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Women in STEM (sorcery, thaumaturgy, enchantment, magic)

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your body deserves respect in its current form, whatever that form is. it deserves love and care and softness and food and fresh air and comfortable clothing, now. not once you’ve lost 10 pounds. not once you’ve cleared your skin. not once you’ve attained whatever body goal you’ve convinced yourself will bring you body confidence and happiness. you deserve comfort, NOW. 

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Invoking Freyja

“Hail to thee, Freya, Queen of the Aesir, Queen of Vanir, fair Lady of Álfheim. Mistress of magic, Mother of Midgard; By the sovereign power of seithr And strength of Brísingamen Lend me your insight in this my rite. Freya! Great Goddess! Thee I call, thee I invoke! Surround me in your feathered cloak That I may see through the nine worlds From the roots to the trunk to the tips Of the holy tree. Freya, gift your secrets to me! Freya! Thee I call, thee I invoke: By wheel of wagon and cat’s light paw, On wings of falcon, from dark veins of soil, By day’s golden light and night’s black toil. Come, Queen of All, into this circle And bless the casting that is to be performed.”

— Nordic Runes, Paul Rhys Montfort

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hey! i find it super interesting how you work with brigit, i'm irish and i grew up knowing about her way before i got into witchcraft. do you know how i could learn more about her? also how do you work with her? just curious you don't have to answer! thanks so much

Hiii! Yes, she’s a fantastic deity to work with especially if love learning, healing and art of any sort! Luckily she is one of the more popular Irish/Celtic deities so there are a lot of online resources such as videos, podcasts, articles as well as books that talk about her. I have a dad who is from Ireland so I grew up learning about her as St. Brigid and those stories draw a lot of parallels as to what she’s like as a goddess. I’ve always been drawn to her as a deity in both her pagan and Christian form and decided to start working with her because I have an interest in celtic culture, healing and medicine. I see Brigid not only as a deity but as a teacher and she guides me on my path of healing myself as well as becoming a healer. My work with her consists of honoring her through devotional acts and asking for/ receiving advice through meditation, prayer, divination, clairaudience, etc. I do have an altar for her that is currently in the works of being set up! I suggest watching this video just to get a good overview of what she’s like.

https://youtu.be/6a6fXRB0Jw0

I also have this post I have made talking about her https://moon-lightfaerie.tumblr.com/post/190059962749/in-irish-mythology-brigid-is-the-daughter-of-the

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Look, yall, I try not to take overly hard stances on practices that aren't mine, but i have my limits.

You can't hex the moon and expect anything to happen. It's a moon. What are you going to do, give it bad luck? What are you even trying to accomplish? What makes you think your marshmallow gun of a hex is going to even cause a DENT in the energy of a celestial body?

In that same vein, a hex isn't going to hurt a deity. At all. It's a DEITY. Thinking you can beat them at a magic fight is the definjtion of hubris, and also it's a DEITY, what are you thinking/how can you POSSIBLY be that disrespectful, at the very least towards their followers.

A deity isn't gonna come "get" you for getting so into the image and performance of witchcraft that you lose touch with reality. Everything going on in witchtok right now is the sign of a SERIOUS issue with discernment. This is what happens when we dont set boundaries for ourselves and believe everything that's put in front of us.

Deities have been through worse than a bunch of teens thinking they can hex the moon. There have been wars, oppressive regimes, and genocide over the way people worship. There have been people claiming they ARE deities and forming cults. This is nothing. This is so small. Lets not all get in a tizzy about it

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Localizing Your Practice

So much witchcraft emphasizes how important it is to honor and work with the Earth, but then teaches us spells with ingredients we basically have to import using locations we don’t have access to. It’s rare to find an existing grimoire or guide book that actually works with where we live. We can still use them, but it doesn’t enhance our connection to our local land, which to many can feel important. Here are some tips for localizing your practice and working with the land you actually live on.

See what nature exists around you. Explore your own backyard with a critical eye. What plants can you actually go and pick yourself? What are those plants associated with? Do you have access to a creek or river? What does your local land actually have on it? If magic correspondences for your local plants haven’t been written about, you may have to do your own research. Example: I grow several plants on my back porch which I can potentially use for magic.There are magnolia trees and rhodedendrons on the grounds of my apartment complex. My parent’s neighbors have chickens in the backyard, so I have access to some feathers when they shed. 

