Ava Craftly

A spell jar for endless nights, sunny days and a summer full of joy and fun. A wordless vow to make this the best summer ever.

You will need:

Sunflower petals, or 1 full sunflower head (can be substituted by your favourite flower)

Daisies

Grass 

Clear Quartz

Sunstone or citrine (if you have it)

Pen and paper

A jar

To be performed in the later half of May on a sunny day. Add and remove any item you would like, but try to at least keep your favourite flower and the daisies. 

Write all of you hopes, feelings and wishes for the coming summer on a piece of paper. Plans for meeting friends, plans for feeling happy, etc. Put it in the jar. Put the rest of the objects in the jar. Hold the jar in both hands and visualise your happiest summer memories and will your energy into the jar.

This is a spell to help you stay motivated while reaching your goals. This spell is to be done on the night of the full moon or the night prior.

Supplies: -Index card -Pencil or pen -Scissors -Gemstone (I’ll explain what kind later) -Himalayan Pink Salt (optional)

Steps:

1. Cut the index card in half:

2. Next write down the word “goal” and “steps” like in the picture below (doesn’t have to be exactly like the picture):

3. Next, fill in your goal and the steps you want to take in order to reach your goal. Here’s one I did for my health:

4. Design a sigil to draw on the back. [You can find sigil making tutorials online. I’ll be making one soon.] It can be as complicated or as simple as you like:

5. After you draw up your sigil, say a prayer or incantation. I’m not going to include one here because I feel it’s best to say something from the heart. Feel free to call on a moon deity like Selene or Thoth.

6. This is where the gemstone and HPS come into play. Find a gemstone that goes with your goal. I used Blue Lace Agate foe mine. It’s specific for the thyroid. The Himalayan Pink Salt magnifies your intentions. Once you’ve found the stone you want to use, place the card writing side down on your window sill to be charged in the full moon. Place the gemstones and HPS on top.

I like to keep mine in place the whole month so they are constantly being charged in the sun. If you keep yours up during the day, make sure the gemstone you use won’t get discolored by the sun. Some gemstones do that, like amethyst. If you do have one of these, place something over the stone to protect it from the sun. I used a shell, but you could use a piece of paper or pretty scarf.

You can make as many of these cards as you want. Like I said, I leave mine on the sill at all times under the stone and HPS. I feel this works best. I tried putting them in a sachet to carry with me, but they instantly quit working when I did that. So far I’ve been able to stick to my health and career goals really well with the help of these cards. I’ve never done this well with a new eating plan.

Now watch as your goals are accomplished!

In this budding age of technology, it’s no surprise that a younger generation of witches is turning to a new form of divination: an exciting and interesting practice dubbed ‘shufflemancy’.

Shufflemancy - the use of a music player, usually an mp3 player or an iPod, to divine the future, optimal course of action, or the state of the world. This is done by setting the iPod to shuffle, skipping forward a certain number of times, and listening to the song (or songs) played and determining their meaning.

Usually technological forms of divination are frowned upon by older members of the pagan community, but in this case, shufflemancy is gaining ground. Not as flashy or as impersonal as divination applications that simply be downloaded onto a phone, shufflemancy is as accurate or as vague as the diviner wants it to be.

What makes shufflemancy so great? Why are people drawn to it as a form of divination?

Much like a tarot deck speaks to its user, a device full of music speaks to them in similar ways. The difference is that more time is put into creating the answers given from a device used for shufflemancy. Sometimes users can feel a disconnect from their tarot decks, as they did not create the cards, and thus, did not create their meaning. However, this is not the case for this form of divination. Every song on the device is there because it spoke to the diviner on some level of their personality, from the deep recesses of their inner feelings touched by songs like ‘Take me to Church’ to feelings of happiness found while listening to songs like ‘It takes Two’. Diviners don’t have to worry about pulling something that doesn’t speak to them, because a device used for shufflemancy can be tailored to serve their needs. Shufflemancy also has the unique ability to have as many (or as few) answers as the diviner wants, whereas tarot decks have a set number.

