Atheist Witch

After many requests, I’ve made a rebloggable version of my ‘Weather Magic’ page. Here you will find heaps of resources to help you with weather/storm craft. If you’ve read some of my previous posts about weather magic you will notice some similarities - that is because this is a collection of every weather witching post that I’ve ever posted compiled into handy resources post.

Weather Magic

The term “weather magic” or “weather witching” has been used to mean anything from divination and forecasting of weather to actual control and manipulation of the weather itself. From calling up treacherous storms to destroy another’s crops or providing fair winds for those at sea, witches (and even those who do not consider themselves to be such) have always been involved with weather magic. When you consider that most forms of magic are based around an agricultural past, the ability to affect and predict the weather was considered an invaluable skill. After all, if your family’s livelihood depended on the success of your crops (or the ability to find water as it did in my family’s case), weather magic would be an extremely handy thing to know.

Why the url Storm Born Witch?

I am quite fortunate, as the gift for weather related magic comes easily to my family. For generations, the men in my family have been dowsers or water diviners. However, it wasn’t until after I displayed an aptitude to weather related magic that I was told about my family’s history with it. My grandfather was the last water diviner in the family and he died when I was very young so I was never taught how to divine for water. My grandmother was the one to teach me what little she knew about weather magic - the rest either occurred naturally or I picked up along the way.

Calling Up A Wind - Whistling Up A Wind

This is the most common form of weather magic and has been practiced for hundreds of years. Depending on the pitch and tone of the whistle a witch can create a gentle breeze or a sharp gust of wind. Traditionally, if the skill of whistling up a wind does not come naturally to you the option of making a ‘wind whistle’ out of willow or alder wood is available.

Here in Australia, whistling up a wind is probably the most common form of magic I do. I honestly do not go a day without whistling up a cool breeze. It’s bloody hot here and sometimes a cool breeze is just what you need.

Resources for Calling Winds:

How to Whistle Up a Wind by stormbornwitch​

Other Methods of Calling Up a Wind by stormbornwitch​

Traditional Sailor’s Wind Knots (Untie the Wind) by ioqayin​

Storm Casting

Storm casting is the art of creating storms. There are many different methods to creating storms and bringing rain. The method used by my family is to fill a jug with water and while sitting outside (or facing a window) pour the water into a basin or bowl. Dip the tip of your pointer finger into the water and slowly make five clockwise circles in the water (if you have a pendant necklace this can be used instead - just above the water in the bowl). As you are making the circles call the wind to bring in a storm by blowing (or whistling a continuous low note - the sound of wind over the mouth of a glass bottle) over the water in the basin.

Resources for Storm Casting

My Method of Calling Storms by stormbornwitch​

Traditional Methods of Calling Storms by stormbornwitch​

Ways to Stop a Storm (Dispersing, Binding & Preventing)

There are multiple ways to stop a storm. The most common are dispersing or binding storms. However there are also ways to prevent storms from coming by directing them away from where you are. This is great if you’re holding an event outside and you need good weather.

Dispersing

This method involves spreading the storm out over a large area thereby minimising its effects. You can disperse a storm by calling winds to blow it away (or in a certain direction) or if you favour using weather maps you can draw the low pressure system moving away and gradually dissipating.

Binding (Storm Catching)

This method is also called ‘storm catching’ and involves catching a storm and binding it within an object (usually a bottle or knots) so it can be released gradually at a later date by pulling out the cork or undoing the braid/knots.

Resources for Binding Storms

How to bind a storm in your hair by stormbornwitch​

How to bind the wind in rope by ioqayin​

Storm catching or “reeling in a storm” is even more difficult than storm casting so it’s always wise to think before you cast. Too much energy put into a storm and it will go on for weeks (and cause some flooding - basement incident) or it will be extremely violent and knock down power lines and tree branches. Too little energy and all you will get is a 5 minute shower of rain.

Other ways to stop a storm (Cutting a Storm) by witchuptheroad​

Preventing a Storm (Weather Maps)

However, if you wish to prevent a storm from forming, you’re going to have to pull out the weather maps. To make a weather map all you need to do is to print out a map of your local area or the area you’re trying to keep a storm away from.

