HAND OF GLORY

A Hand of Glory (lol) is a legendary magical object from European folklore, particularly in German and British traditions. It's a severed and pickled hand of a hanged man, often the left hand or the hand that committed the crime. Combined with a candle made from the fat of the same corpse, the Hand of Glory is said to have powers such as:

- Granting invisibility
- Opening locks without keys
- Paralyzing or repelling enemies

The Hand of Glory is associated with witchcraft, sorcery, and dark magic, and its origins are rooted in gallows and executions. The process of preparing the hand and candle is described in 18th-century documents, and it has appeared in various forms of media as a symbol of supernatural power.

#Witchcraft #Symbols #Europe

Species: Buttermilk Racer.
Found in Southern United States.

The buttermilk racer is possibly one of the most beautiful racer snakes there is. They are highly variable in colour and the expressions tend to be dramatic, with individuals ranging from black or shades or grey or beige, to bold yellows, greens, and even blues. On top of their base colour are unique freckles, sometimes few or many, that come in pale yellow, white, or black. Like all racers, these snakes are slender and very quick. They tend to come out only during the day and feed on rodents, lizards, hatchling turtles, and frogs. As juveniles, they also consume soft-bodied insects. They are nervous, harmless snakes and do not typically fare well in the company of humans. For protection, they release a foul-smelling scent when caught and thrash around when restranied, which can lead to self-injury. In the wild their population is listed as least concern.

Family: Colubridae CEN
Genus: Coluber
SN: Coluber constrictor anthicus

THE TREE OF LIFE

The Tree of Life is used in teachings to understand the nature of the divine, the universe, and human consciousness. It consists of 10 nodes, called Sephirot, which represent different attributes or qualities of the divine:

1. Kether (Crown) - represents the divine will or pure potentiality
2. Chokmah (Wisdom) - represents creativity and wisdom
3. Binah (Understanding) - represents intuition and understanding
4. Chesed (Mercy) - represents compassion and loving-kindness
5. Gevurah (Strength) - represents discipline and judgment
6. Tiferet (Beauty) - represents balance and harmony
7. Netzach (Victory) - represents endurance and eternity
8. Hod (Glory) - represents majesty and splendor
9. Yesod (Foundation) - represents the connection between the divine and the physical world
10. Malkhut (Kingdom) represents the physical world and the manifestation of the divine

A symbol of the interconnectedness of all things

#Judaism #Hermeticism #Gnosticism #Thelema #Wicca #Alchemy #Witchcraft #Symbols