occasionally subtle
RMH
TMBGareOK. The Official They Might Be Giants tumblr
Cosmic Funnies
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
$LAYYYTER
almost home
Noah Kahan
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Product Placement
Doug Jones
Interview Vampire Daily
Today's Document
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❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
Sade Olutola
seen from Argentina
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@tropical-sea-witch
Charm Bags: Sea Witch Style
Need to create a charm bag? Don't want to use non-biodegradeable materials?
Nori Seaweed
Yes. The big, flat, über green and wrinkly sheets of seaweed used for sushi and Ramen.
If it's a little too crackly, just add a few drops of water and rub it in. Cut out your shape, sew it together, insert your pieces.
Boom. Biodegradable sea-witch charm bag.
Any experience using fluid condensers?
I cannot say I have, no.
What advice do you have for someone trying to become a sea witch? And what books or resources do you recommend to learn to become a sea witch? (Sorry if too many questions!)
I wouod advise you to first focus on becoming a witch. Focus on learning. Focus on growing. You have to be a witch first, and then you will find that yiu begin to conform in practice to the world around you. See my most recent reblog.
Basics of Sea Witchcraft
As we know, many witches specialize in a particular area of the craft, or bond with a particular element, therefore centering their practice around such. Me and others label ourselves as sea witches, and for those in training who feel bonded to the sea, I thought I’d give a little bit of an introduction to such and maybe clear up a few things, too. So, here are five simple clarifications for the sea witch in training!
You don’t have to live near the sea to be a sea witch. This may seem shocking, but I don’t live near any sort of ocean or beach. I’ve only been to one once, and I remember it being one of my most memorable experiences. Being a sea witch only means that you bond to the water and that in its natural element & place, whilst a water witch means that you only bond to water itself.
Intimacy with the Sea. Being intimate with bodies of water is vital to being a sea witch. You don’t have to do anything magical, just forming a connection with the water and its area is very important to your craft, and is a high suggestion from me.
Tools. In full honesty, a lot of my tools come from water areas. I have an entire bowl of seashells, sea salt, and random trinkets to help me. Using such tools makees your craft a lot stronger.
Cleansing. Another vital part of my craft is cleansing regularly. It’s very important to me, and it is for a lot of other sea witches.
Vulnerability. Just like the water, be free and open. If you truly are a sea witch, it will be uncomfortable. You’ll crash into things, but eventually, you’ll find yourself just doing it naturally.
I know that these are vague. But, I really just wanted to give whatever basics I can. If you have any questions, please just ask, I’m always happy to answer!
I have to say that I truly, completely disagree with OP's first point. Not out of spite, or an attempt to be rude, but simply out of experience. I also think there's something to be said for the incessant need we have for labeling ourselves in the community lately, and the way that has ultimately become a limiting factor rather than a road opener. But more on that later.
Someone who lives in a desert and spend their time dreaming of the sea will not be able to be a sea witch. A witch who is landlocked with no access to the sea cannot call themselves a sea witch. This desire to label oneself as such often comes from the romanticizing of one biome over another, a case of "the grass is always greener." Now there are cases where clams have been shown to be taken in water out of the ocean, transported inland, and found to follow the cycle as it would IF there were an ocean there, and that is certainly something worth mentioning. But not in the argument for one being a sea witch. Instead, it argues that even when taken out of their natural environment, amd given the means of survival, ocean creatures can maintain their cycles even when displaced.
I once lived in New Mexico. There's no ocean there. While I lived there, right next to a beautiful river, on an incredible wooded property, I cried qctual tears of sorrow because I couldn't access the ocean and be the sea witch I wanted to be. I completely ignored what was around me, fresh poplar buds all year long, sweetgrass and grey sage, crow feathers and bones, a LITERAL CIRCLE OF TREES, all right in front of me in the land where I resided. But because I so longed for the sea, because I was so desperate to have sea water and sand and sun, I completely missed the beauty and the lessons of the seasonal cycles, the secrets of the petrified woods, and the righteous fury of the river near my home.
