St. Mark’s Eve : Rituals & Death

We just got through one creepy Saint’s Eve to now enter another. Saint Mark’s Eve. That time when we see the Doppelgängers of living people march to the church. It’s said that if you fast, then go to the porch of a church between 11pm- 1am, you will see phantoms of the future dead. And it’s a sure bet that persons who manifest there will die within the year.

It’s said that those who appear die in the order that their phantom appeared. Those who appear first, die first. Those last on the ghoulish parade die later in the year. The ritual is only for two hours. It’s said, that phantoms who look into the church windows will not die.

But they will get really sick within that year though. Still, better than being dead. This is also known as the Night of Mystery. These are the nights when men and women alike try their hand at divination. The death divinations originate from England.

Specifically, Yorkshire. And see where fate takes them. I know this to be all too true. Though how they came to be is anyone’s guess.

~ Marked for Death ~

During the 2020 pandemic, I wasn’t able to sneak out to a church like I normally did. There was a curfew imposed on the city at the time. You know, the measures for keeping COVID at bay. Sadly most of these idiots in Miami didn’t obey the curfews. And even less bothered to wear the masks.

Which is what led to so many deaths down here. And which is why, contrary to what the news tells you, we still have COVID deaths. Mostly in old people’s homes and in the hospitals. And at the height of the pandemic it was worse. Way worse.

My grandfather was in a home at the time. At midnight on St. Mark’s Eve, I cast the bones instead. And I asked if someone I knew would die. On this occasion, the bones said yes. I asked if it was my grandfather and again yes.

I was so shocked by the answer that I refused to acknowledge it. I called the forces on the other side liars. Even though I had properly vetted the spirits. And used holy names of Gods to activate the bones. But these were good spirits, not evil.

And in my heart I knew what they had told me was the truth. I just didn’t want to believe it. Soon after he got sick. Pneumonia they told us. I ignored the Oracle.

And convinced myself he would be fine. I did some healing work on him instead. And he seemed like he would be fine. And then one day, my mother came home sobbing. And told me he was dead.

Later there was a scandal on the news. The media reported, that over 100 cases of COVID were at that home. And something else bothered me too. They cremated him fast. Which always made me suspicious.

Why did they do it? What were they trying to hide? After all, if he died from “pneumonia” there was no reason to cremate it so fast. Heck we didn’t even know if we wanted to cremate him. And most of not all of the residents of this home were bed ridden. So where could they have gone to get infected? The disease probably came in from one of the workers who was careless. But anyways, there are other rituals for seeking out the future dead.

For example, you have the “riddling of the ashes“. This meant that you would take ashes from the Hearth (fire place). And spread them over the floor.

Everyone in the household, even the dog trying to see if death will come by the riddling of the ashes

In the morning the household would rush down stairs. If there was a foot print that matched a family member, they would die within the year. But I have proven that this time of the year is perfect for any kind of divination. So you could find this information out regardless of what divination you choose to use. In retrospect I decided to stick with it.

When I see those phantoms at the church porch, it’s hard to distinguish who they are. They appear faceless to me. And I think it would be a worse shock to see the face of someone I know. I mean what happens if it’s me I see down there? Plus there are other advantages. Too many churches have security systems now. Or even actual guards sometimes.

Like this, I can pluck the information I need out of the ether.

~ Other Rituals of St. Mark ~

Conjuration of Future Husbands

There were other rituals. For example, finding a husband. As strange as this will sound, women left their wet laundry near a fire to dry. And the soul of their future husband would appear in order to turn the clothing. To finish drying it.

Other rituals to learn about your intended spouses can also be learned through this old charm.

Nut Divination for future husbands

“Fast from sunset on St. Mark’s Eve and during the night. Bake a cake that contains an eggshellfull of salt, wheat meal, and barley meal. Set the baked cake to cool on the table and leave the door to your home open. Sometime over the course of the night your future love will come in and turn the cake. You’ll just need to stay awake to see who it might be.

Also, just as at Halloween, there is as well a long standing tradition of divination by nuts on St. Mark’s Eve. Young women would set a row of nuts on the hot embers of the hearth, one for each girl. Each would breathe the name of her intended into the hearth and if the love was to be true, the nut would jump away as it got hotter. But if the nut sat there and was consumed by the fire, the love was not meant to be:

If you love me, pop and fly,
If not, lie there silently,”

Then we have the customs of exchanging rosebuds with lovers. It isn’t magical at all. But the story is still worth mentioning.

