Other posts of the series: * Tips on Shadow spaces * On Spiritual Bilocation
Mindspaces, also referred to as inner temples, are a great step between meditation and astral travel experiences. However, they are an amazing multi-purpose standalone tool as well. Especially for undercover witches who need to keep their practice secret!
I divide them into two types: basic mind spaces and shadow spaces. This post is about the basic mind spaces.
This is essentially a bubble in the space between this plane and the astral planes. It belongs to you and you can change it around as you see fit. Those are like your accounts in dropbox. Just like dropbox or other cloud services, those are password protected etc etc; you get to keep stuff there, its not 100% break-in proof, but safe enough. And you can generate a link to the bubble and send it to a friendly spirit/deity/any entity really, that you want to hang out with.
This place is great as a safety retreat - you can rest here should things get tough. I feel that energy work and practice can be done easier in the mind space, and you can study the energy more directly and it flows much easier than in physical. There’s also spirit work to a done here. Invite your spirit friends over, meet with your deities for a cup of coffee, so much potential for fun~ There is a lot of room for experiments, spell casting and learning. And finally you can set up a passage that’ll take you straight to astral planes.
Your mind space is very flexible and it can look like anything. It can be a room, a garden, a house, a mountain top, a metro station, an underwater location, a formless blob of darkness. Anything YOU want. Coming back to energy work - it is easier to work with and shape energy, hence its easier to build structures in your space that allow for anything you can think of. Kind of like Rose’s room in Steven Universe. Although it takes more than a wish to make that structure stable.
Here’s a great post to check out by @stsathyre
An important point to keep in mind is that mind spaces can be re-shaped easily, so just go ahead and try things out! You can always adjust things and make them different/better as you go :)
Think of what purpose it is going to serve. Are you going to mainly use it for spellwork? Is it going to be a safety retreat? It has to be practical for whatever your goals are. Should it have lines of shelves for books and magical tools? A large table for mixing up herbs/energies? A number of seats for guests you are going to invite? An extra door that would take you out into the astral planes?
Sketch a layout. Yes, take a pencil and a sheet of paper and just plan out your space. Do you want that river to pass through the middle of the room? Behind the building? Do you want that huge boulder to be in the middle of the clearing where you can set up your mind-space altar? Think of how it would be most comfortable and appealing. Include some leisure areas, a pile of pillows, a pile of soft autumn leaves, a soft floating cloud you can rest on - it’s always nice to have that :) I would discourage from going into greater detail on your furnishings at this point - you want to go gradually. Plan for a door through which you will enter.
Think of the door and safety reinforcements. I would suggest that your door have some sort of authentication mechanism to check that it is, in fact, YOU who is trying to come in. The best way is probably to include something that would read in your energy signature - while it is possible to fake that, it is hard. And in the majority of cases, there isn’t going to be many beings out there who’d go through much trouble to break in.
Pick your technique for actually GOING there. I should probably make this a bigger point, but.. There are many ways to travel and there are many degrees of depths to it. In other words, depending on what you like, you can go into a deep meditative state and go full-in. This way, your experiences will be intense, you will strongly feel all the sensations. Sometimes there are situations where you might not have enough time or good enough circumstances to go that deep. For such situations, a form of a spiritual bi-location might come in handy, which will make your sensations duller but will enable you to actually do things in physical while you also work in your mind space. (this is my favorite way of handling these things because life circumstances can be a bitch). I am sure duskenpath posted about doing this but I can’t seem to find the post now.
Use the technique and start working on that door! Seriously, if you still haven’t - go check out this post. Use your technique and take yourself to that door. The basic frame should already be there. Examine it and work with it. It helps to touch and feel the material, contemplate the color. Geez just go read that post x)
Work on one thing at a time. I would advise to start gradually. When you go in, focus on one thing at a time. Shape your item. Make the structure strong, then move on to the next item. Work out all the details of the item, feel it, hell - smell it! Those structures are like wine. Older is stronger. After you create a couple of things - let it rest. Exit the space slowly and go on to do your daily business. Let it sit for a day or two, think of what you’ve completed in your space once in a while, keep it hanging in the back of your mind but do not actively go there. Let it gain strength. When you feel like it’s pretty set, go back in. See how it looks, see how it holds up. You might need to revisit your first structures and add some energy in there, reinforce them. To give you an example: I decided I needed a forest. I started working on it, the general sketch, the basic layout of the forest. I let it sit. When I came back, what was more like a sketch became more of a real thing. I did not have to consciously keep them there or make them work - they were rolling on their own.
