synchronizedmanifestation-blog

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*whew*

...This whole “being in the city for work at 8am” thing is proving to be more difficult with each passing day... Thankful for the $abundance$ and also thankful that I’m done after the 18th. 

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Energy Work: Introduction to Fields Exercise

I want to start sharing more of my energy practice, here, and felt the best way to start doing that was to post an “introductory primer”. This meditation is designed to familiarize you with energy and its tactile properties. You can get some use out of this exercise regardless of your experience level (I still practice it, today), and it’s a great entry point for someone who’s never even dabbled before. All you’ll need to enjoy it is a comfortable, quiet place where you’re unlikely to be disturbed for roughly 30 minutes.

Tip: Don’t try to follow along with this text as you perform the exercise. Instead, read it in its entirety before you begin. This way, you can avoid the distraction of scrolling or flipping pages during your meditation. That will kill your focus dead.

Step 1:

To begin, sit or stand in a comfortable position. Shake yourself out, paying particular attention to your shoulders and wrists. Do this until you feel loose and relaxed. Now, take a deep breath in, filling your lungs to the largest capacity possible. Hold the breath for a count to three, then exhale slowly, through your mouth. Concentrate on your breathing for as long as necessary to make it deep, slow and even. As you inhale, focus on the weight in the middle of your chest. Feel all the tension leave your body as you exhale. Draw your focus inwards, and feel your pulse as it travels through your body. Be still, quiet, and whole. Remain here until you are grounded and focused.

Step 2:

When you feel relaxed and grounded, raise your arms so that your elbows are up and away from your body. With your hands open, turn them so that your palms are facing each other in front of you. The palms of your hands should be roughly one foot apart, and one foot away from the core of your body.Feel your focus slowly travel from your chest, to your shoulders, and down through your arms. Sweep it down past your elbows and wrists until you are focusing on the palms of your hands. You may notice a tingling sensation, or a hyper awareness, in your fingers. Push this feeling out until you are focused on the space between your palms.  The keyword is ‘push’. Feel a pressure building up between your hands; focus until that pressure is a dense weight.

Step 3:

With your attention still on the space between your palms, physically push them together. You should feel a slight resistance, or “bounce”. Bring your hands together and back apart rhythmically, getting a feel for that resistance. Play with the energy you have gathered there, growing it, condensing it, passing it back and forth between your hands. Get a feel for its properties. This is “you” energy. Get to know it. Take as long as you need.

Step 4:

When you are finished, draw your hands back towards the trunk of your body. Press the tension you have built up against your chest and “breathe” it back in until nothing is left externally.

Repeat the earlier breathing exercise — inhale deeply, hold for three seconds, and slowly exhale through your mouth. Focus on your breathing until it is deep and regular. Bring your focus from your hands, back to your chest. Feel the weight there.

Slowly, begin rolling your shoulders. Roll your head on your neck, and shake out your arms, dispersing any tension. Shake your wrists and hands until they are loose and free. Feel yourself slowly wake from the deep relaxation you enjoyed earlier.

When you’re finished, engage in some mundane grounding activity, such as washing up, eating, or drinking. You might enjoy journaling your experiences so that you can reference them later on.

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[Revised 11/16] Book Recommendations for Witches

Greetings, all. Quite some time ago, I created an annotated bibliography of some of my favorite texts on magical subjects. I was browsing it a few days ago and quickly realized, though, that it had become woefully out-of-date. There were quite a few books I’d only recently finished reading that belonged on the list! 

So, I’ve made an updated version here! Below, you can find my book recommendations, organized into loose categories. I’ve had to add a few new categories since last time, and expand several others. I do plan on doing long-form book reviews on some of these titles, and if there’s a particular one listed that you’d like to see a long review for, please let me know and I’ll work on that.

I hope you find something on here that suits your fancy! Happy reading!

For Absolute Beginners

Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, by Judika Illes. Even better than the Weiser Field Guide to Witches - this book is huge and chock-full of information. It’ll explain in easy-to-understand language how the concept has developed throughout time, why witches do what they do, and different types of witches.