There’s no specific, set way to practice shufflemancy- it’s something you do on your own, and it’s completely self guided. Any diviner who tries to sell it as a prescribed, specific method is wrong, and should not be policing people’s practice. There is no ‘standard’ way to do it, but here are some tips to help some first time diviners.

Tailor your device to your needs. It’s your music, don’t be afraid to take songs off or add them on as you see fit. If you feel soundtracks or background music speaks to you better than music with lyrics, that’s fine. Use that. Same goes for if you’re comfortable with Panic! at the Disco or AC/DC. It doesn’t have to be all Enya and Misty Mountains. also, don’t be afraid to just use a playlist if you have music on your device you don’t want to have for answers. Loading up a playlist with anything from 7 to 7000 songs is your choice, and nobody can judge you for it.

Choose songs that have meaning to you. This doesn’t mean every song has to be deep and soulful. By all means, add happy, upbeat, and crazy songs to your shufflemancy playlist. But it’ll be frustrating for you if you keep trying to divine and come up with songs that you don’t even like on your list. It’s much easier for you (and for your practice!) if you stick to songs you know and love. If you’re having a hard time picking songs, just close your eyes and listen to the song you can’t decide on, and think on whether it has meaning to you, however small. If so? Good! Use it. If not? Maybe choose something else. You can always come back to it later.

Choose whatever skip count feels right to you. One of the interesting things about shufflemancy is that most diviners ‘skip’ a number of songs so their playlist is randomized. Don’t feel like you have to stick with the standard ‘special’ numbers, like 3, 7, or 9. If those numbers feel right to you, feel free to use them! But don’t feel like numbers like 5, 14, or even 22 are bad skip counts. And don’t feel like you have to keep using the same skip count each time. Be as consistent or inconsistent as you want to be. The same goes for how many songs you listen to. If one isn’t enough, don’t feel like you can’t listen to more.

It’s a good idea to meditate when you shufflemancy. Focus is true for any form of divination. It’s a good idea to focus on your cards when you do tarot, or focus on the pendulum when you use that too! It’s hard to connect with your device and the music on it when you’re rushed, or in a hurry, so sometimes it’s a good idea to sit somewhere comfortable and quiet, get into a position you can stay in for a while, and just sit back and listen. Meditation doesn’t always have to be at home though- some people like to shufflemancy while they’re driving, cooking, or cleaning! These tasks are easy to tune out while you listen to music (although, I don’t condone tuning out while you drive, obviously!) and in a busy day, it’s hard for some diviners to set time aside to practice.

In short, the best way to practice shufflemancy is the way that feels right to you! This is a new and exciting form of divination that’s accessible to a young generation of witches, and will likely only gain traction as times goes on. Don’t feel like this form of divination is ‘lesser’ or ‘not as witchy’ as other forms. It’s just as legitimate, just as meaningful, and just as ‘pagan’ as anything else.

Happy divining!

spell jar to help break that bad habit

Things you’ll need: - hyssop - lemon verbana - dandelion - chamomile - 1 bay leaf - dried lemon peel - 1 black candle - black ribbon - pen and paper - fire proof bowl - bowl for mixing - 1 jar

        This spell is best done on the new moon to get a little extra oomph

What to do: 

clearly write your intention on the paper (ie. “stop smoking”) and light your candle. start placing your ingredients into your mixing bowl, i used one part equally of each and crushed up my bay leaf. as you place your ingredients into your bowl, say: One by one let these help me reach my goal take your intention and hold it over your candle, away from the flame and say: Let this fire spark my energy and guide me to my goal carefully light your intention on fire and let it burn to ash in your fire proof bowl. once completely burned, pour your ashes into the mixture. mix this up a little then pour into your jar and cork your jar. 

pick up your candle and carefully drip the wax over your jar while saying:

My heart and mind will no longer be burdened, I will be set free

take your ribbon and tie it around your jar three times and on the final tie say: This is my will, so mote it be.

