#you’re really hitting the work related tarot recently

[prettynalilmagic]

ℙ𝕚𝕔𝕜 𝕒 ℂ𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕞𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕣

Hello beautiful bitches, here’s some messages you need to hear at this point. If it don’t resonate, don’t hate on me pls. Also the song recommendations are kinda random so dont judge me for that either. 

Pile 1

Cards : Nature Communication, All Must have prizes (r), Uncertainty (r), You Matter, Listen to Your heart, I’m Sorry, Love me, LET ME HAVE YOU, and Fuuuuccckkk. You need your people around you

(Alice and the Wonderland Oracle, the Hermit tarot, and the Rebel Deck) 

Hello pile 1, I got two different messages for two types of people. For the first one, I am made to believe that recently you have been having issues with someone. It could be family, friend or love related. The nature communication card is the one card that sticks out the most outta every other card, and that matters because the card goes and talks about when Alice from Alice in the Wonderland goes and talks to these beautiful, and quite harsh judgmental flowers. She does not expect for them to talk back to her, but they do, she had made a false assumption about the world she has found herself trapped in. Overall, I can see that you have been having issues and you may need to speak up for yourself. As for a while you have been trying to please someone and because of that you seem to have been someone who doesn’t really know who you are or feel like you can’t be who want to be because of these issues you have with this other person. You want this person to stay with you and love you but deep down you know that you haven’t seen any hope outta the other person. Your message is that you need to speak up for yourself, you are someone who is worthy of making an effort with. Not saying to leave whatever person you have issues with, because the other person may or may not know there even is an issue. Don’t focus on the possibility of you hurting other people's feelings, speak your mind and if shit hits the fan, seek comfort with your loved ones because you have people around you that care for you.

 And for the second one, I am getting that if you’re the one who has been creating issues with someone else that you love. You know deep down that you were being way too overwhelmingly judgmental and now you may not know what to do. As you can see that you made yourself look like someone else who isn’t a good representation of you. This person may have stood up for themselves and now you feel like you have fucked up. If you feel as though you have fucked up, your message is to apologize. It should be noted that just because you apologize to someone you have hurt does not erase the pain you have caused. An apology should be told to the person only if you mean it and are willing to work on fixing the issue at hand. 

Song Recommendations: I Love You so by The Walters, Sorry by Beyonce 

Pile 2

Cards: The Goat and the Willow (r), The Lizard and the Pitcher Plant, The Fox and the Ivy (r), The Bee and the Pomegranate, The Emperor, The Wheel of Fortune, My Life Started When I Met You, I Hope You’ll Wait For Me, I’m Too Afraid to talk

(Woodland Wardens Oracle, Tarot of the Divine, Hermit tarot) 

Good day/evening/night Pile 2, I can see that it feels as though you aren't overcoming life's obstacles thrown at you. You may also not even be aware that you are stuck in a place when you don’t have to be. You are clearly off balance and there a lot of feeling stuck energy here. However, you should understand that feelings are fleeting, even if you have been feeling stuck, unmotivated and/or depressed seemingly forever, that doesn't mean that you have to stay like that. The cards are all telling you that you need to figure out how to get out of your stagnation. You need to drop something that you are doing in order to overcome this period. And I feel as though, that perhaps you are almost unwilling to try to overcome it because you may have tried before and/or feel that you just are to afraid to ask for help from others. You may feel like you may not be able to overcome hardships on your own but also fear asking for help or that you won’t get help even if you asked so what’s the point. But here’s the thing, it doesn't hurt to ask, what’s the worst thing that could happen? And if you don’t need help, ask yourself what you need to do in order to become more stable and structured enough to the point where you are able to not become stagnant, when life gets hard. It could be that you also may be relying too much on the help of others too and that isn’t healthy in the same way not being able to ask for help is. If you need the extra help, ask for it but if you also need others to help you, codependency on others is an issue that keeps you stuck. That reason being that if there isn’t someone to cling to or point out your short comings, you may not know what to do when there isn't someone there. At some point you will be all you have, (and no I am not saying you will be alone forever) so make sure that you are able to get to the point where you will be okay when that happens. Ask yourself, what's stopping me? How can I overcome that? What makes me more balanced? What caused me to become outta balanced and how do I prevent that from happening?  

Side note, it takes a long time for someone to realize that they are unhappy and even longer for that person to realize that they don’t have to be unhappy. So, by no means should you feel like you are being judged, it happens to a lot of people. 

Song Recommendations: Ross- Manifest, Russ- Do it Myself, Ariana Grande- Just like Magic

Pile 3

Cards: The Sun (r), Justice, 4oS (r), 8oC,9oC, I am Terrified, I know you from Somewhere, Trove 

(Nicoletta Ceccoli Tarot, Hermit Tarot, Wild Child Oracle)

Hi pile three, so I am being told to tell you that there might be something like a blessing coming towards you. While with tarot cards i don’t necessarily predict the future, they help guide and lead you, but my cards are telling me that there’s a good chance of you getting something that you want, but you have to behave. Kinda like let's say you want to be to afford an expensive piece of clothing, if you want to properly save up for it, you would have to look at your monthly income, differentiate your needs and wants so that you will be able to single out how much you would need to cut out and put away into savings until you can afford to get that desired item. Now I am not saying that you should save up, that was just a small example, it's not exactly me predicting your fortune more like my cards are saying that you know if you sit back and plan out what you want, eventually you will get it. There’s something that you have been wanting, and you seem to have already thought and sat about what you would need to do in order to achieve that. My cards are telling me to tell you that if you haven’t already start making the moves to do what you need to do. Now it doesn’t have to be an item, it could be a union, partnership or a job opportunity. Don’t hold yourself back from the “What if’s” because you will miss all the shots you make in the dark by not shooting at all. You could get lucky. However, don’t be foolish and not plan and jump into whatever it is headfirst, be responsible with your future. Do everything to help you be successful, gather all the intel you need in order to proceed. Sit with yourself if you haven’t already and ask what do I need to do? What to do if this happens? Make sure you are ready. 

This is a cliche but understand that you are powerful and remember to believe in yourself for this go smoothly. 

song recommendations: Bazzi- Fantasy, Bo Burnham- All Eyes on Me, The Marias- All I really Want is You 

Pile 4 

Cards: Queen of Pentacles (r), Knight of Pentacles (r), 9oC(r), AoP (r), The Hanged Man (r), 5oC(r), 6oP(r), 9oP(r), Don’t believe every shitty thought you have, Have you eaten? B/c you’re acting like a baby, You think someone is lying, Good thing going on don’t ruin that shit, Believe what you see

(Aibo tarot, Rebel Deck) 

Hello Pile Four, First things first, everything came in reversed which tells me that there’s something that you are struggling with mentally speaking. However, given the positions where the cards have fallen into, the 9oC in the middle and the others being the knight and queen of pentacles on the side of it, I am being led to believe that you are stopping yourself in enjoying fruits of your labor for the long run. Yes, you are being fulfilled with very expensive items/activities recently but if you know you aren’t monitoring your spending, and budgeting within your sustainable budget, you are going to fuck yourself over. If you are too young to have to worry about focusing on spending habits for comfortable living, then the message you need to hear is to not bite from the hand that feeds you. You may or may not be aware that your entitled actions are going to get you cut off from whoever is helping you out financially. You can feel as though you deserve something but just because you feel that way doesn't mean that you are obligated to get whatever it is that you ask of others. Also playing devil's advocate for you, even if you are owed something from someone else, that doesn’t mean you should insult your way. And if you are being rude and disrespectful about whatever it is that you seek, hopefully you can understand how you were in the wrong and own up to it. Don’t do use any issues you struggle with to use as a scapegoat. Even if you are aware, you are mentally ill, that’s not a cute quirky reason to treat others like shit, get help.

 For those of you who are just struggling to budget and be responsible, your gonna have to just walk away from whatever it is that you truly don’t need. Anything that is considered a luxury item is not a need. Also try not to rely too heavily on the help of others just so you can maintain the life you currently have. And mind you, even if you aren’t buying designer clothes or buying from some expensive ass store like Sprouts. Something like having children or pets is also something that are luxurious and isn't commonly recognized as such. Not saying if you’re broke you can’t afford to have nice things but if you know you don't have enough to support yourself don’t bring another life into that poverty as well, obviously nuance is important so sometimes you gotta make the best out of the worst but if your actively seeking for something you can’t afford you're going to bite yourself in the ass or/and hurt others unintentionally. Motivate yourself by imagining your current stable life being ripped away from you. Use that as inspiration to get your shit together and build healthy spending habits. 

Song recommendations- Are we still friends by Tyler the creator, Bills, Bills, Bills by Destinys Child, Gold Digger by Kanye West 

Pile 5 

Cards: The fool, The World, Knight of Pentacles (r), the sustainer, the mentor, the unseen 

(Wise Dog Tarot, Wild Unknown Archetypes)

Hello pile five, the message will be quite short, but right off the bat there’s a hopeful and encouraging message centered around your career path that my cards want me to tell you. So, there’s something in your mind that you want to try out. Spirt is encouraging you make more with those ideas, whatever that means for you, you know better than me for what your own heart desires to be. If you’re a bit confused or unsure if you should try your goal/passion/dream into something outside of your mind or hobbies, single out what is the one thing that will sustain you. And I am not talking about money or food, obviously those things are required to be able to live but put that aside and focus on what you want to pursue. What’s something that will take you outside of your comfort zone? You don’t need to make big steps and sacrifices right off the bat; the important thing is that you eventually understand what you want outta your life in a career perspective. You definitely need a mentor to help you as there’s a lot that you are unable to see as you are shielded from what it takes to be into that specific field of work you aspire for. It's one thing to want something, but its a whole other thing to live and experience it. So yes, jump in, but understand beforehand what you will need to do, take baby steps to where you need to go. 

 Song recommendations: Hip-hop Phile by BTS, How Far You’ll Go by “Moana” (It's a Disney song, I dunno if i should credit Lin Manuel or Disney), Lose Yourself by Eminem 

Pile 7 

Pile 8 

 Pile 9 

[khaire-traveler]

Hi Beloved✨🌸🩷💚💜💙💜

I’m not sure if I’m the anon you meant to resend the ask, but first of all, please let me sincerely apologize for sending it while you were on a break.🙏💛🥺 I completely missed your pinned post and for that I am sorry!! It was very kind of you to take time away to try to draft a response to me (if I’m the anon), and I really do appreciate this from the bottom of my heart!🩷🥹✨

Perhaps the draft was deleted to allow me to resend my ask with more details so you can see exactly what’s happening.

Hermès has worked with me for a while in many ways and he always comes through for me! He has shown up “romantically” in relation to my FS (Future spouse/soulmate) because I believe in the signs he has given me in relation to showing me who my FS is and their characteristics, personality and overall being.

Hermès is kind (to me), funny, athletic, generous, handsome and represents Gemini amongst other things, which I think my FS is/will embody character-wise.

This has strengthened my bond with him as well as him just coming through for me when I need something done fast or just help. He shows up, whether I ask or not. He helped me finish my over 50 page thesis paper which I was struggling and procrastinated to write, literally two weeks before the deadline. He helped my Mom along with Arch Angel Rafael to get better quickly. That is how good and powerful he is to me!

Usually, he shows up in tarot readings, in passing or dreams but the connection is always spiritual, mental and emotional. It is never physical in that sense of being in his presence or seeing him.

Recently, I asked him to help me complete one of my goals, which was to meet my FS sooner and for us to come together quicker, because there have been delays in this connection and I do get sad and frustrated over it even though I understand Divine timing and the delays.

I told him that even though I understand that the delays are most likely necessary and for a good reason, I would like them to come to an end because I want to meet my FS and I’m finally ready to reach this desire now, because it feels like right now is the time and if he could help me out with this, and finally how grateful I am for all that he does for me and I know I can trust him with this next part of my life.

I have a drying mat that I usually hang up over the dish rack in the kitchen to air it out so it dries better/faster. Usually if it falls, (which isn’t very often) it falls over the dish rack. While I was talking/praying to him, it literally just fell, hit me on the head with a plop. This has never happened before and it was a very light, funny, mischievous moment. I did not feel any malice, but of course I was shocked and felt it was him, just being playful.

This is the first physical encounter I believe I have had with him (outside of the dreams and tarot) and I’m not sure how to interpret it. I don’t know if it means, I may need to take a moment to consider the request because you do have to be careful what you ask for or more of a, don’t be silly I’ll help you do it kind of thing (I feel it’s the later, but I’m uncertain )… I don’t want to bother him to ask for anything else, but this is the one goal I really want to reach before the year ends. It was just such a powerful moment for me and I’m still shaken.

I don’t have anyone else I can ask to help me make sense of this and I know you’re very gifted, which is why I came to you🩷✨

I would really appreciate any insight and guidance you can give me, if possible. I’m so sorry that this is long and again for disturbing you on your break. I hope all is well with you and it's going well!

Thank you so so so much for everything!

🩷💚💙🤍🌸🙏

Hello, Nonny, thank you for resending this! I appreciate the added detail, and I am so sorry about the delayed response; life has been actually insane for me offline. ☠️

So firstly, I'm going to direct you to this link here which will take you to one of the sections listed on my pinned post. I believe there is some helpful information you might find there, specifically concerning interpreting signs from deities.

With that out of the way, I want to say that, honestly speaking, no one can interpret a deity sign for you. All deity signs are meant to be personalized - things that are meant to be interpreted by that specific worshipper - so what makes sense to one person might not make sense to another regarding signs. For example, Hermes tends to send me birds as signs, but for a friend of mine, who lives in the middle of a massive city, the only birds they see are pigeons, so birds aren't much help as signs. Instead, Hermes chooses to a specific mail company's trucks to them.

I say this mostly to let you know that other worshippers can't interpret - specifically such important-sounding - signs for you. I personally encourage you to rely on your own intuition here. Did it feel like a sign to you? Did it come at a strangely opportune moment? Did the sign answer a question or provide a response to something? These are just some good questions I think about when interpreting signs in my own practice.

Along with that, I'll tell you a trick I used to use at the beginning of my practice that helped a lot with interpreting signs. I personally call it The Rule of Three because I think it sounds cool. Here's how it goes: once is a coincidence, twice is a curiosity, and thrice is intentional. This helped me a lot when I struggled with over-rationalizing things and being a bit too skeptical within my practice. I'm not sure if it'd be helpful for you, and it's important to note that not every sign can be easily applied to this rule, but I hope it can help in some way.

