#catholic folk magician

[trippiemagic]

Hello, I was raised Russian Orthodox but always questioned my faith, I started studying Folk Catholicism and think it might be for me; But I'm just a little confused on the belief system... I think your blog is really cool and was wondering if you could shed some light on my questions.... Thank you!!! <3

Hello!!! I have to start that I am so honored you reached out to me! <3

Unfortunately, I don't have a definitive answer for your question; folk catholicism is often traditional catholicism redesigned to meet the needs of the individual or family "practicing" it! In my experience, many folk religions are kind of built in that way. For example, I was raised Evangelical-Protestant, so my view of the cosmology heavily relies on a protestant foundation, with some catholic (and Enochian) twists.

The most common, general things (and please y'all, correct me if I'm wrong) are a belief in G-d, Jesus, and Mary, and working with Saints. Ancestor veneration also goes extremely well with folk catholicism and is common in many cultural folk practices!

If you want, go ahead and DM me and I would LOVE to go through my personal cosmology/beliefs with you!

#folk magician #folk catholic #folk christianity #tw blasphemy #folk magic

[toverijenspokerij]

Not bad for a first try! Who knew that onions are hiding sunshine in their skins? Not me. I think that the colour is in part due to the overnight soak in the dye. And you know, the actual sunlight.

It was fun to mix folklore with something practical. So my tip; wear amber and call on heathen spirits and gods! Especially when dyeing, spinning and processing wool.

#toverij & spokerij #folk catholicism #catholic folk magic #folk magic #folk magician #handspun #spinning wool #dyeing #dyeing with plants #witches spinning yarn #working with saints

[musingmelsuinesmelancholy]

What is “folk-Catholicism”? How do you manage to work as a witch & incorporate Catholicism? I know I’ve heard of “Christian Witchcraft” before, but idk I thought “Catholics” were more strict? Genuinely curious. Stay Blessed

Folk Catholicism refers to local traditions, which may or may not be approved of by the church. For example: laying mums on our dead’s graves during La Toussaint, the veneration of Saint Guinefort (this was not approved of by the church) or visiting holy wells, such as the grotto of Massabielle, or burying a statue of Saint Joseph to aid in selling one’s home, or invoking Mary to ward off the Good Folk.

I simply use catholic rite and folk magic in my practice! The church doesn’t decide whether or not this works after all, they only decide what’s heretical or not 😛 while this isn’t orthodox after christianization folk magicians would’ve considered themselves Christian. They would not have considered what they were doing “witchcraft”. The Catholic Church was more tolerant of folk magicians, as far as I’m aware, than (keeping in mind southern folk practicioners are largely Protestant) the later Protestant churches. Emma Wilby explains this very well in her books! If you look at historical folk magic it will be Christian, cunning folk often using bits and pieces of Latin hymns or prayers.

A lot of the my ancestral veneration involves Catholicism.

If you look at traditions like cultus sabatti they use Christian lore and heresy. Like honoring Cain, Azael, Eve etc. Or using the lore of the watchers in their understanding of the Pale Folk. I use heresy and inversion as well, such as inverting the pater noster, calling on eve as “bone mother/woman” for certain works or inverting psalms.

I think it’s important to keep in mind that the concept of witchcraft, as we understand it today, evolved in a Christian context.

If you wanna know more I’d recommend reading Emma Wilby, Carlo Ginzburg, Claude Lecoutuex and Alexander Carmichael.

Thanks for the ask! I hope my explanation made sense.

#asks #traditional witchcraft #folk catholicism

[heyfagbutt]

Ephraim / 30+ / Faggot Gender / Wannabe Performance Artist / folk magician and saint worshipper / autistic ass audiophile / horror addict

Tag for my gifs, artwork, fanmixes etc and blog for gifs only @byronsgifhouse

Housing, food, and medical care are universal rights I will not argue about this. America is founded on white supremacy and it's our job every day to dismantle that in anyway possible.

RADICAL KINDNESS AND COMMUNITY BUILDING ARE NECESSARY IN THESE SCARY TIMES

My gender is a John Waters movie.

This blog can be NSFW.

Grab bag of whatever has my attention this week.

Warning: My own posts, which are not very frequent, are often not transcribed or described due to immense fatigue and my own disabilities but I try to reblog posts with ID's and descriptions where I can - my blog may not be very accessible for visual and hearing impaired individuals sometimes.

NOT CATHOLIC OR CHRISTIAN

Flight Rising | Spotify | Letterboxd

Venmo | Paypal | Wishlist

#Intro post #Pinned post

[libercivco]

SHIFTING PARADIGMS

As I've been leaning into my spirit work, I came across Carolyn's Myss's book covering a pantheist approach to St. Teresa of Avila's work called "Entering the Castle: An Inner Path to God & Your Soul." I found it the day after my birthday at a used bookstore. There were two copies, and I picked out the hardcover one and decided to purchase it.

It's been very auspicious timing, to have found this book following my first Saturn Return. It's like I've been preparing to read it for the past 12 years since my experience with psychosis. Her intepretation of the Book of Job was especially meaningful and provided a mirror into my own experience with reference to building the endurance required to experience the mystical without hurting myself.

