trying to go with the flow

A few weeks ago, a small but higher-than-normal number of accounts were mistakenly suspended. The suspensions were quickly reversed, but our response wasn't good enough, and we want to say more.

We're sorry it took us this long to address this. Trust and safety issues are difficult to discuss publicly, and we can’t share details about specific individuals or how our systems work without exposing Tumblr to bad actors. But caution led us to say too little, too late.

We’ve heard from members of the trans community on Tumblr that they were disproportionately impacted, and that deserves a direct response. According to 3rd party researchers, Tumblr’s userbase has the highest proportion of LGBTQIA+ folks on social media, so it makes sense that when something goes wrong, those communities might feel that disproportionate impact.

One thing we want to emphasize is that we do not moderate people's identities. We moderate behavior. We know that identity shows up across a Tumblr profile in many ways, from followed topics to the flags people put in their bios, and more. However, these signals play no role in how our moderation systems make decisions. We monitor those systems for evidence of bias and take corrective action when we find it.

We understand that the communications sent to affected users, and our broader silence to the community, didn't meet the standard people expect from us. That feedback is fair, and we apologize. We've updated the messaging sent to people impacted by these incidents. We are also overhauling our process with a goal of responding to mistaken suspension appeals within 24 hours, and have instituted an ongoing internal review of how suspensions and appeals are handled.

Going forward, we're committed to finding a better balance: being more transparent with our community about issues that matter, even when we can't share everything.

Tumblr belongs to everyone. We take that seriously, and we intend to earn back your trust. We are not afraid to have tough discussions with you or make updates based on your feedback, though on occasion, it might take some time.

To the people whose accounts were affected, and to the members of our trans community who felt targeted: we are truly sorry.

This is a lie. you are lying. You didn't hear from the general trans community, you heard from transfeminine community. The system of moderation is discriminatory towards transfeminine people. This also was not limited to a couple weeks ago, this is happening currently. As of yesterday, April 14, 2026, it has been ongoing.

It will not 'expose Tumblr to bad actors' if you explain your moderation policy, because your moderation is -already- being abused by bad actors. you are implying that your system isn't currently being abused, this is a lie. You imply the trade off of transparency wouldn't be worth the increase in labor. Actually, it would allow us to address it on -our end- and take steps to prevent the harassment that stems from the current abuse.

"According to third party researchers", your moderation policies disproportionately affect the trans and queer community. This is a matter of public record. your claim, that it will seem disproportionate but actually isn't, is unsubstantiated. you are lying.

Source: https://www.nyc.gov/site/cchr/enforcement/2022-settlements.page

(is your Classifier OpenAI? https://www.404media.co/tumblr-and-wordpress-to-sell-users-data-to-train-ai-tools/ not relevant this one its just being petty rn.)

You actually don't "moderate behavior", you respond to reports. You have yet to give any reason to take you at your word on the process itself. Transmisogynistic moderation was lied about for months if not years. Users only got confirmation during Matt's public melt down. You know your *policies* fall short. You've stated as such in 2024, when you wiped your hands of responsibility for a staff member stalking and harassing a user.

Source: https://www.tumblr.com/staff/743224389484625920/a-message-from-a-few-of-the-trans-staff-at-tumblr

If you punished behavior, your CEO would not be allowed to have an account on this website.

But this is to deflect the issue raised, which is that transfeminine people are being disproportionately affected -even compared to other trans people- for "BEHAVIORS" that NON transfeminine people aren't. Identity has little, if nothing, to do about it. The moderation system is sexist. it produces misogynistic outcomes, therefore is misogynist. This Is the exact reason people were angry at PhotoMatt.

From: https://mashable.com/article/tumblr-transphobia-matt-mullenweg

Once again, you are missing the point by conflating transfeminine/trans women/"TMA" people, ("those communities" as you call us) with the broader and less discrete LGBTQIA+ community.

Your Auto flagging system, which has been the source of a significant amount of reports and subsequent bans is not addressed at all. This is a lie by omission.

Address the issues raised and not the ones you can think up a clever thing to apologize for. You make more work for yourself when you obscure the issue. It does not matter if you are doing this intentionally.

And the most erogenous part: "Tumblr belongs to everyone. We take that seriously, and we intend to earn back your trust." -Lie, its belongs to Automattic and the investors of such.

Source: https://www.tumblr.com/policy/en/terms-of-service

If you’ve spent any time in Celtic pagan spaces, you’ve probably noticed that “Celtic” covers a lot of ground. Wicca with Irish or Welsh deities, to any number of organizations that claim the title Druid or Neo-Druid. It can be hard to tell what pre-Christian Celtic people actually practiced when so many of these groups claim ancient heritage without presenting much to back it up. Celtic Reconstructionism emerged in the early 1990s to disentangle truth from fiction, using historical scholarship, archaeology, medieval literature, and living folklore rather than modern invention to build its practice.

This is the first article in a series on Celtic Reconstructionism. Later articles cover the theology, the calendar, the primary sources, and how CR intersects with folk practices. This article will cover the foundation: what CR is, how it differs from Wicca and neo-paganism broadly, and where to start if you want to practice.

