Book of Stars

Scrying is the art of divining images and symbols from a scrying source, such as a mirror, reflective surface, or candle flame. There are many subsections of scrying, and some of the most common include:

Using a Scrying Mirror: A scrying mirror is a reflective, black mirror that is gazed into to scry. The user typically lights a candle to gaze into it.

Using a Regular Mirror: Regular mirrors may also be used to scry, particularly in conjunction with truth or glamor spells.

Scrying with Water: Gazing into a bowl filled with water can divulge images. A scrying bowl may be used here (which is often also black, like the scrying mirror), but any vessel which will hold a flat, reflective water surface works. Some folks like to set a candle in the middle of the bowl before adding water.

Scrying with a Crystal Ball: I know, it’s the quintessential movie witch’s tool! Scrying can be accomplished by gazing into a spherical crystal via candlelight or other light (moonlight, et cetera) and taking note of the visions seen. The ball is usually balanced on a ring or a pillow.

Practical Bowl Scrying

If you feel like scrying is your bag, you may want to give simple bowl scrying a shot:

Find a bowl with nothing on the inside bottom (no pattern, design, et cetera). Bonus points if the bowl is reflective!

Set up a space to scry. You’ll want to turn of all the lights, and light a candle safely.

Fill up your scrying vessel with water. (You can absolutely use moon water or other special waters, or consecrate your water with herbs and salt).

Gaze into the bowl by candlelight. Try to become attuned to it. You’ll notice shapes begin to appear.

Don’t forget to take notes! You’ll want to Google or inspect those shapes and symbols to see what they mean in terms of your own experience and personal correspondences. A simple search for “symbolism in witchcraft” or “symbol correspondences in witchcraft” should do the trick. You might also check with “dream symbolism” lists.

Get loose, and happy scrying!

Ash

Every March, the same story circulates in pagan spaces:

St. Patrick’s “snakes” were Druids

Patrick was a conqueror

March 17th is a holiday celebrating the destruction of Irish paganism

The problem is that none of these points are true. Ireland never had snakes. The snake miracle was invented centuries after Patrick died. And the Christianization of Ireland looked nothing like a genocide. The “All Snakes Day” story feels meaningful, but it’s built on fabrications — and pagans interested in Irish history deserve the actual record instead.

Where “All Snakes Day” Comes From

The pagan author and Druid Isaac Bonewits coined the term “All Snakes Day” and wrote songs about welcoming the “snakes” back to Ireland. Wild Hunt, 2012 The claim is that Patrick’s “snakes” were actually Druids, making his legendary snake-banishing a stand-in for pagan persecution. The idea spread through neopagan communities online in the 2000s and 2010s and became a seasonal staple.

Bonewits was the founder of Ár nDraíocht Féin and a well-known figure in American paganism, which helped give the story credibility in some circles.

Ireland Never Had Snakes

The most basic problem with the All Snakes Day story: there are no snakes in Ireland’s fossil record at all.

Ireland’s land bridge to Britain closed around 8,500 years ago as glaciers melted after the last Ice Age. Snakes hadn’t reached Ireland before the sea cut the connection. Popular Science, 2024 Nigel Monaghan, keeper of natural history at the National Museum of Ireland, reviewed the fossil record and put it plainly: “At no time has there ever been any suggestion of snakes in Ireland — nothing for St. Patrick to banish.” National Geographic

In fact, writers were already noting Ireland’s lack of snakes before Patrick was even born. The Roman author Solinus recorded it in the 3rd century CE. Science Musings Patrick had nothing to do with it.

The Snake Miracle Was Added Centuries Later

Patrick’s earliest biographies were written in the 7th century, about 200 years after his death. The snake miracle appears in none of them.

The story first shows up in the 11th century. A more well-known version was written by Jocelin of Furness in the 12th century. Ireland’s Folklore and Traditions

Celtic Reconstructionist scholar P. Sufenas Virius Lupus said in 2012:

The hagiographies of St. Patrick did not include this particular ‘miracle’ until quite late, relatively speaking — his earliest hagiographies are from the 7th century, whereas this incident doesn’t turn up in any of them until the 11th century. Wild Hunt, 2012

There’s also a logic problem with the “Druids as snakes” reading. The 7th century biographies by Muirchú and Tírechán have Patrick fighting Druids constantly. He fights them openly, with earthquakes, curses, and skull-crushing. Wikipedia: Muirchú moccu Machtheni If later writers wanted to describe a purge of Druids, they had no reason to suddenly become cryptic. It had already been said plainly.

The earliest anyone proposed that snakes meant Druids was W.Y. Evans-Wentz in Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries (1911) and even he called it personal speculation. Morgan Daimler, reviewing the text, described the logic as “faulty.” Living Liminally

What the Conversion of Ireland Actually Looked Like

Christianity was already in Ireland before Patrick arrived.

In 431 CE, Pope Celestine sent a bishop named Palladius to Ireland as the “first bishop to the Scotti believing in Christ.” The wording matters: you don’t send a bishop to a community that doesn’t exist yet. There were already Christians there. Prosper of Aquitaine, Chronicon, 431 CE, via Wikipedia: Palladius Britannica History Ireland

The real Patrick was, in his own telling, enslaved in Ireland as a teenager, escaped, and came back as a missionary. His own writing describes beatings, robbery, and real doubt about whether his work had any lasting effect. Strange Horizons / Bridgette Da Silva Living Liminally He was not a conqueror, and his writings are still readable today at confession.ie.

The druid-fighting warrior version of Patrick came from Muirchú’s 7th century Vita Sancti Patricii, written about 200 years after Patrick’s death. It had a clear political goal: promoting the Armagh church’s claim to lead all of Irish Christianity. Wikipedia: Muirchú Strange Horizons It’s church propaganda, not a historical record.

Ireland stayed mostly pagan for eight or nine generations after Patrick died. Living Liminally, citing Da Silva Druids kept working as folk magicians and diviners. Irish law texts from the 7th and 8th centuries CE still describe druids (draoithe) as active in society. Wikipedia: Druid Some joined the Christian clergy as that became the new intellectual class. Strange Horizons, citing Peter Berresford Ellis

Pagan beliefs didn’t die. They blended. Samhain became All Saints’ Day. Brigid’s feast overlapped with Imbolc. Belief in the fairy folk was still alive when Irish schoolchildren recorded local folklore from older community members in the 1930s that is now accessible on Dúchas.ie.

