Bright old flowers

Eclectic baby witch (cooking/art/forest/green/tech). Love drawing sigils, and expressing my craft through my art and crafts. 

[evasenllyn]

Tips for fellow witches!

I bury stones with sigils on them in my garden and my vegetables that have sigils always grow better that the ones that don’t!

Here’s what I do:

- I have my own method of sigil making but just do whatever you normally do just make a sigil stating your will

- I then draw the sigil on a flat stone with charcoal or something natural (pencil is fine)

- then I activate the sigil (and occasionally bind it to me by licking my thumb and pressing the saliva over the sigil) depending on the intent sometimes I’ll chew a related herb and smear that over the sigil (trust me it works)

- then I dig a shallow hole by my plant and bury the rock

*side note be careful with how strong they are because, there kept being random hard freezes in May this year and I was worried about my peppers and basil not making it so I buried a sigil for sun+heat and (they lived and grew quite a bit!) but they got a sort of plant heatstroke where they leaves get spots of discoloration :/

Happy gardening!!

[todaysbird]

‘pest’ birds alignment chart

[exeggcute]

pandemic episode of malcolm in the middle: malcolm struggles to reconcile his commitment to quarantine safety measures with the fact that all the girls his age are so lonely and isolated that they're suddenly willing to go on dates with HIM, of all people. reese discovers that egging neighbors' houses still counts as a "socially-distanced" activity and has the time of his life. dewey does some mental calculus and realizes that he gets fewer wedgies per day from his brothers than he does from the school bully and decides he'll keep these lockdowns in effect at all costs, so he starts calling in fake pandemic data to local health districts to bump the numbers up. lois gets in a physical altercation with a non-masker at the lucky aide and starts duct taping people's mouths shut, which craig finds both alarming and oddly alluring. (craig then immediately gets infected from licking his hand to slick back his hair in a bid to impress her.) hal works from home but, after slacking off on the family computer all day, is driven to obsession by the thought of becoming the digital solitaire world champion.

[mickibloo]

“Poor animals, how jealously they guard their bodies, for to us is merely an evening’s meal, but to them is life itself.”

― T. Casey Brennan

(via

mickibuddy

)

[opheli]

so let me get this right

it's already fucked up that minks are bred to literally be skinned for their fur

covid is humanity's fault for the gross and cruel practices against animals for their consumption

minks got infected with covid, and because it 'mutates' the virus (of which OUR species is responsible for) now 17 MILLION lives will be taken away from these poor minks. we will KILL animals by the millions, animals that are not even commonly eaten and which we already abuse for unnecessary commodities, because WE fucked up

17 million animals...

THIS CYCLE IS TOXIC. HUMANITY IS TOXIC.

[enraged-amoebas]

Let me introduce you to something called veganism..

[hdot-mokoriri]

I enjoy an evening stroll.___🐌🎶

夕方の散歩を楽しみます___🐌🎶

[popsunner]

Was just informed by my mom that I do in fact have ADHD and the reason I thought I didn’t was because ever since I was seven whenever I got super energetic my mom would have me go chop wood so now when I’m feeling The ADHD I go chop wood and I thought it was just some sort of routine I started when I was little and wanted to blow off steam

[popsunner]

I’d also like to point out that my sister has a really hard time staying present (I can’t remember the term because we’ve always called it Tethered at my house) and whenever she’s feeling Untethered my mom has her knead bread and make syrup because they’re repetitive and easy things to do that ground her

[popsunner]

Now that I’m thinking about it- my brother has days where he doesn’t talk and doesn’t eat unless he’s prompted, and on those days my mom sits him down in the fish pond in the backyard and plays Mozart and because he’s so used to that being his wake up he always comes back in after like an hour rambling about random things

[popsunner]

Oh yeah and when it rains my mom has a required hour where we all have to go outside and run around and whoever finds the most worms for the garden wins and then we go inside and my mom makes us tea and we watch Studio Ghibli movies

[popsunner]

Wait!!! When one of us has a bad day at school we make a fire in the backyard and roast homemade sausages and my mom tells us stories until we laugh and then she tucks is in bed like we’re five again and sings us songs

[popsunner]

Uh.... wait guys is my mom a witch raising a bunch of fae kids hold on-

[saint-batrick]

your mom is very definitely a witch raising a bunch of fae kids, please tell her i love her in the abstract way one can love a complete stranger.

[goawfma]

being lex luthor kinda sorta requires being a genius, elon musk got start up cash because his family stole an emerald mine from zambian miners 🤷🏾 nothing but wealth and privilege

[blackwoolncrown]

I saw this tweet earlier today and took psychic damage for 5 hours. this idiot is the worst but also fuck the entire fetishistic silicon valley fanatacism that made him possible.

