▚▚▚⛅️🌈☁️▚▚▚

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ And the Universe said I love you*ੈ✩‧₊˚

[magicposting]

OWL🌈they/them✧･:*ੈ♡‧₊˚:･

Welcome^^

I am a practitioner of magic with a strong interest in the spiritual and paranormal world around us. This blog is focused on my personal beliefs and my experience with my craft- My worldview is my own, and you may take it or leave it. I do not use a label for my practice as none fit. Understand that some aspects of my belief system are unorthodox, and if you take issue with that take yourself elsewhere instead of pushing your beliefs onto me. You do not have to agree, but you do have to respect me as an equal. This is my space. I focus on an unrestricted, unlabelled practice with attention to accessibility. You need nothing more than yourself to practice magic. I try to make everything as legible as I can, even for those who are beginners or have barely interact with magic at all. No matter your skill level if you have your curiosity I will gladly talk- whether it be discussion, advice, or something else. I read energy and am happy to review and give my insight to anything going on in your life- or even something you found online. It's great fun and keeps my senses sharp, so I welcome you! Not everything I reblog necessarily reflects my own practice. I admire and appreciate many different methods, even if I don't practice them myself. New blog, not a new practitioner. I follow from @thueenz

Askbox and DMs always open. Well wishes to you! ˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

*icon by kristina kwan

[buriedpentacles]

When I say "connect with nature" I don't just mean the aesthetic forests with deer and beautiful flowers.

I mean the weeds growing through concrete, the fungus that grows on the rotten shed, the nettles that always seem to return and the scary, spindly cellar spider in the corner of the bathroom.

Nature is not always pretty or magical - the pigeons and seagulls you swat at are nature too, the wasps and flies that hover by your meals are animals too, store-bought strawberries and the leaves that fall from your neighbour's tree are not all that different from the Giant Sequoias and it's seeds.

If you want to connect and understand nature, I mean *really* connect to it, in it's entirety, you have to seek out and learn about the ugly, scary and mundane things as well. You don't have to like it, just don't forget that it's there.

[magicposting]

༄༄࿔ | Energy Cleanse Exercise ༉‧.

A simple, yet effective method for cleansing energy that requires no tools. This exercise involves the manipulation and sensing of your own energy- if you aren't at all familiar you may not find it as effective as it could be. The good news is that this is a great beginner exercise to become more familiar!

Find the most comfortable position you can. You don't have to close your eyes, but it does make it easier to focus so I recommend it. Try to enter a more meditative state- look inward towards yourself.

You're going to use your own energy to push all unwanted energy downwards from the top of your head to your feet. This may be difficult to get the hang of if you've never done it before, but try to stay relaxed. Treat it just like you would your arm- think about how you want to move your arm then do it. Now do the same with energy. Visualization can help as well as following where it is with your focus.

Work downwards slowly along your body, feeling where your energy snags or slows. Is there a slimy energy? Something brittle? Sharp and pointy? Any people or places that come to mind? Take note of anything you feel as you guide it downward to your feet, pushing it all to your feet.

When you reach the bottoms of your feet keep pushing. Guide that unwanted energy into the earth and surrender it far away from your space.

Now, return your focus to your head area. And then expand it; let your intuition and senses guide you along the shape of your personal bubble, energy field, space, aura, etc... The energy that comes from you and exists outside your physical body. With practice you'll be able to feel the exact shape and size with ease.

Do the exact same as you did before but along your energy field. Push all unwanted energy downwards towards the area near your feet, focusing on the space your energy field holds and everything you feel.

Surrender this too to the earth, continuing to push it downwards until it feels like it is out of your space.

You may repeat each step as many times as you need. While it may take time and mental effort at the start, I can finish this exercise in 3 minutes or less and the refreshing feeling after is very much worth it!

Be well 💞

[malefixium]

the trees you grew up with have not forgotten you. their branches still whisper your name in the breeze and their roots remember the paths your feet once traced through their shade.

