#heathenry 101

[notthesomefather]

The Basic Structure of a Ritual

The following is the basic format for a ritual as used by the Godsring. It is not set in stone and can be adapted at your discretion.

Hallowing

The purpose of a hallowing rite is to set aside a sacred space and time for the ritual, to put all participants in a proper mental, spiritual, and physical state for the ritual, and to announce to all nearby wights that a ritual is about to take place. Here is one example:

May the Gods guide us, may our Oaths keep us, May our Deeds free us, may our Ancestors aid us always, May the Gods banish from this Land and Wood all Ill and Wrong, Hallow this Stead, and shield it from all baneful Wights, Let the Gods’ Blessings be upon our Heads!

Ritual

This is the part of the ritual where any desired invocations and prayers are included, as well as any participatory activity for group or public rituals. This is very open, and can be as simple or as extensive as you like.

Offering

The typical offering consists of four components: Grain, Salt, Bread, and a Libation. Additional offerings specific to certain beings or purposes may be used. Conversely, fewer offerings may be given, such as water only. As each offering is placed in its respective vessel, these words are said:

With this grain, we offer you sustenance. With this salt, we offer you wealth. With this bread, we offer you our labor. With this libation, we offer you pleasure.

Closing

The closing of the ritual is usually spoken while pouring the libation offering into the main vessel. The traditional closing used by the Godsring is as follows:

From the Gods to the Earth to us; From us to the Earth to the Gods. A gift has been given; May it be well received.

[atthecrossroadsoflifeanddeath]

I see these witchcraft 101 posts that are like DO RESEARCH BEFORE DOING ANYTHING. RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARRRRCH and idk like hot take maybe but consider that perhaps all you really need to research when you're first studying is which author isn't a fucking nazi or appropriative asshole, which honestly is a simple google search usually (try "(author name) appropriation" or "(author name) white supremacy").

Once you find one that isn't, at least not that you can find proof of, please take a cue from the me 16 years ago and pick one book and work through it chapter by chapter, doing the exercises as instructed while taking notes on your experience. When you're finished with the book, pick up a new one that looks good and repeat ad infinitum. Drop off practices that don't work for you, keep ones that do. And within a few years you'll have a personal practice and belief system you feel really good about. And you won't get frozen in an endless loop of "I can't do anything remotely spiritual or witchy until I treat it like it's my fucking PhD dissertation and learn every intellectual nuance first".

And shit like history, cultural influences, the intersection of science and spirituality, etc? You'll pick that up as you go along, and honestly a lot of that stuff requires books that aren't focused on modern witchcraft for accurate information anyway.

I guess my point is this shit is supposed to be fun and life-enriching. Even learning about it is supposed to be fun. But when we burden people with the perception that they can't be witches unless they research things to death first, then we're denying a lot of people the opportunity to find their power. And that's kinda sad considering we all have limited time on this planet

[ardenti-luna]

paganism/druidism

so, @apollowritesstuff asked for some information on paganism and the like after i posted a graphic of pagan holidays/celebrations. this is a short introduction to paganism and druidism—keep in mind that paganism is super diverse, so people follow it in a lot of different ways, and this is just my 'take' on it.

when people describe themselves as pagan, they most likely follow a religion more accurately described as neopaganism or modern paganism. it stems from Celtic and Roman religions, but after the roman empire, it was often applied to anyone who wasn't Christian.

modern paganism is split into many different branches or ways of practicing paganism, and i'll talk about a few of the main ones below. however, in general, paganism focuses on the divineness of the earth, the universe, and nature. paganism doesn't necessarily worship a select divine being(s), and unlike most religions it doesn't follow a sacred text. modern paganism also draws possible inspiration from north African and Dharmic religions, although this is often left out of paganism and it's history. modern paganism is very confusing to explain, because not only are the different 'branches' of paganism wildly different, but within each branch the way individuals practice is very diverse as well.

personally, i consider myself a druid or a druid pagan. druidism focuses very closely on the physical aspects of the earth and nature. it focuses on worshipping the sanctity of the natural world, and in a modern setting it often leans towards environmentalism and a rejection of consumerism. some druid pagans are polytheistic, but i personally hold no belief in a divine being, but rather the divinity of nature and the universe.

people who are Wiccan are often the people you see practicing on tiktok and other social media apps. wicca is also called pagan witchcraft, and the term wiccan has derivations in the words witchcraft and witch. wiccans often worship some higher power(s), and there is a strong emphasis on the practice of magic as a kind of law of nature. wiccans view their magical practices as a force for good, such as healing and protection.

heathenism or (contemporary) germanic paganism is a branch of paganism that often worships multiple deities. in heathenism, rather than being seen as infallible, these gods are represented in a personified light, with strengths and weaknesses. these gods often come from Scandinavian and anglo-saxan sources. heathenism had a slightly darker past, with a rise in the early 1900's of people trying to keep heathenism to only ethnically and racially white people. it also seems to have been involved in the rise of the nazi party. however, nowadays, most people following heathenism place emphasis on strong ethics, including integrity and honor, and the religion is seen as much more open.

please correct me if i am wrong with any of my info, as i don't know a lot about other branches of paganism! there are also many, many more apart from the three i described, but i hope this post gives a good introduction.

[damoreschool]

Rune Reading for the Month of April

Gebo, Dagaz, Wunjo

I read this as "an even exchange and balance precipitate joy". Now, in our modern societies we have an imbalance in many areas; race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, and etc. However the position of Gebo preceding dagaz in the reading is significant because it indicates, specifically, uneven exchange. This points to one often neglected and overlooked type of imbalance that affects all the others: income inequality.

