#How to ward off bad vibes 101

[quinnlarrabee]

Palo santo 101

Before you click play on the audio recording and blithely ignore the written guide, be sure to review the important science-based charts and insight-rich visuals sprinkled throughout it.

If you’ve ever walked into a party hosted by someone under 40 in Brooklyn, Lisbon, California, Condesa or Roma Norte, or Venice Beach and not smelled palo santo, then you probably had covid. Over the past decade palo santo has become the official scent of good vibes. It is an olfactory assurance for anyone who recognizes the scent that conversation will be limited to polyamory, regional burns, and adaptogen supplements. Despite the fact that no one ever doesn’t want to smell palo santo, it’s important to know when to use it and when to relegate your surroundings to their default odor. This guide will ensure that you know exactly how to make the most of the palo santo you carry in the shoulder bag you purchased at the Sant Jordi flea market in Ibiza during the off-season.

Like most cultural appropriations, no one who burns palo santo knows what it is, where it came from, why they use it, or why it’s even called palo santo. Let’s uncover the facts. 

Bursera Graveolens is a tree native to the dry tropical forests of South America. Its discovery by white people dates back to 1972 at a now defunct swingers resort in Quito, Ecuador, where a guest from New Jersey named Paulo Santonicola noticed a stick with a burning ember on the end of giving off a fetid, wispy trail of smoke. He pointed at the burning stick and asked the guy holding the cocaine tray, who would now be called a consent educator, “por que?”

“Plaga,” he replied, and gnashed his teeth and made a flapping-wing motion with the hand not holding the cocaine tray. Paulo brought the wood back to his central New Jersey home as a last-ditch effort to ward off the deer that were eating the tomatoes in his garden. He started burning the wood around the clock in the steamy summer of 1972, during which he and his girlfriend hosted dozens of play parties. 

“I didn’t care if people at my parties had a problem with the smell,” recounted Paulo. “Those frickin’ deer were jumping my fence and chewing through wire to eat my tomatoes. When I caught a whiff of that wood down in Quito, I thought, ‘they won’t come near my garden if I burn this shit.’” 

Mr. Santonicola had achieved some level of notoriety in the adult film industry in the early 1970s, and his parties were well attended by neo-hippies, the disco elite and the first generation of yoga professionals. Over the course of the summer, a pavlovian association formed between the scent of the wood and casual sex, and his friends started asking him for sticks so that they could take the vibe home with them. At the sunset of his porn career, he saw an opportunity not only to rebrand his legacy, distancing himself from grainy adult films with problematic titles, but also to make oceans of cash: import the wood and sell it through his readymade network of yoga instructors under his stage name, Palo Santo. 

Palo santo’s ubiquity today grew from its two foundational use cases: repelling pests and masking the odor of too many naked bodies in poorly ventilated New Jersey basements. Palo santo is still used today as a repellent of sorts to ward off bad vibes and people who do not use the word vibe in place of most nouns at the end of a question, such as scene, weather, temperature, culture, menu, rules, culture, law, opinion, suggested attire, relationship status, sexual proclivity, net worth and so on. It is also still used during group sex, but only when the group sex is intentional and/or ceremonial. There are many other ways, however, that you can improve the vibes of the world through the smoke of this wood, which was recently added to IUCN’s Red List of “near threatened” species, making it even more important to burn palo santo as a way of calling attention to its growing scarcity. 

Airplanes 

For a brief, blissful period during the pandemic, the only people who traveled were intrepid hipsters who had already contracted the virus and been instrumental in scaling it to global significance through music festivals, long-distance polycules and global nomadism. Commercial airlines from the spring of 2020 through the summer of 2021 were basically private air travel for people who know to always ask if party buffet chocolate is psycho-active. Air travel today is a much lower vibration experience, and it’s important that assertive restorative steps be taken by conscious travelers to make flying chill again. Hanging a dreamcatcher from the back of the seat in front of you and burning palo santo on the tray table is a great way of making a public flight experience feel more private. Be sure to light your palo santo only after the aircraft reaches cruising altitude, because tray tables must be stowed until then. 

Other people’s parties

Not everyone with whom you may socialize is aware of how critical palo santo is to creating and maintaining a vibe. Some less experienced hosts try to make do with incense from India, Japan or other countries that have been annexed by Brooklyn or with candles from La Labo, and it may be up to you to rescue the vibe. Back when people consumed alcohol, bringing a nice bottle of wine was a way of showing a host your appreciation, but these days bringing palo santo, immediately lighting it and waving the stick around like Harry Potter on quaaludes is the optimal way of saying thank-you to someone who has invited you into their home.  

Hospitals

While palo santo has not been proven by any form of science to deliver the healing benefits touted by people who sell or use palo santo, be assured that it does all of the things people say it does. Burning palo santo creates smoke, and smoke is pretty to watch and - like cardiovascular exercise - creates a healthy challenge for your lungs. Medical facilities are places where people go to heal, and bringing palo santo to visit a recovering friend is a beautiful contribution to not only their journey back to health but also the recovery of every patient within a twenty to fifty foot radius. 

Conscious uncoupling ceremonies

Modifying your relationship trajectory in a direction that disappoints the person you are with might seem like a low vibe experience, but you can make it a high vibe experience by burning palo santo. While explaining that the rules that you set last week for your ENM pairing have become too confining, burning palo santo will deflect negative reactions and in some cases even seduce your partner into being amenable to a situationship that has absolutely no structure, rules or expectations. This can add to your sexual abundance and also serve as a pillar in your temple of confidence that helps you acquire new lovers at floor parties. If, rather than just undefining the relationship, you are certain there is no future with the person to whom you have exposed particles of burning wood, palo santo will prevent your ex-partner from making an opposing case or lingering too long after you have had uncoupling sex. 

During sex with someone you don’t want to fall in love with you

In a rare moment of cultural relevance, Science has proven that pheromones strengthen the bonds of attraction between two or many more people during sexual activity. Sometimes, though, it is undesirable to strengthen bonds with a sex partner. Sometimes, it is optimal to maintain a totally impartial, unattached, stoic distance between the person who you are inside / is inside of you, given that attraction can lead to unintended expectations. Burning palo santo is an excellent way of muting the potency of pheromones, leveling the olfactory playing field and creating a piney through-line for all the people participating in a sexual experience. 

Any kind of intentional wellness space

Because the smell of palo santo is so potent and distracting, burning it during intentional experiences (e.g. yoga, journaling, meditation, tantra classes, tantric sex, facials or any kind of PRP therapy) compels participants to step up their intention-setting efforts. It forces deep focus and concentration, kind of like how the deafening emo whines of RY X at a RY X concert force you to lean in, cock your head and make that weird squinty-eyed, mouth-agape listening face to be able to hear the unsolicited story of how literally anyone you happen to be standing next to was in an intentional polyamorous relationship with RY X.

