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🌬️ currently reading:

"the masks of god vol. 2: oriental mythology" by joseph campbell [8%]

"zen mind, beginner's mind" by shunryu suzuki [23%]

The questions I ask myself, roughly in this order, to interpret any* tarot spread:

How did the cards appear? Because I shuffle for jumpers, it matters whether cards pop from the deck together. They form pairs (or groups) which have stronger connections to each other than other cards in the spread.

What types of cards are on the field? Majors? Minors? All numerical cards? Court cards? What suits? What numbers? This is where I consider the raw, memorized meaning of individual cards and the archetypes they represent.

Are there obvious patterns or cadences in the order? Think like poetry, ABAB or AABB, but with the types of cards. In a hand of five, it's interesting if the order is Major-Minor-Major-Minor-Major. Or maybe the cards are in a descending numerical order, Nine-Eight-Seven-Six-Five. Or, perhaps Nine-Eight-Six-Five-Four -- the jump in the pattern matters.

Are there repeating numbers or suits? Repetition strengthens the significance of a number's or suit's meaning.

Are there repeating motifs in the card art? Again, repetition strengthens the significance. This includes colors, background details, people, animals, and so forth.

Where are figures in the art looking? Are they looking at other cards? At each other? Away from each other? The direction of figures' attention directs where that card's focus might be.

Is there a cohesion or flow in the spread, or is it interrupted and disorganized? Some spreads flow smoothly left to right, while others show disruption and a lack of coherency. This question looks a the spread as a whole again after all other questions have been asked to consider all elements together.

Does it make sense? Do the cards answer the question being asked? How do they apply? Is there something missing? Is there a deeper meaning to delve into? Do I need clarifiers? Do I need to try again with new cards? Can I explain these cards to the querent and have them understand my meaning?

And then I write out my analysis! There's obviously more to it than this, with a ton of nuance at every step, and I could probably write a whole essay about any individual part of this... and I probably still will, honestly. (And I started to, then decided to just write up a little list instead, lmao.)

*May not work for some tarot spreads, depending on the style.

dionysianivy

𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐞

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What is Beltane?

Beltane is a fire festival celebrated on the night of April 30th into May 1st in the Northern Hemisphere, and around October 31st into November 1st in the Southern Hemisphere. It marks the midpoint between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, honoring fertility, passion, and the sacred union between the divine feminine and masculine. Traditionally, it signals the beginning of the light half of the year, a time of growth, abundance, warmth, and blooming life. Beltane celebrates freedom, love, lust, creativity, and the return of life to the natural world, bringing with it new, flourishing beginnings. May 1st is a day of joy and play. After a harsh winter, it becomes a celebration of renewal, of aliveness, and of nature’s wild rebirth.

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The History of Beltane

The name Beltane comes from Old Irish Beltene, meaning "bright fire" or "The fires of Bel". Some people link it to the Celtic god Belenus, a solar and healing deity, while others have drawn comparisons to Baal, a fertility god, though that idea is debated and not widely accepted.

Historically, Beltane was celebrated in Celtic regions, most notably Ireland and Scotland, as a pastoral festival. Bonfires were lit on hilltops, and cattle were driven between two of them to protect them from disease and ensure fertility. People would jump over the flames, not just for luck, but as a way to connect with sacred fire and invoke fertility, health, and courage for the coming summer season.

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Beltane and the Fairy Realm

Beltane is a liminal time, one of the two key points in the year (along with Samhain) when the veil between our world and the Otherworld grows thin. While Samhain leans into the realm of spirits and ancestors, Beltane belongs to the fae.

It is said that on the eve of Beltane, the Fair Folk wander freely, drawn to laughter, music, and offerings left with care. In many old traditions, people avoided disturbing fairy mounds or sacred groves during this time, choosing instead to leave gifts like milk, honey, or sweet bread beneath hawthorn trees. These offerings were meant to honor the fae, invite blessings, and protect against mischief.

Wearing a crown of bluebells on Beltane Eve is said to help one see the faeries, as bluebells are sacred to them. A ring of blooming bluebells is also believed to be a favorite gathering spot for garden faeries.

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Beltane and the Hawthorn Tree

Few trees are more sacred to Beltane than the hawthorn. Often called the “fairy tree” in Irish and Scottish folklore, it is said to guard the entrances to the Otherworld. Blooming right around May 1st, its soft white-pink blossoms carry the energy of protection, love, and the unseen.

In Celtic tradition, hawthorn trees were deeply respected as portals to the realm of the fae. During Beltane, it was common to tie ribbons or small offerings to the branches while making heartfelt wishes, not demands, but gentle hopes whispered like prayers. Damaging or cutting a hawthorn tree, especially during this sacred time, was believed to bring terrible luck or stir the wrath of the Fair Folk.

