witchacademia

[witchacademia]

What the Fuck Am I Doing? Tarot spread

(Please excuse the poor editing I did this on my phone)

1) What should I be focusing on?

What needs to be done that I am not/cannot seem to focus on? What is my goal? What should I be doing?

2) What am I thinking about instead?

What's distracting me? What is keeping my attention away from what I need to do?

3) Why is it distracting me?

Extra cards optional, pull as many as you need to figure out the root of the problem

4) How do I refocus?

What do I do to get rid of this block? How do I move past the distraction? How do I solve the root issue of the distraction? Again, pull as many as you need.

[witchacademia]

To the Gods lost to time

We may have no way of knowing your name, but we do know you. We know you existed.

We may have no way of knowing what purpose you served in your pantheon, but we appreciate the work that you did, and the work you continue to do.

You may be older than what we think of as the first civilizations, you may be older than evolution, but thank you for being with our ancestors.

Thank you for holding their hands, teaching them how to hunt, which plants were edible, how to walk, how to develop.

It's because of you that humanity exists in the way we know today.

I'm sorry you've been lost to time.

[witchacademia]

I updated my Yule tarot spread from last year. Feel free to tag me if you use this spread!

1. What needs my attention the most in the coming year?

2. What has pushed you forward this year?

3. What has held you back this year?

4. What gifts do you carry?

5. How can you best use those gifts?

6. A message of guidance from your deities/ancestors.

[witchacademia]

31 Days of Spiritual Journaling

Prompts for spiritual journals, grimoires, books of shadows…  I hope this can provide inspiration!  Please tag me or, tag the post ��31 days of spiritual journaling”.  I would love to see them!  

What do you believe?

How did you come to your path?  (your spiritual journey)

Teach/Describe one of your key spiritual practices.  (mindfulness, meditation, grounding, prayer, ritual…….)

Discuss a plant or place that is important to you spiritually.  Why is it meaningful to you?  

Record a recipe relating to a holiday you celebrate.  How do you use this food/drink/mixture?

Delve into your relationship with a deity, or why you don’t honor deities.

Teach/Describe a craft or skill that‘s tied to your spirituality.

Recommend 3 books! 

What do you do when it is hard to continue your spiritual practice or feel connected spiritually?

Discuss offerings.  What does that look like for you?

Engage with the theme of “sacrifice”  What does that mean to you?

Delve into “Afterlife” or “Ancestors”.  How do those ideas play out in your worldview?  In your spiritual practice?

Have you had experiences meeting or working with other pagans/witches?  Elaborate!

Discuss imagery or symbols that are important to you.  What are they?  Why are they important?  How do you use them?

Make a ‘beginners guide’ or ‘field guide’ for an important element of your practice (stones, weather, herbs, gardening, tarot, camping…)

Engage with the theme of “love”  What does that mean to you?  

Take notes on a book, article, video, or guide about something you’d like to do soon.

Did you have experience being pagan/witchy in school?  Advice for kids who grow up in a pagan/witchy home?

What are your core values?  Challenge yourself to list them and explain your choices.  (Need help? get started by looking at formalized lists like Catholicism’s 7 Heavenly Virtues, the Wiccan Rede, The Nine Noble Virtues, the 7 Principles of Unitarian Universalism…)

Create a page just for Gratitude Journaling. Does “gratitude” have a role in your practice?

Record quotes that are deeply meaningful for you.

Has there been a time your beliefs (pagan, pre-pagan, other…) have been deeply challenged?  What was that like?  What did you learn?

Are there any songs you find spiritually meaningful currently?

How would you describe yourself?  Perhaps attempt a self-portrait.  How have your self-views impacted or been changed by your spirituality?

Describe an intensely spiritual experience you’ve had.

Advice to New Pagans/Witches: What is a mistake you made, or a unnecessary challenge you faced, which you wish you’d been able to avoid?

What does the theme of “courage” mean in your path?

