Scrambled Brains & Coffee

I have ADD. I will post anything/everything, and it will often not make sense. Welcome.

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Any tips on what if evil wins at the end of the story??

Hi :)

That is a good question!

Evil wins in the end

"Evil" can mean many things in fiction

a bully/rival

a powerful criminal

a crime syndicate

an evil government

demons or monsters

actual powers of evil

What is a win?

Both lose - the good guys lose it all, but the bad guy also doesn't come out unscathed

Leading into a sequel - the good guys lose it all, but it's used at as a new plot for the sequel to try again and win this time

Evil really wins - the evil powers win it all

How to write it?

You have to decide how you want your reader to feel after putting down your book. You don't want them to be too frustrated, so you have to keep in mind that you can shock them with the ending, but it needs to make sense. They should feel like you really thought this through and that in hindsight, it's brilliant, not that you just made something up for shock value.

If you want to go into a sequel, you can also put in a tiny little bit of hope. Just enough that the reader goes from feeling helpless for the protagonist's situation, to getting excited for how they can turn things around in the next book.

I hope this helps and good luck writing it!

- Jana

[just-shower-thoughts]

Some of us have a more embarrassing calculator history than browser history

[spookyurwitchymom]

Sometimes you just need to make a protection spell at 11pm at night 🤧✨🖤

And well if you do here’s some things you can add in yours :

• a bay leaf to enhance your wishes

• basil for protection against evil

• black pepper to ward against jealousy

• cloves to protect against negativity

• moon water to bring in that lunar magick

• salt protection against anything

• olive oil to fill it with

And as always feel free to personalize your spell jar by adding in or swapping out ingredients,, make sure to seal it with a black candle 🖤✨

[inthelandofdreamers]

Witchy tips for stress relief

Close your eyes. Breathe out your frustration. Feel your feet on the ground and center yourself with the earth. Keep eyes closed until your heart rate has settled.

Light a lavender candle. Let the scent fill your room/office. 

Make yourself a cup of chamomile tea. 

Take time to clean your room/office. A clean physical world translates into peace for your mental world. 

Keep rose petals in your freezer. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, lay down and place the cold petals over your eyes. Rest for 15 minutes. 

There is something to be said for the simplicity and effectiveness of writing a list and checking it off as you complete each task. When your mind is cluttered and overwhelmed with all your conflicting responsibilities, sit down, and write a list of everything you need to do. Tackle your first item, then move on to the next. When you’ve finished your list you will feel cleansed of your worries. 

Go for a hike, or a swim in the ocean or lake. Reconnecting with mother nature reminds the soul of the truly important things. It will relax you and allow you to revisit your obligations with fresh eyes.

Take an epsom salt bath.

Allow yourself to be creative. Daily tasks can get daunting and run you down. Allow yourself to indulge in your creativity. Your work will benefit from your brain switching on its creative edge. Doodle. Sing. Dance. Knit. Write. 

Meditate. 

Find a sleep spell and encourage yourself to get 8 hours of sleep. 

[scrambl3dbr6in5andc0ff33]

JAMESON --> A Sims 4 Legacy Play-Through

My name is Christina, I am a forty-plus mother of two teenagers from the east coast of Canada.

Welcome to my first attempt at a The Sims 4 Legacy play-through.

To be honest, even though I have been playing The Sims since the original came out in February 2000, I am not much of a ‘player’.

You see I have ADD so follow-through is VERY hard for me.

Instead, I have spent the last twenty years creating characters in CAS that I play with for a couple hours before starting all over again. Or I will spend HOURS downloading CC/mods, play for a couple days at the most, then I will DELETE IT ALL and start all over again. This is the extent of my The Sims gameplay.

Sometimes I think I get more enjoyment out of the act of finding and downloading custom content than I do from playing the game. But lately, I am finding even that bores me.

So, to put some fun back into my game, considering all the money I have spent purchasing all the expansions, game packs, stuff packs, and kits to be sure I have the complete collection – blame it on my OCD – I have decided I am going to challenge myself to get to at least ten generations of one Sim family.

 I Play by My OWN Rules

I know there are many, many actual The Sims 4 challenges when you search the interwebs but, as a mentioned before, I have ADD and I don’t do well with hard, fast, strict rules created by others. Therefore, I have decided to make a few rules of my own to keep things a little simpler, a little lighter, and to make it more likely that I will stick to what I am trying to accomplish by doing this.

