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Latest Posts by shuffling-cards

Using Witches Cords to Store Energy

Let us assume that you have excess energy lying around from a ritual and you need a space to keep it. Or you're doing a lunar invocation ans you just want to keep some of that lunar energy around for a bit. This is where the Witches cord comes into play.

We know the presence of Witches Ladders, used as the stepping rungs up into the spiritual worlds or into Haides, or even for our manifestation to climb down from its abstract form into the mundane, so why not use it to store energy in the knots.

The thread itself should be consecrated, though the number of threads would vary. A simple one can be made of one single thread, suitable for temporary storage as the thread will fray over time. A more long-term knot can be made from three cords plaited together, even so far as using waxed thread or paracord. To that degree, the act is then channeling the energy that surrounds the magician into the cord.

This cord can then be worn during ritual to tap into it, or it can be unknotted whenever a small burst of energy is required.

hi chicken, i think the idea of setting an indicator of the spell working is cool. do you maybe have anymore thoughts on that or how to actually do it? i like the idea im just not sure how to actually like.. set that intention and make sure it actually indicates

We're in reference to this I'm sure, the hematite ring bit I believe.

Easy as pie. You want something that has a chance to spontaneously change its physical state, but not a guarantee; a thread tied around your wrist that could snag and snap, or fall off; a brittle hematite ring that can shatter; in the past I've used something precariously stood up (a medical creme tube stood upright on its small cap) and set it in a sheltered place, the indication being whether or not it fell over on its own. (It did, in the middle of the night, and spooked me)

Place it with the other parts of the spell. Bake it into the same pie, as it were.

Candle be thou a candle likened to Money Marge herself, cash me out, stuff my hair with dollar dollar bills; And you, green thread, you are the oracle that sees; you are the chain that falls when the link is broken; you are the canary in the coal mine that falls away to sound the alert. You, my far-seeing helper, keep your eyes affixed upon Money Marge: and when [the last traces of power fade away/ when my spell has found its target/ if the spell fails before it can manifest] then you will show me it has happened by breaking, or snapping, or unraveling, or in any manner whatsoever falling away from my wrist.

Ensure you have thoughtfully chosen an indicator that could happen randomly, yet is not guaranteed or likely to happen (an indicator with a 50/50 chance of 'going off' anyways is not useful)

Through ritual action, words, or by any means, link and involve the indicating object to the spell; consecrate them together, energize them together, soak them in the same bath of energies

Clearly define what role the indicating object is playing. Poetry serves well, in my opinion. Also see if you can't get the poetry to match the action and theme (falling away thread = chain that snaps, canary that falls -- indicator for a ward being breached, "you are the war horn that sounds the alarm")

Clearly define the conditions under which the object will perform that indicated action ("when Money Marge has grabbed money for me and is rushing back to my side.")

From that point onwards such indicator objects may be considered to be a taglock of the spell, and a useful connection to be able to 'check in'. Very handy little things for practicing psychism and energy reading.

It's reasonable to assume that you are functionally enchanting an entire second object, and therefore this might be significantly more draining than one might expect at first glance. My recommendation is to ensure the primary function of the spell gets all it needs first, and any indicator object comes second; also, there's perhaps no need to go ham on the indicator at all.

The cemetery as a place of power in my practice

Magic is often centered around location, especially places of power. Finding them, or making them. We do it when we follow the directions in old grimoires to go to crypts or wild places. As well as when we construct circles and sacred spaces in our homes or ritual spaces. We are setting aside a hallowed area for our work, a place to build force. A place of power. Some people find this place out in the forest, on the beach, in a church, their own personal temple, or other various locations. I found my place in a cemetery.

A few years into college I began getting more into ceremonial style magic, and the construction of a ritual space became a prominent part of that. I tried out various styles of circle casting, from calling the corners to demonic conjurations for the directions. As I was learning to cast a circle I often found myself without enough space to operate in my dorm. At home in my bedroom I could do a make-shift set up, but here at school and after when I had roommates space was VERY tight. So I began working almost entirely outside. I'd go to wooded places, beaches, parks at night and various other spots near my school to practice. 

