Sinsatiable's Heart

How to use a sigil wheel.

A tutorial. 

🌈 this one goes out to all you groovy gays 🖤

Every single person on the planet has psychic abilities, but most people never realize that they’re using them. As Tess Whitehurst says in her book You Are Magical, “There is almost certainly something you assume that everyone can perceive that is actually a perception that is relatively unique to you.”

For example: you may be a gifted artist. Drawing and painting come naturally to you, and you have an intuitive sense of form and color. You probably know people who claim that they “don’t have an artistic bone in their body” or “can’t even draw a stick figure,” but you can’t bring yourself to believe it. Surely, those people are just psyching themselves out, because if art comes so easily to you, everyone must be able to do it to some extent, right?

Psychic abilities are similar. You’ve probably been tapping into at least one psychic sense all your life, but it feels so normal to you that you assume everyone experiences the world this way.

Once you become aware of your innate psychic abilities, you can start to harness them. For this reason, I think it’s a good idea to become familiar with (and comfortable using!) your natural psychic gifts before you try to learn any kind of divination.

Read over the following list of common psychic senses. Does one or more of them sound familiar? Once you recognize which of these you resonate with, focus on strengthening that gift over the next couple of weeks. You’ll be amazed by how easily you’re able to tap into it once you know how!

Clairvoyance: Clear Seeing

Contrary to popular opinion, the word “clairvoyance” does not describe any and all psychic abilities. Someone with clairvoyance receives psychic messages through their sense of sight. They may see these messages with their physical eyes, or see images in their mind’s eye. Seeing auras is an example of clairvoyance in action.

You may be clairvoyant if…

You often see flashes of light, blurred figures, or other visual phenomena that others do not see. [Note: This is NOT the same as visual hallucinations. Clairvoyants typically see things with their mind’s eye, not their physical eyes, and can differentiate between their visions and what is physically in front of them.]

You often experience random mental images that seem to have nothing to do with what’s going on around you.

Your meditations are primarily visual — for example, if you meditate on the element of water, you may see a bubbling fountain in your mind’s eye.

You are a visual learner.

Ways to Strengthen Clairvoyance

Keep a journal of the mental images you receive “out of nowhere.” Do these images mean anything to you? Do individual visions fit into a larger pattern?

Meditate on your chakras, and visualize each chakra in your mind’s eye, starting from the root and working up to the crown. What do your chakras look like? Are the colors bright and clear, or more faded and muddy? Are some spinning faster or slower than others? How does their appearance correspond to your life? For example, a muddy or faded sacral chakra may indicate issues around sexuality.

Do research into auras and what the different aura colors mean. Do you always seem to see or think of a certain color when you’re around a certain person? How does that color represent that person’s energy and personality? Write down your findings.

Clairaudience: Clear Hearing

Someone with clairaudience receives psychic messages through their sense of hearing. They may hear messages with their physical ears or “hear” them in their mind. A medium who hears spirits is an example of someone using clairaudience.

You may be clairaudient if…

You sometimes “hear” things in your mind, as if someone else was talking to you from inside your head. [Note: This is NOT the same as “hearing voices” or auditory hallucinations. Clairaudients usually “hear” messages with their mind, not their physical ears, and they can distinguish between psychic messages and physical, “real world” sounds.]

Sometimes, when you listen to music or watch a movie, a specific lyric or line of dialogue seems to jump out at you, as if it were a special message.

Your meditations are primarily auditory — for example, if you meditate on the element of water, you may hear a babbling brook.

You are an auditory learner.

Ways to Strengthen Clairaudience

Keep a journal of the messages you “hear” out of nowhere. Are they consistent, forming a larger pattern? Do they all seem to be “in the same voice,” or coming from the same source? (If so, this could be a deity or spirit guide reaching out to you.)

Do a meditation with the intention of holding a conversation with a helpful spirit guide. (If you are not comfortable working with spirits, you can set the intention of speaking to your inner self.) What does their voice sound like? Is it different from or similar to your own? Do they speak with an accent or have a unique inflection? Write down your thoughts.

Experiment with shufflemancy. This is a modern form of divination where you put a playlist on shuffle and receive a psychic message from the song that plays first. (You can find playlists specifically made for shufflemancy online, or make your own.) How does the song make you feel? Are there certain lyrics that jump out to you? Write down your thoughts.

Clairsentience: Clear Feeling

Someone with clairsentience feels psychic messages, either through their body or through their emotions. They may feel physical sensations, like an upset stomach, or may be very sensitive to emotional energies. Intuitively picking up on someone’s emotions without needing to ask is an example of clairsentience.

You may be clairsentient if…

You often feel physical sensations, like a hot flash or a cold chill, out of nowhere.

You are able to feel other people’s emotions — you can always tell when someone has had a bad day, even if they’re trying to hide it.

You can sense the “vibe” of a room as soon as you walk in. Do certain buildings feel “angry” or “sad” to you? Can you always tell the energy of a party even if you just arrived?

Your meditations primarily focus on tactile sensations — for example, if you meditate on the element of water, you may feel waves lapping at your feet.

Ways to Strengthen Clairsentience

Pay attention to your “gut feelings.” Do you feel a sinking sensation when thinking about something, only for it to go badly later? Do you feel a warm, fuzzy sensation thinking about something, only for it to go really well? Write down your experiences — and be honest. It’s okay if your gut feeling doesn’t always match the outcome.

Do a pathworking meditation (this is just a type of meditation that focuses on taking a mental journey) to a forest, or a beach, or some other location that appeals to you. Try to feel as many tactile sensations as possible, as if you were really there. Feel the grass or sand under your feet, feel the wind in your hair, feel the sun on your skin. Write down your experience.

Practice feeling the energy of a plant or crystal. Reach out and touch the plant/crystal, and try to feel it out. Does it have a calm, stable energy, or is it more bright and zingy? Try feeling a different plant/crystal and see how it feels different. Write down your experience.

Note: Some (but not all) clairsentients are also empaths, people who take on the emotions of others as if they were their own. All empaths are clairsentient, but not all clairsentient people are empaths. You may be an empath if you often find yourself matching the emotions of the people you’re around — you cry when they cry, laugh when they laugh, etc.

Claircognizance: Clear Knowing

Claircognizence is the gift of psychic knowing — people with this ability often “just know” things, even if they should have no way of knowing. They may know what someone is about to say before they say it, or know personal information about someone they just met.

You may be claircognizant if…

You “just know” what’s going on with your friends and family, even if they haven’t told you. For example, you may suddenly feel like you need to call your sister, only to find out after you call that she just broke up with her boyfriend.

You always know who a text is from as soon as your phone dings, or always know what song is going to play next on shuffle.

You often know things about new people as soon as you meet them, only for them to confirm it later. Did you know your friend was a vegetarian before he told you, even though you’d never shared a meal with him?

Your meditations often include “downloads” of information, where you feel like the answer to your question or some other revelation has just been dropped into your brain.

Ways to Strengthen Claircognizance

Every time your phone goes off, try to guess who the message is from. Keep a tally of how often you’re right vs. wrong.

Do a meditation with the intention of receiving the answer to a specific question. Retreat to a place of stillness and focus on your breath until the answer to the question “just comes to you.” Write down your experience.

This is a game I used to play with my sister before I knew what claircognizance was: have a friend show you a picture of someone they know, but whom you have never met before. Focus on the picture, and see if you get any info about the person — are they a jock? Do they like rock music? What’s their personality like? Get your friend to confirm or deny the info you got from the picture, and keep a tally of how often you’re right vs. wrong.

The Other Clairs

There are two other “clair” senses that are less common, so I’m not going to talk about them at length here. Clairalience, or “clear smelling,” refers to receiving psychic messages through smell. (If you smell roses out of nowhere, with no roses in sight, you may be using clairalience.) Clairgustance, or “clear tasting,” refers to receiving psychic messages through taste. (If you taste chocolate out of nowhere, you may be using claigustance.)

In my experience, these psychic senses are less common than the ones listed above. Most people I know who have clairalience or clairgustance seem to use it as a secondary sense, in addition to a primary sense like clairvoyance or clairsentience.

