Nothing Pink can stay @pinklady-applesauce - Tumblr Blog

Where do you think this idea of gods "choosing" or "calling out to" specific practicioners (and thus making them So Special and More Legitimate) came from? I'm thinking main character syndrome but you seem more informed on these social circles and on the history. It's just so frustrating to see so much of it and think "I have to be Chosen to be a Real Witch" and give myself so much pressure, when it was all a bunch of nonsense.

Actually, you're spot on. It's a heaping dose of Main Character Syndrome with a smattering of Gatekeeping, and it's one of the many iterations of the I Need To Feel Special And/Or Rebellious And/Or Artificially Oppressed In Order To Feel Legitimized In My Craft complex that's been part of the modern witchcraft community since...pretty much forever.

It runs in the same circles with such sentiments as "We Are The Granddaughters Of The Witches You Couldn't Burn" and "My Granny/Auntie/Whoever Was Secretly A Witch Of The Old Secret Religion (but i can't show you proof bc coven secrets)" and the like. (@traegorn has OPINIONS on this one and I welcome them to share.)

The whole You Have To Be Chosen To Be A Witch complex isn't anything new. It's only the language surrounding it that's changed over time, and even that hasn't changed TOO much. People want to feel special and empowered, that's a normal desire to have, and in witchcraft terms, one way that's expressed is to say they were Chosen to be a witch, whether it's by genetics (not remotely a thing) or by a secret coven or by a deity. It's Flavor of the Week.

And thing is, you're absolutely right - the idea that you must be Chosen in order to be a Real Witch is Utter Bullshit. As mentioned above, it's Main Character Syndrome, but it's also Gatekeeping. It's a way for people who are already in the craft to pretend that they are somehow more special or more powerful or more knowledgeable than people who are just coming to the community. And while that may make them feel better about themselves, it's also harmful and discouraging to newcomers because of the needless pressure it puts them under.

Do deities call people to the craft or inspire them to explore witchcraft and paganism? Absolutely! Happens all the time. Divine inspiration has been a thing for ages and it's hardly confined to one group or belief system.

Is a divine call a requirement for being a witch or pagan? Not in the slightest.

Witchcraft isn't some secret superpower that manifests under the right circumstances or a grand inherited destiny that you can't escape. This isn't Charmed. Being a witch is a CHOICE, and THAT is why there's power in it.

Hope this helps! (Or at the very least, gives you some vindication.)

babygayinthebroomcloset

What do I do with a spell jar once I’ve made it?? Do I put it on my alter? Do I carry it around? Do I stick in in a box to be found 30 years down the way? Idk

ALSO! What about hex and curse spell jars? I was told that if I was to make those I could burry them away from me or I could keep them, I’s that true? What would you suggest?

breelandwalker

It really depends on the jar and the spell, as well as the limitations of your space and your personal preference.

For jars that are meant to do long-term beneficial work, like protection or prosperity, I'd advise storing them somewhere safe, like in a cupboard or on a shelf where they won't be disturbed, until their work is done. Some spells also recommend burial for protection jars, such as "witch bottle" style spells that are buried somewhere on the property to protect the home against baneful magic and misfortune.

If the spell is meant to work within a certain time period, like healing or wishes, you can do the same and then disassemble them when the desired result is achieved or if the allotted time expires without a discernible result.

Carrying jars around isn't really practical unless you're 1) working with fairly small jars, and 2) creating a spell that's meant to be carried on your person in order to work. And in the case of the second, I'd recommend either very small, very sturdy jars or working the spell into something you're already prone to wearing or carrying, purely for the sake of simplicity.

As for baneful spells, some traditions do recommend burying curse jars. Open ground for this purpose isn't always available, but luckily a planter pot will do. (You can use it for flowers, but I wouldn't recommend it for edible plants. The curse doesn't leach into the soil, but something about growing vegetables above a cursed jar just doesn't sit right with me.)

