// Fresh Guts Flesh ࿔

Secular, Eclectic and Chaotic. 20s. Any pronouns.

[grotesque-noir]

Hi!

You can call me Guts.

I go by any pronouns. I'm in my 20s. English is not my first language.

My craft is very individual. The best that I can describe it is that I'm an atheist, secular and ecletic witch, but i'm not too attached to labels.

Asks are always open :)

[grotesque-noir]

I don't use crystals in my work.

I understand why some people do. They're a connection to the earth, a physical object for you to visualize your wants or needs, an association with something you're searching for. And alas, they're pretty and shiny and make crow brain go brrr

But I have a few reasons why I don't use them:

1. You can't always be sure of their origin. A lot of shops are shady, and those crystals could come from illegal work, being it on their extraction or unpaid workers. Mines can be so impactful on the earth, and affect communities from around the world. You need to search HARD to find truly transparent shops that have proof of a lower impact extraction.

2. Big chance that a crystal you buy is fake, specially when they're really cheap. You need to have a good eye, even in trustworthy shops, because they can always be just a lump of plastic or glass. It's worse when you're buying on the internet, especially the ones that are rolled, in shapes, bracelets, pendulums and whatnot. If you don't truly sit and study their composition and how they react to light, you probably will or have been deceived. The seller can be a douche and know what they're selling is fake, but a lot of them have no idea either.

3. I don't feel a connection or need to use 'em. I've never had a spell I couldn't do without them.

This post is not to shame people who use crystals, by the way. You do what you want in your practice and I know there's a heavy crystal culture around witchcraft. It's fine!

This post is for people like me to remember that you don't NEED anything to practice witchcraft. You're not less of a witch if you don't use crystals. There's a lot of consumerism being normalized in the witch community, and you need to reflect on what you need or don't.

You can have many reasons to not do something, or just not vibe with it. Even if it is so widespread, it's never a need. Witchcraft has no rules. Do your search, your practice and have fun!

[vintage-tigre]

[creature-wizard]

Red flag behaviors to watch out for in witchcraft and pagan communities

Someone tries to dictate your beliefs and/or practice based on their personal experiences (aka UPG, or unverified personal gnosis).

They claim the gods will punish you if you don't go along with them.

They appeal to conspiracy theories to justify their beliefs. (See also Is the spiritual person a conspiracy theorist? A list of red flags.)

They make big, dramatic predictions (like claiming aliens will arrive on a certain date, or that the ancient gods will return and overthrow the government soon).

They claim to have a big, important role in the grand cosmic drama (like claiming they're the Archangel Michael and they're going to fight Satan, which will lead to the fall of the government).

They are extremely opposed to skepticism, critical thinking, and/or academia. Not merely critical where it's actually appropriate, but treating it like it's all pure evil.

They encourage you to cut off people who don't believe or criticize what they teach.

They are absolutely certain they can use mystical means (like astrology or tarot) to determine whether someone is a good or bad person.

They are absolutely certain they can just sense whether someone is good or bad.

They are absolutely certain they can use mystical means to find out what another person is thinking or doing.

They claim you were connected to them in a past life.

They pressure you into uncomfortable or dangerous practices.

[yorubaby]

Learning discernment really changed my witchcraft and spiritual practices.

When I first began interacting with witchcraft and paganism in the 2010s, I had very little discernment, and I believed everything I saw. I believed things people said on their blogs and microblogs. I believed random websites I saw. I believed people who said they had something to tell me from whoever/whatever.

I wish I had learned that I did not need to listen to everyone, and I seriously wish I had understood how to critically consume witchcraft and pagan content.

I'm thankful I eventually learned discernment and critical consumption, and I'm very thankful that I came to my own understanding in regards to faith; learning those things really helped me grow as not only a witch but also as a pagan.

[grotesque-noir]

Witchcraft without buying anything, especially for cleansing and protection!

Clapping your hands to cleanse a room

Writing a spell/sigil on a piece of paper and keeping it in your bag, phone case, etc

Meditation, to help with focus and visualization

Salt + Water in a spray bottle = cleansing spray

Hold your everyday jewelry or perfume while whispering a protection spell

Writing a poem as spellwork

Feel free to add more!

[magicfairygirl]

[space-queen]

witchblr hot take

when it comes to educational posts, verbiage that implies the absolute necessity of something ("must", "have to", etc.) when that something is actually optional, can be harmful

there

i said it

and in case that was worded poorly, stop saying shit like "your tarot deck MUST choose YOU for the best outcomes" for example

if that's your personal opinion on how magic works for you then that's obviously fine but attempting to push those ideas onto people as if they are fact is not fine

stop it

[myxteriex]

we are HUMANS living a HUMAN experience.

all because you understand more doesnt mean you're above the human experience. you may have better nuance of the world around you, but you're still a HUMAN.

modern spirituality and modern astrology pisses me off. some of these people need to work through their egos and get off their high horse. because that's a one way trip to a some sort of superiority complex that none of us need right now. it's legit dangerous to think you're above everyone because you have a deeper understanding.

to protect yourself against this, i always found it better to acknowledge you're still a human. you're still a person-- a person with the ability of being ignorant and wrong.

at the end of the day, we're still humans in this reality.

[zegalba]

Comenius University Botanical Garden, Bratislava

[kmnysak]

| blushing phantom butterfly

[jegsersannheten-i-oynenedine]

By Alena Razor ph

[glitterandwitchcraft]

Sometimes tangible, real life magic is just a shift in perspective. You can make something mundane magical if you just wish it so.

[grotesque-noir]

I really like seeing people from different ways of practicing witchcraft interact. I have my values and how I do or view things, but I love when people are respectful and bond over their differences c:

[crazycatsiren]

You know what?

My ancestors would have wanted pasteurization, vaccines, antibiotics, disinfectants, birth control, psychiatric medications, pain management, anesthesia. My ancestors would have wanted to be able to keep their loved ones around longer, and not lose them too early/too soon to childbirths, injuries, bacterial infections, mental illnesses, and diseases that are curable and/or preventable in our modern day life.

Modern medicine saves lives.

[darrengrave]

Being into the occult is really hard when you've done actual research because 99% of it in any western tradition is "white guy made it up/stole that from a different complicated system of occult philosophy (from a closed or semi closed culture of course) without any key context"

[thyming]

Under the willow trees ♡