wanderingwitchramblings

[wanderingwitchramblings]

I think I may never be sad ever again. There is a statue entitled "Farewell to Orpheus" on my college campus. It's been there since 1968, created by a Prof. Frederic Littman that use to work at the university. It sits in the middle of a fountain, and the fountain is often full of litter. I have taken it upon myself to clean the litter out when I see it (the skimmers only come by once a week at max). But because of my style of dress, this means that bystanders see a twenty-something on their hands and knees at the edge of the fountain, sleeves rolled up, trying not to splash dirty water on their slacks while their briefcase and suit coat sit nearby. This is fine, usually. But today was Saturday Market, which means the twenty or so people in the area suddenly became hundreds. So, obviously, somebody stopped to ask what I was doing. "This," I gestured at the statue, "is Eurydice. She was the wife of Orpheus, the greatest storyteller in Greece. And this litter is disrespectful." Then, on a whim, I squinted up at them. "Do you know the story of Orpheus and Eurydice?" "No," they replied, shifting slightly to sit.

"Would you like to?"

"Sure!"

So I told them. I told them the story as I know it- and I've had a bit of practice. Orpheus, child of a wishing star, favorite of the messenger god, who had a hard-working, wonderful wife, Eurydice; his harp that could lull beasts to passivity, coax song from nymphs, and move mountains before him; and the men who, while he dreamed and composed, came to steal Eurydice away. I told of how she ran, and the water splashed up on my clothes. But I didn't care. I told of how the adder in the field bit her heel, and she died. I told of the Underworld- how Orpheus charmed the riverman, pacified Cerberus with a lullaby, and melted the hearts of the wise judges. I laughed as I remarked how lucky he was that it was winter- for Persephone was moved by his song where Hades was not. She convinced Hades to let Orpheus prove he was worthy of taking Eurydice. I tugged my coat back on, and said how Orpheus had to play and sing all the way out of the Underworld, without ever looking back to see if his beloved wife followed. And I told how, when he stopped for breath, he thought he heard her stumble and fall, and turned to help her up- but it was too late. I told the story four times after that, to four different groups, each larger than the last. And I must have cast a glance at the statue, something that said "I'm sorry, I miss you--" because when I finished my second to last retelling, a young boy piped up, perhaps seven or eight, and asked me a question that has made my day, and potentially my life: "Are you Orpheus?" I told the tale of the grieving bard so well, so convincingly, that in the eyes of a child I was telling not a story, but a memory. And while I laughed in the moment, with everyone else, I wept with gratitude and joy when I came home. This is more than I deserve, and I think I may never be sad again.

Here is the aforementioned statue, by the way.

[wanderingwitchramblings]

“I Observe Witchy Holidays. Observe them as they pass by me because I forgot. Again.”

— Stormwaterwitch (via stormwaterwitch)

[wanderingwitchramblings]

“I Observe Witchy Holidays. Observe them as they pass by me because I forgot. Again.”

— Stormwaterwitch (via stormwaterwitch)

[wanderingwitchramblings]

Paper Bead Magic

So a week or so ago I got the idea of making paper beads and hiding sigils inside them. I figured I could combine sigil and knot magic to accomplish various things.

Listen, I'm not a photographer, and I'm using a free phone that came with a prepaid plan, which really doesn't help.

It's easy enough to find tutorials online for paper beads, so I'm not going to make one, though I will put some tips I figured out under the cut at the end. I thought I'd mostly talk a bit about how you might use them.

This craft was largely inspired by the various uses of the many different types of prayer beads (I believe this is the umbrella term, but correct me if I'm wrong), but there are plenty of other things you could do with them.