[ulfheoinn-screaming-well]

I spent some time today cleaning a local forest as an act of devotation / worship and while doing so i realized that i don't actually see a lot of advice on how to litter pick responsibly in heathen / pagan spaces just the advice to litter pick.

So here's my advice

- check if there's legislation around litter picking in your area [yes sometimes that's a thing] especially if you're planning to do more then just a trash bag a go or doing this as a group!

- make sure there's a place to dispose of the trash you picked up before you start!

- set a rule to yourself to not touch anything duiring litter picking with your hands get a litter picker or some really good gloves [if using gloves don't touch yourself w those]

- duiring litter picking i adhear to the idea that there is only trash and nature there is no shiny things you want to take home even if thst thing you found is really cool.

- fruit cores, fruit peels ect that do not appear naturally in the area you're cleaning are considered trash as well.

-i like to stick to places where i know a lot of people come and go, major paths the enterence of a park ect litter picking for me is spent inna different part of nature then when i go into nature for my own walks. I want to prevent the trash that gets discarded here from finding it's way further into the forest where it will be harder to clean later.

- stick to it! Stick to it in the same area and slowly expand that area it took me 20 minutes to fill up my first trash bag now it takes me over an hour in that same area!

Yes i'm aware most of this is probably considered common sense by a lot of people , but i want to see it be spoken about more so here i am screaming into the well

If you litter pick too tell me the weirdest thing you've found!! Mine's a Pikachu wallet stuffed with kitkat wrappers that all fell out when i grabbed it :')

[space-queen]

alternatives to smoke cleansing [for spaces] 🫧

🫧 sound

music, bells, pots and pans, singing

🫧 liquid

charged or blessed water, alcohol, vinegar, essential oil sprays

🫧 scents

candles, essential oils (diffused)

🫧 physical cleaning

sweep

vacuum

wipe down

*make a blend of cleansing herbs, sprinkle around your space, and either sweep it out the back door or vacuum it up and dispose of the contents

🫧 simmer pots [for the steam]

🫧 rearrange your space

🫧 open your windows

🫧 visualization + meditation

🫧 sun, moon, or starlight

🫧 rain + storms

🫧 the elements

earth - salt floor sweep

air - breath and wind

fire - heat and sunlight

water - see above

🫧 salt

place a bowl of salt in the main room of your home

🫧 crystals

place in the center or corner of the space you want to cleanse

♡ luna / space-queen

[herbalisyl444]

low-spoons layered wards 🏰🌳🏠

making this response post about my personal warding systems inspired me to describe some methods of warding, especially for those of us with low energy or little time.

i will eventually be posting a more extensive version of this post as an article on my substack.

layered wards are nested within each other; from innermost to outermost, i've organized them as: the body, the bed(room), the home, the property, and spiritual allies.

the body

if your hair is long enough, braiding the hair can be utilized as a potent protective method, to tie up spirits and negative energies within it.

if you regularly wear makeup, it can be incanted over to protect from the evil eye, and/or from negative energy intrusions.

bracelets may be enchanted for protective purposes; traditional protective bracelets include those with blue and red braids, or charms of cross, cornicello, hamsa, nazar, serpent, or phallus.

the lords prayer was traditionally written and stored within the shoe for protection throughout the day.

a stronger protective charm may be created that is not worn every day, such as a SATOR square charm bag, or a jar of iron nails.

the bed(room)

a spell pouch underneath the pillow is a common contemporary spell for aiding sleep, hedgewitchery, and/or psychic dreams.

an open pair of scissors under the bed is a traditional(?) method of deterring nightmares.

witch balls or witch's ladder may be hung in windows to trap spirits attempting to enter.

the home

traditional wards over the home include the horseshoe, bulbs of garlic, witch bottles & balls, prayers & psalms over the house (such as within Carmenica Gadelica), to cross upon the hearth the iron fire-tools, the stuck heart, carving sigils into door frames, floor washes, incense, & crosses.

traditional delineators of home boundaries include go-away powder, salt, cascarilla, graveyard or church dirt. in hoodoo traditions goofer powder may be employed.

