Just a witch doing witch stuff

See above^

[threestepsintotherealm]

Magical ABC challenge + Blessed Imbolc

Such lovely energy today with the full moon. I was left with a pretty obvious choice for today so C is for Candles. Candle magic is some of the first I learned and it's still one of my go to methods. It's accessible, it's effective, it's adaptable. I love a fancy special made candle from a magic store, I love a simple small spell candle, I love a thrifted candle, and I love a birthday candle. Most of the time for spell work, I want a candle that will burn completely in a small amount of time unless I plan to relight it later to refresh the spell. To me, burning the candle to nothing feels like maximizing the energy given.

For myself, I tend to combine candle spells with burnt petitions, writing down my desired outcome and using the lit candle to send it into the world.

I don't dress candles, not because I don't think it's not doing anything, but more I don't really understand the physical practicality. Carved symbols sure for big candles but I don't use those much. Adding oils and herbs to me feels like a fire hazard but I'm very open to being told how that works and such.

As for Imbolc, I'm now 3/8 celebrating consistently! I did a lovely little nature walk this afternoon. I'm really fortunate to live in a city with a lot of green space and there's a very large one I can walk to in 5 minutes, it's a long shallow valley with a creek running through it, so peaceful (even if it was busy today.)

On my way home I stopped to check how full the bird feeder in the front was and a pair of chickadees flew right up to greet me, which was wonderful. Chickadee is the only animal spirit I've had multiple connections with so it's always a good sign to hear from it. Makes me feel like I'm on the right path.

As for this evening, nothing too major. Lit some candles in the window, some moon incense, did some candle magic, did a pair of card readings for the coming year in a wheel of the year style, then did a meditation and now I'm going to enjoy tea and a book. Here's my son after he was told to make good choices

Blessed Imbolc everyone

[sistersbyfreya]

[threestepsintotherealm]

Magical ABC Challenge

B is for Book. So many things start with B that I had a hard time picking my topic. Things like besoms or broom, banes, blessings, boons, entities like Brigid and Bast and Baazlebub are all great topics but not ones that are really in my practice at the time. I thought about bottles, I thought about binding, I thought about bloodstone. But then just today the answer became obvious. Books.

Part 1: Book of Shadows

I've got such a love hate relationship with the idea of a Book of Shadows. I have poor handwriting that I often can't read later, I can't add illustrations in a way I feel happy with, physically writing such volumes makes my hands hurt, and I often don't know what to write.

On the other hand, it feels valuable to be able to reflect with concrete evidence on what I thought, felt, and did. I know what has worked, what doesn't, correspondences I've learned, experiences that brought lessons, etc. I've toyed with typing pages to add to a binder but my vain side doesn't love how it looks. I should try again, maybe seek out a very decorated ring binder.

Part 2: Witchy books

At times I feel like I've read so many books but then I look back and there's so much room for more. When I go shop for witchcraft books, I get pretty bogged down with indecision and books not feeling perfectly interesting enough. Part of the work here for me is to let my myself be more curious, be ok with a topic less than 100% interesting, learn about things that I may not want to use in my path (or let myself be surprised that I do) just for the sake of knowing. Curiosity and drive is a big goal for my 2026.

Some books I've read over the years that feel impactful that impacted me:

Wicca: A Guide For the Solitary Practitioner - Scott Cunningham (I'm not Wiccan now but that's the point I started at and it did cover a lot of useful basic information that you can take what you need from)

Crystal Bible - Judy Hall (a great all purpose crystal book)

The Encyclopedia of Spirits - Judika Illes (another great resource to have)

Advanced Witchcraft - Edain McCoy (I only borrowed this one, I really would like to get my own. So much great info)

Houseplant Hortocculture - Devin Hunter (A recent read but it's really driven me back into my path)

And then I'm currently reading The Witches' Path by Thorn Mooney which seems to be designed to pull you out of a slump, so far so good but I'm not far in.

