mrsunstone

[mrsunstone]

Crystal Correspondences🌙

🔮Abundance

Agate, calcite, citrine, diamond, dolomite, garnet, jade, moonstone, peridot, rose quartz, smoky quartz, tourmaline, zircon

🔮Activate Energy

Amethyst, calcite, emerald, fluorite, labradorite, opal, pearl, peridot, quartz, tourmaline, zircon, kyanite

🔮Anxiety

Angelite, celestine, cuprite, hematite, jasper, serpentine, tigers-eye

🔮Astral Travel

Opal, sapphire, staurolite, quartz, hematite, barite, carnelian, fluorite

🔮Awareness

amethyst, ametrine, cats-eye, moldavite, obsidian, opal, quartz, smoky quartz, sodalite, topaz

🔮Animals (to work with)

Agate, cats-eye, diopside, hawks-Eye, jasper, labradorite, serpentine, tigers-eye

🔮Balancing

Agate, ametrine, apophyllite, aragonite, desert rose, tourmaline, opal, pearl, quartz, garnet, obsidian

🔮Banishing

Aquamarine, beryl, bloodstone, malachite, quartz, salt

🔮Binding

Diamond, jasper, jet, lodestone, obsidian, onyx, salt, sard

🔮Business and Employment

Bloodstone, emerald, malachite, tigers-eye

🔮To Calm and Soothe

Amber, amethyst, ametrine, aventurine, beryl, blue lace agate, garnet, hematite, moonstone, opal, rhodonite rose quartz, selenite, sodalite, topaz

🔮Challenges / Difficulties

Azurite, carnelian, diamond, lodestone, malachite, pearl, rhodonite, sard, onyx, smoky quartz

🔮Changes / Transitions

Amber, andalusite, amethyst, aventurine, blue lace agate, citrine, garnet, jasper, kyanite, white quartz

🔮Clarity

Amber, aventurine, aquamarine, beryl, diamond, hawks-eye, hematite, obsidian, onyx, sodalite, topaz, tourmaline, turquoise

🔮Communication

Amazonite, amethyst, angelite, aquamarine, azurite, calcite, carnelian, fluorite, garnet, malachite, quartz, topaz

🔮Compassion

Aventurine, celestine, cuprite, dolomite, howlite, jasper, rose quartz

🔮Confidence

Agate, Aragonite, bloodstone, blue lace agate, calcite, carnelian, diamond, garnet, labradorite, lodestone, onyx, tigers-eye, tourmaline

🔮Courage

Agate, aventurine, beryl, calcite, carnelian, diamond, garnet, jade, jasper, labradorite, lapis lazuli, ruby, sard, onyx, tourmaline

🔮Creativity

Agate, amber, amethyst, aquamarine, aventurine, calcite, garnet, howlite, smoky quartz, staurolite, tigers-eye, tourmaline, white quartz

🔮To Avoid Danger

Agate, malachite, obsidian, sard, tigers-eye, topaz

🔮Death / Ancestors / Afterlife

Amber, amazonite, carnelian, hematite, jade, jet, lapis lazuli, malachite, obsidian, petrified wood

🔮Divination

Amethyst, bloodstone, fluorite, hematite, jasper, jet, moonstone, obsidian, pyrite, quartz, tigers-eye

🔮Dreamwork

Amethyst, rose quartz, desert rose, diamond, onyx, sapphire, selenite

🔮Fear (to subdue)

Blue lace agate, calcite, dolomite, onyx, ruby, sapphire, sodalite

🔮Fertility

Carnelian, diamond, garnet, jade, jasper, moonstone, pearl, rhodonite, sapphire, topaz

🔮Fidelity

Diamond, garnet, lapis lazuli, rhodochrosite, sapphire, topaz

🔮Focus / Concentration

Amazonite, amethyst, ametrine, andalusite, beryl, fluorite, garnet, jasper, kyanite, lepidolite, obsidian

🔮Forgiveness

Angelite, chrysoberyl, diopside, lodestone, obsidian

🔮Friendship

Aventurine, blue lace agate, garnet, lapis lazuli, lodestone, moonstone, rose quartz

🔮Grief / Sorrow (to deal with)

Amber, apatite, aquamarine, carnelian, dolomite, hiddenite, jet, lapis lazuli, malachite, rose quartz, smoky quartz

🔮Ground and Center Energy

Agate, amazonite, amethyst, blue lace agate, calcite, garnet, hematite, lodestone, obsidian, petrified wood, quartz, tourmaline

🔮Growth

Agate, ametrine, amethyst, azurite, beryl, calcite, cats-eye, celestine, charoite, citrine, jade, jasper, onyx, opal, peridot, ruby, serpentine, tourmaline

🔮Guidance

Amethyst, ametrine, aquamarine, aragonite, beryl, calcite, jade, kyanite, lodestone, malachite, moonstone, pearl, sodalite, onyx, tourmaline

