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⭐ So you want to learn pixel art? ⭐

🔹 Part 1 of ??? - The Basics!

Hello, my name is Tofu and I'm a professional pixel artist. I have been supporting myself with freelance pixel art since 2020, when I was let go from my job during the pandemic.

My progress, from 2017 to 2024. IMO the only thing that really matters is time and effort, not some kind of natural talent for art.

This guide will not be comprehensive, as nobody should be expected to read allat. Instead I will lean heavily on my own experience, and share what worked for me, so take everything with a grain of salt. This is a guide, not a tutorial. Cheers!

🔹 Do I need money?

NO!!! Pixel art is one of the most accessible mediums out there.

I still use a mouse because I prefer it to a tablet! You won't be at any disadvantage here if you can't afford the best hardware or software.

Because our canvases are typically very small, you don't need a good PC to run a good brush engine or anything like that.

✨Did you know? One of the most skilled and beloved pixel artists uses MS PAINT! Wow!!

🔹 What software should I use?

Here are some of the most popular programs I see my friends and peers using. Stars show how much I recommend the software for beginners! ⭐

💰 Paid options:

⭐⭐⭐ Aseprite (for PC) - $19.99

This is what I and many other pixel artists use. You may find when applying to jobs that they require some knowledge of Aseprite. Since it has become so popular, companies like that you can swap raw files between artists.

Aseprite is amazingly customizable, with custom skins, scripts and extensions on Itch.io, both free and paid.

If you have ever used any art software before, it has most of the same features and should feel fairly familiar to use. It features a robust animation suite and a tilemap feature, which have saved me thousands of hours of labour in my work. The software is also being updated all the time, and the developers listen to the users. I really recommend Aseprite!

⭐ Photoshop (for PC) - Monthly $$

A decent option for those who already are used to the PS interface. Requires some setup to get it ready for pixel-perfect art, but there are plenty of tutorials for doing so.

Animation is also much more tedious on PS which you may want to consider before investing time!

⭐⭐ ProMotion NG (for PC) - $19.00

An advanced and powerful software which has many features Aseprite does not, including Colour Cycling and animated tiles.

⭐⭐⭐ Pixquare (for iOS) - $7.99 - $19.99

Probably the best app available for iPad users, in active development, with new features added all the time.

Look! My buddy Jon recommends it highly, and uses it often.

One cool thing about Pixquare is that it takes Aseprite raw files! Many of my friends use it to work on the same project, both in their office and on the go.

⭐ Procreate (for iOS) - $12.99

If you have access to Procreate already, it's a decent option to get used to doing pixel art. It does however require some setup. Artist Pixebo is famously using Procreate, and they have tutorials of their own if you want to learn.

🆓 Free options:

⭐⭐⭐ Libresprite (for PC)

Libresprite is an alternative to Aseprite. It is very, very similar, to the point where documentation for Aseprite will be helpful to Libresprite users.

⭐⭐ Pixilart (for PC and mobile)

A free in-browser app, and also a mobile app! It is tied to the website Pixilart, where artists upload and share their work. A good option for those also looking to get involved in a community.

⭐⭐ Dotpict (for mobile)

Dotpict is similar to Pixilart, with a mobile app tied to a website, but it's a Japanese service. Did you know that in Japanese, pixel art is called 'Dot Art'? Dotpict can be a great way to connect with a different community of pixel artists! They also have prompts and challenges often.

🔹 So I got my software, now what?

◽Nice! Now it's time for the basics of pixel art.

❗ WAIT ❗ Before this section, I want to add a little disclaimer. All of these rules/guidelines can be broken at will, and some 'no-nos' can look amazing when done intentionally.

The pixel-art fundamentals can be exceedingly helpful to new artists, who may feel lost or overwhelmed by choice. But if you feel they restrict you too harshly, don't force yourself! At the end of the day it's your art, and you shouldn't try to contort yourself into what people think a pixel artist 'should be'. What matters is your own artistic expression. 💕👍

◽Phew! With that out of the way...

🔸"The Rules"

There are few hard 'rules' of pixel art, mostly about scaling and exporting. Some of these things will frequently trip up newbies if they aren't aware, and are easy to overlook.

🔹Scaling method

There are a couple ways of scaling your art. The default in most art programs, and the entire internet, is Bi-linear scaling, which usually works out fine for most purposes. But as pixel artists, we need a different method.

Both are scaled up x10. See the difference?

On the left is scaled using Bilinear, and on the right is using Nearest-Neighbor. We love seeing those pixels stay crisp and clean, so we use nearest-neighbor. 

(Most pixel-art programs have nearest-neighbor enabled by default! So this may not apply to you, but it's important to know.)

🔹Mixels

Mixels are when there are different (mixed) pixel sizes in the same image.

Here I have scaled up my art- the left is 200%, and the right is 150%. Yuck!

