I get the question a lot, of “Where do I start if I’m interested in Hellenic Polytheism?” and it can be a difficult question to answer. Sure, I link them to helpful posts, some good e-resources, and book lists, but that gives them a pile of info and doesn’t really tell them how to use it. So this is going to be me attempting to address the question of:
How do I get started in Hellenic Polytheism?
Modern Hellenic Polytheism is a lot of “build your own worship” with a few concepts that stay relatively stationary. So there is no one way to get started in
Hellenic Polytheism
. I’d say it’s important to gain an understanding of how worship and offerings work in Hellenic Polytheism though, as well as the “core concepts” that you can include in your worship at varying degrees of significance depending on what’s important to you.
If you don’t have specific theoi in mind that you’re interested in worshiping, then you can always “test the waters” with a few different ones, or even move through the theoi, learning about them and introducing yourself until you find someone that you’re really interested in. So, before we get into anything else, I’m going to link you to a post on introducing yourself to Hellenic deities. @Soloontherocks also has a post on basic Hellenic prayer that follows a similar formula. Related to the above, I also get a lot of questions about what you need for an altar or shrine, and here’s the link for that too.
So, now that you know how to set up a shrine or altar and introduce yourself, let’s talk about how Hellenic Polytheism differs from other religions, and take a look at the concepts in Hellenic Polytheism. baringtheaegis has an awesome page of Hellenic terminology that’s useful for this.
One concept of Hellenic Polytheism that I don’t talk about often is Arête, which is the concept of doing your best and reaching your full potential. It ties into Hellenic Polytheism when you start looking at how your actions and accomplishments can be seen as testaments to the theoi and using the gifts they’ve given you to your full abilities. This obviously deals with the concept that talents and skills we have are gifts from the theoi, and not everyone is going to involve arete in their practice.
Kharis. Eusebia is the actual worship of the theoi, and maintaining piety. Kharis is the idea that we give to the theoi and honor them, simply as thanks for their existence and presence in our lives. We build a relationship with a theos through these two practices. I don’t talk about them a lot, and I rarely use the proper terms for them, instead talking about the concepts.
Another concept in Hellenic Polytheism isMiasma. Miasma is uncleanliness and a form of spiritual gunk that we get simply from being human. With Miasma comes Hagneia, or ritual cleanliness through the avoidance and cleansing of Miasma. I talk about several ways of cleansing and miasma in the post linked above.
The next concept I want to mention is Hubris. Now, if you’re not familiar with Hellenic Polytheism, you’re probably thinking that sounds like a very Abrahamic concept. Hubris in the Hellenic sense refers to putting yourself on the same level as the theoi. When Arachne claimed to be a better weaver than Athena by challenging the Goddess, that was hubris. Hubris is an offense to the theoi, and something that they will certainly let you know if you’ve done.
And the last one I’m going to talk about is Xenia, and by extension Theoxenia. Xenia is guest right. It’s the idea that you need to be a good host, to be kind to your guests and make them feel welcome. There is a flip side to that where guests have a responsibility to be polite and thankful of their hosts, not taking advantage of the host. Xenia is an important part of my practice, since by inviting the theoi into my home and life through worship, I’m basically asking them to be my guests for a short period of time, and that’s when Theoxenia comes into play. It’s an embarrassment, a dishonor, and can be taken as a personal slight if you treat your guests poorly.
My suggestion for anyone starting out in Hellenic Polytheism, is to figure out your own system based on the above concepts, and more that you may discover through research. Starting with eusebia is an easy and effective way to feel like you’re actually starting on your worship. I recommend picking one topic, concept, or idea in Hellenic Polytheism to learn about at a time. Pick one thing, learn about it, research it till you feel confident explaining it to someone else (even if you still have stuff you can learn on it), and then move on to another concept while trying to figure out how the previous one fits into your worship. This isn’t going to be the right way for everyone, and there’s plenty I didn’t mention in this, but I hope it helps a few people who are looking at Hellenic Polytheism.
(Image: Engraving on titlepage of Maier, [Tripus aureus], 1618 [X])
Alchemical writers specifically, and much of the medieval occult world in general, employed various forms of imagery in order to obfuscate their writings. In some cases, this intentional misdirection is obvious to modern readers, even if what was being hidden is hotly debated. In other cases, that obfuscation isn’t so clear.
One example of the latter would be Agrippa’s formulations for Planetary Incense. There are various animal parts called for, which may aggravate the modern sensibility, but which are also based on common enough sources that the question lingers: were these intended to be taken literally?
Harold Roth, of Alchemy Works, [suggests not], and points to the Greek Magical Papyri, and the writings of some notable ancient physicians to make his case.
This is not a complete list, as can be inferred from the lack of such things as Brain of a Cat, and Blood of a Stork, but it does help shed light on the way these ancient writers thought. It also gives me hope that other lists might exist as well.
A
Adder’s Tongue: Dogstooth Violet; Plantain
Ass’s Foot: Coltsfoot
B
Bat’s Wing : Holly Leaf
Bat’s Wool : Moss
Bear’s Foot: Lady’s Mantle
Bird’s Eye: Germander, Speedwell
Blood: Elder sap or another tree sap
Blood from a Head: Lupine
Blood from a Shoulder: Bear’s Breeches
Blood of a Goose: Mulberry tree’s sap
Blood of a Hamadryas Baboon: Blood of a spotted gecko
Blood of a Snake: Hematite
Blood of an Eye: Tamarisk Gall
Blood of Ares: Purslane
Blood of Hephaistos: Wormwood
Blood of Hestia: Chamomile
Bloody Fingers: Foxglove
Blue Jay: Bay laurel
Bone of an Ibis: Buckthorn
Brains: Cherry tree gum [this phrase usually designates any fruit tree gum]
Bull’s Blood or Seed of Horus: Horehound
Bull’s Foot: Coltsfoot
Bull’s Semen: Eggs of the blister beetle
C
Calf’s Snout: Snapdragon
Capon’s Tail: Valerian.
