YOU WILL NEVER ANTICIPATE THE DEPTH & IMMENSITY OF THE LOVE YOU WILL ONE DAY FEEL

Orange Sweet Rolls

I was looking for a way to add a little love and luck into my week. What better way to bring in the warm fuzzies than orange sweet rolls? I made these entirely from scratch, so they were a little time-consuming, but it was totally worth it. 

Ingredients

Dough

3 ½ - 4 cups all-purpose flour

¾ cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 package instant yeast

¾ cups almond milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 orange (about 3 tablespoons juice and 1 tablespoon zest)

Cinnamon Filling

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

¼ cup granulated sugar

Rest of zest

Orange Icing

1 ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar

Rest of orange juice

About two teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

Dough

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together. Set aside

Heat almond milk and butter together until butter is completely melted. Stir in the orange juice, orange zest, and eggs. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix until it forms a soft dough

The dough should not stick and should bounce back when poked with finger. If not, continue adding flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s no longer sticky

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 1 minute. Place in a lightly greased bowl and allow to rest for 10 minutes in fridge.

After 10 minutes, roll the dough out in a rectangle. Mix softened butter, cinnamon, sugar, and orange zest. Spread over the dough as evenly as possible. 

Roll the dough up tightly. Cut into 10-12 rolls and place into greased muffin pan or onto greased baking pan

Loosely cover rolls with plastic wrap or towel and allow to rise for about 90 minutes

Once the rolls have doubled, preheat oven to 375. Bake for 20 minutes, covering with tinfoil halfway through.

Glaze

Whisk sugar, remaining orange juice, and cinnamon together until smooth. Drizzle over rolls (or just double the recipe glaze recipe and drown them like I did)

Casual Aphrodite Offerings

Because you don’t need a fancy altar to show your devotion to a deity.

Practicing self love

Reducing negative comments about yourself/others

Self love affirmations

An at-home spa day

A meal full of your favorite foods

Forgiving yourself

A good orgasm

Complimenting strangers

Letting your loved ones know you care

Standing up for yourself and others

Buy yourself something nice

Stick to your daily skincare routine

Wear your favorite pair of underwear

Wear an outfit that makes you feel confident

A face mask that uses honey

Not wasting water

Picking up litter/trash

Helping an animal in need

Avoiding pesticides that harm bees/other pollinators

Free Tarot Readings !

g’day all! i’ve been doing tarot for about a year now and to help myself improve i have decided to do some readings for those in need. here are my guidelines! rules/guidelines: - please give me your name! if you aren’t comfortable with giving your full name you can just use your initials. - one question per ask! i am only pulling one card for each question (for now!) - please do not DM me! i will not give you a reading if you DM me, please use my ask box! - i do not answer law/medical related questions. - please give some feedback! if you have not given me feedback i won’t read for you again. feedback not only helps me improve but it also helps me reach others. please tag me in said feedback. i also can help with dreams! if you have had a dream and are unsure as to what it means feel free to send an ask about it!  i may take some time for me to get to your question, please understand that tarot can be rather draining and i sometimes need breaks! i will eventually get around to your reading! 

There's not enough love and appreciation for Aesculapius/Asklepios on this site and I'm Not Ok with that

So, you want to be a witch? #6

Click here for all the other posts in this series!

This post is all about how the mundane can broaden your craft, and what topics you might consider researching!

Why bother with the mundane?

The mundane is the base for witchcraft. It includes basic skills, information and abilities. One must have an understanding of these things before influencing them/incorporating them into magic. For example: you need to have know your way around the kitchen if you want to be a kitchen witch.

It tends to be less biased. Any resource with information on witchcraft will be influenced to some degree by the person’s experiences, view of the world, and the way they built their craft. It can sometimes appear that there is only “one true way” to be a witch—this is not accurate! There is great value in learning from experienced witches, but there is also great value in learning things for yourself!

Where to research?

Please do not rely on tumblr for accurate information! It’s an excellent place to hear about personal experiences and to get ideas, but it often lacks sources.

How to find credible sources: (here) and (here). (Links are for finding academic sources, so they may be a bit more strict than what you need)

Websites

Published books

Videos (Online lectures, YouTube, TedTalks, etc.)

Free classes/information sessions

Are you a student? Be strategic with which electives you choose!

Also consider: clubs, talking with people who are experienced on the subject, etc.

What to research?

This highly depends on you and where you want to take your craft! These are just a few starting points to get the ideas flowing. I always recommend starting with whatever called you to the craft, and letting it naturally flow from there!

The natural world:

Learn local plants (natives, “weeds”, etc.), and how to ethically forage them.

Get a small calendar and note the dates of phenological changes. This can be helpful if you use the plants in your craft/life.

Learn local wildlife. Get to know your neighbors! Look at range maps.

Do they stay all year or move with the seasons? Some animals make startling noises. Do you have any of those in your area? (Think: wildcats, owls, foxes)

Learn geology, or at least how to identify some common rock types in your area.

Here’s a post on using rocks you find in your craft.

Learn weather patterns and some ways you might predict them.

Find a moon phase calendar for the year. Learn the moon phases and the science behind them if you aren’t familiar with it!

Same with the sun! What time does it rise and set? Where will it be in the sky this time of year? Learn the science behind it.

Constellations, and which ones you’ll see as the seasons change.

What natural phenomena might occur in your area?

Do you live near the ocean? Find some tide charts. What knowledge gaps do you have?