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The Sacred Fire

Fire is the central symbol of Beltane. The festival’s original name literally refers to Bel’s fires, honoring the sun and invoking purification and fertility.

Traditionally, two large bonfires were lit at Beltane, and people, along with their animals, would walk, dance, or even leap between them for blessings, healing, and protection. In some regions, ashes from the sacred fire were scattered over fields to encourage fertility. Couples, especially newlyweds, often passed hand-in-hand through the smoke as a symbol of unity and renewal.

The fire wasn’t just a ritual, it was a living spirit. Lighting it the old way, through friction rather than matches or lighters, was seen as a sacred act, calling upon the raw elemental force of nature itself.

Even today, many Beltane celebrations honor this ancient custom through bonfires, candle magic, and fire rituals. You don’t need a blaze on a hilltop, even a single flame, lit with intention, can carry the sacred spark of Beltane into your home and heart. :D

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The Maypole

The maypole is one of the most central symbols of modern Beltane celebrations. Though it has roots in English May Day traditions, it’s been beautifully woven into Beltane for its rich symbolism of life, fertility, and union.

The tall, phallic pole rising from the earth represents the God, masculine energy, vitality, and the spark of creation. The colorful ribbons and flowers spiraling around it, often held by dancers weaving in circles, represent the Goddess, the womb, fertility, and abundant life. Together, they form a sacred spiral: a dance of harmony between the masculine and feminine, of earth and sky, movement and stillness.

As dancers move around the maypole, their steps create a living mandala, a spell in motion, tied with laughter and bright ribbons.

The dance itself is a celebration of harmony between forces, of weaving ourselves back into the rhythm of the land.

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Beltane x Handfasting

Beltane is also a favored time for handfasting, a traditional pagan betrothal or wedding ritual where a couple’s hands are bound together with ribbons, cords, or braided threads to symbolize their union. In ancient times, a handfasting ceremony could last for a year and a day, after which the couple had the choice to stay together or part ways. Today, many modern pagans choose Beltane as a powerful and romantic time to make such commitments, drawn to the fertile energy of the season. Handfastings are often held outdoors, in nature, near fire, under blooming trees, or surrounded by loved ones in sacred space. The vows exchanged during these rituals can be traditional or deeply personal, as the magic of the ceremony lies in the heart connection and the intention to walk beside each other, bound by love and commitment.

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Magic Correspondences

Planets: Venus

Season: Midpoint between spring and summer

Element: Fire

Time of the Day: Noon

Tarot Cards: The Strength, The Lovers, The Sun, Three of Cups

Colors: Green, Red, Pink, Yellow, Purple, White, Sky Blue, All Pastel Colors

Herbs: Mint, Rosemary, Thyme, Ivy, Nettle, Sage, Basil, Juniper, Clover, Mugwort

Fruits: Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Bananas, Lemon, Cherries

Vegetables: Cucumbers, Carrots, Garlic, Lettuce, New Potatoes

Crystals: Emerald, Bloodstone, Rose Quartz, Carnelian, Red Jasper, Green Aventurine, Moonstone, Fire Agate

Runes: Kenaz, Wunjo, Ingwaz

Trees: Hawthorn, Elder, Willow, Birch

Goddesses: Artemis, Diana, Brigid, Aphrodite, Flora, Gaia, Hera, Astarte, Venus, Juno, Freyja, Epona, Bastet

Gods: Pan, Cernunnos, Belenus, Dionysus, The Green Man, Bacchus, Priapus, Faunus, Eros, Ra

Dragons: Sairys, Fafnir

Flowers: Lilac, Bluebells, Daisy, Lilies, Foxglove, Lily of the Valley, Marigold, Tulips, Violets, Primrose, Peony, Poppy, Honeysuckle

Animals: Frogs, Swans, Cows, Deer, Squirrels, Sheep, Ducks, Cats, Bees, Rabbits, Swallows, Leopards, Lynx, Hares

Magical Powers: Love, Sex, Fertility, Protection, Cleansing, Transformation

Symbols: Maypole, Ribbons, Phallus, Bonfire, Flowers, Faeries, Sex, Floral Crowns, Frogs, Celtic Knots

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Activities to do:

🌸 Make flower-shaped biscuits

🌸 Do candle magick

🌸 Find a local hawthorn tree and make a wish to the faeries

🌸 Wear flowers in your clothes, hair, or as bracelets

🌸 Leave offerings for faeries, as this is the season when they’re most present, you can leave them honey, milk, or biscuits

🌸 Go out for a walk in nature and feel the arrival of summer

🌸 Make a fire in the yard and dance around it (only in safe circumstances, of course); if you don’t have resources, you can light candles in your room (again, be careful)

🌸 Eat anything with oats, as it’s associated with Beltane, such as oatmeal, oatcakes, or other oat-based foods

🌸 Do a tarot or rune reading in the morning of Beltane

🌸 Take care of the trees in your yard or nearby by watering them

🌸 Honor all deities associated with fertility

🌸 Practice faerie magick

🌸 On the morning of Beltane, open your windows or door to warmly welcome the energy of the sabbat.

