Your friendly neighborhood witch.

Over hill, over dale,

Thorough bush, thorough brier,

Over park, over pale,

Thorough flood, thorough fire,

I do wander every where,

Swifter than the moon's sphere;

And I serve the fairy queen,

Centering is about balancing and stabilizing the body and mind's energy along with narrowing your focus.

Grounding is bonding and exchanging energy with different elements, however to many practitioners traditionally that element is typically earth. As somebody however who worked/works with a multi-faceted deity for many years, many things can be multi-faceted a lot like grounding.

For example within DBT therapy grounding is bringing yourself into the here and now by honing in on the five senses. Connecting both yourself and your immediate surroundings within the present. For examples box breathing and pain relief exercises medically.

Grounding for me personally is stabilizing one's energy, by reclaiming it from the universe or by drawing from the elements around me. As someone with chronic fatigue I need to borrow energy for spellwork so I become less fatigued after and Earth is a great neutral resource and element.

Grounding and meditation typically go hand in hand here.

While personally Centering is about balancing the body, the mind and narrowing my focus within my intentions for the act of entering into a certain brainwave state so I can enter spellwork or manifestation.

In another post, we will discuss brainwave states and altered states of consciousness and what they can do for your spellwork from a chaos magic perspective.

Now let's get into some centering and grounding methods.

Centering

Method 1 - Energetic Center Visualization:

Closing your eyes, visualize this glowing light. It can be any colour in your core. Now, your core can be anywhere along your body, from your heart center to your sacral, stomach, and third eye. Wherever feels the most right to you.

Visualize it growing brighter and becoming the center of your being. Gently pushing and pulling your energy.

As you breathe in, feel this light expand and fill your entire body. Filling you with peace and a sense of wholeness.

Method 2 - Breathwork with the elements:

You can do whatever feels more natural within your breathwork, like adding the element of spirit, for example.

Go to an area where you won't be disturbed for a while.

Getting in a comfortable position, usually sitting, is recommended because you could fall asleep. However, lying down is fine if you have a back injury like I do or sitting is uncomfortable.

Inhale through your nose for a long, steady breath to the count of four while keeping track of each number of elements Earth, Air, Fire, Water.

Hold that breath while repeating over Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

Exhale through your mouth, long and steady to the beat of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

Hold your lungs empty on the count of four Earth, Air, Fire, Water.

Repeat however long you feel necessary after it instills feelings of calm and relaxation.

Method 3 - Moving the body

Another method is movement. Movement helps us center ourselves. Exercise, stretching, dancing, hiking, etc. Not only is it spiritually healthy, it is physically healthy. It brings us back into balance when we get our bodies moving. 

If you struggle with disabilities, stretching to the best of your ability can be enough. If you are in a wheelchair, for example, you can do upper body stretches like desk stretching and artist stretches if you are able to move your upper body. However, if you are not able to do this as easily, that’s alright. You can use other methods, and you will not be left out. 

Grounding

Method 1 - Earth Grounding

Some visualization is needed for this method, however, I personally have trouble with seeing with visualization so I find myself directing myself with inner thoughts to go along with it.

Go to an area where you won't be disturbed for a while.

Getting in a comfortable position usually sitting is recommended because you could fall asleep. However, if you have a back injury like I do or sitting just is not comfortable, laying down is fine.

Let yourself fall into a natural breathing pattern. In and out, calm as possible. You can incorporate regular box breathing here if needed.

You are going to want to visualize a cord coming from the center of your being. For some people, this is from the base of their tailbone, bellybutton or heart. This cord travelling down deep into the earth, either spreading out like roots or wrapping around the earth's core.

Now what I like to do is shed down this cord any sort of gross gunk-like energy to return to the earth to be recycled. Especially energy that's not mine.

I visualize/tell this energy to move down the cords and spread back into the earth to be recycled. If I am recycling my own energy I let that energy sit for a minute with the earth, invite it back up after it is renewed back into the core of my being. You never want to personally lose your own energy as it can leave you fatigued.

This is your option to also borrow some energy if needed. Always remember to thank the earth for its generosity. You can also leave an offering for it later if you choose.

