Tuesday is Practical Witchery Day!

Dear Reader,

If you have glanced at the archives of this blog, you may have noted a theme. On each day, I tried to blog about a different topic. Somehow, Tuesdays turned into the day I blogged about practical elements of witchcraft. I'm taking the opportunity now to do something of a 'reboot' of the practical witchery stuff. I have some lessons that I posted in multipart series. They'll be getting republished as e-books this way y'all don't have to hunt through 600+ posts to find the part you were looking for.

There will also be some future lessons posted in that similar format. A series of posts that eventually get collated into a single document. I can tell you right now, the difference between the series of posts and the document is that the single document will have more material in it than I could comfortably fit into a bunch of blog posts. I will also try my hardest to make sure that these things are as e-reader friendly across as many formats as possible.

Among the list of future lessons are going to be the following:

Advanced Wiccan Ritual Format
Intermediate Divination
Advanced Divination
A Brief History of Witchcraft
Elementary Necromancy
Intermediate Necromancy
Advanced Necromancy

Magical Cooking (with recipes)

If there are things you would like me to cover, let me know. I am always open to input from you, my friends.

Monday is the day I pray to Déa in all her forms.

Dear Reader,

First off, I am using the new blogger format to write this post. If it seems a bit wonky, please let me know and I will attempt to adjust.

I have this habit of praying the Filianic Rosary every Monday. I figure it is Sai Candrë's day and an auspicious day to set aside some time strictly for reciting the rosary. I have three different versions of the rosary that I pray. The first is similar to the Catholic rosary and my focus is upon the Bright Mother, Marya. The second is similar to the Anglican rosary and my focus is upon the Daughter, Anna. The third is a garland of 100 beads and my focus is upon the Dark Mother, Deam Mysterium.

My prayers alternate between what I need for my family and what I feel the world needs. Lately, I have been praying for the healing of Covid-19, the abolishment of the ICE detention centers here in the USA, and for the world's economy to strengthen again and everyone have what they need for their fiscal security and well being. Where one would regularly state the meditative focus at the beginning of a decade of the Catholic rosary on the Our Father bead, for example, and meditate upon a holy mystery, I state the need and meditate upon that as I pray. This can also be used with the Anglican style rosary when one reaches the beginning of the next septad when they are at the cruciform bead. For Filianic and Déanic usage, obviously, the Our Father bead would be an Our Mother bead.

Copies of my versions of these prayers can be found in my book Garlands of Grace: Filianic Rosary Meditations. The ones that are influenced by Christian heritage are fairly obviously in it because it shapes the structure of the prayers and their order. Garlands of Grace is a companion book to Rose Petals: A Filianic Psalter. In the latter portion of Rose Petals, there is a version of the Filianic rosary that is based off of the Catholic rosary. It is a bit different from the version that you can find at the Chapel of Our Mother God. 

I have passing familiarity with the Janite tradition's rosary practices. They were so kind as to organize a very informative page that just happened to include a link and copy of a previous post of mine on this topic. 

Godspousery Notes: Virtual Hof.

Dear Reader,

Some may have the luxury of a sacred space where they may pour out offerings to the gods. Just as I have created a virtual chapel for Déa, there is a virtual Hof for the Norse gods. I created it at Heimdall's urging. He said that it would be easier than trying to make a secret physical one where I could pour out blots to the gods. Now, if you're familiar with the old stories, there is a bit of animosity between Heimdall and Loki. So, this discussion surprised me. Heimdall said to me that I was one of the souls that would build it with out any animosity or favoritism towards any god. He pointed out the relatively smooth relationship going on between Loki, Freyr, and I as an example that I don't play favorites or demonize anyone.

So, at his urging, I put together something simple. It wasn't like the chapel for Déa. And is it nothing like what is in Uppsala.  There is a wooded place with a maze that leads you to the center where a clearing awaits you. At the center of the clearing is a cairn of stones and a bowl. When I am cooking, I go to this place. I pour the blood from the meat I am handling over the stones and ask that it feed the gods, ancestors, and wights who love my family. (Virgin blood is blood that hasn't been used for another purpose before.) Now, the physical blood is poured into the pot I am going to be cooking with. I consider it to be the leavings of my offering and something that we can consume with some touch of their blessings upon us.

