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altar-and-hearth · 4 months
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🌃🌙 Tips For City Witches Part 2🌃🌙
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🌃Not Having A Place For Outside Magic🌃
🌙 If you have a small garden, it can be difficult to do spell work here, especially if it’s communal or not very private. You can still use your garden for magical workings, just maybe on a smaller scale. Focus on what will be possible for your garden; maybe you could bring a couple of tools outside to set up a temporary altar and so smaller spell work. Maybe there are parts of your garden that are more secluded and you could perform your magic there.
🌙 If you don’t have a garden, you can still do outside magic; it may just take a little more effort and organization. First, there are always parks and areas of greenery in every city. Doing small-scale spell work in these places is possible. Pack up what you need in a compact wooden box or matchboxes and find a quiet place to settle down and concentrate. If you have a balcony, this can be a huge benefit; outside spell work will be just as effective and you can work with the moon. If you’re really struggling and, like me, you feel that you need privacy to be able to get the best out of your rituals and spell work, particularly for bigger spells that require lots of space or a connection with the moon, it might be worth traveling for these. There are often little-used and hidden places, even in cities; ask around and do some research. Towns and cities often have woods and fields, lakes and quiet areas on their outskirts, maybe just a bus or train-ride away. It may take a bit of searching but you might just find the perfect place to do all of your outside magic. Please also remember to ask permission - never trespass. Similarly always make sure that someone knows where you are going. Do NOT put yourself in danger by going out into remote areas alone.
🌙 Some people may not want to work outside and prefer to work in the comfort of their own home and that’s okay too! Everybody’s magic is different; we all work in different ways and some of us simply prefer inside magic and have found that’s how we work best! Many witches may not require the elements of what the outside gives us.
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Art By: Naomi Lord On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naomi_lord/
Source: Wicca By Harmony Nice
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altar-and-hearth · 4 months
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“Irish cursing was a potent art. Stemming from moral indignation, the virtuoso but also shocking technique required knowledge, composure, practice and wit. For victims, it was threatening, disturbing and humiliating. For the imprecators, cursing could be a means of coercion, a cathartic fantasy of their enemies’ destruction, or merely a way of showing off. This psychologically powerful form of magic was deeply rooted in Irish cosmology, tradition and history. However, it thrived in the modern world of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries because it functioned not only as a potent weapon but also as a gruesome therapy and misanthropic coping strategy in fraught times. Cursing was demanding, sophisticated, formidable and imposing. A magical art like this deserves neither our condescension nor a staid and lifeless dissection, but our (perhaps begrudging) respect.”
— Thomas Waters, Irish Cursing and the Art of Magic, 1750-2018
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altar-and-hearth · 4 months
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Devotional Masterlist
Ancestors:
Ancestral Prayer
Aphrodite:
Love and Rebirth
Multifaceted: Beauty and Ferocity
Blossoming Mother, Grant Me Your Aid!
An Ode to Aphrodite
A Message of Love and Beauty
Be Free, My Child
My Prayer to Aphrodite
Prayer to Aphrodite
Apollo
Walk With Me
A Nurturing Song
By His Side
Ares:
The Eyes of a Fierce Protector
Strike True, Fierce Father
The Portrait of a Father
A Portrait of War
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My Prayer for Ares
Athena:
Prayer for Clarity and Sound Intuition
Dionysus:
Take My Hand
Oh Liberator, Please Deliver Me From Myself!
Deliverer of Revelry
The Journey
Gaia:
Cherish Her Gifts
Prayer for Mother Gaia
You Can
Hades:
I Am Here
Let It Go
To My Divine Father, Hades
Hail to the King
Grant me aid, Father Hades
My Prayer to Hades
Prayer to Hades
Hekate:
Never Alone
You Can Always Come to Me
Magic at Nightfall
Nightly Prayer
Prayer for Guidance
Prayer for Protection
My Prayer for Hekate
Prayer to Hekate
Hephaestus:
Answer Your Call
The Sounds of Dedication
Famed Worker, Please Hear Me!
