Homie Of Hashem

Formally known as thewitchyone

[pomegranate-jewitchery]

Intro!

Shalom! I am River, They/Them. Queer identity and politics. This is an 18+ space as I am an adult and do not want to interact with minors. I am Jewish Folk Practitioner and studying Russian and Polish folk magics as well. I also also really into cooking, plants, arts & crafts, and other home magics. I talk about that all here.

[tzedektzedektirtzah]

RASPBERRY.

for #TheHerbalisciousChallenge prompt by @pomegranate-jewitchery

English name: Raspberry Latin name: Rubus idaeus Yiddish names: אָטשענע ,מאַלענע

History

Raspberry was a very important plant for the Ashkenazi Jews of the Pale of Settlement in the early 20th century. Jams and dried berry teas helped to restore vitality to the sick, especially in the winter when fresh fruit was sparse. Syrups made from the berry were such popular cure-alls that "syrup-maker" was an occupation at which some women were employed full-time. Raspberry cordial was often given to the sick (along with other remedies) in hopes of increasing perspiration, which was thought to help draw disease out of the body.

Halacha

Do raspberries grow on trees or out of the ground? This is a matter of halachic controversy. The plant itself persists and bears fruit for multiple years, suggesting that its fruit is p'ri ha'eitz (fruit of the tree), yet it only bears this fruit for a few years and only on new branches, suggesting that it is pri ha'adamah (fruit of the earth). Different halachic authorities rule in favor of each blessing; the particular blessing that an individual chooses to use might be an inherited custom or a personal decision. (I favor p'ri ha'eitz myself.)

Cultivation

Raspberries grow on bushes, although you won't see berries until after the first year. They do best when exposed to the sun but shielded from wind, with rich and well-drained soil. They don't like to be soaked, so avoid planting them in wet areas and water about an inch weekly. They need to be pruned according to their type: most branches will never fruit again after they've done it once, so they need to be cleared to make room for new growth.

Foraging

Wild raspberries can be found throughout North America and Europe, particularly the northern regions of both continents. Keep an eye out for them in the woods and along the edges of fields; there may be dense vegetation between you and the berries, but if you are able to reach them, you have the opportunity to savor some very sweet berries (rich in antioxidants!). Avoid foraging any unless they are growing in abundance in the area you're exploring; local fauna and pollinators would like to have a taste too!

Preparation

Of all the ways one can use raspberry, a cordial appealed to me the most. Luckily, it isn't that complicated to make. All you need is liquor, sweetener, and berries. You can also add dried herbs or spices if you so desire. The instructions are as follows:

Fill a mason jar with your berries and herbs. If they are dried, you'll want to fill the mason jar to about 1/4 or 1/2 full; if they are fresh, you'll want to fill the mason jar to about 3/4 full.

Pour your liquor in the jar until it covers the plant material by two inches.

Allow the mixture to rest in a cool, dark place for 4-6 weeks.

Strain out the plant material. If there are small pieces of dried herbs, a cheesecloth will be more effective than a fine mesh strainer.

Measure how many cups of tincture you're left with after straining. Add half that amount of your preferred sweetener.

Shake to combine, and enjoy your cordial!

Credit for this recipe belongs to Sarah Kate Benjamin of Kosmic Kitchen, linked below.

Sources

Ashkenazi Herbalism by Deatra Cohen and Adam Siegel, Part II, Chapter 21.

A Frog Under the Tongue: Jewish Folk Medicine in Eastern Europe by Marek Tuszewicki, translated by Jessica Taylor-Kucia, pages 60-61.

"Rasberry Medicine from the Shtetl: Two Recipes and a Brief History" by Naomi Spector.

"The Correct Beracha for Papaya and Raspberries" by Rabbi Chaim Jachter.

"What Is the Blessing on Bananas, Strawberries, Grapes, Berries Etc.?" by Yehuda Shurpin.

"How to Grow Raspberries: Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Tips" by Catherine Boeckmann.

"Discovering Wild Raspberries: Where Do They Grow and How to Find Them" by Lucy Smith.

"Herbal Cordial 101" by Sarah Kate Benjamin.

[sioltach]

FUCK everything else. Bird sugar dish.

[slewfootwitch]

Trying to decide whether to tempt the Beast by resuming my Medieval Dynasty playthrough or to spend a few hours updating all of my Sims 4 mods so I can start a playthrough of my favorite Sims 4 paranormal romance soap opera.

