Fighting Consumerism In Magic

Fighting Consumerism in Magic

aka, little things to distance your craft from capitalism

Let’s all just admit that buying stuff is fun. That said, there’s a big issue of consumerism within the witchy/pagan scene. As magic work and the pagan “aesthetic” becomes more of a commodity in the mainstream, there’s a mounting attitude of needing All The Items in the highest quality (even if we’re not certain we’ll use them,) and big corporations mass-producing cheap stuff to make a buck off of a growing trend. Here’s some things you can do to help detach your practice from that and support other people in the craft:

Go outside. Check your backyard or local park for local plant life, waters, roots, etc. If your work involves things from nature at all, you can probably find a lot of your supplies… in nature. It takes a little more time, but it’s free and then you’ve gathered stuff yourself!

Make stuff. This one is pretty straightforward. There may be key items to your practice that you can make yourself instead of buying it! That said, I know sometimes spending money is inevitable so I won’t dwell too much on this… let’s talk more about shopping:

Shop mindfully. The price of a lot of items will skyrocket once it has a pentacle or other symbol engraved on it. For example, little mortars and pestles can be very pricey in witchy shops, but you could probably get a bigger one that’s actually food safe for less at a nice grocery store. Antique stores and international markets are now your new best friends.

Support small businesses! Things are cheaper on Amazon, but the extra money goes to support real people, likely other practitioners. If you can, supporting small, local, independent shopkeepers and crafters does a ton of good. It also helps build and sustain a local community.

Shop based on need. Don’t get something “just in case” (unless it’s banishing or hex breaking stuff; those are decent to have on hand.) It’s tempting to impulse-buy a ton of niche items and ingredients, but unless you have a reasonable idea what you’re going to use them for in the near future, it’ll probably just create clutter for you to deal with later.

Prioritize effectiveness over aesthetic. Ultimately your practice has to work for you, not just look good. I think making your work aesthetically pleasing to yourself can be an important part of really connecting with what you’re doing, but don’t make that desire burn a hole in your wallet and distract you from what brought you to this path in the first place. Altar envy is a real thing.

Recycle/Upcycle. Use old clothing fabric for an altar cloth. That old trinket dish makes a great offering dish. Enchant jewelry you already own. That jar of strawberry jelly you just finished off will work just fine for that spell. Things can be re-purposed and made into new things.

Analyze your offerings. Special occasion wine isn’t a special occasion if you do it every time. Not every offering needs to be a grand gesture, regular maintenance is more important generally.

Organize trades. Have any pals that also practice? See if you can help each other! You could trade different goods (that old mini cauldron you bought and never used for that abandoned tarot deck, maybe?) but also services. A protection spell for a luck charm. A reading for a reading. You help them with the laundry and they cook you a meal one day.

As always, the goal is to foster a local community of individuals doing honest work, and shedding the consumerist mindset society taught us to make us spend more money. Take up the idea that you can do magic completely on your own with what you already around you, and if you do want to spend money, see if you can do it in a way that helps the world a tiny bit. :)

Had a realization

Oorlog is the relationship of cause and effect in Norse belief. Causes and effects weave in and out of each other to create the Web of Wyrd, or the web of destiny.

Oorlog is the yarn, the Wyrd is the total knitted project.

Loki is a trickster who operates as an element of random chance in Norse stories, inciting change and movement.

Loki’s name means “knots.” Now I know why.

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grimoire-archives

1 year ago

You can use this method of drying herbs for flowers too, as long as you’re delicate and don’t break them!

Tags

herbalism

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grimoire-archives

4 years ago

EARLY SAMHAIN PUMPKIN BREAD!

Okay, I admit it… Samhain might be my favorite pagan holidays, right next to Yule And Imbolc. So I will being posting lots of coming recipes for Samhain you can make time during the fall season. Without further ado, here is my recipe, from my table to yours.

Witchy Tip: Burn black, orange, and yellow candles, infused with fall herbs to spread comfort and hospitality in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 can of pumpkin puree (16 oz)

4 large eggs (Can be substituted for applesauce for a vegan option.)

1 cup (237 ml) apple cider

2 tsp baking soda

2 cups (400 g) white sugar

1 cup (210 g) dark brown sugar (Can be substituted with 1 cup white sugar and 1/3 cup molasses.)

1 cup (237 ml) vegetable oil or butter

Pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

3 ¾ (456 g) cups flour

½ tsp ground cloves

A thumb of all-spice

½ tsp ground ginger

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F then butter and flour loaf pans. In an exceptionably large bowl mix pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla, oil, apple cider, and sugar.

In a separate bowl mix in your dry ingredients and spices, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger.

In fourths, stir in your dry ingredients slowly, being carful not to over mix your ingredients.

Place in over for 45 to 60 minutes, or until you stick a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.

You can top it will many things such as cinnamon sugar, maple icing, pumpkin glaze, or melted chocolate.

And you’re done!

~ Angel

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grimoire-archives

1 year ago

☀️🌿Litha Lavender Thyme Chicken🌿☀️

Hello my greenies! I have here a recipe to celebrate Litha! I am recovering from the removal of all four of my wisdom teeth and am unable to feast accordingly. I hope everyone can celebrate and eat for me, so I have here a favorite chicken recipe that I have especially during Litha and many times during the summer.

I will put the corresponding meanings of all the ingredients for the recipe at the end of the post and hope everyone enjoys my recipe. I hope to be posting more soon!

***You can use these ingredients for a whole chicken, but the amount for the coating will need to be adjusted and so will the cooking time. There are many websites that can tell you how to prepare a whole chicken, if that is also what you are looking for.

Ingredients

3 or 4 chicken breasts (I use 3, but I think the recipe would work with four as well.)

1 tbsp of dried lavender

2 tbsp of dried thyme or 4 sprigs of fresh and pulled off the stem.

drizzle of olive oil or coconut oil

1 tbsp of garlic powder

1 and ½ tbsp of onion powder

3 tbsp of honey

1 whole lemon.

dash of salt and pepper

dash of oregano

Directions

If lavender is not crushed, crush until powdery. Then in a small bowl, mix lavender, thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder.

In a separate bowl, place the three chicken breasts and add the salt and pepper. Mix well and after drizzle the oil, honey, and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Mix thoroughly.

Place in the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Make sure all parts of the chicken are covered.

Cover the bowl and let the chicken sit for three hours in the refrigerator.

Once complete, stir the chicken in the bowl again and then place the chicken into a roasting pan and sprinkle oregano on the tops.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, make sure you flip after 23 minutes. When done, take the chicken out and let it sit for about 5 minutes before you eat. While it sits begin the chant.

“With the heat of the day and kiss of the night, summer bring love and spirit to me. Let me feel the child-like dance. Let me embrace myself. I am my own fire.”

While speaking these words allow yourself to hold in the heat inside you. Let it move around through your system and on your skin. Rise that heat up into your neck and float around your head. Then have it come out of you, so now you only feel a slight glow. Have this warmth embrace your house and everything in it until that happiness is surrounding you.

Then enjoy your meal!

*I always find that this meal goes well with some honey garlic potatoes, thyme roasted carrots, Zucchini casserole, and fresh baked flaky biscuits.

If you decide to make this recipe please send me pictures! Although I can’t eat any solids at the moment, I would feel satisfied just by seeing everyone else enjoying their meals. I hope you enjoy this recipe and have a special Litha!

- Kenzie

ingredient correspondences

dried lavender - love, protection, healing, sleep, purification, and peace.

dried thyme - wards negativity, purification, healing

garlic powder - healing, protection, purification, guards against negative magic and the envy of others.

onion powder - prosperity, stability, endurance, and protection.

honey - binding properties, love, and used in offering rituals.

lemon - cleansing, spiritual opening, purification, and removal of blockages

oregano - joy, strength, vitality, and added energy

Tags

litha recipes to try

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grimoire-archives

1 year ago

Litha Altar Decorations

- lots and lots of flowers that grow native in your area this time of year

- sunflowers, roses, lavender, dandelions

- flower crowns and flower garlands

- a bowl of fruit and vegetables, especially anything citrus like oranges

- lots of candles (Litha is a fire sabbat)

- colours like yellow, gold, and orange

- you could have a vase of sticks with fairy lights in it to represent a bonfire

- maypoles are still a thing for Litha

- a cute offering dish to leave out sweets for the fae

- a jar of local honey

- anything that represents the sun

- incense (sandalwood, rose, lavender, frankincense, dragon’s blood)

- oak leaves and acorns

- anything that reflects the sun like suncatchers, glass beads, and mirrors

Tags

litha

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grimoire-archives

4 years ago

Odin’s Day Wisdom - Hávamál, st. 36 (from The Northern Herbalist)

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grimoire-archives

1 year ago

Weather spells resource list

A quick note: Please don’t send me asks relating to weather magic. It is an interest of mine but I am not comfortable teaching others yet. I’ll link some helpful blogs at the bottom!

Links updated November of 2022, please inform me of broken links via askbox!