As we can see, the "pixel" sizes end up different. We generally try to scale our work by multiples of 100 - 200%, 300% etc. rather than 150%. At larger scales however, the minute differences in pixel sizes are hardly noticeable!

Mixels are also sometimes seen when an artist scales up their work, then continues drawing on it with a 1 pixel brush.

Many would say that this is not great looking! This type of pixels can be indicative of a beginner artist. But there are plenty of creative pixel artists out there who mixels intentionally, making something modern and cool.

🔹Saving Your Files

We usually save our still images as .PNGs as they don’t create any JPEG artifacts or loss of quality. It's a little hard to see here, but there are some artifacts, and it looks a little blurry. It also makes the art very hard to work with if we are importing a JPEG.

For animations .GIF is good, but be careful of the 256 colour limit. Try to avoid using too many blending mode layers or gradients when working with animations. If you aren’t careful, your animation could flash afterwards, as the .GIF tries to reduce colours wherever it can. It doesn’t look great!

Here's an old piece from 2021 where I experienced .GIF lossiness, because I used gradients and transparency, resulting in way too many colours.

🔹Pixel Art Fundamentals - Techniques and Jargon

❗❗Confused about Jaggies? Anti-Aliasing? Banding? Dithering? THIS THREAD is for you❗❗

As far as I'm concerned, this is THE tutorial of all time for understanding pixel art. These are techniques created and named by the community of people who actually put the list together, some of the best pixel artists alive currently. Please read it!!

🔸How To Learn

Okay, so you have your software, and you're all ready to start. But maybe you need some more guidance? Try these tutorials and resources! It can be helpful to work along with a tutorial until you build your confidence up.

⭐⭐ Pixel Logic (A Digital Book) - $10 A very comprehensive visual guide book by a very skilled and established artist in the industry. I own a copy myself.

⭐⭐⭐ StudioMiniBoss - free A collection of visual tutorials, by the artist that worked on Celeste! When starting out, if I got stuck, I would go and scour his tutorials and see how he did it.

⭐ Lospec Tutorials - free A very large collection of various tutorials from all over the internet. There is a lot to sift through here if you have the time.

⭐⭐⭐ Cyangmou's Tutorials - free (tipping optional) Cyangmou is one of the most respected and accomplished modern pixel artists, and he has amassed a HUGE collection of free and incredibly well-educated visual tutorials. He also hosts an educational stream every week on Twitch called 'pixelart for beginners'.

⭐⭐⭐ Youtube Tutorials - free There are hundreds, if not thousands of tutorials on YouTube, but it can be tricky to find the good ones. My personal recommendations are MortMort, Brandon, and AdamCYounis- these guys really know what they're talking about!

🔸 How to choose a canvas size

When looking at pixel art turorials, we may see people suggest things like 16x16, 32x32 and 64x64. These are standard sizes for pixel art games with tiles. However, if you're just making a drawing, you don't necessarily need to use a standard canvas size like that.

What I like to think about when choosing a canvas size for my illustrations is 'what features do I think it is important to represent?' And make my canvas as small as possible, while still leaving room for my most important elements.

Imagine I have characters in a scene like this:

I made my canvas as small as possible (232 x 314), but just big enough to represent the features and have them be recognizable (it's Good Omens fanart 😤)!! If I had made it any bigger, I would be working on it for ever, due to how much more foliage I would have to render.

If you want to do an illustration and you're not sure, just start at somewhere around 100x100 - 200x200 and go from there.

It's perfectly okay to crop your canvas, or scale it up, or crunch your art down at any point if you think you need a different size. I do it all the time! It only takes a bit of cleanup to get you back to where you were.

🔸Where To Post

Outside of just regular socials, Twitter, Tumblr, Deviantart, Instagram etc, there are a few places that lean more towards pixel art that you might not have heard of.

⭐ Lospec Lospec is a low-res focused art website. Some pieces get given a 'monthly masterpiece' award. Not incredibly active, but I believe there are more features being added often.

⭐⭐ Pixilart Pixilart is a very popular pixel art community, with an app tied to it. The community tends to lean on the young side, so this is a low-pressure place to post with an relaxed vibe.

⭐⭐ Pixeljoint Pixeljoint is one of the big, old-school pixel art websites. You can only upload your art unscaled (1x) because there is a built-in zoom viewer. It has a bit of a reputation for being elitist (back in the 00s it was), but in my experience it's not like that any more. This is a fine place for a pixel artist to post if they are really interested in learning, and the history. The Hall of Fame has some of the most famous / impressive pixel art pieces that paved the way for the work we are doing today.

