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The Magical Girl Guide to: Faerie Witchcraft

A post a long time in the making, it's finally time for it to get out of my drafts. I've talked about specific faeries in the past but never a sweeping generalization on faerie witchcraft it, so let's change that this 2024.

Faerie witchcraft at its core is a path of witchcraft that revolves around communicating with the folk, working with them, calling on them and leaving them offerings as thanks for their assistance. That is the biggest generalization I can make about the path, but what that core looks like can be very different from faerie witch to faerie witch. So, let's talk about the faeries.

(As always, these 'magical girl guides' isn't the 'end all be all'. These are barely the tip of the iceberg. Always look at other's experiences/UPG and of course make sure to do more extensive research beyond a post on Tumblr.)

What are faeries?

Faerie, Faery, Fairy, Fae, Fey, Fay, it doesn't matter how you spell it, we are all referring to the same thing ー the Good Neighbors.

By definition, faeries are "is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European culture a form of spirit, often with metaphysical, supernatural, or preternatural qualities."

There are no real single origin for faeries so much as a collection of folk beliefs from all over.

Terminology

Other Way to say Faerie

Ao sí/Aes sídhe

Daoine sídhe

Sídhe/Shee/Sìth

The Good Folk

The Good Neighbors

The Fair Folk

The Folk

The Gentry

The Good People

Greencoaties

Changeling - a substitute left by a faerie after kidnapping a human. Can sometimes be one of their own, other times it is glamoured rocks and sticks. Was used as an explanation for stillborn children in the past.

Seelie - the "faerie good guys" in stories.

Unseelie - the "faerie bad guys" in stories.

The Wild Hunt/Sluagh/Underfolk - a group of supernatural hunters in a never-ending hunt/chase. The perception of the Wild Hunt changed after the introduction of Christianity to the isles.

Wild/Solitary Fae - faeries with no Court affiliations, not to be confused with the Wild Hunt.

Trooping Faeries - live in communities and are known for singing and dancing.

Faerieland

Also simply referred to as Faerie, this is the home of the faeries.

Thought to be divided into the four Seasonal Courts of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. The Spring and Summer Courts represent the Seelie Court while Autumn and Winter represent the Unseelie Court. These lands are considered to be eternal displays of the season they are.

faeries in folklore

We would literally be here all day if I talked about faeries in folklore. Y'all know faerie folklore and mythology is ancient X'D so this category isn't really all that important.

In these stories, faeries can be anything from benevolent to tricksters to someone out to get it back in blood.

faeries in media

Just as expansive as the faerie folklore post. Faeries are becoming more and more frequent in pop culture with books such as the Folk of the Air series by Holly Black, The Spider Wick Chronicles also by Holly Black, Sarah J. Maas' ACOTAR series and even in older TV shows like True Blood.

Hell, I'm working on a novel that has to do with faeries.

UPG

Since starting my own journey working with the fair folk I've come to learn that your fae working experience is shaped by the fae you go out of your way to interact with, the fae local to your area, what the folk feel comfortable sharing with you and what they feel comfortable letting you share with others.

A faerie witch whose experience centers around the flower faeries local to their area is going to be different from a faerie witch whose experience centers around Unseelie fae. Same for someone who only focuses on transactional relationships with the fae (ex. leaving out home baked goods weekly for a brownie, the brownie takes care of the home and that's the extent of their relationship) vs a someone where their path focuses on enveloping themselves in faerie culture and learning about it on a more personal level (ex. befriending a Court local to your area).

For me personally, my fae work experience centers around wild fae like selkies and death fae like banshee and dullahan. Both of which are very personal and has me enveloped in the cultures of these faeries. No transactions here but something deep and personal, like family. It's influenced the witchcraft I've chosen to incorporate into my craft as an eclectic witch and things I experience on a daily basis. (I do have guides on both selkies and banshee if you are curious. Dullahan post is in progress.)

Because of this, your prospective relationship with fair folk and what that may bring in your life is going to be very personal to you, I've found. There will be some overlap, of course. You'll run into someone and go 'oh damn, me too!!'. But it will still be special and unique to you.

