a place for witchy notes

mostly just a cork board for myself as I study (34, they/she, sag☀️pieces🌙 cancer ⬆️)

[chaos-magic-magpie]

Joining in on the #pathandpractice tag, cause it looks fun and I need to update here anyway. I got the format from @etheribot (hello! i hope it's ok that I tagged! )

About the Witch~

Basic information

You can call me Ari, Magpie, or Simon (they/he). I'm in my upper 30s, and have been truly practicing for about 5 years, though I started learning about tarot in 2019. I have 2 cats (Juniper is my pfp, and Willow is his sister), and I'm also an artist, a (lapsed) writer, and a crafter and maker of many things. I also live with chronic pain and illness, and mental health issues. A lot of my recent craft has been finding adaptations for this. I'm also a big fan of spooky stories!

A bit about my craft

I've spent much of the last few years studying, practicing, and deciding what I wanted my craft to be. I still consider myself a beginner in almost all areas, but I have found some familiarity with chaos magic, sigilcrafting, and divination. My path goals right now are working on strengthening basics, opening myself up spiritually and psychically, and also finding adaptations to align with my mental and physical health. I love the concepts of chaos magic, and in eclectic witchcraft as well, of forging my own path and deciding what is true for me. As I advance, I am constructing my own systems and testing and trying things to create a full, unique practice.

Non-witchy fun facts

I make paper mache masks

I have been known to run around on a film set or two doing set design, wardrobe, or PA work

I have an MA that I got in another country - my health and finances may or may not still be in shambles after this but worth it

I usually have rocks in my pockets at all times

I've dyed my hair every color of the rainbow except green - I will rectify that as soon as my day job lets me

I work from home, so it's especially stupid that my day job says I can't color my hair green

I love coffee

[breelandwalker]

Witchcraft Supply Recommendation Roundup

Okay witches, this one's for all our friends and neighbors who are trying to get away from Big Box Monopoly sites or want better / more specialized / more affordable ways to get their components.

Please assume that following things are true:

Reader has visited local thrift shops

Reader has explored local spaces for foraging and wildcrafting

Reader has looked for resources at their local library

Reader has the desire and ability to order things online

Reader has the ability to receive packages

Reader has a small to modest budget

Reader has a non-specific witchcraft path

Reader has a desire for ethically-sourced components

SO. All that being said - what are your favorite places (websites, chain stores, specialty suppliers, etc) to find components for your witchcraft?

Annnnd GO!

[breelandwalker]

Getting some good suggestions in the notes! My turn to add a few. I do most of my ordering online and I make things and run a small business, so I do tend to buy certain supplies in bulk.

Penn Herb Co - Bulk dried plants and spices at very reasonable prices. Products are sold by the ounce and come in 1oz/4oz/16oz packages. Many are available in whole, cut/sifted, and powdered form.

Starwest Botanicals - Bulk herbs, spices, and teas. The prices for some items are a little high, but the company is up-front about Fair Trade pricing for teas and offers wholesale accounts for businesses.

Mountain Rose Herbs - Bulk herbs, spices, and botanicals, plus essential oils, books, containers, and supplies for cooks and makers.

Bulk Apothecary - Raw materials and supplies for the production of candles, soap, fragrances, and more. Excellent for makers, kitchen witches, and small businesses.

Candlewic - Small-town business selling candlemaking supplies. Everything from equipment to wax to dyes to scents and more. I bought from them for several years when I was making my own.

SaveOnScents - Wholesale fragrance oils, incense bundles, supplies for making candles and perfumes. VERY wide selection, sample packs available for scent testing. Great for anyone who wants to make their own scented candles, soaps, perfumes, etc.

100 Candles - All kinds of candles at bulk prices. Scented and unscented options, plus LED candles, lights, and accessories.

Specialty Bottle - Bulk-priced glass bottles and jars in many shapes and sizes. They also sell tins and some plastic items. Been buying bottles and vials from them for years, always good quality. (I've also been recommended Container and Packaging, but I haven't tried them.)

Factory Direct Craft - Pretty much anything you could want in your neighborhood chain hobby shop, in wholesale form. Lots of miniatures, dolls and doll parts, jewelry making supplies, silk flowers, wooden pieces, paints, home decor, and so on.

I've been recommended WEBS/Yarn.com, Knit Picks, Hobbii, Embroidery.com, and Yarn Paradise for fibre arts supplies, though I've only started to explore them.

I also make a habit of looking for potential supplies when I'm browsing the supermarket, dollar store, hardware store, garden center, farmer's market, or craft/hobby shop. (I'll go to Michaels when I need to, but you won't catch me dead in a Hobby Lobby.)

[siegecraft]

i think frequent recurring serious self-reflection is important for a lot of reasons but one of them is that being aware of who you are + what you want & what you want to work on + how you are working on it, is that it makes you harder to influence and advertise to

[afledglings-guideto-witchcraft]

I made my first poppet with a wooden bead some wire and a cloth with some of my blood on it. I’m not fully sure what to do about the cloth. It has blood on it and I kind of want to keep it there so that way there is a connection but at the same time I also want to clean it so it’s no dirty. Also overall what would you recommend for poppet making (The purpose of the poppet is mental health. I don’t want to get into curses if my blood is involved. I just feel that wouldn’t be good). Sorry the question is kind of specific I’m just kind of unsure what to do.

Hello Friend!

A poppet crafted for your own mental health is a deeply personal project, and it makes total sense that you're treating it with care. Using your own blood establishes a powerful, traditional link to your personal energy.