What Celtic Reconstructionism Actually Is

Celtic Reconstructionism (CR) is a polytheistic, animistic religious movement. It was formally named in 1992, emerging from a network of practitioners in the 1980s who were frustrated with what “Celtic” paganism actually looked like in practice: standard Wiccan ritual structure with Irish deity names dropped in.

The foundational text is the CR FAQ (formally titled Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism: An Introduction) authored collectively by Kathryn Price NicDhàna, Erynn Rowan Laurie, C. Lee Vermeers, and Kym Lambert ní Dhoireann. Published online around 2006 it defines CR as “an effort to reconstruct, within a modern Celtic cultural context, the aspects of ancient Celtic religions that were lost or subsumed by Christianity.” The full text is free at paganachd.com, and a print edition is on Bookshop.org.

CR covers multiple Celtic cultures: Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Gaulish. This series focuses on Irish and Gaelic CR.

The Core Methodology

CR is as much a methodology as it is a religion. The practice works outward from primary sources. Medieval Irish manuscripts, Brehon law, mythology, the academic scholarship that interprets those sources, and living folklore (the Dúchas archive, folk customs gathered from living communities) fills in texture and continuity. Personal spiritual experience is accepted, but it gets labeled as such and can’t override established lore.

The informal CR motto is “Show me.” Claims require evidence and reasoned argument. Which is intentionally higher bar than you’ll find in most contemporary pagan traditions.

CR is not purely academic, though. The CR FAQ is explicit that “both scholarship and experiential, ecstatic spirituality are necessary on the CR path.” Practices like imbas (poetic inspiration) and aisling (vision or prophetic dream) exist alongside the research, not in opposition to it.

How CR Differs from Wicca and Neo-Paganism

Theology. CR is genuinely polytheistic. The gods are distinct, historically attested individuals with specific mythological histories. The Lord-and-Lady framework common in Wicca (often traced to Dion Fortune’s principle that “all Goddesses are one Goddess”) is not a part of Celtic traditions.

The Maiden/Mother/Crone framework, frequently applied to Celtic goddesses, is also not Celtic. It originated in Robert Graves’s 1948 book The White Goddess and was created by him, it is not a historically accurate way to categorize deities (unless they are quite modern). Celtic goddesses are categorized by function, not age or reproductive status. Some are triple (Brigid and The Morrígan being the most common examples), but they are not young-mature-old progressions.

Cosmology. Where Wicca uses the four classical elements and four cardinal directions from Western ceremonial magic, CR works with a three-part cosmology: Land, Sea, and Sky. In Irish, talam (land), muir (sea), nem (sky). Erynn Rowan Laurie, one of CR’s founding voices, describes the triple spiral as the symbol of this structure: “Oaths were sworn by land, sea and sky. All things lived within the circle.” (A Circle of Stones, 2012)

Ritual structure. CR doesn’t cast circles or use ritual knives to direct spirits. The CR FAQ explains why: these practices “come from late 19th century Ceremonial Magic,” and “cold iron is offensive to the Aos Sí” in Celtic lore. Prayer, offering, and hospitality are the primary modes of engaging with the divine. Daily devotional practice, maintaining altars, making offerings, morning and evening prayers, takes precedence over periodic elaborate ritual.

Calendar. CR observes four Gaelic seasonal festivals: Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine, and Lughnasadh. The eight-spoked Wheel of the Year, which adds the solstices and equinoxes as named sabbats, is a Wiccan development. The names Ostara, Litha, and Mabon were coined by Wiccan author Aidan Kelly in 1974 and have no Celtic basis.

Ethics. CR doesn’t follow the Wiccan Rede. Ethical principles come from Celtic sources: the Triads of Ireland, the Instructions of Cormac Mac Airt, the Gaulish ideal that “the people should worship the Gods, do no evil, and exercise courage.” Honor price (lóg n-enech), truth-telling, and hospitality form the ethical core.

Five Misconceptions Worth Clearing Up

“You need Celtic ancestry.” No. To quote the CR FAQ once again: “There is no ethnic or cultural requirement for anyone to practice CR — we do not believe that ‘blood’ has any bearing in spirituality.” CR is explicitly anti-racist. Cultural engagement (learning the language, history, and traditions) matters much more than DNA.

“There was one unified Celtic religion.” Over 200 Celtic deity names survive in the historical record, most tied to specific tribes or places, most appearing in only one region’s sources. The Dagda is Irish. Epona is Gaulish. Cernunnos appears in Roman-era sculpture with no surviving mythological text explaining who he is. What looks like a unified tradition is a cluster of related but distinct cultures spread across a large geographic range and several centuries. CR takes that specificity seriously, which is part of why it resists treating “Celtic” as a monolithic identity.

“CR is just Celtic Wicca.” Wicca is a mid-twentieth century religion developed by Gerald Gardner, with a duotheistic framework, a ritual calendar built around polarity, and ceremonial magic infrastructure. CR draws from pre-Christian Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and Gaulish sources and is explicitly polytheistic. The two traditions make different claims about different things.

