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skaldish · 1 year
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A reminder!
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khaire-traveler · 22 days
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✨ Subtle Deity Worship Master List ✨
Greek Deities:
Subtle Aphrodite Worship
Subtle Ares Worship
Subtle Apollo Worship
Subtle Artemis Worship
Subtle Athena Worship
Subtle Dionysus Worship
Subtle Eros Worship
Subtle Hephaestus Worship
Subtle Hermes Worship
Subtle Demeter Worship
Subtle Hera Worship
Subtle Zeus Worship
Subtle Circe Worship
Subtle Hestia Worship
Subtle Helios Worship
Subtle Persephone Worship
Subtle Poseidon Worship
Subtle Hekate Worship
Subtle Nemesis Worship
Subtle Psyche Worship
Subtle Asklepios Worship
Subtle Haides Worship
Subtle Harpocrates Worship
Subtle Medea Worship
Subtle Lethe Worship
Subtle Selene Worship
Subtle Thanatos Worship
Subtle Nyx Worship
Subtle Hypnos Worship
Norse Deities:
Subtle Sigyn Worship
Subtle Loki Worship
Subtle Baldr Worship
Subtle Freyr Worship
Subtle Odin Worship
Subtle Freyja Worship
Subtle Thorr Worship
Subtle Jormungandr Worship
Subtle Hel Worship
Subtle Idunna Worship - created by @soil-and-stanzas :)
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This list will be updated as I make more posts!
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ts-witchy-archive · 5 months
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16 Ways to Connect with the Gods when you don't have an Altar
So I'm currently away from home for 10 days (pet/house sitting) and I don't have an altar space with me. I have my tarot deck and that's it. I decided to write this list incase it might help someone else who is away from home or is just in the pagan closet. Enjoy!
Read your Deity's myths or listen to people read myths on youtube
Sit outside and just think about them
Set your phone background to something that reminds you of them
Wear their colours or symbols
Make or listen to a playlist dedicated to your Deity/Deities
Do a digital offering on tumblr or another site
Just talk to them about your day
Write some poetry for them. Anything can be poetry, it doesn't have to be good
Scroll through their tags on social media
If you have coloured shoelaces wear their corresponding colours on your shoes!! (I can't believe i didn't think about this earlier)
Do your make up to honour them
Talk about them in a (dedicated witchy/pagan) discord server
Do something nice for someone. I know it's cheesy but it's cliche for a reason. For me it definitely makes me feel closer to my Gods
Draw/make art of them or one of their symbols
Youtube ambiance videos are great! If your Deity has an association with fire, water, birds, communal spaces or music there are heaps of videos on Youtube that you can play. Think coffee shop ambiance (communal space), waterfall/rain/water ambiance, nature/bird chirping ambiance, fire place ambiance, studying at the library ambiance, etc. endless possibilities
Draw their sigils/symbols on your face with skin care
I hope this helps!! Feel free to add any other tips. I tried to keep these relatively accessible for everyone.
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undeadmagick · 25 days
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worship evolves with time. yes, the people who worshipped the gods back in the day had specific offerings to be given. but what is stopping you from giving modern offerings? things around your house? offerings shouldn't have to cost you a fortune. your deities aren't holding you at gunpoint to only receive what you can't easily get. they are a means of showing your love in your day-to-day. so yes!! give your deities candy bars! show them a silly little doodle of them in the corner of your notebook!! make a spotify playlist and play it for them!! dedicate a journal to them!! make a pinterest board and fill it with pins that remind you of them!! the important aspect of these offerings is that you are thinking about your deities. thinking about them and feeling love and devotion to them is a means of offering! you are devoting your energy in these acts!!
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pagan-posting · 1 month
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Listen. Abandoning the idea of what a proper pagan is was the most rewarding experience. Your intuition is stronger than you think.
This isn't a science. You don't have to treat it like one. Go with your heart, go with your intuition. It will help you grow more than you've ever dreamed of.
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traegorn · 1 year
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This is not great.
(Also, for context, here is the full video I reference in this. )
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luvlylittlelemons · 3 months
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Remember,
You are a practicing pagan. You don't have to do spell work everyday. You don't have to talk to your deities everyday. You don't have to spend every waking second focusing on your practice to be a valid pagan.
Your valid. No matter how often you're able to work with your deities. No matter how often you do spell work. No matter if you dedicate little or big things to your practice.