If you want my personal opinion, though, I'd say it could be a sign of something. I don't really know what it could mean; it's possible he was just being playful with you. I encourage you to communicate with him directly through divination or other means to get a more concrete answer. If you don't know how to do divination, I have a section for it on my pinned post that may help. You could also try asking, through prayer or otherwise, for another sign from Hermes or maybe for him to send you a dream. That's typically what I do if I'm unable to do divination.

It's very nice that you had a fun little interaction with Hermes, and I hope that my answer helps you in some way, although I couldn't really give you a direct answer. No one can really speak for the gods, so it's difficult for me to say what his intentions were. :/ Regardless, though, I wish you the best of luck in finding your future partner and in continuing down your spiritual journey. Take care, and have a good day/night. 🧡

[1tarot1with1k1o]

I might get judged but honestly whatever. I feel like I need to get it off my chest somehow and this is a good chance.

I’m not sure if this would be considered a love story though…

When I was young I kept getting dreams of a woman I never met in my life, but the dreams would always ignite emotions in me I never felt before, and they were hard to comprehend when I was younger. As I grew up some friends introduced me to an amazing artist, we sat and they talked about her and honestly it felt like hearing about a loved one you’ve been disconnected from for so long? This is the best way to describe it. However, years passed and the virus hit us, during quarantine I actually got to know more about her and became a fan. I recognized her. She’s literally the woman in my dreams. As I was indulged in her content I felt feelings I never felt with any person before but I shut them down by saying I’m being delusional and I might have been but honestly, the ecstasy I felt during that phase? I really hope everyone gets to experience that at least once in their life. I questioned if I truly ever felt happiness in my life before. During that time I’ve had major transformations regarding my identity and my life. Like before I became a fan I was a 10, after that a 110. People including me were shocked. I felt literally rebirthed, to a better version. Now some things happened and I got busy in my life so I had to drift away from staying up with her, and I took the chance to try to forget about her, for the better I thought. It kind of worked out. After a long while I got into tarot by clicking a YouTube video regarding what I need in my life right now. It was the first ever and I was just curious as to why that’s gaining so much views. I was a logical atheist before that. The video absolutely shocked me, it described the most detailed details I was going through. Shortcut I eventually got into the topic of future spouses, and I think you know where this is heading. Every single reading I got described her to the core, and the futuristic things that are yet to happen have been resonating in every reading I got from diverse readers. It’s absolutely crazy. It’s been indicated multiple times that she’s my twin flame and it honestly makes so much sense. We have major differences as well, including age gap with her being older than me and also she’s from a totally different continent. Some of her fans even did readings on her future spouse and it just hit… anyway, it was quite fun and games at first but recently I started considering all that seriously. I’m not sure if I’m entirely ready for that life yet and I think I might have been projecting on her too much. Not to say I wouldn’t like being with her, of course I’ll love it, but real life is harder than my daydreams. I decided to label this as an unsolved mystery and leave it as it is. There’s really nothing I can do about it. I believe whatever is meant to happen will unfold on its own and I’m fully accepting of my destiny. I am now focusing on myself, building and bettering my life, healing any traumas, breaking toxic cycles and basically living in the moment.

That’s so long but I hope you manage to read it

I replied a bit late because I kept wondering what the best thing to say to you would be, but I think that ultimately, I shouldn’t say too much, and I should let this post be a space for you to tell your story. I don’t want to take the attention away from your message.

I’m just going to say that it’s truly beautiful that you were able to experience such a strong connection with someone, and to actually cross paths with her. That’s amazing!!

I can relate to you and your story on many aspects, so this ask is very meaningful to me. Such connections are extremely special and magical, although they can also be challenging at times.

You’re doing amazing by continuing on working on yourself. It’s gonna do wonders for you and for the connection, especially if it’s a twin flame journey!

I truly loved reading about your story, and it actually helped me understand my own better. I’m sure this post will be of support for everyone that’s going through a similar connection.

Thank you infinitely for sharing this, even if you felt like you could have been judged for it. This is your connection, and I hope you won’t ever let other people belittle your experience. I cherish these kind of stories so much!!

Have an amazing day! And best of luck with your journey <3

[dearestones]

Akudama Drive Matchup: Swindler

Warnings: Fluff. 

@hisredhysteria Request: Hey Devin!! May I get a romantic match-up for Akudama Drive? Any gender please ~

I'm 5'2 (about 157 cm), have dyed black hair, blue/green eyes, and a smaller body frame.

As far as hobbies go, I enjoy writing, reading, editing, talking to friends/my brother, giving myself tarot card readings, coloring, baking (even if I'm a little questionable at it), annnd...keeping an eye out for items I'd like to buy in the future? I'm a huge sucker for fall related activities too!

As far as interests, I love Melanie Martinez, anything of the horror genre, Alice in Wonderland, hurt/no comfort and occasionally hurt/comfort. Reading up on psychology, cats/bunnies....or really any cute animal. True crime as well—

Worst 5 traits to spice it up? I'm too curious to the point I almost come off nosey about others, I can tend to procrastinate a lot, attachment issues, I can be stubborn in certain situations, and I'm a little too lenient with boundaries if I like a person a lot.

Thank you Devin, I hope this wasn't too long I really tried my best to condense it— OH AND *insert something about your fish boys here* 🥰

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Hi there! After reviewing the information given, I think your best match is none other than our leading lady Swindler!

Swindler absolutely adores your cute style and height! Your dyed hair frames your face and she’s absolutely in love with your eyes. Do they change color when the light hits them? Does it become more green or more blue depending on your mood? Seriously, please put Swindler’s curiosities to rest, it’s rare for her to see such pretty eyes such as yours. 

Swindler isn’t sure if she believes in reading the future, but she’ll indulge in your interests and maybe ask for a reading now and then. Will there be a sale on her favorite clothing brand tomorrow? Can she expect that her job will get more stressful because there’s been a recent breakout of Akudama? 

Sometimes, Swindler asks out of jest, but she’s genuinely curious about your cards. What does this man mean? Or this pretty lady? Oh, does this combination of cards mean something bad?

If you ever feel comfortable with it, please let Swindler read your stories! Or maybe, you can even read your stories aloud for her! Either way, Swindler will love and appreciate your talent and hard work. Swindler isn’t one to always sit still and read, often preferring a visual medium or physical pursuits, but she thinks that your eloquence is awe inspiring. And if you happen to read for her, she’ll think you're cute… and possibly swoon with laughter if you try to speak in your characters’ voices. 

Oohhh, keeping an eye out for things to buy in the future? Swindler can say the same thing! She’s very thrifty at times, but can be self-indulgent and impulsive when the mood strikes her. Do make sure that Swindler has enough pocket money for when the both of you go shopping or else a certain takoyaki lady out there might chew you both out for not having enough change. 

Swindler is more of a romcom kind of person, but if you happen to watch horror movies, please hold her hand. She can take a lot of things, like blood and guts and gore, but the second there’s a jump scare, she’s going to jump into your lap and hide her face into your neck. It doesn’t matter if there was a space between the both of you when you start watching. Once the horror starts, there is no going back. Swindler will vault herself over the depths of hell just so she can cuddle into your body to hide herself from cheap tricks and terrible acting. 

Speaking of cuddling, Swindler herself is a cuddler. She doesn’t always initiate, but she will look at you with the largest doe eyes you will ever see and you will have no choice but to indulge in skinship. 

She’s also a sucker for forehead and nose kisses, so please do so!

As a surprise, Swindler takes you out to cute places where you can pet the animals there. Whether it’s a pet store, a cat cafe, or even to pet sit for a neighbor’s dog, she’s going to make sure that you have your fill of cuteness and fluff. Be sure to tell her if you have any allergies or have any aversion to animals—she doesn’t want to make you uncomfortable! 

Once Swindler gets a raise, she’ll buy you any Alice in Wonderland themed merch she can find. (And maybe, she gets some for herself because even she can’t deny that the aesthetic is kind of cute). 

If you’re insecure about your flaws, fear not! Swindler is a compassionate and understanding person. No one is perfect and Swindler is willing to love you no matter what. She loves you for you—both the good and bad. That said, Swindler will easily indulge in your curiosity about herself and be willing to compromise with your stubbornness. As for your issues with procrastination, Swindler can also relate. (She was not always the best student out there!) She’ll make sure that you get things done on time and deliver the appropriate amount of support when needed. 

Finally, Swindler also has issues with personal boundaries. Despite that, she’s a communicative person and once she realizes that you need help with the same problems, she’s willing to talk it out and establish boundaries. It’ll take time and effort on both your parts to make the relationship work, but as long as both sides are willing to compromise and immediately tell the other if they have done wrong, then you can be assured that you’ll be safe and happy with Swindler.

All in all, your relationship is cute and adorable on both sides. 

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If you want to donate a Ko-Fi, feel free https://ko-fi.com/devintrinidad.

AKUDAMA DRIVE MASTERLIST

[queenofmoonstonetarot]

Full Moon in Virgo ♍︎

The Full Moon in Virgo is happening February 27th 2021. In this Full Moon in Virgo, we are completing the 6 month cycle which started on the New Moon in Virgo on September 17th 2020. Try to think of where you were/what you were feeling/what you started on September 17th 2020. This Full Moon in Virgo is bringing completions to our life. Look at your zodiac sign, which house is the Full Moon ruling in your horoscope, try to think of September & what you were going through. Is it coming full circle this Full Moon in Virgo? You can expect personal goals to be reached. Use Virgo’s energy to stay motivated when everything feels slushy, gray and dreary. Buy that new planner you’ve been eyeballing. You’re going to need it. The Planet Virgo rules the 6th house which is symbolic of work life and routine. This full moon I ask all of you to take a deep look at your routine & get determined in your career. Use this energy to get stuff done. Virgos pay attention to every single detail!

Aries & Aries risings,, Full Moon in Virgo triggering your 6th house of health, work & routine. I want to urge you Aries to pay attention 3 days before the 27th of February & 3 days after as well. The Sun & Moon is making an amazing aspect in your second house of Uranus of income/finances. Positive news & recognition at work this Full Moon in Virgo for you. Health related issues you have been worrying about within the last 6 months will be going away because I feel this Full Moon in Virgo will be making you feel in tip top shape. In work you could be feeling really appreciated & working with others in your career feeling pleased. My Dear Aries, You guys have received the Death card which is symbolic of endings & new beginnings. Think back to September 17th 2021, how much has your life changed? Your life has just reached a complete cycle. The Full Moon in Virgo is asking you to release the old you fully & to move forward with the new people in your life, the new you. It's time to acknowledge all the change that has happened & that change is the chapter of your life has ended.The constellation number for the Death card is number 3 which is the number in tarot that is symbolic of creativity & collaborations with people at work & creativity that you have projected in your life.

Taurus & Taurus risings, Full Moon in Virgo is happening in your 5th house of love, romance, creativity, fun, self expression. Feeling very content right now Taurus’s. It is a fantastic time to be with friends & loved ones. You might be getting a new unexpected opportunity to pursue your longer term plans very soon Taureans. The 6 of Wands is the card that I received for the Taureans for the Full Moon in Virgo. Think of the last 6 months, September 17th 2021 was the start of the cycle & now the cycle ends in the Full Moon in Virgo on February 27th 2021. What in your life is coming full circle? The 6 of Wands I feel I am getting a pull to career & passions. I do feel there is positive movement forward in regards to your career. This card is about victory, personal power, movement in your career/job, a new job or promotion. This energy is having people giving you the recognition you deserve & how much has changed for you during the virgo cycle. You are making progress in your life. Taureans be proud. The Six of Wands is a positive encouragement to believe in who you are and your accomplishments so far. Have faith in what you’ve done and how others will receive it.

Gemini & Gemini Risings, Full Moon in Virgo is happening in your 4th house of family roots, home life & the past. Both the sun & moon are in aspect to your Uranus in your 12th house. At this time you can be hearing really positive news from a family member or in regards to your home. You will patch something up this full moon within the home or a close family member. You will feel empowered this Full Moon in Virgo. The 2 of Pentacles was the card I got for you Geminis. During this Full Moon in Virgo I feel you guys will be finding that balance in your life again. I feel that time management hasn’t been the best in your life recently but I feel you guys regaining that balance in all aspects of your life during this Full Moon in Virgo. I also feel that finding balance with your family will be balanced again at this time. Your finances will start being secure & stable again. I feel at this time your priority will be family this Full Moon.

Cancers & Cancer risings , Full Moon in Virgo is happening in your 3rd house of sales, siblings, communications & short distance. The Full Moon is active 3 days before February 27th & 3 days afterwards. At this time you are receiving good news in communication with others around you, receiving good news from people abroad that you know & making plans to travel. Mental Health wise you will feel stable & may look back at the last 6 months & feel that you have learned a lot. I pulled the Queen of Swords for you Cancers this Full Moon in Virgo. I feel that you guys will be very blunt & upfront with your wants & needs to others around you & yourself. The Queen of Wands is a rational, clear thinker who is very patient. I feel that this Full Moon in Virgo will be a good time for you to reflect on your thoughts & actions from the past 6 months. You may feel like withdrawing from your life to think about yourself & your direction in life.

Leos & Leo risings, Full Moon in Virgo is happening in your 2nd house of values, self worth & income. Leos can expect great news in finances during this Full Moon in Virgo, possibly a bonus, a new business deal, may hear news of a raise. You are feeling very confident in finances. Ace of Pentacles was the card I received for you Leos. The Ace of Pentacles is all about newness in finances. I feel that there is a sum of money you will be receiving around the Full Moon in Virgo on February 27th 2021. This card can mean getting money from investments you have made, new ways of income & promotion. You are being handed wealth this Full Moon Leos & I feel a sense of you feeling secure & stable. I also feel you will feel very grounded during this time as this card is an earth card & the sign Virgo is an earth sign.

Virgos & Virgo Risings, Full Moon in Virgo is happening in your 1st house of identity & physical body. You seem to be reaching a point in your life where you feel satisfied with a certain love partnership or business partnership that is paying off beautifully. You will feel aligned from a mentality perspective. There is a high chance if you or your partners were waiting on news to legal institutions, you will get the positive news during this Full Moon in Virgo. I pulled the 7 of Pentacles for you Virgos. Virgo’s there is something that you have put a lot of energy/hard work into & while you may be reaping some rewards it is not fully completed yet, this is where the 7 of Pentacles comes in. This card depicts a man who has grown this money tree but the tree still has more potential, this full moon in virgo you will be paying attention to details in this regard ( as virgos love to do), I feel you will be revauliting your plans & how to go about this. Keep going, your hard work is paying off, the potential is endless.

