#grimoire stuff

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

March Week 3 - Traditions, Associations, Tools and Symbols

This week we will have several new pages. One for a personal look at your practice given the above prompts, one for a family/ ancestral look at the prompts, and one for your community, no matter how big that community is. Whether that is just you and your immediate friends, or something wider like a coven or group you regularly talk to your about your practice.

This will be another week with a lot of stuff in the prompts!

Monday - Traditions

First lets define tradition.

noun: tradition

the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way.

a long-established custom or belief that has been passed on from one generation to another.

an artistic or literary method or style established by an artist, writer, or movement, and subsequently followed by others.

a doctrine believed to have divine authority though not in the scriptures.

Personal page - Take a look inward at yourself and your traditions, inside and outside of your witchcraft practice. What things do you do regularly, to keep your life and your habits on track? Your practice? How do you celebrate things both large and small? What are the traditions you hold personally in your life?

Family/ Ancestor page - Ask your family about these, beyond the ones you know. What are some of your family traditions? How does your family celebrate certain things, large and small? What meals are traditional to your family? Are there any prayers or actions of any kind that are passed down? Look deep and ask about your family further back than just the ones you've met.

Community page - Look at your community at large. Friend groups, a coven or other people who practice like you or with you, and the community you live in. What are some traditions that are held and passed down through generations within that larger community? Everything from celebrations to regularly held events and so on! How does it all relate to your practice or how has it become a part of it?

Tuesday -Associations/ Symbols

Personal page - What are some things you personally associate with yourself and your craft? Everything from foods, to plants, gems, animals, everything you associate with any part of your identity.

Family/ Ancestor page - What are some things from the list above that you associate with your family and your ancestors?

Community page - Same goes for your community. What associations do you hold for your community? We all feel a certain kind of way, and think about certain things when we think about our hometowns or the area in which we live. An example, I live in Ohio, so not so jokingly, there's a lot of corn here, a lot of farmland. That's something I associate with my community.

Wednesday - Tools

Personal page - What are some of the tools you personally use in your craft? It can be anything at all. An example from my practice is a small tin i keep on my altar, decorated with paint and symbols that I use as a sort of money offering tin. I put money in it regularly when I practice at my altar and use it to buy new things for my altar. Another is a round cylindrical tin I use to hold the small pages I've written my devotional poetry on. Anything that is specific to you and your practice.

Family/ Ancestor page - Same kind of deal as above, but on a broader scale, focused on your family and ancestry. What are some of the tools your family uses (both in and out of the traditions you've learned about). An example is my grandmother's piano. We use it as a focal point for a great many things. We come together at it to sing songs that remind us of our family.

Community page - Again, like the above, but focused on your community. A local fountain, or park, or place, a thing people in your community use for some sort of reason. There is a local park with a fountain that holds an important place in our community.

Thursday - A Little Treat

So for today, we're gonna have a bit of an offshoot. We're gonna get in the kitchen and cook! You don't have to do this one, but there's been a lot of stuff for the prompts this week, so let's treat ourselves while adding to our grimoires! Find some recipes!

Personal page - What's a recipe that you came up with on your own, pertaining to or not pertaining to your practice? If there is a certain food you like to cook before/ after spells or rituals, record it on your personal page. Then, go cook it! And enjoy!

Family/ Ancestor page - Ask your family if you want, and discover the recipe for something that has been passed down in your family. I will forever swear by my grandmother's potato soup recipe. Record it on this page, then make it!

Community page - Is there a local favorite spot? Is there a restaurant or place locally that you could visit and eat at? Or is there some sort of cuisine that is made locally and not really anywhere else? Record it if its something you can cook, and make it! If it is a place to visit, go there! And enjoy!

Friday - Back to the norm

Let's finish off the week with our regular research prompts!

New Page/ Research - Herbal research- Pick another herb from your list and learn all you can about it! Record it on a new page!

New Page/ Research - Gemstone/ other - Pick another gemstone or type of magic or tool, make a page or add the info to an existing page!

Whew! That was a lot! Feel free to share your recipes or pictures of what you cook, either by submissions on this page or by tagging me either here or at @thehazeldruid and I'll share what you've made!

Good luck and happy crafting witches!!

-Mod Hazel

[thehazeldruid]

Bonus Prompt - Other Perspectives

For this week's bonus prompt we're going to take a look at our own perspective on things and the perspectives of others.

Think and look back on you pages, about how magic works in your perspective, about how different things work. Then look at other people's ideas, thoughts, and beliefs on the same subjects.

No two witches practice exactly the same, or have the same beliefs. And one way to grow in our own beliefs, is to challenge them. To discuss with others who don't believe the same things those differences. It helps to broaden our perspectives, our minds, and if done correctly, our hearts.

So take a look at different perspectives and beliefs on magic and witchcraft. Compare it to your own. And if you know someone who believes differently than you, perhaps take the time to discuss those differences. You could both learn something.

[stormbornwitch]

This is going to make me sound like a cantankerous old bitch, but meh, I'm gonna say it anyway.

Witchcraft is too commercialised nowadays.

It's great to see so many witchcraft books and supplies available. I can walk into kmart or big w and find witchcraft books, tarot cards, and crystals now.

