This is the first of my wrestler-inspired bits of witchery, and it's inspired by radiant Sol Ruca. Her most iconic move, the Sol Snatcher, made me think of new perspective, of literally flipping your challenges. Also it's just so cool to watch.
Look at her go.
Materials
Slip of paper and pen/marker
Black candle
Fire-safe dish
How to
On your slip of paper, write down a problem or bad habit you are struggling with. (Example: I struggle with making friends)
Flip the paper upside down and write the opposite outcome, or what overcoming it would look like. (Example: My life is filled with people I vibe with)
Light the candle and say
Flip this and let it become
A lesson I can learn from
Heart true and future bright
I snatch away this temporary blight.
Take a moment to focus on the outcome you want. What would it mean to you? Reflect. Take a few deep breaths. When you're ready, burn the paper. Say
Just a quick compilation of the posts I've made about exercises to help improve your craft. These can be used as journaling prompts, inspiration for activities, or as methods for pulling yourself out of a slump and recharging your witchy inspiration.
Witchcraft Exercise - Quantifying Your Craft
Witchcraft Exercise - Dig Through The Ditches
Witchcraft Exercise - The Book of Lessons
Witchcraft Exercise - Home Brews
Witchcraft Exercise - Witchy Inspo Journal
Witchcraft Exercise - Spring Cleaning
Witchcraft Exercise - Creating Correspondences
Witchcraft Exercise - Creating Your Own Runes
Witchcraft Exercise - How to Write Your Own Spells
Witchcraft Exercise - Shakespearean Witchcraft
Witchcraft Exercise - Music To Witch By
Related Prompt - Music to Witch By
Witchcraft Exercise - Annual Review
Most of these are also available in the May 2021 bonus episode of Hex Positive (check your favorite podcatcher).
Happy Witching!
(If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar, tune in to my monthly show Hex Positive on your favorite podcast app, or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊)
Today we’re going to learn about pathos, a literary device that is used to persuade readers to take the proffered side in an argument. It can be used appropriately, but it can also be used inappropriately, such as to manipulate. As a preliminary note, the adjective form of pathos is “pathetic,” meaning “of pathos”–so when “pathetic” is used here, it is not used as a negative or disparaging word, only a factual descriptor. Here’s some info about pathos:
“When an author relies on pathos, it means that he or she is trying to tap into the audience’s emotions to get them to agree with the author’s claim. An author using pathetic appeals wants the audience to feel something: anger, pride, joy, rage, or happiness…Emotions can make us vulnerable, and an author can use this vulnerability to get the audience to believe that his or her argument is a compelling one.” [source]
The same source also says, “When reading a text, try to locate when the author is trying to convince the reader using emotions because, if used to excess, pathetic appeals can indicate a lack of substance or emotional manipulation of the audience.” (Emphasis mine.)
There’s also some great information here (and here, here, here, and here) about fallacious pathos, which is pathos that is used incorrectly or excessively to manipulate others. Here are some indicators that are common in witchblr:
Knee-jerk, blind, immediate dismissal of others’ views. If someone dismisses other viewpoints without giving a good reason for it, that’s a red flag. If the reason doesn’t make sense or hold up under scrutiny, same thing. This also extends to directing others to dismiss other viewpoints without engaging and deciding for themselves.
Unjustified and/or irrelevant emotional appeals. If somebody is using a lot of extremely emotional language, it’s probably a good idea to look closer. It’s possible that the emotion is being used to distract people from the facts; this happens a lot, for example, in political arguments. An additional sub-type of this is using a personal anecdote to gain pity from others, although in most cases, the personal anecdote has little bearing on the argument as a whole. This is especially effective on people who are generally empathetic and caring, because they tend to put themselves in the person’s shoes and thereby fall for it a lot easier (speaking as one who has learned the hard way).
Using guilt. If a person tries to guilt you into believing them or doing what they want, I’m guessing you already know that’s a big problem. But this can be more subtle than most people realize, and you may not notice it. Watch for language like, “If you do/don’t do x, then y (bad thing) will happen to me.” A related concept is using fear, which most people recognize pretty readily.
