Latest Posts by the-horned-raven - Page 5
Racism, Spirituality, and Witchblr
As a Black witch, it first made me relieved to see so many people in the community band together for Black Lives Matter. Over the past 5 years as a member of the Witchblr community, I have been subjected to numerous acts of racist microaggressions and attacks ranging from slurs being thrown at me, death threats, insults to my cultural practices because they’re different from European witchcraft and folk magic, attempted doxxing, and more because I was outspoken about anti-racist action. And that doesn’t include the many accounts of racism and bigotry that I witnessed secondhand. So seeing the community come together to support BLM made me hopeful that there would be a cultural shift within the community.
But, as time went on, the amount of support for BLM that I saw in the tags slowly began to dwindle as if the movement had some hidden expiration date for allies, as if all the work was done after the mass spells performed on the eclipse.
The work is far from over, witchblr. We still need to protest, sign petitions, donate, and do our part to end police brutality, defund/disband the police and abolish prisons, and address the systemic racism that exists in all facets of society.
To look “locally,” the same problems in our community still exist. And while we alone cannot eradicate racism from the whole of society, we can absolutely prevent its spread on witchblr and in other spiritual/occult communities.
Being an ally means more than posting a black square on your Instagram page or changing your profile picture to “heathens against racism.” Being an ally means actively being anti-racist and doing your part to ensure the community is truly inclusive and safe for people of color.
So, how can we begin to address the problem of racism in the spiritual communities both online and offline? Here are a few tips. I’ve focused largely on how white allies can address racism as it impacts Black practitioners, as I can only speak from my own experience as a Black person. Other people of color of all races are welcome to add onto this.
Stop supporting cultural appropriation. I don’t care if they’re your favorite blogger, your favorite diviner, your favorite occult supply store, etc, but if they’re posting about hoodoo sweetening/honey jars and they’re not Black, it’s time to block and unfollow. If they claim they speak for the Orisha or the Lwa and they aren’t initiated, it’s time to block and unfollow. If you don’t respect our cultural practices, you don’t really respect us.
Educate yourself on non-European practices. Did you know that there are more ATRs than just Lucumi, Vodou, and hoodoo? Can you explain the difference between Voodoo/Vodou and hoodoo? What is the difference between hoodoo and witchcraft? If you can’t answer these questions, time to do some reading! Educating yourself prevents you from appropriating or saying/spreading ignorant misinformation.
Stop supporting spiritual/occult organizations that act as performative allies and/or refuse to explicitly support practitioners of color. That means covens, fraternal organizations, Discord servers, pagan temples, conventions, and other spiritual organizations (large and small.) Don’t donate to these groups and don’t attend these groups or their events.
Amplify the voices of Black practitioners. How many Black spiritual/occult authors, diviners, bloggers, podcasters, astrologers, priest/priestesses, and/or vloggers can you name? How many African or Black philosophers can you name? Our voices and contributions to religion, spirituality, and the occult matter. Listen to us.
Deplatform racists. If you are a moderator or leader of a spiritual/occult community, delete/ban/kick out anyone who expresses racist or bigoted ideologies. Defending racists under the guise of “freedom of speech” just allows them to spread their hate and potentially harm or traumatize POC. Even if you’re not in a position of power, refuse to engage with bigots to prevent their message from spreading. Don’t reblog their posts, watch their videos, buy their products, etc. If you can, spread receipts of their racist acts instead.
Stop speaking over practitioners of color. If we say that something is racist/appropriation/insensitive, listen to us instead of arguing in an attempt to “save face.” We all make mistakes. Just own up to it and do what you can to fix the situation. Attacking us just because we demand equal respect is an act of racism in and of itself.
Support Black-owned businesses. Instead of buying your herbs from Amazon, go to a botanica. Get readings or other metaphysical services from Black diviners. We deserve to be compensated for our labor. It’s the least you can do considering a large chunk of modern folk magic is inspired by, influenced by, or straight up stolen from Black spiritual practices.
De-center yourself from the conversation. Cool, you’re an empath or a “sensitive”, but venting all day about how much pain you’re in is honestly insulting. And, if you want to rant about all the racist things your family has done, maybe go to one of your other white friends instead of forcing us to listen to you repeat their racist garbage.
Acknowledge your own biases and privileges. There are tons of resources out there on white privilege, white fragility, and unconscious forms of racism. Educate yourself.
Keep up the work outside of witchblr and spiritual communities. Keep donating, keep signing petitions, and keep using your platform for anti-racist action.
These points are only the tip of the iceberg. Racism is so deeply embedded in our society that it won’t be removed overnight. But if you want to claim the title of “ally,” you need to join in and continue doing the work. Unlike you, we don’t get to “opt out” of caring for the movement as racism impacts us every single day of our lives. Don’t opt out on us now.
Some witches want to be whimsical and heal people and be creative with good spells.
Some witches want to be haunting and dark and obscure and be ready to strike when evil is afoot.
Some witches are both, some witches are none. Some witches want power, some others want balance.
You are valid in your craft.
Pumpkin Witchcraft
Keep carved pumpkins to scare away spirits and negative energy
Make pumpkin pies for abundance
Roast pumpkin seeds and put them in your money bowl
Add pumpkin spice to your coffee for abundance
Give a pumpkin to your deity as an offering
Offer a pumpkin to your home wards
Light pumpkin scented candles for abundance
Drink pumpkin tea before bed to protect you while you sleep
Casual ways to connect with your deities
-Pray to them or just just talk with them and tell them about your day
-Light a candle and say your thanks
-Offer your meal/snack to them or bake/cook with them or for them
-Watch a movie in their honor
-Offer your morning drink to them or make a cup for them
-Assign them a plant and take care of it as a devotion to them
-Listen to music that reminds you of them
-Say good morning/good night
-Thank them for the things you see that you consider beautiful
All amazing points and so important to take in. I think I have done a couple of these, but not habitually or intensely. But it's good awareness for me.
"One need not be a chamber to be haunted. One need not be a house. The brain has corridors surpassing material place."
-Emily Dickinson
2 Big Tricks In Life That They Don't Tell You About:
Be straight up whimsical. Find beauty in everything you see. Force yourself to see that beauty if you must. Just do it. Theres so many things in this world that can be found beautiful in so many different ways. Today I looked at my pen as I was noting something down and thought of it as beautiful because I have been using it for such a long time. I also made art I didnt really like but I submitted it anyway and the receiver found it so beautiful that it helped me see it as beautiful too. Everything can be beautiful and lovable if you open your eyes wide enough
Get strange. Be weird. Let small things become part of your soul. Talk about everyday things as if they were extraordinary. Indulge. Indulge a lot. In everything that makes your soul shine bright. Have some strange beliefs. Be happy , even if you might be feeling completely neutral / numb (<- A "fake it til you make it" kind of thing - though its good to keep in mind that it doesnt work for everyone all the time. Do what you think is best for you). Make things that appeal purely to you. Prioritize yourself and your own heart , soul and mind. Embarrassment / cringe is temporary and a speck of dust compared to this whole life ahead of us. Authenticity is the precedence. Be the strangest & cringest version of yourself
altar breakdown for beginner witch ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ
an altar is like a temple in miniature, a diorama if you will, that contains small representations of the different types and directions of energy, categorized as elements: earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. These elements correspond to the suits of the Minor Arcana in the tarot. ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ
In Wicca:
✡Water is represented by the ritual cup, or chalice, which is just a Christian word for cup. In the Minor Arcana, the cup (water) is a mystical shorthand for emotions.☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ
✡Earth is represented by a pentacle, or five-pointed star, constructed of a natural substance, like wood or metal. In the Minor Arcana, the pentacle references foundational matters of physical practicality, labor, and money.☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ
✡Air is often represented by an athame, a ceremonial witch knife, usually dark-handled (as opposed to the boline, a traditional white-handled witch knife used for everyday things like cutting herbs or carving), or by a sword (if you have that kind of space and you like LARPing). In the Minor Arcana air is represented by the blade, which is meant to indicate the uncanny quality of thought and language as tangible forces in the world, cutting through space. Which, incidentally, is what people actually do with their blades in ritual: point them as if to cut through the air, thereby directing energy.☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ
✡Fire element is represented by a wand. Wands are usually about a foot long, give or take, composed of wood, metal, precious stones, or some combination thereof. In the Minor Arcana wands (fire) are used similarly for directing energy, and in Wiccan liturgy, they are meant to symbolize one's deeds and actions. (some folks like to reverse the two and use wands for air and thought and knife/sword for fire and action) ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ
✡Spirit is the animating force, often represented by the image of some deity.☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ
Keep in mind, use what best resonates with your style. ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ
source: Book: Enchantments A Beginner Witch's Guide by Mya Spalter
Vintage Halloween aesthetic 🎃👻
Spiritual Hygiene
Spiritual hygiene is basically keeping yourself, cleansed, protected and grounded spiritually. People tend to try and do this through daily practices, which for some can be hard to upkeep. As someone with depression and can be lazy at times- sticking to routines can be difficult for me. So here’s some “basics” you can try to slowly add to your day to day that will give you a regular spiritual hygiene routine.
