aesethewitch

[aesethewitch]

How do you go about doing readings online vs in-person?

Hope you are doing well, don't over exert yourself with all those readings.🖤

Hello! Good question!

So, I do readings online two ways -- here on Tumblr and live on either Twitch or via Discord for folks who commission me for a private live reading. My method and style don't really change between online versus in person, but you do get a different experience for sure!

The main difference is in interaction. When I'm doing a reading that's typed up and sent, there's not a lot of back and forth during the reading itself. Sometimes I'll ask for additional context or information before performing the reading, but it's otherwise a pretty one and done thing.

The other big difference is in querent participation. If I'm doing a private virtual reading with someone or I'm sitting down in person with someone, I like to let them choose the spread or style. We chat about what they want to know, and I offer a set of options for them to choose from. There's a lot of discussion that goes on. Sometimes, I'll let them choose the cards from the deck or say when to stop shuffling, but that depends on the type of reading we're doing.

I tend to also do more preparation in advance for in-person readings. I find they're more tiring than online, more because of the social interaction than anything else. I'll typically wear a head covering of some sort and a variety of charms to keep myself protected. It's less necessary when I do readings online, because my entire space is already warded for that sort of thing.

[aesethewitch]

Little patchwork life

[aesethewitch]

Lost in Space by KosmosAshes

[aesethewitch]

Late 16th century silver-gilt pomander with labeled spice compartments. Used for aromatic and spiritual purposes since the middle ages.

[aesethewitch]

Personal Protection: Surviving the Holidays

I'm of the opinion that far too many people around this time of year are fucking around, and it's high time they get to the finding out part. With major holidays right around the corner, many of us will be facing relatives we'd rather not see, parties we'd rather not go to, and conversations we'd rather avoid or exit as soon as possible. Political spats, unwanted opinions, snide remarks -- I believe that what you give out, you ought to receive back.

So, obviously, let's do some magic about it.

There are three main components to my method:

The Bubble;

The Quills; and

The Shake

The Bubble

Exactly what it sounds like, "the bubble" is the outermost layer of protection around you. It's the barrier between you and the unpleasantness you're trying to keep out.

The bubble can be one item carried or worn (such as a hat, crystal, or charm), or it can be multiple. I usually spring for two items, one to absorb/recycle and one to bounce/return to sender.

Absorb:

I've got a relative who is, at their essence, a fucking downer. That would be fine if not for the fact that if they're having a bad time or are mildly uncomfortable, it's about to be everyone's problem. This kind of negativity is something to absorb, not bounce. Sending it back would only double their misery, and that's no good for anyone.

So, instead, I have a special charm that I make for occasions when I know they're going to be around. It consists of a little piece of sponge that's sat in salt for a while atop a transformative sigil. The sponge, once fully charged and ready, will absorb the negative energy and recycle it into more positive feelings.

This means that their negativity won't impact me at all, and I actively improve the atmosphere. Their bad attitude can't do anything if everyone around us is only getting good vibes. The charm is powered by the exchange of negative to positive energy, so it requires no charging. However, it's smart to discard the sponge once it's done its job.

Bounce:

But sometimes, somebody's got to face real consequences. There are some things I don't want to deal with at all. Like gross political opinions from my conservative, religious family members. Or questions about having children.

The idea of the bounce is to reflect things before they reach me. It's a sort of glamor spell that projects an aura of "don't bother." It essentially lets me be passed over for conversations I want to leave or avoid entirely by bouncing attention away from me.

Negative energy, bad vibes, whatever you want to call it -- the goal is to return it to where it's coming from. Someone who's being an asshole will feel like an asshole. If it works right, they'll stop talking altogether because they're so irritated with what they're saying. I've had aggressive, vocal relatives go completely silent because they were receiving their own rancid energy back to themselves instead of the attention they were hoping for.

For me, this spell takes the form of a charm on my keys. It's a form of an evil eye charm -- not the blue-eyed stare you most likely think of, but another symbol meant to distract attention from me to it. It's a little pewter casting of the fig sign, an old and obscene gesture. It works on malevolent spirits best, but it does a great job of repelling unfortunate people, too. It bounces their nonsense back to themselves, often causing confusion, which forces them to reconsider what they're saying.

Again, this lives on my keys, which live in a key bowl when they're not clipped to my pocket or belt loop. The key bowl has a multi-purpose charging setup for the keys, my wallet, and other assorted charms I might wear when I go out.

The Quills

Sometimes, things get past our main line of defenses. That's fine, it happens. But under these circumstances, it happens because someone has deliberately crossed a line. So now, they get the quills.

When I say "the quills," you should be picturing something like a porcupine. Adorable, yes, but fuck with it at your own risk. Those quills aren't just for show, and neither should yours be. This is your second line of defense, and it's where we turn to offense.

Accordingly, the quills aren't passive spells like the bubble. These require conscious activation and direction to give you maximum control over their output. You can make your quills passive, but I often find that baneful workings work best when you're specifically choosing to use them.

