thespelldex

[thespelldex]

God Studies: Manannán mac Lir

Manannán mac Lir is the Celtic God of the Ocean and Guardian of the Afterlife. His name comes from his father, the God Lir, and from the Isle of Man, which is located between Great Britain and Ireland. He was known to be a God of the Ocean and a great magician and healer, living in his realm called Emhain in the Land of Promise. In Celtic mythology, this realm was located off the coast of Ireland out towards the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to these duties, Mannan mac Lir was also the guardian of the afterlife. In this way, he was a sort of combination between the Greek Gods Poseidon and Hades. His consort is the Goddess Fand, a deity renowned for her beauty. It is said that Fand once fell in love with the hero Cuchulainn, and in order to keep them apart, Mannán draped a cloak of invisibility between the two so they could never find each other again. Mannan mac Lir has several children both mortal and divine, the most famous being the trickster mortal Mongan. Depictions of Manannan mac Lir show him as a handsome warrior, driving a chariot over the breaking waves of the sea. It was also said that he owned a ship that sailed itself, which also appears in depictions of the God. His famous invisibility cloak is also a common item in depictions. Not only did he use it to make sure his wife was faithful to him, he also used it to defend the Isle of Man. When invading forces stepped foot on the island, Manannan would use it to shield the land in the form of mists. In this way, Manannan mac Lir was also seen as a trickster God. Despite being a very prevalent God in the Celtic pantheon, Manannan mac Lir is only mentioned in most Celtic myths. In the stories he does appear in, it is mostly to give someone a magickal item. A few of these mythical items included a horse named Enbarr of the Flowing Mane, a horse who could walk on land and on sea, the Ocean Sweeper, a boat that could steer itself, a sword named the Answerer, which was strong enough to cut through plate armor, a spear called Ctann Buide, and a magickal breastplate that could withstand any assailment. It is said that Manannan gifted his foster son, the Celtic God Lugh, his magickal items while bringing him up on the Isle of Man. Despite being a very formidable deity, Manannan mac Lir was slain in Celtic mythology by Uillenn Faebarderg during the epic battle of Magh Cuilenn. His body is supposedly buried somewhere in the Tonn Banks, an area by the coast of Donegall. Though the God is dead, it is said his spirit lives on and rules his resting place. The coast of Donegall is the home of many shipwrecks said to be brought about by the angry deity. The spirit of Manannan mac Lir rides the waves of ocean storms, wreaking havoc on the coastal region.

Correspondence Chart

Solar System: Neptune Element: Water Color: Blue Tarot: the Chariot Trees: Alder, Apple, Hazel Plants: Blackberry/Bramble, Reed Stones: Azurite, Conch Shell, Turquoise Metals: Gold, Silver Magickal Creatures: Mermaids Animals: Crane, Swan, Boar, Cow, Dog, Horse, Pig, Dolphin, Sea Horse, Whale Issues & Intentions: Astral Realm, Community, Enchantment, Fertility, Healing, Leadership, General Magick, Animal Magick, the Otherworld, Peace, Prophecy, Protection from Fairies, Protection at Sea, Rebirth & Renewal, Release, Shape Shifting, Skills, Stimulation, Weather Magick, Wisdom, Wishes, Youth

[thespelldex]

Areas of Research for the Intermediate Witch

When you’ve covered all the basics, the next step is to pick some topics and study them in-depth. Take notes, whether they are online or by hand, and find creative ways to incorporate what you’ve learned into your practice. With depth of knowledge comes depth of understanding, and that will make you a stronger witch. Here are some ideas/topics to get started:

Mesopotamian magic (especially the role of astrology in Mesopotamia)

Go through each of the Sabbats and write down a summary of how they came about. What is their history, purpose and associated mythology?

Hermeticism and its influence on Western magic

The first recorded spells and incantations (hint: they were in ancient Sumer)

Who was Zoroaster?

