24 Year Old Magickal Practitioner of 11 years Philosophy Student and Druidic Hedge Witch Provider of education and personal experience, not moral authority
I just used an outdoor shower for the first time and honestly that shit was spiritual. Looking up at the shifting trees and singing birds overhead, feeling the breeze on my skin while the sun lit up the water like a rainbow with a couple of fallen leaves at my feet stuck on the wood floor. Truly a physical and spiritual cleanse like none other.
I'm on vacation, so I'll have access to this for only a week. But man am I gonna use the heck out of this thing every chance I get! I wanna try using it at night tomorrow after the beach.
Friendly reminder that if your spells, rituals, workings, what have you don't seem to be working despite using "these reagents for these correspondences," may I ask if you know why those things have their correspondences?
Sure some of the stereotypes may work out okay. Everyone knows roses symbolize love or sunflowers are joy/solar energy. But can you tell me about the red clovers, acorns, and maple leaves in your town? What energy do they hold, and what folklore or physiological propreties tell you about that energy?
There's no shame in using what's popular, but truly knowing what you're working with makes all the difference! Same goes for tools such as scissors, coffin nails, mirrors, cords, and so on.
(Also I promise I'll be doing more on my herbal compendium tag, I just have other personal projects I'm more focused on!)
I've been trying to reconnect with the spirituality of my culture, but Im having a little trouble and I wondered if you had any advice.
Theres a lot of the spiritual aspects of my culture that are directly tied to christianity (think like, italian folk practices that have a lot of christian saints etc). Im having trouble separating or really figuring out how to approach this as I am not comfortable with christianity at all.
Any ideas on how i could go about any of this? Bc I find it hard to just "not do the christian stuff", ya know?
Thank you in advance!
This is definitely a tricky one, but I'll try to help to the best of my ability! While I'm very flattered to have had so many asks in relation to my posts about finding/cultivating your personal and regional culture, I wanna preface that I am by no means an expert on the subject! Just someone who's studied a lot of religion, anthropology, and philosophy really. With that being said, let's continue!
This is a tough one because most western parts of the world have been pretty dominated by Christianity/Catholocism for hundreds of years, including my own culture, but that's not to say that the culture which came before it is no longer there. You are not alone in your culture where many things seem "smooshed" between pre-Colonialism and post-Colonialism culture and history. I understand the frustration behind it, but that doesn't make the culture you experience today any less enriching and unique. In certain circumstances, sometimes yes the "simply don't do the Christian stuff" is what's needed. Such as DÃa de los Muertos as we know it today is a fusion between ancient Indigenous Aztec practices and Catholic observance. Still utilizing the skull imagery, elemental symbols, marigolds, and so on that were once used by the Aztecs during this holiday now also includes crucifixes, imagery of Guadalupe, and more domestic ofrendas rather than anything with real bones. But not everyone who practices this holiday is Catholic or Christian, and decorating the ofrenda allows for creative freedom whether you choose to use that freedom for religious or non-religious purposes. Such as on Easter I like to paint ogham (Druidic) symbols on the eggs or personal symbolism!
But simply "not practicing the Christian stuff" isn't your only option, even if you've lost a lot of information regarding the culture you're trying to learn ahout. It's not unusual for colonizers to have erased documents and other proof of what culture came before it, leaving what we know in documents from the colonizers own perspective or in physical artifacts. While not all of it, a lot of what we find in Christianity was adopted from various cultures that came before it. Christianity adopted from Judaism and Roman Polytheism. Roman Polytheism adopted from Greek Polytheism, which Greeks evolved from Mycenaean religion, which the Mycenaeans evolved from Minoan religion. Judaism adopted from Yahwism which evolved from Canaanite Polytheism. In other words there is a traceable lineage of sorts to Christianity, but there are notable differences depending on what branch of Christianity you're looking at and where in the world you are studying. Calling back to the DÃa de los Muertos example, this is a holiday unique to Mexico and celebrated by Christians/people only of that country because the holiday originates from the culture that came before it. Same goes for the Carnevale de Venezia (which also has pre-Christian origins), being a holiday unique to Italy and celebrated by Christians/people only of that country because it originates from the culture that came before it.
So rather than trying to find sources which hold information only about the culture that came before colonization, whenever you find things that feel more "smooshed" together you can trace those practices, beliefs, and mythologies back in history on a smaller, more individual scale. It unfortunately takes a longer degree of studying and patience, but it's worth it. It's how historians have found so much information on ancient cultures that don't have a lot left behind, by studying the individual pieces they find preserved in newer cultures and putting it together like a puzzle. For example some Saints were adopted from other religions, such as Saint Brigid of Kildare who was originally Brigid the Celtic Goddess of the hearth, healing, fertility, and more. Many historians agree that Brigid the Saint was a real person, but her mythology of blessed ale and weaving the first cross for example was likely inspired by the Goddess' existing mythology. This is also true in artwork, for example Michelangelo was famously a devout Catholic and did much art for the Catholic church, but his art was also inspired by Greco-Roman art and heroes.
