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actually you dont owe anyone an explanation of your religion or lack thereof

[dumb-ofass]

Witchcraft uses a lot of words you might not have heard before; here’s a breakdown of some of the most common!

Basics

Intent: The goal or desire; the will for something to come into being.

Visualisation: A technique used in magical workings in which the witch pictures the desired effect within their mind’s eye.

Manifestation: The process of a desired intent being brought into reality.

Charging: The act of filling an object with energy.

Cleansing: A magical working with the intent of removing all lingering energies from an object, place or person, be those energies negative or positive.

Grounding: A magical technique in which the individual removes excess unwanted energy (often by ‘pushing’ it into the ground while sitting down) and aligns themselves with the energy of the earth.

Banishing: A magical working with the intent of sending something away, removing an individual from your life or cutting out negative acts and behaviours.

Warding: A magical working in which the individual creates ‘Wards’. Wards are barriers of energy which deny any unwanted entity entrance to the place warded. Wards can also be placed upon oneself to prevent a magical attack.

Deity: A supreme being. Often represented by Gods and Goddesses though not limited to these terms.

Tools, Objects & Symbology

Grimoire:  A personal magical inventory of beliefs, spells, ingredients and anything else deemed essential to a witches path. 

Altar: A sacred space in which to enact magical workings, meditation and worship.

Wand: A pointed object used to direct energy.

Priapic Wand: A phallus-shaped wand.

Athame: A knife used in ritual to cut out a sacred space and to direct energy. Typically you will never use this to cut solid objects.

Book Of Shadows: A personal magical inventory of beliefs, spells, ingredients and anything else deemed essential to a Wiccan’s path.

Boline: A knife, often but not always a sickle, used for the cutting of ingredients, inscribing of candles and carving of wood.

Besom: A broomstick used to cleanse an area.

Cauldron: A metal pot used for spellwork. (Boiling, mixing, stirring).

Chalice: A goblet, cup or class containing ritual drink. Typically containing offerings.

Dark Mirror: A black piece of glass or reflective material used for scrying.

Pentagram: A five-pointed star widely used amongst many Pagan religions.

Pentacle: A pentagram with a circle around it, typically worn as a necklace for protection.

Inversed Pentagram: A symbol relating to Satanic practises and beliefs.

Septagram: A seven-sided star, usually used in reference to workings with the Fae.

Triquetra: An ancient Celtic symbol which has lost its initial meanings which is today adopted by Pagans of varying paths to mean different things. In Christianity referred to as the trinity knot and believed to represent the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. A secular way of viewing this is that it represents life, death and rebirth. In Wicca believed to represent the triple Goddess. 

Amulet: An object that has innate magical properties used as a necklace.

Charm: An object that has been given magical properties.

Talisman: An object that has been created with the intention of having a specific magical property

Hag Stone: A stone with a hole worn naturally worn through it in which the other side is visible. Thought to be used to see the ‘unseen’ and often the Fae.

Poppet: An object designed to take on the likeness of an individual upon which spells are used. A taglock is used to bind the person to the poppet.

Taglock: The personal effect of an individual that can be used in spellwork as a link to that target. 

Festivities, Holidays & Events

Wheel Of The Year: A name used to refer to the cycle of the eight holidays observed in Wicca; synonymously used to describe the turn of the seasons.

Solstice: Two points in the year in which the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky. The longest and shortest days of the year.

Esbat: A meeting upon the full moon.

Sabbat: Used to refer to any of the eight holidays observed by Wiccans and others.

Skyclad: To be naked. Believed to promote a greater connection to nature during ritual and worship. 

Equinox: The time in which day and night are of equal length as the sun crosses the celestial equator.

Coven: A meeting of witches with the intent to perform magic or worship as a group.

Circle: A temporary space marked out by a magical practitioner that is capable of containing, enhancing and binding magical energy.

Further Reading  

Mage: Another term for a magical practitioner.

Aether: The fifth element after Earth, Air, Fire and Water meaning Spirit, Energy, Life Essense & Soul.

Abjuration: Practices of magic relating to the protection of oneself through the suppression of spells cast by other magic practitioners.

Conjuration: Practices of magic relating to bringing desired effects into reality.

Divination: Practices of magic relating to gathering further insight on desired topics, including knowledge of the past and the future. 

Enchantment: Practices of magic relating to enacting influence over the minds and decisions of others.

Evocation: Practices of magic relating to working with raw, sometimes uncontrollable forces of power.

Animism: The belief that all things are alive or have a soul.

Glamour: Practices of magic pertaining to achieving desired intent via altering, enhancing or changing one’s appearance.

Blasting: A magical working with the intent of causing infertility and ill health, in both people and crops.

Sigil: A magical symbol created by the individual, usually constructed by breaking down a word or sentence and using the letters.

Seal: A magical symbol. Often used to finalise a working.

Elemental (Noun): A force, being, entity or representation of an element given form and sometimes rudimentary conscious thought, though not in a way thought to be understood correctly by humankind. 

Elemental (Adjective): Pertaining to any workings regarding the elements

Witchcraft Types

Secular: The practice of witchcraft at its core. Devoid of any influence from religion or spirituality.

Atheistic: The practice of witchcraft from an Athiest perspective.

Elemental: The practice of witchcraft in which the individual utilises the power of the Elements as their primary source of energy and spell structure. E.g Water Witch, Fire Witch, etc.

Wiccan: Belonging to Wicca, a relatively new nature-based religion born in the 1940′s/50′s in which Witchcraft is expressed as the main form of worship for the God and Goddess.

Traditional: Witchcraft that predates the rebirth in popularity of Witchcraft during the 20th Century.

Hedge: A solitary practitioner who utilises herbs in their practice. Once used exclusively for witches who follow the practice of ‘Hedge Riding’ this term has opened out to encompass those following the archetype of the ‘village witch’ providing salves and potions. 

Stregheria: A form of Italian witchcraft, often centred around the worship of Leyland’s version of Aradia and Diana (though the term can also be used for other forms of Italian witchcraft).

Christian: The practice of witchcraft from a Christian perspective. 

Witchling / Baby Witch: Terms used to describe new practitioners.

[dumb-ofass]

witchcraft for doing well in school

i had exams last week and was very stressed so used witchcraft to try and help. i’ve gotten one exam back (one i thought i did terrible on) and got an a! so, i thought i’d share what i did incase anyone wants to use my method! :) of course, what worked for me may not work for everyone else. if you have any tips please feel free to share them <3

1. manifesting

i am new at manifesting, but the method i always use is ‘isn’t it amazing…’, written 30 times (i.e. ‘isn’t it amazing i have good grades?’).

i’ve used this countless times (with college, finding a job, etc.) and it has always worked for me. i usually write it on paper but as i was very busy with revision and work, sometimes i had to resort to typing it on my notes. i found this method on tiktok, and was skeptical as information on tiktok is misleading a lot of the time, but it has worked every time i’ve used it, so i stand by it.

2. sigils

i wrote out ‘i have good grades’ (vague, but i wasn’t aspiring for any grade in particular) and made my sigil with that sentence. if anyone would like a separate post on how i make sigils i’ll be happy to make one!

i carved this into a candle and burnt what whilst manifesting and revising. i also drew the sigil on my hand before taking the exam.

3. runes

i used the elder futhark rune of success (jera).

i also carved this into the same candle and drew it on my hand before exams. i had the rune in my pocket during my exams, too.

4. crystals

i charged my crystals in moonlight and set my intentions the night before my first exam.

i used citrine, garnet, green aventurine and black tourmaline, and carried these in my pocket too. my green aventurine is shaped so that i can rub my thumb on it when anxious, which, as a person with anxiety, adhd and very high stress levels, helped - even slightly as it grounded me.

