Craft of Witches

Vanity/Spencer - 21 - he/they- neurodivergent - witch & Reiki practitioner

[anotherwitchblog]

Hey Witchcraft, It’s Been a While...

Hey, I’ve come back from the metaphorical dead. I’ve realized that not only have I not touched this blog in a while (minus the few reblogs I’ve done when I come across a post that has been resonating with me), but I haven’t been engaging with witchcraft for about 6 months, maybe longer. From school taking over my entire life, to my mental health being in the toilet, I’ve just been so burnt out that I simply couldn’t even think about my practice for so long. Recently, I’ve come back home from college to recuperate. Sure I’ve still been involved in a few things, but I’ve been taking some much needed time for myself. One of those things has been slowing re-engaging with witchcraft again. Here are a few things I’ve been doing:

Touching grass... no seriously: Witchcraft is a practice all about connecting with nature, so it’s important for me to go outside and feel it all again. Pick some flowers, put my hands into some water, feel the sun touch my skin. I’ll even do some cloud gazing sometimes, grabbing a blanket and laying out on my lawn.

Partaking in some old rituals: While I haven’t been doing everything I used to, I’ve been performing some rituals I know I can do at the moment. I have a bottle of water and sage that I spray around my room to cleanse it. I keep a window open to allow the energy to constantly be filtering. Recently I’ve been doing some old breathing exercises again, so I can recall what that feels like for when I go back to doing energy work.

Embracing change within myself and my craft: When you haven’t performed a skill in a while, you may not be able to do it as well as you once did, which can feel very discouraging. It’s been frustrating for me being too burnt out to do every aspect of my craft the way I used to, or no longer having the knowledge I had. I have to recognize that this is okay, and perhaps even necessary for me to keep moving forward with my craft. People and their practice will always morph and change, it’s a simple fact of being alive.

You see, I engaged with witchcraft long ago as a way to feel connected to the real world. The overall philosophies of nature, love, and embracing the ugly and strange has been something I needed then. And at this point in my life, I really need it now more than ever.

Happy witchcrafting

~Vanity/Spencer~

[amariofthenight-deactivated2024]

Past Life Memories: How to tell Fake Vs Real

Ok so I wanted to take a second to talk about how to tell past life memories are real vs fake. There are many instances where past life memories can be fabricated or faked to a persons detrimaent. Unfortunately spirits messing with past life memories is not as uncommon as it should be. So I’ve complied how I determine fake vs real past life memories.

They will feel superficial. They just tell their story and that’s it. Sometimes the story will be painful and it will hurt but it will be superficial.

You can manipulate it. If you can move and make different things happen it’s imagination not a past life memory. Try to move around outside of the memory path. Try to sit and if your body doesn’t sit it’s a memory.

If it was planted by a spirit it will unravel and like flake off when you play it. It will have a set end and a set beginning and you can’t change the end and beginning. As you play the memory it will begin to unravel. It will feel like twine coming apart at the seams.

You’ll feel deep deep down in your soul that it’s not true. With past life memories our heart and souls remember. If you feel deep down that NO that didn’t happen I would take some time to discern if it’s reality or if someone could have messed with the memory.

Another thing with past life memories is they can bring up past trauma. If you have a memory of your death it can lead to a new fear you’ll have to work through. Fake memories aren’t deep enough to reach that soul trauma area. Or if they do it will feel different and less complex than a real past life memory.

Now, what to do when that really hard past life memory rears it’s head…

Play it through. Sit down and give yourself some time to just remember it. It’s painful; it’s hard and it’s hell. But if you are able to just let the memory come.

Talk about it. The best way to get rid of a nightmare is to tell it to someone it’s the same with past life memories and the pain. If you have a close friend tell them about it.

Remember it’s the past. You’ve sat and remembered it. You’ve felt it. Now it’s time to remember that it’s the past. You’re here in the present and it’s not your present reality anymore.

Get that comfy blanket and that self love tea and take a good long self love bath. Reaffirm your love for yourself. Get your mind off of it for a while and just let yourself be ok after the pain.

Later when it’s time (you’ll know) sit down and dissect it. Take away the pain by giving it truth. Letting it be in the past and just let yourself feel and remember but not hurt.

Past life work can be rewarding but it can also be painful please take care of yourselves.

[lunar-witches]

10 Practices for Low-Energy Witches

Daily affirmations: Start your day by setting an intention or saying a positive affirmation that aligns with your goals and values. This can help you stay focused and grounded throughout the day.

Gratitude journaling: Take a few minutes each day to write down three things you're grateful for. This can help cultivate a sense of appreciation and abundance in your life.

Mindful breathing: Take a few deep, mindful breaths throughout the day to center yourself and release any tension or stress.

Moon-watching: Take a few moments to observe the moon each night, noting its phase and any changes in its appearance. You can also keep a moon journal to track your observations and feelings.

Elemental meditation: Spend a few minutes each day meditating on the elements (earth, air, fire, water) and their associated qualities. You can visualize yourself surrounded by each element and focus on how they make you feel.

Herbal tea rituals: Incorporate herbal teas into your daily routine and take a few moments to mindfully prepare and enjoy them. You can also research the magical properties of different herbs and choose teas based on their correspondences.

Candle magic: Light a candle and set an intention for the day or visualize your goals and desires coming to fruition. You can also choose candles based on their color correspondences for added potency.

Sigil drawing: Create a simple sigil to represent your intention or desire, and draw it on your skin, clothing, or a piece of paper. You can also charge your sigil with energy by visualizing it glowing with light or energy.

Crystal charging: Choose a crystal that aligns with your intention or desired outcome and hold it in your hand or place it on your body. Visualize the crystal absorbing your energy and amplifying your intentions.

