#pop-culture witchcraft

[thewritehag]

I have a hypothesis that folk- and crone magic (respectively) would work well within popular culture witchcraft. No, really.

I've got some research and thinking to do on the idea, but all I need to do is write up the conventions, correlations, and the beginning of construction (this isn't a one-and-done paper endeavor, this is like doing doctoral level work in folklore, but for fun).

I got this book and flipped first to the "Inscriptions of Power" chapter:

(Crone's Book of Charms & Spells by Valerie Worth)

And I'm seeing how popculture witchery has great potential using crone magic (and folk magic) intentions. This isn't a matter of creation, but of revealing some unexplored practices.

I want to detail my study on my other wordpress blog and I'll post here as I do. This is a teaser post, but I literally just now gave words to nebulous thought.

(Jessica Fletcher: a crone avatar I never thought to incorporate in my practice beyond a quick reference)

[icanseethefuture333]

PAC: What good luck is coming your way?⋆｡.°•✩

‘I’m so lucky

I’m a star

But I cry, cry, cry in my lonely heart, thinkin’

“If there’s nothin’ missin’ in my life

Then why do these tears come at night?”’

Pile 1:

Shufflemancy -

Potential Breakup Song by Aly & AJ

Best Friend’s Brother by Victoria Justice

(There’s Gotta Be) More To Life by Stacie Orrico

Discipline, Courage, Freedom, Communication, Twin Flame, Talking, Family, Plan A Vacation, Two of Air (Equilibrium), Daughter of Air, & Nine of Cups

The good luck that’s coming to your life, pile 1, is balance, confidence, and stability. Some of you could have Libra or Taurus placements. You could have had a rocky upbringing in life but it didn’t stop you from becoming the individual you are today. You could be a very loving person and have a lot to give to others. You may dim yourself down and feel that you are not all that special and often put others on a pedestal, whether that’s a family member, friend, celebrity, or partner. You need to see what’s special inside of you. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, dear. Some of you could have a very close relationship with your parents or grandparents. I’m having a vision of a little kid running to their guardian for comfort and receiving hugs. This is a message for some of you - you guys should visit your old childhood home for abundance or need to call your parents and rekindle the relationship you had with them, they miss you very much. If you have inner child wounds from your family, you need to resolve them in order to make progress. Don’t get stuck in this current phase of your life, you need to embrace change and new beginnings. I’m seeing that there is an intense connection with a romantic interest. Some of you might be in a stagnant relationship that is not benefiting you and it is hindering your growth, I think it would be best if stay single for a while. You are growing up and you are changing, that is a good thing! Some of you have a crush on someone and you are wishing to express your feelings, I see that if you talk to this person, things could actually go very well! Although, you must focus on making yourself happy first before seeking this person. Again, you need to focus on self love first. When is the last time you did something for yourself, pile 1? Make the choice today to be the hero you always needed. Be brave, pile 1. Some of you as a child might of loved the movie Starstruck and Princess Protection Program. You should watch these films to hear the messages in them, they might give you guidance. A father figure in your life may also provide clarity for what you have been feeling. Try to reflect on the relationship you had with your parents and how that results in your relationships with others. A lesson is needed to be learned at that time, once it is completed, you will notice a drastic transformation in your friendships and romantic life. You are going to be secure with who you are as a person and won’t feel the need for others to complete a part of yourself that was feeling empty. Additionally, some of you are wishing to make a bold move. Are you wishing to travel? Take a vacation? A trip to a place you always wanted to go? Now is a good time to do so. Crossroads could be an important film and may resonate with your situation.

