So, after discovering that Witchcraft books in the 70s had a thing for pushing that people should recite the Lord's Prayer backwards to disconnect from the Church/Christ (thanks Monsno), I got curious. What are some weird practices you've come across that have either fallen by the wayside or just never become particularly popular? Please keep answers in the framework of relatively modern Paganism. Human sacrifice has fallen out of favor but I don't need details about how the Aztecs (among others) went about it.
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life itself was a lightsaber in his hands; even in the face of treachery and death and hopes gone cold, he burned like a candle in the darkness. Like a star shining in the black eternity of space.
Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
"But those men who know anything at all about the Light also know that there is a fierceness to its power, like the bare sword of the law, or the white burning of the sun." Suddenly his voice sounded to Will very strong, and very Welsh. "At the very heart, that is. Other things, like humanity, and mercy, and charity, that most good men hold more precious than all else, they do not come first for the Light. Oh, sometimes they are there; often, indeed. But in the very long run the concern of you people is with the absolute good, ahead of all else..."
John Rowlands, The Grey King by Susan Cooper
"You come from the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve", said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth; be content."
Aslan, Prince Caspian by CS Lewis
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Re: Weird and uncommon practices
I'd have to say one thing I've seen fall out of practice in general is various blood magics. It used to be we used to blood to consecrate items, dedicate items, make offerings of, etc. But today other than a few practices I do not hear about it mentioned much.I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand! -
Re: Weird and uncommon practices
There's like so much from trad craft, Crowley, early Wicca, ect. It's sometimes wild to me how out of touch with history many younger witches are now. It's not that ceremonial or classical magic isn't still alive and well, but there's a strong distinction and many young people now feel it's unnecessary since it's all about intuition and intent and ofc we should just make our own spells. I've even seen some people say that correspondences are entirely unnecessary and pointless, though this is still thankfully a minority opinion.
Trad craft is having a bit of a Renaissance with new popular books written by authors like Horne and Kelden. With that the witching gods are getting more attention after being important in early Wicca and then mostly dropping off- Aradia, Nicnevin, literally just the folkloric Devil, or simply the Witch Mother and Witch Father which almost feels like a less love and light new Wicca movement even though I know it isn't. Still, there's some active tension in younger communities over the new trad craft influence on more mainstream news age things. There seems to also be a greater willingness to accept Christian culture and aspects of Christian worship which was present originally in Crowley, as an example, but for most of my life pagans seemed very hostile to anything Christian adjacent.
How many witches regularly utilize crossroads? Hecate is very popular these days, but crossroads magic is still fairly rare I feel while being an absolute staple of American and British folk magic.
Still have yet to see a hellenic reconstructionist mention Serapis or even Zeus-Serapis in anything more than passing. Guess he's not as charismatic as the Olympians despite being one of the most popular Greco Egyptian gods.
At least we'll all be happy to know that god phoning is alive and well. So glad that caught on.Circe
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Re: Weird and uncommon practices
Oddly enough, I used a road (it made for a passable symbol of civilization) for a spell once but never an actual crossroads.Originally posted by Corvus View Postlife itself was a lightsaber in his hands; even in the face of treachery and death and hopes gone cold, he burned like a candle in the darkness. Like a star shining in the black eternity of space.
Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
"But those men who know anything at all about the Light also know that there is a fierceness to its power, like the bare sword of the law, or the white burning of the sun." Suddenly his voice sounded to Will very strong, and very Welsh. "At the very heart, that is. Other things, like humanity, and mercy, and charity, that most good men hold more precious than all else, they do not come first for the Light. Oh, sometimes they are there; often, indeed. But in the very long run the concern of you people is with the absolute good, ahead of all else..."
John Rowlands, The Grey King by Susan Cooper
"You come from the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve", said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth; be content."
Aslan, Prince Caspian by CS Lewis
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Re: Weird and uncommon practices
I feel my practice has gotten much more craft like over time. Crystals don't speak to me, ceremonial planetary magic is lofty and usually overkill, but old fashioned wood and dirt witchcraft had really entranced me. There's something about the spirit in the physical, observing and following nature not just with a set of calendar holidays, but as it happens around you, local magic woven yourself hits different from the mass market what is popular at the moment.Originally posted by MaskedOne View Post
Part of that old fashioned practice is crossroads magic and I need to find a new one since I moved. I had a lovely spot by my last apartment in a sheltered disused little park with three crossroads in a row and the middle being a bridge over a stream. It was basically perfect and I really got to attune to the place by doing my monthly rituals there.Last edited by Corvus; 08 Aug 2023, 08:03.Circe
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Re: Weird and uncommon practices
Naked counterclockwise dance. Weird, oddly specific. Understandable in the same lens of reciting the lords prayer backwards....but otherwise, I was always wondering "who are the f-ing nudists?"Comment
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Re: Weird and uncommon practices
I’ve learned on my own path the opportunity for magic more often find me than I find it. My most uncommon practice would be embracing those opportunities wherever and when ever they present themselves.Originally posted by Corvus View PostComment
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