🌹The legend of Trancedi and Maria 💀

“In Venice on St. Mark’s Day, which is tomorrow, the 25th of April, many rosebuds will be exchanged. This custom actually has little to do with St. Mark; rather, it comes from an old story of love lost: In the eighth century, not all that long before those merchants set sail for Alexandria to steal the relics of St. Mark, there lived in Venice a troubadour of humble means named Trancedi, who fell in love with the doge’s daughter, Maria, and Maria was equally enamored of the troubadour. The doge, however, was not pleased that a man of so low a social standing was wooing his daughter.

And so Trancedi went off to war in a distant land, in hopes of returning triumphant, thereby impressing his potential future father-in-law. And Trancedi did really well for himself, but, alas, just before he was to return home to Venice, was mortally wounded in battle, and in his last moments, fell upon a rosebush. He plucked a single rosebud and gave it to his friend Orlando, who was at his side, and asked Orlando to bring the rosebud to Maria. He did. She received the blood-stained flower, and the news of her love’s fate, on St. Mark’s Day, the 25th of April, and that night, she died upon her own bed, holding Trancedi’s rosebud, a symbol of love eternal. And to this day, rosebuds are exchanged in Venice on St. Mark’s Day.,”

Others will eat a dish of rice and peas.

I intend to make use of these and other rituals I find for my magic. St. Mark’s Eve is perfect for divination and love magic. But also for looking into the wider mysteries of the Universe.

Cheers,

– M

Source :

“Does St. Mark’s Eve rival Halloween for spookiest day of the year?“

“The Legends and Mysteries of St. Mark’s Eve“

“Night of Mystery,”

Evil (Holy Week Horror)

I promised I would tell you all what happened the next day after my last post. So here it goes. I cleansed my house after some spring cleaning. And then instead of blessing the house with my Exorcised Water, I used something else. My sister had gifted me some Hoodoo protection oil from Georgia.

Please ignore the clutter in the background

The lettering is faded. But no matter. The point is this oil which I never used before, works. Besides the witch who made it, my sister blessed it herself. Making it extra strong.

Though based on how potent this stuff was, I’m guessing it didn’t need much more power than it already had. Normally I use fiery wall of protection or Elegua Oil (oil sacred to Elegua) to ward my home. This was the first time I used this type of oil. It acted like fiery wall of protection. And it was just as potent.

I learned from watching a few Christian preachers and using their charms how to best apply the oil. I took the oil and liberally made crosses of protection with it on all the walls. I anointed the exists and entryways. I anointed the doorknobs. I even anointed my idols with it.

I saw and felt how Fire energy rose from wherever I applied this oil. And then I added sea salt to the windows and doors to increase the strength. All the time, I took my confirmation Bible and began reciting the Bible during the blessing.

The Book of Revelations Chapter 5,

The Book with Seven Seals

“1And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 2And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 4And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

The Lamb is Worthy

5And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

6And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

7And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. 8And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

9And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

The Lamb Exalted

11And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

13And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 14And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever,”

Christ in the form of the Slain lamb. Surrounded by four Seraphim, known as the Four Living Creatures. These angels have either four heads or four faces on one head, and six wings. And the wings have eyes on them so they can see in all directions. They use two wings to cover their lower bodies and two to cover their upper bodies to be humble before God. And finally two to fly.

The Lion of the Tribe of Judah hath conquered the root of David is a line used in St. Benedict’s famous exorcism. Which is why I used the whole chapter where it appears. I just visualized a red holy fire from the Seraphim entering the oil. And consecrating and re-dedicating the house as a Temple. I finished outside on the Balcony.

As well as at the front door. I even dropped some of the oil onto the threshold of the door. Then it was time for some seasoning.

Raw sea salt crystals are better. Or Kosher Salt. But any salt will work

I had blessed this baby with a medieval exorcism prayer. Medieval Catholicism may not have been the most enlightened version of Catholicism. In fact they were anti scientific and against any form of free thought or equality. But, nothing beats the magic. In terms of rituals and sorcery and knowledge of various spirits it was a true golden age of magic for the church.

Sadly, the Vatican councils change everything. They keep weakening and watering down the rituals and prayers to be more modern. So we get ultra conservative dogma of the church most of the time, but not magical or spiritual enlightenment. Though thanks to Pope Francis at least the church is no longer as backwards as it once was. And he’s trying to reform it for the best.

But there is absolutely nothing wrong with the medieval prayers and rituals. And though they are “defunct” for use in the modern church, they still contain power. The prayer I read over the salt to make it holy was like a nuclear bomb in the form of a pill. Imagine that each grain of salt contains enough power to ward off any bad spirit of any kind. Break any curse. And even curse any enemy witch trying to hurt you.

They are like a mini armory. And together they can defeat armies. So I rubbed the salt together with the Hoodoo oil. And the spiritual fire became an almost electric fire. An alchemy of magics such as I had not seen before.

