Blessed Samhain 🍁

I found these awesome crystal bullets at the flea market today so I gave them to Lord Ares

Blessed be!

Tongue Control Spell (3)

The following spell counters gossip, slander, and testimony against you. It is most powerful if performed standing at the center of a crossroad, however it may also be accomplished standing at a window. A sudden gust of wind is an extremely auspicious omen.

Blend a pinch of white sugar, a pinch of flour, and a pinch of fine ground salt.

Hold the powder in the palm of your hand while visualizing your desired outcome. Direct your petition to the deity of your choice, if necessary. (If you’d like spiritual assistance but are unsure who to beseech, the archangel Michael and the orisha Ogun, warriors who despise lies, are recommended, as is Ma’at, Egyptian dispenser of ultimate justice.)

Chant: I am innocent of the accusations! [Deity’s name] protect me!

Allow the powders to fly out of your hand.

(from The Element Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells by Judika Illes)

Blessed Yule

“Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people.”

— Carl Gustav Jung

Rainbow Magic

To work with the rainbow in magic is not much different as either using colour magic, or the magic of other natural phenomena such as the Sun and Moon. Rainbow energy can be raised by the homemade rainbow methods above, and then channeled into the working. Nevertheless, here are some ideas on how to use rainbows in magic.

Charging: Charging your tools, amulets, jewellery, journals, plushies, decks, and whatever else you can think of with rainbow energy. This can be done by placing it in rainbow light, charging them when there is a rainbow, or on a charging plate. You can also first cleanse your tools or items in the rain, before charging them with rainbow energy.

Candles: Candle magic using seven candles in the individual colours, or using rainbow coloured candles. There are also drip candles, which are white on the outside and drip in rainbow colours as they burn. These are great for revealing magics, where the "true colours" are revealed as the candle burns down

Poppet magic: Poppets are often made from fabric, yarn, wheat, or clay, the last of which can be coloured. Making a poppet of rainbow fabric or draping a rainbow across the poppet can be used to bring rainbow energy into someone's life, or bring joy, wonder, and happiness.

Sachets or envelopes: Making sachets or envelopes in rainbow colours to make talismans, or put photos and petitions in them to charge with rainbow magic.

Rainbow water: Charging water while there is a rainbow, in the same way you would make moon water. Another way to make rainbow water is to place a bottle or glass of water on a charging plate, letting it soak up those good rainbow vibes. Another way is to divide your water up into seven, and use food colouring to colour it. Drink those colours!

Clothes: Bring some rainbow magic into your life by wearing rainbow clothing, jewellery, or accessories.

Meditation: Use meditation to connect with the magic of the rainbow. Sit in rainbow light, or drape a rainbow scarf or piece of fabric around you. Meditate while there is an actual rainbow outside. You can also try and find the end of the rainbow in meditation. You can meditate on the rainbow as a whole, or on the individual colours. For example meditate on one colour every day and see what this colour brings you. Or do a breathing meditation where with each inhale, you inhale a different colour of light.

Body: Makeup and face paint are another way to practice rainbow magic. There are some really cool rainbow makeup looks out there (like I wore to my wedding!), or you can use facepaint to draw sigils, symbols, or just a whole rainbow on you. If you want it to be more permanent, there are so many beautiful rainbow tattoo designs out there. Use this to bring in rainbow energy in general, or focus it on specific spots for some extra healing and oomph. Nailpolish is also a great way to carry a bit of rainbow with you.

Kitchen Witchery: Rainbow foods. Just, rainbow foods. I have a pinterest board. They are so cool and fun.

Crystals: Above I mentioned some crystals which look like captured rainbows. Use them in magic, or use seven different stones for the seven colours of the rainbow. My favourite set is garnet, carnelian, citrine, aventurine, turquoise, sodalite, and amethyst.

Fabric Arts: weaving with colours, braiding seven colours together, knot magic with different beads knotted in the yarn, crocheting with rainbow yarn, rainbow friendship bracelets, there are a lot of ideas here.

Time: Not something I personally use, but there are seven days in the week, and seven colours in the rainbow. These facts can be combined to make magic.

Visionboards: Making visionboards are a great way to tap into rainbow magic and bring it into your life, especially if you also incorporate the words of the associations you want to use.

Inner Child work: Ever notice how so many toys are multicoloured and fun. How crayons and pencils come in the colours of the rainbow with a few added ones. Practice inner child work by playing. Just play, let out you inner gremlin and create or play without fear or shame.

