memento mori

oracle, 22, he/him. tarot reader and death witch, using this blog for reference and research. libra sun/moon/rising

[crazycatsiren]

Grimoire - Spirit Work

Spirit Work/Necromancy in General: Resources for Spirit Work Death Witchcraft Masterpost Witchcraft 101: Necromancy Spirit Work Terminology Death Witch Rituals Spirit Work 101 Spirit Work 101 Spirits & Working with them You Can Love the Dead Discernment - Why Does It Matter? Spirit work: How To Find Your Spirit Guides How to connect with your Spirit Guides Death Witch Rituals Always Look Into The Mundane Before Stating You Have A Spirit Around Genius Loci (The Spirit of Place) Let’s Talk About Spirit Anchors

Spirit Work Tools: Dedicated Divination - Using a divination tool to interact with a particular spirit Ouija Board FAQ Masterpost! OUIJA BOARD FACT VS FICTION Ouija board DOs and DON'Ts So you think you've summoned a demon through the Ouija board Ouija Boards and Possession "I am safe in subconscious realms" “I Sense Spirits” Sigil to help one notice spirits easier

Spirit Work Cautions: Not Every Spirit Needs to be a Companion What to do if there's a ghost in your house So you had a scary experience with spirit communication? Spotting a Malevolent “Guide” Banishing Nasty Spirits Ways to Banish Negative Energies and Entities Ritual To Banish a Malignant Spirit Do you have a spirit attachment Skeptic's Guide To Spirituality: What Is Cold Reading? “There’s a spirit in my house, what do I do?” Let’s talk about POLTERGEISTS How To Identify and Deal With an Unruly or Malicious Spirit

Spirit Communication: Spirit Communication: Tips Hearing Spirits General Etiquette for Working with the Dead Graveyard Etiquette Small things to contact spirits about What is a spirit companion Communicating with Spirits Basic Understanding Of Conjuring Spiritual Entities House Rules Spirit House Rules What to Do When Your House Rules Have Been Violated Automatic Writing for Spirit Communication Incense (Optional Candle Magick) to Contact The Spirit of a Deceased Loved One Greeting the (Human) Dead Anyone Can Talk To The Dead

Advanced Spirit Work: Regarding Channeling A Crash Course on Channeling Pathworking and Astral Travel Hedgecraft Resources Divining the Future With the Dead

[remember-that-you-will-die]

Remember that you will die.

[thebrownbabywitchisback]

An Easy Spell for Healing and Moving Forward

Disclaimer: If you are healing from serious trauma, please use this spell only as a supplemental tool for professional treatment. If you are on any sort of medication, do not use this spell as a replacement.

What You Will Need:

An Apple (for cleansing away negativity)

A Knife

A Sigil in Mind for Healing

Directions:

Use your knife to carve your sigil into the surface of the apple. I used one of my own: x

Once you have carved your sigil into the apple, begin to eat the apple. As you eat, think of the thing that has hurt you that you want to move past. Focus on how moving forward will improve your life.

As you chew the apple, imagine you are crushing that thing that is bothering you. When you swallow, know that you are taking in the healing properties of both the apple and the sigil.

Don't rush it! Take your time and try to eat as close to the core as possible before throwing the apple (and that thing holding you back from healing) away.

[anexpansionlikegold-deactivated]

When people say, “nature is my religion” are they talking about flies that feed on shit, maggots in decomposing corpses, lionesses with stained teeth and mouths full of blood? Are they talking about floods and fires and things from which we should always run? Are they talking about carcasses, rot, death?

Or do they just mean “this particular copse of benign trees is my religion”

[sigilmilk]

You can’t hug a tree without touching all the rot it took to grow it.

[stygiantarot]

💀Unusual Death Witchcraft💀

Visiting natural history and art museum. Not only for the spirit work (museums are surprisingly rife with spirits) but also the reflection on the objects themselves that are imbued with death energy due to their age.

Kitchen witchcraft with fermentation. I’m talking both home starters/yeasts and drink based fermenting! The process of encouraging fermentation is literally a controlled necromancy if you think about it! Also your own fermented product will be excellent to use in spellwork!

Upcycle crafting! The process of reusing items in a new way that you already had or seeking out items to use instead of letting them become trash is also working with death energy!

Playing death related games or watching movies with friends and family. Death witchcraft tasks and energy work doesn’t have to look witchy! If you have a weekly or monthly hangout where you play tabletops like Betrayal at House on the Hill or even online games. Or watch documentaries or movies with loved ones that related that totally counts! Especially as a lower spoon option.

