First let me say I genuinely hope no one was expecting a postapaloosa from me this month, because well, it is not coming. I only managed so-so with the theme and only have pics of finished products, rather than a step by step and no actual full ritual, because I did not finish it yet :(

This month I have decided to perfect the art of making herb bundles for smoke cleansing. The problem I have faced before was never being able to get the bundles tight enough when the herbage is still fresh, causing the bundles to be very loose. On How-To pages etc., they usually tell you to just rewrap them once in a while, but as the herbs dry, they begin to crumble and it is just not right. 

So I got an idea. After leaving them hung upside down for a day, to let them wilt a bit, I made the bundles and tightened them all around by using a paper towel and tied them on the outside. I left them to dry like this hanging for about a week, before unbundling them and rewrapping them with the final cord and tightening them some more. 

I am very pleased with the results :)

I made four kinds of sticks, but since this months theme is purification, I’d like to talk a little bit more about two of the herbs I have chosen:

Mugwort and St.John’s wort.

I know St.John is not typically considered a cleansing herb, but hear me out. 

In a couple of days, I am turning 32 and I thought putting together a purification ritual (which was originally supposed to be a part of this post) before then would be nice. 

I’d use mugwort for a general cleansing, both of my person and of my apartment, from all the shit that has piled up in the last year (and on top of the pandemic, there was ALOT). Mugwort is a wonderful herb in my opinion, being not only a great ally in all things divinatory, feminine mystery-wise and so on, but above all a great cleanser of all residual human stuff that one may carry of their shoulders or have lurking around their space. 

Saint John’s wort on the other hand, is a very Solar and Martial herb and the second part of my cleansing will go along the route of the Sun casting away shadows, bringing light into a somewhat darkened life, while at the same time fighting some personal stuff away and healing old wounds. On top of that, in the for of tea it’s a great mood stabilizer :) 

For that purpose I chose to prep it three ways:

Incense stick (cleansing)

Blood of Saint John Oil (healing)

Dried herbage (harmony, balance)

madgastronomer:

littlest-grimoire:

breelandwalker:

grumpylokeanelder:

Just a reminder: Heathenry does have a term for smoke-cleansing.

Recaning. To recan. (Or reocan, in Old West Saxon.) This is cleansing via smoke, whether through incense or a bundle of herbs put together for a particular type of cleansing. Juniper and mugwort are both favorites for this.

In case you’re wondering how to pronounce it, it sounds like reekening. The word “reeks” is actually derived from it, signifying a potent smell.

For Old Norse fans, this seems to be related to the work reykr. In case you were wondering, Reykjavik in Iceland translates to “Smoky Bay”.

*dances around the entire pagan community waving this post like a fucking banner* THANK YOU.

Just a little addendum: Mugwort can be dangerous due to mildly psychoactive properties in the herb. Use with caution and avail yourself of the following list of free-use alternatives:

• Basil (any kind, noting that Sweet Basil smells the best)
  
• Sage (any type, but keep in mind that White Sage is becoming endangered)
  
• Rosemary
• Peppermint
• Lavender
• Cedar Tips or Shavings
  
• Thyme (especially Lemon)

This literally makes me delightfully happy but it also wants to make me smack every person who didn’t take the time to learn this and instead just took something from Native Americans. (then proceeded to whine about not having alternatives when you were told NO)

The ancient Greek term is θυμιατεύω or thumiateuo which is usually translated as “fumigate”. The Latin is suffire, which is usually translated the same. Both mean to cleanse with incense smoke.

tainbo:

What Native people say about the use of sage: you can use sage, but you cannot smudge as nothing you are doing (waving sage around) is actually smudging. Smudging is a ceremony and you are, we promise, not smudging. Please buy sage from either us, or someone who sources the sage from us. White sage may not be considered endangered by the US government but corperate sourcing is making it difficult for us to source sage for our own religious purposes. Let alone to sell it.

What white people hear: never use sage ever, don’t ever buy it, don’t own it, don’t even look at it.

Look, y’all. There’s a couple of facets to my talk today.

