Bitchcraft Brewery

Tarot exploration + tea time + queer witchings in the Deep South.

[voodoovulva]

The Night Before a New Job: Tapping into Your Confidence Spread

A big shoutout to the creator of this particular spread, Little Red Tarot. The original posting can be found here. 

Position 1. The root of insecurity: Ace of Knives

I’m about to start something new. More than that, I feel like I’m embarking on a career path and it’s something new and something familiar and something I have so much to learn about. Ace of Knives is all about the start of enlightenment, with the go-getting, let’s get started! energy of the Ace card and the thoughtful, truth-informed energy of the Knives suite. You can be something great with the Ace of Knives. As someone who is so driven to become an expert in anything she does, it makes sense that my anxieties fall around starting something new, with a lot of room for failure (but also a lot of room for success).

Position 2. How to tackle this right from the root: Traveler of Branches

It’s interesting to me that so much of my reading brings up the thoughtful and interpersonal dynamics of the Knives suite and the passionate and fiery energy of the Branches suite. How can I take on my insecurities around starting something new in an almost academic light? The Traveler of Branches wants me to get carried away with new experiences, people, and ideas. It’s okay to be nervous, it says, it’s about plowing forward regardless. It’s okay you don’t have all the experience in the world, says the cocky Traveler, you’ll figure it out on the way. Fast and loose learning style, if we’re going to be honest here. The trick is to avoid coming across as overly confident before you have both feet on the ground. Your youthfulness and ambition will take you pretty far, but you need to reign in the roving eye at the end of the day and focus on the task at hand. Multitasking is not the Traveler’s strong suite. This card wants me to experiment and play with a new subject matter (or two or three...), but it’s important to keep that excitement tempered by the external wisdom of others in the workplace.

Position 3. and 4. Your main sources of power: Student of Branches & Student of Knives

Interestingly, one of my main sources of power in the journey of my new job is the eager learner, the Student of Branches. It’s worth noting that right now, my main sources of power in this realm stem from the eager and inexperienced Student cards. The Student of Branches keeps her head down as she works, and she has a clear goal in mind. She’s setting her mind to the task at hand and won’t stop until she gets there. She works with a calm determination, drawing from her own mental reserve and from the wisdom of those before her (speaking to the Traveler of Branches’ weak spot, which encourages the over eager Traveler to take heed of others’ knowledge). Rather than living a static or dull life, the Student of Branches works actively to build bridges and connect with whom she needs. She is a resource-driven girl, who reminds you to plan and not always act impulsively, even in times of urgency; you may be deliberate and thoughtful in how you implement your plans of action. This resonates with me deeply, as someone who has been doubting my own instincts and my ability to make important decisions honestly. But I need to play around with different elements until I find something that clicks and strikes my fancy. I need to keep a beginner’s mind as I set forth on my ambitious new goals. 

Meanwhile, the Student of Knives looks inward for her own truth. If the Ace of Knives calls on me to soar to new heights and lay the groundwork for the pursuit of knowledge, the Student of Knives is an active learner who is well on her way to becoming a master of language. In my new role, I’ll be liaising development and communications departments in a unique position new not only to me, but to the overall organization. Being masterful with my words is a requirement, and learning how to communicate amongst these two departments with very different needs and motives will be critical. I need to make the leap and take risks: if it doesn’t work out, then tweak it and try again. Challenges are a stepping stone to accomplishing my goal and ultimately gaining insights that make me a force to be reckoned with. 

Position 5. How to tap this: Visionary of Branches

If my insecurity is all about whether I have the mental fortitude and insight to take on a scary new challenge (the Ace of Knives), and I need to tackle this by charging forward with brash confidence and eagerness (the Traveler of Branches), and my main sources of power in my journey are to maintain my beginner’s mind while developing skills as a communicator, the Visionary of Branches speaks to how all this will lead to a boost in my confidence. The Visionary is at the highest realm of achievement in creativity and passion for her craft. Creativity for her doesn’t necessarily mean whipping out the paint set, but it can look like flashes of true insight and leading through passion. This is one of my dream cards when it comes to profession. She is a leader that allows for the growth of those around her, and her calm energy inspires action. If your confidence is low, she is a “fake it until you make it” cheerleader. You’ll find yourself as a Visionary after hard work, and you won’t realize it until the transformation has already begun!  

Position 6. One thing you can do right now: The Guild

Ah yes, The Guild. Known more famously as the Hierophant, this is actually my birth card, and I’ve had complicated feelings about it for quite some time. If I can draw insight from the Guild, it’s to be okay with joining in. I don’t need to rock the boat right now, and there is wisdom in some conventions. My organization has been around for decades (nearly half a century, actually), and it has a rich history. The employees apparently subscribe greatly to the organization’s tenets, and they follow faithfully; I’ve wanted this in a workplace: a cause I can believe wholly in. The Guild also suggests learning from those in power, and from those who may be experts in their field. This all goes in hand with the spread’s lesson in keeping an open mind as I explore a new field.

[voodoovulva]

The Fool | The Fledgling

[aquamarietarot]

a tarot spread for busy motherfuckers

Draw three cards before your morning commute.

1. How the day will go. 2. Where you’ll find the energy to get all your shit done today. 3. How to relax or destress when the day is done.

Now snap a quick picture of the spread while thinking about what the first card means for your day. On the commute think about the second card and plan how to imbue that card’s energy into your actions. On your break at work, between classes, anywhere you can find a minute halfway through your day look back at the picture of your spread and start planning how you’ll use the third card’s advice to destress. Bam, the perfect tarot reading for a hectic day, broken into three different five minute or less increments.

[ocarinawitch]

Inspired by my shitty semester at uni.

1) Your current state. This could represent your current level of self esteem, or it could be describing what’s dragging you down - or even good shit you just haven’t noticed lately.

2 - 4) Your admirable qualities

5 - 7) Struggles you’ve overcome and should feel proud about

8) How to remind yourself of your awesomeness

[voodoovulva]

Daily Card: Fortuna

I pulled this card right before dashing out the door to work this morning, knowing I had a stressful meeting on my immediate horizon. The entire attitude I get from Fortuna (or Wheel of Fortune) is one of chance, fate, and hope. If you find yourself in a rut, or hitting rock bottom, you can take solace in knowing your luck may change soon by forces outside your control. If you are flying high, or perhaps bordering on overconfident, this card is a reminder your luck can also change, and nothing gold can stay. I’ve been anxious lately about things I can control, so receiving this card was a nice reminder that no matter where I am on a cyclical wheel of ups and downs, there is room for change. And no matter how much I prepare for something, I should also remember that I will never control everything. Hints of metamorphosis are everywhere in this rendition of the major aracana card. It is powerful and simple: move, or you will be moved. Move anyway, and you’ll still be moved. As I plan ahead over the next few months regarding my big move back to a city, I will do everything I can to make it a smooth transition (and transitions are good, change is inevitable, Fortuna wants us to understand this), but I will also leave some of my big decisions up to fate. This has never been easy for me, but Fortuna is a reminder that nothing stays the same forever.

[meanwhilepoetry]

There is witchcraft in our blood, in our bones we carry the magic that you could not burn away. You see, fire does not eat fire. Your mother would have taught you that if the world hadn’t convinced her that despite her body being able to bring life into this world, she is not a magical thing. Maybe the witches you burned were the daughters of something more holy than you could ever handle. So you set them alight for being different, forgetting that even the son of your God was once condemned for being too pure, too beautiful, too different for this world. History devoured your name, but we have never forgotten what you did, witch hunter. You see, fire never forgets. When you burned the witches you thought what you did was small. But the flames gave birth to ideas and the ideas set alight souls. For every witch you burned there are now a thousand witch women living differently, and standing tall. And you may have burned some of us, but you will never destroy us all.

Nikita Gill, To the Men Who Burned Witches (via meanwhilepoetry)

[meizhun]

pixel tarot vii

[voodoovulva]

A spring equinox spread for anyone inspired by growth (duh) and lots of colors (another duh) -- via The New Age Hipster. As a springbaby myself, I recommend taking a minute to do this if you fall into a spring sign. Great way to work within your element and celebrate yourself!

My own spring reading coming soon!

CARD ONE - ROOTS

You roots are holding the magic of the seeds you've sown over the past few months or even the last few years.

This card also lets you know what is grounding you right now in your life.

CARD TWO - STEM

You are a super strong being of light, and this spring you are holding your own again!

This card lets you know where you can draw strength from and also reminds you of your own strengths that may have been dormant lately.

CARD THREE - BUD

This little bud isn't opening yet, but it will! This is a sort of "potential future" for your Spring!

CARD FOUR - BUDDING

This bud is budding! Not yet totally open, but we're nearly there!

CARD FIVE - BLOSSOM

Whoop! So here's something that is already blossoming in your life!

CARD SIX - PRUNE THIS

OK, so you can really only get some awesome growth happening if you do some pruning too. Spring is an awesome time to prune away any old branches, clearing out the closet and laying to rest some old thought patterns and beliefs that no longer serve you.

CARD SEVEN - PRUNE THAT

What else are you pruning??

CARD EIGHT - BLOOM!

Here's your big bloom! What is really working in your life, what's coming up roses for you this season?

[voodoovulva]

Visionary of Vessels

This card is easily among my favorites. A true self-care card, filled with knowingness, naturalism, and internal understanding, the Visionary here is a master at their craft. They are immersed in a bathtub with witchy vines, flowers, candles, skulls, and relics surrounding them in their home environment. Though there is a wildness and freedom of growth within the confines of this sacred space, the water itself is contained by the walls of the bathtub. The water flows from the spout, but the chain of the plug is loose: the water is not at risk of overflowing, because older water is being flushed down the drain anyway.

Let your song be the song of the world. Feel your heart beat in unison with your friends, with your ancestors, and with the streaming waters of life. Tap into a massive power that isn’t yours by letting your heart break open--in joy or in pain. Be a vessel for healing and you heal the world.

The Visionary of Vessels is deeply intuitive. Ancestral wisdom, sacred knowledges, and healing poetry flow through them. For this reason, people are drawn to them for their powerful capacities to listen deeply, to counsel, to nurture, to heal, and to calm in times of emotional tumult. The reason that the Visionary is able to hold space so well for others, however, is that they know how to hold space for themselves. They know how to create their own sanctuary for rejuvenation and restoration. They know that they must be intentional, that emotional alignment comes with practices of delving deeply into their own soul and cleansing rather than repressing. The Visionary also knows about the importance of boundaries. Remember that not all vessels are meant to hold us and not everything is ours to absorb or carry. The Visionary reminds us that boundaries are not the same as impasses or walls. You are not obligated to let everyone into your sacred space, especially not those who make toxic demands on your emotional labor. In the long run, the more grounded and supported you can be, the better you will be able to direct your supportive and healing energies to the benefit of others.

REVERSED

The supporter needs support, the healer needs healing. A temporary blip or disruption in intuition and empathy. Approaching powerful wisdom and capacity to heal, but not there quite yet.

[voodoovulva]

Architect of Vessels

This witchy character is aged into her knowledge, and keeps a world of intuition contained. A vessel containing an entire world of emotion and love is set upon dry earth. It is literally grounded, providing a sense of stability where needed, and adding a dose of watery love to dry earth where needed. In the Motherpeace deck, I associated the energy of the stable and loving card to a skillful social worker or psychologist, who can handle your emotional outpouring with met calm and help you work out your shit. It’s what she lives for. Here, a witch has also harnessed the deepest of emotions for herself and her community. As a master manipulator of their element, the Architect is always someone who can access and control their skillset for the good of others.

Feel grounded in your intuition. Respect your magic as a healer, friend, and artist. Build whatever structures you need to keep your energies replenished. 

The Architect of Vessels taps into and channels the power of intuition and strong emotion. The Architect is a powerful witch, whose magic lies in being bale to create meaningful spiritual and psychic connections with others. They may channel their magic as a matchmaker, a healer, an attentive and devoted lover, or a talented artist. 

The Architect is in the process of learning that, even though the world often leaves their tender heart sore, this tenderness is actually a gift. Profoundly empathetic, they are able to move and influence others easily, as their intuition allows them to sense the emotional undercurrents of their environment. At best, this capacity translates into their ability to offer compassion to those around them. However, if not wielded with proper care and attention, their power of empathy could enable manipulative behavior, or leave them susceptible to others’ manipulation. They must take care not to neglect intellect or the material world, examining their motives honestly while replenishing the vessel that is their heart often. If the Architect of Vessels appears in someone you know, allow yourself to receive the love and gentleness that they want to pour into your life. If you embody the energy of the Architect, trust your intuition. Be tender with your spirit and the spirits around you.

REVERSED

Feeling shaken up emotionally, Balancing tenderness and empathy against assertiveness and boundary setting. Needing to recharge.

[voodoovulva]

Traveler of Vessels

Far freer and more active than even the greatest lover of the traditional deck (depicted as a knight perched atop of slowly trotting horse), the Traveler of Vessels moves speedily along, armed only with a fish bowl under her arm as she stares intently at the viewer. Her horse races over the churning ocean waves, and birds mid-flight (two, like herself and her horse) echo the essence of freedom.

Change is the only constant, especially in our hearts. Allow shifts in desires and creative expression. Be present only with the flow of time and how it answers to your own internal movements and shifts. Ask yourself, are you getting carried away? Do you want to be?