What is your dream home, future-self, or vacation?  Can you identify aspects of your spirituality that impact that dream of yours?

Record a dream.  Do you find any meaning or significance in it?

Do you have any experiences with tarot/runes/divination? What are your beliefs around that?  If you enjoy divinatory work, do you have a theory regarding how/why it works?

If someone was to honor you as their ancestor, what would be a meaningful and loving way for them to do that?

[witchacademia]

I'm trying to figure out if I'm being drawn to worshipping the gods or just hyperfixating on the beautiful things I've learned about them in my study. And I can't tell if I'm also just drawn to it because of ✨religious trauma✨ from my conservative Christian family. How do I know for sure where I'm meant to walk?

Hello, love!

Firstly, let’s throw out the idea that you’re “meant” to do something and instead replace it with “want”

Where, my dear, do you want to walk? And who do you want to walk with?

Of course it’s quite exciting and exhilarating to be chosen or to feel like being with the gods is your destiny. But that doesn’t have to be your story and it doesn’t need to be written in the stars for you to have a place with the gods. You can choose to belong. You can choose to walk with them. You can choose to love them.

You don’t even need to understand the reason you feel drawn to them. Because truly you likely won’t discover it until after you begin worshiping. And if you decide to choose this path, the reasoning doesn’t really matter. There are devoted worshipers who found their way to the gods because they read Percy Jackson. It may seem like a trivial even ridiculous reason but to the gods the reason never matters. They’re just happy you’re here, now, with them. That you chose them.

So if you feel drawn to the gods then allow yourself to be drawn to them. Go explore. Walk the path and see what you discover. 💕

[witchacademia]

Book Recommendations:

I have a book list of witchcraft books I do own (which is now updated too!), but I also have a ton of books from the library I have reviewed as well! There are many I have posted, but not all of them are actually books I would recommend to others, so let me compile the books I would actually like to get the word out about here: 

Books I genuinely like:

Grovedaughter Witchery, which I liked so much that I bought it and then gave away and then bought again

Crystal Ball Reading for beginners by Alexandra Chauran

Glamour Magic by Deborah Castellano

Her Hidden Children, Chas S. Clifton

HausMagick by Erica Feldman

Traditional Wicca, Thorn Mooney (Which I don’t think I wrote a review for)

Of Witchcraft and Whimsy, which I also liked so much that I gave it to a circle-sister as a gift

The Magickal Family, Monica Crosson

Things Your Elders Never Told You, Katherine Clark

The Study of Witchcraft by Deborah Lipp

The Witch’s Book of Shadows by Jason Mankey

Tea Leaf Reading for Beginners by Caroline Dow

Garden Witchery by Ellen Dugan

A History of Witchcraft: Heretics, Sorcerers, and Pagans by Russell and Alexander

Anathema! By Marc Drogin

The Crocheting Witch by R.J. Montgomery

And for the Kemetic Polytheists out there, Nefer  and Dancing for Hathor :)

Books I recommend for historical/context value, but don’t personally enjoy:

Doreen Valiente’s Collection

The Triumph of the Moon, Ronald Hutton

Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches 

American Witches by Herbert J Davis. (This one is expensive. File an ILL if you want to read it.)

How do I judge books?

I have the full post linked above, but tldr, I look for things that provide helpful, accurate information, are able to convey their point in the midst of and enjoyable experience, and aren’t racist, transphobic, or ableist. Like the Beschdel test, I am surprised how many books just don’t pass.

This is not the full extent of all the books I have reviewed or that I like, but I don’t have an easily distinguishable tag, so here’s the down low. Take it and run.

Blessings!

[witchacademia]

Hello, What would you recommend for a newbie? I've been wanting to start for a while now, I am just at the point where I have no idea where to begin or what to begin with (and I really do want to take it seriously, so it's hard to tell which resources are true and which ones are just made up/exaggerated bullshit). Recommended resources (books,supplies, basically what might help me understand it all better and what the basic supplies) would be very much appreciated.

Hi! There are so many beginning tips and tricks, and so, SO many masterposts on tumblr about suggested places to begin, so I’m just going to give you the thinnest aspects. There are a lot of things you’re going to want to try, so I’ll give you my most basic advice. 

1) Buy/Borrow books. Will all of them be good? No. Will some of them be racist or homophobic or have misleading information or be extremely Wiccan-centric? Yeah, probably. But it’ll be good lessons on real issues in the community and teach you how to spot the shady bits in other literature. The upside is that most books are very easy to understand because they assume the reader knows absolutely nothing and will try to teach you from the ground up. Newer books will be better (and more secular), but they’ll be, uh, $$$$. A lot of $$$$. I suggest instead buying used witchcraft books on Thriftbooks.com (I’m always plugging them but it’s because I use it so often!) which has a $10=no shipping payment deal and on amazon (which is something like $25= no shipping deal). If this isn’t possible, because not everyone has a credit card, you always can visit your local library and download free ibooks and kindle books.

Actually, go to the library first before buying. Some books are really the worst and you’ll know which ones not to buy after a trip to the library. Wiccan books will be in the religion section but more secular books will be in the occult or mythology sections. My personal library is up at the top of my header, with notes on books that I have read and a few on books I own but have not. You can see what seems useful to you there. 

2) Pinterest. It’s all bootlegged material, and some of it is culturally appropriative (if it says “smudging”, you say no. If it says “Voodoo”, you say no). But beyond that, there are a number of really easy to understand graphics and charts on theory and easy to understand spells that are just as easy to perform.  I particularly like the tarot spreads there. 

3) Tumblr. Ah yes, the Hellsite. Is it abominable and ridiculous? Absolutely! but look at where you are; you’re here, and so am I. There are just as many racists and white supremacists and homophobes and transphobes in the witchcraft tumblr community as there are in all of tumblr, but the issues and fights and discourse here gives you a better understanding of what witches exist in the world, what we’re all actually like when interacting together and in large groups.

Which is people. Except very cold-war style and perhaps a little too much cursing. 

There are people who will want to help you, people just trying to show off to you, and people who will want to take you down. That’s natural. Follow people you think are authenic and either block or unfollow people who become too aggravating. There are many great people who will be open to questions and willing to answer, but if they’re backlogged or don’t feel up to answering, just…be understanding.

4) Now, NOW I come to supplies. Don’t buy witchcraft tools first. 

Let me explain. Many witchcraft tools are extremely expensive. That makes sense: purchasing one is an investment, and can run you a pretty penny depending on what components make it up. There is a lot of (expensive) variety, but this will be a waste if you buy something you end up never using. Or worse, if you buy something upcharged at a metaphys shop that can be bought cheaper elsewhere. That wicked-looking athame? Work up to that: start by consecrating a dinner knife and see if you actually like using a knife in the first place. A pretty besom? See if using a broom is worth it in your craft in the first place. Crystals? See if you like working with crystals at all before dropping $3.99 on a fingernail sized piece of rose quartz. Find your habits and hobbies first, and then invest down the line in things you think would enhance your craft. I have a gorgeous runeset I bought in Iceland that I never use because I prefer tarot but can’t consider handing away because it was a souvenir. It is a beloved waste of the heart, but a waste nevertheless.

Here are the basics when it comes to cutting costs:

Chime candles: cheaper on amazon (price compare for sales)

Taper candles+holders: dollar store

Incense: walmart/dollar store

Rider-Waite Deck from Spirit of Halloween for $3.99

Incense holders: dollar store, or Five Below

Ribbon: Dollar store

Altar decorations: just pick stuff up in the park. 

Bulk Herbs from Monterey Bay Spice co (Works best for West-Coasters)

Cheap Herbs: Doesn’t have a wide variety, but dollar stores do stock some as spices

Crystals are better bought in scientific areas, like museums and kid’s science shops, as they don’t upcharge for religion 

Buying bulk tea is a great place to buy food-grade flowers and plants

That’s all I could think of immediately, but you’ll find more when you start practicing. 

Maybe not 5) The Real World.  

Witchvox.com is home to what looks like older-style pagans and wiccan witches. There will also be a lot of free or pay-to-enter pagan and witch gatherings throughout the year that are open to the public for celebration and networking. If you;re looking for mentors, or for a coven, you might be able to find someone there, but uh… be careful. I’m gonna get a little serious here: 

I don’t know how deep you are into the witchcraft community, but remember to remain wary of people trying to control you, your actions, or your religion. If you don’t feel comfortable with a person, don’t stay there. If you’re uncomfortable, say, working sky-clad or participating in certain things, don’t let yourself or anyone else bully you into doing it. Your profile pic looks very feminine (although I can’t tell from the tiny pic) so let me add that harassment and sexism are not uncommon, along with racism and homophobia and transphobia and everything else under the sun. It’s the reason many women and femmes and others are solitary: it becomes too aggravating to deal with, so they don’t. Harassment is not, perhaps, common, and there’s a chance you may never encounter it, but it does exist. If they ask you for money, say no. If they ask you for things you are not comfortable with, say no. If they try to spring things upon you without your consent, say no. If you ask about what their history or credibility and they refuse, say no. If they rule with an iron fist and don’t accept discussion and critique, leave. Spiritual beliefs and religion are really big ways people try to control other people. It happens in a lot of disciplines, but because the occult and witchcraft is so hidden, sometimes by it’s own nature, it can fester a lot longer in witchcraft. 

Witchcraft is not inherently dangerous: people are. 

Wow, I didn’t mean to get so serious so fast. Okay! 

You’re going to want to make a routine, whether it be monthy, weekly, or daily, to keep you on track. A lot of people suggest journalling, but I mainly use mine as a log for reference so do what feels right to you. And don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day, you just HAVE to keep going or else you might give up. Breaks are okay, but remember to pick yourself back up when you’re done! Incorporate little magics into your daily routine, into your bath routine, into your food, into your job/school, into your self-care, hell, into your meds if you have any. Learn how to magic up on the fly and do little exercises. Bring your books onto the bus with you for some light reading. (Book socks, if you have them, are excellent for this). Whatever you do, don’t fight you as you hop in. Learn to work with yourself; you’ll be the biggest constant. 

Good luck! Message me for any other questions you might have, and know you have my blessings! :) 

[witchacademia]

Library Services for Witchcraft Research

(image source)

Hello, friends, enemies, Witches and Pagans. I have worked in a library for one whole month now! (Wow!) I have spent hours and hours checking out books, shelving books, and telling people about the amazing services libraries offer for free, partially because I am paid to do it but mostly so that I can see the astounded look on people’s faces. I was telling people way before they actually hired me to tell people things. Sue me. I love libraries.

Now, I can’t say that each and every library will have all, or even some of these services. A conversation with a fellow witch whose county is not even a half hour away revealed that their library has, full stop, banned any and all witchcraft and witch-adjacent topics in the library. Still, most libraries can’t get away with similar full-on bans, and it is 100% worth still checking out what your local library has to offer, witchblr.

Are you a witch? Probably! The library probably has stuff for you! Yes, you! Here is my list on the top ways to take advantage of services you might already have access to:

Keep reading

[witchacademia]

Are there any books you would recommend for someone who is having issues encorporating their craft into their daily life?

Well, yes, but also, kind of, maybe?

Deborah Blake’s Everyday Witchcraft is an early favorite of mine that really took up that beginning place in my craft. She is Wiccan, and I didn’t find it hard to pick around the more questionable bits of her book, but I know that a lot of people want to be warned before they pick the book up. However, it still is a really fantastic book on learning how to add magic to the daily parts of your life, like chores and cooking.

