#feri witchcraft

[reno-matagot]

Welcome January 2023!

Very often when I find a balance in spiritual practice, my old desires in other ways reappear. In fact, all the time, & in many areas of my life.

I discovered Hellenic Polytheism while I practiced the Feri. I was trying to extend my interest for greek witchcraft to follow something new, and ended up worshipping the greek gods! I love it and will not stop.

Psychick Youth, Chaos magic, (it's 2023!), traditional witchcraft , religion, all these things transformed themselves in me. They sometimes marry. Sometimes stay separate. And I can't forget the Feri gods and symbolism: I love them too much.

At the beginning of the Year, I therefore decided to follow only one Path, which I call Faery and Luciferian, but it's deeply polytheist and will be also a source of joy in my Helpol: nothing without the Theoi.

Progressing with my craft will also be quite a challenge, because I'm stagnating.

And, as refining the meaning of my practices and desires makes me very happy, this Year 2023 begins wonderfully!

Happy New Year!

[midwestbramble]

Betwixt and Between Book Review

I read this book in the Pagan and Witches Amino Book Club, that doesn't exist anymore. At the time, the host of the book club was practicing feri and none of us had heard of it so they asked us if we wanted to read this book to learn more. I did a review on that app (that no longer exists), but here's my extended thoughts.

⛧─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───⛧

Contents:

Synopsis

What I Liked

What I Didn't Like

Overall Thoughts

Conclusion

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Published 2017

"Faery (also known as Feri) is a tradition of great power and beauty. Originating in the West Coast of the United States separately from the Wicca tradition in England, Faery's appeal is grounded in its focus on power and results. This book provides the tools you need to begin your own Faery-style magical practice. Discover the foundational mythology and rites of the Faery tradition as well as steps and techniques for:

Creating an Altar

Summoning the Faery Fire

Engaging the Shadow

Exploring the Personal Trinity

Purifying the Primal Soul

Working with the Iron Pentacle

Aligning Your Life Force

Developing Spirit Alliances

Journeying Between the Worlds

Exploring Air, Fire, Water & Earth

Enhancing Faery Power

Personal experimentation and creative exploration are the heart and soul of Faery. The rituals, recipes, exercises, and lore within will help you project your consciousness into realms beyond this world, opening you to the experience of spiritual ecstasy."

-from the back of the book

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What I Liked

The book starts out with the creation myth for the Feri tradition. Not many books on witchcraft traditions/religions do this and it was really refreshing. From there it talks about it's mythic creation as well as it's modern history with Victor Anderson. Seeing both, one after the other, was also enlightening. Faerywolf was definitely taking the creation of this book seriously.

The exercises within the book are very thorough and broken down in a very easy to follow, step-by-step way. There's also some wonderful journaling prompts and art projects once you get into the elemental chapters. These all help the reader to explore the concepts described by the author and decide what makes sense to themselves.

There's a great breakdown of the three soul concept in Feri. Rarely do you see people talk about the conception of the soul and what it means in religion and witchcraft traditions. It's easy to understand how they are all supposed to work together as well as their importance to the Feri tradition. Other traditions have a similar conception of three souls and it's easy to use these to build off of that knowledge.

Additionally there is a chapter for each of the three worlds (Upper, Middle, and Lower). Each chapter talks about spirits found there and how to connect with them. Only one talks about important holidays in Feri such as Halloween and Beltane, relating to the connection of faeries.

The tradition appears to be very accepting of LGBTQ, having special designations for covens that specifically cater to gay men or women if that's something you want to connect to people with. The author himself is LGBTQ so it would make sense that the book is friendly toward the community at large.

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What I Didn't Like

I don't want to make this book review a review of the tradition itself, however there are a few things that are directly taken from other cultures. Such as Melek'taus, a variation of the Yazidi Tawusi Melek; a peacock angel, labeled as Sheytan or Satan. The Yazidi are an ethnic group in Kurdistan who have been persecuted as devil-worshippers by the Muslims in the region. Some of the creation myth even resembles that of the Yazidis. There's also concepts taken from Hawaiian traditional religion, Victor Anderson claiming to have been Hawaiian in a past life. The book does not shy away from these facts, and lays them out for you as it introduces them.

