i just found this amazing site which is a random sentence/passage generator from tons of classical pieces of literature. everything from the illiad to bram stoker’s dracula and more. a pretty awesome way to do bibliomancy, especially if you don’t own some of the books it generates! i just used it with my spirit companion and it worked beautifully.
Time
Past / Present / Future
Today / Tomorrow / Next Day
Morning / Afternoon / Evening
Beginning / Middle / End
Yesterday / Today / Tomorrow
Week / Month / Year
Self
Fear / Why it’s invalid / How to overcome
Who you were / Who you are / Who you will be
Mind / Body / Spirit
Who you’re meant to be / What to work on / When to know you’re there
Strengths / Weaknesses / What to do with them
dreams / fears / reality
Relationships
What’s healthy for the relationship / What isn’t / What needs work
What you like about your partner / what you undervalue / how you can appreciate them better
What you can do less / what you can do more / what you haven’t been doing
What you need from your partner / What you can give your partner / How to make sure everyone’s needs are met
Situations
Positive / Negative / Reality
Best case / Worst case / Most likely outcome
Goals / Obstacles / Solution
Problem / Solution / Likely Outcome
Pro / Con / Best Choice
problem / cause / solution
What you have control over / What’s out of your control / What you need to know
Get a three card reading from me for $8
fuck it sure
hi! since i've really leaned into witchcraft and spirituality, i became much more appreciative of the earth and i've been talking to her lots but i want to also become more sustainable in my daily life to help the environment even in small ways. do you have any ideas for simple things to do or habits to change to be more sustainable?
I do indeed!!
I think some the best things you can do for sustainable living is develop sustainable skills:
Learning to sew allows you to:
- fix holes in clothes
- adjust the height/seams/etc of clothes
- crop or add to items of clothing
Which means that clothes have a longer lifespan in general!
Learning to garden (even if its windowsill gardening!) helps you:
- spend less on certain herbs or plants (an easy way to start is regrowing spring onions in water)
- grow more native plants in your area
- encourage more insects into your garden
Learning to cook and bake can actually be super helpful because:
- you don't rely on takeaways or ready meals as often
- you can have more control over where your food is sourced and what you're eating
- you can meal plan and prep which saves time and money
- you can learn how to make your own jams, pickles, syrups etc! And you can get pretty creative with it!
Learning simple diy skills is super beneficial as you can:
- make things unqiue and suited to yourself (I.e. perfect sized shelves or a cabinet that fits perfectly in that gap between your bed and wall)
- restore thrifted furniture (staining to a preferred colour, cutting off legs to shorten it, fix the wobbly door etc)
- recycle old furniture, cabinets or similiar unused items into something else (I've turned a old cabinet into a small outdoor storage unit) rather than throwing them away
Learning basic maintenance for things you own is a money saver and:
- means you can fix your bike chain or replace your car's oil and filter without needing to call anyone or spend extra money
- can keep you safe and at a lower risk of motor accident (knowing how to do basic maintenance checks can help you see warning signs for damage)
- means that simpler things like clogged drains, non-flushing toilets, leaky taps etc no longer require calling and paying for a plumber
Of course you don't need to be an expert in any of these, I'm certainly not! But I can cook myself a decent meal, sew some new buttons on an old shirt or fix a hole in my jeans and restore an old wardrobe into something usable.
I love Pete Seeger's quote:
"If it can’t be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled or composted, then it should be restricted, redesigned or removed from production."
Basically it's so important to be aware of your consumption - avoid overconsumption, buy quality over quantity, thrift and reuse things, trade with people. Throwing things away should be a last resort or a necessity, rather than a "I don't know what else to do with it".
And, while recycling isn't quite the saviour people think it is, it is so important to get into the habit of sorting your rubbish correctly!!
Other important sustainable habits include:
Changing your eating habits. If it's feasible for you, try:
- reduce meat and dairy consumption (including fish, as they're massively overharvested)
- prioritise locally and ethically sourced animal produce (local butchers can be a great place to start for this)
- eat more seasonally (its not really feasible to only eat seasonal foods, but try to learn about them and incorporate them more)
- reduce food waste with composting, food donations, meal planning/prepping and learn to love leftovers
- invest in a tap filter and reusable water bottle (drinking tap water is not always safe depending on where you live so research first!!!)
- use public transport (or walk) where possible!
- connect with other people near you who also care about sustainable living: trade services and items and knowledge!
- learn about your local area and ecology!! I sound like a broken record saying this, but the BEST way to start living with nature, is to understand it. You can't help your local wildlife if you don't know it, you can't take steps to protect your environment if you don't know the threats.
All of these are just a few tips and ideas, they may not be feasible for everyone for numerous reasons but it's important to remember that it's not about being perfect, it's about *trying* and doing what you can.
There's so much more I could get into here, from foraging to activism to how and what to thrift vs when to splurge on new items but I think this post is long enough! Let me know if there's anything you want expanding or going into more depth on!!!
When you first start out as a witch there is so much excitement to go out and buy all the “fancy” new tools, supplies, and books. You think that you need them. That you have to own specific things to make your spells work. It is easy to get caught up in all that. But there are plenty of things that you mostly likely already own that can be used as ritual/spell tools and supplies. Not as fancy as going to the local occult shop, but will help you get started right away or good for those who are in the broom closet.
I'm going to offer household suggestions for the main tools you may need.
Wand: A stick you can leave plain or decorate (try not to cut off a branch but look for something that has already been shed.) A chopstick that you have decorated (I like the hot glue handle then painted). A wooden spoon. You can wire or string wrap several kabob skewers together. A wooden dowel. Stirring rod.
