Witch of The Woods

I post all sorts of witchy guides and am planning on starting a tumblr coven for those of you who are interested.

[littlewolfskinboots]

| inst: tocapagatp

[starlit-chaos-witch]

[sag-dab-sar]

Lets Chat About Calendars and Holy Days...

They are great and all but let me remind some folks about things the Ancient Greeks, Romans, Near Easterners, and Egyptian had that we do not have:

▪️Governments focused around our religious holidays. For those living in the US our calendar and government are culturally Christian. Our weekends include Sunday, the Christian weekly holy day and the most important Christian Holiday of the year. Additionally, Christmas, arguably the second most important Christian holiday, is a federally recognized holiday.

▪️Temples. Even if there is a tiny local temple there are no temples run by any major priestly caste that could organize the festivals like event coordinators. These temples also did important sacrifices throughout the month. That, if we want them done, we would now have to do ourselves (for the love of god don't sacrifice an animal). I've mentioned before that modern polytheist/pagan organizations can have priesthoods that they determine the study, qualifications, and functions of; but none of them can ever truly cover this difference.

▪️A lunar calendar. At least in the West. Yes, I realize Lunar calendar exist and are used (e.g Islamic) but in day to day life the Gregorian Calendar is the most common in Western nations and adopted by many others either fully or side by side with another traditional one (e.g Japan). It can be very hard to wrap your head around an ancient calendar especially if you are a beginner. Not to mention out of the modern lunar, lunisolar, and traditional calendars in use.... none of them belong to these ancient religions.

▪️An entire family following the same religion. Well for most of us. If we had this, monthly observances would be much easier. If the 15th day comes around and its [insert God]'s libation/offering/ritual day but we are sick, low spoons, or don't have the mental strength it would be fine. Because our sibling, parent, child, aunt/uncle, spouse, etc would be able to complete the "necessary" events for the God that day. But most of us DON'T have that so any monthly or weekly holy days would have to be fulfilled by us. Which is just not possible for everyone.

▪️A society where the holidays make natural sense. Most of us are not farmers, or some other job that relies heavily on the seasons. Even if we were , most of us do not live in the Mediterranean/ANE climates or around the same vegetation you can find in those climates. So a holiday about a particular harvest will come naturally to the ancients whose lives revolved around that harvest. To us it can seem completely random. For me one of the only big indicators is the shift in light and day length; which foods will be the freshest even if they are all still available; my clothing; and whether I can use my porch or not. That's about it.

All of this is to say: yearly & monthly festivals do not need to be something you stress over. Focus on your day to day "regular" worship. Do not let other practitioners push you into preforming yearly/monthly/weekly specific holy days. Not even the 3 day monthly Hellenic festival. If you want to add things in you can do it at whatever pace feels best for you. Hell, I'm attempting a level of recon yet I believe this fully because I recognize all of the differences I just outlined above.

So please do not feel the need to jump into any weekly/monthly/yearly festivals. Get a hang of worship and the religion itself before worrying over that. And even then, with how diverse the ancient festival calendars were don't feel like it has to be some set in stone requirement or that every single festival needs to be celebrated.

[web-witch]

Dream charm

Ingredients:

- Poppy seed

- Amethyst

- Lavender oil

- Cinnamon

- Clear quartz

- Parsley

- Salt

In a mortar and pestle, grind up the herbs and salt. Pour the mixture onto a cloth that will become the bag and add the crystals on top. Tie up the bag and chant the following spell:

“Stone of dreams and herbs of sleep,

In the darkness I do keep.

Silent messages and visions of mind,

When I wake, meaning I’ll find.”

Keep by your bedside and invoke the spell as needed.

Note: I wrote this because I had a weird dream last night and wanted to find a meaning behind it.

