Witches Today and Mutual Respect

In this day and age, we pagans are incredibly lucky. We're free to practice without having to fear for our safety (at least in the more privileged countries, that is). We can be as open as we want about our practices and there are laws in place that protect us from loss of employment, violence, and any other kind of persecution based on religious beliefs. Yes, we still get judged by those who don't understand or agree. But You Guys: no one can drag us out in the street and beat us senseless because we're wearing a pentacle. It was NOT always like this, and it's currently not like this in other places in the world.

And of course, we have the internet now. We can post whatever we want on the internet. You know what that means? We all have access to each other. I can check the listings on WitchVox and find other witches in my area to hang out with. I can make a blog and post all of my opinions, knowledge, and spells for everyone else to borrow and use. If I'm at a loss for a spell or need a recipe for a tincture, all I have to do is hit up Pinterest and there are pages and pages of ideas. I can go to Amazon online and buy any book I want to on any single witchy subject I can possibly dream of. The entire world of witchcraft is right at our fingertips right now. Do you guys know how amazingly good we have it?

But what are we doing with this freedom? Lately, I see a lot of hate on the internet in the pagan community. Person One posts something that Person Two doesn't agree with, and Person Two just cannot refrain from commenting to "correct" Person One's obvious mistake. Person Two leaves a snippy, passive aggressive comment that is supposed to make Person One doubt himself. Person One then feels the need to defend why he practices the way he does, and now it's a full-blown argument.

It would be completely different if the commenter approached it in a way that is respectful and doesn't belittle Person One's beliefs, but that's not usually the case. I've seen it happen so often that I just can't take it any longer, I HAVE to say something!

We are taking what we have for granted. We can be out in the open with our practices, and we have all these different opinions and variations of practices to learn from, and we are taking this privilege and using it to belittle each other. Chew on it for a second. WE ARE BELITTLING EACH OTHER.

Maybe it's just that in this age of online interaction, we've all lost touch with our communication skills. Maybe we just forgot what the difference is between being respectful and polite, and being rude and condescending. Maybe we think it just all looks the same on the internet. Whatever the reason, we are handling our differences incorrectly. When we see something we disagree with, we get offended and angry. We get snippy and jump down each others throats about how that is NOT the way to do things. And when we respond like this, we come off as rude, judgmental, and stuck-up.

Consider things from the opposite point of view for a second. Maybe the person who dared to offend you is just starting out, and has gotten their information from questionable resources. What if they just really need to be taught and set straight? How does it make you look when you post a snarky passive-aggressive comment about their practices? That's not a very warm welcome. If this is the case and you just can't leave well enough alone, then jump in and help them. Suggest some resources that you deem credible. Just be kind. We all know it's not your responsibility to teach this person you don't even know. But if you're not going to help, then close the page and move on. Your comment is absolutely not necessary.

Or maybe this person isn't so new and impressionable at all. Maybe they just walk a different path than you. I see this one a lot, too. People make rude and snarky comments about other people's beliefs because they are different from what they, themselves believe.  If someone else's opinion offends you so much, stop what you're doing for a minute and think. Why are you so offended? Did this person say something rude about you or your beliefs? Is this person truly hurting you or someone else? If the answer to both of these questions is no, then check yourself! Is it really necessary for you to say something? If not, then close the damn window and go about your business.

What I'm trying to get at here, is that we are all sisters and brothers. We are all in this together, and we are all one in the grand scheme of things. If we don't have respect for each other, than what do we have, really? If we spend our time arguing and trying to prove one-another wrong, where do we end up in the end? We need to pull together and use our time and energy wisely. In this day and age, where we have such easy access to one-another, we need to take the opportunity to learn from each other! Don't judge, LEARN. It doesn't matter who you are or how long you've been practicing. There is something you can learn from everyone.

Imagine what we could all do if we stopped being so damn threatened by one another, started accepting one another unconditionally, and working together...

Prosperity Spell

Whenever I'm feeling like my business ventures can use a little boost, I always bust out my favorite prosperity spell. Since I'm renewing a spell I've already done, I thought I'd take some pictures this time and share!

What you'll need:

• A green candle. Green symbolizes luck, prosperity, and money. 
• A candle holder, a piece of tin foil, or some other heat-safe platform to burn the candle in. 
• An herb that symbolizes prosperity. Some good examples can be Ginger root, Basil, Bayberry, Clover, Patchouli. I usually use basil because I grow it in my garden and it's always easy to come by and readily available to me. I add ground cinnamon and ginger root to dried basil to amplify the properties in the basil that attract prosperity. 
• Salt.
• Paper and a writing utensil.

Instructions:
 Put the salt and herbs in the container with the candle. I then surround the candle with a ring of salt, to create a circle of protection for the spell. As I light the candle, I say out loud what I want to come of this spell. As the candle burns, I meditate on my goals and wishes, and I write them all down.

When I'm done I fold up the paper, snuff out the flame, and put the paper under the candle holder for next time. Since the candle would take several hours to burn down, I draw the spell out over a couple of nights. I usually find that a repeated effort yields better results than a one-time-only spell. Relight the candle the next day and repeat the process until the candle finally burns itself out on its own. When it does, bury the remaining scraps of wax (if there are any) and the paper in the ground as close to where you conduct your business as possible. At this point, the spell is complete.

Start this spell on a Sunday, preferably during a waxing moon phase.

The candle pictured above is one that I made myself, specifically for this spell. The herbs for the spell are already embedded inside the wax, so it's pretty much a "loaded candle." I like it this way because instead of separate items coming together to aid in a spell, they are all combined as one. It just feels stronger and more powerful that way. I do sell these candles here, if you want one.

Reading Tarot For Yourself: Objectivity

One of the biggest lessons I've learned about reading tarot is it's much more difficult to read for yourself than it is to read for others.

I never thought that would be so; it seems like it would be easier to read for yourself because you know yourself. When there's a message that comes through, I know whether it applies or not. When it comes to strangers, you never really know for sure if you're interpreting the cards correctly. You don't have the luxury of prior knowledge to confirm your reading.

Although I let this scare me out of reading for others for a long time in the beginning, I actually had it all backwards. It's actually harder to read for yourself than it is to read for strangers! Or, at least that's what I've learned!

