Looking for Safe/Inclusive Satanic/Pagan Music (Preferably Metal/Rock)

I've been trying to find some good safe and inclusive satanic & metal artists but I'm so new to the genres that it's hard for me to know which band/artist/group is safe and which isn't. I'm looking for any band that would fall under satanic/pagan metal or just satanic/pagan music overall. If anyone has any good recs, please send them my way! I just want to make sure that the group/artist/bands aren't racist/nazis/anti-lgbtqia etc. I'm already a fan of Ghost, but I'd love to start branching out to some other artists.

some spicy things I do in my practice because of ADHD

given that it's literally my brain, adhd takes over a lot of things in my life. it finds a way to wiggle into everything I do in both bad and good ways. it's just how it is being neurodivergent and it's just how life goes for me, but that doesn't mean it doesn't aid me in many ways. growing up we aren't taught about mental divergency. we're taught the abled and neurotypical way and that's it, but in truth neurodivergent people only struggle due to not having the resources to do things the way that'll let them work efficiently. so here is a list of ways my personal adhd effects my pagan practice and ways I incorporate it into my worship !

stimming

stimming ! i stim a LOT and sometimes, if the emotion I feel is strong enough, they turn to uncontrollable tics. this also means that when during things like rituals, I'll have to pause so I don't tic and ruin something. this is totally normal and okay ! I've never once had a problem with it, and the Gods just patiently waited for it to pass as it always does. we both know it's just something that happens and it's apart of me, it isn't something to be ashamed of or hide.

accepting stimming once I was diagnosed was also something I did as a devotional act to Dionysos ! instead of trying to mask or push down the urge to stim, I'd allow myself to just let it out. my stims vary between very overt to covert, and accepting the overt ones as normal was a feat worthy of devotion imo. you can also keep stim toys on your altar when you're not using them, if you wanted to.

time and schedules

consistent worship ????? never heard of her. same goes for offerings. sometimes I give 294894 offerings in a day and sometimes I've given one offering in a week, it just depends on my ever changing behavior. there's no need to be stuck on a schedule if you don't want to or even make one to begin with. when I first started out, I asked Hermès, Apollon, and Dionysos (who I worshipped at the time) if I should make a schedule and the no was so hard I haven't asked since. my worship is a part of my daily life, as just like I don't drive places every day I don't worship every day. both are still important in my life regardless if I'm actively doing it or not. if you stuggle with consistency, I urge you to speak with the Gods you worship and see if making things more fluid would help !

hyperfixation is also a pain in the ass sometimes, especially when it becomes something other than paganism. due to the free nature of my practice and that I've chosen to devote, it sometimes translates into "well I don't haveeee to do this" and suddenly poof, all the motivation is gone. it's VERY hard to come back when your brain is so wired on something else entirely, and I understand the feeling. during these times I personally do very small things to keep up. if I make dinner for myself, I'll offer a portion and eat with the Gods just to show that I'm participating even when I'm struggling to. the small things count.

RSD - Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

my RSD is crippling in my life, and it's reach extends to paganism sometimes as well (if you're unaware, RSD is the extreme sensitivity to perceived rejection in any form). sometimes during readings I receive a card that I believe is saying something "negative". sometimes it's criticism, sometimes advice, sometimes it's a slap on the wrist, but no matter what it is in reality I'm at the mercy of my brain to interpret it. so this has lead to meltdowns, long depressive/anxious episodes, and crying fests when I think a deity is angry with me. it has gotten so bad before that delusions have appeared and made me believe false memories or feelings of hatred from the Gods.

it's so hard and I'm so sorry if anyone else has to deal with it. to help with this, I have to fight to remind myself that advice is not an attack. the Gods are trying to help me and, even if They were angry at me, I've made mistakes before and They've allowed me to grow from them. i also have a checklist of questions I ask myself to allow logic and reality back into my head. a few questions include "have i done anything recently that's worthy of anger from a God ?", "is this something that will last forever ?", and "is this a message that has something to teach me ?".

impulsiveness

ask most people with ADHD about being impulsive and you'll probably receive a nervous side glace. we're impulsive often, which can do a multitude of things in paganism. one, starting a devoting and never finishing it. i am SO guilty of this one, and it make me feel bad even now. i have plenty up unfinished plans, drawings, and other devotional items that look around and guilt me. I've been in this cycle for a year and I don't think I'll ever grow out of it, but from what I've noticed the Gods don't mind. doing some of a devotion is a wonderful feat, and the energy that took is a wonderful offering even if you don't finish it.

I'm sure other adhd people and probably some autistic people have been in the position of "I just discovered this new Deity and oh my god I NEED to worship them RIGHT NOW or I'll DIE". They're just SO COOL and you automatically feel a connection. then three weeks later you feel demotivated to worship Them and now you feel terrible about it. don't worry, me too. to help with this nowadays I personally honor for a bit then worship if the worship relationship doesn't involve any help between us. this is what I did with Pan, and it worked VERY well for me. i recognized our connection but I didn't feel the pressure to consistently worship Him.

back to the start of the second paragraph, if you're stuck in that situation just communicate with the Deity. it can be hard to admit you're wrong, especially with adhd. however, just sitting down and calling to Them to let them know how you feel and that you think you made a mistake is a huge communicative step !

demotivation

this. one. sucks. inbetween hyperfixations, being stressed out or anxious, going through a depressive episode, and more can cause very deep demotivation and loss of energy in people with ADHD and other disorders. sometimes I'll just lay in my floor with my headphones on for hours because I literally can't find the energy to get up. a lot of people worry that this directly conflicts with Paganism and would slow progress. i understand why it seems that way, especially since adhd is a very "GO FAST, DO THIS THING N O W" disorder. there's actually a few solutions here I can think of

devote your personal healing to the Gods as this can give your brain a "reward" and can help you personally feel better in many ways. after weeks without a shower, devote a bath to a Deity or maybe eat breakfast at Their altar if you haven't been eating much. allow Them to be your motivation

take a break entirely. paganism certrainly isn't a 24/7/365 commitment and your practice molds to your needs. if you're just absolutely knocked out and need rest, take a break. I've taken MANY breaks before. I've been forced on breaks too because the Gods noticed my mental health declining before I did. never feel ashamed for needing time for yourself

do multiple small things rather than big things. a little bit of your dinner when you eat, redecorate Their altar or space, listen to music that reminds you of Them, think of Them when you're out and about in case you see something. you can weave devotion into daily acts in order to reinforce mundane things you need to do and calm your mind about paganism.

and finally, miscellaneous list of other things I do that are too small for their own section.

if you need to keep track of divination readings, no need to write down every reading you've ever had in detail. you can voice record them as you go, take photos of the cards, or use apps like Labyrinthos that can act as a tarot log.

your altar doesn't need to look perfect, it should reflect your worship and your devotion to a Deity. this means if your altar looks like a mess, as mine ALWAYS do, it's perfectly okay ! clutter aesthetic altars are the most beautiful altars in my eyes, and they're so worthy of adoration. I've never once heard of a Deity disliking an altar, They appreciate our work to put in a space just for Them. let your altar look messy and wild as you want, altars don't need to be aesthetic or color coordinated

you see everywhere that many of us are devoted to one deity in particular or multiple, I fit in here too. i just wanted to say that you never have to devote to any Deity if you don't want to. you could worship when you need help from a specific Deity or worship a different deity every month. never feel like you have to tie yourself down just because other people feel comfortable doing so.

you don't have to celebrate every festival. it's okay to skip celebrations that don't really apply to you or are at an inconvenient time ! you could also reschedule if you find yourself wanting to celebrate but burnt out or busy.

#13: Doctor Strange [Marvel]

By the Eternal Vishanti, I welcome you back!

Today we're making the Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Universe-616, Doctor Strange. This spell-slinging master of the mystic arts has been my favourite superhero for quite some time now, and I'm always excited whenever we get something related to him. Now, just a quick note – this build is going to be based on the comic book version of Strange, not the MCU one. We're having real spells and incantations, not some thinly-veiled Clarke's Third Law. #LetMagicBeMagic.

Next Time: The Gods call for us again. The Dragon King blesses us with his presence.

Now then, let's examine what we need to become the mightiest mystic of the Multiverse:

Arcane Artillery: Doctor Strange holds enough mystic knowledge to give Mind Flayers an indigestion. What he doesn't know, he can look up in his Sanctum Sanctorum's library. We need to be prepared to have a spell for almost any situation.

Mystic Fists of Fury: Before opening his Third Eye fully, Strange spent some time in Kamar-Taj under the tutelage of the Ancient One, practising his combat skills in case he was ever in a situation where magic would fail him.

The Old Favourites: Whatever incarnation of the character we encounter, Doctor Strange is almost always certain to have the following items on him: the Eye of Agamotto, the Cloak of Levitation, and occasionally the Book of the Vishanti. After the Last Days of Magic event, Strange found a likeness for weapons like shortswords, staffs, and axes.

---

Stephen Strange was an ordinary human, but due to the years of exposure to otherworldly mystic forces, his biology changed to not accept regular human food anymore. This sounds like a good excuse to make him Variant Human. We get a +1 to two abilities of our choice (Intelligence and Constitution), we know how to speak Common and one other language of our choice, we get to pick one skill to be proficient in (Investigation), and we get to pick a feat. The Medic feat gives us a +1 to Wisdom, proficiency with the Medicine skill, and the ability to tend to our party members' wounds on short rests (Medicine check [DC 15], if successful - the player can use the maximum value of their Hit Dice to regain Hit Points).

Although he started as a simple physician, the turning point of Strange's life was his training in Kamar-Taj. He gained skills and knowledge, vast enough to call himself a Sage. From this background, we gain proficiency in Arcana and History, we learn two more languages, and we gain the Researcher feature; when we're to recall a piece of lore, and we don't know it, we usually can figure out where to find the information (be it a library, a temple, or somebody's private collection).

ABILITY SCORES

Intelligence is our primary stat, serving as our casting ability and our pride. Next is Constitution, all casters need to keep it high. We follow that up with Wisdom, lessons of the Ancient One granted us both humility and broadened our horizons.

Dexterity is a little low, but we'll take care of that later. Charisma is next, even after his training was complete Stephen can be a bit of a jerk and refusing to hear anyone but himself. Finally, we'll dump Strength.

CLASS

Assigning a D&D class to Doctor Strange was a very (and I mean very) difficult task. Starting off, I had to disregard his Sorcerer Supreme title, because in D&D sorcerers are born with the ability to wield magic. Strange had to study and practice to get his powers, so that makes him a Wizard. Kamar-Taj is also dedicated to studying the teachings of the Vishanti, a trinity of god-like beings who give the Sorcerer Supreme their powers, so that would make Strange a Cleric. Finally, he also draws powers from deals he made with otherworldly entities (such as Cyttorak, the Faltine, Munnopor, Watoomb, sometimes even Dormammu himself), which screams 'Warlock', except there's no way to incorporate multiple patrons without homebrewing. It wasn't easy, but I am satisfied with what I've created. Hopefully, you'll be, too.

Level 1 - Monk: We start just as Strange started, by honing our body first. Monks get the d8 Hit Dice, [8 + Constitution modifier] initial Hit Points, proficiencies with simple weapons and shortswords, and proficiency in one set of artisan's tools or a musical instrument (I'd go with alchemist's supplies). Our saving throws are Strength and Dexterity, and we get to pick two class skills (Insight and Religion).

Monks start with Unarmoured Defence. When we're not wearing armour, or holding a shield, our AC equals [10 + our Dexterity modifier + our Wisdom modifier]. We also get Martial Arts, which gives our unarmed strikes some more power. We can now use Dexterity instead of Strength for our unarmed strikes attack and damage rolls, we replace our Strength modifier with a d4 for damage of our unarmed strikes, and if we use the unarmed strike (or a monk weapon) on our turn as an Attack, we can use a bonus action to make an extra unarmed strike.

Level 2 - Monk: We get more mobile with Unarmoured Movement. Our ground speed increases by 10 feet if we're not wearing armour or holding a shield.

We also get access to the Monk's signature feature, the Ki energy. We start with 2 Ki Points, which we can spend on the following abilities:

Flurry of Blows: Spending 1 Ki Point after making an attack, lets us make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action;

Patient Defence: Spending 1 Ki Point lets us take a Dodge action as a bonus action on our turn;

Step of the Wind: Spending 1 Ki Point doubles our jump distance for the turn, and we can take the Dash or Disengage actions as a bonus action.

Level 3 - Wizard: We finally begin our study of spells and arcane arts.

Unfortunately, multiclassing into Wizard does not give us any additional benefits. We do, however, get Arcane Recovery. Once per day, during a short rest, we can choose a number of expended spell slots and refill them. The number must be equal to half of our Wizard level (rounded up), and the recovered spell slots cannot be 6th-level or higher.

Wizards also start with Spellcasting at their 1st level, and they know both cantrips and ritual spells. Our spellcasting ability is Intelligence, but unlike many other casting classes we do not get a full access to our spell list. Instead, we start with six spells in our spellbook and get two more each time we level up. Then, we can only prepare and use [Our Intelligence modifier + our Wizard level] spells at once. Describing all of those spells we pick would make this post over a mile long, and I've made that mistake with Sypha. To not make this a chore for you guys, I decided that from now on whenever I make a Wizard (or, a build where Wizard is a majority), I will simply list the spells we pick without descriptions. Let's be honest, if not here, you'll certainly find those in a different build. Alright, let's begin! First, we get to pick three cantrips:

Fire Bolt

Mage Hand

Minor Illusion

When it comes to our starting spells, let's take these six. Remember, we can only prepare a certain number, and we start with only two 1st-level spell slots.

Alarm

Detect Magic

Fog Cloud (to represent the Mists of Munnopor from the comics)

Shield (of the Seraphim)

Magic Missile (as a stand-in for the Daggers of Daveroth)

Sleep

Level 4 - Wizard: We get to pick our subclass, our Arcane Tradition. For Strange, who can be any combination of Wizard, Cleric, and Warlock, the best choice is to pick Theurgy from 2017 Unearthed Arcana. Theurgists are religious magic-users, who focus more on the arcane research rather than prayer and worship.

With Divine Inspiration, we get to select a Cleric Domain and a deity we wish to follow. Ask your DM if it's possible for you to worship three gods as a collective, a magical triumvirate. For your own Vishanti I suggest Mystra, Mother of All Magic, Azuth, the Lord of Spells, and Savras, the All-Seeing. For a Wizard, I'd say there's no better choice than Knowledge Domain.

We also get Arcane Initiate, which lets us replace spells we learn as we level up with the cleric spells of our chosen domain. What's cool about that feature is, other wizards cannot copy those spells from our spellbook. If we get all of our chosen domain's spells, we can keep replacing spells we learn with spells from the Cleric spell list.

Finally, we gain the Cleric's unique skill - Channel Divinity - except in our case it becomes Channel Arcana. We start with two effects: Divine Arcana and the effect granted by the chosen domain. Unlike Clerics, we can use the Channel Arcana once per short or long rest.

Divine Arcana lets us use a bonus action to control the flow of magic in the area. The next spell we cast gets a +2 to its attack roll or saving throw DC.

Knowledge of the Ages grants us quick insight into a skill we're not familiar with. For the next 10 minutes, we're proficient with one tool set of our choice or proficient in one skill we choose.

We gain one more 1st-level spell slot, and for this level's two spells let's get Feather Fall, and Command from the domain list.

Level 5 - Wizard: At this level we unlock 2nd-level spell slots, and we can access 2nd-level spells. Let's get Hold Person (for Strange's famous Crimson Bands of Cyttorak) and Icingdeath's Frost from 2021 Unearthed Arcana: Draconic Options (for the Icy Tendrils of Ikthalon).

Level 6 - Wizard: Time for our first Ability Score Improvement! As is the rule of thumb with all Wizards, boosting our Intelligence is a priority. That's what we shall put the 2 points into.

For this level's spells, we get another cantrip (Light), and let's take Locate Object and Mirror Image (to represent the Images of Ikonn).

Level 7 - Wizard: We unlock 3rd-level spell slots. Let's get Dispel Magic, and we can get Fly to finally get a representation for our Cloak of Levitation.

Level 8 - Wizard: We get our first subclass upgrade. Arcane Acolyte grants us the 1st-level benefits of our chosen domain. For Knowledge domain, it's Blessings of Knowledge; we learn two languages of our choice and get proficiency in two skills... which we pretty much are proficient in already. To not waste a feature, ask your DM if you can double your proficiency bonus for those two skills instead. If you get a 'yes', pick Arcana and Insight.

For this level's spells, let's get Counterspell and Magic Circle.