You make an effort once in awhile and thats more than enough. Save your spoons, it's ok.
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w-y-r-d · 10 months
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taking-thyme · 5 months
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The Structure of a Pagan Prayer
When appealing to a deity or making an offering, it’s wise to know how this was traditionally done in the past so you can be as respectful as possible and build a true reciprocity with the gods. This type of prayer structure is found in all manner of pagan religions from Norse paganism, Hellenic (Greek) polytheism, Kemetic (Egyptian) prayer and so on. I got the inspiration and much of the information here from @Ocean Keltoi on Youtube who is a fantastic scholar and Norse heathen who actively stands against prejudice and is all around a wonderful resource. 
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Now, there are three main elements of a pagan prayer, which should be done in this order:
1. The Invocation. This is where you call upon the specific god you’re hoping to connect with. Think of it as writing the name and address on your letter to the Gods - it lets the deity know that this prayer is directed at them, which is important in a polytheistic religion with many gods. To start your invocation, address the deity directly by name, or use an epithet or kenning that they're known by. It's especially wise to choose an epithet that relates to what you're praying for, like using one of Apollo's healer epithets while addressing him in a prayer about a loved one's sickness,  for instance. It’s also a good idea to praise them highly and with a certain air of reverence. These are ancient deities after all. 
2. The Argument. Here you give your reasons for why a deity should fulfill your request and favor you. If you’ve brought offerings, cite them here. You can also include reasons for why you’re reaching out, such as love in a prayer for Aphrodite or matters of justice with the god Tyr. This is where you make your case to them. And if you’re reaching out to a deity you don’t have a working relationship with, which let’s be honest will be the case many more times than we’d like, then you can tell them this here also. A good example might be “Oh Tyr, one-handed war god and son of Odin, though we have not met before I have heard your name and been called to it…”
3. The Request. Finally you ask the gods to look kindly on your request and to grant you their blessing. Again, be as respectful and reverent as possible towards them. 
Prayer Example: “Grey-eyed Athena, daughter of thundering Zeus, if ever I have poured out sweet wine for you, look kindly on me and grant me your wisdom.”
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How to stand when making the prayer
This depends on which God you’re reaching out to and, of course, your own personal comfort. The most common ways of praying are to stand and perform some gesture of reverence, kneel while praying and even prostrate, kneeling fully on the ground with your head down as you appeal to the gods. Some might also choose to wear veils when performing prayers or rituals for deities, though this is naturally up to the individual. 
In Hellenic tradition, if you’re praying to an Ouranic god (deities of the heavens) you would traditionally wear your hair up and stand with your arms raised to the heavens while reciting your prayer. Meanwhile, if you are praying to a Chthonic god (deities of the underworld), you would kneel and face downwards towards the Earth with your hair flowing freely. 
Some Norse sources tell of ancient pagans prostrating before the gods, and yet this is still not entirely necessary. Pray however you see fit and what is most comfortable for you at the moment. 
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^ This is what prostrating looks like
Sources:
Ocean Keltoi's video on pagan prayers
Hearth and Fire Work's blog post on Hellenic prayer structure
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hapalopus · 2 months
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youtube
10/10 video essay, everyone should watch this right now, it is CRIMINAL that it has less than 100k views
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magpiethepunkfairy · 4 months
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Fenrir
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When it comes to my spiritual practice, I’d rather be inconsistent but sincere than consistent but empty.
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undeadmagick · 28 days
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i find it fascinating how my perception of the gods have changed once i met them. both in looks and personality.
Freyja, related to beauty, love and lust, i believed would look young and very feminine. Yet, when presented with her, she was a gorgeous, mature woman with lines at her eyes and a towering figure. The realization that a goddess I acknowledge as being so gorgeous had wrinkles and strong facial features made me reconsider my own perceived “flaws” and standards of beauty. She was beautiful in her strength and wisdom and yet also in her divinity and confidence. I had forgotten a woman of extreme beauty was also a goddess of war. And in both being true, I found her to be the most powerful woman I know.
Seeing Hades, I believed he would be fearsome and cold. Yet, when I looked into his eyes, there was warmth. He had an appearance of a man in his 40s with long hair, the color of the night, and he had no resentment or even disdain. Only softness. I didn’t fear him nor did he try to have me do so. He was safe as he led me through the courtyard where we met. Where I thought he would be an imposing and cold-hearted figure, I found someone with such patience like a father-figure would have.
