Tag: spirits

Spirit Destinations: How to Find Your Way in the Astral

Treading the spirit realms can be really difficult. It’s like going to another country: you don’t know the language and the culture’s a bit weird. You make stupid mistakes, and probably end up in a not-great neighborhood at some point.

 

Getting directions to anywhere in the astral is complication. Super complicated. I’ll explain. The spirit realms are always in flux. There’s always some conflict to avoid, some danger to be wary of. The topography and land itself changes at the whims of residents in the world. Wars and battles cause lots of detours. When a new ruler takes over, the entire land can shift and change. The very land itself can morph to suit the whims and personality of the ruler. The rulers become, in part, land spirits, protecting their territory from harm. It’s not unlike the story of the Fisher King. Even if the land doesn’t adjust to the ruler, there are dangers in the environment to watch for. Then there’s the people. Look at our own world. Look at all the cultures, all the taboos, all the knowledge and secrets that exist in it. Look at the hate and love we have. And we’re all humans, a single species with that much diversity. That diversity exist in every species, without fail. There are uncountable numbers of species and races in the spirit realms. You may be able to make some generalizations but most of the time, you’re a fish out of water. Add onto that each person’s own free will and individuality and you have a mess to deal with. Everyone has agendas of their own. People – and they are people – have , jobs, obligations, families, and lives to attend to. After all, how often do you pause to give strangers directions? The residents here might not pause their lives for you either. And that’s OK. We’re all people and have busy lives. Some folks will help and some won’t. Some people are nice and others are cruel. Variety makes the worlds wonderful, after all. But with all of that variety and flexibility comes a massive problem: how do you to find anything in a world that changes so much?

 

Asking directions can be a chore in and of itself. You may have to barter something just to get some complex set of instructions. Those directions might not even be accurate. Things change so often that halfway through the trip, there’s usually some change. Even if you get directions that are accurate, the names for things aren’t the same. For example, I live by an ocean when in the spirit realms. It has a lot of names: Ocean of Fallen Tears, Sea of the Giant’s Tears, Sunlight-Glances-Off-This-Body-of-Water-and-Dances-Across-the-Sands-to-Scatter-on-the-Sea-Glass- Castle-and-Dies-at-Sea (yeah, really). And that’s just the three I know. I’ve heard it called other things. The valley I live in itself doesn’t even have a name. The ruler’s been stable for years but hasn’t come up with a name yet for it. How do you give directions to a place with no name? Directions aren’t like google maps either. There often isn’t a “Take a left at exit 64 and travel 6.4 miles to veer right onto Main Street”. Instead it’s more like this: “Go to the Forest of Dean (but not that Forest of Dean, no, not that one either, that one) and talk to the fox spirit there. He’s going to try and eat you but once you deal with that, give him this ball of magic black ooze. He’ll tell you where to go next. He’s going to lie to you at first but wait a few minutes and he’ll give you your next destination.” That’s a lot of work just to get a new pair of shoes or something.

 

See? Lots and lots of complications. But, never fear. It’s not all that daunting when you have an adventurous spirit. Here’s some tips on how to somewhere in the astral.

  • Get the right directions. Ask around and see what directions people give. Spirit allies can probably provide help, if necessary. Seeking out an information broker is a good alternative. Information brokers tend to avoid giving bad directions. Their reputations rely on them go doing their jobs successfully. When in doubt, go to a trusted information broker. Just expect to pay an arm and a leg.
  • Check in often to determine your true location and get local news. Inns are specifically designed for this but roadside restaurants are surprisingly excellent too. Detour if necessary but try to stick to your directions. If you detour too much, you’ll end up somewhere else entirely usually with more trouble than you need.
  • Don’t tell everyone where you’re going. Instead, pick a location nearby where you’re heading. For example, if I was going to see the ruler of the territory, I might ask directions to the forest the ruler lives in. Save yourself trouble by being cautious with your business.
  • If you’re told not to stop, don’t stop. The best example of this in direction is from Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede. “Go to the main road outside of the city and follow it away from the mountains,” said the frog. “After a while, you will come to a small pavilion made of gold, surrounded by trees made of silver with emerald leaves. Go straight past it without stopping, and don’t answer if anyone calls out to you from the pavilion. Keep on until you reach a hovel. Walk straight up to the door and knock three times, then snap your fingers and go inside. You’ll find some people there who can help you out of your difficulties if you’re polite about asking and they’re in the right mood. And that’s all.” (Page 11)
  • Landmarks aren’t always landmarks. Sometimes you’re given directions that include people as a landmark, like the fox example above.
  • Travel in groups. Traveling together will allow for more interpretations of the directions. Extremely useful when the directions are hard to fathom.
  • Hire out a means of travel. Hiring a car, ship, horse, chariot, carriage, may be expensive but worth it.  You may even hop on the bus or spirit subway to make things much faster.
  • Think in alternative means of travel. You might walk everywhere but discover that you need to fly to get over a ravine. So sprout some wings,  hover, or ask for aid as necessary.
  • Remember that the spirit worlds are intertwined with this one. It is the strangest feeling to realize that you’ve been in this subway station before in the astral.  You’ll also want to remember that the spirit world isn’t always an accurate representation of this world. Sometimes walls are missing or there’s extra doors or a staircase to nowhere. In these sorts of liminal places, you can easily slip into the spirit realms. Those with second sight can see a merging of worlds in these places as well.
  • Sometimes you can just appear there. Teleporting in the astral is totally doable. You can also slip back into you body and re-enter the astral in your destination. This is a bit like cheating when you’re suppose to be on an epic journey but it can certainly make things easier. Please note it’s rude to appear in someone’s living room so aim for a backyard or something instead.

So that’s it! That’s how you get directions in the astral. It may be really complicated but that’s the fun of it. Now get out there and explore!

Introducing a New Series: Spirit Destinations

The astral and spirit realms are immensely vast. Possibly too vast to even understand. This is an amazing place full of adventure, dangers, and wonder.