Instead of having a blood stained cloth you can opt for one of these options instead:

If you want to keep the cloth exactly as it is without washing it, the best approach is to make it an internal component. Wrap the wire frame with the cloth first, and then sew or wrap a clean, outer layer of fabric over it. This creates a "heart" or core for the poppet, keeping the blood safely contained, protected from dust, and out of sight, while keeping the exterior fresh.

In many magical practices, washing a component doesn't erase the connection, especially if it's done with intent. You can gently hand-wash the cloth in cool water (hot water sets blood stains) while focusing on the idea of cleansing away old stagnation or heavy mental burdens, leaving only your pure, resilient energy behind.

Of course you can stuff it with other things that will help bind the poppet to you and promote healing.

Lavender

Chamomile

Rosemary

Amethyst

Smokey Quartz

Black Tourmaline

Rose quartz

I hope this was helpful. I'm not super versed in poppets or the making of them.

[windvexer]

Been reading your recent posts lately and reevaluating my craft, and I had a question.

You talked about the meadow and to ask the question what we want to do, and for the answer to that question to lead our craft. But I have encountered one issue, and its the impossibility to see all the options. Is there anywhere you recommend checking out that has options of what a magical practice could involve? Because Im having trouble coming up with things, and I know its just because i havent thought of it

Regarding my last ask, because I feel like I didnt explain myself well enough: It feels there are infinite possibilities of what one could do with their craft, but I cannot seem to come up with them. And Im essentially asking where to find a cheat sheet lol

We may be in references to posts like these:

Wildflower witches

Ok, so you want to practice every day?

Find some stuff to do magic about

All apologies if I misread you on this, but to me it seems like you might be doing the Deleterious Thing, and I hope you'll give me a chance to persuade you that this whole thing is best approached as an adventure and not a college course catalog.

The Deleterious Thing, which I think many or perhaps all of us have done (unless you were one of those sweet souls taught early by a trusted mentor), is to try and make the experiential initiatory mystery religion of Witchcraft fit into exoteric taxonomies, and then behave as if the exoteric structure is the DNA to which the actual Mystery must conform.

This can touch every part of the practice and it will hobble anyone's ability to fully engage with their path. It goes like this:

I want to learn and understand [esoteric witchy thing]

My first step to understanding is to build a framework rooted in my exoteric knowledge base around what it is supposed to be, how it works, how it is allowed to behave or not behave, the rules surrounding it, and where it will take me

Now that this [esoteric witchy thing] is bound by my framework of exoteric mundane classifications, I can begin engaging with it

Help, I must be crazy or invalid because my lived esoteric experiences do not align with exoteric group consensus about what I'm supposed to be experiencing

Now I think what you are saying here Anon is, "yes I want to practice, I just don't know what I could be investing my time in; I want to see what's out there!"

In and of itself that's surely not a bad goal. Expanding your horizons, and all that. But of this I think it's the same problem: I don't think a person can really figure out what they can be practicing with an outside-in approach.

No matter how much you study or learn about what someone else's practice might look like, when you authentically engage in your own path, it will always be different.

You can waste a LOT of time, I mean years and years, trying to make your path look like what other people are doing.

If utility is your goal, you can leave your own deeper power slumbering for a long time trying to access powers and skills that are not naturally yours.

And so when I say things like, "to help integrate your path into your life, ask yourself what you want to be doing with it," I mean this in a very direct and straightforward way. I don't mean figure out what your practice will look like 20 years from now and start working towards it. I mean more along the lines of, TODAY, do you have a sore throat? Why not do some magic about it?

A little more broadly, if you have a sore throat and the neighbors are being too loud, all other things being equal, does it interest you more to be a healer or to be a binder? (Or banisher? Or however you'd deal with the neighbors).

I know this is a very unsatisfying answer.

But I also don't believe a person can genuinely get to everything I could really be practicing by starting with anything other people are doing. I think path development has to start with the experiential, it is rooted in the present moment and your lived reality, and it comes from who you are as an individual - it is so individualized that you will never find it demonstrated by someone else. Perhaps in small parts or in themes, but not much more than that.

[breelandwalker]

Surviving and Thriving in Collapse: A Good Library and Reskilling

March 25 2025, Dana O'Driscoll, AODA

Excerpt:

In my first post in this series, I talked about the global collapse that is happening and what to do about it–and as hard as it is, the reasons to keep up the hope and the vision for a better future and paradigm.  As I shared in my first post, what we need to do now, as things are collapsing, is to lean into and create the world we want to create.  But how to do we actually get there? One step at a time, my friends.  In my first post, I outlined the situation as I see it and then shared some resources to help orient our minds and mentally prepare and cultivate mental resilience.   This post assumes that you’ve read the first post, and also, that you are feeling like you are in a place to take a few more steps.  And so today’s topic is: building a good library!

Read the full post on The Druid's Garden.

Dana O'Driscoll is the Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America and the co-found of the Pennsylvania School for Herbalism. She is also a Certified Permaculture Designer and Teacher, and the creator of the Tree Lore and Plant Spirit oracle decks. She has published two books on connecting modern pagan practices with permaculture, sustainable living, and responsible land stewardship. Sacred Actions and Land Healing are both available from Schiffer Books.

[chaos-magic-magpie]

Week 1 of The Samhain Ultramarathon 100 Days Challenge!

