Happy Litha (also known as the Summer Solstice) AND Strawberry Full Moon! What a beautiful junction of two powerful lunar events and at relatively the same time. What is Litha? What is the Strawberry Full Moon? And how can you celebrate or embrace the energy of the day?
Litha (Summer Solstice)
Litha, also known as the Summer Solstice, is one of the most significant celebrations in the Wheel of the Year for many witches, especially those who love working with solar energy in conjunction with lunar energy. The Summer Solstice marks the longest day and shortest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and the peak of the sun’s power.
This sabbat is a time to honor Sun Deities, such as Ba’el, Apollo, or Ra in his full glory and celebrate the abundance of the Earth. It’s a time of fertility, growth, and renewal. Rituals and spellwork during Litha often focus on themes of prosperity, success, and personal empowerment.
Traditionally, many spiritual practitioners would gather herbs, flowers, and other plants at their peak potency for use in magic and medicine. Bonfires were lit to symbolize the sun’s power and provide a space for celebration and ritual. It’s also a time to give thanks for the bounty of the Earth and the coming harvest.
For modern witches, Litha is an opportunity to connect with the natural world, harness the sun’s energy, and set intentions for the coming months. It’s a powerful time for spellwork related to career, relationships, and personal growth.
Strawberry Full Moon
The Strawberry Full Moon occurs annually in June, and it is incredibly rare for it to land so perfectly timed with Litha—but here we are in 2024 with everything beautifully aligned!
The name for this full moon comes from it occurring at the peak of the strawberry harvesting season, which symbolizes fertility, abundance, and the ripening of intentions planted during the spring. That makes this particular lunar window of time one of celebration of the fruits of one’s labor, both literally and metaphorically.
Spiritually, the Strawberry Full Moon also encourages practitioners to reflect on their personal growth, nurture their goals, and express gratitude for the blessings flowing toward them. It’s an opportune moment to perform rituals focused on manifestation, self-love, and embracing the natural cycles of life.
So how will you celebrate these two lunar and solar events?
Recently, I was asked to put together a series of resources on divination, and specifically within the divination category, resources on runes, so this article is the beginning of many resources to come.
Runes are an ancient form of divination that originated in Northern Europe. Runes are a set of symbols, each with its own meaning, that are cast or drawn to provide insight and guidance. Practitioners of rune divination, known as rune casters, interpret the patterns and positions of the runes to gain an understanding of a person’s past, present, and future. Runes are often used to gain clarity on important decisions, identify potential obstacles, and connect with one’s intuition. The practice of rune divination remains popular today as a means of self-reflection and spiritual exploration.
When people begin the process of learning divination, they are tapping into a large supply of energy and wisdom within themselves and can quickly become susceptible to being drained, exhausted, fatigued, etc., so it’s incredibly important to take divination slow.
Grounding before divination is important as it ensures that you are connected to your body, the material realm, and very much present for any messages that will come through. You can ground your energy in several ways including, spending time in nature, walking barefoot on the grass or soil to feel the connection to the earth, sitting crisscross on the ground to connect your root energy source to the earth, imagining roots growing from your feet into the earth anchoring you firmly, practicing intentional breathing exercises, and more. Remember that grounding is a personal practice, so feel free to explore different techniques and find what works best for you.
To cleanse the energy of your space before practicing divination, you can smoke cleanse with sacred dried herbs, sound cleanse with bells or singing bowls, or utilize energy-clearing sprays like Florida water or other cleansing blends. Each method has its unique way of clearing energy and creating a positive environment for your divination session, so use whatever method is easily doable and works best for you. Remember to be intentional through the process, so if you are going to cleanse with burning dried herbs, for example, do not simply wave the burning herbs and smoke around, but set your intentions and focus on cleansing the space you’ll be working in of any negative or stagnant energy so that you have a neutral starting point.
After cleansing the space to bring it to a neutral state energetically speaking, you’ll then want to protect yourself and the space from any additional unwanted energies from entering during the divination session. This is a critical step as it helps minimize the risk of any disturbances or connecting with any energies that aren’t aligned with your highest good. Protection can be implemented by setting an energetic boundary, such as casting a circle, if this aligns with your spiritual path and beliefs, wearing protective crystals, such as black obsidian, black tourmaline, or hematite, or casting a protection spell.
Gather your runes:
Rune sets typically consist of 24-25 runes, each representing a different symbol or meaning. Our preferred runes are the Elder Futhark Runes since they are the oldest known runic alphabet (used from around the 2nd to 8th centuries CE), but there are multiple different types including, the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc: A variant of the Elder Futhark used in Anglo-Saxon England from the 5th to 11th centuries CE, the Younger Futhark: A simplified version of the Elder Futhark used in Scandinavia from the 8th to 12th centuries CE, Medieval Runes: Runic alphabets used in Scandinavia and Iceland from the 12th to 15th centuries CE, Staveless Runes: A type of runic alphabet without the characteristic vertical “stave” lines, and Bind Runes: Ligatures formed by combining two or more runes into a single symbol, and Icelandic Runes: Runes used in Iceland from the 16th to 19th centuries CE.
Elder Futhark Runes:
Cleanse and consecrate your runes:
This can be done through meditation, visualization, or ritual. This helps ensure the runes are energetically neutral so that any messages to be received can come through clearly.
Cast the runes:
Hold the runes in your hands and focus your intention on the question or issue you want to explore. Cast onto a flat surface, such as a cloth or board. Allow them to fall randomly.
Interpret the runes:
Interpret the runes that fall onto the cloth or board face-up. Look at their individual meanings as well as their positions and relationships to each other. Use your intuition and knowledge of rune meanings to provide insight into the question or situation.
The position of a rune within a rune cast or spread can provide important context for its meaning. Runes placed in the central or focus position tend to represent the core issue or energy at hand. Surrounding runes can provide additional details, influences, or potential outcomes related to the central rune.