It can be as personal as you want it to be. It can be as impersonal as you want it to be. It's up to you.

As such, I can't really make a generalized UPG post about what working with fae is like. There are so many kinds of faeries out there that it would take forever to complete! And one person's daily UPG can look vastly different from someone else's.

I don't believe it's as rampant as it used to be in witchcraft-related spaces as it was in say 2016, but there will always be people who will say things like 'avoid working with faeries in general' or 'fae work is only best for the experienced. If you're a bigger, fuck off'. But I personally think that, like with any craft, as long as you take the time to baby step your way into it, study as you go along, then fae work isn't something that should be gatekeeped to the experienced.

Seelie vs Unseelie: A Lesson in Faerie Morality

There's a huge misconception about these two faerie categories that Seelie means 'good faeries' while Unseelie means 'bad faeries'.

So the best thing someone can do when stepping into the world of fae work is completely disregard that notion. You can meet Unseelie fae who don't mind mortal company and then meet a Seelie faerie who doesn't fuck with humans in the slightest. I think it would better to think of it as faeries who commit to the right or left-handed paths and even then that's putting human morality on it. Human morality and faerie morality are not the same and the faster you realize that, the better it'll be for you.

What you might find atrocious, faeries might go 'that's not so bad'.

What you might find 'not so bad', faeries might find despicable.

Unseelie courts tend to be a bit less welcoming than Seelie courts in a general sweeping overgeneralization. That’s not to say there aren’t Unseelie fae that wouldn’t interact with humans, but a good majority probably won’t be happy to see a human frolicking about the place unattended. So if you ever feel the desire to visit an unseelie court, I’d wait until you’re more experienced working the fae and having the etiquette down

How important is etiquette?

I've personally found that the closer you are to a faerie, the less important etiquette is.

I don't speak to my selkie friends the way I speak to the flower faeries that are local to my area. The way I talk to banshee I know is very different than how I talk to banshee I don't know.

So yes, it is important to learn the proper etiquette to avoid angering a faerie. But the closer you get to the specific folk in your lives, should the relationship go beyond acquaintanceship/transactional, you'll find yourself speaking a bit more casually with them over time.

Faerieland: A Personal Dive

The home of the Good Neighbors.

You can go to Faerie by way of the astral or by slipping into a pocket of Faerie found in our realm (ex. you're on a nature hike and suddenly you've found yourself walking into a revel).

You could write a 50 page dissertation on the courts of Faerie and still not be done covering it. There are hundreds of Courts outside of the main few that you'll hear tossed around by fae workers and folklore enthusiasts and even with those known few there can be dozens of Sub-Courts.

I've met faeries from the Flower Court, a Summer pixie who came from a specific sub-Court called the Lake Court. I've heard of fae workers talking about Winter Sub-Courts that have to do with specific wintery holidays. So yes, there's definitely more than just the Seasonal Courts.

I always let people who frequent this blog what I can and cannot do and what I have and have not done. So in the spirit of keeping things transparent, I've only ever visited two Courts in Faerieー the Autumn Court and the Death Court. I can't really tell you much direct information about the other Courts because of that.

So I can't really give any 'here's a place I recommend visiting in Faerie' beyond a simple 'avoid any place embroiled in politics'. Any court going through serious issues whether that’s a change in power or what have you, won’t be the best place to visit.

Stick to well-populated places to start. You’ll likely find less problems there than say remote areas of Faerie. Just know, Faerie can be as terrifying as it is beautiful.

As for leadership, that looks different from Court to Court, Seelie to Unseelie.

I usually hear more about matriarchal rulership in Faerie, but there are faerie kings.

Who counts as 'Fae' and who doesn't?

If they consider themselves fae, they're fae. If they don't consider themselves fae, they aren't. That's really all there is to it. I've met merfolk who consider themselves faeries and I've met merfolk who consider faeries separate entities from themselves.

So in my experience, I've found that you just learn what the entity in question thinks of themselves as and respect that.