Level 9 - Wizard: From here, we get access to 4th-level spell slots. Banishment and Dimension Door seems like exactly what we need to keep enemies at bay and have fun with portals.

Level 10 - Wizard: Halfway through the build, and we get an ASI. Let's cap our Intelligence at 20, with those two points.

For this level's spells, let's grab Arcane Eye and turn back a little and get Speak with Dead from our domain list, as it is one of few spells not available to Wizards.

Level 11 - Wizard: We get access to 5th-level spells. With Contact Other Plane and Legend Lore, we become an even bigger magical know-it-all to aid our party.

Level 12 - Wizard: For our subclass upgrade, we get Arcane Priest, which grants us the Knowledge Domain's 6th-level benefit - Channel Divinity: Read Thoughts. One creature within 60 feet of us must make a Wisdom saving throw, or grant us access to its surface thoughts (emotions and active thoughts, no deep secrets or hidden motives) for 1 minute. During that time, we can also use our action to cast the Suggestion spell on the target; they fail their saving throw automatically.

We also get our final cantrip for this build (Sword Burst), and we get two more 5th-level spells: Planar Binding and Wall of Force.

Level 13 - Wizard: We unlock 6th-level spells. With Globe of Invulnerability and True Seeing, we upgrade our Shield of the Seraphim and give our Eye of Agamotto even more mystic abilities (as it should have had!)

Level 14 - Wizard: Time for another ASI! Let's put one point into Constitution for better HP chance, and one into Dexterity.

Arcane Gate finally gives us a proper yellow sparkly portal thingy, and let's get Chain Lightning for some much needed offensive capabilities.

Level 15 - Wizard: We're getting into 7th-level spells at this level. Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion allows us to recreate our very own Sanctum Sanctorum, and with Project Image we can get Strange's Astral Projection.

Level 16 - Wizard: At this level, we get our final subclass upgrade (and we cross the 100 HP mark, yay!). Arcane High Priest grants us the Knowledge Domain's 17th-level benefits. Visions of the Past lets us spend at least 1 minute of meditation to receive information about a specific object we're holding, or our immediate surroundings:

Object Reading - we learn of the object's previous owner. We know how the person came into contact with the object, how they lost it, and a significant even in their life tied to the object.

Area Reading - we see the events that transpired in the specific location (up to 50-foot cube), going back a number of days equal to our Wisdom modifier.

For this level's spells, let's get Plane Shift and Teleport to double-down on Strange's interdimensional travels.

Level 17 - Wizard: Time for 8th-level spells.

Illusory Dragon is a nice nod to the great "Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme" series (go check it out, it's awesome!), and Maze is another good banishment-type spell to have. Just don't use it on minotaurs.

Level 18 - Wizard: For our final ASI, let's put two points into Dexterity, leaving us unfortunately with an odd number (hopefully, you'll manage to find some ability-increasing item or benefit in your adventure).

For this level's spells, let's grab Power Word: Stun and Demiplane is a good combo to immobilize a foe and send it to the Shadow Realm Mirror Dimension.

Level 19 - Wizard: We unlock the pinnacle of D&D arcane, the 9th-level spells... that is, unless your DM introduces High Magic, which is... whew, a league of its own.

Time Stop and Foresight give us those Time Stone abilities (for all you MCU degenerates. Yes, I know what I said, but Strange was given the Time Stone in his new run, so I did not lie!)

Level 20 - Wizard: Our capstone is Wizard 18, which gives us the Spell Mastery feature. We get to choose one 1st-level spell and one 2nd-level spell from our spellbook and make them our signature moves; we can now cast them at will, without expending a spell slot. Shield and Hold Person seems like a good choice here.

For our final spells of this build, we cannot go without Astral Projection, and let's get Imprisonment a chance.

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And there we go! Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts. Let's see what we've created:

First of all, we're the epitome of Wizard, we're a great utility caster and a pretty good support, with Internet-like capability of finding information. We're don't have a lot of damage-dealing abilities, like Sypha did, but remember - Wizards also get spell by finding them in the world and copying them in their spellbook. This here is only what we get automatically. Go and roam the world in search for that Fireball!

We have AC of 14, but with Shield (and later making it pretty much permanent) it can get up to 19, and we have 130 Hit Points on average. Our speed is also a little better, with 40 feet of movement (plus flying thanks to the Fly spell).

Unfortunately, our Charisma and Wisdom are not great, so those saving throws might be difficult. Our Strength is also not the greatest, so we're pretty much forced to fight with magic.

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And that is it! Next time, we return to SMITE for a few builds, as I absorbs information about Fire Emblem: Three Heroes. Also, the game devs just released a teaser for Morgana le Fay, and my first reaction was 'Hexblade Warlock'. Do you agree?

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and your day is going great. I'll see you next time!

- Nerdy out!

Luciferian Challenge: Bonus 1

Since I combined the 13th prompt with the 12th yesterday, here’s one of the bonus question.

What do you think is best about Luciferianism?

I don’t think I can make a blanket statement about what’s best about Luciferianism in general. The religion is incredibly personalized, and while I believe its core values and ideals are admirable, I don’t actually think they’re exclusive to Luciferianism. I think it’s one of those things where if you check enough off of the list, and you’re drawn to the label, you’re a Luciferian. If you don’t or aren’t, you can end up as damn near anything else. However, I’m perfectly happy to explain what’s so great about it for me, as I’ve been giving it a lot of thought during this challenge. 

Something I will state outright is that what I’m about to describe is specific to my own special brand of Luciferianism. While I would not be at all shocked if it overlaps with others, I don’t make any claims or statements that should be forced onto literally anyone else who shares my religious label.

I’m prefacing this because my Luciferianism has a bit of an odd relationship with Christianity in a way I’m not ashamed of, but that some people might find peculiar at best and uncomfortable at worst if they’re someone who endlessly strives to separate or distance the two. 

If that’s not a dealbreaker for you, and you’re curious to hear more of how that works and why it’s so valuable to me, the full explanation can be found below the cut.

I appreciate you sticking around! I struggled with how exactly to begin this part, so I’ll start with a big dramatic statement and then over-explain it from there. 

My Luciferianism is impossible to completely untangle and separate from Christianity, and this is despite my tendency to remind people that the name Lucifer appears precisely once in the Bible, and is not meant to refer to a fallen angel. 

The biggest thing that drove me away from my Lutheran upbringing was the worship. I did believe in God, and His potentially all knowing and powerful nature, but I genuinely cannot remember a time as a Lutheran when worship felt genuine to me. I thought angels were fascinating. I loved a good deal of the music, the sound of the organ, the stained glass… I even had some fondness for the community, as the one I was in wasn’t terrible and I spent a great deal of time in it as one of the children’s choir’s few members, and later as an acolyte. But I didn’t really want to be a Lutheran. It didn’t feel how I knew it was probably meant to, even going into confirmation classes. I’ve always believed a person should be passionate about their religion, if they have one, and that your deities should be a figure you look to in times of celebration instead of just in times of strife. 

As time went on, I also began appreciating the trappings of Catholicism. Don’t get me wrong, I have some issues with the church as a whole, but there’s a reason everyone keeps stealing the aesthetic, right? They certainly put a church together far prettier than the ones I grew up in, they kept much more of the Latin, I like the meditative nature of a rosary… and I ended up forming a relationship with a few saints, despite my religious affiliations.  

I had a pagan’s love for Dionysus, for incorporating magic into my everyday life, and for seeing the world through the mindset of an animist. I also had no interest in worshiping God, though the belief in Him remained, and I was kind of just apathetic when it came to the divinity of Christ. However, I do have a deep appreciation for saints in the sense that they’re powerful dead and ancestors of sorts, and angels will continue to be fascinating to me even if it turns out I can work with them less and less. In regards to both, I strongly believe in approaching a spirit on their own terms, and have no issue with incorporating prayer or verse into how I petition the aforementioned saints.

Luciferianism kind of just… has room for all that, given just how loose its requirements are. The figures that are at the center of my practice are undeniably Abrahamic in origin (which I will finally use in the sense that figures like Eve and Azazel are found in a number of religions that share those historic roots) and my typical understanding of Lucifer is a blending of Christian folklore and the long dead religions that came before it. 

The result was that I’m kind of steeped in Christianity and its aesthetics the way a vampire from a gothic horror is. All the pieces are there, but there’s something wrong with it.

And I love that for me?

So I don’t call myself dual faith, because I tend to think that requires some level of worship of or loyalty to both sides, but I like existing alongside Christianity. On the fringes, in a way. My Luciferianism merged my polytheism, my animism, my love of the occult, and also my appreciation of figures like Lucifer and Azazel and Eve in a way that I don’t think any other religious label would have allowed for. Not to mention that all the while it also spoke to the ideals and values I hold dearest. 

Though I’m still sorting out the finer points of how I view the deities and spirits I work with (partially on account of how our relationship is still growing) I’m very content as a whole.

I could only go into so much detail without making this monster long, so if you’re a little confused by or curious about any part of it, please do shoot me an ask instead of wondering or making assumptions. Even if you worry it’ll come off as a touch rude or confrontational to ask questions about it, I don’t mind.

Quantifying my Craft

I found this lovely post by @breelandwalker, who I totally recommend checking out, and it inspired me. My cards and horoscopes have been pushing me to reflect on my goals lately so this is exactly what I needed right now! I decided I'd give it a go.

Broad Concepts

I like to follow western traditions; Celtic traditions in particular are near and dear to my heart. This is why I chose to focus my worship in the Celtic Pantheon, and I'm currently working on building a relationship with Brigid. I would consider myself an eclectic, although divination and nature magic are my two main areas of focus. While I like to ask others for advice while I learn, magic is something I prefer to practice on my own. I've only been practicing since late January, interestingly enough I started around Imbolc. So far I've found intentions are the most important aspect of witchcraft and it has helped me greatly to practice intention in all aspects of my life.

Working Space

I began constructing an altar to Brigid yesterday. Frustratingly enough, my mother is going to have me put away all my small little items and decorations tomorrow as we're trying to sell our house. We won't be moving for a few more months though. I'm hoping I'll be able to keep the altar up but I'll look into online altar options if needed. I already keep an online altar to myself on an app called #SelfCare that I would highly recommended.

Right now my altar to Brigid has a white candle in a green holder; a sailor's knot I wore around my wrist until it started to come undone; a silver bell for music and creativity; the first piece of pottery I ever painted; a picture book of the traveling I did around Michigan a few years ago; an empty journal I hope to fill with art and poems dedicated to her; and a beaker (cauldron stand-in) I dedicated by burning a sigil in that holds nineteen white rose petals and a whisker my cat lost. I'm charging a carnelian and working on a piece of fox, the spirit guide she sent me, embroidery to add to the altar. It's positioned on top of an organizer I have on my desk, which is pushed up against a window.

There's a spot under my porch I wanted to use for meditation but I discovered I'm too jumpy and distractible to meditate outdoors. I don't like having my eyes closed when out of the open and I have an exaggerated startle response. Instead, I find it better for me to meditate in the bath. Sitting in water at least ankle deep with the lights off, after everybody else has gone to sleep and when the moon can shine through the window, is the ideal place for me to sit and follow a guided meditation. I find meditations that take me on a journey through my astral space are the most effective.

Ideally, I'd like to be able to have my own space where I can freely spread my altars and workspaces throughout the house. I want to be able to fill it with plants and books and cards and candles. While I'm at home trying to avoid suspicion from my Christian family, I just have to make the most of what I have.

Tools

My first deck is on the #SelfCare app. I call it my "Familiar Deck" as that's the one I'm most connected with. It's brutally honest, which I love. My second favorite deck is the "blue-eyed" deck I use for my Daily Draw. Another brutally honest deck and one I find to be very accurate. When asking Brigid questions, I prefer to use the Yes/No deck. It gives you your answer and is also good at accurately conveying "secondary," not yes/no, messages. You'll notice all of them are online and that's because, once again, I live with my Christian family and must be covert.

I have a quite a few crystals as I, thankfully, was interested in collecting them when I was younger. The tumbled crystals I have are small and few; most of my crystals are raw. I keep forgetting to charge them when there's a full moon out. I'll have to set a reminder or something to that effect. At the very least, I'm happy that I don't have to bother with trying to obtain any without my parents becoming suspicious. One of these days, I'd love to start collecting rings and wear several. It's also silly little dream of mine to get an onyx pendulum someday.

As far as books go, I bought a beautiful journal I've dedicated as my grimoire. It's dark blue with shiny, gold space decals. I would love to collect witchy books but I don't have money and I couldn't get away with it while living at home. I hear there's an excellent discord that stores witchy books and I think it's something I'll look into. For now, my information comes from my internet research. Thankfully, I did debate for several years, so I know how to find sources from accurate cites, but it certainly takes a lot of work to find good information that way.

The Year

I’m interested in learning more about the Wheel of the Year and incorporating it into my practice. Imbolc is especially important to me, as I worship the goddess Brighid. I missed it this year but I hope to celebrate it in the future. I have yet to study the important of dates outside of astrology so I’ll have to make sure I study it more.

History of My Magic

Honestly, I’ve always felt a very strong pull towards magic. I was raised in a very religious family though so I was always afraid that answering the call would condemn me. I grew up reading as many fantasy stories as I could, connecting with any animal I was able to, and spending as much time in the woods or by water as I could. The woods and the water have always felt full of magic to me and inspired me to want to practice witchcraft. Ever since I was little, I’ve had a great fondness and affection for the moon and stars. I’ve also always felt very drawn to Celtic folklore, magic, and Irish culture. I have distant family ties to Ireland and even though it’s a relatively minor aspect of my heritage, it’s always felt the most important to me. Movies like Song of the Sea and Brendan and the Secret of Kells helped tighten my bond with it. I even started learning as much as I could about the Fae after some books I read piqued my interest. I’ve always been the kid who kept a firm belief in magic even after all my friends “outgrew” it.

It took me a long time to finally answer the call to magic. Like I said, I was raised in a religious household. My grandparents even accused me of being a witch when I went through my Harry Potter phase! It actually made me rather pleased. There were a few times I came very close to beginning practicing witchcraft but I shied away for fear of Hell. It wasn’t until I finally was able to distance myself from the church earlier this year that I decided to start practicing magic behind my parents’ back. I’m very glad I did.

Progress

I’ve only been practicing for a few months. I’ve been very busy with college so it’s been pretty lax so far. I’m trying to build some sort of consistency. The end of the semester is a bad time for that, for sure. I’ve really connected with astrology and tarot-reading. Learning about the symbolism of different bugs and animals has also been something I’ve honestly also done, so it’s nice to be able to incorporate that into my practice. Dragonflies have always been signs of good luck for me (or bad omens, as the one time I saw one dead was one my Grammy found in her garage; she showed it to me a month or so before she passed away from cancer).

Recently, I began meditation. I met my spirit animal, a brown-eyed fox, who I ended up learning was sent by the goddess Brighid to guide me. I contacted Brighid about twice and set up an altar for her. The first time I heard her speak to me was when she was telling me I don’t drink enough water (I haven’t met with her since I pulled an all-nighter for college and I’m sure she’s not particularly pleased with that). I’m hoping to get back into my meditative practice soon. I’ve also needed to meditate to ask about a crow or raven that my sister and I kept crossing paths with while going out to lunch together. I’m not sure if it’s a sign of something or if the Morrigan wants to contact me. I’ve also heard the name Cernunnos repeated in my head lately so I’ve wanted to look into him too. I didn’t think I’d have anything to do with deities after my experiences with Christianity but Brighid quickly changed my mind.

Final Notes

I actually started writing this post a week or so ago but life got crazy. I’m in the last few weeks of my Freshman year of college, so it’s hectic. Right now I’m staying at a cabin in the mountains over the weekend, so I’m hoping this will give me the chance I need to wind down and reconnect with Brighid and my higher self. I’m hoping to get a daily routine going for my practice over the next few weeks.

