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the urge i feel to be a librarian at a gothic style academic library walking around the creaky wood floors and climbing ladders to put away books

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Photo found on mountainxpedition

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untitled by parachutgirl on Flickr.

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eastern redbud 

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Apollo as the herdsman of Admetus

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Fog in Witchcraft

Fog is often a forgotten aspect of weather that seems to get passed over when it comes to witchcraft despite it having some powerful and noble uses as well as a history in the craft. Though not all areas get fog commonly, many do, almost every morning depending on the time of year. Allow this small post to perhaps be some help to those who have interest in harnessing fog into their craft.

History and Fiction

As stated above, in many literary sources witches of both historical senses and fiction harness fog as a powerful towel. In popular lore, witches were said to summon fogs to roll across the lands to protect fleeing mothers and children during wars to hide from invading soldiers, though this lore is hard to pin point down, it is often said to come from Celtic and Gaelic origins.

In other tales witches would summon fog to protect traveling royalty or heroes who are on a quest to reach lands that may be unfriendly to their arrival. At some other times fog was related to almost like the “witching hour” it meant it was a time that the supernatural were out and witches were casting their spells.

Fog as a Liminal Space

What is a liminal space? To put it simply it means a “transforming space” or a place that the Veil or energies are thinner and overcross one another. Often they are associated with spirit work, energy work, astral work and over all witchcraft. Some call these places or areas “places where one area and time stop and another begins”.

In many cases, places that are covered by fog often are said to be liminal spaces during this time, due to the surrealism and energy fog brings with it. It turns something mundane looking to mysterious, confusing and even to some creepy. Its concealing nature brings the feeling of the unknown and the unseen.

Traditionally and theatrically fog is often used to represent the Veil between worlds and afterlife, often used in settings of literature and movies by covering graveyards before something supernatural happens or by filling the streets at night when magick is about to begin. Often when many people who don’t practice the craft think of supernatural energies and the Veil they imagine a foggy night or a wall of fog, this imagery is for a reason.

Often, fog is seen as an important tool for spirit work both fictionally and modernly due to its relations of being a liminal space and therefore seen as easier to contact spirits with the barriers weaker when it arrives.

Correpsondences and Uses of Fog

Generally Fog Corresponds with - The Veil, Spirits/Spirit Work, The Hidden, The Unseen, Invisibility, Protection, Obstruction, Curses/Hexes, Warding, Meditation, Astral Work, Fear, Patience, Calmness, Serenity, Peace and Travel

Often times, fog is useful to one when they wish to cast or enchant items for invisibility and protection during travel, often necklaces or items enchanted while out in the fog. Others will take the opportunity of using fog for spiritual communication, past life work and astral projection, taking advantage of the weakened barriers and Veil for these purposes.

Associations

Crystals - Clear Quartz, Smokey Quartz, Thunder Egg

Herbs/Plants - Cotton, Broom, Saffron, Thistle/Thicket, Wheat, Pansy

Colors - Gray, Silver, Black, Blue

Other Tools - Steam, Incense/Smoke, Wands, Besoms, Branches, Storm Water/Rain Water, Ash, Dust, Mirrors and Gray Candles

Fog Summoning

There are many ways said to summon fog. A few of those ways will be listed below

Method 1: Using storm water boiling it until it has thick amounts of steam rising from it, carefully move it outside or to a window (if one is not already outside) and offer it to the sky. Many will chant or call to the weather or winds to bring them fog much like the steam of the pot.

Method 2: In water on a burner add storm or sea salt and a sigil on paper for fog. Close the lid to it and wait until it is boiling. Remove the lid and allow the steam to rise. Here chant if desired for fog or let the water boil until it is nearly gone.

Method 3: With a besom go outside if it is a private space and much like wind summoning call to the fog to come to you, using your tool as an extension of yourself and your energy. Remember to ask it to come rather than demand for it.

Method 4: Using storm water or rain water, ash and a jar fill it with these ingredients and shake it thoroughly to summon fog. Be sure to center yourself and focus on your energy to put into this fog summoning jar. Leave it outside or in a window afterwards for further effects.

Fog Water

Fog water is a tool that can be used for witchcraft when fog is not rightfully available or in place of rain water/storm water in fog summoning. To capture fog water is pretty easy though you must be able to accept small amounts.

First you will need either very fine fabric or mesh or screen similar to what can be found in windows or for fishing nets. Tight it taunt onto something to hold it up like rods or sticks. Make sure it is held up at least a couple feet above the ground and somewhere the fog will roll through it. Base it off of how high the fog in your area tends to be, if you have low rolling fogs it may work better lower to the ground. After or during a time of fog you should be able to see droplets of water forming on it, you may use a jar tied below a corner of it to capture these drops or you can collect it yourself during/after they have formed. You can build much larger versions of this for potable water gathering and tutorials on this can be found easily online if that may interest you.