This can be considered a form of reconstruction or revival, which sounds more like what you're looking for when you say you're put off by the Christian aspects to your culture or want to have a more firm distinction between the pre-colonial vs post-colonial culture where you live. Take Ancieng Druidry for example, which is a culture/religion that is essentially extinct. There are Druidic artefacts left behind, but most of what we know about Ancient Druidry comes from the observations/perspectives of the Greeks and Romans of that same era. People who practice modern or Neo-Druidry have taken the pieces we do have from artifacts, documented historical observations, mythology, stories, crafts, art, and so on to recreate or revive Druidry. It is by no means 100% the same as what Ancient Druidry was like, but many agree that reconstructionists have revived things as close to as historically accurate as things can be.
Culture also isn't just about religion/religious influence. Landscape is part of culture, all the flora, fauna, and natural landmarks. Seasons are part of culture, how clothing, food, and aesthetics change with the seasons as well as the (non-religious) community events or general activities unique to each season. Art is part of culture from museum paintings to graffiti, domestic crafts for fun or the home to professional craftsmanship, from street fashion to grandma's knit sweaters. Food is part of culture from the well-know finished dishes to all the little ingredients that are commonly used. Language is part of culture verbal and nonverbal (which includes clothes/accessories, body language or hand gestures, touch, and vocal cues). People always talk about culture as this esoteric and/or religious structure from far in history, and it is to a degree, but it's also everything that exists all around you in your daily life.
The last thing that I can think of that could be of some use to you is if libraries and museums aren't really cutting it for the information you're looking for, try your hand at getting to know some of the older locals, particularly those who live in the quieter villages, settlements, and homesteads away from the busier communities. These places tend to be the least touched by colonization, and stories, practices, and crafts that came from the culture before Christianity have been passed down orally through family traditions. This is something that's notable in my own life, but also a book I recently from the library called "Notes From an Italian Gardner." It was a charming memoir from a woman who moved from America to the outskirts of Italy with her husband and son in a run-down, but naturally beautiful village where she began learning how to garden. She didn't just talk about plants, but several stories from the many people she met throughout her time living in Italy, and I learned a lot of domestic but interesting things about Italian culture, completely separate from religion as a whole!
Overall, I hope this post was a help to your journey, and I wish you luck in finding the knowledge you seek!
I'm not often awake and out super early in the morning, but when I am I love the trails left in the dew by me and the dog! Even when I'm very tired and kinda grumpy, the morning air is always so peaceful yet invigorating.
Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be in a relationship with someone who also did magic, although at the same time being with someone who doesn't is very fun in and of itself!
He gifts me bones cause I like making things from them. He sends me videos/photos of all the animals in his yard and he gives them silly names. He shows me the best spots to view fireflies at night and the bunnies in the morning. He affectionately calls my familiar "walnut guy" cause his vessel is a walnut shell and gives him his own silly dialogue.
He doesn't know how/why my spells work, how I predict things through tarot and dreams, how how I commune with spirits. All he knows is it works and it makes me feel happy, so that's enough for him!
This is a little random, but I felt it was important to say as it's been on my mind for a few days. To all witches and nonwitches alike, please take care of your body. You only get one.
It's abhorrent how much pro-anorexia rehtoric I see everywhere in people of practically every age, even in witchcraft spaces. We need calories and body fat not just for the energy to move, but to live. The energy for our hearts to pump and lungs to breathe. For our thyroids to regulate our hormones and kidneys to detoxify our bodies. Literally everything in our bodies needs calories to create fat. If you have no fat to burn, your body breaks down your muscles instead. The longer you go your muscles begin to atrophy, your bones permanently decrease in density, your heart works double time on energy it doesn't have, and your brain begins to shrink.
It's hard enough to practice witchcraft in a body that isn't totally healthy, but the fatigue, brain fog, and memory struggles caused by anorexia makes not just practicing your craft, but doing anything so much more difficult. I used to suffer from anorexia as a teenager, I would know. My practice is actually a driving force that pulled me out of that state. If anyone here is struggling with anorexia, another eating disorder, or something completely different, my dms and inbox are always open.
Everyone older than me: Just wait till you're in your 20s! Your body's gonna start breaking down on you before you know it unless you exercise every day.
20 year old me: Pft, no way, I eat healthy and walk a ton I'll be good!
24 year old me now: *Wakes up with knee pain that almost makes me fall over because of sleeping on the same side every night*
... Time to figure out how to incorporate exercise into my practice in a way that makes sense cause that seems like the only way I can stay motivated to do anything long term!