[pomegranate-jewitchery]

I know the struggle well!! I have both a medieval to modern day dynasty that is inspired by irish + jewish culture (but is not historically accurate because sims) and I also have a paranormal romance soap opera with found family vampires, fairies, and witches!

My medieval sims!

[leahbasavraham]

Wikipedia

Shifra Whitman- a contemporary papercut artist

[etheribot]

The Samhain Ultramarathon | 100 Days of Witchcraft

"Etheri, why are you talking about Samhain already? It's still Spring where you live..." shhh...

October 31st is my favorite day to be a witch! I find myself looking forward to it throughout various times of the year. So, this year, I decided to make a little "challenge" for myself in the days leading up to Samhain, and I wanted to invite others to participate ^.^

Starting July 23rd, I'd like to invite you all to join me for what I'm calling "The Samhain Ultramarathon!"

The challenge itself is to touch your Craft for 100 days in a row! Starting July 23rd, the task is to do something, anything, witchy each day, counting down to October 31st. Some days can be as simple as just updating your grimoire or lighting a stick of incense, while other days can be more elaborate spells or rituals. The ultimate goal is to touch your practice at least once a day, even for just one minute, for 100 consecutive days! It'll be like a spiritual marathon... hence the name :P

I'm sharing this now, over two months out, to give anyone who may want to participate time to coordinate! If you want to share your preparations and if you want to share your "marathon experience" once the challenge itself starts, please use the tag #TheSamhainUltramarthon !

[hillbillybubbeleh]

Can you give us the context of what your response to the anon talking about the servers was about, because I think I'm aware of half the story and had no idea that there was a backstop to the "vent" the server person posted the other day...

Sure. Absolutely. I wasn't going to post about this publicly, but since I've been informed (and sent screenshots) that there have been misrepresentations of events in servers I'm not in and continued defending of the behavior in question/continued expressions of the belief that I'm just of inferior intellect to the white person involved; yeah, I'll make it public. Why not?

I'd like to drop a quote here that resonates with me about these happenings, that I hope you can all appreciate after reading the below explanation —

No need to hear your voice when I can talk about you better than you can speak about yourself. No need to hear your voice. Only tell me about your pain. I want to know your story. And then I will tell it back to you in a new way. Tell it back to you in such a way that it has become mine, my own. Re-writing you I write myself anew. I am still author, authority. I am still colonizer the speaking subject and you are now at the center of my talk. -Yearning: Race, Gender, and Cultural Politics (1990); bell hooks

So we're absolutely clear, this all stems from a brief exchange I had with salixsociety in a discord server we were both in at the time (salixsoicety has since left the server). Since it stems from that exchange, I had no intention of taking the matter outside of the server, as I considered it over with when salixsociety abruptly ended communication and left the server; however, I now see no point in keeping things to myself since I've been informed of the lies and accusations salixsociety went on to immediately make in their own server (leaving out that they were talking about an interaction with POC and instead vaguely bemoaning how unfair and difficult it is to exist "in the pursuit of liberation" as a white person; as well as making claims of having experienced "casual racism" and painting POC as intellectually less than "despite" their "attempts to meet them where they're at.").

Here's what really happened and what the people in their server were lied to about:

On May 12th, 2026, I had responded to a post in a server that salixsociety had shared on April 28th, 2026, in which they posted a link to an essay they'd written on tumblr and opened the floor for discussion.

[Transcription of the above screenshot -- Username "Idis" (salixsociety): I'm trying to force myself to rebuild a social life so I'll throw my post in a few of the servers I'm in for the sake of opening it to discussion! This is only one part in a series but I'm enjoying writing it so far. (Followed by a link to a post on salixsociety's tumblr titled 'Ethnic Envy: Chapter 1 in a series on Appropriation and Ethnocide in the Witchcraft Community'.]

I took the time to read the post, albeit late as I hadn't the time to do so sooner, and, like many other users in the server, replied with my thoughts.

