this blog is a mess

a guide on protecting yourself and your home. [very long post]

personal protection

wear an amulet on your person - can be made from man-made or natural materials so long as its intent is to protect

keep a protective crystal in your pocket

craft a small protective spell jar and keep on your person

anoint yourself with a protective oil

place an energetic shield around yourself 

place a glamour on yourself to go unnoticed in the presence of harmful or negative energies

carry a piece of iron on your person

bathe with a wash made with protective herbs

sleep with a sachet of herbs under your pillow or hanging above your bed to prevent nightmares

prayers and offerings to your chosen deity

hang a protective amulet from the rearview mirror in your vehicle for safe travels

home & hearth protection

hang rose stems with thorns intact above the entrance of your home

hang an upside down horseshoe above the entrance of your home (some lore states you should hang the horseshoe right-side-up)

hang wind chimes or bells outside of your home

plant rosemary near your front door

create a “witch bottle” and bury in your front yard, or in a potted plant on your porch

create a “witch’s ladder” or “witch ball” and hang it either inside or outside of your home

hang imagery of protective symbols outside or around your home

burn protective incense or candles in your home with scents that are associated with protection

create a room spray made from protective oils and spray around your home

create a protective wash and use it to clean your windows, door frames, and tile/wooden floors 

use the wash mentioned above to “paint” symbols of protection on the outside of your front door, on your porch, etc. 

place a protective crystal or small glass of salt at each corner inside your home

hammer 3 iron nails into your front door

create a protective powder and sprinkle around the perimeter of your home; alternately, sprinkle outside of your front and back door (be wary of sprinkling salt on grass!)

create a sachet filled with protective herbs and crystals - keep inside or outside of your home, in your vehicle, etc.

hang mirrors inside of your home to trap negative energy, entities, or spirits (not facing each other)

place a crystal grid at the center of your home using protective crystals

call upon your chosen deity to protect your home and those who reside in it

protective symbols & items

pentacle

triquetra 

witch’s knot

algiz (elhaz) rune

vegvisir

helm of awe

mjolnir

glyph of the moon, mars, or saturn

eye of horus

ankh

crossed swords

iron nails

railroad spikes

thorns

mars water / oil

third & fifth pentacle of saturn; third & sixth pentacle of jupiter; sixth pentacle of mars; second, third, & fifth pentacle of the moon

crystals

agate, amethyst (protection against psychic attacks and while traveling), angel aura quartz (spiritual protection), apophyllite, aqua aura quartz (protection against psychic attacks), aquamarine (protection while traveling via water), astrophyllite, aventurine

beryl (protection while traveling) blue goldstone, bowenite, bronzite, bustamite

catlinite (spiritual protection), carnelian (protection from negative emotions), celestite (emotional protection), chalcopyrite, chrysoberyl, citrine (protection from nightmares), clear quartz

diamond, dravite

eudialyte

fire agate, fluorite (protection against psychic attacks)

galaxite, garnet

indicolite, infinite stone

jade, jasper, jet

lapis lazuli, lepidolite (protection from manic depression)

malachite (protection during pregnancy and childbirth), moonstone (protection during pregnancy, childbirth, and while traveling via water), mother of pearl (protection for children)

nuumite

obsidian, onyx

peridot, pyrite

rose quartz (protection during pregnancy and childbirth), ruby (protection of the home and hearth)

salt, schorl, shungite, smithsonite, smoky quartz, snowflake obsidian, sugilite

tanzanite, tiger’s eye, turquoise

vauxite (protection from nightmares)

botanicals

acacia, aconite, acorn (protection from lightning), african violet, ague, alder (protection for the deceased), alfalfa (protection from hunger and poverty), alkanet (protection from snakebites and the fear of snakes), aloe (protection from household accidents), amaranth (protection from bullets), amber, angelica, anise seeds, ash (protection from drowning and while traveling), aspen (protection against thieves)

bamboo, barley, basil, bay laurel (protection from lightning), bay leaf (protection for your home and family; protection against baneful magic), belladonna, bergamot (protection from illness), bilberry bark, birch (protection from lightning and infertility), black cohosh (protection from accidents and sudden death), black haw, black pepper, blackberry, bladderwrack (protection while traveling), blessed thistle, bloodroot, blue violet, blueberry, boneset, brimstone, buckeye (protection against arthritis), buckwheat