The whole book ends up feeling like a lead up to the Feri tradition's circle casting. While you do learn about their worldview as well as the iron and pearl pentacles, it's kind of an anticlimactic way to end the book.

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Overall Thoughts

As an outsider to the tradition, this seems like a good introduction to the Feri tradition. There are similarities to both Wicca and your average Traditional Witchcraft tradition though with a more artistic flair, let's say. There's a lot of focus on the arts and experiencing things for yourself. Which is great, in my opinion.

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Conclusion

It's always interesting to see how specific, established traditions do things and think about concepts in witchcraft and magic. Even if you do not wish to follow said tradition, it can be good to see another perspective. Though we must be mindful of and sensitive to other cultures and their boundaries. If you wish to look at this book further you can find it on amazon, Barnes and Nobles, the author's website, at the publisher, Llewellyn, and others.

[ihearhercalling]

Please like or reblog (ideally reblog so other people in your sphere can find the post) if you post content about any of the following. If you reblog, please say which, or if you just like please reply and say which! I want to be more active on this blog and need people to follow.

- Celtic polytheism (Irish, Welsh, Brythonic, Gaulic, any really)

- Celtic witchcraft and folk magic, particularly Welsh

- British folk traditions

- Druidry

- Proto Indo-European polytheism

- Venus, Aphrodite, Ishtar and Inanna worship

- Actual genuine Wicca as opposed to the random stuff that gets passed off as Wicca in mainstream book shops

- Feri tradition

- Goddess-centric paganism (Dianic tradition, Deanism, Filianism, Reclaiming, Avalonian) and female mysteries

- Arthuriana from a pagan or feminist perspective (or pagan/feminist friendly)

- Sacred sexuality and tantra

- Herbalism, particularly with herbs native to the UK

[elmfae]

✨🧚🏽‍♀️Welcome to Fae Friday✨🧚🏽

˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊

On this faery friday, here is a list of some faery friendly plants that the fae folk love. It’s said that any plant that attracts butterflies and bees will attract faeries as well. Happy Friday:)

˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊

Bluebells

Buttercup

Chamomile

Clover

Elderberries

Foxglove

Honeysuckle

Lavender

Primrose

Thyme

Tulips

Roses

Rosemary

Vervain

Violets

~Fae

[trollhuldren]

BLACK SERPENT COILS

North, the air, the wind's true home

East, the fire, the sun's bright throne

South, the earth, flesh, fur, and bone,

West, the water, where shadows roam.

Now mark the edge where Wyrd is known,

The aither coils, serpent’s black inferno;

Thout-tout-a-tout, as the myrk-riders go!

—————————————————————

It occurs to me that the witches compass is an inside-out hedge. You’re circling in the Other and circling out the ordinary daylight world. But in that encircling you are also saying the two are deeply connected and reflective of one another. There is a backwards-ness to it, an inversion like the inside of the sacred mountain or Faery hill.

In the Faery Tradition practiced by our coven, we recognize that the elemental round of the compass is a function of the Black Serpent-powers, an iteration of black fire that gives form/architecture to the substance of the Other, in spirit interaction with the waking world. The black coil of the primal elements are how the stars are bound to the Land.

[gefdreamsofthesea]

The Andersons Do Not Get Enough Shit For Their Bullshit: My Thoughts on Feri.

First of all in case this post breaches containment, a little about myself. I'm Gef, I'm a thirty-something white cis disabled Canadian lesbian. I have a BA in Religion and Culture from Wilfrid Laurier University and an MLIS from the University of Western Ontario (I think it changed its name since I graduated). I also have minors in Medieval Studies and Women's Studies but they don't give you pieces of paper for those. My spiritual journey looks something like Catholic - New Ager - eclectic Wiccan-ish - Dianic-ish (the TERFy kind) - Heathen - Vanatru - now I kind of just read about witchy stuff, goddess-y stuff, and I collect divination decks. This isn't the first I've heard of Feri, but this is the first time I've sat down and read up on it.

