Actually Useful Shit To Have As A Witch

Low Effort Witchcraft 💤

one of the largest misconceptions in witchcraft is that you constantly have to be doing huge elaborate rituals and spells that take lots of preparation

💤 emoji spells. they might feel ridiculous, but posting them somewhere safe or texting them to yourself or a friend can be a nice little boost

💤 don’t have the energy to create a sigil? sigilscribe.me creates them when you type in your intent

💤 music. perhaps you don’t have the energy or time to dedicate to writing your own chants for a spell. music can both add energy to a spell for you, and have the words you wish to use.

💤 your daily rituals have power to cleanse. from brushing your teeth to washing your hair, even clipping toenails. little moments of self care can be magical if you do them with intent

💤 scented soaps can be used in place of herbal baths if you have neither the time nor energy to do a full on bath. 

💤 stir drinks in clockwise to increase a quality, and counterclockwise to decrease something. 

💤 choose drinks or food with correspondences, and each bite has intention. 

💤 sleep with your tarot deck, shuffle the cards. doing so will help bond you with the cards, even if you don’t have the energy to do a full reading. 

💤 hold onto your favorite crystal, whether its wearing it or keeping it in your pocket. a little energy work can go a long way to keeping you magic in shape

💤 if you enchant your makeup on a good energy day, you can use those enchanted objects every day after. 

💤 if you need a curse but don’t have the energy to perform anything elaborate, the evil eye works in a pinch.

💤 cleansing an area can be a heavy task, setting up the herbs to burn or spritzing salt water can be more effort to prepare than it should be. ringing bells to cleanse and area works just as well. 

Advice for if your practice is feeling stressful or unfulfilling (that isn't 'just stop practicing')

Before you expand: long text post!

I think it's interesting that the first line of advice stressed and unhappy practitioners often receive is 'stop practicing! take a break,' because besides a breather this doesn't actually do anything. When a person is done with that break they're still going to have the same stressful, unfulfilling practice they did before.

Stop practicing is useful advice for someone who is about to deep-fry their brain in uncontrolled Witch Fire. It's useful advice for someone who experiences unexplainable catastrophe every time they engage in magic.

I'm not sure it's useful advice for people who want to practice and are actively seeking help figuring out how.

So here are some ideas. Feel free to add your own.

If your practice has too much of a time load:

Scrape over-engineered ritual. Examine ritual formats. Are you spending a majority of your practice time engaging in elaborate ritual? Where can that be paired down?

Swap ritual for enchantments. If ritual performs an action (laying a compass), can you substitute for that ritual action by making enchanted objects that take less time to activate (enchanted compass altar cloth)?

Minimize ingredients. If you regularly perform spells that require lengthy enchantment of ingredients, can you use fewer ingredients to achieve the same results? If you're using more than 3 correspondences for any spell, is this because you are wise in your own ways, or because you just feel that more is merrier?

Mash rituals together. Do you have a string of rituals, even small ones, that you perform one after the other? Is it possible to reorganize these so they're all done at once, in the same ritual? For example, setting out an offering to the gods, a different offering for the ancestors, another for helper spirits, etc. Can you combine these all into one single offering?

Check for over-tending. Is it possible that you're repeating magical acts, like feeding wards and cleansing, more often than you need to? Did you arrive at this schedule through trial and error, or did you just guess this is how often you should do them?

Check for your own levelup: spell maintenance. If it's been a while since you re-evaluated your ritual/offering/maintenance schedule, your increase in skills may mean you need to do these tasks less often to achieve the same result.

Check for your own levelup: techniques and routines. Some techniques, like carefully entering trance, grounding, and centering, are like training wheels that wear ruts into our paths of magic. As we improve in skill, old rituals and techniques that have been carefully couched in these helpful devices may become ingrained in us so that we can perform them in almost any state of mind, much faster and easier than we could before. Experiment with any technique you've been doing for a while and see if you still need to perform time-consuming meditative or focusing techniques before you can perform the skill.

Be reasonable with your own goals. I find most 'laywitches' give themselves daily and weekly schedules that would put actual cloistered monks to shame. Did your spirits tell you they expect daily offerings, or did you decide on that an run with it? Where are you overcompensating and overexerting in your path when nobody, including yourself, asked you to?

If your practice has too much of a work load:

Much of the advice of the prior section applies. Also,

Just work less. Are you putting in 100% effort when 20% or 30% would do? Are you treating every act of magic like a performance review that will control the outcome of your magical career? I'm not being sarcastic; an actual solution to your path being too much work is to just put in less effort. If you've never tried this you may be shocked at how effective magic can be when you're only doing what needs to be done.

