Love Begins
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Acquired Stardust
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I'd rather be in outer space 🛸
almost home
@theartofmadeline
roma★
Andulka
Game of Thrones Daily
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Three Goblin Art
Sade Olutola
Stranger Things
Jules of Nature
if i look back, i am lost
Today's Document
Keni
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
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@thehappymediumscauldron
I absolutely love this viking dragonship incense burner! Not only is the design appealing & striking, but it works well too - the “belly” of the boat is broad & deep enough to collect all the ash.
Where did you get yours?!
Oh sorry, I got mine HERE
They’re $14.99 with free shipping
My dad is obsessed with Vikings I need to get this like now.
I have this! My best friend bought it for me! It’s epic!
I feel like I'm under a true Lokean blessing. The divine as protective chaos - my favorite example being "you get lost driving, but if you had taken the correct route, conditions were such that you would have died in a car accident."
I feel I am being kept alive and safe, but as a cost I have had to endure inconvenience after inconvenience this week. So much has gone terribly wrong, from bad weather and almost ruined meals, down to waking from a terrifying nightmare into excruciating pain. Nothing dangerous, often scary and very emotionally upsetting.
And I am extremely grateful for this blessing. I really see it as providence in my life yet again.
Can monster energy be turned into moon 'water' in theory?
NOT REALLY? IT CAN BE TURNED INTO MOON MONSTER ENERGY THOUGH
#would you believe me if i said i forgot my url and was like 'this bitch is funny' and then remembered im bitch
How dare you hide this in the tags you are HILARIOUS XD
Secular Celebrations on Hex Positive
With a holiday on the horizon, lots of us are already planning our seasonal festivities. But for some witches, it can be difficult to know where to start, particularly if you’re just starting out or if you don’t follow the Wheel of the Year model. (Or if, like me, you prefer your craft more secular.)
If you’re looking for ideas, I’d like to suggest Episode 11 of Hex Positive, “Secular Celebrations.” The episode runs through the calendar from Imbolc to Yule and details ideas for celebrating festivals, solstices, and seasonal changes in a secular fashion, as well as suggestions for journaling or meditation.
I structured the content around the WOTY since it’s very popular and often mentioned in the witchcraft community, but the suggestions in the episode are based on the time of year in which each holiday occurs and the ideas behind the holidays themselves, rather than any particular religious or spiritual tradition.
You can find the episode on the Nerd and Tie Podcast Network site or on your favorite podcatcher. A full transcript is also available on my Wordpress for anyone who’d like to add it to their notes. (And if you like the podcast, please leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts to help the show reach more people!)
Happy Witching!
Shop Update
I finally found the time and the wherewithal to make some more powders!
The Luck Salt is back in stock, the Banishing Powder has been added to, and I’m working on another batch of Hexbreaker Powder.
Also, I’m adding a new entry to the list - Jackpot Powder. Add a pinch or two to your money-drawing spells to give them an extra boost, or use it in spells to keep a balance in the bank and an easy flow of financial stability into your home.
I’ll be posting a poll on my social media soon to get some input on what else you’d like to see added to the shop!
Fun Facts
Easter has NOTHING to do with:
Ishtar
Ostara
Pagan holidays
A goddess called Eostre (Bede was a speculating idiot and he’s the original source for this nonsense)
Easter has EVERYTHING to do with:
The Jewish celebration of the Passover seder
The Christian celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
Nobody stole our shit. Easter was never pagan to begin with. Rabbit was considered “fish” by the medieval Catholic Church so that people could eat it during the 40 days of Lent, and eggs laid during the Lenten fast were hardboiled for preservation and then eaten during the breaking of the fast on Easter Sunday. That’s why we have bunnies and eggs.
Stop conflating Easter with pagan holidays, and get the fuck out of here with that casual anti-semitism.
Thank you and good day.
All of this.
Oh look, it’s my legacy. 😁
Okay, but like Easter is about Easter…
The type of Seder that Jesus would have attended is in no way indicative of what a Passover Seder is to Jews because it was a different type of Judaism at the time.
