Fighting Consumerism In Magic

Fighting Consumerism in Magic

aka, little things to distance your craft from capitalism

Let’s all just admit that buying stuff is fun. That said, there’s a big issue of consumerism within the witchy/pagan scene. As magic work and the pagan “aesthetic” becomes more of a commodity in the mainstream, there’s a mounting attitude of needing All The Items in the highest quality (even if we’re not certain we’ll use them,) and big corporations mass-producing cheap stuff to make a buck off of a growing trend. Here’s some things you can do to help detach your practice from that and support other people in the craft:

Go outside. Check your backyard or local park for local plant life, waters, roots, etc. If your work involves things from nature at all, you can probably find a lot of your supplies… in nature. It takes a little more time, but it’s free and then you’ve gathered stuff yourself!

Make stuff. This one is pretty straightforward. There may be key items to your practice that you can make yourself instead of buying it! That said, I know sometimes spending money is inevitable so I won’t dwell too much on this… let’s talk more about shopping:

Shop mindfully. The price of a lot of items will skyrocket once it has a pentacle or other symbol engraved on it. For example, little mortars and pestles can be very pricey in witchy shops, but you could probably get a bigger one that’s actually food safe for less at a nice grocery store. Antique stores and international markets are now your new best friends.

Support small businesses! Things are cheaper on Amazon, but the extra money goes to support real people, likely other practitioners. If you can, supporting small, local, independent shopkeepers and crafters does a ton of good. It also helps build and sustain a local community.

Shop based on need. Don’t get something “just in case” (unless it’s banishing or hex breaking stuff; those are decent to have on hand.) It’s tempting to impulse-buy a ton of niche items and ingredients, but unless you have a reasonable idea what you’re going to use them for in the near future, it’ll probably just create clutter for you to deal with later.

Prioritize effectiveness over aesthetic. Ultimately your practice has to work for you, not just look good. I think making your work aesthetically pleasing to yourself can be an important part of really connecting with what you’re doing, but don’t make that desire burn a hole in your wallet and distract you from what brought you to this path in the first place. Altar envy is a real thing.

Recycle/Upcycle. Use old clothing fabric for an altar cloth. That old trinket dish makes a great offering dish. Enchant jewelry you already own. That jar of strawberry jelly you just finished off will work just fine for that spell. Things can be re-purposed and made into new things.

Analyze your offerings. Special occasion wine isn’t a special occasion if you do it every time. Not every offering needs to be a grand gesture, regular maintenance is more important generally.

Organize trades. Have any pals that also practice? See if you can help each other! You could trade different goods (that old mini cauldron you bought and never used for that abandoned tarot deck, maybe?) but also services. A protection spell for a luck charm. A reading for a reading. You help them with the laundry and they cook you a meal one day.

As always, the goal is to foster a local community of individuals doing honest work, and shedding the consumerist mindset society taught us to make us spend more money. Take up the idea that you can do magic completely on your own with what you already around you, and if you do want to spend money, see if you can do it in a way that helps the world a tiny bit. :)

reminder !!

❤️ you are loved

💜 you are appreciated

💛 you are valid

💙 you are amazing

💓 you are wanted

💞 you are beautiful

💕 you are smart

💖 you deserve to be alive

💝 you deserve to eat

💘 you deserve to be loved

💗 people want you alive

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crayonboy

4 years ago

REMEMBER:

Food is fuel, nothing else.

You eat to stay alive, not to enjoy it.

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crayonboy

5 years ago

New Release: 【-Hananoko Runrun-】 Series

◆ Shopping Link >>> https://www.lolitawardrobe.com/hananoko-runrun-vintage-classic-lolita-jumper-dress_p6305.html

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crayonboy

4 years ago

Hey daddy, I wanna interact with strade at a bar...how do you think that'll go down? Treat me well♡

Oh my sweet little love,,, so good to see!! ♡ Of course I would treat you well, but theres no telling how he would treat you~

He would've come in rather late, looking for another poor soul to pick up for his own amusement. But little could he guess about the sweet little server passing out drinks as he scours the sitting area. You only really catch his eye after you brought him a drink he never ordered, but was nonetheless one of his favorites. Thats when he starts paying attention.

