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theflintwarlock · 4 months

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Foraging for Witchcraft

One of the great things about foraging specifically for Witchcraft is that you're not restricted to just edible things. You can forage/find stones, clay, bones, herbs, water, fruits and vegetables, wood and more.

I've made a post previously about how important low-cost Witchcraft is. So consider this a follow-up of things you can find for your practice that are completely free.

Some useful tools that are simple to forage if you are near the sea:

-Sea salt

Just gather filtered sea water in a pot and boil until salt crystals form. Then put the salt on a baking tray and either leave to sun dry or put it in the oven. You can also make infused salts and black salt like this

-Sea shells

They are common for love workings but are also great for protection, grind them up and use them in a protection salt (obviously not one you're going to eat)

-Sand

Often used for ritual magic, especially dyed sands. Also good for spell bags, planting certain plants, keep it in Jars or boxes and Bury things in it for a freezer spell.

-Stones and crystals

Of course I love flint, but there are many different stones based on your geographical location that will be good for Witchcraft. Quartz is great for protection, it doesn't have to be clear in order to work. White quartz is just fine.

-Sea glass

Sea glass is such a great form of protection, with colours from green to blue to brown and even a very rare red piece. Being infused with the ocean's energies really makes it special.

Some tools that are simple if you live near a forest/wooded area:

-Branches

Fallen branches can work as wands, divining rods, kindling for a fire, and depending on the type of wood they have different associations. You can make your own broomstick from collecting enough branches.

-Moss

Moss is often overlooked in magical practice, but it is an amazing type of plant that you can grow in a jar terrarium or dry and use in spell work. It is often the first thing to grow over dead wood or old stones, and as such it is Hardy and useful for hard times and new growth.

-Plants

So, so many different plants. Some edible plants like wild garlic have great uses in kitchen witchery, some poisonous plants like hemlock can be an amazing kick to your death work or baneful practice. What plants you can Forage will depend on your local area.

-Bones

Animal bones are a beautiful way to incorporate death and life into your practice. I usually let the Bones that want to be used for my practice come to me- if I can't find any more in a spot there used to be loads, I take that as a sign they did not want to be used/found a better resting place. I could do a whole post on cleaning and preparing Bones for your practice but vulture culture on tumblr has you covered.

Things you can Forage if you live in a city:

You may be surprised that I've included urban areas in this list. Most of what you can Forage here is more commonly thought of as rubbish, but it has excellent magical potential nonetheless.

-Broken glass

Excellent for baneful workings and baneful protection magic. Please be careful when collecting it, wear gloves and use a sealed container so no shards escape.

-Coins

Find a penny, pick it up and all the day you'll have good luck. I always keep the pennies I find on the pavement as a token of good luck.

-Beer bottle caps

I love collecting these and putting them in little jars. Corks can do a similar job when it comes to magic- keeping something in that you don't want coming out. Like an urban salt circle. Put a lid on it.

-Weeds

While you might not be in an area with abundant foliage and wildlife, you will undoubtedly be able to find weeds growing in the pavement or on gates and buildings. Ivy has great binding properties, dandelions are great for protection, shamrocks for luck ect.

-Feathers

These are easy to find if you live near pigeons and other birds. Please don't pick it up if there is a bird flu outbreak in your area, and as with bones make sure to wash them before bringing them into your home.

#the warlock speaks #witchcraft #witchblr #for baby witches #witchcraft ideas #urban witchcraft #sea witchcraft #forest magic #foraged magic

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witchblood-if · 11 months

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Can you tell us more info about the types of witches we can be?

A Kitchen Witch's domain is (obviously) the kitchen. Much of their craft involves preparing different, mostly edible, things. The food they prepare can be used to achieve different goals but they are also very sufficient in protection charms and function as experts in useful domestic spells. Their connection to their domain means they seldom stray far from home, and then not for very long. As keepers of the hearth, they have been loved and admired for as long as they indulge in this craft.