Cat: Catnip
Cat’s Foot: Canada Snake Root and/or Ground Ivy
Clot: Great Mullein
Corpse Candles: Mullein
Cuddy’s Lungs: Great Mullein
Crocodile Dung: Ethiopian Earth
Crow Foot: Cranesbill, wild geranium, buttercup
D
Devil’s Dung: Asafoetida
Dog: Couch grass
Dog’s Mouth: Snapdragon
Dog’s Tongue: Hounds Tongue
Dove’s Foot: Wild Geranium
Dragon’s Blood: Resin of Draco palm
Dragon’s Scales: Bistort leaves
E
Eagle: Wild Garlic of Fenugreek
Ear of an Ass: Comfrey
Ears of a Goat: St. John’s Wort
Englishman’s Foot: Common Plantain
Eye of Christ: Germander, speedwell
Eye of the Day: Common daisy
Eye of the Star: Horehound
Eyes: Inner part of a blossom; Aster, Daisy, Eyebright
F
Fat from a Head: Spurge
Fingers: Cinquefoil
Five Fingers: Cinquefoil
Foot: Leaf
Frog: Cinquefoil
Frog’s Foot: Bulbous buttercup
From the Belly: Earth-apple
From the Foot: Houseleek
From the Loins: Chamomile
G
Goat’s Foot: Ash Weed
God’s Hair: Hart’s Tongue Fern
Gosling Wing: Goosegrass
Graveyard Dust: Mullein
Great Ox-eye: Ox-eye daisy
Guts: The roots and stalk of a plant
H
Hair: Dried stringy herbs; ripe male fern
Hair of a Hamadryas Baboon: Dill Seed
Hair of Venus: Maidenhair fern
Hare’s Beard: Great mullein
Hawk: Hawkweed
Hawk’s Heart: Wormwood seed or wormwood crown
Head: Flower of a plant
Heart: Walnut; bud, seed, or nut
Hind’s Tongue: Hart’s Tongue Fern
Horse Hoof: Coltsfoot
Horse Tongue: Hart’s Tongue Fern
J
Jacob’s Staff: Great Mullein
Jupiter’s Staff: Great Mullein
K
King’s Crown: Black Haw
Kronos’ Blood: Cedar
L
Lamb: Lettuce
Lamb’s Ears: Betony
Leg: Leaf
Lion’s Hair: Tongue of a Turnip [i.e., the leaves of the taproot]
The modern world of craft practice is inundated with symbols. From the myriad of cultural religious and sacred imagery that has been appropriated by various magical practices over the centuries to the ever evolving stable of geometric drawings that have long been held to hold some innate metaphysical knowledge, the world of magic is full of symbols.
The sigil, originally a term meaning the signature of a spirit entity, has evolved since the 19th century, through the work of Austin Osman Spare, Kenneth Grant and later UK based chaos magicians, to be a symbolic representation of a spell or goal oriented magic working.
Thus modern magical practice often incorporates the creation of ever further symbols to represent our magical desires, formulations, and contemplations. These sigils have become central to magic in a world of screens, where every grimoire is able to be accessed instantly and the commodity of the symbol, a rarification of knowledge, is lost in the ubiquitousness of the internet age. No symbol is rare, no sigil unique.
Yet as we move through this era of data overstimulation and increasingly thinner language barriers we as magic practitioners have long understood that the true and underlying power of the symbol is in the thing it represents, not the ink on the parchment. The map is not the territory on this side of the mirror of the landscape, nor the other.
When we look for the foundation of symbols like the pentacle and hexagram, geometric forms that outline mathematical truths, we find them everywhere in nature. Their power is in the root of life itself, expressions in plants and animal matter that count themselves innumerably. From the pattern of flower petals to the digits of a human hand, from the forking twists of tree branches to the roots of sacred herbs the mathematical expression that is symbolized in a pentagram, hexagram, squiggly line, pointed arrow, all are found in the natural world. Our sigils are merely representations of things, much as is our language. A pale and dim reflection of a radiant thing of complex arrangement.
As magicians we must return to the land and give less credence to the map. We must let our sigils be the shapes we find in nature, the forking of a leaf, the vein of a stone, a spiral of a shell, the fracture of a bone. The trace of an ancient river our spirit symbol for its essence, the pentate of flower petals the warning of its hidden power.
Language is at best discarded when we enter upon the threshold of that realm beyond. By bringing language into the space of the other we dilute our ability to grasp its architecture. Carrying language with us is baggage best left behind, for as we attempt to categorize and compartmentalize the experiences of the other those experiences move away from us, like a willow the wisp fading in the forest ahead.
When we mistake the map for the territory we lose sight of our path, looking to be guided by the map we are no longer explorers of our own lives but merely commuters on the way to some self perceived goal. The practice of magic and the role it has in our perception of “reality” is one that affords us subtle understandings of the architecture of reality. The reduction of these things to mere symbols and sigils robs them of their agency, reduces and diminishes their power and awe.
It is through a meditative understanding of the expression of these symbols in nature that we as witches will come to grasp the invisible realm of otherness. That beyond, that is part and parcel of the mundane world and yet so often ignored by the masses in their search for comfort and stability. We see the true landscape through the veil, and the symbols that point the way are merely signposts on our path.