Apollo, whom I thought would be bubbly and funny from how I’ve seen others described him was indescribably elegant. He carried himself well. He was kind and patient. Where I thought I would find youthful naivety, I found charm and elegance. And he only asked to help me in my healing. Even when I thought I did not need him, he waited patiently until I could hear him properly. And no matter how long it took, he was still welcoming with a smile.
I truly believe everyone should have the opportunity of meeting their deities and finding how they appear to them. What they show themselves as is what you may need. I find it fascinating to see how others see them :) They love us very much.
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pagan-posting · 1 month
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Hey there. Normalize unconventional divination or worship. Just because it's not in a book or an article does not invalidate what helps you.
Is your relationship with your deity different from other practitioners? Who cares. It's your personal journey. This isn't an organized religion, you have the ability to pace yourself, think outside the box and learn what works for you as an individual.
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samwisethewitch · 5 months
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What Non-Pagans Need to Know About Fiction Featuring Pagan Gods
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In light of Marvel's Loki show dropping a second season and a new Percy Jackson series on the horizon, I want to say some things about how fandom spaces can be respectful of real-life pagan religion.
Let's get one thing out of the way: literally no one is saying you can't enjoy fiction that uses pagan gods and heroes as characters. No one is saying, "Stop writing stories about our gods." In fact, many ancient cultures wrote fiction about their gods -- look at Greek theater or the Norse Eddas. The act of writing fiction about the gods is not offensive in itself.
But please remember that this is someone's religion.
The gods are not "just archetypes." Their myths are not "just stories." Their personalities are not a matter of artistic interpretation. For many pagans, the gods are very much real in a literal sense. I don't think Thor is a metaphor or a symbol -- for me, Thor is a real, autonomous spiritual being who exists outside of human perceptions of him, and who I have chosen to build a relationship with. Even if you are a hardcore atheist, I would hope you could at least be respectful of the fact that, to many modern pagans, the gods are both very real and very important.
When authors are not respectful of this fact, they reduce the gods, these very real objects of worship, to fictional characters. And here's the thing about fictional characters: they are fundamentally tools for authors to use to draw a desired emotional response from an audience.
Dracula's personality and behavior is wildly different depending on who is writing him, because different authors use Dracula to create different reactions in their audiences. In the 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi, he's equal parts alluring and disturbing, a symbol of America's mixed desire and disdain for foreigners. In Nosferatu, he's more strictly frightening and disgusting. In Francis Ford Coppola's movie, he's a tragic, romantic figure clinging to the last scraps of his humanity. In Netflix's Castlevania, he's an incredibly powerful being who has grown bitter and apathetic in his immortality. All of this is Dracula, and all of it is fine, because Dracula is not and never has been a central figure in anyone's religion.
Let's take a look at what happens when authors give this same treatment to real gods:
In Hellenic polytheism, Apollo is one of the most beloved gods, both historically and today. Apollo loves humanity, and humanity loves him back. He is the god of sunlight and of medicine, but also of poetry and song. He is one of humanity's most consistent defenders when one of the other gods gets wrathful. And while he does have dangerous or wrathful aspects of his own (he's also the god of disease, after all), he's also kind and soft with humanity in a way other gods often aren't, at least in some historic sources.
In the Lore Olympus comic series, Apollo is a villain. He's characterized as an abuser, a manipulator, and a violent man child. LO!Apollo is downright hateful, because the author wants us to hate him. Lore Olympus is a retelling of a myth about an abduction and forced marriage. Lore Olympus is also a romance. In order to get the audience to sympathize with Hades and root for his relationship with Persephone, Rachel Smythe needed to make someone else the villain. Apollo is the most obvious and extreme character assassination in Smythe's work, but several other gods (notably Demeter) also get the asshole makeover to tell the story Smythe wants to tell.
Here's where this becomes a problem: Hellenic polytheism is a fairly small religious community, while Lore Olympus is a massively popular webtoon with 1.3 billion views as of August 2023, print books available from major retailers, a TV adaptation in the works, and a very active online fandom. Rachel Smythe currently has a MUCH bigger platform than any Hellenic polytheism practitioner. Smythe and other authors are shaping how modern culture views the Hellenic gods, and that has a very real impact on their worshipers.