I'm on track! Days 2-7 have gone well, even being tired from hectic work days. I'm preparing to go on a trip this weekend, so a lot of my focus has been preparing what I'm going to bring magically, like protections, and an energy moon water spell jar that I set up tonight. I also have been doing a lot of divination and some tentative spirit communications.

One fun thing that I may make a more detailed post on that I did early this week is some work on my personal elements, and connecting them to my personal holidays and seasons list. They matched up perfectly, and I love that feeling.

Up next, I'll be celebrating the summer witchy holiday this Saturday (I no longer call it Litha or Lughnasagh but I use the same dates, they also can be called Quarter Cross days, equal distance between the Solstices and the Equinox). I'll be on my trip, so I'm figuring out what I want to bring and what I would like to fit in between activities. I also need to complete a protection amulet for travel before I leave. After my trip, gonna keep it low-key and just work on using magic in rest and recovery.

Anyway, that's all! I hope you enjoy and I'll see you next week!

--Magpie

[breelandwalker]

Witchcraft Book Recommendation Lists

(Reposting again bc tumblr turned off the reblogs on the original wtf. From an answer to an inquiry in the witchcraft tags. Decided to repost for anyone else who might need it.)

Here’s the post I made with recommendations for green witchcraft and plant magic. The list includes magical resources and accompanying practical texts on botany, herbology, and medicinal plants.

Here’s the post I made with recommendations for general witchcraft study, including practical sources on the history of modern witchcraft. (In particular, I recommend Margot Adler’s “Drawing Down The Moon” and Ronald Hutton’s “The Triumph of the Moon” for information about the modern movement.)

Here’s a recent photo of my personal library, if you’re looking for a general list of titles to check out.

Here’s the post I made with a list of JSTOR articles I’ve found that relate to witchcraft, witch trials, folk magic, occult beliefs, superstition, and the history surrounding all of them. It’s not exhaustive, but it’s pretty comprehensive.

And here are a couple of masterlists of podcast episodes that deal with witchcraft, witch trials, the history of witchcraft-related beliefs, and resources for fact-checking and debunking misconceptions and misinformation commonly found in witchcraft spaces.

(Also I have published a few books on practical secular witchcraft, if you’re interested….)

You can also find additional recommendations in the "book recs" and "witchy books" tags on my blog.

Hope this helps!

(If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊)

[hellboundwitch]

most folks who are sitting there thinking, "What should I put in my grimoire??" probably don't need a grimoire, they need a notebook. a binder. a journal.

this is my official and professional observation as a witch.

[hellboundwitch]

I would say yes, others might disagree, but I can't speak for them :')))

My post is less a commentary on what a grimoire is and more a commentary on doing the work of having a practice to document. You know what to put in your grimoire as you develop your path and as you see which things you go back to reference, as you create things you want to remember, as you make changes you think are worth noting.

Worrying about "what do I put in my grimoire??" before you have those things is silly. So don't worry about that. Just put things into notebooks or obsidian vaults or whatever works for you. Whatever things you want.

"Should I document my every ritual in my grimoire?" Put it in a notebook and see if it's useful to you.

"Should I include information on the astrological signs in my grimoire?" Put them in a notebook and see if they're useful to you. Do you go back and reference them ever or are they just pages in a book?

You'll put things in you eventually won't use anymore or like anymore or even completely disagree with. You'll add things that you'll reference a lot to your notebook. Over time you'll wish you had specific information in there and then you'll add it too.

Can the notebook become a grimoire? Sure. Don't worry about that. That's not the point. And should a time come that you want to take things out of your notebook(s) and put them into a fancy book or a new plain notebook, you'll go through your own material and know for yourself what goes in, it won't be me or anyone else out here telling you what you need.

[cultusquercus]

This this this!

It's also easy to fall into the trap of getting a special fancy book that you plan on using for your grimoire, but then it is so special and fancy that you become afraid of writing in it.

If this sounds like you, all the more reason to start with a cheap notebook. This will be your lab notebook as you experiment and get your hands dirty. Cross shit out, tear pages out, spill tea on it. It's fine. This is a rough draft.

Incidentally, as a writer I also cannot emphasize enough the importance of the rough draft. You are SLAPPING IDEAS ONTO THE PAGE BEFORE THEY ESCAPE, they don't need to be fully formed or good. That's for editing, which is a separate process. Don't let yourself get so hung up on potentially making mistakes that you fail to do anything at all.

[chaos-magic-magpie]

Day One: The Challenge Begins!

Thoughts and Logistics

I'm taking part in @etheribot 's Samhain Ultra Marathon 100 Days Challenge, starting today to take us all the way to All Hallow's Eve!

I'm taking this challenge as an opportunity to solidify some basics, get better at writing and casting spells, and also to test and refine what I can do for minimum daily magic. I'm going to be reporting here weekly on Mondays about what I do and what I'm planning.

I may post pictures but my intent is not to be aesthetic, and I also may not share specific details such as the exact words of a spell. Perhaps that will change. I am however open to questions if anyone has any! I hope anyone who reads along enjoys!

What I've Been Doing to Prepare

I've been organizing my digital grimoire in Obsidian. I have the eventual goal of putting my actual practice down in a pretty book, and am using the digital place to take notes, study processes and refine my spellcraft and experiment. It's also just much easier to organize information and move it around as I figure out what references I use the most and how I want it to be set up.

I've been writing some chants and spells for myself, including my own version of an elemental circle casting and release that reverses it. This challenge will involve practicing and refining these.