This conversion was a slow process that took centuries. It was not a genocide. There is no historical evidence of a violent purge of Druids.

Why the Myth Keeps Circulating

The “pagan survival” idea — that modern paganism descends from an unbroken pre-Christian lineage that survived persecution — is emotionally appealing but historically weak. Ronald Hutton’s Triumph of the Moon (Oxford University Press, 1999) showed that modern pagan witchcraft is a new religious movement, not an ancient survival. The claimed ancient roots are mostly Victorian and 20th-century inventions. All Snakes Day fits this pattern: a modern story that feels like recovered history.

The genocide framing also gives communities a shared story of persecution and a sense of historical roots. But it’s not a good reason to accept bad history.

The story also gets used as a simple argument against Catholicism and Christianity, turning a complex religious shift into a villain story. That doesn’t help anyone who actually wants to understand Ireland.

These myths ends up hurting Irish and Irish diaspora communities trying to connect with real heritage. The people most drawn to the story often end up with invented history instead of the real thing.

What to Do Instead

The impulse behind All Snakes Day is not the problem. Celebrating pre-Christian Irish culture, honoring Ireland’s traditions before Christianity, wearing a snake pin — none of that needs a fake genocide behind it.

The Henge of Keltria offers a “Feast of Age” as a March 17th alternative: a community celebration not built on invented history. The Witching Path

Better still: learn what Irish people actually did on St. Patrick’s Day. The Dúchas Schools’ Collection — a collection of folklore recorded by Irish schoolchildren in the late 1930s — documents the real customs: the shamrock’s religious meaning, the “drowning the shamrock” drinking tradition, St. Patrick’s Cross worn by women and children, the sally stick carried for household protection, holy well patterns, and farming markers tied to the agricultural year. All those traditions are covered in my next article.

You can also critique the plastic Paddy commercialization, the green beer, the novelty hats, the way Irish-American culture rebuilt the holiday, without inventing victims to make the point.

After seeing numerous masterposts about herbs, I noticed there wasn’t any mention of the correspondences when it comes to rotted or decaying herbs.  Here’s my take on this.

Anise- Use to cause a person to have nightmares, misfortune and/or relationship issues.

Apples- Use to cause turmoil between romantic partners.

Barley- Use to direct negativity and misfortune towards a person.

Basil- Use to cause fights, arguments, etc. between two lovers, two friends, two family members. Used to deter love from developing between 2 people. Use to deter customers from shopping at a business.  Use to attract negativity (place in rooms of a house for protection from negativity).

Bay- Use to cause a person to experience nightmares. Use to direct negativity and misfortune towards a person.

Birch- Use weaken protection of a person.

Blackberry- Use leaves in spells to cause for wealth to be drained or mismanaged.

Blueberry- Use to cause for a person to experience negativity and unwanted guests at their home.

Cabbage- Use to cause for fighting and arguing between a married couple.

Cactus- Use to weaken the protection of the home or other properties.

Camellia- Use to cause a person financial difficulties.

Carnation- Use to weaken a person’s leadership skills, commemoration and self-esteem.

Carrot- Use to cause for a person to lose sexual desire.

Catnip- Use to direct misfortune and unwanted spirits towards a person.  Use to cause for a person to feel confused or unwanted.

Celery- Use to cause a person to have difficulty concentrating during tasks.  Use to cause a person to have difficulty falling asleep.  Use to cause for sexual desire of a person to decrease.

Chamomile- Use to cause for financial difficulties. Use to heighten curse effects.

Cherry- Use to cause a person to feel undesired or loved.

Chicory- Use to heighten and strengthen obstacles in a person’s life.

Cinnamon- Use to cause for setbacks in business or a person’s goals in career.  Use to decrease a person’s protection.

Clove- Use cause for financial hardships.

Cucumber- Use to hinder fertility.

Cumin- Use to cause a person to argue with their significant other and to cause for a person who’s been unfaithful to feel overwhelming guilt.

Cypress- Use to slow down emotional healing process.

Daffodil- Use to cause a person misfortune and to have difficulties in love.  Use to cause a person to feel isolated.

Daisy- Use to deflect unwanted attention from potential romantic partners.

Dandelion- Burn to block unwanted thoughts about a person.

Dill- Use to weaken protection of a person.  Use to cause a person to be unnoticeable and avoidable.

Elder-Use to direct negativity and misfortune.  Use to cause a person to experience a restless night’s sleep.

Fern- Use to weaken a person or location’s protective energy.

Fig- Use to cause a person to experience decreasing sexual desire and decrease protective energy of a home.

Flax- Use to cause a person to experience financial difficulties.

Foxglove- Use to cause for a person’s garden to rot.

Frankincense- Use to weaken protection and stunt spiritual growth of a person.

Gardenia- Use to cause a person’s illness to be slow and difficult.  Use to cause for a person to to feel unwanted.

Garlic- Use to weaken a person’s protective energy and to cause for a restless night’s sleep. Use to cause a person to experience a stroke of bad luck.

Geranium- Use to cause a person to experience weakened protection, romantic desire, and confusion.

Ginger- Use to cause a person financial and love life difficulties.  Use to undermine another person’s magickal workings.

Ginseng- Use to repel love and cause for a person to feel unwanted. Use to cause financial difficulties.  Use to weaken a person’s glamour magick and promote back luck.

Grape- Use to decrease fertility and to weaken mental powers. Use to cause a person to experience financial hardships.

Hazel- Use to cause a person confusion and forgetfulness.

Holly- Use to cause for a person to experience bad luck.

Honeysuckle- Bury near a home to cause for the residents to experience financial difficulties and a stroke of bad luck.

Iris- Use to weaken protection around a person or location. Use to cause a person confusion.

Ivy- Bury near home to cause for it to experience chaos and disarray.

Jasmine- Use to cause a person to experience financial difficulties. Use to cause a person nightmares and a restless night’s sleep.attract money.

Juniper- Use to weaken protective energy around a person or location.

