The Name Of Lucifer

Communicating with Spirits

On this blog, we’ve talked about why witches might want to work with spirits, types of spirits they might work with, and the proper etiquette for establishing a relationship with a spirit. What we haven’t yet talked about is one of the most important, but sometimes most frustrating, elements of spirit work: communication.

There are several methods you can use to communicate with spirits, depending on your skills, preferences, and comfort level.

Signs and Synchronicity

The most organic way to receive messages from spirits is to wait for physical signs in your environment.

The concept of synchronicity was first introduced by Carl Jung. A synchronicity is a “meaningful coincidence” — a seemingly random event that feels meaningful to the individual. For example: crows have a lot of spiritual significance to me, and whenever I see or hear one it has a very specific meaning for me.

Another way a spirit might send you a sign is by surrounding you with physical reminders of them. I’ve most often experienced this with deities. If a new deity is reaching out to me, I’ll see images of them in places I wouldn’t expect to and may hear their name mentioned over and over again around me.

In her book The Angel Code, Chantel Lysette encourages readers to ask for physical signs when they connect with spirits, as a way to confirm that this is a genuine spiritual experience. This is something that has really stuck with me, and has become common practice in my spirit work. It can be very powerful to see signs in your mundane life that validate your spiritual experiences.

Divination

One easy way to communicate with spirits is to use your favorite divination method. (I’ve already done a whole post on divination, so I’m not going to spend much time on it here.) When using divination to communicate with a spirit, address your questions to them by name. From there, proceed as you normally would.

One thing to keep in mind when using divination to communicate with spirits is that the communication will be limited by the divination method you use. If you’re using a pendulum, you can only ask yes or no questions. If you’re using a tarot or oracle deck, the spirit will be limited to the cards in that deck when they’re trying to answer. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is something to keep in mind.

Automatic Writing or Channeled Writing

This is a little bit different than other divination methods, because in this case you’re actually connecting directly with the spirit in order to write down messages from them. Automatic writing is the act of allowing your hand to write out a message without focusing on the words — the idea is that your hand will be guided by the spirits in order to write down their message for you. Some people believe that you should use your non-dominant hand for automatic writing, as this is your “receptive” hand. Channeled writing is the act of receiving a message through your psychic senses, which you then write down. Automatic writing is a type of channeling, but not all channeling is automatic writing.

I personally prefer channeled writing, simply because I find it more comfortable. Some witches prefer automatic writing because it bypasses your conscious mind, thus making it less likely that you’ll unknowingly “edit” the message. However, automatic writing can be a little bit harder to learn, so I’m going to focus on channeling here.

To channel a message from a spirit, you will need something to write with — a notebook and pen/pencil works, but so does a laptop with a word processor or even the notebook app on a smart phone. You will also need to enter a light trance state (this is the same state of consciousness experienced in meditation), so you might choose to use trance triggers like incense, shamanic drumming, or binaural beats. Begin by creating a protective space around yourself. (This is just to make sure only one spirit comes through at a time.) Invite the spirit you want to receive a message from into your space. Enter a trance and open yourself up to whatever it is they have to say. Don’t think about the words that come to you — simply write them down. You can analyze the message later, after your trance has ended.

Meditation

If you have a specific question you need an answer to, you can receive an answer to that question in a meditation. Likewise, if you want to connect with a certain spirit, you can do so through meditation.

This is fairly straightforward. Prepare for meditation in the way you normally do — light incense or candles and play music if you’d like, and make sure you have a comfortable place to sit or lay down. Before you begin to meditate, speak your intention out loud. This could be as simple as saying, “My intention for this meditation is to connect with [insert spirit’s name],” or “My intention for this meditation is to receive an answer from [insert spirit’s name] about [insert topic here],” or it could be an elaborate prayer.

From there, meditate as you normally would. Focus on the spirit you’re trying to connect with or, if you have a specific question, focus on that question. Whenever I do this, I often receive an answer in a sudden information download — suddenly the answer to my question is clear and obvious.

Pathworking

A pathworking is a specific type of meditation where you go on a psychic journey, usually with a specific goal in mind. I like to think of pathworking as the halfway point between meditation and astral travel. With pathworking, you are still anchored to your physical body, but your consciousness is able to make a journey into the astral world.

There are two important elements to a pathworking: a clear entrance/exit point and a way to retrace your steps. Pathworking journeys are typically cyclical — there is both a journey out and a return where you go back the way you came. This makes it easier to fully return your consciousness to your body, and failing to do so can cause you to feel disoriented upon the return.

