#beginner wtich

[raining-tulips]

Idk I feel like instead of telling new witches / practitioners / spiritualities / [insert preferred word] what to do and what to stay away from we should be teaching them defining their personal values, discernment, critical thinking, encouraging them to always look at both/many perspectives before settling on what that truly resonates with them, and allowing them to take their time forming their personal beliefs - just a thought…

[windvexer]

If you're wondering if invisibility is actually possible with magic, just keep in mind:

Going unseen is not the same thing as being see-through :)

[witchesbe-like]

Fall has always been my favorite season, especially after a long summer. The way the leaves change and everything just has this spooky ambiance to it. I like to think of fall as very introspective. Whereas summer and spring are more about growth and moving forward with something new, Fall for me is about celebrating death and the cycle of turning inward. 

Salt your doors and windows - I like to add an extra ‘layer’ of protection in the fall with all the extra spirit activity. I have overdone the salt on occasion so a small sprinkle will do. You don’t need a 3 inch thick line of salt that messes with the way your windows close. 

Tie up your herbs to dry through the winter - If I’m at a fresh market I like to pick up some herbs and dry them out for use in the season. You can even bundle them up with sage or add them to bathwater. 

DIY Candles - I have made SOME candles before but sometimes I just melt the tops of candles from the dollar store and toss in herbs and oils in the wax. You can even add crystal shards or charms that go with your intentions.

Make an apple pie (or pumpkin!) - I always try to make one good fall pie from scratch, pie crust and all. When I knead the crust I think about health and prosperity for my family.

Sweep your porch for prosperity - I do this in the summer too but keeping your porch clean of debris helps the funds flow in. 

Dry orange slices - This makes your place smell amazing. Dry some orange slices and keep them on hand for citrus cleansing baths throughout the fall. Citrus baths are especially good when you’re feeling that seasonal depression. 

Read tarot on Halloween - I always do a full reading for myself on Halloween to see what the new year brings in for me. 

Thoroughly cleanse your space - You don’t have to do this with incense. Especially if it’s cold. Just leave out bowls of water with a few Tablespoons of salt. Flush it down the toilet the next day with all the bad vibes.

Leave out offerings for ancestors - If you do ancestral offerings leave them out some apples, Whiskey, or anything they would have liked in their life.

Tidy up your spells - I try to do this a few times a year when I feel like I have too much going on. It helps me cleanse my mind and rethink all my priorities. 

Collect fall findings outside - Acorns, feathers, seeds, there are a lot of things you can find just by stepping outside that will help you along in your practice. 

Nature walks - Nature walks are also great for this. I once found a dead squirrel at a park and took it home to collect the skull. 

Make moon cookies - I love sugar cookies so sometimes I just use a glass and cut out moon phases with the dough and bake. 

Write or journal - Fall is a great time to sit by the fire or a cozy space in your house and dig into your own thoughts and just write out what you feel. 

Pick up a new witch book - My reading always gets more intense in the colder months. I think there's just less to do and I always pick up the latest witch book to stay in the loop with what’s going on in the magical community. 

Brush up on meditation - Meditate when it’s freezing outside and warm up your inner core. Try having some relaxing hot tea beforehand. 

Record your dreams - We tend to sleep more in the fall/winter months so it’s a great time to start a dream journal. To help with remembering your dreams, sleep with your journal on your nightstand and write down anything you remember as soon as you wake up.

Thrift for witchy finds - Thrift stores are great in the fall. So much fun stuff can be found snooping around old thrift shops or even Goodwill. I’ve picked up the majority of my witch things second hand. 

Cast a fire spell in a bonfire - If you’re at a bonfire write a wish on a piece of paper and toss it in for a fun spell. 

Visit a cemetery - Nothing is better than a cemetery on a crisp Fall day. Just don’t forget to leave your pennies for the gatekeepers. 