Now once you have finished remember to retract that cord and you are done.

There are so many different ways you can ground. You can ground using terrestrial energy by expanding your roots to underground caves with crystals, pockets of air, water, and lava, all for elemental work. You can even go upwards into solar energies, connecting with the cosmos. The possibilities are endless.

Blessings!

Need to find all of my posts in one place? Check out the Masterpost

Grounding and Centering

If you haven't already, visit my visualisation lessons for the background info needed for this lesson.

Being able to ground and centre your energy is very useful in meditation and spell work. Using basic visualisation techniques, you can change and manipulate the energy you are putting out, raise your vibration, or bring yourself back to reality after spellwork. Let's go over the specifics and how to do them, but the TLDR is that grounding is connecting to the energy of the universe around you, and centering is aligning this energy with your intention.

Grounding

Grounding can be done before or after spellwork, and it depends on what feels right for you. The idea is to draw neutral energy from the earth and the universe, as the energy within ourselves can often be unstable because of our emotions or other external influences. It can also be used to send excess energy back into the earth, preventing feeling wired or unable to sleep after spellwork. Here are some easy ways to practice grounding.

Visualise tree roots spreading down from your legs, connecting you to the earth, and branches spreading up from your arms into the sky connecting you to the universe. Consider the energy of the universe being drawn into you through these roots and branches.

Consider your energy as running water, perhaps from a tap or a river. To prevent excess energy, visualise this tap being turned off, or the flow of the river being stopped.

When I practice divination or dreamwork, I sometimes visualise my third eye opening before and then closing again after to prevent using this energy constantly.

Eat something or take a shower after spellwork to quickly ground yourself.

You can try standing barefoot in the dirt or even rain as a quick and more literal way to ground.

Centering

Centering involves drawing energy inward before spellwork, allowing us to align this energy with our intention and the mentality needed to carry out magick. It prevents passing thoughts, feelings and distractions from making our energy and spellwork less effective. Where you feel your energy centering is different for everyone - it might be behind your third eye, in your heart, your stomach, or in the palms of your hands. Wherever it may be, the point is to draw this scattered energy inward. Here are some methods.

Visualise your energy fragmented around you, as shattered glass, water droplets, or whatever feels right. Consider drawing this energy towards your centre, as though you are a magnet pulling these fragmented pieces back into a whole.

As you are drawing your energy in, meditate on your intention and the end goal of your spellwork. Or why you are centering your energy - is it to have better control over the existing energy in your body, or to set an intention for the neutral energy drawn in through grounding? The aim is to have a concentration of energy with a specific intention.

Centering can be used for changing your vibration specifically for different kinds of spellwork - where a protection spell would require a different type of energy to that of cursing.

Note: Some people will use these terms interchangeably or to mean one overarching thing, and others will specify whether they mean centering or grounding as I have done here. The two practices are very similar and can overlap, so don't worry about getting them confused. The important thing is to do what feels right for your practice and whatever helps you.

Please pardon the autoimmune brain fog haze I'm writing from, but I wanted to pass along what I wish I could go back in time and tell myself about planning holidays. Especially for those holidays I skipped when I didn't have friends to celebrate it with because it's totally possible to have a fun meaningful holiday without anyone celebrating with you.

When I was younger, I think I felt like solo holidays didn't count and for the ones I didn't grow up with I always felt like I wasn't doing enough. But I realize now it's so much more about what is enough to you personally and lowering your enough bar to meet what you're reasonably able to do is where the magic happens.

I also think I thought that most of the holiday had to be based in tradition or spirituality - and I will say it's great when that's an option - but I realize now that even historically that only made up a portion of a given holiday to most lay folks, not the entire thing.

Why Celebrate Holidays

You definitely don't have to be any means. I spent many years barely celebrating most holidays and wasn't adversely impacted.

But I will say as I've gotten older and adult life itself isn't quite as exciting, novel, or interesting as it once was, holidays are really nice for differentiating the time. Especially when you do something a little different from year to year it really helps to mark out which era was which. If you're younger, that might sound silly to not be able to tell the years apart but they really do start to bleed together as you get older.

