Magick 'n' Stuff

A sideblog for witchy stuff, you know the drill Main @howlforthemoon I don't post often, sorry :[

[howl-the-singing]

Intro Post

hello all! I saw some people introducing themselves to the witchcraft community and the #pathandpractice tag, so thought I might give it a go!

You can call me howl, I have been practicing on and off for the last three or four years, and am trying to set a course i can stick with this time. I suppose you could call me eclectic? I just do whatever I can get my grubby little hands on: knot magick, sigils, crystals, bowl spells, meditation, divination. I like to use what I have.

Witchcraft is a journey and one i couldn't be more glad to make

[yorubaby]

Alright, I know this is The Question of ask 5 witches get 2 billion different answers:

Just started a new job, its an office gig. But i have dropped my spiritual practice as a result. Any advice, tips, steps or small ways to get back into it?

Ooh! I like this question because I recently had to dust off some parts of my practice that were experiencing slight neglect.

I'm an animist, and I'm also a spirit worker so I'll be answering a lot from that perspective.

So I start by cleaning my altar area, and even the room the altar is in. I feel physical clutter and debris can block the flow of energy, along with make the space feel "neglected". So I do what I can to make that better, and often that's cleaning the room and cleaning the altar itself.

Depending on how neglected it is, I'll do a deep spiritual cleanse + awakening with various herbs too.

Then I'll usually offer the spirits I frequently work with and worship an offering-- my practice is very spirit work heavy.

Sometimes I'll like to reconnect with tools too, and give them some love by spending time with them/waking them/moving energy with them.

If you can't do something that's as big as an entire song and cleanse dance-- you can also just wipe the altar down/organize the things on it/and spend some 1:1 time with it.

I think what matters is spending 1:1 time with your tools/your spirits/what you feel is important to your practice, along with doing something physical and tangible to usher in new energy/new movement. It doesn't have to be big or time consuming, but I do think it's important that it's a little dedicated activity that takes mindful work.

I hope this is helpful! :D

[windvexer]

IDK who needs to hear this but if there's something in your life that makes you feel better, but you never stick to it,

it's still actually perfectly fine to do it

and you shouldn't stop yourself from starting just because it won't be a permanent change.

Like if starting a new daily planner gives you an amazing afternoon of planning and four days where you feel in charge of your life,

why not do it?

It doesn't matter that it won't be a permanent change - 4 good days is still worth it.

If you ever catch yourself thinking, "I wish I could pray/stretch/prep/plan/do the thing, but I always get started on that and it never lasts more than a couple of days,"

what this really means is, "hey, I can feel better for a couple of days."

if this post is making you think of things in your own life that you wish you could stick to because of how good they make you feel,

just be aware:

you're not thinking of a list of ways you've failed to commit

you're thinking of a list of things that make you happy, and you should give yourself permission to start doing them as often as you want to

[space-queen]

once again suggesting and begging new and seasoned witches alike to learn where correspondences originate before forming an opinion on how much they suck and don't resonate

[sroloc--elbisivni]

[grabs your shirt] listen. listen to me. the practical is holy. the everyday is sacred. the simple act of surviving is divine. do you get it? sanctity begins at home, in the hands that build and the lives we live and the deaths we die and the worms that eat our bodies. if making something by hand is not worthy of veneration then nothing is.

[intermedium]

Speaking of curses, I disagree with the idea that you're not much more likely to get cursed just because you're a witch. The actuality is that you're not more likely to get cursed just because you're a witch so long as you're not frequenting circles of other witches and spirits. Both of those things significantly increase your chances of getting cursed. If you're constantly in contact with witches you don't know and you hold unpopular or contested opinions, you're eventually going to end up the object of a curse. If you're constantly in contact with spirits you don't know and you're experimenting and performing spirit-focused spells on the regular you're eventually going to end up the object of a curse. Now, whether or not the curse will reach you as a mark or make its own mark is dependent on multiple factors, such as the potency of the spell/strength of the sender, the amount of power you have ceded ( whether by accident or on purpose ) to a spirit, as well as the efficacy of your own protection magic or spiritual defenses. I don't say these things to scare away beginners or make witchcraft out to be horror movie levels of dangerous, of course not all magic involves spirits/more intense spirit work, and just because you're in witchcraft-focused social circles doesn't mean you'll inevitably come to blows ( this can be mitigated by limiting acquaintances and avoiding overly curse-happy witches altogether if you think you're likely to end up on their bad side, or by avoiding arguing as much as possible ). But if there's anything I want beginners to take from this it's that protection magic is actually as important as everyone makes it out to be, even if it seems a little boring or overhyped, and also you should be really considerate and thoughtful about spirit work because one size does NOT fit all.

[khaire-traveler]

May Hermes help you to find open and welcoming arms wherever you choose to roam. May Hestia help you to find a safe home in every place you rest. May Demeter help you to keep your belly full and nourished. May Apollo help you to remain in good health and always find affordable care when it's needed. May Dionysus help you to stay in high spirits, despite the trials that traverse you. May Ares help to topple the systems that oppress you, bringing them to their knees. May Athena help you to find the wisdom needed to prevail and persevere. May Aphrodite help you to encounter those with love and compassion in their hearts.

[ohmymoxie]

as a witch that really struggles with rampant diagnosed OCD and intrusive thought loops, i can tell you with absolute certainty that your brain might FEEL like an enemy of your practice, but it isn’t.

i know those spells interrupted by wobbly intentions and racing thoughts FEEL less potent, but they aren’t.

you hold concentrated power in yourself and are SO capable despite the neurodivergence, despite the self-doubt, despite the tired soul.

you are no less a witch.

