Zodiacs

I am always hesitant to do any zodiac post, as people get super offended really fast when they feel that what is being said about their sign is either completely wrong, or far too accurate. However, it was requested by a dear friend, in honor of their birthday....how can I say no?

To try to avoid triggering sensitivity, this will be more of a general overview of the signs. I am including the "healed" and "toxic" points for each sign, so lets discuss what exactly that means. When I say "healed" I am talking about the ultimate and perfect description of each sign. Think of this as a goal to strive for. When I talk about the "toxic" parts of the sign, think of this as a cautionary tale of what to look out for and what the sign may be more prone to slipping into if not consistently checked.

Something I didn't do was compare the signs with their compatible signs. Why? Cause its a pretty shallow way to judge a person. Instead, I encourage you to get to know who a person is, as not everyone fits into the typical stereotype of their zodiac sign. 

And with that out of the way, let's begin.

Zodiac History

The modern Western zodiac originated from 5th century BCE in ancient Mesopotamia. Babylonian astronomers divided the sun's path into 12 equal section, at 30 degrees each. Each section was named after the constellation it contained. Later this system was adapted into horoscopic astrology, mixing it with Egyptian decan star-clocks. During this time, planetary rulers and corresponding elements were connected to each sign. 

Now, after 26,000 years of axial wobbles, our Earth has naturally shifted, and no longer matches this fixed zodiac calendar. We will discuss this more later. 

Aries - the ram

• 1st zodiac sign, ranging from March 21st to April 19th
• Fire Element - passionate, energetic, action-oriented
• Cardinal modality - initiating, leading, driven to start new things
• Ruled by Mars - war, desire, competition, physical energy

The ram represents a direct headfirst approach to challenges, smashing through obstacles rather than trying to find a way around them.

Aries has a child-like enthusiasm, a short attention span, and a fierce competitive drive to be number one. They are trailblazers, and love to take charge. Constantly starting new projects, they inspire others with infectious confidence and courage. Aries like immediate results, often acting before thinking things through, which makes them highly spontaneous but prone to reckless mistakes. While they thrive on competition, they play to win and possess immense stamina. Aries is not deceitful, saying exactly what they think, which can sometimes come across as aggressive or insensitive, even though they really do not intend any malice.

Healed - a courageous trailblazer, inspiring leader, and passionate protector who champions others headfirst.

Toxic - an aggressive, impulsive bully who throws tantrums and bulldozes over others to get their way.

Taurus - the bull

• 2nd zodiac sign, ranging from April 20th to May 20th
• Earth element - grounded, practical, realistic
• Fixed modality - steady, persistent, resistant to change
• Rule by Venus - love, beauty, money, pleasure

The bull represents immense physical strength, determination, and a calm exterior that can turn into a fierce rage if pushed too far.

The anchor of the zodiac, Taurus deeply values security, routine, and the finer things in life. They keep promises, are incredibly dependable, and thrive on consistency. Taurus are notoriously difficult to budge once they have made up their minds, and prefer sticking to what they know rather than take unnecessary risks. It’s that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. They also have a deep appreciation for sensory pleasure and love good food, comfortable clothes, beautiful surroundings, and financial stability. Taurus possess excellent stamina and methodical work ethic. They understand that building something of lasting value takes time and steady effort.

Healed - a deeply reliable anchor, patient builder, and grounding presence who creates absolute stability and comfort.

Toxic - stubbornly uncompromising, deeply possessive, and lazy to the point of complete stagnant inertia.

Gemini - the twins

• 3rd zodiac sign, ranging from May 21st to June 20th
• Air element - intellectual, social, communicative 
• Mutable modality - adaptable, flexible, changeable
• Ruled by Mercury - communication, intellect, travel, technology 

The twins represent a dual nature, feeling like two personalities coexisting in one physical form, allowing to see multiple sides of the same situation.

