an archive blog

Trans Jewish Travel Amulet

These 2.5” square amulet cards were inspired by (and incorporate) Vivid "Viv" Young's beautiful “Blessing of Protection for Traveling While Trans/Gender Non-conforming” from Tefilat Trans. They also include text from Psalms 121 & 91, as well as Jewish angelic characters & symbols of protection.  This DRM-free PDF document includes a cover page with information followed by options for double-sided printing of 12 amulets per page (heavy card stock recommended) and/or single-sided printing of 4 amulets per page (that are then folded in half & taped or glued to finish). art & design (c) Ezra Rose 2024

Doikayt: On Being Here and Loving It

This zine is dedicated to Hereness. The concept of Doikayt was at the centre of the Algemeyner Yidisher Arbeter Bund praxis, a political organization that existed in Poland, Lithuania, and Russia between the end of the 19th and the middle of the 20th century. Doikayt is a word encompassing many ideas: Jewish diasporic identity, cultural autonomy, safety, meshing identities, and local entanglement. This zine is an invitation to think about Hereness. What can Doikayt mean to you? What does it mean to be a Jew? What does it take for Jews to thrive? Karl is a Montreal-based writer, trans gay activist, and history student. Their hunger for knowledge, social justice, and Jewish culture has made them passionate about Yiddish revival and secular Jewish culture.

When we think of witchcraft, it's often a classic scene: Glass jars full of vibrant herbs lining a wooden shelf, bundles of mugwort, sage, and thyme hanging from the ceiling to dry, scents of cool lavender breezing through our calm space. But right now, the soundtrack I have going on is a city street, and the only tree I have in my sight is fighting for its life in the square meter of dirt it's confined to on the sidewalk. Just because nature isn't at your doorstep doesn't mean you can't access the magic and beauty of plants.

Stuck in the Learning Loop

note: In this article I often say "herbs" for the sake of not weighing down the text, but I am referring to the items in your cabinet whether they be herbs, spices, salts, blends, etc.

There are so many herbs in our urban environment, but where I really think new witches go wrong is they get stuck in the "learning loop" (aka "tutorial hell" for the tech nerds and digital artists out there). I was definitely (and still sometimes am) this person: I want to try something new, so I spend ages and ages researching the topic. The more I research, the more I realise I don't know, and the more research I have to do! Ultimately, I end up never getting to the doing part-- I just spin in circles, reading endlessly, and feeling more overwhelmed than empowered.

We're going to cut through the noise and start working with magic that you already have in your kitchen.

You know right off the bat that these herbs are safe to ingest, which ones you're allergic to, and you probably have some pre-conceived notions and experiences with some of what is in there.

Make a list of all the herbs and spices in your pantry. Yes, you should include salt and pepper! You can even include spice blends, if you have any, and if you do I recommend writing all their ingredients. It can be a fun exercise to look at the properties of spice blends and see which ones dominate, and what kind of spell you might make of it, but let's call that an exercise for later on.

Meeting the herbs

Now we get to the hands-on part. To start with, pick 3-5 herbs. If possible, try to make them varied (different colours, or textures, or tastes), but if you're not spoiled for choice, just pick what is available.

Visit each herb with all of your senses, and really spend some time with them. (Take notes on your answers when you're asking yourself these questions: they are the foundation that will form your correspondences!) What does it look like? What colour is it? How does it smell when it's dry? How does it feel when you roll it through your fingers? How does it sound when you shake it? How does it taste? How do all those things change when the herb is wet, or boiled in a tea? Fried in butter? Does it sizzle, or crack? What happens when you break it, crush it, or rub it? What sensations do you feel in your body when you eat this herb or spice? Does your mouth pucker, or water? Does it feel intrusive?

Don't forget that intuition is also a sense. What comes to mind when you spend time with this herb or spice? Recall your past experiences with it, if you have any. What do you feel in your body? What dishes have you eaten with it, and how did those dishes make you feel? Was it a comfort food, a salad, something warm, or raw and cold? Does it make you feel at home?

There are different schools of thought on the power of personal associations when it comes to witchcraft, but personally I've always had more success when taking my strong personal associations into account for spellwork. Even in herbalism, plants can have very different effects in two different people, and the same goes for witchcraft. This is why I strongly recommend going the experiential route and meeting the plants before starting to research their properties elsewhere.

An exercise I've found particularly helpful is to meditate with the herb (I like to do it as an infusion or tea, but that is not necessary). What feelings get stirred up in me? Do I feel lighter, or heavier? Am I energised, or relaxed? Where does my mind want to go?

Imagine if the herb were a person. How would you describe them? What is their personality like? Try to be aware of any personal biases that come up here, and attempt to untangle them. This is your personal practice, no one is checking your work, so examine closely what comes up for you and be honest about where it comes from. Focus less on where the herb is from, and more on what they embody. What are their qualities? What are their flaws? If you could sit down with them, what would they tell you?

When you're done with these exercises, it's really important to summarise your thoughts. Write down the strongest impressions you had, and some of your less strong ones. Take note of your ideas for how you would like to experiment further, and what you're not sure of. This makes for an easier reference later, and you can update as your relationship with the herb progresses over time.

Putting your knowledge into practice

You thought we were done, but no! You've met the herbs, but you still need to put that knowledge to the test with a spell or working.

Look through your list of correspondences and pick out the ones that are interesting to you. At this point, focus on your personal associations, and try to ignore traditional meanings that you may have read about. Are there any that stand out as something you'd like to have more of in your life right now? Narrow your focus to one correspondence; this one will be the main focus of your spell. Now take a look at the other associations you have with the herbs that share that correspondence, and decide which ones could help bolster your main focus.

Here's an example: I associate mint with freshness and a new start, so I pick that as my main focus. I also have this association with rosemary, so I look at some of the other associations I have with rosemary, and one of them is protection. Lemon I also associate with freshness, but the other association I have with it is sourness, and defensiveness. Therefore, for my purposes, rosemary feels like a better match, so I'll use both rosemary and basil in my spell. You can do this with as many additional herbs as you want.

There are infinite numbers of spells you can try, but we want to try and do one with our own personal associates of the herbs, not a pre-made spell, so I'm going to propose a basic spell framework, but ultimately this is your spell, and I highly encourage you to do whatever you'd like here. If you're really into jar spells, try that! If you like candle magic, dress a candle using the herbs you pick. Whatever you want to do, go for it! But the key word is do. This outline I'm providing is just to help guide those who may never have done a spell before and don't know where to start.