You see, in order to read tarot for yourself (and get an accurate reading), it's very important that you remain objective! Every time I did a reading for myself, I had a preconceived idea of what the cards would tell me. Most of the time, I found a way to twist the message to fit my idea of what it should say. I didn't even realize I was doing it! I went through a long period where I got bored with reading tarot and gave it up because I always knew what the cards were going to tell me beforehand (or so I thought).

One day a friend asked me for a reading on her relationship. I brought out those dusty cards and did the reading. This time I wasn't going into it thinking I already knew what the outcome would be, I genuinely needed advice for her. Unfortunately, the message wasn't one she wanted to hear. The message was loud and clear: drop him now and move on.

She stared at me blankly. "So... I should give him another chance?"

She was disregarding my interpretation of the cards, and twisting the message so that it would comply with what she wanted to hear. Although I kept trying to reword the message (and kept pulling extra cards), so that she would understand it better, the message remained the same and she refused to accept it as it was. I eventually gave up, hoping I was wrong.

A mere few days later, we found out the cards were dead on. My friend's situation was very unfortunate, but I learned a huge lesson from that reading. What she did, construing the message to fit her preconceived ideas, is exactly what I had been doing in my own readings all along!

From then on, I started doing more readings for others. It helped me practice using my own intuition instead of relying on the knowledge I already had about the subject of the reading. I tried doing readings about my future; what I needed to know about the coming day, etc. This way, I could do the reading with no knowledge of what was actually going to happen, and I could go back and check the accuracy of my interpretation after the day was over.

It's still hard to stay objective sometimes, but it's the one most imperative factor in doing a reading for yourself!

Totem Animals

I've been working my way through the book Animal Speak by Ted Andrews. This is the first time I've done any kind of research on totem animals, and this book is teaching me a lot so far!

As a little girl, I somehow developed the belief that my "spirit guide" would appear to me in the form of an animal. Don't ask me who taught me that, it was just one of those things I assumed.

Throughout my life I've had a few animals that could very well have been totem animals, but the hummingbird and the fox have been the most consistent.

Until I started reading this book, I thought they were just manifestations of whatever spirit was watching over me. I would see these animals everywhere I went. They appeared in recurring dreams, I would run into them in real-life in the most unlikely places, and other people would often give me gifts that had something to do with that animal (although I rarely talked about this with anyone). Now that I'm reading this book, I'm starting to learn a lot more about what I was missing about these occurrences.

Looking back, those animals were appearing to me so often because they represented something important in my life at the time. They were either trying to teach me a big lesson, or they were warning me about something that was coming. Of course, I had no idea at the time. I just thought there was something that was sending those animals to either be my friend or my protector (because those were two things I desperately needed at the time).

The fox, my most recent "totem animal" has been following me in my dreams for years. But I didn't know it had much significance until it appeared in the same dream that I got my magical name from (you can read about that dream here).  Since then, the fox has acted as an aid in my study of the craft in many ways. It's a clever, fast, and tricky creature that has been thought to live on the border between the two worlds. It brings me important messages in my dreams, helps guide me in meditations, and even greets me in person at the most unlikely times.

What's your totem animal? How has it helped you?

 

 

The Weekend Noteworthies

Here's what I've been up to this week:

• Research. Tons of research! Because, you know, learning new stuff is really important.
• Creating new tarot spreads. Sometimes the ones you find in books just don't do the trick. 
• Spending way too much money on candle making supplies! But it's worth it because it's all for candles that'll be listed in the shop!
• I traded tarot readings for some really cool stones (pictured above)! I decided to offer readings for barter and some really cool things have come about because of it!

Aside from all the cool things I've had going on, it's been a worrisome week. My dog injured her foot while we were playing fetch. She landed badly after jumping and ripped her nail off on her back foot. Although the vet said she's going to be just fine, it clearly hurts her and she refuses to walk on it. I feel horrible for her!

For next week: I hope to have a few new things listed in the shop, and I'll be working on redesigning my Book of Shadows.

BTW, Fall Equinox is on Tuesday! May you enjoy the harvest and welcome in the changing of the seasons!

It's All In The Terminology (Aparently)

I was raised by my mom, who considers herself "not Christian, but spiritual." I grew up watching my mom explore the idea of a mother and a father god. She kept crystal geodes all over the house. She stressed the importance of candles and the meanings of their colors. She used a crystal pendulum and tarot deck to help her solve life's problems. She was a firm believer in herbalism and natural healing. She used salt to dispel negative energy. She was the one who taught me to use a tarot deck in the first place, and she strongly encouraged my highly intuitive abilities. All of this, while retaining a strong connection to the god of Christianity. My mom was, essentially, a Christian Witch (or christowitch).

The only thing is, she doesn't know this. She believes what she believes simply because it makes sense to her. That's it. Since before I can remember, she was always very involved in Christianity. She was outcast from her community, though when she expressed her interest in these non-traditional ideas that she believed in. So she continued her own path in solitude; continuing to believe in the Christian god while sticking to her guns about her non-traditional beliefs (like tarot, communicating with the dead, the power of candles and crystals, etc).

The only difference between her and I is that I decided to research these beliefs further. By pure accident, I discovered Wicca. From there, I learned about witchcraft. It was so eerie to read and hear how the beliefs of these "witches" lined up with my own beliefs so closely. I discovered that I had essentially been a witch my whole life, I just didn't know my practices by that name. My mom however, chooses to identify as "spiritual" because she has a very close relationship with her god and feels that is the best way she can disassociate herself with Christianity while still holding onto her relationship with her god.

Now, on to my point. She made a very disturbing comment to me on the phone today. She was checking out my shop (because she's always ordering tarot readings from me), and she apparently noticed for the first time that I refer to my practices as "witchcraft." She said "aren't you afraid you're going to attract the devil into your life by calling yourself a witch?"

I simply told her that I don't believe in the devil. The devil is an entity belonging to Christianity and I am not a Christan. I'm a Pagan, technically. This isn't news. This has been the case for years. I think she took that as a slight to her religion, though, because she got all snippy and said some more things about my practice being a potential magnet for evil and then abruptly ended the phone call.

