“Be Still, My Foolish Heart”

So, many people have asked me how to go about starting to set up shrines and how to take care of them and use them. So here’s a big long post!

What is a Shrine?

A shrine is a devotional altar set up for a specific deity or spirit. It is a place, area, or table where you make offerings, pray, and commune with that entity. Shrines are helpful because not only do they help show your devotion to the gods or spirits you venerate, but also having a physical space to routinely make offerings can help keep you in the habit of regular offerings to build your relationship. 

Setting Up a Shrine

Location:

A good way to start setting up a shrine is to pick a place or an area to set it up. It’s important to keep in mind what locations are appropriate for what beings. For example, if you’re setting up a shrine to your ancestors, it’s probably best to do so in a space of modesty (i.e. not a place where a lot of nudity or sex takes place). Furthermore, think about spaces that might be holy to the god or spirit you are setting it up for. For instance, a shrine to your ancestors in a common family room, a shrine for Hekate by a doorway or threshold, a shrine for the spirits of the land in an outdoor setting. All of these things can factor in choosing a location. While none of these are necessarily ‘requirements’, all of these considerations may help you feel more connected or even grant you better access to communicating with your deity or spirits when worshipping at your shrine. 

Picking a Table:

Now that you’ve chosen a location, it’s time to start actually setting the shrine itself. Really anything can be used, an end table, the top of a dresser, a dedicated table, even an entire room if you have the means. However, even the type of structure might lend itself to different deities or spirits. If you’re making a shrine to an underworld or nature deity, perhaps a table that’s closer to the ground, or a shrine to Athena on top of a bookcase. Once you’ve picked your shrine table, it’s important to cleanse it. If you’re going to be setting up a shrine for a deity or spirit, it should be fit for them to present. Then, consecrate the shrine. This can be done by saying a blessing over the table, smoking it with incense, and/or anointing it with sacred oils.

Decorating the Shrine:

Once you’ve picked your table, cleansed, and consecrated your shrine, it’s time to start decorating. A good starting place is deciding whether or not you want an altar cloth. After you have or haven’t placed an altar cloth on the table, start with basics. A good starting place is placing any statues you may have of the deity or spirit on the shrine. Then I like to place any candles I have made for the deity or spirit on the shrine. Next steps could include any sacred items such as bones of animals sacred to the deity or spirit, other candles, flowers, crystals, jewelry, etc. It’s then important to leave space for offerings. One of the main purposes of a shrine is to have a space to leave offerings dedicated to the entities you venerate, so leaving a bowl or a plate and some cups on the shrine to leave offerings in is a great idea. Extra decorations could include things like art of the spirit or deity. Purchasing art from other practitioners or devotees is a great idea. But if you’re on a budget it’s understandable that purchasing prints or comissions might be difficult. I am personally against printing out art that people are selling, and I think that’s theft. But if the artist is dead and it’s a classical painting I say go for it.

For me, the aesthetic of a shrine is important. Colors and themes evoke feelings, and you ultimately want the shrine to bring you closer to the god or spirit you’re worshipping, so making the aesthetic of the shrine match the way the spirit or deity makes you feel is helpful. Furthermore, crafting an aesthetic for your shrine that matches the energy of the deity or spirit is a great plan to help that closeness and show your devotion. For instance, my Hekate shrine is dark but warm. Mixing dark imagery and black with warm, red accents. On the other hand, my Pan shrine features lots of animal parts and goes for a more rustic look to mirror Pan’s divine qualities. You can take any direction you want with your shrine, as long as it evokes the feelings you need it to in order to feel close with your spirit or deity. 

Decorations for a shrine also don’t have to be fancy or expensive. I get a lot of my decorations from thrift stores and the dollar store. Also, taking the time to make your own decorations can be a further devotional act. It’s all about doing what works for you and putting effort and care into making a space for your deity or spirit to commune with you. There’s no one way to organize a shrine, so whatever is done with genuine devotion and care is what is right to do. 

