A Witchy Side Blog

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Free Divination

Good morning/afternoon/evening all! I am looking to work with divination more in my practice, and what better way to do that than opening up free readings!

I am open to do: Astragalomancy (the use of dice), Cartomancy (the use of cards), and Tarot (the use of Tarot cards) [I might also use Runes, but I am still learning about them]

To request a reading, please DM me with what method you prefer to be used and what your question is!

There are some rules for readings:

1. Be safe and smart: please do not take the reading(s) as your only opinion/source for information or advice or decisions

2. Patience: I will try my absolute best to get back to you the same day that you message me, but I can’t always be at my phone or computer

3. Topics: There are no off limit topics at the moment, but I am allowed to change this

4. Kindness: Please be nice! I am still learning, and I do not control the cards/dice

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I have been considering opening up tarot readings, would anyone be interested? They would be free :)

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Tarot Spreads

Here are some spreads that I use pretty frequently, I figured someone else could use them in their practice!

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I’ve been wondering something for a few days, and I figured I might find some answers here. This is a rather niche question, so any sort of help is appreciated.

Sometimes when I’m out and about, I find bits of metal that have somewhat rusted. An abandoned screw, a random piece of metal, that sort of thing. A few times I’ve gotten this urge of sorts to put what I’ve found on my altar. It’s never happened with anything else I’ve found, just the random bits of rusted metal.

Recently I’ve begun studying Fenrir, and asking to work with him- but I can’t tell if the metal is for Fenrir or for a different deity. My current altar setup is essentially “This is for Fenrir, but I’m also open to whoever else wants to join me”- for lack of a better term.

I was thinking maybe possibly Ares for some reason, but I’m not 100% certain as I haven’t seen mention about offering metal. Is there any way for me to ask who is reaching out? Or does anyone know of a deity that asks for rusted metal?

[365filmsbyauroranocte]

Sculptural half-relief of the first and last Tarot card: The Fool.

Created using the reconstruction of the Marseille’s tarot directed by Alexandre Jodorowsky and Philippe Camoin as a reference. There are three models available: -Polychromy. -Stone. -Marble. Serial copies accompanied by certificate of authenticity. Each reproduction is created and reviewed by the hand of the artist.

Available in Arte Feudo’s Etsy Shop.

[rainwater-mist-altar]

These look so cool!

[starlit-chaos-witch]

[greenwitchpeach]

remember that protection is the most important thing in witchcraft

[hctivv-citcelce]

Shadow Work Prompts 3

53. how can I cope with sadness in a healthy way?

54. which behavior that I know is wrong and has negative effects, do I repeat over and over again?

55.how long do I reflect on failures or mistakes? do I have difficulties in coming to terms with them or vice versa - do I suppress such experiences

56. do I find it hard to forgive?

57. how long do I need to forgive?

58. am I honest with myself about my feelings?

59. am I honest with other people about my feelings?

60. do I completely accept and love myself the way I am?

61. do I reward myself when I accomplish something productive?

62. how do I deal with failures?

63. what is it that I would like to heal from?

64. what are my negative personality traits and, when do they emerge?

65. what is a pattern in my life that keeps showing up.

66. where am I struggling the most?

67. how does the feeling of envy show up in my life? where does it stem from? how would I feel if I obtained the things I am envious of?

68. in what ways do I consciously or unconsciously punish myself? how can I be kinder to myself?

69. what should I forgive myself for? why haven't I yet? how can I now?

70. what unhealthy attachments do I hold onto? what fears do I have around the idea of ending these attachments? what do I have to gain from ending these attachments?

71. what negative emotions am I most comfortable feeling? how often and why do these emotions show up in my day to day?

72. in what ways do I hold myself to a higher standard than others? vice versa?

73. what is a grudge/incident I'm holding onto? why do I choose to hold onto this weight? how can I let it go?

74. how do I show up for others and fail to show up for myself?

75. how important am I to myself? how highly do I prioritize myself?

76. what am I addicted to?

77. what are my delusions?

78. how have I been ignorant?

79. how have I been distracting myself?

80. What are some things you've said to yourself recently that weren't so nice? Would you say that to somebody else? How would you react if somebody else said those things to you?

90. Name 5-10 negative beliefs you have about yourself. Where do they come from? Do they have any validity? Why or why not?

91. Do you over-think, what causes this?

92. What are your morals? How do those morals make you feel - do they come from you, or someone else?

93. What are some qualities you wish you had, why?

94. what is my go-to self-destructive act? what is my love language? are they connected?

95. what would I tell my future self?

96. What are some intrusive thoughts you've had recently? What triggered those thoughts? What do you think the root cause is?

97. what are my weaknesses?