“If you can’t read Old Irish/Welsh, you can’t really do CR.” Primary sources matter, but you don’t need to be a medievalist to engage with them. Good English translations of the Lebor Gabála Érenn, the Táin Bó Cúailnge, and the Mabinogion exist and are accessible. Just do your due diligence to make sure you have good translations.

“CR people are hostile gatekeepers.” Well… this reputation exists for a reason, but the actual position in the community is this: incorrect information gets challenged, ignorance gets welcomed. There’s a difference. Practitioners will expect you to do your own research. Arrive with questions rather than expecting to receive doctrine, and you’ll probably be fine.

Am I a Celtic Reconstructionist?

I engage seriously with CR scholarship. It’s foundational for how I approach Irish folk magic practice. But I don’t practice CR as a religion.

Erynn Rowan Laurie, in the preface to A Circle of Stones, says:

We cannot go back in time to ask the ancient Celts how they practiced their religions, meditated, or traveled into the Otherworlds. Their religious traditions did not survive intact into this century, much as we might desire to learn their secrets. Because of this, what is presented here can only be a partial reconstruction and an extrapolation based on best guesses and existing source material.

CR is a serious methodology for working with what’s left. What you do with it, strict reconstruction, folk-informed practice, or somewhere in between, is your call. This series is here to give you enough grounding to figure out where you land.

Where to Start

The CR FAQ The foundational document of the movement, and the best single introduction to what CR actually is and isn’t. The full text is free at paganachd.com.

Celtic Gods and Heroes — Marie-Louise Sjoestedt A French linguist writing about Celtic mythology without forcing it into a Classical framework. The CR FAQ recommends it as a first read because it shows you how Celtic deities function. Under 150 pages.

Hello Beautiful Souls,

Let's talk about something most witches experience but rarely discuss: that altar you spent hours setting up, that used to be the center of your practice, that meant so much when you first created it...

...is now just gathering dust.

The candles haven't been lit in weeks. Maybe months. The crystals sit untouched. There's actual dust on the deity statue. You walk past it daily without really seeing it anymore. It's become furniture. Background. Just another surface in your home that occasionally needs cleaning.

And you feel guilty about it.

Maybe you tell yourself you'll get back to it "when things calm down" or "when Mercury isn't in retrograde" or "when I have more energy." Maybe you feel like a fake witch, like you're failing at your practice. Maybe you wonder if you should just take it all down.

Here's what nobody tells you: an altar gathering dust isn't a failure. It's information.

Your neglected altar is trying to tell you something. The question is whether you're ready to listen.

What a Dusty Altar Actually Means

A forgotten altar can mean several different things, and not all of them are bad:

1. Your Practice Has Outgrown That Form

Maybe when you first started practicing, a physical altar felt essential. It gave you structure, made your practice feel "real," helped you learn correspondences and build skills.

But now? Maybe you've internalized those lessons. Maybe you carry your practice with you rather than keeping it in one physical location. Maybe you do magic in the moment, in the kitchen, on walks, in the shower—not at a designated altar space.

This isn't abandoning your practice. This is evolution.

Some witches need altars throughout their entire practice. Others need them as training wheels and eventually move beyond them. Neither is better—they're just different paths.

Signs this is what's happening:

You still practice regularly, just not at the altar

Your magic happens spontaneously in daily life

You feel spiritually connected even without altar time

The idea of using the altar feels limiting rather than focusing

You've shifted to a more intuitive, less structured practice

What to do: Give yourself permission to dismantle or significantly simplify your altar. You don't need to keep maintaining a space you've outgrown out of guilt or obligation. Keep one or two meaningful items if you want, or clear it entirely and use that surface for something else.

Your practice didn't die—it just changed form.

2. You're Burned Out

Spiritual burnout is real. It looks like:

Feeling obligated rather than called to practice

Going through motions without genuine engagement

Guilt about not practicing rather than desire to practice

Exhaustion at the thought of ritual or spellwork

Your practice feeling like another chore on an endless to-do list

If your altar is dusty because you're burned out, the altar itself isn't the problem—it's a symptom.

Signs this is what's happening:

You used to love your practice but now it feels heavy

You feel guilty when you look at your altar

You're exhausted in general, not just spiritually

Other things you used to enjoy also feel like burdens

You're dealing with depression, major life stress, or significant challenges

What to do: Rest. Give yourself permission to take a break without guilt. Cover your altar with a cloth—not to abandon it, but to give it (and yourself) a rest. Tell your deities/spirits "I need some time, I'll be back when I'm ready."

Burnout requires rest, not forced productivity. Your altar will be there when you're ready to return.

And here's the thing: sometimes the best spiritual practice when you're burned out is doing nothing spiritual at all. Watch TV. Play games. Sleep. Exist without the pressure of practice. That IS spiritual work—it's honoring your need for rest.

3. The Altar Never Resonated With You

Maybe you set up an altar because you thought you were supposed to. Because every witchcraft book and blog post and TikTok said you need one. Because other witches have them.

