My Witchness

Beeswax Candle Set - Etsy

There seems to be a lot of me telling people to go say hi to various Kemetic/Egyptian gods (netjeru) lately. I figured I’d mention here what typically is involved with saying hi to a Kemetic deity.

1. Offerings. They like offerings. It’s traditional to always have something to give. I have a list of traditional “safe” offerings here. Remember that all libations and offerings were typically eaten in AE. There was little room for waste in the desert.

2. Cleaniness. There were purity standards for temple priests back in AE. While we are not all priests, it’s highly recommended that you show up looking decent to shrine, esp if you want to make a good first impression. Make sure your hands are clean and that you smell good.

3. Attitude. Be sure to go in being respectful. I’ve not seen many netjeru bitch slap anyone- but respect and courtesy seem to take you pretty far in this pantheon. With deities such as Set, Wpwt or Anup, be prepared for jokes that might be considered off color to some people (comments about genitals and boobs are common).

Two things I’ve recently made a conscious effort to change is the way I pray and the way I swear. I was brought up in a Christian household so picked up habits and expressions that I’m now trying to get rid of. And I think I’ve been pretty successful.

☀️ Praying

I used to mimic the Christian way of praying when referring prayer in a conversation. Head down, eyes closed, hands together. I’ve been making a conscious effort to instead put my head up, eyes open and hands apart, palms flat. In a mimic of the Henu pose.

I thought it was really important as a mini expression of my faith to the people around me like colleagues that might not know that I’m a Kemetic. I think I’ve had an odd look or two, but no one has said anything about or… overly cared.

☀️ Swearing

This really goes hand in hand with ‘blasphemy’ or sarcastically praying. For example ‘for God’s sake’. I’ve changed a few of my common ‘sweary’ expressions to reflect being Kemetic.

My most common one is ‘For the love of the gods!’ and ‘gods above!’ The second one works really nicely when I’m keeping my faith a secret, because it can be easily misheard as ‘God’s above.’ But I know what I mean.

(I don’t consider these phrases blasphemy in he Christian sense, because although it might be sarcastic I am genuinely appealing to my gods. For example, if I see something so ridiculous I say ‘Gods above!’ I mean this is so ridiculous I need my gods around me to protect me from the ridiculousness and to enjoy it with me. - I hope that makes sense!)

And my favourite is Heru f-ing Ur to replace Jesus f-ing Christ. This is amazing, because the tone says more than the words and most people don’t even notice you’re not saying the thing they expect to hear. I saw this on a post a while back and decided to make the switch, I can’t remember who first suggested the change, and I can’t find the post again. But thank you! This has changed my life!

And finally, my favourite swearing phrase. ‘Holy mother f.’ Because, well, it’s a pretty great epithet of Hethert 💖

☀️☀️☀️

‘Gods above, gods below. Guide me to my goal’

Crystals

50g Raw Amethyst Crystals - $1.89

50g Natural Quartz Points - $2.40

50g Natural Lapis Lazuli - $0.99

50g Natural Obsidian - $0.99

1pc Raw Rainbow Moonstone - $1.00

1pc Tumbled Hematite - $1.00

12 Mini Glass Bottles of Assorted Crystals - $10.49

Natural Objects

(Unfortunately I am unable to verify how these objects are obtained by the seller. Though most claim to be ethically sourced I have no way to prove that fact either way)

20pcs Natural Goose Feathers - $0.79

5pcs Natural Ostrich Feathers - $0.96

20pcs Natural Rooster Feathers - $0.99

10pcs Natural Pheasant Feathers - $0.99

10pcs Natural Long Pheasant Feathers - $0.99

10pcs Natural Duck Wing Feathers - $0.99

Ritual/Spell Supplies

Porcelain Pestle and Mortar - $2.46

Leather Bound Leaf Design Journal - $3.65

Leather Bound Nautical Design Journal - $3.89

8pcs Sandalwood Incense Sticks - $0.99

10pcs Incense Cones (Multiple Scents) - $0.99 - $2.49

10pcs Wildberry Incense Sticks (Multiple Scents) - $2.49

Candles

Square Wax Sealing Candle (Multiple Colors) - $0.76

White 6in Taper Candle - $0.49

Red 6in Taper Candle - $0.49

Blue 6in Taper Candle - $0.49

Purple 6in Taper Candle - $0.49

Black 6in Taper Candle - $0.49

Green 6in Taper Candle - $0.49

Orange 6in Taper Candle - $0.49

Pink 6in Taper Candle - $0.49

Yellow 6in Taper Candle - $0.49

Brown 6in Taper Candle - $0.49

2 Multicolored Drip Taper Candles - $2.99

Round Floating Candles (Multiple Colors) - $0.49 - $3.33

Unscented Taper Candles (Multiple Colors) - $0.33 - $1.49

An EDC, short for Everyday Carry, is a set of items you carry around every day to assist you with your common problems, as well as emergency situations. These usually include, for normal people, flashlights, knives, wallets, smartphones and multitools.

