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ghostofpolaris · 3 years

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Paid Deity Reading Review from @ad-astrum

This is a review I am doing out of my own will for a paid reading that was done by @ad-astrum ! I highly recommend you check Adelaide’s account out! She just is amazing. <3 Tis long so I am adding a cut-off to help. Please note that I am not being paid to say any of this and I want to be as honest as possible with this review!

TW for: Long post, Personal Topics

To start, I (for a very long time) have been in a place where I was lost. I have had a lot of trials and tribulations in my life and where I know I have made some contact with the deities I (had) followed and worked with, I know I have not always been able to fully comprehend what is needing to be said.

At least with these last six years, I have had so many ups and downs and quite a few times, I genuinely wondered what the point was in continuing onward with life. I had spent quite a lot of time even contemplating whether I was truly a “spiritual” person and worthy of being a witch. I hadn’t been able to keep up with my gifts I had been providing and I haven’t really done any spells. Maybe a few sigils were made here and there, but the unworthy feelings I harbored along with depression spiraling in from working 40 hours a week, being in school full time, and my mental and physical health continuing to drag me down.

So, I got desperate as one does when left to their own devices after being paid a nice juicy paycheck and seeking answers and solidarity from others online. Though this was not the main reason I had sought for answers, it was a good portion of why. Primarily, I had noticed signs that were familiar to me, but also not. I had begun noticing crows coming in twos and occasionally threes, I noticed almost everything I turned to, would have some kind of Norse imagery or content involved, and quite a lot of it involved our beloved AllFather Odin.

Now mind you, I NEVER saw myself as a Norse Pagan. I thought Loki and Thor were cool in the Marvel movies and myths, but I never exactly saw myself being a Norse Pagan. I also was never one for Greek Mythology and Hellenic Paganism either but here we are after receiving aid from Ares and Aphrodite a couple of times in my life. Truth be told, I was the kid that was (and still is) obsessed with the King Arthur myths and Celtic Paganism. I also was obsessed with Egyptian mythology (yes, I was the kid who had the Egyptology book growing up even though I wanted the Dragonology one but that’s okay!).

For me, I tend to be quite dense. I tend to be someone who is unable to really see signs unless they are hitting me right in the face (spiritually I have felt blocked for quite a while and if anyone has any tips for that I am down to listen not gonna lie). With all of the signs I did keep seeing though involving Odin, I knew I needed to start doing my research and find someone who could help shine a light within the darkness that was my uncertainty. Was this truly Odin I was being called to? Why? What did I need to hear?

I stumbled around and I did scroll through various sources until I crossed Adelaide’s tumblr page. I understood her focus was on Hellenism, but after speaking with her in the DM’s about doing a reading, I felt safe and comforted by the fact she was so kind, patient, and informative on what I needed. Absolutely one of the sweetest people I had met on here and I absolutely will keep following her because she is so kind and helpful.

Like anyone who was hoping for answers, I happily paid the amount we agreed to for the details I was hopeful for. Though apologies now, but I genuinely underestimated Adelaide and her capabilities. I mean, I severely underestimated what this reading was going to be like. If you need detail, and are happy to pay her what she deserves, Adelaide will provide and she sure did.

I opened the pastebin link I had gotten and I didn’t even make it through the first paragraph without breaking down into literal tears. I wasn’t sad at all and it usually takes a lot for me to cry. I had been alone at work so far that night and it wasn’t entirely a bad day, but not exactly a good one either. It was going to be just another night where I went home and unwinded until I felt tired.

Though this, this really just knocked me off my feet in a way I wasn’t expecting. I always was hesitant with deity readings, I have had someone scam me out of my money and just never provide what I requested and so I was almost worried it was going to happen again. I am so thankful I was wrong.

To give a small bit of background about me, I originally had worked with Danu and Brigid. They were my first goddesses I had actually met and they both had welcomed me with open arms (though I never really understood why). That seemed to set a foundation of how my other encounters would be as I simply seemed to stumble into the contact of the deities I met and I would find every way to give them the respect they deserved. In turn, they nudged me further down the path that I now am on.