Dedicating Your Shrine

The next step is to perform a ritual of dedication to devote the shrine to the deity or spirit. Light the candles, make some offerings (incense, food, wine) and invite the spirit or deity to accept them and inhabit the shrine. This is an important final step in the initial setting up of the shrine.

Shrine Up-Keep

The shrine isn’t meant to be static, but instead a routinely used and maintained space of worship. That being said, it’s wise to do consistent work on it. 

What to do With Offerings:

Making the offering is pretty straightforward. You leave it on the shrine in whatever receptacle and then pray to your spirit or deity. But what do you do with it afterwards? I usually let perishable offerings sit for no more than a week and usually no less than three days. These offerings can then be disposed of ritually and replaced with new ones. Non-perishable offerings can be left on the shrine and can add to the decorations (art, talismans, sacred objects) or be left in a bowl or plate (i.e. a bowl of money, jewelry, and/or crystals, etc.) on the shrine. 

Adding to the Shrine:

The shrine is meant to reflect your relationship and devotion to a spirit or deity, and therefore should shift with that relationship. Starting out, your shrine will probably be pretty straightforward and simple, but as you grow and build your relationship with your deity or spirit, you should add to your shrine. If you find something at a store that you feel fits your deity or spirit, add it to the shrine! If you begin relating to the deity or spirit in a new way, the decorations can change and you may even feel the need to remove some of them. This is natural and is an important part of any relationship with the divine. When removing decorations, make sure that you ask first and do so respectfully, especially if it is something that has been used as an offering. Overall, the important part of shrine upkeep is that it doesn’t become a place of stagnation, but of growth and transformation.

Cleaning the Shrine:

As shrines are meant to be a space of active worship, they’re going to get dirty sometimes. Incense ashes may fall onto the altar cloth, wax might drip onto the shrine, your statues or decorations might get dusty. If you’re consistent in your veneration of the spirit or deity, the shrine is going to get dirty. So, cleaning your shrine and making sure it is fit for worship and for your god or spirit to be present at is important. It doesn’t have to be an every day thing, or even weekly, but it should be done as a sign of respect and care. I tend to clean my shrines in preparations for holy days or rituals, I try to make sure I do it just generally at least once every month or so.

In Conclusion

Shrines can be an important part of your relationship with a deity or spirit, but it can be hard to know where to start. This post is not meant to be definitive or authoritative in any way, but to help those who might need guidance find some starting points for their practice. Shrines can be anything from a transportable set up, to a whole room, but they are all equal. What’s important to remember is that size, intricacy, or expensiveness is not equivalent to devotion. Any shrine made in genuine care and devotion is equal to another. So when constructing a shrine make sure to do it from the heart and you should be headed in the right direction. It can be really discouraging to see fancy shrines as a beginner, and they can be pretty overwhelming, too. So, always remember that a shrine is to show your devotion to a spirit or god, not to compete with others. As long as you put the effort and care in, you’re golden. I’ve included some pictures of my shrines as examples of how they can differ in their design, and hope that can show that they can be anything you want them to be. I hope this post is helpful and can give some people a way to start their devotional practice. 

patron deities are choice gods that a witch identifies with the most, and relies on for help. patron deities aren’t necessarily gods, but ideas so complex that the only way to describe them is as beings. anyways, here is my step by step

Step 1- familiarize yourself with your options. listen to mythology, read articles, and try and find a few ideas of who your patron deity might be, but don’t commit to any one deity. these deities can be from any mythology or religion, as they are purely symbolic figures.

Step 2- familiarize the deities with yourself. pray to all of the potential possibilities you set out for yourself. this will allow for the exchange to be natural. a deity can’t fully be chosen by the witch. it is something that has to happen on both sides. by drawing attention to yourself via prayer, you are allowing this process to happen.

