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!
🔝 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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
Welcome to the first Random Links of the New Year! Today is the birthday of the Magician John Dee. The Founder of Enochian Magic. The personal occult advisor of Queen Elizabeth. And a powerful Divine Magician, a Mage who gains powers from holy beings such as the Angels. And his birthday coincides with Friday the 13th this year.
I had written a blog about that a few years ago but I can’t remember exactly when that happened. So to start off, here is an amazing article by Icy Sedgwick on John Dee. It includes an image of the varying crystal that supposedly was granted to him by the Archangel Uriel. By the way Icy is an amazing author who has written the Necromancer book series. A really dark version of Harry Potter.
I freaking love it! So please check out Icy’s books!
John Dee and his friend and colleague Edward Kelly, the Angelmancer and Scryer who would receive visions from Uriel via a crystal ball. Behind John Dee you can see the spirit of a woman. Most likely a shade of the dead conjured by them both from a cemetery. To read more on that and also on Edward Kelly’s necromancy for here
These passages are from Dee’s Monas Hieroglyphica (1563), a work in which Dee provides an explanation for his famous Monad symbol. In Latin he’s showing the Monad Sigil is actually the combination of the signs for the moon, sun, elements (+) and finally fire. Which would explain why it has its own magical powers. It’s because of all the power is already contained within the sigil itself.
The Rune Soup interview on “John Dee and the Empire of Angels”
The God Odin, appears as a Tomte in his incarnation of Oski, the wish fulfiller and giver of gifts. One of many ancient origins for the modern day Santa Klaus.
Santa Klaus is a mystical figure in every way, shape, and form. Like the Grim Reaper, he’s an amalgamation of various spirits and Gods. While the reaper represents death, Santa Klaus represents unbound life even in darkness. But who or what is Santa Klaus? This is a subject that will take many blog posts across many years. But I can start that process now.
Today we are going to explore at least three major influences of Christmas. Namely Odin in his two incarnations as Oski the giver of gifts and leader of the Wild Hunt. The Spirits, and Yule.
Yule is Nordic, not Celtic
Mjölnir, the Hammer of Thor, surrounded by the Jul or Yule Goat on both sides. By Fereshdhe Sehhati
Now I am going to say something that has confused a lot of people. Yule is not and I repeat, not a Celtic holiday. It is purely Norse. The Druids observed four Sabbats. And Yule wasn’t one of them.
Yule is a completely Norse holiday. So why do so many people think it has to do with Celtic culture? Well there’s three reasons for that. One is that there is a celebration of Winter Solstice done by the Druids every year at Stonehenge. And many conflate winter solstice with Yule. Then we have Wicca which is a very new tradition.
Created by Gerald Gardener, Wicca was originally a mix of Brythonic traditions. Then other European traditions were added including those of the Norse. So the four festivals of the Druids, plus Yule was used to create the wheel of the year. That’s where the confusion comes in. I have zero problems with Wicca.
So don’t get it twisted.
The last reason, is that the Norse migrated to other parts of Europe. Many of their mixed descendants practice a hybrid version of their culture. One with the original cultures their indigenous ancestors had, and the Nordic culture of their Nordic ancestors. So there’s a sub group of Nordic Celts. Even in America, a man in a Wiccan coven I was once in, spoke to me of this.
He said that Nords and Celts are like family.
The Shetlands in Scotland, celebrating a Nordic-Celtic holiday called Up Hella Aa or Up Helly Aa in 2001.
The meaning of Yule
Yule shrine showing an image of Yggdrasil the Universal Tree of Life
Now the word Yule has different definitions according to different sources. What keeps getting repeated is that it means “wheel”. And it’s related to the wheel of the year. Others claim that Yule is based on one of Odin’s names. Jólnir, meaning “the Yule one” or “Yuler”.
But that’s a title for him that seems to come from the word Yule. It doesn’t explain what the word actually means. I had to consult a few language dictionaries before I could answer that. The best source I found says it’s a proto Germanic word meaning “joke” or “play”. And that the word jolly comes from this.
So Yule is a time for merriment and play. Which explains why the word Jolly is used so much in Christmas. So if this is true that would more or less mean that his name Jólnir more or less means “the merry one” or “the playful one”. This is just me theorizing. I don’t speak the old Norse language.
So I have no idea if what I believe is true. It just seems like logic to me. If you believe that his name comes from wheel, then it would mean the wheeled one. Which doesn’t make much sense. Of course it’s also a strange name for the leader of the Wild Hunt but oh well.
He’s a warrior God. Maybe hunting evil spirits is fun for him.
Yule Spirits
For people in Norway and Sweden, Yule is a time of the Faeries. Mischievous Faeries like the Yule Lads who go around stealing things. Destroying property. And in some cases eating the flesh of humans. The Yule Lads are said to be the children of the Demon Witch, Gryla.
They go around eating your food. Or stealing your money. And generally causing discord because they have nothing better to do. However, it also had more familial connections. Yule was the time when Norse worshippers believed their dead returned to Earth.