A warning of foggy vision. When you are setting up the space, you focus on the details and pay much attention to each item. However, I’ve found that for me, being in the mind space - especially during bi-location feels kind of foggy. It is mostly a problem of focus, since I am working in two places at once. It feels like I should be wearing glasses but I don’t have them on. The details of the objects are gone unless I specifically work with the particular object. Even then sometimes it is cloudy. And you know what? That does not stop me from getting things done in the space. It might slow me down. But it is perfectly fine. For me that is a fair trade-off. I either go there without the really deep submersion, and everything is foggy, OR I don’t go at all. So that’s just something to keep in mind too
Sigils as a structure reinforcement and a gateway. If you feel like giving your space and structure an extra boost, you can make a sigil to represent the space and the changes you made to it. I know, usually the tutorials say to work with words. Apply the same approach to the little layout plan you sketched before. Take the basic shapes you used for your tables, chairs and other itmes and combine them into a sigil. Make changes until you feel that the sigil is a good representation. That same sigil can be used as a point of focus if you have trouble reaching your mental space. However, I would suggest keeping that sigil very and very private. You wouldn’t want to let anyone know your bank account password, neither would you want to let anyone have your apartment keys :)
You can do witchy business right there. You can cast spells from your mind space. You can set up your altars and shrines there if you have to keep your work/worship hidden. You can also do shadow work by accessing your subconscious more directly (if anyone is interested I will write a post about shadow spaces). You can brew tea and enjoy quiet evenings near a fireplace. You can use your space as a station to create servitors and experiment with energy structures. There are so so many possibilities!
If you have anything to add or questions to ask, my ask box is open and I’d be happy to discuss/help out! :)
Hi lovelies! I hope you’re having a wonderful day/night! I have decided to make another Ostara recipe. This is based off of my mother’s French Toast recipe. Remember to have fun with cooking! You don’t have to follow this recipe exact, experiment and have a good time! Please let me know what you all think! I’d love to hear your feedback! On to the recipe!
🌸Ingredients for French Toast:
🍞1 pan that can fit at least two pieces of bread. A griddle works well too 🍞1-2 sticks of butter 🍞A half a loaf of bread. I use Texas Toast. Any bread will do. 🍞2 eggs 🍞4 cups milk 🍞A LARGE splash of vanilla extract 🍞A little bit of almond extract
🌸Ingredients for Syrup:
🍞3-4 cups of your favorite syrup 🍞3 lavender tea bags (you can use dried lavender or other herbs and spices, about 3 Tbs total) 🍞Pot to hold everything 🍞Cheese cloth or tea infuser of using loose herbs
🌸Instructions for French Toast:
🍞Turn pan onto low- medium low heat 🍞Whisk eggs, milk and extracts together. 🍞Soak 1-2 pieces of bread at a time 🍞Add butter to the pan 1-2 tbs and let melt 🍞Add bread to the pan, brown on one side, flip, and brown on the other 🍞Soak your next batch while browning the first 🍞 in-between batches, of your butter turns brown, wipe it off and add more. 🍞Continue reading this until they are all browned. Then serve
🌸Instructions for Syrup:
🍞Add herbs and syrup to pot over medium-low heat 🍞Let come to a simmer then remove 🍞 Let steep for 20 min or more 🍞Serve with French Toast
Okay guys I hope you enjoyed this! Remember to have fun! If you make this, I’d love to see and hear about it!
Love and light Cait ✌
Hi, my housemate just started a medication that has serotonin syndrome as a possible side effect. I remember a while back you talking about foods you had to avoid with medications like that. Could you please remind me of them? They're far back in your blog and I can't find the post.
