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Egg shells in witchcraft
Save your eggshells and make them into a powder. You can use them for protection, peace and cleansing!
Also, can be used to make Black Salt. Just add some incense ashes!
Just rinse them, allow them to dry, crush in your mortar and pestle and store them in a labeled bottle.
Powdered Eggshells can be used in your magical workings to cast circles or for protection.
To add some extra oomph, add a pinch of salt and dragon's blood resin in your protection blend.
Tarot isn’t always my go-to.
Depending on the question, I might turn to these two.
I’m gonna have to look into Sibilla?? Is it open to all?? 🤔🤔
Self Protection Jar
This is a throwback to an old spell that uses a lot of sharp items to create a protection jar. Using sharp objects like thumbtacks, pins or broken pieces of glass is a way to create a ‘psychic fence’ so to speak. That way anything negativity coming towards you will be pushed back or deflected by all the sharp objects surrounding your energy field.
What you’ll need
1 clean and cleansed jar (see note on this post on how to cleanse your jar)
Sharp items (Thumbtacks, pins, opened safety pins, needles. If you’re going to use broke glass PLEASE BE CAREFUL)
Add in any protection herbs or crystals if you choose to but I usually skip this step.
Something that binds you to the jar such as fingernail filings or a lock of hair. The original spell asked for drops of blood but that’s a whole different thing if you want to do that. I recommend just using hair because of the risk of infection by cutting yourself.
Cleansing your jar
It’s important to cleanse your jar first and foremost. You can use any jar (Hello salsa and sauce jars!) Clean them out super well. If you are stuck with a smelly jar that has retained a strong odor even after washing out thoroughly you can rinse the jar with vinegar or let it sit overnight. That will usually get rid of any smell.
Once you have cleaned your jar, I simply cleanse it by using incense. Light your incense and let the smoke thoroughly fill up your jar before releasing it into the air.
What to do
Set up your spell with any provisions you would normally use. Light candles, incense, and have any crystals out that you feel connect you to your magic. Protect your space by imagining a white light in a circle around you encasing the jar and sharp objects inside.
Place each object inside until your jar is at least ¼ to ½ of the way full. Last, add a lock of hair or item that you chose to bind this jar to you.
Once everything is inside, close the jar. If you want to seal the jar with wax you can take a candle and drip wax on top of the jar or on the sides letting the wax drop down into the seal.
Close your spell and release your circle.
Take your jar and hide it in a dark place where no one will find it.
SPECIAL SHOT OUT to Obsidian Odyssey for collabing with me and creating the art for this post. Check out her witchy blog! Also she’s an AMAZING artist and has a free coven you can join!
Books That Have Aided Me in the Development of My Craft, & a Reading List
I have to resist foundering in a ‘research and development’ stage in my practice & becoming more of an armchair witch than a practitioner. Do you struggle with that too? That said, I’ve read some amazing books that have in one or way or another helped me become a better witch and helped me do the foundational work we all have to do on our individual paths. Here are some of those, followed by a few I’m planning on reading as soon as I can get my hands on them. Have you read these? What’re your thoughts? I’d love to hear them :) And also, do you feel you sometimes get stuck or intimidated or overwhelmed with all the things we witches can do and be and become? I definitely do, and my resolution for the year is not to read and think less but to DO more.
Books I Recommend
Backwoods Witchcraft, Jake Richards
Folk Witchcraft, Roger Horne
Long Lost Friend, J.G. Gorman
The Witching Herbs, Harold Roth
The Crooked Path, Kelden
Treading the Mill, Nigel Pearson
Weave the Liminal, Laura Tempest Zakroff
Of Blood and Bones, Kate Freuler
Psychic Witch, Mat Auryn
The Witching Way of Hollow Hill, Robin Artisson
The Clovenstone Workings, Robin Artisson
The History of the Devil, R. Lowe Thompson
Mastering Herbalism, Paul Huson
The Earthwise Herbal, Matthew Wood
The Earthwise Herbal Vol. II, Matthew Wood
The Modern Herbal Dispensatory
Southern Folk Medicine, Phyllis Light
Possum Living, Dolly Freed
Shameless, Nadia Bolz-Weber
A Deed Without a Name, Lee Morgan
Besom, Stang and Sword, Orapello & Maguire
The Witch at the Forest’s Edge, Christine Grace
A Broom at Midnight, Roger Horne
Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom, Rachel Pollack
The Poison Path Herbal, Coby Michael
New World Witchery, Cory Thomas Hutcheson
Botanical Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland, Lisa Schneidau
Folk Medicine of Southern Appalachia, Anthony Cavender
The Black Book of Isobel Gowdie
A Weedwife’s Remedy, Kiva Rose Hardin
Identifying and Harvesting Edible & Medicinal Herbs, ‘Wildman’ Steve Brill
Reading List for 2022
Jack Tales
Gemma Gary’s bib.