The slippery slope argument. This is when someone says things like, “If this isn’t taken care of now, the community will suffer for a long time to come.” For non-native English speakers’ reference, the name is derived from the phrase “it’s a slippery slope,” referring to walking along the top of a muddy hill and trying to avoid sliding down to the bottom.
Loaded terms. Using loaded terms is always, always an attempt to sway readers’ or listeners’ opinions, and it often works, while simultaneously being subtle enough that many people don’t notice the manipulation. That makes it quite prevalent in abusers’ speech. A loaded term is a word or phrase that is very difficult to argue against, like “freedom” or “responsibility”. No one wants to argue against these concepts, and that can lead them to subconsciously be more willing to believe the argument they’re presented as part of.
Generalization. We’ve all seen this a thousand times. “All Wiccans are fluffy,” “all tradcrafters are snooty,” and so on. This can also be slightly more specific, however: “that whole server is bad,” “all their followers are kids”. Whatever it is, it’s worth a second look, because generalizations are almost never correct. If ever–but then, that would be a generalization. ;)
I think that’s enough for now. There’s plenty of resources linked here, so I encourage everyone who is part of witchblr, or any social media group really, to use them. Do your research. Think for yourself. Vet everyone and everything–including me. Good luck.
Resources for those Seeking British Traditional Craft
Books
High Magic’s Aid by Scire (Gerald B Gardner)
Witchcraft Today by Gerald B Gardner
Meaning of Witchcraft by Gerald B Gardner
-These are the books that started the modern revival of witchcraft. When I was starting to research BTW, I was surprised in myself that I had actually never read Gardner’s books all the way through. I was further surprised by how much traditional lore is in the books themselves. I could see how it trickled down into traditional witchcraft as it is known today.
Witchcraft for Tomorrow by Doreen Valiente
-If you’re looking for a great primer to witchcraft in general, as well as some rituals and rites to try as you are Seeking, Valiente’s book is excellent. Her writing is very conversational, but she fills you in on everything you need to know in order to understand witchcraft through comparisons with other traditions. She hows you how the traditions that we have today came to be.
Rebirth of Witchcraft by Doreen Valiente
-If you want to the Tea, henny, you need to read this book. Valiente is one shady witch, and she tells you all the gossip about Gardner, Cochrane, Montebank, Howard, and others!
Covensense by Patricia Crowther
-I love this book. It’s an interview format with Crowther, who founded one of the more secretive lines of Sheffield. Her idiosyncrasies are abound in this book!
Lid Off the Cauldron by Patricia Crowther
-This is Crowther’s more practical book, akin to Witchcraft Today. There is information in here that will interested traditional crafters, including the Lame Foot Dance, certain calls, and the use of the Stang.
Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton
-This should be on everyone’s shelf
Trials of the Moon by Ben Whitmore
-And this book should also be on your shelf. It is a response to Hutton’s work, criticizing his sources, and his conclusions, much like how people critiqued Murray’s work.
Witch Amongst Us by Lois Bourne
Dances with Witches by Lois Bourne
-These two books are autobiographies of the high priestess of Bricket Wood coven, Lois Bourne. I find them charming and witty.
King of the Witches by June Johns
-The biography of Alex Sanders, founder of the Alexandrian tradition.
What Witches Do by Stewart Farrar
-A look into Farrar’s coven. He was a journalist investigating witchcraft when he decided to join in!
Traditional Wicca: A Seeker’s Guide by Thorn Mooney
-This is such a great book, and I wish I had read it before my initiation. I still enjoyed it, but it answered a lot of the questions that I pelted at my high priest and priestess. Thorn goes over some of the history of initiatory witchcraft; some questions Seeker’s may have about ritual nudity, coven structure, and training; and also some red flags to watch out for that may alert the Seeker to a fake or abusive coven.
Documentaries
Power of the Witch - 1971 ft Eleanor Bone and Doreen Valiente
Witch - 1964 ft Eleanor Bone
A Spell of Witchcraft Radio Series - Patricia and Arnold Crowther
Radio Recordings with Gerald Gardner
A Very British Witchcraft
Legend of the Witches
Seeker’s Groups
Here is a group for those Seeking Gardnerian Craft
And here is one for those Seeking Alexandrian Craft
Dear Friend, hello!Could I ask you to create a symbol that helps one look younger than their age and maintains this effect? The thing is, I already look 10 years younger than my age. I am 34, but I appear to be at most 25. I take care of my skin and eat healthily. However, I wish to look 18-20 years old. Thank you♥️♥️♥️
I don't think I can help with specific ages, but here is what I came up with:
Draw it on your makeup or lotion bottle, and charge how you like.