John Dee and Enochian magic

Freemasonry

The Golden Dawn

The Salem Witch Trials, and how they affected legislation on, and public perception of, witchcraft

Carl Gustav Jung and his work on the connections between psychology and alchemy

Crystal elixirs

Shadow work

Mythology from a variety of cultures - you’re probably familiar with Zeus and Ra, but how much do you know about Ranginui and Papatuanuku? Knowing a variety of mythologies, whether you follow them or not, can help you better understand the deities you work with.

Other religions! It’s the same as mythologies - the more you know, the better.

Buddhist philosophy

Reiki

The fae

Botany - if you can, try to research the plants in your region, and devise correspondences for plants you can find in your local area based on their physical or medicinal properties. Just make sure to be mindful of local/native cultures if there are any.

Make a dream journal, and write down whatever you can remember about your dreams (don’t worry if it’s hard at first, the more you write them down the better you’ll get at remembering). Research possible dream meanings of any dreams that stand out to you!

Astrology, if you’re not already familiar with it. Astrology originated in ancient Mesopotamia as one of the first forms of divination, and as a result is the basis of a lot of magic today.

The natural world. The metaphysical is important but perhaps more so is the world to which it is attached. I’d recommend watching nature documentaries for this one.

Cover all your bases. If there’s a witchcraft 101 area that you never fully learned, now’s the time. Things like grounding, centering, circle casting, meditation, warding, visualisation… these are all important foundations that you need before you can try to build on your knowledge.

Agrippa

[thespelldex]

MY FAVORITE COTTAGE CORE RECIPES

Would you guys like me to post more recipes inspired by cottagecore? Please let me know ^_^

Rose lemonade syrup

Cottagecore meat pie (Original content)

Creamy vegetable soup

Chewy oat cookies

Spiced sugar cookies

Orange Cake

Cheddar biscuits

Apple butter

Cozy Wildrice Soup

Amish White Bread

Caramel apple cider recipe

Forest Porridge

Roasted butternut squash

[thespelldex]

[thespelldex]

Beltane in Lockdown and Quarantine

Beltane is in about a week and as most of us realized right now, most of as are going to spend Beltane inside in quarantine. I though I would write a small post to give you some ideas to celebrate at home.

Baking

To me this is the easiest way to celebrate Beltane while locked inside. I gather some recipes that need few ingredients.

Beltane Oats and Honey Scones

Beltane Tea Potion

Beltane Breakfast

Beltane honey-lemon vanilla madeleines

Sweet Earl Grey Lavender Ice Cream with a Blackberry swirl You will need an Ice cream maker for this one!

BELTANE STRAWBERRY LEMON PASSION BARS

Beltane Sangria

House Cleaning

You can easily incorporate cleaning into a very simple ritual, especially on a sabbath day. 

Light a candle

When you clean, be mindful on how you feel. Try to be grateful of your house and imagine that you are getting rid of all the bad energies

Open the windows if possible to let all the good things come into your life and your home

When you are done, take a few big breath and thanks your home for all the good things it brings you

Light an incense stick and let it burn a bit in every room for a final cleanse

Leave an offering to the faeries

If you have a garden or during a stroll (while respecting social distancing) you can leave a bit of milk and honey for the fae! It is there celebration day too, they will appreciate!

Yoga

Try to do a few sun salutation right after getting out of bed. Dedicate your practice to your deities if you have some or just for to Spring that is in full swing right now.

Here is another great post of what to do for Beltane in Quarantine or Quarantane

Some great ideas for the witches in quarantine and the spoonies over here!

An other great Ask about what to do for Beltane in quarantine here too!

Also, I am sure it can help some people around here:

quarantine tips for people who deal with mental illnesses

There is plenty of other activities to do, if you wish you can add them too after this post! Let’s gather a great list to celebrate, the quarantine will not stop us! <3

Blessed Be!

[thespelldex]

Beltane☀️🔥

What is Beltane?

