#but so it goes. relationships wax and wane or are just unconventional to begin with

[lunerbean]

Witch Tips 24

Holy shit it's been over a year since I posted one of these but it's because I kept setting myself up for failure by putting way too high of expectations on myself to crank out 10 new and unique and helpful tips everytime I got 100 new followers except first it was 10 and then it was 50 and holy shit I got so stressed about these so I've just been writing them down as I've thought of them instead and now here we are, please be gentle.

Hello here are tips

1. Use transfer paper and a hair dryer to decorate candles.

Maybe you're doing a spell for someone & you want to put a picture of that person on the candle. This can be a way to help you better visualize the effects of the spell on the person the spell is for. Or maybe you need a picture on the candle for some other reason. Maybe you want to put pictures of coins on it for a money spell. Or hearts for a love spell. Simply print out whatever you want on transfer paper, cut it out & place the image face-down on the candle. Then, you'll want to get your hairdryer and a piece of tissue paper (I highly suggest the tissue paper is the same color as the candle, otherwise you risk getting that color onto the candle. Which can also be fine, but if it's not what you want...) use the blow dryer on a low-warm setting to melt the photo onto the candle side. Remove the tissue paper and there you have it! A picture printed onto a candle.

2. You can incorporate witchcraft into ANYTHING... even brushing your teeth.

I recently got this fucking delicious toothpaste from Trader Joe's. I'm one of those people who sometimes struggles to brush my teeth twice a day because I hate the taste of toothpaste. So I got a super unconventional toothpaste flavor instead, "fennel, propolis, & Myrrh. And about a week after using it, it struck me -holy shit these ingredients have meaning behind them. Most obviously, myrrh is associated with wisdom and meditation. And fennel has been used in magic for centuries! Even if you use regular mint toothpaste, that ingredient has power behind it! Obviously this goes more so for natural toothpastes but I'm sure you can find a way to enchant other varieties as well! Use the ingredients already infused into your toothpaste for enchantments & glamours!

3. Actually study your grimoire.

If I sound at all harsh by saying this, it's only because I'm being harsh with myself too. Study your grimoire. Don't just write everything down & then expect to have it all perfectly memorized & be a master in everything you research. Reread it. Rework it. Learn.

4. Feel drawn to be a sea witch but you don't live by the ocean? Get a saltwater aquarium!

First off, I'm not saying that it's a flawless solution. Being a witch of the sea is more than just using salty fish water in your craft. HOWEVER, with that out of the way, there's no way that a salt water aquarium will harm your craft as a sea witch. Think of it like a houseplant for a green witch. Sure, living in the forest would be better but it's still something special to be able to bring a little piece of your craft into your home.

5. Personal taglocks make a spell more powerful, but exercise caution when using them.

Undoubtedly, using a taglock (such as a strand of hair) can better connect you to the spells you're performing, but they're not always wise to use. I only use them in extremely personal spells and crafts. Things that no one except for me can have access to. I would never suggest using a taglock on something that you wish to give another person (especially another witch) such as a spell bottle or sachet. Even if you're best friends. Even if you're siblings. Even if you're MARRIED. You never know when a relationship can turn south or what someone is capable of when they're extremely angry with you. Don't risk it.

6. Be respectful of the deities that you don't worship or work with

I don't work with deities. Shocker, I know. I have my own belief system when it comes to higher powers that I won't get into on Tumblr, probably ever. But I do believe in showing respect to all things, both living, dead, & otherwise specified. If a deity approaches you who you're not interested in working with, please remain kind & respectful with in declination. You're allowed to say no to anyone and everyone.

7. Just because someone is more experienced doesn't necessarily mean they're always right.

Without naming names or being too specific, there was a witch I followed on Tumblr for a long time. They were much older than me and had been a witch for like 20+ years. I followed everything they said as fact. But slowly, over time I started to learn more and realized I didn't always agree with them. They were SO negative. If they heard basically anything new that younger witches were coming up with, they'd have a whole 10 paragraph post about how "stupid and wrong and ridiculous and fake" these new witches were. There was not an ounce of open mindedness with this person. And because of that, I started to feel really bad about myself and my craft. Things they said would stick with me and I'd feel so shitty about it. Well fuck. That. More experience means absolutely nothing if the person is unwilling to learn or expand their minds beyond their previous knowledge. Anyone can learn and anyone can teach. Age means nothing. Surround yourself with open minded people.

