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pigeonflavouredcake · 1 year

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How to organise a grimoire

This is how I've decided to organise my grimoire now that I'm digitising it. I thought this may be of some benefit to other autistic/dyslexic practioners by sharing how my brain likes to formulate things. The trick is to categorise.

I have one large category I'm calling the chapter and every chapter has a number of categories within it and smaller sub categories underneath each one.

So my brain basically works like a russian nesting doll or like a very messy spider diagram. Organising it this way helps me to stay on track and stops me from getting overwhelmed. (I used this method in all my university essays and it helped push my grade up a lot).

I'm not writing it in any specific order but here's a list of what I've completed so far. Please feel free to take any of these. I hope this helps you with your own grimoire writing.

Theory 📚

Terminology

Paganism: historical context. Modern context. Core values.

New Age Spirituality: Development. Capitalism. Modern Example.

Cultural Appropriation: What it is. How it happens. How to avoid it. List of closed practices and red flags.

Wicca: What it is. How it's practiced. Gerald Gardner. Criticisms.

Thelema: Aleister Crowley. Development (egyptomania). Criticisms.

Conspiracy Theories: Development (root cause). Dangers. Examples. List of spiritual conspiracies. List of antisemitic stereotypes and propaganda.

Cults: What are they. How are they dangerous. How to recognise one (B.I.T.E model). List of religious/spiritual cults.

Satanic Panic: Historical development to our current satanic panic. The 1980's moral panic. Christian persecution complex.

KJV: Who was King James. The creation of the KJV. The KJO movement (evangelical and Christian fundamentalism. American Folk magic)

Witches in context: The modern witch. The post-modern witch. Historical context (England. Ancient Greece. Ireland).

Cats in context: Modern context. Familiars. Historical context (Egypt. Greece. China. England).

Transphobia: the idea behind terfism. How to recognise a terf. Examples of Terfism in spirituality (Lister). Dispelling myths and Misinformation.

Queerness: Erasure and queerphobia. Why queer people gravitate to witchcraft/paganism/Wicca. Examples (intersex. Gay relationships. Lesbian relationships. Asexuality).

Practical Basics 🔮

Terminology

Health and Safety: Fire. Smoke. Essential Oils. Toxicity. Wound Care. Biohazards.

How to make a magical space: What they are. Different types. Tools and their uses.

Grimoire/Book of Shadows: What they are. The differences. Different Formats. The Front cover.

Cleansing: What it is. What its used for. Examples.

Grounding: What it is. What its used for. Examples.

Protection: What it is. What its used for. Examples.

Intuition: What it is. What its used for. Developing it. Examples.

Discernment: What it is. What its used for. Steps of discernment (from a Christian perspective. From a secular perspective). Psychosis.

The Year and the holidays: Samhain. Yule. Wassailing. Imbolc. Spring Equinox. Beltaine. Summer Solstice. Lughnasadh. Autumn Equinox. (Historical development. How they're celebrated).

Deity Worship: Scientific Context (Neuroscience of Religiosity). Spiritual Context. Worship Vs working with. Finding a deity. Your religious rights. Critiquing your religious path. For example ↓

Hellenism: Historical context (Wars. Colonisation. Slavery. Citizenship. Pederasty). Modern Context (White washing. Transphobia).

Your Deities (if you choose to have any): Iconography. Mythology. Associations. Offerings.

Spirits: Ghosts. Shadow people. Demons (what they are. fear and labelling. History Vs pop culture). The Warrens (history. Criticisms). Other folklore.

Practical Magic ✨

I have a lot more planned for this section.

Terminology

Divination: What it is. What its used for. List of types and tools. For example ↓

Tarot: Structure of the tarot deck. Historical context. Modern Context. The fool and you.

Basic Astrology: What it is. Historical Context. Signs. Planets. Houses. Reading a natal chart.

Colour Magic: Basic colour theory. Symbolism. Practical application.

Correspondence 🌿

When there's a long list of items and spiritual meanings/applications I keep it in this section at the back of my grimoire.

Colours

Symbols

The Classic Elements

Astrology

Stones

Herbs and Spices (kitchen cupboard specific)

Common plants in your area (invasive and non invasive)

Seasonal fruit and vegetables

Miscellaneous laws and philosophies

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twiwwleo · 2 years

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The Ways In Which We Love Each Other

9/1/22

I have no idea what I’m doing. But I think I can make something of this. It’s been 2 months since grandpa passed. I have a lot of things I’m processing, and it’s all jumbled, but it’s there. I just need to clear away the excess stuff- not less important, just not strongly tied together. I have a lot of writing to do.

9/6/22 Week 0

Lots of jumbled thoughts still. My writing just feels like rambling, but it’s like I know there’s a thread in there that I can pull and it will untangle all of it. I can’t really gauge how my presentation of my project proposal went- Everyone was so quiet. did I make a mistake in picking this? I just kept talking because I didn’t know what else to do. Does everyone think I’m weird for doing (yet another) project on death? I hope I didn’t. I hope this was a good choice.

9/14/22 Week 1

Got my project schedule laid out. Notes and quotes all organized. Blog set up. More nonsense ramblings. Part of this is identity, and how a person’s impressions of someone else’s identity may be just a snapshot of who they are, and how like... that transfers to the info someone may put online, and how that’s a fragment of who they are, and how long will that memory last. idk. That will double as my glass self portrait project too.

9/21/22 Week 2

I remembered the book Ghostland by Colin Dickey, it talks about hauntings and story and how that connects to the times these stories originated from and how it all connects. I’ll have to dig that out and reread it. Add it to my research materials.

Writing version 1: done

it sucks and I hate it. That’s all. Onto #2.

9/28/22 Week 3

Definitely behind schedule. V2: Done.

Next week? idk

I’m overwhelmed. Tired. Working through it. Still a bunch of jumbled thoughts. Slowly getting clearer I think.

10/7/22 Week 4

Glass self portrait due in a week. I’m sandblasting sheets of glass with an image of my face layered so it’ll look kind of ghostly? Gonna call it “here then gone again”

A snapshot of what someone else sees in me, and its impermanence or permanence in someone’s mind. I’m a ghost flickering through their lives.

10/12/22 Week 5

Had no idea what to show for my studio practice midterm presentation yesterday but I definitely almost cried. Glass critique went so well I almost cried in a good way though. I was smiling when I left Sherman.

I haven’t even started filming yet and I have like... 4 weeks left now? It’s... slowly getting there.

10/19/22 Week 6

Way behind- adjusted schedule to “fly by seat of pants.” Will adjust as necessary. I had this visual out of nowhere of a graveyard full of identical numbered tombstones, but as the camera zooms out it shows each tombstone is actually a USB stick plugged into a hub. Each one is a bit of information a person left on the internet, anonymous, left behind as they move on.

