bastet-witchling

[bastet-witchling]

The Shrine of Anubis as discovered within Tutankhamun's tomb, with original linen wrappings and garlands still present. Photographed by Harry Burton, 1926.

[bastet-witchling]

2024 Witches' Calendar

For all my witches out there, here's a handy list of the 2024 dates for the solstices, quarter days, full and new moons, and special events. I've listed my sources at the bottom.

Dates and times for all events are calculated for Eastern Standard Time, USA, Northern Hemisphere. Adjust for your location as needed and check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what special events will be visible in your area. Enjoy!

Solstices, Harvests, and Quarter Days

February 1-2 - Imbolc / Candlemas

March 19 - Spring Equinox / Ostara

April 30-May 1 - Beltane / May Day

June 20 - Summer Solstice / Midsummer / Litha

August 1 - Lughnasadh / Lammas / Summer Harvest

September 22 - Autumn Equinox / Mabon / Fall Harvest

October 31 - Samhain / Halloween / Final Harvest

December 21 - Winter Solstice / Yule

Full Moons

January 25 - Wolf Moon ♌

February 24 - Snow Moon ♍

March 25 - Worm Moon ♎

April 23 - Pink Moon ♏

May 23 - Flower Moon ♐

June 21 - Strawberry Moon ♑

July 21 - Thunder Moon (aka Buck Moon) ♑

August 19 - Sturgeon Moon* ♒

September 17 - Harvest Moon* ♓

October 17 - Hunter's Moon (aka Blood Moon)* ♈

November 15 - Frost Moon (or Beaver Moon)* ♉

December 15 - Cold Moon ♊

*- Supermoon

Fun Fact: The title of Harvest Moon is given to either the September or October full moon, whichever falls closest to the autumn equinox. Once again this year, that month will be September.

New Moons

January 11 ♑

February 9 ♒

March 10 ♓

April 8 ♈

May 7 ♉

June 6 ♊

July 5 ♋

August 4 ♌

September 2 ♍

October 2 ♎

November 1 ♏

December 1 ♐

December 30 (black moon) ♑

Special Celestial Events

January 3-4 - Quadrantids meteor shower peak

March 25 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

April 8 - Total solar eclipse

April 22-23 - Lyrids meteor shower peak

May 6-7 - Eta Aquarids meteor shower peak

August 11-13 - Perseids meteor shower peak

August 19 - Sturgeon Supermoon / Seasonal Blue Moon

September 17 - Harvest Supermoon / Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

October 2 - "Ring of Fire" solar eclipse

October 17 - Hunter's Supermoon

October 21-22 - Orionids meteor shower peak

November 15 - Frost Supermoon

November 16-17 - Leonids meteor shower peak

December 13-14 - Geminids meteor shower peak

December 30 - Black Moon

(Check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what will be visible in your area!)

Mercury Retrogrades (in case you need them)

April 1 - April 24

August 4 - August 27

November 25 - December 15

Happy Witching!

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

Bree's Lunar Calendar Series

Bree's Secular Celebrations Series

Moon Info - Full Moon Dates for 2024

Calendar-12 - 2024 Moon Phases

Full Moonology - 2024 Full Moon Calendar

AstroStyle - All the 2024 Full Moons

Your Zodiac Sign - Astrology Calendar 2024

Old Farmer's Almanac - Mercury Retrograde Dates 2023-2024

Lonely Planet - Best Star-gazing Events of 2024

Sea and Sky - Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events 2024

DarkSky International - Dark Sky Placefinder for Stargazing

Pagan Grimoire - Wheel of the Year: The 8 Festivals in the Wiccan Calendar (2024 Edition)

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If you're enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊

EDIT: Mercury is stationed direct on Jan 1st, 2024. The source I used which stated it was in retrograde until the 18th had a typo.

EDIT: Fixed the zodiac signs for the full moons using a new source.

[bastet-witchling]

✨ Protection spell ✨

This is the time of the year to cast protection wards around your home, so here's a simple spell you can do to keep evil out this year.

✨Instructions

Gather the ingredients - ideally directly from your garden, but store-bought is absolutely fine.

Cast a protection circle by your front door. Light a purple candle. Purple is associated with home protection and purification.