The relationship between runes is also significant. Runes that are next to or touching each other often have a synergistic meaning, combining their individual energies. Runes that are reversed or inverted may indicate challenges, obstacles, or a less favorable expression of that rune’s qualities. Runes that are far apart in the spread may represent disconnected or conflicting elements.
The overall pattern formed by the runes can reveal larger themes, cycles, or dynamics at play. Paying attention to the spatial relationships, alignments, and clustering of the runes can help uncover deeper insights and meanings in the rune reading.
While learning to effectively cast runes, record your runecasting session for future reference and reflection. At the end of your session, be sure to give thanks to the runes, the spiritual realm, and any other spirits present for the session (if applicable) and properly store your runes until the next time you wish to cast them.
May you walk your path with wisdom and prudence. Blessed be on your journey of spiritual growth and healing.
Recently, I was asked to put together a series of resources on deity work and honor, so this article is the beginning of many resources to come.
In pagan and spiritual beliefs, deities are considered powerful, divine beings that embody different aspects of nature, the universe, and human experience. These deities are often revered for their wisdom, guidance, protection, and support on humans’ healing journeys. They have unique qualities and characteristics that influence various aspects of life, such as love, fertility, war, healing, wisdom, and creativity.
Deities can take many forms, including personified gods and goddesses, animals or symbols, frequencies or energies, and more. Many spiritual practitioners understand deities as interconnected forces that exist within and around us, guiding us on our spiritual journey and helping us connect with the divine energies of the universe.
To start off this article and topic, let’s discuss what we mean at the Sacred Wisdom Society when we are talking about deity work or honoring deities.
Deity Work — This involves directly contacting, communicating with, building a relationship with, and tapping into the energy of a specific personified (persona = mask) god or goddess. Working with a deity can be a one-off, a short-term connection, or a long-term partnership.
For some, depending on their goals and intentions, they may invoke or evoke a deity for a single ritual, such as Aphrodite in a self-love working.
In other situations, a deity may be present for a finite window of time while someone is navigating a new chapter in their life, such as Brigid in seasons of creativity.
And in some instances, deities may be in someone’s life for a longer duration, such as when someone is a daughter or son of a god or goddess, a devotee of a deity, or even a priest or priestess to the entity. These types of connections formed with the gods are not for the faint of heart, nor are they intended for everyone to pursue. They also are not required for any type of spiritual or occult path you’re pursuing, so do not feel pressured to dive into deity work if you don’t feel the pull of a god or goddess or have a natural draw to the field.
Honoring Deities — This involves the acknowledgment of the role or title of a particular deity. Anyone can honor any deity and not work with them, venerate them, or be devoted to them. This typically comes from a general place of respect for the being in question but doesn’t have the same weight and expectations of actually working with them on a regular basis. Think of this as having admiration for a celebrity. You might have a poster or things that are symbolic of them in your home, but you wouldn’t claim them to be a personal friend or family member of yours when you don’t actually know them in that capacity.
As briefly mentioned above, deity work is for spiritual practitioners who feel called by a particular god or goddess to actively build a relationship with them and potentially even devote themselves to the higher being. This isn’t meant for everyone, but for those who are called to it, I have no doubt you will find a great deal of fulfillment through the process. On the other hand, honoring a deity is something that can be practiced by anyone regardless of their spiritual path much like how anyone can admire a celebrity and enjoy their energy, what they represent, etc.
Everyone is different, of course, but for me and many other spiritual practitioners, diving into deity work or even simply choosing to recognize or honor a particular being is incredibly fulfilling. For me, I often see and hear the being I’m working with, and nearly every time, I am in awe of their beauty and moved to tears by the love and comfort of their energy. Each god and goddess has their own “vibe” and brings different emotions and feelings to the surface, so that can play a big role in how you feel once you start dabbling in this practice as well.
Absolutely not. Can it be difficult and uncomfortable at times because it requires us to be spiritually open and learn to heal ourselves through these higher connections? Yes, of course. But it is not inherently dangerous or evil, though anytime we dabble in the spiritual realms, we can certainly become susceptible to malicious unseen forces, that is why the practice of grounding, cleansing, protection, banishing, and spiritual discernment is incredibly important.
Most definitely. Though the intentions for how deity work is used is ultimately up to the spiritual practitioner, if your goals are to heal and grow personally and help others as well, then it can certainly be used for good. Alternatively, as with any spiritual practice, the knowledge and wisdom that comes with dabbling in deity work, or even the way their personified energies can be evoked and invoked, can certainly be used to bring about destruction and harm to both the living and the dead as well. This makes it all the more critical to be discerning, mature, and prudent in how you navigate these relationships, and how you’re working with the energy. As with all things though, the choice is yours in how you practice and what you do with this power.
While it can sound scary to dabble with something so weighty, we do not need to fear deity work itself, as long as we are educated on what it is, know how to properly ground, cleanse, and protect ourselves before practicing, and are clear on our intentions, there is so much healing, growth, and transformation simply waiting to burst forth.
As with any spiritual practice that aims to connect with the other side, spirits, or the deceased, it is important to understand that there are beings in existence that are malicious or malevolent in nature. If at any point you find yourself dealing with an entity that is parasitic, know that this is NOT the spirit of a god or goddess, but rather an entity whose only intention is to feed off the life force of whatever host it can latch onto. If you are unfamiliar with these types of entities, I would strongly caution you against dabbling in deity work until you are well-educated on them, as you can put an unnecessary target on yourself. You can learn more about parasitic entities here.
If you’re already familiar with the fundamentals of grounding, cleansing, protection, banishing, and parasitic entities, you’ll have a good basis for everything that we’ll dive into relating to deity work and honor. However, if your only goal is to honor a deity and not necessarily communicate or work with them, don’t stress yourself out about these other topics, though they are helpful to know regardless of your path.