So, these are my rules:

1.       No mods. No simulation lag fix, no faster skills, no MCCC, nothing. I want the game to be as easy or difficult as it’s meant to be.

2.       No CC. Not even Kijiko’s luscious eyelashes. This one is going to be VERY hard for me. I have a membership to The Sims Resource and I LOVE my CC.

3.       No autonomy; at least, at first. I may allow autonomy later, but for now I want to control it ALL (insert evil villain laugh here).

That’s it. Three simple rules. Should be easy, right? We shall see. Like I said, I get bored super easily. To be honest, I will likely add in mods or CC at some point again, but I would like to at least get through one generation without them.

 Accountability

The most difficult part of all of this is going to be sticking to it. So here’s the plan.

1.       I am going to post my progress here so someone can see that I am actually doing what I set out to do, even if no one ever actually sees/reads/looks at this. It’s more to give me the illusion that someone else is looking.

2.       Right now, I plan to set small gameplay goals for myself for each generation. The goals may change as I go, but I think it’s important to try and set them at the beginning.

3.       Consistency is going to be important, but I also don’t want to play so much that I lose interest SUPER fast. I work a lot, at home, so that won’t be hard. I plan to play 2-3 times a week for at least 2-3 hours each time. That should be enough to progress with my story, hold my attention, and not get too bored. We shall see.

 This is going to be one of the hardest things I have ever done. Well, next to playing house with the same person for almost twenty years, raising two kids, and going back to school in my late 30’s. But, you know, priorities and perspective, right?

Please do whatever it is you do – pray, light a candle, etc. – for me, and strap in for an undoubtedly bumpy ride.

 STAY TUNED!

 All my love, 

C.

[c-ptsdrecovery]

[c-ptsdrecovery]

[Image transcript:

Depressive Logical Mistakes

–All or Nothing Deciding that falling slightly short of your goals makes you a total failure

–Overgeneralization “Because it worked out badly one time, it will work out badly every time.”

–Mental Filter Allowing a single small negative detail to block out all the good details

–Disqualifying the Positive Saying that positive experiences or evidence “don’t count” for some reason

–Mind-Reading Assuming other people think negatively of you without evidence

–Fortune-Telling Making a negative prediction and then taking it as an established fact, before the fact

–Catastrophizing Exaggerating the importance of a minor mistake

–Minimizing Disregarding the importance of your qualities or accomplishments

–Emotional justification “I feel hopeless, therefore things are hopeless”

–Should, Must, and Ought Disregarding the way things are in favor of how things “should be”

–Mislabeling “I failed once, so I’m a total Failure.” Or, “He was mean to me once. He’s a fucking Asshole.”

–Personalization Taking [responsibility] for things you don’t actually have control over

When you catch yourself thinking this way, take a step back and ask yourself:  “Is this really true, or am I stuck in a loop?”

Simple stories are inherently false. Life is complicated, and perspective matters.

When life seems overwhelming, remember the Buddhist saying: “The correct way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.”

And remember:

You can handle this.

/image transcript]

[quotemadness]

All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, a few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces, beyond repair.

Mitch Albom (via quotemadness)

The truth in this hurts. It can’t be helped. And, often, it’s not even our fault and has to do with the child’s personal perception of a situation. Parenting is hard and really, really sucks sometimes. You can have the best of intentions and still hurt your children. There really is no ‘winning’ as a parent. Not completely. But that’s also the beauty of life, I think. Life is about the good and the bad, and you can’t have one without the other. It’s how you deal with each that matters and counts the most. That’s what will have the greatest impact on the outcome of whatever you are dealing with as a parent or as a child. You can cause damage, but you can also fix it if you truly want to. That, to me, is the key.

[quotemadness]

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”

— Haruki Murakami

[ladiesblr]

Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 1997-2003

[glugs-grimoire]

June moon spell-jar

🌕✨🍓

I have been incredibly lucky to be welcomed into a working group and tonight in the light of the full moon we have put together personalized spell jars. Here's the process I went through for my own :

The plan:

The ingredients:

The results:

[scrambl3dbr6in5andc0ff33]

It's Hubby's birthday tomorrow. He is at work right now, so it's time to make a cake! ***Recipe and pics to come later.

[hedendom]

Norse Gods (And Other Deities) List

Having seen various incorrect, incomplete and inaccurate lists of Norse gods circulating Tumblr, I have decided to write my own and also include common terminology alongside. I will also include other beings who exist within the old lore and modern traditions.

