smoke and earth

What do you think is your deities favorite book?

saint sebastian: song of achilles by madeline miller

Besom Brooms

Besom brooms are typically bunches of sticks or branches that are used to ward off negative energy by physically sweeping it out of your life (though there was an odd period of time where they claimed witches would mix certain herbs together to make a hallucogenic, and then scrape each other with besom brooms, to recreate the feeling of flying 🤷‍♀️) but today we are going to create our own version of mini besom brooms, starting with our handle. 😁

I chose cedar for this ones theme, I feel like cedar was a great choice, not only because the sticks of this tree keep falling off into my yard, but also because cedar is known to chase the negativity out of your life, but it also attracts positive energy.

Next I trimmed down the stick to make the perfect handle.

I fell in love with the slight bend to it 💕

Next we are going to grab out the base for our bristles.

I keep finding these in my yard, it's been storming a lot lately and I think that these were off of someone's decorations that they didn't take down last fall, because I can not figure out what they are 😂🤷‍♀️ they are the reason I started making them though, and I wouldn't call it a necessity, but it helps with the shape.

Next I trimmed the tail of this off.

After trimming it, I use tape or cloth to mend the stick to the bristle base, wood glue would work also but I'm working with what I have.

I chose cloth this time, and the beautiful maroon shade goes splendidly with the dark shade of the wood.💕

Now we are going to get to the fun part. Adding the cedar leaves and cones.

I like to trim the bristles into almost a triangle shape, then I add the cones and hang them 💕

Happy crafting everyone, blessed be~

Function: To keep your name out of a certain person’s mouth, as well as keep them physically away from you.

Timing: Being specific can help with the spell being successful. I set the time on mine for exactly one week from the time I performed the spell (Monday at 3AM to next Monday at 3AM) because it fits the parameters that I’m okay with.

Gather:

Poppet

Taglock

Red thread/string

Sigil (I suggest making one that relates to “leave me alone” or, in my case, “Get off my dick.”)

Protection candle

Offerings to deities you call upon (mine were a piece of moonstone to Artemis and a piece of red jasper to Ares)

Candles (I used a white tapered for Artemis and a red one for Ares, as well as a tealight with rosemary sprinkled over it for my protection candle. I also used a small candle that I engraved with a message [ngl, in my case it was “STFU” along with some barbed wire] that will be used later.)

Justice tarot card

Various stones related to protection/Deities (I used amethyst, Labradorite, quartz,  selenite, and obsidian)

A piece of paper and something to write with

Steps:

Preliminary stuff– cast your circle, put up a ward, make/set up your protection candle, call upon your deities and give them your offering while telling them what you plan to do and need help with, light your deities’ candles and the one that was engraved. Now is a good time to set up your crystals to protect you from any negative energies coming about from the binding or your own emotions. Also set up the tarot card so that its overlooking your space where the poppet is being made.

This spell originally had a curse component to it which is why I went so heavy on the protection bits. If you feel comfortable without all the protection steps, they aren’t absolutely necessary. 

Make your poppet and taglock. Take your paper and write the full name of the target you are binding as well as your sigil and either burn it and put the ashes/burnt bits into your poppet, or just fold it up and stick it inside. (if you have something of theirs or their picture, you could put those in as well!)

While binding your poppet strongly,  chant either the words below or speak your own words. (I also stitched across its mouth to stop the spread of rumors)

My chant was: “I call you forth to exact justice on the one who has harmed me through their lies and deceit. I did not see the warnings, so now I call upon (insert Deities’ name(s) here) to receive what is rightfully mine. Keep their eyes from meeting my own, Let my name not pass from their lying mouth, Let their actions speak in place of their words. Keep them away in all forms. In return I offer you this, (insert offerings), and hope on my side you will stay.”

When you’re finished, place the poppet on top of your tarot card and seal the thread/string with candle wax from the engraved candle. Once that is dry, place some of your stones on top of the poppet to protect and strengthen the binding so it is harder to break. I let it sit like that for the rest of the night. 

Ideally, place the poppet (sans crystals if you want) in a dark place where it can sit in seclusion without being disturbed. If you want to carry it with you, the notion of “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” could work well here!

Profit.

I have a question for the tarot reading community/witchblr/whoever might have some feedback for me. I have a tarot deck, but I never read for myself or for other real people. I use them for stories.

