Witchy Skeptic

🌿 Witch Tip 🌿

Create healthy boundaries and frequently check-in with your relationships. Are you giving more than receiving? Are you being heard? Is there meaningful engagement?

While it might sound super woo-woo, surrounding yourself with exhausting or negative people and interactions can and will affect your spiritual, emotional and physical space. It might not be intentional, but constant negativity opens the door for your spiritual walls to be bent and broken down.

Even if you believe ghosts aren’t real, nightmares, internal fears and insecurities are, and they can manifest as stressors in so many aspects of our lives. Next time you’re feeling uncomfortable in your own space, figure out what you can remove or adjust in real time. Reclaim what is most important - you!

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I wanted to try something new here on the page! Let me know if you wanna see more down-to-earth witch tips that go beyond spell ingredients and moon phases. While those certainly have their place, it’s important to keep a grounded perspective of what’s going on in our personal and mundane lives too! Stay weird 🍄

🕸 Photo is mine 🕸

IG: dhdivination

Witchy Moon*:･ﾟ✧

A little guide on using the moon in your favor while practicing witchcraft!

You really don't need all the fancy bullshit every tumblr influencer will ever tell you to use. Here's my countdown ofaxtually useful shit.

A pocket knife, preferably with a wood handle. Use that bitch for everything, enchant it, carve symbols in it. It will absolutely be your best friend.

A good bag or backpack with a couple of plastic or ziploc bags in it. If you ever run off into the woods to find minerals, bones, plants, etc. A set aside bag and some things to store your treasures in becomes a necessity.

Basic divinatory sets. You don't have to buy fancy shit, learn to divine with playing cards and dice, or learn geomancy, lithomancy, or rune casting with homemade sets. A tarot deck is nice, but it isn't necessary when you've got so many other divinatory aids available.

A nice sized chunk of scrap cloth. When you process dried plants or sort new ones, that shit can and will get everywhere. A scrap piece of muslin or linen can help contain all of that mess and make clean up way easier.

A stash of good rocks. Draw sigils or symbols on those babies and leave them in the garden, the windowsill,property boundaries, under the stoop, etc. You can never have too many good rocks.

A pendulum, for fucks sake. The cards are going to be vague as hell when you're trying to figure out yes or no questions, and using a candle to communicate with spirits is really fucking hard outside. If you can't afford one, find a nice chunk of pointy quartz and learn to macrame.

A workspace. Everyone talks about having big fancy altars, but no one mentions that you need a good surface to do all your work on.

Storage, so much storage. I'm not talking about mason jars and pill bottles, I'm talking about where you put all the things you put in those jars. Having a workspace with drawers is immeasurably helpful.

A broom and water source. You're going to be cleaning up after yourself a lot, it's helpful to have a jug of water and a broom that stays by your workspace.

A mode of cleansing. I make a salt concoction to scatter around my workspace on short notice and store it close by.

On that note: SOMETHING TO CANCEL SPELLS WITH. Eventually, something will go wrong. You'll want to end that spell immediately. Have something to do it with.

A strainer. If you don't have a blender, rub dried plants across it to get a powder. If you do have a blender, you can strain that powder with it. Either way, if you intend to powder shit, get a strainer.

Small trays. It makes drying flowers so much easier if you have a small metal surface to contain them with- then just stick those suckers in a southern window and let em go.

Yarn/string scraps. Having a box or drawer of scraps makes trying this up to dry easier and a bit less wasteful.

A stash of offerings for whatever you work with. Honey for fae, coins for graveyard gatekeepers, alcohol for ancestors, etc.

Protective talismans or charms. Once you're into all of this stuff, you'll likely stick your nose in something you shouldn't. Having basic protection with you or in your workspace is incredibly important. A key and hagstone with red string is simple and effective.

A lighter- so many people forget the most basic shit. You're going to want to light shit on fire if you're a witch.

This is a question I see posed a lot…and I mean a LOT…in witchcraft-related tags.

“Something fell over on my altar. What does it MEAN?”

“This candle burned faster than that one. What does it MEAN?”

“My horoscope just changed drastically from last week. What does it MEAN?”

“I can’t find my crystal keychain. What does it MEAN?”