The social butterfly of the zodiac, Gemini is an information gatherer, driven by their insatiable curiosity about the world. They thrive on conversation, debate, and storytelling - effortlessly making connections and always able to talk about anything and everything. Gemini adapts to new environments and social circles pretty quickly, as they love variety and easily get bored with repetitive routines. Their minds move at lightning speed, and they are avid learners who love collecting random knowledge even if they struggle to stay on one topic for long. The duality of Gemini makes them very open-minded, as they simply evolve their thought process as they gather new information. 

Healed - a brilliant, adaptable communicator, open-minded, and acts as a social bridge that connects diverse ideas effortlessly.

Toxic - a two-faced gossip, and a pathologically deceptive spinner of facts, with flakey and scattered chaotic energy.

Cancer - the crab

• 4th zodiac sign, ranging from June 21st to July 22nd
• Water element - deeply intuitive, emotional, empathetic 
• Cardinal modality - initiating, driving emotional connection, protective
• Ruled by the Moon - emotions, instincts, habits, subconscious 

The crab represents a hard outer shell that protects a soft, vulnerable interior - retreating into the home (shell) when threatened as a means of protecting their soft emotional depth.

Cancer effortlessly picks up on energy, unspoken emotions, and their surrounding atmosphere. They possess an intense parental instinct, fiercely defending and protecting those in their inner circle. Like the moon’s cycle, Cancer’s mood can change rapidly, while still tightly holding onto memories, keepsakes, and past experiences. They view their home as an ultimate sanctuary, and value things that help charge their emotional battery. 

Healed - an incredibly nurturing protector, emotionally intelligent healer, and a deeply intuitive sanctuary for loved ones.

Toxic - a passive-aggressive manipulator who uses guilt trips, emotionally intelligent healer blackmail, and their moody hypersensitivity to control others.

Leo - the lion

• 5th zodiac sign, ranging from July 23rd to August 22nd
• Fire element - passionate, expressive, full of vitality
• Fixed modality - loyal, determined, highly persistent 
• Ruled by the Sun - identity, ego, life force, core self

The lion represents pride, courage, natural leadership, and a commanding presence that naturally draws people towards them like a warm midsummer heat. 

The performers of the zodiac, Leo is driven by a deep desire to express themselves and leave a lasting impression. They radiate warmth and positive energy, possessing a natural “star power” that makes them comfortable in the spotlight. Leo has a huge heart and are incredibly protective of their loved ones, showering them in gifts, compliments, and support. They bring a dramatic flair to everything they do and love things like theater, arts, fashion, and hobbies that showcase unique individuality. Disrespect or criticism can easily wound Leo, and their fixed nature can make them stubborn or dramatic when they are challenged.

Healed - a generous warm-hearted encourager, fiercely loyal protector, and confident creator who lifts others up.

Toxic - an arrogant, attention seeking narcissist type, who demands constant praise and throws dramatic tantrums when ignored.

Virgo - the maiden

• 6th zodiac sign, ranging from August 23rd to September 22nd
• Earth element - grounded, practical, reliable
• Mutable modality - adaptable, analytical, resourceful
• Ruled by Mercury - information, communication, logic, precision

The maiden carrying wheat represents the harvest, organization, and the ability to filter out what is unnecessary.

Virgo is the editor and healer of the zodiac, possessing an unparalleled eye for detail and a desire to bring order to chaos. They process data at lightning speed, making them highly analytical; spotting flaws, patterns, and areas for improvement that others may likely miss. Virgo shows love through acts of service, finding genuine fulfillment in solving problems, organizing spaces, and helping others streamline their lives. They easily see how everything could be perfect, making them highly self-critical and demanding of others, and sometimes struggle with anxiety and overthinking. Virgo prefers realistic, tangible results over grand promises, valuing punctuality, clean spaces, and step-by-step styled logic. 

Healed - a dedicated problem-solver, resourceful healer, and master of organizing chaos into useful, smooth structures. 

Toxic - a hypercritical perfectionist who weaponizes flaws, micromanages, and judges people brutally.