Cleanse yourself when you shower: This can be as simple as asking the water to cleanse you while you shower. Sometimes showering can be hard- for times like this i recommend a cleansing spray. Quick and fairly low spoons. But if you want to put more energy into this step you can enchant your soap/body wash for cleansing, hang eucalyptus above your shower and ask it to cleanse you, make a shower sachet, use spellcrafted oils for cleansing, ect.
Enchant your jewelry and/or skincare for protection: Obviously this one is for when you feel up to doing an actual spell. But, once its done you can just put your jewelry or skincare on for the day and be good to go. Every once in awhile take a moment to check in with your jewelry/items and see if it needs to be cleansed (or make a jewelry cleansing bowl) or needs to be re-enchanted.
Ground yourself when you wake up: once you wake up take even a minute to ground and center yourself. This works both if youre a person like myself who needs to lay in bed for a few minutes before getting up, or if youre a crazy person whos ready to go right away.
Even doing these three things through the week will help build you a strong spiritual hygiene routine and daily practice. Remember to take your time when building a daily practice, and forgive yourself if it’s not done everyday. ✨🫶🏻
Coping skills for trauma are essential for anyone, and incorporating them into your practice can be very beneficial. Trauma-informed care is a crucial aspect of supporting individuals who have experienced trauma. Here are some ways you can use a coping skills card deck in your practice:
Self-care Rituals: Create a ritual around pulling a coping skill card each day or week. Reflect on how you can implement that skill in your daily life to promote self-care and healing.
Intention Jars: If you create intention jars, consider adding coping skill cards to them. This can infuse your intentions with strategies for managing stress, anxiety, or trauma triggers.
Meditation and Reflection: Incorporate the coping skills from the cards into your meditation or reflection practices. Focus on each skill to see how it resonates with your own experiences and needs.
Teaching and Workshops: If you're helping others, host workshops or classes where you teach the coping skills from the card deck. This can be a valuable resource for individuals seeking support.
Journaling: Use the coping skills to inspire journal prompts. Encourage yourself and others to write about their experiences and how they are incorporating these skills into their lives.
Spread Positivity: Share a coping skill with others, either in person or on social media, as a way to promote mental health awareness and well-being.
Remember that coping skills should be used in conjunction with other therapeutic techniques and strategies. Trauma can be complex, and a holistic approach to healing is often most effective.
If you have any specific questions about using the coping skills card deck or need more detailed information on any aspect, please feel free to ask!
A devotee is a small piece of a deity’s influence on earth. You are their agent, their image, their model and their example to the world. Doesn’t it make sense that they’d want their followers to be the happiest and healthiest people they can be? Elevating yourself through self care and self love is one of the purest acts of devotion that exists.
kitchen ghosts
shaking six year old me by the shoulders YOU WERE RIGHT. YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT LOVE AND ABOUT FAIRNESS AND ABOUT SHARING IS CARING. YOU WERE RIGHT. THE ADULTS DON’T KNOW ANY MORE ABOUT TRUTH THAN YOU DO. KEEP BELIEVING IN THE FAIRIES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN. NOTHING IS “JUST THE WAY IT IS”. I AM SORRY THEY EVER CONVINCED YOU TO FEEL SHAME. YOU ARE REAL AND A PART OF THIS WORLD. YOU WERE RIGHT.
use, and i cannot stress this enough, thriftbooks
🌜 types of witches ✨
*disclaimer* these are notes from research i have done on the internet, and i myself am still learning. if you feel as if i have misinterpreted a certain type, or left something out, please let me know so i can further educate myself.
air witch: a witch that works with the element of air and the energies that it possesses. they work with things such as air elementals, incense, and rhythmic breathing.
animal witch: a witch that works with animals, or a specific form of animal, and uses that animals energies in their practice. these witches will also work with the spiritual and physical forms of that animal and use magick based around it.
atheist witch: a witch who does not believe in any form of deity.
baby/beginner witch: a witch who is new to the practice and isn’t too knowledgable on the craft yet.
bone witch: a witch who uses bones in their practice, and can communicate with the spirits who used to own them, to allow them help in their practice.
blue witch: a witch who practices healing forms of magick such as reiki, yoga, acupuncture, energy healing, and quantum touch.
blood witch: a witch who practices blood magick and uses the energy of blood in their practice.
ceremonial witch: a witch who practices ceremonial magick and theurgy. they are focused on the ritual of the craft and draw power from performing a ceremony that is meaningful.
closet witch: a witch who is not open about their practice.
