#fern's practice

[fernthewhimsical]

A reminder for those of us who like to add a bit of sparkle to our spells: the holiday season is coming to an end, meaning that edible glitter is going on sale everywhere.

Edible glitter is made from either rice flour or sugar (make sure to check the packaging), making it a wonderful alternative to plastic glitter. I just got a big tub of silver sugar glitter for 2 euros yesterday

[fernthewhimsical]

Hopepunk Zine #1

Omg it's here!!!!

I'm pretty freaking proud of this, not gonna lie. Also, my first zine!!! Ever! I learned a lot, it was a lot of fun, and part two is already in the works xD

It is the Zine version of my Hopepunk post series. Minus the magic, because that will be getting their own zine. I also added some fun things like a playlist, and poetry. (I also drew the cover myself!)

There is a "Reading" version, which is in order for ease of reading. And a "Printable" version, which is not in order, but when printed will form an A5 sized zine. Cover is separate so can be made in any colour you want! I hosted it on both itch and drive so you can pick

It is completely free.

Have fun, enjoy, and let me know what you think!

[fernthewhimsical]

Pride Protection Sigil

I've been thinking of making an updated, transparent version of my original Pride Protection Sigil for a while now, so I figured Pride Month was a perfect moment for it! I remade the shapes I could in photoshop, copied the thorny vines from the original, and then made a bunch of different community ones (see more under the cut).

I've designed this sigil as a protection for the entire rainbow community. You can print it out or redraw it yourself. Place a candle over it, use it as a base of a crystal grid, place it on your altar and meditate, make it the centre of a (digital) moodboard, whatever feels right for you.

The centre of the sigil is the Progress Pride flag, symbolizing our community (you can redraw the sigil and place a different flag inside, if you wish to focus on a specific part of the community). Around it is a black circle (protection, community) which is made by five stickfigures holding hands (people, community). Around them is a square (protection) and then a ring of intertwined briar branches with the thorns pointing outwards (again, protection). On the right side I also snuck the rune Thurisaz (briar, protection) into the ring of briar branches. The pentacle in the centre stands for magic as well as, surprise, protection. Customize this for whatever you need, the pentacle is optional, place more stickfigures, change the flag, whatever makes it work for you.

Here are some more different versions:

9-stripe pride flag

1978 pride flag

Philadelphia pride flag

Progress flag (from the top)

Rainbow pride flag

Trans pride flag

[fernthewhimsical]

A tarot/oracle spread I made! I used this one for the new year, and got some interesting results. Amazingly, for the Companion card I pulled a card that signifies the Lady of Flowers, and one card that is "the Unicorn", so that could not be clearer, lol. This year I am working on "gamifying my life" and I want to bring some more play and RPG elements into my practice, which is what inspired this spread.

an Adventure - what is the journey or the adventure that you will go on?

a Divine Boon - a gift from your deity/spirit/the universe/etc. that will aid you on your journey

an Amulet of Empowerment - from where can you draw strength? Who or what is empowering you?

a Companion on your Journey - this can mean anything from a tarot card to a spirit to a deity. Who will accompany you and aid you on your quest?

a Spark of Hope in the Dark - we all know that quests can sometimes lead us to dark dungeons and to situations that can seem bleak. From where can you draw hope?

If you use this spread, I would love to hear how it worked for you. Enjoy!

[fernthewhimsical]

No but seriously if you want to work with the Fair Folk please also look at local legends, myths and folklore. The "rules" often stated for working with the Fair Folk: things like "don't say thank you", "offerings should be of milk and honey", "don't tell them your name, for it gives them power over you". Are not universal concepts. Actually, they mostly come from Irish and Scottish lore.

And that's logical because they have the most written about the Fair Folk.

However, those might not be the "rules" of your local Fair Folk. For example, Dutch Fae were given offerings of pancakes. Gnomes apparently love boiled potatoes. And any Fair Folk that love to help humans will disappear forever when seen. Different rules for different Folk.

[fernthewhimsical]

Okay now that I got the bitchiness out of my system a bit, let's see if I can write a bit on """"rules"""" of witchcraft as I would like to see them.

Stop bitching about other people's practices and focus on your own. If you spent a lot of time worrying or raging about how other people practice, how will you ever grow your own? Focus on yourself and your own power and let other people do their thing.

