Dandelions & Witchcraft

Since at least the Eleventh Century, practice of counting prayers using a string of knots or beads has been an important devotional practice across all levels of society in the Western Church transcending status, gender, degrees of education, and even levels orthodoxy. If one were challenged to imagine something close to a universal practice among members of Western Christianity, images of priests and laity alike praying the rosary would rank highly among practices characterizing the catholicity of the West. While the rosary is among the foremost of Catholic devotions about which no small amount of ink has been spilled, the history of prayer beads is one that transcends East and West of which the rosary as we have it today is a relatively recent addition though with some ingenuity all can be applied as a tool in practical necromancy and magical application.

While the tangible details are buried in history, the practice of counting prayers using a knotted cord in Christian devotion is attributed to the fourth century founder of cenobitic monasticism, Saint Pachomius, as an aid for illiterate monks to accomplish a consistent number of prayers in their cells. Prior to the use of knotted cord, these monks would cast pebbles into a container which they’d periodically empty and repeat the process however, in keeping with Saint Paul’s admonition to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) the prayer rope became more common for those journeying, visiting the faithful, or attending the Divine Liturgy.

So popular was the prayer rope among these early Christian communities that laity, who were also frequently illiterate, could adapt to their stations in life the prayer practices of their monastic exemplars with the use of the prayer rope itself takes on its own pseudo-hagiographical status as a symbol of power over evils. One of the most popular legends concerning the miraculous abilities of the prayer rope comes to use from the hagiography of Saint Anthony of the Desert, a contemporary of Pachomius and important figure in early monasticism and the Church’s attempts to define itself. In this legend, it is said one day in his cell, Saint Anthony set about to make a prayer rope in order count his prayers but the Devil would appear and undo the knots, throwing the great monastic off his count. Understandably frustrated, Anthony prayed for guidance at which point an angel appeared and taught Saint Anthony how to tie a special knot consisting of seven interlocked crosses that the devil cannot untie, thus creating the form of prayer rope used today.

In the West, the earliest historical evidence for the use of similar reckoning objects for prayer comes from the grave of the Benedictine Abbess Gertrude of Nivelles whose seventh century grave revealed a partial set of strung beads which were likely prototypes of the earliest type of chaplet, the Paternoster. As with the early prayer ropes in the Eastern Church, the Paternoster consisted variously of eight, ten, fifty, to one hundred-fifty beads on a string for reciting the Lord’s Prayer (Latin. Pater Noster) among both religious and laity. The popular use of the Paternoster was so fervent that owners would frequently be buried with them or bequeaths them to loved ones or institutions upon before burial. Relevant to historical peculiarity is that depictions of religious and chivalric adherents at this time often indicate the Paternoster was at an early stage adapted to the habits of both institutions. From this, it was only a matter of time before popular consciousness would shift the use of Paternoster beads into a Marian devotional with the rise of scholastic Mariology, and from there into a sword of Mary for the faithful to use against temptation and the wiles of the Devil.

As the Marian rosary supplanted the Paternoster, so did the legends of its origins grow in order to inspire the faithful. By far the most common story concerning the rosary and its powers, though now largely disproven, concern the missionary work of Saint Dominic de Guzman in his attempts to stifle the Albigensian heresy in Toulouse and the surrounding Occitania region of France. According to this first popular narrative Saint Dominic anguished by his failing efforts in converting the Albigensians due to their sin and depravity, prayed for three days to appease the anger of God at his failings and the failings of those whom he sought to proselytize. Due to the intensity of his prayer, fasting, and penance, Dominic fell into a coma and experienced a mystical vision of the Virgin Mary accompanied by three angels instructing him in the creation and promulgation of the rosary to reform the lives of the heretical Cathars and as a balsam to the faithful.

Perhaps as important in the spread of devotion to the rosary as Saint Dominic in the quest to triumph over heresy of medieval Europe, was the German Dominican friar Jakob Sprenger, famous in popular opinion and print for his alleged co-authorship of the notorious Malleus Maleficarum, or Hammer of Witches. Although Sprenger cannot directly be connected to having personally executed or tried witches during his tenure as inquisitor general of Cologne, more important is his contribution to the framing of prayers and mysteries associated with the contemporary structure of the rosary that currently in use consisting of 150 “Hail Marys” and 15 “Our Fathers” symbolically held to represent both the number of Psalms in the Bible, as well as the expansiveness of Mary’s graces for humanity, as well as the famous Psalm 50 of the penitential Miserare mei Deus. Between these two holy men connected to the rosary, we find a peculiar legend that not only narrates the mythological popularity of and namesake of the rosary, but also blurring the boundaries between holiness and heresy itself.