Affirmations:

“I can accomplish what I set my mind to”

“I find the inner strength to face fear with confidence”

Pile 2:

Shufflemancy -

Superstar by Jamelia

Love Don’t Cost A Thing by Jennifer Lopez

Whatever You Like by T.I

Loneliness, Love, Money, Courting, Cassette, Love Call, The Star, Ten of Water (Repletion), & Mother of Water

Your good luck charm, pile 2, is the charm of love, fortune, and gifts. There is someone who wishes to come into your life and spoil you. I feel that you are independent and successful in your endeavors. You are good with your finances and you may look high maintenance in appearance (you may own luxury, brand name items, or your style is just very prissy n pretty). You have an admirer that really appreciates how you carry yourself as an individual and has great respect for your accomplishments. I’m reminded of the lyrics from the song She Got Her Own by Ne-Yo ft Jamie Foxx & Fabolous:

“Knowin’ she can do for herself

Makes me wanna give her my wealth”

When this person approaches you, you will look at them like they’re crazy. You might even be offended when they offer you help or try to do chivalrous things. Do not block your blessing, this person can give you access to bigger career opportunities. You have to release your outdated beliefs. I understand you are trying to protect your heart and peace of mind, but how can you make progress in your desired career field without connections? Your spirit guides know you have expensive taste and that you won’t be the only one capable of funding that lifestyle. I’m getting Nara Smith and Lucky Blue Smith vibes. They are both working individuals but Lucky spoils Nara with gifts like designer bags and luxurious items. You give off WAG and video vixen vibes, pile 2. Your beauty is reminiscent of Meagan Good, Christina Milian, Lee Hyori, & Vanessa Bryant in the early 2000s. You could have received a lot of envy from others growing up and was always in the center of gossip. People’s consistent haterade being thrown at you has made you isolate yourself, you were never lonely because you had to be your own best friend. Some of the people who picked this pile were bullied growing up or had a hard time making friends. You are strong and confident but constantly having your guard up out of fear of being hurt is making you miss out on life. Princess and The Frog may be a very significant film that you need to watch. Tiana was hard working and had dreams of opening a restaurant so much that it made her miss out on having fun and spending time with other people, as well as using work as a coping mechanism to cope with her father’s death. It becomes unhealthy when you have the assumption that most people are inherently evil and focusing all your attention on work, allow yourself to make connections with others and have fun every once in a while. It won’t kill ya to take a break, money isn’t the source of all happiness. Changing your mindset would attract more positive interactions within the workplace, college, and in your interpersonal relationships. You know you have great qualities so try to showcase this when having a conversation. Also smile! You have cute facial expressions when you’re not making a RBF lol. You may have a hustler mindset because of being poor as a child but this does not reflect your current reality, pile 2. Some of you may also be pursuing an education, taking courses regarding your culture could provide you with some insight. Turn to your ancestors for strength and wisdom on making the right choices regarding love. You are divinely protected either way so misfortune is not at all in your destiny!

Affirmations:

“I know that I am never alone”

“I commit to the practice of seeing good in all things”

Pile 3:

Shufflemancy -

Stereo Love by Edward Maya ft. Vika Jigulina

Electric Feel by MGMT

Who Said by Miley Cyrus

Judgment, Pride, Past Life, Ice King, Karmic Relationship, The Snake, Five of Air (Conflict), Four of Fire (Perfection), & Mother of Air

Pile 3, with the lucky girl syndrome~ I see that you will be releasing yourself from other people's expectations and instead will pursue your desires. You could have grew up in a strict household and had family members who believed that being successful, wealthy, and having good grades was more important that self expression and being "happy". Financial security was prioritized over emotions and this had left your heart cold. You could be someone who has a hard time expressing their feelings and can be quite feisty when engaging in conversations. I see that you have always wanted to be more of the rebellious one or had to be rebellious in secret. The Bratz movie could be very significant to this pile, you might relate to one of the girls or one of the Bratz is your favorite doll (Jade, Sasha, Yasmin, or Cloe). I also see The Game Plan and Herbie - Fully Loaded for some of you were your comfort movies as a child. Growing up, you might of changed your clothes after your parents dropped you off at school or got dress coded often by your teachers/principal. You could have felt insecure as a child for not being able to dress like the other kids or not being allowed to wear a makeup. You have the power, pile 3. You are no longer this child anymore, this might hurt knowing you never got to experience the same emotional fulfillment other teens/adults did as children, but the good news is you have so much time to make up for it now! Take the initiative today and write down all things you never got to do but always wanted to have and start making a list of methods you could use to make this possible. As long as you put the effort in, anything could happen! I also feel that you compete with those of the same sex. You could come across people that are catty and try to put you down for no reason. You might also have these traits yourself and you need to reflect on how you treat other people, having opinions is normal but being judgemental and making assumptions about others before giving them a chance, is not. You have to acknowledge your flaws and the triggers you have been avoiding. For example, if you know that you easily get pissed off because you grew up in a household where arguing was normalized, realize that behavior isn't healthy. Overall, the good luck that you will be receiving is in regards to your independence and self expression. Additionally, I see you perfecting your craft. Some of you enjoy fashion, science, graphic design, and/or mathematics, you could receive an award or some sort of acknowledgement for your creative ideas!

