Seashell Dreams🧜🏽‍♀️

Bees make me feel productive, idk.

These have been on my Deviantart for the longest time, but since I’ve finally made a new addition after all this time I decided to post them here, too. Although they’re a little time consuming to make I will definitely be continuing the series with the other Disney princesses.

Disney dreamy

the garden collection // colors organized neatly

emily blincoe (prints here)

Mermay Day 6 : Witch

Mermaid : “Don’t worry, we can undo this. I just need to find what went wrong”

Hello lovely followers! Recently I’ve gotten an influx of questions about energy manipulation and decided to get around and do a manual about it. Disclaimer, these are all based on my experiences!

What is energy manipulation and why is it so important:

Energy manipulation is just what it sounds like. The manipulation of energy both in you and around you. It’s important because it is a fundamental key in the practice of magic. At its core, magic is energy. It becomes magic when it is manipulated by the castor, witch, or practitioners to do their bidding. 

The first part in this guide will deal with sensing energy. We won’t necessarily be manipulating it today. Sensing energy is perhaps the first step of actually working with energy, as you must sense it to be able to manipulate it. Here, i’ll be going through several different techniques. 

First and foremost, I want to go through a general technique that can be used for both meditations and centering yourself.  

Deep Breathing: 

This is simply a technique that combines both meditation and moving the energy around in your body. In my experience, I am drawing from both energy from the universe, and bringing it into my body, while also expelling negative energy within me. 

This is a simple way to get your energies moving while also cleansing yourself of negative energy. 

You will need to either sit up or lay down. let your palms lay upward, and close your eyes. 

Now, all you have to do is breathe.  As you inhale deeply, envision pure, golden light from the universe coming into your body. This is pure, cleansing energy, Energy that will help and cleanse you. Feel it going in through your nose, down your throat and into your lungs. Feel the warmth. 

On your exhale, envision dark energy leaving your body. This is negative energy, the energy that is weighing you down. These are your anxieties, stresses, and insecurities. Give them to the universe, and let the universe cleanse you. 

Focus on breathing in the energy, and breathing it out. Focus on your breathing. Occasionally you’ll have other thoughts, but that’s fine. Just gradually return to your breathing. 

The Hand Technique:

This technique will be good for those of us who are good at visualization. For beginners, i recommend you get into your deep breathing state. You don’t have to be in a deep meditative state, simply calm your mind, and prepare to focus on something. 

Step one: Sit down. If you have back trouble, then you can also do this laying down. All it requires is that your palms are upright. 

Step two: Hold your hand out forward, palm facing upward. If you have trouble supporting your arm for long periods of time like i do, simply let your elbow rest on your knee, the arm of your chair, etc. Allow your arm to be supported. 

Step three: Look at your arm. Really look at it. Find a focal point that you’ll allow your energy can stem from. When you find this place, I want you to imagine a stream of energy flowing from this focal point into your palm. Envision it like water dripping down your arms, and pooling into your palm.  After a while of doing this, you should either feel tingling, pressure, or warmth. Keep in mind, these are things that I felt, but usually, you can take any abnormal situation as a sign of energy being felt and moved. 

 The Crystal Technique: 

This technique is especially good for those of us who have trouble visualizing things. You will be using aid in order to do this technique, and while I suggest a gemstone, any living thing will suffice. 

 Find a gemstone of your choice. My go-to for high energy is typically smoky quartz and amethyst. After you have centered yourself (use the deep breathing technique), place the gemstone in your palm, and begin applying the deep breathing technique again. In this instance, you won’t have to visualize, just breath and feel the crystal in your hand. Be aware of its presence.  For some, you will begin to feel a tingling right away, or a warmth. The gemstone will typically give off its vibrations. 

If you’re having trouble feeling this, I would consider rubbing your hands together. This sounds funny, but it will get the energy in your hands working. 

*Typically, when I do this, I envision a swirl underneath the gemstone, like a whirlpool, and allow my energy to interact with the gemstones energy. 

*make sure the gemstone is cleansed, especially if it is clear quartz. I’ve done this technique before with one that wasn’t, and my arm was in pain for an hour. 

And that’s the basics of sensing energy, or how it was for me! Please share this around, and feel free to ask any questions if you have them. Next time I’ll be posting ways to actually manipulate energy. 

