grow.

I dont know if anyone will see this, but soon I will be completely cleaning out (deleting) all post on this blog.

This is simply so I can start a new. I want to be more active and I feel a fresh start is just the key. Expect it to be done within the next two weeks. Just a heads up!

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I dont know if anyone will see this, but soon I will be completely cleaning out (deleting) all post on this blog.

This is simply so I can start a new. I want to be more active and I feel a fresh start is just the key. Expect it to be done within the next two weeks. Just a heads up!

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(Another Unpopular Opinion™, blech)

It isn’t wrong to identify with a god/dess. It’s okay to see pieces of yourself in one of the Theoi, to feel more accepted because you see that a god can do the same things you do.

But here’s the thing. You cannot, and I repeat, cannot, try and take over the entirety of what that god stands for in order to suit your own needs. I can’t believe I even have to say that.

If you’re lesbian, and you feel more accepted because you think Aphrodite likes women (I would agree on that front, tho not everyone would), that’s perfectly okay. That’s great, even. It stops being okay when you try and tell people that Aphrodite doesn’t like straight people, or gay men, or bisexual women or what have you.

This especially applies to Artemis. There’s a lot of fighting over her, whether she ‘belongs’ to the Ace or Lesbian community. Here’s the thing: Artemis doesn’t ‘belong’ to anyone. She is one of the great Theoi, one of the Twelve Olympians. She doesn’t have to answer to anyone, and honestly mortal concepts can barely describe her in the first place. You can’t lay claim to a goddess just because you like her.

She doesn’t seem to like men in the myths. That could mean she’s ace, or a lesbian, or a late-bloomer, or autistic, or simply busy with her personal life. We don’t know. There’s a thousand explanations, but the simplest and best is simply that she’s a Goddess, and lays outside of much mortal comprehension. If you think something, that’s fine, but threats and anger because of that aren’t.

Whatever the truth, the Theoi would never stand for hate and bullying like what we see on this topic. Whatever Aphrodite likes, she loves everyone in one way or another, and wouldn’t appreciate you being this upset/threatening over her. Artemis was the protector of humans, keeping us safe, and wouldn’t appreciate this kind of behavior. All of the Theoi stand for Xenia (Hospitality and generosity),  Eusebia (Piety towards the gods) and Sophia (Wisdom and understanding). The Theoi don’t condone this kind of behavior.

If you are Asexual, you can still worship Aphrodite. Men can worship Artemis. Transwomen can worship Hera. Gay men can still worship Aphrodite. Gay women can still worship Aphrodite. 

No matter your gender, race, class or sexuality, the Theoi are always there for you, and they always have been. They always welcome you.

There is, and never has been, no place of any kind for hate in Hellenism.

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Crystals

Original post here I have a confession to make- I have a problem when it comes to collecting things. I have a hard time keeping myself from buying more pens, journals, and I have so many books that they don’t all fit on my book shelf. My make up collection is constantly growing and while it has been a long time since I bought a candle, I have a collection of incense and scented wax for melting sitting in my closet. The only reason I am able to grow my collections is because I now make my own money and can spend it as I see fit. When I was a little kid, I didn’t have the luxury. I still collected things though. I collected rocks. I had an old film tin filled with rocks that came from my backyard, parks, and tumbled colored rocks you can find in gift shops. I suspect maybe those early habits were fueled from me being an earth sign I wanted to feel a connection to that which was of the earth. I suspect that does have a hand in it since I have since passed my collection down to my little brother who is a Taurus like me.

When I finally started walking the path of witchcraft naturally I found myself being led into the realm of crystals and what they could do. I never fully got into that branch of magic mainly for two reasons. First being I was not in a stable home situation and didn’t really have any place to put new items and also because, this branch has a lot of information and it felt overwhelming to say the least. I am excited though to be dipping my feet back into this pool of information in hopes that I can bring clarity and help to quell the anxiety I feel from this overhaul of information and maybe even bring someone else some insight in how you can work such things into your craft while also inspiring myself.

This article isn’t going to be solely on how crystals can work with you on a physical level but that will be mentioned so I feel like I should give a little disclaimer. I don’t want to tell you how to think, feel, or believe and I highly suggest that you use our articles as different perspectives that can help fuel your own research. I do however think I need to tell you my own personal beliefs on crystals and how they work. I am a firm believer of mixing science and magic when possible. Enter piezoelectricity, the idea that you can accumulate energy by applying mechanical stress to certain solid materials. The solid material being crystals, in this post. Its how we are able to use quartz as a battery. This technology is utilized in many different inventions. It is this vein of science that makes me believe crystals an have an effect on us. I do not believe that placing a certain crystal on your stomach you can cure cancer, or completely make your organs do a 360 and change your whole internal systems. Our bodies do have electrical currents though so to me it does make sense that items that can have a current can also effect the currents in our bodies. I do not have enough scientific knowledge to say that I know for sure without a fact that is how it works, but I do believe in the possibility. Many scientists like to say that the idea of crystals and their interactions with our bodies are purely placebo, and even if that is the case I am personally fine with that. Your brain is powerful and why shouldn’t we take pride in that? As long as you aren’t saying its one thing when it is really the other I see no problem in giving into placebo in safe manners.

That being said, how can we utilize these items? Well here is some ideas!This is probably the easiest for those who have to hide their craft. You can put crystals on your altar and wear items that have stones. Based on correspondence you can dedicate them to certain deities. If you have a certain space in your home you like to use for certain spells you can fill that space with crystals that can help you with your intention. For example, rose quartz is often times associated with love and can be attributed to Aphrodite and others gods and goddesses that have domain in that realm. Many witches will put rose quartz in whatever space they use to get ready for the day to help with spells linked to self-love and glamours. 

