Divination Through Daydreams

[vampireapologist-archive-deacti]

On that same note, since it’s the season, and witchcraft has become so big in pop culture these days, I hate to be Like this, but after browsing the “pagan/esoteric” section in a big-name bookstore last week, I feel the need to warn y’all that the MAJORITY of these books are full of bad information, mistakes, or just blatant lies.

You get used to spotting BS as you go, but here are two major and common red flags:

The book claims to teach “the old ways,” ESPECIALLY if it’s citing Irish or nondescript “Celtic” practices. Historically, we know very little about pre-Christian Irish and most other Celtic cultures’ religious and magical practices, so unless this author is citing a For Real vampire or ghost for their info, it’s fake.

Check the literature cited! I opened about 15 books IN A ROW to their literature cited sections, and guess who they referenced for information! History books? Books on folklore and traditional beliefs? Books on language or religion?

No, no, and no. They almost Exclusively cited Other Authors in the same section, and when I pulled THOSE books, they also cited other pagan & esoteric authors.

At this point, it was just a paper trail of people making stuff up at worst, believing BS without question and spreading misinformation for money at best.

If you want to learn about this stuff, I’m Begging you to skip (most of) the bookstore pagan section and head to your local or university library’s folklore and history sections instead! You will find a Lot of relevant, and Real information there!

You CAN find good books on magic practices in the witch community, and there are some authors even now with blogs putting out some great literature, but just watch out for those signals that something may be amiss!

Also, keep in mind info changes all the time. In the last decade, researches have totally overhauled a LOT of what we’ve recognized as “Celtic” history and facts, and text books are still trying to catch up!

[vampireapologist-archive-deacti]

Y'all commenting making fun of witchcraft and folk beliefs are so boring.

I MADE this post bc of my region’s traditional folk practices and my interest in regional folk religion and bc I feel in order to respect it, people should avoid ahistorical information.

This was not a knock on Paganism, witchcraft, or folk beliefs. It was a knock on misinformation and lies, something you’ll find in every field of study.

Mocking other people’s beliefs and religious practices isn’t new you losers.

[jbirdoftheriverlands-deactivate]

Appalachian Folk Magic and The Question Of Appropriation.

"Appalachian folk magic" is spoken of as if it were a single monolithic Tradition.

It's not. It's really really not. It's threads from multiple intermixed traditions, further intermixed and evolved due to the isolation of the people and the very overt and accepted influence of the spirits of the land and The Knowing/The Cunning/The Sight/etc.

Plenty of us don't even particularly care for the word "magic". Most abilities and operations that will be shared are shared namelessly. It might be referred to by practitioners as witchcraft, a wives tale, a superstition, but usually it's straight up just instructions.

"Appalachian folk magic" is A Blanket Term for all folk magics from the general area. Not a mystical tradition distinct from those traditions. When people don't remember the metadata of "From The Pow Wow Tradition, or From the Ozarks or From Central Tennessee" the secrets get lumped into "Appalachian Folk Magic" and people discoursing appropriation tend to suggest by implication that "Appalachian Folk Magic" is thus a distinct "open" tradition, and that every named tradition (it refers to) is "closed".

That's really a dangerous and knee-jerk skeered sort of oversimplification. Most are "closed" in the sense of being isolated and handled with a sense of reverence and secrecy, but when an appalachian person teaches you to whisper the fire from a burn, it's understood that you will carry it on.

"Appalachian Folk Magic" is not a tradition. It's a generalization for data from some tradition without metadata referring to which. In an angry sense, it's bastardization. In an acedemic sense, it's a loose identification that might refer to many traditions and which one exactly depends on the metadata.

If someone teaches you something, it matters more that you remember the familial origin for it. I. E. "My germanic/scots-irish grandmother from Eastern Tennesee" or etc.

This information can make it a lot easier to determine the actual original tradition the working belongs to, by comparison of locale, approximate era, and rationale of the working. I.E. Uncle Billy who walked to the crossroads to see the man in black is going to have different conceptions of what he's doing than Aunty Jen who was a devout Christian healer with The Gifted Knowing, and It's a weee bit disrespectful to call Aunt Jens charms "witchcraft" when Jen herself, rest her soul, would never ever call it that, you feel me?

