🌙 Witchcraft Masterpost: 🛁 Cleansing And Purifying Energy

A collection of various tarot/oracle spreads for your enjoyment.~ If you’d like your spread/one you think is neat added, just ask.

Woah, wait, what? 

Book Character Spread 

Ostara Spread 

Beltane Blessings 

A Trail of Leaves 

Freedom from Addiction 

Am I Being a Dick? 

Mind Over Matter 

Triple Goddess 

Adent’s Path 

Calm Before the Storm 

I’ve Got This 

Season’s Greetings 

Finn Star Wars Spread 

Rey Star Wars Spread 

Inquisitor  

Two Card Spreads 

The Lessons 

Planetary  

My Life is a Hot Garbage Fire 

Happy Little Trees 

Full Moon Clarity 

Samhain Spread 

Self Reflection  

Good Morning 

One Day at a Time 

Self Discovery 

Conquering a Bad Habit 

Go Deeper

Flower of Life 

Self Love 

Fork in the Road 

Key to Courage 

Taking Back the Crown 

Spiderweb 

Hello, Old Friend 

Evolving Character 

The Yearly Spread 

My Anxiety 

Find Your Path 

A Bridge to Greater Understanding 

Quick Shadow Work

New Moon 

What the Heck do I do? 

Realise Your Goals 

Elemental Energy 

Let Go and Grow 

Tree of Protection 

Analysing Attraction 

Monthly Forecast 

General Overview 

Solar Eclipse 

Beautiful You 

Unicorn 

Friday the 13th 

That’s Rough, Buddy

i’ve written before about how uncomfortable it is being Jewish in most witchcraft/magic/occult spaces, but right now i’m feeling it particularly acutely as i try to navigate this queer & trans witchy renaissance we seem to be having (which is, i think, a direct response to the terror & loss of control we all feel in 2017 - magic has always been about resistance & survival to me & a lot of other people)

i’m tired. i’m scared a lot of the time. i want community & inspiration to help keep me going, so i reach for something like a zine that bills itself as an inclusive mix of queer & trans voices on witchcraft, resistance, activism - because it’s a group of marginalized folks, i (maybe foolishly) have this expectation of seeing myself in it, or of the editors being conscious of the many forms of cultural appropriation that happen in these spaces & working to educate about them

but what i’m finding, over and over, is two things: the first is that despite the fact that we exist in greater numbers than i’d ever have expected, there are no Jewish voices in any of the witchcraft-focused publications (indie or otherwise) i’ve ever encountered. the second thing, that cultural appropriation of Judaism & other forms of pervasive anti-semitism DO exist in these publications, just makes the lack of Jewish perspectives more glaring

so in the interest of being direct, here are a few things the queer & trans witchcraft community (i’d like to ask the ENTIRE witchcraft community, but i am speaking to people with whom i share something right now) can do & think about to help:

include us. if you didn’t think that any Jewish folks were involved in witchy communities, ask yourself why! is it because you thought Judaism was a religion only? or incompatible with ideas about magic? Judaism is an ethnicity & a culture - or more truthfully, a group of ethnicities & cultures - with long & complex histories of magic, mysticism & folklore. some of it is considered traditionally “kosher” & some of it isn’t! our relationships to that are individual, fascinating, & worth being shared!

stop throwing around the words “Abrahamic” & “Judeo-Christian” - especially when you want to talk about cultural values or historical oppression. 9 times out of 10, you just mean Christianity. yes, we share some text, but we have VERY different relationships to it. plus, if you’re talking specifically about the persecution of people believed to be witches, that’s the history of Jews being murdered by Christians. honestly just do us a favor & remove “Judeo-Christian” from your vocabulary, there’s almost no context where it’s an accurate description of anything.

educate yourself about appropriation. i should never have to see someone mention “practicing Kabbalah” in a zine that includes no Jewish people. our mysticism is connected to our culture, our history, our faith - not only do you have no business taking it, what could it possibly mean to you without its context? 

