shuffling-cards - Tumblr blog

[shuffling-cards]

The opps (forces beyond my understanding) are holding me by the scruff of my neck like a kitten (not letting me divine on what lies ahead) while I scratch and bite (continue to ask my cards what lies ahead)

[shuffling-cards]

Job Search Prayer

O' Father Hades! If ever I have pleased you, If ever my words have honored you, Please heed this prayer!

As I search for a new job, Please aid me in finding one With a supportive environment; One that is willing to work with me And accommodate me as needed. Please help filter out Any jobs that will cause me Further grief, anxiety, and hostility. Please let it be a job That utilizes the strengths and skills That I have worked so hard to learn. Please allow it to pay more than the bills; Let it grant me room in the budget For small luxuries and occasional vacations.

Please, Father Hades, I beg for your aid. I do not wish to work another job That consistently burns me out. I do not wish to work another job That discriminates against me Or belittles my abilities. I simply wish to work in an environment Where I am actually seen and valued.

Hail to you, God of Wealth! May praise fall upon your name!

[shuffling-cards]

Dear Mother,

Let this be enough, let me be enough. Let me turn the corner to health and wealth and a full life. Let me find the wishes and desires I've always yearned for. Let me always have my needs fulfilled, my wants considered. Let there be healing, let there be freedom.

Let there be You. Your presence, Your signs. Your guidance, Your love.

Let me be worthy of You.

Hekáte

[shuffling-cards]

a pocket of calm 🐙❤️

you ever speak to your best friend and it just absolutely centres you. oh yeah none of that shit matters. I love you

[shuffling-cards]

Same thing happened when I was trying to figure out crystal properties and symbolisms. Why is protection listed under every single one?! So I ended up going with vibes. Opalite is now a change bringer because every time I wear it, shit happens and granate is empowering just cause

I remember coming to a point in my craft where I started leaving crystals because it felt like there was just so much shit about them that it was impossible to work through...

Anyway, now I'm a Uni student looking at rocks with a copy of Grimoire Sympathia knowing that the worst thing that happens is I just get a bunch of pretty rocks that I can put on my desk to keep me calm. Like not even spiritually, sometimes it feels good because cool shiny thing with cool surface, rub between hands, many colours, much wow...

[shuffling-cards]

Love it when a reading is full of major arcana, it's like tarot's version of an all caps Facebook post about the end times coming

[shuffling-cards]

The Witch’s Payment

Come to see the witch, have you?  Need a little magic?  Here’s what it will cost you.

Pay me in coin. Grant me wealth by sharing your fortune.  True, you won’t understand what wealth looks like to me, but your luck will certainly help me find it anyway.

Pay me in hearts. Bring me the heart of your pain, your hope, your rage.  Hearts beat, my love.  They sustain.  Place a heart inside something, and you can make it live.

Pay me in keys. Give me a pass-ward into your spirit.  Keys open doors, or shut them, and if you give yours to me, then I can use it to go places I desire to go.

Pay me in rose petals, in cloves, in cinnamon and marjoram and vanilla. And perhaps in something more mysterious.  The gifts of this world are a delight, and when one understands the true value of such things, a gift from them is always a powerful blessing.

Pay me in stars. Lend me the light in your life.  The stars guide you, and if you share them, they may guide me and protect me as well.

Pay me in shadows. Let me fold the sign of your passage into something which stays with me forever.  Give me your cloth, your paper, your sigils and names and the marks of your presence, and I shall grant our friendship life of its own.

Seeking payment from a witch, for that which she weaves?  Don’t shy away from the jar of spiders, from the pouch of rose petals, from the strange little dagger or the box of matches.  She knows what you need, and she’s come prepared to pay.

Nothing is free. Everything is costly. The future costs the present, so we pay in gifts.  Thus, we avoid debt, and live happily ever after.

[shuffling-cards]

Other than reblogging stuff more coherent people than me have made and dramatically expressing my own messy thoughts, I practice divination and offer readings ✨

Check out my carrd for more info and don't hesitate to message me for even more info

[shuffling-cards]

It was only recently that I truly understood the power and significance of offerings

In the past, I had tried deity worship. I made offerings that felt accepted but never in return for anything, it was just an act of servitude. It didn't feel right to ask for things. For the longest time, I was alone. I felt lonely, and part of my dabbling in deity practices was an attempt to reach out to someone, to something, to feel less alone, to feel like someone is out there watching over me, caring about me, taking care of me. I felt like a little girl with noone to hold her close and lift the burden on her heart, noone to make her feel light again

Later on, I moved on to other things. It just wasn't a good fit. Ideologies and beliefs shifted and the deity I would turn to when things got hard was the night sky. Tear filled eyes looking up to the stars and pouring my heart out over whatever was hurting me. Funnily enough, I ended up getting what I asked for during those sessions and I chalked it up to my tears being the offering, the energy I released during those moments, an equal exchange as all things are. Still, the night sky wasn't what I was looking for, though it gave me comfort at times

Recently I was in the hospital visiting someone. One of the doctors approached me and asked me for a favor because none of the staff could leave the room due to an emergency. They were out of a sort of bandages and she needed me to go get some from a nearby pharmacy. She showed me the empty pack to know what to get and money to buy it

I paid for it myself and returned the money. They tried to argue but I refused. They've done so much for me, it was the very least I could do. It was nothing, a natural course of action

And yet, walking out of the gates it felt like I paid off a debt, something shifted and I felt like an exchange had been made

An offering accepted.

I pray I am right.

My mind started racing, so many possibilities opened up yet the paths leading to them are still unclear. What do I offer? Who do I offer it to? The universe? The night sky? A familiar?

[shuffling-cards]

Occultists, witches and spiritualists really need to stop peddling the lie that spirituality, witchcraft, paganism, etc. isn’t a psychological phenomenon as well as a mystical one. Your psychology will in fact, fundamentally inform your experiences with spirituality.

And we also need to stop pretending that spirituality and witchcraft are somehow contrary to mental illness. Or that having a mental illness means you can’t do witchcraft.

I’ll be completely honest with you guys and say that certain people with certain afflictions are more predisposed to different “mystical” experiences than others. I don’t think it’s a great coincidence that I am so great at visualization given that I was raised in a severely neglectful household. It doesn’t surprise me that many pagans are lonely people. This doesn’t mean to say that spirituality is “filling” a hole within anyone (although if it is, that’s great for you) but more so that, well, this path is unpopular for a reason. Alternative subcultures are alternative for a reason, and outcasts and rejects usually find a home there for a reason.

This also doesn’t mean to say that people who engage in witchcraft and spiritualism are inherently mentally ill. There is still a difference between hallucinations and spiritual encounters. And there was never any rule that said that both of these things cannot happen to a single person. For the safety of yourself and others we should be aware of the warning signs of dissociation and hallucination, but that doesn’t make anyone “wrong” for experiencing those things. And experiencing those things doesn’t mean you cannot explore spirituality or do witchcraft.

I hate it when “spiritualists” who are actually just anti-vax conservatives push the narrative that people with mental health issues cannot participate in spirituality. I also despise the notion that mental health issues are inherently a sign of an energetic imbalance. We’re all walking around with a special concoction of brain soup in our heads, it doesn’t surprise me that Ares devotees tend to have BPD, that many Aphrodite devotees struggle with self harm, that many people who work with angels have paranoia or generalized anxiety.

There was never any rule that said that you cannot use your deities or magic to help you cope with your mental health. I know some people will say “the Gods aren’t here to be your friend or hold your hand through life” but I’ve seen no evidence to suggest that’s true. I see no reason why a God like Ares couldn’t help his devotee with BPD come down after a bout of rage, I see no reason why Dionysus couldn’t help his devotee with their alcoholism or substance abuse, I see no reason why Aphrodite couldn’t help a devotee with relapse or negative self talk.

Witchcraft and paganism were historically used as a tool for survival, to bring people ease, to help people feel safe and secure, blessed and protected. That applied to all people, including those with mental health issues.

[shuffling-cards]

Witchy tip ~ The “me” candle

If you get tired easily when doing your workings, consecrate a candle to yourself and light it every time you are doing something witchy/pagany. The goal here is to use the candle as a power bank, raising its energy so your own doesn’t run low. 

Differently than working candles, commonly used to improve your magick’s potency, the “me” candle is programmed to improve *your* energy while you are working on your magick. It can become a precious piece for practitioners that, as me, have more often than not low spoons days. 

Extra tip: dress your candle with essential oils that boost your energy. Bergamot and lemongrass are my favorite ones for this use!

[shuffling-cards]

Chalkboards In Witchcraft

So, a couple of years ago around Halloween, my local crafts store was selling cute small wall-hangings that functioned as chalkboards. My first idea was to doodle silly things, but right after that I thought “wouldn’t this make a perfect and practical way of writing and hanging sigils on my wall? I could change the sigils whenever I wanted. And it was totally reusable and movable. Now, it’s become a staple of protection magic in my craft. You can enchant chalk and use different colors of it for different sigils. I’m going to show you a standard one I used to use (not showing you my current protection sigil on the chalkboard for privacy reasons).

It’s so practical! Lmk if you try this!

Best of luck witches! (Also, a pack of these boards only cost me a few dollars).

[shuffling-cards]

Pine cone wish spell

Items needed:

Pine cone, cinnamon, small pieces of paper, candle

1.) write your wishes on the pieces of paper.

2.) roll them up and stick one end in the wax and insert it into the pine cone.

3.) pour the rest of the wax on the pine cone and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Let dry.

4.) on New Year’s Eve burn in your fire to release your wishes into the universe.

*the photo features glitter added to the pinecone. You can add glitter or anything else you’d like.

[shuffling-cards]

Alchemy, the untouched friend of Witchcraft

If there is something interesting that is nearly not used on mostly of the witch community, is Alchemy, and is something from which we could take some few useful stuffs.

As always, disclaimer first, I’m not an expert on the subject and I barely if I read a couple of books about the topic (from another 10 untouched ones lol), so as always in life, take what I say with tweezers. This is meant to be a light superficial view to open a door of possibilities in a mix of Witchcraft and Alchemy, is not a thesis. Saying that, to the core of the question.

Alchemy use elements. A lot of them.

The three primes or Tria Prima (the basic 3 materials): Sulfur (Related to the Soul and the principle of combustibility, so it has volatility, can burn, explode, combust), Mercury (Related to the Spirit, the principle of fusibility so the material can be fused together and volatility so a substance vaporizes), and Salt (Relate to the Body, the principle of non-combustibility and non-volatility).

Our beloved Four basic Elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Water.

The Seven Metals associated with the seven classical planets: Lead, corresponding with Saturn. Tin, corresponding with Jupiter. Iron, corresponding with Mars. Gold, corresponding with the Sun. Copper, corresponding with Venus. Mercury, corresponding with Mercury. Silver, corresponding with the Moon.

The 13 Mundane Elements and Later Metals: Antimony, Arsenic, Bismuth, Cobalt, Magnesium, Manganese, Nickel, Oxygen, Phlogiston, Phosphorus, Platinum, Sulfur, Zinc (All of them with a lot of interesting properties and functions, in and out the alchemy world).

The 10 Alchemical Compounds: Acid, Sal ammoniac, Aqua fortis, Aqua regia, Aqua vitae, Amalgam, Cinnabar, Vinegar, Vitriol, Brimstone (All of them also with amazing properties).

And what interesting me the most (at least to my way to do witchcraft), The 12 Alchemical Processes:

Calcination (Aries): The thermal treatment of a solid to removing impurities or volatile substances.

Congelation (Taurus): Term used in medieval and early modern alchemy for the process known today as crystallization. Process by which a solid form into a structure known as a crystal, by precipitating from a solution or freezing.

Fixation (Gemini): Process by which a previously volatile substance is "transformed" into a form (often solid) that is not affected by fire.

Solution (Cancer): Homogeneous mixture composed of two or more substances. In such a mixture, a solute is a substance dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent.

Digestion (Leo): A process in which gentle heat is applied to a substance over a period of several weeks.

Distillation (Virgo): Separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation.

Sublimation (Libra): The transition of a substance directly from the solid to the gas state, without passing through the liquid state.

Separation (Scorpio): Converts a mixture or solution of chemical substances into two or more distinct product mixtures. Process of distinguishing to two or more substance in order to obtain purity.

Ceration (Sagittarius): Chemical process, by continuously adding a liquid by imbibition to a hard, dry substance while it is heated. Typically, this treatment makes the substance softer.

Fermentation/ Putrefaction (Capricorn): A metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes/ Decomposition of organic matter by bacterial or fungal digestion.

Multiplication (Aquarius): Process to increase the potency of the elixir or projection powder, in order to increase the gains in the subsequent projection.

Projection (Pisces): Process to transmute a lesser substance into a higher form; often lead into gold.

Damn, alchemy even have symbols to Units: Month, Day, Hour, Dram (Unit of mass between 1 and 3 grams), Half Dram, Ounce (Unit of mass, weight or volume of 28 grams, Half Ounce, Scruple (1 grams), Pound (500 grams).

So just with this simple 2 pages of basic Wikipedia info, we have a ton of new things to use. Everything here has specific properties, some more physical and chemical oriented, but others (like the 3 Tria Prima and The 12 Alchemical Processes) have a lot of correspondences with the witch life itself.

The 12 Alchemical Processes could be absolutely used to represent an desired outcome.

Calcination uses thermal treatment, so it can boost the Fire element of a spell. It also “removing impurities or volatile substances”, so can be applied to generate a mild fever to get rid off the flu, or to boost the organs that clean the body (kidneys and liver mostly)

Congelation turns a solid by freezing, can boost the Water element, so all the “freezer spells” can be boosted with this.

Fixation? A volatile substance is transformed into a solid form? Sound pretty much to grounding, or to help to focus an ADHD head as mine, or to put down to earth someone who is VOLATILE AND VIOLENT. Also, Earth element.

Solution? Homogeneous mixture of two or more substances? It sounds like an aid to make two people on conflict to get into an agreement, or to boost a new business by mixing the opportunities with the action. Air element.

Digestion. A process in which gentle heat is applied to a substance over a period of several weeks? It sounds like something that can help any process that need digestion (bad news must be “digested”, hard choices must be “consulted with the pillow”), and the “gentle heat” sounds comforting. Someone is grieving? Maybe Digestion can help them to overcome the awful times.

Distillation. Separating the components or substances. Anything that need to be separated can be helped with this. Relationships that must end, breakups, cut the ties with older things or habits.

Sublimation. The transition of a substance. I heard trans rights? Can this maybe help with your hormones? Or even to transition from what you previously left behind with the distillation, to focus in a new better future.

Separation. Process of distinguishing to two or more substance in order to obtain purity. How to choose from two or more choices? How to pick the better one? The one with purity? Separation maid aid.

Ceration. A hard, dry is heated to make it softer. Make that person less frigid, make the boss less bitchy, make your chronic pain less hurtful, make your bills less heavy, all that you can think in make softer.

Fermentation/ Putrefaction. I personally love this one. Produces changes in organic substrates and decomposition of organic matter by bacterial or fungal digestion. Prime element to curses. All what you want to rid off in the most disgusting way. May their flesh get rotten under a car in a hot summer.

Multiplication. Process to increase the potency of the elixir in order to increase the gains in the subsequent projection. MONEY MONEY MAKE MORE MONEY, all what need to be increased and all what you want to multiply, go go go!

Projection. Transmute a lesser substance into a higher form “lead into gold”. Perfect to get better as a person, to learn to adapt, accept, to grow compassion, love, etc.

At this you can add the Units, the metals and mundane elements, the 4 elements, the tria prima, your crystals and herbs and sigils and all. And your spells will be filled with components and correspondences.

What’s better, a lot of the physical elements are not too hard to get (some yes, they are, but you are not here to make lead into gold with a full set of chemistry), but alchemy use a lot of symbology, so even if you don’t have the physical element, you can use their properties with the symbol, just as any other sigil.

Salt is easy. Tin in a food can. Antimony in mostly all the rocks. Arsenic in apple seeds (technically no but still). Cobalt and Manganese basically everywhere. Magnesium in your own body. Nickel in coins. Oxygen in the air., Phosphorus, Zinc and Sulfur in food. Acid in anything acid lol. Aqua vitae in alcohol (especially Whisky). Vinegar in vinegars.

Long story short, if you feel that maybe you are lacking something, check some books about alchemy would maybe help. Don’t pick super chemical specific pro books and don’t be discouraged by the terms, pick what can be useful to you, and I hope this open some doors and bring more curiosity about this amazing topic.

[shuffling-cards]

Putting ideas into words is hard and idek if this makes sense but here is something I have been thinking about lately:

Stop researching for your craft. There is no one truth to witchcraft and I think that researching has been hindering us from truly connecting with the spiritual world. Go outside and collect some grass or flowers or stones. Listen to them, they will tell you what they are and you can use them as you see fit. Rosemary doesn't have to stand for wisdom, pine doesn't have to attract money, plain sweet grass can cleanse and banish and ward if thats what it does for you.

The earth will tell you what it can do, its just up to you to listen.

(obviously though this does not apply in a medicinal sense. don't eat things that you don't know)

[shuffling-cards]

I wanna be the village witch. Living in a cozy hut in the woods, talking to animals and forest spirits, brewing potions, helping the nearby villagers with their problems. They think I'm the oddest thing they've ever seen but their houses are always warm and their plates full so they are kind to me

[shuffling-cards]

My favorite simple wards to guard the home

Hanging rosemary above the doorstep, and/or above doors of the house for protection.

Sprinkling a line of dried red pepper on a windowsill, to counter a curse.

Placing a mix of dried & ground eggshells and black pepper in every corner of a room to keep out unwanted spirits.

Placing a decoration representing a witch in the kitchen, to keep away illness and to favor health.

Crafting an effigie (no matter how crude!) and make it into the guardian of your home by charging it with your intent of protection by placing it near the front door.

Crafting small witch ladders to hang around the house.