Libras, & Libra Risings, Full Moon in Virgo is happening in your 12th house, also triggering your 6th house of daily routine/work. You are completing a process of introspection. You seem to be resting/ isolating during this Full Moon in Virgo. You may have realized this Full Moon in Virgo you need to let go of certain people in your life, especially friends that are no longer in alignment with who you want to become. Libras, the full Moon in Virgo is going to hit hard for you as I pulled the 5 of Cups, I feel someone you had to leave in the past will be coming up when you are feeling sad during this Full Moon in Virgo. The 5 of Cups is feeling emotionally isolated thinking of relationships in your life. I feel that you could be feeling sad this Full Moon in Virgo. The Five of Cups shows you that, even though things aren’t going your way, new opportunities and possibilities are waiting for you – but only when you are ready. It’s time to shift your mindset and focus on what can go right from this point onwards. Be open to the brighter side of life and know many blessings are in disguise right now. Instead of giving in to a ‘glass is half empty’ perspective, look at it as the ‘glass is half full’.

Scorpio & Scorpio risings, Full Moon in Virgo is happening in your 11th house. You are going to be enjoying the Full Moon in Virgo the most. Relationships are going really well this time during the full moon. It’s a fabulous time to go out with friends. Ace of Cups was the card you received. I feel you guys will be feeling emotionally fulfilled with an outpouring of emotions. It may be that… Scorpios will be showing emotions?? I feel all relationships around you will be going very well. I feel you will feel this sense of vulnerability where you are sharing your feelings more than usual. There is a new beginning or new stage happening in a relationship during this full moon in virgo. You could be getting closer to someone or being more committed to someone. I feel a lot of healing energy will be happening in relationships for you this full moon in virgo.

Sagittarius & Sagittarius risings, Full Moon in Virgo is happening in your 10th house of career, public status & reputation. You may be receiving a massive acknowledgment from your boss. You are getting good news from work & or co-workers. I got the 3 of Pentacles for you guys. The 3 of pentacles is symbolic of collaboration, working with others to get things done. I feel Sagittarius will feel very determined this full moon in virgo. You will be getting stuff done around your home, things you have pushed off will be getting done as well. The 3 of Pentacles is about people getting recognition at work. In your work/career you are making progress & deserve to give yourself a tap on the shoulder. Foundations for your future are being laid out.

Capricorns & Capricorn risings, Full Moon in Virgo is happening in your 9th house of foriegn lands, foriegn cultures, society, spread of ideas, marketing & advertising. You are going to be loving this Full Moon in Virgo. You are completing a cycle of study or planning somewhere to travel. A fantastic time to promote an idea or marketing/advertising your creative works. 8 of Pentacles was the card I got for you guys this Full Moon in Virgo. The 8 of Pentacles is about focusing on one goal, taking your time & almost at completion. You are focusing on being a “master” at something & your hard work is going to be paying off. The #8 in tarot numerology is significant of success & luck. I feel that if you have been questioning if you want to go to school this is your sign Capricorn to go back. This is also the card of inner strength, think of how much your life has changed since September 17th 2020 when the New Moon in Virgo was in effect how much has your personal power grown.

Aquarius & Aquarius risings , Full Moon in Virgo is happening in your 8th house finances, values, intimacy & self worth. Securing the resources to invest in your home, investments in real estate or getting fantastic financial news. I received 9 of Cups for you Aquarian’s on this Full Moon in Virgo. The 9 of cups signifies feeling emotionally fulfilled & content where you are right now in the present. I feel a lot of things are falling into place in your life where you can feel stable & secure. This card is about feeling comfortable in your own skin & also financially comfortable where you can splurge. This is a very positive card to count your blessings & to feel genuinely happy. The Full Moon in Virgo will bring you blessings.

Pisces & Pisces Risings, Full Moon in Virgo is happening in your 7th house of marriage, business partnerships, partnerships & relationships. Uranus is aspecting the Sun & Moon in your 3rd house with communications which is really positive . You seem to be reaching a higher level of commitment in a relationship. Resolving communications & relationships in your life. 3 of Cups was the card I received for you Pisces. This Full Moon in Virgo for you is all about relationships, I do feel a strong pull people from the past could be reading out to you during this period of the Full Moon. I see a lot of social activity going on around the 27th of February. I feel surrounding yourself with people who make you smile & support you unconditionally. I feel a celebration, possible birthday party coming up for you as the 3 of cups are all about parties. The 3 of Cups is also about emotional fulfilment with relationships in your life including family.

[brujoenlafrontera]

hi!!! I’m a puertorriqueño/nicaragüense enby looking into resources for learning bruja stuff, any good place you know to start?

I’ve gotten a couple of asks about this lately, and i’m so happy to know there are more latinos finding their way to the practice, tumblr’s brujeria tag often gives the impression that theres so little of us out there reclaiming our practices but getting asks like these brings me a lot of faith that thats not true :) first and foremost:

GETTING INTO BRUJERIA IS HARD.

it really is. baby brujos like us know that better than anyone- getting started, is often the hardest part of doing anything, and its no different with brujeria. it can feel so overwhelming and feeling lost is natural. from my experience, although i am still a newbie ive been able to find a lot of information out there, here are the best places to find info, sorted by priority:

FAMILY! a little self explanatory, but brujeria at its best is truly is an inherited, familial practice. If you can, before delving into internet resources, definitely connect w your family if you’re able to and ask them for guidance and about their experiences!

Your family is always the best resource over anything you can find online; theres so much misinformation out there or information not relevant to your region and if someone in your family already has established practices, always trust them first

 Do some thinking back to all your cultural traditions, quirks, stories, and superstitions that you’ve  learned from your family across time and never thought too much about- and rediscover them under a new light

KEEP IN MIND: brujeria is NOT a singular , concrete practice w concrete rules in itself, the term blankets a lot of traditions across latam, the caribbean, mexico, but imo its always best to stick with brujeria related to your heritage and where your connection is.

this can be hard for people (like me!) with huge family taboos toward brujeria that make it unsafe to ask around about, and/or limitations in family connections (also like me unfortunately). I personally can really only get the tidbits and stories that my family accidentally slips out when I occasionally see them. i try to write them down as much as possible, but the info i can get is limited... and thats where the following comes in.

ONLINE COMMUNITIES. i.e, youtube, tumblr, instagram brujx communities. notice I haven’t said “internet” in general- the reason why i trust community based social media more than random individual websites you find on google is because, in the case of brujeria and honestly any non-european craft, you’re often gonna find a LOT of white people writing blogs, books, etc about their “spiritual experiences” in latam countries and wrongly/incorrectly taking ATR or indigenous traditions (like with smudging). I know, with social media, although those same white people are also on insta and tumblr, it’s a LOT easier to see the face behind the accounts and differentiate who to trust, who’s legit and has real experience to share, rather than a nameless, faceless, website that is actually some colonizer sharing colonized ideas who thinks theyre on a spiritual journey taking traditions all willy nilly. And the fact that in social media, its much easier to find a lot of good brujas at once bc they tend to follow each other lmao.what ive personally done to find information tho is essentially SCOUR tumblrs, insta accs, and watching tons of youtube videos for posts, accounts, videos, etc, and narrowing down good info from there through , namely:

CHECKING WHO YOUR SOURCE IS!!!

ASKING YOURSELF FROM WHAT EXPERIENCE THEYRE SPEAKING FROM

ALWAYS TAKING EVERYTHING WITH A GRAIN OF SALT

AND STICKING TO INFO FROM CULTURES OPEN AND RELEVANT TO ME.

again, brujería is different depending on where your family is from in latam, and if you have an established connection to indigenous and/or black roots, so it’s useful to use keywords relating to that when searching (like if ur black, you can look into ATRs(african traditional religions) which tend to mix deeply with brujeria, if ur indigenous, finding other people from your tribe is great, and if youre not pursuing your already learned traditions you can think about connecting to them more deeply(altho indigenous traditions are their own thing, sometimes they do mix with brujeria too), and apart from familial roots, if ur catholic/christian and/or want to explore it, saint work/catholic brujeria might be a good fit for you!)  

tumblr: there are a couple of fantastic brujxs on this site with great blogs and resources who have sadly left the site, but i still go through their posts heavily for spells, rituals, scraps of info! etting started w brujería is hard bc there’s really not that much info out there right now, but i compile as many good brujeria posts i find on my acc.

@brujeria-n-bongs great for catholic brujeria, now at @Upliftherbs on instagram

@brujeria-lost @barberwitch @reina-morada @highbrujita

@naomi121406 is by far the most active and informative tumblr resource ive found, shes an afro-indigenous diaguita curandera from argentina so shes also really helpful if ATRs are in your path!

Im not black myself and dont follow ATRs so i don’t really know many good blogs for afrolatine brujxs out there but if anyone would like to tag some in the replies thatd be awesome!

instagram: Ive found that instagram #brujeria tags has a pretty healthy active stream of posts. You’re gonna have to sift through a lot of them to get to the good stuff though- imo a lot of hispanics use the brujería tag not to mean “latine brujería” but just the spanish word for witchcraft, so a lot of white hispanics will put wicca/neo witchcraft in the tag. imo that’s really not something i’m personally interested in bc it’s not true to brujeria’s traditional nature, is very white/eruropean , and that wicca shit basically just got here. its a relatively a recent thing😭 so i try to stick to bruja accounts that aren’t influenced by that.

youtube: The youtube brujería tag is hit or miss? and again, contains a lot of wicca. But there are some good practitioners on there like The Mexican Witch! You just gonna look around, and dont be afraid to click on videos by really really small youtubers; they often are the ones with the most informative and legit things to say!

Everyone’s path as a bruja/o/x (sjdf trying to be inclusive w gendered language is difficult) is different but here are some topics i think are great to look into as a beginner!

ancestors: start at the bottom and figure out who they are, where theyre from, and set up an altar. it’ll help you a lot with figuring out your identity and path as a bruja later on.

setting up a grimoire

divination: tarot is actually what got me into brujeria at first! tarot isnt strictly traditional and is european in itself but its a wonderful tool for connecting to dieties, saints, etc as well as super fun and helps a lot with introspection

ritual abrecaminos, aka road opening spells!

amarres (love spells... proceed with caution)

limpias, mal de ojo

saint work: even if you’re not catholic (im ex catholic), a growing number of us (especially lgbt latines like @/upliftherbs on instagram) are starting to take back and decolonize our view of saints like La Virgen Maria and removing her from the rigid european/colonized interpretation thats been forced into us

candle spells in general (i fucking love candles tbh, cheap, easy, fun, and WORKS)

spiritual colognes, how to cleanse

finally, here are some helpful posts yall should definitely read and think about moving forward!

about using tumblr as a resource

about looking into brujeria as a part-white part latine

bruja psa + about reclaiming lost indiginety

honestly naomi’s entire brujeria tag is great and super informative for beginners and basically holds answers for almost anything at this point

hope this post helps yall out!

EDIT: oh lord now that this is posted the outline format i tried to use is all kinds of fucked up please dont mind the odd numbering lmfao tumbr hates organized formats

[tjswritingstuff]

Before the Wolf Moon

Chapter 4

The bell above the door chimed. Stephanie looked up for a second she forgot the way that she greeted people when they walked in the store. The well-rehearsed lines flew from her mind. “You're here?” she asked dumbly.

“I...” Annabelle stopped, then restarted, “the police haven't found Amy yet.”

“I'm so sorry,” Stephanie said softly, “how can I help?”

“I don't know,” she said, “you said you could help me find her, so if you can....” she trailed off.

The circles under her eyes were so dark they looked like bruises. She rubbed them unable to stop the tears from falling, “please, if anything happens to her it would kill me.”

Stephanie didn't lie and tell her it would be okay. She said, “let me close the store, and we'll do what we can.”

It was before noon. She'd lose a lot of business in the hours she had left, but there were things more important than catering to the whims of tourists. Taking care of the people who came needed genuine help was her top priority.

Stephanie turned off the open sign and locked the door. The paperwork could wait until later. She debated taking Annabelle upstairs but thought she might find the professionalism of the store more comfortable.

“I need to go upstairs to get some stuff,” Stephanie said, “you can have a seat and I'll be right back.”

She didn't plan on being gone for more than a minute. Annabelle didn't look like she could stand to be alone much more than that

Annabelle was looking around the shop when she made it back down the stairs. She was staring a picture hanging on the wall of a tree.

Stephanie sat a precariously balanced stack of books on the counter and pulled out a portable burner from the cabinet, “I'm going to make tea.”

“Is it like magic tea?”

“It's chamomile,” Stephanie said, “it's soothing, but not magic.”

“Oh,” she said, “I expected something more mystical.”

“you won’t be disappointed,” Stephanie said softly, “I think you should know that I've been working on finding Amy. I hit a dead end.”

Annabelle looked up from the table cloth, “what kind?”

“The person who took your daughter took something from me. I have been trying to figure out how they could have known I had it, but I haven't been able to come up with an answer, no one knew the thing that was stolen from me was here.

It's used in a ritual; the problem is that generally the target for the ritual is supposed to be a blood relative of the person who performs it.” she avoided saying exactly what the ritual was for.

“What does that have to do with my daughter?” she asked.

“There's a good chance that the person who took Amy is related to her.”

“How good?” she asked regaining interest in the table cloth.

Stephanie shrugged, “I've never heard of this ritual being done with a victim that wasn't a family member.”

She weighted the words carefully, “I know the police have probably asked you a lot of really personal questions, and I know that this makes it all harder, but what can you tell me about your daughter's family.”

“It's just the two of us,” Annabelle said softly, “I had her young, got a job and did the best I could. My parents tried to help us, but they just didn't understand why I kept her. I couldn't make them understand that even though I hated the way that she came into my life, that girl is my entire world. I'd die for her.”  

She stopped talking, Stephanie handed her a box of tissues, then asked, “so her father's not in the picture?”

A bitter snort of laughter met that question. “No. If he comes near my daughter I'll gut him.”

Stephanie felt the energy in the room flare. She realized she had no idea what was under Annabelle’s psychic armor. Chances were for it to be so well built it was nothing good.

She busied herself making the tea but made a mental note not to mention Amy’s father.

“I tried to do a locator spell.” she explained, “but the person who took her doesn't want me to find them, they're warded.”

“How could they do that?”

“It's not hard, the right spell, the right ingredients, and a witch willing to mix the two is all it takes.”

Annabelle thought about it for a while.

Stephanie let her contemplate it without comment. She didn't want to get started until the tea was ready. Its effects were stronger and more reliable when the drinker was unaware of its magical components.

