#28DayWitchy

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Day 3 Jasmyne Ambrosia's 28 Day Witchy Challenge: Create A Home Protection Ward -- except I know better; don't share active wards & protections on the interwebs, kids … Plus, I just redid my wards at New Years. I don't need a new one- or to redo any.

Instead, I used today's prompt to kick me into finally making a Home Blessing I've had an idea for, for nearly a year now; it's based in traditional Mormon Folk Imagery, and Psalms 128 & 129 + Proverbs 21 --- featuring Willow Branch, Fern Leaf, Blackberry, Rose, Bees, and a Beehive that hides the blessing:

🕯️“ Say I: The craving of laziness is eternally fatal, for lazy hands always refuse labor. But diligent hands always lead to abundance; those who are hasty only want.

Happy are those who adore HaShem, and who walk in his ways; you shall eat of the fruit of the labor of your hands, and you shall be happy and prosper. Let your household [then] say to any who attacks you: 'None have prevailed against me yet, for my Lord is a righteous King; may all those who set against me be shamed and turned away'. Then may HaShem bless you in the world to come.

May we see the everlasting prosperity of Olan Ha-Ba. Amein. „🕯️

It took me weeks to complete the piece I did for Adam and Chava, with the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Given that, I was honestly just going to be happy if I even finalized the sketch today. But I was incredibly surprised how easily (and quickly) this piece came together- and with how little Neuropathy, too.

It still needs color, of course. But I'm beyond happy with it (and with its new home on my fireplace mantle).

This account is run by a Dual Faith «(Converting) Masorti Jew + Traditional NeoWiccan» & «Ancestral Folk Magic Practitioner» with 20+ years of experience as a practicing Pagan and Witch. If that bothers you, don't interact.

#28DayWitchy #28DayWitchyChallenge #WitchChallenge #Religion & Magic #Instagram Reposts #Personal #2023 #A Direct Look At My Practice #Handiworks #Folk Art #My Art #Ancestral Connections #Mormon Folk Healing #Slavic Folk Tradition #Germanic Folk Tradition #Pennsylvania Braucherei #Around My Home #Prayer & Adoration

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Day 22 of Jasmyne Ambrosia's 28 Day Witchy Challenge: Study A Witch from Folklore.

I didn't do yesterday's post for the challenge since I couldn't think of a single thing to make from Air Dry Clay- or a photo to substitute. So here's today's instead.

I'm a Potter. A Mormon Legacy; search the history of Mormonism and you'll find my Ancestors mentioned aplenty- and not always in great ways; we followed the Saints out of New York and Pennsylvania from the very beginning (originally under different Surnames as Pennsylvania Fancy Dutch) all the way to Salt Lake, and have been active members of the LDS ever since (though a small part of my family did follow the FLDS in the split).

Or we were until recently, anyways ... My now deceased maternal Grandmother was; and my maternal Aunt, her Daughter, and I are now; all Wiccan of various traditions — though my own Mother and Sister remain with the Church as far as I know.

Mind you, Joseph Smith isn't a Folkloric figure. He'd also be rolling in his grave to be called a Witch of any stripe despite being a Treasure Seeker and Mason (in technicality)- and so I'll spare him that. But it's undeniable that Mormonism's not only Duotheistic, but that it's intrinsically Mystical and inherently ingrained with magic to its very core- being a syncretization of Cunningways, various forms of Ceremonial magic, and Restorationist Christianity; it also used to be AntiCessationist- believing everyone was endowed with the Gifts of Healing and Prophecy.

I may not be Mormon anymore, but one thing I have reclaimed from the Church- something unrightfully taken away from my female Ancestors in the 1900's when the Church sought to finally stamp out the last of its folk practices, and actively began to bury its mysticism (but especially the very Healing Liturgy the church was literally founded on)? Is Mormon Folk Healing.

Three generations of women in my family before me may not entirely understand what subconsciously drove them to abandon the Church, and the gifts they abandoned it in order to to reclaim. But I do ... And I'll keep reminding others what the Church truly took from them, and people like Channing Parker- who never deserved to be called a "Witch" for simply exploring the inherent Mysticism that Mormonism should have naturally offered up to her.