The problem, though, is that everything that's readily available to the masses (i.e. the first thing witchlings may interact with) is all so watered down to be socially acceptable that it gives a warped view to new practitioners while being simultaneously useless to experienced practitioners.

As much as I love how personalised the craft is, I genuinely wish more experienced witches published their personal grimoires and gnosis. I would love to see what others are working on/what works for them.

So here's my plea: if you're an experienced witch (I.e. practising for over 5 years and working your own path), please share a little titbit of what you're currently working/researching/crafting.

☆Marci☆

[greenwitchcrafts]

September 2024 Witch Guide

New Moon: September 2nd

First Quarter: September 11th

Full moon: September 17th

Last Quarter: September 24th

Sabbats: Mabon- September 22nd

September Harvest Moon

Also known as: Autumn Moon, Child Moon, Corn Harvest Moon, Falling Leaves Moon, Haligmonath, Leaves Turning Moon, Mating Moon, Moon of Brown Leaves, Moon When Dear Paw the Earth, Rutting Moon, Singing Moon, Wine Moon, Witumanoth & Yellow Leaf Moon

Element: Earth

Zodiac: Virgo & Libra

Nature spirts: Trooping Faeries

Deities: Brigid, Ceres, Chang-e, Demeter, Freya, Isis, Depths & Vesta

Animals: Jackal & snake

Birds: Ibis & sparrow

Trees: Bay, hawthorn, hazel & larch

Herbs: Copal, fennel, rye, skullcap, valerian, wheat & witch hazel

Flowers: Lily & narcissus

Scents: Bergamot, gardenia, mastic & storax

Stones: Bloodstone,carnelian, cat's eye, chrysolite, citrine, iolite, lapis lazuli, olivine, peridot, sapphire, spinel(blue), tourmaline(blue) & zircon

Colors: Browns, dark blue, Earth tones, green & yellow

Issues, intentions & powers: Confidence, the home, manifestation & protection

Energy: Balance of light & dark, cleaning & straightening of all kinds, dietary matters, employment, health, intellectual pursuits, prosperity, psychism, rest, spirituality, success & work environment

The full Moon that happens nearest to the fall equinox (September 22nd or 23rd) always takes on the name “Harvest Moon.” Unlike other full Moons, this full Moon rises at nearly the same time—around sunset—for several evenings in a row, giving farmers several extra evenings of moonlight & allowing them to finish their harvests before the frosts of fall arrive. 

• While September’s full Moon is usually known as the Harvest Moon, if October’s full Moon happens to occur closer to the equinox than September’s, it takes on the name “Harvest Moon” instead. In this case, September’s full Moon would be referred to as the Corn Moon.

This time of year—late summer into early fall—corresponds with the time of harvesting corn in much of the northern United States. For this reason, a number of Native American peoples traditionally used some variation of the name “Corn Moon” to refer to the Moon of either August or September. 

Mabon

Known as: Autumn Equinox, Cornucopia, Witch's Thanksgiving & Alban Elved

Season: Autumn

Element: Air

Symbols: Acorns, apples, autumn leaves, balance, berries, corn, cornucopia( Horn of Plenty), dried seeds, equality, gourds, grains, grapes, ivy, pine cones, pomegranates, vines, wheat, white roses & wine

Colors: Blue, brown, dark red, deep gold, gold, indigo, leaf green, maroon, orange, red, russet. Violet & yellow

Oils/Incense: Apple, apple blossom, benzoin, black pepper, hay/straw, myrrh, passion flower, patchouli, pine, red poppy & sage

Animals: Dog & Wolf

Birds: Goose, hawk, swallow & swan

Stones: Agate, amethyst, carnelian, lapis lazuli, sapphire, yellow Agate & yellow topaz

Food: Apples, blackberries, blackberry wine, breads, carrots, cider, corn, cornbread, grapes, heather wine, nuts, onions, pomegranates, potatoes, squash, vegetables, wheat & wine

Herbs/Plants: Benzoin, bramble, corn, ferns, grains, hops, ivy, milkweed, myrrh, sage sassafras, Salomon's seal, thistle, tobacco & wheat

Flowers:  Aster, heather, honeysuckle, marigold, mums, passion flower, rose

Trees: Aspen, cedar, cypress, hazel, locust, maple, myrtle oak & pine

Goddesses: Danu, Epona, Inanna, Ishtar, Modron, Morgan, The Morrigan, Muses, Pomona, Persephone, Sin, Sophia & Sura

Gods:  Bacchus, Dionysus, Dumuzi, Esus, The Green Man, Hermes, Mannanan, Thor & Thoth

Issues, Intentions & Powers: Accomplishment, agriculture, balance, goals, gratitude & grounding

Spellwork: Balance, harmony, protection, prosperity, security & self-confidence

Activities:

•Scatter offerings in a harvested fields & Offer libations to trees

• Decorate your home and/or altar space for fall

• Bake bread

• Perform a ritual to restore balance and harmony to your life

• Cleanse your home of negative energies

• Pick apples

• Collect fall themed things from nature like acorns, changing leaves, pine cones, ect)

• Have a dinner or feast with your family and/or friends

• Set intentions for the upcoming year

• Purge what is no longer serving you & commit to healthy changes

•Take a walk in the woods

• Enjoy a pumpkin spice latte

• Donate to your local food bank

• Gather dried herbs, plants, seeds & pods

• Learn something new

• Make wine

• Fill a cornucopia

• Brew an apple cinnamon simmer pot

• Create an outdoor Mabon altar

•Adorn burial sites with leaves, acorns, & pinecones to honor those who have passed over & visit their graves

The name Mabon comes from the Welsh/Brythonic God Mabon Ap Modron, who's name means "Divine/great Son", However,there is evidence that the name was adopted in the 1970s for the Autumn Equinox & has nothing to do with this celebration or this time of year.

