featherywingz

[featherywingz]

On magic as being a chore, and why I think that's fine and probably a helpful way to frame it for a lot of people who want to do practical sorcery

On the topic of wards, have you ever had to dig a drainage ditch so water won't accumulate around your house?

Or, put one of those little gates in a doorway so a new puppy can only stay in one area? Or, have you ever put out ant bait?

Hung up a "no solicitors" sign? Built a fence so the chickens can stay over there, and out of the garden? Built a shade cloth over the garden?

Because when you're building a shade cloth over the garden, you're casting a ward against the sun, right. You're binding the puppy and the chickens so they are constrained to certain areas. You're crafting a spirit trap to redirect the water so it won't harm your foundations. Casting a hex most vile upon the ants.

Etc.

But I really do think that in some conversations, wards and protections get framed in a weird Bonnie and Clyde way, where they're assumed to be only for witches living in the Wild West, having witch wars and doing Risky Magic.

I do enjoy the sinister mysticism that can sometimes surround witchcraft. But sorcerous strategy is a big interest of mine, and I think that a very useful way to arrive at useful strategy is to de-mystify the whole operation.

It's just that we've got these weird labels, like hex, bind, banish, ward, protect, conjure; but when you get down to it, you can just be doing the most mundane stuff with your magic.

I can use a shade cloth to ward the garden against the sun. Then, I can string garlic on a red thread to ward against illness.

I can put up a fence to keep the chickens on that side of the back yard, then hang up a magical no solicitors sign because I'm tired of getting knocks at my door.

This is what gets my goat, sometimes, about people saying magic has to feel all wonderful and beautiful and everything. Yes, I love the experience of being productive with a hammer on an early spring morning, but building a fence is tedious. When it comes down to it, it's still just building a fence. Even if I build it with wax and bits of paper instead of wood and nails.

I feel like there is so much magical housekeeping people could be doing, or would greatly benefit from, that people just don't do because it's wrapped up in these sinister-adjacent terms.

I don't think magic is actually hex/bind/banish/ward/protect/conjure. I really do think magic is a lot more like hammer and nails. Needle and thread. Oven and dough. Etc.

Is it a fast cash spell, or are you just going out to search for the eggs your prosperity hens have already laid?

You can have it either way you like; you can frame going out to get physical eggs from mundane hens as a rapid-manifest prosperity spell. Behold, after I cast a spell of going outside for two minutes, I have manifested five eggs, better than any store could provide.

But taking all the mystical stuff and letting it just be mending holes and baking bread and digging drainage ditches I think is helpful.

All in all, I think demystifying the language we couch practical sorcery in can have two helpful results, which are:

It's easier to let yourself do things you want to do, because while it's normal to say "There's no good reason for me to cast protections because there's no reason to think anything will come after me," it's also normal to say, "you know what would be a good investment for this property? A nice privacy fence, it would make entertaining feel more cozy and then we could start fostering puppies."

It's easier to compel yourself to do the things you need to do, because it stops being, "I really want to cast a prosperity spell but I just haven't been in a magical mood," and starts being, "it is my job to water the plants and if I don't they will wither and die. So I'll make myself a nice tea to bolster my resolve and get to it before work."

[featherywingz]

⚰️Subtle Anpu Worship⚖️

Greatly inspired by @khaire-traveler's wonderful subtle worship series, which can be found here.

Honor your ancestors/souls that have passed

Visit cemeteries; leave flowers at graves (with permission); or help clean up gravesites (if allowed)

Learn about and uphold Ma'at

Make a playlist or listen to songs that remind you of him or you think he'd like

Make a collage/moodboard/pinterest board/similar collection of photos and images you associate with him, especially if some of the images are your own

Wear a piece of jewelry or other clothing item that reminds you of him

Light a candle or incense that reminds you of him (safely)

Carry a picture of him in your wallet, pocket, phone case, etc. or as a phone or computer wallpaper

Have jackal, wolf, dog, or scales imagery

Allow yourself to mourn over difficult changes or the end of relationships; allow yourself to miss people

Become comfortable with change; take new risks, try new things, accept difficult changes

Hold onto any family heirlooms; keep items from people who have passed in your life

Support humanitarian organizations, especially funeral funding or suicide prevention ones