Ancient actually sacred genuinely authentic real cultural events that were not invented by white people to extract money from other white people

Many people who attend Burning Man have begun to explore other intentional gatherings outside of Nevada that don’t involve metallic gold body paint. Some of these gatherings are thousands of years old and are led by people who have trained their entire lives to uphold traditions that have been passed down for generations within their culture. Particularly if a gathering takes place in its country of origin (rather than being exported, diluted and branded, like an ethnic fast food franchise), you may encounter native smells that don’t smell like palo santo. In these cases, it is not only permissible but even advisable to add palo santo to everyone’s experience, which you have probably been very reluctantly allowed to attend. Burning palo santo will communicate to the religious or cultural leaders of the gathering that you are on their level and (despite having never read anything about the gathering other than first few words of the top Google result you saw while standing on the Premier Access line into your Delta flight at JFK / LAX / SFO) have a deep respect for whatever they are chanting in a language that you cannot understand while you record the most intensely sacred moments for the Instagram story that you will post at the appropriate time in your home time zone so that everyone will know that you are an internationally intentionally spiritual person who gets access to authentic cultural events. 

Despite its countless unproven benefits and its universal appeal within a very small circle, there are certain times when palo santo should not be burned. Palo santo can trigger flashbacks for people who first encountered the scent of it during acid trips. If someone walks into your container, smells the palo santo you’re burning and begins behaving erratically, just ask them to immediately return to their own container, lest they harsh the vibe you’re cultivating. The only other times that do not call for burning palo santo are when you’re alone, and no one else will see you lighting the stick and waving it around the room, bringing it within inches of everyone’s face whether they’ve invited it or not, while making awkwardly long eye contact with them, nothing but the winding trail of smoke in front of your your vulnerable gaze, thus communicating to them that you are a spiritually endowed person and care deeply about them knowing that you are a spiritually endowed person. So, a helpful rule of thumb is this: as with masturbation, you should always and only be burning palo santo when someone is watching, otherwise what’s the point.

[thecatsandthecrone]

Witchcraft 101: cleansing, banishing, warding. What are they and why do I need them all ?

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash  

☽🔮☾🕯🃏🌕🕸✨🍃🍄🧿🌙✩ 🪄📚

     It is not difficult to find unexperienced witches on Tumblr, Reddit or other communities asking "help, I cleanse my space ALL of the time but bad energies keep coming back, what am I doing wrong?". It is also likely you have read the answer of an exhausted, experienced witch saying "that's because you don't ward...". You might also have read older witches insisting that you MUST ward before playing ouija or experimenting with spirits, and mentioning that cleansing a space might not be enough if you forgot to ward, and you might need to BANISH some presences. But what do this terms mean, and how are they different?

     There is a lot of confusion when it comes to this three terms and I relate to younger witches that do not understand the difference or end up thinking they are the same. There is so much information out there, and some of it is so obscure, that it is easy to get confused and choose the easiest option. However, if we want to grow into fine practitioners we must fill in the gaps in our knowledge and grow.

     Cleansing, banishing and warding are the three components of repelling bad energies and protecting yourself. They are similar, but not the same, and they are complementary: while using only one might be enough, you probably want to combine the three to be truly safe (especially if you play around with things such as spirits or black magic). This three components are like sweeping, vacuuming and moping: you can probably get by by doing only one, but for a proper house you probably should be doing all 3.

     Cleansing is the simplest, most basic step to protect yourself. To make an analogy, cleansing would be like sanitizing your house to make sure no insects or small animals are attracted to your house. Cleansing is a small ritual to get rid of any bad energies or negative vibes that might be in your space: if anything negative happened to you recently, if a toxic person visited you... you probably want to cleanse. Cleansing is usually easy and requires very little steps: it might be as simple as *actually cleansing your house*, using cleansing incense, spreading salt in your altar or on top or your important objects, or using sound (such as rain sounds or bell sounds) to purify a space.

     Banishing is slightly stronger, and it is usually done when you know there is negative energies around you. For example, if you know someone gave you the evil eye or a hex, if you suspect a bad presence or a spirit is attached to you or if it has been a very long time since you cleansed, you probably need to banish. To go on with the analogy, banishing is like shooing away any insects that are already in your house. There are simple banishing rituals that you can practice, sometimes specific or sometimes more general: burning sage, using strong incense or candles, screaming "FUCK OFF SPIRITS" while banging pots and pans, rituals that can "send back" hexes and dark spells...

     Warding is the last step, and it involves protecting yourself and your space. It prevents evil energies or off vibes from re-entering your space. Going back to the analogy, warding is closing the window to prevent the insects from getting inside. It is crucial that you ward *after* cleansing or banishing: otherwise, you might trap the bad energies inside your home. Warding can be as easy or as complex as you want: simple salt lines in front of your gates and windows are enough, but there also plenty of rituals that are absolutely wonderful.

     Why do all of this get conflated together? Because the terms are pretty similar, and often go hand in hand, taking into account numerous herbs with cleansing proterties also have warding properties. Sage, one of the most well loved cleansing herbs also works for warding, for example. While you can combine a herb with both properties for both things, it is not ideal: intent and focused effort count a lot here.

     All in all, cleansing, banishing and warding are similar terms, but not the same. All three are important in your practice, and while doing only one might get you by you need the three to actually be "well covered" and to be well protected. They must be done in a particular order for them to be effective (cleanse or banish BEFORE warding) and they can be as simple or as complex as you'd like. You might combine this steps in one, but they might not be as powerful as if you do them one by one (don't forget that focused intent counts a lot in witchcraft!).

I hope you have enjoyed this post. If you would like me to continue making posts like this please support me so I can continue making them: you can support me by donating here https://ko-fi.com/bunnymatchamochi or by visiting my Etsy store here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LovenestAtelier?ref=profile_header Reblogs and likes also help ! Thank you so much for reading me !  

[merakireveries]

Harry Potter is TRASH! I HATE the filthy Romiones, disgusting Dramiones/Drarry, whiny Hinny and dirty Harmione shippers! Hope you all rot in hell!

Hello, there!! :D

I'm not sure if you're referring to the character of Harry Potter or the series as a whole. 😅 If you're talking about the latter, that's okay! You don't have to like the Harry Potter series- different strokes for different folks, y'know? Maybe fantasy ain't your thing. Perhaps you might like science fiction or realistic fiction, instead! (Btw, totally recommend Anne of Green Gables if you wanna branch out, hehe!)

But if you are talking about the former, I personally think Harry Potter is a great character and a kindhearted person. Some may think he got angry too often, but that's prolly cuz of all the stress that was put on him.

Now, it seems you're a little stressed yourself, darling. And that's okay!! As y'all know from my Welcoming Post on my page (shameless plug lololol), this is a safe space! So if you feel the need to vent some negative emotions, daz okay by me suga✨😙💛

Now I am part of the Harry Potter fandom, and yeh, I'm a Harmione shipper (guilty, she be.) And I understand that for you to be saying what you're saying, you must have had bad experiences with Harmione, Hinny, Romione, Drarry, and Dramione shippers. In lots of fandoms, there are toxic shippers who act really disrespectfully towards people who don't ship what they ship or think the way they do.

