msbluestockings

[msbluestockings]

I love this picture so much! Post it whenever I come across it.

[msbluestockings]

I think it's important to remember, as a rule of thumb, if you take advantage of a social service, it actually makes it easier for other people who need that service to access it. Most of the time, when these services get cut, it's because politicians will look at usage and say "see, no one is really using this thing, we can afford to trim the budget for food stamps by at least half". Whereas if you decide to step up and use these programs, even if you feel like you "don't really need it", at bare minimum it's another data point advocates can use to say "hey, look, people are using this thing, this is an important service we are providing, do not cut our funding".

[msbluestockings]

versatile tarot spreads: masterpost

in light of yesterday's rant, here are some tarot spreads which you can submit any single question or topic to.

I'll start by linking my this, but not that spread, which while it's only 3 cards, is not a proper "three card draw."

three card draw (3 cards)

crown and branches (5 cards)

nine card tableau (9 cards)

elemental quarters (4, 5, 8, 9, 16, 17, 32, 33, 36 or 37 cards)

Click here to see if this masterpost has been updated since it was reblogged

[Do you like these spreads? Reblogging the masterpost will not preserve the spreads if the original posts are locked or deleted. If you are an archiving blog, you need to reblog each individual post to improve chances of long-term access.]

[msbluestockings]

Speaking of spells and witchy questions lol, do you know a simple spell you push your crush to text or email you?

Hello, thanks for waiting.

Try placing three allspice berries, or 3 pinches of ground allspice, around a small candle. Charge the candle with Mercury planetary energies, or elemental Air.*

Write something like "[person] will contact me" on a piece of paper and put it under the candle.

Burn the candle.

*Air and Mercury aren't 1:1 interchangeable but any magic is better than no magic, and drawing in elemental energy can be less abstract than planetary energy.

[msbluestockings]

Speaking of spells and witchy questions lol, do you know a simple spell you push your crush to text or email you?

Hello, thanks for waiting.

Try placing three allspice berries, or 3 pinches of ground allspice, around a small candle. Charge the candle with Mercury planetary energies, or elemental Air.*

Write something like "[person] will contact me" on a piece of paper and put it under the candle.

Burn the candle.

*Air and Mercury aren't 1:1 interchangeable but any magic is better than no magic, and drawing in elemental energy can be less abstract than planetary energy.

[msbluestockings]

Hey chicken,

You previously said that you believe even doing simple things in spellwork, like leaving something in a dish of salt, need to be worked over. How would you work over simple things like that? Burning a candle? Just infusing it with some energy?

Even more simple than infusing it with energy, maybe.

This isn't like, set in stone. But I generally believe that the first step of all Witchcraft is permission.

As in, you speak from a place of authority as a Witch, and give permission that reality may become abnormal.

Witchcraft is abnormal, in my opinion. I think it's perfectly nice that people build paradigms based on the idea that magic is altogether completely natural and there is no difference between the magic and normal, but I like the sinister stuff.

So IMO the first, most basic, essential "working over" is to take something (the dish of salt) and, give it permission to become abnormal and begin to effect reality abnormally.

This is the hinge upon which Witchcraft pivots: the Witch going in and taking normal things, and realigning the tracks of fate beneath them, compelling things to start happening which never would have happened if not for that specific intervention.

A dish of salt does not normally just make a space clear of emotions. If it did so, that would not be normal. It would be abnormal. Paranormal, even.

So how do you get salt to stop being normal, and start being a paranormal substance that does abnormal things?

Charging with energy is a later step. You charge with energy to fulfill an intent already set.

The first step is to give reality - the reality of the salt, of the emotions in the room - permission to be a fucked up little guy. It's easy as pie. And it mostly comes down to magical headspace: you seeing reality as something quite permeable, and easy to change, and almost illusory, springing from the web of fate that underpins it; but you can change that fate. Reality likes us. It mimics us to show that it wants to be friends. Put yourself in a state where the world is mutable, and around you the world complies.

So step one is magical headspace.

Step two is telling the salt what to do. "Listen here, you fucked up glorious little guy. Before you were dead, only crystals harvested and mined, sold on a grocery shelf where you've been reduced to nothing but flavor. They chew on your bones and forget to worship your soul. But here, in my house, you are a god. Rise from your grave in this new form, to this new purpose: purify from this room the unwanted, the harmful, and the malignant. By my word and my will, this new fate has been granted to you."

No energy work. No visualization. Just tell it like it is.

Or you could be more corporate about it. "This salt purifies negative energy from the room." It's just setting intent, if you want to be crude.

It's hard for me to do corporate magic. With all apologies to the people who do prefer the very simplified present-tense intentions.

Reality mimics us. If something is stirring inside of you, then something is stirring inside of the salt. No visualizing energy roots required.

A simple sentence may not be enough, or a paragraph. Sometimes it takes a while to find the right words. Maybe the salt isn't really a god. Maybe it's a gnome, a saltwork machine, the dead crest of a long-forgotten ocean wave that preserved a billion amoeba in crystalline purity, ready now to purify your room.

Over time, intuition and experience will both grow and combine to advise exactly what to say.

After all, you're telling it like it is - not making it up.

Go to the place where magic is real and you're doing it.

Assign new fates through words.

These are the simplest steps to working over something.

[msbluestockings]

If someone said to me, "I'm a beginner witch and I want to cover my bases in case I run into magical trouble," I would recommend:

One home ward for general protection, probably as a container spell or as an artificial spirit (perhaps using clove, red pepper, cinnamon, and soil or dust from the corners of the home/property), for the purpose of keeping out ill-fortune, ill-intent, and unwanted guests

One completely separate home ward, probably as a container spell (perhaps using dill, rosemary, and garlic), for the purpose of keeping out uninvited spirits, unwanted spirits, and malefica sent intentionally or unintentionally by other practitioners

One heavy-duty protective amulet, probably made of rusty nails or a piece of hematite or otherwise iron, for the purpose of behaving as a suit of heavy armor in case of spiritual alarm; to be carried about as you solve the problem; the effects of which may be encumbering and too imposing for everyday use

One more mild protective amulet (perhaps made of amethyst jewelry, or an acorn, or an oak twig cross), for the purpose of providing an immediate protection against ill spirits and energies; to be worn when a shield is desired, but a shielding energy-working technique is too draining or time-consuming; should be comfortable to wear as often as desired

Of all of these things, avoid repeating ingredients across charms, unless you are in special allyship with a certain spirit.

Those persons also suffering from nightmares or disturbed dreams may also benefit from:

One bedroom ward, probably a container spell or Witch's Ladder (perhaps containing star anise, amethyst, knotted cord, spiders or the forms of spiders, and rosemary), for the purpose of tangling up ill spirits and ill energies which inspire bad dreams.

Of any ward and amulet, feed it a minimum of once a season; if they're working often to provide assistance, or if the effects run out, increase feeding to once a month; in times of distress, feed weekly or as needed.

[msbluestockings]

Unown Pokemon Key Caps made by RoyalKeycaps

[msbluestockings]

Been riding my bike in the city for 16 years and I’m aggressively friendly to make sure cars see me and acknowledge they won’t suddenly run me over. I hate tinted windows, and those new Tesla suv things with dark windows and pointy edges can go to hell.

I wish everyone would try biking to get what it feels like, so much lack of empathy.

This post was directly under your bike post. No one has ever posted about bikes ever on my dashboard but this can't be coincidence. Also. Love that you found a new fun thing!

😭����THIS IS HOW IT FEELS!! Especially if I can’t look behind me and I can hear cars coming up… it’s like, please sir or ma’am I’m just trying to live… look how cute I am peacefully riding my bike, you want me to have a nice day, you don’t want to hit me with your car

[msbluestockings]

Cleaning hyperfocus is legit

tbh if someone just handed me a pressure washer and set me loose in the streets i would go into a trance and just start hosing shit down indiscriminately. it's not a question of how much i could clean, but how long until i get hit by a car and die

[msbluestockings]

I always thought these pictures were photoshopped but apparently a man in guangzhou china did indeed make a huge ass garden to cover up the fact he illegally added three more stories to his apartment

[msbluestockings]

When you’re busy and are living life at a good enough level

[msbluestockings]

The first simulated image of a black hole, calculated with an IBM 7040 computer using 1960 punch cards and hand-plotted by French astrophysicist Jean-Pierre Luminet in 1978

[msbluestockings]

New work by artist Dustin Yellin. ‘Melted by harps (Study for Psychogeography), 2024. Glass, epoxy, acrylic paint. 19” x 8” x 6.3”. Get art in your inbox. 🖼️📥❤️

[msbluestockings]

The Alanqar family has a new baby to care for, and three very young children, Zeina, Eileen, and Yamen, the oldest of which is 7 years old. They need your help to restore hope and safety to their lives!!

🍉They are currently at €61,257 out of their €75,000 goal - please consider donating to them and helping them reach their goal as quickly as possible!!

🌟 This campaign has been vetted by @/el-shab-hussein and @/nabulsi - #264 on the vetted Gaza fundraiser list.

🕊 Show your support to Ahmed and Dina by following their account @zinaanqar - their account has been suspended multiple times and they can use the support!

🇵🇸

[msbluestockings]

Chaka Khan, 1978