both? both. both is good.
happy pride month!
Show & Tell
ojovivo

titsay
I'd rather be in outer space 🛸

Love Begins
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
Xuebing Du
Today's Document
🩵 avery cochrane 🩵
Three Goblin Art
macklin celebrini has autism

⁂
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Stranger Things
todays bird

shark vs the universe
Cosmic Funnies

izzy's playlists!

oozey mess
seen from France
seen from Singapore
seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from Hungary

seen from Russia
seen from Türkiye
seen from Japan

seen from United Kingdom

seen from Malaysia

seen from Sweden

seen from Netherlands

seen from Malaysia

seen from Malaysia

seen from Canada
seen from Russia

seen from Sweden

seen from Japan
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
@stardustedwitch
both? both. both is good.
happy pride month!

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these are actually hella fucking cute y'all
1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk?
2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day?
3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books?
4: how do you take your coffee/tea?
5: are you self-conscious of your smile?
6: do you keep plants?
7: do you name your plants?
8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings?
9: do you like singing/humming to yourself?
10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach?
11: what’s an inner joke you have with your friends?
12: what’s your favorite planet?
13: what’s something that made you smile today?
14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like?
15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is!
16: what’s your favorite pasta dish?
17: what color do you really want to dye your hair?
18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up.
19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it?
20: what’s your favorite eye color?
21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces.
22: are you a morning person?
23: what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations?
24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets?
25: what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into?
26: what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit?
27: what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor?
28: sunrise or sunset?
29: what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing?
30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared?
31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks.
32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends.
33: what’s your fave pastry?
34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it?
35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often?
36: which band’s sound would fit your mood right now?
37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean?
38: tell us about your pet peeves!
39: what color do you wear the most?
40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you?
41: what’s the last book you remember really, really loving?
42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it!
43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with?
44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything?
45: do you trust your instincts a lot?
46: tell us the worst pun you can think of.
47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe?
48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today?
49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought?
50: what’s an odd thing you collect?
51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them?
52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far?
53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them?
54: who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face?
55: what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point?
56: what are some things you find endearing in people?
57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics?
58: who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why?
59: what’s your favorite myth?
60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves?
61: what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received?
62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind?
63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be?
64: what color is the sky where you are right now?
65: is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with?
66: what would your ideal flower crown look like?
67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel?
68: what’s winter like where you live?
69: what are your favorite board games?
70: have you ever used a ouija board?
71: what’s your favorite kind of tea?
72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it?
73: what are some of your worst habits?
74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns.
75: tell us about your pets!
76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t?
77: pink or yellow lemonade?
78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub?
79: what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you?
80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why?
81: describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of.
82: are/were you good in school?
83: what’s some of your favorite album art?
84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones?
85: do you read comics? what are your faves?
86: do you like concept albums? which ones?
87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives?
88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy?
89: are you close to your parents?
90: talk about your one of you favorite cities.
91: where do you plan on traveling this year?
92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch?
93: what’s the hairstyle you wear the most?
94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday?
95: what are your plans for this weekend?
96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot?
97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house?
98: when’s the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it?
99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them.
100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why?
1. your suffering can’t end until you stop identifying with it. if your sense of self is tied up in your suffering, anyone or anything that attempts to separate you from it will become the enemy because, whether consciously or subconsciously, you will on some level believe they are trying to take away a part of who you are.
2. read the above again.
Thinkin about how as kids parents told us to clean our rooms without having ever shown us how to themselves, taught us any organizational skills, spatial management, or any other knowledge necessary to know how to efficiently tackle a mess without getting overwhelmed and then got exasperated when we as ten year olds didn’t just……figure it out
This is not a dunk on my parents for the record. I had wonderful parents growing up and still have an amazing mom. I think this is just one of those smaller and common things of parenthood that I think addressing would be monumental in reducing a very common household stressor. If parents led their children in cleanups and helped them reason out plans to manage their time and stuff, especially neurodivergent kids, the entire household would be a lot more calm, streamlined, and overall happy I think!!!
I’ve got one 7 year old perfectionist (possible ADHD) and one sweet 5 year old hurricane (DEFINITE ADHD) and me (also brain full of cats, despises prolonged supervisory things). Here’s some things I’ve learned specific to that that are also generally good for teaching kids to clean. (Or yourself.)
1. If you want a kid to clean, first you have to teach them to even see mess. They don’t! But it does stress them out.
“Okay, let’s look for something out of its place. If it’s on the floor, it’s out of place. If it’s on your bed and it’s not a blanket, it’s out of place.”
2. Go by category, it’s easier to find stuff to put away if your search engine has a specific target, and it’s more satisfying and efficient to put away a big chunk of mess at once.
“Got something? Ok, are there other things like it? Let’s find all the BOOKS. I will HELP YOU.”
3. Important!! Don’t walk away from a kid with focus issues expecting them to instantly learn a task and finish it! You are setting them up to fail! The first several times you need to be there for the whole process and demonstrate by helping. That motivates them. They feel less panic that you’ll bail and they’ll be stuck alone not knowing what to do next. Narrate what you’re doing, too. Help and supervise less as they seem to need you less.
“I’ll get the books on the floor, can you help me get the ones under your bed? I can’t fit!”
4. In my experience most kids, but especially kids with ADHD would walk to the fucking moon to help you, they just need a clear plan, keep the criticism light, short, and to the point, and ffs PRAISE THEM when they do things right, cause we’ve all (I hope) seen the statistics on how much more negative interaction they get compared to other kids (and rejection sensitive dysphoria is a motherfucker). But more than praise you need to show them how what they did was good for THEM. Do nooooooooot take this opportunity for an ‘I told you so’ or a ‘finally’ or you will suck out all their accomplishment.
“Hey, great job, you found that horse you were missing because you cleaned! And your room looks so nice! It’s really comfortable to play in now, and you did that.”
5. Emphasize it does not have to be perfect or complete to be worth doing. I don’t want to will my kids my paralysis of inaction because I can’t start part of something unless I can do all of it.
“We don’t have time to do the whole room, but let’s pick up the legos before bed so you don’t hurt your feet. And then it’ll already be done tomorrow!”
Other small but important things: make sure everyone is fed and not cranky when you start, including you. Do what YOU need to be in the right patient headspace for this. Put on music. Get coffee. Take breaks! Take dance breaks, tickle breaks, whatever. Make em short, set a timer, keep it consistent. Stop completely if they’re getting overwhelmed or stressed and be prepared to finish another day. They may complain and flop around a lot the first few times. Stay tooth grindingly positive and keep at it, it WILL get better. If you mess up, start again. It’s ok. It’s never too late.
Being taught to see mess, and systematically taught how to clean in a way oriented toward showing me what cleaning does for me, would make me a much better person now, because i still struggle to see mess. Like I won’t see it till my rooms a train wreck, and then I might not think about it till the weekend or something
@serendipitous-assembly I needed this post so much like
I hope I can find resources that make me be able to relearn it
no idea if this is true, but it feels true
I heard an interview, can’t remember the psychologist, but he was explaining this idea and encouraging people to stop and take a deep breath and literally drink in small moments like you’re a dryass plant when something is ever satisfactory, positive, mildly successful, randomly joyful so your brain can code and integrate that experience because our natural lizard brain will quickly tape over it with mostly unnecessary negative survival shit. Sounds dumb and dorky but sometimes I remember this when I’m feeling good about a moment because our cave brains are still catching up with modern life without sabertooths. I like that it’s not just a pollyanna gosh just be more positive thing but more of a legit brain wiring phenomenon can be gradually hacked through small behavioral changes.

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Happy Pride!
I don’t want a boyfriend or girlfriend. I don’t want a romanticized twin flame or soulmate or whatever it is.
I want an unconditional friend. Someone who is there for me, who I can be there for in turn. Someone who tells me straight up when I’m being a dumbass. Someone to do things with, who also understands a person’s need for space.
Holy fuck, I’ve been going about relationships wrong my entire life.
my love knows no bounds spell
for amplifying your love energy, making its presence undeniable even to those who don’t like you.
MATERIALS
☁️ small empty bottle
✨ mica shimmer/glitter to represent your undeniable flair and magic
💧 rosewater/moon water for abundance of love energy
🌸 pink salt for purity and cleansing
🔮 rose quartz to assist amplifying your love (will not go in bottle)
🕯 candle
DIRECTIONS
cleanse all materials before beginning
as you add all the items to the bottle, you can speak your intentions aloud. for example, I silently affirmed this:
my love is radiant and present in every encounter.
it is impossible to ignore my love energy.
others can’t help but fall under love energy. may they, too, experience joy and love.
leave bottle by candlelight for a while to soak up additional energies
The fact that biphobia is still tolerated in 2018? Y’all just let it slide. Bihet, bislut, handmaiden, these are terms used casually towards bi people, and I’ve seen it mostly from the lgbt community. Not okay. By any means.
Seriously. Why are hating someone for their sexuality?
Really hypocritical and sad of you…
notice how some (most) of these specifically mention bi WOMEN. tumblrs biphobia is intertwined with misogyny, don’t forget that.
“Bisexuals arent lgbt”
Then what does the b stand for???

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Scrying is such an expensive form of magic, if you want to do it right. It sucks. My skills lie in the ability to look into the future, so I do tarot, and I'm learning runes, and I know how to read crystals, but I can't scry because even little scrying mirrors cost like, $30 -💙
HATCHLINGS, WHAT’S MAMA MAGPIE’S MANTRA!?WITCHCRAFT REQUIRES NOTHING! NOTHING NOTHING EXCEPT YOU!Turn off and clean your phone. Use the screen as an obsidian scrying mirror!
⬆⬆⬆
AAAAAND I have black pages (can be painted, mines are glued black paper) of my grimoire covered in contact paper (to make them shiny) and BOOM portable scrying mirror in your grimoire. I also plan on making a star map? To star scry in my mermaid grimoire too.
Be crafty folks, be crafty ❤👌
BAM! RESOURCEFULNESS, MOFOS!
Just water in a dark bowl, guys.
Or paint one side of a picture frame glass black, then when you turn it over the unpainted side is a black mirror.
Use a candle flame.
Or tea leaves in your cup. Can’t afford fancy loose tea? Cut open your cheap Lipton tea bag you swiped from a diner and just use that.
Scrying is one of the easiest forms of magic to DIY!
You definitely don’t need fancy, expensive scrying mirrors or crystals in order to scry! If you want them, that’s cool and you should spend your discretionary budget however you choose, but it’s not remotely necessary! I’ve got a $60 obsidian sphere these days because it’s beautiful and I love it to bits, but my first dedicated scrying tool was a $0.99 picture frame from walmart with black paint on the back of the glass. Before I had THAT I used a candle flame. All the suggestions above work, plus you can use the reflection of your own pupils in your bathroom mirror, a shard of a broken beer bottle you found on the side of the road, a stone in a ring, nail polish on your thumb. You literally just need a point to focus your vision on while you drop into trance. Reflective surfaces seem to work best in general with a few exceptions like fire-scrying, and people frequently find that dark reflective surfaces are preferable to light ones, but the only actual requirements for scrying is “a point upon which to focus your physical vision” and “the ability to drop into a trance state”. Heck, stare at a spot on your ceiling if you want, it can work.
Honestly, my personal absolute favorite is… water in a dark bowl.
I got a black bowl at Family Dollar for a couple bucks. It is far and away my favorite scrying method.
I have a DIY black mirror that looks fancy (I inherited a nice turn-of-the-last-century frame). I have a little glass orb. But nah. I like water in my discount store black bowl.
It doesn’t have to be dark.
People scry by staring at walls and ceilings. By staring at trees.
Stare into a natural body of water under a New Moon if you wanna really get rekt.
Or gaze into your own eyes in the mirror for like 10+ minutes and tell me you don’t learn something about yourself.
This is shocking…. scrying is the least expensive form of divination I know!
You can scry in a bowl of water (free), smoke (free, potentially), fire (candle cost money, but can be super cheap), leaves (free and yes, leaf scrying is a thing), stars (free), and more. It’s literally just staring at patterns or reflective surfaces (ideally natural ones) and then going into a trance from that where you get the visions. Nature is free! Scrying is free!!
I personally use an obsidian sphere, but it only cost me $10… that’s not super expensive fam.
now that i’ve begun working more with energy, i wanted to share my methods of casting circles! when i first started working with energy, it was really hard to find references for casting circles, especially ones not dealing with the traditional Wiccan god/goddess. here are some methods and uses of casting circles!
Why Cast a Circle?
the primary reason i cast circles is to protect me from outside energy influences. most people associate circles to protection from ‘malevolent’ spirits, however, it’s just a great barrier in general!
here are some following scenarios i cast circles:
divination- to protect me from energies that might influence my cards or my interpretation o the cards
spellwork- pretty self-explanatory. i cast circles to protect from energies i don’t want in my spells, or from potential spirit attraction.
meditation- again, for energy use and to also not be disturbed from anything spiritual.
Methods of Casting
1 - Invoking Elements
a very basic way, if not the go-to way, of casting is to place each of the four elements at each of the cardinal directions. Earth at the north, Air in the east, Fire at the south, and Water in the west.
fire
Candles (color them for intent if used in a spell! alternatively, electric tea lights work fine.)
here is a post about color associations for candles!
Anything symbolic of fire colors (red or warm-colored cloth, figures/statues,etc.)
water
moon/sun water (in a jar works really well, or in an open container if being used for blessing anything)
blessed water, or water related to whatever you’re working with (storm water, diluted essential oils, etc).
here is a good source of different kinds of water and how to cleanse them!
blue or purple colored items
earth
stones or crystals (this is what i love to use! just be wary that some stones are aligned with other elements. clear quartz is a go-to.)
salt
dirt (from your backyard or specific, such as hospital or graveyard. make sure to cleanse it.)
herbs (especially roots)
brown or black colored items
air
incense (different scents have uses as well!)
here is a post with scent correspondences!
steam
yellow or white colored items
alternatively, any of these could be replaced with a tarot card of the corresponding suit! (wands for fire, cups for water, pentacles for earth, and swords for air).
to close the circle, walk clockwise starting in the east (air) and complete a full walk around the circle. do this as many times as you feel needed to envision a complete circle! after your use for it is done, unwind it by walking the same number of times counter-clockwise.
note: if you live in the southern hemisphere, you may want to reverse fire and earth in your directions and walk counter-clockwise to close the circle, and clockwise to end it.
2 - Envisioning
this is a very, very simple way to cast a circle! if you have very little time, simply imagine a ring of light around your workspace. you could align color to purpose as well.
the only downsides to this method include the fact that it may not be as strong as a physical circle for beginners especially, as i have learned many times over as i find energy that i don’t want in the circle. on top of this, to make it very successful, you may have to keep this image in your head throughout your spell or energy work, which may distract or hurt your concentration.
however, like i said before, it’s very easy, discreet, and requires no clean up! with practice, it could be very easy to maintain.
3 - Salt Circle
by simply spreading salt in a circle clockwise (or counter-clockwise depending on your location), you can create a strong barrier. as you walk around, envision your purpose of protection and safety.
if you are working outside, do not use salt. it will kill plant life! instead, consider alternatives such as: egg shells, diluted salt water, crushed herbs, flower petals, etc.
if working inside, consider setting out foil, cloth, or a tarp for easy cleanup.
4 - Cleansing the Room Itself
if you find that you for some reason cannot cast a circle, or maybe are just starting out, consider cleansing the entire room instead!
some methods include:
smoke cleansing (NOT smudging. please do not call this action smudging unless it is part of YOUR culture.)
salt or protective mixture
dance/song
salt/water spray
incense and candles
for smoke cleansing, light your bundle and start facing eastward, spreading the smoke and asking for protection from either the corresponding element or any deities/spirits/etc. you worship. move clockwise or counterclockwise.
for salt or protection mixtures, simply place a small pile in each corner of the room or at the cardinal directions.
dance and song can celanse the room when accompanied with smoke especially.
the salt water spray can be used similar to the protection mixture – spray a little in each corner or at the cardinal directions.
incense and candles can be placed in corners, the directions, or just throughout the room to act as protective energy.
Final Notes
make sure to remove your circle after you’re done!! leaving it up isn’t safe and could be draining on your energy or health.
try not to leave the circle in the middle of your work, if it can be avoided. ive had to do it before and nothing bad happened, but sometimes it ocould break the circle, or bring unwanted energy or precense in.
do your absolute best to have all your materials in the circle before you cast it. bringing items that were not in the circle before could carry energy that you just do not want in your circle. i’ve messed up plenty spells because of it already. if it is really necessary, cleanse the item as thoroughly as you can (quickly if you need to), and enter the circle from the east.
if these methods don’t work right away, don’t worry! these take lots of practice. some easy ways to try casting daily include:
cast a circle before you meditate
cleanse your room before you do homework for a safe space to work
if you have a form of divination, cast a circle before drawing a daily reading (i do this in the morning to see how the day will go or seek advice for the day!).
good luck!
Familiars
What is a familiar? A familiar is an animal whom you have a spiritual connection with. A witches companion. You call upon them to help you with your practices. They can be physical or spiritual beings. They are healers and guardians but above all, a loyal companion. Provides the witch with psychic protection as well as negative energy. They do not have to be your ‘pet,’ any animal that you use symbols of can also be your familiar but on a more spiritual level. Animals are chosen as a familiar because of their connection with nature and innocence. They protect on many spiritual levels as well as the home and property of the witch. They become able to communicate together in dreams and during meditation.
History of Familiars In Europe during the witch hunts familiars were thought of at demon like entities sent to do a witches bidding. It was believed that they were cats, dogs, and toads possessed by demons. Thus, during the witch hunt era many animals were hunted and slaughtered because of their connection with witches. Familiars were supposedly given to the Witches from by the Devil. It was believed that they were fed from the witches blood.
In some Scandinavian countries familiars were thought of as fearies, elves, pixies, dwarves, sprites, and elements of nature.
In shamanistic practices the familiar is in fact not a physical being rather it is a spiritual entity. It protects in the astral plane and from any psychic attacks.
In England and Scotland familiars took form of toads.
Familiar Misconceptions:
Not every witch has a familiar. In fact some are quite happy working alone. Some witches may even be allergic.
Cats are not the only animal used as a familiar.
No familiars are not possessed by demons or the devil.
Not all pets are familiars!
Types of animals to used as familiars:
Any animal can be used as a familiar! The most common are cats (especially black) and dogs.
How you know it is your familiar and not just a pet:
It chose you.
You have a bond on a spiritual level.
You put more trust in it then anyone/anything else.
Takes an active role in your rituals.
Sits politely while you are casting being sure not to be a bother.
Loves to lounge in your magick work space.
You feel a boost of energy whenever they are near you.
Watches the window constantly watching for any unwelcome beings.
Trails you like a shadow.
Hates to be separated from you
How to find your Familiar:
Cast a spell to bring clarity on your familiar.
Meditate on it.
Ask a form of divination about finding you familiar.
Ways to bond with your Familiar:
Provide it with a collar, halter, leash, etc that has protective crystals and herb sachets sewn into it.
Carry a piece of a NATURALLY shed item from your familiar in a sachet or tied together with ribbon.
Provide them with the best food and housing you can afford.
Always place them before yourself.
Spend lots of time together.
Provide them with their own protection.
Speak to it.
Brush or stoke it.
Treat them and reward them for their help.
Treat them with the kindness they deserve.
Honor them.
Provide them with an altar.
Give them offerings.
Familiar uses:
Provide you with physical and spiritual protection.
Provide you the uttermost loyalty and respect
Benefits your emotional well being.
Helps you connect with nature.
Enhances are physical and psychic abilities.
Protects home and property.
When to work with a Familiar:
When you want to attune with nature
Meditation
Healing magick
Dreamwork
Astral travelling
Divination
Scrying
Spirit communication
Welcome them to join you when power is being raised and spells are cast.
Respect a Familiar deserves:
Let it accompany you on its own accord and make sure it is willing to participate, NEVER force them to join in on a ritual. They are very sensitive to psychic power and vibrations. Treat them with kindness and the same respect you would give to a human being. Be sure to treat them as an equal and not something you own. This is very important if you want to create and maintain a connection with your familiar. Familiars are living beings and should never be treated like an athame, candle or an object for spell casting. Make sure to be cautious with the type of tools you are using during your casting with a familiar. Be cautious of candles or any toxic herbs!
Names for familiars:
Instead of you choosing a name for them, ask them what their true name is.
References: Paganwiccan.about.com, pagancentric.org
What type of Familiar do you have?
I have a horse and a cat as my familiar!
May the moon light your path!
☾ Moonlight Academy☽
References: Paganwiccan.about.com, pagancentric.org
My brown Siamese cat is my familiar, and also the reincarnation of my ginger Siamese who passed away 4 years ago. :) I’m very happy he decided to come back to me, I missed him a lot when he wasn’t a physical being.
This election may be hell and try me to my fullest but at least I got my wedding photos today. No matter how much may be against us in our future me and my wife will be damned if anything shall tear us apart. Even if everything this election stands for fights against us in every conceivable way we will still be with each other.
Stay strong my love. We have each other. Now and forever.