I'm sorry you must have gone through that. It's hard being part of a fandom with toxic waters and intense ship wars. From personal experience, this is what I learned:

1. I should find nice, respectful people to surround myself with.

And

2. I should be nice and respectful too so that other people can enjoy the fandom with me. Y'know?

That way, I can find and create little spaces in the fandom that are pleasant to be in. It makes things easier. Try to avoid places with toxic people and if you're feeling really upset due to the toxicity, try not to redirect it to other people. Otherwise, it just creates more conflict and hurt in the waters, y'know? And it just feels like this:

Not all shippers are mean people who deserve to rot for eternity. In fact, it's not very nice to be saying stuff like that regardless. Remember, I got 3 rulez:

1. Don't burn the place down, 2. Be respectful, and 3. Be nice

You seem to be havin' a hard time. And it's okay, baby- Mama's gotchu.

Just try to create them positive atmospheres, and you'll start Feelin' bettah! That's a promise. 💛

Thanks for being my second ask!!! This was wonderful, hehe! Now, kids, what did we learn? Yes. We learned this:

Have a nice day, everyone!!

😙✨💛💕💕💕🌻🌅

[shywitchyfangirl]

Tips for Beginning Spirit Workers!

Me? Posting something useful instead of just memes? GASP!

1. Plan communication and housing methods in advance. This is your responsibility, not the spirits’. Housing can include binding them to an object, binding them to yourself, letting them wander your house, or (my personal method) building an astral temple for them. Communication can take all kinds of forms, including dreams, hallucinations, Ouija boards, body sensations, intrusive thoughts, and telepathy. When starting out, you’ll probably be working with sensations and intrusive thoughts, and work your way up to other forms. An important thing to remember is if you’re ever unsure if something was them, assume it was. False negatives do far more harm than false positives when you’re trying to learn how to communicate. Assuming your spirit said something they didn’t might annoy them, but denying real messages will prevent you from developing your senses and harm your relationship with them.

2. Set boundaries and keep them! It doesn’t matter who they are, how powerful they are, or if they’re a literal god. You have rights, and they do not own you. Take no excuses, make no compromises. You don’t need to explain anything. If you give some spirits an inch, they’ll take a mile. I have a rule that no one can possess me while I’m on my period. Why? Because I don’t want them to, end of discussion. If anyone throws a fit about your boundaries, you don’t want to work with them anyway. If you’re planning to let them stick around, setting house rules is also very important! (”Don’t mess with the other human residents” is always a good starting point.)

3. Doubt happens. Even the most experienced spirit worker has moments of “Oh gods, I’m just crazy and talking to myself.” Don’t beat yourself up over it! Healthy skepticism is what keeps us sane. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad spirit worker. Try taking a moment to reflect on the times when your spirits did something that proved themselves to you, because I promise, those moments will happen too! One of my earliest moments was when a spirit possessed my and drew a bunch of dicks in my notebook before I even realized what she was drawing. If you haven’t had one of those moments yet, just remember the golden rule: You can’t be imagining it, because your imagination should never surprise you.

3.5 Know your craft, not others’. Related to the above, a big source of doubt is when you read about other spirit workers’ doing things differently. Remember, the term UPG (Unverified Personal Gnosis) exists for a reason. Your Mileage May Vary! Every spirit worker experiences spirits differently. Different doesn’t mean wrong. Figure out what’s best for you and your spirits, and have confidence in your craft.

4. Don’t trust just anyone. Not every spirit you contact will be on your side. Some have their own agenda, others just want a plaything. Some spirits will pretend to be someone else to get past your defenses. The best way to stay safe is to always trust your instincts. If a spirit gives you a “bad vibe,” DITCH THEM. Never give them the benefit of the doubt. There is not a single spirit you NEED to have in your life, and thus there’s no reason to give a sketchy spirit a chance. Aside from that, don’t just assume any spirit you contact will be friendly and benevolent. Most spirit workers go through a “vetting” period of at least 3 months before deciding if a spirit is truly good to join their team. Yes, THREE MONTHS. You don’t want to allow just any powerful astral being into your life, do you? Remember, spirits have power, and they CAN hurt you. If you wouldn’t allow any random stranger into your house, don’t allow any random spirit into your life.

5. Do your research! Spirits aren’t human, and they don’t have the same wants and needs as humans. Research in advance what the particular species you’re summoning wants and needs. If they’re from a pop culture series, research the series. Research their friends, family, and enemies. Know who they will or won’t work well with. If they’re a nonhuman character, pay special attention to their species’ attributes, such as behavior, communication, and any unusual needs or weaknesses. You are responsible for your spirits’ safety while they’re with you! Remember, there’s no such thing as knowing too much. The more you know, the better prepared you’ll be!

6. Respect their boundaries. Not every spirit wants to be worshipped, especially pop culture ones. Some find it flattering, others find it creepy. Similarly, not every spirit wants to be your best friend forever, and not every spirit is eagerly waiting for your call every second of every day. Spirits may be cool, but don’t be a stalker. Give them some dang space. Also accept that many spirits don’t plan to stay with you forever. There may be a few that will be with you until you die (or even follow you to your next life!) but the vast majority have lives outside of you just like humans do, and there will be a time when you don’t need them or vice versa. Don’t feel bad about them leaving, and don’t try to force them to stay. Spirits come and go, and it does not mean you’re a bad spirit worker if you lose a few allies. Your closest friends will be the ones who choose you, and those are the ones you really want in your inner circle.

7. Don’t call up what you can’t put down. Always always ALWAYS have a banishing spell ready, and be sure to start small. Practice with a simple Pikachu before you go summoning Arceus. And keep that banishing spell handy during the vetting period! Many spirit workers suggest doing a banishing spell after every summoning unless you plan on letting the spirit stay permanently. It’s also always a good idea to have some kind of restraint the first few times you call on a spirit, even if it’s just a circle of salt. Personally I like to keep one of my stronger spirit family members around to babysit the new guys.

8. Always stay protected. Shield spells are your best friends. Use them. Keep them updated. There is never a reason to not be shielded. There is also never a reason to not have your house protected. At least once a month, update your wards, cleanse and banish everything, and recharge your home’s energy. Don’t worry, you can set your wards to whitelist your approved spirit family and any specific spirits you want to lure in, but it’s best to not allow just anyone in off the street. Consider placing sigils around to mark your territory as your own, or you may find someone or something trying to move in and claim your house for themselves! 

9. Know the facts about spirit attacks. The first rule is that you’re probably NOT being attacked. If you have to think “Was that a spirit? Am I being attacked?” you’re definitely not being attacked. Spirits are empowered by your fear, they WANT you to know they’re attacking you. One time when I was attacked, the spirit broke my rainbow fountain right in front of me in a way that made both separate lights simultaneously only glow blood red. That doesn’t just happen. And then they immediately and obviously tried to pull me out of my body so they could take it over. The other two times, the spirits tried so hard to suck me out of my body that it made me disoriented and felt like someone was vacuuming my head while my body felt cold. Spirit attacks are always obvious because they’re trying to scare you. Which leads to the second rule: NEVER PANIC. The more afraid you are, the more power they have over you. Stay calm, put up a shield, call a trusted alley to aid you, and banish their ass to next week. Remember, most spirits who attack are just bullies looking for a new toy to torment. Even a simple “fuck off” can give them the message you’re not worth the trouble.

10. Be prepared before opening up to possession. Possession is real, and it can be dangerous. With a trusted ally, it’s tons of fun, and you can even ask them to handle things like chores for you. With literally anyone else, you’re putting your life at risk. There is nothing stopping a strong enough spirit from throwing you off the nearest bridge. The good news is that forced, full possession is rare. The bad news is it can still happen, and it’s very hard to stop when it does. This is why it’s so important to vet your spirit allies before allowing them close to you, ESPECIALLY before letting them possess you. If a spirit shows any sign of not respecting your boundaries, get them the hell out of your life. Luckily, partial possession is much more common (when you’re still in control but either being influenced, or only your limbs are moving without your input). This version can be fought off via internal struggle or countered with a cleansing spell or an ally’s help.

11. Get creative with offerings. Offerings are Spiritwork 101. You won’t be getting a lot of help from spirits if you don’t pay them back. But the important part is knowing exactly what to give them. There are certainly things that are standard, and things that are easy enough to guess (Moon water for the moon goddess, flowers for the nature spirit, etc.) But the best offerings are ones that are personal, creative, and meaningful. Your fairy friend probably has a thousand flowers, but have they tried your pancakes? Would your familiar like a friendship bracelet in their favorite color? Hell, does your ancient ancestor want to try Starbucks? Also note that offerings can be experiences, not just gifts. Some spirits love to hear new music. Jevil loves to possess me and play games, or even just watch me play them. And Seam likes to be cuddled while he possesses a body pillow, or to be read to. The better you get to know your spirit friends, the more ways you’ll find to make them happy.

12. Recognize a spirit calling, but don’t answer them all. As you progress in spirit work, you’ll start receiving “spirit callings”. Callings are different for everyone, but they’re generally feelings of obsession over a certain spirit. You may find yourself thinking “everything would be okay if X was here” when you’re having a bad day. You may find yourself wanting to know everything about them. You might notice signs of them, such as feathers if they have wings.  If it’s a pop culture spirit, you may start obsessively tracking down fanworks of them. If you can’t get a spirit out of your mind, you’re probably being called! This means that good things could happen if you work with this spirit (though it does NOT mean the relationship will last forever!). However, this doesn’t mean you should answer ever single calling. It’s always important to know your limits. If you already have lots of spirits hanging around, adding one more won’t benefit you or them, no matter how strongly you’re called to them. Remember, there will always be another calling. 

13. Know your limits. Speaking of which, remember that you’re responsible for your spirits, and you should never take on more than you can handle. Spirit hoarding is a real thing, and it’s harmful to everyone involved. Know how many spirits you can handle at once, and know how close you can get to each of them. My astral temple is designed to let dozens of spirits come and go as they please, but of those, I’m only comfortable getting truly close to exactly two at a time. There is no shame in letting a spirit you no longer need go before bringing in a new one. There is also no shame in not being perfect. If you need some space for a few days, take it. If all you can muster today is a halfhearted “hello” to your familiar, do it. Your spirit allies will always be there waiting once you’re feeling better. If they’re true allies, they’ll understand if you’re not feeling well and need some time to yourself.

[rafe-cameron]

THE ANALYSIS OF JOHN B ROUTLEDGE

In the fandom, what I've seen is a lot of what I feel is misinterpretation of John B's character, which is leading to a lot of unnecessary slander, and overall a negative vibe surrounding John B, and giving a negative wave of backlash to those who do like his character. I am all for positive emotions, and supporting and liking and disliking whatever characters you'd like! Though, I would like to put this out here just as a way of explaining what I've seen in his character. This is not a professional opinion by any means, but I do have a habit and (ringing my own bell) talent in analyzing different characters from an unbiased point of view.

DISCLAIMER: All of this is not fact, but a closely analyzed opinion. You are free to disagree and I genuinely do not care if you don't like John B! I wrote this because I wanted to and feel it could help. And this is written FOR JOHN B. Don't hit me with comments of “but JJ also” or “but Kie didn't MEAN to” or anything, because I am not writing about them. I’m writing this one for John B, about John B, and how someone would view life through his eyes and with everything that happened.

Now, onto the analysis.

Episode 1:

John B has a wave of issues being presented in not-so friendly forms. A 16 year old is living alone, considering his father has been missing for 9 months. Looking at it that way, he's had to finish his school year while juggling constant jobs to take care to himself, for food, gas, and paying bills, on top of school. Even if it's revealed he missed a lot of school that year, it's hard to blame him. His mom left him when he was still a baby, His uncle by definition also abandoned him, and his father is gone. He's threatened with foster care daily, which means he would lose everything that he has, his home, and his friends, which are the only thing keeping his head above water.

That alone is enough to give him intense abandonment issues. Both parental figures left, his guardian is as he described it “MIA”, so his ability to process how people see him and how he sees relationships is going to be, at best, rocky. He's going to have it in his head that everyone around him can leave at any time and he won't have any sort of say in it. Not to mention the depression and the anxiety that would bubble up from all of this. Depression makes you lash out, anxiety makes you pull away, two things he's shown to have trouble controlling.

He gets an idea for a way to try and make his life better, and get money to support himself, JJ being the one to hype that up despite Kie and Pope being against it.

Come the party later that night at the boneyard. A widespread party with lots of people there, lots of drinking, and comes the fight between Topper and JJ, which led to John B stepping in to protect JJ.

This is the first of many times where John B is almost murdered or killed. Hearing Topper yells “dont make me drown you like your old man”, then being drowned by him, while everyone stood and watched until JJ went off his shits and saved him.

This? Is all just the first episode. A peek into the curtain of how his family abandoned him, then he gets his shit beaten in, and he gets drowned by Topper. This would only worsen his already fragile mental state. At this point, he's ready to call it off, and leave it alone, but JJ gets desperate to help his friend and himself, and he goes along with it. This leads to, again, him getting shot at by the two guys hunting down the compass he stole off the boat. The second time John B is almost killed.

“With no parents, no money, and no one looking out for me, I've got no chance, unless I make it on my own.”

He sees no way out of the hole he's in anymore unless he fights tooth and nail to get out of it, no matter what it takes.

Episode 2:

In this episode, he's got it in his head now that since he found a compass on a wrecked boat, that his dad is trying to reach out to him. When you have abandonment issues as deep-running as John B, any possible chance that someone who left already is trying to come back? You run with it. You cling to it like it is all you have, and for him, it is. This compass is all that he has to go on, and he's desperate to try and figure it out because this is his fathers last way of communicating with him.

He goes to Ms. Lana's house, and has to both watch and listen to two men terrorize her, and he is told vaguely by Ms. Lana that it is horrible that he has the compass. He returns home to talk to his friends, and goes to his dads office for the first time in a long time, and has to relive the fact his fathers gone at that point.

Only for the two guys to come to John B's house. They break in and completely ransack the place, they steal a good chunk of John B's fathers stuff. They have to sneak out of the window and go to hide until the two men leave, but, he has to sit and watch these people break apart his home and steal from him.

After all of that, they go to the lighthouse, where he's thrown into another panic over this compass that no one is telling him about. He's frustrated, and he's scared. They leave the lighthouse and in a complete blind instinct of adrenaline, he kisses Kie, and gets rejected by her. Then, he gets arrested, questioned, and has to get bailed out by Kie's dad, who insults him. Now Kie won't talk to him, and he has to go home to his damaged house.

He also has to get fired from hi only stable job, so now he has no money and no job, a damaged home, and lost a friend for now.

Not only that, but he does get hunted down by those two men again, and is almost killed for thr 3rd time, and runs through an electric fence, where he's almost killed the 4th time. He gives up his fathers compass, and while ull of hurt and despair for everything, returns home to try and move past everything, but he catches another glimpse of possibility, and he clings to it all over again.

And, his urge and crave to hunt down his dad only grows as they find the Redfield tomb thingy and find the package left behind by Big John.

Episode 3:

It starts off with John B having to sit through the emotion that comes with hearing his fathers voice for the first time in 9 months. The pain and the confusion and how much he missed him rushing back, it's a feeling that is hard to describe, but it is draining, and it doesn't feel good.

He talks to everyone about how he just wants to have a normal life, and stop stressing so much about damn near everything.

He's decently up in this episode, but his actions only worsen. He encourages stealing, and puts himself into risky situations. This is the bud of the suicidal/reckless tendencies he starts to develop as he starts to lose regard for his own safety, because subconsciously, he sees no point in caring about what happens to himself and those around him. This is where he gets desperate for a reason to keep existing, because he lost every other one that he had.

Episode 4:

In this episode, they find the merchant. They track it down and find it's empty, but John B isn't ready to give up.

He gets met, unfortunately, with DCS, who force him to pack, and start to take him away. In an attempt to not leave behind anything? He jumps from a moving vehicle, and is now being hunted down for the first time.

He's taken in by Sarah.

DISCLAIMER: OPINION.

This is where we see Sarah see that things with John B aren't cookie cutter. She knows hes plotting something, and she wants to get away from her Kook life and do something different and exciting. So, she tags along for the ride. Her and John B go out and Sarah puts John B into a situation where he is being led on by her, despite her being in a relationship. But, her desperation to break from her box gets the best of her, and John B clings to that romance, because a romantic relationship has a more solid foundation than a friendship to him. They're less likely to leave him. So, he wants to run with it.

This is a huge part of why he kissed Kie. In his eyes, if he's dating them, maybe they wont leave, but he can't have that same situation with just a friend. He knows that, and this is where he starts to push away his friends. Bite before you can get bitten, it's depression + abandonment issues 101.

Episode 5:

This one is.. a mess. Its a mess.

We start right off the bat with John B realizing that he can't go home anymore. JJ and John B get into a pretty nasty argument. JJ is concerned for his friend, and he wants him to be safe and stop all of this, naturally, but to John B? He hears JJ trying to give him on him, to abandon him, and to leave all of this. He reacts to this by lashing out at him, yelling at him, and talking about how he just wants to stop because he got beat up. Which, John B is still under the assumption it was just the Kooks, when it was both the Kooks and his father – something John B didn't catch onto. After they yell at eachother, John B has JJ following him again. It's a safe zone once more in John B's mind.

Then, after the party is crashed and they all meet up, John B tries to explain that Sarah got wrapped up into all of this. He has Kie, Pope, and even if JJ knew already, he's not too happy about it either. So he's got everyone mad at him for this, and even if spirits are high in terms of his recklessly driven hunt, he sees everyone around him getting angrier, and angrier. And that? Is making him angry too.

He goes to meet Sarah at the hawks nest. And once again, he is almost killed. He's shoved off of it by none other than Topper (who has tried to murder him twice now), and plummets, and ends up in the hospital.

But things can start to turn around, because Ward took him in and he has a legal guardian now, right?

No.

Ward is plotting to keep John B under his nose to make sure he doesn't find anything else out.

Episode 6:

Again, not much happens here. Things seem to be going good and despite Wards want for John B laying low, he doesn't. He finds the gold.

Episode 7:

Here, we  have another instance in which JJ's bad ideas get John B (and everyone) put into danger. After trying to pawn off the gold, they get stopped by Barry, who threatens to kill him and robs them. John B is quick to jump into the line of fire and get the gold back, desperate to keep it. He succeeds, but JJ barrels into Barrys house and robs him. JJ manhandles John B a good few times for trying to stop him.

And nearing the end of this, he's told by Ward that Ward knows about the gold, and wants John B to give it all up.

John B says no. He's gotten this far and can't lose it all to Ward. Not only that? But he finds out Ward had something to do with his father disappearing. That sort of news is heartbreaking. John B snaps just a little more, but so does Ward.

Episode 8:

John B and ward get into it. Ward is messy and doesn't hesitate to try and kill John B while they're on the boat. Again, for the 7th time, John B is almost killed, but escapes it just in time to keep going.

He goes to Lana, who explains that Ward was the one who killed his father. He finds out now that the man he trusted and the man that took him in both wanted to steal from him, and murdered his only parent? That's too much to carry for any one person.

Ward tells authorities John B tried to kill him, and he's being hunted down even more than he was before.

He sees now that again, all of his friends are both worried and angry with him. He's panicking at this point. He's stuck on the run and can't seem to catch a break, more so now that Ward figured out where the gold is, and sees him trying to leave with it.

Episode 9:

John B now is framed for the murder of Peterkin. He's almost killed by Rafe at the runway, and is now on the run again. He's facing major charges and none of them are of things he actually ever did.

John B has no choice but to run away from the OBX, from the US< and try and figure out what to do with himself from there.

He's almost killed by Rafe, again, because he set the bell tower ablaze.

But he manages to escape long enough so everyone can put together the pieces of his escape plan.

Episode 10:

He leaves. He leaves with Sarah on the boat, but of course, power has to go back on, and they lose their cover. They're both hunted down, chased out to sea, and is considered dead because of the storm. He survives again, but just by the skin of his teeth.

Looking back on everything that happened to  him just in these episodes, on top of knowing he had to deal with his father being gone for months without a clue of how to take care of himself, plus the fact he's now headed for his gold without anything but one bar and the clothes on his back?

John B quite literally lost everything. He lost his family, his home, his friends, his job, everything that kept his head above water, yet, he's expected to be the strong one, and the leader of the group.

He has expectations that he cant meet, and he's getting the wrong kind of help for his issues. Depression, anxiety, trust issues, abandonment issues, and I wouldn't be surprised if various forms of PTSD stemmed from everything that's happened to him. In no way is John B a perfect person. He is a flawed and complex character, who made poor choices, and acted out in bad ways, but, the entire gang is guilty of doing some bad things too.

JJ's aggression and lack of impulse control.

Pope's passive aggression and constant cold shoulder to not getting what he wants.

Kie's hostility and lack of self restraint.

Topper's sexism and abusiveness.

Rafe's drug abuse and abusiveness.

Again, you are so more than welcome to dislike and like whatever characters you want! Though, I hope this point of view can help clear up some of the thing's ive seen on John B being irredeemable and a bad friend to everyone.

John B is a wonderfully written, intense, lovable character, and I wanted to share my thoughts on him, his trauma, and his life! If anyone wants to see more deep character analysis', don't be afraid to request them! I enjoy doing them!

- jv

[goffilolo]

Demise of Midoriya Izuku (part 2)

I also posted the new chapter on ao3, you can read it here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11557743/chapters/26153190

there are some original character in this chapter and i will draw them at some point in case youre gonna wonder what they look like.

“-so as you can see from this x-ray it was a clean break, so it should take about 6 weeks to fully heal. In the meanwhile you will be transferred to the psychiatric ward, where we can fully monitor your mental health as well. If you or your mother have any concerns please inform one of our staff members as soon as possible-”

As soon as Izuku’s existential crisis tantrum was over, the nurse came back, this time with a doctor at her side. Dr. Kenko looked like a nice enough man; slightly on the heavier side, in his mid forties with a rather gentle look in his eyes. If Izuku were to describe him, he’d say that the man gives off a vibe of your favourite uncle, which normally he’d be happy about if it wasn’t for all the rumbling. ‘Is this what I’m usually like?’ Unfortunately Izuku wasn’t able to descend in the vortex of self reflection as yet again he was expected to participate in the conversation.

“-now, the nurse will bring you something to eat and in the meanwhile we shall discuss your care plan.”

“My what now?”

“Your care plan, it’s what we’re going to do to help you.We will start off with some SSRIs; it’s one of the safer drugs with fewer side effects, it should help in stabilizing your moods. But most importantly, a proper therapy is needed. You will have sessions with one of our psychiatrists who specialises in children and adolescent patients. You will meet doctor Iyashi soon enough, but I can guarantee you that he is-”

“I don’t need it”

“I’m sorry?”

“I said, I don’t need it. I don’t need to waste my time talking to someone who’s only going to tell me things I already know”

“Izuku please, the doctors only want what’s best for you”

“The doctors are here for their paycheck and they literally couldn’t give less fucks about me”

The doctor cleared his throat, his soft demeanor fading away “Mr. Midoriya, I don’t think you fully understand your situation. You have attempted suicide, it is a serious matter and we are required to perform a psychological evaluation before we can even consider releasing you from the ward. I am aware that a therapy seems like a scary thing and many patients are rather averse to it at first, but I advise you give it a chance and if you don’t like doctor Iyashi we can arrange for you to have sessions with another psychiatrist”.

At this point the Dr. Kenko reminded Izuku more of a stern father reprimanding his child rather than a chill uncle, although Izuku can’t be sure since his own dad wasn’t around long enough for him to know what it’s like.

“Ok” was all Izuku could say, because he still had enough decency not to argue with a doctor who within a span of 5 minuted has managed to become a somewhat of a temporary father figure to him. ‘Daddy issues’ he thought , ‘that’s probably why I need therapy’.

And so the next day Izuku found himself in front of Dr. Iyashi’s office, waiting for his evaluation. In all honesty it felt like waiting for an execution to take place, and the wheelchair he was currently seated in did not help to erase the mental image of an electric chair. There was something rather unsettling about having to see a professional who had the ability to look into your deepest thoughts and take you apart piece by piece. It made Izuku feel strangely vulnerable and the session hasn’t even started yet. However there was also a part of him that wanted to spill all this darkness he’s been holding deep inside, just waiting for some sort of an outlet, which was probably even scarier as Izuku himself has never faced that darkness and was too afraid to face the unknown.

His dwelling on the irrational fear of his own disturbing thoughts ended almost as soon as it started when the door to Dr Iyashi’s office opened. Izuku quickly turned his head in the door’s direction expecting to see the doctor, but instead found himself faced with another patient; a middle aged woman with long white hair, which had Izuku slightly confused ‘Didn’t Dr. Iyashi specialise in children and adolescents?’.

“Now Mrs. Todoroki, I’m very happy with how today’s session went and I hope we can continue where we left off next week.” said a male voice from behind the doors. ‘Oh, it must be Dr, Iyashi’ Izuku thought. The tone was rather professional, but still contained a cheerful vibe, which made him feel like the doctor was genuine in what he said. It made Izuku feel slightly relieved as instead of a faceless figure wearing a white coat, his mental image of Dr. Iyashi was replaced with equally vague, nevertheless a more positive one.

Finally the doctor’s figure walked out from behind the office door, which Izuku has dubbed ‘the execution room’ mere 15 minutes ago.

“Ah, you must Izuku, sorry to keep you waiting. I’m Dr. Iyashi and I will be conducting your evaluation. Now, how about we go into my office and get started?”

If Dr. Kenko was the favourite uncle, then Dr. Iyashi was your best friend who you were willing to spill all your secrets to. Or at least that’s what Izuku thought best friends did, his only experience with friendship again, too brief to form any proper expectations. The severe lack of positive people in his life was slightly concerning now that he thought about it. The point being, there was something soothing and relaxing about Dr. Iyashi, which made Izuku feel like opening up to him wouldn’t be as bad as he originally anticipated.

Not sure what to say to the man who was about to pry his mind open, Izuku simple nodded and allowed himself to be wheeled into the doctor’s office. Once Izuku found himself in the office he looked everywhere, yet nowhere in particular, trying desperately to focus on anything other than what was about to happen.

“So Izuku, before we start I will let you know that everything you say in this room is confidential, and while I won’t share any details of our conversations, I will need to write up a general summary of our sessions to go with your medical file, which will help me in conducting your evaluation. Is that alright with you?”

“Yes sir”

“Now, you don’t have to be so formal. You can call me Shin if you prefer, I find that most of my patients are more comfortable talking once they’re on a first name basis with me.”

“Ok Shin”

Izuku was tense. He didn’t exactly know what to expect, feeling like every single part of him, from the short, flat answer he given, to the way he twitched under the doctor’s eyes were being analysed and used to give 101 facts away about Izuku, half of which he probably didn’t even know himself. ‘Maybe this was Shin’s quirk? It must be very useful in his field of work’ he thought.

“So tell me, how are you feeling?”

“I don’t know”

“That’s okay. Let’s start off with something easier then. What are you thinking?”

“I think that I’m like an animal waiting to be dissected by your mind reading quirk.”

“My what?! I don’t have that kind of quirk unfortunately. It’s a shame though let me tell you, it would’ve made my work ten times easier.”

He then laughed, probably wanting to disperse the awkward atmosphere, though Izuku did not make it any easier.

“Ok then, now that we cleared that up, let’s get started. Just tell me anything, literally anything that comes to your mind and let’s go from there”.

‘Anything’ Izuku thought ‘that’s not exactly helpful’. Given no boundaries is even more stressful as it gives you infinite choices, something he wasn’t really used to as his world up until now revolved around standardized tests with only one correct answer.

“Daddy issues” his mouth ever so helpfully provided without the brain’s input. Izuku could see the doctor losing his composure for about a fraction of a second before regaining his professionalism one again, but in all honesty he couldn’t care less.

“Daddy issues you say. Dr, Kenko has mentioned your mother visiting, but nothing about your father. You two must have a rather strained relationship, I presume?”

“Nah, the issue is that he’s not even around to give me any daddy issues.”

The doctor quickly wrote down whatever observation he made about Izuku, before resuming the conversation.

“So would you say that the lack of a father figure has negatively impacted your life?”

“I don’t know. He wasn’t here to fuck anything up for me so I guess not.”

“I often see that the patients who live in separated families have found some other adult who they see as their role model in place of an absent parent. Is there someone like that in your life? Someone you really admire, look up to, possibly imitate?”

Now that gave Izuku something that can only be described as ‘war flashbacks’. Might as well go down the lane of dead dreams.

“Yeah, All Might.” It was again brief, but his voice betrayed more emotions in that one sentence than during his entire stay in the hospital so far, the obvious tune of melancholy mixed in with the dull tone of regret and the long faded admiration.

“I always wanted to be a hero like him, to be able to save everyone with a smile on my face” he added, unable to look Shin in the eyes.

“Is that no longer the case?”

“No”

“And why is that?”

‘Why?!’ Izuku thought while looking out through the window ‘Because why bother wishing for something that is impossible? Why bother hurting, when deep down you know that it will all amount to nothing?’

“Because I was stupid. I kept deceiving myself, telling myself that if I just work hard enough I could make it. It was a lie, I lied to myself everyday, because I was too afraid of facing the truth. But you know, ultimately the truth came back to bite me in the ass, and that’s how I ended up here”

“Is this what you thought about when you decided to jump off the building?”

“‘If you believe they’re holding your quirk over in the next world you should just dive off the rooftop’ he said”

“What? Who said that?!”

“I didn’t believe him, the guy wants to be a hero and he has a pretty good chance you know? Amazing quirk, good grades, but his personality is anything but heroic” Izuku chuckled, remembering Kacchan’s explosive behaviour. It was empty, holding no hint of amusement whatsoever “But I decided to jump off anyway, just to spite him. Though I guess I was also desperate? I felt so hopeless, not knowing what to do with myself and for a split of second, jumping off seemed like a good idea”. He was now sobbing, tears quietly falling, still not facing the man to whom he was spilling his sorry excuse of a tragic backstory “and that split of second was enough.”

“Izuku, what you’ve just told me is very important. If all of this was caused by extreme bullying, there’s something that can be done about it. Does the school know-”

“Sure they do, they just don’t care. You’d be surprised how flawlessly it all works out when there’s one person to torment and take out their frustrations on, so that everyone else can go on with their everyday lives like the little, pathetic people they are.”

There was a heavy silence between them, interrupted only by the doctor’s scribbling in his journal. The whole session was going downhill from the very start and Izuku just wanted to be done with it.

If this is how sessions with a psychiatrist usually look like, then Izuku was dreading the next 6 weeks of his life.

[witchlingsway]

Herbs & Plants Masterpost

Since a lot of these spells are taking up my blog randomly I decided to add them all as links for easier viewing. NONE of these are mine, just spells I reblogged and was interested in.

Constantly Updated(Last Update: 06/27/2017)

Basic Info

A Quick Spell to Dispel Previous Spells

Blowing Out Candles

Magic Failure: Why Wasn’t My Spell Successful?

Taglocks and Magical Links

The Very Best of Taglocks - An object that forms a link with the individual to be manipulated.

To Break a Spell You’ve Cast(2)

To Reverse a Spell

Why Aren’t My Spells Working? - A break-down of why your magickal intent may not be taking effect in your life.

Witchcraft 101: Taglocks

Basic Info.: Herbs & Plants

Alternatives to Lavender

Common Toxic Herbs and Their Effects - This is not a complete list by any means, but these commonly noted plants, herbs, and flowers should be handled with care or avoided altogether.

Good Plants for Beginners - These are a few plants that I’ve found to be more difficult to kill than others. For those who want to start gardening but are afraid that they are going to kill everything.

Herbcraft - Lingo on what you can create with herbs.

Herblore - Lots of links

"If you have done the homework on the plants you are gathering, learned how each plant needs to be dried, and followed the proper steps, storing your herbs in glass jars will not make them mold."

"... I see a lot of people posting herbal remedies. Please, please include the cautions and contradictions with an herb when you recommend it..." - A detailed warning on injesting herbs.

Magickal Folk Names for Herbs - "... these names were used merely as descriptors to help remember them easier. Most plants were given names descriptive of their uses and others were given names for something they generally resembled. Spells written by witches in ancient times were often written with such descriptors..."

Poisonous Doppelgangers - Difference between some harmless and deadly plants that look similar.

Study Tips for Herbalist - Lots of information.

The Etiquette of Herb-Gathering

Growing

Herb Grower’s Cheat Sheet - Which ones can be grown inside, when to plant, when to harvest, and how to care for them.

Mama Cat’s Beginner Witch Garden - If you are interested in flowers, here are some plants that are easy to grow and tend to take care of themselves. They are also great for attracting bees.

Offerings & Gifts to Plants

The Nine Easiest Herbs to Grow

Correspondences

Banishing Herbs Masterpost - Banishing negative energies/spirits comes in three steps. The initial banishing, then purification of the space to clear it of anything that resides and lastly protection is put in place to prevent negative energies returning.

Herbs and Spices Associated with Money Magic - A list of all herbs and spices associated with money magic. Common/easily attainable ingredients’ names italicized.

Herbs and Their Uses - Many, many herbs.

Herbs Associated With The Dead - Here’s a quick post of herbs used to summon, talk to, or celebrate with the dead. It was created to invoke ancestors specifically, but I hope this helps all of you guys!

Herbs for Banishing and Cleansing

Herbs for Curses & Hexing - So here’s a list I have devised that are good for curses/hexing. Please be warned: many of these are icky and poisonous. Please do your research before handling and please do not ingest. Some of these herbs require a mask and gloves!

Herbs for Divination - You can use herbs, herbal incense, herbal oils, and a whole lot more to aid you in divination.

Herbs for School, Studying, & Education - The following herbs are for all those students out there!! The following will help repel insanity, increase concentration, and promote success. Please do not digest any herbs before doing your research, some of these are poisonous.

Herb Magic: Rose Colors and Magic

Necromantic Herbs: Plants of the Dead - There are a number of plants which can be extremely useful to the necromancer.

Plant and Herb Properties by Name Masterpost

Plants Used in Smudge Sticks - Smudging or smoke cleansing is the burning of certain herbs and flowers to create a cleansing smoke bath which is used to purify negative energies on yourself, in your home, or objects.

Edible

Edible Magickal Flowers and Folk Lore - Adding flowers to your food can be a nice way to add color, flavor and a little magickal whimsy. Some are spicy, and some herbaceous, while others are floral and fragrant. The range is surprising. Flower petals can be used in salads and as garnish for desserts, but they also inspire magickal creative uses as well. Use them to make floral spirit water for rituals, as a medicinal tea, or add to a healing spell or love potion…. the possibilities are endless.

Herbal Tea Remedies - 60+ different recipes.

"Just because you’ve brewed it in a teacup doesn’t mean it’s safe to drink. Just because it’s natural or a herb doesn’t mean it can’t hurt you..."

Magical Herbal Teas - 15+ different recipes.

Nine Tea Recipes

Herbs

A List of Basic Herbs - "... Here is a list containing a few easy, basic beginner’s herbs to gather for your witch cabinet/magick tool collection! If you do not have access to all of these in their herbal/spice forms, remember that oil is always a good substitute."

"... Do you happen to maybe have a list of some kind for what would make a good basic herb collection? I'm a kinda broke baby witch and would love to start a herb collection, but am kinda overwhelmed by the choice and verity. What herbs are the most versatile and commonly used? ..." - An Ask.

"Do you think there are any basic herbs that witches should just have around (common ones used in spells etc)?" - An Ask.

Herbs for Your Medicine Cabinet - 15 different herbs.

Ten Herbs to Keep Close By! - If you’re a Green Witch or just have a penchant for herbalism and herbal witchcraft, this is a helpful list of herbs that are always good to have in your cupboards, or jars… or shelves.

Herb Tricks - Eighteen tips.

Nine Easy-to-Find /ingredients Every Aspiring Witch Needs

Poisonous Herbs - I’ve seen quite a few post going around about potentially toxic or harmful herbs so I just wanted to make a list for me and other witches to use.

Ten Useful Herbs for the Everyday Witch

Top Ten Herbs for the Lazy Witch

Top Ten Magical Herbs

The Fifteen Most Powerful Healing Herbs in Your Kitchen

Misc.

Difference Between a Witch and a Herbalist

Herbs, flowers, fruits, wood: The substitutes you can count on!

How to Subsitute in a Spell - Not all witches have the same budget or spell ingredients readily available to them, so when one witch writes a spell with ingredients they consider easy to procure, it may not be the same for the next witch that wants to try that spell.

"I've heard the terms 'kitchen witch' and 'garden witch' before but I've always wanted to know about these types of witchery. Could you tell me more?" - An Ask.

Specific Herbs

Cloves

Lemongrass

Mint

Rosemary

Herb Spells

Enchanted Sleep Balm

Good Vibes Brew - This is a steeped or simmer brew, meaning I boil the water first and then pour it over my herbs.

Happy Atmosphere Bag/Jar - This is a great spell jar or spell bag to upkeep a happy and tranquil atmosphere in your house, apartment, bedroom, dorm room, hotel room, or wherever else you may be staying. It’s made for indoor spaces, so it should work for any indoor space, including offices or lockers as well.

Heal Thy Heart Powder - To relieve heartache, heartbreak, loneliness, grief, and other emotional pains.

Herbal Sleep & Dream Pillows - Combine any of the following herbs into a lovely sleep sachet, or sew them into a pillow for yourself, or as gifts for others.

"... I was wondering, is there any spell 'to find the truth' like is there any spell to help me find out an answer? ..."

Pigeon’s Wreaths for Protection and Happiness - These wreaths are meant as a means of extra protection of happy home magic. They are hung on doors and windows to ward off evil spirits, bad luck, and misfortune.

Plant Growth Spell - A spell for helping plants/herbs grow and stay alive.

Psychic Tea - This is good for stimulating psychic powers. I like to drink some before I do any divination. It’s also good for clearing your mind and focusing before spell work.

Witch Attraction Powder - Want to bring other witches into your life? Sprinkle this powder around your home, on your shoes before you go out or dust some onto a burning candle.

Satchel for Anxiety Dreams

Satchel for School - For protection and added strenght.

Simple Cleansing Tea Potion - Teas are some of the best herbal potions and remedies! Different teas, like herbs, have different powers. For cleansing teas, I suggest green teas. Now, please understand that the quality of tea is extremely important, so do your research on the brand you buy!

Stag's Healing Powder

STFU Powder - To bind tongues, silence gossip, and get loud-mouthed jerks to SHUT THE FUCK UP.

Storm Witch’s Sex Drive in a Sachet

TerraBellaTarot’s “End of the Rainbow” Spell Bottle

Witch Tips!

"Do your enemies have gardens? Landscaping? Throw weeds onto their property. Just be sure you’re not introducing any new invasive plants to your area. Nature gives us many potent and hilarious weapons, so don’t go biting the hand that gives you ammunition."

"Make your own blessing candles by warming white tea lights and sprinkling in your chosen herbs. Let the wax solidify and use them for your rituals."

"Make herb infused vinegar to give your spells (especially curses, jinxes, and hexes) an extra magickal kick."

"... Metal tea strainer just like the one above. Put just a pinch of herbs inside. Hold the mesh over a candle for several moments. You will be able to see the herbs begin to burn. If you just need a little smoke, they will smoke immediately and go out quickly when removed from the flame..."

"My website includes an article on the various herbs you can use INSTEAD of White Sage for smoke-cleansing. Also, if you’re dead set on using White Sage, you can buy some seeds and grow your own. Have fun!"

"Just came across this cool site that has over 100 different vintage inspired botanical illustrations for use with common & botanical names for your herbal grimoires!"

"Reading correspondence lists is a great way to get a general idea of what types of energies herbs/crystals can have within them, but keep in mind that your spells work on your own intuition and your own energy. Some correspondences will click with you and some won’t. Don’t try to force yourself into someone else’s mold..."

"Reuse your salsa or queso jars to store your herbs. I used a queso jar to store my mugwort lol! And if you don’t like the lid of your jar (like me) you can always paint over it and even paint what herb you store in it on top!"

"... So I was wondering if I could take the herbs out of tea bags to keep? ..." "... Yes! ..."

"... Store herbs in breathable bags and keep them in a cool, dark, and dry place. Herbs inside of jars will only be good for a maximum of a month, depending on the herb. Some will develop mold after only a few days, depending on climate."

"When you’re sprinkling herbs on thresholds/mats/doorways/windowsills or floors please, please be wary and careful of pets and animals! If a herb is poisonous to us when inhaled or ingested it is likely poisonous to cats/dogs/birds/rodents and many other forms of wildlife!"

"Witch Tip: Use an oil diffuser, instead of charcoal, for resins and other herb mixes. Slow melting and gentler on the eyes and nose. This would probably be useful for closet witches too." + A recipe.

"You know those dryer sheets you sometimes find in your clothes as you fold laundry? You can use those to make sachets! Simply add your herbs to the center, and tie up all of the corners! Or, you could sew a little square full of herbs. Either way, it’s a cheap and upcycle-y thing to do!"