#is a huge witchcraft kit from me

[wanderlust-----witch]

Went on a huge witch/craft supplies run yesterday, spent a fuck ton of money more than I wanted, but I thing it's worth it. I got refills on a bunch of the stuff I've been sharing with kiddo and coworker, I got a book on mermaid magic that looked hella cool, four more oracle decks including three of the Seasons of the Witch decks (Beltane, Litha, and Mabon!), hubby managed to surprise me by sneaking these gorgeous tree of life notebooks into our cart when I wasn't looking, I got a few more notebooks myself in a different store (those were for a good cause and I can't resist notebooks lol), and there were two copies of Cunninghams Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs so I grabbed them both, one for Kiddo and one for Coworker.

Next step in kiddos present is gonna be Grovedaughter Witchery by @breelandwalker and herbs out the ass lol. They already have the crystals I could share, and I've gotten them a pendulum and a tarot deck.

(Sorry if I get overly emotional about Kiddo this week y'all, they turn 18 on Wednesday and I'm having some very strong emotions about it...)

[tanthamoretober]

Here's our roundup of the fics posted in the Tanthamoretober collection for week 2 (or 2ish)

Don’t forget to leave a comment if you liked a fic!

Day 8: Harvest

Festival Ideas by Anarik Rating: Teen and up Summary: “Where have you been?” Kit retorts, crossing her arms. “Come on. It’ll be fun. And you’re the only person I know with the necessary balls to do it.”

“You don’t really know me, though.”

“True. But I’ve heard and seen things.”

Now that takes Jade by surprise. (also appears under the prompts ‘witchcraft’ and ‘voyeurism’)

Take My Hand and Take Me Anywhere by Silver85 Rating: General audiences Summary: Kit hates the Harvest Festival but a pretty woman asked her to go. Who was she to say no? Part 8 of Loving Me Loving You, (AWOOOO)

petrichor- the smell exuded by plants during dry periods by Geek_and_Nina Rating: Teen and up Summary: pumpkin picking! (also appears under the tags 'voyeurism’ (mildly!) and ‘witchcraft’) Part 8 of Show Don't Tell

Day 9: Rainy Day

My Own Kind of Light, Chapter 5: Rainy Day, by slvershdws Rating: Teen and up Summary: Sixteen-year-old Kit Tanthalos meets visiting nineteen-year-old Jade Claymore at an Autumn Festival and it’s the start of a friendship that grows over the years into something neither expected, nor can they agree on what it is.

Until they do.

You Make This A Home. Stay With Me. by Silver85 Rating: Teen and up Summary: Kit hasn't been honest with Jade about what the bite means. Part 9 of Loving Me Loving You, (AWOOOO)

love of mine by Geek_and_Nina Rating: Teen and up Summary: i have decided to give them all of the quiet and soft moments that I would want on my fall break

Lili is the wyrm and she is the WORM

you have full permission to hate this version

Part 9 of Show Don't Tell

Day 10: Scarecrow

perfect by Geek_and_Nina Rating: Explicit Summary: jade and kit are gathering leaves to stuff their scarecrows with and kit sees a mugging! (also appears under the prompts ‘mirror sex’ and ‘help isn’t coming’) Part 10 of Show Don't Tell

Day 11: Haunted

cold steel, warm wax by Geek_and_Nina Rating: Explicit Summary: Jade has another one of those nightmares and as always, kit is there

(also appears under the prompts ‘knifeplay’ and ‘cursed’ Part 11 of Show Don't Tell

Day 12: Horror movie marathon

inside by Geek_and_Nina Rating: Explicit Summary: kit is feeling particularly needy and wants jade to spend the day with her in bed 'watching movies' (also appears under the prompts ‘orgasm denial’ and ‘locked in’) Part 12 of Show Don't Tell

Day 13: Jumping in a leaf pile

Dreams Pale to Reality by Silver85 Rating: Teen and up Summary: Kit finds her family jumping in the leaves and it's a perfect fall day. Part 4 of Alpha Kit

rolling in the leaves by Geek_and_Nina Rating: Explicit Summary: so i did this as a kid with trash bags, where we filled them with fallen leaves and set them up to look like a huge spider and spray painted a face on it. i think the idea would come across kit's tiktok or interest and she would feel the deep need to do this at airk's house and just... not tell him (also appears under the prompts ‘abduction’ and ‘impact play’) Part 13 of Show Don't Tell

Day 14: Warm Drinks

lace and silk and mesh by Geek_and_Nina Rating: Explicit Summary: kit winds down from a day out with elora and airk and texts her girlfriend whom she misses A LOT (also appears under the prompt ‘dirty talk’ and ‘prank gone wrong’) Part 14 of Show Don't Tell

Bright Smiles Warm Drinks by Silver85 Rating: General audiences Summary: Jade and Kit have their first date. Part 11 of Loving Me Loving You, (AWOOOO)

My Own Kind of Light, chapter 6, Warm drinks, by slvershdws Rating: Teen and up Summary: Sixteen-year-old Kit Tanthalos meets visiting nineteen-year-old Jade Claymore at an Autumn Festival and it’s the start of a friendship that grows over the years into something neither expected, nor can they agree on what it is.

Until they do.

Day 25: Black cat

these walls come tumbling down by OnlySheStandsThere Rating: Teen and up Summary: Veterinarian Jade Claymore hits a panther with her truck one night, only for the panther to turn out to be a very attractive girl who needs medical attention, a place to stay, and maybe something more.

Finally, here's the link to Autumn, Week One

Want to join in? See this post for the complete list of autumnal prompts for the rest of October.

[emstone17]

About Me✧》══╗

*basics* ★ My pref name is Emerald ★ I am a minor ★ My zodiac sign is Pisces ★ Pronouns are he/they ★ I'm a slytherin :> *hobbies* ★ I am a reality shifter! some of my main drs are Hogwarts, Royal High, and a better cr ★I have a fascination on witchcraft stuff like crystals, rituals, and spell kits ★ Astrology is a huge fixation for me ★ comics >>> *Boundaries* ★ Requests are open ★ I'm always free to chat! ★ No PMs from ppl over 20 ★ antishifters dni ★ other than that I can't wait to talk to you all!

[resinatingbeauty]

Witchcraft & Expectations

What do you really expect from the Craft?

I had considered writing this for a while before actually doing it just because I didn't want anyone to feel like they were being attacked or singled out. Offending you isn't the purpose of this post, so please do not be discouraged by anything you read here. There is no wrong way of practicing your Craft and to each their own. I was just curious about perspectives when it comes to your expectations regarding Witchcraft, magick, and spirituality as I have dealt with many different people following many different paths since focusing more on my Craft and art through my shop which began on Mercari and grew enough to become more established on Etsy.

I do sell many spiritual / witchy items from personalized spell kits to witchy mystery boxes compiled with Intuitively chosen and my own handmade, one of a kind items. Among the most popular spiritual offerings are my 'buy one get one miniature spell jars,' which allow my customers to select two general purposes or a personalized request from which I assemble and enchant a miniature glass spell jar containing herbs, crystals, essential oils, and other objects based on their needs and requests. I wanted to make these little portable vessel talismans more available to everyone price and purpose wise, compared to others that have been charged with a more specific intent or devoted to a specific deity.

I have a long history of using spell jars myself for various purposes whenever I feel compelled to create one or a special occasion arises. I'm picky about larger jars and bottles, however, so they are usually created in small corked jars or in larger jars that I will sometimes embellish or try new things to integrate that allow the spell jar to also be an appealing or intriguing piece of handmade everyday decor while serving its spiritual purpose, such as the one in the photo above.

For the most part, I have found a surprisingly amount of success with my spell jars. Not just myself, but others as well have reported events that they thought were directly related to their spell jar. I had created one for my neighbor a couple weeks ago who had been searching for a better job than the one she had at a preschool. The day after I gave her the jar, she received a text from an old coworker who notified her that a position at a bank she had applied at months ago that had nothing available at that time had just opened up.

This actually exceeded my expectations. In my experience, magick takes time. Others who have commented on the success of their spell jars or magick in general would contact me a few weeks or so after using their spell kit or receiving their spell jar. I created a spell jar back in January to help jumpstart my small business selling my crafts and Craft and didn't really start to see a huge change until mid-March-April where I was more successful than even I anticipated.

This was about on par with what I expected in terms of time, as most spells I've ever done have taken days, weeks, or even months to start manifesting results that couldn't be passed off or ignored. To be sure, I include a scroll with each of my kits and jars explaining how they are best utilized, to have patience, how to set a purpose and intentions, the power of thinking positively, and that magick rewards those who are willing to work and make sacrifices for what they desire. To me, all of these things are virtues that this path teaches us and are part of what makes the Craft so empowering overall. Whether it was the spell or your hard work, you are the catalyst for change. You made things happen. I mean, what is more empowering than that?

This is part of the reason why I personally chose to over spell kits and magickal tools rather than offering to cast spells or perform rituals on one's behalf. It was my desire to make YOU feel empowered and you are the one ultimately responsible for your own success or failure, whether spiritually or otherwise. I'll gladly steer you down the road of success and provide you with my knowledge, experience, and guidance, but I am always clear about what to expect.

Unfortunately, we live in a time where instant gratification is anticipated and expected, which I never considered in terms of Witchcraft. I knew that no matter how many times I write 'set realistic expectations, focus on your purpose, be patient, and keep doing what your doing' that some people would just blow through all that hoping that they just bought a quick fix for all their problems for $6.99 + a buy one get one deal.

Two weeks or so ago, I had received an order for said jars from a young man who simply said he wanted a personalized spell jar for lucid dreaming and dream work and selected his second 'free' one for self empowerment. I reached out to clarify and answered some of his questions. My immediate impression from him was one of discord. He expressed a lot of turmoil in his life over the past few months and claimed to have taken on a lot of responsibility. He seemed young and eager, with a ton of questions regarding magick in general. I answered his questions the best I could, but reiterated the same values I expressed in the previous paragraph when asked why such and such spell wasn't working, 'should I not have done this,' etc. Magick takes time to manifest, especially when it comes to financial purposes like he explained which are inherently unlikely to resolve themselves overnight.

He seemed happy enough with his purchase and said as much when he received his package. A couple days later, I received a notification about a review he had left which was negative, saying one of his spell jars didn't work with a message delivered in tandem asking what purpose I had set for his spell jar.

Let me say this: I am not upset with him or complaining about his review. He is entitled to his own opinion, although I was annoyed with how quickly he had come to the conclusion when in the instructions I provided him I specifically said that these things take time to work. Anyone who receives results instantly or within the next day or so are exceeding my own expectations. Which is great! Hooray!

But this is definitely not the standard I've come to expect in all the years I've been practicing the Craft.

I continued chatting with and answering this young man's questions and ultimately uncovered that he was upset about a variety of things that had been going on in his life. In his mind, he felt entitled to have these things work for him sooner rather than later and was frustrated and angry that nothing he tried had been working out the way he expected.

In the time that I have opened my little shop, I have (thankfully) only run into one other person like this- where their understanding of Witchcraft seems to have been compiled from television and movies. After the first, I learned to tread lightly around these individuals because, whether it's their fault or not, they have been mislead.

Television shows like old school Charmed and the newer Salem and Witches of East End are really entertaining. I enjoyed watching them, but they are the absolute enemy of those who practice magick / witchcraft as a form of religion or spirituality. Sure, some of these shows actually do their research. Even Buffy the Vampire Slayer was ahead of its time introducing Wiccans, Technopagans, and New Age practices to pop culture and in many ways helped to show people an obscured version of the truth during the 'Satanic Panic' period when even witches hated being called witches and the pentagram / pentacle difference became an actual difference that wasn't just a choice of words.

Newer generations growing up with Harry Potter, which is hardly a great introduction into magickal traditions, were at least more open minded than the previous generation to the actuality of witchcraft and magick as a spiritual practice.

I mean, who doesn't want to snap their fingers and make the house tidy in one fell swoop?

I sure do. But even when I first started practicing at 11 I understood that that just isn't how it is.

This young man who was saying he lead a coven sounded more like he was LARPing than legitimately asking for spiritual guidance. I realized real quick that I couldn't do anything for him. What he wanted and expected, no matter how many times I referenced the instructions I provided (he evidently hadn't acknowledged) and relayed to him my own experience and expectations, he was looking for that 'quick fix' and someone or something to blame for when it didn't work the way he thought it would. The main reason for his complaint? The night after he received his spell jar, he said he just dreamnt about the moon.

My understanding of lucid dreaming was having direct control over ones dreams. The more I talked to this person the more it became clear that this wasn't his understanding of lucid dreaming. I tried to ask what he had tried to gain that control, as many of you know that I suffered from sleep paralysis for years and taught myself how to realize and 'break out' of it over time. He referenced making offerings to a goddess. I had to stop.

