🌴🔪♏🔪🌴

ZEUS: “I guess we all learned a valuable lesson, except for me, I wasn’t paying attention and was asleep for most of the time”

POSEIDON: “do you want salt with your answer”

HERA: “just found out the world doesn’t revolve around me. Shocked & upset”

ATHENA: “my kink is when people admit I’m right”

APOLLO: “i’m a brat??? okay and??? I know??? next argument???”

ARTEMIS: “i want that dog” “you want every dog”

APHRODITE: “hey just wanted to let you know, I’m beautiful, thank you and goodnight”

HERMES: “you’re kind of annoying” “kind of? kind of?? excuse me. excuse you. I am fully annoying. i am very annoying. there’s nothing half-assed half-hearted  “kind of” about it”   

HADES: “occupation: the family disappointment”

ARES: “sure, I made mistakes when I was younger. But now that I’m older I’ve learned how to make different, often far more serious mistakes”

DIONYSUS: “i’m dropping hints that I’m not fine”

HESTIA: “there’s so much caffeine running through my body right now. It’s like having a cockfight with my anxiety”  

DEMETER: “im sick of being a person. im going go into the woods lay down in the dirt and become a geological feature. and none of you are powerful enough to stop me”

IRIS: “defending myself: oh yeah?? well i got five words for you buddy: please be nice to me”

EOS: “have you ever met someone that was sunshine in human form”

HEBE: “what the fuckaroni”

HEPHAESTUS: “you can’t offend me. I lack emotion”

Numerology 101

In my time running this blog, I haven’t seen a single post about numerology, maybe just because nobody knows it, or maybe because witches have a pathological fear of math. Either way, it’s a shame! The basics of numerology are painfully easy to grasp, and I would mark it down as one of the easiest divinitory systems I’ve tried to date. So let’s hit the basics!

We’ll jump right into it.

The Math

Actually, we need to work out the numbers we’re using first. While a person’s birthday is already very handily in a numeric form for you, their name is written up in pesky letters. But every letter has a corresponding numerological number, and by noting the number for each letter in a name, you’re able to calculate what you need.

Here’s a chart of the numbers, nice and easy and not necessary to memorize at all.

The numerological ‘alphabet’ if you will, only goes from the numbers 1-9. The letter ‘A’ marks 1, then J does again, then S. The more you work with numbers, the more you’ll come to just know what letters are associated with what, but even if you don’t, this chart is easy to replicate and even easier to find online.

The next part comes in writing out the numbers for a person’s name. You’ll want to keep this organized rather than messy, as  you’ll be using different parts of the numbers to calculate different things. I like to write out the names, then write the numbers for all the vowels above the name, then all the numbers for the consonants below the name. When you’ve done so, it should look something like this:

Some things to note:

Y is treated as a vowel when there are no other vowels in a syllable (Ex: Lynn, Carolyn)

W is treated as a vowel when preceded by a vowel and when it produces a single sound (Ex: Bradshaw, Matthew)

The birthday, again, is already in numeric format, so now all of your numbers just need to be added properly. Which brings us back to the scary part.

The Actual Math

Really, it’s nothing more than basic sums. If you can add, you can figure out your numbers. Hell, if you can’t add, you can have a calculator figure it out for you.

It is a little more involved than adding all the numbers you’ve so dutifully marked down and calling it a day, but let’s work through it first.

First, add all the numbers from the vowel section together. Then, add all the numbers from the consonant section together. If we go off the name I provided above, it should look something like this:

Congrats, the hardest bit of math is over!

“But Shay,” you say. “You said the numerological alphabet only consists of the numbers 1-9!”

And so I did. But I also said only the worst of the math was over. Next, we need to break down the numbers we got until they fall into that range. What you do for this is you take each numeral in the number and you add them together.

Let’s break it down. Looking at the vowel section, we’ve been left with the number 22. To get the numerological number, you take each numeral and add them together - here, that looks like 2 + 2 and leaves us with the number 4, perfectly within our range.

Our consonant number at the moment is 54, or 5 + 4, which adds up to 9. Again, in range. Should you get a number that’s still too big, keep breaking it down until it’s only one digit. For example, the number 98 becomes 17 (9 + 8), but then 17 becomes 8 (1 + 7) and is now within the acceptable range.

You’ve just calculated the Inner Dreams number and the Soul Urge number. And by adding those two together (and reducing as necessary) you will have the Destiny Path number. In this case, it’s 4 (The Soul Urge and Inner Dreams numbers 9 and 4 add up to 13, and 13 as 1 + 3 equals 4).

That’s three numbers down, one to go.

