pantrywitch

[pantrywitch]

Witchcraft and Mental Health

A common understanding is that while witchcraft is real and it works it is not a substitute for medical treatment or mental health treatment. I have never understood this as those two statements contradict each other because either witchcraft is real, helpful, and a necessary part of your life or it isn’t. However, a focus on intention and will reconciles these contradictory statements. The worldview of witchcraft that focuses on intention and will as well as life design will be helpful regardless of physical or mental illness.

If you have a mental health concern, working with intention and will has the potential to ease those symptoms because your life design (potentially guided by medical professionals and cognitive and behavioural training) remains specifically guided, owned, and controlled by you. Your will and intentions do not oppose medical advice but is guided by personal agency and your treatment plan is specifically designed by and for you.

For example, if you are suffering from depression designing your life with will and intention can resolve some of the symptoms of that depression. Having specific plans (intention) and actions (will) with regard to smaller health goals such as nutrition, personal hygiene, and fitness can greatly reduce the symptoms of depression. Additionally, part of your life design can include the advice and council of healthcare professionals and doing so under your larger life design will have the additional benefit of being linked directly to your own will and intention. Having a medical professional listen to you, take your views into consideration and respect your bodily autonomy is much more beneficial than a medical professional that railroads you into a specific course of treatment. This is because your will and intention should work in tandem with science and medicine rather than as two separate conflicting entities. This system allows you to remain in control of your medical treatment.

[pantrywitch]

Role of Routine

Routine is one key factor in focusing intention and/or acting on will as the act of the routine repeatedly calls to mind the intention and/or will. For example, you could use a ring to remind you to be calm by setting the intention that ‘noticing this ring will remind me to remain calm’. That act of intention is useful in creating the routine. Setting up a third party item (ie ‘casting a spell’) seems to act as an intermediary between the intention and the result. The issue with witchcraft being a non-denominational religion is that this act of ‘spell casting’ is seen as a requirement rather than a choice. Self-help books, morning routines, life coach advice, bullet journals, word of the year ect are all examples of intention manifesting as routine. Rituals are another interpretation of routine within non-denominational religious witchcraft as rituals can function to set intention and act on will (ie do the job of a routine) when they are part of your regular life and not simply a ceremony. For example your weekly cleaning routine can act as a cleansing ritual.

Creating functional routines:

What is the routine for?

How is the routine helpful in focusing on intention and/or acting on will?

[pantrywitch]

Intention, Will, Life Design

Intention is the resolve or determination required to create an aim or plan (and the plan itself) while will is the force that creates action to follow through with the plan (intention) If you just have will, you can have a life that is full of action but no forward drive - no end goal. If you just have intention, you will have a life with a lot of plans but none get accomplished. There is a tendency to proclaim ‘oh if you didn’t get x then you didn’t want it enough’ or thoughts manifest into reality (ie, you need to think happy thoughts in order to be happy’ but this worldview stresses the importance of balancing will and intention.

Intention is your aim or plan. One can easily idealistically ‘want’ something such as to write a novel, or go skydiving without truly desiring it. This is because we are focusing on what we think we should want, what we once wanted but no longer desire, or what others want for us. When you focus on intention you are zeroing in on those things we truly want and focusing on how we will achieve those things. For example, putting ‘skydiving’ on your bucket  list because your dad was always going to take you and you have no desire to actually skydive is not related to your intention. However, if you intend to go skydiving and consequently research local places, save money and/or ask your friends to go with you you have will (action) behind the intention (aim/plan). It can be difficult to determine the true intentions of your life.

The act of determining your true intentions can be as simple as the magic of believing that ‘I’m happy doing what I've always done because I actively chose/choose it’. Determining your true intentions might require therapy, a life coach, divination tools, goal planning workshops, brainstorming, or a plethora of other activities. This is the reason that witchcraft is ‘no research required’. If you want to research to aid in designing your life then that research can be occult based, psychology, life coaching, nutrition, goal setting, and/or bullet journaling to name a few examples. Non-denominational religious witchcraft limits this research which is problematic for life design. The life design aspect of witchcraft has to be done without constraints.   

A worldview that focuses on will and intention means (and requires) you to be in control of designing your life and goals. If you remain realistic and appropriate with your will and intentions then you will accomplish them. This system does not allow for your intentions and/or will or the resulting life design to be inappropriate. This system does not allow for you to intend ‘to go to the moon next week’ because as you focus on will (ie the action plan) you will realize that this intention is impossible. As you plan your goals you will automatically adjust them to accomplishable items. Your intention may be ‘go to the moon’ which will mean your will (actionable items) will be manageable plans such as ‘research university requirements for space programs’. Your intentions are not limited but the system ensures that your intentions are realistically backed with plans (will).

