#fae witch

TLDR: i give my own brief history of my relationship with my faith (witchcraft/folk paganism) to ask the question of how one sheds the conditioned fear and shame to make way for spiritual growth and expansion?

does anyone else feel the shame they held as a child for their pagan/alternative faith is still keeping them from being the full witch that they could be? i have been struggling with it for my whole life i think. i became a witch officially at 17 years old, but there were of course blazing signs throughout my childhood. it started with my childhood best friend and i developing a relationship with the fae at age 9, and then continued when i checked out my first book of spells from the library around age 11-12. i am now 26, with almost an entire decade under my belt of calling myself a witch. but i have always felt like an imposter in the seer crowds, a wolf in sheep's clothing. let me start from the origin. i grew up in a rural midwest bible-thumping community. tale as old as time, i know. girl who loves trees, flowers, and fairy tales more than god finds religion in them in a world where trees, flowers, and fairy tales are just commodities, not sacred. this is, i believe, where the seeds of shame first took root where fear had taken root at birth. being of differing faith and also queer in a closed-minded community has and will keep any kid/preteen/teen wide awake at night. but i learned to adapt. after moving to college and into early adult life, i found more people who accepted me, and i learned to tune out the louder opinions of those who didn't. i thought i was free. now that i have found the people who accept me for who i am, i can cast spells and be my full witch-born self! or so i thought. throughout all that time, my fear festered within me. i'm still afraid of the shame and afraid of spiritual attack. the only spells i've ever feel comfortable with casting are apotropaic, and outside of casting i only research and read my own cards. but my aspirations have always been bigger. i want to be the village witch, wrapped in glamour and smoke, who everyone in town goes to for a love or wealth casting because no matter what it is, they always work out. more importantly, i want to be the witch who works with spirits regularly without fear. my religious upbringing has instilled such a deep fear of demonic possession for working with spirits other than angels, and all i want to be is brave. brave enough to deal with an unruly spirit for a neighbor, and brave enough to commune with and trust deities and spirits alike with spells and divination and eventually foster both working and personal relationships. i know i can be that version of myself, but i don't know how to be that kind of brave.

🃏 Tarot Reading: Ah, the classic! Shuffle those cards, lay 'em out, and let the symbols tell your story. It's like a psychic storytime with beautifully illustrated cards.

🔮 Crystal Ball Gazing: Channel your inner fortune teller and gaze into the shimmering depths of a crystal ball. See visions, symbols, or just a really fancy paperweight – your call!

☕ Tea Leaf Reading: Sip your cuppa, but don't toss those leaves! The way they settle in your cup can unveil the mysteries of the universe. Get ready to decipher some leafy hieroglyphics.

🖐️ Palmistry (Chiromancy): Study the lines, mounts, and shapes on your palm. Each crease tells a story about your life path, personality, and potential. It's like reading a roadmap to your destiny right on your hand!

🕊️ Feather Divination: Feathers are more than just fashionable accessories for birds! They can carry messages from the spirit world. Find one, meditate on it, and decode its wisdom.

🌀 Runes Casting: Norse warriors used them, and now you can too! Grab some ancient runestones, cast them, and let the runic symbols weave tales of your destiny.

🕯️ Candle Scrying: Light a candle, focus on the flame, and let your visions come to life within the flickering glow.

🌿 Pendulum Magic: Swing that pendulum and ask it some yes-or-no questions. Allow the pendulum to swing freely and always keep your hand still to allow the energy to truly answer you questions.

🌗 Numerology: Numbers, man! They're everywhere, and they've got a lot to say. Discover your life path, destiny, and soul numbers.

🔍 Scrying Mirrors: Stare into the abyss... or, well, a special mirror! Gaze deep, and let the answers reveal themselves.

🌊 Water Scrying: Gaze into the reflective surface of water – be it a pond, a lake, or even a scrying bowl. Watch as ripples reveal the unseen.

🐚 Shell Divination: Channel your inner mermaid! Listen to the whispers of seashells and let them reveal their secrets. You can also collect a handful of different shells and cast them. Their placement, pattern, etc, can reveal important details!

🗝️ Key Casting (Cleidomancy): Gather a collection of old keys, close your eyes, and toss them onto a cloth. The position and arrangement of the keys will unveil symbolic messages or answers to your questions. It's like unlocking the secrets of the cosmos, one key at a time.

🎶 Music Divination (Alectryomancy): Play some tunes and let the lyrics, melodies, or even random song selections speak to you. The songs that resonate can offer messages or insights about your current situation. Let the music be your mystical DJ!

For example, create your own spells. Don't copy someone else's spellwork. You can use them for inspiration, but what worked for them might not work as well for you.

Magick is most powerful when you pour your heart into it and it comes from your own ideas.