General Etiquette For Working With The Dead

Pathworking and Astral Travel

In spirit work, we often connect with the spirits that have crossed over and are present in the physical world. However, there are also ways to cross over into the spirit world and connect with spirits in their home environment.

Pathworking

As I mentioned in a previous post, a pathworking is a specific type of meditation where you go on a psychic journey, but are still anchored to your physical body. It’s sort of like dipping your toes into the spirit 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.

Your entry/exit point can be absolutely anything, but common examples include a door, a gateway, a tree (or sometimes The World Tree), a cave/tunnel, or a natural landmark like a beach or mountaintop. What’s important is that it’s recognizable and easy to find your way back to.

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. 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.

Pathworking is fairly beginner friendly, and I highly, highly, highly recommend starting with pathworking and becoming comfortable with this method before trying astral travel. Even for more advanced witches, pathworking is often a better option than astral travel because it’s less involved and requires a little bit less effort. I personally prefer pathworking for most situations.

Performing a Pathworking

Before you begin, establish a clear goal for your pathworking and write out a rough “road map.” At the very least, you should know what your purpose is, where your entry point is, and how to find your way back.

Begin in a dark, quiet room. Cleanse the room by burning incense, diffusing or spraying essential oils, or using a ritual broom to sweep out old energy.

Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down and begin meditating. You may want to play meditation music, practice breathing techniques, or use some other method to help you reach a meditative state.

Once you reach a meditative state (you should know what this feels like if you have experience with meditation), see yourself standing at your entry point. This is your entrance to the astral realm.

Set out on your pathworking.

When you are ready to leave the astral realm, you will need to find your way back to your entry point. Once you reach your entry point, it should be fairly easy to return to your body.

Once you’re fully present in your physical body, use your favorite method to ground yourself.

Write down everything you experienced during your pathworking in a journal.

Astral Travel

If pathworking is dipping your toes into the spirit world, astral travel is diving in the deep end. Also called spirit flight and hedge riding, astral travel includes actually sending your soul/consciousness out of your body and into the spirit world. As you might guess, this is more complicated and requires more effort than pathworking. For this reason, astral travel is not beginner-friendly. If you are completely new to meditation, witchcraft, and spirit work, it’s best to learn to pathwork before you attempt astral travel.

A word of warning: you may want to avoid astral travel at times when you’re in a very vulnerable or volatile emotional state. Some days you just aren’t up for it, and that’s okay. On those days, a pathworking or another form of spirit work may be a better option.

Triggering Spirit Flight

In astral travel, a trigger of some kind is used to help disconnect the soul from the physical body. Common triggers include drumming, special music, shaking a rattle, chanting, and dancing.

You can find shamanic drumming tracks on YouTube that can help you achieve astral travel. If you find that repetitive motion helps you trance out, you may look into getting a small drum or rattle to play.

Animal Guides

In many cultures, those who travel into the spirit world do so with the guidance and protection of an animal spirit. From the Norse fylgja, to the shamanic power animal, to the witch’s familiar, history is full of examples of these types of guides.

Before you begin astral travel, do a pathworking to meet your animal guide. It’s important to note that you aren’t choosing an animal guide — only meeting one that has always been with you. Your guide may be an animal that you like or identify with, or it may not. When I first began experimenting with astral travel, my guide was a coyote — an animal I had never identified with before, but who I learned was deeply connected to my inner self.

It’s important to always have your animal guide with you when going on astral journeys, as they are an important source of protection and power. They may also literally guide you to the things you need to see and the spirits you need to meet.

Flying Ointments

Historical accounts describe witches using “flying ointment” to help them achieve spirit flight. These traditional flying ointments contained toxic and/or hallucinogenic plants like belladonna, datura, henbane, mandrake, and opium poppies. For obvious reasons, most modern witches do not use these herbs.

Please do not try to create your own flying ointment with poisonous plants. If you’re a true traditionalist and feel like you just have to try a historically accurate flying ointment, Bane Folk Apothecary sells several. Bane Folk is run by Sarah Anne Lawless, a kickass witch who knows her stuff and produces safe, medicinal products inspired by traditional flying ointment formulas. I am usually very pro-DIY, especially when it comes to witchcraft, but this is one case where it really is best to defer to a professional.

To create a modern, non-toxic flying ointment: heat eight ounces (or one cup) of poppy seed oil over low heat on the stove. Once the oil is warm, add 2 ounces (or ¼ cup) of beeswax into the oil. (Use carnauba wax for a vegan alternative.) Take the mixture off the heat, and allow it to cool off a bit. Once it has cooled (but before it’s begun to solidify), add nine drops each of mugwort essential oil, star anise essential oil, and peppermint essential oil. Pour the mixture into a mason jar and seal tightly. To extend your ointment’s shelf life, add a few drops of Vitamin E oil and store in the refrigerator. If you don’t have access to essential oils or prefer a more traditional method, you can buy dry herbs and infuse them into your oil instead — to do this, crush up 2.5 ounces (or 1/3 cup) each of dried mugwort, star anise, and peppermint and add them to a mason jar; add enough oil to the jar to cover the herbs completely, with about an inch of oil above them; seal the jar and place it in a sunny window for 2-3 weeks to infuse; and finally, strain the herbs out of the oil with a mesh sieve or a cheesecloth. You can then add your Vitamin E oil and beeswax to create an ointment.

