The Schrödinger’s Cat Tarot Spread

Cartomancy

The firstmost rule is easily had: Red cards are good and black cards are bad. The secondmost rule shall bring greater fruits: It deals with the meanings of each of the suits. The Hearts count as love, family, and friends. Diamonds are money, wealth, means, and ends. Clubs shall mean work, callings, and plans, And Spades are the troubles that plague every man. The thirdmost rule toward number inclines; Just note the card’s pip and read here their signs: An Ace brings beginnings, And Two gives exchange, Three shows things growing, But Four does not change. Five is the body, Its health and its stead, Six shows a path that the Seeker shall tread. Seven brings troubles that Fate has assigned, While Eight shows ideas and thoughts in the mind. Nine heralds changes, And Ten is the end, While Kings are the symbols of power and men. Queens are the emblems of women and truth, A Knave is a message, a girl, or a youth.

Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20070825141732/http://www.hedgewytchery.com/indexb.html 

This site is “captured” so get in there while it’s still around.

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Bone Reading Post #1—Methods

Honestly I may or may not actually make this a series, but this is an underappreciated divination method so I wanted to go over some different ways to do it today. 

Throwing bones

My personal method (and the one I’ve seen most often) is to ask a question, throw the bones, and divine from the pattern. This usually involves an animist approach—the bones themselves have spirits, and so are able to have meanings and speak with the reader.

There are two ways I’ve seen this often done. One is that each bone has a meaning. The closeness of each bones, which are covering which, and which are separate from the rest all contribute to the overall interpretation. The other way is to throw a random bundle of bones and divine purely from the pattern itself.

Divination Tools

Another method is to make divination tools with bones. If one chooses to draw symbols on a collection of bones, this could be done to make a set of runes, or dice for astragalomancy. One could also make a bone pendant for pendulum readings, or perhaps a large vertebrae as a planchette for a Ouija board.

Pyro-osteomancy

This divination method is done by burning bones and divining from the remains. According to Kris Hirst, who’s quoted in the article “Bone Divination” on Learn Religions, “Oracle bones were used to practice of a form of divination, fortune-telling, known as pyro-osteomancy. Pyro-osteomancy is when seers tell the future based on the cracks in an animal bone or turtle shell either in their natural state or after having been burned. The cracks were then used to determine the future. The earliest pyro-osteomancy in China included the bones of sheep, deer, cattle, and pigs, in addition to turtle plastrons (shells).“

Sources

Wigington, Patti. “Bone Divination.” Learn Religions, 17 April 2019, learnreligions.com/bone-divination-2562499. Accessed 9 May 2019.

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witch shit

Improving your Intuition

There is a common misconception that only certain people are intuitive, that it is purely a metaphysical skill. A quote that really changed my perception of intuition was discussed by an author who gave a discussion on the different  books on intuition and witchcraft she had written, “Intuition is a muscle”. But this would mean that everyone has this muscle! Many people feel barred from even trying to do magic, pick up a tarot deck or rune set, communicate with a passed relative, or even consult with their deity or god because they believe they are not intuitive. Coming from someone who is naturally gullible / somewhat naive, I want to talk a bit about what intuition is and how anyone can become more intuitive.

What is intuition?

The best way I can define intuition concisely is the ability to understand or know information immediately, without any conscious reasoning or evidence. The ability to know something without being told or being shown proof. This may sound completely foreign or impossible, so let me provide some context. Have you ever heard the phrase “The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife”? Have you ever gotten a “bad vibe” from someone and avoided them? That is your intuition at work!  Even interpreting emotional context based on someone’s vocal tone, pitch, body language, are forms of intuitive understanding. 

It may seem strange to think social nuances we have been trained to observe and interpret since the day we were born could involve intuition, but think about it. Is there any physical evidence or conscious reasoning to explain tension that is literally palpable? Is there physical proof that when someone speaks in a certain tone or pitch, or moves in a certain way, that they are angry? No, these are just things we have trained ourselves to understand. A form of intuition. But of course, this may not translate over to tarot, or spirit and deity communication as easily as one would like.