• Though many cultures see the second harvest (after the first harvest Lughnasadh) & Equinox as a time for giving thanks before the name Mabon was given because this time of year is traditionally when farmers know how well their summer crops did & how well fed their animals have become. This determines whether you & your family would have enough food for the winter.That is why people used to give thanks around this time, thanks for their crops, animals & food

Some believe it celebrates the autumn equinox when Nature is preparing for the winter months. Night & day are of equal legth  & the God's energy & strength are nearly gone. The Goddess begins to mourn the loss she knows is coming, but knows he will return when he is reborn at Yule.

Related festivals:

• Sukkot- Is a Torah-commanded holiday celebrated for seven days, beginning on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. It is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals on which Israelites were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Originally a harvest festival celebrating the autumn harvest, Sukkot’s modern observance is characterized by festive meals in a sukkah, a temporary wood-covered hut, celebrating the Exodus from Egypt.

• Mid-Autumn festival- September 17th

Is also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival. It is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture, similar holidays are celebrated by other cultures in East & Southeast Asia. It is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture; its popularity is on par with that of Chinese New Year. The history of the Mid-Autumn Festival dates back over 3,000 years.  On this day, it is believed that the Moon is at its brightest and fullest size, coinciding with harvest time in the middle of Autumn.

During the festival, lanterns of all size and shapes – which symbolize beacons that light people's path to prosperity & good fortune – are carried & displayed. Mooncakes, a rich pastry typically filled with sweet-bean, egg yolk, meat or lotus-seed paste, are traditionally eaten during this festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival is based on the legend of Chang'e, the Moon goddess in Chinese mythology.

• Thanksgiving- This is a secular holiday which is similar to the cell of Mabon; A day to give thanks for the food & blessings of the previous year. The American Thanksgiving is the last Thursday of November while the Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated in October

• The Oschophoria- Were a set of ancient Greek festival rites held in Athens during the month Pyanepsion (autumn) in honor of Dionysus. The festival may have had both agricultural and initiatory functions.

-Amidst much singing of special songs, two young men dressed in women's clothes would bear branches with grape-clusters attached from Dionysus to the sanctuary of Athena Skiras & a footrace followed in which select ephebes competed.

Ancient sources connect the festival and its rituals to the Athenian hero-king Theseus & specifically to his return from his Cretan adventure. According to that myth, the Cretan princess Ariadne, whom Theseus had abandoned on the island of Naxos while voyaging home, was rescued by an admiring Dionysus; thus the Oschophoria may have honored Ariadne as well. A section of the ancient calendar frieze incorporated into the Byzantine Panagia Gorgoepikoos church in Athens, corresponding to the month Pyanopsion (alternate spelling), has been identified as an illustration of this festival's procession.

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2024 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

[thatdruidgal]

How to organize your grimoire [upg]

Putting Together Your Grimoire/Book of Shadows

Over my time putting together my grimoire, I’ve seen a lot of different people put together their lists of “everything you need in your grimoire”. While I don’t believe that everyone needs to write a world-renowned magical encyclopedia (see the linked post below by @queer-tech-seer), I do want everyone to have a good idea of where to put the information that they do put in their grimoire.

See this post for how I organize my grimoire

Firstly, you need an introduction section. This goes at the beginning of the book and can include things like:

your devotion to the craft

a short daily mantra

a quick list of your most-accessed info

name the kinds of crafts you practice and focus on

your code of conduct/ethics

a protection spell

your zodiac signs, life number, and tarot card

Second, you need info about your craft. This can be anything like:

lunar magick

nature/green magick

hearth magick

urban magick

crystal magick

You may also want to include activities/interests for each type of magick.

If you’re interested in crystal magick, you should check out my Witchy Boxes! @moonstone-magick

Third, you need your recipes.

spell jars

food and drinks

incense + burn sticks

sachets

even crystal grid patterns, anything with steps!

This post has a few of my favorite recipes

Fourth, you need rituals.

blessings

cleansings

prayers

energy work

sigil spells

Fifth, put any information about the kinds of divination you practice, if any.

tarot

omens

numerology

tasseomancy

cartomancy

psychic abilities

I usually write hedge-riding/astral travel also in this section.

Sixth, write your beliefs.

What specific beliefs you subscribe to

What deities you honor/work with (if any)

Your worldviews

Your thoughts about the creation or the afterlife

And that’s basically it!