Currently writing a philosophical/historical book to witchcraft and how it has evolved to he what it is today. Inevitably I touch upon new age spirituality, but I feel like I wrote out a pretty banger paragraph during this topic.
"Most of new age spirituality is founded in the west, and the western philosophy is capitalist. "What can I take in a way that allows me to reciprocate as little as I can?" We have been slowly losing the sanctity, sacredness, and reverence of magic, nature, and ourselves. Not that our practice has to be wholly formal all the time, that's unrealistic for many people. But magic has become a tool to be utilized and then discarded, spirituality has become currency, while fancy labels and expensive tools have become status symbols."
I like to try to post a little something meaningful every day, but between work and life and whatnot I haven't had as much time to do so. But I've been reading The Witches' Series in Terry Pratchett's Discworld, and wanted to share a few of my favorite quotes from Esmerelda (Granny) Weatherwax that I felt was applicable to real world witches and metaphysical practitioners!
"Destiny is important, see, but people go wrong when they think it controls them. It's the other way around."
"After all, you never thought being a witch was gonna be easy, did you?"
"Sin, young man, is when you treat people like things. Including yourself. That's what sin is."
"But it's a lot more complicated than that–"
"No. It ain't. When people say things are a lot more complicated than that, they means they're getting worried that they won't like the truth. People as things, that's where it starts."
"Oh, I'm sure there are worse crimes–"
"But they starts with thinking about people as things."
"If you want to amount to anything as a witch, Magrat Garlick, you got to learn three things. What's real, what's not real, and what's the difference."
"Humans take. They plough with iron. They ravage the land... Others put back more'n they take. They put back love. They've got soil in their bones."
"(I'm) the kind (of witch) that gives people what they know they really need not what they think they ought to want."
"If you ain't got respect then you ain't got nothing."
Granny weatherwax always wondered: what was supposed to be so special about a full moon? It was only a big circle of light. And the dark of the moon was only darkness. But halfway between the two, when the moon was halfway between the worlds of both light and dark, even the moon lived on the edge. Maybe then a witch could believe in tbe moon.
A witch ought never to be frightened in the darkest forest, Granny Weatherwax had once told her, because she should be sure in her soul that the most terrifying thing in the forest was her.
Absolutely INSANE shoutout to the mountain behind my house!! We're getting some extreme storms going on right now, but the massive mountain in my village always moves everything just south of us.
And by just south I mean so just that at home we're getting heavy rain, some thunder rumbles, a bit of lightning, and a bit of heavy wind. But two towns just a fifteen minute drive away? 80MPH winds. Confirmed tornado touchdown. Hail the size of tennis balls. Trees and power lines getting torn down everywhere.
It's going to continue raining for several days, but once it's safe to hike I absolutely need to give an offering of thanks to the mountain. Currently giving well wishes to those being much more severely affected by the storms.
Tagged by @herbalisyl444 here is my belated Where I Live In June! I was also technically tagged for July, so I'll make my July edition a few weeks down the line!
June looks like: Sunbeams shining through fluffy clouds, dense green forestry, fireflies sparkling in the night, pollen-covered cars, multicolored gardens, playful art displays outside of churches and libraries.
June smells like: Wet blacktop after a steady rain, backyard barbecues, bonfire smoke, citrus bug spray, algae from the creek across the road, flowers and herbs on hikes or passing gardens, my favorite lemon perfume for sunny days.
June sounds like: Children laughing and playing after getting out of school, thunder rolling in the distance, splashing of water from birds in the birdbath, the creaking of old trees in the wind, live music from community events.
June feels like: Humidity sticking to my skin, laying on sun-warmed grass, bugs crawling on my hands, puddles under my feet, AC blowing on my back, hands sticky from s'mores, animal slobber and fur at petting zoos.
June tastes like: Fruity alcohol, lemonade, ice cream, s'mores, charcoal-grilled corn on the cob and chicken, farmers market pastries, juicy strawberry and watermelon, hibiscus and rose iced tea, fried dough.
I'm glad I got to do this trend again, I kinda forgot about it but it's always fun to do! I'm excited for my July edition in a few weeks afrer my vacation! To others who have done June and are ready for Where I Live In July edition I tag @witchothebogfolk @slewfootwitch @yorubaby @etheribot @cursecuelebre @cultkinkcoven @hellboundwitch and @hillbillybubbeleh whenever you guys are ready to make your July edition of this trend!
A little bit ago I stumbled across a post talking about how many people mistake "feeling" for "connection" when being in nature, observing and animal, etc. I don't remember who made it, but the jist of it was that connection requires establishing some sort of relationship, which requires taking the time to observe, study, interact, then bond. A feeling is a much more fleeting emotion or sense of awareness without much substantial ground to unique/personal/knowledgeable relevance. I agree completely with the post, but wanted to add my own bit.