🔮Healing

Agate, amber, amethyst, ametrine, aquamarine apatite, blue lace agate, beryl, bloodstone, calcite, celestine, danburite, diamond, fluorite, garnet, hawks-eye, hematite, jasper, jet, lapis lazuli, moonstone, peridot, rose quartz, ruby, sapphire, sugilite, sunstone, tourmaline, white quartz, zircon

🔮Heartbreak (to recover from)

Aventurine, beryl, calcite, lapis lazuli, rhodonite, rose quartz

🔮Hexes (to avoid/break)

Emerald, jasper, jet, onyx, quartz, ruby, salt

🔮Home/Family

Agate, amazonite, apatite, blue lace agate, celestine, citrine, garnet, lodestone, malachite, quartz, salt, smoky quartz, staurolite, topaz, turquoise, zircon

🔮Insight

Agate, amber, cats-eye, jasper, moldavite, opal, sodalite, spinel, topaz, tourmaline

🔮Inspiration

Amethyst, aquamarine, calcite, carnelian, quartz, jade, labradorite, quartz, ruby, selenite, serpentine, tigers-eye, topaz, tourmaline, white quartz, zircon

🔮Intuition

Agate, amazonite, amethyst, aragonite, azurite, calcite, tigers-eye, labradorite, fluorite, moonstone, pyrite, ruby, sapphire, sard, sodalite, turquoise

🔮Justice/Legal Matters

Amethyst, aventurine, bloodstone, diamond, hematite, jade, jet, lapis lazuli, sapphire, selenite, tourmaline

🔮Knowledge/Learning

Apatite, apophyllite, beryl, cats-eye, charoite, epidote, garnet, sodalite, tigers-eye, tourmaline

Loss (to deal with) Ametrine, aquamarine, garnet, hiddenite, malachite, moldavite, rose quartz, smoky quartz, topaz

🔮Love/Romance

Agate, alexandrite, amethyst, beryl, apatite, aquamarine, calcite, chrysocolla, calcite, desert rose, diamond, emerald, epidote, garnet, jade, jasper, kunzite, lapis lazuli, moonstone, opal, pearl, rose quartz, ruby, sapphire, sard, onyx, selenite, tourmaline, zircon

🔮Luck

Agate, alexandrite, amazonite, aventurine, bloodstone, cats-eye, citrine, diamond, jade, jasper, jet, lodestone, malachite, obsidian, opal, pearl, sard, onyx, smoky quartz, staurolite, sunstone, tigers-eye

🔮Manifestation

Amber, amethyst, andalusite, blue lace agate, calcite, citrine, garnet, hematite, lepidolite, onyx, pyrite, tourmaline, sard

🔮Marriage

Aquamarine, beryl, lodestone, onyx, rose quartz, sard, onyx

🔮Money

Agate, aventurine, bloodstone, calcite, jasper, lodestone, malachite, opal, pearl, pyrite, staurolite, tigers-eye, tourmaline, topaz

🔮Motivation

Amber, calcite, celestine, fluorite, labradorite, serpentine, zircon

🔮Negativity (to dispel/avert/protection from)

Amazonite, ametrine, azurite, carnelian, charoite, dolomite, epidote, garnet, hawks-eye, hematite, hiddenite, jade, jasper, kunzite, lepidolite, malachite, obsidian, onyx, peridot, quartz, rose quartz, ruby, salt, selenite, smoky quartz, tourmaline, turquoise

🔮Nightmares (to ward off/subdue)

Chrysoprase, garnet, jet, lepidolite, onyx, sapphire, topaz

🔮Obstacles (to overcome)

Agate, azurite, barite, bloodstone, diamond, epidote, fluorite, malachite, moonstone, obsidian, opal. petrified wood, quartz, smoky quartz, tourmaline

🔮Optimism

Agate, beryl, cats-eye, chrysoberyl, citrine, dolomite, jasper, sunstone

🔮Past Life Work

Andalusite, cuprite, desert rose, howlite, petrified wood, white quartz

🔮Peace/Tranquility

Amethyst, aquamarine, blue lace agate, celestine, desert rose, jade, jasper, kunzite, lapis lazuli, larimar, malachite, obsidian, pearl, peridot, sard, selenite, sodalite, sugilite, topaz, tourmaline

🔮Prosperity/Abundance

Agate, alexandrite, aventurine, cats-eye, calcite, diamond, dioptase, emerald, jade, jasper, malachite, opal, peridot, ruby, spinel, tigers-eye, tourmaline

🔮Protection/Defence

Agate, amber, amethyst, andalusite, angelite, aquamarine, aventurine, calcite, carnelian, cats-eye, citrine, diamond, emerald, epidote, jade, garnet, jasper, jet, onyx, obsidian, quartz ruby, sapphire, sard, serpentine, smoky quartz, sunstone, tigers-eye, tourmaline, turquoise, zircon

🔮Psychic Abilities (to enhance)