In the French Languedoc and German Rhineland, the exchange of ideas between regions frequently spread through itinerant poets and musicians. It is partially because of these troubadours that the Catholic Church had difficulty in stopping the spread of perceived heresies, and paradoxically became a tool in spreading popular piety. The earliest story of the rosary itself coming from the late 11th or early 12th Century German and French narrative simply called “The Rose-Garland Tale”. According to this narrative, a good, but slothful, university student fell into the typical vices of drinking and gambling but retained a laudable devotion to the Virgin Mary, frequently making garlands while praying to her and placing them on her images. Our Lady turned his heart toward religion fully, lest he fall fully into vice, and he offered himself to a local monastery. Finding the cloistered life difficult, and more difficult still to make his crowns for the Blessed Mother, his superior suggests he pray fifty “Hail Marys” instead. While on a trip outside the monastery, he was besieged by thieves while he was in the middle of a wood praying. The thieves saw a beautiful woman plucking roses from this monk’s mouth and placing them as a crown on her head before rising into the heavens. So moved were these thieves, they quickly amended their ways and devoted themselves to religion. The rosary as a tool of pious devotion to the Blessed Mother, then, becomes a powerful implement both for the miraculous powers and practices attributed to it in folk magic, but also as a form of protection against witchcraft itself. As a tool of necromancy, the rosary also has its place both in devotion to the deceased as well as the subjugation of spirits in a similar manner as other sacramental objects discussed in popular magical texts such as found in Iberian magical texts which, in turn, would play a major role informing religio-magical practices in the New World. However, before touching on these practices I find it important to mention another aspect of the blessings of the Virgin Mary that are relevant to these practices as well as an holistic and contextualized perspective of Mary in the role of folk Catholicism. A form Blessed Virgin popularized by the medieval Church which deserves some reflection in the context of the present traditional magic revival is that of Queen of Hell, a unique appellation that doubtlessly will have some appeal to practitioners of a more infernal streak in their practices. For the majority of practicing Catholics, the idea of the Blessed Virgin as co-redemptrix referring to Mary’s role in the redemption of all peoples is a commonplace understanding of devotion, highlighted by theological luminaries such as Louis de Montfort who assign her over the angels and blessed in heaven; but five hundred years earlier, in the theology of the early monastic pillar Bernard of Clairvaux we find a more eschatological addition to this position writing, “Beaten down and trampled under the feet of Mary, the Devil endures a wretched slavery.” Expanding upon this, Alphonsus Liguori writes, “The most Blessed Virgin rules over the regions of hell. She is therefore called the ruling mistress of the demons, because she brings them into subjection.”

As Christ’s descent and harrowing of Hell is commemorated as the triumph over the grave, in popular Catholic consciousness we also must acknowledge that the passion of Jesus is not solely his own but shared intimately with Mary whose role in the church is inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it. In the practice of praying the rosary, the sorrowful mysteries are not only the mysteries of the passion but also the prophetic realization of the seven sorrows of Mary and her triumph over death itself. While I am unaware of any particular pietistic practice associated with Mary’s role as Queen of Hell, her seven sorrows could lend themselves to a practice for those seeking to explore these mysteries in their practice along with other Marian devotions. In my previous post on useful necromantic tools, the practice of praying for the dead in apostolic Christian belief has such a long history that various practices have found themselves intimately tied to rites of burial, mourning, as well as communication with the deceased. It is anyone’s guess as to when the rosary itself was applied to such rites, but it is relatively easy to conjecture that it would have been coeval with the popularity of the Marian devotion in the 12th Century. The practice of praying a rosary at the commencement of the wake of the deceased and recited as a novena is an integral part of individual and communal piety in Catholic communities in the Old and New World alike. This naturally carries over as well into commemorations of the deceased during the octave of All Saints and All Souls. As with the Pardon Crucifix, the Catholic Church also acknowledges a number of indulgences toward different occasions of praying the rosary which may be found in the Raccolta, a handbook of prayer which was popular among faithful until the mid-Twentieth Century.

