a witchy blog

mostly refs and spells (this is a sideblog)

[windvexer]

O ye wise Chicken

I call to thee

For advice on a matter

Harken to me!

So anyways, I have always had incredible luck, my partner on the other hand… let’s say that it’s not the worst in the universe. If you were trying to turn someone’s luck around, who was almost radioactively unlucky, how would you go about it? Thank you for your time and for answering all of our questions, oh wise Chicken! 🙌🏻

Good evening.

For any magical operation where some concept is out-of-order (luck, prosperity, relationships, etc) it's not always helpful to just add in more of the concept (conjure luck, conjure relationships, and so on).

Absence-of-concept is only ever one reason for things to be out of order, and it may be a symptom rather than a cause itself. There are many reasons why any particular concept could be malfunctioning.

Therefore, you've got two options: figure out what is causing the malfunction and then address it, or go in blind with a broad spectrum plan of action.

Divination, probably especially energy reading, can pinpoint why luck is out-of-order. However this may be a tricky read to tackle, and also requires the skill to make a custom plan of action. Also, exploring and thinking is tiring, and it can be easier to just take action.

Any time something is out-of-order - luck, job, relationships, timing, what have you - try a plan of action similar to this one, and see if it helps. You should take careful notes of all the actions you take, because if it doesn't help, you will need those notes to help troubleshoot.

First, an offering to the spirit world. The function is to please helpful spirits and stir them to action; but also to appease unhelpful spirits who may be causing trouble. This offering may be done once, but the ritual should be undertaken seriously, with as pleasing of gifts as can be reasonably offered. Jason Miller has a nice general offering in his book Protection and Reversal Magick, which is a good format to follow.

No matter what ritual you follow, it is vital to include a portion that explains this offering is being done out of respect to the spirit world, to soothe any tensions, and to supplicate aid from any helpful parties.

Second, a personal cleansing and hex-breaking. A person does not need to have actually been hexed or cursed to benefit from hex-breaking. Find or develop a spell which breaks up, destroys, banishes, or evacuates jealous and deleterious energies from around the unlucky person. In fact, any spell to break the evil eye will likely serve. Perform a personal cleansing before or after (or both) to wash off any last trace of jealousy cast on by another.

Third, a personal amulet generally designed to protect against the evil eye (for some reason I suppose I think this is an evil eye situation), but also against bad luck in general: have it rebuff or turn away these things, sort of like a bumper that will bounce your unlucky person off of misfortune and steer them in a new direction.

(For those not dealing with luck, protect against whatever it is you want to stop - protect against loneliness, for example. Envision that you do not have absence of friendship energy but rather intrusion of aloneness energy. This is not necessarily literal, but it is a thought exercise to help develop strategic plans of action and deploy magic in a greater variety of ways)

Fourth, any spell to conjure what is desired. So for your unlucky partner, any spell to conjure or manifest luck. This can be done either as a one-off spell, or something continuous; if you want to do more magic, then do both. A one-shot spell to get things started and a continuous spell to carry the torch. Explore Allspice for luck spells, as well as any cultural luck charms.

Fifth, engage in cultural rituals to bring about what you desire. For luck, a lucky rabbit's foot, found dimes, numerical clovers, or hung horseshoes are all cultural symbols in these parts; choose one, and invest in it. This is a different kind of magic - folk magic, if you like - that's more about linking and aligning to the whole.

Someone radioactively unlucky is, perhaps, unplugged from the whole. The natural exchange passes around them without touching them. A cultural ritual is an action of reconnection, to indicate they are stepping back into the game. At least, this is what I think.

Anyway if this is all too much, I highly recommend that you, Anon, do not skip #2. Throw in a protection amulet and I expect things might level out.

[windvexer]

Hi there Chicken!

Do you have a good fast cash spell?

In my specific paradigm a good fast cash spell has got to have Fire and Earth.

It's got to have Fire if you want it to be fast. Fire goes very quickly, you see.

It's got to have Earth if you want it to be physical, material, tangible. Earth brings substance. If you wanted like, a good business idea for making money later on, try Air instead.

A candle will serve for adding your Fire. It may be of any color, but a color you associate with money or wealth is best.

Plant allies serve very well for adding in Earth. In my experience, Chamomile and Basil work excellently as a team for the purpose of drawing in a good amount of money and being able to hold onto it.

If you like, conceptualize Chamomile as being gold coins, and Basil as being a big green sack you carry it around in like that billionaire duck.

Most ideally work on a Sunday or Wednesday (although any day will do just fine).

