It's happening bro!!!

If you follow as a practitioner of Pop Culture Paganism, a user of Homestuck inspired Chaos Magic, or just want to use your favorite series to inspire you throughout the year, Skaia Temple is your resource center!

Whether you want to just celebrate it on the day, use it as a date for empowered energy, integrate it into your more mundane celebrations, or just appreciate your favorite characters and concepts this month, we have suggestions for whatever path you want to take with us!

Read below the cut for a condensed idea & resource list for this month of Hope!

My part of the US is going to be below freezing all next week. This is normal for some. Not so normal for others.

If your area is likely to be impacted by the storm, please prepare now. The most important thing is staying warm and staying inside until things warm up outside. Specific tips I can offer, as somebody who regularly deals with cold winters are:

Put blankets over windows and doors. This will help your house retain heat.

Stay well-fed. Buy food now. You will get hungry faster because your body will burn calories to stay warm.

Stay hydrated. If your lips are chapped you’re probably dehydrated.

Stay dry. Remove wet clothing as soon as possible. It is better to be naked than wet when it is cold.

If it is going to get below freezing for more than an hour or two, run your water at a trickle or drip to prevent your pipes from bursting. The colder it gets the faster your pipes will freeze.

Here’s the weather forecast for this storm:

Gratefulness is an appreciation for what we have that is special, that is good. However we should strive that not only everybody, all of us, have something to be grateful for- but also that we should never have to be grateful for being alive, being safe, being given the tools we need to fulfill ourselves. We should always demand these things absolutely, for any less than this is a result of direct acts of cruelty and injustice. 

My gratefulness does not mean I, or anybody, was every unworthy of these acts of goodness and kindness- it simply means I recognize them, and appreciate them.

If you follow as a practitioner of Pop Culture Paganism, a user of Homestuck inspired Chaos Magic, or just want to use your favorite series to inspire you throughout the year, Skaia Temple is your resource center!

Whether you want to just celebrate it on the day, use it as a date for empowered energy, integrate it into your more mundane celebrations, or just appreciate your favorite characters and concepts this month, we have suggestions for whatever path you want to take with us!

Read below the cut for a condensed idea & resource list for this month of Space!

Happy July! We’ve entered the Season of Heart. So here is a guide to inspire on how you can best celebrate it.

Whether you follow as a believer in Pop Culture Paganism, a user of Homestuck inspired Chaos Magic, or just want to see if you can use your favorite fandom to help inspire you throughout the year, we’re here to help!

If you prefer to just celebrate it for today, Heart is for the self. It’s for self improvement or just doing what you feel you’re meant to do! It’s for being yourself to your fullest extent no matter what that is. Get out there and raise some chaos, whether you’re a weeb, shipper, furry, or something that’s at all Valid. (Jkjk)

Life may be about self care, but it’s nothing in compared to the selfish self care Heart takes part in. Maybe you even have trouble finding what it is that it means to be You. This month can be about working on that too.

I checked my Rolodex and this is a hill I'm ready to die on, so let's get to it:

Soul mate and twin flame concepts actively discourage self-actualization.

No, you don't have to work on becoming a better person. How is that literally possible for you to even do if you haven't met your twin flame yet? They are the only souls that exist which are able to complete you as a human. Without a twin flame, you are always incomplete ^-^

Or... wait, that sounds a little bit bad. Maybe they don't hold the only key to complete us, maybe they are just the only other humans that exist which have the ability to encourage us to develop! That's different; all the words are different. So it's different.

So remember: if your partner doesn't make it impossible to doubt how capable you are, it's not because of any deep-rooted trauma or insecurity that will stay with you regardless of who your partner is; it's because they're not your divine soul mate. Also, divine soul mates cure insecurity that no one really loves you. So if you feel that way sometimes, it automatically means your partner isn't really your soul mate.

Here's a spicy one! Meeting a person who you idolize and give unconditional love to, but your relationship is challenging; they magnify your doubts and insecurities, and you often need time apart even though you always want to be near them.

And don't miss the small text: You feel this way because you're half a soul; you will not be whole until you find this other person.

