Familiars

🌷All About Rose Quartz🌷

Rose quartz is the stone of the Goddess. It not only activates and balances the Heart Chakra, it also links with the heart of the Earth and the heart of the Universe. rose quartz is a beautiful pale pink stone that has been a favorite among witches and mystics alike for hundreds of years. Not only being a perfect stone for enhancing romance and attracting love, rose quartz is a mothering crystal; inspiring nurture to one’s self if one has lost their own mother or has not had a strong mother figure. It promotes bonding and is a good stone to place on the stomach during pregnancy to give your baby extra loving vibes.

🌷Rose quartz symbolism🌷

💛Goddess: Aphrodite - Astarte - Turan

💙Element: Water/Earth

💚Chakra: Heart

🖤Numerology number: 9

🤎Astrology: Taurus/Scorpio

🧡Planet: Venus

🤍Tarot: The Empress

🌷What is rose quartz used for?🌷

Rose quartz is used whenever you want to bring loving energy into your life. You can infuse water with rose quartz, sleep with rose quartz, carry it, put it on your altar…

🌷What is “charging”?🌷

To charge a crystal is to place your intention into it. Many hold their quartz and tell it what you want it to do. You can also generally charge it without a specific intention with earth energy or moon energy.

🌷How do I cleanse rose quartz?🌷

✨-There are a few methods you can try.

One is putting it outside in a bowl of salt water under the full moon all night.

✨-You can bury your rose quartz in the earth to cleanse it. I like to leave it in the earth for three days to ensure it is fully cleansed and charged.

✨-Sage is an easy way to cleanse stones, though it isn’t as potent as if you did what was listed above. Mostly because sage is a much quicker process than dedicating hours or days to cleansing and charging.

🌷Why do my crystals disappear?🌷

Crystals can have a lot of energy stored into them after charging. They can disappear and reappear at will, depending on the energy of the crystal. It doesn’t mean it is “angry” or anything if you used it for magick and it disappeared for awhile.

🌷What if I don’t have a spiritual connection to my rose quartz?🌷

Sometimes crystals choose the people. It doesn’t mean you can’t connect with a different rose quartz. It might be best to give it to a friend or to put it on display.

I hope this was helpful! Have fun with your rose quartz!

✰✰God And Spirit Correspondences✰✰

✰ The following lists contain information on magical goals and their related deities

AGRICULTURE  • Adonis, Amon, Aristaeus, Baldur, Bonus Eventus, Ceres, Consus, Dagon, Demeter, Dumunzi, Esus, Gahanan, Inari, Osiris, Saturn, Tammuz, Thor, Triptolemus, Vertumnus, Yumcaa, Zochipilli

ARTS • Athena, Ea, Hathor, Odin, Thor

ASTROLOGY • Albion

CATS • Bast, Freya

CHILDBIRTH • Althea, Anahita, Bes, Camenta, Cihuatcoatl, Cuchavira, Isis, Kuan Yin, Laima, Lucina Meshkent

COMMUNICATIONS • Hermes, Janus, Mercury

COURAGE • Tyr

DREAMS • Geshtinanna, Morpheus, Nanshe

EARTH • Asia, Consus, Daghda, Enlil, Frigga, Gaea, Ge, Geb, Kronos, Ninhursag, Ops, Prithivi, Rhea, Saturn, Sif, Tellus

FERTILITY • Amnu, Anaitis, Apollo, Arrianrhod, Asherali, Astarte, Attis, Baal, Bacchus, Bast, Bona, Dea, Boucca, Centeotle, Cernunnos, Cerridwen, Cybele, Daghda, Demeter, Dew, Dionysus, Eostre, Frey, Freya, Frigg, Indra, Ishtar, Ishwara, Isis, Kronos, Ono, Lulpercus, Min, Mut, Mylitta, Ningirsu, Ops, Osiris, Ostara, Pan, Pomona, Quetzalcoatl, Rhea, Rhiannon, Saturn, Selkhet, Sida, Tane, Telepinu, Telluno, Tellus Mater, Thunor, Tlazolteotl, Yarilo, Zarpanitu

GOOD LUCK AND FORTUNE • Bonus Eventus, Daikoku, Fortuna, Ganesa, Jorojin, Laima, Tyche

HEALING • Apollo, Asclepius, Bast, Brigid, Eir, Gula, Lxlilton, Khnos, Paeon

JOURNEYS • Echua, Janus

LAW,TRUTH, AND JUSTICE • Astraea, Maat, Misharu, Themis

Love • Aizen Myo-O, Alpan, Angus, Aphrodite, Asera, Astarte, Asthoreth, Belili, Creirwy, Cupid, Dzdzilelya, Eros, Erzulie, Esmeralda, Fenrua, Freya, Frigg, Habondia, Hathor, Inanna, Ishtar, Kades, Kama, Kivan-Non, Kubaba, Melusine, Menu, Minne, Mamaja, Odudua, Olwen, Oshun,Prenda,Rao, Sauska, Tlazoletotl, Turan, Venus, Xochipilli, Zochiquetzal

LUNAR MAGIC • Aah, Anahita, Artemis, Asherali, Astarte, Baiame, Bendis, Diana, Gou, Hathor, Hecate, Llmaqah, Ishtar, Isis, Jacy, Kabul, Khons, Kilya, Lucina, Luna, Mah, Mama Quilla, Mani, Menu, Metzli, Myestaa, Nanna, Pah, Selene, Sin, Soma, Taukiyomi, Thoth, Varuna, Yarikh, Yerak, Zamna

MARRIAGE • Airyaman, Aphrodite, Aryan, Bes, Bah,Ceres, Errata, Frigg, Hathor, Hera, Hymen, Juno, Patina, Saluki, Svarog, Thalassa, Tutunis, Vor, Xochipilli