After college I moved in with an old partner and happened to have an unmonitored cemetery near by. So this became my go to spot for practicing my witchcraft and any ritual work I had planned. Unknowingly I had created a habit of casting my circle in the same spot in the same way over weeks for various magical needs that arose. This connection with the land built up to the point where I felt a call and response in my environment. The spirits of the cemetery started to take notice of me and the work I was doing in their space, and eventually took active interest. It was at this moment that the way I saw the cemetery changed, it had become a place of power for me. I felt safe there at night now and didn't even pay attention when that switch in my brain happened. 

My draw to this cemetery was purely circumstantial, and it being a good available working place for my craft. My practice has blossomed here, as most of my spirit court has come out of my work done on those grounds. As I reflect, you'd think based on my craft now that I had some kinda obsession with the dead, but that was never really the initial drive. I'd say that affinity has grown from this relationship with this location. Which I think in turn lends itself back to the cemetery becoming a focal point of me consistently.

I've done some much circle casting and ritual work in that space that I no longer feel it's necessary there when I'm working at night. The space is liminal and separate enough without the pomp and circumstance of ritual that I can just begin the work that needs doing and get on my way. Keeping me from having to be out longer than I have too, avoiding any unwanted eyes. 

Many things lend themself to doing magic in a cemetery. There's it's obvious connection with the underworld and the dead being a place we bury our deceased, but I also see my local cemetery as a place of living since many animals and plants call it home. It's large enough that I've seen coyotes, eagles, fireflys, and other little critters there, as well as variety of plant life. There are also the mourners and the workers in this graveyard who are characters of this space too. So I use this cemetery as an access point/nexus, through which i can connect with the land and it's spirits. I use the graveyard as as a point of communion, with the spirit of my city and other realms. 

Another facet that gives power to my work is the emotional energy that pools in graveyards. Grief is a powerful experience that brings forth many emotions, and this cemetery holds children, veterans, and founding members of my town. So the psychic weight in this place can be heavy, loaded, and complicated. Which is something a skilled practitioner can draw on. I've also found that spirits from this graveyard love to feed on grand displays of emotion, joyous or sorrowful. So often I'll capitalize on that and use this was an emotional outlet that nourishes my spirits. Plus no one thinks twice of someone having a good cry in a cemetery.

Through my time in this space I've built in a intimate connection with it as an access point for Spirit. Making it more than just a place of power for simply being a cemetery, it is truly a holy place set aside from others in my practice.

You don't have to use certain ingredients in spells if they don't feel right, or if you simply don't vibe with them

When I tried to add rice to an abundance spell, it's like whatever energy the spell had started to accumulate dispersed. When I tried to add ground pepper to a spell, the vibes were just... rancid...

You don't have to include every single corresponding ingredient. Feel it out, see what works and what doesn't. Even better, create your own correspondences

Mental illness is a permanent mana debuff. How is a witch to thrive if I only feel recharged for 5 seconds every whenever

The opps (forces beyond my understanding) are holding me by the scruff of my neck like a kitten (not letting me divine on what lies ahead) while I scratch and bite (continue to ask my cards what lies ahead)

Job Search Prayer

O' Father Hades! If ever I have pleased you, If ever my words have honored you, Please heed this prayer!

As I search for a new job, Please aid me in finding one With a supportive environment; One that is willing to work with me And accommodate me as needed. Please help filter out Any jobs that will cause me Further grief, anxiety, and hostility. Please let it be a job That utilizes the strengths and skills That I have worked so hard to learn. Please allow it to pay more than the bills; Let it grant me room in the budget For small luxuries and occasional vacations.

Please, Father Hades, I beg for your aid. I do not wish to work another job That consistently burns me out. I do not wish to work another job That discriminates against me Or belittles my abilities. I simply wish to work in an environment Where I am actually seen and valued.

Hail to you, God of Wealth! May praise fall upon your name!

Dear Mother,

Let this be enough, let me be enough. Let me turn the corner to health and wealth and a full life. Let me find the wishes and desires I've always yearned for. Let me always have my needs fulfilled, my wants considered. Let there be healing, let there be freedom.

