Latest Posts by pussymagickk - Page 2

BIG OL WITCHY MASTER LIST

POSTS BY ME ARE ITALICIZED!

This is by no means completed, up-to-date, or the only way you can view or perceive witchcraft. These are just some posts, found on my blog, put together in a list for easier access.

This is also being updated as I go through my archives, and whats on the list as of [Sept 22nd, 2018] is from start - August 2018. This list will be updated as often and as quick as I can possibly manage.

I PREVIOUSLY HAD MY DAILY WITCH TIPS ON HERE, I DELETED THAT SEGMENT.

This isn’t really as organized as I would like it, but I broke it down into categories and alphabetical order such as:

Moon Shit:

2017 Lunar Calendar 

August 2018 Lunar Schedule

Full Moons Of The Year

Lunar Eclipse Dates

Lunar Phases

Magick Of The Moon Phases

Moon Magic 

Moon Magic Grimoire 

Moon Phase Runes

Top Stargazing Events of 2018

Herb Shit:

5 Herbs Every Witch Should Have In Their Garden

Anti-Anxiety Herbs

Big Witchy Guide On Herbs And Flowers

Dangerous Herbs

Gardens  Of The Witches

Herb Masterpost

Herbs For Hexing

Herbs For Protection

Indoor Plants For The Space Conscious Witch

Poisonous Herbs

Reasons Herbs May Not Work

Sacred Herbs Of The Gods 

Top 10 Magical Herbs

Crystal Shit:

Crystals Every Witch Should Have

Gems For Depression

Taking Care Of Your Crystals

Emoji Spells Shit:

Easy Sleep

Spells Shit:

4 Free Spells

A Method To Cleanse And Ward After Unsavory People Leave

Anti-Anxiety Charm

Anti-Anxiety Jar

Bad Habits Tarot Spread

Bad Luck

Bandage Sigils

Banishing Nightmares

Bath For Sunburns

Belladonna’s Spell Page

Celestial Nail Polish Magic

Change Your Luck

Crow Bone Hex

Curse A Bitch

Dreams and Nightmare Protection

Easy Cleansing Ritual

Elemental Ideas

Forest With Me

From My Grimoire

Glamour Enchanted Jewelry

Hail The Glow Cloud

Hex For 2017

Icelandic Staves

Increasing Emotional Tolerance

Lavender Self Love Jar

Love Enhancer

Love / Protection 

Memory Aid

Mermaid’s Breath

New Year Purification Bath

Peppermint Spell

Recharging 

Return To Sender

Ritual For Positive Thoughts 

Ritual Of Gratitude

Self Love And Healing Jar

Seven Useful Powder Spells For Every Occasion

Sew Closed Your Heart

Simple Protection 

Simplicity

Sleep Spells And Sigils

Steps To Strengthen A Romantic Relationship

Stop Nightmares

Using Glitter In Spells

Ward Types and Components

Warmth In Winter

Advice Shit:

10 Common Misconceptions of Baby Witches

10 Daily Witch Things

10 Plants To Survive A Zero Sunlight Bedroom

10 Terms Every New Witch Should Know

26 Activities To Help Your Mind, Body, And Soul

A Collection Of Witch Tips

A Long List Of Ways To Spiritually Protect Yourself

Astral Temple Meditation

Aura / Energy Colors & Meanings

A Secret Witches Guide To Concealing Your Craft

Back To School Magic

Basics Of Kitchen And Cottage Witchcraft

Beginner Masterlist

Beginner Witchcraft 

Being A Witch

Blood Magic

Breaking Astrology Down

Candle Uses & Meanings

Charging/Activating Sigils

Cosmic Witch Masterpost

Daily Witchcraft

Discreet Little Witchy Things

Discreet Witchcraft

Earth Element Correspondents 

Enchanting Items

Everyday Magic Is Easy

Faerie List

Fire Safety

Hearthandhold Reading List 

How I Draw My Sigils

How Runes Work

How To Learn Witchcraft

How To Make Your Own Sigil

How To Use A Sigil Wheel

Imbolc

Incense Uses

Inexpensive/Free Witchcraft

Jarring Tips

Keeping Yourself Protected

Knot, Thread, and Cord Magic

Little Tips For The College Witch

Low Energy Tips

Magic For School/Education

Magical Herb

Modern Polytheism

Modern Witches

Modern Witches

My Advice For Baby Witches 

New Witch Budget Tips

Nik’s Tips For Discreet Witchcraft

Reading Tea Leaves

Rose Water Is My Religion

Salt & Witchcraft

School / Work Grounding

Some Things To Track

So You Want To Talk To Spirits?

Spell Books

Stoner Witch Tips

Succulents

Tarot Cheat Sheet

Tech Witches

The Wiccan’s Glossery

There Comes A Time When You Need To Stop Researching And Just Practice 

Tips For Discreet College Witches

Tips For Writing Incantations 

Types Of Witches

Types Of Witches And Witchcraft

Understanding Concepts In Witchcraft

Urban Witch 101: House and Home

Violets Witchcraft Masterpost

Ways To Start Feeling Again

Water Magic

Witchcraft In The Shadows

Witchcraft PSA

Witch Resources

Witch Tips For City Witches

Witches With Depression

Witchling Endeavors

Witchy Grimiore Ideas

Witchy Podcasts

Witchy Tips

Recipe Shit:

Anti-Nightmare Pouch

Apple Cider Love Bringing

Black Salt

Budget Witch DIY

Calming Sugar Scrub

Charming Lip Balm

Cleansing And Calming Salt

DIY Gemstone Necklace

Drawing Out A Latent Talent Pouch

Drying Out Roses

Infused Water Magic

Milkshake Magic

Moon Spell Cakes

Moon Water

Peaceful Sleep Sachet

Potion For Sleep

Rose Water

Smoothie Potions 

Soothing Dreams Sachet

Communication Shit:

Crystal Hand Of Prosperity

Dead Dash

Earth Witches Reblog…

Hey There

Like/Reblog if you…

Looking To Follow

Money Bear

Money Pentacle

Witchcraft Asks

Witches

Witches reblog if…

Witches Reblog If…

Witchy Asks

Wonderful Weekend

Types of water

💧Rain Water 💧 

Multipurpose, Growth, Rebirth, good for Spells that Gain Power over time

💧River Water💧

Moving on, Focusing Energy, Warding, Breaking through Rough Paths, and Good for Powering Tools

💧Storm Water💧

Emotional Strength, Confidence, Motivation, Force, Charging, Strengthens Spells, and Good for Curses

💧Snow Water💧

Purity, Endings, Change, good for Slow-moving Spells

💧Sea Water💧 

Cleansing, Healing, Banishing, and Protection

💧Dew Water💧

Love, Fertility, Delicate Magick, Fae Work

Herbs By Correspondences

There’s an awful lot of posts/websites that have lists of herbs by name which is great if you want the correspondences of lavender but not so great if you’re looking for herbs that correspond with health. So here:

ANIMAL MAGICK:

Catnip, Peppermint, Valerian

ASTRAL PROJECTION:

Cinnamon, Jasmine, Mugwort

BEAUTY:

Lavender, Rose, Catnip, Orange

CALMNESS:

Cypress, Vanilla

CONCENTRATION:

Rose, Rosemary, Thistle, Dill, Orchid

CONFIDENCE:

Cedar, Dill, Geranium, St. John’s Wort, 

CLARITY:

Lavender, Cypress, Clover, Rosemary

CLEANSING:

Lemon, Clover, Sage, Lilac, Cedar

DREAMS:

Peppermint

EMOTIONAL HEALING:

Cypress

EMOTIONAL OPENNESS:

Orange, Orange Blossom

FERTILITY:

Sunflower, Olive, Poppy, Daffodil, Oak, Honey

FEMININE ENERGY:

Daisy, Maple, Poppy, Rose, Thyme, Blackberry

FIDELITY:

Nutmeg

FRIENDSHIP:

Lemon, Sweet pea, Passion Flower

GOOD MEMORY:

Rosemary, Clove

GROUNDING:

Coffee

HAPPINESS:

Lavender, Catnip, St John’s Wort, Peppermint, Oregano, Saffron, Honey

HARMONY:

Orange, Orange Blossom

HEALING:

Lemon, Cypress, Allspice, Saffron, Cinnamon, Cedar, Thyme, Violet, Spearmint, Peppermint, Sunflower

HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS:

Vanilla

HOPE:

Chamomile

JUSTICE:

Nutmeg, Violet

LONGEVITY:

Lemon, Cypress, Acorn, Sage

LOVE:

Lavender, Violet, Apple, Chamomile,Saffron, Cinnamon, Clove, Clover, Lemon, Juniper, Peppermint, Rose, Rosemary, Vanilla, Strawberry, Rue, Ginger, Mistletoe, Thyme, Maple, Spearmint, Willow, Orange, Orange Blossom, Sugar Cane

LOYALTY:

Thyme

LUCK:

Vanilla, Chamomile, Nutmeg, Allspice, Violet, Strawberry, Olive, Poppy, Rose, Oak, Orange, Peppermint, Straw, Strawberry

LUST:

Celery, Cinnamon, Mint, Lemongrass, Sugar Cane, Olive, Nettle, Parsley, Dill, Violet, Vanilla, Saffron

MASCULINE ENERGY:

Allspice, Almond, Basil, Garlic, Hazel, Holly, Olive, Mistletoe, Cedar

MOON:

Lemon

MONEY:

Nutmeg, Peppermint, Jasmine

PEACE:

Lavender, Violet, Olive, Chamomile, Coffee, Clover, Passion Flower, Orange, Orange Blossom

PEACE OF MIND:

Coffee

PROSPERITY:

Orange, Orange Blossom, Onion

PROTECTION:

Lavender, Coffee, Oak, Clover, Acorn, Violet, Peppermint, Acacia, Willow, Thistle, Peony, Cypress, Lilac, Mint, Juniper, Ivy, Olive, Raspberry, Sage, Rose, Rosemary, Foxglove, Cranberry

PSYCHIC POWERS:

Celery, Acacia,Saffron, Cinnamon, Yarrow, Peppermint, Bay, Thyme, Mace, Star Anise, Lemongrass, Nutmeg, Bay

PURIFICATION:

Rosemary, Lemon, Saffron, Chamomile, Anise, Thyme, Parsley, Cedar, Turmeric, Peppermint, Lavender, Marjoram, Orange, Orange Blossom, Honey

RELEASE:

Peppermint, Spearmint, Fern, Mugwort

RENEWAL:

Peppermint, Spearmint, Ivy

SLEEP:

Celery,Thyme, Peppermint, Valerian, Chamomile, Passion Flower, Lavender, Rosemary

SPIRIT CALLING:

Sweet grass, Wormwood

SPIRITUALITY:

Arabic Gum, Gardenia, Sandalwood, Cinnamon, Frankincense

STABILITY:

Orange, Orange Blossom, Onion

STRENGTH:

Oregano, Saffron, Thistle

SUCCESS:

Cinnamon,Ginger,  Frankincense, Clover, High John, Strawberry

SUN:

Lemon, Cinnamon, Orange, Orange Blossom

TRANQUILLITY:

Chamomile, Cypress

WILL POWER:

Orchid

WISDOM:

Sunflower, Peach, Sage

WISHES:

Bay, Sunflower, Violet, Spearmint, Sandalwood

-

This post is not even close to complete but I intend to continue expanding it as often as possible

Samhain Spirit Offerings

With Samhain fast approaching the veil is thinning and the spirits are increasing. To honor and respect your ancestors as well as wayward spirits, here is a list of offerings appreciated by most spirits. You may find that a particular spirit asks for something specific so keep an open mind.  

Light: The plane that the spirits are on is often confusing and difficult to navigate. Lighting candles is a good way to guide lost spirits through our realm.

Incense: This has a cleansing affect and often a pleasant smell. Friendly spirits will know they are safe in your home if you burn incense.  

Milk and Honey: There are many foods you can leave out for spirits but milk and honey is always a winner in my experience. 

Fresh Baked Breads and Pastries: This is especially good if you baked it yourself. If part of your offering involves time and effort, spirits will be grateful. This is a good way to show your care and respect. 

Rosemary: This herb represents remembrance in the language of flowers. If there is a deceased relative you have on your mind, rosemary is a good offering. You can burn it, bake it into something, or just place it on your altar or outside your home. 

Apples: Another name for Samhain is the Feast of Apples. This fruit is seen as food for the dead and makes a good offering on this holiday. 

Pomegranates: This food is associated with death because of Persephone’s descent to the underworld. If you practice Hellenistic witchcraft, this is an ideal offering. 

Mulled Wine: Spiced wine is a symbol of Fall and Samhain and alcohol is often appreciated by spirits.

Fresh Food from Your Garden: This year Samhain falls on the Harvest Moon so it would be appropriate for you to offer your harvest to local spirits. 

What is a Dæmon?

Disclaimer: As it always is in witchcraft, this depends on the witch you ask. This is my personal interpretation of what a dæmon is and what it means to have one. Also I’m in one fucking big hurry, gotta go meet stranded family. So I’ll probably edit this later but I didn’t want to keep accumulating asks about it!

I tend to go down the Pullman path, and if asked, I would say the dæmon is the soul of the person simply shaped as another creature, all of what someone is plus what they need to be.

Mostly everyone would choose to see their dæmon as an animal, and I think it’s the most direct and honest approach to them.

Simply put, a dæmon is like a combination between what you would normally consider a familiar, a shadow self, an anima/animus, a totem, a patronus, a spirit animal, a fylgja, your soul, and your conscience all together (without the cultural background or connotations). It’s a non-appropriative term that is used to describe your soul in the shape of an animal.

As I’ve said before, I choose to use pop culture references sometimes to avoid cultural appropriation. The concept of the dæmon as I choose to understand is made by Phillip Pullman and then modified to my own needs.

A dæmon is the externalized visualization of your own spirit in the form of an animal. This animal changes as you grow up, and settles permanently the day you mature and become an adult (at around 14 to 20 years old). It can change again, someday, after experiencing extreme trauma or an event that would transform who we are in the deepest part of ourselves altogether.