Stephanie took out a set of white porcelain tea cups with gold rims. They were pretty, but they also helped add to the illusion.

She set everything on the table then reached for the tarot deck. “I'm going to start with a card reading.”

“What do I have to do?” Annabelle asked.

“For now, relax. Let the tea steep and think about what you're going to say to your daughter when we bring her home.” She shuffled the cards and started talking filling in the silence with the sound of her voice.

She was trying to get past Annabelle’s defenses as subtly as she could. She tried to reassure her that she could trust Stephanie and her intentions were only to help.

With each rotation of the cards in her hands Stephanie added an extra layer of compulsion to her words. “You should try the tea,” she suggested when she saw the woman's eyes were starting to drift closed.

She the deck down in front of her guest. “Cut the deck,” she ordered gently.

Annabelle hesitated over the cards her finger tips resting just on top of the deck. “You're missing a card.” she said softly.

“I am,” Stephanie said, “how did you know that?”

“I don't know,” Annabelle answered, “it just felt like something's missing.”

“Your daughter?” Stephanie suggested, wanting to believe the missing card was a coincidence. That she wasn't reading that clearly from a single sip of the tea and a little persuasion. If that were the case, then Stephanie had no question why her daughter would have been targeted.

“My world,” Annabelle corrected her, “I have to get her back.”

“We will,” Stephanie promised, “cut the deck.”

There was no more hesitation. Three almost perfectly equal stacks were separated out then she put them back together.

“I'm going to do a Celtic cross spread,” she said softly, “I want you to focus on finding your daughter and draw, I'll show you where to put the cards.”

“The first card you're going to pull will represent yourself. You're going to lay it face up here.” Stephanie tapped the spot for the card on the table in front of her.

Annabelle flipped the card and put it in the spot looking not at the card but at Stephanie.

“Your self card is the Eight of Swords. It's a test,” she said, “this is the point where you are going to figure out how strong you are.”

She pointed at the spot for the next card. Annabelle pulled it and laid it down.

Stephanie studied the card for a second feeling slightly more hopeful, “your situation is the Four of Wands. Achieving our goal will take team work. It's a test, but you aren't going to have to face it alone.”

Annabelle fidgeted, “I feel pretty alone.”

“I know, I can’t imagine what you’re going through, but I’m going to do everything in my power to get your daughter home safely,” Stephanie reassured her.

When Annabelle was ready they pulled the next card.

Stephanie said, “The challenge card is the Ace of Wands.  It's normally representing a new beginning. The person that took your daughter is trying to become something inhuman. We have to stop him.”

Annabelle sipped the tea and looked at her, ‘I still don’t know what you expect from me.”

“I don’t know yet either, I’m still trying to figure it out, but I know you’re important,” Stephanie gestured at the deck.

Annabelle pulled the next card, “Seven Wands?”

Stephanie nodded, “It’s representing your recent past. Up to this point you've almost always been successful. You haven't had many setbacks. Even the things that should have destroyed you you've risen above.”

“That’s one way of looking at it,” she said, then smiled, “most of my family calls me stubborn.”

“You ready for the next card?” Stephanie asked. Annabelle looked like she wanted to say something else. She changed her mind and reached for the next card.

“Place it there,” Stephanie showed her where it fit in the spread. Then said, “This card represents a higher power. It’s the Ace of Swords. Your goal is clear, but it may take a sacrifice to get what you want.”

“I don’t care,” she said vehemently, “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

She didn’t ask what kind of sacrifice it might take. Stephanie was glad because she didn’t have an answer.

The next card was pulled without prompting from her and she read it without looking at Annabelle, “your near future card is the Two of Swords. It means we need to spend some time gathering information before we decide on our next move. This card indicates conflict within the team, something communication can normally resolve.” she looked up, “you still don't trust me.”

“I'm trying,” Annabelle said, “but this is a lot to accept.”

“I know, we'll get through it.” Stephanie promised.

Annabelle flipped the next card without responding.

“Your blockers and inhibitions are the four of swords, it's a card of the past.” Stephanie said, “it normally means to remember your roots, history, and ancestors. There's something behind you that affects what's happening now, and you aren't ready to face it.”

“I can't,” Annabelle said looking down.

“You know what it's referring to?” Stephanie asked.

“I know what I'm afraid it's referring to,” Annabelle corrected.

“Okay,” she said, “that might be what we need to talk about.”  She hoped there would be a clue about who they were dealing with in the other woman's past.

“The next card is allies,” she said and showed Annabelle where to place it.

Annabelle laid it down and looked up hopefully.

“The Ace of Cups, that's good,” Stephanie smiled, “it means you have an abundance of love and support. There's people that are willing to help you, if you let them.”

The snort of disbelief told her that was something they'd have to come back to, “two more, then we'll discuss more of what it means.”

The next card was placed down on the table, “Three of Cups,” she closed her eyes, “you need to bring in your support group, family, friends, anyone you trust, they can help you. It’s a compliment to the four of wands from earlier.”

“Last card,” she said.

Annabelle seemed to sense the blank space in the spread and laid it down where it belonged without prompting.

“The Seven of Swords,” she smiled, “there's a story with this one. A warrior slipped into the enemy encampment the night before a battle and stole their weapons, securing victory and demoralizing the enemy forces.”

“What does it mean?” Annabelle asked looking at the cards like she expected the meaning to be as obvious to her as it was to Stephanie.

“We're going to win,” Stephanie smiled, “as long as we work smart and get all the information we can before making a plan.”

She looked at the cards laid out between them. It didn't tell them much more than they already knew, that they had to work together. That there was information Annabelle hadn't been willing to share that would help them find the person that had taken her daughter, and that they needed to call in more support and team work to help fill in some of the blanks for them.

“I don't want to talk about it,” Annabelle said looking at the table.

“I know,” Stephanie said, “but maybe it's time you talk to someone.”

She stood up and picked up the tea cup staring in the brown liquid like it held the answers, and could pull the words that she didn't want to say out of her.

She bit her lip Stephanie could see her searching for the words she didn't know how to say.

“It's okay,” she said, “you don't have to tell me right now.”

“No,” Annabelle said, “if it's the same person I need to find her before he hurts her.” She closed her eyes, “I was kidnapped when I was thirteen.”

Stephanie wanted to say that she was surprised, but it was too much of a coincidence. The past has a habit of repeating itself.

Annabelle's voice fell to a flat monotone. She didn't look up when she talked, kept her eyes glued into the bottom of the cup.

It the kind of story that Stephanie had heard too often, the kind of thing no one should have to experience.

“How old are you?” she asked already having a nagging feeling that the woman was too young for how old her daughter was.

She bit her lip, “twenty-five.”

“Your daughter -”

“Yeah,” she said looking down, “my parents didn't know what to do to help me. They tried to convince me to give her up. To let someone more capable take care of her.”

“But you couldn't?” she asked.

“She was mine,” the words came out small, “she was the good that I got in exchange for all of the bad.”

Stephanie closed her eyes, “the ritual takes a sacrifice. It's usually of a blood relative.” She needed to tread carefully, “do you know his name, or if he had family here.”

Annabelle nodded slightly.

Stephanie handed her another tissue for the tears streaming down her face.

“We're going to find your daughter. I promise.” she didn't say they'd find her before anything bad happened to her. That was a promise she, and one that Annabelle wouldn't believe.

“I'm going to call my parents,” Annabelle said, “they need to know what's going on.”

Stephanie carefully wrapped the cards in the velvet cloth and put them away.

It was a good spread, full of positive energy. She'd have to gain Annabelle's trust, but they'd made leaps and bounds in that direction already.

Annabelle came back into the room clutching her phone to her chest.

“Finish your tea,” Stephanie suggested, “it will make you feel better.”

Annabelle sat back down at the table and traced the rim of the cup with a fingertip, “now what?”

“Now we figure out everything we can about this ritual and how your family is connected to it.”

She could see the Annabelle relaxing as she drained the cup of tea. She sat the cup on the table.

Stephanie picked it up, glancing quickly at the leaves in the bottom. The leaves added nothing to what she already knew.

“What was his name?” Stephanie asked.

“Mark,” she said, “I didn't know him. He knew my parents. I guess that I had seen him around, but he didn't stand out, I didn't even know who he was.” Her words trailed off, “I got away. Amy is smarter than I was, she'll get away.”

“Did he live nearby?”

“I don't know,” she said, “I can't remember.”

“It's okay,” Stephanie reassured her, “anything that you can tell me might help me find them.”

Annabelle seemed to run out of steam, “I think he had family here.”

“Do you know his last name?”

She shook her head,

Stephanie got the impression it wasn't because she didn't remember it was because it was easier not to remember. “There was a trial, you should be able to find something about it.”

“I'll do that,” Stephanie agreed, “I'm proud of you. You're holding up so well.”

The blank look stayed on her face, “I want to try to do another locator spell on your daughter, will you help me?”

“What do you need?”

“Blood,” she said, “not much, just a drop of your blood and I want you to hold my hand while I do the spell so that it will draw off her connection to you. It might get past the magic they're using to keep me from finding them.”

“Okay,” she said looking down at her nails, “how badly is this going to hurt?”

“It's going to sting, but it will be over before you know it.” she promised.

Blood was one of Stephanie’s least favorite spell components. It never came without pain, and while it gave things a stronger kick she didn't like the way it made her feel.

She treated it as clinical as she could. She pulled on a pair of latex gloves and a bottle of rubbing alcohol before she opened a plastic box full of lancets and pulled one out.

“It's just like getting your finger pricked at a doctor’s office,” she promised.

The vial for the blood was already uncorked and waiting. Annabelle held out her hand and closed her eyes.

“One...two...” Stephanie didn't say three before quickly piercing her index finger with the lancet. She squeezed as much of the other woman's blood as she could into the vial it was only a few drops but that was all that she needed.

“Ow,” Annabelle gasped inspecting the damage to her finger.

Stephanie capped the vial and set it to the side before cleaning everything up.

“Okay this is the fun part.” she said, “I'm going to have to go get some supplies from the store. You just sit here and concentrate on your daughter, try to remember everything about her that you can. What her voice sounds like, how her hair smells, what makes her laugh, everything about her that comes to mind.”

She searched through her candles and found a purple one. She placed it on the table in front of the woman, “I'm going to have you meditate on this while you think of her.”  She lit the candle and the flame danced to life.

“I don't know how to.” she said.

“It's easy,” Stephanie said, “here, hold my hands.”

When she'd done what she asked Stephanie smiled encouraging, “the idea is to center yourself to focus your energy on your task and let everything else wash over you. Your thoughts, your feelings, those are all thing's you're experiencing, they aren't you. What you want to do is get in touch with that core that is purely yourself.”

Annabelle nodded.

“Okay, I want you to breath with me,” Stephanie said, “inhale slowly and steadily, counting to five. Hold it for another five, then exhale for five.”

She pulled her own breath in, counting it off in her head then exhaling. She sat with Annabelle for a couple more rounds of breathing then said, “good just keep doing that until you can hold the rhythm without counting, you'll feel your heart beat. Your body will feel like it's trying to realign itself. Your back will straighten, your feet with sit a little firmer on the ground. You'll feel things, ignore them and let them come. Don't focus on them. Let the experiences pass. I'll come back in a few minutes.”

Stephanie gathered the supplies she needed. The one good thing about running an occult shop, she had any spell ingredients she needed.

She grabbed a county map and hoped it would be enough.

Annabelle was still staring at the candle when she came in. Her body moved slightly with the breaths that she was taking. She didn’t noticed Stephanie had reentered the room. It was a good sign.

“I don't think I've ever seen anyone take to meditation so quickly,” she said and sat the map down on the other side of the candle.

Annabelle looked away from the candle. Her eyes were slightly unfocused like she'd woken from a daze.

“I'm not sure I'm doing this right,” she said, “I feel tired.”

“That's how you know you're doing it right.”

Stephanie held out her hand to Annabelle, she took it.

Stephanie said, “we're going to see if we can find your baby. Close your eyes, keep breathing the way you were, and let’s find her.”

Stephanie didn't expect the spell to work any better than her scrying spell had. The candle flared instantly. She picked it up and held it over the map watching the wax drip down the side onto the paper beneath it.  

She put the candle back down and whispered to Annabelle “blow it out.”

“There,” she said picking up the map, “see that wasn't so hard now was it? Now we have to go figure out what's there.”

“It's a farm,” Annabelle said looking at the map, “when I was a kid we lived on that road. There was a farm a little way up from us,” she closed her eyes, “this is a nightmare that just won't end.”

“I promise, we're going to end it.” Stephanie assured her.

Continue Reading

[maddiviner]

Hi! I just found some people saying that they wish they lived in the “og” witchcraft era, that this shouldn’t be for everyone and that the way information is so easy to get from tumblr and everywhere else somehow makes those who take it less valid then natural witches. And also that you ~need~ a mentor. I’m a beginner and I get where they come from, but it was said in such a negative way that it made me question if I’m really not worthy of this. What do you think of that?

First off, let’s be clear here. There’s no such thing as a “natural witch” any more than there’s such a thing as a “natural painter” or “natural carpenter.” There are people with psychic abilities such as clairs, but they’re not witches unless they also study/practice witchcraft. 

I realize there is/were a few people on Tumblr talking about how they felt unique like “real special witch people,” but trust me, regardless of how they feel about it and themselves, they had to learn the Craft just like everyone else. Witches are self-made, not born. This is true now, and was always true, even in times past.

I’m not quite sure what is meant in this ask by the OG (old guard) witchcraft era. I’m going to just guess that it refers to witchcraft prior to the advent of the internet and the widespread availability of occult information for most people.

I cannot speak to what it was like to be a witch in the 1970s, 1980s, 1950s or the heckin’ Middle Ages. And, I’m not sure what time period in particular these folks wish they could return to.

I don’t know if people on Tumblr realize this, but I’m probably at the older end of the Tumblr witch spectrum. I know I’ve got the really dubious honor of being the oldest person in a couple of Tumblr-related witchcraft Discord servers (small servers, but still). I’m in my early thirties, and I’ve been studying the occult since about 1999, which was the year I got my first deck of Tarot cards.

I remember a little bit about what learning witchcraft was like at the tail-end of the 20th century and into the new millennium. It was really very different. If you were interested in a particular path (besides Wicca), you were often quite out of luck - even well-stocked urban occult bookstores didn’t have much information outside of Wicca, and occasionally Satanism or Thelema.