 Also, if you liked my content feel free to: 

i love harry potter (as do we all) and like most im incredibly disappointed with the lack of multiculturalism in it and i havent been able to stop thinking about how wizarding communities in different cultures might evolve. some cultures are much more in touch with spirituality and magic, so the wizarding community doesnt have to be as repressed everywhere as it is in england. so… think about it?

spell casting in different languages!! tonal languages like chinese. if i know anything from 5 years learning mandarin its that intonation can change your meaning completely… a transfer student attending the beijing wizarding school. theyre doing charms and accidentally get the tones wrong. the only thing you hear is their chinese classmates yelling “nO NO NONONO-” before they all get turned into frogs

big wizarding families with ancient lineage having had generations living in hidden hutongs across chinese cities!

what about all those stories of old emperors sending envoys out to search for the key to immortality - and this brings up the interesting possibilities of intersections between magic and traditional medicine!

you know how bats are a symbol of good luck in china? and black cats are symbols of good luck in japan? yeah

also screw the gross western conflation of blackness with evil, with corruption. screw the death eaters with their “dark marks”. many cultures see white as death, as emptiness, and black as richness, as life. wizarding communities finding power in the darkness of the night

what about indian wizards and witches? theyre big on scientific magic (unlike the incredibly scientifically backward communities in england) bc for centuries india and the middle east had the greatest scientific developments in the world

indian wizards/witches making breakthroughs in astronomy through their charmed instruments and maps that rotate with their view of the skies!

hindu wizards using mehndi to form magical symbols on their skin

and what about tattoos and piercings across cultures! so many communities across africa and south america and the pacific that have long histories with tattoos. imagine tattoos glowing while they spellcast. 

young witches and wizards earning tattoos as they grow… the tattoos grow organically and shift and change

and its incredible bc all different cultures would have completely different approaches to spellcasting at all!! what if wizards across the world dont generally use wands? some use staffs or their bare hands or scrolls or even their eyes!

inuit magical communities!! conjuring fire for warmth. keeping seals and wolves as familiars. using ice and water in their magic and hunting in the icy waters by transforming into animagi 

wizards and witches in the amazon who are hidden from the rest of the world. they use plants to their advantage by merging into foliage or slipping into shadows, leaving no trace behind at all. they nurse their ecosystems back to life

east asian wizards using martial arts to strengthen their magical abilities or to duel

and what about the possibilities in art across different cultures!! old japanese woodblock prints that oscillate and move around. wall carvings in hindu temples dancing and walking around

kashmiri and pakistani wizards with eye colours that subtly shift and change depending on what magic theyre performing

hieroglyphics in ancient egyptian wizarding communities!! they often have cat familiars too 

nomadic communities living in scorching deserts… wearing shimmering fabrics, almost appearing to be mirages themselves bc they can bend and twist light

viking wizards exploring the world on ships!! powered by wind they harness themselves by performing incredibly powerful coordinated spells. especially strong norse wizards could harness lightning

maori magical communities and southeast asian communities and pacific islanders taking care of reefs. they can manipulate air and water to travel deep below the surface of the ocean

magical communities atop the himalayas in monasteries. they protect muggle climbers from avalanches and heal climbers who have been wounded

wizards/witches in the swiss alps who are animagi. they transform into saint bernards and form strong bonds with explorers

-Using a square woolen mat or kush mat instead of a circle. A woolen mat represents all elements. Wool grew on sheep, who breathed air, were alive which represents fire, ate what the earth produced and drank water. In addition the magic involves a fifth element, sky/ether. You sit on it. You’re the representation of the sky/ether.

-Using diyas. A diya is a terracotta dish, filled with oil or pure cow butter with a cotton wick in it which is then lighted for use instead of candles. The concept is that you add essential oils, that are sacred to the gods or goddesses that you’re calling, in the oil and burn it to attract them.

-Offering foods. Bananas are sacred to almost all gods and goddesses. Then there are gods who take weird offerings. Lotus for Lakshmi, Dhatura-which is poisonous-for Shiv, Shed feathers of a peacock for Krishn etc…

-River waters. Especially the River Ganga because she flows through all three universes-yes I said universes-and brings life to them all.

-Shankh (conch shell) is blown to purify the air of any lingering negative energies including shades and poltergeists.

-Ghanti, which is a bell that can be anywhere between the size of your index finger to the size of an elephant, is rung to indicate the wings of Garuda. Garuda is a giant eagle who carries Vishnu and Lakshmi in all their battles. He/she can also cut through snake venom and is the enemy of the King/Queen of Snakes. The sound is a primeval sound that scares anything that should not be there.

-Any water, including tap, that has a leaf of holy basil added to it becomes sacred.

-Camphor is burned to attract Shiv, the god of destruction and the arts.

-Any rhythmic sound, it could be something as simple as the clapping of hands or as difficult as beating a range of drums in sync, is used to underline urgency in a calling. The deities recognize this and come with all due haste.

-Chants and prayers specific to the god or goddess in question are used for different purposes.