Farewell and good tides! 💜

Branwen

Like what you see? Consider supporting me! ko-fi.com/thatdruidgal

[apiswitchcraft]

book recommendations pt. 1

i read,,, a lot of books. and with a special interest in this shit that means i have a considerable amount of books that are just witchcraft/paganism related. ofc, not all of these are going to be the Best options out there, i know that it's much better to get your information from a primary/secondary source or academic study, but i'm working with what i have and what i know how to get access to. if you have any recommendations or addendums to these, let me know! i'd love to hear what yall have to say.

THE WITCHY BOOKS

sigil craft: teaches you the basics of creating your own sigils using existing imagery, alphabets, and your own creativity

encyclopedia of magical herbs: honestly just a great resource to have for any witch. i'd say any herbal magic book is a must have for a witch

don't wanna buy the book? here's a great alternative!

crystal, gem and metal magic: another must have imo!! i prefer this book to the crystal bible because that book/those books spend a long time on chakras, whereas this book is more concerned with things like astrological associations and cultural contexts

don't wanna buy the book? here's a post i made that has some basics

enchanted tea time: love this book, it was honestly such a good find. tbh though, i wish there was more clear warnings about some of the ingredients, and some of the recipes like the lucid dreaming ones could have a more thought out presentation

don't wanna buy the book? here's a post i made that's similar

the complete book of incense, oils and brews: another great book by scott cunningham (honestly i had no idea how much of a shill i was for him until now), but it's probably not a must-have, especially if you're not very crafty or already have an herbal grimoire and a good youtube tutorial

guided tarot: it is so important to me to have a book like this, because no matter how many little guidebooks and online guides i looked through, NONE were as detailed and accurate as this. i personally prefer this book the most out of all that i've seen, although it could have more information on reversed cards tbh. i prefer this book to seventy-eight degrees of wisdom cause that book has some weird overlapping ideas of qabbalah, although i do recognize it's very well written and thought provoking

just some good spellbooks!

[galacticnikki]

A Baby Witch's First Grimoire

Grimoire Master Post

The Basics/Fundamentals:

Basic Protection

Grounding & Centering

Cleansing

Banishing

Beginner Information:

What is a Circle of Stones?

How to set up your first altar!

15 Tools and Their Uses in Witchcraft!

Water & How it's Used in Witchcraft!

Beginner Magic:

5 Simple Daily Rituals

Casting a Circle of Stones

Creating Sigils

Color Correspondences

Herbal Magic:

Marijuana in Witchcraft

Protection Herbs

Healing Herbs

Banishing/Exorcism Herbs

Divination Herbs

Binding Herbs

Beauty Herbs

Crystal Magic:

Cleansing Crystals

Crystals For Promoting Confidence

Self-Love Crystals

Crystals to Promote Focus

Deity Information:

Persephone Correspondences

Sabbats:

Mabon Correspondences

Spellbook:

Daily Grounding Ritual

Honey Cake Offering For Apollo

Deep Sleep Essential Oil Blend

Persephone's Plunge

If you like these posts and want to join a community with other witches feel free to join our 18+ coven on Discord.

[lucretiasgrimoire]

Mirror to mirror, mirror to know Mirror to help the power flow Mirror absorb, reflect my gaze Show the truth within your glaze. Show the future and the past All that is hidden reveal at least. Mirror mirror display for me that which I desire to see

[adobealmanac]

Consecration and protection of the home

During the fall and winter, often at campfires or near the fireplace, stories of the paranormal and the unexplained are shared. These stories often center around the places that are closest to us, such as a family home, a favorite campsite, or a commonly traveled dirt road. Many people are hesitant to speak of these events, however, they often feel safe or encouraged to share them over a late-night cup of hot cocoa and s'mores.

Scary stories often get me jittery, and one thing that provides me comfort is protecting the home from stirred-up spirits and negative energies. Creating the home into a refuge is vital to the spiritual health of the home overall. While there are many ways and traditions regarding protecting the home, I will share two methods that I find the most useful.

Method 1 - Salt and Pepper Protection Ritual

Begin by cleansing your home with the method of your choosing. My go-to for this method is mopping the floors with a cleaner like pine-sol as it cleanses the entirety of the floors, which is important for this method.

Then, open all of the exterior doors. Using a broom sweep outwards over all of the thresholds. As you do this, command any unwanted energies to leave by repeating "I command ALL energies that do not serve me, that do not have good intentions, and that take away from the spirit of this home to LEAVE. You are NO LONGER welcome HERE. As I sweep, you EXIT."

Once that is done, it is time to prepare your herbs and ingredients. I use table salt mixed with rosemary, ceremonial tobacco, sun-charged beer, whiskey, or gin, and whole peppercorns. If you do not have authentic ceremonial tobacco, use the alcohol in its place. I was gifted my tobacco by a dear friend and mentor of mine who comes from that practice and cultural background. If you want to use tobacco as I do, I suggest you seek out a mentor yourself to learn about the practice. Once you have these items prepared and at hand, you may move on to the next step.

Begin by going to the exterior of your home. Using your charged alcohol, begin to offer it to the earth. If you have tobacco, offer that to the earth as you were taught to. I always give thanks to the wonderful space I occupy and am a steward of, and acknowledge that this land is older than I am and that it is my elder. I complete my offering by kneeling and touching my forehead to the earth, being sure to give profound thanks.

