The Cardboard Witch

"Etheri, why are you talking about Samhain already? It's still Spring where you live..." shhh...

October 31st is my favorite day to be a witch! I find myself looking forward to it throughout various times of the year. So, this year, I decided to make a little "challenge" for myself in the days leading up to Samhain, and I wanted to invite others to participate ^.^

Starting July 23rd, I'd like to invite you all to join me for what I'm calling "The Samhain Ultramarathon!"

The challenge itself is to touch your Craft for 100 days in a row! Starting July 23rd, the task is to do something, anything, witchy each day, counting down to October 31st. Some days can be as simple as just updating your grimoire or lighting a stick of incense, while other days can be more elaborate spells or rituals. The ultimate goal is to touch your practice at least once a day, even for just one minute, for 100 consecutive days! It'll be like a spiritual marathon... hence the name :P

many of the methods used to cleanse items can also be used to charge them depending on your intentions.

cleansing & charging ideas:

visualization - imagine a ball of energy forming around the item to either cleanse it or give it power (the color of the ball could correspond to your intent, i.e. white or blue for cleansing, red for power, etc.)

earth - bury the object in soil or sand - a potted plant will also work

water - submerge the item in running water 

salt water - anoint or submerge the item in a salt water solution 

gem water - anoint or submerge the item in a corresponding crystal elixir 

herbal & floral water - anoint or submerge the item in a solution of corresponding herbs or flowers 

sea salt - sprinkle sea salt over/around the item or submerge it in a container of sea salt 

essential & infused oils - anoint item with corresponding oil 

smoke - pass the item through incense smoke 

fire - pass the item through an open flame or burn it (you could see the act of burning as either cleansing or charging)

storms -leave item outside during a thunderstorm; anoint with storm water

wind -leave item outside when it’s windy; make use of windchimes

crystals/crystal grid - surround the item with crystals of corresponding intent (can be arranged in a pattern to form a crystal grid and enhance energy)

dried/fresh herbs & flowers - sprinkle mixture over/around item or submerge the item in a mixture of herbs and/or flower petals 

sound - use a bell, whistle, or something similar to clear the space and associated items of negativity

sigils - craft and use sigils that correspond with your intent (you can set the item on top of the sigil, draw the sigil on the item, etc.) 

moonlight & starlight - leave item in the path of these natural lights, either outside or in a windowsill overnight 

sunlight - leave item in the path of sunlight for a few hours during the day (before sunset, of course), either outside or in a windowsill 

divination - pair the item with a rune or tarot/oracle card that matches your intent in a small container 

incantations - create an incantation that states your intent and speak it aloud while holding the item

physical energy - engage in physical activity of some sort (exercise, dancing, etc.) and direct that energy into the item

actual cleaning - physically and literally clean any items with an appropriate solution (soap, alcohol, etc.); the energy put into cleaning can also be used to charge the item

caution: some items, especially crystals, are not suitable for exposure to sunlight, water, or salt. 

in just a few days, the moon opposes the sun to form a full micromoon in the sign of capricorn, which is ruled by saturn. the micromoon asks us to focus deeply and saturn encourages us to reevaluate our priorities. you could say that saturn's rings form the wall that keeps the cool and watery pool of lunar energy contained.

this full moon will focus on and illuminate:

outdated expectations

false authorities

thoughts on aging and getting older

small wins, successes, and progress

areas of responsibility

one's personal definition of success

the delicate line between resilience and isolation

"family values" and legacy

the importance of patience and avoiding haste

long-term commitments versus short-term gratification

fears that are stunting growth

personal and situational limitations

suppressed emotions

grief over lost opportunities

life lessons to be endured for one's greater purpose

consider spells for:

blessing or consecrating one's home

initiations

endurance

building foundations

stability

achieving goals in general

honoring ancestors

personal integrity

justice and accountability

professional success and recognition for a job well done

attaining leadership positions

confidence and strength through discipline

financial security and paying debts

protection and warding

creating boundaries and shields

banishing unhealthy habits

the mastery and competence of a craft or skill

personal correspondences for this lunation:

colors: dark blue, indigo, inky black, silver

crystals: onyx, blue sapphire, moonstone, obsidian, pearl, selenite

plants: comfrey, frankincense, horsetail, jasmine, lavender, mugwort, myrrh

the moon micromoon magic

one way that you can utilize stellar magic in your practice is to use the harvard spectral classification system to identify the color of the star you would like to work with - use these colors to represent the star of your choice in spellwork.