“My cat stares at nothing in the middle of the night. What does it MEAN?”

First of all, y’all need to take a breath. Most of the time, what it means is Shit Happens.

The table got bumped or a vibration from someone walking by toppled the item. Shit Happens.

This candle might have a heftier wick or different wax composition than that one. Shit Happens.

Horoscopes change all the time. Shit Happens.

You probably misplaced your keychain. Shit Happens.

Cats stare at nothing all the time. It’s what cats do.

Shit. Happens.

As tempting as it is to assign a deeper spiritual or mystical meaning to everything that happens in life, something shit just….happens. And even as we believe in magic and the power of nature and send spells out into the greater universe hoping to effect change, we need to be ready to look for mundane causes before magical ones, rational explanations before supernatural ones, and be prepared to consult the Google oracle to satisfy our curiosity.

Does this mean that there is NEVER a magical mystical meaning to odd things that happen in our lives? Of course not. But becoming a witch shouldn’t mean that you completely forget common sense or lose touch with reality. If you wouldn’t have assigned a mystical meaning to something in the past, you don’t have to start doing it now just because you’re wearing a new hat.

I’m not saying you need to abandon your sense of wonder or stop looking for signs. I’m not saying that inquisitive cats or quick-burning candles or lost items aren’t potential indicators of Something. But I AM saying that critical thinking is a witch’s best friend, and you should prepared to endure a little disappointment (”Darn it, totally mundane explanation for that”) in order to maintain perspective.

“Eye of Artemis”

Moss, antlers, and flowers🌿

Done by me

Like maybe you thought coming to a witch you’d get some neat spell or some shit, but a big part of being a (good) witch is also looking at what is in front of you and ruling out some basic things first, and a lot of the things people describe to me when it comes to ghost hauntings also sound a helluva lot like carbon monoxide poisoning. So like sorry for giving a shit over whether or not you’re actually about to die or not I guess *shrug emoji*

Crafts

quilting

embroidery

cross-stitch

knitting

crochet

sewing

Cooking and Baking

homemade bread

homemade butter

homemade extracts

dandelion jelly

Canning

26 canning recipes

canning jars 101

60 canning recipes

Gardening

edible trees to plant

what to plant to save the bees

cure and braid garlic

save seeds for next year

braid onions for long term storage

build a greenhouse

Animals

homemade chicken feed

raising mealworms for chickens

why to raise nigerian dwarf goats

Outdoors

starting a fire with sticks

trail signs

knotting

find true north without a compass

Medicine

homemade neosporin

black tea: soothes sunburns [1] [2] and is antimicrobial [3] contains some essential polyphenols and tannin, reduces puffiness/inflammation [4] 

green tea: antioxidant and detoxifier [1] soothes rashes, increases healing rate, softens skin [2] heals sores and wounds, rejuvenates skin cells, improve psoriasis and dandruff [3] anti-aging, mood stabilizing [4]

apple cider vinegar: anti inflammatory and softens skin [1]

ground ginger: increases circulation, promotes sweating, opens pores, relieves pain [1]

lemon: antioxidant (brightens skin) [1] 

olive oil: moisturizes skin [1]

calendula flowers: soothes burns, inflammation, rashes, insect bites, skin disorders [1] useful for small children [2]

elder-flowers: anti-inflammatory and heals rashes cuts and wounds [1]

Himalayan salt: soothes insect bites, heals blisters, relieves arthritis pain [1] softens skin [2]

oatmeal: soothes, anti-inflammatory, calms angry skin [1]

rose petals: relax mind, relieve sleepiness, soothe headaches and stress [1] promote positive feelings [2]

valerian root: relax the mind, relieve sleepiness, soothe headaches and stress [1]

lavender: relax the mind, relieve sleepiness, soothe headaches and stress [1] [2]

mugwort: relax the mind, relieve sleepiness, soothe and headaches and stress [1]

chammomile: soothes nerves [1] good for dry skin [2]

passion flower: soothes nerves [1]

hops: soothes nerves [1]

rosemary: pain relief, soothes headaches and fatigue [1] relaxing, increases alertness and clarity of mind [2] soothes sore throat[3]

thyme: pain relief, soothes headaches and fatigue [1]

devils claw: eases joint pain [1]

juniperberries: soothes muscle aches [1]

peppermint: increase blood flow, relieve congestion [1]

eucalyptus: increase blood flow, relieve congestion [1] increases energy [2]

thyme: increase blood flow, relieve congestion [1]

jasmine: emollient and antiseptic, soothes skin [1] 

organic coconut flakes: nourish the skin [1]

sage: uplifting, good for oily skin and back acne [1] stimulating [2]

marjoram: decongestant, soothes muscle pain [1]

whole cow’s milk: hydrates and mildly exfoliates skin [1]

cow’s buttermilk: hydrates and thoroughly exfoliates skin [1]