❦ Intent Is Not Everything: The Architecture of a Spell
You don’t build a fire by yelling “burn.” (or maybe you do?)
So let’s talk about why some spells flop. It's not because your desire was weak. Not because the moon was in the wrong position. But because you built a magical toaster and forgot to plug it in.
You can have a brilliant, spicy spark of intent, but if it has nowhere to go? No structure to hold it, no current to carry it, no ritual act to release it? That energy just... sits there. Fog in your chest. Static in your bones. Sometimes it loops. Sometimes it leaks. Sometimes it just becomes ✧vibe soup.✧
This isn’t about perfection. Or control. Or doing it “right.” It’s about structure and the subtle architecture that lets magic move.
Let’s break it down.
⚙︎ The Functional Parts of a Spell
⚘ 1. INTENT — The Internal Spark
This is the raw juice. The emotional voltage. The psychic heat. It’s not just what you want, it’s what you’re willing to make room for. Not a wish. A directive.
Intent is clearest when it’s emotionally honest and not trying to control everything like a micro-managing Virgo sun.
Bad intent ≠ evil intent. It usually just means the signal is fuzzy, performative, or split. You say “I want clarity,” but your gut is screaming “abandon ship.” That’s a short circuit.
⚛︎ Scientific thread: Functional EEG studies show intent activates motor planning centers before action begins (Libet, 1985). Translation: the brain literally starts prepping for action the moment will is engaged. Magic agrees.
Ask: What am I actually calling for? Not with my mouth, but with my will?
➴ 2. FOCUS — The Conscious Thread
Focus is what holds the circuit together. Lose it, and your spell turns into an energetic sneeze.
It’s not just about “concentrating.” It’s about staying present enough that the energy doesn’t leak out your ears. Focus is somatic. Breath. Trance. Motion. The ritual nervous system.
⚛︎ Scientific thread: Sustained attention boosts neural connectivity (Posner & Rothbart, 2007). Theta waves (4–8 Hz), accessed in trance or deep meditation, = peak spellcasting state. High suggestibility, low inner critic, good vibes.
Ask: Can I stay with the energy long enough to deliver it?
⚒︎ 3. ACTION — The Ritual Anchor
Action is what makes the spell real. It’s not a metaphor. It’s a physical interface.
Whether it’s lighting a candle, chanting, drawing sigils, or screaming into a jar. A ritual action anchors intent in time and space.
The body becomes the spell’s delivery system. It’s not just theater, it’s sensorial confirmation that “something has changed.”
⚛︎ Scientific thread: Embodied cognition says movement affects belief. Intentional gestures create somatic markers (Wilson, 2002). You literally move your body into belief.
Ask: What is my body doing to tell the world this spell is happening?
❀ 4. CORRESPONDENCE — Symbolic Resonance
This is how your spell speaks the universe’s language.
Correspondences (herbs, colors, crystals, numbers) aren’t just ✧aesthetic choices✧. They are the semantic tags of the ritual world.
But they’re not universal. What’s “attraction” in one system might be “banishing” in another. Magic is contextual. Meaning is coded.
⚛︎ Scientific thread: Lakoff & Johnson (1980) argue that cognition is metaphor-driven. When you use red for desire, you’re engaging neural circuits that associate red with heat, passion, and activation.
Ask: Do my symbols clarify the spell, or confuse it?
⌛︎ 5. TIMING — The Temporal Current
Spells don’t exist in a vacuum. They drop into a world that’s already moving.
Timing can mean:
Moon phases
Planetary hours
Your own emotional weather
Ancestor holidays
“This just feels right”
Right spell, wrong time? It fizzles. Or misfires. Or just ghosts you completely.
⚛︎ Scientific thread: Chronobiology says our bodies respond to time cycles (Refinetti, 2006). Mood, immunity, cognition—they’re all tide-sensitive. Why wouldn’t magic be?
Ask: What larger rhythm is this spell stepping into?
