Eclectic Witch

I have been thinking a lot about grief. Probably because I have been doing it pretty consistently. Sometimes I feel as if I am getting worse. Other times I feel as if I am getting better. But it sits like a cannonball on my chest. It caves in my ribs and hollows me. But that's part of my practice, learning to sit with it. Letting time pass and heal with people I love and devotion to my practice. A victory only won through patience and the gifts of others.

That being said, I am also crazy.

So I did what any stellar, big bosomed, dramatic woman of my stature would do. I threw a party. If you're still reading, you might be interested in throwing a fun'eral for your old, broken heart too. I know I did. Fuck it, that bitch will be back in a week. Here's how I did mine. You're going to need:

-empty box (make it small, like a cardboard jewelry box or a matchbook)

- piece of paper

- something to draw with, but the more time you put into the drawing, the better.

- Something to light this on fire (don't be stupid, stupid. It's not witchcraft if it's not fire safe).

THE PROCESS

Draw your heart. Make it however you want. Runes, sigils, art, secrets. Something worth devotion and time, literally put your heart into it. For easy prompt, write down what you feared and what's worth acknowledging and letting go of.

Put that shit in the box (if you're Yzma from the Emporer's New Groove, put that box in another box. And then mail that box to yourself. And then smash it with a hammer.)

Now here comes the fun part. Throw yourself a party. Just for you. Alone. Get all dressed up in your best goth outfit. There are musts in witchcraft, but theatrics for this spell is a mist. Play the most over dramatic funeral music you can. Like "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban. Or "Wind Beneath my Wings" by Bette Midler. Lean into the silliness of the whole event. Make sure that you are along and have a genuinely nice time by yourself. And when you're done putting on this show for yourself, read the person who you were a eulogy. This is the one serious part of this entire endeavor.

-THE EULOGY-

This is the hard part because you have to be kind to the person who you were. You have to be kind to the part of yourself that feels yucky. Self love isn't always accessible, but you're by yourself. This is a good time to practice one action of self kindness. Depending on where you are emotionally, you might not have the practice and strength to be able to perform self kindness. If not, you're more than welcome to base yours of mine.

For me I wrote something like this:

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to honor the passing of me.

From one point of time to the next, I will move and transform. The person who I was is honored here. They are at rest within the casket of time. You have taught me much, but I no longer wish to be ruled by you. Thank you for serving me well. May your rest be sweet and warm. I ask for your guidance and protection cares and informs me."

This concludes the eulogy.

-THE BURIAL-

It's time to bury your heart! This is an important step because the earth heals all that is returned to it. There are lots of ways to give your old heart a burial. The traditional way of burying it in the earth is most conventional (if it's not biodegradable like plastic or glass, don't put it in the ground, we share the earth with critters). However you can also:

- burn it

- let it down a stream

- put it deep in the garbage

- scatter it to the wind

- take it to a park and leave it underneath a bush and then when you try to get on the bus you realize you were late to the bus and then wait 20 minutes for the next bus because you're not psychic just a witch

Regardless, there is one final offering that we leave for the person that we were. That is the joy of living now. Before leaving or releasing your heart in its coffin, thank your heart and tell it a story. Sing it a song. From your body and breath, speak words of promise for tomorrow. While the old heart might not be able to come with, the new heart will experience enough joy for the person you are and the person you were.

Now get on the bus and listen to some 70s disco. Congrats on the fun'eral, go celebrate.

May the gifts of the earth be ceaseless at your hearth.

Because of the low atmospheric pressure, two things have happened: my blood pressure levels are somewhere in the vicinity of my ass, and there is. Fog. Fucking. Everywhere. The kind of weather only Jack the Ripper could enjoy.

No sane person would go outside. Except the people who still have to walk their dogs.

(This was when the fog was actually still traversable and I theoretically still knew where I was. The moment you hit a less lit area, you're toast)

So the game would be first person POV, and you get lost in your own fucking neighborhood. Your only guide is your scaredy-cat of an idiot dog, and you know you can't let go of the leash for even a second because you're not going to see the damn dog ever again. Which is also bad because the dog is the only creature around who knows how to get home.

So you're feeling sleepy and headachy and yet somehow have the anxiety levels of someone being hunted for sport, your dog who is the only one who knows how to get home keeps jumping at shadows. You wonder if that's because he can hear things you can't in the dark.

Suddenly you see the fucking grim reaper approaching on a fucking skateboard. You nearly piss yourself, only for the geim reaper to pass you by, whirling fog around him, then reveal it's actually a kid on a bike with his friend standing on the seat behind him. You're vaguely happy you didn't actually scream.

But the next monster you see? Might not be kids.

So you better hold that leash tight and hope the dog can get you home before you're both eaten.

...so in other news, I may be stupid.

...

Just do stuff see if it works.