This means "Apollo is an abusive asshole" is becoming a popular take online, and is even creeping into pagan communities. I've personally seen people be harassed for worshiping Apollo because of it. I've seen new pagans and pagan-curious folks who totally misunderstand the roles Apollo, Hades, and Persephone play in the Hellenic pantheon because of Lore Olympus and other modern works of fiction.
There are tons of other examples of this in modern pop culture, but I'll just rattle off a few of the ones that annoy me most: Rick Riordan depicting Ares/Mars as a brutish asshole hyped up on toxic masculinity; Rick Riordan depicting Athena as a mother goddess; Marvel depicting Thor as a dumb jock; Marvel depicting Odin as a cold, uncaring father; DC depicting Ares as purely evil; whatever the fuck the Vikings TV show was trying to do with seidr; the list goes on.
All of these are examples of religious appropriation. Religious appropriation is when sacred symbols are taken out of their original religious context by outsiders, so that the original meaning is lost or changed. It requires a power imbalance -- the person taking the symbols is usually part of a dominant religious culture. In many cases, the person doing the appropriation has a much bigger platform than anyone who has the knowledge to correct them.
When Rick Rioridan or Rachel Smythe totally mischaracterizes a Greek god to tell a story, and then actual Hellenic pagans get harassed for worshiping that god, that's religious appropriation.
Religious appropriation is a real issue. This isn't just pagans being sensitive. To use an extreme example: Richard Wagner and other German Romantic authors in the 19th century used the Norse gods and other Germanic deities as symbols in their work, which was a major influence on Nazi philosophy. Without Wagner, the Nazis would not have latched onto the Norse gods as symbols of their white supremacist agenda. To this day, there are white supremacist groups who claim to worship our gods or who use our religious imagery in their hate movement. We are still reckoning with the misinterpretation of our gods popularized by Wagner and other German Romantics almost 200 years ago.
Again, no one is saying you can't enjoy fiction based on pagan mythology. But there are a few things you can do to help prevent religious appropriation in fandom spaces:
Above all else, be mindful that while this may just be a story to you, it is someone's religion.
Recognize that enjoying fiction based on our gods does not mean you know our gods. You know fictional characters with the same names as our gods, who may or may not be accurate to real-life worship.
Do not argue with or try to correct pagans when we talk about our experience of our gods.
Don't invalidate or belittle pagan worship. Again, this mostly comes down to recognizing that our religion is totally separate from your fandom. We aren't LARPing or playing pretend. Our sacred traditions are real and valid.
If you see other people in your fandom engaging in religious appropriation, point out what they are doing and why it isn't okay.
Please tag your fandom content appropriately on social media. Always tag the show, movie, book, etc. that a post is about in addition to other relevant tags. This allows pagans to block these fandom tags if we don't want to see them and prevents fandom content showing up in religious tags.
For example, if I'm posting about Athena from the Percy Jackson books, I would tag the post #athena #athenapjo #percyjackson #pjo. You get the idea.
And if fiction sparks your interest and you want to learn more about the actual worship of the gods, you can always ask! Most pagans love talking about our gods and trading book recs.
If you are writing fiction based on real mythology, talk to people who worship those gods. Ask them what a respectful portrayal would look like. If possible, include a note in your finished work reminding audiences that it is a work of fiction and not meant to accurately portray these gods.
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dancingwithfoxes · 5 months
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10 little subtle ways and things you could be doing that are witchy!
(esp if you're still in the broom closet) ❤️🦊
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1. virtual and online altars
pinterest boards dedicated to your gods/goddesses; quotes and aesthetics.
tumblr dedication blogs.
social media page with your witchy alias.
discord server, a private place to organise channels and create categories for what you want, i.e., spellwork, candle magick, crystal associations, etc.
music playlists, for both manifesting and connecting with your deities, they love coming through music.
2. journal/book altars
similar to the idea of a book of shadows, this will be personal writings and thoughts for specific deities.
you can customise it and decorate it much like a physical altar! i.e., stickers, washi tapes, markers, sparkles.
custom spreads for whomever you work with, you can put prayers you've written for them, words you want to convey, and express.
3. the wooden box altar, also known as a travelling altar
a place to put all your trinkets and necessities.
if you're unable to have a physical space, having one that's portable will help you take your altar wherever you go.
you can carve/paint the box to be more personal for you, or to be ultra discreet about it you can just customise the inner part so it doesn't stick out to people you don't want knowing yet.