The cult of the Virgin Mary and the practice of praying the rosary are synonymous and universal in the former colonies of France, Spain, and Portugal in the New World as well as in the more insular Italian and Basque communities. Folk legends, ballads, prayers, invocations, and art all attest to the miraculous powers of the rosary for both the living and the dead. A humorous example of the utility of the rosary in New World folk-magic surrounds the mischievous Brazilian spirit Saci-pererê who can be captured by throwing a rosary into a whirl-wind where he can often be found thus binding him long enough to be coaxed into a bottle which is then sealed with a cross. In the Old World, similar traditions abound with hanging the rosary from rafters to protect livestock or, as attested in one Slovakian narrative, placed in a horn which is then worn by cattle to protect against witchcraft – in the latter case, if the rosary is found broken or missing, blessing rites are performed against any malicious activity on both the animal and around the farm.

After a monthlong hiatus... I am finally here to stay. COVID-19 has taken its toll, but summer is here and I no longer have any excuses not to post. This week: The Journey of a Christian Witch

Everyone’s journey is unique. My goal here is to shed light to those who are on similar journeys like mine, to let them know that they are not alone. I am by no means an expert at what I do, but I am a fellow student who is ready to help anyone who needs it.

The age we live in is bountiful with information. My studies are only a sliver of what is out there. My best advice to you all is, research what you believe in, because I guarantee that you are not the only one who believes it.

I am not intending to force my religion upon anyone, I am just sharing how I practice it. Thank you for being patient with me.

Origins, Meaning and Utility

The Structure of the Mind

Carl Jung theorized the existence of three levels/spheres in the human psyche: the Ego, representing the conscious mind, the Personal Unconscious where memories are contained and the Collective Unconscious, where all knowledge and experiences of the species are shared.

Each Sphere has in it a certain number of Archetypes, used to better describe the components of those structures, and the Shadow is one of them.

What is the Shadow

The shadow can be seen as a instinctual or primitive part of ourselves, it exists as part of the unconscious mind and is composed of repressed ideas, weaknesses, desires, instincts, and shortcomings.

It is this archetype that contains all of the things that are unacceptable not only to society, but also to one's own personal morals and values, normally going against social norms and rules as well as what we personally consider right.

The Shadow is often described as the darker side of the psyche, representing wildness, chaos, and the unknown, and it is common for people to deny this element of their own psyche and instead project it on to others.

The Shadow in Witchcraft and Benefits of Shadow Work

Art: Unknown

The Shadow, in witchcraft, can represent The Unknown, hidden depth of ourselves. Speaking in terms of energy, this is an area that can be a deep source of energetic issues, because it’s locked up in the dark and always striving to reach the light.

To not work with one’s Shadow is to make it greedy and aggressive, as well as denying a big part of oneself, making everything a half of a whole.

Through that brief explanation, we can already establish the importance and role of the Shadow in witchcraft, and with that in mind, comes the concept of Shadow Work.

Shadow Work can be seen in a number of practices, meditation, trances, inner journey’s, lucid dreaming, astral travels, spells and divination.

The method can change, but the principle is simple: Centering your intent to self discovery, self knowledge and self acceptance.

Working with one’s Shadow is not only beneficial to one’s craft, as it allows one to get in touch with their intuition as well as allows for easier connection with one’s guide/guides, but it also allows for healing and acceptance of one’s feelings and needs.

Think of all aspects of life as a wheel. If there is one part bent, the wheel can turn, but with more effort. If the owner spends time fixing that bent part, the wheel will turn in a much more smooth manner.

That is what happens when you take the time to do Shadow Work, you have to put in effort, and most of the time it’s not easy, but once done, all other components on the wheel of your life will be relieved to move on without that obstacle that makes their job harder.

The Shadow is not evil, as evil is just a moral compass invented by humans. It is a part of one’s nature, and to deny it is to supress a connection with yourself.

Take the time to know and accept your shadow, and you’ll see that life will be a little easier.

References:

A Natureza da psique (Structure & Dynamics of the Psyche) by C.G. Jung

Now let’s talk about INTENTION.

Without giving too much of myself, the methods, reaching into heaven, the void, or in between through chant or some other form of rhythm, pulling it from blood, calling the essence of your fire, or the method I fell upon and into accidentally, psychoactive substances. Sometimes you can just pull it right out of the air.