Crystals can also be used to charge items. Many people will use clear quartz as a way of cleansing and charging their tarot deck for example. To me this strongly plays into the piezoelectric idea. I also want to touch briefly on charging crystals. Many people use moonlight, sunlight, and vibrations via sound to charge to charge their crystals. Another way is using water; HOWEVER, it should be noted that you should only do this if you know your crystal is not water soluble. In this same vein, be careful when buying into the crystal infused water trend. It’s a good idea to be careful anytime there is something that is on trend.Finally, you can use them for meditation. You can hold it, lay around surrounded by your crystal of choice, whatever makes you the most comfortable. Call it law of attraction if you want but you can match your affirmations and wants to a crystal and what it is corresponded to.

Sources and further reading: https://www.explainthatstuff.com/piezoelectricity.html

https://sciencing.com/use-crystals-generate-electricity...

https://www.nanomotion.com/piezo.../piezoelectric-effect/

https://health.howstuffworks.com/.../human-body-make...

http://themedicinejournal.com/.../how-human-bodies.../

https://www.thoughtco.com/crystal-altars-1729383

https://www.energymuse.com/blog/crystal-altar/

https://www.shape.com/.../hea.../whats-crystal-infused-water

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/.../how-to-use-crystals-to...

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Music, the brain, and witchcraft

Original post on facebook here. 

Today we are mixing religion, biology, psychology, and music! Just a warning this is a bit of a long post. Music plays a huge part in many aspects of old and current cultures. When I was a little girl my family would jump from church to church, mainly nondenominational. I also had a friend that I would sometimes go to Catholic mass with. I always preferred the Catholic church for very simple reasons: A) I love anything that has aspects of tradition which Catholicism is steeped in; B) I am a huge sucker for aesthetic and Catholic churches are nothing if not drenched in some beautiful aesthetics; C) The priest of that specific church was very open minded and loving towards all and was a great embodiment of love thy neighbor and judge not least ye be judged while the other churches I went to with my family seemed more like some sort of judgmental ‘holy’ neighborhood watch team; and finally D) More music that the mass was more personally involved in. I enjoyed the musical aspects of the nondenominational churches as well, everyone pitching in to drown themselves in the sea of voices. In those churches though it always felt like it was some sort of concert where the meaning and feeling of praise was lost, and the flashing lights and choir were just leading us in a song that just happened to have uplifting and meaningful lyrics. In Catholic churches, its more personal and I felt like I was a part of something bigger than myself, which really is what any of us want to feel in our connections with our religions. Now while I didn’t personally connect with the God that words were calling to I did enjoy that feeling of connection through song. This very connection with words, rhythm, and the supernatural is one that has been relevant through many years and through many different groups of people. 

Popularity of music is not on the decline and people of different backgrounds enjoy it for a variety of reasons. So obviously music does connect to humans on some sort of deep level not necessarily tied to religious reasons, which is why I think it is important for us to discuss music and its effects on the brain. There is even such a thing as music therapy! Brains are complex and can be confusing, but let’s break down the parts that are relevant to our discussion. Going back to biology you were probably taught in school, you have different systems that help make up the functions of your body. These include the nervous system, endocrine system, and the circulatory system, to name a few. We are going to focus on the nervous system. Your nervous system can be broken down into two subsystems: the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. They are connected through nerves. Within these systems you have nerve cells and it is the cells jobs to send messages between the central nervous system and the rest of the body. These nerve cells also go by the name of neuron. Humans have billions of neurons and most of them are found in the brain. Specifically, sensory neurons carry information received from your senses to the central nervous system. So how do the neurons work through the whole body in their job of messenger? Neurons are connected via synapses. Neurons can send messages it is done through the synapses with the release of a chemical called a neurotransmitter. One such neurotransmitter is called dopamine. Music can trigger our brains to release dopamine which is a huge factor in our reward and pleasure centers. This is why music can make us feel happy and can have overall positive affects on our mood. This is just a very simple break down of only one fraction of the reaction music has on your brain. This isn’t even considering the impact lyrics can have.

Speaking of lyrics, what has the purpose of music served for many cultures? In the past and today the purpose of music has been to entertain, inform, and convey certain emotions. In Egypt music and dance were much more than just entertainment. If you were a musician lucky enough to earn the title of Shemayat then you could even have the honor of playing music for the Gods. Music was intertwined with funeral rites, military endeavors, religious festivals, and everyday moments for entertainment and even during field work. Ancient Greece treated music with the same level of respect and importance. In many cultures music is seen as a gift from the Gods and is often given back as a gift to the divine. According to history.com one of the oldest currently known songs is titled ‘Hurrian Hymn No. 6’ and was made in honor of the Phoenician goddess Nikkal. Music can do more than connect people to their Gods and Goddesses. It can also connect humans to other humans through shared beliefs and experiences. Such is the case of African American spirituals. When Africans were brought to America as slaves they had to more or less abandon their home culture. They took their customs and assimilated them in the name of survival. Through chants, dancing, clapping, and singing people have been connecting for centuries.   How can we implement music into our modern-day rituals and worship? We have talked a bit about music and deity worship but let’s turn a little secular for a moment.  Meditation can be used in cleansing, grounding, and even visualization rituals. Music can be used to help you reach a calm state so that you may find it easy to slip into a meditative state. The first thig that probably came into your mind was soundscape music, like white noise or soothing sounds of water. Have you by chance though heard of binaural beats? This deals with listening to a beat in different frequencies. This includes delta patterns (frequencies of 0.1-4 HZ), theta patterns (frequencies of 4-8 HZ), alpha patterns (frequencies of 8-13), and beta patterns (14-100 HZ). Can be used to help aid in anxiety, concentration, and meditation. Drums are sometimes used in a similar manner. When you hear a drum being beat in a steady pattern at a rate of four to seven beats per second your brain waves can synch to a theta rhythm. This is probably the best pattern for mediation.  There seems to be conflicting information on how well binaural beats work but they are definitely worth looking into. Music and sound can also be used for cleansing! Think of it this way- music and sound produces waves. So, when you want to push some energy around, you can use the power of sound to do that! Ring a bell, clap your hands, scream and shout, or you can even use a singing bowl. Back to deity worship! You can find hymns to your Gods and Goddess, both new and old. You can even make playlist and dedicate it to a deity. I have playlist on spotify with songs that remind me of various Gods and Goddess and when I listen to them I feel connected to them. It is also popular within the witchcraft community on tumblr to practice divination with music. This is done by shuffling your music, closing your eyes and skipping songs or skipping through a song, and then pressing play and listening to the lyrics at that point to see what messages are delivered to you. 

