[snowy-equinox]

✨ About Me ✨

Welcome to my blog! Is this how people do this?

I'm a 26-year-old nonbinary femme living in South Carolina (originally from Illinois). I'm a wildlife biologist (ornithology is my specialization) currently working as a volunteer coordinator for an avian conservation-focused nonprofit.

I'm also a pagan who is Oathed to Artemis but worships the other Theoi as well. Within my Judaism, I'm interested in Kabbalah and worshiping Shekhinah, the female aspect of G-d. I don't do sideblogs, so this blog will be quite a random assortment of things, but mostly activism-adjacent and witchy shit. I've been in online witchy spaces for about 10 years now, so feel free to throw me your questions! I try to give nuanced answers, since there's no right or wrongs, but often I've found there can be shoulds and shouldn'ts.

If you'd like a tarot reading, please check out my shop!

[snowy-equinox]

The AI nonsense feels neverending. I get SO MANY calls at work where the caller either:

Found us through ChatGPT (why can't you just Google wildlife rehabs near you??)

Used ChatGPT to identify the bird they're calling about

Used ChatGPT or general AI for advice on what to do before they called us

Back where I lived in northern Illinois, there was a terrible attack on three women. The city's response has been to crack down on the homeless population and make it illegal for them to exist--I'm not exaggerating. They're trying to pass legislation that would make it illegal for them to camp in any public space.

-gestures to the Great 250 America Fair- It was such a great encapsulation of what is wrong with Trump and how he doesn't care about his followers, but I know that won't be their takeaway.

I'm just so tired.

[snowy-equinox]

Took a bath in lavender salt to clear my head after a fight with Blue Jay. We reconciled and watched Starstruck Odyssey. I fed Deer grapes for their teachings. I lit the Shabbat candle for the Shekinah, and to feed my ward.

Perhaps I will do a little meditation before I sleep.

[existennialmemes]

I don't think it's unreasonable for our public officials to be expected to prove they're alive and not in a coma to be able to retain their office.

If someone were, as a random example, say hospitalized for over two weeks with no explanation, I think that should automatically trigger a special election to replace them.

If you're still able to do your job, then prove it. And if you're not, then you're actively obstructing democracy by not stepping down.

Which is to say, that if a public official were to pass away or into a coma, and their handlers choose to obfuscate that fact, this should be seen as intentionally obstructing democracy.

And there should be, you know, consequences for the people who would do such a thing.

[snowy-equinox]

You know those die with suggestions on them? Like sex dice, or that die with "eat/sleep/work/etc" on it? I need one for my hobbies. Like, "garb/videogame/crochet/paint" and so on.

[witchofthethreshold]

Can I ask for some.. maybe dumb advice?

There's been some recent discourse on witchtok (like always) and it's somehow caused a bunch of people to make tiktoks about how you need to do ancestral work as the very first thing when you start developing your craft. That your workings won't work or be as powerful or etcetera if you don't connect with your blood. However, I don't know how to do that. I feel I have nothing to connect to. My family has tried so hard to erase whatever history we had. I have no names, no stories, no past. No knowledge of our generational traumas that everyone talks so much about. I don't even know the history of the last three generations before mine. And I've tried asking. I ask at least once a year, trying to learn our family's history. But I can't even get any answers from my estranged father.

So, if I have nothing and no one to connect to, how am I meant to do ancestral work? Is it truly necessary? I do what I can to unlearn the biases but what more could I even do... Am I misunderstanding what people mean by "ancestral work"? (cuz no one has ever actually explained what that even means so I assume spirit work with ancestors)

[sagittariuswitchery]

my ancestors are those who fought for my rights. my ancestors are the artists who have inspired me. my ancestors are my grade school teachers who believed in me & have passed. the woman who lived in the house next to mine growing up & let me play in her garden before she passed on is my ancestor. i light a candle & leave out blessed water for those who came before me, who lived on the lands i now inhabit, those unknown to me who i wouldn’t be here without.

