willow || they/it || witchcraft sideblog archive of sorts for @coolcatlover4 || if you scroll back far enough, you'll find some random not witchcraft related posts XD
Sitting around a bonfire or campfire, especially with loved ones
Being kind to children; playing with them if offered
Supporting organizations focused on marginalized groups; spreading the word, donating, volunteering, etc.
Supporting organizations focused on children and children's safety
Volunteering at a homeless shelter or an animal shelter
Teaching yourself that it's ok to ask for help, even if you don't receive it at first
Seeking out a community you can join; this will help with creating a support system as well; LGBTQ+ support groups, gamer groups, fandom groups, etc.
Having horse, snake, raven, or wolf imagery around; having skull imagery is also cool, but may not be acceptable in all households
Engaging with your childhood media or toys
Having literally any stuffed animals
Keeping a list of jokes and quotes that make you laugh
Supporting animal conservation efforts
Learning to accept yourself for who you are; embracing unique aspects of your identity, especially those that are looked down upon by others
Showing support for marginalized groups, such as being an LGBTQ+ ally or purchasing from POC small business owners
Identifying your strengths and weaknesses; finding healthy ways to acknowledge them both
Learning new ways of coping with emotional turmoil, including mental illness related situations
Listening to scary stories
Having a candle that reminds you of him (no altar needed)
Collecting lost or interesting objects (so long as it's not reclaimed first lol)
Being a little mischievous/silly with loved ones
Finding little ways to express yourself if you can't do so openly (e.g. wearing a bracelet with the colors of your gender identity, wearing shoelaces with pride flag colors that aren't easily recognizable, etc.)
Being kind to yourself when you're having a difficult time
Learning to forgive yourself for past mistakes you've made
Sleeping with comfy blankets
Drinking hot chocolate
Eating candies and sweets or spicy foods
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May add more later! So far, this is my list of discreet ways to worship Loki. Hope this helps, and take care, y'all! ❤️
In the realm of witchcraft and the arcane arts, a grimoire is a sacred vessel—a repository for your magical knowledge, spells, and experiences. To create your very own grimoire is to embark on a magical journey, a testament to your personal growth and a reflection of your unique spiritual path. With each page, you breathe life into a magical world that is uniquely yours. 🌙📜🔮
So, let us delve into the mystic arts and learn how to craft your very own grimoire, a treasured companion on your magical journey:
✨ 1. Choose Your Tools: Begin by selecting a journal or a notebook that resonates with you. It could be leather-bound, handcrafted, or a simple, beautifully designed book. Let your intuition guide you.
✨ 2. Dedicate Your Grimoire: Before you start filling its pages, dedicate your grimoire to your magical practice. Create a ceremony or ritual that signifies its importance in your spiritual journey.
✨ 3. Organize Your Content: Decide on the sections or categories for your grimoire. Common sections include spells, herbs, crystals, divination, moon phases, and personal reflections. Organizing your content will make it easier to reference.
✨ 4. Decorate with Intention: Use art, symbols, and colors that hold significance in your practice. Incorporate symbols, runes, and illustrations that resonate with your magical path. Each stroke of your pen can carry intention.
✨ 5. Record Your Spells and Rituals: Document your spells and rituals with care. Include ingredients, steps, and the outcomes. Personalize them to make them your own and infuse them with your energy.
✨ 6. Herbal and Crystal Wisdom: Devote sections to the properties and uses of herbs and crystals. Describe their magical associations and how to work with them in your spells and rituals.
✨ 7. Lunar and Planetary Magic: Dedicate pages to the phases of the moon and the influence of planetary energies. Include your observations and experiences with these celestial guides.
✨ 8. Divination and Tarot: Share your insights about divination methods like tarot, runes, or scrying. Document your readings and interpretations.
✨ 9. Dream and Meditation Journal: Dedicate a portion to dream and meditation experiences. Record your visions, insights, and messages received during your spiritual journeys.
✨ 10. Personal Reflections: Your grimoire is not just a book of facts but a record of your spiritual evolution. Write about your experiences, your magical progress, and how your practice has shaped you.