A feeling doesn't have to be "just" a feeling, it's valuable and powerful in its own right, and can absolutely be a driving force which leads to that personal connection. But even if it doesn't I think having notable moments of excitement, awe, or love when you touch a tree, spot an animal, or watch the clouds move is very healthy to seek out regularly. Spontaneous moments to wonder at the beauty of nature and Spirit keeps us happy, inspired, and at peace. Even scientific studies show that frequent feelings of awe have a physiological impact on us to reduce stress levels and promote creativity and joy!
But I think there is a middle ground between a "feeling" and "connection." Sometimes things can certainly be much more than just a feeling, but not quite at the level of work to have made a connection. Perhaps attunement? Or presence? A shift in our internal state in which we leave ourselves and push our ego aside to become more grounded and at one with what it is that's struck this awe without needing recognition as validation. To take a moment to anchor those feelings into something more aligned rather than fleeting and (to a degree) self-serving. Giving your respect/thanks in return for the awe.
Thank you @witchothebogfolk for tagging me in this little game! I haven't been as active in the community just due to summer business so I haven't been as up to date on all the games and trends going around 🥲
Stats
Melmoth, 24.
Irish-American, writer, artist, crafter, AuDHD, queer, folk practitioner, Druid, Hedgewitch, animist, solitary practitioner, heart of a child and mind of a philosopher, mountain/forest dweller, bug whisperer, cat parent, bone collector, youngest daughter.
Vibes
Morning dew on spiderwebs, warm mist after a cold rain, the first visible stars/planets at dusk, sunlight filtering through dense trees, mama deer and her fawn strolling through meadows, moths chasing the moon. Wildflowers, honey, forest critters, bugs, sunshowers, skeletons, sunsets/rises, clouds, tree roots.
If you're interested/haven't done it yet I tag @creature-wizard @cursecuelebre @etheribot @fauna-the-teenage-witch @hellboundwitch @lost-at-thecrossroads @owl-eyed--witch to join in their own submissions!
When the first of the month rolls around, many witches, folk practitioners, and spiritualists alike take time to both physically and energetically cleanse their space, recharge wards, renew their offerings, and other once a month rituals.
But it's important to know you don't need to do all of your monthly rituals in just one day!
Unless the first of the month is energetically or symbolically meaningful to you, you can do everything you need to do across multiple days!
Tomorrow (the 29th) I plan on cleaning my new altar and adding consecrations to it, as well as recharging my wards and charms. The actual first of the month I'll blow cinnamon in my door and be doing my monthly tarot spread. Three or four days afterwards I'll be setting out a new candle for my spirit guides and doing a personal monthly ritual. All that matters is the important/meaningful things get done roughly each 30 days, it never has to be exact!
I love being in a witch in the sense of practicing folk rituals, shaping my life through magick, connecting myself to the earth, the stars, and all that's in between, and stepping between worlds to gain a better understanding of who I am and the world itself by communing with various spiritual and natural beings.
But I also love being a witch in the sense of bathing in stars (glittery bath bomb), sipping my beauty potions (herbal tea), and experimenting with new spells (making shapes with bubbles) all while under the watch of my spiritual protector (my cat).
Thinking more on animism, realistically, I am an animist. But I hesitated to call myself one with seeing so many animists who treat energy/souls and the like of animals, plants, spirits, objects, etc the same way they treat humans. To me that just isn't accurate, and is even repressive to one's spiritual knowledge and capabilities. Maybe this is a common thing, maybe I've just been seeing a lot of this oddly specific sliver of animistic belief.
Cause I mean, yes, treat everything living and non-living with kindness and respect (unless you need to defend your peace from someone/something that threatens it), but attaching a human likeness isn't necessary. To me that's taking a step backwards in showing respect and forming connection because you're not only assigning human assumptions, unspoken rules/customs, expectations, etc onto something that isn't human, but you're expecting to recieve all those same human behaviors back. That's what I personalty don't like.
I think the biggest contributor to this is our ego as a species and society, this unconcious belief in many people that humans are "above" other beings. So to some animists treating something without human standards equates to treating them as lesser, which is just not true. I don't believe much of anyone/anything is "lesser" or "better" than anything else. Just different. And it's really beautiful and enlightening getting to learn how to commune/connect with another energy or spirit that adheres to a different convention. Yes it can be difficult, takes some studying, and requires practice/patience. But it is all so rewarding!
Sometimes the most interesting/helpful thing about my intuition is for non-spiritual things. This morning I have to leave the house at a specific time, but when I woke up there was no clock in the room. "6:43" came to mind and I went "no, I shouldn't risk it." Got up and walked to the kitchen to look at the oven clock, lo and behold... 6:43.