Income inequality is pervasive and growing, becoming worse every year. It deepens all other types of inequality because a lack of relative income affects disenfranchised groups. So in other words, the deeper and broader income inequality gets, the worse racial inequality gets, and the worse gender inequality gets, and the worse LGBTQ+ discrimination gets, and the worse immigrants are treated, and etc. (we've seen a lot of this in recent years in the US, although other places have also been affected).

If you're in the US, please call your senators and congresspeople to tell them that you want UBI: Universal Basic Income, and that it's necessary to even the playing field and lift up those who our society is leaving behind! Because all these other issues? Racism by police, the repeal of Roe v Wade, the banning of drag shows, and etc, will suddenly become a lot more manageable when the people on the receiving end of all the bad in these scenarios are no longer seen as beggars. Financial agency carries power. And I know that's not necessarily a popular opinion, but it is TRUE.

If you're somewhere other than the US, please find out how to contact you're own politicians to talk about UBI, but if you're here, then here is how to lookup and contact your congresspeople:

https://www.senate.gov/senators

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

And remember, at the end of the good fight lies Joy, for all of us.

[spiritualgoddess444]

I finally finished reading this book and I helped me so much to understand about Paganism. A lot of these things that I read really clicks with me and how I was more drawn to this than I am with Christianity. At the end of the book there was a quiz to give you an idea where you'll continue your journey and I found out my answers matched more to Heathenry which in my case it makes sense and I did more researches about the Armenian Paganism and found that it's also in the same category as Heathenism but it's Hetanism or Neopaganism. I highly recommend this book.

[sarenth]

On the Need for Deeper Conversations

An issue I have seen come to the fore a few times around now as a polytheist, animist, Pagan, and Heathen, is the idea of 100, 200, and 300-level discourse. I touched on this with my post on being a teacher in the Heathen communities, but not as in depth as I will go into here. I have had an issue with these various communities for quite a while: so much of the material out there is 100-level…

[samwisethewitch]

what are some good resources for heathenry then?

(especially when it comes to freya’s and odin ecstatic genre of magic? have been interested in these aspects for a while but i never got around to researching norse topics)

When it comes to beginner's resources, a lot of the work of removing fascist influences in Heathenry is being done on blogs. Some that I highly recommend are Skald's Keep (@skaldish here on Tumblr) and North of Annwn (@north-of-annwn here on Tumblr -- currently on hiatus, I believe? but has a backlog of great resources). Skald's Keep is Norse Heathenry, North of Annwn is run by a Norse Heathen but also posts about other topics. If you're interested in Anglo-Saxon Heathenry, there's Lārhūs Fyrnsida -- this is a newer to me resource, but so far it seems legit and it's helpful for illustrating how different Germanic cultures were from each other.

If you're looking for books I absolutely recommend The Way of Fire And Ice by Ryan Smith. It's an introduction to radical Norse paganism and is the only Heathenry 101 book I've found that explicitly talks about how to recognize fascist dog whistles. I've taken some of Ryan's seidr classes and he is truly a delight and is very knowledgeable. I truly recommend anything associated with Fire and Ice Heathenry, which you can access on the site On Black Wings.

For more of a history/anthropology view of Norse culture, there are some great resources on YouTube. Jackson Crawford's channel is excellent for myth-busting, historical context, and explaining Old Norse language and literature (his translations of the Eddas are also top tier). The Welsh Viking is a delight who talks about more granular aspects of Old Norse social life and has several excellent videos disputing white supremacist appropriations of Norse symbols. I've had limited online interactions with Jimmy of TWV, and he seems genuinely delightful.

The ecstatic magic you're referring to is called seidr, and I've only recently found resources I can recommend for learning about it. Ryan Smith teaches classes on seidr, some of which I have taken and highly recommend. He also has a book on seidr coming out next year. The book Elves, Witches, & Gods by Cat Heath is an excellent resource, but it does require you to have a firm grounding in Heathen basics, and it does mix Old English and Old Norse traditions. Diana Paxson's book The Way of the Oracle is genuinely helpful and leans heavily into the ecstatic trance aspects, but is not without its issues. (See my previous notes on Paxson here.)

[skaldish]

Properties of Norse Paganism

Decentralized - Norse Paganism is practiced in many different ways, with no way being more correct than another. It doesn’t have holy books, scriptures, or key religious figures that guide practices and beliefs, nor does it have doctrines, creeds, or dogmas. This spirituality is dynamic and can be made to suit a practitioner’s needs.

Animistic - In Norse Paganism, all things are thought to have a unique spiritual essence to them, without separation between the sacred and the mundane. The divine is viewed as a property of existence, rather than a condition to achieve or a presence to earn. Because of this, there’s no such thing as “sin” in Norse Paganism.

Pluralist - Norse Paganism acknowledges that things can hold many truths and that there are many dynamic forces in nature. This is different from a dualist approach (the view that things are either a product of good or evil / one thing or another) or a monist approach (the belief that all things are an expression of one thing).

Polytheistic - Norse pagans acknowledge multiple deities and regularly interact with these deities in many ways, without a need for a mediator.

Orthopraxic - The focus of Norse Paganism centers upon the cultivation of practice and spiritual experience, as opposed to orthodoxy, or rules about what to believe and the intensity of one’s faith.

Life-Affirming - Norse pagans live their lives to feel fulfilled in this lifetime. Their practices are done to feel as home in the world, rather than reasons concerning the afterlife. While Norse pagans have many different views about the afterlife, good ones are already guaranteed.

[notthesomefather]

Modern Heathenry 101

Hi folks! I've updated my blog to include a heathenry 101 tag. I also worked on summarizing how I view modern heathenry from a US-based, progressive perspective:

Who is allowed to practice heathenry?