Techno Witches have a great affinity for anything electric or mechanic. Their craft involves making and building machines that shouldn't be able to work in the way they do, but the modern witch also dabbles or even specializes more in programming and digital media. While they are trained in other methods of witchery their domain often doesn't allow for very effective work in very rural or remote places. Their particular skill set also helps them to stay on the down low should they need it.

Garden Witches have a great understanding of the nature around them. Knowledgeable in Botany and Zoology they may also have some well-funded knowledge of things like Mineralogy. Most of their magic craft involves the altering of natural processes in their domain as well as identifying and collecting anything from wildlife and utilizing their gatherings. They tend to thrive in environments that are open and wild, although they will have found a way to compensate in an urban area.

Ceremonial Witches specialize in intricate and often extensive rituals to accomplish their goals. They have an aptitude for executing the complicated instructions (mostly by their own design) down to a dot at the end of a sentence. It's a specialization that requires a lot of patience or perfectionism (and frequently both) to get it just right. They are not bound by a certain place but their rituals oftentimes require a lot of preparation and items that might not be found in an all-too-rural place.

Elemental Witches have perfected the art of using the givings that surrounds them constantly. Wind, Earth, Water and Fire stand at their disposal to manipulate and use. This specialization requires a lot of willpower and strength, as the elements can be quite fickle at times (always). The downside to this great power is the inherent flashiness of it all. Being able to create a wildfire at your fingertips or fill a swimming pool to the brim with nothing more than some concentration tends to draw uncertain looks from strangers around you.

There it is Anon! Like I promised! With a few fancy visuals! I really hope that whatever I put together here doesn't turn out to be complete bogus in the end.

Anyways, hugs and kisses

-Carter

#witchblood-if #wip #interactive fiction #Anon ask #ask #mc #lore ask #lore

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roselorn · 2 years

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Sapphic books to read if you’re sad about “First Kill” being cancelled

Just some sapphic fantasy books with a similar vibe to “First Kill”. Not all of these are about vampires (some are though!) but they all have the same kind of dark YA urban fantasy vibe, you know. Anyways, feel free to add more books. “The Dead and the Dark” - Courtney Gould “Burn Down, Rise Up” - Vincent Tirado “The Witchery” - S. Isabelle “The River Has Teeth” - Erica Waters “The Poison Heart” - Kalynn Bayron “The Lost Girls” - Sonia Hartl “Missing, Presumed Dead” - Emma Berquist “Perfectly Preventable Deaths” - Deirdre Sullivan “The Coldest Touch” - Isabel Sterling “From Dust, A Flame” - Rebecca Podos “Afterlove” - Tanya Byrne “My Dearest Darkest” - Kayla Cottingham

#first kill #bookblr #netflix #sapphic #horror #fantasy #might add more later

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bibliophilicwitch · 1 year

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I personally find my recent and upcoming nonfic reads interesting and thought why the hell not share

The Way of Ice and Fire: The Living Tradition of Norse Paganism by Ryan Smith

Remedies and Rituals: Folk Medicine in Norway and the New Land by Kathleen Stokker

Elves, Wights, and Trolls by Kveldulf Gundarsson

The Tradition of Household Spirits: Ancestoral Lore and Practices by Claude Lecouteux

HausMagick: Transform Your Home with Witchcraft by Erica Feldmann

Greek Nymphs: Myth, Cult, Lore by Jennifer Larson

The Scent of Lemon and Rosemary: Working Domestic Magick with Hestia by Raechel Henderson

Nine Ways to Charm a Dryad: A Magical Adventure to Connect with the Spirit of Trees by Penny Billington

City Witchery: Accessible Rituals, Practices & Prompts for Conjuring and Creating in a Magical Metropolis by Lisa Marie Basile

Urban Magick: A Guide for the City Witch by Diana Rajchel

City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch by Christopher Penczak

Honoring Your Ancestors: A Guide to Ancestoral Veneration by Mallorie Vaudoise

Badass Ancestors: Finding Your Power with Ancestoral Guides by Patti Wigington

Carmina Gadelica by Alexander Carmichae

Scottish Witchcraft: A Complete Guide to Authentic Folklore, Spells, and Magical Tools by Barbara Meiklejohn-Free