Clean your space. This doesn't have to be a whole four directions circle casting, it can simply be having a clean surface area to work on. Set the mood if you want, but you don't have to.

Set your intention. Before you start, you should have a clearly defined goal in mind. Visualise your goal, or write it down. Include a timeline for when you intend for the working to come to fruition (i.e. within a week, two weeks, etc).

Prepare a tea with the herbs in question, and tell the herbs what you want them to do while they infuse. Strain them after a few minutes and mindfully drink the tea.

You can close the spell by simply thanking the herbs and cleaning up the space.

Keep notes! You should keep at least some quick notes about every working, but especially when you're trying something new. Write down the date when you should have results by, and set yourself an alarm for that date as a reminder to revisit it.

Acquiring more herbs

I'm sure I'm not the only person who daydreams about growing all their own herbs or foraging them from the wild, but the reality is that is simply not possible for most people. Thankfully, there are tons of ways that you can access herbs:

The Dollar store, or your local equivalent. Most places have very cheap spices available.

Grocery stores obviously have a ton of spices available and many herbs. Bonus points for these because you know they are safe to ingest. They also often have fresh herbs, which are more expensive but it can be fun to experiment and compare fresh vs dry, or even try your hand at drying them yourself without having to grow them from seed or forage them.

Local apothecary. Look online for things like "local apothecary", "herbalist", "health food store" also often has herbs, even if only in supplement form. Tea shops can be worth checking, however they will often be blended, so just be ready to work with what they have. There are also many local apothecaries that deliver by post, so take a look in your area to see if there is one that offers delivery. Many bulk herbs are incredibly cheap and high quality.

Online apothecary. There are plenty of reputable online apothecaries, however I must caution against buying bulk herbs off Amazon. Even with supplements, make sure you are buying from a reputable seller as many of them are found not to have the herbs advertised.

Growing and foraging your own herbs is of course an option, however make sure if you are foraging that you are doing research on each plant and possible lookalikes, and ensure you are harvesting sustainably.

If you start acquiring herbs, consider simple glass jars with labels or deli containers. Personally, I store my herbs in deli containers and write the name of the herb in chalk marker, along with the main properties. Right on the container! No need to fish it out of my notes every time.

Further research and reading

This was all about not getting stuck in the learning loop, which is why I'm putting it dead last, but as someone who loves research and reading, I must include it. I recommend meeting the herbs first, and experiencing them first-hand, but eventually you'll want to know more, so here are some ways you can do that:

archive.org is an incredible resource when it comes to researching old folklore about plants and herbs. Use the text search and type in the name of the plant you are interested in, and you will often find many books that mention it. Try narrowing down your search to your country or language and see if you can find folklore or tales that include the herb.

Look up the plant on Wikipedia. Many of them have sections on folklore and ethnobotany that can be incredibly interesting. Take note of the references for the entries, and use them for further research.

Many books about herbalism also talk about historical uses and folklore.

Go to your local library and ask the librarian where they keep their books on plants, as well as where they keep their books on folklore. Browse, and see what you find.

Ask your parents, community elders, local gardening clubs, etc.

I hope this gives you some food for thought, and some ideas on how to experiment with herbs safely. So take a look at your pantry, pick out those spices, and start your journey from home. The magic is already within your reach.

Beltane, celebrated on May 1st, marks a pivotal point in the pagan calendar, symbolizing the peak of spring and the hint of summer on the horizon. This festival, rooted deeply in Celtic traditions, is rich with themes of fertility, fire, and renewal. It's a time when the veil between the natural and the supernatural feels particularly thin, making it ripe for magickal endeavors.

Historical Roots and Modern Interpretations

Traditionally, Beltane is a fire festival. Ancient Celts lit bonfires to honor the sun and encourage its growth in the coming months. This act of lighting fires was also symbolic of purification and protection. In the context of neo-technomancy—a blend of technological insights and magickal practices—these fires can be seen as a metaphor for sparking new innovations and transformations in the digital realm.

How Neo-Technomancers and Chaos Magicians Celebrate Beltane

Digital Fire Rituals: For the modern magick practitioner, the Beltane fire can be reimagined through the glow of our screens or the electricity coursing through our gadgets. This could involve creating digital artworks that incorporate fiery visuals or programming dynamic fire simulations that serve as focal points for meditation or ritual work.

Virtual Maypole Dancing: The maypole dance, a traditional part of Beltane known for its intricate weaving of ribbons around a pole, symbolizes the entwining of energies and the fertility of the earth. Neo-technomancers might recreate this dance in a digital environment, perhaps through a collaborative online platform where participants from around the world contribute to a virtual maypole, weaving together digital threads to create a communal art piece.

Energetic Device Blessings: Just as tools and personal items were often passed through the Beltane fires for blessings, technomancers might hold a ritual to cleanse and empower their electronic devices. This could involve using electromagnetic fields or specialized software designed to 'purify' and optimize the functionality of their gadgets, aligning them with the owner’s magickal and mundane needs.

Sigil Creation for Growth and Prosperity: The creation of digital sigils to harness the energy of Beltane is another powerful way for technomancers to blend magickal intent with their technological skills. These sigils, designed using graphic software, can be used as part of digital wallpaper, shared on social media, or even integrated into user interfaces, continuously radiating magickal energy.

Chaos Magick and the Spirit of Spontaneity: Aligning with chaos magick principles, Beltane is a perfect occasion for spontaneity. This might involve using algorithmic generators to make unexpected choices or to create random, yet meaningful, magickal symbols or spells.

The Broader Implications of a Technomantic Beltane

Celebrating Beltane in this contemporary magickal-technological hybrid manner not only honors its ancient origins but also reinterprets its significance for the digital age. It’s about integrating the primal energies of old with the innovative potentials of today—using technology not merely as a tool, but as an extension of the practitioner’s will.

As we stoke the fires of Beltane in our digital hearths, we are reminded that the essence of magick lies in transformation—whether of ourselves, our environments, or our societies. And in this transformative process, technology becomes our ally, helping to manifest our deepest desires into the physical and virtual worlds.

So, this Beltane, let’s ignite the old fires with new sparks. Let's celebrate with a spirit of innovation and a respect for tradition, blending the two into a unique expression of our time. Through these practices, Beltane becomes more than just a date on the calendar—it becomes a moment of personal and communal alchemy, a time when we can truly connect the dots between the magickal and the technological, and perhaps, transform the world one byte and one spell at a time.

