Witchcrafting In Someone Else's House

You never really understand a situation until you're in it. I see witches complaining on the internet all the time about how hard it is to practice if you live with other people. Young witches who live with their parents, witches in a relationship with someone who doesn't understand or support their beliefs, and witches who have roommates are among the most common stories I read about. I never really understood why it was so difficult for them.

...Until I got stuck in that situation myself. When my boyfriend and I picked up and moved to a city we were not at all familiar with, we decided to go the "roommate route." We rented a bedroom in someone else's home for a fairly small monthly payment. We made a pact that since we were saving so much money, we'd stay as long as we could reasonably stand to. We put most of our stuff in storage and kept with us the things we absolutely needed.

Of course, that meant narrowing down the large collection of "stuff" I use in my practices. Several boxes of candles and incense, dried herbs, books, notes, crystals, and many other items were put away. I kept with me the things I absolutely needed: Book of Shadows, a few reference books I use frequently, my jug of moon water, a select few crystals, all of my divination supplies, and several boxes of items I sell in my shop.

Not only is it tough to live without immediate access to all of your tools, but it's also tough to practice in such a small space. Meditation is nearly impossible when you share a tiny room with one other person and two fickle parakeets who squawk constantly. I could use another room in the house, but that makes me subject to interruption by a small child and a rather energetic dog. It's a sure way to quickly turn meditation time into playtime! The same goes for rituals or spells. I cannot burn anything in my room for fear of harming my beloved little birds. Chanting is off-limits for fear of scaring my roommates. Not to mention the fact that there is just no space to work with. We have about 4 square feet of open floor space available to us. The only elevated "table space" we have is our bed. Not a good environment for a spell, or crafting of any kind. Especially if it needs to be left untouched for a period of time.

And I must not forget the fact that I cannot set up the kind of shields around this home that make me feel comfortable enough to do any kind of substantial magic here.

So this leaves me the option of leaving the house to do my spellwork. Where do I go? The park? Maybe go seek out a secluded spot near the creek?

I'm not writing this to complain (okay, maybe I am). I just wanted to say, I get it now. Before this, I tried my best to sympathize with those who were stuck trying to build a practice in a home that was not their own. I always thought, "if you really want to practice, you have to just find a way to get it done."

I didn't fully understand, though. It's much easier said than done. I'm happy it's only temporary, and we'll be getting our own place very soon. I will never again take for granted my privacy and freedom to practice in my own space. 

Hot Foot Powder

Hot Foot Powder is an old Hoodoo trick that is used to banish someone from your life or home. The base ingredients are usually salt (one or more different kinds) and peppers (ground habanero, cayenne, black, etc). Other ingredients might include iron shavings, red brick dust, brimstone powder, garlic powder, gun powder, or anything else that packs a significant punch.

The purpose of hot foot powder is to make the target feel extremely uncomfortable in the area the user is trying to banish them from. They'll feel a strong urge to leave, and won't be inclined to come back.

When I made some of my own, I did an internet search for common recipes. Many of them seemed too harsh for my liking, and I felt that many of the ingredients were overkill. I was worried that if the powder was too potent, I might risk bringing harm to my target. Obviously, that's not something I want to do. If someone is truly that bothersome and I wish to be rid of them, I want to simply drive them away without causing them any harm at all.

I used four simple ingredients:

• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper
• Sulfur

I mixed the ingredients and then charged the powder under a full moon with the proper intent.

Don't get me wrong, this stuff is nasty. It gets the job done, but it doesn't run the risk of bringing any harm or misfortune to the target. It just (slightly forcefully) persuades them that they need to get the hell out of dodge, now. 

Sprinkle the powder over the path of the person you want to get rid of. Wherever or however you administer the powder, just make sure they walk on it! Use it sparingly, though, a little goes a long way! Not only that, but you want it to go unnoticed by the target.

Be sure not to let anyone else step on the powder. This includes pets! Do not consume, or allow anyone else to consume it. Wash your hands immediately after use, and wash it away from the area where you sprinkled it after it has served its purpose.

Want a bit for yourself? Grab a small batch of my recipe here. 