Also want to get to The Old Magic of Christmas: Yuletide Traditions for the Darkest Days of the Year by Linda Raedisch and In Winter's Kitchen: Growing Roots and Breaking Bread in the Northern Heartland during December and January 🥰

#text #personal #reading related #if you have recs for wisconsin or northern or midwest folklore or landcraft reads pleeeeeeeas share #i have strong feelings of connection to my home and havent found much other than greek and city magic with a little norse sprinkled in #to try building my own practice for working with home spirits #not impossible but it would be nice to build into this practice local knowledge and practice when able

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trivia-witch · 2 years

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🗝 Hekate’s Garden and Plant Spirit Witchcraft 🗡

BY CYNDI BRANNEN

Hekate’s Garden is the mystical location that can be journeyed to in trance or dreams. Therein reside the Pharmakoi Kyrios, the Master Plant Spirits, of each botanical. We can connect to these spirits through using materia medica or purely energetically, using symbols of them. Plant spirit oracle cards are one example. Intuiting, channeling or divining botanical spirits is one of my central practices. Letting the spirits present themselves without knowing the standard properties is an amazing way to practice pharmakeia.

Botanicals are such a central part of my life that they are as important to me as air. They are food, they built my home and surround it, and they are how I enter the world of spirits.

Simple Ways To Practice Pharmakeia

If you are completely new to experiencing the mysteries of botanicals and the power of Hekate’s Garden, I recommend going slowly. Avoid pithy internet advice. Use a mixed-methods approach: follow your intuition and divination and then map it onto standard properties and applications. Experiment, experiment, experiment. Pharmakeia is as much science as it is magic. What works in general may not work specifically for you. Mugwort, to me, is mother’s milk. For others, it can trigger an allergic reaction. I consume all manner of botanicals each and every day, but I have an empirical approach to my ongoing practice. In our home, allopathic medicine is the absolute last resort unless it is clearly indicated. Pharmakeia, as it was originally practiced, is the spirit in which I work with botanicals. Entheogens, psychedelics and their kin are very alluring, but come with real risks.

Set up a journal and/or spreadsheet to record your practice of pharmakeia. Create monographs of the botanicals you work with, recording your personal experiences and intuitive correspondences and characteristics in addition to the standard ones.

Becoming aware of our reliance on the green world in materialistic ways can create a path leading to their deeper aspects. Go on a quest, opening yourself up to accepting the call of one local botanical. Birch, maple, pine, oak, ash, poplar, beech and other tree spirits are present even in the most urban spaces. Using bits of these botanicals in our witchery is enhanced when we practice Vox Botanica, singing or speaking to summon out their qualities and personality.

An inventory of the botanicals already in our homes is an excellent undertaking to demonstrate the plant spirits already among us. Of course, those spirits can become quite dormant, so studying their spiritual properties and characteristics is a fantastic way to learn how to approach them.

Look in the kitchen and elsewhere for evidence of Hekate’s Garden. The herbs and spices you favor, along with the scents you prefer, probably indicate the botanicals with which you have a natural affinity. Choose one to develop a deeper connection with.

Research the botanicals associated with your astrological considerations and birth month for a potential Pharmaka Kyrios – your personal Master Plant Spirit – if you don’t feel called to/by any one plant.

ABOUT CYNDI BRANNEN

Cyndi Brannen, PhD, is a teacher and writer focusing on personal development, spirituality and true magic. She is an energetic healer, psychic, herbalist, spiritual coach and mentor. Founder of the Keeping Her Keys Mystery School, she teaches and writes about the true magic of healing and personal power. The bestselling Keeping Her Keys: An Introduction to Hekate’s Modern Witchcraft explores Hekate from her ancient origins to our modern understanding through magic and personal development. True Magic: Unleashing Your Inner Witch, based on the sacred seven principles, will be available this October.