 

Everyone has the capability to astral travel. It takes practice to be able to slid out of your body, to ignore the physical feeling of your body, and cast your mind elsewhere. Even the most established practitioners have trouble with it at times, depending on their own spiritual turmoil and stress. There are hundreds of names for this journey and thousands of ways to do it. Research, experimenting, time, and practice will help you determine which methods are best for you.

The crossing to these lands is described as the most difficult part. But that’s not necessarily true. Knowing where to go is. Once you have a means of travel the destination becomes the question. When dreamers or spirit walkers arrive in the realms they either in an entirely strange place or somewhere familiar. (If they’re not aiming for a particular destination, that is.)

Finding a safe place to land and explore can be extremely difficult. Even if you do find a place, it can be hard to find it a second time. Asking directions in the astral is nearly impossible. The worlds and very topography change with the whims of the residents and rulers of the territories.

The best way for beginners to start is to know where they’re going and to know that place is safe and welcoming.

So, I’m launching a new series called “Spirit Destinations” that detail as much as possible where to go in the astral and spirit realms and what to find while you’re there. I will be personally vetting each location so you’ll know what and who to avoid along the way.

I’m really excited to share these places with you and I hope to see you in the astral!

Fire Guardian (Spell Saturday #21)

This is one method of creating a magical guardian construct from fire. This is a permanent spell with a secondary activation for the construct summoning. Essentially, you can the spell now and you’ll cast a second spell to summon them to your side.

A magical construct is a somewhat sentient being created through your magic and energy. You forge it, pouring your energy into a clear image in your mind, creating it from yourself. You can read more about magical constructs and servitors here.

You can use this for any kind of fire construct but we’re aiming for a guardian and protection construct here.

You’ll need:

  • Fire
  • A comfortable place to sit

Ahead of time, you’ll want to think of what kind of guardian you want. Do you want a lion made of lion that will guard you and keep you warm at night? A fire wolf? A phoenix? Even a simple ball of fire works well. Use your imagination or look up pictures online for inspiration. Even if you’re unsure of what you want them to appear like, that’s OK. You can still cast the spell. Be sure to read the whole spell through. There’s more questions you’ll need to answer during the spell.

Get yourself a fire. A fire pit or fire place is a great option but a large candle will work just as well. Sit somewhere comfortable  with the fire within reach. You should be close enough to feel the heat but not so close you’ll burn yourself.

Now stare at the fire until you focus only on that. Let your mind go blank and only start at the fire. Now, with the fire solely in your mind and burned (metaphorically) in your vision, close your eyes.

Very clearly think of the physical form you want the construct to take. If you haven’t decided, then let some images come to you. Push your energy out to the fire (not the candle or wood the fire is on but the fire itself) and pull the fire’s energy towards you. Use that fire, in your mind, to make the construct.

If you’re not much for envisioning, you can speak out loud what you want your guardian to look like. Tell the fire to come to you and try to push towards the fire without moving.

spells and herbs

Once you have the construct’s image very clear in your mind and you’re happy with it’s appearance, now tell it what it’s job is. Tell the construct that it’s job is to protect you, to come when you call. Tell it to guard you home, to watch over you when you sleep, to keep you safe from spirits and other practitioners. You may want to tell it that it will serve only you or protect your loved ones. What you tell it is up to you. This is your formation process so be sure to tell it firmly, in detail, what you want of it.

Now tell it how it powers itself. Is the power derived from you? Does its power from from fire itself? This decision matters when considering the activation spell. If fire it the power source, the construct will be more self-aware and independent but will need fire to surge into being and be able to use it’s abilities. If it’s derived from you, you’ll have more control but you’ll be exhausted after summoning them. You can do a mesh of both, if you like. The construct lives in fire though so don’t be surprised if they appear at random when working with fire.

Be sure to include the activation spell. The secondary spell should be something that you create yourself. Maybe you need to light a candle or flick on a lighter to give the entity power to manifest. A couplet is usually easier and more on the go but probably will only be useful if you’re construct derives power from you. A combination is also possible. It’s up to you to decide. Make sure that the activation spell is something that you can remember. A couplet like “[Name], being forged of fire, come to my side and protect me” is a good basic couplet.

Now that you’ve told the construct it’s job, how it feeds itself (powers itself), and how you’ll summon it, you’ll need to give it a name. This is something that’s private, personal, between the two of you. I give my constructs two names – their true one which only I know of and a nickname which I use when speaking to them around others. Their true name is the one to focus on. You can use their true name to force them to do something, which is especially useful to avoid rampancy or them attacking the wrong people.

That’s it! You’ve created a fire guardian. I highly recommend you write down or drawn you fire guardian so you can always refer to the impressions and images you have of them. Constructs are largely mutable, especially when they don’t have a physical host like the fire guardian, so don’t be surprised if they appear somewhat different every time you summon them.

 

Alternative version:

This spell can also be used, with slight variations as a spirit guide meeting spell. A spirit guide has many definitions but, largely, is a spirit who want to help you in some capacity, whether to offer advice, hope, or education. A spirit guide is a useful spirit friend to have.

If you’re looking to meet a spirit guide, think or say clearly “I want to meet a spirit of fire willing to help and guide me”. Repeat this every few minutes until you get an impression or sense that someone else is with you. In all likelihoods, this is a spirit of fire willing to help you. Ask it questions and see if you can strike up a partnership.

Notes:

  • This spell is slightly dangerous. Not just because of the magical construct and spirit contact but because of the proximity of the fire. Be safe and give this a miss if you’re unsure you can pull it off. Don’t hurt yourself.
  • Use fire-safety. Keep fire-killing items around you during this spell in case things go wild.
  • Do NOT do this spell when you’re tired. Do it only when you’re awake and have a lot of energy. You don’t want to fall asleep with the fire going.

Happy casting!

Money Via Spirits Spell [Spell Saturday #17]

Want to see an immediate windfall of money as well as reduce your debts? Maybe you need to talk to your local spirits for aid. This is a rather involved spell but works wonders.

Specifically, the spirits you’ll want to look for are market or commerce spirits so picking a crossroads where businesses are flourishing is absolutely ideal.Spirits that care about money and business are the kind you’re looking for.

