Hello! Mind the front step on your way in! It has a mind of its own, sometimes, and likes to keep newcomers on their toes!
I've had many names over the years. My past selves each have their own variation of a name I have gone by. I try to call her by name when I am trying to work with that past self.
You may call me Cat.
I was born in January 1991. Please do the math...
This is a side blog to my main: @self-medicated-l0ve
I've known that I was a witch since I was a child but I didn't begin to be open with my craft until the mid 2010s. Since then, my craft has really changed and opened up.
I've stopped trying to label my practice. I've spent most of my life trying to keep from being placed in a box. I won't do it to myself. I dabble in a number of different aspects of magic that are open to me. I am not part of any initiated sect. I am a self taught witch. I am an active learner; an active researcher; an acting thinker; an active listener. I am a wanderer in spirit.
My practice is filled with acts of various crafts, including:
Cooking and Baking - these crafts are easily used in kitchen and hearth workings. You can be very mindful of what is being added to what is being made.
Crochet, especially wearables and amigurami - utilizes knotwork
Writing - writing essays ("#twilightmagick: essay") and digging deeper into previous beliefs to reflect on how I have changed as a practitioner and hopefully help new practitioners as they need.
I practice various forms of divination and have moments when I offer free readings. If you are interested in a more, in-depth reading or other services, message me for more inquiries!
On top of this, I am active in the #pathandpractice tag and discord as well as a mod for The Twilight Inn discord. Both communities have been welcoming and are becoming their own resources for others to learn from. Come check them out!
If you have any questions, my ask box and my DMs are open!
#pathandpractice discord Book Club has been bringing about some interesting conversations!
If you aren't part of this discord, let me bring you up to speed:
We need to bring back classy insults. Parris called Abigail a slut (disguised as a witch) without blatantly saying the words.
A reminder that this was written about and during McCarthyism in the USA. His insult about if her character is "white" can be referring to multiple things that affected both 1690s American and 1950s America: purity of character/sexualization, witchcraft/Communism.
A reminder that the 10 Commandments were highly regarded during those times. This thought, was about to be organically linked to a scene in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (a reality show on Hulu): The Commandment says "Honor thy father and mother" not "Honor thy children"
I have only read a little bit so far (time constraints) and I am trying to stretch the reading across the month. This allows me to be able to have active conversations with you guys without it seeming like my responses are rehearsed or prewritten.
June 1 - 7: Act 1
I realized that I had forgotten to post the discussion question to keep in mind when reading Act 1 here:
What elements existed or were created within the community to allow Abigail and the other girls to gain power?
Low income witches, the dollar store is a blessing in disguise. It may not be overly aesthetic, you can splurge on other shops when you can but the dollar store and arts and craft shops like Michaels are really helpful when you're in a pinch. 💛
That's the best thing about dollar stores, Michaels, and Thrift shops: for cheap, you can find the materials to make things fit the aesthetic. Crafting the aesthetics yourself can add power and connection to the pieces, making it work stronger in your spells!
It isn't a common sentiment I've encountered, but over the years I've seen a handful of people say they don't bother with protection magic, wards, etc because they're "not scared". I've been thinking about this a bit lately because I've never viewed protective magic as something that stems from fear. For me, it's always been about care.
In some ways, it's like locking my door. I don't lock it because I'm scared someone is going to come through. I lock it because it means I don't need to worry because I know it's taken care of, and my home is protected. I value the peace inside my own. It's the same with preparing protective oils and herbs, maintaining wards, and every other little act of protective magic to make sure my house feels settled. The focus isn't on some looming threat that's hanging over me. It's on the belief that my home is a sacred place that deserves peace and protection.
To me, protective magic grows from affection, stewardship, and believing that the things you tend deserve a chance to thrive without unnecessary interference.
A few months ago, I created a Cleansing Jar that sits on the table next to the front door of the house. Every new and full moon, I empty the contents, clean the jar, and redo it.