understand that anti-semitism runs deeper than current appropriation - if you engage at all with any Western occultist or “ceremonial magic” literature or practice, you need to learn its history. what does it mean that the 15th century grimoire you’re drawing inspiration from contains Hebrew & calls itself Solomonic, but has no actual connection to Jewish people? what does it mean that the person who created the most iconic image of Baphomet, something beloved by a lot of queer & trans witches for being androgynous, gave himself a fake Hebrew name? i’m not asking you to throw all of these concepts & traditions out entirely - i have something of a love/hate relationship with ceremonial occultism myself, i collect vintage & antique things related to it & some of it is really interesting - but please at the very least educate yourself about it. specifically, educate yourself about how medieval Jews were treated while non-Jewish occultists were incorporating (often misunderstood or mangled) Jewish mysticism, language & folk practices into their frameworks. 

if you’ve stayed with me this far, i appreciate it - i know this post is long & that confronting this stuff can be difficult, but i urge you to do some reading & listening before you push back. i’m writing this because i want to see things change - i want to see communities where people connect meaningfully to their own heritages & participate in actual cultural exchange & learning based in equity & mutual support. 

i’m speaking to my own experience, but all of this goes for ANY marginalized culture/tradition being “drawn from” in witchcraft communities without actually including members of said culture. 

many of us got involved in witchy things because we felt locked out of mainstream religious practice due to a mix of oppressions - let’s not replicate that in our own spaces.

Meditation steps and tips for beginners

Professional meditators always have a Zen garden: https://www.amazon.com/ICNBUYS-Japanese-Censers-Pushing-Diameter/dp/B01II9PHI4

Getting To Know Plant Allies

photo source

Use It!

One of my teachers was very insistent that before I was allowed to study a plant, I had to get to know it first. Head knowledge is one thing, but when you are working as a herbalist you have to have more than that.

Before using any herb, even for these exercises it is important to look up contraindications for the herb. Herbs are medicinal, even in small doses. Personally I like to use this book. And remember to always tell your doctor if you are taking any herbs!

Based on the type of herb, make a decoction or infusion. Fragile herbs, usually dried leaves or flowers, are better suited to an infusion (let steep in nearly boiling water for 20 minutes). Hardier herbs such as roots can be simmered in the water for 20 minutes (decoction).

Sip slowly, taking notice of how the tea feels in your mouth. Does it trigger a salivary response? How does it taste? Anything your experience is worth taking note of. I’ve never been sad I took too many notes!

Take a bath with it. If a full bath isn’t possible, do a foot or hand bath. I was taught to start with water as close to room temp as possible. This can be a good way to determine if the herb has warming or cooling properties.

Again, make notes! Lots of them.

Get creative with how you experiment. Cook with them, use them for facial steams. Any way that you’re called to, and remember, take notes!

Study It - Materia Medica

It’s time to make your own herbal! We’re going to take our observations and start a Materia Medica. This is the term herbalists have been using since the 1st century AD, thanks to the Ancient Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides. Modern science now often uses the term pharmacology but I greatly prefer the Materia Medica.

Some witches will combine this with a Materia Magica which goes into the magical correspondences for the herbs. But this post won’t be covering that.

How each herbalist organizes the Materia Medica is going to vary, but it should hit a few key points. And, of great importance, is to track your sources! Any information that you include in your MM needs to have a citation so that you can track your info.

Latin Name

My Materia Medicas always start with the Latin name for the herb. Herbs have many, many different names. Both through history and throughout the world. The best way to ensure that you’re using the correct plant is to use the latin name. But then, after that, I make not of common names and historical names.

History/Lore

If a herb has an interesting history, or appears in folk lore I make note of that next. It can be interesting and is helpful for knowing the herb. There’s a lot of knowledge to be gleaned from old stories!

Description

If you’re inclined for either wildcrafting or foraging, a section on the cultivation and appearance of the plant.

Chemicals

Now, we get into the medicine of it. Herbs work because they contain chemical compounds. A lot (all?) of modern medicine is derived from the manufacturing of these chemicals.

Make a list of the chemicals that are found in the herb. Making note, where you can, of what these chemicals actually DO. Over time you’ll want to get to know which ones are the active ingredients and how the work. Yup, it’s science!

Herbal Actions

Actions come next. Herbal actions are a whole language to learn. But as you are putting together the Materia Medicas you’ll start to get the hang of things! An action describes the way a herb works on the body.

It can seem a bit overwhelming, so here is an example.

Bitter is an herbal action, and it is aptly named. Herbs with this action typically taste… bitter! The action that they have on the body usually starts in the mouth where it stimulates saliva production as the first step of aiding in the digestive process. (they do a lot more but we’re keeping it simple for the example).

Examples of bitters are: arugula (also called rocket), dandelion greens, and black coffee.

Here’s a very simple way to experiment yourself! Take some time to sample one of the above mentioned bitters and see how your body reacts.

Christopher Hobbs is an herbalist I respect a lot. He has a handout that he uses in his classes which lists herbal actions, indications (we’ll get into that next), and lists example herbs.

http://www.christopherhobbs.com/webdocs/class-handouts/keville-hobbs-2016/Herbal-Actions.pdf

I highly suggest printing this sheet out and keeping it handy, reading it over often. Eventually it’ll become more intuitive, but it takes time and practice.

Indications

Indications are where we want to use the herb. IE: where is the herbal action of the herb indicated? This is going to be a list of conditions that the herb in question is good for treating.

For example, Corn Silk (zea mays) is an antiseptic, demulcent and a diuretic. Because of this, it’s indicated for use with a urinary tract infection. (it’s indicated for other things too, but I’m trying to keep things fairly basic!)

The demulcent soothes the irritated skin, the diuretic helps to increase urine output, and the antiseptic of course helps to prevent the growth of harmful organisms.

Medicine

The last section of my Materia Medica deals with dosing and contraindications. 

I like to include dosing for both teas and tinctures as they are my personal favorite ways for treating people.

Contraindications means anything that counteracts with the herb. St John’s Wort is a popular one for this, as it has many. It is a highly reactive herb and can interact negatively with many drugs! 

It is very important to know how the herb interacts. People think that because herbs are natural/plants that somehow this excludes them from the realm of medicine. But the very reason that herbs are effective is because they ARE medicine!

When I am working with a client, I do my best to take a detailed history, even things they don’t think is important. But I also inform them of every herb I am giving them and encourage them to do their own research. And it’s important to be aware of your body when you are taking herbs. From the practitioner to the person taking the herb, everyone needs to do their own due diligence.

If you found this post useful, or have any comments/thoughts/etc I would love to hear it. If there is interest I can do posts on salves, tinctures, etc. And perhaps examples of my own materia medicas.

I n t r o d u c i n g

          Witches Against White Supremacy

As the current political climate worsens and the #BLM protests continue, I wanted to become more politically active and help support protestors as best I can from where I live. In an effort to do this, I started the sideblog, Witches Against White Supremacy.

The premise of this sideblog is to help aid the bail out funds across the United States and help anti-racism and anti-fascist efforts.

How does this work?

Easy: donate a minimum of $5.00 USD to any of the fundraisers listed in our Navigation, submit a photo (blurring out any sensitive information minus your name OR receipt number) to our blog confirming the amount donated, and you’ll receive a divination reading by one of our moderators. Once you’ve submitted this, send us an ask stating that you donated, the amount you donated, along with your blog URL so we can verify your donation. Once you’ve done so, one of our moderators will claim your reading and we will queue the reading. Readings will be published 4 times a day. If you have any questions, feel free to send us an ask but PLEASE do not submit Anonymous questions for the donation verification.

Can I state a preference for a reader?

You can! If you’d like to state a preference for the deck used as well, check out our Moderators page for a list of decks each moderator will be using.

If you have any questions about this project, please send an ask either to my personal blog (pastellewitchcraft), OR to witches-against-white-supremacy. If you’d like to volunteer your time for this, please send an ask to my personal blog and we can coordinate!

Can I commission one of the mods to do a divination reading?

Short answer, yes. Long answer, no-yes? It’s up to the moderator to accept a commission or not and their prices can be regulated on their own terms. If you want to commission a mod, send the blog an ask and they’ll reply to you when they have the chance!

Moderator Position Regulations:

1. Must have a tumblr blog 2. Must have a Discord (for coordination purposes, I’ll be hosting a Discord server to coordinate reading claims) 3. Must be above the age of 21. 4. Must be Intermediate to Advanced experience with divination and witchcraft.

Note: Readings conducted are for entertainment purposes only! We will not conduct readings about legal matters, health, or third party members.

🥀💖 Erica's Love Oil 💖🥀

this love oil is perfect for love workings, offerings to love deities, or if you're into it...sex magick.

**disclaimer** this is a completely self-researched and self-tested herbal oil. please, do your research, do a test patch on your own skin, and talk with a doctor or medical professional if you are concerned in any way. Not intended for ingestion or internal use. Legally, I cannot be held liable for anything that happens while using this oil. Do not repost text or photos without credit or permission.

I am known to have sensitive skin. DM for sources - there's a lot I don't want to link them all.

This oil was very much made as a desire for a lovely smelling, aphrodisiac oil to be used in love workings and sex magic and possibly, if I could research something well enough...used carefully during intimate times.

If that's not something you're into, then don't use it for those purposes. Since, I've used it to anointing love candles, and honestly for aromatherapy, and for general self-care - mundane or magickal.

🥀💖 Ingredients 💖🥀

Grapeseed oil - carrier oil to dilute ingredients. Known to be safe around the genitals, high in vitamin E, comedogenic rating of 1, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, treats acne and makes skin softer. Ruled by the moon, water - deals with fertility, money, money, romantic love, passion, prosperity

Goldenrod - mine was foraged around my home this pre-autumnal season Supports kidney and urinary health and has been used to treat UTI's. Supports proper blood flow - helping promote intimacy's and supporting the libido. Said to be particularly powerful for men *cough* called golden rod for a reason *cough* Ruled by Venus and air - releases emotional blocks (helping further promote intimacy), divination, love, prosperity, "sealing the deal" in love workings

Hibiscus - I used a tea packet Not for pregnant or breastfeeding women. Exfoliating, hence, not for everyday use. Has been tested to fight infections including UTI's, can lower blood sugar and blood pressure, and one study saw it increase sexual activity in male rats. Fights aging, evens tone, hydrates and moisturizes skin, speeds up wound healing. Ruled by Venus, water, and associated with Aphrodite - passion, love, lust, freedom, prophetic and lucid dreams, beauty, courage watch for side effects such as headache, stomach issues, nausea, as it can lower blood sugar when taken internally. Not what this oil is for, but still something to watch for.

🥀💖 Method 💖🥀

Make sure herbs are dry before using in oil - you don't want your oil to go rancid. Add herbs and oil to container of choice, make sure its air tight. Let steep for as long as you'd like, but the longer, the better. You can strain the herbs if you'd like, but I like the way they look.

Charge however you'd like. Meditate on purpose during creation and after.

please, please, please - DO A PATCH TEST! what works for my skin may not work for yours. I did a couple - one on my inner arm, and one on my inner thigh.

🥀💖 Notes 💖🥀

Tbh, I used Teva's Hibiscus tea blend because I was impatient and didn't want to wait to buy hibiscus. I double checked all ingredients to make sure they were skin safe - all were - with the note that cinnamon and citric acid can be an irritant when used in high concentration or everyday use.

I did a patch test on my skin, as well as only made a small batch at first. I have had no issues with burning, bumps, or other irritation.

It is of course recommended to uh, not do that, in future batches.

Mabon * urban witchcraft * some tips from traveling mystic *

Autumn is a special time for me when I stay in the mountains - at remote villages, wandering in the forest and climbing mountains to gather last herbs. And now to find myself in the heart of chaotic Hanoi, it’s completely different experience… 

These are the ways to celebrate autumnal transition, Mabon while staying in the chaos of city life:

***share the blessings*** 

open free tarot readings at your favorite coffee shop

volunteer your skills for project \ organisation which inspires you

invite your friends to sit together in autumnal moon light and share some food and stories

give away things  

***slow down and turn your mind towards meditation***

don’t rush for new projects

cut off senseless noise (music, small talks and messaging)

drink more water and keep healthy diet, enjoy the fruits of the season

walk with awareness, breath with awareness

burn candles in the evening while drinking your tea and reflecting on your accomplishments, goals, approaches to the things, journal about that

***do magic***

sigils on balance, healing, letting go old things, get rid of blockages  

do shadow work with tarot cards, journaling or create shadow altar and explore its opportunities

to dive into the energy of this time, pray, dream, visualize and do other witchy things - create a space filled with autumnal leaves, fruits, sweet gifts of nature, put there some ancestor photos, add symbols of death and old age

***have  long walks in parks and around city lakes, watch old people and kids***

***de-clutter your house or backpack, finish old projects***  

***share stories with travelers you meet on the road***

***drink local tea***

***use crystals: carnelian, lapis lazuli, tiger eye, amber, serpentine, amethyst, clear quartz 

and herbs: rose hips, chamomile, yarrow, marigold, sage, saffron***

RANDOM VEDIC OBSERVATIONS

ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇ ɴᴏꜱꜰᴇʀᴀᴛᴜ ɪꜱ ᴀʟʟ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʙʜᴀʀᴀɴɪ ᴅᴜᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ, ꜰᴀᴛᴇ, ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇʙɪʀᴛʜ

ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪꜱɴᴇʏ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ, ᴍᴜʟᴀɴ, ɪꜱ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀɢʜᴀ ᴅᴜᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴀɴᴄᴇꜱᴛʀʏ, ꜰᴀᴍɪʟɪᴀʟ ʙᴏɴᴅꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴜᴘʜᴏʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴏɴᴇ'ꜱ ʟᴇɢᴀᴄʏ (ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴄᴛʀᴇꜱꜱ, ʟɪᴜ ʏɪꜰᴇɪ, ᴡʜᴏ ᴘʟᴀʏᴇᴅ ᴍᴜʟᴀɴ ʜᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ᴍᴀɢʜᴀ ꜱᴛᴇʟʟɪᴜᴍ)

ᴍᴇʀᴄᴜʀʏ-ᴋᴇᴛᴜ ᴀꜱᴘᴇᴄᴛꜱ ᴄᴀɴ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴠᴇʀʏ ʙʟᴜɴᴛ ɪɴ ꜱᴘᴇᴇᴄʜ ᴏʀ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ꜱᴘᴇᴇᴄʜ ɪᴍᴘᴇᴅɪᴍᴇɴᴛ

ᴀꜱʜʟᴇꜱʜᴀ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ ᴛᴇɴᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɪꜱꜱᴜᴇꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ꜰᴇᴍɪɴɪɴɪᴛʏ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ᴀꜱʜʟᴇꜱʜᴀ ᴍᴇɴ ᴛᴇɴᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɪꜱꜱᴜᴇꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴍᴀꜱᴄᴜʟɪɴɪᴛʏ

ꜱᴘᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴀɢʜᴀ, ᴍᴀɢʜᴀ ɴᴀᴛɪᴠᴇꜱ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴛᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴄʏ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀ ᴀʀʀᴏɢᴀɴᴛ ᴏʀ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇɪᴛᴇᴅ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ (ᴇx: ᴛʏʟᴀ)

ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴀꜱʜʟᴇꜱʜᴀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ 4ᴛʜ ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ ᴍᴇᴀɴꜱ ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡʜᴏ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏʟʟɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟʟʏ ꜱᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀɪɴɢ

ᴀʟʟ ᴠᴇɴᴜꜱɪᴀɴ ɴᴀᴋꜱʜᴀᴛʀᴀ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ (ʙʜᴀʀᴀɴɪ, ᴘᴜʀᴠᴀ ᴘʜᴀʟɢᴜɴɪ, ᴘᴜʀᴠᴀ ᴀꜱʜᴀᴅʜᴀ) ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴛᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴄʏ ᴛᴏ ᴄʀᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇꜱɪʀᴇ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴜʙᴍɪꜱꜱɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ʏɪᴇʟᴅɪɴɢ

ꜱᴜɴ-ᴅᴏᴍɪɴᴀɴᴛ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇꜰɪɴɪᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ɢɪʀʟʙᴏꜱꜱ

ᴋᴇᴛᴜ-ᴅᴏᴍɪɴᴀɴᴛ ᴍᴇɴ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ᴍᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇ ᴍᴀᴛᴇʀɪᴀʟ, ɪɴ ꜰᴀᴄᴛ, ᴛʜᴇʏ'ᴅ ᴘʀᴏʙᴀʙʟʏ ᴘʀᴇꜰᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜰɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴀ ʀɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜰɪɴɢᴇʀ

ᴠᴇɴᴜꜱɪᴀɴ ᴍᴇɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴘᴏɪʟ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴘᴀʀᴛɴᴇʀꜱ, ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʟᴀɴɢᴜᴀɢᴇ ɪꜱ ʜᴀɴᴅɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ɢɪꜰᴛꜱ

ɪ ɴᴏᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜰᴇᴡ ᴜᴛᴛᴀʀᴀ ʙʜᴀᴅʀᴀᴘᴀᴅᴀ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏᴇᴅ ʟᴇꜱʙɪᴀɴ ʀᴏʟᴇꜱ ɪɴ ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇꜱ (ᴇx: ᴅʏʟᴀɴ ɢᴇʟᴜʟᴀ ɪɴ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ɢɪʀʟ ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ)

ᴅʜᴀɴɪꜱʜᴛᴀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴜʀᴠᴀ ʙʜᴀᴅʀᴀᴘᴀᴅᴀ ɴᴀᴛɪᴠᴇꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴏ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜꜱʟʏ ꜱᴇxʏ ɪɴ ᴀ ꜰʟᴀᴍʙᴏʏᴀɴᴛ ᴡᴀʏ, ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ꜱᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ʟᴀʀɢᴇ ᴍᴏᴜᴛʜꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪᴅᴇ ꜱᴍɪʟᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʟɪɢʜᴛᴇɴꜱ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ (ᴇx: ʙᴀʀᴀᴄᴋ ᴏʙᴀᴍᴀ, ᴍᴀᴅɪꜱᴏɴ ʙᴇᴇʀ, ᴍᴇɢᴀɴ ᴛʜᴇᴇ ꜱᴛᴀʟʟɪᴏɴ, ʙɪʟʟ ꜱᴋᴀʀꜱɢᴀʀᴅ)

ꜱʜʀᴀᴠᴀɴᴀ ɴᴀᴛɪᴠᴇꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ʀᴇʟɪᴀʙʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʀᴜꜱᴛ-ᴡᴏʀᴛʜʏ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴜꜱᴜᴀʟʟʏ ᴍɪꜱᴛʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ

ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴀᴍᴀᴢɪɴɢ ʜᴏᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇᴀᴠʏ ꜱᴇx ᴛʜᴀᴛ'ʟʟ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ꜱᴀᴛɪꜱꜰɪᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴛɪᴍᴇ? ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴀ ᴘᴜʀᴠᴀ ᴘʜᴀʟɢᴜɴɪ ᴏʀ ᴜᴛᴛᴀʀᴀ ᴘʜᴀʟɢᴜɴɪ ᴍᴀɴ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʜɪᴘꜱ ɪꜰʏᴋᴡɪᴍ

ᴍᴜʟᴀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴜʀᴠᴀ ᴀꜱʜᴀᴅʜᴀ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ꜱᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ᴡᴀʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ꜱᴏᴜɴᴅ ꜱᴏ ᴘᴏᴇᴛɪᴄ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴛʜᴇʀᴇᴀʟ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇʏ'ʀᴇ ᴛᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴅᴇᴇᴘ ᴏʀ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀʟ

ᴡᴀɴɴᴀ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ʟᴇᴛ ʟᴏᴏꜱᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ꜰᴜɴ? ᴄᴀʟʟ ᴜᴘ ᴀɴ ᴀʀᴅʀᴀ ɴᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ

ᴋʀɪᴛᴛɪᴋᴀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴜꜱʜʏᴀ ɴᴀᴛɪᴠᴇꜱ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ʜᴀʙɪᴛ ᴏꜰ ʙɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ɴᴀɪʟꜱ

ᴄʜɪᴛʀᴀ ɴᴀᴛɪᴠᴇꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʏᴘᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡɪʟʟ ɢᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴᴛᴏ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇ ɪꜰ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏʟ ᴛʜᴇᴍꜱᴇʟᴠᴇꜱ

(And that's all for now! If it resonates with you, comment below. If you feel confused about something in relation to vedic, don't be afraid to reach out! Have a good day/night!)

Teshuvah Tarot Spread

Putting things into tarot spreads helps me process and understand them better, so this spread was born! Especially with Yom Kippur coming up, this felt good to share. Teshuvah is a Jewish process of repentance, designed to aid us in confronting our own wrongdoings, making right on them, and working to make sure we are better people in the future. Gentiles are welcome to use this spread for their own self-improvement, but please do not use it for a profit!