Broken Prayer to Hephaestus
Prayer for Hephaestus
Hera:
She Who Holds A Hand Above
Hermes:
Let’s Fly
Flying on Wings of Luck
My Prayer for Hermes
Hestia:
Hail to the Home and Hearth!
Hypnos:
Prayer for Healing Sleep
Glory to Hypnos
Nyx:
A Beauty Unknown
Persephone:
Hail to the Queen
The New Life of Spring
Summer’s Lament; Fall’s Embrace
Poseidon:
Admire the Sea, Respect Its Wrath
Thanatos:
Our Lives in Your Hands
Rest Peacefully in the Arms of Death
The Wings of Death and Grace
Zeus:
He Who Descends in Lightning
Hailed is Your Name, Zeus!
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UPDATED: 05 SEPTEMBER 2021
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altar-and-hearth · 4 months
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Daily Witchiness
This is for all the witches who don’t feel like they are doing enough. You don’t need to enchant things, cast spells all the time, or write sigils everywhere to be doing witchy stuff! You are witching all over the place! You got witch everywhere!
Jewelry: this is the easiest witchy thing to do, in my opinion, because it’s so low energy. You can wear different crystals and minerals, seashells, pentacles, crosses, or other symbols pertaining to your beliefs. Pendants, bracelets, or rings are usually the most popular way. Whether you enchant them or not is up to you. I’ll set my bracelets and mala beads in full moonlight but I haven’t gotten around to enchanting anything yet. I do wear certain gems to correspond to my needs. If you study palmistry, you’ll know that wearing certain rings on certain fingers work with different energies. There is so much to this category.
Stirring anything: your food when cooking, the cereal in your bowl, your coffee/tea, the straw in your cocktail, the direction of your stirring is either conjuring up happiness and health (clockwise), or you’re banishing negativity (counterclockwise). Focus on your stirring and set some intentions for the day. Depending on your drink and if you chant a few words, it could turn into a spell 😉
Tea Drinking: I love a hot tea in the evening. Some witches correspond different herb and flavors to their needs. Some like to drink kombucha throughout the day. Some make sun tea. There are so many ways you can direct your energy with tea. Not to mention teas helpful for divination, and tasseography (divination through tea leaf readings).
Aromatherapy: Whether with fresh flowers and herbs, incense, candles, or an essential oil diffuser, it’s not that hard to enjoy some daily aromatherapy. You will experience benefits that include reducing anxiety, easing depression, boosting energy levels, speeding up the healing process, eliminating headaches, boosting cognitive performance, inducing sleep, strengthening the immune system, reducing pain, improving digestion, or increasing circulation. To pair aromatherapy with your jewelry, you can get a pendant oil diffuser or a bracelet with some lava beads to hold some skin safe essential oils.
Walking barefoot: Earthing/Grounding connects you to the earth’s free flowing electrons. I am unable to do this because I live in the city and there is too much broken glasses and the danger of needles. But when I go camping, I definitely run around barefoot like I did growing up on the farm. It’s so energizing!
Humming: “Humming combined with breath is a powerful way to release and let go of stuck energy and tension.  Great for clearing and refreshing your throat chakra” It also improves your sinus health! Humming slows down your breathing rate significantly.  Research shows, we normally breathe 15-17 times in a minute but with humming you can bring it down to 4-6 a minute which helps to slow down your heart rate and brings down your stress level. I like to hum when I’m cooking, driving, and I’ll hum along to the music at work. I tend to just hum the base notes so they are long, in rhythm, and in harmony with the tune. Lots of witches will hum during circle casting or while in the kitchen to help raise the energies.
Anything involving nature: going on a walk, watering your plants, stopping to admire some flowers, hanging out with animals, watching the sunset/sunrise, stargazing, etc. are all witchy and connecting yourself to Mother Gaia and/or the Cosmos.
Listening to Music: It’s part of the Quadrivial Arts, the Crossroads, the very core from which all paths of knowledge cross.