⭐⭐⭐ Cafe Dot Cafe Dot is my art server so I'm a little biased here. 🍵 It was created during the recent social media turbulence. We wanted a place to post art with no algorithms, and no NFT or AI chuds. We have a heavy no-self-promotion rule, and are more interested in community than skill or exclusivity. The other thing is that we have some kind of verification system- you must apply to be a Creator before you can post in the Art feed, or use voice. This helps combat the people who just want to self-promo and dip, or cause trouble, as well as weed out AI/NFT people. Until then, you are still welcome to post in any of the threads or channels. There is a lot to do in Cafe Dot. I host events weekly, so check the threads!

⭐⭐/r/pixelart The pixel art subreddit is pretty active! I've also heard some of my friends found work through posting here, so it's worth a try if you're looking. However, it is still Reddit- so if you're sensitive to rude people, or criticism you didn't ask for, you may want to avoid this one. Lol

🔸 Where To Find Work

You need money? I got you! As someone who mostly gets scouted on social media, I can share a few tips with you:

Put your email / portfolio in your bio Recruiters don't have all that much time to find artists, make it as easy as possible for someone to find your important information!

Clean up your profile If your profile feed is all full of memes, most people will just tab out rather than sift through. Doesn't apply as much to Tumblr if you have an art tag people can look at.

Post regularly, and repost Activity beats everything in the social media game. It's like rolling the dice, and the more you post the more chances you have. You have to have no shame, it's all business baby

Outside of just posting regularly and hoping people reach out to you, it can be hard to know where to look. Here are a few places you can sign up to and post around on.

/r/INAT INAT (I Need A Team) is a subreddit for finding a team to work with. You can post your portfolio here, or browse for people who need artists.

/r/GameDevClassifieds Same as above, but specifically for game-related projects.

Remote Game Jobs / Work With Indies Like Indeed but for game jobs. Browse them often, or get email notifications.

VGen VGen is a website specifically for commissions. You need a code from another verified artist before you can upgrade your account and sell, so ask around on social media or ask your friends. Once your account is upgraded, you can make a 'menu' of services people can purchase, and they send you an offer which you are able to accept, decline, or counter.

The evil websites of doom: Fiverr and Upwork I don't recommend them!! They take a big cut of your profit, and the sites are teeming with NFT and AI people hoping to make a quick buck. The site is also extremely oversaturated and competitive, resulting in a race to the bottom (the cheapest, the fastest, doing the most for the least). Imagine the kind of clients who go to these websites, looking for the cheapest option. But if you're really desperate...

🔸 Community

I do really recommend getting involved in a community. Finding like-minded friends can help you stay motivated to keep drawing. One day, those friends you met when you were just starting out may become your peers in the industry. Making friends is a game changer!

Discord servers Nowadays, the forums of old are mostly abandoned, and people split off into many different servers. Cafe Dot, Pixel Art Discord (PAD), and if you can stomach scrolling past all the AI slop, you can browse Discord servers here.

Twitch Streams Twitch has kind of a bad reputation for being home to some of the more edgy gamers online, but the pixel art community is extremely welcoming and inclusive. Some of the people I met on Twitch are my friends to this day, and we've even worked together on different projects! Browse pixel art streams here, or follow some I recommend: NickWoz, JDZombi, CupOhJoe, GrayLure, LumpyTouch, FrankiePixelShow, MortMort, Sodor, NateyCakes, NyuraKim, ShinySeabass, I could go on for ever really... There are a lot of good eggs on Pixel Art Twitch.

🔸 Other Helpful Websites

Palettes Lospec has a huge collection of user-made palettes, for any artist who has trouble choosing their colours, or just wants to try something fun. Rejected Palettes is full of palettes that didn't quite make it onto Lospec, ran by people who believe there are no bad colours.

The Spriters Resource TSR is an incredible website where users can upload spritesheets and tilesets from games. You can browse for your favourite childhood game, and see how they made it! This website has helped me so much in understanding how game assets come together in a scene.

VGMaps Similar to the above, except there are entire maps laid out how they would be played. This is incredible if you have to do level design, or for mocking up a scene for fun.

Game UI Database Not pixel-art specific, but UI is a very challenging part of graphics, so this site can be a game-changer for finding good references!

Retronator A digital newspaper for pixel-art lovers! New game releases, tutorials, and artworks!

Itch.io A website where people can upload, games, assets, tools... An amazing hub for game devs and game fans alike. A few of my favourite tools: Tiled, PICO-8, Pixel Composer, Juice FX, Magic Pencil for Aseprite

🔸 The End?

This is just part 1 for now, so please drop me a follow to see any more guides I release in the future. I plan on doing some writeups on how I choose colours, how to practise, and more!

I'm not an expert by any means, but everything I did to get to where I am is outlined in this guide. Pixel art is my passion, my job and my hobby! I want pixel art to be recognized everywhere as an art-form, a medium of its own outside of game-art or computer graphics!

This guide took me a long time, and took a lot of research and experience. Consider following me or supporting me if you are feeling generous.

