May Lord Apollon Always Give Light To You In Your Darkest Moments.

I'm a big supporter of "the gods love you, regardless of how much you're able to do to worship them", but at the same time, it's difficult to forge a relationship with any deity (or even other people) if you don't allow yourself to be known by them. If you don't have moments of vulnerability, moments of silliness, moments of small joy even, then it's difficult to forge relationships or take them to a deeper level. Loving gods (or even other people) can be a scary thing for some people (hell, it was for me), but if you don't allow your heart to be exposed, even just a little, then you're not going to get back as much as you're hoping to.

Anything that's worth anything in life is going to require some level of risk, as terrifying as that feels sometimes, and in my opinion, having a deeper connection with a deity is one of those things that's worth the risk.

My point isn't that we aren't loved by the gods if we don't do a ritual everyday or pray every hour; my point here is that we cannot deepen our bonds if we aren't willing to dip more than just our toes into our deity relationships. Love your gods, and know that you are loved, but they can't really help you if you won't let them in, you know?

📝COMMON WITCH📝

VOCABULARY

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ALTAR:

A SACRED PLACE FOR A WITCH TO PERFORM SPELL WORK, MEDITATE AND FOCUS ON ENERGY.

ANOINT:

SMEAR OR RUB A RITUAL ITEM WITH OIL OR LIQUID. MOST COMMONLY A CANDLE.

AMULET:

POWERFUL OBJECT (USUALLY WORN) TO WARD OFF NEGATIVE & EVIL ENERGY.

ATHAME:

A RITUAL KNIFE.

BANISH:

TO RID OF SOMETHING, DRIVE IT AWAY OR SEND IT AWAY.( CLICK HERE FOR A MORE IN DEPTH LOOK AT BANISHING AND WARDING)

BESOM:

A CEREMONIAL BROOM

CHALICE:

A FANCY CUP OR GOBLET USED IN RITUALS.

COVEN:

A GROUP OR GATHERING OF WITCHES WHO MEET REGULARLY AND PERFORM TOGETHER.

CLEANSE:

TO REMOVE UNWANTED ENERGIES FROM A PERSON/PLACE OR OBJECT(S)

DIVINATION:

PRACTICE OF SEEKING KNOWLEDGE OF THE FUTURE BY SUPERNATURAL MEANS.

ENCHANT:

PUT SOMETHING OR SOMEONE UNDER A SPELL OR INTENT.

EVOKE:

TO EVOKE A SPIRITS TO CALL IT UP, TO SUMMON OR BRING FORTH.

FAMILIAR:

A WITCHES SPIRITUAL GUIDE OR HELPER MANIFESTED IN ANY FORM.

GRIMOIRE:

A JOURNAL TO RECORD NOTES, RECIPES. INFO, SPELLS, EXPERIMENTS, CORRESPONDENCES ETC.

GROUNDING:

CONNECTING WITH AND BECOMING AWARE OF OUR PHYSICAL BODY.

INCANTATION:

COLLECTION OF WORDS RECITED AS PARTOF A SPELL OR THE SPELL ITSELF.

INTENT:

GIVING AN ACTION. ITEM OR THOUGHT DETERMINED PURPOSE.

INVOKE:

TO INVOKE A SPIRIT IS TO SUMMON OR DRAW A SPIRIT BEING INTO YOUR OWN BODY.

MANIFEST:

TURNING A THOUGHT INTO ACTION AND REALITY.

OFFERING:

GIVING FOOD, ALCOHOL, FLOWERS OR ANY GIFTS TO AN ANCESTOR, FAE, DEITY, ANGEL, SPIRIT GUIDE OR ANYTHING YOU WORSHIP

POPPET:

A SMALL FIGURE, USUALLY CLOTH, SHAPED AS A HUMAN BEING USED IN SPELL WORK.

SABBAT:

A WITCHES HOLIDAY, THERE ARE 8 SABBATS A YEAR APART OF THE WHEEL OF THE YEAR (this is not the only wheel of the year)

SIGIL:

A SYMBOL DRAWN FOR SPECIFIC MAGICAL PURPOSE; TO REPRESENT INTENT

TALISMAN:

POWERFUL OBJECT (USUALLY WORN) TO ATTRACT AND GIVE MORE POWER TO THE WEARER.

