thegallicwitch

[thegallicwitch]

5 Native Desert Plants & Their Witchcraft Correspondences 🌵🌸

• Chuparosa (Justicia californica)

- Native to Arizona but found in Southern California, New Mexico, and northern areas of Mexico.

- Flowers & petals are edible raw or cooked, dried or fresh.

- Similar to hibiscus, makes wonderful summer teas.

- Hummingbirds adore the flowers and the nectar is chewable like a gum.

- Great in tinctures, scrubs, and teas.

Correspondence: Air, Beauty, Love, Positive Energy, New Beginnings, Boosting Self Esteem, Romance, Sexual Energy.

• Brittle Bush (Encelia farinosa) 

-Native to Arizona but found in New Mexico, Southern Califonia, Texas, and parts of Mexico.

- Not to be confused with the desert wildflower, desert marigolds, which unlike the brittle bush, does not have a orange button center and is poisonous to some herd animals like sheep.

- Stems, flowers, and leaves are edible. Dried, fresh, cooked, raw.

- The dried flowers make a soothing tea for stomach pains.

- Dried brittle bush leaves can also be brewed to make a medicinal tea. It’s great for mouth sores or those tight chest coughs. It taste slightly bitter and has a numbing effect.

- Local folklore says the leaf tea is great for arthritis flare-ups in the cold months.

- Don’t drink this tea before bed though as it can have caffeine-like effect in some people.

- Flower resins and nectar from this plant are chewable and chewed by locals like a candy or gum.

- Great in tinctures, decoctions, infusions, salves, scrubs, masks, and teas.

Correspondences: Earth, Sun, Healing, Cleansing, Banishes away sickness, Good Luck, and Protection, Friendship, Empathy.

• Desert Lavender a.k.a. Bee Sage (Hyptis emoryi)

- Native to Arizona but found in Southern Califonia, New Mexico, and Mexico.

- This is the supernatural plant, the bee’s knee here. Native American tribes like Akimel O’Odham, who’s beautiful people made what is now called Phoenix, AZ their home, saw this as a pure and holy plant that cleanse all evils away from the one’s spirit.

- Everything on this plant is useable. Leaves, flowers, stems, branches, roots. Can be dried, brewed, cooked, or eaten raw.

-Great in tinctures, decoctions, infusions, salves, scrubs, masks, and teas.

-In some Native Amercan practises it’s used to make smudge wands, but to those who are not native and wish to use it they may dry and use a smoke cleansing ritual instead.

- Traditionally used by Native Americans to cleanse the body of diseases and stop internal bleeding or heavy menstruation.

Correspondences: Spirits, Earth, Purity, Cleansing, Healing, Protection, Banishing, Warding, Psychic energies & abilities.

• Ephedra a.k.a. Mormon Tea Plant (Ephedra fasciculata) 

- Found growing wild or in landscaping areas in Arizona, Califonia, New Mexico, some areas of Texas, and northern Mexico.

- Historically used as an alternative to coffee

- The plant’s twigs are edible when brewed into a tea, tasty and mildly stimulating.

- Contains small amounts of ephedrine so great for hay fever, hacking coughs, or as a sinus decongestant.

- Like local honey, drinking teas with this plant is said to help aid allergy sufferers in the springtime blooms.

- Great in tinctures and teas.

Correspondences: Air, Earth, Healing, Protection, Cleansing, Positive Energy, Energy Boosting, Purity, Friendship, Happiness, Alertness, Focusing (Studying).

• Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans)

- Found often in landscaping because of it’s hardiness to the arid climates, can be seen wild though in Arizona, New Mexico, Southern Califonia, and Southern Texas.

- The leaves, flowers, and twigs can be brewed into powerful teas aiding digestion and gastrointestinal issues

- great for hangovers (drink a small cup of tea in the morning, trust me.)

- Contain anti-viral properties so it’s super awesome to combat sickness.

- Great in tinctures, decoctions, and teas.

Correspondences: Earth, Resilience, Strength, Healing, Banishment, Cleansing, Cursing, Retaliation, Dominance.

