#esoterica

[cryptotheism]

It is may 29th, 1453. You are Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, and you have just taken the city of Constantinople. You’ve been scaring the daylights out of the Christian world for a while now, but now you’ve really gone and done it. Your little jaunt through Asia Minor is causing a bunch of greek theologians to pull up and run further west into europe. The catholic church already has their hands full with a whole mess of internal conflicts. You wonder how they’re gonna handle this influx of new ideas. Sure would be a shame if you accidentally contributed to some sort of protestant reformation or something. You can’t think about that right now though, you’ve got to think of a better name for your cool new city.

Meanwhile, back in the Catholic Church, a sin is being committed. A sin so grievous and dangerous that it will eventually tear the Christian world as we know it in two: people are translating the Bible into dutch.

Writing about Renaissance Esoterica on patreon today

#Patreon #esoterica

[unnpunishable]

the exorcist iii, 1990 (dir. william peter blatty)

#the exorcist iii #filmedit #horroredit #william peter blatty #esoterica #witchcraft #paganism

[catsconflictscopicsandchamomile]

Cas is alive and in the Good Omens universe, because Heaven pulled him out of The Empty (as they have done many times before) on September 8th, 2022, and sent him to England to record the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

...and yes. this is supported by actual religious lore.

#september 8th #queen elizabeth #cas #supernatural #spn theory #tumblrcore #spn crack theory #tinhatting #chuck won theory still counts here btw #castiel #destiel #spn #esoterica #lore #good omens #good omens x spn #hail hillywood hail gaiman.jpg

[elvenfoe]

every good thing i lose comes back to me tenfold

#sigil #sigils #sigil magic #sigil magick #sigilcraft #sigil witch #chaos #chaos magic #chaos magick #magic #magick #witchblr #witchblog #witchcraft #witch community #my sigil #my sigils #occult #esoterica #affirmation #affirmations #manifestation #witches #ritual #ritual magic

[arcane-offerings]

Magic Circle from The Discoverie of Witchcraft by Reginald Scot, 1584, Wellcome Collection, London.

#magic circle #magic #ritual magic #16th century #elizabethan england #occult #esotericism #esoteric #esoterica

[saintmachina]

Something about the mammalian impulse to theologize. Show a human a fracture in the pavement, and they'll build a shrine to the god of broken things. Show us a fallen songbird, and we'll write a dirge for its soul. Show us another human, fallible, selfish, simple, and we'll find the divine in the cracks between their teeth when they smile.

#theology #poetry #spilled ink #esoterica #paganism

[argonavta]

Greco-Roman curse doll

2nd century CE

#the word voodoo shouldn’t be thrown left and right like confetti by the way #let’s start calling things by their name #these are called kolossos (s.) kolossoi (p.) #equivalent of poppet. not necessarily used for harm #though in this specific case #and to use a definition in english #an object/s or material/s used to cast a curse #more specifically a love one - love curses are a thing #and curse doll should be just about right in English #there’s probably another dozen more accurate terms that still wouldn’t involve voodoo #this is called a testimone di fattura in Italian #translates to something like curse witness #ancient rome #greco roman #archeology #curse #hex #ancient curse #history #esoterica #esoterism #occult

[themusewithinthemusewithout]

Hymn to the Rose by John Duncan, 1907.

But why is this beautiful company worshipping the Rose? The Rose (exquisite and fragrant as actuality but also symbolic) has been associated with many female deities through history. From the followers of the Egyptian goddess Isis to those of the Greek Aphrodite, the Rose became eventually identified with holy Mary and her higher spiritual essence. To follow the Rose, a mystical calling, is to believe in a psychological and spiritual development transcending earthly bounds, to allow an inner unfolding that makes one complete, a unique individual yet in connection with the whole.

#john duncan #mysticism #art #symbolism #spirituality #rose #esoterica #depth psychology #divine feminine #mother mary #goddess isis #aphrodite #mythology #oneness

[teenageascetic]

“Believe me, Abba, seventeen years I passed in this desert fighting wild beasts — mad desires and passions. When I was about to partake of food, I used to begin to regret the meat and fish which of which I had so much in Egypt. I regretted also not having wine which I loved so much. for I drank a lot of wine when I lived in the world, while here I had not even water. I used to burn and succumb with thirst. The mad desire for profligate songs also entered me and confused me greatly, edging me on to sing satanic songs which I had learned once. But when such desires entered me I struck myself on the breast and reminded myself of the vow which I had made, when going into the desert. In my thoughts I returned to the ikon of the Mother of God which had received me and to her I cried in prayer. I implored her to chase away the thoughts to which my miserable soul was succumbing. And after weeping for long and beating my breast I used to see light at last which seemed to shine on me from everywhere. And after the violent storm, lasting calm descended.

And how can I tell you about the thoughts which urged me on to fornication, how can I express them to you, Abba? A fire was kindled in my miserable heart which seemed to burn me up completely and to awake in me a thirst for embraces. As soon as this craving came to me, I flung myself on the earth and watered it with my tears, as if I saw before me my witness, who had appeared to me in my disobedience, and who seemed to threaten punishment for the crime. And I did not rise from the ground (sometimes I lay thus prostrate for a day and a night) until a calm and sweet light descended and enlightened me and chased away the thoughts that possessed me. But always I turned to the eyes of my mind to my Protectress, asking her to extend help to one who was sinking fast in the waves of the desert. And I always had her as my Helper and the Accepter of my repentance. And thus I lived for seventeen years amid constant dangers. And since then even till now the Mother of God helps me in everything and leads me as it were by the hand.”

