I'm a queer, middle aged witch, writer, maker from Scotland.
My witchcraft is a hodgepodge of the elements, Saturn, the Morrigan, geekery, intuition, and chaos.
The Wheel of the Year and daily earth magic ground me.
Late diagnosed (36) autism, and CPTSD robbed me of myself for decades. A bad, bad autistic burnout a few years ago killed the rest of my confidence, energy, and worth.
I'm clawing it back in earth, bones, magic, and embodied practices. In writing, knitting, gardening, embroidery, exercise, tea, reading,* tarot, and all the other things that fulfill me.
Reclaiming my creativity, my passion, my unmasked self.
Unacceptable - TERFs, SWERFs, other bigots, AI "art," (please tell me if I share anything ai or otherwise problematic, I can't always tell), individualism, capitalism, the witchy/wellbeing to right wing pipeline,
*Alastair Reynolds, Tamora Pierce, Tolkien, NK Jemisin, Becky Chambers, Nalo Hopkinson, Iain M Banks, Mary Shelley, all the short stories, Ursula K Le Guin, Gail Carriger, Nicky Drayden, John Wyndham, Nnedi Okorafor, among many others...
**Star Trek (especially Lower Decks!), Stargate (especially Atlantis!), Bob's Burgers, Taskmaster, Babylon 5, Futurama, Black Books, Derry Girls, We Are Lady Parts, to name but a few of my TV loves...films too many to mention but two of my all time favourites are Galaxy Quest and Hot Fuzz (LOTR off to the side in its own category!)
In a lot of my posts I talk about this thing called a spell tag. You see it in a lot of the spells I write. Today I wanted to explain what these spell tags are and how they differ from taglocks.
What are spell tags and how do they differ from taglocks?
Something I haven't seen across all my research is what I have dubbed a spell tag. A spell tag is a small strip of paper that holds a representation of your spell. This can contain your intention, sigils, and anything that relates to your spell. A taglock on the other hand is an object used to represent the intended target of a spell. This can include stuff like a hair or piece of clothing from the target of the spell alongside a wide range of other items.
How to make a spell tag
Before I can work on my spell tags I first need to prepare my paper slips. I do this by taking a piece of printer paper and cut 1 inch strips from the paper leaving me with 11 strips in total. In countries other than America people use legal paper as the default and thus get 14 strips. This can also be done with construction paper which, at least in the US, gives me 12 strips. After I've prepared my paper strips it's now time to turn them into spelltags.
There are many ways of going about making spell tags. The method we will go over was my original method. I start all spell tags the same way by defining my intention for the spell. Once I have determined what the spell tag will represent I cleanse the paper by passing it through the mist of my diffuser. I try to use essential oils in my diffuser that match the intent going on my spelltag but by all means use whatever you have available. Once the paper is cleansed I like to focus on my energy flowing through the pen or pencil as I write down my intent onto the paper. I like using pens for long term spells and pencil for short term spells. The reason for this is because pencil can easily smudge away over time while pens last quite a lot longer. Once I've written down my intention I will optionally add any sigils I think fit the intent and a drop of essential oil that matches. After that is done I roll it up like a scroll and charge it via the elements. If i'm doing a spell that I want to last a long time I bury it. If it's for something I want to rid from my life I burn it. If it's for cleansing or any spell that is meant to sever ties with something I use water. Finally if it's for a spell dedicated to spirits, gods & goddesses, or involves any form of divination I charge it with smoke.
There is no right or wrong way to make a spell tag so please go out and try to make one yourself. You can put it in spell jars, carry it with you as a reminder, or any other number of things. Just experiment and see what works best for you.
đ Free books through various accessible sources (for legal reasons I am not endorsing piracy here)
đ Ebooks (I was so used to staring at my screen anyways)
đ Also, if youâre used to doomscrolling certain topics, why not get yourself a few books on those topics?
đ Reading books related to things I was working on/doing daily anyways at the time (this was also great for me to put the things I read and learned into practice)
đ Starting with shorter and simple reads, for me this was fiction aimed at kids/teens and YA.
đ Related to the above point: revisiting classics that are frequently assigned in schools
đ Setting a daily goal to get a chapter or certain amount of pages in
đ Getting reading in during waiting periods (bus/train commute, or waiting for an appointment)
đ Sharing books with friends and discussing them
"You Don't Bring Me Flowers Anymore," 54" by 54" quilt by Robyn Gragg of Lee's Summit, MO
The artist's description of the piece:
In the language of flowers, many species relate to grief, sorrow, and remembrance. My husband enjoyed surprising me with fresh flowers, but he has gone to Glory and I am lost in my grief.
Hand pieced, machine appliqued, longarm machine quilted, original design.
Switched over to fantasy with Highlander. Hadn't watched it in over 20 years, forgot how gloriously fucking stupid it is! Thoroughly enjoyable nonsense!
Now, Van Helsing. More fabulous silliness, full of smoking hotties, and features my favourite ever werewolf transformation style!
After Van Helsing (still wish for a sequel!) was The Mummy. Another cracking fun movie with one of the most attractive casts ever; Weisz, Fraser, Fehr, Velasquez, swoon city!
The Samhain Ultramarathon | 100 Days of Witchcraft
"Etheri, why are you talking about Samhain already? It's still Spring where you live..." shhh...
October 31st is my favorite day to be a witch! I find myself looking forward to it throughout various times of the year. So, this year, I decided to make a little "challenge" for myself in the days leading up to Samhain, and I wanted to invite others to participate ^.^
Starting July 23rd, I'd like to invite you all to join me for what I'm calling "The Samhain Ultramarathon!"
The challenge itself is to touch your Craft for 100 days in a row! Starting July 23rd, the task is to do something, anything, witchy each day, counting down to October 31st. Some days can be as simple as just updating your grimoire or lighting a stick of incense, while other days can be more elaborate spells or rituals. The ultimate goal is to touch your practice at least once a day, even for just one minute, for 100 consecutive days! It'll be like a spiritual marathon... hence the name :P
I'm sharing this now, over two months out, to give anyone who may want to participate time to coordinate! If you want to share your preparations and if you want to share your "marathon experience" once the challenge itself starts, please use the tag #TheSamhainUltramarthon !
For all my literal-thinking or ND witches out there:
"Do whatever works best for you"
Translation: "Use correspondences and techniques that feel the most powerful, magical, and correct to you, as long as it's internally consistent with your worldview (if basil means love to you, don't turn around and use it in a baneful working for example)."
"It's all about your intention"
Translation: "The way you plan out spells, choose correspondences, craft items, write incantations, etc are all ways of imbuing intention throughout the working; you still have to back your intention up with spellcraft and work, it's not as simple as meditating on an idea."
"It depends on your tradition/path"
Translation: "If you are a devotee of a specific religion, spirituality, or practitioner of a specific kind of magickal art, follow the collective wisdom from that path as it will be the most meaningful to you; if you are new to the craft or not keen on following specific paths and want freedom to explore, do whatever feels the most magical to you in this instance."
"Always have personal protections"
Translation: "In my opinion, you should have personal protections before you engage in other types of spellcraft because it gives you a sense of control and stability going into the working; a personal protection can be anything that achieves that sensation of being shielded, protected, and safe."
"Direct your energy into the target"
Translation: "Play with various techniques until you achieve a strong sensation of some of your internal power, energy, heat, or life force leaving your body and transferring into the target; it will be subtle but undeniably there."
Switched over to fantasy with Highlander. Hadn't watched it in over 20 years, forgot how gloriously fucking stupid it is! Thoroughly enjoyable nonsense!
Now, Van Helsing. More fabulous silliness, full of smoking hotties, and features my favourite ever werewolf transformation style!
The first rule of sewing is you can fix anything if you have patience, creativity, and a little bit of extra fabric! The second rule of sewing is AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
NEW LIMITED TIME SALE! My hand-signed âWardenâ & âGuardianâ Small Art Prints are now discounted while supplies last! You can check âem out in my web shop (in my bio)! â¤ď¸
Sort of obvious, but I had to learn it (like everything else) the hard way. And as spooky season approaches and people may be revitalizing their practices after breaks, I want to say something that might end up saving a couple folks from a lot of frustration and heartbreak:
Just because it worked that way for you in the past, doesn't mean that's how it works for you now.
I mean this in a literal, making-stuff-happen with magic and sorcery way.
You guys have heard the adage that some spirit guides are with you for life, some for short periods, some for just one lesson, etc., right?
Well, the same can be said for sorcerous techniques.
I don't know if I just shed techniques like hermit crabs shed shells or what, but this happens to me a lot. Here's the kind of thing I mean:
You used to do readings with a specific little ritual involving a prayer and incense, but now that technique seems to produce incorrect readings. It feels flat and you can tell you're not connecting.
You used to be able to tie intent into knots and carry the thread around with you all day to conjure specific little occurrences, but now it barely seems to work and manifestation is spotty.
You used to be able to converse with spirits by going into a deep meditation, but now when you try you can hardly connect and it's like their messages are getting blotted out.
And I think sometimes when these things happen, people tend to process this with:
self-blame (I'm not a devoted enough witch, I brought this on myself!),
scapegoating spiritual allies (I used to pray to Hekate before divination but now my divination doesn't work, so Hekate must be mad at me), or
developing personal doubt (I used to think magic worked but now I can't replicate my own results).
When the reality is, if you're a magical snickity-snek and you've shed your skin, you might be slithering about in the soil trying to do the little old things that no longer fit the bigger, better you.
Sometimes this "shedding" is very obvious and we can feel and taste it. "Shedding" may come before, during, or after a period of intense personal transformation. It may come in a numinous moment when you hear a single phrase, or view a single image, that makes you become the Hanged Man and see reality in a whole new way.
But it can also happen without us really noticing it. I might put down my tarot cards for a couple months, pick them up again, and suddenly the ways I used to read don't work for me any more.
It's not because I'm a bad reader, or that the spirits have abandoned me, or that magic isn't real.
It's because what used to work for me doesn't any more, and now I just need to find new techniques.
So if you're trying to pick up what used to work and it just doesn't seem to be helping any more, consider that it's just like outgrowing an old set of clothes. Nothing is wrong with you, or the clothes. It just doesn't fit any more.
Since I think it'd be frustrating as hell to read a post like this without some actionable steps, below the cut are some ideas that might help you develop new techniques if your old ones seem to be failing you.
Start with your beliefs
Examine your own rituals and see if what you're doing still matches what you believe. Let's say you used to pray to Hekate and light incense before divination, but now you do that and your divination doesn't work.
Do you believe Hekate is allowing your divination to be possible? Do you believe she's the best goddess to seek aide from at this time?
What role does the incense play? Is it an offering to Hekate? Is it to feed the ancestors who supply you with interpretations? Is it just to set the correct tone and atmosphere?
Maybe you've grown in your relationship with divinity, and you now believe it's more proper to call on gods with formal prayers - but your divination ritual still uses a simple, improvised prayer.
Maybe your understanding of Hekate has changed and it feels more suitable to call on different powers.
Maybe you feel strangely about constantly "paying" gods to help you, when they say they don't need it - and lighting the incense makes you feel awkward.
Change what you're doing to match what you believe. That's always a solid first step.
Examine your own emotions and reactions
Try performing rituals (from the smallest ritual of stirring intent into coffee, to full-blown compass-casting affairs under the full moon) mindfully.
Be aware of what you're doing as you do it, but also try to examine your own reactionary thoughts and feelings.
Suppose my ritual of stirring my coffee seven times clockwise to manifest a desired emotion doesn't work any more. It used to work great, for years, so I do it quickly. But now it doesn't work, so I do it mindfully.
And while I'm stirring, I watch a few thoughts pop up to the surface: why am I doing this seven times? I'm stirring my coffee for too long and staring into it like an idiot, and it's embarrassing. What if someone thinks I'm weird?