I have opted to include the names in Norwegian, with translations in parenthesise after, along with a brief summary of some of the associations given to some of those gods. Be aware that, as an overview, brevity is necessary here and the individuals should not be oversimplified to basic aspects in your practice!

Æser (Æsir, Male Gods)

Balder (Baldr, Baldur) - Light, purity, rebirth

Brage (Bragi) - Poetry, eloquence, wisdom and music

Delling (Dellingr) - The new day, dawn

Forsete (Forseti) - Justice and reconciliation

Frøy (Freyr) - Vaner, virility, fertility, the sacred religious position of royalty, prosperity, good weather and sunshine

Heimdall (Heimdallr) - The senses, premonition or foreknowledge

Hermod (Hermóðr) - Bravery, spirit, possibly a former mortal hero/king elevated to the Æsir

Hjuke (Hjúki) - Man, lunar activity, lunar phases, moon craters, brother of Bil (the Scandinavian children in the moon)

Hod (Höðr, Hodr) - The blind god, darkness, rebirth, second chances

Høne (Hænir, Hœnir) - Survival, sense/spirit, beauty,

Lodur (Lóðurr) - Blood, warmth, life, 

Loke (Loki) - Change, creativity, ambiguity, impulsiveness

Lyter (Lýtir) - Premonition, foresight, prediction, prophecy

Magne (Magni) - Strength, development, son of Tor

Meile - Son of Odin, brother of Tor

Mime (Mímir) - Wisdom, knowledge, memory, advice

Måne (Máni) - The moon, the night sky

Njord (Njörðr) - Vaner, the sea, harbours, ports, seafaring, wind, fishing, wealth/prosperity, and crop fertility

Od (Óðr) - Madness, fury, eagerness, excitement

Odin (Óðinn) - Father, war, battle, victory, death, wisdom, runes, magic, poetry, charms

Tor (Þórr, Thor) - Thunder, lightning, storms, rain, strength, protection, hallowing, healing, fertility

Ty (Týr, Tyr) - Law, sacrifice, heroism, glory, war

Ull (Ullr) - Skiing, archery, hunting, weapons, shields, personal combat, oaths

Vidar (Víðarr) - Vengeance, atonement, preparation, survival, silence

Vilje (Vili) - Will, willpower, moderation, the middle, wit, intelligence, touch, sense, motion

Ve (Vé) - Countenance, appearance, facial expression, speech, hearing, sight

Våle (Váli) - Revenge, bravery, daring, marksmanship, survival, rebirth

Åsynjer (Ásynjur, Female Gods)

Bil - Woman, lunar activity, phases of the moon, sister of Hjuke (the Scandinavian children in the moon)

Eir - Help, healing, protection, mercy, grace, calm

Fjorgyn/Jord (Fjörgyn/Jörð) - Earth, the world, nature, greenery

Frigg - Mother, love, fate, prophecy, marriage, birth, midwifery

Frøya (Freyja) - Vaner, fertility, love, passion, sex, sexuality, beauty, fertility, gold, magic, war, death

Fulla - domesticity, cleaning, housekeeping, listening, confidant, secrecy

Gersemi - Precious, beauty, blonde hair

Gjevjon (Gefjun) - Virginity, plowing, female independence 

Gnå (Gná) - Messenger, errands, crossing planes of existence, travel through land, air and water

Hnoss - Treasure, beauty, brunette hair

Idunn (Iðunn) - Youth, vigour, apples, love

Ilm - Fragrance, aroma, smells

Irpa - Guardian goddess, Hålogaland

Lin (Hlín) - Weddings, domestic sphere, flax, onion, fabrics

Lovn (Lofn) - Benevolence, kindness, gentleness, consolation

Nanna - Loyalty, empathy

Njorun - Soil, the land

Rind (Rindr) - Princess/goddess/giantess, mother of Våle from the East

Rån (Rán) - Sea, protection from drowning, fishing

Sigyn - Loyalty, burden, sadness

Siv (Sif) - Fields, wheat, fertility, family, wedlock

Sjavn (Sjöfn) - Love, sex, desire

Snotra - Wisdom, intelligence, cleverness, appropriate conduct

Sol (Sól) - The sun, warmth, daylight

Syn - Refusal, denial, speaking out, legal defence

Såga (Sága) - Seeress, all-seeing, companionship, drinking partner

Torgerd Hølgebrud (Þorgerðr Holgabrúðr) - Guardian goddess, Hålogaland, heathen shrines