Malicious intention/malicious will: Technically you could make a life plan in which your entire intention and will are focused on harming others but that seems unlikely for the vast majority of people. Your will and intention will be wholly focused on your own life design. Regular life harm can happen but that’s not related to a fault in the system of witchcraft being used but that’s a consequence of life. You can be working on your life plan and cause harm to another but that is an accident of life and is not related to your will, intention or life design.

[pantrywitch]

Witchcraft isn’t a religion... or IS IT!?

A religion is a group of people holding similar sets of beliefs and morals gathering in a somewhat organised fashion. A religion is a cultural system of designated behaviours and practices, world views, texts, sanctified place, ethics and/or organisation. The common definition of witchcraft includes an understanding of a specific set of beliefs, interests, practices and/or concepts that limit the practices, intentions, and actions of those individuals wishing to or currently using, the term witchcraft. It is this understanding of witchcraft that leads me to the conclusion that witchcraft, as most popularly understood, is a religion.

There is a diversity of beliefs and understandings within witchcraft but there are overlapping concepts that are universally understood within witchcraft and to which one must ascribe to in order to be a ‘witch’. One is not required to ascribe to all concepts universally understood but there is a threshold amount to which one must ascribe to be ‘a witch’. For example, one may believe in spells, magick, worshipping nature and pop culture witchcraft but not believe in divination, tarot, and spirits. This is an example of the belief diversity accepted within the religion of witchcraft. However, one can not be a witch if one does not believe in any of the concepts accepted (especially the key concepts) within the religion of witchcraft.

Witchcraft has a system of beliefs in which everyone subscribes to, making it a religion. This is evident by the fact that young witches are encouraged and compelled to read existing witchcraft references, research known associations for herbs and minerals, subscribe to a specific understanding of magick that results in spells, energy work, cleansings, and/or groundings. These are some of the non-negotiable practices within witchcraft that make it a religion. Young witches feel compelled to ask permission from the group for their alternative of rosemary for dill in a spell which is evidence that the majority of witchcraft is actually a religion and not secular in nature. Witchcraft is controlled and regulated with a system of designated behaviours, practices, worldviews, texts, places, ethics and organization and therefore is a religion. Witchcraft as commonly practiced is actually a religion.

What about secular witchcraft?

Common witchcraft practices are actually non-denominational rather than secular in nature. Secular means without religion, not based on religion and not associated with religion in any way while non-denominational is based in declining specific aspects of religion while retaining the core practice. Common witchcraft practices are non-denominational rather than secular in nature because it is based off religious based research, religious history, religious rites, religious practices and therefore cannot be secular in nature. A practice based in religious research cannot be secular in nature.

What is secular witchcraft then?

Secular witchcraft practices are based on observation, personal understanding, and/or intention/will. Witchcraft is that ‘damn, that’s a thing’ fascination and awe that arises at various point throughout life. There is inherent magic in an approach to life that says ‘damn, I can’t believe that x is a real thing in the world’. Concepts relating to the esoteric, metaphysical or occult and their corresponding focus on astrology, divination, spellwork, and magick are not required in a witchcraft focused on fascination and awe. In some ways I want to avoid the term ‘witchcraft’ and ‘witch’ as these terms invoke that occult understanding but there is no equivalent terms to describe that fascination, wonderment and awe besides witchcraft and magic.

Technically you could arrive independently (without religious influence) to a practice that looks non-denominational in nature but is actually secular - but it’s unlikely.

Witchcraft is a worldview, an approach, a helpful understanding of the world used for designing and planning your life through concepts such as internal power, self-discovery, intention and tradition. Witchcraft is more than the mere act of doing as both will and intention are important.

Witchcraft is secular in nature and is not fundamentally linked to the occult. Witchcraft requires no (but may benefit from) external research.

Witchcraft is a theory or worldview that can be used in conjunction with any other aspect of life, any other theory or any other worldview. You do not ‘convert’ to witchcraft rather you adopt it to fit within the worldviews that already exist in your life.

[pantrywitch]

Witch PSA

Just a friendly reminder for those who don’t know or realize (or those who ignore it) many witches today culturally appropriate things and even use racist slurs.

• Don’t use the phrases “spirit animal” and/ or “two spirits” of you are not actually a Native American

• Don’t use the term “smudge” or “smudging”. Smudging is a Native religious practice that does involve smoke cleansing BUT because Native religions are closed, you shouldn’t use this term. Try using “smoke cleansing” instead.

• Headdresses are religious and cultural symbols in Native culture and should NEVER be worn by anyone who is not Native and not a part of Native culture.

