qedavathegrey:

The Witches’ Baptism

Or – perhaps more fittingly – the Witches’ Rites of
Renunciation are meant to sever the religious ties of your own personal past.
This is done (I have found) for two distinct reasons: to shed the preconceptions
forced by organized religion, including both the doctrines and the antithetic
notion of hierarchal power in regards to Enlightenment, and as a symbol of
rebirth. Much like a baptism! Only in this instance, the sin you wash away is
the sin of religious indoctrination, hypocrisy and the very human realities
that accompany the notion of “church.” It is meant to be a freeing exercise –
one that cleanses all the malformed ideologies imbued on you throughout your
earlier life. Of course, that is easier said than done and no one ritual can
truly clear the slate completely, but it serves as a formal boundary between
the past and the future – a future in which you must relearn your understanding
of the world at large. One in which the answers presented are not set in stone,
but fluid – from which you must come to your own conclusions, test your own
theories and tessellate the scattered mythos and ideas into a cohesive faith –
you own faith, reliant wholly on none other than yourself.

That is The Witches’ Baptism, and this is one example of how
it may be performed:

Ideally, the rite should be done at a Crossroad
(of whichever type speaks to you the most) as it is a transformative ritual! Bring
with you whatever you need to light a fire in your preferred method – such as
wood for a classic bonfire, Sacred Fire to light in a bowl/cauldron/vessel, or
alcohol – which can be poured in a circle (note: isopropyl alcohol isn’t fond
of the cold or wind, so either plan according to weather or bring a backup
solution).

On site, when you are emotionally prepared, build your fire.
Depending on your chosen medium, your window of opportunity will differ greatly
(the above are listed from greatest to least burn-time), so factor this in as
well. For those of you who thoroughly enjoy taking your time, I recommend
building a true fire.

The following part should be personalized to fit your taste,
as how you wish to release the past is up to you. You can do it simply, by
speaking out loud that you rebuke the religion of your youth/past (traditionally,
this is done by rebuking the Holy Spirit of Christianity – the unforgivable
blasphemy – so as to free oneself from its vice-grip, though the renunciation
can extend to any religion [or even no religion]). As an example:

I, [name], child of [father’s name] and [mother’s name],
Reared in the faith of [“Our Lord,” “Yahweh,” “Allah,” etc.]
– rebuke these laws;
No longer am I bound by tomes or cathedral walls,
Nor do I kneel at the altar of man –
But I walk the crooked path – proud,
For I was born in the Earth –
In the Heart of the Tempest;
And so I have become;
From whence I came – so I return.

A few other options consist of writing these things out – in
as long-winded or concise a manner as you wish (these can even be written days
in advance) – or burning a symbol of the past. The flames are freeing – allow them
to be.

Purge these broken things from the mind and heart, and cast
them symbolically into the consuming fire of creation and destruction. It is
these things that stand as obstacle – let them be cleansed from you. And when
the time has come, when these things have been expressed and used as kindling
(carefully) leap the fire (and try not to wear any hairspray!). Then you are
free.

Upon the other side, you may douse the fire, allow it to
burn out, or use this time to connect with another Spirit or Deity (I said you were free, not that you had to stay free!), Nature at large, or even
with yourself – whichever is most befitting your chosen path. Theoretically,
this could be done by an Abrahamic witch if only to cleanse the effects of church
indoctrination – for those who wish to follow the gospels/tomes in a unique or
personal way.

And for those who wish to follow the Traditional Witch path
(the “origin” of the Witches’ Baptism), this would be the perfect instance to Evoke
the Devil!

photo source // 
“Baptism of fire: Girls leap over flames as part of ancient cleansing ceremony held on the birthday of John the Baptist,” DailyMail

Source: qedavathegrey
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joananevesart:

Posting some stuff from last semester. These are just a few illustrations from a bigger project. I haven’t been posting much because it has been hard to draw lately.

These are so fantastic, I couldn’t resist.

Source: joananevesart
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Hello qedava, i was wondering if you wouldn’t mind telling me some more about your Channel of the Sulfuric Moon sigil. I really love it, and i know it’s for love, but like – what all symbols and intentions went into making it, what would be the ideal situation to use it, etc?

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It would be just delighted to explore [The Channel of the Sulfuric Moon] with you! You could say that it can be used to incite love, but that wouldn’t be entirely correct – I think the best way to explain it would be to trace piece by piece and allow the meaning to present itself.

Let’s start from the top!