This assumes you were lucky enough to have access to an occult bookstore - plenty of us (myself included at times) had to make do with what we could find at Borders, Barnes and Noble, or Hastings. At the time, that was, well… mostly books about Wicca, New Age paths, and with a few occult “classics” (like The Satanic Bible) smooshed in, too.

The witchcraft-related books were almost all exclusively geared towards Wicca. Some of them, like Cunningham’s work, went on to become occult classics in their own right. 

Others were full of pretty poor scholarship, things like D. J. Conway writing about “Norse” and “Celtic” magick that was just Wicca with some deity names changed. And Edain McCoy writing about an “ancient Irish potato goddess.” And Silver Ravenwolf. Of course.

A lot of these books were pretty preachy, too - insisting that only Wiccans were witches, that no “true witch” ever did black magick (or a million other things), etc. Plenty pushed (heavily) the “paleolithic” origin story for Wicca. Few mentioned Gardner even existing, let alone his role in founding Wicca and his contributions to the Work.

Nowadays, I can go online after (or even before!) buying such books and learn where the author got their information (or didn’t get it, as the case may be…) I can simply google and find out all about Gardner’s life, or Crowley. I can read sites by actual Romany people explaining what occult traditions are (and aren’t) part of their culture. It does really make things easier!

I couldn’t do that back then. No one had access to such a vast repository of information.

I’m not sure how the idea of mandatory mentors got started. It is true that in some occult/witchcraft traditions (like the A.’.A.’. and certain covens) mentors are important and required. That’s not true for witchcraft or the occult as a whole, however. 

Finding a mentor, even in an established tradition, is always going to be hit or miss. I’ve had some really horrible experiences with people trying to mentor me, including the sordid situation with my ex-A.’.A.’. mentor. I’ve had friends who had similarly horrible experiences. I also have friends who found wonderful mentors. Again, hit or miss. 

The thing is, even back then, it was hit-or-miss finding a good mentor, too. Heck, especially back then, before the internet. Nowadays I can google someone’s name and see what former/current students say about them, what they’ve written, and what kind of footprint they’ve made on the world. 

Back then, I couldn’t. If someone said they were a Gardnerian initiate (for example), it would’ve been much more difficult to prove or disprove that than it is nowadays, too.

I also couldn’t research what I was actually being taught to see if it was even true. If I ended up studying with someone who (for example) believed the paleolithic Wicca founding myth, I’d be stuck with that. 

Heck, if you ended up with a mentor who taught that he was the 4,000 year old King of Vampire Witches and that you had to drink blood or something like that, you were stuck with that, too. The most you could do would be to walk away if it was overly-ridiculous or just felt “off.”

I read a study recently (I can dig it up later if people are interested) that said younger, internet-savvy generations are less-likely to buy into wild claims without proof. Apparently, we’re more skeptical. Food for thought.

There are certainly some folks who would rather this weren’t the case, and wish they could control the flow of occult/other information more easily themselves.

They want to be able to tell whoppers without people checking into it and calling them on it. I’ve not seen such people on Tumblr, but on sites like Facebook, I’ve definitely encountered people trying it.

To sum this all up, I think those people claiming pre-Internet witches were more devoted, more “natural,” or otherwise superior are overly-nostalgic and misinformed about the past. 

It’s true that it was harder to get information back then, and becoming a decent willworker would’ve taken more legwork. That doesn’t mean much, though, except that yes, more people choose magick nowadays due to the surplus of information.

If you’re one of those types who treats the occult like it’s some kind of special club and want to keep the “normies” out or whatever, I can see why this would be troublesome. For me, though? I think more interest in magick is a good thing. More people studying magick and witchcraft? Excellent.

Think of it this way: in any given field, you’re going to have a lot of different types of people. Some will be pretty good and innovative at what they’re doing. Others, maybe not - they might end up leaving it for something else, too.

The more people you have researching, working, experimenting, the more likely you will end up with someone really innovative who breaks new ground and changes things for the better. This is a common way of seeing things in academia, but I think it’s true in witchcraft and the occult as well.

[krischuu782]

Basic Rules of 사설놀이터추천 | Gambling Tips

Players can bet any point number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) by placing their wager in the come area and telling the dealer how much and on what number(s), "30 on the 6", "5 on the 5" or "25 on the 10". http://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=먹튀검증사이트목록 The amount of this bet is determined by the table minimum, which is usually $5; therefore, a $5 ante bet. Several casinos in Vegas offer $3 table minimums while most of the Strip casinos offer $5 and $10 as a table minimum. Initially the player places an ‘Ante’ wager and the dealer will deal out 5 cards to the player and themselves. All but one of the dealers cards are dealt face down (often referred to as ‘Hole’ cards). The player then has to make the decision to either Fold their hand – losing their Ante wager – or ‘Call’. If the player chooses to Call they have to place a bet twice the size of the Ante wager then the dealer’s hole cards are revealed and the hands are compared. All cards are dealt face down, with the exception of the dealer’s final card which is turned face up. Any discussion or comparing of hands between participants is not permitted. The player’s next step is to look at their hand and decide whether or not they would like to continue.

With the player now having placed stakes in both the ante and raise boxes, the dealer will now reveal his other four cards. In order to play his hand against those held by the players still involved, the dealer must have at least A-K high. It dates back to the late 16th or early 17th century. Its first mention was in the novel “Don Quixote” by Cervantes. You can then decide how good you think your five card hand is. This requires an understanding of the standard ranks of poker hands. If you don’t think you’re likely to win, you can fold. If you fold, you lose your ante, but no further money. This design is often uncomfortable for left-handed people who may prefer to hold their cards in the right hand.

First, never fold your small pairs. You will be dealt a pair about 42% of the times and you'll win more (or lose less) in the long run by making the call bet rather than to fold (the casino has about a 7% edge against players who fold on small pairs). Also, never try to bluff the dealer! Some players mistakenly believe they can win more hands by making the call bet when they have a weak hand. They figure that the dealer who doesn't qualify pays off the ante wager for player's who stay in (i.e. make the call bet) regardless if the player has a strong or weak hand. The problem with this strategy is that when the dealer does qualify (and he will about 56% of the time), the player loses not only the ante bet but also the call bet (which is twice the ante bet). A near complete pack of Mamluk playing cards dating to the 15th century and of similar appearance to the fragments above was discovered by Leo Aryeh Mayer in the Topkapı Palace, Istanbul, in 1939. Banked games include blackjack, craps, keno, roulette, and traditional slot machines. Germans introduced wooden blocks printing technique in the fifteenth century. They were able to export these cards throughout Europe rapidly. As compared to the hand-made cards, costs of mass production of these were quite low .

Less expensive comps are available to smaller spenders. A special mention should be made of the card game Set. Whereas cards in a traditional deck have two classifications—suit and rank—and each combination is represented by one card, giving for example 4 suits × 13 ranks = 52 cards, each card in a Set deck has four classifications each into one of three categories, giving a total of 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 = 81 cards. Any one of these four classifications could be considered a suit, but this is not really enlightening in terms of the structure of the game.It is popular in Francophone Europe and Quebec and is also used in Denmark to play tarot games that require the full 78-card deck. One motivating factor was the blatent contradiction they could see between playing cards which showed representatives of the old order (kings and queens and knights) which had so recently been overthrown in a bloody revolution.

Shields are featured in the shape of crests, similar to those of the Swiss cantons, the regions into which the small country is divided; the ones on pip cards are in black and white, while courts, 10s and daus cards have coloured ones that look like a heart. In fact, the shape of the Shields is consistent with the suit of Hearts of the German system, but also the Leaves are not very different, suggesting that either of the two might have been the source of inspiration for the Swiss sign. Place and buy bets are working by default when a point is established and not working when the point is off unless the player specifies otherwise.For example, if you bet on "5 and 1" on the hop, you are betting that the next roll will have a 5 on one die and a 1 on the other die. Players can bet on the various options by placing chips directly on the appropriately-marked sections of the layout, or asking the base dealer or stickman to do so, depending on which bet is being made.

Men (21%) were more likely to participate in table games than were women (9%). Game preference also varied by age; younger gamblers were more likely to prefer table games than were older gamblers. The current record for length of a "hand" (successive rounds won by the same shooter) is 154 rolls including 25 passes by Patricia DeMauro of New Jersey, lasting 4 hours and 18 minutes,[27] at the Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on May 23–24, 2009. She bested by over an hour the record held for almost 20 years – that of Fujitake.메이저놀이터If the point is a 4 or 10 players can bet as little as $1 if the table minimum is low such as $5, $10 or $15 minimums. In a 2004 report by the US Department of Justice, researchers interviewed people who had been arrested in Las Vegas and Des Moines and found that the percentage of problem or pathological gamblers among the arrestees was three to five times higher than in the general population.

When a player's turn comes, they can say "Hit" or can signal for a card by scratching the table with a finger or two in a motion toward themselves, or they can wave their hand in the same motion that would say to someone "Come here!" When the player decides to stand, they can say "Stand" or "No more," or can signal this intention by moving their hand sideways, palm down and just above the table. In order to get around California laws barring the payout of a game being directly related to the roll of dice, Indian reservations have adapted the game to substitute cards for dice.Many gamblers believe that if they have bet on a slot machine many times in a row and lost, this increases the odds of the next bet being a winner. Shooters may wish to "set" the dice to a particular starting configuration before throwing (such as showing a particular number or combination, stacking the dice, or spacing them to be picked up between different fingers), but if they do, they are often asked to be quick about it so as not to delay the game.

Other games that use poker hand rankings may likewise be referred to as poker. The table below gives the numbers considering that the game ends in a push when a 12 is rolled, rather than being undetermined.If the dealer has an up-card that is valued at 7 or above then you will need to hit until you reach 17 or higher. Without all these losers, there can be no big winners – which is why so many people play in the first place.

[luxuriant-starlight]

Hey y’all! 

So, recently, ya girl has been hit with some financial problems. I’m not being kicked out or anything, so it’s not THAT much of an emergency, but I am a little desperate for some cash. As you all may know, I’m a college student who is depending on financial support from her parents to provide for my needs. But lately, my parents have been pressuring me to become more financially independent. I’m fine with that, but I’ve had a REALLY hard time finding a job (I’ve been searching for months and it doesn’t help that my class load is so big and takes up so much of my time), and my situation has gotten a bit more drastic. 

I’ve been doing some odd jobs to pay for stuff (babysitting and doing homework for people and whatnot), but now I’m starting to have some health problems that I really need to deal with but my parents aren’t willing to help me with at the moment. I’ve been having crazy skin problems and I haven’t had a period in almost a year (and nope, it’s not what you think- I’ve just always had irregular periods). I have my suspicions over what the problem could be, but I’d need to see the dermatologist and gynecologist to get an official diagnosis, and I literally have no insurance for anything except my eyes, teeth, and car.

On top of my medical needs, I also need cash for food, clothes, and other various school and personal related things, but I legitimately have like $3 at the moment. 

My wintertime fic commissions went really well (I made like $100 or so) and you all seemed to appreciate my writing, so I’m reopening my fic commissions today! I’ve adjusted the prices a little since my situation is REALLY urgent, but it’s pretty standard pricing!

Here’s the info:

Fics will be $5 a page for fluff, angst, and any other SFW content. NSFW content/smut will be $7/page.  

Since “a page” is pretty vague, note that I define a “page” in the academic sense: a page of double-spaced, 12-point-font, Times New Roman words is around 250-300 words. So, every 300 words is considered a page. If you go a little bit over 300 words (like, 350-400 words) I’ll just charge you for the one page. But 500 words would be considered a page and a half, so $7.50 for SFW content and $10.50 for NSFW content. You can request a page and a half, if you want!

I am over 18 so I will write smut (again, for $7 a page), but I will ONLY write smut for those who are 18+. I understand that it’s hard to prove your age, but PLEASE do NOT request smut if you are a minor. You could get me in serious legal trouble! Minors should ONLY request safe-for-work content. 

I am willing to write anything long, as long as you’re willing to pay for how long it is. If you want me to write a 500K word fic, I am ready and willing to do it. But if you want me to write something that long, you need to be able to pay for it, and prepared to be a little patient. In discussing the long fic you’d like me to write, I’ll suggest that we come up with a schedule for my updating the fic (I can potentially update fics every 3 days-1 week, depending on agreed upon chapter lengths). I can also accept payments in installments with long fics- you can pay me on a chapter-by-chapter basis instead of paying everything up front. 

I will write anything except: heavy gore (light gore, like light blood or something like that is fine, just nothing where I have to write somebody’s arm graphically coming off or whatever), cannibalism, pedophilia, infantilization, anything involving poop (unless the character involved with poop is a baby and it’s a joke or w/e), animal death, animal abuse, child abuse, child death, domestic violence, self harm, mass murder, or anything related to any sort of sensitive or traumatic real life event. If you’re unsure about a theme of the fic you want me to write, or what I mean exactly by any of this, please message me to clarify!

Here are some of my fandoms:

Miraculous Ladybug

Percy Jackson and the Olympians/Heroes of Olympus

Steven Universe

Star vs. The Forces of Evil

Pixar’s Coco

Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra

Voltron: Legendary Defender

Sailor Moon 

Ouran High School Host Club

Hamilton

OK K.O.: Let’s Be Heroes!

And the list goes on but don’t be afraid to ask if I like a certain fandom!

I’m also willing to write lore based on your original characters or write a script for any original comics or animations you may be working on!

I accept payment through paypal or squarecash, but I’m also willing to create an account for whatever your preferred method of payment is.

Here is my fic tag, my ao3 account, and my ffn account which all have at least a few of my most recent fics (mostly miraculous ladybug stuff), if you wanna see examples of my work!

I’m also doing tarot card/pendulum reading commissions on my witchy sideblog if you wanna check that out and I have a ko-fi page if you’d like to buy me a coffee!

If you can’t commission me, I totally understand, but I’d really appreciate a reblog!

Thanks y’all!

-Mady <3

[dapperfvck-arc]

KNOWING YOUR PARTNER CAN POTENTIALLY MAKE WRITING TOGETHER A LOT EASIER. REPOST. DON’T REBLOG.

– BASICS.

•  NAME: Iggy •  PRONOUNS: asshole •  TAKEN OR SINGLE: Single af

– THREE FACTS.

