In the Raven's Wood

The rantings, ramblings, writings, and art of a bisexual, eclectic, female, witch :3

[minotauri]

1. Small Kindnesses, Danusha Laméris 2. Fans Sing, Dance On NYC Subway After Robyn Concert, youtube 3. Neanderthals had funerals with flowers, study suggests, CBC 4. Nadal and Federer on the tennis court, after Nadal jumped over the net to hug his rival. 5. Heathrow airport opening scene from Love, Actually 6. Good Bones, Maggie Smith 7. LeBron James delightedly hugging a fan who hit a half-court shot

[ritualbird]

daily self love affirmations.

this isn't select to just practitioners of witchcraft- anyone can, and should, use affirming language towards themselves. self acceptance is the first step to self love, and to healing.

(credit: @/ abbiepaulhus)

[ritualbird]

moon phase magick.

the cycle of the moon is counterclockwise.

[tr-ravenwood]

Mini Devotional: Hypnos (v. 2)

Hypnos brings the blessed rest,

His gift to mankind keeps us at our best,

Insomnia is his cruel jest,

All hail the great god Hypnos.

[baythefae-deactivated20211220]

🌛Witchy Chill Time Ideas🌜

Drink tea and listen to nice music

Become one with the dirt

Talk to trees, they also like hugs

Have a spooky midnight bonfire dance party! with friends!!

[tr-ravenwood]

Dionysus, made using HeroMachine3 for a DnD campaign I was running on Roll20.

"Hey sugar, you look like you could use a drink"

[llleighsmith]

One of the primary ways we connect with each other is by eating together. Some of the connection happens simply by being in the same place at the same time and sharing the same food, but we also connect through specific actions, such as serving food to one another or making toasts: ‘May I offer you some potatoes?’ ‘Here’s to your health and happiness.’ Much of our fundamental well-being comes from the basic reassurance that there is a place for us at the table. We belong here. Here we are served and we serve others. Here we give and receive sustenance.

— edward espe brown, from tomato blessings and radish teachings

[tr-ravenwood]

My current project: a daily practice and devotion journal. I was inspired by Molly Remer's (of Brigid's Grove) #30DaysofGoddess but decided to take it in a slightly different direction. Every day I will record the current moon phase, do a tarot/oracle/rune pull, say and record a prayer, reflect on and pay devotion to a particular god(dess), jot down magical tidbits, doodle, share some magical/spiritual highlights from my day, record any spell work, etc. I may post pictures periodically and will definitely post a summary of how the project went at the end of the month.

[tr-ravenwood]

The onions are germinating! This will be my first time growing onions from seeds instead of sets.😊 Spring is definitely around the corner, I feel everything stirring and beginning to awaken. Gardening has really started to become a religious experience for me. Getting my fingers in soil is very grounding and watching new life burst forth at my urging, and with my nurturing produce food to sustain me and my family is truly magic.

[tr-ravenwood]

The Raven’s Song II

Ah, to hear the raven sing,

Such a dark, mysterious, foreboding thing.

Be it nature's gossip, or prophecy,

Words of spirits, or poetry.

With croaks, and groans, and mimicked cries,

And black wings darkening sunlit skies.

What joy my forest walks would bring,

When I could hear the raven sing.

[tr-ravenwood]

Wow what a hiatus! In the time I've been gone, my husband obtained his degree, we've bought a house, I've advanced in my career, my son is growing up really fast, and I've grown immensely as a person and as a witch. I plan on popping into Tumblr semi-regularly and going forward will be using it to share poetry, altar pictures, spells that have been successful, and insights I have gained through meditation and/or communion with the Divine. Blessed Be everyone and I hope the full moon was a magical and fulfilling time for everyone. This full moon I did a candle spell for good luck and good fortune.

[satsekhem]

This just popped into my head while thinking about Ptah:

“I’m here to steer because, damn son, do you even know where you’re going?”

I have no idea.

[satsekhem]

This is still frighteningly accurate.

[deactivated-blog]

[Revised 11/16] Book Recommendations for Witches

Greetings, all. Quite some time ago, I created an annotated bibliography of some of my favorite texts on magical subjects. I was browsing it a few days ago and quickly realized, though, that it had become woefully out-of-date. There were quite a few books I’d only recently finished reading that belonged on the list! 

So, I’ve made an updated version here! Below, you can find my book recommendations, organized into loose categories. I’ve had to add a few new categories since last time, and expand several others. I do plan on doing long-form book reviews on some of these titles, and if there’s a particular one listed that you’d like to see a long review for, please let me know and I’ll work on that.

I hope you find something on here that suits your fancy! Happy reading!

For Absolute Beginners

Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, by Judika Illes. Even better than the Weiser Field Guide to Witches - this book is huge and chock-full of information. It’ll explain in easy-to-understand language how the concept has developed throughout time, why witches do what they do, and different types of witches.

The Weiser Field Guide to Witches, by Judika Illes. This gives an excellent look at the historical lore concerning witches, from the perspective of a witch herself. It’s kind of tongue-in-cheek, but it does have some information that won’t be found elsewhere.

