Gay Witch

Furthermore, the main reasoning for worshiping the Christian god instead of other gods is that the Christian god is more powerful. Really! Christians when asked why not worship Thor will often say something like "Well, Thor can't [resurrect from the dead/create the universe/save you from Hell etc]"

So? Power doesn't make something right or good. Even if you discovered irrefutable proof of a God with power over every aspect of this universe, that wouldn't automatically mean you should worship that God, from an ethical and moral point of view, any more than you should regard a dictator with undying devotion because he can kill you.

And this is where we get things like Pascal's wager, which really showcases the utter nihilism in a lot of Christian thought. Pascal's wager basically posits that worshiping God is a rational self-interested move because the cost of being wrong if Hell is real is much higher than the cost of being wrong if Hell isn't real.

Any Christian who has spoken approvingly of Pascal's wager has essentially just admitted that they worship God because of his power to hurt them.

A lot of Christians don't have a cohesive ethical framework apart from what the Bible appears to say because they don't think things are good or evil apart from God designating them as such. For example being gay is wrong even though it doesn't harm people, because God says so. There's no consistent thread in the things that are "sin" apart from God disapproving of them. The framework is one where God is just powerful enough to decide what morality is.

I was raised Muslim and the way I was taught is that “““““our”““““ God is exactly the same God that Christians and Jewish people worship

But I was also taught that God as understood by monotheism isn’t just “a god, but very powerful”, but rather - and I will paraphrase here because it’s very difficult for me to put it into simple words - the unifying spirit that created the universe, that gives it order, and that inhabits all things and living beings that exist.

The way I was taught, other religions don’t worship different gods in the sense that they contradict monotheism, but rather that they worship the same source of truth in different forms and with different rules. In a way, each pantheon relates to that one truth the same way a rainbow relates to a single beam of white light. They are one and the same, but they look different when seen under a different perspective. And it’s a precious and important thing that both exist because they allow humanity to see how wonderfully multifaceted this world truly is.

And even though I struggle to keep considering myself a Muslim, that core idea stuck with me because it just... makes sense. It elegantly explains why different people across the world worship completely different gods (or worship no gods at all but still follow a set of moral principles) while avoiding the condescending trap of thinking “oh yeah they may seem to worship different gods but deep down they believe in OUR god” which that idea can be twisted into.

Wait you're so right I never thought of it like this

An idol is a figure made from wood or stone and worshipped as a god. And the idea is that you are worshipping these things not because they are great and good and deserve worship, but because you seek power from them/fear the power they have.

At least from the Christian point of view.

Judaism... well, Judaism says that every people and culture have their own god or gods or path to god*, and that's fine. But to worship the god of a people not your own is idolatry. And since the Jewish god cannot be depicted (Maimonides famously said that we can say what Hashem isn't, but not what Hashem is.)

Which, from a Jewish perspective, means that for a Jew to worship any graven image is idolatry because no grave image can be Hashem or a depiction of Hashem. (There's other stuff in there -- idols are things in the sense of people a physical form, and Judaism is built around time and the sacredness of time, but...)

Anyway, from a Jewish perspective, one could say that Christians have been forcing *others* to commit idolatry with their forced conversions.

But Judaism also works on 'two Jews, three opinions,' and 'for everything sacred law there is a majority and a minority opinion, and which one is right depends on the situation, and sometimes they are both right'. And 'God loves when we argue with them.'

So at least half the Jews in the world will tell me I'm wrong for one reason or a dozen reasons.

But I really like the idea of a anti-authoritarian atheist.

I raise you -- the Jewish version of an anti-authoritarian atheist: Someone who doesn't care if the state exists or not, and views laws as customs and tradition; but recognizes that these laws and tradition exist for a reason and need to be examined and challenged by every generation for how worth following they are.

It really does seem like the exclusivity that Christians usually take for granted isn't super...normal? globally speaking, among religious people?

Like even in major monotheistic religions, there is absolutely a ton of syncretism in local manifestations of a religion, and local folk heroes often get kinda absorbed and re-designated as "saints" or an equivalent. Folk magic, ascetic traditions, mystic traditions involving a lot of mind-altering substances, and so on just sort of Happen repeatedly

Like none of my Appalachian ancestors (mom's side of the family) would have called themselves "witches", EVER, and yet. Things like dowsing, curing warts by knotting a string and then burying it, the intersection of herbal medicine and faith healing, all of that stuff looks an awful lot like "witchcraft."

I guess what I'm getting at is that there's sometimes more variety within religions than between them and the whole concept that everyone practices one (1) religion or system of spiritual beliefs doesn't reflect how people actually exist

I think it makes the case that missionary work is colonialist quite well because it's not difficult to show people your god, that naturally happens whenever cultures come into contact.

Missionaries just get mad when the people they're preaching to have agency over the interaction and to interpret, adapt, or reject the missionaries' beliefs the way they see fit, instead of being a captive audience.

I think Christians especially American Evangelicals are so weird and victim-complex-y about feeling like they can't "share their beliefs" because they were brought up on these stories of people hearing about Jesus for the first time and then having an explosive cascade of total conversions. They feel like this should happen when they tell people about Jesus, and if the culture around them seems aware of Jesus but isn't rabidly Christian, they think their efforts are being undermined or repressed somehow.

But that's not true. A genuine non-coercive cultural exchange is not going to have totally one-sided results, period. This is why so many Christian Evangelicals go for cornering people in very vulnerable states when trying to "convert": that's what works to produce those one-sided results, when the person you're preaching to is powerless and being taken advantage of.

A non-coercive cultural exchange holds the potential that the person you're trying to convert might convert YOU. And that possibility is so, so, so, so, scary to Christian Evangelicals because they don't recognize that there is a whole spectrum of outcomes here, the most common of which is "neither person changes their religion but both people walk away with a new perspective or idea they'd never thought of." And Evangelicalism does not have room for this, because Christianity is Superior, Period, and the mere act of recognizing that another religion might have a good perspective on something feels like total sacrilege and terrifying.

