bi witchiness

What is warding? Warding is a form of protection magic. Warding is very important to keep negativity out of your space. This applies to negative energies, entities, and potential spiritual attacks. Spiritual attacks are not common but can happen and it is honestly best to be prepared.

A ward is a barrier you put up around your space and your self to protect from negativity. This can be done in countless different ways. Finding proper information as a novice practitioner on how to ward your space can be very difficult.

How can I ward? Warding can be as simple or as complicated as you wish for it to be. There are countless different types of wards with differing levels of complexity. If you are not someone who deals with entities regularly or you are not expecting any psychic attacks from other practitioners then simple warding should work perfectly fine. However, you can do any kind of warding you deem necessary, it is always better to over protect than under protect in my opinion.

Small list of simple wards: Mix together moon water and black salt, use a paint brush to draw Xs over your windows doors and mirrors.

Enchant your wind chimes as protection charms that will sound cleanse your space when the wind blows through them.

Draw sigils on walls, doors, or windows in clear nail polish or protection oils.

Draw a protective sigil under your welcome mat and on your sidewalk in chalk.

Place small protection spell jars around your home.

Place protective crystals around your home and in windowsills. Just make sure the crystals you put in your windowsills will not fade from over exposure to sunlight.

Place a thorny branch on your door step, cleanse and replace it if it disappears.

Grow protective herbs in your garden.

Water house plants with moon water and feed them crushed egg shells, decorate the plant pots with protective sigils.

Draw or sew in sigils into pet collars. Enchant the bell on your cats collar. Enchant the collar its self. 

Turn house hold jar candles used for smell into protection spell candles by carving sigils into the wax and putting protective herbs in them. Light them for smell or when you need more protection.

Draw sigils on the underside of dresser drawers.

Wipe down doorways with moon water or protection oils.

Draw protection sigils inside your mask so when you leave home you are protected.

Draw sigils on the backs of picture frames hanging on your walls.

Enchant makeup products to become protection charms before applying makeup.

Put sigils in your phone case to ward your self when you go out.

Carve small protective sigils into your deodorant stick.

Here are a few of the spells/rituals I use for cleansing, household harmony, etc! :) 

Cleansing Simmer Pot/Floor Wash: 

- Rosemary, to clear out and ward off negative or stale energy.

- Garden sage (if you need a particularly strong cleansing. Sage does clear all energies, not just negative, so be aware)

- Mint, to purify and rejuvenate the space. 

- Rainwater to wash away old energy. 

- Some butterfly pea blossoms if you’re wanting to really transform the energy of the house, since transformation is a strong property of butterfly pea. 

- I sometimes add a bit of vanilla to add peace and calm to the house as it is cleansed.

Put all of the above ingredients either into a tea strainer/coffee filter, or just straight into a pot of water, depending on how you intend to use it. If you just intent to make a simmer pot, you can just put the herbs in as they are, but if you intend to add them to water to mop, or intend to use it to wipe down surfaces, I recommend putting them in something to strain them so loose herbs don’t end up on your surfaces. 

Cleansing Powder to Absorb Negative Energy:

- Salt, to clear and absorb negative energy 

- Black pepper, also to cleanse/banish negativity. 

- garden sage, if you want to add extra punch

- Baking soda, to absorb negativity. (I don’t have any real source for baking soda being used for that besides it’s physical properties of being useful for absorbing spills and cat puke, so I figure magickally it could work similarly). 

Mix these ingredients in a bowl, and sprinkle over an area you intend to sweep or vacuum with the intention that it will absorb any of the negativity lingering in the space. Then sweep or vacuum the space, and throw out the powder and with it, the negativity. 

Household Harmony Simmer Pot/Floor Wash: 

- Vanilla, for peace and happiness. 

- Cinnamon, for communication and harmony. 

- Apple peel, for prosperity in the home. 

- Coffee, to remove obstacles to family harmony, and for communication. 

- Rosemary, to protect the home from negativity. 

- Lavender, for peace and harmony. 

- Blackberry, for improved communication

Same as with the cleansing spell, this can be made into a simmer pot or sometime to wash surfaces with. If you use it to wash surfaces, I recommend you water it down quite a bit with some water and vinegar, or remove the blackberries so that the fruit doesn’t make the floor sticky or attract bugs. 

