The Path is Winding

A Jewitch's sideblog for bookmarking posts and sharing ongoing thoughts while meandering around finding a path in the realms of Judaism and witchery.

[iliothermia]

I got so so lucky to get these !!

[kosherplasmid-deactivated202411]

Little amulet fish friend tat by @mollacule or mo.stabs on IG tyyy

From the Tanakh, Tehillim Psalms 121-7:

שִׁ֗יר לַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת אֶשָּׂ֣א עֵ֭ינַי אֶל־הֶהָרִ֑ים מֵ֝אַ֗יִן יָבֹ֥א עֶזְרִֽי׃

1- A song for ascents.

I turn my eyes to the mountains;

from where will my help come?

עֶ֭זְרִי מֵעִ֣ם יְהֹוָ֑ה עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ׃

2- My help comes from the LORD, maker of heaven and earth.

אַל־יִתֵּ֣ן לַמּ֣וֹט רַגְלֶ֑ךָ אַל־יָ֝נ֗וּם שֹׁמְרֶֽךָ׃

3- He will not let your foot give way; your guardian will not slumber;

הִנֵּ֣ה לֹֽא־יָ֭נוּם וְלֹ֣א יִישָׁ֑ן שׁ֝וֹמֵ֗ר יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

4- See, the guardian of Israel

neither slumbers nor sleeps!

יְהֹוָ֥ה שֹׁמְרֶ֑ךָ יְהֹוָ֥ה צִ֝לְּךָ֗ עַל־יַ֥ד יְמִינֶֽךָ׃

5- The LORD is your guardian, the LORD is your protection at your right hand.

יוֹמָ֗ם הַשֶּׁ֥מֶשׁ לֹֽא־יַכֶּ֗כָּה וְיָרֵ֥חַ בַּלָּֽיְלָה׃

6- By day the sun will not strike you,

nor the moon by night.

יְֽהֹוָ֗ה יִשְׁמׇרְךָ֥ מִכׇּל־רָ֑ע יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

7- The LORD will guard you from all harm; He will guard your life.

יְֽהֹוָ֗ה יִשְׁמׇר־צֵאתְךָ֥ וּבוֹאֶ֑ךָ מֵ֝עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ {פ}

8- The LORD will guard your going and coming, now and forever.

[boyandfish-deactivated20190218]

Charms and How to Make Them

A charm is any object, usually pocket-sized, that’s charged with energy of some kind. An example is a lucky charm that’s worn as a necklace or a lock of hair charged with energy from the person it came from.

Charms can sometimes be called talismans, totems or pendants. Regardless of the name, with slight connotations, these little items can be used the same way.

I use charms when sometimes a crystal isn’t specific enough for my Intent (spell, ritual). Sometimes I’m doing an Intent based on my job but Citrine, also known as the Merchant’s Stone, isn’t quite specific enough, I’ll include a charm I charged with a specific energy.

For example let’s say I really need a specific day off but my job needs as many employees as it can schedule so often times they deny requests for time off, I’ll do an Intent using a golf pencil I took from the scheduling office.

I also collect the charms I have so that I can reuse them whenever an Intent needs it. Or, if it’s appropriate for the day, I’ll carry the charm in my pocket all day.

How to charge Charms

The easiest way to charge any object as a charm is if it already has a personal meaning to it. Choose something that reminds you of whatever that energy is. I have two cross pendants; one is wooden that reminds me of Catholicism and the second is metal and reminds me of Protestants. (Not because one is primitive to the other but because one came before the other.)

Once you have chosen an item and it’s meaning is clear, it’s time to charge with energy.

Purify the space you’re in to rid of residue energy (e.g. burning incense)

Use crystals for meditation and visualization, utilize crystal grids (simple or complex)

Write the specific meaning/significance/value of the charm on a piece of paper so you have a clear interpretation of it (you could make a prayer/incantation)

Burn a purple candle and drop wax on the paper connecting your Third Eye/Psyche to the energy attaching itself to the charm (one or two drops per charm, don’t waste a whole candle on one)

Once you have your Charms

Cataloging them in your guild book wouldn’t hurt. Like I mentioned, you can use them in specific Intents or carry them with you. Gift them to friends so they have energies around them. I also collect mine in a box so they aren’t randomly roaming around.

I like to use Charms in my Intents because they’re reusable, less waste and I don’t have to worry about purchasing new ones as if they run out (unless you give it away or lose it). Although I’ve come to realize the best charms are the ones I find randomly on the ground or in an old drawer. They radiate an energy that’s almost communicative like when grandparents tell you a simple memory but it sticks with you forever.

Enjoy your Charms. Happy witching. Questions, comments and criticism are welcome.