Evangelicals especially do not realize that a belief system may just reach its maximum saturation point within a culture, where everyone that is interested already follows it and everyone else just isn't interested. Since Christianity is RIGHT and everything else is WRONG, a decline in church attendance or whatever must mean that they need to ramp up their proselytizing efforts, and if that still doesn't work, it must be a Conspiracy to Suppress Christianity.

Like all you have to do is say oh witchcraft looks fun, this stuff might help me, this MIGHT be real... and slowly it starts to prove itself.

I'm not even talking like, i cast this spell for confidence and now I'm more confident.

I mean how when our room was heavy with negative energy from my roommate's anxiety attacks and I decided we couldn't wait to make the cleansing spray so i put cleansing sigils on post it notes around the room near vents and windows, and then did some energy work to gather the energy on her side of the room and throw it out the window, andmy roommate who had been hiding in the corner poked her head up and said it felt better.

But even more than that I mean when later that night one of the cleansing sigil post its unstuck from the wall and floated across the room to stick itself to my roommate lying in her bed.

I also mean when I hear those stories where I'm like yeah you definitely qent on the astral plane.

And when I do a tarot reading to an almost strangerwho thought it'd just be a fun activity and ended up staring at the table in bewilderment because it pinpointed exactly what was happening in his life--even when as i was reading i was sure i was spewing bullshit.

I'm talking about the stories I hear about empaths, about clairvoyance, about energy, divination, astral plane, deities.

There's times I doubt how real this stuff is, where I'm like this is just aesthetic and placebo effect... and then i hear a story or something happens and I'm just like yeah... this is real. This is happening.

It's like as soon as you offer to the universe (or whatever your beliefs) a willingness to connect, an acceptance that maybe you can communicate with it, it's voice becomes louder and more obvious and you can't deny it like you once could.

But that's not what I'm getting at. My post here was an amazment specifically at things that can't really be explained by placebo effect or confirmation bias or science in general.

If you want to express the amazmenet about our minds create magic for us, I'm all for that. But... that's not what I was getting at here. I was specifically talking about when there's not a better explanation than "That was a really weird coincidence or the universe is talking to me" and if you want to interpret it simply as confirmation bias then I don't think you get what I'm talking about. (Also yes I mentioned tarot, but I mentioned other stuff, and not astrology, which is already slightly derailing, but okay)

Here are some of the things I do to protect my energy every day:

My dresser and closet are warded and charmed so that I can easily choose an item and activate the protection of every item I put on. (I’ll publish a post about the method for charming a piece of furniture at some point.)

When I add sugar and milk to my coffee, I am adding sweetness and richness to my day. Before I drink it, I offer the first taste to my house spirits in return for their protection for the day. (You could do this with your deities, ancestors, etc.)

If I’m looking for a boost to my protections for the day, I’ll have a hearty breakfast to keep my energy up. This usually includes eggs, toast with peanutbutter and a jelly of some kind, and turkey bacon since these are things I associate with a good day and extra energy. You can replace these with whatever you like as long as you’re cooking and eating with the intent of protection and boosting your energy.

Greet the house plants and rub the leaves of the plants whose energy I would like to carry with me (usually this is rosemary, basil, and the spider plants for me).

I rarely leave the apartment without a hat on. As I choose one (to match my outfit, of course, but also to match my mood and goals) and put it on, I will trace a circle around it and activate the same protection that my other clothes hold. This is my version of veiling; you can use scarves, headbands, bandanas, sunglasses, or even the hood of a jacket or hoodie to the same effect.

The best defense, in my opinion, is a good offense. When I know I’m going to be around someone I can’t stand or who has a history of invading my boundaries, I’ll carry a nail or screw that’s been anointed with something spicy - often pepper-infused oil or spicy pickle juice, since that’s usually what I have on-hand - to mark myself as “Not An Easy Target, Asshole” and repel their efforts. I recently added an anointed clothespin to my favorite denim jacket that’s holding a patch in place (a heart that says “nope”) for the same effect.

To help absorb extra energy, especially in crowded environments, carry something absorbant. Usually this is a piece of kitchen sponge for me, but you could do this with a small potato also, a la @lazywitchling!

I don’t wear perfume, but I will occasionally make a simple herbal spray to spritz my coats and shoes with protective energy. I have a recipe for this coming soon!

Speaking of shoes, to give myself another boost of protection, I’ll place a sigil in the bottom of my shoe. This could be a piece of paper or a pencil drawing directly on the inside, depending on the shoe.

These are just the everyday things. It’s important to me that I use what’s around me in my home so that I bring a little bit of home with me everywhere I go. It’s my main source of comfort and power as a hearth witch.

i wrote and illustrated my own kitchen witchcraft book! potioncraft is an original written + hand-illustrated collection of recipes and rituals for beverages of all kinds. it features recipes for spiced hot cocoa, mulled cider, harvest sangria, and basil lemonade; it also features information on the magick of smoothies, teas, coffee and more. throughout the booklet are beautiful stippled illustrations that create a rustic witch-of-the-woods aesthetic.

Sometimes you have no specific question at all. But you find yourself curious about life in the long haul.

Step 1: Sort your deck.

Separate the Major Arcana (22 cards); the court cards (16 cards); the Wands, the Cups, the Swords, and the Pentacles (10 cards each). You should have six piles.

Step 2: Ask about life.

Overhand shuffle the Major Arcana, while asking, “What can I expect from life?” If a single card jumps out and lands face side up, that is your answer. Otherwise, put any rogues back in the pile and take the card on top. Read it.

Examples:

Justice – Life will give you whatever you deserve.

Death – Life as you know it now will change completely.

The Sun – Life will make you very happy.

Step 3: Ask about help.

Overhand shuffle the court cards, while asking, “Who will help me?” If a single card jumps out and lands face side up, that is your answer. Otherwise, put any rogues back in the pile and take the card on top. Read it.

Examples:

King of Wands – A Leo. Someone brave and protective.

Queen of Wands – An Aries. Someone strong and powerful.

Page of Cups – A Water sign. Someone emotional and loving.

Step 4: Ask about passion.

Overhand shuffle the Wands, while asking, “Where will I find passion?” If a single card jumps out and lands face side up, that is your answer. Otherwise, put any rogues back in the pile and take the card on top. Read it.

Examples:

Ace of Wands – In something you have not tried before.

Five of Wands – In sports or competition.

Eight of Wands – In communication or travel.

Step 5: Ask about love.

Overhand shuffle the Cups, while asking, “Will love find me?” If a single card jumps out and lands face side up, that is your answer. Otherwise, put any rogues back in the pile and take the card on top. Read it.

Examples:

Ace of Cups – Yes, a new love will find you.

Five of Cups – Yes, but it will not stay.

Ten of Cups – Yes, and it will last forever.

Step 6: Ask about demons.

Overhand shuffle the Swords, while asking, “Will I defeat my demons?” If a single card jumps out and lands face side up, that is your answer. Otherwise, put any rogues back in the pile and take the card on top. Read it.

Examples:

Ace of Swords – Yes, you will slay them.

Three of Swords – They will always stay with you.

Ten of Swords – Never.

Step 7: Ask about wealth.

Overhand shuffle the Pentacles, while asking, “Will I know wealth?” If a single card jumps out and lands face side up, that is your answer. Otherwise, put any rogues back in the pile and take the card on top. Read it.

Examples:

Ace of Pentacles – Yes, like never before.

Five of Pentacles – You will know poverty.

Ten of Pentacles – Definitely.

Step 8: Ask about time.

Put the whole deck together again. Overhand shuffle all 78 cards, while asking, “When will any of this begin?”

People will often notice patterns to the cards they pull - you’ll notice that certain cards come up more often. This tends to be based on a feeling though, rather than any real data about which cards you’ve pulled - and the real data may surprise you. 

I’ve kept track of the cards I’ve pulled in my single card readings over the past three months, and here are some things I’ve noticed: 

I pull one card more frequently than any other card. In my case, that card is The Magician. It’s really useful to know - not just suspect - that one card turns up constantly for me. 

Some cards don’t actually appear as frequently as I think they do. I recently pulled the Nine of Pentacles and thought, “Again?? Why do I pull this card so much??” but when I look at the actual data… I’ve pulled other cards way more frequently. I think it’s a form of the Baader-Meinhof effect - a card can stick in your brain for some reason and you remember it as appearing more often than it actually does!

There are interesting things about the cards that I don’t pull. In three months, these Major Arcana cards have never come up at all: The Emperor and The Devil. I can look at the data of what archetypes don’t appear in my life and draw some interesting conclusions. I’ve also not drawn a single court card (page, knight, queen, or king) from the suit of swords - swords tend to deal with conflict, which I maybe have less of during this particular time in my life

I can identify which suit and which numbered cards appear the most and the least in my readings. While the totals of Swords, Wands, Cups, and Pentacles I pull are pretty close to even, Wands eke out a little bit higher total than the others. Cups and Pentacles are tied, with Swords coming in last. If I didn’t have this data, I’d probably assume I pull Swords the most - because they leave the biggest impact on me when I do pull them! Of the numbered cards: I pull Aces of any suit the most, and Twos of any suit the least. This makes for some interesting patterns: The Magician is sort of the “Ace” of the Major Arcana, as well. Aces are about a very singular willpower whereas Twos are about partnership and duality. Through this pattern I can identify the focus the cards have on my life at this particular point in time.

I pull Major Arcana cards more than is statistically likely. The Major Arcana makes up 28% of the deck, but 39% of my pulls. The Major Arcana are more associated with long-term messages, and so my life may have more long-term type changes needing to be made during this period.

☕️ brew a cup of tea in between, after, and/or before classes. use herbs according to certain correspondences(I personally use lavender & chamomile after class, rosemary & mugwort before or in between if I have enough time). stir in sugar with intention. pour in a thermos if you’re on the go.

☀️ wake up 20 minutes early and meditate. set intentions or goals for the day, say your prayers, give thanks to the universe or to your deity, focus on your chakras. whatever feels right and simple, make it a part of your morning. [alternative: if you have 20 minutes in between classes this can really help you unwind before your next class]

🎧 instead of listening to your regular music, find something spiritually enriching to listen to when you have a moment. there’s plenty of wonderful spirits on youtube, instagram, etc. that speak to me on a daily. listen to an astrology forecast, a tarot reading, info on certain gods or deities, other witches and their practice, anything that resonates with you. [alternative: find witchy playlists on spotify, tumblr, or 8tracks* ]

📔 combine your practice with your planner. jot down the astrological influences of each week/day. track your tea intake. record pre-planned workings/spellwork/rituals/etc. dedicate a spread to your intentions each Moon cycle, at the end of the cycle cross off everything that manifested, migrate the remaining intentions to the next spread. this is a great pastime when you’re bored in class

♥️ shuffle your tarot/Oracle/etc. cards in class. take them with you throughout the day, let them experience what you do. at the end of the day ask them for their thoughts, or any other thing you feel. make sure to cleanse your deck however you prefer after a long day, your cards will absorb all the energy around you and it may lead to them acting wonky

🖊 draw sigils to help you study and prepare for tests. if you’re struggling with lateness, come up with a sigil to help you be more time efficient. if you suck at homework, write a symbol for wisdom or focus on yourself before you start doing it. sigils are an urban witches best friend

💸 to save money, diy items for your altar. if you live on a college campus, there’s plenty of places where people give away unwanted items either or free or really cheap. get them, if they resonate. paint them, sculpt around them, whatever. then put it on your altar

Hello, witches! Since I’m always harping on about learning your history and checking your sources, I thought I’d help folks get a head start by compiling some source material.

To that end, I’ve started a Dropbox folder with a stash of historical texts on witchcraft, magic, and related topics. Nearly everything I’ve managed to find so far is public domain (thank you Project Gutenberg), with the exception of a very thorough herbal grimoire I found online some years ago and a book of witchcraft from the 1970s that appears to be out of print.

I will be continuing in this vein with future texts that I find. Everything will be public domain or cited to the source that it came from, in PDF format. I will NOT be including PDFs of any book currently in circulation with a copyright linked to a living author or estate. The point of this folder is that everything in it should be free for sharing and open use as research materials.

Below is the initial list of titles. I tried to include as many as I could find, with a focus on some oft-cited classics. I will be adding new texts as I find them.

A Collection of Rare and Curious Tracts on Witchcraft and the Second Sight, by David Webster (1820)

A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718, by Wallace Notestein (1909)

British Goblins, Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions, by Wirt Sikes (1880)

Curiosities of Superstition, by W. H. Davenport Adams (1882)

Daemonologie, by King James I/VI (1597)

Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, Edited and Selected by W. B. Yeats (1888)

Irish Witchcraft and Demonology, by St. John Drelincourt Seymour (1913)

La Sorcière, or The Witch of the Middle Ages, by Jules Michelet (1863)

Lives of the Necromancers, by William Godwin (1834)

Magic and Fetishism, by Alfred C. Haddon (1906)

Magic and Witchcraft, by Anonymous (1852)

Modern Magic, by M. Schele de Vere (1873)

Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyrics, by Richard Folkard (1884)

Practical Psychomancy and Crystal Gazing, by William Walker Atkinson (1908)

The Devil in Britain and America, by John Ashton (1896)

The Discoverie of Witchcraft, by Reginald Scot (1594, 1886 reprint)

The Extremely Large Herbal Grimoire (date unknown, internet publication)

The Golden Bough : A Study of Magic and Religion, by Sir James George Frazer (1890)

The Illustrated Key to the Tarot, by L.W. de Laurence (1918)

The Magic of the Horse-shoe, by Robert Means Lawrence (1898)

The Mysteries of All Nations, by James Grant (1880)

The Mystery and Romance of Alchemy and Pharmacy, by Charles John Samuel Thompson (1897)

The Superstitions of Witchcraft, by Howard Williams (1865)

The Witchcraft Delusion in Colonial Connecticut by John M. Taylor (1908)

The Wonders of the Invisible World, by Cotton Mather and A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New-England Witches, by Increase Mather (1693, 1862 reprint)

Witch Stories, by E. Lynn (Elizabeth Lynn) Linton (1861)

Witch, Warlock, And Magician, by W. H. Davenport Adams (1889)

Witchcraft & Second Sight in the Highlands & Islands of Scotland, by John Gregorson Campbell (1902)

Witches’ Potions & Spells, ed. by Kathryn Paulsen (1971)

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that these texts are (with few exceptions) more than a century old, and may contain depictions, references, or language that are outdated and inappropriate. The point of including these documents is to provide access to historical texts for research and reference. Inclusion in the collection does not equal unconditional agreement with or wholesale approval of the contents.

Take everything with a grain of salt and remember to do your due diligence!

A Compleat History of Magick, Sorcery, and Witchcraft, by Anonymous (1715)

A True and Faithful Relation of What Passed for Many Yeers Between Dr. John Dee and some Spirits, by John Dee (1659)

Crystal Gazing, by Northcote W. Thomas

Malleus Maleficarum, or Hammer of the Witches, trans. Montague Summers (1486, 1928 translation)

Occult Science in Medicine, by Franz Hartmann (1893)

The Book of Ceremonial Magic, by A.E. Waite (1913)

The Complete Herbal, by Nicholas Culpeper (1652, 1850 reprint)

The Devils of Loudun, by Edmund Goldsmid (1887)

The History of Witchcraft and Demonology, by Montague Summers (1926)

The Old English Herbals, by Eleanour Sinclair Rohde (1922)

Devil-Worship in France, by A.E. Waite (1896)

Magic and Husbandry: The Folk-Lore of Agriculture, by Lewis Dayton Burdick (1905)

Norse Stories Retold from the Eddas, by Hamilton Wright Mabie (1902)

The Book of Black Magic, by A.E. Waite (1910)

The Book of Were-Wolves, by Sabine Baring-Gould (1865)

The Encyclopaedia of Gardening, by T.W. Sanders (1822)

The Folk-Lore of Plants, by T.F. Thiselton-Dyer (1889, facsimile copy)

The Greater Key of Solomon, Vol. I & II, trans. S. Liddell MacGregor Mathers (1999 from the 1916 deLaurence edition)

The Handbook of Palmistry, by Rosa Baughan (1885, facsimile from the Bodleian Library)

The Prose Edda, intro and notes by Rasmus B. Anderson (1897)

The Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, Books 1-3, trans. S. Liddell MacGregor Mathers (1998 from the 1900 Watkins edition)

The Vampire, His Kith and Kin, by Montague Summers (1928)

A Manual of Cartomancy and Occult Divination, by Grand Orient (1909, facsimile)

A Manual of Occultism, by Sepharial (1914)

An Encyclopaedia of Occultism, by Lewis Spence (1920)

Demonology And Devil-Lore, Volumes 1 & 2, by Moncure Daniel Conway (1879)

Demons and Tongues, by Alma White (1910)

Fortunes and Dreams, by Astra Cielo (1917)

General Book of the Tarot, by A.E. Thierens (1930)

Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft, by Sir Walter Scott (1884)

Magic and Religion, by Andrew Lang (1901)

Magic and Mystery, A Popular History, by Alfred Thompson (1894)

Magic, Black and White, Charms and Counter Charms, by T. Witton Davies (1910)

Numbers, Their Occult Powers and Mystical Virtues, by William Wynn Westcott (1911)

Occultism and Common Sense, by Beckles Wilson (1908)

Practical Astrology, by Edgar De Valcourt-Vermont (1901, facsimile from The Library of Brigham Young University)

Psychic Self-Defense, by Dion Fortune (1930) 

Superstitions of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, by John Gregorson Campbell (1900)

Telling Fortunes by Tea Leaves, by Cicely Kent (1922)

The Black Pullet, by Anonymous (18th Century)

The Curious Lore of Precious Stones, By George Frederick Kunz (1913)

The Golden Wheel Dream-book and Fortune-Teller, by Felix Fontaine (1862)

The History of Magic, by Eliphas Levi, trans. by A.E. Waite (1922)

The Lesser Key of Solomon, trans. by S. L. McGregor Matthews (1904)

The Leyden Papyrus, trans. by F.L. Griffith and Herbert Thompson (1904)

The Mysteries of Astrology and the Wonders of Magic, by Charles W. Roback (1854, facsimile)

The Place of Magic in the Intellectual History of Europe, by Lynn Thorndike (1905, facsimile)

The Secret Book of the Black Arts, by Unknown (1878, facsimile)

The Symbolism of the Tarot, trans. by P.D. Ouspensky (1913)

The Witches’ Dream Book and Fortune Teller, by A.H. Noe (1885)

The Witches’ Pharmacopoeia, by Robert Fletcher (1896)

Witchcraft and Superstitious Record in the South-Western District of Scotland, by J. Maxwell Wood (1911)

I’m very pleased to include The Lesser Key of Solomon and The Black Pullet in this latest update. I’ve been mining the depths of Project Gutenberg and Global Grey Ebooks, and today I hit paydirt. I’ll keep digging, so stay tuned for more updates.

Like all you have to do is say oh witchcraft looks fun, this stuff might help me, this MIGHT be real... and slowly it starts to prove itself.

I'm not even talking like, i cast this spell for confidence and now I'm more confident.

I mean how when our room was heavy with negative energy from my roommate's anxiety attacks and I decided we couldn't wait to make the cleansing spray so i put cleansing sigils on post it notes around the room near vents and windows, and then did some energy work to gather the energy on her side of the room and throw it out the window, andmy roommate who had been hiding in the corner poked her head up and said it felt better.

But even more than that I mean when later that night one of the cleansing sigil post its unstuck from the wall and floated across the room to stick itself to my roommate lying in her bed.

I also mean when I hear those stories where I'm like yeah you definitely qent on the astral plane.

And when I do a tarot reading to an almost strangerwho thought it'd just be a fun activity and ended up staring at the table in bewilderment because it pinpointed exactly what was happening in his life--even when as i was reading i was sure i was spewing bullshit.

I'm talking about the stories I hear about empaths, about clairvoyance, about energy, divination, astral plane, deities.

There's times I doubt how real this stuff is, where I'm like this is just aesthetic and placebo effect... and then i hear a story or something happens and I'm just like yeah... this is real. This is happening.

It's like as soon as you offer to the universe (or whatever your beliefs) a willingness to connect, an acceptance that maybe you can communicate with it, it's voice becomes louder and more obvious and you can't deny it like you once could.

I did a ouija board with a psychic medium friend. We got the spirit equivalent of a drunk homeless guy with loads of negative energy. We had wards up, and they worked, but I could physically feel his presence and it felt very icky. 

“I’m very new to sigils, but after reading Frater UD’s Practical Sigil Magick I recently decided to make my first sigil. It said “MY WILL IS TO WIN THE TOP PRIZE ON A SCRATCHCARD TOMORROW.” I did everything the way the book explained, drawing and redrawing the letters until they looked strange, unique and magical. Then, I activated the sigil, ripping it up under running water.

“Today I purchased two scratchcards one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. I didn’t win a penny. I’m confused, because so many sources say sigil magick really works and fast and is the only magick most people get results.

“Did I do something wrong? Do you have any ideas why it didn’t work?”

-Anonymous

Let’s start with the traditional mystic’s answer to this question: If you believed it would work, why did you stop at three scratchcards? Why not help the “magick” along by buying more until you got the result you wanted? You asked for something terribly unlikely — winning the lottery — and yet you only gave it a mere three chances to happen. That’s almost the same as not buying a scratchcard at all, and hoping someone will just hand you the winning ticket.

That’s a nice, simple answer, isn’t it? It even has the ring of wisdom to it. But it’s not a satisfying answer.

So, let’s get real. It didn’t work because that’s not really what sigil magick is for. Sigil magic is more about focusing your intent than it is about shaping the world around you. Remove the occult trappings from sigil magick — the 18th century idea of the “will” being able to control all, or the arcane rituals for breathing life into a symbol — and what you’re left with is art, passion, and a statement of intent.

Those statements can be powerful. They can — and do — steer the course of entire lives. In the case of sigil magick, things that seem far too perfect to be coincidence often happen, but WHY and HOW they happen is an open question. Is it something truly supernatural? Or is it a tool for channeling the power of the subconscious mind, subtly steering the user toward uncanny connections, discovering the hidden obvious, or even providing a token of confidence to move in a new direction?

I come at sigilcraft from a chaos magick perspective. That tradition holds the view that belief is a tool. Maybe there are powerful arcane forces shaping the world, just beyond our view. Maybe not. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. If believing in something — anything — creates real results, then it doesn’t really matter if it’s “magick” or “positive thinking.”

Do you want real results from your sigils? Here’s my advice: Forget the scratchcard.

Unless you just have some fetish for scraping silvery glue off cardboard with your spare change, it’s not the actual, real thing you want. It’s a means to an end, right? You want to have some money, I’d guess. Ultimately, it’s not even the money you want, but what that money would allow you to have or do.

It’s a lot harder to get the result you want if you try to force it to go through a single channel — like, say, only via a scratchcard — and on a specific schedule of “tomorrow.” Consider how many things you directly control or strongly influence that couldn’t happen on that schedule. I can’t even get my friends to agree on a place to meet for coffee with a week’s notice.

So if you really want to give this sigil magick thing a shot, I’d say dig down to the root of what you actually want. Be specific. Focus in on it. See it in your mind’s eye. Then write out that desire, make a fresh sigil for it, and activate it. Don’t get tripped up in the details of how you active it. Then, shake it all off. Finally, give it a little time. It’s a big ask for the world to change itself around you (or for you to change how you experience the world), and a little patience seems reasonable.

Will it work? Prepare to be surprised. In my experience, however, it’s also not much for generating the kind of instant, obvious effects you probably expect. It’s a subtle thing, almost imperceptible at first. But it builds. As I wrote in the Sigil Daily guide:

Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride: In the coming days, you’ll start to see little things that are eerily evocative of the sigil you activated. Don’t deny these. Don’t dismiss them, even if they seem minor. This is the process starting to work, bit by bit, to bring your intention into reality. The more open you are to these changes, the faster the magick will come into effect.