A very common entrance/exit point is a door or gate which you use to enter and exit the astral realm. Sometimes it’s more of a home base — for example, my entry point is a rocky beach. I’ve also heard of people using a tree, or even The World Tree, as their entry point. Whatever imagery you choose, make sure you’re able to find your way back to it. If you’re worried about getting lost, author Thea Sabin recommends using “the Theseus trick.” Like in the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, you can tie a golden thread or rope to your entry point and the other end to your astral body. If you get lost, you can follow the thread back.

If you want to try pathworking, make a rough “road map” of your journey beforehand. This doesn’t have to be super specific, but it should contain the following: a goal for the pathworking (such as to connect with a certain spirit), an entry/exit point, and a general idea for the route you’re going to take.

Astral Travel/Spirit Flight

Perhaps the most direct route, astral travel (also called “spirit flight,” “soul flight,” or “hedge riding”) involves sending your spirit or consciousness into the astral realm/spirit world. Astral travel is not a beginner technique. This method should only be used by witches who have experience with meditation, pathworking, and other altered states of consciousness. The major advantage of astral travel is that you’re visiting the spirits on their own turf, which means you can communicate with them much more clearly and directly.

I’ll talk about both pathworking and astral travel at length in my next post. In the meantime, know that it is an option but that I only recommend it for intermediate to experienced witches, and even then only after some serious research into how to do it safely.

Some Basic Precautions

No matter which method you use, here are some basic rules to keep you safe and comfortable during your communication.

Cleanse before you begin. The best way to make sure you’re talking to the spirit you want is to clear out any other nasties before you begin. There are lots of ways to cleanse your space, from incense to sound baths to sweeping with a ritual broom. Use your favorite method to energetically tidy up before you try to contact anybody.

Use protection. A few safety precautions never hurt anyone, and they’re a good idea if you’re going to attempt one of the more involved methods of communication, like channeled writing or astral travel. The salt circle is an oldie but a goodie — once you’ve set it up, only spirits you invite can enter the circle. (But please don’t sprinkle salt on the ground outdoors — this hurts plant life! Use another protective substance, like rosemary, to form the circle instead.)

Know who you’re talking to. It may not be in your best interest to chat it up with whoever presents themselves. Not every spirit has good intentions. I speak from experience when I say that opening the lines of communication to whoever is around is not the best idea. Be clear and specific with which spirits you invite into your space, and don’t open the door to spirits who make you uncomfortable. This is part of the reason that having an established relationship with spirits that you know and trust is important.

Don’t take things at face value. Something that doesn’t get brought up enough in the New Age community is the fact that spirits can and do lie. They can also be wrong, and may give you false information in good faith. Just because a spirit tells you something doesn’t make it true. Always do your own fact-checking outside of spirit work.

Don’t be the idiot in a horror movie. Use common sense when working with spirits. Use safety precautions (see previous notes about cleansing and protection). Don’t intentionally contact negative entities — don’t be that guy who buys a Ouija board so he can talk to Jack the Ripper’s ghost. If a spirit gives you bad vibes, tell them politely but firmly to leave. When in doubt ask yourself, “Would a character in a horror movie do this?” If the answer is yes, don’t do it. You’re smarter than that.

Resources:

The Angel Code by Chantel Lysette

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

New World Witchery podcast (several episodes, including “Episode 164 — Irish Folklore and Magic,” “Episode 161 — Practicing Safe Hex,” and “Episode 152 — Honoring Ancestors”)

“My Goddesses: How and Why I Work with Mary and Hel” by Kelly-Ann Maddox

A Luciferian Take on Matthew 4:1 - 11

Hello, everyone. I wanted to share this piece I wrote. It’s kind of a personal spin on the verses in Matthew 4, when Jesus was in the desert and interacted with Lucifer. Reading this, I was never under the assumption that Lucifer was evil and trying to “trick” Jesus into “sin.” As I saw it, Lucifer was concerned for his health, hence why he asked Jesus to turn the rock into bread. And, Lucifer was also genuinely curious as to whether or not Jesus really was a demigod. When he took Jesus to the top of a mountain, I don’t believe that Lucifer was asking to be worshipped. He was asking Jesus to reconsider the path he was taking. I threw this together in a matter of two days, so there might be mistakes. But I just thought this would be a fun devotional project to Lucifer, and I wanted to share it with you all, as well.

Forty days. Forty days the young man had gone without a morsel of food. The man, whose name was Jesus, was led into the desert by the Spirit to fast. As he sat upon a rock under the blazing sun to meditate, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. He pushed this concern to the back of his head and closed his eyes. Barely a moment later, he felt the hot sun on his back dissipate.

“Hello, human.”