Sources and further reading: Music and religion: https://www.history.com/news/what-is-the-oldest-known-piece-of-music https://www.loc.gov/collections/songs-of-america/articles-and-essays/musical-styles/ritual-and-worship/ https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-europe/origin-music-00972 https://www.ancient.eu/article/1075/music--dance-in-ancient-egypt/ http://www.historyforkids.net/egyptian-music.html https://www.ancient.eu/Greek_Music/ http://www.negrospirituals.com/history.htm Music and ritual     https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320019.php “Rhythm .” Sacred Ceremony: How to Create Ceremonies for Healing, Transitions, and Celebrations, by Steven Farmer, Hay House, 2002, pp. 48–49.

Music and the brain     how it affects the brain https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170412181341.htm https://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-graziano/why-is-mozart-a-religious_b_875352.html https://www.ashford.edu/online-degrees/student-lifestyle/how-does-music-affect-your-brain https://psychcentral.com/lib/music-how-it-impacts-your-brain-emotions/ https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_the_4_ways_sound_affects_us/transcript#t-324505 https://blog.bufferapp.com/music-and-the-brain https://www.livescience.com/22665-nervous-system.html “Chapter 3, Section 1: The Nervous System.” Psychology, Principles in Practice, by Spencer A. Rathus, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1998, pp. 52–59.

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Lughnasadh/ Lamas

Original post here (Facebook post). So, we have the wheel of the year, and the wheel is based upon the sun, the moon, and the seasons. We have two equinoxes: Spring and Autumn; Also, two solstices for the Winter and Summer. In-between these we have 8 subsections: the sabbats. It is important to note that while all cultures have had significant ties to the seasons and the changes they bring, the concept of having all exact 8 holidays together as presented in the wheel of the year is a more modern (and Wiccan centric) idea. This means not all pagans celebrate these specific holidays but may still celebrate festivals that are closely related in meaning. Now to the history of Lughnasadh.

Lugh is the Irish Sun God. This is a very simple title and, as with many deities, he has epithets that show his domain rules over more than just the sun. He was known as a young warrior figure and was also called by the epithet Samildanach, which means ‘the many- skilled’. He is a part of the group called Tuatha De Danann, which is recognized as the last generation of Gods to rule over Ireland before the invasion of Milesius or the ancestor of the present-day Irish. In Irish mythology Lugh is a very well respected and celebrated God. There was a prophecy foretold that Balor would be killed by his grandson, which would be Lugh. To try and avoid his end, Balor planned the death of Lugh. Magic and fate intervened and Lugh survived, and was secretly raised by Tailtu. Many years pass as well as many endeavors and Lugh in turn is now grown and has many legends and stories to his name. It is after some time that his foster mother Tailtu took it upon herself to clear land for a plain so that food may be grown. She labored by herself, and after the work was done exhaustion overcame Tailtu and she died. In her honor Lugh commemorated a funeral festival. It has been known as Oenach Tailten and can be compared to the modern-day Olympics. This was a time for pacts and peace. There were sporting competitions, crafting competitions, trading, and general merriment. Grain and bread were possibly present as symbols of Tailtu for her gift of the plains. This festival, while in honor of Tailtu, also celebrated Lugh particularly for his element of having many skills. This festival became known as Lughnasadh.So where does Lammas come into play? Lammas was actually a Christian holiday. Lammas is a time for blessing the loaves of bread made from the newly harvested grain. There is also suggestion that this day was also tied to the feast of Saint Peter in Chains. I couldn’t find much information on how this holiday was celebrated though it seems it was more of a holiday that was about taking pagan roots and giving it a Christianized facelift for the sake of making conversion more appealing and easier. In medieval times it was also tied with an Anglo-Saxon ritual of taking your blessed loaf of bread and breaking into pieces to put in different corners of where your grains. So that is the historical notes on Lughnasadh and Lammas. Today many wiccans and neopagans celebrate them as the same holiday with both names being interchangeable. Now that we know the history time to move on to modern day celebrations. If you are on the path of Wicca or celebrate the Gods and Goddesses specifically tied to Lughnasadh then it should be fairly easy to figure out how the celebrations can fit into your worship and beliefs. What if you don’t fall into any of those categories? Well then you have to make some decision, mainly if this holiday and its ideas are one you want to implement into your worship. If you worship deities from other pantheons then you can see if there are any ‘replacement holidays’ if you will. Since we have already discussed the traditional ties of Lughnasadh and Lugh and Tailtu lets instead look into the motifs that make up this celebration so that those who are secular or worshipping other deities can figure out how to make this holiday work. Step back from the visual aspects of this holiday for a moment. The basis of this holiday, if you are celebrating it close to its Celtic core, is that it is about giving thanks to Tailtu for her sacrifice. Grieving her death and celebrating the new fields for harvesting. Thanks is also given to Lugh for his power in the sun, as the sun is important to the growth of plants. With the competitions and crafting that went on in these festivals the aspect of Lugh being many-skilled is also celebrated. Away from the ties to the Goddess and God, it is about celebrating the first harvest, which would have been the difference between thriving in life or suffering with famine in the days before grocery stores. This is also a day about reaping what you sow, which can be taken figuratively or literally. Now what about the physical aspects that you can add into your worship and festivities? Well bread and grains is a huge thing!  Corn dolls are popular. In reflection of the wheat, gold and yellow is a big color to use. Any tools that are used in agriculture can be used in ritual, such as a scythe or a sickle. Of course, these are only a small sample, you can include anything that feels right to you! We encourage you to share what you would personally associate with this holiday in the comments! So what if you worship a completely different pantheon? I would suggest looking into deities with similar connections as Lugh and Tailtu. Gods or Goddess that is connected to agriculture fertility, the sun, crafting and skills would be where you want to look. Speaking from a Hellenistic perspective this would be a good day to worship Hephaestus, Athena, Demeter, and Kore, and possibly Hestia. Kronia is actually very similar to Lughnasadh in that it is a festival celebrating Kronos as holding domain over harvest. For witches in hiding who need to integrate their celebrations in with mainstream American celebrations then Thanksgiving can be a good time to implement these ideas.