Working with numbers: Numbers and geometry are also part of the Quadrivial Arts, so whether you are an accountant, a cashier, or just doing your homework, you are doing some witchy stuff.
Your daily horoscope: Astrology is the fourth part of the Crossroads of the Quadrivial Arts. All four are the basis of the skeleton key to unlocking all spell craft. But checking in to your personal journey in the cosmos is a helpful guide along your journey through the universe.
Checking the weather: yes, it’s witchy. Knowing what is going on with the climate around you is an act of attunement to nature. And then you know how to coordinate your witchy outfit for the day.
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altar-and-hearth · 4 months
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it’s The Morrigan devotional hour (that would be a great variety show) so I thought I’d talk a little bit about how my relationship with Her came to be
I had spent well over a month feeling like I had someone calling out to me. this feeling mostly came in the form of a cold, feminine hand on my shoulder, steering me. I thought a lot about the circumstances in my current life that could be signs or connections. I did a lot of research on different deities I thought it might be.
now I have to be embarrassingly honest here- many times in my contemplation/research, I thought “The Morrigan? no, it can’t be Her. next.” this came from a couple places- a) I’m deeply Irish and felt it very cliché. b) so, so many people devote themselves to The Morrigan that I wrote it off, saying that I probably just convinced myself it was Her because She’s popular. c) I was genuinely afraid. hey, I love Her, but She’s terrifying!
obviously blind to the real answer, my search for answers kept on and got me nowhere. eventually I was desperate, begging “I can feel You here, who ARE You? PLEASE. HELP ME.”
the next day, I walked outside and there was a crow feather, planted directly upright in the soil, at the base of the tree I give offerings to. as I walked towards the feather, knowing that that was a sign, a squirrel started straight up /pelting/ me with acorns. throwing them at my head. as if to say “you doubt it’s Me? who else could it even be at this point?”
I ran inside to do a tarot reading (after collecting the feather and all 9 acorns), hoping to get a confirmation, and every single answer pointed to yes, it was Her. I was overcome with full-body joy (which truly was a feat considering how tired and sad I was) and immediately laid myself down at Her feet. I also apologized profusely for my refusal to believe or accept it was Her (I don’t think She needed apologies, She got what She needed with the acorns pelted at my head).
we’ve been working together ever since. I have never felt more connected- apart from physically being there, the most spiritual experience I’ve ever had- to my roots in Ireland. I have not felt this strong in a long time. She keeps me in check and encourages me to go forward when I fear I cannot go on. She is building me- and helping me build myself- to be a better version of me. She has been with me a lot longer than I’ve known Her presence in my life; I think She just got tired of being in the background.
and that’s my slightly comical, mostly embarrassing story of how I finally came to accept (and adore) The Morrigan’s presence in my life. we’re an odd but oddly perfect pairing.
and today, for Her, I’m gonna start re-learning Gaeilge (the Irish language) because I have forgotten nearly everything I used to know 😅
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altar-and-hearth · 4 months
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DEVOTIONAL TO THE MORRIGAN:
She makes you feel as if you are floating on air.
Your people had been ridiculed for holding on so tightly to belief in Her existence. Some pitied you, others believed you to be delirious, and many simply ignored you.
Her touch, a spiritual experience, was all you ever needed for your faith to be made stronger. You pitied those who could never be able to rejoice in Her embrace. She braced you by immortal arms scarred and weathered by lifetimes of battle whenever you were at your weakest and lent you the strength you needed.
But now as your strength finally fades, cold hands bring you close. Her piercing green eyes fill you with the surest sense of being loved by someone who knew every fibre of your being. Cascading waves of thick red hair are all that separate you from Her steel plated armour.  
“We are celebrating your fight, my dear.”
In life, Her voice was firm. Powerful words would come to you carried aloft on the wings of ravens, insistently encouraging you to keep moving forward. The goddess of war would not have Her soldiers lacking in any way. In your youth Her voice would lift you to your feet and remind you of the fighter She had shaped you into becoming, mixing with your own in a battle cry fierce enough to shake mountains.