5. moon water

i charged some water beneath the moonlight and set my intentions, then drank it throughout the week. the moon was in capricorn when i did this.

it is worth noting that the night before my first exam, i had a dream about fairies, which can mean either you may benefit from using magic, or a sign to avoid wishful thinking.

[dumb-ofass]

Maybe unpopular opinion, but,,,

Don’t come in to witchcraft with this idea that it’s all about peace and love all the time. In the beginning of my journey, I would often say things like, “Witches don’t worship the Devil, they just collect crystals and garden!” Or, “Witches don’t do animal sacrifices, that would be terrible!”

Your aestheticized idea of witchcraft is not reality for all witches. It’s wonderful if that is where you find your calling. However, not all witches are the same. Some witches curse, some do animal sacrifices, some worship the Devil (not always the Christian “Satan”). You do not have to do these things, but some witches do. Just because you don’t understand these things through your cultural worldview, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Especially in cultures with very old practices that have been continually erased by others.

Don’t develop any ideas about what witchcraft is allowed to be. It can be beautiful, and peaceful, and dark, and overwhelming, and anything in between.

[dumb-ofass]

Just drank sage tea and chanted in my thoughts "as I drink this tea, cleansed I'll be" basically what I'm trying to say is, witchcraft can be simple, even the small things you do every day can be witchy :)

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the neglect this blog faces...

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So I'm reading this, book, right? It's called Norse Revival: Transformations of Germanic Neopaganism by Stephanie von Schnurbein.

It looks like this:

It's basically a giant academic paper on "Why Asatru is the way it is." It's incredible, but also incredibly overwhelming because it reveals the sheer extent of influence Volkisch philosophy has in Heathenry.

This book is denser than most Heathen practice books are, but as far as academic papers go it's engaging and concise. Basically, if you're looking for a book that lays out all the tea about modern Heathenry, this is it.

It's also free to read on JSTOR.

[dumb-ofass]

“suffering feels religious if you do it right” no shut up it doesn’t. my friends laughing in the kitchen while i make dinner feels religious. the sun on my face after a long winter feels religious.

[dumb-ofass]

I had a dream last night that this girl my age moved to my neighborhood and we had this whole gathering to introduce her family to the rest of us and she and I were the only teenagers there so we started talking and I found out she was pagan as well so we started talking about different practices and veiling and I'm not saying I miss another character from my dreams but lowkey yeah I am.

[dumb-ofass]

*watching Wandavision*

Agatha: this is chaos magic!

Me: oh hey! I do some of that :D

[dumb-ofass]

screw yall im posting my poem bc all the people i care about are on here instead of wattpad so there’s no point posting them there anymore huh.

Keep reading

[dumb-ofass]

🕊16 days of Shadow Work

✨ Here are the prompts as I promised! They are timeless, whenever they find you, feel free to use them.

I will be starting with the first prompt on 25th February - few days before the Virgo Full Moon, so I can finish it right before 13th March - New Moon in Pisces.

I might be updating you on my progress, so definitely feel free to follow this along with me and we can share our thoughts!

✧ Day 1 What do I need to stop running away from? Why am I always running aways from this and what is going to happen if I face it head-on?

✧ Day 2 What is my definition of failure? What’s something that I have previously failed at and how did it make me feel? How can I deal with failure in a healthy way?

✧ Day 3 How do I lie to myself everyday? Why am I doing this and what am I trying to avoid?

✧ Day 4 If I could say one thing to the person who hurt me the most, what would it be and why? How would I feel afterwards? 

Keep reading

[dumb-ofass]

Is Hoodoo open to creole/mixed people with black heritage?

It’s open to people who are black. 

[dumb-ofass]

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"Yeah I don't believe people with penises can be witches. Witch craft is for cis women only!"

Me:

[dumb-ofass]

Why have cats when you can have frogs? 🐸

[dumb-ofass]

(I definitely have an addiction ._.)