Hekate Hermes Devotee

You do not need visualization skills to do energy work, perform magick, be a witch, or anything in between.

Rituals, spirit work, spells, divination, and so on have been practiced through so many other means than just visualization since practically the dawn of humanity. There are four other mundane and psychic senses than just eyesight and clairvoyance that you can utilize.

Raise and direct your energy via movement, your breath, and music. Meditate through automatic writing/drawing, or focus on how energy feels in different locations. Hone your intuition by asking for and noticing observable signs or listening to the voices of spirits and discerning them from your own inner voice.

If you spend enough time in witchy spaces, at some point you will likely come into contact with other alternative spirituality and/or alternative healing practitioners. You may choose to study some of these healing practices, or you may run into them accidentally. As you meet and mingle with different spiritual practitioners, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with common scams so you can avoid them.

Learning to spot a scam artist now will save you a lot of trouble as you navigate different spiritual spaces. By developing a strong bullshit detector, you can protect yourself and other people from being drawn in by grifters.

In this post, we'll go over several common red flags that indicate a spiritual or wellness scam. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are some of the scams you're most likely to run into.

Red Flag #1: They use titles they haven't earned, such as master, guru, priest/priestess, etc.

If someone uses a special title, don't be afraid to ask them how they got it! For example, a Reiki master/teacher is someone who has completed the highest level of Reiki training, and any legitimate master/teacher will have a certificate to prove that they are properly trained. Likewise, if someone uses a religious title like “High Priestess” or “Reverend,” they should be able to provide proof of their ordination.

This also goes for people who use secular titles. If someone goes by “Dr. So-and-So,” don't be afraid to ask what their doctorate is in! You'd be surprised how often people in wellness spaces pretend to be doctors because it makes them sound more authoritative.

Red Flag #2: They can't or won't tell you where they got their information and training.

This is similar to the previous red flag. A spiritual practitioner should be able to tell you who their teachers are, what their training was like, and what books and other resources they get their information from. This goes for witches, tarot readers, energy healers, yoga teachers, herbalists, and anyone else claiming to have some kind of authority or training.

If someone refuses to tell you where they got their information, there's probably a reason – maybe they don't have a source (i.e., they're making stuff up), or maybe they know their source won't hold up to scrutiny. Either way, these people are wasting your time.

Red Flag #3: They advise you to stop conventional medical treatments, stop taking prescription medications, and/or stop going to therapy.

This one should be self-explanatory, but just in case, let me remind you that spiritual practitioners are not medical professionals. No one except your physician should be telling you what medical treatment you should or shouldn't use. Even if it is framed as “just friendly advice,” a spiritual practitioner telling you what to do for your physical health is overstepping a boundary.

A trend I see a lot in spiritual spaces is the claim that psychiatric medication interferes with psychic abilities or makes it harder to work with energy. This is 1.) false, and 2.) ableist.

Taking medication to treat medical issues, including mental illness, does not have any negative spiritual effects. In fact, you may find your ability to work with energy is actually improved when your symptoms are properly treated.

Suddenly stopping a medication can have serious health consequences, such as withdrawal or worsening of symptoms. You should never stop taking your prescribed medication without talking to your doctor first.

On a similar note, spiritual practitioners are not therapists. If you are struggling with mental health issues, you should seek services from a licensed counselor. It is inappropriate for a spiritual practitioner to give mental health advice.

Red Flag #4: They diagnose people with medical conditions or give medical advice when they aren't a medical professional.

This is related to the previous red flag. Once again, spiritual practitioners are not medical professionals. Unless this person is also a licensed medical doctor, they should not be trying to diagnose you with medical conditions. (And even then, they would need to perform a medical exam to give a diagnosis.)

Some spiritual practitioners claim to be “medical psychics” or otherwise able to sense medical issues. This is not a valid medical diagnosis and is not a replacement for conventional medical care.

Red Flag #5: They give diet and exercise advice when they aren't a dietician.

Spiritual practitioners are not nutrition experts or physical therapists and are not qualified to give diet or exercise advice. There is no reason for a spiritual practitioner to be telling you what to eat or how to move your body.

Be especially wary of people who claim that you need to lose weight to advance spiritually or who tell you that your weight is a sign of spiritual issues. This is fatphobia, plain and simple. Weight and body size are caused by genetic and environmental factors, not by a lack of spiritual development. A person's spirituality has nothing to do with their size.

Red Flag #6: They try to sell you expensive products.

You do not need crystals, essential oils, herbal supplements, or any other tools to make your magic (or any spiritual practice) work. Anyone who insists that you absolutely need such-and-such crystal or such-and-such herbal tea is trying to make money off you.

Red Flag #7: They claim to be a reincarnated deity or spiritual leader OR they claim to speak for such a being.