Now, locate the four primary external corners of your home. If your space has more than four sides or is oddly shaped, form a square around the space that wholly encompasses it. This may be represented as the fence around your property, or the outside corners of your apartment building. Beginning at the northernmost corner, pour a small mound of the salt mixture into a small dish in front of the corner, and say "As this salt is placed here today, it marks the beginning of its service to this home. It will fortify, protect, and create sanctuary here. It will blow away with the wind once its protective powers are used up." Then, soak the mound of salt in the alcohol. Repeat the above steps for the remaining three corners, going to the east, then the south, and conclude to the west.

Now, enter your home. Locate every external corner of your home and place four whole peppercorns at the base of each one. Try to tuck them in as best as you can so they are unintrusive and remain mostly undisturbed. Wet each pile with your charged alcohol and ask the pepper for its protection.

Once the above steps are complete, store the remaining alcohol and periodically pour it onto the peppercorns and salt to recharge them. If you see that the dishes of salt are low, refill them with the salt mixture.

Method 2 - Miraculous Soil Protection Ritual

This protection typically requires the 'holy' dirt from Chimayo. If this is inaccessible for you, you may be able to request some to be sent to you by the church. If you prefer not to I will teach you to make your own substitute.

To make a suitable substitute first you must locate some seemingly dry or infertile land such as cracked dirt from a drought. Now, look for signs of life in the dirt. Look for a small plant that is somehow defying the odds, or miraculously continuing to thrive in such harsh environments. Once you find a spot of soil with life, collect a cup full and leave the rest for the earth. Thank it by offering it water. Water the plant and tend to it; help it succeed at life. Then pray over a handful of table salt the following prayer:

Being of the earth. In the name of the ineffable God, and by the power of the tetragrammaton, be you consecrated in the service of the most high. Imbew this salt with the powers to protect this house and everything and everyone in it from all evil. Ometeo.

Once complete, wet the salt with distilled water and mix it into the cup of dirt. Allow it to thoroughly dry before use.

Once you acquire or make holy dirt, head to the front of your home with a small dish filled with the dirt. Begin to sprinkle it along the threshold of your door and ask for protection. State that no negativity may pass the sacred soil.

Then, sprinkle the dirt around the perimeter of the front facade of your house. Do not use too much. You should not be able to physically see the dirt. Then place the dirt on top of any plants near your front door. If there are none, consider planting a chile pepper bush for protection. Rosemary is another good option, along with juniper.

Now, repeat the above steps for any walls containing an external door. If there are none place the dirt at each corner. If there is another wall, do not place it at the corners, as it is not needed.

Once completed, pour a glass of water out from the inside of each external door while standing within it. As you do this say "As I pour this water it washes away all remaining evil. It may no longer reside here."

Protecting the home is a vital step to protecting those who reside within it. These methods are my two personal go-to methods for every home I inhabit, and I hope that you find use in these methods. Be sure to execute physical safety too, as that is equally if not more important than spiritual safety. Be sure to continue to regularly cleanse your home too, as you do not want negativity to fester within the home itself.

[videogamegeek12345]

thinking about final fantasy vii dads today...

cloud and tifa have a weird thing going with their parents, where cloud lost his dad very young/didn't grow up with his dad, only living with claudia, and tifa has the exact opposite, where her mom died when she was young (leading to the og nibelheim incident /hj) and she grew up mostly with brian, until both claudia and brian died in the (second) nibelheim incident.

brian lockhart was obviously very protective of tifa, not wanting her to go up mount nibel in the first place with sephiroth, zack, and cloud to check on the reactor. then he died in front of her up in the reactor a week later...

while barret doesn't talk about his parents, he is a dad, and he sure has complicated feelings about that!! what with dyne being his best friend, and myrna not being able to be there with him, caring for marlene through all that loss must be crazy.

aerith's dad literally helped create sephiroth. professor gast was a craaazy dude lowkey. and he's so irrelevant in her life it kills me a little. i hope we see gast in pt. 3. and tell him his daughter is fuckin' dead.

nanaki has a weird thing with seto, too, where he believed him to be a coward, just to learn that in all actuallity, seto sacrificed the life he could have had with his wife and nanaki to protect cosmo canyon, so nanaki wouldn't feel the need to make a similiar, self-sacrificing choice.

yuffie and godo... her anger at him in the remake trilogy has me hooked. sonon seemed to think he was a great guy, and yuffie adamantly argued the opposite. i cannot WAIT to see him in pt. 3. i cannot wait to find out what is going on. she hates him so much right now, for the sake of her country.

does cid have a dad thing? ...i don't think so. neither does reeve/cait sith... well. i didn't forget them. they're mentioned.

vincent and grimoire... another thing i hope they explore in pt. 3... or in a DoC remake (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REMAKE IT.) the literal 4 minutes of grimoire screentime that explains absolutely nothing about their relationship, or grimoire's research, or... ANYTHING. i'm so. curious. he came in, flirted with lucrecia, and died. ARGH TELL ME MORE!!!

also, not a party member, but the whole "president shinra having multiple illegitimate sons" thing always makes me hate that guy a little more. lazard and evan i love you guys. rufus i love you too but your daddy issues are a different flavor.