Nature appreciation: Take a few moments each day to appreciate the natural world around you, whether it's the beauty of a flower or the majesty of a tree. You can also connect with nature by taking a walk, gardening, or spending time in a park or forest.

Remember, these are just a few examples of simple, low-energy witchcraft practices you can incorporate into your daily routine. The most important thing is to find practices that resonate with you and align with your personal values and beliefs.

It's important to remember that everyone's energy levels and circumstances are different, and there may be times when you simply don't have the energy or motivation to practice witchcraft. This doesn't make you any less of a witch, or any less magickal. It's okay to take a break and focus on self-care and nurturing yourself. Remember, your magick is always within you, and you can connect with it in your own way, on your own time. Be kind and gentle with yourself, and trust that the universe will support you wherever you are on your journey.

My Ko-Fi

[hiswitchcraft]

I'm not trans in the slightest, but I can understand where you're coming from. Everything is either so woman-centric or binary centric and it can be very alienating for all of you.

I wish people wouldn't force their binary-roles onto others in the witch community.

Emphasis on the gender binary in the witchcraft community & just about everywhere else

I appreciate your thoughts. Everything is very woman centric in the witchcraft community and finding out I'm trans was a bit difficult to navigate in all that. Especially with all the TERFs saying I couldn't do it or call myself or that I was being a gross man and taking something from women and invading their spaces (which I would absolutely hate to do) it's terrible and I wish more people would talk about this phenomenon. I guess maybe I'll be the one to start some conversations about it??? I'm happy to do that, thank you all for giving me the opportunity to do that.

The other thing that's frustrating is that it's pretty easy for anyone, even a cis person to see how woman centric the witchcraft community is because it's full of women. That's why I get a lot of harmless "But wouldn't you be a warlock?" in addition the TERF shit. But I cannot emphasize to you enough that it follows me outside the witchcraft community and that's what a lot of people, particularly cis people do not see. It does not just annoy and constrain me in the witchcraft community because there happens to be a lot of woman attracted to it, or TERFs, it's all of life. Did you know The Matrix was created by two trans women? There's a lot of discussion around it being a trans allegory, and the red vs blue pill thing being about HRT. Not to be like the new age people with all their talk and worship of the matrix and being awake and asleep, but it's kinda like that. Now that I'm out of the matrix I can see everything for what it is. The gender binary is everywhere. Gender roles are everywhere. Gender as I imagine it in the future, its ideal form in society to me, will not exist in my lifetime. It frustrates me all the time and I'll be existing in frustration and in spite of this binary and roles until I'm dead.

[the-cobalt-athenaeum-deactivate]

HOW TO ENCHANT

Enchantments are used widely by witches and practitioners in the community for many different reasons. It can be super helpful within your craft, as enchantments are basically portable spells that you wear or items around your home made magical for a specific purpose

Why: Enchanted items can act like a spell that you wear or carry. It can look like a simple necklace or a ring or earrings, a rock you found in the garden, pretty much anything you want. They help bring about a magical intention. (This can also be done with larger objects around the home, but i suggest the third or fourth method below for that) It itself becomes imbued with magic, your power, and intention to bring about your chosen action.

How: There are a few methods to choose from that are listed below. Some methods may not work well for most people so I made sure to include a handful of different methods to choose from.

The first method is putting herbs that match your intention into a bowl of water with a candle in the middle. Place your jewelry or item you wish to enchant in the water, and speak your intention over the bowl. Light the candle and let your small item sit for as long as you feel is necessary.

The second method is to use energy and your own intention to activate it. Just hold it in your hands and focus, meditate with it and put energy that matches your intention into the item you're holding. You can also use elemental energy for this as well. Visualize yourself holding a piece of earth to create a grounding effect. A ball of fire for passion or love or energy. Water for intuition, psychic abilities, peace, etc. Air for mental agility, communication, freedom, etc. This also works for larger items as well, just direct your energy instead of palming it.

The third is to write a petition down on paper, what you want the enchantment to be, any limits you want it to have, anything you want it to achieve, and even how you wish it to recharge and cleanse itself if you desire it. Fold the paper a couple times (works best if its longer than it is wide), Burn the paper and bathe the piece of jewelry or the item in the smoke. Put out the smoldering paper in some water or snuff it out. it doesn't have to burn to completion.

You can also dip the item in oils that match your intention, or anoint larger objects with the oil of your choice.

There's no special trick to it and every witch does it differently. Do whatever method works best for you in your practice.

[slavicafire]

I am aware that we are living in this overwhelming trend of everything being casual - faith and practice alike - and while I understand it and appreciate it in some contexts, I deeply mourn it in all the others.

witchcraft is all memes and jokes and pretty moodboards, gods are all buddies and punch lines in a joke - rituals are just quirky, and prayer has to sound funny, and blase, and casual, off-hand. and that is fine. it is okay. everyone has their own way of approaching their path, and gods know that our old pagan faiths have never been solemn worship and stuck-up silent celebrations.

but I encourage everyone to abandon this need to be casual at least in one aspect of their path - laugh, be merry, joke, of course, speak to your gods as to your friends, but for once in a blue moon do not be casual about it. forget to be cool and blase and unaffected for a moment. let the worship swallow you, let the celebration drown you in gold and hymn, let the prayer make the earth tremble with its power. don’t just be yourself in this moment, snap out of your ordinary thought - be the highest priestess, be the beast, be the oracle. be both the altar, and the offering, and the knife that cuts it. allow yourself to be both elevated and wild, mortal and forever in that moment. abandon the shame and fear of being too deep into it. don’t be just cozy and comfortable with the warmth of your worship, burn with it - and burn madly, and reach the skies with your flames. 

[koraki-pharmakis]

Making everything casual is the same trap of not letting anything make you too happy so you don’t feel as bad. You’ll miss some lows, but you sacrifice all the highs. And with religion, with craft, your passion is what makes the experience, even if you’re not always fully and dramatically into it.

Being constantly casual in every way is a shield from vulnerability, but vulnerability is how you learn love.

[stagkingswife]

Clickity Clack, Please Chat Back

Using Recycled Computer Keyboards for Spirit Communication Divination

I’ve been offering this new reading over in the Archives discord server, and have been having some pretty good results, or at least I think so - reviews have been thin on the ground. I had been toying with the idea of using recycled keyboard keys for divination for awhile and this specific style of reading came to me like all great ideas, in the shower. Instead of trying to use the keys for predictive divination what if I used it for communicative divination. Let a spirit communicate through the keys picked! It toes the line on my “no mediumship” rules for my readings, but if I offer minimal interpretation, leave identification up to the querent, and emphasis that it’s then up to them to do any additional introspection, divination, or research they need to reach back out to this entity to continue the conversation - hence the “Please chat back” part of the title.

There are two sections for this reading: Letter Keys and Symbol Keys. For the former I pick about a dozen or so letter keys without repeats and arrange them into a few words. These words are the messages being conveyed to the querent by whatever entity presents itself for communication during the reading. The Symbol Keys are any keys from the keyboard that don't have a letter on them. These keys give querent some insight into what type of entity it is that is sending the above messages. These keys give clues to the entity’s personality, type, disposition, and perhaps how they relate to the querent.

This started as a silly little technomancy experiment and has turned into one of my favorite readings/styles of divination that I have created! I just wanted to share the success that I’ve had with this little experiment to encourage others who have been toying with an idea to go ahead and try it!

[ambersgrimoire]

Moving Magic for a Happy Home 𖤣𖤥𖠿𖤣𖤥⋆ ˚｡⋆˚

Ensuring that my home is a secure and comforting environment is very important to me, so the process of moving can be very overwhelming and make me feel insecure im a taurus moon and i have a lot of stuff. here are some tips for the moving witch!

Before you move...

Prepare boxes by cleansing them , setting up wards (i like to use smoke/incense for this), writing sigils inside them- things of that sort.

Once your boxes are ready, clean and cleanse your things before packing them as to not carry any old or stagnant energy with you when you move. This also includes going through and maybe even getting rid of some things.

Clean and cleanse any remaining energy in your space to renew it for the next owners. This includes taking down wards and saying final goodbyes.

When you move...

CLEAN and CLEANSE your new space thoroughly to rid any lingering energy from past owners.

Before moving your things in, set up wards to block any energies that may still be attached to your belongings

Make your new space feel more comfortable by creating a fun and soothing environment while you unpack! Play your favorite music, make the place smell nice, add little homey touches to break the place in

remember to prioritize and take care of yourself

[translatedbyannecarson-deactiva]

Crystals 101: Crystal Grids

Unit 5 of Crystals 101 (Masterpost)

What is a crystal grid?

A crystal grid is an arrangement of crystals that helps set focus and amplify intention.

You can use a crystal grid for:

Increasing the power of crystals.

Cleansing and/or charging crystals.

Creating protective boundaries.

Raising the vibration of your space.

Spells, or to act like a spell. Any intention you can put into a spell, you can put into a crystal grid.

There are three (3) main components of a crystal grid:

1. The focus/main stone.

The stone in the center of the grid. It is the main base of energy and mixes with other crystals to create the desired effect. it is akin to the heart or control center of the grid.

2. The way stones.

These stones surround the main stone. They modify the energy of the main stone to get it closer to the desired effect—they will follow the main stone's example while adding their own flavor. The way stones can be a mixture of many different kinds of stones in order to have energy diversity.

3. The perimeter.

This is an optional outer ring of stones used to protect the grid.

The grid itself...

... is a symbol, sigil, glyph, or sacred geometry that the main and way stones are laid upon in order to give energy a path to travel.

... is able to make changes to the energy of the crystals depending on the layout used.

... leads all the crystals' energy to work together.

How to make a crystal grid:

Pick your intention. Try to make it clear and concise.

Pick your crystals. Do it intuitively, but still make sure they correspond with your intention.

Pick you layout. Again, use intuition, but try to keep it consistent with your desires.

Place the stones. Start with your main stone, then work from that with the way stones. A good place to start is by placing one directly above, below, to the right, and to the left of the main stone. if using many way stones, it's best if the grid is symmetrical, or at least harmonious, so the energies stay in balance.

Activate your grid using an energy directing tool (e.g., wand, pendulum, hand). Draw energy lines from one crystal to the next, connecting them all together in one giant lattice. Visualize light coming from the tip of your tool, and in your mind's eye, see light beams connecting the crystals. This allows your crystals to start working and marks the beginning of your grid activation.

[knowsys-deactivated20210928]

Decided to make this it’s own post because it got long… In reply to @witchwork-at-home​ here

You are right to be suspicious of the ‘starseeds and lightworkers’ alien BS, because it has its roots in Nazi Germany!

Time for a history lesson…

Once upon a time, a Russian lady called Helena Blavatsky founded a movement known as Theosophy, which was a bizarre mishmash of Neoplatonism, Buddhism and Hinduism. This movement would go on to influence lots of other occult movements and a lot of the New Age.

You can read more about it here on wiki, but some of the concepts/ideas that the New Age borrowed from it are:

reincarnation

the soul’s evolution, and the idea of humanity’s evolution

‘ascended masters’ (known as The Masters in her philosophy)

a universal ancient religion or ‘secret doctrine’

ALIENS. the idea that human evolution is linked to the universe and across other planets

different ‘races’ of aliens

And here’s where we get into the racism… Even though she uses stuff like Hinduism and Buddhism, don’t let that fool you.

Blavatsky had this idea of the seven “Root Races”, divided into Sub-Races. Her philosophy was based on the idea of ‘emanation’, so the more you get to “pure spirit” or absolute Source, the purer you are… Yeah. I think you know where this is going.

The first race was pure spirit. The second were called “Hyperboreans” who were also supposedly pure spirit and came from somewhere near the North Pole. Then there were “Lemurians”, “Atlanteans” and so on…. Sound familiar? Blavatsky linked them to real world peoples.

According to Blavatsky, the “Atlanteans” mated with “she-animals” resulting in gorillas and chimpanzees. (Linked to black people, who were considered less evolved and less human.) The fifth race was the “Aryans” (yes, really) who would eventually be replaced by the “sixth” race and the arrival of the Messiah-figure stolen from Buddhist cosmology, “Maitreya”. Humanity would evolve into a final, seventh race.

(3D, 4D 5D? Ever heard those terms referred to about humanity’s “spiritual evolution”? That’s where that comes from.)

In case you think Blavatsky effectively used girl power, she also had this to say:

About physical races, she wrote that Africans, aboriginal Australians, and South Sea Islanders  are inferior to Europeans, stating “MONADS of the lowest specimens of  humanity (the ‘narrow-brained’ savage South-Sea Islander, the African,  the Australian) had no Karma to work out when first born as men, as  their more favoured brethren in intelligence had.”[263] She referred to aboriginal Australians as “half-animal”.[264]  

Blavatsky’s Theosophy went on to influence Anthropsophy (by Rudolf Steiner…. yes, those Steiner/Waldorf schools), and Ariosophy. With Ariosophy, Guido von Liszt blended German romanticism, the fashionable occult revival of the time, and Theosophy, to create the doctrine that would directly influence the Thule Society and the Nazis.

According to Thule Society mythology, Thule was the capital of Hyperborea, a legendary country supposedly in the far North polar regions, originally mentioned by Herodotus from Egyptian sources. In 1679, Olaf Rudbeck equated the Hyperboreans with the survivors of Atlantis, who were first mentioned by Plato, again following Egyptian sources. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) began his work Der Antichrist (The Antichrist) in 1895 with, “Let us see ourselves for what we are. We are Hyperboreans.”   - Ariosophy

(He also had a big influence on the idea of “the runes”……. so almost anything you learn about runes is pure made-up Nazi fantasy with little origins in actual Norse practice. I’m sorry, it sucks, but it’s the truth!)

So yes, they believed that the German people were descended from a pure race of alien masters to take over the earth and ‘evolve’ humanity. Or something.

The idea was that the Nazis wanted to return to a fantasy time of an “Aryan-Nordic” pre-Christian, proto-Indo-European religion. They were big into romanticism, the idea that modernity is bad and artificial, that we need to go back to nature. There was an idealization of peasants as “closer to the land”, a rejection of capitalism, but to replace that with monarchy as man’s natural state.

“[..]in his famous Land und Leute (Land and People),  written in 1857–63,” which “discussed the organic nature of a Volk which  he claimed could only be attained if it fused with the native  landscape….Riehl rejected all artificiality  and defined modernity as a nature contrived by man and thus devoid of  that genuineness to which living nature alone gives meaning…Riehl  pointed to the newly developing urban centers as the cause of social  unrest […] for many  "subsequent Volkish thinkers, only nature was genuine.”[2] “Riehl desired a hierarchical society that patterned after the medieval estates. In Die bürgerliche Gesellschaft  (Bourgeois Society) he accused those of Capitalist interest of  "disturbing ancient customs and thus destroying the historicity of the  Volk.”  

Wow, sound familiar? Almost like modern paganism? Gee whiz!

Also they were BIG into Odin, which is why the term “Odinist” is also a red flag in Heathenry. This is also why if you see “hyperborean” in someone’s url, they’re probably a neonazi. It’s also why Neonazi heathens go ON AND ON about ~ the ancestors ~ because they’re picturing some mythical white people who never really existed.

And THIS is why “starseeds” and “lightworkers” and all that alien bullshit is exactly that: bullshit. Also this explains why it has a connection to conspiracy theories, because those are antisemitic too. This is how the crytals-and-yoga to neonazi pipeline works. You should be suspicious!

[themirroredmoon]

Meditation and ADHD

Now, I know what you may be thinking seeing this: “Corvid, I can’t meditate! My body won’t let me!”– I can tell you now, confidently, that you’re meditating wrong if you think meditation about the emptiness of your mind and doing nothing. When you feel your muscles are weak, what do you do? Exercise them. Your brain is no different then the rest of your body– You need to ‘stretch’ or exercise it to make it stronger. Though I’m not talking about doing word puzzles or even listening to music, which are proven to improve brain function. We’re here to talk about meditation and how you can start to work meditation into your daily life. Disclaimer: I myself have ADHD and these tips and tricks have worked wonders for me. If they don’t for you, try a different approach.

Start off slow. Set a goal of three to five minutes a day. It’ll seem like a lot at first but gradually it will get easier. If your thoughts wander or you can’t sit still, don’t worry– This is completely normal. The goal is to merely observe your mind and how it functions and bring yourself back to focus when you notice it wander.

With that being said, please give yourself grace and leniency. Throughout your session, you may want to fidget or stretch, scratch that itch or count the black specks in the grout of your tiled kitchen floor. It happens. Instead of abandoning or saying that you failed, be kind to yourself and just continue. Scratch the itch and return to calm; stretch and maybe find a more comfortable position. Even if you feel you 'failed’ the session, keep up with it and keep trying.

Find what you deem as a comfortable place to meditate. You could sit in your favorite chair, you could lie down with your favorite blanket, etc. You should loosen the tension in your muscles and make sure they’re relaxed. If you cannot comfortably sit still, try a repetitive, 'autopilot’ task like going for a walk. My favorite (and easiest) thing to do is focus on my breathing and the breaths I take. Some people listen to music. In time, you’ll figure out what you find comfortable.

Being in a comfortable space also means pay attention to what you’re wearing. It may be harder to let your mind relax if the waistband of your pants is digging into your skin or your sweater is itchy. The same thing goes for earrings that pull down on your ears too much or shoes that feel tight. Wear what you find comfortable and lessen the distractions.

When you notice your mind wandering from you in the moment, simply acknowledge the thought and return your attention to your task (walking, breathing, etc). Accept that minds are meant to think and give yourself permission to have a wandering mind. Don’t judge yourself for having thoughts or focus your attention on them.

Quiet is relative. Not everyone has a peaceful environment so the goal is to lessen the distractions as much as possible. Turn off your phone, close your bedroom door, put pets in another room, whatever you can and need to do.

When your session is complete, don’t just jerk yourself back to reality. Give yourself and your body the time it needs to come back to the present. Doesn’t matter if you meditated for one minute or one hour, take your time– If your eyes were closed, slowly open them; if you were on a walk, take an extra couple of minutes to get home; etc.

Find a body double– If they’re willing to meditate with you, that’s amazing. If not, have them hold you accountable for the task and make sure you do it. Set up a regular, daily time to do so and use one of the many meditation apps out there nowadays.

The take away that I hope you get from this is that you don’t have to clear your mind or be blank or not move an inch. Allow yourself to do whatever you feel you need to do and then return back to the mindfulness that is meditation. Be kind to yourself and don’t 'should’ yourself; I never said this would be easy, I just said it was possible.

[the-traveling-witch]

The Most Important Magical Care Tool In A Witches Arsenal: Grounding

As a witch who’s always on the go it can sometimes be hard to focus on magical self care. I’m traveling and moving and working with lots of people and life is kind of a whirlwind and I love it but sometimes it all gets to be a little… much. In all of the hustle and bustle my ability to take care of myself and my ability to take care of my magical practice can start to go south. I forget to practice good magical hygiene (such as cleansing and banishing) and I start to feel a little disconnected from the whole thing.

When this happens I like to turn to magical self care! Now, there are two types of magical self care: there’s magic that is used as self care and there’s self care for your magic. The methods I’m about to discuss happen to be useful for both! 

  The Most Important Magical Self Care Tool In A Witches Arsenal: Grounding

Grounding is a vital part of learning to practice magic in a safe and healthy way. The term comes from the process of grounding an electrical circuit. Essentially if an object is negatively charged, grounding allows excess electrons to flow from the object into the earth, and if an object is positively charged, electrons flow from the earth into the object. It’s a method of balancing and equalizing the flow of energy.

Similarly, in witchcraft grounding is the practice of balancing personal energies. Many things can pull us out of balance, emotional turmoil (for empaths it doesn’t even have to be our own emotional turmoil, often we pick up other people’s emotions far too readily!), illness, performing rituals or spells, astral travel, even simple things from our day to day lives can create a state of too much personal energy or too little personal energy.

This can be an incredibly uncomfortable experience.

Symptoms of unbalanced energy:

Dizziness, feeling spaced out, light headed or a floaty feeling

Headaches

Forgetfulness

Misplacing or losing things

Feeling generally unwell or exhausted

Daydreaming and an inability to focus

Sensitivity to light and noise

Feeling over stimulated and nervy

Bumping into things or other general feelings of clumsiness

An uncomfortable sensation of buzzing under the skin

Nausea and vomiting

Pain

Irritability

Insomnia

These symptoms typically become more severe the further out of alignment you are.

It is essential that you learn to ground properly before beginning to practice magic. Often I see newer witches who have yet to learn this skill experiencing unnecessarily strong backlash from their spell work.

Magic is energy! When you move and manipulate energy in such powerful ways it can and will pull your own energy out of balance. Grounding allows you to avoid the unpleasant side effects of spell casting which means a you’ll be a happier witch and have more time and space to practice your craft!

How To Ground Yourself

There are many ways of grounding yourself, I suggest you try a variety of methods and find the one that is most effective for you.

Rooting Yourself

This method works best if you are barefoot and standing on grass or dirt. Imagine your energy extending down through your legs and sinking into the earth, becoming roots and burrowing into the soil to trade energy with the earth. Feel the earth’s energy flow up into your body, filling you all the way to your head and then back down and out through your roots. This energy will cycle through you and clear away any excess energy as well as solving any energy deficiencies you might have. Continue this until you feel calm and comfortable.

Laugh

Laughter is an amazing way to release pent up energy as well as building our personal energy from within! Give yourself time and space to have a good laugh, put on your favorite comedian and enjoy yourself.

Food

Nourishing your body can help to reconnect you to your physical self and refuel depleted energy. Sit down for a hearty meal and give it your full attention, this helps to pull you back into your body fully after astral work or other intense spiritual experiences and gives you a moment to rest and relax.

Water

Water is a wonderful conductor of energy, sitting with your feet in a stream, your hands under a running faucet, or drawing yourself a bath can equalize your energy very quickly. Playing in the rain can also equalize your energy but if it’s sunny out visualizing rain washing your energy clean will work just as well.

Go for a walk

Getting out in nature, especially if you can walk barefoot, will allow your body to trade energy with the earth and equalize your energy levels. Walking in nature also helps to build mindfulness and create a sense of ease in your life!

Wind Visualization

Sit comfortably and begin to visualize your energy body. When you have a solid image of it in your mind imagine a strong gust of wind blowing your energy around you, removing blockages, carrying away excesses and refueling any energetic deficiencies.