Yes, baneful, and let me be perfectly clear: The goal is to harm whoever's crossed the line. You're not just returning to sender. You're catching what they've thrown at you, lighting it on fire, and pitching it back at full force.

To that end, there are two approaches I typically take (and are you sensing a pattern? I like to do things in twos). One spell to sharpen the tongue and give as good as I've gotten, and one to induce the smallest of lingering curses on the target.

Sharpen

The whole point of the quills is to make yourself an inconvenient, difficult target. Part of being difficult to swallow is not going down easily. Often, the answer is to avoid the conversation or problem altogether, but it isn't always possible. Or satisfying.

Sometimes, you gotta take a bitch down.

For me, this charm needs to do two things. It should boost my confidence in standing my ground and add some oomph to my argument. I have a pin with a particular design on it charmed for this purpose. The needle operates as the quill for stabbing (the oomph), and the design provides the confidence. Anointed with my Fuck Off Oil and laid in a dish of salt, garlic, and red chili flakes, the pin becomes extra spicy and effective.

This one has to be recharged each time it's used. It always lives on the same jacket, but I'll anoint it regularly to keep it fresh. If I use the charm on someone, I'll take the pin off at the end of the night and set it in the spicy salt mixture.

Linger

By far one of the most effective methods for reducing nonsense from unpleasant people I interact with regularly is lingering consequences. When someone associates bad luck with interacting with you, even on a subconscious level, they tend to avoid you.

Consider this the "slow poison" on the quills. The goal isn't to ruin their life by any means (although, I suppose you could...). It's just to make yourself unpalatable on an instinctive level. Think of how poisonous frogs are brightly colored to display that they're, you know, deadly. That's what we're doing here.

I prefer to use something kind of dangerous. Something you can hold onto and point with is best, in my experience. I've used a broken piece of glass, a rusty nail or screw, and various thorns. Right now, I'm using one half of a rusty pair of old cooking shears. The handle broke, but the blades are still sharp as hell. Waste not, and all that.

Anoint whatever the sharp, dangerous thing is in an oil infused with herbs and spices of your choice (again, the Fuck Off Oil is a good example). Or, if you prefer, coat it in something like hot sauce, urine, rust, or other corrosive and unpleasant things. Once prepared, stow it in your bag. Or your glove box, if you drive, since this makes a nice on-the-go curse to cast at shitty drivers.

You don't need to pull it out for it to work, but if you can get to a safe, secluded space (like a bathroom), it can help you focus. When you're creating it, you should set up an activation word, phrase, or motion. I prefer a motion -- something like tapping wherever the object is, a swirling movement with my hand, and then pointing at the target.

The curse you place is up to you. I tend to go for something like feeling nauseous or getting a headache. The spell should draw a connection between them being nasty to you and the unpleasant feeling, whether overt or subconscious. They'll be more cautious and reluctant to be a dick to you afterwards.

The Shake

Like a dog. Get that shit off of yourself.

No matter how thorough you are, there are always gaps and particularly stubborn people getting into them. Something they say just sticks to you like a burr, sharp and irritating. Or depressing, maybe.

The idea behind the shake is literal. You're forcibly removing the heavy weight or annoying itch someone else has placed on you. The shake isn't necessarily an item like with the bubble and quills. It can be, but it doesn't have to be.

Essentially, the steps to the shake are:

Identify what feels bad

Shake that shit

Resume normal activities

Maybe it's the neurodivergent in me, but physical movement is incredibly soothing. Self-regulation tactics are essential for survival. Transforming that into a little spell ritual at the same time is just two birds with one stone.

When things get overwhelming or I can feel my bubble failing to keep everything out at once (such as if a fight breaks out or someone decides to go in depth about one of my triggers), I remove myself from the situation. That's the first step. Retreat to a safe place, whether that's outside, in my car, in the bathroom, or elsewhere that's quiet. The second step is to figure out where in my body the anxiety or bad feeling is sitting. Often, it's in my shoulders and hands, but sometimes it's elsewhere.

Step three is to fucking shake. Shake those hands, roll my shoulders, jump up and down. Whatever it takes. As I do, I'm forcibly dislodging everything unpleasant out of myself and into the open air. And because I've got the negativity-absorbing bubble, it'll take the bad feeling and repurpose it into something more positive. Then, once I'm better, I can go back.

Again, you don't need an object for this, but you can certainly create one. Options would be comforting items, fidget toys, or even something like a joint. Sometimes, you just gotta blow smoke about it. You know?

Fun fact, though: You could also carry a vessel to contain the Bad Feelings for later use instead of letting your bubble absorb them. This comes in handy for people who are particularly abusive... as an example of what you want them to experience under the force of a more involved cursing.

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[aesethewitch]

So, every Winter Solstice, I do a simmer pot to enliven my space, cleanse the air, and enhance happiness and luck for the coldest months of the year. It's also a solid offering to my spirits, giving them a nice boost of energy at this time of year.

I always try to make the simmer pot edible also. I like to be able to drink the results!

This year, I'm switching things up a little bit. I'm gonna be experimenting with ingredients I don't usually use to see how it goes! I'm also doing this in the morning instead of in the afternoon to make more time for feast preparations!

Here's what I'm putting in my pot and what it's for:

Enough water to float everything safely, adding more as it evaporates throughout the morning

Sliced apples - Love, happiness, luck

Sliced oranges - Happiness, sun energy

Lemon juice - Cleansing, joy, sun energy

Cranberries - Health, protection from illness and misfortune

Cinnamon sticks - Happiness, fire energy, wealth

Cloves - Warmth, fire energy, luck, protection from misfortune

Brown sugar - Sweetness, happiness, love

If I wasn't planning on drinking some of this, I'd include pine needles -- I don't love the taste, and I want to enjoy this!

The idea is to fill a pot with water and gently add all the ingredients. Then, bring it up to heat and let it simmer on low heat for as long as I like, adding water as it evaporates. Once it's nice and steamy, I'll take a cup of it and carry it around my apartment to flick small amounts of fragrant water here and there.

And even if it's cold, I'll open up the windows for a few minutes to let the air flow. It's so important to keep air moving in the winter; otherwise, it gets stagnant and stale, and it makes me feel worse.

I don't usually, but I think this year, I'll also use it as a wash for my front door. We could definitely use a boost in luck and protection and joy for next year!

[aesethewitch]

@khajiit-reads , glad you enjoyed it! I'm nothing if not ominous, hehehehe (: Hope your divination goes well!!

Could I have a general reading? K, they/them. Thank you very much!

Hello!

For you, I drew Dagaz.

How very timely. As the year turns, this is a perfect time for new starts. Whether you're seeing the Winter Solstice this weekend or the Summer Solstice, it's a new dawn. Perhaps make plans this weekend (or soon) for a bit of prosperity work to take advantage. You may also find that divination will be particularly... illuminating, shall we say, this weekend. Pay attention.

For a free one-card draw today, read the rules and send an ask. Want a guaranteed reading? More cards? In-depth analysis? A full year ahead reading (limited time only!)? Commission me here. Enjoy your free pull or my other work? Tip me here.

[aesethewitch]

Happy Winter Solstice! Hope you get to eat something extra delicious today.

On my plate: Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, balsamic brussel sprouts, honey-soy glazed carrots, and sweet corn.

Fucking yum. Six hours of cooking and so worthwhile.

[aesethewitch]

Gävlebocken Cross Stitch

hey yall i just fuckin remembered, the only post I've got for the my Gävle Goat cross stitch pattern is that really long one with the wrong pattern originally, so here's the link to the ko-fi listing for pay-what-you-want (no minimum price) download of the pattern

The pattern looks like this:

I've only sewn the initial, less clean version myself but I'm working on getting the new design onto the aida

[aesethewitch]

Just realized I'm gonna get to make turkey soup out of the turkey bones next week........

[aesethewitch]

[aesethewitch]

I have noticed that sometimes people seem to have this idea that you are really only allowed to cast one spell on a situation, and that's it. Or, you can only cast that specific spell on that situation once, and in order to try again, you have to change spells.

I don't know where this idea comes from. It's not a part of any tradition or school, as far as I'm aware.

Spells can be conceptualized as little guys that you create and release to take a specific kind of action.

You can create and release as many little guys you want, even if they're all trying to do the exact same thing.

There is no "magical law" that dictates you are only ever supposed to have one guy working on a situation at one time, or that if he fails, you can't make a copy to try again.

[aesethewitch]

Happy Solstice!!

[aesethewitch]

[aesethewitch]

On a long enough timeline, everything is forgotten. On a long enough timeline, everything is remembered.

Calvary Cemetery - Greenfield, MA

[aesethewitch]

Could I have a general reading? K, they/them. Thank you very much!

Hello!

For you, I drew Dagaz.

How very timely. As the year turns, this is a perfect time for new starts. Whether you're seeing the Winter Solstice this weekend or the Summer Solstice, it's a new dawn. Perhaps make plans this weekend (or soon) for a bit of prosperity work to take advantage. You may also find that divination will be particularly... illuminating, shall we say, this weekend. Pay attention.

For a free one-card draw today, read the rules and send an ask. Want a guaranteed reading? More cards? In-depth analysis? A full year ahead reading (limited time only!)? Commission me here. Enjoy your free pull or my other work? Tip me here.

[aesethewitch]

Hi aese i’m s.k (she/her)! I’d like to ask what advice/knowledge my guides want me to know regarding my love life in 2025? Tysm!!

Hello!

For you, I drew the Hierophant (Arrow).

As you navigate love next year, pay very close attention to your intuition and to signs sent your way. There's a feeling of being nudged here and there. If you don't have particular omens assigned to your guides so they can send you clear messages, I would suggest choosing some. Preferably more than one, for different messages. You'll find it far easier to receive their wisdom if you're actively looking for it.

For a free one-card draw today, read the rules and send an ask. Want a guaranteed reading? More cards? In-depth analysis? A full year ahead reading (limited time only!)? Commission me here. Enjoy your free pull or my other work? Tip me here.