DIY Magical Shower Disks

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***

“my dear, we are all made of water. it’s okay to rage. sometimes it’s okay to rest. to recede.”

— Sanober Khan  (via wordsnquotes)

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!

cheap, easy ways to decorate your altar for the sabbats

Imbolc/Candlemas: seeds or bulbs, candles, red and white

Ostara: flowers, eggs, milk, honey

Beltane: flowers, ribbons, acorns

Litha: oak leaves, sun symbols, sunflowers

Lammas: bread, wheat, beer, honey, corn dolls, iron

Mabon: fall leaves, cornstalks, grapes and grape vines, pomegranates, apples

Samhain: tarot cards, mirror, food offerings, mulled wine, dark bread

Yule: holly, pine cones, mistletoe, fruits, nuts, bells

Youtube is a wonderful resource with lots of helpful information on it! I’ve collated together all the Divination Lessons I could find. If any of these links break, or you find something that should be added to the list, please message me!

This is as much a resource for me as it is for you - I have only watched part of most of these so take them with a grain of salt!

Tarot

Learn the 78 Tarot Cards in Two Hours (Part 1, Part 2)

Tarot Cards - Understanding Reversals

How to Practice Tarot Readings when you’re on your own (Part 1, Part 2)

How to Shuffle Tarot Cards

How to Get Good Results Every Time with Tarot

The Only Way To Learn The Tarot (and a bit about what Pages mean)

How to read a Tarot card easily and comfortably

Putting it all together in a Tarot reading

Know How To Use Your Tarot Cards By Munisha Khatwani

Tarot - An Introduction by Munisha Khatwani

22 Major Arcana Cards In Tarot - Munisha Khatwani

Tarot Cards Use and History

7 Tarot Tips for Learning Tarot Card Meanings

Runes

How to read runes (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

How to Cast Runes (Runes for Beginners)

What are Runes?

150. A Technique for Memorising Runes

How to make Runes

Your First Rune Readings: Practicing with Meanings

The Long History of the Rune Stones

All About Runes (Intermediate Magic) (Part 1, Part 2)

Pendulum

How to Use a Pendulum (Basics)

Your Pendulum and Its Secret Uses

An introduction to dowsing with a pendulum

How To Use A Pendulum For Divining

How to use a Pendulum for Spirit Communication

How to use a Pendulum to get answers from your Subconscious

Scrying

How to Scry (Part 1, Part 2)  

Magical Techniques: Part 1 - The Art of Scrying. 

One Witch’s Way - Crystal Ball (Part 1, Part 2)

Crystal Ball and Mirror Gazing Tutorial 

Crystal Spheres and Scrying 

Simple Water Scrying 

How to Scry 

Scrying Mirrors | Witchcraft 101

Tasseomancy

Tea leaf reading with Amber McCarroll 

Tea Leaf Reading 

Tea Leaf Reading 

What Is Tea Leaf Reading? | Psychic Abilities 

Tea Leaf Reading with Shaheen 

Tea Leaf Reading 

Cartomancy

Fortune Telling with Playing Cards 

Playing Card Meanings - How to read a deck of cards - Cartomancy 

Fortune Telling Cards (Reading & Meanings)

Bibliomancy

173. The Art of Bibliomancy

Bibliomancy

Bibliomancy

Bibliomancy introduction

How to do Bibliomancy, divination with books!

Palmistry

Read your palm ! - only 7 minutes lectured by Japanese Ninja 

Secrets Revealed in Your Palm

Secrets Revealed in Your Palm - Part 2

PALMISTRY: THE FATE LINE

wealth indications in detail more points palmistry

palmistry detailed analysis (very refined hand)

Palmistry Saturn Line Fate Line Money Line Wealth Line Analysis

The ascendant in Saturn persona chart 🪁🪁🪁

Alright guys!! get ready to pull out your Saturn persona chart for this post.

In simple terms Saturn persona chart reflects the traits that become more pronounced as we age particularly during our Saturn return around ages (27-30) and again at (57-60) , highlighting the qualities we work hardest to develop and the challenges we strive to overcome and what we put more effort in than others.

Now in particular, the ascendant in Saturn persona chart indicates our approach to difficulties, themes that come slowly but surely to, and what features will be more prominent during your Saturn return and advanced ages.

In short, reading the note 👇for your ascendant in Saturn persona chart will do more justice ⚖️.

ARIES ASC IN SATURN PERSONA CHART:

This ascendant explains that during your Saturn return and advanced ages you tend to be very active and direct in your dealings. Your personality evolves into something more sharper and bolder during those ages. Even as you grow older, you are full of life and vitality, always engaging in physical activities. You prefer to deal with a matter in a direct manner than to avoid it. This placement also implies the need for independence and self reliance as you grow older. Aries traits become more pronounced during saturn returns

For you, age is just a number.

TAURUS ASC IN SATURN PERSONA CHART:

This ascendant explains that you find comfort and stability during your Saturn return and advanced ages. Your whole persona becomes remarkably refined in the beautiful ways of taurus. As you age, your finances become more steady and gaining weight easily is certain. This ascendant implies the need for financial stability as you advance in age. Beauty and financial capacity is more pronounced during saturn returns.

GEMINI ASC IN SATURN PERSONA CHART: This placement explains that during your Saturn return and advanced ages, you find yourself undertaking frequent trips, being more intellectually inclined, focusing on research and knowledge. Information and communication is highlighted during these ages. If you have siblings, your relationship with them might also be highlighted.

The word for you is that "you might age but your mind does not".

CANCER ASC IN SATURN PERSONA CHART:

This placement explains that during your Saturn return and advanced ages, you find yourself being more concerned about your family life, parents and relatives. Your personality evolves into something more emotionally inclined and family oriented. You become more reserved and sensitive to your surroundings. During these ages, you pay extra attention to your house/home and family. This placement implies the need for emotional intelligence and lasting family bonds as you advance in age. Your body might age but your heart does not.

LEO ASC IN SATURN PERSONA CHART:

This placement explains that you find yourself more creative and childlike during your Saturn return and advanced ages. These ages will never be boring for you. Your kids will a topic of interest during these ages. You find yourself more lucky at later ages and even more open to dating and fun activities. Doing stuff that just makes you happy. It's possible to also attract fame and spotlight too, being a piece of attraction wherever you go. You might particularly need to pay more attention to your children as you advance in age.

VIRGO ASC IN SATURN PERSONA CHART:

During your Saturn return and advanced ages you become more of a routine person, being more careful health-wise and adopting orderliness in your everyday life. It's very likely that proper dieting becomes a part of you and keeping fit too. This placement might also be an indication that even at advanced ages, you don't like to be idle so you still work. With harsh aspects it could mean that you frequently fall ill 🤒 at saturn returns or advanced ages.

LIBRA ASC IN SATURN PERSONA CHART:

During the ages of your Saturn return and even in advanced ages, you find yourself having a number of acquaintances and relationships. For you, loneliness is not a word. Your personality evolves into something with charm and attractiveness, drawing in people who see it. At these ages, your attention is likely to shift from yourself to others (may include spouse), maybe you become more interested in love or interested in mingling with other people.

SCORPIO ASC IN SATURN PERSONA CHART Tension and secrecy is a present factor during your Saturn returns and advanced ages. You're likely to be involved with belongings and valuables of others,it could be their secrets, it could be their valuables. You might inherit something from someone or reap where you did not sow. Anything involving another party is highlighted with this placement such as a joint account or even s3x.

SAGITTARIUS ASC IN SATURN PERSONA CHART:

The desire for knowledge and enlightenment gradually becomes a part of your life during your Saturn return and advanced ages.

Going on trips to foreign lands, interested in culture and beliefs, engaging in adventurous activities, being more religious or spiritual, taking classes and attending lectures is also part of the bargain with this placement.

This placement implies that you need to strengthen your beliefs and be optimistic even as you age.

CAPRICORN ASC IN SATURN PERSONA CHART:

This placement explains that during your Saturn return and advanced years, you'll find yourself in a place of responsibility and authority too. This might also be indicating fame or popularity at older ages. Your reputation and public image is also highlighted too. As you age, responsibilities become a usual part of your life.

AQUARIUS ASC IN SATURN PERSONA CHART:

Friendship bonds, cyber activities, technology, innovative ideas and network take center role during your Saturn return and advanced years.

You're likely to become more interested and involved in social media activities, spending a lot of time with friends, believing or joining a radical group fostering unique ideas 💡.