Let there be You. Your presence, Your signs. Your guidance, Your love.

Let me be worthy of You.

Hekáte

a pocket of calm 🐙❤️

you ever speak to your best friend and it just absolutely centres you. oh yeah none of that shit matters. I love you

Same thing happened when I was trying to figure out crystal properties and symbolisms. Why is protection listed under every single one?! So I ended up going with vibes. Opalite is now a change bringer because every time I wear it, shit happens and granate is empowering just cause

I remember coming to a point in my craft where I started leaving crystals because it felt like there was just so much shit about them that it was impossible to work through...

Anyway, now I'm a Uni student looking at rocks with a copy of Grimoire Sympathia knowing that the worst thing that happens is I just get a bunch of pretty rocks that I can put on my desk to keep me calm. Like not even spiritually, sometimes it feels good because cool shiny thing with cool surface, rub between hands, many colours, much wow...

Love it when a reading is full of major arcana, it's like tarot's version of an all caps Facebook post about the end times coming

The Witch’s Payment

Come to see the witch, have you?  Need a little magic?  Here’s what it will cost you.

Pay me in coin. Grant me wealth by sharing your fortune.  True, you won’t understand what wealth looks like to me, but your luck will certainly help me find it anyway.

Pay me in hearts. Bring me the heart of your pain, your hope, your rage.  Hearts beat, my love.  They sustain.  Place a heart inside something, and you can make it live.

Pay me in keys. Give me a pass-ward into your spirit.  Keys open doors, or shut them, and if you give yours to me, then I can use it to go places I desire to go.

Pay me in rose petals, in cloves, in cinnamon and marjoram and vanilla. And perhaps in something more mysterious.  The gifts of this world are a delight, and when one understands the true value of such things, a gift from them is always a powerful blessing.

Pay me in stars. Lend me the light in your life.  The stars guide you, and if you share them, they may guide me and protect me as well.

Pay me in shadows. Let me fold the sign of your passage into something which stays with me forever.  Give me your cloth, your paper, your sigils and names and the marks of your presence, and I shall grant our friendship life of its own.

Seeking payment from a witch, for that which she weaves?  Don’t shy away from the jar of spiders, from the pouch of rose petals, from the strange little dagger or the box of matches.  She knows what you need, and she’s come prepared to pay.

Nothing is free. Everything is costly. The future costs the present, so we pay in gifts.  Thus, we avoid debt, and live happily ever after.

It was only recently that I truly understood the power and significance of offerings

In the past, I had tried deity worship. I made offerings that felt accepted but never in return for anything, it was just an act of servitude. It didn't feel right to ask for things. For the longest time, I was alone. I felt lonely, and part of my dabbling in deity practices was an attempt to reach out to someone, to something, to feel less alone, to feel like someone is out there watching over me, caring about me, taking care of me. I felt like a little girl with noone to hold her close and lift the burden on her heart, noone to make her feel light again

Later on, I moved on to other things. It just wasn't a good fit. Ideologies and beliefs shifted and the deity I would turn to when things got hard was the night sky. Tear filled eyes looking up to the stars and pouring my heart out over whatever was hurting me. Funnily enough, I ended up getting what I asked for during those sessions and I chalked it up to my tears being the offering, the energy I released during those moments, an equal exchange as all things are. Still, the night sky wasn't what I was looking for, though it gave me comfort at times

Recently I was in the hospital visiting someone. One of the doctors approached me and asked me for a favor because none of the staff could leave the room due to an emergency. They were out of a sort of bandages and she needed me to go get some from a nearby pharmacy. She showed me the empty pack to know what to get and money to buy it

I paid for it myself and returned the money. They tried to argue but I refused. They've done so much for me, it was the very least I could do. It was nothing, a natural course of action

And yet, walking out of the gates it felt like I paid off a debt, something shifted and I felt like an exchange had been made

An offering accepted.

I pray I am right.

My mind started racing, so many possibilities opened up yet the paths leading to them are still unclear. What do I offer? Who do I offer it to? The universe? The night sky? A familiar?

Occultists, witches and spiritualists really need to stop peddling the lie that spirituality, witchcraft, paganism, etc. isn’t a psychological phenomenon as well as a mystical one. Your psychology will in fact, fundamentally inform your experiences with spirituality.

And we also need to stop pretending that spirituality and witchcraft are somehow contrary to mental illness. Or that having a mental illness means you can’t do witchcraft.

I’ll be completely honest with you guys and say that certain people with certain afflictions are more predisposed to different “mystical” experiences than others. I don’t think it’s a great coincidence that I am so great at visualization given that I was raised in a severely neglectful household. It doesn’t surprise me that many pagans are lonely people. This doesn’t mean to say that spirituality is “filling” a hole within anyone (although if it is, that’s great for you) but more so that, well, this path is unpopular for a reason. Alternative subcultures are alternative for a reason, and outcasts and rejects usually find a home there for a reason.

This also doesn’t mean to say that people who engage in witchcraft and spiritualism are inherently mentally ill. There is still a difference between hallucinations and spiritual encounters. And there was never any rule that said that both of these things cannot happen to a single person. For the safety of yourself and others we should be aware of the warning signs of dissociation and hallucination, but that doesn’t make anyone “wrong” for experiencing those things. And experiencing those things doesn’t mean you cannot explore spirituality or do witchcraft.

I hate it when “spiritualists” who are actually just anti-vax conservatives push the narrative that people with mental health issues cannot participate in spirituality. I also despise the notion that mental health issues are inherently a sign of an energetic imbalance. We’re all walking around with a special concoction of brain soup in our heads, it doesn’t surprise me that Ares devotees tend to have BPD, that many Aphrodite devotees struggle with self harm, that many people who work with angels have paranoia or generalized anxiety.

There was never any rule that said that you cannot use your deities or magic to help you cope with your mental health. I know some people will say “the Gods aren’t here to be your friend or hold your hand through life” but I’ve seen no evidence to suggest that’s true. I see no reason why a God like Ares couldn’t help his devotee with BPD come down after a bout of rage, I see no reason why Dionysus couldn’t help his devotee with their alcoholism or substance abuse, I see no reason why Aphrodite couldn’t help a devotee with relapse or negative self talk.

Witchcraft and paganism were historically used as a tool for survival, to bring people ease, to help people feel safe and secure, blessed and protected. That applied to all people, including those with mental health issues.

Witchy tip ~ The “me” candle

If you get tired easily when doing your workings, consecrate a candle to yourself and light it every time you are doing something witchy/pagany. The goal here is to use the candle as a power bank, raising its energy so your own doesn’t run low. 

Differently than working candles, commonly used to improve your magick’s potency, the “me” candle is programmed to improve *your* energy while you are working on your magick. It can become a precious piece for practitioners that, as me, have more often than not low spoons days. 

Extra tip: dress your candle with essential oils that boost your energy. Bergamot and lemongrass are my favorite ones for this use!

Chalkboards In Witchcraft

So, a couple of years ago around Halloween, my local crafts store was selling cute small wall-hangings that functioned as chalkboards. My first idea was to doodle silly things, but right after that I thought “wouldn’t this make a perfect and practical way of writing and hanging sigils on my wall? I could change the sigils whenever I wanted. And it was totally reusable and movable. Now, it’s become a staple of protection magic in my craft. You can enchant chalk and use different colors of it for different sigils. I’m going to show you a standard one I used to use (not showing you my current protection sigil on the chalkboard for privacy reasons).

It’s so practical! Lmk if you try this!

Best of luck witches! (Also, a pack of these boards only cost me a few dollars).

Pine cone wish spell

Items needed:

Pine cone, cinnamon, small pieces of paper, candle

1.) write your wishes on the pieces of paper.

2.) roll them up and stick one end in the wax and insert it into the pine cone.

3.) pour the rest of the wax on the pine cone and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Let dry.

4.) on New Year’s Eve burn in your fire to release your wishes into the universe.