I agree that Easter was not stolen from pagan traditions, but it is also not based on Jewish ones and it’s important not to conflate “Judeo-Christian” because we’re two separate entities. That’s why Christians holding a Seder is very wrong.
So even though we’re monotheistic, please don’t conflate the two. Especially when you’re discussing distinctions between holidays around the same time, because the resurrection of a savior has nothing to do with my people fleeing slavery.
Okay, I have been seeing this go around in the notes, and witchkeni does make a very important point. In the interest of transparency and also respect for all my Jewish friends and neighbors out there, please allow me to clarify.
The TIMING of Easter is related to Passover, as the Last Supper is widely believed to have been a Passover Seder. (Fully acknowledging that the Biblical canon is describing very different circumstances and traditions to what exists now.) The dates differ somewhat between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches because their holidays align to the Gregorian and Julian calendars respectively. (The shift from Julian to Gregorian affected the timing of certain other holidays as well, but I digress.)
Other than that, Passover and Easter are wholly separate and mean vastly different things to people of different Abrahamic faiths, and it IS very important not to conflate the two.
LINGUISTICALLY ALONE, the word for Easter in most languages is derived from that language’s word for Passover (Pax, Pasca, etc), because of the Christian-claimed connection that @breelandwalker is talking about. English is a weird exception, and yes, the word Easter is etymologically descended from Ostara.
But there’s no connection beyond that, anymore than there’s meaning behind why so many languages referring to the winter Christian holiday as some iteration of “nativity” and then English calls it Christmas. This is just because English is weird and likes to steal words in funny ways.
This listing is for the Plant Spirit Oracle Deck and Book SET by Dana Driscoll artist of the beloved Tarot of Trees! Enter the amazing world of plant spirit medicine with the Plant Spirit Oracle! The Plant Spirit Oracle is a 50-card oracle deck that is 3.5x5.5 in size (large size).
I just got my Plant Spirit Oracle Deck and I have to gush.
First of all, this deck is GORGEOUS! The images are lovingly crafted with a whimsical earthy spirit to them. All the plants and trees and fungi are accurately depicted within the artistic style and can be clearly identified. And the colors are so lovely and rich!
Just holding the deck and flipping through it, I felt an instant connection. It was like walking through the thicket of woods where I played as a child - familiar and comfortable, even with the pricklebushes. When I finished looking at all the cards, I just had to hold them to my heart for a minute because they made me so happy.
The accompanying book provides additional depth to the cards and the system they work within. It gives a detailed explanation of the meaning behind each card, and offers some suggestions for spreads and how to read them. There are also explanations and suggested rituals for connecting and working with plant spirits that my green fingers are just itching to try.
Dana O’Driscoll is a highly experienced practitioner, artist, and permaculturist as well as the head of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA) and a member of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD). I interviewed Dana for the March 2021 episode of Hex Positive and I can personally confirm that she is a positive delight. She’s well-versed in her craft and in practical herb lore, and she speaks of land spirit work and druidry in a way that is heartfelt and easy to understand. This is clearly reflected in her oracle deck and the accompanying book, and I would recommend them to any witch who loves plants, divination, druidry, or greencraft of any sort.
You can read more about Dana’s work and American Druidry over on her Wordpress blog, which I also recommend!
Witch Tips 24
Holy shit it’s been over a year since I posted one of these but it’s because I kept setting myself up for failure by putting way too high of expectations on myself to crank out 10 new and unique and helpful tips everytime I got 100 new followers except first it was 10 and then it was 50 and holy shit I got so stressed about these so I’ve just been writing them down as I’ve thought of them instead and now here we are, please be gentle.