Which is why many people believe winter is the time when the dead return. In fact there is a fascinating tradition in England since the Victorian era where people tell Ghost Stories in Christmas time. A tradition I continue because I love a little Halloween in my Christmas. I believe the dead return in Winter time also. Here’s a great article by Cryptoville on that called The Ghosts of Christmas Past.
Wraiths of the dead returned to Earth
What’s interesting here, is that in modern times the Celtic Samhain is seen as a feast of the dead. And many people who practice Brythonic traditions have incorporated that belief into theirs. Maybe that’s also from Nordic influence. Among the most famous Yule spirits are…….
Santa’s Elves
Oski, the God who grants wishes and gives gifts, an incarnation of Odin, in the form of an Elf or Tomte
The most well known of the Yule Spirits are the Swedish Tomte or “homestead man”. Also called the Nisse in Norway. These are Elves associated with the winter time. Nisse is believed to come from the name of St. Nicholas. But others say it comes from the word niðsi (“dear little relative”).
And these creatures are the reason Santa Klaus looks the way he does. The way he is portrayed in blue, red, or green clothing as well as the cap he wears, is due to Oski’s appearance as an Elf. The Homestead Man or Dear Little Relative is akin to a house elf. Only these faeries only live on farms. Like all household fae, they protect and bless the home owners.
They range from half the size of a man to the size of a child. They have super strength surpassed only by other supernatural creatures. If a farmer treated the Tomte living in their home well, they would be blessed for life. And anyone fool enough to harass or injure a farmer who had a guardian Tomte or Nisse, was in for a surprise. The homestead fae would stop a thief with their superior strength.
Or perhaps hex a nasty neighbor. Or go over to that neigboor’s house and start a haunting.
Don’t fuck with Faeries
The Tomte could become a powerful spirit guide. Even talisman to the person who knew how to work with them. You had to give them proper offerings of porridge with butter, milk, cream, or honey. Or any sweet and sugary substance you could find. And then make your request of them.
They would often sleep with the farm animals to protect them.
But also out of love for them. They would assist the farmer in the chores. And make the crops abundant. Some of the Tomte may be the dead reincarnated as nature entities. This seems to be a trend in a lot of cultures.
Jólnir in the form of a Tomte. This Tomte doll even has one eye just like the All Father himself. From Grimfrost
Eventually, the Tomte were paired with the Yule Goat. This may even have been an animal that was sacrificed in ancient times. But eventually, the Yule Goat was a goat made of straw that was ritually burned at Yule. The origin is that Thor had a chariot pulled by Goats. And Thor is also one of the origins of Santa Klaus.
But we’re focusing on just one origin at a time every year. Later the Tomte became Santa’s helpers. In fact, some traditions have them going from house to house with the Yule Goat. Giving gifts to children instead of Santa himself.
There are also stories of Odin riding his eight legged horse Sleipnir to watch over his people.
The many faces of Odin. Of course we also have Krampus up there
YuleMonth
Yule Being
So I’m going to say something that will throw people into confusion. But it’s the truth. The month for Yule is actually two months long give or take. It starts in mid November. But doesn’t end until the first weeks of January.
If you notice, this is why the Orthodox and a few other people celebrate Christmas in January. That’s why I have “Christmas in January” as the tags in some New Years articles. Some people have a mini Christmas. My own people, Cubans, have the Three Kings Parade in January. It’s a mini Christmas or after Christmas that takes place in the new year.
Los Tres Reyes Mages (The Three Magi Kings) Parade in Miami, Fl. On Calle Ocho (8th Street).
And children believe the Three Pagan Kings will come to their houses baring them gifts.
Later it was changed to December and early January. But if you want to be traditional, the mid week of November is the first week of Yule. At least according to the ancient Germans. And then more or less a week or two weeks into January is Yule Month’s end. That’s what the Venerable Bede, a Saint, English Monk, and Historian said.
He witnessed the rituals himself allegedly. And he wrote about the Matronae on Modrenecht as well. Which lends credence to him being a good source.
Yule Blót
Enter the Hall and Hail the Gods! Yule as it was celebrated in the ancient times
This is a Midwinter festival. Which means people are starving. And they need to keep warm. Many animals including boars and livestock were killed. Their blood was poured into vessels called HlautbolliorBlótbolli.
With twigs, they would sprinkle the blood all over the temple. On the idols of the Gods. And on the pedestals. Even themselves. This is a form of purification known as aspersion.
Then a fire was started in the middle of the temple. And the flames would be used to cook the sacrificed animals and begin the feast. But there were also sacred kettles with the ale being placed over the fires. Then came the toasting. This blót was performed by offering up drinks in the honor of spirits or Gods.
Or even living people. The first toast is for the God Odin so that the King would have victory and great power. The second toast is to the Sea God Njörðr and his son Freyr the God of the weather, fertility, peace, kingship, and pleasure. This is for good harvests and for peace. The next toast is for the King himself, and finally the minni or memorial toast for departed family and friends.
The minimum that Yule lasted was for three nights. However, the holiday would not end until all the food and drink was finished. Which means it could span several nights.