Set your jar aside and let it’s magic help you on your journey of breaking your bad habit.

Ok so I am gonna say this is my personal reference, its mainly through associations. You might TOTALLY disagree and thats chill! 

Its more something to think about and a guideline of what I use myself…

Candle Magic:

Carve a candle when…. the candle represents the target, in sympathetic magic. When, essentially, the candle is a poppet and lighting it is a symbol of destruction or empowerment to the target.

Place something under the candle or before it when… you are doing general candle magic, when the candle represents empowering a wish, idea or concept.

Anoint the candle when… doing work with spirits and gods, when you mark the candle for a special purpose, when doing high magic.

Herbs and plant work:

Use dry herbs when… it is convienent to do so, when the herbs are out of season or when you need to store them in a jar or bottle for a long time.

Use fresh herbs when… the spell is very earth orientated, when doing magic on behalf of another or when the magic is sympathetic so that the herbs represent the target, within kitchen witchery.

Use flowers when… when the spell concerns love and sex, or perhaps fertility and attraction, due to flowers being the reproductive parts of the plant. 

Use fruit when when… working with children as a target, or with children practising. When you work with fertility and abundance spells.

Use wood and twigs when… when the spell is for protection or binding, for hardiness. 

Burn herbs (recaning/incense) when… you wish to cleanse or banish, or invoke an atmosphere - that being, for divination using herbs that are said to open up your perceptions, when banishing, burning acrid or pungent herbs.

Use oil infusions when… you wish to anoint something, when you wish to mark something permanently.

Use floral waters (rose water etc) when… dealing with spirits and gods, for glamour as it has a long history of being used to beautify.

Crystals:

Use metals (haematite, copper, ores etc..) when… you work in protection, when you do energy work due to the conductive properties of metal.

Use shell, pearl, coral and such when… you work in sea magic, when you work within emotional magic due to the element of water.

Use points when… you wish to direct magic to a target.

Use tumble stones when… you wish the magic to be gentle or manifest at a certain place on the body on a target.

Use geodes when… you work in protection, when you work with glamour aimed to obscure and hide.

Knot magic:

Use cotton when… it is convenient.

Use silk when… doing spells that benefit the target.

Use ribbons when… love spells and wealth spells, as well as confidence and beauty spells. Spells to ensure victory.

Use rope when… doing spells that aim to hurt or weaken the target, binding especially.

Poppets:

Use cloth when… the spell aims to benefit who the poppet represents, use particular care when sewing or cutting, choose colours that are appropriate to them.

Use wax when… you wish to manipulate the target.

Use clay when… wish to create fetches or servitors, when you wish to create permanency.

Use twigs when… you wish to bury or throw the poppet out, when you want the poppet to be easily destroyed by breaking or setting on fire.

Sigils:

Use an alphabet grid or circle when… you wish the sigil to be more random and less attached to you.

Combine the shapes of letters from a sentence… when your sigil is very specific and a short term goal.

Full disclosure, I’m an atheist and secular witch, so I do not work with not really believe in any gods, so when I see people on here talking about their relationships and workings with deities, I get a bit confused and, I’ll admit, skeptical.

I spent a loooong time as an atheist pagan, in fact the majority of my pagan career. Then, in 2009, I had a NDE and came out the other side with voices on my head. One of the first steps I took was to work w a psychologist to verify I don’t have a mental illness associated w it. I don’t.

But as a shaman or volva, I had to make a choice. I either believe the voices ARE the Gods or I don’t. And with either choice I move forward. I chose to believe in them.

I experience the Gods as real, visceral individuals. Some are louder and more present than others. Some require me to use my training as a seer to connect w them. Some are happy to run commentary on my life. Most of the time I just accept the commentary as it is. Other times I’m pushed to share the information. I never expect anyone else to just accept the words from my mouth at face-value. I encourage skepticism and questions.