cactus, calamus, calendula, carnation, caraway, cascara sagrada (protection against baneful magic), catnip (protection while sleeping), cedar (protection from lightning), celandine, chia, chives, chrysanthemum, cilantro (protection for gardeners), cinnamon, cinquefoil (protection for loved ones on a journey), clove (protection for babies), clover, coconut, comfrey (protection while traveling), coriander, corn, cotton, cramp bark, cranberry, cumin, curry, cypress

daisy (protection for babies), dandelion root (protection while sleeping), datura, devil’s bit, devil’s claw, dill, dogwood, dragon’s blood, ebony, elder (protection for the deceased), elm (protection from lightning), eucalyptus

false unicorn root (protection during pregnancy and childbirth), fennel, fern, feverfew (protection against accidents and cold/flu), figwort (protection for your home), flaxseed (protection for your home, protection against baneful magic), fleabane, foxglove (protection for your home and garden), frankincense

gardenia, garlic, geranium, ginger, ginseng, gorse (protection against baneful magic), hawthorn (protection from lightning), heather (protection against violent crimes), heliotrope, henna (protection from illness), hickory, high john the conqueror, holly, horseradish, hyssop (protection for property against burglars and trespassers)

irish moss (protection while traveling), ivy, juniper, kava kava, lady slipper (protection against baneful magic), larch (protection against theft), larkspur, laurel, lavender, leek, lemon, lemon verbena (protection of your home, protection from lightning and storms), lettuce, lime, lotus, lucky hand root (protection while traveling)

mandrake, marigold (protection while sleeping), marjoram, marshmallow root, mimosa, mint, mistletoe (protection from lightning and fire), mullein (protection from nightmares and baneful magic), nutmeg

oak moss, olive leaf, onion, papyrus, parsley (protection for your home), peat moss, peony, periwinkle (protection against snakes and poison), pimpernel, pine, pineapple, plantain (protection from snakebites and jealousy), quince, radish, raspberry leaf, red clover (protection for pets), rhubarb, rice, rosemary, rowan, rue

sage, sandalwood, saw palmetto, sea salt, sheep sorrel (protection from heart disease), slippery elm, snapdragon, solomon’s seal, spanish moss, spearmint, st. john’s wort (protection from baneful magic, lightning, and fire), straw flower, sunflower

tangerine, thistle, toadflax, tonka bean (protection from disease), true unicorn root (protection from baneful magic), valerian, venus fly trap, violet, willow, witch hazel, wood aloe, wood betony, woodruff, wormwood (protection against dangerous roads while traveling), yerba santa, yew, yucca (protection of your home)

metals

chromium, lead, iron, nickel, pewter, steel, titanium, zinc

lunar phases

waxing - to attract protective energy and positivity

full - generalized protection 

waning - to banish negativity, thus protecting the caster

planets / days of the week

moon / monday

mars / tuesday

saturn / saturday

as always, don't steal from other cultures, don't put salt on your grass, don't handle or ingest toxic metals or plants, and don't burn your house down! it's up to you to discern how to practice safely and ethically.

These are sources I have personally used in the context of my research, and which I've enjoyed and found useful. Please don’t mind if I missed this or that ressource, as for this post, I focused solely on my own preferences when it comes to research. I may add on to this list via reblog if other interesting sources come to my mind after this has been posted. Good luck on your research! And as always, my question box is open if you have any questions pertaining to my experiences and thoughts on paganism.

Mythology

The Viking Spirit: An Introduction to Norse Mythology and Religion

Dictionnary of Northern Mythology

The Prose and Poetic Eddas (Online)

Grottasöngr: The Song of Grotti (Online)

The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes

The Wanderer's Hávamál

The Song of Beowulf

Norse Mythology: Myths of the Eddas (Online)

Rauðúlfs Þáttr

The Penguin Book of Norse Myths: Gods of the Vikings (Kevin Crossley-Holland's are my favorite retellings)

Myths of the Norsemen From the Eddas and the Sagas (online) A source that's as old as the world, but still very complete and an interesting read.

The Elder Eddas of Saemung Sigfusson

Pocket Hávamál

Cassell's Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend (Online)

Cassel's Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend

Myths of the Pagan North: Gods of the Norsemen

Lore of the Vanir: A Brief Overview of the Vanir Gods

Anglo-Saxon and Norse Poems

Gods of the Ancient Northmen

Gods of the Ancient Northmen (Online)

Norse Mythology - The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook: From Vikings to Valkyries, an Epic Who's Who in Old Norse Mythology (A vulgarized and fun read for for newbies!)

