#witchy information

[finthetin-witch]

Herbs and their uses/random information!

Hello!!! Sorry for the lack of content—but I’m back! It’s me, the one and only finthetin! Haha; anyways… I have come bearing the gift of random information!

These are some herbs that I like to use in my craft whenever possible! I’m also going to add that this is not an all encompassing list, and this list will be broken into multiple parts! We are starting with the letter B; because I love Bees!! 🐝

Let’s go!

I’m going to start trying to post semi regularly..

Basil:

Basil is in the same family as mint, rosemary, and lavender. Did you know that there are over 60 species of basil? The two “main” species are Thai and Sweet Basil, with Sweet Basil being the more common out of the two.

Basil has had a mixed reputation throughout history! In the Victorian Language of Flowers, it symbolizes hatred. To the ancient Greeks, it represented mourning and was even called sileus phuton(?) which translates to “kingly herb.” In medieval times, Basil was even more convoluted in meanings! Some claimed it could cure scorpion bites, and others thought that it was actually poisonous! At various other points in history, it was called a “devil’s plant,” but, it’s still associated with Scorpio and Scorpions to this day!

This plant is likely native to Asia and Africa. Basil flowers are typically white!

Bergamot:

This is also known as Bee Balm, High Balm, Low Balm, mountain balm, Oswego tea, horsemint, wild bergamot, and mountain mint!

This plant is native to North America.

You can make a drink with this plant! Did you know, that the Oswego tribe made a drink with the red variety of Bergamot (Monarda didyma)! And when the colonists boycotted British tea, they turned to the bergamot drink made by the native people as an alternative. Speaking of, the Iroquois and Tewa tribes also valued the herbaceous plant; but correct me if I’m wrong!!

This plant also symbolizes good health, protection from illness, and prosperity!

Borage:

In the Victorian Language of Flowers, Borage stands for bluntness. This plant is native to the Mediterranean; and it is a self-seeding annual plant! This is also known as bee bread, or star flower (sometimes written as starflower), and Bugloss is also a common name. The star shaped flowers are a sky blue and hang in drooping clusters; the leaves are a grayish-green! If you like cucumbers, you might like this plant too!! It has the smell and taste reminiscent to that of a cucumber.

Both the leaves and stalks have a bristly fuzz that helps shield them from insects.

Borage stems can replace celery in potato salad; and the flowers can make an attractive edible garnish! You can make iced Borage tea, with lemon juice and honey—that’s very refreshing on warm sunny days!!

Borage will also attract bees to your garden!

[thewitchis-lucky]

Why should I use a/an (insert tool name) in my Craft..?

Hi my dears!! How're we doing? I hope we're doing super duper well! My name is Lucky, I'm a seventeen year old lesbian; and I like talking about witchcraft!! I've been meaning to start up a Tumblr page in lieu of my TikTok page(the.witch.is_lucky) and I'm now finally doing so!!

With all of that out of the way; please do not take anything said on my page(here or tiktok) as the 100% truly, definitive way of doing anything regarding your practice! I'm merely making suggestions and giving you my reasoning behind my way of thinking. Now, I have a list that I've alphabetized for your convenience(hopefully), of different tools for the solitary practitioner or for those who work in a coven. Let's get to it!

Why should I use a/n....

Altar:

An altar is a sacred space where you keep all of your ritual tools! It is also used as a workspace for spellcasting, & possibly divination(if you’re into that). The most common type of altar is a table; but there are plenty of witches who use shoe boxes, mentos cans, and anything else they can get their hands on! What I’m getting at here is this: an altar is YOUR OWN personal and magical space, meaning there’s no right nor wrong way to set one up! Get creative with it!!

Athemes, Bolines, & Swords:

Now, I know there are always going to be some misinformed witches steering baby witches away from using an Atheme; but I don’t believe that only an “experienced witch” or an “elder witch” can use one of these. A blade represents masculine energy and the element of air. As a cutting tool, these are used to *metaphorically* cut something, and in most(if not all cases) these are NEVER sharpened because you DO NOT actually use them to PHYSICALLY cut something!

An Atheme is a double edged blade that witches use as a way to direct energy, cast a circle, or as an alternative to a wand!

A boline is a blade in the shape of a half moon. People use these to harvest herbs(think of Karkats weapon from Homestuck).

A sword is a large double edged blade; used to cast a larger sacred circle. In a coven, it is usually the higher ups who’re allowed to use it.

Bells, Rattles, & Singing bowls:

Did you know that centuries ago; bells were used to ward off “evil” spirits? And, it was said that they caused vibrations which were believed to be the source of great power. Rattles and singing bowls are also great tools to create a peaceful environment in your workspace!

Bells can also be used to banish or summon spirits.

Book of Shadows(BOS)/Grimoire:

Think of a BOS as a diary; this is a very intimate tool, as it stores your notes, recipes, spells, personal things and stuff. While a Grimoire is mainly used by a coven and is more so a textbook if anything.

Besom/Broom:

These are used to spiritually cleanse and sweep “negative energy” out/away from a space before spellwork. This tool should be used separately to your day to day cleansing tools.

To use a besom or broom, lightly sweep the room in a clockwise direction. When you are done, open the nearest door and sweep the “negative energy” outside, shutting the door behind you so it doesn’t return.

When not in use, it is recommended to hang it in a doorway so the “negative energy” is deterred from returning.

Candles:

Candles can be used for many purposes such as summoning deities or manifestation and represents the fire element in spells and rituals.

As well as being used in Wicca as the symbol of the God and Goddess, candles are used in spell work to absorb your energy and release it as it burns.

That's going to be all for this post; as I have seventeen more tools that I'd like to talk about! I'll be reblogging this list with the additional tools soon!

Got a question? Feel free to message me!! I'll respond as soon as I possibly can!

I wish you all the best, have a wonderful day and stay safe!!

[in-constant-uhtceare]

Tarot for Beginners:

—Colors!

I’m going to be making a series of posts geared towards beginner Tarot readers/witches! In this post, we’re going to briefly skim over some of the common colors you’d see in almost any deck.

If anyone has anything else to add about the colors in the Tarot, please feel free to repost this here on Tumblr! My next post will be an overview of the suits, and symbols of the Tarot!