  • You’ve got the crescent moon – whose “mouth” devours the alchemical symbol for Brimstone (Sulphur), which is often regarded as a solar element, but I find that correspondence a little flat. I prefer to see Sulphur not as intrinsically solar – but ruled by fire, it is force and it is passion; it is the volatile womb of creation. In alchemy, this fire is shaped and directed by its liquid, metallic counterpart, Mercury. It is the passive nature of Mercury that bends the (aggressive) creative fire of Sulphur – directing its purpose. So to begin, we have the fires of creation – or more simply power, force, fire, being ruled by the mysteries of the Moon – by her esoteric forces.
  • Below that, we have the Eye – the symbol for both sight and cosmic consciousness, it is Self: it is the Witch who draws from the moon her nature, to hammer at the force of creation and to bend fire to Witch’s Will. And the nature of a Witch’s desire here is marked by the following symbol:
  • The interlocking hearts which house within a circle – symbol for eternity, union and perfection – that alludes to perfect union of two hearts, the seat of the Soul. So, to say that the symbol is used solely to “incite love” would be a bit of a misrepresentation, it is more to solidify an already existing bond – to bring it forth from the shadows with the pull of a sulphuric spark.
  • From the hearts are born two, identical tridents – crossroads & the symbols that direct force. The innermost tines converge, but disappear within themselves; while the outermost tines never meet at it – though if we go by the mathematical nature of a line, these two will eventually meet, but not before the time for action has passed. It is the middle tines that converge and spill into another circle, a union bound, the tines exit not as two, but one.
  • On either side of this, you can see the formation of a new trident, but one severed – this crossroad exists no longer, there is only one way: forward, together. It should also be noted that only one line truly suggests continuation – and it is the one of unity.

Does that present some clarity? I love exploring my own sigils in such a way because I often find (when constructing them) I rely heavily on my subconscious understanding of symbol and form – so while I know what my intentions were when I constructed it, I always learn more about my own intentions when I go and deconstruct it in such a way.

Basically, had I included a description of this sigil at the time of its creation, it would have read something to the extent of: “Used to bind love or explore existing bonds.” Which kind of makes me glad I didn’t at the time! Instead, you asked and I got to retrospectively explore my own psyche at the time!

So I’m very glad you asked! Thank you!

And I hoped it helped!

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I just said the sentence: “I don’t know, he looks like the type of man who would play an upright base.”

I don’t know if that’s an insult or a compliment, but rest assured, it’s exactly what he looked like.

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My teacher used to say, ‘Stay in beginner’s mind. Never leave beginner’s mind,’ because in beginner’s mind, the possibilities are infinite. They’re open. Anything can happen. You’re open to learn anything you need to learn. If your view of something needs to change, you’re open for it to change. No matter how deeply you’ve seen something, no matter how much you think you know something, stay in beginner’s mind. Don’t get rigid. No matter how great a revelation you may have had, no matter how great an opening in the core and depth of your being, if you stay in innocence, in the mind that’s very light, that never takes its ideas as truth, then there will be a much greater potential for your thoughts, as well as your communications with others, to be naturally inspired.

Adyashanti (via thebigelectron)
Source: facebook.com
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This is a compiled list of all the works I’ve posted here thus far. I will attempt to do my best to reblog this periodically with updates, in hopes of making more blog more easily navigated. You’ll find below the links to all my (applicable) posts – arranged alphabetically and by category instead of simply chronologically. Hopeful this will prove helpful!

Sigils & Seals

Rituals

Magical Recipes

Dreams, Visions & Anecdotes

Informational

Archetypes

Seals:

Evocations:

Mistress Mary

“Unholy” Saints

Resolution of the Kandakes

To Overcome Any Odds

Dominion of Delilah

Binding Hearts
The Flames of Retribution

Key of Huldah

Curse of Jezebel

Sheba’s Bath

The Coin of Favor

To Acquiesce Information from the Dead

Witchy Playlists

Rosa Caveira Playlists:

Misc.

New additions appear in bold.

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Love is not something bound to two people, or even hundreds. Love can stand alone, it can be shared, it can mend and it can heal. Love does not die nor can it “run out,” its application simply changes.

Love cannot be given to another, love is shared – the responsibility of both parties. It need not be nurtured, it need only be preserved. That avenue must remain open.

Love is work – but not because it must be kept “alive,” for love is not a fleeting feeling, but a dedication – it requires cooperation.

As with all things, there must be balance: be it between two, hundreds, thousands or within yourself. You cannot share love with yourself if each part cannot agree, nor can it be shared (lastingly) with others.

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