consideration on witchcraft supplies and ethics (expecially for newbies and broke witches).
caveat emptor: brace yourself, this is a LONG post, but please if you could find your time to read it, me and planet Earth will appreciate. x
we have all been there; we start our journey into witchcraft and all of a sudden we find ourselves with that compelling need to buy 15 billion candles, herbs, crystals and the more you name them, the more there are.
I usually find so many posts that state that you must go with what you have, and you shouldnβt mortgage your home or sell a kidney to buy witchcraft supplies.
and by all means, I stand by this.
however, I always had my concerns when I see such advice.
it is that advisable to buy crystals on wish.com and use plastics container to pursuing cheapness?
I know this may upset some, but hereβs my view:
I usually can talk with 10 different witchcraft practitioners and have 15 different way to practice witchcraft as a result (the beauty of confronting β€).
however, 98% of the time, there is one common ground where we all stand: a deep respect for the environment, nature, mother earth or whatever we are going to call it.
is hard to believe that such a variegated world can (basically always) come down to this simple, yet so important topic, in finding a common ground.
now more than ever, as witchcraft practitioner, our role in preserving the environment should be key to us, because you know, letβs state the obvious: if the environment collapse so does we.
and it seems that the human race is doing its best to make it collapse.
but what does this has to do with witchcraft supplies?
well, letβs go state the obvious again, shall we? every single object and material we use in our craft come from somewhere (you may call me βcaptain obviousβ) and βsomewhereβ means from the planet earth in a more or less direct way.
when this is quite a straightforward observation when it comes to herbs for example, it may not come straight to our mind when we go on more βcomplexβ items, such as candles, paper, strings, containers, crystals, etc. etc.
the truth is that every single object we use in our life (thus in our witchcraft practice) come from a more or less processed version of a material that is being harvested from the Earth.
it is exciting and frustrating at the same time to confront ourselves with the endless amount of tools we can take advantage of in our practices and, especially for early doors practitioner, it can be overwhelming to think to how much they βneedβ to buy.
the truth is another story.
starting from a very basic principle, which is βyou are the toolβ (aka the magick is firstly within you), the first thing we need to remember and eventually assimilate as deeply believe, is that we donβt need any tools.
you can see tools like a bicycle; if you have to go from A to B, and you have a bicycle, youβll go there faster.
however, you can still go there by feet.
but, if you start to train, and you build up your muscles and resistance, you will eventually be able to run from A to B and by all means, youβll be exactly on the same speed of those who use a bicycle, and guess what? if you were to use a bicycle after you train that hard, you will be able to smash any other competitor.
but letβs not forget one extremely important thing: either way, it is you, and you only, that finished the run.
itβs not the bicycle alone that brought you to B, but your muscles that pedalled it.
the bicycle alone, without any input on your side, will stay there.
so here, tools simplify our practice, but ultimately, if we are not able to direct and use the energies we want to work with, not even the fanciest, most ancient, most expensive tool ever created will do the job for you.
but we still havenβt talked about the βethicsβ connected with our choices and the inevitable impact on the environment.
before I delve into it, let me tell you that I KNOW.
I know because Iβve been there. Iβve been in the craft for the last 11 years of my life and - no surprise - Iβve been so broke.
yes, now I can make better choices and afford higher quality, but thatβs only because Iβve worked fo f*cking hard for them, and usually adulthood comes with its perks (aka: a better job).
Iβve been an extremely underpaid waitress and a notΒ·muchΒ·betterΒ·paid barista.
I had to live for months with a weekly food shop budget of Β£20/Β£25 for two people, and have the constant worry that I might not have been able to pay rent for that month.
so I hear you, I hear you when youβre broke and you just donβt have the money for it, I hear and I know how it feels. x
however, even when I was terribly broke, I never compromised on my witchcraft.
but yes, I did compromise in my everyday life on everything else, because you know: rent & bills > everything else.
when it comes down to witchcraft supplies, I always ask myself a few questions:
Β· do I really need that?
Β· does it have to be new?
Β· can I buy it ethically?
Β· what material is it made of? it is sustainable?
Β· can I make it / harvest it / grow it / find it / etc. myself?
Β· do I know where it comes from?
this should be literally the first question popping in your mind.
I will not go over the boringly long point I just made about tools, so Iβll bring you a new one.
while there is no such BS as universal crystals/herbs that can substitute any others (although yes, certain herbs/crystal posses a broader spectrum of properties and you can indenfy them as 'master crystal/herbβ), is true that many different herbs and crystals domain over similar aspects.
also, when it comes to witchcraft, the neighbourβs grass is NOT greener (translation: look for local herbs rather than 'acrossΒ·theΒ·boardersβ one).
let us take as example this bunch of herbs: thyme, basil, artemisia and elder.
those are all herbs that preside over the art of purification, yet each one has a very specific way of express itself upon it.
for example, thyme offers a specific aid against physical pain and thus is more adapt to purifications concerning the body.
basil is deeply connected with prosperity and love, and itβs usually kept within the household to ensure its protection.
artemisia is the excellence when it comes to purification of objects and ambients and its infusion is usually the one of choice when it comes to purifying magickal objects.
elder is a particularly sacred plant, and thus is mainly used in the crafting of talismans for personal protection and purification (yes, usually the two goes hand in hands).
what Iβm trying to convey in this example is that a deep knowledge of the ingredients/tools/supplies youβre looking for is not only beneficial in choosing the most appropriate match (thus enhancing your magickal performance), but it can also help you understand better what do you exactly need (IF you need it) and whether you may be better of looking for something else.
before giving out a kidney for something shiny new, have you considered whether you can find it secondΒ·hand?
remember my blathering 15h ago in this post? each and every single thing that passes upon our hands come in a way or another from resources that have been extracted from mother Earth. yes, even a dagger or a jar was once a piece of our planet.
essentially, you need to question yourself where what you are going to do is more a 'waste of moneyβ or an 'investment well placedβ (think of it as a house. if you live and work in London, is it really the best choice for you to buy a house in Edinburgh that may be the coolest house you ever stumble across but is clearly going to be unhelpful for your situation?)
and you may get a piece that might have not been taken with all due environment respect.
that super cheap object you found on wish.com has the same environmental impact of a similar one sold by an ethical company that may be 3 times as much? no. just simply no.
only that, you might not always be in a position to buy from that super ethical company for that price.
but, still, do you really have no other choice but to buy it new?
is it really more important for you to have a shiny new thing than pursue the key role you have in defending the environment? (for me, there is no other answer than βnoβ).
likely, we live in a society where is not too difficult to find alternatives for pretty much everything we need.
charity shops and thrift shops are your new best friends.
everything is sold cheap in there, and let me tell you, you may find goods in there that are as much breathtaking as the most expensive fanciness.
plus, you have a wonderful bonus when you buy secondΒ·hand: you can practise your skills in the purification art (after all, second hands also means you have no idea to which energies that object is been exposed to).
but you donβt even need to leave your home to buy secondΒ·hands, in fact from eBay to Etsy, you have a plethora of tools to go secondΒ·hands and save the environment.
letβs get this straight: ethical is NOT equal to expensive.
in fact (and I can tell you from experience as Iβm slowly switching to zeroΒ·waste and plasticΒ·free and generally sustainable lifestyle), in the long run, it becomes cheaper and cheaper.
yes, I get it, beeswax candles usually cost from 3 to 5 times more to a regular candle, but between plastic and beeswax, there is an ocean of alternatives.
first, letβs address a point: do you really need 7 candles for that spell?
maybe, if you deeply study your spell, and selectively chose your ingredients, your Β£5 budget for those cheap 7 candles, can be redirected to a single, ethically produces beeswax candle - as a result, you will have not only saved a tiny bit the environment but you will also have a much better quality ingredient for your spell.
second, ethical doesnβt mean fancy.
buy your eggs from the local farm, usually is cheap AND ethical.
take a long walk in your countryside and harvest a reasonable and respectful amount of herbs and other natural material is cheap AND ethical.
make your own tools from natural materials and or local supplies can be cheap (depending what you making and with what - itβs obvious that if you planning on making a 3 meters silk cloak in just not gonna be cheap) AND ethical.
youβre getting the idea.
what material is it made of? it is sustainable?:
you want to make a jar spell, you donβt have any jars, you end up using a plastic container.
do you see whatβs missing there?
you donβt need a new shiny, fancy, expensive glass jar.
as a matter of fact, you may not always need a glass jar at all.
oftentimes, I find myself planning a jar spell which will end up buried in the ground.
you donβt need to be a scientist to know glass ainβt gonna recycle for the next thousands year. so do you really wanna put that thing in the ground?
wouldnβt it be better, for example, reuse the core of a toilet roll, which is perfectly biodegradable?
of course, there are certain spells in which youβll have to retrieve your jar at some point, well, in that case, go ahead and use a glass one, but the bottom line is βthink before you doβ.
as I mention earlier, I am in my slowlyΒ·butΒ·surely journey on zeroΒ·waste and plasticΒ·free. this means Iβm a jar horny.
every time I see a jar, an inevitable orgasm pervade my body. a shameful truth.
and I also need lots of jars to fill all my goods (I use a wide variety of herbs, seeds, flours, and other grains, just to mention a few needs for jars).
do you know how much Iβve paid for all my jars (MY jars.. MY precious..)? Β£0.00
ok, this is not entirely true. but let me explain.
once, I had to buy some tomato passata for a dish I wanted to make.
I used the passata, washed and kept the jar. now, that very same jar is the home for my quinoa.
and OH MY, jars come in such a weird a wide variety!
just have a scroll down the asile, point the fanciest looking jar and see what it holds: mango chutney? that stuff will not set foot in my home nor even after I die. pickles? my goddess they are distasteful at THE least, but hey! my partner has them in his every day work lunch and heβs running low, I will need them, I can take them. nocera olives? DID YOU SAY I NEED TO BUY 7000 OF THEM?
liquor and alcohol bottles, usually come in the prettiest shape.
choose a nice personal use bottle of liquor or wine, and youβll get yourself a perfectly fancy jar for you spell, virtually for free.
BONUS: yeah, you know it. you contribute to save the environment.
The bottom line is: THINK. do you know what material are you using for which purpose? if you donβt know, is best follow the wise adage βbetter safe than sorryβ and simply skip it!
can I make it / harvest it / grow it / find it / etc. myself?:
you want a wand your first thought is..
1Β· let me check some expensive holyΒ·moly on esty, on which Iβll then cry over because I knew before I started looking I canβt afford it! :D
2Β· let me see which kinds of trees I have around my home, and what can I do to safely harvest some wood for my wand.
the right answer is.. 2! (what a surprise..)
can you even imagine the added values (without even considering how much more powerful) this object will be if done with your own hands?
but wait, I can already hear it.. βbut I donβt know how to carve a wand!β.
(prepare yourself for some bitter irony) Iβll share with you a secret, you live in the XXI century and thereβs a fantastic tool out there you can use to help you.. itβs called the internet!
you can find instruction on how to make a bomb worthy of a terrorist, Iβm sure you can find instruction on how to make a wand to!
