librarianarthea

[librarianarthea]

i’ve been seeing a lot of shitty divination advice going around on witchblr, especially concerning alternative tarot and cartomancy reading techniques. fuck that. anyways, here is the cartomancy system that i use lmao. it’s based heavily (but not exactly) on the minor arcana of the thoth tarot deck. there are a ton of playing card divination systems that often conflict or rely on really niche esoteric folk symbolism, so i just use this system. it works for me, it can work for you. great for if you dont have any tarot cards on hand, even better for parties. give a reading with the cards they were just playing with! never fails to impress haha. the absence of the major arcana also keeps the mood light without losing any of the details.

this system uses words that are collectively idealized. it’s a system to work with the ego. remember, with truth comes burden and with pleasure comes pain. 

magic = power, force, unseen nature, divine will

compassion = love in all it’s forms (storge, philia, eros, and agape)

understanding = knowledge and application of human machination(s)

opportunity = a moment in space/time for new manifestations

the court cards represent people, objects, events and otherwise tangible focal points of any readings they appear in

i’ll also mark the jokers, one as The Fool and another as The World. if there is a 3rd joker, i toss it. but marking it as The Devil or even as The Lover would be good options imho. 

hope this is helpful to someone out there <3

[librarianarthea]

Your players are faced with an ancient Sumerian curse! However, since the early ancient Sumerian language was only used for recording tax debts, it turns out to actually be an ancient Sumerian bill.

[librarianarthea]

I don't understand the need all the other young people have on this website to make themselves out to be experts in witchcraft. Why? Do you not have the self awareness to know you don't know much when you're young? We could be having fun and interesting and lovely discussion and debate and instead it's a bunch of edgy folks acting like they've got lifetimes of experience when they don't. That's so boring.

I'm not personally interested in knowing everything right away because that would take the fun out everything. It's a spiritual journey for me. If I arrive at the destination too fast then where will I go? I'd rather things go slowly. A slower unfolding of a path sounds better to me than ripping a door off the hinges.

[librarianarthea]

If someone wanted to find a mentor/teacher in magic, do you think the best way to obtain that would be to socialize within occult circles and try to learn as much as you can on your own in hopes to "catch someone's eye", or would it be to track down actual old schools of magic and try to enroll?

Hello, dear.

I understand the want for a mentor. That is something I was longing for, too. Not to be coddled, but to be challenged the proper way. It is a comforting connexion. Magic is a complicated path, full of twists and turns. It can be daunting, frightening even, and as much as we like to emphasize this is a path to be walked alone, we all felt the need for guidance at some point.

Mingling in occult communities is a good idea no matter what, because these are... interesting circles to move into, to say the least. Not all great, for sure. There is a lot of ego play going around, a lot of bullshit, too. But there are also some genuinely competent and interesting people there. You will see that it is a small world after all. It will make you grow, because it will make you realize what you know and what you don’t, and how to rely on yourself first and foremost. It will teach you to spot the rotten apple in the batch, and the rare fruit too. The emulation of such groups cannot be underestimated. I am more of a solitary creature myself, but I still appreciate what it is a group has to offer, and because I have been able to experience multiple, I would recommend you to give it a try. It makes things real, when you are isolated, to know other people share in what you do, in what animates you.

You will meet multiple mentors - trust me, whether from this world or the other. But they don’t always present themselves as such. Someone, somewhere, can always teach you something. They will come and go. Magic is an art - it can be manipulated in so many different ways. Techniques, rituals, process, abound and echo each other, and that is incredibly stimulating to compare, to delve into, to sort, and to apply. Even if these relationships are not expressed in formal terms, I wish for you to always have someone to look up to, to admire. Speak with people from paths different to your own. Speak with people from different backgrounds and traditions.

As for schools of thoughts... I would caution you regarding groups and established traditions, until you refine yourself first. It is important to know what it is you seek to begin with. My only experience, personnally, was not a good one, but in truth I still have a fascination for covens. You might want to ask someone who is actually initiated to forge yourself a better opinion out of what they have to say. I am an outsider, open to possibilities, for sure, but my understanding of such structures is limited. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to do a little browse in what interest you now, anyway.

Let things come. Do not force them. Find comfort in knowing you are progressing steadily. Find some backbone in your results, in their own tangibility. There is nothing, not even the praises of a mentor, comparing to the occurrence of a miracle you know you made happen. Be self-reliant, independent, with a critical mind, always, and a healthy dose of skepticism and caution when it comes to other occultists.

