lanternagainstthedark

[lanternagainstthedark]

Modern Divination Methods

(originally taught in The Alexandria Archives on 4/9/2020) 

Divination is most certainly one of the oldest practices of witchcraft. Reading omens, trancing for prophecy/scrying, and using tools to read symbols or patterns have all been used in some form for practically as long as society has existed. Many people are familiar with the mainstream ones: Tarot, runes, tea leaves, scrying, etc. Last time I went over some more unusual methods. Today, in light of the current global situation having many person’s stuck in limited spaces with limited supplies, I thought we could touch on some modern methods. Most require nothing more than what you already have at your fingertips!

We will explore in some detail:

Shufflemancy: divination using randomized songs

Stichomancy: divination using passages in a volume of writing

Traffic omens: Modernizing weather style omen reading using things like cars, stoplights, types of buildings passed, etc.

We’ll also touch on a couple other ideas you might try expanding on:

Online Randomizer: Think like the old web extension Stumble upon or even those websites that give you random quotes, images, names, etc.

Social Media Image Scrying: using a collection of images online to select a particular one for interpretation.

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Shufflemancy

Many of you have probably heard of this method, likely even tried it! Shufflemancy is the method of divination that uses a platform or application to randomize a selection/playlist of songs for interpretation. You can either just hit the shuffle button once and go with that initial song or you can incorporate a more personalized experience by having the querent choose a number of skips to hit. It can also be tailored by using specific playlists you’ve compiled or certain genre options on applications like Spotify or Pandora.

You can expand on this with applications like Youtube to include videos. It’s my fantasy that platforms like Netflix or Hulu will come up with a “randomizer” or shuffle type option someday. It would be such a blast to play a random video and then use that for divination!

It’s important to take into account both the lyrics and the melody/mood of the music when your selection is being interpreted. If you aren’t sure if you’d be comfortable with that initially, I recommend building a “beginner’s” sort of playlist that is filled with songs you know very well and have personal feelings about. It makes the interpretation that much easier. Much like using a Tarot or Oracle deck that has art styles or characters you’re familiar with. You may also incorporate the visuals of a music video if there is one for the song. Shufflemancy usually works better for more expansive readings rather than just yes/no questions. Although you can sometimes get that sort of immediately “positive” or “negative” impression from many songs, assuming it doesn’t have both! 


This method is a therapeutic way to delve into some modern divination. The emotional and cathartic aspect can be soothing for both the reader and the querent. Not to mention the connection it builds as you share music between you. A feel good way to practice some divination with no physical tools beyond some technology access.

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Stichomancy

This method of divination, sometimes called bibliomancy, uses a book or similar volume of writing to select passages from to interpret. Most people use the page number as the way to select, telling the querent to select a number between the first and last page (and what the highest number possible is). But there are intuitive methods as well. Using the physical shuffling of pages until it feels right to stop rather than a selected number. I find the latter method more useful when reading for myself and the former method more cooperative when I’m reading for others.

Like with shufflemancy, stichomancy is much affected by your personalizing of the tool. Use books you love! Use books that have specific genres for specific queries (a romance book for a relationship reading?). Use anthologies (short story or poetry collections) to get a variety of styles and language to work with. 
 


You can also use books that are more visual, like my headstone symbolism book pictured above. It makes the reading more akin to Tarot, but you can use captions to help expand on the interpretation. Practice trial and error with multiple books until you feel comfortable and confident that the results are accurate enough. The books I have in the photo I shared are the five I’m comfortable using in regular readings. I play with others for myself or specific queries for friends or family but often I’m not comfortable adding them to my regular repertoire. I have a series of dimestore style paperback mysteries that love to give readings for a dear friend but are useless in accuracy for anyone else. Books have personalities- if you didn’t already know that this method will teach you that fact quickly. You can also create your own specific stichomancy book using a notebook with numbered short passages and poems of that have significance to you. It can be an enriching process to collect all the passages to add to your own book and you can give them more specific and more easily remembered associations when compiling them yourself. Do remember to give proper credit/sourcing to all your collected passages though!


You don’t need the largest book possible to be effective with this method of divination. “Desperation” and “Chilling Ghost Short Stories” are my thickest books, but honestly I’ve gotten more insightful readings from my two slim fairy tale volumes. It’s truly a method you make your own. I have friends who prefer to exclusively use books of poetry rather than fictional prose. That is good too!