I'm sure that another business minded witch would have sold him something else or offered an exchange. I (stupidly) tried to make him understand that he has the power to manifest his desires. All I did was provide him with a tool to help things along.

This was the same for the woman I had dealt with months ago who said that she had been told by this coven owned business that she was a vampire reincarnated to be with her lover. That was the ultimate end of our conversation because she didn't seem very open to anything I suggested. Whether the things she bought were 'effective' for her or not we will never know. When she started messaging me to the point of harassment I deleted her messages and flagged them as spam. All this time and effort spent consoling someone who really isn't in the right frame of mind for magick or witchcraft.

The main point in writing this ranty post is to get the perspective of the community. What are your expectations for your own spells? What do you tell others when they ask? If you are also a 'witch shop' owner or own your own spiritual practice how do you deal with clients that have set unrealistic expectations for you and your Craft?

[tipsycad147]

Sage advice: An illustrated guide to smudging herbs

by Michelle Gruben

Once upon a time, there were only three kinds of smudge sticks in most witchy shops: Small, medium, and large.  These days, you can choose from a vast array of smudging herbs, each with a different energy, aroma, and cultural history.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the plants that are most commonly used for smudging. (We’ll limit it to smudges that are derived from woods and leaves. Resin incenses are divine—but that’s a topic for another article.)

The variety of smudging herbs is incredible. But you’ll also notice some similarities. First, most of them come from the leaf and stem parts of bushes and small trees. (Fruits and flowers make wonderful sachets, baths, and teas, but lose all their charm when burned.) Second, most smudging plants grow in desert and mountain regions, where the soil is poor. Plants in these climates tend to be short and shrubby, and they rely on fragrant oils as a way to keep insects and other animals from munching on them to get to their water and nutrients.

You’ll also notice that many excellent smudging plants come from the genus Salvia (true sages). There are several hundred distinct species of Salvia, but only the most aromatic varieties are used for smudging. Many other varieties grow wild, or are cultivated as hardy ornamentals. Sage’s reputation as a beneficial plant is ancient and well-deserved. The Romans named the plant Salvia after the Latin verb meaning to save, redeem, or heal.

So where can you find these delicious-smelling plants? Well, just about any New Age store will have smudges for sale. (White Sage, at least—you may have to search online for some of the more exotic varieties.) Also try health food grocers, yoga studios, artisan and farmer’s markets. You may even want to consider growing smudging plants in your garden, or gathering them in the wild.

A quick warning: The plants listed below are not harmful or dangerous under normal circumstances. Still, they can cause irritation and allergic reactions in some people. If you have asthma or respiratory problems, burning anything may not be great for your health. (Consult a doctor or herbalist if you have concerns.) Burn smudges in a well-ventilated area—coughing and choking on the smoke will not enhance their effects! Always be mindful of fire safety, especially indoors and in dry climates.

Finally, please don’t rely on herbal remedies as a substitute for medical treatment. When I describe an herb as healing, I mean only that it will contribute to your general well-being—not that it will cure cancer, toenail fungus, or anything in between. I always recommend that you store herbs in labeled packages, out of the reach of children and pets.

White Sage (Salvia apiana—also known as Bee Sage, California Sage, Sacred Sage)

For many people, “smudging” means one thing only—White Sage. (Its Latin name refers to its main pollinator, the honeybee.) White Sage is the bread and butter of any smudging kit. Versatile and effective, it’s suitable for most any smudging ritual—cleansing, healing, protection, meditation, and so on. When mixed with other herbs, it makes a wonderful base for a custom smudging blend.

White Sage grows wild across the American Southwest in bushy clumps. (The strongest-smelling product comes from the western fringes of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts.) The plant has been gathered for thousands of years by Native Americans, particularly the Chumash. It is regarded as a sacred plant—an important source of food, medicine, and benevolent Spirit.

White Sage is herbaceous, sweet, and slightly astringent.  It's rather similar to Eucalyptus, but more complex. Some people say it smells like Marijuana when burned. (To me, burning White Sage just smells like burning White Sage—but the similarity is something to keep in mind if you’re going to use it in public.) The smell of White Sage is so strong that just rubbing its fuzzy leaves between your fingers is enough to release the scent.

Almost all of the White Sage on the market comes from California. Most of it is wild-gathered and hand-tied by producers large and small. There really isn’t much difference in quality between brands. However, if it matters to you, you may want to seek out a producer who gathers Sage with the proper prayers and observances. It’s even possible to buy White Sage that is harvested by American Indians according to traditional practices, just as they have done for centuries.

Because it is the most widely available smudge, you can buy White Sage in many sizes and formats. Small Sage wands (3-4 inches) are ideal for small spaces, solitary practice, or to keep handy in a ritual kit. The big boys (8 inches and up) are best reserved for outdoor use and large group rituals—unless a wailing smoke detector is part of your space-clearing strategy! You can also buy the loose leaves and stems by the ounce or pound. This lets you control the amount you use, and allows for blending with other herbs.

White Sage is affected by periodic droughts, meaning it has years in which the harvest is smaller. The price and quality fluctuate accordingly. Still, there’s no need to pester your local New Age emporium about the vintage year of their stock. Freshness isn’t a huge consideration, either. The volatile oils in dried Sage will dissipate somewhat over time—but I’ve used Sage sticks that were hiding in my altar cupboard for years and no one was the wiser. Buy it, it’ll burn just fine.

Common Sage (Salvia officianalis—also known as Garden Sage, Common Sage, Green Sage, or Kitchen Sage)

Many a hard-up Witch has wondered if it’s okay to use culinary Sage—the kind that goes in turkey stuffing and breakfast sausage—for smudging. The answer is yes! Common Sage is a close relative of White Sage, and has many of the same beneficial properties as its superstar cousin, White Sage. Common Sage originates in Europe, and its medicinal and folkloric uses date back to the Middle Ages. For those involved in the European traditions of Witchcraft, it may make more sense to smudge with Common Sage than one of the North American varieties.

Besides, not everybody has a metaphysical store that they can rush to for supplies, and a good Witch knows how to improvise. The main advantage of Common Sage is that it grows in many climates, and is readily available in fresh and dried form at most supermarkets. Will Sage ward off bad vibes when used in food? I don’t know, but I’ll take another slice of Sage Derby while I mull it over.

Not everyone agrees that the smell of burning Common Sage is pleasant. A little goes a long way. Also, the herb must be quite dry to smolder effectively. If burning Sage doesn't work for you, remember that you can still use the plant to cleanse and bless your space. Add the essential oil to sprays and washes, or put the leaves in sachets, witch bottles, or mojo bags.

Blue Sage (Salvia clevelandii or Artemisia tridentata—also known as New Mexico Sage, Desert Sage, Grandmother Sage)

Blue Sage is a hardy bush found in the deserts of the Southwest. It’s named for its abundant blue flowers, but the leaves also have a blue-ish cast. It has thin leaves and a fragrance that is both herbaceous and floral, similar to Lavender.

A close relative of White Sage, Blue Sage is also good for healing and cleansing rituals.  Its soothing, relaxing smell can be used to aid meditation, or burned simply for enjoyment. It’s not as pungent as White Sage, and is more agreeable to some folks who find the strong, bracing scent of White Sage overpowering. You can find Blue Sage in smudge sticks and in loose-leaf form.

Another pale sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata, is pictured above. It goes by the trade name "Blue Sage," but is not a member of the Salvia clan.

Lavender Sage (Salvia leucophylla or Salvia mellifera)—also know as Gray Sage, Purple Sage, Wild Lavender)

Yet another far-flung member of the Salvia family, Lavender Sage is a sun-loving plant that grows in southern coastal California. It’s named for its clusters of purple flowers—the leaves are rounded, green, and fuzzy like Common Sage. (They darken to gray when dried.) Lavender Sage is unrelated to the flower Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). However, it physically resembles Lavender (especially when in bloom) and has a similar clean, flowery fragrance. As if that wasn’t screwy enough, some artisan producers do use true Lavender as an ingredient in smudges, and they don’t always make it clear which plant is meant. Lavender Sage is known for its calming, peaceful, and sedating effects. It inspires love and relieves anxiety. Because of its irresistible scent and natural beauty, a Lavender Sage smudge is a great choice for your spells of attraction. Lavender Sage is often combined with White Sage for a killer duo. Like a 2-in-1 shampoo, this pair will cleanse and condition in a single step! Black Sage (Salvia mellifera, Artemisia nova, Artemisia douglasiana and others—also known as Mugwort, Magical Sage, Black Sagebrush, Dream Weed)

Used to encourage dreams and visions, Black Sage is an herb of introspection and inner healing. When burned before bedtime, it aids in restful sleep and pleasant dreams. Black Sage is used for astral travel, shamanic journeying, and for protection during such excursions. One Pagan priest I know begins group trance workings by smudging the participants with Black Sage. Black Sage is like the mystical, shifty-acting cousin of the Sage clan—so shifty, in fact, that people can’t even agree on what plant it is! There are a few different products sold under the name “Black Sage.” I found this out when I noticed that the Black Sage I ordered for the store looked different from month to month. I called my supplier, and he confessed that the exact composition of the smudge changes based on availability. A true Sage, Salvia mellifera has long leaves that are dark green on top and silver underneath. It is found in the mountains of the West Coast from California north through British Columbia. The plant can be difficult to identify because it resembles other species. The leaves only darken dramatically in times of drought. To add to the confusion, there are several cultivars, and Black Sage readily hybridizes with Purple Sage and Blue Sage plants. Other Black Sage products come from shrubs in the genus Artemisia. They are commonly called sagebrushes, but these dark-green plants are more closely related to the Daisy than to true Sage. When dried, Artemisia tridentata has a lighter, straw-brown color, and may also have small crowded blossoms on its stalks. But Artemisia douglasiana (shown in the photo above) is leafier and easy to mistake for dark Sage such as Salvia mellifera. Why does it matter? The metaphysical properties of both plants are similar, but Artemisia-based smudges may also contain small amounts of thujone. This mildly trance-inducing compound is best-known as the active ingredient in traditional absinthe liqueur. Black Sage contains less thujone than the common herbs Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) and Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). Black Sage won’t cause you to “trip” or wildly hallucinate. At most, it may intensify your efforts at visualization and vivify your dreams. Even so, some people (like pregnant women and straight-edgers) should avoid using Black Sage. Desert Sage (Artemisia tridentata or Artemisia californica [pictured]—Desert Magic, Mountain Sage, Grey Sage, New Mexico Sage, Sagebrush Smudge)

This aromatic shrub thrives in the windswept deserts of the Santa Fe/Taos area. It has skinny, branched leaves and a light brown color. Desert Sage shares some common nicknames with Blue Sage, and the two plants are sometimes sold interchangeably. (Are you noticing a pattern here?) Desert Sage has a warm herbaceous aroma that is a bit peppery (think Bay leaves or Mint tea). It is used for cleansing and purifying, protection, and inner strength. It is said to bring pleasant thoughts and relieve headaches and anxiety. Desert Sage is available both loose and in smudge sticks. It blends well with most other smudging herbs. Desert Sage produces a dense, straw-like bundle that is sometimes sprinkled with resin incenses for an especially rich combination. Desert Sage laced with Dragon’s Blood or Copal is just delicious! Dakota Sage (Artemisia ludoviciana—Badlands Sage, Silver Wormwood, Old Man Sage, Silver King, Western Mugwort, Dakota White Sage)

Another Artemisia smudge, this one grows all over the badlands of South Dakota stretching all the way south to Louisiana. Dakota Sage is rarely found in commercial Sage products, but I’ve included it because it’s easily gathered in many places across the United States. The aroma and appearance of Dakota Sage is very similar to that of Desert Sage. However, the fragrance is usually less intense. Piñon Pine (Pinus edulis and others—also known as Pinyon Pine)

The Piñon Pine is a generous evergreen tree from the foothills of the American Southwest.  The nuts were an important food source for early Americans--these days, the tree is best known for stocking chimineas (Southwestern patio stoves). Piñon has a smooth, woodsy scent that's especially powerful, thanks to its high concentration of pine resin. Piñon is an excellent all-purpose smudge, and a capable stand-in for White Sage, if you prefer to avoid the latter. Its energy is cleansing, healing, and strengthening. Oh, and it repels insects, too. Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens [California Incense Cedar], and many other species)

Cedar is an ancient tree, one of the oldest beings still thriving on the Earth. Cedar trees look much the same as they did when dinosaurs roamed the land. Back when other trees were trying out those newfangled “leaves,” Cedar said “I’m good” and stayed with the tried and true. The smell of Cedar is woodsy and fresh. It recalls ancient forests, and invokes their protection and wisdom. Both the wood (in the form of chips or shavings) and the foliage make effective smudges.