You will be fine.

[librarianarthea]

[librarianarthea]

Kathrin Marchenko on Instagram

[librarianarthea]

I haven’t see any emoji spells, “stir your tea counterclockwise to banish”, or the phrase b*b*witch in months from the witchblr community. Glad there’s some growth happening.

Now let’s talk about INTENTION.

I know some of y’all get hurt when the grimoiric magicians & chad trad witches make fun of y’all without giving you a scrap to feed off of. So I’ll throw ya a bone. Learn to raise power. Raising power is. Not. Intention. It’s not even close. But it’s what a lot of y’all mean to do when you talk about “charging [magical reagent] with intention”. When you can learn to reliably draw, concentrate, and release power, what’s beyond the sky is really the limit

[librarianarthea]

Mandrake Root

(Decided to reblog this as an actual post, for everyone else’s reference)

Mandrake has many uses. You can carry a piece around in the shape of a phallus to increase virility (if you’re a guy) or carry it around in the shape of a vagina to be more fertile (as a woman).

Probably the most popular use of the mandrake is the creation of the Mannikin. The mandrake’s power comes from its anthropomorphic shape, you see. It has a special connection to mankind, and is a great plant ally, both as a fetiche and as an ointment or beer (Egyptians made a Mandrake Beer!).

There are many methods of creation for the fetiche (also known as an Alraun), this is simply mine. Note that this method can be used for basically any root that as a human-like shape (dandelion roots are excellent for this).

If you have received the root by itself, this first part is not necessary.

You come upon a mandrake, a glorious one indeed. Make offerings unto it of milk and blood, calling to the root as one does to a child or to a lover. Ask it to be yours, to serve you, to protect you, to guide you, to guard you. And in exchange you shall gift it with a home and offerings of sweet wines.

Then you must dig up the root. Better for this to happen on a Friday under the full moon (if the root is being used for amorous purposes), or upon a Saturday under the dark or full moon (whatever your preference here is. I would say Dark for more inner work-travelling companion, and Full for a house doll). You should stuff your ears with cotton. The reason for the cotton is so that you do not hear the mandrake’s dreadful cries, which spell death for the seeker of the root! Trace three circles around the plant to bind in its power. Dig up the root carefully with an antler, or implement of wood. No metal of any kind should touch the root, else the power within be lost. Be sure to not let any part of the root touch the ground for this same reason.

Or perhaps get a dog to do it for you like the old days.

Also take note to dig with your back against the wind, and to make calls of love and devotion to the root as you do so. Some methods have a second person assisting who makes these calls while dancing about the root sunwise, scatting water about the ground. 

Carry the root home in a white cloth. Then must you carve the root in the likeness of a man (if you are a woman) or a woman (if you are a man). Bathe the root in a mixture of wine and a bit of your blood, chanting over it your purposes, and burning an appropriate incense. Call out to its spirit to guide and protect you and bring you luck.

Re-wrap it in the cloth and bring it back to where you found it, or to a place appropriate to the working, such as a graveyard, or a churchyard. Bury it in the ground with more offerings of milk and blood. Leave it here for an entire lunar cycle (full back to full, dark back to dark), and every Friday (or Saturday) return to give more offerings, reminding the root of its purpose: to serve you.

Return when the moon is once again dark (or full) and dig up the root again in the same manner as before. Bring it home, and once again bathe it in red wine and a bit of your blood. Then you must let it dry over a fire (yes, this will take some time, and several sessions). The root should be kept within a white cloth…

…preferably one belonging to a dead person…

…and kept within a wooden coffin upon which has been carved symbols appropriate to the root’s purpose. No one but the Mixtress of the root should look upon it. If the root is protecting the home, it should be kept upon the mantelpiece, or the center of the home (where ever that may be). If it is to be a guide and protector in the spirit realms, keep it upon your working surface.

Every month at the full moon (or the dark), the root should be offered red wine and blood, and be reminded of its purpose (just flicked on there is fine). A silver coin can also be offered unto roots of the home to bring fortune and prosperity in times of need. Treat the root as a friend and housemate, and it will serve you in all your ways.

If you are using the root as a travelling companion, it should be taken out and charged to protect your body while you are “oot and aboot”. The root can also be asked to assist in cursing and healing, as well as spells of love. 