Sources and further reading: Lughnassadh/Lammas https://www.etymonline.com/word/Lammas http://www.paganlibrary.com/introductory/wiccan_sabbats.php https://www.thoughtco.com/celebrating-lammas-or... https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-lammas-harvest... http://www.3pagansandacat.com/016 http://www.3pagansandacat.com/.../notes-for-wheel-of-the... https://www.yourirish.com/traditions/festival-of-lughnasadh http://www.holidayscalendar.com/event/lammas/ https://www.worldreligionnews.com/.../today-christians... http://www.patheos.com/.../07/lammas-where-did-it-come-from/ https://www.catholicculture.org/.../activities/view.cfm... https://wicca.com/celtic/akasha/lammas.htm Lugh: https://www.thoughtco.com/lugh-master-of-skills-2561970 http://www.celticnetwork.com/culture/mythology/lugh.html http://bardmythologies.com/lugh/ http://www.ancientpages.com/.../tailteann-games-ancient.../ “Lugh.” The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology, by Arthur Cotterell and Rachel Storm, Lifetime Distributions, 1999, p. 145. "Baile in Scail or The Apparition on the Shadow.” Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom: the Celtic Shaman's Sourcebook, by Caitlin Matthews and John Matthews, Element, 1994, pp. 254–256.

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Getting lost

Original post here on facebook

First, happy Kronia! Quick lit bit of info on this festival: http://www.hellenion.org/festivals/kronia/

Now on to today’s topic! My mother lives in the New Orleans area, and every time I visit we try to go and go do at least one thing while I am there. This might be a specific museum, going to a park, or just walking around the French quarter. My mom and I are very alike in that we like to do things, even if it is just walking around and sightseeing. Money is tight so sightseeing is a very popular past time for us. When ever we start talks of a visit we plan our outgoings- to a certain extent. We pick where we want to go, look at what area or buildings our destination is near, and figure out if money is needed. My mother is not from the New Orleans area, so she still doesn’t quite know the exact layout of the city but she knows more or less general areas. So, it is not surprising that often times when trying to find our destination, we sometimes get a little lost. For some people this would stress them out and totally throw a wrench in their plans. For us though, unless time is an issue, it is a welcome adventure. It is a chance to learn more about our surroundings and take in more sights that we otherwise wouldn’t have seen. This is something we have always enjoyed. I remember when I was younger my mother and I would take car trips and go down roads we had never been down before just to see where they go

It is almost like building a puzzle. You may have certain parts of the puzzle down but there are gaps and holes you still need to fill in, and for that you have to look at the pieces and see where they connect, such as which roads intersect.

While we don’t necessarily get lost on purpose we do enjoy and invite the opportunity. This can actually be very beneficial! So why should you choose to get yourself lost? First I just want to say: NEVER DO ANYTHING THAT CAN PUT YOURSELF IN DANGER! I am not advising you to go deep into a forest alone with no equipment. You have to be smart. How ever you decide to try this out be smart, be prepared, and be safe. Now we can look at the benefits of putting yourself in unfamiliar territory (again, be smart) and why people do it.

Finding things that are new and even a little secret can be a bit of a thrill. I enjoy watching urban exploring videos on YouTube. For the sake of this post though I am not just talking about places that are abandoned. If you look on the internet you can find tons of post and questions from people asking locals what some secret hidden gems in their cities and towns are. It may be so they can visit places well worth their time or money, or so they can visit places that have fewer people to elbow through. I like to think of it in a slightly different way, especially for places that are places of nature. Hidden waterfalls, hidden meadows, places humans have abandoned that mother nature has started taking back. These are almost like little secrets that mother nature allows us to relish in. Think about it as akin to a friend telling you or showing you a secret. It shows trust and a bond between you and the friend. Well when you get to see spots of nature that is not well known, it is similar to being let in on a secret that mother nature is willing to share with you. I do not think it is a coincidence that people that find these kinds of places tend to be those who aren’t looking to litter and trash but instead want to admire. It is because mother nature has chosen you to be someone who can be let in on the secret.

