Happy Mabon, Everyone! 🍂  🍎

hey don't cry. 7,401 species of frog in the world, ok?

reminders for new witches

🗝 your path is your own. You do not have to force your craft to be like those of the witches you see or admire.

🗝 if you dont know what kind of witch to be, simply pursue whatever interests you. Subjects you are passionate about are the ones your magic will be strongest from.

🗝 unless you follow a specific tradition, there is no set of rules or requirements to witchcraft. There is more freedom and versatility in witchcraft than you think.

🗝 though you may want, you do not truly need anything, be it an altar, a deity to worship, tools of the craft or herbs. You alone are enough.

Planning for the Taurus full moon (10/28) I know that I want to do a financial stability ritual and house protections. But I haven’t reallyyyyyy planned.. I’m very excited to though!

I will post updates, also still have tarot pulls I want to post. ✨

Basic Tools of the Craft

There are tools that are essential to every religion. And they are usually ceremonial tools that aid in a practitioner’s spiritual journey. Buddhists have their bells, while Christians have their cross. While not a requirement to each one practicing a religion, having the tools strengthen your dedication.

Witchcraft has a wide range of tools, and most are usually those that are placed on an altar, and each almost always represents an element.

What you decide to procure will really depend on your beliefs and what you are comfortable with. It is also important to know that your tools should be treated with respect and reverence since each represents a divine element.

Here are just some of the tools a witch could have at his or her person or altar:

THE ATHAME An Athame is a dagger traditionally with a black handle that is used to cast a circle. It should never be used for cutting or to cause physical harm. The athame represents masculine energy and the element of fire.

THE CHALICE The chalice witches use can come in a goblet styles, or simply any mug and cup, and is used to hold water or wine, which is to be drank after a ritual. The chalice on your altar also represents the element of water.

THE WAND The wand that you use can come in any material that you feel a connection to: wood, bone, or metal. A witch’s wand is very personal, so much so that many Wiccans prefer to fashion themselves their own wand that suits their taste and represents their personality or character. Another option is to buy a Magic Wand. The wand is used to direct energies during a ritual, and represents the element of air.

THE PENTACLE The pentacle is a very powerful and protective symbol in Wicca. On an altar, it can come in the form of either a pendant or a platen. The pentacle represents earth, and is used to cleanse yourself, your surroundings, and all other items on your altar.

You can also use a Pentacle necklace on your altar.

THE CAULDRON Like the chalice, the cauldron represents the element of water. A cauldron can hold many things like water, herbs, incense, and candles, and is very useful when it comes to rituals involving burning and creating small fires. The preferred material for the pot-bellied cauldrons is cast iron. This is mainly due to the fact that cast iron cauldrons can take the heat and don’t crack under high temperatures.

THE BELLS Bells are used to mark passages in a ritual. Try taking a look at spells, you’ll notice most require you to ring a bell once or twice, and also ask you to ring your bell to mark the beginning and the end of a ritual.

THE CANDLES Candles represent the element of fire. A pair of candles also symbolizes the God and the Goddess.

THE BOWLS Having a bowl on your altar represents the element of earth. A bowl can hold water, sea salt, and oils. It is important to have a bowl that can hold sea salt, since a small bowl of sea salt on your altar can cleanse your other tools for magick, and also any possession you have that you feel is holding negative energy.

Smudging bowls are essential for magickal working.

INCENSE

Incense symbolizes the element of air. It is used to clear energy, cleanse, and call in energies.

THE CRYSTALS Each crystal holds a different energy. Crystals enhance the power of your spells, and keeping a variety of crystals on your altar will help you in various rituals.

THE BROOM A broom is very symbolic of sweeping energy and keeping negative and unwanted energies out of your space.

There are so many more tools in Witchcraft that you can use to enhance your spiritual journey and your magickal workings. What I mentioned are just the essentials, and you can add to them as you progress in your journey.

Before you begin using each tool, it is important that you clear and cleanse it. And make sure that you treat each with respect and care, as it represents a divine element. Some witches, including myself, don’t allow others to touch their tools and crystals and supplies to prevent any unwanted energy from absorbing into these things. You can make the choice yourself for your items obviously, but keep in mind that you should keep your tools and supplies full of light energies!

Elemental Correspondences

Fruit Dragons by Alexandra Khitrova.

How To Find Your Path As A Witch (Or Not)

New witches often come to me confused and lost because they’re overwhelmed by the sheer number of directions that they could potentially take their craft. They see talk of green witches and kitchen witches, tech witches, sea witches and so many others and they have a completely human reaction to being confronted with such an overabundance of information.