Wow did this arrive out of order. Sorry it wasn’t answered earlier, @noxnoctisanima
If you’re taking any sort of medication that raises serotonin, avoid like the plague: grapefruit of any sort in any form; bergamot oranges or oil or bergamottin itself (which means no Earl Grey tea, nope, can’t do it, along with lemon peel, lime peel, and certain orange peels because of their bergamottin content), hibiscus (this one is such a fucker and makes zero sense), Rose Hips (same problem as the hibiscus, absolute wtf), and no St. John’s Wort or anything that works in similar fashion. Cut your alcohol intake down to almost nill or completely zero. Oh, and no yerba mate for you. It interferes with neurological meds for neurotransmitters (including ones for dopamine, like Welbutrin), and by “interferes” I mean “stops fucking working.”
These are also troublespots for SSRIs:
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – a common type of painkiller that includes ibuprofen, diclofenac or naproxen
antiplatelets – a type of medication used to prevent blood clots, such as low-dose aspirin and clopidogrel
theophylline – a medication used to treat asthma
clozapine and pimozide – medications used to treat schizophrenia and psychosis
lithium – a medication used to treat severe depression and bipolar disorder
triptans – a type of medication, such as naratriptan, sumatriptan and zolmitriptan, used to treat migraines
other antidepressants – including tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
Basically, as with any medication, watch your ass, but SSRIs in particular can be dangerous when given to people who also have chronic pain by doctors who don’t stop and fucking *think.* Pain boosts adrenaline, which in turn boosts dopamine, serotonin, and several others. If you’re in pain all the time, your serotonin is often already sky-high. Adding an SSRI on top of that can kill you with one dose.
So if your friend has chronic pain, and their doctor didn’t take this into consideration, they need to go revist this doctor and beat them with a folded metal chair. (Just don’t get caught, and it wasn’t my idea.)
Last thing: if your friend goes from feeling depressed to better with no other difficulties? Great! If your friend’s “better” becomes “completely apathetic” it’s time to adjust doses and/or medications, because apathy is not the result you’re wanting. Also, purple-blue fingernails and toenails = call your doctor right fucking now, and prepare to possibly suffer dropping an SSRI cold turkey.
(Why do I know all this shit? Because one of my previous doctors tried to kill me three fucking times and blew off her own incompetence when I pointed it out. Also every time the intake nurse would put “NO SSRIs” on my file, someone would conveniently go back afterwards and remove that notation…)
Okay, so one more thing: most fucking idiot/useless doctors go right to SSRIs first for patients who come in with depression, most often without actually doing the blood tests that YES, THEY DO EXIST, DON’T LET ANYONE TELL YOU OTHERWISE to see what your primary neurotransmitters that affect mood are actually doing. You should be tested for all 7 of your primaries: acetylcholine (neurotransmitter used by neurons in the control of functions ranging from muscle contraction and heart rate to digestion and memory), norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, GABA, glutamate, and endorphins before you are prescribed *any* sort of anti-depressant, but the 4 most important ones are usually norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and GABA.
Anyway: Good luck, because getting proper treatment for this shit is a handbasket of fuckin’ Nope.
The artwork of Adrienne Rozzi // POISON APPLE PRINTSHOP
PoisonApplePrintshop.com
wait hold up - being on an SSRI means you should never have citrus again? I knew about grapefruit but i figured that was because grapefruit can be fucking weird (my late grandpa had arythmia and some other issues as well as being a stroke survivor, one of the meds he ended up on had the no consuming grapefruit thing). I'm off the SSRI i was on, have been for a year or so. Should I not be drinking my lavender earl gray calm-the-fuck-down tea?! -shocked and sad noises-
Okay, clarifying, since I actually did an entire thesis paper on this for neurobiology/neuropsychology. This is the section specifically about bergamottin, which is the culprit that creates the grapefruit effect. That means bergamot oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, and pomelos? Nope, can’t have them. (Not that I liked grapefruit or pomelos in the first place.)I’ve been off the SSRI since about 2010 and I *still* cannot have these things on a regular basis. Some people don’t react as badly, but a cup of earl grey could potentially fuck me up for days.
I *can* have lemon or lime in small doses, but only if I’m using them to cook with.
Any other citrus is fine, though. I nom on clementines like nobody’s business with no ill effects. (Pun intended.)