(Danvers State Hospital info)

Need to model some tombstones.

10/23/22 Week 7

I think I finished the written portion. Think anyway. I went out and filmed and shot at the Grove City and Greenlawn Cemeteries. It was nice to spend an afternoon with the dead. Peaceful. I also had to take a moment to consider that their participation in my project, but their lack of consent. These were all people once. Their stories aren’t mine to use. I don’t want to commodify their deaths, nor their family’s grief. I need to consider how I’ll respect their privacy, and their family’s too without disrespecting them.

10/31/22 Week 8

Happy Halloween + Blessed Samhain!

Final edits being made to the written/spoken portion. Going to record on wednesday and finish editing the video by next Monday.

Tombstones are finished. They’re cute. I accidentally printed them @ 6.8mm instead of 68mm. I have 49 comically tiny tombstone USBs that I have no clue what to do with. Maybe I can have a little dish of them beside my work and offer them to people as take-aways?

Gonna build the tiny cemetery hub tonight!

11/6/22 Week 9

I’m done.

And I’m

proud and

tired.

#journal #documentation

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walpurga-nacht-academy · 3 years

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WNA School Clubs

Ancient Languages Club: A club which focuses on helping members perfect their language skills. Activities include study of manuscripts and their translations, teaching the basics of transcriptions and practicing conversational skills.

Animal Languages Club: It is a club which focuses on helping students perfect their animal language skills by providing ample opportunities to put them into practice. The students are able to test their skills on a variety of animals and creatures that live on or near the school campus.

Club members participate every year in the “Twisted Wonderland Animal Language Speech Competition”, having more often than not won it.

Archery Club: An athletic club which teaches students how to properly handle and shoot a bow, as well providing them with competitive and recreational shooting.

Art Club: A cultural club which provides students with the opportunity to hone their artistic skills and learn about the history of art. Students from this club are often responsible for designing pamphlets or banners for the dormitories’ use during Samhain Night.

Basketball Club: An athletic club where students learn how to play basketball, and are able to practice it among themselves. The club participates in inter-school competitions against other all-girls teams.

Broom Racing Club: An athletic club where students learn how to properly manage a broom and fly competitively. It is the largest athletics club in the school, and one of the best when it comes to national rankings, with WNA producing a number of the best broom racers in history.

Choir: A cultural club where students organize monthly performances for the Saturday night school meetings, as well as Samhain Night concert. The club is also in charge of providing vocals during the Inter-School Magift Tournament cheering performance, and thus many members of this club are on the Cheer committee.

Computer Club: One of the more recent clubs, established at the request of Grimmaire students who wish to modernize the library system of their dorm. It is as a result one of the smaller clubs in the school.

Cooking Club: A club which focuses on helping students improve their culinary skills, as well as learn a deeper appreciation for the different cooking styles and dishes that are found throughout Twisted Wonderland.

Debate Club: One of the oldest and more established clubs, it focuses on teaching students the oratory skills they might require in a future career. The club is well-known for being one of the best on a high school level and keeps students informed of the current social and political issues.

History Club: A club which focuses on promoting awareness of important historical events, as well as a study of cultures and how they changed and evolved throughout the years.

Horseback Riding Club: A club which allows students to take weekly riding lessons, where they have the opportunity to care for horses. It is also known for its involvement in inter-school competitions and national horse shows.

Literature Club: A club which focuses on teaching students the interpretation skills they need when discussing a literary text, as well as attempting to familiarize students with a variety of genres and literary movements.

Magical Shift Club: An athletic club which focuses on teaching students the rules of Magical Shift. It is eclipsed in popularity by the Broom Racing Club, and as a result it leads to clashes between club members. The club is too small to be taken into consideration for inter-school competitions and thus members usually limit themselves to discussing game strategies and playoffs.

Martial Arts Club: A club which focuses on teaching students self-defense techniques and a variety of hand-to-hand combat styles.

Music Club: A club which focuses on allowing students to learn how to play a variety of instruments. Much like students part of the Choir, members of this club are heavily involved in the Cheer committee, often being in charge of accompanying their group with taiko drums.

Students of this club are also chosen yearly to perform on the hang drum during the Danse Macabre.

Newspaper Club: A club designed to help students develop skills in journalism. It is the club in charge of producing the school newspaper and many of its students are also on the Broadcasting committee.

Photography Club: A club which focuses on teaching students the technical skills of photography, as well as study and critiques each other’s works. Students from this club are also responsible for taking pictures for the yearbook as well as during other school events, excepting the Spring Debutante Ball.

Science Club: A club which focuses on providing activities for students who are interested in involving themselves in fun and engaging scientific investigations.

Tea Appreciation Club: A club which focuses on teaching students about the history of tea and its production process, as well as engaging in a variety of ceremonial rituals or experimenting with different blends.

Tennis Club: An athletic club intended for teaching students the rules of tennis and providing them with opportunities for recreational practices and competitive plays.

Volleyball Club: A club designed for volleyball players of all skills levels to learn about the rules of volleyball and practice it recreationally or competitively.

Committees

Animal Care: Members of this committee are tasked with ensuring that the animals on school grounds are taken care of and looked after on a daily basis. It is of extreme importance for the students to ensure that they are all in good health and satisfied with their living conditions.

Broadcasting: Members of this committee are in charge of the school’s broadcasting system used to make announcements or to act as presenters during school events.

Cheer: This particular committee is tasked with ensuring that students and the Prefects who participate in the cheering section set up for Inter-School Magift Tournament are prepared for their roles. It usually meets two months in advance on a weekly basis to go over the details and plans.

Discipline: A committee which ensures that the school rules are followed by holding students accountable for their actions.

Health: A committee which is tasked with promoting among the student body the advantages of a healthy lifestyle and bringing awareness to possible issues that arise from overusing magic. Members of this committee offer instruction on how to prevent Overblotting and dealing with fatigue.

Library: Members of this committee are tasked with ensuring that the school library system is working properly, and with maintaining the state of the books in their care.

Physical Education: This committee is responsible for organizing the October Broom Relay Race, as well as any sports activity the students might be participating in.

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland fanschool #walpurga nacht academy #twisute #twist #twisute oc #twist oc #fanschool lore #twst fanschool #wna school clubs

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odonism · 3 years

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devil, witches, samhain, disguise? 👀

oooh thank you, Neve!

devil — which one of your OCs would be the final girl in a horror movie?

