44 Days of Witchery: Day 12

Air Element

This image belongs to Jane Walker

44 Days of Witchery: Day 11

Witchy tools: oils

I have a soft spot for Lavender Oil. Not Essence of Lavender Oil, but the real thing. Before I say anything further, I am not a doctor or qualified in any way to give the following information. If you choose to follow this advice, it is at your own risk. With that said, everything I am about to say I have tried on myself and believe it does work.

Lavender Oil is a multi-use item. I've put it on as perfume, and headaches have lessened in severity. I've put it on mosquito bites to relieve itchiness and redness, and it has worked. I've put it on burns, and it not only helped the pain but the burn itself healed faster with no scar.

Like I said earlier, you want actual Lavender Oil. Essence of Lavender Oil has at least one ingredient that will not help a burn. In fact, it will make the burn worse. I would assume that it would do the same for a bug bite.

44 Days of Witchery: Day 10

Your sun sign

Aquarius Correspondences

• 20 January - 18 February
• Planet: Saturn, Uranus
• Deities and Heroes: Ganymede, Heracles,
• Metal: Uranium (Radiocactive Danger), Aluminium, Lead
• Cross: Fixed
• Element: Air
• Stones: Zircon, Glass, Onyx, Topaz, Sapphire, Amber, Malachite.
• Power Stone: Garnet.
• Numbers: 3
• Day: Saturday
• Season: Winter
• Flowers and Herbs: Snowdrop, Olive, Foxglove
• Tree: Pine, Aspen
• Color: Violet, Light Yellow, Electric Blue.
• Bird: Cuckoo, Albatross, Phoenix, Peacock, Eagle
• Animal: Dog, Otter

44 Days of Witchery: Day 9

 

A favorite mythological animal

The griffin is a creature with the head, wings, and beak of an eagle, the body of a lion, and (occasionally) the tail or a serpent or scorpion. Its origin is unknown, but believed to be either Mongolian, Babylonian, Assyrian or Persian. The myth of these creatures spread through the then-known world, and can be found in cultures such as Egyptian and Asian.

In Greek mythology, they belonged to Zeus. Later, Romans and medieval Europeans used them for decorations. Especially along-side gargoyles on buildings.

It is likely that traders in Mongolia discovered dinosaur fossils and misinterpreted them as the Griffin, but I like to hold out hope that evidence of this Cryptozoological creature actually existed in antiquity.

44 Days of Witchery: Day 8

A photo of a magical place outdoors


Makoshika State Park, Montana

44 Days of Witchery: Day 7

Air element

44 Days of Witchery: Day 6

A Favorite God

Apollo was the son of Zeus and Leto, as well as the twin brother of Artemis. His realm was music, prophecy, colonization, religious healing, archery (except war and hunting), poetry, dance, intellectual inquiry, and shepherds. He was also a God of light, sometimes called "Pheobus" (which means radiant or beaming), and had replaced the previous solar deity of Helios. He was also a God of plague and was worshipped under the name of Smintheus (rat) and Parnopius (grasshopper). Ironically, he was also the destroyer of these plague-carriers. According to the Iliad, he shot arrows of plague into the Greek camp. Being the God of religious healing, he gave people guilty of murder and other immoral deeds a ritual purification.

Hera, the wife of Zues, was outraged with jealousy when she found out Leto was pregnant by Zeus. Hera decreed that Leto was forbidden to give birth anywhere on earth. Not the continent, nor an island. The only shelter Leto could find was at Delos, in the center of the Aegean, which was a floating island. It was difficult to get to, because of strong under-currents.

Hera, angry about the loophole, imprisoned Ilithia, the Goddess of childbirth. Fortunatly, other deities intervened and forced Hera to release Ilithia, resulting in Leto giving birth to Apollo and Artemis on Delos. As a gesture of thanks, Delos was secured to the sea floor by four columns to give it stability and became sacred to Apollo.

Apollo's first acheivemnt was to rid Pytho (later called Delphi) of a serpent (sometimes a dragon) called Python. The monsterp rotected the sanctuary of Pytho from its lair near the Castalian Spring. It stood guard while the "Sibyl" (later called Oracle) prophecied as she inhaled vapors from an open chasm. Apollo killed Python with his bow and arrows and took charge of the oracle.

This act was a blessing for the countryside, because Pythos had destroyed crops, sacked villiages and polluted water. However, Pythos was a son of Gaea, and Apollos punishment for killing him was to serve as a cowherd for eight to nine years for King Admetus.

When his pennance was finished, Apollo returned to Pytho in the disguise of a dolphin, bringing with him priests from Crete. He also took on a new name, becoming "Pythian Apollo". He dedicated a bronze tripod (a symbol sacred to this God) to the sanctuary and bestowed divine powers on the priestesses, who became known as the Pythia.

Delphi was named after Delphinios (meaning dolphin or porpoise), which is Apollo's cult title. The Pythia inhaled hallucinating vapors from a fissure on the temple floor, while sitting on a tripod and chewing laurel leaves. After she mumbled her answer, a male priest would translate it for the supplicant. In time, Delphi became the most important oracle center of Apollo.

44 Days of Witchery: Day 5

Sorry about the long wait. Work has been crazy busy lately. I'd promise it won't happen again, but chances are I'll have little time again in the near future.

Anyway, here's day 5!