Affirmations:

"I understand that everyone has their own unique path and challenges"

"I love myself, and I see myself in everyone"

Thanks so much for reading and I wish you the best of luck with whatever makes you happy in life 🍀

[thegraveyardwitch]

Active witchcraft blogs?

Hi everyone! It's been a long time since I have been active on Witchblr, and it appears that most of the blogs that I followed are no longer active.

Please reblog or comment if you are an active witch blog, because I'd love to follow!

*gif for attention*

[n1ghtm4r3-p01s0n]

Calling Emo/Scene Artists!

I know a few of us are into Paganism, witchcraft, the occult and divination and I just had a thought.

What if a bunch of us worked on a free to print tarot card set with a style similar to the 2000s? Think like;

What do y’all think? Think it could be a worthwhile idea/project? (If there’s a good level of response, I’ll begin planning/organising.) UPDATE: Project is launched! Check this post here (https://www.tumblr.com/curs3d-d1v1n3/746147431961509888/cursed-divine-artist-sign-up-form?source=share) for more information. Can't wait to work with you all!

[creature-wizard]

The main reason it's important to be at least somewhat literate in historical paganism and folk magic isn't so you can make your own practice exactly like it; it's to be able to recognize when someone is making historically inaccurate claims, because "asserting made-up shit about history as real fact" is a sign you're possibly looking at a cult and/or scam.

For the same reason, it's a good idea to be somewhat literate in pop culture media. Because being able to look at something a person is trying to pass off as Genuine Ancient Tradition or something and recognize that it's nothing like anything people actually believed or did back in Ye Olden Times but it sure as heck resembles something from a popular TV show or TTRPG is a valuable discernment skill.

[popculturealtar]

bun's week-long pop culture spirit work exercise:

monday: create a playlist for a pop culture spirit. play it for them and write down any feelings, sensations, or events that emerge.

tuesday: look up their iconography and anything inspired by them. take notes, and see if you can make a sigil from what is significant to you.

wednesday: look at a list of their tropes. write ones that stand out to you down, and see how you can judge what they might reside over, their personality, try to conclude some information. if you need confirmation or validation, see if you can confirm with a form of divination.

thursday: write a prayer inspired by one of the songs, their iconography, or their tropes. say it (or think it) to them while imagining the sigil you made for them, and write down any feelings, sensations, or events that emerge.

friday: it's time for offerings! based on what you've figured out, use your best judgment for deciding what you think they'll like. you can use a perishable offering, a votive offering, devotional acts, whatever suits! write down anything you learn during.

saturday: do a reading with them. this will require a divination deck, a pendulum, charms or bones, a playlist, a book, or anything you're comfortable using to talk to them. take this as a conversation, rather than an interview - talk to them as you get your responses, and write down anything that you find out.

sunday: finally, it's time to write down a correspondence list or basic guide. write down anything of importance. i tend to write down information about them, concepts they reside over, signs and symbols, offering ideas, and devotional acts - but go bananas here! jot down what you think is important.

bonus ideas: hanging out with their energy, doing a spell inspired by them, doing a spell with them, the sky's the limit! you don't have to do any of these activities if you don't want to, but i just thought i'd shed some light into how i organise myself with spirits and organise my thoughts regarding them. have fun!