You’ll need:

  • Red candle
  • Green candle
  • Black candle
  • Gold or yellow candle
  • Handful of coins
  • Cinnamon, dried
  • Cinquefoil (Five finger grass), dried
  • Basil, dried
  • Nutmeg, dried
  • Orange or citrus zest, dried
  • Dirt from a crossroads that has a spirit presence
  • Lighter or matches

Here’s the spell. Make sure to fill in the appropriate information in the [brackets] such as how quickly you need the money and the minimum amount of money you need.

  1. Go to a nearby crossroads and collect some dirt. You don’t need much.
  2. Grind the herbs and dirt into a fine powder. You do not need much of the powder.
  3. Light the red candle and place the coins around it.
  4. Light black candle (do not light it from the red candle) and acknowledge any debts or bad luck you have. You can acknowledge this verbally or write it down or simply think of the bills and debts you have. You can also think of any upcoming big expenses you wish to avoid.
  5. Now light the gold/ yellow candle and the green candle. Think or acknowledge all the new money you want to come in immediately. Say out loud, think in your head, or envision new probable ways of getting money to you right now. A check from the insurance company, a raise at work, family sending you money, finding money in the wash, etc. You can throw winning the lottery in there but you’re better off also mentioning more common ways of money getting into your hands now.
  6. Blow out the black candle and set aside.
  7. Sprinkle the herbal powder over the remaining lit candles.
  8. Now say the following:

“Spirits of the crossroad

Listen to my plea

Bring me money quickly

Within the next [time-frame] 

Bring me at least [specific minimum amount or enough to pay specific bills]

With this spell and your aid I will succeed

So bring me my money quickly.”

8. Blow out all the candles and dump any remaining powder and dirt back at the crossroads. Leave the coins at the crossroads as a thank you offering.

Notes:

  • Crossroads are something like a watercooler for spirits. While many spirits reside at the crossroads, many are just visitors. And not all spirits are going to be willing to help. Be sure you can end the spell or dismiss any spirit you don’t want near you during this spell.
  • Tealights are the best choice here for candle sizes. It saves time and you don’t waste a whole candle for a five minute spell.
  • You may wish to revise the wording to better accommodate your relationship with your local spirits.

Happy casting!

Crown’s “Fuck All The Things!” Cleansing and Banishment [tumblr repost] (Spell Saturday #14)

Sometimes you just have to get mad.

There’s actually two versions of this spell split up but they really work best together. So here you go.

So you’ve some nasty creepers hanging around. A ghost is rattling their chain and banging on walls. What a rude fucker. What do you do?

  1. Summon your courage. Buck the fuck up. Look, ghosts are just dead people. Spirits might not be human but they’re still people. They might be assholes or they might be sweethearts. Don’t lump all ghosts and spirits together. I’m not saying don’t be scared because, fuck that, there’s invisible people in your house. That’s nightmare fuel. But you can be scared and still be brave.
  2. Get pissed. No, really. Get fucking angry. This sort of behavior isn’t acceptable. Think of alllllllllll the reasons you want them gone. Channel your inner Hulk if you have to.
  3. Open ALL the doors and windows as much as you can. Make sure you can get to every single window and door in all the rooms plus the basement and attic if you have one. Even the closets, crawlspaces, cupboards, etc. ALL OF THEM. I’m not saying fling open the doors that don’t or can’t be opened or let Spot the Housecat get outside but even cracking it the tiniest bit will help. Clean the hallways and pathways as you’ll need to move as quickly as you can. Locking up said pets in their carriers, crate, cages, etc. during this is helpful too. You might want to chase out other people too. I find exorcising shit works best when I’m alone or with another woo~ person or two is helpful. You can get kids involved too, as I’ll explain in point 7.
  4. Give a warning. I tend to ask politely first and, if the behavior continues after I’ve requested it a few days later, I step up to the swearing and cursing. Tell those dead intruders to get the fuck out. Threaten their ass with an exorcism and banishing.
  5. Now get the chalk, salt, holy / blessed water, and rosemary herb stick. FYI, neither salt nor holy water works all the time but it works most of the time. For an herb stick get a bunch of rosemary and dry it together in a bundle. Ta-da. Pour some salt in your water to dissolve it. I find sticking the water in a squirt bottle or water gun works well. Figure out a system that works well so you can carry the herb stick, water, salt, and chalk. I find using a small salt pouch clipped to my pants by a carabiner works remarkably well.
  6. Prep your protection shit. Get that shit ready to go. I tend to use rosemary, salt water, salt, chalk, and bay. Whatever works for you. Put it all in the same room you start in if you can’t carry it with you.
  7. Chase it the fuck out. Yell and move as quickly as you can. Tell it to get the fuck out. It’s not welcome here and it needs to fucking go. Tell it all sorts of lies like if it comes back you’ll eat it or sic your familiars on it. Just be as scary as possible. Start in the lowest portion of the house and work your way up. As you go, toss a light coating of salt at the windows, doors, closets, cupboards, etc. Spritz water in the same place as you’re throwing salt but also include the corners of the rooms and mirrors too. Slam door, window, cupboard, etc. shut. Now mark it with an ‘X’ in chalk. You could put a protection or banishing symbol up too. I just find the X easier. It should be clearly visible. If it isn’t, go back over it with the water. Do that with each and every room all the way up to the highest point of the house. It’s easier with more people and kids will have fun yelling at ghosts and throwing salt, squirting water, and slamming the windows and doors. If you’re lucky and have a third person available, they can come along behind you and lay on the protection right afterwards.
  8. Make your home a fortress. Lock that shit up. Coat the glass, mirrors, faucets, etc with protection oil or water. Wash the floor in a protection floor was. Go ahead and wash the walls and doors too. As you clean and protect each room, feel free to wipe off any of those chalk ‘X’s you run across. Make sure you bolster those defenses every so often to keep shit out.

You want to be subtle about it? Fine. Steep rosemary in salt water for 10-15 minutes. Pour that in a drinking glass and open one single window or door. Now go from each room as subtly as you can in step seven. Skip the yelling but just dab or flick the water. Be sure to get all the windows, doors, mirrors, and corner.