[Transcription of the above screenshots -- Username "Keziah" (me): So, I finally got the chance to sit down and read this, and, while I can appreciate what I can tell your aims are with this, I (as a reader who isn't white) feel that you should know that there are repeated uses of terms and phrases that are not helpful and can actually be harmful (and in fact uphold white supremacy and cultural essentialism). Things like referring to people (and it seems typically in your piece you're referring to non-white people and cultures when saying these things) as "ethnic" and "exotic" (at one point referring to people as "racial") are issues that POC have been talking about and writing about for years now. These terms are offensive and contribute to the white supremacist beliefs that white is the default setting and anything outside of white is a separate "other." There are plenty of articles written by POC explaining why people shouldn't be using these terms. I can drop some links if you'd like. I just feel that since you're planning on making that a theme for a series of posts, you should know going forward how those terms can impact readers who are not white. Because it is not having the same impact as other readers (and might actually detract from your intentions).]

Salixsociety then replied with a lengthy response dismissing my perspective, calling my opinion as a POC "misguided," and going on to explain racism and how to correctly dismantle racist systems to me.

[Transcription of the above screenshots -- Idis/salixsociety: I appreciate your effort and your reading, so thank you for that and your desire to educate people. I respect that a lot. But I think it is a little misguided in this instance. The writing in question here is deeply polemic of institutionalized racism and white supremacy (as well as cultural essentialism and imperialism, etc), and it uses these terms ("racial," "ethnic," "exotic," etc) in the context of criticism. It is very true that these words contribute to the problem, which is exactly why using them and exposing people to the harm that is contained in those concepts is so important. When you go to criticize systems and institutions, especially those that make up people's lived reality in the form of biases and thought patterns, you are forced to engage with the terminologies and categories of those structues. I'm not using them because I believe in them, I'm using them because I'm criticizing them, and because in order to criticize them and the broader patterns they reveal I'm forced to use the. It may not be digestible, and it is indeed offensive to be confronted by, but that doesn't mean it's pointless nor racist. We live in a SoCiEtY (sorry I really can't take myself saying that word seriously) where whether we like it or not, race, ethnicity, and exoticism are still prevalent concepts. They still exist, so we have to use those words to describe those structures and dismantle them. It's unpleasant, I agree, but it is necessary, and it's not nessarily an indication of perpetuation of the problem. Extremely pivotal authors to the liberation movement (like bell hooks herself, who I quoted in the essay) have and still do use these words for the same reasons. No, people shouldn't be using those words seriously, but my use of them is not sincere or literal Trying to write an article criticizing exoticization and ethicization without using those words would be like trying to fight racism without saying the word "race" or "black." Of course in an ideal world there would be no "races" and people wouldn't able to be reduced to "black" or "brown," but we don't live in that world, and until then we have to use the words to describe the problems at hand and aim to dismantle them.]

Now, there is a lot to be said for how this response was handled. I will keep it short and say simply that I do find it offensive that the first POC to reply to the essay brought forward for discussion was called "misguided" and was talked to as if they were simply too stupid to have understood the writer's post (I'm not. I did understand the post. And I understand the terms were used repeatedly not in the context of quotations, and have been used in other posts by this writer outside of that context of "dismantling" and "critiquing" such systems. I also know that salixsociety continued to imply that I am simply not smart enough to understand anything in their server and that I lacked understanding "despite" their "best attempt to meet them (meaning me) where they're at."). The response from salixsociety was disingenuous and dishonest, as it does not acknowledge or refer to the repeated use of those terms on their blog outside of the context of this essay.

There is also a lot to be said about a white person taking it upon themselves to explain to someone that isn't white what terms "we" "have" to use and how we "have" to criticize and engage with white supremacy, racism, et al. Explaining to me how to interact with the systems of oppression I have experienced every single day of my life. Chat, is that the pursuing of liberation? Or is that talking over the lived experiences of POC for the sake of feeling like the most enlightened person in the room?

Back to the exchange: I went on to point out that while salixsociety used bell hooks and the context of the specific essay in question to defend their use of those terms, that those terms could be found in several other posts on their blog outside of the context of the essay, outside of the context of quoting bell hooks or other writers. I addressed that bell hooks' use of such terminology does not inherently defend continuing to use that terminology in 2026 (i.e. the most prominent essay of hooks' using that terminology — Black Looks: Race and Representation — was written in 1992; and the work salixsociety quotes in their essay — Eating the Other — was also published in 1992). Terminology that may have been more accepted in 1992 isn't always going to hold up in 2026, as in the case of the use of terms such as exotic and ethnic. Furthermore, it's well known that hooks herself eventually ceased writing using those terms, so using hooks' use of them (in 1992) to defend using them in 2026 does not hold up.