Historically, people still celebrated holidays even in terrible circumstances. It gave them something to do, a way back into the rhythm of their lives, a connection to the past, present, and future. In all the chaos we're living through right now, holidays offer us the same. A little way to take some control back and connect us even when we're apart.

Also, if you're anything like me, sometimes you need a reason to get up and treat yourself because it's not something you're great at otherwise.

Pick 1 or 2 things to Cook

Bonus points if these are variations you switch up each holiday. I've been fucking loving making bundt cakes for each occasion. Pick a seasonal ingredient to feature.

Low energy? Pick a convenience food or take out that contains the seasonal ingredient or seems appropriate in some way. Our go to Epiphany meal for many years has been take out from our favorite Indian place.

Pick 1 or 2 Spiritual Activities

My go to are tarot readings and feeding spirits. If the land is active, I try to feed the land spirits outside. If the land is dormant, I focus on house spirits and ancestors. For All Souls Day or the Octave of it, we've been going to a Catholic cemetery and saying a rosary for the souls in purgatory.

Prayers, votives and petitions, some types of spell work, casting astrological charts, local folk traditions for good luck and protection, and deity work are all things I've used at some point or another.

Pick 1 or 2 Fun Seasonal Activities

I think getting outside in some way is one of the most straight forward ways to celebrate this one. There's something about just going on a long walk and seeing what the land is doing that really sets the tone. Leaf collecting and pressing is a fun one to do in fall. Flower pressing is fun in spring. Taking pictures of what you see is a treat too.

Games are a good one for this. There's a lot of affordable and fun solo table top games so even if you're celebrating alone there are options. And of course, me being me, I like seasonal solo RPGs when I'm able to decide on one; they're especially fun for the winter holidays when it's harder to get outside. I like to get off of screens but some videos games are thematically appropriate or may even have holiday events - Animal Crossing is one.

Low energy? A book, show, or movie that reflects the season or holiday meaning is a great option. I've been collecting and doing puzzles with seasonal images on them. It doesn't take a lot of brain power for me to do them. Small ones are quick to do and relatively cheap to pick up.

Bonus: If you're able, donate or volunteer.

This could be to a relevant org or just an individual who needs it. Consider writing and sending a letter for a program like Letters Against Isolation or the World Needs More Love Letters.

Bonus: Decorations

I like to bring cuttings and things I've collected on my long walks inside when I can. Origami decorations are pretty accessible and fun to make. I've decorated with handwriting my favorite seasonal poems and putting them up. 7 day candles are fairly cheap to pick up (our Dollar Tree has them) and easy to decorate and serve as a focal point.

Other Tips

Especially if you're celebrating solo, take pictures. It can be tough for holidays to feel like proper occasions when there's not other people to celebrate with but creating memories and reflecting on them afterwards is one of the main joys when I've celebrated solo. Even if you don't share the pictures, having them to look back on really solidify the memories for me. I also like journaling throughout the day for the same reason.

Small splurges add up. Back when I lived in places that actually had bathtubs (I don't know what my family has against bath tubs but there basically are none in this house) - I made a point to take a nice long bath on holidays. Even If just did that, had a nice meal, pulled some cards, and watched themed movie, it really would feel like something special after the fact since I rarely do all of those things together.

Doing something better than doing nothing. Whatever you choose to do counts. Start small and build traditions up year to year.

Example: Lughnasadh

My current plan for Lughnasadh is:

Cook: Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

Cook: A dish involving corn, the only local grain-ish I can eat

Spiritual: Tarot Readings

Spiritual: Feed the land spirits (preferably at dusk)

Fun: Long walk

Fun: Board games - specifically some of the ones I have with dice

Fun: (low energy alt) rewatch Tangled and do a puzzle

Donate: Child's Play Charity

Decoration: Cuttings from herbs that have flowered, maybe corn husk dolls or the like.

Conclusion

This is obviously pretty simple on the whole, but you could easily scale up form here - and I have over the years. But this is what I had to start with in order to be able to add in new traditions that I both liked and were manageable.

Asked the same question all times.

I guess it's just...inconclusive. It's been really rare that a message will differ that much between two decks and two dice readings.

