sunkissed-child

[sunkissed-child]

✨🧿Sending protection to all who read this!🧿✨

[sunkissed-child]

What is energy?

Energy is the medium that carries the intent for spell work. It is utilized in every spell any practitioner has ever done or will do. I postulate that “Energy” is the equivalent of the multidimensional field of virtual particles (See quantum field). This is to say that energy is the smallest permeable fabric in which the most minute manipulations can take place. However, energy, when worked with consciously and knowingly, can create waves of effects over great distance. A butterfly effect starting with the observation and projection of a singular intent. 

What is energy work?

Energy work is the manipulation of energy through use of the subtle body and the psychic mind. By “Psychic mind” I refer mostly to one’s energetic awareness: A practitioner’s ability to know where energy is in space and time, what its properties are, its trajectory & velocity, and its form. With this awareness, a practitioner can use their subtle body to manipulate energies that exist around them and within them. Energy work has significantly more to it than practices like Reiki, and other appropriative New Age practices, will lead you to think. 

Why is energy work important?

Energy work is absolutely crucial to all spell work and any sentiment against that grain will hinder your craft. Every magical action you do has an energetic interaction. Without consciously practicing energy work, the energetic process behind it will be reactive instead of proactive. This allows your subconscious to have influence over the spell, which rapidly hinders the accuracy and precision of your casting. When energy work is employed purposely the conscious mind has significantly more influence, which improves the likelihood of the success of your spell. 

How should energy work be practiced?

Energy work should be used intentionally in every single working you do as to have further control over the spell process. However, it should be practiced on a regular basis in order to keep up your energetic awareness. At first, energy work will be something that'll take a lot of concentration; however, after a while you’ll be able to practice it while doing tasks as well. 

Important & beneficial concepts in energy work

Visualization is a helpful guide when first starting, but that’s all it should be as visualization is not doing actual energy work. If you lean too hard on visualization, you’ll stagnate as well as lose your sense of energetic awareness over time. Energetic awareness is very similar to the sense of touch. While these senses are very different from each other, touch is the closest physical analog to energetic awareness. You have to feel the energy more-so than see it. Visualization should be used to create a 3D mold of the construct you’re trying to make, and nothing more. 

Getting started

When setting out to try energy work for the first time I recommend setting aside some time where you can sit in a quiet place for at least 30 minutes. For neurodivergent practitioners, it may be more beneficial to start off while out on a walk with some stimulating non-vocal music. For spoonie witches, It would probably be best to do this while laying down- just remain mindful as to avoid falling asleep.

Improving Energetic Awareness

Begin by closing your eyes and trying to reach your awareness out of your body. Energetic awareness is the same sense that you use to detect that someone is looking at you from behind. It should be less visual and more feeling. Try to trace the energies that exist in your environment.

Releasing Energy

The first step of learning energy work is to be able to release energy. Everyone releases energy from their subtle and physical bodies all the time when they are experiencing emotions. The stronger the emotions, the more energy is released. Whatever emotion is being experienced also modifies the types of energies that are released. Sit and focus on a time when you’ve felt a strong emotion and the energetic sensations that you can recall experiencing during that emotion. Then, if you’re able, try to start using that same path or application in order to start gradually releasing energy. Once you’ve got the hang of it, try to release energy from a single body part only. The goal here is to gain enough control of the release of your energy to a point where you can release energy from a tiny region of your body and be able to control the rate in which that energy is released. 

Absorbing Energy

The process of absorbing energy is equal and opposite to releasing energy. The practice for this is also the same but opposite. The main difference is that it is important not to let the energies that are absorbed, are not taken into the subtle body. This is because some environments have energies that aren’t that harmonious with our bodily energies. Be sure to use your practice in releasing energy to redirect what you absorb and let it back out into the environment as you proceed. 

Giving Energy Form

This is the point where visualization can be a helpful guide; however, if you lean too hard on it you will likely not be practicing energy work to the extent that would be required to master this step. Visualization can be used as a mental mould for the energy work. Visualizing the energy itself will not yield any progress. Hold the mould in your mind as you use the digits on your right hand to project controlled streams of energy into it. If any energy starts to escape the mould, pull it into your left hand or use the pulling motion to get it back into the shape. This will slowly help you develop the ability to control energies outside of your subtle body but within your fields. Once you can create a basic shape, try to solidify it in space before moving it around. Do so without adding or subtracting the amount of energy that makes it up. You know that you’ve mastered this when you can create a simple construct of any platonic shape, as well as a sphere, and move it around through space with axial rotation without the shape changing size or the amount of energy changing within it- all while maintaining the construct’s integrity.

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[sunkissed-child]

"Take a deep breath, kid. The monsters in your mind Are spewing nonsense again. Breathe deep and push them out With a strong exhale. You are in control."

- Hermes

[sunkissed-child]

Hermes Moodboard ~ 

Hermes of the Ways

“I, Hermes, stand here at the cross-roads by the wind-beaten orchard, near the hoary-grey coast;

And I keep a resting-place for weary men. And the cool stainless spring gushes out.”

Anyte of Tegea,  3rd Century BC

[sunkissed-child]

Hermes: I'm not a bloody taxi service, If you want a lift I expect money.

Apollo: That would make you a taxi service.

[sunkissed-child]

"...the Goddess of Victory will bestow her laurels only on those who are prepared to act with daring." ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

A gold version too because she's every winged golden statue I have ever seen.