✨ 11. Protection and Secrecy: Consider creating a page or section dedicated to protective spells or enchantments to safeguard the contents of your grimoire.
✨ 12. Regularly Update: Your grimoire is a living, evolving document. As you learn, grow, and experience, continue to add to its pages and update your knowledge.
🌟🔮🌟
As you craft your grimoire, remember that it is a reflection of your unique connection to the magical world. With each entry, you breathe life into your practice, making it a powerful, personalized tool for your mystical journey. May your grimoire be a testament to your magical evolution, a record of your discoveries, and a key to the secrets of the universe.
📜🔮✨ Blessed be, as you embark on this enchanting journey of grimoire creation. 📜🔮✨
Just a quick compilation of the posts I've made about exercises to help improve your craft. These can be used as journaling prompts, inspiration for activities, or as methods for pulling yourself out of a slump and recharging your witchy inspiration.
Witchcraft Exercise - Quantifying Your Craft
Witchcraft Exercise - Dig Through The Ditches
Witchcraft Exercise - The Book of Lessons
Witchcraft Exercise - Home Brews
Witchcraft Exercise - Witchy Inspo Journal
Witchcraft Exercise - Spring Cleaning
Witchcraft Exercise - Creating Correspondences
Witchcraft Exercise - Creating Your Own Runes
Witchcraft Exercise - Shakespearean Witchcraft
Witchcraft Exercise - Music To Witch By
Related Prompt - Music to Witch By
Witchcraft Exercise - Annual Review
Most of these are also available in the May 2021 bonus episode of Hex Positive (check your favorite podcatcher).
Happy Witching!
(If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar, tune in to my monthly show Hex Positive on your favorite podcast app, or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊)
To the lovely Baby Witches✨into Sigil/ Rune Magic…
Sigils and runes don’t have to be complicated or strategic! They can be as quick and simple as a doodle on your lunch napkin or strategic shapes and symbols your intuition has shown you.
Charging Sigils/Runes
Meditation
Chanting
Placing them in powerful places, I.e., tattoos, food, entrances&exits
Using them in your rituals/ day to day
Sleeping with them under your pillow
Don’t burn or ignite your sigils unless your intent is to banish!
If anyone has questions or wants to chat about witchy things don’t hesitate to hmu! :)
I hope you find endless sweet water and warm winds my friend
A couple months ago I made a post shouting out the fact that witchcraft doesn’t require any money to get started (or to be practiced, for that matter), and I had a few people ask me about what they can do that’s free, especially as a beginner, so I wrote up this post. I was lost and broke when I was getting started with my craft, and it was really difficult to find tips for beginners that weren’t just “buy these things!” I’m hoping this will be useful for people who are looking for a place to begin.
So. You’re interested in witchcraft and would like to find out more. Maybe you keep seeing those “crystals/herbs/books/etc. beginner witches should have” posts, and you’re frustrated, because you want to begin your practice, but don’t have the money for those supplies. I was once in that spot, and even now that I’m five years into my practice, I have rarely purchased any of the supplies witchtok deems to be fundamental. Here are some places you can begin instead. Let’s get started!
Info continues below.
Foundations
By foundations, I’m referring to things that aren’t explicitly witchcraft, but that I have found very beneficial within my own practice.
1. Before anything, I recommend asking yourself a simple question: why do I want to practice witchcraft, and what do I hope to get out of it? You may not know for sure yet, and your answer will likely change over time, but having some intentions going in can be helpful when you’re in the early stages of research. When I was starting out, I felt very overwhelmed by the amount of info out there, so if you have a bit of an idea of what you’re specifically interested in, that can be helpful to get you going.
2. Meditation: not all witches meditate, but a lot of the skills you develop through meditation can be helpful within witchcraft. You can try out secular meditation (apps like Balance and Headspace, as well as Insight Timer—the former has a mix of secular and spiritual meditations), or you can find a witchcraft-specific guided meditation on YouTube. For neurodivergent folks out there, I recommend looking into active meditation, which I’ve found to be quite beneficial for myself.
For me, it’s always important to remain grounded when I’m doing any spiritual practice, and meditation is a good skill you can work on to help with that. I also find that having a background in meditation can be really helpful later down the line when/if you are attempting visualization and/or astral projection, witch’s flight, and so forth.