Hello here are tips
1. Use transfer paper and a hair dryer to decorate candles.
Maybe you’re doing a spell for someone & you want to put a picture of that person on the candle. This can be a way to help you better visualize the effects of the spell on the person the spell is for. Or maybe you need a picture on the candle for some other reason. Maybe you want to put pictures of coins on it for a money spell. Or hearts for a love spell. Simply print out whatever you want on transfer paper, cut it out & place the image face-down on the candle. Then, you’ll want to get your hairdryer and a piece of tissue paper (I highly suggest the tissue paper is the same color as the candle, otherwise you risk getting that color onto the candle. Which can also be fine, but if it’s not what you want…) use the blow dryer on a low-warm setting to melt the photo onto the candle side. Remove the tissue paper and there you have it! A picture printed onto a candle.
2. You can incorporate witchcraft into ANYTHING… even brushing your teeth.
I recently got this fucking delicious toothpaste from Trader Joe’s. I’m one of those people who sometimes struggles to brush my teeth twice a day because I hate the taste of toothpaste. So I got a super unconventional toothpaste flavor instead, “fennel, propolis, & Myrrh. And about a week after using it, it struck me -holy shit these ingredients have meaning behind them. Most obviously, myrrh is associated with wisdom and meditation. And fennel has been used in magic for centuries! Even if you use regular mint toothpaste, that ingredient has power behind it! Obviously this goes more so for natural toothpastes but I’m sure you can find a way to enchant other varieties as well! Use the ingredients already infused into your toothpaste for enchantments & glamours!
3. Actually study your grimoire.
If I sound at all harsh by saying this, it’s only because I’m being harsh with myself too. Study your grimoire. Don’t just write everything down & then expect to have it all perfectly memorized & be a master in everything you research. Reread it. Rework it. Learn.
4. Feel drawn to be a sea witch but you don’t live by the ocean? Get a saltwater aquarium!
First off, I’m not saying that it’s a flawless solution. Being a witch of the sea is more than just using salty fish water in your craft. HOWEVER, with that out of the way, there’s no way that a salt water aquarium will harm your craft as a sea witch. Think of it like a houseplant for a green witch. Sure, living in the forest would be better but it’s still something special to be able to bring a little piece of your craft into your home.
5. Personal taglocks make a spell more powerful, but exercise caution when using them.
Undoubtedly, using a taglock (such as a strand of hair) can better connect you to the spells you’re performing, but they’re not always wise to use. I only use them in extremely personal spells and crafts. Things that no one except for me can have access to. I would never suggest using a taglock on something that you wish to give another person (especially another witch) such as a spell bottle or sachet. Even if you’re best friends. Even if you’re siblings. Even if you’re MARRIED. You never know when a relationship can turn south or what someone is capable of when they’re extremely angry with you. Don’t risk it.
6. Be respectful of the deities that you don’t worship or work with
I don’t work with deities. Shocker, I know. I have my own belief system when it comes to higher powers that I won’t get into on Tumblr, probably ever. But I do believe in showing respect to all things, both living, dead, & otherwise specified. If a deity approaches you who you’re not interested in working with, please remain kind & respectful with in declination. You’re allowed to say no to anyone and everyone.
7. Just because someone is more experienced doesn’t necessarily mean they’re always right.
Without naming names or being too specific, there was a witch I followed on Tumblr for a long time. They were much older than me and had been a witch for like 20+ years. I followed everything they said as fact. But slowly, over time I started to learn more and realized I didn’t always agree with them. They were SO negative. If they heard basically anything new that younger witches were coming up with, they’d have a whole 10 paragraph post about how “stupid and wrong and ridiculous and fake” these new witches were. There was not an ounce of open mindedness with this person. And because of that, I started to feel really bad about myself and my craft. Things they said would stick with me and I’d feel so shitty about it. Well fuck. That. More experience means absolutely nothing if the person is unwilling to learn or expand their minds beyond their previous knowledge. Anyone can learn and anyone can teach. Age means nothing. Surround yourself with open minded people.
8. Put full moon water into your humidifier to charge your space.
This is an idea that only just occurred to me while I was setting up my crystals & jar of water to charge under the full blue moon on Samhain. I always turn my glowing humidifier on at night while I sleep. As I watched the mist begin to arise out the top I thought to myself, ‘if I’m charging that water (the glass jar on my altar) for the full moon, why not this water too?’ So now, I just add a little splash of full moon water into my humidifier water whenever I’m performing rituals or doing spell work. This way, the full moon water can charge my entire bedroom with the power of the full moon as I work.
