*Please note that for the sake of all correspondences in this post, ‘abyss’ is anything over 1000 ft below the surface of the ocean.
Hello all, it’s me, and by request, I thought I would start a series on deep sea magic. If you have any questions with regards to any of the material presented here, please message me! These are personal correspondences and correlations, and this is just (one) sea witches way of doing things! As always, I encourage you to evaluate whether the information I present lines up with your own, and adjust them accordingly.
First off: Correspondences!
Gender: None, or Nonbinary
Signs: Pices, Cancer, Capricorn
Planet: None/The Space Between
Energies: Crushing, Smothering, Pulling, Dark, Quiet, Stillness, Death, Oblivion, Renewal, Madness
Types of Magic: Banishing, Binding, Psychic work, Dream magic, Past life regression, memory.
Symbols: A giant squid fighting a sperm whale, trident, submarine.
Season: Autumn, a time of liminal forces
Colors: Deep (or navy) blue, black, phosphorescent
Stones: Obsidian, Kyanite, Clear quartz, Muscovite, Alexandrite, Hornblende, Magnetite, Hematite, Diamond.
Gods: Aspidochelone, Aegir, Jormungandr, Yam, Lir, Enki, Marduk, Neptune, Poseidon, Repun Kami, Davy Jones
Goddesses: Namu, Njord, Ran, Tiamat, Tsovinar, Astanik, Scylla, Charybdis
Spirits: Kraken, Tritons, Cecaelis, Cetus, Hippocampus, Merfolk
Plants: Chamomile, Succulents, Grapes, Mallow, Morning Glory*, Hemlock*, Belladonna* (**b TOXIC TOXIC TOXIC)
Animals: Squid, Jellyfish, Octopi, Isopods, Eels, Anglerfish, Hagfish, Basking Sharks, Sperm whales, Nautilus, Tubeworms, Lampreys.
Insects: Fireflies, Leeshches, Isopods
Positive traits: Quiet, Serene, Soothing.
Negative traits: Crushing, suffocating, black.
Astral colors: Phosphorescent
Musical instrument: deep woodwinds.
Anatomy: Blood, Lymphatic fluid
Incense: Juniper, Dragons Blood, Lotus
Media with a similar energy*:
Movies: The Abyss, Cloverfield, Pirates of the Caribbean Series, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, The Sphere, Event Horizon, Annihilation, Arrival, Deep Blue Sea, Pacific Rim
TV/Docuseries: Blue Planet (I and II), Aliens of the Deep, Planet Earth (I and II), Stranger Things Season 2*
*(I have included some non-ocean related media here that I feel captures both the beauty and inherent perils of the deep sea).
Part II: The Darkness and the Depths-Working with the energy of the deep sea
So, it goes without saying, working with the energy of the abyss isn’t for everyone. I consider working with deep-sea energy somewhat of advanced magic.
Firstly, it’s important to remember that human beings as a species have explored and mapped less of the deep sea that we have outer space. That’s right; as tempting as it is to take deep sea work lightly, it’s important to remember that human beings have very little idea of what’s actually down there; flora and fauna notwithstanding, think about it; if we know so little about the physical life that may be found in the sea trenches, imagine just how much we know about the spirits and non-physical beings that reside down there. That is to say, virtually nothing. And this lack of knowledge only increases when you start talking about the seas of other worlds; say the watery or frozen moons of other planets in our solar system. In no short manner of speaking, it’s like scuba diving blind with a bunch of very hungry, very very large sharks.
I can’t overstate the sheer amount of caution that should be taken here. This isn’t to scare you away, but you have to keep in mind also that a lot of terrestrial, surface-world shields are not going to help you when you go for this particular spiritual dive, so to speak. The very first place I would advise you to start is to work on an energetic shield that’s going to protect you when you start using this kind of magic. Think of your shield like your own personal submarine. You can’t make it out of air, or wood. You’re going to have to make it out of a strong metal, or find a force that rivals or counters the gravity. Solar energy would be a great one, or the energy from a distant, even larger star. Play around with what works for you. But if you aren’t kin to the blackness and crushing weight of the abyss, it’s going to wreck you.