Check out local folklore, legends, etc. This is one of my favorite parts, but can also be the hardest. What are the stories of your area, both on a local and cultural scale. Example: A West Virginian may incorporate legends of the Mothman. Everyone says that one building on my old college campus is haunted (and they’re right.) People talk about that liminal-space feeling when you drive down that one road at night.

Find the magic spots. Sometimes the urban legends will tip you off to these (usually in a bad way) but other times you can find them on your own. A place where the energy is just right for some reason. A place you can go to be closer to nature, or a place you could host a ritual if needed. Sometimes it’s just a place where you can feel your mind open a little bit. Example: The shady corner of a public park. The tunnel downtown. That weirdly-perfect circle of trees in the woods behind Wal-Mart.

Meet your land wights. Spirits of the local land. This could be the fair folk, but also house spirits, the spirits of the trees near you, the nature spirits of wherever you are. They’re there. Be good to them and they’ll be good to you! Note: Some spirits and wights will not be interested in working with you, and that’s okay. I generally think it’s good to at least leave a polite offering to just be on general decent terms even if you never work with them more directly beyond that. 

Check in with your Seasons. Harvest holidays generally don’t have actual lifestyle importance to most people reading this. The seasonal shifts other people write about may be from a very different climate than yours! Figure out a calendar that works for you. It doesn’t have to be detailed, but something that ties you to the seasons as you actually experience them. I also love working in any fun annual festivals nearby, if any.

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Intro to Spirit Work

Throughout history those who practice magic have had a close connection to the spirit world, from fairy doctors who were said to learn their craft from the fae, to ceremonial magicians invoking angels and demons, to witches working with familiar spirits. To practice magic is to open yourself to this connection and to become aware of a whole new world of intelligent beings.

In modern Western culture, there’s a lot of fear around working with spirits. There are countless horror stories about malevolent hauntings, seances gone wrong, and violent possessions. It’s easy to see why many new witches are reluctant to work with spirits.

Ironically, in most other times and places, the spirit world was and is accepted as a normal part of life. All over the world, since before recorded history, people have honored their ancestors, left offerings for local land spirits, and built relationships with deities. We’re actually the weirdos for not having a healthy relationship with the spirits around us.

I personally have found working with spirits to be incredibly rewarding, and being aware of the spirits around me adds a lot of depth to my spiritual practice and my witchcraft. As long as you do your research, keep your wits about you, and are polite, you have nothing to fear and everything to gain from working with spirits.

Some Philosophy Terms

Animism: defined by Merriam-Webster as “attribution of conscious life to objects in and phenomena of nature or to inanimate objects.” An animist believes that all things have a spirit, from animals and plants to rocks and even man-made objects. Animism is a big part of many magical practices, especially in folk magic. It’s also a part of several modern religions, including Shinto and Anito. I personally am an animist, and my magic includes connecting with the spirits of the plants, crystals, and objects I work with.

Pantheism: defined by Merriam-Webster as “a doctrine that equates God with the forces and laws of the universe.” A pantheist believes that the physical world is the Divine. Whereas an animist believes that all things have their own spirit, a pantheist believes that the entire world shares a single, divine spirit. Many Wiccans are pantheists, and in some cases pantheism can coexist with animism (all things are both individual spirits and part of the divine whole).

Panentheism: defined by Merriam-Webster as “the doctrine that God includes the world as a part though not the whole of his being.” A panentheist believes that the world is a part of the divine, but that there is also a part of the divine that exists beyond the physical world. Some Christian groups are panentheists. Another example of panentheism is ancient Egyptian religion, where natural objects like the sky and the sun were seen as the bodies (but not the souls) of the gods.

Which of these philosophies you resonate with will shape how you interact with spirits and the spirit world.

Types of Spirits

This is not by any means an exhaustive list, but here are some of the types of spirits witches commonly encounter or work with:

Ancestors: deceased human spirits, especially those with a familial link to you. Ancestor veneration is a huge part of some magic systems, as well as many religions. Some witches ask their ancestors for help in every single spell or ritual, while others honor their ancestors on certain days, like on Samhain or on a deceased loved one’s birthday. Honoring the ancestors is a good place to start with spirit work because they already have a connection to you and are more likely to be willing to help you. However, working with ancestors can be difficult if you don’t know your family’s history or if you don’t feel close to your family. As author Aaron Oberon says, “Sometimes ancestor work is undoing the blocks our ancestors have built.”