MUSIC AND/OR POETRY • Apollo, Benten, Bragi, Brigid, Hathor, Odin, Orpheus, Thoth, Untunktahe, Woden, Xolotl

REINCARNATION • Hera, Khensu, Ra

SEA • Amphitrite, Benten, Dylan, Ea, Enoil, Glaucus, Leucothea, Manannan Mac Lir, Neptune, Nereus, Njord, Paldemon, Phorcys, Pontus, Poseidon, Proteus, Shoney, Yamm

SHAPE-SHIFTING • Freya, Volkh, Xolotl

SKY • Aditi, Anshar, Anu, Dyaus, Frigg, Hathor, Horus, Joch-Huva, Jupiter, Kumarbis, Nut, Obatala, Rangi, Svarog, Tane, Thor, Tiwaz, Ukko, Uranus, Varuna, Zeus

SLEEP • Hypnos

SOLAR MAGIC • Amaterasu, Apollo, Atum, Baldur, Bochia, Dazhbog, Helios, Hiruku, Horus, Hyperion, Inti, Legba, Lugh, Mandulis, Mao, Marduk, Maui, Melkart, Mithra, Orunjan, Paiva Perun, Phoebus, Ra, Sabazius, Samas, Sams, Shamash, Sol, Surya, Texcatlipoca, Tonatiuh, Torushompek, Utto, Vishnu, Yhi

VENGEANCE • Nemesis

WEALTH AND PROSPERITY • Adad, Acolus, Agni, Amen, Baal, Bragi, Burlash, Catequil, Chac-Mool, Chernabog, Donar, Fomagata, llyapa, Indra, Jove, Jupiter, Kami-Nari, Koza, Lei-Kung, Marduk, Nyame, Perkunas, Pillan, Pulug, Quiateot, Raiden, Rammon, Rudra, Shango, Sobo, Summanus, Taki-Tsu-Hilo, Tawhaaki, Tawhiri, Tefnut, Thor, Thunor, Tilo, Tinia, Typhoeus, Typhon, Yu-Tzu, Zeus, Zu

WISDOM • Aruna, Athena, Atri, Baldur, Brigid, Dainichi, Ea, Enki, Fudo- Myoo, Fugen Bosatsu, Fukurokuju, Ganesha, Minerva, Nebo, Mimir, Oannes, Odin, Oghama, Quetzalxoatl, SIa, Sin, Thoth, Vohumano, Zeus

✨🍁Trees in Magic: Masterpost🌿✨

Alder- balance between the emotions and actions, Water and Fire elements, Ostara, Mars and the Moon, amethyst, ravens & hawks, purple, Fae, Apollo, Aphrodite; used to help face what you’ve been avoiding lately

Ash- feminine in nature, Fire element, energy conductor; new growth, good wood to use for wands, staves & besom handles; one of the three sacred trees (Oak, Ash, & Hawhorn); (known as to be the World Tree or Yaggdrisal in Norse/Celtic)

Aspen- protection, overcoming fear, ascent, Air element, Persephone, Hades, ancestry, heritage, cleansing, healing, family and community, Mabon, the planet Mercury

Birch-  purification, protection, exorcism; represents renewal, Thor, rebirth and beginnings as it is the first tree after Winter to leaf; great in protection spells; (to ward off Evil Eye, tie a red string to branch)

Chestnut Tree- fertility, grounding and centering energy, healing, love, prosperity, abundance, attracting animals, relieving worry, transforming karma, Artemis, the planets Jupiter & the Sun, masculine

Fir- immortality, seeing situations clearly, planet Jupiter, Earth element, birth, used in blessing mothers and babies, shadow work, Artemis, Frigg, 

Hawthorn- masculine, Fire element, Fae/fairies, love, marriage, Beltane, health, fertility, chastity, protection and death; keep out unfriendly entities/spirits when placed around doors and windows, considered portal to fea realm (NOTE: tree is sacred to fairies, it is strongly recommended that one ask permission before taking the blooms or sprigs; leave an offering when cutting down a whole tree- offerings such as milk, honey, wine or cider poured into the ground, baked goods, crystals & gemstones)

Hazel- spirit contact, manifestation, protection, prosperity, wisdom, dreams, divination, dowsing, knowledge, marriage, inspiration, wrath, fertility, intelligence, reconciliation, poetic inspiration, anti-lightning charm; sacred to Fae; traditionally burned in Balefires during Beltane & Litha (it is also said that mistletoe that grows on Hazel protects you from being bewitched)

Hickory- childbirth support, land nourishment, protection from legal difficulties, transitions, 

Lemon Trees- longevity, the Moon, feminine, Water element, purification, refreshment, unity, uplifting, clarity, friendship, happiness, aura cleanse, rejuvenation, awareness, love, fidelity, lunar deities 

Maple- feminine, Water element, the Moon, the planet Jupiter, wisdom of balance, love, longevity, money, travel, spiritual healing, learning and decision-making (especially when bringing about or dealing with change), great horned owl, communication

Oak- money, success, strength, fertility, stability, health, healing, potency and good luck; known for attracting light; associated with the Sky Gods/Goddesses (especially White Oak) a holy tree; one of the three sacred trees (Oak, Ash & Thorn); (their acorns were carried in the pockets of Druids for good luck)

Olive Tree- masculine, prosperity, wisdom, abundance, peace, protection, console (a person), Athena, the Sun, Fire element, Mabon

Palm Tree- cleansing, feminine, transforming, transitions, divine, masculine, fertility, nourishment, peace, relaxation, victory,

Pine- rebirth, immortality, strength in adversity, overcoming hardships through optimism & inner strength; Pine cones are good for tips of wands or staffs; (use a pine branch like a broom to brush away negative energy from your home or from surfaces (like a altar))

Poplar- life cycles, Zeus, death and rebirth, Hades, the planet Jupiter, enhancing divination tools, love; good for all-purpose wands; leaves for altar decoration for Samhain, celebrations in honor of Hades, ancestral rites, funerals/any ceremony related to the underworld