Sit and meditate. Focus on what you'd like to attract in 2024, and the negative energies you want to banish.

Add the ingredients, one by one, in a small jar. For each ingredient, spend time with it - smell it, touch it, think about its magical properties.

Once done, close the jar with the wax of the purple candle.

Extinguish the candle. Thank the universe for its protection.

After the spell, keep the jar near your front door. This will protect your home from evil and negative energy this year ✨

[bastet-witchling]

Day 17: Ra!

Day 17: Ra!

☀️🎨 Basking in the eternal radiance of Ra, the magnificent Egyptian sun god. This digital art illustration pays tribute to the life-giving deity whose light and power shape our world. 🌞✨

🌅 Ra, the supreme deity, is often depicted with the head of a falcon, representing the sun. His story is one of creation and renewal, and his energy shines through this artwork. 🌄

How does this interpretation of Ra make you feel? Share your thoughts below! 🔥👇

#akhtober #egyptian #deities #drawing #mythology #art #ra #sun #day17 #digitaldrawing #magic #pagan #witchcraft #illustration #simple #kemetic #firealpaca #artist #artistoninstagram #myart #dahkyarts #artistoftales #artistonig #rasungod #digitalart #egyptianmythology #solardeity #creationandrenewal #divineradiance #digitalillustration

[bastet-witchling]

Oh Bast, wise woman wombed

Whose whelps wend quick about thy feet

Walk with me; I weary of waxing moons

My garden overflows with weeds

Your child'll never know her own

A gift of mercy, duty, care

Even as it pains me so

To know that she will have no heir

I cannot be responsible

Facilitate the cycle

I made that choice fair years ago

I knew it was the right one

So be with me, and walk with me

Come with to my appointments

O, Bastet, grant me peace of mind

And freedom from disjointments

[bastet-witchling]

Sekhmet's Arrows

It is II Peret 13 - "Procession of Sekhmet and Her Executioners"

“Do not go out of your house today, on any road. It is the day of the proceeding of Sekhmet of Letopolis. Her great executioners pass by the offerings of Letopolis today.”

May Sekhmet remove all obstacles and destroy harmful influences. My She smite the enemies of Her people, may Her Arrows sharp and swift protect the innocent, the truth, and the way.

Dua Sekhmet! Dua Netjer

[bastet-witchling]

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[bastet-witchling]

In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer

[bastet-witchling]

The 42 Ideals of Ma'at (Modern Version)

I honour virtue

I benefit with gratitude

I am peaceful

I respect the property of others

I affirm that all life is sacred

I give offerings that are genuine

I live in truth

I regard all altars with respect

I speak with sincerity

I consume only my fair share

I offer words of good intent

I relate in peace

I honour animals with reverence

I can be trusted

I care for the earth

I keep my own council

I speak positively of others

I remain in balance with my emotions

I am trustful in my relationships

I hold purity in high esteem

I spread joy

I do the best I can

I communicate with compassion

I listen to opposing opinions

I create harmony

I invoke laughter

I am open to love in various forms

I am forgiving

I am kind

I act respectfully

I am accepting

I follow my inner guidance

I converse with awareness

I do good

I give blessings

I keep the waters pure

I speak with good intent

I praise the Goddess and the God

I am humble

I achieve with integrity

I advance through my own abilities

I embrace the All

Source: Kemet Experience

[bastet-witchling]

[bastet-witchling]

O, Bast;

Seek well the small souls

Under the rubble

Oh, Sekhmet;

Stoke hearts to roar

Guide the healers;

O Thoth,

Look well on the writers

Keep safe their stories, voices and names.

Dua Maat

Dua Maat

Dua Maat

[bastet-witchling]

music is underrated

Seriously, I've never seen anyone talk about music in modern witchcraft, and that's weird to me cuz I know most if not all of you pagans absolutely adore music. At least I do!

Plus, it has been like, primordial for witchcraft and religion in general since humans have been a thing. It connects people, helps achieve trance or specific emotions, gives you catharsis and is just perfect in every way.