I'm just trying to keep faeries out my space tbh

You'll find the old timey methods to be very suitable. Iron, salt sprinkled around and so and so forth.

And should be out and about in nature, and you want to enjoy a hike without the fair folk messin' with ya, I'd recommend keeping an item of clothing inside out, carrying rowan or iron charms. And keeping to the trails. Faeries are more likely to avoid areas with heavy human foot traffic.

suitable offerings

The disclaimer here is that these are general offerings that most faeries should like. Should you ever find yourself working frequently with a faerie or find yourself the companion of one, there could be other things that they specifically like or dislike. But you usually can’t go wrong with:

General

Anything from nature like flowers, leaves, etc.

Tea

Honey

Cream

Berries

But should you be trying to get the attention of a faerie of a specific species, fine tune your offerings to that type of faerie. Seashells for selkies, bones for dullahan and so on and so forth.

how to gain the attention of a faerie

1) old fashioned offerings

2) astral travel

3) spirit attraction spell

I’m not a promoter of conjuring or otherwise, forcefully bringing a spirit to your vicinity. Think about it like this: you’re at a wedding. You’re best friend in the entire world is getting hitched to the love of their life, and you’re among the audience. You’re welling up with emotion and pride for your friend to have made such an important milestone in their life when… Suddenly, you’re not at their wedding anymore.

No, instead you’re looking at some random stranger who summoned you to their home who say it’s because they’re interested in working with those of your kind. You wouldn’t be too happy about this, would you? 

Not only is conjuring or summoning bad for the entity, it can be bad for you if this entity isn’t easily forgiving of being torn away from their personal life to your home and you can end up paying the consequences for it. Instead, I recommend a spell that attracts entities to your home or if you’re sufficiently prepared, astral travel it up.

[camthewitchyyoutuber]

Checklist for potent spellwork

Here is a list to use as a reference when creating a spell for yourself or when appraising a spell guide. All points that are absolutely necessary for spellwork will be colored blue and all points labeled red are big red flags if missing from a spell guide.

Concepts

Intent; a truth that is held by the caster, not desire.

Passion: a related emotional state that is channeled and felt during casting.

Gnosis: a singular point of unbroken focus, which becomes mores specific the more details it includes. Includes having enough presence to build up and channel all energies and emotions required.

Target: A specific target, not a broad generalization or area of effect that is too large to be conceptualized.

Means of actualization: a realisitc and probable path for the spell to follow in order to cause the desired outcome.

Path of least resistance: the combination of the target and means of actualization that, in combination, are the most efficient options.

Circumstance: the moment in time in which the spell is cast was chosen carefully with the path of least resistance in mind.

Theory: the underlaying properties of the magic employed do not attempt to break known physical laws, use defunct concepts such as the law of attraction, or rely too heavily on personal narratives.

Practice

Energy work: the energy work is clear, conscious, and is in no way reliant on visualization.

Nodes: all correspondences are unique and accurately relate to the purpose, target, and means of actualization of the spell.

Spirits: spirits involved (if any) have ample reason or purpose to act in concordance with or in aid of the spell.

Culture: the spell and it’s components do not involve aspects of traditions to which the caster has no claim and no thorough contextual understanding up.

Experimentation: the concepts, practices, and other aspects of the (final) spell have been tested thoroughly enough to determine how to best apply them.

Physicality: the use of tools, Sigils, incantations, etc do not interfere with or break the state of gnosis required for casting.

To be fair, very few spell guides include any of the following. However, I think it’d be prudent for the community to start doing so.

Recording

Logs: an accurate and detail log is taken about the working.

Guide: (applicable only to guides) the language used adequately relays all necessary information to reproduce the spell to some degree of precision.

Language: the language used accurately and precisely represents the concepts and practices that take place during the spell.

Verification

Perspective: the inclusion of possible mundane explanations for the outcome, such as (but not limited to) placebo, statistical inevitablity, and/or mental illness.

Divination: readings are done about the working as objectively as possible, from third party diviners without spoiling details of able.

Bias: all possible biases are noted and considered when reflecting on the outcome.