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Y’all asked for it so y’all gonna get it! I’mma start off with the barebones essentials and work my way to basic definitions. Sit down on something comfy and get yourself your warm beverage of choice and maybe grab a notebook because here goes.
What are runes?
Runic alphabets have been around since about 150 AD and used as a writing system by a lot of Germanic languages. These systems were eventually phased out, slowly but surely, with the progressive Christianisation that started around 700-1100 AD. The three most commonly known (and used?) Are the Elder Futhark, the Younger Futhark and Futhorc.
Runes aren’t, themselves, broadly meant for divination, thought there are a few passages in the Eddas that mention Odin “finding” and using them.
Alright, so which alphabet should I use?
Whichever one you want! I prefer using the Elder Futhark, because it’s the first alphabet I learned and got familiar with, but that doesn’t at all stop you from using the Younger Futhark or Futhorc. I’d heavily suggest making sure you read up on the differences in each alphabet though; Ansuz, for example, won’t look the same, mean the same or even be called the same from one alphabet to another.
Familiarize yourself with each of them if you want/can, and choose based on your own preferences and criteria. Always work with what feels best for you!
But I’m not really familiar with Germanic traditions / I’m a baby witch, should or can I use runes for divination?
This is the concept that got my goat real good the first time. You do not, in any way, shape or form, need to be experienced to cast runes. This is a notion that is outdated and perpetuated by gatekeepers and exclusionists. No one gives a flying flip how long you’ve been practicing witchcraft, or if you even practice at all!
Divination should be seen as a tool to further yourself and/or your craft. It can be used by itself or in conjunction with other activities, practices or beliefs. I was 15 when I started learning about runes (dear god that was literally over ten years ago) and I had no idea what I was doing back then. I read up as much as I could about the system I was wanting to use and, once I was comfortable with it, I started doing small readings.
It shouldn’t matter how new or familiar you are to divination, rune casting or Germanic traditions. If rune casting feels right to you, you are more than free to use whatever divination method feels right to you.
What should I do before I start a reading?
As a Norse Pagan, I usually invoke my patron deities (Baldr and Loki, in this case), as well as Odin and Freyja, sometimes Gullveig/Heiðr because reasons. I have no idea whether or not this has any actual bearing on the reading itself, as mine were as accurate before I converted as they are now.
Making sure you’re in a quiet and/or comfortable space is also a good idea, even if that just means popping in some earphones and listening to something that makes you focus and feel calm.
This is also a good time to mention that cleansing your runes (stone, bone, wood or otherwise) is a very good idea. I typically do this with candles, incense, a bowl of water and a point of quartz for each element. I don’t do this nearly as often as I probably should, since most people suggest cleansing them after each reading… but, whatever, being lax with that hasn’t bitten me in the ass so far. So if you’re a spoonie, don’t worry: cleanse your runes when you feel they need to be cleansed, and that’s it.
Alright, I think I’m ready; how do I start reading?
Let me start by saying that the bullshit about never reading yourself? It’s just that. Bullshit. Do readings on yourself if you want to. Who the hell is going to stop you. Do whatever you want.
On that note, there are a few ways to cast runes, though these probably aren’t close to being the only ones:
Intuitively choosing the stones Lay the runes down on a flat surface and let your hand hover over them and pick out the ones that feel right. You can either pick them in order of the spread you’re using, or place the runes where you feel they belong on the spread.
Throwing the stones Make sure you have a large flat surface to work with (preferably the floor honestly) where you won’t drop, scatter or lose a rune. You can use a mat underneath, and read the stones that fall on the corresponding positions in the spread or circle. (You can find many of these with a quick google search, or make your own mat!) Otherwise, you can take the first stones you see facing up and lay those out according to your spread.
Picking them blindly Either you or the person you’re reading pull stones blinding out of a pouch, bag or other container, and lay them out according to the spread you’re using. Pretty straightforward.
If you can think of another method, literally nothing is stopping you from using that instead. The runes are acting as a universal translator for whatever it is you’re tapping into. They’re just a tool to receive a message. How you choose to receive that message is completely up to you!
So I’ve got my runes laid out, now what?
