eccentricnightengale
Wander Lost
"It's a dangerous business...going out your door. You step onto the road, and there's no knowing where you might be swept off to..."
(She/Her, 32)
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The Evil Eye in Irish Folklore
In pre-modern Ireland, like in many other cultures, the power of the gaze held immense significance. Practices and customs associated with the evil eye were passed down through generations, and many were collected in The School's Collection in the 1930s.
The School's Collection has proven to be an indispensable asset in my exploration of Irish paganism. However, it can be quite a task to read, classify, and integrate all the materials on any given topic. The following are my notes from what I've encountered searching the records, but I hope they'll prove useful to others.
What is the evil eye in the Irish folk tradition?
In Irish folk traditions, the evil eye was believed to possess an otherworldly power, capable of causing illness, misfortune, and even death.
It was believed that those who possessed the evil eye could knowingly or unknowingly project this baneful magic onto others simply through their gaze. The evil eye could affect many aspects of life including people, livestock, and crops.
This ability is often referred to as "overlooking" or "blinking" in the Duchas records and the terms can be used interchangeably.
In this locality, long ago, it was a common belief, that if people met with any reverses, or suffered any loss of property, the misfortune was due to "the evil-eye," meaning that some person supposed to have an evil eye "overlooked" their property, and that was considered the reason for the particular piece of ill-luck. If a person with an "evil-eye" took particular notice of any animal, for example, the animal would either do himself an injury or pine away gradually. Usually, the possessors of the "evil eye" were not aware that they had such a particular kind of eye, or were connected with other people's misfortunes. Duchas.ie
What causes the evil eye?
There are numerous things that could cause someone to be born with the evil eye (people are generally considered to be born with it rather than acquiring it later in life). Some of the reasons recorded are:
Having the surname Marrinan 1, 2, 3 or Kingfisher 4.
Being born on Whit Sunday (the seventh Sunday after Easter) 5, 6 or on June 29th 7
Babies returning to breastfeeding after being weaned 8, 9
Babies seeing their baptismal towel before it was washed 10
Your Godparents omitting a word during your baptism 11
Prevention of the evil eye
To protect themselves from the ill effects of being overlooked, people developed customs and rituals, the most popular of which included:
Waiting to light their fires on May Day so that the evil eye did not take their luck and profit for the coming year 12
Placing St. Brigid's crosses around the home (and outhouses) 13, 14
Nailing a donkey's shoe to the threshold of the home (this also helped to guard against the Good Neighbors) 15
For animals, placing a Gauldoron Garragh knot on their back would provide protection 16
Using red items (usually cloth) to distract the evil eye 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
Asking God to bless the person or thing being talked about after you suspect an overlooker (a common term for those who possess the evil eye) has spoken about them 22, 23, 24, 25
Jumping through the flames at midsummer 5
Cures for the evil eye
If all your preventative measures failed, there were several cures that could be tried.
For a baby born on Whit Sunday or another unlucky day, the cure was to place green sod over them three times 4, 6, 8
A cure commonly used with animals thought to have been overlooked was to write the overlooker's name (if known) or the entire alphabet (if the overlooker's name is unknown) onto a piece of paper or other burnable material and burn it under the animal's nose so that it inhales the smoke 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
A piece of thatch from the overlooker's house, or even a piece of their clothing can also be burned under an animal or person's nose (or burned and then the ashes put into a drink) to cure the evil eye 27, 28, 29
Water from a place where three townslands meet can cure when sprinkled on the overlooked animal or person, but the person who gets the water must not speak to anyone on their way there and back 30
Forge water can also be used in the same way 31
While the belief in the evil eye has faded over time, the echoes of these traditions can still be felt in Irish culture today. These records serve as a reminder of the deep-rooted folklore and superstitions that once shaped the lives of the Irish people and can help inform our Irish pagan practices today.
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Hello everyone!
It’s my biennial post of e-begging while in between jobs!
I currently just finished up with my trade school certification and last payments(soon I can hopefully be licensed and working!!), and am in need of some funding to get me through the rest of the month.
I need around $600 to pay off the rest of my utilities, have gas, and get some food for myself!
Please reblog, I hate to ask but need to eat.