*the photo features glitter added to the pinecone. You can add glitter or anything else you’d like.

Alchemy, the untouched friend of Witchcraft

If there is something interesting that is nearly not used on mostly of the witch community, is Alchemy, and is something from which we could take some few useful stuffs.

As always, disclaimer first, I’m not an expert on the subject and I barely if I read a couple of books about the topic (from another 10 untouched ones lol), so as always in life, take what I say with tweezers. This is meant to be a light superficial view to open a door of possibilities in a mix of Witchcraft and Alchemy, is not a thesis. Saying that, to the core of the question.

Alchemy use elements. A lot of them.

The three primes or Tria Prima (the basic 3 materials): Sulfur (Related to the Soul and the principle of combustibility, so it has volatility, can burn, explode, combust), Mercury (Related to the Spirit, the principle of fusibility so the material can be fused together and volatility so a substance vaporizes), and Salt (Relate to the Body, the principle of non-combustibility and non-volatility).

Our beloved Four basic Elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Water.

The Seven Metals associated with the seven classical planets: Lead, corresponding with Saturn. Tin, corresponding with Jupiter. Iron, corresponding with Mars. Gold, corresponding with the Sun. Copper, corresponding with Venus. Mercury, corresponding with Mercury. Silver, corresponding with the Moon.

The 13 Mundane Elements and Later Metals: Antimony, Arsenic, Bismuth, Cobalt, Magnesium, Manganese, Nickel, Oxygen, Phlogiston, Phosphorus, Platinum, Sulfur, Zinc (All of them with a lot of interesting properties and functions, in and out the alchemy world).

The 10 Alchemical Compounds: Acid, Sal ammoniac, Aqua fortis, Aqua regia, Aqua vitae, Amalgam, Cinnabar, Vinegar, Vitriol, Brimstone (All of them also with amazing properties).

And what interesting me the most (at least to my way to do witchcraft), The 12 Alchemical Processes:

Calcination (Aries): The thermal treatment of a solid to removing impurities or volatile substances.

Congelation (Taurus): Term used in medieval and early modern alchemy for the process known today as crystallization. Process by which a solid form into a structure known as a crystal, by precipitating from a solution or freezing.

Fixation (Gemini): Process by which a previously volatile substance is "transformed" into a form (often solid) that is not affected by fire.

Solution (Cancer): Homogeneous mixture composed of two or more substances. In such a mixture, a solute is a substance dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent.

Digestion (Leo): A process in which gentle heat is applied to a substance over a period of several weeks.

Distillation (Virgo): Separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation.

Sublimation (Libra): The transition of a substance directly from the solid to the gas state, without passing through the liquid state.

Separation (Scorpio): Converts a mixture or solution of chemical substances into two or more distinct product mixtures. Process of distinguishing to two or more substance in order to obtain purity.

Ceration (Sagittarius): Chemical process, by continuously adding a liquid by imbibition to a hard, dry substance while it is heated. Typically, this treatment makes the substance softer.

Fermentation/ Putrefaction (Capricorn): A metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes/ Decomposition of organic matter by bacterial or fungal digestion.

Multiplication (Aquarius): Process to increase the potency of the elixir or projection powder, in order to increase the gains in the subsequent projection.

Projection (Pisces): Process to transmute a lesser substance into a higher form; often lead into gold.

Damn, alchemy even have symbols to Units: Month, Day, Hour, Dram (Unit of mass between 1 and 3 grams), Half Dram, Ounce (Unit of mass, weight or volume of 28 grams, Half Ounce, Scruple (1 grams), Pound (500 grams).

So just with this simple 2 pages of basic Wikipedia info, we have a ton of new things to use. Everything here has specific properties, some more physical and chemical oriented, but others (like the 3 Tria Prima and The 12 Alchemical Processes) have a lot of correspondences with the witch life itself.

The 12 Alchemical Processes could be absolutely used to represent an desired outcome.

Calcination uses thermal treatment, so it can boost the Fire element of a spell. It also “removing impurities or volatile substances”, so can be applied to generate a mild fever to get rid off the flu, or to boost the organs that clean the body (kidneys and liver mostly)

Congelation turns a solid by freezing, can boost the Water element, so all the “freezer spells” can be boosted with this.