Libra - the scales

• 7th zodiac sign, ranging from September 23rd to October 22nd 
• Air element - intellectual, social, relationship-oriented 
• Cardinal modality - initiating, driving social connection, creating peace
• Ruled by Venus - love, beauty, art, harmony 

The scales represent justice, equilibrium, and the constant weighing of options to find a perfect compromise. 

The diplomat and aesthetic artist of the zodiac, Libra is driven by a deep need for peace and beautiful surroundings. They excel at seeing all perspectives of a situation, and are excellent mediators who strive for fairness, justice, and keeping the peace in social circles. Libra loves to be in love, thriving in partnerships and enjoys hosing social gatherings with charm and witty banter. Seeing every perspective clearly can make decision making feel agonizing, but Libra deeply appreciates symmetry, elegance, and pleasant environments; giving them an eye for fashion, art, and interior design. 

Healed - a master diplomat, champion of absolute social justice, and graceful creator of peace and elegant harmony.

Toxic - a people-pleasing codependent who sacrifices truth for peace, hides resentment,, and stays chronically indecisive.

Scorpio - the scorpion

• 8th zodiac sign, ranging from October 23rd to November 21st
• Water element - deeply emotional, intuitive, psychological
• Fixed modality - determined, loyal, focused
• Ruled by Mars traditionally, and by Pluto in modern astrology - passion, drive, action / transformation, power, rebirth

The scorpion represents a quiet presence that observes everything from the shadows, and capable of a lethal sting if cornered or betrayed.

Scorpio is the most intense and mysterious of the zodiac, possessing an aura of magnetic power. When they want something, Scorpio stops at nothing to have it, possessing unmatched willpower and emotional resilience. Scorpio is like a human lie detector, easily reading between the lines, spotting hidden motives, and are deeply drawn to psychological mysteries, true crime, and "forbidden" topics. If you can earn the trust of Scorpio, they will protect you with their life - but if you betray them, they forgive rarely and remember the betrayal forever. 

Healed - a fiercely loyal, deeply transformative alchemist capable of incredible psychological depth and unwavering emotional resilience. 

Toxic - a vindictive, paranoid control freak who holds lifelong grudges and uses secrecy as a weapon. 

Sagittarius - the archer

• 9th zodiac sign, ranging from November 22nd to December 21st
• Fire element - enthusiastic, passionate, highly optimistic
• Mutable modality - adaptable, restless, open to change
• Ruled by Jupiter - luck, expansion, philosophy, abundance

The archer aims its arrow toward the heavens, representing the desire to look at the big picture, and shoot for higher knowledge, loftier goals, and ultimate freedoms.

The explorer and philosopher Sagittarius is driven by a deep craving for new experiences and personal freedom. Sagittarius possesses an unshakeable belief that everything will work out for the best, maintains that enthusiastic outlook, and sees life as a grand adventure. They cannot stand feeling trapped, pinned down, or restricted, making them require plenty of physical space, spontaneous travel, and independence. Sagittarius values truth above all, saying exactly what they think without a filter, which can come across as blunt and easily hurtful even if they intended no malice. They are thinkers who love philosophy, religion, culture, and exploring large abstract concepts rather than focusing on small details. Think "big picture."

Healed - a visionary philosopher, optimistic adventurer, and open-minded seeker who inspires global understanding and truth.

Toxic - a tactless, brutally insensitive wanderer who flees responsibility and acts recklessly without considering consequences. 

Capricorn - the sea goat

• 10th zodiac sign, ranging from December 22nd to January 19th
• Earth element - grounded, practical, realistic
• Cardinal modality - initiating, driving forward, building projects 
• Ruled by Saturn - rules, boundaries, time, responsibility, karma

The sea goat climbs the highest mountains with steady patience, while its fish tail navigates the deepest emotional waters.