The Modern Guide to Witchcraft, by Skye Alexander. Great book for those who’re really absolute beginners and are wondering what witchcraft is all about. Skye takes a very postmodern, utilitarian, and unfailingly honest approach, and it’s geared towards those of almost any belief system.

Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard, by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart. Attractively packaged and readible for almost all ages, this is a great (mostly) non-denominational look at the foundations of magical practice. It’s extremely detailed. Some of it only applies to Zell’s own tradition, but it’s quite useful, anyways.

Basic Techniques

Protection and Reversal Magick, by Jason Miller. This gets a little woo-woo at times, but he gives good advice on how to avoid serious problems that can come up as you begin to practice. Take with a grain of salt, though - some of this has the potential to make you feel paranoid.

City Magick, by Christopher Penczak. If you’re at all interested in tech witchery, or just want to practice magick within an urban setting, do check this out. It is by far the best look at the subject I’ve seen, and his discussion of urban tutelary spirits is worth the price alone.

Power Spellcraft for Life, by Arin Murphy-Hiscock. Nicely done, quite secular book providing basic beginner information regarding writing original spells and workings. It does fall prey to the trap of just listing correspondences with little information at times, but also contains a great deal of detail about ritual timing, raising power, and other topics essential for the beginner.

Sorcerer’s Secrets, by Jason Miller. This is a decent volume that describes a lot of techniques you don’t usually see in books, such as gesture and gaze-based magick. Be warned that Miller writes extensively about manipulative techniques, but it’s useful theory regardless of how you put it into practice.

Witch’s Bag of Tricks, by Melanie Marquis. This is not recommended for beginners, because the whole point of this book is to help existing practitioners refine and improve their already-established techniques. It’s got some novel ideas in it, and I like the author’s approach to symbolism in spellcasting.

Direct Magick (Energy Work)

The Un-Spell Book, by Mya Om. This non-denominational guide to working with magical forces is filled with useful exercises that go beyond the author’s previous work. I recommend reading this after reading Energy Essentials.

Instant Magick, by Christopher Penczak. Excellent beginner’s guide for those who don’t have access to a lot of fancy tools or prefer to work without them. This book won’t instantly teach you magick, but it will help even a seasoned practitioner find quicker, less-complicated ways of achieving results.

Energy Essentials for Witches and Spellcasters, by Mya Om. Though I balk at the use of the term “energy” to describe magical forces, this book is worth a look. It’s a bit like a workbook, with various exercises. Expect a lot of pseudoscience, though, and there are many religious references, but the techniques are solid.

Magical Writing, Words, and Symbols

Dictionary of Ancient Magic Words and Spells, by Claude Lecouteux. Mostly a historical text, this book isn’t exactly practical or terribly useful. It is, nevertheless, incredibly interesting. It’s a bit difficult to navigate, but worth a glance.

Composing Magick, by Elizabeth Barrette. A very general, but well-done, look at writing in a magical context. Some of the ritual templates are slightly specific to religious witchcraft traditions, but most information is widely applicable.

Crafting Magick with Pen and Ink, by Susan Pesnecker. Focuses both on the physical act of writing as a magical act, and the mental state associated with it. Highly recommended

The Modern Witchcraft Grimoire, by Skye Alexander. This book is for those who want to create their own grimoire. It gives fairly good advice for doing so, as well as providing hints and tricks for spellcasting and useful correspondences.

General Concepts

Planetary Magick, by Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips. If you want to work with the planets at all, particularly in a highly ritualized context, I recommend this book. It’s large, comprehensive and gives a good foundation beyond what you find in general astrology books.

Practical Planetary Magick, by Sorita d’Este and David Rankine. Shorter than I would have liked, but a useful reference to have on your shelf, with excellent tables and appendices in the back. The meditations are also quite useful.

Practical Elemental Magick, by Sorita d’Este and David Rankine. Should be read alongside the other book by this pair. Comprehensive guide to working with the elements in a ritualized fashion. Not as accessible to newbies as Lipp’s book, but good for seasoned practitioners.

The Way of Four, by Deborah Lipp. Though mostly geared towards Wiccans, I found this author’s in-depth treatment of the four elements highly fascinating. I will note that it’s probably best to get the print version of this book, as it contains exercises and quizzes.

Ingredients and Correspondences

The Herbal Alchemist’s Handbook, by Karen Harrison. I cannot praise this book enough for its concise and well-formulated approach to astrology, herbs, and magick as a whole.

The Weiser Concise Guide to Herbal Magick, by Judith Hawkins-Tillirson. This is excellent for anyone who’s interested in any kind of magick. Yes, the focus is generally herbs, but there’s a lot to be learned here about Kabbalah and other correspondence systems, as well.

Mixing Essential Oils for Magic, by Sandra Kynes. Fills a very difficult gap in published knowledge regarding the use of essential oils by discussing, in great detail, how scents interact with each other and how to create a formula that’s not only palatable, but evocative.

Dunwich’s Guide to Gemstone Sorcery, by Gerina Dunwich. Given the New Age fascination with all things shiny, it was quite a chore to sort through the myriad crystal books to find something with good information. While far from perfect and not exactly devoid of fluff, this book does give a level of detail about the lore surrounding gemstones not seen in many other texts.