You can also bind the jar up and discard it with your garbage. This is especially useful in cases where the curse includes some element of banishing or if a component in the breaking of the spell includes the person finding and dismantling the jar. (If you're in any way unsure if you want a baneful spell to last that long or be that serious, either keep it somewhere you can access it or rethink your strategy before casting. Sometimes a binding can achieve the desired effect with much less effort.)

So really, it's up to you. Do what feels right for the spell you're casting and when in doubt, put it on a shelf and come back to it in a month.

Oh, and if the jar starts to stink, grows mold, or breaks, THROW IT AWAY. This isn't a sign of any kind of cosmic horror headed your way, it just means the components went bad or the glass cracked. Either way, you don't want that in your home.

Hope this helps!

traegorn

Witchcraft is not a monolith

#reblog

breelandwalker

2022 Witch's Calendar

For all my witches out there, here's a handy list of the 2022 dates for the major holidays, full and new moons, and special events. I've listed my sources at the bottom. Dates and times for all events are calculated for Eastern Standard Time, USA, Northern Hemisphere. Adjust for your location as needed. Enjoy!

WOTY Holidays and Solstices

February 1-2 - Imbolc

March 20 - Spring Equinox / Ostara

May 1 - Beltane

June 21 - Summer Solstice / Midsummer

August 1 - Lughnasadh

September 22 - Autumn Equinox / Mabon

October 31 - Samhain

December 21 - Winter Solstice / Yule

Full Moons

January 17 - Wolf Moon ♋️

February 16 - Snow Moon ♌️

March 18 - Worm Moon ♍️

April 16 - Pink Moon ♎️

May 16 - Flower Moon ♏️

June 14 - Strawberry Moon ♐️

July 13 - Thunder Moon (aka Buck Moon) ♑️

August 11 - Sturgeon Moon ♒️

September 10 - Harvest Moon ♓️

October 9 - Hunter's Moon (aka Blood Moon) ♈️

November 8 - Frost Moon ♉️

December 7 - Cold Moon ♊️

Fun Fact: The title of Harvest Moon is given to either the September or October full moon, whichever falls closest to the autumn equinox. In 2022, that month will be September.

New Moons

January 2 ♑️

February 1 ♒️

March 2 ♓️

April 1 ♈️

April 30 ♉️

May 30 ♊️

June 29 ♋️

July 28 ♌️

August 27 ♍️

September 25 ♎️

October 25 ♏️

November 23 ♐️

December 23 ♑️

Special Events

April 30 - Black Moon & Partial Solar Eclipse (10:42pm EST)

May 16 - Total Lunar Eclipe (12:11am EST, coinciding with zenith)

June 14 - Supermoon

July 13 - Supermoon

October 25 - Partial Solar Eclipe (11:01am EST)

November 8 - Total Lunar Eclipse (5:59am EST, coinciding with zenith)

SOURCES:

Inverse - Full Moon 2022 calendar: Dates, times, schedule, and names for the brightest nights all year

Astroseek - Full Moons 2022 & New Moons

The Pagan Grimoire - The Wheel of the Year: The 8 Festivals in the Wiccan Calendar

breelandwalker

If you're enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar! 😊

wealdandwold

Early Modern Reconstructionist Witchcraft

Getting quite frustrated about a trend in what could be called Early Modern Reconstructionist Witchcraft: a trend of taking particular ideas about reported historical practises in early modern and often also medieval Europe (and especially England and Scotland) and attempting to codify them as The True Witchcraft - often partially or completely devoid of the actual cultural and religious context of these practices (and without critical analysis of whether they *were* actual practices, when they come via trial reports), and often along with an American fetishisation of Europe. It’s giving me a thumping headache.