Does that... does that maybe sound a little bit like one of those three-letter acronyms people get therapy and medication for?

No worries, you don't have a disorder; you're experiencing a twin flame awakening!

Let's go with Google's #1 on this: brides.com

At its core, twin flame love is about spiritual growth, and its purpose is to awaken your soul. Savvas notes, “The purpose of discovering your twin flame is to speed up your growth, to release wounds, remove blockages, and lead you to true self-love.” Moreover, these relationships can be incredibly challenging because they shine a light on your insecurities and your deepest fears for that spiritual growth to happen, and that can be difficult to face.

Ahh, of course. There is no better way to start a stable relationship than by elevating another person to the role of actualizing you. It's certainly not objectifying to label your partner's purpose as awakening you, helping you speed up your growth, healing your wounds... of course you heal them too, mostly by making them feel insecure, I guess?

And are you experiencing any issues in your relationship? No need to critically examine whether or not you're right for each other; you are, you better pray you are, because if this isn't your twin flame you'll have to accept you can't be complete right now - and probably, all this stuff happening is about you and your growth and it's good and healthy for you to be experiencing such an incredibly challenging relationship that makes you feel insecure and fearful.

So let's jump to the part that really pisses me off, and the reason why soul mates/twin flames are squarely in my, "they do active harm" bucket.

Twin flame and soul mate concepts turn people into active stalkers and spiritual abusers.

"Oh Chicken, you're so histrionic; that has literally never happened, and if it has even once, it's definitely not widespread!"

I was in a divination server with a guy who obsessively asked for readings on one woman. We later discovered he had accumulated hundreds of psychic readings on his "soul mate". She was a fellow student he had a crush on. A psychic told him that she was his soul mate and they were be destined to be together. His behavior was so concerning that someone doxxed the "soul mate" in order to warn her about this guy's obsessive behavior.

In multiple servers I have seen discussions about how to force your twin flame to have a spiritual awakening. If you have read discourse on "spiritual awakenings" you know they are intense, painful, life-disrupting, and sometimes even actively harmful. People did this because they realized someone was their twin flame and they were going to force their twin flame to "awaken" so they could be together. People were literally actively doing spellwork and energy work on others, obviously without consent, to force-trigger twin-flame romances. Once when I said this was weird, I was told they had a right to do so, because it was their twin flame :)

Quite recently I had a conversation with someone who wanted to know how to get past a witch's wards in order to force communication. We found out this target had been ignoring visits to their home and letters from the person. When encouraged to leave them alone, the person said, no - this is a stage of twin stage relationships; it is normal and expected for your twin flame to attempt to withdraw from you.

A former friend of mine was in a painful relationship with an ex. They were very intertwined spiritually (spoke to many of the same spirits, etc). They finally broke it off but I found out they were still communicating. I asked my friend why she was still talking to someone she herself identified as an abuser. The reason? "We have a spiritual connection - I can never leave them. We're part of a soul family."

What if we were born whole. What if healing from our own traumas and injuries and insecurities was our own responsibility. And other people are always just other people, who were also born whole, and who also need to help themselves. What if we connect to some other humans in a beautiful, organic way, but we don't easily click with others, and that's okay because we're all doing our own little funky vibe. What if red flags in a relationship actually mean there's something wrong? What if refusing to stop chasing someone makes you a predator? What if you could heal and actualize on your own, or with a loving community, or in the presence of caring gods, instead of having to find someone you have to chase after, who makes you feel insecure, fearful, and incomplete without them?

What if we were born whole, and each of us is just doing our own funky little vibe.

What is ancestor veneration?

Veneration simply means "to have great respect". I choose to use the term "ancestor veneration" over "ancestor work" because I believe that if you want to work with your ancestors, then you need to start by having a strong sense of respect for them. Your ancestors aren't attack dogs, nor are they slaves. They are not there for you to give orders to or treat with disrespect. Your ancestors are your family. Your ancestors are your guides and your protectors. They are the ones who came before you and are the very reason you were able to exist.