It’s totally a skepticism button and I actually applaud u for that. Blind faith in anything out of my mouth makes me into a cult leader and I dislike that. I actually question other people’s godphones quite extensively. Just because someone says they can hear the gods doesnt mean thet can.

The trick to having a godphone is to have it and still do the work. Do the reading. Know the lore. Do the divination. Run the info past other people you trust. Have people get a second and third opinion.

Dedication/Ritual Anointing Oil - DIONYSOS

This blend came together in a flash of inspiration and practically made itself. My hands were simply guided as the ingredients jumped out at me. I have made similar blends in the past, but this is by far my most complex and finely crafted blend yet. The final aroma is gently sweet, fresh and woody. It almost evokes a sense of dewy freshness as if I had been dancing at night through the forests of Mount Nysa.

BOTANICALS: Pine Juniper berries Oak moss

ESSENTIAL OILS: Pine Cedarwood Oak moss Juniper Patchouli Jasmine Ylang Ylang

RESIN: Frankincense Pine Myrrh Honey amber

BASE: Grape seed Olive

An all new shot from my session with the amazing Australian dancer/choreographer Joseph Simons at the underground tunnels of the Grand Central Terminal in NY

Electric Feel - MGMT

Die Young - Ke$ha

Sweetness - Pearl & the Beard

Howl - Florence + the Machine

Dog Days Are Over - Florence + the Machine

It’s Oh So Quiet - Bell (Bjork cover)

Violently Happy - Bjork

Animal - Miike Snow

Whip My Hair - Willow Smith

———————————-

Some of these are here because the sound makes me think of Dionysus, some are there because of the lyrics. I like songs that make me want to dance and have a high energy of some kind.

Bricked-up windows

Upper-storey doorways that open into empty space

Staircases that lead nowhere

Clean, working, fully stocked vending machines in obscure and inaccessible places

Detailed graffiti on surfaces with no obvious spot for the artist to stand, like the underside of a high bridge, or ten metres up a bare wall

Machinery left to rust because there’s no use for it anymore, but it’s in a weird or precarious location and there’s no way to safely remove it

First, some context: I don’t know if it’s like this everywhere, but major Canadian cities tend to have a lot of underground infrastructure - particularly in their downtown areas, where train tunnels, parking garages, underground shopping malls, and hotel basements often connect in such a way that you can easily walk for miles without ever seeing sunlight. The interconnections typically aren’t public, or at least not advertised, but a surprising number of them are accessible if poke around; I once followed a maintenance tunnel in a shopping mall parking complex and emerged in the basement of a nearby casino!

Anyway, I was snooping around in the maintenance tunnels below one of the larger local hotels - legitimately, mind you; I was working for the local telecom at the time, trying to track down an errant network cable - when I rounded a bend and noticed that the corridor a few dozen feet ahead of me was brightly illuminated by something. On top of being filthy and difficult to access, the tunnel was also unlit (I’d been navigating by flashlight), so this really stood out.

I couldn’t see any obvious light fixture to account for it - the light seemed to be emerging from an alcove off to the side of the tunnel - so I went to investigate, and discovered… a Coke machine.

Spotlessly clean, fully stocked, and apparently in full working order; the illumination was coming from its interior display lighting.

In a grimy, unlit maintenance corridor twenty feet below ground level.

I answered an Ask not too long ago that was similar to this, so you can check this answer out.

I felt the same way when I first started to research Dionysus. He was the first god that I really looked into after a long lapse coming from a very Love n’ Light kind of spirituality, so the idea of a mad god really made me frightened.

Keep in mind though, that while He has some dominion over mental illness (I can’t recall if this is ‘canon’ or more Shared Personal Gnosis), the madness that His myths are really talking about is ecstasy, which means to stand outside of oneself. The idea was that Dionysus would free you so totally that you would ‘loose your mind’ or, rather, ‘leave your mind’. That is to say that you would be outside of yourself and thus leave an open space for the Theoi to enter you; either literally, or to fill you with gnosis or emotion. The madness that gets spoken of is only madness from the outside.