cosmic witch: a witch who uses cosmic or astrological bodies in their craft. they work with the energies of stars, the moon, the sun, and planets. they also may connect with deities associated with the stars or formulate spells based on planets, the alignment of the stars, etc.
cottage/hearth witch: a witch who focuses on the home, their families, and making the place they live comfortable and protected. they are witches who specialize in magick surrounding the home.
chaos witch: a witch who quite literally draws power from chaos. they usually perform emotional, tumultuous magick, and their spells are fueled by energy that clashes. they often perform magick with intense music, during storms, after a fight with a friend or significant other, or even when they’re just feeling a bit crazy emotionally. they also can perform powerful spells after a chaotic event in the world occurs.
coven witch: a witch who is in a group of witches, coven, or circle, and will be able to learn and practice magick with others.
color witch: a witch who uses the metaphysical meaning of colors in their magick.
dark witch: a witch who tunes into the darker side of the craft. they prefer to take things into their own hands and can be known to use older, traditional ceremonies. they also normally practice shadow work and prefer to practice at night.
death witch: a witch who practices death magick and works with the energies of death.
divination witch: a witch who practices divination such as cartomancy, rune casting, scrying, pendulum, tasseomancy, palmistry, and numerology.
desert witch: a witch who works with things from a desert such as desert sand, cacti, bushes, and spirits of the desert. they may or may not live near one.
draconian witch: a witch who works with dragons and draconic magick.
dream witch: a witch who works on and in their dreams, and may practice lucid dreaming. they may cast magick in their dreams and may also be dreamwalkers. these witches use their dreamscape as a home away from home.
eclectic witch: a witch who has an eclectic practice. this means that they will work with and learn from many different paths, practices, philosophies, traditions, and sources. they don’t have any one set religion that they must adhere to.
elemental witch: a witch who works with all of the western classical elements. these elements being fire, water, earth, air, and spirit. some elemental witches also choose not to incorporate the element of spirit.
earth witch: a witch that works with the element of earth and the energy that it possesses. they work with things such as crystals, herbs, rocks, earth elementals, the spirit of the land, and other earth-based tools.
fire witch: a witch that works with the element of fire and the energies that it possesses. they work with things such as candle magick, fire elementals, bonfire rituals, and fire scrying, among other practices relating to fire.
forest witch: a witch who works with things from the forest such as the trees, the forest spirits, and forest animals. they may or may not live near one.
fae witch: a witch who works with fairies and fae magick. they love nature spirits, woodland creatures, and the fae, and they invite all of these elements into their practice.
green witch: a witch who uses nature-based things in their practice such as herbs, trees, stones, animals, and natural elements. they are very connected to the earth and draw their magick from nature and specifically from earthly elements.
garden witch: a witch who works with herbs and the earth, much like a green witch, but is focused on their garden and how they can incorporate it with their magick. this process is much like a home to a cottage witch.
gray witch: a witch who practices a neutral form of magick and uses a balance of both dark and light forms of magick.
hedge witch: a witch that uses magick that is oriented around the spiritual world. they practice things such as astral travel, astral projection, lucid dreaming, spirit work, and journeying. these witches are able to walk between worlds.
hereditary witch: a witch who gets their tradition passed down to them by their family, and they are born into the practices of witchcraft. they also usually have their family to practice with and to be there to help with development.
herbal witch: a witch that uses herbs in their practice. they will normally grow herbs and use them in many different ways in order to produce magickal effects such as burning them, turning them into tea, or sprinkling them around places.
kitchen witch: a witch who works with magick through cooking and uses the magickal properties of different foods.
lunar witch: a witch who works with the energies of the moon and the moon’s cycles. they usually charge their tools in the moonlight and perform their spells based on the phase of the moon.
pop culture witch: a witch who incorporates aspects of media in their practice such as things from movies, tv shows, books, and video games. they may also work with pop culture spirits and call upon them like traditional spirits.
purple witch: a witch who practices energy work, psychic abilities, and psionics.
religious witch: a witch who holds some form of religion. these include christian witches, satanic witches, pagan witches, wiccan witches, buddhist witches, muslim witches, jewish witches, hindu witches, along with any other type of religious witch.
red witch: a witch who practices love and sex magick.
sea witch: a witch who works with things from the sea such as seawater, sea glass, beach sand, seashells, and other tools associated with the sea. they may or may not live near it.
secular witch: a witch who is not religious and does not subscribe to a religious dogma. they believe in energy and work with energetic forces in witchcraft, but they do not pray to any kinds of gods or deities. a secular witch can certainly be spiritual in his/her own time, but their craft specifically works with energy that is unnamed and doesn’t have a personality.