[resplendentgoldenwings]

As it happens there are some fairly simple solutions to this problem and it’s not to late to deploy them.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2019/11/20/this-is-how-elon-musk-can-fix-the-damage-his-starlink-satellites-are-causing-to-astronomy/#5a5184974ccc

[thecalmissar]

so uhhhh is this shit why scientists were surprised to see an asteroid barely miss Earth???

[meshkol]

yes

[veerletakino]

And he wants to put up thousands more satellites

[dsu2014]

good morning to people who still use wired earphones only

[rosesofthetwilight]

[dayvan]

i love how whenever something gets popular the underground tormented avant garde bloggers start becoming self conscious of liking it/finding it funny, and it eventually evolves into aggression towards it. doesnt matter what it is. unrelated but i saw someone call isopods cringe today

[northwestpines]

Mind Your Own Business Jinx

When someone states an opinion or tries to butt into a matter that they know nothing about. To make them unsure of themselves in future conversations, make them think twice, and strikes a blow to their ego.

It is a short lived jinx, but quite effective. Perform in the evening, new moon is best, but not required

Paper with targets name

white wine ~ for regret, an ending of some sort (any kind, but Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio work best)

string

Red pepper flakes ~ for hard luck, trouble

Black pepper ~ to make someone move out of your way

Salt ~ to protect, to create a barrier between you and the jinx

Bowl

2 glasses

On the paper with the name, cover the name with the reverse rune Fehu, and Isa. Like this:

Sprinkle a line of salt between you and the bowl that you will be mixing in. Pour two glasses of wine, the glasses are to be kept on either side of the salt line.

Mix together black pepper, red pepper flakes, and a little bit of wine into the bowl and mix. Wash the string in the mixture, saying “Think before you talk; Your opinion is unsure; Your voice quavers if you speak. Be silent, you know nothing.” Tie the string around the piece of paper with their name on it, and pour the rest of their wine over it in the bowl. Dwell on what they said, and how wrong it is.

Take a sip of your wine, the white wine on your side of the salt line is for success and energy. It is literally on your side of the situation. The salt and the wine will protect you from any backlash.

Throw away the paper because their opinion of you or the situation is trash.

I suggest a quick cleanse of the space once you are finished.This jinx will fade over time, so if you start having problems again, you can recast it, though the negativity may start to leak through to you, the more times it’s cast on the same person. 

[heatherwitch]

So, you want to be a witch? #5

Part one talks about spells, wards, sigils, cleansing, divination and more!

Part two talks about grimoires, crystals, wands, altars and more!

Part three talks about this vs. that for a lot of the common terms you hear!

Part four talks about types of witches, deities and more!

It can be easy to feel super overwhelmed when you’re first starting off. This post is for very new witches who have limited knowledge and would like a broad overview! These are my opinions, feel free to disagree but be polite about it. *And please note that you do not have to do every thing I listed, this is just an overview of basic terms/things some witches do.*

This post is a little different than the other ones, it’s all about casting spells!

Grounding and cleansing yourself:

It often is harder to focus on a spell if you are stuck in your own thoughts or have the energies from the day on you. I’ll often start with cleansing myself, by burning a sage or cedar herb bundle, and then sit and take some focused breaths and becoming present in my body.

Casting a circle:

Many witches cast circles as a way to protect themselves from outside energies or unwanted spirits while they’re performing magic. You can use the elements, a salt circle, invoking a deity, etc. Click the links to learn more!  [X] [X] It is recommend you stay in the circle until you finish the spell and close the circle.

Drawing energy from something:

(So you don’t draw all the energy from yourself, which can be draining). Energy can be drawn from the elements, from crystals, deities, and many other things. This can be done by visualization and energy work or by asking. 

Casting the spell:

This is when you use your ingredients and the guidelines of the spell. It is best to be completely focused so try to avoid having distractions (like your phone) and have everything you need ready to go. 

Closing any loopholes:

Often, this is not included in the written spell so this is up to you. I usually write a list of loopholes I want to close before starting this process, so it’s handy when I’m finished with the spell! If it’s a spell you want to come to light in a certain way or by a certain time, this is when you clarify that. This post has more info [X]

Completing the spell and dispelling any energies:

Once you have finished with the loopholes, finishing the spell can be as simple as “this spell is now complete”. I recommend dispelling any energies you called on and returning them to where they belong. If you didn’t cast a circle, now is the time to rid of anything you may have attracted by performing your spell.

Closing the circle:

Closing a circle is fairly simple! All you have to do is the reverse of how you cast it. (If it was with smoke for example, you would then undo the circle by burning the bundle in the opposite direction).

Cleansing and grounding:

Cleansing here is optional, depends on the spell, how you’re feeling, and if you want to do it. Grounding is highly recommended. This can come in many forms. I often use water, putting drops on the key points of my face (forehead, eyelids, cheeks, nose, lips and chin) and sit while taking focused breaths.