3. Journaling: another thing that isn’t specifically witchcraft-related, but is an important skill to harness, on my opinion. To me, it’s crucial to be in touch with what I’m feeling (especially when it comes to doing spellwork), and journaling is one great way to do that. If you’re stuck and don’t know where to begin, look up witchcraft (or general) journal prompts on here or somewhere else. A lot of the ones that come up will be shadow work, which can be intense, so only do what feels comfortable for you.
I’d also like to note that automatic writing/drawing is an entirely free option if you’re interested in communing with spirits or deities. Essentially it involves getting into a trance-like state (usually in a dark room only lit by candlelight or similar—this is to avoid distractions) with a piece of paper and pen, and you write or draw everything that comes to your head without thinking about it. And then you go back and see what sort of messages you may be receiving. It’s a bit hard to explain and I’m not very experienced in it myself, but it’s something worth looking into if it sounds interesting to you!
4. Look at what you have, instead of what you don’t: a lot of beginner witch resources will list specific items that you should have, without really explaining why. And without that knowledge of how/why having an item is important, you might find your Must Have crystal sitting unused on a shelf somewhere. So instead of focusing on the items you want or feel like you should have, look at what you do have. Are there plants or herbs in your house/yard that you feel drawn to? Do you have a collection of cool rocks and stones? How do these items make you feel?
For me, a large part of my craft is my belief in Animism (the belief that all living things have innate spiritual qualities, like a soul, spirit, or specific energy) and this can play into the way you interact with the natural world if it’s a belief you also subscribe to. Try and feel the presence of a plant to see if it gives you any specific feeling. It does? Great! Now you have a correspondance for that plant. And it’s even better than the correspondances you’ll get in a book because it’s based on your own personal connection and intuition. That’s what is most important.
5. When in doubt, use your intuition. You might find a source that says cinnamon should be used for protection. Another will say it should be used for abundance spells. What matters the most is what you think about an herb/plant/stone/colour, or whatever else you may utilize. I recommend to start keeping a list of what you associate these things with. It can take awhile to build up a personalized list, but once you have one, it’ll be a lot more useful than what a correspondances book says to do.
6. Scour your pantry and get cooking: are you wanting to try out a spell but you haven’t bought the ingredients? Look in your pantry. You may be surprised by how many commonly used witchcraft herbs you find in there. And if you have been starting to associate certain herbs or spices with specific feelings or energies, that’s a great way to get started with creating your own spell.
You can do a spell in many ways, but when I was starting out, one of my favourite ways was to incorporate a certain herb or spice into food I made. Say you’re making a soup and maybe you want a bit of protection, so you add some ground pepper with the intention of that pepper protecting you as you stir it into the soup. Same goes for any other ingredient you’d like to use. A little intention goes a long way!
7. Dedicate your actions, time, or energy: if you’re interested at all in working with deities, ancestors, and other spirits but don’t have the time/space to build an altar—or maybe you aren’t sure how involved you want to be with this part of witchcraft—you can devote an action to the entity. This can be simple. For example, when I worked with Apollo, I would use taking my meds and vitamins as an act of devotion to him. This is an offering. And offerings can be anything you want them to be. They don’t have to be expensive or fancy!
It’s also important to note that you do not need to work with deities or spirits to be a witch. You don’t even have to believe in them. Many witches are atheists or don’t work with any deities at all. But for those who are interested, simple offerings can be a good place to start.
8. Practice energy work: in my view, energy work is the most important skill to learn for your craft, since so many things build off of it. And with energy work, you don’t need to spend any amount of money on it. All you need is yourself, your intuition, and anything else—I mean that quite literally, you can practice feeling the energy of other people, pets, trees, buildings, foods, socks, your favourite pen, and whatever else you think of!
Once you get to know the energy of the things around you, you can more effectively utilize them as tools within your practice (this builds off of the intuition point I made earlier).
For example, as a child I lived in a house that was surrounded by cedar trees. It was a place where I felt very safe. To this day, when I see or smell a cedar tree, I feel safe and protected. You can read this any way you’d like—to me it’s both a spiritual and psychological phenomenon—but this is one example of sensing energy.