Food and Pharmaceutical Interactions (The Grapefruit Effect)
At one time, I was prescribed theSSNRI known as Cymbalta (generic: duloxetine). An SSNRI is part of a group of drugs called selective serotonin andnorepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. Basically,they keep serotonin and norepinephrine levels raised by preventing these twoneurotransmitters from being reabsorbed, thus making the effects of theirinitial release last longer. Cymbalta istypically considered an anti-depressant, but in my case it was meant as anattempt at treatment for certain painful aspects of fibromyalgia.
The prescribing physician, an RNwho specialized in fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis, gave me a shortdescription of what the drug would do, how I had to take it, and what I couldexpect from the medication. At no pointdid she mention that there were specific foodsthat could not be combined with Cymbalta.
At the pharmacy, the grapefruitwarning label was applied directly to the pill bottle. Noproblem, I thought at the time, as I didn’t eat grapefruit anyway. However, grapefruit was not the only culprit;I quickly discovered that hibiscus tea also interfered with the metabolizing ofCymbalta. No one had warned me abouttea…or about chocolate, another culprit of pharmaceutical interactions. Worse, no one mentioned anything abouttryptophan. While I was not takingtryptophan supplements, I had a diet very high in carbohydrates. In essence, I was eating the Cymbalta intoineffectiveness.
Grapefruit, the biggest knownoffender for food and drug interactions, prevents the proper metabolisation of manydrugs commonly prescribed.50 Thisis commonly referred to as the Grapefruit Effect. Improper metabolisation is aproblem for any medication, but with neurological medications, particularlySSRIs or SSNRIs, it means that dangerous levels of serotonin can build up inthe brain in short order. Such a build-up can easily turn into Serotonin Syndrome.51 As well as anti-depressants, grapefruit juiceis known to easily interfere with immunosuppressants, antihistamines, calciumchannel blockers, blood pressure treatments, sedatives, anti-anxietymedications, and drugs to treat erectile dysfunction.
Grapefruit’s origin brings theculprit to light. Grapefruit was created when an orange was crossed with theAsian Pomelo fruit.52 Pomelo contains high amounts of bergamottin, 53a type of furanocoumarin, 54 which is an organic chemical compound producedby plants. (Bergamottin is also found in the bergamot orange, the oil of whichis used to make bergamot tea.)
Bergamottin inhibits the cytochromeP450 enzyme, which performs first-pass oxidative metabolizing of specificdrugs. Without that metabolisation, high levels of the drug in question can buildup in the body. “Researchers havediscovered that the molecule bergamottin, found in grapefruit juice,inactivates drug-metabolizing enzymes in the liver, allowing drug levels tobuild up in the bloodstream. It can take up to four days for the body to metabolizethe offending chemical, and for the effects of a single glass of grapefruit juice to wear off.” 53 [Emphasismine.] Grapefruit juice causes interactions with so many pharmaceuticalsthat more work is underway to create a further hybridization of grapefruit toremove, or greatly reduce, the amount of bergamottin it contains. It is hoped that this will reduce the numberof drug interactions caused by grapefruit juice.
There are other culprits, thoughnone are currently as troublesome as grapefruit juice. Hibiscus tea is known tointeract with the body’s metabolizing of acetaminophen, hydrocodone, Vicodin,Caduet, and Darvocet.55 VitaminC and acid-rich fruit juices, along with magnesium, will reduce theeffectiveness of Adderall if consumed within an hour of dosing. Amitriptyline,a tricyclic antidepressant, does not work nearly as well if black leaf tea isconsumed within an hour of taking it. Dangerous interactions with St. John’sWort, a popular herb for treating depression, have been reported when taken incombination with other mood disorder or anti-depressive drugs.56 If you’re having trouble treating yourheadaches, acetaminophen’s pain-killing strength is also greatly reduced bycruciferous vegetables (cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli) foods high inpectin (jams and jellies) and carbohydrates.57
Many anti-depressants, MAOinhibitors, SSRIs and SSNRIs advise you never to take tryptophan supplements(also called 5-HTP) while taking them. It might also make sense to advise patientsto make sure their diet is low in tryptophan, as well. A high-carb diet—andthus, a diet high in tryptophan—will hinder the medicine’s ability to work withthe body, and could lead to serotonin excess or, again, serotonin syndrome.
u guys ever wonder if someone’s using ur pictures to catfish
“Oh Ben, I’ve read the Karamel Sutra and thought I’d prepared for everything, but when you unzipped your pants and showed me that Chunky Monkey, I realized I’d never seen such a Vermonster!”