Two Icelandic Stories: Hreiðars Þáttr and Orms Þáttr

Two Icelandic Stories: Hreiðars Þáttr and Orms Þáttr (Online)

The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson (Online)

Sagas

Two Sagas of Mythical Heroes: Hervor and Heidrek & Hrólf Kraki and His Champions (compiling the Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks and the Hrólfs saga kraka)

The Saga of the Jómsvíkings

The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise (Online)

The Heimskringla or the Chronicle of the Kings of Norway (Online)

Stories and Ballads of the Far Past OR Stories and Ballads or the Far Past - Translated from the norse (Icelandic and Faroese) with introduction and notes

Stories and Ballads of the Far Past: Icelandic and Faroese

Heimskringla: History of the Kings of Norway

The Saga of the Volsungs: With the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok

The Saga of the Volsungs (Online. Interesting analysis, but this is another pretty old source.)

The Story of the Volsungs (Online) Morris and Magnusson translation

The Vinland Sagas

Hákon the Good's Saga (Online)

The Saga of Hervör and Heidrek (Online)

The Saga of the Jómsvikings (Online)

History of religious practices

The Viking Way: Magic and Mind in Late Iron Age Scandinavia

Nordic Religions in the Viking Age

Agricola and Germania Tacitus' account of religion in nordic countries

Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe: Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions

Tacitus on Germany (Online)

Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs

Scandinavia and the Viking Age

Viking Age Iceland

Landnámabók: Book of the Settlement of Iceland (Online)

The Age of the Vikings

The Vikings (Online. Mind the year of publication, this source is pretty old!)

Gesta Danorum: The Danish History (Books I-IX)

The Sea Wolves: a History of the Vikings

The Viking World

The History of Iceland

Guta Lag: The Law of the Gotlanders (Online)

The Pre-Christian Religions of the North (This is a four-volume series I haven't read yet, but that I wish to acquire soon! It's the next research read I have planned.)

Old Norse Folklore: Tradition, Innovation, and Performance in Medieval Scandinavia

Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings

The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings by John Haywood

Landnámabók: Viking Settlers and Their Customs in Iceland

Nordic Tales: Folktales from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark (For a little literary break from all the serious research! The stories are told in a way that can sometimes get repetitive, but it makes it easier to notice recurring patterns and themes within Scandinavian oral tradition.)

Old Norse-Icelandic Literature: A Short Introduction

Saga Form, Oral Prehistory, and the Icelandic Social Context

An Early Meal: A Viking Age Cookbook and Culinary Oddyssey

Runes & Old Norse language

Uppland region runestones and their translations

Viking Language 1: Learn Old Norse, Runes, and Icelandic Sagas and Viking Language 2: The Old Norse Reader

Five Pieces of Runic Poetry

Old Norse-Icelandic Literature: A Critical Guide

Eddic to English: A survey of English translations of the Poetic Edda

Catalogue of the Manks Crosses with Runic Inscriptions

Old Norse - Old Icelandic: Concise Introduction to the Language of the Sagas

A Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture

Five pieces of runic poetry translated from the islandic language: Quotations

Nordic Runes: Understanding, Casting, and Interpreting the Ancient Viking Oracle 

YouTube channels

Ocean Keltoi

Arith Härger

Old Halfdan

Jackson Crawford

Wolf the Red

Sigurboði Grétarsson

Grimfrost

(Reminder! The channel "The Wisdom of Odin", aka Jacob Toddson, is a known supporter of pseudo scientific theories and of the AFA, a folkist and white-supremacist organization, and he's been known to hold cult-like, dangerous rituals, as well as to use his UPG as truth and to ask for his followers to provide money for his building some kind of "real life viking hall", as supposedly asked to him by Óðinn himself. A source to avoid. But more on that here.)

Websites

The Troth

Norse Mythology for Smart People

Voluspa.org

Mimisbrunnr: Developments in Ancient Germanic Studies

Icelandic Saga Database

Skaldic Project

Life in Norway This is more of a tourist's ressources, but I find they publish loads of fascinating articles pertaining to Norway's history and its traditions.

Germanic Mythology

Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia (online)

The Enigma of Egill: The Saga, the Viking Poet, and Snorri Sturluson (online)

The Specter of Old Age: Nasty Old Men in the Sagas of Icelanders (online)

Penguin Classics Egils Saga (Pálsson & Edwards)

Viking Society for Northern Research web publications index (Database! Check date of publication, some of the documents are outdated.)

