elsewherewitch

[elsewherewitch]

Fullmoon hiding behind clouds. May 2022.

[elsewherewitch]

pick your poison LMAOOO

[elsewherewitch]

Casual late night reminder that witchcraft does not always need to involve spells and candles and crystals and cards. Some days it is my embroidery and my tea against the world and that is OKAY

[elsewherewitch]

did i ever tell yall how my practice looks like a sleepover party

other witches: oh the great dark lord please bless me with the knowledge of unknown and guarantee prosperity on my family

me: *pulls a pendulum* so like do you guys wanna watch a horror movie and get some popcorn and then we can play 20 questions *the pendulum swings in "yeah"* lmao cool cool

[elsewherewitch]

Spirit Work: The Power of Hanging Out

Elaborate rituals, intense meditations, and huge gestures have their places in spirit work. There's value in putting a massive effort into something for the spirits you venerate or work with. And sometimes, you need to do these big things for a particular outcome or as part of your tradition.

I have a bias against big, elaborate rituals for this purpose, though. In my practice, it's just unnecessary. All of the relationships I have and maintain with spirits are, at their cores, friendships. They're not working relationships, they're not worshiper-worshiped relationships, they're not transactional relationships. My spirits are my friends.

So I approach working with them like friendship. I'll light a candle and set a cup of coffee or tea on their altar in the same way I'd offer a friend a cup of tea when they visit. If I'm working on something, I'm accustomed to body doubling as someone with ADHD, and I like to invite my friends to work alongside me. In the same way, I'll invite my spirit friends to participate or just hang around while I work.

Heck, they hang out while I write these posts sometimes!

Not everything in spirit work has to be intense and serious. Yes, you should be respectful -- in the same way that you should be respectful to your neighbors and your friends. And yeah, not all spirits can or should be treated this way.

But I would like to posit the humble power of Hanging Out.

What I Mean By That

Literally. Hanging out.

Whatever you normally do to "call" your spirit(s), do that. My method is lighting a candle of some sort. Sometimes, I'll choose a scented candle if I'm trying to lure a particular spirit to the area, but an unscented taper candle will do just fine.

And then, you hang out. That's it.

If you're watching YouTube, invite the spirit to watch with you. Ask their opinions on what to watch, if you have an easy way to communicate with them. (One of my spirits loves Ghost Hunting TV Shows. He thinks it's hilarious.)

If you're playing a video game, leave space on the couch for the spirit to settle next to you to watch.

Make dinner, chat about your days. Set aside a little plate for them if you want. Eat together.

The Value in Hanging Out

The idea here is that time is valuable​. Time spent with someone else is valuable on its own, even if that time is spent doing little to nothing "productive."

Think about your friends and the people you enjoy spending time with. It isn't always clubs, parties, exploring, hiking, running, traveling, or whatever else you do. Even if that's how you met or your main activity together, there are always casual moments. Easy breakfasts, simple conversations, sleepovers in your PJs, watching movies.

Quality time is powerful. Choosing to spend your time with someone sends a clear message: "I value your presence."

Not everything has to be an elaborate party. Sometimes, all you want is to sit down and hang out.

Why can't it be the same with spirits? The answer is that it can. In my practice, I rarely do anything that elaborate. I'll put extra effort in for special occasions like holidays, but usually, it's a simple act of lighting a candle, saying hello, and then sitting down with the spirit to just hang out.

Not every relationship requires constant, intense focus. Especially if you're looking to befriend​ your spirits, rather than just work with them, the Power of Hanging Out is a valuable asset to keep in mind.

It doesn't have to be every day, either. I have a sort of open, standing invitation for whichever spirits to hang out whenever they like. They're welcome to chill anytime, unless I ask to be left alone. Because of our relationship, they respect that. (Usually -- the only time they don't is if something urgent has come up or they need something.)

I developed the theory of Hanging Out years ago. Spirit work was where I started, and it's always been Home to me. But it's intense sometimes, and a lot of what I was doing was burning me out very, very fast. So I adapted on the fly, as one does, and it ended up working really well.

Now, Hanging Out is my primary method of doing spirit work. Even with spirits I don't know or in new locations, there's value in projecting an aura of "I'm just here to chill. Feel free to talk to me, or don't. It's cool." Spirits, shockingly, respond to that. I end up with a lot of interesting, casual conversations, light taps on the shoulder to let me know I've been acknowledged by something that doesn't want to talk, and various visual anomalies from shy critters in the shadows.

Think of it like slow blinking at a cat or offering the back of your hand to a dog. Approaching respectfully and calmly in a very casual way attracts things that otherwise wouldn't show themselves. The Power of Hanging Out is alluring to even the shyest spirits.

Again, obviously, this won't work for all spirits. Do what works for what you work with. I've found Hanging Out works best with ancestors, house spirits, land spirits, and assorted ghosties over the years. It's not so good with, say, the Good Neighbors. But hey, maybe your experience will differ.

Extra Benefits of Hanging Out

Aside from the relationship benefits of casually sitting and hanging out, there are even more practical benefits. As a side-effect of adapting spirit work in this way to work for me, my senses for spiritual energy shot through the roof.