#hekate's garden #pharmakeia #witch community #witches of tumblr #hellenic witch #hekate #hekate cult #hellenic witchcraft #hecate #hellenistic witch #herbology #devotion to hekate

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thevirginwitch · 3 months

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Current Reads + Book Reviews

To stay more up-to-date with what I'm reading, and to see my book notes, be sure to check out my Patreon!

last updated April 5th, 2024

Current Reads

Queering Your Craft: Witchcraft from the Margins by Cassandra Snow

Queer Magic: Power Beyond Boundaries edited by Lee Harrington and Tai Fenix Kulystin

The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft by Ronald Hutton

A History of Witchcraft: Sorcerers, Heretics, and Pagans by Jeffrey Burton Russell

Elemental Witchcraft: A Guide to Living a Magickal Life Through the Elements by Michelle Heron

The Black Arts: A Concise History of Witchcraft, Demonology, Astrology, Alchemy, and Other Mystical Practices Throughout the Ages by Richard Cavendish

Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America by Margot Adler

New World Witchery: A Trove of North American Folk Magic by Cory Thomas Hutcheson

Condensed Chaos: An Introduction to Chaos Magic by Phil Hine

Weather or Not: Two Books About the Magic of Timing & the Timing of Magic by Katrina Rasbold

Coven Craft: Witchcraft for Three or More by Amber K

Read Recently + Reviews

The Everyday Witch's Coven: Rituals and Magic for Two or More by Deborah Blake

Traditional Witchcraft for Urban Living by Melusine Draco

Urban Magick: A Guide for the City Witch by Diana Rajchel

Postmodern Magic: The Art of Magic in the Information Age by Patrick Dunn

The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft by Keldon

Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick and Manifestation by Mat Auryn

#thevirginwitch #witchcraft #witch #witchblr #witches of tumblr #pagan #reading materials

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sapphireorison · 7 months

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Good morning, loves. It's been a good long while. <3

I've recently come out my hibernation and am starting to want to tinker with my brain a little bit. Of course, I come back to this blog to do so. Idk, there's just something about this particular space that lends me to more productive navel-gazing.

I think it has to do with trying to put things into thoughts that others can understand. Because while I might 'get it,' whatever it is, can I also explain it to myself? I feel like that's very important.

Also, I realized that I have done exactly zero spiritual growth since the plague hit, but in a self-protective kind of way. This I would like to fix, because (shockingly) I like growing as a person and learning new things that I'm capable of. I have gotten very good at anxiety mitigation and learning how to recover from major stressors, but that's all just getting me back to baseline. (Though I HAVE a good equilibrium of a baseline, now, which is...novel? New. I like it.)

Some things I've been prodding at more recently (here, have a bunch of personal bullshit, ilu):

I've been reading that City Magick book, which is kind of fun and I already have quite a few thoughts about it. I've been taking notes, so we'll see if I have something coherent to say about it afterwards.

I've also realized that I've been stripping my pop occulture elements from my practice to the point where I'm only keeping the useful and resonant bits. They're far more abstractions now. Useful, but mine. Keeping the jewels, because of what I've made them mean, but...mmm. Many thoughts, tbh. I'm shedding a few of the incorrectly fitting metaphors, though, because I've figured out why they don't fit.

Sometime in the past however long, I finally came to full terms with being aroace, which...has a lot of very interesting implications for just how polyam I am, and what kind of—look. Look. There are very few places for really ~interestingly developed qpr polycules and figuring that out has made a lot of things snap into a really crisp high-def oh shit. Which has also made it a lot easier to ditch some of the constructs I created to protect myself that I don't need. (Though some of them I am legit sad about leaving behind, I outgrew them. Gotta leave behind the husk, yanno?)

Addendum: this past pride with me having decided 'yeah, actually, aroace here' with enough confidence to think it's relevant to pride was...weird? Interesting? I liked it, but it was definitely a thing.

Still very much interested in my Lifeblood of the City project, where I am doing research into genius loci and (ofc) urban witchery. Both in general but also as part of trying to connect with LA. Learning to love a place and a time and, hopefully, to incorporate everything about it into some sort of working practice. If I have to drive hours to hit wilderness, a lot of witchery need not apply.

