#modern traditional witchcraft

[spiralhouseshop]

RESTOCKS!

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folklore from Appalachia by Jake Richards

Silent as the Trees: Devonshire Witchcraft, Folklore & Magic by Gemma Gary

The Witch at the Forest's Edge: Thirteen Keys to Modern Traditional Witchcraft by Christine Grace

[babywitchofthesouth]

Planetary Rulings and Core Associations

Aries is ruled by [♂] Mars, the planet of sex and aggression

Taurus is ruled by [♀] Venus, the planet of love

Gemini is ruled by [☿] Mercury, the planet of communication

Cancer is ruled by the [☽] Moon, the planet of emotions

Leo is ruled by the [☉] Sun, the planet of identity and ago

Virgo is ruled by [☿] Mercury, the planet of communication

Libra is ruled by [♀] Venus, the planet of love

Scorpio is ruled by [♇] Pluto, the planet of power and rebirth

Sagittarius is ruled by [♃] Jupiter, the planet of growth and luck

Capricorn is ruled by [♄] Saturn, the planet of responsibility

Aquarius is ruled by [⛢] Uranus, the planet of freedom and invention

Pisces is ruled by [♆] Neptune, the planet of inspiration and compassion

—————————————

Extra information for fellow baby witches

Note that there are discrepancies with the planetary rulings. Some signs are associated with two planets due to modern and traditional practice differences, so you may feel a disconnect with these. I've opted to write up the modern approach.

These are the traditional alternatives, in addition to what's above:

Scorpio is also ruled by [♂] Mars, the planet of sex and aggression

Aquarius is also ruled by [♄] Saturn, the planet of responsibility

Pisces is also ruled by [♃] Jupiter, the planet of growth and luck

[divine-crows]

Now that I'm growing more in my craft, I've found in my personal practice that things that are "betwixt" feel so sacred to me.

The sunrise and sunset are the in between between day and night. Both a hello and a goodbye, and yet so much more.

The fork in a path holds so many promises of adventure and the unknown.

The comfortable pause in a conversation is charged with the potential for the next spoken words.

It made me realize that life is beautiful, and a gift, and in those moments I feel like I'm one with the earth.

[pirateswhore]

I'm 100% projecting my own paganism onto my beloved characters but I just think there should've been more pagan magic practice in OUAT.

you're telling me that killian, a man that spent all his life out on the sea, DOESN'T worship the Moon Goddess ? when she has been a protector of sailors for THOUSANDS of years (and is partly why we call ships "she" in her honour)

you're telling me Emma wouldn't have spell jars all over the house, wouldn't sprinkle salt on the doorstep, or leave offerings for the deities ??

we already know Greek mythos is real. why wouldn't other deities be too ? Norse, Slavic, Celtic, Egyptian, Persian, Chinese, Japanese, etc.

I wish magic and spells took more after paganism and witchcraft. sygils carved into wood or written on paper for protection. enchanted jars and crystals that fit in pockets. stirring their hot cocoa clockwise so it makes the headache go away quicker. whispering enchantations into their food before eating.

I have too many thoughts on this

[elhoimleafar]

Hey Witches! It's Time!!

Hey witches, this upcoming May 25-26, we will be hosting the virtual event Our Sorcery Hour for the second year, featuring a curated and diverse list of workshops from 10 different presenters who will teach you about their Craft.

This event is organized and collectively hosted by BIPOC and LGBTQIA members of the Craft. It is one of the few metaphysical events in which presenters are paid for their time, and a cut from each ticket goes directly to the Charity DIRECT RELIEF. DIRECT RELIEF is one of the few charities worldwide that uses 100% of the money it raises for the cause and not for bureaucratic paperwork.

The small cost of this event makes it easily accessible to practically everybody interested. It also supports our collective cause of creating a safe space for seekers of Magic while the teachers are rightfully compensated for their valuable time.

