heathenvvitch

[heathenvvitch]

Betwixt, Middle, & In between

I have just come to e realization that I have been witnessing several synchronicities over the past several weeks but didn't put it all together until only about a half hour ago whilst reading "The Devils Dozen" by Gemma Gary. I'm going to take the time now, to info dump about all I learned and with that being said, I believe, I am finally on the correct road for me and my practice. I'm finding the crooked path to resonate very deeply with me and I'm finding the connection that I was lacking with wicca and other practices. Now, on to the post.

I have noticed that the song "Stuck In The Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel has been playing on random a lot when my vvitch sister and I are together. Furthermore, I've noticed that the word middle and the phrase "in between" has come up multiple times as well in our previous discussions and random statements I've heard from others around us.

In the craft, betwixt, middle, & in between verbiage is used quite a lot. The in between is the space between the "mundane" and the magical. In traditional/folk craft, the middle/in between are very prevalent. The stang is used to represent the witch father/horn god/bucca/etc. There is talk of the light betwixt the horns, which again represents the liminal space between the "mundane" and the "magical" worlds.

I have already preformed the first of "The Devils Dozen" rights and have been visited four times by the witch father. I first encountered hi during the invoking ritual. He didn't say anything directly but I could feel his presence and he was pleased with the the offerings I gave him. Directly after the ritual, I walked into my mud room and a horned figure was stood out my door that I just caught a glimpse of before turning on the light. I, naturally, was startled and shut the light off again but the figure was gone. However, I knew it was him.

The next encounter I had, was while i was doing chores around my home and suddenly was overcome by a heavy energy that scared me and swore I saw another figure on the corner of my eye while alone. However, I pulled out my tarot card and pendulum as calmly as I could and was given a pretty clear message from the witch father to continue my studies because I had been neglecting them. I believe he may have been irritated with me but he was pleased by reaction to his presence and deducing his message promptly. How do I know this? you may ask, well.... I cant really explain it. Its just a feeling, the energy suddenly lightened and the witch father's presence left shortly after the energy shifted.

There were two more encounters, one that happened right after the first rite and one that happened recently but I prefer to keep those to myself for now. However, I will say, that both these encounters happened while i was BETWIXT a sleeping and awake state. They were full deep energy that felt as though the air was electrified and warm. It was very surreal and the feeling itself was both intense and amazing.

The fact that, the in between keeps showing up in my life and the recent visit from the witch father, leads me to believe that I am not only on the right track, but a big break through is immanent. Even before writing this post, a phrase entered my thoughts. This phrase was "Comme Ci, Comme ca". This phrase is French for so-so or neither good nor bad. This can be seen as, yet another representation of the in between. As above, so bellow. I'll post some photos bellow of that show some representations of what I've spoke about here. Things are truly getting interesting.

#folk witchcraft #traditional witchcraft #witch #witch community #witchblr #witchcraft #witches #witchy vibes #heathen vvitch #witchythings #witch father #baphomet #the Devil #bucca #stang #gemma gary #the devils dozen #tread the mill with me #tread the mill #liminal #in between #betwixt

[heathenvvitch]

<3

#gothic #goth #gothcore #light academia #dark feminine aesthetic #dark aesthetic #dark #dark femininity #naturecore #solitary witch #witchy #folk witchcraft #traditional witchcraft #witchy vibes #witches #witch #witchcraft #witchblr #witch community

[heathenvvitch]

Thinloth

#esoteric #occult #ritual #fire #dark photography #folk witchcraft #traditional witchcraft #witch #witch community #witchblr

[heathenvvitch]

“Do not do what you desire - do what is necessary. Take all you are given - give all of yourself. "What I have- I hold!" When all is lost, and not until then, prepare to die with dignity ... and return to the womb of the Dark Goddess to give life another try until the wheel of rebirth is finally broken.” -Robert Cochrane-

#folk witchcraft #traditional witchcraft #witch #witch community #witchblr #witchcraft #witches #heathen vvitch #witchy vibes #witchythings #Robert Cochrane

[heathenvvitch]

My bestie/sister/fellow witch and I walked through the woods today and had some interesting experiences. We came back to the house to grab more supplies and something to eat, but we plan returning to the wild shortly but in a different area. We’re bone hunting and looking for signs along the way.

