Occultists, witches and spiritualists really need to stop peddling the lie that spirituality, witchcraft, paganism, etc. isn’t a psychological phenomenon as well as a mystical one. Your psychology will in fact, fundamentally inform your experiences with spirituality.
And we also need to stop pretending that spirituality and witchcraft are somehow contrary to mental illness. Or that having a mental illness means you can’t do witchcraft.
I’ll be completely honest with you guys and say that certain people with certain afflictions are more predisposed to different “mystical” experiences than others. I don’t think it’s a great coincidence that I am so great at visualization given that I was raised in a severely neglectful household. It doesn’t surprise me that many pagans are lonely people. This doesn’t mean to say that spirituality is “filling” a hole within anyone (although if it is, that’s great for you) but more so that, well, this path is unpopular for a reason. Alternative subcultures are alternative for a reason, and outcasts and rejects usually find a home there for a reason.
This also doesn’t mean to say that people who engage in witchcraft and spiritualism are inherently mentally ill. There is still a difference between hallucinations and spiritual encounters. And there was never any rule that said that both of these things cannot happen to a single person. For the safety of yourself and others we should be aware of the warning signs of dissociation and hallucination, but that doesn’t make anyone “wrong” for experiencing those things. And experiencing those things doesn’t mean you cannot explore spirituality or do witchcraft.
I hate it when “spiritualists” who are actually just anti-vax conservatives push the narrative that people with mental health issues cannot participate in spirituality. I also despise the notion that mental health issues are inherently a sign of an energetic imbalance. We’re all walking around with a special concoction of brain soup in our heads, it doesn’t surprise me that Ares devotees tend to have BPD, that many Aphrodite devotees struggle with self harm, that many people who work with angels have paranoia or generalized anxiety.
There was never any rule that said that you cannot use your deities or magic to help you cope with your mental health. I know some people will say “the Gods aren’t here to be your friend or hold your hand through life” but I’ve seen no evidence to suggest that’s true. I see no reason why a God like Ares couldn’t help his devotee with BPD come down after a bout of rage, I see no reason why Dionysus couldn’t help his devotee with their alcoholism or substance abuse, I see no reason why Aphrodite couldn’t help a devotee with relapse or negative self talk.
Witchcraft and paganism were historically used as a tool for survival, to bring people ease, to help people feel safe and secure, blessed and protected. That applied to all people, including those with mental health issues.
Never let anybody ridicule your beliefs. It’s human to find divinity in the mundane. It’s human to turn to the divine for answers. It’s not a matter of intelligence, like some would like to think. It’s a matter of human nature and instinct.
So leave some honey out for the fae, find omens in the patterns of the clouds, or hang wind chimes outside like your grandma used to do. Don’t let anybody call you anything other than human.
🪄 Subtle Hekate Worship🕯️
Donate clothes, food, hygiene products, and the like to homeless shelters
Support food banks and homeless or animal shelters
Visit cemeteries; if allowed (please ask permission first), leave flowers on graves
Have a candle that reminds you of her (no altar needed)
Wear jewelry that reminds you of her
Keep a picture of her in your wallet
Have a stuffed animal polecat, dog, or toad
Have imagery of torches, crossroads, or magic around
Honor your ancestors; honor any spirits in your life
Volunteer at an animal or homeless shelter
Cook a warm meal for someone in need
Take care of yourself physically
Take a self-care bath/shower, especially those with herbs or candles
Visit a crossroads; walk/hike on paths that have a crossroads and pick the direction that calls to you
Take a walk during the new, half, or full moon (only if it is safe to do so in your area)
Take time to notice the phases of the moon; meditate under each one, and learn their meanings
Start a garden; tend to plants, especially herbs
Study herbalism; study the history of witchcraft
Ground yourself regularly
Include her within spell work, if you do any; practice discreet methods of spell-casting
Learn non-obvious divination methods; cartomancy, pyromancy, carromancy, etc.
Burn incense, if able; frankincense is great
Drink herbal teas; cook with herbs
Practice mindfulness and emotional regulation
Honor your home/space; keep it clean, and make it feel like your own
At the end of each month, cook a good meal and make drinks with added honey
Baking raisin and currant cakes
Practice patience and understanding
Work on your decision-making skills; what do YOU want? What do YOU need? What are YOUR goals/passions?