The Weiser Field Guide to Witches, by Judika Illes. This gives an excellent look at the historical lore concerning witches, from the perspective of a witch herself. It’s kind of tongue-in-cheek, but it does have some information that won’t be found elsewhere.

The Modern Guide to Witchcraft, by Skye Alexander. Great book for those who’re really absolute beginners and are wondering what witchcraft is all about. Skye takes a very postmodern, utilitarian, and unfailingly honest approach, and it’s geared towards those of almost any belief system.

Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard, by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart. Attractively packaged and readible for almost all ages, this is a great (mostly) non-denominational look at the foundations of magical practice. It’s extremely detailed. Some of it only applies to Zell’s own tradition, but it’s quite useful, anyways.

Basic Techniques

Protection and Reversal Magick, by Jason Miller. This gets a little woo-woo at times, but he gives good advice on how to avoid serious problems that can come up as you begin to practice. Take with a grain of salt, though - some of this has the potential to make you feel paranoid.

City Magick, by Christopher Penczak. If you’re at all interested in tech witchery, or just want to practice magick within an urban setting, do check this out. It is by far the best look at the subject I’ve seen, and his discussion of urban tutelary spirits is worth the price alone.

Power Spellcraft for Life, by Arin Murphy-Hiscock. Nicely done, quite secular book providing basic beginner information regarding writing original spells and workings. It does fall prey to the trap of just listing correspondences with little information at times, but also contains a great deal of detail about ritual timing, raising power, and other topics essential for the beginner.

Sorcerer’s Secrets, by Jason Miller. This is a decent volume that describes a lot of techniques you don’t usually see in books, such as gesture and gaze-based magick. Be warned that Miller writes extensively about manipulative techniques, but it’s useful theory regardless of how you put it into practice.

Witch’s Bag of Tricks, by Melanie Marquis. This is not recommended for beginners, because the whole point of this book is to help existing practitioners refine and improve their already-established techniques. It’s got some novel ideas in it, and I like the author’s approach to symbolism in spellcasting.

Direct Magick (Energy Work)

The Un-Spell Book, by Mya Om. This non-denominational guide to working with magical forces is filled with useful exercises that go beyond the author’s previous work. I recommend reading this after reading Energy Essentials.

Instant Magick, by Christopher Penczak. Excellent beginner’s guide for those who don’t have access to a lot of fancy tools or prefer to work without them. This book won’t instantly teach you magick, but it will help even a seasoned practitioner find quicker, less-complicated ways of achieving results.

Energy Essentials for Witches and Spellcasters, by Mya Om. Though I balk at the use of the term “energy” to describe magical forces, this book is worth a look. It’s a bit like a workbook, with various exercises. Expect a lot of pseudoscience, though, and there are many religious references, but the techniques are solid.

Magical Writing, Words, and Symbols

Dictionary of Ancient Magic Words and Spells, by Claude Lecouteux. Mostly a historical text, this book isn’t exactly practical or terribly useful. It is, nevertheless, incredibly interesting. It’s a bit difficult to navigate, but worth a glance.

Composing Magick, by Elizabeth Barrette. A very general, but well-done, look at writing in a magical context. Some of the ritual templates are slightly specific to religious witchcraft traditions, but most information is widely applicable.

Crafting Magick with Pen and Ink, by Susan Pesnecker. Focuses both on the physical act of writing as a magical act, and the mental state associated with it. Highly recommended

The Modern Witchcraft Grimoire, by Skye Alexander. This book is for those who want to create their own grimoire. It gives fairly good advice for doing so, as well as providing hints and tricks for spellcasting and useful correspondences.

General Concepts

Planetary Magick, by Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips. If you want to work with the planets at all, particularly in a highly ritualized context, I recommend this book. It’s large, comprehensive and gives a good foundation beyond what you find in general astrology books.

Practical Planetary Magick, by Sorita d’Este and David Rankine. Shorter than I would have liked, but a useful reference to have on your shelf, with excellent tables and appendices in the back. The meditations are also quite useful.