Country Kitchen Witch Aesthetic

Mugs of hot carrot soup with enough ginger to bring back the dead.

Animal familiars underfoot waiting to pilfer scraps off an unguarded countertop.

Currently going through a pickling phase, soon to enter a mushroom farming phase.

“Is this a spell or a recipe?” “Yes.”

Window boxes full of strawberry plants.

Runes for good health carved into polished wooden spoons.

Pantry shelves full of summer jams and autumn tinctures, drying bundles of herbs hanging from the ceiling.

Smells like nutmeg and honey.

Never allows visitors to leave without something delicious to take home - a basket of scones, a bottle of currant wine, a bundle of fresh basil.

Light streaming through thick antique window panes like golden honey.

Lovingly organized pots and pans.

A little incantation to bless the recipient of your knitted gifts! (Can be yourself!)

Use this to enchant a garment you are knitting and bring happiness and peace to whoever wears it!

As you knit a row, repeat as many of these “verses” as needed:

In these fibers, there shall be

Patience; one, and two, and three

Kindness; four, and five, and six

Wearer’s worries, they shall fix.

In these fibers, there shall be

Warmth in one, and two, and three

Love in four, and five, and six

Wearer’s sorrow, they shall fix.

In these fibers, there shall be

Comfort; one, and two, and three

Healing; four, and five, and six

Wearer’s ailments, they shall fix.

In these fibers, there shall be

Solace; one, and two, and three

Peace in four, and five, and six

Wearer’s stresses, they shall fix.

In these fibers, there shall be

Hope in one, and two, and three

Strength in four, and five, and six

Wearer’s weakness, they shall fix.

In these fibers, there shall be

Energy; one, two, and three

Mindfulness; four, five, and six

Wearer’s spirit, they shall fix

In these fibers, there shall be

Guidance; one, and two, and three

Vision; four, and five, and six

Wearer’s drifting, they shall fix.

When you have repeated enough phrases, end with:

In these fibers, there shall be

Answers to your prayers and pleas

And as I will, so mote it be.

How to perform the spell

One way it can be done is stitch by stitch, starting at the first one in a line. This would be performed by saying (for example), “In these fibers, there shall be… Patience; one (do first stitch) and two (second stitch) and three (third stitch). Kindness; four (fourth stitch) and five (fifth stitch) and six… wearer’s worries, they shall fix.” And so on. This would be done until you reach the end of the line, where you could simply recite the last part of the spell, or, if your have three stitches left, say each part while completing the stitches.

If the garment is already finished, simply perform the spell by placing your finger in each respective stitch while reciting the spell.

No matter how you do it, you can add or take out as many “verses” of the spell as you want! Feel free to add words or things that you think the wearer may need— friendship, motivation, humility, etc.

aka, little things to distance your craft from capitalism

Let’s all just admit that buying stuff is fun. That said, there’s a big issue of consumerism within the witchy/pagan scene. As magic work and the pagan “aesthetic” becomes more of a commodity in the mainstream, there’s a mounting attitude of needing All The Items in the highest quality (even if we’re not certain we’ll use them,) and big corporations mass-producing cheap stuff to make a buck off of a growing trend. Here’s some things you can do to help detach your practice from that and support other people in the craft:

Go outside. Check your backyard or local park for local plant life, waters, roots, etc. If your work involves things from nature at all, you can probably find a lot of your supplies… in nature. It takes a little more time, but it’s free and then you’ve gathered stuff yourself! 