And good luck to all the fledgling pixel artists, I hope you'll continue and have fun. I hope my guide helped you, and don't hesitate to send me an ask if you have any questions! 💕

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[Countryside sunrise 🌄]

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cheap, easy ways to decorate your altar for the sabbats

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x

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Onward little ones

(via)

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so much care put into housing this aging spider. why are my eyes wet

(tiktok link)

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IF YOU'RE READING THIS, YOU'RE GOING TO RECEIVE A SURPRISE BLESSING THIS WEEK

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Ostara is a celebration of the Spring Equniox (March 20th-21st) celebrated by many wiccans, pagans, and witches. It marks the day when nigh and day are equal and balanced. The sun God’s strength increases and the Goddess celebrates her fertility. Together they bring us Spring. Winter is drawing to an end and it’s getting to the point where we need to shake off winter and move full force ahead into Spring. All of the planning and procrastinating at Imbolc is now to be put to the test.

How To Celebrate

🌷Outside 🌷

Collect Spring flowers

Leave offerings in your garden

Set out sweet food for the fae

Scatter eggshells to fertilize the soil

🏡In The Home🏡

Open your window to let in fresh air

Cleanse your home with floral incenses

Tidy up your home and or altar

Set out vases filled with fresh flowers

Paint or dye eggs to celebrate springtime fertility

💐On Your Altar💐

Decorate with colors of yellows, blues, greens, and purples

Scatter fresh flower petals on your altar

Light a pair of black and white candles to symbolize the balance of light and dark hours in the day

Place flowers in your altar

Set out crystals that corespond to Ostara

Lay out plastic or dyed eggs

Colors🌈

Green

Pastels

White

Yellow

Blue

Purple

Crystals💎

Amethyst

Aquamarine

Jasper

Moonstone

Rose Quartz

🥐Foods🥐

Cheese

Chocolate

Eggs

Fish

Honey cakes

🌿Herbs & Plants🌿

Ash

Alder

Birch

Daffodils

Dogwood

Four-Leaf Clovers

Honeysuckles

Iris

Primrose

Tulips

✨Incenses & Oils✨

Jasmine

Rose

Sage

Strawberry

Ginger

Lavender

Lotus

I hope you all have a wonderful Ostara and I can’t wait to see how you all celebrate! Blessed Be💜

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Happy Spring Equinox!

To celebrate this day, I thought of sharing my two Witchy Vibes playlists:

Witchy Vibes, Part 1

Genres: Folk, Celtic, Neo-Pagan, Medieval

Featuring: Cécile Corbel, Blackmore's Night, S. J. Tucker, Heather Dale, Lila, Enya, Loreena McKennitt, Spiral Dance, Lisa Dancing-Night, Celtic Woman...

Witchy Vibes, Part 2

Genres: Folk, Neo-Pagan, Metal, Darkwave

Featuring: Inkubus Sukkubus, Wendy Rule, Trobar de Morte, Karliene, Gåte, The Moon & The Nightspirit, Myrkur, Tarja, Faun, Daemonia Nymphe...

Each has 60 songs. Enjoy!

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Intention-setting ritual for the Spring Equinox

The Spring Equinox (or Ostara) takes place around the 20th of March in the Northern hemisphere, and 20th of September in the Southern hemisphere. This day, on which night and day are equally long, marks the beginning of spring. From now on the days will get increasingly longer until the Summer Solstice (Litha; Midsummer) around June, 20. As the Earth comes back to life and plants begin to grow, it is the perfect time to set intentions.

Ideally this ritual would take place at sunrise, but any other time of the day is also fine.

What you need: at least four candles, a newspaper page, scissors, a pen, soil, water, a seed

Prepare yourself for the ritual in whichever way you prefer. You might ground yourself, do a ritual bath, burn some incense, meditate on or use divination tools to reflect on what you are grateful for and would you wish to see come true, cast a circle, ...

Begin the ritual by placing the candles in a large circle around you. If you have limited space, it also works to place them in a smaller circle in front of you. Then, light them one by one beginning in the East.

Think about the intention you wish to set. If you are unsure, take your time to reflect on it. Then, visualise it. Imagine what it would be like if your intention was already coming true. See it having its effect as the days grow longer and warmer, as more and more plants grow from the ground. When you feel ready, take your pen and write down your intention on the piece of newspaper. It can be a word, a sentence, a paragraph, or simply a symbol or sigil.

If you are doing the ritual with more people, you can talk about your intentions if you feel comfortable with it.

Fold your newspaper into a seed starter pot (instructions can be found here) and fill it with soil. As you water the soil and place your seed in it, visualise the seed growing into a strong and healthy plant and your intention manifesting to become reality.

Say the following words:

"The light has returned and life begins to grow

Along with this seed an intention I sow

By the warmth of the Sun

By the strength of the Earth

My will be done

To [your intention in one word] be given birth"

End the ritual in the way that feels best to you, i.e. by giving thanks to your god(s)/ ancestors/ the Earth/ the universe/ ..., closing the circle, ...