I really have to ask my sister where she got this stuff. I think I’ll start ordering from whoever makes this. When I finished I added a special binding to the spell. I won’t say what it is or where it comes from. Except that it’s also Christian Magic.

It really finished the ritual with a bang. Finally, I felt the whole house glow. I didn’t just see it, I felt it. I felt a heat go through the house. And then as a suddenly as it had arrived….it stopped.

I meditated and prayed. I couldn’t do anything else during Holy Week. Later that night I braced myself. At first I felt nothing. But then I felt anxiety.

And anger. But it wasn’t mine or anyone else’s. This time I was glad I remembered to pray before sleep. And I heard this crazy buzzing outside of my front door. At first I thought it was electricity.

But then I paid attention and realized it was the buzzing of many insects. They sounded like wasps or something. Whatever it was, I wasn’t going to open the door. I looked out the peephole and saw nothing. And then I felt it : anger.

From outside the door. They were trying to come inside and couldn’t. And I just thought it was strange. Until I remembered that witches aren’t the only ones who use animal familiars. Animal guides can be used by spirits as their proxies.

Their physical world avatars. I didn’t bother to ask my spirits. I knew that the things that had bothered me the night before were causing this. At best, I would allow aggressive insects into my house if I opened the door. And at worst, I would allow something far worse to cross the threshold.

So I went to my bed and placed my Bible under my pillow, prayed, and slept. And guess what? Nothing happened to me. For all their talk and threats, they couldn’t enter my dreams this time. They couldn’t even cross over into my home. Or float outside my window or above the roof.

Nothing. They were stuck outside. And last night during the April Moon I didn’t see or sense them. Nor hear them. You saw my pictures.

I even went downstairs after the witching hour and nothing attacked me. I was fine. I feel like whatever attacked, has either given up. Or is being blocked from coming here. So I’m back to sleeping soundly again.

~ And the bad news is ~

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing about others I know. Some of my relatives have been harassed by things around them. Some of my friends too. I had to help cleanse a friend of mine from a negative stain a spirit left on him. He doesn’t even know where it came from.

He has no enemies. Though I have a theory. He’s a security guard and is up late at night at the main gate. Which means he is always facing the road. Which is where spirits like to congregate.

And when he leaves, sometimes it’s at 3am. Or later. I suspect something followed him home one night and messed him up. To make it worse, the residents there are mostly negative people. And some of the other guards have had paranormal experiences.

One guy even claims he saw the Skunk Ape. It’s sort of our version of Big Foot. So he may be exposed to certain paranormal energies from the other guards. I have to help him cleanse with his spirits and mine. I have to keep you posted on his cleansing.

But at least as far as myself, I am safe. To those who read my posts I would suggest a spiritual cleansing for the home. Followed by a blessing. For everyone during this Holy Week. I have already bought some more candles and incense in preparation for this.

And preparing some moon water during this week on my balcony. I added moonstone, quartz, lapis lazuli, and some other stones in the water. With a statue of Poseidon on one side and a statue of Yemaya to the other. I let them and the moon and crystals do their work. I also prayed to Selene and Endimeon as well as the man in the moon last night.

But I am stocked up on holy water, incense, candles, and my other supplies. If you don’t practice magic, find a local holy temple. Of any religion. And stock up on supplies and blessings. And do a blessing like me.

Take care everyone,

– M

The Pink Moon from Miami

I’m on my Earth and Air shrine which I use for meditation and Astrology. And the view of the moon is good here. I’m waiting for it to be 12:34 am my time to get a good sight of the moon. So I figured I would show you my pictures so far.

Yesterday before I went with my Mom to her church. For a witch, going to holy ground before a ritual is both good in the sense of grounding, and also good for soaking up spiritual powers.

I’m just here on my balcony, praying to the Gods (which includes Jesus). Enjoying the night breeze with my plants. And listening to advice from my spirit guides. Grounding with the Earth, because one does not need to be on a tree or dirt to ground. You can ground from anywhere.

If you’re on planet Earth, then you could be a thousand feet in the air and still access it.

Even while one looks up at the Moon. Here, let me entertain you with some of the links on the moon sent to me today.

A Gorgeous Ritual for Tonight’s Magic

FULL MOON IN LIBRA 2023 (also courtesy of Lady Beltane forwarding that article from Vibrational Astrology.com)

Full Moon Libra April 6th 05.34am BST – A Pause in the Mayhem

Year of the Water Rabbit 2023 – Chinese Astrology Predictions

I saw a herd of animal shaped clouds from my shrine. Weird eh?

You wouldn’t see it very well from this picture. But in real life it looked like the Fiji Mermaid.

Part way through I realized I would not be able to see the moon from my shrine. As it moved, it got into place above my roof. So I had to go downstairs just to see it get to it’s peak. But I waited until the appropriate time so that I could enjoy being with my plants and spirits. Just a little while longer.