Now this second part can be used along as a cleansing of the self or to get rid of the feel of someone that’s in your life or if you’re just feeling gross.

  1. Open the windows and doors and clean the place up. Put shit back to where it’s suppose to be. Run laundry and do the dishes. It’ll take ten minutes top to clean the surfaces. Add some cleansing ingredients into the laundry if you feel it necessary. (I tossed in some salt and peppermint in a dark clothing load. Don’t put herbs in with your white or light color clothing. You’ll stain them. No, seriously, don’t.)
  2. Throw salt. No, I’m not kidding. Throw salt. At mirrors, at windows, at doors, at the floor, at the computers (watch those keyboards!), at the faucets, on the floor, and on the stripped bed.
  3. Incense the the place. This generally means you walk around with incense and let the smoke drift to all corners of the room. This step varies for me. Sometimes I’ll use incense, other times herbal sticks, or asperging. It all depends on what materials I have on hand. Make sure you get all the rooms and entrances (including faucets, mirrors, computers, windows, doors, archways, and corners).
  4. Wash the floors, doors, windows, and maybe even the walls. I use a mix of water + salt + lemon + whatever ingredients I think need to be use (for prosperity, I’ll do a floor wash with different things than I would for a floor wash for protection.)
  5. Pour a drink. Usually I drink vodka. Sometimes I have homemade lemonade. Depends on my mood. Whatever. Toss some delicious fucking food in a pan/oven/microwave. It could even be a sandwich. Make that food and drink and put it aside.
  6. Take that drink with you and hop in the bath and/or shower. Use those bath products you accumulate and forget to use. If you don’t have any “borrow” some from a housemate. Or don’t. Whatever the works for you. Pamper yourself. Put on music, drink your drink, and cleanse yourself. I tend to imagine the water taking all the shit and washing it down the drain.
  7. Eat that delicious food, sit your ass down and watch TV. Or read a book. Play a game. Take a nap. Pet the cat/dog/turtle/plushie. Surf the web (but avoid social media. You don’t need that shit right now. You really don’t.) Do something for just you for an hour or two. And ignore all the other shit for a while.

There. Congrats. You’ve cleansed yourself and you’ve given yourself the break you need.

(For those eyeing this and saying “but I don’t actually need to clean the place, do I?” Yeah, yeah you do. Unless your home is from the pages of a catalog, you need to clean off what catches the eye. Counters, a simple sweep, dishes, and obvious “that’s not suppose to be there” should be sorted. It helps hugely. It’s a physical manifestation of the shit you need to deal with and going around cleansing the place and yourself but not cleaning the house at least on the surface is useless. Really. If you don’t believe me try it yourself. One day cleanse the house/room and don’t clean. A few days later do it again but clean first this time. You’ll notice the difference. Promise.)

Now a lot of you will look at that and think “that’s not magic”. It CAN be magic – depends on the intent or spells you use during the process – but the simple act of doing mundane things and taking some time for the self can be immensely restorative. Having a clean home actually does calm the mind and helps you think. There’s less “ugh” feeling.

That’s it! Happy casting!

Originally posted on tumblr here and here.

 

Ouija Boards 101 or “Are Ouija Boards Dangerous?”

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Every couple of months I get this question “are Ouija boards dangerous?”. The answer, in short, is no. Not any more than any other tool at least. Then I get a whole slue of questions on how to use a Ouija board safely or properly. If you’ve ever asked those questions yourself, this is the post for you.

I use Ouija boards on occasion. I find they’re tools and that they are no more dangerous than anything else and like anything else they may become dangerous when used improperly or foolishly.

Ouija boards were originally designed as a toy, a game. (Not that something being a game originally means anything. Tarot it based off the game tarrochi after all.) And I find that the excessive fear of Ouija comes from the media or passed along stories rather than first hand accounts. And I do mean fear. People are afraid of these things which seems silly as most buy them in the toy section of Wal-Mart. I’ve come into possession of several Ouija boards simply by the previous owners being too scared of the boards and worried that they couldn’t get rid of it properly or that it wouldn’t burn or would come back if thrown away. (And these are learned individuals in the science and medical field). It’s fear-mongering, pushed by people who prefer to see tools as evil or to continue to parrot information without thinking on what that tool could mean or actually do. I often find people who say such things have never even touched a Ouija board in their life so I question their information and fear or demonizing of something they’ve never used or touched.

Honestly though. What the fuck makes people think Ouija boards are dangerous? What? Do you think Hasbro has spirits locked in a room somewhere that influenced the creation? Or they sandwich the spirits in between the paper and the cardboard?

Any tool can be used to contact a spirit. Any tool has the danger of being used to contact a “negative” or “bad” spirit. Any tool.

The whole idea that the board can be possessed by a spirit is legitimate, as spirits can possess things, but why bother with a piece of cardboard instead of say, a doll which had the capability to be mobile? I think the fear of Ouija stems from the very point of the board – to pass messages along from the spirit world. And to that I have to ask why anyone who claims or wants to work with spirits would fear such a thing. Isn’t that the point? If you get guidance from a spirit or deity, this is the exact same thing. The only difference is that there is no visual representation for you to converse with – which may actually work in your favor because there is no reason a spirit can’t fool your eyes and appear as something else, as this is traditionally an ability many spirits possess in folklore and mythology.

Realistically speaking, pendulums are more dangerous than Ouija boards. One method of using pendulums is to have spirits influence the pendulum and follow where that leads (if using it as a searching device) which is infinitely more dangerous than sitting in your living room with another person and sliding a plachette across a piece of cardboard. The implied information here is that a spirit would be more powerful to physically push or influence the pendulum (or the human hand holding the pendulum) than one influencing two humans to push the plachette around (and humans are, as science has proven, incredibly susceptible to suggestion).

It the end it comes to this: Ouija boards are misunderstood and demonized for truly bewildering and contrary reasons that makes me instantly suspect the speaker, especially if said speaker claims to or has worked with or is working with spirits. Claims that the boards aren’t useful in witchcraft, are extraordinarily dangerous, or evil are often employed by the uneducated or fearmongers.

