ivy-kissobryos

[ivy-kissobryos]

These are all personal recommendations, in no particular order:

1. Salt from http://withcunningandcommand.com

2. Maeg Kane from www.third-sister.com

3. Azur from https://azurastrologue.fr/services-en/

Any suggestions for reputable, trustworthy, talented astrologers?

[ivy-kissobryos]

Caroline Walker Bynum, The Female Body and Religious Practices in the Later Middle Ages

[ivy-kissobryos]

I trace the spiral in the dust; the Mistress is the dripping red on my fingers, the rusted iron of earth meeting heavens. They touch me back, fingertip to fingertip, those before, a legion in each drop. Thick, hot, oily, hand in hand in crimson mud, the call thundering across the skin, nothing is surer than the easy slip.

- C. Winter

[ivy-kissobryos]

She is the sun of the crimson skies, veiled in madness. She is the one who burns the hand outreached, and the one who lights the path. She is the fountain and the waterless desert, wine and vinegar. She is the painted corpse, holy and rotting. She is the wisdom of passion and the blindness of desire. She is the jewel, and she is the soil in which it is found.

[ivy-kissobryos]

it’s about time i get sacrificed in the woods

[ivy-kissobryos]

from Anthology of Armenian Poetry, ed. & tr. by Diana Der Hovanessian and Marzbed Margossian; "David of Sassoun"

[Text ID: "Snow has fallen in my heart today. / Today snow has stung my feet. / And I want the sweetness of your closeness. / I want the sweetness of your words. / It is lonesome without you."]

[ivy-kissobryos]

Hi, I just recently stumbled across your blog and I love it! I’m new to the occult and seeing that your posts on Thai magic really inspired me. I’m also Thai and it’s so hard to find resources for Thai practices in English. I really appreciate this blog!

Oh wow— thank you for this! If you want to message me to discuss this more, feel free to contact me on my Instagram @ivy.crowned ! I don’t use Tumblr as much anymore so I don’t check notifications as often.

[ivy-kissobryos]

Though your death may devastate those who remain here without you, I pray it might ferry you lovingly into the embrace of peace.

[ivy-kissobryos]

Ritual Is Journey, Chris Abani

[ivy-kissobryos]

i know yall are young and you mean to be inclusive but this "no one is born a witch" noise i keep seeing float past here now erases multiple cultures, extant traditions, and bodies of historical folkore that do retain that born witches exist.

Im gonna say that again. Youre ignoring and minimizing *multiple cultures and contexts* to benefit *just one*. your own. Stop that. Hereditary traditions exist. Theyre just like you. Just weirdos with weird lives.

They dont invalidate anyone by existing.

Your coworker who isnt even pagan could be from such a family. Your mail carrier. Your dog could, if one of us stole him.

You *mean* to say the *practice* of witchcraft does not *require* heredity. You can say that without erasing everyone that aint in *your* demographic.

If the circle is big enough for *everyone* that means those of us that come from such a cultural background as well, now don't it?

The * assumed default state* for witching has only *recently* become openly identifying as such and its prudent to recall that to many people outside the subculture of the modern witchcraft movement "witch" is still an undesirable thing to identify as. Stop thinking in terms of ideals in a tiny insular subculture that *values* witchdom and recall life, social acceptance, and death in the real world as this is still very much exactly that for some people.

The ideals and attitudes common to the modern witchcraft movement are unique to that movement and not a result of witchdom itself but a function of a *subculture* that actively *pursues* and *invents* witchcraft *atypical of practice and belief outside its specific context* A subculture that came along in a very specific timeframe ex prohibition that reflects fewer threads of traditional forms of witchcraft belief than it does a modern culture of witchcraft *enthusiasts*.

Who for some reason keep telling people we're dead???

[ivy-kissobryos]

#OcculTea - A Reflection on Social Media and the Occult

A few days back, I came across a post by @ella.harrison, @the.redheaedwitch and @polish.folk.witch on Instagram which invites individuals within the occult community to participate in a dialogue around the topic of social media in relation to one’s occult practice. Several questions were raised as prompts, and I would like to — as a form of self-reflection, and to participate in the discussion — write a short post in response to some of these prompts.