Let the candles burn down or, if you can't do this safely, snuff them out.

Feel free to adapt this ritual to fit your practice - make it your own!

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🌸Spring Equinox🌸

Start into Spring with the traditional spring cleaning, WitchEdition™

Today is a great day for cleaning and cleansing of all kinds, to get rid of the things and thoughts that caught dust throughout the long, cold days of winter. It's time to bid winter goodbye, and to welcome spring!

Here's some ideas. Apply the ones you feel the most comfortable with:

Body & Co.

Take a long shower/bath, scrub off the grey and put on the bright colours of spring. Use your favourite gels, soaps, and scents. Light and fruity scents make an amazing choice, but go with what you feel most comfortable with!

Shave, pluck that hair, or give it a nice brush. Whatever you prefer— but make sure it's squeaky clean and fresh.

Clip your nails, put on some fresh polish, cut your hair (there's amazing tutorials on Youtube for diy haircuts, so you don't have to walk out into the pandemic), put on a fresh dye if that's your vibe.

Moisturise! Skin, hair, everything!

Slip into some fresh washed clothes— be it the dress that you love, or that large jumper you feel so comfortable in. Put on your favourite socks, or go for a barefoot walk, if your weather allows you to do so!

Clean your jewellery/crystals/etc.

Space & Co.

Make your bed, fresh duvets will feel amazing once you go to sleep tonight.

Clean your windows, let some of that spring sun in.

Vacuum, swipe, clean surfaces! Swipe that negative/dusty energy right out of your space.

Cleanse your space using incence, music, singing, bells, whatever suits you best.

Make sure to open the windows to let the things leave your space and let the wind take them away.

Get rid of old things! Didn't use this or that in over a year, and it's not a dear memory, nor is it an expensive tool? Get rid of it! Clean that wardrobe, sort your paperwork, toss out dustcatchers.

It is also a great time to start new things (once the cleaning is done). Pick up a new hobby, start reading that book you had on your pile of shame for too long, start a new project, or get your new diet plan started. Bloom with spring 🦋

But most of all: Make sure to have a feel-good day. Bake that cake, drink that tea, read that book. Enjoy yourself!

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Wheel of the Year

Pagan Holidays/ Sabbats

(Southern Hemisphere Dates)

The Sabbats are a group of 8 Pagan holidays marking the passage of the year and the seasons. They are derived from Celtic and Germanic origins and were later melded together to form the Wheel of the Year

The holidays with Celtic Origins are:

·         Imbolc

·         Beltane

·         Lughnasadh/ Lammas

·         Samhain

These are known as the Greater Sabbats or the Moon Sabbats. These fall in between the Lesser Sabbats and are based in Celtic and Gaelic pagan traditions and are also referred to as Fire Festivals

The holidays with Germanic Origins are:

·         Yule

·         Ostara

·         Litha

·         Mabon

These are known as the Lesser Sabbats or the Sun Sabbats  as they are based on the position of the Sun, falling on the Equinoxes and Solstices, known as quarter holidays.

The Sabbats - Basics

Litha

(Summer Solstice/ Midsummer 20th - 23rd December)

The celebration of Litha, usually just referred to as Midsummer, celebrates the longest day of the year and mourns the shortening of days thereafter. It falls when the days are longest and the nights are shortest. The burning of bonfires, the lighting of candles and torchlight processions (rituals intended to ‘encourage the sun’) are popular forms of celebrations among pagans.

Lughnasadh/ Lammas

(First Harvest 1st February)

The midway point between Summer and Autumn, named after the Celtic God of light, Lugh ( according to legend, Lugh’s mother Taitiu cleared the lands for crops to grow), Lughnasadh marks the first harvest of the year. It is the first celebration of Autumn and celebrates the harvest of fresh breads, fruit and grain, and gives gratitude for it. People often make gingerbread men in celebration.

Mabon

(Autumn Equinox/ Second Harvest 20th-23rd March)

Mabon celebrates Autumn and the reaping of the harvest and is the midharvest festival. It gives thanks to the earth and a time on plenty and gratitude. It is a celebration of the fruit of the labor put in through the years and signals the preparation for the coming Winter. Apples and apple magic are associated with Mabon as well as breads, grains, Autumn vegetables, fruits and wine. It is a time to take advantage of the bounty of the season.

Samhain

(Third Harvest/ Witches New Year 1st May)

This is the third and final of the Harvest Sabbats and is one of the most important festivals of the year. It is the festival of the dead and is when it is believed the veil between worlds is the thinnest. It is the eve one honors their passes family, friends and familiars. This is a time to reach out to passed souls and ask for guidance or help, and is a powerful time for cleaning negative energy and starting anew. Jack o’ lanterns are lit to light the way for souls.