If you like, anoint the candle with a little oil (any oil is fine) either from top to bottom (drawing down into your life) for a taper candle, or clockwise (generation; sun-wise) for a tea light or jar candle. This is optional and mostly functions to telegraph your intent to the magic, which is a great eldritch beast eager to play along but desperate to be let in on the rules of the game you're inventing as it watches.

Light the candle.

Now communication is key. You do not need to be able to hear anything back (but mind any gut instincts of the nope variety). But you're a squishy human that communicates in strange squeaks and clicks, and to the world of magic you're as about as predictable as a kitten with the zoomies. The spirits need to know exactly what's going on here, like a bunch of concerned apartment dwellers trying to figure out exactly what you're getting out of eating plastic. So do your best to explain yourself.

The candle is lit, yes? So let's carry on.

Indicate to the Chamomile and Basil what the hell they're supposed to do, as they can do many things and have no way of knowing that you're after money in this particular instance. Communicate with them plainly (or if this is not Fancy enough, write up little rhymes to chant over them - I suspect plants like having their own odes very much and they are a great icebreaker when working with new allies).

Anyway, clearly indicate to the herbs and candle in whatever way you desire (thinking loudly, speaking, signing, and so forth) that the three of them (Chamomile, Basil, and Candle-Flame) are to work together as a little team to get you some fast cash.

Communicate something like, "Candle-Flame, you eat so fast - your life is a thousand little explosions every second. I need that kind of verve. You give your energy to Chamomile and Basil, and elevate them with eagle wings of flame, so they may soar with speed to do my bidding."

And then something like, "Chamomile, your face is like a gold coin on a satin pillow. You are a money sprite, and bringing wealth gives you great joy. So do me this solid: take the power that Candle-Flame gives you, and go find me at least $X amount of money. And if you cannot get me $X amount of money, get me at least $Y amount of money. And if you can't get me $Y amount of money, send me some sign to help me know why this could not be done for me. And in all things work with Basil."

And then furthermore say something like, "Basil, your blossoms are like spears and your leaves are like shields, and your roots know all the secrets of treasure and wealth within the earth. You are a soldier of fortune, so I will hire you now: Make good space in my life for $X amount of money. Sew a hidden pocket into the fabric of my life so money may be left there without getting lost or stolen away. Prepare the way for Chamomile, so when she returns with my money, she can easily give it to me. Adorn yourself with a cloak of flame from Candle-Flame, and drink its fire to warm you up, so that all of this may be done well and fast."

Okay, so then get your little offering (a shot of whiskey will do, or some bread, or I don't know, and offering).

And say, "Candle-Flame, Chamomile, and Basil, thank you to the three of you for hearing my request. In exchange for this work I give you this offering, to make you strong while you work for me, and for your enjoyment. But if you have already decided not to work for me due to some unintended slight between us, take this offering as a gift so in the future we may meet as friends."

Now at this point you'll likely want to seal up the spell in some way or another, like with a good ol' Picardian make it so or maybe a nice amen or so mote it be or whatever you like. Or maybe you like to tie things up by visualizing everything "getting to work" or whatever.

Take up the herbs and put them in a little container (it should not be airtight; the spirits must be able to come and go), perhaps a small fabric bag or a dish. Put the herb container right next to the offering and the candle.

Let the candle burn all the way down. Do not remove the offerings until the candle is burned down (remember, Candle-Flame should be able to enjoy them too). So it's better to use a smaller candle. Leave the offering overnight or longer if you can.

Later, go back to the offering and clean it up in your usual method.

Regardless how the spell manifests, it's polite to give another small offering to the spirits as thanks for coming through. This is just good business; you want to be known as someone who strikes a generous bargain and treats their helpers well.

When manifestation is achieved or all hope of manifestation is lost, dispose of the herbal remains in whatever way you like. The candle stub may be disposed of immediately after burning down, or wait and dispose of it with the herbs.

[windvexer]

dealing with a nonthreatening entity in your home, if you can't easily communicate with spirits

just how I'd do it, the flowchart I'd personally work with, UPG ahead, etc; take what you like and leave the rest behind.

Nonthreatening: An entity which hasn't harmed you or tried to harm you, or isn't an active threat to you or your household, even if they may have acted in unpleasant or disruptive ways.

Dealing with: Sorting out the situation so that you feel comfortable with what's going on.

This post is about resolving a spirit situation in your home that you're uncomfortable with. It's not a general guide on spirit work, and it's not a recommendation for how to treat all spirits in all situations.

Banishing should probably not be a first step when dealing with an unwanted/surprise/unexpected spirit, or learning that a spirit exists where you didn't expect to be one.