Although it was rather short, this conversation has been bothering me a great deal ever since. First of all, I'm hurt. This comment came from my mom. This is the person who raised me and should know me better than anyone. She's the one who taught me many of the things I know now. She raised me to walk the path that I walk. I can't even kill a spider, and this woman thinks that I am dabbling in evil.

Secondly, I'm offended. We've had plenty of talks about religion before. She knows very well what I stand for, and I know what she stands for. We can easily find common ground among our (slightly) different religious/spiritual paths and respect each other when it comes to our differences. Or, so I thought. I had no idea that something as simple as terminology can make such a big difference in determining good from bad.

I see this as super hypocritical. Just five minutes earlier, she had been begging me for a tarot reading. I guess that's OK, as long as it's not called witchcraft. But as soon as it's witchcraft (which IT IS), then it's evil and the Christian devil will come find you even though you don't even subscribe to a religion that believes in the devil.

It's scary how deeply rooted religious ignorance can be. She doesn't even fully understand what witchcraft is. But because she was once told by someone (who also knows nothing of witchcraft) that witchcraft is associated with the devil, she believes it. So much so that she chose that idea (which is hearsay) over first-hand knowledge of who her own daughter is.

I'll be bothered by this for a while. I just had to get this off my chest since my mom pretty much hung up on me and didn't give me a chance to talk it out with her.

Thank goodness for blogs!

"So Mote It Be"

The phrase, "so mote it be" is popular among many witches, pagans, and Wiccans. It's widely used in spells and rituals as a closing statement, sort of an "amen." It is deeply rooted in Wiccan tradition, dating all the way back to Aleister Crowley and Gerald Gardner (who apparently borrowed the term from the Freemasons).

It was included in all of the books I used to teach myself the craft so, naturally, I adopted it myself. But nonetheless, I always felt funny using it in my spells. That one term seemed so out of place among everything else in all of my spells, like such an old phrase didn't belong as a conclusion to a spell that was otherwise written in the modern dialect that I am familiar with. I always felt uncomfortable using it and as a result, used it only half-heartedly.

But for me, that defeats the purpose of having it there in the first place. It's not just a conclusion, but a statement of power. By ending a spell like this, you are affirming to yourself and the universe that your words and intent have immense power. Because you will this spell into fruition, it will be so! That's why it was so important to me that I keep it in my spells instead of just scrapping it altogether. Without it my spells feel incomplete, like they stop abruptly and then just putter out.

I decided to tweak it so that it was something I was fully comfortable saying. It became "As is my will, so it will be." It is essentially the same phrase, and its meaning is exactly the same. I pretty much just got rid of the word 'mote.' No one in these modern times ever uses that word. Because of this, I feel that it just didn't have a place in my craft. I think that a witch's craft needs to be very personal and everything must mean something to the individual conducting the spell. Otherwise, it won't hold as much power.

Now, I can conclude my spells with complete confidence in the words that are coming out of my mouth. I am using words that I fully understand and am comfortable with, and that only enhances the potency of my intention.

This Witch's Rede: Laws of Balance

For the first few years of my study of witchcraft, I thought I was Wiccan. I read Wiccan books, studied up on gods, learned the Rede, and tried to find a tradition to place myself in. After a while, I realized that Wicca as a religion just isn't for me. In fact, religion and I just don't get along very well period, no matter what religion it is.

But I just couldn't give up witchcraft. A witch I am, and a witch I always will be! After all, you don't have to be Wiccan to be a witch, and you don't have to be a witch to be Wiccan either. So I decided to let go of Wicca and continue on with my practice of witchcraft.

Some people I know thought I was abandoning a light path for a dark one, so to speak. They thought I just wanted the witchcraft without any of the rules or guidance or accountability that (supposedly) comes along with being a part of a religion. But that's actually not true at all.

In fact, I'm a firm believer in karma. I've posted about it here before. Just because I don't worship a god who will punish me if I disobey him doesn't mean that I am not concerned with the consequences of my actions. I believe that there is a strong force out there that requires balance in all things. If you do something to upset that balance, such as intentionally cause harm to someone else, it will come back to you in some form in order to restore the balance that was tipped.

Even actions as simple as a small spell for attracting money. That money has to actually come from somewhere. Love spells are the same. Are you messing with someone else's free will in order to get something you selfishly want? That's going to cost you in the long run. Nothing is without consequences.

Some believe in the "rule of three," in which whatever you put out into the universe is going to come back to you three times. I'm not sure I believe it's quite that severe. That itself seems to be an upset in balance. Think of a scale full of pennies on each side. I tip the scale on my side because I want some of those pennies. What happens then? The scale certainly does not lean three times as heavy in the other direction. Balance is restored if an equal amount of weight is emptied from the other side.

This is my idea of a rede. I believe that the universe, or "karma," will find a way to restore all balances that were upset or otherwise messed with. Sometimes it's such a severe imbalance that it springs into action and knocks you on your ass. Other times it's a slow process and may not happen for a while. But it is always corrected eventually.

I'm quite sure that not all witches share this belief. Some don't live by any rules at all, while others have very strict rules they abide by. I may not worship a god, but I can certainly govern myself when it comes to right and wrong.

A Lucky Find!

I found this beauty while I was wandering around the otherwise deserted beaches of Folsom Lake this weekend. The BF and I took the dog for a game of fetch on the beach and some swim time. The area we chose was muddy and required hiking down a bit of a slope to get to it, so it wasn't really anyone else's idea of Memorial Day fun. It was perfect for us, though.

I nearly tripped over this rock while we were wandering around. It was almost completely buried in mud, but it stood out to me like it had been shining a flashlight in my eye. I picked it up, rinsed it off in the water, and spent the rest of the morning trying to convince my dog that it wasn't a ball to chase.

I think it's quartz. I know next to nothing about crystal and stone identification, but I do own a few pieces of quartz already and this looks pretty similar, although this is raw and mostly milky white with some swirls of pink and red thrown in.

In my own humble opinion, it's a gorgeous piece! Whatever it is, it's unlike anything I've ever seen before. I feel that it called me to it, like it was meant to end up in my hands. I'll be cleansing and charging it under the next full moon, and I look forward to discovering what kind of energies it will bring to my craft.