Driven by emotions as a source of inspiration, the Traveler of Vessels sets off to explore the furthest reaches of the heart. They are prepared for a creative adventure, such as a new artistic project or creating new emotional bonds. They move so quickly and frequently that their feet never seem to touch ground long enough to call any one place home. No matter how far they travel, they always carry a piece of home with them. Their insatiable desire for novelty can make them appear inconstant. They may turn up in your life to shake it up like a snow globe, only to vanish as quickly as they appeared. The Traveler can remind us to be grounded and centered even as we allow our hearts to be our compass. We can still allow our deep sea of emotions to move us--whether physically or psychically--without losing ourselves. If someone you know embodies the spirit of the Traveler, appreciate the loving and creative energy they usher in your life. If you are the Traveler, be open to new creative or emotional insight. The Traveler can also appear as a reminder that, ultimately, we are responsible for our own healing, even as others can hold space for us and offer guidance. No one else can go on our emotional journeys for us.

REVERSED

Reluctance to commit. Prioritizing independence over intimacy. Fleeting intensity. Disconnection from reality. 

[voodoovulva]

Student of Vessels

The moon and water are both important here, and the mermaid creature literally holds their heart in their hands, as it pours out from within. Strong emotions flow freely around this creature. Mermaids are half human, half fish, so when one appears in tarot it isn’t just for cute points (which it does earn in spades, obviously), it shows a living embodiment of what it looks like to embrace our emotional, intuitive, watery nature as a mystical land-water hybrid. Like the traditional Page of Cups, the Student of Vessels is a messenger, carrying their love, and the message of our feelings, in the palm of their hands. The ocean waters beneath the mermaid are choppy and it appears to be raining, or like there is movement in the air: this is not a time of stillness, there is an action taking place.

Now is the time to take risks in love and intuition, to listen to your inner voice and reconnect with wonder. Be open. Be curious. Soften those rough edges.

The Student of Vessels brims with awe and wonder at the various capacities of the heart. Inspired by the mystery of love and the shifting tides of feelings, guided by intuition, they are ready to embark on an exploration of their emotions. While eager for connection, they have little experience. They may offer their energy of their heart to the first person they encounter, making The Student susceptible to heartbreak and disappointment. But the Student’s heart-on-their-sleeves earnestness makes them endearing to all who encounter them. Despite their inexperience, The Student’s intuitiveness and emotional richness gives an impression of wisdom beyond their years. In others, watch how they immerse themselves in their creative and healing practices. Let their energy be an invitation to reflect on your own practices. Are you able to surrender to the flow, or do you need to address some blockages? In yourself, tap into that spirit of youthful innocence. Open yourself to new connections, spontaneous encounters, and unexpected vulnerability. Be patient with yourself as you learn to trust your intuition and what you create in this world--without disclaimer or qualification.

REVERSED

Having love to give, but not knowing where to put it. Earnest, but with a tendency towards whimsical melancholy. Naivete, unrealistic expectations.

[voodoovulva]

Ten of Vessels

There is an element of childlike wonder and simplicity to this card. A sense of mutuality, of reciprocity, or at least of some collaboration and connectedness. 

Whether it arrives as rain to make the flowers grow, is used to make your favorite tea, or is drawn from a faucet for a healing bath, water is necessary in whatever form it comes--and so are you. Take joy in the abundance dripping around you.

The Ten of Vessels embodies the joy of life within your chosen family, collective, or community. It may not always be bliss as you learn to balance your own needs and wants with those around you. Even so, you know that you are loved, desired, and needed--that you have a vital role to play. The Ten integrates diverse pursuits and interests into an interdependent whole. From the outside this body may seem haphazard, but in fact each member is an integral part of an abundant ecosystem. Here, there is enough space to hold those who anchor us and those who encourage us to go find our freest selves. We are reminded that once we fill our own cups, we can pour ourselves into our surrounding environments. In this way, each person and element contributes to to the collective and is nourished in turn by it. Importantly, the Ten doesn’t force us to homogenize or assimilate, but creates a container that can hold all of us in our full diversity. Real contentment recognizes and cherishes all parts of our lives. This is a moment to feel coherent instead of fragmented, to welcome family connections that feel stable and strong, to experience the soothing harmonies of love you don’t need to work for.

REVERSED

Not knowing what your role is in the larger collective whole. Feeling slightly out of step with the collective vision. Waiting for the last piece to fall into place.

[voodoovulva]

Nine of Vessels

This lighthearted teaparty of diversity evokes a very different vibe from the melancholy of the Eight. They sip and spill and tip into one another: this is a card of joy, light, and abundance. An incredibly delightful, positive energy. It feels most appropriate to equate this peaceful feast with tea time: imagine a steaming hot cup prepared with love, a splash of cream, and the consuming aromas of different herbs and tinctures and buttery cookies. **shudders with delight** The Taurian in me is feeling this indulgent, lovey vibe.

