Merry Meet. The unicursal hexagram resonates so strongly with me for a multitude of reasons. As an eclectic, solitary (and that may change as time passes) I’ve had to adapt the craft to fit what energy is poured into me. I’m having trouble finding reliable information on Mercury, Hermes, Winged Messenger deities and other Pantheons which may have used a different name for them. And how do I get a better connection?
Oh, is there a spell to reveal my spirit animal?
Do what ye will, and harm ye none.
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Morning Dathony1
I have a few answers for your question about winged Gods.
you might try
Garnet
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There was a great entry in my book club book on both Iris and Hermes. It’s a great book, good for starter information. Modern Witchcraft and the Greek Gods by Jason Mankey and Astrea Taylor.
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I don’t know too much about winged deities, but I can give you a wonderful resource to learn more about Hermes!
Hermes is a Greek deity, and there is a great website called Theoi.com that is full of information about Greek mythology. It has a breakdown of each deity, their epithets, their stories, and even their Homeric and Orphic hymns. That might give you a good starting point for Hermes.
I know the Romans syncretised a lot of their information with the cultures and deities they came across. If I’m not mistaken, they viewed other deities as just different names of their own. So this is where we get Hermes and Mercury being seen as the same. This is also how Diana came to be worshipped in Egypt, I believe. I would double check that, though. I’m not fully confident in that knowledge.
Spirit animals are a different thing entirely. I don’t have a spell for you, but I believe there are different meditations you can do that might help you. We may have a few here on the forum, too. Let me see if I can find some links for you when I get back on the computer – unless someone else links them first!
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I did a quick search within the forum & found these topics on spirit animals
Familiar Spirits and Power Animals: What is the difference?I also found a couple of links to different information & finding your spirit animal:
I hope these help! 
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I’m feeling a strong vibration of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Aleister Crowley and Thelema here. I know the Golden Dawn rituals utilize plenty of hexagrams and pentagrams, and the connection to Hermes (and Thoth, who’s seen as his Kemetic equivalent) is there too. Maybe look up the Lesser Invoking / Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram if you haven’t already and see if that resonates.
I’m not really an expert, but I’ve brushed these topics through the Existential Kink philosophy / shadow integration practice. Searching through my email archive I did find a pretty extensive reading list of the author’s influences! I’m including it in its entirety for everyone to pick what resonates 
Basic Magickal Literacy
Advanced Magick for Beginners - Alan Chapman
- playfulness & poetry is the essence of magick and Alan Chapman really gets that
Post-Modern Magic: The Art of Magic in the Information Age - Patrick Dunn
- an under-appreciated, briliant and inspiring primer on making stuff happen with magick, comprehensible to Western minds with materialist educations
High Magick - Damien Echols
- a beautiful distillation of the basics of ceremonial magick and the Great Work... also see Damien's episode of the Midnight Gospel for a gorgeous, concise description of the Great Work
The Sorcerer’s Secrets - Jason Miller
- never afraid to get his hands dirty, Jason Miller gives a wonderful explanation of how to work spells
On Becoming an Alchemist - Catherine MacCoun
Existential Kink: unmask your shadow and embrace your power - yours truly ;)
- a mind-expanding romp through the astral realms
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn style magic
Circles of Power - John Michael Greer
- a lucid primer on Golden Dawn style ritual magic from a very experienced modern practitioner
The Middle Pillar - Israel Regardie
- Israel Regardie caused a big scandal by publishing all the Golden Dawn secret papers and rituals
The Golden Dawn - Israel Regardie and John Michael Greer
- also known as "the black brick" this is the entire collection of the Golden Dawn's once-secret papers
Getting started with Thelema
Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot - Lon Milo Duquette
- this is the best, most simple introduction to both the basic principles of Thelema and to the Thoth tarot
Overthrowing the Old Gods - Don Webb
- the Book of the Law is the foundation of Thelema and this, Don Webb's commentary on the Book of the Law, is very fun and worthwhile.
The Magick of Aleister Crowley: a Handbook of the Rituals of Thelema - Lon Milo Duquette
The Thoth Tarot
- this is the most alchemically potent Tarot deck in existence, and you need it, order it today.