Look, being inspired by the imagery of witchcraft in early modern (& earlier & later) England, Scotland, Western Europe is great. Flying ointments, diabolical Sabbats, wild hunts & furious hosts and faery rades, familiar spirits, Diana and Habondia and their spiritual sisters - it’s great stuff, it’s juicy, it’s a real current in historical thought that’s affected our present day ideas. The image of the cunning wo/man (whether of the mystic-cottage-full-of-herbs variety or the canny sometimes-rip-off-merchant practising what Pratchett termed Headology one [and the two are not exclusive]) is fertile inspiration for modern practice. I draw on this stuff myself, obviously!

But please, please be wary of anyone trying to tell you that modern, developing practises derived from (often selective) historical reports and modern interpretations of them are What People Did And How People Thought/Believed Back Then! Especially if the same people are deriding twentieth-century witchcrafts inspired by people like Murray - because those witchcrafts were *also* based on (often selective) historical and archaeological information of their day and the contemporary interpretations of them. (And extra especially if those people have books or classes to sell!)

The reaching for ‘authenticity’ is an understandable urge, and can be a real spiritual and magical hunger for roots and meaning. But claims of *historical* authenticity in contemporary, reconstructed practices should always be treated with wariness - because there’s always more evidence to come along, new ways of looking at the past to develop, and what seems like an obvious historical survival today is going to look like Murray’s witch cult and Frazer’s Golden Bough in ten, twenty, fifty years’ time. (And hey, people can and do still draw valid personal inspiration from those, we just need to understand they’re not History Fact.)

Any practice that looks back to the past is necessarily a child of historiography as much as history. And historiography is a constantly evolving thing. So…just be thoughtful, okay? If stuff speaks to you, that’s great, work that current ‘til your arse falls off. Just be wary of believing - or making - claims that what you’re doing is More Real, More Accurate, More Authentic, More Historical than what other people are doing.

tyetknot

“ But please, please be wary of anyone trying to tell you that modern, developing practises derived from (often selective) historical reports and modern interpretations of them are What People Did And How People Thought/Believed Back Then! Especially if the same people are deriding twentieth-century witchcrafts inspired by people like Murray - because those witchcrafts were *also* based on (often selective) historical and archaeological information of their day and the contemporary interpretations of them.”

MyProblemsWithTradCraftOnline.txt

An excellent series of points, this.

#reblog

aquarianwisp-deactivated2025092

Talk to your house

Your house is a sentient being with it’s own spirit and soul. Some people identify this spirit as their household deities or friendly house spirits. But some people have altogether forgotten how important the spirit of their house is. Talk to your house. Houses that have been ignored tend to be dull, tired and susceptible to hauntings and negative energies. So talk to your house, listen to its aches and pains, say hello. Tell it that you come in peace, tell it that you are there to listen to it speak. Be grateful to your house. And watch the energies of your home transform themselves into joy.

#reblog

normal-horoscopes

Would Jung’s Red Book stuff be healthy self-induced schizophrenia, or was that just intense lucid/day-dreaming?

If something can be even slightly considered "self-induced schizophrenia" never ever ever ever do it ever.

normal-horoscopes

Look, schizophrenia is a condition that people live full and happy lives while having, but y'all have to understand that some "techniques" I've seen on weirder corners of the occult internet could legally be considered torture if you did them to another person.

Do not use loud music and/or stimulants to keep yourself awake for multiple days on end. Do not use physical pain to induce semi-hypnotic stress reactions. Do not induce panic attacks for ritual reasons. Magic should never involve deprivation of food, water, or oxygen, to the point where you are having hallucinations. Ever.

#reblog #everybody touch the USE FUCKING COMMON SENSE YALL sign again #not just can magic not replace medicine #it also shouldn't ever be used as a reason to actively make yourself worse #not even meditation is worth it if it induces paranoia in you

doggosource

sleep tight pupper

#reblog #queue

gefdreamsofthesea

I don't understand why some people seem to get so hung up on what animism means. Its basic definition is the belief that non-human beings/objects have souls/spiritual essence. You can be an animist and subscribe to most if not all forms of theism.