Witness: the testimony of all witnesses to the results include the weight of their personal biases in relation to the caster.

#resources #witchcraft #witchblr

[camthewitchyyoutuber]

Witch's Ladder (my version)

So... the way I did this was first to cut three equally long yarns and tie the first knot while making the loop where the ladder hangs on. I used the same yarn, because I didn't want to use other colours than this natural toned one. Then I braded the three yarns into one as you can see from the second photo.

Then I did the rest of the eight knots. Each time that I made a knot, I said the sentence from a chant that you can read from my earlier post here or from the information source here. After the knots I tied a little stone weight at the bottom of the ladder to keep it straight. Then I threaded the bird feathers through the yarn/knots. 9 knots, 9 feathers. And like so my Witch's Ladder was done :)

The bird feathers I had gathered from our own yard or found elsewhere. All of them I found on the ground, so no birds were hurt for this. I like to think that the birds are leaving their feathers as a gift for me to find. Now I could finally use them for my craftings :)

#this is gorgeous!! never thought to use feathers in a witch's ladder before #pretty #witchblr #witches on tumblr

[camthewitchyyoutuber]

I like the word “witchery” because of its linguistic similarity to “fuckery.” Witchcraft is fuckery; fuckery is witchcraft. They are inextricably connected in my mind and it makes me happy.

#witchblr #so real #witchy rambles

[camthewitchyyoutuber]

🎀 rose quartz heart 🎀

#love witch #rose quartz #crystals #witchblr

[camthewitchyyoutuber]

Faerie Witch Guide

Altar Items/Symbols/Decorations: Fae stars, Milk, Apples, Wildflowers, Mushrooms, Alcohol, Fairy Statues, Butterfly symbolism, Bee symbolism, Dried or fresh fruit, Fresh water, Plants, Bells, Bubbles, Non-plastic Glitter, Tree symbolism, Dancing, Four-leaf clovers, Nuts and seeds

What not to include on a Fae altar: Anything plastic or unnatural like plastic glitter (the fae hate littering), Chocolate (very dangerous for animals), Himalayan Salt (it gets its pink color from iron and iron repels fae), anything iron

Stones and Crystals: Pink tourmaline, Rose quartz, Aura quartz, Chrysoprase, Amethyst, Peridot, Opal (opalite), Tree agate, Moss agate, Dyed quartz, Holey stones, Goldstone, Copper, Honey calcite, Calcite (any)

Herbs and Plants: Rose, Lavender, Thyme, Chamomile, Blackberry, Apple, Clover, Elderberry, Violet, Bluebells, Lilac, Peony, St John’s Wort, Oak, Holly, Willow, Moss, Ferns, Dandelions, Berries, Heather

Deities: Brigid, Aine, Rhiannon, Lugh, Morrigan

Scents/Incense/Essential Oils: Bergamot, Lavender, Rose, Fir, Pine, Ylang Ylang, Geranium, Jasmine, Lemongrass, Strawberry, Violet, Gardenia, Grapefruit, Oakmoss, Tea tree

Natural Gateways (to the Fae realm): Rivers, Stone and Tree Arches, Lakes, Springs, Mountains, Old Trees, Wishing Wells, Hills, Wildflower Fields, Stone Circles, Flower Gardens, Rainbows, Clover Patches, Mushroom Circles

Fae Elements: Water, Earth, Air, Fire, Moon, Sun, Stars

Spells and Magic the Fae can help with: Cottage witchcraft, Kitchen witchery, Garden magic, Prosperity, Happiness, Elemental magic, Art, Life, Animals, Cannabis, Solar and Lunar energies, Nature magic, Air witchcraft, Fertility spells, Magic that doesn’t involve children

OFFERINGS

Milk

Honey

Anything small and shiny

Rings

Beads

Pretty Rocks and Crystals

Cream

Sweets (natural)