Be warned: do not throw the root away, and do not treat it with ill intent, lest it curses you. It is a sentient ally, and should be treated as such.

Happy witching ;)

NOTE: Mandrake is a poison, so wear protective gloves. And don’t eat it. 

[librarianarthea]

The Spirit Death/ Initiation

Traditions from all over the world hold that the person who wields supernatural power must first be initiated.  But that word has changed since those times. Today, most view initiation as some dusty set of rituals. But that’s not what it was then, and that’s not it is now for traditional witches. It’s death. It’s destruction of the old self to make way for the new. It’s sickness and decay. It’s the rotting flesh made bare for the young animals to eat. Most know that it happens to shamans. You’ve heard the stories of sickness, depression, hallucinations, and lonesome.  It happens to witches too. It is a difficult time referred to now as ‘Spirit Initiation’, though I’ve come to know it as “The Death” or “The Spirit Death”. The phenomena has been talked about at length and experienced by traditional witches. Its function is to destroy the old to make way for the new. It kills the old you and uses it for kindling to light the witch fire. It’s happened to many traditional witches before they found their way to the Crooked Path.  When people warn others that witchcraft could drive them mad, this is one of the things that they refer to. The destruction doesn’t promise you will return perfected. It’s been known to mess people up, leave them broken, or flat out destroy them.  Most of the time, these initiations are led by a particular spirit. For many traditional witches, it was and is the Dark Man. For others, the spirits of the land might do it, or their ancestors, or all of them together. In other traditions, the spirit of another magical person would lead them through this and pass on their knowledge. The Death manifests itself in different forms and can change in intensity from witch to witch. For some, it’s a physical sickness. For others, it can be a long bout of depression. Sometimes it’s a series of horrific nightmares or hallucinations. Though it can be different for each witch, it’s always an unpleasant experience.  The Death only comes with one promise. If you begin it, you’ll never be the same again. The world will always look different and you’ll never be who you were before you began.  When you feel you’ve hit the end of the road and can go no further, though you want to learn more, that’s when The Death often comes.  It’s not something to be desired, but its results afterward are. 

[librarianarthea]

Embroidery Art by TheOculusShop

x / x / x / x / x x / x / x / x / x

[librarianarthea]

🔸Diagnosis of the Evil Eye🔸

Materials:

¤ Olive Oil

¤ Bowl of Water

Procedures:

Drip 3 drops of olive oil on the surface of the water.

Watch what happens.

If the drops remain distinct there is no evil eye. If they run together there is.

Dispose of the oil and water safely.

🔹Removal of the Evil Eye🔹

Materials:

¤ Lemon

¤ Iron Nails

Procedures:

Drive the nails with some force into the lemon.

Visualize the evil eye being pierced.

Keep the lemon for 3 days, by which time it should rot.

If it does not, repeat the procedure.

To ensure you are clear, you can repeat the diagnosis of the evil eye.

[librarianarthea]

Expanded from: On Smoke

Using local and abundant resins

Conifer resins are great for burning on their own or to add base and body to herbal incense blends. They are a great replacement for foreign resins like frankincense, myrrh, and benzoin. Working with resin, lifeblood of the trees, offers an energetic connection to these conifers and a deeper relationship with the forest.

Easier to find:

Spruce (Picea glauca)

Pine (Pinus strobus)

Fir (Abies balsamea)

More rare:

Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)

Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)

Tamarack (Larix laricina)

Juniper (Juniperus communis)

*Species are relative to my area, yours may differ! Consult your local plant guides to find what is in your area*

What is resin: unlike sap, which carries water and nutrients throughout the tree, resins are not soluble in water and hardens with exposure to air. Resins are produced by tress to seal off wounds and protect the tree from insects and infection and are often exceptionally aromatic.

Refrence [x]

On harvesting: collect resin from freshly wind-felled or otherwise fallen trees with out worry. When harvesting from live trees it's important to note from the above that resins are produced seal a wounded tree, when harvesting it's important to keep in mind where this wound is and to not take resin from that area. Offer them honey and protective (anti-microbial) herbs or some personal energy when taking resin. Luckily trees over produce and make massive globs of resin drips, which is what your looking to harvest. I recommend using an old butter knife and a waxed cup to collect your resin (in true Vermont spirit I use a Ben and Jerry’s pint) but you could also use a glass vessel (like mason jar). Without going into the bark of the tree, gently scrape off resin and collect in your container. Sometimes resin globs will have a small layer of bark over them: scrape this off with your knife to revel the resin underneith. Note some resins are more sticky while others are harder (species, age, temperature all play a role). Use isoproply alcohol to clean your tools and hands... 90% ... it’s the only thing that will work.