Exercise

Gentle exercise can help to release any excess energies. Do not ground this way if you feel lethargic, exhausted or in any kind of pain. This method is ONLY to be used when you have an energy excess!

Body Awareness

Simply giving your body attention can encourage your energy to equalize on its own. Take a few minutes to consciously take stock of every inch of your body. Begin at your head, feel your scalp, then move to focusing on each part of your face. Move downward and feel your neck, your chest, then your arms, your elbows, your wrists, your fingertips. Focus on your torso again, now placing your energy on your stomach, feel it move with your breath. Continue this all the way down to your toes. Try to remain relaxed throughout this process.

Let Yourself Cry

Crying or screaming will release excess emotional energy very quickly. If you’re the sort of person who loves a good cleansing cry then this one is for you.

Stones and Crystals

Certain stones and crystals can be grounding. Hematite is particularly good for this purpose.

Play in the dirt

Getting in contact with the earth through gardening or rolling around in the dirt like you did when you were a kid allows your body to exchange energy with the earth. So let go of your adulthood for a few minutes and get in the dirt!

When To Use Grounding

Grounding is a wonderful tool to use but it isn’t a cure all. It’s also not always desirable to be completely grounded! There are certain types of magic that can be hindered by grounding and other types of magic that are simply not energy based and won’t require grounding to be effective.

When working with spirits being too grounded can make it more difficult to connect to the entity

If you’re fueling magic with emotions or excitement grounding beforehand will not help. You want your emotions and energy high in order to perform that sort of magic.

Sigils generally do not require grounding

Any kind of astral or out of body practice will be made much more difficult if you’re grounded beforehand. Ground after this sort of practice, not before

Dream work will be hindered by grounding

Grounding is most often used for post-spell backlash but it can also be utilized in your day to day life to enhance focus and happiness, lessen anxiety and protect you from emotional runoff.

If you struggle with any of the symptoms of being ungrounded regularly you might benefit from adding a few minutes of grounding into your daily practice!

New to witchcraft? Not sure where to start?

Sign up for my FREE witchcraft course!

[friend-crow]

Okay, this is perhaps a stupid question, but... does anybody have techniques for becoming more powerful (I don't know how to phrase this so it sounds less ridiculous)?

I'm not asking "how can I supercharge my spells?" I mean, for instance, how can I do more than two readings before I'm exhausted and additional readings are garbled?

I know @windvexer is already doing a lot of work on how to expend less energy, and that might be the best approach, but I'm wondering if this might be like a muscle that you can train and strengthen. Or is it more like you just have the power reserves you have, and if you're somebody without a lot of spoons then you're just not going to be able to do that much before you overexert yourself?

[hagoftheholler]

This might sound weird, but eat something with a lot of proteins beforehand. Think scrambled eggs or whatever you may like. Also keep some water on hand for yourself. I know it sounds weird but it works for me.

[friend-crow]

No, that makes a lot of sense! It's what's recommended for physical exercise (or maybe you're supposed to eat protein after??), so probably worth a shot for magical doings...

[windvexer]

Yeyeye

Lots of ways to go about this

Consider a two-pronged approach. The first is to do the expending less energy thing. I have two posts which may be of assistance:

In defense of astrological timing

catch-up is a stressful game: a further defense of astrological timing

The second prong is cultivation of the self through energy work, initiations, and alliances.

My friend recommends qi-gong (routines for beginners can be found on youtube) for developing your energy body. NEW Energy Ways by Robert Bruce is a primer on using energy work to empower your energy body.

I myself don't do energy body cultivation. It tends to trigger pain episodes. I also no longer do 'energy work' in the visualize/program sense so it doesn't organically fit into my practice any more.

So you can also do initiations. The famous toad witch initiation is one example. I signed my name in my own blood once, followed up some time after by doing a self-initiation into witchcraft, which saddled me with the Goat-Footed God probably forever I guess.

I've also done all the hermetic planetary initiations - a rollercoaster ride for sure, but also worthwhile. The lunar one is a trip.

Witches can make alliances with familiars in order to grant them power and make certain activities easier (so, prong one and two in both!)

Let's say you can brute-force divination by yourself, but it's exhausting and takes you 15 units of energy to perform each reading.

So, you go obtain a familiar, and taking care of the familiar takes 20 units of energy each month. (please nobody come into notes and spout off with "ah no don't try to expand your practice on your own instead sit and wait like a good baby until a spirit chooses YOU" like no)

BUT, with the familiar's help, your readings become extremely easy and only seem to take 2-3 units of energy each time.

So it's a trade-off: stuttering your schedule and missing out on some current work so you have the time to incorporate a familiar.

I do not particularly find obtaining or working with familiars to be "advanced," by the by.

I recommend Crooked Path by Kelden for anyone interested in working with familiars.

[stagkingswife]

I second initiations and alliances.

While I haven’t gone through any of the traditional or ceremonial initiations I have gone through a number of spirit lead ones as part of returning the Forgotten Ones and felt my personal enegy stores grow by leaps and bounds after each one. The process of each one also caused great upheaval in my life, so do with that information what you will.

I would also recommend Otherworldly travel, if that’s something that interests you. It’s not necessary to make alliances or find a familiar, but I found I made those connections faster when I could go to the Otherworld. I also found that if I made a connection and the entity wanted an alliance, but not to serve as a familiar they would sometimes gift me stewardship or ownership of a small region/domain of the Otherworlds if they were powerful enough to have some under their purview. I found I was then able to draw on the tie to these “domains” like a extra batteries in case of emergencies.