[Transcription of the above screenshots -- Keziah: The thing is, you've used those terms on your blog outside of that post and context as well, so I'm operating under the assumption from your posts that these are part of your vocabulary such as in your recent post about hijabs. Furthermore, your terminology aside, the essay in question further centralizes the white experience and in turn erases that there are witches and pagans who are simply not white. While I understand your intentions with the post, my perspective in reading it as person who is not white does not equal my failing to understand what you were trying to do. I do not need that explained to me. It does however offer insight into the lived [experience] of people who are not white who may read the post. Quite simply, the way you present your stance seems to be counterproductive to what you're intended to come across as, and actually is more harmful than it is helpful. Keziah: I will also point out that bell hooks was using white people's language to speak to white people. And just because one person of color is okay with terms, that doesn't mean we all are or even that the general consensus agrees, or that, in 2026, that terminology is still considered "okay." I'm not "misguided" in my opinion, and, to be perfectly honest, that reaction and the fact that you felt the need to explain something to me that I understood perfectly but simply did not receive the way you wanted me to, is a whole other issue entirely.]

[Transcription of the above screenshots -- Idis: This entire argument makes absolutely no sense and completely dismisses my own, but there is nowhere for my to go from here and I'm really not interested in trying to justify myself in an environment like this, so I will be taking my leave. Keziah: My lived experience as someone who isn't white is not an "argument" and you are diminishing that.]

This, readers, is the entirety of my exchange with salixsociety. Now, those of you who are in the Otherworld discord server might be confused. Where are the accusations of racism lobbed against salixsociety that they mentioned in their server? There were none. Where was the "attack" they accused me of? There wasn't one. Where is the part where salixsociety was "accused of shit implicitly?" They weren't. Where did anyone "ask questions in bad faith?" No one did. Where did anyone "attack their character?" No one did. That didn't happen. And what about "piling criticisms that didn't have anything to do with my work?" Well, the replies are all there in the pathandpractice server. Anyone can see that no one said anything about or to salixsociety that wasn't related specifically to the essay they posted and opened up for discussion. No one said anything racist to salixsociety, who, as far as I know, has only ever publicly identified as being Dutch.

Furthermore, while I don't currently have the time to go seek permission from everyone that replied with their own take on the essay in question, I will share some examples of the tone of the responses to this particular situation, responses which salixsociety went to misrepresent as a "dogpile" and "attack."

As you'll see below, one user (who has given me to permission to share their response) who has professional and academic experience and credentials in the field of DEI responded in support of my suggestions. This user's professional background is literally creating curriculum and training for educators and school staff involved in DEI programs. *Note: the post was edited for a grammar error.

[Transcription of the above screenshot -- Username redacted for privacy: I have to agree with Keziah's sentiment here. Not as an admin, but as a person with a Black father and as someone with a background as a Diversity and Inclusion Consultant in the education field, these are terms that should be avoided in any context, but especially in diversity and equity efforts.]

Other replies simply stated that while users supported salixsociety's intentions with their essay, they did agree that we should defer to BIPOC when it comes to such terminology and whether or not it is deemed offensive to BIPOC. No one treated salixsociety with disrespect, no one spoke about their character, no one accused them of anything; and the entire thread is still available to view on the server, including the aftermath, where many users did express their disappointment with salixsociety's response and treatment of my concerns.

After salixsociety left the server, they went on to post in their own (significantly larger) server (where they have a broad reach) a deliberately vague, revisionist interpretation of events.

Below you'll find one of the screenshots from the Otherworld server sent to me. I've been sent several, just so we're clear.

[Transcription of the above screenshot, which was posted by Idis/salixsociety to their Otherworld server on May 12, 2026 -- Idis: sorry this is a vent, not really a prompt or anything, so I'm putting it here and spoilering it because I don't want to sound entitled but it is so fucking exhausting to publicly talk about institutionalized racism. I don't want to go on about it too much because it's a million thousand times worse for people of color who are doing it but it is genuinely so soul-crushingly exhausting to have to be accused of shit implicitly, or shunned or questioned in bad faith literally at every turn because people don't understand it and assume that that must mean I'm racist for some goddamn reason. it's so exhausting to fight for my rights and other people's rights and have my motives questioned, and I feel very privileged to be able to do it at all, but sometimes it gets so emotionally destructive to have to answer these accusations and bad faith questions and shit "um the word "exotic" actually has a very racist history" yes. i know. that's. literally what i'm talking about. and i feel like i couldn't have stated that much more literally despite my best attempts to meet you where you're at HUUuUUUUUUUUUUU "wHy Is FiGhTInG FoR LiBERrAtIoN So HAaAAAaRRDDdDD WAAAAHHHH" literally what i sound like sorry]

As you can see for yourselves, it was never mentioned that salixsociety was talking about a brief conversation with a POC. Users in the Otherworld server had no way of knowing that salixsociety was vague posting and lying about POC and was actually coming into the server straight off of having dismissed and disrespected a person of color.

Salixsociety and co. have since gone on to post on their blogs lamenting "the rejection of academic language," and salixsociety, in doing so, continues to imply that those who do not use what they deem "academic" and "formal" language are simply "not as literate" and are holding the world back from organizing in pursuit of liberation.

I want to stress that I was not initially upset with salixsociety for potentially not having known better than to use those terms. It's the response to events that has been deeply offensive — the lying, the deliberate neglect to tell the whole story to their server, and the continued reiteration that salixsociety is simply more intelligent than the POC involved (now joined by the vague implication that people not using those terms are "not as literate").

As I opened this response with a poignant quote, I'd like to finish with another, for it feels deeply relevant to this matter —

"Assimilation [...] is a strategy deeply rooted in the ideology of white supremacy [...]” It urges “black people to negate blackness, to imitate racist white people so as to better absorb their values, their way of life. [...] This is especially true of social policy that has encouraged and promoted racial integration. [That] racial integration translated into assimilation ultimately serves to reinforce and maintain white supremacy." -bell hooks being paraphrased in IMMORTALIZING THE SPIRIT OF THE COLONIZER (2012); Maximiliano Lombard

[moth-kissed-witch]

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Peppermint and Spearmint, What's the Difference?

╚════════════════════════. .៚.╝

Well, I'm so glad you asked! Or at least wondered. Welcome to the beginning of my #HerbalCompendium which has been somewhat inspired by #TheHerbaliciousChallenge by @pomegranate-jewitchery! I've been planning on doing this little series for a short while now, but I guess I just needed a kick in the butt to get going! If you look up their challenge you'll find a post all about their challenge with a wheel to spin, and I landed on mint, so let's get to it!

· · ──────────── ·𖥸· ──────────── · ·

Honestly, they really are quite similar.

The two plants are obviously quite similar, but are far more different than most people realize. They look quite similar to the untrained eye and both contain menthol like many other plants in the mint family, however the percentage of that content differs extremely between each plant. (There are other mints such as the Japanese mint, watermint, corn mint, etc, as well as herbs such as rosemary in this family but today we'll just be covering these two)

The mint family overall does share some mythology and folklore, although not much that I could find. In Greek mythology mint is named after the nymph Minthe, who was a mistress to Hades and thus was turned into the mint plant as punishment by Persephone. Hades himself made the plant aromatic so she could still be admired. But Greek mythology isn't the only culture/religion which holds mint as sacred to the dead, as many have used mint (often amongst other herbs) to dress corpses during funeral rites to mask the smell of decaying flesh.

Not only did the mint smell good, but its menthol made it a particularly useful insecticide. People from various regions would rub spearmint against their furniture, walls, and windowsills to deter pests such as mice and bugs. In another Greek myth doing this is seen as an act of hospitality, as in the story of Bachus and Philemon they were the only men in their village who welcomed two beggars into their home, the beggars actually disguised as Zeus and Hermes. They adorned their table with mint in welcome, and so moved by their hospitality the two Gods blessed them both with a full life of abundance.

· · ──────────── ·𖥸· ──────────── · ·

So what actually makes them different?

Spearmint

(Photo from the Stark Bro's website)

This mint is a very common herb to grow in the wild ans has the lowest menthol content of the two, only containing .5% - 1% of menthol in its composition. As such it's the better of the two mints for cooking due to its milder flavor and is the one you want to reach for when treating digestive issues. Its leaves are a bighter green with spear-like leaves, hence its name.

Beyond digestive upset spearmint is also used as a medicinal property for hormone related issues, reducing stress and anxiety, and provides good antioxidant support. It's less irritating to the nose and skin, and is actually quite a relaxing scent similarly to that of eucalyptus because its menthol content is so low.

Peppermint

(Photo from the Gardening Know How website)

Bred by a cross between spearmint and watermint, this mint really shoots up in menthol content, 40% in its composition! It's a hybrid between spearmint and watermint, with a much sharper taste better suited for aromatherapy, tea, and as a flavoring component in things like baking. Its leaves are dark green and more crumpled looking with red and purple stems.

As for medical properties peppermint is best used for head, nose, and chest congestion, headaches, and inflammation or tension related pain relief. Because of how strong the menthol in peppermint smells its aromatherapy properties can also be used for a bit of invigoration and mental clarity on days you're feeling more fatigued.

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How this adds up to their metaphysical properties

Overall, they can be used for many of the same metaphysical things. Mint overall is an herb of cleansing, protection, and banishment thanks to their insecticide properties. European and Mediterranean cultures would hang mint over their windows to protect against illness and evil spirits, or even sleep with mint under their pillows to induce dreams that told the future. Peppermint may be better suited to the latter due to its ability to reinvigorate the mind, and is good for any spell requiring mental clarity in school for a test, at work to get that promotion, or a general boost in charisma. As such mint can also be used in beauty spells considering we use it so often to keep ourselves looking and smelling clean! And since we use mint primarily to clean our teeth, one can use mint as a vocal sweetening spell of sorts, to make our words sound cleaner and more convincing to people if we need to persuade someone or capture attention.

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And if there are any other ways in which you use mint, be it peppermint, spearmint, or another member of the mint family feel free to share ways in which you use it! Or if you have any mythology or folklore on the plant that I didn't cover here! Thank you for reading, and slowly I will be coming out with more herbs!

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[travels-and-journals]

The Strawberry

my submission for the "Herbaliscious Challenge" created by @pomegranate-jewitchery !

Name;

The lovely fruit and plant we know as strawberry is scientifically called Fragaria × ananassa. In my country, we call it φράουλα, which originates from the italian fragola, which comes from the latin fragum (according to the greek wiktionary page).

Scientific/medicinal use;

Components of the strawberry are being used in an assortment of modern medication, however it's also fairly commonly used as an added sweetener particularly for children's medicine. Strawberries have been used since antiquity, mostly for digestive issues, and they have long been included in meals because of their nutritional value. Fruits that are abundant in antioxidants also tend to be used for numerous skin treatments and preventative care.

How to cultivate strawberries;

The strawberry isn't too complicated to cultivate. Rich soil will do for it. It usually needs frequent watering, once a week during humid weather, whereas in dryer weather, it may need more frequent watering. It's best not to water the leaves, so try and water close to the base. Birds enjoy eating strawberries, so it's best to cover them with a net once the green berries start popping up.

Culinary purpose;

The strawberry is very commonly used in cooking, and it's used for recipes of all sorts. It's a staple in sweets, confections and other sorts of products of that sorts. From simple jam, to cheesecake, pasta flora and so much more, strawberries are a fan-favourite delicacy.

History and folklore;

Ovid had written that people past from the Golden age, had lived on wild fruits, like strawberries. The strawberry with a snake beneath it, thanks to Virgil in one of his Eclogues, was a signifier for dangerous literature and risky pleasure up until the middle ages. Shakespeare often uses this metaphore, such as in Othello. Others have viewed the symbolism a tad differently - Wertheim-Aymes believed it meant the blessed souls' benefit from religion, Pater Gerlach supposed it meant spiritual love, while Laurinda Dixon thought it to be an allegory of death and ressurection. Soon enough, the strawberry became a symbol of female sexuality in the 1900s.

Ways to use it in magical practice;

It can be used for various magical workings. Initially, it can be used in glamour magic as well as (self) love magic as it is a common signifier for love. I don't want to speak for everyone, so I shall include just how I use it.

For me, it can be a common offering for deities. Furthermore, I use it as a sweetening ingredient in what I make, so I tend to also use it in luck spells (part of kitchen magic, mostly, in which I enchant my own meals, as I prefer to consume my non-condiment ingredients). Because it is red, I also use it to signify passion, motivation and even energy.

This was so fun! It just so happened that my grandma brought some strawberries a few days ago, so I've been eating lots of them! Over some ice cream, dipping them in chocolate, on their own, of course, even using it to make strawberry milk to put in my jasmine tea cold brew!

Sources;

definition of strawberries/φράουλα in greek

wikipedia and its affiliate sources

how to grow strawberries

medicinal/scientific uses

If anything of this is misinformation, please let me know so I can take it down! Unfortunately I'm not the sciency-type, so it's usually harder for me to comb through BS!

[louisegluck]

Gennady Aygi, tr. by Peter France, from “The People Are a Temple.” [ID in alt text]

[hillbillybubbeleh]

If I was interested in converting to Judaism is there a sect you would recommend?

For the record and just to be clear, I myself am trans-denominational/post-denominational.

My personal opinion is that what works for someone else might not work for you at all, and that's okay. You should be open to experiencing multiple forms of Jewish practice and tradition, mingling with different communities, getting to know different rabbis to find what fits best for you. Wherever you feel is the right place for you (where you feel happy, encouraged, supported, safe, seen), that's what I would recommend.

Wishing you all the best on your journey.

[hillbillybubbeleh]

Just so we're clear (per misinformation being posted in the replies here), I am not a Jewish convert. I'm just a Jewish person that wholeheartedly supports Jewish converts who pursue conversion with a true and genuine heart. Whatever school of Jewish practice brings you home to Judaism, you are no more or less valid as a Jewish person because of it.

And to be clear, Judaism welcomes converts. We don't proselytize, but we welcome converts. Conversion requires learning about Judaism and Jewish practice under the guidance of a rabbi, taking on the mitzvot, going before a beit din (rabbinical court, who basically determine if you've learned enough to be able to guide your own Jewish practice and life, and also to assess if you're converting in good faith), being circumcised or submerged in a mikvah. That's all. You're not "less Jewish" or "not a Real Jew" if you're not Orthodox.

From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely apologize to those of you who have been told this, who have been misled by this, or even have believed this yourself. Jewish conversion predates Orthodox Judaism by centuries upon centuries upon centuries. Orthodox Judaism was founded in the 1800s. Jewish conversion, on the other hand, is featured in many Jewish texts that predate Orthodox Judaism, including in Tanakh, Talmud, Midrash, rabbinical commentary.

As a final note, I would appreciate it if my blog is not a place that people use to spread misinformation or anti-convert sentiments. This is not appropriate, and to lie in the name of Judaism, to attack or speak down on others in the name of Judaism is wrong.

[transylmania-deactivated2017092]

Rusalka (1996) — Mermaid by Aleksandr Petrov

[2headedsnake]

Oil paint on glass animation

[bubblefemmes]

i'm generally not interested in entertaining one of the most toxic, hostile, horrendous people i've ever had the displeasure of meeting online, so i'll try and keep this concise and to the point.

how predictable that a singular private ask i sent to the person getting on a decades old account letting them know that i knew who they were, i knew what was going on, and i sincerely with they find a better friend caused a monumental public crash-out on their friends end revealing the truth me that my friends/community members honestly kinda already knew.

and to this person bc i have high confidence you're keeping tabs on me just as you have been on my friends for years (and are inevitably going to react to this on your 500th blog):

i hadn't even remembered you existed until you started liking/interacting with my posts and participating in the same community i'm in. then, i brought you up to other people i knew because it seemed strange someone who also made a similar public crashout post about my now defunct discord server a few years ago for the crime of not letting you into the space of a initiatory practice when you did not seem to be initiating into that practice in good faith… suddenly wanted to interact with my posts on the very same site they disparaged me on. the responses i got from other people were them enlightening me on their own negative experiences with you + things they had noticed posted on prior blogs that were outright shitty and concerning (which, as a side note, if others want to speak out about their experiences with you and bring out their receipts, that's their prerogative, but i'm not interested in speaking for people perfectly capable of speaking for themselves). but i suppose when you spend years stirring shit and faking identities maybe it's easy to forget who you've put on your hit list. i certainly didn't forget.

for the record, any good faith reading on the above was lost when your friend made that post disparaging someone for an action of 15 years ago, very conveniently timed with the public critique me and river wrote being posted, your declaration on your side blog of witchblr being the "same old toxic clique-y place" (because apparently critique is illegal on withblr, nobody's allowed to hold their fellow community members to any standard, and if we don't say these things with rainbow and sparkles we're actually unilaterally evil.), you changing your blog name and blocking me on it, and making a vague post that apparently we were all just psychically supposed to know was about your mom and not the community of people you have a documented record of stalking and terrorizing for years.