Drawing or photographing abandoned buildings/architecture. So often people forgot that the decay of manmade objects and places do hold death energy and weight. Tapping into this side of death witchcraft can be an interesting experience.

Visiting a 24 hour store or restaurant in the middle of the night. This is a personal experience of mine but that quiet low level liminal space energy is such a similar transitional energy as to help you grow your experience and sensing of death energy. Also walking through a store at 3am is a good time to practice a walking meditation or some simple spirit communication without too much trouble. Just have your headphones in for an excuse!

Learning to maintain your own compost! I’m hopeless with the green thumb side of things myself but I still have composting I do for my yard in general. My wildflowers and natural growth is lovely because of it! The cycle of your kitchen supplies life and decay is such a simple and deep way to access that death energy and maybe even work your way up to having that green thumb! Also using this compost in spellwork will pack a punch!

What are some unusual ways you experience death witchcraft and energy?

[ghoulshavemorefun]

Ossuary in St. Michael, Austria.

[vayas-witchcraft-and-spiritual]

Relieving Grief

Needed:

- Geranium flowers - A sprig of lavender - Dandelion flowers - A lily - A safe place to burn things and a way to collect the ashes

Method:

- Take the plants, cleanse them, and charge them. Fill them with the intent to carry grief and sad energy. Do what you can to channel the pain and loss that you or your target is dealing with into the plants. - Burn the plants and collect as many of their ashes as you can. You’ll need to get rid of all of them, so it’d be best to carry them in a bottle or jar, which can be washed out. Scatter the ashes into a moving river or the ocean. Avoid stagnant waters or lakes; the ash scattering is meant to symbolise moving forward and waters washing away the pain and bringing in renewal. If you don’t have access to a stream, river, or ocean, then use a tap or shower to deal with the ashes. Make sure you get rid of all of them.

[awaiting-decay]

Reflections on Death

Or: a death witch perspective on overcoming the fear of death  Or or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the... just kidding  CW for discussion of death, obviously 

Recently, I moved to a new city, and discovered a large cemetery not far from where I now live. As I walked through the graveyard I could not help but be struck by two things. One: the love that filled the space. Each headstone a legacy, carved for no gain but to cherish a memory. Two: piles of pigeon feathers. The area is relatively overgrown, and I imagine there is a population of foxes who have found safety from the busy roads surrounding the gates. 

Death, it will serve us well to remember, is not just a gesture to be noted in carved stone. Rather, it happens whether we feel it or not. No one mourns the birds, but they pass all the same. 

Death is a constant and eternal transition. It does not stop when we erect monuments to acknowledge its touch, rather it continues in a natural cycle of constant, tangible change. There is a reason the blackberries that grow on this land taste so sweet. 

One of the issues I have with a lot of necromancy books is the representation of Death (capital D) as a figure. They are spoken of as full of sadness, in constant mourning from their eternal task. For me, death is not a tragic figure who walks slowly on a higher plane. Death is an energy as vibrant as our own. It doesn’t mark  an end, but changes as naturally as the wheel of the year. It is in everything, it is of everything. No less noteworthy to experience, of course, but we walk alongside it always. 

[possesseth-by-fire]

[hillbillyoracle]

🌾 What will you do now to prepare for winter?🌾

[auricwitch]

Ultimate Protection Magic Masterpost; Part 1

PERSONAL PROTECTION

Jar Spells & Pouches

“Bubbly Friend” Protection and Cleansing Jar Spell

“Tough As A Nail” Protection Spell

“Portable Barricade” Spell Jar

“Protect My Ass” Spell Jar

“Stay The F*ck Away From Me” Protection Jar

Jar Spell for Protection

Witchywoman’s Protection Jar

Shiroinightmare’s Protection Bottle

Gender/Sexuality Protection Jar Spell

Sea Witch’s Protection Bottle

Stormy Protection Spell Jar

Elemental Protection Jar Spell

Dragon Protection Jar

Protection Jar Against Bindings & Hexes

Basic Warding Jar

Making A Witch Bottle (Charm)