We’ve largely neglected the Life Path number, but all it really requires is the reduction method we just covered.

Take my birthday. April 27th, 1993, or in number terms, 04/27/1993. All you have to do is add all these numbers together, then once they’re nice and neat in one giant number, you simplify it as you learned. 04 + 27 + 1993 = 2024, which gives us a number to reduce. Even though it’s more than two digits, you handle it the same way. 2 + 0 + 2 + 4 adds up to 8, making a quick work of the reduction and giving us our Life Path number.

For you visual learners out there, it looks something like this:

Breaking it Down

So now, we have all four of our numbers! And with minimal tears shed. For the sake of having everything in one place, all of my numbers put together look something like this:

A number showing up more than once implies a strength of presence in that number - two or three times indicates that the traits associated with that number are strong, as do numbers that ‘resonate’, such as how 4 fits evenly into 8 or 3 fits evenly into 9. If there are too many repetitions of a number, expect to see more and more of the negative associations of those traits brought to light. Keep your eye out for these, as they will amplify one another.

Okay, but what does it all mean?

The Divination

There are four major numbers you go for when putting someone’s numbers together. The Life Path number, the Destiny Path number, the Soul Urge number, and the Inner Dreams number.

Life Path:

The life path number is the sum of the numbers in one’s birthday (date, month, and year). It relates to the path in life one will take and the traits one has at birth.

Destiny Path:

The destiny path number is the sum of all letters in one’s full name. It relates to the tasks one was meant to achieve in their lifetime.

Soul Urge:

The soul urge number is the sum of all vowels in a person’s name. It represents a person’s inner cravings, their likes and dislikes, and what they value most.

Inner Dreams:

The inner dreams number is the sum of all consonants in a person’s name. It represents secret dreams, inner desires, and fantasies.

And lastly, the meaning of the numbers themselves. This post is already long enough to the point where I’m not going to write up a paragraph about each and every number (they are all available and more if you look them up online), but I’ll give you a run-down for each.

1:

Positive Traits: Initiator, pioneering spirit, inventive ideas, strong leadership skills, independent Negative Traits: Overly assertive, aggressive, domineering, impulsive, egotistic, boastful

2:

Positive Traits: Cooperative, adaptable, considerate of others, sensitive, diplomatic, modest Negative Traits: Shy, timid, fearful, drowns in the details, easily depressed

3:

Positive Traits:

Self-expressive, inspired, happy, fun-loving, keen imagination

Negative Traits:

Scattered energies, self-centeredness, unfinished projects, lack of direction

4:

Positive Traits: Strong sense of order, highly practical, steady growth, fine management skills Negative Traits: Lack of imagination, stubborn, fixed opinions, argumentative, slow to act

5:

Positive Traits: Expansiveness, new visionary ideas, quick thinking, versatile, resourceful Negative Traits: Restless, discontent, edgy temperament, dissatisfaction, overhasty, impatient

6:

Positive Traits: Responsible, artistic, nurturing, community-oriented, balanced, sympathetic Negative Traits: Self-righteous, obstinate, stubborn, meddlesome, egotistical, dominating

7:

Positive Traits: Methodical, analytical, intelligent, scientific, studious, solitary, perfectionist Negative Traits: Hidden motives, suspicious, overly reserved, isolated, inflexible

8:

Positive Traits: Good leader, strong sense of direction, sound judgement, decisive, commanding Negative Traits: Overly ambitious, oppressive, impatient, stressed, materialistic

9:

Positive Traits: Hearty friendliness, humanitarian instincts, giving, selfless, creative Negative Traits: Self-adulation, scattered interests, possessiveness, moodiness, carelessness 

So there you have it! Put the numbers you calculated to their associated meanings and work it out in your head, just like with tarot or other divinatory practices.

Just a few parting comments before I end this post.

In Summation

This is the setup for a slightly above basic numerological reading. The most basic that I ever use involves taking just the Life Path and Destiny path numbers. To take an even more complex spread, you could break down the person’s full name by each individual name, analyzing the vowels, consonants, and overall number for the first, middle, and last name individually, so that you can study what builds a person up into their full name and their path numbers. This gets very extensive very fast, and even with just the four above, you may end up doing three numbers per name plus the Life Path number. For your standard 3-name schema, this would involve ten numbers. Still manageable, but quite a lot.

On the topic of nicknames: generally, the rule in numerology is that you should use the name a person has held the longest. For example, Shay isn’t my birth name, but I’ve been called Shay for just over half of my lifetime. This is a good guideline, but please consider it only as a guideline. If someone has a name they do not wish to be called, respect them, and analyze the name they give you instead. An interesting thing to do - if the subject is comfortable - is to compare the birth name with the chosen name numerologically, and they can comment on advances that you have made through your life.