THEY FREEZE UP!

Without a defined direction they feel incapable of continuing forward, they stagnate while they try to pick a path and they stop learning. They don’t want to pursue something only to have to backtrack later so they pursue nothing at all!

How is anyone supposed to get their start in the craft when they have NO IDEA what direction they want to go in? Or what if they have more than one kind of witchcraft that interests them? How do they choose?!

The answer is surprisingly simple.

You don’t!

Having a specialization or a personal path in your witchcraft can be a wonderful thing but unless you just KNOW right from the jump what kind of specialty is for you there’s no need to get wrapped up in those sorts of details.

The important thing is that you keep learning.

For the majority of people their path unfolds in the natural course of events.

Maybe you try a bunch of different things but you find after a few months that you’re gravitating toward divination almost every time you practice your craft.

Or perhaps you started out with kitchen magic but suddenly find yourself with a burning interest in stars and how they can be used in the craft.

Perhaps over the course of your time as a witch you even find that you prefer not to narrow your focus, instead pulling from many paths to create something personal to you.

Every individual witch will find their own path which, while they may choose to call it by a recognizable title, will be entirely unique to them. Finding your path is not about choosing what kind of witchcraft you want to practice, it’s about allowing your craft to develop its own flavor and personality as you learn and grow.

In order to find your path you must let go of the imposed boundaries of titles. Titles can be useful in many ways but for newer witches they can be limiting. Witchcraft is a way to claim your power! Why would you limit yourself in that pursuit?

Instead cast your net as far as you like, read about anything and everything that interests you. Allow yourself to wander in your learning, follow your whims and soak up as much variety as you can.

Don’t limit yourself to only the things that are obviously magical! The mundane can always be made magical. What do you love? Can you transform your hobbies and existing interests and incorporate them into your craft? (Hint: the answer is almost certainly yes!)

As you explore and learn and practice your path will make itself clear, the things you love, the things that make you excited will always come to the surface. You will find yourself reaching for the practices that truly FEEL magical to you again and again.

That is the essence of your craft! Those foundational practices that you use so regularly that they come as easy as breathing are what make up your personal path.

Tomorrow I’m going to be telling you about the workshop I’ve been putting together to help new witches get started and avoid the stagnation that can come from this sort of information overload!

What’s your biggest struggle when it comes to pursuing your craft? Tell me about it in the comments!

Made an abundance spell jar to help me get a job.

Parsley

Basil

Peppermint

A bay leaf

Chamomile flowers

Quartz chips

Pyrite

Green wax

The jar was a sample jar of local raw honey that was hecka good. Bought a full jar!

Real witches Reduce, Re-use, and Recycle

It’s 2019 and the planet is dying, people. Sustainable witchcraft is where it’s at.

moon phases.

new moon: setting intentions. active energy.

waxing crescent moon: resting, focusing. passive energy.

first quarter moon: taking action. active energy.

waxing gibbous moon: trusting, holding faith. passive energy.

full moon: acknowledging. active energy.

waning gibbous moon/disseminating moon:  receiving, expressing gratitude. passive energy.

last quarter moon: returning, giving thanks. active energy.

waning crescent moon/balsamic moon: reflecting, resting, restoring. passive energy.

new moon: the moon is literally new. a rebirth. use this moon for intentions to do with fresh beginnings, starting again, cleansing. 

waxing moons: the moon is increasing its size, it is opening; use these moons for intentions about gaining, growing or expanding.

full moon: the moon is at full charge, and can be the most powerful phase in the moon cycle. use this moon for intentions to do with power, clarity, or psychic ability.

waning moons: the moon is decreasing its size, it is closing; use these moons for intentions about ridding yourself of something (or someone), or purging.

application to the craft:

focus is the most important aspect of bringing an intent to manifest itself. focusing your energy can be made simpler by working with a compatible energy in the world as you focus that intent. 

if the world around you is releasing an energy complementary to yours, it can be easier for that energy to find its way into reality; as opposed to facing any natural adversity.

cast passive energy intents in passive phases of the moon. (tranquility, creativity)

cast active energy intents in active phases of the moon. (strength, control)

this, in my opinion, is the concept of “the power of thought.” when more than one person thinks a thought, that thought holds more weight. this could explain why people practicing or praying together can often yield stronger, or more immediate results. it is a similar reasoning as incorporating tools and ritual into magick, as well.

your energy is a power in itself. but using the power of the elements, the environments, and the world can serve to add to that power.