8. Put full moon water into your humidifier to charge your space.

This is an idea that only just occurred to me while I was setting up my crystals & jar of water to charge under the full blue moon on Samhain. I always turn my glowing humidifier on at night while I sleep. As I watched the mist begin to arise out the top I thought to myself, 'if I'm charging that water (the glass jar on my altar) for the full moon, why not this water too?' So now, I just add a little splash of full moon water into my humidifier water whenever I'm performing rituals or doing spell work. This way, the full moon water can charge my entire bedroom with the power of the full moon as I work.

Speaking of...

9. You can charge water under more moon phases than just full.

I don't know if that wording was weird or not so I'm sorry if it doesn't make sense. My point is, I always see people talking about moon water as if it's only full moon water. The moon holds power in every phase she goes through. Adding to the above tip, you can put new moon water into your humidifier to cleanse your space. Waxing moon water to help you plan and focus. And waning moon water to assist during a banishment spell. Hell yeah dude, all phase of the moon are useful and powerful!

10. Incense matches are a great alternative to full incense sticks

I love burning incense, but sometimes it can really overwhelm the area, especially because my house is small & I dont want to expose my cat to it. Incense matches are literally matches that are covered in incense powder. They burn for just a few minutes & produce a steady stream of smoke for spells. They come in a bunch of different scents. I buy them locally for 30 matches for $1.05USD but you can probably find them cheaper online. Still be sure to keep them away from pets & those who are smoke-sensitive.

Thank you so much for reading, follow me for more #10tips, search my blog for the previous 230 tips, & have a magical day.

[ms-m-astrologer]

Bad Aspects Part 2 - Modality

Previously: Introduction

One of the first astrology books I bought, back in 1979, was Astrology A Cosmic Science by Isabel Hickey. Her spiritual approach to the topic was unusual for that time: the majority of what was available, then, was of the fated, fatalistic, “tall dark stranger” style. Not that that viewpoint is absent from her work! However, Isabel always lets us know that we aren’t at the mercy of our stars - that we can overcome everything in our charts, if we’re prepared to work for it.

Here is her take on the different modalities - cardinal, fixed, mutable - as they express themselves through “hard” aspects:

Squares and oppositions in Cardinal signs are faults and unlearned lessons of the previous life. They can be changed by constructive action and, if handled rightly, will not manifest as fixed signs at a later time.

Adverse aspects in fixed signs represent the harmful effects of self-will. These aspects are the hardest with which to deal for they represent the lessons we have failed to learn over many lifetimes, and are deeply ingrained patterns of behavior. They need a great deal of attention and self-discipline in order to divert the energy channels into constructive ones.

Squares and oppositions in mutable signs are the easiest to handle for they are just beginning to manifest. They can be handled by the right attitudes of mind.

In reading aspects always note whether they are in cardinal, fixed, or mutable signs. The cardinal afflictions are debts from the past lifetime that must be changed through Action. The fixed signs, depts deeply ingrained over many lifetimes, must be changed through the giving up of self will. The mutable sign afflictions are faults beginning to manifest through wrong patterns of thinking in this lifetime. These afflictions are the easiest to redeem.

The mutable afflictions are tied with the respiratory system. Breath and thinking are tied together. Afflictions in Gemini affect the lungs; Sagittarius rules the hips and represents the power to move forward. Virgo afflictions give difficulties with  assimilation in the physical body, and in the psychological field, lack of ability to assimilate experience. Pisces rules the feet in the physical body and this part of the body represents our understanding. Those who lack spirit show it in their walk.

Cardinal sign afflictions are caused by wrong action. Afflictions in these signs affect the body through growths, tumors, kidney troubles, and digestive difficulties.

Fixed sign afflictions affect the body through circulation, heart conditions, and diseases that crystallize the body as in polio or paralysis. The body is the end terminal for difficulties. If our difficulties are handled on the mental and emotional levels they need never manifest on the physical level. The individual who goes the way of the Higher Self saves himself a great deal of pain and suffering.

