It’s okay to change your mind about the path you’re following

You’re not obligated to stay on a certain path because you once felt drawn to it

In Asgard's halls of gold and green, Where gods and goddesses can be seen, There stands a queen of beauty rare, Sif, with braids of golden hair.

She is the wife of Thor, the strong, With lightning in his hammer's song, But Sif's own power should not be denied, For she is goddess of the fields, where life resides.

With gentle hands, she sows the seed, That grows to feed the godly breed, She blesses the harvests, bountiful and grand, And keeps the peace in Asgard's land.

But Sif is more than just a wife, She is a warrior, full of life, With a fierce determination in her eyes, She fights alongside Thor, and never dies.

In battles fierce, against giants old, Sif's sword and shield, with courage bold, She fights for Asgard, brave and tall And earns the respect of one and all.

Do you want to do magic? Yes. Do you know what to do magic on? Maybe not. Here is a post for that. Take what you like and leave the rest behind.

Confront your learned helplessness face on because I'll bet money that there's a shit ton of stuff in your life you'd change if you hadn't trained yourself to pave it over just to make your highway of life a little less bumpy.

Let me tell you something I believe. I believe that most all of us have been trained to think that:

wanting things to go well,

wanting to be happy,

wanting little joys and pleasures in life,

and wanting not to be aggravated by the small things

somehow makes us weak, lacking, immature, or insecure,

or even worse,

that putting up with bullshit is somehow automatically makes us a better person, as if we've all got a cosmic thermometer that won't ding "good person!" until we've had it up to here with bullshit and then still force ourselves to grin and bear it.

"If I do magic to shorten the Starbucks drive-through doesn't that make me impatient? I don't want to use magic as spiritual bypassing in order to avoid my flaws."

Well then. Far be it from me to decry the kratophany of Prometheus getting his liver pecked out by eagles every day, manifest in your sacred sacrifice of having your minutes pecked out of your day, one by one, as you wait in line.

Make a list. Keep it with you. On paper, on your phone. Doesn't matter. It's a list of things you'd like to change. Little fleeting things that rear their head only for a second or so before our industrial-powered steamrollers smash it into the ground. Big things that you stew over day to day.

No problem is too petty. No splinter in your side is too insignificant. Betty at the office blows her nose every day at 8:15am and if you have to hear it one more time you are going to burn the building down? Put it on the list.

Do you have to leave 20 minutes early for work on Thursdays because a freight train blocks the freeway for five minutes and your city backs up like Betty's nose? What is magic going to do, rearrange the city's entire traffic patterns? Maybe so. Who cares. That's magic's problem, not yours. Put it on the list.

Have your eye on quite a cute designer bag? Does it cost your monthly rent? Put it on the list.

Learn to stare your life in the eye again with the verv of someone who has just found a reality-warping gun with unlimited ammunition. Game night gets cancelled too often? You never remember to use your pizza coupons? You can never remember to get ginger ale at the store? Put it on the list.

Feed yourself what ails you like a crab going absolutely bonkers in a plankton-filled tank.

just do some of that normal "witchy" stuff, why not

Protections: Not only for spirits and stuff!

Against unwanted solicitors

Against your room mate's creepy partner coming over

Against debt collectors finding your new phone number

Against surprise quizzes in your course

Against nightmares

And from time to time a sorcerer does like a good house ward. Experiment with yours, why not? Waiting until you're under attack to learn how to put up protections is like waiting until you're drowning to learn swimming. Sure, the sheer adrenaline-fueled terror might get you somewhere - or it might get in the way.

You don't normally use altars? Build one, why not. Build secret ones in shoe boxes. Experiment with altars and compound magic.

Perhaps you'd like a mini spellcasting kit to go? I don't know if making one counts as doing magic, but it's fun to make them.

Why not develop and prepare an oil or incense blend that must steep for a few months before it's ready? You don't need it now, right? So that means it's prime time to make things that are supposed to "mature" before use.

And hey, what's the deal with cleansing? A lot of people make fun of it now. Some people say it's important and necessary. Why not get really into cleansing and develop your own take? Practice gentle cleansing, nuclear cleansing, cleansing with pure energy and cleansing with candles, cleansing with cleaning products and cleansing with joy.

casting a spell right now is not the same thing as activating it right now and you can still gain a lot of experience in magic without releasing spells into the wild

I think that a lot of people think of spells as I light the candle and the spell is activated and it goes and does the thing, so if there is no Thing right now, then I can't cast the spell,

whereas if you reframed it as I am creating a spell-creachur that will hibernate in this little vessel until I spill it out into the world,

you may actually find that there are dozens of spells for you to actively develop, experiment with, cast, learn from, and passively benefit from - without necessarily needing any of them right now.

And the benefit is, if you don't actually need it right now, that takes a ton of pressure off of you. If you're not acting out of desperation, experimentation can be very fun indeed.

What about the most intense jaw-breakingly stupid strong protective amulet you've ever conceived of? Make it, why not. Make five prototypes on your journey to the strongest danged protection amulet this side of social media.

Who cares if you don't need them? Maybe some day you'll meet someone who does. Or, you know, magic is fun and doing it is its own reward.

What about a talisman for dreamwork and astral travel? Make something that reeks so intensely of the moon that it launches people out of their bodies just by walking past it.

Decide to perfect the most dazzling money-drawing candle spell. Make that your thing. You don't need cash right now? No worries; donate it to charity.

Have fun. Experiment. Made something that came through a little too hard and now it's causing problems? What a wonderful opportunity to learn how to disassemble a spell vessel.

Make yourself a cabinet full of enchantments. Learn how to contain the energy radiating off of all those enchantments. Realize you need more space and learn to combine multiple similar enchantments into one vessel.

make trusting friends who will let you cast on them.

Most people in Norse pagan and heathen community’s agree that their is two clans or groups of gods, the aesir and the vanir. The aesir and vanir tend to represent human feelings and constructs and how those feelings and constructs interact with each other and nature.

But the third group I think should be seen as gods and should be venerated is the Jotner. The jotner are clearly closely related to the aesir and vanir since all three can have children together and arose from yimir directly or indirectly. And I think we should venerate the jotner as forces of pure nature.

We can honor the Aesir, Vanir, Jotuns, and we can go even further if we choose or are inspired to do so. Some heathens incorporate honoring Dwarves/Elves/Land spirits/House spirits/Elemental spirits into their regular practice (as well as ancestral spirits and Disir). Then you have figures like Ratatoskr and the Norns which aren't really easy to categorize but are still honored by many heathens. Someone in California even discussed honoring/appeasing Surtr during the wildfires a year or so back, which I found fascinating.

There's also so much ambiguity and fluidity between what exactly constitutes Jotun vs Aesir (for example--Odin's heritage, Loki's heritage, Tyr's heritage, Heimdall's heritage, Thor's heritage, and many others' involve at least one parent who is Jotun or elemental in nature).

It does NOT mean, "There's no such thing as poor methodology."

If the spell is for something that would normally require action on your part in order to accomplish, it's probably prudent to accompany the spell with a practical action.

For example, if you're casting protections on your home, remember to lock the doors. If you're looking to obtain employment, send job applications or start browsing employment sites. If you're hoping to attract romance, do some personal maintenance (because it helps when you don't stink) and make an effort to meet new people or nurture existing relationships.

If the spell is something that would NOT normally require action on your part to accomplish, then practical action is probably helpful but may not be needed.

For example, if you're casting a healing spell, it might be helpful to send someone a Get Well Soon card, but unless you're a medical professional or are willing to go and provide assistive care, there's not much you can do. If you're hoping your luck will improve, it might be helpful to avoid perilous situations or high-risk decisions, but otherwise there's not much to do but wait.