1) Yes! You can buy sage! You really, truly can! Buy it from either native sellers (go to a powwow! Eat our food, buy our stuff, watch some dancing!) Or buy it from a seller who sources the sage from native people. Pick one. And no, buying it from 5 Below doesn’t count.

2) you CANNOT smudge. This isn’t just you “shouldn’t”— this is a YOU ARE INCAPABLE OF SMUDGING. Waving a sage stick around your doorways IS NOT SMUDGING. It is smoke clensing. Smudging, depending on the tradition and tribe, could easily have dancing and drums involved. You, as a white person, do not have the cultural BACKGROUND to even know how it works. At all. Period.

3) please, for FUCKS SAKE, stop making posts here on tumblr where you tell other white people about cultural appropriation and what they can and cannot do. Please stop, your license has been revoked because none of you bother to get the facts right. We native people are FULLY CAPABLE OF DOING IT OURSELVES. Consider instead: a) reblogging our posts where we talk about it! We’re here! We have made posts!! b) Making a post that states what we said and then LINKS BACK TO US. Screenshot with a link if you must. Stop centering your own voices in these conversations. You are already centered in everything, stop centering yourselves in a native space.

I’m tired of this nonsense, y’all.

Thanks for coming to my TedTalk ™

——

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Paypal:https://www.paypal.me/jnwampler

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Handfulofdust

Have you ever burned lilac wood? You should try it. It smells really great. Great for smoke cleansing. Try it out.

tainbo:

What Native people say about the use of sage: you can use sage, but you cannot smudge as nothing you are doing (waving sage around) is actually smudging. Smudging is a ceremony and you are, we promise, not smudging. Please buy sage from either us, or someone who sources the sage from us. White sage may not be considered endangered by the US government but corperate sourcing is making it difficult for us to source sage for our own religious purposes. Let alone to sell it.

What white people hear: never use sage ever, don’t ever buy it, don’t own it, don’t even look at it.

Look, y’all. There’s a couple of facets to my talk today.

1) Yes! You can buy sage! You really, truly can! Buy it from either native sellers (go to a powwow! Eat our food, buy our stuff, watch some dancing!) Or buy it from a seller who sources the sage from native people. Pick one. And no, buying it from 5 Below doesn’t count.

2) you CANNOT smudge. This isn’t just you “shouldn’t”— this is a YOU ARE INCAPABLE OF SMUDGING. Waving a sage stick around your doorways IS NOT SMUDGING. It is smoke clensing. Smudging, depending on the tradition and tribe, could easily have dancing and drums involved. You, as a white person, do not have the cultural BACKGROUND to even know how it works. At all. Period.

3) please, for FUCKS SAKE, stop making posts here on tumblr where you tell other white people about cultural appropriation and what they can and cannot do. Please stop, your license has been revoked because none of you bother to get the facts right. We native people are FULLY CAPABLE OF DOING IT OURSELVES. Consider instead: a) reblogging our posts where we talk about it! We’re here! We have made posts!! b) Making a post that states what we said and then LINKS BACK TO US. Screenshot with a link if you must. Stop centering your own voices in these conversations. You are already centered in everything, stop centering yourselves in a native space.

I’m tired of this nonsense, y’all.

Thanks for coming to my TedTalk ™

Lughnasadh themed smoke cleansing bundles:

• Mint- Prosperity and Success and I love how well it cleanses negativity.
• Rosemary- Rememberance and solar energy
• Corn Husk- leftovers from crafts with the kids, protection, insight, abundance, and stability.
• Yellow Rose- joy, solar energy, good luck, friendship and well being.
• Sunflower- solar energy (Helios specifically), longevity, faithfulness, the search for truth.
• China Rose- Energy, joy, positivity, vitality.
• Cattail- Peace, harmony, because they can be used like torches when soaked in oil I also associate them with light and hope.

Tarot Deck Care (for beginners)

Whether you get your tarot cards as a gift, buy it online or in-store, it has picked up a bunch of energies from the different people who have handled it. This means your readings won’t be as accurate as they could be. So here’s a guide for beginners of how to take care of their first tarot deck!