I've also been collecting references, and things posted by others that are set up to be a 'mini course' to work through, all on various topics that I'm interested in gaining expertise in. This all comes together to being a bit of a syllabus for the 100 days, and I roughly know when I am going to buckle down for those harder practice, vs when I have stuff scheduled or if work is busy and I'll just need to do more of a minimum, or also when my health flares up

What I actually did today!

I decided to wake up at dawn for this to do a dedication ceremony for the challenge and the journal I'm going to use, which I did (just a teeny bit late heh)

I tested the circle open and closure. There are definitely some parts that are a little rough

I did tarot about the challenge, insight on what I needed to succeed and what I should do. It was a very very good reading

Then I blew out the candles and laid down again until my work alarm went off

Work has unfortunately been too busy to do anything else today, but maybe tonight! My next plan is to work on a sigil for the journal.

Other Interesting Notes

I saw a robin on the fence when I was watching the dawn

I saw a ladybug on my window later on

I JUST saw a monarch butterfly ???

Taking those as good signs!

I hope anyone who reads all this enjoys, and if you would like to follow along, i will be posting on Mondays. I have treated this blog as mainly a corkboard, but I just gave it a little refresh and I am gonna be posting more of my own thoughts and practice even after this challenge.

-<3Magpie

[windvexer]

me: I’m a powerful witch! I have magical supernatural powerful powers! I speak to gods! I traffic with spirits! I know the whispers of the land and the patterns of the stars. I can raise men up or shatter them upon the ground! I AM THE NIGHT, I–

also me: watches situations around me get worse and doesn’t do anything about it

[growing-yet-into-magic]

My favorite mood is watching things crumble around me or being nervous about what is about to happen, and then looking at my altar and going

Wait

I can do something about this

because I always, without fail, every time, will forget that even the tiniest issue can be addressed with magic.

[windvexer]

Dude, I literally forget.

And then even so it’s like, hmm…

Magic is powerful, you know?

I’m worried about messing stuff up or making it worse.

I have confidence in myself but my scales balancing “yes, take action” and “pause; do I have the right to take this action?” are heavily weighted towards “pause”.

Push has come to shove though. At this point it’s time to get going.

[fire-and-light]

How does one get to this point of confidence in magic? I’ve made stuff happen with magic before, but it’s so inconsistent, that after 6 years of practicing, I’m still constantly shifting between the spirit model and psych model.

[windvexer]

This is a great question and one I’m trying to address in my “craft and cast practical magic” series.

My answer is pretty much about tech.

There is a lot of spellwork & technique being shared that, personally, I think is very ineffective. I think people get modest successes, or have a really bad standard for verifying their own work, or outright fall into confirmation bias. Then they get excited that they found a method of doing magic (or even just a specific spell) and share it as if it’s totally legitimized, powerful tech.

Not all methods of doing magic are equal. I have seen “protection” spells that are obviously just cleansing, “banishment” spells that are obviously just cleansing, “prosperity” spells that are basically protection, and “spirit communication” spells that are just personal affirmations about psychic abilities.

And a lot of spells out there really do act like visualizing is the same thing as raising power. It’s one way to raise power, it’s a path to power… but visualization and raising power are not identical, interchangeable terms.

(And a lot of spells out there that totally leave out concepts like raising power on any level)

There is also a reason a lot of witches use correspondences and stuff like astrological timing. No, not everybody needs it.

But if I draw a personal sigil for prosperity on a piece of paper, visualize, and burn it, that is just not the same thing as something like…

Planning not only for moon phase but day of the week and hour of the day; prepping a magical ink to draw planetary seals, invokations, and petitions; calling and paying powers to assist me; chanting, praying, and visualizing for 30 minutes over the paper; and burning it in a sacred, consecrated flame at the peak of ritual fervor.

And it’s not fair for us as a community to pretend these things are equivalent. Because no, not everybody needs to go all-out, but if we act like these extra steps are totally gatekeeper elitist unnecessary ritual clutter, we end up making people feel bad because they don’t have the personal power to produce astounding results without taking these extra steps.

[fire-and-light]

Agreed. Thank you for answering!

With practice, do you think people can eventually build that personal power to create astounding results, or does everyone have a plateau-point at different levels?

[windvexer]

I think that is also a really great question (lately I just love questions). And I think that it super, super depends.

I think it is dangerous to approach witchcraft as a monolith. So when we say, personal power to create astounding results, do we mean any result that is desired?

Or do we mean that any practitioner, with enough growth and dedication, maybe able to master the niche that they are most attuned to?

There are practitioners out there who can protect, banish, and exorcise on a miraculous level, but they can’t cast a prosperity spell for shit.

There are practitioners who are amazing healers, like on the level that makes mainstream Tumblr witchcraft nervous - they can divine and heal a lot of health problems, but ask them to do a relationship reading or mend a “broken heart” and they’ll return results as if they’re a beginner witch on month 3 of study.

There are energy workers who can make incredible, fabulous stuff happen with pure intent - and who can hardly make a leaf stir with a candle and herbs.

So for some, maybe a lack of perceived power is because they are fighting against their natural strengths.

There’s also a balance between power and talent within witchcraft, and everything else.

Being very powerful and astounding at witchcraft takes a lot of work! Years of devoted study! Sacrifice! You can’t do other things that you might want to do, or that you feel pressured to do. That is the nature of dedication and choice. Someone who truly wants to be an immensely powerful witch might have to say no to a mundane job and downsize their life so they can focus on witchcraft.

