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@creature-witch
Maybe 12+ months ago I spent some time writing on how if you want to lead a magical life I think a lot of this stuff has to be framed as chores. And I did not know how serious I was.
It is chores. Sufficiently advanced witchcraft is chores.
some of you will see a historical document recounting the story of a woman who confessed to witchcraft after being imprisoned, starved, beaten, and likely tortured and act like it's full of awesome true witch facts collected from a friendly interview
theres a post going around suggesting margaret murray as a source on traditional witchcraft and no, margaret murray's academic work is not a good description of the folk magical practices that existed before her.
however, she's hugely influential on the witchcraft that comes after. so yes, read margaret murray, not as an academic source, but as a foundational document.
Just to add some context (because these keep circulating) Margaret Murray quite literally made her statements and inferences about witchcraft and the witch cult theory up entirely.
They are not based in any truth at all.
She read confessions of tortured accused people and then extrapolated about what they could have represented, and even at the time of her living and writing this people were aware that she was making it up, it damaged her professional reputation as someone with legitimate research in other areas.
When we say you should read her work, its to get a better understanding of how modern wicca evolved. It's foundational because its how the practice evolved not because its in any way legitimate or representative of historical fact or belief.
In fact I would argue that you dont actually have to read her work but you should read things explaining why her work was incorrect and where and how. That will give you the background of information while explaining its errors.
Is anyone else starting to feel kind of wary about the increasingly common narrative that "women's bodies are so different to men's that modern scientific recommendations do not apply to them"?
Like. There is a significant gap between 'a lot of studies do not take into account variations caused by things like female hormone cycles, which can limit how generalisable they are' and 'medical science does not apply to women', and the latter just seems to create a situation rife for bad faith actors and snake oil salesmen to reassure you that actually, THEY have the answers, because THEY listen to women, and if you simply pay them for their online subscription service-
I strongly believe in the power of stories, in both a magical and mundane context. The stories we tell about and to ourselves can shape our lives in both positive and negative ways.
So I think it's important to periodically examine the narratives we're telling ourselves, including those about our own lives. Sometimes the stories we've considered to be objective truths are, in fact, not very objective or helpful.
But we have the power to rewrite and reframe our stories. Don't let yourself be doomed by your own narrative.
Summer Amulet Bags
It was my intention to fill these bags and seal them on the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul, invoking St. Peter in locking in the solar energy and joy. But, I forgot that the midsummer night herbs would need a couple of weeks to dry first.
So I ended up doing the ritual last night, still invoking Saint Peter.
The embroidered design of the first bag is a nod to the acorn I asked from the Council Oak, in Dardanelle, Arkansas. While there are a lot of conflicting reports about whether the Cherokee signed over land there 🙁 on The Trail of Tears, it is supposed to be the biggest white oak in Arkansas and is thought to be between 400 and 500 years old.
In addition to the acorn I filled the bag with a pinch of each of my now dry Midsummer foraged herbs: heartleaf wood nettle, horsemint (beebalm), mountain mint (clustered), red clover, elderflower, narrowleaf plantain, yarrow, passionflower, and St. John’s wort. The bag is dedicated to Oak, Perun, and St. Elijah. I plan on returning to the Council Oak on St. Elijah’s feast day later this month to charge the bag completely.
The second bag celebrates the joyful month of May and the height of summer in June. It is two-sided, with Our Lady of the Ozarks depicted on one side and a mashup of bloodroot and the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the other.
We made two casual pilgrimages to nearby Marian sites in May, the traditional month for such events, and at both Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Altus and Our Lady of the Ozarks shrine near Winslow, I collected plants in wild places bordering the grounds. In Altus I gathered common mullein and thistle, and in the Ozarks, moth mullein, plantain, and wood sorrel. Some varieties of thistle are associated with Mother Mary, as is mullein (common names include Our Lady's Candle or Our Lady's Flannel), plantain serves as a symbol for the humble faithful who walk the often-difficult, well-trodden path toward salvation, and the wood sorrel I gathered for its trifoliate leaves.
