lilliumlithiumwitch

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

Candle Magic Beyond Colors

A lot of people talk about color correspondences with candles, but a candle's potential in magic runs way deeper than that! Here's a list of things I don't see people mention as much:

Loading a Candle

Carve out a small hole in the bottom of the candle and stuff it with herbs, a name, whatever else you want to "fill" the candle with.

Carvings

Etch sigils, symbols, names, and other things into the candle before burning! (I like the idea of writing my problems/worries onto the candle then watching as they burn and melt away.)

Dressing a Candle

Much like loading a candle, mix your herbs in an oil or have a pre-made magical oil ready to cover your candle in before lighting.

Reversals

Chop off the top of the candle, flip it upside down, and carve a new wick out of the bottom (now top.) This is a good way to inverse its symbolism!

Shape of Candle/Container

Not all candles are little cylenders. Candles shaped like pyramids, spheres, hearts, skulls, or animals can all have those correspondences taken into account as well.

Life of the Flame

Some candles are meant to only burn for a short period of time then be blown out. (Like birthday candles.) Others are meant to burn continuously over multiple days (like yahrzeit candles or seven-day candles.) Others can be lit or extinguished as you please. Which one makes the most sense for your goals?

Burning or Beacon?

A candle flame is a light in the darkness, drawing things near. It's also literal fire which can burn away whatever it touches. Which one is your candle trying to do, burn out something undesired or serve as a beacon for what you DO desire? Plan accordingly.

Read the Wax

Always a classic, you can read the shapes made from the wax once the spell is complete to get a gage of how things went/are going. Followup information is always good and can tell you a lot!!

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

Witchy New Year Refresh

It’s the new year soon and I wanted to share what I plan to do to invite 2024 in with vim and vigor!

I plan to do this over a few weeks as doing it all at once would be exhausting and just isn’t possible for me. Do what works for you and listen to your mind and body!

Clean and Cleanse

Not just spiritually, but I plan to physically clean my space. Any time I am inviting something new into my home—be it the new year, new energy, or a new way of thinking—I clean and cleanse my space.

I’m not one for spiritual sterility, though. I tend to deep clean or organize my spaces and then I will move on to spiritually cleaning my space! Here are some ways you can do this:

Smoke cleansing - a common one but it’s a good one! Not a great option if you have asthma or pets.

Open windows - It’s pretty cold where I am right now but I still like to open the windows for a little bit to let the air flow through the space and carry out any stagnant air and energy.

Sound cleansing - Not always the best option for folks who live with others or have thin walls but I like to blast music and fill my space with sound. When doing this I prefer to use a playlist that invokes the energy I want to bring with me into the new year!

Spray incense - If smoke isn’t possible for you try using a sprayable incense! Just be careful since this will still distribute a substance across your space and if you have children or pets it’s best to use non-toxic plants for this.

Simmer pot - I love to throw together a simmer pot for cleansing my space. I find it works best in the room you’re in which is likely the kitchen but if you have a wax warmer or mug warmer then you can make a mini simmer pot by placing a heat-safe container of water on it and putting in whatever herbs and oils you want!

Connect and Reconnect

I have ADHD and if something is out of sight, it’s out of mind. To this point, I tend to forget about my oracle/tarot decks, offering vessels, and spell vessels. Here’s a few ways I plan to try to connect and reconnect with the spirits and energy around me.

Clean and organize altars or offering spaces - Self-explanatory but this means dusting, wiping down, and moving things around. It could also mean adding new things and tossing old things that have served their purpose.

Set out new offerings - I plan to try and truly connect to my house spirit(s) this year so I want to find a space in the home where I feel like I can best feel its energy and I will leave an offering. This also means refreshing offerings for deities.

Check-in with spell vessels - I’m a very physical witch, I tend to prefer having a real-world anchor for my spells. This adds up, though, and I’m stuck with a bunch of jars, bowls, pouches, or whatever else. Check-in and see if they’re still active or if you still need to maintain the physical aspect of the spell. If not, dispose of them appropriately.

New Year’s meditation - Practicing mindfulness and doing a meditation session to help me connect with myself going into the new year.

Shadow work or self-care - Shadow work is a form of self-care to me, though some of it can be intense and that’s not how I want to start my new year. Instead, I’ll be doing either some very gentle shadow work or I will be otherwise practicing simply self-care.

Misc

Other things you can do for the new year that I don’t have a category for!

Make a hearty and satisfying breakfast on New Year's Day to welcome in the new year--or at least a satisfying cup of coffee!

Drink tea that invokes the energy you’d like to follow you into the new year.

Make a list of things you would like to learn or try in the new year as far as your practice goes.

Here are some posts to look through for the coming year!

2024 Witchy Calendar by @breelandwalker

Witchy Self-Care post by @ts-witchy-archive

Witchy Quick Tip - Mini simmer pot by me

Celebrating the New Year by @thevirginwitch

Please feel free to add any in either a reblog or comment! <:

Enjoy my posts? Consider leaving me a tip on my ko-fi!~

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

Troubleshooting Your Tarot Deck

I read a bunch of people for unnecessarily cleansing their decks but didn’t actually provide any alternatives! So I wanted to describe some of the ways I troubleshoot my tarot decks. Please, please, please feel free to add on.

Sleep on it. Literally. My favorite way of working through some wonky readings is to sleep with my deck under my pillow. I like to do it for 3 nights but you can really go as long as you want. You may have some pretty crazy dreams, but I like to think that means it’s working.

Change things up. If you’re dealing with repetitive answers, change how you approach it. Whether that means changing your spread, your question, your shuffling technique or a secret fourth thing.

Put the bitch down. I have found that doing readings too often can muddle them together (well, I’ve had trouble with reading for myself too frequently. Multiple people in a day is fine, but draining). Taking a break of even just a couple days can make all the difference.