Okay, let me explain: a lot of my stories involve at least a subtle kind of magic, and whenever I write a scene wherein a character reads tarot, I do an actual reading with my own deck and then write the results as-is, using whatever context I need for the reading to make sense in the story. (I also sometimes use tarot to flesh out characters or situations, but that’s another story.)

(Just a side note, within the stories, I never use established spreads, and I never tell rules of reading or meanings of cards. It’s the easiest way to respect everyone involved, and if one of my readers wanted to look into tarot, they can do that on their own terms. I leave a disclaimer explaining as much whenever any rituals or readings are involved in my stories.)

Here’s the thing, though. After a few times of doing this, my results started making more and more sense within the context of each story? Now I’m at the point where my readings are impeccable and honestly genius. Like, I didn’t even consider the results could be so spot-on.

I often do tarot readings while i’m on the phone with my long distance friends, without the intention of doing a reading, but because that person is on my mind and i’m listening to them talk about what’s been going on with them, and therefore am thinking about them, the cards respond to their energy. 

Manuel Orazi - Calendrier Magique, 1985.

A rare piece of Occultist ephemera, printed in an edition of 777 copies to commemorate Magic for the coming year of 1896. Each double page spread mimics the Christian Calendar in some respect (name days, iconography). The document is at once a spoof and an attempt to chart the year of Magic. Its surviving interest resides in the extravagant and compelling illustrations, especially the full-page right hand plates.

I did a self confidence / love attracting spell and charm during the full moon last night.

This is my near completed masterpost of shells which I tried listing up some common and uncommon shells for the past few days! I might add more shell info in the future💕

Disclaimer: This list is of associations collected from various sources around the internet and a mix of my personal ones!

     ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧      ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿       ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Abalone: love, healing, prosperity, luck, wealth, balance, peace, cleansing, meditation, psychic abilities, self-love, feminine energies, earth + water element

Angel’s Wing: determination, freedom, angelic energies, positive spiritual guidance, protection, aid in receiving and sending energies, air element

Auger: fertility, strength, courage, power, masculine energies, fire element

Ark Shell: safety, protection, finding strength in the outer world 

Bear’s paw: power, strength, vitality, nurturing, protection, warmth, feminine + masculine energies, earth + fire element 

(Banded) Tulip Shell: binding, friendships, relationships, social life, water element

Bonnet Shell: secrecy, the unknown, protection, mystery, trust, beauty, air element

Button Shell: connections, gatherings, friendships, spirituality, divination, air element

Bubble Shell: inspiration, creativity, happiness, curiosity, wished, intuitions, cleansing, psychic abilities, divination, air element 

Carrier Shell: overcoming shyness, helps getting out of your shell, courage, protection, strength, escaping from negative thoughts

Cat’s eye Shell:  protection against jealousy, gossips and negative energies

Cerith Shell: sexuality, fertility, masculine energies, fire element

Clam: purification, love, friendships, abundance, communication, healing, stability, vitality, protection, protecting emotions, truth, balance, peace, grounding, feminine energies, water element

Cockle: love, friendship, relationships, emotions, centering, gateway to a new life, new beginnings, feminine energies, water element

Conch: love, beauty, friendship, communication, feminine energies, truth, art , beauty, clarity, freedom grace, movement, speech, spirituality, strength summoning, trust, truth , vanity, feminine energies, air element

Cone Shell: protection, control, motivation

Cowrie: abundance, prosperity, fertility, love, wealth, pregnancy, growth, divination, sexuality, protection, beauty, menstruation problems, feminine energies, water element

Crown Conch: associated with crown chakra, meditation, divinity, intention, confidence, intuition

Drupe Shell: reflecting oneself, discover and being comfortable of who you are, self trust, confidence, bravery

Fig Shell: wisdom, creativity, peace, love, luck, fertility, divination, fortune, water + air element

Fighting Conch: aggression, defense, warding/shielding, protection, masculine energies, fire element

Frog Shell: moving forward, starting over, new beginnings

Harp Shell: secrecy, beauty, art, protection, feminine energies, water + air element

Helmet Shell: grounding, protection, strength, honor, masculine energies fire element

(Horned) Turban: protection, faith, trust

Horse Conch: beauty, freedom, grace, strength, progress, water + earth element

Jackknife Clam: (inner) strength, speed, warding, secrecy, masculine energies, air element

Janthina Shell: faith, peace, trust, moving forward, going with the flow, trust in the universe, air element

Jewel Box Clam: beauty, vanity, glamour, passion, (self) love, self care, feminine energies, water element 

Jingle Shells: wealth, prosperity, cleansing, positivity, trust, intuition, earth element

Junonia Shell: strength, beauty, marriage, fertility, childbirth, feminine energies, named after the Roman goddess Juno/Hera (Greek)

Keyhole Limpet: finding a way in/out in a situation, meditation, unblocking psychic/divination abilities  

Limpet: courage, confidence, strength, nurturing, self  trust, peace, endurance

Left-Handed Whelk: making drastic / positive changes in life, transformation, air element

Lightning whelk: awareness, banishing, intent, trust

Lion’s Paw: strength, courage, protection, inner strength, victory, pride, masculine energies, fire element

Miter Shell: peace, spirituality, grounding + centering, calm energies, spiritual introspection, lunar magick, feminine + masculine energies, water element

Moon Shell: purification, peace, protection, meditation, clarity, vitality, rebirth, cleansing + charging energies, psychic awareness, cycles, progress, warding, lunar magick, feminine energies, water element

Murex: protection, defense, binding, masculine energies

Mussels: communications, friendships, luck, health, travel, abundance, dedication, determination, community, life giving stability, enduring life’s hardships, feminine enegies, water element

Nautilus: focus, intentions, clarity, wisdom, growth, peace, endings + beginnings

Olive Shells: healing, hope, love, friendship, hope abundance, opportunity

Oyster: love,luck, good fortune, prosperity, banishing, fertility, (hidden) beauty, vitality, passion, turning pain into beauty (pearls), lunar magick, feminine energies, water element

Oyster Drill: curses, warding/shielding, protection

Pearl Whelk: control, life, progress, trust, strength, manifestation, fire element

Pen Shell: beauty, confidence, creativity, self-love, art, love, inspiration, feminine energies, water element

Periwinkle: grounding, intuitions, focus, friendships

Purple Snail Shell: beauty, divination, psychic abilities, air element

Pyram Shell: determination, hope, strength, air element

Scallops: travel, love, friendships, movement, beauty, grace, change, fertility, peace, healing, travel, spirituality, happiness, communication, patience, diversity, openess, all-purpose shell, feminine energies, water element

Slipper Shell: balance, generosity, transformation, healing, peace, community, helping others, air element

Snail Shell (Garden Snails): fertility, sexuality, travel, protection, home, feminine + masculine energies, earth + water element

Spider Conch: maturity, responsibility, self-defense, maintaining your position, fire element

Spindle Shell: inspiration, meditation, fate, change, karma, destiny, vitality

Strombus Shell: truth, communication, divination, speech, trust, air element

Star Limpet: strength, growth, beauty, art, water element

Sundial Shell: hope, success, victory, the sun, fire element

Thorny Oyster: defense, creativity, intuition, focus, beauty, art

Tooth Shell / Tusk Shell: wealth, business, abundance, strength, aggression, masculine energies fire element

Top Shell: spiral energies, centering, helping energy flow, control, air element

Triton Conch: happiness, intentions, prayers, helps clearing your voice/intentions, use to seek help/attention, air element

Turkey Wing: freedom, happiness, emotions, lifts bad moods, change emotions, water + air element

Venus Comb Murex: vanity, beauty, glamour, love, feminine energies, water element

Wentletrap: creativity, inspiration, art, water element

Whelk: taking control, get a hold of a situation, life changes, good fortune, wisdom, guidance, control, positivity, understanding, spiritual development, air element

Whelk Egg Casing: abundance, new beginnings, faith, luck

Worm Snail Shell: tenacity, hope, life and death, creation, overcoming obstacles, hope, changes, earth element

                          ❤ Note: Please use/collect your shells ethically! ❤

There are so many ways you can cleanse your decks!  Here are a few that range in difficulty/complexity

Leave them under some crystals!  

I like to use amethyst, selenite and quartz

Place them under the light of the moon

Windowsills work just fine!  I love to leave mine on the windowsill overnight

Draw a personalized charging/cleansing sigil and leave it on top of your decks overnight

Leave your deck in a small dish of salt

Salt cleanses and charges, wrap your deck in plastic wrap beforehand however!

Meditate with intent while holding your decks

You can incorporate crystals into this as well :)

Place them under the light of the sun

Just be careful to not sun-bleach your cards, don’t leave them out too long and definitely do not leave them in the humidity

Reshuffle/reorder them!

What I do is organize the suits from ace - king, the major arcana from The Fool to The World, and then give it a nice shuffle

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