Visions in a Seer Stone: Joseph Smith and the Making of the Book of Mormon

Early Mormonism and the Magic World View; 2nd Edition

Wrestling the Angel: The Foundations of Mormon Thought: Cosmos, God, and Humanity

The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship

The Power of Godliness: Mormon Liturgy and Cosmology

By Our Rites Of Worship: Latter-Day Saint Views On Ritual In Scripture, History, and Practice

An Endowment of Power: The LDS Tradition

“Pouring in Oil”: The Development of the Modern Mormon Healing Ritual

Latter-day Saint women giving blessings: Everything you need to know

A Gift Given, A Gift Taken: Washing, Anointing, and Blessing the Sick Among Mormon Women; A Mormon Historian Tracks Changes in the Practice

A Gift Taken or Abandoned?

White Roses on the Floor of Heaven: Mormon Women's Popular Theology from 1880 to 1920

“A Mother There”: A Survey of Historical Teachings about Mother in Heaven

Latter-Day Lore: Mormon Folklore Studies

People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture

Encyclopedia of Mormonism

Contemporary Mormonism: Latter-Day Saints in Modern America

The viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy; Updated Edition

#Personal #2023 #28DayWitchy #28DayWitchyChallenge #WitchChallenge #Instagram Reposts #Religion & Magic #A Direct Look At My Practice #Post Your Practice #Mormon Folk Healing #Oklahoma

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Day 27 of Jasmyne Ambrosia's 28 Day Witchy Challenge: Write A Petition in Theban.

I don't use Theban in my practice; I've always kept a copy of it in my Book of shadows for some reason- along with several other "magical alphabets". But I've never bothered to actually use it for any reason ... What I do use, however, is a "self created Alphabet" that (stealing an idea from @helheth) stole letters from Theban- as well as Georgian, Coptic, and even Eorzean.

Because I have to do my rituals in public spaces, I wanted something that I could chalk my circles out in, which I could easily read myself, but which couldn't be decipherable by anyone in my local community; it's not for any particular reason, just for my own personal ritual privacy and comfort.

Technically I actually made two of them for myself whenever I did this: This one shown here, and another one that was far more "Runic" in design that had different influences ... I actually wound up choosing to use the runic one instead, because it was much easier to chalk out comparative to this one. But I still keep a copy of this one in case I ever want to use it for anything.

I've been considering reevaluating that choice recently, however, and designing a third new alphabet that combines both styles. We'll see if I ever actually bother, though.

#Personal #2023 #28DayWitchy #28DayWitchyChallenge #WitchChallenge #Instagram Reposts #Religion & Magic #A Direct Look At My Practice

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Day 20 of Jasmyne Ambrosia's 28 Day Witchy Challenge: Study A (Pagan) Creation Myth.

Even when I worshipped Ganapati as a "Hindu" wannabe and Eclectic NeoPagan; Ht-Hrt and Skhmt as Kemetic Recon; or an Cailleach, Brighid, na Morrigna (not just an Morrígu) as Irish Recon ... The story of Genesis has always held a bit of a soft spot in my heart.

Now that I'm a Noahide and NeoWiccan for whom Adam and Chava actually play a pivotal role in its faith, as the first Terrestrial Agrestal / Agrarian Ancestor Spirits of Humanity? Genesis' chapters 2 and 3 containing their creation story, the consumption of the Fruit from the Tree of the Knoweldge of Good and Evil, and their subsequent banishment from the Garden of Eden as a result, is easily the most important myth of my entire cycle.

I hate how most people treat it, however.

The creation of Chava is treated as "patriarchal nonsense that inherently puts women beneath men"; Adam gets called "a Patriarchal asshole who throws his wife under the bus to save himself"; and Chava gets pegged as "a woman escaping responsibility by blaming the snake".

That's not what I see when I read it, though ... When I read it, I see a story of love — Ahava.