How to Shuffle Tarot Cards

My tarot deck works hard. It is used countless times for myself, my friends, and even for complete strangers. It offers guidance, provides insight, and warns against dangers.

I try to take care of my tarot deck as well as possible. One of the biggest dangers to its condition is shuffling. I shuffle the deck after every single reading, and that can be so hard on  the poor cards! After a while, the edges will fray and a nasty crease will develop across the middle. Regular shuffling is just not on the table for my cards.

So here's how I go about shuffling my cards.

1. Hold the entire deck in one hand.

2. With the other hand, take one card from the top of the deck and put it down on the table in front of you.

3. Take the next card in the deck, and set it on the table next to the first card. Do the same for the next card in the deck.

Now you've started 3 piles on the table in front of you. Continue with this method, taking the first card from the deck and placing it on top of the others on the table, alternating piles with each card.

4. Once all of the cards from your hand are in three piles on the table, combine them back into one deck. Repeat if you feel it's necessary.

OR, you can use this method:

1. Split the deck in half and hold one half in each of your hands.

2. Slip the top card from your left hand to the top of the pile in your right hand.

3. Place the next card in the deck from your left hand on the bottom of the deck in your right hand.

4. Continue to alternate this way until all the cards from your left hand have been integrated into the rest of the deck in your right hand.

5. Repeat this process as many times as you feel necessary. Please note that these instructions are easiest if you are right-handed. Use the opposite hand if you are left-handed!

These methods might take more time than normal shuffling would, but they cause minimal damage to your deck. You aren't bending the cards and you aren't forcing the edges against each other. After a little practice, you will get the hang of it and the whole process will go much faster.

I'm Opening A Shop!

As I've always wanted to do, I'm opening a new shop!

Azila's Cauldron is officially in business! For now, basic tarot readings are available (with more options coming soon).

In honor of the grand opening, anyone who volunteers to be my guinea pig will get a free tarot reading with the promo code "freereading" at checkout!

Please do keep an eye out for new items coming soon like scented soy candles, candles designed for use in spells and rituals, charm bags, and more elaborate tarot spreads!

Stop by for a free reading!

On Being "Normal"

Normal is a strange idea. The dictionary defines it as, "conforming to the standard or the common type." So in other words, to be normal is to be just like everyone else.

Normal is something I've been thinking a lot about lately. Witchcraft is a huge part of my life, and lately more and more people I know have been discovering my involvement in it. I usually don't just come right out and tell people, since I don't think it's a "need to know" detail, but I don't make any effort to hide it.

I get the same response often from people who find out: "Oh wow, you seem so normal!"

To me, this statement implies two things: that one who practices witchcraft is not normal, and that I do a pretty good job at pretending to conform.

I'm sure that this statement is meant as a compliment. I know that it comes from a place of well-meaning ignorance. After all, most people are only exposed to "witchcraft" when they accidentally bump into a teenage girl at the mall who's wearing black lipstick and has smeared mascara down her cheeks. She yells something in gibberish and threatens to curse you using the voodoo doll she's got in her purse.

Still, I find the word 'normal' a little unsettling. Being normal never gets anyone anywhere. Being normal doesn't allow for change, or progress, or growth. Normal is stagnant, repetitive, and limiting. In order to truly learn anything or get anywhere, you have to break away from what everyone else is doing and experiment for yourself.

Just as this is true for everyone else, it's true for witches as well. Are you going to discover anything new if you only do the spells everyone else is doing, or if you only study the topics everyone else is studying? Of course not! Branch out and learn something new. Study the world for yourself. Read books that don't have the word witchcraft on the cover and make the connections yourself.

It's nice that my non-witch friends think I'm so normal. It allows them to relate to me easily. But I definitely don't strive for normal. I strive to strike out and discover things that others haven't, and then spread that information around like the plague! Where would we be without people who did things like that?

Journaling

 Keeping journals is an important part of growing and learning in witchcraft. One of the first pieces of advice I was given when I started studying the craft was to write everything down! It helps to keep track of your experiences, and it will help you see the progress you've made over time. I've found that if I go back and re-read my notes after time has passed, there is often much to be learned that I missed the first time around.

Not only that, but keeping detailed notes about things like tarot or scrying sessions, and even dreams can be helpful later on. If you go back and read your notes, you might find that your tarot readings have proven true, or that messages you received in dreams were giving you hints about something that was going to happen.

The problem with me though, is just picking a method and sticking to it! I use my Book of Shadows for references like spells I've written, lists of correspondences, and notes on topics I've been researching. But I like to keep journal entries somewhere else.

Handwritten journals are the more obvious choice. I can get a notebook small enough to fit in my purse, and I can whip it out and create an entry anywhere I want. Small problems occur though, like the fact that my hand isn't fast enough for my brain, and that these can be easily discovered by those you might not want reading them. My biggest problem with this, though, is locating what I've written previously. I often find myself needing to refer back to an entry I wrote about a specific topic, but I can't remember when I wrote it. I end up skimming half of the journal before I find what I need. This led me to the next option.

Online journals are where it's at, in my opinion. Unlike writing by hand, I can type almost as fast as I can form the thought I'm trying to communicate. It's easy for me to be meticulous about my writing, since I can go back and edit the mistakes I made! Best of all, I can tag topics in each post so I can easily search for it later, if I ever need it (BTW I use Penzu, in case you're wondering). The problem with this is I can't always access my computer to write. I can use the app for my phone, but my phone's just too small and I can't type fast enough on that thing. Maybe I just need to give in and buy a damn tablet. Whatever.

I often switch back and forth between these two journaling methods. I have a handwritten journal that I use while I'm away from home and late at night when I don't feel like powering up my laptop. I keep detailed and organized notes in my online journal for meditation sessions, tarot readings, dreams, and other experiences in magic. Many of the entries in my handwritten journal end up being typed into my online journal, just for the sake of tagging topics to find it later.

What kind of methods do you like to use for journaling? I'd love to know!

 

Magic

Magic. What is it, anyway?

Someone recently asked me this question. I have to admit, I was pretty stumped for a while. How do you explain something like that? How do you put it all into words and sum it up in a way that it can be easily understood?