Let the sigils of nature manifest in our craft, as stewards of the landscape in which we work, as journeyers along a path through the beyond. Let the flower represent itself without the pentagram, the crossroads reveal itself without the hexengram. The unfolding magnificence of the natural world is the territory we seek to ensnare in our symbols, let them stand for themselves on our altar and in our path. The landscape will reveal those sigils for which all things may be bound, all spirits may be called. We must merely learn to see them in our midst.
I remember in my early days trying to find resources on historical Celtic witchcraft. I wanted to learn about the witchcraft from the places I descended from. So, I searched for answers. I read book after book on the supposed witch practices found in Wales, Ireland, and Scotland (Raymond Buckland never steered me so wrong, and that’s really saying something). However, I remember feeling…unsatisfied. It didn’t seem historical or based in any pre-Gardnerian lineage. It seemed like Wiccan influenced witchcraft based in Gaelic and Gallic mythology. However, the authors of the books were claiming that it was truly historical and traditional. Lo and behold, I was correct. So then came the question “What is historical ‘celtic’ witchcraft and where can I find it?”
First of all, there is no one Celtic witchcraft. The word ‘Celtic’ applies to both Gaels and Gauls (though it’s said that Gauls aren’t included in that term at all, but for now, we’ll use it). There are six nations covered under ‘Celt’; Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, The Isle of Man, and Cornwall. Any witchcraft that originates from those lands can be considered ‘Celtic’, but the use of that term can create confusion and misinformation. Though they may look similar at times, and though they are all witchcraft, they are not the same. Methods changed from environment to environment. The witchery has always been based in the Land.
I’ll briefly describe the practices and lore found in each land, but it is by no means exhaustive.
Cornwall
In the circles of traditional witchcraft, Cornish witchery has been made very clear and accessible with much thanks to the wonderful Gemma Gary. Cornwall has perhaps one of the strongest histories of magical practice out of the Celtic Fringe. Not only witches, but Pellars (cunning folk), were a large part of the culture. Folk magic, the basis of both witch and pellar magic alike, ran rampant through Cornwall. The Pellars of Cornwall held a very strong likeness to witches, so much so that some folklorists consider them the same. The Pellars made it a point to have a wide range of services available to their customer. That meant that they would both curse and cure. The magic of Cornwall often came in the form of small spell bags filled with either powders, folded written charms, or other magical ingredient. These bags did a number of things, from love conjuring, curse breaking, and spirit banishing to healing, luck magic, and finding lost possessions. According to Cornish witch lore, a witch’s power fluctuates with the seasons, and it was in the spring that a witch’s power was renewed. The different pellars and witches of Cornwall would also clash through reputation of power. Though they clashed, the witches of Cornwall would also gather for their sabbats, which were a strange thing to behold to outsiders. Witches, both young and old, would dance with the Devil around fires, faster and closer to the flames with each pass, and never be singed. The ability to spontaneously disappear is spoken of (which may suggest flying). Black animals, especially black cats, are often spoke of in Cornish witch lore. The association with witch and toad is especially strong here, and it can be seen as a familiar, a shapeshifting witch, a charm, or an indicator of a witch.
Wales
Witchcraft that comes from Wales can be particularly tricky to find. The term ‘Welsh Witch’ has been popular since the early days of Stevie Nicks. This makes it notoriously difficult to find any historical references on actual Welsh witches. In actuality, there were two kinds of magical practitioner in Wales. The first was a wizard (known as a cunning man in England) and the second was a witch. Wizards were very popular and plenty in number in Wales. Their practice was based mainly in healing the ill and livestock. They also did favors, like giving love potions and undoing witch spells. One Welsh tale, however, tells about a conjuror who is unable to undo a witch’s spell on a butter churn, so the farmer must turn to another witch to reverse it. Welsh witches were thought to have great power. They were able to raise the dead, curse their enemies, and according to older legends, shape shift and fly. Observing the myth of a sorceress named Cerridwen and the legends of Morgan le Fey and Nimue, there comes a general idea of what a witch was in Wales and Welsh legend. The idea of someone brewing potions and poisons was most definitely associated with witches, but more broadly, elements of water and weather seem to have importance. Interaction with the fairies also holds a very strong importance in Welsh craft. Walking between worlds, particularly this world and the world of the Fairy (Avalon, anyone?), was a skill that many wizards, witches, and heroes of Welsh myth acquired. All in all, the witchcraft in Wales is quite similar to the witchcraft found in England, as is the interaction between Wizard (cunning folk or Wise Men and Women) and Witch.
Brittany
In Brittany, a very strong fear and dislike for witches is found that is unlike Wales. Witches in Brittany were thought to be many in number. The legends suggest that they targeted farmers especially, making sure always to turn milk sour and spoil butter. They were also accounted to be particularly dangerous and vicious. Any man who watched their Sabbat would either not be found, found dead, or found scared witless and unable to speak. The witches of Brittany, however, were also sought out by the townsfolk. Indeed, there were witch doctors to fix their issues, but the witches were sought out for love spells and favors. Witch-cats are also mentioned, which could be either a reference to familiars or shapeshifting. Most strangely, Breton witches are said to very rarely cast spells on their targets and instead cast spells on the animals and possessions of the target. Every village is said to have a local witch. Some villages are said to be completely filled with witches. Many of them carry cane-like sticks with which they cast their spells. They were also said to be skilled in spells to find things, like lost objects and buried treasure. The line between village conjuror/wizard and witch is difficult to draw here. They may choose to help or harm, depending on their inclinations. For that reason, they still hold a strong reputation in Brittany, despite it being a place noted for its skepticism.
