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.
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)
1. Meditate - still the mind, the breath, the heartbeat, open a channel through which the spirits can communicate if they wish to, listen.
2. Walk - honour the genii loci, notice the changing seasons, observe signs and omens, traverse the kingdoms of humanity, flora and fauna, give aid where it is needed.
3. Divine - build relationships with divinatory tools, sharpen skills, train intuition, ask questions, receive answers.
4. Invoke - the presence of spirits to assist in tasks, to protect on journeys, to grant guidance, maintain connections and uphold contracts.
5. Craft - use the hands to create, to construct, imbue each creation with spirit and purpose, a meal, a potion, a carving, a weaving, enchant the mundane and material.
6. Sing - the old songs, the power songs, the prayers, the chants, to heal, to awaken, to enforce, to ward, sing the sun to sleep and the moon to rising, sing in the bath, at the hearth, in the heart.
7. Read - widely and deeply, old and new, academic and popular, across boundaries and taboos, slowly and with full attention, take notes, research, reflect.
8. Write - record experiences, practices, thoughts. keep journals and grimoires, spellbooks and scripts, remember, elucidate, illuminate.
9. Draw - sigils and runes, symbols and signs. Carve, paint, scratch, blacken, redden, scrawl, in the sand, with salt, in the air, with chalk, ink, blood, charcoal, the mind.
10. Collect - herbs, woods, stones, feathers, bones, teeth, soil, the raw materials of natural magic, fill jars, boxes, bags, gather, forage, wildcraft, thrift, take that which is discarded, value the found over the bought.
11. Observe - the cycles of moon, sun, planets, stars, take heed with the eyes as well as the almanac, feel the sap rise, the birds migrate, the bulbs awaken, the leaves wither.
12. Renew - old spells, old wards, protections, and boundaries. Clean what is obscured, recast what has weakened, maintain what is working, replace what is lost. Tie up loose ends.
13. Communicate - with everything, stones, trees, spirits, the dead, that which grows in the garden and that which visits it, other practitioners, mentors, students, seekers, the younger self, the higher self, the wyrd.
btw you should absolutely read stuff you don't agree with. you should think critically about it. you should reflect and find different stimuli and maybe even form your own thought based on or opposed to it. ideas aren't contagious and reading words someone else has told you are "bad" won't infect you like a virus and make you "evil". read with your own brain.
This list is based off of resources I have found as well as my personal experiences.
As with all correspondences, this is a place to start from, not the end-all be-all of color meanings.
This list generally assumes that brighter colors are healthier and more positive, while duller colors are negative and less positive. Use your intuition to determine the true role a color plays.
OVERLAYS If one color is covering another, this can indicate outer appearance, how others perceive them, or a blockage that is preventing the inner color from shining.
COMBINATIONS If one color is mixed with another in stripes, lines, or spots, the person presents both qualities in equal or similar measure.
MIXING If two or more colors appear to blend together, this can indicate strong balance and intermingling of personal energies.
SOLID If a person primarily presents only one color with no overlays, they are honestly projecting their inner energies.
BRIGHT RED A healthy ego. Strong passion. Highly grounded. A survivalist’s spirit, highly realistic. Can indicate a powerful, competitive, energetic person. Indicates confidence. Strong personal power. Related to warriors, battle, and love. Someone who is used to being noticed.
DULL RED If you read the red energies in a negative light, it may indicate an obsession with the physical world, an obsession with the ego, anger, and a poor control of emotions and temperament.
ORANGE Confidence, good health, and vitality. An excited person highly connected with the physical world around them. Productive, sociable, courageous. Someone who makes a good friend. Joy, sunshine, enthusiasm. Happiness, creativity. Strong orange colors indicate good emotional expression.
DULL ORANGE Imbalance; pride, vanity, deceit, mistrust. Low level of ambition, potentially repressed emotion.
SHADES OF ORANGE Red-orange; combined with Red values such as passion and sexual desire. Yellow-orange; More joyful and exuberant. Can denote a scientific mind. Pale orange; Disconnected from physicality and the five senses.
YELLOW Awakening, optimism, easy-going. A sunny person, who is open and makes friends easily. Inspired and intelligent. Good levels of energy. Cheerfulness, mental activity. A person in positive spiritual development, developing wisdom, gaining new ideas, and mental clarity.
DULL YELLOW Over-thinking, highly critical of the self or others. Muddied energies. Fatigue from stress or trying to learn everything at once. Excessive caution.
SHADES OF YELLOW Light yellow: Strong spiritual growth, intellect, freshness, joy, and springtime qualities. Strong positive nature.
GREEN The color of nature. Represents growth and balance. Especially shows someone highly connected with nature. Shows strong Universal love. Compassion and a desire to be a help to others. A color of balance and harmony. A willingness to change and transform. Fertility, creativity, freshness. A restful, healing color.
DULL GREEN Negative ambition, greed, or jealousy. A negative connection with nature. Possessiveness, a fear of being unloved. Sensitive to criticism and lacking personal responsibility.
SHADES OF GREEN Yellow-green; Strong communication, heartfelt emotions, and improved creativity. Emerald green; Very strong connection with nature, good prosperity. May indicate a healer, especially an herbal or natural healer.
BLUE A color of relaxation, peace, and calmness. Indicates a steady and balanced nature. Someone who is deeply relaxed. Caring, loving, and sensitive energies. Easily able to speak the truth; confident authority. A strong sense of purpose, spiritually connected.
DULL BLUE Fear of speaking the truth, fear of the future, fear of expression. Disliking the unknown. Not preferring spiritual activity.