Esther Alana Foster, hands down. she has the grit and drive to survive. damn now I want to write a slasher script where she’s the lone survivor…

witches — how do you come up with names for your OCs?

one part vibes two parts random googling. another part asking Baya @brownpaperhag for advice

samhain — a horror trope you will never ever do?

whew there are a lot. but barring the obvious racist, misogynistic, and ableist tropes that pervade the genre, I don’t know if I’ll ever write a one-dimensional creepy kid. don’t get me wrong, there are weird children aplenty in my horror writing, but they’re almost always the main characters, never just “wow isn’t this kid so strange and creepy?”

disguise — do you have a method for getting characters to sound/feel in character?

hmmm well, I feel like everything I write is “in character” considering I made them, but then again, I have gotten short story critiques about my characters doing seemingly out-of-character things. but I mean, isn’t that what humans in general are like. when it comes to getting a feel for their voice and how they would react to the things I’m putting them through, though, I guess I just try to get in their head as much as possible! I’m very much the type of person to subconsciously mirror my characters’ expressions and posture while I’m writing

send me Halloween-themed writing asks!

#asks #bifrey

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minnesotadruids · 4 years

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Reformed Druidry Newsletter

There's going to be a new RDNA newsletter for the belated Autumnal Equinox. This will be a free, publicly available biquarterly e-magazine. If you submit anything, you thereby CONSENT and give permission to release your work. We would also ask that you own the rights to anything you submit.

Please send any submissions to [email protected]

Topics we'd like you to submit to the newsletter:

News of the Groves

News of the Solo Druids

Poetry

Short Stories

Tutorials

Druidic projects, arts, crafts you are making

Personal milestones, editorials, reviews, critiques

Bulletins like "Solo Druid Looking For Other Druids in ______"

Your own photography

Divinations and their summaries

Events you're willing to announce publicly

Maybe a druidry-related meme (article will limit to two)

Healing Thoughts Requests

Do you have a druid-friendly Etsy shop or other online store? One page of the e-mag will be reserved for artisan promo space

Propose a topic; you can help make this newsletter be a success

You don’t have to be a Reformed Druid to participate, though it helps if you have a basic gist of it. Submission deadline is Sat Oct 3rd, 8 PM Central Time Zone. Sorry for the short notice. Anything after that may end up on the Samhain article.

#druid #druidry #newsletter #RDNA #OBOD #ADF #druids #druidblr #witchblr

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dailythranduilproject · 5 years

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Contest Announcement

I wanted to announce a contest for this month.

I want to give all the fanfiction writers out there to shine. So, I want to announce a contest for fanfiction with a Samhain, Halloween, or Autumn theme.

Rules:

It must be a new story, written this month.

It must be posted online by October 30th. No private entries. No emailed entries.

It must be Halloween, Samhain or Autumn themed.

It must center around Thranduil.

The last rule only applies to me. Namely, as the main judge I can not participate.😝

The first prize will be an edit done by me (@moonofmorrigan ) based on your story, a critical review on the story, winner badge, and a feature here on the blog.

Second prize will be a review with critique, second place badge, and a mention on the winner post.

Third place will get you a badge, mention, and a review (non-critical).

Send me the links either via message or by replying to this post. The winners will be announced on October 31. Twitter/Wattpad folks can participate as well. Just message me the links.

Best of luck!!!

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liredeslivreenligne · 3 years

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Almanach des sorcières : Une année sous le signe de la magie avec le livret Heures planétaires de Samhain 2019 à Samhain 2020 Opakiona Blackwood pdf español

Almanach des sorcières : Une année sous le signe de la magie avec le livret Heures planétaires de Samhain 2019 à Samhain 2020

Opakiona BlackwoodOpakiona Blackwood

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Détails

Titre: Almanach des sorcières : Une année sous le signe de la magie avec le livret Heures planétaires de Samhain 2019 à Samhain 2020 de Opakiona Blackwood

ISBN: 978-2849335178

Nom de fichier: almanach-des-sorcières-une-année-sous-le-signe-de-la-magie-avec-le-livret-heures-planétaires-de-samhain-2019-à-samhain-2020.pdf

Date de sortie: 24 septembre 2019

Nombre de pages: 280 pages pages

éditeur: Opakiona Blackwood

Le Titre Du Livre : Almanach des sorcières : Une année sous le signe de la magie avec le livret Heures planétaires de Samhain 2019 à Samhain 2020 Moyenne des commentaires client : 45 sur 5 étoiles étoiles sur 5 55 commentaires client Nom de fichier : almanach-des-sorcières-une-année-sous-le-signe-de-la-magie-avec-le-livret-heures-planétaires-de-samhain-2019-à-samhain-2020.pdf La taille du fichier : 29.04 MB

Télécharger le PDF Almanach des sorcières : Une année sous le signe de la magie avec le livret Heures planétaires de Samhain 2019 à Samhain 2020 de Opakiona Blackwood gratuitement sur livre numérique gratuit en français. Normally this book cost you EUR . Ici vous pouvez télécharger ce livre en format de fichier PDF gratuitement et sans besoin de l'argent supplémentaire dépensé. Cliquez sur le lien de téléchargement ci-dessous pour télécharger le livre de Almanach des sorcières : Une année sous le signe de la magie avec le livret Heures planétaires de Samhain 2019 à Samhain 2020 de Opakiona Blackwood en format de fichier PDF gratuitement.

Almanach des sorcières : Une année sous le signe de la magie avec le livret Heures planétaires de Samhain 2019 à Samhain 2020 Opakiona Blackwood pdf español -

Catégories : Opakiona Blackwood

Vous trouverez ci-dessous quelques critiques les plus utiles sur Almanach des sorcières : Une année sous le signe de la magie avec le livret Heures planétaires de Samhain 2019 à Samhain 2020. Vous pouvez considérer cela avant de décider d'acheter / lire ce livre.

En bonne état le livre sent extrêmement bon les plantes aromatiques ou des huiles. Très bonne surprise les illustrations sont magnifiques et tout est bien expliqué. Un petit mot d'attention glisse dans le colis aussi. Je recommande.

#Opakiona Blackwood

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elizabethrobertajones · 6 years

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(Anon with demon-stabbing issue) Thanks for your answer! I'll go try watching 12x06 and think about that then (^_^). Another question: when demons first appeared on the show, brothers said that exorcism is supposed to send the demon back to hell forewer. But then Meg came back in season 2 and killed a fair amount of people, so... Is it safe to assume that any demon can come back?

Hiya again! :D

Yeah, sort of turned you onto 12x06 because it was what I was watching. 11x06 is another good one to watch to see Sam dealing with it openly and a clear acknowledgement he finds it difficult.

And also for that first question and definitely the next one, 7x15 is really essential. Edlund wrote several episodes which were clearly aware of the issues of torture (4x16 is the strongest one obviously, because it’s like the best episode of the show :P) and 7x15 really deals for the first ¾ before the twist with how messed up the Winchesters are from an outside perspective… We REALLY see them from an outside perspective when they drop Jeffrey off freshly tortured at the hospital, and when they meet him again he lists all his injuries and how it messed up his life, to have been the vessel they tortured. So it’s something the show has addressed even if a lot of the time for emotional necessity they glaze over it or explain how bad the mindset is with a clear dark arc (e.g. Sam while looking for demon!Dean torturing a bunch of demons has clear rationale for why he’d do something so bad, and a strong critique of his actions in the entire set up, as it was a set up to critique them in many ways, either via Sam or Dean’s actions/words.)