#folk witchcraft #traditional witchcraft #witch #witch community #witchblr #witchcraft #witches #heathen vvitch #witchy vibes #witchythings #triangles

[heathenvvitch]

I wear an obsidian bracelet on my right wrist to give cleansing and protection to my environment I’m in and I wear a hematite and pentacle ring on my left to receive the same back. It’s like a constant flow of protective and cleansing energy. I’m not sure if others do this but I do and it works. ☺️

#folk witchcraft #traditional witchcraft #witch #witch community #witchblr #witchcraft #witches #heathen vvitch #witchy vibes #witchythings

[heathenvvitch]

[heathenvvitch]

My favorite scrying mug

#folk witchcraft #witchy vibes #eyes #traditional witchcraft #witchy #witchcraft #scrying #divination #witchposting #heathen vvitch #witch #witches #witchblr #witch community #witchythings #witch aesthetic #witchcore

[heathenvvitch]

I caught this amazing picture of the eclipse yesterday👁️ not only was it a solar eclipse but it was also a new moon in Aries. The energy and balance that came from this was exhilarating. ✨🌒🌕🌘✨

#photography #solar eclipse #beautiful #witch father #witch #witchposting #witchy #witchcraft #witchblr #traditional witchcraft #folk witchcraft #witches #witchcore #witchy vibes #witch community #witchythings

[heathenvvitch]

Doing my Witchcraft studies like.....

#witchposting #witchcraft #witches #witch #traditional witchcraft #witchcore #folk witchcraft #witch community #witchblr #witchythings #studyblr #tired #solitary witch #heathen vvitch

[heathenvvitch]

I couldn't have wrote or explained this better myself.

The Witch Father

In traditional witchcraft, we often come across mentions of the enigmatic Witch Father. His Folklore is scattered, and there is little consensus to who He is. The mythology of Witch Father folklore is spread across centuries, hidden in tales of the Devil and in the transcripts from witch trials. He is a multifaceted being who rules over life, death, initiations, knowledge, and the untamed wilderness lurking at the edges of society.

The Witch Father is an archetypal Divine Masculine Spirit that illuminates life and is a lord of death. Witch Father is a catchall title for the myriad spirits witches have historically contracted with and have since been omitted by the witch trial transcripts across Europe. 

He is most commonly known as the Devil in today’s craft. As we know him, The Witch Father is an initiator and holds the keys to our disinhibition towards pleasure. He opens the way to occult knowledge and gives us the opportunity to explore (legal) pleasures without the need for guild or shame. Walking with the Witch Father allows us to dive into the hidden realms and learn the Occult Arts to change our lives. He also allows us to revel in primal human desires. 

As the Initiator into Witchcraft, the Witch Father takes on the mantle of the Light Betwixt the Horns. He comes into our lives and offers us the choice to go down this path and walk with Him. He grants us an understanding of magick, nature, and pleasure. He empowers us to uncover our Truth and the Truth of the World. As the initiator, some see the Witch Father as Lucifer. He is also the Serpent who revealed to Eve that the fruit from the Tree of Life will not cause her to die but will grant the wisdom of the universe.

The Witch Father allows space for us to free ourselves from the inhibitions placed on us by general society, and especially the church. He encourages us to rebel, sing, dance, and uncover wisdom. He leads the Witch’s Sabbath, which grants us a place to revel in the freedoms offered there. By leading us to this sacred experience, He fills his role as an emanation of the untamed wilderness, the primal subconscious of our most human desires. He gives us the Church of Nature. Taking the liturgical prayers of the Church and the Book of Psalms, mixing that with more ancient pagan animism, we are given access to a hidden power through His teachings.

Now, while I talk as if the Witch Father is a God, he is not. He is an ancient and powerful spirit who has led witches over the centuries and demands reverence. He is not all-powerful and is not a creator. He works his charms through magic and shapes the world. He is not a distant, impersonal being. He is immediate to us and is a mentor for us. 

Disinhibition

At the Witch’s Sabbat, our spirits fly away to commune with Our Devil, other witches and spirits in His retinue. It was a place to mix business and pleasure. At the Sabbat, witches would learn new spells, come together to work rituals, learn new forms of magick from the Witch Father, and of course partake in enjoyment. 

The Sabbath is a place of Initiation for new witches and also a place for learning new aspects of the craft. Once the business concludes, the Sabbat becomes a celebration. We may forget the staunch rules of mundane society and revel in our animalistic and beastial joys. There is singing, dancing, food and drink. We can indulge in these desires and these delicacies. All of which is orchestrated and gifted to us by the Witch Father. 