Ideally, for the diplomatic spirit worker who wants to be regarded well by the otherworlds, several other steps come first.

Decide what you'd ideally like to do

Ideally, do you want the spirit to leave completely?

Never interact with you or make its presence known?

Hang around as long as it doesn't bother room mates or pets?

Integrate into the household and be a spirit room mate?

Become a part of your spirit family?

Etc!

Not saying you'll get your wish but it's a good idea to sit down and figure yourself out before you go and start moderating the life of an entity.

Like if your actual feeling is, "I do not want this guy here and I won't be comfortable in my home unless he leaves," then don't set out on purpose to make the guy a spirit home and give him house rules. Skip to the endgame step of asking him to leave.

Check on wards and protections before you take action

Not trying to be an alarmist but every now and then a random guy ends up being a big jerk, and in that situation the preferable option is to have just checked up on what tools you have on hand.

If you can communicate with spirits

Talk it out 👍 you may have to make compromises, especially if you're working with Big Guys who have a say in things, but by and large I find that if you can make the spirit a nice little house in a place they like and some solid house rules, a lot of situations are going to be resolved real fast.

If things go tits up, banishing.

If you can't easily perceive/2-way communicate with spirits

When perception isn't easy/possible, take reasonable steps and wait to see what happens.

If the stuff that was bothering you is resolved, count that as a win 👍

If you're still encountering problems, take the next step; do this until you've exhausted all options, and then move to banishing.

When you take actions, clearly affirm your intentions and expectations. Do not invite open-ended conversations that you can't participate in.

🛑 "If this spirit house isn't suitable for you, please try to let me know. I'll see what I can do to change it."

✅ "I've made this spirit house for you. Please make use of it according to your desires, but move on to another property if it isn't to your liking."

Set or review house rules

This isn't a comprehensive guide, but all you've really got to do is write down a list of rules, ritually read it off, and then stick the list somewhere you won't lose it.

A lot of spirit problems can be resolved by establishing solid house rules

A lot of panic about powerful spirits and faulty wards can be resolved by fixing accidental loopholes

Get your rules lawyer friend to help troubleshoot

E.g., "uninvited spirits aren't welcome here." Is a spirit still uninvited if you carry it in while it's inside of an object? It can get a bit tedious but it's a miracle spirits can understand human language at all, much less the miles between what you actually desire to occur versus what gets codified.

If a new spirit arrives or behavior occurs that you think is against your house rules, review your rules to see if there could be a loophole. Then, 'set' them again by re-reading them in a ritual setting. During that time, specifically ask the spirit to stop its bothersome behavior.

Divination or consulting with other practitioner friends can really help troubleshoot house rules.

Popular house rules include things like:

Don't mess with my dreams or sleep

Don't scare or make yourself known to house members or pets

Never go into my bedroom

Don't interfere with my spells or ritual workings, even if you're trying to help or protect me

Wait for a little while and see if that resolves things.

Make the guy his own little house

A spirit bothering someone isn't always them just being mischievous. Active spirits who roam around the house bored as hell can accidentally make themselves known. And ordering a bored guy to never do anything fun isn't necessarily a recipe for a happy household.

Make the guy a nice little area with some things to enjoy, especially little fidget toys and shiny stuff, and invite him to dwell in that area and make use of the enjoyable things.

This doesn't need to be in the shape of an actual miniature house.

Crochet basket, thermos with the lid popped open, desk organizer, pile of little cloths, small box with or without a lid, old jar, plastic tub, books stacked to make a nice private corner, etc.

Include a soft bed, which can take the form of comfortable cloths or a nice little pillow you crochet, etc.

Include things the spirit might like or use, such as coins, a fidget spinner, a mini rubix cube, a sun catcher, etc.

Spice it up by decorating it all nicely and including pretty things, like a nice printed silk scarf, a paint job or facade on the container, or lovely objects placed nearby.

Focus on privacy - give the guy somewhere to go so he can relax and unwind, and not constantly be bothered by people.

Most vitally, ensure that the spirit house won't be disrupted. Don't place or design it so that children or unwitting partners might "tidy it up" or take it down and play with it.

You don't have to do a big ritual cleansing or consecration or whatever.

Invite the guy to dwell there. Enter magical headspace or initiate ritual communication in whatever method you prefer.

"My guy, I see you are a part of the household. I've made you this house to use if you want to. Either way, bothering my partner has got to stop. If I need to talk to you for anything, I'll come back to this location. Anything I leave right next to the house is for you."