0/600
My cash a p p and ven mo are
BunnyBoo2U!
Every little bit helps.
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Preparing a Rabbit Fertility Pillow for Bealltainn
Okay, so, in advance, this is not a quick craft. This is not an easy spell, as far as time and energy. It is not slapdash, it must be done methodically and with intent. Also, I am cutting this and providing no pictures (1) because I didn’t think to take pictures before last night and (2) because of the amount of hate I’ve gotten in the past from vegetarian and vegan witches. I am also cutting this both to save space on everyone’s dash, but also in deference to those who are sensitive to or oppose animal husbandry. This spell is intended only for use with wild hunted rabbits or privately reared farming rabbits. I do not support or endorse any theft or use of anyone’s pet bunny. Proceed with this in mind if you wish.
Keep reading
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Is it a deity reaching out to you, or is it just animals following their natural cycles for the current time of year? Is it a deity reaching out, or is it social media algorithm curating your feed based on your recent interactions and searches? Is it a deity reaching out, or are you the one interested in the deity?
#witchblr#witchcraft#witch community#witches of tumblr#beginner witch#folk witchcraft#witchcraft 101#folk witch#folk magic#serpentandthreads#important!!!
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Book Review: Folk Magic and Healing, An Unusual History of Everyday Plants
This is: Folk Magic and Healing : An Unusual History of Everyday Plants by: Fez Inkwright!
Rating: 8/10
Pros: ILLUSTRATIONS!!! I can't begin to say how stunning this book really is. It's clearly zeroed in on UK plantlife, but the sheer amount of folklore and old 'healing' usages mentioned in this book is well worth grabbing it up! It begins with a great breakdown of plantlife and how they were crucial to people before common medicine was the way of the world.
Cons: Hm, I'd say the references used might be a bit of a con, the author does include references and sources however I feel for the sheer amount of information in this book it doesn't have nearly as wide a variety of sources cited. But considering the author's a folklorist in her own right I'm mildly okay with that. I also didn't go into this book expecting most of it to be encyclopedia like, but I'm also okay with that!
Buy? If you're interested in Britain's usage of herbalism and how it ties into their naming and folk tales? Do so! As someone who's interested in herbalism as a whole and folklore as a whole it was a refreshing read! A lot of those plants have been transferred over to the US so it's helpful here but maybe not as much as some others.
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Putting my anthropology degree to good use and compiling a bunch of credible sources documenting real life Balkan folk magic traditions in one easy, convenient article!
I know so many sources about witchcraft are inaccessible and or culturally appropriative, so I did a lot of research and wrote this easy to digest article covering some basics of South Eastern European folk belief. I’m thinking of writing more articles about various European folk traditions (when I have time!) so this will be an ongoing project. I hope you learn something new and meaningful to incorporate into your craft 💗
An Introduction to Balkan Folk Magic
Like many old world practices, traditional Balkan magic has historically been carried out by cunning folk, healers and seers who were gifted in communicating with the “other world”. These community healers practiced generational family knowledge, remedies and prayers passed down from elders. It is important to note that most cunning folk did not view themselves as witches, rather they were seen as conduits for god’s miracles. Within a historical context, these practitioners very much considered themselves Christian, Muslim, or Jewish. Elements of paganism lingered in many rural regions, though they were absorbed into the social-religious fabric of the day. Rituals performed by cunning folk were typically protective, either preventative or as a treatment for supernatural maladies. Spells shielded people from harm, physically or spiritually.
Many of these traditional healers and diviners were women. They passed down knowledge to their daughters, granddaughters, and nieces. Men weren’t barred from practicing, it was just rarer for them to perform these rituals. These traditions are often tied to the family, home, or the community. Many magical rituals shared common themes, but were often specific to a singular family. The women who performed these rituals and divined their neighbors’ futures are known as bajalica, bajanje, basmara, bajarica, or bajaluša — or “conjurers that heal with words.” Bajalica and those they helped held the belief that spirits have the power to afflict illness, charms, and hexes. Bajalica are the mediators between the spirit and human worlds.