Understanding the relation between the worker and the work is key to figuring out which strand of people originated it, but that's never really the point of sharing it in appalachia, because we'll probably tell you where it came from to the best of our knowledge. The idea of cultural appropriation really isn't a thing we think about because usually, we're sharing stories about peoples loved ones. About what it was they did and where it came from and how they understood it. Disseminating that information wholly and completely is almost in itself an act of ancestral worship for us, an act of committed remembrance for our dead.

That information is usually given under the understanding that it will be remembered and not torn up go in someone elses arsenal under another name. That would be appropriation. And a dick move.

Secrets are heirlooms.

If I gave you my dead grandfathers wrist watch, you would remember it was his when you wore it. You should have the same kind of reverence in your head for spooky secrets. Cuz they are way more valuable than wristwatches and most of us take our ancestors and their workings very seriously.

If an appalachian person teaches you something, it's either because we love you, or we loved Aunty Jen and Uncle Billy, or you have a problem we know how to solve.

Moreover, if you had to blackjack someone against the head with Uncle Billy's wristwatch - you'd be grateful to Uncle Billy for it, wouldn't you?

[esoteriqueer]

i’ve written before about how uncomfortable it is being Jewish in most witchcraft/magic/occult spaces, but right now i’m feeling it particularly acutely as i try to navigate this queer & trans witchy renaissance we seem to be having (which is, i think, a direct response to the terror & loss of control we all feel in 2017 - magic has always been about resistance & survival to me & a lot of other people)

i’m tired. i’m scared a lot of the time. i want community & inspiration to help keep me going, so i reach for something like a zine that bills itself as an inclusive mix of queer & trans voices on witchcraft, resistance, activism - because it’s a group of marginalized folks, i (maybe foolishly) have this expectation of seeing myself in it, or of the editors being conscious of the many forms of cultural appropriation that happen in these spaces & working to educate about them

but what i’m finding, over and over, is two things: the first is that despite the fact that we exist in greater numbers than i’d ever have expected, there are no Jewish voices in any of the witchcraft-focused publications (indie or otherwise) i’ve ever encountered. the second thing, that cultural appropriation of Judaism & other forms of pervasive anti-semitism DO exist in these publications, just makes the lack of Jewish perspectives more glaring

so in the interest of being direct, here are a few things the queer & trans witchcraft community (i’d like to ask the ENTIRE witchcraft community, but i am speaking to people with whom i share something right now) can do & think about to help:

include us. if you didn’t think that any Jewish folks were involved in witchy communities, ask yourself why! is it because you thought Judaism was a religion only? or incompatible with ideas about magic? Judaism is an ethnicity & a culture - or more truthfully, a group of ethnicities & cultures - with long & complex histories of magic, mysticism & folklore. some of it is considered traditionally “kosher” & some of it isn’t! our relationships to that are individual, fascinating, & worth being shared!

stop throwing around the words “Abrahamic” & “Judeo-Christian” - especially when you want to talk about cultural values or historical oppression. 9 times out of 10, you just mean Christianity. yes, we share some text, but we have VERY different relationships to it. plus, if you’re talking specifically about the persecution of people believed to be witches, that’s the history of Jews being murdered by Christians. honestly just do us a favor & remove “Judeo-Christian” from your vocabulary, there’s almost no context where it’s an accurate description of anything.

educate yourself about appropriation. i should never have to see someone mention “practicing Kabbalah” in a zine that includes no Jewish people. our mysticism is connected to our culture, our history, our faith - not only do you have no business taking it, what could it possibly mean to you without its context? 