What power feels like though, hm. Summed up in a word, anticipation. Sort of like the moment before clouds burst and give rain, or what’s between lighting and thunder. It’s hard to express but it’s like the moment-in-between-the-moment.

no witch succeeds with their spells 100% of the time. here’s a short list of reasons why it could have happened and some solutions

possible reasons why:

distraction - a spell you’re not invested in isn’t going to have much power behind it. if you’re concentrated more on you. if you cast a motivation spell while planning out your vacation, it’s going to subtract from that motivation. 

rosemary replaces everything - supposedly. it supplies general power, but if you add nothing into the spell that has any real meaning to you, then what is that power supposed to do? where does that energy go with no direction?

associations - the correspondences everyone else lists for herbs and stones and planets can be very useful, but sometimes you have a personal conflicting association. perhaps lavender is gross to you, and not peaceful at all. then that dream sachet isn’t going to give you peaceful dreams. 

didn’t help the spell - magic does not exist in a vaccum. spells can only do so much, but if you don’t make the effort, it much less likely to work. job spells dont work if you don’t fill out applications, love spells don’t work if you don’t go out and talk to people, and so on. 

too many cooks - if you cast 10 love spells, and yet no one is attracted to you, it’s entirely possible they all did work but they all conflicted with each other, and ended up canceling each other out. 

shot for the stars- sometimes you try to achieve something, and you set your expectations too high. either it’s impossible, you’re trying from the wrong angle, or you didn’t get as much as you wanted.

cancellation - sometimes a spell may appear not to work when it does, but the results are invisible because it canceled something else out. say you cast a money spell and get no extra cash after several weeks, it could be just helping you maintain your current income and blocking extraneous expenses.

impatience - unless you programmed a working time limit into it, the spell could be working and you just don’t see the results yet. these things can take time.

out of your depth - if you don’t feel like you’re ready to do a spell, your lack of confidence or discomfort can either disable the spell or not give it enough power to work

what to do:

take a break, ground, cleanse, and give it time. refocus your intentions

contemplate each ingredient and step in the spell, and modify

use the ingredients that you know best work for you, old standards hold up.

think about what you could do to help the spell work. what mundane methods haven’t you tried?

take a step back and look at it realistically. is there another angle you can approach this from, can you break it down into smaller steps?

Unfortunately, for many who have been neglected and abused in childhood, emotions are a frightening thing. It was when their parents’ emotions got out of hand that they got yelled at, pushed around, or hit. It was when they themselves got angry or started to cry that they were ridiculed, punished, or abandoned. For this reason, most survivors of abuse and neglect tend to deny and repress their true emotions. Even the ones who may appear to be extremely emotional, or eruptive, or volitile are usually denying their more vulnerable feelings underneath. 

In addition, if you were neglected or abused in childhood, you will tend to be overwhelmed and controlled by your emotions. Many people are so overwhelmed that their emotions become their enemies. Dysfunctional behaviors, including abusive or victimlike patterns, substance abuse, and suicidal tendencies are often attempts to cope with intolerably painful emotions. Many try to regulate their emotions by trying to to make themselves not feel whatever it is that they feel. This style is a direct result of the emotionally invalidating environment that they were raised in, which mandated that people should smile when they are unhappy, be nice and not rock the boat when they are angry, and confess or beg forgiveness even when they don’t feel they did anything wrong. 

Because of these behaviors, you may have ended up feeling sideswiped by your emotions, or overwhelmed when your emotions when your emotions build up. This, in turn, may cause you to project your feelings onto others.

What is referred to as “psychic numbing” (stuck or frozen feelings) is another frequent result of abuse and neglect in childhood. Children shut off their feelings or dissociate in response to a traumatic situation. It is as if their minds go somewhere else and they are disconnected from their bodies. Learning to re-experience frozen feelings takes time. But once these deadened feelings are liberated, they can help you by providing useful information so you can make more rational decisions and take appropriate actions in your life. Reconnecting with feelings can provide you with strength, courage, and joy. 

First off, you choose a place. For a beginner, a place that is known to have a powerful and benevolent spirit is the best place to start. A lot of this lore isn’t obvious or well known. It takes research, luck and wandering around. My town has a Catholic sanctuary to Mary Mother of God and God in Nature—its in the industrial district, but its a large natural space with waterfalls and cliffs and its just intensely amazing. Barely anyone knows about it.

So when I go there, I just find a private place and sit. I make offerings to the land: milk, water, honey, also traditional (and only use if appropriate: coins, broken jewelry, broken weaponry) and I take whatever is freely given, some branches of a tree that are loose from the tree. Some soil that is piled up a bit. Some water from a little waterfall. That kind of thing.