Make stuff. This one is pretty straightforward. There may be key items to your practice that you can make yourself instead of buying it! That said, I know sometimes spending money is inevitable so I won’t dwell too much on this… let’s talk more about shopping:

Shop mindfully. The price of a lot of items will skyrocket once it has a pentacle or other symbol engraved on it. For example, little mortars and pestles can be very pricey in witchy shops, but you could probably get a bigger one that’s actually food safe for less at a nice grocery store. Antique stores and international markets are now your new best friends.

Support small businesses! Things are cheaper on Amazon, but the extra money goes to support real people, likely other practitioners. If you can, supporting small, local, independent shopkeepers and crafters does a ton of good. It also helps build and sustain a local community. 

Shop based on need. Don’t get something “just in case” (unless it’s banishing or hex breaking stuff; those are decent to have on hand.) It’s tempting to impulse-buy a ton of niche items and ingredients, but unless you have a reasonable idea what you’re going to use them for in the near future, it’ll probably just create clutter for you to deal with later.

Prioritize effectiveness over aesthetic. Ultimately your practice has to work for you, not just look good. I think making your work aesthetically pleasing to yourself can be an important part of really connecting with what you’re doing, but don’t make that desire burn a hole in your wallet and distract you from what brought you to this path in the first place. Altar envy is a real thing. 

Recycle/Upcycle. Use old clothing fabric for an altar cloth. That old trinket dish makes a great offering dish. Enchant jewelry you already own. That jar of strawberry jelly you just finished off will work just fine for that spell. Things can be re-purposed and made into new things.

Analyze your offerings. Special occasion wine isn’t a special occasion if you do it every time. Not every offering needs to be a grand gesture, regular maintenance is more important generally.

Organize trades. Have any pals that also practice? See if you can help each other! You could trade different goods (that old mini cauldron you bought and never used for that abandoned tarot deck, maybe?) but also services. A protection spell for a luck charm. A reading for a reading. You help them with the laundry and they cook you a meal one day. 

This is not foolproof for everyone, and this I must state. It works for this fool (*aggressive points at self*) and the magick is basic, so I’m hoping it’ll work for you too!

Essentially, this is a protection bottle. It is known as a ‘decoy’ or ‘entrapment’ bottle because like traditional witch bottles, this is used to attract negative energies and therefore, it draws them away from you. 

You Will Need:  To personalize your jar, you can omit or add ingredients; this is just my go-to, foolproof version.

A glass jar or ceramic jar with a sealable lid, such as a screw on cap or cork. 

Sea Salt (protection) 

Black Pepper (dispels evil) 

Cayenne Pepper (enhances power) 

A tangle of black thread. 

Nails/pins/broken glass. 

Something from your physical body; blood, semen, urine and/or spit are the best but if you’re uncomfortable/don’t want to use the aforementioned, nail clippings or hair will suffice! 

*DISCLAIMER: when drawing blood, use sterilised equipment. Be hygienic and safe as even small wounds can fester if proper precautions aren’t taken. 

Ashes of a sigil you’ve burnt (ideally a sigil for either protection or to draw negative and baneful energies away from you, or one for courage). 

Alcohol (such as wine or strong spirits). 

Chili flakes.

A candle (make sure the colour of your candle matches your intent. I use black, but your colour correspondences may differ from mine).

Now, you need to bung all of your ingredients into the bottle. Just chuck them in; this bottle does’t have to look pretty, and the chances are that the sealing wax will run down and obscure the contents anyway!

Once everything is inside, you must seal the bottle. You do this by either using a tea candle and melting the wax (by lighting the candle or by heating the tea lights on a burner or stove - please be careful!) and rolling the top of the bottle in the wax until you create a seal around the cork/lid, or by dripping hot wax from a pillar candle over the cork/lid. Once sealed, give the bottle a good hard shake. If you like, you can empower the bottle and the magick by charging it with negative thoughts. Direct them towards the bottle; fill it with anger or sadness and general negative feelings. Imagine a darkness; a slithering tendril moving through your hand and into the bottle.

The final little bit of magick, is as follows: Take the bottle in both hands and close your eyes. Breathe slowly; in and out, in and out. When you’re ready, speak or think these words and repeat them as many times as you feel are necessary:

May forces that seek to harm me, seek this bottle in my place, May forces that bear ill-will unto my being, impart them to this bottle in my place.