Make an offering. Your tarot deck has a spirit too! Appreciate what it does for you and give it a gift. It could be a symbolic offering, like food, alcohol or some incense, or a new case to live in.

Give it a recharge. It might be acting funky because it’s tapped out. Use whichever is your preferred charging method. I like moonlight and sunlight (ironically, they are also cleansing methods, but it’s all about intention at that point).

Ask it what’s up. If you ask your deck why it’s acting out, it may just tell you what’s going on. Maybe it wants one of the other solutions, maybe it wants something else.

If none of those things work, then I’ll cleanse my deck. Sometimes it’s as simple as a smoke cleansing, sometimes it is reorder the deck and let it sit in salt for a week, it just depends on the situation.

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

50 KITCHEN WITCH TIPS TO MAKE YOU FEEL MORE WITCHY

(And other useful things I've learned over the years)

Hi! This is a list of dos, don'ts, tips, tricks, and other fun things that I've learned over the years. I always love finding more effective and efficient ways of doing things so if you have any cool things you'd like to add, leave them in the comments or reblog. I'd love to read it.

Anyways... On with the list ^_^

Light candles around your kitchen space (just make sure nothing flammable is near you)

Annotate your cookbooks with the correspondence of the ingredients.

Mediating is really good to calm the mind before cooking.

Cut oranges and lemons thinly, dry them, and hang them with twine around your kitchen

Need a cleansing tip? Open all your windows near your kitchen. Let some fresh air in.

Cutting sigils into apples, pie crusts, and carved potatoes.

Save lemon and orange rinds, freeze them, and then use them to clean the garbage disposal.

Make infused oils and honey: Things like garlic honey, lavender honey, herb oil, sun oil, moon oil, dandelion oil, and other different edible oils are very fun and useful to make.

Hid sigils in pages of your cookbooks and kitchen witch journals.

Add some plants! Snake plants and spider plants don't need too much light, and growing your own herbs in your kitchen is awesome too. Basil, lavender, thyme, aloe vera, rosemary, etc. are good fits. You could also add some plants that require more sunlight on the kitchen window sill. Like cacti and succulents.

Bring crystals into your kitchen space such as rose quartz, clear quartz, amethyst, or whatever you want the space's intentions to be.

I keep a small money tree on the sill, along with cacti for luck and protection.

Make a simmer Pot! Mostly because it makes the whole house smell good, easy, and fun.

Stir clockwise for best results!

Learning how to pickle things is actually pretty witchy. Plus, anyone could do it as it requires absolutely no kitchen experience. You could pickle any vegetable, even if you don't like pickles. I originally learned this after having to take shelter from a natural disaster. A person brought a bunch of stuff and taught us how to pickle things with different spices and herbs. Very fun!

Decorate your kitchen with your favorite stuff. Crystals, decor, heat mits, that cool mushroom cake stand you've been eyeing at the World Market for the past 2 weeks, cool looking curtains, sun catchers. Why stop there? Paint the walls, hang shelves full of marked-up cookbooks that are a little too well-loved and thumbed through.

Wanna be the person that has the amazing-smelling house every time people come over? Syrups take some time to simmer down, it's actually a pretty good time to leave it on the stove to simmer. Since syrups have a lot of aromatic ingredients, it acts as a really good-smelling simmer pot.

Hang up herbs to dry with twine from cabinets that are rarely used.

Invest in that new set of plates and cups.

Homemade jams, butter, sauces, and syrups are your best friend.

Crochet or knit your own dish rags, pot holders, etc.

Don't pour extremely hot things into a glass that's not Pyrex, it will break, and you will be very sad about it.

Don't cook anything while extremely upset or emotional (For safety reasons)

Make recipes you want to make, not just because you'll like the effect. Make it because you think it's tasty.

Chinese Five Spice works in place of herbs for protection and luck spells a lot of the time! It's cheaper to buy 1 spice than 4 different spices that total up to 15 dollars when you could just spend 3-4 dollars.

Take a shower before cooking (I don't know how to explain this one other than it makes you feel better)

Don't use microfiber/plastic material clothes on hot burners, it will fuse to the burner and melt. It is VERY hard to get off.

I don't know if I need to put this one but I did see someone do it so nonstick pan = wooden utensils and plastic utensils, metal pan = metal utensils. Do not use a metal spoon in a nonstick pan, please. It can make you very sick.

Keep your pets away from hot oil, open ovens, and hot pans.

You can proof bread dough in the fridge overnight if you don't have the time to bake, or want to eat fresh bread right in the morning.

Need a quick witchy meal for dinner in 12 minutes? Use premade tomato pasta sauce and doctor it up with thyme, rosemary, and garlic, for protection and distilling stagnant energies. Serve with pasta of your liking.

You can substitute Butter for Crisco/shortening, buttermilk for 1 cup of milk + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, and heavy cream for 1 cup of half and half plus 2 tbsp of butter.

Use leftover animal bones to make bone broth

Teach yourself the art of bread scoring (It's fun, and you can show it off to your loved ones!)

Collect and hoard your own and others' family recipes.

Sometimes the food doesn't have to be a spell, sometimes it just makes you feel good and you don't know why.

Listen to your favorite music in the kitchen, it makes the monotonous things like chopping veggies move faster.

Invest in a vegetable chopper if you don't like chopping vegetables.

Find a really good hot cocoa recipe and make it once a week. Master it. Just for your own happiness because hot cocoa is really good. You could also be the friend/family member that makes the best hot cocoa ever.

Focaccia Bread Lasts a very long time, and it's very easy to make!

Keep a first aid kit near where the oven is, in case of burns, cuts, or serious injuries where time is everything.

Quick Bread and no-rise loaves are simple for beginners, tasty, and take little time. They also feel very witchy to make.

Study a bit of Herbalism! It's fun and really helps better understand the herbs you're putting into your food.

While something is boiling, put your wooden spoon over the pot to minimize the chance of something boiling over.