This Year 2024 we are featuring as presenters the incredible: - Daphne la Hechicera Author of Mexican Sorcery. - Mawiyah Kai EL-Jamah Bomani author of 'Conjuring the Calabash'. - Emma Kathryn author of 'Season Songs' and 'Witch Life'. - Thumper Forge co-author of 'Virgo Witch' for Llewellyn Worldwide - Jezmina Von Thiele, co-host of the Romanistan podcast. - Laura González host of Tarot by Laura González and Lunatic Mondays for Circle Sanctuary - Ylva Mara Radziszewski aka Bimboyaga, author of 'A Practical Guide for Witches'. - Aly Kravetz aka BronxWitch Creator of BronxWitch HeadQuarters - And some more to confirm with you soon witches & brujas.

Sponsorship If you own a Witchy Business and you are looking for sponsorship, just contact us. Last year, our event attracted over 200 participants, and the virtual program had 964 downloads in just two weeks.

Grab your tickets here: https://elhoimleafar.com/oursorceryhour/

[canary-prince]

If you catch me posting Bible memes I'm not turning into a Christian or whatever the fuck I was before my intense spiritual crisis 2 years ago (or was it three)? I went to school for academic theological studies (analysis of religion from an exterior view point) and recent books have me nostalgic and hyperfixating.

[sunny-possum-pal]

"The Star" handpainted hoodie

Available on my etsy!

[northsalpha-archive]

WHAT  KIND  OF  NPC  ARE  YOU?

morally  grey  magic  user  who  is  kind  of  a  hermit.      ah,  an  intellectual  and  morally  grey.      how  sexy  of  you.      but  in  more  seriousness,    the  party  of  adventurers  who  run  into  you  and  could  sorely  use  your  help  or  guidance  have  one  hell  of  a  time  trying  to  figure  you  out.      you  do  not  find  yourself  aligning  with  traditional  groups  or  institutions,    but  rather  wherein  your  interests  lie.      you  live  for  doing  what  you  want  to  do  and  are  just  straight  vibing,    and  that  confuses  a  lot  of  people,    but  you  stay  unbothered.      that’s  a  magnificent  quality  about  you.      that  part  of  you  that  has  learned  not  to  give  a  shit  what  other  people  think  because  you  know  that’s  a  waste  of  time.      you  know  what  you  care  about  and  how  you  want  to  live,    and  that  is  what  is  important  to  you.      while  your  trust  is  not  lightly  earned,    anyone  who  does  manage  to  get  on  your  good  side  has  got  themselves  a  very  powerful  and  very  loyal  friend.      rock  on,    you  funky  little  wizard.

TAGGED   BY:      @khenzi      (   thank   u!   ) TAGGING:      @el3nas,      @pehtrohvah,      @strnza,      @siphoncursed,      @klaeus      &      @hybr2d

[riveroracle]

Lie Down in the Evening

By Christina, River.Oracle

Some days I wake up like an ox

I earned these stout stone shoulders

I learned to carry her

In the vast empty cold, alone

I marvel at my strength like the rock wall reaching heaven

This cliff is where the angels jump.

Some days I only carry my feet.

If it's a cloud or only the snow in the wind, I can't tell the difference.

I haven't seen a green thing for so long I tried to grow leaves inside of me

There's too much stone in my soil,

Like the land where I was born

Some days I am the bison

Unyielding under the weight of a million carcasses who came before me

I try to paint their bones but there are so so many

Instead they carve into my skin and bones and remind me of the grassland my mother once knew

The earth combs her hair

And stillness falls away, a petal in the wind

Some days I am only dust.

Peace looks like surrender to the wind.

Her tears sting my face as they crash down from heaven,

I think clouds are another world.

If I could just reach my hands into her nothingness and draw them out like something new and unborn

If I could be the seed, reaching, still blind under the soil

The sun has yet to hit my face

I am cold and some days I'm comfortable that way

It's the moon who has seen me, shedding, writhing

A dance that no man would recognize

Her gentle kiss is the key to my stuck ribs

Some days I am the black walnut tree

I mark black every finger print that ever touched me

Sometimes it's love, but you'd never know if it wasn't.

When the night falls in like leaping into the abyss,

The stars are easy for my tired eyes.

They paint me in colors I could only hope to learn.

The dark settling under the trees like so many ravens, beckons me away from the fire.

