For @tephramancer
Images
Sigil for the Cemetery
Ideally drawn (or painted on a cloth which might then be left) at the gates of the cemetery, upon which offerings – coins, alcohol, beads, candles, etc. –
might be left for the spirits who watch over the graveyard. Some traditions recognize a specific being, but if yours does not and you would like to pay and give thanks, this will do nicely. Pay when removing anything from the graveyard – specifically dirt; if removing dirt from a specific grave, pay there & at the gate – and when you are doing ritual work therein.
You know me, spending my Friday evening in a field wearing giant, lion’s head earrings to match my leonine mane.
Triangle of Existence, designed by Qedavathegrey, rendered/printed by me
Guys, check this out! @tekomuto rendered one of my sigils for 3D printing – and if you have a printer, they’ve made the file available for freeeeee! What a totally rad time to be alive (and a witch)!
I wanted to try to use @qedavathegrey‘s sigil/seal making method (clearly I am not as good as them, haha) to make an invoking sigil for Bast. Here are a list of symbols I used and why:
The Moon – Most people see Bast as a Solar deity (myself as well, actually) but especially after she became compared to the goddess Artemis, as well as how she would hunt at night under the moon, protecting pharaohs and her father Ra from a god of chaos, I wanted to add this in. It also goes to represent a theme Bast has taught me in my time working with her; the idea of complexity, and being able to be multi-faceted.
Sol – I used the symbol of the sun, Sol, to symbolize her connection to Ra and as a deity who was originally associated more with solar energies.
Fire – I used the elemental symbol (the upright triangle) for fire, as Bast is often seen as a goddess of passion, pleasure, and embodies the intensity of the element of fire.
Female symbol – The well-recognized symbol for the female gender, is created from the circle of the sun symbol and extends downward, to express Basts feminine nature, her role as a protector of women, and a representation of her role in my life as a form of the divine feminine.
The eye of Ra – it faces sideways around the sun symbol, and is used here because of Bast’s role as an Eye of Ra, a protector, and sometimes, a destroyer of the enemies of Ra and the Pharaohs. The Eye of Ra was also considered a protective symbol.
The Sistrum – An instrument Bast is often depicted with, it is upside-down, and is part of how I depicted the eye of Ra symbol as well. I am using it here to represent her later role as a goddess of more lighthearted pleasures, dance, and music.
It’s probably not the best invoking sigil in the world, but I’m still learning!
Yesssss!!!!
To Poison the Mind
Begin by mixing black mustard seeds with a blend of powdered red, chile pepper and sulphur. Reserve a few tablespoons and use the rest to cast a small working circle. Within, draw the above seal with red or white chalk.
Upon the seal, take a walnut and carefully crack it open down the “seam” doing as little damage as possible. Remove the nut from within and pulverize it. Blend the powdered nut with the reserved mustard/chile mixture and return it to the shell. You may recite a curse – naming the target, or simply spit maliciously therein with their name (and your intention) on your lips.
Seal the halves as best you can with wax from a black hex-candle (an inverted black candle that has been lit from the bottom) and wrap around with black thread or yarn nine times. You may then seal it further with the wax if you so choose.
Bury this in their yard or place it in a black bag and hang it from a tree upon their property. The madness will come.
- Add a little zing to the ritual by tossing in a sprinkle of goofer dust and/or bathing the charm in crossing oil.
The Seeing Star –
Guarded by the Cardinal Gates, the Seeing Star allows the user to venture within the subconscious and thereby manifest a number of things by bringing them forward into the conscious mind. As such, it may be useful for learning (or rather, relearning) “new” abilities – particularly those dealing with spirit, such as: mediumship, astral projection, remote viewing, etc.
The Poison Dagger
Used to bring sickness – physical, mental or spiritual – to your victim. It can be drawn on their doorstep, its ashes added to crossing powder, or drawn over a photo of them.
To make Poison Dagger Powder: combine black mustard seed, the dirt from a hospital, a powdered, poisonous plant of your choosing (though one that is not dangerous with mere skin contact is recommended), 3 powdered (red) chiles, the ashes of the Dagger and (optionally) the ashes of Deuteronomy 32:24 –
“They will be wasted by famine, and consumed by plague and bitter destruction; And the teeth of beasts I will send upon them, With the venom of crawling things of the dust.”
“Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,
For I would ride with you upon the wind,
Run on the top of the dishevelled tide,
And dance upon the mountains like a flame.”
― W.B. Yeats, The Land of Heart’s Desire
Lord, Don’t Move That Mountain // Mahalia Jackson
The Marriage of Coyote Woman // All Them Witches
I Have Been To The Mountain // Kevin Morby
Steady On // Shawn Colvin
Wild Things // Wilder Adkins
Gale Song // The Lumineers
Lady From The Mountains // Stevie Nicks
The Fall of Glorieta Mountain // Esben & the Witch
Like A Mountain // Timber Timbre
Everyone Requires A Plan // The Lumineers
Singing Saw // Kevin Morby
The Death of Coyote Woman // All Them Witches
Dreamer // Wilder Adkins
The Qedavian Apocrypha 