Beginner Witch's Guide: Crystals

Beginner Witch's Guide: Crystals

Today's witchy lesson is on crystals! Specifically, crystal shapes and their meanings, types of crystals and their meanings, and what you can use crystals for in your practice!

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Basic Crystals and Their Meanings:

Clear Quartz -> Clear quartz is known for its ability to amplify intention and magnify the energy of other stones around it

Selenite -> Selenite is good for cleansing and purifying the area and objects around it

Amethyst -> Amethyst provides a peaceful and relaxing energy

Carnelian -> Carnelian is known for boosting creative energy and allowing for better creative flow

Rose Quartz -> Rose quartz is known for supporting and amplifying love of all kinds (self love, romantic love, platonic love, etc.)

Pyrite -> Pyrite (also known as 'Fool's Gold') is known for drawing in success and fortune

Obsidian -> Obsidian sucks in negative energy from the surrounding space providing protection from unwanted energies and negativity

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Crystal Shapes and Meanings:

Cube -> Cube shaped crystals are often tied to grounding and would be good to use during meditation or meditative spellwork.

Sphere -> Sphere shaped crystals are thought to be more balanced with the energy they emit, splitting it evenly in all directions. They are good to use in grounding work (like meditation) or for protective spells/energy.

Pyramids -> Pyramid shaped crystals are most commonly associated with the idea of communing with celestial bodies or with the universe. Pyramid shaped crystals would be beneficial to use in deity worship or working with deities for spellwork.

Tower/Point -> Tower and point shaped crystals are known to amplify intention and point it in a certain direction. In my opinion, they are the most universally helpful shape and so can be used for a variety of spells.

Palm Stones -> Palm Stones are flat disks of stone that can be placed in one's palm and are often used to provide soothing energy. When placed in the palm they can be rubbed to provide therapeutic relief in moments of anxiety.

Cluster -> A cluster is a mix between a sphere and a point. The energy is emitted in all directions, but not evenly. They are most beneficial for spells and powers you want amplified, but don't need to be even or concentrated in one particular area.

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General Crystal Tips:

When purchasing crystals, make sure the ones you are buying are coming from reputable, ethical sources and are actual crystals!

Before letting any crystal come in contact with the sun or with water, make sure it is safe to do. Some crystals are known to leech harmful chemicals or elements into water when submerged while some will just erode away in minutes. Some crystals can also fade if left in direct sunlight for a long time (amethyst is one of these so keep that in mind!)

If you do not like working with crystals, think something works better for you than crystals, or simply are just not interested in working with crystals, they are not necessary for the craft! Crystals (like any other witchy tool) are optional but can not only provide useful energies or attributes, but also just look super cool and are great to put on altars or in spaces around your home!

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Well, that's all for my beginners guide to crystals! There are so many more crystals out there with their own unique shapes, attributes and energies that I suggest going and doing more research as you start to collect crystals! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out, I love talking to people and love making new friends <3

Valete my friends! :3

worshipping the chthonic gods

first, a note on cthonic vs ouranic: the line between these gods is one that is not really as stark as it can be portrayed. many gods have both ouranic and chthonic aspects, and neither make them any more "good" or "bad" than the other. chthonic gods are not evil gods, at least no more than any ouranic god. all deities have the capability of doing good and evil, but are largely ambivalent in nature. the advice listed below is not set in stone, simply provided as gentle guidance. if you have suggestions, feel free to add them in the comments/reblogs! :)

LIBATIONS/OFFERINGS

In Ancient Greece it was very common for offerings to the chthonic gods to be given in the form of libation--a drink (or any liquid) poured into the ground. Solid offerings, like food, were often burned in their entirety to ash or left to rot, instead of being partially shared by the offeror. Incense was not as commonly used since the smoke travels upwards, towards the heavens.

I suggest disposing of/keeping ashes and rotted food outside or burying them, seeing as chthonic sometimes refers to "-of the earth." This would be similar to how curse tablets were treated in Ancient Greece, as Hermes, messenger of the gods, would deliver them unto their underworld-ly receiver from there.

If you can't do that, consider pouring your libations down the sink or flushing them down the toilet (ONLY do this with water-based liquids, oil and honey will clog up your sink in no time flat). It's not ideal, but it gets the job done.

Common libations include: coffee, blood (animal or your own, we'll get to that at the end), honey (instead of wine), milk

Common offerings include: meat, barley/grain, oil, cheese

PRAYER

In many cases, prayers to ouranic deities are directed upwards, into the sky or delivered unto the wind by voice, song, or some sort of poem. In the case of the chthonic gods, we should be directing them downwards, towards the underworld where they reside. This may include extending your hands with palms facing down, putting your head down, or just imagining your prayers being sent below. The only exceptions to this may be Persephone, who resides in the heavens for half of the year, and Hermes, who can be considered both ouranic and chthonic.