A note: don’t feel like you need to have a physical book- I’ve had some success with ebooks! It can be trickier to do the flip-through for sure, but not impossible.



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Traffic Omens

I was probably about 8 years old when I first played the “If, Then” game. “If this next light turns green before we reach it, then I’ll get McDonalds for lunch.” A simple and almost childish game of course. But essentially, traffic omens. I expanded on it as I got older to include seeing certain makes and colors of cars during my commute. Or a certain number of common buildings like churches or banks. A type of architecture or statues featuring certain things. It can be as common or uncommon as your needs require.

This is a method that’s a little trickier to lay out for others in step-by-step ways because it is omen based and therefore requires you to select what works for your specific area/region, what type of commute based omens you feel comfortable noticing, what meanings they have for you, etc. And since this is omen-based, it isn’t exactly ideal for actively standard divination reading. It’s more ideal for a passive style, or personal predictions in your own life.

You can build a system that works for you and could predict luck in a career, prosperity in the home, or a new friend. I recommend starting a journal of the sort of “omens” you notice on your commute. Follow up with a short blurb about how your day went and how you felt. Then you can refer back to it and create the personal system from there. You can vary the more common with uncommon omens- just remember to ascribe the appropriate association. Seeing a certain number of bank buildings can be good for meaning an increase in general finances but you’d likely want something more uncommon like an usual make and model of a single car for snagging a dream job. You can also create variations for when you’re walking during your day instead of commuting!



A bit more involved but something interesting to experiment with in our modern society. And keep a bit of that childlike wonder!

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Online Randomizer

Did you ever play with the web extension “Stumble Upon” back when it existed? The idea was that you installed it in whatever web browser you happened to be using and then clicked it to get directed to an entirely random website. Though it’s intention was obviously to curb boredom, it is definitely something interesting to try as a divination tool. Stumble Upon no longer exists (as far as I know), however there are similar extensions or webpages that let you do the same thing (this one comes to mind: https://theuselessweb.com). There is also options like Wikipedia’s “random article” ability that works along the same lines. This method is similar to stichomancy in that you’ll likely be working with text a lot of the time. But be aware of the medium you’re working with- a webpage is more than just a page in a book. What is its purpose? How well is it designed? What sort of visuals does it use? What emotional impressions do you get from it? It can start simple, but you can see the options are there for expanding an interpretation pretty elaborately. And again, a number of clicks can be incorporated if you like.

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Multi-Image Scrying (Social Media Image Scrying)
 


It’s hard for me to come up with a concise name for this. But it’s possible you’ve come across persons doing this on various platforms like Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, etc. There is a selection of images in a format similar to a moldboard to view. The reader has a querent select an image that stands out to them and builds a reading based on the selection. Similar to a random draw from a Tarot or Oracle card with symbolism and art imagery lending itself to the interpretation. This can be great to try if you are into color symbolism or can easily see how certain artwork evokes certain emotions. Similar to what websites like Buzzfeed or the astro.com color chart quiz is! Almost like an alternative horoscope based on visual selections you are drawn to.

Be sure to ethically collect images for something like this if you plan on offering it to others. There are many websites that have royalty free images you can use for projects like this. Or you can even use ones you have yourself! These don’t have to be high art photographs, simple ones on your phone can absolutely work. The biggest goal is to make sure they are varied so a large amount of interpretation is possible.

There is a version of this using face down Tarot (or oracle) cards as well. You take a photo (or have video) of them face down and then have your querent select one at random without either of you knowing what it is. Then once you flip it over you can giving a reading based on that. It’s not especially different from a standard long distance Tarot reading except it can be used on a mass scale. For example, I’ve done this for my business Facebook or Instagram where I have a grid of numbered face down cards. Then I put the meanings of each card in the comments so someone can select the card before reading the comments and get a low-tech daily reading without an app.

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Even though many of these methods evoke playful games of childhood, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have potential as a valid form of divination. Many forms of divination in the past started as games or ways to pass time before they were built into the forms of divination we know today. A modern technique may seem “sillier” to traditionalists but just like younger generations are proving the further reaching use of modern technology to previous generations; it is time to prove the modern forms of divination as valid to the traditionalists!

[lanternagainstthedark]

ok! i think tumblr ate my fucking apple cider recipe post. still, my autumn equinox tradition must carry on!