As a witch, you can practice that skill and use it to get to know the tools you’d like to use within your own craft (the things that connect to you personally, not what you’re told you should connect with). This isn’t an easy skill by any means, so if it doesn’t come naturally to you, that’s perfectly okay!
For more on this subject, I recommend two books: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer (more on animism in particular) and Psychic Witch by May Auryn (lots of exercises to practice working with and sensing energy).
Where to Go for Learning
After you’ve thought a bit about some of the above, or skipped it altogether if it doesn’t suit you, you’re probably wanting some good resources that will actually tell you how to do the witchcraft thing. But before that, I want to reiterate again that this is your practice, and you should only do what you are interested in. So take what you want and leave what you don’t.
I’m going to point you in three primary directions for learning good information: books, podcasts, and YouTube.
But first, I want to issue a massive disclaimer for the YouTube information (and some books, for that matter). You should not have one sole source for your information. Books that have bibliographies are always the most trustworthy sources. And even though I trust the information coming from the YouTubers I’ll mention—especially because I’ve read similar information in several witchcraft books—don’t take their word at face-value. Be critical of what you’re told. Believe what you believe. This is a skill you’ll learn over time. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but it will get easier to discern what’s good info vs. bad info, over time.
Before you get started, I highly recommend watching this helpful video by HearthWitch with info on how to vet your witchcraft sources: link.
Books
In my view, books are the Best source of information, period. Anyone can publish an article or video online, but not everyone can publish a book. So there tends to be a bit more reliable info in witchcraft books.
As far as knowing what book you should begin with, there are lots of lists out there for beginners, and I recommend just looking at one of those lists and picking what sounds interesting to you. Take what you like and leave what you don’t.
Most of the YouTubers I’ve listed below have videos recommending books for beginners.
If you’re interested in British folk witchcraft, I started out with Folk Witchcraft by Roger J. Horne and it was a brilliant beginners guide that I recommend to anyone who is interested in that branch of witchcraft.
As always, while you read witchcraft books, be critical of the information you are presented with. Unfortunately, lots of witchcraft books (especially the classic ones) can be rooted in concepts like bioessentialism, colonialism, and racism. My recommendation is to not take any author’s word as gospel and to use your critical thinking skills when reading witchcraft books.
Where I live, books are EXPENSIVE. And when you’re just starting out in your practice, you might not have the money or ability to go out and buy a book just yet. Maybe you’re still unsure if witchcraft is right for you. Or maybe you’re in the “broom closet.” Whatever the reason, here are some free places to find books.
1. The public library: a bit obvious, but a great resource to look at, because you never know what your library might have. Libraries are the best. And entirely free!
2. Library apps like Libby or Overdrive: especially helpful if you don’t want to bring home a physical witchcraft book, or if your branch doesn’t have any copies of what you’re looking for. You can also get some audiobooks on there.
3. Archive.org: aka the web archive. Entirely free and entirely legal, this works as an online library service where you can check out a book for a bit of time right from your computer. Sometimes you can download PDFs as well. I’ve found a lot of my favourite witchcraft books on there, so if you have a specific title in mind, search it there.
YouTube
First, as a bit of a caveat before recommending you to watch YouTube videos on witchcraft: in my view, books are the best source of information for any witch, as they are able to contain a large degree of nuanced and research-informed information. But books aren’t a simple solution for everyone, and I’ve learned a lot from informed YouTubers over the years (in fact, like many witches, I was first exposed to witchcraft via Harmony Nice on YouTube!).
I’m including a list here of witch YouTubers that I personally recommend because I have found that their content aligns with information I have read in books and other research-informed sources over the years, and because I find them to be generally reliable.
I want to note here that this list is rather biased, as I tend to watch witchcraft YouTubers whose practices mirror my own in some ways. So most of these practitioners have practices informed by European folk witchcraft, and are not very diverse as a result. If any practitioners have further recommendations to add on, especially for practitioners of colour and practices that are different from mine, please do so!
My recommendations:
ChaoticWitchAunt: folk witchcraft, specifically in the Italian tradition, some great beginner content, info on working with saints and spirits.
TheWitchOfWonderlust: death magic, spellwork, great beginner content, lots of excellent info on working with spirits.
HearthWitch: truly a well of information on British witchcraft, beginner videos on any topic you can think of, q&a livestreams, and there’s even a video on vetting witchcraft sources that I really recommend for beginners.
The Redheaded Witch: folk witchcraft and folklore, spirit and ancestor work, daily witchcraft ideas, some beginner videos.
TheGreenWitch: such an excellent resource for herbal/green witchcraft, videos on spellwork, ingredients, tools, and more.
Mintfaery: lots of beginner information, videos on working with the fae, nature witchcraft, and lots of fun witchy days in the life.
Ella Harrison: German folk witchcraft, great beginner resources, including some more niche traditional craft topics like witch’s ladders.
The Norse Witch: info on Norse witchcraft and Heathenry, Norse paganism, and some content about astrology.
simplywitched: lots of great everyday witchcraft content, pagan witchcraft, more vlog style.
Warrior Witch Nike: witchy book reviews, paganism, deity work, some astrology content.
Mhara Starling: the place to go for anyone interested in Welsh witchcraft and folk magic related to Wales.
Alwyn Oak: lots of witch’s guides, especially relating to sabbats (those popularized in Wicca), forest witchcraft, gorgeous videos.
Ivy The Occultist: chaos magick and lots of interviews with practitioners from a variety of paths/backgrounds.
Shadow Harvest: personal day in the life witchy content, some videos looking at working with dark goddesses and deity work in general.
Note: some of these YouTubers have written their own witchcraft books geared towards beginners, so if you enjoy their videos and want to learn more, check those out.
Podcasts
The Astrology Podcast: not specifically witchcraft, but if you want to learn about astrology in detail, this is an excellent place to begin. Link goes to YouTube.
Books and Broomsticks: all kinds of good info, especially pertaining to folk magic, witch guests invited on to share more about their own practice. Link goes to Spotify.
Southern Bramble: A Podcast of Crooked Ways: a variety of witchcraft related topics, interviews, and discussions, often revolving around folk magic and traditional craft—interviews show different traditions. Link goes to Spotify.
New World Witchery - The Search for American Traditional Witchcraft: what it says on the tin; various topics and conversations through an American traditional/folk magic lens by the author of the (amazing) book with the same name. Link goes to Spotify.
Salty Witches Podcast by Cat & Cauldron: traditional witchcraft through a modern lens, another podcast that has a wide variety of topics covered. Link goes to Spotify.
—
As always, if anyone has any additional (free!) resources to add onto these ones, please do so.
Good luck to all of the beginner witches who are embarking on their spiritual journeys, and I hope some of these tips have been helpful! :)
Alright witches. Lets dive into some witchy basics and discuss the differences between cleansing, uncrossing and banishing. This will hopefully help you differentiate between them.
But.. lets be honestly if you do something like call a spell an uncrossing when "technically" doing a banishing, who cares its all in good spirit. The reason i think its good to have a difference in mind between these falls into how you handle a spell. If I'm doing an uncrossing vs a banishing i would choose different spell ingredients, maybe work with different gods, or choose a different element to work with.
Cleansing: I consider cleansings as the foundation and most basic of these. Its almost an umbrella term the other two fall under. All banishings are cleansings, but not all cleansings are a banishing. Cleansings are when you're trying clear something away. Most often people will use this term in day to day workings and general upkeep to make sure nothing has stuck to them. This would include more casual things like smoke cleansing, showering and asking the water to cleanse you, sound cleansing, etc. Its not a full spellworking or ritual, but still done with energy and intention. Sometimes you may do a cleansing and realize whatever is there, is stuck deeper then you expected. So you take the next steps and do a more "intense" cleansing like an uncrossing or banishing.