So here's some help for implementing music in your practice if you're interested:

Listen to specific songs that will help you get in the right mood for the spell/ritual/sigil you wanna perform

Cast spells by dancing, create choreography-based spells

Meditate on a song that's important to you, ask why it's important, what emotions it gives you and why

Pay attention to the song you're listening, try to hear the instruments or beats in the back. I've noticed I can hear so many more "parts" of my songs after practicing Zen (not only after meditating, I mean as a permanent upgrade lol)

Compose magic songs/spells in song format

Compose spell lyrics for instrumental songs

Visualize an intention while singing with all your heart to a song that vibes with your intention

Put music in the background while doing your craft

I remember that I dreamt using a song for a spell, then I did and now every time I listen to it I get goosebumps and powerful feelings. I even feel that spell "activating" a bit even though I don't mean to (that's why we don't do hexes, kids! Jk, it was a good spell). I think I can even fully activate it again just by hearing the song if I want to, because it meant a lot to me even before I became pagan.

Seriously, mindfully using music and dance in your craft is really, really worth it.

[bastet-witchling]

☀️ Lemon Lavender Litha Cookie RECIPE! ☀️

This was highly requested so here we go! I hope you enjoy this recipe, and I also wish all of you a beautiful and bright Litha!

YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 cup room temperature butter

• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar (regular sugar is fine, but powdered is recommended for a fluffier cookie)

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 cups flour (i actually ended up using around a 1/4th of a cup more, but it depends on how wet/dry your dough is)

• Splash of coconut milk

• 1 large lemon’s worth of zest

• Half a lemon squeezed

• 1 1/2 tbs dried lavender

Add your butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and zest to a large mixing bowl. Mix together until smooth.

Gradually add your flour. When it comes together, add in the lavender and kneed dough with your hands until all flour is combined. You’re looking for a soft, pliable dough that’s still moist but dry enough to roll.

Roll the dough into desired thickness, cut out your shapes (i did circles and stars, just because 😊). Bake these yummy cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Cool completely and serve with a glaze. I made my glaze with powdered sugar, lemon juice and concentrated lavender tea.

To make this magickal, it’s important to know the key ingredient correspondences!

Lavender is used for calmness, serenity, purification and rest.

Lemon can be used for sun and moon magick, happiness, aura purification, rejuvenation and longevity.

Feel free to add other herbs or spices to make this recipe unique to your practice!

I meditated a lot while making this recipe, and invited my deities to be with me while I worked. I put my personal intentions for rejuvenation, serenity and happiness for the upcoming summer months. I lit some candles, cast a circle before starting and spent some time really focusing on my desired outcome.

I hope you enjoy this Litha recipe! Have fun with it, and have a blessed sabbat ☀️

[bastet-witchling]

Dealing In Death: A Quick Guide To Death Magick

On the surface that might sound kind of scary, even downright evil, but I assure you it’s the farthest thing from. In this blog I will attempt to give you an in-site into the basics of death work. Please know that every witch does things their own unique way, so for the purposes of this work I will be trying to explain things in as unified a fashion as I can. This is intended to essentially be a starting point to bounce off of.

«~ • ~»

• Death Energy •

Death energy, simply put is energy called from death and death symbols. It’s about stillness, endings, and the deconstructing and reconstructing processes. It’s about using what’s in the past to fertilize what’s new and grow something that has purpose in the next step of your life. It’s about the acceptance of inevitability and what we can’t change to bring about what we can. Many practitioners call on death energy in everyday spell work the same way you would any other energy. In that sense it’s not to different from life energy.

«~ • ~»

• Cemetery Work •

For a lot of death witches, doing work in a cemetery or graveyard is a must, although there are those that don’t, a great deal more either do or will do when they get the chance. Lots goes into this type of work though and a thorough study on the subject should be done before pursuing this type of magick. However, some key points to remember are to always be respectful, obey the laws and rules of your land regarding the resting places, and listen to what the dead tell you.

It’s very important to recognize that there are always going to be practitioners that have their own unique rules on this subject, but the best way to know if the dead favor something or not is to ask them. What rules you inevitably believe should revolve around what the dead are comfortable with. That said, some of these rules are shared amongst practitioners. I have compiled a list below with some of them. Remember, this is very basic and what a practitioner adds or changes is up to them.

Typically these are the oldest spirits in the cemetery and are in charge of maintaining order. Most offerings include things like coins, drink, bread, or apples.

