From the blog of Dafei Tang at The Times of Israel
This is a blog about Old European Culture.
Red can be seen all over Japan in both Buddhist and Shinto sites, but what exactly is the significance of this?
An illustrated guide
Explore our complete guide to Icelandic runes and magical staves. Learn what these Icelandic symbols look like and their meanings in this complete guide.
Once upon a time, many Poles believed that herbs and other plants had magical properties and numerous medicinal benefits. Some of these still hold up today. Others, well… Discover the, often surprising, Polish convictions about plants and herbs!
See how grave dirt came to be used as a curse, and how the bleus tied it into our modern vocabulary!
Andhrímnir is the chef of the Æsir. He resides in Ásgarðr and, every day, kills Sæhrímnir the boar (who is revived nightly) who is cooked in Eldhrímnir the kettle to make meat for the Æsir to eat. He also makes mead by milking Heiðrún the goat. Rudolf Simek: Dictionary of Northern Mythology (1993) ISBN 0-85991-369-4
In this second part of my series on Norse metaphysics, we're going to look at one of the most important, fascinating, and complicated terms in Norse magic: Seiðr (anglicized seid), a specific magical practice, closely associated with spinning and textile work, sexual taboos, and possibly trance an
Ebora is the Yoruba word for presenting an offering. It is a generic reference to a group of Spiritual powers that is associated with rituals of elevation. I
From Thanksgiving feasts to Groundhog Day, these cultural institutions have been carried out in the United States for hundreds of years.
(This is mostly about body painting, but if you like you can skip down to the bit about the colors you can get using woad as dye.) Caution: Woad can cause allergic reactions and irritate eyes and o…
Learn about the energies behind a Dark Moon phase and how to harness them for release and renewal.
Kind of a thought that came to me yesterday when I was doing the reading for 2022 Year Cards – I might not do a ton of heavy work on rituals and setting up elaborate things on my altar (which…
A magical resource that offers Hoodoo information from the heart of Manila.
The Yoruba religion in Cuba is a mixture of African heritages, elements, offerings, beliefs and gods, popularly known as "Santeria".
Many modern Jewish rituals can trace their roots back to warding off evil spirits, making them ideal Halloween fare.
“Direct worship of natural phenomena is a powerful way to overcome our alienation from the world around us, and the linking of those natural phenomena to our minds and bodies is another way to make this connection more alive and real.”
After last week’s post about the chief of the Slavic gods, Perun, this Slavic Saturday we’re covering the eldest god in Slavic mythology: Swaróg/Svarog (Сваро́г/СварогRead MoreSvarog/Swaróg – Slavic God of Fire, Sky, Blacksmithing, and Creation – Slavic Mythology Saturday
Humans have been working with metal for a long time: from the Copper Age (approx. 3500 – 1700 BCE) when the soft, malleable metal was the first to be smelted and used. So it’s not surpr…
Ukrainian folk traditions are rich in pagan customs which some of these traditions have been adapted in other Slavic countries. While most Slavic and Ukrainian traditions have been adapted to Easte…
Linden has a long and rich magical and medicinal history around the world. Learn about these properties in this herbarium post. Includes free BOS page