Apollo's Foolproof From-Scratch Apple Cider That Was So Good It Allegedly Landed Me A Boyfriend

you will need:

12 apples (the variety is up to you, i usually do half granny smith and half whatever's on sale plus a red delicious for garnishing)

10oz raisins

cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom pods, any other warming spices u like (whole > ground) (follow ur heart on the amounts, it's like garlic just throw so much in there. just go wild)

1 orange

brown sugar (i don't have measurements but be prepared to use a LOT lmao, i always buy at least one 32oz bag. you'll be sweetening to taste.)

large pot with lid

potato masher (optional)

two large bowls/pots/receptacles to strain the cider into

fine mesh strainer

cheesecloth or coffee filters (optional)

apple corer or knife

citrus zester

slotted spoon or ladle

the steps:

1. scrub apples gently under hot water to remove grocery store wax coating. core apples making sure all seeds & stems are removed. add apples, raisins, and mulling spices to pot with enough water to fully cover ingredients, and bring to boil. reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

2. scrub orange to remove wax. zest and juice, avoiding the pith & seeds. use a potato masher or other utensil to lightly mash boiled apple mixture so every apple slice is at least partially broken up, then add the zest & juice to the pot. bring back to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for another hour. then turn off the heat and allow mixture to cool.

3. place two mesh strainers over two bowls or pots (and cover each with a cheesecloth or coffee filters, if you have them). with a slotted spoon or ladle, remove as much of the solids from the pot as you can and place them in one strainer (the larger one, if they are different sizes) to drain, then press out as much liquid into the cheesecloth as possible.

4. pour the cider from the simmer pot into the second cheesecloth and press. combine the liquid from both bowls.

5. add brown sugar to taste

cooking tips:

the times listed above are bare minimums. once all the ingredients are in the pot (minus sugar!) you can simmer as long as you want, so long as someone's nearby to supervise.

always add any sweeteners after the cooking process. otherwise, they'll burn and make the whole thing bitter.

if it's too acidic, add baking soda or more spices. if it's not acidic enough, add lemon juice, additional orange juice, or apple cider vinegar.

variations:

add 12oz fresh cranberries to the first step

sub oranges for lemons or apple cider vinegar

sub brown sugar for straight molasses, maple syrup, or alternative sweetener of your choice (I'd imagine fig or other fruit-based sweeteners would work best)

report back to me if you try something new!! i want to hear how it turned out!

serving suggestions:

add three or four cinnamon imperials (red hots) to your mug, along with a dash of fireball whiskey if you're so inclined. i cannot stress enough how fucking amazing this tastes.

garnish with apple slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and/or star anise

if you have dairy-free ice cream on hand, pour some cider over a scoop. you can use dairy ice cream, but it's more likely to curdle.

freeze some in an ice cube tray, then blend with some non-frozen cider for a slushie

ok I've never tried this, but i bet blending with pumpkin puree would slap. PLEASE tell me if you try it

this makes a metric fuckload of cider, which is very rich and can be watered down considerably (seriously). share with your friends and/or freeze some to last the season (or halve it, i guess, but that's no fun :P)

[lanternagainstthedark]

Daily Spiritual Habits That Took My Practice to the Next Level

I’ve really been trying to strengthen my spiritual practice into something more regular these past few months. As I’m trying to prepare myself eventual chaplaincy training, it’s forced me to identify what really adds to my spiritual practice and what just distracts me. 

Here are the habits that have really restored my spiritual life over the past few months. My hope in talking about them is to help you evaluate what practices are your spiritual pillars in your life. 

Prayer

Prayer is something I wind up doing everyday. I usually pray to my goddess and my spirits. I also regularly pray to my ancestors. I used to use some pagan prayers I memorized but I haven’t lately. I might go back to it for morning and evening prayers. 

On a mundane side, this lowers my stress quite a bit. Prayer reminds me I have folks looking out for me. I’m not going it alone. Which helps me feel less helpless and more connected to the world at large. On the spiritual side, this helps strengthen my ability to communicate with those beings - a skill I’m definitely still working on. While my goddess comes in loud and clear, I’m still learning to listen for my ancestors and other spirits. 

It’s so practically and spiritually helpful, I don’t tend to forget this one. I’m still getting comfortable praying in my own style which I don’t think enough people talk about. I don’t like praying out loud unless I’m leading a ceremony or circle and I’ve come to accept that. I don’t think it’s any less powerful because in many ways it’s more me. 