Witches Bottle for Protection

Potent Protective Witch Bottle

Blood Magic Protection Jar

Mini Protection Vial

Ares Protection Pouch

‘Sweet Tooth’ Spell Sachet

Protection Pouches

Protection Pouch

Protection Sachet

Protection Sachet for School

Amulets

Simple Protection Amulet

“Untouchable” Charm Ward

Subtle Protection Amulet

Coral Protection Amulet

Sunglasses Enchantment

Ways to Make Amulets

Simple Protection Necklace

Strength & Safety Amulet

Protection Vial Necklace

Wonder Woman’s Bracelets

Sword & Shield Graveyard/Spirit Jewelry

Nasty Witches’ Brew Protective Jewelry

Bath/Shower Magic

“Armour of Love” Protection Bath

Powerful Cleansing Bath

Simple Purification and Protection Scrub

“Master Protector” Body Scrub

Gossip-Stopping Scrub

Shower Disks for Protection

Pine Protection Balm

Kitchen Witchcraft

Purification and Protection Soup

Fondant Potatoes for Protection & Prosperity

Self Love & Protection Recipe Spell

Abundant Apple Pie Cookies

Grandma’s Pumpkin Bread

Potions

Cleanse & Protect Spray Potion

Rose Shield Potion

Protection Potion

Pisces Protection Potion

Return To Sender Vigor Potion

Bucking Bronco Vigor Potion

Charge Vigor Potion

Spells

Bravery/Protection Spell

Aroma Veil Spell

Protection Spell for Queer Folks

Spell For Protection While Coming Out As Trans

‘Hiding Secrets’ Spell

Stronger Than You Spell

Protection Against Bullies

“Belittlement Barrier” Spell

Expecto Patronum

Substitute Spell

Curse Decoy

LoZ Magic Armour Protection Spell

Riddikulus Charm

Snowdrop Protection Spell

Method for Protection Against Undesired Spirits or People

Evergoing Spell

Rose Quartz Shielding Spell

Protection Candle Spell

Protection Chant

Night Protection Spell

Night Protection Spell #2

Protection Against Curses, Hexes & Bad Energies

Maka’s Black Blood Dress

Mars Celestial Fire Surround

Plutonic Protection Spell

‘Dark Dome Close’ Sailor Pluto Spell

Moon Tiara Magic

Jupiter Thunder Crash

Mind Blast Spell

Metal Claws Spell

Expelliarmus

“Back To You, B*tch” Protection Spell

‘Return To Sender’ Spell

‘Backfire’ Curse Repelling Enchantment

Engraved Hourglass Nebula Curse Return Spell

‘Trainer Chose Squirtle’ Spell

Black Salt Spell for Protection & Absorbing Negativity

Protection Spell Against Negative People & Psychic Vampires

Wards/Rituals

‘Don’t Go In The Dog Park’ Ward

Nail Polish Ritual

PC Magic Warding Ritual

Positive Energy/Banishment of Evil Incense Ritual

‘Fire Rose’ Healing & Protection Ritual

Protection Ritual for the Downtrodden

Sigils

I Am Shielded From Acts of Violence

I Am Protected From Unwanted Spiritual & Physical Entities Who Would Do Me Harm

Protection From Evil Spirits

I Am Safe

I Am Safe At Work

I Am Aware of My Surroundings & Protected

I Am Protected From All Negativity

I’m Protected From Negative Vibes

No Negative Energy Can Affect Me

I Repel Ignorance and Negativity

Protection From Bad Intentions

Protection From Unwanted Eyes

I Am Safe From Fascists

I Am Safe From Transphobia

Those Who Would Harm Me Suffer Their Own Ill Intentions Turned Back On Themselves

I Am One With The Forest

Earth Protection

Protection + Happiness

Ace/Aro Protection Sigil

Protection Sigil/Charm

No Evil Can Touch Me

Sigil for Protection Against All Forms of Magickal Attack

Sigil to Protect One Against All Forms of Possession

Sigil of Protection

Protection

Protection

HOME PROTECTION

Spell Jars

Simple Home Protection Jar Spell

“I Don’t Know Sh*t My Dudes” Protection Jar

My Home Is Protected Spell Jar

House Protection Jar

Home Protection Spell Bottle

Peace & Protection Bottle

Peace & Protection Spell Jar

Home Purification/Protection Spell Jar

Sleeping Beauty House Protection Jar Spell

Mama Cat’s Evil Eye Protection Jar

Sprays & Washes

House-Warding Spray

All-Purpose Cleansing Spray

Protective House Wash

Protective Floor Wash

Rituals

Protecting Yourself And Your Home (Basic Ward Ritual)