Personally I have a bear dæmon (Aeneas), a magpie familiar (Semiramis), and a cat fylgja (Samhain). They don’t hold the same importance nor help with the same thing. I don’t really communicate in many ways with my familiar or my fylgja, I just know they exist.

However Aeneas is an integral part of my everyday life. I talk to him constantly, when things get overwhelming he helps me clear my mind.

I visualize Aeneas walking by my side, warding off bad spirits, giving me strength…

In my loneliest times, Aeneas never leaves me alone.

How to reveal your Dæmon?

1.       The Gender

The gender is probably the easiest part of the dæmon’s identity. Usually it’ll be the opposite of the person. I’m female, so Aeneas is male.

Some consider, however, that this rule doesn’t always apply to people. It’s been said that LGBT+ people can have a dæmon that’s their same assigned gender.

This is, I’ve found, especially true for non-cisgender people, not so much for gay, lesbian, bi, etc. people. And sometimes when someone is gender fluid or NB or something along those lines, the dæmon will most likely reflect it. Animals that change their coats across the seasons, animals that change their genders, animals that are more than one gender at once.

One of the most emotive dæmon reveals I’ve been a part of was uncovering a gyandromorphic butterfly for a bigender person. We cried for like half an hour.

2.       The Name

The name is arguably just a tiny bit easier than revealing the animal itself. When I found Aeneas’ name it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was minding my own business when someone said it and I opened my eyes wide and whispered “that’s… that’s it! That’s his name!”

If you don’t know the name, neither does the dæmon. After all, they know just as much as you do, they just tend to interact different with that knowledge.

My best recommendation is: don’t hurry it.

3.       The Animal

This is it. The big question. What’s my animal?

Well, there’s not one way of uncovering a dæmon. The reveal can take years. Aeneas, for example. I’ve known he was a bear since 2012 but I still don’t know what kind of bear. A polar? A grizzly? Shit, maybe I’ll never know!

When I do dæmon reveals we agree from the get go that I can’t point out an exact animal. One of the most recent reveals I did uncovered just that the dæmon was in the mustelidae family!

It can take years, and attempt after attempt.

But I do maintain firmly that discovering your dæmon must be a mind blowing experience.

You can doubt at first, but when you do sense it you’ll go “oh… oh! OOOOH! YES! THAT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE!”.

You’ll feel it. Once you process it there will be no hesitation whatsoever. If a few weeks later you feel like it’s not your animal, then it never was your dæmon.

My method for revealing a dæmon involves a LOT of question and several days of narrowing them down.

You can do it yourself without help, but, again, it can take years.

If you’re reading this, the chances that you’re a bird dæmon is really fucking high. People that care about these things are usually bird people. Someone with an ant or a primate soul you wouldn’t catch dead trying to find out who their dæmon is.

Mostly always you’ll find that there will be three animals you’ll end up saying “yes, that’s EXACTLY my dæmon,” although it won’t be so in two of those cases (and deep down, you’ll know it).

The first one will be the animal you want to be. This first level is encompassed almost solely of beautiful, cute, or badass animals. Yes, we all want to be a stag, an eagle, a raven, a wolf, a lion, or a cat. But… most of the times we aren’t. We just are animals we don’t find ‘cool’, because it’s… it’s us. It’s banal.

Only once I’ve unveiled a tiger, never a lion, never an eagle. I’ve unveiled I think… two or three wolves. Wolves, btw, tend to belong to order enforcers or soldiers.

There are ant dæmon. And frogs, and mosquitoes, and all kinds of ‘ugly’ things. Sometimes people aren’t happy. Once I unveiled a tortoise and the person almost yelled at me. Another time I unveiled a hyena and the person basically told me to go fuck myself and then a few weeks later came and said I was right and that they had to learn to live with it. This animal usually represents who we want to be, instead of who we are.

And of course, there comes the ricochet effect.

The second animal is usually the exact opposite. It’s where the “bad” dæmon start to show up. People focus solely on their defects and the animals that they hate are the ones that they think will define them.

Eventually you reach a balance. And that balance is your dæmon.

A few pointers, though: trauma survivors tend to have dæmons with means to carry them away and escape or with the means to defend themselves. Usually a survivor has wings or claws or venom.

The MBTI personality test is one hell of a useful tool, although it doesn’t have the last word.

If anyone is interested, I do dæmon reveals (for as long as it takes, until we pin it down) for $25 in my shop and I also trade them for goods or services! It tends to take at least two or three days of constant personal questions, but it can extend up to months! So please don’t hire the service if you don’t have the time or the patience!

If you cannot afford to have a reveal, check out the daemon forum! Their method and mine aren’t the same, but they’ll surely be able to help you! There are other daemonists who also perform reveals for free!

Happy unveiling!

WITCH TIPS: GOOD BOOKS

I linked all of these books from Amazon so you could all see the covers, authors, and prices!! As i’m looking up books i’ve bought in shops, i’m shocked at how overpriced they were :(

The Green Witch

A Witches’ Bible: The Complete Witches’ Handbook

A History of Witchcraft

Everyday Witchcraft

Grimoire for the Green Witch

The Witch’s Book of Shadows

Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs

Quantum Sorcery Basics

Earth, Air, Fire & Water

Earth Power

Magical Herbalism: The Secret Craft of the Wise

The Crystal Bible

Crystal Grids Power

Moon Magic

Moonology

Raise Your Vibration

Astrology: A Guide to Understanding your birth chart

Woman Most Wild (submitted by anon)

Mrs. B’s guide to Household Witchery  (submitted by anon)

i’ll continue to edit this post as i come across new books!

feel free to pop in my asks with your favorite witchy books here

- @lapiscat 

Death Witchcraft Masterpost

-Beginner Death Witchcraft

-Unusual Death Witchcraft

-Spring Death Witchcraft

-Lost Cost Death Witchcraft

-Safe Crossings for Someone Who’s Passed (pet-friendly as well)

-Massaging the Bones (attuning tools and bones to your space)

-Web of Protection (symbiotic/deathwork based ward)

-A semi-theistic Prayer for Passing/Grief

-My Humorous Retelling of “Koschei the Deathless”

Graveyards:

-Ways to Bond with a Graveyard

-Graveyard Dirt Uses

-Graveyard Alternatives

-Graveyard Dirt Alternatives

-Subtle Graveyard Offerings

-Bereavement Traditions

Spirit Work/Ghosts:

-Spirit Work 101

-Autumn Spirit Work

-Communication with Ghosts

-Non-verbal Spirit Communication

-Using a Spirit/Ouija Board

-Spirit Work Techniques: Keys

-Spirit Work Techniques: Energy Directives

-Spirit Banishing Tip

Recipes/Spells:

-Spirited Jack O’Lantern

-Safe Crossings Jar

-Baked Apple Offerings

-Pumpkin Seed Offerings -Underworld Powder Series- Styx

-Underworld Powder Series- Lethe

-Underworld Powder Series- Cocytus

-Underworld Powder Series- Phlegethon

-Underworld Powder Series- Acheron

-Contacting a Loved One

-Death Witch Tip

-Death Witch Tip 2

Banishing Powder

Purpose: To banish and get rid of unwanted entities. It can also be used as an ingredient of other banishing spells though.

Ingredients:

Motar and Pestle

Sea salt

Cinnamon (to banish kindly) or Cayanne (to banish a bit more harshly)

Onion Powder

Sage

Black pepper

Instructions: Mix together ingredients. You can add intent now, but if you’d rather it be a bit more all purpose banishing, then add intent later. Put your mixture into a container. You can also add a banishing sigil on the container for some more oomph. After that you are done.

Bird Symbolism Part 2

This post was made to cover more birds that were requested in my last post. Again this is a disclaimer, if you are always seeing a bird take into account that the bird might just be common in your area. If the bird is doing something out of the ordinary, something looks wrong with it or the bird keeps popping up in other forms like pictures, movies, etc. You should definitely take the bird as an omen

Albatross-new travel opputunties, long trip/voyage/adventure ahead of you, represent the element of water. Astral travel.

Blackbird- development of psychic abilities, time of reflection, great wisdom, listen to your intuition.

Chick-a-dee-happiness, adaptibility, being to gentle, social oppurtunities.

Cuckoo-lies are being told, deceit, something is being hidden, news.

Dove-Christian symbol, peace, hope, new love, and breaking free from a bad situation.

Falcon-seen as a messenger, taking action, ambition, spiritual journey.

Finch-good luck, happiness, high energy, fast-paced, optimism, life is looking up.

Goose-fellowship, loyalty, teamwork, set boundaries, fake friends will reveal themselves.

Heron-ancient wisdom, independence, self-reliance, reflection, take it slow.

Loon- serenity, time of relaxation, wishes coming true, being haunted by your past, pay attention to your dreams.

Mockingbird-similar to Cuckoo, two-faced friends, lies, defend your territory, confidence.

Osprey- strength, leaving your comfort zone, staying alert and aware, survival.

Peacock-associated with the goddess Hera, show off your talents, be confident, beauty, fun and don’t take things too seriously.

Pigeon-see dove, can represent sacrifice, adapting to new environments.

Turkey-new gifts, family, celebration (Thanksgiving just comes to mind lol), growth, enjoy life.

Wren-creativity, act quickly, artistic, musical talents, the wren is known as the king of birds (weird because they’re so small) so I associate them with power, nobility and confidence.

How to Cast a Circle using the Elements✨

Materials:

Salt

Yellow candle (Air) 💨

Green candle (Earth) 🌎

Blue candle (Water) 🌊

Red candle (Fire) 🔥

Purple candle (Spirit) 👻

Lavender

Sage

Casting the Circle

You don’t always have to cast a circle to do spells but it is very helpful to do so especially if you are wanting to use the elements to help cast your spell.

Clean up the area you are planning to use.

Place candles in the correct order. Place the green candle (Earth) facing North, the yellow candle (Air) facing East, the red candle (Fire) facing south, the blue candle (water) facing West, and finally the purple candle (Spirit) in the middle of the circle.

Make a circle with the salt but make sure you are inside the circle before closing the salt circle. (This is to protect you and to keep anything from leaving the circle)

Now light the sage and cleanse the area in your circle. (Sage is used to banish negative energy)

Next light the lavender and cleanses the area in your circle. (Lavender is used to bring in good energy)

Begin my facing East. Pick up the yellow candle (air) while lighting the candle say “Air I invite you to join this circle” place it back down and turn clockwise to call all the elements to the circle.

Face South, pick up red candle (Fire) while lighting the candle say “Fire I invite you to join this circle” place it back down turn clockwise.

Face West, pick up blue candle (water) while lighting say “Water I invite you to join this circle” place it back down and turn clockwise.

Face North, pick up green candle (earth) while lighting say “Earth I invite you to join this circle” place it back down and turn clockwise.

Facing the center pick up the purple candle (Spirit) while lighting the candle say “Spirit I invite you to join this circle” place it back down and turn clockwise once more.

Once this is completed you have your circle and may proceed with the speed you intend to cast.

Closing a Circle

Once you have finished casting your spell you must always close your circle and you must make sure you do it in the correct order! This is very important!!

Turn to Spirit pick it up and say “Thank you for your help” blow out the candle place it back down and turn counterclockwise.

Turn counterclockwise to the north and pick up the green candle and say “Thank You Earth for your help” blow out the candle and place it down.

Turn counterclockwise to the West and pick up the blue candle say “Thank you Water for your help” blow out the candle and place it down

Turn counterclockwise to the South and pick up the red candle say “Thank you Fire for your help” blow the candle out and place it down.

Turn counterclockwise to the East and pick up the yellow candle say “Thank you Air for your help” blow the candle out and place it down.

Once you have thanked all the elements for their help in the correct order above you may break your salt circle from the inside. Do not step outside of the circle until you have broke it.

Happy Casting & Blessed Be 💜

Hey there, coming back to Tumblr after yearsss away. Please reblog if you post 

- witchcraft  - spirit work - energy work - plant magic  - tea magic - astral stuff - meditation  - vulture cuture - curses - spells - crystals - have a witchy business/shop - witch memes - sigils

Basically, if you’re an active and friendly witchblr!

Spirit Work: Beginners

Working with spirits is a fun experience in my opinion, but definitely comes with a risk. You’re meeting someone new, and there are “good” entities and “bad” entities and entities in between, just like with anything. Working with spirits requires some preparation, and may be easier for some and very difficult for others. I personally had to train quite a long time to get to where I am and I am still learning a lot even today.

Preparation Stage

1. Warding

Knowing how to ward is so important in witchcraft in general, and this is definitely no exception. Please make sure to have strong wards around yourself and your mind. A spirit with bad intentions can definitely hurt you or possess you against your will if you are not careful.

Note: Ward against all spirits, even the ones you trust. You deserve your own space and there are going to be times when you want to be alone. This is so important.

2. Learn about yourself

This may sound strange but you need to know who you are before working with spirits. This way, you can tell the difference between when you feel them around or your own energy, and the same with trying to hear/see them vs. your own thoughts.

To do this, meditate as much as possible. If you can end up meditating at least a few minutes every single day, that’s awesome. Focus your meditations at first on quieting your mind and focusing on a single random object in your mind. Visualize it and observe the details. How it smells, feels, tastes, sounds. Usually I do this with an apple. Something simple. Once you feel like you can do this comfortably, then begin exploring your current emotions. Identify as many as you can. You can dig deeper if you would like, trying to see what underlying emotions you carry that can cloud your readings, both telepathy and divination. Explore your energy- what color does it look like to YOU, not what others have told you? Everyone sees things differently, so you need to see how you see.

I could go into more detail about this but that will have to be a whole other post. This is such a big part of spirit work and your own journey that I cannot stress it enough. The more you know yourself, the easier it will be in a lot of your workings in witchcraft.