Before I begin, a quick introduction for those who may be new to my blog and unfamiliar with me: I go by the name of Ivy Senna online. My practice is varied, and I share bits and pieces of my practice occasionally online, mostly to do with rituals I have done (witchcraft rites, adaptations of the Greek Magical Papyri, folk charms etc) or sharing photos of my astrolatry practice. I am a published author in the occult sphere, with my writings having been published by Hadean Press and Revelore Press and other places throughout the last two years. Still, my online presence is relatively small and I would not consider myself to be an ‘influencer’ or anything of that sort. 

I am choosing to share it on my Tumblr rather than on my Wordpress blog (uponthealtar.com) due to the more informal nature of the discussion, and I will be focusing on my experiences with Instagram as that is my main social media platform nowadays.

What is my personal reasoning behind sharing my practice online?

I first began posting on Instagram in 2020. It started as a fun way to record my work, to make visual notes of my thoughts and discoveries. Then, it became a form of self-expression: ritual photography, in the right context, is something I find to be genuinely fun and beautiful. In time, Instagram became a way to promote my Wordpress blog. After I became officially published at various different places, social media became a way to promote those pieces of writing as well. Now, it is an amalgamation of a promotional tool, a place for me to post ‘cool’ photos in an artistic manner, to share bits and pieces of myself and my practice, and to keep in touch with friends and interact with my readers alike.

What am I looking to achieve by participating? Do I seek to educate, learn or connect?

I believe there are two reasons why I, as a writer, began writing. First, is because writing keeps me sane: it is my source of escapism, of the nutrition of the heart and soul, writing being the thing that replenishes me and shelters me both. Second, is because I have something to say. Sometimes I may have some thoughts on a particular god or star or piece of folklore, thoughts that I want to share, to know that I am not alone in my experiences. Sometimes it is the love for my gods and spirits that makes me want to share something about them to the wider world who may not know certain sides of them. Sometimes it is the irritation at seeing misinformation that makes me want to spread accurate information as a form of pushback. Sometimes it is the rage at realizing that — within this English-speaking social space — the discussions regarding my local folklore and practices has been dominated by voices from outside the local culture, voices of those who are arguably misrepresenting or fetishizing the things I hold dear.

So yes, I create content as a way to both connect and educate.

Consuming social media content, on the other hand, is partially how I learn. I say partially because although there have been great tips and tricks that I have gathered via Instagram posts and reels, I find that most of my knowledge and skill comes instead from experimentation, from hard-earned experiences, from autodidactic learning via courses and grimoires, much of these being guided by my spirits. In this case, it can be said that I do use social media to connect myself with those whom I can learn from. Yet, time and time again genuine friendship has arised from these social media encounters. Many of these bonds of companionship and care have come to mean a lot to me.

How do I think social platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube have each impacted education/sharing information?

I do not use TikTok nor do I engage with occult YouTube (much of my YouTube followings are simply food channels or video game channels), I will refrain from commenting on those platforms. But, one thing I notice about Instagram, is how things such as ‘reels’ tend to be prioritized by the algorithm over photos and mundane posts. And, as reels can only be a few minutes long at most, I believe that there is a danger that it may lead to an oversimplification of complex magical concepts. There may be a risk of people preferring things that are fast, easily digestible, and visually engaging to look at— when many times witchcraft is anything but palatable. This perhaps is why I very much prefer blogs, or podcasts, or anything long-form where nuances can be explored.

However, this is not a criticism though of those who post reels in order to advertise their occult businesses. People have to make ends meet, to put food on the table. What I am criticizing instead is the very structure of capitalism and consumerism that is promoted by platforms such as Instagram.

Out of what I share on social media, how much of it is staged vs reality?

All the photos I post of the devotional rites I perform are real. I am not one to simply just stage something without actually going through with the offerings or the prayers. However, there is a degree of things being ‘staged’ in the sense that sometimes I do move things around to make sure the lighting looks good, or I edit things in post-production to make the colors more aesthetically pleasing. More than that, when it comes to ritual, certain things are intentionally hidden out of frame. For example, I may show the front of an object but hide its back because it is there that I have inscribed specific names or petitions behind it. It must be known too that not all of the rites I do look as pretty as the things I post. Hence, it is less of a question of how much of what I share is real, but more of a question of how much of what I do goes unshared.

Do I think there is an element of censorship in online spaces? How do I decipher what is ‘appropriate’ to share online versus what to keep privately?

Of course there is censorship among online occult spaces— the very word ‘occult’ or ‘occulted’ means to be hidden. To think otherwise is foolishness, and if someone claims they are sharing everything they practice online then I wonder how much of their practice is actually genuine.