It's not an easy thing to do right off the bat. To be honest, everyone you ask is probably going to give you a different answer, based on what magic means to them and their personal experiences with it. In fact, after a solid look at all of my journal entries on this matter, I realized that my own ideas of what magic is have changed over many years. I'll do my best here to explain it based on what I've learned and my own personal understanding.

Essentially, magic is energy. Energy is everywhere in one form or another. It's in you and it's in the tree in your backyard. It's in the wind and it's in the sea. It's deep inside the earth and it's in the sun. Energy is everything and nothing would exist without it.

So why is it magic? Well, when you "do magic," you connect your energy with the energy around you. You are using it and manipulating it. That energy is there and readily available for anyone and everyone. But sadly, most people don't realize that. Most people live their entire lives completely unaware of this concept, or believing it to be a supernatural fairytale or hoax. When one opens their mind and learns to work with those energies, that is magic.

Some might wonder what the point is. Why would anyone bother learning to connect with energies around them? All that time and effort, and for what? Well, first of all, learning to connect with the world around you puts you back in touch with yourself. You are essentially the same as every other living thing on the planet and once you realize that, you will be more likely to work with the world around you rather than against it. This creates and indescribable sense of peace.

Second, learning to manipulate energy helps to get shit done! There is immense power in intent, and learning to control and direct your intentions in the right ways can help you accomplish things you never thought were possible.

I do magic of some sort every single day. Some days it's as simple as sitting under a tree and listening to what it has to teach me. Other days I might need to do a spell and muster up enough energy and intent to get things moving in the direction I need them to. It's all magic.

Summer Solstice

I hope everyone had a wonderful solstice! I actually managed to get a Saturday off from work, and what better Saturday than the Summer Solstice?

I spent the day baking banana bread, tending my garden, making rose candles, spending lots of money on new tarot decks, and reading books out in the sun. 

It surely was a wonderfully long day! I hope everyone else enjoyed it as much as I did!

It's Time for a Change

I wake up every single morning and put on the same gross outfit. I scramble out the door to a job for which I get paid way too little to sell a product I don't give a rat's ass about. I spend my whole day kissing the asses of mindless, ignorant consumers who care about nothing except getting the best bang for their buck. They are glassy eyed, rude, and have no respect for the world around them.

My bosses constantly want more work for less pay, and nothing ever satisfies them. Every day is a new fight for equal and fair treatment.

And all this just so I can afford a home in which I spend four hours every evening. And then it's off to bed so I can do it all again tomorrow.

I can't do this anymore, pretending to care about a product that only pollutes the Earth and puts people's lives in danger, anyway. It's sucking the life out of my soul. I'm in the wrong industry, in the wrong world. I suspected it in college and it's becoming painfully more clear every single day. I don't belong here.

I want to do something that actually helps people. I want to do something that's productive, instead of contributing to an industry that is destructive (which is most industries, these days!). I want to do something that is not just a steady paycheck. I want to end my day knowing it was not wasted.

I'm not OK with this anymore. I can't do this for the rest of my life, it's not what I want my life to be. I'm posting this here as a way to announce it to the world, to hold myself accountable for doing something about it.

It's time for a change.

My Home

I finally have my own home!

My BF and I have been living with his mom for the past year and a half (we couldn't afford our own place because the company we both work for refused to pay us a living wage, but let's not get into that).

Anyway, I finally got a full-time position and we rented our own apartment! Now we're unpacking all of our stuff that was sitting in boxes in the garage, and rebuilding our life.

If you've ever had to move back in with a parent, then you know how hard it is, especially if you are moving in as a couple. While I'm very grateful that she gave us a place to stay while we were working through that rough time, it was really tough trying to pack our entire lives (plus our two dogs) into one little bedroom. It was also rough trying to keep quiet and to ourselves, carefully planning the times we cook, shower, and let the dogs out to potty so we don't disturb anyone else in the house.

I'm excited that we can now cook, clean, laugh, play, shower, and whatever else we want to do whenever and however we want. I'm also excited that our bed no longer doubles for our couch and our dining table!

I spent this weekend listening to music, assembling my potted patio garden, and working on my BOS. It was so nice to lay all of my research materials out on the dining table, and work for hours on my BOS without worrying about disturbing anyone else, or being disturbed. My BF certainly didn't mind, as he spent the whole weekend catching up on his Titanfall progress. Oh, sweet freedom!

Now is the time when I start working hard at the things I enjoy the most, and really getting serious about practicing again. Expect to see a ton of new and exciting witchy things posted in the near future!

Karma

Karma has been playing a huge roll in my life lately. As I shared in this post from a few weeks ago, I was majorly screwed over at work by someone who I thought was a friend. It broke my heart, and I felt betrayed and defeated. I was unjustly pushed out of a job that I needed and was in line for, and that was a huge threat to my income and my well being.

Within days, Karma swooped right in and turned things completely upside down. She was removed from the position and it was offered to me. Again. Not only that, but she is now experiencing the struggles that I would have been going through, had she succeeded in pushing me out of that promotion.

Now, make no mistake! I do not wish this on her. I know how hard it is to be working part time and to be fighting to get enough hours just to cover the costs of your food. I know how hard it is to be living with family because you can't afford your own place. I've been doing that for the past year and a half! I truly am sad that someone who I was once so close to is struggling so much.

However, I am in awe at Karma's effectiveness. She plucked that girl off her high horse and gave her a hefty dose of her own medicine. Reap what you sow and what not.

I can't help but notice that this kind of justice has been happening all around me lately. People are getting exactly what they deserve in epic ways, including me. I've never seen this happen before, it's all just been unfairness and injustice in life up until now. Those who step on toes get ahead, and the good people are held underwater by those who have no conscience.

I can't help but wonder if justices in life are now beginning to balance out because of the witchcraft I've been involved in. It certainly has changed my life. I see things differently, take a different approach to life's struggles, and strive for balance and harmony. But is that leaking out to the people around me, too?

I also wonder if the whole job fiasco is a result of the spells I've done. I have always been warned that spells performed can result in consequences that go far beyond what you imagined. Did the simple job spell that I performed (wealth sigil carved on a green candle, and a simple incantation asking for a job that suits my needs) reach so far into the situation that it knocked her completely on her ass? I sure hope not! I like to think that it's because that's what you get when you let your selfishness and greed take over and you try to hurt others. But hey, that's just me!