Also, yeah, in 7x15 the issues is Dean exorcised the demon and it needed a powerful spell to come back to the surface. It seems a lot of Hell is a prison for the demons as well as the souls which are still being demonised… There’s stuff like the Shedim there, and the cage, and some demons we saw like Samhain and the 7 Deadly Sins who were clear examples of demons that had been locked up forever and wanted a chance to wreck shit for the first time in hundreds or thousands of years. Meg in 2x14 implies she had escaped Hell and she had been tortured there too after Dean exorcised her. In 10x09 there’s a little subplot by Rowena where one of the demons has been smuggling other demons to Earth now Crowley has established a base up there and it’s more common for his minions to be out and about, it seems like whatever set up he’s got is leakier than it used to be but still involves a little bribery and underhandedness to leave Hell when you’re not supposed to.

There’s probably a bunch of other stuff, but whether it’s the exorcism that binds the demon to Hell, or Hell is just a bitch to get out of, even when you’re a demon, once you’re there it’s definitely a problem to get out again. I think in 12x06 they said it was a few years back when they first encountered the demon, and exorcised it then, and it took a while to return and start harassing Asa.

I think that’s all my surface thoughts on it :D Sorry, I’m pretty tired today so I don’t have an elaborate theory :P

#Asks #I don't ever tag stuff about demons and hell because I don't wanna go in generic tags about them #but I also don't have a witty hell tag :P

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ajtorres0 · 5 years

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#OctLitWrit19 Day 31 Happy Halloween|WrapUp: Well I hope everyone has a happy Halloween, Samhain, or a fun Thursday. This month I finally finished Crystal Storm so next month I should get right in to Immortal Reign with no problems . . . Unless my son comes early lol. Writing wise I was able to finish ch 1 of my #NewAdult Fantasy novel VTCoY, now my Alpha Reader/Critique Partner just needs to finish going over the Prologue and chapter 1. Hopefully I can finish what I want next month. Have a fun and safe night. Crystal Storm and Immortal Reign is by @morganrhodesya #KimmersBooks #Bookstagram #Writergram #Read #Reader #Reading #Books #Write #Writer #Writing #CrystalStorm #ImmortalReign #FallingKingdoms #Fantasy #YoungAdult #YA #AmReading #WrapUp https://www.instagram.com/p/B4S7ogZJvv0/?igshid=1mogj6vvmd7wo

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patoune-prod · 7 years

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Je suis en train de regarder un documentaire Arte sur les vampires.

Alors, j’avoue, rien qu’au titre, je ne m’attendais pas à une oeuvre académique

Dracula: Les vampires se mettent à table.

Snerk, même moi avec mon irrespect connu pour les créatures de la nuit, je n’aurais pas osé.

Ensuite, des faits historiques et littéraires sont entrecoupés du monologue d’un “Dracula” chauve, tout de noir vêtu qui tente de faire des selfies avec l’urne de Bram Stocker et critique la nouvelle génération de vamp. J’avoue que c’est assez cocasse et à prendre au second degré absolu.

Et puis, vers la fin, on a droit à une jeune fille qui part d’un festival de la Samhain en courant au ralenti dans les bois, toute de blanc vêtue, au son de Bring me to life d’Evanescence.

Et là j’ai craqué.

J’ai hurlé de rire à en réveiller les chats.

#dracula : les vampires se mettent à table #vampire #dracula #documentaire #divine thunderbolt incoming

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iwantasecretgarden · 7 years

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Taggetytagtag

DoBrought up by the freaking awesome and strong @nachodiablo

Rules: Answer all questions, add one question of your own and tag as many people as there are questions.

1. Coke or Pepsi: Diet Coke in a glass of ice or a can or a bottle or a fountain or anywhere, always. “Is Pepsi okay?” is probably the worst sentence in all of human history.

2. Disney or Dreamworks: Disney Renaissance (90s kid)

3. Coffee or tea: Coffee. I want to like tea, but it’s leaf water. And drinking it tastes like hot leaves. I try and I try and yet still...clogged pool filter in a cup.

4. Books or movies: Books. Books, I’ve never seen so many books in all my life. Best weapons in the world. But seriously in 2016 I read 42 books - didn’t quite get to my 52 I had hoped for as my upper goal, but far surpassed the 25 I had planned.

5. Windows or mac: Mac since birth. Born with my dad getting me a tiny apple jumper as he used the old timey rainbows apple with the startup OS face.

6. DC or Marvel: Marvel characters are deeper and more interesting, especially because I WANT to like Wonder Woman but every single writer just changes her backstory and nothing is consistent and I hate that. X-Men are my favorite because it’s embracing difference in an exclusive, bigoted world.

7. X-box or Playstation: I wasn’t allowed to play video games because my parents thought they would make me violent so now I’m WOEFULLY AWFUL at them. But does Wii Lego games count? Because I really like Wii Lego Harry Potter. I know. I know. But it’s actually adorable. I also play Wii Lego LOTR and Batman and Star Wars (but SW one sucks).

8. Dragon age or Mass effect: Er...what.

9. Night owl or early riser: I do better working at night because I like to have an hour or so to wake up. So if I leave at 9 I get up at 6:30 so I can drink coffee and blink awake and watch a tv show before doing chores and getting ready.

10. Cards or chess: Cards - more for the memories that accompany them and because I’m hellishly impatient for Chess.

11. Chocolate or vanilla: Vanilla not because I’m vanilla but because chocolate can either be overwhelming or when in ice cream doesn’t taste like chocolate? Like why? It tastes like mystery brown flavor and I’m not into that.

12. Vans or converse: Converse for life. Black. With doodles on the white parts. Quotes and drawings. Being a cool kid way past the age I could pull it off (since I never could). I also have a blue pair that I drew the TARDIS on during the DW fanvolution but now don’t wear because they don’t match.

13. Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash, or Adaar: I feel dumb. I don’t know what these are.

14. Fluff or angst: Angsty fluff. Like when the angst drenches your soul and in the darkest moment someone says the right thing that no one in real life has ever said to you and it’s like a sweet sweet salve.

15. Beach or forest: Forest. I hate sand. I’m stupid annakin. And deep in my heart of hearts I’m still the wolf girl I was at 13 where I wore braces and boys jeans and tie dyed wolf t-shirts and braids in my hair with a bunch of friendship bracelets and wanted to be a psychic dragon rider or be raised by sentient wolves. So in the end...it’d be untrue to my nature (and to my secret shame wolf patronus) to not say forest where I used to dream of running away and finding my true pack.