Find simpler, more reasonable stuff. Find new techniques, and spell and ritual formats that are paired down to fit the amount of effort that's reasonable to exert for any given magical act. If you can't work with correspondences without a lengthy act of activation, find a way to cast simple spells that doesn't rely on correspondences.

Limit research and prep. Ask yourself how much research you reasonably need to get started on any given project. Remember that a huge amount of a witch's education is experiential; you will probably never know enough until you've already done it three or four times.

Be goal-oriented; prioritize actions. Ask yourself if you've set arbitrary workloads before you can get started with anything, such as forcing yourself to write artistic grimoire pages before you're allowed to perform a ritual you're interested in.

Learn skills to help prioritize actions. If your practice is consumed by acts of upkeep such as cleansing and empowering objects, focus on learning energy sensing so you can reasonably determine whether or not an object actually needs to be cleansed or empowered.

Administrate your own practice - what can go on the back burner? Make a list of all your active ongoing projects and maintenance, including upkeep of energy batteries, spells that require maintenance, and situations you want to change and are casting spells on. Prioritize them; see which ones you can set aside.

Restructure your projects to minimize maintenance. Consolidate spells and projects where possible. For example, if you have multiple protection spells for many people that require upkeep, condense them all onto a protection altar so you can feed and tend to them all at once.

Work in batch and bulk. See where you can do batch work to lighten your load. You can bulk enchant candles and incense, instead of enchanting incense every time you do a ritual. You can enchant oils, waters, and incense to feed your spells, taking time out of upkeep.

Levelup your charging and maintenance skills. Learn energy work to attach energy tethers to batteries and other important projects so they're able to drink from the wellspring you attach them to, and stay charged.

Scrape routines that don't serve you. Examine any daily routines. Are you doing them because they're helping you, or because you feel like you're supposed to be doing something every day? See if you can replace more intensive daily routines with something less tiring, like a prayer to your path itself.

If your practice feels too silly:

You have a right to privacy. Cocooning is valid. It's fine to take steps to limit who can see and potentially judge your practice. You can keep things to yourself until you're ready.

Tend to your emotional wellness. Self-therapy, in any form you feel comfortable with, can help mitigate the inner eye of judgement.

Reduce your beliefs to palatable doses. Believing in magic for only the duration of your work is perfectly fine. You don't have to 'believe-believe' 24/7. If you're not ready to integrate the belief of magic and spirits into your baseline worldview, don't - you can agree to buy in to those beliefs only while you practice techniques and cast spells, and then put them away the rest of the time.

Scrape stuff you really can't get past. Ask yourself what about your practice feels silly. Are there trappings - like altars, ritual movements, and speaking aloud - that you don't like? Change them. Is the idea that religious faith itself is a bit cringe? Self-therapy (or you know, the regular kind) may be assistive.

Ask for help modifying your process.Is there something very specific about a ritual or technique that you just can't get past, but you don't know how to change it? Research and see what other substitute rituals are available. Ask others and see if they can help you brainstorm.

Embrace the silliness. It's not going anywhere. Believing in your practice and holding it dear and sacred is not the same as being ✨super serious gravitas✨ all the time. There are lots of things about witchcraft, and the acts of the witch, that are silly and make you realize you're doing something ridiculous. I came out here at 2 am after it's been raining to climb down a slippery riverbed to get a branch of a tree that I think is talking to me?? Because some medieval guy said Tuesday is the planet Mars and I think trees talk to me?! Ridiculous. Yet I still love it dearly in a sacred place in my heart. It can be silly and glorious at the same time.

Cast a wider net. See if you're barking up the wrong tree. Traditional Witchcraft, folk magic, lodge magic, chaos magic, eclectic neopaganism... these things are not interchangeable. If you've never explored different traditions, why not give it a go? You might find another path that feels a lot more natural to you. A lot of people fall into a certain path just because they don't know what else they could be doing!

If your practice feels unfulfilling:

What are you doing to bring yourself fulfillment? Why did you get into witchcraft? Make a list of your top 5 reasons (if you have that many). Which techniques, spells, and rituals are you regularly performing are designed to deliver these desires to you? If one of your goals of practicing witchcraft is to 'feel connected,' how often are you performing acts where the only goal is to make you feel connected?

Grow your path deliberately in the direction of your needs. What do you wish you had in your life right now? Is it the feeling of being loved? Inner peace? Feeling like nature is alive and watching you? Look for what techniques and rituals in your practice will bring these things to you. If there are none, find or develop them.