PISCES ASC IN SATURN PERSONA CHART:

During your saturn returns and advanced years, there's a hint of isolation and introspection. It's more certain that as you age, you become more quieter, reserved and sensitive to the energies around you. There's a chance you begin to focus more on spirituality and enlightenment. You prefer to keep to yourself and your favourite companions are your dreams and thoughts.

You easily space out in conversations as is the normal tradition of pisces 😂

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.

Sea Magick

I wanna share my favorite source’s keywords for the planets:

Sun: affection, ambition, authority, burning, children, citrus fruits, coins, constitution, courage, creativity, dignity, domineering, ego, emperors, energy, extravagance, fame, father, fiery, fire, gambling, generosity, gold, haughty, health, honour, hot, husband, identity, individuality, jewellery, joy, laughter, life, light, lions, magnanimity, nobility, ostentation, orange, passion, peacocks, pomp, popularity, positive, power, pride, prosperity, purpose, royalty, simplicity, spine, spirit, spotlights, stardom, strength, Sunday, superiors, vitality, warmth, will, yellow

Moon: agriculture, changes, childbirth, community, dairies, emotions, families, fecundity, feelings, fermentation, fluctuation, fluids, general public opinions, health, insanity, instinct, intuition, mariners, maternity, Monday, moods, mother, nursing, oats, plumbers, public, reproduction, response, silver, tears, the common people, the people, water, women, women

Mercury: air travel, authors, bargaining, books, clerks, clothing, commerce, computers, dealing, documents, editors, history, hygiene, intellect, language, lectures, logic, mercury (metal), messages, mind advertising, nerves, post, respiration, signals, talking, telephones, trade, transport, transportation, typewriters, Wednesday, wind, wit, writing, youth

Venus: amusement, art, beauty, boudoirs, brass, confectionery, dance, desire, dimples, doves, emeralds, entertainment, fashion, femininity, flowers, grapes, humour, immorality, intimacy, justice, lingerie, love, marriage, marriage, money, music, partnership, partnerships, pleasure Adornment, relationships,social interactions ,romance, relaxation, sexual intercourse, social centres, societies, style, women

Mars: armour, armies, blood, butchers, cars, controversy, disease, drive, energy, engineering, executives, garlic, guns, heat, heroes, incense, inflammations, iron, knives, locks, murder, passion, penetration, pipes, pirates, radiators, razors, sarcasm, stamina, sport, surgery, tobacco, virility, war, wrestlers

Jupiter: amplification, big, capitalism, celebrations, college, courts of law, doctors, expansion, feet, foreign countries furry animals, glory, gluttony, grand, humour, joviality, large, law, legality, luck, ceremonial magic, merchandise, merit, millionaires, monasteries, optimism, orthodoxy, over-indulgence, philanthropy, philosophy, preachers, prestige, professors, profit, pulpits, religion, science, ships, splendour, success, thighs, tin, Thursday, travel, truth, wisdom, religion, priests, The Law, courts and justice, aristocracy, publishing, overseas travel

Saturn: agriculture, archaeology, architecture, bones, cattle, civil service, death, domination, fatigue, history, land, leather, minerals, monogamy, monotony, obstacles, old age, perseverance, restriction, Saturday, self control, time, twilight, underground, widows, yesterdays. Old Father Time, Traditions, history, stability, authority, order, mines, death

Uranus: attraction, break-ups, chaos, disruption, divorce, earthquakes, eccentric, exciting, fanatical, freedom, major change, outrageous, quirky, rebellious, revolutionary, shocks, sudden, surprises, unconventional, unprecedented, unpredictable, unusual,  changes, revolutions, anarchy, innovations, technology, earthquakes

Neptune: alcohol, art, confusion, cynicism, deception, deep, disguise, disillusionment, dissolving, dreams, drink, drugs, escapism, fraud, ideas, imagination, instability, music, mystery, mysticism, oceans, poisoning, sea, smoke-screen, socialism, softness, transcendence, veil, water, yearnings, reform, ideals, trends, art

Pluto: communism, compulsive, crime, darkness, death, deep, hidden, magic, mystery, nuclear energy, occult, orgasm, paranoid, profundity, psychology, rebirth, recycle, reform, renewal, reproduction, revolutionary, self-transforming therapies, healing, sex, subconscious, taboo, transformation, unconscious, underneath, undermining, underworld, volcanoes, the underworld, detectives, disruption, decline, regeneration