Cedar smudges carry a medicine of protection. Cedar is often used to cleanse a home or apartment when first moving in, inviting unwanted spirits to leave and protecting a person, place or object from unwanted influences. Along with Rosemary and White Sage, Cedar is one of the most aggressively cleansing smudges you can choose. Juniper (Juniperus communis)

Juniper has a sweet and spicy "Christmas tree" fragrance and abundant blue berries.  Like Cedar, Juniper is probably one of the most ancient plants. Juniper is said to have a masculine, protective energy, and is used in spells of cleansing and prosperity. Juniper berries are popular in good luck charms, while the leaves are often used for smudging. Juniper is best used for blessing a new venture or dwelling, and inviting in abundance. Bearberry (Uva ursi)

Bearberry is a low-growing North American shrub in the Heather family.  As its name suggests, it is a favorite of foraging bears. It is used for smudging, animal magic, shape-shifting, and other shamanic work. Native Americans traditionally mix it with Tobacco leaf to create a ritual smoke blend (called kinnikinnick), said to carry prayers and bring visions. Sometimes the leaves come mixed with peppercorn-sized berries.  Don't throw these out—the Bear spirit is said to appreciate the offering. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalus)

A culinary herb with an assertive fragrance, this woody perennial may also be used for smudging. It clears negativity, inspires confidence, and invigorates the mind and body.

Some people prefer to avoid herbs associated with Native American cultures out of concerns about cultural appropriation. Rosemary is an Old World herb with a long history of use in incenses, and so makes a guilt-free alternative for Western practitioners. Sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata or Anthoxanthum nitens—also known as Seneca Grass, Holy Grass, Vanilla Grass, Mary’s Grass, Bison Grass)

Sweetgrass is a long, fragrant grass that grows wild across portions of the American Great Plains. It's frequently braided or tied in bundles, then dried.

Sweetgrass is sacred to several Plains tribes. They have traditionally burned it to drive out evil and harm, and allow benevolent spirits to approach. Ancient lore states that Sweetgrass is the hair of the Earth Mother, and invokes love, kindness, and honesty.

A relative of American Sweetgrass was known in medieval Europe. Sheaves of the sweet-smelling grass were strewn across thresholds, especially of churches, where it would release a gentle aroma when trod upon.

Sweetgrass smells of fresh hay with hints of warm vanilla. It induces a mellow, almost soporific state when burned.  (It contains coumarin, which is thought to be mildly psychoactive.) Some say the proper way to burn Sweetgrass braids is to shave small portions off with a knife, allowing them to fall on hot coals. Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon glutinosum and Eriodictyon californicum—also known as Holy Herb, Mountain Balm, Consumptive’s Weed, Bear Weed)

Yerba Santa ("holy herb") is a sweet-smelling plant that grows in the arid hills of the Southwest.  It got its common name from Spanish monks who were impressed with its healing properties. Yerba Santa is burned to honor ancestors, increase psychic powers, and bring healing and protection. It is also a traditional remedy against coughing and many other ailments. Yerba Santa grows wild only in certain areas of California and Northern Mexico—a true regional treasure. Tobacco (Genus Nicotiana)

The health hazards of Tobacco are well-known, so much that its sacred uses have fallen by the wayside. Wild-growing and cultivated Tobacco had a place in the rituals of many Native American tribes. Aleister Crowley considered Tobacco a consummate herb of Mars. And it is said that Faeries particularly enjoy offerings of the stuff. (Along with other human vices, like whiskey and sweets!) Commercially packaged cigarettes are full of reconstituted crud, chemicals and additives that make them unsuitable for magickal use. If you’re going to burn tobacco ritually, the best option is loose tobacco leaves, but they aren’t easy to find. The next best thing might be a shredded pipe tobacco that is additive-free. Palo Santo (Bursera graveolens—also known as Holy Wood)

Palo Santo (or “Holy Wood”) is a sweet-smelling tropical wood that is a natural incense.  Palo Santo is said to clear out negative spirits and energies, increase relaxation, and bring joy and harmony to the home. It is in the family of trees that produces Frankincense and Myrrh, but is native only to Ecuador, Peru, and the Galapagos Islands. Its aroma is smooth, aromatic and spicy. (I think it smells a bit like gingerbread!) The holy reputation of Palo Santo dates back to the time of the Incas, who used it in their ceremonies of healing and cleansing. When the Spaniards arrived in South America, they couldn’t easily obtain their preferred church incenses, so they substituted the local equivalent. To this day, Palo Santo is used there for Catholic holy days and processions. Palo Santo comes from a slow-growing tree that is in danger of over-harvesting. Both Ecuador and Peru have laws on the books designed to protect this rare species. Reputable importers use only fallen limbs and strive to minimize waste. Sticks, chips and even sawdust are sold by the ounce, with the scraps being compressed into incense cones or distilled for their essential oil. Sticks of Palo Santo can be lit on one end and burned just like any other smudge stick, but in humid conditions charcoal may be required. The chips and powder are best burned over charcoal.

Mixed smudges

Sometimes you may want to use a smudge with multiple ingredients, combining the aromas and properties of two or more plants. Mixed smudges come in a huge array of combinations, some laced with resins or flowers—far too many to list.  A Black and White Sage smudge (pictured) combines the psychic openness granted by Black Sage with the protective qualities of White Sage. However, it's worth noting that in some Native American traditions, the Four Sacred Medicines (White Sage, Cedar, Tobacco, and Sweetgrass) are never mixed.

Hope you've found this tour of smudging herbs useful and enlightening. Happy smudging—and for godsakes, open a window!

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/100896071-sage-advice-an-illustrated-guide-to-smudging-herbs

[kaidans-alenko]

so @maskydoolovesmasseffect made a post about a Kaidan doll and mentioned the possibility of renegade shep using it as a voodoo doll and I play as a renegade shep so naturally I opened my mouth in the tags and as a result they encouraged me to write this and I aim to please lol so here ya go, I hope you like it I know I enjoyed writing it.

You could easily call this a crack fic, probably wouldn’t be far off also Shepard and Kaidan are married because I said so <3

“Did you see spectre Alenko on the news last night?” Her husband’s name coming out of the mouth of another woman piqued her curiosity almost immediately. She wasn’t going to deny her jealous streak and even if it was just his last name it was enough to get her to walk inside to see what all the fuss was about and why some random woman was saying his name to begin with.

“I did! He’s so dreamy.” Her friend swooned as she gazed up at the promotional poster they had hung up.

“Isn’t he? I wonder if he’s single.” That set Lily off and she charged over, fully prepared to tear into them but the sight in front of her stopped her in her tracks.

"What the hell…?" A display full of new 'spectre Alenko' merchandise was displayed right next to the very similar display her and Aiden shared. It was absurd, there had to be better ways to raise money than to sell souvenirs with her husband's face on them right? 

Lily pushed past them coming face to face with dolls, posters and even a goddamn cardboard cut out. Now, she was well aware of just how gorgeous her husband was and couldn't blame the Alliance for exploiting it but the thought of random men or women walking home with and doing who knows what to a doll of him made her blood boil. She glanced at her own display, notably even more creeped out that most of the plush dolls of her were also almost gone.

Lily pulled the last one off the shelf and plopped it down right next to one of the many Kaidan dolls "No, no he isn't single." She said loud enough for the women behind her to hear as she snatched up one of everything, glaring at them before grabbing the damned cardboard cut out and dragging it along with her. 

She was most definitely shoving all this in Aiden's swanky new apartment, there was no way it would fit in the Normandy and if Kaidan saw it he'd more than likely make her return everything. 

After setting up her own personal shrine in one of the spare closets, complete with a flameless candle, seeing as Aiden didn't trust her with fire. She took a step back, admiring her handy work, Kaidan and her brother would both find it incredibly creepy but at the end of the day the credits all went to the war effort so if anything she had done a public service. 

Lily picked up the admittedly incredibly cute doll and hugged it, it in no way compared to a hug from the man himself but it would do. She looked down at it "Hmmmm…" setting the doll back down she climbed up on the step stool Aiden kept around for her a dug in her emergency sewing kit looking for a pin or a needle, either would do she just needed something sharp and a knife or scissors would do more damage than she needs, they also fell on Aiden's list of 'things Lily isn't allowed to play with' but that's besides the point. It was a wonder he let her have knitting needles. 

Hopping off the stool she picked the doll back up and examined it "Now...if it is a voodoo doll poking it's cute little plush head would be far too cruel." Lily looked between the pin and the doll's hand, with a shrug she gave it a quick prick not wanting to jab it in all the way if it actually did cause real damage to him. She doubted it though.

-------------

Out of nowhere Kaidan felt a sharp pain in his hand resulting in the coffee mug he was holding to shatter onto the ground, the hot cinnamon flavored liquid spilling onto the cold metal floor of the Normandy. Sighing, he bent down to clean it up. "I thought my sister was the clumsy one between you two." Aiden said as he grabbed some paper towels to sop up the coffee while Kaidan picked up the shattered bits of the mug, his favorite mug. 

"Yeah I don't know what happened, all of a sudden I had this weird pain in my hand."

"Pain?"

Kaidan nodded "Like someone stabbed me, it's gone now though." He said as he stood up to toss the broken ceramic pieces into the garbage.

"Good but do you know what caused it?"

"No idea."  Kaidan chuckled "maybe Lily put a curse on me or something."

Aiden laughed "If she's bored enough I wouldn't put it past her to learn witchcraft." They both shuddered at the thought "But let's not give her ideas."

---------

“Lily! Are you in here?” Aiden called as he walked in, she had some errands to run which was fine, he hadn’t really needed her for today’s mission anyway but he had expected her to be on the ship when he returned but she was nowhere in sight. 

“Uh yeah! In here!” she called back as she frantically tried to hide everything, she didn’t think he’d be mad but he would definitely find her crazier than he already did. 

“You had me worried, you’ve been gone all day so I-what are you doing?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Wha-what ever are you talking about Ai?” Lily tried to appear nonchalant as her back was pressed tight against the closet door, guarding it best she could.

He narrowed his eyes at her “You’re hiding something.” 

Lily scoffed “What? Aiden, I'm appalled, I've never hidden anything from you ever in my entire life.”

“Fine, then move.”

Lily blinked in surprise “Huh?” 

“I forgot my hoodie and it’s cold, move.”

“No.”

“No?” 

“I’ll grab it for you.” She said, turning around to open it but Aiden lifted her up by her underarms, placing her off to the side like she was a small child and with her height she might as well have been.

“Lil, what the actual hell is this?” His eyes didn’t know where to look. He knew she was a tad bit obsessed with him but they were married so that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, he just never expected her to make a shrine. 

“Aiden listen I-”

“Where did you even get this stuff?” He asked, staring at the life size cutout, wondering how she was even able to get it home when it was a whole foot taller than her. 

“One of the gift shops was selling it for the war effort.”

“So you bought out the whole store?!”

“No!” she looked down awkwardly “I only bought one of everything…”

“And set up a shrine in my apartment for a man you’re already married to?”

 “We’re twins Aiden, we share everything so it’s not just your apartment.” 

“Not true also that’s not my point.” 

“Are you gonna tell Kaidan?” She looked up at him with puppy eyes, Aiden’s one weakness.

Aiden stared at her, he knew the right thing to do was dismantle it and tell Kaidan but his sister was too cute and he found himself unwilling to punish her like that. “No…keep your creepy shrine.” he said with a sigh.

“Yay!” she hugged him “you’re the best brother ever.” 

“No, I'm an enabler, I enable you.” He said despite the small blush that krept on his cheeks, glancing back at the shrine, maybe he and Kaidan weren’t far off about the witchcraft thing.

-----------

Lily lounged on the bed in the captain's quarters, humming to herself as she poked various parts of the doll, Kaidan walking in as she stuck the pin in his back “Ow, shit!” he exclaimed, arching his back slightly and instinctively placing a hand on the area.

Lily froze, looking at the doll then back at him “What’s wrong?” 

Kaidan shook his head “I don’t know, I just suddenly had this sharp pain in my back.”

“O-oh, I’m sorry babe, do you want a massage?” 

“I probably just pinched a nerve or something,” he said as he walked over to her “I felt the same pain in my hand earlier too but it went away almost instantly.” 

“How weird.” she played along as she hastily shoved the doll behind a pillow.

“I know, I should probably go see Chakwas later.” He sat down next to her against the very same pillow she shoved the doll under and she broke out in a cold sweat “is there something under the pillow? It feels like it’s propped up.”