And because of that, my development was entirely stunted. It took me years to develop properly, and that process could only begin once I learned to set my feet down where I was, and let the roots develop. And it was only once I had let roots develop properly that, when I found myself back in Saint Augustine a second time, going to college at Flagler (0/10 would not recommend) that I not only became a sea witch, but the Ocean itself took me and changed me. It did what water does. Water is not always gentle. And the splashing it does is more damaging to that which is struck repeatedly, continuously, over and over again, being worn down and reshaped until the water is pleased, than to the water itself, which has always been and will always be.
To the point of labels, it has become a really popular thing to stick a label onto one's craft for the purposes of helping with the setting of boundaries, the worldview taken, and so on. There is nothing wrong with having a label. Having a label helps our minds focus. But taking a title of sea witch when you don't live anywhere near a sea sets up a blinding boundary. It creates a witch that turns their back on the lessons they can learn from their home biome. It creates a longing and a yearning for a place you may only be able to go everyone year or so as your main identity, while forgoing the lessons that the leaves, the fur, the straw, and the rock must teach you first.
Lessons from water are often forgotten in most mainstream workings and writings, as are the lessons of the sea. But, when still picking up the skills of the Ways, it becomes more limiting than helpful to take on a label.
I kept this blog name the same after I moved because I knew I could still come back occasionally and write from what I learned while living on the shore, but I do not call myself a sea witch anymore, because even though I am near a new ocean, I do not live anywhere near where the sky, sea, and land meet as one. Instead, I am wrapped around by trees. Green, beautiful trees, and poisonous plants that can reveal secret things when whispered to the right way. But when I do return to the ocean, the tools and materials of the forest will give way to what is practical for the briny biome. I will grow henbane and datura and brugmansia again. I will bring the ocean into my home and and bring pieces of my home to the ocean. I will bleed into the water and whisper my secrets while it washes over my ankles and takes what it cares to take. Oh, when I return to the sun and the sand, with wand in my hand and my eyes upon the black horizon with the Castillo to my back, I will cry tears of joy.
But until that day, until the day I am living a stone's throw away from the ocean again, where a small handful of sand and a small jar of water can be taken and returned in a day or two, and the spirits of the sea and I can come together in love and hate and thrill and lust and so much more, I am not a sea witch. And in my experience and opinion, nor is anyone else.
re: Discourse
You annoy me immensely, so I’ll do a post responding to you @luxautemnox you performative swine, and everyone else in the Prim camp.
And before any of yall start pointing fingers and screaming how I’m racist - or ‘trying to tear down a witch of color’ - know that I’m literally fucking black so shut up and listen. This is also why Prim never goes into a direct discourse with me but instead harasses everyone around me; it’s hard for her to stay the victim when it comes to me.
The fake narratives you come up with and the screenshots you claim as “proof” for racism are, quite frankly, laughable. As well as you and your dumbass followers refusing to look at the sources that contradicts your baseless claims. You say that Briar/ @therainshallmakeadoor is a racist for pointing out that activism over social media is performative? Well, guess what - it is. I wouldn’t go so far to say that it’s inherently bad to be a keyboard warrior; but it is performative and shallow, just how posting a black square on instagram is. I could go in depth as to why that is but let’s stay on topic for now, shall we.
The other screenshots, that have been circulating for a while now, are from a year ago where I, thedesertgod and Ronan went in on Prim in a now deleted server. It was mostly me (e-meute) who went in on her, while the others asked me what I was thinking and gassing me on. I was on edge because it’s a known fact that black culture & traditions often are copied, stolen, and watered down just to be re-branded and sold to a mainstream white audience. Prim is EXTREMELY white passing and I instantly assumed that this was another white person trying to benefit of black culture. Not only that, she claims being initiated into hoodoo + traditional witchcraft as well a being a kemetic + hellenic polytheist. Everyone who’ve had contact with any of these traditions and spirits know that it’s pretty much impossible upholding them at the same time, and even less being a claimed expert/professional in all of them. It just reeks bullshit and so when I saw her face I thought this was yet another lie, and I went off in the heat of the moment. Was I wrong? Yes. But if the whole conversation had been screenshotted everyone would see that I, in fact, backtracked in my statement and owned up to have judged her too soon.
