Witchshkt

*Not a pendulum question* but how do you figure out what deity you’re connected to?

I personally like to flip through a big book of deities, and I land on a random name and choose that way. I made a bunch of cards with names of deities on them, and I will pull random ones from that as well. It is kind of like tarot where you need to focus and really choose carefully so your result makes more sense. Also, sometimes deities from around the world are called different names but are the same, like how Venus and Aphrodite are virtually the same aside from cultural differences changing the story a bit. That is controversial and not all believe in that, but it applies to hundreds of other deities and anthropologists who have studied ancient world religion think that a lot of the deities are the same with different names. That is really magickal if you think about it that way though, because it means that their divine nature impacted the entire world. Other people just had different names for them. I hope this helps!

Hi, I've been having a tough time finding good resources for Roman Polytheism, everything seems to be Hellenic. Do you have any suggestions? I'd appreciate very much!

Roman Religion

On the Nature of the Gods by Cicero

On Divination by Cicero

The City of God by Augustine

On Agriculture by Varro

Fragmenta by Verrius Flaccus

Historica Testimonia by Verrius Flaccus

An Introduction to Roman Religion by John Scheid

The Gods of Ancient Rome by Robert Turcan 

The Cults of the Roman Empire by Robert Turcan

Religions of Rome, vol. 1 by Beard, North, & Price

Religions of Rome, vol. 2 by Beard, North, & Price

Religion in the Roman Empire by John Rives

Stoicism

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Letters of a Stoic by Seneca

The Handbook by Epictetus

Roman Mythology

The Aeneid by Virgil

The Golden Ass by Apuleius

Metamorphoses by Ovid

Fasti by Ovid

Roman History and Culture

On the Latin Language by Varro

Legionary: The Roman Soldier’s [Unofficial] Manual by Philip Matyszak

Ancient Rome on 5 Denarii a Day by Philip Matyszak

Websites

www.novaroma.org

www.templumdeorum.org

www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper

perseus.uchicago.edu

(source of list)

Witchy Self Care & Mindfulness🌻🌿

Artwork by @CraftingWitch on Instagram

Hey witches, can you give me some good book recommendations to start studying???

🥀💖 Erica's Love Oil 💖🥀

this love oil is perfect for love workings, offerings to love deities, or if you're into it...sex magick.

**disclaimer** this is a completely self-researched and self-tested herbal oil. please, do your research, do a test patch on your own skin, and talk with a doctor or medical professional if you are concerned in any way. Not intended for ingestion or internal use. Legally, I cannot be held liable for anything that happens while using this oil. Do not repost text or photos without credit or permission.

I am known to have sensitive skin. DM for sources - there's a lot I don't want to link them all.

This oil was very much made as a desire for a lovely smelling, aphrodisiac oil to be used in love workings and sex magic and possibly, if I could research something well enough...used carefully during intimate times.

If that's not something you're into, then don't use it for those purposes. Since, I've used it to anointing love candles, and honestly for aromatherapy, and for general self-care - mundane or magickal.

🥀💖 Ingredients 💖🥀

Grapeseed oil - carrier oil to dilute ingredients. Known to be safe around the genitals, high in vitamin E, comedogenic rating of 1, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, treats acne and makes skin softer. Ruled by the moon, water - deals with fertility, money, money, romantic love, passion, prosperity

Goldenrod - mine was foraged around my home this pre-autumnal season Supports kidney and urinary health and has been used to treat UTI's. Supports proper blood flow - helping promote intimacy's and supporting the libido. Said to be particularly powerful for men *cough* called golden rod for a reason *cough* Ruled by Venus and air - releases emotional blocks (helping further promote intimacy), divination, love, prosperity, "sealing the deal" in love workings

Hibiscus - I used a tea packet Not for pregnant or breastfeeding women. Exfoliating, hence, not for everyday use. Has been tested to fight infections including UTI's, can lower blood sugar and blood pressure, and one study saw it increase sexual activity in male rats. Fights aging, evens tone, hydrates and moisturizes skin, speeds up wound healing. Ruled by Venus, water, and associated with Aphrodite - passion, love, lust, freedom, prophetic and lucid dreams, beauty, courage watch for side effects such as headache, stomach issues, nausea, as it can lower blood sugar when taken internally. Not what this oil is for, but still something to watch for.

🥀💖 Method 💖🥀

Make sure herbs are dry before using in oil - you don't want your oil to go rancid. Add herbs and oil to container of choice, make sure its air tight. Let steep for as long as you'd like, but the longer, the better. You can strain the herbs if you'd like, but I like the way they look.

Charge however you'd like. Meditate on purpose during creation and after.

please, please, please - DO A PATCH TEST! what works for my skin may not work for yours. I did a couple - one on my inner arm, and one on my inner thigh.

🥀💖 Notes 💖🥀

Tbh, I used Teva's Hibiscus tea blend because I was impatient and didn't want to wait to buy hibiscus. I double checked all ingredients to make sure they were skin safe - all were - with the note that cinnamon and citric acid can be an irritant when used in high concentration or everyday use.