“In a frenzy of ecstasy, Ben shouted ‘Jamaican Me Crazy’ as he climaxed. Jerry sighed with satisfaction at the feeling of fullness from his Late Night Snack. They lay there for a while, just breathing. Then, some time later, Ben grunted and reluctantly withdrew his Berried Treasure from his Chubby Hubby.”
“’…maybe I can have S’mores?’ Jerry’s pleading always helped Ben’s Cannoli swell with ruthless turgidity. ‘Maybe,’ teased Ben. ‘But only after you’ve had a go at these Schweddy Balls.’”
“Ben was poised over Jerry’s Cinnamon Buns as his lover whimpered and wiggled. ‘Please,’ he begged. Ben oozed a dollop of Vanilla on Jerry’s back. ‘Do you want it all?,’ whispered Ben. Jerry smiled. ‘Everything But The…’”
Candle Color Correspondence 🕯🔮
🕯RED: Binding, Courage, Strength, Lust, Magnetism, Competitiveness, Fertility, Health, Attraction, Protection Magick, Conflict, Dispelling Anger & Hate.
🕯PINK: Emotional Healing, Spiritual Healing, Love, Friendship, Compassion, Protection if Children, Affection.
🕯ORANGE: Luck, Strength, Power, Attracting Luck, Creativity, Success, Professional Growth, Justice, Energy, Happiness, Ambition.
🕯YELLOW: Clairvoyance, Communication, Action, Inspiration, Psychic Power, Memory, Divination, Confidence, Imagination, Wisdom, The Sun.
🕯GREEN: Mother Earth, Balance, Growth, Wealth, Money, Health, Dispelling Envy & Jealously, Dispelling Greed, Beauty, Abundance, Luck, Harmony, Fertility.
🕯BLUE: Communication, Inspiration, Harmony, Occult Wisdom, Forgiveness, Fidelity, Focus, Protection, Truth, Loyalty, Banishing Anger.
🕯PURPLE: 3rd Eye, Psychic Power, Spirituality, Confidence, Success, Divination, Contacting Spirits, Increase of Willpower & Inner Strength, Independence, Spiritual Guidance, Protection.
🕯WHITE: Peace, Truth, Purification, Protection, Spirituality, Positive Outcome, Happiness, Moon Magick, Cleansing, Balance.
WHITE CAN BE USED IN PLACE OF ALL COLORS DURING SPELLS AND RITUALS
🕯BLACK: Binding, Dispelling, Reversing of Spells Hexes and Curses, Destruction of Evil & Negative, Habit Breaking, Grounding & Protecting, Repelling Spells.
🕯BROWN: Friendship & Balance, Intuition, Concentration, Animal & Earth Magick, Healing, Locating lost objects, Blessing of a Home.
🕯INDIGO: Balance restoring, Spell Blocking, Creating Balance, Karma.
