A Dumb Bitch Who Is Also A Witch

Intent: To remove difficult obstacles caused by other people.

Ingredients:

Sumac Berries (sub: Vetiver)

Galangal Root (sub: Cinnamon)

White Oak Bark

Sassafras

Black Sugar

Cloves

Materials:

Mortar & Pestle

Funnel

Mesh Strainer

Collection Dish

Container

IMPORTANT NOTE: There many species of Sumac growing in North America, and it’s important to know the difference if you go out to harvest your berries from the wild.

Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) or Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra) are the ones you want. They have narrow leaves, upright cones of fuzzy red berries, and are relatively harmless. The fruit, which ripens from July through September (search in the fall for dried cones), is edible and can be used to make a pinkish, lemony-flavored drink, or ground to add spice to meat and vegetables.

Poison Sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) is a mimic and is not true sumac. It has white berries, wider leaves, and causes an itchy and highly uncomfortable rash, and should be scrupulously avoided. A general rule of thumb: if you see a plant whose leaves have an oily-looking sheen, DO NOT TOUCH IT. “Leaves that shine, no friend of mine.” Better safe than sorry.

If you cannot obtain wild sumac (or just don’t want to go tramping through the woods), the berries are available for purchase online, or you can substitute Vetiver.

Grind each ingredient separately for several minutes to produce fine powder. Sieve the material through the mesh strainer into the collection dish; this removes the larger ungrindable pieces and gives you cleaner powdered herb. (Pro-Tip: Putting a funnel under the strainer helps reduce lost material.) For the White Oak Bark, Sassafras, and Galangal Root, retain the leftover large pieces that don’t make it through the strainer. You can use this for loose incense or charm bags later. Remember, witchlings: waste not, want not! (If you don’t have Galangal Root handy, plain cinnamon will suffice.) Combine the component powders in the collection dish, mix well, and bottle immediately.

“I Banish You From My Life”

I created these sigils for when I am in a house I fear is haunted by spirits that might be negative, harmful, or who are just uninvited strangers. The intentions in these sigils will not banish any spirits you enjoy having around or are familiar with. The intentions are also worded in a way that could apply to any one or any thing, not just a spirit or non-physical entity, so they should help to keep strange or negative people out of you home as well.

These sigils are meant to be cast for a specific home, so the process of casting and charging them will have to do with the house. I recommend drawing or painting them on a wall somewhere out of sight (doing this while repainting a room is a great idea). I drew mine in pencil behind a poster on my wall. If defacing your home isn’t an option, they could be traced with your finger into shaggy carpet, drawn with water on a countertop, or cast in whatever way you would usually cast a sigil.

As will all spells that you do not personally create, feel free to tweak these if you incorporate them into your practice. You may word the intentions differently, or alter the design slightly in a way that feels right. Always follow your intuition!

“No entity will enter this home uninvited”

“Those who are unwanted or unknown will not stay here”

“Those who bring fear or harm are banished from this home.”

A note for some of the significance in these, I have used counter-clockwise as the direction for banishment. If you usually do the opposite, then you may want to switch some of the arrows and when you are drawing the sigil, draw the circular shape in whatever direction you use for banishing. I’ve also used downward arrows for banishment, and have taken inspiration from other symbols of power and protection like the pentagram. Besides using these significant symbols, I created these using a common method of sigil making where the intention is written out, and the lines and shapes in the letters are turned into a symbol. This is not the only way to create sigils, nor is it a very in-depth explanation, but there’s lots of material out there if you’d like to learn more.

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Best of luck with all your magic, blessed be!

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This blend of herbs brings the strength of fire to protect you and your space, and is super versatile! Below is the list of herbs I used, but for broke witches or closeted witches, feel free to substitute or forgo any ingredients you may not have access to.