I would just like to take a moment to recap what I've read so that everyone is on the same page:

Heart of the Initiate: Feri Lessons

Fifty Years in the Feri Tradition

Evolutionary Witchcraft by T. Thorn Coyle

The Wikipedia pages for Feri and Victor Anderson

A couple articles on feritradition.com

I read The Spiral Dance ages ago and am currently rereading it but am not including it here.

I think that's all the basics covered, let's get to the meat of the discussion.

I'll start with what I found appealing about the tradition. Both the founders and initiates stress that Feri is an ecstatic tradition, not a "fertility religion" like Wicca. It is a tradition of the poet, of being in your body, of dancing with the gods. It's also pretty explicitly queer (but see below): God Herself catches Her own reflection in a mirror and makes love to Herself, creating all the other deities in the pantheon. Coyle in particular talks about the Gods and Guardians (think like the Guardians of the Watchtowers in Wicca) as being genderfluid. The tradition practices ritual possession where the genders of the deity and their host don't matter.

Regarding Evolutionary Witchcraft specifically. I found the exercises (which involve a lot of breathing and awareness) to be useful and I think they would be of use to any witch. I also love the way she speaks of the Earth element in particular, as I think a lot of Pagan books are like "Oh Earth is money and other boring mundane stuff" whereas she talks about Earth as money but also as safety, security, the place where you incubate things (like in a cave), and the tomb. Despite my issues, I think I would recommend it.

Having said all that, I feel like the Andersons do not get enough shit for their bullshit.

Based on his students accounts, Victor sounds like a bit of an asshole at best. He's described as "a taskmaster" and that "One could ask for clarification, but to even hint that one disagreed with him, or worse yet, to contradict him, would result in an immediate and permanent order to leave," which is maybe just me but I wouldn't want to study under a teacher who didn't allow for disagreements or questioning, that's a cult leader thing. His wife Cora comes across as a yes (wo)man "my husband is a great shaman and an expert on x, y, and z." Now honestly I feel like people should hype up their spouses, but this is a constant throughout their writings.

Honestly though, I didn't get the chance to know them personally. Maybe they were awesome people irl. I'm just going off what I've read, but even if they were both very nice people, I still have some major issues.

One of these issues are the Andersons' claims about their own religion. Feri dates back to the Stone Age (uh huh), Feri's origins are in Africa (sure). Victor claimed to be a kahuna and an expert on Vodou. Apparently, once Victor read something he thought was true, he decided it had always been true. I should note here that near as I can tell, his source for info on Hawaiian religion is that Huna book by that white guy writing about what he thought Native Hawaiians believed. I've heard people justify this by being like "oh well Victor was being poetic and not literal" but that doesn't change the fact that it's straight up bullshit. Poetic lies are still lies. So yeah you'll often hear "Feri draws from a variety of traditions" but I'd say in some cases it's less "influenced by" and more "appropriated from" (I do feel the need to mention that some initiates have moved away from, say, using Hawaiian terms for their concepts).

I mentioned the deities in passing but Feri has its own pantheon. Most of the deity names are Welsh and many deities go by several names or are seen as similar to named deities in many cultures (the Blue God, for instance, being compared to Krishna) and they also have secret names that only initiates know. One important aspect of the Blue God is the Peacock God, at first I was going to include him under the section on appropriation, but Feri practitioners have apparently been in contact with actual Yazidis who have given their blessing re: Feri worship of Melek Taus but I'd prefer to hear it directly from the Yazidi that they are cool with it.

Okay so way back at the beginning I mentioned Feri was very queer but I really should amend that to say "unless you're asexual" because oh boy sex is inescapable in this tradition. It's implied that sexual activity between initiator and initiate is a thing that happens but there's an alternative ritual called the Intentions of the Heart where you do (non-sexual) ritual things and then "your first act of sexual intercourse" post-ritual is your initiation. The foundation of Feri practice is the Iron pentacle, where "sex" is at the top. There is also the Pearl pentacle, seen as the "higher energy" version of Iron, where sex becomes love. In Evolutionary Witchcraft, Coyle makes a few unfortunate statements about the relationship of sex to love that imply you cannot have love without sex. I don't really see a lot of room for asexual practitioners in this system, which is a shame because I know of some wonderful queer initiates of this tradition. I would be interested in an initiate's view on this because I know queer practitioners have talked about using an amethyst pentacle, for instance. I should note however, that Coyle states that not everyone needs or wants initiation as it involves marriage to the deities and responsibilities to the tradition, but as I said the tools and techniques she talks about are fine to use.