Nigel Pearson’s bib.
Thirteen Pathways of Occult Herbalism, Daniel A. Schulke
Ars Philtron, Daniel A. Schulke
Mastering Witchcraft, Paul Huson
Accounts of the ‘witch trials’ of the Americas & Europe
Books on Appalachian & Kentucky history
The Cherokee Herbal
Michael Howard’s bib.
Wild Soul Runes: Reawakening the Ancestral Feminine, Lara Veleda Vesta
Wild Witchcraft: Folk Herbalism, Garden Magic & Foraging for Spells, Rituals & Remedies, Rebecca Beyer
I’ll add to this list as I go back over the bibliographies of my favorites, but I’d love any recommendations you have for books that have enriched your practice. Please share! :)
How to Predict Timing with Tarot
When performing the Celtic Cross, there are three positions that can reveal when the event will happen: The Advice, The Ultimate Outcome, and The Underworld. Acknowledge all these possibilities. But your intuition will tell you which is most likely.
THE MAJOR ARCANA
The Fool – Whenever you are ready
The Magician – It has already begun
The High Priestess – You know exactly when
The Empress – During harvest season
The Emperor – It is almost done
The Hierophant – It is finished
The Lovers – As soon as you make the choice
The Chariot – In just a few moments
Strength – The minute you accept it
The Hermit – Only after you meditate on it
The Wheel of Fortune – During your first or next Saturn Return
Justice – When you least expect it
The Hanged Man – When the circumstances change
Death – Whenever it is ready
Temperance – After the storm
The Devil – It is happening right now
The Tower – Soon, unexpectedly and suddenly
The Star – The more you believe, the sooner it will happen
The Moon – It cannot be determined at the moment
The Sun – In the summer or by sunrise
Judgement – Soon and inevitably
The World – In divine timing
THE MINOR ARCANA
THE SUIT OF WANDS
Ace of Wands – One day
Two of Wands – Two days
Three of Wands – Three days
Four of Wands – Four days
Five of Wands – Five days
Six of Wands – Six days
Seven of Wands – Seven days
Eight of Wands – Eight days
Nine of Wands – Nine days
Ten of Wands – Ten days
Page of Wands – As we speak
Knight of Wands – End of November to most of December
Queen of Wands – End of March to most of April
King of Wands – End of July to most of August
THE SUIT OF CUPS
Ace of Cups – One month
Two of Cups – Two months
Three of Cups – Three months
Four of Cups – Four months
Five of Cups – Five months
Six of Cups – Six months
Seven of Cups – Seven months
Eight of Cups – Eight months
Nine of Cups – Nine months
Ten of Cups – Ten months
Page of Cups – Very soon
Knight of Cups – End of February to most of March
Queen of Cups – End of June to most of July
King of Cups – End of October to most of November
THE SUIT OF SWORDS
Ace of Swords – One week
Two of Swords – Two weeks
Three of Swords – Three weeks
Four of Swords – Four weeks
Five of Swords – Five weeks
Six of Swords – Six weeks
Seven of Swords – Seven weeks
Eight of Swords – Eight weeks
Nine of Swords – Nine weeks
Ten of Swords – Ten weeks
Page of Swords – Now, behind the scenes
Knight of Swords – End of May to most of June
Queen of Swords – End of September to most of October
King of Swords – End of January to most of February
THE SUIT OF PENTACLES
Ace of Pentacles – One year or one season (3 months)
Two of Pentacles – Two years or two seasons (6 months)
Three of Pentacles – Three years or three seasons (9 months)
Four of Pentacles – Four years or four seasons (one year)
Five of Pentacles – Five years or five seasons (15 months)
Six of Pentacles – Six years or six seasons (18 months)
Seven of Pentacles – Seven years or seven seasons (21 months)
Eight of Pentacles – Eight years or eight seasons (2 years)
Nine of Pentacles – Nine years or nine seasons (2 years and 3 months)
Ten of Pentacles – Ten years or ten seasons (2 years and 6 months)
Page of Pentacles – It will take quite a while
Knight of Pentacles – End of August to most of September
Queen of Pentacles – End of December to most of January
King of Pentacles – End of April to most of May
To Help You Remember:
Wands are days, because they are fire, and fire moves fast.
Swords are weeks, because while a sword is quick to cut, it first requires some thinking on the warrior’s part.
Cups are months, because they are water, and water flows with the moon, which completes a cycle in roughly a month.
Pentacles are seasons to years, because they are seeds, and some seeds only require a season to grow while others need a year.
The timings for the Major Arcana and the Pages are related to the cards’ meanings. Once you know the meanings, you know the timings.
The Kings, Queens and Knights are the Zodiac signs’ birthdays:
King of Wands – Leo (Fixed Fire)
Queen of Wands – Aries (Cardinal Fire)
Knight of Wands – Sagittarius (Mutable Fire)
King of Cups – Scorpio (Fixed Water)
Queen of Cups – Cancer (Cardinal Water)
Knight of Cups – Pisces (Mutable Water)
King of Swords – Aquarius (Fixed Air)
Queen of Swords – Libra (Cardinal Air)
Knight of Swords – Gemini (Mutable Air)
King of Pentacles – Taurus (Fixed Earth)
Queen of Pentacles – Capricorn (Cardinal Earth)
Knight of Pentacles – Virgo (Mutable Earth)
Almost burst into happy tears
Reading A Candle
Watch your candles closely and learn to read them to help you with your practice.
The Flame
A strong flame: It means that your energies are raised. There is a lot of power behind your spell and little to no resistance. Indicates that all your power and energy is focused on your manifestation. This is a good sign. If a candle shaped into a figure is used and has a strong flame it means that whoever it represents is either angry, winning, or using authority over another. When their are two figures the candle with the higher flame has authority over the other person.
A weak flame: Indicates that the magick you cast is facing a heavy opposition and is a sign that you may need to recast your spell in order to overcome the opposing force. On a figure candle this may indicate that the representative may be loosing a battle or an argument.
A jumping flame: This indicates strong emotions. There may also be some sort of resistance against you. Maybe close your circle and bring your mind back to focus before continuing. It may also mean an explosion of energy. When two figure candles are being used it often means that an energetic or a heated argument is taking place between them.
A noisy candle: Indicates a conversation. It may may that a spirit is trying to send you a message or get in contact with you. The louder the noises get the more urgent communication must be.
The flame catches something on fire: Someone one may be using malicious magick against you.
A clean even burning candle: Means your spell and manifestations are likely to come true.
Fast Burn: The results of your spell will happen quickly.
Flickering Flame: If there is no breeze then it means a spirit is near by. If it is a devotional flame it means you were able to get in contact with your deity.
Cannot blow the flame out: A spirit may not be finished its conversation with you or you did not complete a spell. The spirit needs to complete its work, something may be may in the works that you do not want to interrupt.
A flame goes out while burning: This means the spirits cannot help you and the answer you seek is already determined.
The Smoke
Black smoke/soot: Your energy and magick is being blocked. Negative energy is being sent your way, whether as a curse or hex. You may soon be faced with tough challenges and a hard road ahead of you.
Smoke wafts towards you: It means your call will likely be answered or your spell has been cast successfully. You will get results quickly.
Smoke wafts away from you: You must work harder in order for your calls to be answered.
Watch the direction the smoke wafts: East - Something powerful is assisting you, North - You are ready to begin your ritual and get results, South - The spell will be successful, West - A powerful interference from an outside force.
Smoking Candle: Negative energy is being burned away.
The Wax
When a candle leaves wax residue: Your spell may need to be repeated.
Look for symbols in the candle wax, like reading tea leaves.
Resources: askanthony.weebly.com, anamericanwitch.wordpress.com,
May the Moon light you path!
☾ Moonlight Academy ☽
Okay, now that I’ve had time to sort out some thoughts…
There are two really common questions I see around Witchblr. The first is “I’m new, where do I start?” And of course there are a whole bunch of guides around to help those new witches. Masterlists and recommendations and stuff.
But the other question is this: “I think I might be cursed, what do I do?”
And the answer is almost always the same thing: “You’re probably not, unless you know a witch who hates you.”
That’s it. No links, no recommendations, no suggestions on search terms, nothing. That answer has been really getting on my nerves lately, and I’ve been trying to figure out why.
I keep coming back to my Mythbusters principal. Test it out. Just dismissing someone because you think they probably aren’t solves nothing. With that dismissive answer, we’re operating on the principal that curses only happen when a practicing witch gets angry enough to curse a specific person, and they cannot happen any other way. Are we certain that’s how it works? Are we absolutely certain?
Because in my practice, I’ve been operating on the idea that cursing is easy. That enough focused ill-will directed at a specific target can manifest in a curse. Now, I don’t mean a big scary movie-style curse that’s going to make thirteen generations of your descendants turn into lizards during the full moon. But I do think that much focused energy can ‘stick’ onto someone, and then causes chaos until it’s removed or falls off on its own.
I work in retail. I encounter a lot of people during a work day, and a lot of them end up angry at me for one reason or another. We didn’t have the muffins they wanted, they couldn’t find the bakery bags, their coupon is expired… whatever the reason, people end up mad. And while most of them are smart enough to know that I’m not personally being an asshole to them, some of them absolutely do blame me. They get this victim complex and think that I’m targeting them specifically when I should kiss their feet because they’re a Good Customer ™. And some of these people do walk away muttering to themselves about me on a personal level.
Now, maybe just one of these encounters isn’t enough for a ‘negative energy buildup’ like I’m talking about. Maybe it takes a lot of them before it starts manifesting. Or maybe it’s just one. I don’t know, this isn’t a science. But I do know that after a string of freak happenings (cooler breaks down, equipment breaks, food spoils when it shouldn’t, shipments are delayed, get injured on something that shouldn’t cause injury), I start to wonder… am I cursed?
And rather than dismissing my own thoughts with “nah that’s dumb, there’s no witch cursing me”, I decided to assume that I was, and go ahead with a simple curse breaking spell. And you know what? My day improved instantly.
It doesn’t always work. Some days are legitimately just a bad luck day, or it’s my own bad attitude. And when my curse-breaking spells don’t work, I know it’s just me or it’s just bad luck. But honestly, ever since I started doing a regular ‘light curse breaking’ ritual, my day-to-day life has improved.
Now, I don’t mean I-won-the-lotto and I-got-crowned-Queen-of-Genovia, but I do mean that I’ve noticed a drastic decrease in the little stupid inconveniences that can pile up into One Big Bad Day.
I feel like I’m straying off track here.
The point is, I don’t think this whole “You’re only cursed if you know a witch who’s angry with you” thing is always true. Yeah, some days really are just bad luck, but maybe not. Look into the Evil Eye and see how many cultures believe that one can be cursed accidentally by someone looking at you with envy.
And yeah, if someone comes to us worrying that they’ve been cursed, assuring them that they probably don’t need to freak out is good. But maybe we also start telling them that running water can help dispel a curse and that mirrors can be used to reflect bad intentions away. After all, why do we witch if not to take control of our lives in a chaotic world? Do the curse-breaking spell. Worst case scenario, you’ll waste some salt you could have used on your veggies.
EXACTLY why my MO is that, if I feel like I’m having an unusual amount of bad luck, I do a cursebreaking spell, then cleanse.
Sometimes things dramatically turn around. Sometimes they just stop being quite so shitty. Sometimes they remain shitty.
But like, ok, so I used a little bit of my cursebreaking oil, spent five minutes on a spell and then 15 minutes in the shower (and am now also mundanely clean, so, accomplished *something* of value regardless of whether I was cursed or not).
I really think I can afford to be wrong and do this when I’m actually not cursed at all, sometimes. Worst case I’m out ~5min plus a shower that maybe I didn’t really NEED for mundane hygiene *just* yet (20 min total if you count the shower as being completely unnecessary but, it is something I need to do fairly often anyway so I don’t think it’s very fair to count it as completely unnecessary unless I literally already bathed the same day), and a small dab of cursebreaking oil + a few other easily-obtained and inexpensive spell components for nothing.
On the other hand, if I AM cursed and do nothing? Worst case is the bad luck starts piling up more and more, and that could potentially have serious impacts on my life, much worse than being out something like 20 minutes and 50 cents worth of spell supplies if I’m estimating generously.
Do you have any tips for those who are learning how to read tarot cards?
Yes, pull a card a day/every 3 days/every week. Keep a journal of your question, the card pulled, and your interpretation with the date of course. If you’re tired, take a break, the cards will be there when you get back. Sleep with your cards or have them close to you. Grocery store? Cards go with you. Mall? Cards go with you. You don’t have to use them, just have them with you so they get used to your energy. Read the different interpretations, but don’t absorb. Not everything you read will resonate. You will use reversals whether you actually turn the cards or not. I don’t have my cards flipped and I technically use the reversals all the time. Also, ppl might clutch their pearls when they read this but I don’t really cleanse my deck. You can cleanse if you want to, but it won’t be a big deal if you don’t. Lastly, learning numerology and the zodiac associated with the card will do wonders on your tarot studies.
Why You Should Keep Track of the Tarot Cards You Pull
People will often notice patterns to the cards they pull - you’ll notice that certain cards come up more often. This tends to be based on a feeling though, rather than any real data about which cards you’ve pulled - and the real data may surprise you.
I’ve kept track of the cards I’ve pulled in my single card readings over the past three months, and here are some things I’ve noticed:
I pull one card more frequently than any other card. In my case, that card is The Magician. It’s really useful to know - not just suspect - that one card turns up constantly for me.
Some cards don’t actually appear as frequently as I think they do. I recently pulled the Nine of Pentacles and thought, “Again?? Why do I pull this card so much??” but when I look at the actual data… I’ve pulled other cards way more frequently. I think it’s a form of the Baader-Meinhof effect - a card can stick in your brain for some reason and you remember it as appearing more often than it actually does!
There are interesting things about the cards that I don’t pull. In three months, these Major Arcana cards have never come up at all: The Emperor and The Devil. I can look at the data of what archetypes don’t appear in my life and draw some interesting conclusions. I’ve also not drawn a single court card (page, knight, queen, or king) from the suit of swords - swords tend to deal with conflict, which I maybe have less of during this particular time in my life
I can identify which suit and which numbered cards appear the most and the least in my readings. While the totals of Swords, Wands, Cups, and Pentacles I pull are pretty close to even, Wands eke out a little bit higher total than the others. Cups and Pentacles are tied, with Swords coming in last. If I didn’t have this data, I’d probably assume I pull Swords the most - because they leave the biggest impact on me when I do pull them! Of the numbered cards: I pull Aces of any suit the most, and Twos of any suit the least. This makes for some interesting patterns: The Magician is sort of the “Ace” of the Major Arcana, as well. Aces are about a very singular willpower whereas Twos are about partnership and duality. Through this pattern I can identify the focus the cards have on my life at this particular point in time.
I pull Major Arcana cards more than is statistically likely. The Major Arcana makes up 28% of the deck, but 39% of my pulls. The Major Arcana are more associated with long-term messages, and so my life may have more long-term type changes needing to be made during this period.
This is a quick guide to how you might interpret some of the overall themes you notice: Minor Arcana: temporary, easily changed, daily life, current situation Major Arcana: long term, archetypes, themes, life lessons, current lesson Wands: spirituality, inspiration, determination, strength, intuition, creativity, ambition and expansion; energy, motivation and passion. Cups: love, feelings, relationships and connection; emotions, intuition and creativity Swords: action, change, force, power, oppression, ambition, courage and conflict; thoughts, and words Pentacles: work, business, trade, property, money and other material possessions Aces: new beginnings, news, movement in a positive direction Twos: duality, connection Threes: creation, creativity, growth, action Fours: stability, structure Fives: tension, conflict, challenge Sixes: relaxation, harmony, reevaluation Sevens: mystery, disruption, adjustment Eights: action, movement, growth, change Nines: contemplation, reflection, looking to the next step Tens: conclusion, culmination, new beginnings, complexity Pages: youth, vitality, fascination, learning, and focus Knights: adventure, energy, missions, conviction, willfulness, recklessness Queens: curiosity, openness, expressiveness, creativity, flexibility Kings: authority, leadership, expertise, mastery, inflexibility
hello! I was reading your knot charm post and I'm not sure I understand what the knot spell actually /does/, like what circumstances, intentions, or situations would it be best suited to help give that magical umf to?
hello there!
I've used in multiple different ways, the most recent way being a form of personal protection and energy during one of my longer rituals. here are some other ways to use it:
i've tied in certain types of beads and herbs in the past to help with a variety of spells, including healing magic for myself and others
I have a friend who makes small carved amulets to tie into it and uses it as protection (they do this both as jewelry and as decoration,
I personally plan on adapting this with certain protective sigils carved onto small metal disks and creating a protective garland for my workspace
I've used it to help harness energy from the weather to use in my practice(if you look into storm magic there should be more in-depth explanations on how to do so)
my favorite way to use it is with stone beads and natural cord, and I use it for a 12-day duration as a source of power and energy. i will occasional use the beads as prayer beads as a petition, although this and the materials I use are largely due to my personal associations in the craft and who I work with.
it is a charm meant to be worked to one’s own individual intent, so it may help to think of it like this:
the words are a source of power
the cord connects it to a person, place, or object
and the objects you choose to tie in help direct your “intent”, so to speak, and help form a more detailed spell, and give additional power
the knots tie that power in.
thank you so much for the question- it’s important to learn! I hope it helped clear things up, and by all means let me know if you have any additional questions.
Rest well.
-Vivian
Prepping for a Ritual
So since I am doing these things as we speak I thought I would go through some ritual things that I find useful, for anyone that feels overwhelmed or unprepared for ritual work. I know tumblr and tiktok have pushed a lot of easy jar spells on us, but there really is something more to a ritual setting, even a simple one. And as it goes without saying, this is my personal idea of a guide and everyone is entitled to their own opinion and practice.
Get your supplies ready the day before the ritual. ESPECIALLY if you are going outside/somewhere outside your home. Collect all the things you will need and put them together. This will give you a day to remember all the things you forgot before it's time, instead of in the middle of your ritual
Choose what you are going to wear the day before, too. Some people take aesthetic very seriously but others dont. Either way, give some thought to what you are wearing. Is that crystal necklace good for what you are doing? Are those pants comfortable enough to sit for 30 minutes in? Comfortability is just as important as presentation for ritual, so dont wear that corset that hurts you after 15 minutes. You will need to focus on more important things.
Foot wear is also super underrated. Are you hiking 10 minutes into the forest to find a ritual spot? Wear boots. Are you in your house and want to go barefoot? Make absolutely sure you are not going to step on a ritual tool and make yourself bleed, or curse to some gods about the existence of legos in the middle of your ritual
Make some stuff for a cleansing/power bath. I usually assemble ingredients and things day before, then go to bed, and do a quick ritual bath before the actual ritual. Steep a hair rinse or charm a fancy body wash before hand so you dont have to focus on that spell, too.
Do a tarot reading/your preferred divination, before bed the day before you do a ritual. It can be quick or extensive, it doesnt matter. But it can be good to get some guidance before you are gearing up for a spell or ritual, and have some time to think about it before you are minutes away from it.