the property

a traditional property ward is the hedge or "witch's lump" figure, described by Gemma Gary:

To protect farm land, and all that lies within its boundaries, take small amounts of earth from the north, south, east and west of each piece of land that is to fall under the protection of the charm, remembering to collect also dirt or dust in the same way from each of the farm’s buildings. Mix these small samples together, and work them well into a lump of rough clay (even better if the clay used can be dug from the land to be protected), crafting this into a human but sexless form. As the body is worked, so the Pellar breathes life into it. The figure’s garments must then be set with small panels of broken glass. Once fired, set the figure somewhere within one of the farm’s hedges, so that it may keep a protective watch over the land and all that lies within.

farm-building specific charms can be found in Gemma Gary's texts ("To Protect Farm Buildings and their Contents"), as well as in Carmenica Gadelica.

traditional delineators of property boundaries include buried witch bottles, & protective blackthorn or hawthorn hedges.

spiritual allies

a contemporary method of spiritual allyship for protection is befriending and asking local nature spirits around you for protection (or other petitions) – especially trees, creeks, and birds of prey.

traditionally, specific trees would be planted on the property for this purpose; here is an excerpt from The Black Toad by Gemma Gary:

The Bay is to be planted by thresholds to impart a protective influence upon the home...The climbing Ivy, grown up the walls of the cottage, creates a verdant shell of protection around the home...To impart protections upon the home, the Rowan may be planed near doorways.

other areas you may benefit from warding:

an office or place of work

your name or reputation

vehicles

pets & livestock

gardens

suggested reading:

Simple Methods of Magical Protection by Keziah @sheydmade

Witchcraft 101: Protection Explained by Windvexer @windvexer

Beginner Witch Protection Recommendations by Windvexer @windvexer

Home Protection in Folk Magic by Keziah @sheydmade

Protection Work in Folk Magic by Keziah @sheydmade

Protection & Reversal Magick: A Witch's Defense Manual by Jason Miller

referenced texts:

Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways by Gemma Gary

The Black Toad: West Country Witchcraft and Magic by Gemma Gary

Carmina Gadelica (AKA Charms of the Gaels) by Alexander Carmichael (Accessible via Internet Archive or Internet Sacred Texts Archive)

thorn divider by @pixopix

[magicposting]

Figure for Self-Love

This concept is focused on fat bodies, as that is what I made it for. Skinny folk can use it if they want too, but keep in mind why it was made while you read. Written from the perspective of a passionate fat liberationist.

Have you ever felt that traditional self-love spells just didn't do it for you? That they weren't targeted enough- vague like the unhelpful message of 'just love yourself' from someone who means well? I sure did. So I thought of something that resonated more with me. Consider this post an inspiration for you- less of a direct recipe and more a concept for you to build upon.

Something that generic ~self-love~ spells always fell short on for me is I felt like they failed to address the root of the problem; that our current culture hates fat people, and no amount of self love will fix that. Rewiring the hatred of your own fat body and the hatred of others is hard and more complex than just loving yourself. Not even mentioning the amount of weight loss spells I saw, and every beauty spell being focused on a conventional standard that I could not apply to.

This is not a spell to make to make you 'look better'. This is focused solely on rejecting the fatphobia entrenched in our society and finding love and confidence in your fat body.

What you are going to do is make a sculpture that looks like your body. You can make it out of clay, or wood, or what I did; finding rocks and gluing them together. I especially like the latter because it connects your body to the natural beauty of nature and removes the obsession of getting it perfect. The rocks aren't perfectly symmetrical, and neither are you. Both are beautiful.

That is all you need for the base. Admire the sculpture you made- all the details you like. Give it that energy of attraction, desire, confidence and appreciate the beauty of nature within it.

I chose to also create a sigil to let it rest on, and a phrase to repeat while imbuing it. I did 'I am big and I am beautiful' but you could do whatever you like. I am fat and happy, I am perfect as I am, My body is a miracle of life, My body is worthy as it is, etc. Whatever makes you feel confident.

