Merry meet

Beginner in witchcraft. so definitely learning and looking into a lot of things Astrology Sign: Cancer ; loving tarot; free tarot readings are open right now; Christian, Introvert, Asexual

[dailywitchlings]

Witchy *Free* PDF book list Masterpost

Hey lovely witches! I wanted to share some of my PDF witchy books I have on my computer. I know it’s hard to find these books and not everyone has money to buy them or easy access. I hope I can help someone with this <3

Most of the books are on my google drive library, you can click on the link and then download if you’d like to.

A Manual of Occultism, by Sepharial

Mastering Witchcraft, by Paul Huson

Natural Magic, by Pamela J.Ball

Pagan Spells, Author Unknown

Herbal Magick - Herbal enchantments, folclore and divination by Gerina Dunwich <3

Spell Crafts - Creating magical objects, by, Scott Cunningham and David Harrington <3

The Book of Power, by Idres Shah

The Complete book of Incense, Oils ad Brews, by Scott Cunningham

The Essential Skills of Magick - Benjamim Rowe

The Ultimate Book of Spells - Pamela J. Ball *my favorite spellbook*

50 of The Most Powerful Spells, by unknown author

Witchcraft Today, by Gerald Gardner

The Gardnerian Book of Shadows

The Basics of Magic, by K. Amber

8 Sabbaths of Witchcraft, by Mike Nichols

Witchcraft Today, by Gerald Gardner

Celtic Mythology and Religion, by Alexander Macbain

The Art and meaning of Magic, By Israel Regardie

An Introduction to the Study of Tarot, by Paul Foster Case

The Alchemy of Abundance, by Lisa McSherry

Encyclopedia of Acient Roman and Greek Mythology, by James Belton

Asgard and the Gods, by M. W. MacDowall,

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Spells by, Michael Johnstone

Witches’ Bible by, Janet and Stewart Farrar

The Witch’s Master Grimoire, by Lady Sabrina

The meaning of Witchcraft, by Gerald Gardner

Aleister Crowley book collection (google drive)

Lid Off the Cauldron, by Patricia Crowther

A Grimoire for Modern Cunningfolk, by Peter Paddon

The A to Z of Dream Interpretation, by Pamela J. Ball

The Dream Oracle, by Pamela J. Ball

The Great Book of Spells, by Pamela J. Ball <3

The Techniques of Astral Projection, By Dr. Douglas M. Baker

The Opening of the Third Eye, By Dr. Douglas M. Baker

Historical Dictionary of Witchcraft, By Bailey Michael

The Goddess is in Details, by Deborah Blake <3

Circle, Coven and Grove, by Deborah Blake

A Witch’s Dozen, by Deborah Blake <3

Witchcraft on a Shoestring by Deborah Blake

Egyptian Magic, By Ernest Budge

Advanced Candle Magick, By Raymond Buckley

Amulets and Magic, By Budge Walli

Pen and Ink Witchcrafr , By Collin Calloway

Basic Sigil Magic, By Philip Cooper

The Occult Properties of Herbs , By W.B Crow

Shadow Work Guidebook, by Jessica Cross

Gemstone Sorcery, By Gerina Dunwich <3

Wicca A to Z By  Gerina Dunwich

Every Witch Way By Ellen Dugan <3

Power Of The Witch By Laurie Cabot <3

The Spiral Dance By Starhawk <3

Spiritual Power - Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

Book of Shadows By, Phyllis Curott:

Witchcrafting By Phyllis Curott

Spells for the Solitary Witch By Eileen Holland

Wiccan Magick By Raven Grimassi

The Witch’s Familiar By Raven Grimassi

Magical Candle Crafting By Ember Grant

Magical Powder Recipes By Lady Gianne

Wicca For Beginners By Lisa Chamberlain

Scott Cunningham’s Books:

Divination for Beginners

Wicca in the Kitchen <3

Book of Shadows

Living Wicca

Crystal Gem and Metal Magick <3

Wicca

Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs

Magical Household, Rituals and spells for the home <3

D.J Conway’s Books:

Mystical Dragon

Norse Magic

Wicca, The Complete Craft

Falcon, Feather and Valkyrie Sword

Celtic Magic

Christopher Penczak’s Books

Gay Witchcraft - Christopher Penczak

The Living Temple of Witchcraft V. II- Christopher Penczak

The Gates of Witchcraft

The Living Temple of Witchcraft V.II 

Mystic Foundation

The Outer Temple Of Witchcraft

The Inner Temple of Witchcraft

The Witch’s Shield

Cassandra Eason’s Books:

A Practical Guide of Witchcraft and Spells, 

Fabulous Creatures, Mythical Monsters and Animal Power Symbols

Candle Power

The Art of Pendulum

The Complete Guide to Psychic Development

Illes Judika’s Books:

Magic When You Need It - 150 Spells

Pure Magic

The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft

Ellwood Taylor’s Books:

Pop Culture Magic

The Pop Culture Grimoire

Multi-Media Magic

Manifesting Prosperity

For those of you who wish to see my full library on the drive, feel free to send me a message and I will send you the link!

HAVE FUN!  :)

[mystical-dreamscape]

😍😍😍 Thank you for this!

[cottagewitchofthewest]

REBLOG FOR LATER

[foxandcandle]

IMPORTANT

[hexellentlearningwitch]

I pulled out my special tarot cards if Enchanted Blossoms from Carla Morrow. Because I wanted some help with a task I have to do. I know how to do it, I just have to call a company. I just ... Am filled with anxiety and I am nervous as hell.

I shuffel and what card do I pull?

Bravery.

Fuck. I am about to cry. This is such a nice thing to happen. And very much on the nose.

[that-vexaholic-cryptid]

If Disney releases an Agatha All Along complete tarot deck, I'm fucking buying it

[paddingtonicon]

[sirprplsnail]

@bearotonin-international

[bearotonin-international]

but have you seen

[bears--bears--bears]

Working It For The Camera by Debbie Tubridy

[witchyndbitchy-deactivated20210]

“Witch” is and will continue to be a gender neutral term.

[thejewitches]

Every single year, without fail, we deal with the fact that the internet is obsessed with promoting the misinformation that Ostara must have been stolen from Easter.

People will argue until they’re blue in the face…But they won’t provide citations or evidence to the contrary and the reason why is simple: there isn’t any.

If you find that celebrating Ostara brings you joy: we aren’t here to rain on your parade or stop you in the slightest.

But misinformation, even misinformation that sounds cool and serves to further rhetorical goals, is still wrong and harmful.

So, after years of promising it, we’ve finally delivered: Easter isn’t stolen from Ostara.

Have questions? We’re happy to answer!

Make sure to follow our Instagram @jewitches for the ongoing discussion!

[thejewitches]

A transcript:

Let’s talk about...

Debunking Myths about Ostara & Easter

Origins of Ostara

In the 725 AD, a Churchman named Bede wrote about a supposed European goddess named "Eostre"--well after the Christianization of the area. 

A Northumbrian monk, he wrote, "Eosturmonath has a name which is now translated "Paschal month", and which was once called after a goddess of theirs named Eostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month. Now they designate that Paschal season by her name, calling the joys of the new rite by the time-honoured name of the old observance".

That's it. Nothing about her symbols, her stories, or who she was, what she was goddess of, or anything of the kind...She wasn't even called Ostara--But then came the Brother's Grimm.

Ostara & the Brother's Grimm

Folklorist, anthropologist, lexicographer, and academic, Jacob Grimm wrote of 'Ostara' in 1835, 'Deutsche Mythologie'. In Deutsche Mythologie, Grimm took Bede's word for law & expanded on her with no evidence but etymological suspicions. "We Germans to this day call April ostermonat, and ôstarmânoth is found as early as Eginhart. The great Christian festival, which usually falls in April or the end of March, bears in the oldest of OHG remains the name ôstarâ ... it is mostly found in the plural, because two days ... were kept at Easter. This Ostarâ, like the [Anglo-Saxon] Eástre, must in heathen religion have denoted a higher being, whose worship was so firmly rooted, that the Christian teachers tolerated the name, and applied it to one of their own grandest anniversaries"After the publication of Deutsche Mythologie, stories of Ostara began to pop up. 