It’s important, however, to note that your decisions play a hugely important part in how effective the sigil will be. If your sigil is about meeting a new romantic partner, for instance, you might want to think about going out to a place where that could plausibly happen. Staying inside your home, with curtains drawn and lights out, not answering the door, is actively working against the thing you want. Don’t count on the sigil to do the work for you. You’ve already bought the ticket, now you have to take the ride.

I hope this helps. If you want some additional insight, check out the Sigil Daily page on sigil creation and activation here.

Best wishes,

In her book Wicca for Beginners Thea Sabin says, “When you do a spell, you are telling the universe that you intend to bring about a certain change and you are putting the energy in motion to achieve that end.”

A spell is sort of an energetic shove to get things moving in the way you want them to, and we do this by creating a ritual to build and then release the energy to get things going.

Most spells are based on a principle called imitative magic.

In his book Backwoods Shamanism, Ray Hess says, “Imitative magic means that making a symbolic gesture, when combined with intent and will… can affect the intended change on a grander scale.” [Note: I don’t actually recommend this book, but I like Hess’s definition of imitative magic.]

So, for example, you may have heard of a “cord cutting” ritual, where you symbolically cut your spiritual ties to a person you no longer want to have a relationship with. You’re symbolically creating a separation between yourself and that person, which creates physical separation in real life.

There are four basic components to any spell: your will, your intention, focused energy, and a ritual action. Some magical traditions add extra steps, like casting a circle, but from what I’ve read and been taught, these four basic components are constant no matter which tradition you’re following.

Let’s start with the most important bit: your will. Your will isn’t just what you want: it’s the desire and drive that is in alignment with your highest good. But in this case we’re also talking about will in the sense of willpower — Basically, your will is your personal spiritual authority and the source of your magical power.

Any spell that is not in alignment with your will won’t work. This is why it’s important to be clear about what you want and why you want it before you attempt a spell.

There’s also an element of belief here. Because magic only works when your spells are in alignment with your will, if you don’t believe your spell can work, it won’t. This is because you, yourself are blocking it from working.

The second important component of a  spell is your intention. When you do a spell, it’s important to clearly state what you want to happen. Some traditions will write the intention down on a piece of paper, which is called a petition. Other traditions will use a spoken statement of intention in the form of an incantation. Some witches use both.

You need to be clear about your intention before you begin your spell. Magic will always follow the path of least resistance, so it’s important to be specific. However, I find that magic works better when your intention leaves a little bit of wiggle room. It’s about finding that happy medium.

You also want to keep your petitions and incantations simple. If it’s more than a couple of sentences, you probably need to trim it down a little.

The next important part of a spell is focused energy. Magic is a way of directing energy, and this means that your own energy needs to be focused for it to work.

Don’t get too stressed out about focus. Your spell isn’t going to fail if your mind wanders for a few seconds. But you should set aside some time where you’ll be able to fully dedicate yourself to your spell. Try to find a private place where you won’t be interrupted. Turn off the TV, put your phone away, and try to avoid distractions. You might find that playing meditation music or burning incense helps you focus.

While you cast your spell, keep focusing on what it is you want to manifest. Again, don’t overthink this and don’t worry if your thoughts wander a little, but try to stay in the moment. Repeating your incantation can help with maintaining focus.

The last important part of a spell is your ritual action. This just means doing a specific set of things, in a specific order, with a specific intent behind them. If we go back to our definition of imitative magic, your ritual actions are symbolic of the change you want to manifest.

Your ritual actions do not have to be complex. A very common ritual for spells is anointing and lighting a candle. Making a charm or poppet is also popular. But any action can be a magical ritual if it is done with intent and focus, in alignment with your will. Making a cup of tea or coffee can be a ritual. Running a bath can be a ritual. Cooking food can be a ritual. The only limit is your imagination.

Having knowledge of herbs and plants (either magically or medicinally) during the Middle Ages, often was reason enough to accuse a woman of being a “witch,” so there is no doubt some of the country folk at the time took these herbal folk names literal.  Chances are, these names were used merely as descriptors to help remember them easier.  Most plants were given names descriptive of their uses and others were given names for something they generally resembled. Spells written by witches in ancient times were often written with such descriptors, which personally i believe to be a form of secret coding.

Here is a small list of “witchy” herb names (most of these are already floating around the community) that you can use in your craft when you create your spells.  This list could be a great addition to any Grimoire and i hope you find them as useful as i do.

Enjoy ~~~  Cannawitch

Plants

Aaron’s Rod - Goldenrod or mullein stalk Absinthe - Wormwood Adder’s Fork - Adder’s Tongue Fern or Bistort Adder’s Tongue - Dog’s Tooth Violet (or Adder’s Tongue Fern Ague root - Unicorn root Alison - Sweet Alyssum Angel Food, Archangel - Angelica Angel’s Trumpet - Datura Ass’s Ear - colt’s foot or comfrey Ass’s Foot, Bull’s Foot - colt’s foot Auld Man’s Bells, Old man’s bells - wood hyacinth, Hyacinthoides hispanica

Bad Man’s/Devil’s Oatmeal/Porridge - hemlock Bad Man’s/Devil’s Plaything - Yarrow Bastard - false Dittany Bat flower - tacca Bat’s Wing - Holly leaf Bat’s Wool - moss (which moss?) Bear’s Foot - Lady’s Mantle Bear’s Grape Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Bear Paw - ramsons Allium ursinum or the root of male fern Dryopteris Felix-mas Bear weed - Yerba Santa Eriodictyon californicum Beard of a Monk - Chicory Beggar’s Lice - Hound’s tongue Beggar’s Buttons - Burdock Bird’s Eye - Speedwell Veronica officinalis Bird’s Foot - Fenugreek Trigonella foenum-graecum (Also bird’s foot violet and bird’s foot trefoil) Bird’s Nest - carrot, Indian pipe Bishop’s Wort, Bishop’s Elder - Wood betony Stachys betonica Bitter Grass - Ague Root Aletris Farinosa Black Sampson - Echinacea Blazing Star - liatris Blind Eyes - Poppy Blood from a head - Lupine * Blood from a shoulder - Bear’s breech * Blood of a Goose - Sap from a mulberry * Morus nigra Blood of an Eye - Tamarisk gall * (probably the tannin extracted from) Blood of Ares - purslane * Blood of Hephaestus - wormwood * Blood of Hestia - Chamomile * Blood - sap of the elder or bloodwort Bloody butcher - Valerian Bloody Fingers - Foxglove Blue Bottle - Bachelor’s buttons Boy’s Love, Lad’s Love: Southernwood Brain Thief - Mandrake Bone of an Ibis - buckthorn * I am not sure if this is Rhamnus cathartica or sea buckthorn Hippophae spp If I can find a recipe containing this, I will know for sure by comparing its purpose to their very different qualities Bread and Cheese - Hawthorn Bride of the Meadow - meadowsweet Bull’s Blood - beet or horehound Burning bush - false dittany, also a modern name for species of Euonymus Cow’s Horn - Fenugreek Trigonella foenum-graecum Bride of the Sun - calendula Brown Dragon - wake robin Buttons - tansy

