battythewitch

[battythewitch]

Dropped a new guide today in honor of getting the website rebuilt. I'm really looking forward to posting articles more often now that everything's organized.

[battythewitch]

The local Fair Folk call themselves a Mob (as opposed to a court), meaning that there is literally a page in my Book titled "how to deal with the Mob safely" and I find that hilarious

[battythewitch]

[battythewitch]

Y'all know it's okay to just try stuff in witchcraft, right?

Across the internet, I see a lot of people who seem to be asking for permission to do what they want. While I see some validity in getting wisdom from others, I worry that the people asking these questions might miss out on the experience they could get from going ahead and making a good faith attempt.

"Can I do this spell even if I don't have rosemary?" I don't know. Try it!

"Can I use fruit juice as an offering to my goddess?" I don't know. Ask her!

"Can I include a pocket watch in my magic?" I don't know. See if it works!

Of course, it's not a good idea to jump in and try something that could be harmful, but if you're not hurting yourself or others and you're not appropriating from a closed practice, just give it a go! You're allowed. You're a witch with magic and power and discernment of your own. You don't have to get permission from a bunch of internet strangers. Have fun trying new things!

[battythewitch]

[battythewitch]

Summer is winding down, but the CTWC is in full swing as we head into the final stretch before CritWitchCon in September!

But for now, it's time for another FREE Witches' Brew with the Critical Thinking Witch Collective! It's our FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY, so this one's extra special! Come join us for this FREE VIRTUAL EVENT!! Crafting Art Magic: get creative with your practice! Join CTWC hosts Jul Bloomfield & Alex Wrekk for a discussion on the magic of art, hands-on session of zine making, paint water cocktails, community socializing & more! Saturday August 23rd 8 AM PST / 11 AM EST / 4 PM BST / 1 AM AEST (8/24) Register for free here:

[battythewitch]

Witchcraft for the Chronically Fatigued

Fatigue looks at things such as tiredness, drowsiness, exhaustion, weakness, lethargy and memory issues and says “I can do all that and more!”. It leaves you feeling utterly trapped in your own body; unable to move, or even think at times. It fluctuates, but is always looming. 

While this post is open for all, it is written for those who truly relate to this all-consuming feeling (due to ME/CFS, other chronic illnesses, mental illness, or undiagnosed causes). Not all of these may work for you, but hopefully they inspire something that will. For general low energy witchcraft, check out my Bedridden Witch Series!

As always: witchcraft is to be used in addition to proper medical care, treatment and medication; not as a sole alternative.

To draw energy:

If you cannot produce your own, magically created will be just fine!

Crystals. 

I tend to use clear quartz for an energy boost, but trust your intuition; if something calls to you, it’s for a reason. 

Keep it near your bedside table, under your pillow, hold it in your hand or place it on your body where you feel the fatigue most strongly centered. 

When on the go, carry it in your pocket or wear as jewelry. If it is larger, carry in a bag and hold it when you need it. 

Charge using a charging board or the elements. 

Crystals for fatigue

Waters.

Physically touching water brings me energy. I keep jars of snow, rain, storm, river, stream (etc, etc.) water and will dip my fingers in it and mark that parts of my body where the fatigue feels strongest. Be aware of pollutants and do not ingest!

The same method can be done with tap water (or water charged under the sun or moon)

Drink sun water or sun tea (start with drinking safe water and let it absorb the energies of the sun).

Some people find moon water to be energizing (same process as above, just with the moon). 

See also: Bedridden witch: Bath edition.

Other elements.

Note what is energizing to you and what is draining to you. Consider: the sun, moon (and it’s phases), weather (rain, overcast, snow, storm, wind), cold vs. hot, the earth, fire, air, etc.

Once you find which elements are energizing to you, find ways to incorporate them into your life. Examples: jars of different waters or soils, rocks collected from places, candles, and more.

I usually draw energy up from the earth by placing my palms flat towards the earth by the sides of my body. So if I was lying down, my arms would be at my sides with my palms facing down.

Expose yourself or protect yourself. I’ll use my personal experiences as an example here… Rain often energizes me. When it rains, I’ll open my windows, and if I’m able I’ll step outside or collect some water. On the flipside, full moons often drain me. I’ll close my windows and curtains, hang an extra blanket over my bedroom window, use water to paint protective sigils on the window and increase my wards.

See also: Bedridden witch: Elements edition and Bedridden witch: Weather edition

To manage symptoms:

Brain fog:

Brainfog lifting

“Brainfog begone” sigil

Fatigue: 

Spoonie spell for energy

Energy gain spell

Energy boost spell

Energy bath

Fatigue recovery spell jar

Headaches (and migraines):

Headache healing

To banish a headache

Anti-migraine spell

Anti-migraine spell bottle

Migraine relief bath

Joint pain:

Arthritis pain relief oil

Joint pain spell

Healing spell for joints

Memory:

Memory masterpost

Memory and concentration spell

Mental reboost tea spell

Muscle pain:

Muscle pain sachet

Warming salve for sore muscles

Crystals for muscle pain (external site)

For more categories of symptoms please see my posts for symptoms relating to chronic illness and mental illness!

Practicing the craft with energy limitations:

Tips and tricks:

I highly recommend preparing things when your energy allows, so it’s always ready to go when you need it (and isn’t dependent on current energy levels). 

Cleansing: Let other things do your work for you. Open your windows/get fresh air, steam or smoke, sound, etc. Bedridden energy cleansing.

