Random Witchy Things

(he/him) Polish-American Folk Witch Gemini☀️Aquarius🌙Aires⬆️ Feel free to follow my main @thatawkwardbookthing

[xoxoaphroditegirl]

Wanted to make a mood board for our Mother Mary 🥰 I personally see her as a mixed indigenous woman like me (if that makes any sense at all), but she also shows up to me with darker features/skin at times, so that’s who I decided to put up on the board today! The figure on the top left is Our Lady of Divine Providence, the patron saint of Puerto Rico, so ofc I had to put her on there. And I associate her with marigolds, which as many of you I’m sure know are an indigenous Mexican traditional flower, especially during Día de Muertos, which I always thought was beautiful. I always wanted to have something like that in my culture, and now it’s basically my entire practice 😅

I also added pan dulce, I just associate her with sweet breads for some reason, not just Mexican ones but Puerto Rican ones too. It’s just easier to find aesthetic photos of Mexican pan dulce. And ofc, Our Lady of Guadalupe. These two epithets of Mary are my favorites, because I grew up knowing most about Guadalupe and because Divine Providence takes care of my Motherland.

I hope you all enjoy this, and if you have any questions about me or my practice, feel free to comment or dm me! I’m always open 🥰

[xoxoaphroditegirl]

I found the two prettiest rosaries I’ve ever seen on Etsy, I MUST HAVE THEM SOMEHOWWWW

[ohholydyke]

Thinking about St Mary Magdalene in today’s reading.

She’s the first one to wash someone’s feet.

Not Christ.

Not the twelve.

Her.

She approaches with perfume, kneels down, takes the savior’s feet. Tenderly washes them, perfumes them, dries them with her hair.

St Matthew tells us that she was preparing him for his death, anointing his body with oils fitting a corpse. He also tells us that she anointed his head with the oil as well. Mimicking our chrism during confirmation.

She anoints Jesus and washes his feet before he does the same for the disciples.

Apostle to the apostles, the first to see the resurrected Christ and spread the good news, St Mary Magdalene took the posture of Christ and specifically took the posture of his role as priest. And when others criticized her, Jesus told them that her actions deserved praise, not condemnation.

I don’t have a profound statement here. Just something to meditate on. It’s what stuck out to me during morning mass today.

Blessed Holy Week to you all.

[creature-wizard]

The reason people are told "mundane before magic" is so they remember to do things like check whether they've got mold or carbon monoxide in their house before they decide the problem is a malevolent spirit, find out whether their health problems have a treatable medical cause before deciding they're cursed, and make sure they have a mechanic check their car once they hear funny noises instead of just casting a safety spell on it and calling it good. People get hurt if they neglect the mundane.

[aurelialuna]

My fingers hurt

[etheribot]

witchy reminder ~ for myself and for others who may need it

typing this on my phone at 02:00 in the morning without my glasses on. spelling and grammar mistakes beware

not everything needs to have a reason!

sometimes you don’t need a historically backed up reason to use an herb or an element in your spell. you don’t always need to have paragraphs of reasons why XYZ corresponds with a certain intention or purpose.

of course, using ingredients with rich histories and thorough explanations is great and i highly recommend it, but also sometimes it’s equally as good to just do something because it feels right for you!

research is ultra-mega important, but so is listening to your gut instinct.

if you want to use an ingredient in a spell for no other reason than “idk i just think it’ll go well”, do it!

you may come to learn that ingredient is highly successful in that type of spell. or, you may learn that type of ingredient is not so successful. either way, you’ll learn something new, and isn’t that one of the main points of life?

[yorubaby]

Realizing that someone who used to often try and "mentor" me, and who used to regularly talk down to me about my education (in regards witchcraft and other places), actually had very little practical or theoretical knowledge about any of the shit they said they did, was a very important experience for me.

It helped form my understanding that many want to take up the mantle of being a "mentor/teacher/elder", but few actually should.

I feel like I learned a different kind of discernment from that connection, and I still haven't forgot about it.

[vitterdotter]

if you are a new practitioner of magic or polytheism, please please please watch for where you're regurgitating hot takes without understanding them. learn to come to your own conclusions and develop opinions founded on your own research and experiences! I see so many newer practitioners fall into the trap of defaulting to more experienced practitioners, even ones I agree with, and then use this false sense of authority to police others' practices. understand your own beliefs before you have something to say about how others practice!!

[when-november-ends]

this!

[crazycatsiren]

A hot, cleansing shower to start the new week, happy new moon!🌙

[broomsick]

Some people don't want to be confronted with the idea that the Gods of Norse myth weren't actually the Gods "of" anything. In every way that matters, Thórr is not the "God of thunder". Óðinn is the "God of" so many things that it's pointless to try and assign him such a restrictive label. I know it's frustrating to not be able to make these straightforward associations, but it's crucial for Norse mythology enthusiasts to keep an open mind in this regard. When you observe historical worship, a pattern comes up: when a deity rises in popularity, they take up "responsibilities" they didn't otherwise have outside this specific area and period. I'll keep using the example of Thórr. In Sweden, when the Uppsala temple was at its peak, he was viewed as the ruler of the sky. In Iceland, much later into the medieval era, his area of influence extended greatly, as worshippers turned to him for bountiful crops and prosperity. Some sources pertaining to this period also cite him as a protector of the slaves and the common people.