Lavender- Use to cause a person to experience difficulties with love. Use to cause a person to experience nightmares and a restless night’s sleep.  Bury near a person’s home to cause the home to become restless and chaotic. 

Lemon- Use to cause a person to question their romantic partner’s faithfulness. Use to cause a strain between friends.

Lemon Grass- Use to cause a person’s psychic powers to weaken.

Lettuce- Use to cause a person to experience a restless night’s sleep.

Lilac- Use to cause a person to experience bad luck.

Lily- Use to cause for a person to have unwanted visitors to the home.

Liverwort- Use to drive an emotional wedge between romantic partners.  use to cause a romantic partner to doubt their lover’s dedication.

Magnolia- Use to expose a unfaithful romantic partner.

Maple- Use to repel unwanted romantic partners.  Use to cause a person financial difficulty.

Marigold- Use to weaken a person’s protective energy and to cause for a restless night’s sleep and/or nightmares.  use to cause a person to become less influential and respected and respected by peers, colleagues,etc.  Use to cause a person to experience difficulty in handling legal matters.

Mint- Use to repel unwanted sexual urges.  Use to cause a person to experience financial difficulty.

Mistletoe-Use to cause a person to experience misfortune, nightmares while sleeping and weakened protection. Use to cause for couples to fight.

Mulberry- Use to cause for a person’s magickal work to backfire or be negated.

Oak- Use an acorn from an oak tree to cause for a person to experience a deduction in sexual desire.  Use to cause for a person to physically and mentally “feel their age”.

Orange- Use to cause for a person to come across as being bland and dull.

Orchid- Use to cause a person financial and social/interpersonal difficulties.

Pansy- Use to repel unwanted feelings associated with love.

Parsley- Use to repel unwanted sexual desire.  Use to cause a person to experience a decrease in lustful thinking.

Peach- Use to cause a person confusion and forgetfulness.  Use to prevent emotional attachment.

Peppermint- (See Mint).

Pine- Use to weaken defenses against negativity.

Raspberry- Use to decrease protective energies around a home or person.

Rice- Use to cause for a married couple to argue.

Rose- Use to repel an unwanted lover or romantic partner.  Use to cause a couple to argue and fight.

Rosemary- Use to cause a person to experience a restless night’s sleep and nightmares. Use to cause a person to experience difficulty in learning new information and become confused.

Rowan- Use to cause a person’s divination skills to become weak and confusing.  Use to cause for a person to become weak, unlucky, and experience misfortune. Use to increase spirit communication.

Rue- Use to cause a person to become love-struck and confused. Aids in curses.

Saffron- Use to repel lustful feelings.

Sage- Use to cause a person confusion and misfortune.

St. John’s Wort- Use to cause a person to feel unwanted.  Use to repel unwanted romantic partners.

Sassafras- Use to cause a person to experience financial difficulties.

Spearmint- Use to deter lust.

Strawberries- Use to cause a person to feel unwanted or unloved.

Sugar Cane- Use to deter unwanted love and attention.

Sunflower- Use to hide the truth from a person or within a situation.  Use to cause a person misfortune.

Thyme- Use to cause a person to experience nightmares. Use to cause a person to be avoidable and unnoticeable or to cause a person to receive overwhelming amounts of unwanted attention.  Use to decrease energy level and cause for a person to become fearful and afraid.

Vanilla- Use to decrease lust. Carry a vanilla bean to cause a person difficulty in maintaining energy and memory.

Vervain- Use to cause a person to experience chaos and instability.  Use to cause for wishes made to be unheard.  Use to cause friends to become enemies.  Use to repel unwanted lovers.

Violet- Mix with lavender to repel unwanted lovers and sexual partners. Use to cause a person to have difficulty sleeping and have an increase in their anger.

Willow- Use to repel love. Use to cause healing of a person to be slow.

Wintergreen- Use to cause healing of a person to be slow.

Wormwood- Use to cause a person to experience mechanical difficulties. Use to repel an unwanted romantic partner.

Divination Basics

Divination is often talked about like something mysterious or complicated, but at its heart, it’s simply a way of listening. Tarot is one of the most common tools for this - not because it tells the future with certainty, but because it helps us reflect, notice patterns, and ask better questions.

You don’t need to be clairvoyant, and that's okay.

What Tarot Actually Is

Tarot is a deck of cards made up of;

the Major Arcana (big themes, life lessons, turning points)

the Minor Arcana (day-to-day situations, emotions, actions)

When you pull cards, you’re not being handed fixed answers. You’re being shown symbols, stories, and prompts that you interpret through your own understanding and intuition. Tarot works best as a conversation, not a command.

You Don’t Need to 'Know Everything' to Start

A very common myth is that you need to memorise every card before you can read. You don’t. And I still use my ref book.

It’s completely okay to;

read from a guidebook

look up meanings

go slowly

change your understanding over time

Most tarot readers learn by doing, not by studying perfectly first. Your relationship with the cards grows as you use them.

How to Start Reading Tarot (Simply)

If you’re new, keep it small.

Pull one card a day and ask something like; "What do I need to be aware of today?"

Notice how the imagery makes you feel before you look up the meaning.

Write a few words about it - not an essay, just impressions.

Over time, you’ll start to recognise cards the way you recognise moods or weather.

Tarot Is About Reflection, Not Prediction

Tarot isn’t about locking yourself into a future, It’s about;

understanding where you are now

recognising influences around you

exploring choices and perspectives

A reading can change because you change. That’s a strength, not a flaw.

Trusting Yourself (This Is the Hard Part)

Beginners often worry they’re 'doing it wrong.'

You’re not.

If a card’s imagery speaks to you in a way that isn’t in the book - that’s okay. Tarot is symbolic, and symbolism is personal. Your intuition doesn’t have to be loud to be valid. Tarot should support your wellbeing, not stress you out.

Another spell inspired by my love of professional wrestling. This time, we're looking at the up-and-coming superstar, Je'Von Evans. He is quite possibly my favorite wrestler. The way he can work the ropes and, more or less, fly. Outstanding.

Specifically, this spell focuses on both his literal physical leaps, as well as the way his career is blooming with each metaphorical leap he takes. He reminds me that there is magic to be found in momentum and forward movement.