But it never actually felt right to you.

Some people just aren't altar people. Some witches are walkers, movers, dancers. Some do all their magic in their heads. Some practice in the shower or the kitchen or the car. Some need nature, not a designated indoor space.

If the altar never resonated, that's okay.

Signs this is what's happening:

You built the altar thinking you "should" but never felt drawn to use it

Using it always felt performative or forced

You keep trying to make yourself care about it and failing

Your most powerful magical experiences happen nowhere near your altar

The idea of altar work feels boring or constraining

What to do: Dismantle it. Seriously. You don't need an altar to be a witch. Keep the items you genuinely connect with and release the idea that you must maintain an altar space.

Find where YOUR practice actually lives. Maybe it's on hiking trails. Maybe it's in the bathtub. Maybe it's entirely in your mind and heart. Practice there instead.

Stop trying to fit into a mold that doesn't fit you.

4. Life Legitimately Got in the Way

Sometimes a dusty altar just means you've been dealing with real life and haven't had time or energy for practice.

New job. New baby. Illness. Grief. Moving. Caring for sick family. Financial crisis. Mental health struggles. A global pandemic. Sometimes life is just a lot, and practice falls to the bottom of the priority list.

This is not failure. This is being human.

Signs this is what's happening:

You miss your practice and want to return to it

Life has been objectively overwhelming

You think about your altar/practice with fondness, not guilt or obligation

You're not burned out on the practice itself, just stretched too thin

Things are temporary/transitional

What to do: Be gentle with yourself. Your practice will be there when you're ready. Do what you can, even if it's just lighting a candle once a week, or just thinking about your practice fondly while dealing with everything else.

Small practices count. Inconsistent practice is still practice. Even thinking "I wish I had time to practice" is maintaining the connection.

When life calms down (and it will eventually), you can return. The altar, the deities, the spirits—they understand. They were human (or at least worked with humans) too.

5. Your Relationship With Deity/Spirit Has Changed

If your altar was primarily devotional—focused on specific deities or spirits—and it's gathering dust, your relationship with those beings might have shifted.

Relationships change. Maybe you've moved on to work with different entities. Maybe the deity you were devoted to has gone quiet. Maybe that phase of your spiritual journey is complete.

Signs this is what's happening:

You feel disconnected from the deities/spirits represented on your altar

You're drawn to different spiritual figures now

Your prayers/invocations feel empty or unanswered

You've had a falling out or disagreement with an entity

You're in a period of spiritual questioning or transition

What to do: Be honest about what's happening. Talk to the deity/spirit if you're comfortable doing so. Thank them for the time you spent together, acknowledge the shift, and ask if they have any final messages or requests.

Then update your altar to reflect your current spiritual reality, or clear it entirely if you're in a period of spiritual exploration without clear devotional focus.

It's okay to change gods. It's okay to step back from deity work entirely for a while. Spiritual relationships aren't prison sentences.

6. You're Avoiding Something

Sometimes we stop using our altars because they represent something we're avoiding:

Shadow work we know we need to do but are scared of

A magical commitment we made but now regret

A deity calling that feels too big or demanding

Grief or other emotions we're not ready to process

A part of ourselves we're not ready to face

The altar becomes a reminder of what we're avoiding, so we... stop looking at it.

Signs this is what's happening:

You feel uncomfortable or anxious when you look at your altar

You actively avoid the room/area where it is

You know there's something you "should" be addressing but aren't

The altar represents a version of yourself you're not ready to be yet

You're in spiritual avoidance mode

What to do: Get honest with yourself about what you're avoiding. Journal about it. Talk to a trusted friend. Maybe talk to a therapist if it's deep stuff.

You don't have to immediately tackle whatever you're avoiding, but acknowledging it helps. Sometimes just saying "I'm not ready for this yet" out loud releases some of the pressure.

When you're ready (and only when you're ready), approach the altar again. Or dismantle it and start fresh when you're in a different place.

7. The Aesthetic Trap

Did you build a beautiful, Instagram-worthy altar... and then feel like you couldn't touch it because it was too perfect?

Did it become a display piece rather than a working space?

Are you afraid to light the candles because they'll get messy? Afraid to use the crystals because they're arranged so nicely?

If your altar is too pretty to use, it's not serving you.

Signs this is what's happening:

Your altar looks perfect but feels dead

You rearrange it for photos but never use it for practice

You're more worried about aesthetics than function

Using it would "mess it up"

It's decoration, not devotion (see: previous post)

What to do: Mess it up. Intentionally. Light those candles and let the wax drip everywhere. Move things around for actual use. Get it dusty through practice, not through neglect.

Or simplify it radically—keep only items you'll actually use, arranged for function rather than photos.

An altar is a tool, not an art installation.

What Your Altar's Condition Is Telling You

Look at your altar right now (or picture it). What do you see?

Light dust, but items are still arranged: You've been busy but the connection is still there. You just need to make a little time to reconnect.