If I’m to be completely honest, I actually asked wood sorrel for her leaves in a flowerbed on the shrine grounds, but she was obviously growing wild and not intentionally planted. According to widespread Christian and Irish folklore, Saint Patrick used the trifoliate leaf of the wood sorrel (the original "shamrock") to explain the concept of the Trinity—three distinct persons in one God. The single stem binds the three distinct heart-shaped leaves together. The leaflets of this yellow wood sorrel are distinctly heart-shaped. The unfolding and folding of these leaves (which open in the morning and close in the evening) serve as a daily reminder of the unfolding of God’s love and the Passion of Christ.
I did not include the dried thistle in the bag, though it was included in the ritual—thistle is traditionally a protective plant in Slavic folklore and I’m using it to guard my yarrow stalks that I use syncretically with the I Ching to speak to the ancestors.
The bloodroot was gathered in the Ozark-St. Francis forest on Walpurgisnacht. I only gathered the one root when I gathered a couple of leaves for my Walpurgisnacht protective bundle. Though the bloodroot is abundant where I gathered her, in other regions she is a vulnerable and even endangered species. Though it is not illegal to gather in Arkansas, in some states it is. I made her an offering, vowed to never ask for any other physical piece of her, and promised to honor her with a stitched bag.
As she was nearly dried near June (the month of the sacred heart), I incorporated the sacred heart iconography into the pattern—the flames erupting from the heart could just as easily be rays of the midsummer sun, so I honored the sun maiden as well with the bag and included a sprig of St. John’s wort gathered on his night.
Both bags are intended to harness the energy, joy, and abundance in summer and will be used to honor the beings they are dedicate to and assist in rituals in the dark half of the year when that extra energy is needed.
You're invited to Decolonize your Magic!
Decolonizing Magic is an online space for practitioners of all paths of craft looking to unlearn racism, classism, antisemitism, eurocentrism, sexism and cis-hetero normativity, and all other forms of oppressive systems that permeate the spiritual and witchcraft communities. It is a place for sharing our decolonizing approaches, resources, host discussion and provide mutual support in this road.
This community is meant to function as an online talking circle. Talking circles are focused groups of discussion where each member is allowed to speak freely of the topic, from the heart, in a circle meant to represent the holism of Mother Earth and the equity of every participant member gathered here.
Being a participant member means we're taking an action-oriented approach to the decolonization of our magical practice, whatever it's origin be. Posts and resources shared here are meant to put emphasis on relational approaches to spirituality and the sharing of our personal experiences as we walk the path of decolonization.
The content of this community can be as wide and diverse as sharing snapshots of our daily practices, book recommendations or reviews, videos, podcast episodes or channels, open discussion posts, quotes from interesting sources, and more. It is meant to be a space to nourish critical thought, ethical spirituality and more importantly support each other as we learn and grow together!
There is no end to this path. We're all eternal students, contributing what we can and actively listening to other contributors. Always feel free to ask questions, engage with each other intently and from radical kindness, and further the discussion respectfully.
Decolonization is for everyone, but BIPOC lead this movement. We will discuss these topics acknowledging the diversity of cultures and heritages of everyone involved, with special care for closed traditions and cultures, and prioritizing first-hand accounts or sources written by insiders.
We do not support AI-generated writing or images. Generative AI cannot accompany us down a path where relationality is centered. We aim to engage strictly with human-made sources.
✉ Will you accept the invitation? You can find and join our community here. For any further questions, feel free to DM or contact the admin at @songsofbloodandwater.