Cakes and Cookies

Clean Water

Fresh Fruit

Alcohol or Juice

Natural items

DEVOTIONAL ACTS

Clean up litter

Spend more time in nature, especially near natural gateways

Wear a floral perfume

Help animals whenever you can

Grow a Faerie garden

Study local fae

Stay hydrated with fruit-infused water, floral-infused water, or teas

Have an outdoor party or picnic to honor the fae

Make offerings regularly, especially when asking for  favors

Things going missing or suddenly lost is a sign that the Fae are near

Carry a sachet of, or wear a locket of rose quartz, thyme, st John’s wort, rose petals and lavender to attract fae and help you see them

Dance, Sing and make Art

FAE COURTS

This is only a small portion of known Fae courts, so please acknowledge that there’s far more than just this. Be careful with the Fae, and stay educated on them. 

Spring Court

Very cheerful faeries who celebrate life in all its forms. They are the most inclined to pull pranks, though these could potentially turn dangerous when they fail to realize how fragile non-fae are. They love flowers and spread happiness and joy. They enjoy dancing and prefer not to think about death at all, and the other courts often see them as naive. Polite, seductive and curious. 

Summer Court

Well-mannered and polite, though not as cheerful as the spring court. Not afraid of death, but wishes to enjoy life anyways. Smart, but not conceited. Will punish those who harm and insult them, but are not prone to kill or torture unless they’re absolutely furious. They prefer to respect life rather than take it away.

Autumn Court

Mysterious and strange yet very beautiful. They view death as a natural part of life, and do not understand the hate and fear surrounding it. They are not conceded, but do hold grudges when wronged. When disrespected, they become very cruel, often cursing or torturing those who fail to respect them for their own amusement. The autumn court, however, does give the best gifts and boons out of all the courts. When respected, they will show that courtesy right back. Those on their good side are very fortunate. 

Winter Court

Hearts of ice, both figuratively and literally. Expect death when dealing with them, as they do not care for life and only focus on decay. They are cruel, and proud of it. Threatening, dark and eerie. Hates mortal creatures, and thinks other courts are weak. They gain amusement from their own cruelty.

Seelie and Unseelie

The general idea is that Seelie are good, holy and pure. Unseelie are considered unholy, tainted and evil. Spring and Summer could be considered Seelie, while Autumn and Winter could be considered Unseelie. While these definitions seem blunt, the reality is not as clear-cut. Unseelie can be kind and take in mortals to provide for them (though they probably consider them “pets” more than anything), while Seelie can play evil pranks without realizing how harmful they can be, and they definitely won’t apologize for it. These terms are complicated, and every Fae is as unique as a snowflake. However, these definitions still might be useful for getting a general idea of how to interact with the Fair Folk.

FAERIE CONDUCT

Whatever you do, don’t be rude to them. Fae are old and powerful creatures, and will take revenge if hurt or insulted. Avoid being nosey when it comes to faerie business, be gracious when accepting gifts or blessings they give you, and never approach them with iron on your person. 

Do not lie, as fae can sense truth and will punish liars. Also remember to always keep your promises to them, they expect diligence in others.

Do not say sorry, thank you, or accept any gifts from them. This means you become in debt to the fae, and that is a very bad thing to be. Say “I appreciate this” or something like it instead. 

Do not give them your real name. That gives them power over you. You should give them a nickname, alias or title instead. 

Do not mention any children, infants or loved ones to them. The Fae love kids, but they have a tendency to steal them and put one of their own in their place. They will also cause misfortune upon your loved ones if mistreated, so it’s best not to mention them at all.

Do not provoke them or invade their space

Don’t call them “the fae” or “fairies” to their face. Say “fair folk” or “good neighbors” instead

Ask if something is a gift or a contract. If it’s a gift, it may be considered rude to not take it

Do not dance with them or accept food or drink from them. This usually ends with you dancing until you die, or being forever tied and abducted into the fae realm.

Mind your words. The Fae are masters of trickery, they’re naturally mischievous in nature. They take things very literally, and even if you don’t break any of these rules explicitly, they could misconstrue your words and mess up a request. Choose your words VERY carefully, especially when asking for help.

How to tell if Faeries are nearby:

Feeling warm tingles across your skin

Things go missing and reappear elsewhere in your home

You see things out the corner of your eyes

You find yourself wanting to participate in childish activities like swinging and skipping

Random floral scented breezes

You have a habit of bringing nature inside

You find yourself wanting to save insects instead of killing them when you find them inside

Faerie circles

You are followed by crows and ravens

Increased animal activity

Shimmers in the air

You hear mysterious giggling

You find large patches of clovers

Faerie Garden Ideas

Thyme is often used for Faerie communication

Heather marks the resting place of faeries

Alyssum is useful in faerie gardens

Buttercups, Columbines, Dianthus/Sweet William, Hollyhock, Jasmine, Peony, Primrose and Rosemary are associated with faeries and are known to invite them

Hawthorn is sacred to faeries, so don’t mess with Hawthorn trees

Hummingbirds and Rabbits are associated with Faeries, so having them in your garden is a good thing

NOTES

Many fae are not humanoid or traditionally “cute”. Do not be alarmed if you see one and it’s not what you expected

Most fae are much larger than you think too

If fae are in your house, they probably won’t hurt you. They likely believe it’s just as much their house as it is yours

Appliances will randomly stop working. Don’t worry about it

Do NOT hurt the spiders and bugs

They will interact with your pets and animals

Do not accept any items from Fae unless it’s explicitly stated to be a gift

If you write about your experiences with them, they may try and stop you. In which case you should stop, since you’re sharing too much about them

When it’s 3AM and you randomly feel bursts of energy, the desire to dance and be productive, you’ve been faeriestruck. This is normal

Play music with constant rhythms for them

Always thank plants when plucking flowers and leaves

Your fae will eventually learn things about you, especially if they live in your house. Do not panic

Befriend your fae or they will never stop bothering you. Just be careful

#fae witch #faery witchcraft #fair folk #faery magick

[camthewitchyyoutuber]

Stumbled upon a fae house today 💫🍄

[camthewitchyyoutuber]

Mini Introspective: Working with Selkies

🦭 Even if you’re already someone with an appreciation for the ocean or some sort of waterphiliac, working with selkies will still change your views on the large mass of water that covers our planet. Selkies are seafaring fae and as one might expect of the folk who turn into seals, it plays a big part of their life. Saying that the sea is the mother of all life isn’t an understatement. The sea is the lifeblood, especially for selkies who live half of their lives in their seal forms.

The sea shapes their culture, philosophies and supplies their food. At least for the selkies living in the traditional way at sea or on islands.

Any ocean-loving individual knows what it’s like after swimming in it. You feel cleansed and like you’ve been born again. After working with a pod of selkies so closely for several years, I can definitely say my yearning for it has increased.

So has my adaptability. I’ve always been pretty good at change, have been since I was younger but that doesn’t mean I don’t get frustrated when unwanted changes constantly occur in my life. But just as selkies easily slip back and forth between their forms, I just roll with it time and time again. Sometimes putting up a fight and struggle only makes things worse and you just have to roll out with the tide and see where you end up afterwards.

Selkies also throw one hell of a party lmao. 

#fae #fair folk #selkies #faery witchcraft

[camthewitchyyoutuber]

┊ ➶ ｡˚ "mighty aphrodite rising out of the sea foam" henry courtney selous (1803-1890)°

happy april 3, this is dedicated to aphrodite !! blessed be ♡

#aphrodite #aphrodite ourania #matron goddess #hellenic polythiest #hellenic pagan

[camthewitchyyoutuber]

witchcraft in the fairy garden 🌱 ♡ ༄ ✧ ･ﾟ

#i love mushrooms this is so vibes #also your tattoo <33 #witchblr #fair folk #fae witchcraft #fae witch #witchcraft #faery

[camthewitchyyoutuber]

so i've been connecting much more with aphrodite and dionysus lately...

(it took me so long to make their altar but lOOK HOW PRETTY IT IS!!)

#THIS IS IMMACULATE #aaaaaa this is so goals!! #incredible job i'm def using this as inspo with the colour combination <33 #also connecting with aphrodite & dio

[camthewitchyyoutuber]

athiest witch to hellenic polythiest

it’s been a while since i posted to this blog, but i’m happy to inform the lot of you that i’m still very into paganism + witchcraft after all these years & found a faith  i’m comfortable residing in!!

so far i’m really connected to aphrodite & made an altar for her, but really want to make altars for dionysus, persephone, & hecate soon!! here’s my altar for those interested!! also, if you’re an aphrodite/dionysus devotee (bonus points if also filipino/SEA/EA) & i’d love to connect with more of you <33

#hellenic pagan #hellenic polythiest #witchblr #personal post #life update lol #hellenic revivalist

[camthewitchyyoutuber]

Fae masterlist

- The Seelie court

- Unseelie Court

- Trooping and Solitary faeries

- Faerie etiquette

- Fae gifts

- Fearie offerings do/don’ts

- Signs of faeries

- Faerie abilities

- Faerie portals/pathways

Types of fae:

- Brownies

- Pixies

- Elves

- Merfolk

- Nymphs

- Flower Faeries

-  Rusalka

Fae other in Folklore:

-  Black Annis

#fae witch #witchblr #so informative

[camthewitchyyoutuber]

Signs of faeries

- Things dissapearing and reappearing

- Hearing music, bells, childs laughter from an unidentified source

- Animals suddenly trusing you more and coming near you more often

- Random floral scented breezes

- Being followed by crows or ravens

- Seeing things from the corner of your eye

- Large patches of 4 leaf clovers

- Fearie circles

[camthewitchyyoutuber]

You don't have to be formal and revere every single entity. Thinking so is a (toxic) Christian mindset.

So if you've ever been on witchtok, I'm sure you've seen at least a few of the many videos of practitioners making dramatized skits of interactions that they've had with their deities and/or the entities they work with.

Many of these are funny and light-hearted or endearing and loving. We see ppl sharing jokes and laughs with Apollon and we get to hear all the nicknames that Archangel Uriel gave to 23 year old Zoe. It's cute and it's fun.

But there's always at least one person that stitches one of these skits, swearing up and down that this is disrespectful and that this never happened.

"The gods aren't ur fucking besties. Ur a human, they're a god. They're not gonna waste their time on stupid thing with you. No, Aphrodite did not help you pick ur outfit. No, Loki did not ask you to get him Mt Dew from the store. No, Hermes did not call you sweet strawberry. That's stupid and they have better things to do with their time. Ur relationship with the gods should be formal and professional. You should revere them with great fear. Ur an ant to them. You should feel honored that they even looked ur way. So stfu with all of this. Ur just experiencing spiritual psychosis".

Now I will not deny the fact that there are some entities that you can't have a casual relationship. There are entities out there that demand reference. Where they demand that you bow down and fear them. That you address them formally and mind ur P's and Q's and not even think of stepping even a hair out of line.

But there are also entities that are more than willing to have casual relationships with their devotees.

Maybe Aphrodite did help Sally pick her outfit today. Bc she's the goddess of beauty and she wants her devotee to feel pretty when she goes to get milk, eggs, and bread from the store today.

How would you know if she did or didn't help her devotee get dressed up? It's not ur place to say whether it happened or not. It's not ur place to place limits on the gods or to speak for them. It's not ur place to judge another persons relationship with their deity. And it's especially not ur place to decide who is and who isn't experiencing spiritual psychosis or not.

I call The Morrìgan my mother. There have been countless times where we've had playful banter. She tells me to go take a shower and I say, "bitch no, make me". Does she smite me bc I, a mere lowly mortal called her, a powerful goddess, bitch? No. She simply stares at me with that "you wanna test me?" mom look and I scurry on my way with a groan and a "fiiiiiiine" and then we laugh about it.

The idea that we must be formal with the gods no matter what and revere them to the point where we fear them is a toxic Christian mindset.

