There Is A Lot To Learn About Wicca/Witchcraft And Sometimes It Can Get Pretty Overwhelming. Here Are

Witchy Starter Terms

Ground- Clearing/releasing excess energy and also connecting your own energy with the earth’s.

Center- Usually done after Grounding to calm your emotions, mind, and body to be physically and magickally ready to act.

Cleanse- Removing negative energies from an object or a space. Also works on people.

Charge - To infuse an object with personal or external power/intent.

Intent- the energy/focus of the magick and energy you’re working up.

Visualize - Forming mental images. It is done to direct energy during spell work. Much like imagination.

Banish- To magickally end something, Or to rid the presence of. Definitely works on people.

Consecrate- The blessing of an object or place by instilling it with positivity.

Sabbat- The Witches/Pagans festivals or Holidays and changing of the seasons

Talisman- An object charged with personal power to attract a specific force or energy to the wearer. Also known as an amulet.

Cowan- a formally derogatory slang word for a non-Witch, it is now more like the term “muggle” from HP.

Book of Shadows- your (or your coven’s AKA group of 13 or so witches) personal magickal records. You would write tarot readings, associations, and spell outcomes here.

Grimoire- the book of spells of a witch.

Burning Times- A term used by Witches for the period of persecution in the Middle Ages and later on. The Catholic Church oppressed many witches, pagans, and Jewish people. The only actual burnings happened were only in Scotland, and on the continent of Europe. In England and the U.S.A, they were hanged to death.

Esbat- Weekly or biweekly meeting of a coven. Typically held either on the full moon or the new moon.

Old Religion- Another name for the Craft.

Spell- A physical, mental, or verbal directing of magickal energies toward the accomplishment of some goal.

Mabon: Autumn Equinox

To begin, let me start by saying this is the 3rd time I have to write this because Tumblr decided to refresh on me when I didn’t ask it to and so everything I wrote DISAPPEARED (fix your bugs, tumblr!) Because of that, this version my original post is going to be so half-assed now! I hate tumblr sometimes!

An equinox is a day of the year when there is equal parts day and night - light and darkness. Many people have a tendency to view this as a “versus” thing, but it’s not! It’s a day to acknowledge balance and harmony.

The fall equinox is an important day of power for many Neo-Pagans and Witches. It’s a day that some even call, “Witches’ Thanksgiving” because it’s a day where witches “reap what they sow” - literally and figuratively. That means, giving thanks to Mother Earth for providing us with the sustenance we need to survive and also acknowledging the people in our lives by expressing our gratitude and asking for forgiveness for our past transgressions (and also for forgiving others).

There are many mundane ways someone who is a witch, or Pagan, can celebrate Mabon! Here are a few examples that I can think of:

- Throw a “barnyard” party with dancing, singing/karaoke, and chanting

- Have a bonfire! (please be responsible!)

- Host a potluck or a dinner party

- Apple picking

- Go camping or take a hike

- Crochet, quilt, or knit

- Make wines, ciders, beers or butters, jams, jellies, featuring the fruits of the season

- Bake pies!

- Give back to the community and maybe volunteer at an animal shelter or food bank or host a food drive

There are also many things a witch can do to celebrate this day of power:

~ This is a good time for divination (apparently there’s something called apple divination and it sound perfect for this time of year!)

~ Protection magic also gets a boost during this time (maybe try warding?)

~ Because this day is a day of thanks, avoid asking for things on this holiday

~ Have a “Gratitude Ritual”

~ Meditation and grounding are great on this day (it’s all about finding balance and harmony)

~ Set up an altar that showcases the fall of Summer, the start of Autumn, and the soon to be here Winter; be sure to include things that you’re grateful for!

~ Have a mock sacrifice

~ This is a great day to practice and hone your kitchen magic, so take this time to learn more about sigils in baking, herbs and their medicinal and magical properties, etc.

- If you’re Neo-Pagan, take this time to talk to some different deities (focus on harvest, wine, earth and sun deities)

Important symbols:

> The colors gold, yellow, red, and orange

> Oak, ivy, Hazel, Cedar, Hops and Vines are important trees/plants to acknowledge during this time

> Scarecrows, scales, ying-yang, scythes, & haystacks are common symbols

> Wolves, dogs, foxes, and birds of prey are important symbols of this time

> Amethys, yellow topaz, and citrine are stones/ctystas associated with this holiday

> Drinks and Foods include wine, grapes, most nuts, apples, all berries, and black pepper

As always, please feel free to share your knowledge and wisdom - and feel free to ask questions - so that we can all continue to grow and prosper!

soon it will be autumn, and i'll have a cup of warm tea, an old, unread book with crinkled pages, and the leaves would be a beautiful shade. everything would be alright again.

As a novice witch, I was wondering if you had any tips/ suggestions for me that might help get me more into the learning process. Book suggestions would be fantastic! Thank you.

Hello! Hm, some tips eh? I’m gonna give you the same schpeal I give to all new witches (copied from my old blog but meh).

I really think one should take the time to figure out what witchcraft is all about - what it offers, what it doesn’t, and the benefits and disadvantages of being a practicing magic user. Not only that, but think about what interests you about witchcraft - why you want to practice, what really drew you in to the craft, what you wish to do with magic, things you like about it, and even things you don’t. Do you have any expectations? Is there an end goal, something you ultimately want to achieve from magic? Do you want to be a magic user just for a certain amount of time, or indefinitely? Figuring out these things should help round out your practice and give you a bit of a path (heheh) to follow and explore.

There is never enough research. Really. You are most likely going to be studying and learning through your whole magical journey. I still am; I learn something new every day, and I love it. As a knowledge leech I love that part of witchcraft - spending hours reading up on various things makes me so happy. (Hey, no one said it was easy. :p) [This post] actually sums it up beautifully.

With the tons of research that comes with studying witchcraft, it will be good to keep a notebook (or grimoire / Book of Shadows) to store all your findings in. Write down spells, references, correspondences, rituals (if you plan to use them)… anything you think you’ll need to know or want to know when it comes to practicing your craft. I keep my blog for this purpose, though without internet it’s kind of hard to access at all times, so I have a physical book as well. And it doesn’t have to be any fancy leather bound anything - I have spiral notebooks and an obnoxious orange binder. xD

Don’t be worried if you can’t practice every single day. Maybe you can, and that’s awesome; maybe you can only work up the energy or privacy to perform spells once a week, or once a month, and that is completely valid. I only really use magic when I need it, and that’s fine too. Don’t beat yourself up for missing the moon phases or sabbats or what have you. It happens - I have missed every sabbat since I started practicing, and the only stuff I do on the full moon is cleansing my tarot deck or crystals (and I still forgot to do that yesterday, oop). We all have lives outside of witchcraft, and it’s important to maintain the rest of your life and other interests as well. As awesome as witchcraft is, don’t let it absorb you. The point of this was supposed to be, don’t feel bad for not going 150% with witchcraft all the time, but also know when it’s time to not practice witchcraft and engage in other areas of your life.

When it comes to supplies, particularly herb related, the grocery store is more than fine. Like, 90% of my herbs have come from there, either dried or fresh. It’s still the same herb, same genus, same biological build - it will work. The whole “witchcraft is ALWAYS organic” stuff that I’ve seen floating around is bunk. Like, if that’s what you want, and what you can do, awesome, but it certainly isn’t the only thing that will work, nor should you feel bound to comply with someone else’s ideology. Get what you can afford or find, and don’t spend so much time stressing about the rest of it.

Honestly, even if you *can’t* afford physical ingredients for spells, it’s no big deal. Witchcraft is about your intent and your energies, and how you work with them and manipulate them to bring about a desired effect. Spell components like herbs and crystals and all that are just bolsters to what’s really important - your desire to induce a certain outcome. They have uses, yes, and they help, yes, but they’re not all important, mostly just boosts for your own energies. You can be a successful witch without all the fancy herbs or rare crystals.

It’s okay if you stick to pre-written spells by other people. Some people don’t have the energy, or the full knowledge, to yet write their own spells, and that’s perfectly fine. There’s nothing wrong with referencing another witch’s work. (Though, when you can, learning to write your own spells and using them is an amazing skill to have. I used to suck at / hate spellwriting - now I try to do it as much as I can, and it’s super beneficial to personalizing your craft which is important too.)

That being said, you also shouldn’t feel tied down to what is written. Experimentation is encouraged, to help personalize things to you. If you’re looking at a spell and think, “Hmm based off what I know, I want to try this herb instead,” totally go for it. Give it a go, and write down your results. Personal associations for objects in spellcraft are JUST AS powerful, if not more so in some ways.

When I said “comply with someone else’s ideology,” I meant that, if someone has one way of doing things, and you don’t agree with it, that’s fine. If you do agree with it, though, that’s cool too. If you do things differently than someone else, it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong either. Definitely feel free to form your own opinions and experiences. Personalizing your craft to suit YOU and YOUR NEEDS is actually pretty important, and can have a big impact on your magic. If your magic is more suited to you, it is more likely to work for you.

Believe in yourself. I’m not kidding. It’s so corny and cliche, but your magic will be so much more powerful if you have confidence in it and in yourself. Feel empowered by the awesomeness of being a witch and working with spells.

For book suggestions, @natural-magics​ compiled some [books and resources], which is a good place to start. @visardistofelphame​ has a post of [witchcraft resources galore] too. Here is some more [recommended reading]. There is also this post about how to tell if [your book on witchcraft is bullshit], which will likely be of great use when reading as a beginner. Most of my knowledge has been gathered from Tumblr or other various internet resources; I can’t afford a lot of books right now, so I’ve never really read any, and can’t recommend any personally.

Also, here are a lot of links to other resources that you may find use for:

[Accumulating Witch Stuff on a Budget]

[Advice for Navigating the Witchcraft / Pagan Community] (an ask)

[Becoming a Witch] (an ask)

[Beginner Witchcraft]

[Beginner Witchcraft Resources Masterpost]

[For a Beginner] (an ask)

[FAQ]

[Frequently Asked Questions]

[Getting Started]

[Guide to Witching]

[How Do You Even Begin?]

[How to Do Witchcraft Research for Newbies]

[“I’m Interested in Witchcraft, Where Do I Start?”]

[Introduction to Magic]

[Limited Witchcraft Masterpost]

[Magic on a Budget]

[Masterpost of Masterposts]

[Miss Mango’s Secular Witchcraft Tumblr Resource Masterpost]

[The Newbie Witch - What Others Often Don’t Tell You About Beginning the Practice]

[So…You Wanna Be a Witch?]

[St.’s Short and Sweet Guide to (Not Asking Her) How to Get Started in Witchcraft and Magic]

[Subtle Magical Practice]

[Theory and Practice] (a masterpost)

[Tips for Beginner Witches] (an ask)

[Tips for Beginners] (an ask)

[Tips for Extremely New Witches] (an ask)

[Tips For Those Who Are Considering Witchcraft]

[Top Witch Tips]

[Welcome to Witchcraft - A Post for Beginners]

[“Where Do I Start?”]

[Witchcraft 101]

[Witchcraft 101]

[Witchling Tips]

[Witchtips’ Rebloggable “Frequently Asked Questions” - Part I]

I really hope that answers your question and gives you what you need. Good luck on your path! :D

The moon is by far the love of my life😍

Constant Motion

© gif by riverwindphotography, July 2021

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Shadow Work Journal Prompt #4

Who is ready for another journal Prompt for their shadow work journey?

This prompt is looking into more towards our insecurities and how we can work with them rather than against them.

1. List your current struggle(s) when it comes to loving yourself. This can be any aspect about yourself that holds you back from fully loving yourself unconditionally.

2. What habit(s) do you want to begin this month? I don’t know about you but I procrastinate a lot. I tend to lose interest quickly if I don’t start making changes now. Many times this is meaning I get started during the middle of the month. In my opinion, it doesn’t have to be specifically in the beginning of a new month. Changes happen all the time, regardless of the month. Get started now, don’t wait.

3. What are the compliment(s) you struggle to accept about yourself? Why? I personally struggle with compliments when it comes to my appearance. It makes me uncomfortable and I don’t fully enjoy them because mainly I didn’t believe that it is true. This journal prompt helped me realize that I need to start believing what people are saying to me about my appearance.

4. How can you use your negative qualities and spin them around to bring positivity into your life? This takes quite a long time to master honestly, this process is retraining your brain to reject the self sabotaging and stop to notice the feelings that are negative, acknowledge the emotion and turning it positive. For example instead of saying, “I’m bad at Math” say “I make progress everyday with Math”, etc.

We are all still a work in progress, by all means take your time and remember to reach out to a licensed professional if you need to. My inbox is open for support if anyone needs help or just needs to talk. I am not a licensed professional.

I hope these bring you all healing and clarity in your Shadow Work Journey.

Why You Should Keep Track of the Tarot Cards You Pull

People will often notice patterns to the cards they pull - you’ll notice that certain cards come up more often. This tends to be based on a feeling though, rather than any real data about which cards you’ve pulled - and the real data may surprise you. 

I’ve kept track of the cards I’ve pulled in my single card readings over the past three months, and here are some things I’ve noticed: 

I pull one card more frequently than any other card. In my case, that card is The Magician. It’s really useful to know - not just suspect - that one card turns up constantly for me. 

Some cards don’t actually appear as frequently as I think they do. I recently pulled the Nine of Pentacles and thought, “Again?? Why do I pull this card so much??” but when I look at the actual data… I’ve pulled other cards way more frequently. I think it’s a form of the Baader-Meinhof effect - a card can stick in your brain for some reason and you remember it as appearing more often than it actually does!

There are interesting things about the cards that I don’t pull. In three months, these Major Arcana cards have never come up at all: The Emperor and The Devil. I can look at the data of what archetypes don’t appear in my life and draw some interesting conclusions. I’ve also not drawn a single court card (page, knight, queen, or king) from the suit of swords - swords tend to deal with conflict, which I maybe have less of during this particular time in my life

I can identify which suit and which numbered cards appear the most and the least in my readings. While the totals of Swords, Wands, Cups, and Pentacles I pull are pretty close to even, Wands eke out a little bit higher total than the others. Cups and Pentacles are tied, with Swords coming in last. If I didn’t have this data, I’d probably assume I pull Swords the most - because they leave the biggest impact on me when I do pull them! Of the numbered cards: I pull Aces of any suit the most, and Twos of any suit the least. This makes for some interesting patterns: The Magician is sort of the “Ace” of the Major Arcana, as well. Aces are about a very singular willpower whereas Twos are about partnership and duality. Through this pattern I can identify the focus the cards have on my life at this particular point in time.

I pull Major Arcana cards more than is statistically likely. The Major Arcana makes up 28% of the deck, but 39% of my pulls. The Major Arcana are more associated with long-term messages, and so my life may have more long-term type changes needing to be made during this period.

This is a quick guide to how you might interpret some of the overall themes you notice:  Minor Arcana: temporary, easily changed, daily life, current situation Major Arcana: long term, archetypes, themes, life lessons, current lesson Wands: spirituality, inspiration, determination, strength, intuition, creativity, ambition and expansion; energy, motivation and passion. Cups: love, feelings, relationships and connection; emotions, intuition and creativity Swords: action, change, force, power, oppression, ambition, courage and conflict; thoughts, and words Pentacles: work, business, trade, property, money and other material possessions Aces: new beginnings, news, movement in a positive direction Twos: duality, connection Threes: creation, creativity, growth, action Fours: stability, structure Fives: tension, conflict, challenge Sixes: relaxation, harmony, reevaluation Sevens: mystery, disruption, adjustment Eights: action, movement, growth, change Nines: contemplation, reflection, looking to the next step Tens: conclusion, culmination, new beginnings, complexity Pages: youth, vitality, fascination, learning, and focus Knights: adventure, energy, missions, conviction, willfulness, recklessness Queens: curiosity, openness, expressiveness, creativity, flexibility Kings: authority, leadership, expertise, mastery, inflexibility