If you made it down here, thanks! I'd love some book recommendations. I'd love to have a really good herb book and a good tarot book that works for any deck. Or just tell me what the most impactful book for your path has been!

[threestepsintotherealm]

Magical ABCs Challenge A is for Altar. I had a quite a few options for A but altar just felt the most relevant. I've been trying to make changes to the altars in the house lately and I've added new smaller ones with more specific purposes. Over the years I've had no altars, I've had too large altars, I've had tiny endtable altars, and now that I'm fortunate to have a house with my partner who is also witchy, we have multiple. Or I do, he's not as altar heavy as I'd say he's more witchy than he is pagan. So here's a bit of a tour of the altars in my house. First off, none of them were cleaned up before I took pics and all of them have things on them I intend to eventually remove once I figure out where.

So this is the main altar that is shared with my partner, I generally refer to this as the working altar where spellcraft happens, got lots of space in our front room. Handy drawers to store supplies. Overall the most put together.

This altar is for my patron, Eris, thus my golden apples. It could use some changes still but I think it fulfills what it needs. You can't see it really but there's a lil opalite for her.

This is what used to be my personal altar but I've turned it more into my green altar, been trying to really delve into working with plant spirits so this will grow with that practice. I've also got my servitor bottles on here but they might move (and the K-pop posters)

This one has the most needing moved but will eventually be fully realized as the house altar, more for the spirit of the house itself and the land it's on and I plan to create house guardian servitors in the near future. So those are the altars in my house. I do have plans for 2 additional altars. One in the on-suite bathroom above my tub on a shelf which is the only east window in the house, I'm in the "getting-to-know-each-other" phase with Eos so I want to build her a space where I first wake up and see the sunrise. I'd also like to build a garden altar outside for general work but also a bit for the fae.

[threestepsintotherealm]

Magical ABC's Challenge

So I've been listening to the Modern Witch podcast from the beginning, the newly added co-host Rowan was talking about something I think called the Pagan Blog Project or something similar, where it was almost a coordinated challenge for any interested blog. I think there were like 200 blogs participating (this was recorded around 2012 ish) Each week there would be an assigned letter and then each would write a blog post on a topic starting with that letter, just letting inspiration take you. Some would be unique topics, others would cover the same topic but the thoughts and feelings would be greatly varied, etc.

This kinda inspired me to do a challenge like this where I just go down the alphabet and write posts about my practice. I think it'd be a fantastic way to reflect on my path, verbalize my beliefs, spark conversation, make me actively engaged with my craft and the online community, etc.

I guess this is my invitation to join me if you wish. I'm going to try and aim for one a week, starting this Saturday (Jan 17th) with 'A'.

[space-queen]

hey

here's your reminder to not to be afraid of your own voice

recite the spell out loud

dance and sing to raise energy

talk to your plants and your crystals

call out omens as you see them

i have a hard time with this, even decades later, so i'm here to remind you that your voice and your craft are nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about.

say it out loud.

[sirenrootwitch]

🌙 How To Build An Altar That Feels Like Home

When I built my first altar, it looked like a sad thrift store shelf, mismatched candles, half-melted incense sticks, a chipped mug standing in for a chalice. I was so desperate for it to look witchy, like the glossy photos in books. But it didn’t feel like mine. It felt like a stranger’s stage.

It took me years, and many messy, candle-wax-soaked attempts, to realize: your altar isn’t an Instagram post. It’s a heartbeat. It’s your magic’s nest. It should feel like home, because it is one.

Here’s how I’ve learned to build an altar that breathes with you, one that feels like warm floors, familiar shadows, and the exact right hush of your spirit.

🕯️ 1. Know What An Altar Really Is

Strip away the fancy words: an altar is just a sacred spot. It’s where you gather your power and your gratitude in one place.

It can be as humble as a windowsill or as grand as a dedicated room. A shelf, a table, a box, all that matters is intention.

Think of it as a tiny crossroads: your body, your spirit, and your magic meet there. The rest is just trimmings.

🌿 2. Start With What Calls You

Forget the shopping list that says you must have a pentacle, a wand, a chalice, this and that.