Capricorn is the master builder, viewing life as a steep mountain that must be climes step by step through sheer willpower. Exceptionally disciplined and goal-oriented, Capricorn takes responsibilities seriously and is willing to put in years of quiet effort to reach the top. Not relying on luck, Capricorn values hard facts, historical data, and practical strategies over vague promises or wishful thinking. As children, Capricorn act like serious, mini-adults, and only learns to loosen up and be playful while achieving goals, over time. Capricorn keeps emotional lives under tight control, making them appear stoic, cold, or overly business-like until they trust a person enough to let down their guard.

Healed - a disciplined, and exceptionally responsible master builder who provides solid, enduring long term security, and mentorship. 

Toxic - a cold, workaholic opportunist who views people as stepping stones, and values status over humanity. 

Aquarius - the water-bearer

• 11th zodiac sign, ranging from January 20th to February 18th
• Air element - intellectual, social, objective
• Fixed modality - determined, loyal, sometimes stubborn
• Ruled by Saturn traditionally, and Uranus in modern astrology - structure, discipline / innovation, rebellion, sudden change

The water-bearer represents pouring out knowledge and blessings, to wash away the past and refresh humanity for the future.

The “mad scientist” or rebel, Aquarius marches to the beat of their own drum, and values individuality above all else. They care deeply about social justice, progress, and making the world a better place for everyone. Aquarius tends to live in their head, and love analyzing complex systems, discussing philosophy, and brainstorming futuristic ideas. They often find one-on-one emotional vulnerability uncomfortable, and prefer to process feelings through logic rather than raw emotion. Aquarius despises conformity, embracing quirks, fiercely guarding their freedom, and refuses to blend into the crowd. 

Healed - a forward-thinking humanitarian, unique innovator, and loyal friend who works to progress and upgrade society.

Toxic - an emotionally detached elitist who loves humanity abstractly, but treats individuals with cold contempt. 

Pisces - the two fish

• 12th zodiac sign, ranging from February 19th to March 20th
• Water element - deeply emotional, intuitive, creative
• Mutable modality - adaptive, flexible, fluid
• Ruled by Jupiter traditionally, and Neptune in modern astrology - luck, expansion, philosophy / dreams, illusion, psychic connection

The two tied fish symbolizes the struggle living in the material world while longing for the spiritual and imaginative world.

Pisces, as the final sign, is lored to have absorbed every lesson, joy and pain, learned by all other signs, making them an “old soul.” They possess an almost psychic ability to the feel emotions of others, and are natural healers and excellent listeners, even though they easily absorb others’ stress. Pisces are dreamers and artists, channeling their intense world into music, poetry, visual arts, and storytelling. They have a habit of daydreaming, or using fantasy worlds to cope with harsh, overwhelming realities. Pisces love fiercely and unconditionally, being deeply romantic and highly idealistic, they will go to great lengths to help someone they care for. 

Healed - a deeply empathic artist, unconditional lover, and spiritually aligned soul who brings magic and comfort into reality.

Toxic - a professional victim who uses escapism, addiction, and martyrdom to evade taking any real life accountability. 

Ophiuchus - the serpent-bearer

• 13th zodiac sign, ranging from November 29th to December 17th
• Fire element unofficially - there are a few theories on the element of Ophiuchus, including a water-fire hybrid due to its placement between Scorpio and Sagittarius, an all encompassing element as a “hidden” sign which would transcend the zodiac grid, and a “ether” or hypothetical fifth element to represent its spiritual and transformative nature.
• Mutable modality unofficially - adaptable, restless, transformation
• Ruled by Chiron or Pluto unofficially - wounded healer, recovery, spiritual teaching / transformation, rebirth

The snake-bearer features a man holding a large snake, represents the Greek god Asclepius, the god of medicine and healing.

Ophiuchus blends the intense transformative traits of Scorpio and the philosophical freedom-loving traits of Sagittarius. They have a natural affinity for medicine, psychology, and spiritual healing, being driven by a deep desire to fix what is broken. Ophiuchus is a seeker of hidden truths, possessing high intelligence and a thirst for knowledge, and loving to uncover secrets and solve complex problems. They naturally draw people in with an intense charismatic and passionate aura, though they are very sensitive about their inner lives. Ophiuchus thoroughly dislikes rigid rules and authority, preferring to forge their own paths and challenge traditional ways of thinking.