ancestors are generally considered a “safe” entry point to spirit work, but it is by no means necessary. i do not believe anyone should be telling other witches what is required of them and their practice. if it doesn’t resonate with you, leave it.

if you do want to connect with your blood ancestors but have no factual knowledge about them, then you can always connect with them via divination and form your relationship that way. the only rule is that there are none 🤍

[snowy-equinox]

Ancestral work is not necessary. I personally have seen more of a boost in my workings after building connection with genius locarum and planetary spirits, then when I venerate my ancestors. It also can have more baggage than one is expecting--Like Sag says, it's considered a generally safe option but some people have had issues with their ancestors that resulted in needing to enact boundaries (mundanely and magically).

If you want to explore ancestor veneration, I'd recommend the book Badass Ancestors by Patti Wigington.

[jasper-book-stash]

Keeping in mind all of the racist, appropriative, and New Age-y elements of The Magic Of Tarot: Your Guide To Intuitive Readings, Rituals, And Spells by Sasha Graham, I have to say that "remove the scary cards from your deck and don't read to predict misfortune" is the part that finally broke me and made me DNF this book at page 72.

1 out of 10, I wouldn't even use it to wipe my ass. I will not recommend this book and I will not recommend this author. This book singlehandedly turned me off of her work forever.

[jasper-book-stash]

Here are some of the really bad parts of it near the end where I finally gave up!

This editing error where it was changed to black instead of blank, showing that no one actually fucking read through this book to edit it.

Section of note: A card a day. This practice is described later in this chapter. Dedicate a section to recording your daily pulls and insights. Begin with a black sheet of paper. Write your question on the top of the paper: "What do I need to know today?"

It was obviously meant to say blank rather than black.

This passage which made me go "girl, what?"

Section of note: Reading for pregnant women is something to consider before an expectant mother shows up in front of your cards. Are you willing to say or show something that could frighten a woman who is soon to be in the hospital? Consider the power of suggestion. The image of the Death card can be terrifying to one unfamiliar with its nuanced meaning. Do not run the risk of frightening or stressing out a pregnant woman. Avoid it altogether. Would you really want to bear the weight of responsibility for a woman in her last trimester to see the Eight or Nine of Swords or something equallly spooky that she might internalize? I have made it a personal rule to never read for a pregnant woman and highly advise you to do the same.

Honestly the section below it about drugs and alcohol is equally cringe-worthy but I was so fucking baffled by "cards may scare pregnant women" that I didn't even process the next paragraph.

And finally, the thing that broke me once and for all, the part where the author says to just remove scary cards from the deck because they might scare your querents.

Section of note: Remove scary cards if they freak you out. Tarot should not feel frightening. If something bothers you, remove it until you are ready to integrate it. You might consider removing scary cards when reading tarot for the public. Remove the Death card when reading for strangers since people tend to take that card at face value. You never know who is going to walk up or what experience or assumptions they hold about tarot cards. What if an eleven-year-old with a sick mother walks up to your table and pulls the Death card? Do you want to be responsible for putting that image in a child's mind? There is no right or wrong answer, but it is something for you to consider.

I love how she says "there's no right or wrong answer" after giving you instructions and leading you to what she obviously thinks is the right answer.

Overall, the infantilization of everyone in this book is one of its most annoying qualities, but I cannot stress enough that the repeated racism, appropriation, and New Age bullshit is enough on its own for me to rank it a 1 out of 10. Genuinely, skip this one.

[snowy-equinox]

This is definitely one of the most insane tarot books I've seen.