Heitstrenging
Swearing an Oath on a holy pig, from a German article on Yule
Other rituals were followed on Yule. Such as Heitstrenging (oath swearing). This was a social-political and religious practice. Basically, you take a sacrificed animal, or a drink. And you swear on that drink or animal that you will do something.
And it becomes a binding social contract on your honor. If you don’t fulfill it then you had no honor.
Good luck trying to form any alliances in the future. On Yule it was usually done on a Sonargöltr, or “holy pig”. Freyr is known to have had a divine animal known as the sun boar.
As mentioned before, the Shetlands in Scotland have a Nordic-Celtic heritage. They don’t end Yule until the Up Helly Aa festival. It means “Up Holy Day All”. There’s actually many of these festivals happening in different parts of the Shetland’s. But they mostly follow this formula.
Many people carry lit torches. The people known as Guizers are dressed as Vikings. There’s an honorary “Jarl” or Earl who is leader of the event. The group sings the Up Hella Aa song till they get to the place where the replica Norse longship is.
Look at that beauty!
This ends with the ceremonial burning of the Viking Galley. Thus marking the end of Yule for the Shetlands in Scotland. This new year it’s Tuesday, the 31st of January. The lyrics to the Up Hella Aa song are as follows.
Up-Helly-A’ Song
Words by J. J. Haldane Burgess, M.A. Music by Thomas Manson
“From grand old Viking centuries Up-Helly-A’ has come, Then light the torch and form the march, and sound the rolling drum: And wake the mighty memories of heroes that are dumb; The waves are rolling on.
Chorus –
Grand old Vikings ruled upon the ocean vast, Their brave battle-songs still thunder on the blast; Their wild war-cry comes a-ringing from the past; We answer it “A-oi”! Roll their glory down the ages, Sons of warriors and sages, When the fight for Freedom rages, Be bold and strong as they!
Of yore, our firey fathers sped upon the Viking Path; Of yore, their dreaded dragons braved the ocean in its wrath; And we, their sons, are reaping now their glory’s aftermath; The waves are rolling on.
In distant lands, their raven-flag flew like a blazing star; And foreign foemen, trembling, heard their battle-cry afar; And they thundered o’er the quaking earth, those mighty men of war; The waves are rolling on.
On distant seas, their dragon-prows went gleaming outward bound, The storm-clouds were their banners, and their music ocean’s sound; And we, their sons, go sailing still the wide earth round and round; The waves are rolliing on.
No more Thor’s lurid Hammer flames against the northern sky; No more from Odin’s shining halls the dark valkyrior fly; Before the Light the heathen Night went slowly rolling by; The waves are rolling on.
We are the sons of mightly sires, whose souls were staunch and strong; We sweep upon our serried foes, the hosts of Hate and Wrong; The glory of a grander Age has fired our battle-song; The waves are rolling on.
Our galley is the People’s Right, the dragon of the free; The Right that rising in its might, brings tyrants to their knee; The flag that flies above us is the Love of Liberty; The waves are rolling on,”
I personally celebrate Up Hella Aa as the end of Yule. So by now you must be wondering : How the hell am I supposed to incorporate all of this into my practice? I know what you mean. Seriously, should I sacrifice the animals myself or go to the butcher? Can I swear oaths over a holy vegan hamburger instead of a holy pig? And can I burn my ex’s car as a bonfire instead of going to a holy temple?
Well! These questions and more are about to be answered!
How I celebrate Yule
What I do is come as close to the original rituals as possible. But simplified. And in a way that is adapted to urban life. As well as not making a hole in your pocket. Part of magic is symbolism.
Symbols hold great power. We begin with the temple. That’s any sacred space you have. It can be your home. A sacred place in nature.
Or any place you can use. The most important thing here is to have idols of the Gods. If you can’t afford them, then print a massive picture out with the Gods in it. Seriously, you don’t need a wooden or stone idol. All you need is a representation.
Before I could afford actual idols, I used pebbles and other stones that I blessed for the Gods or spirits I worked with. They were easy to carry around. And unless someone knew what they were looking at, no one would have any idea that these were idols. So no insane anti Pagan relatives. No nosy neighbors.
And no enemy practitioners who would curse them or stain them with bad energy against you. That’s why I am against taking pictures of my real idols and places of magic I go to. Instead of a sacrificed animal, I offer up food as a sacrifice. Meat is what the Norse Gods typically like. And they do like blood.
So that I leave to you. You can ask for meat from a butcher and ask for the blood as well. Kept in a bottle which will act as your Hlautbolli or Blótbolli. Then pour libations of blood all over the idols. Or if you are outside, everywhere with a stick and the idols.
I wouldn’t recommend it on yourself though. Blood borne diseases and all. Or, you can do what I do. Use holy water. They drink too, not just eat.
So bless water in their name and asperse with that instead. The type of food you eat is optional. You can try to eat a Norse diet of meat. But if you’re vegan I think it’s more important to dedicate the feast to the Gods. The point here is faith and intention.
The Gods will see if you have good intentions or not. Don’t just offer to them like it’s nothing. Sometimes a simple tea light burned with faith, is more important to the Gods than a thousand fancy Viking feasts done by a wealthy person.