98. If you had the people who've hurt you in a position where they were forced to listen to what you had to say and take everything to heart, what would you say to them?

99. what will I never forget?

100. Think of a person you hate for "no reason". What are some things about them that bother you? Do these things remind you of yourself or someone who hurt you?

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All credit goes to the original creator(s) of these prompts!

[broomsick]

I want to build temples and cook full buffets and paint entire murals for my Gods but all i have is 5 dollars cash and a pair of glow-in-the-dark sunglasses

[lunaorchard]

[femmagick]

Subtle Witchcraft Tips

(coming from a closeted witch of 3-4 years)

stitch sigils or runes into your clothing - use a thread that’s the same colour of the fabric for extra subtlety

use bandanas to veil

display certain items as if they’re just decorative - all of my crystals are on a shelf and when my family asks i just tell them i like crystals! they’ve now assumed i’m a geology nerd lol

look into tea magick! tea is such a powerful tool for witchcraft and simply stirring your tea with intention can be a form of magick

if you wear makeup, paint sigils on your face with your foundation or concealer before blending

similarly if you wear nail polish, paint sigils on your nails

use perfumes or body products with certain scents that correlate to certain meanings e.g my shower gel and body oil are both lavender scented

create a shoebox altar - this makes it small and easy to hide

household herbs and spices can easily be used in spells!!

remember that a pendulum doesn’t have to be a fancy crystal on a chain, any small weight on a string can work just as well

any basic candle can be used in spells

research the correspondences of wearing rings on certain fingers

i love doing tea magick!! it’s so easy to incorporate into everyday life without blatantly being a form of magick

house plants can be great in magick

i know i briefly mentioned sigils before but don’t underestimate how powerful sigils can be!!

create small spell jars that you could easily hide

and remember: your craft is uniquely your own. don’t let anyone tell you what is and isn’t required to be a valid witch. i’ve had to be subtle about my practice for years and it’s taken a while for me to realise that i’m just as much of a witch as someone who openly practices.

blessed be <3

[hufflepuffskitchen]

Stay safe my closeted friends! Like op said, your path is your own.

[ravenousnightwind]

In my opinion, spells are to be sung. That's why they are spells. Words carry meaning, and meaning combined with rhythm and passion can create powerful things. Spells are songs sung by those passionate enough to seek what they desire to see happen in the world.

[hufflepuffskitchen]

This a very interesting opinion! There is a certain internal rhythm that emerges when we create our own songs. We all beat to our own drums.

[themirroredmoon]

10 Easy Protective Habits

Carry Rosemary and salt in your pocket, purse, or keep in a satchel.

A lit white candle in a circle of salt will protect a room.

A lit black candle repels and banishes unwanted energy quite well.

Hang Garlic in your kitchen to ward away mischief and evil.

Add Pine essential oil to cleaners for an added cleansing boost when washing tile/hardwood floors.

Grow Rosemary, Lilac, Lavender or Rose at your doorways to protect them.

Use knot magick when tying shoe laces, bows, headbands, etc for added protection.

Draw protective sigils or wards onto your skin with make up or lotion/moisturizer before blending.

Hang protective charms off your pet’s collar.

Sprinkle a combination of Salt, Lavender, Rosemary and/or Rose onto a hard surface and sweep/vacuum the next morning for a cleansing sweep.

[hufflepuffskitchen]

Remember everyone, protection is extremely important!

[montymayarts]

[when-november-ends]

Low Effort Magic 🌙

I have a hard time doing something that involves magic every day, even though I've been on this path for quite some time.

Practicing magic a lot is by no means mandatory but it does help (in my opinion) to get better at it and it just helps with everyday problems. So here are some low effort activities you can do everyday that will hopefully help those of you with similar problems!

Write words like "protection", "healing" or whatever you want into your drink with a straw or spoon before you drink it. Or draw sigils in it.

If you feel super exhausted for no apparent reason, open a window and scream or, if you like it, put on some angry punk or metal music to banish whatever is feeding on your energy. While you're doing that, keep in mind that you want to banish. Otherwise you're just playing angry music. Yelling "Fuck off" also does the trick.

When you eat or drink something, try to pinpoint at least one magical property of each ingredient in your drink/food. It can also be one that has no historical evidence but is personal to you. That will help keep you in the magic mindset and also helps you to get all if that info into your long-term memory.

Open the window, stand in front of it and breathe in the air deeply with your eyes closed while you remind yourself that tge wind is part of nature and that you're connected to it. It doesn't have to be a half hour meditation, 5 seconds get the job done as well.

Offer everyday activities to your deities. For example: cooking for Hestia, standing up for yourself for Loki, practicing magic or **self care time** for Freyja, disposing of trash the correct way to your local nature spirits, etc

Take a shower or a bath, or just wash your face or brush your teeth with the intent of cleansing yourself from all that negative energy that has built up over the day.