I always recommend having a guide, too. There are lots of moderately benevolent gods and spirits who can offer you protection, too, and give you guidance for visionwork and astral in the depths. Having them around when you invoke energy, too, from the abyss is a good idea. Because the energy of the deep is so heavy, just a small bit of that energy can literally crush you when you bring it to the surface. Remember too that in some circles of psychology, the subconscious mind can be represented by the deep; so you might find yourself dealing with those same ‘crushing’ issues that will come rushing to the surface when you begin working with deep sea magic. Take your time. Deal with those issues as they arise, and don’t continue working with this energy and vibe until you’ve done so. Otherwise you will literally drown yourself and be overwhelmed by everything. In a mundane sense, signs of too much deep sea energy after prolonged work will be similar to the bends or aerobulolosis*. Such signs are as follows:
* Musculoskeletal: deep and localized pain or throbbing. Almost nothing will help the pain, even lack of motor activity will aggravate it.
*Cutaneous: intense itching, usually around the face, neck, and ears. Mottled or marbled skin on the upper shoulders or abdomen, swelling and scar-like skin depressions.
*Neurological: Altered sensation and perception. Numbness or tingling in the head. Confusion or memory loss. Rapid and unexplained mood swings. Seizures, unconsciousness. Urinary and fecal incontinence, extreme fatigue.
*Pulmonary: Shortness of breath, burning chest pain in the sternum, dry persistent cough that may produce blood.
(*Always see a doctor before you attribute any of these symptoms to deep-sea sickness. Rule out mundane causes first! Some of these can be signs of other serious illnesses that, left untreated, can lead to death or permanent disability)
Deep sea energy and magic very closely resembles void energy; both are eldritch in feel; the main difference being that one is sentient (Void) and the other is passive (Abyss). If you’re working with an energy and it feels conscious, you’re working with outer-world void energy. If you’re working with abyssal void, it will not feel like a singular entity. Both energies are extremely confusing to beginners however, because both have a similar feel of ‘weightlessness’. The difference with abyssal energy however is that at the same time it settles over you like a blanket; you’ll feel literally pushed down by this energy, as opposed to Void energy, which can be deceptively neutral and almost hard to detect.
This is not to say the two can’t intersect. In fact they often do; there are plenty of eldritch beings in the depths of our oceans, both on this plane and others, and they are older than the other beings and gods whom evolved to live there. Eldritch beings, however, tend to lay ‘dormant’ for long periods of time if they are abyssal; it takes a great act of energy to rouse them. Which brings me to …
Pt III: Abyssal-Aligned People
Okay, okay, You can groan now. I’m going to talk about people that are kin to the deep sea; people that, for whatever reason they and you would like to imagine, have spirits and energies that come from deep oceans* (I say oceans because, remember, Earth is NOT the only planet that has them, and not all of them are made of water!!!). These are the people most likely to gravitate towards this kind of energy and magic. However, if you aren’t one of them, it’s very much worth it to find either a living person or a spirit or this sort to advise you how to work with this magic. Abyssal aligned people have energetic and spiritual build-in protections from both the weight of the deep and the predators that reside there (if they aren’t one themselves!). These beings or people can effectively train you on how to survive/remain healthy with this kind of magic, without doing damage to your own astral/spiritual body. Like the depths on earth, there are a plethora of creatures big and small that are hungry. Be careful when encountering any deep sea spirit (living/incarnate or not) until you are sure they mean you no harm.
It’s important to note too that deep sea entities are very good at mimicking creatures of light; they are perfectly capable of showing pretty lights and colors to draw you in closer before they devour you. Use care! Abyssal aligned people and energies don’t only require the usual wards and protections you have in using magic, but there are extra steps you should take when you venture into it. If it’s dangling a proverbial pretty light in your face, you know there are jaws not far behind it!
I hope this served as a good starting point for everyone interested in working with the abyss. Let me know if you have any questions, and I’ll try to help you as best I can. Thank you for coming to my ted talk!
[Coming soon in this series; types of abyssal energies and entities. Stay tuned!]
