themodernvarangian

[themodernvarangian]

Peace and Calming Jar Spell

This jar spell is to help calm nerves and anxieties, to help you feel peaceful and relaxed. It can be used to help with sleep or just a stressful environment. I realized after I made this that I named it after an essential oil without meaning to so… lol

For this spell, I used…

amethyst shards (healing, balance, alleviate irrational anxieties and fears)

rosemary herb (keep away nightmares, remember dreams, protection)

crushed bay leaf (healing, protection, dreams)

sage herb (protection, wisdom, peace)

crushed rose petals (security, self love, peace)

sea salt (protection, cleansing)

opal shards (calm, communication)

Feel free to use as many of these ingredients or as few as you like; substitute items, replace them, and add your own! Let me know how it goes ❤️❤️

- Mod Sun

(more jar spells!)

[themodernvarangian]

Using Basil for Imbolc Self Care

Our last blog post, Discovering Essential Oils - Basil, covered the many uses of Basil oil. However, the plant itself can be used in a variety of ways. In this post, we are making three, easy to prepare, Imbolc crafts that will not only help you get into the spirit of the sabbat but also help relax your body and mind. 

Basil Lime Sugar Scrub

Ingredients:

1 C white sugar

5-6 medium basil leaves, chopped into small pieces (or basil essential oil)

Zest and juice of ½ of a lime

1 tsp coconut oil

Directions:

Start by using a food processor or blender to crush your basil leaves. Skip this step if using essential oils. Add all ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together until combined. Store in a glass container and place in refrigerator until ready for use.

To use:  Using gentle pressure, roll granules over the skin. Concentrate on rough areas like elbows and knees. If you use it on your face, be extra gentle and avoid eyes. Be sure to moisturize after use. 

Basil Coconut Bath Soak

Ingredients:

2 cups coconut oil

2 cup Epsom salt

10 drops basil essential oil ( or personal preference)

Directions:

Add coconut oil and Epsom salt to a small bowl. Add the essential oil and mix with a spoon until well combined. Store in a container with a tight-fitting lid until ready to use.

Note: The coconut oil can leave a slippery residue on the bottom of your shower if you’re not careful, so make sure to rinse the shower/tub thoroughly after you’re done!

Gourmet Himalayan Basil Salt

Ingredients ¼-1/3 cup (2 to 3 ounces) of fresh basil leaves and stems, chopped 1 cup of Himalayan Pink Salt Recommended Equipment: blender or immersion blender rubber spatula a large rimmed baking sheet or large cutting board wax paper or parchment paper (optional) clean kitchen towel Directions:  Tear off as much basil you want to use and keep the stems attached (they have lots of flavor and it all gets chopped up anyway). Chop the basil into small pieces so it’s easier for the blender to break it up into the salt. Place the basil in the blender, or if you’re using an immersion blender, into a large mixing bowl. Measure in 1 cup of sea salt and pulse for a minute or two until the basil is completely broken up (tiny pieces) and mixed with the sea salt. You may need to stop and mix the salt with a rubber spatula during this process. It has a tendency to get stuck at the bottom of the blender. When you’re finished the sea salt will be a fine texture (which is why I started with a coarse salt) and that’s what we want. Tear off a large piece of wax or parchment paper to line a large surface such as a baking sheet or cutting board. Pour the salt onto the paper and spread it out in a thin, single layer. Break up any large clumps with your fingers and cover completely with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a cool dark area (without direct sunlight) where it won’t be disturbed. Let the sea salt sit for 12-24 hours, or until the salt has absorbed all the moisture from the basil and it’s completely dry. The basil sea salt should still be green, but a lighter shade than when you first started. Transfer it to a container with a tight lid and use within six months. 

[themodernvarangian]

Personal Imbolc Altar

Here is my more personal altar to Brighid and for Imbolc! I also have my Ogham staves for divination and communication and a cute ‘witch ball’ ornament that @barberwitch sent me for the holidays. It really represents what I want from this new year and new spring. Plus the fire bush berries are great to represent new plant life and the fire of Brighid!

Also featured is my shrine to my ancestors, spirits, and deities. The fair folk are represented as well. You can also see my new magical herb and oil shelf, a straw angel, and a devotional art for Brighid.

Have a bright and blessed Imbolc, may the coming spring warm your heart and spark inspiration in your soul!

All my works are copyright under the Creative Commons License - you can share if attributed properly, but not for commercial gain.

[themodernvarangian]

[themodernvarangian]

bruh

[themodernvarangian]

Icelandic Nights

[themodernvarangian]

Spoonie Witch Masterpost

All of my spoonie/disabled/low-energy witch posts…

(Before sending me an ask, click here…)

Bedridden witch:

Bedridden witch - General edition

Bedridden witch  - Nature edition

Bedridden witch  - Worship edition

Bedridden witch - Divination edition

Bedridden witch - Stale energy edition

Bedridden witch - Elements edition

Bedridden witch - Pastel edition

Bedridden witch - Kitchen edition

Bedridden witch - Winter edition

Bedridden witch - Ocean edition

Spells - range in level of energy required:

Simple spell: Ease the pain

Simple spell: To be humble

Simple spell: To be proud

Simple spell: Start the day ‘light’

Simple spell: To bring balance

Simple spell: To succeed in a career/job

Medium spell: Kiss that bitch goodbye

Medium spell: To attract kindness

Medium spell: To Gain Control

Anti-Migraine Spell + Altered versions of this spell

Tips and tricks:

Witchcraft in the Hospital

Low energy devotional tip

Bath magic made easy

Witchy things for spoonie students

Cleansing (via your phone)

Charging crystals: My version [X] Simple version [X]

For when you can’t sleep

A tip for using salves

Other:

Spoonie sigils + Updated version

Small devotional acts (for the Greek + Roman pantheon)

Some gentle reminders [X] [X]

How I recovered from depression influenced by chronic illness

Low energy plants

Probably some other ones I’m missing!

[themodernvarangian]

Caveman ancestor see you have many food. Caveman ancestor proud. Caveman ancestor love you.

[themodernvarangian]

I remember on my first witchblr I suggested having spoons/cutlery etc. with gems in the handle and sigils inscribed on it so it could be used as a wand, and I got a grown-ass woman coming onto my post to say ‘uh, sweatie, your :) implements :) ARE :) your :) wand. you silly child. you don’t need to do that. that’s such a pathetic silly idea. listen to your elders and betters.’

And at the time I was really cowed and felt so fucking stupid, but now I think honestly if someone is genuinely so bored that they need to come onto someone younger’s blog and shit all over a really fucking brilliant idea that I have since implemented to great success, they might try getting a job, a hobby or a life.

Basically, witchblrs, do your research, listen to other’s ideas, but if someone is being condescending, chances are they’re an absolute genital, so treat them accordingly.

[themodernvarangian]

☀️ Sunburst Oil Recipe ☀️

Essential oil free!

sun·burst-

1. A sudden burst of sunlight, as through broken clouds

I just made my batch for this winter and I thought I'd share this recipe with you!

Good for: Physical Healing, Protection, Divination, Happiness, Love, Creativity, Prophesy, Truth, Solar Deities

Medically: cools and softens skin, helps heal small cuts, burns, irritations, SAD, breaking fever, purifying, anti bacterial, helps relieve anxiety and depression

Ingredients:

Grapeseed or sunflower oil

Dried hibiscus

Dried juniper berries

Dried Bay leaves

Dried citrus peel

Dried dandelion root

Rosemary

A cinnamon stick

If you want to add essential oils you can, I didnt for this batch but In the past I've used frankincense, lemon, orange, cinnamon, vetiver, black pepper, sandalwood, and juniper

Best to grind the ingredients before adding them to the oil (except the cinnamon stick)

Makes a great offering for any solar deity like apollo, sol, helios, sekhmet

Let infuse in the sunshine for a few weeks-months depending on how much oil you're making, or if you want it faster & stronger you can heat it up until it turns red from the hibiscus

It smells so good so it's an excellent natural perfume, and it's great for your skin!

I tend to go heavy on the hibiscus and juniper in this but the amounts used are up to you.

Crystal infusions: citrine, garnet, carnelian

[themodernvarangian]

A lot of heathens seem to be under the impression that the “12 days of Christmas” comes from a pre-Christian tradition. I guess this is because they don’t see what it has to do with Christmas but it’s actually very simple. The 12 days of Christmas are from Christmas to Epiphany Eve (January 5).