[anotherwitchblog]

Reiki and Appropriation

For a while now I’ve been wanting to make a post about Reiki, and I thought what better topic to talk about then how it both appropriates and is appropriated! I’m more or less gonna break this down into sort of a Q&A style, and talk about the different issues that surround the practice currently.

1. Why is Reiki considered a closed practice?

The main reason is less due to the cultural influences that surround it and more about the culture of the practice itself. For those who are unaware, in order to practice Reiki, you must be “initiated” by a Reiki Master. Part of this involves an attunement process, where the teacher matches your energy frequency to that of the earth. This attunement can happen more than once, but it allows you to tap into the Reiki energy that exists within the energy field around you.

2. This sounds similar to just energy healing. Why can’t I perform Reiki then?

You can’t perform Reiki not because it is morally/ethically wrong or because there is a history of oppression/misinformation surrounding the practice(though there is a lot of the latter), it’s simply because you literally cannot do it. You are not capable of doing it yourself without the attunement. Sure, you can do any sort of energy healing without having to be attuned, but to Reiki specifically without the initiation is not possible. 

3. Then how did the first Reiki user learn to use it?

To make a long story short, the first Reiki Master(Mikao Usui) learned Reiki through his studies as a Buddhist monk. He became attuned through both his meditations and through higher powers giving him the attunement he needed. So, if you’re a very spiritual/religious person and you ask whatever higher powers to attune you, I suppose you could do that if you really wanted to!

4. But I've read so many books that claim you don’t need to be attuned!

I hate to break it to you, but a lot of those books are lying. I know, crazy!

The reason this started to happen was due to the rise in New Age witchcraft and spiritualism over the past couple decades. They not only incorporated their own forms of appropriation/misinformation(introduction of chakras and auras, “Christian” origins, equating it to manifestation, etc.), but they watered it down so aggressively to make it accessible to anyone. This includes the claims that you don’t need to be attuned to practice Reiki. 

Some “teachers” also don’t really care about the sacredness of the tradition and view it more as a commodity that they can throw out to unsuspecting individuals to make money on. Not everyone is like this(my teacher certainly wasn’t), but unfortunately a lot of people view Reiki as a way to spew problematic and unhelpful crap and completely derail what otherwise is a sacred, meaningful practice.

5. Ok, but I still want to practice Reiki!

If you truly believe Reiki is your calling and you’re willing to put the effort in, find a Reiki Master in your area and take those lessons! I’d recommend learning in person, as I found the experience to be much more personal and more effective. Make sure you do your homework and find a quality Reiki Master, as unfortunately there are a lot of scams out there, or people who will give you little information and then just make you a Reiki Master in a very short amount of time.

If for whatever reason you cannot/do not want to do this, you are still fully capable of performing energy healing! And there are plenty of sources out there that can help you with it if you so choose to go down that route.

Hopefully this was informative to some of you. I don’t see a lot of informative posts on this topic, so I may do more of these in the future. Until next time!

Happy witchcrafting!

~Vanity~

[wishful-seeker]

Rant

GOD im so tired of fear mongering in the witch community, like PLEASE stop telling people to be afraid of rocks or tools or shit you found in the fucking woods.

"Don't let others look into your scrying mirror"

I will show whoever tf i want because I worked hard making it myself

"Cleanse a pendulum before use or bad spirits will come through"

LIES. The world doesn't fucking revolve around you or me, its very uncommon for energies to randomly harrass you.

"Protect yourself before every ritual OR ELSE"

NO. I will cleanse with smoke and say "no negative energies welcome" AND THAT IS ALL.

Just like in real life, things aren't out to get you! Treat spirits like people, most don't give a fuck about what you're doing. Protect yourself when you feel it is necessary. And yes, sometimes a negative energy might randomly latch on to you and make you feel sick for a day. BIG FUCKING DEAL. I feel like being afraid of every unknown magical energy is the same logic as being like "everyone in my life is going to hurt me." Its unrealistic. Relax.

[crazycatsiren]

Over protecting and over cleansing are like taking every type of antibiotics on the market when you don't even have an infection. Not only is it unnecessary, but also unhealthy.

[stagkingswife]

This is why I don't cleanse, and barely protect. It's the magical equivalent of "a little dirt never hurt." I feel like if you're too clean you never get exposed to germs and you're immune system never learns how to handle them. Same with magic and/or spirits if you're over cleansed and over warded you've never encounter anything new and never learn how to respond to it.

[samwisethewitch]

Keeping Consumerism out of Your Craft

Consumerism is a set of socioeconomic conditions and attitudes that encourage the continual acquisitions of goods and services. There is no “enough” in a consumerist society — members of the society are constantly pushed to buy new things, pay for new services, and keep up with the latest trends.

There are a few reasons consumerism is bad news. For one thing, it’s terrible for the environment — consumerist cultures usually have linear economies, where resources are extracted, consumed, then discarded, with no effort to replenish them. This is highly unsustainable, because at some point those limited resources are going to run out. Consumerism also has a human cost, as it often leads to the use of sweatshops, which violate basic labor laws. In many sweatshops, workers are not paid a livable wage, children are employed as workers, and working conditions are unsafe. Companies in countries like the United States get around labor laws by outsourcing labor to other (poorer) places. Consumerism also contributes to classism, as the acquisition of expensive items is often treated as a status symbol.

Consumerism is present in nearly every aspect of Western culture, and this includes spirituality and witchcraft. There are multiple “Beginner Witch Kits” for sale from Amazon and other online retailers which include candles, crystals, and incense — which is great, as long as that’s all stuff you’ll actually use in your practice. (I mean, do you really need twelve different varieties of incense?) Witchy authors and bloggers often treat magic like a matching game, where every problem requires a very specific herb or crystal. YouTube is full of “witch hauls,” videos solely dedicated to showing off new purchases. All of this contributes to a commercialized witchy aesthetic, which can only be achieved by buying the tools of the trade.