Uncrossing Spells: Uncrossing specifically refers to removing unwanted energy. Usually when discussing what is an uncrossing, I sperate it from just a cleansing by describing it as a very intense cleansing where you're trying to strip away intense and specific energy. These are more work and a step up from an everyday cleansing for more intense scenarios. This is very spirit focused; think of it as taking out the bad and putting in the good. Some types of spells I would consider an uncrossing are: removing hexes/jinx/curses, removing the evil eye, spiritual detoxes, road openers, removing any stubborn energy, removing feelings, etc. I associate uncrossings with water: it's soaking in and getting that energy out. I would choose herbs/spell ingredients that are uplifting and purifying. Think salt, rosemary, rue, and lemons.
Banishing Spells: Banishing spells remove unwanted entities, spirits or people. You can use it to get rid of very deep rooted things like habits or insecurities. Banishings are quite a strong forms of spellwork. You're really kicking something out and away from you when you do a banishing. Its connected to more deep rooted things that you're trying to remove from your life. Some types of spells I could consider a banishing: cord cutting, exorcisms, banishing a spirit attached to you, getting rid of insecurities, freezers, etc. I associate banishings with fire. Burn and gtfo. I would choose herbs that have more of a kick to them and are defensive. Think nettle, blackberry leaves, cloves, even pepper in some cases.
Please note this doesn't have to be something strict. Like i said at the beginning this is just a guide that will help you differentiate so you can tackle the spellwork as effectively as possible.
Witch things to add in your room, poor person edition
Fuck it Most of witchcraft people tell you to buy shit. So here's some stuff u can do for free
grab some sticks from the ground, bind them together in a shape you like, add intent (usually protection), hang it up
make a flower crown, add protection intent, dry it out, hang it up. protection spell and real ward. regularly recharge intent.
dry plants, set warding intent, hang them up.
crushed eggshells on your window sill to prevent bad energy.
wear a bandana or veil somewhere on your body, sometimes i use mine as belts, to protect from bad vibes.
paint your nails in the color meaning you want. mine are pink for self attraction rn
when you light up a candle always ask if theres a spirit or entity there, pyromancy skills can be learned through google, tumblr, and tiktok.
Regularly clean and rearrange your altar if you can't practice everyday, this keeos the space clean and shows entities around that even if ur not active, you're still a witch
A cup of water can be an offering to anyone, imagine being an entity and you can't have water at all for centuries??
If you have glasses, draw a sigil on them while you clean them (i usually wash mine with soap and water to make it extra clean ((and dry with paper towels)))
Give your wall art jobs. Sure they can be decorative, or they can be extra eyes to watch you while you sleep to make sure no one messes with you. (Ive had so much wall art fall in the middle of the night and turns out smth was trying to get in my room...)
If you have black-out/thick curtains, let the sun in!!! I keep them tied during the day so i can use natural light and ease up my electricity bill
Change ur bedsheets semi regularly, it doesn't need to be every week, but keep in mind bedbugs and other entities can get trapped there... or even try to get there to make your sleep unrestful.
If your room is a bio-hazard, at least make pathways so you can walk without injuring yourself.
Thats all i have for now <3 blessed be and fuck capitalism
16 Ways to Connect with the Gods when you don't have an Altar
So I'm currently away from home for 10 days (pet/house sitting) and I don't have an altar space with me. I have my tarot deck and that's it. I decided to write this list incase it might help someone else who is away from home or is just in the pagan closet. Enjoy!
Read your Deity's myths or listen to people read myths on youtube
Sit outside and just think about them
Set your phone background to something that reminds you of them
Wear their colours or symbols
Make or listen to a playlist dedicated to your Deity/Deities
Do a digital offering on tumblr or another site
Just talk to them about your day
Write some poetry for them. Anything can be poetry, it doesn't have to be good
Scroll through their tags on social media
If you have coloured shoelaces wear their corresponding colours on your shoes!! (I can't believe i didn't think about this earlier)
Do your make up to honour them
Talk about them in a (dedicated witchy/pagan) discord server
Do something nice for someone. I know it's cheesy but it's cliche for a reason. For me it definitely makes me feel closer to my Gods
Draw/make art of them or one of their symbols
Youtube ambiance videos are great! If your Deity has an association with fire, water, birds, communal spaces or music there are heaps of videos on Youtube that you can play. Think coffee shop ambiance (communal space), waterfall/rain/water ambiance, nature/bird chirping ambiance, fire place ambiance, studying at the library ambiance, etc. endless possibilities
Draw their sigils/symbols on your face with skin care
I hope this helps!! Feel free to add any other tips. I tried to keep these relatively accessible for everyone.
