Author: Erika Fortner
The House of Twigs
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The witchiest reviews, interviews, writings, artists and community conversations. - One twig at a time to build our house.

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  • @q.mebpdx ・・・ Have your eye on something in our shop? We are having a storewide FLASH SALE starting 5/25 at midnight and ending 5/27 at midnight. Save 15% with discount code FemTransGayHumanRIGHTS2019 on orders over $20. This works for all online sales, pre-purchased orders (for free pick-up during normal business hours), and for our special open storefront hours (we are normally closed on Mondays). Memorial Day hours on Monday 2/27 Noon-6 PM
  • “Astrologically, Frida is a solar Cancer with her Moon in Taurus and Leo on the ascendant. The ascendant is the angle of beginning, and indicates to us that the Sun is the ruler of her chart, as Leo is ruled by the Sun. In her chart, the Sun in Cancer sits in House 11, conjunct Neptune, and alongside Jupiter and her North Node, which rest conjunct one another as well. And so in House 11 we see the ego (Sun) blend with the planet of illusion, fantasy, and madness (Neptune), and the planet of fertility, optimism, and excess merges with the node of fate. There is deep karmic purpose here. Each house of the chart talks to us about a unique set of themes, divisions or phases of the lives we lead. House 11 in general terms talks to us about the will-to-individuation of the many, meaning politics, one’s chosen circle of equals, friendship, communal energy. House 11 is the house of the individual free from familial bond as well as free from the rigid constraints of dogma, or hierarchy. The ideal collective rather than the ideal self; utopia. Kahlo vehemently opposed any and all capitalist ideology, and devoted much of her life to her political efforts which sought to spread her and her contemporaries dream of communism as an antidote to colonialism which had injured her native Mexico. With her Sun in House 11, we see that her ego sense is wedded to social questions of her time. Jupiter’s presence her shows that she finds expansion in the public, communal arenas of life.” Read more on #thehouseoftwigs where @eighthhouseastro explains #Fridakhalo and her #natalchart - #astrology #thot #witchy #artistastrology #witchschool #witchshop #witchesofinstagram #astrologyschool
  • "Basil has a rich history in pagan and folklore magick. It is a pungent herb with a distinct flavor that can help deter pests in the garden, especially when placed next to one of its culinary lovers, the tomato plant. Folklore herbalists have used it as a natural adaptogen, for it’s anti-bacterial qualities, anti-inflammatory qualities, and more. Records have been found before 206 B.C.E. that said it only “exists to drive men insane”. For the Romans and Greeks, it was associated with hatred. To grow a proper crop of basil, one was supposed to swear and cuss when sowing the seeds. Of course, that ideology of basil has changed since it became a symbol of Love in Italy. Some areas of Italy associate it both with Love and Death. There are 35 or more types of Basil, and I might guess anywhere it has been grown, it has interesting folklore. Some of the more commonly known are sweet bail, Thai basil, and holy basil (tulsi) in Indian Culture. Being sacred in India, it is not surprising that it is used in countless Ayurvedic recipes. I drink tulsi tea when I’m feeling stressed and it is said that it can block the cortisol hormone. I can’t help but wonder if the lore comes from it’s ability to absorb negative energy, and somehow transmute it. Perhaps that is why it has been said to be in connection with the scorpion. In any case, it is the perfect time to include it in your magickal, Full Moon in Scorpio rituals.” - Hedgewitchery, Brews & Potions on the magickal uses of basil by Erika of @q.mebpdx and @kevencraftritual #thot #thehouseoftwigs #witchy #hedgewitch #kitchenwitch #pdxwitches #witchythings #witchesofinstagram #pagansofinstagram