Store your fog water in glass containers and in the fridge, be sure to date and label to ensure you are using fresh water. Do not drink this water unless you set up the proper potable filtration systems.

Diffusing Fog

Often witches will find themselves tasked with fog being a hindrance rather than helpful. Its a dangerous weather condition especially for those on the road or at sea. 

Historically, sea witches would be asked to disperse fog for the safe return and port of sea vessels and the men upon them. Though it is difficult to find exact spells from these times, often broom or heather is used by facing the sea with it in hand and waving at the fog, putting energy into it and telling the fog to disperse. Other times it is said using a broom/besom to summon winds to remove the fog was a preferred way.

Other options for witches is to sing a fog removal song and often dance accompanied with it and with either a besom or wand in hand, direct the fog to travel away from you and somewhere else. Other witches have found success in praying and working with weather deities to move the fog back to the sky or to lead it away.

Omens, Superstitions and Dreams

In omens it is said fog represents blindness. It blocks our ability to see clearly and makes normal directions seem impossible to follow. It can go hand in hand with confusion and the feelings of anxiety. When fog appears in visions it is to be seen often as a warning that things are about to get just that - foggy.

Though it is also related to shrouding oneself, it may be a sign that it is time for you to create a fog about yourself and to build up those wards.

Superstition wise it was believed fog would steal people, often due to people getting lost in it and vanishing, because of this fog is seen as a warning of loss to come. Some cultures even associate it directly with death.

In dreams fog holds many meanings. If the fog is throughout the whole dream then it is a warning of deception. Someone is deceiving you and deep down you know it to be true. If you dream of being wrapped in fog and it is too thick to see through or escape it is often related to feeling that someone has stolen something from you. Dreaming of wandering in a foggy environment is a warning of dangers to come, keep on your toes. If you escape fog it means you are avoiding danger or theft.

If one dreams of fog just being around their head, eyes or following above them like a halo/hat, then it is an indication that you are lying to yourself. You are refusing to let yourself see the truth. It can also be a play of the saying “its all in your head” meaning you are overthinking a problem.

If you dream of fog and snow together, it is often said to be a dream related to sickness soon to come. Others say its a sign that illness of the mind and emotions is going to creep its way in.

If one dreams of their home, bedroom or apartment being filled with fog it is often taken as a bad omen and sign that a large family drama is soon to come.

Seeing a figure in fog in dreams can have different meanings. If it is someone that you know it means they may be hiding things from you or that you are going to have a fight with them in the near future. It can also indicate if you are in the fog and you see them outside of the fog, that you are guilty about something you did to them. Seeing a stranger in the fog or a shadow you do not recognize is often due to anxiety or fear in one’s waking life. They represent the unknown and the future to come, which you are currently stressed over. Animals in the fog can represent both anxieties and fears looming about you but also can represent that you a repressing your own desires and natural wants.

If you see fog rolling in from the distance of a dream it means something is looming in your waking life. If fog starts descending down on you in a dream from the sky to the ground, many take this as a bad omen for travel especially by air or sea. Historically it is said a foggy sea in your dreams means a shipwreck in your future. Though fog over a lake or river means dream-like wonder and is said that young women who dream of this can expect a mysterious stranger in their future.

Fog and Different Types of Witchcraft

Sea Witchcraft - Fog is often seen as more of a hindrance in ocean magick, especially historically when fog at sea or port could be rather hazardous and bring tragedy to many. Due to this, fog in sea magick is often used for more negative tasks like cursing.

Storm Magick - Fog is often seen more in the light of a less harsh type of weather compared to storms or rain but still one that can be used to harness energy. The energy of foggy weather is much more mysterious, calm and hazy than that of storm or wind. It can be used for such purposes.

Death Magick - Fog is often related to the barriers of the other-side as some may say, so many death witches will take advantage of fog to use it to communicate and commune with the dead. Many report that it can make using tools of communication like Ouija boards and pendulums easier.

Divination - Often fog can be seen as a hindrance for divination though it is often deeply routed with self discovery and past life work. Many will take the opportunity of foggy weather to explore their past lives and the history of themselves and others. 

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Death

The Nine of Cups

Justice

The Nine of Swords

The King of Swords

The Hanged Man

The Hermit

The Six of Swords

The Eight of Cups

The Five of Cups

The Sun

The Three of Swords

‘The Ghetto Tarot’: Haitian artists transform classic tarot deck into stunning real life scenes:

Welcome to the Ghetto Tarot, a project from award-winning documentary photographer Alice Smeets and a group of Haitian artists known as Atis Rezistans. The idea was to take the classic Rider-Waite tarot deck of 78 cards and create a photographic version of each card using settings and objects in the vibrant ghetto of Haiti.

As Smeets says, “The spirit of the Ghetto Tarot project is the inspiration to turn negative into positive while playing. The group of artists ‘Atiz Rezistans’ use trash to create art with their own visions that are a reflection of the beauty they see hidden within the waste. They are claiming the word ‘Ghetto,’ thus freeing themselves of its depreciating undertone and turning it into something beautiful.”

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"...plants that reach for the sun have a strong solar quality, which lends itself to workings of healing, happiness, and joy.

Plants that are poisonous or develop strong root systems and return year after year have a saturnine quality, lending themselves to necromancy, cursing, and dark spirit work.

Plants with barbs, thorns, or irritants are martial in nature and are useful for defense and success in competitive areas.

If a plant has large, fragrant blossoms, it can be said to possess a venereal nature, potent in love, friendship, and beauty.

Plants that hold watery or milky substances or enjoy the shade have a lunar quality, useful in divination and foresight.

Plants with complex, small leaves or petals that flutter in the wind often have a mercurial nature, useful for learning, communication, and trade.

Plants that produce prolific nuts or seeds are connected to the planetary force of Jupiter, useful for success, wealth, and influence."

- Folk Witchcraft: A Guide to Lore, Land, and the Familiar Spirit for the Solitary Practitioner by Roger J. Horne

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Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979) 

Dir. Werner Herzog

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And so it begins… in the absence of humanity; a gang of mountain goats is now running the town of Llandudno.

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From my visit at the woodland cabin last week ♥

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Toby & Matteo spent a year building their Chalk Road cabin by the Little Ouse River in Suffolk, England. They had the best time working outside, getting to know the local owls, hares and deer, and watching the seasons change. They made the hut using Douglas Fir cladding and floorboards and finished it inside in clay plaster.

From Toby & Matteo:

Douglas fir has an understated beauty and inherent function. For our exterior cladding, it’s extreme durability against weather is matched aesthetically by the cloud-like patterns that appear when it is treated. On our decorative interior trims and sills, it’s rich peach and pink tones and tight end grain sit alongside warm clay plaster to create a palette of calming colors. On our floor, its toughness is vital in order to last a lifetime of heavy foot traffic - it also feels incredible to walk on. Our floorboards are 4cm thick and extra smooth. Naturally sound dampening, they replicate the feeling of walking on the wooden temple floors of Japan.

Our walls are insulated with British sheep’s wool and finished with natural clay plaster. Sheep’s wool is renewable, sustainable, breathable and naturally fire retardant. It also purifies the air by absorbing and neutralizing nitrogen and super dioxides.

After insulating we finish our walls with non-pigmented clay plaster. This creates a surface that is naturally beautiful, breathable and functional. Clay helps to moderate humidity, staying cool in the summer and holding in warmth during the winter.

 All photos courtesy of @chalk_road.

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Free books on Magick (PDF’S)

A few people have messaged me asking for my master list of working pdfs. This is what I have and its not super organized but it is in alphabetic order for what its worth. Anyways, they’re all free so please please please save them, download them, print them and most importantly READ THEM if you come across any that strike your fancy. Also, I’m not saying that every single one of these books are completely amazing, but either way, they’re here for you to make your own value judgements on.

A Modern Goetic Grimoire by Rufus Opus  Afro-Caribbean Religions by Nathaniel Samuel Murrell  Astral Doorways by J.H Brennan  Azoetia by Andrew Chumbley  Blood Sorcery Bible Volume 1 by Sorceress Cagliastro  Call of the Horned Piper by Nigel Aldcroft Jackson Children of Cain by Michael Howard Condensed Chaos by Phil Hine Conjure Codex  Creating Magickal Entities by David Cunningham Cunningfolk and Familiar Spirits by Emma Wilby  Curses, Hexing, and Crossing by S. Connolly  Devoted to Death by R. Andrew Chesnut Diabolical published by Scarlett Imprint  Goetic Spellwork by S. Aldarnay  Liber Null & Psychonaut by Peter J Carroll  Lords of the Left Hand Path by Stephen E. Flowers  Mardukite Magick by M. Cecchetelli Mastering Witchcraft by Paul Huson Necronomicon  Obeah by Nicholas de Matos Frisvold Obeah: WItchcraft in the West Indies by Hesketh J. Bell The Candle and the Crossroads by Orion Foxwood The Grimoire of the Golden Toad by Andrew Chumbley The Language of Birds by Dale Pendell The Red King by Mark Alan Smith The Scorpion God by Mark Alan Smith The Visions of Isobel Gowdie by Emma Wilby The Voudon Gnostic Workbook by M. Bertiuax   Pacts with the Devil by S. Jason Black & Christopher S. Hyatt Psalter of Cain  Qabala, Qilpth, and Goetic Magic by Thomas Karlson  Queen of Hell by Mark Alan Smith Runecaster’s Handbook by Edred Thorsson Runelore by Edred Thorsson Saint Cyprian: Saint of Necromancers by Conjureman Ali