To begin connecting with your ancestors, start by researching your family history. Ask your living relatives about their parents and grandparents. Try your hand at genealogy research and see how far back you can trace your family. If you feel called to do so, you can create a special altar to honor your ancestors. Light candles and leave out offerings of food that your ancestors enjoyed while they were alive.

Land Spirits: spirits that embody and are connected to a natural object or landmark. There are many, many types of land spirits, from individual tree and plant spirits to the spirits of great mountains and rivers. Some land spirits are even worshiped as gods – like Hapi, the Egyptian god of the Nile. Some modern witches even choose to recognize cryptids like Mothman or the Jersey Devil as land spirits! Working with your local land spirits can help you develop a deeper connection to your environment and can make your magic feel more localized and personal.

To begin connecting with land spirits, start by learning about the biology and folklore of your local area. Offerings for land spirits are usually left outside, so be sure to offer things that won’t harm local wildlife. Wild bird seed, fresh fruit, and unsalted peanuts are a few examples of safe offerings.

Spirits of Place: spirits tied to a specific building or location. Unlike land spirits, these beings aren’t always connected to a natural feature. Houses and other buildings can have their own spirits that embody the energy of that place. In Germanic folklore, these spirits are called house wights or husvaettir, and in English folklore they’re called brownies. For people who grew up in non-animist cultures, it can feel strange to leave offerings for the spirit of a man-made building, but there’s a long history of these types of spirits being honored all over the world. I personally see house wights as being similar to land spirits.

If you want to begin connecting with the spirits of your home, start by greeting them by name and leaving out an offering for them. Establishing a relationship with the spirits of your living space can help you create a more harmonious and productive home. Traditional offerings for house wights include dishes of cream, grain-based porridge (like oatmeal or grits), and clean water.

Animal Spirits: the spirit of a specific animal, the archetypal Spirit (with a capital “S”) of an entire species of animal, or an individual spirit that appears as an animal. The concept of animal spirits that act as protectors and guides is found in many cultures, especially those with shamanic traditions. In Norse mythology, fylgjur were protector spirits who often appeared as animals. In British Traditional Witchcraft, witches work with familiar spirits that often take on animal forms. It’s worth noting that the terms “spirit animal” and “totem animal” come from Native American spiritual traditions and should not be used by people who don’t belong to those cultures. The concept of animal guides exists in other cultures, so there’s no reason to appropriate indigenous words and ideas. In my experience, animal spirits are often friendly and easy to connect with, so this is a good place to start for witches who are new to spirit work.

If you’d like to work with animal spirits, you can begin by connecting to the animals that are local to your area. You may feel called to bring a part of the animal you’re connecting with into your sacred space – for example, I keep crow feathers on my altar. Offerings depend on the type of animal spirit you’re connecting to – some require only fresh water, while some traditions state that familiars should be fed with blood (not human). Use your intuition to choose what works for you.

Fairies: fairies are a specific kind of land spirit, and most fairy lore is based on mythology and folklore from the British Isles. Fairies have a reputation in modern pop culture as being sweet, friendly creatures – some authors even compare them to angels! However, I think it’s important to remember that historically, fairies were known for being mischievous and sometimes dangerous. In folklore, fairies are less Tinkerbell and more Spiderwick Chronicles. As author Morgan Daimler says, “They can be cruel and vicious, or generous and kind. Some of them are helpful. Some are indifferent. And some of them think we make a very tasty meal indeed.” For this reason, fairies should be approached with caution.

If you want to honor the fairies in your practice, I recommend checking out Morgan Daimler’s books – they have several on this subject that are both easy to read and well-researched. There are a lot of rules for working with fairies, such as not telling them your full name and not saying “thank you” to a fairy, so this is one type of spirit that you should definitely research before beginning to work with them.