the wayback machine exists, screenshots exist, and those "5th party sources" are ex friends and people who've known you on tumblr since the early 2010s. i don't feel the need to try and dispute any lies or claims that you think for some reason i'm not gonna see when you tag my username because the proof already exists out there, as does the collective memory of the people you've harmed over the years.

it's this pattern of behavior as to why i also explicitly said in my post yesterday "if you take public critique as an invitation to invoke moral superiority, carceral justice, or modes of harassment/bullying, you are part of the problem." i honestly was expecting you and your friends to start harassing salixsociety, for who as much as i disagree with the things they said and how they approached my bipoc friends critiquing them, does not deserve people going in their asks/dms being assholes over what should be a moment of taking the L and learning, NOT some thing to be eternally held against them and above their head for all of history immemorial… but instead i found that energy directed at a black queer woman who's a mutual friend of mine. how peculiar you choose to pick on her specifically… if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, look like a duck…. well, what do you think it is, a squirrel? for as much as you're out here proclaiming to have progressive politics, you certainly don't seem to like applying them to real people in any situation that isn't someone groveling at your feet and that show's your character, not anyone else's. have the day you deserve.

[hillbillybubbeleh]

Fuck Your Magic Antisemitism: A Lesser Key to the Appropriation of Jewish Magic & Mysticism

I am once again asking practitioners of magic, mysticism, and occultism to defer to Jewish voices and Jewish practitioners about the history and real-life impacts of appropriation of and theft from Judaism and Jewish mysticism instead of deferring to the opinions of non-Jewish occultists. I am also asking you to use discernment when engaging with revisionist history perpetuated by non-Jewish practitioners who profit or benefit from said revisionist history, such as claims that Jewish practitioners willingly "shared" or "gave" our practices with/to other communities, the refusal to acknowledge Jewish authorship, or the speaking over Jewish voices/attempts made by non-Jewish practitioners to speak for Jewish practitioners.

Now, I understand this can be overwhelming and many may not know where or how to begin, so I want to drop a recommendation. Fuck Your "Magic" Antisemitism: A Lesser Key to the Appropriation of Jewish Magic & Mysticism by Ezra Rose is an excellent place to start. This zine, which you can download for free (please leave a donation to support the author if you are able, and please share their work), is a wonderful treasure trove of history and resources. Per the author's description of the zine: FYMA is 'a guide to understanding the history and results of antisemitism in western occult and esoteric movements,  from the origins of "Solomonic" magic in medieval and Renaissance ceremonial grimoires, through the late 19th & early 20th century occult revival's "Qabalistic" ritual,  to ongoing appropriation and demonization in the 21st century.  A labor of love & spite, the zine is both a personal and academic look at a widely ignored topic.'

I have recommended this zine several times and have said that I think it should be required reading in witchcraft and witchcraft adjacent communities, and I stand by that. It's very, very good, and it is absolutely packed with thoroughly researched, cited, useful information.

[sheydgarden]

Viv's beautiful blessing in Tefilat Trans formed the initial inspiration & core of this amulet, which will be printed on 2.5" square cards that can easily fit in your wallet, inside a phone case, or whatever you're carrying (i probably can't be the first person to think of making amulets using a print company's business card template, but i bet it's not their usual fare).

planning to have them with me at the upcoming Hanukkah market on a sliding scale / by donation (down to $0!). if you're trans/GNC & Jewish, you're also welcome to just print one for your own personal use! i may eventually make a higher-res download available on my itch.io for that purpose.

these were also visually inspired by historical Jewish written amulets in the Gaster & Gross Family collections, which i highly recommend browsing if you love antique Judaica as much as i do!

[sheydgarden]

Seraph Serpent Birkat Habayit, 2024

a (non-)traditional blessing for the home, commissioned earlier this year as a wedding gift for a wonderful couple who share my alternative/dark-fantasy Jewish aesthetic! having just finished Esther Hamori's book God's Monsters, i was already thinking about the nachash seraphim & was excited to integrate one as a guardian here. the original piece was sketched in Procreate and then finished traditionally, but the photo i took of it before sending it off wasn't the right quality for prints, so this is actually a digital re-inking of the same piece.

it's not my usual practice to make prints of commissioned work, but the family not only graciously gave permission but in fact suggested it to me in this case! so i'll have some of these with me at my local Hanukkah market this December & will be stocking them in my shop next year.

[gothredy]