*make sure you have permission to harvest where ever you are doing so: I sometimes forget not everyone has 17 acres of woods in their back yard*

I treasure resins for their aromatic properties and as a sacred connection to the forest. But they have multiple properties and uses:

Burn resin over hot charcoal by itself or in a blend

Freeze resin, then powder with an electric grinder, mix with other herbs and binders to make cone or stick incense

Add to wax melts or oil burners

Dissolve in high proof ethanol (consumable alcohol) to make a tincture or incense papers.

Infuse into a favorite carrier oil such as olive or sweet almond. Oils can be used as stand-alone products or made into slaves, soaps, etc.

I mostly work with Spruce resin, as it is most abundant around me and relatively easily to work with. I've just started dabbling with the much more sticky Balsam Fir. My neighbor has way more white pine than we do so I have to take walk over there one of these days to see if any of them have any good globs to work with. The others I have not found. If you have any experience working with your local resins I would love to hear.

[another good blog post on conifer resin]

[librarianarthea]

Here is a non-exhaustive list of New England superstitions that are particularly close to my heart;

(please note that some regional superstitions may overlap)

*Carrying a lucky bone will ensure that nothing will harm you (it comes from a head of a codfish, ¾ of an inch, notched and white)

 *Rock an empty chair and you will have bad luck.

*Painting the door to your home red will ward off both witchcraft and the Devil.

*It’s bad luck to kill a spider. If it spins down from the ceiling towards you, it’s good luck. 

* If you spill salt you must throw it over your shoulder or it will bring bad luck

* If a broom falls over an unexpected guest will come to call

* If an unfamiliar animal (dog or cat) comes to live with you, you will have good luck.

 * If you leave the house and forget something, don’t turn back to get it. If you must, do not leave before sitting down again or your venture will fail.

 * In reference to the sunrise/sunset: “Red at night, sailor’s delight, red in the morning, sailor take warning”.

* It’s bad luck to kill a seagull, it will bring storms the next time you are at sea. 

* It’s bad luck to venture into a cemetery when pregnant. The spirits may try to claim the unborn babe.

* Never turn your back on the dead when exiting a cemetery, walk through the gate backwards to leave.

* Knock on wood to keep from jinxing yourself.

* If you put an iron nail in a witch’s footstep she’ll be bound to the spot.

[librarianarthea]

artist uknown

[librarianarthea]

Use divination to improve your craft.

If you need to know where to look for a spell - divination.

If you need to figure out what went wrong with a spell - divination.

If you need to know if a spirit is trying to contact you. If you need to know when to perform a ritual. If you need to know if a spell will work before you even complete it…

DIVINATION.

[librarianarthea]

How can I speak with the gods? Truly hear or understand them, not just get woo-woo feelings?

Beloved Anon, I would start with learning a divination tool, such as the Tarot, and start to listen for that little voice that tells you whether an interpretation is accurate or not. Are you just reading the interpretation given in the booklet? or are you reading what the cards are saying and listening to your intuition? After a while, you’ll learn to recognize your own voice as opposed to some outside voice. When you are starting to commune with your gods, look for omens in answer to your questions. What I like to do is ask a question of my gods, and then just go on a walk and keep track of the events that catch my attention. Perhaps it’s the way an animal is moving, or some words that I overhear in a conversation. The gods speak to us in our Silence. We just need to trust what we hear. The gods (and spirits in general) do not always converse in words we can understand. Perhaps they commune in those “woo-woo” feelings. Perhaps the cause you to feel fear, great joy, ecstasy, or overwhelming grief. These are still communications. It is us to interpret what they are saying. 

[librarianarthea]

Instead of casting "tea spells" to calm your anexities and curb your mood swings, cast a real spell to find your purpose and get over yourself. Magic isn't comfortable and power doesn't evolve under complicity. You can try to make yourself feel better with tea that effectively equivilates to some shitty blunt of mids or you could physically alter your reality and circumstances to create a life of endless opportunitues and possibilities. Fantasy doesn't need to be escapism, it can be your life. But only if you grow a pair and seize it.