Every Witch Way

https://linktr.ee/myelasticheart

it’s not all over the news, but here is an article I found:

Sanders co-leads senators introducing Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act

What white people hear: never use sage ever, don’t ever buy it, don’t own it, don’t even look at it.

Look, y’all. There’s a couple of facets to my talk today.

1) Yes! You can buy sage! You really, truly can! Buy it from either native sellers (go to a powwow! Eat our food, buy our stuff, watch some dancing!) Or buy it from a seller who sources the sage from native people. Pick one. And no, buying it from 5 Below doesn’t count.

2) you CANNOT smudge. This isn’t just you “shouldn’t”— this is a YOU ARE INCAPABLE OF SMUDGING. Waving a sage stick around your doorways IS NOT SMUDGING. It is smoke clensing. Smudging, depending on the tradition and tribe, could easily have dancing and drums involved. You, as a white person, do not have the cultural BACKGROUND to even know how it works. At all. Period.

3) please, for FUCKS SAKE, stop making posts here on tumblr where you tell other white people about cultural appropriation and what they can and cannot do. Please stop, your license has been revoked because none of you bother to get the facts right. We native people are FULLY CAPABLE OF DOING IT OURSELVES. Consider instead: a) reblogging our posts where we talk about it! We’re here! We have made posts!! b) Making a post that states what we said and then LINKS BACK TO US. Screenshot with a link if you must. Stop centering your own voices in these conversations. You are already centered in everything, stop centering yourselves in a native space.

I’m tired of this nonsense, y’all.

Thanks for coming to my TedTalk ™

——

Help Support a Native artist?

Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/jnwampler

Have I been cursed? Only one way to find out! The lemon test, much like the lemon curse, uses a lemon to find out whether or not you have been cursed: Buy one lemon. Anoint a black slow burning candle with an oil with a scent that reminds you of the person who you believe is cursed. Cut the lemon in half and write the name of the person on a small piece of paper and place it on one half of the lemon. Lemons that are cut and left out of the refrigerator only last one day before they start to go bad. leave the lemon halves on the table next to the anointed candle that is burning. Be very concise and ask if the person has been cursed and then leave the candle to burn with the lemon next to it. When the candle burns out, if the lemon with the small piece of paper on it is significantly more “decayed” than the other half of the lemon. Then there is a curse. If they look the same, you’re fine. When you are done with the lemon, rub it in salt and dispose of it. This won’t get rid of the curse if there is one. Just helps with determining.

Here is an emoji spell to help boost your energy levels, especially when you’re low on spoons.

as some of you may know, I suffer from chronic pain in my chest. this can only really be permanently solved by surgery, and my parents have taken a loooong time in scheduling consultations and appointments and things like that. My pain had been acting up recently, so I decided to make a spell bottle inspired by @a-magpie-witchling to help! Amazingly enough, my parents scheduled the first consultation with the surgeon that same day!!

Ingredients (obviously you can swap/add/remove any!)

rosemary

thyme

white salt

cloves

basil

sage

amethyst

tiger’s eye

peridot

orange peels

eggshells

Extra details!! (just some fun little additions I used to charge the bottle, you can pick and choose or just disregard!!)

added two sigils into the bottle, the first by @soulsigils and the second by @dreamy-kat

charged with two candles, one white, one green (you can choose either!! I just had both)

charged with amythest and black onyx crystals

sealed with the wax from the green candle

charged with the Sun tarot card and the Six of Wands card (my deck incorporated that and the Tower together but I’d not recommend using the Tower hhh)

charged it in the gorgeous springtime sunlight!

dedicated it to Asclepius and Apollo (you can use any god of health/healing/medicine of your choice!!!)

THIS. I’m so glad a more experienced witch than I is lending validity to this concept. Sovereignty is one of the most potent powers in existence in my opinion. It allows us to end curses, banish spirits, and banish anything metaphysical from our space and our person. 

goldwingedwitch-asksonly:

Honestly im down. Lets do it on May 1st same as the general strike. Lotta ‘fuck you gov.’ Energy that day

As you may or may not know, trances are one of my fortes when it comes to witchcraft. I started partaking in them when I was in grade school, so I have plenty of experience. I always get lots of questions and comments about trances because a lot of people think they’re hard or don’t know where to begin. So let’s break it down:

What’s a trance?

A trance is an altered state of consciousness. It’s pretty much that simple, sort of. It’s very similar to meditation– but if you think you’re no good at meditation, don’t let that scare you off! Stick with me, because I have a harder time sitting in the meditation area of the spectrum than I do reaching the trance side of the spectrum.

To explain a little better, a trance is when we allow ourselves to attain a different level of consciousness in which we can do a lot of things at a heightened ability including divination, charging magical things, spellwork, and this is also how we achieve things like astral travel and Sidr. This is because trances allow us to “turn off” distractions to hone in on something very specific. This is why I think it’s easier than many forms of meditation– you’ll still cognitive, still thinking and focusing on sometimes multiple things, it’s a lot less about quieting your mind than making one part of your brain louder than the others, in my experience.

So… how do I do it?

There are different kinds of trances and everyone does things a little differently, but here is how I do it (as someone with ADHD). First, you need to know why you want to go into a trance. 

The biggest reason I use trances is scrying. I can see the images much more clearly with a trance than without. So I mediate on a question (yes, I know, blah, meditation). I start by using my question as a mantra. I close my eyes, make myself comfortable, and repeat this question. You should slowly begin to focus and unfocus your eyes, keeping them closed. Try to focus on that question, since it’s the focal point in this instance. The point where you go from meditative to a trance is when your head begins to feel a little fuzzy and this mantra is the forefront of your consciousness despite yourself. You may find that you sway back and forth a bit. I know I do. Sometimes I kickstart this on purpose as it may help me to get into a trancelike state. This is how I begin divination as it allows me to see and hear the answers more clearly. Even if I’m just pulling tarot, it helps me read the energy of which card to pick far more easily.

When I do this for trancework, it’s a bit different. I put on music that facilitates my mood, usually something not in my language as not to distract me, and something with a heavy beat to keep be grounded. I tend to move a lot, my body being an extension of the beat. Keep your intention in your mind and allow it to act as your focus. This method is a bit more flexible as you’re not going into a trance on one thing, but rather on an abstraction, so it’s easier to move around and do spellwork under this sort of trance than one purely on one divinatory question.

Lastly, we get to trancework for traveling, whether astrally, between realms, etc. You want to enter a trance in which your focus is a visualization of yourself, and then ever so slowly begin to energetically, though not physically, move your body. This one takes a lot more training and is something I’ve not mastered myself as it’s not a major part of my practice at the time being, so I won’t go in depth with this.

Self care post-trance

Trances almost always give me a headache and leave me tired. They’re hard work! So do try and keep water nearby, don’t do a trance (at least the first few times to see how it impacts you) when you’re going to have to be active after, give yourself a chance to lay down and eat after if you feel that you need it. Trancework is a skill, and you’ll have to build your endurance to it. And as always, if it’s negatively effecting you, know that you don’t have to be able to do trances to be a good witch. Don’t force yourself to do things that are bad for you. Not everyone can do everything.

PBW Witch Shop!

It’s a strange time for us at Portland Button Works. Our primary business is making custom pinback buttons, but with conventions canceled and gathering discouraged our primary is business is at a complete stand still. On top of the Covid-17 pandemic and a “stay home” order in Portland, we were forced to move out of the warehouse we had called home for 4 years. It’s a shame because we just updated our website and our next focus going to be making our shop as more of a community space. We had such great plans! I guess is sort of good we lost our space because in a few months, paying rent was going to get difficult in this climate.

Selling our catalog of items like our pre-made button designs, books, zines, tarot decks and other stuff has always been more of my hobby to be able to sell things I like and it was only about 20% of our business. While it was only 20% of our business, it was a large portion of physical things in our shop, so we had a lot of things to move. In the last week we moved 400 square feet of things from our shop into a 120 square foot spare room in our home, the spare room where I stated making custom button and selling zines over a decade ago. I guess we are now working from home like a lot of people.

I know not everyone has spending money right now, but if you do and you have thought about buying some of the books or zines or buttons shown above or anything in our catalog, right now would be a really great time to check out our PBW Witch Shop or even the rest of our catalog of zines, buttons, or other things.

Also, we have access to buying books through book trade distribution. If there is a book, witchy or otherwise, that you would like to purchase from a small business and not from Amazon, get in touch. This may take a week to get and it will cost cover price, but we can order any book by a major publisher.

If you are in Portland, Oregon we can arrange for a contact-less pick up.

If you don’t have any money to spend, hey, neither do we! You can still help us out. You can reblog this post or tell your friends who are looking to get some witchy goods that they should take a look at our shop. Also, if you have ever bought anything from us or even if you have read any of the zines or books we carry or even if you were gifted one of our buttons you can leave reviews of those items on our website and it helps us out.

We would appreciate any help you can throw our way, together we can get through this!

For folks who have limited mobility in their hands due to pain, weakness, shakiness, or anything else. These are a range of ideas, not all of them may work for each person, but hopefully they’ll spark something that will! 

Looking for broader low energy, low mobility or bedridden ideas? Check out my bedridden witch series (click here!)

Tarot:

Tarot apps are a great way to pull a card with a tap or two (Labyrinthos and Galaxy tarot have been recommended). 

Place your deck in your lap. Feel for any loose cards, then pull them. 

Split the deck (doesn’t have to be even). The cards on either end of the split are the cards for your spread. 

Spread the deck on a flat surface, and move your hand over to pick (let your hands sense the energy), or pick based on intuition. 

If gripping/managing thin paper is tricky, some people use other objects for tarot readings. I’ve seen jewelry charms as a common one, but the possibilities are endless (cardboard, wooden blocks, etc.). 

You can do more than readings with your cards. Pick one per day and just spend time with it. Look at the art, pay attention to how it makes you feel. Learn the meanings of the card. 

This post may have more ideas: Bedridden witch: Divination edition

Pendulum: 

I have had success with using a pendulum while dealing with shaking hands. 

Let something else do the work! Hang it by an open window, focus your energy and let the wind move the pendulum for you. Use a pillow to support your arm/hand.

Use a pendulum jar.

Use a shorter pendulum that can be used with one finger. A string with a small crystal bead will do. 

Prop you arm/hand on a pillow.

You could also use other parts of your body to hold the pendulum (like your mouth or toes… wouldn’t recommend switching between the two though!)

Bedridden witch: Divination edition

Other Divination:

Runes may be easier to hold/use than tarot cards.

Use rune apps (runic divination was recommended).

Scrying (using a mirror or bowl) is hands-free.

For more ideas: Bedridden witch: Divination edition

Spells and Energy Work:

A lot of witches use their hands to focus energy during spellwork and other magical doings. While this may be helpful, it’s not necessary!

Focusing energy can be helpful. Use a crystal or other object and touch it in some way (with your hand, have it in your lap, whatever works for you). Use the crystal/object to help channel and amplify your energy.

I usually draw energy up from the earth (even while in bed) by placing my palms flat(ish) towards the earth by the sides of my body. So if I was lying down, my arms would be at my sides with my palms facing down.

Use visualization! A LOT of my magic involves visualization. 

Candles and Incense:

Himalayan salt lamps are a great way to bring a similar energy that a burning candle would.

I honestly really like electric candles, but I know they’re not everybody’s thing. Plus sides: if you forget about them they simply run out of battery, can be decorated–tape with color correspondences, sigils, spells, etc. (you could even print something and tape it on). 

Reed diffusers. Get the yummy smell that candles or incense brings without the flames and smoke. Plus you can ignore it for months!

Essential oil diffusers. Great way to get the correspondences that incense often holds. (please use safely and not around your pets).

Room spray. Store-bought or self-infused natural sprays are a great way to add good smells and/or correspondences. 

Recording information:

Voice text or dictation software are often accessible, though not always perfect. It is a great way to get things down that you don’t want to forget/want to reformat later.

Typing can sometimes be easier than writing, and journals/grimoires in documents are easy to organize, and to read. 

I’m a very tactile person and enjoy writing (even if it hurts/is difficult). My tarot journal is filled with terrible handwriting, random shorthand, and codes I came up with to shorten things (ie. a little symbol for each suit, then the card number). It doesn’t have to be an all-day process. 

I’d imagine that some tarot apps record which cards you’ve pulled, or have an option to save it. 

Odds and Ends:

Use compression gloves or other gear to support your hands? Add sigils or enchant them!

Same goes for any lotions, creams, balms or medications used to help; sigils, charging, enchanting, etc. are all great ways to incorporate magic. 

Teas are an easy way to get multiple herbs + their medicinal values without needing to do anything!

Into kitchen witchcraft? Using electric mixers can be very helpful.

Create sigils using a phone app (touchscreen) and your fingers rather than holding a pen. 

Other posts you might like:

Bedridden witch series

Chronically ill witchcraft: For your symptoms

Spoonie witch masterpost

Do none of these posts meet your needs after perusing? Send me an ask, I’m always looking to fill the gaps when it comes to accessibility and witchcraft!

With suggestions and contributions from:

@useless-bisaster​, @crowxwitch​ and anonymous. Thank you!

As a witch who’s always on the go it can sometimes be hard to focus on magical self care. I’m traveling and moving and working with lots of people and life is kind of a whirlwind and I love it but sometimes it all gets to be a little… much. In all of the hustle and bustle my ability to take care of myself and my ability to take care of my magical practice can start to go south. I forget to practice good magical hygiene (such as cleansing and banishing) and I start to feel a little disconnected from the whole thing.

When this happens I like to turn to magical self care! Now, there are two types of magical self care: there’s magic that is used as self care and there’s self care for your magic. The methods I’m about to discuss happen to be useful for both! 

  The Most Important Magical Self Care Tool In A Witches Arsenal: Grounding

Grounding is a vital part of learning to practice magic in a safe and healthy way. The term comes from the process of grounding an electrical circuit. Essentially if an object is negatively charged, grounding allows excess electrons to flow from the object into the earth, and if an object is positively charged, electrons flow from the earth into the object. It’s a method of balancing and equalizing the flow of energy.

Similarly, in witchcraft grounding is the practice of balancing personal energies. Many things can pull us out of balance, emotional turmoil (for empaths it doesn’t even have to be our own emotional turmoil, often we pick up other people’s emotions far too readily!), illness, performing rituals or spells, astral travel, even simple things from our day to day lives can create a state of too much personal energy or too little personal energy.

This can be an incredibly uncomfortable experience.

Symptoms of unbalanced energy:

Dizziness, feeling spaced out, light headed or a floaty feeling

Headaches

Forgetfulness

Misplacing or losing things

Feeling generally unwell or exhausted

Daydreaming and an inability to focus

Sensitivity to light and noise

Feeling over stimulated and nervy

Bumping into things or other general feelings of clumsiness

An uncomfortable sensation of buzzing under the skin

Nausea and vomiting

Pain

Irritability

Insomnia

These symptoms typically become more severe the further out of alignment you are.

It is essential that you learn to ground properly before beginning to practice magic. Often I see newer witches who have yet to learn this skill experiencing unnecessarily strong backlash from their spell work.

Magic is energy! When you move and manipulate energy in such powerful ways it can and will pull your own energy out of balance. Grounding allows you to avoid the unpleasant side effects of spell casting which means a you’ll be a happier witch and have more time and space to practice your craft!

How To Ground Yourself

There are many ways of grounding yourself, I suggest you try a variety of methods and find the one that is most effective for you.

Rooting Yourself

This method works best if you are barefoot and standing on grass or dirt. Imagine your energy extending down through your legs and sinking into the earth, becoming roots and burrowing into the soil to trade energy with the earth. Feel the earth’s energy flow up into your body, filling you all the way to your head and then back down and out through your roots. This energy will cycle through you and clear away any excess energy as well as solving any energy deficiencies you might have. Continue this until you feel calm and comfortable.