Timing is essential for my practice, I use the lunar calendar to plan my protection and manifestation spells and practices. This may go against some of the mainstream teachings of what to do during full and new moons. BUT as I always say your practice is yours and this is how I do mine.

New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous

The New Moon is used to Manifest the desires I want within the next lunar calendar. I personally love writing journal entries during the new moon as if what I am manifesting has already come to this reality. The new moon phase for me is intense meditation and visualization.

During these Waxing phases, I am taking this time to do spell work that draws things to me. Whether these are luck spells, self-love, or simple manifestation charms. This is the time of growth and rebirth.

2. Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, Waning Crescent

The Full Moon for me is used for banishing and protection. As the moon fades I am pushing out the negative energy that has accumulated. During this time I am re-up my home and personal protection.

Waning phases are perfect for banishing spells; getting rid of the negative people or energy that is no longer serving a purpose for you.

First and foremost, every single element has an ability to be used for cleansing and banishing.

Air: Used to literally "blow away" energy

Open your windows

Turn on a fan

Use your breath (there's a reason you sometimes snuff a candle and other times blow it out)

Water:

Running water over an object (make sure this object is safe to do that with, okay? Don't be like the raccoon with the cotton candy)

Ritual baths and showers

Washing/cleaning

Earth:

Salt (again, careful with where you put the salt, but still)

Plants can be used as protective barriers

Burying an object for a period of time before digging it back up and cleaning it off

Certain rocks and crystals

Fire:

To get the obvious out of the way - burning. This does not mean you should commit arson. This is more "burning photographs of past relationships" not "light your ex on fire"

Burning candles

Spirit:

Meditation

Self care as a priority

Cleaning your space regularly

Now, most common forms of cleansing do not use only a single element (especially fire, for obvious reasons). So here are some of the most common and easy ways to practice cleansing in a practical, everyday manner.

Smoke cleansing - combines air, fire, and earth. Practices by burning protective and banishing dried herbs, plants, incense, or wood.

Salt water - combines earth and water. Can be used in either ritual baths or on its own, spread near the borders of a space. But again, careful with where you put salt.

Crystal grid - combines earth and spirit. Create by placing protective crystals in each corner of a space.

Steam cleansing - combines air and water. Use essential oils if you so choose.

Ritual bath or shower - combines water, spirit, and if you want to add bath bombs, salt, or flower petals, earth.

Tea magic - combines water, earth, and (if you inhale the steam) air.

Yo! It’s that time where I should be productive again. This time I’m specifically talking to the beginner or “baby” witches. Hi there, friend, how you doing? This is the equivalent of your cool disaster drunk aunt or cousin in the witch community. Today, I’m gonna tell you about things you shouldn’t feel guilt and/or FOMO about in your witchcraft journey. These are just some things I’ve observed myself or had some guilt/fomo about myself.

Meditating “correctly” - Bud… There’s no one template for mediation. You’re opening yourself. There’s a ton of ways to do that and a lot of us have issues with attention. You’re doing fine. Just acknowledge your random thoughts and push them away for later. Keep trying.

Tools needed for “proper” witchcraft- Nah. Magic does not care about your finances. It’s all about that intent. If some witch is flanting about how any witch worth their salt needs ___; they may just be salty they spent a small fortune on some rocks for not much. Chances are, they’re a gatekeeping asshole and you don’t need that. Intent and creativity is free. You can make a wand out of anything and you can definitely make anything a tool for your craft.

Every witch needs a deity- that’s… seriously not true. Witches don’t have to have a deity/guide. You shouldn’t have to force a relationship with a deity/spirit/religion. Your craft is yours. If you don’t feel any deity calling…they might not be. And that’s okay. You’re not less of a witch for not having an entity. I know I was like that for a while before Apollo pretty much crossed his arms like  “Am I a joke to you?”. I wanted a new guide/deity so bad and I didn’t work on myself. Perhaps you don’t get a deity/entity for now. Maybe that’s not part of your journey. Maybe it’ll never be. Maybe you’ll work with multiple entities on a one time exchange thing (yes, that happens and it’s perfectly fine, it’s like a magical business deal). It is all okay.  Whatever your path may be, it does not have to have a deity in it. So don’t jump in a relationship with one cause they’ll be just as confused sometimes.

