Waiting for Inspiration (and other bedtime stories)

A little bit worried that witchtok sucked up the life of witch tumblr, so please reblog if you’re an active/practicing witch on tumblr as of July 12, 2021! 

Please be POC/LBGT inclusive!!!

Sidenote: I am a beginner closet witch looking to find my path, interested in norse/celtic/hellenic pantheons. But all are welcome and the more folks I can follow, the more knowledge I can gain, and the more people I can meet! 

☽☾ Thanks in advance, Blessed Be! ☽☾

•Technomancy •Kitchen Magic •Green Witchcraft •Spells •Tarot •Herbs or plants •Emoji spellsss •Any sort of witchcraft really

This doesn’t have anything to do with anything that I’m writing, I just wanted to kinda set this topic loose onto Tumblr, and maybe get some opinions of other people, so… 

My sister and I were discussing Technomancy, and we stumbled upon what it’s range and limitations would be. 

Namely, what exactly is “tech”? 

Does it have to have electricity run through it? Does it have to be metal? Does it have to be a machine of some kind? What happens when the thing only fits into one of these categories? 

Surely tech is not the electricity thing, because then Technomancers wouldn’t be able to control anything steam powered, or future-tech with an unknown power source. But that also brings up the question: Does the “tech” have to have a power source before it’s considered “tech”? What happens when it breaks? When it’s turned off? Surely broken tech or powered down tech is still considered tech even when the power source is removed, right? 

So now that we think that “tech” does not have to have a power source running through it, do machine parts still count as tech? How basic can we get before the parts stop being tech? Is a screw still tech? Isn’t that just a piece of metal? Screws can be used for other things, not just machines, so can a Technomancer still control a screw if it’s part of a modern art exhibit or from a piece of furniture? 

Does that mean that intention dictates what is tech? How far back does the intention have to be? Is it just the latest intention, or the intent of the original creator? What’s the difference between a screw and some other piece of metal? What about improvised parts? Would a Technomancer be able to control the whole machine, or everything besides the improvised parts? Doesn’t that mean that the intent of the original creators of anything and everything dictates what tech is? How does a Technomancer’s powers know what the original intention was? But if they could control improvised parts, how far away could they remove it from the machine, or how long does it have to be disconnected before it stops being a machine part, and back to what it was supposed to be originally? That would mean that it would have to be the latest intention placed upon the object would make it count as tech, so a Technomancer would not be able to control the screws from a modern art exhibit, because it’s not tech right now, it’s art. But how do the powers know that?? 

It also can’t just be metal things, because a lot of tech parts can be made out of plastics, ceramic, glass, etc. 

I know I’m overthinking this, but that’s also the point… 

GASP 

BREAKTHROUGH!! JUST NOW, AS I’M TYPING! 

HOT TAKE: TECHNOMANCY IS JUST SELECTIVE TELEKINESIS. 

It doesn’t have anything to do with what tech “really is” or what the intentions of the original creator or the latest user are. It’s all in the Technomancer’s head! 

“Tech” is just what the Technomancer considers to be tech at any given point while they’re using their powers. If the Technomancer is pulling apart a machine with improvised tech parts, they would be able to control all of the parts up until the moment when their brain goes “This isn’t a cylindrical piece of tech, this is just a roll of duct tape!” It would probably just fall to the floor at that point. 

But that also means that different Technomancers would be able to control different things based on their own mindsets. Imagine a fight between a purist/elitist Technomancer and a Technomancer from the 1500s, like “Look at this piece of technology that Da Vinci built!” “That’s not tech, it’s wood!” The Technomancer form the 1500s would be able to control practically everything, while the purist/elitist Technomancer would only be able to control a few things in comparison. 

What about a crazy inventor that only uses improvised parts? They would see everything as potential tech. But does that mean that they would have broken through their limitations of Selective Telekinesis and become Fully Telekinetic by being incredibly eccentric? 

… 

high unemployment and a lot of underpaying, pointless jobs = people are looking for things to do with their life, a purpose

skyrocketing cost of living = most young people will not be able to live on their own, meaning some will end up in a group living situation with people interested in recruiting them

it's a time of great cultural and political upheaval, nothing feels real, people are desperate for meaning and human connection. cults promise that

there is a new wave of acceptance and understanding for ways of life outside the norm, which is great! ...except for when cult leaders tell you abusive and controlling practices are just their culture, their religion, their lifestyle, their beliefs, their tradition, and if you disrespect it you are the problem

social media influencers have already shown us how easy it is to build a cult of personality and attract people from anywhere in the world who are interested in the exact brand you are selling

spirtuality is having a boom, as are things like astrology, crystals, tarot, meditation, energy... those things aren't bad on their own but they are often used as tools of cult spaces

wellness. i think a lot of people are already in wellness cults. you can make people do a lot of things in the name of "wellness" and a big factor of maintaining a cult is keeping members in a state of decreased cognition..... like say, with regular fasting

SOCIAL BUFFER: Learn what healthy social boundaries are and develop relationships which are within those boundaries.

