Not So Friendly Reminder Satan Is Anti Map

I am happy to present my own Wamily’s version of finding your signifier card using a Tarot deck.  (Wamily, just in case you don’t know, is a witch family.)  

Please keep in mind that this is a practice passed down and developed by a handful of witches related to me, and isn’t the process that every cartomancer uses.  I hope this helps you on your witchcraft journey!

My own signifier card was found when I was a wee little witch.  I chose the Chariot (which, if you know me personally, is Salt through and through.)  My strengths and limitations are very much found in this card and I am drawn to its imagery indefinitely.  

Comment with your signifier card once you find it!  I am excited to see what you receive.

Makpal Abdrazakova

27-year-old berkutchi (she hunts with a trained eagle) from central Kazhakstan

Story here

Methods for Spells

TO BIND- wrap in black thread, drip wax over, or seal in a jar and hide it in the dark.

TO BANISH- burn an effect to ash and sweep off the back door step, cast it out a window, or bury in the ground and spit on it

TO ENCOURAGE-  plant it by the front door/steps, bury by a window, or place it on a windowsill

TO HIDE- place in a jar painted black, cover with cloth and bury, or wrap with a ribbon

TO CLEANSE- bury it in a bowl of  salt, burn herbs and pass through the smoke, or lay it in a moonwater bath

TO GLAMOUR- leave under the full moon, hold its reflection over a mirror with herbs, or 

TO WISH- place before a candle and blow it out, drown a coin in water, or let seeds blow into the wind

TO COMMUNICATE- (with a spirit or deity) - anoint a candle, leave out offerings, or open the front doors and windows

TO WARD- leave part of the spell in four corners, draw lines around the protected area, or plant an object of projection in the north, east, south, and west edges

TO CURSE- spit on it, drag your nails down it, or stick sharp things in it

TO DISCOURAGE - plant or bury by the back door, or burn to ash

TO JINX- say it three times out loud, or say a word the same time as someone else

TO MANIPULATE - use wax, use poppets, or tie several strings to pieces of an effect

TO BENEFIT - light a candle, charge a crystal, or create a talisman

Moon Phase Cheat Sheet

I wrote a whole giant dossier for the first lesson of Movements of the Moon at the School of Witchery, and I thought you all could benefit from this quick reference writeup!

Disclaimer: This sheet doesn’t include more indepth breakdowns of the phases, such as the gibbous moon, the waning crescent, etc.

Moon Phase Cheat Sheet

WAXING: These are the phases when the Moon appears to be growing. This period is divided into the First Quarter and Second Quarter.

Good For: Drawing things towards you, increasing

New Moon: This is when the moon is just a sliver in the sky (top right). From here, the Moon takes about 14 days to reach Full. It is considered part of the First Quarter.

Good For: New beginnings, potential, starts

Full Moon: This one’s self-explanatory! The Moon  remains looking Full for about 2 to 3 days, though purists choose to work magick only on the peak day. It is considered part of the Second Quarter by some.

Good For: The Full Moon is considered the most powerful Moon, due to it shning at full brightness. Many Witches choose to commemorate the occasion with a ritual or Esbat, and even more use this moon for their main spellcraft.

WANING: The phases when the Moon appears to be dissapearing. This period is divided into the Third and Fourth Quarters, and includes the Dark Moon. The Moon takes another 14 or so days to complete its cycle.

Good For: Removing, drawing away, banishing, and cleansing

Dark Moon: The period of time when the Moon is completely invisible in the sky. For our course, this is considered the last part of the Moon’s cycle (some traditions count it as the first – neither is wrong). It is considered part of the Fourth Quarter.

Good For: Protection, wisdom, and turning inside for wisdom and clarity

- Ash

Sigil Charging Method: Blood and Pain

* This post will be very triggering to some! Please do not force yourself to read this if you’re concerned about being uncomfortable! *

Please note, this method is not by any means REQUIRED or NECESSARY for successful sigil work - this is just one approach of many that can be used to charge / activate your sigils.

The process(es) listed below can be dangerous, and should only be performed by adults in a safe environment with clean and sterile tools. 

For your safety it is recommended that you only use the following methods if your body is healthy and your mind is in a calm and positive state. 

Czytaj dalej

Natrix natrix

One of the three species of snakes in Finland, this one appears as a benevolent creature, a guardian for households and farms in folklore.

"Why don't I identify with my _________ sign?"

The planet may be weakly aspected, overruled or overlapped by another placement, in Detriment or Fall, in a house where it is not comfortable, or negatively aspected with other strong parts of your chart. Those are the most common (and likely) reasons, but there are specific possibilities for each planet and either luminary, so I will explain them below.