How does intuition work?

When discussing how intuition works exactly, we have to discuss what exactly someone who is intuitive actually senses. I look at intuition as a form of energy work. Lets briefly discuss the “Thick Tension” example. Tension from a conversation is not a physical concept in that it is not a literal brick that has weight when held in someone’s hand. But the conversation still disrupted the surrounding area, due to the energy that conversation created. Think about how different emotions feel like different things. Many describe anger as sharp, jabbing, thick. Sadness is often equated with water, such as when someone is “pouring their heart out”.  Although emotions are not bricks, the energy they have creates a physical disturbance. intuition includes being able to interpret those energies even though they can’t be given physical evidence of existing.

There are a variety of different ways to sense energy, many of which include employing clair senses. Clair senses refer to the ability to have intuitive understanding through our senses, the discussion of which could take up many more posts, but I will link resources at the end of this post. Some of the kinds you may be familiar with include clairvoyance, clairaudience, claircognizance, and clairempathy (also known as being and “empath”).  

So how can I improve my intuition?

Well, it depends on what you want to be able to do! But I will link and discuss a multitude of different exercises and things you can do to improve your intuition.

Be aware of physical sensations when speaking with others or entering situations. Do you feel at ease with someone even though you don’t know them? Or do you have a sinking feeling in your stomach that you are trying to ignore? Listen to your gut! More often than not, you will find your “hunch” being right, especially as you practice.

Practice divination! I am not just saying this because I love divination, I’m saying this because I primarily improved my claircognizance through using divination. I used to not really have hunches, but now I have extremely accurate ones after 3 years of practicing tarot reading and other forms of divination. 

Keep a dream journal and try to start interpreting your dreams. As nonsensical as they may seem, if you research symbolism, you may begin to see patterns in your dreams that reflect the main  problems or situations in your life. I know I have! And I rarely remember my dreams.

Practice identifying objects without looking at them. This is a fun sensory game for most, but with time and more difficult items, you may be able to sense the energy of the item itself, see an image of it in your minds eye, hear a sound it makes, etc. If you want to amp this up, close your eyes and walk through a room while trying not to bump into anything! This is great for practicing sensing the aura’s of objects, and the more you can sense, the more you can try to interpret.

The next two exercises I am taking from Ellen Dougan’s book “The Natural Psychic”.

The first is practicing using your senses, and requires you to journal for four days.

Day 1: Seeing day

You should focus on your environment as if you are seeing it for the first time. When you enter a new room or landmark, you scan teh area to get a lay of the land, right? Take time to notice colors, shapes, people and items that catch your attention. How do these make you feel? Write down what you notice.

Day 2: Hearing day

No background music today! We drown out a lot of the sounds in our environment to focus on individual tasks. Today, spend time listening to your environment, what do you hear? It would be great to go to a nature location during this day. Take note of what you hear and how it makes you feel.

Day 3:  Touching day

At this point, you should be getting the drill. When you touch items today, really spend time touching them. Feel the fabric of your clothing as you get dressed, your keyboard and mouse when you type, feel your own pulse, pet your animals. How do you feel when touching different items, and how does touch impact others, such as your pets?

Day 4: Sensing day

Today we focus on our emotions, and how our environment makes us feel. Take note of how certain environments, certain people, make you feel. You can do this with plants as well! Take note of what you sense.

The second is the ace of spades exercise, and requires a deck of cards.

Take the ace of hearts, the ace of diamonds, and the ace of spades out of the deck. Place all three face down on a flat surface and then mix them up before lining them up in a row. Go over each card one at a time and try to figure out which one is the ace of spades. Turn it over to see if you’re right! For a trial run, do this no more than 10 times in one sitting, and note how many times you were correct. This is a great way to identify what clair senses you may be employing. Answer these questions about the times you were correct,

Did you “just know” it was that card, a feeling in your gut?

Did you know it was the card when you touched it?

Did your inner voice tell you which one it was?