CARD ONE- Going astray. Identifying the wrongdoing, the harm we have caused, and where we have strayed off the path of doing the most good. This can be used to identify a transgression you might not be aware of. If you are reading for a specific wrongdoing, treat this card as a “why?” card; what troubles or toxic elements led us to act this way? Is there a larger problem that needs addressing?

CARD TWO- Making right. Card two doesn’t necessarily have to go before card three in this spead, both “occur” at the same time. It’s important to try and help repair any damage we caused, apologize, and make things right, if possible. This card guides us on how we can best do so, what actions we can take to restore the balance.

CARD THREE- Casting away. It’s not enough to just address the aftermath of our actions; we must also look at the root. We looked at where the harm came from in card one; how can we distance ourselves from that place? What actions can we take so that we won’t it again?

CARD FOUR- Prepare for the future. They say the real test of repentance is not the apology, but changed behavior, aka how you act the next time a similar situation comes up. This is advice for that moment: when life goes on and we find ourselves faced with the same demons/temptations/conflicts, what lesson should we keep in mind?

CARD FIVE- Honor your path. We are all working to be the best versions of ourselves. What can we do to continue down that path? What actions can we take to welcome in more truth, more loving-kindness, more balance, and more opportunities to do good? How can we best honor our journey of becoming the kind of people we want to be?

I hope you enjoy and please feel free to let me know what you think! If you like this spread, consider getting a reading from me (@will-o-the-witch) for PWYW! 

How I do Crystal Grids

So I got an ask a while back about how I do crystal grids and if I could share that information, so here goes!

Let’s start off with some general knowledge of what a grid is, what it can be used for, and what different parts make up the grid. 

What is a crystal grid?

-Simply put, a crystal grid is an arrangement of crystals that helps set, focus, and amplify intentions 

What can a grid be used for?

-There are several things you can use a crystal grid for

1. To increase the power of your crystals

2. To cleanse and/or charge your crystals

3. Create protective boundaries

4. Raise the vibration of your space (good for work flow or meditation) 

5. To bring in luck, happiness, wealth, love etc. (any intention you can put into a spell, you can put into a crystal grid) 

Different Parts of a grid 

The Perimeter

–an optional outer ring of stones that are used to protect your grid. 

The Desire Stones

–Gather the energy of your stones and send it out into your space

The Way Stones

–Organizes and modifies the energy set by the focus stone

The Focus Stone

–Usually the stone in the center of the grid, sets your intentions

Grid Layouts

-There are books that tell you the ‘typical’ layouts but honestly I say do whatever feels right for you and fits your purpose! 

Now that the technical stuff is out of the way, lets move on to how I personally create my crystal grids!

I like to keep my process pretty intuitive. There are lots of resources that will give you specific steps to follow, and even tell you which types of crystals to use in what part of the grid based on the crystal structure or color. I tend to throw all of that out the window. 

Step 1: I pick my intention. This can be anything I would do a spell for, healing, self-love, binding, banishing, bringing in money or luck, and so on. 

Step 2: Pick my crystals. I actually pick the crystals before I pick the layout. Sometimes I select crystals based on which properties match with my intention (rose quartz for self love, aventurine for money). Sometimes I just go through my collection and pick the ones that are calling me. 

Step 3: Pick my layout. I tend to do a traditional bullseye type layout (Focus stone in the very center, way stones as the middle ring, desire stones as the outer ring). Sometimes I use a spiral method. Those are probably my top two layouts. 

Step 4: Place the stones. Again, this is a very intuitive process. I tend to use a point for the focus stone, and then lay way stones in a cross like shape around it (i.e. one directly above, one directly below, one to the right, one to the left) filling in with a few other way stones if I feel like it. I then place the desire stones in a circle around the whole thing, alternating stones (If I have multiple types of stone for the desire stones). If I put up a barrier it also goes in a circle around the whole thing. 

Step 5: In my process, the grid is activated once the stones are all in place. Sometimes I’ll fuss and shift stones around until they make a pleasing design, so once I’m done, the grid is activated. I then leave it up as long as I please!