#cultsquad

Theydies and Gentlethems, we are pleased to formally announce the second issue of UNCVLTURED!

A friend of ours is in some financial trouble and we need to raise some money.

In response, the CultSquad is doing a divination drive. Some of us have set prices, some of us don't- dm and ask, or check out our blogs for more info. This will go on until the end of September.

If you want to help but don't want a reading, the paypal is PayPal.me/slothbottom

Services offered:

Myself, @powderandclay: Full chart geomancy and full spread reading lithomancy.

@empyrealmoth: Geomancy chart readings and Tarot.

@ohmourningstar: Tarot, Lenormand, and Stichomancy

@lunefrog: Tarot, Geomancy, and Playing Card

@seidrmadr: Rune Casting

@jbirdthemanwitch: Witches Runes, Fulthark Runes, Scrying, Tarot, and Garbage Bag Oracle

@sola-invinctus: Tarot, Geomancy, and Ophidia Botanica Oracle

@thetwotorches: Tarot

@marling-spike: Cartomancy

@hauntedprettything: Runes, Stichomancy, Oracle/Alcatraz Rule Book cards

@winebrightruby: Tarot, Lenormand, Oracle Cards, and Poetry stichomancy

@tyetknot: Tarot, lithomancy, and Arcane Bullshit cards

if you know, you know

Recently, a large Witchblr blog was exposed and subsequently vanished from the Tumblrsphere for their behavior. And that was nice. We all, as a community, had a moment where we could speak up for their victims and let them know they weren’t being swept under the rug or the source of their trauma forgiven. I think we can all agree, it was a worthy and just cause for us all to come together.

In the fallout though, there have been more than a few concerning occurrences, and I would like to talk about that freely here. I am not trying to be judgy or jump to conclusions. I am simply sharing some observations and how I, as well as some of my friends, feel watching them unfold.

CultSquad is, first and foremost, just a group of occultists who like to talk about what we practice and are learning about (hence, the name “Occult Squad”). It is a discord server of friends who are selective with what they can publicly share. There is no hierarchy or leaders or precursors for joining, because we are all just united by our shared bonds and hobbies. The only reason we appeared organized before was simple: we were united against a common enemy, someone who has long tried to drag us down.

We are not teachers, but students.

We are not perfect, but private.

We are not here to teach, nor are we here to be idolized and romanticized. We are all learning. Sometimes our spells don’t work. Sometimes we bicker. Sometimes we argue over whether kiwi is slimy or slippery (slippery), and we joke around more than we take ourselves seriously. We are friends, goofballs, a bunch of weirdos with spell books trying to share memes and recipes.

Some of the asks I’ve seen my new friends receive have been downright disgusting, concerning, and they have left most of the group confused.

I understand that Primrose leaving has left a hole in the community, even if some aren’t quite overtly aware of the fact yet. I know that there are young witches everywhere reeling, trying to figure out who to listen to, who is right to listen to. CultSquad is not it for you. In fact, the whole of Tumblr is not going to hand you someone who is.

The person you are looking for, as cheesy as it sounds, is you.

The one who knows where your path currently is, who knows what kind of magic you are most comfortable with, who knows right from wrong. That person is always going to be just you.

We cannot take your hand. We cannot promise to always be right, to never lead you astray. We cannot let you romanticize a group of misfits. We are not fit to lead, and we do not want to.

If you want to know where to go from here, where to take your path. I can only give you but one suggestion, one truth that, if you hear it in its totality, will be all you need: Do it for yourself.

Be selfish. Be brave. Grab your life by the horns and direct it, command it. Stumble and fall and scrape your knees. Reach out for help when you take on more than you can handle. Look for resources and hunt for sources. Magic is the Great Pilgrimage. And you are the only one who can fill your basket. Abundance is everywhere, but its sweet fruits, when given, will only rot your teeth, rip your canines from your jaw. If you are a witch or occultist or magician, then do as your forefathers always have: guide yourself.

I would caution everyone who has started suddenly idolizing or “looking up to” the CultSquad to reflect on what it is you are actually admiring. Because it is not us. It might be a romanticized version of your ideal practitioner or activist, but, I can assure you, it is not a reflection of who we are, truly. The behavior some of you have exhibited has been uncomfortable for me to bear witness to. A cult following is something we have actively protested against the development of on other’s platforms. I simply cannot understand the leaps some of Witchblr are taking right back in that direction.

It’s not that CultSquad is doing anything amazing or intricate. We simply talk about magic and bounce ideas off of each other. We do not welcome the idea of being notorious or infamous or having a “cult” following of people. Sure, you can tune into our posts and offer feedback and input, but blindly believing what we say will get you nowhere if you never go out and try to experience and take those truths for yourself.

Thank you, anon, for affording me the opportunity to spell out a few things that have been on my mind for a while. 

The group name “cultsquad” was coined in regards to a discord server. I, personally, don’t care for the name. But it’s also not a big deal. Technically anyone in the server is a member of the group, I suppose.