Alexandrite, amethyst apatite, aquamarine, aragonite, beryl, calcite, charoite, citrine, desert rose, diamond, emerald, hawks-eye, jasper, jet, labradorite, lapis lazuli, malachite, moldavite, moonstone, obsidian, opal, peridot, pyrite, quartz, ruby, sapphire, smoky quartz, sodalite, tourmaline

🔮Purification/Cleansing

Amber, amethyst, ametrine, aquamarine, aragonite, calcite, charoite, lepidolite, moldavite, pearl, peridot, quartz, smoky quartz, topaz, zircon

🔮Reconciliation

Apatite, beryl, diamond, lodestone, quartz

🔮Relationships

Amazonite, amber, aquamarine, barite, beryl, chrysocolla, garnet lodestone, lapis lazuli, obsidian, onyx, peridot, rose quartz, ruby, sapphire, sodalite, tourmaline

🔮Remove/Release

Agate, aventurine, carnelian, dolomite, fluorite, moonstone, obsidian, peridot, quartz, topaz

🔮Renewal/Rebirth/New beginnings

Ametrine, aquamarine, bloodstone, calcite, carnelian, citrine, garnet, hawks-eye, hematite, peridot, petrified wood, quartz, selenite, serpentine, topaz, tourmaline, turquoise, white quartz

🔮Sex/Sexuality

Agate, Ruby, cuprite, garnet, jasper, rose quartz, ruby, sapphire, serpentine, smoky quartz, spinel, tigers-eye, topaz, zircon

🔮Spirit Guides

Amethyst, ametrine, azurite, barite, bloodstone, emerald, howlite, jade, labradorite, moonstone, quartz, salt, sapphire, sugilite, tourmaline

🔮Spirituality

Alexandrite, amethyst, ametrine, apatite, barite, beryl, bloodstone, blue lace agate, calcite, celestine, charoite, citrine, desert rose, diamond, dolomite, fluorite, garnet, lapis lazuli, lodestone, malachite, moldavite, pearl, quartz, rose quartz, staurolite, tourmaline, turquoise

🔮Stability

Amazonite, amber, amethyst, ametrine, azurite, calcite, celestine, cuprite, dolomite, garnet, jasper, kyanite, lodestone, quartz, rhodochrosite, sphene

🔮Strength

Agate, amazonite, amethyst, ametrine, aventurine, bloodstone, charoite, diamond, garnet, hematite, kyanite, lodestone, moonstone, opal, petrified wood, quartz, rose quartz, ruby, sard, onyx, tigers-eye, tourmaline

🔮Stress

Agate, angelite, aragonite, beryl, blue lace agate, celestine, diamond, dolomite, howlite, kyanite, labradorite, larimar, lepidolite, petrified wood, rose quartz, selenite, sodalite,

🔮Success

Agate, alexandrite, amazonite, amber, amethyst, andalusite, aventurine, bloodstone, carnelian, citrine, epidote, fluorite, garnet, jasper, labradorite, malachite, sodalite, spinel, staurolite, sunstone, tigers-eye, turquoise, zircon

🔮Transformation

Amethyst, angelite, azurite, blue lace agate, cats-eye, cerussite, chrysocolla, labradorite, moldavite, obsidian, salt, staurolite, sugilite, white quartz

🔮Travel

Aquamarine, beryl, emerald, jade, garnet, lapis lazuli, lodestone, malachite, staurolite, turquoise

🔮Trust

Amazonite, apophyllite, blue lace agate, charoite, diamond

🔮Truth

Aragonite, danburite, emerald, pyrite, spinel, tigers-eye, turquoise

🔮Unity

Amazonite, charoite, diamond, smoky quartz, zircon

🔮Well-being

Agate, aventurine, beryl, calcite, dioptase, garnet, jade, jasper, kyanite, sugilite, sunstone, zircon

🔮Wisdom

Amber, amethyst, aquamarine, beryl, blue lace agate, carnelian, chrysocolla, desert rose, garnet, diamond, dioptase, jasper, labradorite, lapis lazuli, moonstone, opal, petrified wood, quartz, rose quartz, ruby, sapphire, sard, onyx, smoky quartz, spinel, sugilite, tigers-eye, topaz, turquoise, agate

Tip jar

[mrsunstone]

How to Write Your Own Spells

There are lots of ways to create spells, from planning everything to the minutest detail ahead of time to absolutely flying by the seat of your pants in the moment. If you'd like to write your own spells, either for use in your craft or as a creative exercise, here are some suggested steps that I use in my own practice:

1) Determine the intent or goal of your spell. Decide, first and foremost, what you want the spell to do. Refine your goal if necessary and try not to be too nebulous. Your intent tells the spell what it's meant to do. A more focused goal may increase the chances of success.

2) Determine how you want the spell to manifest. Decide how the spell should work and what the result should look like. This is a good time to build in a sign of success, especially for spells that may not work in an obvious or visible way.

3) Determine what or whom the spell will affect. If the spell is to have a target, be it a person or a place or an animal or an object, decide what that should be and how they or it will be represented in the casting.