And if you are some asshole trying to gain their favor for money and power and not their love, good luck achieving anything. They will find you unworthy.
And the only things attracted to those feasts will be negative spirits. False beings pretending to be the Gods. Just like when Christian extremists do worship to their Deity. But end up attracting the same demonic entities that they seek to drive away. You can do bonfires, hearth fires, or chimneys, or light many candles.
Beeswax candles. As pure as possible. You can even order special candles dedicated to Norse Gods. You can buy more than one or just light a really big candle. Even a plain candle will do.
A candle from Etsy dedicated to Odin, I can’t find the link now
It doesn’t have to be a fancy one like I mentioned. You can also burn incense to them. Now you can drink Ale or really any kind of alcohol. They love alcoholic drinks in general. But if you don’t like alcohol then use a drink you do like.
I use water and sometimes mead if I can find it.
The important thing here is to dedicate it to them. And to do the special toastings. Now as a left leaning person, I am against the idea of human monarchies. So I don’t toast asking for “victory and power” to any King. Unless it’s one of the divine or semi divine kings of old.
Like Arthur, Solomon, etc..I do toast instead to political leaders I support. I toast to leaders of Black Lives Matter chapters. I toast to Antifa as a whole. I also toast to activists. I do on occasion toast to the power and victory of certain heads of state in countries I support.
Right now I toasted to Odin to give “power and victory” to the President of Peru against the coup regime. I do the second toast exactly as described. Asking for peace and good harvests. When I mention harvests, what I’m really saying is prosperity as a whole. For all.
Well, except my enemies.
The next toast goes to the political leaders I like and support. And the final toasts are the minni or memorial toasts to loved ones lost. Then I also make nightly offerings in the evening to the Nisse or Tomte. I call for their help in daily matters. I use Yule as my “wishing season”.
In which I conjure the Tomte in the name of Oski to appear to grant my wishes. I have a whole ritual personal to me. Which I can’t disclose for the same reason I don’t disclose images of my idols or magic places. Then I continue until Up Hella Aa where I burn an effigy of some sort. If you can you can order an effigy to burn online, do it.
Even something made to look like a Viking ship. Or even a regular boat to burn. Be creative. You can adapt these to be either solitary, or to add friends to come over and have feasts with you. And to work the rituals with you as well.
After all, these were originally celebrations with many people. And of course burning protective candles to keep yourself safe during the Wild Hunt. Which for me in my personal opinion, lasts longer than just the Winter Solstice. I personally believe that in November, Odin and the other Yule Beings are doing the job of keeping us all safe. In fact, keep burning the candles until Up Hella Aa at least.
And use the protective candles to ask Jólnir for his protection. On Up Hella Aa I do one more fire night with candles and a final feast for the Tomte in Odin’s name. And ask Odin as Oski for a great New Year. I try to go all out and give the Norse Gods the largest meaty dinner I can give. I have a stone shrine outside that no one knows is a Pagan shrine.
And I leave all their food there. When people see me they think I am feeding the cats. Which I am doing that also but that’s besides the point. Again, you can make this into a friend or family gathering. You don’t have to do it alone.
But you can if you want to.
Worship of Oski, Oski’s Day
A shrine dedicated to Oski
Before Yule, is Oski’s Day. Most people celebrate December 6th as St. Nicholas Day. But worshippers of the Norse Gods have begun to reclaim it for Odin. In this form, Oski listens to the petitions of people. And grants their wishes either directly or indirectly.
As part of the celebration, people exchange gifts. They also light candles and bake traditional baked goods associated with Yule. In fact there’s a whole array of foods just for Yule called the Julbord. Which is a bunch of Christmas foods and sweets for this time of year. Ale poured in libations to Oski.
And of course prayers, and songs.
The Dark Side of Yule
The Wild Hunt
But not everything during Yule is merry. As mentioned before, winter is a time of the dead and of the Fae. According to A Dictionary of Northern Mythology by Rudolf Simek, this was the time when all manner of spirits were said to be loosed upon the world. This unfortunately also means evil spirits are out and about. Jólnir and his forces would hunt them down in what is popularly known as the Wild Hunt.
And drive them back into the other world. But at least these were just spirits being driven away. The worst supernatural creatures, were the ones who had physical bodies. It was said that during this time, several physical revenants returned as well. And the worst of them was the Draugr.
Draugr
Meaning “again walker.” These entities are members of the dark dead. They can be aggressive if they aren’t resting well. It was said if a person died on certain days like Yule, they would not rest well in the grave. But other reasons a person became a Draugr was if they were murdered or committed suicide.
Or were not given a proper burial. Such as not being buried on holy ground. The worst of them were evil witches and wizards in life. Evil magic users normally come back as something worse in death. And they would arise as these corporeal revenants.
Basically, these are Norse zombies. That’s an over simplification but it’s the easiest way to explain it. They are one of the most powerful revenants though. They are all said to be sorcerers who can control the weather. These are just some of their powers.
They can do a great many things. And they have the power to curse. But despite this, not all Draugr are the same. Not all Draugr are the people who died. Sometimes they’re evil spirits possessing the corpses of the dead.