Yule

(Winter Solstice 20th - 23rd June)

Yule is held during the winter solstice when the nights are longest. It is a time when the last preparations are made for the coming cold months on the shortest day of the year, and is the celebration of Rebirth.   It is often celebrated in a similar way to Christmas with the exchanging of gifts , feasting, wreath making and the decoration of trees to represent the continual growth and life through the dark cold nights. Mistletoe and the use of the Yule Log to banish evil spirits and bring good luck, are other ways that the Winter Solstice is celebrated.

Imbolc

(The promise of Spring 1st August)

The celebration of the return of spring and the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. The literal translation of Imbolc in Gaelic means 'in the belly’ and is when the sheep first begin to give milk again, signifying they were pregnant. This is also a time when the first buds of Spring were appearing. During this time crops and animals were blessed to ensure an abundant year and was celebrated with the making of corn dolls. It is a time of cleansing and starting anew and maidens and the pagan Goddess Brigid are honored as a representation of fertility during this time. Many witches will cleanse their homes at this time.

Ostara

(Spring Equinox 20th - 23rd September)

The days are becoming warmer and longer and Spring has arrived. New life is sprouting all around and fertility is celebrated, represented with hares, eggs and is the origins of some Easter traditions. Eostre is a Germanic Goddess who became the namesake of the Easter and Ostara traditions and the next full moon is sacred to Eostre (from whence we get the word estrogen, whose symbols were the egg and the rabbit).

It is the time that day and night are in perfect balance, with the light increasing every day.

Beltane

(Festival of Fire, October 31st)

This marks the halfway point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. Everything is now in full bloom and the days are growing longer and warmer as Summer approaches. The word 'Beltane’ comes from the Celtic God 'Bel’ and the Gaelic word 'teine’ which means 'fire’. Beltane festivals often involve bonfires or 'maypoles’ and the wearing of flower crowns, and it is a time to celebrate , fertility, conception and the  nurturing of the harvest. It is also a time when the veil between worlds is thin as with Samhain; therefore, is a magical and powerful time.

(Ophelia-Rin)

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Litha

Here’s a glance at the history and correspondences of Litha. [LEE-tha] 

Litha check marks the summer solstice. During this time, the God is in full power, just like the sun presides over the moon during the longest day of the year. This holiday is also known as Midsummer. All the plants are in full bloom under the lavishing love of the God and the Goddess. 

Litha is celebrated between June 20th-22nd (Northern hemisphere) or 20th-22nd of December (Southern hemisphere). Check the years calendar for the exact day. 

Spellwork

This is a great time for spells involving growth, fertility, and prosperity. If you’re ever in need of serious protection, spells during this time are incredibly powerful. It’s also a very cleansing energy, so take some time to cleanse yourself and your area. 

Correspondences

Symbols: Oak, Acorn, Sunflower

Colors: Yellow, Green, Red, Gold, Blue

Herbs: Vervain, Lavender, Rose, Yarrow, St. John’s Wort

Food/Drink: Fruits, Vegetables, Juice, Sun tea, wine. Use these as offerings to either the God and Goddess, your pantheons, or the fae (if you work with them).

Incense: Myrrh, Rose, Pine, Frankincense

Crystals: Emerald, Jade

Ways to Celebrate!

It’s customary to perform divination on this day. (Attempt a new kind of divination if you’re feeling risky!) Charity work. Dance. Swim. Clean. 

[sobrenaosentir]

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕰𝖑𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖘

The Elements are the forces of Nature and life, and are incorporated into ritual and magick. Every aspect of existence is bound up in Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. And the fifth element which is Spirit (or also deemed Aether), which is present in each of the other four. Each of the four classical Elements is associated with one of the four cardinal directions; North, East, South, and West.

There are also energetic associations, that add great depth to interpretations of how people with different zodiac signs interact with each other, for each sign is associated with an Element, and each Element is different.

𝐄 𝐀 𝐑 𝐓 𝐇

↟Direction: north

↟Energy: ♀

↟Rules: grounding, strength, healing, nature, stability, foundations, empathy, fertility, death, rebirth, and wisdom.

↟Season//time: winter//midnight

↟Zodiac: Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn.

↟Ruling Planets: Venus, and Saturn.

↟Colours: green, brown, black, white, and gold.

↟Plants: cedar, cypress, honeysuckle, ivy, magnolia, grains, primrose, oak, sage, and nuts.

↟Crystals: emerald, tourmaline, quartz, granite, dedrock, peridot, onyx, jasper, and amethyst.

↟Tools: pentacle, salt, crystals, dirt, herbs, wood, plants, and flowers.

↟Virtues: patience, truth, dependable, thorough, focused.

𝐀 𝐈 𝐑

↟Direction: east

↟Energy: ♂

↟Rules: mind, clarity, knowledge, logic, abstract, wind, consciousness, intuition, and memory.

↟Season//time: spring//dawn

↟Zodiac: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius.