When I place an offering of coffee on the altar or water, I do the same thing. I project myself to that place and pour it over the cairn. This is a new practice, within the last few weeks new, and I'm not sure how the results will be different from just dedicating the offering and placing it on the altar. One thing about the path to the clearing is that whatever path you take will lead you there, revealing things that you need to know as you get there. And the path out of the clearing will be equally revealing. Like if your offering was received with pleasure or if the ancestors have a message for you.

Before I go into my trance and do this work, I make sure that I wash my hands and face. It cleans off the extra energy that could taint my offering or my perception of the sacred location.

Déa is with us.

Dear Reader,

In the face of all the turmoil and suffering happening all around us, it is easy to be disheartened and wonder if Déa has abandoned us. We must not listen to the demons of despair that whisper such things into our ears. Just as Our Lady suffered the temptation to despair and give up hope of Her Mother's aid, so to do we when we pass through times of tribulation.

It takes great strength and courage to command these demons to depart. We must face them boldly and declare that Déa shall do as She will, secure in the faith that we shall be saved from all troubles by Our Lady's hand. The hardest part is remaining secure in our faith that Our Lady shall save us from the troubles that beset us.

It helps to remember that Déa is always with us. We are connected to her like a babe to their mother whilst in the womb. All that is, is Déa. Her Spirit surrounds and suffuses through us. We are carried in Her arms through the world's troubles. While our bodies and minds are weak and suffer the afflictions of this world, our spirits are powerful and can endure even the greatest of troubles this world manufactures.

Let us place our spirits within the hands of Our Lady and Her Mother. Let us turn to Them for guidance when problems arise and seek out comfort from Them when our hearts are heavy with grief and fear. When the demons of despair fall upon us as they did upon Our Lady, let us follow Her example and command them to depart for they can not shake the truth that Déa shall always come for Her children and rescue them from oblivion.

Is the Filianic community a victim of Covid-19?

Dear Reader,

With the dwindling of activity across social media by the various branches of the Filianic community, one is left wondering if Covid-19 and all the attendant pressures have strangled the faith community. I do not believe that Filianism or Déanism are going to go away anytime soon. I do believe, however, that the community is going through a collective 'dark night of the soul' due to the ongoing tragedies of Covid-19 and more around the world.

I think that activity will pick up again. I think that seekers who desire to learn about Our Lady will find their sources of wisdom and the harmonious path forward, guided by She whom they seek. For my part, I will endeavor to resume daily posting here and on Tumblr. The last few months have been exceedingly busy with distance learning work for my children. We're beginning to find a schedule that works for them while school isn't officially in session. I will be including time for writing in it.

No one but the gods know how this is going to work going forward. I suspect that autumn will find the schools operating on a combination of distance learning and in-session work. I believe that it will be less labor intensive than the spring turned out to be. Déa willing, we may find a good balance between our family needs and our personal ones.

I know, however, that Filianism and Déanism will endure the troubles that are about us. We have the advantage of beginning as a virtual community and, with some determined effort, we can remain a solid community despite the challenges we face. Time management and coordination will help us keep the vibrant light of this faith burning in the world. Our faith is simple and yet profoundly deep. Let us remember that we are like water. It flows over, around, and through that which would block its path. Like water, we shall remain and flow in harmony with Our Lady's love no matter what comes.

Virtual Worship Space 3/3

Dear Reader,

I have multiple virtual worship spaces. Some of them are tied to physical locations and others are not. Multiple virtual worship spaces are useful for polytheists because it gives you individual locations for interaction with individual deities. It's really helpful if you are working with deities that canonically don't get along very well. (Heimdall and Loki comes to mind, the kinda loathe each other for various reasons that have been lost to history.)