Speaking of…
9. You can charge water under more moon phases than just full.
I don’t know if that wording was weird or not so I’m sorry if it doesn’t make sense. My point is, I always see people talking about moon water as if it’s only full moon water. The moon holds power in every phase she goes through. Adding to the above tip, you can put new moon water into your humidifier to cleanse your space. Waxing moon water to help you plan and focus. And waning moon water to assist during a banishment spell. Hell yeah dude, all phase of the moon are useful and powerful!
10. Incense matches are a great alternative to full incense sticks
I love burning incense, but sometimes it can really overwhelm the area, especially because my house is small & I dont want to expose my cat to it. Incense matches are literally matches that are covered in incense powder. They burn for just a few minutes & produce a steady stream of smoke for spells. They come in a bunch of different scents. I buy them locally for 30 matches for $1.05USD but you can probably find them cheaper online. Still be sure to keep them away from pets & those who are smoke-sensitive.
Thank you so much for reading, follow me for more #10tips, search my blog for the previous 230 tips, & have a magical day.
hey, i have a slightly odd question. you’ve said that you honor norse deities like Freyja and Thor but that you don’t consider yourself a heathen. I was hoping you could elaborate on this a little? what is your connection to these deities like and why don’t you consider yourself a heathen? I hope this doesn’t sound rude or too weird <3
No worries! Just to clarify, there are four deities that I honor - Brighid, Lugh, Freyja, and Thor. My personal pantheon is equal parts Irish Celtic and Norse.
In my mind, a heathen is someone who adheres to Norse pagan traditions and makes the culture part of their life in a regular and meaningful way. I don’t adhere to any particular cultural or religious traditions in my practice. (I actually consider myself a secular witch because my spirituality and my craft are largely separate.) Thus, in my mind, I am a person who venerates Norse deities, but not a heathen.
Plus, I give equal time to my Irish Celtic patrons (my primary patron is actually Brighid), so it doesn’t seem proper to identify myself as a heathen when I could just as easily call myself a Celtic pagan, which I don’t.
My spiritual beliefs are a bit all over the place and they’ve done a lot of changing over the years. So I feel it’s more expedient and appropriate to just identify myself as a non-denominational pagan, rather than trying to quantify things that would ultimately become too difficult to define without attaching a long explanation every time somebody asks what religion I am.
“I’m pagan” is much faster. And of course, if someone wants to know more, I’m happy to talk about it.
Gonna slap a sigil on my next batch of home-canned tomato sauce, call it “hermetically sealed”
My favourite incense mixes
I still consider myself being a ‘baby witch’, but I’ve been into smoke cleansing for a while now and I’d like to share two of my favourite mixes of herbs and resins, which I use regulary.
I use charcoal tablets for smoke cleansing from time to time, but for daily use I prefer an incense burner with a sieve. The scent is still pretty intense, but there’s no smoke. That’s a great alternative if you’ve got a fire alarm in your room ;)
Feel free to try these mixtures and let me know if you liked them as much as I do ;)
Calming Mixture for a relaxing evening
Lavender
Rose petals
Orange blossom
Benzoin siam
Mixture for creative work or meditation
Rosemary
Thyme
Mistletoe
Fumaria/ fumitory herb
Pine or spruce resin
The Bullshit-Free Witchcraft Podcast: 32. A New Satanic Panic?
A couple of years ago we did an episode on the history of the Satanic Panic of the latter half of the twentieth century, but recent events have led us to ask — could it be happening again? It’s very possible that we at the start of a new wave of satanic panic, and QAnon is just the latest symptom of a larger problem.
Important Links:
Our Satanic Panic Episode
NBC NY – Police Investigate Arson of Historic ‘Halloween House’
(And, of course, don’t forget this show is part of the Nerd & Tie Network, and funded by listeners like you via Patreon.)