A cloud cover started to come in at the last minute.

So I decided to hurry my ass down and hope for a good image.

Look at how it shines like a beacon in the darkness

So I took out my wallet as is the custom among the old witches of England and I opened it up. And I prayed to the man in the moon to fill it up with money. And any and other forms of prosperity. I already had my Moon water prepared when the Moon began to show how big it was on Tuesday. This time I prayed also for my other charms to be blessed as well.

I also uttered a secret wish.

And I left. Oh by the way the ritual I did for protection worked. For those who are wondering. I will write that post up soon enough. But for now, I’m going to take my moon bath.

And pray some more. Good night everyone,

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A post shared by Paradise Found | Santa Barbara (@paradisefoundsb)

– M

Praises be to they who answer Prayers!

“Praises to you O Lords and Ladies, blessings to you who answer prayers! Thank you for lifting me up high when I was low, for putting a smile on your child’s face once more!

If you remember yesterday’s post, I was in the middle of a Greek ritual. And for some reason I started spontaneously praying to the Gods for something other than my usual requests. In fact it was almost like my subconscious was coming out. Usually on Noumenia I ask for cleansing and purification with Apollon Noumenious. Or I ask Selene and Endymion for money since the moon and the Stars are associated with money.

And I work with Zeus Ktesios and Hestia on bringing prosperity to the Household. But I ended up asking for the original cold weather of my early childhood. Of waking up one morning and feeling the brisk chill. And seeing cirrus clouds in all of their feathery splendor. So I just went with it.

And this morning it was a beautiful grey day! When I was a child I loved days like this. When it would rain I used to pretend I was Captain Nemo. And I played with my maternal grandmother. Usually with a Nick Jr. cartoon or puppet show. My favorite was Eureka’s Castle.

The Tuatha de Dannan have recently been making their way back into my life. When I started out doing magic, like many I fell into Wicca. During this time, I was exposed to the many Gods and spirits of the people in the United Kingdom. And the Greek Gods. My Master even says the pantheon there is more like a “UK Pantheon”.

Because the cultures and peoples are so mixed in this area that no one culture can describe it. From the Welsh and the Irish, to the people of the Isle of Man and the West Country. I had worked as an eclectic witch for years. Then I decided that while I am very good at eclectic magic, I wanted to study and officially serve the Gods. In each of their cultures.

I had already initiated into Greek Polytheism/Paganism. But I still hadn’t reconnected to my Celtic roots. And I began to look around for a person to teach me. Properly. For a while that was a bust.

Until one day I found out that in my Greek Temple there was a Druid. And not just any Druid, but an elder in her tradition. I couldn’t believe my luck. Here she was. My Master.

Fast forward to the present. I have been studying them. And lately they have been very vocal. Besides the totem pole that I shared yesterday, I also have been giving them libations. And food.

And for some reason I thought of them when praying to Selene. The Tuatha are Faerie Gods. And many of the Fair Folk work with the moon. Maybe that’s why they entered my working. But I prayed with all my might.

Prayed for that chilly weather that makes me relive the happiest times of my early life. And the next day, they answered,

Some shots from the Balcony

My Balcony Garden

The Sun partially came out near the end but that was okay

Now I’m sure some idiot somewhere is going to come on here and say, this proves nothing. Or it’s coincidence. Let me say this : normally I would agree that it isn’t enough to be evidence. But lately our “spring” in Miami is more like Summer. Even for Florida, we have had historically high temperatures.

Courtesy of Global Warming. Some of the heat we have experienced hasn’t been seen since past centuries.

In fact, whenever the meteorologists claim a cold front will come, we don’t bat an eye anymore. Almost all cold fronts before this one have failed miserably. And they were stronger and had more of a chance of becoming cold weather than this meek little front. But instead we all saw a grey and cool day. With heavy clouds.

A good cool wind, and a gigantic smile on my face.

Selene and Endymion from Animation Journey

Praise be to the Gods, for the Shining Ones have answered prayer

– M

“Please O Shining Ones, bring to us the cold,” Reflections of a Noumenia in Miami

Cue all the disgruntled people in the more Northern states and countries. Coming here to tell me that I’m lucky that I live in a place that has the same temperature as Dante’s inferno. But I will say something of this place, the clouds tend to be beautiful.

Doesn’t he look like a Great White to you?

I was celebrating the second day of the Noumenia here. And as I went through the litany of prayers that I have been doing today, I suddenly looked up. And I began to think. Was it thinking? No, I think I was praying again without being aware of it.