I am going to share with you one of my virtual worship spaces. This is for Déa. It is patterned after Gothic era cathedrals. It is one that I have worked with in dreamscapes and in meditation/prayer. It is a relatively solid construct and one that I am making open to others to participate in.

The Chapel

A modest sized gothic styled chapel stands before you in a large expanse of grass surrounded by a forest. As you approach the chapel, you note that the exterior is unusually plain for this style of building. There are no statues or gargoyles. In its place, there are floral designs and the exterior supports of the stone walls look like stone trees reaching to the walls. As you draw close to the doorway, you see that it is engraved with a peaceful forest scene. Where the trees of the scene end is a meadow. The doors split at the center of this meadow in the scene.

You push one of the doors inward and it opens. You are standing at one end of a aisle down the center of two rows of pews. At the opposite end of the aisle is an altar. On the left side of the altar is a row of candles in various states of size. It is clear that these candles are offerings or prayers. On the right side of the altar is another set of candles, waiting to be lit for this purpose. Behind the altar is a statue of a veiled young woman. A crown of stars is about her that glow with light. You realize that they are tiny gemstone windows set into the stone of the alcove that the statue sits within. The young woman has a peaceful expression on her face and holds her arms open, as if ready to embrace you. A blue cloak is upon the statue and the gown is painted to be white. A silver girdle is about the gown and looks to have tassels on the ends that hang down. One foot is hidden beneath the gown, the other is positioned as though the young woman is stepping forward and it has a humble sandal upon it.

In the space between the altar and the statue, there is a place where one might approach the icon and lay offerings. You see a bouquet of flowers there from some other soul that has come to this holy place. On the altar is a silver bowl sitting upon a silver platter. It is clearly another place for offerings to be laid. The altar itself is covered with a white cloth with no design upon it. The stone beneath the white cloth is plain except for a seven rayed star in the center facing towards where the pews are. As you turn your attention to the pews, you see that they are padded and look to be a comfortable place where one might sit for a time. Where the pews meet the exterior walls, there are narrow arched windows. These windows are pieced stained glass that make up a rainbow on both sides of the building.

You walk to a pew that looks particularly comfortable and sit down. From outside, you can hear the birds singing and the hushed noises of wildlife in the meadow. As you sit, a sense of peace and serenity fills you. You know that this is a holy place where you are safe from all things. You are comforted by the cozy quality of the building and the faint scent incense that comes from somewhere near by. When you feel ready, you rise and walk out of the chapel. You cross the meadow and find your path back to waking consciousness, still carrying that sense of peace and safety with you.

Godspousery notes: Listen!

Dear Reader,

I was in a grump for a bit of last week. I was frustrated with everything and feeling rather malcontent with life in general. That was when Loki told me to stop and listen. I was irritated but intrigued, so I stopped and I listened. I heard birds singing. I heard small animals making noises in the trees and the field out behind the house. I heard crickets making a chorus of noise. I heard the neighbors a few doors down mowing their lawn. I heard the trains over at the rail yard across the way making noise with the cars they were moving around. I listened intently to all of this and couldn't decipher a pattern to it all. My attention kept returning back to the wildlife because it was closer and louder.

I said to Loki, "I give up, what am I listening to or for?"

That's when Loki grinned and said, "That's the sound of everything desperately trying to get laid."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scoff. He was right, except for the sounds of the lawnmower and the trains. He just grinned at me. He knew and I knew that part of the reason why I was snappish and short tempered was frustration with intimacy due to hormonal shifts going on with this perimenopause business. I suppose he was letting me know that I wasn't alone in my frustration. 

He was decidedly smug about it all. I was doing my best to ignore my sexual frustration and focus on stuff that I could actually do something about. He apparently felt it important to remind me about it. But, I suppose, it goes to show, when gods tell you "Hey, LISTEN UP!" it is not always something earth shattering. Sometimes it is a bit of a jest. It's important to keep a sense of humor when you're in an intimate relationship, especially with deities.