evathepolyglot

[evathepolyglot]

Explain the basic: Healing, Protecting, and Grounding.

You must know those three things before you start anything about witchcraft. This will be a long post.

I will explain those three things separately, as always:

PROTECTION:

Protection in witchcraft involves the use of various methods, spells, rituals, and practices to safeguard oneself, spaces, or others from negative energies, harm, or unwanted influences. It's an essential aspect of many magical traditions to maintain safety and well-being while practicing witchcraft. Here are some common ways practitioners protect themselves:

Warding and Shielding: Creating energetic barriers or shields around oneself or a space to prevent negative energies or entities from entering. This can be done through visualization, the use of specific symbols, or spoken spells.

Cleansing and Purification: Regularly cleansing yourself or your space with methods such as smudging (burning herbs [burning herbs is okay] like sage or palo santo and it is a closed practice for the native american and first Nations people), sprinkling salt, using consecrated water, or utilizing sound (like bells or singing bowls) to remove negativity and purify the environment.

Protective Symbols and Amulets: Wearing or carrying protective amulets, talismans, or charms such as pentagrams, evil eye symbols, runes, or specific sigils believed to ward off negativity.

Crystal Protection: Using crystals and stones like black tourmaline, obsidian, amethyst, or clear quartz for their protective properties. These can be worn, placed in a space, or used in rituals for protection.

Ancestral or Deity Protection: Calling upon ancestors, spirit guides, or deities associated with protection and asking for their assistance or guidance in warding off negativity.

Setting Intentions: Setting clear and strong intentions for protection through meditation, prayer, or visualization, reinforcing the desired protective barrier.

Creating Protective Spells or Rituals: Crafting and performing spells or rituals specifically designed for protection, involving candles, herbs, oils, and written or spoken incantations to enhance protective energy.

Boundary Setting: Establishing personal boundaries, both energetically and physically, and learning to say no to things or people that might compromise your safety or well-being.

GROUDING:

Grounding in witchcraft refers to the practice of connecting with the earth, balancing energy, and centering oneself. It's a technique used to help practitioners feel rooted, present, and connected to the physical world while engaging in magical or spiritual work. Grounding is essential for maintaining stability, mental clarity, and energetic balance.

Here are some common methods used for grounding in witchcraft:

Nature Connection: Spending time outdoors, walking barefoot on the earth, sitting against a tree, or gardening can help establish a connection with nature and ground your energy.

Visualization: Imagining roots extending from your body into the earth like a tree, anchoring you and absorbing excess energy. You can also visualize a protective shield around you, separating your energy from external influences.

Mindfulness and Breathing: Focusing on your breath and being present in the moment can bring awareness to your body and surroundings, helping to ground scattered energy.

Crystals: Certain crystals like black tourmaline, hematite, or obsidian are believed to have grounding properties. Holding or carrying these stones can aid in grounding practices.

Grounding Foods and Herbs: Consuming foods that grow underground (like root vegetables) or herbs such as ginger, turmeric, or cloves can also assist in grounding.

Physical Movement: Engaging in physical activities like yoga, tai chi, or dancing helps to connect with the body and the present moment.

Rituals and Spells: Incorporating grounding rituals or spells into your practice, such as casting a circle, lighting grounding candles, or using specific incantations, can help focus your intention and energy.

HEALING:

Healing in witchcraft encompasses various methods and practices aimed at promoting physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. Witches and practitioners of various magical traditions often use a combination of natural remedies, energy work, rituals, and spells to facilitate healing. Here are some common approaches to healing in witchcraft:

Herbalism and Plant Magic: Using the healing properties of herbs and plants to create remedies, teas, poultices, and tinctures for physical ailments. Herbal magic involves harnessing the energies of specific plants for their healing properties.

Energy Healing: Working with energy to promote balance and healing within the body. Practices like Reiki, chakra balancing, aura cleansing, and energy manipulation are common in witchcraft for healing purposes.

Candle Magic: Utilizing candles of different colors, corresponding with specific intentions or healing needs. Lighting candles in rituals or spells while focusing on healing intentions can aid in the healing process.

Crystal Healing: Using crystals and gemstones believed to have healing properties. Placing crystals on the body, creating crystal grids, or incorporating them into rituals can facilitate healing energies.

Visualization and Meditation: Guided visualization and meditation techniques to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and facilitate self-healing. This can involve visualizing light, healing energy, or positive affirmations to bring about healing.

Rituals and Spells: Crafting rituals or spells specifically focused on healing, utilizing candles, herbs, oils, symbols, and spoken or written incantations to channel healing energy.

Divination for Insight: Using divination tools like tarot cards, runes, or scrying to gain insight into the root causes of illness or emotional distress and to guide healing processes.

Sound and Vibrational Healing: Incorporating sound healing techniques such as chanting, drumming, singing bowls, or bells to harmonize energies and promote healing vibrations.

Ancestral or Spirit Work: Seeking guidance or assistance from ancestors, spirit guides, or deities associated with healing and wellness.

As always, I will love to hear your thoughts! and if you have any questions, I will be more than happy to answer them! If you liked it, leave a comment or reblog (that is always appreciated!). and have a wonderful day or night!

[evathepolyglot]

communicating with the gods

now of course this is a multi layered topic that is different for everyone. some people will use some of these techniques, some people use none, others may use all in sparing amounts. and some techniques may not work for you at all, and that's okay!

just remember that you and your practice is valid, this is just advice for whoever needs it (and that may not be you! it's okay!).