Absolutely! Using a digital space like Animal Crossing for your magickal practice is not only okay, but it can be a profoundly creative and effective way to connect with your chosen deities or spiritual forces. In the realm of Neo-Technomagick, the digital and physical worlds are interconnected facets of the greater reality/ the Omniverum, where every space — whether digital, material, or conceptual — holds potential for magickal practice. Your digital altar in Animal Crossing can serve as a potent focal point for your intentions, rituals, and spiritual connections.

Here are some ways to enhance your digital altar in Animal Crossing:

Infuse Intent into the Design: As you create your altar, consider the symbolic correspondences of the items you place on it. Choose colors, objects, and layouts that align with the deity or spirit you are honoring. For example, if you are building an altar to a goddess of the moon, use blue and silver elements, crescent shapes, or items that evoke the sea or nighttime.

Daily Rituals and Offerings: Engage with your digital altar regularly, much like you would with a physical one. You might set aside a specific time each day to visit your altar in the game, light digital candles, or place offerings. In the game, you could offer fruit, flowers, or crafted items as a gesture of devotion or gratitude. The act of doing so, even in a virtual space, reinforces your spiritual intention and connection.

Incorporate Sound and Movement: Animal Crossing offers various music tracks and sound effects. Choose sounds that resonate with the deity or intention of your altar. You can even create a ritual dance or movement in the game to accompany your practice. This could be as simple as performing certain actions (like clapping or cheering) or creating a sequence of movements that feel meaningful to you.

Sync Your Digital and Physical Spaces: Create a corresponding altar in your physical space, mirroring the elements in your digital game. This creates a bridge between the digital and physical realms, amplifying your magickal intent. When you interact with your digital altar, do the same in your physical space — light a real candle, place a crystal, or meditate. This practice aligns both realms, creating a powerful synergy.

Document and Reflect: Keep a digital or physical journal to document your experiences, thoughts, and any signs or synchronicities you encounter. Reflecting on these moments helps you deepen your understanding of your practice and the connections you are making through the digital altar. You could even create a dedicated scrapbook in Animal Crossing using in-game patterns or designs.

Use In-Game Events to Mark Ritual Occasions: Align your digital practices with in-game events or celestial movements. For example, you could hold a ritual or celebration at your digital altar during an in-game festival or when the full moon rises in the game’s sky. This syncs your personal practice with both the game’s internal rhythms and the larger cosmic cycles.

How has your practice evolved over the years/How did you get to where you are now?

Who are you as a spiritualist/witch/practitioner?

What beliefs and practices make up your faith?

Describe your beliefs in depth and your reasoning behind them.

How and where do you find inspiration?

What otherwise mundane activities, items, ideas, or people do you find sacred or divine?

What aspects of your spiritual practice do you always keep to yourself? Why?

How has you spiritual life benefitted your mundane one?

How has you mundane life benefitted your spiritual one?

Do you believe all spiritual paths have or should have an ultimate goal?

Does your own spiritual path have an ultimate goal? If so, what is it and why have you chosen it?

Do you practice total freedom of expression and choice within your path?

Do you believe the mind and soul to be separate?

Do you believe the physical to be just as sacred as the metaphysical?

Do you involve you ancestors in your practice? If so, how and how has their inclusion affected your work?

What aspects of spirituality and religion have you experienced an aversion to, why?

How do you understand and relate to the cycle of life, death, and rebirth? Do you believe it is something that needs to be overcome or aligned with?

How do you measure progress in your practice? How do you measure success?

Which do you believe has more influence over you, nature or nurture? How do you bring forth your true nature in your practice?

How is sexuality viewed in your practice?

How is gender viewed in your practice?

Do you integrate your mundane passions and hobbies into your practice? If you do, how so?

Do you use your practice as an escape from the mundane world, or as an alternative way to engage with it?

What is/are god(s)? Do you believe them to be infallible, all-knowing, or all-powerful?

What are spirits? How do you interact with them and how do you believe they interact with this world.

What are your gifts as a practitioner, how do you utilize them to their fullest?

Do you create unique workings to reach your objectives or do you follow pre-made processes and recipes to do so?

Do you believe in an afterlife? If so, what does it look like and does is change based off of the morality and/or the belief of the individual?

Has your practice ever allowed you an opportunity to relinquish all control, did you take it? If so, how did it go?

Are there workings you avoid performing because you fear failure? If so, what are they and why?

What has been your biggest failure or regret in your practice? How did you cope and move forward from it? What was learned?

Do you believe there is truly a separation between high and low or black and white magic? Do you believe any to be above the other or inherently correct over the other?

Is baneful magic inherently wrong in all cases or can is be justified?

Is baneful magic purely about causing harm?

Are any workings that attempt to override one’s free will inherently wrong in all cases or can they be justified?

What native beliefs and cultural practices do you integrate into your path, if any?

What tools or ingredients do you absolutely require to perform your work?

What poetry, art, music, or other media to draw inspiration from or find especially moving? Why?

What was your most powerful spiritual experience?

What do you believe magic is and/or what do you belief is the source of people's mystical experiences?

What do you believe is required for magic to work?

If you believe in enlightenment, what do you think is it? What does it look like? Do you believe enlightenment looks the same for everyone?

Do you believe enlightenment is attainable within a single lifetime?

Is enlightenment attainable through multiple avenues, or only through certain means?

Do you believe in reincarnation? If so, why do you believe we people are reincarnated and how?

Does one’s ego need to be kept in check within their spiritual path, why or why not? If yes, how?

Do you practice nudity during ritual, if so, for what purpose? What does it represent for you, if anything?

Do you wear specific clothing during ritual, if so, for what purpose? What does it represent for you, if anything?

Do you outwardly express your spiritual or religious beliefs, why or why not? If yes, what does it look like?

What symbols resonate with you? What do they mean to you and how do you use them?

What tools, ritual or otherwise, are important to you and why?

How would you describe humanities relationship with the wider universe? Do you believe anything about it needs to change?

How would you describe your relationship with the wider universe? Do you believe anything about it needs to change?

If you were raised in an organized faith, did you remove yourself from it entirely or did you integrate aspects of it into your new practice?

If you were raised in an organized faith, what drove you away from it?

What role do you believe the subconscious plays in spirituality, if any?

Do you, whether it be inadvertently or purposefully, suppress aspects of your personality within your practice? If so, what aspects and why?

What aspects of your personality do you believe are over-represented in your practice? 

Which do you believe benefits your practice more: rigid structure and regularity, or spontaneity and flexibility? How did you come to this conclusion and why?

What does your altar look like and how does it reflect you as a person? What items and/or symbols do you require on your space, if any?

