#baby pagan

[assistedbytherats]

Devotional acts? Nah bro, im doing emotional acts.

Crying over how much I love my gf as an emotional act to Aphrodite

Rapid messaging my friends about my many interests as an emotional act to Hermes

Letting myself laugh a little when I’m singing as an emotional act to Apollon

[malefixium]

[khaire-traveler]

The gods aren't going to hurt you.

The gods aren't going to harm you.

The gods aren't going to target you.

You are not an object for them to play with.

You are a whole ass human being, and they both recognize and respect that.

[when-november-ends]

it's okay if you have to re-read the myths or re-watch videos explaining them regularly because you forget what happens in them.

it's not something to be ashamed of.

[paganposting]

How I Made My Altar

Creating an altar is something that varies a lot by tradition, but this is a guide on how i personally made and maintain mine. Hopefully this is helpful to someone!

Step One- Planning and Sourcing

In my tradition, there isn't necessarily a huge difference in making personal vs deity altars. As I've heard several of my teachers say- an altar is the place in your home where magic is always welcome. if you wish to add to that by including deities that are always welcome or honored in that space, great! if a deity does request their own specific altar, no problem!

The more complicated aspect for me, is that i feel deeply i must be in right relationship with the items on my altar. Part of this is everything being ethically sourced. All things on this table were either found by me, purchased from a small local business I trust, or received as a gift. These items have been accumulated over the last 5 years of my practice. If you are just starting out and feel as i do about sourcing, you might have a lot of arts and crafts projects ahead.

What aspects of your practice you feel are necessary to represent on your altar? Should you have artwork? Plants? Symbols or sigils?

What work will be done at your altar and which tools should be there? Are you doing meditation that requires a nice smelling herb or oil? Will you be doing spells on it that require big empty space?

Step Two- Find or Make Materials

My recommendation if you don't have the budget to buy a specific dedicated table/ shelf for your altar is to clear a space where you feel the most presence of magic in your life. My earliest altars were cleared off spots on bookshelves and in the kitchen.

Now that you have a list of themes or specific items you want on your altar, go on a nature walk and find things that call to you. Whenever I go to new or interesting places, I keep my eyes peeled for things that might be useful in my practice. Don't take too much, and ask permission from the land before leaving with anything. If the item feels oddly heavy as you walk away with it- give it back.

Step Three- Assemble

The main thing i do at my altar is meditate and pray to deities. Because i view this space as my gods' front door, i care a lot about it looking aesthetically pleasing. I am not part of a tradition where it matters what things go on the left or right, the elements are not associated with cardinal directions, and deities aren't really unsatisfied sharing an altar with each other (even if they may not get along in some lore). Because of this, i just lay things out intuitively, aiming for some symmetry. I also prefer to do spells outdoors, so my altar doesn't need to have a workable space beyond a nice spot to charge things.

Do I feel the need for my altar to have directional correspondences?

Is it important to me to optimize aesthetics?

I work a lot with the seasons, and this is meant to have some nice summertime vibes. With the harvest season coming up, i'll definitely redecorate it.

If anyone has questions please let me know

go n-éirí leat! good luck!

[little-witchys-garden]

Your altar doesn't need to be one area.

Your altar doesn't need to be just one table, shelf or desk.

Your altar can be anything!

Your kitchen

Nature

Your bedroom

The whole house

{ had to fix how I spell alter/altar because apparently xenophobia is just chill in the witchcraft community...... Fun..... }

[samwisethewitch]

One element of cultural Christianity that took me forever to move on from is the idea that you have to pick one spiritual path, or one set of spiritual beliefs, and stay on that path to the exclusion of everything else.

You do not.

Speaking from a pagan perspective, most pagan groups not only allow but encourage sharing space with/learning from other spiritual traditions, and I know the same is also true for a lot of other non-Christian religions. You can practice or believe multiple things, even if they seem to contradict each other! If it works for you, makes you feel connected to something greater than yourself, and doesn't cause discomfort or cognitive dissonance, there's no reason not to include it in your practice!

Fyi this post isn't just for ex-Christians who still want to have a spiritual practice. I absolutely see this same basic belief that you can only believe/do one thing show up in culturally Christian atheists who seem to think being atheist means they can't be open to spiritual or mystical experiences. There are many, many religions and spiritual traditions that do not require belief in a God, but culturally Christian atheists seem to mostly believe atheism and spirituality are mutually exclusive. They aren't.