The Isle of Man
On the Isle of Man, both witches and magicians were an important part of the environment. The first thing you’ll find on the witches from the Isle is that they practiced much magic involving the weather and the sea. Magic was used to help the fishermen catch more fish, make sure the winds were good for travel, and settle storms at sea. A charm was made by a witch and given to a sailor that stored the winds inside. When he was at sea and in need of a gust, he would use the charm. Interestingly, the line between witch and cunning person seemed to blur here. Cunning folk were known as Charmers and Witch Doctors. Witches, however, were employed when needed. There was a perceived difference between the magic of different kinds of practitioners. Do not be mistaken, though. The fear and dislike of witches still existed. Many farmers feared the wrath of witches, especially when their crops failed and their cattle died. To reveal the witch responsible, they would burn whatever died. The person in pain the next day was thought responsible. As throughout all of Europe, witches were thought to have gained their power either through birth or through the Devil’s grace. However, witches were looked upon differently in the Isle than other places. Because of its long associations with magic, it had many kinds of magical practitioners and witches were not always considered to be the most powerful of them. Magicians, who practiced an art to compel and work with spirits and powers beyond other kinds of practitioners, were revered. They were usually compared to the image of Manannán Mac Lir, considered both a sea god and a powerful magician. The ability to fly and walk between worlds was also attributed to the witches and magicians of the Isle of Man, most likely due to the latter.
Scotland
Witchcraft flourished in Scotland perhaps as much, if not more than, in Wales. Scotland’s witch trials are famous, and perhaps the most famous among them was Isobel Gowdie. In her free confession, she detailed a story that most labeled imaginary. She spoke of fairies, elf bolts, curses, shapeshifting, flying, and lewd activities with the Devil. When comparing it with the confession of Alison Pearson, another Scottish witch she had never met, a Scottish fairy tradition begins to appear. Alison also details stories of going under the hills to meet the fairies, as well as them making elf bolts. More trials begot more folklore and legends. Stories of witches working the weather to destroy crops, sink ships, and cause havoc spread. More tales of a Man in Black appearing to future-witches and witches alike began to run rampant. John Fian, a male witch, was famed for his botched love spell, teaching witchcraft, harshly bewitching people whom he didn’t like, and attempting to sink the fleet of King James VI with a storm. Much of Scotland’s witchcraft was influenced by Gaelic legend and myth. Scotland’s witchery was not Gaelic alone, however. Norse invaders came and brought their magic with them. In Orkney, a Scottish Isle filled with witch history, the Vikings came often. Their language and culture mingled with the Scots’. Soon, cunning women were referred to as Spae Wives. The word Spae comes from the Old Norse spá,which means ‘prophesize’. These spae wives told fortunes, created charms, and protected against foul magical play. The witches of Scotland, however, proved a match for them. They killed cattle, cursed babies, and brought general havoc with them.
Ireland
Historical Irish witchcraft is perhaps the most difficult to find out of all the Celtic regions, and this is for a few different reasons. The first being that many lineages of Wicca have taken Irish mythology and applied it to the Gardnerian influenced witchcraft that they have. Many times when the word ‘Celtic Witchcraft’ or “Celtic Wicca’ comes up, this is what is being referred to. The second reason that it’s difficult to find is because the witch trials in Ireland are few and far between. The trials barely touched Ireland, amounting to a whopping 4 trials. The generally accepted reason for this is that Ireland was extraordinarily lax with its witchcraft laws. Most times, using witchcraft against another person’s possessions or livestock resulted in prison time. Only by harming another magically would a witch be executed. Interestingly, many people took this as a sign that Irish witches were generally less severe than their other Celtic counterparts. Florence Newton, the famed witch of Youghal, put the assumption to rest. When a woman refused to give her any food, she kissed her on the street. The woman became extremely ill and began to see visions of Florence pricking her with pins and needles. Florence also kissed the hand of a man in jail. He became very ill, cried out her name, and died. In a Northern Ireland trial, eight women were accused of causing horrific visions and poltergeists in the home of a woman. The ability to create illusions is a trait attributed to fairies in Gaelic myth. Those fairies are said to have taught the witches their skills in both Ireland and Scotland. Irish witches were said to turn themselves into animals, especially hares and crows, to spy on their neighbors. They would also place spells on those whom they wish in their animal form. They were also said to have used bundles of yarrow and branches of elder to fly. These sticks they flew upon, before brooms, were known as ‘horses’. They were said to fly up out of the chimney of their own homes. A tale of witches using red caps to fly also appears in Irish lore. This is another example of their strong ties to the fairies. The similarity between Irish and Scottish witchery has been noted, as they both have strong ties to Gaelic lore.
Witchcraft from the Celtic lands is a complex and unique thing, changing between each of the six nations. To lump them under a single title would be to lose the subtleties and differences between each. Saying that Irish witchcraft and Welsh witchcraft are the same is a fool’s lie. Saying that they are similar is true. Shapeshifting, flying, fairies, storms, and charms are found in each. But they are different. It isn’t a bad thing when the myths of these lands are paired with Wicca or Wiccan influenced witchcraft. However, the historical practices from those places mustn’t be overwritten.
Brilliantly well put. Wish there were sources attached, but names and google are a great help.
Thanks! There was a discussion on sources earlier, here, where I listed some and some others suggested some as well.
Oh, yes, yes, I have lots and lots of resources for you. Here we go!
Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countriesby W Y Evans-Wentz* Witchcraft and the Second Sight in the Highlands and Islands of Scotlandby J G Campbell Rowan Tree and Red Thread by Thomas Davidson The Secret Commonwealthby Reverend Robert Kirk (RJ Stewart also has a version that he has annotated with his own experiences of the Secret Commonwealth. You can find it here) Visions of Isobel Gowdie and Cunning-Folk and Familiar Spirits by Emma Wilby The Silver Bough v.I-V by F M McNeill Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore by E E Hopman Gaelic Incantations by William MacKenzie Scottish Charms and Amulets *****The Carmina Gadelica***** by Alexander Carmichael Tairis is a nice little website about Gaelic Polytheism that I enjoy Orkney – The Witches’ Haven this is one of my favorite websites! Lots of cool lore and spells and amulets from the northern islands of Scotland The Little Book of Great Enchantment by Steve Blamires, as well as all things William Sharpe and Fiona MacLeod
Of course I will also recommend reading Scottish folktales and faerylore! Which you can find on Sacred Text.
In the next series of articles, I will be focusing on the subject of lesser known tools of the craft. I’ll even talk about items that potentially could have been used based from folklore and record account.
PART 1: The Moon Rake, Scourge, and Bull-roarer
The (Moon) Rake
I’ve spoken about this tool briefly before, but I feel it deserves a bit more attention. I’ll also include regular rakes as well, since they were also used in folklore.
A moon rake is described as a 6 foot wooden pole with a large horse shoe attached to the end. Described in two different rites, it is used to coax items into the light of the full moon, as it is being reflected upon a large body of water (such as a lake or pond). It is also described as being used to gather the power of the moon, which is done by raking the reflection in the water.
Both normal looking rakes and the one described above were used in water magic, specifically relating around the moon.
Then his mother went in quest of him; she questioned the trees, she questioned the pathway, she questioned the golden moon in the sky. But the trees, the pathway, the golden moon in the sky, all had their own troubles, and they would take no trouble for any woman’s son. She questioned the sun in the heavens, and the sun told her that her son was in Tuonela’s River.
Then to the smith Ilmarinen went Lemminkainen’s mother. For her Ilmarinen fashioned a rake, a rake with a copper handle and with teeth of steel–a hundred fathoms was the length of the teeth, five hundred fathoms was the length of the handle. To Tuonela’s River she went: there she chanted a Magic Song.
She prayed the sun to shine with such strength that the watchers in Manala would sleep and that the powers of Tuonela would be worn out. And the sun stooped upon a crooked birch-tree and shone in his strength so that the watchers of Manala were worn out–the young men slept upon their sword-hilts; the old men slept resting upon their staffs; the middle-aged men, the spearmen, slept resting upon the hafts of their spears. Then Lemminkainen’s mother took her rake; she raked the river against the current; once she raked it, and she raked it again. The third time she raked the river she brought up the hat and stockings of her son Lemminkainen. She went into the river, and she waded in its deepest water. She drew up the body with her rake of iron.
The rake tended to be used for healing based rites. As described by Cecil Williamson and Gemma Gary, it was used to to push a copper bowl of urine into the water, so that the light of the full moon could purify it.
Though, it could also potentially be a tool used to raise the dead and call upon spirits by the power of water and the moon. The tale above depicts a mother going out on the night of the full moon and using a rake to gather up her dead son from the river.
The same could potentially be done in rights of necromancy and raising the spirits from the waters, essentially dragging them from the underworld across the river Styx.
It could also be used to drag the waters of the moon’s reflection for such rituals as “Drawing down the moon” or various purification rites.
The materials that make the rakes vary. Specifically, the Moon rake was made with an iron horseshoe, though other rakes could be made of various materials like copper, steel, wood, and even bronze. The specific materials being dependent upon what the rake is being used for.
The Scourge
A Scourge is a whip like item multi-thong whip. It is best known for its use in Gardnerian Wicca, though it also has uses in various other neopagan religions and witchcraft practices.
It has a number of different uses. In the Gardnerian 2nd degree initiation, it is quoted as such…
Priestess or Magus: “To attain to this sublime Degree it is necessary to suffer and be purified. Art willing to suffer to learn?”
Initiate: “I am.”
Priestess or Magus: “I purify thee to take this great oath rightly”.
Strike three strokes upon the bell. Scourge 3, 7, 9, 21. “I now give thee a new name: …” [kiss]
Like above, it is used in rites of purification stating to “purify the soul.” Besides this, it is used in a number of other uses. It can be used to raise up spirits from the land, cleanse the ground for ritual work, be used like an aspergillum, chase spirits out from a possessed item/creature/person, raise the fetch, and so on.
A scourge can be made from a number of different things, though usually has the whip’s thongs be made of leather and the holder made of wood. It can also be made of horse hair. Below is an example of such use in Gemma Gary’s “The Devil’s Dozen”.
From reading folklore, the scourge could even be used to whip a person’s soul out for spirit flight. In “The Witches’ Reel”, the whips the one lagging behind. The scourge could easily be used in a similar way to assist with spirit flight during the Witches’ Sabbat.
Bull-Roarer
A rather simple item. A bull-roarer is an oval or rectangular shaped piece of wood tied to a long cord. It is twirled around to make a sound. As it is twirled, it vibrates and makes a uniquely roaring type sound.
Bull-roarers come in a variety of shapes a, sizes, and colors.
Compared to the other tools, it has been around a lot longer. Some are dated back to 17,000 BC.