[hillbillybubbeleh]

It's always interesting to me when I see people who claim to be long-time practitioners saying things along the lines of "if you're not posting pictures or proof of your magical workings, you're not doing witchcraft."

Don't buy into that kind of talk. If you're practicing witchcraft and you like to take pictures and post them or document your workings that's fine, but it's also fine if you're a practitioner who prefers not to take pictures, not to post about active workings, not to publicly detail every (or any) bit of witchery and magic you're performing.

And let's not forget that some traditions discourage sharing too much of your work or practice, some traditions are closed and their practitioners might not feel comfortable publicly documenting details of their craft that they may feel need protecting, and some practitioners simply hold personal beliefs and preferences against publicly posting their active workings, workspaces, etc.

One's craft or practice is in no way determined by how much of it they're willing to share with the public. Do you, ignore that kind of noise, and never, I beg, feel as though you're not doing enough in your practice because you're not "posting proof" of that practice. You're no more or less of a witch depending on how many pictures you took or posts you made sharing your witchery with others.

[thrandilf]

"It doesn't stop being magic just because you know how it works." -Terry Pratchett, The Wee Fee Men

[chthonic-eclectic-riorson]

Reasons why you should be using invasive plants in your spell-work

Helps improve the overall health of your local ecosystems and native wildlife.

Allows you to build a better relationship with the spirits of your area.

There is no such thing as overharvesting, so if you worry you’re the type when foraging for ingredients to go heavy handed; go to your invasives.

Inherently these plants when used in spell work will be fast-working, highly adaptive, and dominating.

You likely already have an invasive in your area that has the intentions you want to use in your next spell.

Allows you to not rely on massive monoculture farms that over-farm and hurt the environment.

Gives you the excuse to go outside and get moving which has been proven to have positive impacts on mental health.

Invasives aren’t hard to find. You can find them at the park, school campuses, any patch of grass along the road, etc.

The baneful possibilities are endless, like you can get so creative.

Depending on what exactly is your invasive and where you’re foraging from it’s free food.

Some Important Reminders

Research what are your natives and your invasives and learn to identify them, especially if they are similar to natives or have dangerous look-a-likes.

Read up on your area’s by-laws to ensure you are foraging invasives in a legal and safe way.

When harvesting invasives harvest carefully and be aware of how this specific invasive spreads, so when harvesting you’re not possibly helping it spread.

Don’t compost invasives.

Some invasives are poisonous or toxic, so research and be careful when handling. Please don’t consume or use in any in workings that would require burning them or skin contact.

If looking for edible invasives or invasives you plan on using in salves or bath rituals, don’t harvest from polluted areas and ensure it is not toxic.

[achillesinhighheels]

choosing to ignore my strangely symbolic dream

[aesethewitch]

Beware the Soulra Tarot spam in the tags. After scouring all immediately available details about it, the app (which hasn't yet released) is going to be a generative AI garbage pit that's going to steal your data (including your name, age, birthday, location, full astro chart, gender, sexuality, and the information of anyone else you put in) and "share it" with advertisers.

The accounts are bot-controlled. Report them as bot spam and block them.

[moth-kissed-witch]

To whoever needs to hear this...

You do not need visualization skills to do energy work, perform magick, be a witch, or anything in between.

Rituals, spirit work, spells, divination, and so on have been practiced through so many other means than just visualization since practically the dawn of humanity. There are four other mundane and psychic senses than just eyesight and clairvoyance that you can utilize.

Raise and direct your energy via movement, your breath, and music. Meditate through automatic writing/drawing, or focus on how energy feels in different locations. Hone your intuition by asking for and noticing observable signs or listening to the voices of spirits and discerning them from your own inner voice.

Visualization is just one of many tools you can potentially use. Not have to.

[fabledforestmarket]

Many people think witchcraft starts with spells, but historically it started with observation. Knowing when turtles nested, when certain flowers bloomed, or how streams changed after rain helped people understand the rhythms of the land. That knowledge became folklore, seasonal celebrations, and eventually magical practices. And it’s still very helpful to learn these things. Go outside today and observe something about where you live. Write it down, then go observe that same thing tomorrow or next week, and write down any changes. This is how you can begin to flow with the rhythms of where you are.

[revevif]

healing happens in circles, not lines. you will return to old places with new eyes.

[ladyiristheenchantress]

Hey everybody! I know it’s been a minute:

I just want to remind everyone (esp w summer approaching in the northern hemisphere) that when you are looking for shells on a beach that you are doing so ethically.

Many beaches currently have a shelling ban, meaning if you find one, leave it there. This is because shells greatly impact the coastline ecosystem, offering homes and latching points to many organisms, offering minerals as they break down, and creating sand in the middle of a global sand shortage.

Additionally many countries have bans on taking shells in luggage, even by car. It’s important that you ‘know before you go’ on vacation. You can look up a specific beaches laws prior to your visit, and when in doubt leave shells where they are.

For my witches: I know many posts suggest taking shells home as offerings, esp older sources, however due to the nature of the situation it’s best they are left where they are. Rather than taking them, bless them, skip them closer to the waves as offerings, make fun sigils around them in the sand before they are washed away, honor the species they came from as a muse, charge shells in sunlight or moonlight before placing them back. Ideas are infinite, so depending on what you need them for there are beach equivalents that are ocean friendly!

Finally: please don’t introduce foreign materials into the water systems, buying commercial shells just to put back, adding random crystals to beaches, buying shells from beach shops (unethical to begin with) and trying to put them back. Many of these objects either are not native to the area, or have been treated for craft purposes, or like in the cases of beach stores have been brought from international sources. These shells are no longer beach safe, and risk introducing things into the water ways that don’t belong.

We can respect these beauties from a distance, our water ways need us 🙌

This has been a water witch PSA 🌊🐚🦪