🌸 Make a Beltane magick jar

🌸 Water your flowers

🌸 Listen to music and dance :D

🌸 Celebrate life, fertility, love, and union

🌸 Take care of your garden, plant seeds, clean dried leaves, and prepare for summer

🌸 Make special Beltane treats

🌸 Casting your circles with oats around this time of year is also a good idea, as oats are a traditional Beltane grain for good luck

🌸 Have a picnic with your loved ones, or organize a gathering with food and grilling

🌸 Honor your ancestors

🌸 Place decorations in your garden

🌸 Plant a tree with any intention you want and take care of it

🌸 Draw runes and specific symbols on paper and burn them

🌸 Do self-love activities

🌸 Practice sex or love magick

🌸 Look for hawthorns in your area and honor them with water and offerings for faeries

🌸 Make a maypole

🌸 Collect flowers

🌸 On the morning of May 1st, wash your face with May Dew or natural spring water

🌸 Connect with the fire element

🌸 Read about the fair folk

🌸 Have a bonfire with your loved ones

🌸 Place ribbons or colored thread in trees with intentions for each, you can use color magick to attract what you need in your life right now (pink for love,

🌸 Meditate

🌸 Make flower crowns and wreaths

🌸 Perform spells for fertility, purification, and love

🌸 As this is a day of love, if you are of an appropriate age, comfortable, being sexually active is part of the celebration

🌸 Buy seeds and plant them in your garden, welcoming the growth of new life

🌸 Create a Beltane altar

🌸 If you don't have a maypole you can dance around your favorite tree <3

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Food and Drinks:

Oats in all forms (oatmeal, oat cookies, oat bread, oatcakes, bannock), strawberries, blueberries, honey, whipped cream with oats, strawberry biscuits, oat and honey bread, blackberry pie, lavender cake, cheese (including Swiss), seasonal potato dishes, fresh fruit salads, tomato and cucumber salads, dairy or plant-based milks, vanilla-flavoured foods, ice cream, grilled food, BBQ, spicy dishes to honor the fire element, May Day wine, white wine, regular wine (with a strawberry placed at the bottom of the glass if you wish), tarts with cheese, mayonnaise.

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hermeneutas

Recomendações & Livros.

Levando em conta os numerosos pedidos de leituras, textos e artigos para quem decide estudar caminhos no Politeísmo Helênico, separamos algumas indicações advindas do acervo pessoal deste que vos escreve o post. Bom proveito!

Leituras iniciais. Filosofia (muito viés neoplatônico, vocês foram avisados.) Misticismo Divinação. Arte, Drama e Poesia. Outras leituras.

*Atenção, nem todos os documentos aqui encontram-se traduzidos!

ad-caelestia

magical uses for essential oils

add to:

the bath

the shower

spell jars

sachets

oil diffusers

washing machine

dryer sheets

make homemade:

perfumes

salves

lotions

soaps

balms

scrubs

floor washes

pest repellants

use to:

anoint candles and crystals

anoint other magical tools

anoint yourself

anoint personal items

make elemental, planetary, or celestial oil blends

make charged water or blessed oils

always:

dilute your essential oils with a carrier oil

do a patch test before putting oils on your skin

never:

diffuse around pets or those with respiratory issues or other medical problems

ingest essential oils or have others ingest essential oils - they are not safe to drink or to cook with

stormbornwitch

Communing with Spirits to Create Personal Correspondences

Buckle up witches, we're doing spirit work!

So over the last ten or so years I've been working on connecting with spirits of the land in order to create my own personal set of correspondences.

Now, I'm not going to just list my personal gnosis about the various flora and fauna of where I live because unless you also live in Gubbi Gubbi Country, it won't be of much use to you. Instead, I'm going to give you the tools to do this for yourself so you can take your witchcraft from a beginner level where you're using common correspondences written in books, to an intermediate level where you're making your own.

Let's do this thing!