Ask: what do you reach for when you feel witchiest? A candle that smells like your grandmother’s kitchen? A stone you found at the river? A jar of salt?

Your altar is not a museum. It’s a nest of meaning. Let it be ugly at first. Let it be real.

🔮 3. Give It a Heartbeat

I always tell baby witches: your altar’s alive if it changes with you.

Maybe you set it up on the floor for a spell, then move it to a shelf when you get a cat who loves knocking things over. Maybe you swap the flowers every season. Maybe you leave offerings that rot a little, because magic is not sterile.

Mine has bits of charred candle wicks, a cracked seashell, and a scrap of cloth from my mother’s apron. I clean it, but I don’t bleach it of history.

🗝️ 4. Make It a Conversation

An altar is not a monologue. You don’t just speak at it. You speak with it.

When you light a candle, linger. When you place a new object, ask it, “What do you bring here?” Listen. Maybe you rearrange things when they feel stale. Maybe you sleep with a stone under your pillow before giving it a spot on your altar, so it knows your dreams.

This is the bit the books forget to tell you: your altar listens back.

🌙 5. Protect It, But Don’t Police It

It’s good to cleanse your altar, blow off dust, pass smoke over it, ring a bell if it feels heavy.

But don’t let perfectionism be your deity. I once wasted hours agonizing over where to put a feather. It’s a feather, Nyra. Spirits don’t care if it’s center-left or right.

Your hands are sacred. Trust them.

🕸️ A Few Simple Ideas To Try

Place something that represents each element, but only if it feels real to you. A rock, a candle, a cup of water, a pinch of salt.

Add one thing that smells good. Scent ties your spirit to memory.

Leave an offering to your guides or ancestors, even if it’s just a whisper of thanks.

Keep a tiny cloth or broom nearby to sweep off old energy when needed.

🌒 A Final Whisper

Your altar is not a shrine to aesthetics, it’s a mirror for your spirit.

Build it slow. Let it shift. Let it hold your tears, your giggles, your burnt matches and hopeful wishes.

One day you’ll sit at that sacred little corner, a mug of tea in hand, and think: This is mine. And it will hum back: Yes. And I am yours.

— Nyra

[threestepsintotherealm]

Gods, I really need to find more blogs to follow. I ran out of followed posts so I went to the tags and stumbled on a post gleefully recounting how they renewed their vows with their godspouse and sure, you do you, that's all fine but that's not what I'm here to see.

[lunarmagpieco]

You Can Outgrow Spiritual Identities Too

Not every phase needs to last forever You’re allowed to:

Change how you practice

Drop labels that no longer fit

Outgrow tools you once relied on

Evolve beyond the version of yourself that started

Growth doesn’t mean you were “wrong” before It means you listened

If you’ve been feeling disconnected from old practices, that’s usually a sign of refinement, not loss.

And if you want help navigating what’s shifting in your spiritual identity, my cards can help map the transition. 🔮🖤

[threestepsintotherealm]

Time for my regularly scheduled "Am I genuinely drawn to this diety/practice/working or am I actively avoiding things that are popular to "accidentally" other myself within already othered communities?"

[witchboxco]