Try a bit of coffee magick, it's simple to get into, and gives you a boost of energy to take on the day!

If you're over 21, wine-making is a very interesting way to celebrate the sabbats. Just with that, make sure you KNOW what you're doing. With anything fermented, there's always a risk if you don't store things correctly. Apple wines, strawberry wines, dandelion wines, etc. all very cool to experiment with. If you're not over 21, vinegar is a similar way to experiment.

Hang up some witchy things, sigils, photos, cool magnets, and other things that give you joy on your fridge. (Sometimes if you are lucky they have some fun magnets at five below)

If you live in the US, for some reason, there are a lot of books in the book section dedicated to witchcraft and spirituality. At least where I live. And they are all under 5 dollars!

Teas are the cheapest and easiest things you can practice being a kitchen witch.

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

Major Arcana Post Guide

Here are all of the Major Arcana posts that I've written! This includes upright, reversals, and key words.

🃏 The Fool

🪄 The Magician

🛐 The High Priestess

♛ The Empress

♚ The Emperor

🗝️ The Hierophant

🦁 Strength

🐚 The Hermit

💌 The Lovers

🎠 The Chariot

🔁 Wheel of Fortune

⚖️ Justice

🪢 The Hanged Man

💀 Death

🙏 Temperance

🤘 The Devil

⛈️ The Tower

🌟 The Star

🌙 The Moon

☀️ The Sun

📯 Judgment

🌎 The World

Enjoy my posts?

Consider leaving me a tip on my ko-fi!~

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

A Jewitch's Guide to Herbs & their Properties

A list of the more common and easily accessible herbs and their magical properties for witches and baby witches alike. Plant magic is an age-old art form that reaches its occult roots from way back to the Ancient Egyptian times. Herbs can be used for many purposes such as love and lust spells, and protection, each plant has its own different magical properties, and can be used to add power to any types of spells.

Acorn: Protection, wisdom, personal power. A dried acorn is a wonderful amulet for keeping youthful appearances.

Allspice: money, luck, healing, obtaining treasure. Provides added energy to any spell. 

Almond: Wisdom, money, fruitfulness, prosperity. Provides magickal help for overcoming addiction.

Aloe: Protection & luck, place on the grave of a loved one to promote peaceful energies. Thought to relieve loneliness and helps with success.

Apple: Love, garden magic, immortality, friendship, healing. Use in  rituals to honour gods and goddesses.

Ash: Sea spells & rituals, protection from drowning, general protection, luck.

Bamboo: Hex breaking, wishes, luck and protection. Carve a wish into bamboo and bury it in a secluded area.

Barley: Love, healing, protection. Scatter on the floor to keep evil at bay.

Basil: Love, exorcism, wealth, sympathy and protection. Dispels confusion, fears and weakness. Drives away hostile  spirits.

Bay leaf: Protection, good fortune, success, purification, strength, healing and psychic powers. Write wishes on the leaves and then burn the leaves.

Buckwheat: Money, protection, and fasting. Use in charms and spells to obtain treasure, riches, and wealth.

Chamomile: Love, healing, and reducing stress. Add to a sachet or spell to increase the chances of its success. Sprinkle an infusion of chamomile around the house to remove hexes, curses and spells. 

Cinnamon: Spirituality, success, healing, protection, power, love, luck, strength, and prosperity.

Clove: Exorcism, love, money, and protection.

Cumin: Fidelity, protection, and exorcism. The seed is thought to prevent the theft of any object which contains it.

Dill: Money, protection, luck and lust. Used in love & protection charms. Effective at keeping away dark forces, useful for house blessing.

Garlic: Magickal uses include healing, protection, exorcism, repulsion of vampires, and purification of spaces and objects.

Ginger: Draws adventure and new experiences. Promotes sensuality, sexuality, personal confidence, prosperity, and success.

Holly: Marriage, dream magick, luck, and love. Planted around the outside of the home for protection.

Honey: For attraction and solar magick.

Jasmine: Uses include snakebite and divination; good for charging quartz crystals. Use in sachets and spells to draw spiritual love and attract a soul mate. 

Lavender: Magickal uses include love, protection, healing, sleep, purification, and peace. Promotes healing from depression.

Lemon: Cleansing, spiritual opening, purification, and removal of blockages.

Lime: Purification and protection, promoting calmness and tranquility, and strengthening love.

Marigold: Attracts respect and admiration, provides good luck in court and other legal matters. 

Mint: Promotes energy, communication and vitality. 

Mugwort: Carried to increase lust & fertility, prevent backache and cure disease & madness.

Oregano: Joy, strength, vitality, and added energy.

Paprika: Use to add energy to any spell or mixture. 

Pepper, Black: Courage, banishing negative vibrations.

Poppy Seeds: Pleasure, heightened awareness, love, luck, invisibility.

Rose: Magickal uses include divine love, close friendships, domestic peace/happiness, and lasting relationships. 

Rosemary: Carried and used in healing poppets for good health, used in love/lust spells, worn to improve memory, used in dream pillows to prevent nightmares, burned as incense for purification and removing negativity. 

Saffron: Aphrodisiac, love, healing, happiness, wind raising, lust and strength. 

Sage: Used for self purification and dealing with grief and loss. Carried to improve mental ability and bring wisdom. Used in healing sachets & incense.

Sea Salt: Uses include cleansing crystals, purification, grounding, protection magick and rituals.

Thyme: Attracts loyalty, affection, and the good opinion of others.

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

Houseplant Correspondences

I posted my original houseplant correspondence list not too long ago and I totally forgot to add the rest!