The Laxdæla saga translated from the Icelandic with an introduction by Thorstein Veblen (online)

Viking Age England

Erik Bloodaxe: His Life and Times: A Royal Viking in His Historical and Geographical Settings

River Kings: The Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (online)

Norse mythology: legends of gods and heroes (a pretty old ressource, but still an interesting read) (online)

Three Icelandic Outlaw Sagas (online)

Frey's Offspring: Rulers and Religion in Ancient Svea Society  (online)

The Role of Rulers in the Winding Up of the Old Norse Religion (online)

Nordic Culture

Heimskringla Vol. 1 - Viking Society for Northern Research (University College London), Vol. 2, Vol. 3. (online)

Dumézil's works, original tongue:

Mythes et dieux de la Scandinavie ancienne (Myths and Gods of Ancient Scandinavia)

Mythes Et Dieux Des Indo Européens (Myths and Gods of the Indo-Europeans)

• Pagans that get delusions that interfere with worship!

• Pagans that get religious delusions! Delusions of grandeur! Delusions of control!

• Pagans who can’t discern between hallucinations, delusions, and the Gods!

• Pagans who get hallucinations of the Gods!

• Pagans that get auditory hallucinations! Tactile hallucinations! Visual hallucinations! Olfactory hallucinations! Internal hallucinations!

• Pagans who get intrusive thoughts!

• Pagans who experience negative symptoms that make it hard to worship!

• Pagans whose psychosis makes it hard to worship in general!

• Pagans who think their psychosis brings them closer to the Gods!

• Pagans who get disorganized thoughts. Who can’t pray because of them!

• Pagans on medication! Pagans who can’t be medicated, who don’t want to be medicated, who aren’t medicated!

hey, you know that ancient grimoire you’ve been searching for but can’t get shipped to your country, is probably on Anna’s Archives. Yeah… you could download it for free… pretty much any text you can think of regardless of how old it is, it’s probably on there… give it a little searchy search and you’ll probably find the entire book for free… just saying.

Having a hard copy is always nice. But when I’m trying to figure out if a grimoire is worth dumping money on… it’s always nice to have a little free trial,…

1. the basics

to start with, lets look at some common terms. i’d define them as follows:

wards = long-term protection on spaces (altar, room, etc) - they’re generally seen as permanent despite needing energetic top ups.

shields = temporary personal protection (veiling, amulets, visualization) - you can also shield someone else, either directly or remotely.

cleansing = an act that resets energy to neutral - can be a space, yourself, or an object.

banishing = essentially telling energy or an entity to fuck off (in varying degrees of hostility). i tend to be more nice than mean, especially if that entity is important or likes to hold a grudge.

these concepts get blurred sometimes, and that's fine. most people use them in overlapping ways - it’s just useful for this post (and this blog) to have a list of definitions.

2. why protection work was hard for me at first, and what i do now

i've always found protection work difficult to keep up long-term. i really struggle with doing big rituals consistently (probably the ADHD). i don't have the energy for it. for ages, my protection either just... didn't exist, or it happened in the moment - shielding when something felt off, visualising energy forming around me, stuff like that. the idea of putting wards up every full moon or doing protective cleansings every sunday made me feel exhausted just thinking about it. the energy it took, the way it felt like a chore didn’t feel right, and had me really questioning if witchcraft was for me. i believe that the more energy you give something, the more energy it has - but the more i complicate things, the harder it gets for me, and the less my magick feels like an extension of myself

Preparing the Mirror

A true scrying mirror is often blackened, either painted on the back with black paint, made of obsidian, or a darkened glass surface. However, any mirror can be used if dedicated properly.

To prepare your mirror:

Cleanse it with smoke, saltwater (if safe), or moonlight.

Consecrate it by stating your intention, “This mirror is a window between worlds, a sacred tool of vision.”

Keep it wrapped in cloth when not in use, reserving it only for spiritual work.

How to Scry with a Mirror

Create a Quiet Space

Set Your Intention

Relax & Gaze

Enter Trance

My ancestors would have wanted pasteurization, vaccines, antibiotics, disinfectants, birth control, psychiatric medications, pain management, anesthesia. My ancestors would have wanted to be able to keep their loved ones around longer, and not lose them too early/too soon to childbirths, injuries, bacterial infections, mental illnesses, and diseases that are curable and/or preventable in our modern day life.

Someone tries to dictate your beliefs and/or practice based on their personal experiences (aka UPG, or unverified personal gnosis).