The Book of Thoth - Aleister Crowley
- completely baffling the first 10 times you read it, hilariously revelatory gold on the 11th time through, this is Crowley's final work and his masterpiece, it's the companion book to the Thoth Tarot
Living Thelema - David Shoemaker
- Shoemaker can be a bit dry for me, he's not as playful as Lon Milo Duquette, but he's a wise, thoughtful Jungian therapist and he knows his Thelemic stuff, his podcast Living Thelema is also quite thorough
The Red Goddess - Peter Grey
- this is not specifically a book about Thelema, but it is a the most fun book out about Babalon, and grokking Babalon is crucial to the Thelemic enterprise
Tantric Buddhism
Introduction to Tantra - Lama Thubten Yeshe Wake Up to Your Life - Ken McLeod
- a lot of Tibetan lamas are quite dry, dull writers -- I'm looking at you, the Dalai Lama, bless your heart ... -- but not so Lama Yeshe! this book is very funny, lively, accessible and brilliant
- a rather exhaustive and rigorous introduction to the foundations of Buddhism for Westerners
Karmamuda: the Yoga of Bliss - Nida Chenagtsang
- how to use erotic energy to wake up... this book is precious to me and pure gold, it's an excellent way to make love to your Holy Guardian Angel
Secret of the Vajra World - Reginald Ray
- a thorough, scholarly look into Tibetan tantric Buddhism
Pointing Out the Great Way - Daniel P. Brown
- rather stiff technical manual, but the One Taste meditation instructions helped me dissolve into pure nonduality so I have to recommend
Sex and Polarity in Relationships
Finding God Through Sex - David DeidaSlow Sex - Nicole Daedone
Prerequisites to Ecstasy - Om Rupani
Sex and Polarity in Magick
Polarity Magic: The Secret History of Western Religion - Wendy BergMoon Magic - Dion Fortune (this is a novel which illustrates polarity teachings)
Sex, Sorcery, and Spirit - Jason Miller
Waking Up
The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are - Alan Watts
(and everything Alan Watts ever published or said)
A Thousand Names for Joy - Byron Katie
(and everything Byron Katie has ever published or said)All Else is Bondage - Wei Wu Wei
Nevermind - Wayne Liquorman
The Infinite Game - James P. CarseLetting Go - David R. Hawkins … and all of his other books and youtube videos
Higher Worlds and How to Know Them - Rudolf Steiner
The Gene Keys - Richard Rudd
- a modern Hermetic masterpiece
Jungian Psychology
Man and His Symbols - Carl Jung and collaborators
- this is the best introduction to Jung, please don't go reading those weird "Jung summarized!" books, they rather suck
Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious - Carl Jung
- a deep dive into all the star characters - Shadow, Anima, Animus, and Self... in Jung's world
Psychology and Alchemy - Carl Jung
Aion - Carl Jung
… if you can understand Aion you’re probably already enlightened, congratulationsThe Red Book - A Reader’s Edition - Carl Jung
- Jung refused to let this be published until years after his death, it's his own personal notebooks of art and dialogues with his Unconscious
On Divination and Synchronicity - Marie-Louise von Franz
The Way of the Dream - Marie-Louise von Franz - documentary series findable on Youtube, book version is great too but now out of print
- Marie-Louise Von Franz was the most brilliant of Jung's students, everything she ever wrote or said is pure gold, this book is a dazzling exploration of magick, also definitely watch...
Psychedelics
The Archaic Revival - Terrence McKenna … and all of his old lectures on Youtube.
- Terrence was so so funny and so so irreverent and sweet and smart, he inspired a whole generation of apocalyptic trippy weirdos.
The Cosmic Serpent - Jeremy Narby
- some eye-opening information about Ayahuasca and DNA
Astrology
The Inner Sky - Steven Forest
- Steven Forrest is an evolutionary astrologer... I prefer Hellenistic astrology, but for an introduction to astrology, this is the simplest, most fun, and best
Cosmos and Psyche - Richard Tarnas
- a compelling exploration of how major astrological aspects and discoveries have lined up with world events
Hellenistic Astrology - Chris Brennan
- this is a heavy-duty tome... it's also very fascinating... the on-going revival of Hellenistic astrology started not-too-long ago..
For more Hellenistic astrology fun…
… I also recommend the Astrology Podcast with Chris Brennan and friends, and also Nightlight Astrology by Adam Elenbaas on Youtube…And the blogs of my friends, the astrologers Aeolian Heart and Matthew Merlin
all done by Grace,
Carolyn Elliott
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@Susurrus – Thank you for the links! I totally spaced this when I started feeling sick yesterday 
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Thank you. I’m reading more now than I have since college! 
just consuming knowledge voraciously. Connecting with some, and accepting what’s right for me.
Do what you will, and harm ye none.
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Merry meet,
You amaze me with your thoroughness and detail with each response or post! Which or shall I say Witch university do you teach at? LOL!
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Awww, you make me blush! 
Fun story, I’ve actually taught at a university! Not spells though, computer programming. Close enough? I wasn’t in touch with my witchiness back then, that would have given my teaching an interesting twist 
Merry meet
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What a great list! I have book marked this so I can find the list easier when I am looking for my next book to read 
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