It's been easy to read, even though I have had trouble applying her work's paradigm exactly as written to my practice. With that being said, it's been easy for me to enter into conversation with both my soul and my spirit team using a similar technique. In fact, I prepared myself for entry into the first mansion two nights ago with additional instructions supplied by one of my Guides: Jesus Christ.

We entered the first mansion together, as I was interested in applying humility to my endeavors in the adult industry. It wasn't an incredibly surprising journey while I was in the middle of it, but I came away with some additional insight after getting a good night's sleep and doing some further divination the following day. What stood out to me was especially pertinent to my current paradigm as a practitioner.

It turns out that one of the major experiences I had while journeying would bring in an incredibly dramatic paradigm shift that I will probably be acclimating to for months to come... because it was Jesus Christ Himself who encouraged me to break away from Christianity in order to better incorporate humility into my practice. Yes, you read that correctly: Jesus Christ told me not to worship Him.

It's complicated to explain and requires a bit more detail about my direct experience than I am comfortable sharing publicly, but I will be stepping away from Christianity as a paradigm as I continue forward. A number of emotions have surfaced about the whole ordeal, especially frustration... but it is inevitably more fruitful to continue my work as Relational Polytheist than a Christo-Pagan.

It does not mean that Jesus Christ is excluded from my practice, however; He is still there as a figure of forgiveness, compassion and surrender to mystical praxis. However, I will no longer be wearing a crucifix or crossing myself. Santa Muerte, thankfully, is amenable as long as I include the proper prayers in my continued work with Her. Needless to say, however, I'm a bit frazzled right now.

In the coming months, I will be continuing my path forward in the adult industry by beginning an exercise program toward burlesque and pole dancing. I have wanted to change perspectives on sex work in Folk Catholic spaces for a while, but ultimately it turns out that I am being led down a different path than what I had previously expected.

I still encourage interfaith work toward sex worker rights. I still admire and look up to Jesus Christ as an ally on my path, but Christianity has led me as far as it can go with regards to my progress as a spirit worker even though I felt comfortable with the rituals of Folk Catholicism. I am, however, more of a mystic than a magician. May all who feel called to a spiritual path find what they need, no matter the shape it takes.

#spirit work #christopagan #personal #relational polytheism #polytheist

[queerprayers]

Hello! Do you have any christian songs and artists to recommend?

Beloved! Yes I do! Thanks for asking! Here's a lot of music I love from lots of genres.

some of my Spotify playlists:

current season playlist: advent (I'm working on organizing my Christmas playlists and will share them soon. I don't listen to Christmas music before the 24th, though.)

my in-love-with-Jesus playlist: Yeshua my beloved

my super disorganized song dump: queer Christian vibes

my leftist mix: can I interest you in some Christian Socialism

a trauma/confusion-inspired mix: weird relationship with Christianity

Contemporary Artist Recommendations

Semler—the ultimate queer Christian music icon. They've topped Christian charts multiple times, and make music about being gay, loving their wife, and finding God.

Sufjan Stevens—a classic. the ultimate "is he singing about God or his boyfriend?". has entirely too many weird Christmas songs.

LGBT choruses (compilation)—there's a lovely tradition of queer choruses—most famously The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. Not usually specifically Christian, but do hymns/Christian choral music.

Peter, Paul & Mary—a group I grew up with that inspired my love of folk and of justice.

Judee Sill—fun bisexual mystic folk-rock from the 70s

Trey Pearson—Christian pop artist who came out in 2016.

The Many—justice/love focused group with indie pop and gospel influences. (x)

All Sons & Daughters—more worship folk, purposefully unpolished.

Page CXVI—want to make hymns "accessible and known again." named after a page from The Magician's Nephew. (x)

Julien Baker—for my indie sad girls.

Vicky Beeching—a classic worship artist who came out in 2014

The Liturgists—part of the art collective of the same name. They also have a podcast.

Liturgical Folk—exactly what it sounds like. Absolutely lovely.

Poor Bishop Hooper—currently working on folk settings of all the Psalms. I also love their Advent/Christmas album.

Albums/Song Shoutouts

Seranade is a pop compilation by various queer artists, collected by the organization Beloved Arise.

The Mountain Goats is one of my favorite bands, and they've made a lot of work inspired/informed by Christianity. Check out their album The Life of the World to Come and their song "Cry for Judas."

The Oh Hellos' album Dear Wormwood has some great rennaissance-fair-vibes Christian bops. They did "Soldier, Poet, King," for the Tiktok-users out there.

"Maybe There's a Loving God" by Sarah Groves has gotten me through a lot of doubt-filled moments.

"Jesus! (A Communist Disco)" is exactly what it sounds like.

"She Keeps Me Warm" by Mary Lambert—which will be familiar to anyone who's heard that one gay Macklemore song—is absolutely beautiful. I don't cry on Sundays anymore. She and her wife are both Christian <3

I heard "VBS" by Lucy Dacus live, and it healed something in me. For the Vacation Bible School survivors.

Musicals/Soundtracks

I wasn't really a theater kid, but only because I was never good enough to audition... Here are some musicals and soundtracks that give me religious feelings.