3. Trust yourself, be confident

Doubts and fears cloud readings, both physical and mental. Your intuition will become clouded if you do not trust yourself. It is good in my opinion to have a little doubt and to not be too confident, but it is a delicate balance. It’s hard to explain how much is too much, so the one way I can put it is allowing the first thought be your instinct. The thoughts that come automatically tend to be the instinctive ones.

4. Learn what is instinct, and what is yours

This is important as well. I briefly mentioned it in the previous point. A good idea to practice this is begin with divination- for example, tarot cards have basic meanings, but also should be interpreted with intuition as well. Learn to listen to that intuition in your divination and not only will it help you with listening and identifying spirits, but also will help you with your divination techniques. Definitely an awesome double whammy! Don’t forget, tarot is NOT the only way to talk with spirits!

5. Learn how to banish

Just in case you come across a spirit who wants to hurt you or will not leave you alone even if you ask it to, you need to learn how to banish it. There are many ways you can perform a banishing- it highly depends on your own abilities and what is easiest for you. Some people have a lot more power in words, while others need to make a spray with herbs and oils. I highly suggest doing some research on banishing and find what works best for you.

6. Find a communication method

Once again, everyone is different. Some work better with pendulums (I personally don’t like using them), while others use tarot or another method. Getting to the point of seeing and hearing a spirit takes a while for some people, and that’s ok. It took me almost four years to get to the point where I can comfortably see and hear spirits with my third eye.

For anyone, I highly suggest using some sort of divination method to read what spirits are telling you. Pendulum, runes, and tarot are most common. Keep in mind, when you use these for spirit communication, you will need to avoid putting your own energy into them so the reading doesn’t get mixed up or end up reading you instead. Practice reading other people first to help with this.

Spirit Stage

So now about spirits. Once again, remember, spirits have their souls. They have emotions. They make choices. They have personalities. This means they are capable of both helping and harming you. I don’t really believe in “good” and “evil” since it is relative to everyone’s beliefs. Instead, I believe that every spirit is capable of positive and malicious intent. Please remember this: Spirits can hurt you. But also, don’t judge a book by its cover. Just be cautious.

How do I get in contact with a spirit?

I would suggest starting with a deity you trust and feel close to. Deities have an energy that can be easier to read, and you may already have a relationship with this deity. You can also reach out to spirits in an area that you feel is safe.

First of all, with any entity, you should remain respectful and treat them like you would any person you meet for the first time. Introduce yourself (out loud or projecting gently through your mind is fine) and ask if they would like to introduce themselves. Use your divination method to help receive answers.

Trust your intuition. If you feel unsafe, say goodbye and ward up more. Banish them if they won’t leave you alone.  Give yourself a good cleanse as soon as you can.

But also, trust your intuition in how the spirit feels as well. If you sense they are uncomfortable, apologize and back off. Some spirits are shyer than others- others may not feel like interacting.

Don’t feel frustrated if your first few tries are unsuccessful, it happens! This is one of the most difficult skills to get in my opinion, and can take a while to master.

I also highly suggest having a look at this pretty good thoughtform post

Good luck and I hope this helps!

Here is my full collection of PDFs I currently own and I’m still looking to expand this list. On this google drive you find a vary of tabs of subjects. 

Some tabs are empty as I am still looking for PDFs for them!

If you would like to submit a PDF please do so in my Submission link! Please read the guidelines and make sure the PDF isn’t in there already. 

Reader Beware! I have not read all of these books/pdfs (I don’t have enough time too) so I cannot guarantee the quality of each one. If you feel like one of the PDFs may be problematic for a number of reasons though, please send your concerns to my ask box. 

Death Witch Rituals - My Basic List

Death witchcraft can be used and interpreted in many different ways. But what one does with it is often very personal, different, and unique. Here are some rituals, spells, etc. that I have done or am planning on doing that fit into my definition of Death Witchcraft.

Scrying with spirits - you may have seen my post about this a while ago, which I recommend reading if you’re interested. I touch lightly on human spirits their, but I do enjoy a session with human spirits, or even animals. I definitely ritualize scrying, though I am not sure why. It feels special to me, and always has…

Divining the future with the dead - similar to the last ritual, I divine with the dead to try and get answers, predictions, etc from them. I have a post on that too, which I wrote more recently. I really like to do this, as it gives both the spirit involved and me a hand in helping others, or even ourselves.

Grief spells and rituals - grief can be heart wrenching, lead to depression, and extreme bouts of loneliness. With consent, I sometimes do these rituals and spells to help loved ones feel more at peace. I wrote a funeral bouquet post about what I would send if asked to, and why each flower was a potent piece of healing. This is a minor form of these types of rituals.

Passing spells and rituals - helping spirits pass on, or get “unstuck” when reliving their past is a very rewarding thing. I like these because it prevents pain and suffering from life crossing over into death. Another aspect of the funeral bouquet post is for this, too.

Curses - death does not always mean bringing mortality to a living, breathing thing. I use it to smother success, disenchant happiness, etc. It seems cold, but I rarely use this in curses anymore. I have no need, at least not recently. My past curses have served me well, and my emotional response to evil people has matured.

Rebirth spells and rituals - I know the power of death, and of the rebirthing process that follows it. I am going to conduct a formal ritual regarding this and my recent recovery from depression. I want a moment of reflection where I can release the past entirely.

Communing with the dead - meditation can lead to eye opening encounters with the spirits of those who died before you. They have voices, and they will speak, even if you will not listen.

Cleaning up, respecting the dead - burying bones or carcasses of animals is one way to respect and honour the dead (if they want you to, that is). So is picking up litter near a cemetery, or helping the grief stricken friends and family of someone you know who has passed. Learn what to say, and what not to, and read up on death, and its overwhelming history.

🌓 signs of curses 🌓

hello loves! this is going to be a bit of a tricky subject. I absolutely believe that curses, hexes, mal de ojo, buri nazar, and negative spirit attachments exist. with that being said, I also believe that a lot of the things we assume are signs of curses can also be signs of poor self care, vibration misalignment, poor health, and the effects of mental illness. I always suggest that, before jumping to the conclusion that something is a curse, ask yourself if it could be a result of something health related or psychological. always consult a doctor or psychologist if negative mental and physical symptoms persist. part of being a witch and a mystic means learning to discern what is spiritual concern and what is medical concern. I’d say that 9/10, these symptoms are mundane rather than mystical. please take responsibility for your spiritual, physical, and mental health! with that being said, here are some of the primary indication of a curses.  ✨ ⚡️

Sudden lack of motivation and loss of energy - specifically if you’ve been feeling stable and energized for a long period of time then, suddenly, you find yourself groggy and unable to clearly focus. 

Nightmares and sleep paralysis - dreams in which you’re being chased, killed, put in uncomfortable situations, or forced to face fears. pay attention to crows, vultures, owls, snakes, spiders, and rats if they appear in your dreams. these can sometimes be representative of bad omens. sleep paralysis has long been associated with spirit attachment.

Relationship difficulties - if you’ve been in a stable, loving relationship with your partner and things rapidly go downhill, it could be a sign of spiritual interference. this also applies for friendships and familial relationships. 

Financial loss - being fired suddenly, financial fraud, unexpected payments that come out of nowhere, competition within the workforce, legal issues, difficulty finding a job… these could all be potential indications of a curse. 

Dark Omens - mirrors breaking, crystals cracking, a string of bad luck, an heirloom going missing, a flock of crows surrounding you, etc.

Health Problems - headaches, panic attacks (if you are not usually prone to them), random pains, cuts that appear out of no where, intense muscle spasms, strange allergies, increased anxiety. as I said before, please get these things looked at by a professional. even if you’re certain it’s the result of a curse, medical attention is still needed. 

Difficulty sleeping - it’s common for those who have attracted a lower-vibration spirit to wake up between the hours of 3-4 AM. general disruption of sleep patterns is also a sign. 

Inability to access intuition - you may find it difficult to connection to your pendulum, cards, or other divination tools. when you go to do your usually spiritual work you’ll hit a ‘wall’ that prevents you from truly tapping in. 

⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ 

how do I know if it’s a curse or something else?

the main difference is that these ‘symptoms’ will appear suddenly and out of no where. they’re a huge contrast from your normal vibration. if you’ve experienced these symptoms for as long as you can remember, it might be a sign of something psychological in which I suggest you consult a professional. for example, prolonged anxiety attacks could clearly be the result of general anxiety disorder. consistent lack of motivation is usually associated with depression. can long term mental illnesses be caused by a curse? it’s possible, yes, but not likely.  also, these can all be related to non mental or physical illnesses. perhaps you’re having difficulty sleeping because you dink caffeine too late in the day. maybe you can’t access your intuition because you’re not being consistent with your spiritual routine. maybe you’re having headaches because you’re drinking too much alcohol. too often people will blame their own short-comings on a curse because it’s easier to place the blame outside of ourselves rather than taking responsibility. 

how does one get rid of a curse? 

first of all, if you believe you’re under a curse, take a deep breath and know that you’re going to be okay! just by recognizing that there’s an antagonistic outside force against you, you’re taking away it’s power. awareness is key! my favorite way to handle a curse is through prayer, mantra, salt baths, smoke cleansing, selenite wands, florida water soak, and visualization. any combination of these things 

my fave mantra is the mantra of kali ma, destroyer of darkness, evil, and spiritual obstacles. 

om kring kalikaye namo namaha

listen to it here 

also, if you’re comfortable, asking archangel michael for clearing and protection would be lovely! 

⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️

that’s all I have for you, my loves! remember to protect yourself and stay safe when you’re fucking with magic! feel free to hit me up with questions!

Spotting a Malevolent “Guide”

When first getting into any type of entity work, one of the first things people tend to do is look for some sort of guide. Be that a Higher Self, patron deity, spirit guide, guardian angel, whatever you want to call it- just something more powerful and knowledgable than us to keep us on the right path.  I believe most entities are generally good, or at least aren’t motivated to harm us. That said, there are those with something to gain from taking advantage of us. A practitioner in search of a guide is a juicy target, because they’re often inexperienced and naive. Consider everything we’re willing to do to please someone we consider a mentor. Here’s how to spot a phony:

There’s a bad feeling in your gut. This is the first and most important one on the list. If something feels off, something feels wrong, even if there’s no obvious reason why, listen to your gut. It’s the most energy-sensitive and accurate tool you will ever have.

Their identity is shady. This is especially true if they’re claiming to be a deity or any big entity with a name you’ve heard before. A deity should have no qualms just saying who they are, whereas an impostor may try to dance around saying it explicitly. They may pull a “you know who I am” or just confirm whatever you give them. Asking them to prove their identity for your own security should never be offensive. 

They’re isolating you from other sources. Are they encouraging you to avoid certain books, certain (not harmful) activities and people? Watch out. By making themselves your only resource, they keep you from learning info that would expose them and keep you reliant on them. Mentorship shouldn’t equal total dependence on them. 

Their instructions are harmful. There’s something to be said for doing something outside your comfort zone, but there’s a clear difference between that and something destructive. If a “guide” is telling you to harm folks (including yourself,) mess with your diet in an unhealthy way, abandon helpful behaviors, etc., then that entity does not have your best interests in mind. 

You’re giving more than you’re getting. The relationship is more about what you’re giving them, how you’re serving them, and doing what they say, but you aren’t actually learning anything. Your growth is not proportional to what you’ve been putting in to receive their guidance. They may keep delaying your lessons or only dolling out #wisdom instead of useful advice. You’re stuck constantly trying to ‘prove’ you’re ready. 

This spirit is bad news! What do I do?

Don’t blame yourself. It happens to the best of us, and getting duped or manipulated is never your fault. Consider it a learning experience.

Tell them to leave. The deal is off, you’ve caught onto their bs, and it’s time for them to leave you alone for good. Lots of spirits will willingly peace out once they’ve been caught. If they refuse to leave…

Banish them. Break out the sage bundles, the candles, the heavy metal music, whatever you need to do. If you need, ask a trusted friend to help. Even online pals may be willing to just send you some energy. 

Cleanse everything. Cleanse your space, cleanse your tools, cleanse yourself. Get rid of any lingering energies the phony may have left.

Ward everything. Set up your security system so that the phony can’t return, and other fake guides can’t get in. 

Tattle. If the phony was claiming to be a deity or another entity with a name, feel free to let the real entity know. “Hey Apollo, there’s a harmful spirit ‘round these parts who’s claiming to be you.” Rest assured they will handle it accordingly. 

Tarot Reading Tips 💖

🔮 Learn the classic definitions of the cards - you don’t need to memorize every card’s meaning, I still use my book, but knowing a general meaning of cards will help

🔮 Wands- fire, Cups- water, Swords- air, Pentacles- earth

🔮 Using the elements helps me understand the cards and give them meaning

🔮 You can connect with a card by envisioning it and placing yourself inside of it- Stand in it and think of what you feel, see, smell, hear. I think this is a fun little exercise, though I don’t do it frequently.

🔮 Incorporate lucky numbers, personal habits and preferences into the way you shuffle, pull cards and organize spreads

🔮 I cut the deck and deal cards with my left hand (I’m right handed), but that’s just me

🔮 If you want more information on a card, pull another one and place it on top of the first.

🔮 Don’t pull too many cards or do too many readings- If you overwhelm yourself with information or deal half the deck, the cards tend to lose meaning and you learn very little from the reading.

🔮 Practice on yourself, family and friends- the more you practice the better you’ll know the cards and be able to create a story, which brings me to…

🔮 Connect the cards to make a story- this is how my mom reads cards and it always blew me away how she could just create this little story from a few cards and really give them life. Connecting the cards makes it easier to understand and less like random tid-bits of information.

🔮 Thank your cards when you’re done

🔮 Try meditating before a big reading- this doesn’t have to be classic meditation where you clear your mind, it can be very personal and whatever you feel like connects you to your cards, the person you’re reading and any deity or spirit you might be asking for help.

🔮 You don’t need to call on Gods or spirits while reading. If you’re not into that, don’t mess with it. And if you do practice this, please do it responsibly.