I grew up in a extremely Christian household most my life. I was taught to revere God and fear his almighty power. Bc I was a tiny human. I did not deserve to be in his presence. I was lucky to be loved by the king of all creation. I was luck to have the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, see me as on of her own. I should be trembling at her power, bc she could smite me at anytime for anything.

This is a very common mindset within the Christian community, especially with more mainstream sects. So to see this in pagan and witchy circles can be a bit disheartening and even infuriating.

Many ppl leave Christianity and join paganism to get away from Christianity and to finally find freedom and joy. But if you left Christianity but then edited ur Christian views to be pagan. Then dear you never left Christianity. You simply repainted the walls.

And I get it. Decolonizing ur path can be very hard. It's a long road full of shadow work, tears, anger, and much more. And that can be scary. But don't say you moved houses when you only changed the decor within ur home.

I think I've said everything I want to say. So I'll finish this post by saying, don't judge other ppls relationships or journeys. Revering and fearing the gods may work for you and feel right to you, but that doesn't mean that everyone is gonna feel comfortable walking the same road that you do. So either be polite or kindly stfu.

[camthewitchyyoutuber]

I had a dream last night I danced and sung at the edge of the woods - and that the forest sang back.

[camthewitchyyoutuber]

Advice for the Beginner: Start with the herbs you know

On the surface this may seem like an obvious piece of advice, but I think it’s one that’s maybe not emphasized as much as it could be. Venturing into witchcraft circles introduces you to all kinds of new ideas, and some of those ideas are directly related to interesting new plants that people haven’t heard of before, and that can lead to the kind of impulse buying that a lot of more experienced practitioners advise against. It’s not just the crystals and alter statues and fancy tools that can lead to materialistic spiritualism, it’s rare herbs as well. Frankly any material item that’s mentioned in various spellbooks can lead to this. Spellbooks themselves can lead to this. Which is circling around back to my point of starting with what you already know, especially before you buy anything.

We’ve all seen the posts about buying herbs in the grocery store, but what those posts may or may not make clear is that what’s at the grocery store, and even what’s already in one’s pantry can be full of magical possibilities. 

And when I say start with the herbs you know, I don’t just mean start with the herbs you’ve heard of before. I mean start with the herbs you use on a regular basis. If most of what you use is salt and black pepper, start with those. If you use things like garlic and parsley in your cooking, start with those. If you like cumin, ginger, cayenne pepper, chili powder, etc. etc. etc., start with those herbs. If you tend to use things like taco seasoning or Italian seasoning, look at the ingredients list to find out what herbs are in it, and start with those. Think about the teas you drink and find out what herbs are in those. If you don’t cook and don’t drink tea, start with salt and pepper and whatever else you use to season your food as you’re eating it. 

Once you’ve identified what herbs you’ve actually worked with in the kitchen (or just at the table), start by thinking about what those herbs mean to you personally. What kind of flavors do they have? Is it something like chili powder that’s “hot”? Is it something like peppermint that’s “cool”? What kind of memories do you associate with that herb and its flavor? Write those thoughts down. 

After you’ve thought about the herb in relation to you specifically, look up what it’s corresponded or associated with. Don’t go with just one source for the information, use a few different ones. Focus on the correspondences or associations that make sense to you. (See this post on what I think about personal correspondences) If you see something linking salt to purifying, and that makes sense to you, write it down. If you see something about rosemary being protective, and that makes no sense to you whatsoever, you can still write it down, but you don’t have to use rosemary for protection. 

This touches on another aspect of why figuring out your personal correspondences for things is important: if you don’t know why you’re using something in a spell, that can allow room for doubt, and that’s going to affect the results of said spell. So when you’re researching correspondences, really dig into the whys and hows of the associations. Roses are associated with love because of the blossoms, but they’re associated with protection because of the thorns. See if you can make those kinds of connections.

But going back to my main point once again, in my opinion and experience, it is far easier to incorporate herbs you already know through cooking into spell work than it is to start working with a plant you only know about because you read about it in a spellbook or saw it listed in a spell recipe on instagram. So start by learning the correspondences and associations of the herbs you know before you start looking into the ones you’ve only just learned about.