Be wary of those who step on your or others' boundaries. Be there for your friends, but don't be their therapists or parents. Go get coffee or juice or snacks & chat casually with a friendly crew on a regular basis.

ESTEEM BUFFER. Recognize that you and every other person on this planet are owed a baseline of respect.

Respect means that what you wear, what/who you take interest in, and who/what you are are things which you decide on based on your own reasoning. If anyone is trying to change your mind, make sure to think critically about their side and decide for yourself whether you want to change. Ask: Why do they want you to change? Is that valid to your situation? Who / what would benefit from this change? Do you want them / it to benefit? Then decide for yourself.

RELAXATION BUFFER. Take time exclusively for yourself.

Take care of your body and mind when it needs to be fed, watered, washed, or nurtured. Have a couple hobbies that are just for you. Have more than one interest. Think about more than just one topic. Cults keep you focused on them to the exclusion of all else, so don't allow yourself to be blocked in.

BUBBLE POP BUFFER: Learn from multiple sources, even ones you don't like or respect.

Read multiple sources' versions of events before you decide what you feel about something. Recognize that not all sources are valid, but understand what those invalid sources are trying to do. Are they misguided or malicious? Who are THEIR sources? What is the agenda? Who benefits? Why would they want to say what they're saying? Do they have a point? Who pays them? What do they care about? Then make your decision.

BEWARE THE B.I.T.E.: Cults control people via Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotion control. BITE

Look up the BITE model and consider it against groups you wish to join / have joined.

Remember. You are the arbiter of your mind.

You have the blessing and burden of making your own decisions. Other people who will love and care about you throughout your life will want you to think for yourself and will think for themselves.

These Twitter threads give all the details that i know. Please go through this and share widely. 

The second twitter thread provides details of how to donate. Here is a link. It is in Portugese, but google translate is working fine here and also, the author of the thread will translate to guide donation if contacted. 

“Recognize Good Opportunities As They Arise”

This can be used on yourself by carrying it on yourself Drawing it on yourself Sleeping every night on a pillow with this sigil on it or inside it Burning it to ash and sprinkling those ashes into your shoes before going out for the day

or

So much witchcraft emphasizes how important it is to honor and work with the Earth, but then teaches us spells with ingredients we basically have to import using locations we don’t have access to. It’s rare to find an existing grimoire or guide book that actually works with where we live. We can still use them, but it doesn’t enhance our connection to our local land, which to many can feel important. Here are some tips for localizing your practice and working with the land you actually live on.

See what nature exists around you. Explore your own backyard with a critical eye. What plants can you actually go and pick yourself? What are those plants associated with? Do you have access to a creek or river? What does your local land actually have on it? If magic correspondences for your local plants haven’t been written about, you may have to do your own research. Example: I grow several plants on my back porch which I can potentially use for magic.There are magnolia trees and rhodedendrons on the grounds of my apartment complex. My parent’s neighbors have chickens in the backyard, so I have access to some feathers when they shed. 

Check out local folklore, legends, etc. This is one of my favorite parts, but can also be the hardest. What are the stories of your area, both on a local and cultural scale. Example: A West Virginian may incorporate legends of the Mothman. Everyone says that one building on my old college campus is haunted (and they’re right.) People talk about that liminal-space feeling when you drive down that one road at night.

Find the magic spots. Sometimes the urban legends will tip you off to these (usually in a bad way) but other times you can find them on your own. A place where the energy is just right for some reason. A place you can go to be closer to nature, or a place you could host a ritual if needed. Sometimes it’s just a place where you can feel your mind open a little bit. Example: The shady corner of a public park. The tunnel downtown. That weirdly-perfect circle of trees in the woods behind Wal-Mart.

Meet your land wights. Spirits of the local land. This could be the fair folk, but also house spirits, the spirits of the trees near you, the nature spirits of wherever you are. They’re there. Be good to them and they’ll be good to you! Note: Some spirits and wights will not be interested in working with you, and that’s okay. I generally think it’s good to at least leave a polite offering to just be on general decent terms even if you never work with them more directly beyond that.