They claim the gods will punish you if you don't go along with them.

They appeal to conspiracy theories to justify their beliefs. (See also Is the spiritual person a conspiracy theorist? A list of red flags.)

They make big, dramatic predictions (like claiming aliens will arrive on a certain date, or that the ancient gods will return and overthrow the government soon).

They claim to have a big, important role in the grand cosmic drama (like claiming they're the Archangel Michael and they're going to fight Satan, which will lead to the fall of the government).

They are extremely opposed to skepticism, critical thinking, and/or academia. Not merely critical where it's actually appropriate, but treating it like it's all pure evil.

They encourage you to cut off people who don't believe or criticize what they teach.

They are absolutely certain they can use mystical means (like astrology or tarot) to determine whether someone is a good or bad person.

They are absolutely certain they can just sense whether someone is good or bad.

They are absolutely certain they can use mystical means to find out what another person is thinking or doing.

They claim you were connected to them in a past life.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

The Gods are obviously the more talked about part of polytheist circles, but there are some other things that you can include in your practice. This is by no means a comprehensive list of everything you can do, or even the only definition of these things. Just some ideas for expanding your practice.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Ancestor Veneration

-Leave offerings for those who came before you! Pay your respects and ask for their wisdom. For my practice, I sometimes make a cup of coffee for my late grandmother! Something simple but meaningful to her.

Hero Worship

-This is more akin to veneration than worship for many people. It's similar to ancestor veneration but for individuals in history and mythology that are considered important to one's religious beliefs. (Kind of a fast and loose definition since there's a lot of variety in this type of worship).

Hospitality

-More up to interpretation, but some pagan religions put emphasis on being hospitable and also involved in your community. For me, this means volunteer work, helping my neighbors, and being welcoming in my home.

Local Flora and Fauna

-Research your home! Learn the animals, the weather, when the flowers bloom. Involve yourself with your natural world. This is especially useful if you want to base your calendar or offerings/Rituals around the seasons and such.

Local Spirits

-Deities get a lot of attention, but don't leave out the spirits of the land and your home. Leave out a bite of your snack or a glass of water. (If leaving stuff outside, make sure it won't hurt any animals that get into it).

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠄⠄⠂⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠄⠄⠂⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁

Apple: Apollo, Hera, Aphrodite, Diana, Eris, Freyja, The Hesperides, Idun, Pomona, Saulé, Athena, Gaia, Eros, Lugh, Manannan, Nemesis, Zeus, Loki, Freyr

Grapes: Dionysus, The Horae, Lady Chang'O, Europa, Gestinana, Renenet, Sirona

Pear: Aphrodite, Hera, Pomona, Isis

Orange: Apollo, Oshun, Pomona, Venus, Enlil, Hesperethusa

Cherry: Aphrodite, Chinju no Kami, Xi Wang Mu, Artemis, Flora, Persephone, the Morrigan

Plum: Amaterasu, Pomona, Aphrodite, Freyja, Dionysus

Mango: Durga, Ogun, Simbi, Kamadeva, Hanuman, Ambika

Strawberry: Hermes, Aphrodite, Adonis, Eris, Freyja, Frigg, Venus, Freyr

Raspberry: Venus, Leto, Rhea, Cernunnos, Hera, Artemis

Banana: Shango, Brihaspati, Vishnu, Parvati, Lakhsmi

Coconut: Hina, Mahesh, Asar, Isis, Osiris, Brahma, Vishnu, Ganesha, Aphrodite

Blackberry: Dionysus, Brigid, the Dagda, Danu, Freyja, Manannan, Osiris, Poseidon

Lemon: Alakshmi, Arethusa, Apollo,

Olive: Athena, Elais, Zeus, Ra, Poseidon, Indra, Pele, Apollo

Watermelon: Hera, Yemaya, Bahuchara

Peach: Xiwangmu, Kami, Hathor, Aphrodite, Freyja, Shou Xing, Apollo

Papaya: Istustaya

Pomegranate: Hades, Persephone, Zeus, Demeter, Aphrodite, Hecate, Athena, Hestia, Ares

Fig: Dionysus, Priapus, Demeter

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠄⠄⠂⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁

tip jar🍇

have you...

1. killed or maimed someone

2. killed or maimed an animal for purposes other than consuming/processing it

3. knowingly and purposefully hurled vile obscenities or insults at any god or gods

4. made it a life goal to be a terrible person

5. been a terf