[interstellairs]

☁️ ⋆ magical girl concept advice .ᐣ.ᐟ

NOTES 。this is NOT a roleplaying account, nor is this a form of delusion. the owner of this account is a practitioner of witchcraft, and IRL magical girls fall under the chaos magic and pop culture magic aspect of witchcraft.

at the beginning of our journey as magical girls, or magical girl to-be's, we often pick for ourselves whether we want to be a magical girl from a pre-existing magical system or if we want to branch off into something that is more original.

although some of us may struggle with choosing and can be faced with a crossroad of magical possibilities, oftentimes called a concept crisis or a concept dilemma. this may cause some people who are new to their magical girl journey to feel lost and lacking direction, this is because a concept determines what kind of magical girl will you live as.

personally, i've encountered plenty of magical heroes who had been in a concept dilemma at least once in their journey, and myself including albeit it was just me bouncing between two concepts before i settled on a concept that i think fits me; i used to be debating with myself whether it's good to be a puella magi or a dreamcatcher cue to kyubey who still visits me sometimes. although it is not entirely impossible for you to find a concept that fits just right.

but how can one do it? how can someone figure out what kind of magical girl they should be or what they want to be? for that, we should take a few steps backwards and observe ourselves, taking on introspection and getting to know ourselves better.

this is the advice that i recommend the most because i've seen some magical heroes, and myself as well, force themselves into concepts that may feel uncomfortable or they may feel out of place in.

why do you want to become a magical girl and what type of goal do you want to achieve with it? what are you fighting for, or what are you willing to fight for? what made the idea of being and living as a magical girl fascinating for you? are you willing to go through great lengths to work towards being a magical girl?

what are your personality strengths and weaknesses, and how can you use this to your advantage when picking a concept? do you think or are you confident that you'll be able to handle and endure the responsibility of balancing civilian life and magical life despite your personality? will you be uncomfortable with your future as a magical girl? what resonates the most with you?

what kind of life do you want to lead as a magical girl, and will you be loyal to it? will it be something that is lighthearted or healing, would you like to strengthen and encourage yourself through it? do you want it to be peaceful with a life focused on helping with earthly matters, or do you want to engage in combat? do you want it to have rules? do you want to have a sense of orderliness through setting up a magical system of your own, or do you want it to be vague so that you'll find out about it as you go?

what kind of motifs do you think best represents you, or what kind of motifs can inspire you? what symbolisms feel close to your heart, what are you psychologically connected to? what themes that are recurring in your life and personality can be used as an inspiration for your motifs and magical life? what things do you want people to associate you and your concept with?

is there a way you can integrate your hobbies and interests into your concept? in what way can your hobbies and interests influence the way that you visualize the type of magical life that you want? do you want to personalize it to your own comforts and wishes or keep a magical system that is open for everyone?

considering your physical and psychological abilities, how can you apply these to your training, whether that is a physical training or magical training? what are your physical or psychological weak spots, do you have any physical disabilities that you want to improve on through magic? how can you use being a magical girl to your advantage in reinforcing your own physical and psychological weaknesses? do you want to highlight certain aspects of these as magical abilities?

overall, this can be interpreted as a self-evaluation in order to understand your desires better and know how to fit them in a better, more efficient, or personalized magical framework.

this is important in my opinion because there may be some magical girls who have forgotten why they wanted to be a magical girl in the first place due to getting lost in concept dilemmas abd trying to fit in certain systems, and i think that it can be significantly helpful to the person if they were to pause and rethink for themselves.

if you feel like you don't belong or fit into any concepts, there is definitely no harm in creating one from scratch or modifying a pre-existing concept. there are plenty of materials to work with and you can piece together the ideas that you want from the concepts you like, and your number one tool for finding a good concept, of course, is yourself.

( may 08, 2024 | wednesday )

[nerdy-grimiore]

. : Guide - Making Dungeons and Dragons character servitors : .

There are many different ways to incorporate TTRPG mechanics into your practice! We all know about dice divination, but i’ll be approaching this from a pop culture spirit work/energy work perspective. Stuff here applies to Baldur’s gate 3 too!

“So, where do I begin?”