Ostara & The Hare

One of the most common facets of the myth relies on the idea that Ostara's symbol was a hare...In 1874, Adolf Holtzman published his own Deutsche Mythologie with a developed narrative about Ostara and her hares:"The Easter Hare is inexplicable to to me, but probably the hare was the sacred animal of Ostara; just as there is a hare on the statue of [the Celtic goddess] Abnoba.”And seven years later, "Wackernagel...already had a specific story in which Ostara “rode over the fields in the spring in a wagon drawn by hares.” Stephen Winick, PHD folklorist who published research on Ostara and the Hare, points out that no single discussion of Ostara and rabbits predate Grimm's Deutsche Mythologie, but less than 30 years later, people were publishing articles that cited this story as ancient without any provedance or evidence.  An Egg At Easter: A Folklore Study concludes, "The Hare, on grounds that are not clearly established, was said to be sacred to her. In fact, we know virtually nothing of this goddess."

Ostara as a Holiday

In the 1960's, Aidan Kelly decided the equinoxes needed names...The celebration of the equinoxes did not begin within Wiccan circles until the time of the initiation of Doreen Valiente, with some scholars asserting that her joining gave pretense to Wiccans to begin their celebrations (she lied to her family & claimed to be a Druid & they did celebrate these days). Indeed, he held out on giving the equinoxes full status and equal observation as celebratory days until 1958.In San Fransisco in the late 1960s, an American named Aidan Kelly gave name to the equinoxes. In a calendar of their creation in 1974 the spring equinox became Ostara. He is also responsible for Mabon (which was previously a Welsh mythological figure). Gerald Gardner, the founder of Wicca, had no part in this due to his death in 1964, but the names were quickly absorbed into the Wiccan community. "By the opening of the 1980s, most Wiccans, let alone Pagans outside the Wiccan tradition, had lost any realisation that the pattern concerned had been established in the 1950s. It was, rather, accepted as an intrinsic feature of what was regarded by many, following Gardner's claims, as a surviving ancient faith."For many, the celebration of the spring equinox continued under the name Ostara, but traditions are often given a false history to fabricate a history of Ostara as a holiday; falling prey to the fallacy that things must be old to valid or worthwhile. Quickly, the lie spread that Ostara was the origin of Easter and that Easter had stolen all of its traditions from the celebrations of Ostara.

Easter Isn't Pagan

The myths surrounding Ostara rely heavily on the idea that Easter must be stolen from pagans. This Eurocentric worldview completely ignores the fact that we know for a fact that Easter is correlated to the Jewish Passover; the dates are inherently linked.We also know that Easter has been celebrated consistently throughout history; far before there was any evidence of Ostara. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Easter was stolen from a other holiday rather than created by early Christians: largely drawing from Jewish origins hence the fact that the majority of the world refers to the holiday with a ‘P’ word relating to Pesach (Passover). Even Bede references the Paschal month when discussing the naming of Ostermonat. Even Aidan Kelly, the person who named the holiday Ostara, acknowledges this--, "Easter,” which, almost everywhere else, is called something like “Pasch,” derived, of course, from Pesach."Certain Easter traditions have their roots in paganism; but that doesn't mean that the entirety of the holiday was plucked from paganism. For example, Ukrainian pysanky, pre-dates Christianity but is now associated with Easter by many as the tradition lived on through assimilation. This idea is to erase how groups kept their traditions alive through syncretism.The idea that the holiday must have been stolen from European pagans presents an extremely Euro-centric worldview that sees Western European pagans as the only originators.