Learn about death; acquaint yourself with the idea of death; figure out what you believe happens after death

Learn about different mummification practices especially Egyptian ones

Hold others and yourself responsible for their/your actions; apologize or make amends when possible/appropriate

Let go of people or things that do not contribute to your life in a positive way

Remember that rest is productive; take breaks when you need them

Practice truthfulness and keep your promises

Don't feel obligated to forgive people; you do not have to forgive them even if they've apologized to you

Make charms/other items for deceased loved ones especially protective ones or ones with his image and leave them on their gravesites (if possible) or on an ancestor altar

Help out those who are grieving (cook them a meal, help pay for funeral services, be a shoulder they can cry on, etc.)

I may add more to this list in the future. Suggestions are always appreciated.

Link to the Kemetic Subtle Worship Masterpost

[featherywingz]

Something that I get chills about is the fact that the oldest story told made by the oldest civilization opens with "In those days, in those distant days, in those ancient nights."

This confirms that there is a civilization older than the Sumerians that we have yet to find

Some people get existential dread from this

Me? I think it's fucking awesome it shows just how much of this world we have yet to discover and that is just fascinating

[featherywingz]

I know this is a witchcraft blog, but most of my practice involves simply observing nature as it is, and I think it's something everyone can benefit from. Not necessarily trying to understand it, or judge it, but quietly being present while it exists to do the only thing it's meant to do. To me, expanding my knowledge of the world is witchcraft. And almost conversely, just because we understand how something works doesn't make it any less magical. Sure, you water a seed and it becomes a plant. But that is an organism that eats sunlight and that is magical and I will not be convinced otherwise. When you look up at the Milky Way and it looks back at you, yeah it seems reasonable to point above your head and say something like, "The Gods live in the Heavens. Jupiter is up there, and he's watching over me." The line between literal and metaphorical blurs, and the microcosm reflects the macrocosm.

[featherywingz]

You can write down as many correspondences as you want, memorize entire lists from someone else's blog or book or whatever, but none of it will matter if you do not understand those correspondences. It's so critically important to ask "Why?"

Why is spirit purple? Why is love red? Why is chamomile calm? Why is quartz "all purpose"? Why does cinnamon speed up a spell?

Why, why, why?

What do you actually believe? And why?

[featherywingz]

Genuine question-

I always see people talking about their deities reaching out to them and having conversations, seeing them, getting help or guidance, WORKING with them. How do people do this and what does it mean to work with a deity?

I would love to learn more about how to worship my deities better. Anything. Could someone reach out to me? I just want to learn more and it’s so hard to do it online, I’m not greek, I still consider myself relatively new to this. I believe in my deities and admire them, it’s just hard and I don’t know if my efforts are working towards anything, could someone teach me more?

[featherywingz]

Infernal blessings

I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of this land and pay my respects to the Elders past, present and emerging. I acknowledge that Aboriginal sovereignty has not been ceded.

Hello!

What I am about:

I am a mid-30s kink-friendly Occultist and tarot reader of over two-decades and located in Australia 🇦🇺

I undertake in Demonolatry & other Occult studies in my free time.

I do perform "baneful" magick and am absolutely not hesitant to lay down a bloodline curse when pushed however Shadow Work and healing are the better paths to heightened spiritual growth & abilities.

What I am not about:

🔞 I am neither parent or priestess so minors should limit engagement to likes & reblogs. Block the NSFW tag if you're < 18.

Some polytheism FAQ:

How do I pray?

Deity communication: deities don't all speak the same language and you need to know a few things about yourself

Hellenic Deity communication megapost that covers quite a bit

"Will doing X upset my god/s?"

AI usage and spirituality

Deity & Devotee consent

Hellenic offerings

A brief primer on Godspousing, Sex Magick & Egregores! (With brief mention of Sacred Prostitutes)

Divine Madness aka Theia Mania

Soul Parent Deities & how to calculate them via Numerology

Deity identification tarot mega post

Trickster Deity discernment

Egregore Banishment: Know thyself, Heal Thyself Demonology: King Asmodeus & Lord Azazel on popular media as a devotional act.