understand that anti-semitism runs deeper than current appropriation - if you engage at all with any Western occultist or “ceremonial magic” literature or practice, you need to learn its history. what does it mean that the 15th century grimoire you’re drawing inspiration from contains Hebrew & calls itself Solomonic, but has no actual connection to Jewish people? what does it mean that the person who created the most iconic image of Baphomet, something beloved by a lot of queer & trans witches for being androgynous, gave himself a fake Hebrew name? i’m not asking you to throw all of these concepts & traditions out entirely - i have something of a love/hate relationship with ceremonial occultism myself, i collect vintage & antique things related to it & some of it is really interesting - but please at the very least educate yourself about it. specifically, educate yourself about how medieval Jews were treated while non-Jewish occultists were incorporating (often misunderstood or mangled) Jewish mysticism, language & folk practices into their frameworks. 

if you’ve stayed with me this far, i appreciate it - i know this post is long & that confronting this stuff can be difficult, but i urge you to do some reading & listening before you push back. i’m writing this because i want to see things change - i want to see communities where people connect meaningfully to their own heritages & participate in actual cultural exchange & learning based in equity & mutual support. 

i’m speaking to my own experience, but all of this goes for ANY marginalized culture/tradition being “drawn from” in witchcraft communities without actually including members of said culture. 

many of us got involved in witchy things because we felt locked out of mainstream religious practice due to a mix of oppressions - let’s not replicate that in our own spaces.

[interior-design-home]

[fallingforleavesandpumpkins]

[folkmagick]

ANGLO-SAXON CHARM AGAINST THEFT

This is an interesting - and very old- example of the common folk magic practice of placing items in your shoes. This is seen in many different cultures and magical contexts.

Image taken from “The Anglo-Saxon Charms” by Felix Grendon, 1909.

[lady-of-dogs-deactivated2019110]

Just tried out that Japanese incense (the kinda expensive stuff it’s in a little box and it comes with a ceramic stand?) for the first time and holy shit I don’t think I’m ever buying anything else. I could actually enjoy the shit instead of being choked to death. Granted the stuff that chokes me is high quality but I’ve never experiences lighter incense before. That frankincense slaps

[eirelavami]

Do you have a link where we could find some?

[lady-of-dogs-deactivated2019110]

The brand is called Morning Star

This is what it looks like along with the little stand it comes with. I bought it in a new age shop for $4.95 plus tax. It comes with 50 but if you don’t burn incense all the way down it’ll last you quite a long time. It has a paper inside with all the scents it comes in. There’s probably a site but I mostly find these in new age or occult supply shops.

[tyetknot]

Morning Star is sublime and their lotus incense is the only thing I’ve ever tried that actually smells like lotus flowers. It’s the best thing I’ve found for daily offerings to Isis that’s not a loose incense.

[wapiti3]

Rambles in search of flowerless plants.

By Plues, Margaret. Publication info London,Journal of horticulture & cottage gardener office; [etc., etc.]1864. BHL Collections: New York Botanical Garden

[thewitches-lovenest]

[peachyspells]

new addition to my room, im in love

[alfalfajar-deactivated20200817]

[noncool-deactivated20210111]

[stonecrop]

I’m both pro herbal medicine and pro vaccination because you can treat burns with aloe vera juice and sore throats with lavender infused honey but you can’t rid a country of polio with plants. 

[caelysiiirl]

legit my mom uses traditional / herbal medicine and remedies all the time and they work but I still get all my necessary vaccinations whenever necessary because she was a nurse and she’s not dumb and they also work

[corn-curls]

There is a line of difference between herbal medicine and alternate medicine.

To quote Tim Minchin’s Storm; “Do you know what they call alternative medicine that’s been proved to work? Medicine.”

And further pulling from that same work; Aspirin is based from traditional medicine, it’s derived from the bark of the willow tree, just reduced more to the essence. Herbal medicines that have been proven to work are medicines. They have medicinal value. Alternative “medicine” has not.

[burningmine-deactivated20230217]

Sauer’s Mountain, April 2019

[wiitch-craft]

Attn: Witches that work with Herbs...

Just came across this cool site that has over 100 different vintage inspired botanical illustrations for use with common & botanical names for your herbal grimoires! 

[themori-witch]

YES.