Angels: divine messengers; spirits of love and light that come from the Divine and have no physical form. Strictly speaking, “angel” refers to a messenger of the Abrahamic God, but there are other spirits from other religious traditions that fill a similar role. Angels and similar spirits embody divine love, and as such they are both incredibly powerful and incredibly supportive. Because of their loving nature, working with angels is a good place to start spirit work. Some witches who have had negative experiences with Christianity, Judaism, or Islam may feel uncomfortable working with angels. I have personally found that angels don’t really care how you identify in terms of religion, and have had good experiences with Christian angels even though I identify as pagan. However, your experiences may be different, so please don’t do anything that makes you uncomfortable!

There are a lot of bad resources floating around the Internet when it comes to angels. If you’re interested in working with them, I recommend Chantel Lysette’s books Azrael Loves Chocolate and The Angel Code. There’s also a YouTube channel called Ask Angels with Melanie Beckler – I don’t agree with 100% of her ideas, but it’s a decent free resource. Offerings to angels are typically non-physical, like the light from a candle or the smoke from incense.

Demons: spirits of mischief, strife, and/or evil with no physical form. In Western culture, we associate the word “demon” with Christianity, but demons appear in many other religions, including Hinduism and Kemetic paganism. I personally define “demon” as a spirit who: 1.) is not and never was human, and 2.) is antagonistic towards humans. Most witches only deal with demons when they’re trying to get rid of one. However, there are some magic traditions, such as Goetic Magic, that call on demons in magical rituals. Let me just say this: in my experience, there are very few reasons why someone would want to work with a demon, and doing so is as dangerous for the person doing the summoning as it is for the intended victim. I definitely recommend that new witches stay away from these spirits. (But it should be noted that demons are not the same thing as dark deities!)

If you need to get rid of a demon, sulfur is used in American traditions to banish them. (It may also banish helpful spirits, so keep that in mind.) Blessed water is used to repel demons in several cultures. You can also call on an angel or deity for protection.

Deities: powerful, divine spirits who are worshiped as gods. Deities vary a lot from culture to culture, and each deity has their own personality, moral code, and mannerisms. I have found working with deities to be very fulfilling, as deities allow us to put a human face on the Divine. It’s much easier to form a relationship with, say, Odin than it is with an abstract divine force, at least in my experience. Aside from spiritually fulfilling relationships, deities can also be powerful allies in magic. It’s worth noting that very few deities are 100% good or 100% bad – they’re more nuanced than that. Just like anyone else, deities have strengths and weaknesses. (Yes, even the Abrahamic God. Read the Old Testament sometime and tell me God doesn’t have flaws.)

If you are interested in working with deities, start by doing research into the pantheons you feel drawn to. Were you obsessed with Greek mythology as a kid? (Or Norse? Or Egyptian? Or any other culture?) Read up on it! Find out how those deities were worshiped historically, and use that as a starting point for building your own practice. Offerings for deities vary from culture to culture, but I’ve found that fresh, clean water seems to be pretty much universally accepted.

This post ended up just being a whole lot of vocab, but I wanted to get some definitions straight before I start writing about how to connect with the spirit world. In my next post, I’ll talk about how to introduce yourself to different types of spirits and etiquette for maintaining a healthy relationship!

Resources:

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

A Practical Heathen’s Guide to Asatru by Patricia M. Lafayllve

Where the Hawthorn Grows by Morgan Daimler

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham

Temple of the Cosmos by Jeremy Naydler

Azrael Loves Chocolate, Michael’s A Jock: An Insider’s Guide to What Your Angels Are Really Like by Chantel Lysette

#spirit work

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dior autumn-winter 2o2o-2o21 haute couture, dir. matteo garrone .

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anybody have tips for successful cord cutting spells? 

#healing #witchcraft #cord cutting

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do you have any tips/methods for grounding, cleansing and warding? both your space and yourself? ❤️🌸

Hi sorry it took so long for me to get to this!!