As long as you can while making this try and hold that mindset that rejects our cultural fatphobia as best you can. Even if you can't believe it all the time, take that moment to really trust it. And now you want to put some anger into it- some bite. This isn't some gentle self love spell, it's a declaration of your body being worthy as it is.

Fuck anyone who comments on your body. Fuck the media for treating your body like it's a disease to be cured. Add that protection as fierce as you want- It's YOUR body. And no one else gets to say a damn thing. Make it bite back at anyone who does if you're comfortable with that.

You aren't just declaring self-love, but setting a boundary. Those pressures can't reach you anymore.

Come back to that phrase you chose and anytime you're feeling down come back to your little figure. Reaffirm it regularly however you want, and keep giving it that energy so it can give it back when you need it most. Admire and worship it as the beautiful work of art it is- just like you are.

I chose to put a jar over it mainly to keep the dust off but also as a barrier of protection. Spruce it up and decorate it however you want- make it beautiful! I plan to do more like that in the future too when I have the means. Give it space, just like your body deserves the space it takes up. Let it bloom.

And if you choose to make one... I'd be curious to see it, if you're comfortable :] . Let's celebrate the beauty of our bodies together <3

[magicposting]

On Animal Psychics...

Hello all. While I believe in letting others believe what they wish so long as it doesn't harm anyone, this is not one of those cases. Something that seems harmless on first glance are animal psychics- You may have seen them, you may not have. This is not intended to shame anyone, but rather bring light to an issue I am passionate about. I am also not claiming that picking up on energy of some kind from animals is not possible- I personally believe it is. It is the common trend, and the type of person claiming to be an animal psychic that I have a problem with.

These psychics claim to read and hear the thoughts of animals. However, as someone with a huge interest in the environment and animal welfare as well as animal science if you know anything about these topics... it becomes very obvious that these people are not picking up on anything. What these psychics do is force human thought and perspective onto these animals; this is called anthropomorphism.

Why is anthropomorphism dangerous for animals? It neglects to understand them. Someone who anthropomorphizes animals will often abuse or neglect them. It is insisting that your pet does something out of spite, forcing your animal through a disability that impacts its quality of life so greatly just because 'at least they're alive' (Human minds appreciate life in such a way! Not animals.), projecting a sense of freedom onto animals (animals do not care about being 'free', they care about their needs being met), attributing a human-focused source to a behaviour problem and ignoring a health issue or shortcoming of care, etc..

It discourages listening to experts and these sorts of people in big enough numbers can pressure those with power to make choices that end in the death and abuse of an animal. This happens more than you know, and every time it ends badly it's 'well at least they died ~free~'. This is not thinking with animal care in mind, it only serves to cater to human emotion without any thought to the animal's quality of life.

Now, a recurring theme I see with these animal psychics is this obsession with the concept of 'freedom'. That animals don't have! They insist pets and captive animals are depressed and asking to be let out. (Never mind the fact that if you know animal body language, it's pretty obvious the animal is fine...)

The reason you shouldn't keep a wild animal as a pet isn't because it wants to be 'free'. It's because you cannot meet its needs. Zoo and wildlife park teams can meet these complex needs, not you. Domesticated animals have evolved with us. They do not need to be 'free' and shouldn't, as when they get free they almost always become invasive or die of painful causes.

Spreading this line of thinking and claiming it comes from the animal itself does nothing but damage and hurt animals and wildlife everywhere. Please take care to not project the human experience on the animals around you- strive to understand them. They are not humans, they do not think like us. That doesn't mean they don't have rich minds, but it is simple fact.

I have seen these animal psychics admit they know next to nothing about animals and believe that it 'helps' them because it gives them a 'blank slate' to hear from. Not true!! How could this ever be true? You should know about the animals you're claiming to be 'hearing'.

Even if they're not promoting something that seems directly harmful anthropomorphism is still a slippery slope and it is one that is already a huge problem. People outside of animal welfare and science spaces simply don't understand. Don't become part of that problem, please. Even if you mean well that doesn't mean your actions are doing good.