[a-fever-you-cant-witch-out]

Quarantine Morning Routine- but make it witchy

(this gif because we love them)

7AM: wake up

- open a window + pull two tarot cards

7:10AM: mediate for 5 minutes

+ get ready for jog

7:20AM: jog

7:40AM: shower

- skincare + pick out clothes

8:20AM: make breakfast

- get dressed + do hair and makeup

9:30AM: work on book club work/ writing/ THROAM character analysis

1:00PM: school work

[stardustandwitchery]

The Cauldron

A cauldron is a tool for cooking and brew-making; it is the ancient vessel in which magical transformation occurs (1,3). Wiccans see the cauldron as symbolic of the Goddess ((femininity/fertility); additional meanings include the element of water, the direction of west, reincarnation, immortality, and inspiration (1,2,3).

The cauldron is traditionally used to create brews (1). It is often a focal point of rites; n spring, it may be filled with water and flowers, and in winter, a fire may be kindled within (1). It may be used for scrying by filling it with water and gazing into its depths (1).

Ideally speaking, the cauldron should be made of iron, have three legs and its opening should be smaller than its widest part (1,2,3). If unable to acquire an iron cauldron, copper or brass may do (3). Its size is determinable by need (1).

Bibliography 1. Cunningham, Scott 2011, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, pp. 31-33. 2. Sabin, Thea 2014, Wicca for Beginners, p. 141.. 3. Farrar, Janet & Farrar, Stewart 1984, The Wtiches Bible: The Complete Witches’ Handbook, 264-265.

[jacquelineshyde]

Writing Lab: Absolute Beginners ~

Almost two weeks ago (lol), I finally published the last chapter of Absolute Beginners, a modern days AU in which Donna and Jackie are wtiches and live in the apartment in front of Eric and Hyde’s with their cat, Fez (who used to be human).

It was an interesting experience and kind of an experiment that got me into some conclusions I would like to share with you all. Here’s what I recall from making this four-chapter long fanfiction.

Writing Lab ~  Absolute Beginners Fandom: That ‘70s Show. Ship(s): Jackie Burkhart/Steven Hyde, Donna Pinciotti/Eric Forman, Michael Kelso/Brooke Rockwell. Word count: 25,183 Warnings: Alternate Universe | Magic, Alternate Universe | Modern Days.  Summary: Ever since Jackie and Donna moved to the apartment in front of Hyde and Eric's, life has been... hard for Hyde. Things would be way easier if they weren't that nice, that fun, and that pretty. Man, witches shouldn't be pretty.

~ Author notes, thanks and experience.

This AU came to mind thanks to my eternal conversations with my good friend Maeve, who is a wicca and is always showing me really cool stuff about her work and beliefs. She’s one of the most amazing persons I know and this iea started to cook with the intention to honor her as much as my capacity could do.

She helped me out with some things, gave me names and cheered me a lot during the writing of this piece. It’s for her that this fic exist, so I want to thank her and the people who left comments on the story back at AO3 and ffnet.

This fic was fun, a lot of fun. It allowed me to write something different for the fandom, something I hadn’t seen before in it and while it frustrated me at times, I also learned to be patient with myself and to not feel as bad as I used to when it came to respond.

I mean-- It all still hits me. And it will for a while, probably. But it gave me the chance to understand I shouldn’t give up on a story based on numbers. And the fic went on until the end, for better or for worse.

~ World building.

I think what was the most exciting part about this fic was building a world where magic and the t70s characters collide. It was also a world where they weren’t friends since the beginning, at least when it comes to Eric and Hyde knowing Donna and Jackie. 

Dividing the gang in Point Place boys (Hyde, Eric and Kelso --and Brooke--) and the magic peeps (Donna, Jackie and Fez --who was transformed into a cat and became part of that world--) gave me the chance to experience and write them realizing their feelings and going for who they want to be in a different way from what is established in canon.

Having Jackie and Donna as sisters was my favorite part. 

