Here are some personal words of advice to those in the witch/Pagan communies who wish to be allies to witches and Pagans of colors/marginalized groups, sincerely from a Pagan witch who is a member of an ethnic minority.
Do Not:
Post/repost those lists of what are/are not cultural appropriation. Many of them are inaccurate and incorrect. Some of them are downright stereotypical and racist.
Use us as an excuse to attack people. Some people genuinely don't know better and mean no harm. Innocent mistakes happen. Publicly humiliating people and/or ruining their businesses doesn't help us at all. We've seen enough bullying in this world already without you adding more to it in our names. If you wish to educate someone on what you know/have learned from us, please at least do so in a tactful manner for a start.
Assume cultural appropriation at face value. Looks can be deceiving. The person who has a dreamcatcher hanging above their bed might have received it as a gift from a friend who's Native American. The person with a fresh henna tattoo might have just attended an Indian friend's wedding. The person who appears to have a light complexion might in fact, be a part of a closed culture and/or belong to a closed practice.
Take what you read on the internet as gospels. A handful of people whose online posts have gone viral might not actually represent the voice of the group from which they claim heritage. And guess what? People online can and do lie.
Support mass marketing that exploits native cultures for profits.
Go around preaching about a culture that you're not a part of. This includes what is/is not cultural appropriation from that culture.
Repeat what you've heard/think you know about a culture without having actually taken any time to talk with the people from that culture in real life or done any research to educate yourself about that culture.
Talk over us and speak for us. And this includes making the rounds on social media telling people what our cultures are/are not, what we allow/do not allow, what can/cannot be done with/from our cultures.
Do:
Listen to the native people of a culture. Take the time to get to know them. Spend time with them, if you can. And I don't mean on the internet. As much as possible, try to actually go places, explore different cultures, and learn by experiences.
Be a part of a culture's celebrations/special occasions if you're invited by the people of that culture.
Support local/small businesses run by ethnic minorities.
Appreciate different cultures. Enjoy and promote different cultures' arts, music, cuisine, and traditions in respectful manners. Celebrate diversities. Embrace differences.
Ask questions. If you're not sure about something, it's perfectly fine to just ask. Most of us are cool with sharing our thoughts on matters related to our cultures.
Understand that cultures are not monoliths. Even within a culture, there are going to be differences of opinions, across generations and geographical regions.
Actually be an ally instead of a mouthpiece. What we really want is for our voices to be heard and not drowned out. We would like to be able to speak our minds, without anyone talking over us, without anyone making it more about them than about us.
the person reblogging this from you is rooting for you to have a happy, healthy, and successfull 2022
Because everyone gets sick, even witches! Witchcraft is to be used in addition to proper medical care, and please be cautious when using herbs and do your research*
Sore throat potion
Sore throat sage tea
Cough/cold tea
Cold banishing potion
Us witches get colds too
Magick sick tea
Feel better tea spell
Fire cider recipe
Sick witchโs brew
Flu and cold buster
Millyโs โthe flu can f*ck offโ brew
Soothing tummy tea
Vitamin C healing potion
Easy DIY cough syrup
Soothing lemon cough syrup
Simple elderberry syrup
Magic cold syrup
Swampโs immunity boosting noodles
Fayeโs patchwork soup
โI am not getting sick!โ broth
Simple sickness spell
Simple healing spell
Christian witch healing spell
Anti-nausea bath
Healing milk bath
Healing bath
Shower meditation
Cold remedies and tips
Common cold healing
Lilโ witch tips for sickness
Immune system sigils
Herbs for a sick witch
Onions
Coriander seeds
Eucalyptusย
Basil
Chronically ill witchcraft: For your symptoms
Witchcraft and meds
Witchcraft in the hospital
My spoonie sigils: (1) (2) (3)
Spoonie witch masterpost
*Resources for herbal interactions*
Links updated October of 2020. Please inform me of broken links via askbox!
cats like to lay where they think you need healing (their purrs actually have healing properties) he senses youโre sad is trying to heal you. sitting on your face may not be ideal, but heโs trying his best! โก๏ธ
EACH TIME I GET SAD I LIE DOWN IN MY HALLWAY AND EACH TIME MY FUCKING CAT SITS ON MY FACE-
WHAT KIND OF FAMILIAR DOES THAT??? HE IS NO HELP TO ME
in my eyes, any type of self care is witchcraft. taking a shower? a literal and metaphorical cleansing ritual. making food? kitchen witchcraft, obviously. drawing? itโs like a really complex sigil thats purpose is to calm you down and clear your mind. making tea? potions. lying in bed all day binging your favourite show on netflix? a day of recharging your soul. donโt ever feel guilty for not doing complex spells all the time. youโre a witch - everything you do is inherently witchy.
Today's herb of the day is Rosemary!
Gender: Masculine
Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
Magickal uses:
Burn by itself or with charcoal to get rid of negative energy and purification(especially before spells), wear while reading or completing tasks to improve memory of the material and aid in clear thinking, place in a dream pillow fo prevent nightmares, use an infusion of rosemary to wash hands before any healing magick, add to baths for purification, use in incenses for love and lust and is a good substitute for frankincense. Good for baby blessing, sleep, youth, love, faerie, cleansing, purification, memory, psychic power, longevity, exorcism, lust, friendship and healing workings.
Other uses:
Rosemary is used forย improving memory, indigestion, arthritis-related joint pain, hair loss, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses. In foods, rosemary is used as a spice. The leaf and oil are used in foods, and the oil is used in beverages.Extracts and the volatile oil have been used to promote menstrual flow and as abortives. Rosemary extracts commonly are found as cosmetic ingredients and a lotion of the plant is said to stimulate hair growth and prevent baldness.
Deities:
Faeries, Sea Spirit, Virgin Mary
Disclaimer: If you are healing from serious trauma, please use this spell only as a supplemental tool for professional treatment. If you are on any sort of medication, do not use this spell as a replacement.
What You Will Need:
An Apple (for cleansing away negativity)
A Knife
A Sigil in Mind for Healing
Directions:
Use your knife to carve your sigil into the surface of the apple. I used one of my own: x
Once you have carved your sigil into the apple, begin to eat the apple. As you eat, think of the thing that has hurt you that you want to move past. Focus on how moving forward will improve your life.
As you chew the apple, imagine you are crushing that thing that is bothering you. When you swallow, know that you are taking in the healing properties of both the apple and the sigil.
Don't rush it! Take your time and try to eat as close to the core as possible before throwing the apple (and that thing holding you back from healing) away.
How do I know which deity Iโm talking to, or if itโs just my own inner voice?
Okay, so the absolute first step is to get to know yourself. You need to be able to identify what it feels like to be alone in your head/body, in order to identify when something else is there with you. So step away from your altar, donโt call upon any deities, and just spend a few days alone. Things to pay attention to:
what does your inner voice sound like? does it change or is it always the same?
do you think in a monologue, or have conversations with yourself? do you play different voices?
have some imaginary conversations, with your mom or best friend or a celebrity even. what does that feel like, sound like, etc?
how often do you hear your own voice? are you monologuing constantly? do you have to convert your thoughts into words?
is it usually quiet in your head, or pretty loud with lots happening? what do each feel like to you?
how often do you visualize? what does that look like? do you pick what youโre seeing or does it pop up randomly?
Talk to yourself out loud. does your inner voice respond?
Talk to someone else out loud. what happens in your head during that conversation?
Really pay attention to these things and getting a solid grasp on how your own brain works and responds to all sorts of situations.
Ready to move on? Now you can start learning to identify your deities. Depending on how your brain works and how your relationship with each specific deity works, communication could look any number of ways. Be open to learning what that is, rather than trying to force a certain communication style!
Start out by just trying to get time with your deity:
pray or talk to them, out loud or in your head!
spend time at your altar, gather things that remind you of them or that are associated with them.
write them letters
meditate while focusing on them & your connection to them
Hold crystals you associate with them, light them a candle, so a spell for them with herbs they like, etc
give an offering, invite them to join you for a meal
read their stories and myths, get to know them, learn how their worshipers usually get in touch with them
go out in nature, find a spot that reminds you of them. Could be a tree, a body of water, a clearing in the woods, a patch of wildflowers or mushrooms, a big rock, etc. Make that your place, meditate there and invite them to join you.
use tarot, a pendulum, etc. (pay attention to the energy you feel, if the same cards come up frequently, etc.)
Look for art, music, etc that reminds you of them. or make some!
Now WHILE you are doing all of the above, pay very close attention: does it ever feel different than when youโre alone? what does it feel like? Pay attention to all your senses!
How does it sound in your head? is it louder or quieter? does your inner voice respond the same as usual? does it take on a different tone or pace sometimes? do you hear a different voice altogether?
do certain things pop into your head, like you donโt hear a voice but knowledge or answers are just kindaโฆ air-dropped to your brain?
How do you feel emotionally? is there a sense of calm/peace? is there a rush of excitement? does your energy feel different?
what do you see visually? is anything different about your visualizations? do you picture certain animals, imagery of your deity or things associated with them (plants, the sun/moon, water, etc)?
do you taste or smell anything specific?
do you have any bodily sensations, like butterflies in your stomach, a tingle down your spine, hair standing on end, goosebumps, a warm feeling in your chest, a sudden burst of energy, or a suddenly so calm youโre almost sleepy?
does music play in your head?
do you recognize an energy or โvibeโ when youโre interacting with them? what does it feel like?
Be patient with yourself, it may take time to really tune into these things and feel the connection. But eventually you might see a pattern of how you feel when you interact with your deity. I recommend trying to start with just one, and really master how it feels when youโre together.
Once you know what they sounds like or feel like to you, it will be easier to tell when theyโre around or communicating with you. Youโll learn to recognize them even when youโre not at your โspotโ or specifically praying to them.
โ Juansen Dizon
๐๐๐๐ผ๐พ๐ ๐๐๐, ๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐พ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐พ๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐ผ๐ | ๐ผ๐บ๐ ๐๐๐ | ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐พ๐
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