❂ 6. MEDIUM — The Elemental Channel
Magic needs a conduit. An element. A field. A medium to move through.
Is it fire? Smoke? Water? Ink? Your body? A blog post? A bone? A USB drive?
Medium decides how the energy moves, and where it lands. Wrong medium = muffled signal. It’s like trying to cast a glamour using baking soda.
⚛︎ Scientific thread: Energy always moves through something. Different materials conduct energy differently. Even placebo effects rely on the “medium” of meaning and context (Benedetti, 2012).
Ask: Where is this spell going? And can the medium carry it?
🜸 7. RELEASE — The Letting Go
No spell works if you cling to it like it’s your ex. You have to let it go.
Release is the exit point. The click. The exhale. The hand off the steering wheel. Without release, the spell loops. It stalls. It paces in your aura like a ghost waiting to be dismissed.
⚛︎ Scientific thread: Polyvagal theory says we need closure to reset our nervous system (Porges, 2011). The same might apply to magic: unresolved intention = energetic static.
Ask: Have I released this? Or am I still haunting it?
The Spell as a Functional Circuit
Visualize it like this:
If any part of the circuit is broken, the spell may misfire, stall, or just sit in your chest like ghost soup.
This is basically the magical version of a pre-flight safety check.
Magic Is Not Wishful Thinking. It’s Systemic.
A spell is not a vibe. It’s not ✧aesthetic ✧. It’s not a Pinterest board with herbs.
It is a functional symbolic system designed to influence reality. Neurologically, emotionally, energetically, maybe even physically.
It works when it’s built to move energy. When the circuit is whole. When the fire has a place to go.
A spell isn’t just a spark in the dark.
It’s the structure that carries that spark into the world. And lets it burn clean.
Part Ⅱ of Occult Mechanics 𝟷𝟶𝟷
✍︎ Further Reading & Sources
✧ Magic & Culture
Frazer, J.G. The Golden Bough (Sympathetic and contagious magic)
Tambiah, Stanley. The Magical Power of Words
Betz, Hans D. (ed). The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation
✧ Science of Mind & Body
Porges, Stephen. The Polyvagal Theory
Libet, Benjamin. “Unconscious Cerebral Initiative and the Role of Conscious Will.”
Wilson, M. (2002). "Six Views of Embodied Cognition." Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
Benedetti, F. Placebo Effects: Understanding the Mechanisms
What kinda magic do you do most often? I'm curious if your practice leans in one direction or another.
Hi anon!~
I'm an eclectic practitioner, so what I do with magic is a bit all over the place. I mostly work with sigils and straight-up energy work, but I love making herb powders, and will also make a jar spell if I feel so inclined. Mostly, though, it's sigils and energy work - these types of magic I found are easy for me to do on the fly (aka when I'm out and about and suddenly need to do a working) and are low on material cost. :)
I hope that answers your question, thank you for asking. <3
a hex to have a target feel the trauma that they have inflicted upon another
items:
compact mirror - go grab a cheap one from the dollar store [the kind that's just two mirrors, or a compact with a side that's blank; don't waste makeup for a hex lol]
taglock
tealight candle
black thread or string
small box
optional: anointing oil
optional: pen and paper
instructions:
if you have it, anoint only one side of the inside of the compact [the blank side if that's what you have]
write the target's name on paper; use a photo; draw a picture of them; etc.
set ⇡⇡⇡ inside the compact [the side that has the oil, if you used any] facing the mirror and close it
set the candle on top of the closed compact; light the candle
write your petition, focusing on your intent, and carefully burn it using flames from the candle [just an idea, this is what i do: use the candle to set the thing on fire, and then set it inside a mini cauldron or other fire-safe bowl]
snuff out the candle and dispose of it in the trash when cooled
wrap the mirror in the thread/string - tie it off
set the closed compact in the box; store in a dark place to allow the spell to manifest
as always, be safe and don't burn your house down!
like i post things on here to jog my memory but there’s this disgusting shame every time i realize im slipping and theres some part of me that’s here and living when im not and i don’t even know anymore. fucking???? not to be mentally ill on main but what the fuck
Grinding for Wards: Simulation Games Taught Me Energy Work
Thanks to some person trying to make sure I never have spare time, I’ve been playing Civilization with kittens for almost a week. It’s been awhile since I played a sim game, but the slow tick of stats while waiting for new buildings and upgrades to unlock is much the same whether you’re guiding a fake human civilization or a fake village of kittens. Maybe it’s how my mind works, or maybe it’s the fact that you can pasture unicorns in this game, but managing the ebb and flow of resources made me think about energy work, and how complicated it can be when building a self-sustaining system.