Divination: Use apps when physical movement is hard. One card spreads, shorten your pendulum so you don’t need to lift your arm, divine using the elements, etc. Bedridden divination.

Spells: Make your own spell kits. Spell jars and sachets are also an excellent way to already have the spell prepared, set it up so you can simply shake it to re/activate the spell.

Warding: Create physical ties for your wards that aren’t reliant on consistent upkeep (as a failsafe), and reinforce your other ward layers when you have the energy. I create far more layers than I need so when I am unable to reinforce them, they still protect me. 

Worship: Compile prayers and devotions somewhere you can easily find and read them, have a wall altar for easy maintenance, keep offerings simple (a glass of water, for example). Bedridden worship.

Many more tips and tricks in these posts:

Bedridden witch series (masterpost of all my current bedridden witch posts, including some that weren’t linked here!)

Limited hand mobility + witchcraft (divination, spells, working with flames, recording information and more)

Nonverbal witchcraft

You may also like:

Magic to replenish energy

Spoonie witch masterpost

Chronically ill witchcraft: For your symptoms

Mentally ill witchcraft: For your symptoms

Witchcraft & Meds

Low energy cleaning + cleansing

Sigils: (pain + symptoms) (mental illness + energy) (healing + misc.) 

Drink magic masterpost

Rejuvenating witchcraft

Do none of these posts fit your needs? Let me know, I’m always looking for more ways to make witchcraft accessible!

**Do not repost or share on other platforms - reblogging is okay!**

Last updated May of 2020. Please check for updates and inform me of broken links via askbox!

[battythewitch]

Cernunnos

Illustration of the pagan god, Cernunnos. Humanoid with a deer skull holding a torc and spear with the triskele symbol framed behind him

[battythewitch]

*gently grabs Witchblr by the shoulders* It is okay for some things to not be perfect substitutes for other things. It is okay for there to be parts of something that you simply can't substitute out. It's okay for things to be hyperspecific. Drink some water.

[battythewitch]

I want be able to turn humans into toads. I promise I can be trusted with this ability. I will only use it on people who piss me off and not randomly just for fun.

[battythewitch]

For those who don't know, YouTube will be adding AI age verification for US-based users starting August 13th. This will attempt to use "the types of videos a user is searching for, the categories of videos they have watched, or the longevity of the account," to determine their age, regardless of what birthdate they have entered. If an adult is incorrectly determined to be a child, they will need to give YouTube a government-issued ID or a credit card to verify their age. As with many such things, YouTube claims it is for the children's safety. Obviously, I am all for protecting children, and I don't want them to be exposed to things they shouldn't see, but this is most likely more about data collection. Even if it was about children's safety, this was the logic used for creating YouTube Kids, and we can all see how "safe" that is.

If you don't want to directly send your driver's license to Google, you'll need to deal with "age appropriate product experiences and protections," such as "digital wellbeing tools" and disabling personalized ads. The second part is because in the US, it is illegal to collect certain information about people under the age of 13. Now, the people at Google (which owns YouTube) love collecting information about their users, but they don't want to get in trouble, and they believe AI moderation is the answer. Not only can the AI work around the clock, but if anything goes wrong, they can say it was the machine that made the mistake, not them. And, as with any moderation, there will be mistakes (again, look at YouTube Kids).

Because of this, creators and viewers alike are planning to stop using the site starting on August 13th. I personally doubt YouTube will care much, at least at first, but if they lose enough ad revenue, they might reconsider their decision. YouTube says they'll be rolling this out to a small test group first, so it might not affect you right away, but if nothing is done, it will soon. If you're an American who uses YouTube regularly, I encourage you to join, whether just for a day, or as long as it takes. And if you have kids, please teach them internet safety and monitor their internet access so that companies can't make this garbage excuse anymore.

[battythewitch]

Hephaestus is such an under appreciated god in modern times, I imagine because people only associate him with blacksmithing and forges. I propose we all file ‘disability’ and ‘working class people’ under his domain as well.

[battythewitch]

Like, oh, so I woke up super crabby and feeling stabby? Time for "Salad of Doom." (I think it's impossible to hear that song and resist your mood lightening at least a little.)

I've been starting my days listening to S. J. Tucker like I used to (well, way way way back in the day I was listening to some online pagan radio station I can not remember now, and Sooj music was played there with some regularity), and I think it's helping me, but it's too soon to really put my finger on how, exactly. Something something intention something mindfulness something something begin how you wish to continue something something maybe idk

[battythewitch]

I've been starting my days listening to S. J. Tucker like I used to (well, way way way back in the day I was listening to some online pagan radio station I can not remember now, and Sooj music was played there with some regularity), and I think it's helping me, but it's too soon to really put my finger on how, exactly. Something something intention something mindfulness something something begin how you wish to continue something something maybe idk

[battythewitch]

Ya'll, I swear I still intend to post my deck collection. I'm still getting to know the newest additions, though, and I want to be able to say more than what I think of the cardstock, ya know?

(Not that I'm necessarily planning a real deep dive into each deck, but I would like to be able to talk about my experience reading with each one.)

[battythewitch]

Norse mythology fails to convey the sense of terror that must have hung over Asgard every time Loki was gone for longer than eight months and three weeks

[battythewitch]

(Not to mention that it can't be argued it's only a political action if you do it everywhere. Bog down fascist overreach like mask bans with one simple action.)