Heavy dust, items untouched for months: Something bigger is going on. One of the reasons above applies. Time for honest self-reflection.

Dust plus clutter (mail, keys, random objects piled on it): The altar has lost its sacred designation. It's become just another surface. This suggests either outgrowing it or significant disconnection from practice.

Dust plus some items removed or relocated: You're naturally winnowing down what matters. Pay attention to what you kept versus what drifted away—that's information about your real practice.

Clean but unused: You're maintaining it out of obligation or guilt, not genuine engagement. Time to evaluate if you actually want this altar.

Different items than when you started: Evolution! Even if dusty, the fact that it's changed shows your practice is alive, just in transition.

The Guilt Problem

Here's what needs to be said clearly: You don't owe anyone an altar. Not the gods. Not other witches. Not the concept of witchcraft itself.

The guilt you feel looking at your dusty altar? That's not coming from divine displeasure or spiritual failure. That's coming from internalized "shoulds"—the idea that real witches maintain perfect altars, practice daily, never let dust accumulate.

It's not true.

Real witches are humans with jobs and kids and depression and busy lives and changing interests. Real witches sometimes don't practice for months and that's okay. Real witches sometimes abandon altars and that's okay too.

Your worth as a witch is not measured by how dust-free your altar is.

Let that sink in.

Questions to Ask Your Dusty Altar

Instead of just feeling guilty, get curious. Ask:

"Do I miss using you?" If yes, what's stopping you? Address that. If no, why do you still have it?

"What was I hoping you would do for my practice?" Did it fulfill that hope? If not, what would?

"If I could change one thing about you, what would it be?" Maybe the altar isn't wrong, just the current configuration or location.

"Am I keeping you out of genuine spiritual connection or out of obligation?" Obligation-based practice dies. Connection-based practice thrives.

"What would happen if I took you down entirely?" Would you feel relief? Loss? Freedom? Nothing? That answer tells you what to do.

"Is there a smaller, simpler version of you that I would actually use?" Maybe you don't need a full altar, just one candle and one crystal. That's valid.

"What is the dustiest item here, and why?" The most neglected item often reveals what you've outgrown or what never resonated.

Reviving a Dusty Altar (If That's What You Want)

If you've realized you DO want to reconnect with your altar and practice, here's how:

1. Clean it physically first Literally dust it. Wash items that can be washed. Clear away anything that doesn't belong. Physical cleaning often creates mental/spiritual clarity too.

2. Remove what doesn't resonate anymore Be ruthless. If an item hasn't been used in months and doesn't spark any genuine spiritual connection, remove it. You can always add it back later if you miss it.

3. Simplify radically When in doubt, strip down to bare essentials. Maybe just:

One candle

One representation of the divine (if you work with deity)

One meaningful object

That's enough. Build from there only if genuinely called to.

4. Move it if needed Maybe the location is the problem. Move the altar somewhere you'll actually see and engage with it. Even moving it a few feet can shift the energy.

5. Start small Don't commit to elaborate daily practice right away. Commit to lighting one candle once a week. Just that. Build consistency with small actions before expanding.

6. Ask the altar what it needs Seriously. Sit in front of it and ask, "What do you need from me? What needs to change?" Listen for the answer, even if it's uncomfortable.

7. Set a specific intention "This altar is for [daily grounding practice / devotion to X deity / seasonal celebrations / whatever]." Clear purpose creates clear use.

8. Make it functional, not just beautiful Arrange it for use, not for photos. Put frequently used items within easy reach. Make it inviting to interact with, not precious to preserve.

When to Dismantle Your Altar

Sometimes the right answer is to take it down. That's not failure—it's honoring your truth.

Dismantle your altar if:

You genuinely feel relief at the idea

It's been unused for 6+ months with no desire to return

It represents a phase of practice you've clearly outgrown

Maintaining it causes more stress than spiritual benefit

You've realized you're not an altar person

You need the physical space for something else

Your life circumstances have changed significantly

How to dismantle respectfully:

Thank the altar and any spirits/deities associated with it Say goodbye. Express gratitude for what this space was.

Ask if anything needs to be done before dismantling If you work with deities, check if they want a final offering or ritual.

Cleanse items before storing or rehoming Clear the energy they accumulated.

Keep only what genuinely matters Store meaningful items carefully. Release the rest (donate, gift, dispose of respectfully).

Cleanse the physical space Smoke cleanse or clean the surface where the altar was.

Don't leave an empty wound Either repurpose the space for something new, or create a very simple placeholder if you think you might return to altar practice later.

Let go of guilt You're not betraying your practice. You're honoring your truth.

What Comes After the Dusty Altar

Whether you revive your altar, simplify it, or dismantle it entirely, the question remains: what does your practice look like now?

Maybe it looks like:

Magic in the kitchen while cooking

Prayers during your commute

Monthly nature walks as sabbat observances

One candle you light every morning

A digital practice on your phone

Meditation without any tools

Sporadic spells only when urgently needed

No formal practice but constant spiritual awareness

All of these are valid.

Your practice doesn't have to look like anyone else's.