Materials

A shoelace (from an old pair of shoes is ideal, but fresh laces work too)

Red yarn or thread

Powdered cinnamon

Red candle

Directions

Hold the shoelace in both hands. Take a deep breath and say

"These are the steps I take."

Take another deep breath and exhale directly onto the lace. Let your breath represent your intention.

Wrap the thread around the lace three times, saying

"For boldness."

"For momentum."

"For belief."

Tie a knot.

Take a moment to consider what is holding you back from your current goal. Say

"I fear ____" (and speak aloud what you fear)

The tie a second knot and say

"But I take the leap anyway."

Light your candle and pass your charm over the flame (just enough to feel the heat, not actually touching the fire itself)

Sprinkle a little cinnamon over it.

When you're ready, hold your charm in your dominant hand. Picture a spot in front of you that represents the obstacle(s) you need to overcome to achieve your goal. If you need a physical representation, set that up! You can use a threshold, a rug, even a length of string set on the floor.

Stand before your jump point and say

"Fear cannot extinguish the fire within me."

Physically jump. As you land, clench your shoelace charm and say

"I land ready."

adapted from the three books of occult philosophy and including my own correspondences for both the inner and outer planets.

moon - barren places, cliffs, and immense rocks, mountains, woods, forests, springs, waters, rivers, the sea, the shore, and ships; dry places.

sun - bright places, serene air, palaces, pulpits, theaters, thrones, and all royal and magnificent places.

mercury - offices, schools, shops, markets, thrift stores, trading places.

venus - beautiful fountains, green meadows, flowery gardens, ornate beds, and brothels; baths, seas, seashores, waterfalls, temperate places.

mars - fires, furnaces, bakeries, provision markets, crosses, battlegrounds, torture chambers, warm places.

jupiter - places of privilege, royal assembly places, tribunals, chairs, gymnasia, schools, fragrant places, places of prosperity.

saturn - churches, graveyards, tombs, crop fields, deserted homes and other buildings, solitary caves, hollows, wells, ponds, swamps, dark and stagnant places.

uranus - airports, public transit, train stations, colleges, space center, research labs, archaeological sites, museums, cold places.

neptune - beach, ocean, reflective pool, ships, house of mirrors, art museum, string orchestra, music halls, hospitals, operating rooms, windy places.

pluto - churches, graveyards, tombs, crossroads, liminal spaces, crossroads, hospitals, morgues, funeral homes, cypress forests, icy places, quiet and still places.

updated 11.19.25

The revival of polytheism is a revival of the ancient truths of our ancestors. This is doubtless. However we have taken the polytheism of our ancestors, and we have forgotten all of the rites and rituals which made it work and an actual belief system.

Instead, we have replaced it with hedonistic views of the Gods, a completely unfounded method of ritual and a lack of morality. This is a complete violation of the natural order and the honor of those gone before us.

A place in particular where this is increasingly common is in the phenomenon of 'Godspousing', where someone will, due to some type of 'mystical' experience, proclaim that they are in a relationship with a deity. They will do things like treat the deity as they would their husband or wife, and act as if the deity is on the same level as them due to their 'mystical' experience. I have even seen people who will 'offer' their own sexual pleasures to the deity they are 'espoused' with and their bodily releases.

It's shocking how distasteful and downright disrespectful this is. This completely anthropomorphises the Gods as simply beings made of some type of "spiritual matter" whom have debaucherous desires when they are the SUSTAINERS OF THE COSMOS. Having a deep connection to a certain deity is fine, but when you begin to just blatantly perform transgressions like offering your bodily products to the deity, and be delusional by romanticising the deity as someone with whom there is mutual feelings between you and them, or having inappropriate thoughts of them, you just crossed the line and have begun to just simply disrespect the Gods.

And quite simply, this is the problem with modern day polytheism. So many people going into it are going into it without ANY knowledge of the religion itself and are seeing it as some sort of antinomian counterculture to Christianity where you can practice and believe however and whatever you want, when it is an incredibly ancient set of belief systems whom never even interacted with Christianity for most of their history. They are failing to deconstruct their views on a personal, completely immanent and human god for the actual belief and due to their want for things which would be against Christianity, this lack of deconstruction manifests in sexualisation of the Gods.

Not only this, but the only interaction or education they will have had with Polytheism prior would be their 10th grade studies of religion textbooks and Percy Jackson, which obviously are unreliable sources that don't explain things properly.

This is why we, as people who are reconstructing Paganism and are actively promoting it, must educate these people on their errors and give them sources and things to read, so that they do not approach the faith wrongly and end up giving us all a bad name, because if we do not, Polytheism will not advance, our work to bring these faiths back into the realm of serious world religions will be effortless, and really, the 'religion' which supplants the culture, rites and rituals of our ancestors and which MADE polytheism what it was will simply be another gentrified, sensationalised trend which will die out in a matter of a few decades like we are seeing with multiple other religious revivals.

I genuinely do not think it’s that deep. I just don’t. Most of the people I know who practice godspousal have been of age, and have had a deep and profound respect for the religion. While I understand the frustration that arises from people who don’t research or treat our religion like a real religion, but I don’t think that has anything to do with godspousal. Of course, these same people who don’t respect or research our religion may end up practicing godspousal, but this isn’t the root of the problem.

I have been a hellenic polytheist for nearly six years now, since I was twelve, and yes, I did research beyond Percy Jackson. I would like to point out some key terms pulled straight from my university education (where i’m pursuing a history major and classics minor) that your post was missing.

Timé: Honour

In this post, without any sort of authority, you have attempted to strip many of their Timé, and as such have shown a lack of your own. In dishonouring these people’s practice, you yourself are practicing Atima (the act of being dishonourable, or stripping another of their honour), much like when Agamemnon stole Achilles war prize.

Sophrosune: Moderation, Self Control

You making this post at all is a demonstration of a lack of Sophrosune (though in this regard I am guilty as well). You are indulging incredibly strong feelings, perhaps with more vigour than they demand.

Arete: Excellence (Typically seen in a male context, though some women such as Clytemnestra have been seen to show Arete)

You have shown a lack of Arete in the way you speak of others, and in the way you seem to disregard many of the other standards within ancient Greek religion.