The Tuatha de Dannan often appear as mist

I was partially thinking of another group of Gods I worship, the Tuatha de Dannan. Not only the Gods and Faeries of Ireland, but one of the most ancient pre-human races that lived there once. Maybe it was because of the clouds. Both they and the Theoi and Theaia are called “the Shining Ones”. And in my mind I prayed in my own way,

“Please bring back the cool, the gentle winds with their fresh air. Please bring back the cool weather. Bring back those beautiful clouds I used to get up and see in the mornings in Miami. That fresh cold air when we did have cold here. One of the only good things I remember from my childhood.

Please bring back the morning mists. The damp dew of the early mornings. Bring back those sweet cold mornings with the frost of the old winter, which still rides the new spring air, bring back that which brings light to my life,”

I stopped, realizing I had accidentally said this in the middle of my official prayers. Or maybe it isn’t a mistake. Nothing done during ritual is ever a mistake. That’s what one of the Priests at my Hellenic temple always tells me. Maybe the ritual brought out what was in my heart.

So I went back to saying the words with an open mind.

“Let me relive the wonderful feelings of joy I had in school when I woke up on a cold morning. One of the few joys I had as a child. Let me feel alive again with these wonderful clouds and allow my soul to soar. Grant me what I ask. Please I beg of you.

Please O Shining Ones, bring to us the cold,”

My Totem Pole of the Celtic Gods, not just the Tuatha de Dannan but also other Celtic Gods

For my Druid Master Nicole and my Hellenic Priest Tim, thanks for always being sources of knowledge, wisdom, and inspiration.

– M

The Spring Star : Astrological Links, the Double Conjunction! Jupiter and Venus conjoin, then Mercury and Saturn

You’ve probably noticed in the last month or so that two bright stars were in the sky. Closer than normal. Well there’s a reason for that : they aren’t stars. I began to notice them myself in February. And I felt something else was coming.

But I couldn’t pin it because there was no information on any astrological site yet. Something which I am disappointed in. It’s become too common for fucking websites and people to wait until an event is already happening. And then at the last fucking minute tell us everything “Ta Da!”. Like annoying life coach on adderall telling you it’s more exciting that way.

I like to be prepared. I have a bug up my ass about it. I do not lie. The last time an astrological event happened, it kicked my sorry ass. And I texted my friend and cursed his astrological sign to the fires of hell for it.

To which he asked what the fuck his sign did to me. And I replied,

I couldn’t tell if something good or bad was coming. Everything has a bit of both. But usually there is a specific theme that controls a lunation. Turns out, these planetary conjunctions have both. So without further adieu, I am giving you the pros, cons, and a few links on this conjunction.

This event is also called Astrological Spring, because this conjunction happens once every 13 Months. And it marks the astrological rise of spring. Which is why this conjunction is called the Spring Star. I have divided this stuff into three categories for your convenience. Neutral, Cons, Pros.

Neutral

– The energy brings with it change. But the change could be good or bad. And I have felt that things will soon accelerate on that front.

– Mercury is taking a fast transit through Pisces. This means all sorts of unpredictable change can happen. Both for good or bad. It depends on your signs.

– The Conjunction of both planets cause people to look more deeply at relationships. Business, pleasure, love, family, alliances etc.. this can be good or bad. If you have a dysfunction in any of these areas, the conjunction will bring it out and force you to face it. If not, the conjunction will magnify your positive relationships.

– Nine hours after the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus comes Mercury and Saturn in a double conjunction. Now shit gets dicy. Jupiter and Venus are generally seen as the party animals of the Gods. Saturn and Mercury are about discipline and hard work. And how that comes into play here is unknown.

It seems like polar opposites coming together to do something.

– When combined with Saturn, Mercury can be either good or bad. Again, it depends on where you are in life right now. And how it will effect your sign.

Cons

So the cons start as follows. Everything has a dark side. Even the Gods, especially them. They are nature itself. They embody everything.

The planets Jupiter and Venus can send down some of the bad influences. As well as the good influences. Think of them as gigantic talismans or antennas. Again, how they effect you depends on your sign. And even on you.

But these are some of the things to look out for :

Jupiter :

Lust for power. Greed. Anger. need for control. Blind, single minded, ambition.

Ignorance. And lack of wisdom.

Venus :

Untamed Lust for everything. Excess. Feeling hollow and never truly full. Overly emotional in the negative sense. Depression, self loathing, hate.

Anger.

Warlike characteristics since one of her husbands is Mars the God of War. Vanity. And pettiness. But to name a few. Plus there is also excessive flirtations.

Mercury in its darkest form caused things to go haywire.

Saturn and Mercury :

Mercury in his dark psychopomp form from an oracular deck. This was shared by Mindful Angel

Both are more or less the same in negativity : everything that Jupiter has when it goes dark is what comes out here. But we also have negative thinking. A critical voice in our heads that makes us feel bad about everything. A bad temper (man have I been feeling that) and nasty words. And with Saturn we have the control freak issue turn into Excessive authoritarianism.