If you haven’t liked praying in the past, switch it up. Prayer beads, ancient hymns, modern poetry, freestyle, out loud, in your head - it’s all valid. 

Offerings

I usually put out a stick of incense and some water most days on our home hearth altar. I miss some days but it’s deeply gratifying for me so it’s right below prayer for me. 

Offerings just help me feel closer to the spirits I work with. In the same way, when you invite friends over and cook for them you tend to feel closer to them - it’s like that for spirits. I like “having them over” and my prayers feel like they’re received a little better when I make it clear my relationship is reciprocal. 

They’re also just so distinctly different from what I did when I was raised Christian so it helps me feel like I’m actively participating in my own separate path. They really do help fill me up spiritually. 

Journaling

Journaling is something I do at least once a week but often more. I focus on shadow work journaling but I’m opening up to other forms too. It’s just such a needed way to process what I’m going through in a way that doesn’t overburden my support system. It’s not that I can’t talk to people in my life about stuff, it’s that they’ve got stuff going on in their lives and I want to take things that I properly can’t figure out on my own to them. It’s a good faith effort so to speak. 

This goes for spirits too. My goddess works with thousands of people all over the world and she’s got plans of her own. I only really want to go to her with the stuff I really need her help with. Since she’s a goddess of sovereignty, I think it helps me feel like I can stand on my own and I think she’s grown to trust me with more work as I’ve gotten more emotionally independent. 

Journaling really has been key with that. Your brain is for having ideas, not for storing them. And I get kind of “emotionally backed up” if I don’t journal regularly so this is a practice that has stayed. 

Tarot

I’m kind of in a tarot slump at the moment but I still find it a useful tool. Instead of drawing cards, I’ll sometimes just use a card as a point of focus to center my journaling or prayers. Tarot is more than a divination system to me, it’s a way to understand life. 

I find myself relating my experiences back to tarot cards and using the system as a whole to work out what the best course of action might be. If I’m feeling stuck, I think about what reversed card best embodies my situation and then think about what clues the upright card might give for breaking through. 

There’s really not a day that goes by where I don’t interact with the tarot in some way but it’s not always in the form of divination. So it’s stayed now that I better understand the place it holds in my practice - it’s a tool, not a performance.  

Study

I’m embarrassed to say it but properly studying is pretty new to me at the moment. I’m still learning how to do it well. I’m really lucky I have cool friends who can point me in the right direction and the internet is so full of great resources. 

Right now I’m working on studying the myths of my goddess more. I’m working my way through a reading list to know her more fully. I’m still new to it but it really has helped. I feel more grounded in my relationship with her. I feel closer. 

There really is a form of intimacy that comes from studying the lore deeply that you can’t necessarily get from unverified personal gnosis alone. I see this becoming a real solid pillar for me going forward.

Conclusion

I think it’s worth evaluating what small forms of practice you get the most out of. It’s really helped me cut down on shoulding myself and I reframe it as I want to do this and I can. This isn’t all I do, to be clear. It’s because of these things that I’ve had the knowledge and the energy to pursue my interest in traditional witchcraft more and get hands on practice casting spells. It’s made learning new forms of energy work way easier and helps me when I need to act as a spiritual intercessor for others. These practices are my foundation that allow the rest of my practice to flourish. 

What are some of yours?

[lanternagainstthedark]

Prayer Beads

*I am not Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Bahai, Jainist, or Umbandan (?). I am pagan. I researched this from various sources, I apologize for any misinformation in the sources I used, this is the first time I’m covering this topic.

Okay so I had this in mind for a while and then I cranked out research in about an hour so be prepared for chaos. Surprisingly, a lot of the sources AGREED on all the big key points, which is definitely a first in this field. And by “this field” I mean every field.

So prayer beads have been used in Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Umbanda, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, the Bahá'í Faith, Jainism, and paganism. They’ve also been found and used in all of east Asia, India, the Middle East, Turkey, Greece, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. The oldest beads have been found in Africa. As a tool, prayer beads can be used secularly and can represent things like elements, spirits, figures, and so forth.

