~+Working the roots and laying of tricks~+ @theconjuringvirgo - Tumblr Blog

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sonandheirofnothinginparticular

mystiquenasty

‘“My grandma’s old prayer altar inspired me to create one of my own.”- Tantolohun Ayanda’

slewfootwitch

𝔞 𝔪𝔢𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔡 𝔬𝔣 𝔴𝔞𝔵 𝔣𝔦𝔤𝔲𝔯𝔢 𝔠𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔠𝔥𝔠𝔯𝔞𝔣𝔱

["A Method of Wax Figure Creation for Witchcraft"]

Note: This is one of my methods of poppet creation for wax dolls. It's not the only way. It's just one of my personal preferences. You're welcome to use it, adjust it, etc. as is comfortable for you.

I like to create my wax dolls using a central personal item from your target as a solid base. I like to use a taglock of matted hair from a target. Due to the amount of hair that is needed for this, I find it best to use hair collected from the target's brush. But, if you only have a few strands of hair, you can fill out the rest of your matted base with yard or thread. If you have herbs, written commands or other elements you want to incorporate, you can add them to this core as well. Begin by twisting and teasing the hair with your fingers until it holds together relatively well. Once it reaches this point, I recommend rolling it together between your palms until it has a firm, cigar-like shape. This doesn't have to be big, but it will serve as the core of your wax figure's torso and will give the initial wax something to cling to.

If you do not have a target--for example, if you are making a wax figure as an offering or as a seat for a spirit--you can use any item for your core. It does not need to be a taglock. That's just what I prefer to do for targeted effigy magic.

Once your taglock is complete, set it aside and use a double boiler or a countertop wax melter to melt the wax for your figure. I like to use beeswax because I have it already on hand for candles, but it's not very forgiving. If you want to make your wax figure more detailed, I recommend using a softer wax that you can more easily mold and shape. Melt and temper your wax the same way you would for hand-dipped candles (in Fahrenheit that's about 180 degrees for beeswax, 160 for paraffin wax, 150 for soy wax, 175 for calendula wax). If you don't have a thermometer, you can find the sweet spot by playing around with your heat once you start dipping. If your wax is coming out lumpier than you would like, the heat is too low. If the layers are building too slowly, it is too high.

Using tongs or a string tied around the taglock (which I find the easiest method), dip your figure's core into the wax several times to begin to build an initial shape. To speed this process along, it can be helpful to have a bucket of cool/cold water on hand to dip the figure into between wax dips. Just make sure to dab off any water droplets before redipping into the wax to prevent any water from getting trapped. Once you have a good core shape, you can start to accumulate layers with quicker dipping and use your fingers or a tool to start to shape the limbs and features. It is helpful to cover your workspace with wax or parchment paper during this part so you can safely lie the doll down to work with. Don't try to shape the limbs too long at once. They will get longer as you add layers. If anything breaks off while shaping, use a little wax to reattach and dip it a few times to reinforce it.

When your figure is the shape that you want, you can continue to add any desired detail (very carefully) using a warmed metal tool to shape fine details, smooth the surface, and make any inscriptions you like. I like to activate these figures by holding them under water once they are finished and saying "Drowned you are, waxen doll. Creature of my own making. When you are born again, you shall be changed and renamed." Then, lifting the doll from the water, say "Now you are born anew and a-named. I name you [target's name] and make you [target's name]. All that is done to you shall also be done to [target's name]."

If you are making a figure as an effigy or as a seat for a spirit, you can dedicate it in whatever way you prefer. You do not need to use the drowning method.

slewfootwitch

Reblogging to add: A good shortcut for these if you want a larger doll with more pronounced limbs and features is to actually make the figure itself out of Wikki Stix. If you don't know what those are, they a craft supply that I used to have in my classroom when I was a teacher, basically a thickly waxed yarn you can make sculptures out of. (You can also make your own using cotton yarn and a melted mixture of 2 parts modeling beeswax and 1 part lanolin [by weight, not very much just enough to saturate the yarn]. There are DIY tutorials for Wikki Stix or Bendy Yarn on the big online if you want to find them.) Use the Wikki Stix to make the figure and then dip it into the wax until builds the figure up the way you like.

sexmortem

Just a friendly reminder that a lot of the ATR's in the diaspora were used to disrupt white supremacy and colonialism, so gone ahead and get back to doing that.

mindnmybidness

Idk who needs to hear this but just a reminder hoodoo is a closed practice ESPECIALLY for non Black people. Stay safe though or not. Fuck around and find out if you want to.

twotheleft

colorbluie

libraford

The amount of 'witchy' groups on Facebook that are defending and encouraging genAI is fucking infuriating. Like... do you actually believe in anything or do you just believe in content?

libraford

Absolutely dog shit takes from the pagan/witch community.

"You can't say its bad for the environment while still using Facebook because Facebook has high water usage, too."

Oh! So its okay then. Its okay to massively increase our water usage because we were already wasting water, so its okay to waste more water.

In the 80s, yall would have been like 'what if we made the hole in the ozone bigger?'

"The water used to cool the servers isnt wasted, it goes back into the soil and into the water cycle. This is third grade science."