Witchy Questions

1. Are you solitary or in a coven? -solitary, you think i have time for humans? 2. Do you consider yourself Wiccan, Pagan, witch, or other? -Idk someone who said fuck other religions and said revive the old gods 3. What is your zodiac sign? -Gemini 4. Do you have a Patron God/dess? -I don’t, but I am open to it 5. Do you work with a Pantheon? -No, but I am looking into the norse pantheon  6. Do you use tarot, palmistry, or any other kind of divination? -tarot and rune stones 7. What are some of your favorite herbs to use in your practice? (if any) -bergamont and I use incense 8. How would you define your craft? -idk i diy religion  9. Do you curse? If not, do you accept others who do? -No, i haven't tried but I would if i was motivated for it 10. How long have you been practicing? -5 years? I guess? I don’t count 11. Do you currently or have you ever had any familiars? -lmao i wish 12. Do you believe in Karma or Reincarnation? -Karma yes, I am not sure about reincarnation 13. Do you have a magical name? -how do you find that? 14. Are you “out of the broom closet”? -Yeah, but im not sure how much my dad thinks im serious   15. What was the last spell you performed? -A positivity jar  16. Would you consider yourself knowledgeable? -about mythology yes but actual witchcraft? Kinda.  17. Do you write your own spells? -im not that original lol  18. Do you have a book of shadows? If so, how is it written and/or set up? -I do but its kinda just a book i occasionally write in  19. Do you worship nature? -somewhat, but its not a focus  20. What is your favorite gemstone? -umbalite and labradorite 21. Do you use feathers, claws, fur, pelt, skeletons/bones, or any other animal body part for magical work? -feathers and naturally fell from a bird  22. Do you have an altar? -yes 23. What is your preferred element? -fire 24. Do you consider yourself an Alchemist? -no 25. Are you any other type of magical practitioner besides a witch? -idk  26. What got you interested in witchcraft? -lmao percy jackson 27. Have you ever performed a spell or ritual with the company of anyone who was not a witch? -no 28. Have you ever used Ouija? -Yup, at school in the hallway  29. Do you consider yourself a psychic? -pfft no 30. Do you have a spirit guide? If so, what is it? -no, but I am looking into it 31. What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started? -Not everything is black and white, you can do your own thing 32. Do you celebrate the Sabbats? If so which one is your favorite? -Yeah, although mildly. My favorite is Samhain 33. Would you ever teach witchcraft to your children? -yes but i would never force it on them 34. Do you meditate? -I try too but not often    35. What is your favorite season? -autumn 36. What is your favorite type of magick to preform? -Nature based magic 37. How do you incorporate your spirituality into your daily life? -Appreciate nature  38. What is your favorite witchy movie? -Kiki's Delivery Service 39. What is your favorite witchy book, both fiction and non-fiction. Why? -The Raven Boys because it is fucking amazing 40. What is the first spell you ever preformed? Successful or not. -some shitty rain spell from a childs book 41. What’s the craziest witchcraft-related thing that’s happened to you? -when i was in Senior Kindergarten I saw a “fairy” 42. What is your favorite type of candle to use? -beesewax 43. What is your favorite witchy tool? -candles 44. Do you or have you ever made your own witchy tools? -I use a rock to grind shit because i dont have a pestle and mortar  45. Have you ever worked with any magical creatures such as the fae or spirits? -I want to try working with fae but I need to learn more 46. Do you practice color magic? -yes, a bit 47. Do you or have you ever had a witchy teacher or mentor of any kind? -No, I think? I have older online witchy people I talk to but no mentor 48. What is your preferred way of shopping for witchcraft supplies? -In person, but somethings you can only get online 49. Do you believe in predestination or fate? -I guess? I think that life has a story that gives you options and a new story starts on what you choose, kinda like an RPG 50. What do you do to reconnect when you are feeling out of touch with your practice? -Read into it and appreciate it more 51. Have you ever had any supernatural experiences? -yes, at my grandmas funeral     52. What is your biggest witchy pet peeve? -”I CAn PrAcTiCe CLoSEd ReligIoNs If i aM rEsPeCtFul” 53. Do you like incense? If so what’s your favorite scent? -bergamont    54. Do you keep a dream journal of any kind? -no but I should 55. What has been your biggest witchcraft disaster? -spilling wax on myself    56. What has been your biggest witchcraft success? -not burning the house down    57. What in your practice do you do that you may feel silly or embarrassed about? -chanting shit in my room    58. Do you believe that you can be an atheist, Christian, Muslim or some other faith and still be a witch too? -yup    59. Do you ever feel insecure, unsure or even scared of spell work? -of course, its dealing with things that dont have 100% safety measures    60. Do you ever hold yourself to a standard in your witchcraft that you feel you may never obtain? -lmao I one day want to be a teacher but I never feel knowledgeable enough for that     61. What is something witch related that you want right now? -my own pestle and mortar    62. What is your rune of choice? - Hagalaz   63. What is your tarot card of choice? -the empress    64. Do you use essential oils? If so what is your favorite? -Lemongrass 65. Have you ever taken any kind of witchcraft or pagan courses? -no   66. Do you wear pagan jewelry in public? -Yup, I have a cheap ass pentagram necklace    67. Have you ever been discriminated against because of your faith or being a witch? 68. Do you read or subscribe to any pagan magazines? -no because I am poor and where would I find one?    69. Do you think it’s important to know the history of paganism and witchcraft? -yes 70. What are your favorite things about being a witch? -those scared looks that karens give you, even though you are eating cupcakes and smiling    71. What are your least favorite things about being a witch? -the amount of people who keep on trying to make you christian      72. Do you listen to any pagan music? If so who is your favorite singer/band? -heatherdale    73. Do you celebrate the sabbats? If so, how? -yes, by lighting candles and making tea 74. Do you ever work skyclad? -I want to be but nooo 75. Do you think witchcraft has improved your life? If so, how? -makes me happier 76. Where do you draw inspiration from for your practice? -other witches and what makes me happy 77. Do you believe in ‘fantasy’ creatures? (Unicorns, fairies, elves, gnomes, ghosts, etc) -The fae yes, but like celtic like ones 78. What’s your favorite sigil/symbol? -I have none    79. Do you use blood magick in your practice? Why or why not? -No, because I am not ready for it   80. Could you ever be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t support your practice? -Hahahaha no, if you dont respect my religion I dont have time for you    81. In what area or subject would you most like your craft to grow? -meditation and divination     82. What’s your favorite candle scent? Do you use it in your practice? -beesewax 83. Do you have a pre-ritual ritual? (I.e. Something you do before rituals to prepare yourself for them). If so what is it? -have a bath 84. What real life witch most inspires your practice? @spellchased 85. What is your favorite method of communicating with deity? -meditation and a yes-no pendulum 86. How do you like to organize all your witchy items and ingredients? -in jars and by aesthetics    87. Do you have any witches in your family that you know of? -my mom is interested in druidry but doesn't call herself one    88. How have you created your path? What is unique about it? -I dont know? I just did what felt right.    89. Do you feel you have any natural gifts or affinities (premonitions, hearing spirits, etc.) that led you toward the craft? If so what are they? -No    90. Do you believe you can initiate yourself or do you have to be initiated by another witch or coven? -with closed practices you need to be initiated, but with open religions thats not the case 91. When you first started out in your path what was the first thing or things you bought? -incense tray and incense    92. What is the most spiritual or magickal place you’ve been? -The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul     93. What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone who is searching for their matron and patron deities? -Read. Just read a lot.    94. What techniques do you use to 'get in the zone’ for meditation? -Silence and deep breathing 95. Did visualization come easily to you or did you have to practice at it? -I need to practice it     96. Do you prefer day or night? Why? -night because i dont sleep 97. What do you think is the best time and place to do spell work? -My best time is the full moon at midnight  98. How did you feel when you cast your first circle? Did you stumble or did it go smoothly? -It was okay, nothing special     99. Do you believe witchcraft gets easier with time and practice? -old practices become easy, but you learn more complicated things 100. Do you believe in many gods or one God with many faces? 101. Do you eat meat, eggs and dairy? -I eat cheese, eggs and fish 102. What is your favorite color and why?  -purple, blue and yellow because its pretty 103. What is the one question you get asked most by non-practitioners or non-pagans? How do you usually respond? -why dont you respect Jesus? Because he did nothing for me Susan.  104. Which of your five senses would you say is your strongest? -sight 105. What is a pagan or witchcraft rule that you preach but don’t practice? -Karma, I keep on doing shitty things 

@prettyalice13

✨🏳️‍🌈 Deities, Saints, Crystals, and Herbs For All Your Gay Magick Needs 🏳️‍🌈✨

Note: This was originally posted on my blog, themysticbitch.wordpress.com.

Happy Pride Month, my loves! June is upon us, which means it’s all gay, all the time for the next few weeks. Being queer is a big part of my life and my identity, so I wanted to do something special for Pride. The end result was my most recent video, which you can watch here.

In that video, I try to get through a ton of information in as little time as possible, so I decided to post a written version here for anyone who wants a more solid starting point for incorporating these deities, saints, herbs, and crystals into their own practice. I’ve tried to be as inclusive as possible here — if I’ve missed something that seems obvious to you, please let me know in a comment so I can update the list!

Spiritual Patrons For LGBTQ+ Folks

Patrons For WLW:

Artemis (Greek goddess): Artemis is considered a “virgin” goddess, but it’s important to note that the word “virgin” had a different meaning in Ancient Greek culture. The one thing we know about Artemis for sure is that she was not romantically interested in men, for whatever reason. Artemis swore never to marry or have sex with a man, and she lead the Hunters of Artemis, a group of all-women warriors who spent their days hunting and roaming the forest. She is associated with the moon, archery, the forest, and the hunt. Some of her common symbols are bows and arrows, stags, hunting dogs, and the moon. She was worshiped by the Romans as Diana.

Freyja (Norse goddess): Freyja is a Scandinavian goddess of sex and sexuality, as well as sorcery, wealth, war, and death. I decided to include Freyja in this list because she is associated with sex and sexuality, especially of women, but is not associated with pregnancy or motherhood like many other sex goddesses are — her children are rarely mentioned in the surviving myths. All we know about her husband is that he was lost, leaving Freyja single for all intents and purposes. She is noted for being bold in her sexual pursuits, sleeping with whoever she pleased. She is a goddess for any woman who wants to get in touch with her femininity and sexual power, regardless of sexuality. Some of Freyja’s common symbols are gold, amber, cats, and falcons.

Saints Perpetua and Felicity (Catholic saints): Perpetua and Felicity were African Christians who were persecuted by the occupying Roman government for their faith. Perpetua was a noblewoman — Felicity was one of her slaves. The two women were arrested together and sentenced to prison — eventually they were publicly executed. Some of Perpetua’s letters to family and friends survived, so we actually have a firsthand account of her imprisonments. From these letters it is clear that Perpetua and Felicity were very close, and historians have long speculated that they may have been romantically involved. Today they are considered unofficial patron saints of same-sex couples, especially women. You can buy medals and prayer cards for both of these saints from online Catholic stores. Like all Catholic saints, they can be honored with a white candle and/or Three Kings incense (this is the incense blend used by churches).

Patrons For MLM:

Apollo (Greek god): Apollo was the twin brother of Artemis, and has a similar history with the LGBTQ+ community. The Ancient Greeks had a very fluid attitude towards sexuality, but today we would probably classify Apollo as either bisexual or pansexual. There are myths that explicitly mention him having male lovers. Apollo was very close with his sister, Artemis — perhaps an early example of MLM/WLW solidarity? Apollo is associated with the sun, prophecy, healing, and the arts, especially music and poetry. Some of his symbols include the lyre, a laurel wreath, a bow and arrow, and a python. He was also worshiped by the Romans.

Freyr (Norse god): Funnily enough, we have another brother/sister pair. Freyr was the brother of Freyja, and he shared her association with sex and abundance. Freyr was a primarily agricultural god, and was believed to bring spring rains to nourish the growing crops. One of his strongest associations was with male sexuality — in fact, he was often depicted in art with a giant, erect penis! Like his sister, Freyr was more associated with the act of sex itself than when what comes after. Freyr is an excellent god for any man looking to get in touch with his own masculine power, regardless of sexuality. Some of his symbols are a boar, a ship, and a phallus.

Saint Sebastian (Catholic saint): Saint Sebastian has long been considered an unofficial patron of gay men, and the story behind this association is a wild ride. Unlike Saints Perpetua and Felicity, there is no historical evidence that Sebastian was queer. He was a martyr, and according to legend he was executed by being bound to a tree and shot with arrows. When the Plague hit Europe, Sebastian was often called upon for protection — this was the beginning of his popularity as a saint. Baroque artists created a lot (like, A LOT) of paintings of Sebastian that depicted him as a beautiful, muscular young man, clad in a loin cloth, gazing passionately up at Heaven as he was pierced with arrows. As you might imagine, he became something of a sex symbol. In fact, Sebastian became so popular with the gay men of Italy that he had his own cult! You can buy medals, prayer cards, and candles dedicated to Saint Sebastian, and again, he can be honored with a white candle and/or Three Kings incense.

Nonbinary and Genderfluid Patrons

Loki (Norse god): Technically, Loki is a jötunn (a frost giant), not a god, although he was formerly allied with the Aesir and lived in Asgard. Loki was a shapeshifter, and was known to take female forms as well as male. In fact, he once took the form of a female horse and gave birth to a foal! Loki is probably one of the most explicit examples of a genderfluid deity in European mythology. However, some pagans choose not to work with Loki. He is sometimes considered a “negative” god because of his association with mischief and chaos, and because he ultimately betrayed the Aesir. It is up to you whether to work with him or not, although I would definitely advise you not to bring Loki into a circle with any of the Aesir.

Odin (Norse god): The common image of Odin in pop culture is of a fierce warrior-king, but this is not historically accurate. Odin was often depicted as an old man in traveler’s clothes, and he was associated with several cultural taboos. Though he is definitely identified as masculine, Odin ruled magick, which was considered feminine in Scandinavian culture — it was dishonorable for a man to practice such “woman’s work.” Odin knew that some things transcend gender, and he is a wonderful patron for anyone looking to break away from traditional gender roles. Besides magick, he rules war, strategy, death, astral travel, and knowledge. Some of Odin’s symbols are ravens, wolves, his spear, and his armband. I personally burn mugwort incense when working with Odin. He was also worshiped by Germanic and Anglo-Saxon peoples as Wodan.

Archangel Gabriel (an angel honored in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam): Gabriel is usually identified with masculine pronouns, and “Gabriel” has became a common man’s name in many countries — but in art, Archangel Gabriel is often depicted with feminine features, and sometimes even with a clearly feminine body. This is because Gabriel is strongly associated with the Divine Feminine and with feminine energy in general. Gabriel rules pregnancy and female reproductive disorders, and is responsible for the care of children. He is also associated with the moon, a common symbol of goddess energy. Angels have no true gender, so they are all androgynous in nature, but Gabriel is especially so. Because of this, he is an excellent patron for nonbinary people. Some of Gabriel’s common symbols are a trumpet, a white lily, the moon, and water. Incenses associated with him are frankincense and camphor.

Honorable Mention: Santa Muerte (Mexican deity/folk saint): Santa Muerte may not be trans, nonbinary, or genderfluid herself, but she’s a fascinating figure and deserves a place on this list. Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte (“Our Lady of the Holy Death”) is a personification of death, and is called on for healing and protection by her followers. What is especially interesting is that Santa Muerte is considered a protector of all outcasts from society, including all LGBTQ+ people and especially transgender people. She is even invoked in same-sex marriage ceremonies in some parts of Mexico! Her worship has recently spread to the United States, with churches dedicated to her in California and New Orleans. You can buy statues and altar candles in her image. Common incenses for honoring Santa Muerte include copal, myrrh, and rose.

UPDATE: I’ve been told that worship of Santa Muerte is part of a closed cultural tradition, and is therefore not open to people outside of Mexican and Mexican American culture. I’m leaving her in this post because I still find her story uplifting, but I do ask all of my followers to please be respectful of this beautiful goddess and her cultural roots. I think we can find hope in her role as a pro-LGBTQ+ deity, while respecting that she is not ours to worship or work with. 

Correspondences For LGBTQ+ Issues in Meditation and Spellwork

As I mentioned in one of my previous YouTube videos, magick is the act of manipulating the spiritual energy that permeates the universe. Every part of the natural world, including plants and minerals, has a different type of energy associated with it. If you want to connect with a certain energy (like the energy of romance, for example), you can surround yourself with things that correspond to that energy to make the connection easier.

A lot of the love spells that I’ve been able to find online use correspondences that have a strong association with straight romance. Obviously, some symbols are universal, but I wanted to find some correspondences that can specifically be used for manifesting same-sex romantic relationships. Here’s what my research turned up:

Correspondences For Love Between Two Women:

Rose Quartz: Rose quartz is considered the stone of unconditional love, and it can be used universally to attract love of all kinds, not just romantic. I think this crystal could be especially useful for women seeking a feminine partner, because it has a very strong feminine energy. Rose quartz is also strongly associated with self-love, and teaches us the important lesson that the best way to attract love is to start by loving ourselves. You could incorporate it into a love spell, wear it as jewelry, or meditate with it to align yourself with its loving energy.