[thefirstknife]

My grimoire arrived and I'm in shambles. Partners in Light, aka a grimoire focused on Ghosts and Ghost lore. Ghost Stories is in here, and Lucent Tales. Luna's Lost as well, chosen lore tabs about Targe, Ophiuchus, Drifter's Ghost and Glint. There's a whole section about Sagira, which includes the entirety of Immolant and has destroyed me. Some stunning art from the book:

Ghost rezing us for the first time (this one was also recently posted by the artist)! Also yes, Thin Line lore tab is here as well. Next, from Ghost Stories, Cyrell the Ghost Hunter and YES, GHOST COMMUNITY THEATRE ART:

Eris and Brya (I'm in shambles), Zavala and Targe, Ikora and Ophiuchus:

Drifter and his Ghost (specifically the scene where he's dying of starvation, as you'll notice the scorpion by his feet, from here. Thank you for this emotional destruction):

The first Vanguard squad (portions of The Pigeon and the Phoenix are included), as I do believe the Hunter is supposed to be Tallulah, based on the fact that you can see The Bombardiers, her exotic pants (also I believe the bow on her back is Tyranny of Heaven, with lore of how she died):

Crow and Glint from the lore when he visits Venus:

I already posted the other Crow and Glint art because it was posted officially by the artist, I really can't wait for the rest to also be posted digitally because they're absolutely incredible. There's also more art in there, I only posted a few.

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

February Week 4 - Types of Magic 3

There have been a lot of definitions and broad topics this month, and we have a few more! All of these pages and terms and types of magic this month are pages to return to, add to and even change as you deepen your knowledge, understanding and depth of magic. It's okay to grow and change, and it is okay for our grimoires to grow and change as well.

Monday

New Page - Consecration/ Blessing - Define consecration and blessing, within the context of witchcraft. What is consecration? What is a blessing? How does one do it? Why does one do it? When does one do it? What purposes does it serve? Is it necessary? Have you unconsciously blessed or consecrated something before? What associations do they have? Do you know of or relate to any myths or legends related to these in the context of your craft?

New Page - Research - Pick an herb off your list and get at it! Learn everything possible about it! Magical, mundane, medicinal, everything!

Tuesday

New Page- Wards/ Shields - I know this may fall under protection magic, but it is also a bit more specific. What are wards and shields in witchcraft? How do you make and use them? Why do you make and use them? When do you make them, when do you need them? What associations do they have? Do you know any myths or legends related to wards and shields?

Journal/ Introspection - Let's take a long long look here. Inwards. Again at the morality of our craft. Where do you draw your moral compass from? What inspires you to act the way you do? Why do you act the way you do, for the purposes that you act towards? What is your moral standing within witchcraft? Where do you stand on curses and hexes? Where do you stand on doing magic for or on others? Do you need permission? Where do you stand on teaching magic to those younger than you? Think broadly about this topic, any questions you can ask yourself about your craft, or any questions others have asked you, ask them of yourself and really think on the answers.

Wednesday

New Page - Enchanting - Define enchanting within the context of your craft. What is it? How do you do it? Why do you do it? What tools are necessary? What associations do you have for enchanting? What things can you enchant and what can't you enchant? Are some stronger than others? How do you undo enchantments you no longer need or those done by others?

Practical - Try it! Enchant something of yours, and journal the experience! Record everything in your lab notebook that way you can work and rework it as necessary.

Thursday

New Page - Manifestation - Define manifestation in the context of your craft. What is it? How do you do it? What purpose does it serve? Look into different methods and beliefs on how it works, which one, or ones, work for you?

New Page - Research - Gemstone! Pick another, or if you're not doing gems, pick any other magical topic or item and research everything about it! From its uses and associations, to how it is formed or made! Legends and myths, everything!

Friday

New Page - Glamours - Define glamour magic! What is it? How do they work? Why do we use them? What purposes can they server? What tools do they require? What associations do they have? What legends, or myths or historical stories relate to glamour magic? How do you perform them?

Practical - Do some glamour magic! Anything you can think of, that you feel you can or need to do! Do it! And record the process and your progress in your lab notebook!

More practical prompts are coming, and more bonus prompts are on their way! I'm doing my best to keep up with these posts, but am also working a lot of overtime at the moment! Feel free to tag me here or on @thehazeldruid with any progress you've made with your pages, your lab notebook, or anything to do with your grimoire or this challenge! I'd love to see and I'm sure it would be an inspiration to others!

Thanks and happy crafting/ casting witches!

-Mod Hazel

[thehazeldruid]

Also! I’m getting started on the 2024 Grimoire Challenge blog this weekend! I’ll be pulling inspiration from the other two that I ran and adding in even more stuff to these. If anyone has suggestions for links or books I can add to the page as a resource guide for studying, feel free to message them to me here!!

[stormbornwitch]

Communing with Spirits to Create Personal Correspondences

Buckle up witches, we're doing spirit work!

So over the last ten or so years I've been working on connecting with spirits of the land in order to create my own personal set of correspondences.

Now, I'm not going to just list my personal gnosis about the various flora and fauna of where I live because unless you also live in Gubbi Gubbi Country, it won't be of much use to you. Instead, I'm going to give you the tools to do this for yourself so you can take your witchcraft from a beginner level where you're using common correspondences written in books, to an intermediate level where you're making your own.