 

 

Solitary Witchcraft, Community, and Tumblr

Solitary witchcraft is tough. It's just you. That's it. All aloney on your owney.

Don't get me wrong, I love this path I chose. I did choose it because I have the freedom to decide what's right for me, and I can make my own decisions on what fits into my craft and what doesn't. Working with a group comes along with lots of compromises that I'm not really willing to make at this point.

However, it gets lonely. Sometimes I just want another witch to hang out with. To talk to about stuff I've learned and experienced. To learn from. Just because I don't work in a coven doesn't mean I can't have friends who are witches and still be a solitary. It's not exactly easy to find people, though. You can't really tell that someone is a witch just by looking at them when you pass in the grocery store. People don't usually walk into a room and call for a "holla" from fellow witches in the house. So how exactly are you supposed to find others?

That's why I ended up joining Tumblr. I was feeling lonely and bored and scouring the internet for something interesting to study on a witchcraft related topic. I came across something posted on Tumblr, and that's how I found out there was a bustling community of fellow witches there. So I joined.

I was met with an abundance of information that I never thought I'd find on the internet. So many people to talk to! So many opinions to consider! So many points of view to learn from! On the other hand, though, I also came across a lot of judgement and hate. Tumblr is where I first learned about "witch wars."

 But despite the bad (every community has some bad eggs and animosity here and there), I am so glad I joined that site. I have learned more from people on Tumblr than I've learned from any other sources on information I've gotten a hold of. Granted, credibility is questionable on Tumblr, but I love being exposed to so many different opinions, and having the freedom to sort through it all to find what fits in with my own beliefs.

So if you're on Tumblr, here's my profile. Come find me! I'd love to follow you!

 

Simple Spell for Removing Pain

I recently started developing random episodes of severe swelling in my joints. It happens totally randomly and sometimes renders my fingers, knees, and toes totally useless. Because I currently have very restricted access to healthcare, I cannot easily get to a doctor anytime soon. So what's a desperate Witch to do in a situation like this??

Cast a spell, of course! Since this happens at random times, I needed something I could do in little time and with no tools or aides. So this is the spell I created to meet my needs.

• Get away from distractions for a few minutes so you can concentrate. If you can, sit somewhere on the ground so you have direct contact with the earth below you. Ground and center.
• Concentrate on the area that is causing you pain. Visualize a dense cloud of red, stagnant energy where the pain is. 
• Get that cloud spinning. Spin it like it's a wet clump of towels in the dryer. At first they are a dense, tight block of cloth. But after a few tumbles, they start to break apart and tumble in a smooth spherical shape. That's what you want that red stagnate energy to do. Let it spin and tumble until you feel that it is all broken up and flowing smoothly in a fluid motion.
• Next, drain that shit. Watch as the energy starts to trickle downward out of that sphere. Drain it from the sphere where your pain is, down into the earth where that energy will be neutralized. If you'd like, you may chant something while doing this that signifies your banishing of this energy. I usually say something like, "away with the pain." It's simple, and helps to put extra power into my intent.
• Do this until all of the energy from the sphere has been drained, and repeat on other areas as necessary.

This spell has been a huge help when I get pain and don't have access to any other forms of relief (like when I'm at work and can't get away for longer than a 15 minute bathroom break). Sometimes I also feel the need to change the color of the sphere from red to blue during the process of tumbling the energy to break it up. Other times I'm in a hurry and don't bother with that step.

Another variation I sometimes use is to evaporate the energy instead of melting and draining it. I do this when I can't get direct contact with the ground. I don't like to work with grounding energy when there's concrete in my way, but that's just me. So I make use of air in this case rather than earth.

This spell has also proven useful with headaches and other minor aches and pains. 

 

Heartache

Someone once commented on how they thought that being a Witch was cheating at life. As if we have all of the answers and can get whatever we want with the snap of our fingers. Thanks for that stupid misconception, Hollywood.

But that's not the case at all. Yes, I have tools to help me though life's tough situations (divination, meditation, etc.), and I'm better able to cope with stress than I could ever have hoped to be without Witchcraft, but that doesn't mean shit never hits the fan.

A prime example of that happens to be right now. To give you the short version of it, my very best friend of all time just ended our friendship out of nowhere because of selfishness and greed. She intentionally cost me a promotion that I desperately needed (and, in turn, my income and my family's well-being) so that she could continue an office affair without getting in trouble. She could have come to me with her situation, and we could have agreed to compete fairly for that job. Instead, she waited until after I was already offered the job, and then used that affair to slip in through the backdoor and right into my desk without my ever knowing what was going on. She then said some really mean things and boasted about her new promotion.

Well, she ended up getting caught and fired, and so did the other participant in that affair. And I am moving into that job just like I was supposed to, like nothing ever happened. Even though karma came in and dealt her the hand that she deserved, that doesn't mean the situation hurts any less. Even though it worked out in my favor in the end, my heart is still breaking over that betrayal and the loss of (what I thought was) my best friend. I still hurt for her because she just made a huge mistake and cost herself her job.

Being a Witch doesn't make things like this easier. I am still suffering from the loss of a friendship, and from self-doubt because I was obviously a bad judge of character in this case. The best I can do is try to dissolve and ground this ball of hurt and negative energy within me, and try to move on.

Garlic

Garlic is my favorite go-to remedy for many things, and it always has been! When I was growing up, it was a staple in my mother's kitchen. She added it to nearly everything she made, much like many people use salt and pepper. Her response to coughs, sniffles, and sore throats was always an immediate dosage of garlic-- for everyone in the house!

My mom wasn't a witch, but she was raised in a Native American family who believed in the medicinal properties of plants. I thought she was just crazy back then, but now that I'm grown up (and a bit of an herbalist, myself!), I know that her beliefs actually had merit.

Now I'm just as enthusiastic about it as she was! Although my fiancee hates the taste of it and won't often tolerate food that contains any detectable amount, I still use it regularly in other ways!