Ask for help and share your feelings. If you work with gods and spirits, do you regularly tell them how you feel about your practice and ask them for help finding fulfillment?

Find contentment in the process. It's vital to find joy in the process. If you have regular routines or upkeep you need to do, how can you modify it so that process in and of itself is satisfying to you? Try considering the visceral element of witchcraft: the words, scents, sounds, moods, and thoughts that you want to experience in your present moment. Witchcraft is experiential: a great deal of the experience you create in the tidepools of routine is under your control.

Contemplate the larger purpose. Some witches do have magical chores and responsibilities they can't or shouldn't shirk. If this is true of you, and you can't modify those routines, try refocusing on why you're doing them and the importance they hold in your path. See if you can find balance elsewhere in your practice that feels rejuvenating; sort of a 'work-play' balance of your own craft.

Set short-term goals you can celebrate. Are you undertaking a lot of 'workout routines' that are designed to basically make you magically buff, or get good at a particular skill, but you're doing them with no endgoal? Try creating short-term goals that excite your sense of wonder or accomplishment. Like, practicing tarot until you can read the Celtic Cross, or practicing energy work until you can make a four-element layered energy shield. Build goalposts for yourself, both in the short and long-term, and celebrate your successes.

Scrape routines you're not doing for any good reason. Are your regular practices things you're doing because they fill you with mystery and wonder, or because you're just pretty sure that's the kind of thing witches do? If you're bored or unfulfilled by a particular routine, consider stopping it altogether, especially if you can't think of any short-term goals that it's helping you work towards. Think about the reasons you got into witchcraft: what practices would help you fulfill those reasons, while also feeling good to practice?

Seek out a likeminded community. A good working group of friends can be invaluable. My close group of witch friends, whom I've been hanging out with for years, started as a Tumblr post asking if anyone wanted to make a small server to study witchcraft. Reach out and see who's out there to study with, talk to, and practice with. It can be loads of fun to do short-term study and practice challenges with friends, and a great way to get feedback and support.

Evaluate your spiritual relationships. Although it can be painful and challenging, sometimes we enter into our paths working with gods and spirits that after some time, we need to move on from. Is it possible your path has become stagnant because you don't want to keep working with a god or spirit that your path has been built around? It may be time to see how you can move on.

When 'take a break' might be helpful advice to heal your practice:

Of course, YMMV :)

'Taking a break' doesn't mean stop being a witch, stop believing in magic, or stop 100% of your practice. It can also mean putting a lot of projects on the back burner, switching to bare-minimum (or below minimum) maintenance, and squashing regular routines.

I'm talking specifically about taking a break in the interest of your own practice - not the conditions under which someone is ""allowed"" to stop practicing witchcraft.

Take a break to rest and let your seeds germinate. 'Fallow periods,' when you have no desire or motivation to practice witchcraft, and when it seems like there's nothing for you to do, are normal. Some witches experience this cyclically, perhaps during certain seasons or when predictable life conditions are met. There's no need to force yourself to practice when it's just not flowing. The snow on your mountaintops needs to melt to replenish your waterways, bestie. There's nothing wrong with you, the sun just isn't out yet.

When you're hitting yourself with a hammer. When something in your practice is triggering or harming you, and stopping will have no consequences, then stopping your practice for a while is probably a good idea. Use the downtime to seek healing or reformat your practice.

To open your life up for necessary work. Not every witch can out-path every problem. Consider taking a break when the problem is something you will have time and energy to work on if not for your regular magical practice.

When you're about to deep-fry your brain with Witch Fire. Consider taking a break when the problem with your practice is that you are practicing too often - such as fatigue due to excessive spellwork, divinatory obsession, trouble staying out of the spirit world (compulsive astral travel), or focus on spirits/magic/the spirit worlds are starting to erode your home, school, or work life.

To let the ripples settle. When you've done so much magic or ritual work that your life is a boat on a stormy sea, and you just need to batten down the hatches for a while and let things settle.