Spring Awakening is a coming-of-age rock musical about teenagers discovering sex in a strict religious environment. (Warning for suicide, abortion, and sexual content.)

The Prince of Egypt is my favorite religious movie, and the soundtrack could wake me from a coma.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (soundtrack) (Broadway cast) is a great Disney movie, and has been made into a Broadway show. It's about a corrupt church and deals with sex/race/disability issues. Not perfect, but amazing for what it is, which is a kid's movie. I especially recommend the song "God Help the Outcasts." (Warning for normalized use of the word g*psy and for vague discussion of sexual violence.)

Bare is kind of a camp Catholic school musical? That's the best way I can describe it. Never went mainstream, and insanely long. Full of bops nonetheless. (Warning for drug use/overdose.)

Jesus Christ Superstar (Broadway cast) (TV cast)—the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical of Jesus' last week, told from the perspective of Judas. I've never enjoyed the movie, but the NBC event slapped. Widely criticized, heavily secular, and my Holy Saturday tradition. (Warnings (obviously) for suicide & torture/execution.)

Fiddler on the Roof is Jewish, not Christian, but is famous for a reason. The prayer songs feel so familiar even though I haven't really been around Jewish music—they just feel like home.

The Prom is centered around a lesbian couple trying to go to prom together. Recently made into a very cute Netflix movie. Deals with with Christian homophobia, especially "Love Thy Neighbor."

Liturgical/Classical/Choral/Hymns:

I grew up with the hymns in the 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, and one of these days I'm gonna make a playlist of my favorites. (Here's the best one I've found.)

I also grew up around classical musicians, and there are a million pieces I could recommend, but here are my staples.

Lutheran Daily Prayer (Evening/Morning)—the daily liturgy that I'm familiar with. Simple and beautiful.

Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles are an order of nuns who never fail to make me weep.

The National Lutheran Choir does so many beautiful hymns.

Choir of King's College, Cambridge—absolutely unparalleled Christmas albums.

Music of the Passion of Jesus Christ / The London Fox Players

high church hymns (playlist)

Bach's Passions

Rachmaninoff's Vespers

Vivaldi's Gloria

Pergolesi's Stabat Mater

de Monte's Mass Si Ambulavero & Motets

Mozart's Requiem (I think this is my favorite choral piece of all time)

Alright, that's what I got for you today! Happy listening! Everyone reading: drop your recommendations in the replies! No judgement, just vibes.

<3 Johanna

#asks #idk if i have any relevant tags? #hymns #music

[randomgenericgaming]

Are black cats good luck or bad luck?

(my 17 year old Phantom, Guardian of the Patio, for reference • Phantom peacefully crossed the Rainbow Bridge September 26, 2021)

So, are black cats a sign good luck or bad luck? Well...

English superstitious say that black cats bring good luck to newly wed couples and ward off evil spirits. It's said that giving a bride a black cat on her wedding day will bring luck to her marriage.

In Asian cultures, black cats are believed to ward off evil spirits/energy and bring good luck to their owners. It is believed that a black cat will bring a single woman many good suitors. In Chinese and Japanese culture, the “Maneki Neko”, or beckoning cat, is a common symbol of good luck. And while the cat’s raised paw might look threatening to Westerners, it's actually a welcoming gesture.

In Norse mythology, Freya (or Freyja) - the goddess of love, fertility, beauty, war, death, and cats - rode on a chariot pulled by two grey/blue cats. Farmers would leave bowls of milk out to appease her companions and be blessed with a good harvest. The cats, a gift from Thor, were later named Bygul and Trjegu by a modern author.

To theater folks in many cultures, if a black cat finds its way into your audience on opening night, your play will have a long and prosperous run.

French peasants believed that if a black cat was released at a crossroads where five roads intersect, the black cat would lead them to treasure and fortune.

South of France, black cats have been called “matagot” and are known as 'magician cats' or even 'money cats'. If shown the proper respect - like being given the first bite of dinner, having a nice bed to sleep in, or having a home even after their owner’s death - the black cat will reward their person with wealth and good luck.

In Germany, some believe that black cats crossing a person's path from right to left, is a bad omen, but from left to right, the cat is granting favorable times.

English and Irish sailors believed having a black cat aboard assured a safe journey. Sailors’ families also embraced the black cat at home, believing its presence would assure their loved ones’ safe return from the sea.

In Ancient Egypt, black cats were representations of Bastet (or Bast), the goddess of domesticity, women's secrets, cats, fertility, and childbirth. She protected the home from evil spirits and disease, especially diseases associated with women and children.

Scotland's belief is that a black cat suddenly appearing on your doorway is a sign of future prosperity.

Pirates used to think that if a cat approached you, it was good luck, but if it turned away from you then it became a bad omen. It was also believed that if a black cat walks onto a ship and then walks off it, the ship is doomed to sink on its next trip.

In some cultures, good luck is thought to come your way if you dream about a black cat, if you see one walking toward you, or if you find a white hair on its black coat. A black cat who curls on your porch is thought to bring you prosperity.

Early America, they believed that black cats had magical powers in their bones, which attracted power and good fortune.