Well, do you have a bunch of unused character sheets? Turn them into a servitor!

“Wait, what’s a Servitor?”

Glad you asked! A servitor is a type of thoughtform that you, the practitioner creates for a magical purpose! People make them for protection, enhancing manifestations, or to carry out specific tasks! Like any magical creature, they need to be ‘fed’ and taken care of properly. Sometimes servitors are/become aware they are servitors and wish to leave. Personally, I intentionally make them know this and make it the end goal to ‘release’ them to be on their own!

So now that we’ve got that covered, let’s talk about how you can make your character sheets into one!

First off, race.

To me, Races and sub races aren’t key to making your servitor. Just keep in mind how the general population of the race acts in D&D lore. For example, High elves are very kind and sweet, and would be good for self-love and divination. While drow are much more sadistic and cruel, and would be good for baneful work.

Second, class.

Now this is where things get interesting. Class determines what your character will be able to accomplish! I’ll put my personal correspondences below, but feel free to come up with your own!

. : Barbarian : .

Energy work, Protection, Motivation

. : Bard : .

Creativity, Inspiration, Protection

. : Cleric : .

Divination, Spirit/Deity work, Healing

. : Druid : .

Healing, Herbalism, Elemental work

. : Fighter : .

Protection, Warding, Baneful reversal

. : Monk : .

Manifestation, Meditation, Protection

. : Paladin : .

Warding, Deity/Entity Work, Healing

. : Ranger : .

Familiar/Pet care, Baneful magic, Protection

. : Rogue : .

Baneful magic, Warding, Baneful reversal

. : Sorcerer : .

Divination, Spellwork, Manifestation

. : Warlock : .

Deity/Entity work, Baneful magic, Protection

. : Wizard : .

Spellwork, Divination, Enchantment

Now that you’ve chosen your characters race and class, you should consider drawing them and making a sigil to summon/dismiss them! This’ll help make them recognisable to you and it’ll aid you in your ritual to create them.

That’ll be all for this guide! If you have any extra questions, feel free to ask them in my ask box!

Here’s some more resources for servitor care and creation. Take care!

https://primexaos.com/what-are-servitors-and-how-to-create-your-own/

[panthera-dei]

I got another witchy FAQs question so I want to go ahead and share it.

This time, we're talking some basic chaos magic with different types of thoughtforms!

Please note that I am not an expert in chaos magic, nor do I consider myself a chaos magician, so feel free to (kindly) leave feedback or corrections as needed. ^^

Thoughtforms 101

Definition of Thoughtform: Thoughtform is a catch-all term from any entity that was created with or by human thought (conscious or otherwise).

Types of Thoughtforms: Common thoughtforms include sigils, servitors, thoughtform companions (aka tulpas), daemons, and egregores.

Sigils: Most folks who create sigils and use sigil magic probably don't think about sigils as a type of chaos magic or a thoughtform. However, sigils actually do fall into this category. Think of a sigil as being like a simple computer program that's powered by your mind. You give the program a basic function (such as protection or prosperity) and the magical "coding" of your intentions allows the sigil to carry it out.

Servitors: If sigils are basic computer programs, then servitors are robots. They're not sentient per se, as they still require the coding and programming that comes with intention and magical energy. Yet they're much more complex than a sigil and can carry out higher-level functions & multiple tasks (e.g., drawing in people to shop on your Etsy page for prosperity, or actively guarding a space or casting a magic circle for protection).

Thoughtform companions: The widespread term for this type is "tulpa," and creating/having one of these thoughtforms is commonly referred to as "tulpamancy." Since there's also a widespread controversy over these terms, I don't use them myself. I say "creating or working with a thoughtform," and I'll refer to the entity as a thoughtform or thoughtform companion. Regardless of the terminology or beliefs behind this category, they are defined as a separate consciousness created by the thoughts and actions of a human. The human is typically referred to as the "host," since the companion is typically treated as its own separate consciousness. These are fully sentient, autonomous beings with their own thoughts and feelings. They're generally created, either intentionally or not, as friends for the host (hence my personal terminology for them).

