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Ask a spider: a witchy treat for not killing a spider

This is a simple spell. All you need is a glass jar and a spider who you have just found invading your house space.

Most people run to their shoe closet, but saving these critters isn’t just good for conscious and the environment.

It gives you a free question.

As with anything that gives you a free wish or question: choose yours with care.

This question HAS to involve one of these things. Magic, creativity or intuition. This is not a wish so you can’t ask for more magic powers, but you can ask how to get said powers. You can also ask what project to do next or how to make am intuitive decision that has been plaguing you recently.

Now mind you, this spider MUST be an invader in your home. You can’t just snag a spider from outside, toss it in your house and expect a question of them. That terribly rude and honestly hope there is bad juju for that kind of nonesense.

When you find said uninvited guest carefully slip her into a save container (Mason jars are perfect for this). While you get your shoes on think of the question.

Then, as you are taking the spider outside to a safe place (foliage is best) mentally or audibly explain to the spider that she was an invader of your personal space and you had all rights to kill her (she would understand because that’s how she lives her life). But instead you are doing her a favor by rescuing her from your space.

While you’re in the act of releasing her ask your question, mentally or audibly.

Your answer will appear within 1 to 6 days so keep your eyes open.

I got this spell ‘Magical Housekeeping’ by Tess Whitehurst, an awesome book for those who need a little spark in cleaning up thier house.

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20 Tips to being a Safe Witch

Altar Safety

When burning anything always keep a glass of water near you, unless you are working with burning oils, then keep a fire extinguisher or baking soda on hand.

When working with essential oils(EO), do not burn them they are highly flammable 

Never leave anything burning unattended, be it a burn bowl, candle, incense. DON’T LEAVE IT!

Please remove anything flammable such as paper or string from the candle, it will ignite and you will be alarmed.

Make sure that what you’re burning your candle in is fire safe, metal and cast iron are good bets. Do NOT burn in a glass, if you have to put it out and dump water on it, it will explode. 

Make sure you tie back loose hair and don’t have any floppy sleeves or necklaces to get in the way. 

When putting out a candle it is best to use a candle snuffer and do not use water. 

Don’t burn kitchen sage, it gives off a toxic smoke. Not something you wanna inhale.

Essential Oil Safety

Please, please dilute them properly. I have a chemical burn scar I can never get rid of due to undiluted cinnamon bark oil. The proper dilution is one drop per teaspoon.

Never ingest EO, there are some that are now generally recognized as safe by the FDA, but the quality of EO are not regulated. Who knows what a bad quality EO could do to your internal organs, not something I wanna test.

Essential Oils are photosensitive, meaning they deteriorate in light store them in a dark area to prevent them from spoiling.

DO NOT put them near on your skin and get in the sun or a tanning bed, especially citrus oils, they will blister.

Water will not dilute essential oils, only other oils(canola, olive, sweet almond, olive will all dilute). If you want to use them in a bath it is one drop per a teaspoon of oil.

Please seek medical attention if anything seems off after using EO, they seem harmless but can be very dangerous

Pets can be very sensitive to essential oils(particularly cats) and it is almost impossible to cover all my bases here. The sources provided below have some great resources.

Always go by the scientific name, German and Roman chamomile are very different products.

Kitchen Magic Safety

Wear shoes if you’re doing anything, I nearly lost a toe the other day cause I dropped a knife. I got lucky I was wearing boots. 

Wear correct clothing, and tie back hair. No matter if you have a gas, electric or induction stove, I’ve caught a lab coat sleeve on fire thanks to a torch while making a creme brulee. 

Use your knives correctly, learn about the pinch grip and use the correct knife for the job. Using a paring knife for chopping potatoes is asking for trouble. There are tons of videos online, I like the ones from Alton Brown and Jamie Oliver.

As a side note use sharp knives, a blunt knife will do more damage than a sharp one.

Don’t leave knives in the sink, someone could begin to wash dishes and cut themselves. 

Watch the steam. Steam can give a worse burn than dry heat, open pot lids away from you and don’t stick your face and phalanges in steam. 

Don’t leave food products unattended. 

Use your damn pot holders, they protect you and your counters. 

Store raw meat on the lowest shelves, and never store cooked meat on the same shelf

Wash your hands before, wash your hands after handling raw meats, wash your hands after. 

Don’t leave food that is meant to be cold or hot out for more than 2 hours, this is to decrease foodborne illness. 

When using the store turn handles in, to keep yourself from bumping them off the stove. 

Cook meats to proper temps(there is a chart in the sources)

If you are using herbs be sure to use kitchen grade herbs, those that are not kitchen grade are not held up to the same purity standards and could have more pesticide residue.

Herbal Safety

Please be aware a lot of herbs can work against prescription medications, or should only be taken in very specific doses( St. John’s Wort I’m looking at you.) Check in with your doctor or a licensed herbalist or naturopath before ingesting herbs.