Moonstone: Sometime’s called “the woman’s stone,” moonstone is very strongly associated with womanhood and with feminine sexuality. It is said to attract love and to increase passion in existing relationships. Unlike many other crystals associated with sex, moonstone has a very peaceful energy and can be used to calm anxiety or to soothe tense situations. Moonstone is a great stone for any woman looking to reconnect with her feminine power, or for increasing passion in an existing relationship between two women.

Violets: Violets have been associated with romantic love between women since the Ancient Greek poet Sappho of Lesbos (from whom we get the words “lesbian” and ‘sapphic”) used them as a symbol in poems dedicated to her female lover. In the Victorian era, queer women would give their lovers bouquets of violets instead of roses. (In the Victorian “language of flowers,” violets represent faithfulness.) In magick, violets are used to attract love and to increase luck in romantic endeavors. They are also edible — why not brew a violet tea and drink it as a love potion?

Correspondences For Love Between Men

Malachite: In many ways, malachite is the masculine counterpart to rose quartz. Despite its strongly masculine energy, malachite is deeply healing and works to open and unblock our heart chakra, as well as to heal any heartbreaks we may not quite have gotten over. Malachite is also considered the “salesman’s stone,” and can be used for situations where you are trying to “sell yourself” to a potential lover by giving a good first impression. Some people are afraid to use malachite because it is “toxic” — although it does contain copper, which can cause health problems if consumed in high amounts, wearing malachite or holding it against the skin is definitely not enough exposure to cause an issue. As long as you don’t eat your malachite or dissolve it in water, you will be fine.

Red Jasper: This is a wonderful stone for men looking to recharge their sexual energy, or to spice up an existing relationship. Jasper in general is associated with courage and charm, and for this reason it is often recommended to people involved in the performing arts, like actors and singers. Red jasper has a strong masculine energy, and is associated with the root chakra and our connection to the earth. Red jasper is an excellent stone to work with if you are dealing with sexual anxiety, or anxiety over being open about your sexuality. Meditate with it to feel more grounded, courageous, and stable.

Green Carnation: Although the connection between green carnation and queer men is not as ancient as the connection between violets and queer women, it is still well established. Oscar Wilde, who was openly gay, is said to have begun the trend of wearing a green carnation as a signal that he was seeking a man as a lover. Other men in Victorian England began to follow the trend, and the association still stands. In magick, carnation is said to enhance creativity and magickal power. Since it acts as an amplifier for other magickal energies, a green carnation can make any love spell more effective, especially for men seeking men.

Crystals and Herbs For Trans and Nonbinary Folks

Note: I said this in my video, but I feel like it bears repeating here — magick is not a replacement for mental healthcare. If you are struggling with gender dysphoria, I strongly encourage you to seek professional counseling if at all possible. None of the herbs, crystals, or spells mentioned below (or anywhere in this post) are intended as a replacement for medical or psychiatric treatment. If you are already taking medication of any kind, be sure to research potential interactions before ingesting any herb for magic or holistic purposes.

Chrysocolla (for trans and nb women): I first learned about chrysocolla from an episode of the Fat Feminist Witch podcast called “Not Every Goddess Has a Sacred Womb.” That episode discussed issues with equating womanhood to motherhood (or even just to having a uterus), and chrysocolla was brought up as a crystal with strong feminine energy that wasn’t tied to uterine health. This is a great stone to meditate with to get in touch with your own goddess energy, without any biological associations. Chrysocolla is also strongly associated with new beginnings, which may make it a useful spiritual tool for anyone who is just coming out of the closet.

Green Tourmaline (for trans and nb men): Much like malachite, green tourmaline is strongly associated both with masculine energy and with the heart chakra. It is a stone of masculine authority, and can be used either to get in touch with your own power or to help in overcoming emotional issues related to a father figure in your past. Tourmaline in general is said to convert negative energy into positive, which makes it ideal for overcoming any difficult situation.

Damiana (for trans and nb men AND women): Known by the scientific name Turnera diffusa, damiana is currently being clinically studied for its ability to balance hormones in all sexes. In holistic healing, damiana is commonly used to treat sexual problems — this is another one that may be useful for increasing sexual confidence. It is also said to help relieve anxiety and to decrease stress. Damiana is available both as herbal supplements and as a tea.

Angelica or Dong Quai (for trans and nb women): These are two different names for Angelica sinensis, which has been used in folk medicine for hundreds of years. It is often used to relieve symptoms of menopause because it increases estrogen levels when taken regularly. Angelica is also a powerful magickal herb, and is popular in American folk magick. It is sometimes associated with Archangel Gabriel, who I mentioned earlier, and is used for protection and healing. Angelica is available in teas and supplements, though it is usually marketed as “dong quai” in these forms.

Ginger (for trans and nb men): Lab studies found that ginger significantly increased testosterone levels in male rats. Human studies are still underway, but the research that has been done indicates similar benefits for humans. In magick, ginger is considered a magickal “power up” of sorts, and is often added to spells to add power or to speed up results. You can use ginger to increase your own masculine power, and to infuse yourself with a little bit of its sweet and spicy energy. Ginger is available both as a supplement and in teas, and of course it can be used in cooking.

This ended up being a way bigger project than I originally planned, but my research turned up so much good information that I wanted to share. I hope that some of this is helpful to all of my fellow gay witches out there, and I hope that you all have a magickal and blessed Pride Month.

P.S. I’ve actually written three different love spells based on this research. One is for men seeking men, one is for women seeking women, and one is for people who either don’t associate strongly with any one gender or don’t care about the gender of their partner. I was going to include those spells in this post but after seeing just how much info I had to cram in, I decided to give them their own post. You can find those spells here.

🌖 Working with Selene 🌔

Selene, the goddess of the moon, is a very under appreciated deity and her followers are hard to find online. I always found it easier to figure out deity worship by taking ideas from people who follow them and incorporating them into my own worship, but for Selene, at least in the beginning, I had to figure it out myself. I hope this post helps and encourages people to work with Selene and discover ways to honor her. This post is entirely based on what I do and my own personal experiences. Some people may do it differently which is totally fine! My way is not the right way, you are free to take things and adjust them to what suits you.

Important info on Selene can be found here

What is Selene like?

Selene is a very gentle, comforting and motherly deity. She is very easy going when it comes to worship and offerings but is extremely appreciative when you do these things for her. She is a silent watcher most of the time and her energy is most strongly felt on the waxing or waning gibbous and full moon phases. She cares very deeply for you as if you were her child and her peaceful way of being makes her a very easy goddess to interact with. She can help you connect more with your own femininity and for afab people, she helps with connecting and understanding your natural cycles. Her energy is like a gentle, comforting hug and her love is like no other.

Worship:

If you had to take any moment to worship her, do it on the full moon. It is when she is in her fullest, beautiful, most powerful form. Take a moment to praise her, to compliment how beautiful she is and thank her for lighting your way on the darkest of nights. However, traditionally she was worshipped on the New moon as it was the beginning of her cycle but the full moon seems significant, personally and it feels right for me so I do it then!

On the full moon you can:

Give her offerings

Say a prayer

Light a candle for her

Read her poetry (About the moon! or create one of your own)

Make her and yourself a cup of tea, sit by a window or outside where you can see her and have a chat with her. Use a pendulum or tarot cards to receive answers or guidance from her.

Play her some soothing music

Meditate or do some yoga (Moon Salutations) dedicated to her

Beyond the full moon, small ways you can honor her are:

Saying hello when you see her in the sky (at any phase)

Plant a moon garden (white, yellow and night blooming flowers)

Wear moon themed jewellery or clothing

Blow her kisses when you see her in the sky

Research scientific facts about the moon

Say a prayer to her every night before bed.

“ Goddess above Queen of night Help me sleep in your healing light. With sleepy eyes from a long day I ask you to lead the way To a peaceful sleep and joyful dreams As I lay under starlight and moonbeams. And come golden dawn, May I wake to birdsong, Feeling refreshed and ready for a new day. Goodnight Lady Moon, my sweet Goddess Selene.

May you grant me sleep that is restful and serene.”

Other fun stuff to look into!

Map of the moon with names (Hover your mouse over the map!)

Lunessence: A devotional to Selene - Book

Moon Globe

List of Offerings you can give her:

Tea (Lavender, Chamomile, Jasmine, Peppermint, Rose and Chai)

Dedicate a white candle to her

Incense (Floral, calming scents and musk)

Moon imagery (Art, jewellery etc)

White flowers, especially moon flowers

Crystals, especially moonstone, clear quartz, and selenite

Music you think she’d like (maybe even play your own instruments?)

Read or write poetry for her

Anything that depicts white horses, winged white horses and nocturnal animals (like ornaments, toys etc)

Witchcraft:

If you are interested in asking Selene to aid you and lend some energy for spell work, please make sure you give her an offering if you do not have ongoing scheduled offerings.

In general, Selene’s energy works best for:

Helping you sleep

Prophetic dreams

Protection against nightmares

Protection at night

Cleansing

Calming intense emotions

Helping with issues in love

Aid in Childbirth

Menstrual magick

And don’t forget that the different moon phases can intensify certain spells if cast on the corresponding phase.

New moon: New beginnings, setting intentions and goals, a fresh start

Waxing moon: Bringing things into your life (new job, finding love, having a more positive outlook etc)

Full moon: All-purpose, protection, cleansing and purifying

Waning moon: Banishing things from your life (toxic relationships, bad habits, negativity, things that no longer serve you etc)

Dark moon: Shadow work, Jinxes, Hexes and Curses.

I hope this has been useful to those who read it and if you have any questions, you are very welcome to send me an ask or DM! Blessings ✨

Different Types of Witchcraft

Many just beginning their studies of Magick think that there is only one Witchcraft, that being Wicca.

Why magick and not magic? The answer is quite simple…magic is what Copperfield and other illusionists perform. Magick is true, not an illusion. I will never forget the intense surge of power I felt vibrating in my body the first time I practised magick, and I get that same feeling every time.

I believe it is important for beginners to realise that their are many more paths one can follow. By learning about different ones, it can not only enrich your knowledge, but even guide you towards a path that’s best suited for you. It is common for people use the terms Witchcraft and Wicca interchangeably. Whether they are different or just a way of describing the same thing depends on which Witch you ask. Either way you look at it, there is more than one path or tradition. The following are just a few descriptions of some of the most common.

Alexandrian:

Founded in England during the 1960’s by Alexander Sanders, self-proclaimed “King of the Witches”. An offshoot of Gardnerian, Alexandrian covens focus strongly upon training, emphasizing on areas more generally associated with ceremonial magic, such as Qabalah, Angelic Magic and Enochian. The typical Alexandrian coven has a hierarchical structure, and generally meets on weekly, or at least on Full Moons, New Moons and Sabbats. Rituals are usually done skyclad.

Most Alexandrian covens will allow non-initiates to attend circles, usually as a “neophyte,” who undergoes basic training in circle craft prior to being accepted for the 1st degree initiation. Alexandrian Wicca uses essentially the same tools and rituals as Gardnerian Wicca, though in some cases, the tools are used differently, and the rituals have been adapted. Another frequent change is to be found in the names of deities and guardians of the Quarters. In some ways these differences are merely cosmetic, but in others, there are fundamental differences in philosophy. Over the last 30 years, the two traditions have moved slowly towards each other, and the differences which marked lines of demarcation are slowly fading away.

Celtic:

The Celtic path is really many traditions under the general heading of “Celtic.” It encompasses Druidism, Celtic Shamanism, Celtic Wicca or Witta, the Grail Religion, and Celtic Christianity or Culdees. Each path is unique and stand alone meld together with another and still be part of the Celtic tradition. It is primarily derived from the ancient pre Christian Celtic religion of Gaul and the British Isles.

As it is practiced today, most of the Celtic paths are part of the Neo-Pagan revival, focusing on Nature and healing with group and individual rituals that honour the Ancient Shining Ones and the Earth. Most are very eclectic, and hold to the Celtic myths, divinities, magic and rituals. Celtic paths are some of the more popular traditions.

Ceremonial:

Uses a great deal of Ceremonial Magick in practices. Mostly derived from the works of Aleister Crowley. Detailed rituals with a flavor of Egyptian magick are popular, as Qabalistic ritual forms.

Chaos:

Chaos magic theory says that belief is an active magical force. It emphasises flexibility of belief and the ability to consciously choose one’s beliefs, hoping to apply belief as a tool rather than seeing it as a relatively unchanging part of one’s personality. Various psychological techniques are employed in order to induce flexibility of belief. Other chaos magicians suggest that people do not need belief to work magic. Austin Osman Spare asserts in The Book of Pleasure and various other works that will formulates desire which promulgates belief.

Chaos magic was first formulated in West Yorkshire, England in the 1970s. A meeting between Peter J. Carroll and Ray Sherwin in Deptford in 1976 has been claimed as the point of emergence of chaos magic, and in 1978 Carroll and Sherwin founded the Illuminates of Thanateros, a chaos magic organisation. The Book of Results is the first book dedicated to the subject of sigilisation and The Theatre of Magick in which Chaos as a separate discipline was first mentioned.

Visionary artist and mystic Austin Osman Spare, who was briefly a member of Aleister Crowley’s A∴A∴ but later broke with them to work independently, is largely the source of chaos magical theory and practice. Specifically, Spare developed the use of sigils and the use of gnosis to empower these. Most basic sigil work recapitulates Spare’s technique, including the construction of a phrase detailing the magical intent, the elimination of duplicate letters, and the artistic recombination of the remaining letters to form the sigil. Although Spare died before chaos magick emerged, many consider him to be the father of chaos magic because of his repudiation of traditional magical systems in favour of a technique based on gnosis.

Dianic:

This is the most feminist Craft Tradition. Most Dianic covens worship the Goddess exclusively (Diana and Artemis are the most common manifestations) and most today are women only. Rituals are eclectic; some are derived from Gardnerian and Faery traditions, while others have been created anew. Emphasis is on rediscovering and reclaiming female power and divinity, consciousness-raising, and combining politics with spirituality. The Dianic Craft included two distinct branches:

The first Dianic coven in the U.S. was formed in the late ’60s by Margan McFarland and Mark Roberts, in Dallas, Texas. This branch gives primacy to the Goddess in its theology, but honours the Horned God as Her beloved Consort. Covens include both women and men. This branch is sometimes called ‘Old Dianic,’ and there are still covens of this tradition specially in Texas. Other coven, similar in theology but not directly descended from the McFarland/Roberts line are sprinkled around the country.

The other branch, Feminist Dianic Witchcraft, focuses exclusively on the Goddess and consists of women-only covens, often with a strong lesbian presence. These tend to be loosely structured and non-hierarchical, using consensus decision making and simple, creative, experimental ritual. They are politically feminist groups, usually very supportive, personal and emotionally intimate. The major network is Re-Formed Congregation of the Goddess. Z Budapest founded the Susan B. Anthony Coven in 1971, declaring Dianic Witchcraft to be “Wimmin’s Religion”. The Women’s Spirituality Forum was Founded by Z Budapest in 1986, and is dedicated to bringing Goddess consciousness to the mainstream of feminist consciousness through lectures and, retreats, classes, cable TV shows, and rituals in the effort to achieve spiritual and social liberation.

Draconic Wicca:

Draconic Wicca is the utilization of the powers of the dragons. There are as many dragons as there are people. They are as varied as humans are also. We work with these dragons to achieve the results that we seek. In doing so, we have to deal with the unique personalities of each type of dragon. The dragons have no real hierarchy other than age, except for the case of The Dragon. The Dragon is the combined powers of the God and the Goddess. The Dragon is invoked or evoked during Sabbats and in times when great magick is needed (not when you can not find your keys). Invoking means to call into you the power of the dragon that you name i.e. a fire dragon. You ask that this dragon assume himself/herself into your spiritual body. To evoke means to call a dragon to you, to join you in your magickal workings.

Eclectic:

Refers to groups and individuals who do not fully adhere to one specific form of Paganism. They choose to incorporate some beliefs, practices, rituals etc, of a few, or many paths to form a unique one that suits their spiritual needs. Gypsy magic tends to fall into this category.

Faery/Faerie/Fairy/Feri:

Victor and Cora Anderson are the original teachers of the Feri Tradition. Victor is universally recognised as the Grand Master of his order of Feri. He was initiated in 1926 by a priestess from Africa. He is also one of the last genuine Kahuna. His book of poetry, Thorns of the Blood Rose, is considered a contemporary Pagan classic.