Everyone!  Heathenry is not a closed practice.  Regardless of your gender, age, orientation, race, cultural background, physical or mental abilities, or any other factor–you are welcome, appreciated, and loved by the gods.

What is heathenry?

Heathenry is an animistic belief system where we honor our ancestors, gods within the Norse pantheon, and the elemental spirits all around us.  There is no one centralized heathen faith, and traditions will vary largely depending on community, region, and era.  There are no sacred texts, though many heathens read the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda to get an introduction to our gods (as they are depicted in myths and sagas).

Who do you worship?

Details vary based on the individual or community, but generally speaking heathens honor gods within the Norse pantheon. 

This pantheon includes: Odin, Frigg/Freyja, Freyr, Thor, Tyr, Njord, Loki, Hel, and many more.  Each of these figures is dynamic and cannot be boiled down to a simple “god of ___” label.  Some heathens exclusively worship patron deities to whom they feel a special connection and sense of dedication, while other heathens maintain relationships with numerous deities.

Ancestor work can be general or highly specific.  Heathens may offer prayers to the Disir, female spirits of the family who help carry traditions, memories, and connections alive throughout the generations.  Heathens may also opt to honor individual ancestors with whom they share a strong connection.  In any instance, it is love not blood which constitutes ancestry.  Many heathens feel drawn to honor “cultural” ancestors rather than blood-relatives (example: a heathen who is Black or LGBTQIA+ may feel drawn towards honoring a deceased activist or fellow community member).

What are some things which constitute a modern practice?

Many heathens practice group ritual while others are solitary.  Every group will follow different traditions but common ones include:

holiday rituals

symbels (opportunities to toast one another and our accomplishments)

blots (specialized rituals dedicated to a specific deity)

ceremonies (weddings, funerals, and things of that nature)

In their day-to-day lives heathens will often wear a Mjolnir pendant as a reminder of the gods’ most prized gift and the source of their protector’s strength (Thor’s hammer).

Heathens will typically have at least one altar space in their homes.  This can be used to honor deities, ancestors, or other figures.  Altars vary dramatically in terms of appearance–some are minimalist and simple while others are lavishly decorated.  This depends largely on personal preference, budget, availability of materials, and personal security (unfortunately, some heathens cannot safely set up an altar in their current living situation).  Another option is the use of a pocket-altar, sometimes called a travel-altar.

What holidays do you observe?

Holidays historically varied depending on location.  Typically these holidays relate to concepts of growth, gratitude, and reflection. There is not one set list of holidays which all heathens celebrate, but there do tend to be commonalities:

Holidays that take place in spring will tend to honor gods who represent youth, new beginnings, and hope. 

Holidays in summer tend to celebrate growth, hard work, and fertility. 

Holidays in the autumn are typically opportunities to celebrate the accomplishments we’ve made throughout the year as well as to prepare for the darker, colder times ahead. 

Holidays in the winter tend to relate to reflection and thinking about things we can shed or invite as the new year begins.

Holidays can be celebrated individually or as part of a group. Here are some of the holidays my group observes.

What are some common symbols or visuals related to heathenry?

Many heathens view Mjolnir (Thor’s hammer) as the main symbol signifying their faith.  This is typically worn as a necklace, though heathens may wear one in a myriad of different ways or not at all. 

Elder futhark runes are also common symbols associated with heathenry.  The futhark are representative of the sacred runes our god Odin learned during a journey of self-sacrifice and searching for spiritual wisdom.  Many heathens use these runes for divination purposes or to receive messages from our gods and ancestors, while others do not interact with the runes in a spiritual sense.

There are other symbols associated with heathenry that have been appropriated by white supremacists.  These include the runes Othala, Sowilo, and Elhaz; the Valknut; and sometimes even Mjolnir itself.  These images are not inherently harmful, and many heathens feel it is our duty to combat this appropriation by showing these symbols in their proper, progressive contexts.

What are some books I can read to learn more?

Here are a few books about the Norse myths I recommend:

The Poetic Edda by Jackson Crawford

The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson

The Wanderer’s Havamal by Jackson Crawford

The Havamal by The Asatru Community

Essential Asatru by Diana Paxson

Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland

The Viking Spirit by Daniel McCoy

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

And here are some books about runes I recommend:

The Way of Fire and Ice: the Living Tradition of Norse Paganism, by Ryan Smith

Rudiments of Runelore, by Stephen Pollington

North Sea Rune Poems, by N. Solheim-Davidson

Norwegian Runes and Runic Inscriptions, by Terje Spurkland

Taking Up the Runes, by Diana L. Paxson

[divinaes-bookofsecrets]

hi! I’m so sorry if this bothers you, but I’ve just really been worried lately that I accidentally casted a love spell on my boyfriend before we started dating, and I don’t have anyone to talk to about it.

When I met him I was so atracted to him, but was so shy and had never even kissed anyone before, cause there was no one I wanted to kiss. So a couple of times I prayed to the universe to give me the chance to get to know him / form a relationship. Now I don’t remember the exact wording I used, or if I asked for him to fall in love with me, I didn’t know it could have such a big impact and I was desperate for his love.

We’ve been together for two and a half years, and just now I came across a post that pointed out that manifesting a persons love is considered a form of love spell, and it is not okay since it takes away their free will. I love him so much but I don’t want him to be with me only because of a spell, I want him to be free and to genuinely love whoever he wants.

