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Resourcefulness in the Craft

You can divine by throwing twigs and pebbles onto a graph you made with a sharpie and some printer paper, or use said printer paper to make your own cartomancy deck.

Use cool stuff you find outside as offerings if you want.

My mom taught me how to make wreaths out of porcelain vine or wild grape vines when I was a child, try it. Or teach yourself how to weave a basket.

Use dried "kindling" twigs to make a small besom in the fall.

Find interesting places outdoors, mark them on maps. Create your own correspondences for components you find while out and about.

Raid your own art or office supply storage boxes.

Use twine or tape for binding spells, use staples for curses, fold origami for attracting abundance, use paperclips for memory spells.

And sticky notes for sigils. And felt for poppets.

And a binder with loose leaf notebook paper for your grimoire! Spice it up with dividers for different topics!

Spending money on the tools and ingredients to make a money bowl is incredibly counter-intuitive. Grab stuff from the kitchen like rice, cinnamon, and basil, and stuff from outside like broadleaf plantain, blades of grass, and a cool rock. Scribble some sigils on yellow or green sticky notes, gather some loose change, and toss it all in a bowl you already have with your intention layered between your ingredients and components.

Magical practitioners have always used what was around them. Being resourceful is part of the practice :)

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Congo: The Genocide that implicates us all

Heavy fighting erupted in 2023 between the Congolese Army and several armed groups, most notably the M23 militia, escalating an already disastrous situation. Thousands have been killed, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. At present, there are 7.1 million displaced people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Violence of this scale is not without precedent, with the conflict in Eastern DRC leading to an approximate 6 million deaths since 1996.

In November 2023, an unidentified man in the capital Kinshasa set himself on fire while holding a sign reading “Stop the Genocide in Congo.” Another man, Cedrick Nianza, did the same in 2011 while shouting Congo na nga, Congo na nga (my Congo, my Congo).

Violence and conflict inflicted on the people in the Congo is not new. Over a century ago, one of the worst atrocities in recorded history occurred with King Leopold II’s genocide of 10 million African people to control the rubber trade during his colonial rule over Congo from 1885 to 1908.

The modern conflict includes ethnically motivated killings, which have been a frequent reality in Congo since the spillover from the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi people occurring in their neighbor country Rwanda. Thirty years later, the M23 claims to defend the Tutsi from further acts of genocide.

Along with the ethnic divisions, the modern conflicts are fueled by a diverse constellation of internal, regional, and international actors with the essential factor driving the violence being control over resources.

Almost all new technology, especially what is described as ‘green tech,’ requires materials such as lithium, cobalt, copper, and tin. The Eastern regions of the DRC are rich in these materials – as well as in diamonds and petroleum – and are thus subject to fierce contestations by local militias, backed by foreign governments (such as Rwanda in the case of the M23 militia), and international capital. Those that mine for these materials experience horrible conditions, with many accounts of slave labor and child labor. These same minerals are bought by international companies and create technologies such as smart phones, laptops, electric vehicles, solar panels, ear pods, speakers – basically anything with a battery.

Many activists are calling for a boycott of new tech and insist that the transition to green technology – a phrase used to indicate a switch to more ecological forms of energy production – cannot be built with the blood of Congolese men, women, and children.

This is the third in a series visualizing genocides across the globe created by Hisham Rifai and Ayman Makarem. See the first two specials, Resisting Starvation in Gaza and ‘Zaghrouda’ in the Midst of the Sudan War below.

The artistic duo has also created the Revolution in Every Country comic series on revolutionary movement events and ideas in the SWANA (South West Asia and North Africa) region.

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Shailene Woodley went on The Late Show to talk about how we can keep up the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline

“The front lines don’t necessarily have to be in North Dakota,” she explained. “The front lines can be wherever you are. You can create a protest in New York City, because protests are about awareness and about people coming together.” She also had some comments about the one thing she wished she’d known when she was taking her now-famous mug shot.