This isn’t about taking a road trip to some majestic places miles away from your home. You can become a tourist in your own city and just go down a road you’ve never gone down before. Whatever options are available to you, you just have to take them. This is about putting yourself a bit outside of your comfort zone. As humans we tend to shy away from any glimmer of vulnerability and decide to live life in the confined and safe spaces of comfort. How can you grow if you don’t expand those borders though? There are many benefits of pushing yourself beyond those limits. It helps you discover bits and pieces of your personality and can help you get a clearer and more defined perspective on who you are.

Stepping outside of the comfort zone is also a way to reclaim a bit of our childhood selves. As children we tend to question the world around us more, as opposed to our adult selves who seem to move around as if on autopilot. We don’t take time to wonder and admire as we do as children. When suddenly in a place that you are not familiar with, you likely have nothing to do but wonder and admire. It has been shown that taking slight risk also help our minds with learning how to utilize creativity. So how does this all loop back into witchcraft? Well, learning and connecting with nature and the world around you is pretty damn strong in the realm of witchcraft. It can help you connect closer with mother nature (and any earth deities you may worship) and you may find some nature spirits around you that you were before blind too. As far as the psychological side, as stated above pushing your limits and taking risk helps you grow as a person. Personal growth walks hand in hand with self-power and in turn can help you with feel strong and connected to magic.

Sources and further reading:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/metacognition-and-the-mind/201806/getting-lost-and-the-benefits-finding-yourself https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/intelligent-travel/2015/11/29/how-to-get-lost-on-purpose/ https://www.internationaltraveller.com/get-lost-wilderness-holiday/https://newleveltravel.wordpress.com/2018/07/06/benefits-of-getting-lost-abroad/http://www.patheos.com/blogs/ordinaryadventure/2012/10/the-benefits-of-getting-lost/ https://lifehacker.com/the-science-of-breaking-out-of-your-comfort-zone-and-w-656426705 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-flux/201512/5-benefits-stepping-outside-your-comfort-zonehttps://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/26/stepping-outside-your-comfort-zone_n_5872638.html

Honovich, Nancy, and Julie Beer. Get Outside Guide: All Things Adventure,        Exploration, and Fun! National Geographic Society, 2014. “How to Get Lost.” DIY Magic, by Anthony Alvarado, Penguin Publishing Group, 2015, pp. 106–114.

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Intuition

Original post here on facebook

Intuition is a powerful thing and can be used in many situations both magical and mundane. What exactly is our intuition though? It has been called a gut feeling, our sixth sense, inner voice, and while many other names have been attributed to this phenomenon let’s just sum it up as a notion or idea that is not consciously backed up by data. If there is any data to back up intuitive ideas they are probably on a self-conscious level. Todays society seems to have a funny relationship with intuition. To quote Bob Samples “Albert Einstein called the intuitive or metaphoric mind a sacred gift. He added that the rational mind was a faithful servant. It is paradoxical that in the context of modern life we have begun to worship the servant and defile the divine.” Many people have written intuition off as a funny thing, and yet every day many people experience this. When people experience it on a high level it may be referred to as Extrasensory perception, usually seen as someone who has a mix of telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, mediumship, and psychometry. When you experience this feeling especially in regards to people and their emotions you may get you the title of empath.

In some cultures having this sixth sense is usually seen as a sign that one has been born with a special connection to the divine. In some religious institutions those who find themselves able to connect with this paranormal ability tend to find themselves in positions of being a religious intermediary. These are the diviners, seers, and prophets of their people. In witch craft and paganism of our Western society variety, it is often believed that anyone can have these powers. Divining and seeing signs and symbols are practiced on a relatively personal and solitary level. Some people just happen to be born with a stronger hold on these experiences, while some have to practice and work on it. So what can your intuition do for you, and how can you work on strengthening it? Well intuition can help you in a lot of everyday mundane situations. It can keep you from danger, or even just keep you from having a boring night. You can use your intuition mixed with your imagination and boost your creativity. In magic it can hep you know how to interpret signs and symbols showing up around you. This can help you connect with deities, it can help you in divination, it can help you know when you need to go full power into a situation and when you need to back down to cleanse and center. So how can we tap into our inner voices and learn how to use it to our advantage? At a super basic level, you need to make sure your physical body is faring well. Stay hydrated and take care of yourself. Make sure you’re in a good place mentally. This might mean cleaning up your room, lighting some incense and downing some good water and eating fruit. Whatever you need to do in that moment to put yourself in a good space, do it. You need to make sure you are healthy (which should always be a priority when you can make it so) so you can focus on concentrating and connecting with parts of yourself that may usually be hidden away. I have brought up divination as a practice for you to let your intuition connect with. You can pick any type of divination you want, tarot, cleromancy (runes are an example), tasseography, cloud watching, any thing that involves you interpreting symbols or images into meanings. You can look up books of symbolism as a guide but the most important things are deciding what you see and what that truly means to you. At this point there is no right and wrong it is simply seeing what jumps out at you and what feelings it gives you. talked about extrasensory perception, a term that was coined by J.B Rhine, a Duke University psychologist. He worked alongside psychologist Karl Zener to create the Zener cards. This is a set of cards, each single card with a single symbol on them. You can shuffle the card, and then try to guess the symbol a card has before turning it over. There are many ways, and no definite right or wrong way to use or strengthen your intuition. Everyone is different. Find what works well for you and what doesn’t. Do what feels right and stray from what feels dangerous (don’t confuse potential growth with moving away from your comfort zone with actual danger). What is some ways that you use your intuition, and is there anything you have done to strengthen it? What works for you, and what doesn’t seem to help you at all? Have you always been connected with your inner voice, or have you had to work to connect those dots? We would love to hear from all of you and start a conversation, whether it be here in the comments or if any of you wants to start a community post.