Basil (protection, peacemaking, fire element)

Black pepper (protection, banishment, fire element)

Black salt [or any sea salt] (protection, absorbs negativity)

Cayenne pepper (protection, fire element)

Chili powder (heightens spell power, protection)

Cinnamon (peace, prosperity, fire element)

Clove (protection, banishment, fire element)

Mix all the ingredients you use in a container of sorts. I used a jar, but you can also use ziplock bags or other such things. I find it useful to have a specific intent in mind while you add and mix. Something like “protect me and my space from harmful intruders” or “keep harmful or malevolent spirits and entities away from me”. Whatever floats your boat.

There are different ways you can use this powder. You can sprinkle it around the edge of your property or the outside of your home, or you could keep it in a jar or sachet inside. If you choose to use it as a jar or sachet spell, you can add any of these optional ingredients:

Thorns (adds protection and punishment)

Nails or screws (adds protection and punishment)

Clear quartz (amplifies the strength of the spell)

Black tourmaline (strong protection)

….or whatever else you think is helpful! If you add sharp objects like thorns and nails, please be careful not to hurt yourself.

A simple "fuck off" banishing spell attached to your front door or doormat is a good first step. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just an energy signature that discourages visitors. You can bury nails at the corners of your property or hang a cluster of them over your door.

If you have specific people you want to keep away, put their names in a "fuck off" jar with a bunch of pins or thorns, chili pepper of choice, and vinegar. Seal it with duct tape and either keep it on hand so you can shake it any time they threaten to pay you a visit, or discard it with your garbage for more longterm results.

If anyone could answer some of these or provide links that would be immensely appreciated. I am also keeping this list as a reference for myself. 

What are the differences (if any) between wiccan, pagan, and witchcraft?

What are the different types of witches - I’ve seen the phrases green witch, spoony witch, crystal, eclectic, etc.? 

I love the customizable nature of witchcraft, but shouldn’t there be some  basic tenets and official history in print? What are the generally agreed upon resources? That would definitely help with question #1. (The upside: it’s individualistic! The downside: it’s individualistic! It feels disparate and ungrounded to me so far.)

I know witchcraft is neutral in regards to religion - but if you do choose to worship (or call on?) deities do they have to be from your own ethnic group? 

More broadly speaking, how do we be mindful of cultural appropriation? 

How would you personally define witchcraft?

1. The differences between paganism, witchcraft, and Wicca (and I’m putting in that order for a reason) generally run as follows:

Paganism is a broad umbrella term for a large number of paths, traditions, religions, and spiritual philosophies which are either pre-Christian (historically speaking) or do not fall under the major established world religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, etc). Paganism has also been used to describe earth-centric or nature-centric religious and spiritual circles. Please note that indigenous peoples may be referred to as “pagans” in scholarly texts, but the term in that context is often pejorative and not generally a label accepted or endorsed by indigenous communities. (This becomes very important when we talk about cultural appropriation.)

Witchcraft is an umbrella term for various methods of working magic practiced by people who refer to themselves as witches. It too covers a lot of ground, but it should be noted that witchcraft, as the word suggests, is generally accepted to be a CRAFT and is not tied to any single specific culture, tradition, religion, or set of spiritual principles. It does however have a sort of base-level animism to it, since most witchcraft traditions agree on the existence of a universal life energy which exists within and between all things. (If you started thinking about The Force, you’re not far off.)

Wicca is a specific religion within the pagan umbrella which revolves around the worship of a nature-centric God and Goddess and views witchcraft as a sacred art. It is a mystery religion, meaning you have to be initiated before you can fully take part in certain rites. (It’s a bit like Catholicism, where you have to take classes and be confirmed before you can properly participate in Holy Communion.) Some authors tend to conflate Wicca and witchcraft or use the terms interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. Wicca certainly uses witchcraft, but not all witchcraft is Wicca, you see?

2. There are nearly as many types of witches as there are witches practicing. Self-determined labels are very common for obscure niche practices. Many witches identify their practices in terms of elements, specialties, personal interests, or a particular focus. For example, green witches tend to have a focus on plant-related magic and green spaces. Crystal witches often work with crystals and stones. Celestial witches focus on astronomy and astrology. Sea witches generally work with the ocean. And so on. The name usually describes the focus of the practice. (Eclectic witches do a little bit of everything.)

3. There ARE some agreed-upon ideas regarding magic and how it works (see previous comment on base-level animism), but there are several different schools of thought when it comes to magical theory and the how/where/what/when/why of magical practice. There are certainly historical records of modern witchcraft traditions, and older scholarly records detailing pagan beliefs from antiquity and the study of occultism and mysticism over the last several hundred years. As far as we know, no European pagan belief system has survived intact (that is, without interruption or reconstruction) into the present day.

The resources are much less agreed-upon than the history. (And the history gets pretty murky at times, there has been a LOT of misinformation and historical revisionism in certain circles.) You do sort of have to pick a path before resources can be properly recommended. You don’t want to set out to learn about Hellenic traditions only to be handed Celtic resources. It IS a little disparate, but finding people you connect with online can help. I’d recommend starting by finding practitioners who share your beliefs and interests and go from there.

4. It’s GENERALLY good practice to double-check the origins of any deities you want to worship or work with, especially deities outside of your ethnic group, as this can quickly cross into indigenous and other closed practices and it can be difficult to know where the line is. I’d recommend doing some research and maybe talking with someone from the community you’re interested in and seeing what they have to say. No community is a monolith, but they can probably point you in the right direction.

5. Being mindful of cultural appropriation involves breaking down our own privilege and being aware of colonial and imperial thinking that still influences and affects our culture today. If a concept belongs to or originates with an indigenous or non-white community, exercise caution. Do your homework and your due diligence, and double-check to see if there are open-culture equivalents. For instance, instead of voodoo dolls, use poppets. They’re both small dolls used for sympathetic magic. Instead of smudging, say smoke-cleansing. Both terms describe a process that SEEMS similar, but one describes a closed sacred practice and one describes the overall practice of burning herbs for cleansing purposes. This also applies to things like totems, spirit animals, dream catchers, chakras, rosaries, and so on.

And while it’s important to address issues of participation with actual members of these communities, it’s on US to begin the work and educate ourselves on general practice do’s and don’ts.

6. Personally, I define witchcraft as a craft which uses magic to effect change. In long form, the conscious, ritualized application of deliberate intent and focused willpower for the purpose of creating change or achieving a particular goal through magical or metaphysical means. There may be religious or spiritual dressing on it depending on who you talk to, but that’s where it lands for me.

This is not news, but it is an important read, especially for people who were previously unaware of the trend of neo-Nazis stealing pagan symbols for their own.

If you are an anti-racist, anti-fascist pagan, keep doing what you are doing, you are keeping the fight alive

If you are an anti-racist, anti-fascist person who is not a pagan, help us spread the word of this, stand in solidarity with us as we kick the fascists out of our communities

If you are a fascist pagan, fuck off, this faith is a peaceful one

No platforms for fascists.

DIY Ultralight Spice Kit (for Foodies or Gourmet Camping Food)

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Incorporating the elements

Air

Draw the sigil in the air using incense

Draw the sigil on your body and go for a walk

Energetically trace sigils in the air and let the wind carry and charge them

Draw the sigil on paper, rip it up, and let the wind blow it away

Draw the sigil onto a flag, let it blow in the wind

Trace the sigil in the air with your hand, push it away

Draw or attach the sigil to a windchime

Leave the sigil outside during a windstorm

Water

Draw the sigil on your body and take a shower

Draw the sigil on a piece of paper, submerge the paper in water, let the water evaporate

Carve the sigil into a bar of soap and wash yourself with it

When taking a bath, draw the sigil in the bottom of the tub with soap/bath salts/baking soda

Draw the sigil on a stone with water and wait for it to evaporate

Draw the sigil on you hand, then wash it away

Breathe on your window so that it fogs up, then draw the sigil on it

Draw the sigil on any surface using water

Sew the sigil into your clothes, wash them

Draw the sigil on paper and put it under running water

Draw the sigil on a beach, let the ocean wash it away

Draw the sigil on a rock and throw it in a river/ocean

Flush the sigil down the toilet (make sure it’s on biodegradable paper)

Draw the sigil on paper and place in in a jar, add salt and water, then shake it up (Optional: add a drop or two of essential oil matching intent)

Leave the sigil outside during a rainstorm

Put the sigil in a pot of boiling water

Draw the sigil onto a coin and toss it into a fountain

Earth

Draw the sigil on a piece of paper and surround it with crystals that match the intent

Draw the sigil on a piece of paper and bury it in the ground

Place the sigil with a plant

Draw the sigil on the ground

Draw the sigil on a rock and leave it somewhere that makes you happy

Draw the sigil on paper and put it in a jar of salt

Put a crystal that matches the intent on top of the sigil 

Trace the sigil with a crystal matching the intent

Tape the sigil onto a window during a full moon

Trace the sigil in dust/dirt, then blow it away

Use herbs matching the intent of the sigil, draw the sigil on paper and mix everything together, paper included

Burn herbs matching the sigils intent, pass the sigil through the smoke

Fire

Draw the sigil on a piece of paper and burn it 

Carve the sigil into a candle and burn with intent

Draw the sigil on the bottom of a tea light candle, let it burn out

Pass the sigil through smoke (any smoke works, but incense is best)

Draw the sigil on paper, leave it in sunlight

Carve the sigil into a candle, let it melt away

Sigils In everyday life

Eating and Drinking

Carve the sigil into your food before eating it

Draw the sigil under your kitchen table

When drinking tea, draw the sigil in the bottom of your mug with honey

Trace the sigil on the bottom of a pot before cooking with it

Draw the sigil on the bottom of your favorite cup

If you’re at a bonfire/cooking over a flame, carve the sigil into your food with a toothpick before you roast it (Hotdog, mashmallow, etc.)

Draw the sigil on a piece of bread, toast it

Draw the sigil in a pan with cooking oil, then cook

Draw the sigil out of ketchup on your food

Put pancake batter in a squeeze bottle, draw your sigil in the frying pan with the batter

In Art and Music

Incorporate the sigil into an art piece that has to do with the intent

Paint the sigil over a picture that didn’t turn out the way you wanted

Draw the sigil anywhere on your body and draw a pattern around it, don’t wash it off, let it fade on its own

Trace the sigil onto a pair of headphones/speaker with your finger, listen to music that matches your intent

Draw the sigil on the inside of your sketchbook cover

Draw the sigil and scribble it out

Draw the sigil on paper and tape it to the bottom of your laptop/tablet/phone if you write, draw, or make music digitally

Place the sigil in front of music speakers

Draw the sigil onto a CD that you love, and play it

Imagine the sigil in your mind while dancing

Draw the sigil on a dry erase board and erase it

Draw your sigil on the ground with chalk 

To Keep it With You

Draw the sigil on a piece of paper and put it in your purse

Draw the sigil on the bottom of your shoe

Sew the sigil into your clothing

Draw the sigil on paper and keep it in your wallet

Draw the sigil on your skin with water/oil/marker/etc. depending on intent

Tattoo the sigil onto your body (This only applies to certain sigils)

Draw the sigil on the back of a necklace you always wear

Draw the sigil on your nail, then paint over it with nail polish

Draw the sigil on your car steering wheel

Draw the sigil on your face with concealer, then blend it in

Put the sigil in a locket and wear it

Technology

Take a photo of your sigil, then delete the picture

Draw the sigil on paper and place it under a charging device

Draw the sigil inside your phone case

Set the sigil as your phone lockscreen, charge the phone

Draw the sigil on paper and tape it to the bottom of your laptop/tablet/phone

Download a sigil app

Directing Your Own Energy

Body Energy and Visualization

Visualize the sigil in your mind, think about the intent of your sigil

Draw the sigil on the ground/write it on a piece of paper and sit on it while meditating

Exercise while visualizing the sigil and your intent

Leave the sigil under your pillow during acts of passion

Masturbate while thinking about the sigil

Draw the sigil on a vein (wrist works well)

Recite a chant that goes with the sigil’s intent

Draw the sigil on paper and rub it between your hands

Draw the sigil somewhere on your body, tap it when you think about it

Draw the sigil on paper and stab it

Draw the sigil with blood as ink (controversial, not recommended)

Draw the sigil on your palm and clap your hands

Other

Draw a sigil on the corner of your homework assignments

For when you’ve moved into a new living situation or are ready for a new start <3

Cleansing:

Room cleansing

To absorb negative energy from a room

Summer house cleansing

Herbal wall/floor wash + witchy cleaners

Home cleansing tips

Home cleansing brew

Thoroughly clearing spaces

Crystals to cleanse the home

Cleansing your space without smoke

Cleansing your space: a how-to guide

Energy cleansing

Low energy cleaning + cleansing

Warding + Protection:

A crash course on warding

To ward the home

Threshold magic 101

House claiming and warding

Protect my home spell

Home protection steam spell

Simple home protection jar spell

“Little lurkers” home protection spell

Room/home protection

Check out the sigils below!

Sigils:

“For a magical and happy home”

“Sospidonum”

“This space is full of life, light, and bright energy”

“I have a clean living space”

“No fighting in this home”

“My home is safe”

“This home is safe for all”

“This home is a safe and healthy environment”

“My house is protected from unwanted influences”

“My home is protected”

Witchin’ it up:

Happy home spell jar

Home sweet home spell jar

House to home spell

Doing the dishes the witchy way

Homemade laundry detergent recipe

Laundry magic

Pleasing household spirits

When a bad guest leaves

Building a magical home

Odds and ends:

The witch’s moving checklist

Magic, and power, in homemaking

The history and creation of witch bottles

Cottage witch tips

Hearth witch tips

The basics of kitchen and cottage witchcraft

You may also like:

Bedridden witch: garden / stale energy / kitchen edition

Spells for job seekers

Travel witchery

For When Shit is All Fucked Up:

1. - 2. WHAT THE: (Center Cross) The face of my current challenge. The crux of what hounds me. 3. ACTUAL: What is real about this situation? 4. FUCK: What is wrong about this situation? 5. ?: Where do I need more information? Where do I need to ask, research, and listen? 6. !: What can I do? What first steps can I take in action?

Hang in there loves!

Full post on the blog: http://www.interrobangtarot.com/blog

Lemon Syrup

Lemons- happiness, vitality, friendship, rejuvenation, clarity, cleansing, healing, protection, solar energy.

Sugar- sweetness in life, happiness, attraction.

You'll need enough lemons to make 1/2 cup of squeezed lemon juice. For me, that was 3 lemons.

Before juicing them, separate the zest (the bright yellow part of the peel, not the white pith underneath, which will make your syrup bitter).

Then juice the lemons, and add to a pot with 3/4 to 1 cup of white sugar.

Let it boil, and once it does, reduce the boil to a simmer for 10 minutes. If you think the syrup is not thick enough, add more sugar.

Add the zest and turn off the heat entirely. Once it has cooled, strain it to remove all the zest and any pulp. Don't leave the zest in the syrup, even if it looks aesthetically appealing, because it'll turn bitter.

Sure thing! Dead Man’s Dust is one of my magic powder recipes. Despite what the name would have you think, it does not contain any human remains. It is made of chili pepper (or powder), salt, basil, garlic, dill, and lemon peel. The current batch I have for sale also has a little bit of willow bark and angelica root for extra punch.