• G*psy is a racist slur for the Romani people. Please don’t use it. It doesn’t mean “free-spirit” or “wanderer”. It’s as bad as the n word.

• Anything else you’ve noticed, feel free to add. These are the main things I’ve noticed.

[pantrywitch]

My witchcraft is… mind maps, bullet journals, planner peace, goal planning workbooks, habit trackers, inspirational posters, and the daily to-do list.

[pantrywitch]

‘if it’s a spell you only had to spend five seconds making and casting then it isn't’ a spell’ ---- Who says? You? Who are you to say that? Spells can be anything the person wants them to be. Don’t gate-keep. 

‘Emoji may have different connotations to each person using them’ - If a pre-made emoji spell resonates with you then you probably have the same connotations as the original maker. If it doesn’t resonant then don’t use that spell and/or change it and/or make your own. 

“You don’t’ know. You’re blindly trusting someone else’s spell’ - literally anytime you use someone else’s spell - not specific to emoji spells. 

Emoji Spells are disgusting

They have no depth at all, and if it’s a spell you only had to spend five seconds making and casting then it isn’t a spell; it’s being highly irresponsible.

Plus, emojis may have different connotations to each person using them, there is no set standard in what means what. Why is that a laughing face? Are they happy about an aspect of the spell? Or are they laughing at you because they’ve made you reblog a curse on yourself and activate it too? Maybe that emoji spell someone shat out isn’t for money and peace. It could be the original creator made a spell that drains money and peace, or brings them money the more you lose your peace, or vice versa.

You don’t know. You’re blindly trusting someone else’s spell. 

Also spells are meant to be performed by you for you, not a generalized one size fits all mentality.

Hence my opinion.

[pantrywitch]

Being a witch is not an excuse to appropriate others’ culture.

[pantrywitch]

A method to Cleanse and Ward after unsavory people visit your house

Personally, I wait 15 minutes to ensure they haven’t forgotten anything (it’s a long, painful wait, I know. Just bear with it!) and then get straight to work!

First off;

If they ate or drank at your house:

DO NOT save any leftovers from that meal, as it is now connected to them. Use it instead in the compost heap to help further along your garden.

Rinse down the dishes they used with vinegar first, spritz with sage-infused water, then proceed to washing the dishes normally.

And now if they did not eat or drink at your house

Open all doors and windows to air out the house.

Light some incense (honestly any will do at this point your just trying to make sure their scent doesn’t linger)

The couch or chair they were sitting on needs to be thoroughly vacuumed.

After vacuuming the couch or chair, cast a consecrated circle around the object and banish their energy from it.

Lightly mist with moonwater and place energized crystals in a spiral in said area.

Dust the House.

Sweep the floors and collect any trash, immediately taking it out.

Wash down all tabletops and counter surfaces with vinegar.

Wash the floors and walls with a mix of lavender/sage/moonwater.

Vacuum the carpets and rugs.

Smudge.

Squeeze out some garlic juice from 3 cloves of garlic and rub into ground outside of door (3 cloves per door).

Mix lemon juice with a drop of peppermint oil and use it to draw a line on the door frame, both sides; make sure you left no line breaks!

Rub a touch of dogwood oil on the outside doorknob.

Recharge your witch balls!

Air out your dreamcatchers if you have any!

If they sat down on your bed

Ohhhhhh boy oh boy oh boy. Guess who’s about to wash their sheets?

Surprise it’s you!

Wash your sheets.

Wash your comforter.

Wash the pillowcases.

Wash the pillows.

Wash the mattress pad.

Vacuum the mattress.

Mist lightly with moonwater.

Place energized crystals where they sat in a spiral.

Optional; write their name on an egg, take it outside, and crush it beneath your heel.

Can be a curse or just an emotional outlet, either way; it feels pretty good.

“But what if I don’t have all those incenses and oils and moonwater???”

Silly, just air out your house and clean it top to bottom using regular cleaning supplies!

If it helps, you can also say the following;

“Your body left my house,  Now, your spirits can too. And by ‘can’ I mean ‘will’, It’s time for all of you to leave.

You’ve worn out your welcome, When you never had any at all, Out the door with you lot, Away you go, away!

May you never return here! May you never come back! I banish you from this threshold! Now get the fuck outta my house.”

[pantrywitch]

Being drunk is liminal s p ace

[pantrywitch]

mmmkay but like Mabom. 1970s. Some dude. 

So don’t go blaming the victorians. 

This thread is so good. 

[pantrywitch]

Did some kitchen magick today.

I mopped our kitchen and bathroom and shook out the mats while banishing negative energy while sweeping and then sealing it with the water and lemon I mopped with. I can feel the difference already. (:

[pantrywitch]

To City/Surburban Witches

Throwing something in the trash the same day as bin pick up has the same ‘get this shit away from me’ effect as throwing it in running water or burying it at the crossroads, without potentially littering.

Obviously, however, it doesn’t have a purifying effect.

[pantrywitch]

one of the best minimalistic witchy things you can do is clean your house.

seriously. light a candle and go to town. in the process of cleaning, you’re also metaphysically cleansing your space which opens doors to renew wards and put up additional barriers if necessary. 

you’ll feel much better afterwards, and remember to take breaks if you need to. 

[pantrywitch]

Witchy Things For Anxiety

This is in no way to replace professional counseling or medication. These are things I’ve used through my struggle with Anxiety, and I hope they can help you as well!

* Hot Showers really help me out, especially if I am on the verge of a panic attack or in the middle of one. This was something a nurse taught me when I was in Eating Recovery. I was having terrible panic attacks and nothing could calm me down but a hot shower. Nowadays, when I get upset and feel panicked, I’ll jump in the shower for a spontaneous cleansing.  Do a mindfulness meditation; focus on the water and how it feels on your skin, notice the heavy wet humid air that you are breathing, really sense the warmth of the droplets. You could add some oils like lavendar to help calm you down, but usually I’m in a mad dash to the shower in this situation, so the hot water and the new environment to regroup is the key factor here.

* Hot Tea: Sitting down to a cup of hot tea is incredibly relaxing. I have found that finding the right tea is what really makes it magickal. My favorite is a blueberry hibiscus tea with some honey and agave nectar. What will really help me fight insomnia is a chamomile lemon tea with some honey.

* Cannabis: Firstly, if you are on medication, this isn’t my recommendation. Secondly, if you don’t know the strain of the plant, this isn’t my recommendation.  Indica strains of the Cannabis plant are amazing for anxiety. For general anxiety, the deep purple strains work well, like Granddaddy Purple. For OCD, Northern Lights. For insomnia, Blackberry Kush or Purple Urkle. If you have stuff to do and can’t have that couch lock, look for hybrids like; WiFi (White Fire OG), ACDC, and Cannatonic. Girl Scout Cookies is popular for PTSD. STAY AWAY from Sativa strains. Sativas are more stimulating, mood boosting, and tend to cause the “freak outs” for people with anxiety.  Unfortunately, California is the only state where Anxiety or Depression can get you a medical card. Mental Illness is not a qualifier in any other states, so you will have to medicate from the recreational side if you are in a legal state. If you just have a weed man who doesn’t know his strains (been there) ask about purps and OG’s, say you “just need to calm the fuck down” and he should know what you mean or you need a new weed man.  If you are in South America or Asia, I wouldn’t recommend cannabis either for Anxiety, because most of the strains grown there are Sativa and they usually over stimulate an anxious person and can cause panic attacks.

* Crystals: I love me some crystals! If I need to calm down, I sit with a stone and focus on holding it. I have a big piece of Green Calcite that really calms me down. Selenite, Amethyst, or just Clear Quartz are my other favorites. Sitting for about 20 minutes with it in my hand or lap and letting it absorb my bad vibes really helps. Carry some stones with your to ease your anxiety or wear as jewelry; blue lace agate, lepidolite, rose quartz, chrysocolla, blue calcite, aquamarine, black tourmaline are all amazing for anxiety. I also keep a worry stone made of Lepidolite around as my Natural Fidget Spinner.

* Aromatherapy: Incense, Oils, Candles; I love sandalwood, lavendar, vanilla, or strawberry ones, but whatever helps you relax! Take time to focus on your breathing during this time. If you are burning incense, meditate on the smoke. If you are burning a candle, meditate on the flame.

* Chanting: You know how a song makes you feel good? Creating your own chant or tune that you find peaceful could help in a time of panic. For me, the song that Rapunzel sings in “Tangled” for her hair to glow really calms me down, so I just changed the words from “Flower gleam and glow” to “It’s gonna be okay” and I definitely feel better, because the little tune brings good energy with the words. Find your happy tune, if you are a musical witch. There is also Drumming and Dancing for the tone deaf witch.

* Eat something: I know it can be really freaking hard to eat when your anxious, I mean, half the time I’m nauseous from anxiety, BUT food is medicine! It’s really important to have the nutrition that your brain needs to do the cool stuff that it needs to do. Trust me, malnutrition does some EVIL things to your brain. Irrationality and paranoia are very much a thing when you aren’t eating right. Find your comfort food, or even better, eat a salad. Your body will thank you!

* Talk It Out with Tarot: when I have no one to listen but desperate to talk, I’ll pull a card and start with “Me at the Moment” and from there I ask the cards, “what should I focus on?” and whatever questions I have after that I’ll pull more cards. When I feel better I finish, usually after 4-6 cards.

* Go for a Walk: connecting with your outside environment is good. Whether you are in the country and can enjoy the fresh air, or in the city and get to enjoy the vibes, a walk is an opportunity to connect with energies and higher vibrations that we ourselves cannot conduct.

* Mindfulness Meditation: Best practiced for 4 minutes, 4 times a day. Just sit in a quiet spot and focus on your breathing. If you feel like your mind is wandering, bring it back to your breathing, and eventually you’ll Just Be. Practicing mindfulness will really help your coping skills when you are in stressful situations, you’ll just be more aware and in control of you and your surroundings. If you have difficulty finding a quiet spot, that’s okay, let the sound of traffic or the laughter of your kids be part of your experience, you may find it somehow refreshing when viewed from a pure perspective.

[pantrywitch]

Some things you can keep track of as a witch:

🌙 Your moon cycle (also known as your period). If you’re into the self-love side of witchcraft and want to focus more on your body and it’s wants and needs, you might want to think about keeping track of your period. You can then create spells, rituals and meditations that correspond with the moon phase and day(s) that you’re menstruating. <— this is obviously for those that are menstruating.

🌻 Your garden. If you have a garden (even if it’s just 3 little baby herb plants in your window, hey a garden is a garden) keep track of how well your plants or herbs are doing. Write down when you water them, how much sunlight (and moonlight, if that’s your thing) they got. You could even write down any emotional vibes you’re getting from your garden. 

🔮 Your spells and rituals. Keeping track of your spells doesn’t just help you remember when you did what spell and what it was for, but it also allows you to go back and write in how well that spell worked out for you. And if it worked out well, because you kept track of it, you’ll know how to use it again in the future.

💰 Witchy buys. This is important if, like me, you tend to do a little bit of overspending on all the witchy supplies. But since I started to keep track of what I’m buying, using and not using, I’ve saved a ton of money on unnecessary things.

🙏 Gratitude. Keep a growing list of all the things you’re grateful for. It’s great to look back on in the future and it helps you keep perspective of your own life and spiritual journey.

🍵 Your tea. Okay, this is just something I do but I love to keep track of all the different teas I try. I think tea is considered a very witchy drink and therefore some of us are a little more serious about our tea drinking lol. But I just love taping in the little packaging, that my tea came in, into my journal and writing a little bit about it and how it made me feel and what it made me think about.

🌦️ The weather. This is important, to me, because I believe the weather can affect us and how we feel, think and behave. I like to have a record of what the weather was like when I casted a spell, did a ritual or did a reading so I can go back later and see if I feel that might have affected the outcomes.

[pantrywitch]

Some things you can keep track of as a witch:

🌙 Your moon cycle (also known as your period). If you’re into the self-love side of witchcraft and want to focus more on your body and it’s wants and needs, you might want to think about keeping track of your period. You can then create spells, rituals and meditations that correspond with the moon phase and day(s) that you’re menstruating. <— this is obviously for those that are menstruating.

🌻 Your garden. If you have a garden (even if it’s just 3 little baby herb plants in your window, hey a garden is a garden) keep track of how well your plants or herbs are doing. Write down when you water them, how much sunlight (and moonlight, if that’s your thing) they got. You could even write down any emotional vibes you’re getting from your garden. 

🔮 Your spells and rituals. Keeping track of your spells doesn’t just help you remember when you did what spell and what it was for, but it also allows you to go back and write in how well that spell worked out for you. And if it worked out well, because you kept track of it, you’ll know how to use it again in the future.

💰 Witchy buys. This is important if, like me, you tend to do a little bit of overspending on all the witchy supplies. But since I started to keep track of what I’m buying, using and not using, I’ve saved a ton of money on unnecessary things.

🙏 Gratitude. Keep a growing list of all the things you’re grateful for. It’s great to look back on in the future and it helps you keep perspective of your own life and spiritual journey.

🍵 Your tea. Okay, this is just something I do but I love to keep track of all the different teas I try. I think tea is considered a very witchy drink and therefore some of us are a little more serious about our tea drinking lol. But I just love taping in the little packaging, that my tea came in, into my journal and writing a little bit about it and how it made me feel and what it made me think about.

🌦️ The weather. This is important, to me, because I believe the weather can affect us and how we feel, think and behave. I like to have a record of what the weather was like when I casted a spell, did a ritual or did a reading so I can go back later and see if I feel that might have affected the outcomes.