UNCROSSING:

REMOVAL OF A CURSE, HEX OR NEGATIVE ENERGY.

VISUALIZE:

PICTURING A WANTED OUTCOME IN YOUR MIND. MOST BENEFICIAL IN SPELL WORK.

WILDCRAFTING:

GATHERING PLANTS, HERBS OR FLOWERS FROM THE WILD TO USE AS FOOD OR MEDICINE.

I hope this little glossary helped!! Please of course feel free to add to it!🥺✨ and don’t ever hesitate to Reach out if you have any questions or concerns

If you like this check out my post the witchonary!

MERRY MEET- B

Follow for more

devotional acts for Lord Apollon if you can’t have an altar or want to feel closer to Him:

listen to music!

sit out in the sun

write poetry

draw Him! you may not be the best at drawing but i’m sure He’d like to know how you depict Him

dance to music

create a playlist for Him (songs that remind you of Him or ones that you think he would enjoy)

sing along to music (you may not like your singing as the god of music, He would appreciate it)

if you take any medication, take it if you haven’t already!

being kind to people

celebrating pride

reading poetry if you don’t know how to write (or are too lazy to learn. it’s okay.)

listening to lyre music

maybe learn the lyre if you have the time (and money)

eating citrus fruits

painting

taking care of yourself. He is the god of healing, He would want you to be healthy

every 7th of the month, celebrate Him!

if you have money, donate to LGBTQ+ people in need

CERBERUS

Some little things I've learned over a decade of witchcraft:

If you are feel called to work but are tired/drained, sit outside. Take in all the energies around you. Nature can help charge you

Every witch does a little bit of a bunch of types of magic but sticks mainly to one or two in general. You usually won't be eclectic forever. You'll find what magics work best with you.

Never be lazy or cut corners with spirits. Always be respectful and always tell them to leave when you're done

When you see a plant or ingredient with a long list of properties, there are different things at play. Season of collection, the part of the plant, the health of the plant, etc all play a role in impacting which properties it will carry.

Don't call on spirits unless you have confidence and control

Be careful with sea/water magic. Get into it gently and slowly until you have the energy figured out because it can get out of hand quickly.

Adding a little pinch of magic into your breakfast can make a major difference in your day.

Your personal emotions/feelings over something will impact a work

Planting some plants is good, not only to have a garden, but the dirt helps cleanse you too. Get all dirty and muddy. It's good for ya

Not all trees are nice

The more you listen to your intuition, the easier it will be to tell it apart from your anxieties and worries

Incense is very easy to make which is why it's usually cheap to buy. But you can find a million tutorials online on how to make your own personal incense which is great if you want a spell to take effect over a while but also want to infuse the fire energy in it.

The more you work with something the better feel you get for it. Cinnamon goes in almost everything i cook and most of my spells because me and cinnamon just get right along

Your path is yours and no one else's. It will look like yours and no one else's

Caution when casting spells! ⚠️

When casting spells, you have to be as specific as possible.

You always have to specify what and how you want this to go.

For example: if you want more money, you don’t have to say “i want money” and thats it. Becouse you might get what you wanted, but your husband died and you got his life insurance.

You can say: “i want more money to come to me, with the less harm to me and to others”

Doing this, you are putting your energy in one spot, causing less or any side effects of your magic.

Be safe and protect others from harm 🌙

This is your reminder to freshen up your wards. And maybe clean your sacred space.

My advice regarding romantic relationships with Hellenic deities

This is a bit of a complex topic, but I feel like it's worth my time to write something about. Intimate and sexual relationships with gods is nothing new. Mythologies are filled with stories of gods taking mortals for lovers and even spouses. Like any relationship between a god and a mortal, it's going to vary from god to god, and mortal to mortal. Being romantically involved with a divine being is going to be different for everyone, so I'm going to offer some insights and advice based on my personal experiences.