These are my own personal correspondences that I've developed based on the history of these plants as well as my experience with them. Feel free to take what clicks and leave what doesn't! :)

Snake Plant (Dracaena trifasciata) -Inner Strength, Positivity, Silence

Rubber tree (Ficus elastica) -Flexible, Lenient, Support

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) -Easy going, Care-free, Quick to recover

Coffee Plant (Coffea arabica) - Acceleration, Energetic, Intense

Spider plant (Chlorophytum) -Friendship, Community, Kinship

Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum) -Gentle, Careful, Nurturing

ZZ Plant -Resilient, Independent, Hardy

Monstera (Monstera Deliciosa) -Respect, Honor, Loyalty

Silver Satin (Scindapsus pictus) -Ascending, Growth, Inner light

Air Plant (Tillandsia) -Freedom, Travel, Free Spirit

Jade Plant -Luck, Abundance, Prosperity

Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata) -Slow and Steady, Stillness

Sweetheart Hoya (Hoya kerrii) -Independence, Individualistic, Breaking the mold

English Ivy (Hedera helix) -Protection, Peace, Serenity

String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii) -Love, Romance, Connections

~~~

You can use these plants similar to house you use herbs in magic: pick off leaves or snip off vines. You can also use the energy of the plant (or spirit of the plant, however you prefer to call it) and call upon it for your magic workings.

~~~

These meanings are taken directly from my google doc where I've written the upright and reversed meanings of oracle cards based on these plants! I hope to finish the cards soon so I can show them to y'all <3

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

Tarot Spread Master Post

All of my tarot spreads in one post!

Touch the Sun Spread

Seven Sins Shadow Spread

Beltane Tarot Spread

New Month Tarot Spread

Daily Tarot Spread

Imbolc Spread

New Moon in Cancer Spread

3 of Swords Heartbreak Spread

Forward & Onward Spread

Over-Under Spread

If you have any questions or comments about any of these posts please feel free to DM me!

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

Epithets, Explained

Introduction

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I’m just making this post to help explain exactly what epithets are, how they’re used, and the different types. I know that for beginners, getting a hold of all the terms used in relation to deity worship and/or work can be tough, and I’ve seen this subject trip people up in the past when they read about certain deities or translations of ancient texts.

For a quick definition, epithets are “an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned”. In relation to epithets of deities, you might also see them called ‘surnames’ and they're basically nicknames or bynames to refer to specific aspects or forms of a deity. Typically, they’re used alongside the actual name of the deity but there’s also plenty of times where only the epithet is used, such as calling Apollo by simply “Phoebus” and not “Phoebus Apollo” or calling Athena by only saying “Pallas”. This happens a lot in texts like the Iliad or the Aeneid where using the full name paired with the epithet every time would eventually end up sounding too repetitive but also, to ancient people, certain epithets would have been easily recognizable on their own and they wouldn’t need to have the actual name given. They can come before or after a deity’s actual name, order doesn’t really matter, it’s just whatever grammar rules you’re following.

Types & Examples

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Generally speaking, there are four main types of epithets used in polytheistic religions: regional, functional, syncretic/fusion, and poetic. And just as a note; most of my religious experience is with Greek, Roman, and Gaulish religions so that’s where I’m gonna be getting most, if not all, of the examples used below.

The categories are, for the most part, arbirtrary but can be helpful when understanding epithets in a general sense when you come across them. Some types overlap with each other, for example, Dionysos Melanaigis (lit. Dionysos of the black goatskin) refers jointly to a functional/cultic role his worship played in a ritual during the Apaturia festival in Athens AND to a story in myth where he wears a black goat skin and comes to the aid of a guy named Melanthus (which is the mythic explanation for why he’s worshipped during Apaturia) but it makes Melanaigis a regional epithet (only used in Athens), a functional cult epithet (was only during rites to him for a specific event) and a mythic epithet (as it refers to a specific mythic event). Similarly, there's examples with Apollo; Delphios Apollo refers to both the form of Apollo specifically in Delphi (regional epithet) AND to Apollo in his function as an oracular deity of prophecy (functional), and Pythian Apollo refers to Apollo around the area where he slayed the mythical Python (so both a reference to myth as well as regional, in this case referring to the area around Delphi) and also functional, since it can refer to his oracular function.

Additionally, epithets can be shared by multiple deities, “Phoebus” was used to refer to both Apollo and Helios, “Antheia” was both the name of a standalone deity as well as an epithet to Hera and Aphrodite, “Bacchus” was an epithet for the Etruscan god Fufluns and to Dionysus and would eventually become to go-to byname for Dionysos in Rome. There are also epithets such as “Aetnaeus” which refers to any number of deities associated with Mount Etna, including Zeus and Hephaestus, and “Eleutherios” which could refer to Dionysos, Zeus, or Eros.

i. Regional Epithets

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The first type is regional or locative/toponymic epithets. These are used when referencing a form of a deity that is unique to a certain place for whatever reason or originated there. Sometimes deities will have unique local forms because of the inevitable variations of religion in any given culture (no religion is or was a monolith) and there may or may not be pseudo-historical/mythical reasons for the specific local variation. But it's pretty much just saying “the form of this deity that resides in Town A” or “the form of this deity representing a specific thing they did at this site”, examples include:

➻ Diana Nemorensis — literally: “Diana of Nemi”, used specifically to refer to her cult at Lake Nemi and was the form of Diana celebrated there during Nemoralia.

➻ Apollo Palatinus and Apollo Delphios — literally: “Apollo on the Palatine” referring to the temple built to him on the Palatine Hill in Rome by Augustus, this form of Apollo was also Augustus’ personal protector. Apollo Delphios was mentioned earlier but it refers to the oracular-centric form of Apollo in Delphi.

➻ Artemis Ephesus — literally: “Artemis of Ephesus”, refers to a form of Artemis unique to the city of Ephesus who had a very different representation to the other forms of Artemis. This manifestation of her was transported to multiple other cities such as Massalia and it was a form that was a sort of mother-goddess.