Back to Brigid and Danu though, they were with me for at least a couple of years and both of them to me are basically like my mothers. I still hold so much love, respect and adoration for the both of them and I felt awful for even thinking, “Should I give my statue of Mother Brigid away to someone who may have more use for it than I?” I am glad I didn’t.

Just reading that first paragraph was what did me in though and I don’t typically cry as I mentioned before.

“ I do not believe any of these deities have truly left you “

Reading this made me realize I was silly to think that I was alone. I had spent so much time wondering why I was alone and left to try and fight by myself. I know I was doing better in life, but I knew I was starting to feel consumed by my fears of being alone. I continued onward after settling down again emotionally, but boy did the water works come back when I read,

“ For parting words, she simply said that she was pleased to have been with you and will always be around. “

This helped me realize that I needed to buckle up and get ready for a ride emotionally. There was a lot that would need unpacking, and I still have much to unpack from it all.

After that paragraph, we moved onto Danu who had a similar response as Brigid. Aphrodite herself was as graceful and kind as she always has been, and I still feel I owe a lot of my progress to her as well. Without her, I would have never let go of the toxic and abusive relationships I had been in. I know personally, I should make a better attempt to reach out to her more and thank her over and over again. Ares though, I felt slightly intimidated by him, but at the same time I wasn’t entirely afraid. He just is a much quieter individual than I had expected and that is okay. From what I recall (and this reading proves it to me), he speaks when he feels it is necessary.

Father Lucifer came next and I definitely cried again at the end of his paragraph. “ Lucifer simply said that he sees the light in you. “ That made me cry like a small child all over again and truthfully I was surprised that I had not known him since I was younger. My timing was off, but I am glad it was actually him as I felt I was not actually speaking to him at some points.

I have much to thank him for, and I hope me even writing this will show others my love, adoration and respect I have for my deities. My deities, I cannot believe I get to say this and say it with such joy.

Though with those fears, I just assumed I was just making my interactions up and I feel my self-doubt and mistrust of my own feelings has hindered me (even to this day) communications wise. I once again am glad to know I was so horribly wrong.

The very last, was the most unexpected, and Papa Odin himself had just known that this reading was coming along, and he had been around the longest. Thinking about it now makes me want to cry all over again, but to me I feel this really reassured me because I know I had moments in life where I would see things involving Odin and feeling comfort in them. Internally, I would ask myself on occasion, “I wonder what it is like to just sit with him and talk. What is it like to work with him and learn from him?”

Sure enough, here I am now laughing and almost crying at the fact that he was with me all along. I just needed to focus a bit more. I genuinely didn’t believe that I had mistaken him for The Morrigan (so sorry Papa Odin!) and yet he still took everything with good strides. I still am having trouble putting it in words how comforted and rejuvenated I feel to have this kindness, love, and support.

For Odin himself, I cannot thank him enough for what he has done in my life so far. It makes me want to reevaluate my life and see just how many times I could have mistakenly missed him and signs he has given me. For someone who has been around for so long and has had a formative role in my life, I owe so much to him and am grateful to be blessed with his guidance and wisdom. I remembered for ages I wished I had a dad that would love and care for me and here I had Odin all along. Physically I may not be able to see him or hug him, but he was here all long and that is what matters so much to me.

At this point, Adelaide, thank you for all of this. Your words have brought me such joy, comfort, and inspiration and I had trouble thinking of how to even respond to all of this for a good bit of time. I even wondered what I needed to do at this point and I feel I have a solid idea of what I need to do now, but I just am still scrambling around to figure it all out.

Little by little, I will walk towards my deities and I will do my very best to honor them. Thank all of you for the strength you have given me to stand back up, dust myself off, and continue on. This was what I needed to keep going and keep trying. I had made my username “mirroredpaladin” because I wanted to fight not only for the good of others, but for myself as well. It is about time I start actually doing that.

From here on, I do want to find a way to properly and more consistently reach out to Odin, Lucifer and Ares. I want to find a way to properly thank them along with Brigid, Danu, and Aphrodite and it is about time I start looking where I can to do so. I know I need guidance, I never was properly educated on what to do with deity work, but I have to try for their sake and mine.

