casual witchy blog

While being active in a spiritual community that holds many people from different countries and belief systems, it’s important to interact with them equipped with the proper respect they deserve. Here is a short list of acts and terms that are considered disrespectful! 

Whether you’re new to witchcraft or a seasoned veteran, there is still information here you will find valuable. I believe it’s important to talk about these things in a controlled manner so people realise that it’s not an attack when we say not to use these terms. Forward this post to a friend if you need to give them a gentle nudge away from some shady activities they may have been unwittingly pursuing. 

Smudging

One of the most incorrect terms used widely in the community, smudging is a specific ritual within Native American belief and spirituality that is exclusive to those practitioners and those practitioners alone. The non-appropriate non-Native equivalent of a similar act of cleansing is called smoke cleansing. Many people use the terms smoke cleansing and smudging synonymously when they are two different things! It’s extremely disrespectful to claim to smudge if you are not Native.

Dreamcatchers

While this one causes less offence, it’s still going to grant you an eye-roll from anyone educated on the matter. Dreamcatchers are again, aspects of Native culture. Dreamcatchers can be gifted or sold to non-Native people respectfully so long as the seller is of that culture themselves. Most of the time, however, non-Native shops exploit and make money from this iconic practice while the Native peoples continue to see none of the rewards for something that is theirs, which is why buying non-Native dreamcatchers is seen as offensive. Additionally, it is the words and energy woven into the dreamcatcher that gives it power. There’s little point in buying a cheap dreamcatcher from Becky on Etsy for the aesthetic.

Spirit Animals & Totems

Similar to Smudging, Spirit Animals and Totems are exclusive to Native American practise and simply can not be used unless you are a part of that culture. They are again, very specific terms that people have wrongly interpreted to be universal. If you wish to work with animal spirits in your practice, a more appropriate term to use would be a spirit companion, or simply an animal spirit.

Black & White Magic/Witchcraft

This is a niche issue and depending on who you ask you’ll have a different answer on if this causes offence or not. I can’t give a definite ‘Don’t use these terms, they are bad’ to you but I can say they are pretty dated and a good alternative would be to use light and dark magic instead. The term ‘Black magic’ holds racist connotations for many. ‘Black Magic’ is often seen as a negative force yet holds associations with hoodoo, voodoo and African spirituality. It puts non-western, non-white magic into an ‘other’ section, something nefarious to be feared, and innately implies a lack of moral purity. ‘White Magic’ is mostly considered to encompass modern spiritual healing,  western neo-witchcraft and neo-Wicca, and is painted as the ‘Good’ and moral choice. In other words, these terms create a subtle racial divide that leads to some unconscious potentially racist views of cultures outside of what the west considers the norm.

Closed or Partially Closed Cultures

There are countless religions which are open for anyone and everyone to join. Norse, Hellenic and Kemetic Paganism are just 3 examples.

However, many religions and spiritualities are closed to any who are not born into them. These cultures are often closed in order to protect the longevity, quality of information and ward against theft. As many of these practices rely on the wisdom and connection of ancient ancestors, it makes little sense for those not born into them to practise them and is believed the deity or spirit of the culture in question would be offended at someone trying to do so. 

As well as closed cultures, there are also such things as partially closed cultures and religions. These are initiation based; in order to practise them, you must have permission or have been introduced to the culture by someone already within it.

Wicca And Witchcraft

There has been a confusion of these two terms for a very long time. Wicca is a religion. Witchcraft is not. Witchcraft is a practice, a way of channelling energy to achieve a desired intent. It has no specific belief system. Christians can be witches and atheists can be witches. Wicca is a specific earth-based religion in which the followers also happen to be witches.

Wicca, ‘The Old Religion’

A lot of Wiccan authors will tell you that Wicca is the one main pagan religion that has been around for thousands of years; this is incorrect! It was a theory that the founder of Wicca, Gerald Gardner, picked up from a historian called Margret Murray. In one of her texts, she theorised the existence of one main continuous witch-cult religion. Wicca was based on this belief. This theory, however, has been disproven MANY times by other historians and is simply incorrect. Wicca was born in the 1950s, early 40s at a push. It was loosely based on a mishmash of late 19th and early 20th century texts combined with influence from African spirituality and a healthy dose of imagination. 

‘A REAL witch wouldn’t curse’ or ‘It is against the rules of witchcraft to curse people!’ or ‘You must follow the Threefold Law!’ or ‘You must follow the Rede’!

Whether or not a witch chooses to curse or not is entirely up to them. There is NO rule against cursing unless you belong to a religion that forbids it. There are no rules to witchcraft at all; it is a personal, secular experience that no one can tell you how to do. Both the Threefold Law and the Wiccan Rede are exclusive to Wicca and do not have to be followed if you are not a Wiccan.