Let’s talk about that oldest beads, shall we? They were made of ostrich shell beads and date back to 10,000 BCE (before common era). Depictions of the use of prayer beads are from the Greeks of ancient Thira, from 1600 BCE. In the depictions, women the ones using them. Prayer beads were also used by Hindus in 500 BCE, and the Buddhists also joined them in using prayer beads.

Prayer beads have also been called many things depending on the religion:

Subha/Subhah, misbaha, tasbih/tasbeeha, or dhikr in Islam.

Japamala/japa mala or mala beads in Buddhism and Hinduism.

Sikh mala or mala beads in Sikhism.

Mala beads in Jainism.

Mala beads in Shinto.

Bahai beads in the Bahá'í Faith.

Rosary in Roman Catholic. Rosary for Anglicans in Anglican Christianity. Chotki in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The Wreath of Christ in non-denominational Christianity.

The closest thing to prayer beads that Judaism has is the tallit, which is a prayer shawl. Eastern Orthodox Christians have knotted ropes instead of strings of beads. When not used for religious work, prayer beads are instead known as worry beads (or kompoloi or komboloi).

Prayer beads are used for keeping track of and counting prayers, chants, mantras, and devotions. Komboloi or worry beads can serve as stim toys to pass time or to limit smoking. They can also be used as an amulet against bad luck or as a mark of power or social prestige – the fancier the worry beads, the higher you were in the society’s hierarchy. Nowadays, in places like Greece and Turkey, komboloi are used as a men’s accessory for stress relief and to pass time.

Prayer beads are made of some kind of string, along with a number of beads that varies from religion to religion. The beads can be made from wood, glass, crystals, minerals, metals, bone, shells, plant seeds, and pearls, among many other things. Anything that can be made into a bead can be made into prayer beads. Prayer beads do not need a religious symbol or a tassel, as the importance of prayer beads is in the number of the beads and the beads themselves, not in the other things attached to it.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_beads

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worry_beads

https://viennaimports.com/blog/religion/history-use-prayer-beads-throughout-world/

http://www.prayerbeadsworld.com/

http://dharma-beads.net/history-prayer-beads/religious-use-beads/judaism

https://www.learnreligions.com/islamic-prayer-beads-subha-2004515

https://www.prayerfoundation.org/dailyoffice/history_%20of_prayer_beads.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japamala

http://dharma-beads.net/history-prayer-beads/religious-use-beads/buddhism

http://dharma-beads.net/history-prayer-beads/religious-use-beads/hinduism

http://dharma-beads.net/prayer-beads/hindu-beads

http://dharma-beads.net/pagan-prayer-beads-rosary

[lanternagainstthedark]

Sometimes, Inspiration Strikes you and you make religious/spirtitual art…

This is apparently the only time my art is good LOL.

(Note that one of these images is the profile pic for another of my blogs, I pinky promise I didnt steal the art!)

I no longer have the translations for the aurebesh in the background of this card, so anyone who knows… 😅

[lanternagainstthedark]

More stuff back in stock!

Sigil Magic: Fir Writer, Artists, and other Creatives by T. Thorne Coyle

A Witch's Guide to Spellcraft by Althea Sebastiani

Folk Witchcraft: A guide to Lore, Land, and The Familiar Spirit for the Solitary Practitioner by Roger J Horne

Memento Mori: A Collection of Magickal and Mythological Perspectives on Death, Dying, Mortality & Beyond

Sigil Magic: Fir Writer, Artists, and other Creatives by T. Thorne Coyle

A Witch's Guide to Spellcraft by Althea Sebastiani

Folk Witchcraft: A guide to Lore, Land, and The Familiar Spirit for the Solitary Practitioner by Roger J Horne

Memento Mori: A Collection of Magickal and Mythological Perspectives on Death, Dying, Mortality & Beyond

Magical House Protection: The Archeology of Counter-Witchcraft by Brian Hoggard

Weird Walk Zines and the new Weird Walk books!

By Rust of Nail and Prick of Thorn-The Theory and Practice of Effective Home Warding by Althea Sebastiani

Curses, Hexes, & Crossings: A Magician's Guide to Execration Magic by S Connolly

Cloven Country: The Devil and the English Landscape by Jeremy Harte

Magic: A History Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present by Chris Gosden

Pagan Book of the Dead by Claude: Ancestral Visions of the Afterlife and Other Worlds by Claude Lacouteux

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Reblog if you're an active witchy account!