Live near a different type of water? Where is its source? Can you trace it on a map?

Do you garden? Pay attention to your zone and frost dates. Learn which plants are beneficial for your area and which may be invasive. How can you benefit the beings in your area with your garden?

What is the natural history of your area?

In the home + odds and ends:

The basics of tea: how to make your own blends, what temperature the water should be, etc.

Herbal remedies: how herbs can boost your health, which ones can already be found in your kitchen, and herbal interactions/side effects.

Cleaning and tending your home: learn how to safely make your own cleaning supplies, create routines to keep your home feeling clean and comfortable.

How to fix things and build things, how to use basic tools (hammer, screwdriver, etc.), how to mend clothes and simple sewing.

Crafts: learn how to make your own supplies (candles, wands, etc.)

Kitchen: learn some basic cooking and baking skills.

Crystals: how to identify them, how to ethically source them (and their properties).

The flow of your world; familiarize yourself with the routines of life around you. Orient yourself, begin creating a map in your mind of the area. What routines do the birds have? The people around you? The bus schedule?

What is the human history of your area?

How much do you know about your personal/family history?

LAWS: know what’s legal and what isn’t. Can you harvest here? Is it okay to have those animal bones or feathers? Are you allowed to be in certain areas? It’s on you to be informed.

There are so many more things I could’ve included, but I didn’t want this post to go on forever!

Hopefully this has given you some ideas; you may be surprised by how much newly acquired information can begin to influence your craft. Go forth, and enjoy learning something new :)

oh to be in a forest listening to the birds and hozier with my gay lover, the dream

Aphrodite 

Greek goddess of love, sex, war, beauty, passion, procreation, pleasure, desire, fertility, and the Morning Star

Before the Greeks called her Aphrodite, she was known to them as Astarte, who was their renaming of the goddess Astoreth from Egypt and Canaan (in turn, a renaming of the goddess Ishtar/Inanna). Though not to be confused with the Roman goddess Venus, as she existed independently as a goddess of gardens and vegetation before having some of Aphrodite’s attributes added.

Although she was primarily a goddess of love, sex, and beauty to the Greeks, Aphrodite was still honoured as a goddess of war and was known to bring victory and strength in battle. While she is indeed loving, she is also terrifying and has the ability to sway humans to her will- encouraging chaos wherever she pleases. Due to this, she was the bringer of frenzy and even the Fates would bend to her will. Should you cross her on the battlefield, you would not win. Though she is also a goddess of passion. She is indeed of great and powerful love, though also anger and hatred, thus connecting her with crimes of passion and even death (especially on the battlefield). This all made her one of the most feared deities of Ancient Greece.

In my personal experiences with this goddess, she is extremely powerful, cunning, ambitious, vain, and courageous, while also being empathetic, motherly, and tender all at once. She is not quite a “soft” goddess but can be gentle when she wants to be, otherwise, her presence to me feels like fire. Though when gentle, her energy feels like pure ecstasy and beauty, so much so that it brings tears to one’s eyes. Aphrodite is not shallow in the slightest and is a deeply compassionate and wise goddess who will stand tall and proud alongside her followers; she will never allow any of them to feel weak or ugly. She is also very fond of nature and adores all things that grow.

For myself, Aphrodite appears as a tall slender woman with long, wavy black hair, piercing blue eyes, and wears a deep red dress adorned with gold and diamonds. Her voice is gentle but it radiates power. She is also a withdrawn goddess who may not speak much, but when she talks about something she loves, she lights up. She is welcoming of all people, not just women, and supports those who transition as well.

| Symbolism of Aphrodite |

Doves 

Swans

Sparrows

Dolphins

Weapons

Scallop shells

Pomegranates

Pearls

Mirrors

Girdles

Roses

| Personal Associations |

Lions

Panthers

Conch shells 

Apples

Diamonds and rubies

Rose quartz

| Some of her epithets |

Aligena (Sea Born)

Ambologera (She Who Postpones Old Age)

Antheia (Friend of Flowers)

Androphonos (Killer of Men)

Anosia (Unholy)

Areia (Warlike; of Ares)

Basilis (Queen)

Enoplios (Bearing Weapons)

Epitumbidia (She Upon the Graves)

Nikêphoros (Bringer of Victory)

Ourania (Heavenly)

Pasiphaessa (The Far-Shining)

Peitho (The Persuasive)

Sy′ria Dea (The Syrian Goddess)

Skotia (Of the Darkness)

Philopannyx (The Night-Loving)

Pandemos (of All People)

Philomeides (Laughter-Loving)

Tymborychos (The Gravedigger)

Summakhia (Ally in War)

Symmakhia (Ally in Love)

| Offerings |

Sea shells, roses, myrtle, poppies, imagery of her animals, daggers, lingerie, sex toys, make-up products, jewelry, perfume, strong tobacco, wine, champagne, lemonade, pomegranate juice, black or rose tea, cream and sugar, honey, aphrodisiacs, fruits, chili peppers, chocolate, pastries, desserts in general, lotions, myrrh, rose quartz, garnet, rubies, diamonds, red or pink candles, masquerade masques, sea water, shark teeth, fish scales, pearls, mirrors, poetry, prose, artwork, music, and all other things beautiful.

I am SO happy to be back on YouTube! I had to create a new channel because my last one got hacked (yikes). Come hang out with me and have a chat about shadow work! 

what is a jester with no audience.. when a clown jokes in an empty forest does the little honk have any meaning