By mpiccaro

The best of Tumblr: Harry Potter

(The best of Tumblr: Marvel, The best of Tumblr: Disney)

65 Questions You Aren't Used To

1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?

3. The person you would never want to meet?

4. What is your favorite word?

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be?

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought?

7. What shirt are you wearing?

8. What do you label yourself as?

9. Bright room or dark room?

10. What were you doing at midnight last night?

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far?

12. Who told you they loved you last?

13. Your worst enemy?

14. What is your current desktop picture?

15. Do you like someone?

16. The last song you listened to?

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face?

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do?

20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional)

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it?

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of?

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal.

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it?

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go?

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be?

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? 

29. What is your favorite expletive?

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?

31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world!

33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back?

34. What was your last dream about?

35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]?

36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital?

37. Have you ever built a snowman?

38. What is the color of your socks?

39. What type of music do you like?

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?

41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor?

42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer)

43. Do you have any scars?

44. What do you want to be when you graduate?

45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

46. Are you reliable?

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?

48. Do you hold grudges?

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create?

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had?

51. Are you a good liar?

52. How long could you go without talking?

53. What has been you worst haircut/style?

54. Have you ever baked your own cake?

55. Can you do any accents other than your own?

56. What do you like on your toast?

57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of?

58. What would be you dream car?

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain.

60. Do you believe in aliens?

61. Do you often read your horoscope?

62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet?

63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons?

64. What do you think about babies?

65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of.

I wish people were as affectionate with other people as they are with animals/pets. I would love it someone were to tell me how handsome/cute/adorable I am as often as they tell their dogs, or even just show me as much affection as they do their pets and kiss me and hug me and cuddle me and just tell me how much they love me. But no, in our world, I'm lucky just to be looked at for more than a passing second. I'm lucky to be shown any affection outside of home. No one seems comfortable enough to show me any affection. No one will give me a hug, or link arms with me, nor will they throw their arm around my shoulder or hold my hand. I don't need anything romantic, all I want is to be shown that I mean something to someone, and that they genuinely like me. Why don't people do this?

---

Ways To Describe Someone's Voice

adenoidal (adj): if someone’s voice is adenoidal, some of the sound seems to come through their nose

appealing (adj): an appealing look/voice shows that you want help, approval, or agreement

breathy (adj): with loud breathing noises

brittle (adj): if you speak in a brittle voice, you sound as if you are about to cry

croaky (adj): if someone’s voice sounds croaky, they speak in a low, rough voice that sounds as if they have a sore throat

dead (adj): if someone’s eyes or voice are dead, they feel or show no emotion

disembodied (adj): a disembodied voice comes from someone who you cannot see

flat (adj): spoken in a voice that does not go up and down; this word is often used for describing the speech of people from a particular region

fruity (adj): a fruity voice or laugh is deep and strong in a pleasant way

grating (adj): a grating voice, laugh, or sound is unpleasant and annoying

gravelly (adj): a gravelly voice sounds low and rough

gruff (adj): this voice has a rough, low sound

guttural (adj): a guttural sound is deep and made at the back of your throat

high-pitched (adj): true to its name, a high-pitched voice or sound is very high

hoarse (adj): someone who is hoarse, or has a hoarse voice, speaks in a low, rough voice, usually because their throat is sore

honeyed (adj): honeyed words or a honeyed voice sound very nice, but you cannot trust the person who is speaking

husky (adj): a husky voice is deep and sounds hoarse (as if you have a sore throat), often in an attractive way

low (adj): a low voice is quiet and difficult to hear; also used for describing a deep voice that has a long wavelength

matter-of-fact (adj): usually used if the person speaking knows what they are talking about (or absolutely think they know what they are talking about)

modulated (adj): a modulated voice is controlled and pleasant to listen to

monotonous (adj): this kind of voice is boring and unpleasant due to the fact that it does not change in loudness or become higher/lower

nasal (adj): someone with a nasal voice sounds as if they are speaking through their nose

orotund (adj): an orotund voice is loud and clear

penetrating (adj): a penetrating voice is so high or loud that it makes you slightly uncomfortable

plummy (adj): a plummy voice or way of speaking is considered to be typical of an English person of a high social class; this word shows that you dislike people who speak like this

quietly (adj): in a soft, quiet voice

raucous (adj): a raucous voice or noise is loud and sounds rough

ringing (adj): a ringing voice is very loud and clear

rough (adj): a rough voice is not soft and is unpleasant to listen to

shrill (adj): a shrill voice is very loud, high, and unpleasant

silvery (adj): this voice is clear, light, and pleasant

singsong (adj): if you speak in a singsong voice, your voice rises and falls in a musical way

small (adj): a small voice is quiet

smoky (adj): a smoky voice is sexually attractive in a slightly mysterious way

softly spoken (adj): someone who is softly spoken has a quiet, gentle voice

soft-spoken (adj): speaking or said in a quiet, gentle voice

sotto voce (adj, adv): in a very quiet voice

stentorian (adj): a stentorian voice sounds very loud and severe

strangled (adj): a strangled sound is one that someone stops before they finish making it

strident (adj): this voice is loud and unpleasant

taut (adj): used about something such as a voice that shows someone is nervous or angry

thick (adj): if your voice is thick with an emotion, it sounds less clear than usual because of the emotion

thickly (adv): with a low voice that comes mostly from your throat

thin (adj): a thin voice or sound is high and unpleasant to listen to

throaty (adj): a throaty sound is low and seems to come from deep in your throat

tight (adj): shows that you are nervous or annoyed

toneless (adj): does not express any emotion

tremulous (adj): if your voice is tremulous, it is not steady; for example, because you are afraid or excited

wheezy (adj): a wheezy noise sounds as if it is made by someone who has difficulty breathing

wobbly (adj): if your voice is wobbly, it goes up and down, usually because you are frightened, not confident, or are going to cry

booming (adj): very loud and attention-getting

quavering (adv): if your voice quavers, it is not steady because you are feeling nervous or afraid

a voice like a foghorn: very loud voice

in an undertone: using a quiet voice so that someone cannot hear you

someone’s dulcet tones: the sound of someone’s voice as they speak

"I think we are in rats' alley/Where the dead men lost their bones."

Elliot, T. S. 1922. The Waste Land.

Lavenderwhisp’s Types of Witches Master Post

Add on anything missed!

Witch: magical practitioner

Elemental Witch: Witches who work around the 5 elements: Water, Earth, Air, Fire, and Spirit.

Earth Witch: Witches who specifically work with their magic around the element of Earth, through grounding exercises, rock/soil collecting, crystal magic, and Green Witchery. Earth zodiac signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Types of Earth Witches: Green Witch: use plants/herbs/flowers in herbal and natural magic, such as using them in spells and creating remedies with them. Garden Witch: A version of a Green Witch, they enjoy working with the earth through gardening and using their herbs and plants to help and care for their families and loved ones. Flora Witch: Similar to the above witches, they work with flowers in their practice. Their Book of Shadows would likely be full of Green Witchery, such as than herbs and herbal recipes, and flower classifications and associations. Marijuana Witch: A type of Green Witch, Marijuana has been used for spiritual and medicinal purposes throughout history. These witches use marijuana for magical purposes and use herbal recipes with marijuana. Rock Witch: Witches who work with all rocks, including stones and crystals. They enjoy geology and their Book of Shadows is full of geology and crystal healing. They are most likely involved in a scientific field, such as geography or archaeology where they can be close to the Earth. Crystal Witch: Witches who work with stones and crystals, such as through crystal healing. Their Book of Shadows will most likely have information about the stones, chakra balance, and crystal meditation. Forest Witch: A witch who enjoys the company of trees and live amongst them. The seclusion is perfect for cottage magic and tree magic. They also enjoy the company of fey and woodland animals, and use local plants. Swamp Witch: Witches who live within the swamps, use swamp plants, and enjoy the company of swamp animals. Desert Witch: A witch who lives in the desert, enjoys the natural desert scenery, uses desert plants, bones, sand in their practice, collects desert rocks, and befriend desert animals such as snakes, lizards, and scorpions. They also tend to use the elements of Wind and Fire as well as Earth in their practice. They normally worship desert deities and study desert lore in their area. Sand Witch: Sand witches live where a lot of sand is in the local earth, such as the desert or the beach. Their home is filled with different types of sand and rocks. Water Witch: Witches who work with the element of Water. Water magic includes water scrying, collecting water, swimming and other water-related actives. Water zodiac signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Types of Water Witches:

Sea Witch: They work with magic and deities around the ocean and oceanic world. The practice sea magic using seashells and bones, sea weed, beach sand, driftwood, ocean water, etc. They also may worship sea deities and enjoy the imagery of sea creatures.

Ice/Arctic Witch: A witch who lives amongst snow covered land for most of the year or have a deep appreciation for the cold and snow. They worship ice deities, use snow water, and enjoy the cold. 

River/stream/spring witch: Witches who work with running water, worship river deities, and study local river lore.

Lake witch: Witches who live around a lake. They fish, befriend frogs, observe wildlife, canoe or kayak in their spare time, and swim to feel grounded. They may worship water/lake deities and study local lake lore. Bath Witch: Another type of water witch, but much more domestic. These witches enjoy the calming effect of bathing, make bath salts, and enjoy bath magic. Air/Wind Witch: Witches who center around the element of Air. They work with wind, using tools, symbols, and deities associated with Air. Air zodiac signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius Fire Witch: Witches who focus on the element of Fire and fire magic, such as candle magic, and may worship deities associated with fire. Fire zodiac signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius 

Other Natural Witch types: 

Seasonal Witch: Witches who draw magic during a specific time of the year. They are known as Winter, Fall, Spring and Summer witches who have a deep connection to the season they love. A seasonal witch gains most of their power during and from the season they identify with. For example, a person who loves the heat and sunshine of summer will soak up the rays and become very magical during the summer. They practice magic throughout they year, but they have that favorite season, like we all do. They would incorporate seasonal specific plants, symbols, colors,deities, and so on. Their work could also be affected depending on where they live, such as one season occurs for a longer period of time more than any others instead of the distinct 4 seasons. North Witch: North witches identify with the direction of North and the symbolism it represents, such as infinite possibilities, earth, creativity, and home. East Witch: East witches worship the East Cardinal Direction and the associations East represents, such as the future, air, communication, and trust. West Witch: West witches identify with the direction of West and its associations of the past, confidence, water, emotion, and the psyche. South Witch: South witches enjoy the direction of South and its representation of the present, fire, energy, physical strength, and health. Sun Witch: A witch who enjoys sunshine, works with spell work involving the sun during the daytime, and sun deities. Lunar/Moon Witch: A witch who draws magic from the moon. They are nocturnal witches and closely follow the phases of the moon, and do magic according to the lunar calendar. They also tend to worship deities associated with the moon. Astronomical/Space Witch: Witches who focus on the planets and stars. Their Book of Shadows will have information about each planet, the zodiac and astrology, and the enjoy nocturnal magic based on astronomical charts and the alignment of the planets. Nocturnal Witch: A witch who works with nocturnal deities and magical work at night. They find solace in darkness, the darker side of life, and normally wear dark colors. There is a great book by Konstantinos called Nocturnal Witchcraft. Storm/Weather Witch: Witches who combine one’s energy with the energy of the weather and storms. They collect rain water, utilize the energy of a lightning storm, and so on. Animal Witch: Witches who have a deep appreciation for all animals and use animal materials, draw on their energy, and most of the time worship animal deities. Animal witches can worship and draw from any type of animal, but here are some popular examples. Empath Witch: An empath is a form of psychic who can feel other peoples feelings. It’s a knowing that goes way beyond intuition or gut feelings, even though that is how many would describe the knowing. Gray witch: Also known as a neutral witch, practices magic that does not harm nor benefit others. They will mostly benefit and harm at the same time, creating a neutral or balanced effect. They believe a witch who cannot curse, cannot heal, Also, to them nature is not completely positive, nor completely negative, it is neutral and balanced. Dream Witch: Witches who use their magic in dreams and to restore the body throughout the night often drawing energy from the moon or darkness while they sleep. These witches often keep dream journals and enjoy meditation. Specialty Witch types: Divination Witch: Witches who work with practices of divination, such as tarot readings, palmistry, tea leaf reading, and so on. Hedge Witch: Also known as shamans. They use a type of magic that is oriented around the spiritual world. Astral travel/projection, lucid dreaming, spirit-work, healing, and out-of-body experiences are some of the magic they do. Angelic Witch: Witches who work with and worship angels, such as the Archangels, guardian angels, and throne angels. Fairie/Faery/Fey Witch: Witches who communicate and work with the fey, such as calling on them and leaving them offerings regularly to thank them for their assistance. They study fairy and elemental spirit lore, especially in regards to their local area. Kitchen Witch: Witches who enjoy working in the kitchen and put their magic into herbal mixtures, brewing, baking, and cooking. Cottage Witch: A lot like a kitchen witch, they enjoy being in their home and doing things for their loved ones. Urban Witch: Witches who live in a urban environment and use more modern practices of magic. They may substitute traditional ingredients with modern ones, use traditional tools but in a new way, such as wearing sigils on their clothing or as a tattoo, use electronic sources, and have their Book of Shadows on their computer. Urban witchery is all about combining the old with the new. Religious Witch: Witches who practice their religious beliefs in cohesion with their craft. Common Types of Religious Witches: Pagan Witch: A Pagan formally means a person who worships more than one deity. Paganism is also normally an umbrella term for any religion other than the Abrahamic religions. Wiccan: Wicca is a modern Pagan religion. Wiccans worship nature and use magic for positive unharmful change. Wiccans follow the Wiccan Rede, which simply states that you will not use magic to harm others or yourself. Wiccans worship a God and Goddess, along with other Pagan deities, who embody femininity and masculinity. Wiccans have a calendar of 8 Pagan holidays and Wiccan traditions were influenced by many sources, such as Celtic traditions. Thelemic Witches: The Thelema philosophy is a precursor to Wicca created in the early 1900s, and has similar tenants to Wicca, such as “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will.” Modern Thelemics may practice more than one religion and worship other deities than the 3 main Egyptian deities in their texts, Nuit, Hadit and Ra-Hoor-Khuit. Witchcraft is also part of the Thelemic religion. Satanic Witch: Satanism includes symbolic association with, or admiration for, Satan, whom Satanists see as an inspiring and liberating figure. Satanic witches don’t always worship Satan, but rather follow the beliefs preached in Satanism. Christian Witch: Christian witches follow the teachings of Christ and worship God and Jesus through witchcraft. Jewish Witch: Another kind of Abrahamic witch, these witches follow the teachings within the Torah and worship God through using their witchcraft. Kemetic Witch: Kemetist witches practice a modern religion based upon the ancient Egyptian family of gods/goddesses and ancient Egyptian ritual practice. The Kemetic religion is primarily polytheistic. Depending on the practitioner, it can be hard polytheism to soft polytheism. The type of craft a Kemetic is most likely to practice is called Heka. It utilizes words and images to get things done. It is also important to note that the culture/religion is open to all people of different walks of life, anyone can be Kemetic, it was a open culture when it was alive. More important than the gods, the entire goal of the religion, is to uphold Ma'at. Ma'at is usually generalized as justice and being honest. Some Kemetics do not worship gods, but focuses on upholding Ma'at. In short, Kemetism is a reconstruction of the Ancient Egyptian religion. Buddhist Witch: A witch or Wiccan who also identifies as Buddhist. These witches believe all life is sacred, they practice compassion and nonviolence, and their ultimate goal on their spiritual path is to find Enlightenment. Many witches incorporate meditation into their witchcraft and many Wiccans also believe in reincarnation like Buddhists. Many witches and Wiccans also believe in karma, a Buddhist philosophy. Buddhism really works hand in hand with the already highly spiritual and natural Craft. Regionally Specific Witchery: most were originally tribal based and feature many similarities, such as Paganism and similar craft practices

Europe

Norse: Norse witches worship Norse deities. Witchcraft was very important in ancient Viking culture and a normal part of their everyday life. Warrior shamanism, runes, and sacrifices to the Gods were just some of their important practices. 

Heathen Witch:Heathenry is Norse/Anglo-Saxon/any Germanic Paganism, also called Asatrú: Ásatrú is a polytheistic faith based on pre-Christian Northern European Pagan beliefs. Emphasis on historical accuracy and the heroic tales as recorded in texts and personal honor, truth and integrity are considered to be some of the highest virtues.

Druid: Druidry means following a spiritual path rooted in the green Earth and hails from the United Kingdom. It means participating in Celtic wisdom teachings, but embracing the contributions of many peoples and times. Druids worship Celtic deities and practice earth based magic. Hellenic Witch: Witches who are Hellenic or Greek Pagans (Hellenists, Hellenes, Hellenism) are generally polytheists who worship the ancient Greek Olympian gods. Offerings to the Gods are an extremely important element of ritual practice. Hellenismos consider hospitality of great important and place great value on the study and use of classical Greek philosophical texts. Roman Witch: Roman Pagan witches practice Religio Romana, the pre-Christian religion of Rome. The modern religion reconstructs the ancient faith of Rome and its gods, goddesses and rituals as closely as possible. Every attempt is based on historical accuracy and archaeological evidence. Like their friends the Hellenic Witches focus on the original classical texts, writers and language of their ancestors. Italian Witch: Strega (Stregheria, La Vecchia Religione, “The Old Religion”), Italian witches practice a form of Witchcraft that encompasses elements of the pre-Christian European magical teachings and ancient Etruscan and Tuscan religions. Many modern Italian Witches today, especially those who still reside in Italy, are Christians who also practice their Old Religion. Slavic Witches: Today, old techniques of divination, magic, soul travel and healing is known from their ancestors and their native faith Rodnovery. These families, the volkhvy, who have “witchblood” have ancestors from ancient Rodnover priesthood. They are considered masters of a much larger tradition in Russia called koldovstvo, or chaklynstvo. One does not have to possess the lineage of the volkhvy to practice koldovstvo. The Russian volkhvy are thought to be descended from shamans who could shape-shift into bears and wolves, while in Macedonia and Bulgaria they are considered to be descended from dragons. Slavic witches also revere Baba Yaga, one of the most important witch lore figures in Slavic culture, who commonly appears as an old crone who flies within a mortar and holds a pestle. She has many faces, like the Wiccan triple Goddess, such as an Earth Goddess or a symbol of Death.

Africa

African Witch: African witchcraft varies region to region of the African continent and can be tribally specific. African witchcraft normally delves in spirit work and shamanism. The most well known type of African witchcraft is Voodoo (Vodou). Voodoo is an ancient West African religion based on spirit work. Voodoo is a religion of spirits. Voodooists believe that the world of humans is shared by the world of the spirits. When a person dies, his spirit passed to the world of the unseen but is still able to see the human world. Spirits, it is believed, in some cases can even impact the world of the living. They also seen as witch doctors in their communities who can heal, work with divination, and give their customers charms and amulets to bring them luck, love, harm to others, and so on.

The Americas

Native American Witch: Each region and tribe of Native Americans have its own unique kind of witchcraft. Each tribe has their own rituals, performed ceremonies, and ritual outfits. They each have their own tools, carvings, and totem poles. In spite of all their differences, Native Americans share a sense of oneness with their land, practice herbology, and hunt, use, and honor animals of Native America. A common magical practice known to have roots in Native American magic is the practice of smudging. Appalachian Witches:Witches within the Appalachian Mountains are a very isolated family from most other people. For most it is a family tradition to practice and they hand down a Grimoire, that are most likely written in a language early members created during a time when they couldn’t read/write English. Isolated witch groups and families can be found in any part of the world where geography isolates them, or did isolate the past generations, from the rest of the world. Haitian Vodou: A sect of African Voodoo, they believe in a supreme creator, Bondye, and worship the spirits subservient to him, the Loa. Every Loa is responsible for a particular aspect of life and they cultivate a relationship and worship them much like Pagans worship their Gods and Goddesses. Haitian religious culture is derived from the Kongolese tradition of kanga, the practice of tying one’s soul to something tangible, which is evident in Haitian Vodou. Fearing an uprising in opposition to the US occupation of Haiti, political and religious elites, along with Hollywood and the film industry, sought to trivialize the practice of Vodou. After the Haitian Revolution, many Haitians fled as refugees to New Orleans. Free and enslaved Haitians who moved to New Orleans brought their religious beliefs with them and reinvigorated the Voodoo practices that were already present in the city. Eventually, Voodoo in New Orleans became hidden and the magical components were left present in the public sphere. This created what is called hoodoo in the southern part of the United States. Louisiana Voodoo: A sect of African Voodoo, knowledge of herbs, poisons, the ritual creation of charms and amulets, and the intension to protect oneself or harm others are key elements of Louisiana Voodoo. Voodoo queens have great power in their communities, are ritual leaders, and draw crowds to buy their magical products, such as “gris gris” amulets and spells that will grant the customers desire. There also Voodoo kings, their male equivalent. American Hoodoo: A sect of Louisiana Voodoo that is ever evolving. Hoodoo practitioners use gris-gris items, such as amulets and charms, to cure their customers ailments, bring them luck and love, and whatever they desire. Some work closely with the Bible, and have said to see Moses as magical figure. Bruja/Brujo Witches:cWitches who practice witchcraft, brujeria, who are descended from, or live in Spanish speaking South America. Santeria and Folk Catholicism are practiced in nearly all of Latin America. They are worshipers, healers, priests, priestesses, and witches. For practice, they buy their goods at shops called Botanicas

Brazilian Shamanism(“Pajé”): Like other tribal or local shaman, they work with the spirit world,work with divination, and are seen as healers. Shamanism is often hereditary in Brazil and they work with a specific animals spirit to derive power from, such as the jaguar. Umbanda is the incorporation of catholic saints with the beliefs of afro-brazilians religions.

Kahunas of Hawaii: Like other shamans, they invoke spiritual help, conduct rituals, and have Pagan local gods who are given offerings. They also have various crafts of Kahunas, such as a high priest, dream interpreter, and reader of the skies. To the Kahunas, and many witches today and in the past, the subconscious is your greatest ally or greatest foe for achieving health, wealth, and happiness.

Asia

Japanese Witch: The Pagan Japanese religion of Shinto is shamanistic. Witch is a very positive term in Japan. Japanese witchcraft is commonly separate into two types: those who familiar snakes and those who familiar foxes. Korean Shamans( Muism or Sinism): Sinism is Pagan shamanism pre-dating Buddhism and Confucianism. The Mu, also known as magician, medicine man, mystic or poet, have the ability to will people into a trance state and astral project. The Mu provides physical, psychological, and spiritual healing. These shamans emphasize holistic living. There are different types of Mu and they are link to the mother goddess associated with a mountain. Each region has a different mountain association, thus a different goddess associated with that region. They make sacrifices to the gods, worship ancestors, sing songs, and meditate. Chinese Wuism: Chinese shamanism, also called Wuism, was first recorded in the Shang dynasty. These men and women are seen to meditate with the powers to generate things, worship ancestors, and can communicate with the spirits. Gods of nature are prominent in Wuism.

Filipino Witch: Kulam is a form of folk magic from the Phiippines. It emphasizes personal power and the secret knowledge of Magica Baja. Like other witches they practice candle magic, scrying, spell work, and a mangkukulam, a version of the Voodoo doll. They also are witch doctors like other folk magic practitioners who uses divination to diagnose a victim and try to cure them.

Eclectic Witch: Most modern witches follow many practices, traditions, may be religious or secular, and go by many titles.

Just so you know, you can always watch the Earth live from the ISS. Its really relaxing to me (the music they play is soothing too)

A Crash Course in Warding

Let’s just start a series of crash courses in witchcraft, since sometimes we need to learn things the quick and dirty way. Today, let’s talk about wards.

What are wards? Wards are protective energy barriers. They keep things out. You can place them around your home, certain rooms, even on certain objects. With practice and clear intentions, you can focus the wards to block out everything or only certain things. We’ll get to that in a bit.

Why should I ward my space and my things? Wards can keep out all sorts of things you don’t want in your home. They can block out negative entities, wayward spirits, mischievous entities, demons, and (if you’re really good at what you’re doing) even gods. Some people ward their divination tools so they know there are no spirits tampering with the results.

So what do I need to do first? Cleanse. This is very important. Wards are kind of like walls, or perhaps more accurately, bubbles. If you don’t clean the space first, you might trap things inside your ward bubble. You do not want that. There are lots of methods of cleansing, from burning sage to spritzing oil-infused water. Find a method you’re comfortable with and cleanse everything you’re going to be warding.

I’ve cleansed my home/item. Now what? Now we ward. I’m going to give you a couple methods. Let’s start with my favorite, incense warding.

Incense warding can also be done with spritzes of water/essential oil blends or herb-infused water if you can’t have smoke in your space. Whichever you’re using, you want to have a blend of protective herbs. Bay leaves, cinnamon, ginger, mustard seed, and salt are some great options that you can find in the grocery store, no fancy witch shop necessary. If you’re using incense, make sure you’re using natural incense and not super cheap stuff that’s artificially scented. The magic is in the herbs, and you won’t get that from fake scents.

How to Incense/Spritz Ward an Item

Smoke or spray item.

Visualize the smoke or spray clinging to the item and wrapping around it like a tight blanket, protecting it from anything that would cause harm (or interference, etc.).

How to Incense/Spritz Ward Your Space

Pick a place to start. I always start at my altar, but it’s up to you. If you’re doing multiple floors, start either at the top or bottom floor.

Moving continuously to your right, smoke or spray along the walls and door frames. As you go, imagine a barrier being formed around the walls, ceiling, and floor, pushing outwards to fill the room. Visualize the smoke or spray forming the barrier to keep out anything that will do you harm. [If you have a hard time with visualization, you can simply focus on the intent of the smoke or spray keeping things out.]

Keep moving right, following the layout of your home, making sure you get all the closet spaces. You basically want to outline the entire area you’re protecting, whether it’s you’re room or your whole house.

For multiple floors, repeat on each level.

For big layouts where there are rooms in the middle, go around those rooms as well.

I like to reinforce the wards over outside doors, windows, and mirrors. These are all passages of sorts, and when I reach them, I use the incense to draw a pentagram in the air over them. This is entirely up to you.

You’re done when you’ve reached the point where you began.

So why do we go to the right? Is that important? Kind of. Going to the right is like going clockwise. It’s about making things and progression, where going to the left or counter-clockwise is about deconstruction or reversal. [I read this idea in a witchy book a long time ago and will try to find a source when I can. If you honestly don’t feel it makes a difference, do whatever you’re comfortable with.]

Can I place wards that keep out certain things but not others? Sure. When you’re going around your space/warding your item, your intent is what’s important. I like to ward out entities that mean harm - it’s nice and general and doesn’t keep the fae out. Some people might want certain spirits and not others. Have your intentions clear in your mind as you place your wards.

That’s neat and all, but what are some other ways to ward? Let’s list a few.

Symbol/Sigil Wards

Choose (or make) a symbol or sigil that has protective properties. I’ve done this with Pluto’s astrological symbol because I worship him and it’s my way of being like, “Hey, Pluto. Please protect me, kthanxbai.” Pentagrams are nice and basic witchy/pagan symbols if you like them.

Draw the symbol over doors and windows. You do not literally have to draw it. It can be in water, incense smoke, or just your finger against the surface if you want.

As you’re drawing, make sure you have your intentions in mind - that nothing harmful can pass through this door, that the windows remain closed against entities, etc.

Energy Bubbles (if you have control over your energy)

Pick an item - any item.

Get your warding intentions in mind.

Channel lots of energy into the item. Visualize it emanating from the item in a bubble to fill your space.

If you’ve got mad skillz, you can form the bubble to the walls and be super exact with where its barriers are.

Vocal Wards

If you like spoken (or thought) spells, come up with a small chant to protect your space.

You can repeat this chant as you focus on your item being protected or as you walk around your home, protecting every room.

This is really great to incorporate into basically any other form of warding and gives your magic an extra bit of oomph.

I’ve heard wards can “fade” over time. True or false? Wards are just energy. Like all energies, they can disperse and weaken over time, or if something particularly nasty puts effort into destroying them. Redo your wards every so often (I do mine every few months, but it’s up to you), and especially before spiritual interactions. I also like to do mine after I’ve had lots of company, to kind of clear out family’s lingering energies and reinforce what I don’t want in my house.

In general, the intent of your wards is the most important part. Know what you want to keep out. This concludes our crash course on warding. Now go forth and protect some stuff!

Myths, Creatures, and Folklore

Want to create a religion for your fictional world? Here are some references and resources!

General:

General Folklore

Various Folktales

Heroes

Weather Folklore

Trees in Mythology

Animals in Mythology

Birds in Mythology

Flowers in Mythology

Fruit in Mythology

Plants in Mythology

Folktales from Around the World

Africa:

Egyptian Mythology

African Mythology

More African Mythology

Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

The Gods of Africa

Even More African Mythology

West African Mythology

All About African Mythology

African Mythical Creatures

Gods and Goddesses

The Americas:

Aztec Mythology

Haitian Mythology

Inca Mythology

Maya Mythology

Native American Mythology

More Inca Mythology

More Native American Mythology

South American Mythical Creatures

North American Mythical Creatures

Aztec Gods and Goddesses

Asia:

Chinese Mythology

Hindu Mythology

Japanese Mythology

Korean Mythology

More Japanese Mythology

Chinese and Japanese Mythical Creatures

Indian Mythical Creatures

Chinese Gods and Goddesses

Hindu Gods and Goddesses

Korean Gods and Goddesses

Europe:

Basque Mythology

Celtic Mythology

Etruscan Mythology

Greek Mythology

Latvian Mythology

Norse Mythology

Roman Mythology

Arthurian Legends

Bestiary

Celtic Gods and Goddesses

Gods and Goddesses of the Celtic Lands

Finnish Mythology

Celtic Mythical Creatures

Gods and Goddesses

Middle East:

Islamic Mythology

Judaic Mythology

Mesopotamian Mythology

Persian Mythology

Middle Eastern Mythical Creatures

Oceania:

Aboriginal Mythology

Polynesian Mythology

More Polynesian Mythology

Mythology of the Polynesian Islands

Melanesian Mythology

Massive Polynesian Mythology Post

Maori Mythical Creatures

Hawaiian Gods and Goddesses

Hawaiian Goddesses

Gods and Goddesses

Creating a Fantasy Religion:

Creating Part 1

Creating Part 2

Creating Part 3

Creating Part 4

Fantasy Religion Design Guide

Using Religion in Fantasy

Religion in Fantasy

Creating Fantasy Worlds

Beliefs in Fantasy

Some superstitions:

Read More

Descriptive words for characters: personality traits (pt 1)

for studying, creative writing, book reviews, essays, fanfiction & other things

Nervous / scared easily

startled

afraid

spooked

tense

high-strung

on edge

fidgety

overwrought

Happy

bashful

in high spirits

elated

contented

joyful

overjoyed

jubilant

gleeful

grumpy/sad

sullen

down

peeved/peevish

cantankerous

querulous

dissatisfied

irritable

cold/doesn’t care

impassive

(wilfully)ignorant

coldblooded

unfeeling

apathetic

unsymphatetic

cold-hearted

blah

flat

unmoved

deadened

angry/reactive/mean

dramatic

enraged

heated

offended

inflamed

provoked

irrated

livid

scornful

splenetic

cranky

belligerent

acerbic

confident/brave

collected

unwavering

certain

composed

steady

has a lot of fantasy/lighthearted/playful

whimsical

light

blithe

eccentric

quirky

joyful

sympathetic

sudden changes/moodswings

impulsive

any way the wind blows

capricious

vagarious

unstable

volatile

changeable

sneaky/evil/secretive

cunning

clandestine

two-timing

insidious

fraudulent

deceptive

shady

surreptitious

wily

devious

you can trust this person/honest

reliable

loyal

respectable

solid

safe

responsible

true-hearted

different from most common/different from norm/strange(some positve, some negative,some neutral)

divergent

non conforming

atypical

heteroclite

peculiar

odd

bizarre

weird

anomalous

ludicrous

cooky

absurd

daft

bananas