[ninoxo]

@ninotbh

[thejewitches]

the whole week is just waiting for shabbat

[creature-wizard]

What's so bad about angel numbers?

So the main problem with angel numbers that I see, is that they make people feel really certain about things that have nothing to do with reality.

For example, you might have this spiritual kinda person who meets this New Ager who's deep into QAnon-type conspiracy theories, and while they're chatting the first person sees that the clock says 11:11 and thinks that she must be on the right path. So she feels really, really sure of herself when she comes out of this conversation convinced that Donald Trump is saving children from satanic blood-drinking pedophiles.

The same kind of thing can happen with any kind of synchronicity, of course. (Or seeming synchronicity, at least. The frequency illusion is a hell of a thing.) Confirmation bias pulls people deeper and deeper into worldviews and beliefs completely unhinged from reality.

And like, I've experienced synchronicities myself, some of which seem way too wild to be coincidental, so I know how compelling these experiences can be. But at the same time, I know that these synchronicities had nothing to do with any sort of grand spiritual journey toward the truth, because they were basically always about whatever random shit I was fixating on at the time. This whole idea that synchronicities must be some grand cosmic sign is extremely dangerous.

[coinandcandle]

In case anyone wanted a short re-up on the history of angel numbers and how the person who coined the term has since renounced them going so far as to tell people to destroy her old work involving them.

[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

[will-o-the-witch]

When to Consult Divination

You're stuck in the decision-making process and want help thinking through it from a different angle.

You need to sort out your thoughts. Divination is good for breaking out of a circular thought process and approaching it in a different way.

You want something to focus and reflect on for the coming day/month/chapter in your life.

You need a second opinion on something spiritual.

You want something to aid your planning process by suggesting steps and strategies

You want advice for how to tackle a situation.

When NOT to Consult Divination

You're fishing for a specific answer and just want something to validate you. Your bias WILL get in the way of the truth.

You want very specific details about a future that hasn't happened yet. (What will my husband be like? When will I meet him? How many kids will I have?)

You want to know what someone is thinking/feeling/hiding. Literally just communicate with them.

Asking if you should break up with someone. It's like Googling "am I gay quiz." If you're at this point you already know the answer.

[girlactionfigure]

[kuttithevangu]

There’s one of these in Boston, the Vilna Shul (https://vilnashul.org/about/our_history). The interior painting was primarily a Lithuanian thing, hence why most of them have been destroyed. The Vilna is one of few surviving examples and the murals are perpetually in need of preservation funding.

Eastern European Jewish immigrants arrived in the city of Boston in large numbers beginning in the 1880’s. With little or no income, they lo

[stagkingswife]

Energy Batteries

or

A Lazy Deer’s Guide to Ignoring Space and Time in Spell Work

I’ve been pretty frank about how I don’t really incorporate timing into my magical paradigm, that’s because this “battery” trick was one of the first methods that I figured out for myself after the death of my childhood teacher.  Because I’ve been doing it for so long I admit that I find it hard to detail the process in words, it’s like explaining in words how to walk or ride a bike, so I’m going to just explain my basic theory and leave it up to you guys to work out how the details work on an individual level.  I use this basic method for storing my own energies when I have excess (rare) for use when I feel depleted (more common, thanks to chronic illnesses and pain), storing important/interesting energies for later use, even for short term housing of spirits as part of the “catch and release” relocation aspect of the house “cleansings” I do.  We’re going to focus mostly on the first two for the purposes of this post.

Storing Your Own Energy:

This is the logical place to start if you ask me, it’s basically just an energy work exercise.  Before you start get an object that you want to be your battery, I have tried all sorts of objects and haven’t found much variation in quality or ease of operation based on what object I chose, so I recommend just picking something obvious, something that you won’t forget that you charged up with a bunch of energy, or better yet, something that you can label - or put in a container with a label.  

Making the battery itself is rather simple, building off of my other energy exercises:

Get comfortable holding the object that will serve as your battery.  Some people believe that their energies flow better through one hand than the other, if this is your paradigm, hold the object in that hand, if not I find both hands work well.  

Collect your personal energy into a tightly condensed core, and pull just a little bit away from the rest and send it down one arm or the other and into the object.  

Once the connection is established you can feed a little bit more at a time, though be careful not to feed too much at a time or you may find yourself feeling drained. 

Once the object is “full”, disconnect your thread of energy from it and tuck it back into your core.  You can now store your full energy battery away until you need it. 

*I don’t really have a good way to describe how to know when a battery is getting “full,” it’s just a sort of intuitive/instinctive feeling that I get.  Usually 15-20 minutes of unbroken concentration on charging is enough to fill a battery enough to power a standard spell for me.  This is something that everyone trying this is going to need to experiment with to get a feel for.