Gifs: The Late Show

WATCH THE VIDEO

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A Witch’s Hearth: Finding Home in Nature

In our Disconnected, Urban World

Written by Autumn (she/her) 🍁

To most witches, pagans and druids, the nature around us is as much of a home as our own domiciles. It’s healing to go out to an old growth forest, to bathe in the wisdom of beings who lived before you and will likely still stand tall when you are amidst their soil.

However, not everyone has immediate access to the lovely blessing of a deep forest.

I myself recently moved from the deep, lush forests of the PNW to just about as far south as I could go in my car, chasing the light that I need to function. The move has helped with my daily functions and mental health, yes—but I have been left feeling a bit lost without the forests of home.

Join me as I plan some ways in which I can adapt anew to the nature around my new home, how I may incorporate it in my magic, and how I may carve out a new spiritual hearth for myself.

Perhaps this can help inspire folks to tackle their own homesickness with nature, and to reconnect with the world in which they live (whether or not they’ve made a move).

Once again, please take this with a grain of salt—as this is just from my own experiences. I am not a teacher, I am simply recording my thoughts in the hopes to add my voice to the pot. With that, let’s begin! 🌿

A Deep Homesickness

This photo is one my partner took at our engagement up in WA, right before we ran into a bear

The above photo is how I think of home. The deep green of the forest, the blue of the mountains on the horizon. Moss on just about every surface. The rich dirt that sustained it all. Were it not rainy and dark most of the year, I wouldn’t have left.

Now, I find home in a biome all its own. I’m living deeper into a city than I ever have, and I’m feeling isolated from nature. While the beach is close by, any deep woods that remind me of the edges of the wilderness up north are at the very least two to three hours away by car.

Though I have a hard time remembering this, it is not a bad change. Any plant that is uprooted from the earth it’s known its whole life is bound to feel a bit uncomfortable. But perhaps it can flourish if moved to soil better suited for its intrinsic needs.

Though my experience includes a physical move, this can apply to a homesickness you feel due to a simple displacement of nature in this society. Perhaps you aren’t seeing enough nature, or aren’t able to connect with what’s around you.

Let’s forge ahead to tackle this feeling of loneliness head on!

Finding Similarities

This is a photo I took at a hike about 2.5 hrs out of the way down here. Though without as many trees, it felt much more familiar and was beautiful in its own right

In our modern society, we’re left with a longing to return to nature—to our home. You may find yourself longing for a specific kind of view. Perhaps you’re looking for prominence of a particular element—like a roaring river to enact water or plenty of clover to help you feel the earth. The following is a list of steps to tackle this:

Make a list of things you want to see or things that would help you feel at home in nature. Think of your dream location when it comes to the outdoors. What does it look like? What features does it have? How do you feel?

Go online and find trails nearby with as similar to these features as possible. AllTrails has the ability to search for trails with waterfalls, forests, wildflowers, wildlife, etc. for free. Make good use of the wonderful web of resources provided to us.

Make an effort to connect with nature at least once a month, if you can. Be sure to pack for safety—and take a nice hike, or sit under an old tree and journal in your grimoire. Ground yourself and notice the seasons around you

In this way, you’ll help your soul settle and feel comfortable, which will help with our next steps.

Bring a Piece of Nature Home

Here’s one of my cats, Pagan, enjoying our newest garden box arrangement. I’m so proud of how far she’s come since we rescued this tiny baby

Many times, it’s near impossible to find the time in our busy lives during the week to go deep into nature. Thus, we need to take this connection into our own hands, and build our own miniature wild sanctuary.

NOTE: Do not remove plants or creatures from nature. They are there for a reason.

Take inventory of your available space. Is this your entire patio? A shelf? A portion of your altar? A garden box? A whole backyard? Take measurements so you can better plan

Remember your list of natural things you enjoy. Brainstorm some ways to include them in this space. It could be a photo or painting of your dream location. It could also be an actual plant for a tiny breath of fresh air. If you have the space, you could plant a whole garden! It is whatever matters most to you. Try and incorporate your local biome to help enmesh the two worlds, if they are different.

Thrift and shop around to fulfill the needs of this space. The more you can get secondhand or from smaller businesses in your community, the better. You may even be able to ask your neighbors or friends with impressive plants for a cutting to propagate!

