Blog of a Veštica

General Christianity

“The first and most important thing you need to do to practice Heathenry is read the Eddas.”

“You must worship Odin even if you don’t want to, because he’s the head god.”

“The point of being Heathen is to live life in a way that grants you entry to Valhalla.”

“Valhalla is the good/awesome afterlife and Helheim is the bad/boring afterlife.”

“The Æsir are good and the jötnar are evil.”

“Odin is like God, Loki is like the Devil, and Baldr is like Jesus.”

“Odin is more powerful than the rest of the gods.”

“Ragnarok is the End Times.”

(“Us vs. them” attitudes.)

(Not knowing what to do with the the goddesses in general, regardless of one’s gender.)

Catholic-Specific

“To be Heathen, you must serve the gods.”

“We can’t truly know the gods, only attempt to understand them through the Eddas.”

“The gods are distant and don’t care about our personal needs or lives.”

“We must act as the gods’ ambassadors on Earth.”

“Making sacrifices should be painful. That’s why it’s called a sacrifice.”

“Ragnarök is the End Times and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

(Treating the Hávamál as scripture.)

(Using medieval Icelandic law-tracts as a stand-in for Heathen religious orthodoxy.)

(Observing strict worship and insisting others do the same.)

(Adopting a very feudalistic relationship with the gods; lord/servant dynamics.)

Protestant-Specific

“Showing devotion to the gods is done by acting as their hands and feet on earth.”

“You must think about the gods all the time and involve them in everything you do.”

“Why should we merely ‘work with’ the gods when we can worship them?”

“Ragnarök is the End Times and we must prepare to fight on the side of the gods.” OR...

“Ragnarök is the End Times and we must help fulfill it.”

(Behaving as marginalized on the basis of their faith.)

(Reacting badly when confronted with new information about Heathenry.)

(Making bold or even standoffish declarations of faith.)

If you come from a Christian background and hear someone make statements like this, you’re probably going to feel pressured to come up with a counterargument for why it’s okay for you to disagree. What you actually need to do is dismiss the premise entirely. These arguments aren’t reflective of Heathen truths and you don’t have to argue with them as though they are.

This is also not a dig at those who’ve made these statements / done these behaviors before. It’s not exactly second-nature for us to break out of the habit of believing in a specific idea or behaving in a specific way when we believed / behaved that way for most of our lives. However, it’s still worth understanding how specific to Christianity these things are and trying to move away from them.

It’s up to you if you want to point out the nature of these arguments to the people making them. But if you do, I recommend doing so tactfully, with a clear head, and with a very clear understanding about what makes the premise Christian in nature.

Obviously there's a cult of personality thing happening right now but anytime the cult leader gives up the ghost, there's gonna be a power vacuum that doesn't get filled the same way. And then the country changes, be it broken up or stops existing.

Right now, this world would be completely unrecognizable to my baba and jeda (my jeda died I believe in 2001, and my baba 3 years prior) if they just came back to life right now. But with how tumultuous this is becoming, be prepared for things to be unrecognizable 10 years from now maximum.

When the gross bag of cheetohs finally expires, a power vacuum will occur, and nobody within his merry band of dipshits is gonna be able to adequately fill it. Whatever happens, their reign also won't last as long. But things are going to keep radically changing. Nothing will ever go back to any normal we've ever known; not 80s normal, not 90s normal, not the 00s or the 10s. There will be no going back as by this point, everybody on all sides will have already shown their true colors---who they really are.

This is not limited to just citizens. I'm talking people in any position of significant power that directly affects this country. And that's the thing here: there won't be a United States of America anymore. Once the cheetoh expires, there is going to be a countdown clock that nobody can read the numbers on. I've got this feeling like if the US is gonna stay in existence, it won't be all 50 states.

I don't know how this will all go down, I don't know if a new country or several develops, I don't know if some states will want to join other countries, I don't even know how this is going to look be it voluntary, civil war, or some sort of foreign invasion. But what I can tell you is to prepare... almost like it could be the end of the world, simply because we don't know how this country dissolving is going to even look like. (I'm not saying there's going to be an apocalypse. I'm saying look at how other countries used to exist, like Yugoslavia, and just prepare for maybe something like that.)