I did actually like Evolutionary Witchcraft so even if the tradition is not for me, I do what I usually do: take the bits I find useful and leave the rest.

[elhoimleafar]

Maria Lionza is an Indigenous Queen Goddess from Venezuela turning incredibly popular in different countries of South America like Brazil & Colombia, her popularity is growing and her magic is powerful.

She is known as the Queen of fairies, ghosts, and wild spirits, also, Goddess of magic and witchcraft, and a protector of sacred natural places.

Join us on a magickal full-moon night to learn her history, folklore, magic, and relation with other pantheons and local spirits, and take notes while we learn and practice 13 powerful rituals of her.

CLICK HERE TO SAVE YOUR SPOT

[lailoken]

Hi Lucien.

I saw somebody talking about a "faerie religion" that is being revived in traditional witchcraft spaces? I was wondering if you know anything about that and if you can point me towards any sources. It caught my interest. You're the best account I know that deals with this type of thing.

Thank you!

I appreciate your kind words, and I'm glad I can provide some sort of resource for you. However, I can't really say I know what you're talking about. You're not thinking of the "Feri Tradition," by chance, are you?

[teawitch]

Do you have any thoughts about railroad tracks from a witchcraft perspective? I know I shouldn't walk on the tracks cuz a lot of people die that way but I think they are like a crossroads

Railroad tracks are wonderful liminal spaces because the trains traveling on them are in a constant state of not being in a specific location. So, yes, they can function like crossroads. But like crossroads, they must be treated with respect. Walking on tracks, particularly active tracks, is dangerous. Now, a deserted stretch of tracks would be a place to do magic.

If you can't find a deserted set of tracks, old railroad spikes have a lot of iron in them and are good for all sorts of protection magic. A common one is to hammer an iron spike into each corner of your property to protect it. Others place them by entry ways. I have one from when one of those massive hurricanes was aiming for Orlando that a Feri-tradition witch charged to protect my house. You can even find ones that have been hammered into knives or athames for ritual use.

If you come across an old iron railway spike, even someone selling the actual old spikes at a good price, they can be worth obtaining.

(Modern spikes are a different steel. Still useful but the old spikes are what witches really want. There is an old guy who shows up at the local gem shows with some interesting things Railroad spikes, iron nails, deer antlers. He pretends he has no idea why people keep buying these things. You can get a good idea as to who knows what by watching who is buying shiny cheap things from the New Age crystal stall and who is negotiating for a bunch of rusty iron nails.)

Oh, also - if you need to dispose of something and live near a railroad, placing it in the railroad's trash can is a safer substitute for burying it. I usually use convenience stores for this since they're conveniently located at intersections and have trash cans. If I buy a soda or something while I'm there, I've paid the guardian of the crossroads for their service.

[wytchwyse]

Your aptitude for magic is not in your tradition of magic. It is in your effort to learn your system/tradition/religion.

These are my opinions, and observations.

Traditional Wicca, Folkloric Witchcraft, Feri, Appalchian folk magic, Hoodoo, NOLA Voodoo, Santeria, Hellenism, Celtic polytheism, Obeah, curanderismo, Sabbatic Witchcraft, Luciferianism, ceremonial magic, catholic folk magic, folk religions etc.

All of these are magical traditions/ systems and many are religious in nature. None of them are more "powerful" then another. Spirituality is no different than anything else, you get out of it what you put into it. Once more I see a disturbing Trend within occulture This concept that some systems are greater than others. Magic, sorcery, occultism are not games that we play, they are not an aesthetic, they're not a costume. they take time, they take effort, you are expected to grow as a person as you grow with your practice.if what you care about is arguing over whose God is more powerful than I can assure you any magic that you think you're doing you're not. That is not the point of why we practice the arte magical.