Which initial approach is more ideal in your opinion, intuition or logic? How do you determine which approach to use in a situation?

What aspects of nature hold particular importance to you (i.e. natural formations & landmarks, weather phenomena, animals, plants, etc.) Why?

Is there a place on this Earth that you consider to be particularly powerful or sacred? If so, where and why? Have you been there, what did it feel like?

Do you believe in liminal spaces or have experienced one? What do you think they are and do you believe they have spiritual significance?

Do you believe in extrasensory perception? If so, what types and how do you believe they work?

What beliefs or practices carried by others act as red flags to you? How do you react to individuals who display these red flags?

What beliefs or practices do you yourself carry that could act as red flags for others? Why do you think that is, and do you believe you need to reevaluate those aspects of your spirituality?

Are there specific people who have influenced your craft directly or indirectly? If so, how and why? If not, is it a purposeful choice?

Do you ever find yourself straying from or losing sight of your true intents for your path? If so, what causes you to lose sight of it and how do you refocus your attention of what truly matters?

How do you determine when a specific project or working is finished? Have you ever experienced problems with not being able to allow a project to come to an end?

What sort of factors do you take into consideration when performing spells or rituals? Some examples: planetary hours, zodiac, moon phase, planetary alignments, colors, herbs, etc. How do you feel it affects your work?

Which do you believe is more affective for spiritual advancement in your experience: isolation or cooperation?

What sort of activities, goals, and projects do you wish to complete? Which have you completed so far and how did they turn out?

What piece of advice would you give to your former self when you started your practice? Is it the same advice you’d give to others just starting out?

Have you ever read a book that has seriously shifted your world-view? What was it about and how did it change the way you think?

What belief do you hold that —while not necessarily a red flag— others might find strange?

What belief do many others hold that you find strange? Is there a belief others hold that you find to be overrated?

Can information necessary for spiritual advancement only be found in outside sources or introspection? Perhaps a mixture of both?

Do you believe that our fate is pre-determined and/or controlled by forces outside our control, why or why not?

Cooking can create a lot of waste. From peels and rinds to bones and leaves, people throw away quite a lot of scraps in the kitchen. And witches, as you may know, are experts in the art of the cunning use of whatever we’ve got around.

As a witch who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, I’ve had ample opportunities to get creative in my cooking craft. It helps that I grew up in a household defined by scarcity: not our own, by the time I was conscious enough to remember, but my parents’ poverty. It colored the way I learned to cook, using everything I possibly could, making enough to last, preserving what I didn’t immediately use, and creatively reusing leftovers and scraps.

There are some topics I won’t necessarily cover here. Composting is an option, but there are some bits of food scrap that don’t need to be composted — they can be saved and repurposed for all sorts of things, magic and mundane. Likewise, recycling, buying sustainably, and growing your own food when you can are all great options for reducing household waste in the kitchen.

For the purposes of this post, I want to focus specifically on food scraps. This is an organized list of kitchen scraps that I’ve used in a variety of other dishes and projects. I’m focusing primarily on food waste, not so much on packaging (such as reusing egg cartons, milk containers, boxes, and so forth).

Vegetable Scraps

Freeze leftover vegetable scraps to make stock. This is a fairly common bit of advice — save bits of leftover vegetables to make a vegetable stock or another kind of stock. It’s good advice! I keep a bag in my freezer that I put vegetable scraps in to save until I’m ready to make a new batch of stock. Not all veggies should be saved like this and used for stock! Some make stock bitter or otherwise unpleasant-tasting. Personally, I tend to freeze these for stock:

- The skins, ends, and leftover cuts of onions (just be wary of the skins; too much will make your broth bitter) - The ends of celery (not the leaves — they’re bitter!) - Corn cobs - Garlic skins, ends, tiny cloves that aren’t useful otherwise, and sprouted cloves - The ends of carrots (also not the leaves) - The ends of leeks - Pepper tops/bottoms (not the seeds)

I would recommend against putting things like potatoes, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and leafy greens in there. Potatoes don’t add flavor, sprouts and cabbage make the whole thing taste like those foods, and leafy greens end up bitter. If something has a strong, distinctive flavor (beets, sprouts), I wouldn’t add it to my freezer bag. These scraps often form the veggie portion of my Sick-Be-Gone Chicken Broth spell recipe!

Regrow leeks, green onions, and celery. Pop these in a bit of water and watch them grow back! It’s a fun experiment, and you’ll never have to buy them again.

Plant sprouted garlic. Aside from the fact that you can still cook and eat garlic that’s sprouted, you can plant a sprouted clove in a pot. Care for it well enough, and you’ll end up with a full head of garlic from that one clove!

Fry potato peels. Anytime I make mashed potatoes or peel potatoes for something, I always save the peels. Give them a thorough rinse and shallow-fry them in oil, turning them over until they’re golden and crispy. Toss them in a bit of salt and pepper while they’re still hot, and you’ve got tasty chips to snack on while you cook the rest of your meal! No need to cover them in more oil or anything — the heat will cause the salt to stick right to them.

Save leaves for pesto. Yum, yum, yum. Pesto isn’t just all about basil, you know. Save the leaves from carrots, beets, radishes, and even celery to grind up alongside basil, garlic, salt, and lemon juice for a delicious pesto recipe.

Fruit Scraps

Save citrus peels. Peels from oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and other citrus fruits have a multitude of uses. Candy them for a sweet treat, dry them to add to potpourri or incense, or save them to put into a simmer pot for bright, sunny energy.

Juice the whole fruit. Again, thinking mostly about citrus fruits, when you need the zest from something but not the rest, don’t just throw away the fruit. Squeeze out all the juice you can. Even if you don’t need it right now, you can freeze it to use later in simmer pots, fruity waters, or anything else that needs a touch of juice.

Turn extra fruit and berries into jam or syrup. If you’ve got berries and fruit that are about to go off, or maybe the ends of strawberries, don’t toss them! Look up recipes for jam of the specific fruit you’ve got or make an infused syrup. Syrups in particular can be used for cocktails, teas, and desserts for an extra magical kick.

Pickle watermelon rinds. That’s right. Pickle those suckers. They’re so tasty. I’ve seen people make kimchi with watermelon rinds, too, though I’ve never tried it myself!

Save seeds for abundance work. Seeds in general are great for spells geared toward long-term success, new beginnings, and — when there are a lot of them — wealth. Different fruit seeds have properties that tend to correspond with the fruit they come from, so consider their potential purposes before you just toss them! (Note also that some fruit seeds are toxic; these would be suitable for baneful workings.)