solar witch: a witch who works with the energies of the sun. they usually benefit from charging their tools in the sunlight, and performing their magick at sunrise or sunset.
solitary witch: a witch who practices their craft alone or without a personal group such as a coven or circle of other practitioners.
spoonie witch: a witch that practices low-energy witchcraft due to a chronic illness, mental illness, disability, etc.
swamp witch: a witch who works with things from the swamp such as swamp water, the swamp spirits, and swamp animals. they may or may not live near one.
storm/weather witch: a witch who works with the weather and its energies in order to change it, receive energy, or achieve some other outcome. they may have a preference for a specific type of storm or enjoy chaotic weather energy in general, but will definitely feel more powerful when the energy is tumultuous. they also usually charge their tools during a storm and collect storm water, snow, etc. for use in spells.
stitch witch: a witch who works with thread, yarn, or other fibers for their work.
science witch: a witch who has a higher focus on science and will use their understandings of it in their practices. these witches usually do not portray scientism, and focus on a higher connection between science and their practice.
traditional witch: a witch who practices the forms of traditional witchcraft. they do a lot of research and take a historical approach to their magickal practice.
tech witch: a witch who works with modern technology in their practice, and will integrate computers and electronics with their magick.
tea witch: a witch who uses tea in their practice in order to facilitate certain effects through the act of drinking them.
theistic witch: a witch who believes in a form of deity.
water witch: a witch who works with the element of water and the energies that it possesses. they work with things such as the different kinds of water, water elementals, and water scrying, among other tools related to water.
white/light witch: a witch who practices benevolent forms of magick. they tend to gravitate towards more light deities and beings like angels.
Speak to make yourself happy. Do not speak to impress others.
- My daily cup of tea.
What Native people say about the use of sage: you can use sage, but you cannot smudge as nothing you are doing (waving sage around) is actually smudging. Smudging is a ceremony and you are, we promise, not smudging. Please buy sage from either us, or someone who sources the sage from us. White sage may not be considered endangered by the US government but corperate sourcing is making it difficult for us to source sage for our own religious purposes. Let alone to sell it.
What white people hear: never use sage ever, don’t ever buy it, don’t own it, don’t even look at it.
Look, y’all. There’s a couple of facets to my talk today.
1) Yes! You can buy sage! You really, truly can! Buy it from either native sellers (go to a powwow! Eat our food, buy our stuff, watch some dancing!) Or buy it from a seller who sources the sage from native people. Pick one. And no, buying it from 5 Below doesn’t count.
2) you CANNOT smudge. This isn’t just you “shouldn’t”— this is a YOU ARE INCAPABLE OF SMUDGING. Waving a sage stick around your doorways IS NOT SMUDGING. It is smoke clensing. Smudging, depending on the tradition and tribe, could easily have dancing and drums involved. You, as a white person, do not have the cultural BACKGROUND to even know how it works. At all. Period.
3) please, for FUCKS SAKE, stop making posts here on tumblr where you tell other white people about cultural appropriation and what they can and cannot do. Please stop, your license has been revoked because none of you bother to get the facts right. We native people are FULLY CAPABLE OF DOING IT OURSELVES. Consider instead: a) reblogging our posts where we talk about it! We’re here! We have made posts!! b) Making a post that states what we said and then LINKS BACK TO US. Screenshot with a link if you must. Stop centering your own voices in these conversations. You are already centered in everything, stop centering yourselves in a native space.
I’m tired of this nonsense, y’all.
Thanks for coming to my TedTalk ™
——
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{6 Home-Cleansing Tips}
The new moon is a time of cleansing and new beginnings, so I thought I would give my home a nice, thorough freshening! Nothing but good vibes up in here.
Open! Your! Windows!
Tuck a bayleaf in all four corners of your home. I drew a custom home-protection sigil on each of mine.
Burn some incense! I chose sandalwood for overall purification (and ‘cause it smells deeelightful.)
Mix water, salt, and lavender oil in a spray bottle. Spritz it around your home for an extra boost of peace & purity!
Straight-up CLEAN! I scrubbed & swept & dusted until everything felt fresh as hell.
Ring bells/chimes or clap to dispel any negative energy. I sent any bad vibes running for the hills with these bad boyzzz.
Happy cleaning!
Artwork by Dave Dick
◥(ºwº)◤
"A Halloween Wish.
May all the bats and ghosts and frights bring jolly fun and laughter. And fill your day with such delights. You’ll smile forever after!"
I used to think communication was the key until I realized comprehension is. You can communicate all you want with someone but if they don’t understand you, its silent chaos.