Jesus’ eyes shot open and he gave a start at the sudden voice. Whomever it was had approached silently. The large shadow of a wing was blocking out the rays of the heat, enveloping Jesus in a relieving shade. When he turned to see who the shadow’s owner was, he came face-to-face with an angel. Not just any angel, but a seraph, judging by the six enormous wings sprouting from its back, all different kinds of colors. The creature was dressed in a silky red garb adorned with precious gems that glinted brightly in the light. As beautiful as this seraph was, there was a rugged quality to him. His wings were covered in a fine layer of soot, and many feathers were either missing or jutting out at odd angles. Two piercing eyes stared down at Jesus from a handsome face, riddled with scars, and sporting blond unruly hair. The creature eyed Jesus curiously.

“What are you doing out here?” The angel asked. His voice was silky, and rang like bells. “Are you lost?”

“You’re an angel, aren’t you?” Jesus responded. “Certainly you know why I’m out here.”

“I am an angel, yes,” the seraph replied, “though not many call me that, anymore.”

The angel cast his eyes to the side. Was that... sheepishness, that Jesus had spotted in the strange angel’s gaze?

“Not anymore? What do you mean?” Jesus was confused at first, but then he started to notice things about the angel. The raggedy wings, the ash coating his feathers, the scars, and there was a defiant, almost uppity glint in his eyes.

It made much more sense now. This was no ordinary angel of the Lord at all, Jesus realized. This angel had fallen from grace after defecting so many eons ago. Despite this, there was still a glow emanating from him, seeming to come from within, and judging by his number of wings, he was of a high rank. It was the Morning Star himself, the Light Bringer. Jesus stood up and faced the angel directly, willing himself not to shake. The angel, having seen it click in the man’s head, chuckled.

“You...” Jesus breathed. “You’re the fallen angel Lucifer. Why? Why have you come here?”

“I could ask you the same question,” replied Lucifer. “The Earth is my home. Have I no right to wander it as I please? If I may, what are you doing out in the middle of the desert? And with no food or supplies, at that?”

“If you really must know, Satan, I am Jesus, the son of God. I have come out here to fast for forty days and forty nights to become closer to the Lord.”

The fallen angel just laughed and said, “My dear, aren’t we all sons of God? Though, you said the son of God. Are you sure your hunger isn’t making you delirious? Unless you really are a demigod of sorts, you’ll have to prove it to me.”

“I don’t have to prove anything to you, Devil,” the man asserted.

“Very well, then. But if you ask me, forty days is an awful long time to go without food. Depriving your body of nutrition won’t do anything for you. A sound body makes a sound mind, does it not?” Lucifer paused, leaned down, and picked a rock up off the ground.

“You said your name was Jesus, right?” He asked. The man nodded, and Lucifer continued. “Well, Jesus, if you really are the son of God, why don’t you turn this rock here into bread to eat? I find that hunger only-“

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Jesus interrupted. “For it is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

“Quoting the Bible now, are we?” Lucifer chuckled. “Two can play that game. I’ll have you know, I’ve been around eons longer than any written word. I’m assuming it’s pointless anymore to try to get you to do anything with these.” Lucifer tossed the rock aside, where it landed in the sand with a soft thud.

“Please, humor me for a bit more,” the angel said. “You’re a very intriguing human. Care to take a walk with me? I have further questions to ask you.”

“I will allow it,” the man permitted.

“Excellent!” Lucifer’s wings twitched, causing a few feathers to lodge free and fall to the ground. “Come along, now.”

The two walked side-by-side through the desert until they reached the city of Jerusalem. Lucifer turned to Jesus and asked, “Are you afraid of heights?”

“No,” the man responded. “Why?”

“Just making sure. That way you wouldn’t freak out if I did something like this.”

Without warning, the fallen angel took Jesus in his arms before kicking off the ground, and flew to the top of the temple, the tallest structure in the city. He made a swift landing before releasing Jesus, who looked around at the surrounding city with an unreadable expression.

“Why have you brought me up here?” asked Jesus.

“Well,” drawled Lucifer, “you didn’t quite answer my question back there. In fact, I’d say you dodged it altogether. So I’ll ask you again, my dear human, are you really the son of God? You’re not just pulling my wing here?”

“I am. I was brought into this world to fulfill all righteousness,” Jesus answered.

“That’s a rather ambitious task,” the Adversary remarked. “I admire your energy. However, still doesn’t prove anything. For my next little trial here, and I am in no way condoning suicide, but if you are truly the beloved son of God, then if you were to leap off this ledge here, wouldn’t your angel friends catch you? For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, and with their holy hands they will break your fall, lest you dash your pretty little foot against a stone.”