Have a grimoire, add to it and update it. Don’t make big plans like a bullet journal, just start. Maybe a year goes by and you’re like “aight, I know what I want my grimoire to look like now that I’ve been regularly using one”

Practice gratitude, fr. You wanna manifest blessings into your life but you don’t got a clue which blessings are already in your life? Lol

Notice patterns. Take every big, spiritual experience as part of a bigger whole.

Understand and respect the void. Finding peace with the emptiness and unknowingness of spirituality and life makes your life here as a human so much more FULL.

There are official associations for herbs and crystals maybe, but it’s not medicine. We in the west got this belief of “it only works if I get immediate pain relief” na na na sister you’re trying to harness the power without understanding and respect, who are you, the cowboy from Nope? Crystals and herbs and oils and sounds are all either symbols or beings of their own, and you gotta ask them to share space with you. You don’t throw a piece of obsidian into the candle like a golf ball and burn the tower card and say “ayo I’m ready to be transformed let’s get moldavite crazy up in here” absolutely not. You want these energies to work with you, not for you. We’re all part of this.

Separate the concept of “what role you think a deity is supposed to play in your life” from “here’s the energy I’m feeling rn” like goddamn I thought goddess worship would be chill and femme and sapphic honey absolutely not this shit’s intense sometimes

You are every aspect of your craft. If there’s a concept you have, it’s what that concept means to you. Love and peace and abundance have a specific meaning to you, and you don’t have to follow other people’s Pinterest boards and tiktoks.

Stay grounded. You may be a certified Angel soul with a rainbow aura, but you still are here to live a human life on earth.

I literally don’t know what your craft looks like. You may feel you’re “a better/worse witch than somebody else” like man idk what you know and see, but I know what I’ve seen and felt and I know what it means to me. Nobody can take that away from me, and we should compare in the spirit of love and respect, not competition. We are first graders getting hyped up at a talent show, where every act is more exciting than the rest. We are not your honors English class.

Hey everyone! We at The Seeker's Trove hope you're having a fantastic week and that your weekend proves to be even more spectacular!

We wanted to take this opportunity to announce an event taking place this weekend that will occur monthly going forward that we would love to invite you to.

Guided Meditation & General Reading for the Month, $5 cover charge

The first weekend of the month (tentative and subject to change), join us for a guided meditation focused on grounding, centering, and opening our third eye. We'll set aside time to check in with ourselves, have some quality time with our inner voice, and listen to our needs that may be quiet or in the background in the midst of our busy hectic lives.

Following the meditation, we'll do a general group reading (tarot, oracle, astrology, etc) to get a feeling and sense of direction for the upcoming month.

The cover charge will be $5, which will earn you a role allowing you into a private voice channel and associated text channel to participate during the session, and this role will stay in place throughout the month so that you can reference anything posted in that channel until the next session. The role will expire a few days before the next session is scheduled, and will be reapplied should you choose to join again.

November Guided Meditation & General Reading: Sunday 11/07/2021 @ 2:00 PM MST

Happy Halloween/Samhain!

If you're looking for a way to celebrate this weekend, we'd love to have you over at The Seeker's Trove! Please see below for a full schedule of events for the weekend as well as prizes and discounts available!

When: October 30th through November 1st Where: Right Here! Who: You and all of your friends! Free entries to the raffle for inviting your friends, you and your friend will each receive a raffle ticket once they join!

Happy Halloween/Samhain!

If you're looking for a way to celebrate this weekend, we'd love to have you over at The Seeker's Trove! There will be games, contests, prizes, a raffle, discounts and new releases, and lots of fun to be had over on our discord server!

When: October 30th through November 1st Where: Right Here! Who: You and all of your friends! Free entries to the raffle for inviting your friends, you and your friend will each receive a raffle ticket once they join!

--Check out this post for a full list of events and prizes--

Dantalion

Color: Green Incense: Sandalwood Candle color: Purple Plant: Honeysuckle He’s Pisces🐟🐟 Enn: Avage ayer Dantalion on ca [Ah-vah-jay ah-yer Dan-tah-lee-on on ka]

Duke Dantalion has a lot of information in text and online, in addition to the Lesser Key. Some of this information is from personal accounts. It seems he is popular!

His office includes: • Causes love, unites people who are in love. • Foresees the future • Knows others’ thoughts, and can change those thoughts. So he can sway people’s minds in addition to telling you what they’re thinking. He can make your enemies like you. He can teach you to do the same. • Can send an illusion of the summoner to a person through a vision or dream. • Teaches all arts and sciences. Nifty! • Teaches astral projection. • He show the Similitude of any person; doppelgängers? LOL • Help you to achieve altered states. ?