In 1959, Victor initiated the late Gwydion Pendderwen (age 13 at the time), who later became a leading voice in the Feri Tradition. Gwydion concentrated on the Welsh Celtic aspects; whereas Victor and Cora still practice the tradition as it was originally, with Huna and African diasporic influences, primarily Dahomean-Haitian. The Feri Tradition honours the Goddess and Her son, brother and lover (The Divine Twins) as the primary creative forces in the universe. The Gods are seen as real spirit beings like ourselves, not merely aspects of our psyche.

It is an ecstatic, rather than fertility tradition, emphasising on polytheism, practical magic, self-development and theurgy. Strong emphasis is placed on sensual experience and awareness,including sexual mysticism, which is not limited to heterosexual expression. This is a mystery tradition of power, mystery, danger, ecstasy, and direct communication with divinity. Most initiates are in the arts and incorporate their own poetry, music and invocations into rituals.

The Tradition is gender-equal, and all sexual orientations seem able to find a niche. According to Francesca De Grandis, founder of the 3rd Road branch: “Faerie power is not about a liturgy but about one’s body: a Fey shaman’s blood and bones are made of stars and Faerie dust. A legitimate branch of Faerie is about a personal vision that is the Fey Folks’ gift to a shaman.”

Initially small and secretive, many of the fundamentals of the Tradition have reached a large audience trough the writings of Starhawk, the most famous initiate. Some secret branches remain. While only a few hundred initiates can trace their lineage directly to Victor Anderson, many thousands are estimated to practice neo-Faery Traditions.

Gardnerian:

This is a closed initiatory Tradition which was founded in England ca 1953 by Gerald Gardner and further developed by Doreen Valiente and others. Gardner was initiated into a coven of Witches in the New Forest region of England in 1939 by a High Priestess named ‘Old Dorothy’ Clutterbuck. In 1949 he wrote High Magic’s Aid, a novel about medieval Witchcraft in which quite a bit of the Craft as practised by the coven was used.

In 1951 the last of the English laws against Witchcraft were repealed (primarily due to to the pressure of Spiritualists) and Gardner published Witchcraft Today, which set forth a version of rituals and traditions of that coven.

Gardner gave his Tradition a ritual framework strongly influenced by Freemasonry and Crowleyan ceremonial magic, as well as traditional folk magic and Tantric Hinduism. The Tradition was brought to the USA in 1965 by Raymond & Rosemary Buckland, who were initiated in 1964 by the Gardner’s High Priestess, Lady Olwen.

Gardnerian covens are always headed by a High Priestess and have three degrees of initiation closely paralleling the Masonic degrees. Worship is centered on the Goddess and the Horned God. The tradition emphasises polarity in all things, fertility, and the cycle of birth-death-rebirth. Eight seasonal Sabbats are observed, and the Wiccan Rede is the guiding principle. Power is raised through scourging and sex magick (“The Great Rite”), as well as meditation, chanting, astral projection, dancing, wine and cords. Designed for group/coven work, through solitary workings have been created. Covens work skyclad.

Shamanic Witchcraft:

This term refers to practices associated with those of tribal shamans in traditional Pagan cultures throughout the world. A shaman combines the roles of healer, priest (ess), diviner, magician, teacher and spirit guide, utilising altered states of consciousness to produce and control psychic phenomena and travel to and from the spirit realm. Followers of this path believe that historical Witchcraft was the shamanic practice of European Pagans; and Medieval Witches actually functioned more as village shamans than as priests and priestesses of :the Old Religion.”

Shamanic Witchcraft emphasises serving the wider community through rituals, herbalism, spell craft, healings, counselling, rites of passage, handfastings, Mystery initiations, etc. The distinguishing element of Shamanic Witchcraft is the knowledge and sacramental use of psychotropic plants to effect transitions between worlds. The theory and practice of Shamanic Witchcraft has permeated widely though out many other established Traditions.

Stregheria:

Stregheria is the form of witchcraft native to Italy; there are several distinct traditions sharing common roots, in various parts of Italy. Also called, La Vecchia Religione, Stregheria is a nature-based religion, it’s followers worship the forces of Nature, personified as gods and goddesses. The witches of La Vecchia Religione are called Streghe (plural), with the title Strega (for a female), Stregone (for a male).

Stregheria is rooted in the folk religion of the Latins (the Romans being one Latin people) and the Etruscans. In the particular tradition, taught by Raven Grimassi in Ways of the Strega, the pantheon is different from the urban gods of the Romans, though some of those deities were shared with the Latins, and the Etruscans, most notably Diana, whose worship was focused at a temple at Lake Nemi in the Alban Hills. There are however other traditions of Stregheria in Italy, who may worship the urban gods of the Romans.

The particular tradition taught by Raven Grimassi in Ways of the Strega, is derived from a renewal that occurred in the 14th century brought about by a wise woman from Tuscany called Aradia. This does not imply that witchcraft in Italy began in the 14th century. La Vecchia Religione is an evolution of pre-christian religions in Italy. The tradition taught by Aradia was a revival of the Old Ways during a time of extreme persecution of the peasants of Italy.

Wiccan Shamanism:

Founded by Selena Fox in the 1980’s. Ecumenical and multicultural focus. Combination of Wicca, humanistic psychology and a variety of shamanistic practices from around the world. Emphasis on healing. Uses traditional shamanistic techniques to change consciousness, such as drumming and ecstatic dancing.

https://shirleytwofeathers.com/The_Blog/bookofshadows/book-of-shadows/different-types-of-witchcraft/

Questionnaire :: Eligos Venator

BASICS.

FULL NAME: Eligos Cen Venator NICKNAME: Eli AGE: 27 BIRTHDAY: He forgot it and just counts up at the start of a new year. ETHNIC GROUP: Garlean [Born with an Atavism] NATIONALITY: Garlemald LANGUAGE/S: Common [Eorzean], Hingan, Garlean, Thanavarian SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Heterosexual ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Straight RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Disinterested HOME TOWN / AREA: Garlemald CURRENT HOME: Mists Apartment PROFESSION: Mercenary, Minion-for-hire

[ Cut due to length. Read the rest below! ]

PHYSICAL.

HAIR: Short, jet black hair that is rarely combed properly. EYES: Gold, highly reflective FACE: Somewhat Angular LIPS: Thin COMPLEXION: Pale BLEMISHES: None SCARS: Only the one across the eye. Body is abnormally free of them otherwise. TATTOOS: None HEIGHT: 5′10” WEIGHT: Average BUILD: Athletic build. Highly Muscular. FEATURES: Canines are longer and are sharp fangs as a result of the atavism. Has a short, well groomed beard. ALLERGIES: None [He claims stupid people, but that’s a lie.] USUAL HAIR STYLE:  Short and messy. USUAL FACE LOOK: Smiling and seeming carefree, though well aware of current surroundings. USUAL CLOTHING: Magitech Armors if working. Long-sleeved jackets and suits when not working. Short-sleeved clothing only when weather is extremely hot or at home.

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR/S: Starvation. Wasting Away. ASPIRATION/S: To amass wealth so that he can retire in peace and luxury. POSITIVE TRAITS: Extremely intelligent. Tolerant and patient when dealing with others. Curious and eager to learn. Reliable and honors his contracts to the letter. NEGATIVE TRAITS: Massive Ego. Untrusting. Amoral. Easily Distracted. TEMPERAMENT: Calm, Friendly, Cheerful SOUL TYPE/S: Gunbreaker/Machinist ANIMALS: Ibri, a hunting hawk with a foul attitude. VICE HABIT/S: Loves to gamble, but will try to rig each game to be in his favor. FAITH: Only in himself. GHOSTS?:  No AFTERLIFE?:  No REINCARNATION?:  No POLITICAL ALIGNMENT: Disinterested EDUCATION LEVEL: Nearly graduated from the Magitek Academy in Garlemald as a bioweapons researcher. Finished remaining education on own time after.

FAMILY.

FATHER: Caledon Cen Venator MOTHER: Palmira Cen Venator SIBLINGS: None EXTENDED FAMILY: None NAME MEANING/S: Eligos is the name of a demon of Ars Goetia. The demon in question knows the future of wars and is depicted as a goodly knight. Eligos takes this and tries to incorporate white armor in some fashion to honor his namesake, even if not all of the armors he has used are knightly in appearance. HISTORICAL CONNECTION?: N/A

FAVORITES.

BOOK: Anatomy books for research. Is happy with any science-fiction book for inspiration. DEITY: Worshipping gods is as bad as worshipping Eikons, as far as Eligos is concerned. HOLIDAY: None [Rarely gets hired during holiday seasons] SEASON:  Winter PLACE: Indoors, either in front of magitek or in bed with a good book in hand. WEATHER: Snowfall & Light Rains SOUND / S: Rainfall upon a roof. The hiss of hydraulics. SCENT / S: Burning Ceruleum. Oil. TASTE / S: Aged Red Wines. FEEL / S: A soft bed with a heavy blanket. The feel of a pan or kitchen utensil in hand. ANIMAL / S: Loves all animals, but they tend to hate him in return. NUMBER:  5: The number of cards in a poker hand. COLORS: Black, White, Gray

EXTRA.

TALENTS: Magitek Construction & Design. Creation of Explosives. Skilled Tactician. Close Ranged Combat. Cooking & Cleaning. BAD AT: Being Humble. Being Courteous. Respecting those who shun technology. Showing Empathy. Filtering own words. TURN ONS: Self-Confidence. Independence. Sharp Wit. Strong Will. Physical Strength. Good Style. TURN OFFS: Stupid or Slow People. Nervousness & Uncertainty. Willful Ignorance. Short Tempers. HOBBIES:  Cooking. Magitek Disassembly & Construction. People Watching. TROPES: The Combat Engineer. Demolitions Expert. Combat Pragmatist. QUOTES: "Don't rely upon gods or man to deliver a miracle in your hour of need. Manufacture it yourself."

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1 : If you could write your character your way in their own movie,  what would it be called, what style would it be filmed in, and what would it be about?  Unfortunately, Glorious Bastards is already taken. So instead it would just be a comedy, in the same style as The Dictator, featuring Eligos’s view of Eorzea and the problems encountered in trying to adapt to life in it.

Q2 :  What would their soundtrack/score sound like? “Machines Collide” by Frank Klepacki and most of the MGS: Revengeance soundtrack for combat. “The Devil You Know” by Blues Saraceno for social interactions.

Q3 :  Why did you start writing this character? I wanted a change of pace, really. My prior character was patient, but he was also not outgoing enough to engage people on his own terms nor able to really carry a conversation. I also wanted to play a character that was more upbeat and less depressing, and so the overly cheerful bastard Garlean was conceived as a character.

Q4 :   What first attracted you to this character?  Design, design, design. I am not ashamed to admit I’m extremely picky with armor types and equipment when making sets. Slight clipping drives me up a wall and I’ll often scrap a set due to some overlap or small detail that doesn’t look right, like the metal trim colors not lining up perfectly. Using a Hyur model for the Garlean meant I could wear almost all armors and have them look right, versus the issues I ran into playing Au Ra and Elezen characters who are a bit stretched out and so they are more limited in choice that works really well.

Q5 :  Describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse.  Eligos tends to look down on those around him that he feels can’t keep up with him. He is very technology oriented, and because of that he also tends to view those who refuse to adapt to the times as lesser, simpler beings.

Q6 :  What do you have in common with your muse?  We both are very easily entertained beings. It doesn’t take much to amuse me, and Eligos is much the same in that he seeks joy and finds it in the small things in life.

Q7 :   How does your muse feel about you?  Eligos would get bored very quickly and just walk off. He would probably just forget me within ten minutes of meeting me.  

Q8 :  What characters does your muse have interesting interactions with ?  Can’t say! Each person he’s met so far has managed to draw different aspects of his personality out and into play. With some he’s more patient and quiet, letting them speak at length, and yet with others he’s played the part of unwanted pest, peppering with questions that are borderline insults as he prods to see what makes Eorzeans tick the way they do and trying to understand them better.

Q9 :  What gives you inspiration to write your muse ?   Mostly it’s music that inspires me or urges me to write more for Eligos. I have a playlist I tend to listen to when I want to write the character, or I play a song or two by Sabaton.

Q10 : How long did this take you to complete ?  I didn’t track the time. At least an hour.

Tagged by: @roleplay-aficionado [Thank you for the tag!] Tagging: @divine-ruin @nocturnedreaming @arcurisrilanox @mitsunerokuyari @ivyffxiv @trahja-tia @wildgirlcinna @shroudkeeper @againstthewiind @cottoncnyandy @cadrenebula @jorandalkitor @handofcards @twelvesavethequeen @theshieldedhero @mteshi-ffxiv @of-shadow-and-storm and anyone else interested in doing this!

How to Make a Spell

Magic is accomplished with spells: procedures using various methods to manipulate energy in order to accomplish a goal. Spells can be short and simple, long and complex, or anywhere in between-and can be very personal! I always relate magic to music: there are certain formulas and rules and facets that will always be present and will always be true, and should be followed and not violated to get the desired results; on the other hand, you can also add your own flavor to it, do whatever genre you want, even make your own brand-new one! It’s an art as much as a science.

That in mind, I’m going to go over some tips and pointers to make your own spells!

=General Rules=

Magic is accomplished best with the Five Cornerstones. Those being Energy, Focus, Will, Intent, and Visualization. Combine these together in every spell for the best results. (For more info, see: https://devnine.tumblr.com/post/175508445286/the-cornerstones-of-magic)

Use protection circles. Protection circles are boundaries of energy, barriers, that keep foreign energy out. Generally, you should always do magic in one in order to keep anything you don’t want out of your spell. (For more info, see: https://devnine.tumblr.com/post/174483396471/protection-circle-methods)

Cleanse everything. Before performing any spell, it’s almost always a good idea to cleanse everything you’re going to use to get rid of energy accumulated on it; this will keep unwanted energy from messing with what you’re trying to do.(For more info, see: https://devnine.tumblr.com/post/176266388086/cleansing-methods)

So, now that that’s all covered, let’s move on!

=How to Start=

So, you have an idea of what you’re doing; you know how to charge things, you know basic procedures, and you’re ready to do some magic. But the question is: what do you do?

Before anything, you should have a clear goal in mind for your spell. Do you want to protect yourself? If so, from what? Do you need extra insurance when travelling? Maybe you want to ace that job interview, or help bring positivity into your life.

Whatever you do, remember that magic is not miracle-working. It can only help. Don’t expect to be able to conjure a car or cure your disease; it might help you get a new car if you put effort towards it, it might be able to help relieve pain from that disease, but it’s not going to solve everything. And under no circumstances should it be used as a replacement for medical treatment. 

Those statements made, let’s say you’ve figured out what you want to do with your spell. Awesome! That’s honestly a difficult step, sometimes, especially when you’re just starting out. Now, I’ll go into specific methods that will help you piece together exactly how you want to accomplish it.

=Energetic Materials=

Crystals, wood, and stones: the three materials you’ll see brought up and used most in magic. This is because they’re what I term energetic materials; this means that they’re good at conducting and holding spiritual energy. Everything holds at least some, but energetic materials are the best at it. If you need energy, look no further!

There are different properties to different materials; amethysts are different from clear quartz, and both are different from wood, and they’re all different than granite. Research and experiment, and pick the best type of material(s) for the job.

A Note About Blood: There’s a lot of controversy surrounding blood and its properties. Essentially, all it does is add tons of extra energy into a spell; draw a rune with it, coat a candle or crystal with it, whatever works. It will, however, also bind the spell to whoever the blood comes from, meaning it’s technically traceable back to that person. So, do be cautious.

=Runes and Sigils=

These are terms you’ll see mentioned a lot, but what exactly are they? 

Simply put, sigils are like little packets of intent powered by energy; that intent can be released via additional energy input, such as fire, which sends out the spell to do its thing. It’s a very creative process, and I recommend looking into it, especially for beginners. Very simple, and very effective!

Runes, on the other hand, are like stable, permanent sigils; no matter what, they will always have a very powerful intention to them. All you have to do is draw or engrave them, charge them, and then do whatever you want with their power; clean, easy, and very potent! Runes can be placed or engraved wherever you want, and they’ll simply do what they’re made to do without further input. For instance, if you hang up a rune for protection over a door frame, it’ll help ward off any spiritual stuff trying to come through it. I find that Elder Futhark and Witches’ Runes work best.

=Elements=

A personal favorite of mine is the use of elements! I encourage you to look for yourself, but I’m sure you know the classical four: Water, Fire, Earth, and Air. They each do their own thing, and they add extra potency and direct intention to a spell, so you might want to include them if you feel like it’s appropriate to you and/or the spell.