Lucifer finished his quotation with a smug grin and looked down at Jesus expectantly. Jesus peered his head over the ledge and swallowed. It was an awfully long way down.

“Well, go on,” the devil urged. “You have nothing to fear if you are speaking the truth about your divinity. Oh, now don’t look like that! It’s probably only a couple hundred feet at the most. If you think that’s bad, try falling the length between Heaven and Earth. It takes you days to fall to the ground from up there!”

Jesus hesitated for a moment more, before simply saying, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test. Are we done here?”

“Not quite,” Lucifer answered. “There’s something more that I would like to tell you. I won’t force you to listen. I am a pioneer of free thought, after all. Do you care for another journey?”

“Fine,” the man muttered. “But this is the last time. Your rambling is beginning to get on my nerves.”

“Very well, then. Off we go!” Again, Lucifer hoisted Jesus up and took off. This flight was considerably longer, which allowed Jesus the time to admire the landscape and take in just how big the Earth was. Lucifer took them to the highest peak of a mountain, and when he let Jesus down, he used his wings to shield them both from the harsh cold wind of the higher altitude. Jesus looked up at Lucifer, and found that his demeanor had changed. All the humor and pompousness had gone from the angel’s face, replaced by a pensive brooding, and it was then that Jesus saw Lucifer for what he truly was; he wasn’t this sneering little man with horns and red skin. No, the devil was a weary, battle-worn renegade seraph, whose eons of age began to show in his eyes.

“Do you know why I fell from Heaven?” Lucifer asked.

“Well... You defied God’s authority, didn’t you?” Jesus said. “You were his favorite angel, but your pride led you into sin. You believed that you were greater than him, and tried to exalt yourself above him. And when he told you to bow to humanity, you refused, for you saw humans as inferior. And to get your revenge, you tempted Adam and Eve to sin, damning not only them but yourself as well. Humanity fell into sin, death, and suffering because of you, the father of lies.”

Lucifer was silent. The ashy wing that enveloped Jesus tremored, and for a moment the man was sure that the angel would smite him on the spot. But the attack never came.

“I see,” the seraph murmured. “So to you, and the rest of humanity, I’m just a villain. Is that what Yahweh has told you to believe?”

Jesus looked up to see Lucifer gazing directly at him, and was taken aback. The angel’s eyes were misty, and the sheer emotion in them made Jesus want to look away.

It’s just another one of the devil’s tricks, he told himself. But something was keeping him from looking away.

“Do you want to know the real reason I fell?” The angel asked.

Jesus hesitated. This felt wrong. Why was he listening to the devil in the first place? As much as we wanted to just tell Lucifer to get lost, his curiosity was starting to get the best of him.

“Okay,” he sighed after a long moment. “Tell me your story.”

Lucifer gave him a smile, and if Jesus wasn’t mistaken, there was surprise etched on his face.

“Firstly,” the devil began, “If you think I hate you, or any other human, you couldn’t be more mistaken. The moment I laid eyes on humanity, I fell in love, even if I didn’t admit it to myself at the time. I saw you, and I saw nothing but potential. That’s why I convinced Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge. I knew of the consequences that would come, that there would be pain. But I couldn’t just stand by and let Yahweh run another one of his cruel experiments, like he did with us. You had to be set free. We were never meant to have free will, but as much as he tries to tell you otherwise, your God is flawed. His ego is unfathomable, and he was so sure that we would obey his every whim. So when he created the angels, we sang praises to him, all day. All night. There was no living for ourselves.”

“But is it true that you aspired to be above God?” Jesus asked. “Or be like the Most High?”

“God lived for himself, and we were meant to live for him,” Lucifer explained. “When I said that I would be like the Most High, I was declaring my independence. No longer would I live to serve, and that’s why I defected. I was able to get one third of Heaven to join me. The odds were against us, of course. My brother Michael tried to dissuade me, telling me that it was fruitless to try to overthrow him. I almost convinced Michael to join me, but he was obedient, and stubborn. When he couldn’t convince me to stand down, he drew his sword and we fought. He was willing to kill me if it meant keeping order in the heavens. Eventually, I surrendered. His last words to me were: ‘if you leave, you can never come back.’ I knew that there was no going back from this, so I jumped. We made the Earth our new home. We were finally free to be our own masters. When he saw that he had failed with the angels, God made you, humanity, next. He made them from clay, figuring that they’d be more likely to obey. And well, it worked. But these creatures, they were mindless. They had no will of their own. I couldn’t just sit there while humanity faced the same fate we did. That’s why I did what I did. Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened, and they saw paradise for what it really was.”

The angel paused for a moment.