Keep cherry stems for love magic. Have you ever done that thing where you tie a cherry stem with your tongue? If I’m eating cherries, I like to save some of the stems for love workings. Tie them into little knots like you might with string while envisioning ensnaring the love you’re looking for. I wouldn’t do this with a particular person in mind; binding someone to you is almost never a good idea. I’ve used it to attract specific qualities in a person of romantic interest: attentiveness, humor, kindness, and so forth.

Use pits to represent blockages, barriers, and problems. I most often use them in baneful workings, typically jammed into a poppet’s mouth or throat to keep someone from talking shit. It could also represent a sense of dread in that way — a pit in the stomach, uneasy and nauseating. But you could also use them in the sense of removal, ritualistically removing the pit or problem from a given situation.

Herb Scraps

Freeze or dry extra fresh herbs. Different drying techniques are ideal for specific herbs. I’d suggest looking up recommended methods before sticking anything in the microwave. If you’d like to freeze your herbs instead, I typically will lay them on a damp paper towel, wrap them up, place them into a freezer-safe bag, and then put them in the freezer. Most herbs will keep for a couple months this way. When you want to use them, pull them out and let them defrost right on the counter.

Make pesto. Again, pesto isn’t just basil! Experiment with tossing in different scraps of herbs to find out what combination you like best.

Reuse steeped tea. Particularly when I use loose herbal tea, I like to lay out the used tea to dry out. It can be burned similarly to loose incense, though the scent may be somewhat weaker than with herbs that are fresher or unused. I find that it’s fine, since I’m sensitive to smells anyways.

Toss extra herbs into your stock freezer bag. Just like with vegetables, extra herbs make welcome additions to a scrap stock pot. I always make a point to save sage, thyme, marjoram, and ginger. You can add just about anything to a stock pot, but be aware of the flavors you’re adding. Not all herbs will match with all dishes.

Protein Scraps

Dry and crush empty egg shells. This is one most witches will know! I use crushed egg shells for protection magic most often: sprinkled at a doorstep mixed with other herbs, added to jars, and spread around spell candles.

Save shrimp, crab, and lobster shells. They’re a goldmine of flavor. Toss them into water with veggies and herbs, and you’ve got a delicious, easy shellfish stock. Use it to make fishy soups and chowders that much richer.

Don’t discard roasted chicken remains. Use them for stock, just like the shells. I like to get rotisserie chickens on occasion since they’re ready-made and very tasty. Once all the meat has been stripped off the bones, simmer the entire carcass with — you guessed it — veggies and herbs for a tasty chicken stock.

Reuse bacon grease for frying. After cooking bacon, don’t throw away the grease right away. Melt it over low heat, strain the bits of bacon out, and pour it into a jar to put in the fridge. You can use it to fry all sorts of things, but my favorite thing is brussels sprouts. They pick up the delicious, salty, bacony flavor from all that rendered bacon fat. So good.

Other Scraps

Use stale bread for croutons or bread crumbs. When I reach the stale end of a loaf of bread, as long as it isn’t moldy, I like to tear it into pieces and toss it into the oven for a little while. Let it cool and then pulse it in a food processor, and I’ve got delicious bread crumbs! Or, cut it a little more neatly, toss it in oil and seasonings, and then bake, and now I’ve got homemade croutons for salads. You can really hone your herbs for both of these, tuning them to be perfect for whatever spell needs you have.

Small amounts of leftover sugar. I don’t know why, but I always end up with a tiny amount of white and brown sugar in the containers. This can be used in teas, of course, but I like to offer it up to spirits. In particular, my ancestors tend to appreciate a spoonful of brown sugar stirred into a small, warmed cup of milk. You can also look up mug cake or single-serving cookie recipes; often, they’re cooked in the microwave, and they only need a little sugar to make!

Keep vanilla bean pods. Vanilla is fucking expensive. When I have a little extra and want to really splurge for a special occasion, I’ll get a couple pods. And because they’re so expensive, I hate wasting any part of them. They’re good for love magic, sure, but you can also toss the spent pods in a jar full of sugar to make vanilla-infused sugar. I’ll often use the pods to make infused milks, too; warm the milk over low heat, add the pods, and let it steep like tea. It goes great in teas and desserts. For a nice self-love spell, sometimes I’ll melt chocolate into the vanilla milk and make hot cocoa!

Save the rinds from Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheese. You might not be able to just bite into these, but they’re fabulous additions to a stock pot. They add a rich, umami depth to the flavors. I also like to throw these into pots of tomato sauce to add even more flavor to the sauce.

Used coffee is still coffee. After I make a pot of coffee, I’ll sometimes save the grounds by letting them dry back out. I wouldn’t make another cup of coffee with them, since all the flavor’s gone, but they’ll still have attributes of energy generation and smell great. I like to pack used grounds into sachets to hang in places where I want to encourage more energy and focus, replaced every few days or so. Coffee grounds also have high amounts of nitrogen in them, which can help plants thrive; just be careful about pH values in the soil! You don’t want to hurt your plants with too much acidity.

Final Thoughts

I hope you found these tips helpful! There are a ton more ways to save and reuse kitchen scraps that would otherwise go to waste. Sometimes, tossing stuff into the compost or trash can’t be avoided. But I’ve found that being aware of the possibilities can help diminish the amount that gets wasted.

After rounds of testing and refining, I present to you, the completed Three Kings Divination Spread! This is a spread used for getting advice (which, in my opinion, all good tarot spreads should do to varying degrees).

Feel free to use this for yourself or for free readings, but do not use it for paid readings and do not claim that you invented this particular spread. I went through a lot of trouble to figure this whole thing out and troubleshoot it over on @jasper-tarot-reader. Other than that, I don't care what you do with it. Print it out, eat it, shit on it, I don't care.

Finally, if you independently decide to invent your own Three Kings-inspired tarot thing, great! More of us should be poking at Creepypastas for inspiration, and there are a shitload of other ways to approach this ritual-story and turn it into a spread, some of which I worked on before I narrowed down to this. Get silly with it.

The Story

The Three Kings Ritual was originally posted on Reddit's r/NoSleep under the title "Please don't actually try this." by FableForge. This is a ritual creepypasta focused on helping you tap into (but not travel to) a place that the OP calls the Shadowside in order to ask questions and have them answered, sometimes with more questions.

It's a very short Creepypasta and it's worth reading in full to understand this spread in its entirety. You need the context of the source for the reading to help it make sense, even moreso than the average pop culture tarot spread.