If the guy is stuck to an object, take that object somewhere nice

Learning how to bind a spirit to an object is a valuable skill for a witch. Sometimes nature does the job for you and the spirit is bound to an object on arrival.

Move that bad boy to a nice location, possibly to a spirit house you build, or maybe outside, even at a faraway location (I've left a few spirit vessels up the mountain, myself).

Make sure to positively affirm that you are taking this action to help the spirit, and your goal is to put it in a nice location.

Sit down with the dude and tell him to knock that shit off regardless of house rules

Presumably we're at this point because the spirit is still around, you don't want to actually tell him to get out, but something is happening that isn't working for you.

Despite the sarcastic section header, it's actually probably wise for you to own up to your own role in the situation.

Most spirits aren't jerks or stupid. They may be trying their best to interpret your words and behaviors.

You may be being unintentionally confusing or contradictory.

You may be laying down rapidfire changes that's making the spirit nervous or confused.

Your own magic may be creating barriers or impossibilities in the spirit world that prevent them from doing what you're asking.

They may be reacting to unseen situations you're completely unaware of.

A little humility goes a long way in soothing the waters.

Go to the guy's spirit house, if he has one, or otherwise go to where he's known to dwell; or, go to your usual working area. Enter magical headspace or initiate ritual communication.

Say something like,

"Hey, I need these very specific things to change. I don't mind you staying here, but it's my responsibility to care for this household, and I can't have this happening. If you are unable to stop doing this, I must politely request that you leave this household and find a new place to dwell."

(Note: If you're trying to cultivate psychism and want to be a spirit worker and so on, this is a great juncture to actually invite communication in whatever form might come - even if that communication comes slowly over days or weeks. But if that's not your jam for the present situation, you don't have to.)

(Maybe a controversial take, but you have a responsibility to do your best to do right by the spirits. We all have our limits and you also have a duty to your household, but if the reality is "I can't perceive or get input from spirits," you're limited in what you can do. Acting fairly and taking reasonable, diplomatic steps can sometimes be the best you can do.)

Ask the guy to leave

Enter magical headspace or initiate ritual communication.

"I'm sorry, but this isn't working out. I hold no ill-will towards you, but you must now depart and find a new dwelling outside of this property and this home.

It might be a good idea to invite him into a little vessel and then take that somewhere nice, but far away.

You can cleanse and bless a river rock and invite the guy to move in there, and then go take that somewhere you think is nice, or even just near a new apartment complex where he could find other residences, etc. I often find the vibes when transporting a spirit vessel to be very strong and they can be very opinionated about where they want to be left.

If you transport a spirit vessel to a new location, consider bringing a small offering (like a pinch of tobacco, or some bottled water) and pouring them out near the vessel in dedication to the spirit.

Announce that you're parting ways in good faith, and if you should ever meet again, that it will be in peace.

If all that fails, banishing is next

[friend-crow]

I am constantly surprised to learn what is considered advanced magic.

Where does this information even come from? Is there a list? What is happening? Where's my nap?

[upthewitchypunx]

My hot take is that advanced witchcraft isn't always knowing all the things, but knowing where to find what you need and knowing you have the skill to bring it all together.

[asksecularwitch]

my cold take is that an advanced witch knows how to make black pepper into any kind of spell. I think you thought of at least two while reading that last sentence, but if you've done three in your mind you're advanced. If it's more than that, like me, you're spell Georg and get out of here *SOB*

[friend-crow]

*pointing and chanting*

Spells Georg! Spells Georg!!

[windvexer]

two-pronged test to see if you are an Advanced Witch(tm): 1) can you find what you need and have the skill to bring it all together? 2) the thing you've found is black pepper, and that isn't a speed bump no matter what kind of spell you're working on

[upthewitchypunx]

Please, someone drawn this as a comic flow chart.

[friend-crow]

It took me a while to get around to, but I made it... As it turns out these things are kind of hard to arrange.

[aesethewitch]

You can write down as many correspondences as you want, memorize entire lists from someone else's blog or book or whatever, but none of it will matter if you do not understand those correspondences. It's so critically important to ask "Why?"

Why is spirit purple? Why is love red? Why is chamomile calm? Why is quartz "all purpose"? Why does cinnamon speed up a spell?

Why, why, why?

What do you actually believe? And why?

[echosblanketfort]

red is love because the heart is a meaty muscle full of blood

[friend-crow]

spirit is purple because it taste like artificial grape

[jasper-pagan-witch]

Cinnamon speeds up a spell because spice go brrr

[anotherdayforchaosfay]

In high enough doses, chamomile might knock you out.

[coinandcandle]

Nutmeg is a hallucinogen in large quantities.