Other people's practices are inspiration, not goals. On the flip side, if there is someone who you look up to, or someone's practice you love seeing, take it as inspiration for your own, but don't look it at as a goal to achieve. Firstly, what people share online is not the whole of their practice, and secondly you're not them and their path is not yours.

Be curious. Why are people harping on "black and white magic"? Why are Starseeds bad, but Alienkin and Starkin are fine? Why is cultural appropriation such a bad thing? (If you answered "because racism" on all three of these, have a cookie!) And not just curiosity about these concepts, but also about correspondences (Why are red roses a symbol for love?) or ingredients you have in your home (will this basil work as well as rosemary for this spell?) or other paths and techniques, or spirits, or -- you get the point. Once you know the "why" you can use your own discernment. Does this work for me? Do I agree with the why? Etc. etc.

Be respectful -. To other people, to other practices and cultures, to spirits and deities. Find out their customs and cultures if you can, and act accordingly. Did you know that not saying "thank you" to the Fair Folk is only a custom in Irish and Scottish folk tales? Yeah, exactly.

-But don't be terrified. You're a witch/wizard/warlock/unicorn/whatever dammit! Act like one! Witchcraft is about empowerment, so be fucking empowered! An anarchy saying is "no gods, no kings, no masters". As a polytheist witch who works with the Fair Folk for me it's more "lots of Gods, some Kings, no masters!" I meet them with respect, but on equal footing. I experiment because if I screw up, well, I'll have learned something, and I've learned a lot about getting myself out of weird stuff.

Have fun. For fuck's sake, your practice is supposed to bring you joy. If it doesn't bring you joy or make you feel fizzy with inspiration and energy, try something else. If you need to, toss the whole thing out and start over. Trust me, it helps.

[fernthewhimsical]

My little travel altar setup while I'm on holiday

[fernthewhimsical]

Fern's Magic Masterpost

General/Other:

Hopepunk Fern's "Rules" of Magic Creation: how I see animism, magic, and life Fernflower Oracle Cards Divination LED Candle See the Truth Poppet Spell Spell Disasters WarWitch Spellbottle Pendant Stones for the Cosmic Witch Birthday Magic Baby Blessing Teddybear (reply) Tiny Holographic oracle Sweet Dreams Spell Jar Simple Snowball Charm Witchy things to do on Mother's Day

DIY Spell components:

Burnable Spellboxes Spell Sugars How I made Spellcandles LED Spellcandles I LED Spellcandles II Full Moon Powder Moonwater Washi Tape Candles Save your Apple Seeds

Travel Altars:

Tiny deity poppets Light-up Triple Moon Altar Travel Altar Challenge + Altar Cloth Cleansing Tools Elemental Bottles Protection Charm Casting Cloth Labyrinth Tree travel altar Magic Mirrors Mini Moonstone Runes

Queer and Rainbow Witchery:

Binding and Banishing Jar Pride Witchcraft Queer Witch Art Magic Rainbowmancy Masterpost Rainbowmancy Moodboard Rainbow Charging plate Pronoun Pin Charm Gender in Witchcraft, pt. 1 Gender in Witchcraft, pt. 2

Hearth Witchery:

Enchanted Spoon rack Home Protection Charm Simple Coffee/Tea charm House Candle Holders Enchant your Keys Snow Globe Home Cleansing Spell Recipe Cards

Pop Culture/Tech Witchery:

Let's Go on a Quest oracle/tarot spread Minecraft Witchcraft Minecraft Magic: Ward Minecraft Glass Tree offering Fields of Mistria Magic: Animals MTG cards as oracle deck

Sigils and Runes:

Reclaiming Sigil Strength Bindrunes Daily Practice with Sigils Merfolk Sigil and crystal grid

Art Grimoire:

In Loving Memory of who I used to be Moon phases Moons of the Year Star Stuff Perpetual Wheel of the Year the Festivals Elements Make your Mark Altered Cover My Grimoires

Wheel of the Year:

I no longer really follow the contemporary pagan wheel of the year, but I did, and here are some spells and such Imbolc Creativity Spell Litha Spell Samhain Remembrance Sigil Samhain Remembrance Spell Samhain Pentacle Spread Litha Altar