Things I'm Doing to Make my 2024 Witchcraft Practice More Accessible and Consistent
In 2023 I was not very consistent with my practice at all. Between TAFE, university applications, ADHD, my (at one point) 3 jobs and just general life stuff, I haven't had a lot of energy to be consistent and just enjoy my practice. My goal for the coming year is to make my practice as accessible and as fun as possible. I want to practice a lot, I want to do a lot of research and spell work in 2024. So this is a list of a few things I'll be doing to make sure I meet those goals!
Enchanting my skin care with glamours and intentions for clear skin. That way I don't have to remember to say my intentions everyday and it will still have some effect if I forget
Cleaning my altars because I'm way more likely to do stuff if I have a clean space. (obvious I know but i haven't cleaned it for like 6-7 months)
Getting rid of my "only do it if needed rule". Fuck it. I like doing spells. Just because I'm not homeless doesn't mean that I shouldn't do a prosperity spell. It also limits my experiences with spell work
More magical playlists. I have like 20 ideas for what to make I just haven't done it yet lol. I love music more than anything so intention playlists are great options if I want a very quick 'spell'
Make a list of things to post here. I tend to come up with Ideas i've never thought when making tumblr content! Personally, brain storming and content creation counts as part of my practice
Enchanting my water bottle! If I'm hydrating I may as well make it fun (it'll also probably make me more likely to drink water)
Make a list of accessible offerings! I really struggle to give offering because if I don't go the whole 9 yards I feel like a bit of a failure (which is so hypocritical of me given all the things I talk on here). I think have a list will help me get past that first barrier of not knowing what to offer.
Make a shortened version of the offering ritual I do. I am more low energy than not during the school year so this will be very valuable for me
This is the full list as of this moment but this list is for me more than it is for sharing knowledge purposes so I'm okay with not having it 100% finished. If I think of anything else I'll add it and if anyone else has any tips they are very welcomed. Happy new years :)
Using a lunar calendar involves tracking and utilizing the phases of the moon for various purposes. Here's how you can use a lunar calendar:
Understanding the Moon Phases: Familiarize yourself with the eight primary phases of the moon: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent.
Setting Intentions and Goals: Each moon phase represents a different energy. New Moon is ideal for setting intentions, while Full Moon is a time for culmination and realization.
Manifestation and Planning: Plan important events, projects, or rituals aligned with the corresponding moon phase. For example, start new projects during the Waxing Crescent for growth or release unwanted habits during the Waning Moon.
Spiritual and Personal Practices: Use specific moon phases for spiritual practices like meditation, reflection, and manifestation. Many people find rituals such as charging crystals or performing moon-related ceremonies more potent during certain phases.
Gardening and Nature-Based Activities: Use the moon phases for gardening by planting seeds during the Waxing Moon for optimal growth and pruning during the Waning Moon.
Emotional Awareness: Pay attention to how the moon phases affect your emotions, energy levels, and sleep patterns. Understanding these patterns can help align activities with your natural rhythms.
Maintaining a Lunar Calendar: Keep track of the moon phases using a lunar calendar. Mark important dates and phases to assist with planning and intention-setting.
Remember, while the lunar calendar can offer guidance, personal experiences and interpretations of the moon's phases vary. Experiment with different practices to see what resonates best with you and brings you closer to your goals.
In witchcraft, sigils are symbols or designs often created with a specific intention or purpose.
Practitioners may design them to represent their desires, goals, or magical intentions.
The process of creating a sigil usually involves condensing a written statement of intent into a unique symbol, which is then charged with energy to manifest the desired outcome.
Sigil magic is a common practice in various magical traditions.
For all my witches out there, here's a handy list of the 2024 dates for the solstices, quarter days, full and new moons, and special events. I've listed my sources at the bottom.
Dates and times for all events are calculated for Eastern Standard Time, USA, Northern Hemisphere. Adjust for your location as needed and check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what special events will be visible in your area. Enjoy!