[jbirdoftheriverlands-deactivate]

fire is in the south because the accent is hot

[spellsandseashells]

Oranges are for abundance because citrus trees go HAM with fruit

[witchcraftings]

Hematite helps with grounding because it's HEAVY.

[breelandwalker]

Bree’s Simple Runes

Okay, so I was catching up on my reading today, and came across a set of simple instructions for creating witches’ runestones in Kate West’s “The Real Witches’ Book of Spells and Rituals.” The author recommends a set of eight simple symbols painted onto pebbles or disks and cast to find the answers to questions.

Drawing from this idea, I decided to make a simple set for myself and test them out. I haven’t had much luck with tarot or oracle cards, and ogham sticks have been similarly baffling. So one Sharpie and a handful of small mirror discs later, I had my own homemade runestones.

My artistic skills are hella lacking, but I managed to make clear representations of 20 different symbols with meaning for me, and I recorded each of their meanings in my witchbook. (Keep in mind that the following associations are ENTIRELY personal to me and may not agree with or reflect the opinions of others.)

The Sun - Solar, masculine, energy, glory, favorable outlook

The Moon - Lunar, feminine, dreams, intuition, magic

The Leaf - Nature, growth, fertility, health, renewal

The Coin - Chance, wealth, opportunity, luck

The Arrow - Inspiration, Brighid, “look forward,” “forge ahead”

The Harp - Pleasure, Lugh, skill, cleverness, “be crafty”

The Hammer - Protection, Thor, courage, will, “hold strong”

The Teardrop - Choices, Freyja, a journey, “look elsewhere, “search”

The Serpent - Ambition, desire, greed, career

The Spears - Conflict, trials, suffering, illness

The Dagger - Unseen danger, betrayal, a plot, meddlers

The Rings - Unity, harmony, friendship, love, family

The Cat - Independence, serenity, secrets

The Dog - Loyalty, affection, playfulness

The Cauldron - Power, creation, wisdom

The Wand - Influence, directness, proximity, “it is near”

The Spiral - Introspection, confusion, the unknown

The Feather - Release, relief, lightness, escape

The Web - Caution, entrapment, unseen foe, complication, consequence

The Broom - “Start over,” cleanse, banish, re-evaluate

I made a simple casting board with four quadrants - Then, Now, Future, and Within. And with my cheap-o little mirror discs, I did two castings.

The results were clear as a bell and eerily accurate.

I don’t know if it’s the fact that I made the pieces myself, or if it’s the use of symbols that are my own instead of someone else’s, but this set really WORKS for me. And anyone who’s followed me for a fair length of time knows that I am utterly shite with divination.

So for all my witchlings who want to learn divination but are struggling with learning tarot or runes or what-have-you, give this a try! Pick up some discs or pebbles, something with two definite sides, grab a marker or some paints, and make your own set of runes. (Hell, if you can’t draw, you can even use stamps or stickers.)

Use symbols that have meaning for you, and record them in your witchbook or journal. Cast them how you please and read the ones that land face-up.

Have fun!

[breelandwalker]

I’ve been told that this is more akin to lithomancy, though I’ve only ever used wooden or glass discs for my casting set. (Lithomancy specifically refers to stones.) I’m continuing to call them personal runes, since a rune isn’t just a letter in a futhark alphabet, but also a mark or symbol with magical meaning, and “casting the runes” has also been applied to divination of this type in a historical sense.

I definitely recommend the creation of a personal divination set as an exercise for growing your craft. If you’d like more witchcraft exercises, you can find them on this post.

If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar, tune in to my monthly show Hex Positive, or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊

[windvexer]

I definitely want to give this a try

[le-coffee-witch]

Actual Alternatives to "So Mote It Be"

"It is as I will it. "

"As I speak it so it is. "

"This I command."

This is by my power."

"This I manifest."

"By me and the powers that be."

"Because I fucking said so."

(Feel free to add some of your own.)

[crazycatsiren]

"So it shall be."

"And so it will."

"May it be."

"As I said and so it is."

"It better the fuck be."

[ciarmay]

I personally like “consider it done.”

[windvexer]

[windvexer]

I've spent a few years on the "stirring intent into your [beverage] isn't necessary or even that great of a way to formulate a daily practice" train and now I've wrapped 100% back around to that it's actually pretty decent and more people should take it seriously.

[windvexer]

Hear me out:

It's magically viable. I don't believe "intent is everything" but taking some of your willpower and shoving it inside a material object is the foundation of a lot of sorcery out there.