Beyond this, as we are both on Tumblr, we are both very familiar with Xenia and Kharis (which by the way, would’ve been personal in ancient Greece as well. Household worship was incredibly common), so I don’t feel the need to elaborate on those. What I will elaborate on is the history of our religion.

You say polytheism isn’t the antithesis of Christianity, and I fully agree. That said, we do not have a central authority, and the ancient world didn’t either. Different cults worshipped differently. Different people within the same cult would worship differently behind closed doors. We have evidence of the variation in household worship, and this variation was seemingly accepted (I say seemingly as there is a lack of evidence either way outside of Athens, contributing to things like the Spartan Mirage.) Having different people worship in different ways is not a new thing. There has never been one single belief system within Hellenic Polytheism (or any other if I’m not mistaken). We do not have a bible.

1. I’m not a Hellenic polytheist. If you looked at my description you would see that I am a Roman polytheist and we have, historically, possessed a different system to the Greeks regarding cultural morality. Telling me I dont have x greek virtue doesn’t mean much to me. Therefore, I will examine what you have pointed out via the Mos Maiorum.

2. This concept of me stripping away someone’s dignitas because I’m showing pietas in critiquing a blasphemous practice is bunk. Was it dishonorable for the Senate to restrict the Bacchic mysteries? Or for multiple authors of antiquity to critique practices against the Mos Maiorum?

If someone is able to critique an impious practice and it result in loss of the one practicing’s dignitas, I’d be asking why their dignitas is so built on being ‘espoused’ to a god.

Not only that, but this idea that just being against and speaking out against bad practices is a violation of that person’s dignitas would make ancient Romans literally the worst offenders. Whenever they conquered a region, the Gods who didn’t align with them would have their worship and practices halted. They would also suppress politically powerful cults which were threatening to topple the empire. Was this a violation of dignitas as well?

3. If you knew much about Roman society, feelings were very much a centre of Roman life. Crying, being angry, being happy, it was all expressed and on an exemplary level. While you could point to me not exuding gravitas, this would only realistically come from a misunderstanding of me using capitals to emphasise words.

4. I ‘disregard’ Greek religious standards because I’m not a Greek Religious. I’m a Roman Religious. The way I interact with the world and my mindset is not using Greek religious standards, it is by Mos Maiorum.

5. Once again I have been misinterpreted as a Hellenist. I am not. I am specifically speaking on Roman rites. But even then, household worship done by the greeks followed a similar pattern and structure, it wasn’t just totally unfounded and new. And you sure as hades didn’t have people violating the laws on ritual purity.

Not only this, but this ‘new-age’ way of doing things simply doesn’t work. If you aren’t following the tradition you aren’t going to communicate with the Gods when the rituals done are like phone numbers to call Them. It’s as simple as that.

I’m going to end with the fact that ‘Godspousal’ will make our religion die out. It is specifically against pietas and it makes outsiders have a poor view of us because we treat our divinities like husbands and wives. If that’s true, who is going to pass on the traditions of our ancestors?

Time and time again, I've seen people say "If you really practice witchcraft , you should never be broke."If the Gods/Spirits love you, you should never suffer" and honestly, it infuriates me.

Money and physical wealth are irrelevant when it comes to power or favor.

It makes me so sad and angry to see this tepid ass take doing rounds in spiritual communities, because it's just so not rooted in any sort of reality.

Money and physical wealth can come from witchcraft or Spirit relationships, but to say someone does not have power or love/favor from the Gods if they're broke is fucking insane work to me.

Some of the most spiritual and blessed people I have met live lives that aren't at all extravagant.

I look at one of the Gods I commune with, and LAUGH because they have flat out said "I am not a God of bringing about riches, so don't ask for that shit." yet... I feel acutely loved, and dare I say "favored" by them despite that fact.

If you're only in witchcraft or spirituality for money then idk man, maybe this shit ain't for you.

Witchcraft, connecting with Spirits, and expanding yourself is not about climbing your way up the socioeconomic food chain until you're sitting on piles of money.

Money =/= Favor from the Gods.

Money =/= Having real power.

The only way to define favor by the Gods, is by one's own ideals.

The way I feel favored by the Gods may not feel very favorite to someone else, just the way other's feel favored might not relay into favoritism to me.

Personally? I feel witchcraft and Spirituality is here to help us take control of life/situations in what ways we can, and growing and expanding our soul and spirit-- and I hope to fuck that if I took the money first approach with my Spirit Team, they'd spray me with a water bottle because what the actual fuck?

Death witchcraft is a branch of occult practice deeply connected with the mysteries of life, death, and the transition between the two. It involves working with the energies surrounding death, the afterlife, ancestors, spirits, and the unseen realms that lie beyond physical existence. The practice is often misunderstood due to its association with darkness, fear, and taboo. However, death witchcraft is a deeply transformative and powerful path, one that offers healing, guidance, and a deeper understanding of existence and mortality. It is not necessarily about harming others, but rather engaging with the sacred and mysterious forces of life and death in ways that can lead to empowerment, spiritual growth, and the honoring of those who have passed.

Core Principles of Death Witchcraft

Death witchcraft revolves around several key principles:

• Honor and Respect for Ancestors: Ancestor veneration is an integral aspect of death witchcraft. Practitioners often work with ancestral spirits, seeking guidance, wisdom, and protection from those who came before them. Through rituals, offerings, and prayers, death witches maintain strong connections to their ancestors, ensuring their spirits are honored and respected. This work can help heal generational trauma, discover hidden family wisdom, and preserve the energy of the ancestors within the practitioner’s own lineage.

• Reverence for the Cycle of Life and Death: Death witchcraft embraces the natural cycle of life, acknowledging that death is as much a part of life as birth. It does not seek to control or avoid death, but rather understands and respects its role in the cosmic order. Death witches work with death as a transformative force—whether through spiritual transformation, endings, or transitions. Their practice includes rituals for rebirth and regeneration, as well as rituals to honor the dead and assist them in their journeys to the afterlife.

• Communion with Spirits: Death witches frequently engage in communication with spirits, especially those of the deceased. This can include ancestral spirits, beloved departed, and even spirits who may still be trapped between worlds. Communication is facilitated through divination tools like spirit boards (ouija boards), pendulums, scrying, or simply invoking spirits during meditative or ritual work. Some death witches work as mediums, facilitating communication between the living and the dead.