↟Ruling planets: Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus.

↟Colours: yellow, gold, white, and light blue.

↟Plants: acacia, anis, aspen, clover, frankincense, lavender, lemongrass, pine, and vervain.

↟Crystals: topaz, amber, citrine, jasper, and agate.

↟Tools: feather, wand, staff, incense, pen, broom, and bell.

↟Virtues: intelligent, practical, optimistic.

𝐅 𝐈 𝐑 𝐄

↟Direction: south

↟Energy: ♂

↟Rules: energy, will, destruction, courage, strength, self-knowledge, power, passion, sexuality, self-healing, divinity, light, and flame.

↟Season//time: summer//noon

↟Zodiac: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius.

↟Ruling planets: Sun, and Mars.

↟Colours: red, orange, gold, and white.

↟Plants: allspice, basil, cinnamon, garlic, juniper, hibiscus, nettle, onion, poppies, peppers, and thistles.

↟Crystals: ruby, garnet, red jasper, bloodstone, quartz, tiger's eye, and agate.

↟Tools: candle, lamp, athame, dagger, and burned herbs.

↟Virtues: courage, enthusiasm, willpower.

𝐖 𝐀 𝐓 𝐄 𝐑

↟Direction: west

↟Energy: ♀

↟Rules: emotion, intuition, psychic, love, deep feelings, the unconscious mind, fertility, tides, reflection, lunar energy, and healing.

↟Season//time: autumn//twilight

↟Zodiac: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.

↟Ruling planets: Moon, Neptune, and Pluto.

↟Colours: blue, aqua, silver, and green.

↟Plants: aloe, apple, chamomile, ferns, gardenia, jasmine, lemon, lily, lotus, moss, seaweed, rose, thyme, and willow.

↟Crystals: amethyst, aquamarine, beryl, blue tourmaline, lapis lazuli, opal, pearl, and sodalite.

↟Tools: seashells, ocean water, seaweed, moss, stones, chalice, and cauldron.

↟Virtues: love, compassion, receptivity, and flexibility.

[sobrenaosentir]

Astrology, the Basics

“Wait, so i’m not just an Aries?!”

No, you’re not. In fact none of us are just one anything. So let’s dial it back to day we were born. The stars and planets in the sky aligned to convey a story completely unique to you, and thus your natal chart was born!

   Our Sun sign

“Playboi, what’s a Sun Sign?”

Well, the Sun Sign is the sign everyone typically knows about themselves. It’s the sign you were born under that immediately correlates with your birthday. Meaning, “I was born in April so I’m a Taurus!” Your sun sign is the sign the Sun was in on the day of your birth. So what does the sun represent in astrology? Our vitality and ego, “who we are.” The thing about the Sun is we’re constantly growing into ourselves and our egos, constantly learning ourselves and strengths, so we’re constantly growing into our Suns. Many people write off astrology due to their inability to relate to their Sun signs when so much more goes into a person. Your Sun sign is less “who i am” and more so “who i’m becoming.” And sometimes we never fully become the poster child of our Sun signs because we grow at different rates and resonate with different things, not to mention the housing of the Sun plays a heavy role in how our “egos” will play out. Also aspects made to our Sun by other planets are most important as they shape our Sun’s characteristics, but that’s another post!

Our Moon Sign

“…okay, so I understand Sun Signs now, but what’s a moon sign?”

The moon sign in astrology is of immense importance. This is where we feel most comfortable and secure and our primal emotional reactions. As I mentioned previously, the sun is “who we’re becoming’’ while the moon can be defined as “who we always are.” Unlike the Sun who illuminates everything, the moon is a softer, dimmer light. It lights up the dark sky at night and it does the same for our personal dark sky emotionally. Simply put, the moon is our emotions. Emotions can be simply irrational and erratic, so we suppress them because throwing a hissy fit in public is not that endearing. My point being that our moons can sometimes be overlooked by others as well as our selves because the attributes of our moons are highly subconscious at times.The moon is how we were nourished, and in turn how we nourish others. It’s an extremely sentimental and personal part of our being.It’s what makes us feel safe as well as habitual patterns we carry. A balanced moon is very important as an unbalanced one can take a toll on us physically. When the needs our moon requires aren’t met, we can start to display it’s negative attributes and fall into a bit of a depression, eat less, and never leave your bed. Or perhaps become more aggressive and angry depending on your moon sign. It’s also equally important to understand that others around us have different moon placements then us natally. Everyone requires different things to feel emotionally secure, sometimes we’re harder on others because their love languages differ from our own.

   Our Mercury Sign

“What does Mercury have to do with anything?”