Three Elements Home Blessing & Protection Ritual

‘Protect My Space’ Pouch & Ritual

Wards

Quick Protection Ward

Prickly Protection Ward

Protective Storm Ward

Patronus Ward

“Let Only Good Energy In” Horseshoe Ward

Moonbeam Ward

“The Hedgehog” Green Witch Ward

Pumpkin Wards

Complex Bramble Ward

Weaving Protection Wards (ADVANCED)

Spells

Simple Protection Spell

Simple Herbal Protection Spell

Simple Hearth & Home Protection Spell

Home & Body Protection Spell

Clearing Negative Energy from a Room

Home Protection Steam Spell

My Home Is Protected Spell

“Protect My Home” Spell

Home Protection Spell

Home Protection Charm

House Protection Spell

Spell to Protect Your House

House Protection Charm

Threshold Protection Spell

Protego Totalum (Harry Potter Spell)

Four Shells Protection Spell

Pine Cone Prosperity & Protection Spell

“Little Lurkers” Home Protection Spell

Home Protection Spells

A Series of Protection Spells

Strong Home Protection Spell

Home Protection Tip

Home Protection Tip

Sigils

My Home is Protected

My Home Is Protected

This Home Is Protected

Sigil for Protecting One’s Home

Protect This Home

My Home Is A Safe and Healthy Environment

The House I Come Back To Is Safe For Me

Only Positive Energies May Enter My Space

Negative Forces Do Not Enter Here

GRIMOIRE PROTECTION

Spells

Simple Protection Jar For Your Grimoire

Grimoire Protection Spell

Hidden Object Charm

The Serpent’s Lock/Serpent’s Key

Sigils

Protection From Prying Eyes

All Prying Eyes Are Diverted; This Grimoire Is Cloaked In Invisibility

This Item Will Not Be Found

I’m Safe. This Object Is Safe.

The Book in Which This Sigil Is Written Cannot Be Lost or Stolen

This Grimoire Is Protected

This Grimoire Is Protected

My Grimoire Is Protected

Grimoire Is Protected From Those With Ill Intent

This Book of Shadows Is Protected

This Book Is Protected

[part 2]

[frog-sovereign-deactivated20211]

Big List of Death Books

Books on death, grief and funerals. If you are interested in said subjects I don’t recommend reading all as some just say the same thing just slightly differently. I’m hoping we can destigmatise and help ease our cultural fear of the dying and move towards open conversations and education of end-of-life care and what happens when animals die.

The Good Death: An Exploration of Dying in America by Ann Neumann

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

From Here to Eternity: Travelling the World to Find the Good Death

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death by Caitlin Doughty

Th Trauma Cleaner: One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster by Sarah Kranostein

Necropolis: London and Its Death by Catharine Arnold

Six Feet Under or Up in Smoke: The Aussie Way of Death by Jim Eames

The Frighteners: A Journey through Our Cultural Fascination with the Macabre by Peter Laws

Advice for Future Corpses (and Those Who Love Them): A Practical Perspective on Death and Dying by Sallie Tisdale

The Undead: Organ Harvesting, the Ice-Water Test, Beating Heart Cadavers – How Medicine Is Blurring the Line Between Life and Death by DIck Teresi

How We Die: Reflections of Life’s Final Chapter by Sherwin B. Nuland

Modern Death: How Medicine Changed the End of Life by Haider Warraich

Shocked: Adventures in Bringing Back the Recently Dead by David Casarett

Grief Works: Stories of Life, Death and Surviving by Julia Samuel

The Adult Orphan Club: How I Learned to Grieve the Loss of my Parents by Flora Baker

The Bog People: Iron-Age Man Preserved by P.V. Glob

Written in Bone: Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind by Sue Black

All That Remains: A Life in Death by Sue Black

The Archaeology of Human Bones by Simon Mays

Beyond the Bones: Engaging with Disparate Datasets by Madeleine L. Mant

Forensic Entomology: An Introduction by Dorothy Gennard

Palliative and End of Life Care in Nursing by Jane Nicol and Brian Nyatanga

Death to Dust: What Happens to Dead Bodies by Kenneth V. Iserson

Through the Dark Forest: Transforming Your Life in the Face of Death by Carolyn Conger

Past Mortems: Life and Death Behind Motuary Doors by Carla Valentine

[hanged-priestess]

Questions to Ask When the Major Arcana Appears

the fool - am I jumping into this too quickly? can I trust my gut? what do i hope to gain from this? is this in my best judgement to proceed? 