16. Dogs or cats: I have two greyhounds (Fred & George), and a cat - Gandalf. That way I can introduce the bunch as Gandalf (and) the Greyhounds. Yeah. I’m serious. PM me for picture proof or check out insta @greyhoundgeorge

17. Clear skies or rain: Rain when I have nowhere to BE. If I can stay home and eat hot popcorn and drink cold water and snuggle on a couch under the blankets and put on an old movie or quiet film scores and pick up a book I want to read all in one go. That’s a little corner of heaven right there. But clear skies if I am going out to do something - if I’m doing something stressful and knowing I can go outside after to let the sun drench into the skin of my face and smile and take a breath and get a cold diet coke and congratulate myself on being brave and finishing out.

18. Cooking or eating out: Depends. Depends on how lazy I am and how broke I am and how hungry I am. I like cooking when I’m really hungry because then I can personalize everything to my own tastes and having leftovers I know will be yummy later. When I eat out/order take out I’m eating it all. Don’t be foolish.

19. Spicy food or mild food: Spicy food. Make my nose rain. I once drank a bowl of salsa in a Mexican restaurant. Like in Beauty & the Beast. Bowl to my mouth. Drank it down. My sisters hissed at me to stop. It was so good. So I drank theirs too.

20. Halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas: Solstice, Yule, ***Christmas*** I am so into Christmas. I’m the dumbass that starts listening to carols too early in November. I’m wearing sweaters and sweating. I’m getting my peppermint hot chocolate. I’m the one viciously stalking that Christmas feeling that seems to get farther and farther away the older you get. Because I want it to last forever. I want to make sure my little sisters never lose it.

21. Would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot: Too cold. I’m already hot all the time. It’s hell. And I sweat through my clothes and that’s embarrassing and uncomfortable. At least when I’m cold people feel pity for you. When you’re hot all the time everyone looks at you like a freak.

22. If you could have a superpower, what would it be: Hallucination/Projection. I’d be called “Storyteller” or “Story” and if I wanted you to think you were on a beach in Aruba, you would really see and feel it. I would be able to travel for free, protect myself through a veneer, and never have to harm anyone. And I could taste all food however I wanted even if it was just celery. I could look how I want to look, dress how I want to dress, make my world the reality I want.

23. Animation or live action: Live action. I think the nuances of character actors and their expressions bring something to a film that evokes a sympathetic response in the brain that cannot (currently) be copied in animation.

24. Paragon or renegade: Again. I’m a silly person who has no idea what this is.

25. Baths or showers: SHOWERS. Hot showers. Baths - like tea - are just stewing in dirt. In your own dirt. In a tub where you get to look at your knees and rest your wet head against the hard tile. Ew.

26. Team cap or team ironman: Captain America forever. Stucky and Steggy forever.

27. Fantasy or sci-fi: Fantasy at my heart of hearts. It appeals to my wolfgirl nature. But I’m an equal opportunist and love Sci Fi. Just watch out for those weird 1950s fantasy/sci fi crossovers about colonizing planets cuz those get WEIRD.

28. Do you have three or four favourite quotes, if so what are they:

"Do small things with great love.” - Mother Teresa

“Courage, dearheart.” - C.S. Lewis

“Don’t worry. Don’t worry. Look up at the ceiling and breathe with those curiously fragile lungs and remind yourself don’t worry. All as it was meant to be. It was meant to be lonely, and terrifying, and unfair, and fleeting. Don’t worry.” - Welcome to Nightvale

29. Youtube or netflix: Netflix or Amazon Video yo

30. Harry Potter or Percy Jackson: Yeahhhh see I was too old when PJ came out. My youngest sister was reading it and even she thought it was under her age level. So HARRY POTTER FOREVER FOOLS. I mean, I cannot stress how much our family loves HP. We had a year when my youngest sister turned 11 she had a welcome to Hogwarts party in March, my family surprised me with a Horcrux Hunt 17th birthday Coming of Age in April, and my other sister turned 14 and got a Triwizard Cup party in May. My Mom listens to HP on Audible every night before bed. She can literally quote the first book word for word. We went to HP Wizarding World in FL before it opened on special passes when I was 19. If my mother wouldn’t murder us, our entire family would have matching HP tattoos. I write Marauders book fanfiction for my entire family to read and critique. We have sorted ourselves and own everything in our respective houses (a split R/G family). It’s our dream to go to Leaky Con together. We all have complete uniforms. Not just the robes. All of it. We know all the spells, have played all the dumb computer 2001 games and Wii games and Pottermore before it was lame and basically omg. HP FOR LIFE. (or LOTR).

31. When you feel accomplished: When someone acknowledges I saw the problem and solution immediately but everyone else tried a bunch of things first and eventually realized I was right. #INTJ

32. Star Wars or Star Trek: I am very into both, and both my sisters have hard core taken a position on each camp. But if I had to choose, I would say Star Trek because of the massive cultural shift it caused, especially in featuring multi-racial characters and women in positions of science and power.

33. Paperback books or hardback books: Paperback if I’m reading it the first time and Idk if i’ll like it but then I want hardback (leatherbound tbh) of everything I’ve ever loved and read for my library I want to own like in B&B.

34. Horror or rom-com: Ughhhhhhhh both suck. But I only like cerebral horror (like Sixth Sense) or intellectual horror (like Hannibal) because physical horror (torture), gross horror (teeth losing and pus), jump horror (basic) really aren’t interesting to me so I GUESS I’ll say rom-com.

35. TV shows or movies: TV shows streaming so I can binge them. Yep.

36. Favorite animal: Tigers! I’m so into tigers and know so much about them. The ONLY tiger fact I’ll bore you with right now is that lion roars are much shallower due to being lighter weight with less lung capacity so for the Lion King whenever the lions roar, it’s actually tiger roars to sound more macho.

37. Favorite genre of music: Alt rock or indie - coldplay, mumford, snow patrol, frank turner, damien rice, the wonder years, etc.

38. Least favorite book: I know people are really into it now, but when I read it A Separate Peace sucked balls and everyone agreed. Also I once read this terribly written horror book Neverwhere. Actually I’ve read several such poorly written books that it honestly gives me hope that I can be an author if these dingbats can.

39. Favourite season: Winter before Christmas

40. Song that’s currently stuck in your head: Help by the Beatles

41. What kind of pyjama’s do you wear: Old t shirt (usually huge) and pj pants or shorts

42. How many existential crisis do you have on an average day: Lol so many. Depends on the day. More like “my life is confusing and I have no idea what’s happening and everything is a chain reaction that hasn’t begun and I’m holding my breath praying for a fallout that’s marginally okay.”

