dance, magic!

Ok that last part about being a closed deity is valid (possibly, idk, I don’t work with lilith) but that first sentiment is such a NON-ISSUE. especially in our patriarchy that promotes femicide and sexual violence against women and our assaulters are USUALLY men, shut the fuck up. This is a made up problem, I fear. And mind you, I’m not saying men can’t be victims and women can’t be predators, but I’m looking at the big picture of what women go through and how they sometimes cope or gravitate toward deities or topics. I’m not actually how sure how common that sentiment is, but it’s so fucking stupid and I had to get it off my chest.

You can usually find books on witchcraft, yes, but there’s also field guides on local foraging and wildlife, cookbooks, books that teach you how to craft and DIY, books about environmental protection and stewardship, books on how to use herbs medicinally, books about other religions, cultures, and spiritual practices. My favorite local library even has a seed swapping program and fantastic resources to research your own family history!

⌯ᵔ ⩊ ᵔ⌯⠀Night  Themed  PNGs   ♡

(Lonicera japonica)

Aggressively colonizes and shades out native plants. (I think it killed the possumhaw, there were no red berries this year 😢)

Fresh flowers are commonly simmered with sugar and water to create a Flower-Infused Simple Syrup used for cocktails, pancakes, or ice cream. Fresh or dried flowers can be steeped in hot water to make a fragrant herbal tisane. Flowers can be layered in honey for 24–48 hours to create a nutrient-rich, floral-flavored sweetener. The floral essence is often used as a base for artisanal jellies or as a flavoring for refreshing summer sorbets.

highly valued in traditional medicine for its potent antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties, particularly in treating respiratory infections, fever, and sore throats. It acts as a "cooling" herb to detoxify the body and is used topically to treat skin inflammation, rashes, and wounds.

Frequently used in love spells and rituals to strengthen bonds and enhance attraction, often linked to the myth of lovers Daphnis and Chloe. Known to attract money, success, and good fortune, often included in "Crown of Success" spells. The plant is used in rituals to help release, forgive, or move on from the past, as well as to foster self-confidence. Used to heighten intuition and psychic powers. Utilized to create a protective barrier against negative influences.

The scent is used to foster a loving, clear, or prosperous environment. Dried flowers can be added to bath mixtures for cleansing or burned to attract positive energy. Used in remedies to help people feel more present and let go of nostalgia. Due to its sweet nature, it is sometimes used as an offering to spirits or deities associated with love.

(Quick notes found through google. Please use caution and further research before doing your own experimentation with this foraged food).

Honeysuckle Foraging May Day Walkabout (5/1/25)

Working on a May Day batch of honeysuckle syrup (5/1/25)

May Day Honeysuckle Syrup (5/1/25)

Double Decker Honeysuckle Syrup, Peanut Butter, and Bacon Sandwich (5/3/25)

French Toast with Honeysuckle Syrup (5/3/25)

Honeysuckle Limeade (5/5/25)

Do magic that helps you to do more magic.

Do magic that gets you motivated to do all of the other magic you've been meaning to do.

Do magic that gives you that extra burst of energy and ability to ignore your pain for long enough to do magic more often.

Do magic that creates a shortcut into doing other magic.

Executive Summary: building up to a modest but powerful Taurus New Moon.

Lunar Phases

Wednesday, May 13, 13:32 UTC - Balsamic Moon, 7°48’ Aries

The key phrases for the Balsamic lunar phase are “let go of the past,” and “envision the future.” (1) Don’t be in such a big hurry; and (2) rest up, before life forces some inactivity on you.

Saturday, May 16, 20:01 UTC - New Moon, 25°58’ Taurus

The key phrases for the New lunar phase are “set a new intention for the month” - nothing drastic, just a good habit you think you can establish in one month’s time. Really nice! There’s a little Virgo flavor with this one; we can combine “resourceful, productive, and stable” with “efficient and sustainable.”

Void of Course Moon

Tuesday, May 12, 10:04 UTC (Pisces) - Wednesday, May 13, 00:04 UTC (Aries)

14 hours 0 minutes

Thursday, May 14, 21:33 UTC (Aries) - Friday, May 15, 02:31 UTC (Taurus)

4 hours 58 minutes

Sunday, May 17, 01:02 UTC (Taurus) - 02:23 UTC (Gemini)

1 hour 21 minutes

Sunday, May 17, 19:36 (Gemini) - Tuesday, May 19, 01:46 UTC (Cancer)

30 hours, 10 minutes

Retrograde/Direct/Etc.

Pre-retrograde shadow: Pallas/Aries, Juno/Aquarius, Saturn/Aries

Retrograde: Pluto/Aquarius

Post-retrograde shadow: Jupiter/Cancer

Transiting Mercury has its Superior Conjunction with the Sun on Thursday, May 14, 14:24 UTC, at 23°48’ Taurus. The halfway point of the Sun-Mercury cycle; a time to “reflect on and share” our insights with others.

Ingresses

Wednesday, May 13, 16:12 UTC - transiting Vesta enters Aries

She enters her pre-retrograde shadow on June 14, so we’re focused on setting that time up for success over the next few weeks.

Sunday, May 17, 10:26 UTC - transiting Mercury enters Gemini

Another quickie for Mercury. Most of the aspects are in the first few days of the transit. Take deep breaths!

Et Cetera

There is one Opportunity Period this week: Saturday, May 16, from 19:01 UTC to 20:01 UTC. This is one-half hour before and after the Taurus New Moon. “If you have something important to start around now, this is a great time to do it.”

Obviously tarot and its history are intertwined, given that both A. E. Waites and PCS were both members of the Hermetic order at the time of creating the deck, so theres no shortage of Jewish imagery in the art. But so many tarot books that seem very comprehensive and well researched seem to heavily reference the Tree of Life diagram and it doesn’t feel like I can properly interact with those sources given it’s ties to Kabbalah

Any sources on RWS tarot you do recommend that interacts with Judaism respectfully

Hi, anon. So, you're right that Tarot contains imagery from Jewish mysticism. I want to clarify that I do not study or practice Jewish mysticism within or outside of Tarot. When I learned Tarot, I started with the Minor Arcana only and actually used them in the same way as reading playing cards. I have, as far as I can remember, never actually read a "proper" resource or a book about Tarot, in part because I had no use for the mysticism elements they emphasize and in part because I was taught by a person. I personally read Tarot by focusing on the meanings of the numbers and suits (just as one does for playing cards) for the Minor Arcana and through intuitive, spirit-led reading for the Major Arcana (which, I will be honest with you, I don't use as often). (Pinging @hillbillybubbeleh here because she might have an actual resource she recommends and, to be completely frank, she likes Tarot more than I do.)

So here's my advice

- check if there's legislation around litter picking in your area [yes sometimes that's a thing] especially if you're planning to do more then just a trash bag a go or doing this as a group!

- make sure there's a place to dispose of the trash you picked up before you start!

- set a rule to yourself to not touch anything duiring litter picking with your hands get a litter picker or some really good gloves [if using gloves don't touch yourself w those]

- duiring litter picking i adhear to the idea that there is only trash and nature there is no shiny things you want to take home even if thst thing you found is really cool.

- fruit cores, fruit peels ect that do not appear naturally in the area you're cleaning are considered trash as well.

-i like to stick to places where i know a lot of people come and go, major paths the enterence of a park ect litter picking for me is spent inna different part of nature then when i go into nature for my own walks. I want to prevent the trash that gets discarded here from finding it's way further into the forest where it will be harder to clean later.

- stick to it! Stick to it in the same area and slowly expand that area it took me 20 minutes to fill up my first trash bag now it takes me over an hour in that same area!

Yes i'm aware most of this is probably considered common sense by a lot of people , but i want to see it be spoken about more so here i am screaming into the well

I am once again asking practitioners of magic, mysticism, and occultism to defer to Jewish voices and Jewish practitioners about the history and real-life impacts of appropriation of and theft from Judaism and Jewish mysticism instead of deferring to the opinions of non-Jewish occultists. I am also asking you to use discernment when engaging with revisionist history perpetuated by non-Jewish practitioners who profit or benefit from said revisionist history, such as claims that Jewish practitioners willingly "shared" or "gave" our practices with/to other communities, the refusal to acknowledge Jewish authorship, or the speaking over Jewish voices/attempts made by non-Jewish practitioners to speak for Jewish practitioners.

Now, I understand this can be overwhelming and many may not know where or how to begin, so I want to drop a recommendation. Fuck Your "Magic" Antisemitism: A Lesser Key to the Appropriation of Jewish Magic & Mysticism by Ezra Rose is an excellent place to start. This zine, which you can download for free (please leave a donation to support the author if you are able, and please share their work), is a wonderful treasure trove of history and resources. Per the author's description of the zine: FYMA is 'a guide to understanding the history and results of antisemitism in western occult and esoteric movements,  from the origins of "Solomonic" magic in medieval and Renaissance ceremonial grimoires, through the late 19th & early 20th century occult revival's "Qabalistic" ritual,  to ongoing appropriation and demonization in the 21st century.  A labor of love & spite, the zine is both a personal and academic look at a widely ignored topic.'

I have recommended this zine several times and have said that I think it should be required reading in witchcraft and witchcraft adjacent communities, and I stand by that. It's very, very good, and it is absolutely packed with thoroughly researched, cited, useful information.