Magic: Defense and Offence

Since the very beginning of my practice as a witch, it's been very important to me that my witchery does not affect the will of those around me. I don't push my practice on people, I don't do spells on behalf of others (unless I'm outright asked to do one, and it was entirely their idea), and I don't even attempt to manipulate the will or actions of others for my benefit (or for any other reason). While I don't follow a predetermined set of rules that govern my practice (like the Wiccan Rede, for example), I do have personal ethics that are very important to me.

However, there are always going to be situations that test your limits and boundaries. Someone may be blatantly trying to hurt you and your family, and in a manner that is sneaky and hard to counter by any mundane means. At some point you may find yourself caught in a real bind, with not much else to do about it besides some defensive magic. You may end up walking a fine line, but when it's either them or you (or your family), then you do what you have to do.

Whether or not you follow an established Rede, you have the right to defend yourself. There are infinite rituals and spells set up for defense, protection, warding, and the like. Are we supposed to shut those up in our Grimoires and never use them? I struggled with it for quite some time when I encountered the situation, but I eventually realized that I practice witchcraft for a reason. I couldn't just sit back and let my power lay dormant while someone was actively trying to take what little I had right out from under me. I did a shielding spell against any ill-intentions that may come my way. Within a week, everything was righted and my life was restored to normal. The offender had some serious karma to deal with shortly afterward.

But what happens when your defensive magic starts to cross the line into offensive magic? Where is the line drawn?

I have a neighbor who is not a good sort to live around. He lives in the apartment directly above me, and lets just say he makes his money in less than legal ways. His "clients" are rude, loud, and messy. Random traffic comes and goes during all hours of the night and day. Yet I chose to ignore him for almost a year because he mainly kept to himself and never said a word to me.

...Until I had to put my dog on allergy medication because of the constant marijuana smoke that wafts into my apartment. Not to mention the fact that my employer had asked me about why I smelled like weed one morning. And one of his friends removed a side mirror from my car to replace the one that was missing from his own, nearly identical car. This prompted me to start calling the cops, and reporting him to private security and management.

Well, he started retaliating against me for reporting him. Although he can't prove that it was me, he came banging on my door late one night and threatened me (if you're interested, there's more about this incident in this post). I put up shields and wards after that, but those only go so far. One of his frequent customers came to my front door one day and tried to get in. They make indecent comments to me when I pass them on the way to my car. I don't feel safe living here, and neither does anyone else in my building. Calling the cops, making reports, and any wards or shields I've put up clearly aren't enough.

I don't feel that everyone in my building should move out in order to feel safe and comfortable in their own homes. This one guy is a problem for everyone around him, so what's a witch to do?

It's times like these where I believe that a little offensive magic is permissible. My solution? A little hot foot powder on his front door step. I made the powder myself, so I can be sure of what it does and doesn't do. I designed it so that whomever walks over it feels uncomfortable being in that apartment. They'll want to leave, and not come back.

Since I began using the hot foot powder, the usual crowd hasn't been around. Things are pretty quiet here, and I've noticed he's had to venture out to the front of the complex or the street (where he's more likely to get caught) to make his deals. I was so worried about making sure the recipe was mild enough not to cause any real harm, that it seems it didn't have much effect on him. However, it definitely worked on his clientele.

*Update: The day after I published this post, I found out that my neighbor had put in his notice to move out.*

Now, you can argue that I did a really big no-no by using the hot foot powder. I used magic to alter the feelings and/or behavior of others. But I see it like this: I used magic in a kind of nasty way against a kind of nasty man to protect those in the area who are innocent. Karma may bite me in the ass for this, and I'll accept that if it happens.

What do you think? Would you have done the same thing? I'd love to hear opinions!

Witchy Problems: Forgetting You're A Witch

If you've even glanced at any given page on my blog, you'll know I'm a witch. I practice on a daily basis. I'm pretty serious about my craft, and I admit that it spills over into just about every aspect of my life. I live and breath this shit.

Well, I was pretty surprised the other night when I suddenly forgot about witchcraft. I found myself in a rather scary situation. It was the one time that witchcraft was probably the only thing I had on hand that could have helped me, and I forgot all about it.