The good news here is that the first conjunction reduces the negativity greatly. Because of Jupiter and Venus we have the feelings of sorrow. Seeing the error of our ways. And wanting to make up for them. Which isn’t necessarily bad.

As long as we don’t take it to the extreme. This is extremely powerful because this conjunction is down in Taurus. And that is the sign for Venus.

Venus rules Taurus but right now this planet is being exalted in Pisces. Which increases the power of all of this even more. The thing is that we should also be careful that we do not apologize to people who don’t deserve it. The signs and their influence can cause this to happen. You also need to stay clear of conflict, lack of self control, lack of discipline, etc…

Pros

According to Astro King,

“There is also a semisextile to Pluto to add intuition, persuasion, investigation, endurance and determination,”

In Astrology, Jupiter and Venus are called the Great Benefics. Because they can bring down blessings of every sort. And they can manifest every power available. Combine that with the hard work and discipline of Mercury and Saturn and we have even more.

Jupiter :

Jupiter as King of the Gods, is the God of wisdom, and a God of great power. Money, influence, sex, all the things we could ever want. But there is another side to him : a wise father. Many Christians will lose their shit when they read this. I don’t care.

But Jupiter is at the same level as the Christian God. He’s the Supreme Lord of the Universe. And he isn’t the only one in that category either. He reigns alongside many God Kings : Indra, Obatala, Jesus, Ra, and Odin but to name a few. Great Kings of the Universe.

And their Queens as well.

I view Jupiter and Odin to be what I call “Mage Gods”. Gods who are masters of magic and instructors of all. So he symbolizes spiritual leaders. Wise men and women. And healers.

Many view this as a love conjunction. I don’t quite see it that way. Juno, not Venus, is the wife of Jupiter. The love between Jupiter and Venus is a familial love. With Jupiter acting as the father figure or elder.

Even if he isn’t her father. I don’t know for sure because all the sources on the divine genealogy for Roman Gods is confusing. Jupiter magnifies the power of any other being with him. In this case, of Venus.

Venus :

When people think of Venus they think of a lustful Goddess running naked around a field. They don’t stop to think that she isn’t like that all of the time. Like everyone else, the Gods have their time for recreational pleasures. But then they have time to be serious about things. They focus on a task.

Create a project. Make sure they have all the resources and materials for said project. They can be said to be the greatest builders, alchemists, business people, or artists out there. They are everything, existence itself. And so to them, it’s nothing for them to be the best at those things.

I sense that Venus has been planning something for a while. And King Jupiter is supporting her in her endeavors. What I sense here is familial love. I think that for a time now she has been disappointed with everything going on in our world. The lack of love for the common person.

Lack of love even between families and supposed friends. And it has translated into a general disdain for everything. So the Goddess is leading us back to love. Love of family (which includes our animal children). Of our friends who are themselves a type of family.

And general love for your fellow humans. That last one is probably the one we are lacking the most. Even I have fallen into that trap. I get so tired of people being assholes to me for no reason, that I become an asshole back. I don’t stop to think that maybe they are having a bad day.

Or maybe they just lead miserable lives. Or they’re going through something bad. Venus reminds us to love one another. And to see each other as a universal family. And Venus joined with her loving relative, makes this energy stronger.

Jupiter for his part sends out wisdom and knowledge. Equilibrium which we desperately need right now. Maybe trying to get us all to come to the negotiation table in different aspects of our life. In that regard he has his work cut out for him. The way things are now, I can’t possibly fathom the idea of working with some of my opposites.

And for good reason. A lot of nasty hate mongers are out there. May the Great God and the Loving Goddess show us the way. Even if we can’t stomach the idea right now. This is also a time for art, inspiration, luxury.

And both Jupiter and Venus are good for your love life.

Mercury :

You can buy T-shirts with this image here

Mercury is one of the Mages of the Gods. A Master of all trades. A God of languages and travel, business, magic, transportation and communication, an ambassador to all. Even a God who crosses over the dead. And is easily at home in any dimension.

He’s even a God of thieves and thievery. He can be called upon to protect you from criminals. So here, it could be that Mercury, like Venus, is attempting to teach us something. Usually when Mercury goes retrograde it’s to teach us that our communications are off. Or that we’re missing something.

But when combined with Saturn we gain other influences.

Saturn :

The God Saturn is the former King of the Gods. Now he’s more like an Emperor of a much Higher Realm now. Jupiter is his son. When Saturn ruled the Universe, it was described as a Golden Age. A time of Paradise for all the pre-human creatures.