My big concern is climate change. We're already woefully far more unprepared than we were before this regime came to be. This country dissolving could also dissolve organizations or make funding unavailable for organizations that do things like keeping you up to date on the weather and sending out severe weather alerts. Infrastructure could even be jeopardized. Who knows what the mailing system might look like. Shit like that.

While it's a good idea to come up with an escape plan, it's also just as important to come up with a lockdown plan (I don't know what other term to use as I type this, sorry). I mean don't just prepare to escape. Prepare to also stay. Where you may escape to might not be the best option shortly after. This is going to completely depend on your situation.

I also have to emphasize this right now: START LEARNING ABOUT RADIOS. Granted, it costs a lot of money to have the equipment to become a ham radio operator, but at least get your hands on a decent shortwave radio and learn how to use it! Get CB radio! Learn all you can about radio! Aside from needing to power it (through electricity or batteries), it doesn't require any infrastructure! Radio tech doesn't give a fuck about country borders. AND GET YOURSELF A WEATHER RADIO RIGHT NOW because cell phone alerts aren't always reliable if you lack signal/service and/or internet! Midland is a reliable brand, and I have one that helped me big time when the derecho hit us back in May. (They send out a tornado warning, because derechos are about as powerful as an EF2 or EF3 tornado.)

Oh, and whatever you use your phone for that you can use the real version of (such as a flashlight), start getting into the habit of that. If something happens to your phone, there goes your flashlight, your period tracker, your cash, your photos, an address book, a radio, a map (or several), reference guides to plants and wildlife, etc. You all ought to start acting like cellphones won't or never existed because all of our modern tech from the big brands are designed to malfunction at a certain point so you have to buy the newest and latest one. Plus cell towers might malfunction or something (or even be sabotaged if this country splits into more than one), so it's best to have a backup.

Yes, I'm essentially telling you to get into some prepper stuff. But you can do it without seeming like some tinfoil hat wearing r*ght-w*nger. Each time you think shit can't get any worse or crazier, it does.

This feeling that the US won't be the US anymore on a map soon will not leave me alone. I hope that whoever reads this takes my words seriously just in case it does. The requests I'm making for people to do aren't too unrealistic for most. Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha likely know some Millennials, Xennials, and Gen-X'ers that could help them out with the old tech/no tech concept. Embrace analog tech! It could be very useful soon!

Anyway, I'm reblogging this from my personal blog. I'm gonna re-emphasize the whole radio thing here because radios are fucking cool and could become super important very soon.

I'm a Millennial, so I don't know how many of my followers still following me here are from what generation. Regardless, we're all very used to fast, quick, and sometimes instant stuff these days. If you're interested in learning about radios beyond weather radios (PLEASE SERIOUSLY GET ONE), I ask that you take your time learning about radios. There are plenty of YouTube videos out there that teach all about them if video-learning is what helps you absorb and retain info, but if you want less screen-time, I'm pretty sure every single library branch must have SOMETHING pertaining to learning about radios. I had checked out a couple of books in the recent past about shortwave radios and ham radios. So you have multiple options out there! I also say take your time to specifically aim at generations younger than me, because I don't know how foreign of a concept it is for you guys, especially since the weather and time of day can impact your reception regarding shortwave radio. Don't rush through learning about this. I know if seems old-timey, but when infrastructure goes down, you won't have internet, cellphone, or a way to charge your phone (maybe it could be a situation where you can't even upgrade your phone anymore).

My point is: learn how to live without your phone not in an effort to rid yourself of the phone, but to gain certain habits and practices to a point where it shouldn't be as heavy of a shock to you if/when the grid likely collapses. This is to prepare you for such a situation since it's becoming more likely than not compared to the early 2010s.

more on this page:

Slavic deities edition

Reminder that slavic paganism is an open practice, and to not listen to racists and gatekeepers. Also a reminder that my messages are always open if you have any questions regarding slavic paganism. I may respond slowly but surely i will reply.