In Serbian folk belief, each family has their own protective spirit or slava. Families would celebrate them with dedicated rituals in which they made offerings of bread, sacred water, wine, and oil, as well as lighting incense and sacred candles. These spirits or saints are associated with the hearth, the heart of the home, which is considered the most sacred ritual space. During healing rituals bajalica call upon the slava, drawing and channeling their power to strengthen spells. These spells typically involve a verbal component, whispered incantations that call upon saints and spirits for help in casting evil away. These verbal formulas are highly specific to each bajalica, often times mumbling well remembered words to rid patients of their misfortune.
Spiritual afflictions are found through various means of divination, digging for the root cause. Divination has long been used to predict the fates of those who seek out the conjurers. These methods include reading tarot, casting beans and interpreting patterns (also known as favomancy), molybdomancy (casting and reading molten lead), reading tea leaves and coffee grounds, and gazing into copper bowls filled with water beneath the moonlight and interpreting patterns in the reflection. Divination was and is, the main way to discover the root of “spiritual sickness”, who hexed whom, if one was afflicted with the evil eye, the urok. Much of Balkan folk belief centers around protection from the evil eye, with the majority of spells dedicated to banishing or warding.
Various regions and countries have their own means of protecting oneself from the evil eye. In Albania people use dordolec, house dolls, that are elaborately dressed and displayed in gardens or atop homes to protect against the malicious urok. In modern times most dordolec are stylized scarecrows or stuffed animals, but the intent is the same. It is believed that the doll reflects the covetous gaze back on the perpetrator and shields the home’s inhabitants. Other amulets in Albania, Serbia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, and various Balkan countries are dried snake heads between two holy medals made of silver, objects made of iron, cloves of garlic, the hand of Fatima or hamsa, and the nazar.
Again, most rituals heavily focus on protection magic — not just from the evil eye, but malevolent spirits as well. Bajalica will employ the ritual use of knives, broom whisks, sickles, and axes in healing and warding spells. Though these are physical implements, they are tokenistic, a form of sympathetic magic. Knives and other sharp implements are used symbolically, cutting away illness and curses from the spiritual self by slashing bowls of water or the air around the afflicted person in increments of 3 or 9. These are considered sacred numbers. After the symbolic cuts are made, the water is spilled at a crossroads away from the home. This leads the evil away from the community.
Healing rituals have many intricate components. Conjurers often employ various herbs in healing and blessing water such as basil, thyme, oregano, Saint John’s-wort, sage, and mugwort. Other healers might cleanse spaces and energies with a smoke bath made of similar herbal blends. Not only do healers use ritual tools, they often perform physical acts, such as performing knot magic and binding spells using colorful yarn. The yarn is typically red, black, or white. White yarn is used in healing rituals, red in binding magic and love spells, and black is used in binding as well — though it is sometimes used for darker, malicious purposes.
The folk practices of South Eastern Europe are heavily entrenched in doing acts of good. Healers serve their communities, curing ailments and casting protective spells. Many of these traditions still exist in some capacity and are practiced equally among Muslim, Christian, and Jewish Balkans. Though many of the rituals have a religious faith based element, they can be adapted to secular, agnostic, or polytheistic belief systems. These practices date back hundreds of years and by choosing to incorporate them into your craft, you are helping keep rich and beautiful traditions alive.
(sources available at the end of linked article)
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How To Get Free Books On Folklore
I do not believe in gatekeeping knowledge, so this post will be sharing how I get all my folklore books for free, legally.
To explain, when a book gets over a certain age and the copyright is not upkept, it falls under “public domain.” When that happens, many different websites will provide those books as a free download.
This is not restricted to one type of book, either. You can grab anything from Sherlock Holmes to history books, to folklore, and more.
If you are looking for a specific book, you may have to check more than one source, so I suggest bookmarking more than one website.
Example Websites:
Internet Archive
Project Gutenberg
Google Books
Open Library
Electric Scotland (Scottish books)
Sacred Texts
National Library of Scotland: Ossain Collection
Forgotten Books
Hathitrust
For me when I download a book, I then upload them to my Google library so that I can use the search functions as well as bring up the books anywhere, but a popular PC option isCalibre.
If you are interested in Scotland-specific folklore, I do have some suggestions of books you can start with.