Conclusion

You are probably using at least one of these psychic senses every day, without even knowing it. Most people have two to three “main” psychic senses, but some may regularly and easily use all of them. For example, my primary psychic senses are clairsentience and claircognizance, but I also find myself receiving messages through clairaudience fairly often. It’s rare for me to receive clairvoyant messages, but it has happened.

Once you’ve identified the psychic senses that you naturally lean towards, you can begin to develop and strengthen them.

Resources:

You Are Magical by Tess Whitehurst [Specifically the chapter, “Reading the Signs.”]

The Fat Feminist Witch Podcast, Episode 68: “Clear Knowing”

I decided to create a masterpost that would help you with what you are struggling with. Hopefully any of the links below will help you! Reminder; You’re going to be okay. What you are going through will pass, just remember to breathe. 

————————————————————————————-

Distractions;

Here are some distractions to help keep your mind occupied so you aren’t too focused on your thoughts. 

-Draw something

-This website translates the time into colours.

-Create your own galaxy.

-Play flowing.

-Make a 3D line travel where ever you like. 

-Listen to music.

-Calm.

-Ocean mood, do nothing for two minutes.

Sleep issues; 

- 8 hour sleep music.

-Rainy mood. 

-Meditation.

-Coping with nightmares.

-How to cope with nightmares, 11 steps.

-Calm

-Foods that can affect your sleeping, both positive and negatively. 

 Uncomfortable with silence; 

-Rainy mood.

-10 hours of rain and thunder.

-3 hours of rain and thunder.

-Human heartbeat.

-Rainforest.

-Sound of rain on a tin roof.

-Autumn wind.

-Rain on a tent

-Traffic in the rain.

-Soft traffic. 

-Fan.

-Train.

-Simply noise.

-My noise.

-Rainy cafe.

Anxiety; 

-How to stop worrying. 

-Tips to manage anxiety and stress.

-The 10 best ever anxiety management techniques. 

-Self-help strategies for anxiety. 

-Helping a friend with anxiety. 

-All about worrying.

-8 myths about anxiety. 

Sad, angry and depressed/depression; 

-“I’m always sad”

-Feeling sad.

-Going through trauma.

-“I’m always angry”.

-Anger management. 

-All about anger.

-National helplines and websites.

-Self-help strategies for depression.

-Dealing with depression at work.

-Dealing with depression at school.

Isolation and loneliness; 

-Pets and mental health.

-All about loneliness. 

-“I feel so alone”

-10 more ideas to help with loneliness. 

-How to deal with loneliness.

 Self-harm;

-Alternatives to self-harm and distraction techniques.

-146 things to do besides self-harm.

-More alternatives to self-harm.

-Self-harm alternatives.

-How to take care of self-harm wounds/injuries.

-Getting rid of scars.  

Addiction; 

-How to help a friend with a drug addiction.

-What is addiction?

-All about alcohol and addiction.

-The facts about drug addiction.

 Eating disorders; 

-Helping a friend with an eating disorder.

-Eating disorder treatments. 

-Support services for eating disorders. 

-Self-help tips with eating disorders.

-Eating disorder recovery. 

-Recovering from an eating disorder. 

-100+ reasons to recover. 

-Understanding and managing eating disorders. 

 Dealing with self-hatred;  

-3 ways to ease self-loathing. 

-How to turn self-hatred into self-compassion.

-Self-hatred resources.

-10 step plan to deal with self-hate. 

 Suicidal; 

-International suicide hotlines (1)  (2)

-Preventing suicide. 

-Reasons to stay alive.

-Dealing with suicidal thoughts and feelings.

-Coping with suicidal ideation.  

 Schizophrenia;

-All about schizophrenia.  

-Helping a person with schizophrenia.  

-Understanding and dealing with schizophrenia.  

-Delusions and hallucinations.  

OCD;

-Managing your OCD at home. 

-Overcoming OCD.

-How to cope with OCD. 

-Strategies for dealing with the anxious moments. 

Borderline personality disorder; 

-Helping someone with BPD. 

-All about personality disorders.

-Treatment for BPD.

Abuse; 

-Healthy relationships VS abusive relationships. 

-Emotional abuse

-Overcoming sexual abuse. 

-Hotlines services. 

-5 ways to escape an abusive relationship. 

-Domestic violence support. 

-Signs of an abusive relationship. 

-What do to if you’re in an abusive relationship. 

-Surviving abuse. 

-What you can do if you’re sexual harassed. 

-Sexual assault support.

-What to do if you’ve been sexually assaulted or abused. 

 Bullying;

-How to stand up against bullying.

-How to protect yourself when it comes to cyber bullying.

-How to help stop people bullying you. 

 Loss and grief; 

-How to cope with a suicide of a loved one.

-Grieving for a stranger. 

-Common reactions to death. 

-Working through grief.

(Other loss and grief)

-Moving away from friends and family. 

-Coping with a breakup.

 Getting help; 

-Seeking help early. 

-All about psychological treatments. 

-Types of help.

-All about age and confidentiality. 

Things you need to remember; 

- Don’t stress about being fixed because you’re not broken.

-Remember to remind yourself of your accomplishments. Tell yourself that you’re proud of yourself, even if you’re not. 

- This is temporary. You won’t always feel like this. 

-You are not alone. 

-You are enough. 

-You are important. 

-You are worth it. 

-You are strong. 

-You are not a failure, 

-Good people exist. 

-Reaching out shows strength. 

-Breathe. 

-Don’t listen to the thoughts that are not helping you. 

-Give yourself credit. 

-Don’t be ashamed of your emotions, for the good or bad ones. 

-Treat yourself the same way as you would treat a good friend. 

-Focus on the things you can change. 

-Let go of toxic people. 

-You don’t need to hide, you’re allowed to feel the way you do. 

-Try not to beat yourself up. 

-Something is always happening, you don’t want to miss out on what’s going to happen next. 

-You are not a bother.

-Your existence is more than your appearance. 

-You are smart. 

-You are loved. 

-You are wanted. 

-You are needed. 

-Better days are coming. 

-Just because your past is dark, doesn’t mean your future isn’t bright. 

-You have more potential than you think. 

- Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.

Once again - thank you, thank you, thank you for your patience!! I’ve updated all subscribers and replied to everyone who has emailed me a request, so if you still haven’t heard from me please feel free to reach out again. (Just finished sending out 200+ individual emails by hand in an attempt to avoid spam folders and filters!)

Thankfully, in response to the tech issues and other obstacles I’ve been experiencing by managing Hoodoo Library access via email (see here & here), I’ve finally come up with what I hope will be a much simpler, smoother, and more efficient solution going forward (:

I created a Discord server for the Hoodoo Library as a read-only platform to manage access requests and share the monthly passcode to Library subscribers (for now, it is not a rootwork community or chatroom). This should make it 10x easier and faster for me to process access requests!

Going forward, to access the Hoodoo Library please join this server and follow the instructions: https://discord.gg/GtqMJ2e

If you’ve sent an access request and followed the instructions via email, simply join the server and Discord message me the email that you used so I can confirm that you’re already verified.

PERSONAL UPDATE

I also want to share that I’ve been crazy ass busy in a very good way. I’ve been happy and well, and I’ve been grinding and living my best life with good things going on at work and at home and in my spiritual life!

It’s just a lot of goings on to juggle all at once, and it’s really forced me to get offline for a bit as has happened sometimes in the past in order for me to get a handle on it all. My cup runneth over, and I am soooo appreciative of everyone’s understanding, support, patience, and kindness <3 It makes all the difference.

Hoodoo Library Masterpost

About the Library

Hoodoo Library Server (for passcode access)

Enter the Library (passcode needed)

Hey no worries, I have lots, I’ve been there, hope some of these can help

“I Can Manage My Anxiety”

“Walk Unafraid”

“I Don’t Hesitate When Necessary”

“Don’t Panic”

“I Can Trust”

“I Am Not Silent When Somebody Is In Need”

“I Am Calm”

“I Don’t Fear The Future”

“I Feel Safe In My Home” 

“I Am Calm When I Drive”

“I Am Not Afraid To Be Around People”

“Insecure Thoughts Begone”

“I Am Stronger Than My Anxiety”

“Chill The Fuck Out”

“I Feel I Have Done Enough”

“Winning The Battle Against Anxiety”

“I Overcome My Fears”

So this is loosely based on the idea of Pandora’s box, in Greek mythology this is a box that was given to  the first woman created by the gods. It contained all the evils of the world and she was tempted to peek inside and opened it letting all the evils loose but leaving hope inside. My black box is used in my energy and Reiki workings, I use it to contain negative energy, parasites, etc. Essentially this is the opposite of Pandora’s box, you shove the bad inside and it cannot get out unless you want it to and it also transmutes negative energy into positive or neutral energy. 

