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thebellwitchblog · 2 years
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You crawl into bed, exhausted at the end of a long day. As your eyelids flutter closed, your mind wanders and you begin to dream. You get a bird’s eye view of a bustling little witch village situated along a small river, covered here and there in moss, vines, and verdant overgrowth.
This is the village of Mossbrook. At night many witches astral project themselves here. They might share book recommendations at the library, discuss their favorite movies and shows at the movie theater, or go to the arcade and share pictures of their favorites games.
Around the local town cauldron you can always find witches discussing their craft, and just a little jaunt down the road you might visit the observatory to check your horoscope. Brave adventurers travel down to the crystal caves to talk to other witches about cool minerals and maybe even trade, and powerful, secretive witches gather at night in the legendary mystic grove.
Gently, you float down to the gate of the village in front of a small whitewashed shed. The words “Information Booth” glow softly on the sign above.
🧹🍀🧹🍀🧹🍀🧹🍀🧹🍀🧹🍀🧹🍀🧹🍀🧹🍀
Hello everyone! Originally created by @book-ella Mossbrook Village is a discord server for witches of any experience level and any path (the more the merrier!) to come and be a part of a community.
We're a small server and intend to keep it that way for the most part so we don't lose that cozy, village like atmosphere. If this is something that interests you, please follow the invite link below! This link has a cap of 100 uses, putting our member count just over 200 at the end. If the link no longer works, odds are we hit cap, but you can look forward to more invite links posted in the future!
https://discord.gg/XpaVwMQ
~ Bell, Mayor of Mossbrook Village
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thebellwitchblog · 2 years
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thebellwitchblog · 3 years
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I think one’s journey into the occult, and magic, and especially the religious or spiritual aspects that can come with both, is a strange and humbling experience. Who you are and who you think you’re going to be can change wildly in the course of a handful of years, or months, or even weeks if the path you’re walking on is one of those known to really change and shape the practitioner.
At times I am deeply humbled and inspired when I look to my peers and see how far they’ve come, and what changes have befallen them as certain spirits take interest, or they find a system of magic that’s ideal for their goals and lifestyle. Sometimes these transformations are gradual as something is researched and explored, and other times they are sudden and turbulent to navigate, or even come to terms with. I have seen people who feel some small grief over what they might leave behind, and I myself have often wondered what I’m willing to sacrifice or close myself off from.
In a way it’s reassuring. I think for those who still feel like they’re standing at the very beginning of our journey, the fact that others’ have been on theirs for years can feel daunting and overwhelming. However, so many prolific magicians I know had serious upheavals once they started. All we can do is begin, and see where we are taken, and do our best to remember that it’s a process. Sometimes it’s collaborative, and sometimes it goes in a direction we do not expect, but it can’t begin unless we choose to take those first steps.
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thebellwitchblog · 3 years
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*pierces a thorn-wrapped red candle with a rusty nail on the day and hour of mars*
Smack cam
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thebellwitchblog · 3 years
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I know lots of people are trying to buy this holiday gifts from independent businesses hit hard by COVID this year, so may I add another idea to your lists? Museums across the country are really struggling right now (the one I work for just went into its second lockdown), and many are working very hard to get their gift shop inventories up online as a result. Help a local museum stay afloat and find great gifts for history and science lovers in your life by having a look at their stores!
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thebellwitchblog · 3 years
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Nighttime prayer to Apollon
Apollon, far-shooter and
Guardian of the flocks,
Averter of evil and
Harbinger of help,
Protector of young boys and
Punisher of the wicked,
As Nyx draws her cloak
over the nighttime sky,
Keep me from that which means me harm.
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thebellwitchblog · 3 years
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This might be a bit of a hot take, but oracle is not synonymous with diviner. There cannot be any actual oracles because oracles were:
location based 
location determined the power of the oracle 
said location had a myth or myths to prove why it’s a good location (such as the grove where Branchus kissed Apollon, or the slaying of python). 
Heavily political. 
Did not speak for the gods, but rather dealt with human affairs most of the time.
Priests 
Did not chose the role themselves. It was an elective role.
Extremely powerful and had high social influence 
Had to have a high level of ritual purity
Also where used to gain money, akin to a tourist attraction or visiting the Vatican and the pope.
Extremely powerful as their words could change human life drastically 
Most ancient oracles did not provide the sorts of mystical experiences that happen while one sits alone on a mountain peak or in a desert.
And more.
Genuinely, I am wary of anyone who claims to be an oracle due to the extreme position of power they are putting themselves in. Also, very few people know what oracles actually where in the modern day. And the ‘godphone’ is not synonymous with oracle. And it gets worse when these ‘oracles’ start giving out prophecies. While words can change, claiming you’re an oracle is like saying you’re a high king. 
Hell, there were other roles that involved prophesy such as the nympholat but nobody seems to trying to achieve that, huh? Anyone can genuinely become a nympholat too.
Also I am a diviner myself so. Read Ancient Greek Divination by Sarah Iles Johnson for more information.
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thebellwitchblog · 3 years
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thebellwitchblog · 3 years
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“Zeus, king, give us good even if we don’t pray for it, And give us nothing evil even if that is what we pray for”
Pure Pagan: Seven Centuries of Greek Poems and Fragments
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thebellwitchblog · 3 years
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thebellwitchblog · 3 years
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Hestia Info Dump
Most of us know that Hestia is the goddess of the Hearth & Home, but I fear few realize the importance of her domain—both in ancient times and today.
Sacrifices include(d): fruit, water, oil, wine, and one year old calves
Sacred Symbols: chaste tree, pigs, kettle, and veil
Goddess of the Home and Family Hearth
As goddess of the hearth, Hestia presides over all day-to-day sacrifices. Not only that, but she should receive the first and last portion of the sacrifice—symbolic of her position as the first child of Kronos and Rhea and the last Olympian to be disgorged by Kronos. She also presides over the cooking of the family meal; of which a portion should be sacrificed. In fact, all aspects of domestic life are considered to be within Hestia’s domain, and all domestic blessings are from her. 
As goddess of the home itself, Hestia is considered to be the inventor of houses and a patron of architecture. In this aspect, Hestia is often worshipped with Hermes—the two are considered to be dues penetralis, or gods who reside within the heart of every home.
So what does this mean? Basically, except maybe for Zeus, Hestia was one of the most widely worshipped of all the Olympians. The altar itself is a sanctuary of the goddess which existed in almost every home in ancient times. Cicero and the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite explain Hestia’s importance beautifully:
“Her power extends over altars and hearths, and therefore all prayers and all sacrifices end with this goddess, because she is the guardian of the innermost things.” - Cicero
“Zeus the father gave her a high honor instead of marriage, and she has her place in the midst of the house and has the richest portion. In all the temples of the gods she has a share of honor, and among all mortal men she is chief of the goddesses.” - Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite
Goddess of the Public Hearth
Perhaps even more important than her role in domestic life, Hestia’s dominion over the public hearth made her an extremely important political figure in ancient times. Virtually every town had a prytaneium (hearth) in the prytaneion—the seat of the prytaneis (and government) in ancient Greece, often a structure in the center of the agora. There, the town made public sacrifices to the gods and, therefore, to Hestia. In fact, the prytaneium often existed as the sole sanctuary to the goddess. One of Hestia’s epithets, Prytaneia, referred to her role as goddess of the public hearth. The prytaneium also functioned as a sanctuary for asylum seekers and the place where the prytaneis would welcome guests and foreign ambassadors. In this way, Hestia’s domain also included hospitality and diplomacy. The fire of the sacrificial flame itself—which never went out and was often carried to new cities—was also Hestia’s domain. And just like in the home, Hestia presided over the preparation of the sacrificial meat.
Considering all of this, many consider Hestia to be a goddess of civilization, as the public hearth is what tied together all the families in a town. Plato himself posited that Zeus, Athena, and Hestia were the three most important gods to the state as King, city-protector, and guardian of the civic hearth. Although we may no longer have public hearths, we are still connected by the same ideas of home and civilization.
The Last Olympian
Plato describes Hestia as the “essence of things” and says that while all the other Olympians follow Zeus from Olympus on his winged chariot, Hestia is the only one who remains, tending the hearth and protecting the home and seat of the gods’ power.
Many believe Hestia abdicated her throne when Dionysos became a god. And in some myths and versions of the story, this is true. However, the twelve Olympians have never been a concrete list even in ancient times. It’s really up to interpretation. Personally, when I say the “twelve Olympians” I’m very loosely referring to a group of thirteen or fourteen, often including Hestia and sometimes Hades. But again, it really doesn’t matter.
Worship and Cult
As I’ve already said, Hestia was worshipped in every ancient home and city, but Pausanias also describes a separate sanctuary to the goddess in Hermione. In addition, she was worshipped with Poseidon and Amphitrite at Olympia. And, as the Homeric Hymn to her alludes, she was worshipped with Poseidon as well as Apollo at his temple at Delphi.
“Hestia, you tend the sacred hearth of far-shooting Lord Apollo in holy Pytho, anointing-oil ever dripping from your braids—come to this house, come, sharing your heart with cunning Zeus: bestow grace on my song.” - Homeric Hymn 24
Hymns: Homeric Hymn 24, Homeric Hymn 29 (also to Hermes), and Orphic Hymn 84
Epithets: Prytaneia (of the prytaneium), Boulaia (of the council)
Info from theoi.com.
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thebellwitchblog · 3 years
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Just because your feelings are valid, this doesn't mean that every possible reaction to them is. Yes, it's okay to be angry - but it's not okay to take it out on someone by breaking their stuff. Yes, it's okay to be jealous - but it's not okay to sabotage relationships. Yes, it's okay to want attention - but it's not okay to lie to get it. And so on. Your feelings are always valid, but you still have a responsibility for how you choose to express them.