Prepare food and water, once again especially if you are going outside. Rituals can take a lot out of you depending on what you are doing, and food and drink are very easy and quick ways to help ground yourself if you are shaky or need help coming back to a relaxed state. If you are struggling, boiling pasta or microwaving stuff is the last thing on your mind, or maybe even your ability. So have some fruit snacks or granola bars or cookies or something-- easy to take and easy to eat-- with you. Trust me, this is more important than a lot of people realize. It's a good after-ritual practice and one you should be ready for
Think about your intent and purpose. Set aside some time day-before to do this, maybe 30 min to 1 hr I would say. Maybe make an entry in your BOS if you are the journaling type. This serves 2 functions: one is to charge your intent before the spell. It will give you more oomph and precision in your spell casting, or more prepared behavior if you are speaking to gods. Think about what you want to ask them, what you want them to know, how much respect you should give them, or what they may ask of you. What are you willing to do for them, and what are you not?
The second function is that it gives you time to back out of something. Not all spells are meant to be cast, and especially not if you are in a high emotion before it. Give yourself a day to prepare, an hour to think over, why am I doing this? SHOULD I be doing this even? There is nothing wrong with changing your mind. Doing things impulsively in magic isn't typically beneficial to the caster most of the time. Think through potential consequences, too. How could it back fire? How could it go right but in the wrong way? Is there a better way to get what you want? Can you add a caveat, or a time limit on the spell? Are you using parts of a closed practice and not really thought about it before now?
If you are doing spell work in the out-of-your-house-space-land, even if it is just like, in your appartment parking lot, the park down the street or even your own backyard, make sure someone somewhere knows about it. I know not everyone is out of the broom closet, but even if you just have to tell your friends you are stargazing or something, make sure SOMEONE knows and has a check in time for you. There are creeps and terrible people everywhere, and not to spook anybody, but doing magic can often attract animals or any assortment of beings who want to watch/investigate you. I have been given a heart attack by a baby antelope at dawn before. I have also been given a heart attack by a forest spirit asking wtf I was doing there. I know it doesnt exactly feel witchy to have your cellphone crammed in your waistband, but trust me, better safe than sorry. Be it humans or otherwise, doing magic in the dark in total secret is just not realistic to your safety. Take someone with you and have them wait in the car or around the corner if you can. Once again, make sure someone, somewhere, has a set time to call or come get you in, incase you get kidnapped or fae-napped. Your wellbeing is a much higher priority than any magic spell.
Also familiarize yourself with nearby wildlife. Even if you are in the city, check out what raccoon eyes look like in flashlight, or maybe if your suburb is prone to stray cats or dogs. Check out a rabies registry as well, so you know what kind of risk you are looking at around such animals. Rabid animals are actually more prone to being unafraid of human contact and will readily let a person touch them. Do NOT interact with wild animals. No, they are not a sign or a gift from your god. Most animals are curious about magic in general, but that doesnt make them not wild. Do not interact. If you are in a less populated space, you should also check out what kind of wild life is native to your area and how dangerous they are. Deer will startle themselves into you like getting hit by a BMW and bears and cougars can be active day or night, as well as Bobcats, snakes, or coyotes. Check out your local wildlife center for advice on how to handle what lives in your area
(Last outdoors advice, I promise) also check out what kind of myths and legends existed on the land you are on, ESPECIALLY if you live in north america. Knowing who's land you are on should be important to your practice anyway, and knowing what kind of creatures may be out there may save you some distress later. Indigenous cultures should be respected, and their tales can tell you what's around your area. And I dont care where the hell you live, if you hear whistling in the darkness/forests, it is one of several things coming to get you and none of them are good. Get gone and DONT whistle back. Or at all. No whistling guys. Bad.
For indoor rituals, make sure you wont be disturbed. Much like meditation, rituals are very dependent on focus and intent. Interruptions can mess with your outcome.
More indoor advice, checkout your lighting and ventilation well before you do your ritual. For instance, my altar is in a walk in closet-- there is no way in hell I am burning 4 candles and an incense in that room. I would have to do it in my living room or bedroom where there are windows, or find a way to eliminate the candles. Is the room dark enough to fit your ritual? Is it light enough that you can read your notes? (also make notes/write up a copy of the spell, it helps so much) Make sure you have enough light to see what you are doing properly.
I am a big advocate of "do not over cleanse your life, stop over cleansing" however, if that is something you do a lot of, make sure all your tools and whatnot are cleansed and prepared day before. You can shave a 2hr ritual down to 30 min if you get all of your prep work done day before, which is nice. And it once again gives you time to say "shit I forgot that one thing I need to cleanse" an hour later and still not interrupt your ritual because it is day before.
If you are an of-legal-age type person and doing some drug/alcohol part of your magic, make double sure you have food, water, and a buddy system. You may not need a designated driver if you aren't going out of your house, but you still need a designated sober person to make sure you dont like, astral travel out of your body and get replaced with a pod person, or get hurt trying to cast a circle with a ritual knife while high. Know your limits well before you use them in ritual and, I cannot emphasize this enough, have a friend to keep you under scrutiny incase something goes wrong and you need help.
If you are having the OTHER kind of must-be-of-age type of ritual, be sure your partner is well informed. Maybe have a dress rehearsal so you are both on the same page about mechanics and consent. Speed run through the general timing and motions, and talk about what each of you expect to get out of the ritual. Is it for bonding? Or are you using the energy to try to charge something? Is it for fertility? Are you both good to have ritualized sex (I know that seems like an obvious question, but you would be surprised by how many partners clam up about sexual things to try to not disappoint their partner). If you are a witch and your partner is not, be sure they know what to expect, and that they 100% want to do it even though it's not necessarily their practice and not just to be a people pleaser. If you havent done anything like this before either, tell them that, too. Honestly is 100% required here
And lastly, keep your cool. It's easy to get over excited or over anxious about this kind of thing, but honestly with a little prep time you have a high change of doing awesome. And even if you dont? That's okay too. Everyone makes mistakes, we all learn from those mistakes, and every single experience you acquire will level you up until you are the best at being you. Do what feels right, trust your gut, do some reading, and keep calm and witchy on.
Ill definitely be doing this protection spell jar next!!
Tarot Tips
🃏 Find The Empress in your deck. The card behind her will reveal what you need to do to nurture and care for yourself.
🃏 When in conflict or competition with someone, look for 5 of Wands. The card behind it will reveal the solution to the problem.
🃏 If you see the same card over and over again in readings, it is a sign and you must pay attention to its message for you.
🃏 For a better understanding of each card, observe it closely and form your own interpretation that follows its themes. It will help you interpret readings better.
🃏 To find out what is making you feel stuck or delayed, look to The Hanged Man. The card underneath him will show what is holding you back. The card in front of him will show you how to overcome it.
🃏 When shuffling your cards, if any card drops out of your grasp, take it as a sign and read the card.
🃏 You do not need crystals with you to do proper readings, but a good way to cleanse your deck is to place a clear quartz on the top of your deck before each reading. Keep in mind; there’s a variety of ways you can cleanse your deck.
🃏 Often when The High Priestess appears in a reading, she is trying to tell you that you know the answers and that you should listen to your inner voice.
🃏 There is no wrong way to shuffle or cleanse your deck. Do what feels right for you!
Magical Times ⌚
Monday
Ruled by the moon.
Good day for divination, intuition or healing magick.
Tuesday
Ruled by Mars.
Best for active, goal setting magick.
Wednesday
Ruled by Mercury.
Communication, intellectual magick.
Thursday
Ruled by Jupiter.
Justice, protection, travel magick.
Friday
Ruled by Venus.
Love, family/friends, healing emotions.
Saturday
Ruled by Saturn.
Planning, preparation, contracts or career magick.
Sunday
Ruled by the Sun.
Health, prosperity, well being, success magick.
Spells of the Hour
AM - new day, banish shadows.
AM - rid negativity.
AM - determination.
AM - improve luck, victory.
AM - encourage growth.
AM - tenacity, perseverance.
AM - hope, insight, prospective.
AM - conscious change.
AM - assist others.
AM - improve convictions.
AM - transformation.
PM - health, success (suns full energy).
PM - self image, security.
PM - relationships, love, equality.
PM - balancing mind, body and spirit.
PM - harmony of elements.
PM - insight of self.
PM - safety, protection.
PM - diversity, heal differences.
PM - leadership, guidance.
PM - comprehension.
PM - improve clear thoughts.
PM - coping with change.
PM - healing, self development (moons full energy).