So where do the evil myths come from?

During the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church declared that cats were instruments of Satan. Pope Gregory IX believed that cats carried the spirit of Satan himself within them. Many believed that black cats were shape-shifting witches in disguise, a witch's pet to keep tabs on humans or trick them, or a witch's familiar - a spirit or demon kept as a witch's attendant, given to her by the devil or inherited from another witch.

In 1234, the Catholic Church and those loyal to it began to exterminate cats as well as the thousands of people who were accused of being witches or devil worshipers, and were either tortured, killed or both. The killing of so many cats likely contributed to the spread of plague, as the rodents carrying them flourished without their natural enemy hunting them, thus leading to the Black Death. (The plaque didn’t just strike in the mid-1300s – it had been around for some time before, and killed people afterward.)

The cat genocide petered out after the death of so many and the death of Gregory, but Europe and the Church wasn’t done persecuting cats. During another witch-hunting frenzy in the late 1400s, cats were killed en masse once again as they were believed to be the familiars of witches.

The fear of black cats crossed the sea to the colonies and spread during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Many black cats in Europe and Salem were killed due to their beliefs. There are a number of documented examples of how cats were used as evidence against the accused.

Today, black cats are associated with Halloween and witches. For several years, shelters refused to adopt out black cats before Halloween, fearing they'd be victims of ritualistic abuse or sacrifice. Some shelters today do not adopt out black cats during October.

In 2011, Wayne H. Morris, a volunteer of Rikki’s Refuge Animal Sanctuary in Virginia, created Black Cat Appreciation Day (August 17) in honor of his sister and her 20-year-old black cat, Sinbad. His sister and Sinbad both passed away that year. Morris created the day with the hope of dispelling myths associated with black cats.

Also in 2011, Cats Protection, an animal charity in the United Kingdom, founded National Black Cat Day (October 27) to raise awareness concerning the lower rates of adoption for black cats.

In conclusion, black cats are not good omens or bad. They're just like any other cat! Currently, there are 22 different breeds of cats that can come out all black. The all-black fur pigmentation is more prevalent in male cats than female. In fact, the only all-black feline is the Bombay cat. So don't get worry if a black cat crosses your path. They're probably just looking for pets!

Did you know it takes black and black-and-white cats (tuxedos), on average, seven days longer to find a home compared to cats of other colors?

Adopt a black cat. Love your black cat. Appreciate your black cat. They've been through too much and deserve every ounce of love you can give. 🖤🖤

sources:

Cats.org.uk

DaysOfTheYear.com

TheVintageNews.com

MuseumHack.com

TasteOfTheWildPetFood.com

FigoPetInsurance.com

Catster.com

Cunning-Folk.com

Blog.Feliway.com

#black cat #black and white cats #tuxedo cats #black cats #national black cat appreciation day #national black cat day #black cats are not evil #black cats are not bad omens #witches #halloween #save black cats #national cat day #goddess freya #goddess freyja #goddess bastet #goddess bast #greek mythology #roman mythology #lucky cat #beckoning cat #egypt mythology #salem witch trials #Maneki Neko #Bygul and Trjegu #matagot #black cat appreciation #adopt #foster

[dysfunctional-amateur-writer]

Underworld Headcanons

Okay I have a headcanon for this.

My theory, is that all forms of Afterlives exists. However, the one you go to depends on which one you’re most affiliated with.

So if you’re a legacy of a Greek/Roman line within like, 5 generations or so, then you’ll head straight to the Greek/Roman Underworld, and then judgement and stuff is the same as it was described in the books. Same with Norse demigods and legacies, they’ll head straight to Helheim if they don’t die in battle. Those who sired demigods typically go to the afterlife the demigod was affiliated with. Hence why Natalie was in Helheim.

Respectively, Magicians, those with the blood of Pharaohs, and those who worship the Egyptian Pantheon go to the Egyptian Land of the dead.

If you’re Norse, then you go to either Helheim, Valhalla, or Folkvanger. However, Helheim usually only takes those who are not of Midgard, because there’s usually another afterlife you can go to if you’re midgardian.

And of course, Pagans (as a collective term) go to the afterlife they believe in.

Atheists,,, just get distributed all around, whichever one has the least amount of paperwork at the time.

Now for OP’s question about Christians, this is an interesting one. All that are affiliated with the ‘God god’ (i.e. Jews, Catholics, Christians, etc) still go to the Pearly Gates for judgement. But then, if you’re not deemed worthy of Heaven, then you get sent down to the Underworld for further judgement into either Fields of Asphodel (Purgatory) or Punishment (Inferno). This is all due to the translations at the time, and Heaven was like:

“Yo, our afterlife is a little stuffed at the moment from all the animals, can y’all take some?”

and proceeded to dump a shit ton of their ‘unworthy’ folks down. Of course there is a Christian hell, the one that Lucifer/Satan rules over. But ever since the ones upstairs dumped most of their unworthy souls to the Underworld, they’ve kinda just been chilling for the most of the millennia as their workload was halved.

