you are already healing

It's so easy to look at the medical science of the past and say "wow people believe in homeopathy they must be stupid" but ideas don't stick around because they're true, they stick around because they're useful.

Homeopathic theory was invented during a time where "medical scientist" meant "guy who gave you spiced wine and leeches to balance your humors." Early Renaissance medicine did more harm than good. Homeopathy, does nothing. Therefore, it was actively more effective at treating sickness than the medicine of the day, and became massively popular.

People display this bias when...

They favor information that supports their views, and dismiss information that doesn't.

Or

When they interpret ambiguous information as something that supports their views (or fears, desires, suspicions, conspiracy theories, etc).

While we can't completely get rid of confirmation bias, it's important to mitigate it, especially when doing any kind of independent research. Unchecked confirmation bias can lead us to false conclusions, cloud our ability to understand something, and even risk unneccessary and/or unwanted misunderstandings with other people.

I already pretty regularly see posts about how omens and signs need to be really thoroughly vetted with checks-and-balances and layers of verification required before they're taken at face value.

2. In tags on reblogs of my posts

If I was in a Wiccan ritual, because you know, I've been in those before, I would not be angry about blessed be being present as it is part of the ritual.

And being an eclectic witch doesn't mean disrespecting people's boundaries and saying whatever you want to everybody, despite people specifically not wanting certain things said to them, invasiveness be damned.

It costs you nothing to be mindful of the fact that not everybody wants to be blessed by random witches, no more than they want to be prayed for by random Christians. Do what calls to you means do what you feel is right for you, and you alone. It doesn't mean going around making others uncomfortable because "I do what I want" like a spoiled brat who's never been told "no".

If the person you're learning from insists on a rigid command structure ("It's my way or no way") or doesn't allow you to ask questions or question their teachings, that is not a good teacher / mentor.

If they repeatedly try to badger or coerce you into doing things that make you uncomfortable, or constantly ask for money or favors before they'll continue sharing basic information with you, stop working with them and walk away.

The majority of witches who step into volunteer educator roles within the community have good intentions, but it's still important to be aware that there are people who are more interested in money or power trips than teaching.

Beware of those who see witchcraft as an MLM scheme

("Pay me $5000 and I'll teach you to optimize your psychic potential!")

or a place to find personal devotees

("My group is for special people just like you, I am the only one who will ever understand you, I have all the information you will ever need, so do what I tell you or else.")

or a recruiting ground for hate groups

Since some people were asking, I decided to create ONE (1) sigil with Hebrew on it from my craft that's open for people who aren't Jewish and don't know any Hebrew. You have my permission to use this particular one, as my little gift to you. :)

Shoutout to the people who did NOT speak Hebrew but still did their own vetting and avoided giving their blogs 🍂hemorrhoids 🍂

So this looks like a good read. Text: after half a year of work, my academic zine on the history of antisemitism & appropriation in western occult movements is done 🖤 a 22-page PDF full of citations, illustrated with historic & public domain images, pay-what-you-want (or FREE!): https://ezrarose.itch.io/fyma-a-lesser-key

I can't even with that. Sure, rosemary is pretty good at cleansing and is okay (IMO) at protection - but how does it do anything else that you would normally use another herb for? Who decided that you could just throw rosemary in everything and call it good?

You can't even do that with cooking.