I didn’t have the clairaudient experience with Dantalion the way I did with Zagan, so I was a little disappointed. But this morning, I pulled one tarot card (I forgot which one) and the interpretation in my book was about hard work and starting a good working relationship with someone. I hope that means he wants to work with me!

Demon-A-Day: Dantalion

DANTALION – Duke

Color: Green

Incense: Sandalwood

Metal: Copper

Planet: Venus

Element: Water (Under Corson)

Demonic Enn: Avage ayer Dantalion on ca

Date (Connolly): March 1-10 (Night Time)

Date (Runyon): March 11-15

Archangel: Gabriel

Origin: ?

Original text from the Ars Goetia:

The Seventy-first Spirit is Dantalion. He is a Duke Great and Mighty, appearing in the Form of a Man with many Countenances, all Men’s and Women’s Faces; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one; for he knoweth the Thoughts of all Men and Women, and can change them at his Will. He can cause Love, and show the Similitude of any person, and show the same by a Vision, let them be in what part of the World they Will. He governeth 36 Legions of Spirits; and this is his Seal, which wear thou, etc.

Other citations of note:

He holds a grimoire in his right hand, which is a grimoire of the high art. Dantalion reveals the secret council or thoughts of others, which in an initiatory context means that Dantalion may provide the magician to begin to understand the common psychology of human thinking based on cause, body language, and such. He can also cause the union of individuals that it may be probable, and a guide to other beautiful places in the world.

From the Luciferian Goetia by Michael Ford

Helps one relate with others on an emotional level. Teaches emotional intelligence and heightens empathy for others.

From the Daemonolatry Goetia by S. Connolly

Dantalion is a demon focused on the conjuror’s emotions and dealing with others. While this is the case, he is a demon who knows the thoughts of all and can change them as he pleases. He brings emotions, changes emotions, and brings emotions to light that may have been clouded by your own thought. He goes by no other names and belongs to no other hierarchies.

Demonic Ranking System: Twisted Psychologist

I feel like this is the kind of demon that someone would trust way too easily. It’s really easy to find someone or something to just pour your feelings into, and while he will help, he also can do whatever the fuck he wants. Without being smart and careful, he could just turn shit around and throw you back on your ass. And of course, the flipside is he could offer a lot of help not only in emotions, but in thinking critically. Be smart and be happy!

10 Helpful & Magickal Herbs for Witchy… Witchcraft.

If you’re a Green Witch or just have a penchant for herbalism and herbal witchcraft, this is a helpful list of herbs that are always good to have in your cupboards, or jars… or shelves.

Basil: Primarily, Basil is known as a culinary herb (add a dash of it to your dishes to add a little class and flavour!), but it also has some interesting and broad magickal properties. For example, it can be burned or strewn on the floors and thresholds of the home to purify and protect. It can be used in magick that concerns love/relationships and it can be used in divination. Old lore states that Basil can aid in both astral travel and projection, and physical travel. It is said to bring luck to those who are moving or transitioning to somewhere new, and is used in the detection of infidelity and the affirmation of fidelity.

Lavender: Lavender, unlike Basil, is not used primarily for cooking but it can be! Lavender and vanilla shortbread cookies are just divine. In magickal terms, this herb is often used in love spells and love magick, or in any sort of ritual that brings about peace and/or a state of calmness in life and in you.  Lavender can be strewn on floors and thresholds to protect from evil and can be used in purification magick/spells/rituals/baths and for smudging. It can soothe headaches and aid sleep when the buds are placed in a sachet or beneath your pillow.

Sage: Historically - very, historically! - Sage has been burned to cleanse and purify spaces; it is used still in smudging rituals* and the herb is often burned in incense to cleanse, purify and protect. It can also be used in healing rituals. A warning, though: when being burned, Sage emits a potent odour that is very much like that of marijuana!

Patchouli: Patouchli has an exotic aroma and is commonly used in incense, potpourri and ritual workings. This herb has strong ties to sexual power, wealth and love and is thus used in workings regarding those.  If you were to carry a small sachet of Patchouli leaves on your person, whether that is hung around your neck or stashed in your pocket, you will attract love, wealth and yes, sex into your life.

Mugwort: Mugwort is found and used frequently in modern Pagan and witchcraft workings as it is a very versatile and easy to grow (or obtain) herb. It can be used in an incense blend, in general spellwork; sachets and in smudging rituals. It is often tied with prophecy and divination. For example; to encourage success in divination, create an incense blend with mugwort, or use it in a smudging ritual to cleanse your work space of negative energies, and purify it before use. NOTE: Can be harmful to pregnant women.

Bay (leaves): Like some of the aforementioned items, Bay is a culinary herb. It is used not only in cooking, but for protection, purification, strength, healing and the enhancement of psychic power. If you write a wish or a desire on a bay leaf and burn it on a candle flame, it is said that the smoke will carry your desires to your respective deities and they will manifest, though not always in the way you would expect. Bay, if placed in a dream pillow, wards of negativity and induces prophetic dreams.