This is how I usually go about things in my own practice. If there's a Thing that I'm trying to accomplish with magic, I'm going to do (or avoid doing) whatever mundane stuff I can to increase the chances that the spell will work that way I want it to. We all know that magic is never a guarantee, but it can certainly be a helpful boost. And of course, there are some instances where no amount of spellcasting or practical action are going to result in success, but it's still good to try, because you never know.

The thing that draws a lot of men to heathenry is the promise that their masculinity (and, in some cases, their whiteness) will be affirmed and celebrated. I'd argue that heathenry, as it stands right now as a co-opted and commercialized phenomenon, does the opposite of this: It actually holds masculinity hostage by creating a standard in which a man must conform to a warrior-like role in order to be a true heathen.

This is just repeating the same dynamic we see in the western world, where a man's masculinity is constantly under threat and revoked the minute he does anything outside of the society's narrow definition of what it means to be "a man."

But the thing about masculinity is that it's like any other fundamental aspect of one's individuality; it's an immutable trait and exists no matter the circumstances that surround it. A man is a man no matter what he does, what he likes, who he loves, what he looks like, or the emotions he expresses.

I find it extremely criminal that Norse heathenry is used as a vehicle for continuing Western society's deeply unbecoming and limiting definition of masculinity, particularly when we have literally no evidence that the Norse people defined masculinity the same way we do.

Ingredients

Rain water or moon water

One drop of rosemary essential oil

Two drops of lemon essential oil

One drop of peppermint essential oil

One drop of lavender essential oil

An empty cleansed mistime spray bottle

Or, a few ideas of routine pagan stuff I personally engage in, or wish to start engaging in.

Opening the curtains and taking a quick moment to appreciate the daylight (or the darkness) of the outside. Draw from it the energy you will need for the day!

After waking up, saying a short prayer to a deity of your choice (you could very well change it up based on your intent, or always pray to the same if you are devoted to one in particular). A simple “Good morning. I will try to honor you today” shows that you’re thinking of them!

Taking a little time every once in a while to learn about local plants, trees or fauna! Little by little, you’ll learn to recognize them when out in nature. Nothing more rewarding!

Playing a song, or simply instrumental music that reminds you of your spirituality when doing chores, preparing for the day or the night, etc.  Useful if the day-to-day makes you feel disconnected from your spirituality! 

Every once in a while, cleansing a spiritual space by simply cleaning it out before lighting a fragant candle or incense. Always makes me feel refreshed!

Focusing on a picture of a deity/deities (or spirit/spirits, or ancestor/ancestors) of your choice in adoration. What can they teach you today? How can you honor them?

Diffuse a smell (either by candle, incense, essential oil diffuser or else) while getting prepared for the day! If such a topic interests you, you could learn about how different smells affect us, and how you can use that in this specific ritual. With what intent do you wish to start your day?

If you have a book/books on mythology that pertains to your deity/deities or their related culture, why not read a few pages every once in a while, just for fun! Like the song/music I mentioned before, this an easy way to start your day thinking of your spirituality.

Looking up art: depictions of deities, or if you worship nature spirits, pictures of the animal or plant the form of which it takes.

Adopting a deity’s symbol for the day! You can do that by wearing a piece of devotional jewelry, or even drawing a rune/sigil/symbol on your skin so as to keep the deity in mind.

If you’re reading this, it means you use tumblr! Why not use such social networks to talk to other pagans who share your practices? There’s lots to learn from each other! Plus, you may make good friends this way. 

Look outside, observe the weather. What color’s the sky? How strong is the wind blowing? In what direction are the clouds being blown? Stay in tune with nature! You may even become able to tell which signs foretell which weather events! 

Make stuff you find in nature into amulets. For example, if a leaf, rock, acorn, fallen branch or else catches your attention, why not bring it home as a lucky charm? If you possess such a skill, you could even make it into jewelry!