In this sense, I believe everyone’s plateau point is how much they’re willing to put in.

Witchcraft is wonderful! It serves so many important needs! It connects people to nature, their spirituality, their personal power. It brings joy to everyday life. It’s beautiful and can make a life glow. And if a person gets that from doing a meditation once every full moon and lighting color-coordinated candles, then that’s what they need. And I think we should all make space for that, and honor and respect that witchcraft does not need to be intensive, sacrificial, years-long initiations and studies for everyone (in fact, probably not for a majority of people!)

But if someone wants power - if they want their word to reverberate in the world as a shockwave of power; if they want to go sing to the winds and watch the weather forecast change; if they want to draw a sigil and watch someone’s life transform; if they want to build an altar and make changes in 3 months they couldn’t normally achieve in 3 years - I believe that takes work. It takes dedication.

I am not prepared to say that there is somehow a “power ceiling” each human is born with. I believe each of us must ask what we want from witchcraft, and what we are willing to sacrifice for power.

People seem to have a high regard for me now as a practitioner. These are facts I like to share:

I practiced regularly for about 2 years before I figured out basic spellcraft

I practiced regularly for about 4 years before I figured out how to talk to spirits

I practiced tarot for 6 years before I could do intuitive readings

And I was often so frustrated, confounded, and befuddled by my spiritual path that I “quit”. I’ve quit many times. I’ve cursed the names of gods. I’ve forsworn ever speaking to my guiding spirits again. I’ve thrown away all my tools and supplies.

It is not so easy to seek power :) but perhaps worth it, if it’s the right path for you.

[windvexer]

Divination and Spellcasting: An Exercise, and Tarot DLC

I'm working on a post about the virtues of using an oracle before spellcasting, but I decided to make this one first so I could link to it later on.

(I don't want to be doing any of this writing... I want to play video games... send help)

Basically, divination and spellcasting go really great together, and this post is about a simple way to start practicing that :)

If you'd like to have some fun with practical magic in your day-to-day life, and simultaneously practice divination for spellwork, try this!

Keep an eye out for little situations in your day to day life where you could work a spot of magic to make your day better. Keep an eye out for:

Personal irritations (ugh, this again…)

Nerves (oh yeah, that thing is today…)

Wants and whims (you know what would be great right now?)

Quality of life needs (if I just had a bit more energy…)

Inner chaos goblin (you know what would be wild? If…)

Whenever you have the thought, “oh yeah, I could do magic on that!” try using your oracle and intuition to judge how the situation will turn out if you do magic it.

Ask yourself how the situation will go if you magic it. Pause, and see if your intuition flows forth to provide an answer. Remember your impressions and feelings (write it down if you can & want to).

Use your oracle. Draw a card, a charm, etc. Interpret your oracle.

Compare your oracle to your intuition.

Optional: Do the magic and see what happens!

Before you start step 1 with your intuition, you may or may not want to formulate the actual magic you’d hypothetically employ. For example, I could generally ask, “what would happen if I spell this coffee?” Or, I could think, “what would happen if I put a spell on this coffee to make my manager so distracted that he forgets the deadline to file my pink slip?”

Quick and Dirty Tarot Supplement: Magic Oracle, with Ease!

Tarot sucks for practical, everyday questions. Or is that just me?

If tarot is still something you’re learning, or even if you’re quite good at it, it’s not going to be the easiest oracle to use for practical magic questions. “What happens if I make my manager distracted…. Judgement? What does that even mean?”

So here’s a quick DLC for your tarot cards. Feel free to use it when you want quick answers as to the outcome of magical operations.

Modify this DLC to your heart’s delight, it’s purely UPG and if any meaning doesn’t “click” for you, please feel free to change it in any way you like before trying it.

Major Arcana

Ignore reversals unless reversals have special meanings (Wheel of Fortune, Moon).

Fool: Risky proposal with unintended consequences; poor omen.

Magician: Your work will be powerful; good omen.

High Priestess: Your work will provide insight; neutral omen.

Empress: Your work will bring what is desired; good omen.

Emperor: Your work will bring what is needed; decent omen.

Hierophant: Your work will bring necessary education; neutral omen.

Lovers: Your work will put you on an unexpected path; decent omen.

Chariot: Your work will be successful with serious side-effects; neutral omen.

Strength: Your work will be powerful, side-effects may occur; good omen.

Hermit: Your work will fail; bad omen.

Wheel of Fortune, if upright: Amazing outcome, all success upon you; good omen.

Wheel of Fortune, if reversed: Awful outcome, woe be unto you; bad omen.

Justice: Success if your working is honorable; neutral omen.

Hanged Man: Your work will bring necessary insight; neutral omen.

Death: Your work will not manifest; bad omen.

Temperance: Your working will go very well; good omen.

Devil: Your working will go disastrously; worst omen.

Tower: Your working will cause destruction but plant the seed of something good; poor omen.

Star: Your working will not manifest immediately, but will still work later on; decent omen.

Moon, if upright and you are conjuring: Excellent outcome, all success upon you; good omen.

Moon, if upright and you are banishing: Ineffective, your spell will not manifest; bad omen.

Moon, if reversed and you are conjuring: Ineffective, your spell will not manifest; bad omen.

Moon, if reversed and you are banishing: Excellent outcome, all success upon you; good omen.

Sun: Strong and clear outcome; good omen.

Judgement: This working will have serious consequences, beyond what you expect; bad omen.

World: Perfect manifestation; best omen.

