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A couple of recent illustrations. I’m on a little bit of a cosmic horror kick

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One more before the end of the year!

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Current work in progress...

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I dunno who needs to hear it, but if you're relying on binding spells and hexes to keep yourself safe, that's fine, but a can of mace is basically just extra strength war water and a restraining order is a binding spell that happens to be legally binding as well. Similarly, ash wood is traditional for both wands and baseball bats. Rub some sage on it and hex a motherfucker's kneecaps if that's what keeps you safe.

The world sucks. Do what you gotta.

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some reminders from Odin:

• Don't run your mouth 24/7, shut up and just listen.

• Do not get carried away with alcohol, it can turn a wise man into a fool very fast.

• Reciprocate the nice things your friends do for you.

• Do not feel ashamed if you are lacking more than others. All one needs is clothes on their back and a roof over their head.

• Find happiness in yourself and do not rely on others for this happiness.

(all from the Hávamál)

[ If you use any of the Poetic/Prose Edda to justify your racism or bigotry gtfo btw ]

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When it comes to my spiritual practice, I’d rather be inconsistent but sincere than consistent but empty.

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exploring witchcraft through solo ttrpgs

When folks think of tabletop roleplaying games (ttrpgs), most are reminded of Dungeons and Dragons. Extensive dungeon crawls with your friends have a time and place, but it's not what I'm unraveling in this post. Here, I'm illustrating solo games and how some of them can benefit your witchcraft practice.

Probably the most prevalent form of solo tabletop game is Solitaire, but obviously that doesn't incorporate role play. How do solo roleplaying games work, you may wonder, if you don't have another person to role play with? Most solo ttrpgs occur through the use of your imagination and the utilization of journaling. Some common tools needed to play solo ttrpgs include a handful of 6-sided dice, a deck of cards and/or a tarot deck, and a way to document your game (pen & journal, digital file, etc).

I personally believe that creativity is a key aspect of witchcraft. Exercising creativity helps us get in touch with the energy of ourselves and our surroundings, and creativity gives energy an outlet of expression. Solo ttrpgs can be one way to incorporate play (think inner-child healing) and creativity (energetic expression) into our craft.

Through my explorations of the solo ttrpgs offered throughout the internet, I've found a few solo games that can help folks explore and tap into specific aspects of witchcraft, whether it's death work, deity or spirit work, or tarot.

Here are some highlights:

The Tea Shelf - The Tea Shelf uses a system of tarot to generate a setting and vibe for a conversation between two individuals. This could help you explore a new perspective on tarot, and I think the game itself could be a beautiful way to facilitate devotional interactions between you and your deities or spirit team.

After Death Guide - After Death Guide promotes intuitive interpretations of tarot cards, and I believe the game itself could be a foundation for initiating death work with spirits.

A Walk Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death - This game also focuses on death and could be a tool to facilitate death work.

Haunted - This game utilizes tarot cards and could likely be used as a way to do shadow work. Note - when exploring your shadow, it's best to wait until you have a strong support system, such as a therapist.

Terminus - Terminus is a form of ritual using the major arcana. I believe it will aid you in connecting with your surroundings, enhancing your awareness of how you interact with the world around you.

Anamnesis - Anamnesis also uses a system of tarot that could help you explore the cards from a new perspective. I also think the game could be adapted to explore past lives.

The Empress and her Seer - This game seems like a beautiful, creative way to practice tarot reading. Personally, I struggle with the idea of practice readings for unreal people, but I think having a foundational character to work from makes a lot more sense.

There is No Road - I think this game could help you explore your foundational spiritual and religious beliefs.

Dear Poppy - Dear Poppy explores the art of change and nurturing and growth that I think is just so beautiful and witchy. Explore death work from the perspective of life cycles.

Variations on Your Body - This is a grouping of some small games, each with the intent of connecting you with yourself. I view these games as inherent forms of witchcraft. From the game creator herself: "I’ve had a complicated relationship with my body. These four games draw on my life as a queer trans woman, as someone living with chronic pain and mental illness, and as someone healing through trauma. They together ask the question: what if escapism can help us to return to our body more whole?" Note - when playing Brave Sparrow, keep indigenous closed practices and local laws in mind. Many feathers cannot be collected. Perhaps find a token to represent the feather instead.

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Our gods are strong because of their imperfections, their contradictions, their disabilities, their many facets—and we were made in that image.

Neither humans or the gods were meant to be bound by manmade and ever-changing ideals of perfection.

So to anyone who think they were born “wrong” remember this: Humans and the gods grow and develop, and you are exactly in the state of becoming you were meant for 💜

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Put away an illustration that I lost interest in and started something new. My current WIP:

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A selection of my drawings from Inktober 2022