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lightofthemagdalene · 13 days

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Come to the night gently.

Do not run.

Do not leap.

The sun sets on a schedule entirely her own.

There is no need to run eastwords

to hurry her on.

As the dusk settles

and the bruised air

fills your lungs,

and the black hares

hunker on the hillside,

Breathe.

Listen.

Witness

as the dark moon rises.

Rise alongside it and

greet the darkening sky.

You will see that

even as the sun’s gold

has fully faded,

and the purple breeze

has softened,

there is light.

That—

that which is part of you—

that which you are part of—

that which beckons you to rest.

For

there is no leaving.

There is only going home

where there are friends to meet you.

#freeform poetry #devotional poetry #the magdalene #Amara #my poetry #poetry #death #death work #death poetry #death poem #grief #mourning

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lightofthemagdalene · 26 days

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Deity Worship vs Deity Work

I’ve seen a lot of confusion over these two terms in online spaces recently, and a lot of people using the two terms interchangeably even though they are two different things. Deity worship and deity work differ in several important ways.

Deity Worship

Deity worship involves honoring and following a god or multiple gods - whether they be from a pagan pantheon or not. Anyone of any skill level can worship a god, and the only thing to keep in mind when doing so is to be respectful of the god(s) in question and the culture that they come from - so long as they are not part of a closed practice that you don’t belong to, of course.

The actual act of worship can vary between practitioners and between religions, as each culture worships differently and each practitioner’s circumstances and relationship to their god(s) is different.

Deity Work

Deity work is a much more involved form of deity worship. It involves a close relationship with a deity, where the deity often offers guidance and teachings to the follower. Depending on the deity, these teachings can be relatively easy to learn or rather taxing on the follower - though it is important to note that a deity will never ask a follower to harm themselves or others, or ask anything that is out of reach of the follower or that crosses established boundaries. It might require some work to achieve, but often that work is part of the lesson itself. Discerning true messages and getting clear communication from the deity in question (rather than from other entities or your own subconscious) is also part of why this is a more advanced practice as it requires other skills to be built up first, in addition to the higher level of commitment and energy required to have that deeper relationship with them, which is why it is often not recommended for beginners.

Doing deity work can also involve invoking a deity to assist you in a magical working. This can mean them lending their strength to a spell or ritual, or sometimes guiding the working as well. As with mundane work, magically working with a deity calls upon previous skill sets as well, which again is why it often isn’t a very beginner-friendly practice.

In summary, anyone can follow and worship deities, as religion is not the same as witchcraft. In fact, many worshippers are not witches and many witches are not worshippers. Religion and the craft are separate, though they can be and often are combined. However, committing to deity work is a much more intensive process that generally requires practiced skills, which is why many people often say it is not something a beginner should get into when first starting out. However, everyone is free to do as they will, and if a new follower is drawn to deity work and wants to commit to it, there is certainly nobody stopping them!

#deity worship #deity work #this is what I’m talking about when I say you gotta Do The Work

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lightofthemagdalene · 26 days

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I'm just going to leave this here, because this woman said what I've been trying to articulate for ages much more effectively and succinctly than I've been able to

#na Morrígna #an Morrígan #sovereignty #politics #American politics

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lightofthemagdalene · 26 days

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Star of the morning, collapsed in the weeds.

#art #not my art #death #death work

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lightofthemagdalene · 26 days

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I ask now that those who watch over me turn their gaze to those poor and battered people crying out for aid in Rafah. In Gaza. In Ukraine. Here at home where the privileged pass by starved masses without thought.

Ancestors, friends, you who have supported the worlds beyond your own, not only for myself but for untold generations behind me, I ask now for the impossible. To ease the uneasy, to shelter the shelterless, and— ultimately— to help them find their way once their mortal shells have been robbed of breath. Let them rest, for they are weary of running.

Help me too in finding a handhold within this unknowable onslaught of horror. These are not my people, these humans who so undervalue the gift given to us on the day of birth. Help me to turn rage and fear into the energy needed to work. To move forward.

To those who guide the dead, I offer you sustenance in your time of labor. I offer rest, payment, and sacrifice so that I might share your overgrown workload.

I grieve. I weep. I keen for those I cannot save. I pray that those whose choices have led us to this place find peace within themselves so that they may give it out to the lands they have ravaged, and accept the retribution which they have so earned.

Go ndéana an t-ádh ar do thuras.

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lightofthemagdalene · 28 days

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Israel shut down the news source Al Jazeera before telling the people of Gaza to evacuate Rafah.