This modern recipe does not contain hallucinogens, but it does contain plants that are commonly used in magic to increase psychic abilities and aid in astral travel. You can say an incantation over this ointment while making it to add some extra magical potency. Applying the flying ointment can also become a sort of ritual that prepares you for spirit flight by helping you slip into a more spiritual head space.

Performing Astral Travel/Spirit Flight

Before you begin, know why you are journeying to the spirit world. You should always have a clear goal for your astral journeys.

Begin in a dark, quiet room. Cleanse the room by burning incense (mugwort incense aids in astral travel), diffusing or spraying essential oils, or using a ritual broom to sweep out old energy.

Use your favorite method to ground yourself.

If you are choosing to use a flying ointment, rub it on your skin now.

Hold a protective item in one of your hands. I like physical items for protection during spirit flight, because they can ground you and help you find your way back to your body. Examples of protective items include a sprig of rue, a piece of iron, or a protective crystal like black tourmaline. If you ever feel scared or uncomfortable during your journey, you can bring this object into the astral realm to protect you. It will also keep your body safe while your consciousness is occupied.

Start up your trigger, whether this is drumming, rattling, dancing, etc.

Allow yourself to drift into a trance state, and then to disconnect from your body.

Call your animal guide to you.

Set out on your journey in the spirit world.

When you are ready, feel yourself returning to your physical body. Allow yourself to come back slowly — don’t rush it.

Ground yourself. One good way to ground after astral travel is by eating a snack.

Write down your experiences in a journal.

Resources:

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

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

Hedge Riding by Harmonia Saille

“How to Make Herb-Infused Oils for Culinary & Body Care Use” and “How to Make Herbal Salves” from the Mountain Rose Herbs blog

whatever

I would like to again big up libraries as safe spaces for people of all types!

I had a psychotic episode in my local library while I was in there working and had convinced myself that I was in a bubble dimension and if I left the library I would die, and that being what had happened to the librarian because I hadn't seen them in an hour (it's a small, local library. You can see the librarians desk from where I sit to work)

Now obviously they weren't dead, they were just in the little office that I couldn't see into.

I'm also lucky enough to be a very self aware psychotic, so I reached out to my support network to make sure I got home safely. But none of them could actually get me OUT of the library and I was still absolutely certain that if I stepped off the carpet and onto the tile, I would die.

So I got up, I made my way to the desk, I found the librarian and I said "I need your help. I'm having a psychotic episode and this is what I currently believe. Could you please come out from behind your desk and stand on the tiles so I can see it won't kill me?"

And they did. They didn't shame me, or laugh, or tell me it wasn't real. They said "Yeah, that must be scary." And thanked me when I admitted I'd thought them dead and been really upset about that because I liked them.

And then stood there on the tile, while I stood on the carpet, for ten minutes while I chatted shit and tried to build up my courage to step on the tile, just in case. Including telling me that if this happened again and I needed to call someone, to disregard the usual 'don't call people in the library' rule and just do so after I promised I was going to be calling my husband the second I was on the tile so he could safely walk me home.

(& so no one worries: my husband got me home safe, and a friend came to check on me a little while later and brought me food and I'm fully Cognizant and out of it now)

I cannot imagine another place where I could approach someone and say that and not get the police or an ambulance called on me. Neither of which I needed or would have been helpful.

I cannot imagine another place where a member of staff would stand somewhere for ten minutes to make sure I felt safe enough leaving.

I cannot imagine another place where I would not only be explicitly welcomed back, but be told "If this happens again here, disregard our normal rules to take care of yourself."

I cannot imagine another place on this earth that I would feel safe enough returning to, 3 days later, after an episode like that.

Libraries are a fucking Godssend and should be protected at all costs!

Animals in Sea Witchcraft

Hi everyone! I had a lot of questions about animals in sea witchcraft and what they represent so I thought I’d make a list <3  Because the sea is home to many animals and plants of different shapes, sizes, and species, animals in sea witchcraft is important and can make your craft more versatile. 

Before I list all the animals and what they can do for your craft, I want to talk about first how you can implicate characteristics of the animals. You can use the sound they make during rituals or spell casting to incorporate their characteristics or make your spell/ritual stronger. You can use a picture or statue of them to incorporate in rituals, or carry a statue or picture of the animal to give yourself their characteristics. You can put the picture or statue under your pillow (if the statue is small enough and you’re okay with it) to bring you dreams that pertain to their characteristics. 