Read more: ESP: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extrasensory_perception https://science.howstuffworks.com/.../extrasensor.../esp.htm Zener cards: http://www.psychic-experiences.com/psychi.../zener-cards.php https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FfmBWGZrmw Divination: http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/.../divination_methods.asp http://witcheslore.com/.../divi.../the-art-of-scrying/25550/ Further reading: https://bratty-aphrodite.tumblr.com/.../grow-ur-psychic... http://the-ram-occultist.tumblr.com/.../ways-to-enhance... https://betterhumans.coach.me/how-to-make-better... https://www.huffingtonpost.com/.../the-habits-of-highly... https://www.thoughtco.com/traits-of-empaths-1724671 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intuition http://witcheslore.com/.../how-to-discover-your.../3692/

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Sustenance gardening in witchraft

Original post here on Facebook.

Our ancestors were much more connected to nature than most of society is today. When comparing societies of the past and present, things have changed. Our passions, obsessions, and means of survival are very different, and yet many things are still the same. We still need food to survive and the food we consume is important in terms of how it interacts with our bodies, and in turn how our bodies are interacting with the world around us. In todays world we have taken religion and spirituality out of everyday habits, habits that in the past would have connected nature, man, and magic. For many of us in the witchcraft community, it is this connection that we wish to reestablish.

So what are some ways we can reestablish this connection? One way is through deities (if applicable to your practice). In the times of ancient Egypt their farming was seen as a way to honor Osiris. You can jump over the oceans to Yucatan where the Mayans saw farming as a sort of contract between them and their Gods. The Gods blessed humans with the gift of food, and in return the Mayans fulfilled rituals and prayer to thank the Gods. The Greeks had festivals celebrating Demeter, Persephone, and Dionysus for their domains in agriculture. There is the Adonia festival where you grow a ‘Adonis garden’ with fast growing plants that will be thrown into the ocean in a sign of solidarity in mourning Adonis. Not to mention, depending on your pantheon, it is a great way to show respect to any Gods or Goddess who hold domain over season or certain aspects of nature such as rain or the sun. If you don’t worship any deities, it’s a great way to connect with the elements, particularly water and earth. What is some other reasons that gardening can be helpful in witchcraft? Well, let’s look to cottage and kitchen witchery, shall we? If you eat food and use vegetables, fruits, and/or herbs, then congratulations you can grow some of your own! You can incorporate magic into it every step of the way. Growing your food in a pot? Charm the pot. What about watering the plant? Use moon water, or water infused with magic of your choosing. I have even seen instances of people putting crystals along their potted friends! The only limitation is your own. What if cooking isn’t your thing? Well guess what I have even more ideas for you. Do you use smoke or incense at all in your craft? You can start to grow your own herbs and make your own incense blends or even add them to candles! I make soap; you can add herbs and such to the soap, and can you just imagine the cleaning rituals you could do with that? If you are into witchcraft relating to beauty or want to make offerings to any love related goddess, you can make your own rose water with rose petals you know aren’t covered in any harsh chemicals! One last suggestions- imagine making your own tea blends and using them for divination. Basically, sustenance gardening for witches means taking the reins and putting your own signature on your tools in a way. Store bought plants and such are fine, and there is absolutely no judgement in it; if, however you want to try to give gardening a go that is always wonderful! As a Taurus I might be a bit biased when I say that spending time with Earth is a very beautiful and wonderful thing, but there is a lot of scientific evidence to back this up as well! I am also lucky enough that I live in a household that encourages growing things from the ground. In my back yard my pawpaw has a wonderful garden where he plants crops for the Spring/Summer and for Autumn/winter. In the front we have a couple of herbs, and flowers. While the other inhabitants of my household don’t look at farming as any kind of religious or spiritual exercise, it obviously very well can be. If you are looking for a way to connect with the element of Earth, or simply want to have some control over what you are putting in your body that gardening is a very good hobby and can bring magic to your life in many ways.

Sources and further reading: EGYPTIAN PANTHEON- https://classroom.synonym.com/ancient-egyptian-religion… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE2YZZgZWdE GREEK PANTHEON- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adonia http://www.theoi.com/greek-mythology/agricultural-gods.html MAYAN PANTHEON- Lee, Dorothy. “Religious Perspectives in Anthropology.” Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion a Reader in the Anthropology of Religion, by Pamela A. Myers-Moro, Ninth ed., McGraw-Hill Companies, 2013, pp. 30–37. Religious Perspectives in College Teaching. AGRICULTURE AND RELIGION- http://garvandwane.com/religion/religion1.html http://witcheslore.com/…/rit…/agricultural-rituals/5343/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_agricultural_gods FARMING- https://www.farmersalmanac.com/

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Personal freedom

Original post here on Facebook.

I would like to talk a bit about personal freedom, which is the basis and foundation for how you interact with other levels of freedom. If you don’t have personal freedom, you won’t let yourself be free with people around you. If you don’t have personal freedom then you want have any true solid beliefs to stand up when others might come to knock you and/or others down. Now why is this topic a good introductory topic for me? Well personal freedom is one of my biggest personal struggles and is what in fact first drew me to paganism in the first place.