Cleansing:

It’s best if you cleanse your deck as soon as possible, and don’t leave it overnight without cleansing on the first night. This is because the energies the deck has picked up could be negative, and it could have an unwanted effect on you. There are heaps of ways you can cleanse your tarot deck, and you can use all of then, or even just one depending on what you have on hand. Here are some easy examples (keep in mind, while performing these you need to have a ‘cleansing’ intent in mind for it to work):

• Shuffle the deck
• Tap three times on the deck
• Blow on top of the deck
• Place a tumbled clear quartz crystal on top of the deck
• Wave the deck through incense
• Create a sigil for cleansing and leave it in the box
• 'Reset’ the deck by putting it back in its original order by suit and number
• This one is best for cleansing after a reading to remove traces of previous energies

Don’t freak out though if someone else touches your deck, nothing bad will happen, just make sure you cleanse it before doing another reading so it’s still accurate. In some situations, you can have someone purposely hold, shuffle, split or draw cards from your deck if you’re doing a reading for them in person and want their energy to be better connected with it.

Bonding:

Bonding with your deck is just as important as cleansing if you want an accurate reading! You should be able to feel a connection with your deck, which helps you understand what it’s trying to tell you through the readings. These are ways you can bond with your deck:

• Sleep with your deck under your pillow
• Play solitaire with your deck
• Watch a movie or TV show while shuffling your deck, then ask it questions about what it thought of the genre/characters/themes (I did this while watching Assassination Classroom and my deck said the school was stingy af )
• Play music on shuffle while shuffling your deck, then pick a card to help explain the song
• Draw a card every day in the morning after shuffling to represent how your day will be

While you’re doing these, take the time to look at the art of each card. Without looking at the guidebook, try working out what you think the card means by looking at things like the colours, shapes, background, animals, plants, figures, and repeating symbols. After you’ve don’t these, you can try a 'get to know my deck’spread,like this one I made, or make one of your own. This can help you see what kind of things your deck is and isn’t good at reading, and it’s strengths and weaknesses.

Charging:

Like crystals, water, and most other magic tools, tarot decks need to be charged. This is very similar to cleansing action-wise, but it comes down to the intent of those actions. While cleansing is about removing energies from the deck, charging is more like putting energy back into it. This means they have to be performed with a 'charging’ intent rather than a 'cleansing’ one. Here are some examples of how you can charge your deck:

• Place one or more pointed clear quartz crystals around the deck, pointing inwards
• Leave the deck under the light of the full moon
• Create a sigil for charging and leave it in the box
• Hold the deck and envision a pure ball of energy moving from you into the deck
• Shuffle the deck

Drawing and Shuffling:

There are heaps of ways to shuffle and draw cards that you can go through until you find the one you most prefer! 

• Shuffle the deck gently using your method of choice, then break the deck and reverse
• If a card jumps out from the deck while shuffling, it’s calling to be read
• Let the subject of the reading shuffle the deck while thinking about their question
• Let the subject of the reading pick the cards while thinking about their question
• Spread out the deck in a line and pick cards based on intuition
• Spread out the deck in a line, pick one card based on intuition, then draw the cards either side of it
• Pick cards straight from the deck without spreading them
• Pick the cards at the top of the deck without spreading them
• Let a small group of cards drop onto each section of the spread, the pick the one that’s on top for that position
• Let all of the cards drop, spread them out messily, then pick cards based on intuition

When I say 'based on intuition’ I mean that a card could have a different energy to the cards around it. It could seem a slightly different colour, or it could be the one your eyes are drawn to etc, and this is how you can tell if a card is calling out to you to be drawn.

–––––––––––––

Other info

If you’re doing an online reading, try to get info such as the subject’s initials, star sign, hair/eye colour, gender (and pronouns), element etc to have a better connection to them for a more accurate reading

Try to avoid yes/no questions, and swap them out for something like “what can I do to make me more likely to…”

Avoid asking about how you will die. It could cause something called the 'self-fulfilling prophecy’, which according to the laws of attraction, is when something comes true because we’re acting as if it is true (when it isn’t or may not be).

