#deadlydaemonflashmob

If you think separate books would work well for you, go for it! That’s sort of how mine is organised, as it happens. Really, though, any format you’re comfortable with is perfectly fine. A grimoire is for your own benefit. :)

It greatly depends on which deities you worship, and which paths you follow. For instance: within modern practitioners of Kemetism there’s a group called the Kemetic Orthodox, members of whom are divined as a child of one or two deities if/ when they choose to dedicate themselves fully to the Kemetic Gods. You may have seen a few on Tumblr (myself included) stating that they are a child of ‘Kemetic deity’. I’m sure that other specific paths have their own ‘terms’ for having certain relationships with deities, but that’s something I can’t personally tell you about.

If you’re working from a blank slate, however, I imagine it would take a fair bit of divination and ‘soul searching’ (for want of a better term) to find existing connections and bonds that you are not aware of. If that is what you want to do, I think the best place to begin would be with any deities/ pantheons that you find yourself drawn to. Often these little pulls from your subconscious can lead you in the right direction.

> Smudge

I think it’s one of those things that’s ‘just known’ sometimes, often after a lot of work and practice? I’m thinking specifically of a Bacchic Orphic priest I know who’s so obviously beloved of Dionysus and a priestess of the Morrígan who so obviously belongs to the Queen: both of them essentially live and breathe their faith, though not to the point of forgetting to live normal, healthy lives as mortals.  Neither of them treat their relationship with their deities with arrogance, entitlement, or elitism, and being around them gives you the distinct sense that they are indeed watched closely and dearly loved.  It’s actually quite lovely and occasionally hilarious to see.  :)

I know of some initiatory traditions that have methods of determining which gods or entities sit upon you, but those methods differ and usually rely on an elder or experienced diviner to discern who.   For a lay person, I agree with Smudge’s assertion about divination and self-reflection, but I would also add that the more work you put into making a relationship strong and close and trusted, the more you’re likely to get out of it regardless of you are.  Basically, that almost anyone can have that kind of relationship if they’re willing and able to work for it with the right deity.

I’m not personally familiar with the goddess you mention, so I can’t give you any specific information, but it is completely possible that a deity or spirit or any non-physical presence to appear as something different to their normal depiction. This is probably less common for certain entities than it is for others, but I’m pretty confident that all non-physical beings have the potential to appear in different forms due to their non-physical nature. 

Deities often appear to have more set or established forms, but if you look into most mythologies, you’re likely to find at least one tale where a deity assumes a different form for some purpose or another. Non-physical entities also have a habit of using their form to convey messages or meaning - so they might appear, for instance, as a dragon in order to show/ tell you something. These visual metaphors are often tailored to you personally, so you’ll have to think about how what you’re being shown relates to you and your life, as well as general symbolic meanings. 

In Kemetism, for example, visual symbolism is everywhere. Even the images of the deities themselves are meant to be more metaphorical than a concrete image of what they look like. Each colour, animal, item and hieroglyphic symbol tells you something about the deity, and the functions they embody. 

Hopefully you can relate some of this rambling to your situation. My main point is: non-physical entities CAN appear in different forms, and often when they do this, it is to ‘talk’ to you through images rather than words. It can take some time and thought to decode what they mean, but thankfully they are usually very patient with us (and will often try different methods if we don’t get the message the first time around.)

> Smudge

Whether or not Danu ever existed as a contemporary to the other Tuatha Dé is debated.  Danu as she’s commonly known is a recent figure, although that doesn’t mean she isn’t a goddess now or that she isn’t a continuation of an older deity under a different name (or a mistaken reference to Anu/Anand, depending on your theory).  This means that any associations people have for her are UPG or SPG (shared personal gnosis).  I haven’t heard of any dragon associations for her or for any other Irish deities.  Experiences vary and I have no personal ones of her, but I tend to hear Danu described as having a more ‘primordial’ or elemental kind of feel, a less anthropomorphized presence, as though you’re addressing the deep dark of the earth rather than a more individualized deity.  YMMV, though.

In regards to the visual symbolism that Smudge describes, evidence (and lack thereof) suggests that the Irish didn’t really portray their gods in idols and statues the way cultures like the Greeks and Romans did/still do; most physical description comes from scant surviving oral tradition and from literary tradition, which is unreliable for its own reasons.  Understanding why a motherly type of deity, Danu or not, would appear as a dragon to you could be valuable in understanding what her intent and identity are.

Here’s my tag on her, the PSG’s tag for her, and the PSG’s tag for dragons.

Given that this is a close family member, I doubt that you would need to take cultural/ religious differences into account. However, you are correct - human spirits can be offended, which is just something to take into account in the future. In this situation, however, I think you’re pretty safe. Best of luck ~

> Smudge

It sounds like he wasn’t rooted deeply into his Christianity anyway, but there are sects of Christianity that have practices that are pretty much what other people would consider spirit work.  Setting out a glass full of water with a candle and maybe something he enjoyed in life (a card deck, a game controller to his favorite console brand, a pack of cigarettes, food made from a family recipe, whatever that might’ve been) is a benign but useful setup that even a lot of Christians would accept as a respectful remembrance for your beloved dead.  Remember that Christianity and its various sects are rooted in death already: the worship of a man who died and was resurrected, in some cases the veneration of saints who are basically ancestors of lineage, the idea that life is essentially a prelude to what comes after death, praying for the elevation of the dead from Purgatory, etc.  Lay Christianity actually has a pretty strong history of spiritualism.

Like Smudge says, however, the human dead were people too.  If your brother does get offended, then at least you now know and you can apologize in whatever way is most appropriate to him.  Unless you mortally offended him in life or something, however, and it sounds like you guys were the opposite of that, I really can’t imagine that that would happen.

Etsy!

-Tema Koinu

In the meantime, you can use stones such as amethyst, agate, lepidolite (or pretty much any stone with a violet/ purple hue, in a pinch) under your pillow or near where you sleep.

> Smudge

Edit: please make sure that if you’re buying dreamcatchers, you’re doing so from indigenous artists.

Of course! Technically now they’re regular readings but if anyone has any ideas for readings they’d like to share I’m open to try them :)

You didn’t specify which so I’ll do both since I definitely need practice ^^“

Energy Reading:A light blue runs from your finger tips of your right hand to the elbow. A warm, yellow-orange wraps around your abdomen from your waist to your armpits. There’s a bit of pink on your left ear.

Spirit Reading: I saw a puppy happily playing frisbee with their owner.