Did you feel an emotional response?

Did you see the card in your mind’s eye?

Other Resources: http://www.okinhealth.com/articles/10-clairsenses-intuition-emily-matweow

https://consciouslifenews.com/8-simple-way-to-boost-your-clairvoyant-abilities85450/1185450/#

“The Natural Psychic” by Ellen Dougan

https://powerpriestess.tumblr.com/post/176034234934/clairvoyance-101

https://ghosthuntingrebelwitch.tumblr.com/post/169571479633/developing-your-super-senses-in-particular

https://messageinthecrystal.tumblr.com/post/178155680555/empath-info

http://rosymystic.tumblr.com/post/177522966777/smalls-ways-to-develop-intuition

Many thanks to dislocated-cannibal here on tumblr, who is my mentor for energy work, as well as other things, who discussed the concept of emotions creating a n energy we an feel with me at length. Please check them out! http://dislocated-cannibal.tumblr.com/

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Tarot:Major Arcana

(Simplified, pt. 1)

1.The Magician

Seeing the path ahead

Taking action & making decisions

Stop overthinking

Reversed

Blocked flow

Projects aren’t going ideally

2.The High Priestess

Appreciate the feminine in the world

Value in depth, sensitivity, contemplation

Reversed

Tone down & refocus your energy

3. The Empress

Something of abundance is headed your way

Reversed

Suggests a time of struggling with not having enough of something

4.The Emperor

Divine Masculine

Protection, Order, Power

Reversed

Tyranny

Lack of focus

5.The Hierophant

Learning, Routine, Tradition

Take counsel of trusted ones

Reversed

Rebellion, Chaos, Rejection

Shift in values

6.The Lovers

Love coming your way

Love yourself first

Reversed

Jealousy, separation, indecision

Struggles in love ahead

7.The Chariot

Issues will be resolved soon

Development & growth: not without struggle

Reversed

Upcoming danger

Failures standing in the way

8.Strength

Compassion, charisma, patience

Reversed

Lack of courage

Hopelessness

9.The Hermit

Intense transformation

Spend time alone

Reverse

Too much isolation

10. Wheel Of Fortune

Abundance

Beginning of a new season

Reversed

Change is being ignored

11. Justice

Clear path to success

Balance

Important choice

Reversed

Imbalance, dishonesty, unfairness

12.The Hanged Man

Experience is deepened, refocused, or intensified

Change in perspective

Positive change

Reversed

Trouble adjusting to change

Fighting progress

Wrong level of self-awareness

13.Death

Positive

New Beginnings

Passion

Reversed

Pessimism, Fear

14.Temperance

Magic

Potential pain

Reversed

Imbalanced, Argumentative

Feeling of being fragmented

15.The Devil

Someone in your life is controlling

Potential addiction

Reversed

Unhappiness

Lack of self control

16. The Tower

Imprisoned, Conflict

Fighting for beliefs

Reversed

Avoidance of responsibility

17. The Star

Transcendent openness

Healing & wholeness

Reversed

Wasting time

Loss of self-respect

18.The Moon

Divine Feminine

Truth

Reversed

Confusion

19. The Sun

Expansiveness & success

Clarity & focus

Reversed

Arrogance, self-doubt

Refusal to share knowledge

20. Judgement

Rebirth

Decision making

Changes ahead

Reversed

Ignoring change

21. The World

Completion

Celebrating accomplishments

Reversed

Delay in success

22. The Fool

Innocence, openness, playfulness

Reversed

Irrational, Naive

Never progressing

🌸✨🤍🖤

Pt. 2 is out on my page 💜💙

Rosemary: Herb Associations and their Origins

Where do our herb associations come from?