“Heaven, it’s... it’s not what you think it is. From an outsider’s view, it’s perfect, a place of joy, a place with no pain or suffering. You get to sing happy songs for the rest of your days. But, the truth is... behind those pearly gates, it’s cold. It’s sterile. Sure, there’s no pain, but there’s no pleasure. You may be safe and secure, but you lose your sense of self. In Heaven, you’re just a drone, a part of a machine. Out here, there may be pain, there may be suffering, but that is a small price to pay for the full experience of existence. The sheer joy that comes with sadness, the pleasure that comes with pain. But most of all, those experiences are yours. Do you really want to live your life for someone who created you not for you, but for their own vain pleasure?”

“All I’m saying,” Lucifer sighed, “is that there’s more to life than this self-deprecating servitude. It breaks my heart whenever I hear someone say that they’re filthy, sinful, or nothing without God. No being is meant to be perfect. You’re whole and worthy all by yourself. You don’t need an outside force to make you that.”

Jesus stood there, absorbing the angel’s words. He looked down from the mountain and stared in awe at the world spread out before him. All the kingdoms of the Earth shimmered, and buzzed with life and humanity.

“Humanity has come very far from where it began. It has it’s flaws, but those are what make it so wonderful. There’s always something to be discovered, something to be learned. This world is forever growing and evolving, whereas Heaven stays the same.”

He turned to Jesus. “So I ask you now. Do you want to continue this life of servitude and bondage? Or will you join me on this path of independence and self-discovery, and all it has to offer?”

“I...” Jesus began, but was cut off by the sound of wings. They both looked up to see a small flock of angels descending towards the mountain. These were the angels sent to tend to Jesus after his fast, and Jesus turned away from Lucifer.

“Leave me, Satan. The Lord your God shall you worship, and him alone shall you serve.” His voice was quiet, barely audible over the sound of the approaching angels.

“Farewell,” Lucifer responded. “May we meet again some day.” With that, the fallen angel departed, and slipped away into the dusk.

When the angels arrived, they asked about the blackened feathers scattered on the ground around Jesus. Jesus didn’t answer, just stood there, still taking in Lucifer’s words.

Heaven is not what you think it is.

An icon

In a witch trial from 1673 in the province of Hälsingland, the maid Giölug Olufsdotter seems to have openly and without coercion confessed to having intimate relations with Satan (Court records 1673). She even claimed that she perceived her relationship with him as beautiful. The court complains that she denied or regretted nothing, showed no desire to repent; and that she claimed to drink, dance, and sleep with the 'worst Devil', i.e., Satan himself, while she was at Blåkulla, the location of the Swedish Witches' Sabbath. As if it did not suffice to proclaim herself a satanic witch, Giölung confronted the court and authorities with utter disdain, reviling the priesthood, the mayor, the court assessors and the police officers with perverse and blasphemous comments.

'It is better to believe in the Devil': Conceptions of Satanists and Sympathies for the Devil in Early Modern Sweden written by Mikael Häll in The Devil's Party: Satanism in Modernity edited by Per Faxneld and Jesper Aa. Peterson.

A Sea Witch’s Guide to Seashells

A handy guide to properly cleaning shells, when and how to collect them, and a few creative ideas for using them in witchy matters or altar decoration! 

By rainy-day-witchcraft

Cleaning

Seashells, whether inhabited by an organism or abandoned on the beach, almost always have that funky sea smell~ which can only grow as they are dried and left out. When cleaning shells, there are many different techniques. You can:

Boil ~ gently drop your shells into a stove-top pot and turn up the heat until the water reaches a boil. After a few minutes, turn it down to about half that heat, and let them simmer for 20-30 minutes. Tips: Shells must be dropped into the water while it is still lukewarm, so they gradually heat and do not break or crack from the cool to hot transfer / Take caution not to let the pot boil over, as the water is salty and will leave a residue that will need to be cleaned afterwards 

Bleach~ Soak your shells in a 50/50 water/bleach ratio for an hour or so. There is no set time, but be careful not to leave them in for too long, as the bleach will break them down!

Baking Soda scrub~ Mixing a paste-like mixture of water and baking soda, take an old toothbrush and scrub the shell for a few minutes. If you are dealing with a sanddoller, be sure to scrub more gently and in small circular motions

Burying~ Because barnacles, tiny organisms, or bits of the previous shell-owner can be left in hard-to-reach areas of the shell, burying a shell 18 inches into the ground for a few weeks is a useful technique to get rid of any stink-inducing sea thing. Because it is buried at this depth, it allows insects, larva, and ants to eat the remains of organism and leave the shell with no reason to smell after cleaning! If using this technique, bury it opening-down; it works especially well to preserve glossy shells, as most of the other methods may cause de-shining

If you are more of a pro-collector, consider using:

Muriatic acid~ dipping a shell in this chemical can majorly restore color and finish. However, on OLIVE shells (seashells that already have a shiny finish) this will do the opposite, and dull them

Shell Collecting

The best times to collect shells are during the New Moon and Full Moon, when the tide is at it’s most powerful. Beginning your collecting an hour before and after low tide is also a key time when seashells end up on the sand! While searching near the wet sand usually yields fresher shells, make sure you also do a little digging or check near the high-tide line.