But also, the above is very much a, hrm, well, I uprooted myself, right? So I feel/felt that sharp and angry disconnect with where I've been transplanted. All of the research I've been doing has been, in a very concrete way, giving me insight and access to a city that I never wanted to live in and who I must live in for the rest of the foreseeable future. So. Spiritual implications of spiritual research, but not in the way you'd think.

Though, of course, I've been here for nearly ten years and I am rather hopelessly fond of many parts of the city, now. Enough that I was arguing with the City Magick book in my notes at its characterization of a city's energy as so often too negative. So. A good point in the project to be reading this book, I think, ahha.

Vaguely grumpy that the one book I want to read re: Genius Loci is VERY out of print (like the publisher went belly up) and the author's last 'thinking about self-pub!' was last in June. If I could just FIND a copy...

Let's see...beyond ALL THAT, I'm about to hit a growth phase in my career, too, and with the fall approaching, all things feel very possible to me. I always kind of wake up as soon as summer ends.

Anyway, I don't know if I'm back, but I do know that I'm pleased to have scribbled down some of these thoughts. I hope you all have a lovely day. <3<3

#hearthkeeping #me update #omphaloskepsis #good morning #I love you #I hope you all are doing well!

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lacependragon · 2 years

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Library Haul!

Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer - YA scifi and queer. A deadly competition for a throne and a snarky female main character. I'm excited. I love this sort of classic YA story but in a more modern way.

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher - Middle grade fantasy. Super adorable so far, already started it. About a witch who can only work with dough who needs to solve a murder and save her city.

The Witchery by S. Isabelle - Dark YA fantasy about witches, blood, covens, and wolves.

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake - Dark fantasy about six college students competing to be in a secret society, but one of them won't be chosen and will die.

All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman - YA fantasy about, again, a deadly competition, this one to control powerful magic, but this year it is public due to a tell-all book.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara = adult contemporary fiction. Extremely trigger heavy and tragic. About four friends and their lives.

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies - historical non-fiction, reading it for writing purposes

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Mass - I'm not a Maas fan, and I don't particularly like her writing, but I am fascinated by the worldbuilding in this series and I wanna poke at it for myself

A Half-Built Garden by Ruthanna Emrys - adult queer scifi about aliens who come to earth to save humanity, but the people already trying to save the planet don't want to give it up

Four Lost Cities:A Secret History of the Urban Age by Annalee Newitz - non-fiction about four historical, lost cities and how why they were abandoned. Reading for writing.

#lace speaks #lace reads #library #book haul #library haul #ok to rblg

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themori-witch · 2 years

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Hi!! In love with your blog and your energy! You are such an inspiration ❤️‍🔥

I’ve long been a worshipper of Lilith and have been channeling her in spells here and there over the years, but I’m looking to deepen my practice and I wonder if you have any advice on how to really deepen that bond and make it blossom—also, if you have any tips on how to better practice in urban environments (I’m from a small town with lots of woods etc but now live in a big city, and I feel my practice is suffering!) that would be much appreciated!! Just feeling disconnected from my practice and would love any insight you might have (: thank you so much for reading!! xx

Hello, and thank you for your kind words! 🖤

When it comes to Lilith, I'm not the best person to offer advice as my knowledge about her is not extensive. It comes mainly from @will-o-the-witch, who is a practising Jewish witch, and an incredibly knowledgeable source on all things related to her faith and practise. I would encourage you to speak with her and browse her content.

Being disconnected from your craft, however, is something I deal with a lot.

Grounding helps me reconnect to my craft. It's a low-energy but effective way for me to exist in a head space that allows me to feel like a witch again.

Don't throw yourself head first into heavy stuff. That will likely add to the disconnect or burn out. Start small with sigils or charging or enchanting jewellery or your morning brew.

Make mundane things a little magical and it'll ignite the spark in you again. I always find that it does.

I live in a village and my surroundings are fairly rural, so I've had to learn how to urbanise my craft somewhat due to where my partner lives.