I see a Deity who loved Adam, the first Human, so much that it created every animal on Earth for them in search of the right companion- and when that failed? Tried a new method of creation, creating another Human from Adam directly just to make them happy; I see a love and trust so perfect, that Chava wanted to give Adam the best- and so trusted the Serpent when it said the fruit was good and they wouldn't die; I see two people pushing their fear aside and taking the initiative to tell the truth (when they could've just lied now that they knew what a lie was) after experiencing shame and embarrassment for the first time, and realizing that yes, they would die now- but maybe not immediately.

I see the beginning — breishit — of a search to rebecome one with HaShem knowing that we can never again attain such a state of perfect innocence; but a love so powerful that we willingly spend our lives trying to anyways.

When I read Genesis, I see a two way street between HaShem and Humanity of beauty, and dedication, and commitment, and the true purity of love.

📖 Tanakh version: "The Contemporary Torah" by the Jewish Publication Society, published 2006; text provided by Sefaria

#I Have Very Strong Feelings About The Genesis Story And Chava's Creation And I'm Not Sorry For It #Chava / God the Mother / Lady #Adam / God the Father / Lord #Personal #2023 #28DayWitchy #28DayWitchyChallenge #WitchChallenge #Instagram Reposts #Religion & Magic #Jewish Studies #Just Potential Jewish Convert Things #A Direct Look At My Practice

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Day 10 of Jasmyne Ambrosia's 28 Day Witchy Challenge: Black Mirror Scrying.

Black Mirror Scrying is something I only do for Shadow Work, personally. But I do love my mirror; it's such a labor of love, and intense planning, created for a Soul Retrieval ritual I've yet to actually perform (mostly because I'm still writing it, ha!)

Since they're supposed to remain covered at all times when not in use, I made it from a reclaimed vintage window-shutter photo frame from the 1970's. Unfortunately the shutters don't have a latch, however, so I tie it shut with Jute Twine to store it, in order to keep them from damaging the glass inside.

I was lucky it still came with the original glass, actually. Usually they don't when they're this old. But to make it a mirror, I painted the glass with multiple layers of black acrylic paint mixed with an Iridescent Acrylic Flow Medium; I intentionally wanted it to be reversible if I ever wanted to turn it into a normal photo frame again. And Acrylic scrapes off fairly easily after a good soaking.

A lot of people have been confused by my inclusion of the Iridescent Medium in the paint, though. Usually Black Mirrors are flat black, and that's part of the point; I've never seen it done before, but I intentionally wanted the glittering effect so that whenever the candle light shone onto it, it created more depth- rather than just staring into a flat black nothingness.

The effect looks truly stunning in the candlelight, and I couldn't be happier with the result. And one day I'll actually finish writing the ritual and find a safe space to perform it since I can't actually perform it where I'm currently living (and it's such an intensive one, I really do need a good location where I won't be disturbed).

#Personal #2023 #28DayWitchy #28DayWitchyChallenge #WitchChallenge #Religion & Magic #Instagram Reposts #A Direct Look At My Practice #Handiworks #Traditional Shadow Work #Modern Shadow Work

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Day 19 of Jasmyne Ambrosia's 28 Day Witchy Challenge: Create A Safe Travel Talisman.

There's a lot of conflation of Amulets and Talismen in Pagan, Witchcraft, and Occult spaces, but there is actually a difference between the two- and what often get called Talismen are typically actually Amulets. This is one such case, in my opinion.

I don't hold ideas on what they should be made of, unlike some sources. But regardless of their construction? Talismen are meant to draw energy to you, and increase something (a trait or energetic quality, etc) which is already possessed. By contrast, Amulets are meant to repel energy and bring you protection from something (usually a malefic force of some kind) ... Something for safe travel, then, would technically constitute an Amulet- not a Talisman.

I almost wasn't going to do this challenge since I don't need a new Travel Amulet. But then I thought it'd still be a nice exercise in designing something in the new style that I've been working with lately- which is nothing at all like my last paradigm I made the other in (which was much closer aligned with the Eclectic NeoPagan magic I practiced prior to converting to Irish Reconstructionism, as I stopped practicing magic near entirely shortly after making it).