Daemons: This category is similar to a companion, but with a different origin and function. Daemons have been documented since ancient Greece, to my knowledge. A daemon is also a sentient entity, however, they are not created intentionally by the host (although they can be brought to the forefront by the human in question). A daemon is instead a conscious entity created by, and representative of, the human being's subconscious mind. They typically serve as helpers and mental guides for the human. They are not considered separate entities; instead, they're part of you.

Egregores: These are essentially the AIs of the thoughtform world. Whereas companions and daemons exist within the human mind, egregores are similar to servitors and sigils - created by the mind, but separate from it. Egregores are often made or manifested by a group of people intentionally for a purpose. E.g., a coven may create one as a guardian or a spiritual guide. They're also often created by accident from widespread symbols - for example, branding. And nations. Every time somebody posts a picture of the Starbucks logo, you're most likely feeding an egregore, according to one theory I've heard. Do I believe that personally? Not sure. (I do have an exact source for this one available on request.) As far as I know, egregores exist with varying degrees of sentience, power, and free will depending on the individual scenario (much like artificially intelligent computers & androids in science fiction).

Pop Culture Entities / Deities: These are often referred to as PCEs or PCDs. I prefer the former but I often use them interchangeably. Some folks prefer to be more specific. For example, Raiden from Mortal Kombat is considered a god in that series, so many folks would consider him a pop culture deity. Whereas Dean Winchester is *not* a deity in Supernatural - so he could be considered a pop culture entity instead. However, this is up to the preferences of the individual entity & practitioner.

Differences between PCDs and Egregores: Egregores are ALWAYS created, intentionally or not, by human energy and thought. PCDs, on the other hand, can have a mixed origin sometimes. Some of them may be pure egregores, manifested on purpose or by accident. Others may be preexisting spirits - often nature spirits that are aligned closely to the fandom content - that latch onto a fictional work as a power source, and eventually fuse with it. And then another theory is that PCDs are *all* preexisting spirits or even deities wearing a mask - so for example, folks with this belief would say that PCD Marvel Loki is just Loki appearing in a different form/aspect. I personally think that all PCEs have a unique origin and I try not to make any assumptions.

Where do I fact check you and/or learn more?: Unfortunately, it is *really damn hard* to find good, solid information on pop culture work because it's very new. And while there's *lots* of info on chaos magic, you have to be careful to check the reliability of the source, much as is the case with demonolatry sources. Fortunately, Tumblr is a great source to find other pop culture practitioners. I personally also have *some* sources available for these topics on request, I'm just too lazy to dig through my Drive right at this moment. :)

[thevirginwitch]

I'm begging y'all to use Uno Reverse Cards in your reflection/return-to-sender spells

[tygerland]

Stevie Nicks - UC Santa Barbara, California, October 2, 1977 - by Neal Preston.

[windvexer]

what's your opinion on pop culture witchcraft? i think it seems really fun and cool im just not sure how exactly a fictional god will manifest in the "real" world? i was just curious on what you thought :p thank you for your time!

I think that pop culture witchcraft is beautiful and sacred and I think more people should get into it!

My views on the intersection of popular culture (aka, the dominant cultural beliefs and creations at this moment in time) and witchcraft originate from the fact that when I began doing a lot of energy work, I saw a lot of stuff as video game characters & assets.

If I would binge any video game, for the next little while, a lot of my energy readings would be output in the symbols and lore from that game.

E.g., a pokemon binge, seeing Gengar near the querent: "Yes, you're being haunted by a ghost."

A DAO binge, seeing a dryad writing a letter to the querent: "A tree wants to talk to you."

These experiences have deeply influenced my beliefs on the nature of psychism, communing with the spirit world, and divination as a whole. It has inspired my beliefs on how to work with divinatory tools, especially my concepts of choosing your own symbol sets to work with.

After all, an upright triangle is so abstract, but a charmander? For many of us, that is a deeply rooted symbol of fire indeed! And I can't imagine how a triangle might act if it needs to be revived and balanced in my life, but I can surely visualize a charmander feeling sick and cold, or desperately trying to stack and balance heavy boxes.