🔮 When I meditate I see vines, water, energy and spirits- I know that when these all come together I’m calm and focused. Your meditation will probably be nothing like mine and that’s perfectly normal.

🔮 Not a tip, but now that I’m thinking about it, is there a name for what I’m doing besides ‘meditating’ because I don’t find that fitting? 🧐

🔮 Never stop learning (exhibit A ⬆️) and don’t be afraid to ask possibly silly questions (see: exhibit A)

Offerings to the fae

Firstly, remember not to bury or leave glass or plastic in nature. Here are some other ways that you could make your offerings: 

If your offering bird seeds or other organic materials that can be buried in the ground as is, do so.  

Rap your offerings up in large leaves 

I read an idea that you could make a sort of bowl from ice and place your offerings in it. It will melt over time. Perfect if you want to leave an offering in the sea or a lake. 

Use organic material like paper (preferably not white, bleaches paper) to rap and bury your offerings in. 

You can always place a glass or plastic jar somewhere where you can retrieve it. 

Ideas for what to offer: 

(Fae folk love all that is sweet) 

Honey  

Cookies

Milk

Fruit 

Bird seeds 

Remember, when leaving things in nature you have to take into account that animals might get to it. Leaving candy for the fae is great for the fae but you can’t really be sure no birds or other animals won’t eat it, and they might get sick.

Make sure the things you leave in nature are nature and animal friendly.

Basic guide to how to banish an entity

Introduction:

Learning how to banish an entity is a very important skill to know in case you come across an entity that you want to send out of your space, and is a good way to protect yourself from spiritual entities that may come to try to do harm to you. There are many ways to go about banishing an entity, and in this post I will be going over a couple of them. I will also be giving tips that may be helpful. This is not an extensive guide by any means, but it’s definitely a stepping stone to understanding the processes that coincide with the banishment of entities.

Protecting yourself:

Protecting yourself is very important especially when you feel a presence that should not be in your space. Through the act of putting up shields you will help protect you’re so against them by putting up a wall of energy between the two of you, and by putting up wards anything that’s already on the inside out. This will give you time to come back to yourself, so that you can focus on what you should do next in order to deal with this entity. These shields, and wards do not have to be elaborate, and should be something you can call upon quickly when your safety is in question from spiritual forces. Practices like casting a circle, or the psychic bubble of light are very good for this, and will go through the process of keeping the entity at bay, while you can focus on what to do next. A simple way to put up a shield is to simply focus your energy around you, by visualizing it flowing off of your body much like mist, or light well thinking that you are protected, this will send your energy out from yourself forming a shield around your body through the power of your intention.

Learning more about the entity:

Learning more about the entity can teach you a lot about its reasons for wanting to hang around you in the first place, and will also help you decide if this entity is malevolent in any way towards you, or is just an entity that is naturally there, and not aggressive. Knowledge is power, and by you locking onto some of its key features such as its spiritual appearance, and it’s personality along with any other information you can gather from it, you will be able to interact with it more effectively. Knowing what you are dealing with before you deal with it can help the banishing process go more smoothly by allowing you to have the upper hand on it by knowing your enemy, or can help you realize that you don’t need your guard up around this entity, and can let it be, or ask it to leave.

Talking it out, and asking it to leave:

If the entity isn’t immediately aggressive you could always go through the process of talking to the entity to figure out why they are hanging around. They may just be passing through and not know that they are trespassing on your space, and you may be able to go through the simple process of asking them to leave. All you would really need to do in order to do this is to enter a meditative state, so that you would be able to hear, and recognize their communication with you, then you would just have to have a normal conversation with the entity. In this conversation you should figure out what their purpose for being in that space is, and see if you guys cannot come to a civil agreement. You may be able to ask it to leave, or it may just be allowed to hang around if it is not causing problems, but that’s all that really depends on the conversation that you guys have. If you cannot communicate with spiritual entities psychically you can always go through the process of using a divination process to divine their answers.

Demanding that it leaves:

If negotiations fail, and you have gone through the process of talking to it, or you feel that it will not listen to you, then it is time to demand it to leave. Through the power of your will, intention, and assertiveness you can force the entity out of your space by demanding out loud that at leaves. This intention will send your energy to force the entity out of your space. You can also go through the process of using there name in your demands in order to connect your will to it targeting it with your energy, if you do not have its name you can always go through the process of making one up for it. By first telling the entity that it’s name is this, and then using that name in your demands to tell it to leave. During this entire process you should be strong, and assertive, and should not waver under the entity in any regards in order not to give it power, and to put your intention through. If done correctly the entity should be forced from the space from your sheer energy, and willpower.

Forcing it out with energy:

You can also go through the process of using a more energetic method by visualizing your energy as fire, or light flowing to the entity blasting it with all that you have, by focusing on this vision in your mind’s eye, while projecting your energy forward will send it out in order to manifest your desire of sending the entity out of your space. This is a much better method if you feel that you are better with visualization, and energy work, and will allow you to enter a more trance-like state, while projecting your energy at the entity.

Forcing it out with items:

Certain items have banishing metaphysical properties that can be quite helpful in sending entities out of your space. These items can be natural such as herbs, and stones, or can be more man made things such as sigil, tailsman and amulets. By bringing these objects into the proximity of the entity with the intention of forcing them out you will begin to use them. This is a good way to go to the process of banishing the entity from your space with the incorporation of other objects. You could even go through the process of hard binding the entity to an object, then getting rid of the object with the entity bound to it. This will allow the entity to be bound to something, so that that something can be gotten rid of more easily.

Here is a list of some items that can help in the banishment of entities:

Holy water

War water

Holy books

Rosemary

Sage

Garlic

Dragon’s blood

Bloodstone

Black Salt

Salt

Smoky Quartz

Obsidian

Black pepper

Cloves

Jet

Sigil of banishment

Asking for help:

You can also go through the process of asking another practitioner for help in banishing the entity from your space, especially if you do not believe that you can handle it yourself. If you do not know any other practitioners you could always go through the process of asking a deity, or deities, or your spirit guides, or other higher power to banish the entity for you, or at least help you in the process of banishing the entity. This can help you out greatly, especially if you are not used to banishing entities, and want some extra help.

Other methods you could try for banishing entities:

Drawing the earth banishment pentagram in the air.

lesser banishing ritual of the pentagram

Gnostic pentagram ritual

Violet Flame

Sweeping to the east with a broom while having the intention that the entity leaves in your head.

Cleansing the area:

After the entity is all good in banished it is a good idea to go through the process of cleansing the area where they were at. This will relieve that space from their energies, and will get rid of any negative feelings, or residual energies that the entity had left there. This can be simply done through any cleansing method such as burning herbs, placing crystals in the space , clap cleansing, or any other cleansing method that you are aware of.

Interacting With the Fae!

Going along my path of working with the Fair Folk, I have tweaked some of my own guidelines when interacting with them. I had a post about Faery Etiquette that I decided to remove because looking back on it, many of the tips should’ve have been elaborated on so this is my new and improved tips for interacting with faeries.Theses guidelines have come from folklore, books and my own experiences!

Expressing Gratitude 

One of the hardest things for beginner fae workers to understand is the rule of not saying “Thank You” to the Fae. There are many theorised reasons why you shouldn’t say this particular phrase because it might be taken as you are being dismissive or you admitting debt to them. Now, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be grateful towards them, instead of quickly saying “thank you”, take your time to express gratitude towards them. One method is to pay back what they have blessed you with! This means setting out an offering of small trinkets, food or drink with the intention of showing gratitude. If you find yourself unable to set aside an offering or you would rather be short and sweet, try rephrasing “Thank you” in other words like “I appreciate this gesture….” or “I’m very grateful for…”

Names

It is best to not tell the Fair Folk your full name and this goes for any spirit. Names hold power and you wouldn’t go around giving just anyone the ability to hold power over you. If you go by a name different than your birth name, I still wouldn’t give them your current name. When they ask for an introduction you can give them a nickname or false name but phrase it so you aren’t technically lying about your name, for example “You may call me *insert new name*”

Honesty and Politeness

Faeries are very different beings from us humans so you should treat them with the utmost respect as to not upset and get yourself into a tricky situation. The Fair Folk are very honest beings and respect the truth so they expect us to be just as honest as they are, so do not lie! There is the belief that fairies cannot lie but it is unsure if that is myth or not. Although the Fae are very honest, they are very skilled at twisting their words and speaking in rhymes so make sure that you do not take everything they say as the straightforward truth. I would not recommend that you try at twisting your words when talking to them because that may get you into some trouble also so it is best that you either speak the truth or keep quiet. Apologies are very important but just like the rule with “Thank you” you shouldn’t say “Sorry”!!This can also be confusing but just show your apology in different way because the phrase can be seen as lazy or dismissive so try setting out an offering to appease them.

Visiting their Realm 

If you find yourself visiting the Faerie Realm, always err on the side of caution!!!! This goes for any spirit or astral work! You are stepping into a land that is unknown to you and has many of it’s own rules and customs. Take the countries of our own realm for example, North American countries are very different when it comes to countries in Europe or Asia and it is expected when you visit a different country you try to learn and follow those customs to be polite. Be polite and respectful of the beings that live there but also be cautious of their intentions. Fae workers must realize that not all fae have good intentions but then again not all fae are malicious so be wary when interacting! When visiting have your spirit guides or a trusted fairy guide you through the realm so you don’t get into trouble. 

Food & Gifts

Many old folk tales describing interactions with the fair folk often warn against the consumption of food in the spirit realm. For example in the story of Hades and Persephone the pomegranate Persephone eats ties her to the Underworld or in Japanese legend the goddess, Izanami was trapped in the Underworld because she had consumed the food there. Folk tales from the British Isles say that the food of the Faerie realm tastes heavenly but is often  enchanted so that whoever would eat it would be placed in a trance. But who knows if these tales are true so as I said before, always be cautious with faeries. Morgan Daimler states in her book Fairycraft, that “When in the Irish Otherworld it is a bad idea to eat or drink anything, and if its offered to you find a way to very politely decline; on the other hand if in one of the Norse Fairy Worlds- ljiossalfheim or svartalfheim, for example-it is acceptable to take food and drink and is worse to refuse than accept it. Should you be in a Fairy world that is not Norse or Celtic try to learn the expected customs first..” (Daimler, 2016)

Fairy Gifts are a very tricky subject I find but here is how I go about it! Trust your intuition when accepting gifts! Declining gifts from the Fae can be considered disrespectful to them so if you receiving a gift from a trusted faery then accept but if you are unsure about the side effects of accepting then either kindly decline or accept it and cleanse the gift. Just be wary that the faery may expect something in return for the gift so be prepared to give them an offering.

-Moonlight 🌙

Sources:

Daimler, Morgan. Fairycraft: Following the Path of Fairy Witchcraft. Moon Books, 2016.

I was wondering about your thoughts on familiars? 🐍🦍🐆🐺🦉🐈🦚🦔🐇😁

*Cracks knuckles…prepares for the shit storm* brace yourselves…loooong fucking post.

95% of people I’ve seen talk about familiars, post pictures of their familiars and talk about how their *insert animal companion* helps them with their spell work…aren’t familiars. They are animal companions, aka pets. They also insist that because they are a witch with and animal who sits on their tarot cards, that it’s automatically a familiar.

Familiars can come in different forms (not talking about cat vs dog vs snake) but it must be reminded that familiar is shortened of “spirit familiar”. It’s not that pets can’t be familiars, it’s that the people who talk about their pets as familiars take inspiration from pop culture of what a familiar is. It’s not just an animal that follows the witch around. A familiar actively assists with the witch’s work. 

Familiars that come in the shape of animals have been around for ages, and across cultures, but the things that ties them together is they appear of their own volition or in specific ways. They aren’t purchased from a pet store, they aren’t adopted from the shelter…is it possible? Sure I guess? Pet stores weren’t really around when most of the accounts of familiar came from. Oof. I need to organize my thoughts a bit.

Familiars Spirits are traditionally intangible/supernatural entities that may or may not choose to appear in physical form whether animal, entity’s “True Form”, or even under disguise, whether as something else or even as another person. Spirit familiars may also inhabit inanimate objects such as statues, spirit vessels (fetiche) such as roots, clay or earthen figures, empty boxes etc.

Familiars as Gifts

In some accounts, a familiar is given to a witch or cunning folk by another person. 

In these cases it’s usually given by a teacher or mentor, or a family member to assist the practitioner in their path. Traditionally it’s someone with a hand in the recipients magical practice.

The spirit passed down may be the witch (or cunningfolk, but for the remainder of this post, I will refer to them interchangeably) indefinitely. The implication there is that the familiar not only is connected to the witch, but to their specific practice and thus can be viewed as a guardian of the path with the assumption that eventually, the witch will pass the familiar onto the next generation.

It may also be a personal familiar that is passed down. Personal as in this is the first time the familiar is passed on, and could become the type mentioned above (guardian style of either the path or family line) or it may be a temporary contract. The familiar may be with the witch to protect it, and assist in place of the original practitioner and may leave/disappear/die when they are able to conjure their own and enter into a pact with a new familiar (or create a pact with the old familiar).

In the case of being passed on, the relationship between witch and familiar, in lieu of a teacher, may impart certain secrets of the path. IT may also not even give the option to continue the relationship if the previous witch only extended the contract to get the new practitioner to a certain point or through hardship. 

It should also be pointed out that specifically in european traditions and some north american lore, that the spirit familiar is given to the witch or magical practitioner by yet another spirit or entity who is more powerful. This could be a spirit mentor, Faery, or as a pact with “The Man in Black” Ol Scratch, or some iteration that has been interpreted as the devil or satan. In these cases, it is both a symbol of the relationship, a representative of the pact, a gift, and a tool.

 Familiars as Animals

As mentioned and popularized both in folklore and in pop culture, familiar spirits may appear in the form of animals.

In the overly popular example of the Salem Witch trials, we see through trial records the purported importance of a “Witch’s Mark”. The mark is some bodily anomaly that supposedly was where the witch could suckle their familiar. It could be a mole, a birthmark, skintag, and was instrumental in the conviction of the accused.

