#Shamanic rituals

[yebreed]

Interacting With Souls and Ghosts in Shamanism: Shaman as Psychopomp

The duties of a shaman involve existence in the borderline states. They also imply crossing the boundaries of the worlds and interacting with the inhabitants of various layers of the universe: shaman both welcomes a new soul that has come into the human world, and accompanies the deceased to the Kingdom of the Dead.

[martapreliy]

[stonedrunkwizard]

A shaman.

[witchrog]

Winter offerings in the forest. We're in for a dynamic mix of energies this weekend—no kidding. The standout force, heavy, intense, and assertive, is the ongoing Mercury Mars conjunction squared with Chiron throughout the entire weekend.

A standalone Mercury Mars conjunction usually ushers in a positive vibe. We become more enthusiastic, inspired, and geared up for action. However, it also heightens our awareness of sources of irritation and frustrating situations during this period.

In response to these situations, impulsive actions may come to the forefront, a surge of blood to the head, as Mercury and Mars square with Chiron in Aries. This dynamic creates a personal sense of woundedness or a feeling of not being able to attain our desires.

This can lead to the surfacing of frustration and anger, and with the Leo full moon in play, there's an urgent need to express oneself and step into the spotlight. The Sun square to Jupiter boosts confidence and encourages bold self-expression.

The weekend's energy might manifest as pent-up frustration, anger, or a release of intense emotions. Paradoxically, this is exactly what needs to happen—a time to share your feelings, even if it doesn't come out flawlessly.

The prevailing energy suggests that wherever you're harboring hurt, it needs expression. The challenge lies in channeling this energy productively, whether through creativity or thoughtfully sharing your emotions.

For some, the difficulty may arise in conflicts that unfold when speaking their truth. Communication is charged, decisions may be impulsive, but it's an unavoidable moment, driven by the need for necessary changes that involve expressing emotions.

These energies are potent right now, and at the core of the Leo full moon's essence is the acknowledgment of personal value and significance. It's a reminder that we all have something valuable to share. The tension from the Mercury Mars conjunction can serve as a catalyst.

#incense#malewitch#astrology#malewithcesofinstagram#darkphotography#ritual#occult#darksouls#sombrebeings#faeriemagazine#darkaesthetic#folkwitch#traditionalwitchcraft#banefulherbs#spirituality#pagan#imbolc

[arcusxx]

Eihwar - Ragnarök

[galderthefuzzy]

The Tidemaker

It's been nearly a decade since Aja'Mon joined the Brigade. The young troll's expertise with water magic and ability to commune with water spirits have gradually advanced into true mastery. Gone are the times of quiet contemplation and tending to playful streams and ponds. Natural talent and affinity for water magic have elevated the young shaman at unprecedented speed. 

Living on an island close to the shores of Westfall, Aja'mon communes with the mighty spirits of the seas now. His new, powerful allies are proving to be an immense asset in helping to ward off any trouble that might come from the sea. The mercurial troll is also quite fierce in battle and is able to pummel their enemies with wave after wave of watery death. 

I have finished this piece as the final Brigade Christmas surprise for thory1984 . It took quite some effort, but working on the waves was strangely relaxing. I hope you like how it turned out!

[ancientorigins]

Speak of the devil, or rather hear the devil! University researchers in Finland have uncovered a mysterious resonance at Devils Church cave that may have once echoed the conversations between healers, sages, and the supposed Devil himself.

[starboycosmic]

Old paths through the forest have led me to thee, god of the wilds, of stone and tree.

Lord of the earth and stormy sky, king of the desert and deep cave sigh.

Liberator of the soul of man, stag horned god of the pagan land.

| from my invocation to the Horned God, 2015 |

[shamandrummer]

The Power of Ritual and Ceremony

A ceremony is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. Ritual and ceremony are an essential and basic means for human beings to convey to themselves and to others the necessary messages which enable them to maintain their humanity. They communicate acceptance, love, esteem, a sense of identity and purpose, shared values and beliefs, and shared memorable events. Every ritual contains tender and numinous moments. And in those moments of transcendence we are taken out of the normal flow of life, and out of our routines. We are then in an event that is unique, irreplaceable and sacred. In ritual we participate in something deep and significant. They are moments which move our heart and touch our soul.

Ritual and ceremony are essential for a healthy and balanced personal and communal life. Many persistent personal and social problems can be linked to the lack of ritual and ceremony. The late Joseph Campbell, one of the great mythologists of the twentieth century, asserted that the level of civilized behavior in a society is directly linked to the practice of ceremonies and rites of passage. Rituals and ceremonies reduce tension, anxiety and stress, produce deeper self-awareness, and connect us to our community. They are a vehicle for belonging--to a family, to a people, and to the land. Both reconnect us with our deepest core values and our highest vision of who we are and why we are here.

Ritual and ceremony nourish our spirits and our psyches. They heal the deep wounds in us that are unseen and unspoken. Ceremonials offer us a deeper healing solution to complex dilemmas that plague modern life, those problems that lie beneath the surface, waiting to erupt. When the soul is in a state of discontent, conflict and discord, these conditions manifest in our daily life's events as dissonance, confusion, ill health and misfortune. Conversely, when our soul is in a state of peace and harmony, these qualities manifest in our life as ease and acceptance, caring and accord with the world around us. From an shamanic perspective, the restoration of one's soul contributes to the restoration of the collective soul of humanity.