Any game with a decent amount of resource management, from Sim City to Minecraft, can teach you the logic of how to keep an energy construct working sustainably. Their methodologies carry over pretty well to any sort of working that is connected to consistent or fluctuating resources and needs to reliably keep several tasks going while maintaining its own structure so that it doesn’t crash in on itself. Many workings could fit this bill, but the one that I use most often (and you should be using) is a protective ward, or more accurately a set of them, since good wards are usually multi-part systems.
In any case if you’re a fan of these types of games and you’d like to improve how you manage energy and keep things flowing for more complicated works, check this out.
Now that it’s getting colder I feel like it’s time to post about chai spells!
✨ Basic recipe for chai ✨
- ¾ mug of milk (or milk alternative)
- ¼ mug of water
- Any tea that goes with milk (so no green or fruit teas)
- Sugar or honey to taste
Heat up your milk, water and sweetener, once boiling whisk in your tea. If using black or milk oolong tea then do not exceed 45 seconds of stirring - it seems like a small amount of time but your chai will be bitter if you go over this time! Any tea other than black tea would be alright for a bit longer, but you shouldn’t need much time at all!
Pour the chai through a strainer and serve! Drink this while hot for the best flavour (though it doesn’t taste bad if it gets cold either)
_
For the following spells, use the milk, water and sweetner and then add the tea specified! Feel free to personalise your blends!
✨ Self love chai ✨
- Black tea
- Culinary dried rose petals
Listen, we don’t talk about potions that much on my blog because I tend not to make them, but this fits right into the potion making strategy. Each version of the base chai recipe is adding different spices to do different parts of the spellwork. This is not “stir in your intention” specific kind of potion making either. No hate, just making sure that’s clear that this isn’t that kind of application.
Now, … don’t you start with me. This is about consuming the spell - which is part of the food magic spell spectrum, so I don’t want to hear about someone being like why do i have to add things that are consumable. That’s the method of execution. You make it, you eat it, it enchants you.
You become bespelled internally - and for me when it comes to consuming magic, it’s the body breaking this down and pulling into other parts of your body. Literally a chain of feeding that extends throughout the body through the bone, enchanting you on a cellular level. Now that might be a little “i’m steal the power from the chicken” for you - but it’s part of the spell casting in building up these items.
There’s a lot of magic that talks about interacting with the body on it’s most basic building block level - at the cell level. Which is why a simple casting like this is much better because you get too complicated and you start really mucking around with the cells on the enchanted lowest level. Because you gotta remember that everything you eat spreads. So if you are connecting a little too much to the enchantment it could become frayed and break throughout that spreading connection.
Yes, this does mean the enchantment can fade faster - almost any consumable fades faster in my experience. But like any other ritualized or let’s say divine food, you eat it regularly to keep up the enchantment. It’s not like you eat it once and it’s gone, this is more of a regular practice of consumption. I think a lot of people get into this mode where they can only cast the spell once. They think it’s a once and only once casting, and really this is an exercise in multiple castings, maybe layered castings, over a long period of time. If you lose the magic in this or you lose the enchantment, just tell the things what it’s doing. I’m a big fan of that. It’s why a lot of ritualized or divine food has things that are said over them because it’s part of the process. So if you lose that element because it becomes too much a pattern of mundanity (not that this is an issue per se but for others context matters), switch up how you actually install the enchantment based on how others have done it in a past. You don’t need to build a new clay dough disk to set you cup on while you’re stirring that has a built in sigil. You can. It’s just not necessary if you want to go with a less complex style.
I mean you can also “wake up” the spices if you work with spirits of things too. But that’s up to you how much you want to consume spirits - and some people aren’t into it.
Now, I’m not going to go into each individual spice because frankly this feels a little like a - you figure it out, you try it out, kind of deal.