2026 Witches' Calendar

January 3 ● Full Moon in Cancer (Wolf Moon) January 18 ● New Moon in Capricorn February 1 ● Imbolc February 1 ● Full Moon in Leo (Snow Moon) February 17 ● New Moon in Aquarius February 26 - March 20 ● Mercury Retrograde March 3 ● Full Moon in Virgo (Worm Moon) March 19 ● New Moon in Pisces March 20 ● Ostara April 2 ● Full Moon in Libra (Pink Moon) April 17 ● New Moon in Aries May 1 ● Beltane May 1 ● Full Moon in Scorpio (Flower Moon) May 16 ● New Moon in Taurus May 31 ● Full Moon in Sagittarius (Blue Moon) June 20-21 ● Litha June 15 ● New Moon in Gemini June 29 ● Full Moon in Capricorn (Strawberry Moon) June 29 - July 23 ● Mercury Retrograde July 14 ● New Moon in Cancer July 29 ● Full Moon in Aquarius (Buck Moon) August 1 ● Lammas August 12 ● New Moon in Leo August 28 ● Full Moon (Sturgeon Moon) September 11 ● New Moon in Virgo September 23 ● Mabon September 26 ● Full Moon in Aries(Harvest Moon) October 10 ● New Moon in Libra October 24 - November 13 ● Mercury in Retrograde October 26 ● Full Moon in Taurus (Hunter's Moon) October 31 ● Samhain November 9 ● New Moon in Scorpio November 24 ● Full Moon in Gemini (Beaver Moon) December 9 ● New Moon in Sagittarius December 21 ● Yule December 24 ● Full Moon in Cancer (Cold Moon)

[threestepsintotherealm]

Blessed Yule to everyone! New Moon energy got me feeling introspective and just setting intentions. Spent some time reading the witchy book I'd started, then did a small tarot reading, wrote intentions for the new year and sent them off in fire, and had a lil toast with my partner.

I'd realized I've never celebrated all 8 Sabbats consecutively so that's a small goal for the year, do something for all of them. I did celebrate Samhaim so I'm 2/8 now.

Enjoy this long night of rest, all!

[threestepsintotherealm]

So I bought a reading off etsy on a whim, it wasn't too pricy so I figured why not. I threw in a prompt of advice for returning to my path and trying to get myself back to witchy life and one line in particular really smacked me.

"Let magic meet you where you are, not where you think you should be."

[threestepsintotherealm]

The day's musings

So I'm just gonna start doing a witchy ramble/update to log my thoughts and progress and maybe find my community on here or stuff. I dunno. Just need to move thoughts from my head to reality mostly.

So witchcraft-wise, I'm largely chaos magic and things related to it. I've been pretty slack on my craft in general and I'd say I need/want to "limber up" before doing those kinds of workings. I did do a small calling spell that I set up a part b to be the beginning of a thought form creation. I'm hoping to follow through with that on the weekend. I got a book about using houseplants in magic and that's been pretty interesting so I'm trying to hyperfocus on that enough to get back to a routine.

The author of the book also has a podcast I started listening to from the beginning, which was back in 2010 and I get jumpscared every time the guest mentions their myspace when plugging where to find them online. I do find the mix of interview, stream of thought, and music to be very engaging and some of the topics are cool. Feels very much like old radio programming, which was the model at the time I guess. Today I listened to an episode that had discussion about finding meaning in Sabbats for yourself, with the big point being how the people following the old ways had very different needs that aren't usually relevant for us now. Beltane was the example Sabbat and these gay men who aren't farmers talked about struggling to find meaning in the traditional themes of Beltane, particularly human and earthly fertility. They suggested leaning into aspects like joy, pleasure, and community, which is more more relevant to most people living modern lives. That did inspire me to ponder my own relations with Sabbats and I want to make sure I find personal meaning in whatever I'm doing to celebrate the Sabbat/Esbat. I'm going to ponder Yule, generally one of my least enjoyed celebrations but likely tied to my great dislike of Christmas.

So yeah, my musings for today, I hope to add more. Feel free to engae, comment, message, whatever. I'm eager to get back on path and I welcome all nudges onto it.

[chestersbraincell]

Broth and tea are the closest things we’ll get to potions I think. Like how cauldron-like is it that we put these BONES and LEAVES into a bunch of heated water to harness their essence for status effects such as health buff or relaxed

[tropics777]

And in these next 50 years you will eat so many delicious meals, laugh so many times with so many people you love, shout and scream and sing and cry and smile so hard your face hurts. And you will see such beautiful sunsets and feel fresh cold air on your face and feel warm and safe wrapped up in your favourite winter coat.

[wizard-council-bureaucrat]

I wrap this blessing around you like a shroud, so that no ill can find you, and every warmth is held close

[deity-journal]

Okay damn, got it😭