1. When I was younger I was obsessed with animation. Like I wanted to get into that life. Like it never carried on past being a childhood fascination, but because of this I used to draw a lot. In fact I was very good at it, but as I got older, my interests shifted and I’m very much out of practice. It makes me sad a lot because I think about fan art I’d love to draw. 2. Ok, this is gonna sound hella hipster of me, but I promise you I don’t mean to sound that way. When it comes to computers, I’ve been using Apple for years. Like long before it was a trend. See, when I was twelve or thirteen, my mom got our first home computer, mostly because of her brother, who has always been very into technology and because he was an artist starting to get into graphic design, he was using Apple. The computer in question was a Power Mac, in case you’re curious. I’ve only used Windows at school or work, and for about a year or so I recently had one of those cheap Acer laptops with I wanna say Windows 7 or 8 installed on it. Eventually i got so fed up with Windows that I violently uninstalled it and replaced it with a Linux OS, which I actually rather liked, but my cat knocked over my coffee cup and fried the keyboard so I ended up replacing it with a near decade old Macbook. XD; 3. I lived in New Orleans predominately throughout my early to mid twenties and was hella Goth. Plot twist: The Goth scene is actually really fun. Or at least it was during the early 2000s. Also, I thought it was hysterical that preppy tourists used to hit on me aggressively (like idk, maybe I was kinda hot cos I was in the best shape of my life because I used to go to nightclubs 2-3 times a week and dance for literally hours) and I was just like “my dude, your lot made my life a living hell in high school. Why the hell do you think I’d fuck you now?”

– EXPERIENCE.

•   HOW LONG (MONTHS / YEARS?): I’ve been writing since I was like...12 or 13? Maybe younger. Started posting fan fiction online when I was 16 and started again when after I was done being a Goffick party girl when I was in my mid-twenties, although I was still filling notebooks before that, it just never got online and some of it wasn’t fanfic. While I have RP experience as a table top player (I used to play V:TM with my geekier Goth friends when I lived in New Orleans and later in California), I didn’t start round robin style writing RP until here on tumblr almost....five years ago now I think. I’d have to go check my first blog’s archives. •   PLATFORMS YOU’VE USED: Tabletop, tumblr, skype, and recently, RP now. •   BEST EXPERIENCE: Here on John, everyone I’ve met has been wonderful

– MUSE PREFERENCES.

•   FEMALE OR MALE: I tend toward male muses, tbh •   FLUFF, ANGST OR S.MUT: Yes. •   PLOTS OR MEMES:  Why not both? •   LONG OR SHORT REPLIES: I’m comfortable either way, though with most threads the longer it goes, the longer the replies tend to get. Most of my long term partners are very familiar with my rigid, throbbing multi-para hard on. •   BEST TIME TO WRITE: Pretty much any time I’m awake, though I tend to write more at night. I tend to always be writing unless I’m at work and even then on breaks or if I go to the bathroom, I’ll have my phone with me and work on something on my mobile’s notepad. •   ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE(S): Sometimes, but in John’s case, definitely. I relate highly to him being cynical because the world and people are constantly disappointing him. Also the whole occult themes, particularly in the Vertigo series, being very well understood is relatable being very familiar with that life (I fueled my party days by reading tarot on Jackson Square in New Orleans)

TAGGED BY: @vamptrampbamf TAGGING: EVERYONE!!!

[shadowfae]

I've recently stumbled across the word "otherkin" and it seems to describe certain feelings I have, but the tumblr tags seem to be full of unuseful information and, well, silliness. I'm sort of looking for people to talk to while I try to sort myself out, without making too much light of it. Do you have any advice on sifting through everything?

Besides going ‘AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA’ and never doing anything about it?

First things first. You’re new, so we’re going to divide this into two parts. Part one, crash course on otherkinity, alterhumanity, and the little branches of it you should know about. Those words and terms will help you figure out what’s what. Part two is great, you know all these terms, how do you sort through the mess that is kinfeels. 

Under a readmore because long, since I ramble sometimes. I’m glad you asked, and if you have any further questions, hit me up again and I’ll do what I can.

Part One: What Even Is Otherkinity

Otherkinity is identifying involuntarily and nonphysically as something nonhuman. You aren’t saying you are physically this thing (as you are physically human), you cannot choose to be this thing and can’t choose not to be this thing, and you do not identify as human 100%. 

The modifiers: Fictionkin means you can be something that is human, but it must be fictional (like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson or smth). You can be a member of a fictional species that isn’t human (like the Elf Queen’s Daughters of the early 70s that started the fictionkin community). It is still involuntary and nonphysical.

Otherkinity is divided into three ‘main’ branches: therianthropy, otherkinity, and fictionkind. Therians (or therianthropes) ID as an animal that has been or is on Earth. Like dinosaurs or foxes. There are an absurd amount of wolf therians here on tumblr. Those that are obviously faking or haven’t questioned enough for even themselves and just went with ‘wolf’ because it’s cool are called wolfaboos. Usually I just don’t talk to them, since to each their own and they’re not actively being annoying, but please don’t just “oh I’m not human clearly I’m a wolf” the moment you get kinfeels. Things don’t... work... like that...

Anyway. Otherkinity as a sublabel of itself generally has within it our conceptkin (I’m calling it that for now. Things like voidkin or starkin), theriomythics (fantasy animals within mythology such as unicorns and youkai), draconics (draconity, which is dragons and pretty self explanatory), the vampire and were____ communities, and probably a few others.

Fictionkind I already went over. I have three kintypes that are fictionkind in nature. They are called fictotypes for this reason. (Kintypes is the label for all of them, but there is also theriotypes and fictotypes for therianthropy and fictionkind.)

Those fictotypes are Pale Noël from the Evillious Chronicles, a noncanon Devil from DSP’s works, and an Absol from Pokemon. As I have more than two kintypes, I am in what we call ‘polykin hell’. Though tbh, most people put themselves in polykin hell when they’re up past five. Poor guys.

The things that are close to otherkinity but not actually it!

Copinglinkers- They ID as something voluntarily to cope with something. Usually trauma or mental illness. While not otherkin, they are alterhuman and do belong in our community. They are also called copingkin, which is a bit outdated but since copinglink is a new term, I’ll let it slide. (It was coined by @who-is-page, actually, and they are a delight to follow if you want to see antikin absolutely dragged through the mud.)

Otherhearted- Those who identify not as something but with it. As an example, I am faehearted and shadowhearted. I identify with those things because one of my fictotypes did, and that carried over. It is very easy to mistake heartfeels for kinfeels. Regardless, like c’linkers and ‘kin they are alterhuman and totally rad.

Synpaths- Tbh I’m not quite sure what’s the difference between synpaths and ‘hearted. (I have heard it is ‘ID with this’ versus ‘I want to hug that’ but you should not be asking me; as I don’t have a fuckin’ clue.) Either way, if you think you have a synpath go research that. Please don’t ask me, I don’t know. All I know is that they exist and they do stuff, so they’re worth mentioning.

There are also ways to be otherkin, for lack of a better term. Ways you explain why you identify as these things. There are two main ‘branches’ to this: spiritual and psychological. There are also religious, cultural, and probably a few other reasons, but let’s go with the ones off the top of my head.

Spiritual- Can be anything from ‘my soul is this and my body is not’ to ‘I was this in a past life, and it is still relevant’. (You can have past lives that aren’t kintypes. The difference is simply how much they affect you. I do believe I had a life a fuckass long time ago in second age Senntisten, but as it isn’t relevant outside of vague memories of fire, it isn’t a fictotype of mine.)

Psychological- Anything from ‘I used this as a c’link at one point but it is now irreversible, and I am this now’ to ‘My brain decided to be wired weird and now I ID as this’. Essentially, you have a psychological reasoning for being kin or hearted or whatev. Psychological otherkin get thrown under the bus a lot because really angry copinglinks insist they’re kin and we’re “gatekeeping ableist jerks”. The difference is that c’links choose and can drop their identity. Psychological otherkin cannot. The line can be pretty blurred, and in that case you’d best just slap down “I am this, currently questioning if c’link or kintype”. Literally nobody can yell at you for that. I’ve had to do it before. Never did figure out what it was, but it doesn’t matter now.

Religious- I don’t see this one as often, but I think it’s something along the lines of ‘my God wants me to feel like I’m this for X reason’? Or maybe it’s a past life thing that your religious says you have. (I think Buddhism does that, but I am no religious scholar and I might be wrong.) 

Cultural- I’ve seen this mostly in Native American folks, but I’m sure they’re not the only ones. What I have seen is ‘my family have always been crows, so I am a crow therian’. I don’t know much about Native cultures, despite having grown up around them, so I suppose if you had cultural reasons, you’d already know? I do believe spirit animals play into this, but I’m what we call ‘exotic white bread’ and I am not the authority. But I also don’t know who to redirect you to about this. Hm. I’m gonna have to go asking around.

And of course, to finish off part one: multiplicity. That’s a fun one.

Multiple systems aren’t kin. Not hearted either or anything. They’re the other ‘main branch’ of being alterhuman. They are usually several people trying to pilot one body. They use terms like fictive, which is not fictionkin(d), though the two get confused an awful lot. A fictionkind person is someone who IDs as someone or something fictional. A fictive is a part of a multiple system who IS that person, with usually no other identity. 

Using myself as an example: I am fictionkind, and one of my fictotypes has green hair. I do not have green hair right now, and that fictotype is not my entire identity. A fictive is more like “hi I’m Harry Potter and I live here now, in your body, with you”. That would be his entire identity: he is Harry Potter.

Factives are close to that, but real people that do or have existed on Earth. That’s like “hi I’m Shakespeare and I live here now”. It’s possible to have system members that are neither. That’s chill.

Supposedly, multiple systems can be both trauma-born and not-trauma-born. The latter is usually called endogenic, I think. DID/OSDD are two disorders that cause multiplicity, but as far as I know they are not the only ways to have multiplicity. You can soulbond and things, which is like the copinglink for multiplicity as in you bring someone in voluntarily. (Tulpas are also a multiplicity thing.)

Part Two: How Do I Deal With Maybe Being Otherkin Without Just Screaming Into The Void

First things first. My way is not the only way to do it. It is one method, but it tends to work for lots of people so here’s the method I know. It’s chill to ask around and figure out what others do, and then find the method that works for you.

Second things second. Do not ask a pendulum or divination blog to kinfirm something. It is a terrible method. You can divine yourself, but do not ask anyone online. Nobody’s divination is always right, and when you’re doing it online, the chance of being right drops exponentially. Bad method, 0/10 do not recommend. (You can totally divine for yourself, though. My tarot deck is particularly sassy about my own god complex from kinfeels.)

And the actual method.

1. Go create a sideblog. Name it whatever, find a nice theme you like. Make sure it is readable and not just pretty.

2. Make a tags page. I suggest doing this over a couple of days, because you are going to forget what tags you need. You want to sort between ‘angry vagueing about nothing making sense’ from ‘feels related to this’.

3. Document EVERYTHING EVER. If you think it is kin related, write that down. If you have vague memories of something, write that down too. Tag it appropriately, if only so you can find it later. (’tag later’ is a good tag if you’re on the go and know you’ll forget if you don’t write it down now.)

What I also do is fill this blog specifically with images that resonate with me. I use a queue and tagging system for this. (White blossoms is the tag for gentle TLW things; whereas black blossoms is General Edge(TM).) You should put images that resonate with you in a Particularly Kin Way on that blog. If it’s art or anything, remember to source it, though. Reblog, don’t repost. 

Also, if you’re into requesting things from kin blogs like stimboards or aesthetics, have a reqs tag for them! Keeps it all in one place and you know where you got them from. I like JUST put in mine and I am angry I didn’t do it before.

Then, self introspection. You need to ask why on everything ever. Question things. Do you do insertthinghere because your parents said so, or does it seem like you just have to? 

If questioning feels very upsetting or uncomfortable, stop for the day. I don’t recommend any more than an hour and half in one go. Your brain will confirm things that aren’t true in order to work with you. (Confirmation bias, I think it’s called.) Keep the questioning to short bursts, even if you’re on a roll.

If you must go longer, document document DOCUMENT. Writing things down makes them clearer, and halfway through writing you’ll go “oh shit that’s why that happens”.

It’s okay if your writing is messy or only makes sense to you. This is all your own, and how you go about it is entirely your decision. 

Questioning should take you weeks or months. There are a few outliers who can kinfirm something in two days and be right, but let’s be honest here: nobody likes them because we all envy them and want to be them, so we don’t like them. All jokes aside, keep it to a pace you can handle and don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Got all that? Good. Now do a shit ton of research. If you’re questioning, say, harpykin, chase links across Wikipedia and read everything you can get your hands on about harpies. You might come across something else that’s close to it: off the top of my head, the Maximum Ride series, for example, is close-ish to harpies. Check that out too, but if it doesn’t resonate, don’t push it. If it ain’t a thing and you know it isn’t, don’t bother with it, it’ll get you nowhere.

Ask around! Don’t be afraid to ask someone “hey do you think this could happen?” Nobody’s input is the end all be all, but if they’re someone you think is educated on the matter, take it into consideration. (You would not believe how much of an idiot I felt like while doing research on demonology and a friend pointed out that Christianity is not the only religion with demons. It’s obvious, but never occurred to me. You will get that feeling at some point. Happens to the best of us.)

Lastly, go at your own pace. And if you have done all of this, it will be several months from now. Go back and look at your oldest kin documents. You will understand it all so much better, and you’ll mentally high-five your past self for knowing so little, but being so full of hope anyway.

Of course, if after all of this someone tries to invalidate you, it won’t work. You’ll have done the research, the self introspection, the grueling grind of “why why why?”. They can’t tell you the sky is red if you’re not colourblind. If they try to grill you for your information, you can point them nicely towards your probably-a-trainwreck of a sideblog and they will see your documented adventure of ‘what am I?’. And then they will stop talking, because you have proven that you know what’s up.

And as the very last piece of advice? You will be wrong. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. You can be questioning. You can say “I don’t fucking know!!”. You are allowed to have bumps and wrong turns in your journey. They will happen. It’s okay. Take a deep breath, see where you might have made a mistake, write that down, and keep going. Progress is progress. You’ll figure it out eventually, no need to know it all right this very minute.

I hope this helps, little anon! This is how I came to find out I was- and I’m not done yet, either. I have some oceanic kinfeels that I know exist but don’t know what they are: fuckers better show themselves to me soon because I’m onto them. Who knows where that adventure will take me.

[mementolepus]

You know... I came back on here wanting to try to work on finding my Galo since I recently kinfirmed Lio. Then, I fucking found the tag I had made in relation to someone whom I had once loved dearly. Now, I’m just pissed off and I’m going to fucking vent about him. I don’t know if you’ll ever fucking see this, but if somehow your ass is poking around in my business one day, I hope you fucking see this and understand how much you fucking hurt me. I doubt you will even if you find this. You’ll probably still act like you do nothing wrong because that’s the kind of person you are, Nero.