_______________

Using this method, something as ostensibly lightweight as Moon square Mercury is going to be very, very problematic when it occurs in fixed signs. And conversely, something along the lines of last year’s Saturn/Sagittarius square Neptune/Pisces (mutable signs) isn’t quite as dreadful as it would have been in cardinal signs (1945) or fixed signs (1962). Which square is “worse” to your way of thinking?

Volunteering my own information, as perhaps an incentive to get you all thinking about your own charts, and then sharing…?! Just knowing what’s involved, and the modalities, we can pick up a ton of useful information.

Sun/Gemini opposite Saturn Rx/Sagittarius, mutable signs This is, according to Isabel, the easiest to handle of the three aspects I’m (over)sharing. What could the “wrong patterns of thinking” involve? Saturn things, and since this is an opposition: authorities, patriarchs, old people - all of whom can be anathema to a lighthearted, sprightly Gemini such as myself. Given the nature of the Sun and Saturn, the “problem” started via my relationship (opposition) with my original patriarchal authority, dear old Dad. (Who had an out-of-sign Sun-Saturn conjunction.) He tended to “take over” and dominate everything I became interested in. I am sure that this is where I learned to be evasive and noncommittal (Gemini) about expressing my life purpose and direction (Sun). I was not only fearful of earning parental disapproval (Saturn/Sagittarius) - after all, he beat up my brothers - but I wanted to live my own life my own way, so why didn’t he just butt out?!?

Moon/Aries opposite Jupiter Rx/Libra, cardinal signs A cardinal opposition means it’s something I didn’t face in the previous life, which works through other people. “We meet ourselves as we once were on the path of life but we don’t recognize ourselves” per Isabel - and, let me add, we don’t like it! Particular people are, for the Moon, my mom of course, and women in general; with Jupiter, we think of in-laws, religious people, the popular kids, and so forth. Isabel says this opposition bestows “arrogance and extravagance;” I think it also adds an element of mistrust and bad faith - I never believe people are going to have anything to do with me, if they get a better offer. Which introduces snobbery and class consciousness! I have snubbed and given the cut direct; now I am snubbed and given the cut direct.

Venus/Taurus square Uranus/Leo, fixed signs This is an issue of long-standing (fixed signs) and indicates “an innate difficulty in the individual” (square, per Isabel). My Uranus/Leo generation loathes being lumped in with everybody else (which is why we typically overreact via #NotAll mode), while people with Venus/Taurus want to be comfortably, conventionally conformist. This is going to provoke situations (square) which are unconventional, unexpected, and unusual (Uranus), and which demolish my comfort zone (Venus). I’ve read that Venus-Uranus people have these wacky, bizarre romantic relationships with “taboo” types in order to disguise the fact that they don’t want to be in any relationship at all, ever. I’ve clearly got issues about protecting at all costs my personal individuality, integrity, and autonomy!

Incidentally, this square express itself via my Venusian artistic pursuits, too - and we now see, therefore, how this classically-trained oboist ended up so utterly in the thrall of Keith Richards. An example of doing/getting a square right?

This June I turn 60, Heaven help me - and these decades of perspective help me to write good-humoredly (I hope) about my serious character flaws. I remember reading about these aspects at 21, however, and that at the time I felt trapped. This is (or seems to be) changing; astrologers are less fatalistic and more likely to suggest ways to work with, around, or through the difficulties.

One approach is to take the two entities involved and “pretend” they’re a flowing aspect, that they’re working well together. “How would it look if they were sextile or trine?” I can take note of Sun opposite Saturn, for example, and work on being supportive of others without dominating and domineering over them. I also can study all my relationships with Saturn and Capricorn types, because I know I have something important to learn from them. Both of those are “mutable” approaches to the opposition, with an emphasis on using my brains (Gemini) in a moral (Sagittarius) way.

I would go after that square a little differently, though. Perhaps you noticed it’s a waning, last-quarter, “turning away from” square? That needs a much different approach than a waxing, first-quarter, “taking action” square. And that’s next on our agenda. Thanks for reading, and send in your thoughts and questions!