If you are still experiencing these delusions of grandeur as you practice your magic you have a lot of work to do within yourself. Your magic should be used to propel yourself forward Psychologically, exoterically and esoterically. The practice of magic no matter where it came from, or what point in time it came out of has no bearing on its potency.

Let's remember the importance of rationality in the occult , it is okay to keep our heads in the clouds as long as our feet are firmly on the ground beneath us. So just to reiterate no, your God will not beat up someone else's God that's childish and ridiculous. Sorcery demands maturity, otherwise you're just LARPing.

[severalpinkribbons]

Welcome my lovely little patients

About the Head nurse that owns said safe haven ༊*·˚

୨⎯ "About Dr. Feri" ⎯୧ ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧ I am 17 ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧ Trigender, I don't care what pronouns you use for me ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧ Omnisexual + Demisexual ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧ Diagnosed BPD, Depression, Autism ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧ Age regressor ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧ Witchcraft practitioner

Terms and conditions, please sign~

No kink/nsfw/associated in my hospital, any attempts will be blocked immediately

No flirting as per request of my beloved <3

Anons are accepted and welcome here x.___________________

CAUTION: You are entering a restricted area

This blog will be for my yandere thoughts and things. There may be some serious topics; each post will have it's own trigger warning for extra protection. Still sensitive dolls should enter into a different hospital for their own safety.

Thank you for sticking with me sweets and we hope you enjoy your stay! <3

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈-------------------------------------------------------

#ribbons lab results ~ Fun tests and games

#ribbons lab reports ~ Yandere ramblings

#ribbons patients ~ Chatting w/frens

#ribbons meds check ~ Other talking/rambling

#pretty pink ribbons ~ Drawings/art

#paging doctor ribbons ~ Poems

#ribbons mental hospital - Anons

#ribbons reblogs - Reblogs

#/royal pup - Ramblings about my darling

Patients:

💟, His highness

Secondary (mainly) anime blog!

[reno-matagot]

Méditation devant ce magnifique prunus en fleurs aujourd'hui 💞

[midwestbramble]

Book Reviews and Recommendations

This will be a running list of books I’ve reviewed and which ones I recommend according to topic. This way when people ask I have an easy place to point them.

Right now I’m posting one review a week of a book that’s already on my shelf. Eventually all the books I’ve recommended will have a review linked as well; for now if you have questions about one feel free to ask. This post will continue to be updated.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Content:

Book Reviews

Book Recommendations

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Book Reviews

America Bewitched

American Brujeria

Aradia

Astral Dynamics

Backwoods Witchcraft

Besom, Stang, and Sword

Betwixt and Between

Black Dog Folklore

The Black Toad

The Book of Celtic Magic (coming soon)

Mastering Witchcraft

Thirteen Pathways of Occult Herbalism

Under the Witching Tree

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Book Recommendations

For Beginners:

Natural Magic by Doreen Valiente

Psychic Witch by Mat Auryn

Weave the Liminal by Laura Tempest Zakroff

The Witch’s Path by Thorn Mooney

Ancestor Work:

Honoring Your Ancestors by Mallorie Vaudoise

Animal Spirits:

Black Dog Folklore by Mark Norman

Fang and Fur, Blood and Bone by Lupa

Skin Spirits by Lupa

Astrology:

The Essential Guide to Practical Astrology by April Elliott Kent

Crafts:

The Green Witch’s Grimoire by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Potions, Elixirs, and Brews by Anaïs Alexandre

Cultural Literacy in Modern Witchcraft:

Aradia by Charles Godfrey Leland

Doreen Valiente: Witch by Philip Heselton

Power of the Witch by Laurie Cabot

The Rebirth of Witchcraft by Doreen Valiente

Spiral Dance by Starhawk

Transcendental Magic by Éliphas Lévi

Death Work:

Morbid Magic by Tomás Prower

Druidry:

The Book of Celtic Magic by Kristoffer Hughes

Elements:

The Four Elements of the Wise by Ivo Dominguez Jr.