Though I pulled the geomantic figure for the last reading and it was Amissio which in my notes I have down as "bad in all cases except for love" - and this reading is a romantic one.

So...

Ugh. Idk. I guess I gotta hope some dreamwork might lead to some clarity. Or something. Cause. I do not feel clear on this and some of it is directly contradicting my intuition.

Maybe it's possible someone in the mix has some sort of spell work up that's making it more difficult to get a good reading? Might need to check for that.

Not looking for advice (I've been reading cards for 15 years) so much as I'd be interested to hear from others what meaning they make of actively conflicting readings.

I’ve done tarot journaling. But it was never art journaling. It was quickly jotting down the pull and any thoughts I had on it so that I could flip back and see how correct or incorrect I was. I kept it short. It was helpful and made me more mindful about different aspects of reading that I hadn’t considered. 

I like journaling but I do think it’s so weird how bullet journaling and other forms have been made even more difficult and tedious than they already are. Like it used to be art journaling was a separate form of journaling. Now for some reason art journaling is journaling? 

If you genuinely like making it more involved, then that makes sense. Do you. I was gonna say “I have those hobbies” but…I don’t honestly. I don’t get it personally but I respect it. But you can tell how some people talk about it that it’s not coming from a place of sheer enjoyment for a lot of these folks but a feeling of “should”. Props to the folks who do it for the love of it but oof to folks doing it to uphold an aesthetic mandate. 

If you’re learning tarot and hate journaling, just know there are many other ways to get good at tarot. Find one you like and ignore the weird performative echo chamber of social media - that very much wants to get you to buy more things you don’t need. 

Ways to get better at tarot: 

Reading often

Reading in situations of genuine need

Card studies

Drawing the card out

Coloring a card in

Reading widely

Tarot assisted shadow work

Conversation with a card

Tarot challenges

give thanks/offerings to your ancestors - even if you didn’t like the ones you knew, I promise you’d like someone back there; doesn’t have to be daily but regularly and water counts

give thanks/offerings to the land - I don’t care where you are or if you like where you are, you’re only there because the land allows it; doesn’t have to be daily but regularly and water counts

pick a divination tool and use it - ideally pick 2; it’s very fashionable to study things in witchblr but expertise rests on a solid foundation of use; tarot, geomancy, dice, bibliomancy, and scrying are all great

pick a guiding philosophy/source of wisdom - a lot of paganism consists of practices which do not in of themselves guide how you should move through the world or make decisions; can be a philosophy, motto, or other religion

these are to me is what I’d consider the bare minimum but here’s the bonus round:

on each planet’s day, give thanks/offer to that planet - moon on monday, mars on tuesday, mercury on wednesday, jupiter on thursday, venus on friday, saturn on saturday, sun on sunday - water counts but they do love frankincense

track the moon - a lot of people are big into phases, I prefer tracking what sign she’s in; each month she will conjunct with every planet in the sky so tracking her a good way to stay aware of those influences

learn a method of cleansing self + space - fav instructions here; physical cleansing should always be a part of it if at all possible; smoke (incense, bound herbs), sound (clapping, snapping, singing, ringing), and energetic scraping are all good options

learn a method of warding self + space - go beyond visualization; witches bottle, salting, symbols of protection above a door, creating or appeasing a guarding spirit are all good options

learn a basic method of petition or spellcasting - a simple way to start is asking the spirits you’ve already been working with like your ancestors and the land and giving them a little extra back

decide on a small tradition for holidays - as you add in holidays, pick one small tradition to try to replicate next year; eating apples at Mabon, leaving an extra plate out at Samhain, lighting a candle on the stove for Imbolc, etc

Just a quick compilation of the posts I've made about exercises to help improve your craft. These can be used as journaling prompts, inspiration for activities, or as methods for pulling yourself out of a slump and recharging your witchy inspiration.