Here are some of the ways you can urbanise your craft:

Learn about your new surroundings. Local knowledge can help in all kinds of enviornments. Native/local plants, places of interest, any local myths or lore, etc.

Kitchen witchery is a good way to work magic in your new city life.

If you have any space, there are plants that can be grown indoors or in window boxes.

Cities are chock full of liminal spaces: apartment complexes at night, lifts, stairwells, shops or petrol stations at night, etc.

The droning noise of the street or traffic can be utilised if you meditate or anything similar.

Graffiti can be magic... (sigils?).

Clothing, cosmetics, accessories can all be magic-ed up.

If you're someone that's into technology magic, you'll be surrounded by tech in the city. Use it to your advantage for charging, for example.

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crows-book-of-shadows · 1 year

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⋆⋆☆⋆⋆♱˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗♱⋆⋆☆⋆⋆

This is my sideblog for an online BOS! (Book of Shadows)

My main blog is @ghost-mist-draws and my pagan/cryptidcore sideblog is @the-crow-kid

my pronouns are he/they + any neos

⋆⋆☆⋆⋆♱˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗♱⋆⋆☆⋆⋆

Table of Contents

General

Deity Work

Urban Witchery

Tarot and Divination

#crows intro post #digital grimoire #digital bos #table of contents #masterpost

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liminality-secular-witch · 1 year

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I have murdered a god, and so can you.

A short stream-of-consciousness on the power and pain of deicide.

Before Selena Gomez's song broke Google's search engine, the term "rock god" could pull up anything from Elvis to Freddie Mercury to Kurt Cobain. The Urban Dictionary gives the following definition first:

A rock god is an artist that is so talented and amazing that (s)he is worshipped as a god by his fans. A rock god has usually touched the masses beyond just music. An artist that people can associate with an idea/style/time.

"God" here is assumed to be a bit of a euphemism for "beloved target of fandom," but the behavior of some fans would certainly rival—if not surpass—the passion displayed by the most ardent religious observer of a given faith.

I admit, I am one such fan. But, even among that group, I might be a bit unusual.

I'm among a growing number of modern day witches who fall under the umbrella of "SASS," an acronym whose reading is, or is along the lines of, "skeptical, agnostic (or atheist) and science-seeking." Whether or not we will say we believe in magick—used with a "k" to distinguish it from purely stage-show entertainers—varies by witch and by the definition you choose to use for "magick," though, generally, no, we do not think that doing X spell makes Y happen in the most literal sense. To varying degrees, we "believe" in the placebo effect (where one is able to exist and have effect), the power of ritual to focus the mind, the benefits of meditation and journaling, the power of introspection and the power of belief as it affects the believer.

You could say it's imaginary play for grown ups. Frankly, it's a blast.

There are greater bits of media out there by witches who came before me on the general topic of who we are and what we practice, so I'll leave the volumes of modern witchcraft to them. But there is one more thing about my own personal practice I should inform you of.

I practice pop culture magick.

If you do a web search for the topic, you'll likely come across references to fictional magick systems that others have incorporated in to their own. A favorite for those working with elements (in the western system of earth, fire, water, and air) is that of Avatar: The Last Airbender. There's an even more popular one from a series of books whose author I'll speak of shortly…

In my case, I found more connection with Emily Carlin, a witchy blogger whose source of magick is often quoted in articles on the subject of pop culture practice. The story goes that, while struggling to understand and incorporate the four elements into her practice, she was inspired by the presence of her Master of Puppets CD to use the members of the band, Metallica, one for each element. It worked, giving her something concrete to attach an otherwise abstract concept to. What's more, such an approach is highly personal, a favorite aspect of SASS witchery.

I have yet to be able to incorporate the elements into my own practice, whether I attempt to use the four western elements or any of the sets of five eastern elements. Though I hoped that the one band I work most with in my practice could represent an eastern five, they ended up fitting better with a selection of tarot cards. But that's a story for another day.

They are, however, gods to me.

Do not misunderstand me. I do not deify the five men who write and rehearse regularly, put on costume and make-up for a whirlwind tour of the country each year, and then return home to their spouses and children and pets. In my mind, there are two beings in one form: The image that has been created and curated for the art and for the fans, and the artist behind that great work who also shares its visage. Two, but also One.