Unlike the Home Blessing plaque I made earlier in this challenge, however, where I just showed y'all the finished product at the end ... I figured I'd give y'all some insight into the actual process I use to even get to that point in the first place- although it's really nothing special.

⇾ It starts with a prayer (in this specific case: A modified fragment of the «Tefilat Haderech» or "Prayer For A Safe Journey").

⇾ Next I research plant, animals, and symbols associated with what I want to achieve; usually these come from Cunningham's Encyclopedias and / or Pennsylvania Dutch, Mormon, Ukrainian, and Ashkenazi Jewish Folklore & Tradition (in this case: A Red Anemone, Ash Leaves, and Comfrey Flowers, plus a Shield).

⇾ These symbols are interpreted into my own art style (heavily influenced by my ancestral Folk Art styles), with the prayer at the center; the piece is then inked in Micron, colored in Colored Pencil, & that's basically it.

⇾ It's mounted wherever it needs to go, however's best for the purpose, then anointed and prayed over (typically through Extemporization) in order to activate it.

This account is run by a Dual Faith «(Converting) Masorti Jew + Traditional NeoWiccan» & «Ancestral Folk Magic Practitioner» with 20+ years of experience as a practicing Pagan and Witch. If that bothers you, don't interact.

#Personal #2023 #28DayWitchy #28DayWitchyChallenge #WitchChallenge #Instagram Reposts #A Direct Look At My Practice #Mormon Folk Healing #Ancestral Connections #Germanic Folk Tradition #Slavic Folk Tradition #Pennsylvania Braucherei #Prayer & Adoration #Religion & Magic #Handiworks #Folk Art #My Art

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Day 6 of Jasmyne Ambrosia's 28 Day Witchy Challenge: Research Your Bioregion and see what's growing in your area.

Yesterday I was so busy I didn't have time to post my entry; I had all my prep for the Tu BiShvat ritual- plus I had to evaluate a new bed we're taking over at the Botanical Garden and help to come up with a remediation and planting plan for the upcoming season. Then I got a wild hair to stop by the library on the way home (even though I was already pressed for time for the ritual).

Glad I did, though, because I found a few new gems and (refound) a couple old friends I've read before but didn't complete - and / or am up for re-studying since I'm growing some listed in them this year ➺

📚 'The Telling: How Judaism's Essential Book Reveals the Meaning of Life' by Mark Gerson

📚 'The Twelve Wild Swans' by Starhawk & Hilary Valentine

📚 'Our Native Bees: North America's Endangered Pollinators and the Fight to Save Them' by Paige Embry

📖 'The Witching Herbs: 13 Essential Plants and Herbs for Your Magical Garden' by Harold Roth

📚 'Wild Witchcraft: Folk Herbalism, Garden Magic, and Foraging for Spells, Rituals and Remedies' by Rebecca Beyer

📖 'Spiritual Herbalism: The Magic and Medicine of Plants' by He Who I Refuse To Name Anymore

📖 'Urban Foraging: Find, Gather, and Cook 50 Wild Plants' by Lisa Rose

📚 'Tomorrow there Will Be Apricots' by Jessica Soffer (amazing! I actually checked out a fictional book for once! And it has a Jewish character!)

Regarding the prompt: Oklahoma has the most diverse ecosystem per square mile compared to any other state in the United States- boasting a whopping 22 unique ecoregions within its borders; as a Southern Transition Zone state, we beat out Alaska, California, and Texas all for sheer compact diversity ... I haven't visited most of them, however; as a prior Civilian Conservationist my focus was the 9.4.2 Subregion (South Central Semi-Arid Prairies) of the 9th North American Bioregion (Great Plains).

Today I no longer live in the country, in the wilds where I grew up, though. And so I'm beginning to focus on learning Urban Foraging and Landscaping; what is forgotten in environmentalism, activism, and the like, is that we too need to change and adapt with our environments.