Healed - a wise, deeply intuitive holistic healer who sheds old trauma and bravely uncovers profound hidden truths.

Toxic - a self-righteous, arrogant know-it-all who defies healthy boundaries, and burns down bridges out of sheer rebellion.

The Exclusion of Ophiuchus

Ophiuchus has always been a real astronomical constellation, and was known at the time the Babylonian calendar was created. However, a tidy system, of 12 zodiac signs was adopted to match the 12 month lunar calendar. This evenly split the signs across the elements and modalities. The traditional Western astrology map uses a fixed geometric map of 12 equal slices at 30 degrees. This traditional map doesn’t change based on real-time constellation boundaries. Due to a natural wobble in the Earth’s axis over thousands of years - called “precession” - the constellations have shifted, making the sun now pass through Ophiuchus over the span of about 18 days each winter. This adjustment is why some modern astrology includes Ophiuchus as an unofficial 13th zodiac sign. 

To accurately fit Ophiuchus into the zodiac calendar, the signs shift ranges to accommodate: 

• Aries ranging from April 18th to May 13th
• Taurus ranging from May 14th to June 21st
• Gemini ranging from June 22nd to July 20th
• Cancer ranging from July 21st to August 10th
• Leo ranging from August 11th to September 16th
• Virgo ranging from September 17th to October 30th
• Libra ranging from October 31st to November 23rd
• Scorpio ranging from November 24th to November 29th
• Ophiuchus ranging from November 30th to December 17th
• Sagittarius ranging from December 18th to January 20th
• Capricorn ranging from January 21st to February 16th
• Aquarius ranging from February 17th to March 11th
• Pisces ranging from March 12th to April 17th

Altars 101

Altars are dedicated sacred spaces used as a physical anchor for spellwork, rituals, and spiritual forces. They are highly personalized reflections of a practitioner’s craft, and do not have to be elaborate to be effective. Beginner practitioners often start with an easily accessible and everyday space like a table, shelf, or small container.

Because altars are unique to the practitioner, what is placed on them will be equally unique. There is really no right or wrong way to dress an altar, though there are some common items that tend to be used frequently:

• The Elements
• Deity Representation
• Tools
• Offerings
• Spellwork

Often, the things placed on an altar will depend on what type of altar it is.

Types of Altars

Working/Ritual Altars – these are probably the most common altars and are used to actively cast spells, mix and prepare ingredients, and perform rituals. They tend to hold functional tools like cauldrons, wands, athame, mortal and pestle, and ingredients for active spellwork.

Ancestral Altars – these altars are dedicated entirely to honoring deceased family members, beloved friends, and spiritual lineages. They typically avoid active spellwork tools, and focus instead on remembrance and connection. You may commonly find photographs, obituary cards, heirlooms, and offerings of food, tobacco, or spirits on these altars. Yes, you can include beloved pets on these altars as well – they are family after all!

Deity or Devotional Altars – these are built as shrines to specific deities that the practitioner has a relationship with. The aesthetic of these altars will match the preferences and lore of the specific deity they belong to. Statues and artistic representations of deities, as well as dedicated symbols and corresponding offerings can usually be found on these altars.

Seasonal or Sabbat Altars – these altars change throughout the year to align with the rhythms of nature and the Wheel of the Year. They celebrate seasonal shifts, harvests, and solstices. Items on these altars will typically correspond to the current time of the year, like flowers, seeds, and pastel colors for spring and summer, and fallen leaves, pumpkins, and pinecones for autumn and winter.

Portable or Travel Altars – usually compact in size, these altars are usually simple and easy to set up quickly. They are commonly used by practitioners who travel a lot, practice outdoors, require extra privacy, or need accessible altar options. They are usually contained within small boxes, cloth pouches, or even small Altoids/mint tins, and usually have smaller sized tools like birthday candles, crystal chips, and pocket-sized tarot cards.