Elemental Suits

Read the number of the card as order of magnitude or intensity. Aces may be high or low – choose ahead of time (in other words, the ace of a suit may be the weakest card, or the strongest. It’s up to you).

The pictures on the cards don’t count for this system! In order to keep it very simple, we’re reading elements and numbers, and that’s it.

Fire/Wands: Energy, spoons, passion, creativity, excitement, motivation, sex and sexual relationships. Opposed to water/cups.

Air/Swords: Intellect, rationality, reasoning, punishment, justice, boundaries, business relationships. Opposed to earth/pentacles.

Water/Cups: Emotions, romantic relationships, personal feelings, psychism and intuition, dreams, sleep. Opposed to fire/wands.

Earth/Pentacles:Money, household and job, comforts, prosperity, platonic relationships, luxuries, physical necessities. Opposed to air/swords.

Pip card rules:

Ignore reversals.

If the intent of your spell matches the element you drew, that’s a very good sign. E.g., you are asking for the outcome of a magical coffee for extra energy (Fire!), and you draw a Wands/Fire card, that’s goodand indicates a desired, successful outcome!

If the intent of your spell is opposite of the element you drew, that’s a negative outcome. E.g., you are asking for the outcome of a money spell (Earth!) and you draw a Swords/Air card, that’s bad and indicates an unsuccessful manifestation or bad side-effects.

If the element you draw is neither matching nor opposed to your spell intent, that is neutral. E.g., you are asking for the outcome of a candle spell to soothe your sleep (Water!), and you draw a Pentacles/Earth card, that indicates mixed success or a different-than-intended outcome; the kind of outcome is revealed by the suit (if I draw an Earth card for my dream spell that might mean I will sleep many hours without feeling rested; if I draw a Fire card it may mean I sleep deeply but feel drained by vivid dreams).

The higher the number of the pip card, the greater intensity of the outcome: a two-card is a very modest outcome, a five- or six-card is a very decent, expected outcome, and a ten-card is an intense and powerful outcome. Again, choose whether aces are high or low.

For example:

If I ask about an Earth-category spell and draw the 5 of Pentacles, that is a very good omen for success.

If I ask about an Earth-category spell and draw the 2 of Cups, that probably means really nothing is going to happen one way or another.

If I ask about an Earth-category spell and draw the 10 of Swords, that means this spell is a really bad idea.

Court Cards

Here, read court cards as a set of behaviors. If the spell is cast upon a person, it will be their behaviors. If the spell is cast around an area or is more generalized, it will be the behavior of the spell itself. Check the element of the suit to gain additional insight. As usual, ignore reversals.

Page: Subtle influence; learning, developing, watching, spying, and first steps of understanding.

Knight: Powerful force but perhaps applied incorrectly; rapid movement; quick development; little opportunity to correct the course.

Queen: Strong but gentle influence; wisely applied; room for changes or nonconformity.

King: Strong and evident influence; applied with no wiggle-room; things which cannot conform will act strangely; authoritarian forces.

Notice that unlike all the other cards, court cards do not have a clearly set omen. If you do not like this, ignore court cards and draw again.

[breelandwalker]

Witch Tip - Signs & Omens

thesaltysagittarious Genuinely curious, what is an omen rubric?

An excellent question! I've talked about this topic before, but it's been a while. Always good to have an occasional refresher.

So, like many witches, I am an anxious person. At any given moment, I've got a dozen things on my mind, and I'm constantly worried that I've missed something or forgotten something, which is a very real possibility since my brain is kind of a sieve.

When I was first exploring divination and prognostication (predicting future event based on current data) as part of my practice, I got very overwhelmed with the idea of What Is And What Is Not A Sign. From what I see in the tags, this happens to a lot of us. Was that bird a sign? What about that weather change? And what does it MEAN? So many variables, so many interpretations. I don't like uncertainty. So I did what I usually do to combat it - I made rules.

A rubric, in the classic sense, is an established rule, tradition, or custom. We usually see it in the context of schoolwork, as in the outline that establishes the expectations and scoring criteria for a project or assignment. In this case, I used it to create a set of rules for communication.

I made a finite list of local wildlife, mostly birds, and assigned each species on the list a specific meaning, based on a mix of folklore and personal preference. For instance, hawks are sometimes credited as bringers of news or messages in certain lore. (It's more than one source, but it's also a family tradition.) For another, crows and magpies appearing in certain numbers have significance according to an old nursery rhyme ("One for sorrow, two for joy, etc").

So that takes care of What Does It Mean. But it still left the issue of What Is And What Is Not A Sign.

So I created a rule - in order for the appearance of an animal on my rubric to qualify as a sign, it needs to satisfy at least one of two conditions.

Did I ask for a sign?

Did the creature appear in a way that deliberately caught my attention?

If the answer to either of these is Yes, then I proceed with interpreting the appearance. If no, then hey cool, I saw an animal and it was neat, but likely not any kind of omen.

This helped to weed out common sightings and kept me from worrying whether that random robin on my lawn was a sign when in all probability, it was just a songbird passing through to eat some bugs. A hawk that lands on my back fence and stares at me for a full minute, on the other hand....that's an omen. (I did create a secondary rule that any sizeable bird that lands on the back fence should garner some attention, since it's an unusual occurrence.)

The nice thing is that this system is pretty flexible and can be adapted for whatever signals or meanings the user requires or prefers. I definitely recommend it as something to try out for anyone who has an interest in signs and omens, alongside some reading on signs and omens in folklore just for a frame of reference. You can also look up practical information on weather forecasting based on animal behavior, cloud, changes in the wind, and so forth to try a different kind of prognostication.