Certain animals are more likely to be the form of a familiar, and that also depends on the geography of the witch as well as the culture. Example, in the US, black cats are inherently associated with witches, but in Scottland, Britain and other countries, you’re may be more likely to find a connection through hares, toads, and ravens more commonly than the black cat.

One reason that they appear as more common animals is to maintain the secrecy that envelopes the witch.

In pop culture, it’s always obvious when a familiar is a familiar because the animal is represented in stark contrast between the other animals. You will notice if a black crow flies to the same person’s house day in and day out when there are no other crows around. You would also notice if you were in the dessert, and a toad is always standing guard outside a home. The animal forms match the surroundings so it would be conceivable for the witch to deny the familiar as what it is “I found this toad in the scullery, it’s so pesky living near that damnable pond. Please wait a moment while I put this outside.”

There is also a connection and interpretation of familiars as being body doubles, or as having room for 2 spirits. Many stories about the folkloric witch hold that the animal appears throughout the town, or visits neighbors etc and is in fact the witch. Some versions hold that the familiar takes the form of the specific animal because that’s the form the witch can assume (conversely, the familiar teaches the witch to transform into a copy of it). This again maintains the witch’s anonymity because if you see the same animal around for a long time, it’s less likely to raise suspicion. It has also been alluded to that the witch enters the body of the familiar or projects their conscious into the familiar to see what need be seen and do what need be done remotely.

Animal familiar spirits in other accounts assume that shape to better serve the witch whether as lookout, intelligence gatherer or collector of needed ingredients.

Familiars also can assume the shape of multiple animals at once, but usually will be the same one, and smaller such as a cloud of flies, grouping of spiders, several small frogs, and even flocks of birds such as starlings, magpies and sparrows. Again, this depends on both the area and the witch.

Familiar Pets

This is one exception that can easily fall into the category of mundane pets and animals being considered familiars (Please note I said this is the easy exception. There may be others, but those are individual cases.)

Some animals are kept as divinatory familiars. This falls under the branch of Zoomancy - divination done through interpretation of movements actions and reaction of animals.

Ailuromancy, coming from the greek ailouros meaning “cat” is divination through…cats. How this is done varies depending on the culture and time, but it’s done by interpreting the movements, and actions of cats. Noticing how cats jump, where they land, what they do with their tales, whiskers, how they curl up, wash their faces, intonations of their meows. 

Alectromancy is the process of using hens and or roosters for divination. Sometimes its observing their movements naturally, other times it’s done by placing the chicken in a circle with different symbols and placing feed on all the symbols, interpreting the actions and choices of the chicken as the answer to the question.

Arachnomancy is the process of divining knowledge past present and future through spiders. It’s been done in multiple cultures from the Inca who kept spiders to answer questions by placing them in bowls and reading how they moved the leaves around. In China, women would collect spiders at fortuitous times in incense boxes and determine events based on if they made webs or didn’t over night. In other cultures, the keeping of spiders was done to read their webs and habits. In other parts of the world, different type of leaves, or cards were moved by kept spiders to interpret omens and fortune.

The reason that these are considered familiars is because they are used directly in the witch’s work. They are kept and fed and cared for, but they have a separate purpose from just existing, and that is as a tool.

I have nothing against pets, I’ve got three myself. I love them, I care for them, they comfort me when I am sick, or tired, or stressed, but they are mundane animals. They were adopted, they were raised, and they do dog things. I joke when I refer to my black dog Arlo as a familiar because he brings me avocados. I don’t use avocados that often in my craft and there’s a tree in my backyard so it’s nothing spiritually enriching, just adorable.

Is it possible that your pet is a familiar? Yes. But most likely it’s just a treasured animal, and familiar in this definition: One who is often seen, and well known; synonym: Companion. Alt.: in close friendship; intimate. Synonyms: Casual, friendly, comfortable, informal.

The term “familiar”, the noun in regards to witches is a different definition: a spirit often embodied in an animal and held to attend and serve or guard a person.

There is precedent to referring to pets as familiars when it comes to having animals that are integral to your craft.

While it may not do anything inherently magical, if used for magic then it is sometimes referred to as a familiar.

Using an animal/pet for a working can also be referred to as using a familiar. Some people use their pets as a conduit or even as a spell holder to deliver the spell to someone else.

Paul Huson refers to these types of animals/familiars/magistelli as a power object

Yes, I mean you can put a hex on someone through your dog. Yes I also mean you can deliver a hex to someone by them petting your dog. or a blessing…that too

Additional note…If you’ve pissed off another witch and go to their home ask if they’ve read my blog before petting their dog. They may be using it to hex you…or bless you.

What does this mean?

If your pet doesn’t attend and serve you in your magical workings, or used in your magical workings on purpose it’s not a traditional witch’s spirit familiar.

If your pet gives you attention and happiness it is familiar to you.

A witch doesn’t need to have a familiar to be a witch. Yes, the 1648 law in Massachusetts defined a witch as one who “hath or consulteth with a familiar spirit.” But even that denotation of what makes a witch was repealed in 1682, ten years before the Salem witch trials. Even the puritans recognized that not all witches have familiars, and sometimes an animal is just an animal.

Familiar Spirits additionally

Some familiar spirits may appear and be subservient or loyal immediately. No pact or contract needs to be done, it’s more just…there.

Familiar spirits may be other spirits who enter into a pact with the witch. Either appearing spontaneously, or through a summons and communication.

This pact may be for a week, a month, several years, or a lifetime…even longer (see above, Familiars as gifts).

Familiars may not always be present. Some may have a resting place the witch must go to, some reside in a different realm, plane, dimension or whatever and need to be called forth to do work. Some may be around the witch at all times, but there is still the function of the familiar.

Familiars do what witches cannot. If that’s going out, gathering items, retrieving lost things, there is an air of purpose that familiars fulfill in assisting the witch in a real way.

This real way is often either physical or spiritual, and with the exception of popculture, most times it is not in an emotional sense like pets fulfill.

Familiars are spirits, and their forms may change, but they are spirits none the less. 

Plant familiars are a thing. Most famous is the Alraune/Alrune/Alruna made from a mandrake. Other plant familiars are grouped under the title of Magistellius Flora.

Magistelli is one title for familiars, and some historians denote that the term “familiar” was passed on from the church to further pass judgement on witches for becoming familiar with the devil (through demonic servants).

As mentioned previously, spirit familiars may inhabit objects and go forth from there. The physical tether is usually cared for and attended to by the witch.

Even though the vessel isn’t living, it is fed and tended to usually as part of the pact made with the spirit.

Familiars in Pop Culture That are More Accurate than Others…

The VVitch (Movie)- the hare that appear numerous times throughout the film is a familiar. It’s not made clear if it is there as a watcher for the witch either holding the witch’s conscious, or as the witch herself. Another possibility is that the hare is a harbinger, delivering an enchantment on behalf of the witch to go unnoticed (The musket backfiring while the hare is watching). Another iteration or possibility is that the familiar is taking on the stance of protector or guard. When deep in the woods the hare is seen, and as the location of where the witch(es) live in the woods, it could be implied that it stands guard to repel interlopers, or notify the witch(es) of the presence of the puritans. The hare also, while not as widely associated with witches in the United States currently, must be recognized as still being very intensely connected to witches during the time period. The puritans immigrated to the colonies from England, and it can be inferred that the witch(es) who are at work in the woods also came from England or another European country.

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV) - Sabrina actively seeks a familiar and goes into the woods asking for a (hob)goblin to attend her as a partner. Though it’s also acknowledged that familiars can be subservient and chosen that way. Numerous times, the cat (Salem) acts as a protector for Sabrina. As mentioned above, familiars are sometimes called forth to guide and protect witches through trying times, or to be near the witch to assist with workings when other witches cannot. You also see the spirit form of the goblin before it chooses what shape to inhabit. It’s usual for the true nature of the familiar to only be visible by the witch it has a contract with, but accounts (and experience) of others being able to see flits of the spirit if not discernable details is exhibited by Salem only showing his true form to Sabrina when they enter into the pact.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (TV) - Being a prime example of the British and Scottish interpretations of Spirit familiars being Fae, Faery, or the Good Neighbors, the story line includes a Faery referred to as “The Gentleman” (Further example of the relationship between fae and witches relating to the importance of names) who wishes to be the assistant, teacher, mentor of Mr. Norrell. A “common” occurence in scottish witch lore is that either the faery that the witch/cunning folk learns from in some cases is a familiar, but in other accounts bestows a familiar (lesser faery, animal spirit etc) unto the practitioner. This also is a fair representation both of the care needed when working with the fae, but also with working with spirits in general as they have autonomy, and a familiar gained through a pact, needs to be respected.

Harry Potter (Movie And Book Series) - While there are plenty of animals, fantastic beasts and witches throughout the story lines, there are only 2 (kinda 3) animals that fulfill the traditional sense of the word “Familiar”. Mrs. Norris the cat and Argus Filch have a relationship that is a parody of who people would assume is a witch (the irony being that he has no magical powers, but lives among those who do). A curmudgeonly man with a bad attitude, snarl and distaste for interacting with the general populous and a craving for torturing children with a cat (reads like a stereotypical witch). Mrs. Norris is described as having an uncanny ability to find rule breakers and an unexplainable connection to her owner. Being able to notify him when there’s rukebreaking afoot with a yowl and also being able to recognize and see through enchantments (Harry’s cloak). Nagini also fits the bill as being an animal with whom only the witch/wizard can communicate who also is able to act independently of them. Also being sent out both as scout, guard and having a connection the owner can use to see through their eyes/inhabit (Voldemort in Nagini/ the department of mysteries. Also the shapeshifting into Bathilda Bagshot and notifying her owner of Harry’s prescience.) **BEFORE YALL TRY AND GO OFF. I realize that as of the newest film, nagini can’t be considered a familiar as she’s a cursed witch blah blah blah. Before it came out, the books representation of Nagini is textbook Familiar.** Speaking of Fantastic Beasts, the Matagat are described as familiar spirits and it’s a little nod to folklore. They appear for like 3 minutes.

Bell, Book, and Candle (movie)- this film is full of tropes. It lays on some pretty thick liberties loosely based on lore surrounding traditional witches mixing it with fairy tale lore about them, namely witches being unable to love etc. But, the cat familiar Pyewacket is an accurate representation of how a familiar can act and be used. Touching on the subject of working magic through the familiar who is more cat with magic, than imp/goblin/demon/fairy/brownie in animal form, the main character uses Pyewacket as both a conduit for her spells as well as sending it forth for her bidding. It also represents the familiars ability to have autonomy and choose whether or not to listen if the pact is broken (this is shown by Pyewacket’s rejection to the main character after she rejects her powers).

Salem(TV) - Another example of familiars, with the additional Witch’s Mark lore incorporated.

Pan’s Labyrinth (Movie) - The mandrake is a textbook magistellus flora root familiar alrune piece of delicious representation.

There are others too but this post is long enough.

So….there are some of my thoughts. Also keep in mind that this is focusing on familiars in North America and European lore. There’s additional context to be had and differences when including South America, Asia, Africa and Australia. Also keep in mind, this is my view and opinions, if you call your parakeet a familiar, I don’t really care. That’s your choice and your practice and as the world adjusts so do practices, but as a traditional witch and folkloric witch myself……I could go on and on and had to stop myself from talking about Greek Genius spirits, Animism, accounts and trial records of witches and familiars, the Allegory of the Cave and more.

TLDR: Familiars are real, I work with them and they are not my pet dogs. If the only reason you call a pet a familiar is because it’s in the room while you light incense and you’re a witch…it’s probably not a traditional familiar. You can call it that sure, but it’s a different definition than is widely accepted and assumed when you say Witch’s familiar. If you do include your pet for workings then that falls in line with some of the iterations of the classical familiar.

🦇Cheers, Barberwitch

Working with Spirits

In my last post, I talked about different types of spirits that witches may work with. Today, we’re going to discuss how to approach spirits and establish a working relationship.

Keep in mind that these are general guidelines, and every spirit is different. I encourage you to do your own research beyond this post, especially if you plan to work with powerful entities like deities, angels, or fairies.

Remember the Four R’s

It’s important to keep these things in mind when working with spirits:

Respect. The spirits are powerful, and you need to have a healthy respect for that power when working with them. It’s also important to respect them as individual, autonomous beings.

I’m not saying that every interaction you have with the spirits needs to be a full blown ritual with incense and chanting. (In fact, some spirits don’t care for those types of rituals.) But every interaction you have with them should be conducted with an air of respect and reverence.

What this mostly boils down to is good manners. Being polite will get you better results — and it will also keep you from being on the receiving end of spirit mischief. Proper etiquette depends on the type of spirit you’re working with, which is one reason it’s important to do your research. In general, it’s polite to make an offering, use respectful language, and thank the spirits before you leave (unless you’re dealing with fairies — some traditions say you should never thank the fae).

Respecting spirits also means respecting their desires — even if that means respecting their wish not to work with you. Not every spirit you reach out to will want to form a relationship with you, just like not every person you meet in your life will want to be your friend. When a spirit turns you down, respect their decision, politely bid them farewell, and move on.

Reciprocity. The goal of spirit work is to establish a mutually-beneficial partnership — not for one partner to serve the other. On one hand, this means that you can’t just command spirits to do your bidding without giving anything in return. On the other hand, it also means that you won’t be worshiping/honoring them without receiving some kind of boon.

This is why it’s important to make offerings to the spirits you work with. These offerings “feed” the spirits by giving them power, and a good offering will likely make a spirit more willing to work with you. Offerings are not payment for favors from spirits (it’s not quite that simple), but they are a sign that you intent to practice reciprocity in your relationship.