I open up all my senses to the space. And let my body react. If that means I start crying, or laughing, or dancing or laying still it is what it is. I am communicating emotionally and physically with the land spirit. Gaze into shadows and let your focus go, images my form and you could see faces, just let those wash over you. Open up your sense of smell and see if any scents are associated with other forms of communication from the land. Sit and really listen. Sometimes you will hear the water, wind and trees making music or talking. Or bees will come and buzz to you. Focus just on listening. Save talking for later. You want to get your receptive focus really honed before trying to communicate back. Avoid saying thank you, as it can be interpreted as dismissive, and avoid making promises—as they can be thought to be kept not just by you, but your descendants as well. If you are going to get that tied to a piece of land, be very very very sure first—even then try not too. Better than promises are advanced payment. Like if you want to ask something of a spirit, bring a really generous offering and give it and then ask for something in return. In past times when families and people rarely left the place they were born, it wasn’t so risky to make a pact with a land spirit. Now when we are so mobile, mobile spirits are more possible to keep promises to. Pick up and dispose of trash on your way out. Rather than promising you will return, just keep returning regularly.

“Eye of Artemis”

Moss, antlers, and flowers🌿

Done by me

Let me introduce to you to five clay model dogs found beneath a palace doorway at Nineveh. They guard against devils and demons and are modelled after real dogs that lived there over 2650 years ago

Their names are Loud is his bark!, Biter of his foe!, Don’t think, bite!, Catcher of the enemy! and Expeller of evil!

cleanse your house thoroughly

banish any unwanted energies

put some time into making solid wards

rearrange/cleanse your altar space and tools

take inventory of your supplies

make new batches of sun and moon waters (and any salts, tinctures, etc. you like to keep on hand)

start a dream journal now that you have the time

find a witchy article or book on somewhere like JSTOR and learn something new (and tell other witches about it)

try kitchen witchcraft if you haven’t already

create a new sigil or charm to display in your house

bless or add a glamor to an item in your home (ex. adding a glamour to a centerpiece so the food always looks good or to the welcome mat so people don’t notice the messes so much)

send a blessing to those who are helping (and donations, if you can)

or perhaps jinx, hex, curse, or bind those doing harm

set aside time each day to meditate– it’s the perfect time to start such a habit!

leave an offering to or commune with a spirit or deity you have not in a while due to time constraints

try a type of magic you are interested in, but struggle with

practice with your divination tools to get better at them

update your grimoire with things you’ve been meaning to write down

make a crystal grid of your own

make your own pendulum and board

make your own oracle deck

using the items you already have, make a new powder, oil, or tincture for an intent you have often

make a sigil and set it as your phone background

paint your phone case with a sigil, a symbol, or a color coordinated with your intention (use acrylic and then coat it in mod podge!)

create a new talisman

write a hymn or incantation

create a playlist to listen to during witchy things

buy a service from a local witch if you can afford to– many are in need of money right now, especially

draw, paint, or sculpt a deity you worship and add it to your altar

use notecards to write down and categorize things you have for each basic intention (ex. write down all of the herbs, crystals, etc. you have for love, for money, etc. so you never have to sit and think hard on what you can use– it’s a quick-reference for yourself)

write down your favorite spells or ones that you want to try

in your school or work space, add a sigil or charm for productivity, focus, or stress-relief

make a new sachet for sleep

contact a witch friend and facetime them to meditate together or do readings for each other. it’s important to stay in touch!

make shoebox, on-the-go, or pocket altars so when quarantine is over you’ll keep your practice up in daily life

write yourself affirmation cards or letters to open in a month/year/whenever you like

make your own runes

enchant a piece of clothing or jewelry for stress-relief or motivation

learn more about your own natal chart

transfer the info you look for in your grimoire most often to make a quick-reference book of the most important pages for yourself

learn about the plants and trees around your house and their properties

sit in your yard for a little while and enjoy nature and it’s sounds

open your curtains and blinds and windows to let in a little fresh air and sun into the house

start journaling– being in-tune with yourself will improve you as a witch

write letters or send care packages to witchy friends with things like bay leaves, sigils, and kind notes

on your next grocery run, grab some seeds or plants and plant whatever is in season where you are. try something that can grow in your windowsill, if you’re new! this is a way to have sustainable ingredients for your witchcraft that has no pesticides and is cultivated with your energy.

alternatively, get flower seeds and plant them around your home. this will also give you a reason to step outside to tend to them from time to time.

learn a new song or hymn and perform it as an offering to your deity of choice

make a list of this year’s dates of full and new moons, transits, and holidays and mark them in your calendar or put them in the notes of your phone