Em

18 | queer | pagan | hearth witch | white | any pronouns

[the-inkstained-witch]

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ about me ｡･:*˚:✧｡

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

➸ Em

➸ 18

➸ any pronouns

➸ queer (aroacespec, bisexual, agender, polyam)

➸ white multiracial settler on Turtle Island

➸ formerly @thatwitchykittenblog

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

➸ agnostic polytheist / pagan

➸ hearth witch

➸ 4 years into practicing (practiced on and off)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

➸ interests include

↳ veiling

↳ sabbats

↳ sigilcraft

↳ moon magic

↳ kitchen witchcraft

↳ protection magic

↳ folk magic

↳ practical magic

↳ elemental magic

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

➸ SFW interactions only

➸ DNI if you

↳ post swerf / anti sw, terf, "gender critical," uncritical tradfem / tradwife, islamophobic, antisemitic, zionist/pro israeli state, or anti neopronoun / anti xenogender / anti bi lesbian content

↳ believe that witchcraft is apolitical, believe men/amab folks can't practice witchcraft, don't take cultural appropriation seriously, or are an Aleister Crowley supporter

↳ are only going to ask surface-level questions (ily baby witches, but there are hundreds of posts that can tell you how to get started in witchcraft, and I do not have the energy to give the same answers every time)

➸ I will block as I see fit

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

➸ I'm still learning, and I'll be very grateful if you take the time to correct me when I'm wrong

➸ expect inconsistent posts and you won't be disappointed

➸ asks are very open! come say hi! I'm very excited to be active again on witchblr, so reach out if you think we'd make good friends

[that--witchling]

Maybe I'll do something for the blood moon tonight, or maybe I'll just drink my tea

I am undecided

[the-inkstained-witch]

I know the thrifting community jokes about the "thrift gods" but atp I'm considering writing actual prayers because I seem to have lost their favor

[samwisethewitch]

Homemaking, gardening, and self-sufficiency resources that won't radicalize you into a hate group

It seems like self-sufficiency and homemaking skills are blowing up right now. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the current economic crisis, a lot of folks, especially young people, are looking to develop skills that will help them be a little bit less dependent on our consumerist economy. And I think that's generally a good thing. I think more of us should know how to cook a meal from scratch, grow our own vegetables, and mend our own clothes. Those are good skills to have.

Unfortunately, these "self-sufficiency" skills are often used as a recruiting tactic by white supremacists, TERFs, and other hate groups. They become a way to reconnect to or relive the "good old days," a romanticized (false) past before modern society and civil rights. And for a lot of people, these skills are inseparably connected to their politics and may even be used as a tool to indoctrinate new people.

In the spirit of building safe communities, here's a complete list of the safe resources I've found for learning homemaking, gardening, and related skills. Safe for me means queer- and trans-friendly, inclusive of different races and cultures, does not contain Christian preaching, and does not contain white supremacist or TERF dog whistles.

Homemaking/Housekeeping/Caring for your home:

Making It by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen [book] (The big crunchy household DIY book; includes every level of self-sufficiency from making your own toothpaste and laundry soap to setting up raised beds to butchering a chicken. Authors are explicitly left-leaning.)

Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair by Mercury Stardust [book] (A guide to simple home repair tasks, written with rentals in mind; very compassionate and accessible language.)

How To Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis [book] (The book about cleaning and housework for people who get overwhelmed by cleaning and housework, based on the premise that messiness is not a moral failing; disability and neurodivergence friendly; genuinely changed how I approach cleaning tasks.)

Gardening

Rebel Gardening by Alessandro Vitale [book] (Really great introduction to urban gardening; explicitly discusses renter-friendly garden designs in small spaces; lots of DIY solutions using recycled materials; note that the author lives in England, so check if plants are invasive in your area before putting them in the ground.)