That's all for this time. If you like it I'll do another one. :)

[hufflepuffskitchen]

Life loves to throw curveballs, so here’s a handy list of how to still practice without over exerting/overwhelming yourself!

[eclectic-witchling]

The Eight Sabbats and The Wheel of the Year: My Digital Grimoire Series

*these are my notes, please do not repost as your own!*

[hufflepuffskitchen]

!!!!All credit goes to the original creator!!!!

I’m just reblogging it to spread and because I absolutely love this!

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All credit goes to the original creator!

[samwisethewitch]

Building a Magical Home

One of my favorite quotes about the magic of homemaking comes from Cory Hutcheson, host of the New World Witchery podcast. He says, “Home is a transformational act. It is the thing you do to turn a space into a space… that is full of ritual and significance and meaning. So there is sort of this ongoing relationship you have with the space that makes it a home.”

The act of creating a home, of making a space your own, is inherently magical. But if you want to make your space feel a little more witchy, here are some ideas to get you started.

Charms and Talismans

Making your own magical objects can be a powerful way to bring magic into your space. The best thing about making your own charms is that you can make them look however you want, so it’s easy to disguise them as ordinary household objects. You can make a charm for any intention by combining objects based on their magical correspondences.

I’ve talked about protective charms in previous posts, so I’m not gonna spend a lot of time on it here. The simplest protective charm is keeping a large piece of iron under your bed to keep away nightmares, evil spirits, and negative energy. You could also make your own protection charm, like a witch bottle.

You can create a “happy home” charm to bring peace, harmony, and happiness into your home. This charm could include herbs like basil, rosemary, lavender, peppermint, and/or bay leaves, as well as other items that you associate with peace and good fortune, like lucky coins, crystals, or black cat fur. Write your desires for a harmonious and happy home on a piece of paper, fold it up, and add it to the charm. You could store these items in a green bag, bury them in your backyard (in this case, make sure you’re only using biodegradable plant matter — leave out the coins and crystals), or place it inside a household object like a lamp or an end table.

If you suffer from insomnia or other sleep issues, try making a dream charm to help you sleep well and have sweet dreams. To make a simple dream charm, fill a blue or purple bag with lavender, chamomile, peppermint, and any other objects that you associate with peace, restfulness, and sleep. If you want to have lucid dreams or receive psychic messages in your dreams, include a bit of mugwort. Place the charm in your pillow or under your mattress. (I personally swear by this one, as it’s helped a lot with my insomnia.)

Charms are great for homemaking magic because you’re actually creating a magical object, which can then become a permanent fixture of the space.

Magical Decor

You can use magical items to decorate your home to bring certain qualities into that space.

Hanging or displaying a broom is said to bring good fortune, protection from evil, and good hospitality. Cauldrons are used to represent the Goddess, rebirth, and raw potential. Horseshoes hung above door frames bring safety and luck to all who cross under them, and keep unwanted guests away. If you can get them legally and ethically, animal bones, teeth, claws, and feathers can represent the spirit and energy of that animal. You can also put up images of spiritual and occult symbols — I have an image of the Sun tarot card hanging in my bedroom to promote positivity and growth.

If you need to be a little more subtle with your witchy decorations, working with the magic of color is a great way to do that. Gathering a lot of items of a single color in one room changes the energy of that room. Here’s a quick guide to give you some ideas:

Yellow is associated with divination, mental clarity, the element of air, success, communication, and inspiration.

Purple is associated with divine power, spiritual awareness, mystery, astral travel, magic, and authority.

Blue is associated with healing, psychic abilities, the element of water, peace, truth, and patience.

Red is associated with protection, the fire element, sex, power, vitality, and love.

Orange is associated with ambition, creativity, breaking through blockages, and career success.

Pink is associated with romantic love, friendship, self love, compassion, and emotional well-being.

Green is associated with nature, herbalism, the earth element, money, wealth, prosperity, and luck.

Brown is associated with grounding, animal magic, stability, and balance.

White is associated with purification, cleansing, the full moon, new beginnings, healing, and spiritual growth.

Black is associated with protection, truth, outer space, banishing, and transition.

Decorating your home with colors that are meaningful to you can create a powerful magical space. You may also have your own color associations (for example, yellow is a very “happy” color for me), so feel free to incorporate those into your decor as well!

Growing Magical Houseplants

Most witches feel a very deep connection to nature and draw power from the natural world, but we can’t all live in a cottage in the heart of the forest. Even if you live in a tiny apartment in the city, you can still bring nature into your space by keeping houseplants. Many popular houseplants have magical uses, and many popular magic herbs can be grown inside. Here are a few to get you started.

