fox-and-fischer

[fox-and-fischer]

[fox-and-fischer]

Listen to the whole episode here

[fox-and-fischer]

What if spells radiate in all directions in time, so the reason that it seems like things were destined to work out well even before you cast, is because the spell was working backwards from the point when you cast it.

[fox-and-fischer]

🍓🍋 Strawberry Moon Slushy 🍋🍓

I was looking into making a beverage for the Summer Solstice when I remembered a drink I had on my birthday and thought I'd recreate it!

This is a strawberry, basil, and mint frozen lemonade but given that I made it with the coming Strawberry Moon in mind, I decided that "Strawberry Moon Slushy" sounds so much better.

This recipe makes about 2 servings.

Ingredients

2 cups of FROZEN strawberries

1 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed)

3/4 cup of sugar

Basil leaves

Mint leaves

1/4 cup of ice

Shot of your fav gin or vodka (optional)

Instructions:

Get your ingredients ready and grab the blender.

Squeeze the lemons. The lemons I used gave me roughly 9 tbs of lemon juice.

Pour in your frozen strawberries, lemon juice and ice. Blend until slushy. If you're adding booze, add it in here. One or two shots depending on your preference.

Add in 3/4 cup of sugar. If you're like me and you love it sour then only do 1/2 cup sugar. You could also substitute sugar for agave or honey, using a few tbs of either and then adding more to taste.

Add your basil and mint to taste. I used four large leaves of each but you can use more or less!

Top it off with a garnish, either a strawberry, a lemon slice, or a mint sprig!

Notes:

If you'd rather use premade lemonade, use 1 cup of lemonade and you can skip the sugar.

You can use this mixture to make popsicles if you have a mold for it!

Fresh mint and basil works best but if you only have dried only use about a 1/2 tsp at first and then add more to taste.

Magical Associations:

This is a great drink for the Summer solstice because the following full moon the next day is called the Strawberry Moon! This would be a great spell for self-love or attraction.

Tip: Imbue your beverage with magic and create a drinkable spell!

Strawberries are associated with love, good luck, and fortune.

Basil is associated with wealth and prosperity.

Mint is associated with abundance and healing.

Lemons are associated with the sun, happiness, and cleansing.

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Hiya Chicken! I was wondering if you could expand upon what you meant in your most recent post (some people DO need physical items)? I think I understand what you're saying (some people are incapable of directing energy for spellwork on their own and need the assistance of tools, and that's okay?) but I'm not sure it's entirely clicking in my brain. Is it somewhat akin to "some people cannot effectively direct their energy without additional forces like correspondences to nail it down"? The idea is something I can get behind, I just want to make sure I'm not missing out on other nuance and completely misinterpreting. It isn't something I've really thought about before, so I want to make sure I'm like. Understanding fully and completely. Thank you for your time :)

Hi!!

We are in reference to this post.

Hey! I like where you’re coming from, but I think there can be more to it. You're really kind for inviting me to talk about my thoughts 😅

Uh... I'd also like to say that this has been on my mind for a really long time, so I don't think the following is comprehensive, but it's a good start.

I also want to reiterate that when most people say "you don't need stuff to practice witchcraft" they probably mean it in an encouraging and anti-consumerist way, which I don't disagree with; I just think it's more nuanced than that.

Accessibility: A part of witchcraft is integrating it into your life so that it’s possible to practice. If you’re a very ‘out of sight, out of mind’ individual, then it may literally be necessary to have physical tools, altars, and reminders around you, or else you’ll wake up 5 months later remembering you wanted to be practicing this entire time.

Also accessibility: You say that some people might need tools to help move energy, which is a factor (more on that later!) but it’s also a thing that some people can’t just sit down in an empty room and focus on visualization + willpower. Not all people can sit still and use meditative focus to direct their thoughts for an extended period of time without any external stimulation. That doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be good at energy work; it just means they can’t engage with that style of practice.

Still accessibility: This is more on the “it’s okay to buy mass produced” side of things, but an interest in witchcraft doesn’t automatically equal talent or interest in handcrafting skills. Making custom boutique tools takes time, money, energy, workshop space, and physical ability that not everyone has. It’s unfair to imply that even if you can buy a ready substitute online for $30, a beginner is a poser if they don’t take four months of free time to hone a personal hobby and make the tool themselves.

Sorcery: Not all schools of sorcery agree that you can advance down the path you want to take while never accumulating physical tools, icons, or ingredients. For example, my paradigm (which isn’t terribly unique) advises that in order to make changes in the physical world around you, then you need to use physical tools. No crystals to impregnate with energy? No herbs to sprinkle into the dinner? No candles? You can’t even direct energy into the threshold, windows, doorways? Then maybe you’re not going to be able to affect physical reality the way you want to.

(But, Chicken! You don’t need physical tools to put energy work into the front door. So you agree that the physical object is still a necessity? Or, no? Is it possible to create a purely astral threshold? Because...)

Energy: Just because you can perform an operation without using any physical tools doesn’t mean you have the personal energy to pull it off, especially not on a regular basis. For example, perhaps someone can create an energy construct of a cauldron sufficient to perform ritual gestation. They cast a spell purely out of energy work, and feed it with energy. That’s all good! But I can’t do that, because it would exhaust me. It’s not that I’m unable to direct energy; I can do energy work. It’s not a lack of talent or education. It’s just that I am literally, physically, too much of a low-energy witch to be able to do a lot of work without tools. If I had to substitute everything with energy work, I couldn’t do a lot of my witchcraft; I am too tired.

Spirit Work: In my paradigm (which is not so rare), a very important way to develop relationships with gods and spirits is to invite them into your physical space by devoting trinkets, houses, shrines, or spaces to them. By giving them a slice of your life, you invite them into your life! I don’t have to do that with a spirit. I can use my energy to bridge the gap with them every time. I can provide energy offerings to them every time they come through to me. I mean – hypothetically. I hypothetically could, but I actually can’t, because even though I can do energy work, I do not have enough personal energy to call my gods and spirits through into my IRL space using my own power multiple times a day. I especially do not have this energy when I need them most – a.k.a, when I am fatigued, distressed, and in need of help.

At a certain point, if Oak tree tells you to go find wood for a staff or wand, you’re going to have to do that. Maybe it’s going to take months or years of spellwork, careful searching, and cunning, but if you want your relationship to progress, it can’t be 100% on your terms. My point in all of this is just to say, I do agree with the sentiment that (as @lazywitchling says) you can't buy skill. And a lot of confusing resources can seem to imply that a beginner has to load up on unnecessary tools just to get started, which is untrue.

But I think sometimes that this push against anti-consumerism and a desire to protect beginners has warped into a sentiment that all witches are supposed to be able to validly work with 100% mental magic all the time for all purposes, which I don't believe is true.

Some people do need stuff! For lots of different reasons! And I think that should be normal and okay.

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Coin's Quick Cash Caprese

Caprese is a quick and easy dish to make and is one of my personal favorites. You can make a caprese salad, mini caprese skewers, or a toasted caprese sandwich!

Ingredients

Tomatoes - prosperity & abundance

Mozzarella - quick results

Fresh basil - money

Olive Oil (extra virgin is preferred) - wealth

Salt - for taste and purification purposes

Pepper - for taste and to repel bad luck

Balsamic Glaze - wealth

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients first.

Cut the tomatoes and mozzarella into slices.

While you put together the dish, say aloud what each ingredient is used for. (ex. Tomatoes for prosperity and abundance, Mozzarella for quick results)

Lay out the tomatoes on the plate. Lay the mozzarella on top of the tomatoes slices, then lay the basil leaves on top of the mozzarella.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic glaze.

Finish by saying, out loud, “As quick as I've made this dish, quickly will cash come to me. As I have said it, so shall it be."

Possible Variations and Notes

More types of tomatoes could manifest as multiple channels of cash flowing in.

Plate the dish nicely. The aesthetically pleasing dish will likely boost energy. Happy = Energy for me so perhaps the same will go for you.

This was a really quick spell and I got results from it for like a week. I didn't get a ton of extra money but enough that I noticed!

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Tfw you've been doing this for ages and somebody's like wow you're so knowledgeable / cool / interesting / etc

and you're just like

my darlings i am not up on any kind of pedestal, not even so much as a stepstool, i am down here in the dirt with you and my hands are filthy

i have no laurels to rest on, i still make mistakes, i am still learning too

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Remember when historian Diane Purkiss chose violence? 🤣

“In this essay, I will show that medieval and early modern witchcraft was for the most part not a pagan practice, but a dissident form of Christianity. I will also argue that modern pagans and modern witches are themselves products of the very globalized, commercial, urban and anywhere culture which they set out to resist.”

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the fact that anyone is expected to do anything on a rainy day is a true failing of the world. Rainy days are for making tea, sitting by the window, and watching your ecosystem sigh. See the plants glow green as they're nourished; see the trees go still as birds and squirrels and bugs take a moment to rest; see the soil grow rich and soft. To take the time for yourself to breathe, relax, and take account of You.

But nooOoooOooo, things like 'work' and 'obligations' exist. tsk tsk.

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What is the latest belief or thing you added to your faith?

Faith specifically? That godhood is a title bestowed or earned, not an intrinsic aspect of an entity. This is a slight expansion of Stag's "spirits in silly hats" theory.

So last year I started my journey, maybe not on the crooked path, but next to it? within eyeline of it? Idk, I started seeking out The Witchfather. And things went really well, we have a good relationship going, I've expanded my craft significantly in just the 6 months since I made my pact (that sounds WAY more serious than it is, right now I have a year and a day deal going with him, we will reassess on my birthday). I also went into this relationship relatively blind to literature and prevailing ideas surrounding him. I wanted to get to know each other before I started researching him in depth.

As the weeks and months passed, I started to realize he was rather limited in power relative to what I thought a god should be able to do. Most of what we did together was tied to the forest behind my house, and his ability to act outside of my property was minimal. I have since come to the conclusion he is the spirit of that forest, not The Witchfather (capital T capital W, big daddy God [which I'm sure is a cultural Christian expectation anyway]) that I thought he was. He was simply MY witchfather. He only became a deity because I decided he was one, and from what I can tell, he does not give two shits if he is considered a god or not. He simply is a Guy who answered when I called out. I am the one who put that crown on his head, and he wears it indifferently.

So I think a lot of what makes godhood is how we as people/worshippers/whatever you wanna call us treat the entities concerned. Aphrodite is not the goddess of love, sex and beauty because of any inherent quality she possesses, the ancients just gave her that domain and she ran with it (and she's doing a wonderful job as far as I'm concerned).

This whole change in philosophy was super freeing with regard to my idea of faith and devotion. It takes the pressure off of my ideas of divinity. It is easier to approach someone when you think of them as "just some guy with a fancy title" god instead of "behold my radiance, look upon me and weep" god.

Thanks for the ask! It was nice to actually write this all out and get it to be coherent.

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The person who re-blogged this wants you to know that they are open to questions regarding their spiritual path, witchcraft and faith, and in fact, would love to talk about their spiritual path with you and have a casual talk!!

(this applies to me pspspsps HMU , don't hesitate, i am always open to respectful discussion of our spiritual paths and just being friends!!)

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Agnes Giberne 1898

[fox-and-fischer]

Hey check out 'Sacred Gender' by Ariana Serpentine

Hey so my girlfriend the beautiful and wonderful Ariana Serpentine wrote a book and I wanna tell you about it because she is a very good writer and also my girlfriend and I love her very much

A Cosmology of Trans and Nonbinary Spiritual Identities

Explore gender from a sacred perspective and learn how to turn dysphoria into euphoria. With suggestions for making devotion more inclusive, Ariana Serpentine empowers you to spiritually connect to your gender and incorporate it into your personal and group practice. Sacred Gender invites you to talk to your ancestors through the stars and introduces you to spirits and deities that can help you achieve self-actualization. Learn how to manifest your desires with sigil magic and identify affirming names, pronouns, clothes, and accessories with the smile test. Filled with thought-provoking journal prompts, reflection exercises, and a gender initiation, this beginner-friendly book encourages you to see parts of yourself that may have been obscured and liberate your spirituality from the gender binary.

Buy on Amazon

Buy from Llewellyn

Follow Ariana on fedbook

[fox-and-fischer]

and here lies the problem with with working mostly with animals: if i asked for no mosquitos, my poor dragonfly and frog and spider friends would be so sad to lose such a vital food source :(

LISTTENNNNN

Yall may be out here like "give me infinite knowledge, teach me the spells I need to do this, give me the secret oracle blessing" etc etc with other spirits.

Me?

I am simple. I want direct action. You can't accuse me of being spiritually gainful here.

fuck them buggies.

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thank u earth for leather & fur & sex & pottery & laughter & rain & the lilac bush & hay in a field & cows to eat the hay & thank u earth for a perfect view of the moon

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I'm just waiting for someone in the tags to claim April Fools Day is a stolen pagan fertility rite. Can't wait to see all the mental gymnastics, I've got scorecards ready.

[fox-and-fischer]

Help Coin Get Top Surgery!

If you'd like to hear my story, read the post. If you'd like to go ahead and donate, click the link below:

Check out my kofi link to donate to my fund! 

Who am I?

My name is Coin and I'm a trans man looking to get top surgery--shocking, right? A bit more about me, I have two cats and 15 plants and I love writing and creating.

Why am I setting this goal?

Earlier this year I had to get off of testosterone due to medical issues and since then my chest has gotten bigger and I can no longer adequately hide it any more with tape or a binder. I've tried saving on my own but I am a college student who has been paying his own bills since I was 17. Of these bills, I have too many current and past bills to pay to afford saving much of anything towards my goal.

That said I have asked everyone in my life to put money towards this goal instead of giving me birthday/holiday gifts and extra money (from gigs or freelance) is being put into this.

However, my goal is to have top surgery by April 2025 so that I can enjoy summer with a huge weight--or weights--off my chest!

Why $5,000?

I'm asking for $5,000 because my insurance won't cover any of my surgery and I will also be out of work for two or so weeks after the surgery, more if I am unable to work from home. This would leave me with a gap in paychecks enough that I would need that buffer of money to make sure I don't go totally broke.

Truly, anything helps. If you can't donate, please consider sharing as I would really appreciate it.