43. If you can only choose one song to be played at your funeral, what would it be: “Penny Lane,” by the Beatles

44. Favourite theme song to a TV show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer or (honestly) Magic School Bus or Jimmy Neutron

45. Harry Potter movies or books: Books, where the inaccuracies aren’t too many to count

46. Favorite traditional food from your family: Tamales

47. Favorite decade from 1900-now: 1990s. But only 90s kids remember the 90s.

48. Worst habit? Thinking I can do it all.

49. Teach an old person to use the internet or stay for a week with a kid stuck in the “why” phase?: Kids. I love kids. Why phases are great. Sometimes I never outgrew mine, and adults always brush them off without actually taking time to explain why satisfactorily. 50. Who’s your favorite painter?: Claude Monet.

51. Favourite flower?: Roses (trite) or bluebonnets.

52. Boots or sneakers?: Sneakers now - boots in fall.

53. Abroad or at home?: Home if I could magically go back in time when “home” was everything I wanted and not a place to visit my mom in my old room with no clothes or friends.

54. Planning or spontaneity? Planning! But occasional spontaneity.

55. Boxers or briefs? Boxers so that I can wear them as pajama shorts.

56. Hogwarts house? Better be...Gryffindor!

I’m not tagging 56 people, so if you’d like to do this, tag me so I can read them! If you don’t want to, then just enjoy learning more about me. If it’s more than you wanted to know (and it probably is) feel free to ignore.

#about me

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johncosma · 5 years

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Factory of Terror review

#factory #terror #horror #halloween #samhain #review #reviews #critique #critiques #ohio #canton #stark #county #haunt #haunted #house #john #cosma #monster #monsters #scary

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helly-watermelonsmellinfellon · 7 years

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Tag!

Rules: Answer all questions, then add one question of your own.

Was tagged by @annoyedone.

1. Coke or pepsi: Coke. For me, Pepsi leaves a horrid aftertaste.

2. Disney or Dreamworks: I don’t have a performance. Both have good movies, and bad movies. Though Disney has more meaningful music.

3. Coffee or Tea: Tea. Usually Oolong, Green, Black, or Chamomile.

4. Books or Movies: Books. Fanfics are online books that I dedicate all of my time to. Either reading or writing.

5. Windows or Mac: Only ever used Windows.

6. DC or Marvel: I don’t have a preference. I like The Joker, Catwoman, and Wonder Woman. I like Deadpool, Daredevil, Elektra, most of the X-Men, Black Widow, Loki, Spiderman, and many others. It’s really not about competition for me. Besides, there are many crossover comics, so it isn’t like we’d be losing out.

7. Xbox or PlayStation: I have owned many PlayStations. Never touched an Xbox.

8. Dragon age or Mass Effect: Never played either.

9. Night Owl or Early Riser: Night Owl! You won’t get my ass up early for anything.

10. Cards or Chess: Yes, I like both just fine.

11: Shocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate. The more the merrier. For me.

12: Vans or Converse: Phat Farms.

13. Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash, or Adaar: Still don’t play it.

14. Fluff or Angst: Yes. Especially if the author is good at keeping both level so they don’t povershadow each other.

15. Beach or Forest: Forest, sand is the worst.

16. Dogs or Cats: Cats. I’ve mostly been owned by cats. An English Bulldog and a Pomeranian Husky have been thrown in there of course, but 20+ cats my whole life, take the cake.

17. Clear skies or Rain: Rain. Riding bikes int he rain is fun.

18. Cooking or Eating Out: Eating out. Less work, more food at a buffet, and probably an actual dessert option.

19. Spicy food or Mild food: Piquant. Most food has spices in it, making is ‘spicy’. I like most of my food ‘hot’ because cold is gross. The burning tingle is preferred. I’m the ass that used half a bottle of hot sauce at a Mexican restaurant.

20. Halloween/Samhain or Solstice/Yule/Christmas: Hallowe’en always has the best holiday sweets, so I prefer it the most.

21. Would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot (and no the winter coats and AC’s are not an option)?: Little Cold. I am the kind of person who cannot handle warm climates.

22. If you could have a superpower, what would it be?: Telekinesis. I would live a lot more comfortably.

23. Animation or Live Action: Animation. Live Action ruins a lot of things.

24. Paragon or Renegade: Neither.

25. Baths or Showers: Showers. Baths have you sitting in your own filth and then you have to waste more water to rinse yourself off before getting out.

26. Team Cap or Team Ironman: I don’t like either of them. Team Black Widow.

27. Fantasy or Sci-fi: Yes.

28. Do you have three or four favorite quotes? If so, what are they? If not, do you think you will in future?:

"Not all scars show, not all wounds heal. Sometimes you can't see, the pain someone feels."-Lisa French. "Markings in dry clay disappear Only when the clay is soft again. Scars upon the self disappear Only when one becomes soft within."-Deng Ming Dao. “Thoughts could leave deeper scarring than almost anything else.”-J.K. Rowling. “The scars you can't see, are the hardest to heal.”-Astrid Alonda.

29. YouTube or Netflix: Both.

30. Classic Disney, Disney Renaissance, or Modern Disney?: Disney.

31. What would you tell your younger self?: Tell someone! Please!

32. Make Music or Listen to Music?: Yes.

33. Shakespeare’s Comedies or Tragedies?: Take me from Hamlet to Twelfth Night any day. IDC.

34. What song do you have stuck in your head right now?: Moonlight Densetsu(from Sailor Moon). I’ve listened to it all day.

35. Favorite Animal: Domestic felines. Any breed except the naked looking ones.

36. Favorite TV Show: Yuri!!! On Ice for Anime and Live would probably be Hannibal(NBC).

37. What relaxes you the most?: Reading fanfic.

38. Musicals or Plays?: Musicals. I am weak to their calls!

39. Name something on your bucket list/something you’d like to do or see before you die: Go to Japan.

40. Will Graham or Hannibal Lecter both ask you to run away with them, who are you going with?: Will.

I would feel pressured to learn about things I don’t give a shit about if I was stuck with Hannibal. Like, I play piano, but he does it better, so that would be one thing. I cook, but he does it better, so another thing. Basically, he’d critique the shit out of me all day every day and I’d probably stab him with a blunt spoon and get myself eaten because of it.

Will and I are emotional and unwell, and in similar baskets, so it would just work. So long as a cat is allowed.

41. What was your first ship?: Kagome/Sesshomaru.

My Question for y’all...

42. Which Hogwarts House are you a proud member of?:

Tagging: Anybody!