Lily quickly snatched the mako figuring that sat above the bed “The mako is missing it probably just fell.”

“No...this feels softer.” He pushed the pillow to the side and found the plush doll of him laying face down with a pin in its back. Lily closed her eyes, lips pressed together, her head hung low “Hey Lil?”

“Yeah what’s up babe?” she asked, her voice slightly high pitched.

“What am I looking at right now?”

“A doll of you…”

Kaidan nodded “Uh huh, follow up question.” he took the pin out “why was this stuck in its back?”

“I was pretending it was a voodoo doll…”

“Excuse me?” 

“I didn’t think it actually was! I was just poking it for fun.” She said defensively, though the more she thought about it the more she realized how demented it probably seemed. 

“Right, well I’m getting rid of this before you accidentally cripple me.” Kaidan set the pin on the bed stand, grabbing the doll by it’s small plush arm and walking over to the door with it.

Lily hopped up, discarding the mako toy as she hurried after him, wrapping her arms around his waist to stop him, for as small as she was she had some incredible strength “I’m sorry, I won’t do it anymore but don’t throw him away he didn’t do anything wrong!” 

“Lily, it's still creepy voodoo or not.” 

“No he’s not he’s adorable!” 

“I broke my favorite mug because of this thing!”” He exclaimed.

“That wasn’t his fault!” She looked up at him, eyes glistening with tears “please Kaidan…”

The rational part of his brain knew she was without a doubt faking but if she wasn’t and really was this attached to a doll she only had for barely a day he’d look like a pretty heartless husband for tossing it.

“Fine...take it.” Lily detached herself from him immediately, a huge grin on her face as she took the doll back. 

“I promise no more voodoo!” She said as she held it protectively against her chest. 

“Where did you even get that anyway?”

“One of the souvenir shops had a whole display. I wanted to buy them all but had no place to put them.” 

“A display?”

“Yeah, apparently you’re a spectre and a marketing tool.” 

“That’s….great.” He was definitely gonna have to talk to Hackett about that.

“Now I can add you to my plush collection, maybe i’ll knit him a pink sweater so he fits in.” 

“Sounds wonderful honey.” He said, running a hand down his face.

She looked at him “Do you want one too?”

“I’m good, thanks.” He didn’t have a headache when he walked into the cabin but he certainly did now, Lily had a way of doing that to a person.

[somerpmemes]

Carmilla S3 Starters

Change as needed

“How do you breach a wall? Not with a battering ram, you give them a helpless girl and let them invite their doom right in.”

“Low grade telekinesis is pretty much how it communicates.”

“None of us will be free until she’s dead.”

“But since when do you have a problem with me choosing handcrafts over mortal danger?”

“There’s a difference between learning from your past and letting it rule you.”

“Maybe if we back off, play it safe, we can find ourselves some leverage.”

“Let the mind-numbing boredom begin.”

“We’re not going in there. That is a bad room!”

“Sorry cutie, safety’s never really been a good look on me.”

“As far as defense mechanisms go, it’s been pretty effective.”

“So you think I’m too much of a coward to go in there?”

“My feelings are not squishy.”

“Look, if you’re not ready, you’re not ready.”

“She who jumps into death traps does not get to whine about her butthurt.”

“It is a very well-known fact that I made up just now.”

“It is so disappointing to offer an olive branch only to have one’s efforts rejected.”

“Whatever little plans you’re currently hatching, they’re already doomed.”

“Maybe it’ll make more sense after a good night’s insomniac staring at the ceiling.”

“I’m not doing this to punish you.”

“I’m gonna kill something to eat.”

“Seems healthier than the whole doomed relationship thing.”

“There’s only so much of space and time to hide in.”

“You’ve gone and forgotten who can rip out who’s spleen in this equation.”

“Ugh, can the business speak.”

“Are you feeling sorry for me? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in ages.”

“You used to be terrifying.”

“Well, the blood loss was minor…”

“I’m sure it’s more complicated than what I’ve seen.”

“For a complete paranoid he is pretty cool.”

“The only thing my getting involved ever did was make it worse.”

“You’re scared, and you’re allowed to be. But no one’s coming to save us.”

“You’ll need to bring me something more substantial than excuses.”

“What good would you do anyways?”

“Guess I just never really imagined it ending this way.”

“You wanna keep me safe, and I get that, but this isn’t your decision.”

“No more gallivanting off on dangerous missions.”

“I am not wearing a biohazard suit again!”

“So I’ll just be anywhere but here.”

“Oh god, this is what an aneurysm feels like.”

“I don’t know what you’re getting all pink and huffy about.”

“Well, sorry my post-traumatic revelation was inconveniently timed for you.”

“Was becoming an expert in extinct languages supposed to be hard?”

“I carefully, stealthily, eviscerate anyone stupid enough to get in my way.”

“You never wanna admit how you feel.”

“You think nobody’s ever kissed me to make themselves feel better?”

“Hi! So glad you found time to care.”

“I can’t believe I thought this was gonna be an actual rescue.”

“Wham bam, totally a plan!”

“Shouldn’t we have known if gods were real?”

“Wow. So I guess that’s been happening.”

“Simpler and less prone to mid-air collision is definitely more our speed.”

“Is there gonna be a lot more of this gloating? Because I’m starting to miss unconsciousness.”

“That place is a cultural Chernobyl!”

“Do you think about what you did? How close you came to hurting yourself?”

“I don’t want you to be so scared for me all the time.”

“Sometimes there is no safe unless you fight back.”

“You really wanna feed that ego any more than you already have?”

“I can talk about being a realist all I want but I have no idea how to do this.”

“Time is shorter than we think.”

“I’m thinking the reason that we’re always in over our heads is that we keep on picking fights that are over our heads.”

“Alright. Here goes some witchcraft.”

“The dead are so many.”

“You’re not gambling your life twice in one night.”

“Ever consider switching sides?”

“I know it probably doesn’t matter but I’m sorry.”

“And when in doubt, aim for the eyes.”

“Okay, do you know how sick I am of this “you’re too young and innocent” spiel?”

“That is turning out to be habit forming.”

“Well, that was about as much fun as dental surgery.”

“You’d be amazed at what you can accomplish with a few elephant tranqs.”

“It’s been a while for me but I’m pretty sure it’s like riding a really violent bicycle.”

“You know, I’d say we’d regret this, but I don’t think any of us are going to live long enough for that.”

“It’d be easier getting a straight answer out of a snake.”

“The universe is huge and it’s arbitrary and uncaring.”

“I love you. Why shouldn’t that be something good?”

“Corporeality suits you.”

“You can keep talking, I'm just gonna be over here imagining your face in one of those masks from Silence of the Lambs.”

“Has love ever sold anything for anyone?”

“You get all set to snap a neck and then nothing? It’s like having the last page of your book ripped out.”

“We can’t afford to be squeamish.”

“Since murdering you might be counter-productive, let’s move on.”

“Alright, let’s get started before I get irrational.”

“One broken thing can’t save another.”

“You know, in general research goes better when the books remain landbound.”

“You’ve got nothing to lose when your heart is buried.”

“Sounds like it’s getting pretty rough for everyone.”

“The end is starting to look pretty nigh.”

“Look, I’m sorry you haven’t figured out a way to science yourself a happy ending.”

“You? You couldn’t stab a swimming pool if your body was the knife.”

“I’m fine with a viable plan A, because I can always go back on the violence.”

“No matter what mistakes you made I’m always gonna think of you as a hero.”

“That involved a lot less bloodshed than I expected.”

“It doesn’t matter how safe I try to make myself, there’s always gonna be disappointment and loss.”

“There’s no sense hiding in the shadows. You might as well come out.”

“Was that call not close enough? Be QUIET.”

“Do you remember that time I hunted you for sport? Good times.”

“I am so sick of everybody speechifying like the enlightenment never happened.”

“Science killed God once already. Let’s see about a sequel!”

“Somewhere in all that anger and darkness you lost all your hope, didn’t you?”

“You don’t get to call dibs on all the self-sacrifice.”

“There are no miracles without sacrifice.”

“Don’t let grief make you hard and cold.”

“We should go get some help. Or at the very least a first aid kit.”

“Tonight I’ll kill a god if I have to.”

[riathenowheregirl]

Gold Dust Women: My Favorite Witchy Singers

Okay, before you burn me alive with “Where’s this certain artist?!” or “Why is this certain artist not here?!” or “Who even uses Tumblr these days?”, uhmmm me bish?? It’s my safe zone. Okay, the last question was a joke. 

Can I just say that the amazing women on this list are artists I listen to all the time. They’re my favorites, so chill (I’m open for suggestions tho). This is not Rolling Stone or Billboard magazine, it’s just ya girl’s good ol’ tumblr blog. Also, I’m not saying that all of them are literal w i t c h e s, it’s just that they portray the same aesthetic through their art and music. 

Alright, now that’s settled, let’s start.

1. STEVIE NICKS 

Do I even need to explain this? Stevie is undoubtedly the Etheral Queen of them all, the Pioneer, the O.G. Supreme whose lyrical soul and spellbinding voice echoes from the distant past to the inevitable future. Everything about her oozes with witchcraft and magic starting from her iconic top hat, to her millions of intricately made shawls, down to her platform boots. Only Stevie Nicks could pull off such Not-of-this-Era outfits and she has been doing it CONSISTENTLY. She’s in a timeline of her OWN. If you listen to her music, you would notice that every song of hers is poetry, like she’s telling a story or conjuring the unknown. She’s every witchy woman’s icon and that’s a fact.

Stevie is an untouchable yet gracious legend, we’ll always be a part of her sisterhood until the day of earth’s decay. Forever the Queen of Rock N’ Roll. 

Current Favorite Stevie Lyrics:  “ You can fly swinging from your trapeze, scaring all the people...but you'll never scare me.”  |   “Once in a million years a lady like her rises. Oh no, Rhiannon, you cry, but she's gone and your life knows no answer.”

Notice how I used the word “current”? Because it always changes depending on the state my life. Here’s a more detailed post on why I love her.   

2. KATE BUSH 

“Heathcliff, it's me, I'm Cathy, I've come home, I'm so cold! Let me in through your window!”

The eccentric beauty, Kate Bush made a genius, artistic move by writing a song about the book, Wuthering Heights, written by Emily Brontë in the 1800′s. Mind you, she was only 18 when she wrote and was the first song written by a female artist that landed on top the charts. Her voice is almost as distinctive as Stevie Nicks. While Stevie’s more nasal, commanding, wailing rock n’ roll goddess, Kate’s voice was high-pitched, alarming, ghostly, queer, and fairy-like. Everything about her is Performance Art. This is a woman who is not afraid to express herself.

For starters, you might think her music is strange and weird. Trust me, I felt the same way when I first heard her songs. But then, it began to grow on me leaving floral patterns on its path. 

Favorite Kate Bush Lyrics:  “Do you want to feel how it feels? Do you want to know that it doesn't hurt me? Do you want to hear about the deal that I'm making? You, it's you and me.”

3. FLORENCE WELCH 

This one is as obvious as Stevie Nicks. Florence Welch from the band, Florence + the Machine, is a poetess, a screaming banshee, and a full-pledged Sister of the Moon. She even started a witch coven during middle school. From her red carpet looks to her everyday outfits on Instagram, Florence vibrates powerful witch energy. Not to mention she has a song called “Which Witch” and that haunting music video for Big God with levitating women. Flo is not a woman to trifle with, I’ll tell you that. 

Photos courtesy of @lillieeiger

In all her songs, Florence will bind you with magic and it’ll leave you breathless. If Stevie’s songs are poetry, hers are spells you could sing out loud. Also, if you haven’t seen her house tour, go check it now! 

Favorite Florence Welch Lyrics: “'Cause I am done with my graceless heart so tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart.”  |  “And in a moment of joy and fury I threw myself in the balcony like my grandmother so many years before me.”

4. LANA DEL REY

Remember when Lana used witchcraft to hex Donald Trump? It was all over the news and Twitter went wild. She was later quoted saying, “I really do believe that words are one of the last forms of magic and I’m a bit of a mystic at heart.” Oh, and she also did a collab with Stevie. 

We. Stan. Forever.

There was even a time that I MEMORIZED the monologue in the music video for Ride. ALL OF IT, HUNNY. 

Lana’s hypnotizing vocals together with her sixties baby doll dresses and Priscilla Presley hair is enough to convince me that she’s not of this era. She has a deep understanding of the beauty of past generation and the looming sadness and nostalgia that comes with it. Whenever I listen to her music, I imagine myself as a rockstar’s muse who is involved with the mafia but then I decided to leave him while taking his gun and convertible. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Favorite Lana Del Rey Lyrics: “Well, my boyfriend's in the band. He plays guitar while I sing Lou Reed. I've got feathers in my hair, I get down to Beat poetry. And my jazz collection's rare, I can play most anything.”