So, first you need to step away from the witchcraft books, with their carefully curated lists of correspondences, and step outside. It's important to note that most of the common flora and fauna used in traditional witchcraft originates from Europe. If you live in Europe, this makes it easier for you to make your own correspondences. If you don't... well be prepared to do a bit of hard yakka yourself.

"Using what is local and connecting with one's own land is fundamental." (Horne, 2019)

Step 1: Take a Walk

I know it might seem simple but you're going to walk around your local area. Wear some sensible shoes; fill a water bottle; bring your phone and keys; a plastic bag to put rubbish in; and a small notebook with a pen/pencil. I like to put all of this in a backpack but use whatever works for you.

If this is your first time doing this, you're not going to be making any correspondences. As you walk, reach out with your magic and introduce yourself to the local spirits. It will take time for them to be open to you, so the more often you do this, the better.

Don't pick any flowers or plants on these early journeys. Just take your time and if you see any litter, pick it up. This is a great offering to local spirits and helps pave the way for your connection to the land.

You will soon begin to 'sense' local places where there are stronger / more cognisant spirits. I like to call these 'places of power' and have made a hand drawn map of my local area with little symbols showing where these spirits reside.

Step 2: Learn Your Spirits

Now, learning the 'personality' of these spirits will help you to create correspondences later on down the line. Here are some general guidelines that I've found for my local spirits. Yours may be different.

Because I live in a colonised country, many local spirits don't like colonisers and will be actively hostile towards people who are not indigenous. For example, during the 1700s and 1800s there were massacres of the local Gubbi Gubbi people on this land by colonisers. The spirits of the land remember the blood of their cousins spilt by outsiders. In the 'lifespan' of older spirits like rivers, islands and mountains, these atrocities didn't happen that long ago... so you can understand why they wouldn't like non-indigenous people.

Water Spirits

Rivers tend to have strong spirits associated with them. They are slow moving, often nourishing, revitalising and cleansing. They're also OLD, like thousands of years old. The age of the river usually dictates the wisdom of the spirit. But you also need to do research into the history of the river, what plants and animals call it home and how it's been treated by humans as this often dictates how hostile the spirit will be with you when interacting with it. Most of the time river spirits will ignore you. Don't be discouraged, but understand that you are just one of the millions of entities living on their banks. Be respectful and persistent. It takes time.

Creeks and Streams are much younger than rivers most of the time and their speed reflects this. They often have more energising, almost playful spirits but this is not always the case. For example, there is a creek in Gubbi Gubbi Country called Murdering Creek... It's called that because in 1862, approximately 25 Gubbi Gubbi men were simply fishing in canoes during bunya season only to be ambushed and massacred by the Manager of the Yandina Station, Walter Taplock Chippindall, and five other stockmen (Gibbons, 2014). The spirit of this creek understandably does not like white people and did not want to work with me. That is totally fine and I respected its wishes. Just like people, not all spirits are going to like you. That's okay.

Lakes are often more calm spirits. They nourish the land around them and are often more reflective and quiet. You often have to really listen closely to connect with the spirit of a lake. Do not expect a quick response from a lake... let them ruminate for a while and come back later.

Swamps are simultaneously teeming with both life and death; with fallen trees, rotting logs, buzzing mosquitoes and all manner of wildlife. Spirits of swamps are slow and stagnant like the water that inhabits them. Not much phases them most of the time as they are used to the quickly turning wheel of life and death that lives in or around the swamp. They don’t really care about you most of the time… almost like an indifference that tastes like death and rebirth.

Freshwater springs are usually lively spirits bursting with energy bringing forth life-giving, generous refreshment from beneath the surface of the earth. They are cool and bright with an almost ‘mineral’ taste. There aren’t really many freshwater springs where I am that don’t have bottled water companies taking the water so admittedly, my connection with these types of spirits is limited.

The Ocean… Stand in awe at the majesty of these spirits. They are both life-giving and devastating. I love the ocean and feel safe when in its waters, but I also know it doesn’t give a shit about me. It is vast, ancient and tumultuous. There is deep, deep wisdom here… be respectful and you’ll be fine.