In general, it’s important to make an offering when you first introduce yourself to a spirit and again before you ask them for anything. But you shouldn’t only make offerings when you’re about to ask for something! How would you feel if you had a friend who only did nice things for you when they were about to ask for a favor? You’d probably start avoiding them, right? You might even get angry. To avoid this kind of dynamic in your spirit work, make regular offerings to the spirits you work with. If you’re especially close with a spirit, you may want to offer to them every day.

Relationship. The spirits are not vending machines where you put offerings in and blessings fall out. They are living, sentient beings with feelings, and deserve to be treated as such. Your relationship with the spirits you choose to work with is just that: a relationship. And like any relationship, it requires time, energy, and emotional labor.

If that sounds like more effort than you want to make, there are plenty of ways to do magic without ever working with spirits. You don’t need to do spirit work to be a witch. It may not be your thing, and that’s okay!

But if you choose to work with spirits, it’s important to remember that you are working with them as an equal partner — you’re not their boss, and they are not obligated to like you, help you, or even tolerate you. Relationships with spirits are built over time, through mutual respect and trust.

You wouldn’t drive up to your friend’s house, throw a fast-food burger at them, and then demand a special favor. Likewise, you shouldn’t just dump an offering on your altar and demand something of the spirits. Take the time to sit down with them. Talk to them. Get to know them. Put some thought into your offerings, instead of just offering the same thing every time. Spirit work is, at its core, about building an authentic relationship with the spirits we choose to include in our practice. Enjoy it.

Research. When it comes to spirits, it’s important to know exactly who (and what) you’re dealing with. As previously mentioned, the etiquette for dealing with fairies is very different from other land spirits. Different deities have different standards for their worshipers, which vary from one pantheon to the next. The way you interact with your ancestors will probably be shaped by their personalities, cultures, and values. All this is to say it’s important to know who you’re reaching out to, preferably before you reach out to them.

With deities, this is easy. Most witches who choose to work with deities will feel drawn to a certain pantheon, or even a specific god or goddess. There’s a lot of information out there about most historical pantheons, so researching them is easy. The same goes for angels, saints, demons, and even fairies.

It can be a little more difficult to do your research when you’re dealing with land spirits, spirits of place, or other less well-known figures. In these cases, it’s best to take three steps: 1.) figure out what type of spirit you’re dealing with (land spirit, animal spirit, ancestor, etc.), 2.) find out what this type of spirit is like generally, and 3.) find out how that applies to your specific spirit.

For example: you want to connect with your local land spirits. You do some research to find out how land spirits have been treated in various cultures — you find out that they’re typically benevolent, are closely tied to the natural landscape, and were often given food offerings. Then, you do some research into your local plants and animals — what form might a nature spirit take in your local environment? Would it be a huge moose with snow-covered antlers, or a magnolia tree in full bloom? Is there any local folklore in your area that could be describing a land spirit? Once you have answers to these questions, you’ll have a much better idea of how to approach the spirits and start up a relationship.

Initiating a Relationship with a Spirit

Begin by identifying who this spirit is. For example, let’s say you choose to reach out to a specific ancestor spirit — maybe a deceased grandparent. Make sure you’re familiar with the etiquette for interacting with this type of spirit so you don’t accidentally do something disrespectful. (If your Grandma hated cussing, try not to drop any f-bombs while communing with her.)

Create a special space to communicate with the spirit. This can be as simple as lighting a candle or as elaborate as setting up a special altar. If you’re reaching out to a grandparent, you might set up a small ritual space with a photo of them, any of their belongings that you have access to, and some things that they enjoyed while they were alive. These items may make the connection easier, but you don’t need them to communicate. What matters is that you’ve taken the time to create a special space for this moment. (Like all ritual spaces, it should be clean and tidy, and it’s a good idea to do an energetic cleanse beforehand.)

Make an offering. Make sure your offering is appropriate for the spirit you’re connecting to. Offerings should be made with an air of reverence — don’t just toss a bag of Doritos on your altar and expect it to be well-received.

Introduce yourself. Speak out loud. State your intention and who you are hoping to connect with.

Wait and listen. You may feel a presence or receive some kind of sign — or you may not. Just because you didn’t get a sign doesn’t mean that your offering wasn’t noticed or that you’re being ignored. You may also receive a sign several hours, days, or weeks after you first reach out. Be patient.

Say your farewells. Express your gratitude for the spirit’s presence, and let them know that you are ending your little ritual. It’s up to you whether to invite them to stick around or politely tell them to leave, but if you’re going to give a spirit permission to linger in your home you better be 1000% sure you know who they are and what their intentions with you are.

Moving Forward

As you work with this spirit, it is important to establish clear boundaries for the relationship. Be clear about what you want to accomplish by working with them, and make sure you understand what they expect from you in return.

You might want to establish a time limit: for example, maybe you’re choosing to work closely with the goddess Brigid from Imbolc to Samhain, at which point you can choose to continue the relationship or to take a step back. Or, you may choose to work with a spirit on a specific task — for example, working with the goddess Aphrodite to get back on your feet and rebuild your self esteem after a breakup. Once this task is accomplished, you may choose to form a more long-term relationship or to take a step back.

Forming a permanent or long-term working relationship with a spirit is a very big, very serious commitment, and should not be taken lightly. This goes double for anything involving a ritual commitment, such as dedication to a deity. When you make these commitments, you are choosing to make a spirit and their energy a permanent part of your life. This decision requires some very serious introspection and consideration, and should not be made impulsively.

Resources:

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

A Practical Heathen’s Guide to Asatru by Patricia M. Lafayllve

Where the Hawthorn Grows and The Morrigan: Meeting the Great Queens by Morgan Daimler

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

Azrael Loves Chocolate, Michael’s A Jock: An Insider’s Guide to What Your Angels Are Really Like and The Angel Code by Chantel Lysette

New World Witchery podcast (several episodes, including “Episode 164 — Irish Folklore and Magic,” “Episode 161 — Practicing Safe Hex,” and “Episode 152 — Honoring Ancestors”)

A Crash Course on Channeling

What is Channeling?

Channeling is allowing a nonphysical entity to use your physical body, in order to accomplish something. If that sounds, vague, it’s because it is. Channeling takes many different forms and intensity levels! Depending on how it’s done, it can be a medium-difficulty task or one of the most advanced things a spirit worker can do. 

Types of Channeling

I once heard channeling described as a car ride, and in my experience that’s very accurate. The car is your body, and you’re in it with an entity. Sometimes you’re in the driver’s seat, and the entity is in the back seat giving directions. Sometimes you or the entity is in the passenger’s seat: not calling most of the shots, but able to reach over and grab the wheel if needed. Sometimes you’re in the backseat watching the entity drive, and sometimes you’re in the trunk. In practice, this can take a number of forms.

Speaking on Behalf. This is the kind of channeling people do most often. The entity isn’t controlling you, just feeding you lines which you can then relay to a third party. You’re translating their messages to something other people can comprehend. If you’ve ever answered a question for a spirit in their words, you’ve done this. 

Isolated Channeling. The entity takes control of just a part of the body, usually the hands or fingers. This is mostly used for things like automatic writing.

Assuming Form. Also known as consensual possession. The entity is in the driver’s seat, speaking and acting for themselves without your help. Some people will call this “horsing.”

Possession. While the word “possession” could technically cover all of this, within the spirit work community it’s usually reserved for channeling where the human did not consent beforehand. This doesn’t necessarily mean in a violating way- I once had a friend who got possessed just long enough for an entity to yank them out of danger; once I was taken for just a moment to convey a quick (but very direct) message to a devotee, and snapped out of it right after. 

Reasons to Channel

Everyone will have a different reason to channel but most of them fall under a few categories:

Helping Someone Else. You’re channeling on behalf of someone who can’t [easily] reach the entity themselves, in order to ease communication between the two parties. This is often seen with mediums contacting spirit guides and Ancestors.

Aid in Other Works. The entity is better suited to accomplish a certain task than you, so you let them take the lead. This is often seen with a familiar or spirit companion, someone the practitioner works with closely enough to know their strengths and trust them. 

Easier Communication Overall. Channeling is a way to get really familiar with an entity’s energy. Again, we often see this with spirit companions and is more to bond than to achieve another goal.  This would include automatic writing or letting a spirit experience things “through” you. 

Ritual Invitation. In some traditions, it’s common to invite deities to ritual events. Often, some type of channeling/possession is expected and is usually reached through ecstatic experiences. It’s taken as a sign the deity has arrived at the party, either a sign the offerings have been received or a time for the deity to convey important messages. 

Before-You-Begin Essentials

Know How To Protect Yourself. This is non-negotiable. Is your discernment tuned enough to spot an impostor or malevolent entity? Do you know how to end a session early? Do you know how to banish a spirit in an emergency? If the answer is no, then study up and return to channeling when you’re ready. 

Know Your Entity. Channeling, by nature, puts the practitioner in an intimate and vulnerable place, so you don’t want to give that access to an entity who may misuse it. If it’s your first time channeling, make sure you trust this entity with your life. 

Don’t Channel Alone. When you channel, you’re in an altered state of consciousness. Having someone grounded near you helps keep the session on track and keep you out of trouble should you need it. (Either by forcing an entity out if needed or just keeping you from climbing that tree.) 

Other Notes

It’ll Probably Take a Lot Out of You. Have something ready to ground and rehydrate yourself after a session, and make sure you don’t have anything high-demand planned after. 

Start Small. No need to jump head-first into the most advancecd and high-intensity types of channeling! Start with automatic writing or painting and get used to the feeling and work your way up.

Don’t Make It Weird. Basic etiquette still matters. Channeling is not a pass to give unsolicited messages to other practitioners, speak on behalf of their deities to them (unless they’ve specifically asked), or say hurtful things cushioned by: “What? It wasn’t me who said it.”

Messages Are Rarely “Pure.” This means everything is still filtered through you, the practitioner. Your values, morals, biases, and beliefs can inform what messages get through and how they are conveyed. Nobody wants to send out a message they disagree with, after all. This becomes less of an influencing factor with experience as one learns to hone their skill and let go more, but it’s important to always keep in mind. (If a channeling friend says a deity doesn’t accept your gender identity or something, that’s a good sign that really your “friend” doesn’t accept it.) 

Banishing Nasty Spirits

If you’ve been following this series of posts, you know why a witch might work with spirits, how to establish a relationship with a spirit, and how to communicate with spirits. What we haven’t yet discussed is how to get rid of spirits that are bothersome, annoying, or malevolent.

I was planning to talk about pathworking and astral travel before getting into banishing, but in light of some asks I recently received on Tumblr, I think it’s important that we take a moment to discuss how to get rid of spirits that, for whatever reason, you don’t want around.

There are lots of reasons you might not want a spirit in your space. Just like with people, some spirits just aren’t a good fit for you and your practice. Part of being a spirit worker is cultivating a “spirit team” of beings that you can have healthy and beneficial relationships with.

Some spirits are mischievous and like to cause trouble. If you find yourself on the receiving end of lots of spirit pranks, you may want to gently encourage them to move along. And there are some spirits out there who just genuinely hate humans and will go out of their way to cause mental, emotional, and even physical harm.

Don’t get me wrong — malevolent spirits aren’t common. In my experience, the vast majority of unwanted spirits are more annoying than dangerous. I’m not saying this to scare you or make you paranoid. But these things do exist, and it would be negligent of me not to mention them in a series on spirit work.

There’s a reason that one of the most common truisms in witchcraft is, “Never conjure something you can’t banish.” If you’re going to be working with spirits, it’s a good idea to know how to banish them just in case. With that being said, here’s how you can clear out any nasties that may be lingering in your space.

Cleansing

The first step is to kick those unwanted spirits out of your space. There are lots of ways to do this, so choose the one that is the best fit for you.

Cleansing with fire and smoke is a very old and very simple method. If this is the way you decide to go, there are several magical substances you can burn to banish spirits. Burning sulfur or asafetida will clear out just about anything, but they both smell awful and are potentially toxic, so you’ll want to get an okay from the other people living in your home, burn a little at a time, and make sure you have lots of windows open. (Some people say sulfur and asafetida will banish all spirits, not just the unfriendly ones, so you may have to invite your spirit team back in later.) For something that smells a little more pleasant, you can try a mix of frankincense and myrrh resin, or burn a mix of dried rosemary, sage (garden sage, not endangered white sage, please!), and bay leaves — but again, make sure you have windows open, because these get smoky. Plus, you want the windows and/or doors open so the spirits have somewhere to go when the smoke chases them out.

If smoking up your living space isn’t an option for you, you can manually clean your space with a wash or powder. If you have hardwoods, you can make a floor wash with water, salt, lemon juice, rosewater, lavender essential oil, and either bay laurel or rosemary essential oil. (This is adapted from an uncrossing bath in the book Utterly Wicked by Dorothy Morrison.) Use this mixture to mop your floors, as well as to wipe down your walls and furniture. If you have a humidifier or essential oil diffuser, diffusing some of this mix would also be a good idea.

If you have carpet, you can make a powder by combining salt, dried lemon peel, dried roses, lavender flowers, and bay leaves. You’ll need to ground this really fine, so I recommend using a coffee grinder or food processor. Sprinkle the powder on your carpet, let it sit for a few minutes, and then vacuum it up. I would supplement this by also diffusing a mix of saltwater with rosewater, lemon juice, and lavender and/or bay laurel essential oil. If you don’t have a diffuser, at least sprinkle some saltwater around the room and on your belongings.

No matter which form of cleansing you decide to use, it’s important to verbally state your intention to banish these unwanted spirits from your space. Tell them out loud that they are no longer welcome here and that they need to leave. Don’t be rude about it, but be firm and speak clearly and with confidence.

After you cleanse your space, it’s a good idea to cleanse yourself as well to remove any psychic ties to the spirits you’ve just banished. The easiest way to do this is with a ritual bath. The floor wash recipe mentioned earlier can also be used as a psychic cleansing bath. Other options include a bath with salt, frankincense, and myrrh or a bath with salt, rosemary, sage, and bay laurel. You can use essential oils for your bath, or add the resins and herbs to a cheesecloth bag and drop it into the tub for easy diffusing and cleanup.