Real Alchemy, by Robert Allen Bartlett. Excellent book, lots of history and detail. There’s a strong focus on tradition within the text, yet the author is quite accommodating of his audience and describes alternate methods that work better in a modern context.

Spagyrics, by Manfred M. Junius. With a highly-developed academic tone and attention to detail, this book is a meaty look at traditional alchemy. I recommend this more for intermediate practitioners due to the sheer density of information.

Spellbooks

The Goodly Spellbook, by Dixie Deerman and Steve Rasmussen. The title sounds horribly fluffy, but this is a hidden gem. It explains obscure concepts like alternative alphabets and potential uses of musical notes, as well as plant lore and other bits and pieces. Definitely worth checking out. It’s way more than just “a book of spells.”

Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells, by Judika Illes. The title sounds trite to some, but it delivers. This book has spells from almost every culture and spiritual philosophy, as well as a very detailed formulary. I read it when I’m bored sometimes, too, just because I always learn some tidbit from it.

Book of Spells, by Nicola Pulford. In most editions, this book is absolutely gorgeous and describes spellcasting traditions from a variety of perspectives and traditions. Recommended for those who already understand the basics, as this book jumps straight into spellcasting and gives only a small amount of information about how things work.

Ceremonial Magick

Modern Magick, by Donald Michael Kraig. I received this as a gift several years ago. It is essentially a workbook meant to be completed slowly, step by step, and while the format will not appeal to everyone, it’s a good easy-to-read introduction to ceremonial magick.

Familiar Spirits, by Donald Tyson. Though geared towards ceremonialists, any practitioner can likely learn a thing or two from Tyson’s interesting stroll through the whys and wherefores of spirit work and thoughtform creation. This is by far the best book I’ve seen on the topic of familiar spirits.

Secrets of High Magick, by Francis Melville. The most recent edition of this (the one I own) is lavishly-illustrated and full of rudimentary, yet useful information. He stresses the basics of ceremonial practice, and his writing style is very accessible. Highly recommended for absolute beginners.

My Life With The Spirits, by Lon Milo DuQuette. This is a memoir of a ceremonial magician, but it gives a good look at the magickal mindset in a highly developed form from someone who’s experienced quite a lot. I have major issues with DuQuette’s approach to Qabalah, but his memoirs are worth a read.

Chaos Magick

Liber Null and Psychonaut, by Peter Carroll. Classic book of chaos magick. I consider it required reading for almost anyone interested in the occult. Even if you have no love for chaos magick, do give it a read, just to understand how influential Carroll is, and why.

Hands-On Chaos Magic, by Andrieh Vitimus. Knowing some of the people involved in the creation of this book, I’m a bit biased towards it. That said, even if I didn’t know them, I would still recommend it. It’s especially interesting to read alongside Liber Null and Psychonautin order to see how the chaos “current” has developed over the years.

Pop Culture Magic 2.0 by Taylor Ellwood. There aren’t a lot of books on using pop culture symbolism in magick, but this one is nearly perfect. The author writes in a highly erudite, literate fashion, while still being accessible to newbies. Many useful resources cited, as well, so prepare to branch off a bit while reading it.

History-Related

Triumph of the Moon, by Ronald Hutton. An inside no-holds-barred look at the history of Wicca and Modern paganism. Highly recommended. This is sort of the book that fluffbunnies don’t want you to read.

Book of Lies: The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult, by Richard Metzger. Lots of facts and history of magick in the context of Postmodernity. This is different from the Crowley text of the same name, which I wouldn’t recommend unless you want to focus on his tradition.

The Place of Enchantment, by Alex Owen. This is a purely historical text that documents the occult revival within the context of Modernity. I remember it being very good, but please realize I haven’t really picked it up much since graduating, and it might just have served my mindset at the time.

[tr-ravenwood]

What people think witches do: Conjure demons, raise the dead, hail satan, eat small children, ride on broomsticks

What we really do: Drink a bunch of tea, use lavender scented everything, light a shit ton of incense and set off fire alarms, take baths with a bunch of herbs in them, buy tons of candles in every color possible, curse at our tarot cards, and hoard crystals and essential oils.

[dallonjweekes-archive]

Curse of The Weggy Board

another video from the maker of the PREGANTE video. I just had to upload it, i’m crying

[badpsychicadvice]

“Do I have to make my own wedgie or can I buy one from a witch or vegan?”

[tr-ravenwood]

I have to watch this every time I come across it and it never stops being funny :D

[purplebuddhaproject]

Books are a uniquely portable magic.

Stephen King (via purplebuddhaproject)

[chrisriddellblog]

Witch Work by Neil Gaiman.

[stormbornwitch]

I adore Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett because they actually researched the practices of witches (or are/were witches themselves) before writing about them. That is why when a witch reads a book by Neil Gaiman or by Terry Pratchett they see themselves in the characters.

“She sold calm seas to the mariners’ wives Bound the winds with silk cords so the storms could be tied there, The women at home lived much happier lives Till their husbands returned, and their patience be tried there.”