4) Determine how long the spell is meant to work. If your spell is timebound or has a deadline, decide what that will be. If the spell is meant to work long-term, you may want to check in and refresh it from time to time. (Not every spell will be timebound. Many spells will simply expire when they have fulfilled their purpose or if they are blocked or circumstances are not favorable.)

5) Determine the timing of the spell, if applicable. Not everyone uses celestial or astrological timing for their spells, but if you do, look into the prevailing conditions and decide on an advantageous time for your casting. (Please note that magical timing can only enhance your spell and casting something on the "wrong" day will not necessarily cause it to fail.)

6) Determine what methods and materials you want to use to cast the spell. Decide how you're going to go about performing the casting, whether you're doing a ritual or making a charm or just using energy. If you're going to need a ritual space or physical components, plan that out and make sure it fits with what you want to do.

7) Determine the words, if any, which will empower the spell. If you want to include a prayer or a petition or a song or an incantation with your spell, decide what that should be. This is not strictly necessary and the words need not be spoken aloud. (Rhyming incantations are not required, but if you prefer them that way, you can certainly do so.)

8) Prepare the materials for casting the spell. Get all your necessaries together ahead of time. Make sure you have everything you need, that tools and components are in good and useable condition, prepare your workspace, and make sure everything is within easy reach so you don't have to stop and search for things in the middle of your casting. (And for goodness sake, if you're working with open flame, observe fire safety and tie your hair and sleeves back.)

9) Finalize details and perform the casting. When you're ready to begin, try to eliminate as many possibilities for distraction or interruption as possible. Go over your spell and components one more time, then proceed with casting the spell.

10) Record the particulars for future reference and to determine how well the spell worked. Make a record of the spell, including your goal, how it should manifest, the words and components used, the date of the casting, the casting method and procedure, and how the casting went. If there are any additional details or observations that seem important, include those as well. This will serve as a useful learning tool in the future and will allow you to check your work if the results make themselves known.

It's useful to write spells from time to time if the inspiration strikes you, in order to better understand how they fit together and how they work. Plus it's a fun and creative journaling exercise and recording the spells you cast a great way to measure your progress later on.

For additional tips on writing your own spells and helpful tricks for using timing and available materials to your advantage, check out my podcast, Hex Positive, Eps. 006-007, "Come In For A Spell, pt 1 & 2."

(And if you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊)

Happy Witching! 🔮✨

[mrsunstone]

Ostara Altar Ideas & Correspondences

Ostara, also known as the Vernal Equinox, marks the balance between light and dark, symbolizing renewal, fertility, and the awakening of the Earth from its winter slumber.

Ostara Correspondences

Symbols: Eggs, rabbits, spring flowers, seeds, and chicks.

Colors: Pastel shades such as green, yellow, pink, and light blue.

Crystals: Aquamarine, rose quartz, moonstone, and clear quartz.

Plants: Daffodils, tulips, crocuses, and other early spring ephemerals.

Herbs: Jasmine, honeysuckle, and vervain.

Foods: Fresh fruits, leafy greens, eggs, honey, and sprouts.

Altar Decorations

Spring Flowers: Adorn your altar with fresh flowers like daffodils, tulips, or cherry blossoms to symbolize the awakening of nature.

Eggs: Decorate eggs with natural dyes or paint them with symbols of fertility and growth. Arrange them in a nest or basket on your altar.

Rabbits and Chicks: Incorporate small figurines or images of rabbits and chicks to represent the fertility of the season.

Symbols of Balance: Place representations of balance, such as scales or yin-yang symbols, to honor the equilibrium of light and dark during the equinox.

Spring Incense: Burn incense blends featuring floral scents like jasmine or lavender to evoke the essence of spring.

Altar Cloth: Use a pastel-colored cloth as the base for your altar to reflect the hues of the season.

Candles: Light candles in colors associated with Ostara, such as yellow or light green, to welcome the return of the sun.

Seeds and Soil: Display small pots of soil or bowls of seeds to symbolize the potential for growth and new beginnings.

Divination Tools: Incorporate divination tools like tarot cards or runes to seek guidance and insight for the season of growth ahead.

Offerings: Leave offerings of fresh fruits, flowers, honey, or bread as a gesture of gratitude to the Earth for its abundance.

As you prepare your altar for Ostara, infuse it with your intentions for renewal, growth, and the blossoming of new opportunities. May you find warmth in the returning sun. <3

[mrsunstone]

Broom Closet Witch Tip:

If you need to make custom tea lights with some herbs or crystals, but don’t have a way or privacy to use your oven to melt down the candle to add your herbs. One option that I just tested out and discovered to actually work quite well is to use a wax melt warmer. Just place the tea light with the metal foil casing on top and let the candle melt inside the little cup and then you can add your ingredients. For added safety you can add a silicone cup or liner of some sort if you’re a bit apprehensive about having the foil cup be in direct contact with the warmer. However it worked well I’m my case with just placing the tea light directly on the ceramic tray of the wax warmer.