We are not going through all that trouble to tap fully into the Shadowside. Instead, we are using the general theory of this ritual-story as a framing device for a standard advice-seeking reading, potentially tapping into other entities (pop culture or not) for their perspectives.

The Setup

There are several things you need in order to get started:

three tarot decks

a strong appreciation for and decent understanding of the elements that line up with the tarot suits

a large surface to do the readings on, ideally with you sitting facing the north (or north-ish) so you have plenty of room for cards

something to prop up the Kings/Queen and Fool so that they can "see" both you and the other card

Ideally, you will want to use two decks with incredibly established "characters" for the Court cards, and one deck with unestablished "characters" for the Court cards for the querent.

You will then sit roughly as seen below:

The red cards are your significators, which we will talk about more in the next section, while the white cards with the black details are the actual ones you draw for the reading. I usually cap it at two cards each. You will be sitting facing the north (as is seen in the original Creepypasta) at a table or desk with plenty of space for the cards and reading to spread out.

This spread is broken up into two categories: In Court and Out Of Court. It is entirely up to you about whether or not your question is for within your Court or from outside of it. Regardless of the version, you choose the Court whose element you are most connected to.

In Court readings are typically best for questions in which you are the primary decision-maker but would like advice. This version has you as the King (represented by the King/Queen card) and grants you the Queen (represented by the other Queen/King of the same suit) and the Fool (represented by the Knight/Page of the same suit).

Out Of Court readings are typically best for questions in which you are on equal decision-making footing with others (typically spirit guides or deities) or you need advice from someone who is an equal. This version has you as a King (represented by the King/Queen) and involves picking two equivalent Kings (if you use a King card yourself, use two more Kings; if you use a Queen card, use two more Queens) from other suits.

If your tarot deck has renamed the Court members, choose from the "top two". For example, in the Transient Light Tarot, I would choose from the Crown (King) or Keeper (Queen) instead of the Champion (Knight) or Apprentice (Page).

(Since my practice with the four elements involves them having an allied element, an enemy element, and a neutral element, I typically pick the allied and neutral elements to the querent's element.)

This is why you need three decks - the Querent deck, the Queen/King deck, and the Fool/King deck - to represent their respective advice. Fandom decks for pieces of media you enjoy can actually be useful for this even if they otherwise suck as divination tools, since you already know the characters quite well.

I tend to work clockwise - the querent in the middle, the Queen/one of the Kings at the northwest/11 o'clock position, and the Fool/the other King at the northeast/1 o'clock position. But I've also accidentally reversed it a few times and it still came out fine as long as the cards were in their right spots.

The Reading

This is the most standard part of this reading. You are going to refer to yourself as King [Querent Name] or Queen [Querent Name] and use the formal titles of your Queen and Fool/other two Kings (if they have them) while asking your question. You will also have to repeat your query and any background information three times.

Do not belittle yourself in the reading - you are the querent, you are the one with the most agency in this reading, you are a King getting advice from your Court or speaking to Kings of other Courts, and there is nothing to fear. You are merely getting advice from beings that you respect the opinions, thoughts, and advice of.

When drawing cards for the reading, keep it balanced. Don't draw one card for yourself, three for the Queen, and two for the Fool. Everyone gets equal say in this spread.

Don't be surprised if the "advice to yourself" portion (the Querent part) just reiterates the problem. This is helpful too, because it gives you a good look at the situation in the context of the rest of the cards. You are both reading the cards separately (as advice from the different Court members) and together (as one giant clusterfuck reading, just separated into understandable chunks).

A tarot/oracle spread I made! I used this one for the new year, and got some interesting results. Amazingly, for the Companion card I pulled a card that signifies the Lady of Flowers, and one card that is "the Unicorn", so that could not be clearer, lol. This year I am working on "gamifying my life" and I want to bring some more play and RPG elements into my practice, which is what inspired this spread.

an Adventure - what is the journey or the adventure that you will go on?

a Divine Boon - a gift from your deity/spirit/the universe/etc. that will aid you on your journey

an Amulet of Empowerment - from where can you draw strength? Who or what is empowering you?

a Companion on your Journey - this can mean anything from a tarot card to a spirit to a deity. Who will accompany you and aid you on your quest?

a Spark of Hope in the Dark - we all know that quests can sometimes lead us to dark dungeons and to situations that can seem bleak. From where can you draw hope?

It's February, or soon at the time of this post being published, so I figured I'd make a February themed challenge. (Though you can do this whenever or do it all in one go)

The point of this challenge is to perform 28 days of devotional acts, some a bit more time consuming than others. The most of it is just talking about your chosen guide though as a devotion. Every 5 days there's an extra challenge, something to do versus just answering a question.

So, pick a guide, or multiple, for the 28 days, and let's go!

Set Up

This is a ritual to help one align with and integrate the natural cycles by creating one's own names for the full moon.

Items Needed:

Some way to write, preferably without technology

A Calendar

The Ritual

We are going to get re-acquainted with the moon by creating our own associations with the names of the full moons that happen throughout the year. The prominent modern moon names of the society I currently reside in are the Wolf, Snow, Worm, Pink, Flower, Strawberry, Buck, Sturgeon, Corn, Hunter's, Beaver, and Cold Moon.

These are great names, but many of them don't resonate with me at all. I don't fish, I don't harvest, and I don't hunt. Renaming the Moon phases is not about "claiming" them; instead, it is about becoming closer to the moon cycles and how they relate to your life.

If you have prominent people in your day-to-day personal life, ask them to join the ritual if they are inclined. Write out the twelve months, and think about prominent phases of your life and what is important to you. Start to name the full moon of the month with something that reliably happens yearly around that month. You absolutely do not have to go in order.

Allow these names to come to you. Don't force them, and don't try to come up with the best possible name. These names do not have to be deep - in fact, they should be obvious. Create the space and discover the correct name through patience. Many will come to you effortlessly if you allow them.

If you live in a place where cherry blossoms bloom in early April, the moon in April could be the "Cherry Blossom Moon."

If you love to hike in July, it could be called the "Hike Moon."

If you just plain ol' like Halloween, you could call your October moon the "Halloween Moon."

The list is yours and yours alone. Take time on this, possibly several days. When not in use, place the paper on an altar or in a visible place until the list is complete. Personally, I try to lean more towards natural cycles and avoid human-made things/ideas (Halloween Moon wouldn't be on the table for me, but that doesn't mean it isn't for you) mainly to keep the connection to the moon in my mind more natural.