I would be so thankful if you responded with your opinion on this, or if you could give me some tips to find out if I casted a spell on him, really anything would help

personally , i would not sweat it really!!

you used law of attraction NOT a love spell, my dear !!

if you had actually put a spell on him you would of had to of knowingly done so, which means reciting a written spell and using actual INGREDIENTS into said spell too, but it seems like you have somewhat manipulated this bit of energy surrounding the two of you hshshshahaha , thats just law of attraction okay ...

and you had only prayed and NOT performed a spell to manipulate this energy okay dear , your fine and im glad you and your boyfriend are going on so well together !! i see many more happy years between you two !! happy new year !2021 ×will be worse but at least you have him!! by your side , dear friend your so lucky !

so glad you reached out to me

anybody with magick issues dont hesitate to reach out im an experienced witch here okay !!

Hail Hekate 8888 8888 88888 7777 9999

tech wicca anyone ?!

[matriarca-inodora]

Devotee Challenge: 2 [Communication]

So, continuing the series of posts, today`s topic is communication.

Originally, this post would only contain my own experiences communicating with Apollo, but instead I ended up writing something a lot broader. 

Deity communication is probably one of, if not the greatest cause of insecurity around the online pagan communities, so I felt it might be more useful if I wrote this post with that in mind. 

Nevertheless, be aware that in a way, a lot of what`s in here comes from communicating with Apollo specifically. Gods are different, people are different, so don`t except anything definitive or exhaustive. It`s not a cake recipe, as we say in my country. Still, if you leave this text with more questions than before, or if you just feel like discussing the subject, feel free to contact me!

Synchronisation

In a way, I believe communication emerges from presence. As in divine presence, yes, but also in a different sense: being entirely present. 

In nature, things that are put in contact with one another very often synchronise. It`s a natural phenomenon. Have you ever seen those videos of metronomes synchronising over time? 

I believe that, in a sense, the same applies to deity communication. Think of it as two waves that are different, be it by having different frequencies or not being phase-locked, whatever suits the metaphor better. The point is, the gods and us are different. Still, if we are present and they are present... there is a tendency towards synchronisation. Sure, we remain different, but some form of exchange becomes possible.

Suddenly, you feel in tune with something else, like you were just trying to get the right note out and suddenly a whole damn orchestra comes out* . It`s a change in frequency, and also in intensity. 

Sure, it might not be as bombastic as I have described, either. It depends on a number of factors. Only you can discern it for yourself.

Finding your bridge

Alternatively, I like to see communication as a bridge, one that forms once presence is there, when the two sides align, even if for a very short moment. Built and rebuilt, then undone and built again, until setting the stones feels almost effortless. Almost.

What is the bridge really made of, though? Hard to say. For some, words. For others, the flight of birds, the ruffling of leaves, the calling of a friend. The sudden humming of a song. Even still, it might come seemingly from within, like a drum pounding in your ears, an inner compass pointing towards a goal you yourself do not know the name of.

That bird you see suddenly is not simply a bird. The enormity of trees is not coincidental. The incinerating stare of the sun seems directed at you and you alone. The drums in crescendo as the surrounding sounds grow less important. 

It`s different for everyone. It`s not always that dramatic either**. It might be the single most mundane thing in the world, and at the same time anything but mundane. 

But how do I know? 

Knowing when that is happening has more to do with discernment than with special abilities, in my opinion. 

Sometimes it might be just your own mind, and I am aware that this is a scary thought. Let`s not ignore the question...could all of that be fabricated? The construction of one`s own desire and whim? Perhaps. Our minds are powerful and mysterious. We can make mistakes...the bridge we decided to cross could lead nowhere. 

What then? Should we just give up entirely? Of course not, at least I don`t think so. There are different paths toward the same goal. Different bridges, other ways, and sometimes time is our guide. 

As with many other things, it takes discernment, and discernment takes practise. It`s not something you can learn by reading a text online. Reading about how to play the flute doesn`t make you know how to play, right? 

So, yes. 

Practise.

Sometimes we must first recognise our own voices before being able to tell it apart from the voice of a god. Look for words in cards and cards in pictures and pictures in nature, and when nature tells you nothing, look in the mirror. 

* Sorry for all the acoustic/musical metaphors or just excessive metaphors overall. I can`t help myself. This is still a devotional text for Apollo, after all.

**The things I describe here are really something I experience the most with Apollo. In my experience things very often get bombastic or grandiose when he`s around, but then again, your mileage may vary.

[cambiumandcarapace]

Shadow Work & Pluto Retrograde

April 22 - Sept 30th, 2018

At the end of this first week of Pluto retrograde we have a giant exclamation point--the full moon in Scorpio, ruled by Pluto itself. I’m but a budding astrologer, and my language around these things is still being built, but even I can say: IT’S POTENT! Use this full moon to integrate the lessons you’ve been working on and struggling to make changes to support. This full moon is what prompted my thinking about the potential of committing to shadow work at this time. Pluto retrograde brings out the best in Pluto in a lot of ways: the heightened intensity and greater focus make for greater insights into the subconscious. This focus could be a valuable resource to you in your shadow work, if you’re so inclined. Pluto wants you to come into your highest power. It wants you to destroy what isn’t working, to initiate what will. That doesn’t make it easy work, but it does make it available to you if you’re willing to do what’s necessary.

What this period of time looks like will be specific to you. Take a look at where Pluto will be transiting on your natal chart to get an idea of what areas of your life will be touched by this intensity.

But regardless, it’s a time when we’re all encouraged to reflect on our attitudes and our emotions, especially around the themes of power (personal and non-personal), radical change and rebirth, what lies in the depths of the soul, and magic. Y’know... Pluto goodness.

You may find your capacity for working with your shadow higher than usual, and the fruits of the labor greater. BUT--beware burnout. Pace yourself. Chew your emotional food, so to speak, so that it can be properly digested.