Now that we have that covered, let’s move onto actually using an Ouija board!

Ouija boards spells out things by have a plachette (pointer) move around the letters. Each person participating should lay a hand or at least a finger on the plachette and focus during the moment the question is being asked on the question itself. In theory, the plachette spells out the answers to the questions.

Make no mistake: the plachette is moved around by people. Each person slightly moves the plachette around without noticing and another person responds. It’s OK to totally admit this. In fact, I find going into the procedure knowing that actually helps determine whether someone’s just messing around or if they’re channeling something. It also helps because it can calm you down when you start to get worked up (because groups of people can get worked up very easily when scared or excited.) Now, the question that should be asked is this: are they moving the plachette that way because a spirit suggests it or they intuitively know the answer? That’s something you’ll have to determine for yourself.

Here’s some tips to get the best enjoyment out of your Ouija board session:

Take breaks often. A lot of getting spooked happens when people build on experiences – it all rolls together and excitement builds to a point that anything’s possible. It especially happens when using it with other people and I believe is related to mob mentality – which creates a us vs them dichotomy, paranoia, and is often aggressive (which will chase away milder spirits). Taking breaks gives you a moment to pause and consider what’s happened before starting up again.

Eat and drink something but avoid excessive amounts of refined sugar, caffeine, alcohol, or stimulating drugs as these substances can create a sense of paranoia and in extreme amounts, hallucinations. Foods like bread and pasta are good but whatever works best for you is good.

Keep notes and write down information and responses given. Go back through those notes and repeat those same questions at a later date to help verification. Asking questions where you think you already know the answer will help from getting too excited because nothing new’s been added.

Atmosphere is fun and all but can create a sense of false importance of a situation. So lighting the candles and holding session in a darkened room may be part of your process but shake it up sometimes if you feel like that might be contributing to getting spooked.

Put some music on. I’d recommend music without lyrics as lyrics may be able to subconsciously influence your answers and create interference.

Putting out an offering, even just a glass of water, may add a sobering effect to your sessions but that depends on your particular perspective. An offering is polite though so it may attract more of whom you’re looking to speak to.

Time your sessions. If something goes on for a long time, it can build until you’re spooked out. Maybe only ask five questions at a time or ask questions for twenty minutes then take a break.

To end a session, go ahead and thank anyone that showed up (both humans and spirits alike), even if some scary stuff happened. It’s only polite. You may wish to cleanse the room and check protection wards afterward.

As mentioned above, eat something after the session and chat among yourself. Give everyone time to calm down before they go home or whatever. Again, it reduces the fear factor.

There you go! A quick 101 on ouija boards. Have fun!

This post is based on these tumblr posts here, here, and here.

How to Make Your Home More Inviting For Spirits

A lot of people work hard to make their home nice, safe, and spirit-free. Others prefer a little incorporeal company.

Spirit shenanigans aren’t uncommon in my household. Just earlier today I watched an indoor wind chime twist around, jangle loudly, and physical move for half a minute. the wind chime closer to the window and less than a foot away from the moving wind chime didn’t move a bit. I happen to be across the room at the time putting up my hair, standing next to my sleeping cat. Nothing I could see moved or touched it. It’s weird. I’m not saying it was a spirit but I’m not ruling it out either, you know? These kinds of events are pretty common in my household. In fact, you’ll probably run into a spirit just as often as you’d run into a visiting friend around here.

So how can you invite spirits around your own home?

First you need to consider your location. I live between two crossroads, at the top of a hill, down the street of a swamp, less than a mile from the ocean and a river, and behind a funeral home (in fact, my street’s technically part of a corpse road). My house is naturally attractive to spirits because of this. In fact, when we moved in, we had to kick spirits out because they weren’t willing to share. We get a lot of water and murky spirits here due to our location and a lot human dead. 90% of our visitors are transient and we never see them again. This is linked to our location. If you live on a street with a lot of flourishing gardens you’re more likely to run across fae than water spirits. If you live by the sea you’re going to see a lot more water spirits than anything else.

Trying to cater to your local spirits may be a good idea: take fallen branches from the yard and fashion them into an offering – hang it on the wall or leave it by an offering space if that’s what you’re doing. Otherwise, I just make wind chimes out of the fallen branches and leave them in the yard. I also tend to leave out animal-safe food offering such as sugar-free bread and purified water.

Next you need to decide what spirits best suit you. Our most prominent spirits, outside of the human dead, are goblins. They’re mischievous and tend to break shit for the fun of it. Most folks don’t invite them into their homes because they cause more trouble than anything else. I find them funny and honest, in a way. They’re intentions are typically selfish and I get that. We also like the transient spirits that come and go as that also suits our family’s personality. We’re something like a roadside inn. You don’t need to know what spirit you want in the home but what temperament is best. It’s not unlike trying to find a new housemate except that the questions revolve less around “do you smoke?” and more of “do you break shit just for the giggles?”

Once you decide what kind of spirits you’re looking at, do research. If you’re looking for a specific spirit, leave out offerings they would like. If you’re looking for just more spirits in general, read up on people’s accounts of living with spirits. It’s not always what it’s cracked up to be and you may find yourself wishing otherwise. (For example, when we first moved in here there was a spirit that would watch me shower and another that lived under the stairs and would turn the light on and off at will, even if no one used the stairs that day. Or, a few Christmases ago the spirit that set off the fire alarms four times, including at five a.m. That particular spirit refused to stop until it was given an offering. I threw it’s ass to the curb.)

This is also a good time to start catering your protection wards and spells to your new purpose. If you want to let in fae, then you’re going to have to make sure that your protection doesn’t hurt them or kick them out.

Before you do any serious inviting, be sure you can kick out whatever you’re inviting in. Sometimes, spirits just become assholes. Pick out a good binding and/or banishing spell ahead of time and be sure to have cleansing materials on hand.

Set ground rules. I have a few rules that each spirit is told upon entering the house. Generally, they seem to know ahead of time so maybe other spirits tell them but sometimes I need to make it a point. My rules are for them to stay out of the bedrooms, generally speaking, especially when we sleep and the bathrooms when they’re in use. Another is to leave the cats alone. The third is to not manipulate electronics (in case they break something) and the fourth is for them to leave my mother alone. Be firm with these rules and don’t be afraid to break out the cleansing and banishing materials if the rules are broken. They need to know that you’re serious and not playing around. I’ve even had spirits banished and come back at a later day, promising not to do whatever they did wrong previously again.

Offerings are nice but not always necessary. In fact, you may wish to make sure they aren’t a daily thing. This is where research comes in handy. A brownie may demand a gift every day in exchange for keeping the house running smoothly and a spirit guardian spirit may require one on specific occasions. Generally speaking it’s not good to spoil them too much. If you give offerings to the neighborhood spirits every week for two months, they’re going to be pissed when you don’t do it in that third month – and they may take it out on you. Re-negotiations may need to take place to remedy that situation. It’s better to not get into that sort of situation to begin with. I give offerings on specific days or events – Thanksgiving they get turkey soup, New Year’s Eve they get wine. If I spend the day baking, I give a bit of whatever to them. Outside of that, it’s sporadic and that works best for me and them. I have a few spots in the yard I leave offerings but I’ve recently installed a little house-shaped shadowbox for permanent offerings  by a window and I have a dish I leave by my coffee maker for the household spirits like brownies.

Most spirits like shiny things, so leaving a small selection of shiny objects like coins, rough crystals, bits of broken chains, etc may attract spirits. Avoid warding measures like knives, scissors, and nails in windowsills unless you want that room to be banned for them.

Make a formal offer. This may be as simple as trancing or meditating in your room and telling them to enter, taking a walk in a park, or puttering about the yard. I tend to step into the middle of our largest crossroad and make the offer. This usually ends up being “hey, if you want to swing in and say hi, go for it” and that’s about as formal as I get.

Having a space for household spirits is somewhat ideal. This may be the hall closet or, in my case, the boiler room. A lesser used room is typically ideal, although they may take up residence in the basement, ceilings, attics, and floor. A friend of mine had a spirit take residence in their unused chimney and I have several spirit houses dedicated for this exact purpose. This isn’t necessary however and in fact may be preferred that they’re more nomadic in the space.

It takes time, so keep that in mind. Spirits have their own minds, agendas, cultures, personalities, and backgrounds. It may take a while for certain spirits to warm up to you. You might need to readjust and reassess if things aren’t going the way you want them to. You can call up or summon spirits to speed up the process but you’ll want to be sure they’re the kind of spirit you want to hang around.

Keep records. I say this often about a lot of things but I recommend keeping a record of weird happenings if you’re attempting to attract spirits. This way you can track patterns that might be spirits communicating. If you have a busy household, it can even be fun for kids and guests to write down what they’re experiencing in a book.

I think that’s a good place to start. Generally, give it time and be friendly!

This post was adapted and based off of an ask from tumblr here.

Tips for Crossing Over, Being Safe and Coming Back (tumblr repost)

Breathing life into an old post. Tips for Crossing Over, Being Safe and Coming Back  is one of my more popular (and important) posts I wrote about two years ago. So here it is again.

ruiner85 asked: My bestie (thesecretlifeofpyris) recommended asking you about a reliable and safe way to contact spirit guides, I’m hoping to start out slowly & build a rapport so that I can go with my eyes open before even attempting anything astral. I’ve looked on-line and saw a lot about getting to the astral, but very little on staying safe or getting back. We’re currently researching formal rituals for contact and would appreciate any information or guidance you may be able to provide. Thanks

Hi! This is long and rambly. Hope your research is going well and sorry for the wait.

Unpopular opinion time! I don’t use spirit guides. I never have and, not to sound like an asshole, never saw the point in them. I still don’t. Logically I get it but…, eh, not really. To be honest, I don’t trust spirit guides. I don’t trust anyone who says they’ll helping someone just because they can. That sounds like a load of bullshit and I’ve NEVER met a spirit that’s acted like that. Ever. Even spirit guides get something by dealing with you, even if you don’t know what you’re giving them.

You don’t need them. Exploring the astral is like going to a large foreign city. You might speak some of the language but not all. It’s a weird culture and you don’t want to offend people so you’re super cautious because ajfdjalsj you don’t want to be an asshole but you also don’t want to be taken advantage of. Actually, I’m going to quote Doctor Who, since it’s always relevant on my witch blog:

“You can’t just read the guide book. You’ve got to throw yourself in, eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers – or is that just me? Stop asking questions. Go and do it”

– Ninth Doctor, Doctor Who, Episode 7, The Long Game.

All of that being said, the other side is a dangerous place and you have to be willing to accept that danger by going into it. Prepping yourself for it is a BRILLIANT IDEA THAT EVERYONE SHOULD TRY TO FOLLOW.

How to Stay Safe:

  • Remember that the astral/other side/spirit realms/faery land/whatever the fuck you call it IS DANGEROUS. IS NOT SAFE. IT IS DANGEROUS. I literally cannot stress this enough. It is not a playground.
  • Be flexible and adaptable. You were planning on heading towards a wheat field but ended up in a desert? Roll with it.
  • Don’t be aggressive (unless necessary). That’s pretty much asking for a brawl.
  • You have the right to defend yourself. And sometimes the best defense is offense. And running away is almost always an option, even if it isn’t the best option.
  • Remain vigilant and doubt everything. This sounds like a terrible way to live and it is. But this had saved my ass more times than I care to tell you.
  • Train yourself. Your body over there doesn’t have to be the same way here. Some people change shape depending on their mood, location, or job. I’ve met a few folks who never stop shifting, always moving. Others become their true selves. And more still just have little subtle changes in how they best reflect themselves. With this new ‘body’ you can do whatever you like. I recommend training your body to be respond yourself best. Maybe even train yourself with a weapon if you notice yourself getting into trouble.
  • Don’t get caught up on deciding what’s a spirit, fae, demon, god, etc. The lines get blurred. And really, what does it matter? They’ll either let you know or you can figure it out via context. And if you can’t, then it’s probably not important to know anyway.
  • If you’re paranoid then come up with a way to banish each and every being you meet.Seriously. If you’re that concerned about it, take the precautionary step. But if you are that concerned then you may wish to reconsider traveling to begin with. It’s not necessary. You can do witchcraft without it.
  • Don’t eat anything. This should be obvious. Sometimes you wander into faerie realms without knowing it. Accepting food offered (or eating random shit you find) is unwise and best and can get you seriously fucked up at worst.
  • Assume everyone’s out to get something. I have never met a spirit that isn’t looking for something. I know they might not say anything and maybe they’re acting really nice and generally are, but they ARE getting something. Maybe they’re studying humans. Or maybe they’re leeching energy off you or selling information about you to someone. You don’t know.
  • They are not human. Do not forget that. [UPG Alert!] I’m of the belief that many spirits don’t think the same way we do. They don’t hold things to the same level of importance, they certainly don’t seem to value the same things or have the same morals or ethics. You can’t expect them to act a certain way or do something in a particular fashion. It’s like expecting an alien from Pluto to be able to know all the intricacies and eccentricities of your culture.
  • Avoid politics. Politics is a game no matter who is playing it or what field it is on. A deadly, horrible, necessary game. Try to avoid it if possible. If you can’t (as many constant travelers cannot) at least keep your wits about you.
  • Know who’s top dog. There are a lot of spirits out there that  have territory. Some of those spirits are just holding that territory for someone bigger and badder than they are. And some of those territories have land that translates into a place on the physical realm. Yeah, you can literally walk into a spirit’s territory here by accident and have to deal with it over there.
  • You are not at home. Stop acting like it. You’re traveling. Tra-vel-ing. No one owes you a thing (unless they do) and acting like they owe you secrets and knowledge is a great way of getting no where fast and pissing everyone off. And ruining the party for everyone else.
  • You can get hurt. Spirit wounds happen. All the time. Sometimes it’s bruises, scratches, or random aches and pains that shouldn’t be there. I’ve woken up with visible six fingerprint and one thumb-sized bruises on each ankle even though I was in the house alone except for the cat and slept only three hours. I’ve noticed these tend to appear overnight and will last for much longer than normal, despite any treatment towards it (although, spells do seem to soften them). Hint: treat the wound on the spiritual realm as well as the physical.
  • Prepare yourself for the morning after. Using the assumption that you intend to travel at night, prepare your morning as you would if you expected a hangover. A hearty breakfast, lots of fluids, headache and nausea remedy. Sometime the herbals used to cross over will you give a hangover type feeling. This occurs even if the herbal is consumed via oil, ointment, or smoke. If it does occur, keep records and test it. Some people react to certain herbs that way, others discover it’s because they gave themselves too much or combined it with something.
  • Keep records. As mentioned above and previously, keeping records is highly important. I don’t even note in my records what I do (although that’s a personal preference). I just note that I crossed over at what time, what I took with the dosages (leaving a sample aside nearby my notes in case something goes wrong), and when I return what time I did that. This is also useful if you find yourself crossing over at random. Some folks get triggered by shit. It’s best to keep the records so you learn from it all. Do as you will. Most people keep everything in a journal. I keep mind in a binder and have a form I fill out each time, similar to a lab report. Ugh, paperwork but brilliant at the same time.
  • Your UPG is as valid and true as everyone else’s. UPG [unverified personal gnosis or some form thereof] means that what you’ve experienced is real to you. It’s valid and true if you say it is. No one should be able to deny your experiences (if they do then call them out although if you’re operating on historical or mythological fallacies someone will call you out on that.) That being said, your UPG does not have to match anyone else’s UPG. Sometimes they match up and that’s awesome. Others times you’re all by yourself. That’s awesome too. Just remember that just because you’ve experienced something and someone else experienced something else entirely, does not mean both of you aren’t correct. Treat other people’s UPGs as you’d like yours to be treated.
  • Spirits lie. They’re also assholes. All the time. Some they lie about who or what they are. They do it for reasons you can’t understand, for their own personal agenda, just for laughs, or to fuck with you. Gods are not exempt from this.

Getting back depends on how you got there in the first place. A lot of just ride it out till they come back. Others have a series of techniques like the ones below. It’s a good idea to keep trips short until you can find your way back without trying to (although, some people never get to that kind of familiarity with this so YMMV).

How to Get Back:

  • Return phrase. Some people have trained themselves to return to their senses when they utter a particular word or phrase. (Likewise, some people have trained themselves to cross over with a different word or phrase)
  • Alarms. If you travel while asleep or fall asleep while traveling, setting an alarm will shock you out of whatever realm you’re in, most of the time. This isn’t exactly recommended because it’s really disorienting. It’s best to use an alarm that starts softly and gains volumes as it goes. (You can usually find a digital one in a department store for around $12 USD, last I checked.) You can likewise try to use an mp3 that starts soft and gets loud to do the same thing if that works better for you.
  • Tether yourself. If you can, when you first cross over, try to extend yourself back and feel where your body is. Keep that feeling in the back of your mind and you’ll be able to find it again. You can make a “physical” reminder of this by wearing a rubber band or bracelet, ring, whatever, to remind yourself. Ensure that you appear on the other side with it.
  • If you travel with a spirit, that spirit can shove you back. (It should be noted that other spirits can do this too and will sometimes do it to be assholes). In non-allies, it’s a dominance play. Also known as a dick move.
  • Have someone sit by and wake you at a certain time. Switch out who watches who to make things even. And give that watcher something to do. It’s boring watching a sleeping or meditating person most of the time.
  • Have a start zone. Find a place where you will always first visit when you cross. If you appear anywhere else first, go directly to the start zone. This way, you will feel best connected to that spot and will feel most closely connected to reality there. Then you can jump back and forth as much as you’d like.
  • Food. This is going to sound weird. Traveling is draining to many people and I always recommend prepping a carb-filled or grounding food for yourself for after. If you eat the same thing after each trip (like ritual bread or whatever), remembering that smell, taste, texture, sight, etc can bring you back.
  • Keep records. As stated above. Not a way to get back but something to keep in mind.