If you grew up in Christian circles as I did, it's less of a struggle to comprehend the paradox of it. Though I definitely feel the irresolution most at concerts and live meetings where my image of the "rock god" and the mere human performer collapse in front of my eyes like the leveling of a spiritual city by an earthquake, a fissure rupturing between planes of existence.

I've come to appreciate these moments as one would a difficult work of art that forces one to withdraw and reconsider, and that sticks in the mind like melted rubber on concrete on the disturbingly-ever-more hot summer days.

Those gods I worship now, whose challenging humanity I welcome and adore, I have loved off and on for most of my life. I feel quite blessed that, in all the many interviews they have given over the years, they have said few controversial things and that in their youth. By all accounts, their care and focus seem to have grown with their age. At best, they have actively educated themselves in both their craft and their understanding of the world at large. At worst, they are not vile.

I once worshiped a god who did become vile. But I killed him. I have that power.

I suppose I have to take a moment to tell bad-faith or otherwise oblivious readers that, no, I did not literally kill anyone. No human being is dead on my account, to the best of my knowledge, and few humans have ever even evoked such a horrid wish out of my heart. I am speaking of a metaphorical murder here, just as I speak of metaphorical gods.

When I was very, very young, I adored a particular pop star, my first rock god. He fit the definition from earlier, effecting the world beyond just the sounds of his music. He was influential in dance and social awareness, able to command the praise and participation of giants who came before and alongside him. Everyone knew his name, his style, his sound, and he influenced innumerable artists who followed him.

I had all his albums—on cassette, at that time—and several of the films and documentaries of which he was the subject. I knew every lyric to every song by heart. I named my pet hamster after him. To say he was a formative force in my life is an understatement.

There were rumors throughout his life, but I never wanted to hear them. I could not believe them. When he said, or when others parroted, that the rumors were wrought of jealously and were, in fact, completely unfounded, I took those words and looked no further. It was enough for me to believe him.

After his death, and after some time, the rumors were still swirling. And then there was a documentary of some of his victims. I watched it, skeptical.

But now, I believe his victims. And I'm sorry I didn't want to listen before.

At his death, I had mourned. I never missed an opportunity to soak my ears in his sound when I caught one of his songs in the air. Now I found myself struggling. This song… THIS SONG. It's such a mark on the culture… It plays every year! How can I not listen to it?! But I made myself turn away. Other people were enjoying the music, and I couldn't. I loved that song, I LOVED IT, but I couldn't enjoy it anymore. Not like before.

And never again.

The death of a god is slow and grating. They do not go down gently. Their worshipers uphold them, and the trick to surviving the ordeal yourself is to avoid the sycophants at all costs. And so, the death of a god is also lonely work. The death of a god is personal.

With time and practice, and time and practice, it became easier to turn away from the music when I heard it, to say, with the stoicism of a Zen monk, "It's just not my thing," in ever more rarer cases that someone should ask if you're into that artist.

The adoration you once held calcifies and passes. Maybe there's a scar. You are at once sadder and lighter.

He ruled the alignment of my stars for the first two decades of my life. His afterimage lingered, untouchable in my third. In my fourth decade, over the course of a year, his color changed, he fell and faded, and finally died.

I will never deny the impact his music and style had on the world or on me personally. But I have the power to turn away from his work. There are other artists who better deserve our attention. Other rock gods whose human creators are doing their best, not merely as artists, but as people. I will give my love (and, as a fan, my patronage) to them.

And if they turn vile, I will kill them too. I have done it once, and I can do it again.

I am no proponent of "cancel culture" as it specifically occurs on a certain accursed social media platform. No one is perfect nor should they be expected to be. But there is a wisdom to not engaging on such sites. And there is a level of basic decency we should all show our fellow humans, a behavior for which celebrities are even more scrutinized.

At the same time, there is, if not a clear line, a zone into which one may cross. Certain people have hurled themselves into the darkest reaches of those places. The god I killed was there.