Other recommendations I can make are: light a candle, even if you're not going to use it for pyromancy; light some incense (I do this for focus and cleansing, not so much for the deity); and perform it at night. It's not mandatory, of course, to perform your prayers at night, it's just that in antiquity ouranic activities (festivals, prayer, etc.) were done during the day and often directly enshrouded in sunlight. We can assume, therefore, that a chthonic prayer or festival should occur during the night, especially if being directed towards Hekate or Nyx.

ALTARS/SHRINES

In Ancient Greece, temples to the ouranic gods were constructed so that their doorways would directly face the sun, thus illuminating the inside (and often the main statue(s), too). We can assume, then, that our chthonic altars/shrines should be located somewhere out of the direct sunlight. This can be in a dark spot, like a closet or isolated room--or it can just simply be in a corner furthest from the sun's rays.

Again, there may be some exceptions to this: Hermes, under his ouranic epithet(s), Persephone, for her time in the heavens, and Hekate, for her association with the moon.

DIVINATION

For the most part divination with the chthonic gods is conducted in much the same way as with the ouranic. Of course, when calling upon these deities you'll want to face towards the ground, and perhaps even conduct these sessions in partial darkness. Again, maybe you could light a candle or even pour a libation before a really big reading.

I mostly use pendulums and tarot, but I've been experimenting with meditation and have had some luck. What works for ouranic deities should work just as good for chthonic, you just might have to shift your approach a little.

Some good tarot spreads for working with chthonic deities:

"Fork in the Road" spread-- for Hermes or Hekate

"The Tower" spread-- for Hermes or Hades

"The Self Exploration" spread-- for any

"The Bat" spread-- for Hades or Persephone or Nyx

EXTRAS

--Consider offering blood if you're able! Animal blood that is sourced from ethical farms is neither morally reprehensible or illegal and can be sourced from a variety of places. Offering your own blood is also a possibility, but for this I would not recommend more than a pinprick. There are limits to how much pain you should be incurring on yourself for your deities. If you have to check your blood sugar often, maybe you can soak up excess blood with some cotton and bury it outside. Make sure to always clean your wounds properly and do not engage in this behavior for the purpose of self-mutilation. That, I can assure you, your deities would not appreciate. Don't be stupid.

--Snakes are commonly associated with almost all chthonic deities, or just the Underworld in general. We see this the most with Hermes, who is pictured with two snakes wrapped around his caduceus. The god Asclepius is also pictured with a staff with a single snake on it. Asclepius is the god of medicine, and (before being deified) was killed by Zeus for making people practically immortal.

--Chthonic deities are the best places to turn to for spirit work, protective, and baneful magic. You're looking to contact a spirit? Turn to Hades. You're looking for protection against spirits/demons? Turn to Hekate or Hermes. You're looking to cast a curse? Turn to Persephone or Hekate.

dividers by @vibeswithrenai

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.

some simple subtle every-day worship I do as an Aphrodite devotee!

always using rose-scented body soap

showering every single day to honor my body, even when i have no spoons left (i always feel better after, anyway)

lighting Her candle and facing Her altar as I do my nightly skin care routine

writing romantic scenes or poetry dedicated to Her (hear me out, writing is my comfort and coping method, it's not for everyone but i've been writing every night since i was 10)

wearing subtle makeup from Her altar that draws attention to my natural features (it's sparkly blush and eyeshadow bought from a local apothecary)

painting my nails a gentle sparkly nude color (Her favorite color nail polish sitting on Her altar!) and looking at them in the sunlight every day

paying attention to my body's needs throughout the day, being kind to myself by drinking enough water and eating even when i'm not hungry to keep my body healthy and happy

noticing romance in strangers, like a girl on the phone with her boyfriend on the bus after a long day; finding love and its energy in all that surrounds me

trying hard to fight my excoriation disorder and not pick at my face or head and each time i pull my hands away from myself, i thank Her!

avoiding putting labels on myself and letting myself be open to changes in my sexuality or romantic preferences—love knows no bounds and is constantly changing

may Mother Aphrodite bless everyone who reads this posts with her kindness and warmth 💗

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.

gang can we please normalize not doing massive things as worship, good for you: you can do massive fesitvals, cook great meals for your gods, devote days and days to them. im sorry i literally cant do that i get tired from simple readings and i barely manage to play music for apollo on a good day how about i take a deep breath for my gods instead, drink a juice for them (because if i put it on my alter TRUST i will forget), find quotes on Pinterest instead of making poetry for my gods because i silently cringe while making them and say the quotes like a prayer. if its humane, you can do it for your gods regardless on extravagance. if they accept you they accept your actions too