In the case of Scandinavia, when it came to characterizing deities, it's obvious that mythological stories mattered more than the fluid "domains" they were assigned to. Granted, it helps to know that this or that God is inclined to help in this or that area of life. But when you stop to think about it, it's still rather important to take into account the personality of a God before calling upon them for help. Think of how they've manifested in your life—observe the ways in which they've extended their help. This might reveal aspects of them you may not have instinctively noticed. Sure, people will often call upon Eir for a quick recovery from illness. But in my experience, she's also keen to help with friendships, inner peace, green witchcraft... The Gods are like people rather than tools, even from a historical and mythological perspective.

[brigitte-poetry]

For any Norse pagans who might not know, there's a popular theory among scholars that Njordr was originally the Germanic goddess Nerthus, who changed into a male sea god as the pagan Norse and Germanic religions grew, which is supported by the fact that their names seem to come from the same root word (Nerþuz) and they share a variety of place names across Scandinavia, among other evidence.

Basically Njordr is a transmasculine icon who protects his trans brothers and devotees and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

[when-november-ends]

hot take, but i think a lot of norse pagans need to be okay with not going to Valhalla.

Valhalla is not the equivalent of the christian Heaven, and Helheim is not Hel.

honestly, i don't know why you would even want to end up in Valhalla if you're not a seasoned fighter/warrior, because like... have you read the descriptions of that place? you fight and die and fight and die all over again, basically forever.

personally, i would much rather be in Helheim with my loved ones and be cared for and welcomed and loved and spend my days in comfort.

[then-said]

not sure if this is just a "me-thing" or what, but...

you don't need to put that many herbs there. you don't need to, i promise. especially if youre not following a formal ritual or guide from a formalized religion/spiritual space, because then you can just do whatever the fuck you want.

let me give you some advice, both metaphysical and mundane:

metaphysical: adding more herbs, depending on your beliefs may or may not make your spell/ritual work faster/have more oomph/etc., but that's not a guarantee, and regardless, if you have even the smallest itty bitty pinch of an herb with a corresponding strong intention, it will still work! do you think witches or practitioners or pagans of historical times would always have abundance or would use more than they needed/could afford/etc.? of course not! and their practice still thrived. yours can too.

mundane: adding more herbs can actually be harmful- especially when working with things like candles, rubs or anything that comes in contact/close to your body. for example, let's take a facial steam. so you're sick, right? congested and coughing, all that jazz. you take some water, boil it, and boil in some salt, add some eucalyptus, mint, and pine needle. then you go on and huddle over that bowl and breathe in deeply through your nose out your mouth. those herbs, the steam, the salt, should all help to break down the mucous in your lungs/sinuses and help you breathe better. but adding too many herbs will not only just waste your stock of (probably expensive- let's be real, getting good herbs is a hassle, particularly if you're going for good quality, organic and/or reputable) herbs and spices, it could also cause a negative effect of making your face/skin break out/causing reactions, etc. when putting herbs on candles, adding excess can and WILL increase the fire hazards- too many essential oils in your salve can cause allergic reactions as well. and in general it's just plain wasteful.

i see many people, especially on tiktok or who use tiktok a lot adding excess herbs and i just- well i grew up using herbs in a mundane way so i know you don't need to add a lot of herbs unless you DO and most of the time with spiritual work you don't, but also i'm poor? i don't and never have had the money to spend on all the herbs to replace those i've used, and many of the spiritual herbs i use also double as kitchen spices, so i have to be frugal.

this was not well-written at all, and for that i apologize lmao, but long story short,

don't waste your herbs- you don't need to add all those herbs just to make it look "full" or "pretty". just use what's needed.

[quietjustice]

one simple little folk charm I love that never fails me is turning the broom upside down to get rid of someone. if you have your own office where you work, this works great if you want to get a coworker/supervisor to leave you alone (or leave work early so you can do whatever).

for added specificity, whisper to the broom who you want it to send away. sweep three times out your door and/or in their direction, and make sure to thank it after and turn it bristles-down again.

[glitterandwitchcraft]

The winter season calls for rest. It calls for slow works and warm energy. Work with the seasons and reconnect with nature. Let yourself be cozy. Work with cinnamon, cloves, fire, snow, moonlight, and decay. Spend time calling back your energy. Spend time meditating and planning.

Winter is the time to slow down and organize. Stay cozy and let yourself be you. This is the season of you.

[when-november-ends]

it makes a snowball when i like this, im so happy

[ancestral-reflections]

“you don’t know better than the church fathers!!!!”

i do actually.

i live in an age where knowledge is instant access. i also don’t have an empire looming over me ready to decapitate me for breathing wrong.

[crazycatsiren]

The rosary is both a sacred item of prayer and a stim toy. You know I'm right.