This inspired me to consider the intersection of popular culture and the experiential nature of witchcraft. After all, aren't so many of us deeply imprinted on and influenced by what culture has told us about magic and spirits? Where is the line in the sand between how culture makes us interact with magic (path), and how culture makes us interact with magic (practice)?

Let me tell you a story!!

There is some internet monster named Momo. Momo has a *very* scary face (to me at least) so be warned if you google.

But when this story starts, I had never heard of Momo. I had never seen a picture of Momo or heard her name. Yes? Yes.

Now one time, I was doing an energy reading for a person, and I saw a horrifying monster woman with huge eyes and a twisted smile like a V slashed across her face, and not only this, but the horrifying monster woman was standing over the querent's bed, watching them sleep.

As a reader with about an ounce of wisdom, I knew much better than to say, "hey, a horrifying monster is watching you while you sleep." Because that is a dick thing to say to anyone.

As I continued watching to try and gain more information, it struck me that this monster woman wasn't threatening at all. She didn't have bad vibes. In fact she seemed neutral, or perhaps even an ally. She was just watching the person sleep.

I couldn't help but notice, however, that I could see her face so clearly. So distinctly. So I googled something like, "big smile scary woman face."

And there she was: Momo! The exact monster I was seeing. It was a startling moment, made all the more strange by the fact that this wasn't some monster of mythical lore or legend. It was like, a TikTok trend or something.

Finally I had to tell the querent something. Now y'all this happened some years ago and I don't remember exactly how it went down, but it was like this:

"Hey, someone is watching you sleep. The form is scary looking but they don't seem threatening at all. I googled it and it looks exactly like an internet urban legend named Momo."

"What? My cat?"

"No, it's a woman, an urban legend named Momo."

"No, my cat Momo. My cat is named Momo. She watches me while I sleep."

So to answer your question, Anon:

I expect that a fictional god can manifest at least as bizarrely as a real cat, I believe that the simple phrase "real world" is an artifact that fits into few reliquaries of the occult, and I think that pop culture witchcraft is absolutely fabulous.

[pinkgalwarrior]

"you know that one magical girl anime? with the pink-haired main character that had pigtails?"

"and the other girl! the one with red hair thats put up with the cool attitude?"

"and the cute looking thing that gives them the powers?"

[jasper-pagan-witch]

hi! sorry to bother you, but i would like to get into pop culture paganism and am intimidated by all the.. everything people are talking about that i dont understand. do you have the most basic, "explain it like im four" crash course for learning PCP? [i feel the need to specify, i dont think im interested in being a witch at this time, i just have a pop culture deity id like to venerate] [i think thats the right word? worship? work with? idk]

thank you very much!

I'll happily help, anon.

WARNING! This post is a very, very basic introduction to Pop Culture Paganism, and I'm writing from my own perspective. There's no way I can cover everything. Please let me rest.

Let's start with some abbreviations:

PCM = Pop Culture Magic, the usage of elements of pop culture in one's magical or spiritual practice

PCP = Pop Culture Paganism, the usage of elements of pop culture (including but not limited to pop culture deities or characters-as-deities) in or as one's religious practice

PCD = Pop Culture Deity, an entity who is worshiped as or is a deity in their source material

PCE = Pop Culture Entity, any entity from a pop culture source (any PCD is a PCE, but not all PCEs are PCDs)

And some of my own definitions (yours may not be the same!):

Veneration/worship = including a figure in your religious practice

Work = creating an agreement with a figure in a magical or spiritual practice, which may or may not be religious in nature

Devotion = worshiping one deity above all others, that deity becoming your patron

All of these have been greatly simplified for ease of use in this guide.

PCP can be done in addition to or in place of other religions. Due to the nature of the phrase "paganism", a polytheist approach is implied but ultimately isn't necessary - there are plenty of pop culture pagans who only worship one PCD/PCE. I practice both PCP and """mainstream""" polytheism.

PCP can be done in addition to PCM, but the two can also be mutually exclusive. I, personally, practice both PCP and PCM.