Now, however, Her voice is as warm and musical as a devoted mother singing a lullaby to a slumbering child. You cannot help but wonder if there was this same undercurrent to Her voice before, but perhaps you had been too caught up in the cacophony of your humanity to hear it.
She shows you your loss.
You want to turn away, but it is everywhere; grim memories you find yourself incapable of shielding your eyes against. You see ornate stone temples that were once on prominent display crumbling into smoking ruins, people who had never known fear fleeing for their lives. You watch as invaders carrying crosses destroy your way of life. You stand, a bloodied field underfoot as an endless sea of soldiers presses forward. 
Pain drowns out your other senses, staining everything with the deepest melancholic shade of blue. Even some of your happier memories have blue creeping at their corners. The joyous smile of your brother as he gazes upon his newborn daughter, your oldest friend passionately waving her arms as she recollects the events of her first battle. Whole years seem to pass by in nothing but streams of blue, blue, blue. Even Her touch, one that you had longed to feel your whole life, succumbs to the overwhelming blue.
The faint musk of burning incense immediately soothes you as your last memory forces its way to the forefront of your mind, free and clear from any blue tinges. In it, you and the others dance merrily, sky clad under the starry night. You did not know from whence they hailed or if they had suffered the same hardships, but they believed in Her, too. After being alone for so long, you joined them around a billowing flame, giving thanks for the season that had come to pass. As a child, these celebrations at the apex of the seasons were the moments in time you looked forward to the most, surrounded by people who shared your faith. Decades had passed since you had last smelled this incense, and dragons’ blood had always been your favourite.
It was that same night you gathered several black coloured berries into your wrinkled, aged hands and let them all pass between your lips with no hesitation; the sweet if slightly bitter taste of your earthly tether being severed exploding into your mouth with every bite. As your eyes closed, you felt loving arms wrap around you, and you began to drift.
She makes you feel as if you are floating on air.
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altar-and-hearth · 4 months
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dorm friendly magick for broom-closeted student witches
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Got roommates that aren’t into witchcraft/magick? Can’t burn incense in your dorm room? Don’t have time for elaborate rituals between studying for exams and writing papers? I’ve been there. Here are some of my favorite undercover spells and rituals for witches living that college life. 
Journal Magick
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Keep a manifestation journal! Find a journal that really speaks to you and makes you feel good every time you open it, whether it’s a bulky leatherbound tome or has a holographic cover and hot pink pages – what matters is that you feel a connection to it. 
Every morning, write down the things you want to manifest in your journal in the present tense, as if they had already happened. [Note: this works better if you are writing the same thing every day for at least a few weeks. Consistent intent is key!] 
For more information on this type of manifestation, just search “scripting” on YouTube and you’ll find approximately 642934 videos on the subject. 
This is a really great technique for closet witches, because no one is going to be suspicious of you writing in a notebook – plus, it’s normal for people to want to keep their journals private.
Work with correspondences just like you would for a normal spell! You can print out photos of herbs, crystals, tarot cards, astrological signs, or moon phases that correspond to your intention and glue them into your journal (or draw them, if you have artistic talent). You could even get an essential oil that matches your intention and dab a drop of it on the page. You’re essentially creating an altar dedicated to your intention, just on paper instead of in a physical altar space.
Tap into the magick of color by writing your intentions with a pen in a corresponding color (green = abundance/wealth, pink = love and friendship, yellow = academic success, etc.).
Tea and Coffee Magick
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Tea and coffee are already essentially potions, and no one is going to think twice about a college student drinking a lot of coffee/tea. 
Coffee is associated with grounding and protection, and it adds energy to any spell it is added to. Black tea is associated with protection, courage, and abundance. Green and white tea have their own, slightly different magickal uses. Based on these correspondences, you can use coffee and tea as a base for undercover potions!
For mental clarity and memory retention, brew a mixture of black coffee, lion’s mane, chaga, and ginger. For a caffeine-free alternative, brew an herbal tea with rosemary and peppermint. 