Karma

The concept of Karma is not what you probably think it is at all. Not only is Karma exclusive to religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, the rough actual meaning of Karma is that the actions a person takes in this life will decide the fate of their next life.

Chakras

The use and knowledge of working with Chakras is again, a CLOSED practise belonging to Indian tantric religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Knowledge of Chakras has been so watered down and stripped of its identity at this point that any book you read on the topic is most likely for lack of a better term, new age nonsense. You do not have to use the term Chakra to pertain to energy centres within your body.

G*psy

my personal correspondences by time of day, complied form my grimoire.

dawn - breaking curses, beauty and glamour spells. weather and sea spells. magic involving delicate feelings, friendship and forgiveness, budding romance.

morning - fertility, good luck, green/herbal witchcraft. best time to brew potions. intuition and justice. 

noon - wealth and career spells. success and motivation. confidence and courage spells. kitchen magic.

afternoon - the time to gather herbs. communication spells. travel protections. 

evening - psychic protections, peace/balance spells. kitchen spells and pop culture spells

twilight - catalysts, movement and growth. astral travel and divination. love/lust spells. technology witchcraft.

evening -  curses, hexes, banishment, bindings. space and cosmic magic. dream magic. hedgecraft

I try to incorporate little witchy things into my everyday life, so I feel less rusty when I have the spoons to practice. Here’s a bit of what my schedule looks like, I’m on a normie schedule right now due to work but it’s kind of in order of when you wake up/start your day:

Morning:

Make hot tea, or plop a teabag in a glass of water for iced tea later. If I have the spoons I’ll do this with cold water.

Whisper some intentions for the day into the tea, offer the first sip to a deity if that’s your thing.

Draw a tarot card of the day/week. I like doing one’s for the week if I’m super sick and can’t handle a daily card. Don’t feel pressured to figure out why you pulled that card right away, you have all day!

I love lighting a candle or incense in the morning, but I don’t usually have time.

I love scrolling through tumblr and getting witchy ideas while I wake up too!

Driving to work:

Drinking the rest of/the second cup of tea. Tea is life.

I speak gratitude to things while driving. “I’m grateful I woke up today.” “I’m grateful I can drive to X instead of walking” “I’m grateful for the trees” “I’m grateful for tea”. Whatever you want, but I think there’s power in finding something to be grateful for.

Play music that makes you feel powerful.

I also like putting some drops of essential oil into the diffuser in my car, different types for different moods/intentions.

At work/afternoon:

I’m lucky enough to have a job teaching in the forest so I try to find little moments to enjoy my surroundings and the life around me! I’m too busy for anything else.

Evening:

I try to sage cleanse when I get home/off work to release the energy of the day and allow myself to have a life outside of work.

I like to incorporate kitchen witchery into making my dinner and prepping my lunch.

I cut out a window of time where I’m settling down (technology free) before bed, and use that as a time to do witchy things. Lighting candles/incense, leaving offerings to deities, drawing sigils, do a tarot spread, reading witchcraft books, releasing energy, etc.

Bedtime:

Enchanted sleepytime tea!

Crystals for easy/pain free sleep under the pillow.

ANDDDD start the process over again. This is obviously very specific to my needs/energy levels and my summer schedule, how I operate the rest of the year is different! But hopefully this gives you some ideas!

Tropical Astrology: More commonly known as western astrology, it is quite easily the most popular form of astrology used today. It deals primarily with the equinoxes, or the seasons. It is a geocentric form of astrology which interprets the chart based upon the relation of the earth to the luminaries and planets at the moment of first breath. It is much more personal than Vedic astrology. It is a snapshot of the conscious self here in this material reality and represents how this person will ultimately experience life.

Sidereal Astrology: More commonly known as Vedic astrology, it is one of the most ancient forms of astrology in existence. Vedic astrology is also known as Indian Astrology, as this is where it began its development. It deals primarily with the placement of the constellations at the moment of your birth, and is much more indicative of the goings-on of the world at large. Some say the Vedic chart is indicative of past lives, but it is far less personal than your tropical chart. This is where the term “star sign” originated.

Draconic Astrology: More commonly known as soul astrology, draconic astrology uses the natal chart as a sort of starting point to determine who you are at your most profound level. Some say it’s who you were before the world made you into who you are now. This level of astrological interpretation takes your natal North Node (moon) point and moves it forward or backward until it reaches 0 degrees of Aries. And thus your natal chart is adjusted accordingly. It is essentially your soul blueprint, and if you believe in past lives, it shows the person you more than likely were in a previous incarnation. The placement of the North Node at 0 degrees of Aries showcases the birth of identity, of the self, which is why draconic astrology is used as a representation of the soul.

Witchcraft uses a lot of words you might not have heard before; here’s a breakdown of some of the most common!