Who to pray to when you have problems with love and romance?

Lada, the goddess of love.

Vesna, the goddess of spring.

Lelya, the goddess of spring and love.

Who to pray to when you have problems with fertility, accepting infertility, and managing children and motherhood?

Mokosh, goddess of the Earth, motherhood, childbirth, women, weaving, sewing, fertility etc!

Who to pray to when you have problems with accepting your masculinity and managing with fatherhood and manhood?

Rod , the god of family and the creator of other gods. (While his historical existance is debated, it doesn't hurt to utter a prayer or a few words of praise!)

Svarog, the god of blacksmiths and fire (He is the father of Dajbog (Svarozhich) so it can be a great idea to ask away for advice / help!)

Perun , the god of thunder, storms, kingship, law and order.

Who to pray to for wisdom and knowledge?

Baba Yaga, the goddess of witchcraft. (Although she is often seen as a mythical figure, many slavic pagans also view her as a goddess.)

Veles, the god of underworld, the cattle, and chaos. As he is often seen as a trickster deity.

Who to pray to for abundance and prosperity?

Perun, the god of thunder, storms, fertility, kingship, law and order.

Dajbog, the god of the Sun, light , fire and prosperity.

Who to pray to for our deceased loved ones to rest in peace?

Morana and Veles.

Who to pray to for rain and fertility?

Perun, Dodola / Perperuna.

Who to pray to for happiness and positivity?

Jarilo / Yarilo, the god of spring (and more...)

Vesna , the goddess of spring

Dajbog, the god of the Sun (and more...)

Who to pray to for justice?

Perun, as he is god of law, justice and oaths.

Who to pray to for happiness in marriage?

Perun and Dodola.

You can also pray to Morana for this.

Reminder , it's always good to ask away if a deity can help you with something. These aren't strict guidelines, but rather a resource to help you understand better who you may be able to pray to for something. Doesn't mean you should strictly pray to Perun for justice, but it means it's a good idea!

Accidental vegan pig's feet.

If anyone wants to know how the victims of East Palestine, OH are doing, please watch this.

I know there's a lot of stuff going on right now in the news, but I don't want people to forget what happens and continues to happen several miles north of where I live. My area got lucky with the wind direction that day. (There's also speculation that Pittsburgh experienced some acid rain from it, but I haven't found anything that confirmed it.)

(Unfortunately, an oil pad (likely fracking) is just over the hill here on my parents' farm. So I've got that to worry about, too!)

This is important to talk about because this shit can (and will) happen ANYWHERE in the US. Fuck, we've got several active freight tracks in my area that I wouldn't be surprised if we experience it at some point. In fact, something similar happened not long ago in Atlanta, GA and I'm not hearing shit about it in the news. (Again: lots going on right now, so I don't know if I'm not looking hard enough and only seeing a few vague clips outside of Status Coup News and first-hand accounts of people living there or what.)

If you're young, have a knack for science, and don't know what to do with your life but want to go to college for something, I suggest shooting for majors that would get you into the EPA, and then understand it might be best to not get into the EPA since they're not doing shit. (I was trying this as someone in my 30s but I'm fucked for choice in terms of colleges near me that have relevant programs and I can't afford to move. Best I can do is purchase secondhand college textbooks or borrow relevant books from the library as well as watch relevant YouTube videos.)

more fucking petitions because this clown car country cannot stop with the bigotry for 30 seconds

uk people it takes 5 seconds and you checking your email to verify

“At 10,000 signatures...

At 10,000 signatures, government will respond to this petition

At 100,000 signatures...

Climate change is a bitch and summer is coming. If you don’t already have an air conditioner and/or fans, NOW is the time to get them.