To cleanse negative energy and release stress, brew a mixture of black coffee, Ashwagandha, cinnamon, tulsi or basil, and Eleuthero. This is based on a Four Sigmatic blend, lmao.
For a sneaky prosperity spell, brew a mixture of black coffee, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla. Yes, that is essentially pumpkin pie spice, and yes, you can use a pre-mixed pumpkin pie blend instead of buying the individual spices.
I could go on, but you get the idea. You can customize your morning beverage to suit any magickal or spiritual need. 
Most plants have medicinal uses that are the same or similar to their magickal uses. So if anyone asks, tell them you’re adding these extra herbs for their nutritional and/or medicinal value. 
You can also charge your tea or coffee with crystals. Just set a small crystal associated with your intention (amethyst for mental clarity, black tourmaline for protection, citrine for prosperity, etc.) next to the mug for a few minutes, or place it on top of your coffee maker. Be sure to charge both the crystal and the drink with your intention!
Candle Magick
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If your dorm lets you have candles then congrats, because candle spells are both super powerful and a super easy way to hide your magick in plain sight.
Find a candle in a scent and color that match your intention. For example, you could use a pink, rose-scented candle for a love spell. 
You can find custom spell candles made by witches for witches on Amazon and Etsy, and these have the added bonus of having been specifically created for magickal use. Some of the businesses I’ve personally had good experiences with are Art of the Root (available on Amazon), Esoteric Arts (available on Etsy), and Crystal Journey (Amazon). 
That being said, I’ve gotten good results with $1.99 scented candles from Walmart, so please don’t feel like you need to spend a fortune on special candles for your spell to be successful.
In a pinch, an unscented white candle can be used for any intention. You can get these at the dollar store, and it’s never a bad idea to have a few on hand.
Oil Magick
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Your dorm has a no-open-flames rule, so candles and incense are out of the question. No problem – you can get similar results with essential oils. 
An essential oil literally contains the concentrated essence of a plant. Magickally speaking, this makes them a powerful way to add some oomph to your spells. They’re also commonly used for aromatherapy, so your roommate probably won’t be phased by you diffusing them in your dorm.
You can create custom EO blends the same way you would create an incense blend, by combining different plants based on their correspondences. You can also buy pre-mixed blends online if you’re feeling lazy or if you have a certain blend you know you’re going to use a lot like, say, a focus-enhancing blend for studying.
Another option, and one that’s more traditionally witchy, is to use magickal oils/ritual oils. A magickal oil is an oil that has been created for a specific magickal purpose – it’s like a spell in a bottle. A ritual oil is created for a specific use in magickal ritual. You can find tons of different ways to incorporate these oils into your daily life for some very subtle witchcraft.
You can create your own magickal oils by combining herbs, essential oils, and crystals that match your intention, or you can buy magickal oil blends from witch-owned businesses. Art of the Root has my absolute favorite oils – I have like six different blends, and they’re all ridiculously powerful.
Some ways you can use magickal oils: 1.) wear them as a body oil, 2.) diffuse them like you would an essential oil blend, 3.) use them to anoint and bless objects, like tests or study guides, 4.) add them to spiritual baths, and a million more. [Note: many magickal oils come with real herbs and resins in the bottle. These chunky bits could damage a diffuser, so do keep that in mind.]
Personally, I wear magickal oils on a daily basis in the place of perfume, since most of the ones I own smell really good. As I apply them, I say a small incantation to power them up. For example, if I’m wearing an attraction oil, when I put it on I’ll say something like, “I am powerfully attractive to the people and things that will improve my life.” Which oil I choose to wear depends on the day and the area of my life where I want some extra help. 
Tech Magick
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The nice thing about being a witch in the 21st century is that, if all else fails, you can keep your entire magickal practice contained on your laptop and/or phone. And even if you’re not doing 100% of your witchcraft in a virtual space, you can still use your technology as a tool in your practice. 