A Favorite Goddess

Gaia (in Roman she is Terra) is the name of the soul of the planet. Without her, Earth would be as dead as most of the other celestial objects in our solar system.

In ancient Greece, she was the primordial Earth Goddess. She was the great mother of all, the first mother. She is the one who created the Titans, who in turn created the first humans, as well as all the plants and animals.

In modern paganism, she is a popular deity. Pagans from belief paths other than my own believe that she is literally the Earth. Others believe that she is a creation Goddess, a Mother Goddess from which the other deities are descended from.

44 Days of Witchery: Day 4

Picture of nature (water element)
 

44 Days of Witchery: Day 3

Witchy tools: athame.


An athame is a ceremonial dagger with a double-edged blade and (usually) a black handle. It is normally used by Wiccans, though other witchcraft traditions outside that religion may use one.


It represents one of the four elemental tools in Wicca (in this case, fire). This tools' primary use is energy work. It is not used for cutting (there is another knife for that use). This tool also aids in the creating of a magic circle. Another one of its uses is to invoke the guardians of the four directions. The athame, being a phallic symbol, is also used to represent the masculine in fertility ceremonies.

44 Days of Witchery: Day 2

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I'll try not to let it happen again!

A Myth or Story from Folklore

Oisín was a mortal in Ireland who was visited by a fairy woman named Níamh Chinn Óir (Niamh of the Golden Hair), who was the daughter of Manannán Mac Lir (Celtic God of the Sea). She announces that she loves him and he is taken to Tir Na nÓg to live with her.

This marriage produced two children, Oscar and Plor na mBan. After what seems like three years to Oisín, he tells Níamh Chinn Óir that he misses his friends and family in the mortal realm. In reality, it has been 300 years. Níamh Chinn Óir provies him with her horse, Embarr, and gives him a warning. If his feet touch mortal soil, the time he missed will catch up. He would age 300 years, and become old and withered.

Oisín returns to his home to find it abandoned and in disrepair. Later, while trying to help some men who were building a raod, the girth on the saddle broke and he fell to the ground. The horse returned to Tir Na nÓg without the ancient man, and he died of old age some time afterward.

44 Days of Witchery: Day One

"What’s your witchy background?"


As discussed in a previous post, I was raised in a Catholic family. I realized that it was not for me by the time I was in High School. But I had to keep that to myself. My family would not approve.

I remember being at a bookstore, and my cousin found a book on Witchcraft. After telling her mother (my father's sister) that she wanted to buy it, she was admonished for it. My cousin was told that simply reading the book was a path to destruction.

However, books like the Odyssey were not dangerous like the book on witchcraft. Not only was my reading of mythology encouraged, I was given antique books on the subject. It was (and still is) difficult to read the antique books, because they aren't meant to be read. They're meant to be listened to.

I always felt like I had special abilities. When I was around six or seven, I slept in an upstairs room. I woke up in the middle of the night and heard a tornado in the distance. But I didn't feel threatened (though I should have been terrified). Instead, I went back to sleep. Somehow, I knew it was going to pass our farm without incident.

After I left home, and moved to California, I stopped being a practicing Catholic. As far as the majority of my family is concerned, I just don't attend Mass. It wasn't long after that I began studying Witchcraft, and alternative religions, voraciously.

Now I am firmly on the path I was meant for. It has no name, and it does not follow anyone elses path. Some of my beliefs come from existing religions, or extinct ones. Some come from fictional books, but the idea presented in the story made sense to me. My beliefs grow and change as I continue to learn, and as such can't be labeled. At least not for long.

44 Days of Witchery

I was reading blogs that I subscribe to via RSS, and I saw a post that sounded like a fun idea. It's called 44 Days of Witchery. Starting today, I will also be filling out this poll. Honestly, it sounds like fun, and gives me something to talk about every day.

Here is the complete list of days.

1. What’s your witchy background?
2. A myth or story from folklore.
3. Witchy tools: athame.
4. Picture of nature (water element).
5. A favorite Goddess.
6. A favorite God.
7. Air element.
8. A photo of a magical place outdoors.
9. A favorite mythological animal.
10. Your sun sign.
11. Witchy tools: oils.
12. Picture of nature (air element).
13. What are some of the witchy books that influenced you?
14. A favorite pagan holiday that you celebrate.
15. Thoughts on the afterlife?
16. Favorite witchy website(s).
17. Picture of nature (fire element).
18. Have you had any paranormal experiences?
19. Fire element.
20. A picture of a tarot or oracle card, and its meaning.
21. A favorite scent.
22. Current moon phase.
23. A favorite candle.
24. Your moon sign.
25. How do your close ones feel about your witchy path? Do they know? Why or why not?
26. A witchy podcast.
27. Picture of nature (earth element).
28. A picture of a witchy I-Want-It-Now!
29. Water element.
30. Witchy tools: wand.
31. A favorite pagan/witchy movie.
32. A pagan/witchy artwork.
33. Faerie of your choice.
34. Rune of your choice.
35. Something that I think people who don’t know much about paganism/witchcraft should know.
36. Flower of your choice, and its magical properties.
37. A famous pagan/witch!
38. Witchy tools: cauldron.
39. Something that inspires you.
40. Your altar, if you have one!
41. A spell you’ve done.
42. A favorite nature spirit.
43. A magical recipe.
44. Witch’s choice!