I've always been pretty sensitive. I'm that weird kid at the next table over in the restaurant who clocked the spirit of your recently-deceased aunt who left you her necklace which you're wearing under your shirt and which I couldn't have possibly seen. But when I started Hanging Out and just existing in a space with spirits, everything sort of... exploded.

It's like recognizing your family's footsteps coming down the hallway. When I stopped trying to force myself to understand and recognize every scrap of energy, it all washed over me instead. And in the Energy Soup, I started to recognize more signs and signals without effort.

This is, in my opinion, the greatest benefit of Hanging Out, even for people who don't do spirit work at all. There's no meditative aspect to it, really (though you can certainly meditate to enhance it, if that's something you do). It's just sitting and being receptive.

I don't think this method will work for everyone. People who have zero sensitivity to spirits may not see any results. But I think it has value even for those people.

At its core, Hanging Out is a mindfulness exercise. If you can't be with spirits, be with yourself. Put the call out to whoever or whatever you work with, venerate, sense -- or things you'd like to get to know better. See what answers.

​Light a candle.

Say, "If you want to come sit with me and watch TV, feel free. I have popcorn."

Hang Out.

If you like my work, consider tossing a tip in my Ko-Fi tip jar! Supporters get extra, early, and exclusive content every week. You can also view this post on Ko-Fi here!

Also, consider throwing a response at my Divination Theory Survey! This is an ongoing research project that needs all the help it can get. Thanks!

[elsewherewitch]

If any of y’all didn’t know, there’s a free online library, aka

https://openlibrary.org/

and I found like, twelve ebooks I’ve been wanting to read on there, and blasted through like three of them during the course of a boring-ass shift.

[elsewherewitch]

[elsewherewitch]

Herb's Properties part 2

Apple: Garden magic, love, healing and wisdom, vanity, marriage and beauty.

Agrimony: Shielding and hex-breaking, aids sleep, brings luck towards you and is powerful in spell reversal.

Allspice: Money, luck, healing, love

Benzoin: Purification, prosperity, helps to soothe tension by dispelling anger and lessening irritability, de stressing, helps with depression, concentration, astral projection

Catnip: love, luck, happiness, beauty.

Cardamom: Lust, love, and fidelity. Sweetens the personality

Cumin: Fidelity, protection, exorcism.

Damiana: Love, lust, lucid dreaming, astral projection

Elder Tree: Sleep, releasing enchantments, protection against negativity, banishing.

Ginseng: Love, beauty, healing and lust.

Hibiscus: Love, lust, dreams, divination.

Hawthorn: Change, rebirth, protection, emotional healing, and happiness in relationships

Lemon Balm: Love, fertility, anti-depressant, and soothing emotional pain

Mandrake: Strengthens spells, protection, fertility, and courage

Nettle: Courage, breaking curses, healing, protection, crossing thresholds, and renewal

Patchouli: Connecting with spirits, attracting money, increasing fertility, love, and seduction

Rue: Protection, health, clarity, and purification

Sage: Longevity, wisdom, protection, dispels negative energy

St. John’s Wort: Preventing colds and fevers, banishing, protecting against hexes, prophetic dreams, and increasing courage

Witch Hazel: Protection, chastity, easing grief over a lost love, and warding off evil[

Yarrow: Healing, divination, love, promotes courage and confidence

Tip jar Herb's Properties Part1

[elsewherewitch]

2024 New Year Tarot Spreads

I compiled this gallery of tarot spreads over the last week! Credit is in each image posted :>

View this post (among others) for free over on my Patreon!

[elsewherewitch]

Whimsigoth board 🌘🔮⭐

[elsewherewitch]

Crescent beetle

[elsewherewitch]

Female Moon Tarot/Divination Witch Moodboard for @generalcoldphilosopher

Loved this request since it also describes my craft. I hope you like your moodboard!💜 ~Elsewhere🌚

[elsewherewitch]

Hello hope you doing greatt!! I wanted to request for a free reading. Thankyou for conducting it. 🌷

My initial : S.K

My zodiac : Taurus ♉️

Question : could you tell me briefly about my next lover/relationship?

Ik you said not to ask about “when will it happen” but in case you do get any timing it’d be fun to know about it. Although, I completely respect the rules and don’t mean to disrespect so just in case. Thankyou once again. Have great dayyy/nighttt.

Hello @lightchopshhopp / SK! Thank you for your ask💜 Also that pic is so cute omg, I have a fat white cat that looks just like that lol. I didn’t get a timeframe vibe when I did you reading, but I did do a 2 card reading for you because I needed clarification on the first card.

I used my Spirit Halloween Tarot Deck for your reading.

Here is your 2-Card Tarot Reading:

Card #1: Five of Cups - Mermaid

Sorry, my friend but it looks like your next relationship is definitely not going to be the one. There will be disappointment and heartbreak. Somebody may be caught up on their past relationship or mistakes and that isn’t going to allow it to thrive. I didn’t want to leave you on this note, so I asked for some clarification on this card for you and I pulled a second card.