[whats-a-human]

music is underrated

Seriously, I've never seen anyone talk about music in modern witchcraft, and that's weird to me cuz I know most if not all of you pagans absolutely adore music. At least I do!

Plus, it has been like, primordial for witchcraft and religion in general since humans have been a thing. It connects people, helps achieve trance or specific emotions, gives you catharsis and is just perfect in every way.

So here's some help for implementing music in your practice if you're interested:

Listen to specific songs that will help you get in the right mood for the spell/ritual/sigil you wanna perform

Cast spells by dancing, create choreography-based spells

Meditate on a song that's important to you, ask why it's important, what emotions it gives you and why

Pay attention to the song you're listening, try to hear the instruments or beats in the back. I've noticed I can hear so many more "parts" of my songs after practicing Zen (not only after meditating, I mean as a permanent upgrade lol)

Compose magic songs/spells in song format

Compose spell lyrics for instrumental songs

Visualize an intention while singing with all your heart to a song that vibes with your intention

Put music in the background while doing your craft

I remember that I dreamt using a song for a spell, then I did and now every time I listen to it I get goosebumps and powerful feelings. I even feel that spell "activating" a bit even though I don't mean to (that's why we don't do hexes, kids! Jk, it was a good spell). I think I can even fully activate it again just by hearing the song if I want to, because it meant a lot to me even before I became pagan.

Seriously, mindfully using music and dance in your craft is really, really worth it.

[secretbookofthecosmicwolf]

🔮 Elemental Witch🔮 

//don’t claim it as your own and/or repost it on other platforms// An Elemental Witch is a practitioner who deeply connects with and harnesses the energies of the natural elements - Earth, Air, Fire, and Water - in their magical and spiritual practices. From a perspective deeply rooted in nature, the Elemental Witch views the world as a tapestry of interconnected energies, each element holding its own unique power and symbolism.

Here's a breakdown of how an Elemental Witch interacts with the elements and their perspective on life:

Earth: The Elemental Witch reveres the grounding and nurturing energy of the Earth. They work with crystals, herbs, and natural materials to connect with the stability and abundance of the Earth element. They honor the cycles of nature and find strength in the deep-rooted wisdom of the earth.

Air: The Elemental Witch embraces the element of Air, representing intellect, communication, and clarity. They connect with the winds, use visualization techniques, and work with feathers or incense to invoke the expansive and transformative qualities of the Air element.

Fire: The Elemental Witch harnesses the passionate and transformative energy of Fire. They work with candle magic, perform rituals under the light of the flames, and embrace the power of creativity, inspiration, and courage that the Fire element embodies.

Water: The Elemental Witch honors the emotional depth and intuition of the Water element. They connect with bodies of water, use water in their rituals, and attune to the ebb and flow of emotions and spiritual insights that the element of Water represents.

From the Elemental Witch's perspective, life is a dance of interconnected energies, and they seek to harmonize with the natural world to bring balance and transformation into their lives. They see themselves as stewards of the elements, working in harmony with nature to manifest their intentions and honor the cycles of creation and destruction.

In their magical practice, the Elemental Witch aligns with the energies of the elements to manifest their desires, gain wisdom, and bring healing and balance to themselves and the world around them. They view the elements as allies and draw upon their energies to create change, find inspiration, and deepen their spiritual connection.

Overall, the Elemental Witch lives their life attuned to the rhythms of nature, finding beauty, strength, and guidance in the elemental forces that shape the world. Their perspective on life is one of reverence, connection, and co-creation with the natural elements, seeking to weave their magic in harmony with the earth, air, fire, and water.

#documentbycosmicprincess/CosmicWolf/your CosmicGuide @secretbookofthecosmicwolf

[pigeonflavouredcake]

How to organise a grimoire

This is how I've decided to organise my grimoire now that I'm digitising it. I thought this may be of some benefit to other autistic/dyslexic practioners by sharing how my brain likes to formulate things. The trick is to categorise.

I have one large category I'm calling the chapter and every chapter has a number of categories within it and smaller sub categories underneath each one.

So my brain basically works like a russian nesting doll or like a very messy spider diagram. Organising it this way helps me to stay on track and stops me from getting overwhelmed. (I used this method in all my university essays and it helped push my grade up a lot).

I'm not writing it in any specific order but here's a list of what I've completed so far. Please feel free to take any of these. I hope this helps you with your own grimoire writing.

Theory 📚

Terminology

Paganism: historical context. Modern context. Core values.

New Age Spirituality: Development. Capitalism. Modern Example.