Pinterest is the ultimate visualization tool. You can create a virtual altar to a deity or spirit guide by dedicating a Pinterest board to them, or create vision boards for the things you want to manifest, or create a brainstorming space to plan your full moon rituals… the possibilities are endless. 
Keep your Book of Shadows and/or manifestation journal in a Word document. If you’re really concerned about privacy, you can even password protect these documents. Another pro of an electronic Book of Shadows is that most word processors have a “search” function that lets you look things up more easily. 
Make a devotional playlist for a deity or spirit guide. Making Spotify playlists for my deities is one of my favorite devotional acts! I’ll put together all of the songs that remind me of that deity, and I can listen to it anytime, anywhere to instantly connect with them. And don’t be afraid to ask your deities what type of music they like – you may be surprised by the answer!
If any other witches have similar tips, feel free to add onto this! This is just stuff that I’ve found works for me, but magick is deeply personal and everyone will do things a little bit differently. 
And not to shove my content in everyone’s faces, but I did just post a spell to enchant your school notebooks on my YouTube channel, so check that out if you’re interested!
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altar-and-hearth · 4 months
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“besides, no one will die for you but a lover, and a lover will do this even if she’s a woman”
reblog if you too would die for a lover (even if you are a woman)
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altar-and-hearth · 5 months
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PHANTOM AT THE FORD
"I will come against you in the form of an eel about your feet in the ford, so that you shall fall… I will drive the cattle on the ford to you, in the form of a grey she-wolf… I will come to you in the form of a hornless red heifer before the cattle. They will rush on you on the plains and on the fords, and on the pools, and you will not see me before you…" - The Morrígan to Cú Chulainn, Táin Bó Cúailnge
In the Táin Bó Cúailnge ("the Cattle Raid of Cooley"), the warrior Cú Chulainn is able to stave off the advances of Queen Medb's army by invoking his right to single combat at fords, singlehandedly defeating each of Medb's champions in turn. But when Cú Chulainn refuses help from the Morrígan, a powerful goddess, she resolves to instead be a hindrance to him, taking different animal forms to disrupt his battles - an eel to trip him, and a wolf and a heifer to drive the cattle over the ford.
This piece depicts the three forms of the Morrígan surrounded by the thorns and flowers of the hawthorn, a tree connected to terror, baneful magic, and the powers of the Otherworld in Gaelic folklore.
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altar-and-hearth · 6 months
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the gods are probably putting you through shit for a reason and a good one at that.
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altar-and-hearth · 6 months
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I claim peace.
I claim security.
I claim strength.
I claim control.
I will take my independence.
I will use my power.
I will take up space.
I will not be silent.
Everything I want, I will have.
Nothing can stop me.
I am Her warrior.
I am Her battle raven.
I am Her wolf.
I am Sovereign born.
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altar-and-hearth · 6 months
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oceans need not seek water.
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altar-and-hearth · 6 months
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Low energy offerings for The Morrigan 
- light a candle in her honor
- leave a food offering for her
- wash your face and/or hands
- pick up any litter
- do some shadow work
- donate money to food shelters or expecting mothers
- let some anger out in a healthy way(break plates, rage room, etc)
- read about her mythology
- put some bird food out
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altar-and-hearth · 6 months
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Greek Mythology by fdasuarez // Support the artist
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altar-and-hearth · 7 months
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mindfulmft ~ Instagram
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altar-and-hearth · 8 months
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🔮Spell To Get An Apartment/House🔮
1 green candle 1 gold candle An incense of cinnamon and/or patchouli ads of apartments or homes of what your looking for.
Time: Waxing Moon or Full Moon
Place the ads on your altar. Place a green and gold candle with the ads. Light the candles and an incense
Say the following: Element of Fire, The light that you give, Illuminate for me, The place where I’ll live.
Let the candles burn out if you are able to. If your on a budget or can not get green and gold canddles using white candles is just fine 😊
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altar-and-hearth · 10 months
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The Fountain of Diana and Actaeon by Paolo Persico (18th Century)
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