[Supplies List]

Emotional shovel & capacity for digging

A place where you feel comfortable

Optional but suggested: a journal

Some kind of self-care for afterward

Optional: divination tools

[Suggested Directions]

SET UP.

Get comfortable somewhere, preferably where you know you won’t be interrupted for a while. Any place that feels safe and good to you will work. Bring a cup of tea or that blanket you love, light some candles, bring a talisman, make a supportive potion, whatever feels right.

GROUND.

Do some kind of grounding exercise or ritual. If that isn’t part of your practice right now, I really encourage you to look into it and start. Shadow work can kick up a lot of dirt and shake your foundation, so making sure it’s strong to begin with is just good sense.

DIVINE. If you use divinatory tools, bring them into the process! I like to switch it up--sometimes I pull a rune or a card or three before I do my journaling/meditation, sometimes after. DEDICATE. If you work with ancestors, spirits, dieties, etc., consider dedicating your work to them if it’s appropriate. Ancestors in particular are likely to be invested in you and your growth. If you feel accountable to something beyond yourself, you may be more inclined to continue the work.

CLOSE. When you finish writing/meditating on a prompt, clean up your supplies, do a cleanse of the area if that’s part of your practice. Thank anyone you called into the process. SELF-CARE. You did some heavy lifting, so give yourself a reward. A walk in the woods, a bath, ice cream… something that feels nice and nurturing. CHECK-IN. A hour, a day, a week after doing shadow work, check in with your feelings. Are you having echoes of emotion from the digging? Are you feeling more sad, irritable, forlorn, or angry than usual with no discernible reason? Do more self-care as needed, talk to a friend (ask first before dumping emotions on them!) or therapist about your process if it feels right.

[Suggested Prompts]

If the areas you feel urged to address aren’t covered on this list of prompts, make or find different ones! Your exploration of self is intensely personal, it’s not a one-tumblr-post-fits-all experience. 

SELF-LOVE. What do you love about yourself? What have you accomplished? What depth of resources and skills do you bring into the world? What does the world have to say about that ability/skill? Is it valued, or underappreciated (by you? others)? How does it make you feel? ENDINGS. What is ending in your life right now? How are you dealing? Where are you resisting that ending and where are you encouraging it? STEPPING UP.  What areas of your life have been asking more of you? How have you been answering that call? What have your feelings around this been, and where are they coming from?

LIES. What’s the last lie you told? Why did you tell it? How did you feel about it then vs now? CONNECTION. What/who do you want to be more connected to? Why? What stands in your way?

MASKS. In what ways do you hide your true self from the people closest to you? Why? RELATIONSHIPS. What wounding or detrimental patterns exist in your relationships and partnerships? 

CHOICES. How do you make the hard choices when they present themselves? How has that turned out for you? For those close to you? 

COMRADERIE.  What makes you feel close to people? What conditions have to be met to feel close? What builds that feeling? EX-FRIENDS. What has ended meaningful friendships in your life? What actions or feelings are behind that? What have you learned from these experiences? POWER. How is power exerted over you on the day-to-day, and on the wider societal level? What is your relationship with power like? What areas of your life does this affect? How does it affect your relationship with your personal power? PERSONAL MYTHOLOGIES. What is a story about you that is told, but not entirely true? Do you tell it, or do others? If others tell it, do you correct it or perpetuate it?

BAD HABITS. Is there a habit you have that you wish to change? Do you actually do anything to alter that behavior? Where did you learn it? How does it affect you?

APOLOGIES. Do you apologize? How often and for what? ANCESTRY. What in your family history is waiting to be healed? Is it your job? HELP. In what ways do you receive assistance in your life? In what areas could you use more help? Do you know how to ask for it when you need it? What narratives exist around assistance that impact you?

ROLE-MODELS. Who do you look to for guidance? What are their strengths and flaws? What lessons have you learned through them?

[Encouragement]

Shadow work can kick up a lot of feelings and shit to process. Take your time. Excavating the shadow isn’t a race. It took your whole life to build and bury it--how could it all be teased out over the course of 5 months? The point is learning about who we are at our deepest and most vulnerable and integrating it--and that has to happen at your own pace or not at all. For that reason, I’m not setting a suggested deadline or timeframe for any of these prompts.

That said, good luck in your work! I hope that shadow work and Pluto retrograde bring opportunity, depth of understanding, and unexpected growth to you all. It’s an intensely personal work and totally valid to keep to yourself, but feel free to share with me! I like hearing about other people’s process.

[thepentaclepinup]

An Introduction

Hello, my name is Torie Vallejo and I am currently reworking my Witchblr. Please excuse the sporadic posting/set up while I continue to edit throughout the week.

However! Once the blog is totally live it will be the home/hub for my craft posting. This will include not only personal recommendations but also personal tutorials, readings, and advice. Essentially an eclectic 101 blog for witches/researchers to enjoy at any level. 

I will focus on the following, it is my no means extensive. 

- Tarot/Oracle readings

- Deathcraft

-Kitchen/Hearth magic

- Folklore study/magic

- Norse heathenry 

If you’re interested in any of these subjects please consider giving my blog a follow or peruse as I finish setting up. 

[samwisethewitch]

The Little Gods: Spirits of Place in Modern Paganism

In a previous post, we talked about gods, goddesses, and the many ways they can be worshiped in a modern pagan practice. However, the gods are not the only group of spiritual beings honored by modern pagans. While building relationships with deities makes up the bulk of practice for many people, a lot of pagans work with other groups of spirits as well, or may even work more closely with these “smaller” spirits than with the gods. One of these groups is the ancestors, the spirits of deceased humans who are part of our lineage — we’ll talk about them in a future post.