-Saint Mary of Egypt

#books #history #literature #painting #religion #religious #religious imagery #art #egypt #saint #orthodox #orthodox christian #orthodox christianity #religious quote #esoteric #esoterica #esotericism #mysticism #mystic #theology #religious people

[booksandwitchery]

My library is growing at an alarming rate, and I cannot control myself. It doesn’t help that cover designs are getting so good

#paganism #witchcraft #witch #just witchy things #pagan #neopaganism #secular witchcraft #witches of tumblr #magick #placebo magick #magic #sass witchcraft #witchy things #witch please #occult #esoterica #witchyreads #occult books #metaphysics

[cryptotheism]

"What is alchemy even?"

Tat: “O pop-history esoterica blogger, what is Alchemy?”

C.T: “My student, alchemy can be neatly summed up as “proto-chemistry.” For most of history there have been people like yourself, those who wonder what the world is made of, how it fits together, and what are the rules that govern its transformations. These days, the people who study these questions are called chemists, but before there were chemists, there were alchemists.”

Tat: “So what’s the difference? What does a chemist have that an alchemist does not?”

C.T.: “The answer is roughly 1,700 years of accumulated knowledge and writing. Chemistry was built from the works of the alchemists.”

Tat: “Ah! So it is like how astronomy arose from astrology?”

C.T.: “Not quite. For astronomers and astrologers both still exist. Alchemy became chemistry. There are no more alchemists. Or, attempting to practice alchemy today, would simply be practicing chemistry.”

Tat: “But what about spiritual alchemy? Were alchemists not magicians?”

C.T.: “My student, there were thousands of alchemists throughout history, from dozens of time periods and cultures. Some were indeed mystics and magicians, but they were generally outliers. The vast majority of alchemists were more akin to glass-blowers and blacksmiths than oracles and magicians.”

Tat: “But alchemical writing speaks so much of gods and divinity!”

C.T.: “Many texts do! Many cartographers from history used elaborate biblical metaphors to describe their work, but you don’t see modern scholars claiming all medieval mapmakers were secretly mystics. The bible was something many were familiar with. Using biblical metaphors to explain complicated processes is simply good technical writing.” 

Tat: “But, if most alchemists were not magicians or mystics, why discuss alchemy in this text? Isn’t this book about magic?”

C.T.: “Because few things have been more influential on western magical literature. Even entirely mundane, non-magical alchemical works are wondrously evocative. Even now, alchemical literature has a way of seizing the imagination. Many texts are literally occluded, written in code to protect the alchemists work. Even when alchemical literature is non-magical, it is deeply esoteric.”

Tat: “Why are they written that way?”

C.T. “To protect trade secrets! What if you discovered a new way to make stronger armor, or sharper swords? That information must be recorded, but it also cannot fall into enemy hands. Many alchemists protected their discoveries with intentionally complex metaphorical language that could only be understood by those with the required knowledge. This also makes them extremely difficult to translate into other languages!”

Tat: “I see! But how did it end? Chemistry is no longer discussed with esoteric metaphors, what changed?”

C.T. “It was a gradual change that took place over generations. But for the purposes of time, this text will consider the First Alchemist to be Maria Hebrea, and the Last Alchemist to be Sir Issac Newton.”

Tat: “But what about the alchemist-mystics? Will this text discuss them?”

C.T. “Indeed, my student. We will be discussing them at length.”

More alchemy on patreon today!

#patreon #occult #esoterica #alchemy #magic

[roastbeefo]

interface prints available

#artists on tumblr #illustration #figurative art #abstract art #abstraction #graphic design #esoterica #lovecraftian #roastbeefo #jake coyne #anatomy

[catsconflictscopicsandchamomile]

*squeals in pure glee*

#languages #writing #calligraphy #enochian #esoterica #supernatural #emo #invader zim #scenecore #2000s #y2k #scene kid #rawr xd #rawr x3 #gir invader zim #shitpost

[elvenfoe]

i get paid to exist

#sigil #sigils #sigil magic #sigil magick #sigilcraft #sigil witch #chaos #chaos magic #chaos magick #magic #magick #witchblr #witchblog #witchcraft #witch community #my sigil #my sigils #occult #esoterica #affirmation #affirmations #manifestation #witches #ritual #ritual magic

[skitterstan]

what they don’t tell you about bottom surgery

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#trans comic #real bottom surgery post #transgender #esoterica #weird thoughts #shadow out of time #196

[saintmachina]

Kind of hilarious that I went to divinity school because I was playing pastor in my askbox and wanted training to do it responsibly, began pursuing the priesthood, abandoned the path to ordination, and took roughly six years off to recover from spiritual burnout and now I'm back at it again.

Anyway my askbox is open for spiritual queries again. I know many things, and I know nothing, just like six years ago, but I guess I have a masters degree in theology now too.

#theology #esoterica #thoughts #spirituality