A little controversial; but you have to renounce Christianity- I was raised Christian and I left it myself, do you have to do it? No, no you don’t. I’ve seen some discourse on Christian witches and I have a very religious family, so I admit I’ve got a small bias on this topic. I’ve just decided to treat Christian witches the same way I treat LGBTQ+ Christians…I commend you for willingingly being in a community that seriously doesn’t seem to like y’all. To each their own, have a good life. It’s none of my fucking business anyway. 

Everyone needs to follow the Threefold laws- I remember someone tried to get me to do that and the moment I told them I wasn’t Wiccan, they were stumped. No, you don’t have to follow the Threefold laws. You’ll be fine if you don’t. Promise. If you want to follow it, do so. But only if you wish to. Edit: I literally fucking forgot Wiccans existed like the WHOLE time I wrote and adjusted this so…yeah. My bad. Threefold is mainly a Wiccan thing. Not Pagan. Got corrected. They were right.

Stick to a path- Eclectic and Chaos witches exist. They are living negation of that idea. 

All witches must be in a coven- No they don’t. Solitary Witches exist and are perfectly fine. Perfect example: Moi. Also: those who choose to be solitary can visit a coven and hang with them for a moment if  the coven and the solo witch agree. Perhaps someone needs help or a second opinion or something. Collaboration is a thing. And it’s perfectly fine. A friend of mine started a coven, I’m allowed to chill and hang with the coven any time, but we both know I’m not a part of her coven and I doubt I will be. 

It’s always about the craft- No. Just no. You don’t have to be a witch all the time and its more than okay to take a break, however long you need. Witchcraft can be exhausting. More important things can be happening. You’re not a failure of a witch if you’re not a witch every second of your life. Be you. 

Circle: The sun and moon, enlightenment, unity, wholeness, infinity, perfection, ideals, protection, containment, gods/deities, rebirth and completion, and the element of spirit 

Triangle: The triangle is heavily associated with the power of three, and ergo the following concepts/rules:

Birth, life, death

Past, present, future

3 stars on Orion’s belt

Hear no Evil, See no Evil, Speak no Evil

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity

Beginning, middle, end

Sunrise, noon, sunset

Body, mind, heart

It is also associated with summoning symbols. Orientation matters just as much as the actual shape when it comes to triangles, as a point-down triangle symbolizes femininity, earth and water, goddesses, and the decent into the physical world. Meanwhile a pointed-up triangle represents stability, foundation, air and fire, energy flows, ascents into the after life/spiritual realm, and masculine elements. 

Square: associated with the number 4, it is a nod to the main compass directions, the physical elements, seasons, solidity, static perfection and dependability, and the material world in general. In many other cultures the square also generally means order, safeness, and a square in most cultures is a meeting place or plaza at the heart of a city (ie town square, etc.)

Spiral: relating to circles, it is one of the oldest geometric shapes and associates with the achievement of the altered states of consciousness

Infinity: the infinity symbol represents reincarnation, lessons/knowledge, the maternial plane, the karmic circle a calling to wake up and rise, and derives from Uraeus, which is a magical cobra found commonly in ancient Egypt records and means either “the coiled one” or mehet, or “the risen one” or iaret, but both times the snake is depicted in this position. 

“What very few people discover (or remember) is that the symbolism of the Infinity comes from the great Uraeus, symbols of the Goddess Wadjet… What this symbolic act represents, is that one will never have true power until s/he realizes the divine power within.” -  5 Surprising Secrets of the Infinity Symbol ∞ by Mind Journal

Stars(5 pointed): also called a pentagram, the five pointed star represents the five human elements (air, earth, fire, water, spirit) and it is a symbol of protection and warding in many cultures, including wicca, which witchcraft takes the heaviest influence from. While many see the pentagram as satanic, what they tend to forget is that a five pointed star is a type of pentagram, but the lines in the center of the pentagram tend to be left in. Similar in design is a pentacle, which in merely a pentagram with a circle added around it, but in general they are all similar in design concept. 

https://www.learnreligions.com/geometric-shapes-4086370#step-heading?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=shareurlbuttons_nip

vibing with browns rn

Cultural appropriation

don’t incorporate the practices of closed cultures into your craft - it’s not your place to do so; this includes “smudging,” the use of dream catchers when obtained from non-natives, engaging in practices that are exclusive to poc if you are not a poc, etc.