This post is short and blunt and is not meant to be your sole source of information on this topic. I'm not a journalist, just someone who cares. If you want to learn more I encourage you to seek out reading material. It's only a simple PSA about problem I keep having to see.

[sheydmade]

the Background Check:

by Keziah | Support on Ko-fi (leave a tip, commission a reading)

Use this spread when you need to vet someone to learn all you can about them. This spread was originally written for vetting someone before you (or someone you know) decide whether or not to go out with someone, pursue them, or accept their advances, but it can be used to vet anyone. New acquaintance you're unsure of? It works for that. Met someone new and you get the feeling they're not being genuine about themselves? It works for that. Your best friend starts seeing someone new and something just doesn't feel right? It works for that. And then some!

From @sheydmade 's 'With Love: Tarot Spreads for Matters of the Heart.'

1. The person the world sees. 2. Who they really are. 3. Their true intentions. 4. Their focus. 5. Are they compatible with you? 6. Would they be good for/with you?

[thespellweavingspirit]

Rainbow Water???

Okay, so I realized something today. I always see posts detailing the various correspondences of different types of water. Moon water, sun water, eclipse water, rain water, storm water, snow water, even *dew* water. Water from a lake, a river, an ocean, a stream, a brook. Even water collected from mist.

But y'all know what I haven’t seen?

Rainbow water.

So hold on to your seats yall because I’m about to take ya on a ride.

Rainbow water is something I use quite often in my craft. Why? Because it’s got so many uses! I use it for:

LBGTQ+ spells

Spells for positivity

Spells for luck

Spells for change

Spells for perserverance

Spells for hope

Spells for connection (I call them “bridge spells”)

Spells for happiness

Spells for creativity/imagination

Honestly, I have no idea why I haven’t seen rainbow water being mentioned before. It can’t be because it’s too difficult to collect because, y'all,

You can make your own rainbows. You don’t have to wait for one to show up in the sky.

Observe:

That right there is a bona fide rainbow that i created with nothing but a hose on the mist option and natural sunlight. Get yourself a pretty (or ugly) bottle with a wide mouth and you can very easily make your own rainbow water!

“But wait, Eiolrin, what if I don’t have a hose?”

Nothing to fear. I’ve got your back. You can also collect rainbow water by:

Shine a light through a prismatic crystal, then placing a bottle of regular water in the rainbow that’s created. Just like making sun/moon water! You don’t need to put it in the rainbow for more than maybe 1-5 minutes.

Get a plastic spray bottle that mists and spray the mist into natural sunlight until you find a rainbow. Hold bottle against the rainbow and *keep misting*.

Hell, you know what? Who needs an *actual* rainbow?

Draw a rainbow. Print out a picture of a picture of a rainbow. This rainbow is in my grimoire in the form of a magic circle (enchantment circle) and i’ve imbued it with the energy of a rainbow. I use this to make rainbow water sometimes.

So go forth and conquer, my lovelies! Be the witch/mage/occultist that uses rainbow water! Spread this around and make sure this is something that becomes a thing because in my opinion, rainbow water is just too useful to be ignored as a valid component in spells and other things.

As a bonus, here’s my rainbow water!

[magicposting]

🌊Simple & Adaptable Cleansing Spell

Smoke cleansing is very popular- and when people mention being unable to handle smoke (pets, sensitive lungs) usually I see others suggest sound cleansing. But not everyone is in a space where they can make noise. Other spells exist, but what if you can't use the ingredients needed on a regular basis?

If you're in a similar situation (or just looking for an easy cleansing spell!) then here's my favourite way to cleanse a room, object, or person. All you need is water and a container to hold it!

First, choose your container and give it a quick cleanse. Fill it with water- it'll will be the star of the show here.

You're going to hold the container in your hands or set it down near you; whatever helps you focus on it.

Imbue the water with the task of absorbing negative or unwanted energy from the space or point of interest you want to cleanse. You can use simple visualization or any other method you prefer for spellwork.

