People are beautiful when they do beautiful things.

Moodboard for drinking coffee alone in a South Jersey diner, in the mid-90s, while its raining out.

We don’t know how long this situation is going to last or how existing infrastructure will cope with it as time goes on. Regardless of what happens, having extra fresh food to share with your neighbors will absolutely be important going forward. If you’ve ever wanted to grow food, you should do it now

Gardeners are thinning their seedlings and trying to distribute their extra seeds as we speak, and they’ll be thrilled to share if you want to get started. I’ve been doing this myself, giving away seedlings as much as I can. Talk to your friends, look up local gardening groups, visit the house in your neighborhood with veggies growing in the front, whatever. My local mutual aid list even has a urban farming tab for these kinds of offers and requests, with lots of gardeners and local farms offering seeds, advice, even labor. Check your local group, and put a call out asking for them - you might get some offers!

You can also grow certain veggies from food scraps you might already have around. And needless to say, you can save the seeds from your produce as well

You should also start composting ASAP. I made a post recently with a dead-simple guide to get started - it’s not nearly as hard as you’ve heard, it doesn’t take any skill, special materials, or really much care. There are also resources in that link for getting your organic materials to others who are already composting, if you don’t have the space to do it yourself

I have a whole tag full of gardening resources. There’s soooo much in there. And if you need any more help getting started and don’t have any local connections, DM me and I’ll be happy to answer your questions

Munson Creek Falls, Oregon

Summer 2019

Y’all !!!

A simple ritual to help someone who’s passed find peace.

Ingredients:

A small candle (white or black is good, or a color you associate with the deceased)

A small piece of paper and pen/pencil (or special treat or toy if for a beloved pet)

Rosemary oil or leaves

Thyme

Violet, marigold, or rose petals

Ground clove

A pinch of sugar (any kind)

A small candle-safe bowl/holder (needs to be a bit larger than the candle itself so herbs can be placed around)

1.) Write the name of the person or pet on the piece of paper. Write what you wish for them (peace, rest, happiness, love, reunions, etc.). Include the toy and/or treats around the bowl if for a pet.

2.) Place the paper under the candle. If you have rosemary oil, rub the candle with it lightly. If you have the leaves, you can stick them into the candle in a ring around the outer edge.

3.) Create a ring around the candle with the herbs and petals. Sprinkle the sugar around on top last.

4.) Light the candle and say the pet/person’s name and the things you wish for them.

5.) Leave the candle burning as long as you are able, but it’s okay if that’s a short amount of time.

This is a good question.

Death witchcraft and necromancy both have high learning curves. They require a baseline in spirit work that takes a while to develop. You have to put in frequent work in order to hone your spirit senses and learn to silence your own mind.

And any path that involves consistent spirit work is hard. To put it simply, you always have to be on your guard. Spirits won’t always listen. They may try to hurt you. And if your defenses are low, at best you won’t get what you’re looking for. 

If you have an innate fear of spirit work, this path can be harder. Honestly there comes a time when you’re like “I’ve seen almost everything already and I know what to do when this bullshit comes up.” Before that point, it’s hard to understand which divination method to use, which protection spells work, which spirits you should work with and which you should shun.

In particular, death work can be hard in situations where intense emotions are involved. Speaking to a recently-deceased loved one or abusive relative is way harder than talking to a stranger. That’s why some people recommend against doing these things.