Making a bonfire; gathering around it, alone or with loved ones
Learning to have more confidence in your decisions and actions; you know what's best for you more than anyone else
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I hope this helps someone! I may add to it later on. For now, this is my list of discreet ways to worship Hekate. Take care, y'all, and have a good day/night. 💜
Link to Subtle Worship Master list
💀 Subtle Haides Worship 🐕🦺
If you have a dog (or any pet), play with them
Volunteer at an animal shelter
Donate dog supplies to animal shelters and places who help families in need
Feed neighborhood dogs, cats, or birds
Start a coin collection with the intention of souls who need payment at the Underworld's gates can use those coins
Keep a picture of him in your wallet
Have a candle that reminds you of him (no altars needed)
Wear jewelry that reminds you of him
Have a stuffed animal owl, dog, or black ram
Have imagery of a bident, Cerberus, or ancient Greek helmets around
Drink coffee or a soothing tea to start your day
Honor your ancestors/souls that have passed; learn about your family history
Hold onto any family heirlooms; keep items from people who have passed in your life
Eat pomegranate seeds; drink pomegranate juice
Support suicide prevention or funeral funding organizations
Visit cemeteries; if allowed (get permission first please), leave flowers at graves; visit loved ones' or family members' graves
Collect animal bones (please thank the animal's spirit after doing so; I just think it's respectful to do so)
Learn about death; acquaint yourself with the idea of death; figure out what you believe happens after death
Take care of yourself physically and emotionally
Work on learning to let go of the past; forgive yourself for past mistakes, and release past regrets
Start a garden or tend to plants
Save your money, if able; work on spending it wisely
Practice patience, understanding, and gratitude
Be a good host to all who enter your space; Haides is the ultimate host, the Ruler of All
Take a walk during a new moon (if it is safe to do so in your area)
Bury a time capsule
Honor old family traditions; dig into your heritage and find pride in it
Learn to find simple joys in life; make a list of things that bring you joy in your day to day
Meditate in nature; ground yourself often; practice mindfulness
Visit/explore caves (please do so safely!!!)
Visit ancient ruins, ghost towns, and any place where people used to be but are no longer
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Hope this helps someone! I may add more later on. For now, this is my list of discreet ways to worship Haides. Take care, everyone! 🩵
Link to Subtle Worship Master list
I swear Poseidon likes to even do it when you just decide to stand in the water. He’s knocked me over idk how many times. lol. Love him tho. 💙
Heyo! I’m extremely new to being a Poseidon worshipper (I only realized that he’s been calling out to me a few days ago!) but I’m very much not new to god/deity work in general and I’ve been a witch since I was a teenager! (I’m 23 now! :3) Anyways, I’ve got a small silly story about Poseidon that I wished to tell as an offering of sorts to this neat little blog!
A few years ago, I was at the beach with my family, and we were riding out the waves. I was starting to feel pretty cocky and confident because I felt like I was easily surpassing the waters, so I said out loud “IS THAT THE BEST YOU GOT POSEIDON?!” while pumping my fists out into the air.
Swiftly thereafter, I was sent tumbling upside down by the next wave, so hard that my family only saw my legs poking out of the water. I was fine, but by the time I got back up my family were all laughing their asses off at me. This is a fond memory for me nowadays, and I hope this counts as a good offer! It makes me smile whenever I think about it, and I can only hope it’ll bring some smiles to other people too 💙🌊
I will never stop talking about how he loves to dunk people😭💙
while i don't think the gods get mad at me, i do think they occasionally look at what im doing and shake their heads disapprovingly
Blessed are the Chthonic, The gods that reign below
Blessed is their domain, where spirits come and go
Hail to thee Haides and Persephone, regal rulers of the dead
Hail to thee Thanatos, winged god of gentle death
Hail to thee Nyx, veiled in dark and starry sky
Hail to thee Hecate, matron of mystery and magic and shadows.
I honor you, the Chthonic, the gods that reign below.
i think it’s very important to be at least be a little playful with your own religion. feeling comfortable and safe enough in your own faith to have fun with it is genuinely so, so important to me. it takes some of the pressure off of always ‘getting it right’. and besides! i like to think that the gods really do appreciate the trust we place in them when we allow ourselves to be truly ourselves—with all our vulnerabilities and flaws—in their presence.
don’t get me wrong; reverent, formal, ceremonial, worship is beautiful!! but so is being able to drop all formalities and just talk to your deities… telling them everything that’s on your mind when you need to, or maybe when you’re just too overwhelmed to worship more traditionally. it’s about being able to pray formal hymns and prayers at their alter (if that’s something that feels right for you), but also feeling comfortable enough to simply reach out and talk to them as if they were an old friend or family member that loves you dearly.
cultivating balance is so important for maintaining a healthy relationship with your religion! so just make sure you don’t forget to actually enjoy your practices. at the end of the day, worship should feel fulfilling, whatever that means for you. ♡
stop villanizing disabled people. stop assuming we're just being lazy. stop assuming we could be trying harder. stop assuming that we'll "feel better" in a few weeks. stop assuming that we have the same energy levels as everyone else. thanks for coming to my ted talk.
The Gods love you.
Even when you spend days without lighting up their candles.
Even if you don't have an Altar.
Even if you don't feel their presence yet.
Even if you're not at tarot.
Or doesn't have prophetic dreams.
They still love you. And you know why?
Because you're you. And that's enough for them, your presence, your devotion, your well-being, is what truly matters for them.
So don't you feel pressured or sad, lovebug 💜💜