Basics

Intent: The goal or desire; the will for something to come into being.

Visualisation: A technique used in magical workings in which the witch pictures the desired effect within their mind’s eye.

Manifestation: The process of a desired intent being brought into reality.

Charging: The act of filling an object with energy.

Cleansing: A magical working with the intent of removing all lingering energies from an object, place or person, be those energies negative or positive.

Grounding: A magical technique in which the individual removes excess unwanted energy (often by ‘pushing’ it into the ground while sitting down) and aligns themselves with the energy of the earth.

Banishing: A magical working with the intent of sending something away, removing an individual from your life or cutting out negative acts and behaviours.

Warding: A magical working in which the individual creates ‘Wards’. Wards are barriers of energy which deny any unwanted entity entrance to the place warded. Wards can also be placed upon oneself to prevent a magical attack.

Deity: A supreme being. Often represented by Gods and Goddesses though not limited to these terms.

Tools, Objects & Symbology

Grimoire:  A personal magical inventory of beliefs, spells, ingredients and anything else deemed essential to a witches path. 

Altar: A sacred space in which to enact magical workings, meditation and worship.

Wand: A pointed object used to direct energy.

Priapic Wand: A phallus-shaped wand.

Athame: A knife used in ritual to cut out a sacred space and to direct energy. Typically you will never use this to cut solid objects.

Book Of Shadows: A personal magical inventory of beliefs, spells, ingredients and anything else deemed essential to a Wiccan’s path.

Boline: A knife, often but not always a sickle, used for the cutting of ingredients, inscribing of candles and carving of wood.

Besom: A broomstick used to cleanse an area.

Cauldron: A metal pot used for spellwork. (Boiling, mixing, stirring).

Chalice: A goblet, cup or class containing ritual drink. Typically containing offerings.

Dark Mirror: A black piece of glass or reflective material used for scrying.

Pentagram: A five-pointed star widely used amongst many Pagan religions.

Pentacle: A pentagram with a circle around it, typically worn as a necklace for protection.

Inversed Pentagram: A symbol relating to Satanic practises and beliefs.

Septagram: A seven-sided star, usually used in reference to workings with the Fae.

Triquetra: An ancient Celtic symbol which has lost its initial meanings which is today adopted by Pagans of varying paths to mean different things. In Christianity referred to as the trinity knot and believed to represent the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. A secular way of viewing this is that it represents life, death and rebirth. In Wicca believed to represent the triple Goddess. 

Amulet: An object that has innate magical properties used as a necklace.

Charm: An object that has been given magical properties.

Talisman: An object that has been created with the intention of having a specific magical property

Hag Stone: A stone with a hole worn naturally worn through it in which the other side is visible. Thought to be used to see the ‘unseen’ and often the Fae.

Poppet: An object designed to take on the likeness of an individual upon which spells are used. A taglock is used to bind the person to the poppet.

Taglock: The personal effect of an individual that can be used in spellwork as a link to that target. 

Festivities, Holidays & Events

Wheel Of The Year: A name used to refer to the cycle of the eight holidays observed in Wicca; synonymously used to describe the turn of the seasons.

Solstice: Two points in the year in which the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky. The longest and shortest days of the year.

Esbat: A meeting upon the full moon.

Sabbat: Used to refer to any of the eight holidays observed by Wiccans and others.

Skyclad: To be naked. Believed to promote a greater connection to nature during ritual and worship. 

Equinox: The time in which day and night are of equal length as the sun crosses the celestial equator.

Coven: A meeting of witches with the intent to perform magic or worship as a group.

Circle: A temporary space marked out by a magical practitioner that is capable of containing, enhancing and binding magical energy.

Further Reading  

Mage: Another term for a magical practitioner.

Aether: The fifth element after Earth, Air, Fire and Water meaning Spirit, Energy, Life Essense & Soul.

Abjuration: Practices of magic relating to the protection of oneself through the suppression of spells cast by other magic practitioners.

Conjuration: Practices of magic relating to bringing desired effects into reality.

Divination: Practices of magic relating to gathering further insight on desired topics, including knowledge of the past and the future. 

Enchantment: Practices of magic relating to enacting influence over the minds and decisions of others.

Evocation: Practices of magic relating to working with raw, sometimes uncontrollable forces of power.

Animism: The belief that all things are alive or have a soul.

Glamour: Practices of magic pertaining to achieving desired intent via altering, enhancing or changing one’s appearance.

Blasting: A magical working with the intent of causing infertility and ill health, in both people and crops.

Sigil: A magical symbol created by the individual, usually constructed by breaking down a word or sentence and using the letters.

Seal: A magical symbol. Often used to finalise a working.

Elemental (Noun): A force, being, entity or representation of an element given form and sometimes rudimentary conscious thought, though not in a way thought to be understood correctly by humankind. 