⚠️ Post to be updated due to unplanned demonic activity

[featherywingz]

Things to Consider in a Tarot Reading (Other Than Card Meanings)

It’s important to look at the meanings of tarot cards, but it’s very possible to pull even more out of a reading that individual card meanings. Here’s some other stuff you might consider bringing into your interpretation when it feels right:

🍄The position of the cards. This is why spread design can be so important! I’ve had instances where all the cards, in their positions, had the subjects looking or pointing towards one specific card. It was wild. What did it mean? Maybe nothing, but maybe something very significant, depending on the question!

🍄The visual element of the cards. Sometimes what’s depicted on the card can give more specific insight than the actual book meanings. The pictures were done that way for a reason, so don’t be afraid to give them their own weight! Also, sometimes the spread as a whole will have a flow of design (like when one half is much brighter than the other) or a specific card is WAY more colorful than the other cards on the table. Any of these could potentially carry meaning.

🍄Jumper cards. This is when a card pops out while you’re shuffling! I usually just put them back… UNLESS the question has already been presented, and I’m shuffling with that question in mind. Then, I keep them as extra advice, bonus cards.

🍄Reoccurring numbers. Maybe you do a four card spread for a friend, and you get the four of cups, four of swords, four of wands, and the Emperor! (IV.) What does that mean? What does the number four symbolize? Well, a lot of things, potentially, depending on what you study. Some tarot designs incorporate the Kabbalah’s numbered paths in the tree of life, others go with numerology. Maybe, the number four just means something special to you or the querent in particular.

🍄A bunch of cards in order. I’m not talking about when you forget to shuffle. I’m talking about when you give it a really good shuffle and you still get the ace, two, and three of Pentacles all in a row. This can be seen as a sign of progression, or that the events are all much more closely connected than anticipated. It can also mean it happens over a shorter period of time than normal. It’s up to you, your cards, and the contexts.

🍄Proportions of different features. Maybe you’re doing an obstacle spread, and your obstacle is something like the nine of swords. That’s pretty nasty, but if all the other cards in the spread are Major Arcana, then it’s probably not going to be that difficult to surmount. The reverse can also be true. Additionally, a high number of reversed cards in a spread typically signifies a lot of confusion, conflict, and turmoil.

🍄Reoccurring symbols. Beyond just the four suits, because that’s a given! But maybe your spread shows a lot of cards with images of fire, people dancing, or birds. Do these mean anything to you or the querent? What do they typically symbolize?

🍄Any hiccups or unusual events during the reading. Once I had a querent pick up a card to examine it, drop it, then pick it up and put it back reversed. Since it was the overall outcome card, I interpreted that as a heightened ability to change her own fate in this given situation, since she had turned the card from quite a bad omen to a good one. Sometimes little accidents like dropping cards, accidentally shifting them, or laying out the spread wrong are meant to be there and add to the meaning!

I hope this gives you some ideas! Feel free to add more. What do you interpret alongside the cards in a reading?

[featherywingz]

🐐Subtle Khnum Worship🏺

Greatly inspired by @khaire-traveler's wonderful subtle worship series, which can be found here.

Create something related to him or his attributes, especially sculpting something

Collect different ceramic art pieces

Drink water; stay hydrated

Stand in water; ground yourself around bodies of water; meditate standing in or near them

Learn about and uphold Ma'at

Make a playlist or listen to songs that remind you of him or you think he'd like

Make a collage/moodboard/pinterest board/similar collection of photos and images you associate with him, especially if some of the images are your own

Wear a piece of jewelry or other clothing item that reminds you of him

Light a candle or incense that reminds you of him (safely)

Carry a picture of him in your wallet, pocket, phone case, etc. or as a phone or computer wallpaper

Have ram or pottery wheel imagery

Donate to food banks, medical debt forgiving organizations, wildlife organizations and other causes you think help life

Do things to help local wildlife like hanging up suet feeders, building bat boxes, etc.

Spend time out in nature

Go to an art museum

Supporting small or local artists and craftspeople

Learn about plants and animals, especially those that are native to your area or Egypt

Fall asleep/meditate to water sounds

Visit a local river, creek, or body of water; sit beside it and relax - draw, paint, fish, etc.