Pattern recognition can be very useful, but it needs to have firm guidelines. Because if we're actively looking for signs, we tend to find them. Because we're looking for them.

If you're going to ask the universe to speak to you, it really helps to define some parameters and create a language that both parties can understand. That way, you can tell the difference between a human inclination toward pattern recognition and confirmation bias, and a possible opportunity for real-time divination.

Also - keep records! Write down your rubric so you don't have to keep the whole thing in your head. If you ask for a sign, make a note of what and when. Then, if one shows up, make a note of that, along with whether or not it panned out.

Have fun! 😊

[etheribot]

The Samhain Ultramarathon | 100 Days of Witchcraft

"Etheri, why are you talking about Samhain already? It's still Spring where you live..." shhh...

October 31st is my favorite day to be a witch! I find myself looking forward to it throughout various times of the year. So, this year, I decided to make a little "challenge" for myself in the days leading up to Samhain, and I wanted to invite others to participate ^.^

Starting July 23rd, I'd like to invite you all to join me for what I'm calling "The Samhain Ultramarathon!"

The challenge itself is to touch your Craft for 100 days in a row! Starting July 23rd, the task is to do something, anything, witchy each day, counting down to October 31st. Some days can be as simple as just updating your grimoire or lighting a stick of incense, while other days can be more elaborate spells or rituals. The ultimate goal is to touch your practice at least once a day, even for just one minute, for 100 consecutive days! It'll be like a spiritual marathon... hence the name :P

I'm sharing this now, over two months out, to give anyone who may want to participate time to coordinate! If you want to share your preparations and if you want to share your "marathon experience" once the challenge itself starts, please use the tag #TheSamhainUltramarthon !

[herbalisyl444]

seasons of the otherworld: spring 🌷

created by @stagkingswife, inspired by #where i live

this year i'm choosing to describe the seasonal change in one specific otherworld location which i frequent, in this case the tower, AKA the corridor. this otherworldly location was initially introduced to me through Weaving Fate: Hypersigils, Changing the Past, & Telling True Lies By Aidan Wachter, and has been one of my most frequented otherworldly locations, primarily because it is easiest for me to access. in my practice, the tower is located three steps below the natural (mid)world, and looks out over various otherworldly locations below, primarily peering over areas of gloaming or of wilderness. every visit to the tower is a bit different, but the space remains generally the same.

sight

on the left and right walls near the door are bookshelves, filled both with books and with a variety of materials and magical souvenirs. in the spring these bookshelves are cast with speckled rainbow light due to witch bottles that hang in the windows across the room. in the center of the tower, a working altar sits with a vase of vibrant fresh flowers, in the spring. out of the windows most recently was a view of an ocean, with translucent gulls flying in and out of luminescent cumulus clouds. in the distance there was a brick red lighthouse in the south-east, shining left and right across the sea.

smell

in spring, the herbs strung across the ceilings begin to be populated with green, fresh herbs to be dried. these herbs, especially when hit with a breeze, smell fresh and aromatic throughout the circular room. when fresh herbs arrive i try to use the dried herbs, typically as incense which is part of my typical rituals in this space. this smell is etched into the walls and is replenished every time i visit. recently, when the windows revealed a sea, i could smell the salt from the splashing waves from up in the tower.

taste

i frequently cook and bake at the hearth in the tower, but in the spring i don't tend to light the fire as much. i do taste the fresh herbs out of curiosity, which do give a very strong physical reaction although they don't give me the exact sensation of tasting the herbs. if i am presented with a bouquet of daylilies, it is hard for me not to eat some of them! a few times in springs before, i have been presented with baskets of various fruits, berries, or vegetables that a spirit ally would like me to prepare for them in the tower, which i do dutifully, then we share the meal together. i quite remember some rhubarb pastries i made in this way!

sound

the sounds of whatever is out of the window is a primary one, which can frequently change. i've discussed already the recent ocean exterior, which had the amazing rhythmic noise of waves hitting the beach. almost always there will be bird calls of some kind. sometimes i will be peering over gatherings of the gloaming, where they sing and dance below me. otherwise the sounds within the tower will either be the hearth, or another fire such as incense or candle-flame. or just me humming! when there is a breeze, the wind chimes go in the windows.

feel

the windows open up or disappear entirely as a warm breeze enters through the window, blowing through my hair. the walls are almost always thick, rough grey stone, which scrapes against my fingertips where i touch it. the seats in the windows have velvet cushions, which are a pleasant opposition to the surrounding stone. i love to run my fingers through the fresh herbs (keeping an eye out for nettle however), which are typically super soft and amazing to run over my hands.

thorn dividers by @pixopix

[evelynsterling]

🜏 Dissolve the Ego 🜏

Before anything else, remember this: everything written here comes from my own experiences, personal beliefs, and the studies I've done throughout my journey. It is not absolute truth, nor is it meant to tell you what you must believe. One of the greatest lessons I've found within Satanism is the importance of thinking for yourself. Question everything. Learn from multiple sources. Challenge your own beliefs, and come to your own conclusions rather than simply accepting someone else's.

An ego-dissolution ritual, sometimes called an "ego death" practice, is a psychological and spiritual exercise intended to temporarily quiet the ego, the part of the mind that clings to identity, labels, fears, and the illusion of being completely separate from everything around us. The purpose is not to erase who you are, but to step beyond the constant chatter of the mind for a short time. In doing so, many people experience greater mental clarity, emotional peace, self-awareness, and a deeper sense of connection with both themselves and the world around them.