=Incantations=

Many spells you’ll see will use incantations or chants, phrases and mantras which are designed to help with the spell. While they don’t have power in and of themselves, they do focus the mind on the task at hand and what exactly you want to do with the energy you’re using; if you feel like you need an incantation for your spell, make one that suits you, make one you like and connect with. Anything you like! I personally don’t even use them, though, so it’s all up to you what you want to do with them.

=Sound=

If music or just sound in general is your kind of thing, then you might want to incorporate it! It’s an energy all its own, and it can both set the mood and add a little something to your spell-or even be the entirety of it! The most prevalent use of it is in bell cleansing, something I encourage you to look up. (It’s my personal favorite method of cleansing.)

=Prayer=

Another thing to consider, if you like, is calling on spirits and/or deities to help you and grant you some of their power. I term this “prayer,” but I realize that might be sensitive to some, so call it whatever you like; just remember: it isn’t worship, it’s just asking a non-physical entity to give you their help. If you want to worship something, by all means! But you don’t have to to call on them and see if they answer (if you want).

=Alchemy=

Alchemy, herbology, potion-making-whatever you want to call it, it’s the practice of using natural materials to create magical substances and concoctions. Plants of all kinds have their properties, so research, test, be objective, and have fun! 

A Note About Flavor: It might not be appetizing to make some potions, and that’s okay. Not every mixture is going to taste good; that doesn’t make it less effective.

=Enchanting=

Enchanting. You always hear in fairy tales about how witches go around enchanting brooms and apples, always hear in MMO games about how an item is enchanted with this or that-but what is an enchantment in real life?

Essentially, enchanting an item is giving it instructions, giving it a purpose. Programming it, you could say. For instance, I’ve personally enchanted a crystal to protect me by filling it with energy (so that it can accomplish the task) and “instructing” it to put a barrier around me that destroys energy attempting to come through. Enchanting is diverse and creative, and has several different methods. The method I’ll recommend, though, is magiforming, a post on which can be found here: https://devnine.tumblr.com/post/174620939906/a-primer-on-magiforming

A Note About Loose Spells: Spells which aren’t bound to an object by a method of enchanting, which I call “loose” spells, don’t last forever unless you recast them about every week.

Now that I’ve covered various parts and methods of spellcrafting, let’s take a look at what happens afterwards.

=What Should I Do Now?=

If you’ve just completed the spell, I recommend cleansing everything you’ve used again. (Except items that are supposed to have energy still in and on them, like anything you’ve enchanted.) After that, just clean up, rest, and wait for the spell to take effect!

=How Do I Know it Worked?=

Observation. Wait, watch, see what happens. Look for inexplicable coincidences, strange occurrences, etc. Be objective; don’t let your expectations or hopes cloud you from the reality of what’s actually happening. If there’s simply no other good explanation for why the thing you wanted to happen did, and it’s repeatable, then chances are it worked just fine.

=What if it Backfires?=

Chances are it won’t. You’d have to really screw up somehow, or cast something that runs up against protection that hurts you in return. Don’t be scared of magic; just be calm, be focused, have your goals firmly in mind, and there’s nothing at all to be worried about. Remember: magic at its core is just manipulating energy to achieve a goal.

---

And that’s everything! (That I can think of, anyway.) Good luck, happy spellcasting, and let me know if there are any questions!

Witchcraft Asks #1-105

So, just for @dearpenumbra and because I’m wide awake and bored and want to answer them: Here is the list of the 105 witchcraft questions I just finished answering. I answered one each day but feel free to answer them all at once or however you want to do it. Tag your it!

1. Are you solitary or in a coven? I am technically a solitary, though I have friends with whom I occasionally celebrate the sabbats and do other witchy things with.

2. Do you consider yourself Wiccan, Pagan, witch, or other? I use ‘Pagan’, ‘witch’, and ‘Druid’ to describe myself. My path of Druidry is inherently pagan because of its reverence of the earth and all life, and it contains practices that are part of witchcraft.

3. What is your zodiac sign? I am a Cancer!

4. Do you have a Patron God/dess? I do, for sake of Tumblr, I call them The Hunter and The Lady of the Lantern. They’re deities I’ve not found in any mythology- sort of my own unique perspective / interaction with the divine forces of the universe, and so I keep the names I call to them in ritual private.

5. Do you work with a Pantheon? I do work with other deities beyond my patron god and goddess. A lot of them are from the various Celtic pantheons and include: Brighid, Gofannon the Smith, Cerridwen, Mannanan Mac Lir, and Gwyn ap Nudd.

6. Do you use tarot, palmistry, or any other kind of divination? I read tarot, runes, and ogham. I own an agate scrying mirror, but it’s very finnicky and I’d love to learn palmistry some day.

7. What are some of your favorite herbs to use in your practice? (if any) I use sage for cleansing, mugwort for a couple of blends of incense for divination, and lavender to cleansing, peace, intuition, etc.

8. How would you define your craft? It’s a path of Druidry dedicated to the Wylde Hunt.

9. Do you curse? If not, do you accept others who do? I have cursed- only in extreme situations, and the curse I used was aimed more at making the target realize how negative and toxic the bullshit they’ve been spewing/causing is. Sort of a “You’re going to realize the full horror of your actions” kind of a thing.

10. How long have you been practicing? The summer solstice will mark my 13th year.

11. Do you currently or have you ever had any familiars? I have familiar spirits: a black dog that goes by the name Yew, and a raven with a gold stripe on its beak named Gildenbeck. I’ve never had a familiar in the sense of a pet who does witchy stuff with me though.

12. Do you believe in Karma or Reincarnation? I believe in reincarnation and that our cations in one life affect the next. I’ve done  a past life regression before, but that’s a story for a post that isn’t QUITE this long.

13. Do you have a magical name? I used to. I’ve got through a number of them over the years, changing them out as I see fit. My most recent one was actually the name I started this blog under: Brenna Adaira, but I’ve since outgrown it, and don’t really feel the need for one.

14. Are you “out of the broom closet”? Yes. I have been from the very beginning.

15. What was the last spell you performed? Shit. I don’t even remember. I’m not super big on spells. Anything more complex than carving a candle and charging it with intention to leave burn on my altar is usually not something I bother with.

16. Would you consider yourself knowledgeable? This is a silly question. As I’ve been practicing 13 years, and as someone with a bachelor’s degree, I’d say yes. I am knowledgeable about a number of things. However, I recognize there are many things I’m not knowledgeable about and there is always room for growth and learning.

17. Do you write your own spells? Since they’re very slapdash? Yes. They get written as I’m throwing spell components together to just DO THE THING.

18. Do you have a book of shadows? If so, how is it written and/or set up? I have recently started compiling a more formal grimoire of my path and all of its integral components. My working book of shadows however is always a sketchbook that gets carried around with me literally everywhere. It’s got drawings, scribbled poetry, journal entries, cut and pasted pictures, ritual outlines, musings, research notes, etc. and it’s all pretty out of order and chaotic. But I love the freedom of not having to be too careful with how I structure things and just let everything happen organically.

19. Do you worship nature? I do not worship nature. I honor the forces of nature; I treat them with respect and work to do my best to live in harmony with them. We are part of nature, not separate beings.

20. What is your favorite gemstone? Oof. This is a tough one. Moss Agate or Moonstone... but also Citrine and Opal. xD

21. Do you use feathers, claws, fur, pelt, skeletons/bones, or any other animal body part for magical work? I have a pheasant wing fan I use for smoke cleansing. I also have a small set of antlers that I’m still meaning to make into a proper headdress for ritual wear. Right now, they sit with my statute of The Hunter and the rest of my Wylde Hunt stuff.

22. Do you have an altar? Usually, yes. At the moment I don’t because I’ve been sort of in-transit for months. I’m moving back home at the end of the week though, and setting up an altar is the FIRST thing I intend to do.

23. What is your preferred element? Air. I love wind, stars, storms, gentle breezes through the forest, music, singing, the power of words.

24. Do you consider yourself an Alchemist? Not even in the slightest. XD

25. Are you any other type of magical practitioner besides a witch? Already answered above, but I’m a Druid! ^_^

26. What got you interested in witchcraft? I answered this in my previous post.

27. Have you ever performed a spell or ritual with the company of anyone who was not a witch? Yes! We used to frequently invite non-pagan friends to celebrate sabbats with us. One year, we actually erected a Maypole in my backyard and did a maypole dance.

28. Have you ever used ouija? Nope, and I would never. I don’t need it to speak with my guides, I don’t wanna poke at the dead, and I don’t trust them as reliable tools.

29. Do you consider yourself a psychic? I have strong intuition, but I wouldn’t call myself a psychic.

30. Do you have a spirit guide? If so, what is it? I have a couple, but the main one appears to me as a sort of elven / druidic entity (kinda Tolkien elf-ish with the blonde hair and all that). He goes by the name of Brannan and has been sort of my Druid guide both before and during my OBOD studies.

31. What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started? I wish someone had taught me really basic grounding and centering exercises and energy work first. Instead, I jumped right into gods and spells and rituals and all sorts of silliness early on in my path.

32. Do you celebrate the Sabbats? If so which one is your favorite? I haven’t this past year or so because I’ve been trying to get my bearings post-college again. But my favorite is Midsummer. It’s closest to my birthday, marks the anniversary of my dedication to studying witchcraft, and is just always a super heightened time for me spiritually speaking.

33. Would you ever teach witchcraft to your children? Yes. There’s another, longer blog post coming about my thoughts on this, but the short version of it is that I would rather give them some manner of religious context and collection of traditions and heritage than leave them completely on their own to consider the big universal questions religion is supposed to answer.

34. Do you meditate? Not nearly as often as I would like, but at least a couple of times a month.

35. What is your favorite season? Autumn. I love the gloom and the smell of the leaves, and the rain and how windy it gets, and the colors, and of course all of the things like pumpkin spice and Halloween. It’s another time of deep spiritual work for me. This is when the Wylde Hunt rides, and I mark my progress on my path in devotion to them.

36. What is your favorite type of magick to preform? I don’t actually like doing magick other than charging and burning candles. I’m sort of a lazy witch and usually find it more necessary to do inner work to get through a problem than to try and effect change in the world around me.

37. How do you incorporate your spirituality into your daily life? I take actions that align with my spiritual goals: living in harmony with the natural world, creating beautiful things, never stopping my own growth and learning, and compassion for others. I recycle where I can, try to reduce waste and reuse things. I take walks in nature and spend time in the woods. I stay informed so I can vote in ways that put people in power who care about our world. I take time to notice beauty in small places: a bird flying over head, stars in the winter sky, the way the sun is coming in through a window. When all of life is sacred, the spiritual path is not separate from the rest of your life. It becomes the lens through which you frame your life.

38. What is your favorite witchy movie? If I had to choose.... damn. I really can’t. The triad of Hocus Pocus, The Craft, and Practical Magic kinda take that place. I love them all in different ways.

39. What is your favorite witchy book, both fiction and non-fiction. Why? My favorite witchy books... Non-fiction: Living Druidry by Emma Restall-Orr, because it’s a look at Druidry through a Druid’s eyes. It introduces Druid concepts without the formal textbook layout, and I love reading about her experiences. Fiction: The Tree Shepherd’s Daughter and the associated series by Gillian Summers because who wouldn’t love a book about an elf who talks to trees whose day job to hide among humans is to make furniture to sell at Renaissance Festivals? Like... It’s just good, okay?

40. What is the first spell you ever preformed? Successful or not. This got answered in my last post. 

41. What’s the craziest witchcraft-related thing that’s happened to you? And so did this one!

42. What is your favourite type of candle to use? I typically use those cheap chime candles or tealights. They burn down quickly and are easy to get ahold of.

43. What is your favorite witchy tool? I would have to say my drum. I love love love love raising energy with it or doing trance work while drumming.

44. Do you or have you ever made your own witchy tools? All of my wands have been handmade and my altar statues are all sculpted by hand. My ogham staves are handmade, and I’ve made a set of runes in the past, but they weren’t fond of me. XD

45. Have you ever worked with any magical creatures such as the fea or spirits? Ohhhh yes. Lots! The Wylde Hunt is one such example, but I’ve also worked with goblins and other various fae.

46. Do you practice color magic? I use color associations loosely, but don’t adhere to them too much.

47. Do you or have you ever had a witchy teacher or mentor of any kind? I did, sort of. My mom’s best friend was the one who bought me my first tarot deck, taught me how to read, etc. She gave me witchy homework now and then, but it wasn’t really a formal mentorship. She’s like another mother to me though, and I love her lots. <3

48. What is your preferred way of shopping for witchcraft supplies? Unfortunately, my preferred way is no longer possible. My local shop closed down in Feb of 2017 and I have been super sad ever since. I’m still trying to find a suitable alternative.

49. Do you believe in predestination or fate? I believe that we have free will and that the Universe sort of fills in the gaps. I think somethings are sort of “meant” to happen, but I don’t think everything is set in stone.

50. What do you do to reconnect when you are feeling out of touch with your practice? I light candles at my altar and just open myself to the energies, or I go on a walk with my friend, Mark. We always get into super deep conversations that get me back in the vibe.

51. Have you ever had any supernatural experiences? I could fill an ENTIRE post just on this alone, but yes. Plenty.

52. What is your biggest witchy pet peeve? Answered!

53. Do you like incense? If so what’s your favorite scent? I love incense! I tend to burn a lot of Dragon’s Blood, though I’ve recently discovered one called Mountain Heather that I am ALSO in love with.

54. Do you keep a dream journal of any kind? I keep weirdly vivid dreams in the notepad function on my phone. It’s usually right near my pillow and I just tap what I remember in there and try to go back to sleep.

55. What has been your biggest witchcraft disaster? Man, I can’t really think of a time things went horribly wrong to be honest.

56. What has been your biggest witchcraft success? Maintaining my practice and developing it into something uniquely my own.

57. What in your practice do you do that you may feel silly or embarrassed about? I know some people would say having spirit guides and such is silly. There are others who would say that energy work and psychic vampirism and the like are kinda woo-y and weird too.

58. Do you believe that you can be an atheist, Christian, Muslim or some other faith and still be a witch too? Anyone from any religion can be a witch. Witchcraft is a practice, not a religious path. Anyone can learn to raise and manipulate energy regardless of which deity they do/n’t worship.

59. Do you ever feel insecure, unsure or even scared of spell work? I just don’t usually feel a need for it. It’s usually able to be solved by mundane means or by doing inner personal work.

60. Do you ever hold yourself to a standard in your witchcraft that you feel you may never obtain? Don’t we all have perfectly aesthetic rituals that leave us feeling profound as a standard which we don’t ever quite meet? Aren’t we all secretly pining for Tumblr/Instagram worthy altars?

61. What is something witch related that you want right now? I actually really want to get a Tarokka deck, which is a tarot-esque oracle used in the D&D Curse of Strahd campaign. I want them for the campaign, but also to use for actual divination because it sounds like fun to try.

62. What is your rune of choice? I’m very partial to Kenaz (light, illumination, guidance), and Laguz (movement, water travel, magic, intuition).

63. What is your tarot card of choice? The 8 of Cups, The Star, and the 3 of Swords are all sort of cards I look at to determine if I’ll love or hate a deck.

64. Do you use essential oils? If so what is your favorite? I do use some, albeit sparingly. I’m rather fond of patchouli, sage, and a heather one I found.

65. Have you ever taken any kind of witchcraft or pagan courses? I’m currently wrapping up the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids’ Bardic Grade Course.

66. Do you wear pagan jewelry in public? Right now, my everyday necklace is a nine-pointed star which is supposed to represent the 9 sisters of Avalon, of whom Morgan le Fay was one.

67. Have you ever been discriminated against because of your faith or being a witch? Yes. Once, in early high school by a teacher. And once in college by some preppy sorority girl who wandered over to the LGBT clubs’ table at a Campus Life event looking to cause an argument.

68. Do you read or subscribe to any pagan magazines? Not magazines, but I follow a number of blogs both on Tumblr, Patheos, and Wordpress.

69. Do you think it’s important to know the history of paganism and witchcraft? Yes. Absolutely. The Burning Times weren’t about real witches. Modern paganism is not ancient paganism, and the context of myth, traditional practices, etc. are important.

70. What are your favorite things about being a witch? The language and tools I have with which to describe my experiences and think about and interact with the rest of the universe.

71. What are your least favorite things about being a witch? Being a conscious being and co-creator with spirit is freaking hard, yo.

72. Do you listen to any pagan music? If so who is your favorite singer/band? My absolute fave is Damh the Bard, but also give S.J. Tucker and OMNIA a listen. <3

73. Do you celebrate the Esbbats? If so, how? I used to do Dark Moon tea and meditation time with the Dark Goddess. Usually if I do something for any of the moon phases it’s sort of spur of the moment these days.