  • “Today the Moon is Full in Scorpio. With the Sun and Moon opposed at 27° Scorpio, this lunation brings us the conclusion of a cycle we initiated in November, when the Scorpio Moon was new. Scorpio is the ruler of the 8th principle, which talks to us about depth. Scorpio has a reputation for being an intense, penetrative sign, and this comes as no surprise as it is ruled by Mars and Pluto, planets of war and obsessive focus. The 8th principle is the descent into the shadow, the hero’s journey into the underworld. It is about release from the superficial, engaging with the taboo, seeing our trauma, being liberated from fictions of the self. Some might call it seeing in the dark. Remember that for the Romans, the underworld was a vast forest underground, comprised of pine trees. I picture them as ponderosa and douglas fir. I think this forest image is a reminder that there is life where we assume death lurks, and this is one of the most vital components of Scorpio. The ability to transcend death, to send up volunteer shoots through the richness of composted soil, to return to ourselves after disappearing. Perseverance through honest engagement of shadow. This is all here for us with the Scorpio Full Moon. “ #fullmoon #astrologyreport #thehouseoftwigs #thot #witchschool #witchy #witchshop #pagansofinstagram #witchesofinstagram
  • “Venus in Taurus, May 15 – June 9 At 2:46am, Venus enters Taurus. In the midst of Taurus season, this is a lush blessing. Venus rules Taurus, the second sign of the zodiac, the sign of the senses, the body, and all that comes with it. Here, Venus is at home. Perched in graceful full glam on a velvet green couch, the expression of Venusian energy here is pure, effervescent, and available to us all. Venus is the goddess of surfaces. Art, texture, touch, taste, music, color, fabric, all fall under Venus’s domain. She is also the goddess of values. She helps us determine what is important and what we can do away with. She can help us draw boundaries to protect our sense of self, our inner resources, our energy, our auras. She can also help us practice some stern financial sense, believe it or not. From this goddess comes beauty and the promise of cultivation of value, something we can only do when we understand our resources at hand. Inside your heart is a garden. Venus in Taurus asks you to tend to it, gently, to encourage new vines to flourish, new paths to open up, and new fruit to fall. From now until June 9th, Venus will sway through earthy Taurus, bringing our sense of self back to the tangible. Taurus is a sign that is fully embedded in her body, and Venus’s time in Taurus thus seeks to return us to our physical, true, lived experience. This is an amazing time for us all to find richer, more generous ways to spread out and embrace the versatility of our physical experience. “ #thehouseoftwigs #astrology #natalchart #celestialhermit by @eighthhouseastro
  • @eighthhouseastro has a new course out! For the past year having these really interesting astrological conversations with you all, either in consultations or online, I wondered what the best way to begin gracefully instructing people in the basics of natal chart interpretation, a gorgeous and lush art form for self-knowledge and occult connection. . I’ve created an interactive course for @thehouseoftwigs ’s School of Ritual called MASTERING THE NATAL CHART: THE HERMES-THOTH GUIDE TO STELLAR INTERPRETATION, and I am so happy to say it is now available for purchase, through the link in my bio!!! . Through a combination of video content, written content, and supported by a free workbook of vocabulary, archetypal exploration, and the building blocks of the natal chart, students will have the opportunity to be guided through learning the art of natal chart interpretation. . For the next two weeks, the course will be available for $25, and this is very purposeful. I want anyone and everyone who wants to learn about their astrology to be able to access this information, which is in-depth, nuanced, and rendered so that beginners can sink their teeth into it, but also has a level of complexity that would encourage intermediate students’ knowledge to bloom. . I will also hold weekly Office Hours for us to interact and chat, and so that I can answer your questions, should they come up. At the end of the course, students have the option of purchasing a second book, Interior Alchemy: A Path to Your Inner Planets and Guide to your Inner Psyche. . After two weeks, the course will jump to $50, so this is definitely a good opportunity to get your hands on the material if you’re curious! . Any occult practice is at bottom a way of connecting to a pagan sense of the world. Of reconnecting us to the nature that we come from, and reminding us that the earth and heavens contain magic that is reflected in all of us. This course was made with so much love and care, and I hope that all of you get something important out of it. A reminder that you are imbued with power, magic, and potential. #astrology #astrologyclass #thehouseoftwigs #masteringthenatalchart #natalastrology
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