Environmental or Elemental Altars – these altars are dedicated spaces to the elements, a singular element, or an aspect of nature. Sometimes these altars take the form of an outdoor garden, a dedicated water shrine, or a fire ring. Items that are placed on these altars will correspond with the element(s) or aspects they are dedicated to. You may see things like shells, chalices, or river stones for Water. Or things like soil, bones, plants, and crystals for Earth. Things like incense, feathers, bells, and wind chimes are common for Air. And Fire is usually represented by things like candles, wood, ash, cauldrons, and lava stones.

Meditation Altars – these altars are designed to help transition the mind from the chaos of life to a state of stillness, presence, and internal focus. They are usually pretty minimal, and include a focal point like a singing bowl, incense, bell, textured fabric, or other sensory anchor. Sometimes these altars are set with a specific intention in mind, like achieving mindfulness, connecting with the Divine Energies, or transcendence.

Digital Altars – these are virtual sacred spaces for practitioners to focus intentions, cast spells, and honor deities. They act as an accessible alternative to traditional physical altars, and are commonly used by practitioners who do not have the physical space for a physical altar, need to practice in secrecy, need accommodations for disabilities, and for online communities. These altars often use apps like Notion, Spells8, Pinterest, Canva, or other similar platforms.

Community Altars – there are multiple different types of community altars, but ultimately they act as a shared sacred space for covens, groups, and communities to combine their energy, intentions, and practice together. They act as a “town square” for multiple people to contribute, leave offerings, and anchor collective group spellwork.

Amplified Magic – when a group of practitioners focus on a singular goal, their combined energy anchors to the community altar and creates a stronger magical current.

Shared Hub – during gatherings, a community altar typically sits at the center or the head of the gathering, and holds collective tools needed for rituals and spellwork.

Spiritual Equalizer – community altars allow everyone to participate equally, regardless of experience level or financial background.

Types of Community Altars + Etiquette

There are typically three types of Community Altars: ones for private groups, ones for public festivals, and ones for local shops. Altars for private groups are usually kept within the group’s meeting space, and house formal tools, collective group history, and items passed down within the group. They are maintained by the group’s leaders or initiated members.

Public festival altars are commonly set up temporarily at large public gatherings, festivals, or local parks. The organizers of these altars oversee setting up baseline structures for the altar, and attendees are invited to approach the altar with their contributions.

Shop altars are commonly seen near the entrance of occult and metaphysical shops. They usually feature a book or basket where shop patrons can write petitions for healing, luck, safety, etc. The shop staff maintain the altar and take care of blessing petitions.

When it comes to Community Altars, you should always be aware of proper etiquette surrounding how to interact with these altars. A good rule of thumb is to look without touching – don’t pick up, move, or handle items on an altar without explicit invitation by those who maintain the altar. Inappropriate touching can disrupt energy charges around the altar. When in doubt, ask – if you wish to contribute or interact with the altar, ask the altar organizer what is appropriate. Some altars have strict guidelines on offerings and interactions. Check yourself, cleanse yourself – make sure to ground yourself before interacting with an altar. You want to avoid bringing chaotic, frantic, negative, or aggressive energy to altars.

Altar Protection

Some practitioners advise against sharing images of altars online or even letting houseguests view them. This comes from the idea that it could open the altar to possible energetic contamination, security risks, or spiritual interference.

Reasons for Protection

Envy + Evil Eyes – not everyone viewing an altar has pure intentions. A viewer’s jealousy, judgement, doubts, or negative thoughts could all act as an accidental hex and project heavy stagnant energy on an altar and the items on it.

Disrupting Spellwork – some spellwork relies on a tightly contained pool of energy to manifest. Letting others view an active spell could create an “observer effect where their doubts, curiosity, or external thoughts bleed into the spell, causing energy to stall, dilute, disrupt, or even break. This could affect the momentum of the spellwork.