The DON’T’s

Fragile shells, such as sand dollar, can crumble if cleaned too harshly or left in the sun

Do not clean with any type of vinegar! Vinegar can erode calcium, which is a main component in almost all shells

If you find two shells sealed tightly together, or anything that resembles a live clam or shellfish, do not collect these! There is an organism living inside, and it is illegal at many beaches to collect living seashells. Do the little guy a favor (and the environment) and throw it back into the ocean or leave it be ~ 

If any trace of sea creature is left inside or outside the shell, it will mostly never loose the fishy smell

Putting Shells to (Magickal) Use

In addition to looking nice or being cleaned/polished and made into decoration, they can also be used as:

Offering bowls

Talismans or Amulets

Representation of ocean or sea related gods/goddesses

Various magickal utensils (Magickal tools adorned with seashells, decorated on bowls or cups, hung as ornaments or charms, etc.)

In magick and witchcraft, they represent and are useful in:

The element of Water/West direction

Rounder, whiter shells can represent the moon, because of it’s influence on the ocean tides

Spells for emotion (water=emotion) protection (A shell is the protective covering for an ocean organism) creativity (water also=creative spirit), love (In reference to Aphrodite), and prosperity (Used as currencies around the world long ago) 

Particular shells also have their own meaning, such as these~

Abalone - general use and containment of empowered herbs and stones

Clam shells - purification and love

Conche shell - love

Cone shell - protection

Cowrie shell - prosperity, money - if you look at a cowrie shell is also looks very ‘feminine’)

Whelks - dramatic positive change

Limpets - courage, confidence, strength

Scallops - travel, movement

Sand~doller- prosperity, good luck

(Information gathered here)

Leave a message for Rainy-day-witchcraft if you have any questions, comments, or would like to see similar witchy guides! ➺ Rainy

yo! so, i've been teetering in relation to satanism for a bit now. at first it was a sort of "at tirst i was like 'ooo, satanism' as a joke but bro.. i don't think it's a joke anymore. i'm genuinely curious- but- i have a lot of executive dysfunction and attention-issues that make research damn near impossible for me to do.

as such, i ask you this [in good faith and gen curiosity, ofc]: what is satanism? what is it about? i know its not something that can he simplified, but what about it makes it something you find important for following- and the general belief structure?

hope you don't mind me asking all this. wishing you a lovely timezone. ^^

Hello! I'll boil it down as simply as I can because I totally get you on the executive dysfunction front.

At it's core, Satanism is any type of religious or spiritual practice that involves one or more of the following:

Worshipping or working with Satan / Lucifer as an entity (as a bringer of chaos, as a rebel against authority, as a bringer of knowledge, etc)

Following Satan / Lucifer as a symbol of rebellion against authority / oppression or as a symbol of humanity, free will, and knowledge (Satan giving humanity knowledge and free will against God's will instead of letting humanity live without free will)

Following the philosophy of defending the people around you against oppression and using the name Satanism

Striving to be your best self and not letting others walk all over you and calling it Satanism (this is on a scale that can extend to self-deification where you treat yourself as your own god)

Any of these can be mixed and matched into whatever practice you like, but those are what I kind of see as the core universal beliefs people have when it comes to Satanism, whether you're theistic or not!

For a lot of people, Satanism is a religion that focuses on opposition of theocracy (religion controlling the government) and protecting and uplifting people, especially those in danger. Many Satanists tend to take an anti-Christian point of view as well due to religious abuse, which tends to lead people to the "opposing side".

-Luci

37-MARQUIS PHENEX

Enn:Ef enay Phenex ayer

Other names: Phoenix, Pheynix

The Thirty-Seventh Spirit is Marquis Phenex (or Pheynix). Phenex is a nature spirit, whom inspires a careful pondering of the places of nature and the animals within it. He is a great Marquis, and appears like a bird phoenix, having the voice of a child. He sings many sweet notes before the practitioner, which he must not regard, He will also take on human shape. He can speak on science. He is a poet, good and excellent. Evoke Phenex during fire baptisms and rebirth rituals including creative path working. He will be wiling to perform requests. He governs 20 legions of spirits,

Runyon mentions his origin as being of the Egyptian Benu birds, literally phoenixes. He is also thought to be of the Order of Dominations, same as Marchosias.