The way that my daturas at home give me two leafs and MAYBE one bloom per year if I am LUCKY but the one growing on the side of the highway exit ramp is huge and beautiful
if you blow out candle you BLOW AWAY the MAGIC and ur spell goes pllphfphphphhhhhhbbb into the wind and WON'T WORK
if you use a candle snuffer it will SMOOSH DOWN the MAGIC like u r throwing ur magic into the DIRT to FAIL and ur spell WONT WORK
if you pinch out a candle with ur fingers ur SQUISHING ur MAGIC like u sqursh a BUG and it will say WHY DID U DO THAT i thought we were FRIENDS and ur spell WONT WORK
if u let ur candle burn out all the way its like watching ur spell DWINDLE DOWN and DIE and ur magic will LOSE POWER and ur spell WONT WORK
if u use a fire extinguisher u are EXTINGUISHING the POWER of ur MAGIC and burying ur intent under ANTI-MAGIC FOAM and ur spell WON'T WORK
How to Spot a Spiritual Scam Artist
If you spend enough time in witchy spaces, at some point you will likely come into contact with other alternative spirituality and/or alternative healing practitioners. You may choose to study some of these healing practices, or you may run into them accidentally. As you meet and mingle with different spiritual practitioners, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with common scams so you can avoid them.
Learning to spot a scam artist now will save you a lot of trouble as you navigate different spiritual spaces. By developing a strong bullshit detector, you can protect yourself and other people from being drawn in by grifters.
In this post, we'll go over several common red flags that indicate a spiritual or wellness scam. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are some of the scams you're most likely to run into.
Red Flag #1: They use titles they haven't earned, such as master, guru, priest/priestess, etc.
If someone uses a special title, don't be afraid to ask them how they got it! For example, a Reiki master/teacher is someone who has completed the highest level of Reiki training, and any legitimate master/teacher will have a certificate to prove that they are properly trained. Likewise, if someone uses a religious title like “High Priestess” or “Reverend,” they should be able to provide proof of their ordination.
This also goes for people who use secular titles. If someone goes by “Dr. So-and-So,” don't be afraid to ask what their doctorate is in! You'd be surprised how often people in wellness spaces pretend to be doctors because it makes them sound more authoritative.
Red Flag #2: They can't or won't tell you where they got their information and training.
This is similar to the previous red flag. A spiritual practitioner should be able to tell you who their teachers are, what their training was like, and what books and other resources they get their information from. This goes for witches, tarot readers, energy healers, yoga teachers, herbalists, and anyone else claiming to have some kind of authority or training.
If someone refuses to tell you where they got their information, there's probably a reason – maybe they don't have a source (i.e., they're making stuff up), or maybe they know their source won't hold up to scrutiny. Either way, these people are wasting your time.
Red Flag #3: They advise you to stop conventional medical treatments, stop taking prescription medications, and/or stop going to therapy.
This one should be self-explanatory, but just in case, let me remind you that spiritual practitioners are not medical professionals. No one except your physician should be telling you what medical treatment you should or shouldn't use. Even if it is framed as “just friendly advice,” a spiritual practitioner telling you what to do for your physical health is overstepping a boundary.
A trend I see a lot in spiritual spaces is the claim that psychiatric medication interferes with psychic abilities or makes it harder to work with energy. This is 1.) false, and 2.) ableist.
Taking medication to treat medical issues, including mental illness, does not have any negative spiritual effects. In fact, you may find your ability to work with energy is actually improved when your symptoms are properly treated.
Suddenly stopping a medication can have serious health consequences, such as withdrawal or worsening of symptoms. You should never stop taking your prescribed medication without talking to your doctor first.
On a similar note, spiritual practitioners are not therapists. If you are struggling with mental health issues, you should seek services from a licensed counselor. It is inappropriate for a spiritual practitioner to give mental health advice.
Red Flag #4: They diagnose people with medical conditions or give medical advice when they aren't a medical professional.
This is related to the previous red flag. Once again, spiritual practitioners are not medical professionals. Unless this person is also a licensed medical doctor, they should not be trying to diagnose you with medical conditions. (And even then, they would need to perform a medical exam to give a diagnosis.)
Some spiritual practitioners claim to be “medical psychics” or otherwise able to sense medical issues. This is not a valid medical diagnosis and is not a replacement for conventional medical care.