Cultural Appropriation: What it is. How it happens. How to avoid it. List of closed practices and red flags.

Wicca: What it is. How it's practiced. Gerald Gardner. Criticisms.

Thelema: Aleister Crowley. Development (egyptomania). Criticisms.

Conspiracy Theories: Development (root cause). Dangers. Examples. List of spiritual conspiracies. List of antisemitic stereotypes and propaganda.

Cults: What are they. How are they dangerous. How to recognise one (B.I.T.E model). List of religious/spiritual cults.

Satanic Panic: Historical development to our current satanic panic. The 1980's moral panic. Christian persecution complex.

KJV: Who was King James. The creation of the KJV. The KJO movement (evangelical and Christian fundamentalism. American Folk magic)

Witches in context: The modern witch. The post-modern witch. Historical context (England. Ancient Greece. Ireland).

Cats in context: Modern context. Familiars. Historical context (Egypt. Greece. China. England).

Transphobia: the idea behind terfism. How to recognise a terf. Examples of Terfism in spirituality (Lister). Dispelling myths and Misinformation.

Queerness: Erasure and queerphobia. Why queer people gravitate to witchcraft/paganism/Wicca. Examples (intersex. Gay relationships. Lesbian relationships. Asexuality).

Practical Basics 🔮

Terminology

Health and Safety: Fire. Smoke. Essential Oils. Toxicity. Wound Care. Biohazards.

How to make a magical space: What they are. Different types. Tools and their uses.

Grimoire/Book of Shadows: What they are. The differences. Different Formats. The Front cover.

Cleansing: What it is. What its used for. Examples.

Grounding: What it is. What its used for. Examples.

Protection: What it is. What its used for. Examples.

Intuition: What it is. What its used for. Developing it. Examples.

Discernment: What it is. What its used for. Steps of discernment (from a Christian perspective. From a secular perspective). Psychosis.

The Year and the holidays: Samhain. Yule. Wassailing. Imbolc. Spring Equinox. Beltaine. Summer Solstice. Lughnasadh. Autumn Equinox. (Historical development. How they're celebrated).

Deity Worship: Scientific Context (Neuroscience of Religiosity). Spiritual Context. Worship Vs working with. Finding a deity. Your religious rights. Critiquing your religious path. For example ↓

Hellenism: Historical context (Wars. Colonisation. Slavery. Citizenship. Pederasty). Modern Context (White washing. Transphobia).

Your Deities (if you choose to have any): Iconography. Mythology. Associations. Offerings.

Spirits: Ghosts. Shadow people. Demons (what they are. fear and labelling. History Vs pop culture). The Warrens (history. Criticisms). Other folklore.

Practical Magic ✨

I have a lot more planned for this section.

Terminology

Divination: What it is. What its used for. List of types and tools. For example ↓

Tarot: Structure of the tarot deck. Historical context. Modern Context. The fool and you.

Basic Astrology: What it is. Historical Context. Signs. Planets. Houses. Reading a natal chart.

Colour Magic: Basic colour theory. Symbolism. Practical application.

Correspondence 🌿

When there's a long list of items and spiritual meanings/applications I keep it in this section at the back of my grimoire.

Colours

Symbols

The Classic Elements

Astrology

Stones

Herbs and Spices (kitchen cupboard specific)

Common plants in your area (invasive and non invasive)

Seasonal fruit and vegetables

Miscellaneous laws and philosophies

[assistedbytherats]

Im bad at witchcraft can i pls just be someone’s familiar

[ambermotta]

Lokean Holidays

art by Sceith-A

With holiday season coming up across all cultures, I have decided to do a little something in honor of one of my own dedicated deities — Loki. Following the holiday theme (and looking forward to one of my favorite Loki festivals), today's post is all about Loki-specific holidays.

I will start off by saying that He does not have any known traditional holidays. We have no surviving evidence of any Loki-specific Holidays, and few evidence of Loki even being worshipped in ancient times.

So keep in mind these are all modern holidays that many lokeans (those who follow Loki) have adopted.

It's also important to note that not every lokean follows all, if any of these.

And lastly, I won't mention any of the usual norse pagan holidays, but you can definitely still honor Loki on those alongside other norse deities. It's just that they are not specific to him.

_________________♡♤◇♧_________________

Loki Fool's Day

April 1st

This was probably one of the first lokean holidays created, in honor of Loki as a Trickster and deity of Mischief.

It was proposed by Dagulf Loptson in his book "Playing with Fire", but I believe many of Loki's followers already thought of Loki during April Fool's before that.

