Hello! How are you? I was wondering if you had any advice or tips for someone who was interested in learning and wanting to try folk magic? I've been interested in looking into it for a while, but I'm not really sure of where to go with it.
Hi! I'm good thank you!! This is my jam!!!
Okay so this might be a bit of a long one -
Folk magick is incredibly personal and local to where you are. It is magic for the people, by the people, and as such harnesses incredibly old ways of working. It is also, as a pathway, deeply accessible. I see it as a path that allows you utilise the energies around you, rather than requiring certain tools or garbs or timings like ceremonial magick does.
Some general tips I'd recommend include:
Get to know the flora and fauna in your local area, both through research but also actively communicating and working with those plants and animals. For some practitioners, like myself, this can influence the food and herbs you cook with and use for spell work (and even down to the tea I drink!).
Channel your community. Connect with the people whom you share these spaces with and understand them. You don't necessarily have to be besties, but saying a quick hello to your neighbour can go a long way.
Find your spot! When I moved for University, I picked a tree on campus that was my tree and sat with it, and - eventually - I brought more people to come sit with me. If chatting to people feels daunting, find somewhere to call your own (a booth at a coffee shop, a sofa at the library, a statue in a museum) and anchor yourself there. I like to avoid using my phone at my spot, and it's become an energetical hearth during my time at Uni, when I would often move physical spaces.
And some further reading I'd recommend to get you started:
Folk Magick vs WItchcraft
Folk Magick in the fight against Capitalism
Folk Magic Guide Video
I'll be doing a podcast episode on this shortly, so please stay tuned for that! And if you have any questions please don't be afraid to shoot me an ask - I hope this helped! x
Worshipping Nature includes not harming it : Plastic Free Swaps Part 2
I have been using these coconut bowls (NB: only lukewarm and cold foods are suitable in these! They also need to be hand washed) in the 2 bowl pack I received two spoons and a reusable straw perfectly sized for thick smoothies which are hard to find!
I recently finished my natural roll-on deodrant but it wasn't plastic free or refillable, so I have switched to Wild. I chose scents I can use for after ritual showers like Sea Salt, Thunderstorm and an Orange based scent
About ritual baths and showers
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I keep reading in "Witchcraft 101" books, blogs etc. that in order to prepare for a ritual, you might take a ritual bath before it.
Of course, taking a bath can be great for this, also for cleansing yourself and for self-care in general, but from an ecological point of view, a shower is much better.
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Here is why: For a full bath, you need approx. 150 litres of water, for a five-minute shower only ca. 50 litres. So a shower saves a lot of water.
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And of course you can have ritual showers, for instance with an organic shower gel or soap containing sea salt and/or essential oils which match your intentions. There are also recipes online for making shower gel or soap on your own (I'd recommend organic and vegan) and you can add your magical intent to that.
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Here are some ideas by The Traveling Witch about "How You Can Do Magic in the Shower":
https://thetravelingwitch.com/blog/how-you-can-do-magic-in-the-shower
Here are some vegan DIY recipes for body washes, salt scrubs and more:
If you are like me and have 0 yard but really like candles, you can make a "spell graveyard" using a pot. As a green/eco witch, I also like to reuse - unless your candles are soy or parafin, they're not great for the Earth. This is a cracked coffee pot (hint: Staples will recycle the machine for free but not the pot??). I boiled my old candles (now mixed together) and put them at the bottom, and threw some dirt on top of it.
DO NOT USE THIS WITH BANISHING SPELLS. You do not want to keep those near your home.
I will say a prayer for my former spells to continue to come true.
Attempting to grow scoby for kombucha from scratch as well as making kimchi for the first time. We’ll see how they turn out.. 🤩
As a side note I hope everyone staying healthy and safe out there during this wild time
If you need to hoard food or want to cook from scratch more now that you’re home I recommend dry goods, canned goods, jarred goods, and boxed goods, supplimented with fresh veggies, when you do make it out to the market. They typically last longer in the cuboard or will provides more essential nutrients since they are typically less processed than precooked meals or plastic wrapped filler foods.
I’ve been using this time to try cooking more and experimenting with new foods and recipes. It gives me a great chance to use and get to know my herbs as well 🌿
I’ve been meaning to share this recipe not only for its magical properties, but because it’s honestly changed my skin in ways no store-bought toner has
rice is associated with mother-type deities and feminine energy. it can be used in spells for protection, wealth and blessings. when applied to the skin as rice water, it has anti-inflammatory and brightening properties
keep it in the fridge and apply with a cotton pad after the shower, it feels so so good. on lazy days i’ll just use this as my face cleanser, but keep in mind I have fairly normal skin🌜
