Actual Things I Have Studied Over The Years That Would Make Me An Excellent Addition To Your Mystery-solving

Ok so like I have this beautiful idea for a costume. I can’t draw though. I want to design and wear it. Where do I design it and how do I make it? It has a mask inspired by spider man’s mask’s mechanical eyes, so I’ll need to learn some engineering but I wanna make it a reality!

What's the difference between American red foxes and English ones (appearance wise, I guess)? What's the best/easiest way to tell them apart? They look really similar to me!

The most obvious difference is in the fur. European red foxes (Vulpes vulpes crucigera) have fairly short, stiff and densely packed guard hairs that are designed to protect them from wet weather. American red foxes (Vulpes fulva) have much longer, finer guard hairs, giving them that classic soft and fluffy look. Their fur is designed to keep them warm and protect them from the snow.

European foxes on the top/left, American on the bottom/right

American foxes also have much fluffier tails than European ones, often with rounded tail tips, while European foxes often have tails that taper to a point. 

Another way to tell is the colour. Putting aside colour morphs, normal red coloured European foxes have a lot of different colours and tones mixed into the coat. Some can be fairly solid, but a lot have varying shades of red, yellow, brown, grey and black. Frosting, the silver guard hairs over the hindquarters, (and sometimes forequarters and face), and usually more prominent on European foxes.  American foxes tend to be fairly solid in colour and don't have a lot of different colours mixed into the coat. The shade of red can vary depending on the subspecies, but the overall the colour will be pretty even.

As for colour morphs, the cross morph is only found naturally in American red foxes. There are a few regions in Scandinavia, Russia and Hokkaido, Japan where cross foxes can be found but those are all the result of farmed American foxes being released or escaping and breeding with native foxes. In the UK you will never see a wild fox with this cross colouring

In Europe the equivalent of a cross fox is the smokey or coal morph. They vary from a yellowish colour through to a dark brown with a lot of black and grey in the coat. Throat and belly may be white, dark grey or black, or a mix of all three and they lack the black faces of a cross.

Silver foxes do exist in Europe but they are exceptionally rare, and usually referred to as black foxes. They are often darker than American silvers with less silver hairs, although American silvers can very a lot in darkness.

Although this can vary a lot by region/subspecies and even individual, European reds tend to have quite blunt, rounded facial features. American reds tend to have sharper features, such as pointier muzzles and ears. American foxes are also smaller than European ones, but this is hard to tell from photos alone. 

American red foxes also have longer legs than European foxes. This is most obvious when they’re in their short summer coat. European foxes also tend to have less black on the legs than American foxes. 

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Fog in Witchcraft

Fog is often a forgotten aspect of weather that seems to get passed over when it comes to witchcraft despite it having some powerful and noble uses as well as a history in the craft. Though not all areas get fog commonly, many do, almost every morning depending on the time of year. Allow this small post to perhaps be some help to those who have interest in harnessing fog into their craft.

History and Fiction

As stated above, in many literary sources witches of both historical senses and fiction harness fog as a powerful towel. In popular lore, witches were said to summon fogs to roll across the lands to protect fleeing mothers and children during wars to hide from invading soldiers, though this lore is hard to pin point down, it is often said to come from Celtic and Gaelic origins.

In other tales witches would summon fog to protect traveling royalty or heroes who are on a quest to reach lands that may be unfriendly to their arrival. At some other times fog was related to almost like the “witching hour” it meant it was a time that the supernatural were out and witches were casting their spells.

Fog as a Liminal Space

What is a liminal space? To put it simply it means a “transforming space” or a place that the Veil or energies are thinner and overcross one another. Often they are associated with spirit work, energy work, astral work and over all witchcraft. Some call these places or areas “places where one area and time stop and another begins”.

In many cases, places that are covered by fog often are said to be liminal spaces during this time, due to the surrealism and energy fog brings with it. It turns something mundane looking to mysterious, confusing and even to some creepy. Its concealing nature brings the feeling of the unknown and the unseen.

Traditionally and theatrically fog is often used to represent the Veil between worlds and afterlife, often used in settings of literature and movies by covering graveyards before something supernatural happens or by filling the streets at night when magick is about to begin. Often when many people who don’t practice the craft think of supernatural energies and the Veil they imagine a foggy night or a wall of fog, this imagery is for a reason.

Often, fog is seen as an important tool for spirit work both fictionally and modernly due to its relations of being a liminal space and therefore seen as easier to contact spirits with the barriers weaker when it arrives.

Correpsondences and Uses of Fog

Generally Fog Corresponds with - The Veil, Spirits/Spirit Work, The Hidden, The Unseen, Invisibility, Protection, Obstruction, Curses/Hexes, Warding, Meditation, Astral Work, Fear, Patience, Calmness, Serenity, Peace and Travel

Often times, fog is useful to one when they wish to cast or enchant items for invisibility and protection during travel, often necklaces or items enchanted while out in the fog. Others will take the opportunity of using fog for spiritual communication, past life work and astral projection, taking advantage of the weakened barriers and Veil for these purposes.

Associations

Crystals - Clear Quartz, Smokey Quartz, Thunder Egg

Herbs/Plants - Cotton, Broom, Saffron, Thistle/Thicket, Wheat, Pansy

Colors - Gray, Silver, Black, Blue

Other Tools - Steam, Incense/Smoke, Wands, Besoms, Branches, Storm Water/Rain Water, Ash, Dust, Mirrors and Gray Candles

Fog Summoning

There are many ways said to summon fog. A few of those ways will be listed below

Method 1: Using storm water boiling it until it has thick amounts of steam rising from it, carefully move it outside or to a window (if one is not already outside) and offer it to the sky. Many will chant or call to the weather or winds to bring them fog much like the steam of the pot.

Method 2: In water on a burner add storm or sea salt and a sigil on paper for fog. Close the lid to it and wait until it is boiling. Remove the lid and allow the steam to rise. Here chant if desired for fog or let the water boil until it is nearly gone.

Method 3: With a besom go outside if it is a private space and much like wind summoning call to the fog to come to you, using your tool as an extension of yourself and your energy. Remember to ask it to come rather than demand for it.

Method 4: Using storm water or rain water, ash and a jar fill it with these ingredients and shake it thoroughly to summon fog. Be sure to center yourself and focus on your energy to put into this fog summoning jar. Leave it outside or in a window afterwards for further effects.

Fog Water

Fog water is a tool that can be used for witchcraft when fog is not rightfully available or in place of rain water/storm water in fog summoning. To capture fog water is pretty easy though you must be able to accept small amounts.

First you will need either very fine fabric or mesh or screen similar to what can be found in windows or for fishing nets. Tight it taunt onto something to hold it up like rods or sticks. Make sure it is held up at least a couple feet above the ground and somewhere the fog will roll through it. Base it off of how high the fog in your area tends to be, if you have low rolling fogs it may work better lower to the ground. After or during a time of fog you should be able to see droplets of water forming on it, you may use a jar tied below a corner of it to capture these drops or you can collect it yourself during/after they have formed. You can build much larger versions of this for potable water gathering and tutorials on this can be found easily online if that may interest you.

Store your fog water in glass containers and in the fridge, be sure to date and label to ensure you are using fresh water. Do not drink this water unless you set up the proper potable filtration systems.

Diffusing Fog

Often witches will find themselves tasked with fog being a hindrance rather than helpful. Its a dangerous weather condition especially for those on the road or at sea. 

Historically, sea witches would be asked to disperse fog for the safe return and port of sea vessels and the men upon them. Though it is difficult to find exact spells from these times, often broom or heather is used by facing the sea with it in hand and waving at the fog, putting energy into it and telling the fog to disperse. Other times it is said using a broom/besom to summon winds to remove the fog was a preferred way.

Other options for witches is to sing a fog removal song and often dance accompanied with it and with either a besom or wand in hand, direct the fog to travel away from you and somewhere else. Other witches have found success in praying and working with weather deities to move the fog back to the sky or to lead it away.

Omens, Superstitions and Dreams

In omens it is said fog represents blindness. It blocks our ability to see clearly and makes normal directions seem impossible to follow. It can go hand in hand with confusion and the feelings of anxiety. When fog appears in visions it is to be seen often as a warning that things are about to get just that - foggy.

Though it is also related to shrouding oneself, it may be a sign that it is time for you to create a fog about yourself and to build up those wards.

Superstition wise it was believed fog would steal people, often due to people getting lost in it and vanishing, because of this fog is seen as a warning of loss to come. Some cultures even associate it directly with death.

In dreams fog holds many meanings. If the fog is throughout the whole dream then it is a warning of deception. Someone is deceiving you and deep down you know it to be true. If you dream of being wrapped in fog and it is too thick to see through or escape it is often related to feeling that someone has stolen something from you. Dreaming of wandering in a foggy environment is a warning of dangers to come, keep on your toes. If you escape fog it means you are avoiding danger or theft.

If one dreams of fog just being around their head, eyes or following above them like a halo/hat, then it is an indication that you are lying to yourself. You are refusing to let yourself see the truth. It can also be a play of the saying “its all in your head” meaning you are overthinking a problem.

If you dream of fog and snow together, it is often said to be a dream related to sickness soon to come. Others say its a sign that illness of the mind and emotions is going to creep its way in.

If one dreams of their home, bedroom or apartment being filled with fog it is often taken as a bad omen and sign that a large family drama is soon to come.

Seeing a figure in fog in dreams can have different meanings. If it is someone that you know it means they may be hiding things from you or that you are going to have a fight with them in the near future. It can also indicate if you are in the fog and you see them outside of the fog, that you are guilty about something you did to them. Seeing a stranger in the fog or a shadow you do not recognize is often due to anxiety or fear in one’s waking life. They represent the unknown and the future to come, which you are currently stressed over. Animals in the fog can represent both anxieties and fears looming about you but also can represent that you a repressing your own desires and natural wants.

If you see fog rolling in from the distance of a dream it means something is looming in your waking life. If fog starts descending down on you in a dream from the sky to the ground, many take this as a bad omen for travel especially by air or sea. Historically it is said a foggy sea in your dreams means a shipwreck in your future. Though fog over a lake or river means dream-like wonder and is said that young women who dream of this can expect a mysterious stranger in their future.

Fog and Different Types of Witchcraft

Sea Witchcraft - Fog is often seen as more of a hindrance in ocean magick, especially historically when fog at sea or port could be rather hazardous and bring tragedy to many. Due to this, fog in sea magick is often used for more negative tasks like cursing.

Storm Magick - Fog is often seen more in the light of a less harsh type of weather compared to storms or rain but still one that can be used to harness energy. The energy of foggy weather is much more mysterious, calm and hazy than that of storm or wind. It can be used for such purposes.

Death Magick - Fog is often related to the barriers of the other-side as some may say, so many death witches will take advantage of fog to use it to communicate and commune with the dead. Many report that it can make using tools of communication like Ouija boards and pendulums easier.

Divination - Often fog can be seen as a hindrance for divination though it is often deeply routed with self discovery and past life work. Many will take the opportunity of foggy weather to explore their past lives and the history of themselves and others. 

good things will happen 🧿

things that are meant to be will fall into place 🧿

Small Things To Contact Spirits About

…If you want to flex your communication muscles but don’t want to be cutting deals or making things complicated for now. Just little things to try.

Let me hear a love story

Show me a song from your people

Tell me something you did today that you are proud of

Let me draw a portrait of you

Tell me a little about your culture

Ask me any questions you may have about human culture (and I will answer them, if I can.)

Look at this song/story/poem I wrote, tell me what you think.

Tell me my local reputation, if I have one.

Tell me your story (and if desired, I will record it and pass it on for more to see.)

Share a joke.

Let me admire your beauty/grace/powerful appearance/plumage/scales/wings/great personality

Tell me about your friends

What is your one big token of advice?

Teach me how to make my home more welcoming for you (while still being safe for me.)

The chinese can confirm. A lot of elderly in the mainly chinese city I lived in would hang their bedding on literally anything outside. This is bc everyone lived in apartments where not everyone had a bocany.

IDK how to crop but here's a pic of the area around the primary school I went to on google maps! See that? It's bedding!

Wanted to share this bc I just wanted to say this : don't hang your bedding on the streets. Where people walk dogs. Close to the floor. Which is in piss range for dogs.

And to anyone who knows which city this is and think it's not part of china : As much as I wish it was it's own thing. It's not.

Open your windows. I'm serious.

"Airing out" is a practice common in many cultures, because it does make a difference. Here in Germany, we air out our houses even in the middle of winter. Albeit for only short periods of time when it's cold outside. Not only is fresh natural air good for you, but also it's proven to prevent mold.

My grandparents would open at least one window for a while every morning, throughout the whole year. When the weather is nice, the Chinese would hang their beddings on clotheslines outside, for fresh air and sunlight are cleansing.

I’m reading a fanfic called “reaper of happy homes”. I specifically like how the author wrote Tommy, they made him unreasonably OP. He’s a supervillain in the story and he basically kidnapped the rest of the sbi. He’s an avian with the power to manipulate manner, and this one isnot his power but he’s also good at manipulating people. Now my favourite part? He the way he thinks. He sounds more confident than I could ever be!

Like “Everyone likes him. If he wants someone then he gets that someone. They’re wrapped around his finger before they know it. They’re desensitized to him. Even Dream! Dream won’t turn Tommy in because Tommy doesn’t want him too. He cares too much. Bleeding, fucking heart. It can be abused though, so it was useful.”

Or “How many times was he praised to be some sort of god? He was the future, that’s what everyone had told him. He was a bright shining star, and when he finally died he’d take the rest of them with him. When he collapsed he would turn into a black hole he’d suck everyone and everything into it with him.”

Or “He did really cool things too. Cooler than what Dream and his sidekicks did. He hacked into the CIA for fun, he collected government files as if they were pokemon cards. It wasn’t even hard. One time he released a politician's private emails, sending Essempii into total chaos. He almost started WW3 because he was bored . How was saving a cat from a tree cooler than that? How was failing to stop one villain night after night somehow cooler than what Tommy did?”

Or “Tommy wished he could keep these people alive, they might have been good pets eventually. Maybe Tommy could have conditioned them to be of some use to him, maybe they could have played fetch with Wilbur and Techno, keeping them busy when Tommy had to leave.”

Or “He took deep breaths as Tommy walked over to his bag and started packing it. All the normal stuff, his laptop, a usb stick, a charger, a notepad. A grappling hook and a few small explosives were absolutely normal.”

My favorite wind spell

In my experience, nothing feels quite as good as testing your control over your craft quite like a wind spell. The following is my favorite incantation to use.

Wind spell

Move your hand in a circle, palm downward.

Chant: “Wind, Wind, hear my plea,

Dance across the land and sea.”

emoji spell for good luck

🍀🤞🧞🦄🐈‍⬛🐯🌕❄️🏹🎰🏅🕯️💵💚 I am lucky. I am lucky. I am lucky. I am lucky. I am lucky. I am lucky. I am lucky. 💚💵🕯️🏅🎰🏹❄️🌕🐯🐈‍⬛🦄🧞🤞🍀