I know that I fucked up. I shouldn’t have freaked out when you confided in me. I broke your trust. I’m not without sin in this situation. I wish it would have stayed at only me fucking up, but I guess you just really wanted to show me who the fuck I actually feel in love with. Honestly? Thanks for that. Because if you didn’t, I’d probably be a lot fucking worse off being around you.

Part of me is willing to believe that tarot reading you did genuinely had some hope for our continued friendship. Didn’t your cards tell you we had to work together to nurture the light together? I’m of the mind it could have worked out, but you were the one not willing to make it work. You just decided to become a snake and feed your venom into my flesh until who knows what the fuck would happen.

I tried so godsdamn hard, Nero. I tried to choose my words carefully all the time. I tried to do things to make you happy. I tried to do anything to get your approval. I even stopped talking about the small things, the small red flags to Star and Adrien. I made it seem to them like nothing was going wrong.

But you wanna know something funny? Being scared to step out of line? Being scared to reach out to others? Those are red flags of abuse, Nero. You made me terrified of you. I was terrified to upset you because you would get mad at me and start making me feel insignificant. Sure, maybe you didn’t, couldn’t hit me, but your words hurt just as much as any slap in the face.

Though that’s not the thing that really pisses me off in all honesty. It’s how you treated me over a fucking video game that makes me really hate you. I will say thank you for buying me Heavensward and Stormblood. I will say thank you for buying me the K/DA Ahri skin. I appreciate those things even if I despise you. But even though the saying goes, “You don’t pay my sub.”, I do not care of you bought me HW and StB. You had no right to treat me like skin over how I played Final Fantasy XIV.

We never fucking once stepped into any Savage or Extreme content. We were playing low ass level content together and you just get angry at me for having some godsdamn fun? Do you understand how easy Copperbell Mines is, Nero? Or are you just that bad at the game that Copperbell is Savage level for you? I heal as Arcanist for five godsdamn minutes and it’s the end of the fucking world for you I guess. (You’d hate MAD, lol.) I’m a detriment because my crossbar setup isn’t PERFECTLY like yours? You have a fucking freak out because I’m not top fucking tier after playing for a few months?

Well, guess what, Nero. According to my raiding friends, I’m actually pretty decent at the game now that I’ve played for a year. And I’m planning on getting even better just to fucking spite you.

I’m going to do Savage. I’m going to do Ultimate. Both things I’m more than sure you’ve never fucking done in your-what?-two years of playing now?

I’m going to become a mentor and actually help new players learn this game and grow to love this game just like I miraculously still do. In fact, the past few days I’ve been helping new players with mechanics and even baby WHMs learn their job. All without the stupid ass crown.

I’m sure if you’re actually reading this, you’re probably laughing and saying, “They dunno how to play WHM.”, but you know what? I don’t care. You’re a fucking DPS main; tf do you know about playing anything other than floor tanking? I don’t need you to see if I’m a good WHM now or not. That’s frankly none of your business anymore. What I do to have fun in Copperbell Mines isn’t your business. How I have my crossbar setup isn’t your business. My ability as a player isn’t your business. I’ll DNC circles around you and I will relish in it.

If you ever fucking see me on Zalera, don’t fucking even target me. If we ever meet in a fucking duty, you better just shut up and look the other way and just get that shit done and get out of my fucking face again. We’ll stay out of each other’s hair and that’s that. I won’t acknowledge you. You don’t fucking acknowledge me.

I hate you. You broke my heart. I’m not a perfect person, but you sure as hell ain’t no godsdamn angel, Nero. Kid yourself all you want, but you abused me. Despite that, I do hope there is a day where you’re not miserable and you’re safe. I just never want to be there for it. Goodbye, Nero.

[daniedoodles]

Danie’s Dilemmas Ep. 28: Unfiltered Thoughts (fr)

Everyone has said it, and I’ll say it again: this summer did not feel like summer at all. Sort of relating back to the previous episode, I feel like so much shit happened but when I really think about it, not much did. A recap of my summer can be summed up in a short list: internship (work), quick hang outs, calls, and piercings. Maybe the reason why I feel like a lot has happened is because I’ve thought of countless different possibilities for how each scenario has gone or will go down. This past week, I’ve been thinking about how everything that happened last summer are slowly but surely reaching their one year anniversary because Snapchat’s just so keen on reminding me of my past. However, all these thoughts from last summer circle back to one prevalent thought: I don’t want them to repeat themselves. Obviously not all, but some for sure. I think about the friendship I made this summer and I fear of how it might end the way it did with the previous person - saying the wrong thing, and drifting apart because of it. I’m so tired of seeing people leave my life because they don’t care as much as I do to have them stay in it, then there’s just this inevitable feeling of worthlessness that follows. I’m the type of person that does not simply want to be wanted in someone’s life, but needed as well. I may not express it on the surface level, but deep down, I feel so much more accomplished when I know I’ve fulfilled a role right in someone else’s life, knowing that I somehow contributed to make it better. (please ignore the fact that I said “life” so many times in those last three sentences)

I’ve been wanting to cover this topic for some time now, but just couldn’t find the right words to say it, or perhaps because I also didn’t feel quite ready to purposely put myself in a vulnerable position. There are a lot of things about me that I never care to admit to others because, let’s be honest, I do care (most of the time) about what other people think of me. But I figured, since not a lot of people read these episodes to begin with, and the select few that do are all very close to me, it gives me no reason to keep it in any longer. 

I suck ass at getting closure. This one is probably the most known fact about me, especially if you’ve been reading these episodes from the very beginning. It takes a LOT of effort for me to get over something. Just when I think that I’m over it, I reminisce and then it just hits me all over gain. It does get annoying, and I’m sure my friends are not fun of it when I revisit those times, but I can’t help it. 

I remember everything. Doesn’t matter if it was something as small as the first conversation we’ve ever had, or something as big as that one secret you told me to never tell a living soul, I remember. Being able to remember a majority of what has happened to me is by far one of the most fundamental aspects of my personality. I’ll remember your birthday, regardless of whether I like you or hate you, or if you don’t know me back, expect me to greet you because I think that everyone deserves to feel special on their birthday (okay, now I’m obligated to say that you should be able to feel special everyday because it is 2019 and everything can be pegged as “offensive”... so just to be safe, there’s my disclaimer. It’s not just your birthday that you should be able to feel special.)

I love hard. I expressed my love for my friends very sparingly in the past, up until recently. But one thing remains unchanged, and it’s that I love hard. When I love someone, I love them unconditionally. I may not be that great at letting them know because the way I was raised just naturally calls me to be more conservative about the way I express affection, but it’s there. 

I get jealous easily (but on the DL). This is probably one of the few things that I really wish I could change about myself. I think being raised as an only child has a lot to do with that, because I’ve been so used to having the limelight all to myself without fear of someone else taking it away from me, at least in the familial setting. But with friends, or when I like someone, the female instinct to overthink fuels the jealousy. Luckily, I’ve been fairly good at keeping this under control. I suppose you can classify this as a sign of personal growth. 

I’m always afraid that I bore someone. Being a Capricorn, almost every astrology site, horoscope or tarot card reading will tell you that we are boring and cold-hearted. In most cases, I feel as though we’re one of the most misinterpreted signs because they only read us from our outward facade. Yes, I’ll admit, I can look unapproachable sometimes (rbf does not help), and when I’m not interested in having a conversation with you, I will be dry on purpose. But it’s a whole new case when someone that you’re wanting to really talk to, finds that you are just as boring as they say. 

I should have a more serious concluding sentence to all of this, but in the middle of writing, I took a phone break and now I can’t stop watching Tiktoks again... so umm, yeah. I think that’ll be all. 

Kinda don’t need y’all to read this lowkey.

[tipsycad147]

Am I a Witch? How to Tell If You're a Witch

Layne Holmes

Signs and characteristics of the modern witch

How Can You Tell If Someone Is a Witch?

While there are many kinds of witches, witchcraft, and traditions, witches all have one thing in common: they are attuned to the energy of the universe. This attunement may have arisen naturally—perhaps a child was born sensitive, born in sync with nature, or encouraged to absorb the natural world around them. On the other hand, an individual may have more commonly chosen their path towards witchery.

What Do Witches Look Like?

The whole portrayal of the cackling witch with the black robe, black hat, striped socks, black cat, and witch's broom is far outdone and greatly inaccurate. There are many witches walking among us practising and flowing with the sync of daily life, and they may present themselves in any way they choose.

Witches are men or women who use the energy of the universe to do work. So whether a wise-woman wears her natural, long, grey hair and a knitted cover-up, or a man wears sleek, black clothes, silver adornments, and a hat, there's really no telling who is a witch and who isn't from an outer appearance.

Am I a Witch?

You may have been musing over the question "Am I a Witch?" for a while, or maybe you tuned into the recent adaptation of Sabrina the Teenage Witch called The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and felt a little tickle in your hair. Let's take a look at the signs and characteristics that define a contemporary or modern witch.

Witches feel at home when immersed in nature

You're Synchronised With Nature

This is one of the most telltale signs, in my opinion. Witches work with the energy of the earth and nature. They sync many of their practices to the lunar and solar phases. Have you ever felt charged or felt the need to perform a ritual on a full moon or new moon? Have you ever felt more at peace in nature—deep in a forest or near a body of water—than inside a house or in a crowded public place?

Feeling at home in nature is a good indication that you have witch potential—when you're in it, you feel compelled to bath in the river, touch the trees, lay in the moss, put your feet in the ocean, listen to the birds, and appreciate the sound of dew in the trees. Your senses are essentially heightened when you are submerged in the natural world.

You Perform Rituals

Rituals here are loosely defined. Rituals can be anything from cleansing your room on a certain lunar phase to feeling the need to bury items in the earth. Maybe you gather items, and your intuition moves you to arrange them a certain way or combine them in a certain way. Perhaps you take herbs regularly, not necessarily because someone told you to, but because they feel good in your body. If you have natural tendencies like those described above, you are likely tapping into the universal energy.

Familiars need not be the common black cat

You Communicate With Animals

You will definitely know who you are if you fit into this category. Are animals drawn to you, and are you drawn to animals? If animals take to you natural—including wildlife—and they appear in your life in high frequency, it is likely that you are "neutral" or attractive to them. Whereas the average human's energy may clash with that of non-human animals, witches tend to attract. This can be anything from neighbourhood cats to an owl or deer that reappears in your yard regularly. You may have found that many animals "find you" in your lifetime. This is a good sign.

Your Intuition Is Strong

Have you ever looked through someone? That is, can you see beyond what they are conveying? If you've ever heard someone speak but knew more than what they were telling you, or had a bad or good feeling about someone without knowing them, this may indicate that you are likely attuned to the universal energy. Trusting your intuition means you have a strong feeling in your "gut." This extra sense often leads you to the right answer about a situation, the right path, person, or thing whether present, past, or future.

You Have a Familiar

In the Dark Ages, "familiars" were not talked about quite as lightly as they are today and were actually thought to be demons by Christians. Neo-pagans and modern witches have a much different view and often refer to their household animal companion as their familiar. Familiars don't have to be your stereotypical black cat; they can be dogs, rabbits, wolves, owls, and other wildlife.

What Is a Familiar?

Familiars are souls that have returned again and again to reconnect with the witch they are drawn to—hence the term "familiar." Spirit guide animals tend to be smarter, deeper, more attuned, and even more "human-like" in many ways than most domesticated pets.

Herbs are commonly used in healing and magickal spell-casting.

You Collect Natural "Tools"

Perhaps when you stroll out in nature, you are always coming across bones, shells, feathers, precious stones, abalone shells, or natural anomalies. If you have collected these items over the years, you may have been collecting them to "do work." Learning how to use them will often require the guidance of a seasoned witch or a little bit of research on your end.

You Have an Understanding of Herbs

Herbs are of great use to witches. Herbalism or herbology is simply the use of herbs to cure or treat physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, or psychic ailments. Herbs can be used in craft for protection, communication, abundance, and for similar intentions. If you use herbs regularly and have a natural, unexplained tendency towards working with them (and working with them effectively and safely), this is a good indicator of your magickal tendencies.

You Are Wise

There is no ruling about whether or not someone can be too young to be a witch, although one should not practice witchcraft at a young age unless properly guided. Life experience and maturity is a huge indication of ones' magickal abilities. Witches tend to observe and assess and act accordingly. Witches, too, have a healthy and respectful understanding of life events like birth and death.

You're Introverted by Choice

Many witches have work to do. If you find yourself overwhelmed by busy places like malls, theme parks, etc. and avoid them entirely for peace of mind, you may simply be protecting or keeping your natural abilities healthy. The side effects of polluted energy present as headaches, moodiness, and fatigue. Some people can be energy vampires, and witches much prefer to be in contemplative settings away from chaos and busy happenings—unless with their coven.

Witches use the gifts of the earth to cast spells and do work.

You Sense Energy

Much like seeing through people (not to be confused with psychic or clairvoyant abilities), you can feel the energy of people and the places that surround you. Witches often can assess an environment or an object's energetic field. If an object has been cursed or used in dark practices, they will know. On the other hand, if a space has light energy or an object has been used in good, benevolent practices, a witch will know.

Technology Is Hit or Miss

Too much computer, television, or screen time for anyone can have detrimental effects, but for witches, in particular, technology can feel poisonous. If a witch is surrounded by too much technology, they may start to feel mental fog from electromagnetic pollution. This is not the case for all witches, however, as some may use technology freely and without issue.

You Are Open-Minded

Witches find themselves attracted to other unusual, obscure, or atypical individuals. You will rarely find them spending time with individuals who don't dapple in the arts. They have a healthy respect for practices such as tarot, astrology, energy healing, and similar modalities. Someone's belongings too may reflect an openness to witchery. Perhaps you have books on witchcraft, have collected magickal tokens from travel and other cultures, and maybe you have a healthy collection of living plants in your home.

Storms and Natural Events Charge You

If you feel your spirit stir at the sight of lightning, the sound of thunder, the crashing of waves in a storm swell, or the rush of heavy winds, this is a strong indication. Witches tend to work with nature and natural energy, so any kind of divergence from the status quo is a perfect opportunity for work and recharge. For them, nothing is more thrilling than sensing the movement of the universal energy.

Witches work closely with solar and lunar phases.

What Kind of Witch Am I?