[lunar-witches]

WITCHES WITH DEPRESSION:

☕ TEAS ☕ 

🔹 Chamomile (helps combat insomnia, a common symptom of depression) 🔹 Green (contains an amino acid known as theanine which is known to fight depression) 🔹 St John’s Wort (contains compounds known as hypericin and hyperforin, which may affect activity of the brain’s serotonin system)   🔹 Lemon Balm (works as a mild sedative and can ease anxiety and depression) 🔹 Ginger Root (helps to increase important neurotransmitters than can regulate your mood) 🔹 Lavender (research shows that lavender can help combat depression, and has been said to rival antidepressants) 🔹 Peppermint (the menthol in peppermint leaves helps calm mood and aides sleep)

💎 CRYSTALS 💎 

🔹 Smoky Quartz (helps elevate moods, overcome negative emotions, and relieves depression)  🔹 Rose Quartz (is a known healer and can help replace negative feelings with love and compassion) 🔹 Amethyst (combats stress and releases a relaxed energy) 🔹 Citrine (emits a sunny, optimistic energy which can aide in combating depression and anxiety) 🔹 Angel Aura Quartz (is known to help with mental illness, and it’s energy can help process emotional disturbances, grief, or trauma)

🕯️ INCENSE 🕯️

🔹 Lavender (reduces stress physically and mentally, and promotes deep sleep) 🔹 Jasmine (helps with alertness, evokes an uplifting energy, and is believed to ease symptoms of depression) 🔹 Ylang Ylang (has a calming affect that elevates mood and is known to help with physical and mental symptoms of anxiety and depression) 🔹 Lemongrass (promotes emotional balance, and uplifts emotional weight) 🔹 Sandalwood (encourages calmness, serenity, and feelings of well being)

🔮 SPELLWORK 🔮

🔹 Daily Ritual To Ease Depression 🔹 Encourage Positivity Spell 🔹 Self Care Sachet! 🔹 Inner Peace Sigil 🔹 A Charm To Dispel A State Of Melancholy 🔹 Body, Mind, And Soul Purifying Spell 🔹 Motivation Charm Bag 🔹 I Am Free From Negative Energies Sigil 🔹 Bathe Me The Fuck Better Bath Spell 🔹 De-Stress, Self-Love Sugar Scrub 🔹 Insomnia Sigil 🔹 Depression Bottle Charm And Ritual 🔹 Icarus’s Self Love Powder 🔹 Soft Skin, Soft Soul Bath Ritual 🔹 Candle Spell To Help Combat Depression 🔹 Quiet Mind Sachet 🔹 Be At Peace Spell 🔹 Feel A Little Better Bath Spell 🔹 To The Sun Spell Jar

💙 TIPS 💙

🔹 Spend time in the sun, and in nature.  Even if you only go and sit in your backyard, it will help, and make you feel a bit better 🔹 Drink water!  LOTS OF WATER!  Want an extra boost?  Make a bunch of sun water and drink it on exceptionally low days to help with your energy and mood levels. 🔹 Ground yourself every night before bed to rid yourself of negative energies 🔹 Turn your sadness into creativity!  Work on pages of your grimoire or book of shadows.  Do some witchy DIY’s!  Set up a new altar!  Make some sigils!  Being productive and creative are so helpful when you’re feeling melancholic. 🔹 Have some spoonie witch tips for low energy days! 🔹 Garden.  Spending time in nature and creating something within the earth is not only rewarding, but gardening is actually a de-stressing activity and can soothe your mood.  PLUS think of all the herbs you could grow to help with your craft! 🔹 Talk to someone.  Other witches.  Friends.  A professional.  A hotline.  Anyone who is willing to listen.  Put that energy out there and it will make a world of difference, I promise. 🔹 Let yourself have at least ONE self-care day a week.  It doesn’t matter what it entails, as long as you’re taking that time for YOURSELF, magickal or not.

[actually-witchy]

For all my witches out there who needed this <3

[slideofthetimes]

July 1968 // lake // Oregon

[lloerwyn-deactivated20201104]

@sneez