In this universe, Jackie’s parents are both wizards and both failed her. And while she suffered that, she wasn’t alone all the time. She got adopted by a magic family with a normal dad, a family where girls were majority and all of them were witches like her.

She and Donna being the ones whose ages are more near each other allowed them to become friends and probably closer than they are with their other two sisters. It also gave me the chance to give Jackie a loving mother.

While is established in the story that her family life with the Pinciottis was and is good, I didn’t want to show them with the girls because it would and distracted me too much. Because I created a big dynamic for this family and maybe one day, I will be able to show it to you, guys.

Then comes Hyde’s secret. Having him rejecting his nature was one big thing, because I feel it’s part of who Hyde is at the beginning of the show, to be some kind of insecure when it comes to his opinion on himself. Here, he literally rejects himself in the form of ignoring his own magic.

His magic is a metaphore for his potential. It can be both ways, good or wrong, as Jackie explains. It can be consumed by his mother’s shadow (the black magic gen) as it was given by his mother, or it can be cleaned (by growing up and taking his own decisions) and became something good. 

Like Jackie, he goes to live with The Formans’ earlier in life (not truly mentioned in the fic) and this helps him to grow up closer to his friend, to the point that they truly aknowlodge the other as their brother. That’s why is such a big deal for Eric to had been lied to and for Hyde to be forgiven by him.

When it’s shown that Hyde is a wizard, that’s when the story became exactly what I wanted and by accepting Jackie’s (and Donna’s) help, Hyde will be able to grow and defeat the evil inside him, just as Jackie did by being taken into a loving home.

~ Fandom and reception.

Let’s be honest, most of my followers on here and AO3 and ffnet didn’t read this AU.

I knew it would have a very low audience, not only because of the supernatural core of the story but because it’s an AU. This fandom, I have learned with some moments of sadness, is not used to any of these things. And I understand.

Coming from big and varied fandoms like Star Wars and MCU, I’m used to big audiences and better response to the idea of AUs and magic, and magical AUs. So it was my mistake to think it would get better response.

It was low, but it thought me something and that’s what is important.

~ What’s next.

Oh, well. I’m hoping I’ll be able to write more for this universe in the future. Maybe when I don’t have so many other good ideas on queue in my brain lol. But at some point, maybe Halloween this year, if I’m still here. 

And I mean, I want to still be here. I want to be here forever.

[raining-tulips]

so I took a witchy social media break...what did I learn?

That witchblr and witchtagram are full of so many lovely, beautiful practices...but that doesn't mean I have to try or learn all of them.

Along the same lines, I don't have to know everything about every crystal, herb, etc.

Maybe the word witch doesn't feel right to me. And that's okay. I can be a witch without calling myself one. (Maybe another word feels better to you. Use that word.)

I'm a lot more into looking at flowers than complex herbalism than I realized.

My practice is mine. I can be a weird inbetween witchcraft and new age spiritualist, I can be a weird blend of self-care witch and forest witch. I don't have to fit the witch aesthetic.

The break was good for me in many ways, and I may take them often.

Overall, you can like the idea of something, but that doesn't mean you have to take it on. You can try it, but it doesn't work or truly feel right then its okay to let it go.

I was definitely trying to take on everyone else ideas and spells and practices, just because they inspired me so much and looked so fun (not because I felt I had to). But at the end of the day, it doesn't work with me personally. I can admire and appreciate from afar and not have to make it me.

[stardustandwitchery]

The Censer

The censer is an incense burner, thus holding incense during rites (1). Incense is seen as central for many rites, particularly when indoors (when outdoors, a fire may suffice)(1). The censer and incense represent fire and air, south and eat.

Incense use in magic and ritual is an art form in itself (1). The rising smoke can often be used to catch glimpses of the God/Goddess, or to meditate into a trance state (1). The smoke can additionally be used for purposes of purification (such as purifying ritual tools)(3).