Let's do this thing!

So, first you need to step away from the witchcraft books, with their carefully curated lists of correspondences, and step outside. It's important to note that most of the common flora and fauna used in traditional witchcraft originates from Europe. If you live in Europe, this makes it easier for you to make your own correspondences. If you don't... well be prepared to do a bit of hard yakka yourself.

"Using what is local and connecting with one's own land is fundamental." (Horne, 2019)

Step 1: Take a Walk

I know it might seem simple but you're going to walk around your local area. Wear some sensible shoes; fill a water bottle; bring your phone and keys; a plastic bag to put rubbish in; and a small notebook with a pen/pencil. I like to put all of this in a backpack but use whatever works for you.

If this is your first time doing this, you're not going to be making any correspondences. As you walk, reach out with your magic and introduce yourself to the local spirits. It will take time for them to be open to you, so the more often you do this, the better.

Don't pick any flowers or plants on these early journeys. Just take your time and if you see any litter, pick it up. This is a great offering to local spirits and helps pave the way for your connection to the land.

You will soon begin to 'sense' local places where there are stronger / more cognisant spirits. I like to call these 'places of power' and have made a hand drawn map of my local area with little symbols showing where these spirits reside.

Step 2: Learn Your Spirits

Now, learning the 'personality' of these spirits will help you to create correspondences later on down the line. Here are some general guidelines that I've found for my local spirits. Yours may be different.

Because I live in a colonised country, many local spirits don't like colonisers and will be actively hostile towards people who are not indigenous. For example, during the 1700s and 1800s there were massacres of the local Gubbi Gubbi people on this land by colonisers. The spirits of the land remember the blood of their cousins spilt by outsiders. In the 'lifespan' of older spirits like rivers, islands and mountains, these atrocities didn't happen that long ago... so you can understand why they wouldn't like non-indigenous people.

Water Spirits

Rivers tend to have strong spirits associated with them. They are slow moving, often nourishing, revitalising and cleansing. They're also OLD, like thousands of years old. The age of the river usually dictates the wisdom of the spirit. But you also need to do research into the history of the river, what plants and animals call it home and how it's been treated by humans as this often dictates how hostile the spirit will be with you when interacting with it. Most of the time river spirits will ignore you. Don't be discouraged, but understand that you are just one of the millions of entities living on their banks. Be respectful and persistent. It takes time.

Creeks and Streams are much younger than rivers most of the time and their speed reflects this. They often have more energising, almost playful spirits but this is not always the case. For example, there is a creek in Gubbi Gubbi Country called Murdering Creek... It's called that because in 1862, approximately 25 Gubbi Gubbi men were simply fishing in canoes during bunya season only to be ambushed and massacred by the Manager of the Yandina Station, Walter Taplock Chippindall, and five other stockmen (Gibbons, 2014). The spirit of this creek understandably does not like white people and did not want to work with me. That is totally fine and I respected its wishes. Just like people, not all spirits are going to like you. That's okay.

Lakes are often more calm spirits. They nourish the land around them and are often more reflective and quiet. You often have to really listen closely to connect with the spirit of a lake. Do not expect a quick response from a lake... let them ruminate for a while and come back later.

Swamps are simultaneously teeming with both life and death; with fallen trees, rotting logs, buzzing mosquitoes and all manner of wildlife. Spirits of swamps are slow and stagnant like the water that inhabits them. Not much phases them most of the time as they are used to the quickly turning wheel of life and death that lives in or around the swamp. They don’t really care about you most of the time… almost like an indifference that tastes like death and rebirth.

Freshwater springs are usually lively spirits bursting with energy bringing forth life-giving, generous refreshment from beneath the surface of the earth. They are cool and bright with an almost ‘mineral’ taste. There aren’t really many freshwater springs where I am that don’t have bottled water companies taking the water so admittedly, my connection with these types of spirits is limited.

The Ocean… Stand in awe at the majesty of these spirits. They are both life-giving and devastating. I love the ocean and feel safe when in its waters, but I also know it doesn’t give a shit about me. It is vast, ancient and tumultuous. There is deep, deep wisdom here… be respectful and you’ll be fine.

Earth Spirits

Mountains here are often proud and headstrong. The spirits of the Mountains on Gubbi Gubbi Country often have stories associated with them. The most famous are the volcanic plugs known nowadays as the Glasshouse Mountains. They’re a family: Tibrogargan, the father, and Beerwah, the mother, had many children. One day, Tibrogargan was gazing out to sea and noticed a great rising of the waters. He ran to his children and told them to flee inland. He told his eldest son, Coonowrin, to help his mother Beerwah, who was with child. But Coonowrin fled, leaving his mother behind. Enraged, Tibrogargan pursued Coonowrin and hit him in the neck with his club, leaving it crooked and bent. When the floods had subsided the family returned to the plains. Feeling ashamed, Coonowrin begged Tibrogargan for forgiveness, but filled with shame at his son’s cowardice, Tibrogargan could do nothing but weep copious tears, which, trickling along the ground, formed a stream that flowed into the sea. Then Coonowrin went to his brothers and sisters, but they also wept at the shame of their brother’s cowardice. The lamentations of Coonowrin’s parents and of his brothers and sisters at his disgrace explain the presence of the numerous small streams of the area. Tibrogargan then called to Coonowrin, asking him why he had deserted his mother. Coonowrin replied that as Beerwah was the biggest of them all she should be able to take care of herself. He did not know that she was pregnant again, Then Tibrogargan turned his back on his son and vowed that he would never look at him again. Even today Tibrogargan gazes far out to sea and never looks around at Coonowrin, who hangs his head and cries, his tears running off to the sea. His mother Beerwah is still heavy with child, as it takes a long, long time to give birth to a mountain.