5. LORDE 

David Bowie didn’t call her the “future of music” for nothing. Just two albums under her belt, Lorde already proved that she will one day become a legend herself. Her music narrates an unparalleled interpretation of the anguish and fleeting charm of our youth. She knows what we’re feeling because she’s been there herself and is on the road to healing just like us. 

I think the message she’s trying to say is that we’re constantly losing grip on our innocence, and that life is often wicked so we need to accept that, grit our teeth, get on with it, and make art. She can also see color when she hears music. 

In my opinion, Lorde is one of the greatest artists of my generation. 

Favorite Lorde Lyrics: “The truth is I am a toy that people enjoy till all of the tricks don't work anymore, and then they are bored of me.”  |   “That slow burn wait while it gets dark, bruising the sun, I feel grown up with you in your car. I know it's dumb.” 

6. FKA TWIGS

Honestly, FKA Twigs is literally art in living form, a celestial angel that nobody can easily decipher. This woman has more talent in her fingertips than I could ever have in a lifetime. She somehow reminds me of a young Kate Bush; fearless, experimental, with an intoxicating voice. She never stops reinventing herself and it’s beautiful.

In FKA Twigs’ world, there are no limits, just endless galaxies. She pours her whole being in all of her songs and it shows. She’s not for the faint of heart, let me tell you that. 

Favorite FKA Twigs Lyrics:  “And I don't want to have to share our love. I try but I get overwhelmed. All wrapped in cellophane, the feelings that we had.” 

7. SKOTT 

I say this all the time, but I cannot write without Skott’s music blasting on my earphones. She grew up in a “forest commune run by outcast folk musicians” and was not exposed to contemporary music until her teen years. You would notice it in her songs. 

It’s hard to explain why, but listen to Skott’s music when there’s thunder and rain outside, then you’ll know why this woman is witchy. I kind of want her to be more popular and known, but then again, I also want to keep her to myself. Scratch that, LISTEN TO SKOTT’S MUSIC NOW. 

Start with Glitter & Gloss. 

Favorite Skott Lyrics: “Like an empty canvas, hear me cry. Like a masterpiece, I'm in your eyes. Now your colors are in front of me, we're a picture-perfect oddity.”

8. FIRST AID KIT 

I fell in love with this sister duo when I first heard their song, Emmylou, while browsing YouTube. It’s one of those moments of instant magic. Klara and Johanna Söderberg are a coven of their own. I would describe their music as “Woodland Folk laced with runes and wild flowers”. 

Their voices compliment each other so much that it reminded me of Simon & Garfunkel (they even performed their own version of America in front of Paul Simon!!!). First Aid Kit has this Woodstock seventies vibe, and you know me, I live for that sh*t. 

Favorite First Aid Kit Lyrics: “ When I run through the deep dark forest long, after this begun, where the sun would set, the trees were dead and the rivers were none. And I hope for a trace to lead me back home from this place, but there was no sound there was only me, and my disgrace.”

9. ZOLA JESUS

Zola Jesus’ music deserves to be played with an orchestra inside an abandoned castle in Transylvania while it gently rains and you’re wearing a white nightgown as you roam its empty halls. Is that too much?

 Not at all. 

Like Skott, I listen to Zola whenever I’m having writer’s block. If I ever finish my book, I’m gonna have to thank them. 

Favorite Zola Jesus Lyrics: “I'm on my bed, my bed of stones, but in the end of the night we'll rest our bones, so don't you worry. Just rest your head cause in the end of the night we'll be together again.”

10. ZELLA DAY 

Photo Credits to Harper Smith

I LOVE ZELLA DAY’S MUSIC OH MY GOODNESS. My favorite songs of her are Sweet Ophelia, Hypnotic, Man on the Moon, and Hunnie Pie. ESPECIALLY HUNNIE PIE. I cry whenever I hear that song. It’s just so pure, calming, and beautiful. 

Her music belong in the psychedelic era. 

People labeled her as the “happier version of Lana Del Rey” but I think she’s in a league of her own. She deserves more recognition, honestly! 

Favorite Zella Day Lyrics: “The older we get there's an ocean of people in places we've chosen and you know how mama keeps saying “we've gotta stop the games we're playing””. 

Hope you guys approve of my list! I really like sharing stuff that I love! Feel free to message me for more suggestions, I’d really appreciate to know more witchy artists out there. We’re all in a huge coven of sisterhood. 

Thanks for reading!

Love, 

Ria  🌙

P.S.

Please follow my blog!!! THANK YOU  🔮

[anthonybrxdgerton]

Shadow of Night reread

A few days ago I re-read Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness. It took me very little time to do it (which was surprising, considering the fact that i re-read the first book for almost 2 months). I will be doing my reactions about episodes as well (as soon as I re-watch them) and comparing the show to the first book.

My reactions, notes and everything under the cut. There are some trivia I forgot about, things i hope to see in season 2 of A Discovery of Witches, some stuff referencing the next & previous books and what not.

BEWARE OF SPOILERS FOR THE BOOKS. IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOKS, DON’T READ THIS POST. Enjoy!

[ a discovery of witches | shadow of night | the book of life | time’s convert ]

the book takes place in 1590 & 1591 (matthew & diana scenes) and 2009 & 2010 (present day scenes) in the span of 7 months

diana's hair change colors when she timewalked into 1590 - they're long, red and curly, and they change - not exactly back - when they return to the present - they're straight, silky strands that were brighter redish gold - just like my mother's hair. it does't say anything about the length though (probably in the next book);

2 of my favorite quotes describing Matthew in this book: The man was as tall as a giraffe. | Bloodred stockings would do more than capture a wandering eye, given that the man who proposed to wear them was a six-foot-three vampire, and most of his height was leg..

“Surely you’ll let me kill him now, de Clermont. I’ve wanted to do so for ages,” Hancock said, cracking his knuckles”. “No. You can’t kill him.” Matthew rubbed a hand over his tired face. “There would be too many questions, and I don’t have the patience to come up with convincing answers at present. - Hancock never liked Kit, I also love Matthew's reasoning lol 

- AT THE SIGHT OF PHILIPPE'S LETTER MATTHEW CRIED VAMPIRE TEARS ESPECIALLY THAT THE LAST TIME MATTHEW SAW PHILIPPE HE COULD BARELY HOLD A PEN IN HIS HANDS AND PHILIPPE LOVED WRITING I AM NOT OKAY 

“Then who . . . ?” I trailed off. “Ysabeau? Baldwin? Surely not Marcus!” I couldn’t believe that Matthew’s mother, his brother, or his son could be involved [in the Congregation] without someone letting it slip. - oh, diana... Question: did Deb knew it was Baldwin when she was writing it? In A Discovery of Witches Matthew acted like he didn't know who was on the Congregation "And Marcus? Find out who besides Peter Knox and Domenico Michele are members of the Congregation."

- Until I have made peace with the past, I will not set foot in France. - we know Gallowglass showed up in Sept-Tours in 1945 when Philippe was dying. Did he go there before too? 

“Explain yourself.” The words were quiet, but they didn't conceal Philippe's fury. - he is nor just mad because Matthew has a wife now. He is furious because he can sense that BOTH Diana and Matthew are from the future - this is what Philippe wants Matthew to explain.

Also, interestingly, reading A Discovery of Witches I've noticed that Baldwin called Philippe "dad" while Matthew calls him "father". Coincidence? But then in the Book of Life Baldwin calls Philippe “father” so... Idk anymore. That being said, verin calls him “Atta”;

“The twelfth century was not good for you, and we allowed you to read entirely too much poetry." - I need to know more now! What exactly did Matthew read in 12th century?

"It is regrettable that you are not going to Florence, then. But it will be a long time before you will be welcomed back to that city, after your latest escapades there." - Matthew, what the heck did you do there? Please tell me you were NOT behind the siege of Florence, i beg you... But then again, Ysabeau did say that Matthew caused wars in Italy when he was bored...

Tamen mea lingua graeca est peior.” “Then we shall not converse in that language either,” murmured Philippe in a pained tone. - HE JUST WANTS TO SPEAK IN GREEK, THAT'S HIS NATIVE LANGUAGE, WHY DOES NOBODY BUT YSABEAU SPEAK IT. BUT that explains why he made sure greeg was still taught in schools later - he wasn’t only looking for Diana, he wanted people to speak his native language too

“Philippe doesn’t seem to think so.” “Then bed him. - lol, if only

"He is my son. I will not fail him.” Philippe’s mouth tightened." PHILIPPE I LOVE YOU NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS

“For someone wedded to a witch you are quick to judge the passions of others, Matthaios. Louis is your brother.” Goddess bless us, another brother. - Diana is not happy having huge family lol

I had been wrong. Philippe had not been trying to break Matthew, but only his guilt. Philippe had not failed his son after all. - MY FEELS

“I forgive you,” his father repeated, throwing his arms around his son in a fierce embrace. “I forgive you.” - IT KILLS ME EVERY TIME, THEY BETTER KEEP THIS IN THE SHOW

i love how Philippe just makes Diana his blood daughter without a second thought lol

“Think—and stay alive.” Philippe clapped his hands. - one of my favorite quotes 

Alcides Leontothymos beseeches you to hold this child Diana in your hand. - i am right to  think Philippe is in fact Heracles, right?

Philippe trying his hand at engineering and failing every time will always make me laugh. You may be thousands years old vampire, but some things you will never learn 

Philippe, Diana and Matthew's goodbye always kills me SEASON 2 BETTER DO IT JUSTICE

“Anomalies,” Ysabeau murmured. “Philippe was always looking for anomalies in the world. It is why I still read all the newspapers. It became our habit to look through them each morning.” - Phiippe knew he would not be alive by the time Matthew and Diana were together, but he was always hoping he could see her again. he hoped that Diana would be at least born while he was still alive and he always knew that when Diana and Matthew came back to their times, there would be anomalies throughout history. That's why he told Gallowglass and Verin to search for them too, to keep Diana safe.;

“That’s what Philippe says about Granny,” Gallowglass muttered under his breath. “Just before all hell breaks loose.” Give me more Ysabeau and Philippe you cowards; 

“Matthew knows the book, for his brother gave it to me.- So Mary Sydney knows Godfrey too. Does she know the rest of his siblings?;

[Marcus] made a muffled oath. “Tell your intuition to take a break, for God’s sake.” I need to see Marcus and Ysabeau interacting in season 2, their banter will be amazing

Every time I read Marcus seeing miniatures for the first time and missing Matthew so much kills me too - the show did them dirty, i need more of them together too; 

I forgot how much I ship Marcus & Phoebe;

I wish we could see the requests for magic Diana has received in season 2 and her not being able to do anything about that, i need this conflict SO MUCH. Does she help? What is she doesn’t and her neighbors will out her as a witch? This could be SO GOOD please show, deliver;

Diana’s symbol is rowan tree;

“Baldwin’s never lost a million of anything in his life.” - just throwing this out there because I love Baldwin with all my heart; 

917 is the Knight's of Lazarus telephone number. it belonged to Philippe, then to Matthew and now to Marcus. Philippe chose it to honor Ysabeu's birthday (September 17th). What i wanna know - is it her birthday or re-birth. ALTHOUGH it should be 179 - In Europe (and Philippe was Greek after all) we, unlike Americans, write the day first and the month later;

When Gallowglass learned that Baldwin had been called to Sept-Tours at Ysabeau’s behest for some unspecified emergency involving Matthew, the Gael knew it was only a matter of time before the historical anomalies appeared. i think it was when Diana was kidnapped by Satu, right? Just want to be sure;

Gallowglass is smoking, i completely forgot about it;

Rudolph is flirting with Diana so much (ughhhh) because his source in Congregation told him that Matthew only married her to save her life a.k.a. charges of witchcraft;

Matthew helping Jack with his nightmares is the sweetest thing he's done so far;

One of Philippe's names is Ariel, what are the others?;

 Abraham (Jewish weaver in Prague) comes from Chełm. Is this why Benjamin moved there?;

I need to KNOW the story about Baldwin and Dracula, Deb. Come on.;

“He did. I swear it. Baldwin ordered him to leave or face the same fate as the Impaler. You should have seen Baldwin’s face. The devil himself wouldn’t have disobeyed your brother.” i want to see it too lol;

apparently, Gerbert told Ysabeau about the prophecy about a witch with the blood of the lion and the wolf. I wonder if this was one more reason she was anti-Diana at the beginning or did she dismiss it as something not important;

And speaking of colleagues: How, after years of buying you Harvard bibs and mittens, did I end up with a daughter who teaches at Yale?” good question lol I WANNA KNOW TOO;

Bennu, Stephen's familiar, is a bird.;

#saveEm2k19;

Matthew nearly had a heart attack when he discovered that his beloved Range Rover was not waiting for him in the underground garage. Instead we found a navy sports car with a soft top. hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha it always cracks me up; 

Edward Kelley sent the first page to Rabbi Loew, the second to Hubbard. Who gt the third and who sent it to Diana’s parents?; 

Annie stayed with Shakespeare after Matthew and Diana left and Jack was with Hubbard.;

Also, Matthew made Diana a diplomatic passport for easier traveling;

Overall, I loved this book. There were some boring moment that didn’t move the plot forward at all (like most of Prague, especially the hunting or the play, making the philosopher’s stone with Mary Sydney) that I hope the show will cut it out completely or shorten it. Hopefully, they give us at least 2 episodes of Philippe at Sept-Tours - now that they got 10 episodes, they have a chance to do it properly. I also love the magic lessons from Goody Alsop and other witches, though I suspect, season 2 will only give us 1 witch (but I hope we will see Sophie’s ancestor too. My favorite characters are Philippe, Pierre and Jack and I hope we will get plenty of them (please include Pierre, show!)