Elemental (Adjective): Pertaining to any workings regarding the elements

Witchcraft Types

Secular: The practice of witchcraft at its core. Devoid of any influence from religion or spirituality.

Atheistic: The practice of witchcraft from an Athiest perspective.

Elemental: The practice of witchcraft in which the individual utilises the power of the Elements as their primary source of energy and spell structure. E.g Water Witch, Fire Witch, etc.

Wiccan: Belonging to Wicca, a relatively new nature-based religion born in the 1940′s/50′s in which Witchcraft is expressed as the main form of worship for the God and Goddess.

Traditional: Witchcraft that predates the rebirth in popularity of Witchcraft during the 20th Century.

Hedge: A solitary practitioner who utilises herbs in their practice. Once used exclusively for witches who follow the practice of ‘Hedge Riding’ this term has opened out to encompass those following the archetype of the ‘village witch’ providing salves and potions. 

Stregheria: A form of Italian witchcraft, often centred around the worship of Leyland’s version of Aradia and Diana (though the term can also be used for other forms of Italian witchcraft).

Christian: The practice of witchcraft from a Christian perspective. 

1. For a situation that is not going your way

Find the Wheel of Fortune in your deck, the two cards on either side are the solutions to your problem

2. To bring money to you

Pull out the 1st, 5th, 10th, 20th and 50th card in your deck. These cards will tell you how to bring amounts of money your way.

3. To find the root of a romantic conflict

Find The Lovers. The cards on either side are conflicts surrounding the relationship.

4. To Leave behind sadness

Find The Moon and The Sun. The cards in between them are the order of steps you must take to move forward.

5. To look into your near future

Okay, so I guess we need to talk about smudging vs smoke cleansing (which is not a wide-spread term, but it’s what I’m going to use to help differentiate between the two practices for this post). Now, there are a lot of similarities between traditional smudging and smoke cleansing. Both are methods of cleansing that utilize the smoke of sacred herbs and plants to cleanse and purify a person, place, or thing.   

Here’s a visual, but don’t worry, we’ll discuss below:

First, Smoke Cleansing:

Like traditional smudging, this is the practice of cleansing somewhere, something, or someone with smoke. 

Most commonly, white sage (or, as we call it sacred sage or ceremonial sage) is used in this practice, but other things can be substituted. There are many cultures who have practiced smoke cleansing, so you can find an herb or resin that’s applicable to any path. 

Smoke cleansing is usually done in a circular, sunwise path. The direction in which you being may very depending in your path or tradition, but most books will tell you to begin in the east.

Smoke is fanned into every corner and crevice of whatever you’re cleansing in order to remove spirits, negative energy, and evil. 

Smoke cleansing may be accompanied by a chant or something similar. This can be personal or textbook and is generally said out loud. 

Because this practice is passed down from book to person or from mentor to student, it remains relatively the same between most people who use it—tools, smokes, and chants, on the other hand, may vary. 

Smoke cleansing is considered a very important practice because of the act of cleansing. 

It can be use before, during, or after ritual or spellwork. 

Traditional Smudging:

Traditional smudging is a pre-ceremony element used to cleanse and purify and area of ceremony as well as any of the people who are going to pass into the circle—dancers, veterans, storytellers, etc.

Like a lot of our ceremonial practices, the concept of smudging is usually passed down through oral tradition and generally through a family line. There is not a lot of accurate representation of this practice in books; so, without oral tradition, the practice as Native Americans know it would cease to exist. 

Some elements of smudging will differ from group to group. There is no one way for Native Americans to do things. Every tribe, clan, and family will have their own set of practices; and every person will have their own prayers.

Tools for smudging are usually traditional—at least for ceremonial purpose. Though the actual practices vary, the tools are almost always familiar. 

Smudging is accompanied by constant prayer (generally said in the heart) and uses specific movements when smudging your smudge fan, yourself, or someone else.

The prayers that accompany this practice are not written down and are totally different from person to person. We are never taught how to pray. 

Traditional smudging also utilizes white sage—however, it is usually incorporated into a blend. My family, for example, uses sage, tobacco, and cedar. 

Unlike smoke cleansing, traditional smudging is not often used to get rid of spirits. In fact, because the practice has been used during the prayers of our race since the first people, it’s often thought of as a way to connect with the spirits of our ancestors. Sometimes, it’s taught that our prayers are carried along with their prayers.

The smoke from smudging also serves to put a person into a community mindset. Because we have passed this tradition down from first people, the smell of the smoke evokes a feeling of being at home no matter where you are or who you’re with. It’s something that the entire community can share, whether they are related or not. 

Smudging is considered sacred both because of spiritual practices and the connection to community and is often used as a way to honor ancestors while cleansing. 

EDIT: I forgot to mention we also have specific ways of disposing of ashes. :O