The table is set for a spread of your favorite delights. Now it is time to feast. You are deserving of all of the goodness gushing into your life.

The Nine of Vessels promises that there’s more than enough for everyone--contentment, simple pleasures, a feeling of abundance--anything that will make your heart hum and your body sing. Appreciate the gifts that come to you in the present. There are times when we just have to keep our heads down to survive, times when painful memories or present struggles block us from relishing our lives--this isn’t one of them! Indulge, bask, snuggle, and savor the sweetest things in your life right now. This can be a card of having your wishes come true and your preferences fulfilled--though on a modest scale. It’s more like getting exactly what you wanted for your birthday than achieving your life goals. Revel in the moment. Let yourself overflow. Take pleasure where you find it.

REVERSED

Exhaustion from decadence or overconsumption. Inability to appreciate pleasures. Mild dissatisfaction. Things are nice, but something is missing.

[voodoovulva]

Eight of Vessels

What a fascinating card. The vantage point is looking up at the sky, at the dripping bottles above, looking up at the watching eyes borne out of the wooden post holding up the drooping and flowering bottles of plants. A storm cloud drips water down, bringing leaves and tendrils of plantlife down to the ground. A sun is encircled by a crescent moon in an eclipse; the certainty and vibrancy of the sun is obscured now by mystery and inner searching. Eights appear to symbolize difficulty and strain; the eight in Major Arcana is represented by Strength.

Allow your mourning to be generative. Turn the ashes of what was fertile soil that welcomes what is to come. From your grief, new connections can grow, if you let them. 

The Eight of Vessels evokes loneliness and melancholy. Sometimes, the universe forces us to break away from our attachments. What we have been so determined to carry is now too heavy to hold, and we must release it. Disillusioned, we find our hearts tender and our hands cut as we attempt to salvage the broken pieces. In these moments, it’s hard for us to appreciate the beauty around us. Think of an eclipse that offers only enough light to illuminate our shattering loses. Crisis-like endings can also usher in new beginnings. We are invited to deepen our connection to ourselves by releasing attachments to objects, thought patterns, relationships, and ways of living that no longer serve us. What once nourished us is dying. The Eight of Vessels may signal that you have spent too much time worrying about what you don’t have. It may appear as invitation to commune with the self and tap into the gifts and abundance flowing within you. The Eight also reminds you to reflect on your loss with some distance, to learn how to repurpose what has been broken and figure out how to move on. Even in the wreckage of something you loved, you will find new life emerging from the detritus of the past. Chipped, empty bottles become a wind chime, or vessels for sprouting plants. Let your grief be catalyzing rather than immobilizing.

REVERSED

Feeling stuck in or overwhelmed by grief. Numbed out, unable to feel. Knowing it’s time to let go, but feeling reluctant.

[etsycult]

A Witch Bows to No Man by gracedchin

[voodoovulva]

Seven of Vessels

This card is pure dopeness. Represented as a man with his back turned, embracing a heavenly offering of treasures, this particular “fantasy” card is represented by a woman lying on the ground, who has overdosed on pills/drugs of some kind, and imagines magical offerings amongst fantasy and nightmares. Her imagination runs the risk of running away with her.

Get your head out of the fog. Return a moment to the river. Like the river, you, your dreams, and creativity and receive a sense of direction from your connection to the ground.

Beware the delusions and hallucinations of the Seven of Vessels. This card asks you whether you are seeing reality clearly. Of course, fantasy, imagination, and fanciful daydreaming can be pleasant diversions, or even valuable ways to gain inspiration and envision the future, but only when you’re aware of what you’re doing. When the line between fantasy and reality blurs, you may be deluded, susceptible to manipulation, and unable to make decisions. The Seven can indicate feeling bewildered, dazed, foggy, or unable to see things clearly. When this befuddlement stems from intoxication, it can indicate dangerous overuse or addiction. It can mean that you have numbed yourself to warning signs and let your relationship with substances overtake or harm your relationship with your loved ones. On the other hand, you may simply be overwhelmed, all too acutely aware of your racing thoughts, confronted with countless options, and unsure of how to move forward. Do what you can to get grounded, snap out of the dream, sober up for a moment, take a deep breath, clear your head, and re-assess the situation. The Seven of Vessels asks you to check in with yourself. Have you convinced yourself it will all work out, even though you’re facing an impossible or dangerous situation? Don’t ignore the warning signs. When most of yor choices aren’t actual options, you have to look harder to figure out what’s real.

REVERSED

Lack of imagination, blocked creativity. The looming realization that things are not what you thought they were. Disorientation, vertigo.