I grew up in a family that wasn’t the most emotionally healthy and from a very young age I understood that my role in my family was to keep everyone together. Having to play this part, I never felt like I was my own person. To this day I struggle with even knowing who I am. Finding what parts I built over the years to appease others and feel accepted, and which parts of me I have subdued and killed and need to bring life back into has been an ongoing battle. There have been very low lows and very high highs, both necessary and both never ending. I have let my past stifle my growth out of fear. This is the exact opposite of personal freedom.

I am hardly alone in this way of life. At some point we all encounter this problem. Some of us are lucky enough to find ourselves again, shake the dust off and walk away as if nothing ever happened. Some of us however have to start completely over, pick the fabric that we are to be made out of, find a new pattern and sharpen our needles and get to work. For help in the project many people turn to hobbies, knowledge, family, religion and/or spirituality. Religion is an area of my life I always felt held importance and for most of my life I felt it lacking. I was brought up believing there was only one path people walked on for no other reason than, it is just what we do because it is how things are. Luckily, I loved learning about the world and the people in it. So even though I knew it wasn’t an option I could proudly and loudly take part in, I knew paganism was there. It always felt like some sort of haven, a true home that was waiting for me. In recent years I have allowed myself to finally walk through the threshold of my true home, even if I have to tiptoe and keep it a secret in my physical household. This was one of the first steps in my journey of personal freedom, allowing myself to start to connect with parts of myself that just felt right for myself, and not others.

I walk on the Hellenistic path of paganism and in this branch we have something called the pillars of Hellenism, a modern concept that draws influences from ancient Greek virtues. Different people recognize different pillars but one that is very common is the pillar of Arete. Plainly put, arete means to reach your fullest potential. Whether your practice includes deities or not this is something everyone can practice. You don’t need to be the best. ‘Perfection’ is not needed. You just need to be your best. The perfect you. You, and only you, get to define who that is on any given day. This is both terrifying and wonderfully freeing.

Athena doesn’t care if I am the smartest and wisest, she just cares that I strive to never stop learning. Aphrodite doesn’t care if I win everyone’s affection and approval, she only wants to me to love myself and keep my heart open to those who are deserving. Zeus doesn’t want me to become the most powerful and throw the power around, he wants me to gain power in myself and know when to use it. When looking at the humans around me, it doesn’t matter what they want of me, it only matters what I want of me and that I never stop growing. It only matters that I strive to reach my fullest potential. So go and find your voice and figure out what you want your strengths to be. Allow yourself to give in to those parts of you that will fuel yourself. Find your inner voice. Once you find it, strengthen it and use it for those around you who are being silenced or don’t yet have one themselves. This could mean fighting for human rights, work to help the earth, take part in your community, become an ethical shopper, find out what you could do to help animals in need. There is no limit or quota you need to fill other than your own personal standards. Once you find out what drives you and what you want to be the foundation of your character, build on it. Only you can find yourself, and only you can truly decide who you are going to be. Don’t let anyone take that from you. Just remember, you are a project that will never be fully done, you will always be growing and changing, and that is okay. Allow yourself that much.

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A consequence of being pagan in the modern world is that sometimes you just aren’t taken seriously. I’m not claiming that our religion is necessarily directly targeted by oppression, but in a Christocentric world a lot of pagans still have to keep themselves under wraps and go to worship a god they don’t believe in, and even those of us who can be open about it get treated like crackpots.

I would love to be able to say “I worship the gods of Olympus” without being treated like I’m intellectually deficient. After all, the Greeks were a primitive and superstitious people, even though secular western society has been falsely tracing its lineage to Greece for centuries.

But in trying times, when it just seems like it’s silly to burn incense to gods most people think belong in Mythology for Dummies books, its important to know that these gods were real.

Imagine being ill and being brought to the Temple of Asclepius, and sleeping there, feverish and shaking, and being told of your cure in the night.

Imagine being a bride burning a lock to Artemis before her wedding, hoping that her husband would be kind and her new family welcoming.

Imagine being a sailor near drowning praying to Poseidon and washing up on dry land, and taking a bowl to his sanctuary that tells the world how the god saved you.

The gods were real to these people. They were real to Sappho, who called Aphrodite down resplendent with a word. They were real to Homer and all the poets who begged the Muses to sing through them. They were real to the initiates at Eleusis, who went into the dark unknowing and came out knowing that even in death they would be thrice-blessed. They were real to the people who came to their sanctuaries and decorated them with pottery and marble and art, and who built some of the most spectacular buildings the world has ever seen, just to house their gifts to the gods.

It was not a matter of faith, but of knowing. The gods were real to them, and to us too, they are real now.

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Louisiana Witches and pagans!

Hello everyone, I wanted to share something with you! The Louisiana Witches Facebook page is an online community that we are trying to build! We currently have a  four question survey we are hoping to get insight on (the survey is for any pagans or witches, you don’t need to be in Louisiana or even like the page). So please reblog, and if you can please take the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9BK5YL7 Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/LouisianaWitches/

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It's been a while. As I have mentioned I hit a bump in the road of research and whenever that happens I tend to procrastinate which tends to turn into me forgetting my work all together.

Anyway, I'm currently having a mild medical emergency, so that's putting me on hold as well. However!

I have recently been made admin on a facebook page about witchcraft which means I will be responsible for researching and posting! So, I plan to take my post from there and also posting them here :) those post will start July 4th! So stay tuned for that!

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New Orleans City Park Sculpture Garden

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New Orleans City park Sculpture Garden.

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The above is the cover, back title, two graphics from the book, and one of the spells in the book. 