The Wild

There is a deep connection between the Witch Father and Nature. They are ‌synonymous with each other. He is an emanation of the land and its spirits. As Christianity became the dominant religion, and as society shifted further away from living in harmony with Nature, the figure of the folkloric Devil grew. He calls to us to return to the untamed lands and to forget the society that weighs us down. He offers liberation instead of our oppression. 

The Witch Father, as Nature, holds a duality over life and death. He is life itself and the bringer of light. But he is also the Lord of Death and of shadows. As the year turns, we see both aspects and the cyclical nature of them. Death giving way to new life and of life giving way to death. He is destruction and creation. Death and resurrection. 

Even His iconography and the existing descriptions that we have of the Devil show the immense connection He has to the Land. He is a shapeshifter comfortable in being a recognizable animal, a humanoid form, or even a hybrid. He reminds us of our baser instincts and that we are not above animals or the land just because we, as humans, have subjugated them for centuries. 

He is the Horned one, the light betwixt the horns, Terra Pater, Primus Magus. And he has revealed himself to us in so many other forms throughout the centuries. It’s hard to pigeonhole the Witch Father as any one being, or to even say “this is what he looks like.” He’s shown us he is comfortable changing his shape on a whim. He takes on the mantles of mentor, guide, and is a safe space for us to let our guard down and find enjoyment outside of our mundane lives. 

Old Scratch

Old Scratch is a more antiquated term for The Devil or Satan primarily found in the Southern United States and the South Midlands. This name has been memorialized in Faustian Folklore such as “The Devil and Tom Walker” and “The Devil and Daniel Webster” where our protagonist sells his soul to the devil for prosperity. 

This reinforces the theme that our Witch Father, the Folkloric Devil, offers us a chance to change our luck and our lives. Now, in these stories, the protagonist is taken away and dragged into the fires of hell, but in the living practice of Traditional Witchcraft, it doesn’t happen that way. We see these stories as what happens when trying to break deals with the Otherworld. Contracts and Pacts made with Spirits should be kept up with. It’s imperative. 

Black Shuck

In East Anglian folklore, Black Shuck is an omen of death. If you see him, it is said that you will die before the year is up, and if you meet his eye you’ll be dragged away. 

The first mention of the Black Shuck is in “The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle” in 1127 where He is affiliated with a Wild Hunt that was in Petersborough from Lent through Easter. Later on, in the 1500s, he is said to have broken into a church and killed two paritioners while kneeling in prayer. 

Here we see the Chthonic side of the Devil. He is a psychopomp taking souls to the Other Side. He is a shepherd of the dead, warns us of impending doom, and teaches us about life, death, and ways to travel between the Worlds.

#witchblr #witch #witch father #traditional witchcraft #folk witchcraft #witchcraft #witches #witch community #witchposting #heathen vvitch

[heathenvvitch]

"Live Deliciously"

#the vvitch #black phillip #witchy vibes #witches #witchcraft #traditional witchcraft #witch #folk witchcraft #witchblr #witchy #witchythings #witchcore #witch community #witch aesthetic #black goat #vvitch #heathen vvitch

[heathenvvitch]

One of the most important things I've learned in carving my own path and practice in the craft, is to follow your own path. If you identify with more main stream crafts and rather not stray from the herd, that is totally vailed. However, if you don't identify with anything in the mainstream and find it hard to connect to your craft, don't be afraid to carve your own.

I didn't identify with most wiccan teachings and that's ok. I did a ton of research and stumbled upon "The Crooked Path" by Kelden and it helped open up a whole new concept to me that I've been searching for, for over a decade. I finally realized that I don't have to follow everyone else and their ethics. I can follow my own and not care about what anyone else says.

I still very much am learning what my true path is but I'm loving the journey. I've also wanted to sink my teeth in to tumblr for years but couldn't figure out what I wanted my blog to be for the longest time. This isn't my first blog but this is the first one I've been truly excited about. Not only is being a witch my spirituality and life style but its also my main autistic special interest. I know this blog will stick. I could talk about the craft for hours. With that being said, just because I don't practice wicca, doesn't mean I wont discuss it or know anything about it. If their are witchlings or baby witches (what ever term you prefer) I'll be happy to answer any questions to the best of my ability. Stay vvitchy my friends.

#witchcraft #witches #traditional witchcraft #vvitch #heathen #pagan #actually autistic #the crooked path #tread the mill with me #folk witchcraft #witch community #witchblr #witchy vibes #witch #witchythings #elder goth #heathen vvitch #heathenry