As an Ecoregional Vitalist, prior Civilian Conservationist, current Master Gardener, training Rosarian, Lay Herbalist, Verderer, and all around plant person specializing in native plants and edibles, though ... Today, for once, I'll spare y'all my usual rant about how most people actually mean "Ecoregion" or "Microregion" whenever they say "Bioregion"- and how "Bioregional Animism" and similar practices aren't TRULY a thing for most people who claim them as a result.

#Casual Reminder That Oklahoma Is NOT A Midwestern OR Southwestern State #Personal #2023 #28DayWitchy #28DayWitchyChallenge #WitchChallenge #Instagram Reposts #Religion & Magic #A Direct Look At My Practice #Natural Connections #Calendar Nonsense #Master Gardening #Master Gardeners #Bookshelf #Great Plains Foraging

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Day 9 of Jasmyne Ambrosia's 28 Day Witchy Challenge: Write a Love Poem to your Home.

I tried to do this today, but the fact of the matter is ... I hate this house; not the house itself, to be fair, but everything it stands for at this point.

It's not mine; I have no control over anything here, at all; Whatever I try to do is constantly either getting bulldozed over, or messed up in some capacity or another by the people I live with; I can't establish any kind of a routine- and even my magical and spiritual practice is hobbled .... The list of complaints is nearly a mile long.

Every day here ultimately feels like waking up in a trap, or some kind of a cage. And the longer I spend here, the more this looming sense of doom settles over me; this sense that I'll never be free again- or even in a place of my own again.

The best I can really do today is vacuum the floor, light a stick of Sandalwood Incense, and say thank you ... Thank you for being a roof over my head, a place to feed myself, and a place to put my head at night. That's a lot more than others have- and a lot more than even I've had at other points in my life ... But ultimately I can't love you. And for that, I'm sorry.

But you know, it's ok. Not all houses are meant to be loved by us; not all houses are meant to be our homes. And that's fine.

This blog belongs to a «Multi-Neuroatypical + Multi-Disabled» «Queer» «Childless» «Jewish + Pagan» «NonTraditionalist» Homemaker. TradWives are unwelcome.

This account is run by a Dual Faith «(Converting) Masorti Jew + Traditional NeoWiccan» & «Ancestral Folk Magic Practitioner» with 20+ years of experience as a practicing Pagan and Witch. If that bothers you, don't interact.

#28DayWitchy #28DayWitchyChallenge #WitchChallenge #Instagram Reposts #Personal #2023 #Religion & Magic #Around My Home #A Direct Look At My Practice #Handiworks #Folk Art #My Art #Homemaking #Homemaker #Housewife #NonTrad Homemaker #NonTrad Housewife #NonTrad Homemaking

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Twofer for both Day 11 of Jasmyne Ambrosia's 28 Day Witchy Challenge (Consecrate a Candle + Leave It Burning All Day To Feed Your House Spirit) and Day 7 of Brigid Muirin, Tarot Journey, and Herbalist Jessa's February "Let's Grow Together" Leo Full Moon ⤳ Pisces New Moon Challenge (Favorite Crystal) in one ... Yet neither, at the same time.

This is Echo, the newest feline member of our family (some of you will remember the video from June last year when we first brought her inside) ... But clearly my cat is neither a crystal nor a candle. And the reason for that's that I can't do either challenge today- but I also don't want to leave a gap without any explanation (for both the challenges' sake, and the sake of my feed).

The fact of the matter is ... I don't own any crystals; while I study their historical spiritual and magical uses, I've never felt particularly attached to them, or to owning any myself. The market and its practices are also just horrid, and I don't feel like supporting a bad industry I often can't verify the ethicality of without bending over backwards (and then some). And so I've gotten rid of the few I have had over the years and just haven't felt like getting more.

Nor do I necessarily want to feed the spirit of a house I'm not attached to, and which is not truly my home, either. It's also unsafe to leave a candle burning for longer than 4 hours at a time anyways- especially without the proper equipment to do so (which I don't have currently). And I have a lunch date today with an old Covenmate of mine, anyways, and I'm not going to saddle my Husband with the responsibility of watching over my magic when he's not a practitioner himself; it just feels rude to do?