Redwood (aka Sequoia)- Earth wisdom, protection, fire resistance, healing, abundance, Fire element, balance

Rowan- the Sun, tourmaline, protection, Imbolc, meditation, broadening perspectives, dowsing, divination, the Goddess Bridget

Spruce- ancient wisdom, Goddess energy, healing, protection, purification, spiritual refreshment, pure intentions

Willow-  divination, resonance, harmony, the Moon, moonstone, Water element, masculine, support, death, Hades, directing energy, ghosts/spirits, Hecate, Persephone, Lunar alignment, pain relief, personal empowerment, creativity, fertility, female rights of passage, inspiration, emotion, binding, love, protection, healing

 Witch Hazel- dowsing, the planet Saturn; can be burned to rid of negative emotions, hexes/curses, and general negative

Yew- associated with death and rebirth, witches, Yule, consecrated ground, divination, astral travel, the planets Jupiter & Saturn, the Goddess Hecate; good for runes, Ogham sticks, frames for scrying mirrors, talking boards (PLEASE NOTE: it should not be used for goblets or any dishes that will be eaten from!!! It will make you sick or even kill you)

Crystals

~ What are Crystals and what are they used for?

   Most crystals ( in this case including gems, rocks, precious stones, semi-precious stones, and simple stones) are of mineral origin. Crystals, like amethyst, come out of the ground naturally faceted and don’t need to be changed in anyway. Diamonds, for example, come out of the ground equally as rough, but are usually polished and cut into intricate styles.

 For many years, crystal have been used as a tool to aid spiritual healing, psychic development, and meditation.

~ How can I incorporate Crystals into my everyday life?

   You can carry around your crystals. This way you can feel your crystals energy when needed. Place them in a little sachet or pouch and they are ready to go!

    Infuse your water with your clean crystals. This is a fast way to feel your crystals energy.

    Decorate your magickal space and/or surroundings with crystals.

    Meditate with your crystals. Just spend a minimum of 30 seconds with each crystal. Hold it in your hands, close your eyes, and feel its energy soaking into your skin.

How Crystals Can Help You

Agate

  ~Banded: help you feel grounded, remain focused, and banishes fears.

  ~Blue Lace: helps you adjust and adapt.

  ~Moss: refreshes spirit, brings peace of mind, helps to develop intuition.

  ~Tree: aids meditation and clear thinking, reduces stress.

Amazonite ~ soothes the nervous system, increases self-esteem and confidence.

Amber ~ relieves depression and lifts your spirits.

Amethyst ~ the great healer of mind, body, and spirit. helps the development of psychic abilities and intuition.

Apache Tears ~ brings good fortune and positive energy.

Apatite ~ aids in motivation and communicative powers.

Aquamarine ~ helps you during hard decisions and times. promotes compassion and empathy.

Azurite ~ relinquishes harmful beliefs.

Bloodstone (aka Heliotrope) ~ calms fears, and dispels confusion and obsessive ideas.

Calcite ~ boosts energy and provides amazing psychic protection.

Carnelian (aka Sard) ~ banishes jealousy and inspires courage. aids perception.

Celestine ~ helps with communication and good thoughts.

Chalcedony ~ balances emotions and lifts your spirits.

Chrysocolla ~ eases stress and promotes self-confidence.

Citrine ~ helps steady emotions and give inspiration.

Coral ~ strengthens and protects emotions.

Desert Rose ~ promotes love and stability in relationships.

Diamond ~ assists in your connection with the universe.

Emerald ~ strong healer with both physical and mental problems.

Fluorite ~ helps with rationality and combats anxiety and worries.

Garnet ~ protects against melancholy and depression. encourages perseverance and patience.

Hematite ~ helps with psychic development and building self-esteem.

Jade ~ a very useful healing stone for both the body and spirit.

Jasper ~ aids with stress relief and grounding. promotes tranquility.

Jet ~ keeps evil spirits at bay and strengthens character.

Kunzite ~ helps align emotions. provides security.

Kyanite ~ helps to align and heal chakras.

Labradorite ~ aids with strong development of psychic powers.

Lapis Lazuli ~ helps develop your sixth sense. stimulates intuition. promotes creativity.

Lepidolite ~ great for relieving stress and dispelling negative emotions.

Malachite ~ used for healing when dealing with negative emotions.

Moonstone ~ restores harmony and emotion balance.

Obsidian ~ helps you to focus on the paranormal, used for protection and a scrying tool.

Onyx ~ instills a protective psychic shield. 

Opal ~ helps with rationalizing emotional states.

Pearl ~ aids self-respect, stability, and self-esteem.

Pyrite ~ opens the mind to new ideas.

Quartz ~ channels and aids in meditation. a powerful healing stone.

Rose Quartz ~ aids in anything love-related. instills comfort, relieves grief, and promotes harmonious relationships.

Rutilated Quartz ~ releases energy blockers.

Rhodonite ~ helps with assurance and confidence.

Ruby ~ purifies love, promotes spiritual knowledge and to be realistic about situations.

Sapphire ~ aids in mental clarity, clearing your inner eye, and bringing good fortune.

Smoky Quartz ~ filters out negative thoughts and emotions. helps with telepathy.

Sodalite ~ heals damaged emotions, and aids in restful sleep.

Tanzanite ~ helps you to accept change.

TIger’s Eye ~ a powerful aid in those seeking knowledge about past or future lives. promotes persistence and protection.

Topaz ~ allows you to transmit your visualizations as universal messages. an aid in telepathy.

Tourmaline ~ repels all negative energy and is a powerful stone for protection.

Turquoise ~ an aid in luck, love, money, and protection.

Unakite ~ heals the psyche, helps you realize your higher self.