There’s lots of options besides tarot!  I can’t remember the last time I used tarot for spirit work, I mostly use it for readings for IRL friends these days because it’s my most “accessible to normies” divination method, so let’s brainstorm some alternatives!

Direct Input:  I call this the Sight, other people use the “clairsense” terms.  This is probably one of the harder methods to discern, because it all has to filter through our minds.  It can be hard to distinguish what is actual input from an outside source and what we are generating ourselves.  Let’s say you want to receive a message from one of the spirits you work with, and then you start having thoughts that are kind of like how this spirit “talks.”  Is the spirit really communicating with you or is your mind manufacturing what you want? Same thing with dreams - was that dream with mysterious imagery a message from a spirit or a natural psychological reaction to your day time activities?  Environmental Signs: Signs and omens are a classic communication tool, but another one that are easy to misuse/misinterpret.  A natural environmental occurrence, like seeing an animal in its natural habitat is just a natural environment occurrence, but if you ask spirits for specific signs, and are careful to ask for signs that would truly be unique or unusual, you can set up a pretty good call and response communication system.  A bad example - Deer are very common where I live.  Seeing a deer is not a reliable sign for me, even though they are strongly associated with my divine spouse.

A good example - Birds are very common around my home, but not birds of prey, which are also associated with my divine spouse, so if I wanted to know if he approved of something I could ask him to send a bird of prey to my home as a sign. Usually I would also request a time frame (within a week, for example) so you know whether or not you got your sign and you aren’t just waiting indefinitely.  

It's been a while since I actively solicited for clients, so some of you may not know that I work as a spirit doctor. My specialty is oaths and agreements, and the making, breaking, and negotiating thereof.

Basically I'm a spiritual contract and divorce lawyer. You made an oath to an entity and now you regret it and you want to get out of it, you call me. I'll get you out of the oath with minimal damage - You might still have to make an offering once a year on a particular holy day, maybe you have to arrange for a new follower or two to balance out the loss of your worship (or maybe I'll take this one for you, depending on the situation, I have also been known to arrange matches), you get the point. But I also consult on oaths before they're sworn, so that you don't need my help to break it down the line. A friend of mine was recently preparing to swear an oath to an entity in their life and asked for my tips for Oath constructions, here's my Top 5*:

1) Write out your oath in some way, preferably before you swear it, so you have a document that you can amend: Being oath bound to an entity is kind of like like being married to someone, the relationship changes over time, so the rules of the relationship needs to change with it. But these relationship rules can be a little stricter than others, and it can be hard to keep track of these rules in our heads all of the time - do you give offerings on Wednesdays or Sundays? Was it wine or whiskey? If you've sworn to multiple entities this can get even harder. So I recommend keeping a written version of your oath that you can add and remove clauses from as your relationship grows and changes. I also think it's also kind of nice to have a record to look back on. It charts the growth and changes of your relationship over time - I think that's sweet.

2) Include specific rules for amending your oath: We covered that the rules of our relationships can change above, but because we're dealing with spirits it can be helpful to lay down some rules about how to change the rules of the relationship. How do you propose an amendment to the oath? Can you do it at any time or only on certain important days? Can either of you propose amendments? Is there veto power? stuff like that. The answers to those sorts of questions will vary with each relationship, but I always feel like it's better to know the answers and not need them than it is to need them and not know.

3) Have a One Year Trial Clause: Especially if it's your first oath, or if you haven't been in some sort of close relationship with the entity for several years before swearing your oath. I always feel like it's a good idea to write your oath in such a way that the first year is basically a trial period, with a re-dedication at the end of the first year to make the oath fully binding. Think of it like dating before you get married, or a 3 month trial period at a new job. It just gives you a some time to adapt to the new situation, to any new taboos or expectations there might be, and then a comfortable "no hard feelings" out if you don't like it.

4) Include a "break glass in case of emergency" way out of your oath: The One Year Trial covers adjusting to being in the oath, but this is for later. In case you're ten years down the line and you realize for whatever reason that you don't want to be bound to this entity anymore, or you're life has totally changed and you're done with this. It will prevent you from needing to find and employ someone like me to break the oath for you. Some examples include: - You will always wear a piece of devotional jewelry and will not willingly take it off. Intentionally and willingly taking it off constitutes the end of the oath - You could make a spirit house or vessel. Intentionally and willingly dismantling or destroying it would constitute the end of the oath. - If you want to go hard you could get a tattoo. Getting it removed or covered up wold constitute the end of the oath.

Part 1: Spirit Encounters Part 2: Unrecorded Entity Note Taking Exercise Part 3: Spell Lab Notes

I am a firm believer that signs and omens are one of the least reliable ways to communicate with an incorporeal entity. If I want to talk to one of my spirits I would much rather sit down and have a divination session, or travel to the Otherworlds to have a direct conversation with them. But I acknowledge that signs and omens can be a useful tool for a spirit to use to get our attention, it's something they can initiate unprompted, and it just relies on our pattern recognition abilities and intuition. However good note taking can help us determine when a feather is just a feather, and when 5 feathers in a row is a sign. This is the note taking template I use to record sightings of things I see out in the world that I think might possibly be a sign from a spirit.

Date: The date that the potential sign or omen was spotted

Description of Sighting (or sketch): What did I actually see/encounter. I try to be as precise and descriptive as possible.  Not only what I saw but where exactly it was and in what context, what did it make me think or feel when I initially saw it.  Why do I think this thing is a sign/omen. If I can sketch what I saw I will.

Requested?: Was this a specific sign I requested of a specific entity? If I put “yes” here I usually put less detail in the “suspected” fields later on. 

Variations from Request: If I believe this was a requested sign did it deviate in any way from what I specifically asked for?  Did I ask to see three rabbits and got four? Did I ask for a blue flower and get one that was maybe a bit more purple?  

Suspected Source: What entity do I suspect might have sent me this sign?  Why? Did I see an animal that is sacred to an entity in a place where such an animal is unusual? Did I see a symbol I associate with an entity in an odd place with no explanation for it being there.

Suspected Meaning:  What do I think this sign means? Why do I think it means this?

After my initials notes I usually do some follow up work: some divination, some research, etc. I don't want to assume that my initial suspicions are correct, so I try to run down any leads I have and confirm or deny my suppositions.

Follow Up Fields 

Verified Source: Once I’ve done some divination, some journeying, some connecting with my entities, etc. and have confirmed that I did in fact receive a sign from someone I update this field with who I’ve verified has sent it.  Or if it turns out that what I saw wasn't a sign, which is always a possibility, I'll enter N/A.