[growing-yet-into-magic]

I have a lot of thoughts about the Sephora, Pinrose, whatever-what-it-was-called Debacle. Since I know most of y’all (including myself) are tired of the bullshit surrounding it, I’m tagging this as “Sephora discourse” and telling y’all to skip over this now if it’s just going to be too much. 

Now then. 

My first, immediate gut reaction to seeing the kit was instantaneous dislike. I knew I didn’t like this thing, I didn’t want to see it anymore, the tarot deck looked as if it would be cheaply made, the rose quartz seemed cliche to me, and the sage stick made me worry that it was going to promote further appropriation of “smudging”, something I (and most of us) see whenever we enter a metaphysical shop more interested in good vibes than in social awareness. I tried to ignore it, however, because the bundle had been unlabeled in the box and nothing more than tumblr speculation had come out about it. There was a little bit of conversation about it on witchcraft.cafe and after that I considered it over. I did, however (and the post is still somewhere on my blog) jump on the “boycott Sephora” bandwagon when the tarot deck art had been presumed as stolen. I don’t like Sephora (for a number of reasons), the tarot deck art was “stolen”, and people were very quick to point out that white sage on the whole is either (and I’m still not 100% on the ball here but I’m trying) a) is always appropriative and we shouldn’t use it at all or b) probably poorly sourced and contributing to both the depletion of it as a resource for the cultures who rely on it for spiritual reasons or just good ‘ol losing-plants-destroys-the-ecological-cycle-of-a-local-area reasons. 

So positioning myself against this $42 dollar pastel box seemed like the right idea, not knowing more, and I don’t really regret doing that with the amount I knew. But it was a mistake, and it cost the Native businesses that supplied the white sage potentially huge amounts of money. That is something I regret, and something we should all regret as a community. 

Something I think a lot of witches on this site gloss over is that a huge amount of popular “witchcraft” in the U.S. is rooted in stealing spiritual practices and “”””aesthetics”””” from the Native peoples. This is extremely obvious if you ever go to a generic/eclectic Wiccan circle and listen to some of the older members wax on about their “spirit animals” and ask you to “tap into the ancient people of this land and their power”. [That was something I was actually asked to do by a very white lady at a esbat.] On a site populated by “SJWs” and all sorts of witches of color, I was hoping that we could all at least be semi-united by the idea that, yes, cultural appropriation is bad, but racism is worse.

But I got to watch two Native bloggers, @tainbo and @spellsinsugar, get slurs and nazis in their inbox. What the actual fuck. 

We can make discourse all day and all night about how we should have looked into the company better, asked for more details, did more research, but I feel like none of that matters when there are people throwing around slurs and sending death threats on this site to the peoples and cultures who have been victimized by the witchcraft, “spiritual-but-not-religious”, “new age” communities in one way or another. There is clearly a deeper issue we should be addressing, one that isn’t dependent on a unreleased pastel box. We should be listening to the entire spectrum of diverse voices in this community- those who participate and those who’ve been disenfranchised by us- not hiding and sheltering people who spit slurs into people’s inbox. 

here’s a final post from @tainbo on this issue. It’s a correct post. Read it. Felt bad? So did I. We should all fucking feel bad. We can all fucking do better. 

I don’t know how we can unfuck ourselves from this. I’m a half-black college student in NJ who does her best to exclude dangerous people in our communities, whether they be fucking neonazis or general racists or terfs or homophobes or whatever strand of evil they may carry. I don’t have any strong calls to action or a plan to deal with this disaster. But something needs to get done. Something needs to change.

Hold yourselves to a higher standard. Don’t be so willing to speak over the people that deserve the loudest presences in this hellspace. Do more research. Protect the peoples who fucking deserve to speak, even if you’re mad about what they say. Expel those who make this community a destructive one. 

I’ll work on this, and I expect everyone who read this far to do so too. 

Now go send @spellsinsugar some kindness. I’ve heard it’s their birthday today and it’s been an awful week. 

[tanthamoretober]

Our round up of the fics posted in the Tanthamoretober collection for week 2 of the horror prompts

Don’t forget to leave a comment if you liked a fic!

Day 8: Witchcraft/magic

Festival Ideas by Anarik Rating: Teen and up Summary: “Where have you been?” Kit retorts, crossing her arms. “Come on. It’ll be fun. And you’re the only person I know with the necessary balls to do it.”

“You don’t really know me, though.”

“True. But I’ve heard and seen things.”

Now that takes Jade by surprise. (also appears under the prompts ‘harvest’ and 'voyeurism’)

petrichor- the smell exuded by plants during dry periods by Geek_and_Nina Rating: Teen and up Summary: pumpkin picking! (also appears under the tags 'voyeurism (mildly) and ‘harvest’)

Part 8 of Show Don't Tell

Day 9: The Wyrm

love of mine by Geek_and_Nina Rating: Teen and up Summary: i have decided to give them all of the quiet and soft moments that I would want on my fall break

Lili is the wyrm and she is the WORM

you have full permission to hate this version

Part 9 of Show Don't Tell

Day 10: Help isn’t coming

One Night in October, Chapter 2: The Woman on the Hood by TheLateNightStoryTeller Rating: Teen and up Summary: On their way back from a family visit, a turn of events leaves Kit and Jade stranded in the wild. As night falls and the weather grows colder, the pair soon realize that someone in the woods is hunting them.

perfect by Geek_and_Nina Rating: Explicit Summary: jade and kit are gathering leaves to stuff their scarecrows with and kit sees a mugging! (also appears under the prompts 'scarecrow’ and ‘mirror sex’) Part 10 of Show Don't Tell

Day 11: Cursed

cold steel, warm wax by Geek_and_Nina Rating: Explicit Summary: Jade has another one of those nightmares and as always, kit is there

(also appears under the prompts ‘haunted’ and ‘knifeplay’ Part 11 of Show Don't Tell

Day 12: Locked in/Dungeon

the cellar door is an open throat by spybrarian Rating: Mature Summary: Kit and Jade find themselves locked in a dungeon, hurt, terrified, and not alone.

One Night in October, Chapter 3: The Pair in the Pit, by TheLateNightStoryTeller Rating: Teen and up Summary: On their way back from a family visit, a turn of events leaves Kit and Jade stranded in the wild. As night falls and the weather grows colder, the pair soon realize that someone in the woods is hunting them.

inside by Geek_and_Nina Rating: Explicit Summary: kit is feeling particularly needy and wants jade to spend the day with her in bed 'watching movies' (also appears under the prompts ‘orgasm denial’ and ‘horror movie marathon’) Part 12 of Show Don't Tell

Day 13: Abduction

rolling in the leaves by Geek_and_Nina Rating: Explicit Summary: so i did this as a kid with trash bags, where we filled them with fallen leaves and set them up to look like a huge spider and spray painted a face on it. i think the idea would come across kit's tiktok or interest and she would feel the deep need to do this at airk's house and just... not tell him (also appears under the prompts ‘impact play’ and ‘jumping in leaves’ Part 13 of Show Don't Tell

Day 14: Prank gone wrong

lace and silk and mesh by Geek_and_Nina Rating: Explicit Summary: kit winds down from a day out with elora and airk and texts her girlfriend whom she misses A LOT (also appears under the prompt ‘warm drinks’ and ‘dirty talk’)

Part 14 of Show Don't Tell

Finally, here’s the link to Horror, Week One

Want to join in? See this post for the complete list of horror prompts for the rest of October.

[mobandy644-blog]

Witchcraft and Cultural Appropriation? Help me.

So this whole witch kit thing has me thinking all the things.

At first I was like well that’s kind of dumb because the witch aesthetic thing is kind of annoying to me for OTHER people who have been doing this for a long time. But it’s always kind of been that way so eh I don’t know. I mean I actually got interested in this because I started watching charmed and then talked to a friend who is a Wiccan. So there you go.

But then I see all these people saying white people have no business being upset about it because the entirety of white witchcraft is cultural appropriation?

I don’t get that. I absolutely will not deny there is an appropriation problem in modern witchcraft, mostly centered around social media right? But white European witches have been around for centuries, way before Christianity, and this is another group that was totally margianalized and forced to stop or hide practicing.

Edit: so what I’m saying here is that not ALL white witchcraft is appropriated because European witchcraft and paganism are ancient too. I am not at all saying that there is not a problem with appropriation in some white witchcraft. So I’m just saying how can you say he ENTIRETY of white witchcraft is appropriated when there is an entire ancient pagan and witchcraft culture in Europe.

Now I speaking specifically of American “white” witches because that’s what I am. We don’t fucking have a culture. Like anything we do is “stealing” from other cultures. Or someone says it is at least. My moms ancestors are all European, honestly I have no idea from specifically where because it’s been so long. It’s been said a lot in my family that we had an ancestor on the mayflower. Who knows. My dad’s dad was from Mexico and his mom was part Native American. I don’t know much about them because I never met my dad, he divorced my mom before I was born. But I’m technically European and Mexican and Native American. But I feel like if I try to learn about those cultures and incorporate them in my practice POC and white witches trying to help will scream at me. Like what am I supposed to do? And many witches just like me because that’s basically what America is.

Edit: I am not saying “oh woah is me what shall I do” just honestly saying hey, I have this blood in me but since I wasn’t raised in it would feel weird trying to incorporate it and also feel like it would offend people, what do I do since besides that I am white and have no culture except wherever my European ancenstors came from which I don’t actually know.

And I am NOT talking about blatant appropriation. Like Native American practices, Voodoo, Hoodoo, anything you are explicitly not a part of. Like I absolutely have no African blood in me I’m sure. I’m not going to try to steal practices from those cultures and if you see me do that please just let me know and I’ll stop.

So this is all something that I’m confused about and I don’t want to make POC mad I really don’t but what is ok for me to incorporate and not ok for me to? Like seriously please help.

But also why are people acting like witchcraft is only from Indigenous, Latinx (is that the right term), and African cultures? People had been practicing witchcraft forever in European white areas and just all over the world. So don’t all us white people that do try not to apropriate closed cultures have a right to be annoyed at even just the term of witch kit? Since so many white pagans and witches were forced to stop and persecuted?

But also a huge problem with the kit is the white sage, I get that. And if people are upset about the kit but also blatantly apropriate other cultures I understand being like ok, that’s pretty hipocritical.

This who debaucle is making me very much more aware of these problems and I need help. So please educate me and help me out. I feel like there is nowhere I can belong without people screaming that I’m stealing A culture.

Edit: if you don’t have advice to offer could you possibly reblog so maybe I can find some people with advice?

[fan-clan-fun]

Fanclans Masterpost

Unlike some writers,  I have a tendency to focus on the culture and worldbuilding of a particular idea, which means I often get caught up in the nitty gritty details and never write stories about them. So here is a simple masterpost of all the many fanclans which i have developed over time, which anyone can ask questions about.

Clans for my Oracle Project, set in the North Carolina Smoky Mountains:

Ashclan: The most diverse clan, which believes fire as their deity. Ashes are a main component of clan ceremonies, and they have a unique rank who dedicate their lives to tending the living flame of their clan. They are adaptable, and admire and appreciate someone who can overcome their shortcomings to become a better cat. They live in a forest often wracked by fires.

Coveclan: Their spirituality is tied to water, but they also have a firm belief in a Great cat, whose two eyes are always watching, the Night eye, and the Day eye. Most of their beliefs and culture center around dualities, thee are always two sides to a story, two forces at work, good or evil. They live on the edge of a lake with their camp in a cove.