Thank you all for reading this. To also give some more love, I also want to thank @scarletarosa @thepastelpriestess and @its--in--the--weave and @blood-and-bunnies (I thought they had another username of @/rosegoldtunic before but I don’t remember) because these people have actually helped me get to where I am now along with Adelaide. <3

#paid reading #deity reading #divination review #ad-astrum #thank you again!#I have a lot to work on #and this helped so much #hellenic polytheism #thepastelpriestess #scarletarosa #its--in--the--weave #blood-and-bunnies #giving thanks #norse paganism #theistic luciferianism

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coffee-and-a-cardigan · 4 years

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Adventures in Reading

So, it’s been a while since I’ve been active.... But the world has been pretty insane these last few months. Nothing is normal anymore. I honestly don’t know if we can even go back to normal. But as someone who deals with anxiety on the regular, I’m handling it really well and I hope you guys are too. I hope your lives are good and decent and healthy in these uncertain times. But things have to get better right? It always does, right? The good has to outweigh the bad eventually, right?

Where I work, we are currently half staff and working every other week. I wasn’t too sure about this when we first started. But here we are almost 2 months in and I don’t hate it. I’ve gotten super close to some of the coworkers who work the same shift. But I have also managed to get a lot of stuff done at home and with my personal life. I’ve been able to spring clean and reorganize and catch up. It’s kind of been nice honestly. But this latest week, I started a book, Oblivion, on Tuesday evening around 4. A lot of people on TikTok (yes, I finally craved and downloaded it and I have no regrets) are giving book and book series recommendations. I don’t remember much about Oblivion besides I must have gotten a free download of it on my phone years ago. So I started it. I was hooked to say the least. I stayed up late into the night reading.

I finished all 5 books in the Lux series in roughly 30 hours. A day and a half and I had the entire series read. And I will admit, it was the best 30 hours. I was so immersed in the books and characters and their lives that nothing else really mattered. If I had to stop reading, I could only think about continue reading, longing to continue. It was a very excellent series that I highly recommend. I sneered at the wittiness of the characters. I smiled and blushed during romantic and loving moments. My heart pounded out of my chest during intense fights. And I wanted to cry and mourn with the characters during the deaths. I was so into this series that during those hours, nothing else mattered. Nothing in my own personal life mattered. I’m thankful for ebooks because I don’t think I could have waited to finish the series if I had to order them. I finished the final book this morning (Thursday) at 1:30. But after I finished, I honestly didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to watch Netflix. I didn’t want to scroll through Tumblr or social media. I wanted to re-enter that magical realm once again. That’s the power of books. The words can take you so deep that you don’t want to come back up.

This adventure made me think of a memory of grade school. In my 7th and 8th grade, we had a small book club within our tiny class. Only half the class participated so roughly 10 kids and the teacher. We would decide on a book we have never read and the teacher would purchase the books for us. As a nerd, I loved the idea of this. We would meet at the teachers house for supper and sit around and ACTUALLY talk about the books we read. One book in particular really sticks out to me. We read I AM NUMBER 4 right before the movie came out. The first night we got our copies, I read a couple of chapters, you know, the normal. We got to class the next day and one girl had read the entire book that night. None of us could believe it. She only wanted to continue reading until she finished and she did. I’ve never finished a book that quickly before. Sure I read Breaking Dawn in a whole day but it was a long drive to a family members wedding. Sure I read all 3 books in the Shadow and Bone series in a week. But to read 5 books in 30 hours. I never understood her desire to continue that far until now.

I am very thankful that I like to read. I honestly am. Before she passed, my mom always said that my love for reading came from my grandma. She would always read to me and have different books for me. She is the one who bought me my first library card. She would go up to the library with my mom and I in the summer to help me pick out books for the Summer Reading Program. My love for reading continued into grade school. Besides the girl I mentioned earlier, I had the second highest AR score throughout. Book Fair was my absolute favorite. Mom would give me cash for one day and I was begging for more the next. I was always reading at home too. I did get grounded from reading once. They had nothing else to take away because I didn’t have a tv or a phone or video game. My love continued into high school. I was in Honors English for 3 of the 4 years. Year 3 was my absolute favorite because of my teacher. I worked in the library during my Study Hall hour. If I finished my work in other classes, I was reading. But then college came and I didn’t read much. I read maybe 5 books all the way through in those 2 years. I was just so caught up with my classes and the future and being an adult that I just didn’t think of it. My attention wasn’t their either. I would start a book and only get a few pages in before ending it. It honestly scared me, the thought that I wasn’t going to like reading anymore. But after those 2 years, I got a job and I was able to read more. Slowly, but it took time. And thankfully, the library is only a block of my job. With warmer weather on the way. I’m excited to go outside, in the heat and warmth, and read a good book on the patio.