I get it. Shopping is fun, especially when you’re still learning about magic and magical items. It’s exciting to search for the perfect crystal or incense blend, especially if you have a local metaphysical store where you can shop in person. But owning the right stuff doesn’t make you a witch. All you need to practice magic is your will — everything else is optional.

I’m not saying every witch should be a hardcore minimalist, or that you can never buy new things. What I am saying is that all of us, witches or not, need to be more mindful of how we spend our money and the impact of our purchases on the world around us.

How to Avoid Consumerism

If you’re considering buying something, ask yourself if you’ll really get use out of it. For example, I don’t use a lot of tools in my practice because I prefer to work with my hands, so it wouldn’t make sense for me to buy an expensive wand or ritual knife. Don’t feel like you have to buy something just because another witch uses it — if you don’t think you’ll use it, don’t buy it.

Don’t buy multiples of the same tool. Instead of buying multiple different colored altar cloths for different times of year, buy one white altar cloth you can use year-round. Instead of buying multiple tarot decks, find one or two you really enjoy working with. You get the idea. (Obviously, there will be some items you need more than one of, like spell candles. This rule applies more to tools that can be reused.)

Replace things as they run out instead of buying them before you need them. Buying things in bulk can lead to unnecessary waste and drawers full of unused magical supplies. Buy things you know you’ll really use, and only buy one or two at a time. Use up the items you have before you buy more.

Invest in items that have multiple uses. For example, most kitchen spices can also be used in spells — search your spice cabinet before ordering special ingredients online. There are some items that have multiple magical uses, like rosemary and salt. Buy a couple of these multitaskers instead of a large collection of herbs with very specific uses.

Use the “two week” rule. This is something I do to keep myself from making impulse purchases. If I think I want to buy something online, I wait two weeks before I order it. If I still want it after two weeks, I take that as a sign that I’ll actually get some use from it.

Go “shopping” in your backyard. Familiarize yourself with the plants, animals, and minerals that are native to your area and go foraging for spell supplies instead of buying them. Items you can probably find near your home that could be used in ritual include leaves and flowers, pine cones, seed pods, tree branches, rocks, and naturally shed feathers. Just make sure you never harvest enough of a plant to hurt it, and make sure you properly disinfect any animal products you pick up.

If you can, make it yourself. Not only does making your own magic items save money, it also creates a much stronger personal link between you and that item. You can grow your own magical herbs in a garden or in indoor pots. Many common magical tools, like brooms and wands, are easy to make at home with some basic craft skills. Making your own items also means you can customize them, tailoring them to your own craft.

If you can’t make it yourself, but it used. There are some items you can’t reasonably make yourself, like incense burners, cauldrons, and books on the craft. But you can find most of these items used, either in thrift stores or online on websites like Ebay and Depop. Buying used almost always ends up being cheaper than buying new, and because you’re buying items already in circulation you aren’t contributing to a linear economy. Thrifting is also a great way to find unique items that won’t be like what anyone else has on their altar.

If you can’t find it used, support a small business. Sometimes, you can’t make what you need or find it in a thrift store. In that case, buying from a small business is preferable to buying from a big retailer like Amazon. When you support a small business, you’re supporting an individual rather than contributing to some CEO’s massive yearly bonus. A lot of small business owners make their items themselves, which avoids sweatshop labor. Pretty much everything I buy new for my craft comes from Etsy sellers — there are a LOT of witches on Etsy, so with a little digging you can easily find exactly what you’re looking for!

Don’t buy crystals. I know, I know. Thanks to social media, large crystal collections have become synonymous with witchcraft. But the crystal trade is highly unethical, with unsustainable mining techniques, dangerous working conditions, and child labor. Because of a lack of regulations, it’s virtually impossible to find crystals that are truly ethically sourced. Most sellers don’t know where their crystals come from and can’t guarantee that no workers were harmed in their extraction. No stone is worth the health and safety of other human beings, no matter how pretty.

Avoiding consumerism in your witchcraft means being less reliant on tools and set dressing. This will allow you to rely on your own energy and will, which will lead to a deeper and more meaningful spiritual practice.

Resources:

Revolutionary Witchcraft by Sarah Lyons

Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins

“11 Facts About Sweatshops” on dosomething.org

“Child labour in the fashion supply chain” from The Guardian

“Bangladesh factory collapse toll passes 1,000” from BBC News

“Are crystals the new blood diamonds?” from The Guardian

“Dark crystals: the brutal reality behind a booming wellness craze” from The Guardian

[witheredunknownrose]

Okay I have an actual question for Witchblr.

So recently quite of a few of the other witches I know say that in their practice they involve their emotions. According to them it makes it easier? Now I have never tried this before really, but I am curious if it does actually help. (Mostly because I have been struggling with my energy lately)

[ilahim-deactivated20260420]

this may depend on how you see emotion in your workings—are they additive, or do they pull away from your focus? for example, many people opt to perform magic once they’ve left their emotions behind in a bid to be more ‘true’ to their intent. others do the opposite for the exact same reason.

for me, emotions are additive and help link together my actions and goal. i tend to struggle with emotional empathy, and over the years i’ve learned to replace emotional bids with conscious decisions. even if i don’t necessarily ‘feel’ anything towards a particular situation, i still try to navigate it while being mindful of other’s emotions.

the same here goes for practice. having my emotions and mindful actions be linked to worship and spellworking helps build a bond between myself and my practice as a whole. it makes my actions feel more meaningful, it creates a relationship between myself and my gods.

i say give it a go and see if it works for you! even if it turns out to not be so helpful, you’ll have some insight into your practice.