Fixation? A volatile substance is transformed into a solid form? Sound pretty much to grounding, or to help to focus an ADHD head as mine, or to put down to earth someone who is VOLATILE AND VIOLENT. Also, Earth element.

Solution? Homogeneous mixture of two or more substances? It sounds like an aid to make two people on conflict to get into an agreement, or to boost a new business by mixing the opportunities with the action. Air element.

Digestion. A process in which gentle heat is applied to a substance over a period of several weeks? It sounds like something that can help any process that need digestion (bad news must be “digested”, hard choices must be “consulted with the pillow”), and the “gentle heat” sounds comforting. Someone is grieving? Maybe Digestion can help them to overcome the awful times.

Distillation. Separating the components or substances. Anything that need to be separated can be helped with this. Relationships that must end, breakups, cut the ties with older things or habits.

Sublimation. The transition of a substance. I heard trans rights? Can this maybe help with your hormones? Or even to transition from what you previously left behind with the distillation, to focus in a new better future.

Separation. Process of distinguishing to two or more substance in order to obtain purity. How to choose from two or more choices? How to pick the better one? The one with purity? Separation maid aid.

Ceration. A hard, dry is heated to make it softer. Make that person less frigid, make the boss less bitchy, make your chronic pain less hurtful, make your bills less heavy, all that you can think in make softer.

Fermentation/ Putrefaction. I personally love this one. Produces changes in organic substrates and decomposition of organic matter by bacterial or fungal digestion. Prime element to curses. All what you want to rid off in the most disgusting way. May their flesh get rotten under a car in a hot summer.

Multiplication. Process to increase the potency of the elixir in order to increase the gains in the subsequent projection. MONEY MONEY MAKE MORE MONEY, all what need to be increased and all what you want to multiply, go go go!

Projection. Transmute a lesser substance into a higher form “lead into gold”. Perfect to get better as a person, to learn to adapt, accept, to grow compassion, love, etc.

At this you can add the Units, the metals and mundane elements, the 4 elements, the tria prima, your crystals and herbs and sigils and all. And your spells will be filled with components and correspondences.

What’s better, a lot of the physical elements are not too hard to get (some yes, they are, but you are not here to make lead into gold with a full set of chemistry), but alchemy use a lot of symbology, so even if you don’t have the physical element, you can use their properties with the symbol, just as any other sigil.

Salt is easy. Tin in a food can. Antimony in mostly all the rocks. Arsenic in apple seeds (technically no but still). Cobalt and Manganese basically everywhere. Magnesium in your own body. Nickel in coins. Oxygen in the air., Phosphorus, Zinc and Sulfur in food. Acid in anything acid lol. Aqua vitae in alcohol (especially Whisky). Vinegar in vinegars.

Long story short, if you feel that maybe you are lacking something, check some books about alchemy would maybe help. Don’t pick super chemical specific pro books and don’t be discouraged by the terms, pick what can be useful to you, and I hope this open some doors and bring more curiosity about this amazing topic.

Putting ideas into words is hard and idek if this makes sense but here is something I have been thinking about lately:

Stop researching for your craft. There is no one truth to witchcraft and I think that researching has been hindering us from truly connecting with the spiritual world. Go outside and collect some grass or flowers or stones. Listen to them, they will tell you what they are and you can use them as you see fit. Rosemary doesn't have to stand for wisdom, pine doesn't have to attract money, plain sweet grass can cleanse and banish and ward if thats what it does for you.

The earth will tell you what it can do, its just up to you to listen.

(obviously though this does not apply in a medicinal sense. don't eat things that you don't know)

I wanna be the village witch. Living in a cozy hut in the woods, talking to animals and forest spirits, brewing potions, helping the nearby villagers with their problems. They think I'm the oddest thing they've ever seen but their houses are always warm and their plates full so they are kind to me

My favorite simple wards to guard the home

Hanging rosemary above the doorstep, and/or above doors of the house for protection.