Earth Spirits

Mountains here are often proud and headstrong. The spirits of the Mountains on Gubbi Gubbi Country often have stories associated with them. The most famous are the volcanic plugs known nowadays as the Glasshouse Mountains. They’re a family: Tibrogargan, the father, and Beerwah, the mother, had many children. One day, Tibrogargan was gazing out to sea and noticed a great rising of the waters. He ran to his children and told them to flee inland. He told his eldest son, Coonowrin, to help his mother Beerwah, who was with child. But Coonowrin fled, leaving his mother behind. Enraged, Tibrogargan pursued Coonowrin and hit him in the neck with his club, leaving it crooked and bent. When the floods had subsided the family returned to the plains. Feeling ashamed, Coonowrin begged Tibrogargan for forgiveness, but filled with shame at his son’s cowardice, Tibrogargan could do nothing but weep copious tears, which, trickling along the ground, formed a stream that flowed into the sea. Then Coonowrin went to his brothers and sisters, but they also wept at the shame of their brother’s cowardice. The lamentations of Coonowrin’s parents and of his brothers and sisters at his disgrace explain the presence of the numerous small streams of the area. Tibrogargan then called to Coonowrin, asking him why he had deserted his mother. Coonowrin replied that as Beerwah was the biggest of them all she should be able to take care of herself. He did not know that she was pregnant again, Then Tibrogargan turned his back on his son and vowed that he would never look at him again. Even today Tibrogargan gazes far out to sea and never looks around at Coonowrin, who hangs his head and cries, his tears running off to the sea. His mother Beerwah is still heavy with child, as it takes a long, long time to give birth to a mountain.

Trees here in Australia have all sorts of different spirits and personalities. For example, most paperbark trees feel revitalising, like a snake shedding its skin, they are often spirits of renewal and change. They are also protective and healing as paperbark was used to make waterproof shelters,bedding, bandages, rafts, containers and more. The leaves were also used to add flavour to cooking, and a traditional ground oven will often include layers of paperbark leaves. Tea Tree spirits are also cleansing and healing. They often live beside lakes or swamps that are traditionally called “healing lakes”. The tannins of these trees leach into the water making the water change to a tea color while infusing the water with antibacterial and medicinal qualities. Eucalyptus or Gum tree spirits are often cleansing and protective as the leaves have traditionally been used in smoking ceremonies for millenia and their wood for shields. These spirits are also closely associated with fire as the leaves and bark don't decompose and are filled with a highly flammable oil. Eucalypts are therefore destructive, protective and even regenerative as our landscape needs fire to survive with many native plants requiring heat and smoke to crack open seed pods and help them germinate in the new carbon-rich soil.

Step 3: Write your Correspondences

I’m not going to go into detail here as Bree @breelandwalker has an excellent post all about Creating Correspondences which I will direct you to look at.

So yeah ~ hope this was helpful!

~ Marci

References

Gibbons, R, 2014, ‘Deconstructing the Myth of Murdering Creek’.

Horne, R 2019, 'Folk Witchcraft: A Guide to Lore, Land, & the Familiar Spirit for the Solitary Practitioner'

hagoftheholler-deactivated20260

Something I feel like people getting into folk magic need to understand, for many people of many backgrounds, is folk magic started as a means of survival. It was struggle magic, and it is still struggle magic.

Where I'm living now and where I'm from, people planted by the signs to ensure their crops wouldn't go bad before harvesting. People used ocean water to soothe joint and muscle pains when they got old. People studied the native plants for medicine and were mindful to only take what was needed. People did little rituals and minded their grannies' words to keep their good luck. If they didn't know how to do something (or couldn't), they went to people who did.

Learning folk magic to reconnect with ancestral traditions from before your time is valid. Learning folk magic to connect with and work with the land is valid. There are many valid reasons to take up folk magic. Still, understand that folk magic is survival, and folk magic is community.

ladyshinga

touching grass is not enough i must psychically connect to a mushroom colony

caninemotiff

Give me household magic, give me spells crafted by grandmothers when they were learning how to live, passed down not from teaching but in that osmosis of children observing their mother everyday, give me simple charms made in the evenings and left on neighbours doors to keep gardens free of bugs and eaves from leaking, give me potions for cleaning or boiling or preserving, pantry potions every house has above the kitchen sink, give me words of power to call the cows down from the pastures and chase away foxes from the chickens and calm the horses when they frighten, give me household magic, small magic, family magic, it's not textbook, it's rough technique but it works and that's what matters

windvexer

Hi, Chicken!

I hope this question won't be too basic, but I wonder how to know if I did something right - like, if I cleansed properly, or if my protection spell works. I guess if a spell is about stuff like "Some money/love/whatever would be nice, please", then I can see for myself whether it comes to me or not, but with cleansing and protection it's less obvious. Note that I'm a beginner. I think my divination/cartomancy skills are quite decent, but that's it.

Thank you for your time, have a lovely day!

You won't always be able to tell, but there are ways. Basically, build your protection and cleansing spells in such a way that when they work, something else happens to alert you to that change.

@asksecularwitch sometimes speaks of including "tells" in spellwork that indicate a spell is working as intended. The concept is the same: you have a spell give you a sign if it's working.