Athame: Plain old butter knife. A pocket knife. A letter opener. A toy sword or dagger. (it would be symbolic only as it wouldn't actually cut anything, My athame is made of resin and I use it only symbolically.)
Chalice: Any cup will do. I have a wine glass that I use sometimes and a HP mug I use sometimes.
Besom: Anything that will “sweep” the energy. A folding fan(paper, lace or feathers.) A hand broom, a feather duster(please be careful around open flame)
Cauldron: Needs to be heat and fire proof. A small pot. You can fill a small ceramic or terra cotta bowl/pot with some sand(I'd also place on a trivet as well just to be on the safe side) Small camping cast iron pot.
Bell: Any bell with do, doesn't have to have a handle. Could be jingle bells from Xmas or sport's fan cowbell.(My old college was always handing those out for homecoming) Before I got a singing bowl I had one piece of actual crystal, I used to do the water on the rim trick for ringing.
Candles: Pretty much any candles will do, even flame-less if that is how you have to go. I like birthday candles, they come in every color, are easy to source, and burn quickly.
Mortar and Pestle: You just need to be able to grind and crush herbs, seeds, eggshells, etc. Alternatives could be a spice or coffee grinder. A rolling pin and baggie, round rock and bowl,
Grimoire or Book of Shadows(BOS): Notebook or composition notebooks. Journals. Binder and loose leaf paper. Digital journal. Sketchbooks. If you want something a bit bigger and fancier, you can combine several composition notebooks together by gluing the front and back covers together and binding with fabric or tape. You can keep all your writings in a box, envelope, or chest. It doesn't need to be a “book.”
You don't have to go out and buy all kinds of new things to get started as a witch. By all means, you can if you want to, but you certainly don't have to. There are so many alternative things out there that you can make use of. Take a look through your home with fresh eyes, maybe there is something that would work perfectly that you just hadn't noticed before.
- poetry (or art of any kind)
- self care in his name!
- a dedicated candle dressed with herbs that are associated with Him
- prayer in the evening, trusting Him to sit by your side until you fall asleep
- prayer in the morning for a good outlook on the day
- music! playing music, writing music, listening to music,…
- therapy
- taking your meds
- sharing a drink with Him (coffee, tea, wine, anything)
- shadow work!!!
- watching the sunrise
- any kind of magic in His name
- divination
- trying out new things and getting out of your comfort zone
- human rights activism
- focusing on yourself
- questioning authority and standing up for yourself
- enlightenment, learning and pursuing the arts
- studying philosophy
- befriending your local neighbourhood crows
- getting Him scented candles that smell like His associated herbs
- making Him a Pinterest board
- making a playlist with songs that remind you of Him
- learning how to properly ward and protect yourself (magically)
- dedicating a piece of jewellery to Him (and asking Him to bless it)
- making a journal for Him (digital or analog) with prayers, tarot spreads, offerings and information about Him (I recommend this for every deity, honestly it’s really useful and a great way of showing devotion)
- learning more about Him and common misconceptions associated with Him (especially in Christianity)
- wearing clothes that radiate His energy and make you feel confident
In the end, any offerings you give Him are valid and will be appreciated, as long as you put some thought into it. Don’t worry if you can’t give Him the things you’d like to give Him, He will accept anything that comes from a place of love and devotion.
I wanted to make a list of ideas for those who don't feel like drawing or painting, but still wanted to create on behalf of their Gods!
•Make fake flowers for them out of paper/tissue paper
•Cross stitch/Embroider them something they're associated with. Im embroidering a teapot for Hestia!
•Needle felt their sacred animal
•Devotional Jewlery Making (necklaces, bracelets, earings, prayer beads, ect.)
•Sculpt clay figures of your Gods/animals
•Make a polymer clay keychain/coin that reminds you of them so you can have them with you everywhere you go
•Making little trinkets/offering plates/dishes out of resin
•Wood carve their sacred animal
•Woodburn an offering plate or a pendulum board. You could also woodburn a box to keep their offerings in
•Make candles/wax melts for your Gods with scents curated to them!
•Make incense cones! They're surprisingly easy!
•Make bath bombs to take a devotional bath
•Make a specific soap to wash before prayer
•Make a diorama for their altar. I use foam/cardboard/and plastic trash for dioramas!
•Crochet/Knit an altar cloth! For more advanced, make a stuffed animal, veil, or devotional clothing
•Printing pictures/find magazines and make a physical collage of your God/their symbols/things you associate with them
•Build a mini temple for you Gods out of popsicle sticks or legos
•Take pictures of things you associate with, whether it be part of nature, animals, cozy places in your home, bodies of water, sunsets, ect.
•Start a little scrapbook of your deities
I was super inspired to make this because of the ask @khaire-traveler received the other day where they suggested origami for Apollo!
Domain: Rage, War, battle, revenge, skill, glory, vastness, bloodshed, resilience.
Epithets: son of Peleus, King of Phthia, swift-footed, lion-hearted, Godlike, shepherd of the people, breaking through men, brilliant, inimitable.
Imagery/symbolism: Shield, spear, the Lyre, golden armor, the heel, the sea, helm, the pyre.
Colors: red, black, gold, blue, yellow.
Animal: Horse, lion.
Offerings: Flowers, Candles, incense, art, poetry, lamps, gold, decorative shields, sea/war imagery, water, wine, meat, gin, milk, honey, horse imagery, bread, fruits, sweets, lyre, jewels, shells, spices.
Devotional acts: working out, honoring Patroclus, learning self defense, Personal Challenges, reading the Iliad, learning spearing, sea gazing, horse riding, running.