74. Do you ever work skyclad? I don’t, because I currently lack private space to do so.

75. Do you think witchcraft has improved your life? If so, how? Well, I am an empowered being with knowledge and love of the Universe and the divine connections between us all. I’m also equipped with various techniques for performing inner transformative work as well as affecting change in the world around me. What’s not to love?

76. Where do you draw inspiration from for your practice? My practice is a lot of “Solitary Wicca” meets OBOD druidry, meets a sort of Dragonheart ‘knights of the Old Code’ sort of feel. It’s about nature, creativity, and living honorably.

77. Do you believe in ‘fantasy’ creatures? (Unicorns, fairies, elves, gnomes, ghosts, etc) I do. I don’t believe they exist corporeally in this plane of existence though.

78. What’s your favorite sigil/symbol? I’m not sure I could pick one... but if I had to, I’d say the symbol for Awen.

79. Do you use blood magick in your practice? Why or why not? I’ve used blood in magic exactly twice. Once was in a dedication rite to The Hunter, and the other was to the Wylde Hunt. Both times it was blood from something like a paper cut or popped blister, whatever that was already available. I used it as a potent source of energy but also as a sympathetic tie to myself. Since I was dedicating myself to said entity, using it as a taglock made sense.

80. Could you ever be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t support your practice? Absolutely not. Thank you, next.

81. In what area or subject would you most like your craft to grow? I’m looking to pursue the OBOD’s further courses. I want to become a celebrant for the order and perform marriage, death, etc. rites for others within the order as well as those in the pagan community.

82. What’s your favorite candle scent? Do you use it in your practice? I love candles that smell like mulled spices or coffee or pumpkin. I don’t use them for magic, just for ambiance.

83. Do you have a pre-ritual ritual? (I.e. Something you do before rituals to prepare yourself for them). If so what is it? I ground and center before every ritual. Beyond that, I’m usually doing magic on the fly.

84. What real life witch most inspires your practice? Emma Restall-Orr, whom I’m not sure would identify as a witch. She’s technically a druid and author of various books and I love how gritty and honest and earthy what she shares is.

85. What is your favorite method of communicating with deity?��I like to get somewhere quiet, and channel them through sort of automatic writing. I also frequently use visualization / meditation techniques to go to my sacred grove and speak with them there.

86. How do you like to organize all your witchy items and ingredients? What is this... organize you speak of? All spell components are in wee jars in a drawer. xD

87. Do you have any witches in your family that you know of? My mom was a practicing Wiccan when I was little, and my sister has interest in witchcraft.

88. How have you created your path? What is unique about it? Answered in my last post. 

89. Do you feel you have any natural gifts or affinities (premonitions, hearing spirits, etc.) that led you toward the craft? If so what are they? I have a strange knack for vibing with plants/crystals/etc. and just knowing what they can be used for. I’ve also always had the ability to sort of see/hear things not there: spirits, fae, etc.

90. Do you believe you can initiate yourself or do you have to be initiated by another witch or coven? To be initiated implies you are entering into a group. The OBOD gives you the opportunity to initiate yourself if you aren’t close enough to a grove, but the point stands that it’s a ritual given to you by someone else. You can dedicate yourself to a specific path, but initiation implies you’re being included in something you once were not included in.

91. When you first started out in your path what was the first thing or things you bought? I’m pretty sure it was a new tarot deck, tbh. It’s been too long. I don’t remember.

92. What is the most spiritual or magickal place you’ve been? Answered in the last post: but Avebury, England.

93. What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone who is searching for their matron and patron deities? They aren’t necessary for a balanced and successful path. I know it can be weird not having a specific god/ddess but it’s really really really not necessary to find one right away  to be able to have a successful practice.

94. What techniques do you use to ‘get in the zone’ for meditation? I dim the lights, drink some coffee or wine, get somewhere comfy, and put on some quiet music.

95. Did visualization come easily to you or did you have to practice at it? It used to come a lot more easily to me. I realized I was using it as sort of escapism and stopped, and have been building it back again.

96. Do you prefer day or night? Why? I prefer night. Everyone else is asleep and it gives me time and space to think and work on things without being disturbed.

97. What do you think is the best time and place to do spell work? The best time and place is when and where you need it most.

98. How did you feel when you cast your first circle? Did you stumble or did it go smoothly? We forgot to include a means of opening the circle in our first ritual’s notes. So... sort of a stumble.

99. Do you believe witchcraft gets easier with time and practice? Yes... and no. Because with time and practice, you come to find deeper things, and bigger truths. It builds upon itself.

100. Do you believe in many gods or one God with many faces? In my belief system, all gods are separate beings, but all a part of the Great Song of Creation that gives life to the universe.

101. Do you eat meat, eggs and dairy? I do! No restrictive diets here.

102. What is your favorite color and why? I can’t truthfully pick one. I’m fond of burgundy lately.

103. What is the one question you get asked most by non-practitioners or non-pagans? How do you usually respond? “I really like your necklace; what does that symbol mean?” To which I say “I got it at a renaissance festival; it’s supposed to represent the nine sisters of Morgen LeFay.” which seems to be an acceptable response.

104. Which of your five senses would you say is your strongest? Probably my sight.

105. What is a pagan or witchcraft rule that you preach but don’t practice? “Always cast a circle.” I recommend it for new folks, but I rarely ever actually cast one myself.

Sonamhelps’ Beginners Guide to Hinduism and the Hindu Gods

‘Hinduism’ is really just an umbrella term under which many varied religious traditions and practices fall. In this guide I will give an introduction to the main gods and goddesses and summarise some general beliefs and terminology. I will also offer some useful tips for writing Hindu characters, and outline some stereotypes to avoid.

NOTE: This guide will be made objectively and will not be from the perspective of a particular branch of Hinduism. If you would like to know about my personal beliefs and the tradition I follow feel free to ask!

Firstly, some information about Hinduism:

Hindus worship in temples and each temple will be devoted to a different god, or group of related gods and goddesses. When visiting a temple you have to take your shoes off as a sign of respect because you are entering God’s house. The deities of the God will be in the temple room, and when entering Hindu’s bow down to the floor, again as a sign of respect and to pay obeisances.

In Hindu households you will often find pictures and murti’s (small statues) of gods and goddesses. Usually of the main god/gods the household worships and Lord Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, for protection. Statues of the gods and goddesses are a point of focus for Hindus in their prayers.

Hindus acknowledge that God is fundamentally the One without a second. God is absolute, formless. This Supreme, Universal Soul is known as Brahman. Brahman is considered to be the universe and everything in it, and it has no form or limits. Please remember that Brahman is NOT a god, it is more like a divine, universal energy.

One perspective on the worship of the Hindu Gods is that they acknowledge that there is one God, but because God manifests himself in all these different forms to perform different roles, Hindus choose which form of God to worship. For example, families who desire more material wealth may worship Shiva, or families that want academic success may focus their worship on Saraswati. The main god or goddess worshipped by a family tends to be passed down patrilineally for generations.

‘Converting’ to the religion is not a requirement and there is no conversion ceremony as there is in other religions. Converting to Hinduism means embracing the religion and letting your actions, thoughts, way of life and philosophy reflect your belief. In most Hindu sects it is unusual to convert because the religion is considered something you have to be born into. However, there are many sects which welcome newcomers and people from all religions and backgrounds have joined them. The most well known of these are Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and transcendental meditation.

Hindus do not worship cows. Cows are respected, honoured and considered sacred. They are more a symbol of the Earth and prosperity because they give more than they take. They are seen as mothers because the cow always gives and feeds, representing life and the support of life.

The Hindu Trinity:

The Hindu Trinity, or Hindu Triumvirate, consists of Brahma (not to be confused with Brahman), Shiva and Vishnu. They have the biggest roles in the pantheon and are three of the most widely worshiped Hindu gods.

Brahma - the Creator - Brahma is known as ‘the Creator’ because he creates the universe and everything in it. Many Hindu’s believe that time is cyclical, so the universe is created, lasts for a certain amount of time, and is then destroyed. The universe lasts for one day of Brahma (4,320,000,000 years), after which it is destroyed and another universe is created by Brahma. - If you’re interested in learning about this I encourage you to look up Hindu cosmology, but it can be a difficult idea to get your head round.

Vishnu - the Preserver - Vishnu is known as ‘the Preserver’ because he maintains the order and harmony of the universe. Vishnu is worshipped in many forms and in several avatars (incarnations). His role is to return to the earth in troubled times and restore the balance of good and evil, as one of his incarnations. His wife is Laksmi

Shiva, the Destroyer - Shiva is known as ‘the Destroyer’ because he is tasked with destroying the universe to prepare for its renewal at the end of each cycle of time. According to Hindu belief, this destruction is not arbitrary, but constructive. Shiva is therefore seen as the source of both good and evil. His wife is Parvati

Vishnu Avatars:

Vishnu has 10 avatars, or incarnations. These are Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Balarama/Krishna, Buddha, Kalki. The most well known of these are Rama and Krishna.

Rama - one of the most beloved Hindu gods and is the hero of the Hindu epic called the Ramayana which tells the story that led to the Hindu festival of lights; Diwali. His wife is Sita.

Krishna -  known as the speaker of the Bhagavad Gita and for his promise to humanity that he will descend to earth whenever belief in God declines. He himself has 4 avatars to fulfill this purpose. His wife is Radharani, she is sometimes considered to be the feminine aspect of Godhead. Many traditions believe that Krishna is the source of the ten avatars, not Vishnu, in which case his brother Balaram is the eighth avatar.

Some other main gods/goddesses:

Ganesha or Ganapati - he is Shiva’s first son. Lord Ganesh has an elephant head. He is known as the Remover of Obstacles. Most Hindu households will have a picture or statue of Lord Ganesh.

Saraswati - she is the consort of Brahma the Creator and is worshipped as the goddess of learning, wisdom, speech, and music. Many Hindus will offer prayers to Saraswati for help in school and especially exams.

Lakshmi -  the goddess of good fortune, wealth, and well-being. As the consort of Vishnu, she plays a role in every incarnation of his.

Durga Devi - Durga is the main form of the goddess. She is a powerful, even frightening goddess who fights fiercely in order to restore moral order. Yet, she is full of compassion and love for her devotees. She is the embodiment of Shakti, the female principle of divine energy,

Indra - the King of Heaven and lord of the gods. He wields a thunderbolt and is a protector and provider of rain.

Surya - the sun god. He is a golden warrior arriving on a chariot pulled by seven white horses.

Hanuman - the monkey king. Hanuman is featured in the Ramayana. He earned his path to being worshipped by performing feats of strength, devotion, and courage while helping Rama.

The Main Hindu Festivals:

Sarasvati Puja - honours the Goddess Sarasvati. Takes place in January.

Maha Shivaratri - celebrates Lord Shiva. The festival usually takes place in February/March on the night and day before the new moon.

Holi -  Holi is known as is the Hindu festival of colours because on this day people paint each other with coloured dyes and poweders. It marks the beginning of spring. It is most commonly celebrated in Northern India and takes place around late February/ March. At night Hindus build bonfires to combat evil spirits. (read about the story of Holi here).  

Rama Navami - celebrates the appearance (birth) or Lord Rama. In March/April.

RathaYatra - a huge deity of Jagannatha (an incarnation of Lord Krishna) is placed on an enormous, decorated chariot and is pulled through the streets amidst a procession of worshippers. Takes place in June/July.

Raksha Bandhan - takes place in August. It is a celebration of the bond between siblings. Sisters will tie a Rakhi (silk thread) around the wrist of their brothers.

Krishna Janmashtami - a festival to celebrate the appearance (birth) of Lord Krishna. The festival is usually celebrated over two days because Krishna was born at midnight. Takes place around August/September.

Navaratri - primarily celebrated by Indians, this festival lasts nine days in September/October. It honours the goddess of valour, Durga.

Diwali -  or the festival of lights, celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs around the months of October and November.  It represents the triumph of good, light and knowledge over evil, darkness and ignorance as told in the Ramayana. It is also a time to honour the Goddess Lakshmi. Over the 5 days of Diwali people will light small candles (Diyas) in their homes, spend time with family and exchange gifts (usually of money, clothes and sweets). The day after Diwali is usually the Hindu new year.

Writing a Hindu Character:

This is a very general guide to the Hindu Gods, if you’re interested in knowing more I highly recommend you research them or you can ask me a specific question and I’ll do my best to answer it.

Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the word but unlike other religions, it is still going strong thousands of years later. If you’re thinking of writing a Hindu character, don’t be put off by the religious aspect! You won’t be expected to know everything about the religion, unless your character is actually a Hindu priest or monk.

These are some basic religious and cultural traditions that you can incorporate into any Hindu character:

The deity they worship will often depend on the country or Indian state they grew up in/ that their family originate from.

A religious Hindu will visit the temple at least once a month as well as on New Years Day, on their birthdays and on the days of the main Hindu festivals; Diwali, Holi, Navratri, and the appearance day (birthday) of the main god they worship.

Almost all practising Hindu will not eat beef or any form of cows meat.

When praying to God, they may address their prayer to a specific god/goddess depending on what they are praying for, e.g. to Sarasvati for good grades or Ganesh for protection.

If they are at university/college their parents will have almost certainly given them at least one picture or statue of a god to take with them and put in their room.

On religious days, more religious Hindus may not eat meat or drink alcohol as a way to observe the festival.

If you do decide to write a Hindu character, please be respectful of the religion & the beliefs of those who follow it. People who fall under the umbrella of Hindus are diverse, welcoming and vibrant and we would love to see Hindu’s being represented more in the community!

Good places to start further research:

Hinduism Faith Guide - University of Warwick

Responses to 101 Questions on Hinduism - John Renard

http://www.dummies.com/religion/hinduism/hindu-gods-and-goddesses/

http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism

Indian Characters - Writing POC 101

The information used in this guide has been taken from my own knowledge and a variety of internet sources to make sure the facts are correct.

I would also like to thank @cllytemnestra for helping me to construct this guide.

I hope this helps you!

Jas x

ALL THE WITCH ASKS (careful what you ask for) 😋

Fuck me gently with a chainsaw. I feel like i didnt totally answer these as best I could but yknow

1. Are you solitary or in a coven?Solitary- used to be in a coven but they moved

2. Do you consider yourself Wiccan, Pagan, witch, or other?Witch

3. What is your zodiac sign?Scorpio

4. Do you have a Patron God/dess?Moon goddess

5. Do you work with a Pantheon?Nope

6. Do you use tarot, palmistry, or any other kind of divination?Tarot a little

7. What are some of your favorite herbs to use in your practice? (if any)Sage and rosemary

8. How would you define your craft?Screaming literal and verbal salt

9. Do you curse? If not, do you accept others who do?Sometimes I do but only in certain points

10. How long have you been practicing?About 1-2 years???

11. Do you currently or have you ever had any familiars? Yeah!

12. Do you believe in Karma or Reincarnation?Both a little yeh!

13. Do you have a magical name?Nope

14. Are you “out of the broom closet”?To a few people yes

15. What was the last spell you performed?It was to purify my workspace so I could work on an art project in peace

16. Would you consider yourself knowledgeable?Somewhat

17. Do you write your own spells?Yeah

18. Do you have a book of shadows? If so, how is it written and/or set up?I don’t

19. Do you worship nature? Yes!

20. What is your favorite gemstone?Snowflake obsidian and black tourmaline

21. Do you use feathers, claws, fur, pelt, skeletons/bones, or any other animal body part for magical work?I do not. I do most of my work using crystals, candles, and intention

22. Do you have an altar?I do!

23. What is your preferred element?Fire

24. Do you consider yourself an Alchemist?Not really

25. Are you any other type of magical practitioner besides a witch?Nope

26. What got you interested in witchcraft?I first got interested way back in sixth grade but people bullied me about it. Then a few years ago I found a coven in my neighborhood practicing in a secluded area during Halloween. They welcomed me with open arms

27. Have you ever performed a spell or ritual with the company of anyone who was not a witch?Nope

28. Have you ever used ouija?Yeah. But I try to stay away now

29. Do you consider yourself a psychic?Not exactly

30. Do you have a spirit guide? If so, what is it?I do not

31. What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started?It’s ok to not have all the materials- especially if you’re on a budget. Just feel the energy of nature or whatever element(s) you use.