Yule in heathen times seems to have been conceived of as at once a long seasonal period overlapping with the darkest time of winter, with various observations including the solstice and other observances; and as a three-day festival coinciding with midwinter some time in what we would call mid to late January (January 12 on a primstav, Jan 24 this year in Iceland; I’m inclined to observe the full moon on January 10 as the yule moon, the first full moon following the first new moon after the solstice).

Holding the main Yule celebration on the solstice is Christian influence, at least in Norway. The Christian king Hákon the good moved jólablót from midwinter to coincide with the solstice/Christmas, it’s just that he was using a calendar that inaccurately placed the solstice on December 25 (by this time, the Julian calendar had drifted so much that the actual solstice was happening around December 13, still celebrated as the “darkest night” in parts of Scandinavia). Heathens and Christians alike continued to observe midwinter in January. Celebrating on the astronomical solstice is just correcting the placement of the solstice on the calendar.

A lot of times I tell people that heathen midwinter was in January and they find it really hard to believe for some reason, I guess because the solstice is so ingrained in many of us. But somehow (perhaps due to help from Halloween?) heathens are by and large aware that pre-Christian (and Christian) Scandinavians considered winter to start in mid-October at Winternights (vetrnætr). Winternights comes several weeks after the autumnal equinox. It stands to reason that there would be approximately the same amount of time between the winter solstice and midwinter. The same is true for the beginning of summer, which is still a bank holiday in Iceland in late April.

None of this is a problem. Keep doing what you’re doing. There’s no pure, unadulterated ur-heathenry. Let’s just stop pretending that what we’re doing is that. If anything, you’re carrying on as it was in the time of the most recent pagans in Scandinavia after the date was set by Hákon góði. Plus you can have another holiday in a couple weeks.

Here is the part from Hákons saga that explains the change of date.

A work on the Norse calendar by Andreas Nordberg (in Swedish but with a good English summary at the end.

[themodernvarangian]

🌿Milly’s “The Flu Can F*ck Off” Brew🌿

I’ve come down with the flu and this is what I’m drinking to help keep the symptoms at bay:

🍋 Add a tablespoon of honey to hot water, stir to dissolve (soothes sore throats).

🍋 Add 1/3 of a lemon’s juice, stir to combine (high in vitamins, boosts immune systems).

🍋 Take a small sprig of thyme and let it steep in the mug (known for ability to fight colds and flus).

🍋 You can witchy it up like I did by thanking the ingredients, asking a deity for their blessing or imbuing the brew with healing, strengthening intentions.

I recommend drinking hot and inhaling the steam to clear your airways. Stay healthy this change of seasons, lovelies!

[always do your own research regarding health benefits and allergens- your safety is most important]

[themodernvarangian]

“You will always be a monster—there is no turning back from it. But what kind of monster you become is entirely up to you.”

— Angrboða to her children, probably.

[themodernvarangian]

“Timeless sea breezes, that for aeons have blown ancient rocks, you are purest space coming from afar…”

– Rainer Maria Rilke

Along the dynamic shores of Acadia National Park in Maine, the ocean continues its relentless assault. On calm summer days through tumultuous winter storms, the waves and tides wash and whip the land’s rocky edge. Acadia is eternal. It was this way before this place had a name. And it will be here for you whenever you need it. Photo courtesy of J.K. Putnam.

[themodernvarangian]

Norse paganists getting pissy because Jewish people and other minority people are wary of their runes and symbols are fucking annoying . Until you start actively combatting the antisemitism and neonazism in your communities you don’t get to be annoyed that we’re wary of your symbols 

[themodernvarangian]

                                            ASTRAL PROJECTION

Good morning everyone, I wanted to share a little routine for astral projection. (this is my version anyway, it may or may not work for you) Now this takes a lot of practice. Like a LOT. So if you don’t get it on the first try, don’t be discouraged. Practice lots and be safe!

warning: do not do this if pregnant

what you will need:

a bed

a thin blanket (optional)

mugwort (dried)

mug and water

an hour of your time

Okay so now that you’ve gathered everything, lets move on to the instructions.