Other considerations:

Consent: If you are casting a spell on a specific person and they do not know or they have not given you permission, you do not have their consent. Spells cast to bring a general thing (to attract love instead of to make a specific person fall in love with you), with permission, or on yourself don’t need consent/already have it!

Ingredients: Ingredients are often an important part of the spell and are included for a reason. They either represent a part of the spell, what the spell is trying to accomplish or are something you can draw energy from.

Alternative ingredients: If you can’t get your hands on a certain ingredient, you can almost always use a substitute ingredient. Just use correspondences and trust your gut while searching for the perfect substitute. Many people believe: Clear quartz = any crystal, Rosemary = any herb, Rose = any flower. But really, look at what that ingredient is meant to bring to the spell, then find an alternative that still brings that!

Discarding used ingredients: (Click me)

Belief: If you don’t believe the spell is going to work - it probably won’t. To combat this, take the time to find a spell you really believe will work and write a list of ways you might expect it to present in your life.

Intention: Similar to belief. I’ve performed magic only using a pen, paper, and my powerful intentions. The more powerfully you want something and bring it into your life, the more likely it is to appear. Intent is the end goal, why you’re casting the spell. 

Deities: I do not use deities in my spellwork (or witchcraft at all). There is a huge amount of respect and connection-building that is required before asking a deity to help with your spell. I tend to avoid spells where a listed ingredient is a deity. (If you do have a connection with a deity, by all means ask them to help you out if that feels right to you!)

Energy: It is common to feel drained after casting a spell. Grounding yourself, casting a circle and drawing energy from other things all help with this, but allow yourself some time to recover. [X]

When your spell fails: (click me)

Nullifying your spell: (click me)

Writing your own spells: [X] [X] [X] [X]

Related posts: [X] [X] [X] [X] [X]

(Click here for the other parts in this series!)

[auricwitch]

Witchcraft 102 Masterpost

So. You’ve covered the basics. You know what every kind of ritual tool does, you understand all the terms that seemed alien to you before and you think you’re finally starting to get a feel for this witchcraft thing. You’re not a baby witch anymore, but… where to from here? Making the move from beginner witch to intermediate witch is a lot more difficult than it seems, purely because resources aimed at intermediate witchcraft are few and far between. But there’s a good reason for that.

There are general rules and ideas that can be applied across all of witchcraft. There’s so much to learn from other witches, but your greatest teacher will always be yourself. There is a reason witchcraft is so customisable to the individual: some things just work better for certain people. Not to mention pretty much every magick practice in history was developed by witches using their intuition! Because of this, it’s hard to create resources that tell somehow how to go from a beginner to an intermediate. However, they do exist! You’ll just find that most of them will act as prompts or scaffolds. They’ll instruct you on how to figure things out for yourself.

This next stage of your craft will involve a lot of introspection, and a lot of trusting your gut. It’s the reason you learnt all that baby witch stuff in the first place. This is where most of the personal growth happens. It can be scary, but it’ll also be magical. It’ll be a while before you actually qualify as an ‘intermediate witch’, and there’s no shame in that. The process of moving from beginner to intermediate is one that can take years, simply because witchcraft is such a deep and complex art. I myself definitely wouldn’t identify as a baby witch, but I’m still a beginner in many aspects despite having been a witch for years.

Without further ado, I present to you witchcraft 102.

GENERAL

The Problem with Sharing Advanced Magic

Using Tumblr as a Resource

How to Stop Being a Beginner Witch

How to Deepen Your Craft

Developing Your Craft Beyond Tumblr

Creating a Spiritual Calendar

SOAP Journaling: a Devotional Framework

Devotional Journal (for deity worship)

Questions for a Deeper Spiritual Practice

ORGANISATION

When reading through information, I recommend taking notes on the content, as well as your thoughts on it. Do you notice any connections to other texts or ideas? Do you have any questions you’d like to follow up? This will not only help you remember the information, but encourage you to look at it critically and see the bigger picture. Here is an example of my personal note-taking scaffold which includes some of the notes I took a while ago. I adapted it from the Cornell notes system based on my personal needs.

At TechnoCoven, a recent online witchcraft convention, there was an hour-long panel about planning in witchcraft called Spirit Papers. Here is a link to the recording. It goes over different organisation systems, notebooks, etc.

Why you should cite sources

How to cite sources

What is an annotated bibliography?

I would highly recommend setting aside a specific time every day to study witchcraft. This way, you will be improving your craft every day. Even if you only set aside half an hour, you will be doing three and a half hours of study a week. An hour a day totals to seven hours a week. If you can’t find a specific time every day, then find a specific time every week. 6pm-8pm on Tuesday and Saturday, for example, or reserve all of Sunday afternoon. This structure obviously isn’t compulsory, but with it you will advance at a much quicker pace and probably find your craft more fulfilling.