Within paganism and deity work, many deities are grouped into “pantheons” which are lumped together often based on region, culture, or religion that recognized a certain set of gods and goddesses. At the Sacred Wisdom Society, we understand that this division is important for people to categorize different beings while still recognizing the synchronicities between them, but with that being said, we don’t particularly like to view divine beings in man-made constructs like pantheons if we don’t have to—for the sake of simplicity though, and aiding you on your research, we’ve highlighted below a small handful of pantheons and popular gods and goddesses that people work with or honor. Generally speaking though, we typically steer away from the pantheon “boxes” that gods and goddesses are put into, especially when thinking about the 117 epithets of Spirit, or Lady Wisdom, that are fundamental to our beliefs at the Sacred Wisdom Society.
Greek Pantheon:
Popular deities people petition from the Greek Pantheon: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, Demeter, Dionysus
Mesopotamian Pantheon:
Popular deities people petition from the Mesopotamian Pantheon: Anu, Enlil, Ea, Marduk, Ishtar, Shamash, Nanna
Egyptian Pantheon:
Popular deities people petition from the Egyptian Pantheon: Ra, Osiris, Isis, Anubis, Horus, Thoth, Bastet
Canaanite Pantheon:
Popular deities people petition from the Canaanite Pantheon: El, Ba’el, Asherah, Astarte, Anat, Mot
Norse Pantheon:
Popular deities people petition from the Norse Pantheon: Odin, Thor, Freya, Frigg, Loki, Baldr, Heimdallr
Grounding before any form of deity work is incredibly important as it ensures that you are connected to your body, the material realm, and very much present for everything that is to follow. You can ground your energy in several ways including, spending time in nature, walking barefoot on the grass or soil to feel the connection to the earth, sitting crisscross on the ground to connect your root energy source to the earth, imagining roots growing from your feet into the earth anchoring you firmly, practicing intentional breathing exercises, and more. Remember that grounding is a personal practice, so feel free to explore different techniques and find what works best for you.
To cleanse the energy of your space before performing any type of deity work, you can smoke cleanse with sacred dried herbs, sound cleanse with bells or singing bowls, or utilize energy-clearing sprays like Florida water or other cleansing blends. Each method has its unique way of clearing negative energy and creating a positive environment for your deity energy work, so use whatever method is easily doable and works best for you. Remember to be intentional through the process, so if you are going to cleanse with burning dried herbs, for example, do not simply wave the burning herbs and smoke around, but set your intentions and focus on cleansing the space you’ll be working in of any negative or stagnant energy so that you have a neutral starting point.
After cleansing the space to bring it to a neutral state energetically speaking, you’ll then want to protect yourself and the space from any additional unwanted energies from entering. This is a critical step as it helps minimize the risk of parasitic entities or malevolent beings from sneaking their way into your space while spiritual doorways or portals are “open” — do not ever skip protective steps when performing any type of deity working, even if it’s a seemingly simple or straightforward practice. Protection can be implemented by setting an energetic boundary, such as casting a circle, if this aligns with your spiritual path and beliefs, wearing protective crystals, such as black obsidian, black tourmaline, or hematite, or casting a protection spell, or utilizing a protective ward.
You can protect your space and create a protective circle with the support of the elements using the steps below.
Facing East, speak: “Thank you to the East and the element of Air for protecting and assisting me through this deity working, allowing only the divine being I aim to connect with to be present, and preventing any energies that aren’t aligned with my highest good from entering this sacred space. Hail and welcome!”
Turning right and facing South, speak: “Thank you to the South and the element of Fire for protecting and assisting me through this deity working, allowing only the divine being I aim to connect with to be present, and preventing any energies that aren’t aligned with my highest good from entering this sacred space. Hail and welcome!”
Turning right and facing West, speak: “Thank you to the West and the element of Water for protecting and assisting me through this deity working, allowing only the divine being I aim to connect with to be present, and preventing any energies that aren’t aligned with my highest good from entering this sacred space. Hail and welcome!”
Turning right and facing North, speak: “Thank you to the North and the element of Earth for protecting and assisting me through this deity working, allowing only the divine being I aim to connect with to be present, and preventing any energies that aren’t aligned with my highest good from entering this sacred space. Hail and welcome!”
After effectively grounding yourself and cleansing and protecting the space you’ll be working in, here are a few different methods that I have personally used to practice deity work as taught to me by my spirit guides. Remember, after the deity working is performed, you will want to close out the ritual in reverse order by re-protecting yourself and your space, re-cleansing yourself and your space from any lingering negative or stagnant energy, and re-grounding yourself to diffuse built-up energy from the working itself.
After the deity working, you’ll want to re-protect your energetic field to repair any places where vulnerabilities may have arisen following connecting with liminal space. Take a moment to visualize your energy being slowly mended and strengthened before closing out the protective circle that was created with the support of the elements. These steps will be done in reverse order from how they were first performed.
Stand up and facing North, speak: “Thank you to the North and the element of Earth for protecting and assisting me through this deity working, allowing only the divine being I aimed to connect with to be present, and preventing any energies that aren’t aligned with my highest good from entering this sacred space. Thank you and farewell.”
Turning left and facing West, speak: “Thank you to the West and the element of Water for protecting and assisting me through this deity working, allowing only the divine being I aimed to connect with to be present, and preventing any energies that aren’t aligned with my highest good from entering this sacred space. Thank you and farewell.”
Turning left and facing South, speak: “Thank you to the South and the element of Fire for protecting and assisting me through this deity working, allowing only the divine being I aimed to connect with to be present, and preventing any energies that aren’t aligned with my highest good from entering this sacred space. Thank you and farewell.”
Turning left and facing East, speak: “Thank you to the East and the element of Air for protecting and assisting me through this deity working, allowing only the divine being I aimed to connect with to be present, and preventing any energies that aren’t aligned with my highest good from entering this sacred space. Thank you and farewell.”