Today, it is used in rituals for calling up spirits. It could also potentially be used to magically charge a space or to place spirit wards upon ritual areas (in order to keep them hidden).
hi! i’m willow, a death witch who’s been practicing magic for about as long as i can remember, with active participation for ten years and the claiming of the name witch for three-ish years. i can never remember dates accurately, but suffice to say magic has been imbued in my life since day one.
i wanted to give y’all an introduction to what i practice as a folk witch/christian descendant. i’m not claiming to be a christian witch or christopagan, but i’m trying to illustrate the folk christianity my family handed down to me.
in particular, i received this tradition from both sides of grandparents. my paternal grandfather came from the hills of west virginia, while my maternal grandparents came from ohio, and all of their families were deep in appalachia. my grandfather was more of a loose christian, while my maternal grandparents were heavily spiritual and involved in their own syncretic magic (although they’d never call it that.)
what is syncretic folk religion?
syncreticism refers to the blending of multiple practices. my grandmother (who i’ll be talking about most) was catholic in name, but believed in spirits, ghosts, spooks, and magic. think of your family superstitions – that’s your own form of magic, in my experience.
folk religion refers to the practices of small groups which form their own culture and religion in the name of other religions. my grandmother may have been called a christian, but she had to live in harmony with the desperation of urban poverty in the great depression as a child, and had to make her own way through the world without the help of anyone else. her religion naturally grew from that. she was not adherent to any form of christianity but her own.
why are you not a christian?
simply, i don’t follow christianity – i follow a folk version of christianity. i can go further in depth about my relationship to Christ and the other christian figures, but suffice to say for now i am not a christian.
what do you do as part of this practice?
a lot of what i consider to be magic in this tradition is the practice of life. for example, have you ever spit on a broom that hit you? that’s supposed to protect you from going to prison. have you twisted an apple stem until it broke, telling you who you’ll marry some day? have you taken food to your neighbors when they’re in need, fed your loved ones after loss, or visited graves and tended to the ones that aren’t connected to you by family but lived and died in the same place? these are all folk superstitions and practices that have survived from my converted ancestors.
here is a list of ways my catholic/christian ancestors have steeped me in magic:
superstition. appalachian folk magic has a lot of superstitions, like beating a rock with a wet rag to bring rain or the aforementioned spitting on the broom.
guidance. my family has always turned to spirits, and in some cases angels, for help.
folk healing. this is a big part of why i am studying herbalism – from tobacco on bee stings to whiskey for toothaches, doctors were too expensive so we found our own remedies, and i am reclaiming that knowledge.
bible inspired magic. from ezekiel 16:5 healing wounds to the lord’s prayer healing alcoholism, a built-in religious framework provides me with guidance when i need it and help when i seek it.
relationship mores. there are a set of norms that go along with folk christianity about how you treat others. this ties heavily into death, relating to how you express condolences (casseroles and baked goods, sitting with the deceased, comforting loved ones), how you treat the dead (my uncle carried my grandfather’s body to the transport for the morgue, you can ease the passage of the dead with your eulogy by tying up unfinished matters), and how you relate to those who have passed (sitting on the grave, speaking to them through prayer).
spiritual knowledge. even if i don’t follow the bible’s teaching or believe in Christ, i get the robust text of the bible to base my practice in.
this is just my experience with folk christianity! i hope it’s illuminating!
Disclaimer: Spiritual/Magickal Healing should NEVER replace mundane treatment. If you have a physical or mental illness or health issues see a professional. Always check mundane causes before jumping to spiritual conclusions.
Blockages are an icky thing that happen to everyone for a multitude of reasons: Stress, tension, repressed emotions, physical ailments, trauma, a lack of grounding, and more. Depending on the severity they can manifest in a way that has you feeling them in/on your physical body – especially if you’re energy sensitive.
They are an obstacle in your energy flow and thus bring it out of its normal flow when present. This creates an inbalance in your system and results in different issues including, but not limited to:
• Constant fatigue
• Being easily irritated
• Trouble focusing
• Negative feelings
• Trouble grounding, cleansing, or doing other types of energy work
• Being spiritually/magickally “closed off”
• Being unable to express yourself properly
Note that this isn’t a comprehensive and end-all be-all list. Also, again, be sure to check for mundane causes first.
So, how do you find a blockage? You could ask a healer or energy reader that can detect these things. If you want to do it yourself, there are multiple methods. I’m going to list two.
Method 1
• Sit down somewhere. It works standing as well, but I prefer sitting.
• Take your hand. If you have a specific technique to make it more energy sensitive, use it now.
• Go over your body with it. Whether you hover over it or touch it is down to preferance; I prefer to hover.
• Send out “sensers” that you glide into your energy system.
• Search through it, if you feel a resistance or an icky feeling somewhere, dig deeper. Maybe the energy is just a bit heavier or thicker there. Maybe it’s an energy point. Maybe it’s a blockage.
• Do that with your whole body. You DON’T have to be able to reach everywhere, just lengthen your energetic sensers for parts you can’t touch/reach, like between your shoulders.
Method 2
(This method requires astral traveling.)
• Lie or sit down.
• Get into a comfortable position. If you need to be in a trance or meditative state to Astral Travel, do that here.
• Now, reach one of your astral body’s hands out.
• Put it inside your energetic body. It doesn’t really matter where – personally, I like to start at the head or feet.
• Make sure to focus on your (Astral) hand and then start to go everywhere in your body with it. Feel it out. Any resistances? Icky feelings? How does the energy feel?
• Take note of any sensations you get. If something feels off, take a closer look.
Types of Blockages
@chaosjelly has a really good post about blockages and anomalies here. I will only extend on his list – read it if you haven’t before.
1. Messy Thread “Balls”. These are blockages that form when energies get cuddled up on their way through your system. These appear as bundles of, most often but not always, thin energy threads. They let energy through, though not as much as if there wasn’t a blockage, but not in its regular flow. The energy that comes through is more “confused” and disoriented, often not staying on its original path.
2. Walls. These are similar to the rocks Jelly mentioned. They can be tall, small, thin, thick, rectangular, oval, etc. but they’re all very stiff and strong. These let very little if any energy through and often create dams.