Speaking from personal exprience as a former social worker, these claims ofen come from people who are in psychosis and need medical help. (Remember, psychosis just means someone is having experiences that are disconnected from reality. It does not mean that person is crazy, evil, or dangerous. Psychosis is a common medical condition and, like most medical conditions, it can be managed with medication and social support. That being said, psychosis is often accompanied by mental and emotional distress, which is why it's important to get help.)

We also sometimes see these types of claims used to mythologize the leaders of high-demand groups, a.k.a. cults. Whether the cult leader truly believes these claims or not is often unclear. (See the story of the “Love Has Won” cult for a fairly recent, high-profile example of this.)

Let me be clear: Lots of people have spiritual practices that involve working with gods, angels, saints, or other spirits, and many people feel that they receive messages from these spirits. That on its own is not necessarily a red flag. I'm also not really talking about therians or otherkin here – those identities can be totally healthy. What IS a red flag is if someone claims to speak for a supernatural being, epecialy if they claim to be that being's only earthly representative.

Red Flag #8: They claim to be “chosen” by a higher power and on a divine mission.

Like the previous red flag, this one is less about someone feeling like they have a spiritual calling and more about them claiming to have spiritual authority. A spiritual practitioner who feels like their life's purpose is to heal people is not necessarily a red flag. A spiritual practitioner who feels like their life's purpose is to be a world leader or otherwise control people is a red flag.

Red Flag #9: They subscribe to conspiracy theories or revisionist history.

Unfortunately, spiritual spaces can sometimes become an onramp to harmful conspiracies. Be wary of anyone who makes claims that are obviously out of touch with reality, even if you think they genuinely believe it.

Many conspiracies are closely tied to racist and/or antisemitic hate movements. Even conspiracy theories that seem silly at first glance, like the idea that the Egyptian pyramids were built by aliens, are based on racist ideas and can be a slippery slope into hateful thinking.

Red Flag #10: They try to push their religious or spiritual beliefs on you.

Obviously, if you ask someone to teach you about a spiritual practice, you are going to hear a little about their spiritual beliefs. In a class on witchcraft, I have to talk about witchcraft. But it would be inappropriate for me to use a witchcraft class to talk about my religious beliefs. It would also be inappropriate for me to invite my witchcraft students to a worship service or to pray over them without their consent. The same goes for other spiritual and wellness practices.

If you are interested in learning more about these topics, I recommend the following resources:

Steven Hassan’s BITE Model of Authoritarian Control: https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model-pdf-download/

Bright-Sided by Barbara Ehrenreich

What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon

“The Crunchy to Alt-Right Pipeline” by Kathleen Belew: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/12/fringe-left-alt-right-share-beliefs-white-power-movement/672454/

Sisters In Hate by Seyward Darby

Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts

The Dream podcast

Maintenance Phase podcast

"The world's key-bearer never doomed to fail; in stags rejoicing, huntress, nightly seen, and drawn by bulls, unconquerable queen..."

•☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾•

Adamantea {ad-uh-man-TEE-uh}: 'Unable to be tamed', "Unconquerable"

Aenaos {eye-NAH-os}: 'Eternal'

Amaimákrætos Vasíleia {uh-may-MACK-ruh-tahs vah-SEE-lay-uh}: 'Indomitable Queen' (note that it may shown as 'Basileia')

Arkyia/Arkuia {AHR-kwee-uh}: 'Entrapper', Spinner of Webs'.

Astrodia {uh-astro-DEE-uh}: ‘Star-walker’, ‘Star-Courser’

Boôpis {BOH-op-pis}: 'cow-eyed' (referring to a gentle gaze)

Brimô {BREE-moh}: 'Angry one', 'Terrifying' (may show as Vrimo)

Daeira {day-EE-ruh}: ‘The Knowing One’

Dǽspina/Despoina {dess-PEE-nuh}: 'Mistress', 'Lady of the House'

Eidôlios {eye-DOH-lee-os}: ‘Phantasmal’, ‘Ghostly’

Einodía/Enodia {eh-NOH-dee-uh}: 'of the Crossroads', 'of the Path'

Ærannín/Erannen {uh-RAN-in}: 'Lovely One'

Iyæmóni/Hegemoni {ee-yay-MO-nee} {huh-JEM-uh-nee}: 'She who has Authority' 'Guide'

Hieros Pyr {HEE-er-ros PEER}: ‘Holy Fire’

Kapetoktypos {kah-peh-TOK-tee-pos}: 'Tomb-Disturber'

Kardiodaitos {kar-dee-oh-DYE-tos}: 'Heart-eater'

Khthónii/Kthonia {kuh-THO-nee-ee} {kuh-THO-nee-uh}: 'Of the Earth', 'Earthly'

Kleidoukhos {klay-DOO-khos}: 'Key-Keeper', 'She who holds the Keys'