The other group of minor spirits commonly honored by modern pagans, and the topic of today’s post, are what I like to call the Spirits of Place. This is a broad category that includes land spirits, spirits of natural objects like trees and rivers, and spirits of man-made locations like a house or office building. Depending on your personal beliefs, it may also include animal guides, spirits of inanimate objects, and/or spirits honored in specific cultures like the fairies or the elves.

The idea that the world around us is spiritually alive and aware is present in some form in almost every culture and religion, and the worship of these Spirits of Place is well-documented in most historic pagan religions. For example, much of Irish folk spirituality revolves around appeasing the fairies, which we can understand as a special type of land spirit — this continued long after the conversion period, even after the worship of the Irish gods had faded into obscurity. Many Norse pagans honor the landvaettir (land spirits) and husvaettir (house spirits), which have survived in more recent Nordic folklore in the form of spirits like the Danish nisse or Swedish tomte, who are still honored at Christmas in some parts of Scandinavia. In Roman paganism, the lares, who are both land spirits and the guardians of man-made homes and are closely connected to the ancestors, are given a place of honor. Eclectic pagans may pull from one or more of these practices, or may honor their local spirits in their own unique way.

Honoring the Spirits of Place is not exclusive to pagan faiths. Practitioners of New Orleans Voodoo honor the ashe, the sacred energy, of the Mississipi River, one of their most prominent local landmarks. In Shinto, places and objects are said to have their own kami, which can be understood as gods or as spirits. Even in Christianity’s strictly monotheist system, God is often understood to be physically present in the world around us, a philosophy known as panentheism. I offer these non-pagan examples not because I think pagans should copy these other religions, but because I want to make a point about how pervasive the belief in Spirits of Place really is.

Connecting with the Spirits of Place can help us to engage more mindfully and in more meaningful ways with the world around us. When we accept that every plant, animal, rock, and building has its own spirit or soul, we interact with those objects in a more intentional way. We learn to think about our home not just as a place where we live, but as a spiritual entity that we have an active relationship with. We learn to think of our gardens not as a plot of dirt filled with plants, but as a community of land spirits and plant spirits all working together to provide us with nourishment. We learn to think of our cities not as concrete jungles, but as huge collections of spirits as diverse and fascinating as their human inhabitants. When we open our eyes to the spiritual world that exists alongside our own, we begin to see how the spiritual permeates every aspect of human life.

Connecting with Spirits of Place also offers a way for us to personalize and localize our practice. The Spirits of Place in Los Angeles will be very different from those of Brooklyn, Berlin, or Mexico City. Your local Spirits of Place are closely related to your local biome, as well as to the cultural groups that have influenced your community.

Because of this, the best way to connect with your own Spirits of Place is to learn about where you live. Research your local flora, fauna, and weather patterns — how is your ecosystem unique? Learn about local history and about the cultures who have influenced your area. All of these influences will give you some ideas for how to honor the spirits in your practice.

For example, I live in a temperate climate with four true seasons, clay-based soil, and lots of rain and humidity. Some of the local plant spirits that I feel closest to are the black locust tree, the magnolia tree, poke weed, and the birch tree. Some of the local animal spirits I feel closest to are the crow, the red-tailed hawk, the coyote, and the white-tailed deer. My local land spirits are as steadfast and strong as the nearby Appalachian mountains.

I live in the South, so our local spirits are also shaped by a history of racial oppression and persecution. They have witnessed the displacement of the Cherokee people, whose stolen land I live on today. They have witnessed the transatlantic slave trade and the continued oppression of Black people with Jim Crow and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. They have witnessed devastating poverty in rural communities, including those of my ancestors. These scars run deep, creating a reverberations that I and other Southern folks still feel today. However, with the trauma of the South comes a rich diversity of influences, creating a unique culture unlike any other in the world. My Irish and Scottish ancestors brought their culture with them when they came to these mountains, where it mingled with the cultural influences of our Black and Latino neighbors, the Cherokee influences of our land, a deeply held Protestant Christian faith, and a special brand of magic that is unique to the South. All of this influences my local Spirits of Place, and I try to keep all of it in mind when interacting with them.

I honor my Spirits of Place by learning to identify local plants, respectfully and ethically foraging from those plants, and using them in my spiritual practice. I honor them by feeding the crows, and by greeting the deer when I encounter them on walks. I honor them by remembering the original inhabitants of this land, by supporting Native rights activists, and by donating to nonprofits that support the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, who originally lived in my area. I honor them by actively working to address the issue of racism in the South, up to and including attending Black Lives Matter protests and campaigning for an end to racialized police violence. I honor them by listening to my Cherokee, Black, and Latino neighbors and following their lead on Cherokee, Black, and Latino issues. I also honor them by practicing sustainable gardening techniques, working to lower my environmental impact, and by giving back to the land whenever I can.

If you don’t live in the same geographic area as me, the way you honor your Spirits of Place may look totally different. Don’t be afraid to make this practice your own — once you connect with your local spirits, they will be your guides.

Types of Spirits of Place

There are many, many types of spirits that fall into this category, and the list in this post is not meant to be exhaustive. My goal here is to give you an idea of some of the forms these spirits can take, so that you can begin to recognize the Spirits of Place that surround you in your own life.

Land spirits: These are spirits of specific geographical locations or features of the land. They may be as big as the Mississippi River or as small as the rosebush in your backyard. As you might imagine, these spirits don’t move around much, as they usually don’t venture far from the location they are tied to. In my experience, land spirits have a very stable, steady, and earthy presence.

Our relationship with the land spirits is a direct reflection of our relationship with the land itself. If we live our lives in a way that hurts the land by polluting it or stripping it of resources, it will be much harder to build a healthy relationship with the spirits of that land. The best way to live in right relationship with the land spirits is to treat the land you are living on with honor and respect.