ideas for using colors to represent stars in spellwork:

use ** in: makeup, your clothing, accessories, jewelry, etc.

incorporate ** to cleanse/charge/enchant items with stellar energy

store stellar energy in a talisman ** for later use

make star water and write a sigil ** on its container

make a glitter jar **

burn candles **

use herbs that match both the color and your intentions

make a crystal grid **

dedicate artwork ** to whomever you choose

design sigils **

etc etc. :)

** - [in] your chosen color

witchdex is a comprehensive, dynamic, and mobile-friendly reference for magical + witchcraft correspondences based on several years of independent research. it's a work in progress and i am constantly updating and adding information so please remember to do your own research!

currently compatible with firefox, chrome, and safari, and for entertainment purposes only - not a replacement for medical, financial, or legal advice.

dataset + code created by me - please don't steal, copy, or redistribute as your own!

CURRENT CATEGORIES

crystals, plants, fruits, planets, metals, colors, and one single mineral, which is salt lol

TIPS + TRICKS

search for whole words without punctuation - instead of "self-love" try "self love"

some of the most common terminology used for associations/traits include but are not limited to: attraction, banishing, binding, cursing, divination, dreamwork, fertility, fidelity, love, lust, manifestation, protection, psychic abilities, power, warding

keywords for items include associations that would be considered benefic to the caster, and if an item also has a baneful association, it will be listed as such underneath its keywords - the same applies for items that may be toxic

you may notice missing information in some sections as i continue to work on this page - please be patient with me! :)

if you see any misinformation, misspellings, typos, formatting errors, coding errors, duplicate entries, etc. OR have any questions, please send me a message via the contact page

please enjoy and consider buying me a coffee so i can keep doing stuff like this in my spare time. :)

my links for non-tumblr viewers: - blog - personal site - book of stars [grimoire] - witchdex - ko-fi

A little something for when life insists on kicking your ass.

Materials

Red candle

Black peoper

Coffee grounds

Dress the candle with coffee grounds and pepper or sprinkle the two in a circle around the base of the candle.

As you light the candle, think about what's been weighing you down. Don't hide from it. Face it. Embrace it. Think about all the things you've survived before, and how you're still here.

Take a moment to focus on the flame. Feel the warmth and take comfort in it.

Living in the city as a witch can sometimes be a bit depressing. I know how it feels to feel really disconnected from nature and your craft, but know that you're still a valid witch even if you don't have 24 hour access to woodlands and rivers. Here's some ideas I have to make your city feel a little more witchy 🌀

Learn your city's history (this one is pretty obvious but it can really make a difference imo)

Locate your local witchy shops if there are any. Sometimes they're not so obvious, a witch can make good use of thrift stores, plant shops, bio stores, and more!

Learn to use energy sensing and FEEL out certain spots in your area, you might come across some hauntings or some spiritually active areas!

If you have any green spaces visit them often. Get to know your local trees, plants, flowers even if it's just in your local park. Make a relationship with them!

This wasn't my idea (I'm sure I saw it on another post somewhere) but make a witchy map! Mark all of these important places in it.

Provide witchy services if you're able to!

Try to make your home or your apartment feel more witchy and nature-y by adding house plants, you could even get into growing your own herbs for spell work!

hi! here's a short list of vessels you can use to contain tangible spells and ingredients that are not jars!

clean medicine bottles

envelopes

organza bags

plastic bags

cardboard boxes

folded toilet paper rolls

spare cloth

coffee filters

altoid tins

cans

lockets

poison rings

jewelry boxes

seashells

eggshells

matchboxes

cigarette packs or cellophane

decaying wood

hollowed out fruit

preserved in some manner such as a glass shadow box or within epoxy (unfortunately we don't really have time to wait for something to be set in amber)

✦ consider where you'll be keeping the container and how long it's supposed to last.

ok bye!

When cooking or making food, add herbs that match intention (making hamburger? Add a bit of salt and pepper for protection)

Sit outside and talk to the moon or sun

Listen to a witchy playlist! I personally love this one

Sit outside for a while in the nature

Self care! You might not believe it, but taking care of yourself (showering, brushing teeth, skincare, sleeping) can be extremely empowering, especially if you’re in a funk

Charge your jewerly on your altar/with moonlight/by your deities and wear it

Carry crystals with matching intentions

Make moon/sun water

Praying to your deities, if any

Light a candle or incense