Step 3- meditate. you need to find your core being, who you are as a person. you need to know who you are, and what your values are, in order to find a god whose principles you can live by.

Step 4- review. take a second look at your list, and now that you are in touch with yourself, narrow the list down further. meditate and repeat until you have found your patron deity.

Now that you have found your patron deity, you must live in their image. get a pendant with their symbol, drink teas of herbs that have similar qualities as your deity. but most importantly, you must adhere to the principles of a deity if you wish to keep them as your patron. for example, my patron deity is Seshat, the egyptian goddess of literature, curiosity, history, and knowledge, and i have to live by these rules. this is why it is so important to have the correct patron deity, because you will have to live by them. in return, these deities bless you within their jurisdiction, as well as charge your spells, as long as the spell aligns with their values. 

Let’s just start a series of crash courses in witchcraft, since sometimes we need to learn things the quick and dirty way. Today, let’s talk about wards.

What are wards? Wards are protective energy barriers. They keep things out. You can place them around your home, certain rooms, even on certain objects. With practice and clear intentions, you can focus the wards to block out everything or only certain things. We’ll get to that in a bit.

Why should I ward my space and my things? Wards can keep out all sorts of things you don’t want in your home. They can block out negative entities, wayward spirits, mischievous entities, demons, and (if you’re really good at what you’re doing) even gods. Some people ward their divination tools so they know there are no spirits tampering with the results.

So what do I need to do first? Cleanse. This is very important. Wards are kind of like walls, or perhaps more accurately, bubbles. If you don’t clean the space first, you might trap things inside your ward bubble. You do not want that. There are lots of methods of cleansing, from burning sage to spritzing oil-infused water. Find a method you’re comfortable with and cleanse everything you’re going to be warding.

I’ve cleansed my home/item. Now what? Now we ward. I’m going to give you a couple methods. Let’s start with my favorite, incense warding.

Incense warding can also be done with spritzes of water/essential oil blends or herb-infused water if you can’t have smoke in your space. Whichever you’re using, you want to have a blend of protective herbs. Bay leaves, cinnamon, ginger, mustard seed, and salt are some great options that you can find in the grocery store, no fancy witch shop necessary. If you’re using incense, make sure you’re using natural incense and not super cheap stuff that’s artificially scented. The magic is in the herbs, and you won’t get that from fake scents.

How to Incense/Spritz Ward an Item

Smoke or spray item.

Visualize the smoke or spray clinging to the item and wrapping around it like a tight blanket, protecting it from anything that would cause harm (or interference, etc.).

How to Incense/Spritz Ward Your Space

Pick a place to start. I always start at my altar, but it’s up to you. If you’re doing multiple floors, start either at the top or bottom floor.

Moving continuously to your right, smoke or spray along the walls and door frames. As you go, imagine a barrier being formed around the walls, ceiling, and floor, pushing outwards to fill the room. Visualize the smoke or spray forming the barrier to keep out anything that will do you harm. [If you have a hard time with visualization, you can simply focus on the intent of the smoke or spray keeping things out.]

Keep moving right, following the layout of your home, making sure you get all the closet spaces. You basically want to outline the entire area you’re protecting, whether it’s you’re room or your whole house.

For multiple floors, repeat on each level.

For big layouts where there are rooms in the middle, go around those rooms as well.

I like to reinforce the wards over outside doors, windows, and mirrors. These are all passages of sorts, and when I reach them, I use the incense to draw a pentagram in the air over them. This is entirely up to you.

You’re done when you’ve reached the point where you began.

So why do we go to the right? Is that important? Kind of. Going to the right is like going clockwise. It’s about making things and progression, where going to the left or counter-clockwise is about deconstruction or reversal. [I read this idea in a witchy book a long time ago and will try to find a source when I can. If you honestly don’t feel it makes a difference, do whatever you’re comfortable with.]