Var (Vör) - Honesty, awareness, caution, carefulness

Vår (Vár) - Oaths (and punishing oath breakers), pledges, agreements, betrothal

Jotner (Jötnar, Elemental Giants)

Aurvandil - Star, planet, Orion & Big Dipper constellations

Bauge (Baugi) - Farmer, money, wages

Dag (Dagr) - Day, light, rides Skinfakse

Fornjot (Fornjótr) - Ancient giant, ancestor, original, owner

Frosti (Jökull) - Cold, winter, frost, ice, icicles, glaciers

Fårbaute (Fárbauti) - Hitting, striking, cruelty, danger, violence

Geirrød (Geirröd) - Entrapment, cruelty, aggression, violence

Gyme - Hills, Mounds

Helblinde (Helblindi) - “Hel Blinder”, “All Blind”

Hyme (Hymir) - Brewing, cauldron, thick skull

Kåre (Kári) - Wind, scathe, howl, sails

Loke (Loki) - Change, creativity, ambiguity, impulsiveness

Loge (Logi) - Fire, wildfire, 

Mime (Mímir) - Knowledge, wisdom, memory, counsel, Mimes Brønn (Mímisbrunnr)

Mokkurkalve - Clay, life, innocence, childishness

Norve (Narfi) - Narrow, oppressive, closed in, difficult birth

Rungne (Hrungnir) - Strength, brawling, fighting, whetstone

Snø (Snær) - Snow

Surt (Surtr) - Fire, heat, burning, blackness

Suttung (Suttungr) - Mead of poetry, orphaned, eagle

Tjaste (Þjazi, Thiazi) - Abduction of Idunn

Torre (Þorri, Thorri) - Black ice, frost, cold, winter

Trym (Þrymr, Thrymr) - Uproar, King of Jotner, 

Vale (Vali) - Unlucky, wolf, murdered his brother Norve

Vavtrudne (Vafþrúðnir) - Riddles, weaver of tales

Utgards-Loke (Útgarða-Loki) - The outer places, magic, illusion, beyond society, an alternate plane

Yme (Ymir) - The big bang, primordial, birth, the ancestor of all, elemental

Æge (Ægir) - Sea, ocean, sea creatures, protector of sailors

Gygrer (Gýgr, Elemental Giantess)

Angerboda (Angrboða) - Grief bringer, sorrow, Iron Wood

Aurboda ( Aurboða) - Gravel, mountains

Bestla - Mother to Odin, Vilje and Ve.

Driva (Drífa) - Snowfall

Fonn - Snowdrift

Gerd (Gerðr) - Beauty, light, fertility, earth

Grid (Gríðr) - Greed, vehemence, violence, impetuosity

Hel - Death, Helheim (the underworld), Náströnd (“Corpse Shore”)

Hyrrokkin - Fire smoked, smoke, strength, wolves, serpents

Jernsaksa (Járnsaxa) - Iron knife, mother to Magne

Lauvøy (Laufey) - Needle, slender, weak

Menglød (Menglöð) - Lives in a castle guarded by Fjölsviðr

Mjoll (Mjöll) - Powdered snow

Natt (Nótt) - Night, darkness, nightfall, counting time, rides Rimfakse

Skade (Skaði) - Damage, archery, hunting, skiing, winter, mountains

Vetter (Vættir, Beings) & Other

Alver (Elves) - Light/Dark/Black, personification of nature

Andvare (Andvari) - Dwarf, “careful one”, waterfall, fish, wealth, magic ring called Andvaranaut

Ask og Embla - The first humans, ancestors of humanity

Diser (Dísir) - Female protective deities/spirits, fate

Dverger (Dvergar) - Dwarfs, metallurgy, wisdom, smithing, mining, crafting

Einherjer (Einherjar) - Honoured dead, fallen in battle, sent to Folkvang or Valhalla

Fenrisulven (Fenrisúlfr) - Death, destruction, rage, the end of times, fen-dweller

Fjolne (Fjölnir) - Swedish king, Vaner, son of Frøy and Gerd

Gullveig/Heid (Heiðr) - Volva, seid, enigmatic, “Lust For Gold” or “Golden Drink”

Kvase (Kvasir) - Wisdom, knowledge, skaldship, poetry, mead, blood, juice

Midgardsormen (Jörmungandr, Midgard Serpent) - Sea serpent, poison, self-reflexivity, cyclicality