Beltane is celebrated on May 1st although some people choose to celebrate it from April 30th to May 1st. Beltane is a day for fun, light-hearted celebration, love, and it is often represented by maypole dancing and performing fire rituals to honor the Mother Goddess and Sun God. The days are getting longer and all life is bursting with potent fertility and sexuality on earth is at its peak.  Beltane celebrations are filled with feasts and sun magick, the name Beltane means “fire of Bel”. Beltane is a time to watch what you’ve been manifesting and working so hard towards come to life before your eyes. Celebrate, laugh, love, drink, eat and have a good time!

Ways to Celebrate

Play music that gets you feeling happy and excited. Beltane is a celebration of abundance and high energy, so play music that raises your energy

Prepare something in the kitchen. Make a food that reminds you of the coming summer months, share it with whoever you live with if you can/want to

Get crafty! You could draw, paint, write or even just work on a project for yourself. It could really be anything, as long as you’re creating it.

Light some candles or incense! Lighting fires on Beltane is tradition. So however you can safely have a fire lit nearby, have it burning while you do any of the other activities listed above.

Flower gathering

Nature walks

Washing your face with morning dew

Making Beltane bread

Colors🌈

Red

White

Green

Blue

Yellow

Brown

Pink

Crystals💎

Amber

Bloodstone

Citrine

Carnelian

Agate

Malachite

Moonstone

Ruby

Emerald

Sapphire

Rose quartz

Herbs🌿

Angelica

Mint

Mugwort

St. John’s wort

Yarrow

Thyme

Hawthorn

Flowers🌸

Foxglove

Bluebells

Daisy

Lilac

Food 🥐

Bread

Cereal

Honey

Cherries

Oatmeal

Strawberries

Wine

Salad

  I hope you all have a wonderful Beltane and I cant wait to see how you all celebrated!

[thespelldex]

[thespelldex]

a magical shot by @spiritnectar

[thespelldex]

fire salt 🧂🔥

used for protection, banishing, power, cursing/hexing, chaos magick, or as a strong symbol of fire for a spell/alter.

sea salt

chili powder

black pepper

cinnamon

red chili flake

crush everything till combined in mortar & pestle, charge with candles before use if desired to reawaken your salt

earth salt [x] - air salt [x] - water salt [x]

[thespelldex]

botanical bath by emma_sugi

[thespelldex]

having my own flower shop, watering plants, growing flowers, smelling the roses and orchids, knowing the Victorian flower language and making bouquets and ikebanas with meaning, drinking tea with buyers while discussing the latest news, and being smiley girl who sells flowers

[thespelldex]

Beltane Blessings one and all /|\ 🙏🔥

[thespelldex]

spending most of the morning on the kitchen, baking apple pie and chocolate muffins, listening to the Beatles, settling tea party, choosing the perfect cups and napkins, decorating the room with flowers, waiting for guests for discussing with them the latest news and books which we all have read recently while drinking herbal tea and eating pastries

[thespelldex]

SHADOW WORK SIMPLIFIED

What is shadow work?

If I had to describe shadow work in one word, it would be introspection. Introspection is the examination of your own mental state and is necessary in order to learn more about your fundamental nature. Although it may sound off-putting and even scary at first, shadow work is a necessary component in the process of healing. We all have aspects of ourselves that we’ve rejected and hidden away out of fear. Through shadow work, we’re able to reflect on our thoughts, emotions, and habits so that we can find the root cause of our suffering and heal ourselves. By reincorporating those aspects of ourselves that we’ve denied, we feel more fulfilled and can begin to love ourselves fully. 

Where does shadow work come from? 

The concept of the shadow self comes from Carl Jung who believed that our shadow self is the subconscious aspect, or “dark side”, of our personality that our conscious ego doesn’t identify with. However, I would like to clarify that “dark” does not imply or equate with bad. That which resides outside of our consciousness can be either good or bad, but aren’t inherently reflective of our value or “goodness” as a person. 

Although these repressed aspects of ourselves can manifest negatively, it isn’t because those parts of us are “bad”, but that the process of repression is inherently painful and toxic. This is reflected by Jung when he states, “Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is.” He believed that until we’ve merged our conscious and subconscious selves, that our conscious would be “the slave of the autonomous shadow”. This is due to the shadow self overwhelming our conscious selves by falling victim to our own self-imposed traps. 