I usually don't assign specific tells, like, "if the protection works I'll see a speckled pigeon." I like to employ feeling. When I protect an area, does it feel safe? Do the little hairs on the back of my neck settle down?

Protection should change something about a space. This is a change you can learn to sense.

You can gain this sense with a little practice. This is where practice becomes important. You need to work with lots of little protections and cleansings to develop the sense for how they feel to be around.

You can experiment with this for yourself. Try practicing visualizations that make you feel very safe. Keenly observe yourself: how does your lived experience change when you are magically protected, versus not being protected?

You don't have to have a strong connection to your own emotional center. But what changes? Something should change.

Within a protected space, do you have less thoughts of worry, even if those thoughts are disconnected from emotion? Is it easier for you to forget about the thing you are protected against? Are you able to think about other things for longer, without being intruded upon by thoughts of the thing protected against? When you do think about that thing, are the quality of those thoughts different? Do those thoughts change from sharp and needling, to faraway and curious?

Witchcraft exists at the intersection between internal and external reality.

It is your own internal reality that provides landmarks and points of reference that allow you to see when external reality is shifting beyond its normal boundaries.

If you have not mapped the terrain of your internal reality, how will you be able to tell when subtle magic is afoot?

If you have no idea what yourself looks like when you're unprotected, then you must always rely on outside verification. If you do know what yourself looks like when you're unprotected, just watch yourself, step into a protected space, and see what changes.

If you want to get past the 101 and start figuring things out for yourself, you must know yourself.

This undertaking can be done intentionally and methodically. Knowing yourself is not an abstract notion; it is a skill that can be practiced through established techniques.

Of course, in this pursuit, it's also wise to employ protections that not only protect a thing, but make you feel safe. It's very lovely, and easy to accomplish.

When you lay down the ward, instruct it to not only protect against X, but make you feel protected.

You can tell a ward is working if you know yourself well enough to tell whether or not you are stepping into a protected space. It takes a lot of practice. There are other things you can do to test the ward itself, and your skills of warding. But if you'd like to be the sort of witch who can just tell whether or not a space is protected, that comes from self work, not spell work.

It's the same with cleansing.

What's the point in cleansing something if it feels the same both before and after?

I mean beyond just doing activities to practice, or just doing something because a spell says so.

In real life, what's the point in cleansing, if the cleansing doesn't change anything?

If an object doesn't feel "dirty" to you, then why cleanse it?

And if the cleansing didn't make it feel clean, why do it?

Cleansing should change something about a space or object, just like protection changes something about a space or object.

You can specially work with your cleansing techniques to leave an air of freshness, a metaphysical squirt of Lemon Pledge, if you will. And just like the good feelings that protection can bestow, this is a very pleasant thing to do.

Just like creating protections to know what it feels like to be protected, try understanding what it is within you that changes to reflect the difference between a cleansed and uncleansed object.

Do you feel more comfortable touching it, even if its physical cleanliness has never changed? Is it easier to look at the object, whereas before your eyes passed over it? Are you able to observe the object with a quiet mind, whereas before thoughts of distraction pulled you away from the metaphysical unpleasantness? Do you just feel differently about the object, as if its invisible grimace turned into an invisible smile?

It's nice to be able to read cards and program spells, but it's also nice to be magical yourself. Learning to sense magic is a skill, and I think it's a good one to learn.

If all that is a bit much:

An easy tarot reading to determine if a spell is working is to shuffle and draw a card until you get any pip card.

If the suit of the pip matches the type of spell, then it's a generally good omen.

If the suit of the pip doesn't match the type of the spell, it's a neutral omen.

Sit down and write out what spell type goes with what suit.

General protection spells may be pentacles or earth, for a wall or fortification.

Fiery protection that punishes or banishes may be wands or fire.

Cleansing may be cups or water.

Swords can be used as a generally bad omen for any spell outcome. Or, if you work this into a complete system, it can generally align with spells of communication and decision-making.

The edible has kicked in and no idea if I answered your question ^-^ hope this helps, though!

witches-bottle-deactivated20241

Occult Care:

There has been a small pattern in my asks where people were asking about spiritual and energetic burnout. As you can image, this is concerning because it means that occult self-care isn't really spoken of. We have the basics of cleansing, warding, banishing, what to do and what not to do, etiquette and more - but we don't have a lot talking about the nitty gritty of it. Why it's recommended to have a consistent energy work practice or grounding, or even why grounding is so important. Nor do we talk about the qualities of energy outside of a proposed 'negative' and 'positive'.

Safe to say, there isn't a lot. This isn't a comprehensive post by any means, but is largely just a mashing together of experiences.