To me, this practice holds an important place within my own path of Theistic Satanism, though I believe it can be valuable regardless of what spiritual tradition someone follows, or even if they follow none at all. I see it as a form of personal rebirth. It is an opportunity to let go of old thought patterns, question beliefs you've unconsciously accepted, strengthen your confidence, and learn to trust your own mind rather than relying on the expectations or opinions of others. Through meditation and self-reflection, you can gradually reshape your way of thinking into something calmer, clearer, and more authentic.

The Dissolving Space Meditation

(Approximately 15 to 20 minutes)

This is a simple mindfulness meditation using a technique often called open monitoring. Rather than trying to stop your thoughts, you'll simply observe them. The goal is to recognize that you are not your thoughts. You are the awareness in which those thoughts appear and disappear.

Step One: Prepare Your Space

Sit comfortably with your spine straight but relaxed. Allow your shoulders to soften, and rest your hands naturally on your knees or in your lap.

Close your eyes, or if you prefer, keep a gentle, unfocused gaze a few feet in front of you.

Take a few slow, natural breaths without forcing them.

---

Step Two: Ground Yourself in the Present

(First 5 Minutes)

Before exploring the deeper layers of the mind, anchor yourself in the present moment.

Notice the weight of your body resting against the chair, cushion, or floor.

Feel your feet making contact with the ground.

Bring your full attention to your breathing.

Notice the cool sensation of air entering your nose and the warmth as it leaves.

Don't try to control your breathing.

Simply observe it.

Whenever your attention drifts, gently return to your breath without judging yourself.

---

Step Three: Become the Observer

(Next 5 Minutes)

Now begin widening your awareness beyond the breath.

Allow thoughts to arise naturally.

Rather than becoming involved in them, imagine they are conversations playing softly in another room.

Watch them come and go.

When a thought appears, quietly acknowledge it with a simple mental label such as:

"Thinking."

"Remembering."

"Planning."

"Judging."

Then allow it to drift away without following it.

As you continue watching your thoughts, notice something important:

If you are able to observe a thought, then you cannot be the thought itself.

You are the awareness watching it appear and disappear.

---

Step Four: Dissolve the Boundaries

(Final 5 to 10 Minutes)

Now gently soften the invisible line your mind creates between "you" and everything around you.

Imagine your awareness as an endless, open sky.

Thoughts...

Emotions...

Memories...

Physical sensations...

Each one is simply a cloud drifting across that vast space.

The sky never clings to the clouds.

It simply allows them to pass.

Let yourself rest in that same openness.

Experiment with letting go of the feeling that you exist only behind your eyes.

Instead, notice how sounds, sensations, breathing, thoughts, and silence all arise naturally within one continuous field of awareness.

Nothing needs to be controlled.

Nothing needs to be chased.

Nothing needs to be resisted.

If your mind grabs onto an identity, a worry, or a memory, simply notice it, let it go, and return to the quiet openness.

Simply exist.

---

Ending the Meditation

When you feel ready, slowly bring your awareness back to your physical body.

Notice the weight of your body resting where you're seated.

Feel your hands.

Feel your feet.

Gently wiggle your fingers and toes.

Take one final slow breath.

Then slowly open your eyes.

Spend a quiet moment observing how you feel.

Perhaps your mind feels calmer.

Perhaps the world feels slightly quieter.

Or perhaps nothing feels dramatically different at all.

Whatever your experience may be, simply accept it without judgment.

Every meditation is different, and every session offers an opportunity to better understand yourself. I believe it's important to remain mindful, calm, and aware of your own mind. Thoughts will naturally come and go, but they do not define who you are. Learn to observe them without becoming attached to them. Always stay grounded in your sense of self, strive to maintain a clear and open mind, and avoid holding onto negativity. Have confidence in yourself, trust your own judgment, and continue growing into the person you choose to become. -Evelyn Sterling

[glitterandwitchcraft]

Some little things I've learned over a decade of witchcraft:

If you are feel called to work but are tired/drained, sit outside. Take in all the energies around you. Nature can help charge you

Every witch does a little bit of a bunch of types of magic but sticks mainly to one or two in general. You usually won't be eclectic forever. You'll find what magics work best with you.

Never be lazy or cut corners with spirits. Always be respectful and always tell them to leave when you're done

When you see a plant or ingredient with a long list of properties, there are different things at play. Season of collection, the part of the plant, the health of the plant, etc all play a role in impacting which properties it will carry.

Don't call on spirits unless you have confidence and control

Be careful with sea/water magic. Get into it gently and slowly until you have the energy figured out because it can get out of hand quickly.

Adding a little pinch of magic into your breakfast can make a major difference in your day.

Your personal emotions/feelings over something will impact a work

Planting some plants is good, not only to have a garden, but the dirt helps cleanse you too. Get all dirty and muddy. It's good for ya

Not all trees are nice

The more you listen to your intuition, the easier it will be to tell it apart from your anxieties and worries

Incense is very easy to make which is why it's usually cheap to buy. But you can find a million tutorials online on how to make your own personal incense which is great if you want a spell to take effect over a while but also want to infuse the fire energy in it.

The more you work with something the better feel you get for it. Cinnamon goes in almost everything i cook and most of my spells because me and cinnamon just get right along

Your path is yours and no one else's. It will look like yours and no one else's