Another one of a different ilk but the same degree is also there. She is not my god, but she may well be yours. She constructed the universe that ruled the stars of your formative childhood. She wove stories of a kind of magic(k) that made your heart manifest its own.

You can kill such a god. You have that power.

It is painful and lonely work. I know. I know so, so well. But it can be done. A god can fall from your heavens by your hands. The storms of guilt and excuses clear. There is a scar. You are sadder. You are lighter.

And then you remember, or perhaps you realize for the first time: There are other artists. There are other worlds.

Do it.

Kill your god.

#no terfs #no pedes #in the media I consume #witchblr

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astridellejo · 1 year

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Greetings! My name is Astrid, ellejohara on the internets, and I make art and comics. I'm aroace and use they/them pronouns. My interests include retrocomputers and hobby electronics, yoga and ballet, gothiness and witchery, and academic curiosity of world religions. I'm almost half a century old, which is kind of wild because people think I'm still in my mid-30s. (I consider myself an elder millennial, not Gen X.) I graduated uni in 2009 with a BA in Religious Studies, and now I draw an urban fantasy comic that I put on my website. I'm also working on my first graphic novel pitch of a story I began writing when I was still in high school.

Which reminds me, I'm also very ADHD and some degree of autistic. (I don't presently know just how much of a degree.) I love sounds but I hate ASMR. I love the outdoors but I hate being in sunlight. All of my clothes are black because I have no interest in choosing a unique multicolor outfit every morning. My dream house is simultaneously a Scandinavian/Japanese minimalist aesthetic combined with dusty gothy cobweb clutter of the Addams family house.

I have the religious scholarship, the poverty, and the isolation of an average monk, and I lean very heavily into the classical tradition of "gender-weird folk are spiritually gifted". My witchery is norse-derived because my direct matrilineal line comes from Tromsø for at least ten generations, and I just think that's really neat. I'm not really into gods or demons or whatever, but I love the idea of magic and I really want it in my life. My sun is in Libra, so I strive for beauty and balance, but my moon and rising are both in Pisces, so that balance is constantly thrown into chaos by little spiritual fish swimming any way they please. I am a living paradox and it's just really exhausting to be me sometimes. Maybe that's why I have to get 9 1/2 hours of sleep every night.

#introduction #meet the artist #art #comics #goth #yoga #monk #volva #witch #witchyvibes #monochromatic goth into bright saturated colors #pretty sure my tumblr will turn into a weird witch art blog

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bodiesonbodiesonbodieson · 2 years

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I had an idea of restarting my sourdough starter and communing with the wild yeast growing in it to improve on my ferment projects, but that would imply forming a somewhat committed relationship between my hands and the very wild despite urbanized genius fermentum of my country, which because of my superstition and imagination recalls back the effort and taboos needed to be properly followed for proper fermentation process (more specifically of tapai, a sweet fermented rice desert that’s really good and actually pretty alcoholic.) The coffee wine I am making, my first booze, isnt failing. There was too much sugar, however, and I hate drinking something soo sweet. It’s almost a month old, so there aren’t much of prominent flavours ig. I could taste it again but the same bottle used for fermenting I use as bottle so like yeah, I don’t want too much acidity in my sweet coffee wine (its too sweet!) I want something bitter and dry and jaded. I’m planning to make another ferment with a one liter bottle instead. I’d have to buy glass though because you have to be stupid to let plastic leach into your booze. Anyways, I’ve also never drank booze before but I’ve tried something alcohol once in a while so I know what it’s like i guess whatever let me be happy! You know how hard it is to get drinks here? Its expensive as fuck, they tax it too much and they put restrictions on malays/muslims from buying it like its shit.

On the genius fermentum, I want to ask the witches of this site if they had ever tried doing that. Also, I might need to finally get my hands back to being practical and animistic. I miss the witchery of working with the spirits of the things I want to work with directly, it’s so very visceral. To contact with the core substance-meaning as entities with intelligence? That is a beautiful experience of the mad, and the mad is who I am.

#etheric

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