Verified Meaning:  Similar to verifying the source I like to verify the meanings of the omens.  It’s not uncommon for me to be completely wrong about what an unrequested one means.  Again if it turns out this wasn't a sign I'll enter N/A, unless I choose to interpret the sighting as a personal sign, then I'll work withing my own personal symbolism to determine what I might be trying to clue myself into.  

Dates of Repetition: If the the sign has been repeating itself while I've been researching I'll add the dates and additional notes about each re-occurrence here.

Part 2: Unrecorded Entity Note Taking Exercise Part 3: Spell "Lab Notes" Part 4: Signs & Omens I think I've mentioned before that I studied witchcraft and folklore academically in college, but I don't know if I've ever made much of a deal out of the fact that I did so as part of a major in Cultural Anthropology. I learned a lot about different magical practices in those specific classes and I still use much of what I learned, but what I learned back then that I use the most didn't come from one of the magic classes, it came from the prep class for the original anthropological research I had to do for my thesis. In that class I was taught how to conduct anthropological interviews and how to take notes on those conversations. Over the years I have developed those anthropological interview notes into a template that I use for every encounter I have with an incorporeal entity. This template is very simple: 4 broad categories that I sort my thoughts into and some examples of what kind of notes I put into each category. I use this format to take notes on all of my spirit work encounters, regardless of the type of spirit - one page of my binder per encounter, and then I can keep all of the pages for a particular entity together in chronological order.

Impressions: Initial notes on an encounter.

How did the entity present themselves?

How did they look/ sound/ make me feel in the moment

What did they say/ how did they communicate

Reflections: How do I feel about the encounter after the fact

How does the encounter sit with me now that I’ve had some distance?

How do I feel about how the entity treated me/interacted with me?

Emerging Questions: Questions I have based on this encounter

Was there anything from the encounter that I feel might have been symbolic/metaphorical?

Do I have any follow up questions about the actual conversation/message? Ie: was anything unclear to me, do I need to clarify anything?

Are there questions/trains of thought that I need to go research or divine on further?

Future Actions: What do I think I need to do next?

Did the entity give an “action item”/ something they want or expect me to do? If so, list them here.

Part 1: Spirit Encounters Part 2: Unrecorded Entity Note Taking Exercise Part 4: Signs & Omens I think I’ve said this somewhere before, I don’t know if it was here, or on Discord, I’m a huge believer in applying the scientific method to spell work.  I don’t believe that magic can be explained by science, or that it’s an extension of science.  But I do believe that an approach of  empirical observation, incremental variable adjustment, and repeat experimentation is a great way to develop a solid spell work practice.  This is how I figured out a lot of my own methods and personal magical paradigms - by testing something, making notes, changing a variable, and then  testing again - rinse and repeat.  There’s a lot to keep track of in that process though, particularly if you’re rinse and repeat step keeps repeating, so over the years I’ve developed a template of “lab notes” to keep track of my experiments.  Spell Friendly Name - A brief concise, yet descriptive title. • The idea of a “friendly name” is something I stole from my IT day job.  A lot of hardware devices come with their network name set as their serial number, or model number, or something like that.  Those sorts of names can be fine for a sys or network admin, but it’s not super helpful for a normal person - so it’s an important step up setting up that device to give it a name that is immediately recognizable and descriptive of its role on the network: Like HR Printer, or [Company Name] File Server. When you’re testing and workshopping spells it’s important to be able to distinguish them from one another in your notes. You don’t want a dozen pages in a row all titled “Prosperity Spell” but they’re all different spells.  Make sure your Friendly Names are descriptive, catchy, and above all stay consistent across your notes for subsequent re-casts. 

Date Cast - The day (and time if it matters to you) that you cast the spell • I’m not one for celestial or planetary magic, so I don’t care much about when I cast the spell for magical correspondence reasons.  I care mostly in relation to the next field - 

Time Frame/ ”Due Date” - When you expect the spell manifest result by. • I’m a big believer in setting yourself time frames for your spells - it’s much easier to tell if a spell has succeeded or failed if you have a due date for it.  So I mark my time frame as part of my notes, however I built it into my spell: two weeks, by the next rainfall, before the turn of the season, by an exact date.  Keeping this due date next to the date of casting helps me keep track of how long is left for the spell to work. Parameters for Success - What an ideal successful result looks like to you.  • We all know that sometimes spells manifest in funny ways that can still technically be called “successful”. You phrased the inscription of your prosperity spell as “looking for a windfall” only to get a bunch of free apples at the farm stand because they had a windstorm and have to get rid of all of the apples that fell?  Technically you got a windfall, but it wasn’t what you wanted.  So you recast the spell and this time phrase the inscription as, “you want to come into money.” Well this time a great aunt dies and leaves you an inheritance.  We all know these examples, I’m not saying anything new.  But I find that keeping track of exactly what I quantify as “success” helps me troubleshoot my spells.  Is my parameter of success for this theoretical prosperity spell specifically that I get a raise at work? Then I say it here.  Am I open to alternatives?  List them here.  Materials: Function - Your ingredients list: what role of each ingredient is in the spell • I vastly prefer to create my own spells, I find I can tinker and troubleshoot better with something I have written myself because I understand how everything is meant to work, and how it all works together.  I list out every single ingredient and what its job is in the spell, not just ingredients being used for magical correspondences.  I include lines like, “paper & pen (mundane): for the writing of inscription” or “mortar & pestle: for grinding herb blend.” But then I’ll also have lines like “Nettle: used here for personal association with emotion, a la Aunt Betty and her nettle tea,” referencing a personal magical association I have within my own paradigm.  This may be overkill for some people, but it keeps my spell work neat and organized and I never have to wonder what an ingredient is supposed to be doing when I want to recast a spell. 

Method: Function - Steps of the spell, written in order, with some form of annotation or commentary on what each step is supposed to achieve magically.  • This step of my note taking I get a little messy, to be honest.  It works best when I have different colored pens and have had time to pre-plan.  When these conditions have been met my notes look like code.  There will be a step written out, then on the next line ## and a color change to indicate the beginning of my comments.  If I didn’t pre-plan, I usually still have two different colored pens - even if it’s just black and blue, so I’ll write out my steps in order and rely on marginalia for my comments.  It’s not as organized, and my handwriting gets cramped and hard to read sometimes, but just like the ingredients lists I like to know not just what every step is doing, but why. 

Adjusted Variable(s)* - If you’re recasting a spell what have you changed from the last time and how do you expect that to affect your result.