If I choose to not share something, there are usually two reasons: practicality and privacy.

In terms of practicality, it’s just the basic truth of how I am not in the habit of snapping photos if I am outside doing rituals at 3am alone in an abandoned area of my city. It’s dangerous enough being alone in such a situation; there is no way I’m going to wave my iPhone around to lure in muggers and thieves. Likewise, much of my ritual requires me to be in a trance-state. Even if something amazing happens during the ritual, I am not about to break the state of flow I am in just to take an aesthetic photo for social media. 

In terms of privacy, some things are just too personal to share. For example, I do not share photos of the weekly offering rituals I do for my spirit court. No one, aside from my closest friends, have even seen my ancestral altar or the full extent of my current working altar either. Even then, there are times when I would blur out things or crop out things before sending photos to those whom I trust— not because I don’t trust them, but because I respect the privacy of my spirit. Witchcraft is inseparable from spirit work, and my spirits deserve their privacy because some things are meant for their eyes and mine only. There are things I don’t write about nor post about. Secrecy is a part of witchcraft, and there are cases where power shared is power lost. A witch, in my opinion, should know how to keep their sharpest blade hidden and their trump card close to their chest. 

Additionally, many rituals are just too much to be shared, for a lack of a better word. There are times when I am naked, crawling on all fours, smearing my menstrual blood onto ritual objects. There are times when I work myself up into a frenzy, where I am crying and shouting, ritualistically making use of the tears running down my face and the emotional turmoil within my heart. In other words, there are moments which are just too intimate and vulnerable to be shared. 

Other reasons are more selfish: there are things I fear being misconstrued if I do share them. I do not want the things I hold dear to be misappropriated by people who don’t understand what they are doing.

How does one maintain the balance of authenticity and content creation?

By touching grass.

I jest, but sometimes you really do have to log off and be with yourself.

It’s easy to lose yourself in the online world, especially if a lot of your friends are online too. But, spending time with your spirits — in the dirt, under the stars, among the waters — is a good way to remind yourself of what your practice actually consists of and why you are doing all of this. Content creation is an extra thing, not the core of what you do. Another rule I have is that I don’t post something unless there is truth in it. I will never claim to do a ritual I did not actually do. If something is UPG or inspired by the works of others, then I cite and declare that. I will never claim that something is mine when it is not mine.

It is true though that there is a degree of performativity on social media: we only show our best selves here, rarely our vulnerabilities. For me, it is important for me to remind myself that all the people I look up to — on social media and in real life — eat and shit and have sick days and days when they just feel like doing nothing too. They edit themselves online and so do I. We all do, to a degree. After all, no one needs to know the nights when we stay up late questioning our sanity or having a mental breakdown over feelings of shame or inadequacy.

Everyone lies, yet to remain authentic is to be true to our heart, to acknowledge that we are both the mask and the performer wearing the mask.

How can we help each other in removing the external peer pressure and grow in community?

Everyone does something stupid every once in a while. We all fuck up from time to time— so why not share that?

I understand though that it is harder said than done, for consequences of occult mishaps can be emotionally painful and sometimes severe enough to derail one’s life. Yet, all of this reminds me of recent discussions in academia, of how the pressure to produce results of experimental success has contributed to how people may feel like they have no choice but to exaggerate results or, in the worst case scenario, falsify their findings. It is similar in the occult scene: we praise those who have seemingly amazing successes in their magic, not seeing the time and effort that went into perfecting their crafts, the countless occasions where they have failed before they succeed.

I think we should be open to discussing when spirit pacts don’t work out, when a relationship with a god isn’t what you thought it would be, when a magic ritual ended up having unintended consequences et cetera. I think we should be more open about the pain and heartache that comes with witchcraft, how terrifying and lonely and maddening it can feel sometimes, how sometimes you may feel lost in a fallow period where you feel out of touch with your gods and spirits.

All of this to say, I think we should normalize failure and being less than perfect.