Stereotyping 

don’t buy into the idea that all witches are evil, female, worship the devil, are wiccan, etc.

on the same note, if you follow the wiccan ideology of the rule of three and “harm none” and all that jazz, don’t assume that everyone follows your path because, and this might be shocking to you, we don’t

Over-harvesting

refrain from using herbs that are endangered, threatened, or even sacred to some cultures, such as white sage or palo santo

there is always an alternative and an endless amount of herbs you can use in place of the popular ones you see floating around the internet

Purposely posting harmful information

before you freak out, hear me out: there is so much awful information out there, and part of me wants to believe that these people just don’t know any better but the other part of me knows that they legit believe in things like essential oils as a cure, and that vaccinations and healthcare providers are evil

don’t be that person

know that science and witchcraft can exist in the same world, and that you should not ignore medical advice in lieu of a magickal cure

Content theft 

even if you’re saving things for your own use at a later date, tumblr has this nifty feature in which you can “reblog” things rather than save them and reupload them yourself - don’t repost, reblog 

also please don’t screenshot popular posts and reupload them to places like instagram, pinterest, or facebook; rather, reblog our posts or find our instagram accounts to follow and support the original creators

it may seem utterly ridiculous, but believe it or not, content authors like myself put a ton of work into the stuff we post here - don’t think that because you reuploaded our work elsewhere that you’re “doing us a favor” and “helping to spread information” because you’re absolutely not

if you see content theft, please tell OP so they can report it and help put an end to the seemingly never ending content theft in this community

Gatekeeping

know that your path will likely differ from the next witch, and understand that there’s a difference between belittling someone for their beliefs and having a mature, educated discussion about it

the same goes for correcting actual misinformation or information that can be deemed harmful

it’s 100% okay to have different beliefs than what you see presented here on tumblr, just don’t be a dick about it

don’t like emoji spells? don’t use them. not a wiccan? who cares. perform curses? great!

new moon: lunar energies encourage new beginnings. this is when you want to initiate new adventures or to ignite dreams. think about doing magical workings for a new job, new home, or anything new you want to bring into your life. the magic done during this time will continue to grow and feed off the energies of the moon as the phases move forward to full. (a great time to pick a topic and study it until the next lunar phase)

waxing moon: energies are fairly similar to the new moon, but with an emphasis on growth. think about doing magical workings in regards to constructing, strengthening, or gaining. this is a wonderful time to attract things into your life that you’ve been seeking. do you want a better relationship? an increase in salary? this is a wonderful time to work towards those goals and to continue pushing for anything you may have started during the new moon.

full moon: think fruition. this is the time where anything you set to seed during the new moon, will come to be. the full moon is arguably the most powerful phase in the lunar cycle. this is the time to work spells for retaining, receiving, or anything you want to bring to a successful culmination. it is a wonderful time for manifesting, or anything that needs a little extra “umph”.

waning moon: this is when the moon begins to ‘wane’ or decrease in size, and the energies emitted reflect that. this is a great time to work with spells regarding banishment, decreasing something, overcoming, and resolving things. if you want to cut ties with a person, decrease a feeling, or work on an emotional toll you’re experiencing, this is the perfect time to do it. this is also a perfect time to work household purification or cleansing rituals, as it’s a great time to drive negative energy away. (but of course cleansing & purification can be done during any point in time.)

dark moon: this is during the period of time between the waning and the new moon; when the moon is no longer present in the sky. some people choose to identify this moment in the lunar phase as the new moon, and really it’s up to each individual person to choose how they would like to interpret it. (remember what works for you, may not work for others.) some witches may choose not to practice at all during this phase- they may use it as a period of reflection, and to create new workings for the new moon. if you do choose to work with the dark moon, do so with respect and with open eyes.

Here is a great plant analogy to help remember the phases:

new moon: plant (set) your intentions to seed.

waxing moon: the seeds will begin to grow.

full moon: what you’ve set to seed has grown (come to fruition).

waning moon: you start to harvest what has grown.

dark moon: take care of your garden by pulling out weeds (take care of yourself during this time) and prepare for the next cycle.

it’s important to note that really, you can do you spell work anytime, regardless of what phase of the moon it is as successful spell work is 100% possible without the aid of the moon. however, it is much more powerful with it.

here’s the video where i got this information from, check it out for more! and i highly recommend her channel, she is amazing (The Green Witch)!