Think of it this way: you get together with a bunch of your closest friends to have a really great party. You just broke up with someone and you wanna purge them from your life. So, you gets get ripped, and start chucking all of your ex’s shit into a bonfire. Someone is standing by with a bucket of water and fire extinguisher, and everyone is doing this to make your life better and happier. You’re all having a really good fucking time, and everyone is totally in on it. Except your nosey neighbour Gladys. She peeks out the window and sees a bunch of people drunk and half naked dancing around a fire in your yard and she starts screaming to her husband, “ABNER! ABNER! THE WORLD IS GOING TO POT! THIS IS MADNESS! THIS IS CHAOS!!!”

But it’s only madness, only chaos, because she doesn’t know what’s going on. She doesn’t know that you invited all of these people specifically because you can trust them. She doesn’t know that you dug a safety sand pit for the fire. She doesn’t know that you’ve got someone hydrating your friends as they dance around. She doesn’t know about the designated driver, or …well, anything! She just thinks you’ve all lost your minds for no reason.

Madness is the outsider’s view of bacchic ecstasy.

It’s not impossible for Dionysus to be terrifying, and to hurt people, and to make people do horrifying things while ecstatic or under His influence. He can be terrifying and awe inspiring. I know this. Even knowing Him as a I do now, He still scares me. But know that in worshipping Him you aren’t generally signing up for that; you’re signing up for chaos and pain, but the generative and nourishing variety. 

“there is another sanctuary with an image of stone. It is called the sanctuary ofSoteiros (Recovery), and the story is that it was originally founded by Eurypylos on being cured of his madness.”

achangingaltar comes to mind immediately.

Here, let’s just do it this way:

You don’t always have to use Graveyard Dirt. You can use others. Here’s a small list: Bank or Financial Institution: Collect and use this dirt to bring money into your hands or to receive payment of a long overdue debt. Church: Use this dirt for anything even remotely involving legal matters. This could include contracts, court cases, general justice, and even money that’s owed to you. If your intent would benefit from the discerning eye of the law, this is the dirt you need. Educational Facility: Whether it comes from a school yard or a college campus, this dirt is excellent for efforts involving knowledge acquisition and retention. It can also be used effectively in magic to induce study. Enemy’s Home: Granted, gathering this dirt is a bit trickier and may involve some skulking around to collect. But there’s no better way to cut your enemy off at the knees than to use dirt from his own home against him. Just an aside, though: Unless you want to cause possible harm to everyone living on that property, be very careful how you word the related spell. (i.e. in the spell state that only your target is going to get hit with the spell and no one else) Home: Gather this dirt to protect all the occupants of your home and guarantee their safe return. The best way to accomplish this is to sprinkle a bit in every pair of shoes in the house. To ensure that someone else visits you again, sprinkle a bit in his or her shoes.  Hospital, Clinic, or Doctor’s Office: Gather dirt from any of these locations for efforts that involve healing. There are a couple of things you should keep in mind, though. First, no magic in the world is a substitute for medical care or prescription medications. And Second, be certain that healing is exactly what you’ve got in mind when you add this dirt to magic, especially if a serious illness is involved and death is a possibility for the recipient. WHY? Because healing and staying alive are two entirely different things. And death is often the best way to heal someone. Garden or Flower Shop: Often used in love spells, this dirt has the tendency to make love sprout and grow roots, bud and blossom. Unless you’re playing for keeps, though, its inadvisable to add this dirt to your magic. Jail: Use this dirt to keep the police away from your door, especially if you’re prone to trouble with them. To make yourself invisible to the police and perhaps, cause them to overlook a bench warrant, add a piece of hematite to the dirt. Shopping Centre or Mall: These areas are always busy, employ many people, and have a reputation for attracting large amounts of cash. For this reason, there’s nothing better than this type of dirt when used in efforts to obtain gainful employment or increase your cash flow. Police Station: Dirt from this area is often collected and sprinkled along the baseboards of the home and along the edges of its structure to keep the family safe from harm. It’s not a good idea to use this dirt if you’re involved in any sort of illegal activity, though, as it could bring the police straight to your door. Workplace: There are lots of uses for this sort of dirt. It works wonders when included in efforts for getting a promotion or raise. But that’s not all. It can also be used to foil a co-worker or for figuratively getting the dirt on the company, itself.