I need some active witch blogs to follow! <3

[lanternagainstthedark]

Polytheist & Pagan Asks

🙏 - Which pantheon(s) do you actively worship?

🌞 - Which deity(ies) are you closest to/do you worship the most often?

✨ - Do you believe in patron deities? If so, do you have any that you know of?

🌍 - Which pantheons do you believe exist?

📜 - Have you ever made an oath, vow, or contract with a deity? If yes, how did it go (you don't have to share)?

📿 - What are three things you're grateful to your deity(ies) for?

🖋️ - If you could say anything to your deity(ies) right now, what would you most want to say?

💌 - What is your favorite form of deity communication?

🎭 - What is an emotionally impactful or a silly worship-related experience you've had?

❤️ - What's one memory of your practice that you reflect the most fondly on?

🥂 - What is your favorite devotional act or offering to give?

🎉 - Do you celebrate any festivals? If so, which ones?

🫂 - Do you syncretize any pantheons with one another? If so, which ones?

🔮 - Do you delve into topics like the occult or the mysteries? Do you do anything esoteric?

⭐ - What is something you wish people outside your practice knew more about?

📖 - Do you like the way your pantheon is most often portrayed in media? Why or why not?

🏛️ - Do you have a favorite statue or temple to your deity(ies)? If yes, what is it?

🔥 - Do you have a favorite myth or tale from your pantheon or others?

🧭 - What led you to your practice?

🧿 - Did you have any other spiritual beliefs before discovering your current practice?

🪽 - Do you believe in angels and/or demons? If yes, do you worship or work with any?

🪄 - Do you practice witchcraft? If yes, do you keep it separate from your deity worship?

🪦 - Do ancestors or human spirits play a big role in your practice?

🐾 - Do animal spirits play a big role in your practice?

🌱 - Does nature - plants, nature spirits, etc. - play a big role in your practice?

💀 - Do you believe in ghosts? If yes, have you ever had an experience with one?

☄️ - Do you believe in astral travel/the astral realm? If so, have you been there before?

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PLEASE DO NOT USE TIKTOK AS A RESOURCE FOR HELLENIC POLYTHEISM

Tiktok is probably one of THE WORST places to learn about REAL hellenic polytheism because it is rampant with misinformation and most creators are only interested in views and parroting misinformation THEY heard. Yes there are some great and informative creators on there to learn about the hellenic gods but they are far and few in-between.

INSTEAD if you're new to the religion and have no clue where to start researching/learning, here are a few phenomenal creators on here with wonderful and informative posts!

@wisdom-devotee has an amazing guide for starting out in hellenic polytheism

@seasaltdevotion also recently made a fantastic post on resources for starting out

@crazycatsiren has a SUPER long list of resources and research material

@khaire-traveler has possibly the greatest list on subtle deity worship for just about every god

Please actually learn from those of us that truly love and covet this religion and spread information that will truly benefit you.

[lanternagainstthedark]

Make Some Bank - Money Shaker Jar 

A shaker jar for bringing some quick money into one’s life

You Will Need:

A jar with a lid

A small, green/gold paper with your full name and birthday on it

Almond/almond shells - prosperity and wealth

Basil - draws in prosperity

Bay leaf - success

Cinnamon - boosts potency of other ingredients

Cleansing medium

Cloves - brings good luck

Eggshell powder - cleansing and protection

Salt - cleansing and protection

Sigils of your choice (optional)

Star anise - physical manifestation

Getting Started:

Cleanse your jar and its lid using your preferred method, such as waving it through incense or setting in in salt

Add all ingredients, making sure to tell each one what it is going to do 

Add your sigils if you have any 

Fold the paper with your name and birthday on it towards yourself three times and add it to the jar. This step ensures that the effects of the jar come directly to you

Seal the jar with the lid and say:

“Every time I shake this jar, wealth and prosperity go on a spree

It travels around and enters my space, bringing money directly to me”

Whenever you need to stir up these energies, shake the jar again while focusing on your intention!

[lanternagainstthedark]

Need a job? Struggling?

Me too!!

Here’s what I included in my Lucky Little Job Getter:

(This one is pretty specific!! But hopefully someone can still find it helpful!)

Cinnamon. So much. Like half the jar.

Sugar. (An offering to Aphrodite and my ancestors) (we all like sugar here)

Allspice (hurry up hurry up hurry up)

The amount you want to be paid (or specific job) written on a bay leaf. On the back of the bay leaf sign your name, the date, and the amount three times each. Don’t be neat. Repeat and cover the whole leaf.

