Busy Witch Tip #1

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

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I am slowly losing my mind over the shift towards video as the default media format.

I do not find this to be an efficient way to absorb information. I am bored and distracted by the time the largely unnecessary introduction is over. I can't use ctrl+f to find the specific information I'm looking for. If there are instructions to follow, I don't want to have to constantly pause and back up to the part I need.

At least give me a fucking transcript.

Riley Samels on Instagram / Etsy

🌸 Stuffed Animal Protection Spell 🌸

this is specifically for Atlas, but you can tweak for yourself/your kiddo.

🌸 A small pouch

🌸 Scissors & thread

🌸 Rose petals for peace, love, and protection

🌸 Lavender to calm during tantrums or teething pains (obviously using actual medicine for teething pain)

🌸 Clear Quartz enchanted with protection, and a safe feeling.

place ingredients in the small pouch and sew up. give to small human/who ever is receiving & let the magick do it's stuff🌸

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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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.