Ritual vs Ceremony

Ritual and ceremony are two distinct practices used to engage the powers of the unseen world to effect specific changes in the visible world. Ceremony is a formal act or set of acts designed to celebrate, honor or acknowledge what is. Ceremony is used to strengthen or restore the status quo, grounding people in the natural order of things and/or deepening communal relationships. Ritual is a formal act or set of acts designed to cause a change in what is--to change or transform the status quo.

Ritual and ceremony are a universal way to address the spirit world and provide some kind of fundamental change in an individual's consciousness or in the ambience of a gathering. They may involve prayers, chanting, drumming, dancing, anointing, as well as rites of passage. Both are designed to engage the spirit world in helping us to do what we are unable to do for ourselves. The power of ritual and ceremony is they marry the mundane to the sacred. Without the connection to the powers of the spirit world, neither is an effective tool for initiating change. By creating effective ritual and ceremony, we can skillfully engage Spirit in the processes we are involved in like healing, therapy or actualizing our goals.

[satanasvincit]

Shaman - Irbeus on DeviantArt

[yebreed]

Shamanic Illness through the Eyes of an Insider

Shamanic illness is a particular condition occurring when a person is summoned by spirits. This is a life-threatening experience of an initiative nature. A person leaves the human world and enters into the threefold shamanic realm.

In winter, on one of the warm days, I was riding a horse and looking for my deer. Night was drawing nigh; suddenly I felt like someone’s hand hit me hard in the back; my entire body was pierced with cold, as if someone had poured ice water over me.

I raised my head and saw three ravens: one was white-headed, the other was motley, and the third was black. Curious, I’ve been staring hard, then fainted and fell to the ground. Falling, I heard someone’s voice: “It turns out that the one we are looking for is here.”

[xlelife]

Chiara Baldini is currently running a gorgeous, image-saturated course for ADVAYA.LIFE on Dionysus: Rave, Ritual and Revolution.

She delves into the mythological, historical and anthropological dimensions of the Dionysian cult, a cultural lineage that accompanied Western history since primordial times. One that defines our identity in deep resonance with other non-Western cultures and can support us in rediscovering meaningful aspects of European and, more specifically, Mediterranean indigeneity.

This is part of her PhD work at the California Institute for Integral Studies and a longtime fascination of hers.

XLE.LIFE's Kai Altmann is enrolled and enthralled in the course as a guest.

ADVAYA.LIFE offers regular free webinars, paid courses and meetup events, with a primary hub in London. Focusing on ideas around spirituality, culture, history and theory, they present comparative lectures and exploratory discussions on pressing de-colonial and holistic issues, featuring some of the world's leading thinkers on the topics. Vandana Shiva and Timothy Morton have been recent presenters!

(Bursaries are available for the courses, apply at their site.)

[dieletztepanzerhexe]

Shamans depicted on Yakut birch-bark tobacco containers (after Ivanov 1954).

“Rock art and the material culture of Siberian and Central Asian shamanism” by Ekaterina Devlet

[witchrog]

''One swallow does not make a spring.'' Keep on tight dear friends and enemies, the last weeks of winter slip away with catalyzing star aspects leading towards the Solar Eclipse. Through many folklore traditions winter is a time of introspection, letting go, rotting, death, and decay, of gathering energy for the Spring. Even though in some areas, the first heralds of Spring are already blooming, Nature reminds us with her skeletal visage of naked branches that Life is yet to fully sprout and burst forth, not all snow has melted, and not all of the birds have flown back. Eerie, liminal, and a truly fitting atmosphere for the month of the sign of Pisces, the sign who most of all, dances on the boundaries between worlds, between Life and Death, embrace the time to let go of what need to go, before heading into a new cycle, with Spring and the Sun entering Aries.

Today, we have a square aspect between Venus and Uranus (March 3, 2024, 1:17 pm GMT), squares often bring difficulties, delays, and strains, how they manifest can be read by the signs and planets involved, and the ''where'' is determined by the houses it occurs in your chart. This diabolical square can bring unexpected expenses, especially related to technology and devices, the other side of the coin of this aspect is unexpected income, again depending on how it falls in your chart. Relationships are also in the terrain of this aspect and planets, again expect the unexpected, this is a time of change, situations that are wake-up calls, of breaking points, and beginnings of new relations. Focusing on the future and more humanitarian, innovative topics can get you on the good side of this transit, holding on to the past and things that have no strong foundations will be shaken up, let alone by Uranus and Venus, but also some other aspects.

While this square is happening Venus is conjunct Pluto, and Chiron conjunct the North Node ( Reached word limit, see you next post )

#folklore#astrology#witchesofinstagram#traditionalwitchcraft#occult#slavic#venus#folkwitch#malewitch#darkforest#folkgram#darkshinemag#beatifulbizzare#cinegrams#witchlife#broom#eclipse#winter#witchaesthetic#ritual

[arcusxx]

[jumpscaregoose]

i'm like so late to reading your slideshow but thought you'd appreciate the fact that the Anna panel on slide 6 is the same in the VIZ English translation from 2004 and wasn't just a Kodansha thing lol

NO WAY HOLY SHIT

happy 20 years homophobic rituals <3