Censer’s come in many forms, from a complex, swinging censer to a simple seashell, it is up to you to decide what is suitable (1,4). Though raw or granulated incense (burnt on charcoal) is often the preferred form of incense, stick, cone or block incense is also acceptable (1,2). 

Be mindful that different herbs and scents possess different magical properties so be conscious when selecting which incense you’ll burn (3). If you decide to create or mix your own incense creations, ensure you research which herbs you use as some are not safe or ideal to inhale (3).

Bibliography 1. Cunningham, Scott 2011, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, pp. 30-31. 2. Buckland, Raymond 2004, Wicca for One: The Path of Solitary Witchcraft, p. 52. 3. Sabin, Thea 2014, Wicca for Beginners, pp. 142. 4. Farrar, Janet & Farrar, Stewart 1984, The Wtiches Bible: The Complete Witches’ Handbook, 261-262.

[stardustandwitchery]

The Wand

The wand is a prime magical tool and an instrument of invocation (1). To Wiccan’s the wand represents the God; while some may associate it with air/east, others associate the wand with fire/south (1,3,4).

Some witches see the wand as an alternative to the athame, interchangeable in their shared properties, purpose and use (2). Others see the wand as more ‘quiet’ than the athame - more inviting than commanding, and thus more appropriate for calling on the God/Goddess (4). The wand is often used to invoke the God or call the God/Goddess to witness ritual (1,3). Other uses involve directing focus and energy, drawing the circle, drawing symbols and even stirring the contents of a cauldron (1,3).  The athame or wand may be lowered into the chalice to symbolize the union of God/Goddess (3).

The size, shape and substance of the wand are not strict and as long as it resonates with the owner, it should be effective (2,3). The wand is historically known to be made of traditional wood, such as: willow, elder, oak, apple, peach, hazel, cherry, oak, pine or rowan, though any type of wood is fine (1,2). Though wood remains the material of choice, wands may also be fashioned with silver, quartz crystal, bone, copper or steel (1,3). Traditionally, wand length is approximately 18-21 inches or the length from one’s elbow to the tip of the middle finger, however, as a solitary practitioner, select whichever length seems suitable to you (1,2,4). Furthermore, some practitioners carve symbols into the wood (3,4).

Many feel that care and effort should go into acquiring magical tools and many endorse the fashioning of one’s own wand (2). Many suggest sourcing the material from a felled or dead tree, but if one must remove material from a living tree, seek permission and explain why the wood is needed (2, 3). 

Bibliography 1. Cunningham, Scott 2011, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, pp. 29-30. 2. Buckland, Raymond 2004, Wicca for One: The Path of Solitary Witchcraft, pp. 46-47. 3. Sabin, Thea 2014, Wicca for Beginners, pp. 139-140. 4. Farrar, Janet & Farrar, Stewart 1984, The Wtiches Bible: The Complete Witches’ Handbook, 257-258.

[stardustandwitchery]

The Chalice

The chalice symbolizes the Goddess (and by extension, fertility), representing the element of water and the direction of west (1,3,4). 

It is an essential component of the altar table and is typically used to hold ritual beverages (typically, wine) so one can toast to the God/Goddess; when it isn’t being used for this purpose, it may be used to hold water (1,2). The athame or wand may be lowered into the chalice to symbolize the union of God/Goddess (3).

The cup can be made of almost any substance, such as: siilver, brass, gold, soapstone, earthenware, alabaster, crystal and so on; plastic is not recommended (1,3).

Bibliography 1. Cunningham, Scott 2011, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, p. 35. 2. Buckland, Raymond 2004, Wicca for One: The Path of Solitary Witchcraft, p. 51. 3. Sabin, Thea 2014, Wicca for Beginners, pp. 140-141. 4. Farrar, Janet & Farrar, Stewart 1984, The Wtiches Bible: The Complete Witches’ Handbook, 258-259.