(you canβt afford an internet connection? then how are you reading this post? - end line for the bitter irony).
you can make better choices for your and the environment simply by investing time in what your doing (a very hard and difficult to comeΒ·by skill in the βall and nowβ society we live in..).
do I know where it comes from?:
OH MY, how tempting are those quartz point sold at Β£0.03 on wish.com
have you stopped to think where they come from?
crystals, more than anything else, is the clearest example that EVERYTHING comes from mommy Earth.
and it should come with no surprise that, unfortunately, not all crystals are harvested ethically.
so yes, when you pay for a crystal, you are also paying for the people who worked in the mines from which come from, for the machinery/electricity and so on that were needed to work on the mine and generally all the things that a business must cover.
and it should come with no surprise vol.2 that a company that harvest crystals in an ethical way, respecting the environment and paying a fair wage to their employees will be more pricey than a crystal that comes from a company that does not care about such thing.
you need to realise that crystals ARE luxury items and thus, they wonβt come for cheap.
so for that spell where you needed 7 different types of crystals, it may be worthed to:
Β· once again, carefully and inΒ·depth study each ingredient to evaluate what do you actually need and thus restricting the choice to fewer ingredients with better quality.
Β· make wise investments. search for good companies. youβll find usually companies that adopt good ethics are pretty proud of it! and they will state loud and clear where they source their products and which other ethicalities they follow in offering your such products.
Β· compare the market. yes, of course, there will be companies that will be cheaper than other. your best shot is to research the market for the thing you need to establish which is the fair price you should look at.
Β· go to the source. you can do this two way, either by literally go to the source and do a nice trip to the location where you can find that crystal, or go to a wholesale where youβll find way cheaper items without compromising your quality.
donβt gift money to those who overprices and check carefully before paying someone who underprices!
Β· WELL DONE YOU β€οΈΒ·
you did it! you almost reached the end of this kilometric post.
Iβm really proud of you.
go get yourself a nice apple and a glass of water. β€
if you feel tired just by reading all this, well.. youβre getting it right!
because it is tiring and timeΒ·consuming take the responsibility for your purchasing (and in general your actions).
it is hard, it is challenging, my goddess if sometimes is boring, and more, in general, is just a lot of time and effort!
so yeah, actually go through all this for your next glamour spell will make the planning of it last probably 10 times longer.
you are walking the path of the wise, you are a practitioner of witchcraft, you are handling a BIG power, and with a big power, come some BIG responsibilities.
you know though, what youβre are going to gain?
yep. the more time youβll have to invest in something, the less youβll be tempted to the βall and nowβ of modern society. after all, who does to wast a month of her/his life to make more ethical choices to then just give up everything?
you may be a slow learner, but even there, it will be impossible for you to not retain at least some of the information you so carefully had to investigate! and hey, who knows, you may also have fun!
when you spend so much time in searching and evaluating, you will eventually build up the tool kit that will allow you to make the same choices, with the same depth in less and less time.
be able to to make constructive criticism upon something, is a skill that not only enhances your craft but is also priceless in real life.
probably the most important thing of all, and ultimately my first reason why I never compromise on my witchcraft supplies.
in real life thereβs nothing more true than βwe are what we eatβ, and I believe that in witchcraft a similar statement hold; βwe produce the energies we invest inβ.
what I do, it need to be a perfectly smooth line from my intention to my end result.
how can I achieve so, when the tools/resources/materials/etc. that I use are not in line with what I do?
how can a man constructed*, polluting, paraffine candle convey the same energies as a naturally produced beeswax candle? what energies and added values has to offer the paraffine candle compared to the beeswax one?
*(I donβt mean that making something by hand is worng, if that would be the case, Iβm the first sinner. what I mean is something that wasnβt harvest and create from nature (like a cotton or linen dress), but something artificially produced in a laboratory, mix and matching chemicals.
and NO. buy all means Iβm not a nonsense, I do βrevireβ science and scientifical progress, but yet Iβd rather living in a more natural and less artificial world).
how much better will respond in my hands the wand I made myself, compared to the fancy one I had me shipped form a stranger, maybe from the other side of the world?
this humongous post, it is, as the title says, just a consideration at the end of the day. a consideration I hope will spark some reflection in your next action. let me know what you think β€.
so, my dear newbies and broke witches out there, I hear you, I really do.
this is it, youβve reached it, the end.
Iβm so proud of you, go to watch some cute kittens pictures. β€