2 more bay leaves

Small Blue diamond gem beads

Salt. A lot.

A small shell (another offering to Aphrodite)

Melt a black candle, a green, and then white until the entire jar is filled

Top with large green gem and more candle wax

I chanted “everything is working out for me no matter how it looks at any given point in time” and “this money comes conveniently and quickly.” As the candles burned 💚 💵

[lanternagainstthedark]

Reblogging while I plan my money ritual. I really want to start building my home.

Witchcraft 101: Spell ingredients for Money

This is a little list of some spell ingredients you can use in money spell work based on my personal experience.

Lemongrass

Rabbit Feet/ Many kinds of animal feet + toes

Celery Seeds

Orange/Orange Peel

Ginger Root

Bay Leaf

Chamomile

Rice

Cat's Claw

Pine

Cinnamon

Vervain

Jasmine

Pumpkin

Bees

Keys

Gold, Green, or Orange Candles

Real or Fake Money (real preferred)

Pyrite, Green Aventurine, Quartz and Tigers Eye are my favorites for crystals but there are many

Seeds/Plants

Bank Dirt

Bank Statements

Money Oils, Road Opener Oils, Blockbuster Oils

Business Cards (especially if you own your own business/want to get promoted)

Gold Items

Ancestral Items

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"Your focus determines your reality."

                                                                        — Qui-Gon Jinn  

The Jedi may be fictional, but their practices echo real-world wisdom, especially when it comes to Jedi meditation. If you’ve ever wished for more inner calm, better focus, or even just a moment of peace in your busy life, you don’t need a lightsaber. You need presence.

What Is Jedi Meditation?

In Star Wars, Jedi meditation/Jedi mindfulness is a way to connect with the Force, an energy field that binds all living things. In our galaxy, meditation helps us connect to the present moment, develop emotional control, and strengthen mental clarity. 

You won’t be levitating rocks after one session, but you will start to notice your stress softening and your mind sharpening.

"Be mindful of your thoughts, Anakin. They betray you." — Obi-Wan Kenobi

Find a Quiet Place (Your Personal Jedi Temple)

You don’t need robes or candles to Jedi Guided Meditation, just a quiet corner. It could be your bedroom, a balcony, even your car. The goal is to step away from distractions. Turn off your holocom (phone/computer). Set a timer if you like - start with 5 to 10 minutes.

Focus on the Breath (The Force Flows Through It)

"Breathe. Just breathe." — Luke Skywalker

Close your eyes. 

Inhale slowly through your nose for four seconds, hold for four, exhale through your mouth for six. 

This is your anchor when the mind wanders (and it will), gently return to your breath. 

Think of each breath as connecting you to the present, like tuning into the Force.

Don’t Fight the Thoughts (You’re Not a Sith!...Right?)

You will get distracted. You will think about what to eat for dinner. That doesn’t mean you’re failing. The Jedi don’t suppress emotion! They observe it and let it go. There is no emotion, there is peace. 

Watch your thoughts pass like speeders through the sky. 

Don’t chase them. Just come back to your breath.

End With Intention (Set the Tone for the Day)

When your time is up, open your eyes slowly. Take one more deep breath. 

Ask yourself: What kind of Jedi do I want to be today? Calm? Focused? Helpful? 

This little question sets the tone, and over time, it reprograms how you show up in life. Remember that positivity & peace is an active practice, but negativity tends to be automatic.

"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power... It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together." — Obi-Wan Kenobi

A Simple Daily Morning Routine

This is a simple flow you can follow each morning - you don't need to be an expert to simply: 

Sit quietly for 10 minutes

Focus on the breath (remember in for 4 seconds, hold for 4, out for 6)

Repeat a mantra if helpful (ex: “There is no emotion, there is peace”)

Close with one intention for your day (ex: "Today, I will be kind to myself.")

You Don’t Need to Be a Master to Meditate

 "Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose." — Yoda 

If you practice you’ll start to sense your own version of the Force: a quiet strength inside you that’s always been there. Meditation isn’t about being perfect - in fact striving to be "perfect" at it is antithetical to the purpose of meditation.

Meditation is a journey. After all, even Jedi Masters were once Padawans.