I say this because I often see people in the witchcraft and magic community try to treat spirits like attack dogs and slaves. Hell, I've seen people treat deities as such. It's pretty disturbing to me. Don't be one of those people.

Working with your ancestors is similar to all other forms of spirit work, though I wouldn't approach it the same. Your ancestors were once human. They had flaws in life and chances are some of them carried those flaws into death, too. They have their own morals and values. Not all of them deserve respect, and chances are there are some ancestors you don't want in your space. I'll address this later, though.

How do I determine who my ancestors are?

If you were raised by your blood relatives, this may be a little easier for you. The first thing you will want to do is ask your living family what they know. Parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents... Ask them what they know and remember about your past relatives. Try to write down names when you hear them. If you are lucky enough to have relatives who keep detailed documentation about your ancestry, that is even better.

Depending on where you live, public documentation can be of great help. Old newspaper articles, obituaries... Try to figure out how you can make connections this way. You'd be surprised by the information you can find.

If you really want to dive deep into your heritage, ancestry DNA kits can help you with that. It can be expensive, and the databases of these companies vary, but it can be helpful. Some can connect you to distant relatives that have used the same ancestry DNA company. They can also give you a very general idea about where your ancestors came from.

If you were adopted, or generally have zero information regarding your blood relatives, that is okay. Your adopted family is still your family, depending on how you view them. If you love your adopted family, and truly consider them family, then you can choose to work with them, too.

I personally don't believe in the whole "your blood determines who your family is" thing. Family is more complex than that to me. That being said, if your parents or other relatives have any close friends that you grew up with, they could be considered family, too. Sometimes we are lucky enough to have people come into our lives and treat us like family. If you grew up with anybody like this, and consider them to be family, they can count as an ancestor too.

What if my ancestors were bad people?

I most commonly see this question being asked by white people. They usually refer to their racist, white ancestors. I even see people go as far as to claim white people can't work with their ancestors because of this.

Here is the thing: everybody has at least a few shitty people for ancestors. Your race does not make your immune to having bad people in your ancestry.

It is up to you to look at the ancestors you know of and determine who you want in your space. You are not required to work with every single ancestor you have. You have the right to say no to an ancestor and tell them to stay away from you. You do not need to work with racist, homophobic, transphobic, or whatever else ancestors.

You can set boundaries with your ancestors.

How do I start ancestor veneration once I determine who my ancestors are and which ones I want to honor?

Start by considering an ancestor altar. This can be easy for those of you who are in the broom closet due to hateful family. You can always pass it off as a little memorial spot for your past loved ones (this isn't even a false claim- an ancestor altar is literally a place to pay your respects). If you are able to, start collecting things for an ancestor altar.

The first things I suggest looking for are photos of your ancestors and things that belonged to them, if possible. You can add jewelry, things they used for their favorite hobbies... If you can't find the exact things they used for their hobbies, you could consider buying something that they would have used.

Your ancestors will need offerings, too. I know people tend to get a little intimidated about giving spirits regular offerings, so I suggest starting small and try keeping up with a schedule. Dedicate a specific day of the week to start. Once you feel comfortable with that day, make it two days of the week. If you are comfortable giving them offerings every day, even better!

Some of the easiest offerings you can give your ancestors include coins, cash, flowers, incense, candles, tobacco products and the sacred text of their chosen religion (such as a Bible). You can also include more personal offerings, such as a handwritten letter from yourself or a piece of artwork you created for them.

Food and liquid offerings, in my opinion, are a necessity. Your ancestors deserve to be well fed, too! They may not be here in their physical form to enjoy it, but it is still appreciated regardless. Get some plates and cups specifically for the ancestors. Give them a small portion of food before you eat. Leave it on the ancestor altar until breakfast/lunch/dinner time is over. What you choose to do with the food after is up to you. Some people throw it away, others eat it themselves. Drinks are important, too. Water is the most basic liquid offering you can give. I suggest changing water offerings out daily, if you are comfortable with daily offerings. You can also offer coffee, teas, soda and alcohol.

How do I communicate with my ancestors?

For you, it is as simple as speaking. Just talk to them like you would with your living relatives. This should be an obvious thing, but I have met people who have never considered just... talking. You don't need to use divination every time you want to talk to your ancestors. Just talk out loud to them. Whenever you give them offerings at their altar, thank them for any help they give you and talk to them a bit. Let them know you are thinking of them.

In terms of figuring out messages your ancestors send you, there are a few ways to do this. Divination is one of the most common ways to get their messages to you. You could also ask them to send you signs. Personally, when I'm asking my ancestors for signs, I use divination to try and get some symbolism to look out for. If I can't get anything from divination then I ask for specific things, such as coins. If you're the type to do dream work, you can also ask your ancestors to present themselves to you in your dreams.

Communicating with the ancestors isn't limited to these things, though, so see what works best for you. Sometimes different ancestors have different preferences and communicate different than others.

What can my ancestors do for me?

As I've mentioned before, your ancestors can guide you and protect you. You may also have ancestors who wish to help you with your magic workings, too.

Don't forget that your ancestors were once living people, too. They had their own boundaries when they were alive, and chances are they've got boundaries still. Be sure to get to know them, whether it be through listening to stories about them from your living relatives or through your own means of communication. One ancestor may not offer the same guidance or assistance that another ancestor does.

Book Recommendations

➳ "Badass Ancestors: Finding Your Power with Ancestral Guides" by Patti Wigington

➳ "Honoring Your Ancestors: A Guide to Ancestral Veneration" by Mallorie Vaudoise (I haven't been able to read this one yet, but I see this book praised often.)

If you follow as a practitioner of Pop Culture Paganism, a user of Homestuck inspired Chaos Magic, or just want to use your favorite series to inspire you throughout the year, Skaia Temple is your resource center!

Whether you want to just celebrate it on the day, use it as a date for empowered energy, integrate it into your more mundane celebrations, or just appreciate your favorite characters and concepts this month, we have suggestions for whatever path you want to take with us!

Read below the cut for a condensed idea & resource list for this month of Hope!

"You can manifest away your mental/physical illnesses if you would just try hard enough, because you get back what you put in and attract what you send out."

"You aren't cured yet because you're not manifesting hard enough/being positive enough/putting out enough good vibes."

"You don't need medications. All you need are your intention and will, and if you work at it, the universe will respond."

The Law of Attraction is the fullscreen version of this. It also plays into gatekeeping because newer witches are led to believe that their spells aren't working in grand and impossible ways because they're not TRYING hard enough, or their VIBES aren't right, or they're not doing X Magical Thing Du Jour. Y'know, rather than acknowledging that magic has limits and you have to put in the physical work to make the metaphysical work.

And it gets taught to witches under the same umbrella as the Threefold Law, because "Everything you do comes back times three" and "You attract and manifest what you think and feel, so you have to constantly police your thoughts and your energy" fit neatly into the bastardized version of karma that some sects of modern paganism like to pedal as part of the New Age package. It's usually right next to the chapter about how medicine is fake and essential oils can cure all your ills. (Also false.)

To me, it sounds remarkably like, "The entire reason things are going wrong in your life is because you're a dirty sinner and you need to REPENT."

The Dolorosa 80 x 50 cm   Acrylic on canvas 

Back at it again with my Homestuck art project and I am beyond happy with how this one turned out! 💚 It’s been in the works since January, but then I couldn’t continue working on it since uni was closed due the pandemic and the painting was still in there, rip. Only in September I was able to continue working on it again and finally finish it yesterday!! :D During that time my plans for this project did actually change. I no longer will be painting all the ancestors but rather focus on the story of The Signless. It is a massive project which I hope I’ll be able to see through!

This makes witchcraft not only ongoing consent based but also something that can function as a well of constant control over immediate environments even during incredible life upheaval. How it speaks to people's intimate private thoughts and experiences so small and varied that there's no way to come from it not finding something that interests you (if what you're interested is in witchcraft). There's not even an end, you can just keep trying stuff forever, practicing things until you're super good, read truly endless primary sources for just one person to go through by themselves.

If you could actually afford the space, the other thing you could do is use tarot cards or pendulum to see who is willing to be grouped together and who isn't.