Country/Rural Living:

Woodsqueer by Gretchen Legler [book] (Memoir of a lesbian who lives and works on a rural farm in Maine with her wife; does a good job of showing what it's like to be queer in a rural space; CW for mentions of domestic violence, infidelity/cheating, and internalized homophobia)

"Debunking the Off-Grid Fantasy" by Maggie Mae Fish [video essay] (Deconstructs the off-grid lifestyle and the myth of self-reliance)

Sewing/Mending:

Annika Victoria [YouTube channel] (No longer active, but their videos are still a great resource for anyone learning to sew; check out the beginner project playlist to start. This is where I learned a lot of what I know about sewing.)

Make, Sew, and Mend by Bernadette Banner [book] (A very thorough written introduction to hand-sewing, written by a clothing historian; lots of fun garment history facts; explicitly inclusive of BIPOC, queer, and trans sewists.)

Sustainability/Land Stewardship

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer [book] (Most of you have probably already read this one or had it recommended to you, but it really is that good; excellent example of how traditional animist beliefs -- in this case, indigenous American beliefs -- can exist in healthy symbiosis with science; more philosophy than how-to, but a great foundational resource.)

Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer [book] (This one is for my fellow witches; one of my favorite witchcraft books, and an excellent example of a place-based practice deeply rooted in the land.)

Avoiding the "Crunchy to Alt Right Pipeline"

Note: the "crunchy to alt-right pipeline" is a term used to describe how white supremacists and other far right groups use "crunchy" spaces (i.e., spaces dedicated to farming, homemaking, alternative medicine, simple living/slow living, etc.) to recruit and indoctrinate people into their movements. Knowing how this recruitment works can help you recognize it when you do encounter it and avoid being influenced by it.

"The Crunchy-to-Alt-Right Pipeline" by Kathleen Belew [magazine article] (Good, short introduction to this issue and its history.)

Sisters in Hate by Seyward Darby (I feel like I need to give a content warning: this book contains explicit descriptions of racism, white supremacy, and Neo Nazis, and it's a very difficult read, but it really is a great, in-depth breakdown of the role women play in the alt-right; also explicitly addresses the crunchy to alt-right pipeline.)

These are just the resources I've personally found helpful, so if anyone else has any they want to add, please, please do!

[the-inkstained-witch]

it's so funny seeing my money bowl post start randomly blowing up and knowing what everyone's new years resolution was

anyways happy new years everyone

i'm definitely resolving to practice more so you might be hearing more from me

[raghhmurica]

GUS CALLING ALL PAGANS AND PEOPLE WHO JUST GENUINLEY KNOW HOW TO DO THIS!!

How do you pray? Like, it sounds stupid but I've never learned how to pray and I'm trying to learn how to, but I just don't know??

[the-inkstained-witch]

I love this question because it's a question I had for such a long time.

I really liked the examples that people are providing, but I'd thought I'd give my two cents as a religious-but-religiously-unaffiliated person + chaos witch (I think I can call myself that.)

when I find myself talking to a higher power it sounds very similar to talking to myself or catching up with a friend. obviously, I'll do it respectfully and try not to waste anyone's time (mine or theirs.) this is not gonna work for everyone. it will depend a lot on your deity and your relationship with them, but I see a lot of value, (especially for fellow neurodivergent folks) in being able to vocalize your gratitudes, experiences and needs to your deities without feeling beholden to a prayer structure that might feel too intimidating or monotonous.

a very loose structure to it, which isn't mandatory but may be helpful to you could be:

give a greeting (possibly an offering) describe your life and recent successes and difficulties, ask for help or blessing in an area you need help in, and give thanks.

I'm very curious to know if anyone does anything similar, since I developed this style of prayer very intuitively with my belief that prayer is as much intention setting as it is manifesting. once again though, I'm gonna have to read all the responses to this because I adore seeing all the different ways people pray.