#stuff #this #took half an hour #me

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liberalcom-blog · 5 years

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Wicca Oracle (Lo Scarabeo Oracles)

https://liber-al.com/?p=43101&wpwautoposter=1563045766 Divine your way to self-knowledge and awareness. Built upon the core beliefs and traditions of Wicca, this vividly illustrated oracle can put you in touch with the sacred gods and goddesses. Whether you’re seeking spiritual wisdom or answers to everyday questions, the Wicca Oracle offers inspiration and an illuminating perspective. The companion booklets for most Lo Scarabeo decks are in five languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German. Editorial Reviews Summary: The Wicca Oracle Cards invite the user’s intuition and imagination into each quiet image. Each card is a doorway leading to worlds waiting to be explored. By going through these charming and deceptively simple portals, seekers can find answers and guidance. Full Review: This kit is a repackaging of an older kit called Wiccan Cards . The new version has several improvements. It uses the same card images but the cards are larger, with lovely decorative purple borders and the addition of textured silver foil that is used in the borders and is incorporated into the images themselves, giving them more interest and life. Perhaps even more important is the longer booklet, written by Lunaea Weatherstone, an accomplished writer and High Priestess of the Sisterhood of the Silver Branch. This new booklet fills in many of the gaps left by the old one and makes the oracle more useful to beginners. Oracle decks can be great additions to one’s divinatory tool box. However, all oracle decks are not created equally. Because they do not have a built in structure, such as tarot decks do, they run the risk of being a random and arbitrary collection of lovely pictures. Although, even this is even too harsh a criticism, for anyone can, if they set their mind to it, find an omen or message in anything. This lack of definition makes reviewing an oracle deck all the more difficult. For what does one base one’s critique on? There is no required structure; there are no clear expectations. The question often becomes: does it perform as an oracle? A good question perhaps, but then so much depends on the skill of the reader, doesn’t it? Some readers can read the steam off your coffee while others may be, shall we say, less proficient. In addition, oracle decks require that you get to know them, to understand how they work, and to allow them to play with your intuitive and psychic methods. It is a relationship that must be built between the user and the cards-and it can take time. In reviewing the Wicca Oracle , we’ll consider a few specific aspects: theme and structure, imagery, instructions/interpretations provided, and how to best work with them. The theme of the Wicca Oracle is clear: Wicca, primarily Celtic. The theme shapes the structure as well as the symbols and messages. The thirty-three cards are divided into five groups. There are four element cards represented not by element but by the Wiccan tool associated with the element. The Athame for air, the Pentacle for earth, the Cup for water, and the Wand for fire. In the booklet, it is noted they relate to the directions as well: east, north, west, and south respectively. Jumping ahead to discuss imagery, there is little on the cards to indicate the elements. The Wand and The Cup show fire and water, while the Sword and the Pentacle do not show air or earth. Also, none have any indication that I can see of the direction it represents. The positive side of this lack of directional representation is that some practitioners assign different directions to the elements. However, it is a weakness in a deck that claims it can be a first introduction to the Wiccan Way of Life. An introductory deck should include visual cues to help the beginner learn. Luckily, this deck now includes a longer booklet with more details and instructions, making this well suited to beginners as well as much seasoned practitioners. There are two deity cards, one to represent the Goddess and one for the God-Aradia and Cerunnos, respectively. Eight cards represent each of the Sabbats-Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, Mabon, Samhain, and Yule. Three cards are called Master cards and represent the Otherworld, the Three Wise Ones, and the Oak Tree. The last sixteen cards are symbol cards and include: spiral, cat, ring, mask, kettle, raven, butterfly, book of shadows, mandrake, fox, tree of life, broom, pond, chariot, mare, and Celtic harp. The imagery is charming but lacks immediacy. Most of the cards nicely illustrate what they are supposed to. Imbolc shows a sheep and two lambs in the snow with a few early flowers blooming. It is pastoral and very sweet. It adequately illustrates how many people think of Imbolc. The kettle shows an iron kettle with a spout hanging from a chain. Liquid is inside and steam rising up. One must imagine a fire beneath it, as there isn’t one in the picture. The broom shows a picture of a broom leaning in a corner with a picture of a flowering tree on the wall behind it. They are all exactly what they say they are. But they are quiet. They are not cards that most people can pick up, shuffle, lay down and do a quick reading with. They are more of an invitation than a message. They are soft-spoken and to use them, you must approach them gently, with a calm and receptive spirit. The book includes instructions for using the cards for readings and for magical purposes. For each card, Lunaea provides background for the symbol, its upright and reversed meaning, keywords, an affirmation, and a challenge. This deck is most suited, I think, for Wiccan practitioners who want an oracle deck to act as a doorway for their own spirit and intuition. These simple cards invite meditation and reflection. To just look at, say, the broom card and expect an instant trigger or clear answer will be disappointing. However, to gaze at the broom and let your mind wander and imagine the picture coming to life (is the broom sweeping or flying out of the picture which has somehow become a window?) will yield much more satisfactory results. Deck Attributes Name of deck: Wicca Oracle Reviewer’s Byline: Barbara Moore Publisher: Lo Scarabeo ISBN: 9780738735467 Creator(s) name(s): Nada Mesar Brief biography of creator(s): Nada Mesar lives in Germany and works as a cartomancer and scryer. She is a Celtic Wicca Elder. In addition to writing the script for the Wiccan Cards (now known as the Wicca Oracle ), she also wrote the direction for The Sensual Wicca Tarot . Artist(s) name(s): Chatriya Hemharnvibul Brief biography of artist(s): Chatriya Hemharnvibul was born in Bangkok, Thailand, where she works as an artist. She has been influenced by her love for ancient and exotic cultures, fairy tales, and manga. In addition to illustrating the Wiccan Cards , she also painted the art for the Fenestra Tarot . Name of accompanying book/booklet: Wicca Oracle Cards Number of pages of book/booklet: 159 (48 are in English) Author(s) of book/booklet: Lunaea Weatherstone Brief biography of author(s): Lunaea is a talented tarot reader and High Priestess of the Sisterhood of the Silver Branch. Available in a boxed kit?: yes If yes, are there extras in the kit? No Magical Uses: spell work and meditation Reading Uses: All Ethnic Focus: Celtic folk magic Artistic Style: painterly with subtle art nouveau influences Theme: Celtic/European Wicca Tarot, Divination Deck, or Other: Oracle deck Why was deck created?: As an oracle system for Wiccans and as a short introduction to Wicca for beginners. Book suggestions for experienced Tarot users and this deck: Wicca for Beginners , The Inner Temple of Witchcraft . Alternative decks you might like: The Well-Worn Path and The Hidden Path , The Tarot for Hip Witches Kit , The Pagan Tarot . – From the Publisher

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allwicca · 7 years

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10 Things I Wish Everyone Knew About Wicca

This is an interesting perspective on Wicca by Eric Scott, a young man born into the faith.

I had the good fortune of being born into Wicca. That’s an unusual situation: the vast majority of Wiccans — including my parents, whose parents were various sorts of Low Protestant — converted from other religions. The Halloween season invites many questions from people outside of Wicca about the nature of our religion. Some of those questions are things that even I didn’t have a good answer for, despite having been involved with Wicca since the day I was born. With that in mind, here are 10 things about Wicca I wish more people knew.

