sloppywitches

[sloppywitches]

[sloppywitches]

What Native people say about the use of sage: you can use sage, but you cannot smudge as nothing you are doing (waving sage around) is actually smudging. Smudging is a ceremony and you are, we promise, not smudging. Please buy sage from either us, or someone who sources the sage from us. White sage may not be considered endangered by the US government but corperate sourcing is making it difficult for us to source sage for our own religious purposes. Let alone to sell it.

What white people hear: never use sage ever, don’t ever buy it, don’t own it, don’t even look at it.

Look, y’all. There’s a couple of facets to my talk today.

1) Yes! You can buy sage! You really, truly can! Buy it from either native sellers (go to a powwow! Eat our food, buy our stuff, watch some dancing!) Or buy it from a seller who sources the sage from native people. Pick one. And no, buying it from 5 Below doesn’t count.

2) you CANNOT smudge. This isn’t just you “shouldn’t”— this is a YOU ARE INCAPABLE OF SMUDGING. Waving a sage stick around your doorways IS NOT SMUDGING. It is smoke clensing. Smudging, depending on the tradition and tribe, could easily have dancing and drums involved. You, as a white person, do not have the cultural BACKGROUND to even know how it works. At all. Period.

3) please, for FUCKS SAKE, stop making posts here on tumblr where you tell other white people about cultural appropriation and what they can and cannot do. Please stop, your license has been revoked because none of you bother to get the facts right. We native people are FULLY CAPABLE OF DOING IT OURSELVES. Consider instead: a) reblogging our posts where we talk about it! We’re here! We have made posts!! b) Making a post that states what we said and then LINKS BACK TO US. Screenshot with a link if you must. Stop centering your own voices in these conversations. You are already centered in everything, stop centering yourselves in a native space.

I’m tired of this nonsense, y’all.

Thanks for coming to my TedTalk ™

——

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[sloppywitches]

Little tip from finding treats for my cat

If a spell calls for hearts or other pieces, a lot of times you can find them as freeze dried treats. Easily available on Amazon & Chewy.

[sloppywitches]

How can you tell if a "magic" book is full of it? I'm sure with experience you can, but what about beginners?

Reading these books needs a good ‘bullshit detector’.  There are a few telling signs:

1) Look at the book’s bibliography. A bibliography can give you, if it’s a good one, the primary sources an author used, and can give you an idea of other books to read. A bad bibliography can save you time - if a book hasn’t got one, or it’s a very short one, or it references only other neo-pagan texts, it’s not going to be long on facts and you might be better off reading something else.

2) Magic and witchcraft aren’t inherently religious. If the book implies or states that a neo-pagan religion is necessary in order to practice witchcraft, it’s probably not worth the read.

3) If the book says it’s about a neo-pagan religion of some kind, but talks endlessly of spells instead, it’s probably a waste of your time if you’re looking for the religious practice first. Some neo-pagan faiths will involve practicing magic, but others don’t.

4) Neo-pagan books that talk about ancient matriarchal religions spanning Europe, a ‘Great Goddess’ and all that jazz, are based in the historical theories of Margaret Murray. They were all fairly thoroughly debunked, but it still lingers in neo-pagan circles.

5) Know that things like the ‘Triple Goddess’ and the Wheel of the Year are modern inventions - they aren’t ancient, and forcing ancient deities or practices into those concepts will not always work or be appropriate.

6) If the deities you’re reading about are described as being very different from their historical selves, it’s probably a good sign that author hasn’t done their home work very well. 

7) ‘The Burning Times’ did happen - but it was not a systematic genocide of a pagan religion or practitioners of magic. What you had was a mass hysteria created by the church, and taken advantage of by greedy people. They had no qualms in killing unloved neighbours or relatives for their property, with witchcraft as a scapegoat. Maybe a few witches died - but so did thousands of Christians who were unfortunate enough to be disliked, or without family, or to be a better farmer or gardener. ‘Nine Million’ is certainly hyperbole, and is not factually accurate.

8) Be aware of things that don’t fit: for example, we have what’s called the ‘potato test’. Potatoes are not native to Europe and were not discovered until explorers began invading South America. So an author that talks about an ancient Irish potato deity, for example, is absolutely full of it.