Sprinkling a line of dried red pepper on a windowsill, to counter a curse.

Placing a mix of dried & ground eggshells and black pepper in every corner of a room to keep out unwanted spirits.

Placing a decoration representing a witch in the kitchen, to keep away illness and to favor health.

Crafting an effigie (no matter how crude!) and make it into the guardian of your home by charging it with your intent of protection by placing it near the front door.

Crafting small witch ladders to hang around the house.

i’ve noticed a recent uptick in practitioners feeling like they have to choose a specific “path” when it comes to their practice and i just wanted to remind my mutuals or anyone that stumbles upon this post that YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIFIC PATH.

paths are helpful sometimes but they’re never straightforward. they wind and bend and sometimes they just abruptly end.

you don’t need to scramble to find the path that’s perfect for you, because there might not even be one. and that’s okay! you aren’t abnormal or anything like that for not finding a particular path that fits you perfectly. that’s why i just call myself an eclectic practitioner. trying to fit myself into a neat and tidy label didn’t feel right to me so it wasn’t!

you can just be you. your “path” can just be your own personal practice. at the end of the day, no one needs to understand it but you.

Witch Tip: Check your Spells

This is the easiest but mostly overlooked element of Magic101: if something seems off with your magic that normally works very well, go and check on your spell.

Maybe something is...off. Maybe your cat knocked over your altar or something in your jar molded. Maybe that last wind storm knocked a tree branch down which scratched out a part of the sigil at the edge of your property.

This could have happened for mundane or magical reasons. Discovering that is up to you.

But check first.

It could be something as simple as your partner changing the sheets on the bed and forgetting to put your dream pouch back into the inner pillowcase (as happened to me last week).

So fun fact about my practice:

I don't like having practical tools with only magical use. My athame is a plain old pocketknife. I use it to physically cut stuff. My normal broom is blessed & is what I cleanse with (so is my vacuum, because, carpet). My ritual jewelry is worn daily. My ritual mugs are just my morning coffee mugs, but I pick out which one is best for the working I'm doing (Death work, Ouija mug). And my herbs, hoooo boy, it's my normal spice rack.

Just because it's mundanely practical & useful, doesn't mean it isn't magical. If anything, being interacted with more makes it more powerful.

This is my rant, so as per ushe,

Go Forth & Get Weird With It

tarot card reading except i just make "ooo" "ah" and "wow" sounds the whole time instead of telling you what the cards mean

Sometimes I feel randomly inspired to make something witchy without a purpose or a goal in mind. I just slap a bunch of stuff together and craft a little doodad and it makes me feel like a point-and-click adventure game protagonist combining items in their inventory to solve puzzles

An easy tip for my fellow spirit workers or others who use candles in their magic (especially "light it and leave it" style casters):

Put stickers on your lighter(s). Have a different colored lighter for various moods or purposes. Put stickers on those shits. My favorite spirit work lighter is hot pink (because it's what I had) and is covered in relevant stickers. A little holographic ghost, a candle, purple and yellow hearts, a butterfly, a white lily, the word "remember."

It's literally that easy. Enchant your lighters. With the power of STICKERS.

See also: Drawing on your lighters with sharpie

Hearth & Home Witchcraft That I've Learned

One of the biggest things that stands out to me when reading about hearth & home witchery is that everyday items are considered magical. Everyday moments, tasks, and chores as well. Its a beautiful way to live, if you really think about it. Big rituals are great, but as someone who is disabled, they rarely are doable. Here is a list of Hearth & Home Witchcraft Tips that i actually practice.

-Enchant a blanket by embroidering a sigil in the corner and using its color correspondences for your needs. It also helps me feel shielded from negative energy during meditation.

-Play music that makes you feel safe and AT HOME. This is almost like grounding, but also can be cleansing to the environment and especially the listeners. For me, its smooth jazz. The chill sound of the standup bass and the wandering piano notes that always seem to find their way to a comfortable key... its soothing to my soul.