[the-inkstained-witch]

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ how to make a money bowl ｡･:*˚:✧｡

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

background: I've found that this money bowl has worked very well for me! for context I'm a high school student who has been looking for a summer job and struggling. I cast the spell on litha with the intention of attracting volunteer jobs and occasional gigs like babysitting, with a focus on work that I find genuinely fulfilling like babysitting, art and activist/community work. since then I've connected with new babysitting clients, gotten a volunteer gig that almost guarantees me a job in the future, been asked to paint a mural for a neighbor, and been given random cash gifts from family. however, I guarantee that this is not only the spell!!! you should still be working towards earning whatever you want to attract. hopefully after casting the spell, it will come easier!

what I used (use what you have, few things are required)

container/vessel

candle (green or white are best, you can anoint this or use a candle with prosperity herbs, whatever works for you)

coins (you could probably do a money jar without this, but I've never seen it done)

slips of paper with intentions written on them

bay leaves (for luck)

cinnamon (for prosperity and abundance)

allspice (for prosperity and abundance)

What to do

place the candle in the middle of the vessel, you might want to glue it down or secure it in place if it doesn't stand well on its own

add whatever herbs into the vessel, use whole herbs if you can to minimize mess

add some coins into the vessel

write your intentions on slips of paper and add them into the vessel

light the candle, and begin adding in more coins, reciting an intention or affirmation for each one, and putting out the candle when you're done

every day, add or remove some money from the bowl

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

let me know about your results/modifications if you try this spell! blessed be!

[theic-manic-deactivated20250519]

My low effort, Chaos witch equivalent:

Find some spare change.

Put it in a bowl or shiny dish, idk

Place on altar or a desk (figure it out)

Sincerely,

Won a year worth of free coffee + $10k after doing this

Though I also have a pretty good natal chart so that probably buffed it.

[the-inkstained-witch]

Love this ^^^

Spells don't need to be flashy to be powerful!

[salixsociety]

Determining Appropriate Herb Usage

On figuring out if an herb is closed, and appropriate usage of cultural plants.

I often see people asking for things like a list of closed herbs/plants. And while I hate to be the bearer of bad news, sometimes you have to accept that what seems like a simple and practical solution can never be made reality. There will never be an exhaustive or complete list of closed herbs, because there are too many. Also, not everybody agrees on what appropriation is, and there are a lot of cultures that should be closed but haven't been appropriated enough for that to be common knowledge/a concern the original culture expresses. So here is how to go over all the necessary considerations to see if you are or could be (mis)appropriating an herb.

Determining if a Plant is Closed/Inappropriate to Use

The best rule of thumb, in my opinion, to check if an herb is not open to you is to answer the following questions. These may be good to apply to other items and practices, too.

Is the plant native to an area of land that is or once was primarily populated by indigenous people(s), or by a cultural group with a history of oppression by external groups?

Is the plant extremely/famously culturally significant to the people stewarding it?

Would it be of detriment to the people of that culture, or the culture itself, if you also used it?

Are you able to use it in the appropriate cultural context?

Have the people of that culture suffered in the past because of the use of that plant by external groups, or by your specific culture/background?

Is the plant endangered?

Not all of these need to be a yes for the plant to be a closed plant. Really, even if you only said yes to two the odds are solid you shouldn't be using it - but you need to factor the necessary nuance.

Below the cut: examples, definitions of closed practices and cultural appropriation, appropriate cultural context, usage dependent appropriation.

EXAMPLES: ---------

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

This plant is most likely fine for you to use. ---------

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

No

You should not use this plant. ---------

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

You should not use this plant. ---------

Now I can imagine some people upon hearing this will be shocked at how many plants this suddenly rules out. "By this logic, cinnamon is closed too!" And to that I say: there is nothing wrong with that. This leads us into our next topic:

Culturally Appropriate Usage

I can make many arguments for why cinnamon might be closed to certain people, especially Northwestern Europeans. You mean to tell me you use a spice that was a direct reason for age-long exploitation of a giant nation, millions of deaths, slave trading, etc... for prosperity magic, as an English person? That's sounding pretty crazy to me. I am not afraid to point out the flaws in using plants from wildly different parts of the world and wildly different cultures than your own in magic, and this is one of them. What's more is that your local environment probably already has plants or materials that have been associated with prosperity or money *without* slave trade involved, and in learning them and to love them you are contributing to cultural and environmental preservation. (See my post about connecting with local flora). Cinnamon only serves as an example here. There are many plants that may only be closed in certain circumstances, to certain people(s), et cetera. And there are many ways to use plants in both culturally appropriate and inappropriate ways. One situation that is always appropriate is if you were invited by the people of that culture to use their closed plant alongside them, with their guidance. It is also appropriate to use a plant very culturally significant to others if you are able to respect the cultural value, cosmology, traditional way of using, and goals of a plant while using it - you can copy the entire ritual and associated beliefs without doing harm to the original culture. In turn, if you cannot do that, even if your people are not a (historical) oppressor to the culture the plant is native to, consider whether it is really appropriate for you to apply, and if there's something closer to home that serves the same purpose. Also note that if your motivations for wanting to participate in something is that it feels more beautiful, mystical, spiritual, or something else in that vein, that is usually fetishization.

Definition of a 'Closed' Plant, Appropriation

A closed item, practice, etc, is defined as something unique to one cultural/ethnic/racial group and cannot be practised by people outside of the group. You must either be born into the group or initiated into it through ritual by approved authorities. You may be invited to temporarily partake in closed practices by people formally in the group practicing it, but you do not become truly part of the practice, and your right to partake starts and ends with the invitation you received. Something can be closed to you, but not to certain other groups not part of the tradition. This usually occurs if the person wishing to partake is of a background that is associated with harm or hatred to the practicing group. This should be respected. The opposite of a closed something is an open something. Cultural appropriation is unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of certain cultural practices, values, items, beliefs, etc into your own conduct. It is defined as inappropriate when the way you do it, or your doing it at all, brings harm to the people originally practicing. The culture and knowledge about it going lost, being irreversibly changed, being widely misunderstood, watered down or ostracized counts as harm. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to appropriate open practices and materials.

-- I hope if nothing else this was a helpful guide for you to use as a rule of thumb. Let's all add everything we can to cultural conservation and respect, and teach kindly those who are not yet aware.

[the-inkstained-witch]

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ how to make a money bowl ｡･:*˚:✧｡

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

background: I've found that this money bowl has worked very well for me! for context I'm a high school student who has been looking for a summer job and struggling. I cast the spell on litha with the intention of attracting volunteer jobs and occasional gigs like babysitting, with a focus on work that I find genuinely fulfilling like babysitting, art and activist/community work. since then I've connected with new babysitting clients, gotten a volunteer gig that almost guarantees me a job in the future, been asked to paint a mural for a neighbor, and been given random cash gifts from family. however, I guarantee that this is not only the spell!!! you should still be working towards earning whatever you want to attract. hopefully after casting the spell, it will come easier!

what I used (use what you have, few things are required)

container/vessel

candle (green or white are best, you can anoint this or use a candle with prosperity herbs, whatever works for you)

coins (you could probably do a money jar without this, but I've never seen it done)

slips of paper with intentions written on them

bay leaves (for luck)

cinnamon (for prosperity and abundance)

allspice (for prosperity and abundance)

What to do

place the candle in the middle of the vessel, you might want to glue it down or secure it in place if it doesn't stand well on its own

add whatever herbs into the vessel, use whole herbs if you can to minimize mess

add some coins into the vessel

write your intentions on slips of paper and add them into the vessel

light the candle, and begin adding in more coins, reciting an intention or affirmation for each one, and putting out the candle when you're done

every day, add or remove some money from the bowl

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

let me know about your results/modifications if you try this spell! blessed be!