Crystal Safety

Identify your crystals, some are water solvent some are not and it matters

Some that aren’t safe in water include malachite and selenite. They have copper and if aren’t sealed they can become toxic. There is no way to know for sure if it was sealed or not keep -ite crystals dry as a good rule of thumb. 

Some crystals fade in sunlight like rose quartz, amethyst and citrine, in order to prevent fading try cleansing them with sound, flower petals, moonlight and energy.

VIV Sassmaster, WHC Blog Manager, WHC Moderator @thestudiouswitch

Sources

http://candles.org/fire-safety-candles/

http://www.pixiespocket.com/2016/03/lets-talk-about-candle-safety.html

https://naha.org/explore-aromatherapy/safety/

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=182.20

https://www.thespruce.com/dangers-of-essential-oils-555089

http://www.thelavendercat.com/images/PDF-TheLavenderCat_temp_use.pdf

http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/do-essential-oils-pose-a-risk-to-pets

http://www.usingeossafely.com/is-it-safe-to-use-essential-oils-with-dogs/

https://www.thespruce.com/top-kitchen-safety-tips-481834

http://www.dummies.com/food-drink/cooking/kitchen-safety/basic-rules-of-kitchen-safety/

https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html

http://www.amfed.org/editor/BEAC/Articles/2011/AdultArticlesAdv/16.Minerals%20Safe%20to%20Handle-Some%20Require%20Caution.doc

http://arccitius.tumblr.com/post/149575827181/crystal-safety

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Things to Research as Beginner Witches

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Part of my rock collection 🖤✨

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About Gwendolyn

Date: March 5, 2018

Name: Marissa H.

Witch Name: Gwendolyn Amethyst

Age: 22

I have always been interested in witchcraft and its interestingly dark past. As a kid I always watched Sabrina the Teenage Witch and that opened my eyes to witchcraft initially. As I grew up, I read and watched all of the Harry Potter books and movies which made me fall in love with witchcraft even more. Now I know a lot of you are probably saying that those are clear misinterpretations of what true witchcraft is and I 100% agree, this is just what got me interested in learning about what real witchcraft is all about. Recently, without going into too much detail, I had someone tell me that in a past life I was burned at the steak in the Salem Witch Trials and the spirit of the witch is still attached to me. This got me thinking even more about Wicca and Wiccan culture in the modern day and if there is a way i can incorporate it into my life. That thought was put on the back burner when I discovered crystals and crystal healing. As a soon to be Psychologist I considered the  possibility of the placebo effect, however once i decided to get my first crystals i immediately felt their energy and for someone who has suffered through multiple mental illnesses for over 12 years, that sudden gleam of hope was a wondrous feeling. Recently while reading one of my many books about crystals and crystal healing, I suddenly wondered if i could merge my passion for crystals and my interest in Wicca. So I started to do some research, and it led me to Grimoires and that is where our story lines up with the present.

While I do intend to preform my solo ceremony to become a Wiccan very soon (and I will update you all when It happens), i still fully intend on following the Jewish faith. While I am not a religious Jew, I believe I will be a religious Wiccan.

Witchcraft/Magick to me is bringing positivity and positive energy to me and those around me. I fully intend to follow the Wiccan Rede: “If You Harm Nobody, Do Whatever You Will.” and the Three-Fold Law.

My Deities: Asclepius (Roman God of Healing)

                   Diana and Luna (Roman Goddesses of the Moon)

                   Fufluns (Roman God of Plant Life, Happiness and Health and                                             Growth in All Things)

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What to put in your Grimoire

There was a really nice ask from a beginner witch about how to start a grimoire. And I thought another article about grimoires couldn’t harm so here you go. Buckle up witches and pagans because this will be a looong post. :3

First of all decice if you want a digital or a physical grimoire. The pro of having a digital grimoire is that it doesn’t take up much space and it has no limitations when writing. You could also just copy and paste from various websites if you feel like it. Still you should be careful, because the information could be easily lost e.g if your PC crashes. Personally I prefer to have an actual book, because you can draw in it, personalize it in any way you like (a scrapbook, a messy notebook, a big leatherbound journal, several small journals bound together etc.) and I guess it just feels amazing to hold and to feel the energy radiate from it. (: Also don’t be afraid to write/draw in your grimoire. If you think that you will ruin a beautiful big book just put it aside for the moment and write in a small notebook. Then carefully plan out the layout of the page and transfer the information to your main grimoire. This way it really shouldn’t be a problem.

Over the time the grimoire becomes a part of yourself and it could be very painful if it gets lost or destroyed while you are still alive. I mean you put tons and tons of time, hard work and very personal information in it. It would be like a part of your soul or brain being ripped out (at least for me). That is also the reason why many witches take it with them to the grave or burn it. (In older times witches (or just wise women/men) burned their grimoires to avoid getting recognized as such). Of course nowadays a lot of witches just give their grimoires to their children or people they consider worthy of their knowledge.

Now what about the content?

I would recommend to start your Grimoire with a *You*page; Introduce yourself, write down your name, your age, write down your beliefs and thoughts (What has inspired you to become a witch?, Are you religious or not ?, What is witchcraft/magic(k) to you? etc.). Write down your wishes and fears and get to know yourself a little better. On the second page you could write down a dedication to your deities/god/gods, to nature or to whomever you like. (The wiccans have the wiccan rede for example.) After that just write one or two of your favorite spells. Maybe write down some basics; How to cast a circle, sabbath information, the purpose of salt, the elements, some herb information. The grimoire will fill up automatically if you record your progress as a witch daily (or whenever you feel like it ). So don’t worry too much. :) Also always leave some blank pages in between, where you can add some additional information later. (If a page really looks that bad you just could glue another page over it. No problem there.) !!!! A tip from me - always ALWAYS do your research , it’s always better to use several different sources (books and/or the internet) and to always read twice! Because in some cases e.g brewing a potion, you could misread the info about a herb or crystal being poisonous and that could be life threatening !!! Please take care.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Alright - Here comes the difficult part. Now, I am a perfectionist and for me everything in my grimoire must be somehow organized. And witchcraft is a topic with many many aspects and it can be hard to work through all of them, especially if you don’t know where to start. :) That’s why i listed some topics about what to include into your Grimoire below. Just browse and write down what seems interesting or what feels right to you.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ General Things to include in your Grimoire are:

*Drawings and Sketches *CORRESPONDENCES *Poetry *Stickers *Pressed Leaves and Flowers (Herbarium) *Witchy Challenges *Song Lyrics *Recipes *Quotes *Dream Journal *Photos *D. I. Y and Tutorials *Your Experience and Thoughts About Magic(k) and the World. *Write in Different Languages

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Specific Things to include in your Grimoire:

Wheel of the Year - Sabbaths and Esbaths - Other Festivals (Birthday, Handfasting etc.) - What is Time? - Cycle of Life and Death - Months and Seasons - Times of the Day - Planetary Hours - Days of the Week - Different Calendars

Symbols - Basic Symbols -Physical Symbols (Book, Drilbu, Tombstone etc.) -Sigils -Magic Circles -Amulets and Talismans -Languages and Alphabets (Runes, Theban Script, Kanji, Egyptian Hieroglyphs etc.) - Magical Tools (Grimoire, Ritual Knife, Incense, Crystal Ball, Special Clothes, Dream Catchers, Cancels, Altars etc.) -Colours -Numbers and Number Systems -Sacred Geometry -Anatomy -Philosophical Texts -Spells, Incantations, Curses etc. -Architecture and Archeology (Pyramids) -Secret Languages and How to Code and Decode Them

History -Different Religions and their Mythology -Mythical Beings (Angels, Demons, Fae, Unicorns etc.) -God Pantheons -Creation Myths - The Origins of Witches and the History of Magic (From Neandertales Worshipping Nature Spirits to Pop Culture Witches). -Interesting People which inspire you (Solomon, Sycorax, Baba Wanga, Morrigan, Aleister Crowley, Scott Cunningham , Alex Sanders, Jesus idk) -Secret Societies -Lore and Legends that you like

Divination -Astrology - Cartomancy (Cards and Tarot) -Radiesthesia (Dowsing, Pendulum etc.) -Arithmancy and Numeralogy - Biorythms - Runes -I Ching - Geomancy - Palmistry -Lithomancy -Necromancy -Scrying -Feng Shui - Other Kinds of Divination ( idk man there are HUNDREDS of them so just google and you’ll find all that you need).

Nature -Astronomy -Meteorology -Natural Phenomenons and Catastrophes -Environments -The Elements -Mineralogy (Gems, Crystals, Minerals etc.) -Plants, Trees, Herbs, Spices etc. -Mycology (Mushrooms) -Drugs and Hallucinogen (Careful Please!) -Animals (Fauna) -Familiars - Other Creatures and Cryptozoology - Ghosts and Spirits and How to Communicate with Them (Ouija etc.) -Herbalism (Preparation of Herbs, Potions, Infusions, Baths, Teas, Cosmetics, Perfumes etc.) -Natural Medicine (Salves etc.) -Alternative Medicine (Acupuncture, Meditation, Bach Essences, Reiki etc.)

Other -Science and Magic(k) -Philosophy -Psychology -Neurology -Physiognomy -Parapsychology (Telekinesis, Telepathy etc.) -Diffrent Types, Practices and Traditions of Magic(k) e. g Shamanism, Kabbalah, Mysticism, Gnosticism, Wicca, Thelema, Voodou -Dreams and Lucid Dreams -Alchemy and Spagyric -Rituals -Invocations and Envocations -Astral Projection and Spirit Guides -Auras and Chakras -Taxidermy -Martial Arts (if you want to) -Your Favorite Books -Seriously Though Write Whatever You Feel Like Writing

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Sorry that it turned out so long, but i hope that I could help you and that you found something interesting! Feel free to ask me if you have any other questions. :3 Take Good Care of Your Grimoire and Yourself!

Lg. Aophis ☆