-Talk to and about your home (kindly). So often its easy to complain about your living space. How you wish it looked or functioned differently. The house (in my belief) hears you. Treat it with kindness and gratitude for the shelter it provides. I say thank you to the house spirits and my home every morning.

-Find a convenient home protection ritual to do each month. I say convenient because if you overcomplicate things you'll feel less enthusiastic and less motivated to do it, and might even skip several months.

-Make a home cleansing spray using essential oils mixed with an appropriate amount of moon water. I like using a few drops of lemon, rosemary, lavender, and cinnamon. DO NOT spray this in the vicinity of your pets. I only use this spray in rooms where there arent any animals, to avoid complications with their health.

-Wash your bedding as often as you can and say a short incantation before you put it in the wash. It could go something like this. "I cleanse this bedding of all negative energy, from bad dreams, and from and all stress." Sleep is so important to your sense of safety and wellbeing at home.

-Open the damn windows when you can! Stagnant energy is known for dragging down people's moods. And there's nothing quite as uplifting as fresh air. This provides a healthy flow to your house's energy.

-Don't bring things in your home unless you want to incorporate their energy into your environment. This is something that's often overlooked. I especially advise heavy consideration when it comes to thrifting items and bringing them home. Try practicing sensing the energy of items so you can easily tell whats good to bring home and whats not. Thrifting is great! Im not discouraging it btw.

-Fresh flowers work miracles. Not only do they aesthetically brighten the room, but their correspondences and magical properties apply to the room that they're in. Sunflowers are a great example of a flower that encourages positivity, and are extremely affordable to get lots of them. Roses are a bit more expensive usually, but they invite that loving vibe. And African irises are great for psychic enhancement.

Thats all for this post! Reblog it if you found it helpful, or have any of your own cool practices for hearth & home witchcraft to share!

Post Your Practice

Please!

We gotta start posting about our practices more and what we find through research, experimentation, things we experience, etc.

Not the super sacred or private stuff, just like,

that tea spell you did? Write about it.

That glamour for your acne? Spill the beans, bestie!

Learn a new fun fact? Share the info!!

Because it'll inspire others to do the same.

It doesn't have to be super decorative, aesthetic posts! It doesn't have to look like an academic paper!! It can be a picture of a sticky note with a spell idea scribbled on it!!!

I wanna see more people telling us about their tarot readings, their one-off spell that maybe didn't work, the thing they picked up from the thrift store that they plan on using as a spirit vessel, how energy flows for them, how they view magic, and so much more.

And don't think that you can't or shouldn't post because you're new or because you're inexperienced.

Everyone started at the same place: The beginning.

so please, post your practice!! <3

Troubleshooting Your Tarot Deck

I read a bunch of people for unnecessarily cleansing their decks but didn’t actually provide any alternatives! So I wanted to describe some of the ways I troubleshoot my tarot decks. Please, please, please feel free to add on.

Sleep on it. Literally. My favorite way of working through some wonky readings is to sleep with my deck under my pillow. I like to do it for 3 nights but you can really go as long as you want. You may have some pretty crazy dreams, but I like to think that means it’s working.

Change things up. If you’re dealing with repetitive answers, change how you approach it. Whether that means changing your spread, your question, your shuffling technique or a secret fourth thing.

Put the bitch down. I have found that doing readings too often can muddle them together (well, I’ve had trouble with reading for myself too frequently. Multiple people in a day is fine, but draining). Taking a break of even just a couple days can make all the difference.

Make an offering. Your tarot deck has a spirit too! Appreciate what it does for you and give it a gift. It could be a symbolic offering, like food, alcohol or some incense, or a new case to live in.

Give it a recharge. It might be acting funky because it’s tapped out. Use whichever is your preferred charging method. I like moonlight and sunlight (ironically, they are also cleansing methods, but it’s all about intention at that point).

Ask it what’s up. If you ask your deck why it’s acting out, it may just tell you what’s going on. Maybe it wants one of the other solutions, maybe it wants something else.

If none of those things work, then I’ll cleanse my deck. Sometimes it’s as simple as a smoke cleansing, sometimes it is reorder the deck and let it sit in salt for a week, it just depends on the situation.