Sea turtles These are very old creatures, so they carry with them the characteristic of wisdom and patience, and because of their shells, they also carry the characteristic of protection and strength. They can also represent home, and carrying home with you wherever you go- a characteristic of being rooted. In Hawaii, they represent good luck.  Uses: Use for good test scores or quality work, rooting for yourself or others, insight, and anxiety.

Dolphins Dolphins are very fun and intelligent creatures, carrying with them the characteristics of intelligence, charisma, playfulness, open-mindedness, helpfulness, community, love, and companionship. They are one of the more versatile of ocean animal totems, because they can represent so much. Depending on your intent for using the dolphin in your craft, the characteristic will come out into your work. Some other characteristics might also come out to help make your work even more versatile.  Uses: pretty much anything honestly. Mainly used for companionship, such as strengthening bonds that might be strained or broken. 

Manatees Manatees are an underrated animal in witchcraft. Manatees have the characteristics of relaxation, flexibility, open-mindedness, patience, and self acceptance. In our world today, we have no time to slow down and relax or take 5 minutes to reflect on ourselves. When stressed out or stuck in a tight situation, try incorporating the manatee’s energy into your work. The energy of manatees will slow you down and give you the relaxation and open-mindedness you need to reflect and will give you the self acceptance you need.  I highly suggest using this animal in your craft.  Uses: Stress relief for yourself or others, depression, anxiety

Whales There are many different kinds of whales, all with different characteristics. As I don’t what this post to be too long, I plan to go into all the different species in a different post, but for now I will share what characteristics are generally attributed to whales.  Whales carry the characteristics of power and creativity, as well as friendship/friendliness, and emotion / self discovery and awareness. Because of their size, their power shines through. The unique and individual songs whales sing represent their creativity. Whales represent friendship and friendliness, as well as some undertones of patience.  Whales can reach deep depths of the ocean, representing ourselves reaching deep into our minds and emotions and bring about self understanding, discovery, and awareness. The whale can help us understand our emotions and who we are.  Uses: Good for when you or someone you know feels weak or helpless, good for calming after someone or yourself has done something against you or someone else, as it helps to calm and understand.  Rays Rays are a popular creature at many aquariums and during many sea life tours. There are multiple species, like the string ray, manta ray, butterfly ray, etc.  Just like with the whales, I’ll probably go into them into another post but say the general characteristics.  Rays represent fluidity, grace, flexibility, protection, and camouflage/blending in. Rays move with grace, carrying a go-with-the-flow and fluidity and flexibility characteristic. Because they are called “the birds of the sea,” they also carry a characteristic of freedom and flight. Use rays in your work when you want to let go of something that might be causing you stress and bring your mind to a place of go-with-the-flow, as well as getting out of the situation gracefully and protected. Rays also help with blending in to surroundings, and can be helpful especially helpful for people with anxiety.   Uses: Anxiety, procrastination, stress

Jellyfish Jellyfish are known for being dangerous because of their stingers, but they can teach us important lessons. Jellyfish carry the characteristics of harmony, balance, responsibility, and learning from our mistakes. They can also represent self love. Jellyfish represent harmony and balance, being in harmony with the environment around them and being balanced. They represent being cautious and being responsible, looking around for danger before stepping into the water. When we dive in head first into something we haven’t taken the time to reflect on, we can get stung, so jellyfish represent learning from our mistakes. They can also have an undertone of self love, as once put in danger or feeling threatened, the jellyfish will attack and won’t put up with someone walking on them. 