the magician - am I balancing parts of my life? am I focusing too much on the material world before me? am I properly utilizing the tools I have at my disposal?

the high priestess - am I trusting my intuition? am I allowing my imagination to roam free? have I grown out of touch with my spirituality? how may I further enhance my spirituality? 

the empress - how do I nurture others? do I, in turn, properly nurture myself? how do I express my feminine power? am I expressing myself creatively? 

the emperor - how am I handling authority in my life? how can I become a leader? am I taking strides to ensure material success? how do I express my masculine power?

the heirophant - am I honouring traditions? what can I teach others? what can I learn? how may I go about finding groups of likeminded people? where am I deriving my sense of security?

the lovers - are parts of me at war within myself? how can I unite very different parts of my life? what can I do to help build cooperation within my relationships? 

the chariot - how can I take control of my situation? how can I resolve my conflict? how can I tackles the challenges coming my way? which direction should I choose?

strength - how can I overcome my weakness? what makes me courageous in my situation? from where do I draw my inner power? how can I best work with my instinct? 

the hermit - what is driving me forward in life right now? where can I be truly alone? what do I need to reflect on? what wisdom can I draw from past experiences? 

wheel of fortune - what changes am I willing to except? how much of my life is left to fate? how do my every day actions influence the bigger picture of my life? 

justice - how can I make the best decision? how do I find balance in my life? what can I do to rectify my past mistakes? am I weighing all the pros and cons or am I overlooking something?

the hanged man - what should I hold onto and what should I let go of? how can I look at this with a new perspective? what am I willing to sacrifice? how do I let go of old habits and step out of my comfort zone? 

death - how can I use recent events to transform myself? what do I need to accept the end of? what will be born from the ashes? how can I mourn the ending of one thing and celebrate the beginning of another?

temperance - what led to the feeling of harmony? what can I do to hold onto it, grow from it, and become harmoniously whole? how do I remain patient through these experiences?

the devil - am I allowing myself to fixate unhealthy on something? what do I fear? am I too tied to the material world? how do I free myself from the bondage I have allowed myself to fall into? 

the tower - what have I been ignoring? why did I refuse to take action, what can I do to avoid this again? how do I free myself from my own ruin? how do I grow from this disaster?

the star - how am I using my gifts? what is inspiring me? what makes me happy and how can I embrace that? how can I continue on the right track to making my wishes come true? 

the moon - am I listening to my dreams, my feelings, my instincts? am I trusting them? how am I connecting to the invisible workings of the world? how am I using my creativity? 

the sun - am I approaching my problem with a positive attitude? how are my efforts being appreciated by others? how do I step into the spotlight to showcase my talents? 

judgment - how self-aware am I, truly? what actions have I taken that are wise? unwise? am I being honest with myself? what can I learn from my past and how can I grow? 

the world - how have my efforts payed off? how am I progressing in life, does it feel right? what in my life is coming to an end? what is beginning? what are my next steps? in what ways do I feel fulfilled? 

Major Arcana | Wands | Cups | Swords | Pentacles

[kaijutegu]

Anyways, while I’m on a weird “intersection of evobio and trans biology” kick, there’s a group I’ve been meaning to introduce for a while now because they do amazing work.

So I’m a biological anthropologist, and that means that I study and teach about the human skeleton. The human skeleton is an amazing thing, and a lot of people don’t know just how changeable it is. No matter what your chromosomal makeup is, human skeletons look pretty much the same until puberty. Then, when the sex hormones kick in, we get a bimodal distribution of traits. These aren’t inherent to your gender or your genitals or even your chromosomes, really. What the sexual characteristics in the human skeleton really represent is what your hormones are doing.

Basically, it works like this. All humans produce both testosterone and estrogen. Humans who make more testosterone are generally more robust, and their muscle development puts pressure on bones. The bones respond and they get bigger. Estrogen does the opposite. When we talk about sexing a skeleton, what we mean is “what did their hormones do, and where does this fit in the general bimodal distribution of morphological traits?”

Except… sometimes there are problems with this. For instance, postmenopausal skeletons, particularly the skulls, will often look more masculine because as estrogen production drops, the shape of the bones begins to change. The pelvis still looks as it did, but the bones of the face are highly responsive to these changes. (For many very complicated reasons, two being that they are smaller/thinner and also have highly active osteoblasts and osteoclasts!)