The Little Work by Durgadas Allon Duriel

Faeries:

Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk by Morgan Daimler

Feri (not to be confused with faeries):

Betwixt and Between by Storm Faerywolf

Forbidden Mysteries of Faery Witchcraft by Storm Faerywolf

Folklore:

Black Dog Folklore by Mark Norman

The Devils Plantation by Nigel Pearson

Folk Magic:

American Brujeria by J. Allen Cross

Backwoods Witchcraft by Jake Richards

Doctoring the Devil by Jake Richards

Ozark Folk Magic by Brandon Weston

Ozark Mountain Spell Book by Brandon Weston

The Powwow Grimoire by Robert Phoenix

Trolldom by Johannes Björn Gårdbäck

Working Conjure by Hoodoo Sen Moise

Green Witchcraft:

The Green Witch’s Garden by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Plants of the Devil by Corrine Boyer

The Poison Path Herbal by Coby Michael

Under the Bramble Arch by Corrine Boyer

Under the Witching Tree by Corrine Boyer

Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer

Wortcunning by Nigel Pearson

Hearth Witchcraft:

The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin

The House Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Hedge Riding/Spirit Flight:

Astral Dynamics by Robert Bruce

A Broom at Midnight by Roger J. Horne

History:

America Bewitched by Owen Davies

Demons and Spirits of the Land by Claude Lecouteux

Harry Potter and History by Nancy Reagin <- unaffiliated with JK Rowling

A History of Magic and Witchcraft by Frances Timbers

The Return of the Dead by Claude Lecouteux

The Tradition of Household Spirits by Claude Lecouteux

The Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton

The Witch by Ronald Hutton

Witches, Werewolves, and Fairies by Claude Lecouteux

Holidays:

The Hearth Witch’s Year by Anna Franklin

Samhain by Diana Rajchel

Yule by Susan Pesznecker

Protection:

By Rust of Nail and Prick of Thorn by Althaea Sebastiani

Hex Twisting by Diana Rajchel

The Reclaiming Tradition:

The Spiral Dance by Starhawk

Scientific Studies on Magic:

Real Magic by Dean Radin, PhD

Spirit Work:

Honoring Your Ancestors by Mallorie Vaudoise

A Witch’s Guide to the Paranormal by J. Allen Cross

Traditional Witchcraft:

Besom, Stang, and Sword by Christopher Orapello and Tara-Love Maguire

The Black Toad by Gemma Gary

A Broom at Midnight by Roger J. Horne

The Crooked Path by Kelden <- great for beginners

The Devils Dozen by Gemma Gary

Folkloric American Witchcraft and the Multicultural Experience by Via Hedera

New World Witchery by Corey Hutcheson

Plants of the Devil by Corrine Boyer

The Poison Path Herbal by Coby Michael

Southern Cunning by Aaron Oberon

Traditional Witchcraft by Gemma Gary

Treading the Mill by Nigel G Pearson

Tubelos Green Fire by Shani Oates

Under the Bramble Arch by Corrine Boyer

Under the Witching Tree by Corrine Boyer

Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer

The Witch Compass by Ian Chambers

The Witches’ Devil by Roger J Horne

The Witches’ Sabbath by Kelden

Wortcunning by Nigel Pearson

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

[damonblack966]

6 Things That You Don’t Need To Be An Effective Witch

You get people who are otherwise preaching a philosophy of oneness and being in tune with yourself and valuing nature and peace, becoming utterly irate because someone else is doing something different. Am I the only one who sees the huge contradiction here?

What Is Witchcraft?

Here’s the thing, witchcraft isn’t a set of rituals. It isn’t the worship of a particular god, it’s not a religion, it’s not even the methods we use to cast spells. Witchcraft transcends all of these things because witchcraft is about doing what works. And if the massive diversity in magical tradition speaks to anything, it’s that there are a LOT of ways to do magic that work!

What witchcraft really is, at its core, is the manipulation of the energy that makes up everything from the tiniest microbe, to massive sequoias, this wonderful planet that we live on, every star, every breath we take, and every god we may or may not pray to. Magic is literally everywhere. It’s inescapable because it IS us. It’s everything!