A post popped up on my dash today (reblogged by Glitterwitch) where Aviewintoyourworld was discussing a few topics related to a (now deleted) post in which a young Lokean had an apparently troubling experience with Loki.

Aviewintoyourworld mentioned setting boundaries with your deity, and that is something I had to think a lot about earlier, as some of you may recall.

Since Dionysus entered my life things have been somewhat chaotic. I was fired from a job that I hated, then hired for one of my dream jobs, but my contract wasn’t renewed. Then I got a job in a daycare (my domain of expertise), but was laid off because they couldn’t pay me. I managed to find a job at a witchcraft store, another job I’d always wanted, but never took because it doesn’t offer enough pay, hours, or security of any kind. Next, I should be getting my daycare job back in September.

Here’s where I had to lay down the law; this all happened in less than one year.

I was thankful that Dionysus had mixed things up (he is the barrier breaker, and maker of chaos) and given me the incentive I needed to get out of that first job…but, well, I need a job to be able to support my small family.

I had to make a difficult decision; how do you tell a god known as a barrier breaker, that you need to set some boundaries? Is it ‘wrong’ to do so? Is it even possible?

Well, I essentially told him that in order for me to be happy and to actively take part in my life, including my spiritual one, I need to have some security. I don’t need riches and fame. I don’t need everything to be as I expect. I don’t need complete control. But I do need to be able to feel safe enough in my place in the world that when changes occur, I don’t think everything is falling apart; that my world is ending. A secure foundation in my life means I can find a powerful posture and keep walking, despite the changes and potential (though hopefully minor) chaos that I will face in life.

I needed to set a limit and say “I get it. These are jobs I’ve always wanted. But I need to keep a good job.” He was breaking barriers in order for me to experience things that I’d always wanted and never let myself have. But, I had to tell him that I had reached my limit, and that I needed to get my daycare job back.

In the end, I don’t think anything bad has come of me setting that boundary, but I still worry about it.

Let me know, guys:

Fast forward that a couple thousand years and remove it from its misogynistic Athenian context and in short, D. will push you to go far, but if you lay down ground rules, He will stick with them.

I’ve been very forthright in telling Him that if He wants to turn my life upside-down, He can’t mess with my marriage and He can’t mess with my daughter.

I’ve heard of other devotees–can’t remember of the top of my head, but I’m almost certain Sannion is one of them–who lost part of their life they were scared to lose because of D.’s influence, but it was part of their life they had wanted to let go of anyway.  Know what I mean?  You hate it, but you’re scared of what your life would be like without it–devil you know versus devil you don’t.

Combine any of the following herbs into a sachet or sew them into a pillow.

CATNIP - helps bring deep sleep

CHAMOMILE - keeps bad dreams away

HOPS - brings peacefulness

LAVENDER - eases headaches

LEMON BALM - relieves stress, anxiety, insomnia, stress, and headaches

ROSE PETALS - brings warmth and love

ROSEMARY - brings deep sleep and keeps bad dreams away

SWEET MARJORAM - calms restlessness and nervousness

CLOVES - brings warmth and an exotic feeling to dreams (add only a maximum of 2 cloves per pillow)

LEMON VERBENA - uplifting, adds lightness

MUGWORT - greatly enhances lucid dreaming, helps with remembering dreams