Apologizes have been exchanged since that incident. @jbirdthemanwitch wasn’t even in that server; Coyote didn’t engage in the conversation at all; Briar/therainshallmakeadoor defended Prim (as did Ruby) and STILL Prim uses this - a year later- to justify her constant slandering of these people, again and again and again. Hell, it would even make more sense if she targeted me but that she never seems to do.
Did you also know that Prim sent death threats to Mahigan, a friend of mine who has now deactivated his blog (who’s fyi half-native) when she was 20 and he was 16. No? That’s what I fucking thought. Stop dick riding people yall don’t even know.
Fucking yikes 😂
I don’t even know you yet you took probably 5 minutes to type this shit up?
When you leaving tumblr again? I’ll miss you, person I’ve never talked to in my life before just now. This isn’t even involving you…so…shut up already.
Glad I live rent-free in your head, though 😘😘😘
Make sure my bedroom has a large window, ok?
You just....screamed about racism, and demanded proof from people, ignored thag proof when it was given, and now are actively attempting to silence the voice of a woman of color through this kind of rhetoric.
Is this something of which you are proud? These are actually very serious points which have been brought up and youre treating this as if its not a big deal. If Prim is really GROOMING people, and sending death threats to 16 year olds, do you REALLY want to be part of that support?
@satsuti I am so sorry this white person who claims a mental health license is trying to silence your voice.
Herbology Fridays: Collecting and Gathering Herbs
In witchcraft, you will see a ton of herbs that people will claim you will need. While for the most part, this is true, some of you may feel the need to grow these herbs yourself and collect them. This can actually make the herb more connected to you, but some of you may not feel that way and that’s perfectly okay! This lesson will be going over how to gather and collect certain types of herbs many of us witches and herbalist may find ourselves wanting to collect when we’re out and about!
Before I continue, please consult a medical professional before deciding to take any botanical drug(note: all herbs can be considered a drug as they all usually have medical purposes as well as cooking purposes). No WebMD does not count. Go to an actual doctor. Also, please check legality laws in your area about distributing if that is your goal with this part of the lesson. This lesson will also go over shipping these items for the herbalist who wishes to have a shop.
Let’s Start the Lesson!
——-
Each part of a plant for its herbal purposes will have a different method of gathering it. You wouldn’t collect bark in the same way you would collect roots. So, let’s go over that, shall we?
Collecting Leaves:
The weather should be clear and dry,
Should be collected when the plant is in bloom(Mature at this time)
Clip off undamaged leaves(no wilting or insect-eating holes)(this is pruning the plant and not at all important you can leave them if you want.)
Take the leaves in good condition(Not all of them only what you need.)
Wash the herbs in water
Pat them dry from the water
Spread the leaves out on a drying rack(or in a place where drying can occur
Shift the leaves ever so often to keep from clumping and accumulating dampness
When leaves are dry, store them in a sealable bag or jar to keep as fresh as you possibly can.
Collecting Flowers:
Flowers should be in full bloom
Don’t take every flower, only what you need
Wash the flowers in water
Pat dry
Place in a dry place and let dry out(You may have a better result if you hang them upside down)
When dry, clip off extra stems(if any) and store inside a sealable bag or container.
Collecting Bulbs
When the leaves start to wilt and die is when bulbs should be collected.
When brought from the ground, the outer layer should be removed
Wash the bulb and pat dry.
You can use artificial heat(nothing over 100 degrees) or let dry naturally which could take longer.
Collecting Bark:
Collect in fall or spring
Scrape off or peel off the bark(as a witch, id be apologizing constantly and if you’re the type, leave an offering ;^;)
Wash the bark off in water
Pat dry
Let dry in sunlight
Collecting Roots
The one thing that wasn’t in my book was how to collect roots, so here’s a quick little guide.