32. Do you celebrate the Sabbats? If so which one is your favorite?I don’t celebrate too many no

33. Would you ever teach witchcraft to your children?Would I ever have children?

34. Do you meditate?A lot yes.

35. What is your favorite season?Fall/winter

36. What is your favorite type of magick to preform?Cleansing and empowering meditation

37. How do you incorporate your spirituality into your daily life? Yeah.

38. What is your favorite witchy movie?Hocus Pocus is an all-time fave

39. What is your favorite witchy book, both fiction and non-fiction. Why?Fiction- I have non. Non-fiction I love Wiccapedia since it serves as a good beginners guide for witches.

40. What is the first spell you ever preformed? Successful or not. No success. I tried to charm my looks, but I was really low on spoons

41. What’s the craziest witchcraft-related thing that’s happened to you?Using ouija I found out a spirit had been following me since I visited Europe- a young, quite tortured man from 1805. He saw I was “ tortured “ too I guess??? At any rate, he was causing a bunch of problems but I was able to banish him at some point last summer after seeking guidance from a shop owner in downtown Sedona.

42. What is your favourite type of candle to use?Scented and also white or black

43. What is your favorite witchy tool?Healing crystals

44. Do you or have you ever made your own witchy tools?I made moon water at some point but other than that, no

45. Have you ever worked with any magical creatures such as the fea or spirits?Spirits yes

46. Do you practice color magic?Not regularly

47. Do you or have you ever had a witchy teacher or mentor of any kind?Not currently.

48. What is your preferred way of shopping for witchcraft supplies?Etsy from other witches or going to the shop by my school

49. Do you believe in predestination or fate?Yes, but I feel fate can be changed

50. What do you do to reconnect when you are feeling out of touch with your practice?Meditate with candles and crystals and do several mindfulness exercises

51. Have you ever had any supernatural experiences?The crazy thing that happened with witchcraft

52. What is your biggest witchy pet peeve?People that don’t respect the practice and use things from closed cultures

53. Do you like incense? If so what’s your favorite scent?I don’t but I want more

54. Do you keep a dream journal of any kind?I do keep a dream journal, yes

55. What has been your biggest witchcraft disaster?Almost releasing a demon in my house

56. What has been your biggest witchcraft success?Getting in touch with crystals and tuning them into what I do

57. What in your practice do you do that you may feel silly or embarrassed about?Talking to my tools

58. Do you believe that you can be an atheist, Christian, Muslim or some other faith and still be a witch too?Absolutely! I’m a Jewish witch actually!

59. Do you ever feel insecure, unsure or even scared of spell work?Sometimes I’m a little fearful when I try something new but that’s about it

60. Do you ever hold yourself to a standard in your witchcraft that you feel you may never obtain?I’m not OVERLY devoted like some people, but I think we all have a happy level we can reach.

61. What is something witch related that you want right now?More materials

62. What is your rune of choice?I dont have one

63. What is your tarot card of choice?It’s a death card, but I love it cuz death can just mean the end of something and the beginning of something new.

64. Do you use essential oils? If so what is your favorite?I don’t usually.

65. Have you ever taken any kind of witchcraft or pagan courses?I have not, but I want too!

66. Do you wear pagan jewelry in public?So many crystals….

67. Have you ever been discriminated against because of your faith or being a witch?Not really. Most people are just kinda intrigued and weirded out

68. Do you read or subscribe to any pagan magazines?I should

69. Do you think it’s important to know the history of paganism and witchcraft?It’s good to know definitely.

70. What are your favorite things about being a witch?Feeling a place of belonging with my work, it helps me get in tune with myself and I met some good friends because of the practice

71. What are your least favorite things about being a witch?Discourse of also being Jewish

72. Do you listen to any pagan music? If so who is your favorite singer/band?I do not actually

73. Do you celebrate the Esbbats? If so, how?I don’t

74. Do you ever work skyclad?Not usually

75. Do you think witchcraft has improved your life? If so, how?Yeah, it helps with my dissociating and mindfulness.

76. Where do you draw inspiration from for your practice?Just energies and sometimes I’ll do little fandom things like Harry Potter-inspired spells

77. Do you believe in ‘fantasy’ creatures? (Unicorns, fairies, elves, gnomes, ghosts, etc)I believe in demons, ghosts, faeries and hobgoblins

78. What’s your favorite sigil/symbol?I can’t explain but I have this sigil to aid with my anxiety and the intention I use is “I am fearless and can do anything I set my mind to”79. Do you use blood magick in your practice? Why or why not?I don’t. Mostly cuz I have a low pain tolerance and do everything out of intention

80. Could you ever be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t support your practice?I was in a relationship with a harcore catholic before if that answers your quesrion

81. In what area or subject would you most like your craft to grow?Getting more involved in the craft. I’m generally running on low spoons and can’t do much.

82. What’s your favorite candle scent? Do you use it in your practice?Peppercorn. I use it a lot yeah.

83. Do you have a pre-ritual ritual? (I.e. Something you do before rituals to prepare yourself for them). If so what is it? Yeah. I do a lot of meditation before working

84. What real life witch most inspires your practice?@thatsprettyedgybruv and also my friends from the coven I was in

85. What is your favorite method of communicating with deity?Dreams

86. How do you like to organize all your witchy items and ingredients?I have a keepsake box for crystals, candles are just together generally

87. Do you have any witches in your family that you know of?No, but my mom used to be very into tarot and crystals

88. How have you created your path? What is unique about it?Intention and trial and error. It is something I do since I’m on low spoons a lot so it’s good to help me check in and feel different energies

89. Do you feel you have any natural gifts or affinities (premonitions, hearing spirits, etc.) that led you toward the craft? If so what are they?Probably sensing spirits and high empathy

90. Do you believe you can initiate yourself or do you have to be initiated by another witch or coven?It depends on how far into the practice you wanna go. I think anyone can begin to be a witch, but if you wanna go all in, you may wanna seek a professional

91. When you first started out in your path what was the first thing or things you bought?A rose quartz crystal

92. What is the most spiritual or magickal place you’ve been?Bell rock in Sedona, AZ. It’s full of New Age and good energies

93. What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone who is searching for their matron and patron deities?Trust your gut and listen to your intuition.

94. What techniques do you use to ‘get in the zone’ for meditation? Controlled breathing and muscle tensing and relaxing

95. Did visualization come easily to you or did you have to practice at it?Yeah it is very easy for me

96. Do you prefer day or night? Why?Night. There’s something magical about the quiet of night…. or nightlife when it’s not super chaotic. Plus, night is when the truth comes out sometimes. I have most of my “real talks” with people at night.

97. What do you think is the best time and place to do spell work?For me personally, in a place I can feel energies and usually during a full or new moon

98. How did you feel when you cast your first circle? Did you stumble or did it go smoothly?I stumble a lot. Like a looot I was super unsure of the whole thing

99. Do you believe witchcraft gets easier with time and practice?Definitely. You begin to get a hang of what youre doing and get better at being mindful of energies and surroundings

100. Do you believe in many gods or one God with many faces? Many gods

101. Do you eat meat, eggs and dairy?Yes

102. What is your favorite color and why?Blue, Black, and lavender. They’re comforting colors

103. What is the one question you get asked most by non-practitioners or non-pagans? How do you usually respond?“So like, is it like a Harry Potter thing or??” I kinda just roll my eyes mentally and answer with a general explanation of what I do. Also when they see the crystals it’s “so what do the crystals mean/do” and I am happy to explain it

104. Which of your five senses would you say is your strongest? Hearing

105. What is a pagan or witchcraft rule that you preach but don’t practice?I think I practice generally what I preach.

-The High Priestess/ Azumi

Once in another life time, a loyal worshiper to the shogun of sorrow. With her deity gone and the timeline reset, the once High Priestess now turn ordinary woman named Azumi, spends most of her time running her families antique store by the docks. She is described by many to be like a dragon if you get on her bad side. Takes no nonsense from anyone and can be very quick tempered. Yet none of this was ever a problem to her (now dead) husband, as he loved her no matter what. Once a local fisherman and a far more patient man, it was said Azumi would never tolerate any other guy in the world but him. Azumi hadn't planned on having seven kids let alone the fact that they would all end up being girls. It just happen to be an unexpected surprise. Still this ended up being quite a help to her in the long run. As she now had extra hands to assist her with the shop. While she can be strict and hot tempered at times, Azumi does truly care for her daughters and only wants whats best for them. Hard to really say that for her past self.

Side note: I came up with the name Azumi for the High Priestess for a few reasons, I wanted to give her a name other than the mom so that it would further separate her from her past self more. Second was the fact that the voice actress of the High Priestess also play Azula from Avatar the Last Air Bender and both of those women were bat-shit crazy! So taking the name Azula and replaced the last two laters with an “m,” and an “i” since it would better explain why all the daughters names start with an “A” and end with and “I.” Sounds incredibly geeky I know...

-Ashi

The first to come into the world and the most unique out of her sisters. Ashi is the most curious one, often the first to wonder off, gets distracted by many things that capture her interest and is the most balanced out of the seven, both in her mother's temperament and farther's calmest. She has no idea what happened in her past life. No memory of training to kill a Samurai who she eventually falls for, no longer the daughter of a world dominating demon, just an ordinary girl, living a free and simple life. Though despite this, she still maintains certain personalty traits from her past self, such a her love of nature, fascination towards ladybugs and a fierce sense of energy. Ashi finds it tiresome to deal with her sisters and mother, so much so that she often spends time out doors, reading, meditating or just admiring the shore. Though she does care for her sisters very much, the only ones she really enjoys hanging out with is Ari, Ami and Ani the most. The only sister she seems to bud heads with from time to time is Avi, but no where near as bad as her mother. To further distract herself from her home life, Ashi studies hard the local university, hoping one day she can move out soon.

Side note: When designing how Ashi was going to look in this new time-line I had in mind the idea of taking everything she's worn pervious and incorporating those colors into the clothing she wears now.

-Avi

Often called by her sisters as Spunky Bed-Head, Avi was the second to be born. She's often the rebellious one, always the first to sneak away when ever their mother needs someone to run the store. She enjoys R&B, Rap, Heavy Metal and Rock n Roll. Much like her Mom, Avi can be very hot tempered, stubborn, and the first to want to start a fight. The only other sister Avi spends the most time with is Aki, besides that, she mostly seen hanging out the streets with some pretty shady gangs. Avi still hasn't taken the death their father very well and often fight tooth and nail to get out of her mother's grasp. This goes for Ashi as well, as she only sees her as a clone of their mother at times.

Side note: Don't ask me how I know who each sister's name belongs to or how I know the other three. Truth is I don't know. These are just guesses based on fan speculation. So don't get on my case about it. Anyways, the spiky headed one, always made me think if she had ever developed a personalty. Punk rocker came to mind.

-Ami

The most sporty and adventures one out of her sisters. Ami is best described self confident with an aggressive streak like her mother's. But unlike her mother and some of her sisters, she puts that aggression to good use in the game she play. Ami has played everything from soccer, to base-ball, to karate. Her other hobbies involve hiking and swimming. Sometimes she even talks her other sisters into joining her on some of her activities. These mostly include Ashi and Ali mostly. Though, when she isn't playing sports, sometimes she likes to bing on her favorite shows. Ami mostly does clean up duty around the shop.

Side note: She seemed like the sporty type to me. I don't know why.

-Aki

Aki is the forth to come out. Often referred to as the “Moon Child” Aki likes to believe she has spiritual powers. Seen as the weird goth girl to the rest of her family, Aki is left to her own devises. Her hobbies mostly involve lying in her bed listening to her music, while writing poetry or reading. Aki is the third to inherited most of her mother's hot fuse. Though she always tries to hide her anger from others and maintain a stoic demeanor. She likes to wear a lot of black and is often hanging out with her sister Avi. Other then that, when she's not working at the shop or with her sisters, she mostly spends time alone.

Side note: Oh come on! One of them had to be a goth girl. I figured the one with the weird swooped up hair style, might have been the one named Aki, since it sounds similar to Aku.

-Ali

Described by her sisters as the “crazy-creative,” Ali is always trying new ways to express herself. Wearing the most odd choices of colors together. She loves to paint, write, and read her comic books, but never seems to have enough time for it. Usually her mother has her work the cashier. On slow days she will dust the antiques as while dancing to music on the radio. When it comes to spending time with her sisters, Ali will mostly go on shopping trips with Ani or hiking with Ami. Ali has more of her father's personalty in terms of calmness.

Side note: Ali was the trickiest to come up with ideas for, if she were to have any character at all.

-Ani

The brightest and most bubbliest member of the family, Ani is always looking to lighten up the mood. The most optimistic out of her siblings. Ani's favorite hobbies include shopping, doing make-up tutorials, singing to herself and cute fluffy animals. Ani is very close to all her sisters, especially Ashi, Ali and Ari. Ani has most of her father's kind nature, though she can be very picky with where her stuff should be and who should use them.

Side note: Well one of them had to be the fashion queen.

-Ari

Finally there is Ari. Although the sisters where all born on the same day, Ari is still seen as the youngest sibling, as she was the last to come out. Unlike her sisters, Ari was born with a strange brown streak arcross her neck, a birth mark that resembles a scar. A mystery to her family, Ari often feels self-conscious about it. This made her a target for bullies. So much so that she started wearing turtle neck sweaters, and collar blouses to try and hide it. Ari is very sad and lonely, often writing in her diary, she still finds it hard to cope with the lose of her father. His death hit her the most. Once very talkative, now she barely says a word. Being the most vulnerable, Ari is always the first to be defended by her sisters. Ari knows deep down she can always relay on them.

Side note: The birth mark is obviously the slash mark of what killed her in her past live, but of course she and her sisters don't know that

(All characters)~Genndy Tartakovsky

Hey, uh, do you have any advice for managing worship with depression? I have really been struggling lately and it impacts my ability to focus, my memory and how much energy I have and I feel kind guilty that I rarely do much. In addition, I feel like I've dissapointed loki with another suicide attempt. I've gotten help and am back in therapy but i just feel really guilty and i cant tell if I'm projecting my internal opinion of myself or if I upset him. I'm sorry for the serious topic.

Hi, Nonny. We’re sorry you’ve been struggling with depression. It’s great to hear that you’re in therapy and making strides in learning how to manage your condition.

It’s important to remember that the gods are, well, gods. If humans are capable of understanding that depression is an illness we’re stuck with through no fault of our own, then they’re more than capable. The gods won’t hold being depressed against you, any more than any other disease.

Secondly, being disappointed in someone doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re angry at them, or hate them, or don’t want in your life anymore. On the contrary, it means you care about them and know they could have done better. Loki doesn’t go around being intentionally cruel to devotees seeking emotional support, but he’s also not shy about showing us where and how we could have avoided mistakes if he thinks it’s warranted. It could, after all, save your life in the future.

That style of coaching works well for some people, and less well for others. If it doesn’t, you’re not doing anything wrong; it’s just a matter of personality. If you feel like it’s making things worse, you could try talking to Loki about it and see if you can maybe brainstorm some new tactics. Or it may be that he’s just not the best fit for you in terms of crisis management. There’s no shame in that, but it might be beneficial to look for someone, be they deity or human or otherwise, whose style meshes better.

As for how to manage worship day to day, I’ve found it helps to let go of preconceived notions of what worship “should” look like and focus on what actually gets stuff done. It’s our actions that change the world, not our aesthetics. And if the only action you can manage is being a little more forgiving at work that day, or spending some time laying in bed studying instead of staring at the ceiling, or even just making it through the day period, that’s still making an impact.

Here are some low-energy ideas for incorporating worship into your everyday life:

If you’re comfortable with it, consume food and drink offerings afterwards. That way you’re not necessarily spending extra energy on cleaning or cooking.

Offer water. As awesome as alcohol can be, water is still symbolic and necessary for life and all that. Odin made Agnar king as a reward for a drink.

Take advantage of found objects. Put that pretty rock or leaf on your shrine. Even if the object itself isn’t much, the sentiment will be appreciated.

Listen to devotional music (or just music you associate with Loki) during your commute or while you do chores.` Singing works too, if you’re into that.

Set a Loki-related image as your phone or desktop background so you’re reminded of him whenever you look at it.

Consider dedicating a daily task to Loki, particularly something that you find difficult to accomplish or something that helps you change your life for the better: workouts, homework, cleaning, etc.

Find ways you can embody Loki’s values in everyday life. Challenge assumptions. Speak difficult truths. Try to see beauty in ugly places, or opportunity in seeming disaster. Be kind to those to whom the world has been unkind.

Pray. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate, or recited out loud.Even a quick prayer while doing something else will let the gods know they’re in your thoughts.

The paganism tag over at @the-atypical-pagan also has some good tips. And this post is a great discussion of depression in Heathenry.

Best wishes! Let us know if there’s anything else we can help with.

- Mod E