Year-rounder books like the Hedgewitch’s Book of Days or the Llewelyn yearly almanac are pretty good at giving an overview of spells that could be done at certain months of the year, but I found that Everyday did a much better job at fitting witchcraft and mild spell work into easy routines. And hey, if you’re into kitchen magic, Telesco has two recipe books for kitchen witchery.

General tips I always recommend are:

Attune your craft to the life you have, not necessarily the life you want. Incrementalism is sustainable. Overhaul is often overwhelming

And

Buy spices and teas you’re already interested in finishing off, or else your herbs will languish in your spice cabinet and dry out.

Hope this helps!

Tips, since I always forget to tack them on

[witchacademia]

Hello! I wanted to ask if there are any books on working with gods as witch, or any sort of introduction to witchcraft that you would recommend 🙏🏽

Hello, love!

I can't recommend any books on working with gods as a witch because I haven't read any. However, I have plenty I can recommend for beginners to witchcraft!

The one I recommend the most is Rebel Witch by Kelly-Ann Maddox. It's my witchy bible! I absolutely love it! You can also check out her Youtube channel for more amazing witchy content!

Here are some other favs:

The Dabbler's Guide to Witchcraft by Fire Lyte

Witchcraft for Everyone by Sam Wise

The Witch's Path by Thorn Mooney

Weave the Liminal by Laura Tempest Zakroff

Grovedaughter Witchery by Bree NicGarran

Happy Reading, friend! <3

[witchacademia]

Hi, Jessie! I have a question. Do you ever get angry with the gods because they can't interfere with people's lives directly and save you from bad things? If so, how do you deal with that? I'm trying not to get angry at mine and I know it's not their fault, but it just sucks when you go through lots of traumatizing things you know? Sorry, I probably sound like an instigator ^^; Have a nice night! :)

Hey, hon!

I absolutely get angry with them! I remember when I got Covid I went OFF on Apollo and said some really mean things to him. And unfortunately that was not the first time I had reacted like that especially to Apollo.

What’s helped me a lot is reframing how I see the gods and their role in my life. I don’t see them as fairy godmothers or guardian angels who can magically make all the bad things disappear. Instead, they are there to help me overcome, heal, and thrive. It’s more about guidance, mentoring, support, and comfort than anything else.

I think it also helps to remember that they also struggle with having their hands tied in certain situations. And this is actually historically based because if you look at the mythology (especially the Iliad) you will see the gods crying and lamenting over the fact that they can’t rescue certain mortals.

I also recommend talking to them about it and be honest. All that listed here has come from me having genuine conversations with Apollo. Not only did he give me new perspectives but he also validated my feelings. He told me that it was understandable for me to feel angry and that despite trying to not react that way in the future it’s likely I will still get mad.

Strangely, I think the gods understand the struggles of being human more so than us actual humans lol! They have far more patience for us than we do with ourselves and each other. But I guess that’s part of what makes them divine.

Anyway, I hope there’s something helpful in my rambling! 💖

[witchacademia]

Theoi Nykterinoi is up for sale!

Contents include:

A section dedicated to Hera 

A section dedicated to Hekate

A section dedicated to Nyx 

A section dedicated to Selene 

A section dedicated to Artemis 

A section dedicated to Asteria 

A section dedicated to Astraios 

A section dedicated to Hypnos 

A section dedicated to Morpheus 

A section dedicated to Eos 

A section dedicated to the Stars & Constellations 

A section dedicated to Additional Theoi related to the night

A Glossary 

The shortest dedicated section contains four devotionals, including prayers for the morning and evening. Inside you’ll also find poems to the Hesperides, Endymion, Orion, Pasithea, and more.

And don’t forget about my other published work, Eusebia: Daily Praises to the Theoi (print version available on Amazon) (and Barnes & Noble) 

[witchacademia]

Hi!! I’m new here so I don’t know if you’ve answered this before or if it’s silly, but how do I choose the right god to devote to? I’ve liked Artemis and Persephone since I was a child, but idk if they’re “correct” for me? Should they be someone I relate to or “fits” the major themes in my life? Like, if I’m very studious I should devote to Athena, etc? I’m sorry if this is dumb, your blog is lovely 💕

I’ve worshipped deities I’ve felt called to, ones whose help I needed at a certain time in my life, ones who represented something I wanted more of in my life, and ones just because I felt like it.