SHADES OF BLUE Light blue; Very strong healing energies, may indicate a healer or someone with natural healing talent. Speaks the truth easily and well. Confident. Tranquility, softness. Royal blue; Deep spiritual connection, understands the mysteries of life. Knowledge, power, integrity, seriousness. Indigo; Deep feeling, intuition, and sensitivity.
VIOLET Deep, two-way spiritual connection. Someone dedicated to their spirituality or the spirit world. Someone with great spiritual potential. Indicates psychic and magical power. A potential for, or an abundance of, strong psychic abilities. Ambition and mystery.
DULL VIOLET Neglecting the spiritual and spirit world. Spiritual greed.
SHADES OF VIOLET Lavender; softness, growing, spiritual immaturity. Seen in those with great spiritual potential. Vision, imagination, daydreaming. Deep violet; Possibly disconnected from reality due to major spiritual connections.
BROWN A rich, ruddy brown can indicate an honest and trustworthy nature. Someone well grounded. Someone who has what they need in life and is at peace with what they have. A good friend, giving and generous.
DULL BROWN Indicates a great deal of negativity, jealousy, greed, and insecurity.
SHADES OF BROWN Earthy tones; Highly connected with nature.
WHITE Angelic or divine associations, indicating a source of good and pure energies that are manifest in this person’s life. Can reflect or hold other energies. Indicates a person pure and good of heart. A divinely protected person.
DULL WHITE Possible illness. Abusing the gifts the universe gives you. Misguided.
GRAY Can denote a spiritual awakening as the color may be ‘unset’.
DULL GRAY Blockages, unhealthy and negative energies. Unwellness.
BLACK Captures and transforms energy. May be related to psychic vampirism. Related to mystery and death. An unforgiving nature.
SILVER Spiritual and psychic abundance. A spiritual awakening. A gifted person. Nurturing and inventive with new ideas.
GOLD A divinely inspired person. May indicate a strong healing nature. Someone who is advancing and evolving spiritually. Very strong connections to enlightenment. Inner peace, divine guidance, spiritual thinking.
PASTELS A bright, young soul. Many aspects are still in development. Great future potential. A strong sensitivity. A need for serenity and protection.
RAINBOW Can indicate a healer, someone with evolved spiritual gifts, or a spiritually gifted person.
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!
Get a reading from @planetbabysitter if you want her cards to gently grab your soul by the scruff of the neck like a kitten and reveal your innermost thoughts and feelings that you've been ignoring
I trust @shuffling-cards on reading mine otherwise i get scared.
🌌🔮✨
Get your reading with her.
What it is: A deity non-specific altar is exactly as it sounds - it is an altar that is not dedicated to any specific god or goddess (though it can be connected to say, a general concept of god/goddess). It is a place that is an altar for your craft, using your power, your passion, your energy, and any ancestors, spirits, or a general concept deity you may call upon.
What do you put on it: Anything that you have a strong personal connection to. Spell jars or other products, decorative pieces that you're passionate about (looking at you, fellow artists and art lovers), pictures of your loved ones, your favorite rocks, crystals, plants, or (ethically sourced!) bones, jewelry with sentimental value, your favorite books or resources, your tarot or oracle decks, your pendulum, positive affirmations, things that remind you of your own power, your own passion, your own personal craft. Almost like your bedroom, but with a more divine feeling.
Here's an example of mine:
As you can see, I've got bones, a spell jar, a heart plush I used in a spell (can post that spell later if you're interested), pictures of my boyfriend, things he's given me, a sailor moon ouija board because that was and is my comfort show(ironically it's the best quality one I own, too), a ouija board I got as a display piece, a coffin shaped vase for when I pick my flowers, a seashell ring holder that I put a severed porcelain baby arm in to hold it open, and a display piece to express my love of horror movies. Does all this amount to a single deity? Does it all scream ~*witchcraft*~ ? Not at all, because it doesn't have to. It just has to be me. My own resources for my rituals are all over my home because I've been practicing for a long, long time, but for newbies and baby witches, you can put your resources on or near it if you please.
How to use it: Well, you practice your craft with it, just without calling upon any specific god or goddess. This is an altar for you, your energy, your power, and for your craft, not a place of worship for a specific diety. If your rituals or spells require more space, you don't have to practice directly on it. But it should be a place you look at (preferably every day) and think, "this is me, this is mine, this is a product of my own divinity." If it doesn't feel empowering, it's not right. Don't worry about being "aesthetic", worry about making it a place that you love and feel connected to.
Chalkboards In Witchcraft
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
Who's your principal God/Goddess/Entity? The one you work with the most.
Oh boy, it's ✨ oversharing ✨ time
To be brutally honest, I'm too selfish to work with deities. I tried two separate times but it just wasn't for me. Nowadays the closest thing I have to that is the universe, the aether, the chaos, the simulation, whatever you wanna call it. The mathematical equations that dictate the shape and form energy will take and what it's going to do. But even that is more of a tool than an entity.
I started my journey on the craft because I felt like a leaf flowing down a river, just going along with the twists and turns of it, never in control of where I'm going or able to see what's coming up. I wanted control over my life, I wanted to make things happen for me, I wanted to be able to do something about situations in life that left me feeling helpless, alone, broken, mistreated. At times like that, when losing your faith is the only guarantee, no supernatural being could or would help me.
I don't want to beg and plead or even plain ask for life to be kinder to me.
I don't want a transactional relationship with an entity in which I exchange offerings for blessings and protection.
I don't want to rely on anyone.
That being said, I acknowledge the existence of deities, spirits, entities, everything. I have come across them, seen their handiwork and I do believe that working with them can be beneficial and honestly, from what other practitioners have to say, quite an amazing and fulfilling ordeal.
But it has to resonate with who you are.
// Nemo // 24 // a traveler of worlds, yearning for the stars //
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