Through assimilating this shadow self, not over-identifying with it, Jung believed we go through the process of enantiodromia, thereby integrating the subconscious by reincorporating our shadow selves into our personality and allowing us to solidify ourselves through wholeness. He best described this by stating "assimilation of the shadow gives a man body, so to speak.” However, don’t fall into the misconception that shadow work is a short-term practice. Shadow work is a continuous practice and integration of the shadow self is a will take place throughout your life.

How do I do shadow work?

In the last question, I identified that practicing self-reflection is a key component of shadow work, but what does that mean? What am I supposed to be reflecting on? Well, the first thing that you should focus on is being present throughout the day. Identify feelings that come up throughout the day and observe them objectively. What situation or interaction triggered these emotions? How did I react to those emotions? Were my emotions controlling me or was I in control of my emotions? Why did this situation or interaction cause me to feel this way? How did I cope with those feelings (self-harming, lashing out at others, communicating my feelings, journalling, etc.)? Did I punish myself for getting upset? If so, why? 

There are numerous ways to reflect on your feelings and experiences in order to get a better understanding of yourself. Through evaluating how you react to situations, which situations upset you, and how you managed those feelings, you’re able to build the foundation to understanding your emotions and bridge the gap between your subconscious and conscious mind.

Once you’ve done this, you’ll find that the emotions you feel in the present are reflective of unhealed emotions from your past. Perhaps the reason you feel that you’re unable to set boundaries as an adult is because as a child, your parents never respected your boundaries by going through your phone or diary, yelling at you when you said no to a request, forcing you into situations that made you feel you had no choice. 

By identifying the root cause of your emotional pain, you’re able to address it in the present and heal from the trauma. The simplest way that I’ve found to address them is through journalling. You can purchase a physical journal or even use your notes app, either way, you’re writing out your feelings and reflections to gain deeper insight. It’s important to remember that this looks different for anyone and that the best way to approach shadow work is by doing what feels most natural! You can choose to stick to self-reflective journal prompts, vent about whatever is upsetting you, write letters to whoever has hurt you, etc. Ultimately, you can guide yourself based off of what you feel you need and where you are in your journey.

What parts of yourself do you find yourself rejecting the most? Many of us have experienced the pain of rejection in some aspects of our lives and sometimes, it’s incredibly painful and leaves us with long-lasting wounds. We end up going through our lives carrying baggage that we don’t even know we have! Many times, I’ve found myself wondering why I felt so repulsed by aspects of myself and why I felt so strongly that they needed to be locked away forever. I couldn’t allow myself or others to see my truest self, my whole self, out of fear. I was scared of being rejected, shamed, humiliated by the people around me. I was scared of hurting other people by being myself and of being hurt by others. That’s no way to live, is it? When we tell ourselves that aspects of ourselves aren’t good enough, we end up going through life devaluing ourself. We’ve broken our own trust by rejecting ourselves, we’ve told ourselves that we aren’t good enough or worthy of love. In shadow work, you’re called to go inward and unpack everything that we’ve kept hidden for years and sometimes even decades. 

Bring the parts of yourself that you’ve repressed to the surface and nourish them with love, allow yourself to see that ALL OF YOU is deserving of love and support. For you, that could mean unlearning your unhealthy beliefs about food or eating, allowing yourself to be emotional around the people you love (despite how much you were told that you were too emotional, a crybaby, too sensitive in the past), allowing yourself to relax without feeling guilty about not being productive because you recognize your needs (even though you feel your sense of worth is tied to being productive at the cost of your own health).

Common misconceptions about shadow work?

Shadow work is evil or bad, the shadow is evil or bad 

The purpose of shadow work is healing through working with your subconscious to release repressed aspects of yourself and heal from painful, traumatic experiences. Your shadow side is simply your unconscious and to believe that it’s bad is to believe that you are bad. It’s merely the part of yourself that you aren’t aware of consciously and shouldn’t be feared. 