It’s important to let the spirits know what your intentions are. Will you be doing magick at the crossroads, magick at a grave, or foraging? The gatekeeper should let you know through energy what is acceptable. Remember each Cemetery is different and has different rules over all.

Gifts on a grave belong to the spirit dwelling there. It’s okay to pick up things like trash, or moldy flowers in still water but, rocks, dried or fresh flowers, feathers, etc should be left alone.

Try not to walk near the headstone of a grave (you’re walking on their body. Try to stay near the feet and always say excuse me politely if you have to step on it), always ask for a spirits help never demand it, and always bring them an offering as a thank you.

If you’re gathering dirt, sticks, or plants from a cemetery, even if it’s not on a grave, and you get a feeling like you shouldn’t touch it, then don’t. Spirits will always let you know what they want to keep. Obey that or it’s theft.

Being polite and thanking your hosts is always a must in general and can bring good energies between you and the dead. Especially if you intend on going back to work at that Cemetery.

«~ • ~»

• Necromancy •

Another common staple amongst death workers and arguably one of the most misunderstood practices. Simply put, this practice is divination with the dead. It’s all about connecting to and asking the dead for answers from the beyond. Lots of that used to be done in the cemetery and as a result many wild and fantastic rumors about zombie creation were formed, but that’s far from the truth. There were indeed many radical understandings within the practices history however but as science matured so did the knowledge on what this practice actually was.

While necromancy is still done in cemeteries even today, it’s not a must. Calling fourth a spirit can be done a number of ways and will definitely alter and change based on the witch. Some working maybe more cultural than others, and some may be more complex. The uniqueness of these practices can number well into the double digits and is always interesting to learn. Some of the most common spirit summoning techniques (aside from going directly to someone’s grave) are the spirit board, a mirror, and the pendulum. As for how these spirits are called, that too can differ from witch to witch. Most often though, it can involve candles or crystals as an energy source, a personal item or favored item like food, and/or the spirits name. It can be as simple as physically calling out to the abyss, beckoning the spirit forward or as elaborate a ritual as calling in the four directional guardians or a guide to lead them to you.

Regardless of how it’s done, it’s always a good rule of thumb to be respectful to them. Don’t demand from them, ask instead, and offer gratitude and an offering when you end the session.

«~ • ~»

• Deity and Spirit Guides •

Lots of death workers may worship deity just like any other practitioner. However the deity they are generally more drawn to are often either associated with the underworld or a psychopomp, like Osiris, Hades, Anubis, or Hecate. However they may also be a deity tide in some way to the personification of death, much like Thanatos.

Even if the witch chooses not to utilize deity they can still conjure up spiritual guides of some sort. These guides can be something as common as ancestral spirits or even animal spirits. Most common animal guides often have some death association and symbolism to them. So animals like Black cats, bats, vultures, owls, crows and ravens are quite popular.

«~ • ~»

• Bones & Body Parts •

Its not uncommon to see bones on the altars of death witches. Many beliefs around these tools and what they represent circulate within the community. For some specific animal bones it’s believed you can use that animal spirit and energy. Other beliefs revolve not around the animal itself but rather the type of bone, as each one has its own unique symbolism attached to it. The possibilities are near limitless and for most death practitioners they are a very necessary tool within the craft. Some practitioners even collect additional things like insect exoskeletons, animal skins, and preserved body parts like a rabbits foot.

DISCLAIMER! People should be made aware that it’s always encouraged for all materials to be ethnically sourced. Any form of unlawful collection or cruelty is frowned upon and not condoned within the community.

«~ • ~»

• Conclusion •

As started above, these are just some of the basics of death work within the pagan community and serves as a starting point to bounce off of. It’s very important to do your own research and come to your own conclusions regarding this craft and always remember to obey your local laws. Death work can be very fulfilling but not when it’s done under illegal circumstances.

[bastet-witchling]

It's been a while, so lemme show you my updated Ra and Atum shrine.

[bastet-witchling]

Egyptian bronze cat, 6th century BC, Dynasty XXVI. Originally in the Collection of Nessim Bey of Egypt.

From an ad in the February 1977 issue of Apollo magazine

[bastet-witchling]

Eye of Ra, Eye of Ra, Let none stand in your way!

Divine Fire, Divine Rage, May the blood of the enemies feed your Ka!