Consider the safety of any children or animals in your life. A lot of plants and flowers can be toxic to certain creatures. Utilize the web to determine what is safe for your situation.

Set up your space and enjoy! You may utilize spells or ritual to fully enact the space and help it to feel more magical, but it is really your choice.

For my family, we live in an apartment. We haven’t had a backyard in years. Still, we’ve found way to turn our patio into a spot of natural respite. We utilize a tiered planter in order to make the most of our patio space. Though we’ve included small flowers that remind us of our old home, we’ve embraced the biome we’re currently in and have an entire row of beautiful succulents. Of course, we also added catnip for our babies, and herbs for our kitchen witchcraft. We also put down these outdoor tiles from IKEA that mimic a lawn and wooden patio. On our table, we’ve put a hummingbird feeder to help better support local wildlife, and are discussing an actual bird feeder.

Embracing the Nature Around You

A photo I took of a playful wild crow. He was an excellent little model!

This is a step I still need to complete myself. When biomes don’t match up with how you picture nature in your craft, it can be frustrating! Especially if you’re in a fairly urban area, you may not have much access or choice in which nature you interact with.

Here’s the good thing, though: it’s all nature, regardless of how it shows up in the world.

Start researching your local biomes. Take account of your local parks and community gardens. Study the history of the land that you’re on, and how it played into the lives of the people that it truly belongs to (of course, do not culturally appropriate. This should go without saying). Explore native biodiversity. Find volunteer programs at local organic farms. Visit a farmer’s market. The list of possibilities goes on.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or don’t know where to start, this is how I’ll be organizing my journey through this step:

Make a list of natural sights in your area that are easily accessible to you. I’m talking within a 30 minute drive or closer level of close. These don’t need to match up perfectly with your perception of nature—you may be pleasantly surprised in what you find when you open yourself up. This could include: parks, hiking trails, state parks, plant nurseries or shops, local/community gardens, farms that allow for visitors, farmer’s markets, local watersheds that allow for visitors, etc.

Visit these locations safely, documenting what you find beautiful and/or spiritual in each one. List aspects of local nature and how that could make an impact if you were to include them in your craft

Create a mini encyclopedia of local spots that you end up loving for days where you’re feeling disconnected and need a quick pick-me-up. You might even create a jar full of folded papers to pick them at random.

Increase the amount of local natural elements that you include in your craft instead of/alongside elements of your idealized natural space. You may find this area around you feeling more like a home or hearth than you ever have before.

Once you start practicing awareness in nature more and more, you’ll start to notice it in more places. This can not only help with your connection to your location, but can help you build your magical hearth in the energy around you.

Giving Back

This is a photo I took at the San Diego Zoo of a weaver finch building its nest

Nature takes care of us, even when we’re detached from it in our cities. We need to take care of it in turn. If you have the means, find some way to give back to the nature around you if you so wish. Here are some ideas:

Give back to the plants with your energy, or make an offering of compost to replenish the soil

Purchase a Membership at a local zoo or aquarium that prioritizes conservation. This way you get to visit, too, while giving back! I love having memberships because I know on each visit I can really take my time and don’t have to rush about.

Volunteer to help reforest, or to help plant at a local garden. This can even be done by donation if you do not have the access or ability to physically participate

Consider giving homegrown herbs/plants to family and friends—or prepare them to help feed those in your community, if you have the means to donate

Teach others in your community how to properly dispose of waste and how they can help keep our natural beauty alive

Simply compost and recycle when the option is available to you

Etc. There is no one right way to do any of this! Just with your intent, you make your community a better place. Thank you for being in it

Thank you for taking the time to read through my little magical journal and ideas. Even if we don’t fully align, I hope that our paths crossing has contributed to even a slight net-positive in your day. I look forward to writing again soon.

[hedgewitchgarden]

Happy Floralia, darlings! 🥰🌸

Floralia is an ancient Roman festival celebrating the goddess Flora and the arrival of spring. It’s a time to revel in the beauty of nature, embrace sensuality and fertility, and honor the goddess of flowers and vegetation.