But we’re witches and that means that the span of “common problems” and “emergency situations” we might encounter is a bit more… peculiar. This is why if one wants to be a fully, personally prepared witch, their EDC should contain some more items than the usual ‘muggle’ one.

This kit idea is different from a portable altar/witch kit in the sense that it is not designed to be your complete resource in a mobile, compact form, as many closeted witches treat their portable supplies, but rather a help set for times when you don’t have time or place to tackle stuff in a more elaborate way. A kind of set that allows you to perform a vast variety of spells from types of magic you might want to do on a daily basis,

Here’s a couple items you might want to carry around in your EDC if you’re a witch, grouped by use:

Basics

tealight candles/birthday candles

lighter/matches

marker pen

knife

reference copies of your most commonly used sigils (if you can’t draw them from memory)

clear quartz

basil

pieces of paper/sticky notes (for writing incantations or sigils down)

Protection

salt packets

acorns

bay leaves

black salt/charcoal tablets (charcoal tablets will come in handy if you have tummy problems, too)

rosemary (if you get rosemary essential oil, it can also be used to de-congest your nose and improve mental focus!)

Healing

amber

ground garlic (also useful to spice your food up ;))

mint (also useful for tummy aches)

chamomile

green aventurine/jade

carnelian

Social

glamoured lip-balm/lipstick with your common blessing (courage, charm etc.)

lavender

thyme

tiger’s eye

Peacekeeper’s powder

Self-care

rose quartz

sodalite

amethyst

orange peels (dried)

chocolate

Aggression

black pepper

chili flakes

nails

All-Purpose Cursing Powder

Intent: To really fuck up someone’s day. Useful for all types of curses from casual to severe. Ingredients:

Cayenne

Black Pepper

White Pepper

Jalapeño Powder

Bloodroot

Black Walnut Hull

Cinnamon

Cramp Bark

Nettle

Paprika

Onion Powder

Materials:

Mortar & Pestle (or spice grinder)

Funnel

Mesh Strainer

Collection Dish

Container

From infusions and tinctures to oils and salves: The basics of herbal healing and the beginnings of any potion. 

Decoction: A decoction is needed to extract the deeper essence from harder substances such as barks, roots and stems. Place the raw materials in a pot and fill it with fresh water. Simmer uncovered until the water lever is reduced by 1/3. Strain the resulting liquid to remove particulates then drink or use as needed. Infusion: Pour freshly boiled water over the desired herb or planar matter, roughly 8 ounces of water per teaspoon of dried plant parts. When using fresh herbs roughly 3 times as much is required. 

Oil: Place flowers, herbs or other plant parts in a sealed glass container. Fill the container with an organic oil (ex: Olive, sesame, etc…) until it is an inch above the material being used. Place the bottle somewhere warm for 2 weeks, next to a stove while cooking, on the mantle, a sunny window sill, etc. Upend the container daily to ensure the oil saturates the material. 

Ointment: Heat 2 cups of pure lard to frying temperature. Add 4 handfuls of crumbled dry herbs or 6 handfuls of chopped fresh herb to the lard. Stir to to blend and let simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover and let sit over night. Reheat until liquid then mix in 4 tablespoons of an organic oil, this will prevent it hardening to much. Squeeze through a cheese clothe to remove solids and store in a crockery or glass container. 

Salve: Mix 3 ounces of finely pulped plant parts, 7 ounces of lard and 1 ounce of beeswax. When thoroughly mixed simmer over low heat in active red pot for 1-2 hours. Remove from eat and allow to cool. 

 Tincture: A tincture uses alcohol to extract the properties of a herb or plant. Loosely fill a glass container with fresh or dried herbs and add some sort of food grade spirit (ex: vodka), vinegar can also be used for certain ingredients. Cork or otherwise seal the container and leave somewhere warm for 2 or more weeks. 

 *Information from “Healing Teas - How to prepare and use read to maximize your health” by Marie Nadine Antol. 

Magnetic Crystal Succulent Planters, by Emily Dunn on Etsy