So. I give you a bad photo of my kitten for now, during one of the few times we caught her sitting still ... A very devilish 8 month old kitten who absolutely drives all of us bonkers (and is quickly outsizing every other cat of ours).

#Personal #2023 #28DayWitchy #28DayWitchyChallenge #LetsGrowWitches #LetsGrowWitchesChallenge #WitchChallenge #Instagram Reposts #Religion & Magic #A Direct Look At My Practice #Fur Babies

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Day 4 of Jasmyne Ambrosia's 28 Day Witchy Challenge: Cleanse Yourself and Your Home.

It feels like these days nearly any practice of Smoke Cleansing is (wrongfully) becoming a bit of a faux pas due to the (rightful) focus on Cultural Appropriation. But it's still my go-to, and it probably always will be; it's simple, it's quick, it's efficient, and you don't need anything fancy or special- just a proper prayer, a stick of incense and a dish to keep the ash from burning holes in everything or getting everywhere.

People (inexperienced practitioners especially) have a tendency to only half-read the instructions, then overcomplicate their practice to the Desert and back without even fully understanding things- and then turn around and complain that it was everyone else who somehow miraculously made them overcomplicate it, rather than taking responsibility. Because you always have a choice; you always have an alternative; you always have methodic variety, and the freedom to experiment- even in the staunchest of traditions … They simply don't think critically, and insist on blaming everyone else around them for their failures (or, often more accurately, their lack of genuine effort to understand what's clearly right in front of them).

And sometimes … A classic just happens to be a classic for a good reason; this wound up, ironically and a little sadly, being one of those nights where a good old fashioned classic ended up being needed. And so my sticks of Myrrh and Sandalwood- as well as my Shark Air Purifier- are definitely working overtime tonight (much to my dismay).

#28DayWitchy #28DayWitchyChallenge #WitchChallenge #Religion & Magic #Instagram Reposts #Personal #2023 #A Direct Look At My Practice #Handiworks #Folk Art #My Art #Slavic Folk Tradition #Germanic Folk Tradition #Pennsylvania Braucherei

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Laurelei Black of Blade and Broom turned me on to this 28 Day Witchy Challenge by Jasmyne Ambrosia last night, but I was far too tired to start it the second I found out about it- so here's a late Day 1: Divine for the 28 Days ahead.

XXVIII - The Opossum and the Peony; could I have gotten anything more Southern- or more me? Probably not. But when the cards speak, they damned well speak, huh?

🗨️ This is my time; despite all of the pain, and trauma, and anguish I've been dealt spiritually, I am finally ready to stand on my own two feet.

This is the first time the cards've told me that, frankly- especially considering just last month they were telling me to shut up, learn to take a damned break, and learn to heal finally ... In fact, they've been saying the same thing on repeat (like some kind of screwed up broken spiritual record) for over a year on end; I'm hard headed, what can I say. But I Must've somehow learned that lesson out of nowhere finally, I guess, ha. So here we go?

🃏 'Woodland Wardens' Oracle by @jessicaroux

#Personal #2023 #28DayWitchy #28DayWitchyChallenge #WitchChallenge #Instagram Reposts #Religion & Magic #A Direct Look At My Practice #Jessica Roux #Woodland Wardens Oracle #Divination #Personal Divination #My Face

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Doing both Day 17 of Jasmyne Ambrosia's 28 Day Witchy Challenge (Research Your Birth Stone) and Day 13 of Brigid Muirin, Tarot Journey, and Herbalist Jessa's February "Let's Grow Together" Leo Full Moon ⤳ Pisces New Moon Challenge (Jewelry) together.

I'm a June baby, so I have several Birth Stones ⇥ Alexandrite (the one most commonly associated with June), Pearl, and Moonstone.

However, there's also a series of American specific Birth Stones recommended by George Frederick Kunz in 'The Curious Lore of Precious Stones'; it was his opinion that "Those born in the US should wear birthstones of US furnishing" ... For June in particular, he suggested Moss Agate- a stone found in Montana, California (my actual state of birth), Wyoming, and Arizona, and which was central to the Wyoming economy at the time around 1913.