9) Authors who are patronizing and talk down to their readers, no matter the subject, should be tossed on their ears. You’re a beginner, perhaps, but you’re not stupid and you’re not a child. You don’t need the author to coddle you or ‘simplify’ the information - their assumption that you do is just rude. If you wouldn’t let someone talk to you like that in real life, why would you read a book that does the same thing?

10) Whenever you can, space your neo-pagan or magical reading out with primary sources and proper non-fiction history and anthropology texts. A primary source is going to give you the closest thing to being there, at whatever time and place you’re looking at. Academic texts can be a chore to get through, but they’re going to give you the grounding you need to have a detector of your own.

Read what you can get your hands on. At first, like you said, it’s hard to tell the gold from the dross, but you’ll get the hang of it. A couple of really awful books will give you a guideline, and you’ll find authors you can trust vs. authors you can’t.

Read critically. Don’t be afraid to be a skeptic.  Similar doesn’t equal same - cultures have similar concepts but it doesn’t make their gods or their practices the same thing with different names. If you think something sounds like horseshit or too good to be true, it probably is.

Good luck, and happy hunting. :>

[sloppywitches]

Incorporating natural cordage into witchcraft

Natural cordage is easy, quick, and an amazing component to make. It can easily add a boost to any spell requiring string or rope.

What you shall do:

1: Grab two plant fibers and twist the one on top away from you.

2: Fold the the top fiber on top of the bottom fiber, therefore bringing the bottom fiber to the top.

3: Do the same with the bottom fiber, now on top, and continue to do this repetitive gesture until the desired length of cordage is made.

Cordage and uses:

Thistle: For this one, you want to grab the thistle plant, and remove the leaves and fruit. Be careful, as those are pretty spiky. Wear gloves if needed. Then, you want to grab a blunt object and hit the stem hard enough for the fibers to start separating, but not hard enough for them to break. Thistle can be used for binding, or to put up a spiky ward.

Nettle: Same method as above. Use this one for any curses, or hexes you want to perform.

Grass: Pretty self explanatory, grab the grass blades and twist them into a string. Grass can be used for spirit work, especially sweetgrass, or to make witch’s ladders.

Dogbane: Harvest the plant after its seed pods have developped. You want to scrape the outer bark off and then start gently pressing the plant until it starts seperating. At this point you may want to roll it betweem you palms and get the fibers out. Dogbane can be used for spirit work, protection, or keeping someone or something at bay.

[sloppywitches]

I just want to add about that stupid Mike example Literally the only criteria for being a Christian is to accept Christ died for your sins. That’s it. You don’t need to read a fucking Bible.

I’m not Christian but their dumbass example just circles back around and yeah, guess what, if you say you’re a witch you get to be one.

The harder occult clubs to join (Satanism, Set, Wicca, Golden Dawn etc) have more things you have to do like initiation and rules. But to be a witch you just gotta... say you’re a witch.

PS: someone please tell me this hex the moon thing is like the eating tide pods thing. 

For all witchblr rejects christianity, I've seen a lot of resemblance. The biggest lookalike I've seen is the concept of just "being" because you say so. If you say you're a christian, you're a christian. If you say you're a witch, you're a witch.

We all know a "Christian" who has never read the Bible and attends a circlejerk of a church meant to make them feel valid as a christian without doing any work in their faith. I see a lot of this in witchblr, too. Because you can just say you're a witch, you are, ESPECIALLY if you say you're a beginner witch. You don't have to actually practice, just reblog a few posts and light a candle. You don't have to do any spellwork, research any deeper than surface level, do anything remotely useful to the enhancement of your craft, you just have to say you are. This sounds an awful lot like Mike from church, who has never opened a bible in his life.

Do I know how to fix this? Not really. I'd say start with "stop perpetuating the idea you can call yourself a magic user without actually using magic" is a good spot to start. "Stop encouraging new magic users to be comfortable in their novice status" is probably another. There really is no other practice that encourages being a newbie quite like "baby witch" culture.

Before you all come after me: No, criticizing the culture surrounding the title "baby witch" doesn't mean I'm criticizing everyone who is currently a novice. I was a beginner too, but baby witch culture meant I stayed a novice a whole lot longer than i should have.