Lifeless, still, I collapse

My bones tumble in a hollow clatter

In the dirt, I lie, jumbled, unafraid of the dead things

Sometimes I think I'm one of them

Or I wish to be, I feel my skin

Piece by piece, opening to let the earth in

The earth opens and lets me in too.

When the dawn strikes me I will remember the lightning

It struck me like I've never been struck

But I have.

I've only forgotten the embrace of the thunder.

I rise again on feeble legs

And there lies the ox, the bison

I wonder if I am one of them.

Their pelt stripped away, their hearts and kidneys and so much blood exposed.

I think I remember the seed I was

I try to imagine it, before the wind kissed me

Before the moon became my lover

Before I needed the ox's shoulders.

I wonder if bison ever kneel before the sunset

If they bow their horns to kiss the beloved earth

I wonder if the ox ever lies down in the evening.

I wonder if they miss the sun.

If the rain on their face looks like so many tears.

[samwisethewitch]

Homemaking, gardening, and self-sufficiency resources that won't radicalize you into a hate group

It seems like self-sufficiency and homemaking skills are blowing up right now. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the current economic crisis, a lot of folks, especially young people, are looking to develop skills that will help them be a little bit less dependent on our consumerist economy. And I think that's generally a good thing. I think more of us should know how to cook a meal from scratch, grow our own vegetables, and mend our own clothes. Those are good skills to have.

Unfortunately, these "self-sufficiency" skills are often used as a recruiting tactic by white supremacists, TERFs, and other hate groups. They become a way to reconnect to or relive the "good old days," a romanticized (false) past before modern society and civil rights. And for a lot of people, these skills are inseparably connected to their politics and may even be used as a tool to indoctrinate new people.

In the spirit of building safe communities, here's a complete list of the safe resources I've found for learning homemaking, gardening, and related skills. Safe for me means queer- and trans-friendly, inclusive of different races and cultures, does not contain Christian preaching, and does not contain white supremacist or TERF dog whistles.

Homemaking/Housekeeping/Caring for your home:

Making It by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen [book] (The big crunchy household DIY book; includes every level of self-sufficiency from making your own toothpaste and laundry soap to setting up raised beds to butchering a chicken. Authors are explicitly left-leaning.)

Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair by Mercury Stardust [book] (A guide to simple home repair tasks, written with rentals in mind; very compassionate and accessible language.)

How To Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis [book] (The book about cleaning and housework for people who get overwhelmed by cleaning and housework, based on the premise that messiness is not a moral failing; disability and neurodivergence friendly; genuinely changed how I approach cleaning tasks.)

Gardening

Rebel Gardening by Alessandro Vitale [book] (Really great introduction to urban gardening; explicitly discusses renter-friendly garden designs in small spaces; lots of DIY solutions using recycled materials; note that the author lives in England, so check if plants are invasive in your area before putting them in the ground.)

Country/Rural Living:

Woodsqueer by Gretchen Legler [book] (Memoir of a lesbian who lives and works on a rural farm in Maine with her wife; does a good job of showing what it's like to be queer in a rural space; CW for mentions of domestic violence, infidelity/cheating, and internalized homophobia)

"Debunking the Off-Grid Fantasy" by Maggie Mae Fish [video essay] (Deconstructs the off-grid lifestyle and the myth of self-reliance)

Sewing/Mending:

Annika Victoria [YouTube channel] (No longer active, but their videos are still a great resource for anyone learning to sew; check out the beginner project playlist to start. This is where I learned a lot of what I know about sewing.)

Make, Sew, and Mend by Bernadette Banner [book] (A very thorough written introduction to hand-sewing, written by a clothing historian; lots of fun garment history facts; explicitly inclusive of BIPOC, queer, and trans sewists.)

Sustainability/Land Stewardship

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer [book] (Most of you have probably already read this one or had it recommended to you, but it really is that good; excellent example of how traditional animist beliefs -- in this case, indigenous American beliefs -- can exist in healthy symbiosis with science; more philosophy than how-to, but a great foundational resource.)

Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer [book] (This one is for my fellow witches; one of my favorite witchcraft books, and an excellent example of a place-based practice deeply rooted in the land.)