- Mr. Sunstone 🌞

#witch #witchcraft #magick #witch community #broom closet witch #witch tips #ostara

[mrsunstone]

Free Witchcraft Resources for Beginners

A couple months ago I made a post shouting out the fact that witchcraft doesn’t require any money to get started (or to be practiced, for that matter), and I had a few people ask me about what they can do that’s free, especially as a beginner, so I wrote up this post. I was lost and broke when I was getting started with my craft, and it was really difficult to find tips for beginners that weren’t just “buy these things!” I’m hoping this will be useful for people who are looking for a place to begin.

So. You’re interested in witchcraft and would like to find out more. Maybe you keep seeing those “crystals/herbs/books/etc. beginner witches should have” posts, and you’re frustrated, because you want to begin your practice, but don’t have the money for those supplies. I was once in that spot, and even now that I’m five years into my practice, I have rarely purchased any of the supplies witchtok deems to be fundamental. Here are some places you can begin instead. Let’s get started!

Info continues below.

Foundations

By foundations, I’m referring to things that aren’t explicitly witchcraft, but that I have found very beneficial within my own practice.

1. Before anything, I recommend asking yourself a simple question: why do I want to practice witchcraft, and what do I hope to get out of it? You may not know for sure yet, and your answer will likely change over time, but having some intentions going in can be helpful when you’re in the early stages of research. When I was starting out, I felt very overwhelmed by the amount of info out there, so if you have a bit of an idea of what you’re specifically interested in, that can be helpful to get you going.

2. Meditation: not all witches meditate, but a lot of the skills you develop through meditation can be helpful within witchcraft. You can try out secular meditation (apps like Balance and Headspace, as well as Insight Timer—the former has a mix of secular and spiritual meditations), or you can find a witchcraft-specific guided meditation on YouTube. For neurodivergent folks out there, I recommend looking into active meditation, which I’ve found to be quite beneficial for myself.

For me, it’s always important to remain grounded when I’m doing any spiritual practice, and meditation is a good skill you can work on to help with that. I also find that having a background in meditation can be really helpful later down the line when/if you are attempting visualization and/or astral projection, witch’s flight, and so forth.

3. Journaling: another thing that isn’t specifically witchcraft-related, but is an important skill to harness, on my opinion. To me, it’s crucial to be in touch with what I’m feeling (especially when it comes to doing spellwork), and journaling is one great way to do that. If you’re stuck and don’t know where to begin, look up witchcraft (or general) journal prompts on here or somewhere else. A lot of the ones that come up will be shadow work, which can be intense, so only do what feels comfortable for you.

I’d also like to note that automatic writing/drawing is an entirely free option if you’re interested in communing with spirits or deities. Essentially it involves getting into a trance-like state (usually in a dark room only lit by candlelight or similar—this is to avoid distractions) with a piece of paper and pen, and you write or draw everything that comes to your head without thinking about it. And then you go back and see what sort of messages you may be receiving. It’s a bit hard to explain and I’m not very experienced in it myself, but it’s something worth looking into if it sounds interesting to you!

4. Look at what you have, instead of what you don’t: a lot of beginner witch resources will list specific items that you should have, without really explaining why. And without that knowledge of how/why having an item is important, you might find your Must Have crystal sitting unused on a shelf somewhere. So instead of focusing on the items you want or feel like you should have, look at what you do have. Are there plants or herbs in your house/yard that you feel drawn to? Do you have a collection of cool rocks and stones? How do these items make you feel?

For me, a large part of my craft is my belief in Animism (the belief that all living things have innate spiritual qualities, like a soul, spirit, or specific energy) and this can play into the way you interact with the natural world if it’s a belief you also subscribe to. Try and feel the presence of a plant to see if it gives you any specific feeling. It does? Great! Now you have a correspondance for that plant. And it’s even better than the correspondances you’ll get in a book because it’s based on your own personal connection and intuition. That’s what is most important.

5. When in doubt, use your intuition. You might find a source that says cinnamon should be used for protection. Another will say it should be used for abundance spells. What matters the most is what you think about an herb/plant/stone/colour, or whatever else you may utilize. I recommend to start keeping a list of what you associate these things with. It can take awhile to build up a personalized list, but once you have one, it’ll be a lot more useful than what a correspondances book says to do.

6. Scour your pantry and get cooking: are you wanting to try out a spell but you haven’t bought the ingredients? Look in your pantry. You may be surprised by how many commonly used witchcraft herbs you find in there. And if you have been starting to associate certain herbs or spices with specific feelings or energies, that’s a great way to get started with creating your own spell.

You can do a spell in many ways, but when I was starting out, one of my favourite ways was to incorporate a certain herb or spice into food I made. Say you’re making a soup and maybe you want a bit of protection, so you add some ground pepper with the intention of that pepper protecting you as you stir it into the soup. Same goes for any other ingredient you’d like to use. A little intention goes a long way!