Can I place wards that keep out certain things but not others? Sure. When you’re going around your space/warding your item, your intent is what’s important. I like to ward out entities that mean harm - it’s nice and general and doesn’t keep the fae out. Some people might want certain spirits and not others. Have your intentions clear in your mind as you place your wards.

That’s neat and all, but what are some other ways to ward? Let’s list a few.

Symbol/Sigil Wards

Choose (or make) a symbol or sigil that has protective properties. I’ve done this with Pluto’s astrological symbol because I worship him and it’s my way of being like, “Hey, Pluto. Please protect me, kthanxbai.” Pentagrams are nice and basic witchy/pagan symbols if you like them.

Draw the symbol over doors and windows. You do not literally have to draw it. It can be in water, incense smoke, or just your finger against the surface if you want.

As you’re drawing, make sure you have your intentions in mind - that nothing harmful can pass through this door, that the windows remain closed against entities, etc.

Energy Bubbles (if you have control over your energy)

Pick an item - any item.

Get your warding intentions in mind.

Channel lots of energy into the item. Visualize it emanating from the item in a bubble to fill your space.

If you’ve got mad skillz, you can form the bubble to the walls and be super exact with where its barriers are.

Vocal Wards

If you like spoken (or thought) spells, come up with a small chant to protect your space.

You can repeat this chant as you focus on your item being protected or as you walk around your home, protecting every room.

This is really great to incorporate into basically any other form of warding and gives your magic an extra bit of oomph.

I’ve heard wards can “fade” over time. True or false? Wards are just energy. Like all energies, they can disperse and weaken over time, or if something particularly nasty puts effort into destroying them. Redo your wards every so often (I do mine every few months, but it’s up to you), and especially before spiritual interactions. I also like to do mine after I’ve had lots of company, to kind of clear out family’s lingering energies and reinforce what I don’t want in my house.

🌷💗 Hello little rosebuds! For today’s post i want to show you folks on how i create correspondeces for seashells! At the near bottom of this post i selected some shells that i assign correspondence with my own personal thoughts and meaning. This is what i do when im bored, i find pictures of seashells that i like and i assign correspondences on them. 🌷💗

🕊 How i do it 🕊

Depending on shell I like to look up on the basic info on the shell and then I split into 7 categories: color, shape, name of the shell, feminine/masculine energies, element, animal behavior and uses in history/myths

Note: This applies to shells that haven’t had any magickal correspondences in them.

• Colors: depending on the most common color of the shell you can use existing color correspondence to assign the shells with it too! Some gastropods have nacre inside the shell this associates with beauty such as abalone and top shells.

• Shapes: there are a million kinds of shapes of shells, depending what’s it reminds you of. Most shells look similar and its totally okay to assign similar correspondence to them! Some shells can even resemble as human body parts and reproductive organs such as augers and cowries! You can use shells that are similar to any body parts to give it an extra boost!

• Shell name: most shells can be named after objects, figures or what they do. This is the first easy way to assign their correspondence to, since they’re practical depending on the name. Shells such as spindle shell and venus comb murex.

• Femmine/masculine energies: some shells can look nsfw-y depending on the shape or animal behavior. If the shell doesn’t look nsfw you can determine if the animal’s behavior. If the animal is aggressive you can assign it with masculine energy. If it’s calm and passive assign it with feminine energy.

• Element: depends on the feminine/masculine energies, how the shell is used, shell name, animal behavior or where the shell of the animal spends most of its time on.

• Animal behavior: most shells can be relaxed, they can bury themselves into sand, hiding/showing themselves off or come off as very aggressive. An interesting way to assign the shells with!

• History/myth: shells can be used throughout history such as jewellery making, using it as water vessels, divination, money, decorative objects and so on. Some Greek/Roman deities names can be featured on shells such as venus clams, junonia shells and triton’s conch, you can use deity symbols to align shells with. Plus you can also offer them shells that aligns with their names!