[the-inkstained-witch]

I'm back (partially)! updates + money jar

school is over now for me, and besides some volunteering my summer isn't going to be very busy. because of that I'm hoping to become more active again on here! I try to put a lot of effort into all of my posts and so posting can get overwhelming sometimes, but I'll try to split the difference between making very useful/informative posts and posting often.

since I last posted, the most major thing that has changed in my practice is that I've stopped veiling daily. I'd like to get back in the habit, but especially since cutting my hair, veiling has become more difficult and felt like more of a burden than something that brought me joy. I'll continue trying, but I'm not going to try to force it back into my life if I don't find it has a place there.

additionally, I've been exploring my religious identity a lot more. I began praying semi-regularly, and attended mass for the first time in my life. I took a school class on world religions, something which gave me the opportunity to write a report on Unitarian Universalism, something I've become deeply interested in. I virtually attended a Unitarian Universalist service and, although I have many criticisms of the church, Unitarian Universalism is currently the closest way to describe my religious identity in simple terms. I will probably be talking more about secular worship spaces and the comparisons I've drawn between UU congregations and covens in the future.

finally, just yesterday I celebrated litha (celebrated might be an exaggeration, I prayed and lit a candle) and started a money bowl! I'm very excited to see how it works out, especially because it may or may not have started working immediately.

this summer, you can expect to see me posting about my thoughts on spiritual congregations, more spellwork, my herb garden, and making smoke cleansing bundles from scratch.

my ask box is always open if you want to say hi, chat about any of my or your interests, or ask about me or my practice! blessed be!

[aleck-le-mec]

“Paganism is dead”

No man it’s just not organized and that’s the way it should be, creating a monoculture for paganism is potentially extremely dangerous to its themes of individualism and personal practices . Yeah we don’t have temples or pilgrimages but that’s because the grace of the natural world/ our deities can be found anywhere and everywhere we don’t need temples our own bodies are pagan temples. Our own flesh and bones are structures of divinity to us, we make altars in our houses and make those our blessed places. Most of paganism is heavily private of course you think it’s dead that and anytime western culture is faced with a polytheistic system it has an absolute hissy fit.

[the-inkstained-witch]

sometimes mundane witchcraft is putting a glamour spell on your makeup or stirring a sigil into your coffee, and sometimes it's sending baneful energy by flipping off every cop car you see, and I think that's beautiful

[the-inkstained-witch]

thrift stores have probably been more beneficial for finding items for my practice then any metaphysical shop and with a lot less cultural appropriation

the houseware section at my favorite thrift store had basically a whole altar that you could have bought for less than 15 dollars. I could see thrift stores working especially well for you if you practice Christian witchcraft or folk Catholicism, because there's no shortage of Christian imagery in small statues and wall art. I've bought literal bags of candles at thrift stores for just a few bucks, and the selection of items like beads, candle holders, jars and trays is something you're never going to find that reasonably priced anywhere else. not to mention the scarves! nearly my entire collection of veils (about a dozen scarves and a dozen bandanas) was thrifted. my advice to anyone starting off in their craft who wants to use common items like spoons and jars in their practice is to find them at thrift stores. obviously, always cleanse the hell out of them. there's gonna be all sorts of unwanted energy in and around them that you're not gonna wanna fuck with, but personally I also love the strong energy coming off a once loved, no longer needed item. thrift stores and charity shops are amazing ways to find new and interesting items to involve in your craft.

[the-inkstained-witch]

(belated) blessed Imbolc! I had an amazing time this sabbat. continuing in the tradition I set last yule, I went over to a friend's house. we burned an incense I've been wanting to burn and haven't had a chance because my parents are sensitive to strong scents. it smelled really good and we got a very nice cleanse out of it. our main activity for the day was making rosemary oatcakes that I had saved on my Imbolc Pinterest board. they turned out really good and I would highly recommend trying them, either for Imbolc or just to try an interesting new recipe. we made 2 oatcakes, which were both divided in 4, and we left out a piece as an offering and ate the rest.

the oatcakes were very pretty and quite easy to make. we used fresh rosemary because I grow it in my garden, and I think that was a big part of the reason it tasted so good, so I would recommend using fresh rosemary as opposed to dried if you can. We also burned a candle, made a sigil, and made some black salt which my friend let later put into a spell jar to gift to our mutual friend.

what did all of you do for Imbolc?