It was Sunday night and I was home alone (which rarely ever happens). The guy upstairs was causing problems in the apartment complex again, bringing his shady friends around and making the neighbors uncomfortable with his laughably obvious drug deals. Unfortunately, I'm usually affected worse than most others because I live directly below him. The noise of his friends banging on the door at ungodly hours is easily heard from my place while I'm trying to sleep. The smoke wafting into my apartment when he smokes (really bad) weed indoors up there. Not to mention the fact that he's really mean and his negative energy pollutes this whole building.

On a Sunday night when I'm home alone and have to work the next day, I really don't feel like being kept up by loud music and showing up at work in the morning with a contact high. So I did what everyone always does when they're tired of dealing with him: I made a report to private security. Almost an hour later he came banging at my door, which has never happened before. How did he even know it was me this time? When I didn't answer (home alone and in my pajamas? Hell no!), he started yelling that I'm too scared to open the door (no shit) and that I should be scared of him. He went upstairs and kept on yelling at me through the floor almost all night long.

The truth is, I was scared! I made another report to security about his behavior, made sure the doors and windows were tightly locked, and hunkered down in bed with a pocket knife in my hand.

For 2 days, I tiptoed around.  I was scared of running into him outside, and scared that he would know I was home and come to my door again. It took me forever to finally realize that even after I had exhausted all of my other options (complaining to management and private security, and making reports to the police), there was still something I could have done.

Witchcraft! What I should have done was cleanse the energy in my apartment right away! I should have put up shields so that his heavy negativity couldn't get to me, and I should have swept his energy off of my porch and put some black salt down! I could even have used some hot foot powder to ensure that he never comes back to my door again. But instead, I turned out the lights and cowered in a corner because mundane methods weren't proving effective.

As soon as it occurred to me, I took all magical precautions to protect myself and my home. I couldn't believe I didn't think of it sooner! Normally, I would have done some serious shielding and a banishing spell, at least. Then I would have consulted my tarot cards to figure out what would be my best game plan for dealing with the situation.

But for a minute there, it's like I completely forgot that I was a witch!

Happy New Year From an Unorganized Witch

I usually don't participate in the New Year Resolution craze. Normally, I set goals to get fit and give up drinking. It lasts for a month tops, before I finally realize that I'm only about ten pounds away from looking like I only eat bread crust and having to buy all new clothes that don't hang off of me. Screw that. And life isn't as fun without alcohol. So screw that, too.

After a while, I quit bothering. I got into the habit of living on a "here and now" basis. If I notice something that I think I can improve or I want to start doing something new, BAM. I make the change right then and there. This is an awesome habit to have, but I've been noticing in the last couple of months or so that my organization and record keeping are starting to suffer, especially where my craft is concerned!

It all started when I couldn't seem to find the notes I had taken for a spell I created last month. I have a BoS of course, but I don't usually add my spells to it until they've been tested and tweaked a few times, so they're perfect to my standards and I have a finalized draft. The problem is, my notes and research are all spread out. I have a mini BoS that I keep in my purse, a few notebooks laying around the house, some loose leaf sheets in a pile on my apothecary shelves, some random kitchen witchery stuffed into recipe books in my pantry, and several digital magic journals. Each time I want to review my notes, I first have to figure out where exactly those notes are located.

So this year, I decided it was appropriate to jump back on the New Years Resolution bandwagon with one very simple goal for the year:

WRITE SHIT DOWN IN AN ORGANIZED FASHION.

That's it. I went through all my notebooks and consolidated my notes into one binder that I keep right next to my BoS on a shelf. I also reorganized my online journals, tagged everything, and installed the app on my phone so I can access that from everywhere. Then, I vowed to write stuff down every single day. Dreams, tarot, scrying, spellwork, everything I do on a regular basis gets recorded and tagged so I can refer to it later. No more 'mental notes' that something happened. That's lazy witchery and doesn't make for a very learned witch. Believe me, I've learned the hard way!

And look here, on day four it's even spilling over into my blog that I've been neglecting for months! Sometimes a reset of the date and a 1/1/.. on the calendar really does make it easier to flip a switch and make a big change.

What about you? Did you make any witchy new year resolutions?

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.

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.

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.

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.