This jar was created as a means to absorb negativity as it crosses the threshold; blocking these feelings from entering the house. It is meant to cleanse anyone who comes inside of bad feelings and thoughts and allow us to settle into our home comfortably. It appears to be working, as those of us who live in the home have been having far more pleasant experiences than before. We tend to be in better moods, unless something or someone goes out of their way to make us feel bad. Every night (between 9-10pm), or very early in the morning (between 2-5am), I swirl the contents of the jar for the banishing portion of the spell. When it comes time to redo it, anything contained in the water is banished as it is removed from the property.
Which leads me to the morning of May 29, 2026. I swirled the little jar and watched as the contents swirled around the jar, things I did not add dancing in the water. I was grossed out; I gagged a little. I also enjoyed that it seems like, based off of physical observations, the jar is doing its purpose. It is absorbing the negativity that tries to latch onto us and protecting us from it.
Now, I know that there is a mundane cause. I am perfectly fine with bringing up any mundane causes. Even though I physically clean the jar after emptying its contents, this isn't a sterile environment and dust or hair was still able to get into the jar. The salt and the essential oil attached itself to the dust. When the jar was shaken, the dust swirled with everything attached to it, giving the appearance of a, rather unpleasant looking, snow globe!
There are two ways to look at it in a way that encompasses the main aspects:
Dust/Dirt got in the jar
The jar did its job and absorbed any negativity that tried to latch itself onto us.
Seeking a mundane cause can allow us to remain grounded. It allows us to keep one foot in the physical plane while we search for deeper meanings on the spiritual planes. Looking at things from the mundane side first can help keep many from possibly going into a psychosis.
The magic side of things tell a different story.
Everyone in my house interacts with the outside world at various points of the day throughout various points of the week. Each outside excursion, while we wish would only bring positive feelings into our lives, have a tendency to bring about, at minimum, one negative interaction. This could be from something face to face, due to traffic, or some other cause. While we could chalk this up to Negativity Bias, we have all experienced a time in our lives where one bad interaction stayed with us through the rest of our day. These negative experiences add up and can put a damper on a whole day. I did not want to let these feelings, these energies, enter the house and fester, causing us to feel morose or other negative feelings. Those feelings, those vibrations, are absorbed by the cleansing jar. When keeping the magic side in mind, it makes sense to see the debris swirling as physical proof that the jar is doing what it is supposed to. It acts as physical proof that "it isn't all in my head".
That just sounds like Unverified Personal Gnosis, with extra steps.
And you wouldn't be wrong for thinking that! The magical side is, absolutely, UPG. Until the other members in this house feel or experience it the same way I do, it is UPG. It just happens to be one that has a physical aspect to it. It also happens to be a spell that harms no one and is barely larger than a random nicknack on a shelf.
So...what does it all mean? There has to be a bigger picture. What's the bigger purpose?
What it means: When a spell is working, you will see signs of it. Many of them will have physical signs that they are working, though they may not show as you had expected. It is best, however, to rule out any mundane reasons why something is happening (for example, why a candle melts weird could be due to a manufacturing flaw) before seeking metaphysical/spiritual signs.
What's the bigger picture? What's the bigger purpose: To develope stronger abilities to recognize the difference between mundane reasons and spiritual/metaphysical causes. Not only that, it can help solidify your experiences in more than just a UPG way. The only way to truly learn is to experience things firsthand.
So, let's look at a working spell the same way we would the scientific method:
Observation: What you want/Why you are creating the spell.
Question: What the spell is meant to do
Research: Create/write the spell/ritual you plant to cast
Hypothesis: How you want the spell to show it has manifested
Experiment: Cast the spell
Analyze Data: Let the spell do its thing and reflect on how things are moving in regards to your spell
Conclusion: Did the spell work or should you recast/try a different method?
Steps 6 and 7 are the areas that most people seem to have the hardest time with, because these two steps usually require patience in order to fully observe results. These final steps are where you are going to truly see your spell in action. Take note of how things seem to be evolving but let them do their thing without interference. Reflect on what would be occurring naturally without your assistance and what could only come from the spell.
Sometimes, a spell requires more introspection to see if it is working.
The more you become attuned to yourself and your abilities the more you will be able to see the physical manifestation of your spells easier.
June has arrived! With it comes a new book for book club: Arthur Miller's "The Crucible"!
The last time I read this play was when I was in middle school. Truthfully, I probably haven't read the play or watched the 1996 movie (one of my, personal, favorites) in 20ish years. When I read it, I was not open about my craft. Honestly, this may have been a time in my life where I was kind of denying my interest in it when others asked. Being a teenager in the early '00s came with other issues...
I hope that many of you are in a similar boat to me (though your years since reading may vary), too, and can view this work in a completely different light than when it had been first introduced to you.
The timeline I have listed acts as a guideline. You don't need to follow it to a t. If you would like to read quicker, please, feel free. I will be dropping discussion questions at the beginning and the end of each week. If you read ahead, please try to save those thoughts for when they are more relevant to the "reading".
Week 1: June 1 - June 8: Act 1
Week 2: June 9 - June 15: Act 2
Week 3: June 16 - June 22: Act 3
Week 4: June 23 - June 30: Act 4
I look forward to enjoying reading with you!
Oh, and please don't feel as if you are limited to just the discussion questions I'll post later! Discuss as you feel you need to! This is supposed to be fun!
No but seriously if you want to work with the Fair Folk please also look at local legends, myths and folklore. The "rules" often stated for working with the Fair Folk: things like "don't say thank you", "offerings should be of milk and honey", "don't tell them your name, for it gives them power over you". Are not universal concepts. Actually, they mostly come from Irish and Scottish lore.
And that's logical because they have the most written about the Fair Folk.
However, those might not be the "rules" of your local Fair Folk. For example, Dutch Fae were given offerings of pancakes. Gnomes apparently love boiled potatoes. And any Fair Folk that love to help humans will disappear forever when seen. Different rules for different Folk.
#PathandPractice Book Club - June - Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" - Timeline
Hey everyone! I wanted to let you guys know that I have the full timeline ready to go! Discussion questions will be dropped at the beginning of the reading week and at the end of the reading week. Hopefully, we can have some thoughtful discussions!
Reading Timeline
Week 1: June 1 - June 8: Act 1
Week 2: June 9 - June 15: Act 2
Week 3: June 16 - June 22: Act 3
Week 4: June 23 - June 30: Act 4
If you aren't part of the discord server, I would like to invite you to join the fun here, on Tumblr! If you don't have access to the play, join along with a "Bring Your Own Play"! Please try to make sure it connects to magic or witchcraft in some way!
I hope to have fun discussions with you guys soon!
As many know, I have been going through my archive and have been reflecting on previous thoughts and posts (I've made it into 2018!). This post was prompted by an older post. The original post happened to be a reminder that:
All witches are valid
It went on to speak about specific moments where someone may not feel valid. Statements like this always fill me with a positive feeling. When I read this or similar statements, I take it as a truly important reminder that I am valid, my craft is valid, my practice is valid. This reminder is even more important when I find myself in a moment of lower mental health.
The human brain has a tendency to go a little haywire, get a little wonky. For some people, this moment doesn't last lon; they are able to move about their day, pretty much unencumbered. Meanwhile, other people can fall into these moments and dwell in these feelings, allowing them to infiltrate their lives and cause them to go through a downward spiral. When this happens, it feels easier to remain in negativity.
Don't worry. This is actually a normal thing.
