Coping Skills For Trauma Are Essential For Anyone, And Incorporating Them Into Your Practice Can Be Very

shydryad’s list of nasty shit to put in curse jars

Since my altar/offering idea list seemed to get a good response, here’s another list on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Be warned, some of this stuff is dangerous to handle, like, physically, not just magically. Don’t leave a curse jar full of anything that might rot in or near your house. I’m not responsible for the results of whatever you do with this information, or the results of any hexes you cast.

cemetery dirt

maceration water (if you’re not familiar with taxidermy terminology, it’s the water leftover after you let animal parts sit in it for a while to clean flesh off of bones)

labyrinth dirt

animal claws/teeth (pick an animal that corresponds with your intention)

rotten flesh/meat/eggs (be sure to bury the damn thing outside as far away from you as possible if you go this route)

the cheapest, nastiest vodka you can find, or malt liquor (good for spells targeting an abusive alcoholic)

vinegar

dead insects (especially spiders)

thunderstorm water

urine

cat shit

bullets

thorns

wasps nest

barbed wire

rusty nails/coffin nails

needles

spanish moss

bloodstone

iron filings

broken glass

razor blades

goofer dust (this one might be a bit controversial; depending on your views, this might be best to skip and leave for hoodoo practitioners to use)

mars water (especially if made on the day of mars, hour of mars)

crushed ants, wasps, and scorpions

blood root

black snake root

deerstongue

asafoetida

high john root

whole chili pepper

dragon’s blood

blackthorn bark

masterwort

coriander seed

Tips for when you’re considering Paganism

For my lovely friend @whoooooisthis!! I hope this helps love!

First things first, learn the basics. Cleansing, Warding, Banishing and Protection. 

Cleansing: You should cleanse when you’re having a bad day, are/were sick, after a breakup or loss, after arguments, during a major transition in life (graduation, birth, etc) and when you feel you need to. Cleansing cleans up the energy around you and keeps you safe. You can cleanse by lighting incense and passing the smoke around an object or room, bathing yourself or an object, burying an object, with salt (just don’t put it near dirt and plants!!), setting something in moonlight or sunlight (Make sure you keep track of which moon phase to cleanse on), with sound like bells or singing bowls, clapping, cleaning, burning sage or candles, using holy water or a protection spray, and touching each corner of a room and saying a prayer for each one. 

Warding: Wards are spiritual shields that keep you safe. There’s two types of wards - spacial (for spaces and rooms) and personal (for objects and the self). You will need to maintain wards by charging and clearing them. You can ward by using enchanted jewelry or objects, sigils (magical symbols with purposeful energy), energy shields, magic circles, spells, protective crystals, protection spell bottles, anointing the corners of a room and window and door sills with holy water or another warding substance. I personally like to drill holes in peach pits to wear as necklaces, they work quite well for warding. 

Banishing. There are tons of spells online that will teach you how to banish negative entities. If an entity is fucking with you, bad things keep happening or things just feel off, don’t be afraid to banish. Letting spirits know you’re not to be fucked with is incredibly important.

Protection. Light a black candle. Use salt and pepper for warding. Learn banishing and warding spells. Use protective sigils. Protection is incredibly important when concerning spirits, so educate yourself on this thoroughly. 

Now onto the fun stuff…

- Talk to things! Your house, your trees and plants, your spirit guides. You can do this out loud or in your head. And remember, even if they don’t respond, they’re probably still there. Just trust me on that

- It’s alright to forge your own unique path. I personally am Autistic and have terrible memory, so it’s important for me to forge my own craft. If something doesn’t work for you, don’t be afraid to change it. Substitutions can always be made.

- Meditate. Everyone says this, but it’s very true. Meditation not only calms the mind and body, but it opens you and your intuition/senses up to new forces

- Don’t ask for things without giving something in return. I lost my pillbox once and couldn’t find it anywhere. I walked out of my room, politely asked for it to be returned, and a few minutes later it was right there on my desk in plain sight. I left a little dish of honey out for whoever (or whatever) returned it. It’s always polite to approach with an offering and give one either before or after asking for something. You can do this with something as simple as picking a flower, always ask permission.