He starts off by complimenting your lovely eyes, how they remind him of a fox. May say his little fox even. Down to your fluffy reddish hair and the way you swivel around tables so smooth and deftly. You would bite back though, not one to let some random man comment on your body in anyway. And that riles him up even more.

You're striking, eye-catching, with the fire in your eyes and the bite in your words. How you seem to know your regulars intimately, addressing some by name and even asking about their personal lives. He's, at the very least, intrigued, maybe even a tad infatuated. Definitely planning on how to steal you away, he'd love to see your fight up close and personal, and 100% directed at him.

So he sticks around. Waits until the bar closes. Hangs out by the door, waiting patiently. Only to see.you leave with your fellow employees. A small group. Okay, so you're smarter than most people. He can admire that. All the sweeter then, when he does finally steal you away.

@creepy-bi-day @syonaravalen @cryptic-writings

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crayonboy

5 years ago

The Afton kids!! With some doodles

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crayonboy

4 years ago

Here is some figure skating Thinspo where frankly, there should be more of because like

❄️⛸️Goals⛸️❄️

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crayonboy

4 years ago

“but there’s no reason for this character to be gay” do u think irl gay people are gay to advance a plot dude

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crayonboy

4 years ago

Side effects of Eating Disorders

Okay, so- I’m making this post because there’s some, or even a lot of side effects on this list that some people who struggle with ED’s don’t know about. Of course, not all of these will apply to everyone. When I first developed mine in 7th grade (so long ago now, haha) I was shocked when my therapist told me some side effects, so I’d share them with you so you all know you aren’t going crazy!

•Rapid weight loss or weight gain (obviously)

•Dislike for the taste of food

•Urge to vomit (even if you aren’t bulimic)

•Hair thinning/hair loss

•Frequent hiccups

•Body Dysmorphia

•Feeling cold

•Dry skin

•Bingeing

•Pale/yellow skin

•Purple nails or lips

•Puffy eyes

•Easily angered or irritable

•Dizziness

•Fatigue

•Constipation

•A change in menstrual cycles

•Depression

•Bursts of energy

•Fine body hair, similar to peach fuzz

•Acne

•Apathy/ not enjoying things you once loved

•Overexercizing/ constant need to exercize

•Inability to eat normal amounts (typically after you’ve had your ED for a while)

•Headaches and/or migraines

•Bad breath

•Eroding teeth

•Acid reflux

•Only able to really eat organic/health foods without guilt

•Erectile Dysfunctions

•Trembling/ shivering (without being necessarily cold)

• Dehydration

• Frequent need to pee

Feel free to add more! Help our community know what to possibly expect if they’re new, or to ease the minds of long term folk.

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crayonboy

5 years ago

some self thinspo.

it’s August. you wake up, arms lifting high above your head, towards the front of the bed, in a gentle yawn. you note their weightlessness, how easy it is to wrap a full hand around the other. your fingers, once plump, are now bony — you can see the pink of your knuckles blush vibrantly against the paleness of the rest of the hand, illuminated by the sunlight streaming through the window.

you turn over, and suddenly it all comes rushing back towards you. it’s the first day of college. last night, you and your roommate chatted for hours about your similarities, and for once, you’re not jealous. you look at her, and see yourself — you are both beautiful. skinny. her body and beauty are not a threat to you. you are finally one of the pretty ones. you belong in a room with her.

while she sleeps, you rise and dress for the unusually chill morning. finally, you can wear skirts; your thighs don’t rub against one another as they used to, and they don’t split runs in the pristine white tights that cover them so elegantly. you slip on a blouse; it too is white and thin, but there’s nothing to see behind it. your fat rolls don’t press against the fabric, and the only thing sticking out are your collarbones. over it you layer a cardigan, and pull the sleeves up over your sharp elbows. despite the chill weather, you intend to show off the wrists you worked so hard for off.

you then move to the bathroom, to brush your hair and teeth. makeup isn’t necessary, you’re already near-perfect just by your weight. but today, you slide a single swab of lipgloss across your lips, and a bit of mascara across your eyelashes.

god, you’re so ethereal.

as you walk out the door with your bag, you appreciate the lightness of your steps. for the first time in forever, you are confident. you are ready to take on the world. and you are skinny.

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crayonboy

4 years ago