*note that this is all based on my own craft and years of herbal experience

[thegallicwitch]

I posted a new video, where I show a bunch of herbal remedies and herbalism 101 tips & tricks. Wanna see me make violet syrup and way too many things with dandelion?

[thegallicwitch]

Originally posted by @the-aila-test​ (here), edited to add descriptions of each website and update the links. 

Native-owned businesses to buy from. Taken from the North American Indian Association of Detroit.

For text searching, some of the major categories used are: Food, beverages, clothing, accessories, jewellery, home goods, hygiene, beauty, books, sporting goods — but there are also many items that didn’t fit neatly into those categories, so try ctrl+F / cmd+F for whatever product you have in mind! 

https://www.sweetgrasstradingco.com - Food, beverages (coffee & tea), skincare and grooming, beauty products from a wide variety of different Native-owned brands. The closest thing to a one-stop shop you will get. 

https://nativeharvest.com - Food (maple syrup, jellies, coffee, cereal, soups), jewellery, books and stationery.

https://byellowtail.com - Clothing (stylish af hoodies, swimsuits, cardigans and jackets, tops, scarves, dresses), jewellery, candles, beauty and hygiene (soap, lotions, lip balms) from a variety of Native designers.

https://trickstercompany.com - Clothing (tees, sweatshirts, crop tops, leggings, dresses), accessories (sunglasses, keychains, zipper pulls, headbands, beanies, ties, umbrellas, tote bags, pins), paper goods (stationery, books, prints, stickers, home goods and decor, sporting goods (basketballs, longboards)

https://www.salishstyle.com - Clothing (tees, hoodies), accessories (beanies, some really cool backpacks), stickers, pins, blankets, thermoses

https://hutxh.com - Clothing (tops), accessories (necklaces, hats, bags)

https://furandhide.com - VERY COOL leather and fur products! Drums, flutes, bells, rattles, shells. Also a selection of skulls, bones, claws, teeth, quills, feathers, and obsidian items. 

Continued below the break.

Keep reading

[thegallicwitch]

In this video, I share a simple but essential recipe: how to make a Calendula Balm (or healing salve, however you want to call it).

Calendula is the medicinal plant, not only one of the most useful plant you can possibly find, but also relatively easy to make into usable medecine.

Watch as I share this recipe for a plant I’ve used all my life, that I was taught how to use by my community of healers. If you end up making the salve, let me know and share some pictures with me!

[thegallicwitch]

Advice for the Beginner: Don’t get it until you need it

I heartily advise against buying, making, or procuring anything that you don’t have an actual need for. This includes magical tools, herbs, crystals, and to a lesser extent, books. If you can’t see yourself making use of whatever it is within the next three months, it’s not time for you to have it yet. It’ll save you on both money and storage space to wait. 

Some exceptions to this are things that are location based (if you don’t get to the beach that often, picking up seashells, sand, or other ocean-related items makes perfect sense (but also don’t take these things if there’s local laws or taboos against it)) or urgings from spirit/deities/ancestors/etc. If you won’t be back to a particular place for a while, or if you have a gut feeling that says you absolutely need that item, get the thing. (But also know the difference between urging from spirit/deities/ancestors/etc. and your own personal urges) 

By-products of other things you buy, such as jars that held sauce, jam, or other food stuffs, totally don’t count, but make sure you’re being mindful of the space you have, and if it’s the tenth empty jar you’ve washed out this month, but you haven’t used any of them, maybe recycle it instead. 

Ultimately, do what makes sense to you, but if you can’t actually see yourself using it, maybe reconsider getting it.  

[thegallicwitch]

SASS WITCH CON

August 13-15, 2021 - A virtual event

SASS Witch Con aims to bring together a community of Secular, Atheist/Agnostic, Skeptical, and Science (SASS) witches to meet, commune, work together, network, share and learn from each other in a virtual symposium. This is a safer space where we respect magic and science equally, acknowledging that sometimes there is genuine beauty in the mysterious.

This space welcomes, respects, and seeks to empower those who, like witches, are on the fringe and do not have mainstream support including but not limited to ethnic and religious minorities, LGBTQ+, sex workers, those with disabilities, those formerly incarcerated, those struggling with home/food/work insecurity.

Finally and importantly this space is to enjoy each others’ company, engage in riotous fun and laughter with kindness, curiosity, and SASSy creativity!

Please spread the word! Follow us on instagram, facebook, and our website. Save the dates: August 13-15, 2021 and stay tune for ticket information!

[thegallicwitch]

☾ Rose Salt ☽

One of my personal favorite things to make, Rose Salt has a variety of uses. Whether you use it as a scrub in the shower to cleanse yourself and your energies, as a relaxing soak in a warm bath to relax in, or sprinkle it in doorways and on windowsills as a form of protection, it’s multipurpose and very easy to make! What You’ll Need: - Dried Roses - Salt - A Vessel With a Lid to Keep It In - A Mortar & Pestle Optional: - Rose Essential Oil Steps:

Take the petals and buds of your Roses, save the stems and thorns for other spells, and grind them finely with your Mortar & Pestle.

Add Salt.

Mix both well until they are combined well.

Add the mixture into the vessel you chose.

Add the essential oil, seal the vessel, and gently shake to combine everything together more easily.

One of the many properties of Roses is Protection as is with Salt so combining the two gives you a simple, fragrant protective material to keep around your home.

[thegallicwitch]

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 ™

——

Help Support a Native artist?

Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/jnwampler

Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/khanji

[thegallicwitch]

I'm on patreon! please check it out and consider supporting indigenous korean folk tradition!

[thegallicwitch]

Glamour Chants/Spells

Here are a few very simple glamour chants I use personally from my own routine.

Beauty of  A Rose:

Boil water and pour it into a bowl or cup where rose petals rest at the bottom, both dried and fresh work just fine. Breath in the steam of the brew and chant, looking into a mirror (the bigger the better):

“To be more lovely like a rose, absorb the knowledge from those who know, that beauty is not just skin deep, but from these petals beauty shall seep.”

A Mirror Chant:

“Mirror mirror on the wall, I wish not be the fairest of all, But I wish for all to see, the beauty deep inside of me. Let it rise, let it glow, let me see it, let it show.”

This one is good to do when doing your hair or make up. I personally chant it 3-5 times. Once done, I kiss or blow a kiss to the mirror (especially best to blow a kiss if you are wearing lipstick) to thank it for its aid as well as to reflect positivity and love back at me.

Shower Beauty Chant:

While in the shower I do this little chant, especially when washing my hair.

“Let beauty rain, Let beauty fall, Let beauty ring, Let it show to all.”

[thegallicwitch]

The “Worst” Tarot Cards Give the Best Advice

Many find it confusing when a difficult card falls in the advice position. Death is not asking you to die. But the Five of Cups wishes you would cry.

Death

Purge your soul of what no longer serves you. It will only be more painful if you wait for life to force you.

Three of Swords

Acknowledge your pain. The wound will fester if you keep denying its presence. Healing begins only with acceptance.

The Devil

Dive into it with all your might. Do not go gentle into that good night. It will all be worth the fall.

Five of Cups

Cry till the tears run dry. Till the darkness has gone, leaving only the light. Then turn around for a wondrous sight.

Two of Swords

You will never be completely certain. No one is in life. All you can do is follow your heart. It will lead you to what is right.

Five of Wands

There is a time for peace. But it is not today. You have to fight for your beliefs. Let nothing stand in your way.

Seven of Swords

Leave your morals at the door. This is no place for principles. What matters is survival. Time to think like a criminal.

Ten of Wands

You are walking through fire, and the pain is unbearable. But give it one more minute. The hurt will all be worth it.

Eight of Swords

You look at yourself and see a prisoner. And yet the ropes are loose and the lock is open. Stop acting the victim.

Five of Swords

So you lost. Cry for a while. Then dry your eyes and try again tomorrow. No need to drown in sorrow.

Nine of Swords

Turn your fear into fuel. Do not sit there waiting for destruction. Fight with all your might to escape annihilation.

Five of Pentacles

If you bother to look up, you will notice a shelter. Enough with the self-pity. Time to outsmart the weather.

Nine of Wands

As things stand, it is not safe for you to love. This is not the time to fall. Protect your heart, and build a wall.

Ten of Swords

Some pains demand to be felt. So feel them. Give them their deserved recognition. Then banish them to oblivion.

The Tower

Let it end. Watch calmly as it comes crashing down. You have to eradicate the old before you can build a new town.

[thegallicwitch]

Hex Positive Radio: Music To Witch By

To all my readers and listeners who have asked me for witchy music recommendations - I've made a Spotify playlist just for you!

Hex Positive Radio: Music To Witch By is a curated list of some of my favorite songs for ritual accompaniment, spellcasting, witchy ambience, or singing along. It's a wild, untamed mix of actual pagan music, mood-setting instrumentals, and popular tunes with that witchy feel. Best enjoyed on shuffle while tending your window garden, stirring the latest batch of mystery brew, or muttering ominously over your cauldron.

Don't forget to catch new episodes of Hex Positive on the first of every month on your favorite podcatcher or the Nerd and Tie Podcast Network!

[thegallicwitch]

Polytheist, pagan and witchy asks

1. How long have you been worshiping? 2. Do you have a deity that is particularly close to you? 3. Whats your favorite tale about your Gods? 4. Do you keep an altar? 5. Do you consider yourself an Oracle? 6. What brought you to your current path? 7. Do you believe in past lives? 8. Do you think plants, animals or stones have spirits? 9. What do you think your afterlife will look like? 10.Who’s your favorite divine power couple? 11. Do you listen to devotional music? 12. What are your views on virginity? Is it worth anything spiritually? 13. What deity do you turn to most in times of trouble? 14. What are your views on dreams? Have they anything to do with divinity or the future? 15. Do you prefer to party and celebrate or quietly observe holidays? 16. Which deity do you find has the biggest sense of humor? 17. What made you choose your religion over any others? 18. Do you have any food or drink that is spiritually important? 19. Do you have any numbers that are spiritually important? 20. Do you believe in fairies, nymphs or nature spirits?

[thegallicwitch]

The Wellness Wheel Tarot Spread

**Based on a concept discussed in one of my counseling courses, where each slice of the wheel represents a section of your life and how well you feel like you’re doing in that area**

The idea behind this spread is to pull one card for each area of wellness to give you an idea of how you can improve that area of wellness. Under each section of wellness I’ve included just a few topics that might relate to that section. You can ask about a specific topic or just the overall area of wellness for each card.

1. Spiritual Wellness

-Connection to nature

-Belief in the divine

-Connection to a community

-Sense of self or sense of purpose

-Meaning in life

2. Financial Wellness

-Abundance and income

-Stability

-Paid vs. Unpaid work

-Productivity and work ethic

3. Physical Wellness

-Sleep

-Diet and exercise

-Medical appointments

-Medication/ vitamins

4. Emotional Wellness

-Awareness and acceptance of emotions

-Mindfulness

-Ability to Identify and express emotions

-Emotional stability/ regulation

-Use of positive coping strategies

5. Social Wellness

-Healthy and positive interactions

-Communication

-Sense of community

-Hobbies

-Social connections to family, friends, pets etc.

6. Intellectual Wellness

-Stimulating activities

-Challenges and engagement

-Productivity

-Continued learning

7. Environmental Wellness and Safety

-Do you feel safe in your immediate environment?

8. Overall Wellness

-What do you need to know to raise your wellness overall?

[thegallicwitch]

I'm pleased that they ask about religion and that secular witch is an option. I am sad that our tumblr corner of misfit witches was not an option for social media.

Go fill this out!

[thegallicwitch]

🌿Migraine Magick 🌿

Migraine is a type of headache but is so much more then “just a headache”. It is a throbbing pain felt on one side of the head. It will often occur paired with other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sounds. A migraine attack can be triggered by a lot of things ranging from loud noises or bright lights to simply drinking alcohol. Even certain foods can trigger a migraine attack. (Chocolate, onions, dairy, MSG, …) Also mentioned will be price point and relief of symptoms that worsen migraines such as muscle cramps, menstrual cramps, etc.

🔮 Crystals for Migraine 🔮 🔮Bixbyite: Relieves headaches and migraines, also helps against mild pain in general. Not to be confused with Bixbite (red Beryl). $ 🔮Chrysocolla: Controls head aches and head complaints, relieves migraines, reduces muscle spasms. $ 🔮Cordierite: Controls fluctuating body temperatures, relieves headaches and migraines, purifies toxins. $ 🔮Lolite: Purifies toxins, controls fluctuating body temperatures, relieves migraines.Often used as cheaper alternative to Sapphire due to similar appearance $ 🔮Magnesite: Helps to calm down and ease stress, loosen tension is muscles, alleviates menstrual pain, controls headaches and migraines. $ 🔮Rhodochrosite: Improves blood circulation, controls headachesm head complaints and migraines. $ 🔮Sodalite: Purifies blood, calsm and controls nerves, controls head aches and migraines, controls nausea. $ 🔮Turquoise: Alleviates menstrual pain, relieves headaches and migraines. $

🌿Herbs For Migraines🌿 🌿Butterbur: Used to treat headaches, fever, general pain and asthma. 🌿Coriander Seeds: Used to relieve sinus pressure and headaches. Hot water is poured over the seeds in order to inhale the steam. 🌿Dong Quai: Used in the form of a spice, tonic or medicinal cream to treat headache, fatigue and nerve pain. 🌿Feverfew: Traditionally used to treat headaches and insect bites. Modern application includes treatment of migraines, dizziness and inflamation. (might cause nausea!) 🌿Ginger: Traditional remedy for migraines, nausea, stomach pain and cold/flu symptoms. 🌿Honeysuckle: Used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat fever, inflamation,infecrions, sores,… It has been found to also treat migraine pain. 🌿Peppermint: Often used as a liquid capsule or topical solution. Treats spasms, nausea and tooth ache. Menthol is an active ingredient of peppermint and stops migraine when applied to temples and forehead. 🌿Valerian: Used for centuries to treat a number of ailments including insomnia, headaches and anxiety. ✨Migraine Care Tips ✨ ✨Keep your hands, feet and head warm. ✨A small amount of caffeine can help relieve pain. ✨Apply a hot compress to neck or head. ✨Lie down is a darkenned room. ✨Avoid loud noises, personally when i am lying in a dark room i put on some very soft white noise such as rainymood. ✨Do not skip meals! ✨Make sure to eat something when taking your migraine medication or the nausea will get worse. * Magick should never recplace your medication and/or doctor’s instructions and advice *

[thegallicwitch]

Infused Water Magic

perhaps it’s a bit too warm for coffee potions, or hot chocolate magic, or even tea spells, but you still want to work a little magic into your day. infused waters! here’s just a couple of suggestions with fruit and even herbs, and their correspondences.

for all recipes, chop, cube, or slice all fresh ingredients. let them sit in a bottle of cool water for a few hours. the longer it waits, the more flavor infuses. afterwards, you can eat the fruit or infuse it again!

Honeydew Melon and Raspberry   🍈 🍇

for fertility, love, beauty, protection, abundance, and lunar magic

Strawberry, Lime, and Cucumber  🍓 🍊  🍠

for love, chastity, fertility, healing, fortune, peace and protection.

Raspberry, Rose Petal, and Vanilla  🍇  🌹  🍃

for love, protection, divination, healing, psychic abilities. happiness, and lust.

Citrus and Cucumber 🍊  🍠

for purification, protection, beauty, divination, purification, and wealth.

Rosemary and Grapefruit 🍃 🍈

for exorcism, healing, love, lust, protection, purification, spirituality and energy

Watermelon and Mint  🍉  🍃

for purification, new beginnings, exorcism, healing, protection, and wealth.

Strawberry, Lemon, and Basil  🍓 🍊  🍃

for courage, exorcism, protection, friendship, purification and love.

Orange and Blueberry  🍊  🍇

for protection, beauty, divination, fortune, love, purification, and wealth