Grounding:

sit and hold a piece of hematite (this helps a lot when I’m super anxious)

focus on breathing then bring attention to what’s going on around you (sight, smell, taste, sound, etc), this brings you back to reality

visualize a cord or roots growing from your body and into the earth, see all the excess energy flowing into the ground and becoming neutralized 

walk barefoot in the grass, this technique is called earthing where you feel the earth around you

Cleansing

sound, using a singing bowl, chime or high frequency music to clear your aura and space (i play this when cleaning my personal space) 

smoke, burning a cleansing incense such as rosemary, wafting the smoke around your room and yourself

water, it’s a very cleansing element so by taking a shower or bath can wash away negative energy or sitting by/swimming in a lake or river

magic sprays, making one out of moon water, florida water, essentials oils and crystals and spraying it around you and your space can cleanse

crystal points, to cleanse and re-energize my body I like to sit with two crystal points set in my hands like this 

Warding/ Protection

multiple layers, for ultimate protection try to have multiple forms of protection up (energetic, physical, talismans, crystals, prayer)

talismans, I wear pieces of jewellery that have protective symbols on them and are charmed for protection such as Brigid’s cross, evil eye, triquetra, pentacle, etc.

crystals, carry black crystals with you or set them around your space, crystals like black tourmaline, obsidian, smoky quartz or hematite have strong protective and grounding properties, crystals such as selenite, quartz or moonstone are also good for protection.

sigils/protective symbols, set up or draw some sigils/symbols around your room or on you; they can be disguised as makeup,paintings or other forms of decorations, another example could be to draw symbols on your walls or doorways using moon water although this process must be repeated every so often because it isn’t permanent.

energetic barriers, visualize a strong but flexible wall or dome of energy surrounding yourself/ your personal space; choose what colour the energy is based off preference or correspondence (ex. white for divine protection, mirror-like for reflecting unwanted energy)

salt, lay down lines of salt on window sills or doorways to create barriers, carry a sachet of salt with your, cast circles with salt. I find this method is a bit messy and the salt needs to be replaced every so often.

spell jars/sachets, make a jar or sachet filled with protective herbs, salts, crystals and sigils, carry with you or hang over doorways.

#basic witchcraft #witchy tips #protection #warding #grounding #cleansing #energy work

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1. Deer in a forest landscape, 1870, by Gustave Doré. 2. Spirit of the Night, by John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893).

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Everyone who says that Hozier and Florence are Hades and Persephone, you are wrong. Clearly Hozier is a man who has sworn his servitude to the Morrighan as a Revenant while Florence is an Arch Druid that follows the Dagda. Both walk along the edge of the mortal coil, but on opposing sides. So close, yet so far from one another.

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☁️Dream witch tip:

Sea sand is amazing for dream work. Keep a jar of sea sand (dream dust) next to your bed to protect against nightmares and help guide your dreams ⛱

**add rosemary to help remember your dreams

*** add citrine for an extra anti-nightmare boost

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✨Ways to deal with Headaches/Migraines ✨

~As a witch 🌙

As a witch who deals with migraines, I found some ways that help ease the pain.

#1 Rule- take your medication, pain killers or whatever is prescribed to you. Although these alternatives can help they don’t always make the pain go away completely.

✨Hold onto crystals like Lapis Lazuli, Amethyst, Blue Calcite, Jet, Sugilite and Amber to ease tension and discomfort. I believe I heard having a circular piece of copper and placing it on your head helps the pain.

✨Placing peppermint, rosemary, eucalyptus or lavender oil (diluted in carrier) on your temples soothes pain.

✨Not super witchy but keep a journal of when your headache occurs and what you ate or did before the attack. I found my migraines usually occur around the full moon, eclipse, equinoxes and solstices. This can help you figure out your triggers and times so you can take the proper precautions.

✨Hot baths or showers with the oils above help relieve tension in the head. I’ve learnt not to put cold cloths but hot compresses on my head during a migraine since it relieves tension. But whatever works for you.

✨If I have a minor migraine where I can still function and not hyper sensitive to light or sound, I get outside and breathe in some fresh air and get away from electronics and loud sounds.

✨Grounding and cleansing can do a great deal of good especially if your headaches are caused by stress, emotional drainage or picking up on other people’s energies.

✨And finally if you work with deities (especially those related to healing) pray to them. They are more than glad to help. Praying can also help take your mind off of the pain.

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They’re bringing ghibli movies to Canadian Netflix on June 25th!!! Finally ;))

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1. Two girls don traditional wreaths near a bonfire during Ivan Kupala Night celebrations, outside the small town of Turov, Belarus, on July 6, 2016 # Sergei Gapon / AFP / Getty.

2. People celebrate the Slavic pagan holiday of Ivan Kupala outside Novokuznetsk, Russia, on July 6, 2011 # Yaroslav Belyaev / AP.