This phenomena, called "Negativity Bias", happens because our brains find it easier to latch onto criticism and negative aspects in comparison to compliments and positive aspects. This is called "Negativity Bias" and is most likely an evolutionary trait. Just as humans evolved to like petricore (the smell of the earth while/after it rains) because it meant we could find fresh water, we evolved to have this bias to survive our environments (though, we don't entirely need it anymore).
It is even easier to let a negative mindset truly settle in and take hold when it comes to witchcraft and our various practices. One reason why this mindset could happen is due to having a decent amount of Unverified Personal Gnosis experiences. Without someone backing our experiences up, we can start believing that something must have been wrong; we must have been wrong. We didn't actually experience what we thought we were. It happened by chance. It was a fluke. It can also come from periods of downtime. You may feel as if you aren't doing as much, which can cause you to view yourself or your practice in a negative light. This can cause you to feel as if you, and therefore your practice, aren't valid because you, literally, aren't doing anything that you consider makes you a witch (or whatever you choose to label (or not label) yourself as). These moments can be brought on by physical illness or mental health taking a backseat. We can be our own worst enemies.
What Negativity Bias doesn't do is define us. Only we can define ourselves. Seriously, we do that. I define myself. You define yourself. Everyone defines themselves. As we are the only ones who get to experience our lives as we experience them, only we can define ourselves.
A piece of advice that has been floating around for as long as I have been practicing is:
You are a witch because you said you are a witch.
The moment you choose to call yourself a witch, you have become a valid witch. Your practice is a valid practice because what you do is valid.
Sometimes, the most important thing to do is to take active steps.
So, what can we do to help us feel valid when our craft doesn't *feel* valid?
There are so many different ways to help you feel valid! First thing's first, claim your power back. This is the easiest way to begin to feel valid again: Stare at yourself in the mirror and chant that you and your craft are valid. This step helps work on the mental health aspect of things by helping you see yourself in a more positive light.
Other things to do to help you feel valid:
✏️ Go Back to the Basics: Test your knowledge on basic topics that all beginners would benefit from knowing.
🔥💧🪴🌬 Touch Base with the Elements: Sometimes, we want to *feel* something physical/tangible to help us connect with our crafts. Go outside and touch the ground. Feel the air on your skin. Touch a body of water or feel the rain. Use a match or lighter and light a candle. Experience the elements and feel your self reconnect.
🧹 Cleanse: Take a shower. Clean your living space and where you practice your craft. Cleanse your spirit. Cleaning can make things feel "new" or "ready".
🪷 Ground: Connect your soul, your energy to the Earth and remind yourself that you are here, you are valid.
✨️ Cast a Spell: Whether it be a protection, cleansing, or a glamo(u)r spell. Just cast a spell. You may not feel valid until you actually put your craft to use.
There are so many more ways to work on helping yourself feel valid again. Remember: Be kind to yourself as you work on dealing with these feelings. While Shadow Work can provide beneficial reflection, it can have the ability to trigger other mental health effects or disorders. If you feel you may have a poor reaction, uss common sense and either do not do it or do it with the guidance of a licensed mental health professional. If you find yourself having persistent negative thoughts that begin to affect your every day life, please talk to a mental health professional in your area.
You are valid. Your feelings are valid. Your practice is valid. Your craft is valid. *You are valid.*
Over at the #pathandpractice discord, I will be hosting June's bookclub! We will be reading Arther Miller's "The Crucible". If you are unable to get your hands on this play, please bring one pertains to witchcraft/magic!
Some things I hope we can discuss are how religion, government, personal relationships, and more influenced the trials and how these themes come through the play.
I'm hoping most people who join will be like me: the last time you read this play was when you were in your early teenage years and will be able to look at it through a different, more critical lens!
If you aren't part of the discord but would like to join in the fun, I will be posting any discussion questions to the tag and will be monitoring it if you would like to join! If you are joining with a BYOP, please send me an ask or a DM with some of the themes for your choice so I can create discussion questions that can pull everyone in easily!
I hope to have fun discussion with anyone who would like to join in!