Be intentional going forward to protect your energy. Find what works best for you, whether it be veiling (wearing a head covering), wearing protective crystals, wearing a protective talisman or amulet, shielding through glamour magick, or whatever your preferred method is.
To cleanse your energy (and space if you feel it’s necessary) after performing this deity working, you can utilize the same method you did at the beginning of the ritual, such as smoke cleansing with sacred dried herbs, using sound cleansing with bells or singing bowls, or utilizing energy clearing sprays like Florida water or other cleansing blends.
Alternatively, you also might opt for something that’s more personal to cleanse yourself, such as a ritual cleansing shower or bath. Remember to be intentional through the process, so if you are going to cleanse with burning dried herbs again, for example, do not simply wave the burning herbs and smoke around yourself or your space, but set your intentions and focus on cleansing your energy so that you feel clean, refreshed, and energized.
Grounding after a deity working is incredibly important as it ensures that any excess energy is redirected back to the ground/earth. You can ground your energy utilizing the same method you did at the beginning of the ritual, such as spending time in nature, walking barefoot on the grass or soil to feel the connection to the earth, sitting crisscross on the ground to connect your root energy source to the earth, imagine roots growing from your feet into the earth anchoring you firmly, practicing intentional breathing exercises, etc.
Remember, just as we tend to our physical bodies with care and attention, so too must we nurture our spiritual well-being. By cultivating a practice of grounding, cleansing, and protecting ourselves we can fortify our energetic boundaries and safeguard our essence from anything who seeks to drain it.
May you walk your path with wisdom and prudence. Blessed be on your journey of spiritual growth and healing.
Ah, the mysteries of All Snakes Day, a lesser-known but intriguing alternative to Saint Patrick’s Day in the mainstream world—but very much a popular topic each year amongst pagan peoples.
Celebrating “All Snakes Day” each year on March 17th as a protest against St. Patrick’s Day has become common amongst modern pagan peoples in response to the myth of St. Patrick driving out the “snakes” in Ireland. This has long been regurgitated as a metaphor for suppressing or driving out Druid Priests and Pagan Peoples during the rise of Irish Catholicism.
Though there are many opinions floating around and little historical evidence to back these claims, here is my personal take on it. Despite St. Patrick not being personally responsible for every action that took place relating to the rise of monotheism, and specifically Christianity, in Ireland at the time, he very much has become a symbol for that era and movement.
If anything, the fact of Patrick’s much smaller role in Christianizing Ireland should be a reason to do away with St. Patrick’s Day, not All Snakes Day. Yet, Irish and Irish-descended people, along with plenty of non-Irish people, continue to celebrate his myth every March. Why? Because myths have power; when they are amplified through many voices and many years, they gain even more power.
All the while, the sacred symbol of snakes as a representation of esoteric wisdom and the Great Goddess, has been continuously trampled over the centuries. When I think of All Snakes Day, regardless of the significance (or lack thereof) of St. Patrick’s role in Christianizing the “heathen” lands, I love the idea of honoring and celebrating the serpent, a symbol of transformation, rebirth, and healing not just in Celtic culture, but throughout ancient traditions worldwide.
Sure, there may not be historical evidence of an Irish pagan genocide or a great violent Druid Priest purge—but the rise of monotheism has no doubt altered the world as we know it today from it once was. Many of us who choose to continue celebrating All Snakes Day are simply fighting myth with myth, and recognizing a symbol that is representative of who we are and what we believe rather than celebrating an individual who does not hold significance to us in our nature worship and pagan practices.
Now when we dive into fighting myth with myth, I love this quote from D.R. Bartlett,
This is where it gets slippery; we’re treading into the realm of myth and symbol, which is notoriously “faulty” and not at all “logical.” That those who created the myth of Patrick – probably Medieval monks, aided and abetted by story-telling commoners – assigned the man who supposedly Christianized Ireland with also cleansing it of serpents isn’t a random coincidence. Neither was it thrown in as some secondary superpower, like making roses bloom in the desert; the snake is a very powerful, significant symbol in Christianity. Of course there isn’t an explicit connection between snakes and Druids in the literature. That’s precisely because snakes were already understood symbols that listeners could infer what they stood for: Druids, soothsayers, or whatever other un-Christian group is currently in the Church’s crosshairs.
So, in summation, the whole St. Patrick myth is just that – mythology. He didn’t convert the whole island to Christianity all by himself and Ireland never had any snakes to begin with. Again quoting Daimler, “Bad history does Paganism no favors.” I agree. So what does all this have to do with modern-day Pagans and All Snakes’ Day? It has to do with power: specifically, the power of myths and symbols. As commenter Crossing the Abyss states on Daimler’s blog, “mythological histories are far more significant psychologically than actual historical events.”
D.R. Bartlett
St. Patrick, “driving out the snakes” represents, factually or not, Catholicism’s conquest over Paganism in Ireland. So for me, choosing to celebrate All Snakes Day, is about continuing to follow the old ways. Embracing that which has been believed to be lost, forgotten, or done away with. And honoring the Great Goddess, and all of the goddesses associated with snakes, serpents, and sacred wisdom.
For those on a Celtic Pagan path, the goddess Brigid is one of the primary divine beings associated with snakes. Brigid’s connection with snakes deepens her role as a guardian of esoteric knowledge, guiding seekers through their own personal transformations and illuminating the hidden mysteries of the universe. Just as the snake spirals around itself in a dance of constant renewal, so too does Brigid inspire us to explore the deeper mysteries of our existence and emerge wiser.
Hekate, the triple-formed goddess of the crossroads, magic, and the underworld, is often depicted accompanied by snakes as symbols of transformation and renewal. Her wisdom transcends boundaries and guides those who seek her counsel through the depths of their soul.
Lilith, a figure of feminine power and independence, is often associated with serpents as symbols of wisdom and temptation. Lilith embodies the untamed aspects of femininity and challenges societal norms with her fierce spirit.