💐 Correspondence list 💐

• Baby’s Ear shell: purity, grace, innocence, ear health, aggression, warding/shielding, protection, masculine energies + air element

• Babylonia shell: peace, scavenging, protection, aggression, masculine energies + earth element (not to be confused with junonia shells)

• Bailer shell (Melo-Melo): beauty, purity, prosperity, aggression, can be used as a water vessel, feminine energies + water element

• Carrier snail: attraction, wealth, love, peace, luck, friendships, good health, can be used to attract anything, femmine + masculine energies, earth element

• Delphinula/Dolphin shell: loyalty, weatlh, abundance, wisdom, playfulness, protection, gentleness, feminine + masculine energies, air + water element

• Elegant venus clam: (actually looks like a vagina) fertility, love, pregnancy, growth, cycles, female sexuality, protection, beauty, menstruation problems, feminine energies + water element

• Kitten’s paw shell: youth, innocence, playfulness, protection for cats, feminine energies + water element

• Nacre/Mother of pearl: intuition, beauty, imagination, creativity, new ideas, clarity, new beginnings, harmony, balance, cycles, protection, healing, cleansing, motherhood feminine energies + water element

• Nerites shell: male beauty, youth, slowness, peace, tranquility, masculine energies + water element, Named after a minor greek sea god Nerites

• Red mouth rock shell: wealth, royaltly, hardwork, high status, abundance, strength, aggression, masculine energies + air element

• Strawberry top shell: beauty, (platonic) love, sweetness, compassion, attraction, healing, friendships, innocence, feminine energies + water element

• Top/turbo shells (general): spiral energies, beauty, art, centering, gentleness, helping energy flow, control, helps with breastfeeding, feminine energies + air/water element

• True heart cockle: true love, relationships, emotions, soulmates/twin flames, gateway to a new life, forming strong bonds, new beginnings, feminine energies + water element

Many don’t know this. It’s something I didn’t even know until my friend had told me. It’s not uncommon for deities to have several purposes and roles that seem unrelated. Like say a god of storms also being a god of pretty little flowers. However, throughout the god’s lore, you only ever seem him throwing lightning, so the flower aspect is forgotten, lost to time, or purposefully left out to fit someone’s (or a certain culture’s) perspective of the god. In my opinion, this is why it is not as well known that Aphrodite is a war goddess.

The cult epithet used to describe Aphrodite’s war side is Aphrodite Areia (or “Warlike Aphrodite”). There were cults dedicated to Aphrodite Areia in ancient Greece, the earliest of which stemmed in Sparta, Cyprus, and Kythira. In Sparta especially, Aphrodite Areia was worshipped.

So what exactly are these war aspects of Aphrodite? What did she do? Being born from the sea, naturally, she is a goddess of the sea and seafaring. Aphrodite Areia was deemed the female version of Ares by some. Women who took up arms and defended themselves were associated with warlike Aphrodite.

In the Iliad, the opposite image of this is shown when Aphrodite’s wrist is wounded and she’s proven incompetent for battle. However, this a lonian interpretation of Aphrodite used to maintain her portrayal and role as a goddess of love and beauty (among other things).

Notably, her warlike aspect most likely stemmed from Astarte, Ishtar, and Innana—goddess from who Aphrodite were derived from. These goddess had warlike associations with them, and when the cults of these goddess arrived in Sparta, Aphrodite Areia came to be and was worshipped.

Eventually, these warlike aspects were “dropped” from Aphrodite in favor of Athena and Ares as war figures. Even though war is not something many people associate with Aphrodite, it is still important to acknowledge this aspect of her and honor as the war goddess she is.

Many women (and men) find solace in Aphrodite, and like myself, also find strength. Aphrodite represents womanhood, and all that that has to do with being a woman. Women are strong. Women are powerful. Women fight and go to war. Women have battles of their own mentally, emotionally, and physically. From my perspective, it makes perfect sense for a deity like Aphrodite to also be a war goddess.