#crystaloccult

I’ve seen a few of these posts going around and decided to make my own. I have noticed that a lot of beginner blogs tend to follow me so I wanted to dedicate this post to them, in terms of how I started witchcraft and how I grew to being a part of a coven and in priestess training. This post will contain some UPG and some tips I discovered on my own as well as what others have taught me from their own personal experiences.

Research - Discovery: I believe witchcraft can be discovered in any means necessary. I have talked about before who I discovered witchcraft through a fictional book and a Google definition search. It doesn’t matter if a witch is born into the craft or discovers it on their own, anyone can be a witch. The term witch tends to be accepted as a gender neutral term, so don’t get too hung up over certain titles (i.e. sorceress, warlock, etc.). Everyone is a witch who wishes to be labeled as such. - Resources: You might have seen online that there are certain books that get recommended for those who just want to learn about the craft. The flaw with this is that the list of books you find out are going to depend who you’re asking or where you’re reading a list from. A lot of books that are on these lists have outdated, biased or even unaccredited information that often tends to say things that do not apply to today’s world. Authors that are most recommended are Raymond Buckland, Gerald Gardner, Scott Cunningham, Doreen Valiente, Starhawk, Silver RavenWolf & Margot Adler. While these recommendations are great, as I stated previously the information may not be accurate anymore. Read the books however and see what speaks to you. Intuition is important in witchcraft. - What To Learn First: There may be some debate on what exactly to learn first and it will also depend on what you actually want to learn. From my own UPG, I read on the different types of witchcraft (i.e. energy work, kitchen witch, etc.) and realizing that you don’t have to be pagan to be a witch. However, if that’s something you’d like to do as well, learning the different types of paganism is useful (i.e. wiccan, eclectic, etc.).  It would also be helpful for you to figure out how a basic altar set up should be, what a Book of Shadows (BOS) and a Grimoire are and how to start working on your own, and if you’re delving into the paganism side of witchcraft, if you’re going to be devoting yourself to a certain deity or just call upon the Lord and Lady (again, this is NOT mandatory in witchcraft).

Daily Practice - Getting Started: Once you’ve learned a decent bit and have felt comfortable enough with the knowledge you’ve learned, you can start practicing. I want to note, that you can take however long you’d like to begin actually practicing. If that takes you a week or a year, whatever resonates with you is perfectly fine. - Setting Up Your Altar: It’s important in witchcraft that you have a certain space in order to do your workings in. Some witches are able to have their own room, others tend to place their altar on a dresser in their bedrooms. Whether you’re living alone, with a significant other or with your family, make sure it is a place that ultimately will not be disturbed. If you’re In the Broom Closet or are living with others that you do not wish to know that you’re practicing witchcraft, creating a to-go altar or digital altar would be the best route for you to take. There’s tons of information online, including my own Tumblr, that has altar inspiration. But if you don’t like my own tastes, feel free to do some digging. Most examples are available on this site! - Setting Up Daily Practice: After setting up your altar, it would be ideal for you to begin to set up a practice. What things make you feel more connected with yourself, the universe, deities, etc.? Some examples of doing this are: yoga, gratitude journal, BOS recording, etc. If there’s something you do in the morning, such as exercise, you can even make that witchy. Just about any activity can be spruced up with a bit of witchcraft, go ahead and find out what works best for you. Once you’ve established this routine, STICK TO IT. Make it become second nature to you.

Groups, Covens & Groves! Oh My! - Decide: This is something that is dependent on your own personal comfort. Do you want to continue working alone or do you want to work with others? You can start to work with others right away or even after several years of solitary work. You will eventually come upon varying opinions on the matter, but remember, do what feels best for you. My best friend worked solitary for several years before finding a coven whereas I was searching for one right away, it happens either way. - Finding Others or Groups: If you decide that you’d like to find others or even a group that practices witchcraft, there are a few ways to go about this. There are websites dedicated to finding groups, such as Witchvox and PaganSpace depending upon what needs you have. Other websites will also lead you to these people and groups, such as Facebook or MeetUp. If you know what your practice is, try typing in those keywords. If nothing comes up, type in more generic terms such as ‘‘energy work, healing, pagan, witch, reiki” or similar terms. Keep in mind, this is also dependent upon where you live. If you’re living in the US, the coasts are going to have a better time finding groups and people versus those in the bible belt. Be patient though, the universe provides when asked. There also are organizations that have groups fall under their jurisdiction, such as Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship (ADF). If you join these organizations, you should be able to find a group in your area in most cases. - Joining a Group: So you found a group and they seem to be the group for you. Talk to the Priest/Priestess/Member of the group and see if they’re accepting new members and how to join if so. This is going to vary depending upon the group, but make sure to take their instructions with care. If you start the joining process but then decide to opt out, then you have the right to do so. Keep an open line of communication regardless if there are any issues or not, just as a point of respect. Every groups joining process is going to be different, so do not expect the same process each time. - Warning Signs: Unfortunately, there are some people and groups who cross the line of boundaries that should never be crossed. Do not do anything you’re uncomfortable doing! As I already stated, even if you’re in the process of joining, you have the right to back out! Do not let someone force you into having intercourse, sharing bodily fluids, forcing you naked if you don’t wish to be, eating anything raw or alive or something you’re allergic to, taking any recreational drugs, cutting yourself or just plain out doing things that are against your personal moral code. Though I personally have not seen any of these things happen, they can occur. If at any point you’re uncomfortable, tell them. If they’re decent human beings, they won’t make you do it. However, if they are telling you ‘‘this is the only way’‘ and you still don’t want to do it, DON’T. Run far away from this group and avoid them.

G*psy Heaven was indeed closed for a few months due to flooding, but that was several years ago. Then again, her shop is closed more or less at random if she doesn’t feel like coming in, so….there is that.

And no, their reputation is NOT good. Lots of customers being told they’re doing things “wrong” if they’re not adhering strictly to Wicca, people being turned away for saying things she doesn’t agree with (she once yelled me out of the store for saying that SRW is not a trustworthy source), and overall a general air of insular elitism that tends to shut out newbies and non-Wiccans, to say nothing of the fact that there’s a racist slur in the name of the shop. (Yes she has been told, and no, she does not care. Middle-aged white lady thinks she knows better, go figure.)

Mystickal Tymes is somewhat better. I’ve had much better experiences there in terms of better merchandise, wider selection, and friendlier staff. If you’re looking for witchy stuff in New Hope, I’d definitely recommend going there and ignoring “The Witch Shop” altogether.

There’s also a place called River of Life Natural Foods about 10min up the road in Lahaska, right at the split of 202 and 263, just outside of Peddler’s Village. The street address is 5743 Route 202 (Lower York Rd), Lahaska, for those with GPS. It’s in the same lot as Twisting Knitting & Spinning, right across from the Philly Soft Pretzel Factory shop. And honestly? I love that River of Life. Cannot recommend them highly enough.

The proprietor is a delightful woman named Karen, and she has an entire room full of New Age accoutrements, including a wall of massive mason jars full of every herb or spice you could want. These are sold by the ounce for VERY low prices, and she only buys from reputable botanical vendors, so they’re top quality and not blended (unless indicated, i.e. pickling spices). I bought my herbs there for years, yes, even over the witchy shops in New Hope, partly to support a small business, and partly because Karen’s stuff is just BETTER.

The shop also sells teas, candles, essential oils, and a wide variety of natural bath products, nutritional supplements, and raw and organic foods. It’s a small place, but there’s lots packed into it. (It’s not very handicapped-accessible, unfortunately, but if you call, she does do some shipping if you can’t make it into the store.)

Come one and all to my pagany call! For the new year ahead, and as an appreciation for the 3,000+ followers I’ve gained on this blog, I have decided to give away a 13 card spread for the year ahead!

I will select one (1) winner to receive the reading, which will be sent to you via PDF through email (or if I can figure out how to do it through tumblr messenger that can be an option). For those that don’t know what a 13 card tarot spread is, it basically breaks down the upcoming year for you, broken down by what basically will happen for each month of the year. The 13th card will symbolize the overall theme of the year.

Rules: - DO NOT TAG THIS AS A GIVEAWAY (Tumblr might will take it down) - You must be following me, crystaloccult to be eligible to win. - Reblogs & Likes are entries. (only 1 reblog will count as entry) - You must be 18+ to enter. - You also must be comfortable with providing me some details to do an accurate reading (I require your name [magical or birth is fine] and birth date.)

Entries will count until 12/31/17 MIDNIGHT!

That’s all! Good luck!

I recently got the inspiration to do this for a friend as well as myself for my altar. My friend only wanted the purple and green colors whereas I wanted mine to represent the elements associated with the point of the star.*

This was SUPER easy to do and I feel that when you put time and energy into a crafty project that it will be more effective in your workings than if you just bought one. ** All you need in this instance is wood pieces (I got these two on a sale at AC Moore for $1.50 total but you can use wood from your own yard if you’d like) and some paint (I used acrylic).

I tried being really anal with getting the lines and circle straight but as you can see, even when you’re trying to be perfect about it, it won’t necessarily end up perfect like you planned. I’ve been really happy with it, especially the one I did for myself. I left the other side blank so this can serve multiple purposes as well. This could be an offering dish, a charging plate, the Earth element on your altar, etc. The possibilities are endless!

If you decide to do this, or have done something similar to this, please reblog and share your pictures :)

* The reason why I decided to do this is because I’ve been setting up my altar slowly and making sure I have everything I want on it. The pentacle can represent all the elements should you need space and can help with evoking/invoking/dismissing/etc. as need be.

** There’s nothing wrong with just buying one, I completely get it! This is just my personal belief.