Scottish Folklore Books:
(link) A Dictionary of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures by Katharine Briggs (1976)
(link) Folklore of Scottish Lochs and Springs by James M. Mackinlay (1893)
(link) Superstitions of the Highlands & Islands of Scotland by John Gregorson Campbell (1900)
(link) The Peat-Fire Flame: Folk-Tales and Traditions of the Highlands and Islands by Alasdair Alpin MacGregor (1937)
(link) Notes on Folk-Lore of the North-East of Scotland by Walter Gregor, M.A. (1881)
(link) The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries by W.Y. Evans-Wentz (1911)
(link) Witchcraft and Superstitious Record in the South-Western District of Scotland by J. Maxwell Wood (1911)
(link) Witchcraft & Second Sight in the Highlands & Islands of Scotland by John Gregorson Campbell (1902)
(link) Folklore of Scottish Lochs and Springs by James M. Mackinlay (1893)
(link) Folk-Lore From The West of Ross-Shire by C.M. Robertson (1908)
(link) The Fairy Mythology / Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various Countries by Thomas Keightley (1850)
(link) Popular Tales of the West Highlands by John Francis Campbell (1862)
(link) Scottish Fairy and Folk Tales by Sir George Douglas
(link) The Scottish Fairy Book By Elizabeth W. Grierson (1918)
(link)
(link) Popular Superstitions of the Highlands By W Grant Stewart (1823)
#folklore#mythology#myths#lore#scottish folklore#scottishfolklore#scottish mythology#history#witchcraft#folk magic#research#witchy reads#witchy research
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please consider helping me out, i need $100 to cover a car repair and i do not know what to do to pay it. i am already struggling with rent this month and if i cannot afford the car repair, i cannot work. please help if you can but do not feel guilty if you cannot. even $1 will help. thank you for your time.
paypal • venmo
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Second Spirit House completed!
This one was more of an undertaking (graveyard jokes haha) than the last one, mostly because of the three different levels!
The bottom most level features a tiny forgotten gravesite with a couple coffins, an abandoned tombstone cross, and real small animal bones! (Ethically obtained via owl pellets).
Second level has a small room with a hardwood floor and a rug surrounded by a series of candles… some sort of ritual maybe? Wonder how it went…
Up the rickety rotting staircase is a tiny third floor where a crystal ball awaits seated on a cloth covered table.
All pieces of furniture are hand made and not purchased! So everything here except for the obvious is built completely by hand and painted/stained.
This will be going to Trotcon with me to find it’s home but will take offers up until the convention if you aren’t able to make it. Pricing will be $150 but willing to negotiate.
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Happy St. Brigid’s Day!
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I can personally vouch for @torque-witch; her work is beautiful and well made! Her shop is chock full of witchy goodies, so check it out!
Okay friends, once again I could use some financial help to help me get through the next few weeks if possible.
My new job I won’t get paid for for 2-3 weeks, and I won’t get payout for my downtown shop space until February, assuming anything sells (January is always worse canonically). I will have to do DoorDash on top of those things still until things even out, but I don’t want to make things worse on me physically.
For context, Etsy has been averaging at $400 a month, which is way less than I used to make (2-3k) which is partly why I had to start doordashing again last year plus dealing with the ramifications of poor mental and physical health. It’s going to take me awhile to balance everything and hopefully return to those levels.
So - in the meantime the shop is still open with plenty of things ready to ship, but I can also do small made to order custom things like crochet mug rugs, beanies, bandanas and Tarot bags. I’ll add pictures for most of the things I can provide right now (plus there are plenty of statues).
If any of that looks/sounds interesting to you, please visit the site or message me for any custom requests. I am not currently offering any custom paintings except for the wood slices within reason/similar theme.
Prices online reflect shipping cost - but message me about any questions!
Death’s Head Divination
If you can’t help or aren’t interested please don’t worry! Sharing always helps get more potential customers interested. I know January can also be hard for other industries, and the economy sucks. I just unfortunately have to ask because my normal posts don’t really go anywhere either across the board. Thank you so much for looking!
#deaths head divination#witchcraft community#witchy shopping#witchy shop#tarot bags#goddess#goddess statue
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Witchy Wishlists 2022!!