Ideas:

Have fun

Play games

Make jokes and pull tricks

Reflect on Loki as a trickster deity and the trickster archetype in all its forms

_________________♡♤◇♧_________________

Lokabrenna

July – August (roughly)

The star Sirius was known to the norse people as Lokabrenna ("burning done by Loki", "Loki's torch"). The star would be gone for one half of the year, so when it reappeared at its highest point, that would be the date of Lokabrenna. Because of the connection to Loki's name, the day of Lokabrenna became a modern lokean holiday.

The date varies because it's connected to when the star Sirius shows up in the sky, so it depends on location.

In the southern hemisphere, Sirius can be seen throughout the year. In this case, Lokabrenna can be celebrated when it shows during both morning and evening, rising with the Sun.

You can adopt a date between the beginning of July to the end of August for convenience.

The following reddit post (at r/lokean) details one way you can find out the day of Lokabrenna for your location:

Ideas:

Prapare a ritual for Loki

Celebrate the comming season (summer in northern hemisphere, winter in southern hemisphere)

Meditate on Loki as a fire good and bringer of light, knowledge and creativity

_________________♡♤◇♧_________________

Loki Sponge Cake Day

September 4th

TW: brief mention of bullying

This holiday popped up in the community as an anti-bullying holiday. Basically, this happened because someone got mad at a lokean who got some store bought sponge cake as an offering to Loki and shamed them for it.

So this is a holiday to commemorate modern offerings and promote anti-bullying.

Ideas:

Anti-bullying awareness.

Get some store bought cake or other modern stuff to give as offerings and celebrate

Reflect on Loki as a deity of the Outcasts

_________________♡♤◇♧_________________

Loki's Holiday

December 13th

This holiday was proposed by Dagulf Loptson in his book "Playing with Fire".

This is because, on Dec 13th in Scandinavia, there is the feast of St. Lucia and the festival of light, which would symbolize the coming of light in the midst of darkness.

In his book Loptson states that he had asked Loki if there was a special day he could celebrate him, and the answer was Dec 13th, which he later learned was the day of St. Lucia.

So yes, this is the author's UPG, but it was widely adopted by the community.

In scandinavian countries the date also used to mark the Winter Solstice. As the longest night of the year, it was believed that all sorts of foul creatures would roam the earth, and the bringing of light could symbolize safety and the hope of warmer days to come.

While Loki and Lucia may not be directly related, they share a relation in the sense that they may come as "light bearers". Thus, many lokeans find it fitting to honor Loki on this day.

Ideas:

Celebrate the coming of light and Loki as a deity that brings fire, warmth and light

Give gingerbread treats, cakes, cookies, sweets, etc, as offerings

Celebrate with other Lokeans!

_________________♡♤◇♧_________________

Loki and Sigyn — 4th Day of Yule

December 23th

art by Ksenia Svincova

There is actually very little information on this holiday and how it came to be, and not many lokeans celebrate it.

So you may take this with a grain of salt.

From what I could find this one is actually tied to celebrating the 4th day of Yule and it honors both Loki and Sigyn.

It is a day to celebrate love (especially queer love) and devotion, as Sigyn loved Loki unconditionally, despite everything that he did and that had happened to him.

Supposedly, it also coincides with Saturnalia (Roman holiday, Dec 17th-23th), a day where social order is turned upside down — which is very much a Loki thing to do, as demonstrated in Lokasenna.

That said, I personally don't think the correlation with Saturnalia fits most heathens' practice. But Sigyn and Loki's relationship is highly defined by Her actions after Lokasenna, so I can see how you could make a connection.

Ideas:

Celebrate love, queer love

Pour libations

Do healing work and cleansing rituals

Celebrate Loki and Sigyn's union

_________________♡♤◇♧_________________

That concludes this post. Even if you do not work with, worship, or follow Loki, I hope you enjoyed the post!

Thank you for reading!