Side Note: Dante was a dude who’s Ba travelled in his sleeps into the different afterlives. My dude took a look at the main different types of afterlives and was like: “Imma write a whole ass crossover epic on this”

*Thanks for @script-the-skeleton for staying up at 3am couple years back, here’s the original post*

#Percy Jackson and the Olympians #magnus chase and the gods of asgard #kane chronicles #pjo headcanon #percy jackson #magnus chase #underworlds #afterlives #pjo hades #poor hades just getting 3 tonnes of paperwork dumped on him #nico was asked to help him with the paperwork #but he's dyslexic #nico di angelo #my post

[trippiemagic]

Saint Medals

So, do any other folk catholic/ people who work with saints use medals? What do y’all like to do with yours aside from jewelry or adding them to jewelry? I have a Miraculous medal on my rosary, would adding more to it be excessive? Just curious and looking for others input

#saint medals #folk magic #folk religion #folk christianity #folk catholicism #folk catholic #folk magician #saints

[toverijenspokerij]

Yes. Just yes.

#toverij & spokerij #folk catholicism #catholic folk magic #folk magic #folk magician

[skepticaloccultist]

Maggi’s Sufurino

"The Book of St Cyprian" "Jonas Sufurino", attribution.

 The history of fictional magicians is long and tawdry, often evolving out of folktales related to actual historic figures there are those who were created whole cloth for the purpose of selling books.

While we may have record of those occultists like Michael Scot, Johann Faust, and others who were in fact real people, there are some figures who defy historic documentation. St Cyprian himself is supposed to have existed in the 3rd century of the common era, but even the Catholic Church has been hard pressed to provide any hard evidence for a Cyprian of Antioch.

Jonas Sufurino seems to be a character who was created as part of the evolving Cyprian mythologies, possibly by a Spanish publisher, to give a more modern context to a supposedly ancient text.

As the story goes, Sufurino was a German monk at the Abbey of Walkenried near Mount Brocken, a location famous for its legends of witches and devils meeting there each year on Walpurgisnacht. He claims to have gotten Cyprian's book from the Devil himself after conjuring him forth.

The book we have at hand goes even deeper into the abyss of speculative authorship as we are presented with a version of the book that is said to be translated from the German of Sufurino's hand, apparently a copy/translation Sufurino made of the Hebrew original written by St Cyprian, to the Spanish that has been translated by Humberto Maggi.

That no German version of the work ever existed is more than likely, but the path of authorship is convoluted to say the least, although no credit is given for the translator who was supposed to have brought the work from German to Spanish.

Maggi's earlier translation of the "Book of St Cyprian" was drawn from a Mexican edition published in 1920. That earlier volume is a tome of a work that covers the ground of hodgepodge occult sources. Each Cyprianos seems to be tailored to the local reader's interests, culled from a list of sources nearest to hand to each publisher in question.

While Maggi's earlier Cyprian takes most of its content from the "Le Véritable Magie Noire" the Sufurino, an edition published in Spanish in Barcelona, casts an even wider net, taking from the "Grand Grimoire" and the "Black Pullet" as well. Maggi speculates, based on scholarship by Félix Castro Vincente, that the Sufurino was copied in part from earlier Portuguese editions. It does contain a series of charms that involve the torture of animals that is found in the Portuguese Cyprians, but lacks the treasure hunting aspects.

The work is a mixed bag of ceremonial magic whose roots ultimately come to us, via the hand of many editors over many years, from the Greek Magical Papyri. It contains versions of the "Key of Solomon", "The Red Dragon", "The Grand Grimoire", as well as sections on magic candles, "Chaldean and Egyptian" philters, enchantments and sorceries.

Maggi has done a splendid job bringing this work into an English translation. It is a handsome volume, beautifully bound in black (faux?) leather with metallic red stamping to the spine and a metallic red devil in the corner of the cover. The paper is a nice thicker quality of cream with a rougher tooth, giving it an old book feel. The endpapers are printed with a splendid artwork by Daniele Valeriani.

For any scholar of Cyprian literature this is a must have edition in one's collection. Nephilim Press have provided an important part of the puzzle of St Cyprian the Magician as an Iberian folk character and focal point of an evolving magical tradition that has spanned centuries.

Get yourself a copy from Nephilim Press here:

Sufurino Humberto Maggi

#Skeptical Occultist #occult #occult books #grimoire #grand grimoire #black pullet #conjuration #st cyprian #humberto maggi #nephilim Press #witch #witchcraf #folkwitch #Solomonic Magic #magic circle #enchantment #curse #charm #bruja #bruxa #bruxo #lwa #atr #cyprianos

[blackthornwren]

So as you may (or may not!) have noticed, I have made quite a few posts recently related to my working with Saint Cyprian – which is probably a confusing topic shift because I’ve been a pretty die hard traditional witch in all the time that I’ve been on tumblr. It’s still really new, this all started up last November. On a whim, more like “fuck around and find out”, I decided to try out Jason Miller’s test prayer as a novena to see if it was anything more than a passing fancy.