Resources for Practitioners

As it's seen on the blog, there are a lot of philosophies and texts that go into my practice. It can be very confusing and taxing to understand it all, I get it! So, this post is my best attempt at making it easier for everyone regardless of how much experience you may have, I hope this helps! It will be a mix of books & content creators (If all else fails, Wikipedia is a good start!) I will continuously update this as I can. This will be ordered in preference of which topics interest you all the most:

First, even if you do not prefer Reddit like others have said, r/DemonolatryPractices has many resources in their pinned posts. It is in my opinion the best space on Reddit for occultism. There are other Subreddits for the other subjects below. Start Here:

Luciferian Resources:

The Complete Book of Luciferian Magic by Michael W. Ford

Luciferian Witchcraft by Michael W. Ford

Lucifer and The Hidden Demons by Theodore Rose

Awakening Lucifer by Asenath Mason and Bill Duvendack

Rites of Lucifer by The Temple of Ascending Flame

Lucifer: A Devotional by Kindra Ravenmoon

Lucifer: Princeps by Peter Grey

Demonolatry (Demonology) Resources:

The Complete Book of Demonolatry by S. Connolly

The Daemonolater's Guide to Daemonic Magick by J. Thorp

The Dictionary of Demons by Michelle Belanger

Grimoirium Verum (Plangiere, Jesuit Dominicane Edition)

Pseudomonarchia Daemonum by Johann Weyer

Grimoirium Imperium by John Dee

Three Books of Solomon

Demonolator's Handbook by Mirta Wake

The Goetia Devils by Rev. Cain

Angelolatry (Angelology) Resources:

72 Angels of Magick by Damon Brand

Enochian Vision Magick by Lon Milo DuQuette

Greco-Roman Books:

The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation (Betz)

Arcana Mundi: Magic and the Occult in the Greek and Roman Worlds by Georg Luck

Chaos Magic(k) Resources:

Liber Null & Psychonaut by Peter J. Carroll

Condensed Chaos by Phil Hine

Liber Kaos by Peter J. Carroll

The Collective Works of C.G Jung

Ceremonial Magic(k) Resources:

The Picatrix

The Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy by Agrippa

Psychic Self-Defense by Dion Fortune

All of Damon Brand's work

The Practice of Magical Evocation by Franz Bardon

General Occultism/Witchcraft:

The Kybalion (Hermetic Philosophy)

Initiation Into Hermetics by Franz Bardon

The Satanic Bible by Anton LaVey

Psychic Witch by Mat Auryn

Mesopotamia:

The Way of the Ishtarite by Siri Nin

The Epic of Gilgamesh (Any edition)

Inanna by Wolkstein & Kramer

The Descent of Inanna by Timothy J. Stephany

Enheduana by Spohus Helle

Honorable Mentions:

Egyptian Book of the Dead by Unknown

Orphic & Homeric Hymns (Any edition)

Tao Ching by Lao Tzu

Content Creators on YouTube:

Angela's Symposium

Lee W Johnson

Astro Papi

Ivy Corvus

Esoteria

TheWitchOfEnchantment

Da'at Darling

Hearth Witch

The Norse Witch

The Witch of Wonderlust

Ancient Near East Meets Modern West

Maevius Lynn

Angelica Cresci

Notable Blogs:

@cultkinkcoven

@hislittlestar

If you cannot afford these books, a quick google search for PDF's can help you! I do not want TOS strike for sharing PDFs. If able, you may support the original author's work that you feel correct for you! ^^

Note: I do not condone and/or advocate for the beliefs & actions of the authors. Some texts are foundational & others are UPG adjacent. Do not take the recommendations as means to base morals & ethics, as they are product of their time. My opinions are my own.

The Throne of Saturn by Elihu Vedder

♡ Multum amor ♡

Casual ways to connect with your deities

-Pray to them or just just talk with them and tell them about your day

-Light a candle and say your thanks

-Offer your meal/snack to them or bake/cook with them or for them

-Watch a movie in their honor

-Offer your morning drink to them or make a cup for them

-Assign them a plant and take care of it as a devotion to them

-Listen to music that reminds you of them

-Say good morning/good night

-Thank them for the things you see that you consider beautiful

Y’all asked for it so y’all gonna get it! I’mma start off with the barebones essentials and work my way to basic definitions. Sit down on something comfy and get yourself your warm beverage of choice and maybe grab a notebook because here goes.

What are runes?

Runic alphabets have been around since about 150 AD and used as a writing system by a lot of Germanic languages. These systems were eventually phased out, slowly but surely, with the progressive Christianisation that started around 700-1100 AD. The three most commonly known (and used?) Are the Elder Futhark, the Younger Futhark and Futhorc.

Runes aren’t, themselves, broadly meant for divination, thought there are a few passages in the Eddas that mention Odin “finding” and using them.