[ivy-kissobryos]

descriptions of dionysos in the bakkhai (tr. anne carson) that make me lose my mind a little

[ivy-kissobryos]

Sacred odors then were notably complex. As in the graves of would-be saints, the smell of sanctity often mingled with the stench of decay and death. Ancient cities, Thurkill wrote, were characterized by “the stench of human excrement, refuse and disease, accompanied with soothing floral scents and perfumes.” Sacred smells like frankincense and myrrh were used over the centuries to demarcate sacred space—but also to disinfect and disguise putrid areas. […]

This gave holy smells a fundamentally paradoxical nature. In a world where breathing foul-smelling air was seen as the cause of many diseases, incense was seen as a barrier against illness, and, with its holy associations, against demonic possession. But equally, powerful scents could be used to disguise a deeper decay, or to tempt the pious with worldly delights and bodies. Even bad smells had an ambiguous quality. After all, the rotting stench of a starved ascetic’s mouth was simply more proof of his profound holiness.

It’s this ambiguity about smell, […] that gives scent its power as a theological tool. In addition to its flexible moral significance, the experience of an odor often reflects our understanding of divinity. Like God, smell can surround you from an indeterminate source, filling spaces with its invisible presence. But unlike sound, which might do the same, to experience a smell it must first be taken within, in an act–breathing–that is both life-giving and volitional.

—John Last, The Centuries-Long Quest for the Scent of God, Noema Magazine

[ivy-kissobryos]

Invocation of the holy sun:

The Charmer-Charmee Addresser asks the sun to rise over her face, body, gait and talk; to give her part of its rays and to make her visible to all and admired by all. Examples:

Holy sun holy great lord! I’m not raising up the wind from the earth but I’m raising your circle onto my head your rays into my eyelashes. Holy sun holy great lord! You have forty-four little rays give me four of them and keep four two I’ll put on my eyebrows and two on my cheekbones. Sun, sun, dear brother rise not on mountains, on forests on painted courtyards on slopes with buildings rise over my figure and make my body beautiful.

- Towards a Typology of Romanian Love Charms by Sanda Golopentia

[ivy-kissobryos]

When Odin drank from Mimir's well, he had to sacrifice an eye in order to do so.

A lot of people interpret this as "sacrifice is a value of the Norse people" but I think it's actually an allegory for a practical experience we all go through.

The waters of Mimir's well is wisdom. But in order for us to gain wisdom, we have to let go of how we currently see the world. This is neccessary for growth. In sacrificing his eye, Odin wasn't sacrificing his vision, but rather his way of looking at the world.

The reason why he only sacrifices one eye though is also part of the allegory: He still needs the ability to see things the way he used to, because wisdom is found not in looking at things exclusively from the new perspective, but in understanding the space between the old perspective and the new, and how it is bridged.

If Odin had given up both eyes he would be just as ignorant as before; there's no wisdom to be gained from obliterating your old viewpoint. (Plus, doing this would have been a self-wounding, rather than a sacrifice.)

[ivy-kissobryos]

I may not be able to take legal measures against the woman who abandoned her disabled senior dog to die on the side of the road, but unfortunately for her, I don't only rely on legal measures. And even more unfortunately for her, I know her name.

I decided to go all out in the end and used an Effigy Candle, a Binding Cord spun from black wool, an "Itching Powder" (made from Calamus, Poison Oak, and the bones of a Roadkill Snake), an "Imprisonment Ring" made from old Lead, eight Steel Pins, and one iron Cursing Nail quenched in "Malefice Oil" (made from Castor, Cubebs, Nettle, Sloe Thorns, and Poison Hemlock).

It's been a good while since I've undertaken truly baneful magic, but I've sadly been given reason to change that. So, I suppose, here is to my first hex of 2024. May it even the scales.

[ivy-kissobryos]

Some thoughts on ch9 of Temple of the Cosmos:

Very quick summary of Kemetic view of 'soul' after death: after death the person becomes their ba. This ba can fly between heaven and earth and comes to visit its body to retain its sense of identity. But its drawn to 'heaven', and it can become an akh ('transfigured spirit') through a certain process. In this process its necessary to 're-member' or heal the 'limbs'. As is pointed out, this shows parallels with the Osirian myth in which he is dismembered and then re-membered by the putting back together of his limbs.

But this process of becoming an akh is not automatic, it seems, but requires effort from the person.

Seeing the parallel of the becoming akh and Osiris myth, I wonder how Seth plays into this. As the dismember-er, Seth could be seen as the force that makes the re-membering and becoming an akh possible. But at the same time, this is precaurious because becoming an akh is not guaranteed. The ba (dismembered soul, I suppose it could be called, akh being the re-membered soul) can become 'stuck' on earth (for a time, or perhaps permanently). I wonder if Seth can be viewed as this precaurious force: one that is necessary for transformation/liberation (of the soul), but not without risk.