One thing though, one thing aside, that one time I consumed a lucky food, I became lucky for other people. Me, myself, and I became a lucky talisman FOR OTHERS. Which was I think part of this exercise at least one or two years ago. I forget which. But like that’s something to consider when building off of this with your own correspondences or your own associations with certain spices.
So your mileage may very on what kind of results you get on these things, which is why I say it’s a try it out yourself rather than that.
Also these are very approachable spells. Meaning - you have low risk on these ones. People get nervous about casting very elaborate spells because there’s that “what happens if xyz” thought process. Or “what if I’m doing it wrong.” There’s a lot of that spellwork that makes it a bit harder to approach because you can in fact, cast things incorrectly. And there can be consequences (such as the spell doesn’t work).
So at this level of spell, this is very beginner friendly and very folk based spellwork. And I always like bringing some of these to folks attention here and there.
Now before.
I see it
I see you typing.
Don’t you come into the tags and ask questions about “is that a spell” to me - because you should know from the beginning of the exercise I don’t have the kind of limits you do. If you need an authority figure to tell you, I’m happy to oblige. The original creators said it was a spell. It is a spell. There you go.
Simplicity does not equate to incorrect assignment of terminology.
I think other kinds of things I would experiment with is other levels of origins for water. So - enchanted water. You can make enchanted water by running it over honey on a plate and then funneling it into a cup or a bowl. Honey, which you have written things into. So for example, matching what the spices are doing to a words or phrase or something written in honey on a plate.
Or if you are patient enough, you could try writing it on the bottom of your cup in small enough letters. Or on the sides of the wall, but you may need to use more tooling to get to a longer piece if you’re writing out a psalm or something from a specific book, etc.
But again, this is more complicated things. So just be aware of that that the more complex it is, the more it’s likely to thin the spellwork over that long distance between your cells. All of them.
Now that it’s getting colder I feel like it’s time to post about chai spells!
✨ Basic recipe for chai ✨
- ¾ mug of milk (or milk alternative)
- ¼ mug of water
- Any tea that goes with milk (so no green or fruit teas)
- Sugar or honey to taste
Heat up your milk, water and sweetener, once boiling whisk in your tea. If using black or milk oolong tea then do not exceed 45 seconds of stirring - it seems like a small amount of time but your chai will be bitter if you go over this time! Any tea other than black tea would be alright for a bit longer, but you shouldn’t need much time at all!
Pour the chai through a strainer and serve! Drink this while hot for the best flavour (though it doesn’t taste bad if it gets cold either)
_
For the following spells, use the milk, water and sweetner and then add the tea specified! Feel free to personalise your blends!
✨ Self love chai ✨
- Black tea
- Culinary dried rose petals
This is a big 10 card spread, inspired by the humble Rowan Cross - an archaic symbol and charm of protection. The Rowan Cross has been used as amulet for many reasons, and in this instance, the inspiration lies in its protective abilities being upon you as you transition and grow in the coming year.
Where are you now?
Clarity on where you want to be.
What is the next step you must take?
What is stopping you from progressing?
What can be done to remove these obstacles and blockages?
What path will you begin to take once steps have been made?
Where will this path take you?
What do you need to let go to further your journey?
What do you need to gain?
Where will you be, or who you will be on your way to being once you have let go and gained?
*Feel free to use this spread for yourself, and if you use it for paid readings all I ask is that you credit me as the creator.
Please consider leaving a tip, [here]!
aura crystals are crystals that have been coated with vaporized precious metal/s at a very high heat and within a vacuum to electrostatically bond them together, giving them the pretty iridescent shine you typically see with these crystals. [source]
common metals used for this process include gold, platinum, copper, niobium, silver, iron, titanium, magnesium, and nickel. [source]
although a lot of people dislike the idea of aura crystals because they are deemed man-made or have been disturbed in some way, i think they’re a great example of how alchemy has transformed into modern physics and chemistry; it opens up a world of magical associations, properties, and additional qualities that didn’t exist before the 1980s (multiple sources cite william mcknight as the original creator of the aura crystal in 1988; he sold the business in 2018 and it has since been acquired by new owners).
you can technically do this with any crystal, but for the purpose of this post, i am referring to aura quartz specifically - the composition of precious metals may vary between manufacturers but this is what i have come up with for some of the most common aura crystals.