7. Dedicate your actions, time, or energy: if you’re interested at all in working with deities, ancestors, and other spirits but don’t have the time/space to build an altar—or maybe you aren’t sure how involved you want to be with this part of witchcraft—you can devote an action to the entity. This can be simple. For example, when I worked with Apollo, I would use taking my meds and vitamins as an act of devotion to him. This is an offering. And offerings can be anything you want them to be. They don’t have to be expensive or fancy!

It’s also important to note that you do not need to work with deities or spirits to be a witch. You don’t even have to believe in them. Many witches are atheists or don’t work with any deities at all. But for those who are interested, simple offerings can be a good place to start.

8. Practice energy work: in my view, energy work is the most important skill to learn for your craft, since so many things build off of it. And with energy work, you don’t need to spend any amount of money on it. All you need is yourself, your intuition, and anything else—I mean that quite literally, you can practice feeling the energy of other people, pets, trees, buildings, foods, socks, your favourite pen, and whatever else you think of!

Once you get to know the energy of the things around you, you can more effectively utilize them as tools within your practice (this builds off of the intuition point I made earlier).

For example, as a child I lived in a house that was surrounded by cedar trees. It was a place where I felt very safe. To this day, when I see or smell a cedar tree, I feel safe and protected. You can read this any way you’d like—to me it’s both a spiritual and psychological phenomenon—but this is one example of sensing energy.

As a witch, you can practice that skill and use it to get to know the tools you’d like to use within your own craft (the things that connect to you personally, not what you’re told you should connect with). This isn’t an easy skill by any means, so if it doesn’t come naturally to you, that’s perfectly okay!

For more on this subject, I recommend two books: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer (more on animism in particular) and Psychic Witch by May Auryn (lots of exercises to practice working with and sensing energy).

Where to Go for Learning

After you’ve thought a bit about some of the above, or skipped it altogether if it doesn’t suit you, you’re probably wanting some good resources that will actually tell you how to do the witchcraft thing. But before that, I want to reiterate again that this is your practice, and you should only do what you are interested in. So take what you want and leave what you don’t.

I’m going to point you in three primary directions for learning good information: books, podcasts, and YouTube.

But first, I want to issue a massive disclaimer for the YouTube information (and some books, for that matter). You should not have one sole source for your information. Books that have bibliographies are always the most trustworthy sources. And even though I trust the information coming from the YouTubers I’ll mention—especially because I’ve read similar information in several witchcraft books—don’t take their word at face-value. Be critical of what you’re told. Believe what you believe. This is a skill you’ll learn over time. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but it will get easier to discern what’s good info vs. bad info, over time.

Before you get started, I highly recommend watching this helpful video by HearthWitch with info on how to vet your witchcraft sources: link.

Books

In my view, books are the Best source of information, period. Anyone can publish an article or video online, but not everyone can publish a book. So there tends to be a bit more reliable info in witchcraft books.

As far as knowing what book you should begin with, there are lots of lists out there for beginners, and I recommend just looking at one of those lists and picking what sounds interesting to you. Take what you like and leave what you don’t.

Most of the YouTubers I’ve listed below have videos recommending books for beginners.

If you’re interested in British folk witchcraft, I started out with Folk Witchcraft by Roger J. Horne and it was a brilliant beginners guide that I recommend to anyone who is interested in that branch of witchcraft.

As always, while you read witchcraft books, be critical of the information you are presented with. Unfortunately, lots of witchcraft books (especially the classic ones) can be rooted in concepts like bioessentialism, colonialism, and racism. My recommendation is to not take any author’s word as gospel and to use your critical thinking skills when reading witchcraft books.

Where I live, books are EXPENSIVE. And when you’re just starting out in your practice, you might not have the money or ability to go out and buy a book just yet. Maybe you’re still unsure if witchcraft is right for you. Or maybe you’re in the “broom closet.” Whatever the reason, here are some free places to find books.

1. The public library: a bit obvious, but a great resource to look at, because you never know what your library might have. Libraries are the best. And entirely free!

2. Library apps like Libby or Overdrive: especially helpful if you don’t want to bring home a physical witchcraft book, or if your branch doesn’t have any copies of what you’re looking for. You can also get some audiobooks on there.

3. Archive.org: aka the web archive. Entirely free and entirely legal, this works as an online library service where you can check out a book for a bit of time right from your computer. Sometimes you can download PDFs as well. I’ve found a lot of my favourite witchcraft books on there, so if you have a specific title in mind, search it there.

YouTube

First, as a bit of a caveat before recommending you to watch YouTube videos on witchcraft: in my view, books are the best source of information for any witch, as they are able to contain a large degree of nuanced and research-informed information. But books aren’t a simple solution for everyone, and I’ve learned a lot from informed YouTubers over the years (in fact, like many witches, I was first exposed to witchcraft via Harmony Nice on YouTube!).

I’m including a list here of witch YouTubers that I personally recommend because I have found that their content aligns with information I have read in books and other research-informed sources over the years, and because I find them to be generally reliable.