-  Make it an everyday thing. That doesn’t mean you have to do daily rituals or meditation sessions. Simply talking (again, in your head or out loud) to your spirit guides, practicing mindfulness and doing little spiritual things here and there are enough. This could be meditation, interpreting a potential sign you got today, saying good morning to the spirits you work with, leaving an offering (especially if you’re asking for something or something has already been done for you) and plain researching to expand your craft and knowledge. 

- Write it down. In witchcraft/paganism, almost everybody is journaling. It’s the best way to keep track of signs, experiences, feelings, omens, knowledge that may pertain to your craft, dreams, anything that might seem important. Many witches have a grimoire or book of shadows where they keep their witchy knowledge stored. These are often very personal, can be online or written by hand, and are entirely unique to you. You don’t need a 50 dollar designer spellbook. My grimoire is almost entirely online and printed out into a binder. You don’t have to be fancy. - Research!! Keep finding white feathers? Look up what that means! You want to give an offering? Look up what nature spirits and specific deities prefer! Make sure you’re knowledgeable about what you do.

- Incorporate what you know and what you’re used to. I grew up in a Polish family in an Eastern Orthodox church. Many of the practices I learned from my family and culture have carried on into my craft. Such as knocking on wood to prevent jinxes, wearing clothes backwards to see spirits and keep them from messing with you, and little cultural tricks like stepping out of a room and asking for lost items to be returned when you can’t find something. Keep it familiar.

That's really all I can think of for now, love. If you have any more questions, just let me know in a relog!!

Signs a Spirit Has Visited Your Dream

Whatever you were dreaming about previously comes to an abrupt stop, and a change in vibrational frequency occurs after the spirit appears.

The dream becomes more lucid, and you are able to act consciously and communicate effectively with the spirit. 

Your sensory perceptions become clearer.

The dream’s scenery reverts back to your room, and you see the spirit inside your room or beside your bed.

After the spirit has given you an important message, you wake up between 3-4 AM. 

You will instantly be able to recognise the spirit, often telepathically hearing it’s name.

Upon waking up, you are able to recount the dream in great detail.

The dream is accompanied by the spirit’s symbolism, especially if it is a deity.

You meet the spirit through a door or gateway - the astral threshold. 

Depending on what kind of spirit has visited you, you may wake up feeling drained and with a headache.

Reminders for Witches with Mental Illness, Chronic Illness, Disabilities, or Disorders

Creating boundaries in your witchcraft is healthy, respect your own boundaries and don't let anyone give you shit because of them

Taking care of yourself is just as important as researching your practice, you need to be okay before anything else

Making your craft accessible to your mental and/or physical disabilities is a right, not a privilege

Witchcraft can 100% be used as a coping skill for mental illness (as long as it is practiced carefully and realistically)

You do not ever need to disclose your craft to anyone

You are not less of a witch for having different needs than Neurotypical or Non-disabled people

Your craft is as unique as you are and that is a good thing

Peering Down the Path

A tarot spread for helping decide if a new direction you’re considering is right for you.

What Am I Missing? Things typically don’t beckon us when we are 100% content. What hole are you looking to fill? What element are you seeking out? What are you hoping to gain from this?

What Does This Path Offer? This is both the response to the question posed in the previous card and a guiding signifier for the whole spread. What does this specific path bring you? Does it heal, look pretty, or empower you in some way? Does it compliment what you’re searching for?

Short-Term Look What will the beginning of this path be like during the first month or three? Will it require a lot of prep-work? Will it be enlightening or frustrating? 

Long-Term Look  Where does this path lead after more time? Is it tough in the beginning but become really fulfilling if you stick with it? Does it start out strong but fizzle out later? Is this path an investment in your future or a temporary supplement? (Either is fine, but it’s good to know so you don’t cling to it after it’s spent.) 

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Good luck blep 🌈