Im joining a little late, but thats because I didnt know someone else picked up the torch for this year! I'll be trying to sift through some peoples lists to see what i can do for everyone, but for now, heres my list!
I have an Amazon wish list , some semi expensive stuff on there but then there's also like 8 dollar (CAD) stickers too, for my journaling!
Im always looking for more music recommendations, any genre. I listen to just about everything and am always looking for more! If you know of any small bands that are local to you that you want to share around, id love to hear them!
Mayhaps consider commissioning me? The holidays are a busy time so i probably wont have any art done until January, but my art blog is @imstillhere-butallislostart
Thank you for reading, have a good holiday season
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Witchy Wishlist 2022
Maryland, USA
Cashapp $Tiffanybphoto
Amazon wishlist: Film and media related
amazon wishlist Witchy related
Amazon wishlist extra
Psychic reading of the medium sense. Any spirits around me or have messages for me.
palm reading, I have some interesting lines i wanna know about
donate your favorite way
future reading. Career, life, etc
creative collaborators?
Garden share? Share your plants
Share your fav ways to celebrate your fav holiday
seed exchange? I love more of the exotic, wild, or rare items
A real divination ball. obsidian or clear quartz
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tarot/oracle deck clear out sale
prices include shipping ((us only unless you are willing to pay for worldwide shipping)) and freebies!!
celtic shamans pack - $20
the box is beat up from the previous owner but the cards themselves and guidebook are in perfect condition.
the illustrated crystallary oracle - $15
deck and guidebook in perfect condition, box has a tiny bump on the top right corner.
elemental power tarot - $15
in perfect condition, used a few times. this deck is a pip deck! meaning there are no actual illustrations for the minor arcana.
the alleymans tarot + booster pack #4 - $80
in perfect condition! bought from someone else so the guidebook is a little bent on the top right corner but still good.
signed urban crow oracle - $35
everything is in perfect condition, the cards themselves haven’t even been shuffled yet.
transient light tarot - $20
in great condition, i just don’t feel connected to the deck :( but everything is perfect!
the wild unknown pocket tarot - $8
used quite a few times, the guidebook is a lil beat up but it still works.
woodland wardens oracle - $15
the deck and cards are in perfect condition, the box came beat up from amazon but it’s not too noticeable.
three fake “pocket sized” decks - free with any purchase until they’re gone
i don’t feel comfortable selling these for money as they are counterfeit decks so if anyone wants to snatch one with another deck please let me know.
please message me if you are interested in purchasing!! i will send more pictures upon request as well :)
i accept payments through p*yp*l, c*sh*pp, and v*nmo
edit: prices are negotiable ((especially if you want to buy multiple decks))! just shoot me a message and we can work something out
#witchcraft#witch#witchblr#witch community#divination#tarot#tarot deck#oracle#oracle deck#tarot decks for sale
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Hey everyone. I don't usually do donation posts but we could use some help.
My best friend needs a corrective helmet for her five month old daughter. The insurance company denied it for some reason. Out of pocket it would cost over $1500 US plus tax, and she just bought a house after moving seven months ago so she doesn't have the money to spare. She also has two other kids under the age of 6, one of whom is high needs autistic.
This is my Wifey, the only true best friend I have ever had, and if any of y'all can help, even a little, I would appreciate it so much. If you donate, I can make you a bracelet for the trouble, or a mini writing commission (100-500 words, send a DM for more details). Please help us out.
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real shit tho!! i literally have no money rn, forget about getting me a real coat i actually just want money to eat reliably for the next couple days! thats really important to me right now because i havent been feeling well and wont be probably until the end of this week. so yeah some stability would really help. anything you guys have to give is more than enough :) donate if u can and share if you cant :)
c4$h4pp
v3nm0
p4yp4l
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New Witch Resources
I’m gonna say it again, I made a google doc full of online resources for new witches!
See see see it’s absolutely packed with good stuff! We’re talking PDFs, small businesses to get books from, and tons of links. Please go check it out! And remember my DMs are always open if you have any or many questions 💕
#witch#witchcraft#witches of tumblr#witches#witch tips#witchy tips#witchytips#witchblr#beginner witch#baby witch#witchling#witchy resources
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