Another challenge comes from trans people going through hormone replacement therapy. We know that violence against trans people is a problem. But here’s the thing: these violent incidents and homicides are just the ones we KNOW about. There are thousands of unidentified bodies in the US alone that have the very real possibility of having an assessed sex that doesn’t align with a person’s lived experience. If your skeleton looks one way, but everybody who knew you in life understood you as another… even if you’re lucky enough to have a missing person report, your remains might never be matched to your identity. Also, many of these cases are primarily investigated by… look, do I have to explain how the police see trans people and what they do to perpetuate harmful stereotypes of the kinds of lives trans people live?

So anyways, this group that I wanted to talk about, the Trans Doe Task Force, is working to fill the gaps that poor investigation, poor understandings of gender versus sex and how the two interact, and a general lack of knowledge about the complexities of skeletal development have left.

https://transdoetaskforce.org/

One of the coolest things- and most helpful things- this group does, in addition to forensic DNA testing and case reevaluation, is they go back to recreations/composite sketches of cases they identify as trans/gnc and create new images that are more reflective of peoples’ gender.

It works.

Something that’s really important about the remains of unidentified trans people is that unfortunately, due to prejudice, family members might not acknowledge how their relative has changed in both outward appearance and… uh, inward appearance, I guess. Skeletal changes. On the flip side of that coin, people who knew the trans person as they were before their disappearance might not be aware of how they looked in the past. The TDTF has also helped create forensic images of various stages of transition to show relatives/friends/loved ones.

It’s really important that we in the anthropological community talk about skeletal changes that happen throughout life. There’s a persistent myth that by looking at the skull alone, you can neatly fit it into categories of male/female or racial categories. But you can’t… really… do that. Not without knowing your references. (If you’re interested in the race thing, I’ve talked about that at length here.) The fact is, human biology is MESSY and while we do have a bimodal distribution for our morphology, not everybody fits into categories neatly… and many people fit more than one identifying category. For sex/gender, when you’re looking at ancient populations, you can only make estimations. But when you’re looking at modern populations- when you’re trying to fit a specific identity to a set of remains- it’s extremely important that you consider the role of things like HRT in your potential identification. This is extra important when you’re looking at a vulnerable population whose disappearance might not get immediately reported or whose disappearance might not be of top priority to law enforcement.

So go check out the Trans Doe Task Force. The work they do is important.

[grison-in-space]

!!!!!!

[anniraven]

How to make a three card spread for every problem

Sometimes life gets overwhelming and you don’t understand what’s going on. While big fancy tarot spreads can give you great answers to your questions, where do you start if you’re not sure what the question is or where the poblem lies? You want a quick, simple answer, that gives you a starting point, in this case, a point of view that helps you understand the situation, the problem and how to fix it.

The simple three cards structure

Card 1 is supposed to tell you, where your problem(s) come from. Where there certain events triggering the events leading to the chaos? Maybe your life wants you to confront a new task. What is happening around you may be a reflektion of what is going on inside you, unconciously, or vice versa (especially if you’re an empath).

Card 2 should explain your position in all of this. Even if your problem does not involve chaos, asking where you stand in regards to solving the problem might help interpreting the third card. You can also try and understand your role in a social conflict, how you have influenced the evolution of it so far or how far you have come in understanding and solving the problem.

Card 3 is telling you how to solve it. If you were really lazy or just really good at communicating with/ reading your cards, you might as well skip the first and second card. I think looking at past and present is really helpful in understanding what your card suggests for the future. If you already have a solution in mind you could also ask for the outcome.

Traditionally, you would place the cards next to eachother from left to right, but in the end you can spread them however you feel fits. How you spread the cards of course will have an effect on the interpretation of the interactions of the cards (eg. where figures look etc).

I will now list some example questions:

Card 1 - Finding the root of your problem(s)

Where does my problem stem from?

What happened that triggered this chain of events?

What does most of this mess right now boil down to?

What is at the core of my current issues?

What task am I being confronted with right now?

Card 2 - Finding the place in all of this

What is my role in this current conflict?

Where in this mess is my place right now?

Where am I on the path to solving the problem?

How can I extend my understanding of the problem?

How have my issues progressed so far?

What energy am I currently bringing to this?

Card 3 - Finding a solution

How can I solve this problem/ the issues?

What energy do I need to invite to fix this mess?

What do I need to bring into my life to help me with this?

Whom can I ask for help?

What outcome will the solution that I thought of have?