If you don’t have a bathtub, you can cleanse yourself in the shower. Place two cups of salt in a bowl. Add lemon juice, rosewater, lavender essential oil, and either bay laurel or rosemary essential oil. If you don’t have essential oils, you can add dried lavender and crushed bay leaves. Add some of your favorite body wash to create a scrub (if you don’t have body wash, use olive oil). While in the shower, use this mixture to scrub your skin — visualize yourself scrubbing away any psychic gunk you might have picked up.

Protection

Once you’ve removed any unwanted spirits from your space, you want to lay down some protection to keep them from coming back. There are as many ways to ward off spirits as there are witches, but here are a few ideas to get you started.

One option is to create a ward. You can do this by anointing the door frames, door knobs, and window frames of your home with a protective oil blend and/or by creating lines of salt across your doorways and just inside your windows. You can use other protective substances if you prefer. As you lay down these protections, visualize a protective shield around your home, and speak aloud your intention to keep harmful spirits out.

Iron is said to repel spirits. Keep a railroad spike or other large piece of iron under your bed to prevent nightmares and to keep spirits from messing with you while you sleep. There’s an old superstition that says that hammering iron nails into the four corners of your home protects it from spirits — this may not be possible if you’re renting, but you can create a similar effect by displaying a piece of iron in each of the four corners of your home. Hematite is a crystal that is high in iron, so it can be used in a similar way to ward off spirits.

Aloe is said to protect from negative spirits, and to bring protection and good luck more generally. It’s also a common house plant that is easy to care for, so this method of protection is especially great for witches who need to keep their practice a secret. Keep several aloe plants in your home to protect those who live there.

For witches with a crafty side, making a witch bottle is another option for protection. There are lots of different recipes for witch bottles, but the basic method is to fill a bottle with sharp objects, add something from your body, and hide it somewhere outside your home (traditionally buried on the property, but leaving it in an outbuilding works just as well). The idea is that any nasty spirit that comes looking for you will be attracted to the bottle (because it contains part of your body), get caught by the sharp objects, and be trapped. To create a simple witch bottle, fill a mason jar about halfway with sewing pins, then add a bit of your hair and some of your fingernail clippings, and finally fill it with liquid (traditionally, this liquid is your own urine, but if that makes you uncomfortable vinegar will also work). If you want, you can also include some of your favorite banishing herbs, resins, or crystals.

Religious symbols can also keep nasty spirits away. If you identify strongly with a religion, display protective symbols from that faith in your living space. For example: a Christian witch might hang up a crucifix or set out a statue of Archangel Michael, a Norse pagan witch might hang up an image of Mjolnir, a Hindu witch might display a statue of Durga, etc. Sometimes the most effective way to keep nasty spirits away is to let them know that you’re under the protection of someone more powerful.

When dealing with unwanted spirits, the most important thing to remember is that you do not need to be afraid. You are a powerful witch, and you are more than capable of getting rid of them. Be confident in your abilities and know that whatever happens, you can handle it.

Resources:

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

A Green Witch’s Cupboard by Deborah J. Martin

Utterly Wicked by Dorothy Morrison

Where the Hawthorn Grows by Morgan Daimler

Spirit Work: Red Flags!

Spirit work has always been a huge part of my life, ever since I was a wee two year old toddling around my grandmother’s house. In my two decades of talking to the otherworldly, I have run into horrible spirits and gotten into toxic situations. Evil spirits (and morally grey ones) can and will deceive you. This is a list of signs that the spirit you’re interacting with is toxic or may hurt you.

1. You feel anxious, scared, or a sense of foreboding when interacting with them or when they are around.

This is also known as a sense of dread. Some spirits have heavier energies, but if you are feeling dread, trust your intuition and BANISH immediately. Cut all contact.

2. The name they give you keeps changing.

Some spirits have personal reasons to not give you their true name. This can be a red flag sometimes, but not all of the time. However, having a name that never stays the same is a red flag. It’s a form of deceit and manipulation. 

3. It’s too good to be true.

If a spirit comes to you like “YOU ARE THE MOST POWERFUL HUMAN EVER, I HAVE A MESSAGE FOR YOU” or some over the top theatrical stuff, it’s usually a trick. Don’t let them in your life. This isn’t to say that a spirit coming to you and claiming to know you or want to help you is always bad, but be wary.

CW: assaulty, abusive stuff next

4. They manipulate how you feel towards them.

Some spirits, typically those that feed off of sexual energy, will put you in a haze. You will see no wrong in what they do. You may be very sexually attracted to them out of no where or somehow just give in to their advances. This can also take the form of unhealthy levels of dependence and even worship.

5. They manipulate how you feel towards others.

Just like humans, bad spirits want to isolate you and make you more vulnerable. You may find yourself getting into more fights with friends or family. You may have several falling outs and not know why. The spirit will literally be a voice just telling you everyone is horrible and against you.

6. They hurt you.

This can be emotional, psychological, or physical. Scratches, bruises, bite marks, sore limbs, all of it can happen. They can break you down emotionally and break you psychologically. This is usually coupled with gaslighting.

7. They make you feel powerless.

These spirits know they can be banished, so they will make you think that you’re too weak to do so. They make you give in and give up.

8. Unwanted switching/possession/oppression.

Once they have enough of a hold on you, these spirits will literally take over your thoughts. They can even take over your words and actions. Switching is a common thing in spirit companionship, but non-consensual switching is a huge red flag.

What do I do if there are red flags?

Remember that you are always in control. You are the conjurer, you are the medium. No matter how powerful a spirit claims to be, you can always get rid of them. Banish them and ward yourself. Step away from spirit work and tune out of the other world until you recover. Focus on the mundane until you have healed.

✰✰God And Spirit Correspondences✰✰

✰ The following lists contain information on magical goals and their related deities

AGRICULTURE  • Adonis, Amon, Aristaeus, Baldur, Bonus Eventus, Ceres, Consus, Dagon, Demeter, Dumunzi, Esus, Gahanan, Inari, Osiris, Saturn, Tammuz, Thor, Triptolemus, Vertumnus, Yumcaa, Zochipilli

ARTS • Athena, Ea, Hathor, Odin, Thor

ASTROLOGY • Albion

CATS • Bast, Freya

CHILDBIRTH • Althea, Anahita, Bes, Camenta, Cihuatcoatl, Cuchavira, Isis, Kuan Yin, Laima, Lucina Meshkent

COMMUNICATIONS • Hermes, Janus, Mercury

COURAGE • Tyr

DREAMS • Geshtinanna, Morpheus, Nanshe

EARTH • Asia, Consus, Daghda, Enlil, Frigga, Gaea, Ge, Geb, Kronos, Ninhursag, Ops, Prithivi, Rhea, Saturn, Sif, Tellus

FERTILITY • Amnu, Anaitis, Apollo, Arrianrhod, Asherali, Astarte, Attis, Baal, Bacchus, Bast, Bona, Dea, Boucca, Centeotle, Cernunnos, Cerridwen, Cybele, Daghda, Demeter, Dew, Dionysus, Eostre, Frey, Freya, Frigg, Indra, Ishtar, Ishwara, Isis, Kronos, Ono, Lulpercus, Min, Mut, Mylitta, Ningirsu, Ops, Osiris, Ostara, Pan, Pomona, Quetzalcoatl, Rhea, Rhiannon, Saturn, Selkhet, Sida, Tane, Telepinu, Telluno, Tellus Mater, Thunor, Tlazolteotl, Yarilo, Zarpanitu

GOOD LUCK AND FORTUNE • Bonus Eventus, Daikoku, Fortuna, Ganesa, Jorojin, Laima, Tyche

HEALING • Apollo, Asclepius, Bast, Brigid, Eir, Gula, Lxlilton, Khnos, Paeon

JOURNEYS • Echua, Janus

LAW,TRUTH, AND JUSTICE • Astraea, Maat, Misharu, Themis

Love • Aizen Myo-O, Alpan, Angus, Aphrodite, Asera, Astarte, Asthoreth, Belili, Creirwy, Cupid, Dzdzilelya, Eros, Erzulie, Esmeralda, Fenrua, Freya, Frigg, Habondia, Hathor, Inanna, Ishtar, Kades, Kama, Kivan-Non, Kubaba, Melusine, Menu, Minne, Mamaja, Odudua, Olwen, Oshun,Prenda,Rao, Sauska, Tlazoletotl, Turan, Venus, Xochipilli, Zochiquetzal

LUNAR MAGIC • Aah, Anahita, Artemis, Asherali, Astarte, Baiame, Bendis, Diana, Gou, Hathor, Hecate, Llmaqah, Ishtar, Isis, Jacy, Kabul, Khons, Kilya, Lucina, Luna, Mah, Mama Quilla, Mani, Menu, Metzli, Myestaa, Nanna, Pah, Selene, Sin, Soma, Taukiyomi, Thoth, Varuna, Yarikh, Yerak, Zamna

MARRIAGE • Airyaman, Aphrodite, Aryan, Bes, Bah,Ceres, Errata, Frigg, Hathor, Hera, Hymen, Juno, Patina, Saluki, Svarog, Thalassa, Tutunis, Vor, Xochipilli

MUSIC AND/OR POETRY • Apollo, Benten, Bragi, Brigid, Hathor, Odin, Orpheus, Thoth, Untunktahe, Woden, Xolotl

REINCARNATION • Hera, Khensu, Ra

SEA • Amphitrite, Benten, Dylan, Ea, Enoil, Glaucus, Leucothea, Manannan Mac Lir, Neptune, Nereus, Njord, Paldemon, Phorcys, Pontus, Poseidon, Proteus, Shoney, Yamm

SHAPE-SHIFTING • Freya, Volkh, Xolotl

SKY • Aditi, Anshar, Anu, Dyaus, Frigg, Hathor, Horus, Joch-Huva, Jupiter, Kumarbis, Nut, Obatala, Rangi, Svarog, Tane, Thor, Tiwaz, Ukko, Uranus, Varuna, Zeus

SLEEP • Hypnos

SOLAR MAGIC • Amaterasu, Apollo, Atum, Baldur, Bochia, Dazhbog, Helios, Hiruku, Horus, Hyperion, Inti, Legba, Lugh, Mandulis, Mao, Marduk, Maui, Melkart, Mithra, Orunjan, Paiva Perun, Phoebus, Ra, Sabazius, Samas, Sams, Shamash, Sol, Surya, Texcatlipoca, Tonatiuh, Torushompek, Utto, Vishnu, Yhi

VENGEANCE • Nemesis

WEALTH AND PROSPERITY • Adad, Acolus, Agni, Amen, Baal, Bragi, Burlash, Catequil, Chac-Mool, Chernabog, Donar, Fomagata, llyapa, Indra, Jove, Jupiter, Kami-Nari, Koza, Lei-Kung, Marduk, Nyame, Perkunas, Pillan, Pulug, Quiateot, Raiden, Rammon, Rudra, Shango, Sobo, Summanus, Taki-Tsu-Hilo, Tawhaaki, Tawhiri, Tefnut, Thor, Thunor, Tilo, Tinia, Typhoeus, Typhon, Yu-Tzu, Zeus, Zu

WISDOM • Aruna, Athena, Atri, Baldur, Brigid, Dainichi, Ea, Enki, Fudo- Myoo, Fugen Bosatsu, Fukurokuju, Ganesha, Minerva, Nebo, Mimir, Oannes, Odin, Oghama, Quetzalxoatl, SIa, Sin, Thoth, Vohumano, Zeus

A ‘Holy Mumbo Jumbo’ List of Color Correspondences (Includes Zodiac Signs)

Black:

Absorbing Energy, Balance, Banishing Negativity, Black Magic, Beginnings, Binding, Civil Servants, Challenges, Creating, Criminals, Death, Debts, Defense, Discoveries, Divination, Elders, Farming, Grounding, Justice, Karma, Law, Learning, Manifestation, Material Gain, Overcoming Obstacles, Patience, Plumbing, Pride, Protection, Real Estate, Rebirth, Release, Repelling, Reversing, Sacrifice, Safety, Scrying, Soothing Anxiety, Tests, Truth, Uncrossing, Understanding Limits, Unhexing, Wills, Wisdom. 

