Balm of the soul

next week on august 7 is a personal holiday for me which i call autumntide, or summer-autumn. it is related to but not entirely encompassed by lughnasadh or lammas, and is more specific to my region.

autumntide celebrates the bounties of the first harvest. important crops in this regard are berries (raspberry, blackberry), tomatoes, corn, zucchini, and summer squash.

autumntide has jewelweed flowers, and goldenrod buds. frogs are getting bigger and are visible throughout the wetlands. swamp milkweed is in full bloom and common milkweed pods are ready to be spread. fireflies are abundant and mosquitos are too. geese become more frequently heard and seen flying overhead, as well as eagles circling over highways and city centers.

autumntide is an important holiday to me, celebrating the tipping point before the earth begins to fall into autumn. this is the final round of intense heat, late nights, and hot rainstorms until next summer. this is the final time to enjoy the green of the leaves.

i love to go swimming around this time of year. cooking a big dinner for this day is also something i typically do. maybe a fire at night if im awake! it's important to my autumn thru winter celebrations to get drunk in celebration of life; this may obviously be omitted based on circumstance. i would love to go fishing for this holiday but it's yet to happen ;)

Apollo is both the life giving warmth and the sun and scorching desert sun. Apollo protects us but he also strikes us down.

A lot of Apollo's darker epithets fascinate me. He is a healer but also the bringer of disease. He is the protector of youth (particularly of young men) and when young men die suddenly he is said to be the cause.

He has associations with death and the dead; he is not a psychopomp but he is more associated with the rituals of the dead. Making sure the dead get burial rites or protecting the deceased's bodies.

He is also called wolf-god. When you think of wolves what do you think of? You think of a wolf pack most likely. Loyalty, family, protection.

But think of how fierce wolves are; how farmers fear them. I see Apollo embodying both that loyalty and protection but also that fierce, primal fear that wolves incite in people.

Can wait for our beach prayers >:]]]

I haven't seen much in the way of magic for our animal companions on this site. Our pets are our family, and there's a lot you can do for them in the way of magic. Consider this post inspiration to incorporate into your own preferred style of magic.

* Remember that spiritual health and physical health go hand in hand. Take your pets to the vet! * if you're someone who uses a lot of oils and herbs, please be careful with your pets! Smoke as well as many popular herbs are irritants at best, toxic at worst. Do not feed or apply to their skin anything that could harm them, and be careful with lingering scents! I recommend energy work instead of ingredient based magic when working with animals.

Incorporate magic into your pet's wash routine. It can be as simple as using a cleansing energy in combination with a bath or brush, or you can combine different intent for different parts of the process- for example, cleansing and washing away stale or negative energy during their bath, then brushing positive protective energy into their fur when you comb them down as if weaving it into their coat. For pets like birds you can easily imbue the water you provide as a bath with a similar energy and let them do the work. Animals that dust bathe can follow the same process.

Charm/Enchant/Imbue your pet's items. Harnesses, collars, halters, beds, toys, etc... Anything your pet uses can be elevated to a magic item or have a spell container attached to it (if it's safe!). Protection spells on the items they wear to keep them from harm, a cleansing restful energy on their beds to promote health and healing, an energy of joy and good prosperity to their toys, etc... If you're someone who walks your pet or otherwise has people come up and bother them when you'd rather they don't you can add a ward as well to discourage attention and bothersome company.

Ward their cages, terrariums, and kennels. Similar to the last point you can add a protective warding spell to their homes. This is especially useful for smaller pets that spend most if not all of their time in a terrarium or cage. For kennels, you can promote a space of safety and protection for your pet to retreat to if they feel frightened. Essentially what a kennel for a dog should be, but with a magical energy for that extra bit of help. Nurturing a space of calm can assist crate-anxious pets alongside other desensitization training.

Imbue their food with healing energy. Promote health, prosperity, and stability through their food. Similar in concept to food magic for humans but for our pets. As stated above, never add anything unsafe to your pets food. Work with energy only.

And of course, simply place a spell on your pet directly. However you like to cast spells onto individuals best can be done with your pet as well. Pure energy work, your own ritual, a contained spell in your home, a sigil, etc... Use what you're comfortable with!