Other times they really are the person who passed away. But are angry for some reason, leading to their aggression.
Now, the first legends I heard claimed that the Draugr could not be killed by weapons formed by men. That only a hero who was strong enough could wrestle them to the ground and kill them. However, the video above mentions plenty of times when weapons did kill them. When heroes killed them by decapitating them with swords. Then burned the body to ashes.
And separated the ashes into different bodies of water. So either they can be killed by weapons. Or the hero’s can make weapons kill the Draugr. These were the creatures said to be out tonight. And Jólnir was hunting them.
So tonight while you’re out feasting, raise a toast to the All Father and the Norse Gods. And remember to leave offerings for Oski and his Tomte. And ask for many blessings in this new year.
Well, we are finally at the last day of the Noumenia. The day when we finish the festival. This one is an odd mix of the first two. It’s a semi stay at home festival. It focuses on non human as well as human spirits.
Our Agathos Daimoi (Good Spirits) or spirit guides. Those spirits who have watched over us since the days of our birth. In ancient times they were honored with huge feasts in the household. The family would gather round. Like Christmas it was a family celebration.
Usually everyone in the family participated in thanking and honoring their Daimoi. Followers of the Theoi and Theia are still here. And so, modern temples who worship the Gods come together in temple celebrations to honor their good spirits. In my case and in the case of many other people, I do it alone. I do have a temple, but we don’t always celebrate the Noumenia together.
And they use the modern calculation of the New Moon. The timing I use was revealed to me. And it took me a long time just to study. So I choose to do it my reconstructed way.
Sunset
We begin our celebration as always at sunset, marking the next day. We set up a shrine to our Agathos Daimoi. Now my shrine is personal to me and so I can’t snap a picture of it. But what they have are typically images of protective spirits. This also includes our ancestors because they are also our Agathos Daimoi.
A warrior statue of someone’s Agathos Daimon
Now they don’t have to be Greek spirit guides. Any spirit guide is an Agathos Daimoi no matter what culture they come from. I personally have native and African guides among many others. And their images adorn my shrine. Now the images can be anything.
If you have plant spirit guides, place potted plants or images of those plants at the shrine. If you have guides who are ancestors, place their pictures there. If your guide is a guardian Angel then place a warrior Angel statue in the shrine. If you are protected by a specific Saint or Demi God also place an image of them there. There is no wrong or right way to do this.
An example of someone’s personal shrine to their Agathos Daimon. As you can see, the imagery doesn’t have to be a solid picture. It can be anything. Any idol you chose as long as it has meaning for you and your guides.
I use to have this book shelf dedicated just to them. I placed all my guides images there. An old associate of mine who practices Voodoo and Hoodoo managed to get her hands on a bakery rack. And she uses it for all of her guides to have a place in her room. Now, on to the God of this festival.
Agathos Daimon as a God of luck
An ancient depiction of Agathos Daimon or rather a God in his Agathos Daimon form. Asklepius
Agathos Daimon meaning “Good Spirit” can also mean “Good God”. There’s a lot of debate over this. But essentially Agathos Daimon is a spirit guide. But also the name of a God of good luck and prosperity who appears as a giant snake. It’s said he’s the husband of Tyche (Lady Luck).
There are some who claim this is a title for Zeus (who does appear as a giant snake sometimes). We know that Agathos Daimon is the name for a spirit guide. But whether or not there is a God or group of Gods who share that name depends on your view.
Zeus in his Agathos Daimon form
Personal Revelations
Now, this is my personal experience. This is not to be taken as “gospel”. This was a personal gnosis granted to me. I do not claim to be all knowing. But I did see him in a vision.
It was in an exhaust trance.
It kind of freaked me out because it looked so real. Imagine having a giant talking snake with semi human-like features in your bedroom. I damn near shit myself. He is not the serpentine form of Zeus. Though he did say Zeus has a similar avatar.
But he did tell me that he was a God of good luck and did confirm Tyche was his wife. He also told me he was the Lord of all Agathos Daimoi. In other words, he’s the God and chief of all spirit guides in Greek culture. This is what he told me. I did notice that after I began giving him cultus, my guides got stronger.
No matter what culture they come from. He does bring good luck. In fact sometimes when I pray to him I see visions of golden coins falling from the skies. And in any working with Tyche, he amplifies her gifts to immense levels. I have contemplated buying an image of a golden serpent for him.
He gives good luck by causing you to “shed” your bad luck. Like a snake shedding skin. Sometimes it’s a painful process. Emotionally, mentally, and spiritually painful. But when he’s done, anything that was holding you back is removed.
Besides Agathos Daimon, there are also the ancient heroes. You have probably heard of the term “hero worship”. Well that is because the heroes of the ancient Greeks are like our version of the Saints. In fact, the cult of the Saints was basically ripped off of our hero cults. We honor the Heroes for their intercession in our affairs.
People are used to asking the Gods for favors all of the time. However, the Gods are cosmic beings and are thus busy most of the time. The heroes on the other hand, were human once. And they are members of “The Mighty Dead”. The most powerful of the dead who can grant any boon.