Collect river water (please do not drink this)

Eat in season produce; support local farmers

Plant a garden; grow plants in your home/room

Support water related organizations, such as those that help clean up the ocean or those that help people get clean water

Explore a nearby cave/take a cave tour (safely!!!)

Show support for any parents in your life, especially new ones; help out when/if you can

Donate baby supplies to homeless shelters

Take care of your body physically to the best of your ability (shower, eat well, get a good amount of sleep, etc.)

Take your medications, if any; take medications as needed

Look into healthy coping skills for any anxiety, depression, trauma, etc. - anything that can improve your mental/emotional well-being

Pick and/or press flowers (only from areas you're allowed to)

Cook with homegrown herbs or produce

Donate food to a homeless shelter or similar organization

I may add more to this list in the future. Suggestions are always appreciated.

Link to the Kemetic Subtle Worship Masterpost

[featherywingz]

as a city witch, I can tell you that throwing something in a gas station trash receptacle works the same as burying at a crossroads. don’t stress over shit.

[featherywingz]

Writing Will into Water

While most of us are familiar with burning and burial as means by which to make physical then manifest our wills, there is another method that I employ with some frequency: writing will into water.

It's a simple process (and made more complicated, if so desired). All you need is: a basin, water, and a writing implement (a finger works perfectly fine). With the water in your chosen basin, take your instrument and write on the water's surface just as you would on paper. Employ word, symbol, or what have you, imparting your desire into the water.

To the water, you might add any number of herbs, curios or other liquids. Wine or spirits make a good medium if you would like to impart your will into the very offering itself. For something more nefarious, you could add herb and/or scrap, cover and let the admixture ferment/rot, then leave it for the sun or otherwise release it. If your mixture poses no threat to the local environment, pouring your water into a lake, stream or river is a good option. Especially if your water came from that same source. Also, being mindful of modern water treatment and waste management systems: the water we pour down the drain is collected, treated and returned to us. This method might be used to affect persons who share the same treatment facilities as we do in nigh a direct way. But then, as we know, all water is connected at the end of the day, so perhaps that layer adds very little...

Even still, imparted water can be used much more directly on both self or others: as consumable, either as drinking water or as ingredient in food/beverage. Tea is, of course, a great option what with the endless possible inclusion. But then, that's all Kitchen Witching 101, isn't it?

Personally, I like the evaporation method the most. I enjoy the symbol of it: my will being reduced to its most potent form, then taking to the air to join with the clouds and the heavens, finally returning as precipitation. I think it suits my nature. But I think returning water to its source is also a powerful image. Joining it back with the current or body now carrying your will with it.

Just as with water, you can match the instrument and basin with your desire or the specifics of your practice. Perhaps you'd like to carve a stylus out of a certain wood, or use a rusted nail, or a feather, or bone. All perfectly fine options. Perhaps you'd like to use a cauldron or a ceramic bowl or your 1990s glass, promotional Batman Forever mug featuring nipple-suit George Clooney from McDonald's. Do whatever, do you.

None of this is likely new to most of you, but just something I wanted to speak on as I leave my cup on the table out back for the sun to drink.

[featherywingz]

Made a mini altar for Lucifer. Just need to get more things to go in it now :3

[featherywingz]

It's almost official, I am becoming a Khnum devotee. Haven't tried actually communicating with him or making any offerings yet, but I'm pretty much set on setting up a small altar for him in a corner of my pottery workshop (seems more than fitting).

I feel inspired and empowered in a way by him. Intrigued, as well. Feels like there's not as much info on him as other Egyptian deities. Which I guess makes developing my intuition much more crucial, in my opinion.

Today I went inside a fabric store to try and find something to cover the old turntable I will be using as the elevated portion of the altar, something akin to a miniature tablecloth. I was really hoping to get something made of natural fibers— polyester just wasn't gonna cut it. No judgement on anyone who has no other options or who just like synthetic fabrics but, personally, I feel like my deities deserve better whenever possible.

I was hoping for linen. Feels more fitting for an Egyptian god. But, no luck. Howoever I did find some nice thick 100% cotton fabric.

