Emilia's Online Grimoire

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When I started working with deities, they wanted me to do shadow work. It was mandatory, and it was presented to me as a way not only to know my shadow and integrate it, but as a way to alchemize myself. A way to transform. To become something new.

I started doing it using tarot and automatic writing.

This is the spread I use

The shadow // A card to represent the shadow to get to know in this reading.

Why I rejected it // Take your time reading this card. Feel it. Dig deep in yourself. Sometimes even the reasons are in shadows.

How does it surface in my life? // Everything you reject, or suppress, or do not acknowledge finds its way to your everyday life. Take your time with this card, too.

The hidden value of the shadow // Every shadow has something to teach you, to empower you. Getting to know yourself better strengthens you. Find the wisdom in it. Face the shadow and see it's beauty.

How to Alchemize it // The way to integrate the shadow in your life. To harmonize yourself with it. To look at the shadow as a friend, as a part of you, and not something to hide or reject. The way to shift internally and transform.

It was really useful.

If you use it and have feedback, let me know!

In spiritual and psychological practice, shadow work means facing the parts of ourselves we’ve been taught to hide - the “unacceptable,” “messy,” or “too much” aspects of our personality.

💗 Feminine shadow work specifically focuses on the parts of the divine feminine that have been shamed, suppressed, or exiled; not just in ourselves, but across generations. This includes:

• Emotional sensitivity and moodiness

• Sensuality and sexual expression

• Intuition and psychic knowing

• Jealousy, envy, and comparison

• Nurturing or codependent tendencies

• Rage, grief, or the “dark mother” archetype

These aspects are not flaws - they are powerful energies that need to be witnessed, not erased.

🌙 How to Begin Feminine Shadow Work:

1. 🪞 Self-reflection: Notice what feminine traits you judge in others. That discomfort often reveals what you’ve repressed in yourself.

2. 📓 Journaling prompts:

• When do I feel like I’m “too much” or “not enough”?

• What emotions do I try to hide or minimize?

• What parts of being a woman/feminine-presenting person do I feel unsafe expressing?

3. 🔥 Embody it: Dance, cry, scream, create. Shadow work isn’t just mental - it’s physical, emotional, and spiritual.

4. 🕯️ Ritual work: Use candles, mirrors, tarot, or lunar energy to connect with the shadow self. Dark moon or waning moon phases are powerful times for this.

Reminder:

Your darkness holds wisdom. Your rage is sacred. Your sensuality is not a sin.

You can connect to nature from your bed, from the middle of a city, in your kitchen and on a slab of pavement next to a railway.

Nature is everywhere. Nature is everything. You are nature. Rock and stone is nature. Gulls and wasps are nature.

Can't get out of bed? Watch a cool documentary or short ecology video. Read a book on local flora. Draw some cool animals. Talk to your houseplants.

Live in a city? Pray to the dandelions and nettles alongside the pavement. Ask the Spirit of Rat to help you. Look up and see the sky. Feel below and sense the earth. (Making a more detailed urban nature spirit work post, will link here too).

Witchcraft Wasn’t Meant to Be Learned

With "forgotten magic", you mean "traditional witchcraft", but you are right to use the word "forgotten".

Because magic does not need to be learned: it has to be remembered.

The path is not before you. It is within you. Here is where you begin:

Step 1: Know thyself

As the sacred words once etched into the stone of Delphi whispered to seekers of truth.

Look inward before you look outward. Know your wounds, your longings, your strengths, your shadows. What do you seek? Who are you when no one is watching? The deeper your roots in self-knowledge, the taller your magic will grow.

Start from your birth chart, learn how to read it, it is the map of your life.

Step 2: Free yourself from fears, doubts and prejudices

The old ways demand clarity. You must unbind yourself from the voices that told you you were too much, or not enough. Let go of the fear of being powerful, the doubt that your path is real, and the judgment placed upon the craft by those who do not understand it.

Step 3: Connect to your higher power

Be it the spirits of the land, the old gods, the stars, or your own divine essence—seek communion. Build a relationship with what is greater than yourself, and let it guide you. Speak, listen, offer, wait.