Just use google maps and don’t make the area too big or you might seriously strain yourself magically. Then laminate the map - now you have your own ‘whiteboard’ to draw weather symbols on to generate certain types of localised weather.

To practice this kind of magic you really do need to know how weather systems work and how they’re likely to move; knowing a little bit about meteorology goes a long way.

Once you’re ready, find out what the weather is predicted to be and draw it on your map. Now draw the high/low pressure systems moving so that the area you’re trying to protect doesn’t get rain. This method can also be used to bring rain to a certain area.

List of Resources for Storm/Weather Witches

What is a Storm/Weather Witch by rainy-day-witchcraft – This post details what it means to be a witch that uses weather magic / storm craft in their practice; a good definition.

Tips for Starting Storm Craft by stormsorceress – This post gives some really great tips for those interested in starting storm craft; a really good beginner post.

The trouble with weather magic by skychild1989 – This post outlines some of the things you should think about before performing weather magic (i.e. think about the possible consequences of your actions and evaluate you capabilities before messing with things you don’t know that much about). This is a really good reminder.

The Difference between Storm Water and Rain Water by stormbornwitch – This post highlights the symbolic differences between storm water and rain water and also discusses the properties the water can take on when it is collected at certain times of the year (i.e. particular lunar phases/holidays/sabbats/esbats/solstices etc).

Storm Water by stormsorceress – This post is great and outlines the associations and uses of storm water in witchcraft.

Rain Water by stormsorceress – This post outlines the different types of rain water, their associations and uses in witchcraft.

Storm Water by fumbletongue – This post highlights and gives ideas for the many uses storm water can have in one’s craft; from protection to cursing.

Combining Knot Craft & Storm Craft by stormsorceress – This post gives some really great ideas for combining storm craft with knot craft.

How to Draw Energy from Storms by stormbornwitch – This post outlines how to draw energy from storms and how to direct it.

Storm Witch’s Power Bath by brynja-storm – This post gives the ingredients of a power bath which is designed to give you the energy of a storm; great for when you’re in need of a recharge or before you perform a big spell.

The Storm Witch’s Hurricane Curse by brynja-storm – This curse traps its target in an eternal storm with all the gale force winds, rain, lightning and debris associated with a hurricane.

The Tools of a Storm/Weather Witch by stormsorceress – This post outlines the tools of storm/weather witches in different regions (i.e. near the ocean, in a desert, forest, mountain ect).

Tips for Refining Weather Manipulation by stormbornwitch – This post gives some tips for witches who want to get better at weather magic and manipulating the weather.

A Light in the Storm by stormsorceress – This spell is meant to be used to aid in the healing of seasonal depression. Other uses of this spell include aiding in the healing of sadness, grief, and anxiety as well as providing a ‘guiding light’ to people you wish to protect while travelling.

And as always my ‘weather witching’ tag will have links to every single post that I’ve posted which has anything to do with weather magic.

This book is the product of years of priestexing, teaching, and community building with other queer witches, and it's amazing to finally see it coming into the world. Shoutout to the team at Moon Books for helping make this dream come true!

Spell jars, emoji spells, candle magic, digital altars, for example, these are relatively simple and accessible things that can be easily done without a great deal of time, energy, and money involved.

Where I'm living now and where I'm from, people planted by the signs to ensure their crops wouldn't go bad before harvesting. People used ocean water to soothe joint and muscle pains when they got old. People studied the native plants for medicine and were mindful to only take what was needed. People did little rituals and minded their grannies' words to keep their good luck. If they didn't know how to do something (or couldn't), they went to people who did.

A small chant I like to do whenever I’ve lost an Item and am trying to find it:

“By all the powers that are and will be,

Help me find (insert item) please.”

-oOo-

Still continue to look for the item as you say this ofc

they’re called sweet gum tree balls ((or witches burrs)) and they fall off of sweetgum trees that are native to eastern north america, the eastern mediterranean, and east/southeast asia!

