#marigold thoughts

[marigoldwitch]

It’s okay to still reference your books and notes when reading tarot!

I saw this guys video on TikTok, calling out a specific tarot reader (well actually he was calling her out for being a scammy “psychic”), and using the fact that she still references books as proof she’s scamming people because “real readers don’t need the books.”

First, that woman is a scammer but it’s not because she using tarot books and reference guides when doing readings; it’s because she lies about talking to people’s dead relatives and has been caught in a bunch of lies about other stuff (just lying to lie). She doesn’t know how to read tarot. And, again, it’s not because she used a reference guide or books.. it’s because she’s just really bad at reading tarot lol. I watched her readings. Even with the reference guides she’s not doing a very good job lol.

But her being scammy is not what I want to focus on. I want to focus on the fact that other tarot readers and wannabe spiritualist and shamans and psychics and whatever else, are using this as an opportunity to shame tarot readers who still use books and reference guides when doing readings.

1. Tarot is an entire system. Stop picking up the cards and thinking you ain’t got to learn you something. “I just intuitively know what the cards..blah blah.” Stop. No. Learn the damn cards. Because I’ve seen y’all’s “intuitive reading” bullshit and y’all be given the absolute worst advice to people. Pulling 3 of swords and telling someone it means they’re about to experience an epic romance with their soul mate and it’s gonna be full of love. Learn the system, then modify it to fit your particular reading style.

2. People with learning disabilities and difficulties exist and shouldn’t be excluded from professional tarot reading spaces! Okay, this is just self explanatory but I’ll explain anyways lol. People who have difficulty with memory and people who have trouble with retaining information exist. And those people need to be accommodated in our community. They shouldn’t be excluded from pursuing a professional career in tarot reading because they still reference a guide book or notes. This really goes for any sort of field. In the real world no one is quizzing you on how well you can memorize shit. This isn’t school. You’re actually allowed to have references and guide books and refer back to your notes.

And I know the argument will be along the lines of “well then that means they just don’t have the gift” and to that I say “stfu” lol. I don’t believe in that indigo child, star-seed, psychic medium bullshit. Anyone can tap into their natural intuitive abilities to read tarot or to use any other form of divination; provided you take the time to actually learn that form/method of divination and not pull the “I’m special and I don’t actually need to learn wtf I’m doing” bullshit. You’re not special Jessica, go read a tarot book and learn the damn card meanings lol.

I’m so disappointed in the community. Our community is known for getting on our soap boxes and screaming about inclusivity and then I gotta see this. We need to do better. And the thing is I agree with pretty much everything else he’s saying but I just can’t get behind the exclusionary language and ideology.

As someone who is currently writing a tarot guide book to help new and experienced readers understand and memorize the cards better, I wouldn’t dare tell someone that they’re not on a level to be a professional reader if they learned from a book or still need a guide.

[marigoldwitch]

The “I’m not like other witches” phase is kind of adorable if you think about it. Mostly because every witch seems to have a different idea of what it means to be like “other witches.” It’s like “basic witch shit” but because we’re witches none of it is actually universally considered “basic” and it all depends on who you ask.

Offering stale Oreos and hit songs from the 90’s to your deities can be viewed as “not like other witches” energy. Where you appear to be trying way to hard to seem cool. But to a tradwitch it could come off as you being “basic” and following the modern trend of “lazy witchcraft.” They might describe your practice as “basic” and they might see themselves as the ones who aren’t like “other witches.”

Basically you might go through a phase where you feel the need to separate yourself from “those” witches. Usually it’s because you’ve been wrongfully made to feel bad or stupid for how you’ve been practicing; so you attempt to distance yourself from the practice and begin to think that doing the opposite of what you were doing is now you not being like those other witches. Or in an effort to feel superior to others you’ve convinced yourself (or someone else has convinced you, in an effort to feed your ego) that your practice is the ~real~ deal and everyone else is just playing pretend.

Don’t fall into this trap of “who’s the better witch?” and instead focus on being the best witch you can be, however that’s defined to you.

[marigoldwitch]

So… I’m thinking the first thing I’d like to discuss on Casual Witchcraft is the “new age” to conservatism pipeline that has been happening in recent years. I know it’s a bit of a heavy/political charged topic but I think it’s worth talking about and trying to understand why.

There was this sorta trend among new age to christian public figures to make “Christian Testimonials” to publicly announce to their [mostly] pagan audience that they are now a Christian. Usually it included links to homophobic and bigoted websites, a bunch of shaming to the community that supported them etc.

I’m not sure if any of you were around or apart of the witch community when popular tarot YouTuber Wild Moon Woman [real name Elyse] denounced witchcraft, spiritualism and divination practices publicly when she decided to convert to Christianity; but it was kind of a big deal at the time. Not because she converted but how she went about it. And because she financially profited off the “new age” community just to shame them in the end.

Just search “new age to Christian testimonies” on YouTube and you’ll get a ton of videos.

Dooren Virtue is another person that comes to mind. She was a new age author who profited off the new age community for decades. The she was “saved” and has made it her mission to shame, degrade and spit on the new age community ever since.

I have so many more thoughts on this topic and I’d also like to do a deep dive into this whole trend.

So yeah, join my discord server if you want to share your ideas and thought about this, and other witchcraft topics :)

[marigoldwitch]

[marigoldwitch]

I usually avoid “witchy spaces” outside of real life (off the internet) and a few select groups on here and maybe Instagram and now I remember why. I joined, what seemed like, a harmless tarot meme group on FB — mistake one — and it’s public — mistake two.

The amount of absolutely out right weird and hateful shit these people say is mind boggling. I never realized how much hatred is really pledging our community. From people who are pro war to people who support eugenics. And don’t even get me started on the (not so subtle) racism, homophobia and transphobia. Holy shit!

Y’all, and the god complexes of some of these people. I can’t.

[marigoldwitch]

I was thinking about how I want to own my own witch shop. Yes, it’s still my dream. And I thought, why not a witch truck? Like a food truck.. but.. stuffed with witchcraft goodness :) Books, crystals, candles, herbs, tarot decks, runes, spells bottles, handcrafted supplies and tools from local witches and maybe even a tea making station?

It would give me the freedom to travel and the ability to set up shop where I want (provided I had the proper permits etc.). I’d be the traveling witch. Give tarot readings at local fairs and campgrounds around the US. I’d get to meet new witches and I’d get to spend more time doing what I love.

Idk. Just a thought.

[marigoldwitch]

For real though, stop making girls feel bad for thrift store shopping and “taking all the good stuff” or making the prices go up. Thrift stores are literally throwing away clothing because they get so much donated to them and don’t sell enough. Thrift stores are the only ones to blame when it comes to price hikes and lack of selection. Tell them to put more clothing out, properly sort through the clothing they receive and lower their prices so more clothing sells.

[marigoldwitch]

If someone uses certain pronouns, has told you what these pronouns are and have asked you nicely to use those pronouns when talking about them or to them, don’t be an asshole about it; just respect that person. It really isn’t that hard.