Certain emotions are “bad”

When you let go of the idea that emotions are either good or bad, you’ll allow yourself to just be and stop putting so much pressure on yourself to feel “good” all of the time. Happiness isn’t a constant state of being so stop expecting to be all of the time, we have a range of emotions for a reason so stop being ashamed of them. Your feelings are natural and if you feel like they’re out of control and something to be ashamed of, there is nothing wrong with that! It’s okay to feel like your emotions are controlling you because that isn’t permanent. Your feelings aren’t permanent and are completely manageable with proper guidance! The reason you feel like your emotions are controlling you is because you probably don’t have the knowledge to cope with them in an effective and healthy way. It’s helpful to sit with your emotions alone and look at them objectively without placing any judgement on them, this will help you calm down and assess your feelings. From there, you can identify what you need to relax and recover as well as acknowledge to yourself that your feelings are natural. When you stop categorizing your emotions as bad, they’re no longer shameful to experience and therefore you can see with better clarity how to cope with them and move on.

I’ve already released it so…

Why am I still upset?

Why does it still keep popping up in my head?

Why haven’t I moved on?

Why am I not making progress?

With the rise of self development and spirituality, I find that more and more people are rushing to complete their healing. Healing is a continuous, life-long cycle and not a destination. Putting the pressure on yourself to reach the place of ultimate healing is not only toxic, but it impedes your ability to actually heal anything. Healing is about love, compassion, and patience and it’s not going to happen according to a timeline. Allow yourself the time to experience your emotions, see them objectively, forgive yourself and others and move on without the pressure of expectations. 

 Another reason that you could be experiencing this is that despite the work you think you’ve done, it hasn’t been sufficient. I’ve found that a lot of journal prompts provided online are surface level at best and can be more pacifying than revealing. If you’re not feeling anything while doing your inner work, you’re not doing it correctly. Ultimately, this is about uncovering what makes us UNCOMFORTABLE and moving through those feelings. When you allow yourself to experience the sadness, hurt, anger, and/or frustration than you’re telling yourself that these feelings are okay and don’t need to be suppressed. The reality is that no matter what you’re feeling, you are allowed to experience those emotions and it’s only human! Unfortunately, many people associate lower vibrational emotions as bad, but this is a huge misconception! Telling yourself that anger, sadness, etc. are “bad” implies that you shouldn’t experience these emotions and that you have to get rid of them which is not only wrong, but unhealthy. There is no right or wrong emotions so don’t buy into the belief that you should feel a certain way, simply allow yourself to be and you’ll find that it’s much easier to navigate your emotions and needs. The only way to make it to the other side is by wading through the water, be patient and know that you’re feeling exactly what you should be. When you stop censoring yourself, you’ll discover a newfound sense of freedom and wholeness. 

 If you find yourself circling back to certain topics, for example, your ex-boyfriend than perhaps there are triggers in your environment that remind you of the situation, you have more that needs to be addressed that you may not have been ready for or aware of previously (hence why shadow work is a practice that is ongoing), or they’re representative of a deeper issue that you’re repressing. Whatever the cause is, the same methods as earlier will apply and can be discerned through your own intuition. 

What are some basic journal prompts that I can do?

What feelings come up when you think of ____?

How did that experience make you feel emotionally? How did it make you feel about yourself? How did it make you feel about the other person or people?

Write a letter to yourself, your inner child, the people who’ve hurt you, and the people you’ve hurt. Express how you feel honestly, without holding back and then forgive yourself and the other person.

If you could say anything to yourself or another person for closure, what would it be?

How have these situations and experiences impacted your mental health? How have they affected your belief system about yourself, other people, and the world?

What about yourself are you ashamed of? What about yourself are you embarrassed of? What about yourself makes you angry? What do you regret? Why do you feel this way about yourself and where do these feelings stem from?

What makes you feel most alone? What makes you feel most loved? How can you incorporate that knowledge into your life to make it better?

What’s the most hurtful thing someone has said or done to you? Why did it hurt you so much? How does it still affect you now? How can you heal from it and allow yourself to move on?

What do you need to forgive yourself for? What do you need to forgive others for?

Where do you feel you lack security in your life? Why? How does this impact your life and your relationships?

This is a list of generic prompts for you to start with, but feel free to message me if you need help with more specific topics or I can make another post altogether for journal prompts.

[thespelldex]

Beltane

May Day/Walpurgisnacht - April 30 - May 1 Beltane is very similar to Ostara, but it also celebrates a more mature love, marriage, and fertility. Many choose to conceive children at this time or otherwise enjoy themselves sexually. Nature is bursting at the seams with energy, beauty, sexuality, and excitement. To match this, Beltane festivals are high energy with a lot of dancing and bonfires. Many will dance and weave a maypole, but if one is not present, it’s perfectly acceptable to link hands and dance around a tree. It’s the peak of Spring, the top of the fertile season, and some may already feel Summer in the air. Popular Symbols for this holiday are flowers, a maypole, beeswax candles, brooms, honey, symbols of genitalia, offerings for faeries, wreaths or flower crowns, bees, bonfires, and a cauldron of flowers. Color Associations - Green, Red, Blue, Yellow, Brown, White, Silver Tarot Cards associated with Beltane are The Sun and The Star. Crystals to use on your altar or for spells on this holiday could be Aventurine, Bloodstone, Carnelian, Emerald, Jasper, Malachite, Rose Quartz, Sapphire, Sun Stone Animal energies to channel could include rabbits, goats, cows, swans, swallows, deer. Herbs and Plants - Birch, Bluebell, Crocus, Daisy, Dandelion, Hawthorn, Honeysuckle, Mint, Mugwort, Rose, Rosemary, Tulips, Violets, Wildflowers Spells good to perform on this holiday are those Abundance, Blessings, Fertility, Joy, and Sex Magic. Activities to help get in the Beltane spirit and celebrate are lighting a bonfire, leaving offerings for faeries, dancing (especially around a may pole), handfasting ceremonies, love spells, child conception. You could also decorate cookies and candles with dried herbs and flowers! Having a picnic and taking a ritual bath are two other relaxing things to do to ease your way into the holiday. Take time to really take in everything that’s going on in the moment and really appreciate it. Meditate, braid flowers into your hair, make daisy chains or flower crowns. Make a wish box and filling it with goals and wishes for the summer. Drink some mead, bake a cake, indulge yourself and enjoy the holiday! image source - natureandbeauty.tumblr.com

[thespelldex]

Honey Lemon Upside-Down Cake

A fresh, not-too-sweet citrus dessert for Beltane.

Ingredients

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 thin-skinned lemons, sliced paper-thin crosswise, seeds discarded

Zest of a third lemon

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, separated

¾ cup buttermilk

Methods

Preheat the oven to 350°. Set a 9-inch nonstick cake pan over moderate heat. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter and when it is melted, stir in the brown sugar until dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Arrange the lemon slices in the melted brown sugar.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the lemon zest, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter with the honey until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and the egg yolks, one at a time. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk.

In a stainless steel bowl, beat the egg whites at high speed until firm peaks form. Fold one-third of the beaten whites into the batter, then fold in the rest. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert it onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

Lemon: love, purification, longevity

Honey: love, happiness, prosperity, beauty

[thespelldex]

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐀𝐩𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬

*remember, Aphrodite week starts tomorrow, at 8 am on my blog ^_^*

♡ Wash your hair with only conditioner every-other hair wash ♡ Wash face with rose water ♡ Keep rose quartz next to your face wash for glamour ♡ Dot rose oil on your neck and wrists before applying perfume (the scent will last longer) ♡ Keep sigils on cosmetic packages ♡ Anoint skincare/haircare/makeup with oils and herbs (packaging, not the actual product) ♡ Place honey on your lips to make your speech sweeter ♡ Color magick applies to makeup too (ex. wear pink eyeshadow to attract self-love) ♡ Add rose water to your baths ♡ Drink some rose tea with honey ♡ Giving complements is an act of honoring Aphrodite ♡ Showering is a form of spiritual and physical cleansing ♡ Offer Aphrodite some chocolate