Then, you'll link the water to your space or point of interest. You can walk the water around the room, noticing every little detail and corner that you want to cleanse and imagining it becoming linked with the spell. If for whatever reason you cannot physically walk the water around your point of interest you can simply observe the details with your eyes and imagine them linking from where you already are.

If cleansing yourself, gently pass the container along your body and/or focus on each part of your body while linking it.

Once done, set the container down somewhere it won't disturb you (If you have a lot of unwanted energy it can get pretty stinky!) and let it be. Whenever it feels 'full' or you want to dispose of the energy simply dump it down the drain or any other way you want to get rid of it- imagine the energy being flushed away from you, never to return. Cleanse the container before using it for anything else.

If you are someone who prefers to use more ingredients in your spellwork you could easily add herbs, crystals, etc... to this spell. Make it your own!

I have a setup using this method in my room at all times, passively cleaning the energy in my space to keep it from building up💞

[ginger-hex]

Candle reading made easy

Hey loves, I don’t want to make this post suuuper long so imagine me blowing a welcome kiss to all of you and let’s get started…

The generic practice of reading fire is called pyromancy. 

We can break a candle reading session down to 3 main parts:

Observation (flame watching)

Gathering & understanding (decoding fire’s messages)

Final question & Goodbye (ask if there’s anything else you should know before leaving, thank and salute fire/salamanders)

During the observation phase, watch for:

Length of the flame 1-2 min to know WHEN-the timing = PAST

Shape of the flame 2-3 min to know WHAT-the actual matter = PRESENT

Direction & behavior of the flame 3-4 min to know HOW-the true nature of it = hints at the FUTURE (see where the fire is pointing to know what type of matter it is; concentrate on the opposite direction telling you how to counteract to solve or banish whatever it might be; it also indicates what elemental energy is strongly supporting/protecting you in taking action as well as in related spellwork)

Presence/Absence of Smoke 2-3 min to understand the SOURCE of your awareness 

*Keep a compass handy!

Salamanders/fire will try to communicate with you as soon as you light the fire/candle so pay attention from the very beginning. Fire energy is impulsive, blunt, active, carefree and wild.  This type of divination detects negativity like WOW because it easily speaks the brutally honest truth regardless of how you feel or what’s happening. It brings up issues that we refuse to deal with. Again, it’s pure blunt energy. Because of its wild nature, fire will also charge us with optimism and explosive determination to overcome problems and bad news: typically after pyromancy we feel motivated and “ready to go”.

Length

Long-extra long: something has been bothering you for a very long time now (trust your intuition, probably for years) which you never actively faced; you’ve been quiet for too long; unsolved problems from the past are challenging your patience; relevant stuff that had to be cleared much earlier

Medium: Something that has been lurking in the back of your mind for 1-3 months, a plan or an idea that could change/shake your life but is not currently a priority to you; it might be something you heard from another person or a vague thought

Short: something intense that happened within the last couple days, a very recent thing is bothering you and has almost caught you by surprise; unexpected news from day to day, a new sudden event that physically or emotionally shook you

Shape 

Double: Two things that were generated consequentially or have a common link, two entities/people united by a common theme

Super-thin line: Something you felt or suspected but never had proof of evidence about, a subtle suspicion, a doubt, an insinuation; a sneaky or secretive individual

Regular: Something/someone that you accept and is part of your routine, your own mindset, something very close and not disturbing; a solid milestone in your daily life

Round: One thing in particular that constantly “fills you up”, makes you feel complete, full, exploding or either extremely delighted; a person who represses/suppresses you, someone ghosting you on purpose just to humble you or to make you feel lesser

Behavior

Steady: things are happening in the background, far from the “public eye” and without you even realizing; you - and people around you- are calm, clueless, peaceful and the surroundings seem safe; good vibes are in the air but definitely keep your eyes open and intuition awake