Medusa, while often misunderstood as a monster, Medusa’s story holds deeper truths. The snakes adorning her head symbolize hidden wisdom and protection. Those who gaze upon her reflect on their own inner darkness and fears.
Meretseger, the Egyptian cobra goddess of the Theban necropolis, Meretseger watches over sacred lands with a vigilant eye. Her serpentine form embodies protection and guardianship over hidden knowledge buried beneath the sands of time.
Renenutet, The Egyptian cobra-headed goddess of nourishment and abundance, Renenutet’s serpentine presence signifies the cycles of growth and harvest. She bestows blessings upon those who cultivate wisdom with patience and diligence.
Wadjet, the Egyptian cobra goddess of protection and royalty, Wadjet’s image adorns crowns as a symbol of divine authority. Her wisdom shields those who honor her with grace and guidance.
Nagapooshani, the Hindu serpent goddess revered for her transformative powers and connection to primal energy. Nagapooshani’s serpentine form represents the kundalini energy that rises within seekers on the path to enlightenment.
Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare, Athena’s association with snakes reflects her strategic intellect and ability to navigate challenges with grace. Her wisdom shines like a beacon for those in search of clarity amidst chaos.
Astarte, the Phoenician goddess of fertility and war, is often depicted with serpents coiled around her arms, symbolizing rebirth and regeneration. In her embrace, the snake represents the shedding of old skin to reveal a new self, much like the cycles of life and death.
Isis, the Egyptian goddess of magic and motherhood, is closely associated with the serpent as well. In Egyptian mythology, she used the power of snakes to protect her child Horus, and to bring healing to the sick. The snake here embodies protection and healing energies, guiding us through the shadows to find light.
Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of love, music, and joy, also shares a connection with serpents. In some depictions, she wears a headdress adorned with horns and a sun disk flanked by cobras. These serpents symbolize her power to strike down those who threaten her devotees while also representing the duality of life – both destructive and regenerative forces intertwined. feeding off them for quite some time.
Honor the serpentine energies that weave through the mysteries of the universe.
May you walk your path with wisdom and prudence. Blessed be on your journey of spiritual growth and healing.
Blessed be, Wise Ones!
Blessed be, Silent Ones!
Blessed be, Serpents!
In a society where everything that was once considered good is labeled as “evil,” the impact on individuals who are naturally drawn to healing, the earth, mother nature, homeopathic remedies, and esoteric wisdom can be profound. This shift in societal perception not only challenges their beliefs and values but also undermines their ability to contribute positively to the world.
When a society dismisses or demonizes practices that promote healing and connection with nature, it creates a disconnect between individuals and their innate inclination toward holistic well-being. Those who seek alternative methods of healing or rely on traditional remedies may feel marginalized or misunderstood. Their knowledge and expertise in areas such as homeopathy or esoteric wisdom are undervalued or even ridiculed.
This societal conditioning can have detrimental effects on both individuals and the collective consciousness. People who are naturally drawn to these practices may suppress their true selves out of fear of judgment or rejection. They might feel isolated and struggle to find acceptance within mainstream society.
Moreover, when societies disregard the importance of nurturing our relationship with the earth and its resources, they risk damaging the very foundation that sustains life. The consequences can be seen in environmental degradation and an overall disregard for sustainable practices.
It is crucial for societies to recognize the value of diverse perspectives and alternative approaches to well-being. Embracing a more inclusive mindset allows for a harmonious coexistence between traditional medical practices and holistic healing methods. By honoring both scientific advancements and ancient wisdom rooted in nature’s principles, we can create a more balanced society that prioritizes individual well-being alongside environmental sustainability.
At the core of its definition lies the understanding that what we call magick is the energy that flows through everything in the universe. It’s this power, if you will, that allows us to heal, learn, grow, and evolve. To say that magick is inherently evil is to say that energy is evil, which would make our existence itself evil—and while that may be the conclusion some have come to, I’ll certainly never in good conscience be able to take a stance that plants, trees, water, blood, animals, or any other thing that has life flowing through it is evil because it has an energetic component. We “practice magick” every time we think, breathe, pray, meditate, make tea, care for others, cook, clean, dance, and everything in between. Magick is as interconnected to us as water is to the ocean.
The ancient origins of the title “witch” far pre-date the ideas of treachery muddied up in Halloween, spooky stories, and sermons of fire and brimstone. The word at its essence means someone who works with or is devoted to the pursuit of wisdom or is a wise person. So to condemn witches as being “evil” means you would also have to condemn every priest, pastor, saint, angel, nun, teacher, mystic, healer, doctor, scientist, researcher, or philosopher — after all, philosophy literally means “lover of wisdom.” Witches, or wise people, understand that wisdom is found in nature, in ourselves, and all throughout the universe, not in man-made buildings labeled holy by people who prey on their congregations’ pocketbooks and fears of eternal punishment.
Having found its place in modern times as the opposite of “traditional” religious paths, such as Christianity, paganism is a way of living free from dogma and doctrine. To be pagan is to see the sacredness of life found all throughout nature, people, animals, and the elements. Paganism sees the energy woven into all of existence and says I respect and honor each aspect as having a unique place in our universe. While individual paths can vary greatly from pagan to pagan, most are connected to god/deity/source and see the different forms or personified ways that this energy can be understood through gods, goddesses, and divine beings across cultures, time periods, and lifetimes. While anyone can use their belief system to cause harm to others, there is nothing inherently evil about paganism itself.