Calf’s snout - Snapdragon Candlemas Maiden - snowdrop Candlewick - mullein, the flower stalk Capon’s Tail - valerian Carpenter’s Herb - bugleweed Lycopus europaeus Carpenter’s Square - knotted figwort Carpenter’s weed - Yarrow Cat - catnip Cat’s foot - white balsam, black cohosh, ground ivy Cat’s herb - valerian Chameleon star - bromeliad Cheeses - marsh mallow Chocolate flower - wild geranium (I don’t buy it) Christ’s eye - wild clary Salvia verbenaca Christ’s ladder - centaury Christ’s spear - adder’s tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum Church steeple - Agrimony Clear eye - clary sage Cleavers - bedstraw Click - goosegrass Clot - great mullien Cocklebur - Agrimony Cock’s comb - amaranth Colt’s Tail - fleabane Crane’s bill - wild geranium Crow’s foot - wild geranium, or wood anemone bulbous buttercup (verified) Crowdy kit - figwort Cuckoo’s bread - common plantago Cucumber tree - magnolia Cuddy’s lungs - great mullein Crown for a king - wormwood

Dagger flower - blue flag Daphne - bay laurel Dead man’s bells foxglove Death angel - fly agaric Amanita Muscaria Death cap - fly agaric Amanita Muscaria Death flower - Yarrow Death’s Herb - Belladonna Delight of the Eye - rowan Devil Plant - basil Devil’s Apple - Mayapple or Mandrake Devil’s beard - houseleek Devil’s bit - false unicorn root Devil’s cherries Belladonna berries Devil’s plaything - yarrow Devil’s dung - asafoetida Devil’s ear - wakerobin Devil’s eye - henbane or periwinkle Devil’s flower - bachelor’s buttons Devil’s fuge - mistletoe Devil’s guts - dodder Devil’s herb - belladonna Devil’s milk - celandine Devil’s nettle - yarrow Devil’s Shoestring: Various varieties of vibernum, esp Black Haw, cramp bark, hobblebush Dew of the Sea - Rosemary Dog Berry - wild rose hips Dog’s mouth - snap dragon Dog’s tongue - hound’s tongue Dove’s foot - wild geranium Dragon - tarragon Dragon Flower - blue flag (really, wild iris? not an arum or a Antirrhinum?) Dragon wort - bistort Dragon’s blood - calamus

Eagle - ramsons Allium ursinum Earth apple - potato Earth smoke- fumitory Elf’s wort - Elecampane Enchanter’s plant - vervain Englishman’s fruit/ White man’s foot - common plantain Everlasting friendship - goosegrass Eye root - goldenseal

Fairy smoke - Indian pipe Fairy fingers - foxglove Fat from a Head - spurge * Felon herb - Mugwort Five fingers - cinquefoil Fox’s Clote - burdock Frog’s foot - bulbous buttercup From the belly - Earth-apple. * potato?? Did the writers know about potatoes? When was pgm written? From the foot - houseleek * From the loins - chamomile *

Goat’s foot - morning glory Goat’s Horn - Fenugreek Trigonella foenum-graecum God’s hair - hart’s tongue fern Golden’s star - avens Gosling’s wing - goosegrass Graveyard dust - mullein (and sometimes it’s just graveyard dust)

Hag’s taper - mullien stalk Hagthorn - hawthorn Hair of Venus - Maidenhair fern Hairs of a Hamadryas Baboon: Dill Seed * Hare’s beard - mullein Hawk’s Heart, Old Woman - Wormwood Artemisia absinthium crown or seed head * Hind’s tongue - hart’s tongue fern Holy herb - yerba santa Holy rope - hemp agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum Horse tongue - hart’s tongue fern Hundred eyes - periwinkle

Innocence - bluets

Jacob’s Staff - Great Mullein Joy of the Mountain - Marjoram Jupiter’s Staff - Great Mullein

King’s Crown: Black Haw vibernum Knight’s Milfoil - Yarrow Kronos’ Blood - sap of Cedar *

Lady’s glove - foxglove Lamb’s ears - betony but more likely lamb’s ear Stachys byzantina Lion’s Hair - The extra little roots that stick out of the turnip bulb or the base leaves Brassica rapa * Lion’s tooth - dandelion Little dragon - tarragon Love in idleness - pansy Love Lies Bleeding - amaranth (Not so ancient, a modern ornamental variant) Love Leaves - burdock Love man - goosegrass Love Parsley - lovage Love root - orris root

Maiden’s Ruin - Southernwood Man’s Bile - Turnip Juice * Man’s Health - Ginseng Master of the Woods - Woodruff May Lily - Lily of the Valley May Rose - Black Haw viburnum May - Black Haw viburnum Maypops - Passion Flower Mistress of the Night - Tuberose Mutton Chops - Goosegrass

Nose Bleed - Yarrow

Old Man’s Flannel - Great Mullein Old Man’s Pepper - Yarrow Old-Maid’s-Nightcap - Wild Geranium

Password - primrose Peter’s Staff - Great Mullein Poor Man’s Treacle - Garlic Priest’s Crown - Dandelion leaves

Queen of the Meadow Root - Gravelroot Queen of the Meadow - Meadowsweet Queen of the Night - Vanilla Cactus

Rats and Mice - Hound’s tongue Ram’s horn - valerian Ring a Bells - bluebell Robin run in the grass - goosegrass