3. Dams. These mostly form in combination with other blockages as it’s rare that energy starts to accumulate in these amounts without something else being in the way. Dams are exactly that: Accumulations of so much energy at one point that it starts to get thicker and taller until it stays in its place, creating an obstacle for the rest of the energy. How much energy they let through depends on how thick and tall the dam blockage is.
4. Hard Energy. Not necessarily a blockage but still troublesome. Optimally, Energy flows with ease and is flexible in its way. Due to a bunch of different possible reasons it can harden and with that normally slows down. Not rarely it even stops. The rest has to make it’s way around it and the energy is more prone to catching unwanted properties.
This is not an end-all-be-all guide, but I still hope it helps! Here are my other healing posts so far (will be updated once new ones are made):
This is a post to help streamline the search for decent info during your metaphysical studies. Note that this post is a collection of tips and for the most part is not in any chronological order.
What type of resource should I go for?
I. If you’re looking for: How to do it, Reading about someone’s own personal magic experience, A perspective from the magical side, go for magical books written by magical people
II. If you’re looking for: possible evidence of how it works in the physical world, analyzing a practice from a non-magical standpoint: non-magical sources written by non-magical people
What sources/subjects for what? (For point II above)
Anthropology sources/databases will serve you better than magic books, when researching for traditions/culture-specific paths. They’re less likely to bastardize/butcher things past a certain time period.
Theological books will serve you better than some traditional religion/practice books.
Scientific, Medical, and Psychological sources/databases will serve you better than healing books.
Why not magic books for proof, analyzation, or history?
Magic books WILL cherry pick evidence and case studies/experiments. And often, these experiments will be severely outdated (from the 1900’s), and they will have a meager amount of them; maybe 5 experiments throughout the entire book, while compared to the at least 10-20 of a typical scientific journal. And of course, these 5 experiments will be used as the Ultimate Proof, instead of treated like the coincidental evidence they are.
Their explanations of how the magic/practice works in this physical realm will be “because it’s magic!!”, instead of in science/medical journals where you will get actual possible scientific/notable psychological bases behind it such as neuroplasticity, the applied placebo effect, the impact of human willpower, etc.
As for analyzation….lmao literally what magic books written by a magical person have good analysis. Sarcastic tone aside, I mean this in a legitimate matter; most magical books focus on the practice itself rather than an analyzation of that practice.
As for anthropological books versus magic books, this is because most magic books will not get the history and other anthropological information correct. They do not provide a good scope of the whole of the culture or the history, and there may be a bit of bastardization as well.
When looking for case studies/experiments, these phrases are your friends:
Randomized controlled trial
Double blind
Also check how many times the experiment was cited in others’ experiments/research. Being cited more times, and even continuing to be cited several years into the future shows an excellent experiment with results that are trusted.
For further research into who exactly conducted the experiment, pay attention to the order of the names. Usually the ones listed first will be those who did the most work on the research.
Doing the Research:
When searching, databases with full text will be your friend. Full-text is when a database has the entire copy of a source or portion of a source, rather than only a summary or the abstract. There will often be a checkmark box in the advanced search to show only full-text options.
Reference books/encyclopedias for the most part actually suck ass (sorry britannica); information is usually shallow and not well-researched. At best it could be used to find other sources of information to look at, as they will list the citations.
!!PLEASE DO NOT REUPLOAD THE FULL TEXT TO PUBLIC WEBSITES!! This is why most databases aren’t free; to protect against people pirating.
If you want FREE:
PUBLIC LIBRARIES: Public libraries are your FRIEND. They are public for a reason! Most public libraries in the US will let you get a library card at no cost at all. Borrowing books costs nothing as long as you return them on time. Also, public libraries often have access to databases that do expect you to pay, and provide that database info for free! And to top it off with a touch of morality brownie points, libraries help to support many rising authors as they are often how many previously obscure books break the ice.
University/Academic Libraries: Many universities provide their library services to the public. Like public libraries, they will often have access to the paid databases provided for free! It is usually based on the university’s wi-fi so you shouldn’t need to create an account. Academic libraries also often have a large reference staff on hand; the job of reference staff is to provide research assistance to people and be specialized in a certain subject of information. Meaning, you can totally hit them up for an interview to ask questions about the subject, and/or for research help!
Make friends with students (especially graduate students), professors, or researchers of the subject you want to look into: That’s what friends are for! There’s a good chance they may have had to write a paper (or MANY) on the subject you’re looking into. Even if not, they could point you towards better sources.
Not all sources are made equal:
Some sources fucking suck; they’re inaccurate, don’t have the best wording, aren’t too well researched, or they’re just plain wrong. It’s going to be hard to judge sources when you’re just getting started in your research, but the more you know, the quicker you’ll be able to spot bullshit. Note that you’re going to waste a lot of time initially reading something you later found out was bullshit; that’s okay! Finding out something previous that you read was bullshit shows that you are learning. Plus, as you get a better grasp of what sources are shit and what’s not, you’ll be able to decrease that “wasted time” by a lot- so, it pays to be selective. Of course you should take everything in metaphysical stuff with a grain of salt, but if you’re taking everything as grains of salt, then how do you know which sources are better? The answer is experience and continued research.
Some sources can also be good for certain things, and terrible for others- even though they are both written about in equal measures. Take that into consideration when analyzing a source- perhaps their information on working with fae and other nature spirits is absolutely solid! However, perhaps their information/views on harm by large spirits such as deities, etc, or their views on mundane magic (such as employment spells) is rather…absolutely terrible.
Also. Sometimes you’ll think someone’s the absolute best when you start out in your craft. Hell, they may even be someone who inspired your practice at the beginning. But maybe you’ll come back a few years later, with experience under your belt and realize…they were actually shit the entire time. Hey, it happens. But remember that it shows you’re growing.