And then later humans. Similar in some respects to the Edenic Era mentioned in the original testament. He’s also a wise Mage God like his son Jupiter. So he brings the exact same energy as him. And he magnifies Jupiter even more.

Which magnifies the conjunctions more than before. It should also be noted that the second conjunction takes place nine hours later. Nine being a number of long lasting prosperity, but also of discipline and knowledge. So Saturn and Mercury seem to be bringing in the same influences as Jupiter : wisdom, knowledge, personal power, and a slew of other things. This is also a time for mental work such as planning and organizing projects.

Being in control of your life and taking care of business.

Pros for All

The Council of the 12 Roman Gods article by Tanya S. Keefer

The Pros for both is that Venus is a hot shot. So is Jupiter. That means that for those positively effected by both, this can be a time of flowering. A time of personal power. Of dreams and ambitions made reality.

It’s also said that the conjunction of both cause a person to become more spiritual. And it can cause a person who is positively effected to have a more bubbling social life. Though not everyone is effected the same way. And you have to be ready to use that power for yourself when the time comes. I hate saying this because to me it’s bullshit most of the time.

But sometimes, everything is 10% what happened to you. And 90% how you react to it. Don’t want to be positive? You don’t have to be. Be a Sith Lord, use whatever negative crap is in your way to build what you want. Turn lemons into lemonade by choking the life out of the damn lemons.

Force choke those fuckers. Darth Vader style. Sometimes a little anger and darkness is good for the soul. Now that doesn’t mean take people or things by force. Don’t turn yourself into a rapist.

Learn to use your anger and fear to accomplish something positive. Balance negative and positive energy. Just don’t allow your anger to get the best of you. Don’t allow it to become your master. Master only yourself.

Also from Astro King,

Also altogether we see this,

The time of the Conjunctions

Another Pro is that Venus and Jupiter are a time for manifesting your dreams. Combine that with Mercury and Saturn and this whole conjunction is about making long term projects or desires happen. By working hard to place everything into place. So manifestation work will be empowered here. Plus today is Thursday (Thor’s Day) the day of the God Kings.

And early morning on Friday (Freya, Frigga, and Freyer) is mostly a day for Godesses. Though we also have Freyer. Plus in Roman religion, Friday is sacred to Venus as she is the morning star. Both these days are conjoining with each other to grow these influences. These alignments can grant the power of charisma.

Scented Mini manifestation candles from Sage and Salt

You can feel and absorb such power that you feel like you are one with all things. Now is the time to grab your prosperity and power. But it’s also a time to chill out. To dedicate yourself to amusement. The weekend is here so that does make sense.

The first conjunction also makes sure that you reap the blessings of all of your previous hard work.

Astrological Forecast : The Green Comet Tonight (Imbolc Comet)

Besides being the time of Imbolc as well as the Roman purification rituals for February, we have a lot of astrological activity. We see the Green Comet at 9:45pm EST. There hasn’t been a Green Comet around here in 50,000 years. So make sure you perform your strongest rituals.

Green Comet Closest to the Earth on 1st February. Here’s All You Need to Know

Tips for seeing the Green Comet in the UK as it peaks Brighton News

What to expect during the green comet’s encounter with Earth

Everything you need to know about the Green Comet that will approach the planet soon!

Brigid: Celtic Goddess of the Sacred Flame By The Witch

The Full Snow Moon on Sunday February the 5th

Full Snow Moon

The Green Comet Passes Earth for the first time in 50,000 years

Imbolc Dreams of Black Hellebore

Enjoy the Imbolc/Candlemas Season

– M

INCENDIARY BEHAVIOUR : Taper Burn Marks are actually Apotropaic Magic intended to Protect Buildings

APOTROPAICS: THE ROUGH GUIDE #1: TAPER BURN MARKS For the last 25 years archaeologists have been recording historic taper burn marks on Medieval …
INCENDIARY BEHAVIOUR

I found this fascinating. And it actually gives us an idea of how to do Apotropaic magic without anyone figuring out what it actually is. It would be hard for anyone to discover it as being magic in the modern day. Really good investigative article on the subject.

From the same blog

History Society Finds: Concealed Shoes, two Witch Bottles & a ‘Witch’s Nail’ from Charing, Kent.

Random Links of the Day : Places and Magic Addition

On this addition of random links of the day, we have some interesting articles on places and magic. And magical places in some cases. I kept getting so many of these articles that I made them into a random links addition. We’ll also be exploring ghosts and at least one article on haunted objects. Let’s get started!

Timeo Danaos et Dona Ferentes : The Dangers of Malevolent Spirits and Haunted Objects

From the same author :

Crosswords Work

Hear the Wind on Mars

The Algae that might save Earth’s Coral Reefs

The Iceberg Cowboys that Wragle Pure Water from the large frozen blocks

Clean and ethically sourced diamonds using air pollution?