HOWEVER it should be said that a lot of cultures place an emphasis on cleanliness--both spiritual and physical. so, hey, maybe set up some incense and wash your hands before doing some of these methods.

1. Tarot, Runes, Etc.

Now this section is probably the biggest out of all of them. There are so many different physical divination techniques across several different cultures including tarot and runes, but also bone/charm casting (here's a good tutorial for that), psephoi, coin flipping, geomancy, the ogham, and gods so many more I just can't get to all of them.

I like to do this at or near my altar space while wearing my devotional jewelry or sometimes even while veiling, depending on the deity.

What I like to start with is just a simple "Please [deity name] guide this reading." before I ask my question and cast lots. I imagine the deity during the question, during the pulling, and while interpreting.

Sometimes, with deities, the question you ask isn't always the one that is answered. If there is a certainmessage they deem more important, they will give you that instead. This happens to me very, very frequently.

I don't have a particular spread that I always use, but I tend to go for a simple five card pull. I also tend to place a lot of importance in cards that fall out while shuffling, and will look at them with and apart from the other cards I pull. Other than that, a simple past-present-future can also be very useful here.

2. Meditation

This is what I know most practicioners to use, as it seems to come the easiest to most people. However, if you're someone like me who's on certain psychiatric medications, this may not work for you. Furthermore, if you have difficulty visualizing (which is Not your fault, some people are just built differently and that's okay), this may be difficult for you.

The way I used to go about it is that I would find a dark, quiet place, I would light some incense, perhaps even play some light music or nonspeaking ASMR. Here is a good tutorial on YouTube. I just needed to get relaxed enough to be almost asleep, but not so relaxed I lost focus. Recently, I've also noticed that doing some,,, gardening (iykyk),, helps a lot with reaching the right state.

You're looking for just the fine line between sleep and wakefulness, it should almost feel like you're being pulled upward (at least, that's how it feels to me).

Messages may come in the form of images or words, and can be direct or very vague. Just remember to be patient with yourself and your deities, the time may not always be right for you to hear some messages.

3. Pendulums

The reason why pendulums get their own section is just because they're so dang good. Yes, pendulums can and do answer yes/no questions, however they can also be used with certain alphabetical charts to discern individual words and phrases from your deities.

Again, like with tarot, I like to set myself up near my altar with my devotional jewelry. Then I'll ask my pendulum to please contact the deity in question. The reason you want to do this is because I've noticed pendulums may have energy of their own, and may answer questions themselves if given the opportunity. This is not inherently bad, it's just not what you want.

Remember to always ask your pendulum if they're okay being taken over by a deity, some will already be occupied by their own force and won't appreciate being budged out. Others won't care and you'll have an okay time with it.

4. Dreams or Visions

Some of our polytheist friends will be given the ability to receive dreams or visions from their deities. This often comes in it's own package of strange messages and symbolism, but it works nonetheless. Keep a look out for dreams that include your gods' symbols, holy animals, or popular visages.

Remember, it is totally alright if you don't receive direct messages from your gods. I, for one, do not. Sometimes I will dream about my deities but I almost never remember what happened in the dreams, much less if there was a message. Those that receive dreams and visions are not better than you, nor do they automatically have a better relationship with that god than you.

In this case, there isn't much you can do except pray for visions. You can't force them to happen, there's no way to make yourself the perfect vessel or devotee (unlike what some might claim), it just works or it doesn't.

Also if you're having frequent visions and seeing full apparitions while awake that are convincing you to do things or are encouraging paranoid delusions, please seek therapy. I don't automatically believe you need to medicated because you see apparitions of the gods in broad daylight, but you should see someone who can help you discern if these are real messages from your gods or are figments of poor brain chemistry. Take care of yourselves, please.

5. Devotional Acts

Some people, especially in antiquity, communicated the gods in a mostly unidirectional manner. This includes burning offerings and incense, setting up altars, engaging inprayer, and doing devotional activities.

My favorite devotional activities include:

-going thrifting for fun nicknacks for my altar space

-eating food in their name, especially ones that remind you of them

-making devotional jewelry, including prayer beads

-doing divinational readings for others

-going out to look at the sunrise/sunset/moon

-spending time with family, especially female family members

-doing kind things, like making donations to charities you like or giving money to the unhoused

-reading books or stories about your deities

-loving and taking care of your furry friends, especially strays

Anyways, that's all I've got for today, Khaire! <3

[evathepolyglot]

30 Days of Devotion (DAY 1)

Day one of #30daysofdevotion to Lady Hestia, is all about introducing the deity. Sooooo!! Meet Lady Hestia, goddess of the Hearth and Home. Hestia is a Greek Goddess, and was the Youngest (and eldest) of the Olympians. Lady Hestia was the first born, and last to be set free from the confines of Kronos' stomach. She is a virgin goddess, similar to Lady Artemis. Hestia is, to me, a very motherly energy, someone who will be there when you need someone to turn to. She never had any biological children of her own, and because of this I personally believe she has taken every worshiper under her wing. As a goddess of the hearth, she accepts a part of every offering to the other Hellenic gods. Hestia is a wonderful deity to worship and work with, although I am just beginning to meet her and worship her. I am using this to further my relationship with her.