Solstices, Harvests, and Quarter Days
February 1-2 - Imbolc / Candlemas
March 19 - Spring Equinox / Ostara
April 30-May 1 - Beltane / May Day
June 20 - Summer Solstice / Midsummer / Litha
August 1 - Lughnasadh / Lammas / Summer Harvest
September 22 - Autumn Equinox / Mabon / Fall Harvest
October 31 - Samhain / Halloween / Final Harvest
December 21 - Winter Solstice / Yule
Full Moons
January 25 - Wolf Moon ♌
February 24 - Snow Moon ♍
March 25 - Worm Moon ♎
April 23 - Pink Moon ♏
May 23 - Flower Moon ♐
June 21 - Strawberry Moon ♑
July 21 - Thunder Moon (aka Buck Moon) ♑
August 19 - Sturgeon Moon* ♒
September 17 - Harvest Moon* ♓
October 17 - Hunter's Moon (aka Blood Moon)* ♈
November 15 - Frost Moon (or Beaver Moon)* ♉
December 15 - Cold Moon ♊
*- Supermoon
Fun Fact: The title of Harvest Moon is given to either the September or October full moon, whichever falls closest to the autumn equinox. Once again this year, that month will be September.
New Moons
January 11 ♑
February 9 ♒
March 10 ♓
April 8 ♈
May 7 ♉
June 6 ♊
July 5 ♋
August 4 ♌
September 2 ♍
October 2 ♎
November 1 ♏
December 1 ♐
December 30 (black moon) ♑
Special Celestial Events
January 3-4 - Quadrantids meteor shower peak
March 25 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
April 8 - Total solar eclipse
April 22-23 - Lyrids meteor shower peak
May 6-7 - Eta Aquarids meteor shower peak
August 11-13 - Perseids meteor shower peak
August 19 - Sturgeon Supermoon / Seasonal Blue Moon
September 17 - Harvest Supermoon / Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
October 2 - "Ring of Fire" solar eclipse
October 17 - Hunter's Supermoon
October 21-22 - Orionids meteor shower peak
November 15 - Frost Supermoon
November 16-17 - Leonids meteor shower peak
December 13-14 - Geminids meteor shower peak
December 30 - Black Moon
(Check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what will be visible in your area!)
Mercury Retrogrades (in case you need them)
April 1 - April 24
August 4 - August 27
November 25 - December 15
Happy Witching!
SOURCES & FURTHER READING:
Bree's Lunar Calendar Series
Bree's Secular Celebrations Series
Moon Info - Full Moon Dates for 2024
Calendar-12 - 2024 Moon Phases
Full Moonology - 2024 Full Moon Calendar
AstroStyle - All the 2024 Full Moons
Your Zodiac Sign - Astrology Calendar 2024
Old Farmer's Almanac - Mercury Retrograde Dates 2023-2024
Lonely Planet - Best Star-gazing Events of 2024
Sea and Sky - Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events 2024
DarkSky International - Dark Sky Placefinder for Stargazing
Pagan Grimoire - Wheel of the Year: The 8 Festivals in the Wiccan Calendar (2024 Edition)
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EDIT: Mercury is stationed direct on Jan 1st, 2024. The source I used which stated it was in retrograde until the 18th had a typo.
EDIT: Fixed the zodiac signs for the full moons using a new source.
Magic isn't only valuable if it's old. Magic isn't only valuable if it's passed down over generations. The weird hyperfixation on old magic passed in an unbroken line for centuries has led to a lot of problems for modern witches.
Yes, magic itself is ancient. Yes, a lot of it has been passed down since before written history. Yes there is a rich global history of both high and low magic that spans basically every civilization to have ever existed. But that isn't the only good magic!
So what if modern magic was invented in the 50s, or during the Victorian era, or during the Enlightenment, or yesterday afternoon? Does it work?
If I found out tomorrow that my mother made up everything she had ever taught me, or realized that something I do was picked up on my own without noticing it, does that change anything?
Don't let a fetishization of ancient take away from the modern. If it works, it works, and that's valuable magic.
m a g i c k ! ✨️ @willow-ashes - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