Chamomile: Known for its protective and purifying properties, Chamomile can be used in incense blends for sleep and meditation. It is, of course, a popular herbal tea that promotes peace and sleep. If you wish to protect your person or your household from psychic attacks, sprinkle Chamomile around your home.

Rosemary: Rosemary, yet another culinary herb, has been used historically for myriad purposes. In short, it is a herb of protection, love, lust, mental clarity, purification, healing, banishing, and cleansing. It’s pretty much multi-purpose.  Burn Rosemary to rid a space of negative energy, or hang it in the home to prevent evil in all its forms from crossing the threshold and entering. This herb is like a clear quartz crystal or a white candle; it can be used as a substitute for other herbs and you will still obtain good results.

Cinnamon: Oh, look! Another culinary herb! Cinnamon is versatile in that it is easy to obtain and very easy to use. It promotes spirituality, success, healing, psychic powers, lust, love, and protection, much like Rosemary, and can be used in incense blends, but (and this is the best part) it can be baked into sweets and desserts! It can be used in sachets too, or hung in the home to protect those inside.

Pennyroyal: Pennyroyal is often associated with money, strength and protection. In Hoodoo and some branches of folk magic/k, Pennyroyal is carried to ward of what is known as the ‘evil eye’. If you wish to utilise Pennyroyal’s protective properties, put some of the herb in a sachet with whatever else you feel you need and carry it on your person. For the best effect, your purse/bag or your pockets would work best.  If you wish to work money magick, use it to create some Money Oil or hang a sprig over your door to attract it into your life. If you are a business owner, hanging a sprig over the door will attract new custom. NOTE: Can be harmful to pregnant women.

•°•favorite lockscreens: 🌙 edition•°•

Add it to offerings...it’s like sweet, liquid golden love to deities and the Fae. Hecate especially loves it.

Use it for healing spells, love spells, to boost other magical properties and to make them stick better.

Add it to potions. Because heck yes!

Use it on cuts under bandaids instead of antibiotic ointment. Put it on pimples. No joke. Do it.

The pagan calendar year 🌞

HEDGE WITCHCRAFT IS NOT “GREEN” WITCHCRAFT.

It’s not about “caring for nature” or “herbal remedies.” It’s not “cottage” or “kitchen” witchery.

It does not mean a solitary witch, though many definitely are.

It’s about working with the Crossroads. The spirit realm. The Other.

If you do not work with spirits, the dead, the Fae, gods, etc., of any kind you are not a hedgewitch.

One caveat on the above...

All witches do care for nature, as they should.

HOWEVER, hedgewitches do so because we are animist. We feel the life and spirits in all living things that live in nature, around it, through it, in every tree, every rock. All have their own personalities.

Many make sure to build a relationship with a particular piece of land, getting to know its inhabitants both physically and spiritually, before doing any magical work with it.

Why is this important? Because it’s rude to bust into someone’s home and shit on their floor as in the case of breaking down/removing spells/burying them.

Personal experience/example? There are some preserves in my area that are protected by old native spirits that have instructed me not to do any tinkering with the existing magic of the place. I’m not to give offerings or leave anything unless it is something biodegradable that will not harm the environment, make the animals sick, etc. I’m able to give water. And there’s been some request for tobacco. But there’s not much else I can do there other than observe, speak/listen, etc.

15 minutes away? — Completely different scenario. This piece of land has been so hungry for a decent worker to meet them. This place is in my trancework, my dreams, the trees are all alive, they enjoy melding with my energy, they enjoy offerings. This is a place of ever changing and shifting energy. Sometimes it almost appears to shift between timelines. But - my familiarity with it is still growing. The relationship is a work in progress. They were shy at first, and would actively give off “haunted” feelings to people. But, finally having an invitation to continue to work with this spot is something of a relief.

These examples are also why it’s important to work with the individual spirits of stones and plants and not to take company line of what they supposedly mean/their attributes. Some for sure may have those attributes across the board, but others may not. Many are not one-size-fits-all. Many need to be coaxed out of their shell. Without that co-working relationship, your magic isn’t going to go very far.

Additional reading:

http://hearthandhedge.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-is-hedgecraft.html?m=1

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/matauryn/2017/11/09/book-recommendations-trad-craft-witches/

https://hedgeconfessions.com/category/animism-2/

Get a copy of the map of your area. Not a country map, a state map, or even a county map. Your area. You can print off a Google map if a commercial version isn't available.

Take the map with you everywhere you go. Make notes on it of things you notice - does one area feel different to you? Does a tree live among many dead ones? Do you see the same cat sitting on the same fence post at the same time every morning? Where do bees live? What crossroads catch your eye? Is there a cemetary?