➻ Zeus & Hephaestus Aetnaeus — literally: “of Mount Etna”, for Zeus it refers to the form of him which has a small shrine and festival there and for Hephaestus, it refers to where he has his workshop.

ii. Functional Epithets

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These epithets are ones that reference a specific (often cultic) function of the god. Many deities have multiple roles or concepts they embody and have domain over, so epithets can be used to zero-in on just the side of a deity relevant to why you’re praying to them or giving offerings. There are also festival-specific epithets which can be used on specific festivals in honor of that aspect of the given deity. Some examples include:

➻ Hercules Olivarius & Hercules Augusti — literally: “Hercules of the Olive Merchants”, referring specifically to his ability to guard the olive industry in Rome and also “Hercules of the Emperor” which was used to refer to the aspect of Hercules that guarded Roman emperors. (Gotta say, if I had to choose, it's Olive-Merchant Hercules every time for me)

➻ Hermes & Apollo Theoxenios — literally: “of the Theoxenia festival” and was the name used to invoke both Hermes and Apollo during that specific festival.

➻ Aphrodite Areia — literally: “Warlike Aphrodite” or “Aphrodite of War”, used to call specifically on Aphrodite’s war function.

➻ Apollo Acestor & Apollo Kataibates — literally: “Apollo the Healer”, was used when calling on Apollo to aid in healing, and Apollo Kataibatês literally meant “Apollo, Protector of Travelers” (also used for for Hermes) and was used by people to thank him for a safe journey or to ask for protection on a journey they were about to take.

➻ Poseidon Isthmia — literally: “Poseidon of the Isthmian Games” which was used only to call on him during this athletic festival.

➻ Ceres Legifera — literally: “Ceres, Keeper of the Laws (of marriage)”, was used to invoke her in marriage processions and during the confarreatio (a type of Roman marriage ritual where the couple eats a cake made with sacred wheat)

iii. Syncretic Epithets

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Another form of epithets are those that serve to equate or combine deities. Oftentimes, foreign deities from one culture may transform into epithets of deities from other cultures or two deities within a single culture might be combined into one. This was especially common with Iron-Age Celtic deities in places that adopted aspects of Roman and Greek religion due to being governed by or just from existing in close proximity to them. Within Greek religion, it was common for more “archaic” or minor deities to become epithets of deities that held more cultural prominence. Some examples include:

➻ Apollo Grannus, Apollo Maponos, & Apollo Belenos — Grannus, Maponos, and Belenos were all standalone deities in Gaulish culture that became associated with Apollo once Roman religious influence spread. Each has their own unique nuance but all seem to be related to Apollo’s healing function

➻ Mars Condatis & Mars Toutatis — Both Condatis and Toutatis are also independently attested Celtic gods and both were interpreted to be a form of Mars. Through some of his Celtic epithets, Mars gained a traditionally uncharacteristic healing function.

➻ Sulis Minerva — Sulis is a Brythonic healing goddess and through her identification with Minerva, enjoyed a pretty large cult in Roman Britain.

➻ Poseidon Erechtheus — a fusion of Poseidon and a mythical king of Athens who was most likely a minor deity at some point. It would go on to be used as a name for Poseidon when in relation to Athens.

➻ Dionysos Zagreus — This is an equation that happened mostly in Orphism and other mystic cults but the earliest evidence suggests that Zagreus was originally a standalone deity or an aspect of Hades which later became an aspect of Dionysos.

➻ Mars Quirinus — Quirinus simultaneously became an epithet to Mars and also maintained an independent presence in Roman religion. It’s partly through his identification with Mars that the latter started to be more warlike as opposed to an agricultural deity.

➻ Pallas Athena — In some tellings, notably in pseudo-Apollodorus’ “Bibliotheca”, this name is the result of Athena taking the name of a Titaness named Pallas, daughter of Triton. Could also be a fusion of Athena and the giant named Pallas.

➻ Serapis/Osorapis/Userhapi — Userhapi and Oserapis are transliterations of the coptic name for Osiris-Apis which became Hellenized as “Serapis” under the Ptolemaic dynasty. It is the result of identifying Apis (a sacred bull turned deity during the Second Dynasty) and the Egyptian god Osiris.

iv. Poetic Epithets

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Poetic (or literary) epithets are, well, epithets just used poetically in ancient literature. They don’t refer to cult or ritual functions and usually either are physical descriptors, compliments, or mythic achievements. It can also include any epithets used to describe mythic standing in relation to other gods, such Ovid calling Aurora “Pallantias” to signify that in his telling, she’s the daughter of the titan Pallas. They can be used in a devotional sense and in a more solely creative one to evoke a certain feeling from the reader and set a scene and they may be referred to as “Homeric epithets” as well since many come from Homeric works. Another function of Homeric epithets can be to help a line of poetry satisfy the line/format requirements of dactylic hexameter. Here's a nifty overview of the grammatical and descriptive purposes for various epithets in the Iliad and Odyssey. If you’ve ever read ancient epic poetry then you’ve encountered loads of poetic epithets, examples including:

➻ Eos Rhododactylos: literally “Rosy-Fingered Eos”, Eos Erigenia: literally “Early-Born Eos”

➻ Aphrodite Philommeides: literally “Laughter-Loving Aphrodite”, Aphrodite Eustephanos: literally “Richly-Crowned Aphrodite”

➻ Artemis Khrysenios: literally “Artemis Who Holds Golden Reins”, Artemis Keladeinos: literally “Strong-Voiced Artemis”

➻ Hermes Argeiphontes: literally “Hermes, Slayer of Argos” (a shepherd he killed in myth), Hermes Kharidotes: literally “Hermes, Giver of Joy”

➻ Hades Polysemantor: literally “Hades, Ruler of Many”, Hades Nekron Soter: literally “Hades, the Savior of the Dead"

Using Epithets

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When it comes to using epithets in your practice, it's largely a personal choice. By no means is it something that you MUST do but, it's also not something that doesn't have a place in modern polytheism. I, for one, tend to find that it can connect my worship to a certain form/aspect of a deity (for instance, Apollo) more quickly or serve to "set the mood" more effectively. I tend to pray to epithets of him for his healing/protective/oracular roles, however, I'm not as personally connected to his musical/artistic roles so on the relatively rare occasions that I find myself wanting to invoke those aspects, using epithets related to that makes me feel closer to them. They can also be used to enhance prayers if you're someone who enjoys having very artistic wording or just wants to glorify the deity you're praying to.