Shaky, wiggly: things are visibly happening before your eyes, making you confused, uneasy or giving you mood swings; anxiety; you are able to feel bad vibes around you: take control of the situation and protect yourself Weak, petite & almost extinguished: matter/person X is now annihilating you before the eyes of everybody, but still no one defends you; seek help in others, protect yourself and take action to win this ripe, suffered battle

Directions

EAST: AIR - communication, mindset, mental/spoken/written things, logical reasoning, ideas, plans, spring, morning, sunrise, masculine… WEST: WATER - emotions, unconscious, gut feelings, passivity, illogical reasoning, intangibility, blue, flow, moisture, fall, sunset, feminine… SOUTH: FIRE - action, guidance, strength, activity, blood, warmth, creativity, masculine, red, impulse, summer, noon… NORTH: EARTH - stability, firmness, art, finance, grounding, material things, tangibility, stillness, death, birth, winter, midnight, green… (+ ALL YOUR PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE about the elements and how they can be interpreted, what meanings they have in our lives and their specific correspondences) 

Smoke

Absence: you are the source of awareness: your body and soul have sent you signals about matter X and you had an inner awakening which led you to this reading 

Presence: someone else enlightened you with their words and made you fully aware of matter X; something popped up as an obvious proof that you weren’t expecting to find: this has awakened your inquisitive mind and led it to this reading. 

Hopefully you’ll get inspired by this post and learn something useful to spice up your divination practice:) I thank you so much for reading, xox msmoonfire

[magicposting]

I love doing simmer pot style spells. Smells wonderful and doesn't irritate my sensitive lungs with smoke! :]

[magicposting]

Another ✨

[magicposting]

I love doing simmer pot style spells. Smells wonderful and doesn't irritate my sensitive lungs with smoke! :]

[magicposting]

I'm very much of the opinion that making personal associations and correspondences can be good and helpful. If you just can't feel the accepted correspondence for some reason why not think about what you do feel?

A personal example is that I love and adore bugs. The wide use of bugs in mainly just baneful or malicious magics is something I've never been able to connect to. Even if I tried to follow that, I would just stifle my own magic because I love bugs and think they're beautiful unique animals. I get the 'dead' bugs aspect- dead being the focus- but I also don't view the bodies of animals like that. I just can't no matter how hard I try! I know most people (I've seen) view bugs as icky curse material, but it's not my heart.

Maybe I should write up a personal post and come up with different correspondences for bugs in spellwork based on the animal's actual behaviour when alive. I haven't personally seen much of that. Would anyone be interested in seeing that?

[herbalisyl444]

a few ritually collected items from my recent pilgrimage. this collected deer fur was left in tufts on the path, likely from a white-tailed deer rubbing itself on a tree nearby. the swamp water was ritually collected from the rich wetlands in this area.

in a nature preserve or other natural, non-urbanized location, i do not leave offerings like coins, foods, or anything non-degradable (e.g. plastics). in my practice and mindset, it is disrespectful to the spirits of the forest or natural area you are in to—intentionally or not,—introduce litter into their soils or waters.

i choose to show my respect primarily through veneration (praise, devotion, worship), spoken word (prayers for the land, psalm of arrival), and if i am giving a gift, i follow these practices. firstly, i give the gift at the edges of the natural area, closer to the entrance where the natural meets the urban. secondly, i will give a gift of a natural substance, ideally blessed water or a prepared veneration tea, or i will light an incense when available. if i do not have any supplies with me i will use spit or blood.

i have also shown these images here to describe another way i venerate these lands. i do believe i got this idea somewhere on tumblr – feel free to link the post to me if you remember it. i've collected a small jar of water, and returned it home, and it will be worshipped, enchanted, cleansed of toxins, and otherwise blessed before being returned then refilled upon the next visit. i will do this a few times, as well as divination and communion, before asking anything of the nature spirits of this land, such as for any kind of spellworking assistance.

the deer fur i really only included because it was collected on this same trip – however, i'm not really sure at all how i'll use it. if anyone has any ideas or suggestions feel free to reply or send an ask.