Obviously you can always draw more cards to get a more detailed and maybe specific answer. Espacially, if you don’t feel able to understand one card to is full extend in answering your question. Then asking a follow-up question can be very helpful and you should never shy away from doing so.

I know big spreads are very popular and that is for good reason, but sometimes the small spreads that can be done quick and dirty just do the work in pushing us in the right direction.

If you have any tips yourself, feel free to add onto this.

[shroud-of-roses]

The Elements Within Death Witchery/Work

The elements can be found in many paths and types of Witchcraft, but I rarely see anything regarding them and death witchery/work. Here are my associations and notes for each of the five commonly used elements.

Fire

Cleansing and cathartic, fire releases physical form. Just as bodies decay, fire cleans all decomposable materials away. Dust is simply dust, and fire fans the release of memories and the rebirth of joy.

Cremation uses fire, which leads to memorial and honour of the deceased person. Fire is the final physival phase of deconstruction if cremation is the route taken. After this, no DNA remains, and as such, fire wipes all energy from the aching bones of the beloved one.

Life is fleeting, like a flame fueled by a minute ember. Cherish life and meditate on its length as you watch a for die out.

Water

Nature’s cleanup; water washes away dirt, blood, and debris from battlefields. The memory of war may have scarred the area, but it has been tucked away into the bowels of the Earth after rain comes to bury it.

Like tears on the cheeks of mourners, water flows gently to the Earth. The touch of water is soothing and soft, and shows our companions where we stand as grievers.

Mist and fog are veils separating the quiet from the mundane. Victorian women wore veils to have privacy while mourning, and this allowed them to remain speechless without guilt. In this way, water shields us from the ones that wish to remain hidden and still.

Air

The last breath we take is an offering to the world. A somber goodbye, and a kiss air takes with dignity and respect. Air holds the secrets our spirits leave behind, unspoken words that flit away with the soul within us.

Without air, there would be no life, at least not for us humans. Death is Life. Life is Death. They are not counterparts, but two skills of Mother Nature. Air knows this, as it is forced into your lungs by your own instinct at birth, and whispered out upon dying.

The words of condolence and shared grief are more powerful than energy taken upon life being created and shared. They stand in solidarity, they were and express their sadness together. Hope for peace and the love they gather between one another is a sign of Air and its gifts.

Earth

Human bodies remain in the Earth, still and resting. The Earth invigorates raw power and strength into their bones, preparing them to live among the realm of fellow spirits, or perhaps to be birthed again somewhere else. Bones fade into Earth but never truly leave. They are swaddled in layers of nurturing soil.

Some find caves and darkness unsettling. But within the Earth, death is known and natural. There is not quite the same fear of death down below that appears here. Learn from true darkness and the shadows the Earth finds company in.

The Earth was alive before anything ever settled upon it’s surface. It was once someplace else, and was categorized as another celestial body by today’s standards. It has died and emerged with flowing grass, rivers that possess currents and fish, and deserts with animals and plants unafraid of the heat.

Spirit

We are spirits, merely placed in vessels that breathe and walk among other spirits. We die, but our spirits do not. They may transform or metamorphosize into another body, but we go through death over and over again while our spirit remains a steady companion of the cycle of nature.

Spirit is not as abstract as other things. Spirit is an element just as Air or Earth. Like death, it is debated and misunderstood. But in the end, avoiding it will not cause it to disappear. Like death, spirit must be accepted and meditated upon for us to continue on with the phrase “memento mori, memento vivere” strung across our minds.

Spirit is our element, but also the element that produces our spirit friends and foes. Remember this when communicating with the Dead and other entities beyond our understanding.

[witchcab]

Red Flags in Witchcraft

Red Flags When Looking For Information

As a Witchling, doing research before attempting any spell-work is important. Whether you are asking more experienced witches for their knowledge, reading a book or searching for information on Google, you should always cross reference from multiple sources. While this is a good way to verify information, you should be aware of red flags to look for when doing your research. Inconsistency in terminology Pay attention to the words people use. You can often find people interchanging words to refer to the same thing. If you see this, consider it a red flag. It is important that you research the definitions of different terms, especially when you are just beginning your path as a witch. Here are terms that are sometimes interchanged that shouldn’t be: - Talisman & Amulet - Pagan & Wiccan - Smudging & Smoke Cleansing - Pentacle & Pentagram - Jinx & Hex & Curse Claiming Spell-work Does Not Have Consequences You may come across some witches who like to believe that doing any kind of spell-work doesn’t ever have serious consequences. Here is the problem with that: every action results in a consequence. It may not necessarily be a negative consequence, but there are risks. Always keep in mind that when you do spell-work you can either have no results, the results you expected or results you did not expect. Spell-work sometimes backfires. Sometimes spells end up causing more harm than good. There is also the possibility of causing collateral damage to people who you never intended to harm. This is why we always push the fact that Witchlings should always learn how to do proper cleansing, banishing and learn how to set up strong protections before attempting any other spell-work