Kourotróphos {koo-roh-TROH-fohz}: 'Nurturer of Children'

Krokópæplos {kroh-KOP-uh-plos}: 'Draped in saffron', 'Veiled'

Lampadephoros {lam-pa-DEF-uh-rus}: 'Torchbearer'

Limenoskopos {lih-men-oh-SKOH-pohs}: 'Of the Threshhold'

Meisopomenos {my-so-POM-eh-nos}: 'Laborer of the Moon'

Melinoe {muh-LIN-oh-ee}: ‘Soothing One’

Mene {MEH-nay}: ‘Moon'

Monoyænís/Monogenes {MAH-nuh-yeh-NEES} {mo-NOH-gheh-nes}: 'The Unique One'

Noctiluca {nok-tuh-LOO-kuh}: 'Night-Shiner'

Nyktiboos {nik-tih-boos}: 'Night-Shouter', "Night-Crier'

Nyktǽria/Nykteria {nik-TEER-ee-uh}: 'Nocturnal', 'Of the Night'

Witchcraft is actually hella customizable. You can invent shit. I don't know how this: "By the book, uber traditional, heavily controlled" thing gained so much traction, but...

You can make your own holidays

You can make your own Gods

You can design your own divination methods

You can make sigils -however the fuck you want

You can create your own theory on energy systems based on your personal experience

Write your own ethics and codes of conduct

Describe crystals or herbs by their ENERGY instead of a keyword list you got off Pinterest

Cleanse in a completely different way than the books tell you to

At the end of the day, this is just chaos magick. If that’s something you’re interested with, it’s a fantastically fun practice for someone who doesn’t want to follow the rules (give or take).

Deities are a finicky thing at the end of the day, because there’s so many ways you can believe in them:

That they’re real incarnations

That they’re archetypes of a collective consciousness (Carl Jung)

And a mix between the two- deities may be something we as a collective consciousness have created and made real.

Regardless of your thoughts and beliefs, the question goes, could you make your own deities? Your own spirits (much in the way of servitors)? I suppose anything is possible as long as it’s in line with the laws of physics as we know it.

Helps improve the overall health of your local ecosystems and native wildlife.

Allows you to build a better relationship with the spirits of your area.

There is no such thing as overharvesting, so if you worry you’re the type when foraging for ingredients to go heavy handed; go to your invasives.

Inherently these plants when used in spell work will be fast-working, highly adaptive, and dominating.

You likely already have an invasive in your area that has the intentions you want to use in your next spell.

Allows you to not rely on massive monoculture farms that over-farm and hurt the environment.

Gives you the excuse to go outside and get moving which has been proven to have positive impacts on mental health.

Invasives aren’t hard to find. You can find them at the park, school campuses, any patch of grass along the road, etc.

The baneful possibilities are endless, like you can get so creative.

Depending on what exactly is your invasive and where you’re foraging from it’s free food.

Some Important Reminders

Research what are your natives and your invasives and learn to identify them, especially if they are similar to natives or have dangerous look-a-likes.

Read up on your area’s by-laws to ensure you are foraging invasives in a legal and safe way.

When harvesting invasives harvest carefully and be aware of how this specific invasive spreads, so when harvesting you’re not possibly helping it spread.

Don’t compost invasives.

Some invasives are poisonous or toxic, so research and be careful when handling. Please don’t consume or use in any workings that would require burning them or skin contact.

If looking for edible invasives or invasives you plan on using in salves or bath rituals, don’t harvest from polluted areas and ensure it is not toxic.

Here's a list of some common fruits (at least here in my corner of the USA) and their most commonly practiced properties.

Apple: Love, success, healing, happiness, joy, peace

Apricot: Lust, love, peace, affection

Banana: Spirituality, fertility, luck, love, prosperity

Blackberry: Lust, protection, healing, prosperity

Blueberry: Protection, peace, calmness

Cherry: Joy, love

Cranberry: Protection

Grape: Dreaming, prosperity, fertility

Grapefruit: Cleansing, healing, purification (eat with caution if you're on meds!)

Lemon: Purification, cleansing, removing blockages, energy

Lime: Love, peace, protection, cleansing, purification

Mango: Protection, lust, affection, love

Melon: Purification, healing

Nectarine: Love, affection, intimacy

Orange: Purification, healing, luck, love, prosperity

Peach: Longevity, wisdom, joy, fertility, love

Pear: Longevity, lust, love, prosperity, luck

Pineapple: Love, lust, protection, prosperity

Plum: Protection, love, lust

Pomegranate: Creativity, luck, prosperity, wishes

Raspberry: Energy, joy, love, protection

Strawberry: Success, romance, love, luck

Watermelon: Healing

Remember, everyone, always dig a little deeper if you're struggling and never accept the first answer you find as ultimate truth! Knowledge is power, and power is control. Safe practicing and blessed be!