• Working with the Underworld and Deities of Death: Many death witches also work with deities or spirits associated with death and the underworld. In various cultures, these deities are seen as guides for the dead, as well as rulers of death and the afterlife. Deities such as Hecate (Greek goddess of the underworld), Hel (Norse goddess of the dead), Anubis (Egyptian god of mummification and the afterlife), and Baron Samedi (Haitian Vodou loa of the dead) are frequently invoked in death witchcraft for their wisdom, protection, and assistance in working with death-related energies.

• Rituals and Ceremonies: Death witches often perform rituals and ceremonies to mark and honor death. These may include funeral rites, memorial services, or specific rituals that allow the practitioner to connect with deceased loved ones, guide souls into the afterlife, or work through personal grief. Rituals can be solitary or communal and may take place in sacred spaces such as graveyards, cemeteries, or even the practitioner’s home altar.

Magickal Practices in Death Witchcraft

• Necromancy: A cornerstone of death witchcraft is necromancy, the practice of communicating with and working with the spirits of the dead. Necromancers—often considered to be death witches—may use tools like spirit boards, pendulums, crystals, or scrying mirrors to summon and communicate with spirits. Necromancy can also involve rituals to help spirits move on, protect the living from malevolent spirits, or gain insight into future events by consulting the deceased.

• Spirit Work: Spirit work goes hand in hand with necromancy, though it is not always about divining or commanding spirits. Spirit work in death witchcraft involves developing a deep relationship with the spirits of the dead, listening to their messages, and sometimes offering spiritual assistance. Death witches may dedicate spaces on their altars or in their homes to honor these spirits, offering food, trinkets, or symbolic items to maintain good relationships and receive guidance.

• Psychic Development: Many death witches develop their psychic abilities to perceive spirits, energies, and otherworldly dimensions. This may involve cultivating clairvoyance, clairaudience, or clairsentience (the ability to perceive spiritual energy or communicate with the dead). Through meditation, divination, and dream work, practitioners can enhance their sensitivity to the spirit world and develop the skills necessary to work with death in a more intimate way.

• Death-Related Divination: Death witches often use divination to understand the mysteries of life and death. They may practice tarot, runes, or bone reading, methods in which the symbols or objects used represent the interconnectedness of life and death. For example, certain tarot cards like Death or The Hanged Man symbolize transformations, endings, and rebirths. Practitioners may turn to these tools to gain clarity on matters of life transitions, cycles, and endings.

• Baneful Magick: Some branches of death witchcraft include working with baneful magick—spells meant to harm, curse, or protect against malevolent forces. This can involve using death-related symbols, graveyard dirt, or other elements connected to death. However, these practices should be approached with caution, as they are often considered ethically and spiritually dangerous, carrying consequences that may affect the practitioner.

Death witches can be spiritual guides for those dealing with grief, loss, or personal transformation. In many cultures, they may serve as shamans, healers, or mediators between the living and the dead. They may be called upon to perform rituals for the deceased, help souls find peace, or provide guidance to the living regarding their own mortality or transitions.

They also play an important role in facilitating spiritual healing. Many death witches assist individuals in releasing attachments to loved ones who have passed or help them make peace with death. They may use rituals to help heal grief or even to address fears surrounding death. By acknowledging and embracing death, these practitioners help others live more fully, knowing that death is an inevitable part of existence.

Although death witchcraft can seem mysterious or dark, it is not evil. In fact, it is an inherently respectful practice that seeks to understand, honor, and make peace with the natural world’s cycles. However, as with any form of magick, it is crucial that practitioners approach death witchcraft with respect, responsibility, and reverence for the forces they work with. Working with spirits, especially those of the dead, requires a deep level of discernment, sensitivity, and ethical awareness. Practitioners must be cautious when invoking spirits, ensuring they maintain healthy boundaries and avoid harming others.

Death witchcraft is a deeply transformative and sacred path that connects practitioners with the timeless mysteries of life and death. It is a practice that encourages reverence for the dead, for ancestors, and for the cycle of existence itself. Through communication with spirits, necromantic practices, and rituals focused on transformation, death witches help others understand their relationship with death and the afterlife. The practice offers spiritual growth, healing, and empowerment, guiding both practitioners and their communities to embrace death as a natural part of the human experience—an experience to be honored and respected, not feared.

One yee olde thing I remember hearing about that I think has been somewhat forgotten in current craft is about dealing with hauntings.

Nowadays it’s often talked about witches doing exorcisms or passing on the spirit to end the haunting. Job done.

But I’ve heard tales that imply that old spirit doctors or cunning people used their haunted house calls as a way to gain a new spirit familiar.

So instead of casting out the spirit. if it’s a powerful spirit you should instead negotiate with the spirit to come live and work with you. Or getting their ‘contact method’ so you can call them over if needed with another issue. Imagine how useful it is to have a poltergeist protect your home from thieves or curses.

But always know the details of what you’re agreeing to: always make payments on time, and have a ‘never bother me and my family again exit clause/ritual.’ (Like throwing a coin at the room’s corner). Don’t cut deals with a spirit you can’t handle or ones that require a malicious payment. You might have to bind them to something to come along but don’t do this without consent. You can store their item somewhere they like away from your home and call upon them when needed.

When we look at the labels applied to HelPol individuals and spaces; the distinction is especially helpful when looking at groups to join for the purpose of worshipping together online or in person. Hellenic polytheist groups like Hellenion self identify as strict reconstructionist and that label is useful because it tells potential members that they are opposed to some modern practices (that groups specifically doesn’t do rituals that they feel are associated with Wicca, like tarot, in group settings). When people self identify as reconstructionist, it’s useful because those people do ritual differently than rivialists, usually following specific traditions or guiding texts (often the one released by LABRYS if they’re English speakers, but you’ll also see some groups where the Homeric or Orphic hymns are used, and even the PGM) as the basis for their worship. My local revivalist friends who could go attended the big pagan Mabon feast party, as a way to celebrate Persephone’s return to the underworld, meanwhile my recon friends were busy cleaning their houses for Deipnon that day.