I'm thinking of dyeing it blue (here's where my intuition came in while in the middle of the fabric store— originally I was thinking of simply going with white or off-white). I haven't found any color associations for Khnum but given his association with the Nile I assume that greens and dark blues would be just right. Now I'm debating with myself whether I should try to dye my fabric from a natural source as well (I feel like I've seen a billion red cabbage dye tutorials before and can't seem to find as many anymore), which is something I have NEVER done, or just play it safe and buy commercial fabric dye.

[featherywingz]

I bet you this has been asked before, but do you know of anything like a reverse onion spell? Instead of taking the person out of your life, bringing them in (hopefully in a positive note, not like "help I'm homeless and I want to live with you forever")?

You might try making a sweetening jar to sway the situation and the person’s opinion in your favor.

Sweetening jars are pretty easy to make. You just need the person’s name and what you want on a piece of paper tucked into a jar with something sweet. Sugar, honey, molasses, whatever you can get your hands on. If you want to add a little kick to make it work faster, put in a pinch of cinnamon and a curl of orange peel. Then tuck the jar away where it won’t be disturbed and just wait.

[featherywingz]

“Belief and blind faith are for sheep. Witches don’t need them. Instead, we have tangible experiences to back up our own practices and cosmology. We don’t need to believe in shapeshifting – we do it. We don’t need to believe in gods and spirits – we talk to them regularly. We don’t need to believe in an underworld and afterlife – we travel there. Magic is like the wind. You can’t see it, but you can see what it touches and it is very powerful. A warm wind can melt away the snow and cold and bring in spring in just a few days or a harsh wind over the ocean can destroy hundreds of years of civilization with just one hurricane. Magic is the tangible unseen. You don’t harness it or control it, you are made from it, for magic is the very fibre of your being.”

— Sarah Anne Lawless

[featherywingz]

Witches in History - Podcast Recs

If you prefer your history lessons in podcast form, here’s a list of audio treats about witches, witch trials, and witch panics, from antiquity to the modern day. Check out these shows on your favorite podcast app!

I will update this list as I find new examples. Feel free to add your own!

(Last Updated August 27, 2024 - Full post under Read More)

For more witchcraft and occult-related podcast recs, check out my other masterpost, Debunking and Fact-Checking for Witches & Witchcraft Spaces.

Witches & Witch Trials in History

Hex Positive

Ep. 3 - Hex Positive June 1, 2020 Bree delves into what it means to be Hex Positive, as well as discussing and dismantling some of the confusion surrounding the use of hexes and curses. Just what IS the Threefold Law, anyway? The answer may surprise you.

Ep. 19 - The Trouble with Tarot August 1, 2021 Tarot and tarot-reading have been a part of the modern witchcraft movement since the 1960s. But where did these cards and their meanings come from? Are they secretly Ancient Egyptian mystical texts? Do they have their origins among the Romani people? Are they a sacred closed practice that should not be used by outsiders? Nope, nope, and nope. This month, we delve into the actual history of tarot cards, discover their origins on the gaming tables of Italy and France, meet the people who developed their imagery and symbolism into the deck we know today, and debunk some of the nonsense that’s been going around lately concerning their use. The Witchstorian is putting on her research specs for this one!

Ep. 20 - Witchcraft and the Law September 1, 2021 A discussion of the history of witchcraft-related laws and how changing views on magic, religion, and superstition first denied the existence of witches, then panicked over their alleged activities, and finally settled into something resembling common sense. This is a long slog, encompassing over 3000 years of history from a broomstick-height view, and I get off on a few tangents where history crosses paths with modern issues. But if you’re a history buff, you’re gonna love this episode!

Ep. 21 - Witchcraft and Modern Law September 21, 2021 A follow-up to Ep. 20, this time dealing with modern legal codes that may affect our practices even if they don’t deal with witchcraft directly. There is also some discussion of 20th-century events missed in the previous episode, as well as a brief overview of witch hunts still occurring in some parts of the world today.

Ep. 22 - Bree and Lozzie vs the Witch Hunters October 1, 2021 Bree NicGarran and guest host Lozzie Stardust run down the history and many misdeeds of notorious witch hunters Matthew Hopkins and John Stearne.

Ep. 23 - The Name of the Game November 1, 2021 Bree delves into the history, myths, and urban legends surrounding Ouija boards. Along the way, we’ll uncover their origins in the spiritualist movement, discover the pop culture phenomenon that labeled them portals to hell, and try to separate fact from internet fiction with regard to what these talking boards can actually do.