Avoiding the "Crunchy to Alt Right Pipeline"

Note: the "crunchy to alt-right pipeline" is a term used to describe how white supremacists and other far right groups use "crunchy" spaces (i.e., spaces dedicated to farming, homemaking, alternative medicine, simple living/slow living, etc.) to recruit and indoctrinate people into their movements. Knowing how this recruitment works can help you recognize it when you do encounter it and avoid being influenced by it.

"The Crunchy-to-Alt-Right Pipeline" by Kathleen Belew [magazine article] (Good, short introduction to this issue and its history.)

Sisters in Hate by Seyward Darby (I feel like I need to give a content warning: this book contains explicit descriptions of racism, white supremacy, and Neo Nazis, and it's a very difficult read, but it really is a great, in-depth breakdown of the role women play in the alt-right; also explicitly addresses the crunchy to alt-right pipeline.)

These are just the resources I've personally found helpful, so if anyone else has any they want to add, please, please do!

[snapdragonsandwhiptails]

Before I’m accused of having an AI avatar, my bestie made this low-poly ps2 lookin ass icon 4 me. AI could never….

[faethefolkwitch]

Starting Over

Hello there witchblr.

I'm not exactly new, but this is a new blog for me.

I've been officially practicing witchcraft for about 7 years now. Been doing cartomancy off and on for way longer (since I was about 11). I was a part of a free online witch academy where I learned some great basics but as the year passed it got more difficult for the witches to keep up with all the educational work. I switched to reading and watching some educational videos to help me further along. I have a pretty good handle on my craft... Just missing the community aspect though for the most part I am a secular witch. My focus is on European and Southern (U.S.) folk magick. Hoping to meet some like minded folks on here. If anything, just reblog and create resources for other witches.

(Maybe some random other things too.)

[elhoimleafar]

Forms of Traditional Witchcraft saying you can't have a coven just made by men, run in the same direction of "you can't have a whole coven made by women".

Are you saying independent women need to have a man in their circle to "complement" their sacred space?.

And this goes in the same direction as "you can't have a trans/non-binary person in the circle". Are you saying that these minorities don't have the right to put in practice a Craft made and carried by minorities?.

English is not my first language, so explain this as if I were in primary school.

[gardenworship]

One thing I’ve really found peace in is that the Gods are just as much modern as they are ancient

They understand that worship in modern times is 9 times out of 10 a solitary practice. In Ancient Hellenic/Greek times, which is the tradition I follow, worship was communal and festivals were entire city events. The Gods get that, they’ve adapted to the times as they’ve needed.

The Gods played an entirely different role in Roman times as they did in the Hellenistic times and the Classical era before that

We have to let the Gods adapt as they let us adapt to the current day—they want to work with us and that doesn’t mean you have to get every detail ‘right’ or do anything at all according to what’s deemed as right based on the books and literature we have

I believe this applies to every God regardless of pantheon or tradition—our Gods are modern Gods, they get it, start with where you are,

How do you connect with the Gods: only source of running water is the sink? There you go you have running water to cleanse in. Don’t have access or the money to use wine for libations? use water or juice. Feeling drawn to forms of witchcraft? Tarot is a perfectly reasonable form of divination to connect with the Gods, praying over a sigil and offering to a God over it is a great way to charge the sigil, and so much more. Don’t have garden to get first fruits from to offer? Pick a fruit or veggie from your shopping trip that you think looks particularly nice and offer that.

Ultimately do things that you find meaningful throughout your day that let you connect with your Gods and let those things change and adapt over time.

We are fluid people and so are the Gods

*this is coming from a hellenic pagan/polytheist perspective can be applied to any practice with the Gods

[writers-potion]

Let's Talk About Magic Systems.

There are two broad ways you can establish magic in your story world - work with existing concepts, or adapting it for something new.

Pick a System

High Magic vs. Low Magic

This distinction existes mostly in the western wrld from the Middle Ages onwards. In non-western cultures, this distinct often doesn't exist.

High magic requires magicians to study from books, ingredients are expensive and instruments elaborate and hard to get. The typical practioner of High Magic is of the upper class, highly educated, and rich. They serve in King's courts and have high social standing thanks to their knowledge.