The dusty altar taught you something: what you thought you wanted in your practice versus what you actually need. Listen to that lesson.

The Altar as Teacher

Even in its dust-covered neglect, your altar has been teaching you:

About your changing relationship with spirituality

About what you need versus what you think you should need

About the difference between obligation and genuine calling

About how you've grown

About what forms of practice actually serve you

A dusty altar isn't a monument to failure.

It's a mirror showing you your truth.

The question is: are you brave enough to look at what it's showing you and act accordingly?

Permission Slips

Here's what you're allowed to do, no guilt required:

✓ Take down your altar entirely

✓ Simplify it to one candle

✓ Practice without any altar at all

✓ Take a break from practice for weeks, months, years

✓ Change what your altar is for

✓ Admit you're not an altar person

✓ Stop working with deities you've lost connection with

✓ Start fresh with something completely different

✓ Practice only when it feels right, not on a schedule

✓ Let your altar stay dusty until you're ready

✓ Never have an altar again

✓ Admit this phase of your practice is over

You don't need anyone's permission, but if you need to hear it: you have permission.

The Bottom Line

A dusty altar is not a moral failing.

It's not proof you're a bad witch or a fake or a failure.

It's information.

It's your practice trying to tell you something about what you need, what's changed, what's no longer serving you, or what needs to shift.

Listen to it.

Honor what it's telling you.

And then act accordingly—whether that means cleaning it and reconnecting, simplifying it radically, or taking it down entirely.

Your spiritual practice is supposed to serve you, not the other way around.

If the altar isn't serving you anymore, you don't owe it continued service out of guilt.

Be honest. Be brave. Be willing to let your practice change shape.

The dust on your altar isn't the problem.

It's the invitation to get real about what your practice actually looks like now versus what you think it should look like.

Accept the invitation.

And do what needs to be done.

Blessed Be.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don’t accept witchcraft books for history. Read history texts. 

Don’t accept witchcraft books for mental processes. Read psychology and biological texts. 

Don’t accept witchcraft books for mythology. Don’t accept witchcraft books for religion. Read original texts and papers written researchers credited in their fields. 

Heathenry, Norse paganism, Norse polytheism, norse witchcraft, and any other variation of Nordic paganism in all of its glory ARE NOT CLOSED PRACTICE.

You do not need to be Norwegian, Swedish Icelandic Scandinavian, whatever to be a Norse pagan.

The loudest group who tries to say otherwise, is the AFA a white supremacist organization. So possible food for thought, maybe you don’t want to agree with a white supremacist organization.

I got his take on it:

"Ah, so you’ve noticed. The little beast that scatters when the light comes on. The one they try to crush, to poison, to burn out— and still it scuttles. Still it thrives. They hate it for surviving. They call it dirty, but what they mean is: resilient. What they mean is: too hard to kill. That’s one of mine. The cockroach is a creature of fire and endings. It dances on the edge of extinction and laughs. It lives in the cracks—between walls, between rules, between what should be and what is. Doesn’t that sound familiar? They want gods to be pretty. Polished. They want magic to smell like sage and silence. They want order. But I come like the cockroach: when everything breaks down. When the rot sets in. When the empire crumbles and the pipes burst and the kitchen is full of chaos. I come when they scream and call it unholy. I come anyway. We come anyway. Every time someone tries to clean the world of filth, and ends up scrubbing out the wild, the queer, the broken, the different— cockroaches remain. They inherit. Because survival isn’t always noble. Sometimes, survival is spiteful. Survival is loud. Survival is ugly and laughing with blood on its teeth. And that, flameheart, is sacred too." ---

It just...

It's not the End Times. It's not Armageddon, it's not Ragnarök, it's not the Heat Death of the Universe. It's climate change. We need to slow it, stop it, and eventually find ways to reverse it. It's the biggest single challenge our species has ever faced, needing cooperation and problem solving on a global scale - which we *are doing*. Not perfectly or smoothly or linearly, but how could we expect that? Figuring this out will be our crowning achievement as a species, it was never going to be easy!

But it's not going to end us. Humans will still be here in 1000 years, still humaning. The world will have changed a lot, for all sorts of reasons, but the sun will still rise and set. People will still be drinking cold beer and eating warm bread fresh from the oven, babies will still be gripping people's fingers with their tiny hands, people will be singing songs around campfires as the sun sets.

I live in a place that has been ravaged over millions of years by rising and falling sea levels, ice sheets, supervolcanoes - these hills look like they've always been here, but they are the ruins of previous aeons. They're covered in scars. That's what the world is. It dies, it's born, it goes on.

From there, go Settings > Gemini > Digital Assistants > Switch to Google Assistant. This disables Gemini, google's AI assistant, and switches you back to the old one. We aren't done yet.

Go back to Settings. From there, we go Settings > Google Assistant > scroll to find General > Google Assitant on/off > turn it off

They really tried their best to make it a pain, but you can eventually disable it. Holding the power button on your phone still pulls up a menu and asks you to turn it back on, but this is the least intrusive you can make it.