Another way I like to use epithets is to create my own to use in prayers or as a devotional activity. This could mean creating new poetic epithets as compliments to a deity, creating an epithet to invoke them at a local place, or even making an epithet for a role they have in your UPG but do not traditionally have. I usually try to make them in various forms of Ancient Greek, Latin, Gaulish, or in English but you could utilize any language you feel like, it doesn't need to be the language of the ancient culture(s) where the deity was worshipped. And importantly, it doesn't need to perfect. I am certainly not fluent in any form of Ancient Greek or in Latin so it can take a while to get the correct (or even just loosely acceptable) grammatical set-up and lots of comparison with actual ancient epithets. Just for some examples, here's some epithets I've created for various deities:

➻ Dionysos Tautoteus: literally "Dionysus of Identity" but I made it to refer to him as a protector/affirmer of self-identification in relation to sexuality and/or gender.

➻ Eos Dendrokhoria & Eos Anthestephanos: literally "Eos who Dances in the Trees" to refer to when the sunrise is barely visible above the tree line (I usually pray to her at dawn and there's a forest in that direction from my house lol) and the second is literally "Flower-Crowned Eos", just a reference to her being traditionally described as wearing flowers.

➻ Sirona Lindaia: literally "Sirona of the Lake" which I made to use when praying or giving offering to her at lakes, pretty self-explanatory but I also have made a bunch of others for her such as Sirona Nantaia (Sirona of the Stream), Sirona Natrix (Sirona of the Snake), and Sirona Dumnorigana (Sirona, the Queen of the Depths).

Some Useful Resources for Epithets

For most Greek deities, you can find lists of epithets to them online on places such as Theoi.com, within classical texts such as various Homeric Hymns, epics, histories, etc. Theoi is a great site in general, however it can occasionally lack further explanation and context for epithets so if you find that one isn't clarified enough, try searching it up independently.

Wiktionary.com is actually a really great free resource for looking up etymology and the ways different words are/were used in various languages.

For other languages, check things such as epigraphy [for example, CIL databases (Latin) or this EDH CIL database (across the Roman sphere), RIB databases (Roman Britain), IG databases (Greek)], curse tablets, papyri, etymological dictionaries or regular dictionaries. These can be really useful for obvious reasons. For non-Latin Italic languages and ancient Celtic languages, I tend to use etymological/reconstructed dictionaries this for Celtic languages and this for Etruscan. But again, you can make epithets just in the language you already speak, there's no need for them to be in some ancient or reconstructed one. Its literally whatever you want.

This was originally a blogpost of mine on the P&W Amino but has been reformatted for (and reshared) here since amino is heading towards its inevitable end... rip

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

Athena and Aphrodite shared the chalice

Discussing what matters moved mortalkind

Logos and pathos, the arrows within

In harmony the Goddesses agreed

Equal important were heart and mind.

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

♃ Complex ideas for your grimoire ♃

How zodiac signs interact with planets It could be current planets or natal chart planets, this is a good way to deepen your knowledge about astrology. This can also include: degrees, aspects, and other types of astrology charts.

Creating duo-spells example: Love & protection spell, Stability & Growth. Basically having two spells in one spell. This can be for anything really, having two different waters in one. It may take longer to craft, and put out, but it may be worth it to you.

Identity Growth or Changes in identity Identity plays a big role in everyone, and it evolves with the seasons and experiences. How your practice evolved with your identity, and look back on your progress practice wise or non practice wise.

Philosophy & Morals What type of philosophy do you follow, or what your moral compass is, does it affect your practice? and does it affect your daily life?

All of these are of course optional to put in your grimoire, but just some ideas if you want something more complex (if it is complex to you).

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

Fraiskette - Folk Magic

Let’s talk more Folk Magic: the Fraiskette

Look at this gorgeous BEAST of a fraiskette she’s so beautiful…..

What is a fraiskette?

Fraiskette are necklaces strewn with amulets and protective charms given to pregnant women and newborn children to ensure a healthy childbirth and early life.

They originate from Germany (specifically Bavaria)

What makes a Fraiskette?

Most fraiskette are made of a red string or red ribbon base

They include various organic charms like teeth, claws, horns, antlers, beaks and even dried animal feet

They also have mineral/rock charms. The one above features jasper, agate and a malachite heart, as well as Donar Stones and fossilized coral and snail shells.

Finally, the include sentimental and religious amulets. The largest pictured above is a Breverl, but also keys, arrows, vials of Walpurgis-oil, small bells and brass depictions of the Mother Mary.

How were they used?

Each of the charms on the fraiskette corresponded to some medicinal or spiritual use.

The eagle talons we’re used to imbue courage to the user

The wolf and deer teeth were used to assist in teething

The Martin feet were used against rheumatism and cramps

The moles feet were used against seizures as well as cramps

The horse hair was used to aid in seizures

Snails shells for protection

The inorganic materials like red stones (amber, jasper, agate) were used specifically against menstrual cramps

Coral was used against blood disease (and is pretty significant as a protection charm in Dutch Magic)

Malachite was used as a stone against rashes and cravings

The fossilized shells are for protection of the bones

The Donar stones are for protection from lightning strikes and seizures

These Necklaces would be put on the Bedpost or worn to Ward away Various Illnesses.

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

Forward & Onward Spread

Having a hard time finding direction? Or maybe you need help moving on from something, a person, a place, or a situation.