Ridgeclan: The martial clan, they are very heavily tied to earth, and their spiritual place is a spire of quartz which reaches into the sky, a perfect example of how the earth connects to the sky and Starclan. They are very no nonsense and have rules for everything, and despite having the largest amount of territory spreading across a ridge, they also deal most frequently with predators and prey shortages.

Bloomclan: Almost a matriarchy, this clan is heavily centered on familial interaction, particularly between a mother and her kits. As such this is the only clan where the requirements for deputy are either mentor an apprentice/or raise a litter. In many ways, they are the most flexible or lax when it comes to traditional clan ways, particularly about mates and mating. They are firmly connected to nature and plants, and always bury their dead with seeds and seedlings so that a new thing may grow from the remains of an old. They live in a meadow which supports many species of trees, shrubs and flowers.

Clans for my old roleplay site, Ancient as the Sea, set on the coast of North Carolina:

Rootclan: The most traditional clan, they split from Waveclan due to disputes on the warrior code and Starclan. They are exclusive to the point of beginning to have issues with severe inbreeding. Like one of my previous clans they are more strict and martial, but they focus around aspects of the code and staying traditional to the original ways. One might call them the extremist clan, where they pursue everything with passion and fervor, including their belief in Starclan. Rootclan is a clan of competition, of honing skills through activities, they have tournaments and hunting challenges as part of their holidays, a chance to earn rewards in prey and prestige. They live in a heavily forested area and are expert tree climbers.

Waveclan: The clan of water and ocean, this clan is deeply in tune with the tides and the changing of the weather. Half of their territory is waterside, briny water with water foul and the coast, the other half is open windy fields. They have the rank of Skywatcher, who works to predict the weather and help protect the clan from the violent storms which once flooded the clan and nearly drove it to extinction. Waveclan has a higher amount of prey and as such have more free time than the other clan to enjoy their territory and cultivate relationships. They consider themselves to be a huge family, and nothing goes on in the clan without everyone knowing. They are generally a peaceful clan, especially after an event  which only the elders remember where a warmongering leader led an attack on Rootclan which ended up killing the medicine cat. Leaders have been encouraged since then to avoid war and aggression, which leads the younger generation to feel like the other clans walk all over them.

Ferryclan: This clan is an urban clan, living in a town which holds a ferry to the Outer Banks. The clan is an odd mix of kittypets, rogues, and clan cats. They are the most open of outsiders, but before a cat become a warrior and full member, they must take a journey and make a specific oath, at this point, the least dedicated are often simply encouraged to seek another lifestyle. As part of being an urban clan, they are far more lax when it comes to certain parts of the code, particularly involving humans. Since there is less prey to hunt, particularly during the winter, Ferryclan makes use of every resource available, and thus will accept food from humans, or steal it, in order to survive. Their contact with humans has allowed human vocabulary/ knowledge or certain items to make their way into clan knowledge, and certain prefixes exist in the clan, like pepper, salt, oil, gravel, which dont exist in any other clan.

Other info of note: These clans share a very similar religious structure, in that their dead are all buried in a specific burial place, in order that their spirits may ascend to Starclan. If their bodies are not buried there, they become trapped as spirits on earth. This is why the greatest punishment on a clan cat is to be refused to be buried there, either by exile or other methods. Since spiritual energy is far more active in these clans, certain ranks have very specific spiritual energy attached to them, thse are leaders, medicine cats, and the guardians. Each of these ranks have special abilities, but also consequences. Leaders gain nine lives, but these lives are the spirits of past cats which become fused to their own bodies, which means leaders sometimes have cats speaking to them in their head, or can lose their own sanity and identity. Leadership is not for just anyone. Medicine cats bond with a significant cat of their past, often a medicine cat or their mentor, and thus gain a line of access to Starclan for spiritual advice. And Guardians are the protectors of the burial grounds, and fight off scavengers, predators, and malevolent spirits. They gain enhanced abilities, endurance and a second sight which allows them to see spirits and spiritual energy. Any cat of these ranks who has become connected to Starclan through spiritual energy is forbidden to bear or sire kits, with the understanding that that spiritual energy would be both physically, mentally, and spiritually harmful to any resulting kits, if they even managed to survive. Of course there is more to this religious system, and is possibly the most complicated I have ever created…. Yet.

And my most recent project, my medieval scottish clans. I intend to make them a roleplay if anyone is interested!

Quick Note: My medieval clans are still somewhat under construction, particularly their religion and pacts with the Faerie. If anyone has any suggestions or knows a lot about the mythology of Faeries, send me a message, I need all the help I can get! That said I do have a few things figured out. First of all, In ancient times, the first clan cats made a pact with one of the most powerful of the faerie. In return for service  in the afterlife (and essentially guarantee of an after life), some cats, those who became heroes and legends in their lives, could essentially become faeries themselves. Unfortunately because it was a faerie deal, it did not go too much as planned, yes the cats would go to the stars, but very few became actual faeries. As such there is gratitude but also great distrust. However, some faeries offer better terms, certain deas to certain cats which improve the lives of cats and increase the chances of becoming a faerie in the afterlife. Each clan and rank has a pact with different faeries. Also, in Scottish folklore, Cat Sith are black cats who are associated with faeries or witchcraft, but are untrustworthy and thought to steal souls. For the clans, having a solid black pelt is considered at least unlucky, and at most the dangerous possibility that they are not true cats at all but faeries in cat skin. Black cats outside the clans are vehemently driven away, and never welcomed into the clans. Names are also considered sacred, and some mothers give their kits secret names, under the hope that this means they cant be replaced as changelings. A lot of what I want to do with these clans is take certain superstitions in medieval times, and play with them, as well as give a completely different context and time period for a warriors world.

Moorclan: The clan of the high moors, descended from actual Scottish Wildcats, who were pushed out of their territory by human villages and the domestic cats within them. Some would say this clan is the most broken and hurt. Their decisions, made in terms of survival, are often considered barbaric in the eyes of others. Yet they are quite structured in their own way, with certain specific roles which attempt to maximize the abilities and potentials of the cats they have. They have two unique aspects, the rank of counselor, who serves as a repository for the knowledge of clan history and law, and the herbalist, who serves as the main healer for the clan. Because of the counselor’s importance, they have a bodyguard which happens to be their apprentice, who protects the teachings in order that they may be passed on, and since one healer for an entire clan is not enough, the healer has three assistants, who specialize in specific areas, but who may or may not succeed them as full healer. What sets them apart from the other clans however, is their stance on faeries. While they are a part of the original pact, they became immediately displeased with faeries, and sought a way to cut themselves off from them in any way. They found one faerie, who offered to essentially cut their territory off from the fae world, but asked a terrible cost. Any kit born with a solid black pelt  must be sacrificed to them, in the possibility that they might be a faerie kit, who could disrupt and destroy that isolation from the faerie realm. Of course the clan does not directly murder the kit, but simply leaves it out in the open, exposes it to the elements. This more than anything has isolated it from the other clans and most other outside cats. This also means that neither their leader nor their healer have any faerie bond, and so are as mortal as any warrior.

Pineclan: Pineclan lives in a predominantly pine and evergreen forest, which runs to the coast and some cliffs. The closest to human settlement, but remaining separate from them, Pineclan has the widest range of pelt colors and genes, with accents like silver, and amber, and chocolate. Perhaps they have been influenced by humans, as they follow a fairly linear hierarchy. Their leader is the Monarch, chosen from amongst the kits of the previous monarch as the one with most potential and insight to lead the clan. The deputy/second of this clan, is the chosen Consort of the monarch, their pair and counterpart who compliments the skills of the monarch and fills the gaps in the leadership. Often they share two separate skill sets, where one specializes in the matters within camp, social interactions and mentor/apprentice pairings, while the other specializes in matters outside of camp, such as organizing hunting, and territory patrols. Although it is encouraged that the consort and Monarch also be mates and produce kits, it is not required, in the case that they are both of the same gender. In this case, what is preferred is a strong bond and ability to work and lead together. For this clan, the faerie pact which was made to benefit the clan was made to extend to the specific royal line, so if a leader must be chosen, they must be chosen from the royal line to accept the blessing. This blessing involves longer life, but also the benefit that they cannot get sick (in this case are also immune to cancer). Eventually there are things which the blessing cannot cure or suppress, and the cat will die, after a longer than average life, or in battle. Healers also have a pact with  a faerie, but it is one which must be earned. The healer has 2-4 apprentices when the time comes to choose, and they learn the arts of healing, but also of good counsel and wisdom, and of cunning. They are trained with how to deal with faeries, of the dangers. Then they go to the faerie ring within their territory and pass into the faerie realm. There they must make their way to the faerie which issued this challenge. If they survive, and do not get lost or flee from fear, they gain the ability to walk between the real world and the faerie realm. With this ability they can protect their clan from certain faerie interference, and save cats on the verge of death. But it is dangerous, and they must choose who to save, because they only have a certain amount of energy to use in saving others, lest they risk being stuck in the faerie realm forever. This clan, although it interacts with faeries, is still quite wary of them, and cunning and word games are encouraged or taught to kits, because words and names are quite powerful, and faeries although they never lie never tell the full truth.

Firthclan: The clan of the pure mountain waters, and the mysterious bogs and fens. This is by far the most spiritual of the clans, and the one most open to faerie influence. Firthclan cats are very respectful of faeries, and very tolerant of them, even of the smallest variety, and interact almost daily with them. This means that there are more benevolent faeries to grant them even small gifts, but many of the most heinous villains, under the promise and pact of a malevolent faerie, originated from this clan. They are somewhat removed from the other clans, and there has been debate if they should just give up the territory on the other side of the firth to the other two, but there is significant benefit to what they do have, and so they still maintain their borders, although not as aggressively or strictly as the others. Their relationship with faeries has made them bitter enemies to Moorclan, and some of the more precocious Firthclanners have been known to sneak into Moorclan territory and save black kits left out to die. They have the traditional leader deputy structure, and the faerie pact which saves the leader is one which is similar to the traditional understanding of nine lives. If some injury or sickness would take a cats life, faerie energy heals them. As for the healer, the pact is one in which the healer communes with benevolent water spirits, and urges them to heal and soothe an afflicted cat, especially in times where herbs may not be enough, like in an infection where the water may cleanse it, or a fungal or viral sickness. Firthclan focuses greatly on an understanding of purity, and greatly values honesty and truth, and perceives kindness and caring of others in the clan to be high value.

Anyway these are my main clans that I have contributed to and devoted significant time to developing. I can always create more detail, and give more unique aspects which is why i enjoy worldbuilding so much!

Also if anyone likes an aspect or two from my clans, and would like to borrow it for their own (in combination with other unique aspects to make it new and unique) feel free to let me know. Or if you want to brainstorm for your own clans send me a message!

[omophagias]

bookposting #11 (shelf clearout 11/69)

title: contesting orthodoxy in medieval and early modern europe: heresy, magic and witchcraft

editors: louise nyholm kallestrup, raisa maria toivo

series: palgrave historical studies in witchcraft and magic

rating: ★★★★

opinions: an interesting collection! it focused largely on northern europe (nordic countries with some excursions to germany and the netherlands) when the chapters had a regional focus, which i realized i should have expected from a collection edited by people with the names kallestrup (university of southern denmark) and toivo (university of tampere). the book is divided into three parts, those being “heresy,” “magic,” and “witchcraft”; the witchcraft section is the longest and contains the highest volume of chapters i thought were interesting. the heresy section does kick off with a chapter by nancy mandeville caciola (author of one of my favorite books, afterlives: the return of the dead in the middle ages) on “revenant congregations,” groups of ghosts, often the community’s dead, that appear in churches or other places of worship (there is a brief mention that, in some medieval german jewish communities, it was customary for the first person entering the synagogue in the morning to knock in order to give any spirits inside fair warning). she’s mostly focused on the accounts of thietmar of merseburg, and on the meaning of revenant congregations in recently/debatably christianized areas of 11th-century central europe. in the magic section, i enjoyed richard kieckhefer’s chapter on angel-summoning and johannes dillinger’s overview of the medieval and early modern history of the divining rod, both of which had some very funny moments. of the witchcraft section, my favorites were matteo duni’s chapter on an italian treatise, ponzinibio’s de lamiis, which argued, against the inquisition, that witchcraft was a purely spiritual phenomenon with no corporeal effects, willem de blécourt’s chapter arguing against johan huizinga’s interpretation, in the waning of the middle ages, of medieval french and dutch perceptions of witchcraft (a line: “…to scorn an author for writing the ‘wrong’ book is hardly helpful for a constructive debate. Nevertheless…” relatable!), and finally rune blix hagen’s chapter on perceptions of sami shamans and stereotypes of the peoples of the arctic north within europe more broadly and the early modern kingdom of denmark-norway most notably. this chapter, i think, pointed in a lot of interesting directions for discussions about “witchcraft,” indigeneity, and early modern colonialism-capitalism. overall i was very satisfied with this collection, although i wasn’t super interested in every chapter.

verdict: keep

miscellanea:

there was a great line in dillinger’s chapter on divining rods about how in the 1700s johann gottfried ziedler had concluded that since, in his opinion, they “worked” because the position one was supposed to hold them in caused involuntary muscle tremors, one could just as well use a sausage: “‘[Ziedler:] If you hold a knockwurst the right way it makes a perfect divining rod and moves so strongly in your hand that it might break.’ In which case the diviner could celebrate his lucky find with a snack provided he had some bread and mustard with him.”

the most recent bookmark i finished making (visible in the picture) is extremely good at its job, i think because unlike the other cross-stitch bookmarks i have, a huge amount of the pattern is backstitch with 2 strands of thread and so is much less bulky, and the backing felt that came in the kit was actually the right size.

i have never and probably will never read huizinga (i read tuchman’s a distant mirror once and that probably is about the same, and barbara tuchman is undoubtedly funnier) but i was still having a lot of fun reading him getting dunked on

call number: BF1584 .E9C658 2017

the cover image is one of multiple pictures of the witch of endor discussed in a chapter on…pictures of the witch of endor (summoning the ghost of samuel for king saul), which wasn’t my favorite chapter but did have a lot of funny pictures of people standing around looking vaguely concerned. this specific one is very ‘now you’re thinking with portals!’ to me.