Hello Anon,

I certainly don’t disagree with you. I think the distinction between recon and revivalist definitely has its place within the community.

I think the comparison between Christian denominations is especially apt here. At the same time though, in respect to HelPol, I think recon and revivalist are a lot more similar than people think.

Most people don’t fit neatly into one box. In one way or another, we are all reconstructing and reviving the religion. I absolutely agree that they can be helpful, especially when looking for like-minded individuals; however, people will see one word and make assumptions about a person’s entire practice, when in reality it’s a lot more complicated than that.

There's so much to learn from each other, regardless of your position as strict recon or revivalist. That's not to say that I don't understand why people fall on one-side, or somewhere in the middle—I just wish the community wasn't so divided at times. Unlike with Christian denominations, there's really no reason for there to be such a hard line, when we all worship Hellenic deities. It wasn't like that in antiquity, at least, and I find it so disheartening to see these labels used as ways to villainize, demean, and belittle each other.

I am not a strict reconstructionist, but I became a member of the Hellenion earlier this year. It wasn't because I love their strict values or agree with them 100%. It was because I wanted to find more information and learn as much as I can. I think the point I wanted to get across with my post is that we, as a community, should be a little more open-minded and receptive to each other. We are much more similar than we are different. To that extent, I think the separation of recon/revivalist can be more damaging than helpful, although I still ultimately think it has a place within the community. It feels like I'm talking in circles, but I haven't fully landed on a realistic alternative. In any case, I hope this still makes sense.

INTRODUCTION:

A book blessing.

Table of contents.

ABOUT ME:

Your current path.

Your personal beliefs.

Your spiritual journey.

Superstitions.

Past lives.

Favourite herbs/crystals/animals/etc.

Natal chart.

Craft name.

Astrology signs and their meanings.

Birthday correspondences (birth tarot card, birth stone, etc).

Goals.

SAFETY:

Fire safety.

What not to burn.

Toxic plants and oils (to humans, plants, and animals).

Crystals that shouldn’t be put… (in sunlight, in water, etc).

Things that shouldn’t be left in nature (glass, salt, etc).

Potion safety.

How to incorporate blood in spells.

Smoke safety.

Wound care.

Biohazards.

Spirit work safety guide.

CORE CONCEPTS:

Intention and how it works.

Directing energy.

Protection.

Banishing.

Cleansing.

Binding.

Charging.

Shielding.

Grounding.

Centering.

Visualization.

Consecration/blessing.

Warding.

Enchanting.

Manifestation.

Meditation.

What makes a spell work.

Basic spell structure.

What not to do in spells.

Disposing spell ingredients.

Revitalizing long term spells.

How to cast spells.

What to put in spells.

Spell mediums (jars, spoken, candle, and sigils).

Spell timing.

Potion bases.

Differentiating between magick and mundane.

Common terms.

Common symbols.

Intuition.

Elements.

Basic alchemy and symbols.

Ways to break spells.

Laws and philosophies.

CORRESPONDENCES:

Herbs and spices and their uses and/or properties.

Crystals and their uses and/or properties.

Colours.

Liquids and drinks.

Metals.

Salt and their properties.

Numbers.

Tarot cards and their meanings.

Elements.

Trees and woods.

Flowers.

Days.

Months.

Seasons.

Moon names, phases, and their meanings.

Zodiacs.

Planets.

Incense.

Teas.

Essential oils.

Directions.

Candle colours and their meanings.

Animals.

Symbology.

Bone correspondences.

Different types of water.

Common plants.

ENTITIES:

Deities you worship.

Pantheons.

Pantheons and deities closed to you.

Common offerings.

Epithets.

Mythos.

Family.

Worship vs work.

Prayers and prayer template.

Deity comms.

Devotional acts.

Angels.

Demons.

Ancestors.

Fae.

Familiars.

House, animal, plant, etc, spirits.

Folklore entities.

Spirit etiquette.

Graveyard etiquette.

Boundaries.

Communication guide and etiquette.

Spirit work safety guide.

How entities appear to you.

Circle casting.

Servitors.

Mythological creatures (dragons, gorgons, unicorns, etc).

UTILITY PAGES:

Gazing pages.

Sigil charging station.

Altar pages.

Intent pages.

Getaway pages.

Vision boards.

Dream pages.

Binding page.

Pendulum board.

Throwing bones page.

Divination pages.

Mirror gazing page.

Invocation pages.

Affirmation/manifestation pages.

Spirit board page.

OTHER PRACTICES:

Practices that are closed to you (Voodoo, Hoodoo, Santeria, Brujeria, Shamanism, Native practices).

Wicca and Wiccan paths.

Satanism, both theistic and non-theistic.

Deity/entity work.

Religious paths (Hellenism, Christianity, Kemeticism, etc).

Animism.

TYPES OF MAGICK:

Pop culture Paganism/magick.

Tech magick.

Chaos magick.

Green magick.

Lunar magick.

Solar magick.

Sea magick.

Kitchen magick.

Ceremonial magick.

Hedge magick

Death magick.

Gray magick.

Eclectic magick.

Elemental magick.

Fae magick.

Spirit magick.

Candle magick.

Crystal magick.

Herbalism.

Glamours.

Hexes.

Jinxes.

Curses.

Weather magick.

Astral magick.

Shadow work.

Energy work.

Sigils.

Runes.

Art magick.

Knot magick.

Music magick.

Blood magick.

Bath magic/rituals.

Affirmations.

DIVINATION:

Tarot cards.

Oracle cards.

Playing cards.

Card spreads.

Pendulum/how to use one.

Numerology.

Scrying.

Palmistry.

Tasseography.

Runes.

Shufflemancy

Dice.

Bibliomancy.

Carromancy.

Pyromancy.

Psychic abilities.

Astrology.

Auras.

Lenormand.

Sacred geometry.

Angel numbers.

Ornithomancy.

Aeromancy.

Aleuromancy.

Axinomancy.

Belomancy.

Hydromancy.

Lecanomancy.

Necromancy.

Oneiromancy.

Onomancy.

Oomancy.

Phyllomancy.

Psephomancy.

Rhabdomancy.

Xylomancy.

TOOLS:

Crystal grid.

Candle grid.

Charms.

Talismans.

Amulets.