Trees here in Australia have all sorts of different spirits and personalities. For example, most paperbark trees feel revitalising, like a snake shedding its skin, they are often spirits of renewal and change. They are also protective and healing as paperbark was used to make waterproof shelters,bedding, bandages, rafts, containers and more. The leaves were also used to add flavour to cooking, and a traditional ground oven will often include layers of paperbark leaves. Tea Tree spirits are also cleansing and healing. They often live beside lakes or swamps that are traditionally called “healing lakes”. The tannins of these trees leach into the water making the water change to a tea color while infusing the water with antibacterial and medicinal qualities. Eucalyptus or Gum tree spirits are often cleansing and protective as the leaves have traditionally been used in smoking ceremonies for millenia and their wood for shields. These spirits are also closely associated with fire as the leaves and bark don't decompose and are filled with a highly flammable oil. Eucalypts are therefore destructive, protective and even regenerative as our landscape needs fire to survive with many native plants requiring heat and smoke to crack open seed pods and help them germinate in the new carbon-rich soil.

Step 3: Write your Correspondences

I’m not going to go into detail here as Bree @breelandwalker has an excellent post all about Creating Correspondences which I will direct you to look at.

So yeah ~ hope this was helpful!

~ Marci 

References

Gibbons, R, 2014, ‘Deconstructing the Myth of Murdering Creek’.

Horne, R 2019, 'Folk Witchcraft: A Guide to Lore, Land, & the Familiar Spirit for the Solitary Practitioner'

[greenwitchcrafts]

On Samhain, I made this so everyone at our local community event could make their own simmer pot to take home, so I decided to add a little more to it & share! Simmer pots are one of my favorite witchy things to do & they are SO easy.

I hope y'all can find this useful💚

[thatdruidgal]

What to put in your grimoire [upg]

Putting Together Your Grimoire/Book of Shadows

With so many lists out there, it’s hard to know what you need. So here’s what you should put in your grimoire!*

* Do NOT include anything you won’t use, such as magick you don’t practice or things that are common knowledge for you, make sure you only include things you will reference on a regular basis

This is basically an expanded version of a previous post

See this post for how to organize your Grimoire

Introduction

- a protection spell for the book

- your devotion to the craft

- your intentions

- your code of conduct/ethics

- a short daily mantra/affirmations

- a list of the crafts you practice

- your personal info like your zodiac signs, astrology chart, life number, tarot card, and more

- your witch name, coven name, pen name, Druid nickname, etc

- your ancestry and heritage

- your signature/personal sigil

- worldviews

- your deities

Your craft (pick what you practice)

- lunar magick

- nature/green magick

- hearth/cottage magick

- energy magick

- urban magick

- crystal magick

- kitchen magick

- spirit magick

- hedge magick

- grey magick

- death magick

- sea magick

- sun magick

- elemental magick

- swamp magick

- faery magick

- cosmic magick

- urban magick

- literary magick

- forest magick

- music magick

- chaos magick

- shadow magick

- techno magick

- desert magick

- art magick

- secular magick

For each type of magick you practice, make a section that includes any of the following:

- activities having to do with that magick

- favorite ingredients of that magick

- common correspondences of that magick (herbs, crystals, lunar phases, elements, metals, planetary alignment, animal spirits, types of fae, ley line landmarks, essential oil scents, etc)

- tools used for this type of magick

- recipes for that type of magick (spell jars, sachets, for kitchen magick: food and drink, for green magick: teas and potions, for crystal magick: crystal grids, for faery/spirit/deity magick: offerings, for elemental magick: altar arrangements)

- tips used with this magic (for green magick: how to dry and store herbs, for lunar magick: lunar calendar dates, for kitchen magick: cooking with intent)

Also make a “general magick” section for other things you use like

- color correspondences

- days of the week correspondences

- magickal water and its uses

- sigils (your drawing method, your activation method)

- warding

- sabbats

- cleansing (your method: smoking, crystals, sound, energy, etc)

- blessings/enchantments

Divination

- tarot

- omens

- superstitions

- hedge riding/astral projection

- augury

- astragalomancy

- biorhythms

- cartomancy

- chiromancy

- cleromancy

- geomancy

- graphology

- necromancy

- numerology

- osteomancy

- sacred geometry

- shell divination

- tasseomancy

- theriomancy

Religious beliefs

- religion you follow

- your deities

- deity work

- prayers

Miscellaneous

- what you want to learn more about/incorporate more of

- witchcraft on a budget

- how to work around burnout/small ways to practice

- books you’d like to get

- favorite resources

Remember, at the end of the day, just put what resonates with you into your Grimoire because that’s all you’re going to need for your practice!

Here’s some examples of my previous grimoires!

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