Israel waited until the premier of the Met Gala to tell the people of Gaza to evacuate Rafah.

Israel forced the people of Gaza to evacuate Rafah, knowing full well there is nowhere else to go.

Israel has massacred every “safe zone” in Gaza.

ALL EYES ON RAFAH.

#current politics

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lightofthemagdalene · 29 days

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Bealtaine (not Beltane) is pronounced ‘Beeowl-tinna’. It does not originate the neopagan wheel of the year. It is one of the four Irish fire festivals.

If you’re celebrating it this year, regardless of your tradition, please take some time to research the roots of this holiday. Do your part to help reverse some of the damage done by the neopagan appropriation of this holiday by learning and incorporating some authentic Irish tradition into your celebrations.

Good luck with decolonizing your practice!

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lightofthemagdalene · 29 days

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Bealtaine (not Beltane) is pronounced ‘Beeowl-tinna’. It does not originate the neopagan wheel of the year. It is one of the four Irish fire festivals.

If you’re celebrating it this year, regardless of your tradition, please take some time to research the roots of this holiday. Do your part to help reverse some of the damage done by the neopagan appropriation of this holiday by learning and incorporating some authentic Irish tradition into your celebrations.

Good luck with decolonizing your practice!

#beltane #Bealtaine #Irish paganism #irish witchcraft #witchcraft #wheel of the year #pagan #decolonize your practice #witchblr

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lightofthemagdalene · 29 days

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Bealtaine Eve/Dark Moon Traditions

I start celebrating Bealtaine from the dark moon closest to the cross quarter day through to the next dark moon. So, at a little after 1:30 this morning when the moon hit 0% I went around and did some ward updating.

The charms crafted out of either foraged materials (flowers, juniper wood, antler), or other significant materials (brass bells, synthetic cord) that I don’t have the means to make myself. Charms were made using ogham and personal symbolism, and then placed at major entrances to my home (pictured here is the one hanging from the front door knob, and a spiral eye for my front window). Those are on braided colored cords, and treated with a homemade beeswax balm I’ve made for my wood and antler projects. Also today I finalized my newest ogham set (Etsy update coming soon), and put them to use.

Ward updates and yellow flowers (ideally primroses, we did some foraging while clearing invasive plants but it’s not the season for our primroses yet) across the entryways on Bealtaine eve is an Irish tradition. I recommend checking the post in that link out for more information.

I also have a little altar here set up with cream, butter with Celtic sea salt and herbs (that I’ll use to fry eggs in the morning), brioche, beeswax candle, and some other odds and ends.

Sláinte!

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lightofthemagdalene · 1 month

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#ancestors #ancestor work #an cailleach

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lightofthemagdalene · 1 month

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i think that sometimes the best thing that you can do is remind yourself that there are beaches. lakes, rivers, and ponds. there are forests. little woods and meadows. there are canyons. gullies and mountain cliffs. there are rainy days. dry spells and scorching blue skies. that the world turns. changes as much as it repeats. that feeling slow today won't stop tomorrow's high tide. won't make july's blackberries any less ripe

#Duir #woof #I needed that

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lightofthemagdalene · 1 month

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Past the humming highway, there’s a vast and lonely dark.

#Duir #mo cú #black dog #not my art

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lightofthemagdalene · 1 month

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#The Magdalene #Amara #aesthetic #not my art

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lightofthemagdalene · 1 month

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one thing the human emotional range is lacking is the predator animal ability to stare at people while holding the limp, bloody corpse of your prey in your mouth

#Airén #animal death

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lightofthemagdalene · 1 month

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Wheel of Irish Magical Associations

A nice little infographic I made today with the both elemental and conceptual associations of the cardinal directions as well as color associations with the ogham! Plus keywords, because who doesn't love keywords?

All information sourced through the Irish Pagan School or the Scholar's Primer!

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lightofthemagdalene · 2 months

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Night and Her Daughter Sleep, Mary L. Macomber, 1902

#scath na gat

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lightofthemagdalene · 2 months

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It is never too late to learn to speak Irish.

You do not have to be Irish to speak Irish.

Once you're out of school, there is no grammar police and most people are just excited to have someone to speak Irish with.

Incorporating Irish words into your day when you're not fluent (I have to go to the leithreas, throw it in the bruscar, that's a gorgeous gúna) is an act of decolonisation.

Helping people to understand the language is an act of love.

Gaeilge go deo ❤️

#decolonization #an mórrígan #gaeilge #irish #Ireland #sovereignty

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