Christian Eggs

But aren't Easter Eggs stolen from Paganism? Eggs don't just belong to pagans. Jews have been eating eggs at Passover for thousands of years. There are theories that the first eggs were eaten at Easter because of the tradition of Jews eating eggs at Passover (one egg being ceremonially included on the Passover Seder plate). The notion that eggs must have been stolen from pagan tradition relies on stereotypes and misinformation. For a short history of eggs & Christianity: by the first century A.D, the phoenix egg had become a Christian symbol with St. Clement mentioning the legend in his first Epistle to the Corinthians. Ostrich eggs were placed in early Christian graves to represent resurrection. In 1662, ostrich eggs were documented hanging directly above the Sepulchre. Ostrich egg shells also house the relics of multiple saints. St. Rupertus who died in 718 had a basket of eggs on his emblem. Eggs are also associated with Lent. In During the reign of Pope Gregory the Great, eggs were included in forbidden foods for Lent; in Germany, it was outlawed to even sell eggs at this time.  There is also a history of egg tithes across the Christian world which were given at Easter. Naturally, after the end of Lent, eggs became an important part of Easter celebrations; with references to coloured Easter eggs as early as 1290.For centuries, an antisemitic mythos that Jews ate eggs as a celebration of the murder of Christ fueled the idea that it was righteous to eat eggs. Not to mention multiple antisemitic mythos such as Jews pelting Jesus on the cross with eggs, Mary attempting to bribe the evil Jews torturing Jesus with eggs onto which his red blood ran, etc. 

Easter Rabbits

But aren't rabbits stolen from Paganism?

The European Brown Hare has a rather miraculous feature: it can be pregnant with two litters at once; giving them the appearance of being capable of virgin births. For this reason, they became associated with the Virgin Mary. They also represent lust in traditional Christian art. Imagery of Mother Mary/the Virgin Mary/The Madonna with rabbits dates back to the middle ages, honoring her virgin birth and triumph over lust. One very popular painting is that of the 1530's Madonna of the Rabbits by Titian.

Predating any mention of Ostara & the Hare, in 1682 we have the first textual evidence of rabbits and Easter in  Georg Franck von Franckenau's De ovis paschalibus published nearly two hundred years before any mention of Ostara and hares.

There are also traditional rabbit hunts celebrated around Easter, not to mention several traditions around creating and eating rabbit dishes.

Why is this Lie so Harmful?

Who does it hurt to perpetuate this misinformation?

In 1905, former monk Joself Adolf Lanz founded the right-wing magazine Ostara, which published antisemitic, racist, esoteric, and 'Aryanist' theories. Believed to have been read by Hitler, "Many of the ideas contained in Ostara formed the basis of later Nazi ideology."  From 1933-1945, a local folk tradition in the town of Lügde involved the "rededication" of an Easter custom to Ostara--"As night falls, six enormous oak wheels (Osterräder) are filled with straw, set ablaze, and rolled down the slopes of the Osterberg or “Easter-mountain.” Each wheel has a unique Christian message carved into the rim" but in order to rededicate it to Ostara, the Nazis "carried slogans in praise of the Reich, while torchbearers formed a huge blazing swastika on the slopes of the Osterberg." The locals opposed this desecration of their tradition.

This lie upsets so many marginalized groups because what you are doing is erasing the real history which we know to create a false victimhood. Rather than getting up in arms every year about this false history, rather focus on the genuine harm that has been caused by appropriation by the church.

For centuries, Easter has been a time of extreme violence against Jews by Christians. Rather than create infographics about Ostara's supposed theft, combat genuine bigotry or talk about actual history.

Misinformation that sounds cool or serves your rhetoric is still harmful. Full stop.

Citations

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-hares-superconception/hares-can-be-permanently-pregnant-german-study-idUSTRE68L20R20100922

https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2016/04/ostara-and-the-hare/

An Egg At Easter: A Folklore Study, Venetia Newall

From Easter to Ostara: the Reinvention of a Pagan Goddess? Richard Sermon

Modern Pagan Festivals: A Study in the Nature of Tradition Author(s): Ronald Hutton Source: Folklore, Vol. 119, No. 3 (December 2008), pp. 251-273

[restinginfemininity-deactivated]

✷ PICK A STONE: WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? 😨

// take a deep breath, relax, choose the stone that attracts you the most and check your answer :)

// the shadow self reading is a great starting point for recognizing, understanding and reframing traumatic experiences, negative beliefs, tendencies and emotions buried in your unconscious mind that may be delaying the manifestation of your divine essence (details in marsterlist) .