• Protection spells. Most of my protection spells contain garlic in one form or another, whether it be whole, minced, or powdered. It has significant protective properties, and is wonderful for warding!
• Pest control. I always plant garlic in my garden right along with all of my veggies and herbs. It is a natural repellent for pests that I don't want on my plants, particularly aphids! I also rub garlic juice on my dogs (little bits in strategic places where I know they can't lick it off or get it in their eyes) to repel fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes.
• Medicine. Just like when I was a kid, I always ingest garlic at the first sign of a cold. It is a natural antibiotic and helps keep common colds at bay. It's also wonderful for sore throats! I mince it into hot water and gargle with it to help fight the infection during a cold.

I like it so much is because it's so easily accessible. It's usually about half a dollar for one bulb at the grocery store, and there is always an abundance. It's easy to store and keeps for long periods of time as long as it's kept dry. It's also very easy to grow at home in the garden or in pots!

Do you use garlic for any of your own magical endeavors?  How does it work for you?

Pretty New Things

I'm at a point where I want pretty new things.

I have a rather long list of items that I want to buy, such as: cast iron cauldron, certain gems and crystals, a new tarot deck, etc.

I made a trip to my favorite Witchy store, Garden of Enchantment in Old Sacramento, expecting to pick up all of the things that I've been wanting. It didn't really turn out the way I expected, though! The things I wanted, plus books that I wanted to buy, would have cost me half my paycheck. Just a tarot deck alone was $20, which is what I spent on a week's worth of groceries just hours later. To keep my shopping simple and cheap, I ended up buying a small rose quartz and a green candle (both for spells I'm planning).

I currently don't work with a whole lot of tools or aids. I typically work with things I find in nature. I get most of my research material online, so I don't really spend much on book purchases. I really wanted to pick up a few new items and books to enhance my practice, but I can see now that I'm going to have to rethink my shopping list. I narrowed it down to just a few essentials:

• Books. Those are staying on the list. There are a few essentials that I want to read. After all, there really isn't much else for a solitary Witch to turn to, I guess.
• Herbs to add to my garden. Rather than buying bunches of dried herbs to work with, I will just learn to grow more of them myself!
• A new tarot deck. Mine got lost somewhere amongst 3 moves and I really want to get back into tarot.

The biggest item being knocked off the list is a rune set. I will make one of my own. The gems and crystals I want can be acquired over time. And maybe I can find the books I want on bargain somewhere in a used bookstore.

 How do you do it? Buying tools and other desired items can be really tough for a Witch on a budget!

Fear of Self

One of the things that held me back for a long time was fear of myself. I spent two years reading about and researching Witchcraft before I got the guts to actually start practicing. I was afraid of my own power.

The idea that I could use my mind and energy to control a situation or otherwise influence the world around me was scary. What if I did something wrong and made something bad happen? What if I accidentally hurt someone or myself? Or worse yet, what if there was a darkness hiding in me that managed to get out?

I didn't trust myself. Not one bit. And that doesn't mix well with Witchcraft at all. One of the biggest powers in Witchcraft is belief; in yourself, in your power, in your magick, in your ability to accomplish what you're attempting. But I didn't have that.

For a while I had a recurring dream that a menacing figure (which I now know to represent my fear of myself) was coming after me. It chased me everywhere and was constantly gaining ground no matter how fast I ran. Finally, I tried facing it. I stood up to it and used some sort of defensive spell that got out of hand. Storms began raging in the sky, floods closed in and squandered all of the life around me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't figure out how to undo the damage I had caused. I had unleashed power that had gotten out of hand and grew far beyond my control. My fear projection just laughed at me.

It was after this dream that I knew I had to make some changes. In the next year, I spent time carefully getting to know myself and coming to terms with who I truly am. It wasn't until then that I realized there was nothing to fear, and I finally felt ready to begin practicing.

I am now seeing this same problem a lot in people who are looking to get into the Craft as a beginner. They fear that they may not be fully in control, or that they might do something wrong and cause unintended harm somewhere. I'm sure it's been this way for a number of newcomers since the beginning of time, but I'm just now seeing that I wasn't alone in harboring this fear when I started.

It is my belief that in order to successfully practice Witchcraft, you must be very familiar and comfortable with yourself. If you aren't, your self-doubt will get in the way and sabotage you and everything you try to do. Nothing will work because deep down, you don't want it to (for fear that it will go wrong). Just remember that Witchcraft is extremely personal, and you can do it entirely your way. Know that your intent and belief is what fuels it, so get to know yourself and what your intentions are. Practice meditation, keep a journal, pay attention to what your inner self says to you.

Am I a Wiccan Witch, or Just a Witch?

"So, are you a Witch or a Wiccan?"

This was the question I was asked recently, and I didn't really know how to answer it. First, I had to explain the difference between a Wiccan and a Witch.

To put it simply, I told the inquirer that a Witch is someone who works with and manipulates energies to help achieve a certain goal. A Witch may use crystals, herbs, tarot, etc to aid in their work. A Wiccan is someone who follows Wicca, which is essentially a nature-based religion. Someone can be a Witch and a Wiccan, or they can be either one and not the other. A Witch may even belong to another religion, like Christianity.

And still the question stands; which am I? I definitely consider myself a Witch, because I regularly practice Witchcraft. Many of my practices are very similar to those who call themselves Wiccan, but what it means to be Wiccan seems to vary greatly with each person who has an opinion on the matter.

I personally do not consider myself a Wiccan just because I do not work with deities. From my understanding, honoring and requesting aid from certain deities is a common practice in Wicca which makes sense because Wicca is a religion, after all. Since I believe that all of my power comes from within me and not from the aid of a deity, then I assume that I do not qualify as a typical Wiccan.

But that doesn't mean that my beliefs don't reflect those of a Wiccan. For example, I recently made and posted THIS IMAGE on Tumblr. I titled it "Witch's Pledge of Allegiance." In a nutshell, it states that I pledge my allegiance to the Earth and Moon, and promise to protect life and do good by all. The end. I immediately got a comment from a fellow Witch stating that this shouldn't be posted under Witchcraft because it was Wiccan and therefore didn't apply to Witches.

Well excuse me! I wasn't aware that Witches didn't work with the energies of Earth as influenced by the Moon, and that they didn't believe in using their knowledge and power to protect. MY BAD.