Altar: Create an altar for your rainbow magic, rainbow entity, or just a "wonder altar" in general. Add things that bring that same burst of joyous wonder that you feel when you see a rainbow. Some ideas for your rainbow altar are rainbow candles, statues of rainbows (tip: Christmas ornaments!), pictures or art, unicorns, golden coins, pride flags, prisms, rainbow lights, rainbow roses (real or fake), crystals, art supplies, and bubble wands.

Music: Why are there so many songs about rainbows? (I had to) But Kermit was right, there are many songs about rainbows so why not make a playlist for your rainbow magic?

Sigils: Draw sigils with a rainbow pencil (remember those?), layer the different colours over one another, or draw pieces of the sigil in different sparkly pens to make them rainbow.

Galaxy Jars: These are jars filled with cotton balls, water, glitter, and food colouring. By packing the cotton tight these jars look like a galaxy. You can use one jar per colour, or make a layered jar with all the colours of the rainbow. I like to hide little pouches with herbs, sigils, and crystal chips in my galaxy jars to make them spell jars.

Natural dyes: Using dyes or inks made out of herbs, flowers, vegetables, plants, minerals and fruits can draw the energy of those materials into your rainbow magic as well.

Queer Magic: The rainbow has been inextricably linked to the queer community. Therefore rainbow energy can also be used in queer magic. for example in community protection spells, pride flag spell bottles (using Gilbert Bakers colour meanings), charming pronoun pins, and queer tarot spreads.

[Part of a Rainbowmancy series, masterpost here]

Aphroditos, the Trans Aphrodite worshipped widely in Amathus and Athens.

This particular pose, where a feminine deity lifts up their skirt or dress to reveal a phallus, is called the Anasyrma or Anasyromenos and was widely regarded as an apotropaic gesture, averting evil influences and bringing forth good fortune.

"There's also a statue of Venus on Cyprus, that's bearded, shaped and dressed like a woman, with scepter and male genitals, and they conceive her as both male and female. Aristophanes calls her Aphroditus, and Laevius says: Worshiping, then, the nurturing god Venus, whether she is male or female, just as the Moon is a nurturing goddess. In his Atthis Philochorus, too, states that she is the Moon and that men sacrifice to her in women's dress, women in men's, because she is held to be both male and female."

-Macrobius, Saturnalia (C. 431 BCE)

This combination of masculinity and femininity in the same Deity and their assocition with the moon, both of which were considered to have fertilizing powers, was regarded as having an influence over the entire animal and vegetable creation.

They were often identified with Ermaphroditos (Hermaphroditus), the intersex child of Aphrodite and Hermes

Sources:

Koloski-Ostrow, Ann Olga; Lyons, Claire L. (2000), Naked truths: women, sexuality, and gender in classical art and archaeology, Routledge; pp. 230-231.

^ Freese, John Henry (1911). "Aphrodite" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 166.

Macrobius; Kaster, Robert A. (2011), Saturnalia, Volume 2, Harvard University Press; p. 58

May Lord Apollon always give light to you in your darkest moments.

May Lady Artemis assist you in forging your own path - the one least traveled.

May Lord Ares plant your feet on the ground and keep you steady.

May Lady Athena remind you of the power you wield to turn the tide in your favor.

May Lady Aphrodite smile back at you in your own reflection as a reminder of your worth.

May Lord Hephaestus encourage you to look back with pride at your own strength and resilience.

May Lord Hermes guide your steps when they're filled with uncertainty.

May Lady Persephone emphasize all of the beauty that exists in the world around you that has gone unnoticed.

May Lord Dionysus nurse your passion for life, celebrating even the smallest things with you.

May Lord Poseidon aid you in knowing when to assert yourself and when to go with the flow.

May Lady Hestia warm you on your coldest nights and shelter you from every storm.

May Lady Demeter keep your plate full and your cup overflowing.

May Lady Hera show you how to keep your head held high, even when the world heckles you.

May Lord Zeus raise your strengths and talents higher to prove to you how amazing you truly are.

May Lord Haides sit with you on days of worry and offer a grounding hand to hold.

Friendly reminders this morning.

•You don’t need a coven, an elder witch, a teacher, or anything like that if your path doesn’t call for it. •If you’re not sure how to do a spell, what an ingredient is, or why something is done a certain way, crack open a book, pull up those webpages, and get to researching. •If you don’t believe in yourself and your spell, it probably won’t work. •Magic doesn’t have to be big. You don’t need an entire room dedicated to doing magic. You don’t need endless amounts of herbs, crystals, tools, or candles. Work with what you have and let the intention be the most powerful thing you have. •Witchcraft is different for everyone. Just because someone practices a certain way does NOT mean that’s the only way.

Hope everyone has a good day!

(painting: ”The Shower of Gold”, by Edward Francis Wells, 1910)