Storing Foreign Energies:

This is how I ignore timing and spatial limitations in my spell work.  Let’s say I want to use the energy of a certain natural occurrence, like a thunderstorm, or of a certain place like the Mississippi River, or my college campus, but I don’t want to wait for a storm or until I can physically get to such a place.  Instead I collect batteries of such energies whenever the opportunity presents itself.  Then whenever I want to work some storm energies, or Mississippi energies, or college energies, into a spell I can draw on that battery regardless of where I am or what the weather is.

The bulk of the process is the same, but first I draw the energy through myself, the same way I do when channeling an entity. 

Open your mind/awareness to the energies you want to put in a battery.

Pull the energy into yourself and through yourself and just like above into the object that is going to serve as the battery using the method above. 

*For this I like to use objects somehow tied to the energy I’m storing as the physical component of the battery - vials of rainwater for the thunderstorm, rocks found in the location that I want to store the energy of.  I find the sympathetic link keeps the energy fresher and more vibrant for longer. Using a battery in spell work for me is just like using my own personal energy, or any other energy source for that matter. It's just that when using a battery I happen to know in advance exactly what energy and how much of it is available to me. I will say that I don' like to use batteries for spells that I expect to need long term or in perpetuity, unless I have enough batteries of the same kind that I can cycle them through the spell to keep the energy level consistent. Instead I like them for quick burst spells or spells with a medium duration at best.

[will-o-the-witch]

Candle Magic Beyond Colors

A lot of people talk about color correspondences with candles, but a candle's potential in magic runs way deeper than that! Here's a list of things I don't see people mention as much:

Loading a Candle

Carve out a small hole in the bottom of the candle and stuff it with herbs, a name, whatever else you want to "fill" the candle with.

Carvings

Etch sigils, symbols, names, and other things into the candle before burning! (I like the idea of writing my problems/worries onto the candle then watching as they burn and melt away.)

Dressing a Candle

Much like loading a candle, mix your herbs in an oil or have a pre-made magical oil ready to cover your candle in before lighting.

Reversals

Chop off the top of the candle, flip it upside down, and carve a new wick out of the bottom (now top.) This is a good way to inverse its symbolism!

Shape of Candle/Container

Not all candles are little cylenders. Candles shaped like pyramids, spheres, hearts, skulls, or animals can all have those correspondences taken into account as well.

Life of the Flame

Some candles are meant to only burn for a short period of time then be blown out. (Like birthday candles.) Others are meant to burn continuously over multiple days (like yahrzeit candles or seven-day candles.) Others can be lit or extinguished as you please. Which one makes the most sense for your goals?

Burning or Beacon?

A candle flame is a light in the darkness, drawing things near. It's also literal fire which can burn away whatever it touches. Which one is your candle trying to do, burn out something undesired or serve as a beacon for what you DO desire? Plan accordingly.

Read the Wax

Always a classic, you can read the shapes made from the wax once the spell is complete to get a gage of how things went/are going. Followup information is always good and can tell you a lot!!

[pathwinding]

Jewitch Self-Analysis: Regular Practice

I'm well past the hyperfocus that led to me making this blog last summer, and I've been analyzing where I'm at with my regular magic practice. It's funny, for as much as I love the energy and mindsets that surround the witchy community, I'm not what you would call an active practitioner? And I think I'm accepting this fact, more than I was before when I had grandiose plans for the Jewitch I wanted to be.

A little background to what contributed to this conclusion.

I tried out tarot divination 100 days in a row, from a daily card pull to a more in-depth spread. It turned from trying to predict the day to a simple daily reflection before I went to bed. Then about as soon as I completed the challenge I set down my cards I haven't picked them up since. These days I just pay attention to anything unusual, and frequently my shuffled songs bring up music that reflects where I'm at. I came to this realization that I don't need to try to predict my future, because I know I can adapt to anything that comes my way.

I took a Reiki class to develop my energy work skills, and I have not kept up with the daily practice my instructor insisted on. I do a self-treatment once in a blue moon, but overall it requires more energy to practice than I feel I receive from it. I also haven't been in a situation where I needed any additional healing, because I am generally in pretty safe situations and feel unbothered by little burns or bruises that serve to remind me of my humanity.

A month ago I stuck up a mezuzah in my car, and I saw that it didn't have a Shemah scroll inside it. And my thought was, "that's okay, I carry the Shemah inside of me." I still kiss the little mezuzah with the intentions of protection while driving and to deter potential thieves, knowing that ultimately I am actually passing on that intention to the universe which will decide how to handle it.

With all of this, I feel that the only spell I am casting on the regular is "trust the universe." Both with my daily prayers to express gratitude, and frequent thoughts of trust. By practicing so little I feel I am investing the power of my trust into HaShem, and I am consistently rewarded with a beautiful life and no more weight than what I can carry.