[khaire-traveler]

Deities & Entities Masterpost

Deity Work

"Deity Work" info

"All Or Nothing Myth" info

"Some Things A Deity Will Never Do" info

"You Can Casually Work With Deities" tip

"Tips For Working With Deities" tip

"Deities, Entities, & Spirits... Do You Need Them To Practice Witchcraft And Magic?" info

"What Do They Want? Hints For The Headblind" tip

"Different Types Of Deity Work" info

"How To Stop Working With A Deity" answered ask

"Sometimes Deities Leave You" tip

"Being Called By A Deity" answered ask

"Deities Reaching Out To You" answered ask

"It Is Ok To Not Follow Deities As A Witch" answered ask

"Asking A Deity If They Want To Work With You" answered ask

Deity Worship

"Deity Disconnect Got You Down?" info

"Bonding With Your Deities" info

"Inexpensive Offerings" info

"On Offerings And Altars" info

"Methods Of Bonding With Your Deities" tip

"You Just Gotta Do It" tip

"Falling Out Of Practice" tip

"Do We "Work With" The Gods?" info

"Thanking The Theoi In Ancient Greek" info

"Historic Offerings For Theoi" info

"How To Pray" answered ask

"Fun & Easy Habits To Develop As A Pagan" tip

"The Gods Are Within Daily Life" info

"Why Water Is Not A Lazy Offering" info

"Subtle Worship Master List" info & tips

Reassurance

"The Gods Won't Hurt You" reassurance

"The Gods Don't Judge Small Behaviors" reassurance

"The Gods, Your Potential, And Your Limits" info

"Your Deity Relationships Are Valid" reassurance

"What Your Deities Want" reassurance

"Loving Yourself As Offering" tip

"Your Gods Love You" reassurance

"Just Because Your Gods Are Angry..." reassurance

"The Gods Love Transfolk" ask response

"Insecure About My Altar..." info

"Faith Can Be Inconsistent" reassurance

"Gods Make Worthy What They Touch" reassurance

"Gods Cheer For Us" reassurance

"You Get Who You Ask For" info

Spirit Work

"A Bad Spirit" info

"When You Shouldn't Be Working With Entities" tip

"How To Know If An Entity Is Who You Think It Is" info

General

"Deity Tip - Reaching Out" tip

"Deity Tip - Offerings" tip

"Pagan Pro Tips" tip

"How To Tell If You've Received A Sign" tip

"Deity Communication 101" info

"So You've Been Contacted By A Closed Deity..." info

"Deity Deep Dives Masterpost" info

"Respecting The Gods" tip

"Ways Gods Can Contact You" info

"Trying To Narrow Which Deities Are Contacting You" tip

"How To Get Started With Deities" info

"Meditating With Your Deities!" info

"The Gods Do Pass Judgements" rant

"There Is A Middle Ground" ramble

"It's Ok For A God To Be Upset With You" ramble

"How Do I Get Started With Paganism?" answered ask

"How To Offer To The Theoi" info

"Yes, Because I Want To" ramble

"Is It The Gods, An Imposter/Trickster Spirit, Or Your Own Trauma?" info

"Bigotry Is Not Authentic" rant

"The Gods Hear Our Silent Prayers" info

"The Nine Muses" & "Offering Ideas For The Muses" separate posts

"Sniffing Out The Bullshit: Spotting Misinformation" info

"Low Effort Ways To Connect With The Gods" tips

"Removing Offerings From Altars" info

[arcane-trail]

Embracing the whispers of ancient forests, dancing under moonlit skies, and honoring the divine within and without. Paganism, a path of connection, wisdom, and reverence for nature's magic.

[paganposting]

How I make sigils

sigil magic is pretty popular, and there are many ways to do it. this is how i design and use mine!

step 1) numbers

first step is choosing the number of sides the drawing will have, and therefore the centerpiece. today im making an elemental symbol to charge spells. in my tradition we have three elements, so my sigil should be three sided.

any three sided shape would work for me, but i felt drawn to something like this.

step 2) symbology

next i want to start adding easy symbols to represent the concept my sigil is based on. this means i need to represent land, sea, and sky.

here for sky i added some birds and suns. it's important that the shapes are simple to re-create later.

i keep drawing and try to make the shapes connect to each other in an aesthetically pleasing way.

for land i added some mountains, and to connect them i tried to blend the lines in as solar rays.

lastly i need to include the sea.

i put some large waves, also coming out of the suns.

step 3) sealing

now i just want to tie it all together. usually this means adding random squiggles to close off any "open ends" in the drawing. in this sigil there are two big gaps i want to close- right above the sun, and in between the ends of the waves.

my philosophy on this is that i want the energy to be flowing through the sigil continuously, not getting stuck in a gap.

step 4) preserving

finally i edit the photo to high contrast black and white, save it to a folder on my phone, and i can reference and draw the sigil whenever i need.

some other considerations while designing

- should the sigil be symmetrical or not?

- can you picture how energy moves through it?

- does the sigil have a simple enough design to be replicated in the future? should it be simplified?

let me know how this works for you!!!