This one's a little different than the others- but something I like to do is simply hold or pet my animal and whisper in my mind how much I adore them, projecting the energy of my love gently at them in the hopes they will feel it. We don't understand animal minds fully, and I can't know for sure if they feel it- and if they do, if they understand it- but on the off chance they do in their own way, I do it anyway. :]

If this isn't a topic you've thought of much you may also be wondering what exactly the protection on our animals is for. I consider it a precaution towards negative energy- pesky spirits that may harass our animals for amusement or negativity from other bitter humans, as well as protection from physical harm. Think about what you want to build a ward against in your own time, and make these suggestions your own.

Thank you for reading! I will answer any questions sent my way if further clarification is needed. Obligatory pet tax, as it'd be a crime for me not to considering the topic of the post.

"Hear Lord Morpheus, Lord Emperor of the Oneiroi, Endless Dream, Protector of the Sanity of Mind, Bringer of Happines when the Wakeness brings solely Sorrows, Your sanctuary knows no frontiers, Your Realm is the Perfect World,

Hear Lord Hades, Ruler of the Underworld, Father of all the Departed who seek refuge in your arms, You who comfort us left behind so that we can continue on with closure, keeper of the Riches that grow from the Darkness of your soils;

Lord Morpheus, kind-hearted one, to your realm we all fly in search of knowledge and inspiration; I ask of you to let Lord Hades cross into the Dreaming for a short while, for i am in dire need of hid mercy;

Lord Hades bring ______ to the realm of Dreaming, Lord Morpheus has generously agreed for all of us to meet in there;

My Dear Lords I have not seen_____ in _____(time) and I miss him/her dearly, I seek their advice, I seek their companionship, I wish and pray to see their face just one more time, to hold their hands just one more time, I have so much to tell them, so much I wish they knew and witnesed;

Lord Morpheus your realm is always a sweet escape from the harsh grasp of life please grant me this one Kindness for I am starting to lose battle with the Waking World;

Lord Hades reconnecting with ______ would greatly help me regain grasp on reality and forces to fight further and navigate through what is comming next;

I thank you both for your your generosity and understanding; You both are menders of souls that wander weary and sheperds to those in need;

I praise you both, thank you for this Dream of the Underworld!"

Beloved Oneiroi, Lord Morpheus He of Many Names,

Endless Dream and vanishing Nightmare,

When the Waking World leaves me wanting and weary, sleep bring me to You, to Your Realm,

You will guide me into my Dream, You are as much part of the Dreaming as the Dreaming is a part of you,

I am connected to your Realm, You move into my dreams each and every night, You are always beside me,

My own natural rhythm is part of the rhythm of the entire Universe, in sync with the Dreaming, as I am part of the Dreaming as well when I am wandering Your Realm,

Come help me journey deeper into Your Realm, Open the Gates of Horn and Ivory and allow me to pass only through the Horn Gate for I am ever in search of only Your Truth, for I well-know the Ivory offers only lies,

Once into the Dreaming Realm I shall follow the Bridge of Salvation and I shall walk the Fields of Poppies up until I'll reach the Castle of Hypnos, your ever powerful and restoring and altogether healing benefactor Father,

There shall I meet You and upon a cup of warm Chamomile tea, I come with my heart open to see You, to speak with You, to know and understand You better so that I shall return to Wakeness and praise Your Endless name to the Mortals once more, knowing now what I did not know yesterday about You!

I pray, come delight me with Your stories and make my Dreams perfect by enchanting me with Your presence,

Hold me in Your loving arms and tell me I will be fine, that You walk beside me and care for me!

Oneiroi King, Endless Dream, He who shapes Dreams, He who offer us the chance to live our wishes in Your Realm,

Come to me!

(Digital offering to Lord Hypnos)

Praise be to Lord Hypnos of sleep, Son of the Night, Brother of Death, Husband of Relaxation, Father of Dreams, I call upon You, Gentle One, hear me.

Accept my offering to You in honor of You and Your domain, tranquil Lord, bring me peaceful rest and protect me through the night, let me and those around me awake to greet great Eos in the new day refreshed, awaken from a calm and peaceful rest. Bring sleep and protection to all those in need of Your comforting peace.

I call upon You, gentlest Son of Nyx, be with me. Thank You, my dear Lord. Praise be to tranquil Lord Hypnos. Praise be to the Highest Adonai.

Amen.