Ep. 28 - The Easter-Ostara Debacle April 1, 2022 Bree puts on her Witchstorian hat once more to delve into the origins of both Easter  and Ostara and to finally answer the age-old question: which came first  – the bunny or the egg?

Ep. 036 - Margaret Effing Murray with Trae Dorn July 1, 2023 Margaret Murray was a celebrated author, historian, folklorist, Egyptologist, archaeologist, anthropologist, first-wave feminist, and the first woman to be appointed to the position of lecturer in archaeology in the UK. So why so we get so annoyed whenever her name is mentioned in conversations about witchcraft? Well, it all has to do with a book Margaret wrote back in 1921…which just so happened to go on to have a profound influence on the roots of the modern witchcraft movement. Nerd & Tie senpai and host of BS-Free Witchcraft Trae Dorn joins me in the virtual studio to discuss the thoroughly-discredited witch-cult hypothesis, Murray’s various writings and accomplishments, and why modern paganism might not have caught on so strongly without her.

BS-Free Witchcraft

Ep 03: The History of Wicca October 06, 2018 On this episode Trae digs deep into the history of Wicca, and tries to give the most accurate history of the religion as they can. I mean, yeah, we know this is a general Witchcraft podcast, but Wicca is the most widely practiced form of Witchcraft in the US, UK, Canada and Australia… so how it got started is kind of important for the modern Witchcraft movement. (And trust me, there aren’t any pulled punches here.)

Ep. 28: The Burning Times May 30, 2020 On this installment of the podcast, we tackle probably one of the more controversial topics in the modern witchcraft movement: The Burning Times. What were the actual “Burning Times,” where do we get that phrase from, and what really happened? Also, how has this phrase been used in modern witchcraft? It’s a heavy one, folks.

Ep. 33: The Wheel of the Year March 27, 2021 After two fairly depressing episodes, it’s time to move on to something a little less bleak. This time around we’re talking about the Wheel of the Year! Well, at least the basic idea. Where did it come from, who slapped these eight holidays together, and are they really something every witch needs to give a crap about? (Minor spoiler, the answer to that last question is a firm “no.”)

Ep. 39. - Mabon and Aidan Kelly Sept. 25, 2021 In the last few years there has been some minor push back against using the name “Mabon” for the Autumnal Equinox. In this episode we’re going to talk about how Mabon got its name, who came up with the name, and why exactly a small group of British Traditional Wiccans are so mad about it. (Spoiler: it’s because a bunch of Gardnerian Wiccans are mad at Aidan Kelly.)

Ep. 43 - “Lilith” Jan. 29, 2022 As long as I can remember, people have been debating whether or not it’s okay for non-Jewish witches to incorporate Lilith into their practices. Is Lilith closed? Is it cultural appropriation? There’s so much misinformation in new age and poorly written witchcraft books on Lilith, it’s hard for some witches to get a clear picture. Like I’ve run into folks on social media talking about Lilith as a “Goddess,” which she very much isn’t. Let’s dive into the origins of the folklore surrounding this figure, and I’ll let you decide whether or not it’s okay to work with Lilith. But, uh, spoiler – I don’t think you should.

Ep. 53 - Modern Witchcraft History Nov. 26, 2022 This episode of BS-Free Witchcraft is actually a panel from CritWitchCon 2022 this last October. Spend an hour with Alex Wrekk, Bree NicGarran, Lozzie Stardust, and Trae Dorn as they talk about the history of modern witchcraft. Also you get to list to Trae speed run like 130 years of history in under five minutes. [It was epic.]

Ep. 54 - A Conversation with Aidan Kelly Dec. 31, 2022 Trae sits down with Aidan Kelly (yes THE Aidan Kelly) to discuss the September 2021 episode listed above and set the record straight about Kelly’s new Wheel of the Year.

Keep reading

[featherywingz]

Purity in witchcraft is overrated in my opinion.

"Make sure you're in a good state of mind" this, and "Don't be afraid" that.

Anger, fear, grief, exhaustion... are all emotions that can be used in witchcraft. Learn how to wield them properly, and see just how much power they hold in your craft. Just like a weapon.