Fire and Water Energy

Outside of the praxis of 'negative' (or low vibration, apparently,) energy and 'positive' (high vibration) is a new world of consideration. One of those areas is the quality of energy in relation to other energies around it.

If an energy is hot or has a heating effect, it can be considered fiery in nature. This energy is active, moving, dynamic and can also be the cause of burnout. Putting too much electricity through a cord not made for it will cause an issue.

On the flipside is the cool energy of water. Too much of this can cause stagnation, episodes of spiritual depression, fogginess and sluggishness.

Generally, Fiery Energy is invoked during rituals because we ant movement. What this also means is that we're exposed to this heat, and so need to take time to also cultivate a 'cold' practice. That is that we need to spend time creating something to balance the 'active' forms of our practice. This can be meditation, energy work without any real goal in mind, lunar based meditations or ,quite honestly, intermittent ritual work.

Outside of a Ritual Circle

If you're in a dominantly fiery space, you'll come down quickly when exposed to the varied energetic qualities outside of your ritual or circle. If we were to consider the ritual as producing a high through a stress response, then the sudden drop creates something akin to the whole BDSM Concept of a 'drop'.

Despite the stigma, treating a ritual like a scene is something worth considering because there's a few key notes we can take.

Preparation: This includes awareness of triggers, limitations, keywords, setting your intent, making sure everything's set and ordered both mentally and physically, self-awareness, grounding, mindfulness.

The Scene Itself: little check-ins throughout the ritual to see how the effects are. If you're going too high, insert a little reprieve. If you're going too low, do the same.

The After-Scene: Check with yourself, how do you feel? Do aftercare accordingly, slowly bring yourself back down to the earth. Manage symptoms accordingly (hunger, eat something small. Drink something, take a nap if you need to, mindfulness and grounding meditation to bring yourself from a neither-neither to 'here and now'. Go do something stupid, banish with laughter, basically treat yourself.

Ritual Aftercare for the Body

Extended sitting periods: go and walk around, or stretch your legs and arms. Do here what you'd do if you sat down in front of your laptop or computer for too long and needed to take a break.

Take a nap. Trust me, this works well. If you hate yourself, wash. If you hate the world, eat. If you feel like the world hates you, sleep.

A snack. Items to increase blood sugar, carbs, foods with electrolytes, yogurt. Alternatively, cold foods like peppermint tea, pear, apples, bananas and so on.

Bathing or showering.

Dry brushing to get blood and energy flowing again.

Savasana (Corpse Posture) - quite literally, lay down and let the energy do its own thing until it reaches equilibrium.

Ritual Aftercare for the Mind

Pranayama (often used to refer to mindful breathing before and after ritual) - sit for a few moments and just allow your mind to settle and follow your breath.

Emotional Regulation Techniques - One technique I like is to hug yourself and to rock back and forth, essentially be a parent to yourself and cradle yourself in that moment.

Five-Senses technique: look for five things you can see, four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste.

Go for a walk.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT Tapping)

Ritual Aftercare for the Spiritual:

Anointing: Not really with Abramelin Oil but with other oils, especially those with earthy or grounding scents. The head, hands, feet and heart are preferred here.

Cold Water Bath: With too much fiery energy, washing the head with cold water is a good way to settle the fire energy lower to the body.

Sandalwood: A sandalwood tilak placed on the forehead soothes the mind and helps in establishing mental clarity.

Camphor Oil: A cooling oil is good to place on the head and the back of the ears to cool down the body.

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rainbluealoekitten

well you *could* try to connect with nature via meditation, orrr you could start noticing that every single day, several roly polies are dying in this one specific part of the garden, so you make it a daily routine to move those alive, as well as bury the dead, to the point that one day you open the backdoor and there are four roly polies simply waiting for you. right there. somehow this feels a little intentional

travelingthief

You don’t have to have fancy crystals and herbs for spell jars btw. You can use sugar, coffee grounds, leaves, acorns, etc. Don’t fall victim to witchcraft consumerism.

servantofthefates

Magic is fueled by energy.

My grandmother taught me that ancient spells and occult instruments are like magical engines. For them to start, they need fuel — a witch’s energy.

That is why a curse is guaranteed to work only when the one who cast it was exploding with rage.

And that is why tarot is even more precise when the reader or querent is overflowing with emotions, positive or negative.

The key is focus.

When asking tarot, your joy, hunger, pain or anger must be harnessed and directed towards your question.

To illustrate, if you are feeling crushed by loneliness, and you wish to ask tarot who your soulmate is and when you will meet… focus on your curiosity about who will lift your misery and when it will happen. You are asking about tomorrow, so think about the future.