[snowy-equinox]

Little do you know, you have some amazing things in your future. It's a hard period right now, but it's just a small amount of time and you are strong enough to get past it. 🏹

This has been sitting in my inbox for almost two years. When I received it, I was in a dying relationship that we were too cowardly to end. I was depressed, struggling in my career, and stuck in a crappy apartment I shared with my checked-out partner who wouldn't give me the time of day, his brother, and his brother's girlfriend. I have held to this ask through our break-up a couple months later, my situationship/rebound/temporary insanity, floundering through my career. I'm now in South Carolina, one month into a job that gives me a sense of purpose. I'm living with a new boyfriend (whom I affectionately call Blue Jay) who is everything my previous partner wasn't. I am making a new life, one that I hope lasts. So I'm finally letting this ask go, into the aether of the Internet. I don't know who sent this (though the bow emoji gives me some ideas), but I am so grateful you did.

I did have amazing things waiting for me, and I was strong enough to get here. Thank you.

[snowy-equinox]

I'm chilling on the couch with mint tea and old movies after I had to go to the DMV to get new registration. Send asks! Idc about what, I'll answer'em!

[snowy-equinox]

Facts and Vibes

Stats: Olivia. 26. Nonbinary femme. Bisexual. Gardener. Capricorn (Sun). Tarot reader. Spirit worker. Fencer. Painter. Greek polytheist. Jewish.

Motifs: Morning mist rising off a lake. Sunlight dappling leaves. A library lit by natural light. The wake of a kayak. Red-shouldered hawks screaming in the sky.

Colors: Turquoise, forest-green, dark-brown, gold

Tagged by @rosecoloredtarot Tagging @aesethewitch, @stormbornwitch, and anyone who wants to!

[snowy-equinox]

Full Moon Readings

I offer full moon readings in my Ko-fi shop. Using a homemade spread, I'll show what the next lunar cycle holds for you; themes, guidance, and where you're going.

[snowy-equinox]

Full Moon Readings

I offer full moon readings in my Ko-fi shop. Using a homemade spread, I'll show what the next lunar cycle holds for you; themes, guidance, and where you're going.

[trickstarbrave]

I have been enjoying seeing people experience food this World Cup

[redflagshipwriter]

The person who wrote this has almost certainly never been to Japan- if they had, they would know that Japanese restaurants also offer table appetizers in many contexts. Some of them? Mexican restaurants. You can get free tortilla chips when you eat Mexican food in Tokyo Osaka Kobe Kyoto and rural HIMEJI for fuck’s sake. Those are just places where I’ve personally had free tortilla chips in Japan.

This is chat gpt trash prompted to “sound Japanese” and it’s based off of racist old movie dialogue. There’s zero correlation here to Japanese grammar and how Japanese translates into English or how a native speaker of Japan uses English. It’s slop. It’s racist ai slop rehashing Western exceptionalism, fantasizing about a Japanese person being in awe of how great the USA is. It’s depressing that people fell for this. I know it feels good to think that other people like us, and sometimes they do, but this only works if you assume Japanese people have extremely limited experience and worldview. It’s mortifying.

If someone other than me would push back against this propaganda, it would be nice.

[snowy-equinox]

Full Moon Readings

I offer full moon readings in my Ko-fi shop. Using a homemade spread, I'll show what the next lunar cycle holds for you; themes, guidance, and where you're going.

[snowy-equinox]

Gentle reminder as Pride month comes to a close, that your labels are for you. Humans come in such a varied & nuanced assortment, that we can never come up with language precise enough to neatly categorize everyone. We're just doing our best to ballpark it and find community within queer spaces.

The person I am currently dating is aromantic. He feels no romantic attraction towards me, but still loves me and wants to live with me, wants to go on dates with me, wants all the physical intimacy that comes with a romantic relationship. Some people might say he's "actually" demi, or grayromantic. But he feels that aro fits him best, and at the end of the day, the label is for him, not others.

[snowy-equinox]

Snowy's Tarot Readings 🔮

My Ko-fi shop is open for tarot readings.

Whether they're:

Questions for spirit guides

Figuring out which deity has been hanging around

Or a question about your love life

Come order a reading here!

[snowy-equinox]

Happy Summer Solstice! ☀️

Today was pretty low-key, as far as holidays go. It was our first holiday in the apartment, so we didn't do too much! Dinner

Dessert

Solstice Tarot