Crystal Care Tips

  Some crystals shouldn’t be left in direct sunlight. These include: Amethyst, Ametrine, Aquamarine, Celestite, Citrine, Fluorite, Kunzite, Opal, Rose Quartz, Smoky Quartz, Topaz, and Turquoise.

  Some crystals shouldn’t get wet. These include: Celestine, Desert Rose, Lapis Lazuli, Lepidolite, Malachite, Selenite, and Sodalite.

Click here to learn about Crystal Shapes.

source: Crystals by Cass & Janie Jackson

* If there is anything we missed or you’d like to add, just let us know! *

I hope this is useful! xx ~ @chlovoyant

CIRCLE CASTING 101

A magickal circle is an energetic construct that you build or envision around yourself before working magick, doing a ritual, some like to cast a circle before meditating or reading tarots. For a solitary practitioner the circle is typically 5-6 ft in diameter, but the size expands based on the size of the group. It can be defined physically, energetically, or both.

Circles provide protection and serves as a container for your personal energy as well as the energy you conjure.

Please remember that this is just what i personally like to do when casting a circle, but that there are many methods.

Preparation for circle casting

1. Determine how much space you will need.

2. Cleanse your area. Vacuum, sweep, throw away any trash in the area.

3.Make sure you have everything you need for your ritual! Theres nothing more frustrating than having your circle casted and realizing you’ve forgotten an herb or any supplies you need for the work you’re about to do.

4. Purify your area. Light purifying incense, sage, sprinkle salt and holy 💧. Most importantly, Visualize the negative energy dispersing. If you don’t focus & visualize, your physical actions will have little effect. Visualization is hands down one of the most important things in any and all magickal workings!

5. Now its time to cast your circle!

Visualize protective energy coming from within you and direct it towards your casting arm. Focus it through a casting tool (Athame, wand, or ✋)  and visualize a beam of energy coming from it and settling on the ground. Trace your circle with this energy, 3 times in a clockwise direction. Once for protection, once for focus, and once for power.

Call the 4 quarters

Face North and say “I call to the North, to the element of Earth. Grant me (us if not practicing alone) your endurance, your strength.”                                  Sprinkle salt onto your altar or crumble soil into a bowl on your altar.

Face East and say “I call to the East, to the element of Air. Grant me your creativity and your intuition.”                                                                             Light incense, wave a fan,or drop feathers onto your altar.

Face south and say “I call to the South, to the element of Fire. Grant me your passion and your energy.”                                                                                 Light candles.

Face west and say “I call to the West, to the element of Water. Grant me your empathy and your emotion.”                                                                              Pour blessed/storm/moon/natural water into a bowl or into your chalice.

Now would be the time to call on any deities you’d wish to work with. You can call any Goddess or Angel by personalizing this to them. I typically do not personally work with deities, but if you were to want to, Call to them similar to how the Elements are called. Ex. “I call to Gaia, Mother Goddess, Spirit of Earth.” and then place an offering symbolizing them, so for Gaia you might place  grain on your altar as an offering.

If not solitary, now would be the time to invite others to the circle. The group leader typically invites others in by a series of phrases, although i know every coven has their own method fine tuned for themselves, This is just the method i’ve seen used and am familiar with.                                                                    Group leader:”Children of the Goddess, I now invite you to enter our circle.” Each member will be asked “How do you enter this circle?” The response should be “In perfect love and perfect trust.”

Now its time to raise energy. This is the most important part of this process. It is so important because when you open your circle at the end of spellwork, You release all of your energy you have filled with intent out into the universe to go manifest whatever it may be you have called to. You want as much energy as possible to be released carrying your intent!

Here are a few ways! There is no wrong way to do this part, and there are SO MANY ways. You can fine tune this all to you. Remember that this is your ritual, and you want your energy fully behind everything you are doing. This is all customizable, most of all the energy raising.

-Witches Rune Chant

“Darksome night and shining Moon,

East, then South, then West, then North,

Hearken to the witches’ rune;

Here i come to call thee forth.

Earth and Water, Air and Fire.

Wand and pentacle and sword,

Work ye unto my desire,

Hearken ye into my word.

Cords and censer, scourge and knife,

Power of the witches blade waken all ye unto life,

Come ye as the charm is made.

Queen of Heaven, Queen of Hell, Lend your power unto my spell,

and work my will by magic rite.

By all the power of Land and Sea, By all the might of Moon and Sun,

As I do will, So mote it be;

Chant the spell, and be it done.

Eko, Eko Azarak

Eko, Eko Zamilak

Eko, Eko Karnayna

Eko, Eko Aradia”

-Meditating to raise energy. Visualize energy building and building by visualizing warm, yellow light fill your body until its expanding out of your body and filling the dome above your circle. visualize it filling with energy until you are content.

-Music or Drumming, Dancing and Chanting.

Once you reach your desired energy level, it is time to get into whatever spellwork or ritual you desire to preform!

After your spellwork, its time for Cakes and Ale. I like to make little spirit cakes and have some red wine after a ritual. Expelling all of that energy from your body is draining, and you should take your time to enjoy this part of the ritual. Set a cake and some wine aside for the entities who have lent you their energy as thanks. Cakes can be anything, from saltine crackers to cupcakes. Ale can be water. Anything that works for you is ok. For my cakes, i bake a shortbread and mix whatever ingredients i want into the dough. This way, I can craft them with the intent for whatever ritual i may be doing.

ONCE YOU FINISH YOUR WORK SAY GOODBYE TO THE ELEMENTS AND THANK THEM FOR THE POWER THEY BROUGHT. ALWAYS SAY GOODBYE AND THANK ANY DEITIES CALLED ON. 

HERE IS HOW I DO IT:

-Farewell to Goddess. ex. “I thank you, Gaia, for gracing me with your glory. Farewell and Merry met.”

-Farewell to Quarters (Counterclockwise). 

“My thanks to the element of Water, Your compassion was a gift. Farewell & Blessed be.” Now cover your dish of water or pour it out, Physically say goodbye as well.