Practical Elemental Magick, by Sorita d’Este and David Rankine. Should be read alongside the other book by this pair. Comprehensive guide to working with the elements in a ritualized fashion. Not as accessible to newbies as Lipp’s book, but good for seasoned practitioners.

The Way of Four, by Deborah Lipp. Though mostly geared towards Wiccans, I found this author’s in-depth treatment of the four elements highly fascinating. I will note that it’s probably best to get the print version of this book, as it contains exercises and quizzes.

Ingredients and Correspondences

The Herbal Alchemist’s Handbook, by Karen Harrison. I cannot praise this book enough for its concise and well-formulated approach to astrology, herbs, and magick as a whole.

The Weiser Concise Guide to Herbal Magick, by Judith Hawkins-Tillirson. This is excellent for anyone who’s interested in any kind of magick. Yes, the focus is generally herbs, but there’s a lot to be learned here about Kabbalah and other correspondence systems, as well.

Mixing Essential Oils for Magic, by Sandra Kynes. Fills a very difficult gap in published knowledge regarding the use of essential oils by discussing, in great detail, how scents interact with each other and how to create a formula that’s not only palatable, but evocative.

Dunwich’s Guide to Gemstone Sorcery, by Gerina Dunwich. Given the New Age fascination with all things shiny, it was quite a chore to sort through the myriad crystal books to find something with good information. While far from perfect and not exactly devoid of fluff, this book does give a level of detail about the lore surrounding gemstones not seen in many other texts.

Real Alchemy, by Robert Allen Bartlett. Excellent book, lots of history and detail. There’s a strong focus on tradition within the text, yet the author is quite accommodating of his audience and describes alternate methods that work better in a modern context.

Spagyrics, by Manfred M. Junius. With a highly-developed academic tone and attention to detail, this book is a meaty look at traditional alchemy. I recommend this more for intermediate practitioners due to the sheer density of information.

Spellbooks

The Goodly Spellbook, by Dixie Deerman and Steve Rasmussen. The title sounds horribly fluffy, but this is a hidden gem. It explains obscure concepts like alternative alphabets and potential uses of musical notes, as well as plant lore and other bits and pieces. Definitely worth checking out. It’s way more than just “a book of spells.”

Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells, by Judika Illes. The title sounds trite to some, but it delivers. This book has spells from almost every culture and spiritual philosophy, as well as a very detailed formulary. I read it when I’m bored sometimes, too, just because I always learn some tidbit from it.

Book of Spells, by Nicola Pulford. In most editions, this book is absolutely gorgeous and describes spellcasting traditions from a variety of perspectives and traditions. Recommended for those who already understand the basics, as this book jumps straight into spellcasting and gives only a small amount of information about how things work.

Ceremonial Magick

Modern Magick, by Donald Michael Kraig. I received this as a gift several years ago. It is essentially a workbook meant to be completed slowly, step by step, and while the format will not appeal to everyone, it’s a good easy-to-read introduction to ceremonial magick.

Familiar Spirits, by Donald Tyson. Though geared towards ceremonialists, any practitioner can likely learn a thing or two from Tyson’s interesting stroll through the whys and wherefores of spirit work and thoughtform creation. This is by far the best book I’ve seen on the topic of familiar spirits.

Secrets of High Magick, by Francis Melville. The most recent edition of this (the one I own) is lavishly-illustrated and full of rudimentary, yet useful information. He stresses the basics of ceremonial practice, and his writing style is very accessible. Highly recommended for absolute beginners.

My Life With The Spirits, by Lon Milo DuQuette. This is a memoir of a ceremonial magician, but it gives a good look at the magickal mindset in a highly developed form from someone who’s experienced quite a lot. I have major issues with DuQuette’s approach to Qabalah, but his memoirs are worth a read.

Chaos Magick

Liber Null and Psychonaut, by Peter Carroll. Classic book of chaos magick. I consider it required reading for almost anyone interested in the occult. Even if you have no love for chaos magick, do give it a read, just to understand how influential Carroll is, and why.

Hands-On Chaos Magic, by Andrieh Vitimus. Knowing some of the people involved in the creation of this book, I’m a bit biased towards it. That said, even if I didn’t know them, I would still recommend it. It’s especially interesting to read alongside Liber Null and Psychonautin order to see how the chaos “current” has developed over the years.

Pop Culture Magic 2.0 by Taylor Ellwood. There aren’t a lot of books on using pop culture symbolism in magick, but this one is nearly perfect. The author writes in a highly erudite, literate fashion, while still being accessible to newbies. Many useful resources cited, as well, so prepare to branch off a bit while reading it.

History-Related

Triumph of the Moon, by Ronald Hutton. An inside no-holds-barred look at the history of Wicca and Modern paganism. Highly recommended. This is sort of the book that fluffbunnies don’t want you to read.

Book of Lies: The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult, by Richard Metzger. Lots of facts and history of magick in the context of Postmodernity. This is different from the Crowley text of the same name, which I wouldn’t recommend unless you want to focus on his tradition.

The Place of Enchantment, by Alex Owen. This is a purely historical text that documents the occult revival within the context of Modernity. I remember it being very good, but please realize I haven’t really picked it up much since graduating, and it might just have served my mindset at the time.

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Casting Glamours

What is a glamour?

Stemming from the old Scots word, a “glamour” (always spelt with the British “ou”, as we are referring to the spell not the trait) is a kind of magickal spell or enchantment that a person casts upon an object, a person, or themselves to confuse, bewitch or obscure the senses of other observers. For instance, a pickpocket may use glamours as a means of assisting in the avoidance of detection, and a secret Witch may use a glamour to hide their spell supplies. Glamours are also one of the primary spells that the Fae Folk use to hide their presence, and also to make mischief and cause harm to intrusive or blundering humans who offend them. 

Why have I never heard of this before?!

Probably because it’s not very flashy and, by its very nature, it’s centred around concealment. Glamours are very powerful, very useful spells, but they don’t involve love or money or luck or happiness and so they tend to be overlooked by most novice or self-taught Witches. They’re also quite hard to perfect, and so many more experienced Witches give up before they have mastered them.

They are simultaneously very simple spells to perform, but very difficult to perfect, as they require significant effort of Will and a lot of practice but if you achieve a true glamour it can be one of the most powerful spells in any Witch’s arsenal. It’s also worth noting, however, that glamours do not conceal things from machines. Machines like metal detectors, security cameras and proximity detectors don’t have minds, and as such they cannot be fooled by magick that affects the mind and how the brain perceives senses. They also work poorly on animals, especially cats. Do not try to fool a cat with a glamour. Dogs are often confused by glamours, but generally see through them with time, and snakes and lizards are completely immune as far as I can tell (since their minds are not concerned with things that glamours affect).

OK, but how do I cast a glamour?

The first step is, as with all spells, to decide to do it. Decide “I am going to cast a glamour”. Know it in your soul, know that what you will do is magick, it is a glamour, and that it’s purpose is to hide yourself. Glamours on yourself are generally the easiest to start with, because they are the easiest kind with which to tell when something needs improving. 

Secondly, you must visualise strongly - and I mean REALLY strongly, let it consume your being - the purpose of the glamour. Fill yourself with the knowledge how how it will work, what it will do, how it will work. If you are looking for a glamour of imperception, whereby you attempt to make yourself hard to see by convincing the minds of people around you that you are utterly uninteresting and forgettable, fill yourself with that. Let to complete and utter truth of that ring through your head; 

“I am forgettable, I’m not even here. You don’t remember me, I’m utterly boring, I’m just another part of the background. Everything about me is empty and dull. There is nothing here”

And similar such truths. Let your Willpower make them true, let their truth fill the world around you through the strength of your visualisation.

Thirdly, sustain it. This is the hardest step, but a glamour will only last for as long as it is sustained and remembered. If you are visualising a glamour on something that moves or changes (such as yourself) this can involve literally constant reinforcement - never ever stop thinking those reinforcing statements and pouring all your Willpower into them. For objects that are more static, for instance a chest containing spell supplies, this can simply involve a period of refreshment every evening whereby you place your hands upon it and refresh the enchantment you’ve placed upon the chest, reminding it of how completely ignorable and boring it is, reminding it that nobody will open it because nobody will care enough to try, that nobody will notice it because it’s so dull it’s not even there. 

That seems REALLY hard, is there a simpler way?

The short answer is, no. This is why glamours are often quite unpopular - despite their obvious power and usefulness, the sheer effort of Will that goes into the construction of a glamour, and the amount of practice you need to get really good, can scare off a lot of Witches from truly persisting. Those who need glamours are often the only ones who are really any good at them - the best glamour-caster I have ever known developed her skill during her life as a pickpocket, when she used glamours to avoid getting caught. The simple fact that she has no criminal record attests to their efficacy! But, it took her a very long time to get that good, and most Witches simply don’t care enough to try.

However, I urge you to do so! It’s such a rewarding skill, even if only so that you can be the undisputed champion of paintball and laser tag in your friend group because nobody ever sees you in the shadows. 

So there you are! The ancient, powerful, and mostly-overlooked art of glamours! I hope this helped all you lovely Witches!

– Juniper Wildwalk

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Some Alternatives to Lavender

Lavender is a plant that’s very commonly recommended for usage in spellcraft and witchcraft, for spells related to everything from sleep to anxiety to depression to protection. However, it’s also a plant many people are allergic to! So, here’s a list of a few plants that people with allergies to lavender might be able to use instead.

Sleep and relaxation: 

Wild lettuce - Also known as a hallucinogenic plant that is often used in spiritwalking potions, wild lettuce is a mild hypnotic and will induce sleeping in low dosages. It can be used in any spell where sleep, trance, or visions are the intended goal. Burning this herb is sometimes acceptable, as it is occasionally smoked, but in general this should be avoided. 

California poppy - Whilst it’s not as famous as its more highly known cousin the opium poppy, California poppy has sedative and hypnotic effects in its own right. However, unlike the opium poppy, California poppy will not give you narcotic or euphoric side effects, so don’t bother trying to smoke it or anything. It can be used for any spell in which dreamless sleep is desirable. 

Lemon balm - This is a herb with very similar relaxing and sleep-inducing properties to lavender, so it’s a great first plant to try if you have an allergy to lavender and want something very similar. It’s a kind of mint though, so it’s relatively closely related to lavender, and so if you’re allergic to lavender you should make sure you’re not allergic to mints as well before you try it. 

Motherwort - This herb is well-known in many kinds of old world herbal medicine, and has a history of usage for assisting with labour in birthing mothers. However, scientific evidence is currently disputed about its safety at any point of breastfeeding or pregnancy, especially because it seems to cause abortions in high dosages. When taken by someone who ISN’T pregnant, it has calming and soothing properties, especially for emotional distress. Do not burn this herb. 

Anxiety and calming: 

Skullcap - This is one of the most well-known nervine treatments, and is often recommended for people suffering with anxiety disorders that may be milder than should be medicated by a psychiatrist. It’s longterm usage can assist in helping those with anxiety remain clear-headed and balanced. However, it’s a plant that’s quite easy to be allergic to it seems, so do please get a skin-prick test if you’re allergic to lavender just in case. Do not burn this herb.

Vervain - As a gentle anxiolytic, this plant is suitable for those who don’t have an anxiety disorder but do have issues with mild, recurrent anxiety. It’s also safer than skullcap and can be burnt safely, so it’s suitable for incenses and spells that involve fire. It is also associated magickally with purging of illnesses and sicknesses, and is a good element of any spell that seeks to purge a body clean of sickness and malignancy.

Roman chamomile - Also known as English chamomile, this herb has been used for centuries by those who seek to rest and sleep, especially if they are plagued by painful dreams or distressing thoughts. This herb is safe for burning and fire-based spells, and is commonly used in many supermarket herbal teas. It is strongly magickally associated with calm, and is a potent calming herb as an element of spells as a result. 

Clover - A common calming remedy in herbal magick, the flowering tops of simple clovers taken from a field can be an excellent element of any spell that seeks to bring calm and clearheadedness to any problem. Worn around the neck or head in a flower-chain, clover flowers will ensure your mind is unclouded by anxious or worried thoughts, and will help smooth over thoughts that are unwanted. This plant is safe to burn, but please try to avoid consuming or burning clover that you collected from beside a road. Plants growing in the verges and banks of major roadways have lots of exhaust chemicals in them, which isn’t great for your health. Try to get them from gardens, parks, fields, little-used back-roads, or meadows if possible. 

Protection and psychic power:

Sage - Lavender is one of the less-well-known protective plants, and both its leaves and its flowers are usually burnt in order to bring protection to a house or sacred space. Sage is an excellent alternative, as it is highly purifying. White sage is good, but as it’s endangered it would cause more harm than good to use it for purification - always remember that we should balance our magick with how much harm it may cause others to perform it in a certain way. White sage being endangered means it’s unsuitable, so common sage or purples sage is a good alternative. Safe for burning. 

Agrimony - One of the herbs commonly used as a ward against malicious energies, people, and in Abrahamic traditions as a ward against demons. Agrimony is a great protective herb if you’re searching for a flower to protect against harm, and as a common meadow flower it’s not too hard to find. Safe for burning. 

Rosemary - This common culinary herb that grows almost everywhere is a staple in any witch’s garden, for it’s usage in healing magick and protective spells as well as its delicious taste. Burning rosemary in a crucible will help keep foul influences and sicknesses at bay, and is a better protector against psychic penetrations and psychic vampires than lavender or sage. Safe to burn.

Purple plants

Violet - The classic purple plant, since a type of purple is named for it!

Fuschia - More of a pinky hue, but still good.

Purple sage - A light purple, similar to lavender

Purple basil - A deep purple, like purple ink.

Purple carrots - The original colour for carrots, their pigment is very staining.

Beetroot - A reddish-purple that stains deeply

Tricolore Pansy - Also known as love-in-idleness, heartsease and love-lies-bleeding. Strongly associate with love magick, arguably more so than roses.

==========================================

I hope this helps some poor witch with allergies! 

– Juniper

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I can smoke the last of my weed at 2am because I do what I waaaant help validate my choices

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Verbs: one-word spells

A lot of my magic leans toward the nonverbal side. I can say a phrase at most, but long strings of words feel too clunky for the way my magic works. 

I like using verbs because they’re the part of the sentence that gets the ball rolling. Without a verb nothing happens. So it only seems fit to use verbs to make things happen magically as well! The following ideas can be coupled with actions and ingredients, or used on their own for discreet magic.

stop

go

heal

grow

flourish

fail

stall

break

cleanse

leave

bring

feed

run

flow

rise

calm

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Hello fellow Moonchild (: 

I’m in need to find witches to be friends with! Honestly, I don’t know any witch and I feel kind of lonely, not being able to share what I do with other witches. So if you want to chat, to exchange emails and such, just please message me!

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I’m looking for the book that accompanies The Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan and Mark Evans. The deck was gifted to me over the summer and I just found out that this is the name of it. 

Is anyone willing to sell me the book or know where I could find it online? 

[synchronizedmanifestation-blog]

love this tip

Witchy Tip ✨

If you pour a little essential oil over a cotton ball and burn it, the result is a lovely smelling fire and smoke! The cotton ball takes about a full minute to burn in a little fireball formation and produces an incense-like smoke when it goes out (it’s pretty interesting, actually) and doesn’t really flare up much, so it’s perfect for cauldron use.

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A couple days ago, I was walking back to my apartment from the train. It wasn’t freezing out (like today) but it was raining, so when I passed a man leaning against the weight of the bags he carried I couldn’t help but think, “I hope he doesn’t have to carry that far... You got this, guy! I feel for you.” Then I thought w a i t, what if I made helpful lil spells to shoot at those I pass or ride the train with or work with or whatever who might need a boost (or a lightened load, in this case). Plus there are plenty of times when I could use some directed intention myself - a charged murmur. 

More to come (:

#murmur

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The Wild Unknown has such beautiful art mmm, one day 😌

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Witch blogs ✨

I’m getting behind on following people!! If you have a cool witch blog I’d love to see it!! Reblog and like and I’ll give it a look :) 🌸❄️🌕✨

[synchronizedmanifestation-blog]

Great info

THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. It may save a life, It may save your life.)

An Article from Neena Susan Thomas

“Through a rapist’s eyes. A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interview…ed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.

3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.

4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.

5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.

6] Number three is public restrooms.

7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.

POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:

1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.

2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh – HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.

5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.

6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.

2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .

b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.

If u have compassion reblog this post. ‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.

REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW AT LEAST PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHATS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD. So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.

THIS COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.”

[synchronizedmanifestation-blog]

Methods for Spells

TO BIND- wrap in black thread, drip wax over, or seal in a jar and hide it in the dark.

TO BANISH- burn an effect to ash and sweep off the back door step, cast it out a window, or bury in the ground and spit on it

TO ENCOURAGE-  plant it by the front door/steps, bury by a window, or place it on a windowsill

TO HIDE- place in a jar painted black, cover with cloth and bury, or wrap with a ribbon

TO CLEANSE- bury it in a bowl of  salt, burn herbs and pass through the smoke, or lay it in a moonwater bath

TO GLAMOUR- leave under the full moon, hold its reflection over a mirror with herbs, or 

TO WISH- place before a candle and blow it out, drown a coin in water, or let seeds blow into the wind

TO COMMUNICATE- (with a spirit or deity) - anoint a candle, leave out offerings, or open the front doors and windows

TO WARD- leave part of the spell in four corners, draw lines around the protected area, or plant an object of projection in the north, east, south, and west edges

TO CURSE- spit on it, drag your nails down it, or stick sharp things in it

TO DISCOURAGE - plant or bury by the back door, or burn to ash

TO JINX- say it three times out loud, or say a word the same time as someone else

TO MANIPULATE - use wax, use poppets, or tie several strings to pieces of an effect

TO BENEFIT - light a candle, charge a crystal, or create a talisman

[synchronizedmanifestation-blog]

> I forgot to mention that my paycheck arrived with the next mail delivery! (: 

My paycheck still hasn’t arrived, so: sigil for <quick, safe delivery> for the mail slot downstairs

[synchronizedmanifestation-blog]

Things I've learned

Easy Kitchen remedies:

Eat fresh ginger if you’ve got an upset stomach

Drink peppermint tea or chew on peppermint leaves when you have a stomach ache

Hold cloves against your gums to numb a tooth ache

Boil parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme and drink them to reduce fever

After cleaning a wound, apply honey to help it heal and keep it from getting infected

Drink catnip and lemon balm tea to calm down after a stressful day

Take 5 grams a night of powdered valerian root to help you sleep and combat depression

Eat garlic to promote digestive health and prevent diarrhea

Dealing with Spirits:

Always leave an offering to house spirits and garden spirits

Only hang bells where you don’t want spirits entering (though there are a few do actually like bells, but they’ve been nothing but positive in my experience)

Clean from the east side of the house, westward

If a fairy ring grows in your garden, wait for the mushrooms to start dying before you pull them out

If you “lost” an heirloom, check your jewelry box, curio cabinet, or the favorite spot your deceased relative liked to keep said object, even if you don’t put it there ever. It may not really be lost.

Always answer the door on Halloween, but don’t let anyone in. (this goes for creepy people too, not just spirits)

Your pet is not crazy. When s/he flips out, reassure them, and be aware that you may not be able to see what they can.

Believe in your own Abilities:

Don’t buy in to the power of persuasion. You may not notice anything supernatural, because there may not be anything supernatural going on.

If you think something happened because you cast a spell, even if you can’t “prove” it, then it happened *at least in part* because you cast a spell. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Sometimes, the only effect a spell has, is to give us enough confidence to deal with whatever it is we were asking for help with. That’s a success in my book, and it should be in yours too.

If you’ve got a bad feeling about something, then don’t do it.