I lit a purple candle – all that I had on hand – and faithfully recited the prayer nightly before sleeping. What followed were some of the most intense and vivid dreams I can remember having. I talked about it in discord not too long ago, but that very first night is a dream I will not forget. In the dream, I was searching the world over for Saint Cyprian and when I landed in what I thought was Spain, I saw (of all the fucking things) a book lying before me with a black leathery looking cover and a rusted chain pulled across it. Now, if you’re familiar with the current trend of books on the topic of Saint Cyprian, I’m sure this will ring a few bells. I went looking for Cyprian books right after and found it immediately.

This whole thing has been a pretty strange development, to say the least. I can honestly say I’ve never had a dream like that before. It was like a huge neon sign saying “Start Here”. And who wouldn’t be impressed by a spirit that tosses out good book recs? And for a Catholic Saint to even bother with a witch?…Well, I was stunned to be sure.  

Since then, the more I’ve read about him, the more the interest grows.

What I can tell you about Cyprian so far is that he is an exacting teacher, guiding my petitions and prayers in the direction he wants them to go and seems very particular about getting the wording just right - typical sorcerer. He is a comforting presence, a balm for the wounded soul; I can barely tear myself away from his altar. He is also a Saint of Results, ask and you will receive! But be prepared to give back - a magician expects payment for services rendered, I promised him an altar/shrine and I’ve made damn sure to deliver on that.

So in closing, this is unfamiliar territory and I have no idea where it will go or what it means for the rest of my practice. We’re still testing the waters. However, I can say that as of right now (surprisingly) no doors have been closed, I am still very much that dumbass trad witch hopelessly in love with the mafia fair folk.

#traditional witchcraft #folk magic #wren rambles #under the roses #saint cyprian

[katya-goncharov]

I have this whole Supernatural AU in my head which no-one except me could possibly understand where Sam is a bisexual celtic magician. Instead of going to Stanford, he moves to some weird corner of Britain and goes to Durham or St Andrews or somewhere, and he ends up with a weird regional accent which Dean cannot understand and learns about all the folk tales and celtic magic. He discovers he’s descended from some kind of Welsh magician from the mabinogion or something.

He has a whole bi love triangle between Crowley and some female Irish angel, with lots of angsty catholic symbolism and it’s still kind of homophobic because he’s torn between light and dark but also it’s fun and he still gets to drink demon blood. And Rowena is very important in this AU, that goes without saying. She is his mentor and closest ally helps him to discover his true magician self.

Basically I read too many British fantasy novels as a kid and they have warped my mind into something even I myself do not understand. But I just really do strongly believe that the biggest problem with Sam was that he was not a bisexual celtic magician and I will not elaborate any further

#I'm bored and couldn't think of anything better to post so here you go #also when jared inevitably says something dumb at the panel now we can recast Sam with some regional-accented British person in our minds #you're welcome #this is both the weirdest and stupidest thing I've ever written #I don't know what I'm even thinking at this point #supernatural #spn #sam #my post

[queerchoicesblog]

One Night At The Moulin Rouge

Hiya, folks! So, as previously announced, the wlw writing project continues after a break with a miniseries set back in the City of Lights - & Love - at the time of the Belle Epoque, at the turn of the century.

The story begins with an introductory chapter dedicated to our main character, Léa, our young seamstress finally makes it to “The First Palace of Women”, the Moulin Rouge. What does the night have in store for her?

Hope you enjoy it: if you do, please consider spreading the word!

Next chapter out on Friday: double update this week!

Tagging: @scottishqueer

Previous chapter: Paris, Paris 

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He shouts at our friends behind us and we sprint off into the night. I lift my skirt and laugh as the streets and buildings around us change and we make our way through the crowd of the boulevards running as if our lives depended upon it. A passerby even asks us if we were in danger: we laugh again in full response and the old man shakes his head, muttering something about how foolish modern day youth is. When we finally spot the red windmill, we're out of breath. My lungs burn and my heart is hammering in my chest but...what a fun we have already had! Marcel pushes his way to the crowd gathered outside and shows the ticket to a steward, panting. "The show has already started" he announces, giving us an unreadable look, half annoyed half amused. We all exchange a look. It's Alain who speaks: "Then why don't you let us in so we won't miss the rest?"