Taglocks + Targets – some view an altar photo similar to a personal ID or signature. The way you dress your altar and the items you use can provide a direct energetic signature back to you. If a malicious person wanted to direct baneful magic your way, an image of your altar could give them direct coordinates to you and bypass other wards you may have in place.

Deity + Spirit Respect – technically, an altar that is dedicated to a deity, ancestor, or spirit is no longer yours alone. It also belongs to them. These entities may demand more privacy and quietude, and sharing their altars could open them to public scrutiny and energetic noise. It can be seen as highly disrespectful and even cause the entity to withdraw their presence from you and your practice.

The Pillar of Discernment – a common pillar of witchcraft is the pillar of discernment (formerly the pillar of silence), or the understanding of when and with whom to share your magic. Keeping personal practices private helps preserve the mystery of magic and concentrates energy in active spellwork. Sharing or showing off an altar can drain that energetic power and turn a sacred space into a public spectacle.

Adding Protection

There are numerous ways to add protective measures to your altar. Using masking shields like glamour magic, can create an energetic veil over an altar so that observers see the physical objects without perceiving the underlying magical currents.

Some practitioners choose to deactivate, disassemble, or relocate active spells to keep the altar a neutralized space. Others choose to use energetic barriers, like surrounding the altar with salt, protective symbols, or even covering the altar with a protective cloth.

Taglocks can be masked by blurring or omitting personal items like ancestor images, anything containing DNA (examples: hair, blood), handwriting, or highly specific heirlooms, within altar photos. An extra measure of protection is to run altar photos through an EXIF metadata remover to remove location coordinates, timestamps, and other device data.

Another popular tactic is to create decoy displays. This is common among teachers, mentors, and content creators. It allows the practitioner to separate their private practice from the public eye, and uses the decoy as a way to teach and absorb the public’s curiosity.

Remember – whether you decide to share your altar publicly or not, is entirely your choice. Weigh the pros and cons so that you may make an informed decision, and always remember to keep you and your sacred spaces safe.

Deity 101

A deity is a dive, supernatural being that is honored, worked with, and/or worshipped. Deities do not have to be classified as a god or goddess; they can include powerful forces, cosmic energies, or historical figures.

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Non-Traditional Deities

• Cosmic Forces + Concepts – abstract concepts like Chaos, Time, or the Universe itself
• The Elements – each element can be treated as a sentient divine energy
• Mother Earth Archetypes – worshipping a collective spirit of the planet “Mother Earth”
• Deified Humans + Saints – figures like Marie Laveau, Joan of Arc, or other folklore figures can be elevated to a deity due to their immense spiritual power
• Spirits + Creatures – angels, demons, fae, nymphs, or other mythological creatures (some work with these without necessarily elevating them to a deity status)
• Pop-Culture – using fictional characters like Gandalf or superheroes as thoughtforms or egregors

The concept of deities varies across paths and communities because witchcraft is highly personal, broad, and generally non-dogmatic. Some practitioners do not work with deities at all, and often choose to focus on the energy of the earth, psychological archetypes, or the innate power within themselves. Working with deities is entirely an individual choice.

Deity Work

Working with deities is more than just worshipping them from afar. It can involve inviting a deity to work with you in spellwork, provide magical assistance or intervention, divination to communicate with a deity, creating dedicated altars for the deity, and providing offerings or exchanges for spiritual guidance. Deities can act as partners, mentors, or even energetic tethers.

Choosing a Deity

Do the research. Look into ancient myths, historical pantheons, and study cultural traditions around the deity you’re interested in. Learn their correspondences like symbols, colors, plants, animals, and foods that are typically associated with them. Determine if the deity belongs to an open or closed practice. Remember, there are many similar deities, so if the one you’re interested in comes from a closed practice, you can find another very similar from an open practice.

Remember, it is entirely fine to learn about closed practices, just not to actually practice them.

Closed Practices = require strict cultural initiations and/or lineage, in order to practice.

Open Practices = can be practiced without initiation or lineage requirements.