It should be noted that at least some of these heroes are Demi Gods. Or became Gods after death. So hero worship is sometimes literally worship. So we have the added benefit of God power with hero power. Best of both worlds.
And I can also tell you that they are great to call in battle against dark entities. The heroes understand humanity on a level the Gods don’t. And they’re closer to us because the underworld is beneath the earth itself. In another, more spiritual dimension. Even Gods of the dead aren’t so close because they occupy higher space.
The Ceremony
Some heroes are Deified. So at least some of the Gods worshipped on Agathos Daimon are heroes
First, we give offerings to Hestia. Rather than the libations, I like to use candles this time. Fire is sacred to Hestia anyways. But yesterday I used libations. I wash my hands in the Lustral Waters and I speak the words,
“Hestia, Daughter of the Most High God, Zeus the God of Gods. Hestia of the golden hair from which fiery oil ever drips, ancient keeper of the ways of the Gods, protectress of the family and the house of the family. Keeper of the Hearthe on which our ancestors once cooked their meals, and families gathered round to celebrate and eat meals, while priests and priestesses gathered round it to perform rituals, we ask for your holy intercession on our behalf great lady, O Princess of the Olympioi, grant to us your favor and grace so that we may continue our work and begin the rituals of Agathos Daimon, Yammas,”
I usually wait for a sign from Hestia. A feeling of grace to overcome me, which tells me she’s here. Allowing me to continue on, now spurred by her spirit. Now I bring either wine for libations, or food. Home cooked food.
Whatever you are eating is what you should offer.
I bring part of my dinner to them. I have two shrines for them. One on the outside and one in home. Back when I didn’t have the time, space, or money to give my offerings, I used to leave it outside. I asked Agathos Daimon for a sign of where I should leave the offerings.
The next day my mother told me that she saw a huge snake by this tree on the left hand side of our apartment. I took it as a sign and went there. I felt the power of that tree. A hidden power. I must have walked by that tree a dozen times.
And never had I bothered paying attention to it. Now I looked inside it not with eyes, but with heart. And I felt it’s hidden power. It was damn near invisible. But there.
I guess I wasn’t ready to know about it yet.
And then for the first time I noticed something I never noticed before. The roots of this particular tree looked like giant snakes. I took that as my second sign. I opened myself to my spirits and asked if this was the place and they said yes. From that day forward, it was my shrine to Agathos Daimon and to my personal Daimoi.
Giving offerings
Today I had a simple food. It was just pasta and eggs and bread. But it was all that I had to give. After lighting the candle for Hestia, I ate dinner with my mother. And I separated a portion of the food into a bag. I prayed to the spirits who worship the Gods to charge it with prayers for them.
Then when I finished eating, I blessed it in the name of the Gods. They could eat the psychic energy. I went to the shrine. I prayed to Agathos Daimon and my Daimoi first.
Agathos Daimon and his attendants
“My Lord, Agathos Daimon, please shed from me all all that is impure. Cleanse my life and that of my loved ones of things we no longer need or want. And bring to us prosperity. As I honor you I also honor my Agathos Daimoi, my good spirits that you have granted me. And those whom are empowered by you even if they come from other lands.
I pray to you my holy Daemons, great spirits granted to me by the Gods for my own blessings and protections. I thank you for all the good things you given me and my family. I thank you for always being my support in the darkest of times. May Agathos Daimon bless you my Agathos Daimoi. Continue to walk with me on the path, Yammas,”
Spirit Guide
I drop a portion of the food for both him and also my guardians. Next, the heroes. I name a bunch of heroes from Greek religion, and also from other cultures that I look up to. Then I say something like this,
“Holy Ones, great heroes of old, I pray, please support us in our work. Please empower my Daimoi and grant them victory in everything that they do. And grant me victory and focus, please aid me in (give your petition here) please grant me your support. I ask that you intercede with our Gods. And that you also intercede personally for us in all of our affairs. And especially in the petition for which I have dedicated to you. Yammas,”
I dropped the rest of the food there. I went back to my home. And there I made candle and incense offerings for Agathos Daimon, my Daimoi (on my ancestor shrine), and the Heroes. I paid homage to my spirits and when I was finished, I burned a final candle to Hestia. And this time I took a reading from my temple for her.
And with that, the feast of Agathos Daimon is over now. This can be a private holiday. Or you can invite a close circle of friends to honor their own patrons and spirits. Like I said, it’s a mix of the Deipnon along with the actual Noumenia feast. Good night everyone.
The Great Goddess herself, whom this festival is dedicated to. Hail Selene!
So after yesterday’s extensive article on day 1 of the Noumenia or “new moon” festival, we go to day 2. The actual Noumenia. Ironically this is the easiest of the three day festival. There isn’t much to unpack here. The most complicated day is the first day.
I can also tell you that today is the total opposite of Hekate’s Deipnon. Where the Deipnon is isolating to a point, where you stay in doors all night. Where you prepare your shielding and warding like crazy to keep all of the bad spirits out, this is about joy and happiness. It’s a celebration of the new lunar month. Tonight is actually the best night to have a garden party in your home with friends.