Now comes the fun part. I can only really give you a good run-down of the Elder Futhark, and though it’s a good starting point, I would highly advise you do your own research on whatever alphabet you want to use. Wikipedia is a great place to start, but don’t stop there: look at several different websites and lists and compare. Combine and condense the information for yourself, and get to learn the definitions and meanings for yourself!
ᚠ Fehu • catle wealth, money, hard work paying off, can represent spiritual wealth reversed: effort gone to waste, natural and/or financial loss, greed
ᚢ Uruz • ox physical strength and speed, great energy, courage, masculine reversed: physical weakness, illness, violence, misdirected aggression
ᚦ Thurisaz • thor reactive, destructive and/or defensive force, tendency towards change reversed: dangerous compulsions, betrayal and malice, lies, spite
ᚨ Ansuz • of the Æsir revelations, intuition, signs and signals, wisdom, power of words/names reversed: misunderstandings, delusions and vanity
ᚱ Raido • chariot physical/spiritual journeys, transition, seeing the bigger picture reversed: crisis, maybe due to stagnation, unwanted disruption
ᚲ Kaunan • torch creativity and inspiration, power of transformation, power of life reversed: instability, lack of creativity, false hope revealed, disillusionment
ᚷ Gebo • gift gifts in the form of sacrifice or generosity, contracts, partnerships reversed/opposed: greed, isolation and dependence, over-sacrifice
ᚹ Wunjo • joy comfort, pleasure, companionship, possibility of going over the top reversed: sorrow and alienation, growing distance, raging frenzy
ᚺ Hagalaz • hail wrath of nature, destruction for the sake of creation, natural order reversed: natural disasters, powerlessness, suffering
ᚾ Naudiz • need strength/growth from hardships, survival, determination reversed: deprivation and emotional starvation, constraints/restraints
ᛁ Isaz • ice challenges and frustration, psychological block, anticipation reversed/opposed: can oppose other runes with malice and treachery
ᛃ Jera • good year hard work is fruitful, peace, happiness and relief, breaking the cycle reversed: sudden setbacks and bad timing
ᛈ Pertho • vagina secrets, mysteries, undiscovered abilities, choosing your own path reversed: stagnation, isolation and loneliness
ᛇ E/ihwaz • yew tree strength, stability, endurance, trustworthiness, your goal is realistic reversed: confusion, dissatisfaction and weakness of the mind
ᛉ Algiz • elk shield, the instinct to protect yourself/others, connection to the gods reversed: hidden dangers, loss of link to the divine, turning away
ᛊ Suwilo • the sun success and goals achieved, you have the power you need to succeed reversed/opposed: deception, false goals, gullibility, divine wrath
ᛏ Tiwaz • tyr honour and leadership, authority, success in competitions reversed: artistic block, over-analysis and sacrifice, imbalance/conflict
ᛒ Berkana • birch tree fertility in a broad sense, personal/physical growth, new beginnings reversed: family/relationship issues, anxiety over loved ones, abandon
ᛖ Ehwaz • horse steady and gradual progress, teamwork/loyalty, relationships reversed: reckless haste and its consequences, restlessness
ᛗ Mannaz • mankind the self, the human race, your attitude toward others and vice-versa, social awareness, altruism reversed: mortality, self-deception, cunning and manipulation
ᛚ Laguz • water literal/metaphorical flow, imagination, the unknown, chance of loss reversed: confusion/uncertainty, may be making the wrong choice
ᛝ Ingwaz • probably freyr warmth and love in general, tying loose ends, relief, freedom to move reversed: moving without change, fruitless effort, helpelessness
ᛞ Dagaz • dawn breakthroughs and clarity, security, power to change and grow, the ideal reversed/opposed: endings and coming round full circle
ᛟ Othila • inheritance ancestral property, what is most important, spiritual heritage and safety reversed: slavery, homelessness, bad karma, what one is unwillingly bound to
Phew! What a list. These are just brief descriptions and meanings that I’ve been able to compile and condense over the years.
But, what does “opposed” mean?
I see where you’re coming from. As a baby diviner, I, also, was confused by this. But let me explain how I’ve come to understand it!
Sometimes, if you’re doing a set spread, you’ll have a spot for things like, “what will oppose you”, or “what you need to avoid”. Things like that. If, say, a rune like Suwilo was found in something like that, you’d want to try and keep a sharp mind to avoid deceptions or letting yourself be too gullible.
When runes don’t have a reversed form, their position in your spread will usually determine what they mean. (Though really this is true for literally any rune.)
Anything else I should know?
The best advice I can ever give anyone is to always do what you feel is right. If you find yourself wondering, “Should I do this? Is this right?” If you question yourself at all, you should probably not to the thing and go with something else.
It’s also important to mention that the names I have for the runes may not be the ones that you’ve learned to know them by; a lot of runes can go by different names depending on who you ask and where you look. Do your research, and know the runes by the names you feel are best! (And preferably historically accurate.)
As always, if you have any questions regarding runes and how to read them, please ask me! My ask box is literally always open and almost always empty.
ᚺᛖᛁᛚᛚ ∙ ᛟᚲ ∙ ᛋᛇᛚᛚ