Card #2: Three of Pentacles - Dwarf

So this card is basically saying that even though this next relationship isn’t your forever person, it is something you must go through to learn and guide you on your path. This is something that will help you grow so you will be ready when you actually meet the person that is meant for you. Do not try to avoid getting in a relationship to prevent heartbreak. Failure and breakups are some of the most enlightening things we can go through and it’s necessary for your growth.

I’m so sorry this was a more negative reading, but not all readings are positive unfortunately. Thankfully, it does sound like you will be on the right path to find the one, as long as you are patient and willing to grow.

Best of luck to you on your journey, hopefully this reading brought some clarity for you. Like/Reblog or lmk if it resonated with you. ~ Elsewhere🌚

[elsewherewitch]

Hi! I hope you're having a good day. I'd like to join your Free Tarot Reading. My name: Ngoc, she, 1998, capricorn rising, taurus sun, virgo moon. Here's my question:

How will my next lover pursue me?

Thank you! 😚

Hello, @ivyvhhg /NGOC! Thank you, I hope you had a nice day as well!

I used my Spirit Halloween Tarot Deck for your reading. I know that sounds funny, but this deck is pretty fun and very responsive.

Here is your 1-Card Tarot Reading:

Card #1: The Empress - Kali

This card represents creation. So in your case, creation of a romance. It can also be a warning of having an idea of something before it is ready to come to fruition, which is literally your question. (This deck likes word games & riddles so I’m unsurprised. When I asked it how it sees me it gave me The Witch card lol.) It also represents a distinct feminine or maternal nature. It sounds like your future lover will try to appeal to your romantic & softer side in order to win you over. Once they’ve begun pursuit, romantic dates are a definite. They also are big on trying to meet your emotional needs. Now all of this sounds wonderful, but be careful. This card is telling you to stay in touch with your emotions. Love bombers do exist, so stay true and in tune to yourself to avoid any unnecessary distress.

I hope you enjoyed your reading! Like/Reblog or lmk if it resonated with you. ~ Elsewhere🌚

[elsewherewitch]

i dont know what to ask for these 1 card reading :/

Same, buddy. Everytime I have the opportunity to receive a tarot reading my mind goes completely blank for questions.

So here’s my handy dandy trick for when you can’t come up with a question: ask for a general reading, or a vibe check, as I call them. These can be a few different questions to choose from like:

“Where am I at in life?”

“What are my vibes like?”

“What do I need to work on?”

“What is something I need to know?”

“What card best represents me at this time in my life?”

“What will this year be like for me?”

These are just a few questions I keep on hand when I can’t come up with any. To be honest, they’re some of my favorite questions to read for! Feel free to use any of them.

And if you can’t remember them, don’t worry! Tarot Readers can just give you a “general reading” if you ask them for one. Read with you soon💜 ~ Elsewhere🌚

[elsewherewitch]

Hi! I hope everything's going well for you. I would love to avail a free reading, please. Thank you so much for offering them!

Question: What vibe/first impression do I give off to people?

Thank you so much! Have a lovely day ahead.

- Maryel 🌼

Hello Maryel! What a lovely name. Thank you for sending your ask! Your question is one of my personal favorites to ask my decks.

I chose a brand new and quite odd deck for your question: Cat Tarot by Carole-Anne Eschenazi.

Here is your 1-Card Tarot Reading:

Card #1: The Hierophant - Merlin Cat

You are seen as wise, willing to learn, and confident in what you do by the people you meet. That’s their first impression of you. You seem like you fit in pretty well no matter the place & you are willing to adapt if you are unfamiliar with it. Basically you have leader vibes: understanding and confident.

I hope you enjoyed your reading! Like/Reblog or lmk if it resonated with you. ~ Elsewhere🌚

[elsewherewitch]

Creative Writing Tarot Spread

Writers block bogging you down? Use this 7-card spread to help jumpstart your creativity! This prompt can help you generate a very basic storyline.

First, pull a character card! Decide for yourself what this means: will your character carry the traits of the positive meanings of this card? Will your character’s conflicts be brought about by the card’s negative meanings? Will your character look like the figure depicted on the card? Will they wield the item depicted on the card? (Note: if your story has multiple main characters, you may wish to pull a card for each)

Next, pull the plot cards! Pull a card for the beginning of your story, a card for the middle, and a card for the end. Again, let yourself decide what this means. Do these cards describe your character’s emotional state(s) as the story progresses? Do these cards describe internal or external conflicts? Do these cards represent other characters your MC will meet along the way?

Finally, pull your meat cards! These cards are the “meat” of your story. Pull one card for the main or most important setting of your story, one card for the main conflict, and one card for the resolution of that conflict.

Have fun with it! Remember that these cards are just tools, and this spread is simply to kickstart your brain. If you get halfway through the spread and come up with something on your own, or if you start writing and realize your plot is deviating from what the cards gave you, don’t stress about it! You write for yourself, not for the cards. Thank them for their help and continue on with your own imagination.

Deck pictured here: The Essential Tarot by Chloé Zarka Grinsnir