The wisdom that is hidden or not available to the masses is often frightening to those in positions of power who aim to control what people know and have access to. Esotericism is the pursuit of the hidden mysteries of the universe that are tucked away in places we’re often taught not to look, but just because we’ve been told something is “evil” or “wrong” doesn’t make it so. Esoteric beliefs sit at the core of all religions where some teachings or rituals are only for a select group so to condemn those who pursue esotericism would require all people who study life’s mysteries and the divine to be labeled evil as well. Christian faiths have this with only certain priests or pastors being allowed to do things on behalf of the congregation because not everyone would be willing and/or capable of taking on such a role themselves. While people with access to this type of knowledge or wisdom can certainly use what they’ve learned to cause harm, that isn’t because esotericism is evil but because people can choose to misuse what they’ve tapped into. So, why not pursue what you’re drawn to?
While there are certainly parasitic entities in existence that are malevolent in nature, the term “demons” is a bastardization of the original word daemon which simply meant spirit. The collective of beings often referred to as demons in the spiritual space, such as the goetic infernal beings found in texts such as the Lesser Key of Solomon and other grimoires are heavily slanted based on confused religious ideologies and take gods, goddesses, and other divine beings of old and have reshaped them into occult demons of modern day. Not only is the portrayal of many of these beings entirely disrespectful but it is also inaccurate as to who these beings were originally before religious bias was added to their stories and lore. For example, the Canaanite god Ba’el (which meant lord or lord of EL) was divided into multiple “demonic” beings with cruel-intended names including Beelzebub (lord of filth, flies, or dung), Belial (worthless), etc., the Egyptian goddess Isis was converted into the “demon” Paimon, and the Canaanite goddess Astarte or Asherah was changed into the “demon” Astaroth. These were beings of compassion, wisdom, and death & rebirth long before they were diminished to Christianity’s man-made boxes of evil. In fact, I’d even be willing to argue that El, Astarte, and Ba’el of the Canaanite pantheon were the original divine trinity.
Put simply, divination is connecting with the divine. While some may use it for knowing certain aspects of what’s to come in the future, most practitioners use it specifically for communicating with god/gods and goddesses, divine beings the spiritual realm, etc., and growing in wisdom. There are countless forms and methods for receiving messages from the divine, such as prayer, meditation, tarot cards or oracle cards, scrying or gazing, pendulums or spirit boards, runes, and so on. Whether you are asking god for a sign through prayer or speaking with a divine being through a pendulum, both are intended to connect you with the spiritual realm and give you insight.
Samhain (a Gaelic word pronounced “sow-win”) was first observed by Celtic Pagans. Samhain marked the Celtic New Year, the end of summer, and the end of the harvest season. It also signaled the beginning of winter, which is associated with death and the dark half of the wheel of the year. On Samhain, the Celts believed the veil between the material and the spiritual realms was especially thin.
But what exactly is the veil? Why is it thin and why does it matter? “The veil” refers to the liminal space or “in-between” energetic barrier that separates the physical world from other spiritual realms, such as the realm of the ancestors, the realm of the gods and goddesses, the realm of the fae, and so on.
During Samhain, when this veil is thin, there are extremely heightened energetic happenings as spirits come and go more freely than at other points during the year. While this may not impact practitioners who are more accustomed to interacting with spirit realms, for those who are less in tune with other realms or newer to interacting with energy it can be an incredibly intense season.
This is a time though, that whether someone has been a spiritual practitioner for ages or is barely connected to spirituality at all, people across the board feel the draw to connect with those who came before them. This is our favorite way to celebrate and honor the Samhain season by connecting with our protective ancestors, the ones who walked before us and are loving and benevolent.
Life is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, meaning that spirit never dies, just as physics teaches us that energy is never destroyed only transformed. The family unit is composed of both the living and the departed, the essence of the departed is ever-present and as such can be activated anytime. Whilst the ancestors are no longer present in the physical they still can communicate and act as spiritual guardians to their descendants by offering support and guidance along their life to help overcome challenges and tap into one’s potential.
While countless ancestors have come before us and are a part of our heritage and family lineage, that does not mean that they are all inherently good people, have our best interests in mind, or are energy that we want to carry forward with us. Ancestors who perpetuated patterns of abuse, trauma, and harm, not only do we want to be intentional to avoid carrying the negative aspects forward with us, but we also want to ultimately unwind and break the generational cycles that have been created. That doesn’t mean that those who were not good people should be discarded, as they are still a part of us. But instead, we can send them love, cleansing, and healing energies while maintaining boundaries to protect ourselves and future generations.
This is why, as practitioners, we are intentional about calling forward our protective ancestors in our workings, communications, and rituals. This ancestral communication can take place in various ways including through meditations, dreams, visions, synchronicities, nature, signs, sounds, and so on. The most important thing to understand about connecting to and communicating with your ancestors is the power of your intention. Once you make the decision to connect with your protective ancestors, you will find that the pathway of communication opened.
Below I have put together a simple ritual for connecting with your protective ancestors during Samhain. As with most rituals I perform, I start with protective and grounding exercises and then carry out the ritual using a form of representation of the spirit(s) being connected with, a beacon or fuel source to guide and honor the spirit(s), and the magickal power of my intentions to carry out the actual working.
What you’ll need:
While there are many methods for carrying out the below ritual, I am only going to highlight how I perform this ritual myself. You are welcome to replicate it in its entirety or modify it using your own preferred methods of protection, representation for your ancestors, preferred candle method, and so on.
Protection
Start with sitting on the ground. If you have a designated altar space for the deceased and/or your ancestors, sit in front of that setup with your representative item, candle, and offering. Close your eyes and envision a bright light surrounding you completely. Let this light permeate every inch of you until you feel warm, safe, and grounded.
Welcoming
Facing East, speak: “Thank you to the East and the element of Air for protecting and allowing me to be present in this window of liminal space. As I access the ancestral realm, I welcome my protective ancestors, and I thank you for helping guide them to me. Hail and welcome!”
Turning right and facing South, speak: “Thank you to the South and the element of Fire for protecting and allowing me to be present in this window of liminal space. As I access the ancestral realm, I welcome my protective ancestors, and I thank you for helping guide them to me. Hail and welcome!”