In our little community we regard rosemary as an all purpose herb, a replacement for other herbs. Rosemary itself is used for a lot of things just in general, and according to pinecone.pub and onespiritx.tripod it can be used for Anointing, Blessing, Cleansing, Consecration, Defense, Determination, Divination, Exorcism, Healing, Inspiration, Love, Lust, Memory, Protection, Psychic Development, Purification, Sleep, Spiritual Healing, Spirituality, Warding, Willpower, Wisdom, Youth. 

however, i’ve also noticed a lot more people are asking why we use this herb for that, rallying against blindly following herb meanings and taking them for granted, so i’ve done some cursory research (x). it doesn’t cover everything, but here’s some to get the ball rolling:

cleansing/defense/protection/purification/warding - we tend to think of these in more magical/spiritual senses, of course, but originally it was brought to funerals to protect against infection (segways into next bullet)

memory - the herb took on another association, for memory, as funeral goers would start dropping the rosemary onto the coffin, symbolizing a promise to remember the deceased. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare writes, “Dry up your tears, and stick your rosemary/ On this fair corse.” rosemary would also be used in bridal wreaths in tudor weddings to help the couple remember their vows. the memory association is again noted in shakespeare, as he says in Hamlet, “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember.”  and he mentions rosemary again in The Winter Tale, “For you, there’s rosemary and rue; these keep/ Seeming and savour all the winter long…” referencing how distinctive the scent is all year round. 

Love/Lust - again, shakespeare references rosemary in Romeo and Juliet, though this relation seems a little weak, “Doth not rosemary and Romeo begin both with the same letter?“ 

Anointing/Blessing//Consecration/Exorcism/Protection/Purification/Spiritual Healing/Warding - rosemary became considered a “holy plant” through its association with sacred rites, became heavily used by the church for festivals and holidays, and was used as a ward against “black magic”. “Down with rosemary and so,/Down with the baies and mistletoe,/ Down with the holly, ivie all/ Wherewith ye deck the Christmas hall.”  -the poet Herrick

sleep/warding/protection/healing - in a letter from Queen Phillippa of England’s mother, “The leves layde under the heade whanne a man slepes, it doth away evell spirites and suffereth not to dreeme fowle dremes ne to be afeade. But he must be out of deedely synne for it is an holy tree.” [the leaves laid under the head when a man sleeps, sends away evil spirits and prevents nightmares]. It was also customary around this time to burn rosemary and juniper berries as a disinfectant. it was also made into teas to disinfect sore gums/throats

youth - “Make thee a box of the wood of rosemary, and smell to it and it shall preserve thy youth.” - Banckes Herbal, 1525. a possible indication of the cultural beliefs surrounding rosemary in this era. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

so with superstitions and traditions aside, rosemary itself does have its own medicinal uses. you often see it touted as useful for “muscle pain, improving memory, boost the immune and circulatory system, and promote hair growth”. 

however, before making a tincture for any of these uses i would recommend looking for medical studies to see how well/proven these uses are. 

Not that long ago I purchased a tarot book that finally gave me the confidence to start making my own spreads and WALLA! My first ever spread! I got the inspiration from a few other’s that I have seen wandering around, but I really wanted one that was more unique to my own situation. I would also love to hear feedback, so please let me know how it worked for you! :)

Sometimes I wake up or just go about my day and suddenly an anxiety attack comes on, but I have no clue what action may have caused it. This spread helps me go through the steps of revealing what happened and how to get prevent it from happening in the future. Or at least recognizing it in the first place and be able to take the steps towards improvement. Feel free to twist up the question to your liking or expand it further. 

My Anxiety Spread - also good for ptsd & depression

How am I dealing with the situation?

What triggered the anxiety?

Why do I feel stuck/trapped?

What am I not facing/seeing?

How do I work through it?

please do not remove caption.

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Meditation steps and tips for beginners

Professional meditators always have a Zen garden: https://www.amazon.com/ICNBUYS-Japanese-Censers-Pushing-Diameter/dp/B01II9PHI4

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The new Portland Button Works site is up! I now have a dedicated "Witch Shop" for all the witchcraft related books, zines, pinback buttons, tarot decks, and room for more things. I plan on adding seeds from my garden and witchy hand mirrors and large magnets soon.

Check out the new PBW Witch Shop!

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