I did my best to refrain a snort right in the face of the steward, who apparently notices it. Eventually, he steps aside and let us in, informing that the cloakroom is on the left. We ignore it completely, too concerned to miss the show and head straight to the dance hall. The place is packed and...stunning. I gasp at the sight of the gorgeous extravagant decors and the rows of table with gentleman and even some ladies all dressed up and sipping what looks like expensive champagne. It's like stepping into a....dream. Marcel snaps me out our my dreamlike state placing a glass into my hand. When I look at him, he nods to the table in front of us: whoever is sitting there is not here at the moment and my cheeky friend just stole their glasses, one for me, one for him. I'm about to playfully chastise him when he gestures to keep quiet and pulls my hand, moving forward into the crowd. I follow him careful not to spill my drink and we surf the crowd until we find a free standing spot by one of the columns, behind the rows of tables but with a good view of the stage. We cling our glasses giggling and take a big gulp. The champagne is cold yet burns down my throat after our mad run. I like it though: I've never had champagne before, too expensive. A woman is singing a catchy song on stage, strumming a little guitar while a couple of dancers make their long skirts twirl in the background. The lyrics are bright and a little facetious, eliciting rounds of laughters among the audience. With a sultry smirk, the singer starts the refrain and the orchestra joins. The song must be popular among the audience since everyone immediately starts singing along and whistling. I think I've heard it too, can't remember where though. The standing spectators like us attempt to dance and I find myself aching to move freely to the tune too but there's little space in our corner. Marcel and I sway on our feet and I catch the singer winking at us from the stage. Her performance ends too soon and is welcomed with rounds of enthusiastic applauses from the audience. The singer and the dancers flash smiles to everyone and make practised reveries. Before disappearing behind the velvet at the bottom of the stage, the singer examines the audience with a playful look and speaks loud enough to be heard even by us in the last rows. She invites us all to save our enthusiasm for the next act because, according to her, the best is yet to come. "Are you ready for la quadrille?" she asks. Everyone goes wild cheering and whistling. Marcel is one of them. We exchange an excited look: la quadrille is the main attraction of the Moulin Rouge! Only the most talented and gorgeous dancers perform it or so I've heard. Our eyes converge back to the stage when the notes of Offenbach resound through the auditorium. My breath catches when a multitude of girls in titilatting colourful costumes takes the stage and hold up their skirts to perform the most extravagant choreography I have ever seen. Well, I've seen the can-can already in ballrooms but those were amateurs compared to these ladies. They rise their knees high and make a quick rotatory movement before holding their ankle and rising their leg vertically while turning on the other leg. I cannot fathom how they can do it and with a charming smile on their faces...the dance may be scandalous to many but they perform with such grace it's a joy for the heart and eye. The rhythm is furious, joyful and we all soon clap our hands to the beat: it's contagious! A male dancer make his entrance too out of the crowd of women and I'm pretty sure he's an acrobat or a contortionist because I have never seen a single soul jump so high and walking backwards with his head between his legs...it's crazy! The dancers continue their routine with a cheerful grace out of this world. They line up in a long row and make us go wow with a stunning series of cartwheels and splits. They remind me of the breathtaking fireworks we saw at the opening night of the Exposition Universalle in March. With a bit of luck we managed to get a ticket and be there....what a night! Fireworks bathed in the new Tour Eiffel and for a moment it looked like it was day in the middle of the night. There was a magic show that evening, I remember: I ducked like a fool behind Marie when the blindfolded magician threw daggers in his poor assistant's direction. These dancers are like those fireworks. I don't even pay too much attention to the fact that their undergarment is showing as they dance...I laugh to myself thinking I must be too used to female undergarments working as a seamstress. But I let out a loud gasp when they kick the high hats the spectators of the first row are holding out with the tip of their boots. A playful yet skilled high kick that make the hat fly high before landing back on their owners head. When the act ends with a last round of splits, I'm in awe. Dizzy, so dizzy it takes me a moment to clap my hands and cheer loudly just like the spectators around me. The dancers leave the stage among thunderous applauses. "That was incredible!" I comment and Marcel agrees enthusiastically. I look around to see if I can spot Marie and Alain but I have no luck. The acts are over for the night and the spectators crowding the room takes their time drinking and smoking, Marcel gestures me to follow him. The lovebirds are nowhere in sight so I take his hand. He leads us to the other side of the room right into the backstage area. "I don't want you to be all alone among those drunks" he explains, guiding me forward down a corridor. "And I'd like to introduce you to my friend" He stretches his neck out and after a moment he waves to another young man smoking by a door open on the street. "Lucien, you old dog! Come, Léa, this way!" The musician waves at us too and loosens up his tie. He pulls Marcel into a manly hug and vigorously shakes my hand. I thank him on behalf of all of us for his kind gesture and he shrugs. "Marcel's friends are my friends. I hope you guys had some fun tonight" We chat a little then when the boys start bantering with each other and talking of common acquaintances I have never heard of I give them some privacy. I quietly wander down the corridor and take a look around. I rest my back against the wall to free the way and take a deep breath. Who would have known I would sneak into the Moulin Rouge tonight? Me, a humble seamstress from the North. Ah, if only my colleagues or -even better, my so very Catholic mother- could see me now! Marcel outdid himself tonight with such a wondrous surprise...one of the best cabaret theatre in whole Paris! Out of the blue, the door at my side slams open and someone gets pushed out, laughing loudly and sloshing wine over the rim of their glass right onto my dress. "Shit!" I turn towards the voice to find a