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Dumping this here because I typed it all out and was gonna post it to my 'Close Friends' list on Facebook but kinda chickened out...

[trusted friends]

[TW: Religious Trauma]

Folks might have noticed that I'm kind of engaging with religion, which might seem odd since I very loudly declared that I was an atheist years ago, and kind of haven't been religious at all since then. To say that I'm deconstructing my fundie upbringing years late would be the understatement of the century. I'm taking on this massive project of kind of un-learning everything I was taught as a child about what it means to be a Christian - the idea that you have to rigidly cling onto a literal interpretation of the KJV, that hell awaits anyone not following that exact path, that the main point of it all is to worship and be reverent to God, etc; I'm un-learning all of that and trying to instead learn about Christianity from all kind of different angles. Like, did you know there are Christians who believe that there is no hell? and Christians who believe that through Jesus's sacrifice, all are redeemed, regardless of their belief or lack thereof?

But the important thing for me isn't the theology (although I am definitely interested in learning different theologies and different ways of interpreting the Bible in all its versions, and eventually branching out and learning about different religions), but just a difference in how I approach religion now. First of all, the churches I've kind of trepidatiously looked at and attended live-streamed online services with are all very openly socially progressive, and I think it's important to understand that I think that's central to the teachings of Christ, which should be central to Christianity. But also important in my approach now is that I'm not really dogmatic and that my belief in a deity isn't even central to the whole thing, what's central is how you apply the teachings to your life and how they can help and heal your soul, and make you better able to help and heal others.

Like, honestly, I'm still agnostic - I think there might or might not be a God(ess) or God(esse)s, and I'll probably never know for sure. My "prayers" aren't necessarily specifically to one God most of the time, but they're more of a "If anyone's listening" or "to whom it may concern" type of thing.

And… what I pray for and about are different. I think maybe this comes from some time I spent doing meditation and more reflective work in my occultism years ago, but my prayers aren't for a deity to change things around me or change my circumstances as much as they're like "Give me peace with this" or "give me strength to deal with this" or "Give me patience" or whatever. Really, my prayers are just meditations where I'm talking to someone else who may or may not be there, but really just giving myself subconscious orders. "Give me peace" might as well be an inward command to myself of "Claire, settle down and be at peace!"

Anyways, I do legitimately think it helps somewhat, and I also didn't realize how deeply ingrained some of that stuff I learned as a kid was - like, the dozenth time that I thought "God actually loves and accepts me despite the fact that I'm trans and stuff", it actually sunk in and connected with a brand-new thought of "I'm… worthy of love. Unconditionally, just like anyone else. I can be loved." and next thing I knew, I was crying. But not ugly-crying like I did in the altar as an actual child, when I was praying that God would "fix" me and make me "normal". This was something new. When it really connected that I could be worthy of a God's love exactly the way I am, I was actually, like, crying happy tears, which had never been part of a religious experience for me before.

So yeah, I guess that's that. I don't know how I really feel about the label "Christian" and how it'd connect me with so many disparate belief systems that openly peddle hate, so I think I'd rather avoid that label or any other religious labels, but if I'm going to pick a label, I guess I'm a Universalist. I've attended some services virtually (the closest congregation to me is over an hour away currently) and really feel like I'd not only be welcomed and allowed to question and challenge and disbelieve and struggle to understand beliefs there, but would actually be encouraged to do all of that exploration.

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I'm wishing for my upcoming interview to result in success

reblog and make a wish! this was removed from tumbrl due to “violating one or more of Tumblr’s Community Guidelines”, but since my wish came true the first time, I’m putting it back. :)

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‘mystery of love’ by sufjan stevens but you’re picking flowers in your countryside backyard while your neighbor who you’re secretly in love with plays music you can hear through their open window. (headphones recommended) (youtube)

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Quick Guide to Celebrating the Sabbats 🌻

LITHA

🧀Fruit & veg, herbed bread, cheese, honey cakes, chicken, pork, sunflower seeds, lemonade, ice tea.

🍋Lemon, orange, cinnamon, rose oils.

🔮Moonstone, tigers eye, amethyst, flourite, agate. {Or any crystals in warm colours}.

🌞See the sun rise & set, eat outdoors, make or buy a sun catcher, bake a sweet cake, let sunlight cleanse your rooms, clear cobwebs, wear a flower crown, make honey/sugar scrub, wear warm tones.

🎬Peter Pan, Fairy Tale, Ferngully, Stardust, Tinkerbell, Maleficent.

LAMMAS

🌽Multi grain bread, corn on the cob, bbq meats, fried chicken, potatoes, soup, rice, nuts, black current juice, beer, peppermint tea.

🌹Rose, chamomile, passion fruit, all spice oils/scents.