-Talismanic stotras-which are sung at the top of your voice-when you need protection from an enemy/another deity/a curse you can’t conquer alone with your power.

-The thousand names of the god/dess is question which are spoken under the breath. This is used to summon them for any purpose. Make sure to have a food offering and water on hand. Shakta-the sect of the goddess- and Shaiva-the sect of Shiv, may be offered spirits. Vishnu and Lakshmi don’t accept liquor. Its forbidden in Vaishnavism. Fresh fruits and water are all rounders.

-Alternatively, if the matter is urgent and needs to be addressed yesterday, there are Hundred and Eight names of all deities that you can use to summon them. No matter the place or time. It is in the format “Om (name) namaha (pronounce: nuh-muh-huh)”. You will know they have answered when you smell a distinct fragrance in the air.

-Mantras accompanied by yagya-a raised square fire pit, set slight with woods, to which ghee-cow butter-is added on every interval. Mantras are more about a specific purpose. To bring someone back from the verge of death, to make a golem, to vanquish an enemy in battle, for binding a shade who’s been haunting a house, to lift a curse, to appease a planet etc. After every mantra, you add ghee to the fire and its consumed by the deity in question. From there its customized. Rich foods are burned, incense specific to the deity, essential oils cherished by the deity etc….the results are swift. Literally. Like not even hours pass by before you have what you want.

-Animal sacrifices are not acceptable in Vaishnav, Smart (sm-arth) or Saurya (So-ryuh) paths. 

-Water-to which holy basil is added-can purify anything. This is the reason why all Hindu houses have a tulsi plant in their house. Sprinkle it around your house. Drink it. Put it on your clothes. Holy basil is the sage of Indian craft.

-Marigold, red rose and jasmine are standard flower offerings when you don’t know the specifics. All deities will accept them with pleasure.

-Colors. Red for Lakshmi-wealth, health and prosperity. Yellow for Vishnu/Krishn-compassion, healing, nurturing, vanquishing enemies in battle. White for Shiv and Sarasvati-peace, destruction, arts, miracles, writing, music sex. Blue for Radha-the goddess of all sixty-four arts and love. The list goes on. Rule of thumb-use red or yellow cloth when uncertain.

-Take a cotton cloth the size of a handkerchief dyed with the specific color, add seeds of the flowers or dried flowers sacred to the deity in question, a leaf/leaves of holy basil, a drop of fragrance oil sacred to the deity, perform rites over this and close the kerchief with a knot or any number of knots in odd number. This bundle is now energized and has the energy of the god in it. Put the Lakshmi bundle in your wardrobe/locker/purse where you keep money or important documents. Vishnu bundle at your altar. Shiv bundle near your bed. Radha bundle in your studio etc etc…You can use this in conjunction with the deities that you work with.

-Wear a tulsi (tool-see) mala. This keeps your body ready to perform any ritual at any time. Indian rituals revolve around bathing for purification, performing rites on an empty stomach to help your chakra energy flow unhindered and wearing an unbleached cotton cloth called aboat (uh-boat), which has not been sewed or otherwise manipulated by anything or anyone. By wearing a tulsi mala, you bypass these requirements and restrictions. Cuz you ready for ritual at all times.

-Rituals are traditionally performed at dawn, dusk or midnight, depending on deity’s preference. Shiv and his many incarnations and the goddesses-all goddesses-prefer night.

-Altars are kept in all homes. Its a mini-mandir-a temple-in which all your deities’ idols sit. You sit them on top of a silk/cotton cloth that has been sprinkled with, you guessed it, holy basil water. You can also use a stool top, a table top etc covered with silk/cotton. That’s what I do.

-Milk, yogurt, honey and ghee baths are given to the figurine of the deity you’re calling on, fragrance oils are rubbed on and offerings presented to them as you would present to the deities themselves if they were there in person, to please them and keep their energy around on hand everyday.

-You yourself bathe in milk, yogurt, honey and ghee followed by a thorough rinsing by water, before performing high rituals like yagyas. The modern witch can just add half a liter of milk, a pint of yogurt, a few drops honey and ghee to their bath or the pail instead. Cuz we all broke as fuck.

-Food that has been offered to the deity in a ritual is consumed by the crafter afterwards.This food is blessed by the deity and infused with your purpose.

-Anything-jewellery, new sketchbooks, art materials, paints, pencils, chalks, candles-can just be placed on the altar for the blessings of all your deities. I keep em their overnight.

-LUNAR CALENDAR

-The stotras/mantras/names that you use the most should be copied in a pothi-a handmade book bound with red cloth, written down in red ink with a brush or quill. Its like a book of shadows really. The modern witch can use any red covered book and write in it in red pen, I recommend fountain but anything works. The color red is where its at.