This is actually a commission for a friend, which is the best type of commission ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)

[sunkissed-child]

Crows

[sunkissed-child]

☀️ Apollo devotional acts ☀️

Hello it's me again with a post I was meant to put online three weeks ago! I've done several of these: Artemis - Demeter - I also made one for Hermes during my 30 days challenge but I've just realized it's quite short so I will be making a new one again at some point in the future.

What are devotional acts?

Devotional acts, or devotional activities/practices are things one can do in order to honor a deity, just like one would do with physical offerings or prayer. In short, instead of giving, say, wine, you will offer time and energy (the mundane one). You would typically look at a deity's domains and pick some things related to them.

So here is a list of things you might do, in the hope that it would spark some ideas. Of course the list in non-exhaustive !

☀️ Study academic fields (sciences or humanities) - dedicating your studies to him can be one of the easiest devotional act you can do. Can be for school/uni/work or simply your research related to the hellenic path. He’s all about the pursuit of knowledge so no matter the field, you can dedicate this time to him. It's a side of him that is a bit forgotten as people will think of Athena first, but it is completely in line with his domains as a god of Knowledge and Education.

☀️ Art and Music making and appreciation - he is the god of music and all the fine arts so you can dedicate the practice of these things to him and call upon his aid to develop your skills and sensibilities. The mastery of Arts requires the combination of technical skills, emotional sensibility, the capacity to break down things mentally, and the creativity to bring out solutions, things that are his domains as a god of Reason and Expression. If you don’t make art, you can simply dedicate some time to your appreciation of those fields by going to an exhibition or a concert.

☀️ Honoring the Muses - his epithet Musagetes means leader of the muses and is meant to connect him to the Arts, as previously mentioned. However, you could also take that more litteraly and devote your time forming a relationship with the Muses to him.

☀️ Write and appreciate poetry - made this a separate entry for how important this was to the Ancients. Without judging yourself, write your thoughts and feelings freely and see it as an expression of your mind and soul. Alternatively, lose yourself into the writings of others.

☀️ Working around health - Apollo is the god who inflicts but also relieves plagues, and the father of Asclepios. He is thus linked to the medical field and any practice related to that would be a great idea. One of his epithets, Acestor, means healer.

☀️ Philosophy - Apollo is the patron of those who seek truth and wisdom, so not only would studying philosophies and religions be a neat idea, the most important would be to adopt that mindset and make sure you reflect on your values, the meaning of your life, your place in society, etc… The delphic maxims can be a good place to start, not to use them as dogmas but rather to stimulate your own thoughts and spark questions. When I think of Apollo I think of a god who wants us to keep questioning the world and ourself and push us to a better understanding of things and to build our own sense of ethics.

☀️ Introspection - As an extension of that, practising a form of introspection as a way to shed light on the most unknown parts of yourself and seeking understanding of your whole self. Keep an journal to write down your introspection sessions can be a great devotional act and would draw his good influence upon you.

☀️ Pursue the best version of yourself (with kindness) - to some extent all gods want to see you become the best version of yourself, but I don’t know why, maybe it’s a bit of an UPG, but I see Apollo as the one who thrives for perfection the most and works hard for that. Just be careful that this doesn’t become unhealthy and that you are always doing this with kindness and love for yourself.

☀️ Celebrate the blessings the light and the warmth of the sun gives us - he isn’t the Sun himself (that is Helios) but he is undeniably linked to the Sun and its light so he is the one I go to when I want to celebrate the bright season and its blessings. Personally I intend to celebrate the summer solstice with him.

☀️ Practice methods of divination - he is the god of prophecy and oracles and one you can go to to improve your ability to divine. He isn’t the only god whose domain is of one form of divination (Hermes has ornithomancy and astragyromancy, and Zeus had oracles), but he was the one who spoke through the Pythia so you can dedicate the development of your psychic senses to him. Also, Tarot is a relatively modern invention but I link it to him due to the fact that it’s an elaborated system through which spontaneous insight arises.

☀️ Teaching - giving a drawing or music class, or just anything really. The idea of transferring your knowledge and allowing someone else to become more skilled at something. Especially great with the youth since Apollo is one of its protectors.

☀️ Crafting things for your altar - maybe you want to make a laurel wreath (his sacred plant) to DIY your altar, or what about a scented candle containing solar plants, you could also use clay to shape little elements that you will paint later as a decoration. The possibilities are endless!

☀️ Note on donations: an alternative to practising the activities I previously mentioned, you could also give your money to those causes and domains. For example: by supporting local artists or health-workers.

[sunkissed-child]

I like this quote a lot.

[sunkissed-child]

𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿.

Apollo Belvedere

[sunkissed-child]

[sunkissed-child]

[sunkissed-child]

[sunkissed-child]

Finally dead, you wait quietly at the train station of the afterlife. As you watch everyone leave off to face their judgement, you eventually sit alone… waiting. You watch as a scythe-wielding hooded figure starts approaching, and he… sighs? “Aw man… why’d it have to be you?”

[sunkissed-child]

Finally dead, you wait quietly at the train station of the afterlife. As you watch everyone leave off to face their judgement, you eventually sit alone… waiting. You watch as a scythe-wielding hooded figure starts approaching, and he… sighs? “Aw man… why’d it have to be you?”

[sunkissed-child]

ARTEMIS: lady of the wild things, deep forests, animals and wild hunt. Goddess of the moon and guardian of the young girls and women.

[sunkissed-child]

sunsoaked