redhead girl around my age covering her mouth and staring at me. I recognise her: she's one of the dancer who performed la quadrille, her costume is still on, only the corset is loosen up...the door must be the changing room. I gesture that it's nothing even if I'm quite displeased: it's cold out there, November is hardly the best time of the year to go around in wet clothes. When she uncovers her mouth, I notice she's still giggling. "I'm so sorry, I'm awfully clumsy tonight" she apologises. "But blame these ladies who cannot take a single joke!" she adds, raising her voice and banging on the door. All she gets is a round of laughter on the other side that makes her chuckle again, shaking her head. I smile politely, not really knowing what to say nor what is going on. After a moment she takes another look at me and throws me a playfully inquisitive glare. "By the way, what are you doing out of our changing rooms, if I may, mademoiselle? I do not recall seeing you here before...Waiting for someone?" she inquires, nodding at the door. "Oh no! I'm with...him" My eyes instinctively search for Marcel still chatting with his friend. The dancer follows my gaze and sighs. "Ah, I see, your boyfriend..." "What? No!" My words came out a bit blunter than I meant it. When she gives me a surprised look, I feel the sudden urgency to explain myself. "I mean, we're friends. I'm just waiting for him here, to give him space...you know. I didn't know this was the door of the changing room" I cannot quite read the shift in the way she looks at me but there is a certain playfulness in her voice when she raises an eyebrow at me and crosses her arms. "So...he's not your boyfriend" "No and I don't even know why I need to explain myself to you more than I have already did" She shrugs nonchalantly, flashing me a smile. This conversation started off on the wrong foot, I'm standing where I shouldn't be and Marcel is nowhere finished with his friend. If I know him well, by the way he gesticulates he's sharing his "intuitions" about the upcoming races: he has little money but has a granitic faith that one day a miracle will happen and the lucky bet will make him rich. Good old Marcel... Anyway, I better say something to avoid an awkward silence: this dancer somehow twists everything I say in a way that makes me nervous. "We came for the show" Pathetic but I couldn't find anything more original. And that justifies my presence in the backstage area...more or less. The dancer leans to the wall and lazily strokes the rim of her empty glass. "And did you enjoy it?" "Oh yes! I have never seen a dance so lively like this, so catchy, so full of life, so joyous-" "Splits and undergarments-" "It reminded me of fireworks" The dancer looks taken aback by my words for the first time. Surprised, I'd say, as if my reaction came out totally unexpected. "Fireworks?" she repeats. "Yes, like the ones I saw at the Exposition Universelle months ago. Wonderful colourful lights exploding up there in the night sky, a symphony of lights...truly breathtaking" I smile to myself reminiscing. "And tonight la quadrille...I don't know, the lively rhythm, the smiles on your faces as you performed, the colours of your skirts during the cartwheels...it brought me back to that night" The dancer's lips curl into a smile mirroring mine and her whole visage softens. "I've heard many people describing la quadrille but nobody has ever compared it to fireworks like you did" Cocking her head to the side, she takes another look at me. "You're a poet" she smiles. "Oh no, I'm just a seamstress" I laugh. "Nobody has ever taken me for a poet, I'm not good with words" "Well you sound like one to me so to me you are a seamstress-poet" I really don't know what to say again but I feel my cheeks turn rosy as she keeps smiling encouragely at me. We just look at each other for a moment. I'm about to make a joke of how can I be good with words if I'm so easily speechless when "Léa!" Marcel waves at me from the door at the end of the corridor. "I'm sorry I must go now" I say as the dancer spots my friend too. Then before I could do anything, she places one hand on my shoulder. "Hold on a minute, will you?" There is a sudden urgency in her voice as she storms into the changing room ignoring the playful protests of the other ladies inside. I gesture Marcel to wait and he goes lighting another cigarette in the street. The dancer returns after a moment, true to her word. She hands me a handkerchief. "There, for my clumsiness" she says, nodding at the wine stain on my dress I had almost forgotten. "That's kind but there's no need-" "I insist" she smiles, offering it again. "Well, thank you then, mademoiselle..." I reach for it but she retrieves her hand a little. "Huh-uh, I want it back. It's not a gift" she mocks a serious expression. "Of course but..." I soon realise an important detail. "...But I don't even know your name?" She takes my hand and gently places the handkerchief into it. "Élodie. And you know where to find me, Léa" With one last lingering smile she lets go of my hand and wishes me a good night. I walk into the street and the cold of the night makes me shiver. I secure the handkerchief in my pocket and breathe in the mix of icy mist and smoke of Marcel's cigarette. He shakes his head and wraps his scarf around my neck before half hugging me. "We better find the lovebirds and head towards a bar, I bet the streets will get all frosty in no time...fancy a beer?" I throw one last look to the Moulin Rouge over Marcel's shoulder as we walk away and to my surprise I meet the gaze of Élodie, still standing where I left her and looking my way.

#wlw writing #wlw writing project #original work #wlw miniseries #lgbtq #belle epoque #paris

[pieandhotdogs]

This probably sounds dumb, but I’m someone who left Catholicism because as a gay kid it f***ked me up emotionally and mentally growing up. I’ve recently gone back to catholic folk magic and it’s been working great for me, but I don’t pray directly to the abrahamic god. Other magicians have told me I need to brush these issues aside, but I can’t get rid of the awful taste the religion has left in my mouth. Any thoughts? If this question is too weird or inappropri you totally don’t have to answer.

Not dumb at all. If there is a God, I have to believe that He is well aware that millions upon millions of His children have been traumatized by the institutions of man, and that includes the Church. This is the purpose of the Saints, to act as lanterns along the path to the Divine—to approach the awe and might of the Lord in our stead.

Don’t worry, and don’t allow other magicians to shame you. Other magicians rarely actually know what they’re talking about. If your magic is working for you now, then keep doing what you’re doing.

#hillfolk magic #witchcraft