1. “Wicca” means different things to different people. Wicca has no central authority to dictate the shape of the religion. We have traditions, certainly, but those traditions vary widely between groups and individual practitioners. As a result, generalizations about the religion — “this is what Wiccans believe” — are hard, if not impossible, to make. Some things remain constant, but nothing I write here is likely to apply to 100 percent of Wiccans. Widely cited “universal” Wiccan beliefs, such as the Witches Rede — “Do what thou wilt an it harm none” — and the Threefold Law — “whatever you do shall be returned to you three times over” — were never even mentioned in my home growing up. I’m reminded of Robert Anton Wilson’s tremendously helpful term “sumbunall” — that is, some, but not all. Feel free to insert “sumbunall” liberally throughout the rest of this article.

2. All Wiccans are Pagan, but not all Pagans are Wiccan. Although Wicca is the most widely known of the Neo-Pagan religions, it’s not the only one. These religions are often lumped together by people within and without the Pagan community, but there are important differences between Wicca and other faiths, such as Heathenry and Druidry. These religions can have different calendars, theologies, and ritual forms. One of the debates happening in the Pagan world right now, in fact, is figuring out the most equitable way to represent multiple forms of Paganism at major public events without giving undue attention to Wiccan practices.

CC BY-NC by Brian @ HKG

3. Wiccans have diverse views of theology, even within their own communities. So what do Wiccans believe? That’s another question with many potential answers. The usual answer is that Wiccans believe in a God and Goddess who manifest in the form of the deities familiar to us from mythology and tradition. But the exact nature of those entities is a matter of personal interpretation. Some Wiccans believe in the supernatural reality of divinity, while others may view the God and Goddess as archetypal forces within the human mind. The Goddess is frequently identified with the Earth itself (or herself!), and the God with the sun. There has also been push back from some queer Wiccans regarding this binary model of God and Goddess, which can be seen as alienating to people who don’t fit into Western society’s gender norms. Even this most basic aspect of Wiccan theology is subject to evolve.

4. Wiccans approach ritual as a creative art form. In my family coven, every ritual is unique. We write an entirely new script for every holy day. My ritual partner and I not long ago completed a cycle of all the major holidays, or sabbats, in which we adopted a different mythology for each one, for example. At major Pagan festivals, there are Wiccans who take great pleasure in presenting public rituals that play with the form of our ceremonies — I have seen a ritual that used only occult material available in the nineteenth century for its text and a ritual that used a stand-up comedy routine in place of the liturgy. A few features characterize the standard Wiccan ritual — an invocation of the elements, for example — but one of the great joys of Wicca is seeing how our fellows adapt the form to their own individual purposes.

5. Even though Wicca is a young religion, it still has deeply held traditions. Wicca is a creation of the twentieth century, more or less, although it follows from developments that had been taking place in the United Kingdom for many years before it was “officially” introduced to the broader world by Gerald Gardner in 1954. Most Wiccans no longer believe in the famous Margaret Murray “witch-cult theory,” which suggested that Wicca was a belief system handed down in secret since the Paleolithic era. That’s not to say, however, that Wicca lacks rich traditions that have been handed down over the course of decades. Some of these practices may exist primarily within one group’s memory: at my family’s Samhain (Halloween) celebrations, for example, our rituals have included a moment where we speak the names of our dead as far back as I can remember. Eventually, these practices come to form the unique identity of an individual Wiccan group.

6. Some Wiccans belong to covens; others don’t. Wicca was originally conceived of as a coven-based, initiatory religion in which prospective Wiccans had to undergo a vetting process and then be inducted into a coven through a special ritual. This initiatory tradition is still alive and vibrant today, and many covens can trace their histories back to major figures in Wiccan history, such as Gardner or Gwyddion Pendderwen. But most Wiccans today are, to use the term of art, “solitary practitioners” who worship without groups and without initiation into a lineage. These solitary Wiccans study their religion through books and discussion with other Pagans, a process that has become much easier since the internet became widely available. Both the initiated and the solitary practitioners are “true” Wiccans, although the way their worship looks may vary dramatically.

7. Pretty much no popular depiction of Wicca has come close to being accurate. This probably comes as no surprise to anyone who thinks about religion seriously, but even today there are few pop culture images of Wicca that bear any real resemblance to the religion as it is practiced. While most Wiccans believe in magick on some level, our magick doesn’t resemble the fantastic portrayals seen in The Craft or Witches of East End. (Ours is much more dangerous!) That’s not to say that Wiccans don’t enjoy these works — on the contrary, I know quite a few Wiccans who were ardent followers of American Horror Story: Coven — but pop-culture Wicca is even less dependable than pop-culture Catholicism.

8. Wiccans tend to be eclectic, for better or for worse. Wicca, in contrast to many of the other Pagan religions, does not usually limit itself to one set of gods. As an example, while Heathenry, by definition, only includes the Germanic deities, Wiccans often include gods from many different pantheons on their altars, and include ritual practices from an equally large number of religious traditions. For the individual practitioner, this eclectic approach to religion means that every Wiccan can interact with the divinities and practices that speak most powerfully to them; however, it can also lead to a shallow, or even offensive, understanding of the beliefs held in other religions.

9. Wiccans seek to “re-enchant the world.” This phrase, “re-enchanting the world,” is one that I admittedly have heard used only recently, but the more I think about it, the more I like it. Wicca came about, as far as I can tell, as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution and the continuing alienation of humans from the natural world; equally, it has gained much of its vigor from a dissatisfaction with the patriarchal traditions of the Abrahamic religions. If modern life has alienated humanity from the world and forced us into unhealthy and unjust relationships with one another, then Wicca seeks to restore the connections that are central to the well-being of both the planet and ourselves. For some Wiccans, this process may be as simple on a personal level as making time to meditate outdoors; for others, it’s a grand critique of life under global capitalism. Wicca attempts to restore the essential magick of life on Mother Earth.

10. Wiccans have holidays besides Samhain, you know. The traditional Wiccan calendar, the Wheel of the Year, features eight sabbats, of which Samhain is only one. These sabbats include the equinoxes and the solstices, plus the festivals of Imbolc (February 1), Beltaine (May 1), and Lughnasadh (August 1). In addition to that, most Wiccans observe a monthly ritual at the Full Moon and some also meet on the New Moon. All of that is before we take into account the Pagan Festival Season, which, for the Pagans who attend, often becomes a holiday just as sacred as any of the others. Although Samhain is usually thought of as the most holy night of the Wiccan year, we’re happy to talk about any of the others as well — the Witches come out every night, not just on Halloween.

The post 10 Things I Wish Everyone Knew About Wicca appeared first on Familiar Territory.

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