Red Flag #5: They give diet and exercise advice when they aren't a dietician.
Spiritual practitioners are not nutrition experts or physical therapists and are not qualified to give diet or exercise advice. There is no reason for a spiritual practitioner to be telling you what to eat or how to move your body.
Be especially wary of people who claim that you need to lose weight to advance spiritually or who tell you that your weight is a sign of spiritual issues. This is fatphobia, plain and simple. Weight and body size are caused by genetic and environmental factors, not by a lack of spiritual development. A person's spirituality has nothing to do with their size.
Red Flag #6: They try to sell you expensive products.
You do not need crystals, essential oils, herbal supplements, or any other tools to make your magic (or any spiritual practice) work. Anyone who insists that you absolutely need such-and-such crystal or such-and-such herbal tea is trying to make money off you.
Red Flag #7: They claim to be a reincarnated deity or spiritual leader OR they claim to speak for such a being.
Speaking from personal exprience as a former social worker, these claims ofen come from people who are in psychosis and need medical help. (Remember, psychosis just means someone is having experiences that are disconnected from reality. It does not mean that person is crazy, evil, or dangerous. Psychosis is a common medical condition and, like most medical conditions, it can be managed with medication and social support. That being said, psychosis is often accompanied by mental and emotional distress, which is why it's important to get help.)
We also sometimes see these types of claims used to mythologize the leaders of high-demand groups, a.k.a. cults. Whether the cult leader truly believes these claims or not is often unclear. (See the story of the “Love Has Won” cult for a fairly recent, high-profile example of this.)
Let me be clear: Lots of people have spiritual practices that involve working with gods, angels, saints, or other spirits, and many people feel that they receive messages from these spirits. That on its own is not necessarily a red flag. I'm also not really talking about therians or otherkin here – those identities can be totally healthy. What IS a red flag is if someone claims to speak for a supernatural being, epecialy if they claim to be that being's only earthly representative.
Red Flag #8: They claim to be “chosen” by a higher power and on a divine mission.
Like the previous red flag, this one is less about someone feeling like they have a spiritual calling and more about them claiming to have spiritual authority. A spiritual practitioner who feels like their life's purpose is to heal people is not necessarily a red flag. A spiritual practitioner who feels like their life's purpose is to be a world leader or otherwise control people is a red flag.
Red Flag #9: They subscribe to conspiracy theories or revisionist history.
Unfortunately, spiritual spaces can sometimes become an onramp to harmful conspiracies. Be wary of anyone who makes claims that are obviously out of touch with reality, even if you think they genuinely believe it.
Many conspiracies are closely tied to racist and/or antisemitic hate movements. Even conspiracy theories that seem silly at first glance, like the idea that the Egyptian pyramids were built by aliens, are based on racist ideas and can be a slippery slope into hateful thinking.
Red Flag #10: They try to push their religious or spiritual beliefs on you.
Obviously, if you ask someone to teach you about a spiritual practice, you are going to hear a little about their spiritual beliefs. In a class on witchcraft, I have to talk about witchcraft. But it would be inappropriate for me to use a witchcraft class to talk about my religious beliefs. It would also be inappropriate for me to invite my witchcraft students to a worship service or to pray over them without their consent. The same goes for other spiritual and wellness practices.
If you are interested in learning more about these topics, I recommend the following resources:
Steven Hassan’s BITE Model of Authoritarian Control: https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model-pdf-download/
Bright-Sided by Barbara Ehrenreich
What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon
“The Crunchy to Alt-Right Pipeline” by Kathleen Belew: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/12/fringe-left-alt-right-share-beliefs-white-power-movement/672454/
Sisters In Hate by Seyward Darby
Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts
The Dream podcast
Maintenance Phase podcast
If you enjoyed this post, please consider checking out my website or subscribing to my newsletter for updates and exclusive content!