I own a lot of jewelry, most of which is Vintage. This includes several pieces that actually do contain my Birth Stones- though I didn't buy them because of that specifically, and all of those pieces are modern.

My Moonstone bracelet was received as a "gift", as part of a Jewelry Subscription Box trial I cancelled; the Pearl pendant was my 5th Wedding Anniversary gift from my Husband; and the Moss Agate set (which also has earrings not pictured) I purchased myself as a devotional set for the Growing Green when I dedicated myself to the Verderer's Path after formally returning to Wicca in 2021 ... Alexandrite is the only Birth Stone for which I'm actually missing jewelry- though I used to have a Class Ring set with it in High School. I've no idea what happened to it, sadly.

I've studied them all at this point, but I think Moss Agate's the most fitting for me as a Verderer and has the most interesting Metaphysical properties ⇥

🌿 Carrying or wearing it, or attaching it to a plow while farming blesses crops and ensures bountiful harvests (Orpheus)

🌿 Wearing it is pleasing to the Gods- especially those with Vegetative domains (Orpheus and Cunningham)

🌿 It lends energy to the energetically depleted, plus calms and de-stresses (Cunningham and Murphy-Hiscock)

🌿 It makes one persuasive, enterprising, and ingenious in business (Lecouteux)

🌿 It brings riches and helps one discover treasures (Cunningham)

🌿 It aids in making one new friends (Cunningham)

* There does seem to be a strange modern penchant among New Age texts (which has started to make its way into Eclectic NeoPagan texts) to separate out a "Tree Agate" from Moss Agate. I haven't been able to find any legitimate basis- historical, aesthetic, or otherwise- for this separation, however. Nor have I found its origins as of yet ... But it seems to ultimately be a superfluous and unnecessary separation of the many designs Moss Agate can be found in.

#Personal #2023 #28DayWitchy #28DayWitchyChallenge #LetsGrowWitches #LetsGrowWitchesChallenge #WitchChallenge #Instagram Reposts #Religion & Magic #A Direct Look At My Practice

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Day 2 of playing catch-up for Jasmyne Ambrosia's 28 Day Witchy Challenge: Something, something, Imbolc; I don't celebrate 😬 Sorry, y'all.

There's this perpetual misunderstanding that the Wheel of the Year is this mystical "All Witches Calendar"- but it never was, never has been, and never really was meant to be in the first place if we're all being honest about our history. And while it's a perfectly lovely tradition, much of the ideology surrounding it within Paganism is a completely modern construction of the 20th and 21st century revival- and even then, not even all Wiccans celebrate it ourselves (and that should tell you something).

In my own calendar, my own holiday celebrating the return of the Sun is much later in the month of February- usually- and it's not even about the Sun at all, really (although it plays a small part) ... It's about Chava's reemergence from the Great Temple Below, and her eventual reunification with Adam.

In a certain sense, I celebrate Tu BiShvat prior partly to remind myself of how the actions of those who come before us impact the world for those who come after- and how each of us has our own important part to play in both acknowledging and fixing the errors and transgressions of our Ancestors; this is our responsibility, stretching all the way back to the first transgression itself.

The rituals participated in during Tu BiShvat ultimately cleanses the way, spiritually, for a renewed Humanity at Chava's reemergence as the fresh-made Maiden- while the rituals of the Snow Moon later in the month likewise cleanse and decorate the world itself for her arrival.

🌿 Hail to she who is, and will eventually become, the First Mother of all Humankind (and, too, repeats the cycle of transgression which delivers us the Mysteries).

#Personal #2023 #28DayWitchy #28DayWitchyChallenge #WitchChallenge #Instagram Reposts #Religion & Magic #A Direct Look At My Practice #Calendar Nonsense

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Day 23 of Jasmyne Ambrosia's 28 Day Witchy Challenge: Watch a "Witchy" Movie.