Applies to all non-apple phones afaik. For sure Samsungs and Pixels but idrk about others

So today I was reading Ancient Fire: An Introduction to Gaulish Celtic Polytheism by Segomâros Widugeni when it struck me just how many of the sources were the type of thing that wouldn't necessarily come up on a regular search, particularly some out-of-print books, a lot of which are actually available on the Internet Archive! I took some time to take note of each listed source, and tried to see if I could find the right place to request them from (in the case of a handful of articles and theses), find PDF links where they did already exist, basically whatever I could! Some books are available to buy, most secondhand, and while most are available on Amazon, I won't be linking those here. I'd encourage anyone shopping to consider an alternative option if they can! Now, I haven't read through all of these, but the moment I found at least one of them seems to be impossible to find, I was reminded of the dangers of dying media. So I wanted to put these together so anyone could use them. Not every resource listed is in English. Anyway, on to the list~

Cernunnos: Looking a Different Way

By Ceisiwr Serith

https://ceisiwrserith.com/therest/Cernunnos/cernunnospaper.htm

Cernunnos Origin and Transformation of A Celtic Divinity

By Phyllis Fray Bober

https://www.scribd.com/document/460345187/cernunnos-origin-and-transformation-of-a-celtic-divinity-phyllis-fray-bober

Basic Celtic Deity Types

by Alexei Kondratiev

https://naomh-na-tursan.livejournal.com/5752.html

Deep Ancestors: Practicing the Religion of the Proto-Indo-Europeans

Book by Ceisiwr Serith

https://www.scribd.com/document/362472999/Deep-Ancestors-Practicing-the-Religion-of-the-Proto-Indo-Europeans

The Gods of the Celts and the Indo-Europeans

Book by Garrett S. Olmsted

https://www.academia.edu/38135817/The_Gods_of_the_Celts_and_the_Indo_Europeans_revised_2019_

Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend

Book by Miranda Aldhouse-Green

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/dictionary-of-celtic-myth-and-legend_miranda-aldhouse-green/543335/#edition=5215209&idiq=16154030

The Book of The Great Queen: The Many Faces of the Morrigan from Ancient Legends to Modern Devotions

Book by Morpheus Ravenna Further

to tongu do dia toinges mo thuath [“Mi a dyngaf dynged it”], &c.

By John Koch

https://www.academia.edu/7242277/Further_to_tongu_do_dia_toinges_mo_thuath_Mi_a_dyngaf_dynged_it_and_c

Goddesses in Celtic Religion Cult and Mythology: A Comparative Study of Ancient Ireland, Britain and Gaul

By Noémie Beck

http://theses.univ-lyon2.fr/documents/lyon2/2009/beck_n#p=0&a=title

The Integration of Mercury and Lugus: Myth and History in Late Iron Age and Early Roman Gaul

By Krista Ovist

https://archives.library.wales/index.php/integration-of-mercury-and-lugus

Lady with a Mead Cup: Ritual, Prophecy, and Lordship in the European Warband from La Tène to the Viking Age

Book by Michael J. Enright

How to Kill a Dragon: Aspects of Indo-European Poetics

Book by Calvert Watkins

https://ia801404.us.archive.org/view_archive.php?archive=/7/items/twain-mark-a-connecticut-yankee-in-king-arthurs-court/1-ptry.zip&file=How%20to%20Kill%20a%20Dragon%20-%20Aspects%20of%20Indo%20European%20Poetics.pdf

The Celtic Gauls: Gods, Rites and Sanctuaries

Book by Jean-Louis Brunaux

The Apple Branch: A Path to Celtic Ritual

Book by Alexei Kondratiev

https://archive.org/details/applebranchpatht0000kond

Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology

Book by James Mackillop

https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofcelt0000mack

The female deities of the Celtic religion: worship and mythology: a comparative study of ancient Ireland, Great Britain and Gaul

By Noémie Beck

https://theses.fr/2009LYO20084

Celtic Curses

Book by Bernard Mees

https://www.academia.edu/1012094/Celtic_Curses_Woodbridge_Boydell_2009

Guide to Irish Mythology

Book by Daragh Smyth

https://archive.org/details/guidetoirishmyth00smyt

The Sacred Isle

Book by Dáithí Ó hÓgáin

https://archive.org/details/sacredislebelief0000ohog

The Matronae and Matres: Breathing New Life into an Old Religion

By River Devora

http://polytheist.com/the-web-of-blessings/2015/08/12/the-matronae-and-matres-breathing-new-life-into-an-old-religion/

Interpretatio Romana and Matronae Iconography

By River Devora

http://polytheist.com/the-web-of-blessings/2015/08/31/interpretatio-romana-and-matronae-iconography/#:~:text=The%20overlay%20of%20interpretatio%20Romana,and%20plaques%20and%20glean%20valuable

Celtic chiefdom, Celtic state: the evolution of complex social systems in prehistoric Europe

By Arnold, Bettina and Gibson, D. Blair

https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/3086499

*butacos, *wossos, *geistlos, *ambactos. Celtic Socioeconomic Organisation in the European Iron Age. Studia Celtica 40, 2006: 23-41