Connecting with Deity

Establish an altar space to dedicate to the deity, and place items on it that correspond with the deity. Make sure to cleanse the space, as well as yourself. Cleansing can be done in various ways, but is most commonly done with smoke or salt water. The cleansing process can also help you enter a focused ritual headspace. Take time to reflect and meditate on the deity, then introduce yourself. Speak honestly and from the heart, stating who you are and why you would like to build a relationship with them.

Something to keep in mind – some deities do not enjoy sharing their sacred space with others. Think twice and do the appropriate research before combining multiple deities on the same altar.

Reciprocity with Deity

Give offerings to show appreciation for the deity. Offerings can be item based like wine, bread, incense, or tobacco, or they can be action based like volunteer work, cleaning up nature, or studying. To communicate with the deity, you can use divination tools like tarot cards or a pendulum, or through meditation or dream work. Once a bond is formed with the deity, you can ask them to lend their power to protect or aid you in your practices, or to mentor you as you grow.

Remember, deities are not a pool of free energy to just take from. Nor can you demand, command, or force them to work with you. If their answer is “no,” then accept it. Trying to force a connection will do more harm than good between you and the deity.

Deity Callings

When a deity’s specific symbols, themes, message, or name repeatedly disrupts daily life in ways that cannot easily be brushed off as mere coincidences, the deity may be calling out to you. These calls are often subtle, but persistent and cumulative and not dramatic booming voices or sudden visions that Hollywood likes to portray. Sometimes deities choose to reach out to a practitioner, rather than wait to be “discovered,” to guide the practitioner, offer a specific lesson, embody their archetypal energy, or invite the practitioner to work with them. Deities often seek a practitioner out when their personal values or current path closely aligns with the deity’s domain.

Single isolated events are most likely just coincidences, but a series of identical occurrences – usually 3 or more – can point to a message from a deity. Some ways that a deity may be trying to get your attention is by repeatedly placing their corresponding animals or items in your path, or by repeatedly popping up in various media or conversations.

Sometimes a deity may reach out to you through your dreams, showing their sacred landscape, or figures handing you their corresponding items, or images of them directly. These dreams usually feel distinctly vivid or hyper realistic, and are more memorable compared to typical dreams.

Another way a deity may be trying to get your attention is by shifting your mental focus. Unexplained urges to research them, or their culture or historical time period, having intense feelings of being pulled toward something you previously knew nothing about but now feel in awe or comforted by, or continuously shifting your thoughts toward the deity, all may be calls to pay attention!

Verifying the Call

If you’re a skeptic like me, you may be looking for ways to verify that a deity is calling to you. There’s a few things you can and should do.

First off, don’t jump straight to a conclusion. Remember how I said many deities are similar? Do some research at the deity you think is calling to you, and compare it with similar deities, even if they are from different pantheons. Look at the deity’s history, and even talk to other practitioners who work with that deity. Oftentimes beginners make the mistake of assuming a popular deity is calling to them simply because they like them or its trending on witchtok – only then to later realize that a completely different, maybe lesser-known deity’s traits fit the signs they were receiving. You could easily ruin a potential relationship with a deity because you mistook them for someone else!

There’s a lot of crossover similarities between Hecate, the Morrigan, Kali, Isis, Hel, and Circe. And there’s a lot of crossover similarities between Lilith, Lamashtu, Erehkigal, Lamia, the Empusae, and Pandora.

Use divination tools to open communication with the deity to help verify them. Lay out a tarot spread, or throw runes or bones with the specific intention of asking “who is trying to make contact, and why?”

Ask for a sign. Yeah, you can do that and it’s simple enough. Speak out loud to the deity’s energy and ask for a clear undeniable sign within a set timeframe, if they are who you think they are. Example: “If you are Hecate trying to reach me, show me a skeleton key within the next three days”

Once you verify who’s calling, you can begin the process of building a relationship with the deity and working with them. Remember to maintain your personal sovereignty. You can always decline a deity if you don’t wish to work with them. Simply provide the deity an offering of closure, thank them for their time, and choose your own path.