I was just reading The Ripening by Serena of Runes and Roses, and had a realization. In their post, Serena said that Freyja loves beauty and jewelry.
Like most things in life, Beauty is highly subjective. Normally when one thinks of beauty, depending on their culture/society/family/individuality they may think of symmetrical faces, cosmetics, expensive clothing, thin bodies, feminine clothing, etc. But beauty is subjective. I think of those things, too, but also other things, like minute details that others may not notice, certain colors, a sprouting plant, a decaying animal, a loving birth, the dying cared for by loved ones, "tribal" style, bohemian style, gritty witchcraft, goth, aesthetic witchcraft, lace, and many other things.
Youngest's Little Plant,
May 1, 2026
May 1, 2026
Actions, too. Beauty isn't just the physical. Kindness, compassion, and bravery are beautiful to me. The pure joy on people's faces. My children's laughter, as cliche as that is. Community truly coming together.
When it comes to beauty, it's important to ask yourself what beauty is. If you're not sure, pay attention to what grabs your attention. If you're an artist, what sorts of things do you photograph, draw, paint, play, sing, and write about? What gives your life passion and meaning? What makes you happy?
I'm also not much of a jewelry person--I'm not into the expensive stuff. I don't like diamonds and I'm allergic to all metals except for silver. I don't see the point of wearing a student loan/house (or these days a month of rent)/car on my finger or around my neck--especially something that can be so easily stolen or lost. That kind of beauty is pointless to me--its not practical. I'd much rather that money to go to my student loans, a house/rent, or a car. You know? My original engagement ring was an aquamarine with a sterling silver band (when I lost weight, I couldn't wear it anymore, so my ring stays in a secured spot), but my shallow family didn't feel like that was enough, so my grandma gave me her expensive fancy ring (that I don't wear either). I could get another ring, but I'd rather use that money for something else. I know my husband loves me and that we're handfasted--we don't need jewelry for proof, we have a legal document.
(On that note, I also didn't want a big fancy wedding, but my grandma and mom reallly showed off their ugly shallow sides and paid for everything [which I never asked for or wanted!!!]. I wanted a simple, natural, and inexpensive handfasting, because I was saving for a cake and a photographer. As a photographer, good photography was really important to me. My family and I had a lot of big fights, from my date to my colors to my venue to the Priestess to my faith! They wanted me to have a traditional Christian wedding in a big ass church! I'm Pagan, why I would I have one of those? The only thing we didn't fight about was my dress choice--$600--which was too expensive imo, but I wasn't buying, they were. They tried to put me in some ugly expensive shit, too. Luckily my BFF was there! AND I never got a choice in photographers. I was so overwhelmed and drained from the constant fighting. They said they had it handled. To get back at me for not giving them everything they wanted, they just had family take pictures. I was pissed! The photos are crap. I felt bad for the family members they pressured because they didn't even want to do it. And one of them almost got attacked by a swan during our vows! At one point, I and my MOH took pictures!
Vindictive and shallow ass family, yall.
In my family, money & showing off = beauty. This attitude has definitely shaped what I find beautiful).
I do like jewelry, but most of mine are spiritual, dedicated to the Kindreds, charged with intent. It serves a purpose. I feel like the expensive stuff is rooted in vanity--bragging about wealth. Too often I've seen people (especially in my family) equate love with how big the diamond is. That's not love, that's gold diggin!
I'm sure some parts of how I see beauty are vain, shallow, and arrogant, too. I'm human, right? Things are allowed to just be pretty or make you look and feel good. I don't have a lot of cloths or shoes, but I don't usually pick those things for spiritual reasons either (although I do have spiritual garb). What I do have I picked because they were pretty and I can wear what I want.
I can't wear cosmetics (except for nail stuff)--I'm allergic/sensitive to everything. A long time ago, I had to learn to love me without makeup. I can't use anything to cover up blemishes or aging. I can't use color to enhance or give myself a different face. I just had to learn to love me. I love my age lines--they've made me grateful to live, to survive another year. I hope to become a hag one day. Beautiful and dangerous.
But I love watching make up videos, be them made by spiritual/magikal and other folks. It's an artform and I love it. (I'm also grateful that I don't feel like I need to spend the money on cosmetics, too.)
I don't really have a specific aesthetic--its definitely Au-DHD in nature. I like what I like regardless of culture, society, trend, era, and family. I see beauty in many things that some folks don't. To many people, I'm eccentric and weird because of it.
Yes, I am.
And in other circles...I'm cool.
Yes, I am.
Some might be horrified to have a Goddess approach wearing skins, bones, teeth, and dead things, or to be dirty, caked in clay and mud, and covered in colorful ash. Me? I find those things beautiful. Nitty gritty, wild, and feral. Dark feminine some may call it.
If you read my last post, I did make something classically pretty. I almost said "feminine", but again subjective. What does it mean to be "feminine", "masculine", other "ines"? Subjectivity.
Anyway, I did make something light, shiny, and with real roses and jewelry.
Dice runes soaked in a mixture of rose petals, dragons blood oil, peppermint, cinnamon, my blood, and other herbs.
While drying, I smeared some of the rose petals into the wood.
I galdred (sang) the runes and gave offering to the Rune Spirits.
I painted them with an iridescent pink-blue nail polish called Iris Illusion (I also used on my Spirit Stick, which is also dedicated to Freyja and Frigg).
The Goddesses picked the blue yarn for the pouch.
My aunt gifted me with a gold pin with an aquamarine stone, that I bent into a spiral and sewed onto the pouch with a thin yarn whose colors match the nail polish.
Dedicated them to Freyja and Frigg on Midspring.
I haven't read these runes yet. I keep feeling that the Goddesses want me to make a casting cloth, too, from 4 of the many fabric squares that I have. I got one yesterday from the Dollar Tree that's a soft in texture and in color--blue. Plus I'm feeling a pink, too. Halfway there. Bright colors, too, like a bright purple and 4th color that I can't see yet.
Things that I find pretty that subjectively don't fit together aesthetically.
Anyway, Freyja is a goddess of Beauty and other things. In a post about Her that I'm working on, I state that I haven't seen the American Beauty Standard version of Freyja. I am mentored by the feral Völva who lives in caves, dressed in animal pelts and bones, painted in ash and clay. Her hair dreaded, braided, and messy. A bag of cat bone runes hanging from Her belt. Surrounded by Seiðkona Spirits who climbed up out of the muds of the marshlands.
Beautiful, Powerful, and Dangerous.
Freyja's dark beauty, I suppose.
What is beauty to yall?
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Thanks for the support yall!
Face to the Sun.
Trust in Joy.
Follow the Foxes and the Bees...
- Priestess Foxlyn