Make them with sigils that correspond to your purpose and string them together with related knot spells, then:

hang the beads around your door(s), or wear them for protection

incorporate them into a pre-bed meditative ritual, then hang them over your bed before you go to sleep to help with lucid dreaming, remembering dreams, spirit communication, etc.

use them for trance work (repetition can be a great way to achieve a trance state)

make devotional jewelry for whatever deities you work with

use them like worry beads, for relaxation or to ease the urge to do addictive behaviors

Things I learned through trial and error:

To get nice round beads I found that I needed pretty thick paper (I ended up painting bristol board with watercolors and metallic paint)

If you do use something as thick as bristol board, you will end up with white edges showing (assuming the paper is white), so consider painting them if that bothers you

Tutorials I read suggested sealing them with mod podge or similar glue. I ended up using glazing medium for extra shine, and because I already had some

This took much, MUCH longer than estimated in the tutorials -- be patient!

[wanderingwitchramblings]

When you're considering working with spirits, I highly, highly discourage seeking out the most vivid, intense experiences you can. This is for ones' own mental safety.

Not mental safety as in "ooooh you're not powerful enough yet" or "oooh you're not going to like what you see," but "hey this could easily fuck up your grasp on reality in a way that's difficult to recover from."

Naturally everyone wants to see the "hard evidence" of spirits, catching them on photo, hearing voices, receiving visions, something reaching out and touching you, etc. Everyone wants to see inanimate objects move and other "impossible" acts. But if this is the baseline for how we define spirit behavior and only strive for more and more it's going to unravel us pretty quickly.

Historically speaking, most spirit work has nothing to do with this. It mostly involves either warding/scaring them away for safety or paying your respects to them in some fashion. You might talk to the latter and and ask for guidance or help, but nothing is expected to manifest right in front of you. If we only treat these Grand Experiences as the most valid, we're skipping over a lot more meaningful work.

More importantly though, nothing is above the laws of physics. Actively seeking to break the laws of physics (moving/levitating objects, shape-shifting, physically changing dimensions or having spirits visually/physically manifest) can shred your ability to process the material world around you. You can't always find qualified research to back up what you'd like to hear, but there will always be some speculative pseudoscience ready to "prove" it for you. You can ALWAYS rationalize how something "could" happen, which becomes how it DOES happen. Once you've mastered the art it can can validate every delusion, every paranoia, every hallucination, every self-doubt, every ludicrous idea, with nothing solid to grab onto.

Mastering those leaps of logic, it's no wonder folks have zero trouble believing the earth is flat, amethyst cures cancer, vaccines cause autism, the government is secretly controlled by alien lizard people, you get it.

Let yourself draw a line of what you DON'T believe in. It's healthy.

[wanderingwitchramblings]

Been tossing this idea around in my head but for spirit-working witches I lowkey think a good place to start is going around to make introductions to a variety of helpful spirits, either benevolent or neutral in moral dignity, who can be called on at any time.

Literally going around and meeting the archangels/monarchs/guardians/gatekeepers (etc/whatever) of the four elemental roads. Just shaking hands and saying hi. Asking for their support, patience, and grace in working with them and their domains.

Brief introduction to the structure you live in, or absent of that, the land you live on.

Choosing your top 5 personal favorite kitchen spices, one or two nice rocks, and the nearest convenient tree and just doing a series of private rituals to meet them one by one.

Because then by the time you want to get started with other stuff, like finding familiar spirits, learning new skills, or solving problems, you already have met several spirits who are likely to be easily invoked to stand by your side and offer protection, assistance, and guidance for the task at hand.

Just because you don't know any spirits on a friendship level doesn't mean you have to be alone. You can still have spirits standing with you to help and ensure things go well. You can lay a compass, call forth the elemental gods, and ask them to provide assistance for the duration of the ritual. You can ask them to send a teacher or a guide to you to help you with something important.

Etc.

[wanderingwitchramblings]

if the waning gibbous moon is a time of release and gratitude, does that mean i should have sex then?

[wanderingwitchramblings]

“I Observe Witchy Holidays. Observe them as they pass by me because I forgot. Again.”

— Stormwaterwitch (via stormwaterwitch)

[wanderingwitchramblings]

no not a witch/nuance/other. vote truly with your heart if you want to see results, even if you don't identify as a witch.

This is mostly for people who self-identify as witches, though. But live your best life regardless.

Rebagels appreciated

[wanderingwitchramblings]

All I do is block block block block block block

[wanderingwitchramblings]

Valentine’s Witchery

Witchy things for everyone on Valentine’s day, not just the hopeless romantics!

Correspondences:

Flowers: Roses, jasmine, lilacs, daisies, marigold, most flowers!

Spices and Herbs: Vanilla, lavender, chamomile, pepper, basil, cinnamon, bay leaves.

Crystals: Rose quartz, pearls, opal, citrine, jade, clear quartz. 

Incense: Amber, cherry, jasmine, rose, sandalwood, ylang-ylang.

Glamour:

Aphrodite glamour water

Siren’s lipstick spell

Eye catching glamour spell

Glamour solid perfume

“Life of the party” glamour charm

Attracting Romance Spells:

Simple love attraction spell

To attract a kind person for a relationship

Love spell for a third party

Love drawing bath soak

Romance Tarot Spreads:

Valentine tarot spread (3 card)

Love tarot spread (4 card)

What are the chances here? (6 card)

Anti-Romance Spells:

Ice queen breath spray 

To repel an unwanted lover

Love repression spell

Anti-lust spell

“Cover My Ass” Anti-Harassment Charm

F*ck off… “leave me alone vibe” glamour

For the Brokenhearted: 

Mend the heart spell

Spell for emotional healing and moving forward

Forgetting that ex spell

Simple spell to heal the heart

Selkie spell to ease heartbreak

Heal your heart potion

Self Love Spells:

A simple self love spell

Self love bath

Self love bath spell

Self Love Tarot Spreads:

Beautiful you tarot spread (3 card)

Love letters to myself (5 card)

Handle with care (5 card)

Self love spread for V day! (6 card)

These lovely posts:

Secular magic for Valentine’s Day

Bedridden witch: Love edition

List of love spells

List of magic for strengthening romantic bonds

List of heartbreak-related magic

Valentine’s day masterpost

Last updated February of 2025, please inform me of broken links via askbox!

[wanderingwitchramblings]

so you think shiny rocks are cool, huh? (masterlist)

if u are like me and secretly a magpie, here's some links to embrace ur understanding of them shinies! <3

buying crystals and spotting fakes

a guide for buying crystals

consumer witches and fake crystals

but sage... what if i have fake crystals?

consumerism and capitalism within witchcraft

(these are more overall to witchcraft, but something I think especially applies to crystals as they echo a lot of consumerist culture and are also what people tend to get into first!)

the marketing potential of witchcraft

witchcraft and materialism

how to actually use crystals

how to use crystals

crystal correspondences

another crystal correspondence

cleansing and charging with crystals (specifically selenite)

crystal care

crystal care for your specific crystals (and their scientific information!)

the issues with crystals

should you stop buying crystals

the actual scientific benefit of crystals - there is not a quick fix for chronic illness or mental health issues, and crystals have not been proven to have any benefits.

i hope this helps!

[wanderingwitchramblings]

 💫 Why Protection Magic Is Useful (even if you have no enemies)

A lot of witches will tell new witches (baby witches) that they should start by learning and using protection magic. However, I've started to see a lot of witches say that protection magic is not as important as other witches claim it to be. Saying that they don't have anyone coming after them or an enemy in real life to warrant a spell of protection.

I think this may also be due to how I've not personally come across anyone really explaining why a witch may want to use protection magic all the time.

Now, it is true that there's no need to be paranoid all the time and have protection up 24/7. But here's a list where you may use it, find it useful, or haven't thought protection magic could be included.

An actual person -- This one is obvious, you have an enemy in real life or on the internet and you need protection magic to protect you from their curses.

A malevolant spirit -- They can come from your windows, mirrors (including tv screens, computer screens, and other reflective surfaces maybe), they seep through floor cracks, hanging onto your coats from outside, etc. Just like how you'd use garden gloves to avoid dirt up your nails being trapped there. Protection magic is just like putting on those gloves.

An energy -- Say you have a neighbour who's arguing with someone. They're yelling and screaming and it can be heard through the apartment walls. That negative energy is seeping into your home and your energy. So it may be worth protecting your home and energy from that sour neighbour's energy. (ever been scolded by your mother and your mood is sour? it's kind of like the same here.)

Your own spell -- Now a self-love spell is probably not something you should protect yourself from. But let's say you're doing a curse. It would be a smart idea to make sure you're protected before beginning such a spell. Much like how you'd wear an apron to protect your clothes from stains when cooking food. You may not always spill your food when cooking, but damn it is it annoying when you do and the stain won't wash off. It's the same with a spell.

Unintentionally -- Sometimes things can happen that's out of our control and it's a good idea to be a little prepared. A black cat suddenly running across the street? Bad luck. Someone got jealous when you told them something good? Evil Eye. Think of it as going to the store with an extra bag for your groceries. You may not need it, but isn't it handy when you at one point do need it?

Protection magic doesn't have to be elaborate or grand or be convoluted. Protection magic is powerful but also extremely simple. All you need is a horseshoe above the door, a little talisman in your pocket, a sigil for your car, etc.

So don't dismiss the importance of protection magic. It may help to improve your spellwork and your energy.

[wanderingwitchramblings]

Guide to Drying Herbs

Drying herbs is a simple practice, and there are several methods to choose from depending on the type of herb and your desire use. Here's how I dry my herbs:

1. Drying on Newspaper

2. Hanging Herbs Upside Down

3. Pressing Herbs

4. Drying Small Petals in Pouches

General Tips for Best Results

Use Breathable Cloths: Wrapping your herbs or laying them on a breathable cloth allows air to circulate freely, preventing mold while catching any small leaves or flowers that shed during the drying process.

Timing: Dry herbs as soon as possible after harvesting to retain their potency and fragrance.

Environment: Choose a dry, cool, and ventilated area to prevent mold or mildew.

Labeling: If drying multiple herbs, label them to avoid confusion.

Storage: Once dried, store your herbs in airtight containers away from sunlight and moisture.

Using Dried Herbs

Always check if the plant is safe for use before collecting it. Do not make tea or touch anything with unknown properties. Always clean your plants before drying.

[wanderingwitchramblings]

Super easy and cheap devotional acts for beginners.

A nice cup and some clean, fresh, water on the altar can often be all you need for daily offerings

Grow a plant on your altar, use your weekly watering as a devotional act. Hermes is currently helping my peace lily grow :)

Draw their sigil on your nails and then paint over them with nail polish that matches their color correspondences.

If you can’t acquire alcohol for your deities (wine, vodka etc) because you’re too young, white vinegar also works. The quality we’re looking for is the purification aspect. White vinegar is natural, antibacterial and never goes bad. You can leave it on your altar until it evaporates if you want.

If you work with a deity involved with self love like Aphrodite, investing a little more time into your skin care and scent can be very rewarding. Nothing super boujie, it can be as simple as getting some nice smelling lotion at the dollar store.

Food and water offerings don’t have to be external, especially if you’re in the broom closet and don’t have an altar. Reserve the first bite of your meal for your deity. Savour its taste while you think about them. Pour yourself a crisp glass of cold water and guzzle it as a devotional act.

Use a washable or dry erase marker to draw sigils on your shower wall for bath rituals. It’ll come right off when you’re done.

Tea bags are just bags of dried herbs. You can use these as offerings or draw sigils on them and burn them for witchcraft. No one is ever suspicious about a little tea. Adding a tea bag to your water offerings also gives them an extra kick.

A couple dollars at the thrift store will take you a long way. I love thrifting items because they’re usually well loved. I especially like thrifting spirituality books that past practitioners have written in. Sometimes my deities communicate with me through the books that are available on any given day. If I was just talking to Leviathan about the power of water and I see a book about Hydromancy, I know that he’s sending me a sign. Like, 90% of the books Lucifer has sent me popped up at the thrift store. Most expensive one was $7.99. (and I tag swapped it for 2.99 😊 thanks, Hermes-

and on this note, literally steal. Not from small local thrift stores, but I mean this with my whole chest, steal from Value Village. If you can sneakily swap a tag and get something for cheaper literally do it. Value Village gets all their inventory for free I literally do not care. Corporate thrift stores don’t deserve rights. I steal from Value Village as a devotional act to Hermes 😊 lmao )

If you don’t have money to spend on really nice paintings and posters of your deities for your altar, start buying books about them. It’s a double win. A book about Greek religion will certainly have multiple beautiful sculptures and paintings of Aphrodite that I can cut out and put on my wall. A book about angels might have a cool painting of Lucifer. Books about Goddesses, ancient religions, anthropology, astrology etc. You get the opportunity to learn, and if it’s a book you don’t particularly care too much for, you can take it apart for imagery. People ask me all the time where I got all of my paintings and pictures from. BOOKS.

Does your deity have a kind of complicated sigil that you love but you also kinda hate redrawing every other day? Sorry Cerberus (Naberius) I love you but that sigil is so complicated babe.

Learn how to block print! It’s very simple. You get a block of linoleum (usually pretty cheap, I think mine were like $5) , some ink (~$10), and a carving tool (varies depending), and make a sigil stamp! All you gotta do is draw your sigil and carve it out nicely one time. You can still bless it and imbue it with your energy, and you can easily put it on prayers, talismans etc.

Chalk is your best friend. Use it to draw sigils on the floor or wall that can easily be wiped away. You can imbue special chalk and use it for casting circles if you don’t like the mess of salt.

[wanderingwitchramblings]

GRIMORE IDEAS

Start a lunar or dream diary. 

Write spells. 

Astrology meanings. 

Write and record rituals 

Tarot meanings. 

Magickal correspondences. 

Your natal chart info. 

Herb names, uses, and/or properties. 

Info about deities and entities. 

Crystals names, uses, and/or properties. 

Magickal food recipes. 

Faeries. 

Meditation techniques. 

Full moon names. 

Sigils.

Runes.

How to use a pendulum.

Wheel of the Year. 

Essential oil uses. 

How to scry.

Maiden, Mother, and Crone. 

The Elements. 

History of witchcraft. 

The difference between jinxes, hexes, and curses. 

Morning and night rituals. 

How to celebrate/info about the Sabbats. 

Types of salt and their properties. 

Moon phases and their corresponding meanings. 

Types of divination. 

Planet correspondences. 

Candle colour meanings. 

How to draw and/or cast a circle, runes, and sigils. 

Tools of the craft. 

[wanderingwitchramblings]

ASTRO DEGREES THEORY :

0° : the uncreated, the unknown, the unexpected, the sudden, the egg of creation.

1/13/25° : the start, the chosen one, the unique thing, the special one.

2/14/26° : the fruiting, the loved one, the cherished couple, adored one.

3/15/27° : the daily holy, the occult one, the driver.

4/16/28° : the garden, the house, the early and end of life.

5/17/29° : the child, the creation, the creator, the creature.

6/18° : the work, the organization, the plan.

7/19° : the relationship, the others, the beauty, the harmony, the middle of something.

8/20° : the power, the pattern seeker n breaker, the messenger of underworlds.

9/21° : the holy one, the sacred thing, the lesson of something.

10/22° : the summit, the hermit, the boss, the GOAT.

11/23° : the friend, the associated, the collective hope, the fated generational things.

12/24° : the end, the loner, the healer, the religious, the spiritual, the artist.