Sometimes I'll do easy extra spells if I want a little extra oomph. I may engage in a little magic to prepare me for the day, simple things like adding intention to my breakfast to increase my energy, or sometimes moving my hands in motions of protection when I know it's going to be rough (usually when it's windy, which can drain me). I use a particular hand motion to combat my anxiety, and I sing mindlessly to center myself or improve focus.

And that's about it. These topics interest me, I like collecting resources and skills to stick in my back pocket, but overall I am not what past me would consider a true practitioner. And that's okay. I'm at peace with the passive Jewitch I am right now.

[sheydgarden]

בצלם אלהים / b'tzelem elohim / made in the divine image, 8x10 linocut print, 2023

[socialistsephardi]

[infernalwitxhcraft]

Semi-Quick Witch Tip: Can we please stop overdressing the damn candles?! I know they look pretty, but they are a serious fire hazard (coming from a firefighting witch). I'm here to explain how to do it, in the safest way possible. Firstly, never dress with more oil than needed. Essential oils and oils with specific intentions (money oil, come-to-me oil, protection, etc.) are what you're looking for, if you're learning how to do this. You can make your own - eventually, in time, I will share my recipes friends. Rub it into your fingertips, clap your fingers together a few times to activate the energy, and start rubbing the candle with it. Upwards to attrract/bring in, downwards to banish/bring away from you. Start with two to three drops and see where it gets you, because it usually is the perfect amount for tapers and chimes. Big pillar candles usually need four to six drops. If we're talking tealights, one to two drops is enough. If you've got a glass-encased 7-day candle, do one to two drops on the top and then as you light it each time, put another drop on so the candle is being dressed throughout the burn. Next step for any candle type: sprinkle your herbs onto the candle. Grind them in a mortar & pestle so you don't have large chunks, which isn't safe as they tend to create large flames or sometimes spark. Once they are nice and ground, sprinkle enough to where the candle is lightly coated with the herbs. Trust me, that is enough for your spell. Heavy coating is not necessary. And please, for the love of the gods, do not leave your candle unattended. Ever. I don't care if someone tells you that seven-day candle can't stop burning. Snuff it out and resume when you can be home and alert to your surroundings. Same goes for sleeping. Have I been to calls where candles are the cause of a house fire while someone is sleeping? Absolutely, it's a common cause of fires. Have people died or gotten seriously injured? Yep. It's not worth it. Trust me.

Crystals, whole flowers, charms, and large chunks of herbs should be taken out if you make or purchased a candle that has a lot going on. While these are beautiful, I find them to be better for decoration elsewhere, never to be burned, as you will need to carefully remove these objects by melting the wax first (take a lighter and carefully run over the top). Not to mention, I think the work of the witches that make them deserves to be displayed. Place them onto an altar or shrine dedicated to a deity, spirit, or daemon that you feel would enjoy it.

Please, please, PLEASE practice fire safety. Get yourself a fire extinguisher. Make sure it's not only full, but in date. If it isn't, it's time for a new one. If anyone has questions about how to use one, feel free to drop your comment below and I will answer :) Sand also helps, but know you may need to use a lot and regardless, keep an extinguisher ready. Type ABC is good for the general house since it is multipurpose, and a type K for the kitchen should be in that room as well.

Perhaps I'll do a fire safety post for witches in the future, that way y'all can hear it from a firefighter. In the meantime, please practice fire safety!

[moroccanmanga]

Amazigh, Jewish and Andalusian Moroccan Diadems and Headdresses | Taj Maghrebi 

Tafraout, early 20th century

19th century

18th century

18th century

Fes, early 20th century

Anti Atlas, 19th century

Early 20th century

Fes, early 20th century

Fes, early 20th century

Rabat, 19th century

[lazywitchling]

There’s a reason this salt dough recipe is the first thing in my grimoire. Very few tools have been quite as versatile as this. I have made offering bowls, a measuring spoon, a deity statue, runes… and I could go on.

Salt dough is wonderful for witchery because you make it yourself, it’s cheap af, you can make it with things you steal from the kitchen while you’re stealing McCormack herbs (don’t lie, you know you’ve done it), and it’s salt based which is like the witchiest of witch things.

The small discs on the page are my latest idea, which is outlined in the second note on the page. I mixed dried herbs into the salt dough, formed discs, let it dry, and now I’ve got these portable little magic herb discs. The ones on the page are basil and powdered sugar for drawing wealth at work. But the possibilities are endless. If you can make an herb sachet or powder, you can probably also make it a salt dough disc.

Witch tip: set these out on a dish to dry by your window to give it all that good sun and moonlight.