TURN OFF YOUR PHONE! I cannot stress this enough, if you are on your phone in bed before sleep, it reduces the lucidity in your dreams needed for astral projection.

fill a pot with 2 spoonfuls of dried mugwort (mugwort is an herb used to help you sleep, it relieves stress, it intensifies the lucidity of your dreams but it also induces your period which is why you shouldn’t take while pregnant. But it does relieve period cramps!)

fill pot with one and a half cups of hot water

allow to  boil, once boiled, cover with a lid and turn down heat

after 5 minutes of sitting on medium heat, turn off and pour into cup (strained if you want)

now go into your room or wherever you plan on doing this and turn off all lights, make sure no one can disract you.

before drinking the tea, begin to meditate with the cup of tea. close your eyes for better visualization. don’t use the handle but cup it with your hands and feel the warmth travel through your fingers and palms, allow the steam to cover your face, become aware of your breathing and heart beat.

now take a sip and feel the warmth travel down. breathe in the scents and think about the tastes. 

once you finish your tea, go ahead and follow up on your nightly routine, brush teeth, wash face, all that good stuff.

go ahead and lay in bed but don’t use a heavy blanket. a bed sheet works fine but its even better if you have no blanket whatsoever. 

take your time to tighten toes, release, tighten leg muscles, release, tighten butt muscles, release, tighten fingers, release, tighten back and arm muscles, release, tighten shoulder muscles, release, scrunch up your face and release. this is to ensure all your muscles are relaxed. 

focus on your breathing. breath in through your nose slowly for 8 seconds, hold for 10 seconds, breathe out your mouth slowly until there is no more breath and then breathe out again. there is always a little left. Repeat this 5 times.

now focus on your heart beat. 

by this time, your muscles should feel relaxed. you shouldn’t even be able to feel your arms and legs. 

you are now in a hypnotic state. you should see white shapes behind your eyelids. allow them to shape into whatever your mind allows.

at this point you are almost falling asleep but try your best not to. when you’re at this stage, imagine a rope above you. without moving, imagine your arms reaching up for the rope. imagine yourself pulling yourself up. you should feel vibrations. do not be afraid of the vibrations.

that’s it!

now go ahead and practice. but PLEASE be safe. close all doors if you plan on astral travelling. Do not let any spirits scare you. they can’t do anything unless you allow them to. when you want to go back, just imagine yourself going back. now this may lead to sleep paralysis to do this at your own risk. happy dreaming!

[themodernvarangian]

Gender Magic

I noticed that there were only small pockets of posts on helping ease dysphoria or helping you feel more at home with your gender/identity so I decided to compile what I could here!

TERFS are not welcome to interact with this post. But, I always seize the opportunity to block gross people!

Spells (dysphoria):

Dysphoria healing spell

Dispelling dysphoria

Dysphoria spell bottle

Gender protection jar

Voice dysphoria glamour

To stop chest dysphoria

Menstruation dysphoria tea

Spells (gender identity):

Gender affirmation spell

Gender orientation validation spell

An enchantment to be seen as the gender you identify with

Gender clarity switch

Gender euphoria incantation

Confidence mirror glamour

Glamour to prevent misgendering

Sigils:

Dysphoria is banished

I am free of dysphoria

I do not have gender dysphoria

Dysphoria does not effect me

Relieving dysphoria for trans people

My gender is accepted

My voice gets deeper

For feeling more masculine:

Glamoured masculinity potion

The emperor’s reform spell (to strengthen masculine energies)

Bath spell for transmasculinity 

Dapper magic

I am full of masculinity sigil

I look more masculine sigil

For feeling more feminine:

Potion for trans-feminine people

Glamoured femininity potion

The empress reclaim spell (to strengthen feminine energies)

I appear feminine sigil

My appearance is feminine sigil

Increased femininity sigil

For feeling more non-binary (any “non-traditional” gender):

Androgynous glamour

My body is an agender body sigil

Non-binary confidence sigil

Ambiguity / Androgyny / Genderlessness sigils

General:

Dysphoria tarot spread

Crystals for dysphoria

Gender identi-tea

Other resources:

@sylvaetria‘s masterpost

@witchy-woman‘s LGBT masterposts [masculine] [feminine]

@magicusersresource‘s masterpost (spells for trans and nb folks)

@neurodwitches‘ masterpost (dysphoria and witchcraft)