You should definitely have a grimoire already, but if you don’t, get one. It can be on paper or online, if you’d prefer. OneNote, Evernote, Microsoft Word and Google Docs are all viable digital options. You probably have lots of loose information lying around, whether its physical, in note form or on your Tumblr blog. Categorise it and order it. Then go through it. Document the important and useful parts in your grimoire.

READING

Elemental Magick in Science

Elemental Systems

The Darker Elements

History of Magick Part 1

History of Magick Part 2

History of Magick Part 3

History of Magick Part 4

How Location and History Affect Spiritual Practices

Botanical Medicine for Women’s Health (ebook)

TAROT

Stop Learning Tarot Like Flash Cards

Learning the Major Arcana

Learning the Court Cards

Reading Tarot Cards Vertically

Reading Reversed Cards

How to Take Notes on a (New) Tarot Deck

Understanding Yourself Tarot Mega-Spread

Conceptions of the Self Through Spreads

Shadow February Divination Challenge

Daily Tarot Journal Printable

SHADOW WORK

Introduction to Shadow Work

6 Phrases for Shadow Work

Safety Planning (good to have one of these if you’re doing shadow work and have a mental illness)

Shadow Working with Stuck Points

Shadow Work with Hillbillyoracle (pt. 1)

Shadow Work with Hillbillyoracle (pt. 2)

Hillbillyoracle’s Personal Shadow Work Framework

RESEARCH

Good Things to Research When You Don’t Know What to Research

Areas of Research for the Intermediate Witch

Masterlist of Journals, Articles & Books on Folklore, Mythology and the Occult

Index of Old Grimoires

Working with Plants

Tips on How to Google Correspondences

The Cornell University Library Witchcraft Collection

Sacred Text Archive

Bocastle Museum of Witchcraft

Occult Library

Hermetics Library

Project Gutenberg Paganism Bookshelf

Legal Free Ebooks Masterpost

Good Pagan & Wiccan Publishers

How to Get Use Out of Older Texts

Finding Experienced Witches

PRACTICE

What to Do When You Fall out of Practice

Making Your Own Correspondences

Pendulum Dowsing for Correspondences

2019 Grimoire Challenge (a year of grimoire prompts)

Stones for Advanced Practitioners

On Tools and Psychodrama

A Way to Astral Project

Energy Alignment Identification

Magic in the Body

Spell Circles

Irish Concept of “On the Breath”

Sky Catch

Verbal Sigils

PODCASTS

Tea With the Gods

The Hillbilly Oracle

Hex Positive

The History of Witchcraft

The Empowered Modern Witches Show

Academy of Affluence

TESTIMONIALS

A Samhain Fairytale

Foundations of Diywitchery’s Practice

Godphoning

Devotional activities

GET OFF TUMBLR (AKA GET SOME VARIETY IN YOUR SOURCES) I’ve got some examples listed here but there are definitely more out there!

Bree NicGarran’s Blog

Luna Luna Magazine (Blog)

Witchy Words (Blog)

Mumble & Things (Blog)

Down the Forest Path (Blog)

The Travelling Witch (Blog)

Prisoner’s Apothecary (Blog)

Harmony Nice (Youtube)

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

6 Books for Advancing Your Craft

Hellenic Polytheism Books

Walker Between Worlds by Robert Kirk (I haven’t read it so I can’t vouch for its quality but I’ve heard its a valuable resources for those wanting to learn about the fae)

The Study of Witchcraft: A Guidebook to Advanced Wicca by Deborah Lipp (I will link to my book review here; this book is essentially a study guide)

Evolution of Goddess by Emma Mildon (book recommendation) (especially good if you are looking to find a deity but are unsure of where to start)

The Occult, Witchcraft & Magic: An Illustrated History by Christopher Dell (a fantastic starting place for looking into occult history)

[teenagerposts]

corporation: *bottlefeeding gas to dolphins* yall gotta stop using straws

[nerbert]

Need to scream into the void that literally everything in mortal existence makes sense once the understanding has been achieved that government (not governance) as a concept was created by capitalism and its only goal is to keep a large portion of a population oppressed enough to be exploited as labourers for profit.

[vegannerdgirl]

what are you doing to exempt yourself from paying taxes that go to animal products?

I can’t. No more than I can stop my taxes from building bombs or giving military gear to cops.

Does that mean I should do nothing? Should I become apathetic, or worse, shame people who are trying to make things better? Sit back and not raise a hand to stop the harmful actions I can control? What are you doing to make things better, anon?

[brightoldflowers]

Ah ! I wish I could choose where my tax money go. I wouldn’t pay overpaid lazy  and corrupt politicians either ... In France (I don’t know for other countries...) if you donate money to charities, you can substract a percentage from your taxes . So if you give to animal charities that’s kind of a way to give less to the country and so, to animal products ...