[sloppywitches]

I’m not a Wiccan but this is one of the best books I’ve recently read on witchcraft. The activities listed in the book are useful for all types of witchy labels. 

I highly recommend the self-evaluation activity, which is a fairly basic personal inventory but is useful for grounding. Following with a Goddess within ritual can start a journey towards self love and esteem.

Not all witchcraft is jars and candle spells. There’s so much more.

[sloppywitches]

Your Grimoire is Good Enough

✨ Don’t feel bad if your grimoire is in a cheap notebook.

✨ Don’t feel bad if you rip out or redo a page.

✨ Don’t feel bad if your handwriting isn’t perfect.

✨ Don’t feel bad if you make mistakes, everyone does.

✨ Don’t feel bad if you spell something wrong. Cross it out or use white out.

✨ Don’t feel bad if you want to transfer your grimoire to a new book. This is how you learn what you prefer.

✨ Don’t feel bad if you rip a page.

✨ Don’t feel bad if you forget something.

✨ Don’t feel bad if you smear ink/paint/pencil.

✨ Don’t feel bad if you spill something on your book.

✨ Don’t compare your grimoire to someone else’s, all the little mistakes you make give it character.

[sloppywitches]

My tarot cards to me tonight: “I dunno.” 

Thanks.

[sloppywitches]

I love you witchblr but some of y’all are actually truly batshit. Like you tripped over the thought that “hey maybe there’s a sort of spiritual energy in the universe and maybe we call that magic” and stumbled headlong into “literally every minor occurrence is A Sign From The Gods and also science is fake and also if I get dizzy it’s a spirit trying to contact me and not even remotely related to my health”. 

Hot Take: Most things that happen are ordinary. If you find yourself not even considering a mundane explanation for something that’s happening or something you’re feeling, you maybe need to recognize that you’re getting overexcited about the idea of something Special taking place.

[sloppywitches]

for fuck’s sake

‘I don’t see us mentioned anywhere’

‘But when I do you’re using the wrong language’

‘But I’m going to assume the people writing about Jewish mysticism are not Jewish’

‘But I’m not going to confront these people directly instead I’m going to try and lecture everyone on Tumblr’

Make up your damned mind. 

Oh and Judeo-Christian does mean things. 

Abrahamic does mean things.

Dislike does not make things meaningless. Disagreeing with a word does not take away its power.

I don’t disagree with the OP on principle but don’t let yourself get in knots over things like this. I don’t know what place it is they’re operating from but it’s too murky and confused.

“Witchy things” is not a fucking monolith and no one, and I mean no one, is obligated to share their personal practice with anyone. Just that the OP tries to create a singular “witch” community in which (ha ha) to direct their frustration shows their total lack of understanding

i’ve written before about how uncomfortable it is being Jewish in most witchcraft/magic/occult spaces, but right now i’m feeling it particularly acutely as i try to navigate this queer & trans witchy renaissance we seem to be having (which is, i think, a direct response to the terror & loss of control we all feel in 2017 - magic has always been about resistance & survival to me & a lot of other people)

i’m tired. i’m scared a lot of the time. i want community & inspiration to help keep me going, so i reach for something like a zine that bills itself as an inclusive mix of queer & trans voices on witchcraft, resistance, activism - because it’s a group of marginalized folks, i (maybe foolishly) have this expectation of seeing myself in it, or of the editors being conscious of the many forms of cultural appropriation that happen in these spaces & working to educate about them

but what i’m finding, over and over, is two things: the first is that despite the fact that we exist in greater numbers than i’d ever have expected, there are no Jewish voices in any of the witchcraft-focused publications (indie or otherwise) i’ve ever encountered. the second thing, that cultural appropriation of Judaism & other forms of pervasive anti-semitism DO exist in these publications, just makes the lack of Jewish perspectives more glaring

so in the interest of being direct, here are a few things the queer & trans witchcraft community (i’d like to ask the ENTIRE witchcraft community, but i am speaking to people with whom i share something right now) can do & think about to help:

include us. if you didn’t think that any Jewish folks were involved in witchy communities, ask yourself why! is it because you thought Judaism was a religion only? or incompatible with ideas about magic? Judaism is an ethnicity & a culture - or more truthfully, a group of ethnicities & cultures - with long & complex histories of magic, mysticism & folklore. some of it is considered traditionally “kosher” & some of it isn’t! our relationships to that are individual, fascinating, & worth being shared!

stop throwing around the words “Abrahamic” & “Judeo-Christian” - especially when you want to talk about cultural values or historical oppression. 9 times out of 10, you just mean Christianity. yes, we share some text, but we have VERY different relationships to it. plus, if you’re talking specifically about the persecution of people believed to be witches, that’s the history of Jews being murdered by Christians. honestly just do us a favor & remove “Judeo-Christian” from your vocabulary, there’s almost no context where it’s an accurate description of anything.

educate yourself about appropriation. i should never have to see someone mention “practicing Kabbalah” in a zine that includes no Jewish people. our mysticism is connected to our culture, our history, our faith - not only do you have no business taking it, what could it possibly mean to you without its context? 

understand that anti-semitism runs deeper than current appropriation - if you engage at all with any Western occultist or “ceremonial magic” literature or practice, you need to learn its history. what does it mean that the 15th century grimoire you’re drawing inspiration from contains Hebrew & calls itself Solomonic, but has no actual connection to Jewish people? what does it mean that the person who created the most iconic image of Baphomet, something beloved by a lot of queer & trans witches for being androgynous, gave himself a fake Hebrew name? i’m not asking you to throw all of these concepts & traditions out entirely - i have something of a love/hate relationship with ceremonial occultism myself, i collect vintage & antique things related to it & some of it is really interesting - but please at the very least educate yourself about it. specifically, educate yourself about how medieval Jews were treated while non-Jewish occultists were incorporating (often misunderstood or mangled) Jewish mysticism, language & folk practices into their frameworks. 

if you’ve stayed with me this far, i appreciate it - i know this post is long & that confronting this stuff can be difficult, but i urge you to do some reading & listening before you push back. i’m writing this because i want to see things change - i want to see communities where people connect meaningfully to their own heritages & participate in actual cultural exchange & learning based in equity & mutual support. 

i’m speaking to my own experience, but all of this goes for ANY marginalized culture/tradition being “drawn from” in witchcraft communities without actually including members of said culture. 

many of us got involved in witchy things because we felt locked out of mainstream religious practice due to a mix of oppressions - let’s not replicate that in our own spaces.

[sloppywitches]

The Self-Exploration Tarot Spread

Who I Am Right Now

My Short Term Goals

My Interests and Passions

My Emotions

My Inner Demons

My Fears

My Drive

My Long Term Goals

My Future Self

I recommend not using reversals for this particular spread, but you can still use them if you prefer to do so. 

[sloppywitches]

Wearable Spell Jars

Deity Jars

The idea of spell jars is no new concept, and this may be an idea done before, but I wanted to spread it out there for the new witchlings who would like to find another way to be with their deities!

Now why the loop in these jars? This is so you can wear the jar as a necklace, attach as a keychain, or hang up somewhere! These small jars are easy to hide for witches that are still in secret, and portable! I recommend wearing them when asking for a deity’s help, as well as when you are performing actions you want to dedicate to the deity! For example, when I am gardening, I would wear or keep close my Gaea jar to dedicate it to her. This can also be applied to spirit companions!

What you need

Miniature jar with metal loop in the cork (you can put in the metal loop yourself if need be)

Objects associated with the deity

Candle (optional)- color depends on the deity; if no candle, use hot glue to seal the jar

Incense/scented spray associated with the deity (optional)

Chain/cord/thick string to thread the loop

How to make the jars

While working on the jar, light a candle in honor of the deity you are making the jar for. If you can’t, that’s ok- incense or a spray works or you can even ignore this step. Pray to your deity to let them know what you are doing. These miniature jars can be found in craft stores, with the loop already in, in the jewelry-making section. If you have trouble finding them, you can stick a thicker wire in the cork of a miniature jar and use jewelry pliers to create the loop yourself! If you do so, I do recommend bending the other end to secure the wire in. Put the anything you associate your deity with into the jar. You can put little charms, miniature objects, herbs, gem chips, and so forth! I will list a few examples/recipes of my own. What’s important is that these are items that made you think of them- found or bought doesn’t matter. When you have finished putting in the objects, put on the cork and seal the jar with the candle wax from the candle you lit. If you were unable to light a candle, some hot glue will work just fine. Let the wax/glue cool. If you lit a candle, let it burn down with the jar placed near it. Thread the jar with some thick string, chain, or leather cord. There you go, all done!

Here are a few of my own recipes:

Aphrodite Jar

1 seashell

2 apple seeds

1 rose quartz bead/chip

2 myrrh pieces

2 small jasmine flowers

A pinch of lavender

Sealed with pink candle wax

Hestia Jar

Pinch of ash (mine came from a campfire I dedicated to her)

Pinch of lavender

Magic purple basil

2 dragon’s blood resin pieces

1 jasmine blossom

2 amethyst beads

1 garnet bead

Sealed with purple candle wax

Gaea Jar

1 rose quartz bead

1 green fluorite bead

1 sandalwood bead

2 pieces myrrh resin

Lavender pinch and sprig

Magic purple basil leaves

Pinch of dirt from my garden

Sealed with green candle wax

Note: Many ways to substitute. Any crystals or stones will do. I decided to represent nature in different forms: leaves, resin, wood, flower. You can also include a root of some sort. Gaea is nature all around us, so representing her in a bottle can be very diverse.

[sloppywitches]

Me, reading: Rosemary is a good substitute for herbs, quartz is a good substitute for crystals

Me: *fills a jar with rosemary and quartz*

[sloppywitches]

So it’s kind of a scary time. Like the whole ass world is in a tower-card. In times of uncertainty remember you can always fall back on magic. Keep your magic centered and your spirits up. Watch funny movies. Laugh. And most of all, do witchcraft. If you’re stuck at home here are some magical ideas to pass the time. 1 Catch up on your witchcraft reading. 2 Do a good cleansing of your space. 3 Research your next tarot deck. 4 Leave out offerings for your ancestors. (Mine like black coffee and Jack Daniels) 5 Salt your doorsteps. 6 Cleanse your crystals. 7 Take a cleansing bath or shower. 8 Write in your spellbook. 9 Burn incense and candles to clear your head space. 10 Meditate. 11 Bake something and add a little magic to it (Kitchen witch much?) 12 Sweep out negativity. (Or use a floor wash) 13 Make an inventory of all your magical ingredients. (I need to do this!) 14 Support other witch’s online. 15 Watch AHS coven and/or Sabrina. 16 Practice your divination. 17 Practice reading tarot for friends and/or family. 18 Learn a new technique like palm reading, tea leaf reading or the pendulum. 19 Read your birth chart. 20 Find out what human design you are and research that. (I’m a projector BTW) 21 Look up local ghost stories. 22 Collect rain and moon water. (Use them your ritual bath) 23 Start a witchy craft. 24 Make a witchcraft tumblr blog to repost all your favorites. 25 Go for a nature walk (alone)and collect alter items. And most of all stay safe and stay inside. ️<3 

[sloppywitches]

Witchy Things to do during Social Distancing/Self Quarantine

♡ The world has practically come to a stand still which gives us a chance to do the things we were too busy to do prior. So I've decided to make a list for myself, and for others looking for inspiration ♡

And before getting started, A BIG THANK YOU to those still working and risking their health and well being during this Pandemic, and I extend that beyond our "borders"

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

CLEAN. YOUR. SPACE. Sacred and living space. Not just cleaning (dusting, vacuuming, disposing of what no longer serves) but spiritual cleansing (light your favorite incense and candles, smudge, the whole 9 yards) 🕯🧹

Also clean and cleanse your cell phones. Lots of germs, oil, and grime build up on phones, so wipe with disinfectant or if the phone is waterproof then actually wash with antimicrobial soap (IF IT'S SAFE! I've done this with my Samsung Galaxy 8) 📱🧼🧽 BUT! Also take the time to go through photos and files and delete them. Actually delete, by going to trash bin and removing them. On the same note, also take time to cleanse your social media

CRYSTALS. Give your crystals some TLC. It may not be a full moon but there are several other methods of cleansing crystals. Also thank them for their contribution, cuddle them, love them, appreciate them 💎📿🔮

Rearrange/redecorate your altar (if applicable) 🔮🧿🕯

READ THE WITCHCRAFT BOOKS (or any books) THAT YOU HAVE BEEN PUTTING OFF 📓📚📖🖋

It is SPRING! A time of change, rebirth, the beauty of Mother Gaia (Mother Earth) will be surrounding us. Take peace in knowing this is not the end 💐🌸💮🏵🌹🌺🌻🌼🌷⚘🌱🌳🌴🌾🐝🐞🐛🦋🐦🌿☘🍀🌵

My therapist said this would be an excellent time to develop a regular schedule. Did you have a ritual you wanted to start? Maybe drawing a single oracle or tarot card for the day? Dedicate time to yoga and/or meditation? 🧘‍♂️🧘‍♀️ Now is a good time to start!

Interested in kitchen or green witchery? What better time to start during a complete shut down, in which cooking from home 🥪🥗🥣🥘🍝is the best option, brushing up on teas 🍵 and herbalism 🌿 inspired by the fresh breath of spring! (Also a good time to learn about immunity boosting plants)

Journaling, or catching up on journaling. Catch up on writing in your grimoire 📖🖋

Reorganize your herbs and teas

CANNOT! STRESS! TEAS! ENOUGH! 🍵☕ Herbs incorporated into teas have medicinal and magickal properties. Some even have immunity boosting properties such as ELDERBERRY

If you can, take a bath with herbs/teas/crystals/candles/bath salts 🕯🚿🛁🔮

I know I mentioned meditation before, but with all the bad/negative media/news going around I do believe now is the time to get into meditation. There's guided meditations on free apps, but i prefer just rolling out my yoga mat, setting some crystals around, and playing very neutral nature sounds and allowing my mind to calm. And of course with all things, it may work for some and not for others, so don't get discouraged 🧘‍♂️🧘‍♀️

Of course, I'll end this post with a message: it may look bad out there, especially through news networks and media. But it is not the end. Positive environmental changes are occuring due to lack of human activity, and perhaps this will be a turning point in how we address humanity's impact on the environment. It may also bring about positive change in healthcare in the United States and perhaps elsewhere. There are also countless stories of humans being kind to one another, i'd list them but I didnt save them. They are out there. In times of crisis, we see the worst, and the best, in people.

We will overcome. We will evolve.

Blessed be,

The Closeted Witchlet

[sloppywitches]

My other work from home setup (sharing the same room as my work work from home setup, currently need some peace in here so the bad vibes stay away.) It was gifted to me for free by someone clearing out a person’s apartment after they passed. Now that I have my great grandmother’s actual hutch to hold things I can use it for an actual permanent altar.

Chalice with beer

Green candle for earth

Red candle for strength (these two just kind of hang out and are swapped out when done)

Small pot decorated by my nephew with hellebore

Tin plate with bread

Bowl with rock salt for the earth 

Bud vase with  common periwinkle (I mean you take what’s blooming right now and there’s not much)

Photo with ancestors 

Snake for Brigid 

Horseshoe for luck and protection (gettin it all ready to be hung over a door)

Grimoire

Athame 

Blue candle with salt to calm things the fuck down

Pink candles for friendship 

Feather, orca and salmon charms for local animals

Bowl of rain and holy water

Local rocks and some shells

The horse is close to my poppet, it represents me (in the state I am in)

Poppet with herbs surrounding and a jack of hearts I pulled from a playing card fortune telling deck I picked up at a vintage store.

Incense holder 

A bell

A little buddha because I just felt like he belonged there

A unicorn charm for Scotland (my great grandmother was a first generation American and her mother was a Scot from near Aberdeen. I was closest to her.)

I moved the blue trinket box but eventually that will be for offerings to Jupiter.

It’s currently kind of a mess and I need to finish the altar cloth I’m making out of old clothes

There’s a garland of star anise on one of the knobs for protection and good fortune

In the cabinet is assorted herbs, rocks, books, an old silver ice bucket that makes a surprisingly good place to mix things, mortar and pestle, various types of waters, incenses, smaller chime candles runes, tarot cards, besom, scoop for gathering various kinds of dirt, cross roads dirt, bottles... etc

There’s more but I keep much of my stuff in boxes in the garage and grab as needed. This is for the little things like porcupine quills and blue cohosh. 

With all of this stay inside stuff I may actually finish my birch wand. I also have a lovely piece of local oak on deck.