Uses: Use during divination or prayer before making a big decision, or use the jellyfish for reflection after a mistake you made to help you learn from it and get out of the mistake a changed person.  Otter Otters are incredibly friendly and cute animals, and are a famous attraction at zoos. Otters are more of the smaller marine creatures, and can represent being one fish in a whole ocean full of them. Otters carry the characteristics of usefulness, wit, curiosity, freedom, and relaxation or “wind down time.” Otters are easy going and can help after a stressful day of work or school, or just a stressful day in general. They are extremely witty and can use the resources around them, such as when they use rocks to open shells for food. They represent freedom in that they are happy where they are, and happy as an individual, like being a small part of a huge ocean.  Uses: Use the otter when someone you know or yourself has had a stressful day,week, month, year, etc. Use the otter to become more witty and see solutions in the area around you, even when there seems like there is no solution.  Seal Seals are another popular sea creature, and represent open-mindedness in seeing two sides of a story and seeing different view points. They represent difficulties that will come to you and the balance to fight against or go with the difficulties. Seals can see above and below water, two entirely different worlds, so the seal can help you see two entirely different worlds of the same story, or can help someone you know to understand. The two ways of seeing the world also represent two paths that you can take- you can either fight against difficulties that come your way, or just swim along with them and let them pass. If you are having difficulties balancing your life, maybe balancing personal and professional life, the seal can help with this too.  Uses: Use the seal whenever there are 2 options and you don’t know which one to take, or use it when you want further understanding.  Orca / Killer Whale The orca is part of the dolphin family, unlike what the name suggests. Orcas carry the characteristics of understanding, peace, intelligence, community, and quick learning. Orcas are intelligent and are quick learners and can easily learn new tricks, whether these be taught or something they learn themselves. They bring about peace and understanding, as often times people misunderstand orcas. If you feel misunderstood, use the orca. Orcas travel in pods and create their own distinct “language” within their pods, so they can not only represent community and relationships, but also the orca has a meaning of understanding one’s language and using one’s words.  Uses: Expressing yourself, especially in the case that someone has misunderstood you and/or your relationship with someone is deteriorating or is broken. Also can be used during studying or reading to learn things quickly and absorb knowledge.  Seahorse The seahorse is a popular animal in many aquariums. Seahorses represent uniqueness, love, good luck, rooting/anchoring, and determination. Because of the uniqueness in not only their appearance but also in the way they procreate, seahorses represent uniqueness and can bring out the uniqueness in you. They are monogamous, and sea horse couples rely on each other, which represents the love the seahorses bring about. They are a symbol of good luck. They anchor themselves to plants like grasses and can be helpful with rooting/anchoring. Because these little creatures have small fins, they can easily tire and die from exhaustion, but they keep going, representing determination and endurance.  Uses: Use seahorses before working to root yourself and anchor yourself. Use them during spells or other work that takes a long time and determination to accomplish, such as energy or spirit work. You can also use the seahorse to strengthen relationships, especially love.  Shark The shark has the characteristics of protection, power, awareness/alertness, understanding, and determination. Sharks are territorial creatures, feeling threatened when something is in its territory and always ready to strike back if something gets too close. They protect their territory, and they have immense power. They are always aware and alert of their surroundings, and are constantly moving forward, representing determination. Like the orca, sharks are often misunderstood, so they carry the same meaning as the orcas.  Uses: Use the shark when you feel threatened and want to be more aware and alert and want protection from whatever is making you feel threatened. Use the shark when you want power and determination. The shark is especially good for people with anxiety, and are good for people who are or want to be head strong and confident.  Starfish The starfish, or sea star, is a very common attribute of the sea. When we sea pictures of the beach or sea, we will generally sea sea shells or star fish. These beautiful creatures carry the characteristics of aliases and blending in, disguise, balance and harmony, wishes, and flexibility. Sea stars can be called many different names, and hence represent aliases and disguise. This can also translate into them blending in, as well as how they blend in with their surroundings. They can see black, white, and gray, and represent a balance and harmony, like yin-yang. There will always be a little black in the white and there will always be a little white in the black, and nothing is set in stone or perfectly outlined. Because of their star shape, they represent wishes and prayer, and can be helpful during these actions. 

Uses: Use the starfish for making decisions and during prayer or when making wishes. This can also be in spell casting or potion making to heighten the potency of the spell/potion. Use the starfish for blending in and going by unnoticed. 

That will be all for now, but if there are any animals you want to know the attributes of or want to know what attributes go to a certain animal, please message me and I’d be happy to help!  Overall you can use these animals in any way, whether you use their energy for spirit work, energy work, potion making, spell casting, rituals, worship, prayers, divination, dreaming, etc. Keep in mind that you need to have an intent that you want the animal to bring out, and be open minded to having other effects resulting from the use of the animal as well.  The sea represents harmony, balance, self love, self acceptance, self discovery, self awareness, emotion, power, beauty, and so much more, so the use of pretty much any sea animal will also carry the attributes of the sea. It mainly depends on your intent for using the animal.  I hope this helps with your craft and hopefully it helps all of you every day, whether you have a good or bad day.  Thanks for reading!

"we don't have girl talk, we have creature talk," my roommate Julia just said while rolling on the floor, "put that on your fucking tumblr, they'll love that shit"

My spidersona hehehr

She's a student and a part time graphic designer + secretly a hacker ;))

Her outfits color changing properties were inspired by an alexandrite gemstone I got irl btw

Hey sorry i didnt text back, ive been having a bad day since i was about 9

Stuggling with spidersona

Ugh I;ve had this idea for a spidersona for a few weeks now drawn them over like 50 times and i still just can’t get it to look right. I’m well aware of my lack of art experience it just gets so frustrating to see something in your head and not be able to put it down on paper. kill me

Sailing the HMS Bounty 2010 from Maine to Puerto Rico, at this point she was off Bermuda. The filmer Marc Castells had the camera on his head and he said that the weaves were over 18 feet ( 5,5 m) tall

Source

I'm reminded of this: