neighbourhood-eclectic-blog:

Hag riding is the idea that a witch would literally ride a person like riding a horse, at night, until the victim was returned to their bed exhausted (totally not at all sexual).

Sidenote: in some cases, this has got a bit mixed up with the folklore monster ‘the boo hag’, which sheds its skin every night, and so in some stories the witch would shed its skin before riding the victim.

Hag riding is performed by place a ‘witch bridle’ over the victim. A witch bridle can be made out of horsehair, tow and birch, and resembles a normal horse’s bridle. Some 9 foot bridles out of similar materials have been found, and would have been thrown like lassos. In some folklore, the person would literally turn into a horse, but in others they retain their human form.

The witch would then use the victim much like brooms or flying ointment in other stories, as a form of transport while they performed their witchery, or went to the sabbat. In some stories, the witch scratches the victim with their nails if he’s not going fast enough.

The victim remains conscious during the ‘ride’, but memories quickly fade in the morning. They are left bruised and scratched, with sore mouths from the bridle, and feeling exhausted.

For example, during the Salem Witch trials, Martha Emerson confessed to using a witch’s bridle to ride her neighbour. In New England folklore, a witch named Betty Brooker hag rides a fisherman in revenge for not giving her a free fish even though she’s very poor.

People experiencing ‘hag riding’ has now been put down to a form of sleep paralysis, although this could theoretically be done nowadays through astral projection. 

Sources:

• “The Things that Ride You”, Brandon Otto
  
• “Hags out of their skins”, Joe Ross
  
• “Old Betty Booker and Witch Bridles”, Corey Hutcherson
  
• “The Witch Bridle”, Peter Muise
  
• ‘The Discoverie of Witchcraft’, Reginald Scott
  

fair-is-foul:

“Witchcraft is not neoPagan goddess worship, it is not secular weather worship, it is not tree-hugging, and it is not New Age fuckery. Witchcraft is not safe. Witchcraft is not good and kind. Witchcraft is the domain of the trickster, the outcast, the wanderer, and the crooked. It belongs to those who know every light casts a shadow; who have looked into the depths of darkness in their soul and accepted what they’ve seen along with all that is good”

— Sarah Anne Lawless (via nephillim-poop)

Witches’ Sabbath (The Great He-Goat), 1820-1823 by Francisco de Goya y Lucientes

El Museo del Prado

Detail

ars-satura:

Friendly person: Hi, how are you doing today?

Trad Witch: I have been chewed up by the devil, spat out, and reborn as a child of blackest night. I have tasted death and been consumed by the witch fire.

Friendly person: Sorry I asked. I hope you feel better soon

satsuti:

it’s funny when the people complaining about tradcrafters “gatekeeping” fail to realize that almost every major spirit tied to the Craft stands before a gate, a lock, or door in some way. like the whole point is to become initiated by these figures so that you can walk through the “gate” and then reap the benefits of the hidden knowledge, it’s not supposed to be easily accessible.

secondly, no other practitioner is supposed to be able to deny you your power. if you feel like another practitioner is ‘holding’ you back simply because they aren’t sharing their stuff or spoon-feeding you info, learn how to communicate with your spirits instead; they are the ones who are supposed to teach you. and if they aren’t willing to do so then perhaps it’s not your time yet, or perhaps you’re just not called to this specific branch of magic.

mahigxn:

ofwoodandbone:

thefrogsapothecary:

ofwoodandbone:

Not all witches get along. 
Some witches, for reasons all their own, will attack other witches. 
Sometimes it’s for power play, sometimes it’s for self defense, and sometimes it’s just immaturity (though the latter is the least worrisome). 
For whatever reason it is started, it can become a problem. Fighting another witch isn’t something that’s normally taught anymore, but it’s a topic that needs to be discussed because it happens. 
When I first began, I couldn’t find any information about witch fights, other than petty gossip. I knew better than to think witches wouldn’t fight one another with magic.
Your technique will change depending if you’re on offense or defense, but I’ll give a basic layout of approaches. 
The first thing is to neutralize whatever the witch is attacking with. If it’s a spell, break it. If it’s a familiar or a spirit, trap it. You need to get rid of the problem, but try to be discreet about it. Don’t alert them to the fact that it’s broken. 
Then, you need some revved up wards. Spike it with red ochre (good substitute for blood, for the more squeamish). Use iron and silver. Hang mirror shards in a nearby tree. Hide charms that will break or return spells sent at you. Remember that some witches play very dirty. Keep wards on the things you love. Put protection on things you don’t want them touching. 
Set up spells that will trick and confuse them. Put a glamour on your front door so that it looks like an endless, winding tunnel. Enchant your whole property to be, for all intents and purposes, invisible to those who have ill intent towards you (try burying some compact mirrors). Make dolls of yourself that their attacks will find and be absorbed by. 
Maybe you want to retaliate, or maybe you’re the one starting the fight (or finishing it). If you’re attacking, you need to render the other witch vulnerable to your attacks. Throw away the whole ‘bind their magic’ crap, because if you’re dealing with a strong witch, it either won’t work or snap like cheap cord.
What do they work with? The dead? Perfect, send spells filled with garlic and angelica root. If they work with water, send fiery spells their way. If they’ve got all of their bases covered, you’ll need to find another method. Be creative. Maybe they aren’t very perceptive to the subtler things around them. Send your spirit out to infiltrate their space and plant spectral hexes. 
 
If you’re dealing the blows, make sure not to make yourself too vulnerable to your enemy. Don’t send your spirit out only to trip alarms and get yourself stuck. Be subtle about everything. Sometimes flashy is good, but only when you’re trying to spook someone. If you’re both skilled witches fighting one another, you need to be sneaky. 

As a general rule, I would advise you to stay away from witch fights. Don’t start magical fights if you don’t have to. You might send a hex to the wrong person and they could turn around and witch slap you to the ground. 

Don’t start fights for no reason, but here’s advice from someone who’s had way too much experience:

Target weaknesses, like my friend here has mentioned.
Don’t be afraid to play dirty. This is witchcraft, not sparring.
Scare them. Fear is the best thing to attack with. If you’re dealing with a fearless witch, scare people around them.
Emotions power spells real well.
Have a lot of small blasts spread out to conceal a huge one. Aka send small hexes and jinxes their way to make sure their alarms are tripped and their defenses are weakened, then cast huge heavy spell, then more small ones.
Your protections need to be T I G H T. No, tighter than what you’re thinking right now.
Layers are important.
Don’t rely on deities or spirits. Like don’t.
Learn everything you can about them and turn their allies against them.

All of this ^
And one more addition. 
If you’re up against a coven of witches, you need to turn them against one another. Send a hex to one of them, but make it look like a coven mate did it. Give them nightmares of each other. Give them visions. 

I too learned all of this from too much experience. 
Witch sparring can be fun. 
But witch fights, the real and dirty kind, are a mess for everyone involved. 

I’ve luckily never had to go up against an actual strong coven, but I’ve dealt with small groups of witches before and let me tell you. Turning them against each other and watching them going on a witch hunt is the funniest thing I’ve experienced.
I’m glad the whole aggresive streak on Tumblr’s gone down though. I remember when I first joined everyone was throwing curses at everyone (tarot drama omfg) but now most people seem to simply throw petty insults haha

ioqayin:

the-witches-beard:

ioqayin:

the-witches-beard:

ioqayin:

the-witches-beard:

maddiviner:

the-witches-beard:

Can someone please explain the difference between Traditional Witchcraft and Wicca??

As I understand it, and keeping in mind that I follow neither philosophy, Wicca is a more recent approach to the occult, whereas traditional witchcraft is older. I’m not sure, honestly. Could maybe some of my followers help us out here? Now you’ve got me curious.

I’m with you @maddiviner as far as not ascribing to either. Additionally, my understanding is about like yours. There’s also a branch of witchcraft I’ve been noticing that incorporates the Cain and Abel archetypes too. Which I understand even less of.

There are many definitions of traditional witchcraft. Mostly, they’re are based upon historical definitions of witchcraft, but none of them (at least to my knowledge) have unbroken lineages. The oldest one gets is probably 1880, according to a few sources, but we know that witchcraft was being practiced in some parts of Britain before this time period. 

Many modern traditional witchcrafting practices are only as old as Wica, to be frank. Cochrane and Gardner and Cecil Williamson were all part of the modern witchcraft revival, and they were all working with very similar sources. From these (and also wonderful individuals such as Margaret Murray, Jules Michelet, Doreen Valiente, Roslyn Norton, Victor and Cora Anderson, and many others) we get the modern forms of the traditional witchcraft stream. 

Traditional Wica and traditional witchcraft have much in common. From my sources, there is more in common than I previously thought, to be honest. But, I can only speculate, as I am not part of any Wica groups. 

Michael Howards The Children of Cain is a great primer history on the modern traditional witchcraft revival. I highly recommend. 

I was hoping you’d get ahold of this post :p. Thank you for your help. Can you tell me what the role of Cain is in it? My only familiarity with him is through biblical lit, so it’s weird to see it in this type of witchcraft.

Of course :) In certain streams of witchcraft, Cain is seen as the First Sorcerer. The Mystery of the Cain and Abel is that of the journey of the witch. To become Witch, one must become Other. An exile. A wanderer on the crooked path, where one finds no friend or brother, only One. 

I am reading an essay by Daniel Schulke currently, actually, that explains how Cain appeared in witchcraft. Traditional witchcraft is often seen to be a mixture of pagan and Christian iconography. This is simply because witchcraft as we know it, and how it has been recorded, and how it was first described (looking at you, Inquisition!) was birthed DIRECTLY out of Christianity. The icons of the Devil, the Black Mass, blasphemy, all that stuff spring from that time period, and they still affect it today. It is a means to an end, however. We must peer through these grotesque and frightening images to the light on the other side. 

Anyway, back to the point. Cain appears in the works of Leland. He is mentioned in Aradia as a rather key figure, and is often cited in gnostic texts as the son of Azazel and Eve. Therefore, he has the Serpent Blood, or the Witchblood, which was passed down in his line, as well as by the angels that fell from heaven, the Grigori, who taught man the secrets of the stars, and of witchcraft, and metallurgy, et cetera. In Scotland especially, these fallen angels who followed Azazel/Lucifer down are often linked to the Faery. @gardenofthequeen has an excellent little blurb about this regarding the Devil as Faery King. 

He is the Whirling Wind. The Wandering Man in the Moon. The Horned Man (it was said that god cursed him with horns, and that was his mark) who was shot by Lamech the Hunter. 

Thank you again! I think I recall seeing something about him in Paul Hudson’s ‘Mastering Witchcraft’. We should definitely talk more. :-) Feel free to inbox me any time.

Oh, probably. Paul was one of the first to talk about the concept of Witchblood, which is all over the place in traditional craft. 

Going back to OP’s question and the next few down (please keep in mind that this is mostly personal belief and I don’t have many sources other than what I deem to be logical conclusions based on historical texts like the Bible; also, I do not follow Wiccan or traditional witchcraft doctrines), Wicca is very much a new path of witchcraft that surfaced in…the 60s, I think?? While traditional witchcraft and Wicca do have similarities, I think traditional witchcraft has a lot more of a basis in witchcrafts throughout the centuries. While witchcraft has a broken and marred history, I, personally, believe that the knowledge has always been accessible to those willing to re-learn the craft. We know from scriptures in the Bible (keep in mind that I say this fully aware and believing that the Bible has many mistranslations and corruptions from human hands) that witches back then had chosen to burn their grimoires (why the fuck would someone do that, though?? Like, my grimoire/BOS is my baby :c). It’s no secret that witchcraft has been around since forever pretty much, but considering the very marred and broken history of witches (especially during the time if the Inquisition), there has to have been ways that new generations of witches could relearn and reclaim that knowledge without the use if books from prior generations or other witches to teach them.

So, while “traditional witchcraft” is a comparatively new revival, I think that a lot of the knowledge of traditional witchcraft is very much founded in the historical lineage of witchcraft as a whole. Wicca, on the other hand, is a very, very new approach to witchcraft with a new approach to religion incorporated into it (that is not to say their deities are new, because I believe that the Goddess and the God have been around as long as all the other deities).

imaginarywitchcraft-deactivated:

I’ve created a discord server for those who walk a more traditional path in the craft. This includes tradcraft, cultural/folk magic, ceremonial magic, druidry, etc. If you think this fits you and you’re interested in joining, please set me a DM.

(You can send a dm my way as well if you’d like)

greekwitchchild:

PROTECTION SPELL BOTTLE

a simple spell bottle to protect yourself mentally, physically and spiritually

WHAT YOU NEED :

• salt - protection, purification
• cinnamon - protection, speeds up spells, courage
• rosemary - protection, purification
• chilli flakes - ward of unwanted energies
• bay - protection against hexes and curses
• basil- peace, protection, drive away evil
• ginger - make spells more powerful, protection
• black pepper - protection
• oak leaves- protection, wisdom
• egg shells - protection
• lavender - peace, healing, protection
• sage (please don’t use white sage) - protection, purification
• paper
• pen
• spell bottle jar
• candles : i used a white one and the also the wax from my deity candles on my alter

WHAT TO DO:

1. as always, ground yourself and cast a circle in the way you prefer
2. light all your candles, you can also light some insence if you’d like
3. in no particular order, add all your herbs into the jar (using a funnel - even if you make one from paper, can be really helpful), focussing on intent
4. create a sigil with the intent of protection using your own words and method. draw it on a small slip of paper, fold and add to the jar.
5. speak affirmations into the jar focusing on the protection of yourself ( or whoever will be wearing this). You can also repeat the statement used for the sigil
6. put the lid on and place the jar on something you can pour the candle wax onto.
7. pour all the candle wax onto your spell jar, allowing it to run down the sides and even create a pool at the bottom
8. allow the candle wax to mainly dry and remove the bottle. it is now done. i like to put the left lever wax that’s not attached on a wax melt thingy and melt it for further protection

I hope this will help some of you! As always, change herbs or add herbs to your preferences or what you have available. Blessed be (leave any questions below as well x)

nothingforever666:

This is a fantastic book on traditional witchcraft (not based on Gardner and his interpretation of the old ways). This book looks in depth at the cult of the horned one (old nick, the man in Black, Cernnunos) or as Gemma refers to him, the Devil. She makes an important distinction between the devil and Satan. the devil being something very different and separate from the Satan of the Christian church. Something more powerful, mysterious, and old. In the words of Gemma Gary “whilst the survival into the present day of a ‘pagan cult of the horned god’, guarded and kindled by witches, and totally uninfluenced by centuries of Christian and Church domination, Is a highly unlikely thing, something of his spirit and presence would appear to have lingered in regional Faery lore, seasonal custom and folk tradition. Yet ironically, it may perhaps be the Church, in its keenness to eradicate adherence to pagan divinity by grafting and projecting it into the diabolical, that has, unwittingly, most thoroughly preserved the potency, liberation and illumination of the ‘Old One’ and handed him back to the witches as the ‘Devil’

A bearer of forbidden gifts was he; possessed of the ability to bestow power upon those who dared to stray from the conforming flock and enter upon the hidden path. In rejecting normative restriction, helplessness and impotence, the powers of the old way of the Devil offered the possibility to seize some control over ones life and fate and to divert the course of circumstance in accordance with ones own will.”

Some of the rites discussed sent shivers down my spine but also reminded me of past lives, of the strong pull within me to return to something as ancient as the trees, mountains, and streams. This book is something very different from Wicca and is certainly not for the faint of heart. It looks at witchcraft head on and takes back the idea that the Devil is infact the father of the witches.

Common Heather

Also known as : Ling, Heath

Scientific Name : Calhuna Vulgaris

Identification : A small branched shrub that grows to around 60cm  (2ft). With Pink, White or purple flowers growing over spiky leaves.

Properties : Antiseptic, Diuretic and Anti-rheumatic

Uses: Urinary infections including Cystitis (Disinfects urinary tract and increases productions), Kidney stones, Rheumatism, arthritis and gout.

Try It : 1tsp of dried herb to a cup of water and infuse for 5mins to make a tea to treat Cystitis.

Warnings: None

Parts used:  Flowers and flowering tips. Harvest in late summer.

Magic: Love, Luck and Protection. White heather was traditionally carried as a protection against rape or unwanted passion.

Planet : Venus

Element : Water

Deities : Isis

Folklore and History: Since Neolithic times the flowers have been fermented to make an ale.

From the bonny bells of heather

They brewed a drink long-syne,

Was sweeter far than honey,

Was stronger far than wine.

By Robert Louis Stevenson.

You can make musical pipes out of the root stock. The foliage has been used for generations as a stuffing for mattresses. It is the secret of the best Scottish honey. In Celtic tradition it is linked to the summer solstice. In Scotland white heather is considered lucky.

Plant Tips : Commonly grows on heaths and moors.

For Refences and bibliography please Click here

Click here to return to the index.

The Labyrinth

They say lose yourself in a maze but find yourself in a labyrinth.

Unlike a maze a Labyrinth only has one path with no dead ends, once you enter you will eventually find the centre and will never get lost.

From above

This symbol is ancient and used as an aid for spiritual awareness. The Rocky valley Labyrinth carvings near Tintagel, Cornwall are thought to be over 4000 years old. The symbol was popular with the celts and used throughout the medieval period.

Traditionally Labyrinths were constructed around lay lines and the act of creation harnessed its power so that as the person walked around the Labyrinth they crossed different sections of energy on their path. One of the most famous and powerful can be found in Chartres Cathedral.

There were various uses for Labyrinths. Ceremonial for various religions including the Pagans, Celts and Christians, usually chanting a passage or verse. Some wedding ceremonies would have the groom walk the path to the centre to pickup his bride and carry her back out again. They were even used by sea witches for capturing evil spirits or sprites. But mostly they are used as a tool to help bring spiritual awareness. The simple act of walking the path to the centre and back while concentrating on a specific issue, clears the mind and awakens the senses.

A quick guide to walking the Labyrinth.

Before you start think of what problems are stuck in your mind.

Think on them as you walk to the centre and release them as you walk out.

Some find the act of walking the path barefoot more powerful

It is best to pick a time where you will have the Labyrinth to yourself

If that’s not possible its fine to pass others but be respectful.

This is the Touchstone Labyrinth in Scotland. Its modern but well worth a visit.

For more ideas click here for my witch crafty index

death-witch-envy:

So I’m reading a trad witch book to review for Patreon, and I NEED to say this: For some reason, the author doesn’t list any safety warnings about poisonous herbs or risky practices. No mention about herbs being dangerous to burn, toxic to ingest, or just…poisonous overall.

For example, there’s a charm for teething babies that says, and I quote, “A necklace made from sections of henbane root, strung as beads. Place the charm over the child’s neck…” You should not put a necklace on a baby! They can suffocate. The FDA has received reports of serious injury and death from teething necklaces. Especially not henbane because HENBANE IS POISONOUS!

I also noticed that most of the oil recipes involved turpentine. If you’ve used solvents in painting, you know that turpentine is the most toxic solvent out there. You can’t breathe it in too much, and it absorbs through the skin. I’m not saying you can never use turpentine, but you need to learn how to handle it safely, which the author doesn’t explain.

Just…research herbs and oils. Don’t handle new spell ingredients without researching them first. Just because something is natural and “traditional” doesn’t mean it’s safe.

JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS NATURAL AND TRADITIONAL DOESNT MEAN IT’S SAFE

Thank you!! I cannot stress that enough!

And even if It’s not straight up toxic, it can still be dangerous. For pets, burning things can poison them or make them sick, especially more sensitive creatures like birds. If you’re on certain medications, certain herbal supplements and/or usages can be very dangerous. Certain essential oils can cause burns, irritation, and in rarer occasions, extreme infections upon contact with wounds or cuts.

Not only that, but there’s a lot of misinformation about what herbs and other natural ingredients can do. Is there research showing that there can be benefits? Absolutely! However, herbal remedies cannot solve everything. There is a reason that in history, before modern medicine, people were getting married and having children at a very young age; because they weren’t expecting all of their children to live past infancy. They were lucky if they, themselves, made it to 50. Modern medicine saves lives, and the idea that witchcraft or traditional herbal medicine conqueror stage 3 cancer, chronic illnesses and/or pain, is really dangerous!!

Please, PLEASE, do you research!

coinburial:

does anyone know a spell to bring someone into your life? (story time under cut)

Keep reading

elegantshapeshifter:

Non-rebloggable version: click here.

Definition:

• Defining Reconstructionist Traditional Witchcraft
• Why Reconstructionism matters
• “Is [X] or [Y] a part of Recon Traditional Witchcraft?”
  
• The Pantheon of Recon TradCraft and its relationship with pre-Christian Pantheons 
• What is a Major Spirit?
  
• Familiar Spirits

Practice/Vademecum:

• The Basic Practice
  
• How to adapt the basic practices to your Country and Region in order to reconstruct your Regional Tradition
• Offerings to the Major Spirits (i.e. the Gods)
  
• Traditional Fairy Offerings
  
• How to make offerings to the Major Spirits, the Animal Familiar or the Household Fairy explained with… GIFs!
  
• Discovering your Animal Familiar Spirit: Recon, Revivalist and Recon-derived Approaches
  
• Living Animal Familiars
  
• Ancestor Worship in Recon TradCraft… with GIFs!
  
• The Sabbath
  
• Dreamwork and the Oneiric Sabbath
  
• Trance Techniques(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)
  

History:

• A Pagan-Animistic Witchcraft history after Margaret Murray
• Even if (almost) all the accused witches were innocent, witch trials are still valid sources
  
• A brief overview of European Historical Pagan-Animistic Witchcraft
• Dual Faith, Renouncing Christianity & relationship between Witchcraft, Folk Magic and Pagan Survivals
• Deepenings about the difference between Cunning Folk and Witches
• Medieval and Early Modern Reconstructionist Witchcraft: a valid Path

Deepenings:

• Why history books describe (Recon Trad) Witchcraft better than any practitioner book
  
• Tools in Reconstructionist Traditional Witchcraft, the Devil, the Flying Ointment and Grimoires
• How to distinguish Real Visions from Imagination 
  
• Some Big Questions of Life to ask during Trance/Dreamwork
  
• Renouncing Christianity & Self-Initiation(Part 1) (Part 2)
• Mutual hostility between pre-Christian Spirits and the Abrahamic god (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)
• Traditional Witchcraft is Regional Witchcraft
  
• Deepening about the Wild Hunt
  

Some of the main Major Spirits in Recon TradCraft:

• Hellequin: leader of the Wild Hunt and Fairy King
• The Lady(andthe Lord)of the Game in Northern Italy
  
• Madonna Oriente (Lady of the East)
  

Ok so I’m a bit late to the party, but I’ve just started listening to Hex Positive, a podcast by the incomparable @breelandwalker and reader, it’s good. It’s very good.

Bree blends her deep knowledge and experience of witchcraft with her trademark anti-bullshit attitude, which makes for an extremely informative, welcoming, and fun podcast. For those just starting out on their witching journey, or for those (like me) who’ve been at it a while, if you’re not listening to Hex Positive, you’re missing out!

Hex Positive