The End.

upthewitchypunx

If you named your car, you might already be an animist.

#reblog

powerfulwizard

Idk which Wiccan needs to hear this but you’re not a marginalized person

powerfulwizard

Witches aren’t a persecuted people and the people in the past who were persecuted as witches were in fact, not actually witches.

#reblog

recreationalwitchcraft

Your book on Witchcraft is bullshit if:

It uses the “Witchcraft” and “Wicca” fuckin interchangeably

It suggests you’re one dreadlock and eagle feather away from being your very own, white Shaman

It claims “Voodoo” is a super fun, spooky thing that everyone should join in on

Smudging is cool, also, has anyone seen my works cited? Oh that’s right, I didn’t make one.

If you curse, you are mustache twirling devil and the 3 fold law is gonna send your ass to witch hell

All witches, Wiccan or not should abide by the rede or burn the hell up in the aforementioned fictional witch hell

Ignorantly throws around the word “Chakras” like fuckin mardi gras beads

You even see the word gypsy once

Spices things up with some sacred, closed and wildly un researched Native American Spiritualism

Miscellaneous new age white person spiritualism

And here’s some Ohms. ૐ ૐ ૐ

I’m not sure what what they but have some more Ohms ૐ ૐ ૐ ૐ ૐ

Wait, white sage is endangered?

breelandwalker

New Additions:

It suggests that “witch” is a gendered term or refers to witches (and possibly the reader) exclusively with she/her pronouns.

It sets hard timelines on length of study before you can call yourself a witch or learn certain skills or try certain activities i.e. “year and a day before you can cast a spell” with a hand-wave of an explanation. (Bonus points if it’s a book that’s supposedly for solitary witches.)

It says anything about youth being inherently magical. Big honking red flag.

“The Law of Attraction TOTALLY works! You just need to be more positive!”

You don’t need medicine or doctors, just drink this crystal herb elixir and do this spell, oh and don’t forget to put mugwort in your tea. What are health warnings?

But of COURSE we can apply modern concepts to ancient narratives without any regard for the historical record! There was totally a pre-Christian Irish potato goddess!

NINE MILLION DEAD WITCHES!!!11!!!1!!eleventy

There is only ONE RIGHT WAY to be a witch, the rest are garbage and you’ll probably end the world if you get things wrong.

stormbornwitch

Thanks for the great additions Bree!

#reblog

recreationalwitchcraft

Your book on Witchcraft is bullshit if:

It uses the “Witchcraft” and “Wicca” fuckin interchangeably

It suggests you’re one dreadlock and eagle feather away from being your very own, white Shaman

It claims “Voodoo” is a super fun, spooky thing that everyone should join in on

Smudging is cool, also, has anyone seen my works cited? Oh that’s right, I didn’t make one.

If you curse, you are mustache twirling devil and the 3 fold law is gonna send your ass to witch hell

All witches, Wiccan or not should abide by the rede or burn the hell up in the aforementioned fictional witch hell

Ignorantly throws around the word “Chakras” like fuckin mardi gras beads

You even see the word gypsy once

Spices things up with some sacred, closed and wildly un researched Native American Spiritualism

Miscellaneous new age white person spiritualism

And here’s some Ohms. ૐ ૐ ૐ

I’m not sure what what they but have some more Ohms ૐ ૐ ૐ ૐ ૐ

Wait, white sage is endangered?

#reblog

normal-horoscopes

In european occult studies, people tend to throw around the word Kabbalah as a general word for an esoteric study. Many occultists will refer to the Islamic Kabbalah or the Hermetic Kabbalah, despite these things having nothing to do with the actual Jewish Kabbalah.

"I wonder if there are any alternative terms?" I think to myself. "I know Fulcanelli writes about alchemical history a lot, I bet he can give me historical examples of less problematic terms!"

Fulcanelli: