Always Cleanse Your Cards 🕯️🍃🥀

Racism, Spirituality, and Witchblr

As a Black witch, it first made me relieved to see so many people in the community band together for Black Lives Matter. Over the past 5 years as a member of the Witchblr community, I have been subjected to numerous acts of racist microaggressions and attacks ranging from slurs being thrown at me, death threats, insults to my cultural practices because they’re different from European witchcraft and folk magic, attempted doxxing, and more because I was outspoken about anti-racist action. And that doesn’t include the many accounts of racism and bigotry that I witnessed secondhand. So seeing the community come together to support BLM made me hopeful that there would be a cultural shift within the community. 

But, as time went on, the amount of support for BLM that I saw in the tags slowly began to dwindle as if the movement had some hidden expiration date for allies, as if all the work was done after the mass spells performed on the eclipse.

The work is far from over, witchblr. We still need to protest, sign petitions, donate, and do our part to end police brutality, defund/disband the police and abolish prisons, and address the systemic racism that exists in all facets of society.

To look “locally,” the same problems in our community still exist. And while we alone cannot eradicate racism from the whole of society, we can absolutely prevent its spread on witchblr and in other spiritual/occult communities. 

Being an ally means more than posting a black square on your Instagram page or changing your profile picture to “heathens against racism.” Being an ally means actively being anti-racist and doing your part to ensure the community is truly inclusive and safe for people of color.

So, how can we begin to address the problem of racism in the spiritual communities both online and offline? Here are a few tips. I’ve focused largely on how white allies can address racism as it impacts Black practitioners, as I can only speak from my own experience as a Black person. Other people of color of all races are welcome to add onto this.

Stop supporting cultural appropriation. I don’t care if they’re your favorite blogger, your favorite diviner, your favorite occult supply store, etc, but if they’re posting about hoodoo sweetening/honey jars and they’re not Black, it’s time to block and unfollow. If they claim they speak for the Orisha or the Lwa and they aren’t initiated, it’s time to block and unfollow. If you don’t respect our cultural practices, you don’t really respect us.

Educate yourself on non-European practices. Did you know that there are more ATRs than just Lucumi, Vodou, and hoodoo? Can you explain the difference between Voodoo/Vodou and hoodoo? What is the difference between hoodoo and witchcraft? If you can’t answer these questions, time to do some reading! Educating yourself prevents you from appropriating or saying/spreading ignorant misinformation.

Stop supporting spiritual/occult organizations that act as performative allies and/or refuse to explicitly support practitioners of color. That means covens, fraternal organizations, Discord servers, pagan temples, conventions, and other spiritual organizations (large and small.) Don’t donate to these groups and don’t attend these groups or their events.

Amplify the voices of Black practitioners. How many Black spiritual/occult authors, diviners, bloggers, podcasters, astrologers, priest/priestesses, and/or vloggers can you name? How many African or Black philosophers can you name? Our voices and contributions to religion, spirituality, and the occult matter. Listen to us.

Deplatform racists. If you are a moderator or leader of a spiritual/occult community, delete/ban/kick out anyone who expresses racist or bigoted ideologies. Defending racists under the guise of “freedom of speech” just allows them to spread their hate and potentially harm or traumatize POC. Even if you’re not in a position of power, refuse to engage with bigots to prevent their message from spreading. Don’t reblog their posts, watch their videos, buy their products, etc. If you can, spread receipts of their racist acts instead.

Stop speaking over practitioners of color. If we say that something is racist/appropriation/insensitive, listen to us instead of arguing in an attempt to “save face.” We all make mistakes. Just own up to it and do what you can to fix the situation. Attacking us just because we demand equal respect is an act of racism in and of itself.

Support Black-owned businesses. Instead of buying your herbs from Amazon, go to a botanica. Get readings or other metaphysical services from Black diviners. We deserve to be compensated for our labor. It’s the least you can do considering a large chunk of modern folk magic is inspired by, influenced by, or straight up stolen from Black spiritual practices.

De-center yourself from the conversation. Cool, you’re an empath or a “sensitive”, but venting all day about how much pain you’re in is honestly insulting. And, if you want to rant about all the racist things your family has done, maybe go to one of your other white friends instead of forcing us to listen to you repeat their racist garbage.

Acknowledge your own biases and privileges. There are tons of resources out there on white privilege, white fragility, and unconscious forms of racism. Educate yourself.

Keep up the work outside of witchblr and spiritual communities. Keep donating, keep signing petitions, and keep using your platform for anti-racist action.

These points are only the tip of the iceberg. Racism is so deeply embedded in our society that it won’t be removed overnight. But if you want to claim the title of “ally,” you need to join in and continue doing the work. Unlike you, we don’t get to “opt out” of caring for the movement as racism impacts us every single day of our lives. Don’t opt out on us now.

Witchy Things You Probably Did Before Learning/Realizing You Were A Witch:

Talk to trees or animals/Connect with nature and/or animals as if they were your friends🌿🐾

Use leaves to make "potions" and magical concoctions🍵

Make wishes with candles and/or above mentioned potions🕯

Pretend that your food or drink was a magic potion of power or whatever you had wished for, lol 🥘🧃

Pretend to be a witch, goddess, powerful being, forest/water nymph, mermaid, or some celestial/"mythical" being🧚‍♀️🧜🏻‍♀️🧞‍♂️🧝🏽‍♂️

Try to see if you could control the weather with your emotions ⛈

Try to move things with your mind or read other peoples 🧠

Talk to the sun, moons, stars, etc. ⭐🌙☀️

Write spells, chants, or incantations in your notebook or on paper (or napkins, lol) 📜

Notice things you have spent time thinking about seem to happen the way you thought it would or wished it would (maybe sometimes how you wished it wouldnt have turn out *unconsciously manifesting the negative*) 💭

Experience dream deja vu and/or dream messages 🛌

Believed in ghosts and spirits or had some sort of supernatural experience(s) 👻

Collected Rocks, seashells, twigs, etc🐚

Looked for or was more frequently drawn to supernatural/mystical/mythical based books 🔮

Had memories that you couldnt explain or were too young to have and/or had *visions that were true or came true 👁

There are plenty more examples, these are just a few that I could think of on the spot 🤓, please reblog or comment with your own 😬🦋🧿🔮🌙🍃

You have always been a witch, you just didn't know it yet. ☽🧿☾

Just small things you can use to incorporate a little magick into your day 🥰🧿

Beautiful Old Italian Greenhouse Overgrown With Vegetation

📍Italy

📷 from @ksenia_hound

“The lack of materials or tool should never prevent a witch from performing magick.”

— Mat Auryn, Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick, and Manifestation (via libercoven)

Don’t let the mainstream sterilize witchcraft

It’s not just love & light and good vibes. 

Witchcraft is walking through the dark when the light let you down.

Witchcraft is crossing your enemies who would rather see you fail.

Witchcraft is giving yourself agency and fighting your abusers.

Witchcraft is owning who you are in a world that wants you to conform.

Witchcraft is confronting your own shadow and healing.

Witchcraft is screaming when you were told to be silent.

dancing in the mushroom circle

Methods of Spell Work

To Banish: • Burning to ashes and sweeping away the ashes • Cast out a window, down a cliffside, etc • Bury it and spit on the spot

To Bind: • Wrap in black thread • Cover in wax or other material • Seal in jar and hide in dark spot

To Hide: • Wrap in ribbon • Place in a (painted) black jar or other container • Cover in cloth or other material and bury

To Encourage: • Plant or bury near the front door/steps • Plant or bury near a window • Place near a window

To Communicate*: • Anoint a candle • Leave out an offering • Meditate • Open the front door and/or windows

To Glamour: • Leave under the full moon • Work with its reflection

To Cleanse: • Bury in salt • Burn herbs and pass through the smoke • Let it bathe in the moonlight

To Protect: • Leave sigils/wards on doors and windows • Carry sigils/wards on every day items (keys, phone case, etc) • Enchant jewelry with protection spells

*: Communication with deities, spirit guides, etc

True and sincere answer to all of the people who ask, "I have just seen X animal, what does this mean?":

Rejoice, my friend, for this is a most auspicious sign! You have received one of the greatest blessings known to human kind: you live in a world full of creatures! Take comfort and enjoy this divine blessing.