New Years Tarot Spread

It’s been a while since i last used my tarot deck, so i started off my giving it a cleanse with incense, then a good shuffle until i felt it was ready. I planned out what i wanted to ask and had them displayed on my phone so i wouldn’t forget. I shuffled a bit more while overlooking my questions to make sure the intention was there to pull for the spread i created.

Two cards actually jumped out separately as i was shuffling, so i used those for 1 and 2. Again, another two cards jumped out but they were sticking together, so i used both of them for 3. Whether this is because my deck was really pushing for me to pick those cards, or my bad shuffling skills, im not too sure, but they did end up fitting with the theme of the reading.

1. Theme of the new year: THREE OF SWORDS

• You’ll be grieving over the loss of friendships this year. It’ll probably be a gradual thing, and you’ll be quite lonely and hurt. With time you’ll feel better as long as you accept the pain and release your emotions, rather than keep it in.

2. Challenges I will face in the new year: FIVE OF SWORDS

• Being in danger of losing your friendships and reputation because of self interest. You favouring winning and being right, no matter the costs, which will cause people to push away from you. People may start resenting your success rather than acknowledge it.

3. How to overcome these challenges: KING OF SWORDS (rev) + QUEEN OF WANDS

• Be cunning. You know what people like to hear, and you’re smart enough to use that in your favour to keep your friendships going.
• Be independent and passionate. This is what people will like about you. Naturally you are a leader, so step up to move off the path you’re going down. It’ll attract them to you, as long as you radiate positivity and confidence without holding back.
• (Together, I’m getting a “i know you’re an introvert, but you’re smart and understand people, so confidence? fake it till you make it” vibe)

4. What is my goal for the new year: QUEEN OF CUPS

• Reaching a state of emotional stability. Be empathetic to troubles your friends are going through, but with healthy boundaries. Your intuition will be right, so let it guide you in decision making. Don’t overthink it, just let it flow and you’ll be okay.

5. How to achieve this goal: EIGHT OF CUPS (rev)

• Reach your goal by reevaluating your life, where you are and where you’re going. Try looking for a deeper connection with your life purpose rather than being material. Question what makes you happy. Don’t neglect your own needs.

6. What I will gain: THREE OF WANDS

• Occupational opportunities will become available to you in your chosen work field. Consider every option. You have a lot of unique skills and information, so take those into consideration while looking for work too.

7. What I will lose: THE TOWER (rev)

• You’ll lose a lot (refer to 2). Not a devastating amount, still more than you’re comfortable with though. Be prepared to take preventative measures to soften the blow (refer to 3), but remember that resisting change and prolonging a negative situation doesn’t help. Take risks to change things fast, and if it doesn’t work then it doesn’t work.

I found these meanings through interpretation of the images, then following up with the guidebook. As you can probably tell by now… 2022 doesnt look great for me which is just awesome.I did see this coming though, as my relationships with my friends have been dwindling.

—————————————

Here’s the explanation for fellow baby witches

Incense has cleansing properties as an air element, and is a spiritual form of cleansing to remove negativity. Meanwhile, shuffling the deck is a physical cleansing form, and removes traces of the last reading.

When a card ‘jumps’ out of your deck while you’re shuffling, it’s generally considered a sign that your deck really wants you to pick that card. When cards stick together, the idea is that both cards will explain the meaning of whatever question asked. That’s why i used two cards for question 3 instead of splitting it.

When interpreting tarot, you should try 'guessing’ what the card means before looking up the actual meaning. This will help you learn the cards by the names and designs, and will improve your intuition. Reversed cards tend to have the opposite meaning, but in some cases (like the tower), it can mean a diminished form of the upright meaning.

This reading was done during a Capricorn moon, a good time for creating structure and plans, which happened to correlate with the start of the new year when i actually did this reading (2nd of Jan, 2022). Things that commence on a Capricorn moon also generally go to plan, so i believe my reading will be accurate for this year (sadly). On the other hand, it was during a dark moon where spiritual energy is lacking, so maybe it’s an inaccurate reading.