Laugh

Laughter is an amazing way to release pent up energy as well as building our personal energy from within! Give yourself time and space to have a good laugh, put on your favorite comedian and enjoy yourself.

Food

Nourishing your body can help to reconnect you to your physical self and refuel depleted energy. Sit down for a hearty meal and give it your full attention, this helps to pull you back into your body fully after astral work or other intense spiritual experiences and gives you a moment to rest and relax.

Water

Water is a wonderful conductor of energy, sitting with your feet in a stream, your hands under a running faucet, or drawing yourself a bath can equalize your energy very quickly. Playing in the rain can also equalize your energy but if it’s sunny out visualizing rain washing your energy clean will work just as well.

Go for a walk

Getting out in nature, especially if you can walk barefoot, will allow your body to trade energy with the earth and equalize your energy levels. Walking in nature also helps to build mindfulness and create a sense of ease in your life!

Wind Visualization

Sit comfortably and begin to visualize your energy body. When you have a solid image of it in your mind imagine a strong gust of wind blowing your energy around you, removing blockages, carrying away excesses and refueling any energetic deficiencies.

Exercise

Gentle exercise can help to release any excess energies. Do not ground this way if you feel lethargic, exhausted or in any kind of pain. This method is ONLY to be used when you have an energy excess!

Body Awareness

Simply giving your body attention can encourage your energy to equalize on its own. Take a few minutes to consciously take stock of every inch of your body. Begin at your head, feel your scalp, then move to focusing on each part of your face. Move downward and feel your neck, your chest, then your arms, your elbows, your wrists, your fingertips. Focus on your torso again, now placing your energy on your stomach, feel it move with your breath. Continue this all the way down to your toes. Try to remain relaxed throughout this process.

Let Yourself Cry

Crying or screaming will release excess emotional energy very quickly. If you’re the sort of person who loves a good cleansing cry then this one is for you.

Stones and Crystals

Certain stones and crystals can be grounding. Hematite is particularly good for this purpose.

Play in the dirt

Getting in contact with the earth through gardening or rolling around in the dirt like you did when you were a kid allows your body to exchange energy with the earth. So let go of your adulthood for a few minutes and get in the dirt!

When To Use Grounding

Grounding is a wonderful tool to use but it isn’t a cure all. It’s also not always desirable to be completely grounded! There are certain types of magic that can be hindered by grounding and other types of magic that are simply not energy based and won’t require grounding to be effective.

When working with spirits being too grounded can make it more difficult to connect to the entity

If you’re fueling magic with emotions or excitement grounding beforehand will not help. You want your emotions and energy high in order to perform that sort of magic.

Sigils generally do not require grounding

Any kind of astral or out of body practice will be made much more difficult if you’re grounded beforehand. Ground after this sort of practice, not before

Dream work will be hindered by grounding

Grounding is most often used for post-spell backlash but it can also be utilized in your day to day life to enhance focus and happiness, lessen anxiety and protect you from emotional runoff.

If you struggle with any of the symptoms of being ungrounded regularly you might benefit from adding a few minutes of grounding into your daily practice!

New to witchcraft? Not sure where to start?

This hex is meant to bind one in their own hatred. The negative energies they secrete will instead be filtered right back to them, and actions fueled by hatred will not come easily to them or be of much success. The more hatred someone puts out, the more they will be effected by their own hate. Some might consider this a sort of “forced-reciprocal energy” arrangement. 

What is documented here is my exact process. Please read and review the process before beginning this hex. If something doesn’t sit quite right for you, or if you feel uneasy about completing this hex, do not start it. If you cannot complete this hex, make sure you cancel/negate it.

I also recommend you only do this if you are in a clear state of mind. While I myself am one to mix emotions with my craft, this is one of those times it’s advised against. Though this spell is simple, it’s potent when done right and deals with some elements some consider to be binding.Please don’t approach this process with an air of frivolity.

I am not responsible for any weaves left unkempt. With that being said, let’s get crafting!