Either way, this spread can help you out!

The Forward & Onward spread focuses on various parts of the self, both physical and non-physical, and asks how you can best take care of these aspects of yourself in order to move forward or move on (perhaps both)!

Note: This spread can be done using any form of cartomancy, or really any type of divination.

What does my mind need? It’s easier to tell when your physical self is struggling, the signs are less obvious for mental strain, though. What is it that you need for the sake of your mind? This will likely be a more straightforward, logical answer.

What does my body need? Our bodies know when we’re going through a hard time, what do you need to do for your body to help move forward?

What does my spirit need? Spirituality and your spiritual beliefs can play a big role in your life ventures. What do you need to nurture in your spirit in order to move forward?

What does my heart need? This is the feelings side of the reading. Perhaps there are feelings you’re repressing, or maybe you don’t know how to label the things you’re feeling, to begin with. What is it that you need in order for your heart to be on the same page as everything else moving forward?

Next step/action to take. This is more self-explanatory, what action (or even actions) should you take in order to move forward?

If you do this spread let me know how it went!

Enjoy my posts? Consider leaving me a tip on my ko-fi!~

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

The Summer Solstice

The time for the sun to beat down at its most powerful is upon us. In other words: Summer is almost here! Read more to find out about the Summer solstice and its history!

What is the Summer Solstice? 

Coming from the Latin sol (sun) and stare or sistere (to stand or to stop), the solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice a year; one being the Summer Solstice, the other being the Winter Solstice.

In the Northern Hemisphere, this Solstice takes place on June 20th or the 21st. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’ll take place on December 20th or 21st.

The Summer solstice is the longest day of the year. The Sun travels the longest path through the sky, causing this day to have the most daylight. 

Holidays on or around the Summer Solstice 

This is not a complete or absolute list of Summer Solstice holidays, these are the most common I’ve found while researching. Feel free to comment if you know of any more!

Vestalia, an ancient Roman holiday to celebrate the Goddess of the Hearth, Vesta. One the first day of Vestalia, married women would be allowed to enter the temples of the vestal virgins and give offerings to Vesta.

Kronia, an ancient Greek holiday to celebrate the God of harvest/agriculture, Cronus. One this day slaves would be allowed to join in festivities with the free folks, all equal under the sun for one day.

Midsummer was, and in many cases still is, celebrated by Baltic, Slavic, and Celtic folk. 

Many indigenous peoples across the world have their own holidays associated with the Summer Solstice, but these celebrations vary by region and community.

Holidays involving St. John have many different names, but all celebrate the life of St. John the Baptist.

In Jewish tradition, Tekufat Tammuz is the solstice of the month of Tammuz.

Litha celebrates the beginning of summer and the summer solstice and is often celebrated by modern pagans as well as Wiccans. Wiccans attribute the holiday to their Horned God, consort of the Wiccan Triple Goddess. 

Ultimately, you can call this holiday whatever you want and celebrate it however you want, just be respectful of what other people call and celebrate it!

Lore, Legends, and Traditions

In ancient Greece, the solstice would mark a one month count-down to the Olympic Games.

In China the Summer Solstice was associated with Yin, or feminine force, the people would have festivities that pertained to earth, femininity, and yin force.

Bonfires may have been held by ancient Slavic, Baltic, Celtic, and (possibly) Nordic people to either represent the sun, help the sun gain more power, or to banish negative energy/beings. 

It was also thought that bonfires could lead young women to their future husbands.

Vikings would often gather around Midsummer to resolve issues and talk about legal matters.

The Celts believed that the solstice was the best day to catch a glimpse of the Fae. 

It's been said that the Druids would gather specific herbs on the night of the solstice, believing that they would gain certain magical attributes on the shortest night of the year that they wouldn’t usually have.

Modern Summer Solstice

Many people still celebrate the Summer Solstice, though the celebrations have become more eclectic over time as cultures and people merge.

Keep in mind that this is by no means a complete or absolute list. This is just what I’ve found while looking into the Summer Solstice. 

Celebrations

Bonfires

Feasts

Wear flower crowns or wreaths or otherwise adorn yourself in flowers

Decorating your space with flowers or foliage

Go berry picking

Go on a walk and appreciate nature

Go Swimming

Rituals and Practices

Do spells involving success or abundance

Meditate

Tarot or other divination

Decorate your altar with Summer Solstice-associated items (you can look at the list below this section for ideas)

Offerings or Devotional Acts

You can give or dedicate these offerings/devotional acts to deities mentioned above, Summer associated deities, local spirits, or whichever beings you think you should offer to!

Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables

Lemonade/other citrus beverages

Citrus flavored baked goods

Tend to a garden

Tend to houseplants

Light a candle (or many, just be careful!)

Watch the sun rise or set (or both)

Feel the sun on your skin and soak in its energy

Associations

Deities and Divinities

Vesta, Cronus, Freyr, Aine, Damia, Aestas, Theros, Apollo, the Great Summer God (夏大神), Hine-Raumati (the personification of Summer in Māori mythology), Miochin (summer spirit or god in some Native American mythology), and many other Solar Deities.

Do your research before offering to a new deity!

Colors

Golds, yellows, oranges, reddish-pinks, deep greens, and sky blue.

Creatures

Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and dragonflies.

Herbs and Plants

Sunflowers, basil, bay leaves, mint, thyme, lemongrass, rosemary, calendula, and chamomile.

Rocks/Metals/Crystals

Citrine, tiger’s eye, sunstone, and amber.

Citations and Further Reading

Scientificamerican.com Why We Celebrate the Summer Solstice

History.com History of the Summer Solstice

Timeanddate.com June Solstice Customs

Summer Deities and Divinites - Wikipedia

Britannica - Midsummer’s Eve

A Midsummer’s Celebration by Mike Nichols

Sun Lore of all Ages: Chapter IX by William Tyler Olcott

The Midsummer Solstice as it was, or was not, Observed in Pagan Germany, Scandinavia, and Anglo-Saxon England by Sandra Billington

Post edited for accuracy.