SUN: The Sun is your base personality, your ego, or your sense of self. This is you on the simplest and most succinct level, but certainly not the most comprehensive. While your Sun sign will have a kind of influence over every part of your life and character, it is merely the starting point – your other planetary placements add to and alter those traits. For example, if you are a Libra, you may not feel like a charming or flirtatious person as many stereotypes suggest, but that might be due to your Virgo Venus. I find that the sign your Mercury is in while have a great impact on what you do and don’t relate to, and I’ll get to that in a second.

MOON: The Moon is your heart and your past. It is about feelings and one’s core wants and needs. However, your Moon sign describes your natural way of operating on an emotional level, and many people grow past that. It is what you inherently or somehow immediately know, somewhat like the way babies cry to communicate every imaginable emotion that they feel must be conveyed – except, for example, if you have a Sagittarius Moon, your instinct may be to run, be careless or optimistic rather than to cry. That’s what the Moon is about: instincts. And instincts can be manipulated or ignored in order for you to grow.

MERCURY: Mercury is the way you think, speak, and learn. It is the intellectual planet, having everything to do with the mind. That being said, your Mercury sign is the one you think like, and it is very common for this to be a sign one greatly identifies with. However, it’s easy for the Sun to overrule this planet’s position, and it’s also easy to overanalyze your reactions and inner processes to the point of seeing yourself as something you’re not, which is something I’ve noticed is exceptionally common with people who have Mercury in Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces (the signs where it is in Domicile, Exaltation, Detriment, and Fall).

VENUS: Venus is your romantic and artistic side (or lack thereof). This planet rules the love and beauty department. The way you express affection (either romantically or platonically), your opinion on art and fashion, and your aesthetic choices will be determined by your Venus sign. It is possible for the Sun to overlap this placement as well, but also Mercury, especially if you’re a thinking-over-feeling type of person, and Mars, which rules passion and ambition. It is also not uncommon for someone to have chosen to condition themselves to behave a certain way in relationships or during creative exploits due to life circumstances or even simply their personal philosophies on those subjects.

MARS: Mars is your sex drive and determination. Mars is the planet of action, and thus it rules when, how, and where you choose to act upon strong feelings and intentions. Your Moon and Saturn signs have a great impact on this planet’s expression, and can restrict it to the point where you no longer trust your Mars impulses or reactions. I believe that the Mars sign is too ordinarily suppressed, and the reason you might not relate to it is that you could be ignoring it, refusing to acknowledge it as a relevant part of you.

JUPITER: Jupiter is your luck, morals, and life path. This planet is not only about what you’re good at and how staying true to that will benefit you, but how it can benefit others as well, and whether or not profiting yourself is more important to you than profiting others. However, since this sign also points to the lifestyle that will prove virtuous to you, it is something you have to grow into. Jupiter identification, unless another placement implies otherwise, is something that must be searched for and discovered, or accidentally (luckily) stumbled upon. And age has nothing to do with that.

SATURN: Saturn is your fear and sense of obligation. Saturn is the planet that tells you, “No, you can’t do that!” for a slew of probably irrelevant reasons that, strangely, mean a lot to you, and seem logical enough when at that moment but later look like nothing but irrational excuses that cushion one’s inhibitions. It is said that Saturn is the karmic planet, which means that it points to the negative things you did or that happened to you in your past life which will come back to haunt you in this one. Other than the general probabilities as to why you don’t relate with a particular planetary position, there aren’t usually many things clouding your ability to relate to it, and you might just not have encountered its affects on you yet.

URANUS: Uranus is your innovation and need for change. It is the planet that rules your inner rebel, but primarily values progression over wanting to “shake things up.” It is all about caring for humanity and community while still being original and unique. Ironically (and quite amusingly), the planet of individuality is one of the slowest to move, so extremely large groups of people will have the same Uranus sign. It, along with the next two on this list, is considered a generational planet, and you may not relate to it because it’s not meant for you to relate to, personally, but for your entire peer group, as well. If you want to notice the affects of this planet, look perhaps not directly inward and at yourself, but at the entire population of people who share your Uranus sign.

NEPTUNE: Neptune is your imagination and receptivity. It is about all things illusory and inspiring, desired but unreachable, mysterious but widely searched for. Neptune rules everything divine, whatever is beyond; it is perhaps the most spiritual planet, next to Pluto. But its influence is often hidden and shrouded in confusion. If you don’t relate to it, start looking in unfamiliar or frustratingly evasive places, such as the truth and fate of this generation and the last. You may find its affects amidst chaos and healing alike.

PLUTO: Pluto rules all powerful transformation and regeneration. This planet can take up to thirty years to change signs, so if you do not see its affects in yourself, look at the last few generations and all the great, irreversible changes that have been made during their time.

Trust me – it can take a lot of time to find the way a planetary placement applies to you personally, but humans are complex creatures and if you dig deep enough, I guarantee that astrology will become significantly reflective to you.

Can I interest you in a Gàidhlig Sea Shanty?