Especially when we are talking about consuming the stirred intent, feeding someone (including yourself) your enchantment is very magically powerful and can do things beyond just 'setting focus'.

You don't have to choose intents that are only related to self-enchantment ("I will have a good day today"). You can also choose intents to enchant the world around you ("I won't get stuck in traffic today").

It's a solid way to start examining your own beliefs and discovering what magic works for you ("weird, stirring intent only works for me when I use a certain folk charm...").

It's a good way to explore the problems and potential solutions of magical fatigue, or, are you the kind of witch who has enough energy to extrude this kind of magic every day? Or are you the kind of witch who must seek alternatives due to fatigue (such as permanent spell vessels)? Probably better to know this sooner rather than later.

Stirring intent into food or a beverage tends to have short term effects that last hours to a day or two and that means you can experiment with a wild and rapid amount of fun magic in a relatively short amount of time.

It's also a foundation to some more complex forms of sorcery which function on a basis of shove willpower into material object, now with extra steps correspondences. I.e., it's no use to have 50 herbs on the shelf if you don't know how to shove their magical wooblies into the candle, and stirring intent is shoving magical wooblies into things on perhaps its most basic level.

It actually works quite reasonably, decently good, if you've had some practice on it, to produce miraculous effects in your life without having to sit down and cast a spell (the trade-off I typically find being that in the short term, energy exertion might feel lower compared to prepping and casting an entire spell; but long-term, I'd bet you're allocating a lot more energy over the course of a month to stirred intent you do every day versus a single more serious spell to set the same effects for a long period of time).

You get into the habit that when there is an Actual Problem happening to you right now IRL, you can literally fix it right now IRL, instead of having to wait for a special moon phase or to plan an entire spell.

You develop the skill of casually enchanting shit, which is kind of a big deal for many common types of sorcery. E.g., making the incense do something special, or making the jar do something special, all often comes down to a form of stir your intent into it, and a spell with 15 vague steps that feels overwhelming can suddenly become, "ah, the spell instructs to burn a Cleansing Incense; I can do that, because I have incense, and I know how to stir Cleansing into it."

Having a lot of casually enchanted shit around you IRL in your day-to-day can really help develop energy discerning skills as now there are lots of various things around you that have been worked over magically and may change on a day-to-day basis, giving you the basis for a lot of intuitive energy reading practice.

[asksecularwitch]

Adding my emphasis to 2) - a lot of folk magic EXPLICITLY is about "putting something in xyz's food and then having them consume it" - so there's a LONG ass history of this being a thing. Like it's so fucking part of the folk magic historically it's in FUCKING pop culture movies, like constantly. So like the fact that's it's just "energy" or whatev intention is to the cast, does not negate the fact that this is a very common method of spell casting.

[thewitchesfortune]

Now, just the general advice of checking your tea ingredients and using that to build your work from is great. As is the thought of using an incantation over it as you stir either clockwise (to manifest) or counter clockwise (to get rid of)

But the customization/versatility of it is so much deeper. Get some holy water to brew the tea with if the purpose is cleansing or healing related and stir counter for cleansing or clockwise when asking for your health and vitality to return 10 fold after an illness

Tons of ways to do this, especially when you specify which ingredients to add. Like a good chai? With cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and ginger?? You best believe it's my lucky day. A nice orange spice tea? My roads are suddenly a lot more open now. If I got bay leaves in my cup? Probably planning to do quite a bit of divination and spirit work that day, or I need an extra boost to come out on top in something, and each requires a different incantation over it

The endless customization of tea spells is the perfect thing for beginners with access to a lot of edible herbs and spices, or even if you only have a bit of cinnamon or even a jar of pumpkin spice in the back of your cabinet, that can be turned into a great little luck or money spell

A peppermint tea could also be used for money as well as cleansing, so how the peppermint behaves in the spell will depend on your actions/incantations done during

This is one of the easiest ways for a beginner to actually get used to building their own spells and figure out how it works, as well as how to work with what you have in your kitchen

[jupitersmusings]

good things will happen 🧿

things that are meant to be will fall into place 🧿

[overlord-fire-bubble]

THIS ONE FUCKING WORKS. REBLOG IT.

[tiny-kt]

this for real fucking works

[windvexer]

A Spell for Rapid Manifestation

Repost of the example spell from this brainstorm-style tarot magic post.

Not getting a call back from that company? Hangout plans just not coming together? Overdue for lab results? Try this spell and see how you fancy it.

A candle of any size and color (smaller might be better)

The Eight of Wands card from any style of deck

Any taglock to the situation which refuses to progress (resume, lab bill, friend's name and phone number, etc)

An offering (a small one will do)

Prepare your spellcasting space in any way which you desire.