I want to note here that this list is rather biased, as I tend to watch witchcraft YouTubers whose practices mirror my own in some ways. So most of these practitioners have practices informed by European folk witchcraft, and are not very diverse as a result. If any practitioners have further recommendations to add on, especially for practitioners of colour and practices that are different from mine, please do so!

My recommendations:

ChaoticWitchAunt: folk witchcraft, specifically in the Italian tradition, some great beginner content, info on working with saints and spirits.

TheWitchOfWonderlust: death magic, spellwork, great beginner content, lots of excellent info on working with spirits.

HearthWitch: truly a well of information on British witchcraft, beginner videos on any topic you can think of, q&a livestreams, and there’s even a video on vetting witchcraft sources that I really recommend for beginners.

The Redheaded Witch: folk witchcraft and folklore, spirit and ancestor work, daily witchcraft ideas, some beginner videos.

TheGreenWitch: such an excellent resource for herbal/green witchcraft, videos on spellwork, ingredients, tools, and more.

Mintfaery: lots of beginner information, videos on working with the fae, nature witchcraft, and lots of fun witchy days in the life.

Ella Harrison: German folk witchcraft, great beginner resources, including some more niche traditional craft topics like witch’s ladders.

The Norse Witch: info on Norse witchcraft and Heathenry, Norse paganism, and some content about astrology.

simplywitched: lots of great everyday witchcraft content, pagan witchcraft, more vlog style.

Warrior Witch Nike: witchy book reviews, paganism, deity work, some astrology content.

Mhara Starling: the place to go for anyone interested in Welsh witchcraft and folk magic related to Wales.

Alwyn Oak: lots of witch’s guides, especially relating to sabbats (those popularized in Wicca), forest witchcraft, gorgeous videos.

Ivy The Occultist: chaos magick and lots of interviews with practitioners from a variety of paths/backgrounds.

Shadow Harvest: personal day in the life witchy content, some videos looking at working with dark goddesses and deity work in general.

Note: some of these YouTubers have written their own witchcraft books geared towards beginners, so if you enjoy their videos and want to learn more, check those out.

Podcasts

The Astrology Podcast: not specifically witchcraft, but if you want to learn about astrology in detail, this is an excellent place to begin. Link goes to YouTube.

Books and Broomsticks: all kinds of good info, especially pertaining to folk magic, witch guests invited on to share more about their own practice. Link goes to Spotify.

Southern Bramble: A Podcast of Crooked Ways: a variety of witchcraft related topics, interviews, and discussions, often revolving around folk magic and traditional craft—interviews show different traditions. Link goes to Spotify.

New World Witchery - The Search for American Traditional Witchcraft: what it says on the tin; various topics and conversations through an American traditional/folk magic lens by the author of the (amazing) book with the same name. Link goes to Spotify.

Salty Witches Podcast by Cat & Cauldron: traditional witchcraft through a modern lens, another podcast that has a wide variety of topics covered. Link goes to Spotify.

—

As always, if anyone has any additional (free!) resources to add onto these ones, please do so.

Good luck to all of the beginner witches who are embarking on their spiritual journeys, and I hope some of these tips have been helpful! :)

-Em

[mrsunstone]

I sit on my little skeptic throne of witchcraft and enjoy it all because either magic is real and I’m very in tune with myself and the world around me, or it’s not and I become a master of meditation and good mental attitude and I get a fuck ton of shiny little trinkets and nicknacks that bring me immense joy there is no losing here

[mrsunstone]

[mrsunstone]

reminders:

there is no place for racism in witchcraft.

there is no place for sexism in witchcraft.

there is no place for bigotry in witchcraft.

there is no place for antisemitism in witchcraft.

there is no place for transphobia in witchcraft.

there is no place for homophobia in witchcraft.

i could go on but you all get the point.

[mrsunstone]

Some topics + prompts for your grimoire or book of shadows

books you want to read

local folklore / mythology / legends

the wheel of the year

plants you have in your house or garden (their care, properties, uses, draw them etc)

theban alphabet

days of the week and their correspondences

write about a deity you worship / are drawn to

draw art for / of a deity you worship or are drawn to

colour magic

the elements

write about the crystals you own (draw them, write their properties, correspondences, uses, how it makes you feel etc)

how to make your own crystals

your birth chart

your sun, moon and rising sign

natural medicine (as a chronically ill witch I love natural medicine NOT AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR PRESCRIPTIONS! for example I take all my prescription meds and then if I'm having period pain I might drink some raspberry leaf tea)

positive affirmations / mantras that you connect with

how to manifest

history of witches

deities in a certain pantheon you're interested in or drawn to

write about a spell you've done (how you did it, why you did it, how you felt, the results of it, what you would change if you did the spell again etc)

chakras

write about a dream you've had

tarot reading tricks and tips

moon phases

sabbats

zodiac signs

family tree

poetry / songs / quotes you connect to (i like to find ones that make me feel powerful or witchy, or remind me of certain aspects of my practice. a song i like for this is rhiannon by fleetwood mac and i'm going to post more things like this regularly on my page)