Aloe. This is one of my favorite plants. Aloe brings luck and protection, especially protection on an energetic/spiritual level. I like to keep aloe in my bedroom to protect me while I sleep, as well as to bring luck and inspiration while I’m working at my desk.

Basil. Basil is very popular in money spells, and will attract prosperity and luck to your home. However, it also has protective properties — both spiritual protection and protection from bugs, since basil is a natural insect repellent! Basil can also be used in love spells, and is just generally a good plant to have around for good vibes.

African Violet. This flowering plant attracts positive spiritual energy into your space. It has associations with the moon and the water element, and is very good for promoting spirituality and psychic power.

Rosemary. Rosemary is one of those herbs that every witch should have on hand. It’s so darn versatile, it can be used as a substitute for virtually any other herb, and can be used for almost any intention. Some of the most common magical associations for rosemary include: cleansing, purification, protection, healing, mental activity, and enhancing memory. According to author Deborah J. Martin, there’s an old English saying that, “Where rosemary grows, the woman rules the house.” Like basil, rosemary is a natural insect repellent.

Lavender. Lavender brings peace, love, and gentleness, which makes it a perfect addition to any home. It can be used in spells for cleansing and purification, enhancing psychic abilities, and stress relief. Lavender is also a powerful addition to love spells. Keeping lavender in the bedroom can aid in restful sleep, while lavender in the kitchen will bring harmony to the home.

Sage. Sage is the most talked about cleansing herb, and with good reason. Unfortunately, a lot of the sage bundles you can buy at metaphysical stores are made with white sage (Salvia apiana), which is sacred to Native American peoples and is endangered due to overharvesting. Instead of buying those, why not grow your own garden sage (Salvia officinalis), which has a lot of the same magical properties? Growing sage in your home will purify the space and protect those who live there. Sage also has an association with wisdom and mental prowess.

Hoya. Hoya is a common houseplant that you’ve probably seen even if you don’t know it by name. It has a distinctive appearance with waxy, dark green leaves and clusters of white, star-shaped flowers. Hoya aligns and balances the energy centers within your body, as well as in the surrounding space. It’s associated both with grounding and with spiritual openness, so it can be great for balancing the two.

Peppermint. Peppermint has a variety of magical uses, but my favorite way to use it is for gently opening up blockages and getting things moving. It’s great for cleansing, but is more gentle than rosemary or sage. Place it in any room where you tend to do a lot of healing work, or where you could use some peace and love. Peppermint is also used in dream magic, so growing it in the bedroom may bring on vivid or lucid dreams.

Orchid. Orchids are used in magic for love and lust. Historically, orchid has been used in folk medicine to promote male virility and “Jezebel root,” used in American folk magic to attract wealthy male lovers, is a type of orchid root. If you live with a significant other, try growing an orchid in the bedroom to promote passion in your sex life. Otherwise, grow orchids in your home to promote love or to attract romance.

Catnip. If you have cats, they’ll love this one. Catnip is actually a type of mint, and has strong lunar associations. It’s said to make one more charming and attractive, and is especially useful for attracting women. At the same time, catnip promotes courage and fierceness. It is also, of course, associated with cats and feline deities, so this is definitely a plant you’ll want to keep around if the cat is one of your animal guides.

If you have a yard space that you can turn into an outdoor garden, your magical plant options are limited only by your local ecosystem. Some outdoor plants that have magical uses include roses, sunflowers, rue, lemon balm, and strawberries.

Creating an Altar

Altars are focal points of magical and spiritual energy. Many people, both witches and non-witches, find that having a designated space for their spiritual practice creates a deeper sense of sacredness and purpose.

An altar can serve lots of different purposes. Many witches use their altar as a magical work space to prepare spells, meditate, and do divination. You may choose to dedicate your altar to a deity, your ancestors, or some other spirit(s) you work with. You can also build altars for specific intentions, such as a money altar or a love altar — performing rituals at this altar everyday is a powerful method for manifestation. You altar may be some or all of these things, or it may just be a place to sit and connect with the spiritual.

You can set up an altar on any flat surface, like a shelf or table, or inside a container like a jewelry box. Your setup can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. An altar can be huge and complex, with statues and candles and flowers, or it can be as simple as a tealight and an incense burner. It’s all about what appeals to you.

Resources:

New World Witchery pocast, “Episode 143 — The Magical Home”

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham

“Candle colors and their meanings” by Michelle Gruben on the Grove and Grotto blog

Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck

A Green Witch’s Cupboard by Deborah J. Martin

“The Magic of Orchids in Wiccan Love Spells & Rituals” on the Art of the Root blog

[hufflepuffskitchen]

This is for those of us with a more open lifestyle!