Taglocks.

Wand.

Broom.

Athame.

Boline.

Cingulum.

Stang.

Bells.

Drums.

Staffs.

Chalices.

Cauldrons.

Witches ladder.

Poppets.

HOLIDAYS:

Imbolc.

Ostara.

Beltane.

Litha.

Lammas.

Mabon.

Samhain.

Yule.

How to celebrate the Sabbats.

Esbats.

Deity specific holidays.

Religious holidays (Christmas, Easter, Dionysia, etc).

Celestial events.

ALTARS:

Basics of altars.

Travel altars.

Deity altars.

Spirit altars.

Familiar altars.

Ancestor altars.

Self altars.

Working altars.

Sabbat altars.

SELF-CARE:

Burnout prevention.

Aromatherapy.

Stress management.

Coping mechanisms.

Meditation techniques.

THEORIES AND HISTORY:

Witchcraft history.

Paganism.

New age spirituality.

Cultural appropriation.

Thelema.

Conspiracy theories.

Cults.

Satanic Panic.

KJV.

Witches in history.

Cats in history.

Transphobia in witchcraft circles.

Queerness in witchcraft circles.

OTHER:

Recipes.

How to get herbs.

Foraging.

Drying herbs and flowers.

Chakras.

Reiki.

Witches alphabet.

Runic alphabet.

Guide to gardening

Your witch tips.

Resources.

Other tips.

List of spells.

Cryptids and their lore.

What is a liminal space?

How to start a dream diary. 

Recording/writing rituals.

These herbs can aid in your divinatory practices! Use in spells pertaining your psychic abilities, sachets for prophetic dreams, for oils, etc. Please Note: some of these are poisonous. Please do your research before consumption or burning. 

Alder ~ divination 

Ash ~ Helps induce prophetic dreams when put under your pillow

Bay ~ divination, used for prophetic dreaming

Beech ~ aid in divination

Bistort ~Add to any herbal mixture to boost divination. Burn with frankincense during divination or to enhance psychic powers. 

Broom Tops Scotch Broom ~ Divination aid, especially with wind/air 

Buckeye ~ divination 

Butcher’s Broom  ~ psychic powers, divination, especially wind/air divination

Buchu ~ Prophetic dreams, divination, Add buchu leaves to the bath to enable yourself to foretell the future.

Butterbur ~ used for love divination

Camphor ~ divination, prophetic dreaming, psychic awareness. 

Cherry Bark/Wood ~ great for incense for divination

Cinnamon ~ Psychic workings, can be added to sachets and used as incense. 

Cinquefoil ~ Burn as an incense during divination to bring dreams of one’s intended mate.

Corn ~ divination 

Cypress ~ Aids in divination, can be burned as incense 

Dandelion Root ~ Used to call spirits and for divination, can be used as a tea or carried in a bag to help induce prophetic dreams.

Dodder ~ divination 

Eyebright ~ Anoint eyelids to help induce clairvoyant visions and used or prophetic dreams

Fig ~ divination, Write a question on a fig leaf — if the leaf dries slowly, the answer is yes, otherwise the answer is no.

Flax Seed ~ Burn for divinatory purposes, Sprinkle an infusion made with flax seed around the area before divination to get a more accurate reading of someone’s future.

Goldenrod ~ divination 

Gum Arabic ~ Psychic and spiritual enhancement

Ground Ivy ~ divination 

Hazel ~ Forked branches can be used for divining. 

Hibiscus ~ Used to promote prophetic dreaming & divination. 

Jasmine ~ Used for prophetic dreams

Lavender ~ used in visions, dream magic

Lettuce ~ divination, prophetic dreams 

Marigold ~ Clairvoyance, psychic abilities, seeing magical creatures

Marshmallow Root ~ used to enhance & stimulate psychic powers, draws positive spirits.

Meadowsweet ~ divination

Mugwort ~ astral projection, prophetic dreams, divination. Add to your Tarot bag to strengthen divination abilities. 

Mullein ~ divination, astral projection

Nutmeg ~ Psychic abilities, visions, clairvoyance 

Orris ~ divination 

Rose ~ psychic powers & divination. Can be used in sachets, incense, or as oil

Orange ~ psychic abilities & divination. 

Palm ~ divination, focus

Pansy ~ divination associate with love & romance, rain divination. 

Pomegranate ~ divination 

St. John’s Wort ~ Used in divination for the care of crystals

Star Anise ~ divination 

Thyme ~ Psychic abilities, 

Willow ~ Divination 

Wormwood ~ used to aid in divination and clairvoyance 

Some small Spica thing I did kinda improptu. 03/07/2025, 6h45 p.m. The star is conjunct the Moon near the Midheaven.

Inscribed an emerald stone with the sigil of Spica given by Agrippa with my trusted golden UniPaint marker. I suffumigated it with wormwood, copal and sage and recited the prayer given by Warnock in his Fixed Stars three times.

War Water (also called Iron Water) is a powerful tool in witchcraft used for protection, hexing, banishing, and warding off enemies. It originates from Hoodoo, Appalachian folk magic, and other mystical traditions.

Uses of War Water:

• Protection – Sprinkle around your home to create a spiritual barrier.

• Banishing – Throw it where unwanted people have walked to remove their influence.

• Cursing – Toss onto an enemy’s property to bring discord and bad luck.

• Warding Off Negativity – Add to floor washes or sprinkle near entrances.

• In Spellwork - Use in rituals for breaking curses, creating wards, or calling upon warrior spirits.

Needed:

• Rusty nails (or iron shavings or railroad spikes)

• Water (preferably storm or river water for extra potency)

• Salt (black salt for cursing, sea salt for protection)

• Cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (for aggression and strength)

• Vinegar – Used to sour relationships in cursing spells.

• Mugwort or Rue – For added spiritual power.

Instructions:

Place the rusty nails or iron in a jar. If your nails aren’t rusty, leave them in water for a few weeks to oxidize. Fill the jar with water. Use stormwater for aggressive energy, river water for powerful flow, or tap water if necessary. Add salt and herbs and let it sit for at least a week. The longer it sits, the stronger it becomes. Some witches let it develop for months. Shake or stir when using, the rust, herbs, and salt should be well mixed before application.