-Always maintain adequate ventilation & precautions for anything burning: candles, incense, cooking, etc. Do not leave flames unattended.

-Make sure your herbs/aromatics are pet AND human safe. Check for allergies & read up on ASPCA guidelines.

-Read up on cultural appropriation in witchcraft. Smudging, hoodoo & voodoo, Kabbalah, etc are closed culture. Respect practices that aren’t yours to take.

-Pseudoscience is not magic. Magic is about empowerment, not coercion. Crystals will not heal your anxiety any more than a good book. Cure-alls don’t exist, and anyone selling them is a scammer, not your friend.

-Wicca is Not the only option for witchcraft, & was designed to be inherently transphobic, racist and antisemitic. Try to explore other witchy communities to see what feels best for you.

I get a paralyzing feeling of dread when I am under pressure so I stop cleaning my house or accomplishing important tasks or feeding myself. I literally let my tooth rot until it fell out of my mouth on its own. I can get things done, but not the things I actually NEED to do.

So I use the ritual of witchcraft to help form traditions and habits that help me take care of myself!

Matronalia? Perfect time to do a breast exam

Kallynteria? Today is the day to vacuum the apartment in honor of Athena

It's a full moon? Take a fäncy bath, then scrub the tub or pick the clothes up off the bathroom floor!

Alfarblót? In honor, of the goddess Freya's chariot pulled by cats, I will get my oil changed.

It's kind of silly, but if I disguise actual tasks as silly things without any sense of pressure or immediacy and spread them out, I trick my brain into wanting to do them. And if that's not magic, I don't know what is.

I saw a post on pintrest (it did not link anywhere so no I can't just ask the original creator) that was a little video clip of someone explaining they always cleanse jars prior to use with all of the following, in the following order:

Candle smoke

Moon water

Sea salt

Now, like I said, not shaming anyone who does multi-step cleansing like this prior to casting.

Like are doing a little wavey wavey or something else? Not sure here. But what's the point in that because most jars are pretty neutral, and if you want it to be cleansed shove it out in some sunlight? Or let it bake in the heat? Or let it freeze? To neutralize it? Why we doing stuff?

BOIL.

THE.

HELL.

OUT.

What's the point of cleansing something? To spiritually or symbolically clean it.

What are you cleaning off of the thing? Unwanted spiritual or symbolic remnants. Sometimes these remnants come from a previous association of the object, sometimes from a previous owner, sometimes just being around other things or people, and sometimes you're not sure if it's got something on it or not.

So how do you clean the thing? Literally any mundane method of cleaning can also be a spiritual or symbolic method of cleaning. Boil that shit, use soap, scrub it with sand, pour in salt, toss it in the oven, toss it in a fire, cover it in smoke, cover it in honey, cover it in bleach, etc, etc.

I tend to have a couple criteria for cleansing stuff.

Is this method safe on the material the object is made out of?

Is this symbolically appropriate for the kind of cleansing I'm doing and the thing I'm trying to cleanse off the thing.

I normally only cleanse something once, especially if it's something like a jar I bought from a store, but I do this for the same reason I clean new dishes I buy from a store. I have no idea who picked it up to look at it, or if some little kid put their mouth on it. Best to just give it a quick wash.

My hypothesis as to why smoke is cleansing is because it technically is, and has been used for mundane cleansing for as long as humanity has had access to it. Soot found in caves indicates that our early ancestors used smoke to drive bats and rodents out of caves we were trying to live in. There are some cultures especially in the colder places and dryer on earth who still smoke bathe to drive off parasites, kill bacteria and contribute to better hygiene in places where water bathing is difficult. Even now, smoke bathing is something a lot of people who do long term camping and bushcraft practice, and I've done it when I was younger and would spend a couple weeks camping with my friends and family.

Like what the fuck is going on?

My issue is that I don't want to be a teacher, well, besides bombarding people with questions so they can figure it out themselves. But everyone seems to think they need to be a witchcraft teacher, if then when they learn something knew, even when they don't seem to fully understand why. The algorithm like teachers if if they don't know why the hell they are doing it?