Step 4: Find your craft

There is no single shape to the witch. Some weave spells, others speak to the dead. Some heal with plants, others gaze into fire. Your magic will be uniquely yours. Follow the tug in your spirit. Experiment, fail, rise, repeat.

Step 5: Expand your knowledge

Your magic begins and ends with you.

Witchcraft isn’t always casting spells or full moon rituals — sometimes, it’s how you stir your tea or the way you light a candle at 2 a.m.

Here’s what a cozy, intuitive morning and night might look like in a witch’s world:

⸻

Morning Routine (Sun Magic)

Vibe: Quiet power, setting intentions, grounding into the day

• Stretch & Sip – Herbal tea or lemon water in your favorite mug. Stir clockwise with an intention: “Today, I invite clarity.”

• Altar Check-In – Light a candle, mist with moon water, or leave a fresh flower or crystal offering. Say a quick thank you to your guides.

• Tarot or Oracle Pull – One card for the day’s energy. Journal any first impressions or symbols that stand out.

• Wear Your Spell – Choose jewelry or perfume that carries intention. A ring for protection, a color for confidence, a scent for focus.

• Affirm or Chant – Speak a few affirmations aloud while looking in the mirror. Bonus: draw a sigil on your wrist with water or oil.

⸻

Night Routine (Moon Magic)

Vibe: Reflection, release, soft self-love

• Cleanse Your Energy – Burn incense, spray aura mist, or brush off your body with your hands to release the day’s weight.

• Gratitude Journal – Write three things you’re grateful for — or a letter to your higher self about what you’re healing.

• Dream Prep – Place amethyst or moonstone near your bed. Keep a dream journal nearby. Add lavender or mugwort to a sleep sachet.

• Moon Water Mist – Mist your pillow or face with charged moon water for psychic sleep and emotional cleansing.

• Optional Spell – Light a candle for peace. Visualize anything stressful dissolving into the flame. Blow it out with intention.

⸻

Your rituals don’t have to be perfect — they just have to feel like yours.

Because your deck is more than just pretty paper!

Whether you’re just starting out or deep in the cards, these tarot tips will help sharpen your intuition and deepen your connection:

Everyday Tips

• Cleanse your deck often — crystals, moonlight, sound, or simply your breath and intention.

• Ask open-ended questions like “What do I need to know about…” instead of yes/no.

• Keep it simple. 1–3 card pulls can be just as powerful as a full spread.

• Trust your gut before the guidebook. First impressions matter.

• Write your readings down — patterns, symbols, and synchronicities love to show up later.

For Energy & Intuition

• Pull a daily card for guidance or reflection. Let it speak to your mood, your magic, or your mission.

• Set a soft intention before reading: “Let this reading bring clarity, kindness, and truth.”

• Speak to your deck like an old friend. Tarot mirrors your inner world.

• Shuffle until it feels right. Your body knows more than you think.

Witchy Add-Ons

• Sleep with a card under your pillow to absorb its energy in dreams.

• Keep amethyst or labradorite near for boosted insight.

• Read during moon phases — new moons for beginnings, full moons for revelations.

• Don’t rush. Some cards whisper, some scream. Give them all time.

Which tip do you swear by? Or what’s the best advice you’ve received from your deck?

-Leave shit at the gate (coins, cigarettes, eggs, flowers)

-If alone go in silence, if with others speak in a hushed tone

-Wear a hat or head covering to prevent possession or bringing home unwanted spirits.

-Bring bells and/or rattles to wake the dead if desired

-Smoking in the graveyard or carrying a flame is an easy way to get the attention of the dead at night.

-Bring a knife or object made of iron should things get hairy (always bring a knife). Canes are also excellent tools for working with the dead

-have a way of gathering occult materia without being noticed by people or spirits (invisibility charms work best)

-If you're bringing spirits home with you (intentionally), don't turn around until you're across the threshold of your home

-Upon leaving the cemetery, say a prayer for the dead and wild things that inhabitant there