Collect when the plant dies(Aka will not come back to life)
Separate the thinnest roots from the thickest
Use the thin roots as a fertilizer for other plants
Take the thicker roots and wash them
Pat dry with a towel
Let dry out in the sunlight
Collecting Seeds:
Seeds should be gathered when the plant produces them and they are ripe
Bigger seeds should be dried out
Smaller seeds should be used to make more plants if needed
Dry out in the sunlight
Shipping and Selling Botanicals
Shipments should be made with an order, never before(even if you know they will need it, do not do this because you do not know the quantity they need until you get their order).
Make sure all products are dried out and dry before shipping for they could mold and you’ll get an angry customer
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd7nBf1gC0L/
Hey there, long time no post! Odd question, and I figured you'd be the person to ask: have you ever tried making real potions intended to replicate fictional ones? Felix felicis from Crown of Success recipes, perhaps?
I have, a lot of the time because I see the fictional result as being entirely possible to accomplish. I do have a luck potion I based on the Felix Felicis, and because of the ingredients the potion brings on a giddy intoxication that frees up the mind to let the magic take over and lead the way. But there are some potions now that don’t need much other work added to them because it’s already been done. Example, the potion to increase psychic power from “Charmed” includes things like mugwort, juniper berries, celery seeds, and other ingredients that are supposedly wonderful for divination. The show creators would have put this together from a Cunningham work, sure, but it still follows a formula that is acceptable from the modern authors on the non-fiction side. Others in the “Charmed” series like the potion to banish a ghost (pomegranate seeds ground to a paste mixed with a pinch each of bloodmeal, rhubarb leaf, comfrey root, and clematis seed) are pretty well done, and might not even need to be tweaked because they’ve already got pretty good formulas. You just have to go through the long....looooong brewing process.Potions are a love of mine, so I’m always game for them.
Have you ever had your horoscope drawn up?
I have not. I don’t put much stock in horoscopes, myself. It’s a branch of magic and divination that has always seemed extremely vague, far more so than other methods. Of course, that just my own opinion, and my past experiences. I’d be game to have it done.
Welcome back. We’ve missed you. Is that the Castillo de San Marcos on the pics you posted?
You’re very kind. And yes, it is. It’s an incredible place, and it’s been quite some time since I was able to step out near it.
Return
The Sun sets behind me as I walk the shores of the Atlantic. It has been ten months since I fled this place in fear, all in hopes that I might find a better future. Ten long, hollow months of working mindlessly on a corporate job, going home, and repeating. I’ve spent every one of these days yearning for my home, for my spirits, for the water and the sand. I’ve spent every one of these days yearning for the place where I was taken under the Sea’s wing, and shown the secrets it held. Now I’m here, and it doesn’t seem real. It never does.
I step forward, the salty waves reaching out to greet me with their foam fingers. The water rushes over my bare feet, caressing my skin with it’s chilled being. In that moment, everything returns to me, and I feel the spirits of this place once more. They turn, they see, and they come to me. They encircle me, dancing, speaking, and rejoicing. With tears in my eyes, I hold out my arms and welcome them as the old friend that they are. But my tears are not joy. My tears are the pain of knowing I will have to leave them once more, these spirits who have missed me so. But even as I feel the sorrow rise up, they remind me that they will always wait for me, for I will always return to them. I will always come home.
I wash my hair in the bring depths, unable to swim proper, but refusing not to be baptized by this place in some small way. With a mighty flip, I feel the water begin to drop down my back, and over my shoulder and my hair falls. The Sun is still slowly setting, its rays reaching over the water, but not reflected. The hills fly overhead as always, joined today by a mighty Osprey. The fish jump, the sea speaks, and all too soon, it is time for me to leave and say goodbye again.
I hate this. I hate that I must leave, and even more so that I wasn’t able to spend more time here. But even so, I was able to come. I was able to see. I was able to see this place, and commune with these spirits in some small way. I whisper a spell to them. A secret I will never reveal. I turn away, tears stinging my eyes, knowing that I will one day come home. But that day is not today. I gather my things and walk with a friend off the shores, my heart breaking all over again. But then, this is not an ending. There will be many, many more times to come. One day soon, I will return.