This is all I can think of at the moment! Go forth and numerolocize!

Lastly, I put together a blank template so you can practice on your own :D

Just like every other kind of craft, there’s no right or wrong way to consult the runes. There are, however, a few tips I can offer you! -Try to find a time and place where you won’t be disturbed. You want to meditate on the meanings of the runes, so being distracted won’t help you at all. Set your space up in a way that helps you to focus. If that means in silence- do it. If that means with soft music- do it. I personally suggest using music that has no lyrics or emotional extremes, as the sounds of others speaking can sometimes invade the subconscious and cause mistakes to be made in the readings. Keep light to a minimum- draw curtains, and light some candles instead.

-If there are others with you, make sure that they are one in mind with you- make sure you’re both seeking the same answers at the same time. -Familiarity is important. Don’t allow others to handle your runes, keep them in the same place, in the same containers.

-If you feel it would help you to focus, meditate, invoke, or pray before you begin. I like to invoke Odin, as he is the Father of the runes.

This image, from my favorite resource for rune info,  offers a good look at one of the various kinds of fields you may use- and my personal favorite. To cast the runes, I suggest using a small bag that has been blessed for divination. Empty the runes from their usual housing into this bag, and slowly swirl the runes around with your writing hand, allow a rune to enter your hand, and decide if it is the right one to pull out. You’ll know.

One by one place runes onto the field. Do not turn the runes. Place them exactly as they come up. A rune right-side-up is an upright rune. An upside-down one is reversed. A rune face-down (or sideways, depending on the kind of rune you use) is converse, and a rune face-up is obverse. Again, do not turn them at all. A rune’s position will change the meaning of the reading.

Place the runes in order from Right to left, from near to far. For a three-rune cast, Right, Centre, Left. For a five-rune cast, Right, Centre, Left, Near, Far, and so on.

There are different ways to cast the runes.

—-Edible Flowers—- Part 1 ~ Click here for part 2

One very important thing that you need to remember is that not every flower is edible.

In fact, sampling some flowers can make you very, very sick.

- You also should NEVER use pesticides or other chemicals on any part of any plant that produces blossoms you plan to eat.

- Never harvest flowers growing by the roadside.

- Identify the flower exactly and eat only edible flowers and edible parts of those flowers.

Always remember to use flowers sparingly in your recipes due to the digestive complications that can occur with a large consumption rate. Most herb flowers have a taste that’s similar to the leaf, but spicier. The concept of using fresh edible flowers in cooking is not new.

How to Choose Edible Flowers  ~ Edible Flower Flow Chart

Begonia - Tuberous begonias and Waxed begonias:

Tuberous Begonias (Begonia X tuberosa) - The leaves, flowers, and stems are edible. Begonia blossoms have a citrus-sour taste. The petals are used in salads and as a garnish. Stems, also, can be used in place of rhubarb. The flowers and stems contain oxalic acid and should not be consumed by individuals suffering from gout, kidney stones, or rheumatism.

Wax Begonias (Begonia cucullata) - The fleshy leaves and flowers are edible raw or cooked. They can have a slight bitter after taste and if in water most of the time, a hint of swamp in their flavor.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) - Also called Marigolds. A wonderful edible flower. Flavors range from spicy to bitter, tangy to peppery. Their sharp taste resembles saffron (also known as Poor Man’s Saffron). Has pretty petals in golden-orange hues. Sprinkle them on soups, pasta or rice dishes, herb butters, and salads. Petals add a yellow tint to soups, spreads, and scrambled eggs. Only the pedals are edible.

Carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus - aka Dianthus) - Carnations can be steeped in wine, candy, or use as cake decoration. To use the surprisingly sweet petals in desserts, cut them away from the bitter white base of the flower. Dianthus are the miniature member of the carnation family with light clove-like or nutmeg scent. Petals add color to salads or aspics. Carnation petals are one of secret ingredients that has been used to make Chartreuse, a French liqueur, since the 17th century.

Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum coronarium) - Tangy, slightly bitter, ranging in colors from red, white, yellow and orange. They range in taste from faint peppery to mild cauliflower. They sould be blanched first and then scatter the petals on a salad. The leaves can also be used to flavor vinegar. Always remove the bitter flower base and use petals only. Young leaves and stems of the Crown Daisy, also known as Chop Suey Greens or Shingiku in Japan, are widely used in oriental stir-fries and as salad seasoning.