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

Sometimes you just need to be the ancient liminal deity of rot, decay, and rebirth that you want to see in the world.

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

Intro to Alchemy - Coin's Notes

This is a quick primer on Alchemy, what it is, where it came from, and how it’s used today taken straight from my notes. This will likely be a series of posts as the topic of Alchemy is vast despite it being somewhat difficult to find resources on!

What is Alchemy?

Alchemy is sort of like magical chemistry but with some spirituality added to it, to put it vaguely. It likely has its roots in ancient Egypt but spread almost everywhere and is still used today—more on that later. Sadly over time, we’ve lost a lot of alchemical knowledge what little knowledge we do have has been reimagined in a more romanticist way, causing a lot of what was known to be skewed.

The mysterious nature of alchemy is not just in this lack of knowledge, but the texts we do have are often riddled with codewords, called decknamen, that can make the text difficult to read unless decoded. Why? Think of these books as containing "trade secrets", you don't want to share those around all willy-nilly!

Famous alchemists that you may know are Isaac Newton, Paracelsus, and Agrippa, though there are many more exemplary alchemists that you can find here.

Etymology

The modern word alchemy is a bit of a mystery itself --as it comes from the Arabic word al-kīmiyā (the al- being the Arabic definite article “the”), but the origin of ladder half, -chemy, is unknown.

There is speculation that -chemy comes from the Late Greek khēmía means "land of black earth”, an old name for Egypt. Or possibly from the Greek khymatos meaning "that which is poured out”. (EtymologyOnline)

Another likely candidate is the greek cheo meaning "to melt or fuse" (L. M. Principe).

Transmutation; Lead to Gold

One goal of alchemy, the transmutation of base substances into gold—termed chrysopoeia—is possibly the most widely known to the average person. We know now that it’s impossible to transmute base substances into gold by chemical means, but not impossible by other means (scientists turn bismuth into gold using a particle accelerator). Different alchemists had their own ideas as to how to do this but of course, none of them succeeded.

That’s not to say alchemy as a whole is a failure, alchemists through the ages have made some of the most important inventions or discoveries to this day and we know of alchemy as a predecessor of modern chemistry.

The Great Work; Magnum Opus

More than just a creator’s largest or most famous piece of work, the Magnum Opus—a.k.a The Great Work—is an alchemical term for the process of working with the prima materia ("first matter”) to create the Philosopher's stone (wiki).

The Great Work of Alchemy is often described as a series of four stages represented by colors:

nigredo, a blackening or melanosis

albedo, a whitening or leucosis

citrinitas, a yellowing or xanthosis

rubedo, a reddening, purpling, or iosis

These were later expanded upon and eventually came to 12 steps/processes. The order of these steps would vary by alchemist.

Calcination

Solution, or Dissolution

Separation

conjunction

Putrefication

Congelation

Cibation

Sublimation

Fermentation

Exaltation

Multiplication

Projection

Philosopher’s Stone and Immortality

It is a common misconception that the purpose of the Philosopher’s Stone was to give infinite life, it was just meant to prolong one’s life. It was also thought to cure disease and transmute base substances into gold.

Seeking immortality is noted more in Chinese "alchemy", it's proper names being Waidan 外丹 (External Alchemy) and Neidan 內丹 (Internal Alchemy) [Pregadio].

Alchemy in a Modern Context

From my understanding, there are as many approaches to alchemy as there have been alchemists, but in attempts to make this easier let's give it some labels: there are two paths when studying modern alchemy, though these labels are loose as these paths are not mutually exclusive. The two paths are a spiritual path and a traditional path. These are not set-in-stone labels or definitions, and if either interests you then I suggest looking into them more on your own time, there are links and resources at the end of the post to get you started!

Traditional Alchemy

Some folks try to reconstruct alchemical formulas, or even make their own, either out of curiosity or as an attempt to revive the lost art. This approach takes a more reconstructionist perspective and leans closer to chemistry than psychology. That being said, alchemy was not solely empirical and there are almost always going to be spiritual aspects involved.

Spiritual Alchemy

Sometimes when alchemy is used in a modern context you’ll see it talked about in a more spiritual or psychological way. The approaches of alchemy from a spiritual perspective will vary by person, just as the scientific approaches will vary by person.

I won’t go too much into it here, but essentially spiritual alchemy is the idea that alchemical texts are spiritual or philosophical, and thus interpret them as such; practitioners of spiritual alchemy decode the texts from a psychology-based perspective and rarely, if ever, do they involve chemicals or substances in the way traditional alchemy does.

This path is usually focused on self-transformation (or self-transmutation) and doesn’t necessarily use a body of chemical knowledge to practice.

What Now?

Ok so you know the bare bones about what alchemy is and a few of its uses, so what now? Well, you could either wait until my next "coin's notes" post and see what I talk about then, or you can check out the "References and Further Reading" section and get started on your own research journey!

Enjoy my posts? Consider leaving me a tip on my ko-fi!~

References and Further Reading

Esoterica - Alchemy (playlist)

Livescience - What is Alchemy?

Sacred-texts - Alchemy (subject)

Alchemy Rediscovered and Restored by Archibald Cockren (via Sacred-texts)

Alchemy Restored by Lawrence M. Principe

The Secrets of Alchemy by Lawrence M. Principe

Victorian Alchemy: Science, Magic, and Ancient Egypt by Eleanor Dobson (via Jstor)

[lilliumlithiumwitch]

Spirit Check-In Spread

This is just built to be a good general spread to check in with your spirit companions and/or guides! The 6th card is a bonus card draw.

How are you?

What's on your mind?

What do you want to tell me?

What do you want/need from me?

What can I do to strengthen our bond?

(Bonus card draw) Is there anything else I should know?