Why So Many Things Are Optional

This base nature of magic and our universe is exactly what makes so many things in magic optional. Since magic is everywhere and everything, there are basically infinite ways to take advantage of it. And the vast majority of these methods work given the right circumstances!

Think of it this way, if magic could only be accessed in one way, we would see the exact same magical structure repeated over and over and over again in every culture and at every point in history. That is not the case, though! All you have to do is look at the amazing diversity present in our current magical culture. You have ceremonial magicians summoning demons and performing long and intricate rites while housewives practice folk magic involving nothing more than a whispered incantation and some spices from their cupboard. Both methods work. How can we claim that there’s only one way to practice magic when Hoodoo, Santeria, Wicca, Appalachian granny magic, and so many more traditions exist simultaneously and all seem to work? The answer is that we can’t. They DO all work because they are all taking advantage of the exact same universal forces in a myriad of ways.

So What Is Optional?

There are so many more optional elements than I could possibly list here, but these are some of the most common elements of the craft that I see being touted as non-negotiable.

1. Gendered Energy

The use of gendered energy (i.e. masculine and feminine energy) is an incredibly prevalent part of modern witchcraft, and this is largely due to the widespread nature of Wicca. Wicca teaches this gender split as a core part of its practices and, because of this, such methods have filtered down into the collective consciousness of neo-Wicca and nondenominational witchcraft as a result. The widespread nature of this concept does not make it mandatory, however. There are plenty of forms of witchcraft that do not teach or use any form of gendered magical energy, and some (like Feri) that actively teach that one should strive for the freedom of energy that comes from releasing oneself from such limiting concepts in magic.

If the idea of gendered energy makes you uncomfortable, if you find it difficult to work with, or if it simply doesn’t resonate with you, you don’t have to use it! You can simply omit that part of the craft without suffering any ill consequences. Your magic will still work, it won’t be any less powerful and in fact, by removing an element that didn’t resonate with you personally, your magic might become even more effective!

2. Specific Tools

You can find a list of “beginner’s tools” in pretty much every book and website about witchcraft out there. Everyone seems to have an idea of what tools are must-haves for practicing magic and often, these lists of tools don’t match up with each other! One source will tell you that you absolutely must have a wand, while another doesn’t even mention wands, but says that two knives rather than one are essential. Some sources use herbs, others essential oils, still others make no mention of such things. You’ll find everything from bells to cubes, mirrors, chalices, and candles on these lists. So what’s a witch supposed to think?! Which tools are really necessary?

The reality is, none of these tools are necessary. Sure, they all have their uses and can help you in harnessing your inherent magical power, but these tools don’t give you magical power and you can certainly access that innate connection to your energy without them. The best thing to do is to only use the tools that speak to you and make you feel as though your magic is working. If you’re short on resources and can’t afford tools, makeshift tools, DIY altarpieces, or nothing at all, can suffice as well. Magic can be done with nothing more than your will and intention, no tools, no words, and no outside trappings of any kind, if you so choose.

3. Divination

Divination methods like tarot, pendulum reading, and scrying are incredibly prevalent in modern witchcraft. They’re so prevalent, in fact, that many people feel as though without these elements they’re only practicing half the craft! This simply isn’t the case, though. Divination is a wonderful form of magic and can add a lot to your daily workings, but your witchcraft is still witchcraft even if you don’t use it. Some people really hate divination. Some people don’t want to know the future. Some people just find that they’re not very good at divination. There’s nothing wrong with accepting that divination just isn’t your thing if you don’t feel that it’s beneficial to you! 

I’m not very fond of math and you know what, despite the warnings of every grade school teacher, my life has suffered very little for my avoidance of math. I simply choose to focus my efforts on those things that I’m actually good at! In the few instances where I might need some math, there are always people in this world who have the skills that I do not. I can seek out people whose strengths complement my weaknesses. You should take this same approach to witchcraft (and possibly the rest of your life too). You have developed a set of skills, talents, and strengths that are unique to you. Why would you go out of your way to average yourself by becoming mediocre at those things that you have no natural aptitude for when you can spend that same energy becoming truly great at those things that you’re naturally good at?