Scaldhead - blackberry Seed of Horus - horehound See bright - Clary sage Semen of Ammon - Houseleek * Semen of Ares - Clover * Semen of Helios - White Hellebore * Semen of Hephaistos - Fleabane * Semen of Herakles - arugula * Semen of Hermes - Dill * Seven Year’s Love Yarrow Shameface - Wild Geranium Shepherd’s Heart - Shepherd’s Purse Silver Bells - Black Haw viburnum Snake Root - black cohosh Soapwort - Comfrey or Daisy or maybe Soapwort Sorcerer’s Violet - Periwinkle Sparrow’s Tongue - Knotweed St. John’s Herb - Hemp Agrimony St. John’s Plant - Mugwort Star Flower - Borage Star of the Earth - Avens Starweed - Chickweed Sweethearts - Goosegrass Swine’s Snout - Dandelion leaves

Tail of a Pig - Leopard’s bane * Tanner’s bark - toadflax Tartar root - ginseng Tears of a Hamadryas Baboon - Dill Juice * Thousand weed - yarrow Thunder plant - houseleek Titan’s Blood - Wild Lettuce Lactuca virosa * Torches - mullein flower stalk

Unicorn’s horn - unicorn root or false unicorn root Urine - dandelion or maybe urine

Wax dolls - fumitory Weasel - rue Weasel snout - yellow archangel Winter wood - wild cinnamon Canella alba White - ox eye daisy Witch’s Asprin - white willow bark (this is ancient?) Witch’s brier - wild brier rose hips Wolf claw - club moss Wolf’s foot - bugleweed Wolf’s milk - euphorbia Woodpecker - herbLpeony Worm fern- male fern Dryopteris Felix-mas

Yerba Santa Maria - epazote

Plant Parts/Body Parts

Blood - Sap or juice Eye - The disc of a composite flower, or a seed Foot - Leaf Guts - Roots, stalks, tangly bits Hair - Very stringy roots (sometimes silk or tangly stems) Head - Flower head or seed head Tail - Stem Tongue - Petal, sometimes stigma Toes - leaf or bud Paw - sometimes bud, usually leaf Privates - Seed pod Worm - stringy roots Wool - Moss

Minerals

A Snake’s Ball of Thread - soapstone * Blood of a Snake - hematite * Crocodile Dung - Soil from Ethiopia * A Physician’s bone - sandstone *

Animal Parts

A Snake’s Head - A leech * Blood of a Hyrax - A rock badger, * small weasel-like/rodent-like (but actually neither) creature native to Africa and the Middle East Blood of a Hamadryas Baboon - Blood of a spotted gecko * Bull’s semen - the egg of a blister beetle * Lion Semen - Human semen * Kronos’ Spice - Pig Milk *

* From Ecloga ex Papyris Magicis: Liber I, V, xxvi

More Sources for verification -

Galen - De succedaneis, Claudii Galeni Opera Omnia, v 19

Paulus Aegineta, Corpus Medicorum Graecorum IX/2 vII

Dioscorides De Materia Medica

Witchipedia

Lady Raven

Like all you have to do is say oh witchcraft looks fun, this stuff might help me, this MIGHT be real... and slowly it starts to prove itself.

I'm not even talking like, i cast this spell for confidence and now I'm more confident.

I mean how when our room was heavy with negative energy from my roommate's anxiety attacks and I decided we couldn't wait to make the cleansing spray so i put cleansing sigils on post it notes around the room near vents and windows, and then did some energy work to gather the energy on her side of the room and throw it out the window, andmy roommate who had been hiding in the corner poked her head up and said it felt better.

But even more than that I mean when later that night one of the cleansing sigil post its unstuck from the wall and floated across the room to stick itself to my roommate lying in her bed.

I also mean when I hear those stories where I'm like yeah you definitely qent on the astral plane.

And when I do a tarot reading to an almost strangerwho thought it'd just be a fun activity and ended up staring at the table in bewilderment because it pinpointed exactly what was happening in his life--even when as i was reading i was sure i was spewing bullshit.

I'm talking about the stories I hear about empaths, about clairvoyance, about energy, divination, astral plane, deities.

There's times I doubt how real this stuff is, where I'm like this is just aesthetic and placebo effect... and then i hear a story or something happens and I'm just like yeah... this is real. This is happening.

It's like as soon as you offer to the universe (or whatever your beliefs) a willingness to connect, an acceptance that maybe you can communicate with it, it's voice becomes louder and more obvious and you can't deny it like you once could.

Because the converse of what I said is also true: if you don’t believe it works, it absolutely won’t, because even if something happens that could be taken as effects of magic, someone who doesn’t believe will not attribute that to the magic.

Like all you have to do is say oh witchcraft looks fun, this stuff might help me, this MIGHT be real... and slowly it starts to prove itself.

I'm not even talking like, i cast this spell for confidence and now I'm more confident.

I mean how when our room was heavy with negative energy from my roommate's anxiety attacks and I decided we couldn't wait to make the cleansing spray so i put cleansing sigils on post it notes around the room near vents and windows, and then did some energy work to gather the energy on her side of the room and throw it out the window, andmy roommate who had been hiding in the corner poked her head up and said it felt better.

But even more than that I mean when later that night one of the cleansing sigil post its unstuck from the wall and floated across the room to stick itself to my roommate lying in her bed.

I also mean when I hear those stories where I'm like yeah you definitely qent on the astral plane.

And when I do a tarot reading to an almost strangerwho thought it'd just be a fun activity and ended up staring at the table in bewilderment because it pinpointed exactly what was happening in his life--even when as i was reading i was sure i was spewing bullshit.

I'm talking about the stories I hear about empaths, about clairvoyance, about energy, divination, astral plane, deities.

There's times I doubt how real this stuff is, where I'm like this is just aesthetic and placebo effect... and then i hear a story or something happens and I'm just like yeah... this is real. This is happening.

It's like as soon as you offer to the universe (or whatever your beliefs) a willingness to connect, an acceptance that maybe you can communicate with it, it's voice becomes louder and more obvious and you can't deny it like you once could.