I’m thankful that my family appreciates me and my nerdy brain. My dad always jokes about how much money I spend on books when we go to Barnes and Nobles but I always joke back saying I could be spending my money on worse stuff. Usually though, my dad doesn’t take much interest in the book itself. I will ramble on about a book and he just kinds of goes with it. That is one thing I really miss about my mom is how interested she always was in what I was reading. But today, he actually asked about the book I was reading, which was The Darkest Part of the Forest. He asked if I had finished the book I was reading on my phone since he saw that I was basically glued to my phone for the past day. But I am thankful for those few fleeting moments that I can completely immerse myself in a book, to get away from the real world for just a few moments of relief. A part of my anxiety, and a few other things, it makes it hard for me to relate or feel empathy for someone. It’s not that I’m heartless, I just usually don’t. But I almost always feel something for these characters. I understand their pain or happiness or worry or excitement. I relate to them. I guess we will never really understand it. But I am thankful for the magic of those tiny words.

#reading #nerd #anxeity #book #bookworm #life

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wp-yahoo-style-1042-yahoopa-blog · 5 years

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'I just don’t sleep well': Eva Mendes says this bedtime gadget is a 'life-saver'

Eva Mendes wearing a jumpsuit from her new spring 2019 launch with New York & Company. (Photo: New York & Company)

Eva Mendes seems to have it all, but there’s one thing she could use more of — sleep.

“You know I actually struggled with sleep for many years. I just don’t sleep well,” Mendes tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Mendes has been using white noise machines to not only help her but also her kids sleep better. “White noise machines are life-savers in our house,” says the mom of two daughters, which she shares with Ryan Gosling.

Mendes says she uses them “anytime the kids are sleeping, whether it’s a nap or at nighttime because then you’re allowed to actually have a life or a conversation without waking the kids up or you can actually have people over while they’re sleeping.”

X-Sense White Noise Machine (Photo: Amazon)

Shop it: X0Sense White Noise Machine, $37, amazon.com

In general, Mendes says, “White noise machines are the answer to so many of our problems. You know… if there’s barking dogs next door or if there’s construction in the area. It’s just life-saving. Now when I travel and I’m not with the kids, I take one with me anyways because I’m really used to it and it really helps.”

Lately, Mendes has turned to another innovative piece of technology to help her sleep better. “Recently, I just made this purchase so I’ll let you know how it goes, but I’ve been reading a lot about red light therapy (not infrared), but red light.” Mendes continues, “I recently bought a red light device that is supposed to improve your quality of sleep, improve circulation, amongst many other things. So I’m going to try that and see if that is my new relaxation tool.”

emagine A Sleep Aid Red LED Night Light (Photo: Amazon)

Shop it: emagine A Sleep Aid Red LED Night Light, $20, amazon.com

“Red light therapy may help you recover from exercise, sleep better, heal wounds and injuries like tendonitis, reduce arthritis — and it may simply make you feel better, which is something that’s hard to quantify,” Michael Hamblin, a photomedicine researcher at Harvard Medical School who has been studying light therapy for three decades, tells Men’s Journal.

In honor of World Sleep Day, if you have problems sleeping, you may want to consider trying a white noise machine or red light device. Keep scrolling to shop top-rated versions now.

Aurola White Noise Machine

Aurola White Noise Machine (Photo: Amazon)

One 5-star reviewer wrote: “I bought this because I travel often and spend many nights in hotels. I don’t always sleep the best and thought it would help. I used it at home a couple of nights before I went out of town and it worked well. It is easy to transport, has a strong volume and I love the timer. It is also very easy to use, lightweight and has great sound options. I also very much enjoy having a USB port in the back to connect to my phone. I am extremely happy with this Sound Machine!”