🔮Citrine, clear quartz, tigers eye.

📖Finish a project, make a bread to share, enjoy nature, take care of plants, decorate or craft, acknowledge what you are grateful for, journal future hopes.

🎬Parent Trap, Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, Cheaper by the Dozen.

MABON

🍇Pies, nuts, smoked or roast poultry [bbq chicken with smoky bbq sauce], soup, corn, apples, plums, grapes, cinnamon donuts, caramel popcorn, peanut butter, butterscotch.

🌲Sage, pine, cinnamon oils/scents.

🔮Amethyst, clear quartz, citrine, yellow agate.

🌾Make scented pinecones, spend time under the stars, donate food or goods [RSPCA], burn bad habits, visit the deceased, harvest take care of plants, bask in nature, meditate.

🎬Open Season, Brother Bear, Spirit, Pocahontas, Brave.

SAMHAIN

🎃Pumpkins, toffee apples, ginger bread, chai, nutmeg or cinnamon spiced foods, hazelnuts, sweets.

🌰Nutmeg, cinnamon scents.

🔮Obsidian, onyx, bloodstone, amber, fossils.

🕯Cook a family recipe, light a fire, remember & honour the deceased.

🎬Hocus Pocus, Addams Family, Monsters Inc, Little Vampire, Corpse Bride, Casper, Hansel Gretel Witch Hunters, Underworld, Van Helsing.

YULE

🍪Cookies, fruit cake, turkey, eggnog, ginger tea.

🕎Cedar, frankincense, myrrh oils.

🔮Bloodstone, citrine, clear quartz.

❄Give or volunteer, bake shortbread or sugar cookies, share a meal with loved ones.

🎬Santa Clause, Rise of the Guardians, 101 Dalmatians, Frozen, Snow White Winters War, Narnia.

IMBOLC

🍩Poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, bread butter pudding, scones, muffins, garlic, onions.

☕Vanilla, cinnamon oil.

🔮Amethyst, bloodstone, onyx.

🕯Light white candles, plant seeds, bless your pets, declutter & clean your living space, bake orange and poppy seed muffins or cake.

🎬Mr Poppers Penguins, Happy Feet, Balto, Ice Age, Mirror Mirror.

OSTARA

🍌Roast ham & pineapple, eggs, milk, seeds & nuts, banana bread, chocolate milk, green vegetables.

🌹Jasmine, light florals, sweet garden, wild flowers.

🔮Amethyst, rose quartz, moonstone.

🌹Light candles, plant seeds, share a roast ham with loved ones, bake banana bread, finish spring cleaning, lay tumbled stones in your garden bed, take deep breaths [inhale new energy & exhale old energies], wear spring colours whites & florals, collect wildflowers or buy flowers that call to you & research what they mean, walk through nature.

🎬Epic, Strange Magic, The Secret Garden, Spiderwick, A Bugs Life, Barbie Fairies.

BELTANE

🍞Breads, cakes, honey, leafy greens, fruit & veg, seafood, iced tea, lemonade, milk.

🌼Florals, sweet garden, honeysuckle, jasmine, rose.

🔮Amber, citrine, moonstone, red jasper, rose quartz.

🌼Wear a flower crown or flowers in your hair, dress in red or white, make a bonfire & roast marshmallows, garden, take a walk, spend time in nature, pick fresh flowers to decorate.

🎬Moana, Arthur Trilogy, Avatar, Jungle Book, Tinkerbell, Barbie.

HOW I CELEBRATE ALL SABBATS OR ESBATS

☾Sage cleanse the house, light candles, diffuse oils.

☾Clean sheets/bedding/pillowcases/towels.

☾Eat at least one traditional food.

☾Watch a relevant movie.

☾Take notes in my BOS of how I celebrated the Sabbat to look back on next year.

☾Charge my crystals & tarot decks in the full moonlight.

☾Do a tarot reading relevant to the Sabbat.

☾Spend time outside with my dogs 🐶

🔮🌙🔮🌙🔮🌙🔮🌙🔮🌙🔮🌙🔮🌙🔮🌙

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Poems for Beginning Witches

Masterpost for the complete series of poems so far, designed to aid learning for beginning witches. Most are theory, and a one or two are conceptual. The reason for this masterpost is that they’re all poorly tagged

Moon Phases

Color Magic

Water Magics

Charging Objects

Herbs

Fire (element)*

Quartzes*

Witch Tools*

Divination*

Kitchen Witchcraft*

Air (element)*

Tea Magics*

Salt 

Wheel of the Year (Sabbats) requested by @fish-egs

Cleansing (an area) requested anonymously

Calling Circle requested by @dragonrhapsody

Spell Types requested anonymously

*with thanks to @lazywitchling, who helped inspire the second wave!