Turning right and facing West, speak: “Thank you to the West and the element of Water for protecting and allowing me to be present in this window of liminal space. As I access the ancestral realm, I welcome my protective ancestors, and I thank you for helping guide them to me. Hail and welcome!”
Turning right and facing North, speak: “Thank you to the North and the element of Earth for protecting and allowing me to be present in this window of liminal space. As I access the ancestral realm, I welcome my protective ancestors, and I thank you for helping guide them to me. Hail and welcome!”
Representation
Place the item (I’ll be using my grandmother’s class ring that is engraved with her initials) that represents your ancestor(s) beside the black candle and offering.
Beacon
Light the black candle intended to guide your ancestors to you and place the cup or bowl of water beside this beacon.
Offering
Place out the offering (I’ll be using red wine and pie since that was my grandmother’s favorite thing to make) for your ancestors around/beside the black candle to feed them and honor them.
Connecting
Sitting and closing your eyes, envision a doorway opening and your protective ancestor(s) coming through the gate toward you. Ask that any messages they may have for you be clearly received and state any other intentions you may have, such as honoring them, getting to know them better, etc.
Once you feel that they are with you, allow any messages they have to flow toward you. If you are not yet skilled at receiving messages through clairaudience, claircognizance, or the like, focus on how the present energy feels. Sit quietly with these feelings, allowing your body to take it all in and then gently release it. If you feel drawn to use a form of divination to communicate with your ancestor(s), you may do that as well.
Closing
When you are ready to end the ritual and communication with your ancestors for now, thank those who came forward and allowed you to connect with them, and then visualize them all leaving through the same gate they came through. Once gone, envision the doorway closing and fading away.
Stand up and facing North, speak: “Thank you to the North and the element of Earth for protecting and allowing me to be present in this window of liminal space. I say goodbye to my protective ancestors, and I thank you for helping guide them back to the ancestral realm.”
Turning left and facing West, speak: “Thank you to the West and the element of Water for protecting and allowing me to be present in this window of liminal space. I say goodbye to my protective ancestors, and I thank you for helping guide them back to the ancestral realm.”
Turning left and facing South, speak: “Thank you to the South and the element of Fire for protecting and allowing me to be present in this window of liminal space. I say goodbye to my protective ancestors, and I thank you for helping guide them back to the ancestral realm.”
Turning left and facing East, speak: “Thank you to the East and the element of Air for protecting and allowing me to be present in this window of liminal space. I say goodbye to my protective ancestors, and I thank you for helping guide them back to the ancestral realm.”
One of the fundamentals of the Sacred Wisdom Society and the esoteric path is paganism. Here is a brief overview of what this means within esotericism.
Pagan is a word that gets a bad rap in most religious communities—and rightly so. Not because paganism is inherently bad but because it encourages people to ask questions, recognize the sacredness of life within themselves and others, step into their own power as an individual, and no longer be susceptible to herd mentalities. These things often elicit fear in religious leaders who build their livelihoods on controlling others through fear. When people no longer fear asking questions, no longer fear viewing others’ lives as equally sacred, no longer fear tapping into their own power, and no longer fear swimming upstream, it is nearly impossible to control them. For religious communities, that is a “bad” thing, not because it’s actually bad, but because it no longer benefits those who have been in control for far too long.
Paganism is a call to be free from the fear of human beings in order to live in unison with nature and the divine. Paganism may be defined as someone who is one with nature, and to us, that is about respect more than anything. For we are not worshiping the trees themselves, but rather recognizing the energy and spirit that flows through them as being sacred, just as we recognize the energy within ourselves and every other person we encounter.
Every individual who identifies as pagan is unique and their paths all look different. This is because paganism is not a religion that dictates what you do and when you do it but rather encourages you to find your own way of connecting with the sacredness of life and the divinity of our existence.
Some pagans may focus solely on nature, connecting with plants and trees. They may find peace and purpose through gardening or spending time outdoors. Others may focus on their connection with energy as a whole and how it moves through different people, animals, or plants. And others still may simply allow each day to bring about a newness with zero expectations and solely focus on going with the flow. There is no right or wrong way to be a pagan or practice paganism. Simply find freedom from the oppression of religion, and if claiming the title of “pagan” is still too problematic after having claimed other labels over your lifetime, then it’s okay to simply “be.”
Pagan practitioners often recognize the feminine face of divinity. With that being said, though, there are some Pagan paths, such as the cult of Odin or of Mithras, that offer exclusive allegiance to one male god but they do not deny the reality of other gods and goddesses, as monotheists do.
As promised, I do want to clarify what is meant by the word ‘cult’ as it has always meant the specialized veneration of one particular deity or pantheon and has only recently been extended to mean the worship of a deified or semi-divine human leader in a negative light in modern times. For example, the cult of Isis would be those who are devoted exclusively to her. In contrast, non-Pagan religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, often but not always, abhor the very idea of female divinity. A closer look at the Christian bible, with a lot of recovery work on the translations and interpretations, reveals that the Holy Spirit figure of their religion was the feminine counterpart to the Father God figure. This is completely lost in modern patriarchal religion but is an erasure of the sacred feminine that can be traced back to the origins of the religion.
In the present day, the Pagan tradition manifests both as communities reclaiming their ancient sites and ceremonies, to put humankind back in harmony with the Earth, and as individuals pursuing a personal spiritual path alone or in a small group. To most modern Pagans in the West, the whole of life is to be affirmed joyfully and without shame, as long as other people are not harmed by one’s own tastes.
Friday the 13th, a date that has long been associated with bad luck, superstition, and evil. But what many people may not realize is that it’s a fascinating tale that goes beyond mere superstition and bad luck, finding its origins in the sacred goddess worship of pagan peoples. Being a less frequent occurrence in a given year, with the 13th of the month falling on a Friday an average of 1.72 times a year in the Gregorian calendar, there are a lot of conflicting beliefs depending on what your cultural background and beliefs may be. For some, Friday the 13th is a day to batten down the hatches and hide themselves away, and for others, it’s a holy day in its own right, that is to be honored and embraced.