Norner (Norns) - Weavers of fate, Wyrd, destiny, birth, death

Sigurd Fåvnesbane - Stag, hero, wisdom, prophecy, speak to birds

Starkad (Starkaðr) - Jotun, hero, great warrior, many arms cut off by Tor

Troll - Isolated natural landmarks, strength, slow, dim witted, 

Valkyrjer (Valkyries) - Choosers of the slain, Odin’s maids, spirits, ferocity, death, ravens, wolves

Vanlande (Vanlandi) - Hero, Swedish king, Vaner, “Man from the land of the Vaner”, 

Vedfinn (Viðfinnr) - Father of Hjuke and Bil

Vetter (Vættir) - landvette, skogsvette, husvette, vannvette, sjøvette, havvette, hulder, nøkken, draugen, nisse, troll, huldrefolk, deildegasten, dradokke, trollkatt, basilisk, krake, utburd, lyktemenn, varulv, marmæl, lindorm

Volund (Völundr) - Blacksmith, magical powers, sword maker, hero, alvedrotten (Chieftan of elves)

[fuckyeahnorsemythology]

Well this became popular.

Tusen takk! Many thanks!

I appreciate all of the kind comments and notes.

- @hedendom

[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

[din0butch]

“i don’t like writing about my day, but i want to keep a journal”:

quotes and copywork. when reading, if you find something you enjoy, just copy it into the notebook. you can copy a whole chapter if you wish, highlighting what caught your attention the most.

definitions. look up on a dictionary and copy it. you could write your own dictionary as well, making up definitions for words.

lists. a classic, write movies to watch, books to read, the playlist of the month or just the groceries you have to buy.

maps. when going somewhere, you could draw the route you took or just a map of the place itself. just look up the place on google maps and copy it. you can draw a little map of all the places you have lived or the schools you have attended as well.

photos

take “notes” as you watch movies / documentaries. write down phrases that caught your attention or doodle.

illustrations and clippings. if you see an image or piece of art that you liked, put it in your journal. if it’s from a book or from a magazine I would recommend scanning it, tho’. it will serve as a record of what kind of art you enjoy through the years.

newspaper clippings from the day.

tickets and pamphlets. from movies, museums, transportation.

postcards

records. you could record for a month what the temperature was when you woke up and when you went to sleep. if you do that for a year, it gives you a better notion of the passing of seasons. you could record rainfall and other seasonal changes as well. you could choose something (an animal, a plant, an item or object) and write down every time you see it.

rubbings of leaves, coins, landmarks.

count. there’s a scene in the movie Caroline (2009) where Caroline’s dad tells her to go count the windows. you could do the same type of counting game if you are bored and write down.

mindmaps/sketchnotes + timelines of books, movies, music albums.

collages

pressed leafs and flowers

your collections. if you collect anything you could write down an inventory or maybe try to draw the items.

recipes. write down recipes and give it a score every time you try it. you could do the same for drinks you try out.

stickers

comic strips. you can find a bunch of it online, glue your favorites in your notebook.

[thesadghostclub]

Here’s a long but important comic for you <3

Accepting ourselves the way we are means we allow ourselves the things we need to make life a little easier. You don’t have to fight it, it’s ok have different needs to others. You are worthy of kindness, so be kind to you <3

love from the sad ghost club <3

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[irisedwhisperer]

Gentle witch little things

Simple things you can do to bring more love and positivity into the world:

enchant the bus or train you’re on, so that everybody has a pleasant day or a safe travel home

paint protective sigils in the misty windows of buses or shops when it rains, and leave words of encouragement and praise on public bathrooms’ mirrors

bless passing ambulances and firefighter trucks with speed and safety for their patients/destination

wear an enchanted lipstick/gloss for your smile to brighten the day of everybody you meet

enchant your spare change so that it gives luck to the beggars you donate it to; they need it, don’t they?

actually, just enchant your money, so that retail and low-wage workers can have a better day when they serve you

leave blessed acorns and harmless trinkets in various places like buses or waiting rooms; give other people something to wonder about and make their day, and kids an item to roll in their hands mindlessly

bless food and leave it for stray animals; let birds be messangers of hope and miraclous event for everybody that sees them

whisper encouragement to trees and grass you pass by; let them know someone cares, someone sees their beauty, and awaits their bloom

smile at children and pets; provide them with the positive energy that the world is trying to kill in them

leave motivational notes, praise and silly drawings charged with love and hope on post-it notes as you go; they can brighten the day of those that find them

[quotemadness]

“Beauty is no quality in things themselves: it exists merely in the mind which contemplates them; and each mind perceives a different beauty.”

— David Hume