Keep reading

MAGIC FOR THE CITY DWELLER

CHAPTER ONE: WELCOME TO THE CONCRETE JUNGLE, WHERE MAGIC NEVER SLEEPS

magic isn’t just for the deep woods and moss-covered stones. it’s not limited to candlelit covens or ancient runes etched in a sacred grove. magic is where you are. in the humming neon signs, the flickering streetlamps, the rhythm of bus doors opening and closing, in the energy of walking amongst a crowd on a busy street.

urban magic is about finding the mystical in the mundane, harnessing the city’s restless energy, and using every graffiti tag, liminal space, cracked pavement, and forgotten coin as a tool for enchantment. the city is alive—a churning, breathing, chaotic organism—and if you listen closely, it’s whispering spells in the wind between skyscrapers.

this isn’t some high-brow, ceremonial magic doctrine. here, we work with sigils written on coffee shop napkins, metro card protection spells, and phone screens charged as scrying mirrors. this is magic for the streets, for the punks, for the witches in walk-ups and studio apartments, for the ones who find the divine in the hum of a dive bar at 3 AM.

WHAT MAKES URBAN MAGIC DIFFERENT?

the biggest shift between traditional and urban magic is the environment. instead of sacred groves, we have community gardens. instead of rivers, we have storm drains. instead of bonfires, we have neon lights and power grids pulsing with raw electricity.

but just because the setting is different doesn’t mean the magic is weaker. city magic is potent as hell, because it’s charged with movement, history, technology, and millions of lives overlapping in real-time.

ELEMENTS IN AN URBAN CONTEXT:

• earth → concrete, bricks, asphalt, parks and park dirt

• air → the wind between high-rises, the whispers of overheard conversations, the endless streams of information moving across the city

• fire → electricity, neon lights, the heat of a crowded bus, a match or lighter

• water → rain pooling in the streets, sewer systems, fountains in public squares, water dripping from rooftops

• spirit → the city itself, the collective energy of its people, the ghosts in old buildings, the echoes of everyone who’s walked these streets before you

this practice isn’t about forcing the old ways into a modern setting. it’s about adapting magic so that it fits your world, your reality, your city.

THEORY & FRAMEWORK: CHAOS MAGIC, QUEER MAGIC, AND CITY SPELLS

urban magic thrives on three key principles:

1. ADAPTATION – use what’s around you. city witches need to be resourceful as hell. your “wand” can be a pen, a drumstick, or a crowbar if that’s what speaks to you (though a crowbar is a little extreme). your “altar” can be a windowsill, a shoebox, or even temporary like the back of a bus seat where you traced a sigil in the condensation.

2. INGENUITY – urban magic is subtle, fast, and often disguised. your ritual circle might be drawn in spilled coffee, your sigils hidden in street art, your glamour spells worked through fashion choices and body language.

3. INTERACTION – the city is alive. talk to it. work with the spirits of your apartment building, the crows and raven and wandering city cats who see a lot, the graffiti messages that seem to answer your questions in cryptic scrawls, street names that feel like answers to questions. trust your gut, keep watch for the synchronicity

MAGICAL SYSTEMS THAT THRIVE IN THE CITY:

1. CHAOS MAGIC: THE DIY APPROACH TO WITCHCRAFT

urban magic truthfully falls under the umbrella of chaos magic.

chaos magic is sort of like punk rock spellwork. no rules except what works. it’s the belief that magic isn’t just about ancient texts and strict traditions—it’s about belief as a tool. hacking reality, using symbols, and experimenting with what actually gets results. if something stops working you chuck it and move on to something new.

• create sigils from street signs, corporate logos, and subway maps.

• use “reality hacking” spells—like placing intent in a QR code or whispering an incantation into a social media post before it goes viral.

• swap out outdated correspondences for modern tools—your phone can be your scrying mirror, your router a beacon for intention-setting.

chaos magic thrives in the city because cities are chaotic. they’re full of random encounters, glitches, synchronicities waiting to be tapped into.

2. QUEER MAGIC: BREAKING RULES, BENDING REALITY

witchcraft has always been the domain of outsiders, rebels, and the marginalized. queer magic embraces fluidity, resistance, and radical self-expression.

• use genderfluid deities, archetypes, and spirits in your workings.

• cast spells at drag shows, pride marches, and underground raves—because those are modern sacred spaces.

• turn self-love into a spell, defying the narratives that say queer people don’t deserve power, joy, or love.

urban queer magic is loud, unapologetic, and built on the bones of those who paved the way before.

TOOLS & MATERIALS: USING THE CITY AS YOUR SPELLBOOK

urban witches don’t need fancy supplies. we use:

• 📱 smart phones – scrying mirrors, digital sigil boards, enchanted playlists

• 🎫 metro cards & transit tickets – protection charms, travel blessings

• 🗝 keys – for unlocking opportunities, closing doors that need to stay shut

• 🖋 pens & sharpies – sigil-making, graffiti spellwork

• 🪙 spare change – prosperity charms, offerings to city spirits

• 🧾 receipts – paper magic, petition spells, glamour workings

if it exists in your daily life, it can be a tool.

EVERYDAY SPELLS & RITUALS

🔮 PROTECTION SPELLS FOR NAVIGATING CITY LIFE

• “doorway ward” – rub salt along your threshold, whispering “no harm may cross this line.”

• “metro shield” – imagine a glowing energy bubble around you before stepping onto public transit.

💰 PROSPERITY & SUCCESS SPELLS

• “lucky coin” – pick up a found coin, say “bring me fortune,” and carry it for a week.

• “resume enchantment” – anoint your job applications with cinnamon for luck before sending.

💡 HACKING REALITY WITH CHAOS MAGIC

• “digital sigils” – set a sigil as your phone wallpaper and charge it every time you unlock your screen.

• “parking spell” – whisper “open the way” as you search for a spot—watch as one appears.

🌀 COMMUNITY SPELLS & URBAN COLLECTIVE MAGIC

• “city-wide sigil work” – drop the same symbol in different places and see what manifests.

• “full moon offerings” – leave a quarter at a crossroads to honor the city’s spirits.

THE CITY IS YOUR ALTAR

this is your grimoire, your spellbook, your guide to turning the city into a magical playground. don’t just live in it—work with it, enchant it, let it enchant you back.

magic is everywhere, babes. you just have to know where to look.

Use what you have at home

When you first start out as a witch there is so much excitement to go out and buy all the “fancy” new tools, supplies, and books. You think that you need them. That you have to own specific things to make your spells work. It is easy to get caught up in all that. But there are plenty of things that you mostly likely already own that can be used as ritual/spell tools and supplies. Not as fancy as going to the local occult shop, but will help you get started right away or good for those who are in the broom closet.

I'm going to offer household suggestions for the main tools you may need.

Wand: A stick you can leave plain or decorate (try not to cut off a branch but look for something that has already been shed.) A chopstick that you have decorated (I like the hot glue handle then painted). A wooden spoon. You can wire or string wrap several kabob skewers together. A wooden dowel. Stirring rod.

Athame: Plain old butter knife. A pocket knife. A letter opener. A toy sword or dagger. (it would be symbolic only as it wouldn't actually cut anything, My athame is made of resin and I use it only symbolically.)

Chalice: Any cup will do. I have a wine glass that I use sometimes and a HP mug I use sometimes.

Besom: Anything that will “sweep” the energy. A folding fan(paper, lace or feathers.) A hand broom, a feather duster(please be careful around open flame)

Cauldron: Needs to be heat and fire proof. A small pot. You can fill a small ceramic or terra cotta bowl/pot with some sand(I'd also place on a trivet as well just to be on the safe side) Small camping cast iron pot.

Bell: Any bell with do, doesn't have to have a handle. Could be jingle bells from Xmas or sport's fan cowbell.(My old college was always handing those out for homecoming) Before I got a singing bowl I had one piece of actual crystal, I used to do the water on the rim trick for ringing.

Candles: Pretty much any candles will do, even flame-less if that is how you have to go. I like birthday candles, they come in every color, are easy to source, and burn quickly.

Mortar and Pestle: You just need to be able to grind and crush herbs, seeds, eggshells, etc. Alternatives could be a spice or coffee grinder. A rolling pin and baggie, round rock and bowl,

Grimoire or Book of Shadows(BOS): Notebook or composition notebooks. Journals. Binder and loose leaf paper. Digital journal. Sketchbooks. If you want something a bit bigger and fancier, you can combine several composition notebooks together by gluing the front and back covers together and binding with fabric or tape. You can keep all your writings in a box, envelope, or chest. It doesn't need to be a “book.”

You don't have to go out and buy all kinds of new things to get started as a witch. By all means, you can if you want to, but you certainly don't have to. There are so many alternative things out there that you can make use of. Take a look through your home with fresh eyes, maybe there is something that would work perfectly that you just hadn't noticed before.

In a world full of instant gratification.. may we never lose sight of the natural cycles of life.. how the moon takes its time to be full or how the crops take their time to harvest..

May we slow down & just be present..

The Perfect Tarot Deck

Finding the perfect tarot deck is a deeply personal journey. With thousands of decks available, choosing one that aligns with your energy, intuition, and reading style can make all the difference in your tarot practice. This guide explores different types of tarot decks, where to find them, and how to determine if a deck resonates with your energy.