So I am just going to assume that the definition of Witch and Wiccan differs from person to person. I am a Witch, by my own definition. I am not a Wiccan, but I do share many beliefs with Wiccans. I guess anyone who disagrees should mind their own cauldrons!

 

Witch's Pledge of Allegiance

Dreamtime

Dreamtime is always when I'm at my wisest. My mind is able to work freely, to go wherever it needs to in order to bring me solutions to problems, and give me hints about things that are to come.

My magical name came to me in a dream. I have a fox that has been following me around in my dreams since I was a child, offering me protection and companionship. I believe that my father finds it easiest to communicate with me in my dreams. He makes it clear that he's watching out for me from the Other World and sometimes passes along very important information this way. Even my familiar has used the dream world to communicate with me, telling me of a painful tumor she had that I wouldn't have known about otherwise.

The tricky part is actually remembering my dreams. Until I discovered the Craft, it was very rare that I remembered my dreams. Once in a blue moon one would linger in my head for a while after waking up, and slowly fade out of my mind's grasp as the day went on. Other than that, I didn't remember my dreams, if I even had any at all!

When I started studying the Craft, I learned that what my dreams have to say to me is actually very important. I crafted a short and simple spell to repeat to myself before bed time so that my mind would be open to whatever my dreams had to say, and so that I would be more likely to remember them in the morning. I also learned to create a shield around myself when I slept so that any negative energy would not get to me while I slept.

As soon as I wake up, I write down everything I remember from the dream I just had. Even if it doesn't seem important or doesn't make much sense to me now, it might later on!

A Misplaced Book, The Discovery Of A Lifetime

Wandering aimlessly around the bookstore, I was just trying to kill time. I wasn't really planning on buying anything because I didn't think anything could spark an interest in me considering the mood I was in. So I just browsed absentmindedly, concentrating instead on the troubles I had left behind.

I was far from home. It was one of those times when I felt an irresistible urge to get in my car and drive. So I went to visit my best friend in a little coastal town a day's drive from where my troubles resided. I knew that a couple of days with her would help me find the rejuvenation and inspiration I desperately needed, and to find myself again.

I left the literature section and took a random turn down an isle dedicated to books written on history. Not at all my thing, but I was interested for some reason. As I eyed the shelves, a book with a pink-coral cover caught my eye and I picked it up. It was "Witch Crafting" by Phillis Curott, and it was obviously in the wrong place. I put it back down and moved on.

But I couldn't forget that book. It was like an itch in a part of my mind that I couldn't reach to scratch. So I went back later that evening. I couldn't help it. I needed to. I found that book and I bought it.

Thinking it was just another fantasy novel, I waited until I returned home to crack it open. But when I finally did read it, I was shocked. It was as if the information in that book was pulled directly from the core of my soul. The values and principles of Wicca were things that I had believed in for as long as I remembered, I just never knew that there were others who saw the world the way I did!

My world was never the same after that. I bought more books and began studying Wicca and Witchcraft. I finally felt whole. I felt as though I had found a home in the world. I felt peace.

I wonder if I really did find that book on accident, or if I was led to it. It was exactly what I needed, and I found it at precisely the right time. It's funny how things work out that way. If you just follow your instincts like I did that day, the world always finds a way to bring you exactly what you need.

Call Me Azila

I had a dream once, back when I began studying Witchcraft. In the dream, I sat at a table in my backyard where I lived at the time, a stack of papers in front of me. It was dusk and I was in a hurry to finish letters that I was writing to people. My dog (who is now my familiar) sat at my side, watching a fox wander through the small garden I had planted nearby.

I quickly signed each letter with the name Azila Tihi, which is nothing even close to my real name.

As I folded each letter, the fox abandoned his raid of my garden and began to approach me slowly. I tied the stack of finished letters together with a piece of twine and held the stack out to the fox, who gently placed his mouth on the other end and took it. I whispered a sincere "thank you" as I watched him hurry off with my letters, escaping my backyard through a small hole in the bottom of the fencing. The last thing I remember before waking up is turning to go inside the house and calling my dog to follow.

I don't often pay much attention to dreams that seem so random and pointless but when I woke from this one, it was stuck in my memory like a coat of fresh paint. I spent the next couple of weeks trying to work out what it meant. That fox had shown up in my dreams before, so that wasn't new. He was usually there in the background of my dreams for seemingly no particular reason. I've always had a thing for foxes, and they seem to show up everywhere I go in one way or another, so the presence of the fox didn't surprise me.

The part that had me concerned was the letters. Why was I signing them with that name, and who was I writing to? After doing a little bit of research, and coming up with nothing, I decided to run that phrase through a translator app on my phone. I was astounded when it told me that "tihi azila" was a term that mean silent seeker in Croatian. Aha!

I had no idea what the purpose of signing my name in Croatian was, as I wasn't really even aware of the existence of that particular language until this happened. But Silent Seeker really resonated with me. It fit, and it stuck. I decided to make Tihi Azila my "magical name." I use Azila for short, and that is what I call myself in all things Craft-related, including my journals and BOS.

That is the story of why I'm called Azila. I didn't exactly pick it for myself, but I love it! I don't think I could have picked a better name if I had done it entirely on my own!

Intro Post

Since this is the first post on this blog, I thought I would use it to introduce myself and my purpose here.

The whole reason I started this blog is because I am a practitioner of Witchcraft. I am fairly new to this way of life and I want to document my journey in a public place. I hope that by doing this I can reach others who follow similar paths, and maybe make some good friends!

I go by the name Azila when it comes to matters involving the Craft. I am 24 years old and I live in California. I have been studying Witchcraft for about 3 years now, and I've been actively practicing for about 1 year.

I am a solitary, as I do not personally know anyone else who practices Witchcraft. So I'm holding high hopes that I can connect with others through this blog and make some friends who share some of the same interests!

This blog will be full of my journey along my path. It's intended as a lifestyle blog by someone living as a Witch, and it's not always just full moons and cauldrons! There's a whole lot of normal stuff in there, too.

This blog will grow and develop along with me, and I can only hope that I will pick up readership of some wonderful like-minded people along the way!