Clover (Trifolium species) - Sweet, anise-like, licorice. White and red clover blossoms were used in folk medicine against gout, rheumatism, and leucorrhea. It was also believed that the texture of fingernails and toenails would improve after drinking clover blossom tea. Native Americans used whole clover plants in salads, and made a white clover leaf tea for coughs and colds. Avoid bitter flowers that are turning brown, and choose those with the brightest color, which are tastiest. Raw flower heads can be difficult to digest.

Cornflower (Centaurea cynaus) - Also called Bachelor’s button. They have a slightly sweet to spicy, clove-like flavor. Bloom is a natural food dye. More commonly used as garnish.

Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) - Also called Sweet Rocket or Dame’s Violet. This plant is often mistaken for Phlox. Phlox has five petals, Dame’s Rocket has just four. The flowers, which resemble phlox, are deep lavender, and sometimes pink to white. The plant is part of the mustard family, which also  includes radishes, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and, mustard. The plant and flowers are edible, but fairly bitter. The flowers are attractive added to green salads. The young leaves can also be added to your salad greens (for culinary purposes, the leaves should be picked before the plant flowers). The seed can also be sprouted and added to salads. NOTE: It is not the same variety as the herb commonly called Rocket, which is used as a green in salads.

Dandelions (Taraxacum officinalis) - Member of the Daisy family. Flowers are sweetest when picked young. They have a sweet, honey-like flavor. Mature flowers are bitter. Dandelion buds are tastier than the flowers: best to pick these when they are very close to the ground, tightly bunched in the center, and about the size of a small gumball. Good raw or steamed. Also made into wine. Young leaves taste good steamed, or tossed in salads. When serving a rice dish use dandelion petals like confetti over the rice.

Day Lilies (Hemerocallis species) - Slightly sweet with a mild vegetable flavor, like sweet lettuce or melon. Their flavor is a combination of asparagus and zucchini. Chewable consistency. Some people think that different colored blossoms have different flavors. To use the surprisingly sweet petals in desserts, cut them away from the bitter white base of the flower. Also great to stuff like squash blossoms. Flowers look beautiful on composed salad platters or crowning a frosted cake. Sprinkle the large petals in a spring salad. In the spring, gather shoots two or three inches tall and use as a substitute for asparagus. NOTE: Many Lilies contain alkaloids and are NOT edible. Day Lilies may act as a diuretic or laxative; eat in moderation.

English Daisy (Bellis perennis) - The flowers have a mildly bitter taste and are most commonly used for their looks than their flavor. The petals are used as a garnish and in salads.

The jaculus is a small dragon from Greek mythology. It is usually depicted as a serpentine being with wings and two front legs.

The jaculus is said to live in trees, but will leap out at tremendous speed to attach people. Because of this habit, it is known as the “javelin snake.” The attack itself will not necessarily be fatal, but the wound from the impact will often cause death later.

Image source.

Monster master list.

🌿 Using this as a guide to help me become a better kitchen witch. 

I spend A LOT of time in the kitchen so I want to learn all the meanings behind everyday ingredients I use. 

So here they are:

Apples: Love, fertility, marriage, beauty, vanity, wisdom.

Avocado: Lust, love, beauty (carry pit around to radiate beauty).

Apricot: Attracts love.

Banana: Fertility, potency, prosperity. 

Blackberry: Healing, protection, money.

Blueberry: Peace, protection.

Broccoli: Leadership, protection, strength.

Brussels Sprouts: Protection, endurance,  protection.

Beets: Love.

Cabbage: Good luck, money, fertility, lunar magic.

Carrots: Lust, fertility.

Cauliflower: Protection.

Celery: Mental & psychic powers, lust, fertility. 

Cherry: Love, divination, happiness.

Coconut: Purification, protection, chastity.

Corn: Protection, good luck, divination.

Cucumber: Healthy, chastity, fertility.

Garlic: Healing, protection, purification, exorcism, guards against negative energy.

Grape: Money, fertility, mental powers, garden magic.

Grapefruit: Cleansing, purification.

Lemon: Cleansing, purification, removes blockages.

Lettuce: Divination, protection, sleep, lunar magic, love spells.

Lime: Protections, purification, promotes calmness.

Mushroom: Psychic awareness.

Onion: Stability, money, lust, protection, prosperity.

Orange: Love, joy, happiness.

Peach: Fertility, love, wisdom.

Pear: Lust, love.

Peas: Luck, money.

Pepper (green): Growth, prosperity.

Pepper (red): Energy, strength.

Pepper (yellow): Creativity. 

Pineapple: Luck, money, chastity.

Plum: Healing, peace, love.

Pomegranate: Divination, wishes, wealth, fertility.