🔝 I’m skeptical of this to be honest. It sounds like BS like “carbon capture” which only transfers the pollution from the air to the ground. Still I figured I would add this here and take a look.

Iceland’s Eruptions reveal the hot history of Mars

What Caused This Massive Mud Volcano Eruption in Indonesia?

5 Colorful Stories About the Pageantry of the Lunar New Year

Celebrating Scotland’s Bard? Break Out the Haggis for Burns Night

The Covington Film Garden

Mother Goddess Tefnut and a Morality Tale: The Lion in Search of Man

The Fairy Glen of the Black Isle

The Holiday That Welcomes Back the Sun With Pancakes and Coffee

Offerings to Ghosts by Bodhi-Bowl which is an amazing mystical blog of Buddhist thoughts and teachings

Political Witchcraft: A Brief Overview of Occult Activism in Thailand from Upon the Altar another amazing mystical blog

Place Names : The Origin of Location Names

The Bird Migration Explorer App from the Audubon Society

Fear of the Unknown

Atlas Obscura Email

Bob the Street Cat Memorial in London

Christians, Pagans, Muslims, Hindus what happens when we all get together

Enjoy!

– M

Land Wight (Spirit) from Of Mythic Creatures Great and Small

The Jade Buddha

I promised I would talk about this as soon as I had the chance. And I finally did. So what exactly happened the day I brought the Buddha statue and the Guardian Lions home with me? Something weird. I knew something was off. And in hindsight, I should have listened to my gut.

But I just ignored it as me being paranoid or looking too deeply into something. My friends always say that about me. And they constantly tell me to chill out. But as I tried to perform the cleansings on them, they kept being blocked. I just assumed that they had heavy residual energy from whoever owned them before.

The objects weren’t evil or impure or whatever. But they were Haunted.

The Old Neighbor

Old Woman Praying by
Matthias Stom Dutch

late 1630s or early 1640s

So according to my Aunt, she was friends with a wonderful older resident. A few years ago this woman died of natural causes. I think she said it was cancer. Before the woman died, she gifted the Jade Buddha and Guardian Lions to my great aunt. It was as a way of saying thank you for always looking after her.

Now my Great Aunt is a Christian and doesn’t believe. But she didn’t want to disrespect this woman and shun her gift. So instead, she kept it in her home in a place of honor. Kudos for my great aunt! But it looks like the older resident didn’t leave. Apparently that elderly old woman was still watching over my aunt from beyond the grave.

While attempting to cleanse the statues, I discovered her presence within them. I kept trying to force the energy out. But whatever it was, it would not leave. So I realized this wasn’t the standard run of the mill imprint. This woman was living inside of her Buddha and Guardian Lions.

I hadn’t sensed her because she was so dormant, that she might as well not have been in those items. It was only after I took them to my house and started trying to cleanse them that she woke up. She had been protecting my great aunt all this time. But eventually she “fell asleep” so to speak because there was no danger.

Communicating with the Dead

I communicated with her soul once I realized there was person in those statues. I explained to her that my great aunt gifted them to me because I study and partially practice Buddhism. And that she believed they would be better off with me. Instead of just being a home decoration. She agreed, but was worried about my aunt.

I told her I could cross her over. And that once in Heaven, she could become a powerful guardian spirit and could return to my Aunt’s house with greater power. And greater ability to aid her. She agreed and I performed a simple crossing over ritual with a candle. She entered the light.

And the next day, I confirmed with Bone Casting that she was well and now watching over my great aunt. Acting as her new spirit guide. All’s well that ends well right?

Family

Blood doesn’t always mean family. Sometimes family is the one you make. Your tribe, your people. Those whom you stand by and who stand by you. Even in death.

There is also an old Spanish Spiritualist saying,

“What my eyes can’t see, my dead see,”

Meaning what I can’t sense, they will. And they will tell me about it. My Christian Great Aunt has a new spirit guide officially added to her guides. Whether she believes that or not. Moving on, I was finally able to cleanse the statues.

And this time the ritual took. I then began blessing them and calling the spirit of the Buddha to enter his image and live there. I also did prayers for the Guardian Lions to enter their own statues. So now I have extra house hold spirits. Extra family to watch over me.

I placed the Buddha and his Lions upon my Buddhist shrine.

And for the elderly woman, I took several stones. I cleansed them. And enlivened them for her and put them on my shrines outside. That way whenever I do religious rituals, I am feeding her spirit along with the spirits and Gods I work for. That way she will never become forgotten or unnamed dead.

And she will grow stronger with each offering. As a reward for her kind heart and generous spirit. And now I keep this Buddha statue and the Guardian Lions. As a way to honor her good deeds.