For us, at the Sacred Wisdom Society, we hold the latter view that Friday the 13th is a sacred day. The significance of Friday in this context cannot be overstated. Known as “Frigg’s Day,” it was actually named after Frigg (/frɪɡ/; Old Norse: [ˈfriɡː]) a goddess, one of the Æsir, in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about her, she is associated with marriage, prophecy, clairvoyance, and motherhood, and dwells in the wetland halls of Fensalir. She was the Queen of Asgard, wife of Odin, and mother of Baldur. Her name translated literally as “beloved” and she was held in very high status amongst the people of the time. Sound like any other Great Lady’s you know of?
A quick Google search, regardless of your spiritual beliefs will highlight the origins of the naming of Western days of the week (much like how the names of the planets in our solar system line up with many of the gods and goddesses of ancient cultures—hmm—coincidence?) In many ancient cultures, Friday was considered a day to honor and celebrate Frigg, or the Great Goddess (singular), or all of the goddesses (plural), or the sacred divine feminine that’s in all of us, or even simply the power of the womb to bring forth life.
The beliefs when paganism are vast, with people of many different backgrounds and traditions finding their own way to connect to divinity and the universe. What many pagans had in common, though, was a true reverence for nature and the energy that connects us all, often brought into existence through the goddesses we can connect to and understand on a smaller scale, who symbolized different aspects of life, such as the moon, animals, trees, liminal space, healing, elements, etc. This reverence for the divine feminine led to Friday being seen as an auspicious day for honoring these goddesses and our own role that we play in the grand universe that we live in.
The number 13 has long been associated with mysticism and sacredness in various cultures around the world. From ancient civilizations to modern-day beliefs, the significance of this number has captured the imagination of many. One fascinating aspect of the number 13 is its connection to lunar cycles. The lunar cycle, which spans approximately 29.5 days, represents the phases of the moon as it orbits around the Earth, with approximately 12-13 lunar cycles in a single solar cycle (one year). This alignment between the sacred number 13 and lunar cycles adds another layer of mystique to their significance, with many pagans recognizing this connection symbolizes harmony between celestial rhythms and earthly existence.
Furthermore, many ancient cultures revered both numbers separately for their own unique symbolism. The number 13 often represents transformation, rebirth, and spiritual growth. This, with lunar cycles’ association with feminine energy, intuition, and cyclical patterns found in nature, makes understanding why the number 13 is considered sacred even more intriguing.
Paganism played a significant role in shaping these beliefs surrounding Friday the 13th, which was a rare conjunction between the already beloved day of Frigg or the goddess and the symbolic number 13. Over time, however, as societal norms shifted and religious beliefs changed, these pagan traditions were demonized by those seeking to establish new power structures.
According to folklorists, there is no evidence for the superstition of an unlucky Friday the 13th before the 19th century. Rumors of Friday the 13th being negatively associated with Christian beliefs, such as Jesus Christ being crucified on this day took hold of people over the last couple centuries. Other links to 13 and Friday came about with a different view of the betrayal of Jesus Christ by Judas, with 13 people being present at the Last Supper, the Norse tale of the god Baldur dying after the god Loki, a 13th guest at a dinner party arrived and mischief ensured. But regardless of how these tales seemingly ended, they all played roles in the death and rebirth cycles told through stories at the time and were never intended to be bad omens of a Friday falling on the 13th of the month.
Even in modern times, pop-culture films have harped on the fears of people surrounding Friday the 13th, known as paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia, to further perpetuate narratives of freak accidents, serial killers being on the loose, and the like.
It is important to recognize, though, that behind this superstition lies a rich history of sacredness and reverence for the divine feminine. By understanding its origins in pagan goddess worship, we can shed light on the true meaning behind Friday the 13th — an opportunity to reconnect with our own spirituality and embrace the power of nature’s cycles once again.
There are many ways to honor the divine feminine, goddesses, or even your own sacred feminine energy on Friday the 13th. Through rituals, self-care practices, and more, you can tap into the sacred energy of the feminine and foster a deep connection with the divine.
Rituals play a significant role in honoring the divine feminine. Whether it’s through full moon ceremonies, lighting a candle and meditating, or performing sacred dances, these rituals allow you to channel your intentions and connect with the powerful energy that resides within you. By creating sacred space and setting intentions, you can invite the divine feminine to guide and empower you on your spiritual journey.
Self-care is another vital aspect of honoring the divine feminine. Taking time for yourself to nurture your mind, body, and soul is an act of self-love that aligns with the nurturing qualities associated with femininity. Engage in activities that bring you joy and help you recharge — whether it’s practicing yoga or meditation, indulging in herbal baths or aromatherapy, or simply spending time in nature, find what works best for you.
Incorporating symbols of femininity into your daily life can also be a beautiful way to honor the divine feminine. Adorn your sacred space with images or statues of goddesses who embody qualities such as love, compassion, strength, and wisdom. Wear crystals like rose quartz or moonstone that resonate with feminine energy. Embrace flowing fabrics and colors that evoke feelings of femininity within you.
Remember that honoring the divine feminine is not just about external practices; it’s also about cultivating a deep sense of respect for yourself as a woman or person who identifies with femininity. Embrace your unique strengths and gifts as they align with this powerful energy. Celebrate your intuition, creativity, and compassion — all those qualities that make up the essence of femininity.
By incorporating rituals into your spiritual practice, engaging in self-care activities that nourish your soul, surrounding yourself with symbols of femininity, and embracing your unique qualities, you can honor the divine feminine and invite its transformative energy into your life. Embrace the beauty of the divine feminine within you and let it guide you on a path of empowerment, love, and spiritual growth.
What are your thoughts on Friday the 13th?