Witchcraft Exercise - Quantifying Your Craft

Witchcraft Exercise - Dig Through The Ditches

Witchcraft Exercise - The Book of Lessons

Witchcraft Exercise - Home Brews

Witchcraft Exercise - Witchy Inspo Journal

Witchcraft Exercise - Spring Cleaning

Witchcraft Exercise - Creating Your Own Runes

Witchcraft Exercise - Shakespearean Witchcraft

Prompt - Music to Witch By

Most of these are also available in the May 2021 bonus episode of Hex Positive (check your favorite podcatcher).

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What is Beltane?

Beltane is a fire festival celebrated on the night of April 30th into May 1st in the Northern Hemisphere, and around October 31st into November 1st in the Southern Hemisphere. It marks the midpoint between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, honoring fertility, passion, and the sacred union between the divine feminine and masculine. Traditionally, it signals the beginning of the light half of the year, a time of growth, abundance, warmth, and blooming life. Beltane celebrates freedom, love, lust, creativity, and the return of life to the natural world, bringing with it new, flourishing beginnings. May 1st is a day of joy and play. After a harsh winter, it becomes a celebration of renewal, of aliveness, and of nature’s wild rebirth.

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The History of Beltane

The name Beltane comes from Old Irish Beltene, meaning "bright fire" or "The fires of Bel". Some people link it to the Celtic god Belenus, a solar and healing deity, while others have drawn comparisons to Baal, a fertility god, though that idea is debated and not widely accepted.

Historically, Beltane was celebrated in Celtic regions, most notably Ireland and Scotland, as a pastoral festival. Bonfires were lit on hilltops, and cattle were driven between two of them to protect them from disease and ensure fertility. People would jump over the flames, not just for luck, but as a way to connect with sacred fire and invoke fertility, health, and courage for the coming summer season.

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Beltane and the Fairy Realm

Beltane is a liminal time, one of the two key points in the year (along with Samhain) when the veil between our world and the Otherworld grows thin. While Samhain leans into the realm of spirits and ancestors, Beltane belongs to the fae.

It is said that on the eve of Beltane, the Fair Folk wander freely, drawn to laughter, music, and offerings left with care. In many old traditions, people avoided disturbing fairy mounds or sacred groves during this time, choosing instead to leave gifts like milk, honey, or sweet bread beneath hawthorn trees. These offerings were meant to honor the fae, invite blessings, and protect against mischief.

Wearing a crown of bluebells on Beltane Eve is said to help one see the faeries, as bluebells are sacred to them. A ring of blooming bluebells is also believed to be a favorite gathering spot for garden faeries.

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Beltane and the Hawthorn Tree

Few trees are more sacred to Beltane than the hawthorn. Often called the “fairy tree” in Irish and Scottish folklore, it is said to guard the entrances to the Otherworld. Blooming right around May 1st, its soft white-pink blossoms carry the energy of protection, love, and the unseen.

In Celtic tradition, hawthorn trees were deeply respected as portals to the realm of the fae. During Beltane, it was common to tie ribbons or small offerings to the branches while making heartfelt wishes, not demands, but gentle hopes whispered like prayers. Damaging or cutting a hawthorn tree, especially during this sacred time, was believed to bring terrible luck or stir the wrath of the Fair Folk.

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The Sacred Fire

Fire is the central symbol of Beltane. The festival’s original name literally refers to Bel’s fires, honoring the sun and invoking purification and fertility.

Traditionally, two large bonfires were lit at Beltane, and people, along with their animals, would walk, dance, or even leap between them for blessings, healing, and protection. In some regions, ashes from the sacred fire were scattered over fields to encourage fertility. Couples, especially newlyweds, often passed hand-in-hand through the smoke as a symbol of unity and renewal.

The fire wasn’t just a ritual, it was a living spirit. Lighting it the old way, through friction rather than matches or lighters, was seen as a sacred act, calling upon the raw elemental force of nature itself.

Even today, many Beltane celebrations honor this ancient custom through bonfires, candle magic, and fire rituals. You don’t need a blaze on a hilltop, even a single flame, lit with intention, can carry the sacred spark of Beltane into your home and heart. :D

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The Maypole

The maypole is one of the most central symbols of modern Beltane celebrations. Though it has roots in English May Day traditions, it’s been beautifully woven into Beltane for its rich symbolism of life, fertility, and union.

The tall, phallic pole rising from the earth represents the God, masculine energy, vitality, and the spark of creation. The colorful ribbons and flowers spiraling around it, often held by dancers weaving in circles, represent the Goddess, the womb, fertility, and abundant life. Together, they form a sacred spiral: a dance of harmony between the masculine and feminine, of earth and sky, movement and stillness.

As dancers move around the maypole, their steps create a living mandala, a spell in motion, tied with laughter and bright ribbons.

The dance itself is a celebration of harmony between forces, of weaving ourselves back into the rhythm of the land.

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Beltane x Handfasting

Beltane is also a favored time for handfasting, a traditional pagan betrothal or wedding ritual where a couple’s hands are bound together with ribbons, cords, or braided threads to symbolize their union. In ancient times, a handfasting ceremony could last for a year and a day, after which the couple had the choice to stay together or part ways. Today, many modern pagans choose Beltane as a powerful and romantic time to make such commitments, drawn to the fertile energy of the season. Handfastings are often held outdoors, in nature, near fire, under blooming trees, or surrounded by loved ones in sacred space. The vows exchanged during these rituals can be traditional or deeply personal, as the magic of the ceremony lies in the heart connection and the intention to walk beside each other, bound by love and commitment.

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Magic Correspondences

Planets: Venus

Season: Midpoint between spring and summer

Element: Fire

Time of the Day: Noon

Tarot Cards: The Strength, The Lovers, The Sun, Three of Cups

Colors: Green, Red, Pink, Yellow, Purple, White, Sky Blue, All Pastel Colors

Herbs: Mint, Rosemary, Thyme, Ivy, Nettle, Sage, Basil, Juniper, Clover, Mugwort

Fruits: Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Bananas, Lemon, Cherries

Vegetables: Cucumbers, Carrots, Garlic, Lettuce, New Potatoes

Crystals: Emerald, Bloodstone, Rose Quartz, Carnelian, Red Jasper, Green Aventurine, Moonstone, Fire Agate

Runes: Kenaz, Wunjo, Ingwaz

Trees: Hawthorn, Elder, Willow, Birch

Goddesses: Artemis, Diana, Brigid, Aphrodite, Flora, Gaia, Hera, Astarte, Venus, Juno, Freyja, Epona, Bastet

Gods: Pan, Cernunnos, Belenus, Dionysus, The Green Man, Bacchus, Priapus, Faunus, Eros, Ra

Dragons: Sairys, Fafnir

Flowers: Lilac, Bluebells, Daisy, Lilies, Foxglove, Lily of the Valley, Marigold, Tulips, Violets, Primrose, Peony, Poppy, Honeysuckle

Animals: Frogs, Swans, Cows, Deer, Squirrels, Sheep, Ducks, Cats, Bees, Rabbits, Swallows, Leopards, Lynx, Hares

Magical Powers: Love, Sex, Fertility, Protection, Cleansing, Transformation

Symbols: Maypole, Ribbons, Phallus, Bonfire, Flowers, Faeries, Sex, Floral Crowns, Frogs, Celtic Knots

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Activities to do:

🌸 Make flower-shaped biscuits

🌸 Do candle magick

🌸 Find a local hawthorn tree and make a wish to the faeries

🌸 Wear flowers in your clothes, hair, or as bracelets

🌸 Leave offerings for faeries, as this is the season when they’re most present, you can leave them honey, milk, or biscuits

🌸 Go out for a walk in nature and feel the arrival of summer

🌸 Make a fire in the yard and dance around it (only in safe circumstances, of course); if you don’t have resources, you can light candles in your room (again, be careful)

🌸 Eat anything with oats, as it’s associated with Beltane, such as oatmeal, oatcakes, or other oat-based foods

🌸 Do a tarot or rune reading in the morning of Beltane

🌸 Take care of the trees in your yard or nearby by watering them

🌸 Honor all deities associated with fertility

🌸 Practice faerie magick

🌸 On the morning of Beltane, open your windows or door to warmly welcome the energy of the sabbat.

🌸 Make a Beltane magick jar

🌸 Water your flowers

🌸 Listen to music and dance :D

🌸 Celebrate life, fertility, love, and union

🌸 Take care of your garden, plant seeds, clean dried leaves, and prepare for summer

🌸 Make special Beltane treats

🌸 Casting your circles with oats around this time of year is also a good idea, as oats are a traditional Beltane grain for good luck

🌸 Have a picnic with your loved ones, or organize a gathering with food and grilling

🌸 Honor your ancestors

🌸 Place decorations in your garden

🌸 Plant a tree with any intention you want and take care of it

🌸 Draw runes and specific symbols on paper and burn them

🌸 Do self-love activities

🌸 Practice sex or love magick

🌸 Look for hawthorns in your area and honor them with water and offerings for faeries

🌸 Make a maypole

🌸 Collect flowers

🌸 On the morning of May 1st, wash your face with May Dew or natural spring water

🌸 Connect with the fire element

🌸 Read about the fair folk

🌸 Have a bonfire with your loved ones

🌸 Place ribbons or colored thread in trees with intentions for each, you can use color magick to attract what you need in your life right now (pink for love,

🌸 Meditate

🌸 Make flower crowns and wreaths

🌸 Perform spells for fertility, purification, and love

🌸 As this is a day of love, if you are of an appropriate age, comfortable, being sexually active is part of the celebration

🌸 Buy seeds and plant them in your garden, welcoming the growth of new life

🌸 Create a Beltane altar

🌸 If you don't have a maypole you can dance around your favorite tree <3

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Food and Drinks:

Oats in all forms (oatmeal, oat cookies, oat bread, oatcakes, bannock), strawberries, blueberries, honey, whipped cream with oats, strawberry biscuits, oat and honey bread, blackberry pie, lavender cake, cheese (including Swiss), seasonal potato dishes, fresh fruit salads, tomato and cucumber salads, dairy or plant-based milks, vanilla-flavoured foods, ice cream, grilled food, BBQ, spicy dishes to honor the fire element, May Day wine, white wine, regular wine (with a strawberry placed at the bottom of the glass if you wish), tarts with cheese, mayonnaise.

"Dionysos wouldn't mind it he's chaotic!" No.

"Hephaistos is a machinery god and AI is machinery so it's okay!" No.

"The gods wouldn't even care they just want offerings!" No.

There is not, and never has been, a reason to offer the gods AI art. It requires absolutely no effort or thought on your part as a worshipper, which defeats the purpose of an offering.

Do not support the use of AI art at ALL, much less as something given to Them.

"But it's all I can give!" Water. The Theoi fully accept a glass of water.

Sing.

Do a craft.

Write a letter.

Draw.

Dedicate a task.

I refer to my circle casting rite as "Raising the Black Castle" and people seemed curious when I mentioned it in a recent post, so I wanted to elaborate on it a bit more. While I won't be providing the exact rite itself, I will present it's format for those interested.

This rite has 3 parts; the carving of the moat, laying the bricks, and ascending/descending the tower(s). It requires 3 key tools, an object made of iron, a knife/blade, and a receptacle of any kind. Prior to working it a relationship is to be built with ruling spirits of the 4 cardinal directions, and the 7 planets (sun, moon, mars, mercury, saturn, jupiter, and venus). As well as having a name/title for the 3 realms (the chthonic realm, waking realm, and etheric realm). The names you choose will depend on your practice. So the way I raise my Black Castle will be different from yours.

Carving the Moat/Cleansing and Hallowing the Space:

This is done using the tool of iron. Using this tool I mark a circle around me, going clockwise. As I do this I say the following chant,

"Spirit of Iron I call to thee, cleanse and mark this space around me."

I may go around the circle once or many times, depending on how much is needed for me to feel the trance process begin. If I do prior meditation or other ritual work this processes begins faster. I then move to the center of the space I marked out and stand tall raising my iron tool high in the sky. I make a declaration that I am consecrating/hallowing this space, then drive the iron object into the ground. Pushing it into the earth as I repeat my declaration 3 times.

This being done I may sit silently and feel the space, or I may ring a bell and declare the space hallowed that way. I always take a moment to pause in some fashion before proceeding.

Laying the Bricks/Calling to the Ruling Spirits:

This next step requires having names and seals for the spirits you are about to call. I use one seal for the 4 directional spirits, and individual seals for the 7 planetary ones. To represent the 3 realms I have a single seal for all 3 I utilize for general use, but if I'm working with a very specific realm I will use it's individual seal when I call them. Before taking up this rite, each of these individual powers should be made contact with in some fashion to receive these names and seals.

To begin, face the north and mark out your seal for the 3 realms. Vibrate their names as you do this. Then call to the spirit of the waking/material realm by name and title. Ask them to make their realm open to you, to allow spirits of their realm to come swiftly when called, and to lend their power to your workings ahead. Rotate about 120 degrees clockwise, and once again mark out the same seal in the air. Again vibrating the 3 names, followed by an evocation of the chthonic power. Repeat this for the etheric/celestial realm.

Move from the circle's center to it's eastern edge. Have your blade in hand, or pick it up in the east. Mark out the seal for the 4 directional powers, and vibrate their 4 names. Beginning with the eastern spirits, then south, west, ending with north. Declare the name of the ruler of the east you are calling with some of their titles, and invite them to open their gates.

Repeat this in each direction, moving clockwise around from east, to south, west, and ending in the north. Calling to each spirit of that direction by their name and title, asking each to open their gates for your work ahead.

Returning to the circle's center face skyward. Using your blade mark out the seal of the planetary ruler of that day and/or hour. Vibrate their name 3 times as you do this. Then call to them like you did the directional powers.

Having done all this, you may now call any specific spirits you will be working with in the next part of the ritual. When doing so you should know what direction they are best called from, or what planetary current they best align with/work under. Call these spirits from their preferred direction, or down from the heavens. Call until you feel the spirit's presence or receive a clear sign. The pressure in the room should be building from all these evocations. As if by calling in each spirit you are laying brick by brick, building the castle walls. So take your time, and enjoy the process. Especially when first developing this way of laying a circle.

Once all the desired spirits have been called in, ring a bell or sound producing device. Make a declaration that all these spirits are welcome to come in power and stay in peace.

Ascending/Descending the Tower(s)/Moving into the Otherworld:

Having brought all these spirits to the circle's edge, it's time to move into their realm and begin your work with them. Depending on the type of work you will be doing will dictate which directional or planetary gate(s) you will be passing through in spirit. Use whatever methods of trance you desire, inhibitory or excitatory trance. Both work in my experience. In the direction you will being you will place your receptacle, this will act as your gate into the Otherworld. If you are moving through multiple gates, either move the receptacle or have multiple prepared.

Moving out of body in whatever means you wish. When passing through the gates into the tower(s) you will move forward beyond the circle and let the passage come to you naturally. The spirit acting as this gate will present itself how it wishes. Once through the gate, descend if you are working primarily with chthonic entities, and ascend if you are working with celestial ones. If you are working with spirits of the earth and land, move right through the tower and into the environment beyond. Let your vision guide you, and try not to put pressure on yourself to see certain things.

Once you settle in a "space" in the Otherworld begin the work you planed to do. Speak to your spirits in mind and in body, also begin any psychical acts of ritual you may need to preform. Then return to your circle, and either proceed through the next gate if needed, or return to the body and let the magic settle. Place any psychical forms of your magic by the receptacle, and then proceed to any final things you need to tend to with your spirits. Give and share in offerings, replenish the body and your energy. As well as bask in the presence of your spirits.

Then make a statement of departure for your spirits. Allowing them to consume what they need to do the work ahead, and then send them off in power. Making it known that they will return again when called. Conclude with the sounding of your bell, letting its ringing hang in the air.

Do what you need with whatever physical works you may have done, tho I try to let them rest for at least a night unless they need immediate tending to. I will also leave offerings out for 1-3 days before clearing it off my altar if possible.

Final Thoughts:

How much of it is actually useful, how much of it applies to your spirits or cosmology?

Who or what do you neglect regularly? What areas need more attention, more focus? What flames need to be tended?

Is there anything that no longer serves a purpose? Can anything be simplified to greater effect? How much time do you devote to strengthening your core skills and foundations?