// message me to book your reading. ♡ // i love getting feedbacks & topics suggestions for next readings. // thanks for your time, see you next! 💋 

[feefal]

Amanita galactica✨ it was first discovered in 2020, and she’s basically a goth fly agaric with a way cooler name. It received its name due to the white spots against the black cap resembled specks of stars in the galaxy.

[feefal]

A Magpie Inkcap witch🌿

[creature-wizard]

Respecting people’s privacy in online readings

Many people who perform online readings will ask for information such as one’s name and date of birth. This is of course personal information, and people are justified in not giving that information out to anyone, especially strangers online. Maybe you would never do anything bad, but they can’t know this. I would like to propose an alternative to asking people for personal information: ask them to pick one item from a few different categories. (I wouldn’t suggest making people pick from more than three categories, since that could start to feel tedious.) Categories could include things like: • A color • A gemstone • A planet • An herb or flower • An animal • A time of day • A tasty beverage • A musical instrument Feel free to come up with your own categories! The point is to empower your clients to give you something you can work with without making them give you personal information. Happy reading!

[contrariansoul-deactivated20180]

Into this world, this demented inn, in which there is absolutely no room for him at all, Christ has come uninvited. But because he cannot be at home in it – because he is out of place in it, and yet must be in it – his place is with those others who do not belong, who are rejected because they are regarded as weak; and with those who are discredited, who are denied the status of persons, and are tortured, exterminated. With those for whom there is no room, Christ is present in this world. He is mysteriously present in those for whom there seems to be nothing but the world at its worst.

- Thomas Merton

[dustsculptures]

saying “be safe” like a spell that’ll protect them

[dustsculptures]

love everyone in the tags saying “it is” you’re right

[crazycatsiren]

Don't worry, I know better than to start doing this now since I'm a baby witch, but in the future, I may want to try Fae Work. But I live in the United States: can you work with the Good Folk of Europe in the United States, or is it off limits? Because as a white person, I know not to mess with Indigenous spirits/creatures instead, so it's Fae or nay, so to speak.

European faeries are completely open. So you're good. 😇

[hexellentlearningwitch]

Yes. The European Fae are open. And I am really glad that you will not reach out to them right at the start. Because let me tell you Fae are not to be messed with and you should approach them carefully.

Small problem is that most of them are bound to the local places or geography. So if you are not in Europe it might be difficult to reach out to most of them.

With the grimm fairytales presenting them as little cute butterfly things is really making it hard to explain that: No, they are not like that. Most of them are really scarry and the "Steal your name" or "Switch your child with one of yours" (but never ever say that someone with autism is a Faechild. Don't be that ass) aren't to be shrugged off as haha funny idea. But there are some very nice ones and what I think to be "Beginner friendly" and are not bound to be locally restricted.

It is a local tale of the "Kölner Heinzelmännchen" but they are known to not be bound to just the city of colone. If I remember the story of the "Heinzelmännchen" is known in Sweden too.

These Fae are helpful and actually eager to have a contract with humans. They are friendly househelpers, also called houseghosts. In the telling of the local tale of Colone it is a baker that has them in his shop. They clean the whole house in the night. But they leave forever if you spot them. So don't go looking for them, If you wish the cleaning to continue. And in thanks leave out some milk and honey or some bread or pastry of your choice.

Some people classify these "Heinzelmännchen" as ghosts but for me thy always sounded more like fae.

The colone Heinzelmännchen are - i think - a great start. Because they are known to not be mean or vengeful and not bound to Euroe as their home. The worst thing that can happen is that "just" leave your house and never return.

I still would advice to be careful though. You never know with them.

In case you wonder and would like an example of a fae bound to a locality: Loreley. She is a siren and can only be encounted and found at a very specific spot in the river Rhine, where she sings and all the ships crash and sink. Now a siren is not a fae. But this point of the story and the being bound to a specific spot is very common over here. So if you are a witch in Europe and want to work with fae you normally just look around what is there around your home and go from there.

I am sorry for the long rant and explanation but this is something I always loved, the local tales and stories. I hope you didn't mind me dunking this information all over you and that it actually will be helpful.