[cultkinkcoven]

I love seeing prayers and stories of devotees who worship Gods that I don’t worship.

Actually, I’ve always been like this.

I love hearing the tales of religions that I don’t subscribe to. Even if I don’t agree with every Christian, I do enjoy hearing Christians talk about how wonderful Jesus is and what he means to them personally.

I enjoy hearing Muslims talk about their prayers, how they reserve time out of their day for their God.

I enjoy hearing Jews sing their psalms, I love hearing about how they prepare their food, how they consider God’s hands in their meals.

I love hearing about Hellenic rituals and Semetic celebrations. I love learning about the different holy days among different groups of pagans.

I love learning how different people have incorporated different Gods, acts, and customs into their faith. I love hearing about their myths and legends, the stories they tell their children before bed.

I love hearing about the different ways that humanity has connected to their personal idea of God.

I don’t worship Apollon or Shiva today, but I am so delighted to hear the prayers of those that do. It’s like I’m getting to feel the mist erupting off of a waterfall. Or hearing the echo of a song that I do not know the lyrics to, but I can still hum the melody. I can feel the notes permeate my mind, even if I don’t know what they mean.

I love that there are people who worship these Gods that I do not worship. I’m happy that there is so much diversity among humanity that we have enough love in us for all of them.

For the ones that even I don’t know the names of, or felt the warmth of. Someone has.

That’s a very very good thing.

[witchyphoebe]

Happy Imbolc!

It's almost time for Imbolc, the celebration of Nature's renewal, and of Brigid, for those who work with deities.

As a newbie witch, that's my first Imbolc. I red stuff about the gaelic celebration called Imbolc or Imbolg also known as Saint Brigid's Day. It was probably used for christianization to celebrate what we call in France "la chandeleur", the candlemas, 40 days after Christmas. We do like to eat crêpes in France for this celebration. I still don't know how I'm gonna celebrate Imbolc, but I'm sure I will find a nice way to celebrate life and Mother Nature waking up from those cold times. As a kitchen Witch, I'm guessing it's gonna manifest throughout my recipes ^^ And you, how are you gonna celebrate Imbolc?

[the-inkstained-witch]

I'm planning on going over to a friend's house for Imbolc (we're starting a traditional of visiting his house for each sabbat since I can't smoke cleanse in my house.) no specific plans yet but I'm probably gonna bring some of my veils to cleanse since I don't do it as often as I should. I'd also like to bake or prepare and bless some food. I'll update with what we did after Imbolc is over!

[the-inkstained-witch]

I think for a lot of witches who aren't in covens, the desire to be in a coven is really just the desire to have real-life friends who practice.

(I'm speaking as a witch who is not and has never been in a coven, and currently has no desire to be.)

I absolutely see the value of covens, and I have some thoughts about the use of covens in community building, social justice witchcraft and mutual aid brewing (no pun intended), but I think a lot of people seek out a coven when what they really want are people to share their practice with who can give knowledge and resources in return.

I'm lucky to have half-a-dozen friends interested in witchcraft in my local community, and having them around gives me so much motivation to practice more and more often. even when I've actually practiced with only one or two of them, we're constantly giving each other resources that helped us and extra materials we no longer need. the impulse from beginner witches especially, I've found, comes from wanting specific personal guidance from a witch they perceive as more experienced. The best way to form these personal connections, in my experience, is to have friends who are friends first, fellow witches second.

in all honesty I don't know what I'm trying to say with this other than:

go seek out people with similar interests as you in witchy spaces, go seek out witchy people in spaces related to your other interests, and be there to help your friends who are interested in practicing. it can be unbelievably valuable to your practice and your interpersonal life.

[ravenhexxx]

There are so many witches who are really ok bring solitary and I say more power to them but I've always wanted bros and sisters to share our magick together...having the same path instead of always straying from closeness and stubborn attitudes....just imo

[the-inkstained-witch]

good point! having a community of witches around you gives you a chance to explore different aspects of the craft you might not have considered otherwise.