[witchy-nan]

do you have any tips on how to start studying witchcraft? i’m totally new and don’t know what to do:(

☁︎ 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭

hi, lovely, thank you for asking! i wish you all the luck in the world in your studies. here are a few tips from me.

ideas for how to start studying:

read. when i first started studying witchcraft, tumblr was my only resource because i couldn’t really go out and buy witchy resource books. however, i have a solution for that. this is a link to a cite that allows you to download books for free. yes, it works and it’s safe. guests can download five books per 24 hours, but if you create a free account you can download more. they have lots of books on witchcraft on here—but not all of them. there are also some tumblr posts floating around that have free pdfs of witchy books as well, so keep an eye out for that.

watch youtube videos. there are lots of vloggers out there who make instructional videos on witchcraft, especially at the beginner level. they have videos on all sorts of topics—like things you should research as a baby witch, how to compile a grimoire/book of shadows, how to cast spells, etc.

know that everyone who shares how-tos about witchcraft is biased. yes, even me. what works for me may not work for you. and what works for you may not work for the most revered witch on youtube. that’s okay. you’re not doing anything wrong. follow your intuition and allow it to guide you. that’s the principle here on my blog. i prefer to post about diy witchcraft or do-it-yourself witchcraft, meaning i want to encourage witches to sit down and craft their own information rather than regurgitating someone else’s. however, that might not be your cup of tea. you might not have an issue with the consensus’s definition of magick, and that’s cool. just be sure, as you’re studying magick, you’re able to (1) recognize that you’re learning from one person’s experience and (2) discern whether or not those experiences will work for you.

write notes. anything that jumps out to you when you’re reading or watching videos you should write down. when you’re new, a lot of information will seem enticing, and you want to absorb it all like a big sponge. there’s nothing wrong with that. but, what makes it wrong is when you start to dread or feel uncomfortable by something. for me, personally, i never liked the idea of making my magick religious, and not for lack of trying! everyone and their grandmother on witchblr seemed pagan, so i thought something must be wrong with me if i’m not. i tried to worship deities, but i always felt stupid when i did it because i didn’t believe. i even tried incorporating christianity into witchcraft, but that didn’t feel right either. eventually, i decided i wouldn’t make my craft religious. it does make things frustrating when i’m reading a book, and it’s chock-full of wiccan rituals or pagan spells, but i’ll still read it because the book may cover a topic i’m interested in. tldr; feel comfortable in the idea of taking some information and leaving the rest.

rewrite your notes. the first time you write, i would recommend putting it in a cheap/old notebook where you can be as messy as you want. once you finish, go back, reread, cut out things you think you’ll never use, and rewrite your notes. (preferably in your own words, but i understand that can be difficult.) now, you can choose to rewrite these in your grimoire or a different notebook. doesn’t matter. what you’re doing here is teaching yourself discernment and critical thinking. when you start to cut things out, you’re narrowing it down to the types of magick you do want to practice. (of course, this can change over time, but it’s a good place to start.)

don’t wait to practice until you know everything. because that will literally never happen. there will be a point when you realize everyone teaching these baby witch tips is regurgitating the same information over and over again. that is the point (actually, it’s well past the point) that you need to close tumblr and start practicing. because, at that point, the only person you can learn from is yourself. in practicing your magick you can find out what really works for you, and what’s excessive. don’t feel guilty about cutting down your craft, it’s necessary. (another personal example: i don’t have an altar. I did at the beginning, but it became useless to me over time, so i cut it out of my craft.) start practicing the little things—such as grounding and cleansing—early on. it’s okay if you forget what to do or nothing happens, you’re learning.

use yourself as a resource. yup, i’m back on my diy witchcraft bullshit. i’m going to post about this soon, but you need to use yourself as a resource. you might be thinking, “nan, how the hell do i do that when i’m new?!” well, i’ll tell you. correspondences. there are hundreds of posts about them on tumblr—color correspondence, crystal correspondence, fabric correspondence, moon phase correspondence—are all meaningless if you disagree. see, the color red is commonly associated with love and lust, so witches stress to use a red candle when performing that type of magick. well, what if you think red represents creativity? then go with your meaning. wow, i know, that’s a radical thought, but seriously it personalizes your craft and brings you closer to it.

[petriquartz-spiritual]

Everyday things you probably already do that can be WITCHY with intention:

🌙 Showering - As every witch knows, it’s important to cleanse your space often! A daily shower is a perfect way to cleanse yourSELF! Ritual baths are amazing, but when life gets busy, we don’t always have time to sit and soak. Use your alone time in the shower intentionally. Clean your body while imagining all of the negative energy of the day washing off of you. Use certain soaps or bath products in conjunction with specific intentions. (Rose for universal love, peppermint for wealth, chamomile for purification, etc.) Remember to be intentional in your thoughts as well. Showers are a great place for meditation and manifestation!

🌙 Applying makeup/doing your hair - These are things we typically do in front of a mirror. A mirror is the perfect gateway to connect with ourselves for a bit of reassurance. Use this time to state positive affirmations or mantras.

🌙 Cleaning your home - Cleaning our sacred spaces is another great way to banish negativity and protect our energy. Use certain scents around your home to match certain intentions, and listen to high frequency music while cleaning to keep your energy lifted.

🌙 Falling asleep - If you’re anything like myself, having noise in the background while you’re getting ready for bed can be very comforting. However, it is extremely important to be intentional about the things we watch or listen to, even subconsciously, before laying down. The alpha and theta brainwave states of consciousness we enter before bed are heavily influenced by our surroundings. Try to watch or listen to TV shows or movies with positive or uplifting messages that are light hearted, or even better yet, try guided meditations!

🌙 Working - This one is so much easier said than done. Sometimes when we are working, our mind tends to wander to things we’d rather be doing instead. Alternatively, if you struggle with happiness or contentment at work, try to avert your thoughts into a positive direction. Think about your dream job. Think about how you’ll achieve your career goals, and how what you are doing now will help you progress forward with these motivations. The universe is always listening. Instead of thinking about how you dislike your job, even if you do, instead think about how much you’d LOVE to do your dream job. This will bring you much closer to your end goal a lot more quickly. Always remember: Positive attitude = positive results!

Follow here and IG @petriquartz for more tips

[capstasher]

Constellations, from Munro's Navigation

[coinandcandle]

Magickal Misconceptions

There are so many types of magick and along with them, so many types of witches! Learning from other witches is a wonderful way to make friends and immerse yourself into witch craft.

Sadly though, things get mixed up or lost in translation, so I asked some of my witchy friends to help me come up with some misconceptions about magick and witchcraft. Feel free to add anything!

Misconceptions about Witches:

Witches don't worship the devil. In fact, most witches have no involvement with the biblical devil. (a lot of witches don't even believe in the biblical devil tbh) That being said, there are certainly some witches who do.

Witches are not evil. Some of the nicest people I've ever met are witches. Even before I started practicing, most of the witches I met were sweethearts. That being said, witches are still human so there are 100% some mean witches out there. Steer clear of them, we do not claim them.

Witches are not inherently wiccan. Wicca is a religion started by Gerald Gardner in the 1900s. The religion has branched off and created different types of Wicca since it's creation.

Witches aren't strictly female. Without going too deep down the rabbit hole of gender, just know that male and nonbinary witches exist and are just as magickal as female witches.

Not all witches deal with spirits/ghosts/other worldly beings. You don't need to deal with any other worldly existence to be a witch. If you just want to use earthly items like herbs and stones and never touch spirit work then that is totally fine.

Not every witch follows the wheel of the year. That is a neopagan creation, melding Celtic and Anglo-Saxon holidays. There is no right or wrong to this fact. So long as you're honoring these holidays by learning their origins you are doing great.

You don't have to sell your soul to be a witch. That's it, that's the end of the fact.

Misconceptions about Witchcraft:

You don't need every single item in a spell book to make a spell happen. I am a college student so obviously I don't have the money to buy every herb and rock I want. (though that'd be nice) But the idea that you need all of these things to create magick is wrong. Ultimately it is your willpower and intent that will create magick.

Smudging is not smoke cleansing. Smudging is a specific ritual used in some Native American cultures. Smoke cleansing is using a bundle of herbs or even an incense to create some smoke and use that to cleanse an area, person, or object.

Magick isn't free, in the sense that spells don't suddenly make things appear or make things be how you want them to be. If you don't put any work into whatever it is that you've done a spell for then it's not going to manifest.

Your practice will be different from others and that's ok. Witchcraft is a very personal thing. You're more than welcome to learn from other witches and teach other witches but just know that it's ok if people practice differently from you.

Pop culture magick isn't "fake magick". This one is more of an opinion but I think ragging on pop culture magick is distasteful. Magick now, even if you try your best to be as close to ancient rituals and magick as possible, is different than how it used to be. Magick evolves with magick users.

That's all that I can think of right off the top of my head, but feel free to add to this! If you would like clarification on any of these let me know either by replying to this or sending me an ask.

Have a wonderful day!

[the-clever-cupboard]

Correspondence: Birth Trees

Dec 23 to Jan 01: Apple Tree

Jan 02 to Jan 11: Fir Tree

Jan 12 to Jan 24: Elm Tree

Jan 25 to Feb 03: Cypress Tree

Feb 04 to Feb 08: Poplar Tree

Feb 09 to Feb 18: Cedar Tree

Feb 19 to Feb 28: Pine Tree

Feb 29: Poplar Tree

Mar 01 to Mar 10: Weeping Willow Tree

Mar 11 to Mar 20: Lime Tree

Mar 21: Oak Tree

Mar 22 to Mar 31: Hazelnut Tree

Apr 01 to Apr 10: Rowan Tree

Apr 11 to Apr 20: Maple Tree

Apr 21 to Apr 30: Walnut Tree

May 01 to May 14:Poplar Tree

May 15 to May 24: Chestnut Tree

May 25 to Jun 03: Ash Tree

Jun 04 to Jun 13: Hornbeam Tree

Jun 14 to Jun 23: Fig Tree

Jun 24: Birch Tree

Jun 25 to Jul 04: Apple Tree

Jul 05 to Jul 14: Fir Tree

Jul 15 to Jul 25: Elm Tree

Jul 26 to Aug 04: Cypress Tree

Aug 05 to Aug 13: Poplar Tree

Aug 14 to Aug 23: Cedar Tree

Aug 24 to Sep 02: Pine Tree

Sep 03 to Sep 12: Weeping Willow Tree

Sep 13 to Sep 22: Lime Tree

Sep 23: Olive Tree

Sep 24 to Oct 03: Hazelnut Tree

Oct 04 to Oct 13: Rowan Tree

Oct 14 to Oct 23: Maple Tree

Oct 24 to Nov 11: Walnut Tree

Nov 12 to Nov 21: Chestnut Tree

Nov 22 to Dec 01: Ash Tree

Dec 02 to Dec 11: Hornbeam Tree

Dec 12 to Dec 21: Fig Tree

Dec 22: Beech Tree

Apple Tree Love Of slight build, lots of charm, appeal, attraction, pleasant aura, flirtatious, adventurous, sensitive, always in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender partner, very generous, scientific talents, lives for today, a carefree philosopher with imagination.

Ash Tree Ambition Uncommonly attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with fate, can be egotistic, very reliable and trustworthy, faithful and prudent lover, sometimes brains rule over the heart, but takes partnership very seriously.

Beech Tree Creative Has good taste, concerned about its looks, materialistic, good organization of life and career, economical, good leader, takes no unnecessary risks, reasonable, splendid lifetime companion, keen on keeping fit (diets, sports, etc.)

Birch Tree Inspiration Vivacious, attractive, elegant, friendly, unpretentious, modest, does not like anything in excess, abhors the vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere.

Cedar Tree Confidence Of rare beauty, knows how to adapt, likes luxury, of good health, not in the least shy, tends to look down on others, self-confident, determined, impatient, likes to impress others, many talents, industrious, healthy optimism, waiting for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.

Chestnut Tree Honesty Of unusual beauty, does not want to impress, well-developed sense of justice, vivacious, interested, a born diplomat, but irritates easily and sensitive in company, often due to a lack of self confidence, acts sometimes superior, feels not understood loves only once, has difficulties in finding a partner.

Cypress Tree Faithfulness Strong, muscular, adaptable, takes what life has to give, content, optimistic, craves money and acknowledgment, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful, quick-tempered, unruly, pedantic, and careless.

Elm Tree Noble-mindedness Pleasant shape, tasteful clothes, modest demands, tends not to forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead but not to obey, honest and faithful partner, likes making decisions for others, noble-minded, generous, good sense of humor, practical.

Fig Tree Sensibility Very strong, a bit self-willed, independent, does not allow contradiction or arguments, loves life, its family, children and animals, a bit of a social butterfly, good sense of humor, likes idleness and laziness, of practical talent and intelligence.

Fir Tree Mysterious Extraordinary taste, dignity, sophisticated, loves anything beautiful, moody, stubborn, tends to egoism but cares for those close to them, rather modest, very ambitious, talented, industrious, discontented lover, many friends, many foes, very reliable.

Hazelnut Tree Extraordinary Charming, undemanding, very understanding, knows how to make an impression, active fighter for social cause, popular, moody, and capricious lover, honest, and tolerant partner, precise sense of judgment.

Hornbeam Tree Good Taste Of cool beauty, cares for its looks and condition, good taste, is not egoistic, makes life as comfortable as possible, leads a reasonable and disciplined life, looks for kindness and acknowledgement in an emotional partner, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom happy with its feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its decisions, very conscientious.

Lime Tree Doubt Accepts what life dishes out in a composed way, hates fighting, stress, and labor, dislikes laziness and idleness, soft and relenting, makes sacrifices for friends, many talents but not tenacious enough to make them blossom, often wailing and complaining, very jealous but loyal.

Maple Tree Independence of Mind No ordinary person, full of imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self-confident, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many complexities, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress.

Oak Tree Brave Robust nature, courageous, strong, unrelenting, independent, sensible, does not like change, keeps its feet on the ground, person of action.

Olive Tree Wisdom Loves sun, warmth and kind feelings, reasonable, balanced, avoids aggression and violence, tolerant, cheerful, calm, well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathetic, free of jealousy, loves to read and the company of sophisticated people.

Pine Tree Particular Loves agreeable company, very robust, knows how to make life comfortable, very active, natural, good companion, but seldom friendly, falls easily in love but its passion burns out quickly, gives up easily, everything disappointments until it finds its ideal, trustworthy, practical.

Poplar Tree Uncertainty Looks very decorative, not very self-confident, only courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership seriously.

Rowan Tree Sensitivity Full of charm, cheerful, gifted without egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest, and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.

Walnut Tree Passion Unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egotistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromise.

Weeping Willow Melancholy Beautiful but full of melancholy, attractive, very empathetic, loves anything beautiful and tasteful, loves to travel, dreamer, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with, demanding, good intuition, suffers in love but finds sometimes an anchoring partner.

[broomsick]

Small happiness spell 🍊

What you’ll need

An orange

Sugar (brown or white)

Honey

Cinnamon

Lemon juice

Red wine or cider

Steps

Peel the orange and separate its wedges

Place the wedges in a circle on a plate and charge them with your intent, in this case, happiness

Sprinkle sugar over the circle for sweetness, then cinnamon for spiritual power

Let honey drip at the center of the circle while saying: ‘For days doused in sunlight, I drip honeyed delight’

Add a few drops of lemon juice at the center of the circle and say: ‘For luck to come my way, I keep hexes at bay’

Now drip the alcohol at the center while saying: ‘For blessings along the road, I invoke powers of old’

Eat the orange one wedge at a time, starting from the top and working clockwise. Dip each of them in the mix at the center before eating.

Enjoy!

[growaglow]

[growaglow]

[voiceofnature]

andrrresky

[owls-hive]

I thought I'd take some time to address something I found on TikTok.

I'm not going to post the video, however, if you're on witchtok you've probably already run across it. There was a video of a beginner witch (for the love fuck stop calling them babies) using minimal ingredients in a spell jar, and sealing it with a bead and Elmer's glue. Of course, the better than thou beginner witches with their $300+ wax sets, ingredients, etc. had something to say. And it wasn't very nice.

"You can't seal a spell jar with glue"

"Ummmm what lmao"

"Give it up while you still can"

You. Can. Do. Whatever. The. Fuck. You. Want. However. The. Fuck. You. Want.

I don't give a damn if you put nothing but glitter in a bottle and put a lid on it and call it a day. Whoever bullied this witch clearly doesn't know the first thing about intention, and is making up "rules" as they go. Any crone, or witch with even the slightest amount of experience for that matter, is ashamed of the witches that were in those comments. Of course those comments are gone now but... the damage is still done.

Do better. Please do better.

[kaijuno]

QUICK PLEASE CAN SOMEONE FIND ME THAT PICTURE OF THE EYESHADOW PALETTE THAT WAS LIKE “DIESEL FUMES” AND “HUEUGH” AND OTHER STUPID ASS NAMES 

[miseryjonez-deactivated20180522]

This one??

[kaijuno]

NO THEY WEREN’T IN A THING IT LOOKED LIKE THIS 

BUT WITH STUPID NAMES

[kaijuno]

F O U N D    I T

[aussiewitchbitch]

Where do you get these palettes

[caspasta]

even if some characters are never going to end up together, no one is going to stop me from shipping them; it’s not because of stubbornness, it’s because I love them together

[aussiewitchbitch]

Suspian, edelvain, zutara, God damn freaking cera and little foot

[youmustfixyourheartt]

Susan: Caspian and I- 

Edmund: Are getting married? 

Susan: No we- 

Edmund: *pulling out binder* Sit down Susie. I have planned out the entire thing!

[aussiewitchbitch]

He would do that