4. Spirit Work

In much the same way as divination, spirit work is everywhere and is often seen as a completely necessary part of witchcraft. One of the most common questions I get from beginners is about whether they have to work with spirits. Many of these beginner witches are considering giving up the craft entirely because spirits scare them and they’ve been led to believe that they won’t be able to practice the craft without spirit work! How terrible to think that someone might give up their own power simply because they’re afraid of something that they never have to deal with unless they want to.

It’s true that spirits are everywhere and that becoming a witch will get you in tune with your own capabilities to see and interact with these spirits. That doesn’t mean that you have to work with them, though! If you feel unsafe around someone, you don’t force yourself to spend time with them simply because it’s expected of you. You do something about it! You get away from them, you choose not to live your life in their presence, you can even take out a restraining order if you need to. Spirit work is the same way. If you don’t like spirits, you can just avoid them! Put up wards to keep them away from you and your home, tell spirits that ask for your help that you’re not the right person to help, give stubborn spirits the boot with a solid banishing spell. If you don’t want to work with spirits, then DON’T. There are plenty of people out there who will do the spirit work that you don’t want to do. Let them deal with the spirits. Protect your space and your peace of mind if that’s what feels good for you.

5. Gods & Religion

Has anyone else here noticed how hard it is to find non-religious witchcraft? Because I have. The thing is, gods and religion are not mandatory in the craft. No matter how many spells you see invoking a deity or how many witchy sources you find that involve the horned god and triple goddess, you do not have to work with any god that you don’t want to. That includes gods that show up and want to work with you. You have every right to say no to them and not work with them if you don’t want to. Personally, I’ve told Odin to get lost more times than I can count. Do I have something against Odin? No, not necessarily. I just don’t think that working with him will further the path that I’ve chosen for myself. I respect him, but I don’t want him all up in my life and my witchcraft. You have every right to do the same. Pick and choose those beings that you allow into your life carefully. Remember, witchcraft is about claiming your power. Do not give your power of choice up just because the being contacting you is a god. 

You also do not have to believe in gods at all. If you find yourself in the atheist or agnostic crowd, you’re still a totally valid witch. Your power is still real, your magic still works. Don’t let overzealous people force their beliefs on you or make you feel that your personal path is wrong. There are many paths that lead to many places in this life and no two people will walk the same path. We are all here to learn and experience something different. It’s only natural that we will each need to choose our own path to fulfill that.

6. Being a nature obsessed person

I know, I know. We should all care about the planet and love mother nature and blah blah blah. And that’s all great but you know what, even if someone does care about not harming the planet, that doesn’t mean they’re going to be an outdoorsy, tree-hugging, garden planting kind of person. Or even if they are into being outdoorsy, that doesn’t mean they’re actually going to be able to. Plenty of people have limitations that prevent them from being able to go outside a lot. Sun sensitivity, physical disability, anxiety, introversion, and just plain old not wanting to can keep people inside year-round and you know what, that’s fine. A witch who never works a single spell or ritual outdoors is still a witch.

The truth is, your craft should be tailored to you as an individual. Intuitive magic is guaranteed to be more powerful for you personally than any other form of magic on the planet. It’s like the difference between wearing clothing off the rack and wearing clothing that has been tailored to fit your body precisely. The off the rack stuff might feel fine and look good but it will never compare to the look and feel of something tailor-made for you. In the same way, magic that you find in a book or through a teacher might work well for you, it might feel good and give you the results you want but it will never compare to the feel and the power that you can attain through intuitive magic.

If you only take one thing away from this post, let it be this: Stop worrying about whether you’re doing witchcraft “right” by other people’s standards. The only yardstick you should measure your craft by is whether what you’re doing works or not. Do what works. Forget about the rest.

[elmfae]

Tip for living like a fae

˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊⁎᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚ ˚✧₊

Write as much as you can in ways that are significant to you. Journaling/diary keeping, writing poetry, or writing short stories. The fair folk are masters of language.

~Fae