[outcast-witch]

Lipstick Magick

Wine red/Maroon/Crimson: Powerful words, strength, queen/king-like beauty and power, cursing. Wear when you want to put a bite into your words.

Poppy Red/Scarlet/Bright Reds: Love, playfulness, draw attention, courage. Enchant these colors for when you have to give a presentation, or for love spells.

Rose Pink/Lighter Shades: Friendship, Love, peace. Enchant for maybe going out with friends, setting a dispute, etc.

Peach: (My personal favorite) Use this color in beauty and confidence spells, or anything requiring some bravery and/or emotional strength.

Purples/Violet/You get the Idea: Love, astral realm, psychic abilities, intelligence. Ladies- if you are like me and deal with men who frequently claim you are less intelligent because you are a woman, enchant a purple color.

Reddish-Brown: deceit. Idk how or why you would use this but its a common color so.

Black: protection, the otherworld, litterally anything you want really.

[hagoftheholler]

Something witches and other magic practitioners need to understand is that, for many folk practitioners, referring to what we do as witchcraft or calling us witches can actually be an insult.

In many, many regions witchcraft and witches had a negative connotation, and some still do. They were often seen as evil (partly due to Christian influences, partly because of the actions of said "witches" but that's a discussion for another time).

Folk magic, however, wasn't seen as witchcraft and in many places still isn't. Folk magic is more like culture and heritage; something the superstitious people practiced, for a variety of reasons. They were healers, midwives or just people who were "gifted"... and what titles they are called varies by region.

This isn't to say people can't call themselves folk witches today. That's fine. Still, be mindful of what you refer to as witchcraft or who you refer to as a witch.

[windvexer]

witch is never a label you assign to others challenge

[breelandwalker]

This is why we keep hauling out the Being A Witch Is A Choice / You Are The Only One Who Makes That Choice For Yourself / "Witch" Is A Self-Assigned Label And You Cannot Decide It For Someone Else soapbox.

If I see one more tiktok with someone smugly grinning over how a folk magic practice is "basically witchcraft" because it resembles something that's become part of the modern witchcraft movement after the fact, I'm getting out the pickle jar.

[crazycatsiren]

Not everything magical/spiritual/occultist is witchcraft challenge.

[hexellentlearningwitch]

The witch hunts in Europe

The era of the witch hunts in Europe was long and had high and low phases. Depending on where you lived it also differed from what counted as witchcraft and so on.

What I find disturbing is that in Europe society the witch hunts are very ... romanticised. Or handled more like a little fun story or spooky story for Halloween.

The seriousness of the witch hunts isn't brought across. You yourself have to remind yourself on how horrible the whole process was.

Every family has someone who was prosecuted as a witch. Problem is most families can not go so far back with their genealogy or know the story.

It was always seemed off-putting to me how the witch hunts were presented. As something "light" and funny to tell little children, to show them the torture devices and go "on to the next room in this prison".

The tests of how to spot a witch were ... stupid to say the least.

The Put-a-stone-on-their-feet-bind-them-and throw-them-into-the-river: "If she drowns, she was innocent. If she survives she is a witch and had help from satan."

You couldn't pass the witch test. You might survive the test. Not that you would survive for long after it.

Also. It wasn't just women who were put to the stake.

Everyone who was slightly different or didn't act the way society wanted them to got hunted and killed.

That included the neurodivervent people, disabled people, LGBTQ and of course: anyone who dared to be intelligent and ask questions.

I for one know that I would be burned at the stake. Alone for being intelligent, for asking questions and for having an opinion.

How do I know this so certain? My family can go far back and knows still some of the lifestories.

A female ancestor of mine was going to be prosecuted as a witch, for the reason of having a strong will and mind, for speaking her mind and for knowing medicine. Her fiancé smuggled her out of the land before anything could happen to her.

And that is just one. She got away because she was loved by her family (she fled to a cousin or someone) and had someone who looked out for her.

But to find serious information about the witch-hunt in Europe without going to the university or a serious documentation, you have hardly any chance to succeed.

I still can't understand why the Witch Hunt is being downplayed so strongly and people see it as a joke or a funny game.

It was never a game.

It was a Hunt for the lives of anyone who didn't fit in.