[resinatingbeauty]

A 'Witch Shop' Owner's Plea Before Casting That Love Spell

I don't personally offer many spell kits, mojo bags, etc. In my shop and avoid selling my 'Craft', as in, I don't advertise or list spell casting among my offerings, though I have had a couple of customers specifically ask if I could perform a spell I offered as a kit on their behalf for whatever reason. This is because I personally believe that the journey is just as important as the destination in witchcraft and many of the spell kits / spells I do offer are designed in such a way to soothe, relax, release, and heal throughout the process. Honestly, in addition, I really don't want the responsibility associated with performing magick on someone else's behalf for many reasons. The strength of my intent is not going to be as strong as yours, for example. Even if I effectively channel your energy, creating that personal connection between the beneficiary and the intent or purpose of the spell work is incredibly difficult at a distance. I'm always wary of other shops advertising this type of service- the sad truth of the matter is our little niche has been permeated by scammers, con artists, and frauds looking to take advantage of anyone looking for a solution to whatever it is that has them at this low point in life. I will tell you, more often than not it's love spells that the customer is after, and they are apt to find many options on Etsy, the platform I primarily do business on, and beyond.

I distinctly think of one potential customer who had contacted me one night obviously very upset. My heart went out to her immediately - I could just tell by what she was saying and how quickly she responded to me that she was in a state of panic and extreme emotional distress. She isn't the only one, but she stands out from the others as her desire to win back her ex lover was so strong it was evident that she would do anything and (potentially) pay anything for a chance to get things back to the way they were in her love life.

I am a human being. I have been given this amazing opportunity to pursue my passion to share my creations and spiritual / metaphysical knowledge with the world through my work. I understood a long time ago that this also meant I had a responsibility to do my best to help those in need and never knowingly harm, much like a doctor commuting to the Hippocratic oath. This may make me a flat out horrible business woman, but I would rather not sell someone on something I don't believe is going to help their situation. In fact, love spells usually make things worse. I'll get to that momentarily.

"Is there a spell to make her see what she has done wrong and to make her love and want me again?"

I allowed this customer to explain to me the situation and took the time to hear her out after telling her that I'm sure that she could find something like that elsewhere and someone else willing to sell her a spell kit or cast that spell, but I urged her to take a deep breath and talk to me before she did something that she would regret.

Thankfully, she spent the next hour or so explaining her situation and elaborating on everything that has happened in her relationship. It was one of those on again / off again things that so many of us get trapped in. Understandable, considering once you establish that strong bond of love, whether one sided or not, it's incredibly hard to cut that cord and move on especially if you're so emotionally invested (and maybe even financially invested) in this other individual who has had your heart for so long you can't imagine giving it to anyone else.

This PSA goes out to the broken hearted of all walks, as this is a universal experience for anyone who has been in love. There may not be someone to stop you from pursuing what you think will fix everything as I did for her, but I'm hoping if you read this, you'll think twice about acquiring and performing love spells or any magick in hopes that it will provide a quick fix to any situation.

•Beware the Opportunistic Con / Scam

Our field is flooded with scammers, con artists, and frauds that exclusively cater to those in this sweet girl's position and anyone who is vulnerable due to emotional distress or panic. Whether you need a love spell like she did to win back her ex or a quick fix to get more money in the bank or what have you, beware those that have used spiritual advisory and witchcraft as a means to peddle you their high priced garbaged. This is a tough one, as you may have a hard time deciphering what is 'legit' and what isn't, but there are some signs and facts you can look for when browsing these shops / websites.

-They promise / guarantee results within a specific or unrealistic time frame

Magick takes time to manifest and the true story is that nobody has a 100% satisfaction guaranteed spell book. More often than not, when spells come to fruition, it often isn't quite the way you would expect it to, either. Anyone promising a quick fix to anything is most likely just trying to take advantage of you when you are vulnerable and you better believe there will be no money back guarantee if said garbage doesn't work for you. OR, they like to do one of these:

-"Oh, your situation is worse than I thought. You're going to need this and this, with a huge $$$$ price tag."

This starts a never ending cycle of you pouring money into this scammer who will make you believe that it is necessary to do so. That maybe if you did throw them an extra $500 for their thingamajig that you will get what you want. This is only the beginning, as when THAT doesn't do it for you the way you would like, they will claim some other interference, maybe you're cursed or under psychic attack, and need something else even more expensive and elaborate to take care of that before you can even get to what you went to them for in the first place. Anytime someone proposes this type of thing, stop while you're ahead and don't provide them with a guaranteed cash flow that you aren't benefitting from at all. Also, be wary of ANY seller who makes outrageous claims- overnight changes, curing cancer, etc. Are unrealistic expectations.

•Understand What You Truly Need

Maybe it's time to consider an alternative path. The customer I spoke about DID ultimately purchase a tarot spread, which I was much more inclined to do for her than some love spell to win back this girl who has repeatedly broken her heart over the past few years and obviously got a kick out of it, the way she told it, as it was ALWAYS her doing the breaking up and blocking, starting all the drama. I told her I would much rather give her a spell to find her twin flame / soul mate than to win this person back who has perpetually been hurting her and taking advantage of her kindness.

Sometimes it's time to cut the cord before more damage is done. I understand it isn't easy to move on from someone you have loved and cultivated a relationship with over a long period of time, regardless of the negative energy that has invaded the relationship, we DO tend to focus on the positives, which leaves us a bit biased and blind to what we could have and deserve to have.

Take a moment if you are in a relationship situation like this, are beginning to question your current relationship, or are considering taking the next step in any relationship. Sit down with a pen and paper. On one side of the paper, write down all the things you love about that person. All the ways you think they have been the light in your life (be honest and give credit where credit is due!). Now on the other side, list the negatives or cons in your relationship. If one list is noticeably longer than the other, depending on which side it is, it may be time to consider breaking it off, giving things another shot, or taking things to the next level. Ask yourself;

-Do they support me in what I do, even if they don't understand or necessarily agree with it? (So long as it is something healthy -obviously if they're supportive of a bad habit or detrimental behavior, this is more like enabling and not a good thing)

-Do they have my best interests at heart more often than not?

-Do they show that they care? Even in the smallest of ways?

-Could I call them my "best friend?" Am I honest with them?

-Are they honest with me?

-Do they lift me up more than they put me down?

-Do you want the same things in life / have similar priorities?

-Is our relationship valuable to them the same way it is to me?

•LOVE SPELLS NEVER WORK THE WAY YOU WANT

This is the cold hard truth about love spells. Forget the warnings in movies and books, as it is hard to believe them or even take them as a legitimate warning when you haven't had the displeasure of experiencing what a love spell can do for yourself. I have, so you don't have to. This is MY story:

Of course love spells are very appealing when you're a young and naive teenager. I had a strong crush on this guy I had low key been stalking since middle school. I don't know why I liked him so much. Part of it I'm sure was the way he looked (hey, I'm being totally honest!) And how he came across to me. We had absolutely no interaction with each other outside of passing each other in the hallway. He had no idea who I was.

I had just borrowed a copy of Silver Ravenwolf's 'Teen Witch' (which is honestly a fantastic book for teens and young adults just starting to delve into Wiccan practices, which she follows exclusively) from a friend of mine and thought I would try the super simple love spell in the book figuring I had nothing to lose. All it consisted of was focusing on the subject, your intentions, writing their name on a piece of paper, folding it up and placing it under your pillow. I would sleep on that paper for months. I was in middle school just about to go into my freshman year of high school when I performed the spell and would forget about it up until the day it worked, a few months into my freshman year of highschool, when my crush was in the graduating class of that year- literally my last chance to make an impression.

I had gone to a local band's concert that was performing at the school's auditorium one day after classes and was just about to leave when my crush randomly approached me and started talking to me. It was like the whole world just stopped right there. I couldn't believe it. The thought of that spell crossed my mind briefly as we exchanged phone numbers.

Over time and getting to know him, he admittedly wasn't exactly my type. He was still someone whose friendship I valued, but not someone I could really put any effort into dating. About the time I realized this, his personality took a complete 180° turn for the worst. He was stalking me. Blowing up my cell phone (which was a prepaid piece of junk at that time I really couldn't talk on for more than a minute without paying a fortune), so much so one evening when I was at Jukido Jujitsu practice that I came home to something like 32 missed calls and 17 voicemails from him, each one showing gradual frustration and anger. This scared me. I knew I had to confront him about it and break this off before it got worse.

I caught him in a populated area of the school the next day before homeroom- more like he came up to me out of nowhere like he knew I would be passing through that part of the school that day- and I confronted him about the calls,attempting to gently explain to him that I wasn't interested in a relationship and I would like to continue being friends. He blew up at me and threw me against the brick wall of the school, trying to kiss and touch me in front of every single person that walked by. I wish I was making this up.

Thankfully a teacher came and pulled him off. Nothing much else was done. I did my best to avoid him and cut him out of my life entirely from that point on.

I don't know if it was the love spell or if this would have occurred anyways. All I knew was that what had been originally a very sweet, big hearted guy that was soft spoken with low self esteem became a monster in a matter of weeks. The take away from this and what I have personally seen with other's experiences with love spells is that they tend to bring out the worst characteristics of the person they are cast on and you have to be really careful what you are actually asking for when thinking about 'desire' and 'passion.' This intent can quickly lead to stalking, obsession, and not in a good way. Another customer of mine who originally came to me for my Forgiveness Spell Kit and had the desired results also, unbeknownst to me, had someone else perform a love and desire spell in addition to it. The guy that she was reverted into an obsessed jerk who decided to spread rumors about her on social media and beyond, blocked her on all platforms, and would get her friends involved in his quest to make her life miserable. Her story reflects and embodies so many I have heard over the years from others who have dabbled in such spells. When they work, it's just never quite what you had in mind.

So if you came to this blog post in search of a love spell for your personal situation or came across it when you have maybe considered one in the past or know someone who has, please take a deep breath, consider your options, and don't do anything that you may regret down the line. Remember that you are deserving of all the love, respect, support, and happiness one could give another. Do not settle on someone who offers you less and expects more, no matter how much you have invested in them, no matter how many years you have spent with them, as they do not appreciate you for the amazing person you are. I can promise you, however, given some time to heal, you WILL find someone who does.

-Samantha

(Owner /Chaos Witch/Designer)

Blursedbaubles.etsy.com

[44four]

EXPANSION WITCHCRAFT HERB kit travel wiccan altar kit ~ potion making kit ~ trav

This travel-size witchcraft kit specializes in herbs and includes a larger variety of the usual ten herb selection in 20ml glass vials with corks. This kit serves as a great edition to my Huge Witchcraft Kit as it adds quantity to the selection of herbs.If you plan on purchasing, have already purchased, or will be purchasing the Huge Witchcraft Kit with this kit, please message me and I will happily provide a discount code as the two kits are meant to be purchased in tandem.As there is a smaller number of herbs in greater quantities in this kit, I highly suggest getting in contact with me about what herbs might be missing from your collection, or what herbs you'd like to replenish. If there are certain types of spells you're working on perfecting, I can also help suggest what herbs might contribute to your intentions. And please let me know if you would like some literature surrounding these herbs as that can be provided as well upon request. Read the full article