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4. origami shapes
for manifesting, write out what you would like and fold it into a star to carry out the manifestation.
use the idea of symbolism to embed your intentions, for luck, a four leaf clover. for allowing new opportunities to find you and let go, a butterfly, to succeed in something you could make a bird; "soaring to new heights."
you could also use this time to connect with your deities, just being with them in the moment.
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5. financial abundance
if you can't blow cinnamon on the first day of the new month, put a dash of it in your morning coffee or tea first thing.
use of coins in the soil of your plants welcomes in prosperity.
likewise with coins, frogs are symbolic of wealth.
a bay leaf where you keep your wallet/purse, the exchange of the money you give out you will receive back with a little extra.
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6. kitchen magick/green witchery
add spices/herbs to help achieve something you want i.e.,
pancakes with vanilla and honey to bring in loving and warm energy.
adding pepper/salt/basil/rosemary to encourage protection.
for clarity and insight, chamomile tea.
to have peaceful and calm resolve, lemonade with fresh mint leaves.
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7. clothing and jewellery
wearing items of clothing or jewellery in honour of your deities, i.e.
rings, bracelets, and necklaces that symbolise something of them for you.
shirts with quotes you feel resemble them; colour associations work plenty.
if you crochet or make your own items of clothing, knot magick or sewing in a symbol that means something for you can help you feel confident when wearing it.
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8. self-care can be devotional
doing things that make you happy whilst doing it in honour of your deities allows them to be present in your simple joys.
writing, poetry, reading; feeling called to read something because it holds a message for you.
indulging a show or something you watched in your childhood years, deities take pleasure in watching something that means alot to you and will be grateful to share that moment.
treats and specific cravings, i.e., little upg, but loki loves sweet pastries.
taking a walk about in nature gives your deities more room to show you the beauty of the world. take them to your favourite bench, to your favourite coffee shop.
knot magick, if you crochet, make something in honour of your gods/goddesses. they will ensure it brings you comfort when you hold it.
painting your nails, you can charge your nail polish beneath the moon or mix in a little moon water to be energised and intuitively connected.
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9. cleansing and clearing of old energy
water
will help the bad flow out and let the good flow in.
showers/baths are good for self-cleansing.
holding a glass of water before drinking it and wish your intentions.
crying, allowing yourself to feel what it is you're trying to process in order for it to be released. can't release something you haven't finished going through yet.
moon water, I recommend this during a new moon as that's more symbolic to starting anew, planting seeds and encouragement toward growth.
sun water, can help with energising you and bringing in positive energy, also a confidence boost.
earth
holding onto a crystal for a few moments, just breathing in and out.
crystals can be used for cleansing, smoky quartz, clear quartz. there is a crystal for all your needs.
plants! plants are great for protection and for taking in bad energy. they will listen to what you have to say, and will love you as much as you love them.
food, especially grown from the earth can help you feel refreshed and buzzing with energy.
fire
burning, writing out your hardships, struggles, anger and burning them (safely please).
lighting a candle while you work on something, very therapeutic, and you can visualise the bad energy being burnt out and released.
incense, the smoke is a natural cleanser and will do wonders. you aren't restricted to using sage to cleanse; others you could use are myrrh, sandalwood, lavender, or cedar. it's completely up to what your preferences are.
air
breathing in and out during meditation, as you take in some air and release it, upon release visualise what you're letting go of.
bells, the frequency of dinging bells helps to disperse bad energy.
sound cleansing through soft music, and intentional frequencies. you'll find alot of these up on youtube.
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10. divination methods (aside from tarot/pendulums that i know of)
clouds, observing what you see and the shapes you recognise, what you need to know will be reflected in nature.
ceromancy, candle wax, burning a candle after asking for some clarity or an answer and having the wax form a shape for you to interpret.
numerology, angel numbers, and the significance of the numbers.
automatic writing, done in your personal journal, it's unconscious writing that can help channel messages you may need.
bibliomancy, randomly selecting a passage or words from a book.
capnomancy, the use of smoke from candles or incense, and reading the shapes and forms casted by the smoke
conchomancy, divination through seashells, shapes, and the type of shell.
casting a set of charms on a cloth and divinating the meaning of where they landed.
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