feathers and their meanings

simple everyday magic

recipes

some ideas for the next sabbat you plan to celebrate

tarot spreads you like

write about a tarot reading you've done (any prep you did, the deck you used, the cards you pulled, your personal interpretation of the cards based on the art and how you feel, the meaning of the cards, how the cards relate to the questions you asked, final reflection on how you feel the reading went)

interesting mythology

tree of life

glamour magic

money bowls

crystal shapes and their meanings

grounding techniques

cleansing

protection

banishing

cord cutting spells

essential oils

types of divination

planets and their correspondences

angel numbers

witchy wishlist

go to supplies and ingredients (herbs and things that you use regularly)

favourite crystals

working with your inner child

if you've had a really good or particularly insightful meditation session it can be nice to either draw or write what happened and how you felt during it

witchy arts and crafts and diys you want to do

altar ideas

read a witchy book / watch a witchy video and take notes

write about your ancestors

witchy things to incorporate into your daily routine

what is a tower moment

witchy reset / self care days

the history of the area you live in

veiling

how to make your own incense sticks

shadow work

shadow work prompts

ok, that's all the ideas I have for now and I hope that helps someone! I'll be posting some pages from my grimoire and some more prompt / topic ideas in the near future which I'm really excited for.

P.S. please remember that everyone's practice is their own and you should do what feels right to you while respecting that other people have their own beliefs (as long as they're not hateful).

[mrsunstone]

I want to do more tarot readings this year. So I started with a Wolf Moon reading. Inspired by a spread from @/thewitchoftheforest on Instagram. Perhaps I’ll plan to do a reading at least once a month on every full moon.

The Cards! What my reading means for me:

~The Six of Wands: I’m accomplishing much and meeting various milestones in my life. A lot for that happened in 2023 at least. I have developed a passion for achieving my goals no matter the type of “battle” I had to face.

~The Sun: This card shocked me when I pulled it. I’ve been trying lately to engage with life with the energy of the sun. Hence my name “Mr. Sunstone”. Being “the Sun” is a tall task but I’ve been maintains optimism about it and about life. Being confident and optimistic about my goals and my actions will help me to meet live my passions.

~The Hermit: This card made me laugh for a good minute lol! It wasn’t any news to me that I love my solitude. Time to my self brings me great joy! It allows me a lot of time for introspection. I enjoy time with others, and after a night out or a social gathering where I had a great time, the time after the event where I get to unwind alone and process what has occurred is fundamental to me. It continues the good day with some time to myself. I reflect and get a chance to be my true, unabated self.

~The Three of Wands: A lot of hard work finally leading to the results I want. I thought about how this can be what I need to release from my life. But then I realized, I overcompensate for things a lot. I do too much more than what is required of me. I over do it a lot of the time. I also have been know right allow myself to be used and walked on. Asked to do so much work for others with no reciprocation. I need more time for my solitude that brings me much joy, so I need to focus on doing just the right amount of work, and don’t let important leisure be forgotten.

~The Page of Cups: My naivety and idealism lead to me being disappointed by reality when my imagination and mind’s eye had already painted a much better picture. Growing up rather sheltered lead to me not experiencing many things first had, but instead, imagining them. Now being very new to many things an adult does or has, has brought a lot of harsh truths and big surprises that dismantle perfect ideas I had in my head. A false sense of confidence, easily broken by things not going how I fantasized they would. Many more variables and factors exist.

~The Ten of Swords: This card shocked me a bit. I thought I might be needing to fight or betray someone to improve my confidence. But I realized the battle that I fight is internal. I catastrophize a lot as a very anxious person. Which will lead to larger and worse consequences later on if I let the paranoid thoughts persist and win. I’ve come to understand how much better I feel when things are talked out. I can make up scenarios in my head, but reality will mollify them after laying down the problems and finding that relief after the truth is explained. My confidence thrives on the truth. Truth that is easily talked out, instead of false truths that my mind makes up during internal battles.

~The High Priestess: To bring all these thing to fruition, I thought it meant I needed to let go and abandon my inner self. But then I thought about the word “release”. And realized it could mean, not to let go of, but to let out. Release my inner self, out into the open, and I’ll find that the results surprise me. In a good way. It’ll take me to my goals in unique ways, it j need to remain open. Allow myself to be as true on the outside as it is in the inside. Then I will live my passions, joy, and confidence.

#witch #tarot #tarot reading #full moon #divination #witchcraft #tarot cards

[mrsunstone]

Manifestation Spell for the year. This was my first full on spell that I’ve ever performed. I set my intentions and goals for the year with each clove as I stuck it into the orange. Then lit the candle until it burned down to the end, signifying myself reaching all my set goals for the year. I also added one item that related to each of my goals/intentions to my altar space as the candle burned. The spell is from @/astralwitch on TikTok.

-Mr. Sunstone 🌞

#witch #witchcraft #manifest #manifestation #spells #spellwork #magick #manifestation spell #candle magic