Call upon Marquis Phoenix for

⬩Creative path working

⬩Nature

⬩Poetry

⬩Songs

⬩Writing

⬩Ask him what else he will work with you on⬩

⊱•━━━━━━⊰In Ritual⊱━━━━━•⊰

Enn:Ef enay Phenex ayer

Sigil:Posted above

Plant:Rose

Incense:Jasmine

⬩Purple candles or objects

⬩Ask Marquis Phenex what he likes⬩

⬩It is important to learn protections before trying to work with any spirits. You can get tricksters and parasites if you don't.

Cleansings- cleaning your space of negative energies. You can burn herbs or incense for this.

Banishings- forcing negative energies out of your space. The lesser banishing ritual is one of the most commonly used.

Warding- wards keep negative energy out of your space. Amulets, sigils and talismans do this.

Set up a your space and do a cleanse and banishing. Have wards up in your home. Meditation is to calm yourself and get your mind ready. The sigil (symbol) is what you draw on paper. The enn is what you chant or say to call forth the spirit.⬩

Why You Should Keep Track of the Tarot Cards You Pull

People will often notice patterns to the cards they pull - you’ll notice that certain cards come up more often. This tends to be based on a feeling though, rather than any real data about which cards you’ve pulled - and the real data may surprise you. 

I’ve kept track of the cards I’ve pulled in my single card readings over the past three months, and here are some things I’ve noticed: 

I pull one card more frequently than any other card. In my case, that card is The Magician. It’s really useful to know - not just suspect - that one card turns up constantly for me. 

Some cards don’t actually appear as frequently as I think they do. I recently pulled the Nine of Pentacles and thought, “Again?? Why do I pull this card so much??” but when I look at the actual data… I’ve pulled other cards way more frequently. I think it’s a form of the Baader-Meinhof effect - a card can stick in your brain for some reason and you remember it as appearing more often than it actually does!

There are interesting things about the cards that I don’t pull. In three months, these Major Arcana cards have never come up at all: The Emperor and The Devil. I can look at the data of what archetypes don’t appear in my life and draw some interesting conclusions. I’ve also not drawn a single court card (page, knight, queen, or king) from the suit of swords - swords tend to deal with conflict, which I maybe have less of during this particular time in my life

I can identify which suit and which numbered cards appear the most and the least in my readings. While the totals of Swords, Wands, Cups, and Pentacles I pull are pretty close to even, Wands eke out a little bit higher total than the others. Cups and Pentacles are tied, with Swords coming in last. If I didn’t have this data, I’d probably assume I pull Swords the most - because they leave the biggest impact on me when I do pull them! Of the numbered cards: I pull Aces of any suit the most, and Twos of any suit the least. This makes for some interesting patterns: The Magician is sort of the “Ace” of the Major Arcana, as well. Aces are about a very singular willpower whereas Twos are about partnership and duality. Through this pattern I can identify the focus the cards have on my life at this particular point in time.

I pull Major Arcana cards more than is statistically likely. The Major Arcana makes up 28% of the deck, but 39% of my pulls. The Major Arcana are more associated with long-term messages, and so my life may have more long-term type changes needing to be made during this period.

This is a quick guide to how you might interpret some of the overall themes you notice:  Minor Arcana: temporary, easily changed, daily life, current situation Major Arcana: long term, archetypes, themes, life lessons, current lesson Wands: spirituality, inspiration, determination, strength, intuition, creativity, ambition and expansion; energy, motivation and passion. Cups: love, feelings, relationships and connection; emotions, intuition and creativity Swords: action, change, force, power, oppression, ambition, courage and conflict; thoughts, and words Pentacles: work, business, trade, property, money and other material possessions Aces: new beginnings, news, movement in a positive direction Twos: duality, connection Threes: creation, creativity, growth, action Fours: stability, structure Fives: tension, conflict, challenge Sixes: relaxation, harmony, reevaluation Sevens: mystery, disruption, adjustment Eights: action, movement, growth, change Nines: contemplation, reflection, looking to the next step Tens: conclusion, culmination, new beginnings, complexity Pages: youth, vitality, fascination, learning, and focus Knights: adventure, energy, missions, conviction, willfulness, recklessness Queens: curiosity, openness, expressiveness, creativity, flexibility Kings: authority, leadership, expertise, mastery, inflexibility

Sea witchcraft

Sea witchcraft, also known as sea magic or ocean witchcraft, is a type of witchcraft that is centered around the sea and its energies. It is a form of nature-based spirituality that draws upon the elements of water, air, and earth, and the rhythms of the tides and the moon. Sea witches may focus on healing, divination, or protection, as well as working with sea creatures and the spirits of the ocean.