🕯GOLD: Divination, Luck, Money, Success, Wealth, Sun Worship
Crystals for Healing
Agate / Amethyst / Aqua Aura / Aventurine / Azurite / Bloodstone / Calcite / Chrysoprase / Cornelian / Fluorite / Haematite / Iron Pyrite / Jasper / Jet / Lapis Lazuli / Quartz (Clear) / Sodalite / Sugilite / Tourmaline / Turquoise
Crystals for Strength
Agate / Amber / Bloodstone / Blue John / Diamond / Kyanite / Scapolite / Unakite
Crystals for Love
Agate / Amber / Aquamarine / Beryl / Chrysocolla / Chrysoprase / Diopside / Garnet / Lapis Lazuli / Malachite / Moonstone / Quartz (Rose) / Rhodochrosite / Sapphire / Tourmaline / Turquoise
Crystals for Protection
Agate / Amber / Blue Coral / Carnelian / Citrine / Jasper / Jet / Lapis Lazuli / Leucite / Malachite / Obsidian / Onyx / Peridot / Quartz / Ruby / Sapphire / Sulphur / Tigers Eye / Turquoise
Crystals for Luck
Amber / Aventurine / Jet / Tigers Eye / Turquoise
Crystals for Psychism
Amethyst / Aquamarine / Aventurine / Azurite / Calcite / Carnelian / Citrine / Emerald / Geode / Jet / Lapis Lazuli / Quartz / Sugilite / Tigers Eye / Turquoise
Crystals for Peace
Amethyst / Aquamarine / Aventurine / Calcite / Carnelian / Chrysocolla / Malachite / Obsidian / Sodalite / Tourmaline
Crystals for Happiness/Optimism
Amethyst / Dolomite / Goldstone / Malachite / Quartz (Rose)
Crystals for Divination
Azurite / Haematite / Jet / Obsidian / Tigers Eye
Crystals for Wisdom
Chrysocolla / Hornblende / Lapis Lazuli / Sodalite / Sugilite
Crystals for Wealth
Aventurine / Bloodstone / Calcite / Lapis Lazuli / Peridot / Ruby / Tigers Eye / Tourmaline / Turquoise
Crystals for Clarity
Amazonite / Tiger Iron / Zircon
Crystals for Meditation
Azurite / Celestite / Dioptase / Eilat Stone / Fluorite / Larimar / Moss Agate / Quartz (Snow) / Serpentine / Sodalite / Thulite / Variscite / Wollastonite
Crystals for Friendship
Chrysoprase / Jade / Rhodochrosite / Turquoise / Vanadinite / Verdite
Crystals for Confidence
Astrophyllite / Bloodstone / Cerrusite / Corundum / Danburite / Sodalite /Spessartine / Tourmaline
Crystals for Imagination
Franklinite / Hickoryite
Zeus
Oak
Carnations
Olive branches
Styrax incense
Eagle, bull, swan images
Hera
Lilies
Peacock feathers or images
Pomegranate
Incenses
Cuckoo images
Athena
Olive branch/oil/fruit
Weavings
Myrrh incense
Perfume
Owl images
Apollon
Laurel
Red roses, sunflowers
Frankincense (manna) incense
Palm tree
Raven, swan, wolf, mouse, dolphin images
Artemis
Cedar, palm and cypress trees
Tokens of deer
Jasmine
Myrtle, white flowers
Frankincense (manna) incense
Amaranthus
Peanut
Wormwood
Deer, dog, bear, partidge, quail images
Hestia
Incenses
Chaste-tree
Pig images
Poseidon
Sea anemone
Myrrh incense
Pine
Bull, dolphin, horse images
Dionysos
Ivy
Grape vine
Pine
Styrax incense
Leopard, panther, donkey, bull images
Hermes
Tongue-shaped tokens
Rosemary, saffron
Almond tree and pine tree
Frankincense and styrax incense
Mint (for Kthonios epithet)
Cow, ram, hawk, turtle, hare images
Wild strawberry (purslane)
Ares
Bronze weapons
Frankincense (manna) incense
Swan, vulture, dragon/poisonous snake, owl images
Aphrodite
Roses, myrtle, anemone (poppy)
Quince
Apple, pomegranate
Perfumes and fragrances as incense
Dove, goose, sparrow, turtle images
Hephaistos
Daisies
Frankincense (manna) incense
Donkey, dog, crane images
Asklepios
Frankincense (manna) incense
Bread
Serpent, dog, goose, rooster images
Pan
Pine, beech trees
Fern
Wild flowers
Herbs burnt as incense and the smell of perfumes
Reeds
Goat, turtle images
Demeter
Poppy
Tokens of pigs
Styrax incense
Mint (for Kthonia epithet)
Wheat
Dove, bee, pig images
Persephone
Asphodel
Wheat
Hades
Pitchfork
Pomegranate
Daffodil
Styrax incense
Dried laurel leaves
Poplar, cypress trees
Mint
Daffodil
Hekate
Saffron
Rosemary
Garlic
Red Mullet
Amphiphon (candy)
Styrax incense
Dry laurel leaves
Oak
Ferret, dog, bull, lioness images
Source: LABRYS’ Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship and Theoi.com
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