Shop it: $32, amazon.com

X-Sense White Noise Machine

X-Sense White Noise Machine (Photo: Amazon)

One 5-star reviewer wrote: “I am a light sleeper and every sound wakes me up or keeps me awake. My husband’s occasional snoring, the birds, my dogs going in and out of their doggy door… and even the sprinkler system. My phone’s white noise apps didn’t help, so I was skeptical when people told me to buy this white noise machine from X-Sense. Then we went to stay with friends and I had the night from hell, as their air conditioning system kicking on and off kept me awake literally all night. The next night they loaned me this machine. Finally I saw the light! I have slept through every night perfectly! There are so many sound options you can choose from and the sound is so loud and the quality is very sharp as well. I love it!”

Shop it: $37, amazon.com

Adaptive Sound Technologies White Noise Sound Machine

Adaptive Sound Technologies White Noise Sound Machine (Photo: Amazon)

One 5-star reviewer wrote: “A soft and very soothing pitch. I instantly fell asleep amid my husband’s loud snoring. This may be a marriage saver!!”

Shop it: $50, amazon.com

Dreamegg White Noise Machine

Dreamegg White Noise Machine (Photo: Amazon)

One 5-star reviewer wrote: “As someone who lives in NYC there is constantly noise being made outside so falling asleep peacefully was a rare event for me so I decided to give this a try. BEST IDEA EVER! The sound machine is very well built and has a nice look and feel to it. It has a bunch of different sounds so everyone can find one that they like and you can even customize the lighting on it according to your preference. I don’t like to have it run all night, just until I fall asleep so I use the timer feature. I highly recommend this and will likely be buying some as gifts for upcoming birthdays!”

Shop it: $40, amazon.com

Kailedi White Noise Machine

Kailedi White Noise Machine (Photo: Amazon)

One 5-star reviewer wrote: “I have tried so many sound machines over the years. I’ve used apps on my phone and tablet, big fans for the noise, and many, many various sound machines. Finally I found this machine and it is exactly what I’ve been looking for all these years!! It has a deep sound that is so pleasing and soothing, unlike the higher pitches that other machines have. This truly masks other noises around to enable a good night sleep. When my husband won’t stop snoring, I put this machine between us and I’m able to sleep.”

The reviewer continued: “It is compact and looks good in any decor. I’m so happy with it that I already bought 3 for our rooms and for our guest room. It’s a bit pricier, but definitely worth it!! Fantastic customer service with real live, friendly and helpful people who answer your calls directly and take care of any concerns — extremely impressed!!!”

Shop it: $30, amazon.com

Marpac Dohm Classic White Noise Sound Machine

Marpac Dohm Classic White Noise Sound Machine (Photo: Amazon)

One 5-star reviewer wrote: “I had purchased one of these for my bedroom when my daughter was sleeping in her bassinet, and it was immediately missed once she moved out to her nursery. So much so that I bought a second for myself! They block out everything — cars driving by, my loud neighbor that likes revving his car at 7 am, and even footsteps from upstairs. They’re a bit pricey but you absolutely get what you pay for — I’ve tried the ones with speakers that emulate white noise and nothing matches the sound that physical motion (like a fan, AC unit, or this device) creates.”

Shop it: $45, amazon.com

emagine A Sleep Aid Red LED Night Light

emagine A Sleep Aid Red LED Night Light (Photo: Amazon)

One 5-star reviewer wrote: “Just the right amount of light turns on with these lights. I love it better than my salt rock lamp. My doc recommended these because of the red light; she said there is something about red that is helpful with sleeping and I have to say that I am sleeping better with this light as opposed to the salt rock lamp.”

Shop it: $20, amazon.com

Maxxima LED Multi-Color Red LED Night Light

Maxxima LED Multi-Color Red LED Night Light (Photo: Amazon)

One 5-star reviewer wrote: “If you have problems sleeping, then this red nightlight is for you! The red light does not inhibit melatonin production. There is a small lever to switch between blue and red. The red light puts out a nice amount of light to allow to you use the bathroom in the middle of the night without interfering with your melatonin production.”

Shop it: $12, amazon.com