What you need:

A quiet place and focus

Sigils that mean:

“You shall not pass” and 

“ energy transmutation/dispel negative energy” (I used the Reiki symbol I was taught for this one, you can use whatever you want) 

This is made purely of energy (and if you can astral travel you should be able to see it physically in astral as that’s where it exists). After you ground and center yourself concentrate on visualizing your black box (it doesn’t have to be black, do what works for you). See all of it’s sides, it is a box so it has four sides, a top and a bottom; feel them as you build them up energetically. Once you have your box solidified and it does not dissipate when you take your concentration off of it, you are going to set the sides and the sigils into each side, the bottom, and the top. 

The way I did this was by creating energy sigils. Energy sigils are sigils that are created energetically and are connected by energy cords to outside power sources. That way the box does not drain your energy and it should not be easy or probable for anything to break out of it. 

I started with the sides, I gathered energy cords from the Source through my Reiki channel, from the Sun, from the Moon, from the River that is a few miles from my house, from the Mountains I grew up in, from the Ocean, from the Trees in my area; I asked my spirit companion to support me while I did this. Gather strong cords of energy, then you are going to weave them around the corners of the box, I started with the top left corner of this side of the box. Wove the energy cords together towards the upper right corner, then down the right side, then from the bottom right corner to the bottom left corner, up the left side and connected the whole side together. I checked the whole circuit then spun the box around and did the same to the next side, again checking the circuit of that side then the connection of the 2 sides together before moving on to the 3rd and then 4th side. Repeating the steps above for each side. 

After you have the sides connected and the energy woven together you might feel a buzzing vibration, that is the energy circuit and it will settle once you finish the whole thing (I would not split this into parts if you can help it, I don’t know what would happen. It might implode or just fade away. Just try to complete this in one sitting. If you don’t I’d be interested in hearing from you about what happened). 

Next step is the bottom, you do the same as with each side, but as you go along the bottom you will be connecting with each of the bottom corners of each side. So the weaving is more like Nalbinding (which I know not many of you will know but that is the best description I can think of because it’s not like knitting and only sort of like crocheting) you are creating an edge for the bottom as you connect it to the existing edge of the bottom of each side. 

The top of the box I left for last, but if you feel the need to do it now, do so, but the top of the box is a lid so make sure to hinge it on one side so you can open it. 

Once you have the sides and the bottom of the box stable you are going to create your energy sigils with the cords of energy you have gathered (if you need to stop to gather more energy at any time do so, so it does not start draining your energy). You will weave your, “You shall not pass”, sigil out of the energy cords then embed it into the 1st side of the box. Make 4 more and embed them in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th side, and the bottom of the box. 

At this point it should feel like the energy is focused and shouldn’t be buzzing too much as the sigils  focus the energy and intent of the working. 

Next step is the top and this one is a little different. You will take the energy cords and weave a filter/net, the intent behind this is you can push things through but they cannot come through until their energy has been neutralized or transmuted to a more positive and not harmful one. Once you have the net woven to the size of the top of your box you will again weave this onto each side, similar to how you wove the bottom together. After the net is in place you will make an energy sigil, “dispel negative energy/ energy transmutation”, with your energy cords (remember to gather more if needed). Set the sigil into the net. 

Lastly is the lid/top of the box. I visualized it open, as I had just made the filter, I started with the hinged edge fixing it to that side of the box permanently and to act as a hinge. Then I worked up from there, pick a side and weave the energy up the side, across the other (top) edge, and back down to the hinged edge. At this point I closed the top, I made the last, “You shall not pass”, energy sigil and embedded it into lid. And you are done. 

I checked once more to make sure there were no hitches in the energy weaves or sigils. And if you want to you can also connect another energy cord from an outside source just for added power and as a back up if any thing you’ve woven fails. I connected mine to the river down the road, it connects to the Ocean so it has a slight attachment to the ocean as well. 

When ever I take energy parasites or negative energy out of clients or myself I draw it out and put it in the black box. When I pass the over the river I open the lid and allow the transmuted energy to release; also sometimes if I feel the need I will open it and check on everything, usually there is something that needs to be released if it has grabbed my attention. I haven’t tried this with nasty spirits/entities yet but it should (in theory) work the same way. (Again, let me know if you do trap a nasty entity or spirit and how it works, please!)

Ok, kiddies.  Several of you have seen my post about the various resources and books I have in my Pagan/Witchcraft/Magick library and have asked “Where can I download the PDFs from?”

Well, now that things have calmed down a bit…Here it is!  This post will always be growing as I find more PDF books. I did my best to organize them according to category.

Happy reading, loves :)

PS- Please message me if links are wrong or broken!

Book of Shadows/Grimoires

The Azoetia: A Grimoire of the Sabbatic Craft by Andrew Chumbley*

Cunningham’s Book of Shadows: The Path of an American Traditionalist by Scott Cunningham*

The Pop Culture Grimoire: A Pop Culture Magic Anthology by Taylor Ellwood*

The Gardnerian Book of Shadows by Gerald Gardner*

A Grimoire for Modern Cunningfolk: A Practical Guide to Witchcraft on the Crooked Path by Peter Paddon*

Witch’s Master Grimoire by Lady Sabrina*

The Complete Uncut Book of Shadows by Riders of the Crystal Wind*

The Alexandrian Book of Shadows by Sekhet Sophia*

Crowley/Thelema

The Book of the Law by Aleister Crowley*

The Book of Lies by Aleister Crowley*

The Book of Thoth by Aleister Crowley*

Book 4 by Aleister Crowley, Frater Perdurabo, and Soror Vira*

Book 4 Part 1: Meditation by Aleister Crowley*

The Confessions of Aleister Crowley by Aleister Crowley*

Diary of a Drug Fiend by Aleister Crowley*

Duty by Aleister Crowley*

Eight Lectures on Yoga by Aleister Crowley*

The Equinox by Aleister Crowley*

The Equinox of the Gods by Aleister Crowley*

Goetia of Solomon the King by Aleister Crowley*

Household Gods by Aleister Crowley*

Invocation of Hecate by Aleister Crowley*

Liber CVI (Book 106): Concerning Death by Aleister Crowley*

Liber 777 and Other Qabalistic Writings of Aleister Crowley by Aleister Crowley*

Liber LXXXIV vel Chanokh by Aleister Crowley*

Little Essays Towards Truth by Aleister Crowley*

Magick in Theory and Practice by Aleister Crowley*

Magick Without Tears by Aleister Crowley*

Moonchild by Aleister Crowley*

The Necronomicon: The Call of Cthulhu by unknown

Olla by Aleister Crowley*

The Tao The King by Aleister Crowley*

Thoth Tarot Deck by Aleister Crowley*

The Vision & the Voice With Commentary and Other Papers: The Collected Diaries of Aleister Crowley by Aleister Crowley, Victor B Neuburg and Mary Desti*

Godwin’s Cabalistic Encyclopedia:  A Complete Guide to Cabalistic Magic by David Godwin*

Abrahadabra: Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thelemic Magic by Rodney Orpheus and Lon Milo Duquette*

Crystals/Gems

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic by Scott Cunningham*

Dunwich’s Guide to Gemstone Sorcery: Using Stones for Spells, Amulets, Rituals and Divination by Gerina Durwich*

Divination/Psychic Ability

Opening of the Third Eye by Douglas Baker*

Shadow Work Guidebook by Jessica Cross*

Divination for Beginners: Reading the Past, Present, and Future by Scott Cunningham*

The Art of the Pendulum by Cassandra Eason*

The Complete Guide to Psychic Development by Cassandra Eason*

Spiritual Power by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee*

Gods and Goddesses

Dictionary of the Gods and Goddesses by Michael Jordan*

Encountering Kali: In the Margins, At the Center, IN the West by Rachel Fell McDermott and Jeffrey Kripal*

Singing to the Goddess: Poems to Kali and Uma from Bengal by Rachel Fell McDermott*

The Magic of Kali: Inner Secrets of a Tantrik Goddess by Michael Magee*

Goddesses and the Divine: A Western Religious History by Rosemary Radford Ruether*

Herb/Nature Magick

Treaties on Occult Medicine & Practical Magic by Samael Aun Weor*

The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews by Scott Cunningham*

Earth, Air, Fire & Water: More Techniques of Natural Magic by Scott Cunningham*

Earth Power: Techniques of Natural Magic by Scott Cunningham*

The Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham*

Herbal Magick; A Witch’s Guide to Herbal Enchantment, Folklore, and Divination by Gerina Dunwich*

Sea Priestess by Dion Fortune*

A Witch Alone, New Edition: Thirteen Moons to Master Natural Magic by Marian Green*

Earth Divination: A Practice Guide to Geomancy by John Michael Greer*

The Herbal Alchemist’s Handbook by Karen Harrison*

The Weiser Concise Guide to Herbal Magick by Judith Hawkins-Tillirson*

The Element Encyclopedia of 1,000 Spells by Judika Illes*

The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft by Judika Illes*

The Magical and Ritual Use of Herbs by Richard Allen Miller*

Incense Crafting and Use of Magickal Sense by Carl F. Neal*

The Extremely Large Herbal Grimoire by Que Sage and Midnight Mindi*

Gardening with the Goddess: Creating Gardens of Spirit and Magick by Patricia Telesco*

The Folk-Lore of Plants by T. F. Thiselton- Dyer*

Natural Magic by Doreen Valiente*

Herbs in Magic and Alchemy: Techniques from Ancient Herbal Lore by C. L. Zalewski*

Historical/Classic Reference

Paganism Surviving in Christianity by Abram Herbert Lewis*

The God of Witches by Margaret Alice Murray*

The Malleus Maleficarum of Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger by Heinrich Kramer, James Sprenger and Montague Summers*

Aradia or Gospel of the Witches by Charles G. LeLand*

Persephone’s Quest: Entheogens and the Origins of Religion by R. Gordon Wasson, Stella Kramrisch, Dr. Carl Ruck, and Jonathan Ott*

Household/Kitchen Witchcraft

The Magical Household: Spells & Rituals for the Home by Scott Cunningham & David Harrington*

Spell Crafts: Creating Magical Objects by Scott Cunningham and David Harrington*

Magick

Advanced Candle Magick by Raymond Buckland*

A Little Book of Altar Magic by D.J. Conway*

Creating Magical Entities by David Michael Cunningham*

Candle Power: Using Candle Light for Ritual, Magic, and Self- Discovery by Cassandra Eason* 

The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy by Rosemary Ellen Guiley*

Meta- Magick: The Book of ATEM- Achieving New States of Consciousness through NLP, Neuroscience, and Ritual by Philip Farber*

Fire and Ice: The History, Structure, and Rituals of Germany’s Most Influential Modern Magical Order: The Brotherhood of Saturn by Stephen Flowers, PhD.*  

Applied Magic by Dion Fortune*

An Introduction to Ritual Magic by Dion Fortune and Gareth Knight*

High Magic’s Aid by Gerald B. Gardner*

Circles of Power: Ritual Magic in the Western Tradition by John Michael Greer*

Learning Ritual Magic: Fundamental Theory and Practice for the Solitary Apprentice by John Michael Greer, Earl, Jr. King, Clare Vaughn*

E-Witch: Teachings of Magical Mastery by Deborah Gray*

Magic When You Need It by Judika Illes*

Pure Magic by Judika Illes*

The Basics of Magick by Amber K. *

True Magic: A Beginner’s Guide by Amber K.*

Modern Magick: Twelve Lessons in the High Magickal Arts, Second Edition by Donald Michael Kraig*

Protection and Reversal Magick by Jason Miller*

The Secrets of High Magic: Vintage Edition: Practical Instruction in the Occult Traditions of High Magic, Including Tree of Life, Astrology, Tarot, Rituals, Alchemic Processes, and Further Advanced Techniques by Francis Melville*

The Mystic Foundation: Understanding & Exploring The Magical Universe by Christopher Penczak*

The Book of Solomon’s Magick by Carroll Runyon*

A Week of Magic by the Sea Witch*

Tactical Magick by Seth*

An Enchanted Life: An Adept’s Guide to Masterful Magic by Patricia Telesco*

Enocian Magic for Beginners: The Original System of Angel Magic by Donald Tyson*

New Millennium Magick: A Complete System of Self- Realization by Donald Tyson*

Magician’s Workbook: Practicing the Rituals of the Western Tradition by Donald Tyson*

Not in Kansas Anymore: Dark Arts, Sex Spells, Money Magic, and Other Things Your Neighbors Aren’t Telling You by Christine Wicker*

Occult

Three Books on Occult Philosophy by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa*

A Manual of Occultism by Sepharial*

Shamanism

Walking Between the Worlds: The Science of Compassion by Gregg Braden*

Psychedelic Shamanism: The Cultivation, Preparation, and Shamanic Use of Psychotropic Plants by Jim DeKorne*

Hallucinogens and Shamanism by Michael Harner*

Shamans/Neo-Shamans: Ecstasies, Alterative Archaeologies and Contemporary Pagan by Robert Willis*

In the Shadow of the Shaman: Connecting with Self, Nature & Spirit by Amber Wolfe*

Spellwork

The Ultimate Book of Spells: A Complete Guide to Using Magic to Improve Your Life and the World Around You by Pamela Ball*

Exploring Spellcraft: How to Create and Cast Effective Spells by Gerina Dunwich*

Spells For The Solitary Witch by Eileen Holland*

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Spells: 88 Incantations to Entice Love, Improve a Career, Increase Wealth, Restore Health, and Spread Peace by Michael Johnstone*

Witches’ Potions and Spells by Kathryn Paulsen*

The Cyber Spellbook: Magick In The Virutal World by Patricia Telesco and Sirona Knight*

Crone’s Book of Spells and Charms by Valerie Worth*

Symbols, Amulets, Sigils

Amulets and Magic by E.A. Budge*

A Dictionary of Symbols by J. E. Cirlot and Herbert Read*

Basic Sigil Magic by Philip Cooper*

Practical Sigil Magic: Creating Personal Symbols for Success by Frater U.:D.:*

Dictionary of Occult, Hermetic and Alchemical Sigils by Fred Gettings*

The Complete Book of Amulets & Talismans by Migene González-Wippler*

Runic Amulets and Magic Objects by Mindy MacLeod and Bernard Mees*

Symbols, Signs, and Spells by Lolita Perdurabo*

Secrets of Magical Seals: A Modern Grimoire of Amulets, Charms, Symbols and Talismans by Anna Riva*

The Book of Talismans, Amulets and Zodiacal Gems by William Thomas and Kate Pavitt*

The Power of the Word: The Secret Code of Creation by Donald Tyson*

Crone’s Book of Magical Words by Valerie Worth* 

Spirit/Otherbeing Work

Buckland’s Book of Spirit Communication by Raymond Buckland*

Witch’s Guide to Ghosts and the Supernatural by Gerina Dunwich*

Fabulous Creatures, Mythical Monsters, and Animal Power Symbols by Cassandra Eason*

Faery Magic: Spells, Potions, and Lore from the Earth Spirits by Sirona Knight*

Summoning Spirits: The Art of Magical Evocation by Konstantinos*

Faerie Way: A Healing Journey to Other Worlds by Hugh Mynne and George A. Russell*

The Necronomicon by Simon*

Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits: Shamanistic Visionary Traditions in Early Modern British Witchcraft and Magic by Emma Wilby*

Voodoo/Hoodoo/Root Work

Hoodoo, Voodoo, and Conjure: A Handbook by Jeffrey Anderson*

The Voodoo Doll Spellbook: A Compendium of Ancient and Contemporary Spells and Rituals by Denise Alvarado*

The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook by Denise Alvarado*

Voodoo Dolls in Magick and Ritual by Denise Alvarado*

The Candle and the Crossroads: A Book of Appalachian Conjure and Southern Root-Work by Orion Foxwood*

Charms, Spells, and Formulas : for the Making and Use of Gris Gris Bags, Herb Candles, Doll Magic, Incenses, Oils, and Powders by Ray T. Malbrough and Bill Fugate*

Waters of Return: The Aeonic Flow of Voodoo by Louis Martinie*

Sticks, Stones, Roots & Bones: Hoodoo, Mojo & Conjuring with Herbs by Stephanie Rose Bird*

The Super Voodoo Coursework by Unknown*

Wicca

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Wicca In The Kitchen by Scott Cunningham*

Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham*

Witchcraft

Witchcraft: Theory and Practice by Ly de Angeles*

The Goddess Is in the Details: Wisdom for the Everyday Witch by Deborah Blake*

A Witch’s Dozen: 13 Practical Rituals for the Everyday Witch by Deborah Blake*

Witchcraft on a Shoestring: Practicing the Craft Without Breaking Your Budget by Deborah Blake*

Witchcraft: A Concise Guide Or Which Witch Is Which? by Isaac Bonewits*

Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland*

Witchcraft From The Inside: Origins of the Fastest Growing Religious Movement in America by Raymond Buckland*

Power of the Witch: The Earth, the Moon, and the Magical Path to Enlightenment by Laurie Cabot*

The Dark Side of the Moon - A Complete Course in Magic & Witchcraft by Basil Crouch*

Witch Crafting: A Spiritual Guide to Making Magic by Phyllis Curott*

Every Witch Way: Spells and Advice from Two Very Different Witches by Ellen Dugan and Tess Whitehurst*

A Practical Guide to Witchcraft and Magick Spells by Cassandra Eason*

Old World Witchcraft: Ancient Ways for Modern Days by Raven Grimassi*

The Witch’s Familiar: Spiritual Partnership for Successful Magic by Raven Grimassi*

The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft, and Wicca by Rosemary Ellen Guiley*

Progressive Witchcraft by Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone*

The Meaning of Witchcraft by Gerald Gardner*

Mastering Witchcraft: A Practical Guide for Witches, Warlocks & Covens by Paul Huson*

Nocturnal Witchcraft: Magick After Dark by Konstantinos*

Witchcraft Today: An Encyclopedia of of Wiccan and Neopagan Traditions by James Lewis*

8 Sabbaths of Witchcraft by Mike Nichols*

The Gates of Witchcraft: Twelve Paths of Power, Trance and Gnosis by Christopher Penczak*

The Living Temple of Witchcraft, Volume 1: The Descent of the Goddess by Christopher Penczak*

The Living Temple of Witchcraft, Volume 2: The Journey of the God by Christopher Penczak*

The Spiral Dance by Starhawk*

The Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft: Shadows, Spirits, and the Healing Journey by Christopher Penczak*

The Real Witch’s Handbook by Kate West*

World Pagan Practices

An Encyclopedia of Ancient Greek and Roman Mythology by James Hampton Belton*

Buckland’s Book of Saxon Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland*

The Book of the Dead: The Papyrus of Ani by E.A. Wallis Budge*

Egyptian Magic by E. A. Wallis Budge*

Witta: An Irish Pagan Tradition by Edain McCoy*

The Practical Pagan Guide: Commonsense Guidelines for Modern Practicioners by Dana Eilers*

Practising the Witch’s Craft: Real Magic Under a Southern Sky by Douglas Ezzy*

Hermetic Magic:The Postmodern Magical Papyrus of Abaris by By Stephen Edred Flowers*

Mystical Qabalah by Dion Fortune*

The Book of the Holy Strega by Raven Grimassi*

By-Paths of Sicily by Eliza Putnam Heaton*

Germanic Spirituality by Bil Linzie*

The Religion of Ancient Egypt by W. M. Flinders Petrie*=

The Mechanics of Ancient Egyptian Magical Rituals by Robert Ritner*

Basic search:

Get off Tumblr. (I know, it’s hard.)

Direct your browser to Google.com.

Choose the main keywords of your question. For example, “what is calendula good for in witchcraft?” might be parsed as “calendula witchcraft magickal correspondences”.

Hit enter.

For more in depth research, try these sites:

JSTOR.org, if you have access to it.

Online public library catalogs to find books. (Search your county and “public library.”)

Amazon Kindle. It can be put on your computer for free, there is a Cloud Reader online and a free smartphone app. Filter by price and you can find witchcraft and occult ebooks for free through a few simple searches.

Google Books for the same purpose. (There is a shit ton here, btw, I use it all the time.)

Scribd.com for the same purpose.

Cornell University online witchcraft collection.

Hermetic.com for public domain magick texts.

Sacred-texts.com for all sorts of neat shit.

Alchemy-works.com for magickal lore on plants.

Search your county’s website for weed/plant information to get a list of things growing in your area.

Some tips to aid in research:

Use your browser’s bookmarks.

Use the Amazon wishlist to keep track of titles, or to keep an eye on titles that are occasionally offered for free on Kindle.

Look around on publishers, like LuLu, Immanion Press, etc, for self-published material.

Cross reference with lots of sources to keep on top of the BS.

Take good notes.

Dirty experience/field work is better than reading/book work.

I don’t mind answering your questions, but why should I go to the effort of explaining the basics when you haven’t gone to the effort of researching it yourself?

Instead of asking “how do I be a witch”, do some of your own research, and come back and ask me “I’ve found some conflicting information on X, and this is what I think. What is your opinion?”

I also think it’s incredibly important to note that Google.com will offer Wikipedia as a first result for witchcraft sources. Search engines aren’t always reliable. Also, new witches don’t know what sources may or may not be trustworthy or accurate- then they get blamed and criticized for using problematic sources. Furthermore, trying to figure out a foundation in this craft when every source offers immense amounts of information that more often conflicts than not… it’s a huge, huge undertaking. It can be overwhelming and confusing. 

Another thought is that often new witches may be coming to you specifically because you’re a witch they’ve seen as someone they admire or trust, and can direct them in the right way as opposed to blindly following the teachings of the internet. 

It might be important to note that in a lot of traditional witchcraft, a witch held apprentices- meaning young witches had a real, human, personal source to base their research from someone they trust. This is a practice long lost. 

I mean, basically it’s the same concept as why some students can do really well with independent studies or online curriculum, and some students really need that person-to-person dynamic for things to stick. This very idea is why some teachers will tell students that “there is no such thing as a stupid question.”

I understand and respect the idea of this post, of course it can become tedious to answer something like “what’s a pendulum?” when that really is … simple. i just think it can be counter-productive to lump all inexperienced witches together and say “go figure out the “basics” (which usually don’t seem very basic to someone new) by yourself and only then will you deserve guidance.” 

Everyone has their own path in the craft. I believe it’s incredibly important to help keep witchcraft alive and well, keep people informed, the more visible the witch community can be, the less “scary” it will seem to outsiders. But I realize not everyone feels the way I do.

Finding information took a lot of patience. As noted in our very first post on the topic, the symbol was fairly obscure until this new Western fad popped up. When you sift out the spiritual white people on Pinterest, most of what’s left over are paragraphs here and there, mostly about Sak Yant, a southeast Asian practice which incorporates Thai and Cambodian traditions, as well as Buddhist and some Brahmin ritual imagery.

Some sources as follows:

The Relationship between Por Gae Lersi Ta Fai and the Shiva Deity.

According to the legend, whenever Lersi Por Gae would open the third eye, flames would arise in the line of sight of his third eye.According to both Brahmin and Buddhist beliefs, the possession of a third eye is the result of having practiced self control and renunciation over a period of many thousands of lifetimes. Such a meritorious person is recognized at birth by observing various signs that can be found on the body of the person; One of these signs is the form of an Unalome in the center of the forehead (Unalome means a spiral shape). The Unalome is seen as a sign of the third eye, or Divine Eye. It is believed that Lersi Por Gae Ta Fai is also the Avatar (earthly incarnation) of the lord of the world (Shiva, or Ishvara – in Thai known as Pra Isworn or Pra Siwa).

Yants and their Meanings and Yant Gao Yord/Jeesip Yord

The spires are known as “Unalome” and represent the crown of the Arahants (enlightened Saints), the spiral stands for the crown at the center of the scalp, and the straight line pointing upwards representing the straight path to enlightenment without any wavering behavior that the Arahants have accomplished.

Arhat/Arahant

The Mahīśāsaka and the Theravada regarded arhats and buddhas as being similar to one another. The 5th century Theravadin commentator Buddhaghosa regarded arhats as having completed the path to enlightenment. According to Bhikkhu Bodhi, the Pāli Canon portrays the Buddha declaring himself to be an arahant. According to Bhikkhu Bodhi, nirvāṇa is “the ultimate goal”, and one who has attained nirvana has attained arahantship: Bhikkhu Bodhi writes, “The defining mark of an arahant is the attainment of nirvāṇa in this present life.”

Sacred Geometrical Yantras and the Meanings

The ever decreasing spirals as in Gao Yod (nine spirals) (เก้ายอด) signify the wavering that this earthly life bestows upon us. At the top, when the line goes straight up signifies that the person has attained control over these earthly desires and attachments  and is ready to enter Nirvana or true enlightenment. This symbol is called an Unalome or Unaalome and the central spire represents Buddha himself. 

Sacred Skin: Thailand’s Spirit Tattoos, by Tom Vater and Aron Thaew Chatturat

A lot of Thai amulets use the symbol (as you can see in this post), but in much of those cases, the sellers assume that you know what the meaning is, and that it can be used for the amulet’s purpose.

Pra Sivali Jok Bat Run Dtraimas edition - Thai Amulet for riches, success and popularity

The rear face of the statuette has a sacred Na and Unalome design for Metta Mahaniyom purposes, a sacred Na in the back of the base, and a coded number stamped into the limited edition amulet. 

Pong Sanaeh Jantr Nang Taep Apsorn Yoni

Due to many requests, the sale is back!!!! And it now includes my new pieces as well ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Hey everyone!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ I currently have a mini print sale going on !! 😊😊😊 A set of two of these beautiful 8"x8" signed, numbered, and embellished prints can be purchased for $10 plus $5 shipping. This sale is available for ANY pieces you’ve seen me post on my page, and you can either choose your set, or allow me to choose a mystery set for you 😊I can also write a personalized message with them if you’re interested in gifting them instead.

If interested, just message me through here or email me: [email protected].

Here’s the full context of his statement:

“Steven Caple Jr., the director of Jordan’s next film, Creed II, calls this moment of black solidarity in Hollywood a ‘movement.’ During the filming last March, Jordan and Caple often talked about black historical figures whose stories might make a great movie or TV series, like Fred Hampton, the Black Panther who was murdered in his apartment in 1969, or Mansa Musa, a Malian historical figure of the 14th century known to many African-Americans but virtually unknown to white people. Musa was reputedly one of the richest men in the world. ‘When people look at black people it’s hard for them to think beyond slavery,’ says Caple.

“’We don’t have any mythology, black mythology, or folklore,’ Jordan explains to me as we cruise past billboards for Atlanta and HBO’s Ballers in West Hollywood. DJ Khaled’s ‘I’m the One’ is on the car stereo, and I notice Jordan’s iPhone alias is ‘Bruce Leroy,’ the black martial-arts hero of the 1985 film The Last Dragon. ‘Creating our own mythology is very important because it helps dream,” says Jordan. “You help people dream.’”

Source

Context. I’m assuming he meant we don’t have any Black mythology/folklore in TV and films. It’s half true. There have been movies made, but it’s only a very small handful. Films like Eve’s Bayou, Daughters of the Dust, and Beloved (an adaptation of Toni Morrison’s book of the same name) quickly come to mind that contain folkloric/mythological elements.

The way the writer for Vanity Fair left his statement lingering and didn’t ask further questions so he could fully flesh out his thoughts without leaving one to guess what he was referring to since the mention of popular tv show billboards followed his statement is failed journalism. White journalism. TF we need to know about what was on the radio and his phone in that moment?!…

Here’s some further readings about Black folklore / mythology:

The tweet that mentions the film, To Sleep With Anger, here’s the full thread. Insightful and very detailed.

If you have access to the J-Stor —> A 22-page article called “New York Afro-Puerto Rican and Afro-Dominican Roots Music: Liberation Mythologies and Overlapping Diasporas”

10 African and African American Folktales for Children

List of books on Myths, Legends, and Folklore of African-Americans (Goodreads)

Voodou Mythology: The Voodoo Spirits of Haiti & the Caribbean

The Origin of Zombies and More: “Zombie folklore has been around for centuries in Haiti, possibly originating in the 17th century when West African slaves were brought in to work on Haiti’s sugar cane plantations. Brutal conditions left the slaves longing for freedom. According to some reports, the life—or rather afterlife—of a zombie represented the horrific plight of slavery.” (Source: www.history.com)

“The Tragic, Forgotten History of Zombies”: The horror-movie trope owes its heritage to Haitian slaves, who imagined being imprisoned in their bodies forever. (Source: The Atlantic)

List of African Mythological Figures (wikipedia)

Caribbean Mythology (wikipedia)

From My People: 400 Years of African American Folklore: An Anthology (Book)

Collection of books on Mythology and Folklore of the African Diaspora (Barnes & Nobles)

“An Exploration of African Folktales Among the Gullah Community of the South Carolina Sea Islands: History, Culture, and Identity” (a 198 page pdf)

Journey into the Spiritual World of Voodoo in New Orleans

African American Folklore

“River Mumma and the Golden Table” (A Jamaican Folktale)

Anansi is an Akan folktale character. He often takes the shape of a spider and is considered to be the spirit of all knowledge of stories. He is also one of the most important characters of West African and Caribbean folklore. (wikipedia)

A Boo Hag is a mythical creature in the folklore of Gullah culture. It is a regionalized version of the Hag myth. According to the legend, Boo Hags are similar to vampires. (wikipedia)

- The reason you get extra hungry before and during your period is because your body is physically burning more calories, sometimes as many as 300 more per day for the duration of your period, with an elevated BMR (base metabolic rate) in the days before it starts. So no, you’re not being weird or gross or undisciplined if you want to eat a bunch of chocolate - your body is just burning the same amount of calories you’d expend in 25 minutes on a crosstrainer to shed your uterine lining. 

- This is especially important to remember if you’re already, for whatever reason, eating fewer calories per day than it takes to maintain your current weight, which is about 2000 for an adult, though it can be dangerous to have much less than 1300 per day. Think of it like this: if you’re eating 1600 calories a day out of a potential healthy 2000, and your body suddenly wants an extra 300, you’re not craving 1900, but 2300, which is the difference between wanting a chocolate bar and a slice of toast, and wanting an entire extra meal. So, I say again: DO NOT feel bad about wanting to eat more during your period. Your body is working hard, and needs fuel!

-  Paradoxically, despite the rate at which you’re burning calories, you’re also retaining water, which can make you both feel and weigh as heavier. Speaking personally, I’ve noticed my weight fluctuate by as much two kilos (4.5 pounds) before and after a period, rising before and during, then dropping sharply afterwards. So if you’re struggling with body image or weight issues, this is a suboptimal time at which to get on the scales: the result you’ll get will only reflect a temporary reality, not your actual progress, and is therefore unhelpful.

- If, for whatever reason, you’re self-conscious about easing your cramps with a hot water bottle where other people can see it, whether at home or work, consider using a plastic soft drink bottle filled with hot/boiling water. Even if you put it openly on your lap, instead of tucking it under a shirt or into a front hoodie pocket, it will just look like a regular bottle of water, and any relief is better than none!

- No, it’s not weird if you shit more during your period than usual, either. The hormones your body releases that make your uterus to contract and release sometimes end up in the bowel, particularly if you happen to produce a lot of them, which means that bowel contracts and releases, too.

- If anyone tries to make a dumbass sexist joke about your being more [insert stereotypically negative feminine quality here] while on your period, you can tell them that actually, menstruation raises testosterone levels, not oestrogen. (Telling them to go fuck themselves with an angry cactus can also be therapeutic.)

- The cramps and lower back pain often experienced during menstruation, when the uterus expels its contents and your hips shift slightly wider to accommodate it, are a microcosm of what happens during actual labour. So yeah: it can hurt!

- That being said, we’ve culturally accepted the idea of massive period pain as normative to such an extent that many people don’t realise their pain is a sign that something’s wrong. Despite how common they are, a lot of conditions like PCOS and endometriosis are poorly understood in terms of their etiology, which means it can be hard to get an accurate diagnosis. But if your periods regularly have you screaming, vomiting or totally incapacitated, get checked out: you shouldn’t have to just shut up and endure because it’s ‘meant’ to feel like that. It’s not, and there are ways to manage it.

- As well as being a form of birth control, you can take the pill to control or stop your period. When used to prevent menstruation, the pill tricks the body into thinking you’re already pregnant, which stalls your cycle (and stops you from actually getting pregnant). Though some people worry that it’s unnatural not to menstruate for long periods of time, or for your body to ‘feel’ pregnant for so long, it’s also important to remember that, after an actual pregnancy, especially if you breastfeed, your period won’t resume right away. This is called  lactational amenorrhea, which can work as a form (though not, I hasten to add, a 100% reliable form) of natural birth control. Basically, it means your body is focussed on producing milk for an existing child, such that you can’t easily conceive another one until the first child is weaned. While this varies from person to person, the important thing to remember is that there’s ample biological precedent for stopping menstruation for long periods of time whether you’re pregnant or not, and that choosing to do so via the pill doesn’t make you unnatural, nor does it cause your body to do something it otherwise wouldn’t or couldn’t. 

1. FINISH WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

► DO NOT walk away from an uncompleted ritual

► DO NOT walk away in the middle of a spell

Grab your notes and close everything down. Dismiss any spirits or entities you are working with. Close down the circle. End the ritual. Diffuse the energy of the spell and close it down. If you were enchanting an item, announce over it that it is closed and nothing more may come in or out.

Spells and rituals are little portals of power; if you leave one open without closing it, all sorts of things could get screwy and come through.

2. End any spooky/witchy atmosphere immediately.

Blow out all the candles.

Put out all the incense.

Turn on all the lights.

Turn off spooky chanting music. Turn on some happy music or better yet, a non-supernatural television show or movie you love.

If you were enchanting an item, immediately put it in salt.

3. Don’t destroy the items/notes you will need later.

Trust me, do not throw away the spell you wrote or the objects you were working on. If things go wrong in the future you will need these to fix the problem.

► Immediately write down exactly what happened. Write down every deviation from the spell that you did. Write down exactly what you said and saw during any visualizations. Write down exactly when things started to get freaky.

► If you were enchanting an item, keep it in a black bag filled with salt until you are ready to deal with it.

4. Cleanse.

Use an energy cannonball to purify the space you were working in. Burn rosemary and bay leaves to fumigate the area, or spritz a premade water solution if you can’t have smoke. Pay special attention to all ritual tools.

If you feel the need to, cleanse yourself by visualizing the power of the smoke enveloping you and driving away any bad vibes; or take a shower if you really feel something has gone wrong.

5. Get out of the area you were working in.

Go to another room. Leave the house if possible. Seek the company of others or turn on the television if you are alone.

6. Do mundane things for a while.

Eat a nice meal. Drink a big glass of water. Go for a jog. Do some chores. Put anything magical totally out of your head. Absolutely do not focus on how weird things just got.

7. When you are ready, return to the area you were working in.

Relax yourself and judge the energies within the room. Are things still ‘creepy’? A heavy-duty cleansing is in order. Do you feel as if someone else is there? Open a window and command it to leave - if it does not, more fumigation or a banishing is required.

Judge your ritual tools and determine if they will need additional cleansing. If you were working on an object, determine if it has been corrupted or if anything is wrong with it. If so, put it back in the salt and deal with it as soon as you can.

8. Take a break from witchcraft for a couple of days.

9. Figure out what went wrong.

Fear is never a good thing. There is a difference between embracing the darkness and being afraid.

► Fear can be caused if an entity showed up you were unprepared to deal with.

► Fear can be caused if your intuition (or perhaps a spirit ally) was warning you that what you were about to do was a really bad idea.

► Fear can be caused if you tap in to powers that overwhelm you.

master post of herbs <3 if anyone has any new herbs that they’d like me to add, comment / repost and i’ll add suggestions!

acacia : protection, psychic powers, money and love spells adam & eve roots : love, happiness adders tongue : healing african violet : spirituality, protection agaric : fertility agrimony : protection, sleep ague root : protection alfalfa : prosperity, anti-hunger, money alkanet : purification, prosperity allspice : money, luck, healing almond : money, prosperity, wisdom aloe : protection, luck aloes, wood : love, spirituality althea : protection, psychic powers alyssum : protection, moderating anger amaranth : healing heartbreak, protection, invisibility, anemone : health, protection, healing angelica : exorcism, protection, healing, visions anise : protection, purification, youth apple : love, healing, garden magic, immortality apricot : love arabic gum : spirituality, purify negativity and evil arbutus : exorcism, protection asafoetida : exorcism, purification, protection ash : protection, prosperity, sea rituals, health aspen : eloquence, anti-theft aster : love avens : exorcism, purification, love avocado : love, lust, beauty bachelor’s buttons : love balm, lemon : love, success, healing balm of gilead : love, manifestations, protection, healing bamboo : protection, luck, hex-breaking, wishes banana : fertility, potency, prosperity banyan : luck, happiness barley : love, healing, protection basil : love, exorcism, wealth, flying, protection bay : protection, psychic powers, healing, purification, strength bean : protection, exorcism, wart charming, reconciliation, potency, love bedstraw, fragrant : love beech : wishes beet : love belladonna : astral projection benzoin : purification, prosperity bergamot, orange : money, success be-still : luck betony, wood : protection, purification, love birch : protection, exorcism, purification and cleansing bistort : psychic powers, fertility bittersweet : protection, healing blackberry : healing, money, protection bladderwrack : protection, sea spells, wind spells, money, psychic powers bleeding heart : love bloodroot : love, protection, purification bluebell : luck, truth blueberry : protection blue flag : money bodhi : fertility, protection, wisdom, meditation boneset : protection, exorcism borage : courage, psychic powers bracken brazil nut briony : image magic, money, protection bromeliad : protection, money broom : purification, protection, wind spells, divination buchu : psychic powers, prophetic dreams buckthorn : protection, exorcism, wishes, legal matters cabbage : luck cactus : protection, chastity calamus : luck, healing, money, protection camellia : riches camphor : chastity, health, divination caper : potency, lust, luck carawy : protection, lust, health, anti-theft, mental powers cardamon : lust, love carnation : protection, strength, healing carob : protection, health carrot : fertility, lust cascara sagrada : legal matters, money, protection cashew : money castor : protection catnip : cat magic, love, beauty, happiness cat tail : lust cedar : healing, purification, money, protection celandine : protection, escape, happiness, legal matters celery : mental powers, lust, psychic powers centaury : snake removing chamomile : money, sleep, love, purification cherry : love, divination chestnut : love chickweed : fertility, love chicory : removing obstacles, invisibility, favors, frigidity chili pepper : fidelity, hex breaking, love china berry : luck, change chrysanthemum : protection cinchona : luck, protection cinnamon : spirituality, success, healing, psychic powers, lust, protection, love cinquefoil : money, protection, prophetic dreams, sleep cloth of gold : understand animal languages clove : protection, exorcism, love, money daffodil : love, fertility, luck daisy : lust, luck damiana : lust, love, visions dandelion : divination, wishes, calling spirits datura : hex breaking, sleep, protection deerstongue : lust, psychic powers devils bit : exorcism, love, protection, lust devils shoestring : protection, gambling, luck, power, employment dill : protection, money, lust, luck dittany of crete : manifestations, astral projection dock : healing, fertility, money dodder : love, divination, knot magic dogbane : love dogwood : wishes, protection dragons blood : love, protection, exorcism, potency dulse : lust, harmony dutchmans breeches : love ebony : protection, power echinacea : strengthening spells edelweiss : invisibility, bullet-proofing elder : exorcism, protection, healing, prosperity, sleep elecampane : love, protection, psychic powers elm : love endive : lust, love eryngo : travelers luck, peace, lust, love eucalyptus : healing, protection euphorbia : purification, protection eyebright : mental powers, psychic power fennel : protection, healing, purification fenugreek : money fern : rain making, protection, luck, riches, eternal youth, health, exorcism feverfew : protection fig : divination, fertility, love figwort : health, protection flax : money, protection, beauty, psychic powers, healing fleabane : exorcism, protection, chastity foxglove : protection frankincense : protection, exorcism, spirituality fumitory : money, exorcism fuzzy weed : love, hunting galangal : protection, lust, health, money, psychic powers, hex-breaking gardenia : love, peace, healing, spirituality garlic : protection, healing, exorcism, lust, anti-theft gentian : love, power geranium : fertility, health, love, protection ginger : love, money, success, power ginseng : love, wishes, healing, beauty, protection, lust goats rue : healing, health goldenrod : money, divination golden seal : healing, money gorse : protection, money gotu kola : meditation gourd : protection grain : protection grains of paradise : lust, luck, love, money, wishes grape : fertility, garden magic, mental powers, money grass : psychic powers, protection ground ivy : divination groundsel : health, healing hawthorn : fertility, chastity, fishing magic, happiness hazel : luck, fertility, anti-lightning, protection, wishes heather : protection, rain making, luck heliotrope : exorcism, prophetic dreams, healing, wealth, invisibility hellebore, black : protection hemlock : destroy sexual drive hemp : healing, love, vision, meditation henbane : love attraction henna : healing hibiscus : lust, love, divination hickory : legal matters high john the conqueror : money, love, success, happiness holly : protection, anti-lightning, luck, dream magic, balance honesty : money, repelling monsters honeysuckle : money, psychic powers, protection hops : healing, sleep horehound : protection, mental powers, exorcism, horse chestnut : money, healing horseradish : Purification, Exorcism horsetail : Snake Charming, Fertility houndstongue : tying dog’s tongues houseleek : luck, protection, Love huckleberry : luck, protection, dream magic, hex breaking hyacinth : love, protection, happiness hydrangea : hex breaking hyssop : purification, protection indian paint brush : love iris : purification, wisdom irish moss : money, luck, protection ivy : protection, healing jasmine : love, money, prophetic dreams jobs tears : healing, wishes, luck joe-pye weed : love, respect juniper : protection, anti-theft, love, exorcism, health kava-kave : visions, protection, luck knotweed : binding, health ladys mantle : love ladys slipper : protection larch : protection, anti-theft larkspur : health, protection lavender : love, protection, sleep, chastity, longevity, purification, happiness, peace leek : love, protection, exorcism lemon : longevity, purification, love, friendship lemongrass : repel snakes, lust, psychic powers lemon verbena : purification, love lettuce : chastity, protection, love, divination, sleep licorice : love, lust, fidelity life everlasting : longevity, health, healing lilac : exorcism, protection, beauty lily : protection, breaking love spells lily of the valley : mental powers, happiness lime : healing, love, protection linden : protection, immortality, luck, love, sleep liquidamber : protection liverwort : protection liverwort : love looestrife : peace, protection lotus : protection, lock-opening lovage : love love Seed : love, friendship lucky Hand : employment, luck, protection, money, travel mace : Psychic Powers, Mental Powers maguey : Lust magnolia : Fidelity mahogany, Mountain : Anti-Lightning maidenhair : Beauty, Love male Fern : Luck, Love mallow : Love, Protection, Exorcism mandrake : Protection, Love, Money, fertility, health maple : Love, Longevity, Money marigold : Protection, Prophetic Dreams, business and Legal Matters, Psychic Powers marjoram : Protection, Love, Happiness, health, Money, Healing master Wort : Strength, Courage, Protection mastic : Psychic Powers, Manifestations, lust may Apple : Money meadow Rue : Divination meadowsweet : Love, Divination, Peace, happiness mesquite : Healing mimosa : protection, love, prophetic dreams, purification mint : money, love, luck, healing, exorcism, travel, protection mistletoe : protection, love, hunting, fertility, health, exorcism molukka : protection moonwort : money, love moss : luck, money mugwort : strength, psychic powers, protection, prophetic dreams, healing, astral projection mulberry : protection, strength mullein : courage, protection, health, love, divination, exorcism mustard : fertility, protection, mental powers myrrh : protection, exorcism, healing, spirituality myrtle : love, fertility, youth, peace, money nettle : exorcism, protection, healing, lust norfolk island pine : protection, anti hunger nuts : fertility, prosperity, love, luck oak : protection, health, money, healing, potency, fertility, luck oats : money olive : healing, peace, fertility, potency, protection, lust onion : protection, exorcism, healing, money, prophetic dreams, lust orange : love, divination, luck, money orchid : love oregon grape : money, prosperity orris root : love, protection, divination palm, date : fertility, potency pansy : love, rain magic, love, divination papaya : love, protection papyrus : protection parosela : hunting parsley : love, protection, purification passion flower : peace, sleep, friendship patchouly : money, fertility, lust pea : money, love peach : love, exorcism, longevity, fertility, wishes pear : lust, love pecan : money, employment pennyroyal : strength, protection, peace peony : protection, exorcism pepper : protection, exorcism peppermint : purification, sleep, love, healing, psychic powers pepper tree : purification, healing, protection periwinkle : love, lust, mental powers, money, Protection persimmon : changing sex, healing, luck plot weed : protection pimento : love pimpernel : protection, health pine : healing, fertility, protection, exorcism, money pineapple : luck, money, chastity pipsissewa : money, spirit calling quassia : love quince : protection, love, happiness radish : protection, lust ragweed : courage ragwort : protection raspberry : protection, love rattlesnake root : protection, money rhubarb : protection, fidelity rice : protection, rain, fertility, money roots : protection, power, divination rose : love, psychic powers, healing, love, divination, luck, protection rosemary : protection, love, lust, mental powers, exorcism, purification, healing, sleep, youth rowan : psychic powers, healing, protection, power, success rue : healing, health, mental powers, exorcism, love rye : love, fidelity saffron : love, healing, happiness, wind raising, lust, strength, psychic powers. sage : immortality, longevity, wisdom, protection, wishes sagebrush : purification, exorcism st. johns wort : health, power, protection, strength, love, divination, happiness sandalwood : protection, healing, exorcism, spirituality sarsaparilla : love, money sassafras : health, money savory, summer : mental powers scullcap : love, fidelity, peace senna : love sesame : money, lust shallot : purification skunk cabbage : legal matters slippery elm : halts gossip sloe : exorcism, protection snakeroot : luck money snakeroot/black : love, lust, money snapdragon : protection solomons seal : protection, exorcism sorrel wood : healing, health southern wood : love, lust, protection spanish moss : protection spearmint : healing, love, mental powers spiderwort : love spikenard : love squill : money, protection, hex breaking star, anise : psychic powers, luck stillengia : psychic powers straw : luck, image magic strawberry : love, luck sugar cane : love, lust sumbul : love, luck, health, psychic powers sunflower : fertility, wishes, health, wisdom sweetgrass : calling spirits tamarind : love tamarisk : exorcism, protection tansy : health, longevity tea : riches, courage, strength thistle : strength, protection, hex breaking, healing thistle, holy : purification, hex breaking thistle, milk : snake enraging thyme : health, healing, sleep, psychic powers, love, purification, courage ti : protection, healing toadflax : protection, hex breaking toadstool : rain making tobacco : healing, purification turmeric : purification turnip : protection, ending relationships urva Ursa : psychic workings valerian : love, sleep, purification, protection vanilla : love, lust, mental powers venus flytrap : protection, love vervain : love, protection, purification, peace, money, youth, chastity, sleep, healing vetch, giant : fidelity vetivert : love, hex breaking, luck, money, anti-theft violet : protection, luck, love, lust, wishes, peace, healing wahoo : hex-breaking, courage, success walnut : health, mental powers, infertility, wishes wax plant : protection wheat : fertility, money willow : love, divination, protection, healing wintergreen : protection, healing, hex breaking winters bark : success witch grass : happiness, lust, love, exorcism witch hazel : protection, chastity wolfs bane : protection, invisibility wood rose : luck woodruff : victory, protection, money wormwood : psychic powers, protection, love, calling spirits yarrow : courage, love, psychic powers, exorcism yellow evening primrose : hunting yerba mate : fidelity, love, lust yerba santa : beauty, healing, psychic powers, protection yew : Raising the Dead yohimbe : love, lust yucca : transmutation, protection, purification