Signs of a shit source:
Few/no citations for something that is obviously not their personal practice or something they are the creator of
Author is extremely opinionated but tries to pass their opinions as fact with no sources or poor arguments
For healing magic books, trying to tell you that it’s totally okay to not go to the doctor/therapist, and/or that magic can absolutely replace legit medical assistance or therapy. Or, the author makes outlandish claims such as “I was able to cure someone’s celiac disease (a chronic disease) through my healing touch practice.”
Words that say nothing (and it’s not because of scholarly grammar); signs of this: you read a paragraph like 3 times and nothing sticks, or it doesn’t make sense.
Any form of “you shouldn’t have to X for Y result because I don’t have to X” that is written in a factual/”all people should” tone instead of in a tone reflective of or an article specifically about personal experience
At first something sounds nice, but then think on what the author said, and you go “???” or “sure jan.” Example of this plus the above bullet: “With money spells, everyone puts too much focus on sending out job applications. I don’t think that’s necessary, I’m such a good and wanted employee that employers are literally calling me to ask if I want to work for them!”
Tone matters. While not always, tone can be indicative as quality in certain ways.
Arrogant with no backing tone; the author keeps jacking off to themself- they keep building up how “complex” and “difficult” their Uneeq practice is and then it ends up being something low-level like sending energy
It’s a baby-ish tone that focuses on hurt feelings. Example: I saw some post saying how “we shouldn’t use the term UPG because it leads to hurt feelings.” Uh, no. It’s the inability to handle the disagreement often associated with the term UPG that leads to hurt feelings, not the term UPG itself like lmao grow up, with people like that it doesn’t matter what term you use, disagreement will hurt their feelings anyways
Complains about “over-intellectualizing” in certain ways; tone of this type often disagree about UPG for stupid (not automatically mutually exclusive) reasons. I will write a post about Stupid Reasons UPG Conflicts in the future, but I’ll provide you with a short example for now: Person A: Ummm Spirit Species X looks blue to my. Person B: Uh no they look red!! That means you can’t be working with the same spirit species! (They continue to argue). Actual reason behind it: Spirit Species X has multiple races/ethnicities and countries of origin on their plane, and both individuals jumped to hasty conclusions about the entire race based on the One (1) individual they worked with.
Some examples of shit magic books (with explanations as to why, of course):
Saving Time: You don’t have to read a book/article cover to cover.
You don’t have to. You don’t. Unless the information is extremely cumulative (such as in storybooks), you will almost never have to read the entire book/article. Nonfiction books are generally well-sorted into sections by topic, so as long as you know the general information of the topic you can absolutely skip around and get only what you need.
About Topics
Topics that have little to no historical resources/traditions (if any at all):
Energy work of anything besides humans
Energy work in general that goes beyond “meditate!! Energy balls!”
Energy systems of spirits
Energy Signatures
Energy parasites (as in spiritual energy parasites)
Classifications of energy elements that go beyond the main four (5 if you include “spirit)
Discernment of types of spirits from one another (Note: you’ll likely just find a LOT of ableism and misogyny, especially in texts concerning differentiating angelic possessions versus “demonic”)
Discernment/vetting of spirits in general
Any spirits that aren’t already established in lore
Astral travel (the non golden standard that most people use today)
Actual anthropology of spirits (what their culture is like, what languages they speak, how their children are raised, etc); at best you will find only their mythologies, which represent only a minor portion of the spirit’s population or a single individual that is commonly mistaken for a whole species (The One(1) Minotaur in Greek myth)
Differentiating between varying levels of astral planes
Differentiating between energy system layers (and how they may relate to astral planes)
How humans can be shards/facets of large spirits such as deities, archangels, etc
Ways to repel/defend against Large Spirits that are harming you where the human(s) actually win (so NOT giving them offerings so they leave you alone, which was a trend for more merciless deities)
Biases/Perceptual filters, Discernment/Judgement in general
Energetic/Psychic Vampires (as in humans who are dependent on outside magical energy intake; NOT the spiritual species)
Eldritch spirits (actual working Info about the spirits besides lore)
So for these topics, you will likely be doing most of the writing/discovering yourself; these topics have little to no, if any at all, historical books for them.
Topics that have history but are rarely spoken in-depth (specifics given), or much in-depth knowledge has been lost:
Correspondences (such as herbs, crystals, etc)
Sex magic
Topics that are commonly spoken about but have much contradicting information:
Human energy systems (tip: ime people can have diff energy systems)
Topics that you’ll need to sift through fluffy, incorrect, shallow information, or extremist views for:
Anything involving angels
Chakras
Reiki
Any sort of “healing touch” practice
Empath/Empathic Abilities; also little to no info for how it works energy work wise
How crystals work energy-work wise
Any sort of demonic spirit work (most demon workers vary from extremely fearful/hating of them or revering them as wholly benevolent)
Ars Goetia/Lesser Key of Solomon (in addition to above point, there are some views claiming Every Single One Is Actually Secretly A Deity which…I have opinions on in here)
Topics that are generally oral-tradition, secretive, closed in some form, or people are just overall not willing to disclose:
Soul retrieval
Energy work for the soul
Most forms of shamanism
Most indigenous traditions
Traditional witchcraft (though note some sects are more open than others)
Spiritual Conjuration (as in calling for a specific spirit with a billion protections/filters to make sure you get the right one)
Hereditary Witchcraft
Hedge Witchcraft
Feri traditional witchcraft
Clan of Tubal Cain aka Cochrane tradition of witchcraft
————————————————————————–
Current Post Version: 21 December 2017
As with all of my posts, please check the permalink for the most updated version as I do regularly come back and make additions/edits.
fair--y backup 