If any individual step of a ritual makes you feel embarrassed, stressed, or avoidant, or if you feel relief from not having to do that any more - that technique is probably not serving you very well.
Seek out methods that make you feel excited, hopeful, empowered, or interested. Or, at the very least, ones that don't make you feel bad.
Be open to shifting your paradigm entirely
Going back to the stirring coffee thing, maybe I think stirring seven times is too much. So I try to stir my coffee three times. But that still feels clunky.
Then I get into left-handed vs right-handed stirring, because someone might have said that doing stuff with your right hand is for blessings.
Then I try out a new little inner mantra while I stir X times with Y hand.
But it's just not working. No matter what I try, it feels like walking barefoot on a gravel road.
So maybe I just need to do something entirely different.
Maybe numerology isn't my thing any more. Maybe now, I just need to embrace my inner divine creator.
Maybe I should think about the ultimately powerful creative energy within rich, black soil - and as I pour my coffee, I can imagine that I'm pouring pure creative energy into my divine cauldron. When I sprinkle in a little sugar, I'm seasoning that creative power to my personal tastes - and no matter how many times I stir it, when I drink that creative power, a new reality blossoms from within me.
No numbers. No memorized chants. No left hand/right hand stuff. Just me, imagining myself as a planet, drinking pure creative energy that will bloom out of my aura as wildflowers bloom in the spring.
Ask for help
I'm not called fool for no reason, and after a couple years of being unable to astral travel - after having successfully done so for years - I finally sat down and asked my spirits for help.
The answer was immediate and simple. So simple, in fact, that I was confident it wouldn't work at all.
Well, of course it worked. I spent years trying to figure out the problem on my own, trying time and time again to use an old technique that I was confident would work. It took a goddess like four seconds to tell me the new way it worked for me.
Even if you're not in communication with spiritual allies, you can still perform divination to help troubleshoot your own magical skills. Try asking a series of questions: what doesn't work for you any more, what you should try, and what you should avoid trying.
When divining, consider the different "levels" of application. A reading that means "don't use excessive force" might refer to high-level life stuff, like, you're working too hard on all your responsibilities right now, learn to relax and the magic will come. But, it might also be referring to something very specific, like, you're trying to raise huge amounts of energy in individual rituals, break them up into smaller spells where much less force is required for each one.
A tip for anyone who deals with chronic stomach issues or chronic illnesses that affect your stomach, anyone who deals with nausea, indigestion, or the like:
I make popsicles and keep them on hand. Lemon juice + ginger, lemon juice + mint, chamomile tea + lemon juice (this one is also great for stress, cramps, or to have as a snack before bed). You can do all sorts of combinations using juices, herbs, teas, etc. Whatever works for you and your symptoms, give it a try. If you don't have popsicle sticks, you can make ice cubes with the same things and suck on the ice instead.
It's something I've done for years now, and it's so helpful and handy to just be able to grab a popsicle when my chronic illness issues mess with my stomach (I deal with a lot of nausea, pain, and not always being able to keep food down, personally). It's especially nice in the summer.
They're fantastic for stomach issues. You can also add sweeteners like sugar syrups, honey, or similar, just be sure to research how your preferred sweetener freezes and holds up in the freezer.
death to nonchalance. romanticise your existence to an unreasonable degree. be gloriously delusional about how good it can get. inconvenience yourself for the sake of love. gush about your passions. get obsessed. get invested. be a fool for the right things. adore your people with your whole chest. devote yourself to something far greater than yourself. get dolled up for the most mundane activities imaginable. smile with your teeth. giggle shamelessly. kiss longer & slower. have a signature everything. accumulate hilarious stories. love so hard it rewires othersâ beliefs about love. be someone God clearly had fun making. let people know they made your day. make someoneâs day. take spontaneity seriously. send five voice notes in a row, because why wouldnât you? leave people better than you found them. be so infatuated with your babies faces you take approximately 400 photos of them a day. gush. just gush!!
A Bog Witch @witchothebogfolk - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