When They Talk About Using Restricted and/or Closed Practices If you are new to witchcraft, you may not have heard of these before. Some practices are restricted or closed, meaning you either have to be born into them or be invited and/or initiated. The primary reason for certain practices to be restricted or closed is due to them being oppressed and abused. The history often includes racism, slavery, invasion of their sacred land and genocide. Here is a list of practices that are restricted or closed:

Restricted:

Hoodoo

Eastern European Religions.

Judaism.

Sikihism

Zoroastrianism

Gardnerian Wicca.

Alexandrian Wicca.

Shamanism Closed Practices

Indigenous Practices

Polynesian Practices

Santeria

Voodoo

Rastafarianism

Nahua

Sami

African Tribal Religions

Claiming Witches Must Be Wiccan

Many of the sources that you find will probably be based on Wicca. Although not all Wiccans push Wicca onto Witchlings, there are some narcissistic Wiccans who will tell you that to be a true witch you must be Wiccan. This is not true. If you do not vibe with Wicca, then it simply isn’t for you. There are many other paths to choose from. The threefold law and the rest of the Wiccan Rede may not vibe with you. That is okay. Wicca is not for everybody and it is not the only valid path for a witch.

Claiming Only Women Can Be Witches Men can be witches, too. No, they don’t have to refer to themselves as “warlocks”. As far as most witches are concerned, Witch is a gender-neutral term. If anybody tells you men cannot be witches, chances are they are a misandrist. Don’t listen to them. Claiming You Must Work With Some Sort Of Entity Listen carefully. Whether it is deities, the fae or any other type of spirit, you must understand that working with any type of entity requires a certain level of responsibility and knowledge. There are trickster spirits and other negative entities that would love to jump at the opportunity of taking advantage of a Witchling who does not know what they are doing. You can get hurt if you do not know what you are dealing with. Do not attempt to work with any entities until you have learned the bare basics that I mentioned earlier. With that being said, working with entities of any kind is not a requirement to be a witch. That is a matter of belief and personal preference. There are some witches who are agnostic or atheist, and that is okay. Do not force yourself to work with entities if you know you do not want to. Claiming You Must Learn Some Form Of Divination This one may be against popular belief, but truth be told you do not have to practice divination. Although divination has its benefits, some witches just don’t vibe with using pendulums, runes, tarot or any other divination tool. That is perfectly fine.

Claiming You Must Celebrate The Sabbats You may have already discovered the Wheel of the Year, but if you have not then all you need to know is it tells of the holidays that many witches celebrate. Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasadh / Lammas, Mabon and Samhain. You do not have to celebrate these to be a witch. It is all a matter of personal preference.

Claiming You Must Identify As A “Type” Of Witch

Green Witch, Kitchen Witch, Eclectic Witch, Grey Witch, etc… Does not matter. These types of labels only exist to give people a sense of structure. You do not have to label your path. You are a witch. That is all that matters. Claiming You Must Do Shadow Work Listen carefully. Shadow Work isn’t a witch thing. It is a psychological thing. If you don’t understand this, look up Carl Jung and his theories. Shadow Work, although beneficial in many ways, can be difficult on a person who has experienced severe traumas. If you know that your traumas are very triggering for you, please avoid doing Shadow Work unless you are in the presence of a medical or psychological professional.

Claiming You Must Do Shadow Work Listen carefully. Shadow Work isn’t a witch thing. It is a psychological thing. If you don’t understand this, look up Carl Jung and his theories. Shadow Work, although beneficial in many ways, can be difficult on a person who has experienced severe traumas. If you know that your traumas are very triggering for you, please avoid doing Shadow Work unless you are in the presence of a medical or psychological professional.

These are just a few red flags that you should look out for when doing research. Understand that not all people and resources are trustworthy and you have to be able to decipher what resources are reliable. There are many narcissistic witches, , poorly written books and bad information across the internet.