Understanding the Different Types of Tarot Decks

Before choosing a deck, it’s important to understand the different types available.

Traditional tarot decks

Most tarot decks follow one of these three classic systems:

• Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) – The most widely used tarot system, featuring detailed imagery that makes intuitive readings easier. Ideal for beginners.

• Thoth Tarot – Created by Aleister Crowley, this deck has esoteric symbolism, astrology, and Kabbalistic influences. Best for those with advanced occult interests.

• Marseille Tarot – A historic tarot deck with simple, pip-style Minor Arcana (like playing cards). Ideal for traditionalists and those interested in historical divination.

Themed and Artistic Decks

Many tarot decks incorporate different themes and artistic styles:

• Fantasy, Mythology, and Folklore – E.g., The Tarot of the Divine, which uses myths from around the world.

• Gothic, Dark, or Occult – E.g., The Deviant Moon Tarot, perfect for shadow work.

• Nature & Animal-Based Decks – E.g., The Wild Unknown Tarot, focused on nature’s wisdom.

• Pop Culture & Modern Decks – E.g., The Modern Witch Tarot, a contemporary take on the RWS deck.

Oracle Decks vs. Tarot Decks

Tarot decks always follow a structured 78-card system. Oracle decks have flexible structures and meanings, great for freeform divination but not interchangeable with tarot. If you’re new, sticking to a tarot deck based on the RWS system is a good idea before branching into alternative styles.

Where to Find Your Perfect Deck

Once you have an idea of what kind of deck you want, you’ll need to find the right place to get it.

Online Marketplaces & Specialty Stores

• Amazon, Etsy, & Bookstores (Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, etc.) – Great for mass-market decks with reviews to help you decide.

• Independent Creators & Publishers – Many artists sell decks directly on Kickstarter, Instagram, or their own websites.

• Metaphysical & Occult Shops – Shopping in-person allows you to physically handle a deck before buying.

Secondhand & Gifted Decks

• Buying Used Decks – Some believe secondhand decks carry previous owners' energies, but cleansing them can refresh their energy.

• Receiving as a Gift – A common superstition says your first deck should be gifted, but this is not a rule. Buy your own if it feels right.

DIY & Printable Decks

• Make Your Own – Some practitioners create their own decks by hand or digitally print custom images.

• Printable Decks – Some artists offer PDF tarot decks for purchase and printing at home.

How to Tell If a Tarot Deck Resonates with Your Energy

Once you have a deck in mind, you’ll want to check if it aligns with your energy and intuition.

First Impressions Matter

• Look at the imagery – Do the colors, symbols, and style speak to you emotionally?

• Hold the deck (if possible) – If shopping in person, feel the deck in your hands. Does it give you a strong reaction?

The Deck Interview Spread

Before fully committing to a deck, try a short reading to understand its personality. Use this 5-card spread:

• What is your personality?

• What kind of readings will we do best together?

• What can you teach me?

• How should I best work with you?

• What is our long-term potential?

If the responses feel clear and meaningful, the deck likely resonates with you.

Physical & Energetic Sensations

Some people feel a tingling or warmth when holding a deck that connects with them.

If a deck makes you feel uneasy or drained, it might not be a good fit.

Try a Simple One-Card Pull

Ask, “What do I need to know about working with you?” and pull a card. If the message is clear and insightful, it’s a good match. If it feels confusing or off-putting, you may need more time with the deck—or it might not be the right one for you.

What to Do If Your Deck Doesn’t Feel Right

Sometimes, a deck doesn’t resonate immediately. Here’s what you can do:

• Cleanse and Reset the Deck

• Smoke cleansing (sage, palo santo, or incense).

• Moonlight charging (place the deck under the full moon).

• Crystal cleansing (place with selenite or clear quartz).

• Knocking the deck (tap it three times to reset energy).

Give It Time

Some decks require time to bond with. Spend a week shuffling and pulling daily cards before deciding.

Trade or Rehome the Deck

If it still doesn’t click, consider trading it with another reader or gifting it to someone who might connect with it better.

Finding the perfect tarot deck is a journey of intuition and self-discovery. The best deck for you is the one that feels right in your hands, speaks to your intuition, and makes readings feel natural. Whether you’re drawn to a traditional Rider-Waite-Smith deck, an artistic indie creation, or a secondhand find, trust your instincts and let your deck choose you as much as you choose it.

communicating with deities

now of course this is a multi layered topic that is different for everyone. some people will use some of these techniques, some people use none, others may use all in sparing amounts. and some techniques may not work for you at all, and that's okay!

just remember that you and your practice is valid, this is just advice for whoever needs it (and that may not be you! it's okay!).