“My thanks to the element of Fire, Your fierceness was a gift. Farewell & Blessed be.” Douse your candle. 

“My thanks to the element of Air, Your wisdom was a gift. Farewell & Blessed be.” Douse incense/flip fan/turn over feather.

“My thanks to the element of Earth, Your protection was a gift. Farewell & Blessed be.” Cover earth with a cloth, or return it to ground.

I like to walk the circle the opposite way of its casting three times, and voila!

Keep in mind that this is just my method! There are many methods and this is just one of them.

I hope this is helpful to you! 

-Love and light, @lapiscat

Tips for growing herbs Herbs that like clay soil ★Angelica ★Chives ★Comfrey ★Fennel ★Lemon Balm ★Peppermint Herbs that like dry locations ★Bay ★Garlic ★Lavender ★Oregano ★Rosemary ★Sage ★Thyme Herbs that love shade ★Angelica ★Chervil ★Chives ★Cicely ★Comfrey ★Feverfew ★Ginger ★Horseradish ★Lemon Balm ★Parsley ★Peppermint ★Sweet Woodruff ★Violet Herbs that do well in containers ★Basil ★Bay ★Chives ★Feverfew ★Hyssop ★Lavender ★Lemon Balm ★Oregano ★Parsley ★Peppermint ★Rosemary ★Sage ★Tarragon ★Thyme

↟𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄

This stone is a very receptive stone that is known to draw in love. It is a sacred stone in India, for its symbolic relation to lovers. For hundreds of years, especially throughout Europe, it was used to cure insomnia and mend romantic relationships. Found mainly in Australia and South West Asia. It brings good fortune, helps gain spiritual insight, intuition, and is very nurturing. As it is also a feminine stone and works with the moon and with love, it can also have fertility properties.

Chakras: crown, third eye

Zodiacs: cancer, libra, scorpio

Planets: or on this case, our Moon

Elements: Water, Air

Sacred numbers: 4

Connecting with Deities for Beginners

First: religious or spiritual belief is entirely optional in witchcraft. Your own divinity and power to manifest does not reduce because you’re not throwing food at your altar for a “patron deity” every week. In fact, patron deities are a lot rarer than tumblr might have you believe. Allow this process to be what it is - a process. Allow time to discover your spiritual home. There’s no rush. You’ve lived lifetimes and you will live more. 

If you feel called toward connecting with deity, here’s my advice: write. Writing forces you to slow your thinking down and truly consider your ideas, thoughts, and desires. Writing pieces of yourself down puts them into the universe. 

Take these ideas into a journal that you’ve chosen with an intention to be a place for spiritual work. It can be a Book of Shadows or something else. Try these prompts - if you don’t know the answers to these questions, it’s an opportunity to dive into yourself!

1. Numbers: Are there numbers you’ve felt drawn to? Do you have any lucky numbers? Do things always work out the first time you try them, or does it seem to always take three - or seven? Do your relationships with others come in twos or fives? Does your birthday mean anything to you? What about your birth time, or place? If there’s a number you feel at home with, explore it! What deities are related to it? What direction? In my case, 3 is incredibly powerful in all aspects of my life. I’ve found Vishnu and Auset to be my focal points and recognize 3 in them. Vishnu has had 9 incarnations (3x3) and Auset recovered Ausar from the dead to become pregnant and give birth to their child.

2. Animals: Yes, everyone has an opinion about cats or dogs. But maybe you find yourself watching spiders closely rather than jumping away, or the finches in your yard carry weight when you see them. Maybe you found yourself getting a dragonfly tattoo out of nowhere, or there’s something about the octopus that gets your heart swelling with intrigue. Write these down. Check the World Wildlife Foundations adoptable endangered species. Which would you choose? What element or directions do you associate these animals with? Which ones do you want to experiment calling upon? 

3. Music: I don’t mean the radio. Think about the music you go to when you’re emotionally well; not full of happiness, not in a valley of sadness or pain. What do you like to study to, meditate to? What songs come on when you’re out at restaurants? Is there a song that just pops up at the strangest or most needed of times? Look at the words, the genre, the meaning of these songs or these types of music. If you’re into soundscapes, seek out elemental or nature deities. If you like hip-hop, seek out deities who are playful or assertive. Classical could lead you to deities of balance or justice. Try making music, just with your hands on the table. What rhythms do you find yourself producing? What’s your vibration? 

4. Joyous Moments: What makes you happy? Maybe bath bombs aren’t your thing, but tea in the morning is. Do you like being surrounded by friends, family, or strangers? Write down the moments of your life where you felt the most blissful. Write down what moments you want to collect before this life has ended. What deities reflect similar habits or goals? If you want to backpack along the Ganges or in Europe, think about deities of travel and movement. If you want to build a family, look at Mother Goddesses.   

5. Weirdnesses: This might be the most important and will require slowly opening your inner eye. Look! For! Weirdness! These are not coincidences, these are communications. Track your moods, your feelings, your interactions. Did a friend mention a film or historical figure that’s been in the back of your mind lately? Did that license plate you read have the initials of someone you care about? What imagery or feelings keep appearing in your dreams? Do you keep finding pennies everywhere you go? If you’re not experiencing weirdnesses in your life, throw yourself into a new situation, new people, hobby, or activity. Breaking routine is an excellent way to invite the universe to have a hand in authoring your day. 

These are simple journaling activities to help you place yourself in the greater world we occupy. Spiritual journeys are deep, personal, and a long-term commitment. Don’t choose a deity just because they’re popular, or you feel like you need one. 

Spirit guides are already here, waiting for you to listen. The more you reflect on the inner workings of your mind and heart, the more you’re saying YES to magic and saying YES to ascension. 

Love & Light <3

Tarot A History and Brief Overview of Spreads

A History

The tarot, first known as trionfi and later as tarocchi or tarock is a pack of playing cards, used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play games such as Italian tarocchini, French tarot and Austrian Königrufen, many of which are still played today. In the late 18th century, some tarot decks began to be used for divination via tarot card reading and cartomancy leading to custom decks developed for such occult purposes. The word Tarot and German Tarock derive from the Italian Tarocchi, the origin of which is uncertain but taroch was used as a synonym for foolishness in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

Playing cards first entered Europe in the late 14th century, most likely from Mamluk, Egypt, with suits of Batons or Polo sticks which are commonly known as Wands by those practicing occult or divinatory tarot, Coins which are commonly known as disks, or pentacles in occult or divinatory tarot, Swords, and Cups. These suits were very similar to modern tarot divination decks and are still used in traditional Italian, Spanish and Portuguese playing card decks. 

The first documented tarot packs were recorded between 1440 and 1450 in Milan, Ferrara, Florence and Bologna when additional trump cards with allegorical illustrations were added to the common four-suit pack. These new decks were called carte da trionfi, triumph cards, and the additional cards known simply as trionfi, which became “trumps” in English. The earliest documentation of trionfi is found in a written statement in the court records of Florence, in 1440, regarding the transfer of two decks to Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta.

The original purpose of tarot cards was to play games. A very cursory explanation of rules for a tarot-like deck is given in a manuscript by Martiano da Tortona before 1425. Vague descriptions of game play or game terminology follow for the next two centuries until the earliest known complete description of rules for a French variant in 1637. The 18th century saw tarot’s greatest revival, during which it became one of the most popular card games in Europe, played everywhere except Ireland and Britain, the Iberian peninsula, and the Ottoman Balkans. French tarot experienced a revival beginning in the 1970s and France has the strongest tarot gaming community.

Italian-suited tarot decks

These were the oldest form of tarot deck to be made, being first devised in the 15th century in northern Italy. The so-called occult tarot decks are based on decks of this type. Three decks of this category are still used to play certain games:

The Tarocco Piemontese consists of the four suits of swords, batons, cups and coins, each headed by a king, queen, cavalier and jack, followed by the pip cards for a total of 78 cards. Trump 20 outranks 21 in most games and the Fool is numbered 0 despite not being a trump.

The Swiss 1JJ Tarot is similar, but replaces the Pope with Jupiter, the Popess with Juno, and the Angel with the Judgement. The trumps rank in numerical order and the Tower is known as the House of God. The cards are not reversible like the Tarocco Piemontese.

The Tarocco Bolognese omits numeral cards two to five in plain suits, leaving it with 62 cards, and has somewhat different trumps, not all of which are numbered and four of which are equal in rank. It has a different graphical design than the two above as it was not derived from the Tarot of Marseilles.

Italo-Portuguese-suited tarot deck

The Tarocco Siciliano is the only deck to use the so-called Portuguese suit system which uses Spanish pips but intersects them like Italian pips. Some of the trumps are different such as the lowest trump, Miseria (destitution). It omits the Two and Three of coins, and numerals one to four in clubs, swords and cups: it thus has 64 cards but the ace of coins is not used, being the bearer of the former stamp tax. The cards are quite small and not reversible.

French-suited tarot decks

The illustrations of French-suited tarot trumps depart considerably from the older Italian-suited design, abandoning the Renaissance allegorical motifs. With the exception of novelty decks, French-suited tarot cards are almost exclusively used for card games. The first generation of French-suited tarots depicted scenes of animals on the trumps and were thus called “Tiertarock” (‘Tier’ being German for 'animal’) appeared around 1740. Around 1800, a greater variety of decks were produced, mostly with genre art or veduta. Current French-suited tarot decks come in these patterns:

The Industrie und Glück (Industry and Luck) genre art tarock deck of Central Europe uses Roman numerals for the trumps. It is sold with 54 cards; the 5 to 10 of the red suits and the 1 to 6 of the black suits are removed.

The Adler-Cego animal tarot is used in the Upper Rhine valley and its neighbouring hills such as the Black Forest or the Vosges, and has 54 cards organized in the same fashion as the Industrie und Glück. Its trumps use Arabic numerals but within centred indices.

The Tarot Nouveau has 78 cards, and is commonly played in France and is somtimes used to play Cego. Its genre art trumps use Arabic numerals in corner indices.

German-suited tarot decks

German-suited decks for Bauerntarock, Württemberg Tarock and Bavarian Tarock are different. They are not true tarot packs, but a Bavarian or Württemberg pattern of the standard German-suited decks with only 36 cards; the pip cards ranging from 6 to 10, Under Knave (Unter), Over Knave (Ober), King, and Ace. These use Ace-Ten ranking, like Klaverjas, where Ace is the highest followed by 10, King, Ober, Unter, then 9 to 6. The heart suit is the default trump suit. The Bavarian deck is also used to play Schafkopf by excluding the Sixes.

Tarot Card Readings

The earliest evidence of a tarot deck used for cartomancy comes from an anonymous manuscript from around 1750 which documents rudimentary divinatory meanings for the cards of the Tarocco Bolognese. The popularization of esoteric tarot started with Antoine Court and Jean-Baptiste Alliette (Etteilla) in Paris during the 1780s, using the Tarot of Marseilles. French tarot players abandoned the Marseilles tarot in favour of the Tarot Nouveau around 1900, with the result that the Marseilles pattern is now used mostly by cartomancers.

Etteilla was the first to issue a tarot deck specifically designed for occult purposes around 1789. In keeping with the misplaced belief that such cards were derived from the Book of Thoth, Etteilla’s tarot contained themes related to ancient Egypt.

The 78-card tarot deck used by esotericists has two distinct parts:

The Major Arcana (greater secrets), or trump cards, consists of 22 cards without suits:

The Minor Arcana (lesser secrets) consists of 56 cards, divided into four suits of 14 cards each;

The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, Strength, The Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgement, The World, and The Fool. Cards from The Magician to The World are numbered in Roman numerals from I to XXI, while The Fool is the only unnumbered card, sometimes placed at the beginning of the deck as 0, or at the end as XXII.