THINGS YOU SHOULD BE SHOPPING FOR NOW:

—clothes made of cotton or linen

—air conditioner

—fans

—frozen meals that can be cooked in the microwave

—potable bottled water; you want five days’ worth per person and pet in your household

—bottled fruit juices; it does not matter if these are sugar-added because you’ll want the electrolytes

—electrolyte drinks

—electrolyte pills (you can get these online, I get mine from Amazon)

—popsicle molds to use with fruit and juice

—ice cube trays

—nonperishable salty snacks like peanuts

—one charger brick per adult in case of rolling blackouts or power outages; charge these at the beginning of May, and drain them via use once a month if they’re not needed

YOUR TO-DO LIST:

—check your home’s HVAC system if you didn’t do it at the beginning of winter. Make sure all the filters are clean and replace them if needed

—check the seals on your sinks and bathtub in case you have to run water to handle shortages

—make and freeze meals you can cook in the microwave or simply defrost. Remember to select light summer fare, not hearty winter soups and gravies

—purchase and freeze lunch meats and cheeses you can defrost and use this summer for sandwiches when it’s hot

—assemble your check-in list: elderly, pregnant, disabled, and immunocompromised friends and relatives who may struggle to get things they need when the heat wave hits. Have this list posted and ready to go through daily once the heat gets high. DON’T JUST ASSUME YOU WILL REMEMBER. WRITE IT ALL DOWN.

—create a list of emergency contacts in case of fire, heat stroke, and other heat-related emergencies. This should include your local version of 911 (I think in most of Europe it’s 112, but don’t rely on me as an American, LOOK IT UP NOW before you need it), your doctor’s phone number, and two emergency contacts. Keep it in a place where it can be easily found if someone needs to make these calls on your behalf.

—ask your doctor for an additional prescription for any medications you take, and fill it now. Extreme heat can cause disruptions in the supply chain. Make sure you cycle these meds; that’s to say, always use your oldest bottle first so you don’t end up with expired meds in an emergency.

—stock your first-aid kit. If you don’t have one, now is a good time to make one.

—if you own a car, get your yearly maintenance done now. You don’t want to be dealing with an inoperable vehicle if you need to evacuate.

The most popular browsers in different countries in 2012 and 2022.

I have an account on witches.live, and it's been down for a couple of weeks now. I say "down" and not "gone" because if I try to access it on Chrome, I get the custom-made by-the-admin page that says it's down and that she is working on it. That custom error page has to come from SOMEWHERE. If the server was "gone" then I wouldn't get the custom error page.

Unfortunately, I don't get it on Firefox (not on my desktop nor on my mobile app) and the Mastodon app simply just doesn't reload/load at all. So I'm HOPING she is doing a heavy-duty update.

I'm gonna guess there could be some life stuff happening too, because this server, as far as I know, is ran by ONE PERSON and that's why I haven't given up hope.

However, I'm still looking up alternative instances as a backup.

I wanna steer clear of popular activist/leftist ones because some (like kolektiva) have been targets for doxxing and shit from what I've heard. I know pagan.plus is a thing, but it's also quite popular and with the religious right wanting to go after everyone not them, I'd rather hang back on a smaller or lesser known instance.

I really wanna join the solarpunk server sunbeam.city but registration is closed. I dunno no if it's lack of server space or to avoid a wave of bots or what. The one candidate I have where registration isn't closed is a gardening one. I have it bookmarked on my desktop.

I'm gonna give witches.live until maybe June before I create a backup account on that gardening server. (I'll still continuously check back with witches.live though.)

I think this is honestly the ONE FLAW I don't like about Mastodon, though. And I'd rather have several backup accounts than join a bigger server that's likely to be a target.

Also there's a server called anarchism.space or something that I have bookmarked on my desktop and I SWEAR I may have had an account there and forgot that I joined. If thats true, I don't know what email I used. Their registration is closed, too.

Fiiiiiiiiine.

In my effort to make less effort I may have neglected to mention that the context here is animism. Which, as you probably know, is not a monolith. There are various beliefs labeled "animistic" and they differ on some points, so keep that in mind.

A lot of people take "spirit" to mean "consciousness" which is not necessarily the case. But again, animism is a broad label, so it's not necessarily not the case, either. Of course, defining consciousness is a whole other can of worms, but let's try not to get too hung up on that.

That fucker held grudges.