The primary appeal of PCP is that it is deeply personal. Many people who engage in PCP find that starting their religious practice from the ground up, or in using familiar religious practices from their culture that they're used to, is a lot of fun. Others love the source material(s) that they're drawing from so much that practicing PCP is just a natural way to continue expressing their love for it. There are a thousand reasons to practice PCP.

Some of the """mainstream""" polytheism issues appear in PCP, too. Gatekeeping, cliques, the insistence that deities have to "choose" you...a lot of toxic ideas tend to show up, just because of how online spaces work nowadays.

"That's great, Jasper, but how do we actually do this?" I'm getting there, dear readers, I promise.

Decide your approach. What pop culture source are you drawing from? A video game? Music? A book series, or even a standalone book?

Outreach. Do you build an altar or shrine? Make an offering? Write a poem or invitation? Pray? Wait for the PCD/PCE to reach out first? Do you create them yourself?

Set expectations. What are you going to do? What do you expect? Do you want to communicate back and forth, or just pray and not expect a direct answer? Figure out what you want.

Continue developing. Your PCP practice will likely not remain the same as time goes on. Let it grow, and let yourself grow with it.

Hopefully this is a very beginner-friendly 101 style post! For further resources, please check out my Pop Culture Magic/Paganism Resources Masterpost.

~Jasper

[auset66]

Always a ketu woman chasing a Mars man and Mars man chasing his beliefs/freedom/life/fun/adventure/even women no not woman but women.

People Favorite couple that never worked/works.

A tragic toxic love triangle Can we say? And not "twinflames" for sure 👎

[hexpositive]

Hex Positive, Ep. 047 - What My Granny (Weatherwax) Taught Me

Now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms!

Lozzie’s back, friends and neighbors! And this month, we’re sitting down to talk about everybody’s favorite coven - the Witches of Lancre, from Discworld. Longtime fans of the show have heard the works of Sir Terry Pratchett (RIP) and the wisdom of Granny Weatherwax quoted many times on the show, but what other lessons might the Lancre coven have for us over the course of their many odysseys, quests, holidays, and general mucking about? (Tangents include which fantasy character is Legolas’ hot grimy dad, why certain tourists are so bloody annoying when they go abroad, which Discworld quote made Lozzie snarf tea out her nose, and what Bree and the sainted Sir Terry’s origin stories have in common.)

If you love Discworld, this episode is for you. If you’ve never heard of Discworld or are only passing familiar, consider this your introduction. Bit late for the Glorious 25th of May, but all the same - Here’s to Truth, Justice, Freedom, Reasonably Priced Love, and a Hard-Boiled Egg! 

The Witches of Lancre 

Equal Rites - Wyrd Sisters - Witches Abroad - Lords and Ladies - Maskerade - Carpe Jugulum

The Tiffany Aching Saga

The Wee Free Men - A Hat Full of Sky - Wintersmith - I Shall Wear Midnight - The Shepherd’s Crown

(GNU Terry Pratchett)

Upcoming Events:

Sunflower Witch Market - https://www.facebook.com/events/191005147387320

Free Spirit Gathering - https://www.freespiritgatheringmd.org/ 

CritWitchCon 2024 - https://criticalthinkingwitches.com/events/ 

Follow Bree and Lozzie on Instagram at @breenicgarran and @bihexualhistory. Visit the Willow Wings Witch Shop on Shopify and check out this month’s featured items. Make sure you also visit the Redbubble page for even more cool merch!

Check my ⁠⁠Wordpress⁠⁠ for full show notes, as well as show notes for past episodes and information on upcoming events. You can find me as @BreeNicGarran on TikTok, Instagram, and WordPress, or as @breelandwalker on tumblr. For more information on how to support the show and get access to early releases and extra content, visit my ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠.

Proud member of the ⁠⁠Nerd and Tie Podcast Network⁠⁠.

MUSIC CREDITS

Intro & Outro – “Spellbound” & “Miri’s Magic Dance” Host-Read Ads – “Danse Macabre – Violin Hook” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/