Because if you think about a former lover instead, tarot will pick up on the agony he or she caused you in the past, not on the person who will someday help heal it.

Hence you will see negative cards.

Not because tarot is not wise enough to answer the question you asked, but because the question you asked is not the same as the one spoken by your heart. And ultimately that is what tarot listens for: your heart more than your thoughts, your soul more than your words.

Do not be afraid of reading the cards when your emotions are turbulent. That is lightning. Use it. But careful it does not scatter. Let it gather, and direct it.

servantofthefates

The Different Pains in Tarot

Death, The Tower & The Devil have a bad rep. But they are not the ones you should truly dread.

Three of Swords: Heartbreak & Sorrow

This pain screams. And when it is not screaming, it is weeping. It involves separation, rejection, or discovering a truth that crushes your soul.

Seven of Swords: Betrayal & Deception

This pain is speechless. Realization and denial are battling, and you feel helpless. It involves trickery, theft, a knife in back from a person you love.

Nine of Swords: Anguish & Torment

This pain is violent. Cruel and ruthless, it tortures your mind without end. It involves anxiety, fear, sleepless nights, the urge to hurt yourself.

Ten of Swords: Defeat & Ruin

This pain is paralyzing. You have hit rock bottom, and are deciding between getting up and dying. It involves illness, death, a significant life crisis.

Seven of Wands: Struggle & Exhaustion

This pain is brutal. It attacks you from all fronts, leaving you panicked and gasping for breath. It involves your beliefs or reputation being assaulted.

Five of Pentacles: Hardship & Insecurity

This pain is isolating. It shames you, and turns you into a pariah or a victim. It involves total abandonment, banishment, complete financial ruin.

Five of Cups: Grief & Misery

This pain is quiet. Left with no choice, you have accepted life's judgment. It involves a lost opportunity, a regret for what has—or has not—come to be.

mistytarot0919

⏰⏳🕒How to predict timing with tarot cards?

Please REBLOG if you find this information useful! ༄˖°🪐.ೃ࿔*

While Tarot cards can provide insights and guidance on a situation, predicting precise timing can be difficult as the Tarot operates on a more intuitive and spiritual level rather than a literal timeframe.

It's important to remember that Tarot readings are meant to provide guidance, not concrete predictions. Trust in the process and allow the messages from the cards to unfold in their own time.

If timing is a crucial aspect of your question, consider seeking additional clarification from the cards or a professional Tarot reader.

Traditional tarot timing correspondences

WANDS - rapid action(hours to days), noon and spring

SWORDS - quick but not as fast as wands(days to weeks), morning and spring

CUPS - somehow slow( weeks to months), evening and autumn

PENTACLES - the slowest of all(months to years), midnight and winter

Note: If you want me to create a deck regarding timing feel free to send me an ask!

aesethewitch

I keep seeing the take "this is why you should throw 'traditional' correspondences away!!! it's all vibes!!! do what you want!!!" on my post (and elsewhere) about examining what you believe surrounding correspondences.

And while I admire that sentiment and I'm glad you all have found your own way of doing things that works... That's, uh, not the point of the post.

The point of that post is critical thinking. Like, no, don't just copy down someone else's correspondence list. You should understand why they've put those lists together and where the information is coming from. Yeah, if you disagree with a correspondence (green vs. red meaning money, for example), change it up to what makes sense to you.

But that doesn't mean there's no value in lists of correspondences. It doesn't mean there's no value in traditional correspondences. Agreeing with established or common correspondences is not a sign of "indoctrination" or something. It just means you agree with the general consensus.

The point of that post is to encourage you to think about your practice. Get curious, do research, ask why. Think critically and don't just take information at first glance. It is not a call to look down your nose at practitioners who like those easy lists (who are often young or inexperienced practitioners, mind you!). Putting others down for doing things differently than you doesn't make you better, it just makes you kind of a dick.

aesethewitch

I'm bringing this one back also since the OG post is getting A Lot Of Notes right now, and I'm still seeing this sentiment misunderstanding the point of the post. Because,,, I don't think it's "all vibes."

I do think you can Make Ingredients Work in a non-traditional way. And I do think discovering personal connections with particular ingredients can change the way Your Magic interacts with That Thing.

But traditional or natural or innate properties ("correspondences") are A Big Thing in my practice. It matters what something has historically been used for. It matters where something comes from and who's using it. It matters what that plant does medically, it matters how that stone was formed. Those things affix certain properties to The Thing. How you use those properties and whether you want to Create A New Connection to a different property is up to the individual.

The original point was: Just don't swallow lists wholesale without thinking about where that information is coming from.

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