You don't have to say "yes". You don't have to date anyone you're not interested in, even if they're a god. A god can take "no" for an answer. A divine being will not force themselves on you or coerce you into any arrangement against your will. If it's not something you want or are up for, just politely decline. If it's something you're nervous about but still might be interested in, request some time to think about it, and give your answer at a later time.

You need to set boundaries. The first thing I did was writing down a list of conditions that I will abide by, and boundaries that are not to be crossed. A divine being will respect your boundaries and will have no problem agreeing to reasonable conditions. Once again, if you need time to sleep on this and ponder this through, simply communicate that you wish to do so. Gods are patient. They literally have forever. They will give you the time you need. They will wait.

You can expect reciprocity. A relationship with anyone, mortal or divine, is a two way street. It's going to be a give and take. You can expect certain things from them, and they can expect certain things from you. There's going to be a level of commitment and devotion, and some amount of work involved.

You don't need to rush. Like mentioned above, gods have eternities. Time is not an issue for them. Take your time, get to know them, figure them out, and build a relationship with a foundation. Don't jump into anything you're not ready for. The Hellenic gods are creative with romantic gestures. They will be happy to woo you, to court you, to press their suits to you.

You don't have to be exclusive. The Hellenic gods themselves are not known for monogamy. They're not going to mind your existing or future romantic bonds with other mortals or other gods.

Most importantly: you don't have to marry them. Taking a lover is not automatically a step toward marriage, at any point, by any means. No one has to marry their lover in the end, no matter how long the affair lasts. This was the first condition I put down: I will not marry you. I have no intention of binding myself to a god in a marriage contract. I'm not interested in being a godspouse. I already have a husband in the mortal realm, and that's enough for me. No divine being would require a marital pact for you to remain in their favor. A love affair can end amicably. An oath of marriage, on the other hand, will be much harder to walk away from, and the Hellenic gods aren't ones to take kindly to the breaking of oaths.

Witches & Words: Deities

Language is more than a powerful tool; it is power itself. Every word has meaning and intent, and is spoken by willpower and action. Witches understand the power involved in communicating. This is a series about how to properly communicate with different entities.

Introductions:

Stay calm. Deities do not want to work with people who are not respectful of their Divity and power.

Be truthful and stick to your values. Do not lie about your name, experience, or values to a Deity. Unlike some entities where it is useful to never offer your true name, Deities demand a certain level of respect and honesty. You don’t want to anger Them.

Don’t make promises upon meeting. You can invoke, make offerings to, pray to, worship, and/or involve in a ritual a Deity without being devoted to that Deity. Devoting yourself to a Deity is a big decision that has a serious level of commitment, and you should never make a promise to a Deity that you can’t keep.

Ask what name you may call Them by! This is key because They may offer you a symbol or name to call Them by and invoke Them with.

Conversation:

Ask questions! Prepare a list of questions to ask. Nothing life-altering at first, just simple things. Ask Them how long they have been in your life, if They would appreciate an offering (and if so, what), or even if They could tell you a story.

Be respectful and receptive of answers. If a Deity doesn’t give you the answer you wanted, or even refuses to answer, respect that. Don’t try to push them to give you a different answer.

Be clear about your expectations. Be sure to clearly communicate what you need and want out of a possible relationship with the Deity.

Be respectful of the Deity’s time. If the Deity needs or wants to leave, let them.

Goodbye:

Thank the Deity for their time, knowledge, answers, etc.. Deities thrive with praise!

Say a clear goodbye! This is very important! Communicate that you are ending the conversation, and suggest a time or way that you may contact each other again.

After:

Make a small offering to the Deity. Don’t offer anything big; burning a few herbs or even the light of a candle would work fine. Just offer something to show your appreciation for the Deity.

Cleanse! Cleanse your altar, tarot, crystals, or whatever you used to contact the Deity. You don’t want the energy of that visit to interfere with future rituals or spells.

Watch for signs. A Deity may send signs after communication that they are there, so be alert!

Not enough sage for the shit that's manifesting around here...