To celebrate with the Nymphs. To have good drinks, and to eat good food if you want to. It doesn’t have to be that way either. These are just ideas. This day is one of the most liberating.
And it is a festival after all.
Today at Sunset, on the day of the last quarter of the moon I had bidden farewell to the old month. And I welcomed the new lunar month. So first thing is first, besides Hestia, we’re also working with Apollon Noumenios. Little is known about this version of Apollo. Except that clearly he’s a part of the Noumenia festival.
What we do know is that he’s a cleanser of negative energy. In fact we bless the lustral waters in his name. He and Hestia preside over this ritual. This day is dedicated to the Goddess Selene, the Titan Goddess of the Moon. She’s one of the Titans who continued to have a place in the Universe.
Even after Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades took over the Universe in their rebellion. I also made slight changes and alterations in how I celebrate this day. And I will also point out what I changed and how I do it. That way you know the difference. Let’s begin.
We’re also working with Zeus Ktesios. If you remember yesterday’s article, this is a household aspect of Zeus. We make a jar that we decorate in his name for Zeus Ktesios as his idols. Here is a picture from another website on what to put inside the jar. Now yesterday we dumped the contents of the jar, today we restock it.
I like to use a special prayer from the top of my head asking Zeus Ktesios to fill the jar with the spirit of prosperity. Good energy. Hope. And General good luck. I visualize a light around me that enters the jar.
And that once I close it, the good energy is sealed with me. It is then put into the pantry to bring prosperity to us all.
Focus
The focus on this day is again, purification. The difference is the Deipnon was a deeper and more chothonic cleansing. But this is a lighter cleansing. And a powerful blessing by means of the moon. It’s a day to clean magical tools.
To bathe in the light of the dying moon. To soak up it’s final blessings. You can also charge talismans during this time. And you can make holy water. Specifically I make Noumenia Water to Apollon using this power.
These prayers I made up for my own rituals. You can either use them, or make up your own. Or even just speak from the top of your head when you do the ritual. Either way, this is something to keep around in case you’re tired and stressed and can’t think properly.
The celebration is very easy to do. First you need to cleanse with the lustral waters by washing your hands and asking Apollon Noumenios for purification. We give a libation of water first to Hestia,
“Hestia, daughter of Zeus please intercede on our behalf with the daughter of Hyperion and Theia. Prepare the way for tonight’s festivities, may the home and hearth shine with mirth and love. May the spirits of the household dance and praise the Theoi (Gods) and Theaia (Goddesses),
Yammas,”
Pour a libation of water in her honor. Now, for Apollon Noumenios.
“Hail! Apollon son of Zeus, divine messenger of the Great Father, Lord of Oracles, Master of Wisdom and Magic. Bringer of the Sun’s life giving rays, holy prince of Olympus, we call to you in your function of Priest of the Noumenia. May you intercede in our behalf with the Queen of the Moon herself. Bring to us all the blessings of this new month. Bless us Apollon Noumenios with the power of this new moon,”
Pour a libation of water. Now you can pour water to the Queen herself, Selene.
“Oh Holy One, Precious Daughter of the Titans, illuminator of the night. You bring us light in the darkness just as Apollon and Helios bring forth light in the day. You show us that we needn’t fear the dark. You provide for us and all the creations a lamp by which we can see through the deep shade of the night. Bless us with the power of this fresh new moon. May we be cleansed and purified. May you bless our new month. May we have only the good luck of the moon,”
Pour a libation for her. Now take the final portion of the water and pour a final libation to Hestia.
“Hestia, Queen of the home and the hearth, bringer of fire and comfort. High Priestess of all rituals and festivals. No celebrations can be made unless you are giving offering and worship first. We call to you to now seal this ritual and celebration. Accept this libation, Goddess who is first and last,”
And that’s it, you’re done. Now you can add stuff or change it up. I will give you a few ideas in the following. Including some additions to the liturgy. This is what I do.
Here are some of my personal changes to the ritual.
Liturgy of the Night
Besides Selene, I also worship
Nyx the Goddess of Night and her consort Erebus the God of the Night mist.
Asteria the Titan Goddess of the Stars (Hekate’s Mother)
And last but not least, the Demi God and hero Endymion. The son of Zeus and the Queen of Elis, Calyce. Endymion wasn’t a typical prince. He was a Shepard and working the land, he was also a scientist. Specifically an Astronomer.
In fact, Pliny the Elder actually credited him as the first Astronomer. At least in Greece. If this is true, it also means the lunar-solar calendars came from him. And perhaps star charts were probably based on Endymion’s own sciences as well. Even though he was the son of Zeus, Calyce’s husband King Aethlius, loved the boy as his own.
Though whether he knew about it or not we don’t know. People only figured it out when he was growing up and became almost supernaturally handsome. And this is how he relates to Selene : of all the things in the sky he loved to watch, he loved the moon most of all. And Selene began to watch him and fall in love with him. Her moon beams would caress him at night as he slept.
There are many even today who think it went beyond that. With the Goddess descending upon the Earth in human form to be with him. So Endymion is her mate. So for me, it only makes sense to worship him with her. Also I practice magic and I love science as well.