I did a patch test on my skin, as well as only made a small batch at first. I have had no issues with burning, bumps, or other irritation.

It is of course recommended to uh, not do that, in future batches.

Witchy things to do when you’re low on spoons

As a witch with a chronic illness that can leave me extremely low on energy for weeks at a time, I’m always looking for witchy things to do that won’t leave me exhausted. Even simple spells draw from your own energy pool so these are the things I do when my pool is running dry.

Cleansing -  Negative energy always builds up in my space during a bout of sickness, after a good cleansing of my outer I find my inner much more positive also. Here are some easy ways to cleanse

-Light some incense -Fill a spray bottle with water (moon water would be handy for this), herbs of your choice (I usually use sage), and some salt. Then go around to each room and spray some into each corner -Cleanse yourself by taking a bath or shower and using gorgeous smelling products -Open a window and let the fresh air blow positive energy into your house

Sigils -  When I don’t have the energy for full-on spells/rituals I sit down and make some cute sigils. I try to make them specific to my situation, so when I am feeling especially down because of health issues I will make a sigil with the intent “My health does not affect my mental state” or something similar. You can also

 -Put a sigil on your pill bottles for a little boost (although magic is NOT a replacement for medicine and you should never completely rely on it for any health issues) -Put a sigil on your heat bags/hot water bottle -Draw them on your wrist -Draw them at the bottom of your tea mugs with honey

Beauty Products -  Being stuck in bed feeling like death himself can make me feel, well, not awesome appearance wise. I found making myself feel nice on the outside can help my moral SO MUCH. I don’t mean you have to get up and put on a full face of make-up, but these little things can make a big difference

-Rosehip oil spray. It smells amazing, has many magical benefits including health and feeling calm and sensual, and is super refreshing with the added bonus of being rly good for your skin -Scented lip balm for when your lips are feeling dry and sore eg I have pomegranate lip balm for when I want to make an offering to Persephone but have absolutely no energy. They come in sooo many flavors and scents, just pick which ones resonate with what you need! -Perfume/essential oils. Just use a scent that corresponds with what you would like to do, like tea tree oil for health or lavender for relaxation. Also, smell pretty=feel pretty.

Prayers -  It can be hard keeping up appearances to the Gods when you have no energy so every night before bed, or generally whenever I feel like it, I say a little prayer. Of course if you are a secular witch you could just take some time to appreciate the things in nature/your life that makes it magical.

Tea -  It’s so nice having a soothing hot drink when your throat feels like a huge cluster of quartz has gotten stuck in there. There are so many posts out there about magical uses for tea but here is a couple 

-Adding herbs for intent -Leaving a crystal in your mug overnight so your mug and tea is charged with intent -Blowing away the steam and visualize blowing away negative energy

Get to know your crystals - Lets be honest, I have so many crystals I’ve forgotten what half of them are. I like taking them out and surrounding myself with them and then picking them up one by one and focusing on its energy to re-connect. This takes barely any of my energy as I can do it in bed, and makes me feel warm and fuzzy seeing all my pretties in front of me.

Read/Study - This is what I spend the majority of my time doing. There is ALWAYS more to learn about witchcraft and I can do it while lying down. There are so many free witchy book pdfs on tumblr as well, just remember not to believe everything you read.

Witchy Crafts - This one could take a little more spoons than the others, but it’s super gratifying. To find some things to do you can scroll through the tumblr tag “witch diy”. Some things I have done are 

-Sewed cute tarot bags to hold my cards -Used thick cotton to make my own little necklace crystal holder -Bought gemstone beads and made my own jewelry

Visualization - This is in my opinion the foundation of all spells and a lot of the time I don’t even use any other ingredients because that takes too much energy. I just focus on my intent and chant a little bit or sing and let the spell come to light all through visualizing it. I have charmed items, helped my plants grow and a lot more this way. I also like to visualize myself in a beautiful, flower-filled forest and feel the sun/moon pulling dark clouds of negative energy/illness out of my body to help when i’m feeling particularly unwell.

Meditation - My favorite spoonie witchy thing to do. It calms you, cleanses you, broadens your mind and senses and helps me personally deal with any pain caused by my illness. It can be done at any time and you really feel recharged afterwards. You can even light some candles, light some incense, sit outside under the moon, so many things.

So these are all I can think of right now, feel free to add on so we can all help each other out! Much love to every one of you 💕

-Auoria

My Digital Grimoire is Complete*!

All of the pages on my digital grimoire are complete! Feel free to look through them and reference them if you need to!

There are pages on:

color associations

animal associations

moon phase associations

associations of the moon in different signs

tarot card meanings (including yes/no)

associations of herbs and botanicals

crystal associations

hellenic deities

associations of different kinds of water (ex: moon, sea, river, well...)

associations of days of the week

associations of days in the wheel of the year

associations of planets

I hope this helps somebody!

*i will continue to add little things here and there to the site but all the basic stuff is done!