Among the lower classes and women, Low Magic is ore common. It is taught orally and doesn't require reading skills and uses everyday objects and ingredients.

Black vs. White Magic

"White" magic is often associated with good, and "Black" with the evil. However, what really matters is the magicians intension, not the magic system that they work with.

The term "black magic" is often associated with working with the dead. It can also be used by an individual/group who just wants to appear more menacing.

Ceremonial Magic

This kind of magic involves lots of ritual, recitation and prayer, often in ancient langauges such as Latin, Aramaic and Sanskrit.

Most of the time, it's High Magic and practiced by religious figures.

The typical practioner is educated, has great confidence and a good memory.

Natural Magic

It involves ingredients from nature, such as herbs and water.

It may be practiced outdoor, in a kitchen, or in a laboratory.

The rituals are simple and short, and the practioner will watch out for the turning of seasons, phases of the moon, etc.

Religious Magic

This is a diety working through a magician. The magician prays and asks her god to work the miracle.

Most religions have their own form of magic, and the kind of miracles that the magicians can bring can be limited.

Wiccan Witchcraft and Voodoo are largely religious magic.

The typical practioner would be spiritual and devout, often suspicious of other religions.

Alchemy

Alchemy is both High and Low Magic, and it can incorporate religious, spiritual, philosophical and mythological elements.

In a modern setting, alchemy can also be portrayed as "science gone too far".

The typical practioner would be patient, methodious, educated and driven. The tools includes laboratory equipment, astronomical charts, writing materials, and an unsuspecting roommate(?) for testing.

Traditional Witchcraft

Traditional Witchcraft is a form of Low Magic. In early historic periods, the witch played an important role in village life, often old women who owned apothecaries and helped out other villagers.

The typical practioner would be female, uneducated, illiterate, practical, resourceful and poor. She will have a good memory and well-developed senses.

Tools used would be simple household implements - a cauldron, a broom, knife, etc. that can evade the Inquisitor's suspicions.

Wiccan Witchcraft

If you write contemporary fiction, this is the system your character is most likely to use. It's modern witchcraft, based on the religion of Wicca.

Wiccan witchcraft mostly developed in the second half of the twentieth centruy. It is a form of bothe Natural Magic and Religious Magic.

Based on nature worship and the polarity between male and female, the magician often begins a Wiccan ritual with an invocation to a God/Godess. The Lady (Godess) is depicted as having three aspects: Maiden, Mother and Brone. The Lord (God) may be depicted with horns.

The focus of Wiccan magic is often on healing, with an emphasis of ethical consequences of what is being performed.

It is often practiced outdoors, sometimes naked (which they call 'skyclad'). Wiccan witchcraft uses the phases of the moon to amplify its effects.

Wiccan like to gather in groups called 'covens' or to meet once a month or for major festivals. The coven leader may be called 'high piestess/priest'.

Typical tools include a chalice, a knife (called 'athame'), a wand, candles, herbs, crystals, and essential oils.

Necromancy

The magician summons a dead person, either ghost or spirit, sometimes bodily. The dead are enlisted to grant the magicians with favors or are questioned for information.

It may be related to Shamanism, as well as to some forms of psychic work such as channelling and Spiritualist seances.

The typical practitioner is psychally gisted, strong-willed and courageous.

Shamnism

Shamnism is a Low Magic system. The shaman intercedes between the human and spirit world by communicating with spirits, often to obtain information or provide healing.

Shamans may travel to the spirit world to seek answered, with some level of danger. They use drums, chanting, dancing and drugs to alter their consciousness and communicate with spirits.

Practicing shamans often work alone, but they choose a successor to train. The apprentice is supposed to accept the calling.

The typical shaman is musical, sensitive with a strong sense of rhythm and the psychic.

Tools include drums, bells, a costume, herbs, bones, smoke and mind-altering drugs.

Ancient Egyptian Magic

Ancient Eyptian Magic ovelaps with Religious magic, medicine and with psychic work. The deities most frequently evoked are Selket, Aset for raising the dead, and the gof Thoth for anything to do with sickness and healing.

The emphasis of Ancient Egyptian Magic is protection, often done throgugh an amulet or talisman. The circle or oval is the most important shape that has protective qualities.