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thebellwitchblog · 3 years
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also speaking of jakub różalski this painting of his is my FAVOURITE like yes girl snitch on the knight!!! get his ass!!!
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thebellwitchblog · 3 years
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I’ve got…like…four or five people in my inbox going “I want to curse someone but don’t know how”
Ok children, Auntie Witch is in, pull up a chair and get out a pen. This is how Auntie Systlin curses a bitch who needs cursing. 
TOOLS NEEDED; A stick, some red makeup, a knife
(For the red paint, I use red ochre and my own spit, but anything will work. Red invokes the color of blood.)
STEP 1
Protect yourself. I paint the rune Algiz on myself; on my forehead and on the back of each hand, and invoke its aspects of protection, to protect me from any kickback. 
(that’s this rune right here. Algiz, the elk, the rune of protection and defense)
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STEP 2; cast a circle or prepare a ritual space however you prefer. 
STEP 3; Carve the curse on the stick, while invoking the name of the person you wish to curse, the runes you are carving and what you wish to invoke from them, and the effect you wish to have. Hold your target’s face in your mind as you do this, and pour all your intent and will into it. 
RUNES I USE;
Isa, the rune of ice, to freeze whatever fuckshit actions are warranting the curse in place, and to cause the target nothing but delay and frustration. 
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Thurisaz, the rune of Thor’s Hammer, reversed. To bring down destruction and ruin on your target, and to harness the sheer (and serious) elemental power this rune can bring to the party. 
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Haigall, the rune of hail, to bring chaos, radical change, and catastrophe to your target. 
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And finally Nied, the need-fire, to teach them a bitter and painful lesson drawn from their own deepest folly. 
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Carve these, speak their names, invoke the aspects you want. Speak the name of your target, speak why you cast this curse and what you wish the curse to do. MEAN IT, EVERY WORD, and drive all of your emotion and intent into those runes. 
You can carve them separately or make them a bindrune. Caster’s choice. 
Ask for the aid of any gods you wish to involve (optional)
Step 4; Say, “By my will, so let it be” and break the stave to send the power. 
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thebellwitchblog · 3 years
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I'm still pretty groggy so upon first reading this I thought it said "splanchomancy" and BOY was I Confused and Concerned.
✨ Might open up stichomancy readings this weekend ✨ so stay alert ✨
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thebellwitchblog · 3 years
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Do you follow the Greek stories or the primal queen of witchflame hecate?
Okay, so first of all, I really don’t like the way this question is framed. I’m not sure if this is intentional or not, but this highkey sounds like you’re saying the traditional worship of Hekate isn’t the real Hekate. The use of the word ‘stories’ is a bit rude, as they aren’t stories, but the real beliefs of people that were held for thousands of years.
This “primal queen of witchflame” had an extensive and fully formed worship for literal millennia before this language of “witch flame” and the creation of the modern traditional witchcraft movement. This is just a modern understanding of Her utilized by traditional witchcraft practices, and it seems often without much regard for the goddess Hekate. There are many witches, Jeff Cullen is one of notoriety, which see these figures as part of the same goddess, and do so with respect and reverence for Her tradition of origin.
The “Greek stories,” if you want to boil down a centuries long religious tradition to that phrase, are Hekate. It’s what this specific manifestation is based on. They are not separate. Hekate is simultaneously the terrifying queen of witches, usually named Brimo, as well as the caring protector of the common people. These two manifestations are not at odds with each other, as the Ancient Greeks had a much more animistic, natural view of deity. Placing them as oppositional does a disservice to the understanding of Hekate and shows little care for Her history or being outside of a niche area of focus.
Hekate is often syncretized or identified as the Witch-Mother or Queen of Elphame in modern traditional witchcraft, but that doesn’t mean that this understanding is equivalent to Hekate. Hekate in this instance often becomes an archetype or a figure which stands in for a representational deity. This understanding is no more correct or true than Hellenic Hekate. Hellenic Hekate is not at odds with Her role as Queen of Witches, so I suggest you contemplate why you think this representation of Hekate is incompatible with the millennia of Her actual priesthood, cult, and worship in Ancient Greece. If you want to learn about how She was actually historically viewed as the Queen of Witches, I recommend you learn about Medea and her worship of Hekate.
I’m sorry if you didn’t intend for your question to come off this way, but this is an issue I’ve been presented with time and time again. Hellenic Hekate is a goddess worthy of worship and respect, just as much as Her role as Queen of Witches. Also for future reference, please don’t refer to centuries of genuine belief and practice that still occur today as “stories.” It’s extremely belittling.
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thebellwitchblog · 3 years
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The last 3 of your most recent emojis will describe how your final day of 2020 will be like
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