Crescent Moon and Venus

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚ 𝑴𝑶𝑶𝑵 𝐎𝐁𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

౨ৎ ⸝⸝ Aries﹕Healthy aries moons can be playful, determined, and will firmly stand up for themselves and others if the situation calls. Unhealthy aries moons usually exhibit the same traits, just far more intensely. No matter the state, they don't feel negative emotions for very long, nor do they tend to hold grudges. They'll forgive, though they won't forget. Will crash out over losing a video game and get up and shrug it off as if nothing happened LMAO. ౨ৎ ⸝⸝ Cancer﹕I'm awaiting the day I get to meet a healthy cancer moon, you guys sound like the sweetest people. The same cannot be said for your unhealthy counterparts... either emotionally manipulative and attention thirsty or borderline doormats. Solitude isn't to be feared, struggling cancer moons. Other people's love won't fix you, you NEEEEED to love yourself. ౨ৎ ⸝⸝ Virgo﹕Healthy virgo moons can be super attentive and helpful, you won't even need to ask for help, they'll just know lol. Unhealthy virgo moons can be unnecessarily hypocritical. Will judge you over the most minuscule detail but then go and do something genuinely bad as if it's nothing. ౨ৎ ⸝⸝ Scorpio﹕Absolutely hilarious, but also horrendously concerning. They will joke about an insanely traumatic thing that happened to them as a kid as if it's nothing. You guys definitely need a stable emotional outlet, whether it be art, counselling, and so on. ౨ৎ ⸝⸝ Sagittarius﹕Freedom is so important for sag moons. Restricting them is cruel; adventure is a part of them. This is oddly specific, but they look so at home in nature, especially forests and fields, presumably because of how elated being in those spaces makes them feel. If you need someone to help get you out of your comfort zone, find a sag moon. ౨ৎ ⸝⸝ Capricorn﹕Having a cap moon sounds like a nightmare. You guys need to open up to others more; you can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders and expect to be able to carry the emotional burden of doing so alongside it. Please remember that your emotions are not a weakness, and expressing them doesn't make you any less capable and hard-working; you are just as human as the rest of us. ily u guys please allow yourself the grace you allow others.

50 Tips for Tarot Novices and Masters Alike!

Always make sure your deck is shuffled and cleansed.

There is no one way to shuffle, find what works for you.

Cards that fall out when you’re shuffling may hold extra important meaning.

Learning from books is good, but use your own intuition as well. 

Thank your deck after a reading.

Be sure to charge your cards and be nice to them.

Using a cheat sheet or a book is not a bad thing.

Biddytarot is great for learning basic card meanings.

If you don’t have a tarot deck, you can use regular cards or make your own.

Tarot and Oracle are NOT the same thing.

There are a few tarot apps to help you learn (golden threat, galaxy, etc)

Watch for multiple cards from one suit.

Pay attention when a card follows you through multiple readings, it is usually trying to tell you something.

Find the card that matches with your birth-date/you feel a significant connection to. Use it in personal readings to help strengthen them.

Always be sure you’re using a deck that works for you!

Pay attention to the symbolism and art of the cards.

Interview spreads are great for getting to know a new or old deck.

Divination is not specifically witchcraft and is not always tied to it.

Don’t let anyone but you touch your cards unless doing a reading and you want them to touch them- messes with energy.

If someone besides you does touch them, make sure to cleanse.

Decks have different personalities, don’t be bummed if one doesn’t work out for you.

Be prepared for a deck to get sarcastic and give out riddles.

Keep a journal/notebook/google doc of different spreads. You can even organise them by type. 

Daily draws are great, but don’t knock yourself if you can’t do them every day.

Meditating before a reading can help gain clarity. 

An easy way to cleanse your deck is to put them all in order then shuffle them again. 

Flash cards are good to memorise meanings.

Bonding with your deck can help readings be more accurate. An easy way to do this is sleep with them under your pillow.

Cleansing/charging your deck can be as easy as leaving them in a windowsill, or as intricate as a ritual.

You can have as many or as few decks as you want. 

Making your own cards does NOT make you less of a diviner.

Readings are not set in stone, take them with a grain of salt.

Reversals are not always bad.

Upright is not always good.

The death card does not mean death. 

Keep a journal to record your readings.

Try to remember one keyword/idea for each card to help you learn.

Make sure your deck fits in your hands comfortably.

If you’re just starting out, use simpler spreads. 

Past/present/future is great for beginners.

Amethyst is a good stone to have around.

But, letting your deck choose it’s favourite crystal is also important.

Using a tarot cloth can help keep unwanted energy off of your deck, especially if divining in a public place. 

Tarot bags are easy to make, just find a drawstring bag tutorial and edit the measurements to fit your deck. 

Playing music while doing readings can help you focus. 

It’s okay to redo a reading if you don’t feel it’s right, but keep the first one in mind. 

If you practice witchcraft, you can use tarot in various spells. 

You don’t have to read reversals!

If tarot doesn’t work out for you but you still want to use divination, try other forms such as oracle, scrying, pendulums, cartomancy, and more. 

Practice!!!