It is important to know that there are many different types of witches and witchcraft and it is important that you take the time to explore the differences to get an idea of a number of practices and traditions. Many individuals have heard of the term "Wicca." Wicca is a form of modern paganism that originated in the 1950s and is based on very peaceful, harmonious, and balanced practices.

Voodoo, shamanism, psychism, etc. are terms that should be respectfully distinguished and not confused with witchcraft. In addition, witchcraft is acknowledged across cultures and languages, for example: brujeria (Spanish), bruxa (Portugeues), heks (Danish), etc.

What Is Paganism?

Paganism refers to individuals who follow a spiritual path based around the earth and earth's energy. Paganism is used as a broad term to describe many different belief systems. Not all pagans are witches.

Were Your Relatives Witches?

There is the misconception that individuals are "natural-born" witches. This is not always the case. If your relatives were known witches and practised witchcraft, you may indeed have witchy potential, but as mentioned, being a witch is a path that any man, woman, or individual can choose to pursue and embrace if it speaks to them.

Is a Witch a Sorcerer, Sorceress, Warlock, Wizard, or Wizardess?

A male or a female who has chosen the path is simply a witch. Sorcerer, sorceress, warlock, wizard, and wizardess are closely related terms but are not often used by witches. These terms generally refer to conjurers but are often kept far separate from those who practice witchcraft and self-identify as witches.

Witches tend to do introspective work.

How Can I Be a Witch?

Rather than deciding "I want to be a witch," it's better to approach the curiosity with deep respect and thought. Practising witchcraft and magick is a serious life decision and should be thought about carefully, responsibly, and respectfully.

It is important to do your reading, research, and to work with experienced individuals who have been practising for some time and have a deep understanding of the craft. Be wary of strict practices and practices that appear to do work for malevolent reasons.

Simple Ways to Embrace Witchery for Beginners

Love the Living. Some witches choose to adopt a plant-based (vegan or vegetarian) diet. This is a personal decision and is not mandatory, however, many describe it as soul-cleansing.

Collect Nature's Gifts. When you are immersed in a natural environment, pay close attention to objects and items that would do well in your living space or at a personal altar. Collecting the gifts of the seasons and arranging them respectfully is a good way to honour the earth.

Be in Sync With the Moon. It is important to be attuned to the moon phases. Many spells and rituals will commence on new moons, full moons, and during special lunar or solar events. There are lunar phase charts you can find at crystal shops and metaphysical shops, or online. Also, consider celebrating the lunar phases with ritual and by setting intentions. New moons are good for releasing the unwanted.

Care for the Animals. Offer hummingbirds feed in the winter months and birds water in the summer. If you live in an urban area, consider volunteering or simply stopping in and saying hi to homeless shelter animals. Who knows? Maybe you will find your familiar.

Lessen Your Load. You can show your love and connection to earth by reducing your production of waste, cutting single-use plastic, and eating a more natural and local diet. Reuse containers, buy less packaged foods and reduce junk food from your diet. Also, consider eating seasonal foods to sync your body up with nature.

Immerse Yourself in Nature. Go for nature walks and nature strolls. Touch the earth as you feel drawn to it. Listen to the birds. Neutralise your energy and observe the wildlife around you—welcome them and enjoy any moments of connection you may experience by respectfully acknowledging them as they show themselves.

Do Your Reading and Journaling. Before you get started on spells, go to your local library, bookstore, or research books online that will help you prepare for your first spell casting. Work with light, work benevolently, and work for the greater good. Start working on your Book of Shadows or grimoire—your journal of spells, secrets, and rituals.

Video: The Book of Shadows

https://exemplore.com/wicca-witchcraft/How-to-Tell-If-Youre-a-Witch

[wordswithwayman]

Interview w/ Poet Bethany Moore

Recently, I got a chance to interview Bethany Moore about her works of poetry. Bethany is a Denver based poet who recently published two books of poetry. Hope you enjoy this format, and be sure to let us know what you think of it, on Twitter and Facebook @wordswithwayman

1. When did you get your start in poetry and how did you find it? I’ve been writing poetry since I was a really young child, and thankfully I feel I’ve improved in my style and technique over the years! It was one of the ways I entertained myself as an only child, in addition to writing and singing songs and dancing and other theatrics. I’ve always been one of those expressive types. I remember writing little stories in Kindergarten, and later being strongly encouraged by my 5th grade teacher in Southern Maryland of Hollywood Elementary School, Ms. Betty Brady, to pursue seriously writing poetry. As a teacher and member of the community, she was a great leader for literary programs like poetry festivals in our school. I was so impacted by her encouragement in elementary school that I remember her influence all these years later, and I included her in my dedications in my second poetry book, “Weather Magick”. Thanks to the magic of Facebook, we’ve been able to stay in contact after all these years (I was her student in 1992-1993) and she was so pleased to hear I’m still writing and that I’ve published some of my work. I sent her a copy in the mail recently, too, and it was a nice feeling to see that kind of positive influence come full circle in a way after, oh, twenty-five years. Throughout high school, I was all about the after-school poetry club, which we all referred to as “The Writer’s Society” - and yes, we were certainly a crew of eccentrics and misfits. Then, in my early twenties, I participated in open-mic poetry events in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, D.C., for many years. I lived in Portland, Oregon, for a stint in 2009-2011 and enjoyed checking out open-mic readings and even hosted a couple of “Retro Speakeasy”-style poetry and jazz events during my time there. For the last three years here in Denver, Colorado, I sometimes hit the mic on Sunday evenings at the Mercury Cafe and other venues like Mutiny Information Cafe. Poetry has always manifested as a quintessential part of who I am in my identity all along, to be honest.

2. You’ve released two books of poetry lately “The Cicada and the Firefly” and “Weather Magick", how did these books come about and why now? It was always my intention to publish my collection of poetry from throughout the years I’ve been writing, at least since I was an adult. Last year, in January, I finally set a goal to publish my first collection on or before my birthday in late September. So I researched online self-publishing tools and settled on Amazon’s CreateSpace platform and began going through my collections and formatting the pages. It was the end of March last year in 2016 when I got very sad news about a close friend of mine that I’d known since I was fourteen years old. His name was Benjamin Johnson, Benny, and he was very influential on my life as a kind of soulmate. Unfortunately, he struggled with demons such as drug addiction, and met his untimely death last spring when he was struck by a car. Honestly, this was the first time someone close to me had passed away, and I grieved deeply for quite awhile. During the grieving process, I dug up every poem and journal entry I could find that referenced my feelings for Benny, or our experiences together, over many years, dating back to when I was a teenager. I compiled them and formatted them into their own collection as a way to honor him and our relationship together. It was important to me to prioritize this collection first. I published by mid September. My soul had to release it out to the universe. Because of the nature of how he came in and out of my life, which you can read about intimately, you’ll understand the reference to insects in “The Cicada and the Firefly: a study of love and insects” when you read through the storyline in real-time poetry and prose. As for second book published on October 31, 2016, titled, “Weather Magick: a collection of poetry and witchcraft”, it is a selection of 31 poems from my general collection, which you’ll find references to nature, both serene and disastrous, and the emotional turmoil involved in growing up and maturing in a world of life, love, and spiritual journey. I reference ritual and alchemy, and other Pagan concepts are easy to find in my writing if you’re an adept. As this writing is an outlet that helps with my spiritual and mental balance, it’s just as important to share this writing with others as it is to produce it for my own catharsis to begin with. I hope and wish that this display of my journey, the joy and pain and everything between, provides a realm of understanding and language for others seeking to know that they’re not alone in this world.

3. Who are your poetic influences? My quick three responses are Emily Dickensen, Sylvia Plath, and Dorothy Parker. I also find myself inspired by Margaret Atwood, and then a dive back into the works of the Sufi poet Rumi. When I was younger, back in Ms. Brady’s fifth grade class, I remember being greatly inspired by the work of Langston Hughes.

4. How do you write? Do you have a time of the day that you are most productive or do you wait till it comes to you? It’s difficult for me to write at home, actually, so I find myself at coffee shops and local brew pubs to get that time out of my daily routine and usual pattern of function in order to get the headspace to reflect and write in my handwritten journals. So, weekday evenings at pubs, for sure, and weekends give me more flexibility for the coffee shop writing sessions. Bonus if the weather is nice and I can sit outside for the writing process.

5. How does being a witch influence your poetry? Being a witch influences my writing more and more as I accept it as not only a part of who I am, fully embracing this part of me while being brave against a world that may not understand me, and also allowing my poetry to channel the voice of the witch without fear or perhaps concern that the symbolism or concepts won’t translate to the general public. I’d like to think that those who gather Pagan spiritual concepts will recognize those patterns and references in my writing, but also that those who aren’t adept in such practices will still be moved and perhaps intrigued by the archetypes and metaphors presented enough to find inspiration.

6. How do poets look at the world differently from other people? I can’t speak for other poets, but for me, I know I feel this world, every experience, every insecurity, every possibility, every dynamic, more intensely than most in this world. For those of us who need to express ourselves and be heard, to bear witness to the complicated suffering of this world; words, prose, and poetry is our gospel to the universe.

7. How did you find and begin to practice paganism as a child? The short answer is that I was an odd child who found the cool part of the bookstore in Barnes and Noble at an early age. I was easily interested in subjects like astrology and faery lore and animal magic by the age of ten or so. By age twelve, I was reading books on more intermediate subjects like Celtic magic and crystal healing and the Tarot, mostly a self-taught solitary student, though by age fourteen, I started working and studying at the local Wiccan shop in my small rural town that opened up called ‘Keepers of the Moon Garden’, and there I was mentored under the wing of the shop owner, Theresa, and thus began my more formal and serious study of Paganism by a state-recognized circle. My parents were, thankfully, very supportive. My father does woodworking as a skilled hobby and even built my spiritual altar which has a dark-wood inlay of a pentacle on the surface. I am blessed to have had such support when so many of my peers were being rejected by their families and loved ones for their ideas and beliefs along the Pagan path.

8. What do you want your books to do for people? This is a great question to consider. Somewhere between the exhibitionist expressive artist, and the confessional, sometimes commanding mystic, I suppose I simply wish to share my experience as fully and wholly as I can with anyone who seeks to commiserate or feel they are not alone in this complex human existence. Perhaps to learn from my pain and my experience, so that others can maybe suffer a little less.

9. Have you ever performed your poetry in front of people? And if so, how did it feel to perform words you wrote to an audience? Yes, many times, in many capacities, and I still feel that nervous reaction each time I begin, blushing cheeks and quivered-voice, worry of sounding ridiculous or worse, but I’ve continued to be brave and follow my truly fiery inner need to share my words with the world, so I power through, sweaty forehead and all. The reward begins with the release, and then anyone who relates to you therein gives you reassurance on occasion. The most important part, however, is that you are brave and give your voice the volume of sound it deserves.d

10. Denver is getting more and more expensive, is it hard to be a creative person there these days? Are you full-time poetry or do you work a day job? Yeah, definitely, I think about it often and it’s difficult to know where the benefits of the rental versus ownership market lands for most of us here. I proudly and very gratefully have been a full-time employee of the National Cannabis Industry Association since January of 2014 where I do communications, media, and public relations projects. It’s a non-profit trade association, so I don’t make big corporate bucks, but I do make a decent living and love working hard in an industry where I have roots in the activist movement before it even really became an industry. There are good people shaping the roots of the cannabis industry, and as a healer and activist, doing this work is greatly rewarding in my path. I enjoy multimedia production, managing website content, managing and hosting our weekly podcast, and working with video content, so that allows me a path of creative expressiveness in my routine work, which is pretty exciting. My career in non-profit political and social justice issues as well as my personal activism and artistic endeavors have kept me busy through the years, and I certainly prefer it that way. “Idle hands…” and so on, perhaps. So I do my best to make time to show up at open-mic nights when I can, and I am planning more opportunities to reach out to various venues and book stores to share my work. It’s so cool to see the culture of Denver in particular with the cornerstone neighborhood bookstores that create welcoming environments for local authors to participate in the literary economy. So I’m selling poetry books independently as an artistic revenue income stream in my spare time. I self-publish through Amazon’s CreateSpace. Through that platform, the revenue percentages that I see are about half the retail price the author or creator assigns. Author’s copies can be ordered for a reasonable charge which allows for direct personal sales, though shipping charges apply. There’s math involved, and it basically comes down to an occasional flux in a boost of sales which gives me a nice few dollars of sales here and there. But I’m also issued tax-related forms from these sales which are accounted for when I file my yearly taxes. But there you are, marketing yourself, responsible for all your sales and taxes when ordered online. It’s just one avenue to get one’s art out there, knowing the risks and losses and work involved. But I just couldn’t wait anymore. It was time for me to publish. It was overdue, so I made a resolution to do it, and I did. I set out to publish one book of poems, and as it turned out, I published two. And it feels right.

11. Five years from now, best case scenario, what does your life look like? I appreciate the gravity and hopefulness of this question so much. I’ve been blessed to have on my resume several roles throughout the years as I grew at companies and organizations that have facilitated great change and impact on our society in America, and perhaps beyond. And in my growth as a person and spiritual being, advocate, activist, artist, and whatever else I think I am, I just hope to continue to find roles and opportunities where I can have an impact for the greater good. I know I’m an odd duck, a strange bird, but I think most people by this time in my life understand what I stand for and what kind of help and strength and offerings I have to give. I just want a role in five years where I can give all my best talents and skills and strengths into some greater good. I’d also like to see more progress toward my goals of “house, hound, husband, and happiness.”

12. Where can people find your stuff on the internet? Well, I’m active on most social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and I’ve also created a Facebook author page specific to my poetry publications. I’m very active, I always have been, on social media and I do post about my professional role in the cannabis industry as well as my Pagan-centric spirituality. It’s in my nature as a communications and media person, as well as an artist and activist through the years. So, to find me on most social media platforms, I go by ‘Beatnik Betty’. And I love to connect with friendly like-minded artists and activists.

Twitter: @BeatnikBetty Facebook:  /BeatnikBetty Facebook:  /BethanyMoorePoet Instagram:  bqatnikbetty

I’d also love if folks interested in supporting my poetry by purchasing my publications would please find them on Amazon.com.

Weather Magick: a collection of poetry and witchcraft  

The Cicada and the Firefly: a study of love and insects Thanks so much for allowing me to share my work with your audience. My message is that there are many of us out here that want to create a better world, who wish for healing and transformation, and you are not alone. Just as I seek my particular flavor of love and purpose, I hold sacred space, and know of many who hold sacred space at this time as well, with all pointing toward a greater reality. Now is the time when we must find each other and connect and share now more than ever before.

Be well, and Blessed