Basic Witches by Jaya Saxena and Jess Zimmerman. **Links leads to goodreads.com** TLDR: First things first, I feel important to note this is not truly a witch craft book! It is in fact a self-care/self-love book that uses witchcraft as a gimmick. If you have no problem with that, then there are things in here that can help you on your path to witch craft, especially if you are a beginner. If you want a 100% witch craft book, then this book will probably not be for you. So, if you want a new spin on some things that can help lay a foundation for what your beliefs in witch craft will be, then I honestly think this book is worth a look. There are spells sprinkled around the book, and even a section on making your own spell. There is also great little historical anecdotes. So I am going to give you a break down of what you can find in this book, to help you make a decision if this book would be a good choice for you. I also suggest looking to see if your local library has it. Then you can look at it first and decided if you want to buy it later. 

First off, the book does state: “ You probably identify as a woman, but maybe you don’t- maybe you’re outside the gender binary, or maybe you’re a man who’s committed to justice for all.” in regards to who this book is for. I believe that these authors had the intentions of making this a book for anyone and all who wanted to find something in their words to help make themselves feel powerful. However be aware they also state the book does talk mostly to women “but we’re also going to talk a lot about how societal notions of masculine and feminine- who can be which, and what they’re worth- are total bullshit”. So what kind of “witchcraft” is this book about? They tell you several times: “If you want to dismantle the cultural conditioning that trains woman to be weak and small”, “Witchcraft means the kind of mundane pursuits that might once have resulted in accusation: enjoying sex, controlling reproductive health, hanging out with other women, not caring what men think, disagreeing, and just knowing stuff”, and “the rituals in this book are designed to affect your brain instead of the world, because we can’t give you a way to effortlessly manifest your ideal partner, job, wardrobe, or life.” This book is divided into 7 chapters:      - Chapter 1 Self Initiation: An introduction into Basic Witchery.            In this chapter you will pretty much find the above information, of course in more detail. This chapter also has a page on some witches found in pop culture as well as traits those specific witches have that you can adopt to your own personality (Sarah Baily: bravery, Gillian Owens: rebelliousness, Hermione Granger: self-assuredness). This could be a good guide for pop culture witches.      - Chapter 2 Glamours: The Power to Change How You Look           Once again, this is really at its core, a self help book. That being said this chapter starts off with how you can curate your wardrobe to feel powerful and self confident. There is a section on make up as well which tells readers to find out how make up, or even lack of, can make them feel strong, society be damned. There is a section on hair as well, labeled ‘The Dark Magic of Unfeminine Haircuts’, which is pushes readers to break free of society’s notions of what women must do with their hair (”Thankfully, we witches cackle in the face of perfect femininity”). Jewelry, “smellomancy”, and ‘lotions and potions’ are also talked about here.       - Chapter 3 Healing: The Power to Care for Yourself           This Chapter has some information that could be great for kitchen witches or those that make home remedies.  Here is info all about healing your body from the inside out. The first section talks about the healing powers of aloe vera, cayenne, green tea, and turmeric. I want to give them props, they do make a note of telling readers to talk to their doctors when combining herbal remedies with convention medicine. They give examples of using food and drinks and “applying magic to it”. EX: “If you want to chill our, make warm milk with honey (has a some words to recite before drinking to boost the witchy feels). If you want boundless energy, make banana ice cream”. In this chapter there is also a section on exercising which includes some out of the box ways to engage your body in physical activity (swordplay, aerials, and shuffleboard).      - Chapter 4 Summoning: The Power to Care for Others           This chapter is al about building a “coven” and learning to build each other up while also caring for your self. There is also an amusing infographic on familiars (Should you get a cat, cockatiel, or manatee?) Need help on learning to break down your walls and let other be close to you? Want to attract people into your life that will enrich it?  This is your chapter for sure.       - Chapter 5 Enchantment: The Power to Make Choices About Love and Sex           This takes the last chapter and dives deeper. Now its not only who do you want in your life but who do you really want, should you choose to want anyone at all. It gives some helpful advice on what to do when “You’re single and happy, when you crave physicality but don’t want a partner, when you’re in a romantic relationship but aren’t feeling a spark, and when you want a romantic relationship but don’t want sex” by giving good advice (they labeled it as white magic) and bad advice (which is labeled as black magic.) I really didn’t like how they labeled the bad advice vs good advice but that’s at your discretion. They have a section on how to use “modern day runes” or emojis, when texting people to help flirt without words. There is a section on consent, “choosing the ‘broomstick’ for you” (sex toys), as well as communication in sex.       - Chapter 6 Banishment: The Power to Avoid What Brings You Down           This chapter is about dealing with emotional baggage, trauma, and personal demons (with another cute graphic to lighten the mood). The main theme of this chapter is fully understanding how powerful you are and owning it, imperfections and all.                  - Chapter 7 Divination: The Power to Decide Your Destiny            This is about making decisions that will help you in the future, even if it is as small as choosing to do the dishes at night so morning you doesn’t have to. Now that you have found your power to fight for what you want, this chapter helps you to try and find what is it you want to use your new fond power to fight for! There is an infographic on tasseography.  That’s it for this book. All in all, if you are someone who thinks magic is strictly serious you will hate this book. If you are a beginner who just wants a little boost, this book could be helpful. This book ultimately though is a self love book. Keep that in mind when you decide if you want to grab for it or not ;)

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#grimoireguides

That will be the tag that I use for my book reviews (refer to this post).  If you would like to join in and reviews similar books feel free to also use that tag! The more voices and opinions the more others can gleam from reviews!