Well, everything. Mercury rules over the mind, how we think, how fast we think, how we learn, our speech, and even our style of writing. He’s the fastest moving planet in the solar system so it’s fitting that he rules the nervous system. The poor guy gets glossed over a lot until he turns retrograde and everyone starts running around like chickens missing their heads because that’s when we notice most how strong Mercury’s influence is on our lives. Mercury is not an emotional planet but more so an intellectual one. It’s how we asses things and use logic before we act, if we use logic before we act.

Our Venus Sign

“I KNOW THIS ONE…LOVE RIGHT?”

You’ve guessed it, Venus rules over romance but a lot more as well. She’s our social graces, if we have any social graces at all. How we charm others as well as what we personally find pleasurable. Venus rules over our attitude towards money and material things. How much we spend and how often we treat ourselves. What we like to eat, what tastes good, what feels good. Venus is also our attractiveness, and what we’re attracted to. She gives us a clue to our love language on a more superficial level, what it takes to woo us. How we like to be seduced and pursued. Venus is diplomatic, she shows us how we make peace with others. Venus also rules over artistry and how appreciate the arts and even the possibility of having artistic gifts as well. Venus also highlights our sexual nature in terms of what we find pleasurable, what feels right, and what we find acceptable.

Our Mars Sign

“Mars is our…anger?”

He can be, yes. After all he is the God of War. Mars in astrology represents energy. Our physical energy and vitality, and especially our sexual energy. He’s all about action, what it physically takes us to do…well, anything. He’s our day to day strength and drive. He exemplifies how aggressive and assertive we are. Our ambitions, durability, temperament, action, and drive. Do we exercise? How sexual are we? Our sexual style? Our competitiveness? All can be answered by our mars sign. Mars showcases how quick we are to anger, what makes us tick/explode. He’s also the last of the personal planets.

Our Jupiter Sign

“……”

Jupiter is the first non personal planet as it stays in the same for an entire year. Everyone born within that year will have the same Jupiter sign. That doesn’t negate Jupiter’s importance in anyway, so don’t skim over him. It just means we have take a closer look at him in our natal chart by examining his house placement and aspects made towards him by other planets. Jupiter rules over good fortune, philosophy, travel, and higher level learning (different from mercury.) He is expansive and optimistic. He’s a grand catalyst to spiritual growth. He’s where we overindulge, our generosity, and wisdom.

Our Saturn Sign

“So what does Saturn do?”

Saturn is like our astrological father. He sets the rules and regulations, the routine. And like when we disobey our paternal father there’s consequences the same applies for Saturn. Saturn is not out to punish anyone, he just returns anything we put out into the universe. “What goes around comes around.” Sound familiar? Saturn rules over Karma. Saturn in our chart shows us where he grounds us, where we must be held responsible, where we must work hard. Our careers, the practicality of how we achieve success.

Our Uranus Sign

“and Uranus?”

Uranus is a much slower moving planet. His energy is very erratic, spontaneous, and rebellious. He’s extremely progressive and an advocate for originality. Uranus has to be looked at by house placement to determine its effects on us individually, as people from the same generation will share the same Uranus sign. Uranus in our charts will show us where we are unpredictable and rebellious. How and where we go against the grain. Our humanitarian side. How interested in activism we are, where we are liberated ourselves.

Our Neptune Sign

“that Sea God?”

Indeed. Neptune is the God of the Sea. In astrology Neptune rules over spirituality, all things hazy, confusion, love and romance on a deeper, ethereal level. He is illusions and our dreams. Intuition and psychic abilities. Neptune has dominion over deeper creativity and artistic abilities. He also shows us where we might try to escape reality and what we may try to use to escape reality with. He is addiction, substance abuse, and deception. Our fantasies. 

Our Pluto Sign

“isn’t Pluto like not even a planet anymore?”

Yes, technically Pluto is a planetoid, but we still refer to Pluto as a planet in astrology so he will be respected as such! Despite his small size and the grand amount of distance he is from us his effects are undeniable.Pluto in our charts shows us where we are transformed and regenerated. Where we must die to be born again. His energy is very subconscious, we don’t always see it, but we feel it.  He is obsession, and our hunger for power, where we struggle for power. He is how we react to sex on a deeper, subconscious level. Where and what we become drawn and attached to. His energy is very primal. He also highlights where we’re manipulative or jealous if we’re displaying the negative attributes of Pluto. 

Our Ascendant Sign

“our…what sign?”

Our Ascendant sign is crowned the ruler of our chart, and is of equal importance as our Sun and Moon signs. It’s specific to our birth time and location. The Ascendant is like the mask we put on to face the world. It’s our initial reaction to external forces. The lens we see life through on a day to day basis. Our ascendant is our physical bodies, how we look and how we act in public. It’s how people initially receive you, our first impressions, our mannerisms. Our outer personality. If people were to describe you they’d likely describe this sign.

So, as you can see a lot goes into a persons personality even more than what’s been mentioned above, humans are complex beings who can’t be described as just one sign, or one anything. We are more than our sun signs, we are more than signs period.

- playboi