Potato: Healing, money, luck.

Pumpkin: Healing, Prosperity.

Radish: Protection, lust.

Raspberry: Love, protection, happiness, stamina.

Spinach: Prosperity.

Strawberry: Success, good fortune, love, luck, romance.

Sweet Potato: Grounding, love, lust.

Tangerine: Protection.

Tomato: Healing, love, prosperity, protection. 

Watermelon: Healing.

I hope this helps you just as much as it helps me.  🌿

Arskasao tailsmans are a combination of ravens from the alphabet of desire the ravens of antimony strung together in order to form a combination sigil, that will be able to be used in order to manifest desires. These tailsmans allow you to easily bring together the different ravens from the ravens of antimony paradigm to manifest your intentions, and desires into the world.

In order to do this first you will need to figure out what you want to manifest. this is pretty much setting forth your intention, and will allow you to pick the right Ravens in order to manifest your goal. Just like any other form of intention for Magick this can be pretty much anything as long as it can be manifested with magick. Once you have thought of your intention you can begin picking ravens for the job. Every Raven has its own meaning, and energy and which it represents. By picking the ravens that match up with your intention, and are in a specific order in which reminds you of your intention, will allow these Ravens to work for you in the most effective way possible.

Once you have chosen which raven’s you would like to use, and in what order you would like to use them write them down together on some form of surface with a utensil. Now take time to tell the ravens your intention, and to push your will into it. Since the Ravens of antimony have built up a good amount of energy over time, and are servitors which hold their own being, you would not need to go through the process of charging them with energy, though it would be a good idea to give them energy in order to help manifest your desire, and as a nice offering for helping you.

You are simply able to tell the arskasao tailsman that you are ready for it to start working in order to begin the manifestation process. You could do this simply by relating the intention in your head, or by saying it out loud. You would also be able to speak the names of the Ravens in the order that you have selected in order to invoke the energy that the tailsman represents with your voice. Then all you would have to do is keep the tailsman around with you, or as close as possible to what it is affecting. The Ravens of antimony will use this tailsman as a base in order to act out your desire into the world though you could also go through the process of creating a representation of the tailsman, and destroying it in order to invoke the ravens, and their power towards that situation.

When I was a baby witch I remember being all “???” on the herbs. I knew I wanted to start working with them, but I had a very limited options. Not only did I know next to nothing, but I was also in that famed broom-closet. Here are some basic bitches that witches gotta love and respect…

Bay leaf

Please love this baby (or should I say BAYBY??). It’s a great protector, fabulous at banishing, and it greatly helps with dreamwork. Oh! And I almost forgot. It has healing properties, so drink that antibacterial bay leaf tea for your sore throat. It’ll help!

A fun thing to do with a bay leaf:

If you must part with your lover, break a bay leaf in half with them. Keep one half, give the other to them. It will protect your relationship, keep y'all faithful to each other, and it will ensure you guys meeting again.

Cinnamon

Might as well be the first thing I looked up as a fetus witch. I got delighted when I learned that it helps drawing money, happiness, and love! What else could you want in your life? Oh. Health? It does that, too. Don’t worry about it.

Drawing money with cinnamon:

Get yourelf a (preferably) green baggie. Light up a (green) candle. Put some coins in it. Write your intention (“I will receive 30$ by the end of this month”) in a piece of paper. Seal it with wax. Let dry. Chuck it in the baggie. Sprinkle some cinnamon in it. End the ritual and leave the baggie undisturbed. When you recieve your money, leave an offering (if you wish).

Lavander

Like all things purple (coughamethystcough), lavander brings peace to a restless mind. It also aids in attracting pure love, calming down stressed nerves, and sharpening one’s mind. It aids in purification, so make some lavander water and get scrubbing!

Lavander sugar:

Layer lavander flowers and sugar in a jar, let it sit in the dark, cool place for a month and ta-da! It’s tasty and helps in love-work.

Chamomile

This little thing not only helps with restless stomachs, but also aids the holy trinity: purification, money, and love! It’s also a luck bringer.

Luck at gambling: before you go playing cards with your buddies or just betting, wash your hands with chamomile infused water for a little boost!

Black pepper

Now THIS BAD BOY! He’s hard-core. He banishes, protects, and adds a bite to everything you put it in. It also wards off the Evil Eye.

Pro tip: carry black pepper everywhere you go. People that wish evil upon you will have it reflected upon em. They also might start sneezing.

Okay, folks, I’m tired already. These are some of my favorites, so please don’t be mmean to them. I love them. But I also love you!

Thirty Thursday!

Like & reblog to find $30