Music: “So I Said It,” “The Man With One Eye,” “Untitled Nonsense” (Trae Dorn) / “Jaracanda,” Random Loops (Apple Music Library)
Listen to the episode / Subscribe on iTunes
Just in case anyone needs some clarification from our own dear curmudgeon @traegorn. I recommend checking out all the eps from BSFW, but this one is especially timely considering the current political climate and the bullshit many of us are dealing with at home.
Stay safe out there, friends!
Noisy Neighbour
To put a stop to loud and thoughtless neighbours who cannot be reasoned with. You've asked them to stop and they haven't. Now it's time for some witchcraft.
MATERIALS
Fabric Scraps - enough to make a poppet for each member of the family
Dirt from their property or trash they've thrown out
Small Cardboard Box
Permanent Marker
List of Grievances with a big STOP at the top of the list.
Make a poppet for each member of your neighboring household with a bit of dirt from their property (or trash they've thrown out) and their names inside. Sew the mouths shut on the poppets of the noisy neighbours and throw them in the little cardboard box.
Then, decorate the small cardboard box to look like their house and make sure to add their address. Read through your list of grievances:
STOP
1. shouting all the time
2. Playing loud music every day till 11pm. Etc.
Put the list of grievances in the box and tape it up. Give the box a good shake anytime your neighbours get annoying and if one in particular will not be quiet, feel free to pull out the pins and start poking their poppet in the head. A headache will follow and they won't feel like shouting or playing loud music anymore. Such a shame.
- Marci
The Witch of ‘Too Much’
Were you ever ‘too much’?
Witches usually are- we grow up being ‘too much’. You saw too much, you asked too much, you knew too much. You read too much in school and you talked too much in class. When you got home, you loved too many things; stray cats, birds with broken wings, and sickly houseplants at the back of the grocery store. You had too many ratty books 'rescued’ from the libraries burn pile, and your bedroom had too much junk; rocks, seashells, bits of paper, half-finished crafts….sound familiar?
You were probably punished for your too much. You learned to push it down, to cover it up and pretend to walk with your eyes forward and your brain empty like everyone else. You knew there was more, knew that someone or something out there could help you find more, but you were stuck with 'enough’.
But over the years, your 'too much’ began sprouting through the cracks, didn’t it? Like dandelions defying the toxic concrete above them, your true self breaks through into the sunlight again and again. And just like a dandelion, I promise that each time you’re free, you brighten everything around you. Sometimes you draw attention to a flaw in the system, even while showing how that flaw doesn’t have to be one at all. Other times, your’s are the actions that say, 'This is okay! This is exciting, look, I’m doing it!’
In my personal opinion, that’s what makes a 'natural witch’. That’s the origin of the crooked path. The dirt trail that deviates from the main road, and those who dare to walk it, are where we find real magic. There’s power in repetition, yes. In tradition, and following the steps of those before you. But there’s also power in seeking, in trying and searching and finding until you’re laying there absolutely exhausted, but satisfied at last with what you found.
Real witches are an endangered species. No one minds the armchair wizard, who collects secret tomes but has never done a single ritual. They’re tame. They’re safe. But the witches who walk with open eyes and pointing fingers, well, those are nuisances. They demand change, and work both mundanely and magically for it. They’re loud, they’re brash, they’re WEIRD…
…they’re 'too much’.
And thank all the Gods for them.
hey quick question, what the fuck is an Athame
It’s a name for the ritual dagger/knife. Such knives usually (but not always) have black handles.
The word is French originally, and I believe Gerald Gardner (??) was the first witch to name the dagger that - prior to that, they were just called daggers, I think. Here’s a picture of my athame. It was made from the femur of a stag.
The athame, in many traditions, represents the element of Air, but for some, it represents fire. For me, as you can see, it’s Air - but the symbol is inverted because the knife is upside down in the picture.
I personally never use my athame to cut physical things (I have a separate knife for that), but some witches probably do. Most of these knives are metal - my stag bone was an usual choice, but I’m happy with it so far.
I couldn’t have stopped myself even if I tried…