Consecrate, evoke, or greet the Eight of Wands in any way which you prefer.

Light the candle. Plainly explain to the candle that its job is to provide fuel to the Eight of Wands. Tell it to uplift the Eight of Wands on wings of elemental fire, so that it may swiftly accomplish all your goals.

Plainly explain to the Eight of Wands your needs. Express that you would like rapid, if nigh immediate progress on the situation: that whatever should happen next should happen immediately, and that there be no more delays. Explain your taglock: "this is from the lab that won't send me my results, they are the ones who need to act." Etc.

Tell the Eight of Wands that the power of the candle constitutes part of its payment, and that it may keep any excess power which it does not need to complete the spell. Request that it use the elemental fire provided to help further your goals.

Dedicate the offering to the spirit. Place the taglock, card, and candle nearby each other until the candle has finished burning. The candle may be put out and relit later, but it should all be burned (even if the spell manifests before it finishes), as you've already promised it to someone else.

Dispose of any spell remnants as you would normally like to. No special actions need to occur before you return the card to the deck.

[some-triangles]

There are three major types of spiritual practice: first, reaching the spirit by rewarding the body, through ritual feasting, drug-taking and sex; second, reaching the spirit by denying the body, through fasting, cleansing and purification; and third, by abandoning the physical entirely and attempting to reach the numinous entirely via the life of the mind.   In this essay, entitled “Bed, Bath and Beyond”, I will

[transmechanicus]

SILENCE TRANSPHOBE

[arcsigils2]

SILENCE TRANSPHOBE

[ptah-ikemi-ka]

ngl this is still one of my best sigils to date and it looks So Right. I dont think I can make a different sigil fo SILENCE TRANSPHOBE and get something as fierce as this. Like this is Cunt. I love this.

[naamahdarling]

It absolutely fucks. I will definitely be using it often.

[windvexer]

Before I scuttle back underneath my damp beach rock and prepare for high tide:

In some practices, correspondences may be personally chosen and intent-centric (i.e. their only purpose is to help focus your intent and maybe store/bring power to the crafting).

In other practices, some or all correspondences come from the spirits indwelling in those things - yes, even the spirits of abstract concepts like colors.

Correspondences may be things which spirits tend to do by virtue of their personhood (we could say that a correspondence of windvexer is writing),

that which they are skilled in and may choose to do to help you (you could petition to employ windvexer for her famous correspondence of doing the dishes),

or what occurs naturally around them as a consequence of their presence (windvexer, when evoked, compels people to make chicken jokes).

For how many people around these parts profess to be animists, I'm regularly surprised at how common the "nature is empty and humans imprint our own meanings onto it" take is.

The "correspondences come from people" take is perfectly lovely and can be very helpful. At the same time, if you're trying to roll with the spirits are inherent in nature vibe and something isn't clicking for you about correspondences, this can be a factor.

[stormbornwitch]

Grounding Theory and Application

Recently I was asked by wrecklessheartofg0ld and devinaswitchyhaven to describe my personal method of grounding because I don’t use the ‘growing roots’ method that I see a lot of people using. The way I describe my method would be more along the lines of ‘equalising myself’ and ‘connecting to the web’.

The reason I describe my method of grounding in this way is because, for me, grounding is a lot like equalising the pressure when you go scuba diving.  And you do this by ‘connecting to the web’ and letting yourself ‘equalise the pressure’ you feel from spellcasting or energy work.

If my analogy doesn’t make sense at the moment I promise I’ll go into greater detail later but first I should probably explain what grounding is and why you should do it for the people who have never come across the term.

Alright. So the term Grounding actually comes from the process of electrical grounding in which an object is allowed to discharge (get rid of its excess charge). If an object is negatively charged, grounding lets excess electrons to flow from the object into the earth, and if an object is positively charged, electrons flow from the earth into the object.

Within the magical community, this process of electrical grounding has been applied to create the witchy equivalent (though really it’s almost the same process and it’s called the same name).

This is based on the theory that magic is a form of energy and when a witch casts spells or practices energy work, it’s likely that they’ll end up with either too much or not enough personal energy. For a witch this can be an extremely uncomfortable experience especially if you are close to either side of the spectrum (i.e. very little personal energy or way too much personal energy).

Unfortunately there are also physical symptoms which usually accompany being unequalised such as headaches, migraines, uncomfortable buzzing sensations under the skin, nausea, vomiting, pain, irritability, insomnia and exhaustion. The symptoms are typically worse the further out of alignment you are.

Grounding also helps people who practice astral travel, dreamwork, journeying, and hedge hopping with reconnecting with ‘reality’ and feeling like you’re ‘in the now’ and present in the world.

Overall, grounding serves two purposes:

It stabilises and equalises your personal energy

It reconnects you with the earth and it’s systems (what I like to call ‘the web’) and helps you focus on reality and being ‘in the now’

In a perfect world, witches would learn how to ground before attempting to perform any magic or energy work, but unfortunately I see a lot of witches jump straight into casting spells without thinking of what it can to them.  Grounding really is an essential skill for any witch who wants to keep practicing witchcraft without horrible side effects.

So while there are many grounding techniques available, this one is my personal method. If this method does not work for you I would recommend looking at the classic ‘growing roots’ method.  

Connecting to the Web

Everything has its own energy/frequency/vibration/magic. Whatever you want to call it – everything has it. To ground effectively you need to be able to connect to this mass of energy and equalise your own personal energy.

For me, I visualise all of this energy as an intricately interwoven web (like a spider’s web or the internet); a mass of connections each transmitting their own energy and connecting to the whole. This is why I call it connecting to the web. Because for me, it is a web.

I developed this method of grounding because I found that I didn’t always have the time to sit down on the ground outside and sometimes it’s not appropriate (for example: At work or in the middle of class. Really whenever you feel that you need to equalise the pressure of either too much energy or not enough).

1)      First you have to visualise your own energy. You can do this sitting down, standing up, listening to a lecture, watching tv, sitting at your computer – ANYWHERE. You can close your eyes if that helps you however if you close your eyes for a long time in a public place this will become quite noticeable. The more you practice the faster you will be.

2)      Then you need to visualise ‘the web’. You won’t see all of it. You should be able to see the energy of the world around you and how it connects to each other. You won’t see the whole web. Maybe if you were out in space you could, but down here on earth you can only see the bits around you.

3)      You’re already connected to the web. That’s the best part. As a living, breathing organism which has its own personal energy; you are already connected. You just needed to be able to see it so you can get yourself back into alignment again. You should see a little tendril of energy coming from you and connecting to the web. You need to reinforce that connection.

I’m not gonna lie; grounding is hundred times easier if you can stand barefoot on the ground or sit outside with your palms resting on the ground. However, like I said earlier, that’s not always an option.

4)      Now for the equalising process. Like with scuba diving, I found the best way to equalise the pressure from either too much energy or not enough is to breathe. I know this may sound ridiculously simple – but it works. Take deep breaths and as you breathe in, draw in energy from the web. As you breathe out, send out your own energy to mingle with the web.

5)      It may take a few repetitions but you should feel settled once you finish. That buzzing under your skin will be gone and you will feel lighter and refreshed.

And that’s my method. Now I know some people recommend grounding every month or every week but really you should ground every day. I know that may seem like way too much work, but it really isn’t. The more you ground the faster and better you’ll be at it, so if you do it every day it becomes second nature. The second you start to feel off or out of alignment – equalise.

I hope this helps!

- Marci

[torracat]

this is the money garf. reblog for untold pasta and riches to come your way

[witching-while-libra]

Using Soda in Witchcraft

Sometimes you don’t have the perfect kind of water to do the job. Fortunately, you can substitute in a soda and it’ll do the trick.

Coke:Use to break down a barrier or disintegrate something. Good for curses/hexes/removing anything.

Pepsi: Use to “Sweeten” someone up, butter them before asking them of something. Good for offering due to high sugar content, making it sweeter than Coke.

Mountain Dew: Give a spell a jolt of energy/power.

Ginger Ale: Settle an argument, calm something down. Also good for grounding yourself, since it comes from a root.

Root beer: Also good for grounding. Use in a mixture to add the element Earth to your spell.

Cream Soda: Use as a replacement for vanilla extract, good with love-related spells and money.

Orange Soda: Good for love, luck, and divination. Drink before/during divining.

Grape Soda: Use to add a “sour” note to something. Good for hexes, curses, etc. 

[witt-craft-blog]

Runes! This was an assignment to create a set of flashcards that would appeal to kids and adults for my Type 1 class. They each have the rune symbol, the name of the rune, the meaning in English, the meaning (roughly translated by google, thanks google) in Norwegian, and a little icon I made. I made the big rune characters, but the display font is Comic Runes by takuminokami on Font Space (thanks internet). The cards are 3 inches by 4.5 inches. 

Also please don’t yell at me if the meanings of these are wrong, my research was not particularly scholarly. (Once again, thanks internet :p)