If there is something you would be willing to see in poetry form, send me an ask or drop me a message! As of 10/3/17, I am all out and no more are queued. 

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website | patreon

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Do you believe that I’m a good person? That I deserve love just like everybody else? LEGION S03E02 “CHAPTER 21”

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Updated Resource Masterpost

Astral Projection

Are you over-complicating astral travel?

Beginner Witchcraft

9 ingredients every aspiring witch needs

A witch’s library

Grimoire organization ideas

Cleansing and charging items

Basic herbs

Grimoire vs Book of Shadows ask 

This is just good for beginners to see imho

Banishing

Cast out evil incense

Books

Book recommendations

Candle magic

Candle magic omens

Candle magic guide

Charms

50 simple charms

Correspondences

Magical Metals: The Basics

Incense Uses and meanings

Herb magic: rose colors and magic

Magical correspondences of food

Yankee candle theoi associations

More incense correspondences

More incense by use

Cosmic Witchcraft

Cosmic Witchcraft 101: Tips for beginners

Cosmic witch tip

Cosmic Witchcraft 101: Lunar magic

How to make moon water

Cosmic Witchcraft 101: Solar Magic

Cosmic witchcraft altar and room ideas

Crystals

Cleansing and Charging crystals

Cultural Appropriation

On Smudging

Reminder about the term spirit animal

On the word “Gypsy”

Common culturally appropriative terms

Cursing

Cursing 101

Why hexing is the answer

“Just don’t curse” (pro-cursing)

Deity Related (not Pantheon specific)

Mythological book recommendations

Devotional acts don’t have to be high maintenance

Alternative Altars and devotions

A friendly gentle reminder

Modern ways to worship

Divination

Domino divination

How to read tea leaves

Divination symbolism

Ways to tell fortunes

Lithomancy

Green Witchcraft

Study tips for herbalists

Ways to help save bees

Herbal amulets

Herbs to use in sleep magic

Herb craft

Hellenic Polytheism

Veiling and binding

Hair and hair binding in Pre-classical Greece

Miasma

Breif deity prayers

Basic Hellenic supplies

Basic Hellenic offering ritual

Hellenic crafts for kids

Small things about the Theoi

2016 Hellenion Calendar

Little Devotional Acts for Gods

Advice

Theoi crafts: Poseidon

Theoi crafts: Demeter

Kemetic Polytheism

Some Kickass papercrafts

Kemetic holidays

Goddesses and Gods of the Ancient Egyptians

Shrine Basics

Daily Ritual Basics

Saying “Hi” to Netjeru

An informative post

Shoutout to kemetics…

What’s the lettuce thing about?

Kitchen Witchcraft

Moon cakes

Using soda in witchcraft

Magic pies

Magical uses for kitchen tools

An ask about soda in witchcraft

Ideas for kitchen witchcraft

Norse Paganism

Altars (possibly helpful for people who aren’t Norse pagans also)

Offerings and Devotion for Specific Deities [Mostly Hellenic ATM]

Offerings for Haides

Devotional acts for Hermes

Offerings/Devotional acts for Aphrodite

Persephone Offerings

Hymn for Helios

More devotional act for Hermes

Other Masterposts

A Spirit-workers holy grail

DIY Witchery masterpost

A huge masterpot !!Great for beginners!!

Cosmic witch masterpost

Protecting and shielding masterpost

Astral travel/projection masterpost

A masterpost for space witches

Resources for Hellenismos

Pie’s Hellenic Polytheism Resource page

Cursing masterpost

The master list of lists

Limited witchcraft masterpost

Potions

“Give Me Sunshine” Potion for happiness

Secret witches

How to hide an altar (Also: Altoid tin travel kits)

Discrete witch tip: charge your toothbrush

Herbal and floral waters (Also good as offerings to deities/lots of other things)

Sigil Magic

3 Sigils by witchofthunder

Homophobes cannot see me

Sigil FAQ

Spells

Banish the bullshitter spell

Jar spell to attract love

Herbal sleep and dream pillows

Spirit work/Necromancy

Herbs associated with the dead

The planchette did a spooky thing

Tarot cards

Twelve Olympians spread

Is an entity contacting me spread

I’m fucking perfect spread

Deity identification spread

Am I worth much spread

Ways to recharge your tarot deck

Using tarot for more than divination

Urban witchcraft

A post

Witch Tips

Witch Tip: Disabled tip

Making your room magical

Witchling tips

Witch tip (if you crochet)

A witchy tip (if you’re having guests)

Incense tips

Alternatives to lavender

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Classic French apartment with historic details in Lyon - photography by Felix Forest

Follow Gravity Home: Blog - Instagram - Pinterest - Bloglovin - Facebook

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War in Ukraine.