All the deities you mentioned are part of the Theoi, and it’s common for multiple to be worshipped at the same time and for that to shift to different deities with time and life changes. For me, Hestia has been a constant but most others have shifted as I followed the things I mentioned above.

It’s also worth nothing that worshiping comes in many different forms/levels.

I regularly worship Hestia but give offerings and my thanks to Hermes more periodically and before + after bigger travels (and after close calls while driving I always show my thanks). I felt a lot more connected with Athena while in school and studying all the time, that has faded but I’ll still give her offerings when I feel called to. Those are just a few examples but hopefully you get the idea! I don’t give equal attention to all the gods (which would be exhausting because the Greek pantheon is huge!)

[witchacademia]

Would it be offensive to reach out to Artemis if I'm in a relationship? I feel very connected to her but I'm not sure if I should attempt anything further because my partner's a guy and that's kinda against her whole thing

Varying people have varying opinions and will quickly jump to them on this, but it’s important to remember that deities are capable of speaking for themselves.

Respectfully reach out and test the waters. Start with an offering and a prayer. I often then explain why I’m feeling called to reach out, and ask for a sign/response. Be open to whatever response you get, and thank them for it.

That’s part of the reason I find gatekeeping so absurd; humans trying to control how other humans interact with deities when it’s ultimately up to the unique connections between each human and deity.

[witchacademia]

(From left to right: Hestia, Demeter, Artemis, Apollon)

Mini idols/statues I’ve made of the Theoi so far !! Each are a little under 2 inches tall. I’m planning on making at least the rest of the Olympians + Persephone. They are not perfect but I am proud of them and I know that they are appreciated regardless of imperfections :)

[witchacademia]

So, every Winter Solstice, I do a simmer pot to enliven my space, cleanse the air, and enhance happiness and luck for the coldest months of the year. It's also a solid offering to my spirits, giving them a nice boost of energy at this time of year.

I always try to make the simmer pot edible also. I like to be able to drink the results!

This year, I'm switching things up a little bit. I'm gonna be experimenting with ingredients I don't usually use to see how it goes! I'm also doing this in the morning instead of in the afternoon to make more time for feast preparations!

Here's what I'm putting in my pot and what it's for:

Enough water to float everything safely, adding more as it evaporates throughout the morning

Sliced apples - Love, happiness, luck

Sliced oranges - Happiness, sun energy

Lemon juice - Cleansing, joy, sun energy

Cranberries - Health, protection from illness and misfortune

Cinnamon sticks - Happiness, fire energy, wealth

Cloves - Warmth, fire energy, luck, protection from misfortune

Brown sugar - Sweetness, happiness, love

If I wasn't planning on drinking some of this, I'd include pine needles -- I don't love the taste, and I want to enjoy this!

The idea is to fill a pot with water and gently add all the ingredients. Then, bring it up to heat and let it simmer on low heat for as long as I like, adding water as it evaporates. Once it's nice and steamy, I'll take a cup of it and carry it around my apartment to flick small amounts of fragrant water here and there.

And even if it's cold, I'll open up the windows for a few minutes to let the air flow. It's so important to keep air moving in the winter; otherwise, it gets stagnant and stale, and it makes me feel worse.

I don't usually, but I think this year, I'll also use it as a wash for my front door. We could definitely use a boost in luck and protection and joy for next year!

[witchacademia]

“bitch, be gone” powder

an old favorite from long ago

ingredients:

cinnamon

cayenne pepper

black pepper or black salt

rosemary

sage

garlic salt

chamomile

instructions:

combine, grind, and sprinkle around doors and windows to banish unwanted energy and to prevent the entrance of these energies in the future

© 2024 ad-caelestia