And leaks biocides and corrosion inhibitors into the ecosystem. This is 6th grade science. For pages that give us the thinnest veneer of being 'stewards of the earth,' you'd think they'd have at least watched Captain Planet.

From a group of people that purport to be 'earth children,' so especially tone-deaf.

And then there's the misinformation, a problem already so incredibly present in the witch/pagan community and amplified by easy access to a machine that generates eye-catching graphics.

For the past month, one of these pages has been posting about different 'runes' and 'sigils' that are clearly made with AI. No historical precedence. No information for whom these runes belong or how theyre used. And wholly impractical to use because look at them-

The fuck are these? What do they mean? What is their use? Which vampires use these and how? What use to me is this? Why does this go on a witchy page and not a roleplaying page?

No context, only content. And when I ask, I dont get answers because they dont have answers. Its just content.

Im watching 2016 witchblr discourse again because someone found out the mediocrity machine can generate 1 true thing and twelve false things and decided not to tell which is which.

"But genAI helps business owners!"

Disrespectfully, it does not. It doesnt do anything that we weren't already able to do with a little bit of effort. We have always had stock photo archives. Product photography and writing copy are skills you can learn. Make graphics with clipart. I dont think AI is actually helping any businesses because customers are turned off by the lack of genuine effort.

All of this, the displacement of jobs and homes, the data scraping, its manipulative nature and more... and for what?

A bland image of a woman standing in front of the moon with a cauldron? AI makes art that is mediocre at best.

Its not worth it.

teal-deer

The new era of tech seems to be built on superstitious behaviour

this is an article about how LLMs, intentionally or not, mimic the common tricks of psychics and fortune tellers. I'm not surprised *at all* that the Pagan/Witch community has fallen hook, line, and sinker for this stuff, because they're primed to want to believe that there's something Magic in that machine.

Please read the article and be aware of it.

coffeecreamandbrownsugar

Blessed by the Ancestors

afriblaq

Hoodoo Tradition

hoodoojournal

Let's Chat

There are certain roots and such that are basic tools in Hoodoo, but it's also regional. Hoodoo isn't supposed be store bought in order manifest and do your work. Hoodoo is collecting what you have and using it with the guidance of those before you. (This is why it's considered a closed practice. The guides in Hoodoo are of African American slaves. Though we are no longer slaves, they were. Their words were passed down in their family and community. Their intuition and knowledge...)

But back to the main point though. I use mugwort and dandelion and horseweed in my Hoodoo. Why? Because that's what I have. I also use red clover flowers, because that what grows where I live. Do I also have other items that aren't from around here growing in my yard? Yes, but I try not to rely on them heavily, use a smaller amount, or I make large batches in forms that will last.

Hoodoo was accessible to our ancestors. They were mostly everyday items manipulated and used to manifest. There might have been lesser used harder to get items, but those were reserved for serious deep work...

isaacmournidino

chaosophia218

Descent of Spirit into Matter.

seafoamaphrodite

a beginner’s guide to…

✨ altars ✨

here are some materials you can use for an altar, whether it is for your spellwork, a deity, or any other use! altars should reflect your personality, and be a space where you feel happy and safe :D

none of these materials are required, and everything is completely customizable to your beliefs! (just practice respect and safety obviously)

🕯️ basics 🕯️

an altar cloth is a piece of fabric that covers your altar. this could be a bandana, a small blanket, or even a piece of paper!

a glass plate is a mundane but VERY versatile altar piece. it can work as an offering dish, a tray to collect wax drippings, or just a little trinket holder

candles are an easy addition to any altar. you can use any type of candle, but my favorites are taper and prayer candles. scented candles are completely fine to use as well! choose candles based on color and scent

natural materials like crystals, flowers, plants, animal bones (responsibly sourced), etc. are an incredible addition to any altar! if you have a deity altar, learn about their associations and use this to guide your choice

paper and pen/pencil will be your best friend if you write petitions, draw sigils, etc. keep them near your altar for convenience

🌱 cleansing 🌱

many people believe an area should be “cleansed” before it is used as an altar or sacred space

methods of cleansing include incense, water cleansing, sage smudging, and more

incense cleansing is often done by wafting an incense stick or cone through a space and visualizing the smoke clearing out negative energy

sandalwood, lavender, and rosemary are common incense choices for cleansing

water cleansing is something i do a lot, it can be done by sprinkling water in an area or even washing/pouring water. regular tap water is perfectly fine, but you can also incorporate moon water, sun water, rainwater, etc.

smudging with sage involves burning a bundle of sage and, similar to incense cleansing, wafting the smoke through the area. sage smudging is traditional to indigenous tribes like the Lakota and Navajo. as a result, sage smudging (especially the use of white sage) is often considered cultural appropriation when done by non-indigenous people. i am not indigenous nor do i use sage, so i am not incredibly well versed on the subject but i thought i should include it. always do research and practice respect and sensitivity 💌

🌙 takeaways 🌙

finally, your altar is YOUR space. you can include or exclude anything you want; your space doesn’t need to be “aesthetic” or make sense to others

my first altar was a cardboard box with one candle and a handful of crystals. it wasn’t expensive or fancy, but it got me into my practice

through the years, my altar has grown and changed as i have

if you want to make an altar, start with what you have! you would be surprised how powerful your resources are 🩷

#general knowledge #regular altars