I'm a day late posting this, as it should've been posted yesterday; my cats got into a fight immediately after I started this movie- and then my Husband got off work right after that and I made dinner ... So so much for my break after all, ha!

Finally unwinding from all the housework today with a snack (Martinelli's Sparkling Pear Cider, plus a couple pieces of Sourdough Toast with regular Dairy Butter and Amish Peach Butter, topped with Baby Gouda Cheese) and a movie.

Technically Devil In The Flesh doesn't actually count as a "Witchy Movie". But it does star Rose McGowan of the original Charmed series fame as the lead (which I was obsessed with as a child) ... Soooo ... Close enough, I guess? Either way, it feels good to finally get off my feet- and all the better that it completes today's entry, ha.

#Personal #2023 #28DayWitchy #28DayWitchyChallenge #WitchChallenge #Instagram Reposts #Religion & Magic #A Direct Look At My Practice #Post Your Practice #Food Is The Ultimate Love Language #Fur Babies #My Experiments In Food #NonTrad Homemaker #NonTrad Homemaking #NonTrad Housewife #My Eyes Do See #Oklahoma

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Day 18 of Jasmyne Ambrosia's 28 Day Witchy Challenge: Fire Scrying

I don't practice Fire Scrying. In truth, I've never even tried it at all. And tonight, unfortunately, I won't have the opportunity to; though it's getting a bit chilly again, it's still not really cold enough for a fire in the hearth tonight- and so you'll have to settle for a picture of one of the first we lit last year instead.

I don't think I could get an accurate reading with a Candle, so I'm not going to try it. And all my research today said a small Candle flame wasn't really advisable for it anyways, as it's too small to really give a good "viewing surface" for Fire Scrying ... It's a shame, actually, because it does seem like an interesting practice- and one that seems like it'd be far more reliable than the stock standard type of Candle Divination you typically hear about people practicing.

Its proper name escapes me now, but I've never actually been able to put much faith in that one, personally, given (as @verdantlyviolet once noted) how easy it is to manipulate a single simple candle flame thanks to tiny things like wick mushrooming, or even the slightest breeze in the room.

Of course Fire based Divination is, in and of itself, a little bit of a rabbit hole in general. And now that I've gone down it even the slightest bit, I'm not only interested in trying Fire Scrying with a proper fire eventually ... But I'm also interested in a supposed form of Lampadomancy that uses a specialized Oil Lamp lit in order to attract Spirits for necromantic consultation.

I question whether it's actually a true form of Lampadomancy given the sources are dubious at best. But it does sound incredibly interesting.

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[brightgnosis]

Twofer again for both Day 16 of Jasmyne Ambrosia's 28 Day Witchy Challenge (Try A Guided Meditation) and Day 12 of Brigid Muirin, Tarot Journey, and Herbalist Jessa's February "Let's Grow Together" Leo Full Moon ⤳ Pisces New Moon Challenge (Incense) together.

I've tried a million guided meditations over the years and they just don't work for me; I often either find them childish or too outlandish, and the vast majority of them rely heavily on visualization- and as an Aphantasiac, I can't visualize to begin with.

But that's fine; contrary to common belief, not everyone's practice or path has to include everything- even something most find "common" in today's magical world ... Something I'm working on reincluding in my practice lately, though, is incense- and I recently just finished building up a stash of what I consider basic scents in stick form.

I can't burn incense very much, or very often, right now, however, since I live in such a small space and have 4 Cats for whom incense and essential oils are very bad. But the Shark Air Purifier we bought has certainly been helping, ha.

A long term goal of mine, though, is really to eventually learn to work with loose incense, and begin creating my own incense blends; I want to become an Incenser and Perfumer, and make it a large and important part of my spiritual practice and trade. It's going to be a long road, however, and there's a lot I have to do before I can really even start- like getting into my own place again, where I can actually have the room for such a practice in the first place.

I had the privilege of getting to dabble in it a little bit last year thanks to my old Covenmate from back in High School, however, and it definitely solidified that it's a path I want to embark on. So I'm very excited about it!

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