Ten numbered cards and four court cards. The court cards are the King, Queen, Knight and Page/Jack, in each of the four tarot suits. The traditional Italian tarot suits are swords, batons, coins and cups; in modern occult tarot decks, however, the batons suit is often called wands, rods or staves, while the coins suit is often called pentacles or disks.

The terms “Major Arcana” and “Minor Arcana” were first used by Jean-Baptiste Pitois (also known as Paul Christian) and are never used in relation to tarot card games. Some decks exist primarily as artwork, and such art decks sometimes contain only the 22 major arcana.

The three most common decks used in esoteric tarot are the Tarot of Marseilles, the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck, and the Thoth tarot deck. 

The six most common Tarot Spreads are the;

Love Spread

Here is a little you should know about the ‘love’ spread. This type of reading evaluates the relationships relevance, how strong and happy they are. Every relationship has its ups and downs and with this six-card spread you will be able to evaluate your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual connections with your partner. The ‘love’ spread has its own 6 cards which represent the following:

#1-The first card signifies what you currently feel about your relationship, your approach, and your outlook.

#2-The second card represents your partners current emotions towards you, his attitude, and expectations about your relationship.

#3- The third card is a connection card. For example; common characteristics of both of you

#4– The fourth card indicates the strength of your relationship.

#5– The fifth card shows the weaknesses in your relationship.

#6– This final card is your true love card. It interprets if the relationship is going to be successful or not.

Success Spread

Briefly about the ‘Success’ spread; it is a remarkably situational spread.  It’s often used when a person is facing an obstacle or hardship. It can also be helpful if you don’t know how to face or overcome a problem as it will point you in the right direction.

#1- it helps you to find out about the true colours of the challenge in front of you. It will help you to identify what sort of skill set and resources you will need in order to not just solve but also overcome the challenge.

#2- this further clarifies on your current problems and challenges.

#3- The third card reveals the hidden factors affecting your current situation. You need to have knowledge about what these factors are to really overcome the obstacle you’re facing.

#4- The fourth card represents new plans, people, or objects that can help you grow further. By adapting yourself to these new aspects, your vision of the situation will change, leaving you with better solutions to your problems.

#5- The final card shows what requirements you need to fulfill in order to be proven successful and things you should avoid as they will lead you to failure. It will point you towards success if proven to be a positive card but in other cases it could be a negative card and will warn you about an upcoming disaster in your life.

Celtic Cross Spread

Despite its complications the ‘Celtic Cross’ Spread has stood popular for many years. This is most likely due to the fact that its importance lies in its difficulty. Each result of the Celtic Cross can be illustrated in a variety of ways depending on the direction of the of the fallen cards. Though not recommended for beginners, once anyone understands it, he or she can use this spread to find out the full depth of the situation. With enough practice it can it can be taken in use to find the answer to any problem. Celtic Cross deals with intricate situations.

#1– presents the current situation the person finds themselves in the and the reading is about the question they are facing.

#2– is placed over the first card, pointing to the left and is always read in an upright position. It shows what the basic challenge is that needs to be solved or the mental or physical object holding them back.

#3– The third spread reveals the subconscious influences. These strange influences have an extremely strong and powerful effect on one’s everyday life, especially in scenes relating to the question.

#4 – The fourth card shows what resources one has and the things they can use to face and solve the problem shown by the second card and in the process reach their ultimate goal, shown by the third card.

#5 – The fifth card shows the prologue of the scene. A negatively influenced past may have an effect that prevents their success on their current situation and they will need to let the memory go in order to stop it from negatively influencing their current situation so they can face and eventually overcome the problem at hand as shown by the second card. A positive past should be can simply be called inspiration. Even though the person may be facing a challenge in their current part of life, the problem

They are up against is natural growth of the positive past they had the benefit of experiencing and after they have overcome all their challenges, things will look even brighter than they were in the past.

#6 – The sixth card is the headlight. If the card states there is some form of negative energy on the way the five previous cards should give a good reasoning of why this is taking place and what we could do to prevent it.

#7 – The seventh card represents the person’s attitude. It illustrates your physical actions, thinking and ideals regarding the current problem. This will give you more to work with into whether the person’s attitude is conducive to a likable outcome or whether it’s time to retrack the way the person perceives the information.

#8 – The eighth card is an energy card. It talks about the energy surrounding them and the energy other people and the environment is letting off and if these energies are helping in any shape or form.

#9 – The ninth card tells us about what the person’s desires and fears. This is a revelation card. It gives importance to the things a person should be aware of in their current situation and might change the way a person acts which should not be neglected by them.

#10 – This is the final outcome and emphasizes on the energies, if they are complementing or conflicting. It also tells the person about the future that will take place immediately and if it is necessary or not to face the future.

Spiritual Spread

Similar to the Success Spread, the Spiritual Guidance spread is used when faced with problems that are of a spiritual nature. These sorts of challenges are usually related to spirituality in a person.

#1 – The first card represents your main concerns. You may think you know about the problem but this spread goes more in depth with it.

#2 – The second card looks into your motivation for looking for guidance.

#3 – The third card looks into the things about your life you are insecure or worried about.

#4 – The fourth card emphasizes on the parts of your life that you are not aware of.

#5 – The fifth card is your advice card as it will guide you to the steps to face your fears. It ties in with the previous cards.

#6 –The sixth card guides us to a life with no worries so that we could move forward on our spiritual journey.

#7 – The seventh card teaches you to deal with the situation with the resources you have at hand.

#8 – Finally, the eighth card finishes the Spiritual Guidance Spread by telling us that the result of the tarot cards all depends on our reaction to it whether we focus on the positive or negative.

