Polish folk beliefs - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Circles

Circles play a large part in Polish

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

mythology. Most ancient Slavic people worshipped in natural circles and grove

Sacred grove

A sacred grove is a grove of trees of special religious importance to a particular culture. Sacred groves were most prominent in the Ancient Near East and prehistoric Europe, but feature in various cultures throughout the world...

s; and it plays a large part in all kinds of folk magic. In all traditions, circles can be made of with lighted candles, drawing circles in the soil, or with natural objects and tools. They are used to surround evil or protect oneself from it.

Crossroads

As in other European traditions, the crossroads in Polish mythology are a sacred and magical place where both divination and invocations were uttered. Talismans and amulets were hung or buried there, as well as other spell work was conducted. The crossroads were a place where all places and directions meet; and all time faded away into the present moment.

The legacy of this tradition can be seen all across present-day Poland, where tens of thousands of crosses and statues of the Virgin Mary stand next to major and minor crossroads.

Divination

Forms of divination

Divination

Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...

in Polish mythology that were practiced in Poland included the following: Candle wax dripped in a glass of water was held up to the light for interpretation; herbs thrown on the fire produced smoke that could be interpreted by the shape of patterns it made; finding pysanky patterns in the natural world would yield a prediction of fortune.

Fire Flowers

In Polish mythology, fire flowers are mystical blooms. To find this powerful plant the seeker had to enter a forest before midnight on the Eve of Kupala. The flower would climb up the stalk of the fern, and precisely at midnight it would bloom so brightly that no one could look directly at it. In order to harvest it a circle had to be drawn around it, and the seeker had to deal with demon

Demon

call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...

s trying to distract him/her from doing so. It was said that if you answered the voices, or faltered during the task, it would sacrifice its own life. Anyone possessing this flower gained the ability to read minds

Telepathy

Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...

, find treasure

Divination

Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...

, and repel all evils.

Magic Belt of Poland

The Magic Belt of Poland is a special belt in with inscribed symbols significant in Polish folk practices which has been missing since the end of the Second World War. Replicas of some of the symbols are still sold to this day in occult shops online.http://www.mesmerize.co.uk/amulets.html The same symbols are featured in the book "Talismans and Amulets" by Felicitas H. Nelson.http://books.google.com/books?id=So7ph2SS8aYC&lpg=PT108&dq=magic%20amulet%20belt%20poland&client=firefox-a&pg=PT107#v=onepage&q=&f=false

The original belt was 2.28m (89" long) parchment scroll with the magic symbols inscribed on the outside and the prayers for them written on the inside of the Belt. The Knights of Poland

Poland

used it to protect them from all possible danger. The original source of protective magic probably dates to before 1600 AD in Christian magic, however, the symbols might be from pagan antiquity. The Magic Belt was originally on exhibit by the Archeology Department of the Warsaw University in 1922, but disappeared at the end of WWII

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

Invoking the talismans, one would take the belt off and stand in a circle with their hair loose. These belts held knives, ladanki and were wore by both women and men. It is possible in these everyday belts and magic belts were embossed with the symbols and possibly come from the origin of the Key of Solomon.

"Spoiling"

In Polish mythology, spoiling is a term used to mean a curse being on someone, or working magic against someone. One way of doing this is measuring out the exact length of someone’s footprint with a string, and then burning the string. A footprint in mud or snow was dug up and buried under the victim’s house to cause grief. Spoiling may be averted by lighting a candle if you are not face to face with the culprit, or by spitting on the ground, or by throwing dirt in the direction of the culprit walking away.

Circles

Crossroads

Divination

Fire Flowers

Magic Belt of Poland

"Spoiling"

Further reading