In my personal practice, I call on the land spirits for help in my garden. I make offerings of food that is safe for local wildlife if they decide to help themselves, such as unsalted peanuts, birdseed, bread, or fresh fruit. When I make offerings, I make sure to thank the land spirits for sharing their home with me and for providing me with abundance. You might honor your local land spirits in a similar way, or you may find that another approach works better for you.

House spirits: It is not only natural places that have spirits — man-made buildings also have a spirit of their own. If you’ve ever stayed in a very old house, you probably felt its unique character while you were there. Every building has its own soul of sorts, which embodies the place, the way it is used, and the different people who have lived there. In my experience, these spirits tend to take on the energy of the people who live in or frequently use their building — the spirits of a happy home may have a kind, friendly presence, while the spirits of a dysfunctional business where employees are mistreated may have a mean streak.

Many of us overlook the spiritual importance of our homes. Our home is where we can be most vulnerable, and in most cases it’s probably where most of our daily spiritual practices take place. Our home is the base of operations we come back to at the end of each day. A home that feels safe, comfortable, and welcoming is important to our mental, emotional, and spiritual health. To maintain a healthy home, we need to maintain good relationships with the other people living there — but we can take this even further by striving to have a good relationship with our home itself.

Spirits of objects: Objects also have their on spirits. This applies not only to naturally occurring objects, but to man-made things as well.

Most people with even a passing interest in witchcraft or New Age spirituality are aware that crystals have unique energies and personalities and can act as spiritual allies. What many people don’t realize is that this is not something that is unique to crystals — all objects have a unique spiritual presence, and all of them can be powerful spiritual allies if you take the time to connect with them. A rock from your backyard can be just a powerful as an expensive crystal. So can a favorite sweater, your grandmother’s antique dishes, and even your cell phone.

The best way to connect with the spirits of objects is to talk to them. Tell them that you appreciate the role they serve in your life, and verbally thank them for their help. I find that these spirits don’t typically require offerings in the traditional sense — instead, you can practice reciprocity by keeping their homes in good condition. For example, if you want to connect with the spirit of a favorite stuffed animal, make sure the toy itself stays clean and in good repair.

Plant and animal spirits: Plant and animal spirits are different from spirits of objects because they are physically alive. Plants and animals live and breathe just as we do, which can make them a little easier to befriend and understand than the spirits of inanimate objects. If you’re not quite ready to start talking to your hairbrush, plant and animal spirits can be a good place to start.

Animal spirits are the easiest by far to connect with. Any pet owner will tell you that animals have souls that often seem just as complex as those of humans. Dogs and cats, for example, clearly feel love, joy, sadness, and pain just as humans do. Pets are an excellent way to begin connecting with animal spirits, because you already have a relationship with them in the physical world.

Next time you have a few minutes alone with your pet, try meditating on their spiritual presence. Can you feel their energy? Can you sense the wisdom they carry in their soul?

If you had a pet that died, you might try reaching out to them to see if they want to be involved in your spiritual practice. Dogs especially are very loyal to their owners, and can be called on for protection even after death. If you have ashes or bones from your pet, or if you have items like a collar or a favorite toy, you can include them on an altar or some other special place and make regular offerings of treats or pet food in exchange for their protection.

Some pagans, especially Wiccans and other neopagans, choose to work with familiars, which are a special kind of animal ally. There is a common misconception that a familiar is any animal you feel especially close to, but that isn’t quite how it works. A familiar is an animal that serves as a spiritual ally — traditionally, by helping witches with their magic. The familiar can be a living animal, but it is more often a purely spiritual being.

These animal spirit allies exist in other forms in other pagan religions. In Norse paganism, the fylgja is a spiritual guide that often appears in the form of an animal. The animal form the fylgja takes is closely related to the personality of the person it is attached to, and they are often tied to that person’s fate. In Irish folklore, the fetch is a spiritual double of a human that often appears as an animal. In Kemetic polytheism, one of the parts of the soul is the ba, which often appears as a bird with a human head and which represents a person’s personality. In all of these cases, the animal guide can be understood as an extension of the practitioner, rather than as a separate being like the familiar.

Plant spirits are a little bit different. In my experience, these spirits are quieter and more reserved than most animal spirits, and they tend to work in more subtle ways. Plant spirits are still, steadfast allies that tend to work behind the scenes, so you may not have as many face-to-face interactions with them as you do with animals or land spirits.

The best way to begin connecting with plant spirits is to start keeping a houseplant. As you care for your plant, talk to it! Tell it how much you appreciate it, and thank it for its contribution to keeping your space beautiful and safe. Appropriate offerings for plant spirits are exactly what you would expect: water, fertilizer, and plant food.

Cryptids and folkloric creatures: In the modern era, folklore has given way to urban legends and created a new kind of mythology. Like traditional folklore, urban legends are spread by word of mouth and change organically as they are told and retold. Many urban legends are tied to specific locations, and many of them feature strange and mysterious creatures who can be understood as modern land spirits.

For example, the Loch Ness Monster can be seen as the spirit of Loch Ness. The Jersey Devil is tied to the Pine Barrens in New Jersey. Mothman is tied to Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Although these are some of the most famous modern cryptids, most towns have their own urban legends — if you ask around, you’ll likely find stories of some kind of spectral guardian tied to your area. My college campus has a handful of its own urban legends, including one of a female spirit who appears to warn students of coming disasters. Find out who your local cryptids are, and look for ways to incorporate them into your practice.