A return to the place where I first learned, where I first heard, where I first felt, where I was taken into the arms of the Sea and transformed forever. This was supposed to just be a small visit. But this grand place has marked me. It has claimed me. This is where I belong, and soon I will return regardless of what dangers may exist.
Diagnosis
My last post was made in a rush, in a frenzy, in a state of panic. I said that I was done, that I was leaving, and that I would never return.
Recently, I started to put some pieces together. I’ve struggled with my mood and my ability to keep myself together for years. I’ve always been “dramatic” and have made a very large number of highly impulsive, highly life-altering decisions in little more than the blink of an eye or the snap of a finger. When I couldn’t bear it anymore, believing it to be depression, I went to a therapist. There, we spoke of many things for a long time, but it wasn’t until recently that I went to a psychiatrist. There, I explained my issue. In our first sitting, I heard two words that gave me an answer that I had been seeking for years:
Bipolar Disorder
I’ve been living with Bipolar Disorder my entire life, and I didn’t realize. I suspected, sure, but I never knew. Now, I am getting treatment and learning to handle this disorder. And it feels good. It feels good to be mused once more. And above all, it feels good to return to this space.
The people who harmed me know who they are, and in some ways I should thank them. If they hadn’t don’t what they’d done, I never would have gone to a therapist, who never would have suggested a psychiatrist, who never would have given me a name for what it is that’s been affecting me.
No matter what, though, I am here now. I currently visiting home in Florida, and recovering from everything that has happened since I moved. I now see my future before me, and I know that future will bring me back to the seashore. It calls me, beckoning me back to its touch and its song. It may not be soon, but it will be.
In the meantime, I will continue. I will co tongue this blog, I will continue my work, and I will continue the book on Sea Witchery, which is coming along with some difficulty, but it’s coming along.
To those who have stayed, I want to thank you so much. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to know that people have chosen to stick by. I’m not sure what kind of posts will be coming forth, but rest assured I will be working to bring new content.
I have bipolar disorder. I now know it. And I am getting the help I have needed for years. And it feels good.
The End
When I first moved to Washington, several things happened to me which required me to remove myself from tumblr. After a few months, I came back to this blog. I realize now that this was a mistake. The people who hurt me will keep coming back to me as long as this pathway is opened, because this is their community. If I stay here, I will never be free.
With that, I’ll be shutting this blog down as well. I was a phoenix, and a tropical sea witch. I was great, until I came out here and had my boundaries violated time and time again in more ways than one by more than one person, and it happened again today, even roping another blogger into it.
I thought it would be enough to close my other blog. I was wrong. Now I know.
As for the book plans, they have been cancelled, and any future plan of putting myself anywhere near the witchcraft community’s public eye has been erased.Thank you for your love and support thus far.
If I wanted to bless some string with the ocean, how would I do it?
You would take it down to the water during the full moon at high tide. There, you would grant an offering to the sea.
Dip the string in the water, then show it to the moon. Repeat this two more times, saying these words:
“Holy sea and shining moon,Grant to me a precious boon,Betwixt the sea and sky and land,Bless the string I hold in hand.”
Do you have any bodies of water that work for you now like the tropical sea did?
I'm getting to know Puget Sound. Slowly. But it has already made it clear that it's open.
How do you feel about emoji spells?
They’re complete and utter nonsense. I don’t put any merit in them whatsoever, and I think that belief in them lazy. It’s easy to string a bunch of emojis together and call it a spell. But where is the result? What does it affect?
I’ve seen arguments which state that magical approaches are always shifting and changing. Yes, absolutely. They definitely are. But to the methods of magic are based in physicality. In physical actions taken or items crafted which are of the necessary virtue, which comingle with the will of the practitioner to meet the needed end. Emojis are digital pictures.
Call me stingy, old-fashioned, or curmudgeony, but I think they’re ridiculous.