Career Path Spread

This spread is for times where we feel left out on our career. We work hard hoping for a promotion but to no benefit. It helps us with these kind of challenges that we face in our professional life.

#1 – The first card basically asks us if our job that we have right now is indeed our ideal job

#2 – The second card emphasizes on the actions we must take to further boost our career. A positive card means we should stay at the same position we are in right now whereas a negative one means we should make some changes.

#3 – The third card tells us about certain things about our job that we can no longer alter. The card may tell you to look for a job in the same category we are working in right now.

#4 – The fourth card refers to our skills on our job to see if they’re enough to get us a promotion or if we are behind everyone else.

#5 – The fifth card tells us about the things we can do in our career to improve and start a new one or just small things we can do in our current career to at least get noticed.

#6 – The sixth card gives us the answer to the question that if our past mistakes are influencing our career now.

#7 – The final card tells you that if the card is negative it might lead to a bad outcome as it might result in you making other bad career choices.

However, if you aren’t sure of the outcome, use the card again after a few days or weeks to see if the reading changes as your attitude changes.

Three-Card Spread

The simplest and the most useful spread, ‘The Three Card Spread’ only uses three cards. This is what makes it the most popular. This is one of the most powerful spreads and can find answers for you really quickly for almost anything, let it be overcoming a problem or an obstacle or if you are simply just feeling lost or left behind.

Linear 3 Card Tarot Spreads

As you can imagine, this layout is good at suggesting some sort of linear path, sequence of events, cause and effect, or a way of getting from point a to point b.

Past, Present, Future

You, Your Path, Your Potential

You, Relationship, Partner

Situation, Action, Outcome

Idea, Process, Aspiration

Balanced 3 Card Tarot Spreads

In this layout, each card of the spread has a common intersection. They are all equally important, like three sides of a pyramid. Without any of these, the whole structure collapses.

Mind, Body, Spirit

Physical State, Emotional State, Spiritual State

Subconscious, Conscious, Super Conscious

Option 1, Option 2, Option 3

What I think, What I feel, What I do

Foundational 3 Card Tarot Spreads

I think think one is a little harder to explain, but I like thinking of these spreads being communicators of advice in a way such that “given X and Y, the result is Z”. X and Y attempt to give you a clearer understanding of options, and Z is a summary, a crux, a way to move forward given the information that is there. In fact, even when phrasing these spreads, I like saying them in a way that follows this formula to make the point clearer. The bolded items represent the actual card positions.

Given your strengths and weaknesses, this is my advice.

Given what worked well, and what didn’t work well, this is the key lesson.

Given that this brings you together, and that this pulls you apart, you must focus on this.

Given that you want this from the relationship, and your partner wants this, your relationship is heading towards this.

Given Option 1 and Option 2, This is what you need to know to make a decision.

Crossed 3 Card Tarot Spreads

As the layout would imply, this is about understanding conflicts and obstacles. The card that crosses over is something that stands in the way and that needs to be overcome, something that blocks you from attaining your ultimate goal, while the third card acts as a sort of advice card, looking at the situation from a more distant viewpoint. These can also be used as simpler 2 card spreads if you want to use only the crossing cards.

Situation, Obstacle, Advice

Aspiration, Obstacle, How to Overcome

Opportunities, Challenges, Outcome

Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis

I will be doing card meanings on a later date :)

Things to Research Before Working with the Fae

Research is the most important thing to do before heading into Faery work and witchcraft. You want to have a lot of in depth and versatile knowledge covering many areas of the topic so you’ll be able to understand and interact with the Fair Folk! If you don’t want to work with the Fair Folk you can use this list to help yourself understand them and take the proper measure if you ever stumble upon them. I know the list could go on forever but I’m compiling the topics I find build a good foundation of understanding. I have compiled this list to give those interested guidance and a push in the right direction, it is best you do your own research before asking other’s personal knowledge and opinions!!

The Basics

Terminology ( Fae, faery, fairy, changeling, seelie, unseelie, sidhe, etc)

The Origins of the Fae (Tuatha de Dannan, Aos Sí, Tylwyth Teg)

Faeries in Different Cultures: Celtic (Irish, Scottish, Gaulish, French), Norse, Influences from Greek and Roman culture.

Folklore & Myths!! ex. Oisin and Tír na nÓg , Fenian Cycle, Arthurian Legend. 

Celtic Gods, Goddesses & Heroes- strong influences and connections to the Fae

Types of Faeries (study diverse types from pixies,brownies, pooka to Kelpies, Bwbach and Red caps) *Make sure you can at least answer who, what and where about them.

The Otherworlds (Tir na Nog, Caer Arianrhod, Annwn, Alfheim, Svartalfheim, etc.)

Faery Landmarks (fairy tree, fairy ring, fairy hill)

Signs of the Fae

Sacred Trees and Plants (Hawthorn) 

Protection!! very important

*Bonus if you learn Celtic Culture

Getting into Working with Them

Connecting to Nature and the Land

How to Banish Faeries & Protect yourself, house, family, etc.

Faery Behaviour and Proper Etiquette

Proper Offerings, How to give an Offering

Animals associated with the Fair Folk and Why? (raven, deer, etc)

Faery Festivals and Holidays (Samhain, Midsummer, Beltane)

Why certain things offend them- iron, saying “thank you”,etc.

The Courts (Seelie, Unseelie, trooping fairies, solitary)

Setting up a Faery Altar

How to work with them in Rituals 

Faery Flowers, herbs and crystals

A proper and personal way to communicate with them!!this means developing psychic ability, tarot, meditation, signs, etc.

Hagstones, heptagram/faery star

Some Good Books :) 

The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries, by W. Y. Evans Wentz  

Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes 

Enchantment of the Faerie Realm by Ted Andrews 

Faery Craft by Morgan Daimler 

Celtic Mythology: Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes by Phillip Freeman

**if you have more topics, books or anything else feel free to add some!