These different types of spirits are sometimes filtered through different cultural lenses, which changes the way they interact with humans. For example, an Irish fairy is very different from a Japanese kami, even though both technically fall into the larger category of land spirits. If you feel drawn to a specific tradition’s approach to working with the Spirits of Place, I advise you to do your own research into that tradition — including making sure that it isn’t part of a closed cultural practice which you are not party to. Look for sources written by members of the living culture of that tradition, rather than books written by outsiders.

Connecting with the Spirits of Place

Here are some activities you can do to strengthen your connection with the Spirits of Place:

Make offerings. As I mentioned above, you can honor the spirits with offerings. Just make sure that, if you leave offerings outside, you only offer things that are biodegradable and are safe for local wildlife. If you don’t want to leave physical offerings, you can offer acts of service like picking up litter, watering plants, or volunteering at an animal shelter.

Create an altar. Altars are an excellent way to create space in your life for the spirits. My herb garden doubles as an altar to the land spirits, with a small Green Man statue to represent the spirits and a place where I can leave offerings. I also have a table indoors where I keep most of my houseplants, which is also a sacred space of sorts. The type of altar you create and its location will depend on the spirits you want to connect with — the possibilities are limitless.

Start a compost pile. Compost piles make excellent offerings to land spirits and plant spirits. While compost isn’t quite as simple as “just throw all your leftover food in a pile,” it’s not difficult if you know what you are doing. When composting, it’s important to maintain a balance between carbon-rich “brown” material (leaves, undyed paper, cardboard, etc.) and nitrogen-rich “greens” (fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells, etc.) — you want about four times as much brown as green in your compost. There are some things you shouldn’t add to your compost, like meat, dairy products, and greasy foods. Start your compost with a layer of brown material — preferably twigs or straw to allow good airflow. Alternate layers of green and brown materials as you add to the pile. Every time you add to your compost, verbally express your gratitude to the land spirits. Your compost should be moist, but not soggy — you’ll know it’s ready when it’s dark and crumbly and smells like soil. Use it on your garden and in your houseplant pots, or donate it to a local community garden.

Hold a territory acknowledgement. A territory acknowledgement is a way to insert awareness of indigenous people whose lands were stolen from them. You can acknowledge indigenous territory at the beginning of public religious events, or at the beginning of your private rituals. This practice will help you develop a deeper understanding of the history of your land, which can help deepen your connection to it as well as honoring its original inhabitants. A territory acknowledgement can be as simple as: “I acknowledge and honor this land, which is called [indigenous name of your area] and is home to the people of [indigenous nation].” Make sure you take the time to learn the correct pronunciation for these indigenous words. You can find out who originally lived in your area and what they called it by visiting native-land.ca.

Donate to conservation efforts. Instead of making physical offerings, make a donation to an environmentalist cause and dedicate it to your Spirits of Place. Look for groups that work in your local area, such as nonprofits dedicated to fighting deforestation and climate change, groups that protect rare and endangered native plants, or wildlife rehabilitation centers. Even volunteering at an animal shelter can be an appropriate offering to animal spirits.

Start a garden with native plants. Do some research into your local ecosystem — what plants are native to your area? Which of them are edible? Which of them have spiritual uses? Buy or forage seeds from these plants and start a 100% native garden. Growing and eating food that is native to your area can help deepen your connection to the land, the local plant spirits, and the cycle of the seasons.

Replace mainstream cleansing herbs with native plants. White sage, palo santo, frankincense, and sandalwood, some of the most popular cleansing herbs among modern pagans, are all endangered due to over-harvesting. Instead of buying endangered plants from far off lands, try to find a native plant you can use instead. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere where rosemary or lavender is native, you’re in luck! If not, try researching some of the plants in your backyard — you might be surprised what you find. Most plants in the Salvia (sage) family can be burned as incense to cleanse and consecrate a space. This family includes over 1,000 species spread out over Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Many trees also have cleansing properties, especially coniferous trees like pine, cedar, and juniper. Find out what is abundant in your area and find ways to incorporate it into your rituals.

Go for a hike. While bringing the Spirits of Place into our homes can be deeply meaningful, it’s also important to get out there and meet them on their own terms. Try to make time to get out in nature, and be open to connecting with the spirits you find on these trips. You don’t have to go far — even hanging out in a backyard or city park can allow you to connect with the land.

Feed the birds. And the squirrels, and the deer, or whatever other critters you have. Now, I am not recommending approaching wild animals and trying to befriend them. I am also not recommending feeding animals people food. Nature often rests in a delicate balance, and directly feeding wild animals can make them dependent on humans, which could be dangerous for them. While feeding local animals can be an excellent offering, it’s important to do it in a way that is safe and non-instrusive. It’s best to leave food in a place you know is frequented by animals, then let them find it after you’ve gone. Bird feeders and squirrel feeders are a great way to do this.

Clean your house. One of the best ways to honor house spirits? Keep their living space clean! Try to keep your house tidy and be a good roommate to its spirits. Try not to let clutter pile up, and take time to sweep, mop, and dust every once in a while. You can even ask your house spirits to help you keep the house clean — just make sure you’re also doing your fair share of housework, or they may get upset about the unfair arrangement.

These “little gods” of places and objects are often forgotten, but they are an important part of daily pagan practice. While the gods rule over grand concepts and forces of nature, and the ancestors are tied to our family and community, the Spirits of Place make up the ground we stand on, the air we breathe, and the places we call home. Perhaps more than any other group of spirits, they are truly the gods of the everyday.

Resources:

Water Magic by Lilith Dorsey

Southern Cunning by Aaron Oberon

Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins

The Way of Fire and Ice by Ryan Smith

A Practical Heathen’s Guide to Asatru by Patricia M. Lafayllve

Where the Hawthorn Grows by Morgan Daimler

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham

Temple of the Cosmos by Jeremy Naydler