Here are some ways you can celebrate this festival:

🌸 Adorn your home and altar with fresh flowers and greenery. Make a flower crown or garland to wear.

🌸 Indulge in your senses. Wear your favorite floral scent, enjoy decadent foods and drinks, or dance to music that makes you feel alive.

🌸 Take a walk in nature and appreciate the beauty of spring. Collect flowers, leaves, and other natural treasures to use in spells and rituals.

🌸 Practice divination or meditation to connect with the energies of the season and the goddess Flora.

🌸 Perform rituals or spells to honor Flora and to manifest abundance, growth, and beauty in your life.

Remember, this is a time to celebrate sensuality, pleasure, and abundance. Embrace your inner goddess and indulge in the pleasures of life. Happy Floralia, witches! 🌺🌸🌼

____ 🌞 If you enjoy my posts, please consider donating to my energies 🌞

✨🔮 Request a Tarot Reading Here 🔮✨ ____ With love, from a Sappy Witch 🔮💕

Blessed be. 🕊✨

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Floralia was an ancient Roman festival, a celebration for Flora, a goddess who had no Greek counterpart. As they did with their land and language, the Romans simply took their mythology from the surrounding areas.​​ The idea of using pillars of civilization that were already tried & true was deeply entrenched in the mind of the Roman empire – they didn’t wish to invent, but sought to improve.

So the Greek myths became Roman. Venus came from Aphrodite, Minerva from Athena, Diana from Artemis. But Flora, a goddess whose domain edged into that of Proserpine, Juno, and Venus, came from the mythology of the Sabines: people of the ancient Italian peninsula who were some of the first to be conquered and integrated by the very early Romans.

Flora presided over the blooms of flowers, vegetation, fertility and all kinds of new growth. It is no wonder her holiday was celebrated during the spring, April 27 or 28 depending on the calendar. Flora was a plebian goddess, though most holidays were patrician (upper class), Floralia’s games and spectacles included nudity, circus, theater, mock gladiators, and of course, plentiful feasts.

Goats and hares and dry beans (yes, really) were released and scattered into the streets to promote a spirit of fertility and salaciousness. Sex workers were encouraged to participate in the events, and all who attended wore bright, multicolored garments and floral crowns and wreathes for their hair. Festivities went on until late into the night.

Floralia was subject to some criticism, due to the licentious nature of the holiday. But she was given her due – dependent on agriculture, the Romans held Flora in high standing. She was one of the few deities with her own temple and priestesses, a sign of massive respect and importance. Or perhaps those hard, rough Romans had a soft spot for the stunning spring blooms.

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Floralia (1898) -  Hobbe Smith

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"Flora", circa 1780s) Angelica Kauffmann (1741-1807) Swiss painter

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"O Flora! sweetest Flora, goddess bright,

Impersonation of selectest things,

The soul and spirit of a thousand Springs,

Bodied in all their loveliness and light,

A delicate creation of the mind,

Fashioned in its divinest, daintiest mould,

In the bright age of gold,

Before the world was wholly lost and blind,

But saw and entertained with thankful heart

The gods as guests..."

~ Richard Henry Stoddard, "Arcadian Hymn to Flora"

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Statue of Flora, 2nd century AD, Naples National Archaeological Museum by Carole Raddato

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Woman with a basket of fruit. Mosaic, now in the National Museum of Carthage.

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Sidi Ghrib Rosegarden mosaic

Sidi Ghrib is a Tunisian archaeological site about forty kilometers south-west of Carthage and four kilometers from Borj El Amri, known for its beautiful Roman mosaics 

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Boxes, jars, etc. Sparks of Joy Everywhere!!!

Thinking if the "Give that witch a bottle" humor

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transcript:

Sierra | Archivist, Project Manager… … @SierraChas

I saw somewhere earlier "Go be your favorite self" We are used to "higher" or "best" But "favorite" leaves room for Grace. I'm going to be the version of myself that I like right now in this moment.

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Full Pink Moon 2024 l Andrew McCarthy

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"House of the Sun"

Sculpture by Mykhailo Reva

According to the author's idea, through it you can observe the first rays of the morning sun.