HOWEVER it should be said that a lot of cultures place an emphasis on cleanliness--both spiritual and physical. so, hey, maybe set up some incense and wash your hands before doing some of these methods.

1. Tarot, Runes, Etc.

Now this section is probably the biggest out of all of them. There are so many different physical divination techniques across several different cultures including tarot and runes, but also bone/charm casting (here's a good tutorial for that), psephoi, coin flipping, geomancy, the ogham, and gods so many more I just can't get to all of them.

I like to do this at or near my altar space while wearing my devotional jewelry or sometimes even while veiling, depending on the deity.

What I like to start with is just a simple "Please [deity name] guide this reading." before I ask my question and cast lots. I imagine the deity during the question, during the pulling, and while interpreting.

Sometimes, with deities, the question you ask isn't always the one that is answered. If there is a certainmessage they deem more important, they will give you that instead. This happens to me very, very frequently.

I don't have a particular spread that I always use, but I tend to go for a simple five card pull. I also tend to place a lot of importance in cards that fall out while shuffling, and will look at them with and apart from the other cards I pull. Other than that, a simple past-present-future can also be very useful here.

2. Meditation

This is what I know most practicioners to use, as it seems to come the easiest to most people. However, if you're someone like me who's on certain psychiatric medications, this may not work for you. Furthermore, if you have difficulty visualizing (which is Not your fault, some people are just built differently and that's okay), this may be difficult for you.

The way I used to go about it is that I would find a dark, quiet place, I would light some incense, perhaps even play some light music or nonspeaking ASMR. Here is a good tutorial on YouTube. I just needed to get relaxed enough to be almost asleep, but not so relaxed I lost focus. Recently, I've also noticed that doing some,,, gardening (iykyk),, helps a lot with reaching the right state.

You're looking for just the fine line between sleep and wakefulness, it should almost feel like you're being pulled upward (at least, that's how it feels to me).

Messages may come in the form of images or words, and can be direct or very vague. Just remember to be patient with yourself and your deities, the time may not always be right for you to hear some messages.

3. Pendulums

The reason why pendulums get their own section is just because they're so dang good. Yes, pendulums can and do answer yes/no questions, however they can also be used with certain alphabetical charts to discern individual words and phrases from your deities.

Again, like with tarot, I like to set myself up near my altar with my devotional jewelry. Then I'll ask my pendulum to please contact the deity in question. The reason you want to do this is because I've noticed pendulums may have energy of their own, and may answer questions themselves if given the opportunity. This is not inherently bad, it's just not what you want.

Remember to always ask your pendulum if they're okay being taken over by a deity, some will already be occupied by their own force and won't appreciate being budged out. Others won't care and you'll have an okay time with it.

4. Dreams or Visions

Some of our polytheist friends will be given the ability to receive dreams or visions from their deities. This often comes in it's own package of strange messages and symbolism, but it works nonetheless. Keep a look out for dreams that include your gods' symbols, holy animals, or popular visages.

Remember, it is totally alright if you don't receive direct messages from your gods. I, for one, do not. Sometimes I will dream about my deities but I almost never remember what happened in the dreams, much less if there was a message. Those that receive dreams and visions are not better than you, nor do they automatically have a better relationship with that god than you.

In this case, there isn't much you can do except pray for visions. You can't force them to happen, there's no way to make yourself the perfect vessel or devotee (unlike what some might claim), it just works or it doesn't.

Also if you're having frequent visions and seeing full apparitions while awake that are convincing you to do things or are encouraging paranoid delusions, please seek therapy. I don't automatically believe you need to medicated because you see apparitions of the gods in broad daylight, but you should see someone who can help you discern if these are real messages from your gods or are figments of poor brain chemistry. Take care of yourselves, please.

5. Devotional Acts

Some people, especially in antiquity, communicated the gods in a mostly unidirectional manner. This includes burning offerings and incense, setting up altars, engaging inprayer, and doing devotional activities.

My favorite devotional activities include:

-going thrifting for fun nicknacks for my altar space

-eating food in their name, especially ones that remind you of them

-making devotional jewelry, including prayer beads

-doing divinational readings for others

-going out to look at the sunrise/sunset/moon

-spending time with family, especially female family members

-doing kind things, like making donations to charities you like or giving money to the unhoused

-reading books or stories about your deities

-loving and taking care of your furry friends, especially strays

Anyways, that's all I've got for today, Khaire! <3