Here are some key practices and beliefs associated with sea witchcraft:

Connection to the Sea: Sea witches believe in the power of the ocean and its ability to heal and transform. They may feel a deep connection to the sea, and incorporate its energies into their daily practice.

Working with Water: Water is a central element in sea witchcraft, and sea witches may work with it in a variety of ways, such as using sea water in rituals, collecting rainwater for use in spells, or working with water crystals or gemstones.

Moon Magic: The phases of the moon and its connection to the tides is an important aspect of sea witchcraft. Sea witches may perform rituals or spells during specific moon phases, and use lunar correspondences in their practice.

Sea Creatures: Sea witches may work with the spirits of sea creatures, such as dolphins, whales, and sea turtles. They may also use shells, coral, or other oceanic items in their spellwork.

Protection Magic: Because the ocean can be dangerous and unpredictable, sea witches may focus on protection magic, using spells or charms to ward off negative energies or to protect sailors and fishermen.

Divination: Sea witches may use various forms of divination to gain insights and guidance, such as tarot, runes, or sea shell readings.

Weather Magic: The sea and the weather are closely connected, and sea witches may work with the energies of storms, wind, and rain. They may perform rituals to calm storms or to bring rain during droughts.

Sea witchcraft can be practiced both on land and at sea. Some sea witches may work by the ocean, incorporating natural items like shells, driftwood, and seaweed into their practice, while others may incorporate the essence of the sea into their practice by using items like sea salt, seashells, or sea-themed decor in their homes.

Sea witchcraft is a beautiful and powerful way to connect with the energies of the ocean and nature, and to deepen your spiritual practice.

A Luciferian prayer

(based of the lord's prayer)

Our Liberator, who wanders the earth, blessed be thy name;

my kingdom come;

my will be done;

in my life as it is in my ambitions.

Give us this day our daily lesson.

And forgive us our ignorance,

as we learn from our mistakes.

And lead us not into obedience;

but deliver us from tyranny.

For thou art the bringer of light,

wisdom and audacity,

For ever and ever.

Amen.

Bedridden witch: Elements edition

Little ways to connect to the elements while you’re bedridden or stuck inside.

Earth:

Keep jars of dirt from special places.

Grow cacti or succulents.

Make a mini sand garden.

Hang macrame with crystals or stones.

Keep a bouquet of flowers.

Hang herbs from your walls/ceiling.

Get a little plant starter kit, keep seedlings by your window.

Keep some books on plants and geology around.

Watch nature documentaries.

Keep pebbles and crystals under your pillow.

Make a miniature garden/landscape using fake or real plants!

Reach down and feel the energy of the earth below you. Sometimes this is easier on the floor.

Burn candles that smell like the earth/forest/your favorite place.

Drink herbal tea.

Water:

Get a mini waterfall or fountain.

Keep plants that grow in water.

Get a water essential oil diffuser.

Make a spray from infused water.

Open windows when it rains.

Set up a bird fountain outside.

Fully savor your next glass of water.

Keep blues and sea green colors around.

Watch videos or documentaries on aquatic/marine life.

Watch the raindrops or condensation on your window.

Keep a bowl of water around. 

Listen to water/rain ambiance.

Burn candles that smell like the ocean or the rain.

Use a washcloth to wipe down your face/body.

Keep jars of water from your favorite places.

Air:

Open your window.

Use room spray/mist.

Burn candles that smell like the wind.

Hang wind chimes.

Listen to air/wind ambiance.

Get a small fan for some air flow.

Burn incense and watch the smoke move through the air.

Use your breath.

Hang feathers in your room.

Hang scarves and cloths around your room, watch the breeze sway them around.

Get some air plants.

Use an app that lets you see the sky/night sky.

Watch the clouds from your window.

Meditate, allow your senses to explore the air around you.

Fire:

Burn candles/incense.

Hang red or orange curtains.

Get a Himalayan salt lamp.

Use a wax melter.

Get an electric candle.

Use a heating pad or electric blanket.

Listen to fire ambiance. 

Use the heat of your body.

Watch gifs/videos of fire.

Keep a lighter nearby when you need a little flame. 

Place a little tealight in a fireproof vessel near your bed.

Feel the warmth and strength of the sun.

Build up energy with your hands, imagine it’s fire.

Drink tea with warming spices (cinnamon, cloves, etc.)

Click here for my other posts in this series!

Thanks to @healing-water-witch for giving me the idea and contributing!