—————————————

Other info

I chose a 7 card format opposed to a monthly format, simply because i want to do a Year Ahead Birthday spread later on using the 12 months, and i’m born in January so having both would be counterproductive for me.

Want to know how to bond with and care for your tarot deck? Check out my other post here!

If anyone want’s to add anything they’ve noticed to my reading, feel free!

trollkatt:

trollkatt:

breelandwalker:

grumpylokeanelder:

Just a reminder: Heathenry does have a term for smoke-cleansing.

Recaning. To recan. (Or reocan, in Old West Saxon.) This is cleansing via smoke, whether through incense or a bundle of herbs put together for a particular type of cleansing. Juniper and mugwort are both favorites for this.

In case you’re wondering how to pronounce it, it sounds like reekening. The word “reeks” is actually derived from it, signifying a potent smell.

For Old Norse fans, this seems to be related to the work reykr. In case you were wondering, Reykjavik in Iceland translates to “Smoky Bay”.

*dances around the entire pagan community waving this post like a fucking banner* THANK YOU.

Just a little addendum: Mugwort can be dangerous due to mildly psychoactive properties in the herb. Use with caution and avail yourself of the following list of free-use alternatives:

• Basil (any kind, noting that Sweet Basil smells the best)
  
• Sage (any type, but keep in mind that White Sage is becoming endangered)
  
• Rosemary
• Peppermint
• Lavender
• Cedar Tips or Shavings
  
• Thyme (especially Lemon)

In Norwegian it is traditionally called “røyking” (verb: “å røyke”), and juniper is the herb to go to. There are also certain combination of herbs that are used (3, 5, 7, 9, 13, 21 are the amounts of different herbs and incenses used). Some are homemade (called “smoke bundles” - and made similarly to American Native smudge sticks), others used to be bought at the apothecary’s (these were usually more like the grainy powders you can buy today). When you use the method against something specific you “smoke for” such and such. You can “smoke for trolls”, for instance, and - indeed - one specific and very popular mix from the apothecary’s was actually called “Troll incense” and contained 13 ingredients (incense = “røkelse”).

When mugwort is used in mixtures for smoking we use the dried root.

Addendum: That’s juniper as in Juniperus communis!

I forgot to address @breelandwalker’s little addendum properly:

Every herb or resin or what have you is used for very specific purposes. The plants you suggest have their uses - even for smoking - but some of them are anything but alternatives to juniper and mugwort!

When you smoke to cleanse, that’s what you want - smoke! And you want it to stingandsmell! That’s smell like in stink; there is a reason why the modern English verb reek is cognate to the Old Norse verb reykja and the “New Norse” verb røyke (smoke). It’s supposed to make your eyes burn and your nose run. And it’s supposed to make noises!

If you think about it, when you use smoke to cleanse, you’re not freshening up your habitat to make it smell nice; you’re kicking troll arse. If you don’t find it unpleasant, you can bet your own arse the trolls won’t either. You can pull out the basil and the lavender to sweeten the air afterwards, as long as you’re aware they don’t have any tradition in heathen Northern Europe.

You’re also supposed to yellandshoutandpoke that burning juniper branch or bundle in all directions and tell the trolls off, that you burn out their eyes, that you put their children on fire!

You can smoke for nasty humans as well, and you can name them too, “You thieving neighbour Such and Such, who stole my tomatoes right off my plant by the fence! I put your unborn babies on fire, you thieving bastard! Shame on you, and shame on your descendants, stealing my family’s food! Take thisandthisandthis!” Stab! Stab! Stab!

And, when you’re finished, you open doors and windows to let the smoke out along with the trolls, and you will sleep peacefully like a baby all night.

This ritual is to be performed three times in a row for full effect; either two Thursdays and one Sunday, or one Thursday and two Sundays.

And, to OP, why would you invent a new fake quasi-Germanic word for something you already have excellent words for in your native - and entirely Germanic - language? Besides, recan is already a word for something totally different.