The precise wording of a spell is important, as well as the colors that are involved. For magic to affect someone the magicians must know that person's true name.

The typical practitioner is male, literate, often a priest attached to a emple.

Folk Magic

This is a form of Low Magic practiced by amateurs.

This includes housekeepers who can keep the rats out, farmers who can ripen fruit before the height of the season, and scullions who can make water boil faster.

This people would only know a handful of spells, ans pass them in to memebers of their family.

Voodoo

Voodoo is religious magic and low magic.

The rituals are held in private, and may involve communication with spirits, especially the spirits of ancestors and saints.

Commonly used to cure aliments, confound enemies, and obtain desires.

Invent a System

Choosing the Right Words

If your character is clearly a witch, shaman, a necromancer, etc. with a specialty, use that term. Otherwise, the word "magician", or "mage" would be most appropriate.

The term "magus" (plural magi) refers to practitioners of the ancient Zoroastrian faith.

Strictly speaking, witches and wizards are practitioners of two very different magic systems, so your female character can be a wizard, and vice versa.

'Warlock' really means 'oath-breaker' or 'traitor' and doesn't describe a magician.

'Conjurer' is someone who can creae effects to impress an audience, not really magical in itself. The more modern temr would be 'illusionist'

A group of magicians may be called a 'coven' (though it applies mostly to Wiccan magic). A magician working alone would be a 'solitary'.

Magic vs. Magick

Normally, "magic" is the correct spelling.

However, "magick" may be used, especially by insiders, to emphasize that they refer to the real thing, not conjuring or other trick of the eye.

The magic systems are sometimes capitalized, sometimes not. When it involves a religion, nationaliy, or a particular family line, it is capitalized. Just make sure to keep it consistent throughout your book.

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸

[huescoven]

VEILING

Veiling is a practice with both ancient and modern roots. While veiling was not universally practiced by all ancient Greeks, it held symbolic and practical significance in certain contexts, particularly in relation to specific Gods, rituals, and social customs.

As someone who practices veiling more often than not, I wanted to discuss the history behind it as pertaining to the religion, and show you some examples of different veils you can use.

Historical Veiling in Ancient Greece

In ancient Greece, veiling was not just religious but was linked to societal norms regarding gender, respect, and propriety. It was common for women to veil their heads when outside the home, though men could veil as well.

Veiling also had a ritual function in religious ceremonies. Priestesses often veiled during rituals or temple service as a sign of reverence and purity when approaching the Gods. In some festivals, such as those dedicated to Demeter or Hestia, veiling was particularly significant, reflecting the Goddesses’ connection to the home, modesty, and fertility.

In modern times, we can veil during rituals or daily life as a way to express reverence for the Gods, especially when in prayer.

The reasons for veiling vary among practitioners and may include:

1. Honoring Tradition: Veiling can be used as a way of honoring ancient customs, particularly when engaging in things regarding Hestia, Demeter, or Persephone.

2. Ritual Purity: Veiling can be used as a means of maintaining ritual purity, particularly when one wishes to separate the mundane from the sacred.

3. Modesty and Respect: Veiling can also reflect a personal choice to express modesty or respect, particularly in the presence of deities or during rituals dedicated to chthonic Gods.

Different Forms of Veiling in Modern Practice

Full Veil (Himation-style): The veil covers the head and sometimes drapes over the shoulders.

Partial Veiling: This veil covers just the top of the head or wearing a scarf. This can be a less formal or everyday expression of devotion, often used in daily prayers or minor rituals.

Face Veiling: In some instances, particularly in rituals involving the chthonic deities, one may veil their faces in addition to their heads. Sometimes known as Tegidion, This is done to show humility or to protect oneself spiritually when interacting with Gods associated with death or the afterlife, like Hades or Persephone.

God-Specific Veiling

Veiling can be done as a specific act of devotion to certain Gods. For example:

- Hestia (Goddess of the hearth)

- Demeter and Persephone (Goddesses of agriculture and the underworld)

- Hekate (Goddess of witchcraft, crossroads, and the underworld)

As always, I can discuss this more in depth if anyone would like :)