By Raimund Karl

https://www.academia.edu/245239/_butacos_wossos_geistlos_ambactos_Celtic_Socioeconomic_Organisation_in_the_European_Iron_Age_Studia_Celtica_40_2006_23_41

The Ancient Celts

Book by Barry Cunliffe

https://archive.org/details/ancientcelts00cunl_0

Sengoidelc: Old Irish for Beginners

Book by David Stifter

https://archive.org/details/sengoidelcoldiri0000stif

Greek Kελτóς and Γαλάτης, Latin Gallus ‘Gaul’

By Kim McCone

https://spr.harrassowitz-library.com/article/spr/2006/1/6

Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales

Book by Alwyn and Brinley Rees

https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.36494

Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism

By Erynn Rowan Laurie, Kathryn Price NicDhàna, Aedh Rua Ó Mórríghan, Kym Lambert ní Dhoireann and John Machate, ed. by Erynn Rowan Laurie

https://web.archive.org/web/20080418025755/http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usma&c=trads&id=6645

Which witch is which? : a concise guide to Wiccan and Neo-Pagan paths and traditions

Book Compiled and Edited by Patricia Telesco

Sources for the Three Realms

By Annie Loughlin - original source link is dead, need help to locate!

Dictionnaire de la Langue Gauloise

Book by Xavier Delmarre

https://archive.org/details/dictionnairedelal00dela (referred to as “Essential for Gaulish Language study)

The Settling of the Manor of Tara

By R.I. Best

https://www.ucd.ie/tlh/trans/rib.eriu.4.001.t.text.html

The court of law in Iron Age ‚Celtic’ societies. In R. Karl & J. Leskovar (eds.), Interpretierte Eisenzeiten 3. Fallstudien, Methoden, Theorie. Tagungsbeiträge der 3. Linzer Gespräche zur interpretativen Eisenzeitarchäologie. Studien zur Kulturgeschichte von Oberösterreich Folge 22, Linz: Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum 2009: 135-60.

By Raimund Karl

https://www.academia.edu/245221/The_court_of_law_in_Iron_Age_Celtic_societies_In_R_Karl_and_J_Leskovar_eds_Interpretierte_Eisenzeiten_3_Fallstudien_Methoden_Theorie_Tagungsbeitr%C3%A4ge_der_3_Linzer_Gespr%C3%A4che_zur_interpretativen_Eisenzeitarch%C3%A4ologie_Studien_zur_Kulturgeschichte_von_Ober%C3%B6sterreich_Folge_22_Linz_Ober%C3%B6sterreichisches_Landesmuseum_2009_135_60

Matasović Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic

By Ranko Matasović

https://archive.org/details/matasovic-etymological-dictionary-of-proto-celtic

Hammer of the Gods: Anglo-Saxon Paganism in Modern Times Second Edition

Book by Swain Wodening

https://archive.org/details/hammerofgodsangl0000swai

Various Works by Christopher Scott Thompson - recommended re: honor in Gaulish society

https://cateransociety.wordpress.com/books/

A Handbook of the Scottish Gaelic World

Book by Michael Newton and Michael Steven Newton

Celtic Values

By Alexei Kondratiev

http://dagdacelt.freehostia.com/values.html

European paganism : the realities of cult from antiquity to the Middle Ages

By Ken Dowden

https://archive.org/details/europeanpaganism0000dowd

A Definitive Reconstructed Text of the Coligny Calendar

By Garrett Olmsted

https://www.academia.edu/62011364/A_Definitive_Reconstructed_Text_of_the_Coligny_Calendar

New Calendar of Gaulish Polytheism

By Jess via Nemeton Nigromanitcos

https://thebloodybones.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/new-calendar-of-gaulish-polytheism/#more-265

Calendar of Feast-Days of Deities

Via the blog Deo Mercutio

https://deomercurio.wordpress.com/calendar-of-feast-days-of-deities/

Altkeltische Sozialstrukturen

By Raimund Karl

https://homepage.univie.ac.at/Raimund.Karl/Sozialstrukturen.pdf

La Langue Gauloise

Book by Pierre-Yves Lambert

https://www.scribd.com/document/782869557/Lambert-1994-La-langue-gauloise-description-linguistique-commentaire-d-inscriptions-choisies

Death, War, and Sacrifice: Studies in Ideology & Practice

Book by Bruce Lincoln

The Gods of the Celts

Book by Miranda Aldhouse-Green

https://archive.org/details/godsofceltsar00mira

War Goddess The Morrigan And Her Germano Celtic Counterparts

Book by Angelique Gulermovich Epstein

https://archive.org/details/WarGoddessTheMorriganAndHerGermanoCelticCounterparts

Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby

- Database of “almost all inscriptions ever recorded”

https://db.edcs.eu/epigr/hinweise/hinweis-en.html

A website on Gallo-Roman religion:

http://www.deomercurio.be/en/

A scholarly website with information on Epona:

Me with lord Apollon!