Endymion had a good heart. He loved his animals. He never once allowed his princely status to make him believe he was any better than anyone. Not even his dogs and farm animals. Is it any wonder that he was able to move a Goddess’ heart to love?
So he’s a personal hero for me. I worship Endymion as the Demi God and Hero of Science and Astrology as well as Astronomy. Obviously I worship her first and foremost. And as per Pliny and other historians, he did in fact exist. People are still try to find Prince Endymion’s tomb to this day.
Though the popular legend states that he never died. Selene loved him so much that she asked Hypnos the God of sleep to keep him asleep eternally. That way she could watch over him. Supposedly his body is hidden in a vault somewhere. Where only Selene can visit him.
Hypnos granted him the ability to sleep with his eyes open so he could gaze on her beauty. Also, him being asleep isn’t stopping him much. Apparently they still have sex. And so far he fathered a whole class of Goddesses with Selene. They’re called the Menae.
Besides water libations, sometimes I offer up cookies that resemble the full moon. Or any kind of lunar decoration. Or even just gingerbread. I don’t know why I keep feeling like I should use that. Maybe those are my household spirits giving me ideas.
I also offer up milk or cream to symbolize the moon. And my nature spirits have a sweet tooth so I am guessing that’s part of it. The Gods (at least with me) always share their food with the spirits. I always like to nurture them all. And finally I like to give silver things.
Global Warming is destroying our planet. As well as human activities meant to “better” our society. Such as this dam which was constructed by the Fascist Dictator of Spain, General Francisco Franco. Franco’s dam covered up an ancient series of dolmens, stone pillars meant to support stone roofs of ancient structures. Its believed they are at least 5000 years old.
Of course Fascists have no respect for history. So for Franco to flood such a historic site into a dam meant nothing to him. After all, in Fascist Spain, history began and ended with him. As a Theocratic Fascist, his regime was founded on the notion of Roman Catholic supremacy. Wiping away any remnant of the old Iberian religion was a must.
History be damned.
But ironically, Franco’s “God” failed. For by the hand of man’s own destructive nature we now have Global Warming. And through it, we have found many of our ancient ancestral sites and relics.
Here we see a sky view of all those arches from above
It’s nice to see something positive come out of our current global catastrophe. Maybe we can learn more from our ancestors on how not to be stupid. And how to properly live with the world around us.
An actual hotel guest room from a real hotel, the Royal Mandaya Hotel (royal?). Which makes this both hilarious and disturbing at the same time.
Welcome to the dark time of the year everyone. I hope you’re all comfy by your fire or space heater. I also hope that you have sufficient food to eat. And a nice warm blanket to be tucked inside of. The dark time of the year is here again.
Providing both comfort and fear for many.
During Christmas, it was an English tradition to tell ghost stories in the winter. Winter being the dark time of the year, when the Fae and all other spirits had full run of the land. It seems natural for people to have associated it with the dead. After all, things go bump in the night when the sun is gone. And only the holy power of fire can keep them at bay.
But there’s one problem with that. We don’t use fire hardly ever anymore. We don’t even have proper Hearths. And people don’t believe. Does that protect them? I’m not so sure it does.
If anything it debilitates them. Like an immune system that’s been weakened. How are you supposed to protect yourself from things you don’t even know are there in the first place?
This story was so good I just had to share it with all of you. It’s a YouTube video for your listening pleasure. Enjoy. Sit back and relax.
In Baotou, Inner Mongolia a strange occurrence is happening. For 12 days straight, sheep have been walking in circular pattern. They seem to be in a zombie-like trance. To date, nobody knows what is actually going on.
The “experts” claim that they have it figured out. That this is trauma from being in a pen too long so they are just repeating certain patterns. And that the other animals are just repeating what is going on. Another theory is they have a bacteria which causes “circling disease”. A disease that arises from the feces in the soil and forces animals to walk in a circular pattern.
The thing is, that disease causes the animals to die within two days. So it doesn’t explain this. I also have heard from a friend that they are trapped in a pen and can’t migrate so that’s all they can do. Except that according to reports, it says that only one farm is being effected. And of the 34 pens only one Pen, Pen 13 is doing this.
I originally had another theory. Some animals have been proven to sense shifts in EM Fields. So I thought logically that somehow, something on that particular spot was causing them to act that way. Except so far there is no evidence of that. This is a simple farm.
And if it were a natural phenomenon, where an EM Field was being sent out, why only that one small area? Why not let’s say the whole region? Something else is going on here. To make it weirder there is a single sheep in the center who remains still. Almost as if conducting the whole strange dance.
Also, something else bothers me. This isn’t the behavior of animals sensing EM Fields. Normally an EM Field causes disturbances in an animal’s behavior. They get confused. Irritated.
None of that is happening here.
What we see instead is a strange Sheppard leading the other sheep in a spiral dance. None of the experts have been able to explain that. Also the fact that the pen is 13 fascinates me. It’s an extremely occultic number. Is it a mere coincidence?
Who knows at this point.
I wonder if any scientists have tried to go there to gage what is going on. Whatever is going on, we should watch with interest.
Adventures of A Mage In Miami 