"The animal fylgja was a sort of "mirror", appearing at special moments in animal form, of the person it belonged to. It could not affect its owner any more than its owner could affect it; seeing a scene (usually in a dream) involving a fylgja was like watching a film, but one that recounted the future. It was not a free soul with any existence independent of the person it belonged to. The fylgja is to be distinguished from people undertaking a hamfor, a journey in an assumed animal form, and also from hugir, which might take on the form of animals.

The animal fylgja could be seen by its owner or by someone else, in a waking or sleeping state. The type of animal a fylgja manifested itself as indicated the nature of the person it belonged to, and any injury to or activity by the fylgja indicated what lay imminently in store for its owner. The fylgja usually acted as a premonition of death [...]. Sometimes, however, it is premonitory in a different way [... and can be used to reveal the owner's] true nature."

💖 BEGINNING/PERSONAL

🔮Personal Birth Chart

🔮 Personal Star Sign Overview

🔮Personal Practise

🔮Goals

🔮Dream diary

🔮Personal Numerology

🔮Sacred Days you Participate In

🔮Familiars

🔮Personal Patronus Animal

🔮Deities - what deities you follow, how you honor them etc.

🔮Altar Layout

🔮 Protective Sigil (to keep your grimoire out of sight of prying eyes)

💫CORE CONCEPTS

🔮Meditation

🔮Intent

🔮Visualisation

🔮Manifestation

🔮Cleansing

🔮Charging

🔮Grounding and Centering

🔮Protection

🔮Banishment

🔮Warding

🔮 Magickal Tools - list and uses (wands, sigils, etc)

🔮SPELLBOOK

🌱NATURAL/PLANTS/HERBOLOGY

🔮 Aromatherapy

🔮Herb index + correspondences

🔮Drying herbs and Flowers

🔮Flower correspondences

🔮Essential Oils - uses, safety.

🔮Tea Uses and Correspondences

🔮Natural Remedies - recipes for salves, tinctures, etc.

🔮 Gardening

🔮Plants Index, Correspondences and Care

🌌ASTRONOMY

🔮Planetary correspondences

🔮Planetary/Stargazing Events

🔮Constellations

🌙 MOON MAGICK

🔮Moon phases and guide

🔮Gardening by the phases of the moon

🔮Moon rituals

🔮Charging through the Moon

💞 CRYSTALS

🔮How Crystals Work - Energy etc.

🔮Crystal Index and Uses/Correspondences

🔮Crystal Cleansing Methods

🔮Charging Crystals

🔮Crystal Safety + Maintenance. How NOT to charge and cleanse some crystals.

🌻DIVINATION

🔮 Tarot Cheat Sheet

🔮Palm Reading

🔮Numerology

🔮Pendulum Reading

🔮Tasseography (Tea Leaf Reading)

🔮 Scrying

🔮Rune Stones

🔮 Dream Divination

🔮Dowsing (with sticks, etc)

👑 BEAUTY/SELF CARE

🔮Bath Magic

🔮Sleep Rituals/Magick

🔮Glamour Magick

🔮Natural Beauty/Pamper Recipes - face masks, body scrubs, hair masks, bath bombs etc.

🔮Self Care/Pamper Checklist

🔮Stress Management Methods

🔮 Mental Health Coping Methods (if applicable)

🏡 MAGICKAL HOUSEKEEPING

🔮Kitchen Witchery - Recipe Book

🔮Natural Cleaning Product Recipes

🔮Cleansing Rooms and Spaces

🔮Cleaning Checklist

🌹MISC

🔮The Five Elements

🔮Reiki

🔮Chakras

🔮Auras

🔮Candle Magick

🔮Colors and Correspondences

🔮 Superstitions

🔮Wheel of The Year + Rituals (If followed).

🔮Mythology/Legends and Religious Teachings

🔮Faeries

🔮Knot Magick