May the Force be with you,

                                           -Ael Adrel

We would be honored if you would join us: https://discord.gg/DXrUZSKrhe

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Become a Jedi

(No Robes Required)

“A Jedi is not defined by their weapon, but by their commitment to peace, discipline, and purpose.”

The Jedi of legend wielded lightsabers, moved objects with their minds, and fought galactic wars. But the Jedi path we follow is not about fantasy, but practice. Real, grounded, intentional practice that leads to a clearer mind, a stronger body, and a more purposeful life.

So what does it mean to become a Jedi in the real world? And why would anyone choose that path today?

The answer is simple: because we need it.

----

The World Is Loud. The Jedi Are Still.

In a time of distraction, outrage, and constant noise, the Jedi path teaches focus.

In a culture obsessed with appearance, the Jedi seek alignment.

Where many chase status, Jedi train in service.

Becoming a Jedi doesn’t mean you think you’re special. It means you’ve chosen to live with intention. You want to respond instead of react. You want your choices to match your values. You want to be strong, not to dominate others, but to protect your peace and support those around you.

---- What Does a Jedi Actually Do?

To be a Jedi is to:

Discipline the body through consistent, mindful movement

Train the mind through meditation, study, and emotional awareness

Serve others with compassion, humility, and leadership

Seek balance, especially when life pulls us off center

Live the Code, not just quote it

It’s not titles or robes. It’s what you do -every day- when no one’s watching.

(Want to join our Jedi Realist Community? Click Here!)

You walk the path when you decide to. And you stay on the path by showing up, again and again, especially when it's hard.

That’s what makes it powerful.

If the idea of the Force resonates with you, if you believe there’s something deeper that connects us, even if we can’t see it, then you’re not alone. Many of us have felt it too.

What If I Don’t Get It Perfect?

You won’t. No Jedi does.

“The greatest teacher, failure is.” – Yoda

We fall. We forget. We stumble. But we return to the path. That’s the way. That’s the training.

And the more we return, the more it becomes who we are.

This Is the Way Forward

You don’t need to change everything overnight. Start small. One meditation. One positive choice. One moment of stillness. Then another. And then? You may already be one of us.

We would be honored if you would walk this path with us. This is The Jedi Way.

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Zine #2

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Champions Magic - Daruk’s Protection

A Spell to Protect You from Malevolent Forces

What you will need:

 - A red charm (marble, button, sea glass, etc)  - Black Salt  - A pen and paper

On the paper, write between one and three things you want protection from.  This can be immaterial (anxiety), an event (bad morning traffic), or even a specific person (Becky with the good hair).  Focus on a shining bubble protecting you from these dangers.  Burn the paper and mix the ashes with the black salt.  Submerge the charm in the salt for at least an hour, but overnight it also good.  Depending on what you’ve used, it’s suggested you keep it in your bag, pocket (I recommend the small pocket no one ever uses), or convert it to jewelry with wire, string, whatever.  Before you go out, let out a strong “GORO!” shout to activate it.  

If you want to clear it to set up new targets to be protected from, submerge the charm in blood salt overnight (that’s salt and IRON, not real BLOOD).

Yunobo Variation aka “Move Bitch, Get Out The Way!” When a defense needs to become an offense

What you will need:

 - A red bean or nut (something that can biodegrade)   - Chili powder  - Black salt  - Pen and paper or a photo of thing you wish to strike 

Submerge the charm the mixture of black salt and chili powder.  Be very careful not to touch your eyes (or other places) after touching the powder.  Make sure to thoroughly wash your hands after this, or wear gloves.  

Visualize the target being repulsed by you, not wanting to come close and leaving you well enough alone.  Once you’re done, take out the charm and place on the paper or photo.  If it’s small and round, smash your fist onto it.  Enforce the idea of the target staying far, far away.  If it’s larger, hold it in your hand as you smashy smash.  Please be aware of any points, such as when using a chestnut.  Let out a good “Goro!” with each hit.  Once you feel the message has been sent, take the charm outside.  If it’s safe to, chuck it down the road in the direction of the target.  If the target is intangible, throw in any direction you want.  If you don’t feel safe/okay throwing it down the road, you can take it to a field, empty parking lot, wherever you can go legally and safely and throw it toward your target (if applicable).  As you throw it, let out another strong “GORO!”

DARUK’S PROTECTION IS READY TO ROLL!