I’ve been seeing a lot of ableism and fatphobia in witchy spaces on social media lately, so here’s your routine reminder that wellness grifters don’t deserve your time or your hard earned money.
I’m getting ads telling me to replace live porch flowers with plastic ones because the plastic ones don’t die and buddy I can tell you from personal experience that those flowers will fade until they look like they’ve achieved a new kind of death
It's very hot here. There is a heat warning all week. It's the kind of heat that doesn't let up much at night.
We might get some rain on Thursday, but it's not looking too likely.
I got out a jar of storm water I collected during a storm that happened on a full moon. I'm hoping I can encourage some rain to fall soon and cool things off.
This worked.
The rain brought the temperature down to 74 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm so grateful this worked.
And now I know another type of spell that works for me, which is cool.
Following witchcraft blogs is an absolute roulette wheel on whether you're following a TERF or not and I can't stand how many times it's happened to me. Reblog this if you're a witchcraft blog and aren't a TERF and I'll give you a follow! On this blog we love and respect trans women!
Transfeminism and witchcraft is a match made in the astral realm ✨🪄
I'm a firm believer that you cannot claim to be "love and light" and be a TERF; you are committing spiritual warfare against transwomen. Transphobia is spiritual warfare. Transwomen are channels of the Sacred Feminine.
I'm trying to think of ways to bring my craft outside more. When I lived in the north east nearly all my major workings were outside. But I lived in the woods, and we had a large porch, in a way that let me be outside.
Now I live in a large desert city. Outside has several issues. Namely, I am sardined in an apartment with three other corner porches facing mine directly.
Apartment patios are very small, we have two camp chairs and a small side table between them. More than that apartments have strict regulations about what can be out and visible (which basically means if your decor looks too Poor People they will give you a violation).
I have about 8 medium sized potted plants, and some solar string lights, which does give it a nice atmosphere, but nothing in the way of privacy.
To my point, I may or my not have come up with an idea to fully screen in my apartment patio using tension rods and window mesh ? In concept this is a removable and adjustable installment that I can bring with me when we inevitably move somewhere else. I need to be employed before I make purchases but it could go.
Im on the ground floor which means there is a roof over my patio of my upstairs neighbor, and there is a corner beam connecting it, so tension rods could fit between the west and south boarders of my patio.
If I fixed the screen around the tension rods the same way someone would put a curtian around them (maybe with small zip ties to create the loops? That end wouldn't be visible to someone outside looking in) on the top and bottom and then pulled it taught it could look solid I think?
Does anyone see my vision?
(Im not going with regular curtains on the rods, although I think that would be prettier, because they will quickly dry rot and also I am afraid management will consider that ugly in some way, and I think plain black window mesh would look more ??? HOA friendly)
I can't promise anything, but this might help- Think of what you want that you can only get if you have a job. Wanna go to a concert? Need to make rent? Just want some disposable income and not to struggle? Those all require money/job. So, try focusing on those desires instead to help you gather the "want" for the spell. So it won't so much feel like "I need this but I really don't want it :(" as it will be "I really want [X] and getting a job will enable me to do [X]" Kinda like a loophole? I hope it works out for you!
Thank you! I have such mixed feelings about this in general. I'm a dirt bag by nature, and lived out of my car through a majority of college both because Im poor and also because I dont need much. But I worked for this degree to get a job in this field so I should want it right?
The surrounding hospitals have announced a hiring freeze, so it feeds my thought proccess that I dont need this. But I know that I do! I have few expenses, but I am also tired. So what do I really want? To be less tired when I do have to work.
i feel like some witches need to be told that their family histories of witchcraft are probably mythologized and i believe in them only in the same way i believe that my friend slept with Hades himself
This speaks to me so deeply maybe you didnt mean it that deep but as someone who lost a language I have fragments of where my family came from and what they did and I cling to threads.
Ive heard so many stories and iterations that I dont know whats real. Ive been told so many different things about my family's past and heritage that it might as well be the Life of Pie at this point