Blue (Virgo, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces):

Astral Projection, Communication, Calming, Doctors, Domestic Harmony, Elevation, Fidelity, Focus, Forgiveness, Foreign Countries/Cultures, Good Fortune, Growth, Happiness, Higher Education, Horses, Increase Wisdom, Insight, Introspection, Joy, Long Distance Travel, Loyalty, Luck, Meditation, Oceans, Opportunity, Organization, Patience, Peace, Philosophy, Political Power, Reading, Religion, Remove Confusion, Removing Bad Energy, Sincerity, Social Standings, Sports, Truth, Water, Wealth, Willpower

Brown (Scorpio, Capricorn):

Animal/Pet Magick, Animals, Concentration, Construction, Decision Making, Earth, Earth Magick, Endurance, Financial Crisis, Finding Lost Things, Focus, Food, Fruitfulness, Generosity, Goods, Grounding, Harvest, Health Of Pets and Livestock, House Blessing, Improve Concentration, Material Goods, New Beginnings, Real Estate, Security, Sound, Stability, Telepathy 

Copper: 

Business Success, Career Growth, Fertility, Money, Passion 

Gold:

Divination, Divinity, Fast Luck, Great Fortune, Health, Justice, Luxury, Male Energy, Masculinity, Positive Attitude, Prosperity, Understanding, Solar/Sun Energy 

Gray:

Contemplation, Glamour, Loneliness, Removing Negative Influence 

Green (Aquarius, Cancer):

Abundance, Acceptance, Affection, Alliances, Artistic Ability, Beauty, Beginnings, Change, Cosmetics, Counteract, Courage, Decorating, Employment, Emotion Health, Envy, Fertility, Fae, Gardening, Garden Magick, Gifts, Grace, Greed, Growth, Harmony, Healing, Herbal Magick, Hope, Immortality, Income, Increased Love, Increased Trust, Jealousy, Jobs, Luck, Luxury, Marriage, Money, Partnerships, Peace, Physical Health, Plant Magick, Prosperity, Rebirth, Relationships, Social Activity, Success, Soulmates, Trees, Weather 

Indigo: 

Ambition, Dignity, Divination, Meditation, Psychic Ability, Spiritual Guidance, Stop Gossip/Lies, Overcome Depression 

Lavender: 

Intuition, Knowledge 

Light Blue:

Peace, Protection, Spirituality, Tranquility 

Orange (Leo, Sagittarius):

Abandonment, Action, Ambition, Breaking Down Barriers, Business Success, Celebration, Creativity, Dominance, Fun, Harvest, Intellectual Matters, Investments, Joy, Justice, Kindness, Legal Matters, Material Gain, Mental Alertness, Opportunity, Overcoming Addiction, Sealing a Spell, Self Expression, Strength, Releaving Depression, Vitality 

Pink:

Calming, Compassion, Domestic Harmony, Emotional Healing, Emotions, Femininity, Friendship, Gardening, Getting a Move on, Harmony, Healing, Homosexuality, Honor, Infants, Love, Maturity, New Beginnings, Nurturing, Partnership, Personal Success, Physical Energy, Protection of Children, Relaxation, Romance, Self Improvement, Self Love, Spiritual Healing, Woodworking

Purple:

Breaking a Habit, Contact with Spirits, Change Luck, Drive away Evil, Government, Independence, Influence, Spiritual Power, Wisdom  

Red (Scorpio, Aries):

Ambition, Action, Assertiveness, Business Deals, Combat, Competition, Conflict, Confrontation, Courage, Danger, Desire, Energy, Fertility, Fire Element, Health, Hunting, Independence, Mechanical Things, Mercury, Motivation, Passion, Renewal, Repairs, Self-Esteem, Sexual Potency, Sports, Strength, Vitality, War 

Silver: Communication, Divination, Dreams, Feminine Divinity, Gambling, Luck, Intuition, Medication, Moon Magick, Psychic Awareness, Victory

Violet (Capricorn, Gemini, Sagittarius):

Astrology, Clairvoyance, Clarity, Connection to Higher Self, Correspondences, Education, Forgiveness, Goddess, Heal Wounded Pride, Hidden Forces, Humility, Insight, Intelligence, Justice, Meditation, Memory, Messages, Occult, Psychic Power, Relief Of Emotional Hurt

White (Pisces):

Confidence, Connection to  Higher Self, Connection to Spirits, Cycle of Life, Enlightenment, Endings, Freedom, Goddesses, Health, Imitation, Inspiration Mental Clarity, New Beginnings, Outgoingness, Poise, Protection, Purification, Shyness, Transformation 

Yellow (Taurus Libra):

Astral Projection, Clarity, Communication, Constancy, Faith, Flexibility, Friendship, Happiness, Harmony, Healing, Humility, Imagination, Inspiration, Intellect, Inventiveness, Knowledge, Learning, Life, Memory, Optimism, Persuasion, Pleasure, Productivity, Protection, Self-esteem, Spirit Communication, Solar Magick, Success, Telepathy, Travel, Understanding 

Spirits & Working with them

We are souls temporarily in bodies on earth. Our natural home is in the spirit world, often known as the “Other side”. Whether you realize it or not, We are constantly surrounded by spirits. They may be in human bodies (like ourselves) or “in spirit” form. Just like we have family and friends in this life, We have had other lives with relationships we have deeply cherished and nurtured. Certainly, there are other spirits we have known and loved in other lives that are “in spirit” here on earth. A spirit is nothing more or less than another person, They just don’t have a body. They really aren’t as mysterious or strange as they’re made out to be, I feel like spirits are really misunderstood. 

PROTECTION Ok guys, when i say they’re misunderstood i don’t mean every spirit out there is fluffy and sweet. Protection is absolutely the MOST IMPORTANT PART of working with spirits. Like i said, they’re nothing more or less than another person. They are beings, they have their own personalities. Just like with people, Don’t give out your information or be too trusting. Spirits can lie, Spirits can have malicious motives, Spirits can be tricksters and just yank your chain (ever gotten on a Ouija and seen ZOZO or MAMA or freaked bc it was doing something you thought was demonic or enabling the spirit to escape the board? Yeah, you were part of a big joke buddy. Spirits cannot escape the board, they aren’t in the board in the first place.). 

Ways to protect yourself:

-Wards, Physically or in the Astral Plane, where spirits typically reside or come from. Astral Projection is not something for beginners to attempt, You really need to know how to deal with and protect yourself from the beings in that plane. 

-Protection spells, amulets or talismans

-Sigils

-I have a special tea i brew for myself before spirit workings that is my blend of herbs to protect me and get me in the mindset for spirit work. I also suggest cleansing your energy, Maybe a cleansing bath and a smudge session and some meditation, Clean your energy so no spirits leech off of your negative energy or sense any mental weakness to attack.

-If you are scared, don’t do it. Spirits can smell it from 30 miles away, and will use it against you. Be mentally prepared, protect yourself. (I want to add i have never had any run ins with malicious spirits, But they DO EXIST. Most spirits are kind in my experience.)

COMMUNICATION

You are probably not gonna just be able to sit down and speak to spirits. (They can hear you, But thats listening and not communication.) I suggest picking up a form of divination, like pendulum, dice, or a ouija board to start. Do not Ouija alone if it is your first time and you are unexperienced. You will receive fragmented bits of conversation likely, and this is normal. Start out with simple yes and no questions, and eventually you will work your way up to normal conversation with spirits. It takes time to grow these skills. When i first started i was pulling out my Ouija nonstop!!! Spirits mostly communicate in tattered words, pictures and emotions. Its good to practice energy work, Sensing the kind of energy spirits are bringing in. This way you’ll eventually be able to tell the difference between a malicious spirit and a kind spirit just by the energy its giving off. PRACTICE, Keep growing your skills. 

INTERACTING WITH SPIRITS

Communicating and meeting with local spirits is the easiest way to start off. 

A lot of people start off with nature spirits, they are much more patient than other beings. I suggest sitting in a forest or by a creek and seeing who wants to talk, but sitting on your back porch with your plants can be equally as successful. I didn’t start with nature spirits specifically, but they likely were the ones who came thru. Very patient and kind, even noting that my dog (who was wanting to come outside with me, but my patios very small and she’s very big) was being loud. 

I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO TALK ABOUT!!

Don’t worry, Here are all the ideas. Its nice to let the spirit share experiences with you, Keep in mind spirits have been around for a very long time, some since the beginning of time, and have experienced many things. I’ve heard some very cool stories.

Let me hear a love story

Show me a song from your people

Tell me something you’ve done that you are proud of

Tell me a little about your culture

Tell me your story

Do you have any jokes you can share with me?

What is your advice for me?

Who is the your peoples leader?(this can help you distinguish a timeline on when they were alive/where as well)

Is there anything about Human Culture you have questions about?

Do you speak more than one language?

SPIRIT WORK TIPS

Don’t give out the name that is the most important to you.

The ‘color’ of an energy doesn’t mean it will align with your own color meanings.

Don’t share how you’re protecting yourself, It is not wise and can help malicious spirits find points of weakness.

Don’t expect to hear voices or see spirits clear as day. The stories told on tumblr may be embellished to add understanding, or might receive messages in a less clear way than presented

If you ever feel threatened by a spirits energy or sense a negative spirit, Tell it to leave loudly and clearly. Do not show fear, Do not back down. Repeat and increase your intensity if it doesn’t stop.

This post is all based on my opinion of spirit work, and is not fact. I love spirits and spirit work so much, and i hope you do as well. Enjoy the spirits, Make some new friends! Love & Light, @lapiscat

Things to Research Before Working with the Fae

Research is the most important thing to do before heading into Faery work and witchcraft. You want to have a lot of in depth and versatile knowledge covering many areas of the topic so you’ll be able to understand and interact with the Fair Folk! If you don’t want to work with the Fair Folk you can use this list to help yourself understand them and take the proper measure if you ever stumble upon them. I know the list could go on forever but I’m compiling the topics I find build a good foundation of understanding. I have compiled this list to give those interested guidance and a push in the right direction, it is best you do your own research before asking other’s personal knowledge and opinions!!

The Basics

Terminology ( Fae, faery, fairy, changeling, seelie, unseelie, sidhe, etc)

The Origins of the Fae (Tuatha de Dannan, Aos Sí, Tylwyth Teg)

Faeries in Different Cultures: Celtic (Irish, Scottish, Gaulish, French), Norse, Influences from Greek and Roman culture.

Folklore & Myths!! ex. Oisin and Tír na nÓg , Fenian Cycle, Arthurian Legend. 

Celtic Gods, Goddesses & Heroes- strong influences and connections to the Fae

Types of Faeries (study diverse types from pixies,brownies, pooka to Kelpies, Bwbach and Red caps) *Make sure you can at least answer who, what and where about them.

The Otherworlds (Tir na Nog, Caer Arianrhod, Annwn, Alfheim, Svartalfheim, etc.)

Faery Landmarks (fairy tree, fairy ring, fairy hill)

Signs of the Fae

Sacred Trees and Plants (Hawthorn) 

Protection!! very important

*Bonus if you learn Celtic Culture

Getting into Working with Them

Connecting to Nature and the Land

How to Banish Faeries & Protect yourself, house, family, etc.

Faery Behaviour and Proper Etiquette

Proper Offerings, How to give an Offering

Animals associated with the Fair Folk and Why? (raven, deer, etc)

Faery Festivals and Holidays (Samhain, Midsummer, Beltane)

Why certain things offend them- iron, saying “thank you”,etc.

The Courts (Seelie, Unseelie, trooping fairies, solitary)

Setting up a Faery Altar

How to work with them in Rituals 

Faery Flowers, herbs and crystals

A proper and personal way to communicate with them!!this means developing psychic ability, tarot, meditation, signs, etc.

Hagstones, heptagram/faery star

Some Good Books :) 

The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries, by W. Y. Evans Wentz  

Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes 

Enchantment of the Faerie Realm by Ted Andrews 

Faery Craft by Morgan Daimler 

Celtic Mythology: Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes by Phillip Freeman

**if you have more topics, books or anything else feel free to add some!

Connecting with Deities for Beginners

First: religious or spiritual belief is entirely optional in witchcraft. Your own divinity and power to manifest does not reduce because you’re not throwing food at your altar for a “patron deity” every week. In fact, patron deities are a lot rarer than tumblr might have you believe. Allow this process to be what it is - a process. Allow time to discover your spiritual home. There’s no rush. You’ve lived lifetimes and you will live more. 

If you feel called toward connecting with deity, here’s my advice: write. Writing forces you to slow your thinking down and truly consider your ideas, thoughts, and desires. Writing pieces of yourself down puts them into the universe. 

Take these ideas into a journal that you’ve chosen with an intention to be a place for spiritual work. It can be a Book of Shadows or something else. Try these prompts - if you don’t know the answers to these questions, it’s an opportunity to dive into yourself!

1. Numbers: Are there numbers you’ve felt drawn to? Do you have any lucky numbers? Do things always work out the first time you try them, or does it seem to always take three - or seven? Do your relationships with others come in twos or fives? Does your birthday mean anything to you? What about your birth time, or place? If there’s a number you feel at home with, explore it! What deities are related to it? What direction? In my case, 3 is incredibly powerful in all aspects of my life. I’ve found Vishnu and Auset to be my focal points and recognize 3 in them. Vishnu has had 9 incarnations (3x3) and Auset recovered Ausar from the dead to become pregnant and give birth to their child.

2. Animals: Yes, everyone has an opinion about cats or dogs. But maybe you find yourself watching spiders closely rather than jumping away, or the finches in your yard carry weight when you see them. Maybe you found yourself getting a dragonfly tattoo out of nowhere, or there’s something about the octopus that gets your heart swelling with intrigue. Write these down. Check the World Wildlife Foundations adoptable endangered species. Which would you choose? What element or directions do you associate these animals with? Which ones do you want to experiment calling upon? 

3. Music: I don’t mean the radio. Think about the music you go to when you’re emotionally well; not full of happiness, not in a valley of sadness or pain. What do you like to study to, meditate to? What songs come on when you’re out at restaurants? Is there a song that just pops up at the strangest or most needed of times? Look at the words, the genre, the meaning of these songs or these types of music. If you’re into soundscapes, seek out elemental or nature deities. If you like hip-hop, seek out deities who are playful or assertive. Classical could lead you to deities of balance or justice. Try making music, just with your hands on the table. What rhythms do you find yourself producing? What’s your vibration? 

4. Joyous Moments: What makes you happy? Maybe bath bombs aren’t your thing, but tea in the morning is. Do you like being surrounded by friends, family, or strangers? Write down the moments of your life where you felt the most blissful. Write down what moments you want to collect before this life has ended. What deities reflect similar habits or goals? If you want to backpack along the Ganges or in Europe, think about deities of travel and movement. If you want to build a family, look at Mother Goddesses.   

5. Weirdnesses: This might be the most important and will require slowly opening your inner eye. Look! For! Weirdness! These are not coincidences, these are communications. Track your moods, your feelings, your interactions. Did a friend mention a film or historical figure that’s been in the back of your mind lately? Did that license plate you read have the initials of someone you care about? What imagery or feelings keep appearing in your dreams? Do you keep finding pennies everywhere you go? If you’re not experiencing weirdnesses in your life, throw yourself into a new situation, new people, hobby, or activity. Breaking routine is an excellent way to invite the universe to have a hand in authoring your day. 

These are simple journaling activities to help you place yourself in the greater world we occupy. Spiritual journeys are deep, personal, and a long-term commitment. Don’t choose a deity just because they’re popular, or you feel like you need one. 

Spirit guides are already here, waiting for you to listen. The more you reflect on the inner workings of your mind and heart, the more you’re saying YES to magic and saying YES to ascension. 

Love & Light <3