I rambled a bit there and sounded a bit like a arse but I hope this helps!

[Originally posted here.]

Aggression cleansed at the crossroads

I glance at my phone in surprise because the person calling can’t have left my house more than a minute ago, if that. I answer with a smile in my voice, thinking they had forgotten something. Instead I get this:

“When I was coming out of your house and passed through the gate is slammed a bunch of times and I heard footsteps follow behind me to my car. Then I saw a face in the mirror standing outside my car by the headlights.”

I pause, taking it in. “I’m sorry.” I say immediately because it is a serious issue for a guest to be harassed when leaving my home. I may live on the crossroads but my guests should always feel safe coming to my home.

“Don’t apologize. I just thought you should know.”

I swallow down a second apology and after a few more minutes we end the conversation. I glance towards my window and extended my senses. Yes, something was there, something new that hadn’t been there this afternoon when I dealt with a different, friendly spirit that afternoon. This new thing was aggressive, tumultuous and dark, filled with a confusion of emotions. Not one of mine.

My brother and I are both practitioners. Both of us are mediums and channel spirits at will, we both see them and sense them as naturally as breathing. I have always preferred the non-human spirits but my brother’s craft is that of a necromancer. He works almost exclusively with the dead. Our home is located at the top of hill between two crossroads, one of which is a corpse road. We live directly behind a funeral home and down the street from a swamp. Since we both share a household we split the duties of dual crossroad keepers. I care for the non-humans and tend to the cleansing of the crossroads and keeping the household wards, as well as serving as seer and vigil as needed. He keeps the human spirits, of which we have a great many passing through and serves as backup and exorcist when needed. It suits us and our practices.

Since this aggressive spirit wasn’t one of mine, I climbed up the stairs and tapped on his door. “Test the boundaries.”

“What?”

I repeated my friend’s story to him. He sighs and has me fetch out his equipment since I was closer. He shifts around his violin and murmurs to himself, checking. He sighs again.

“It’s one of yours, isn’t it?” I asked. “We can’t have it attacking guests. That’s just rude.”

“I don’t know. I think some of my friends could use a spiritual kick in the ass.”

I laugh, because he’s not wrong. We negotiate a price for him taking care of the problem I noticed (rather than me doing it myself) and he gets ready to go cleanse the crossroads and chase the spirit away while I set about doing the dishes. The spirit was being tricky. It kept moving between the front and back of the house, causing my brother to have to cross the house twice to find it. During that time, I dropped my active barriers, offering one room of my house as refuge for the spirits that would be cleansed from the crossroads.  I felt the house flood with new energy but the spirit my brother hunted was too distracted to take advantage. Other spirits didn’t take up the offer, including the one spirit I warned my brother against sending away.

Finally my brother stepped outside. I felt him issue a spiritual challenge of sorts followed by a dull response. Then two pulses of energy and the crossroads were cleared. My brother came in and announced it was done. I nodded, thanked him, and we set about making dinner.

A while later I returned to my flat downstairs. Many spirits had slipped back through the hole in the wards to return to the crossroads, to go about their business now that we’re not interrupting them. Others hid. I bent over and glanced under my bed where a small, fat spirit with a large face quivered, just under the blankets.

“Is he gone?” The spirit asks.

I smile kindly, voice soft, non-threatening, and very fond. “Yes he’s done. He’s not that scary. We just needed to get rid of that aggressive guy.”

The spirit understands and I straighten as the spirit comes out. Others move from corners and make their presence fully known. The room plunges into the cold but I ignore it and turn towards the affected crossroad.

“Hm, he did empty it, didn’t he?” I reached out and pushed my energy out towards the crossroad. The cold, empty feeling of the crossroad warms significantly and the spirits begin to move towards it, pleased. No one thanks me but the feeling of gratitude is there. I didn’t expect anything else. The crossroad’s reset and now it’s filled with energy and life, the way it should be.

“You really are a good [redacted].”

I whip around as a different spirit than I expected stood behind me. It was of the same class, so to speak, as the one from this afternoon and the one I told my brother not to cleanse. I drew myself up and nodded.

“I do my best.”

“It’s good enough.” It says and moves towards the busy crossroad. There was a finality to its voice, a hint that I was examined and passed a test, even if I didn’t personally cleanse the crossroads. This was going to be a new thing, clearly. This class of spirits has taken an interest in me. Internally I sighed and sit down to eat my pizza.

[Another episode of living at the crossroads. Commentary paraphrased and certain names and titles redacted but the events and essence of conversation was real.]

Where to Start?

“Where do I start if I want to practice witchcraft/magic?” I get that question all the time, especially over on tumblr.

My first questions to them are as follow:

  • What are you looking for?
  • What are you interested in?
  • Are you looking for a religion?
  • Are you looking for a path to follow?
  • Are you looking for guidance?
  • Are you looking to affect the world around you?
  • What do you believe?
  • Do you want to work with others or in a group?
  • Do you want to make up things yourself or would you prefer to follow someone else’s lead?
  • How much academic studying do you want to do?
  • Are you looking for something with historical precedent or something more modern?

The last question is especially important. Knowing, or at least exploring, how the world works and how you believe the world works is incredibly important to to establishing UPG – unverified personal gnosis. Now UPG is commonly misused within the community. Most people take it as UPE – unverified personal experience. The mistake is easy to make but the difference is incredibly important: gnosis refers to something that is a foundation belief, something critical to your worldview. An example would be the knowledge that your deity is masculine rather than feminine. I use knowledge because UPG is often a knowledge, absolute faith. You KNOW that the UPG is true. It is the very basis of your world-view. It’s canon to you. UPE is you have this experience that you’re certain is real and happened but it’s not essential to you. [1]

Now that’s a lot of technical jargon that boils down to this: you don’t have to know what it is that you believe but you almost certainly believe something and you need to be willing to explore that.

Now I believe in magic. I KNOW it to be real. I’ve seen it work, I’ve used it. I’ts part of the heart of my UPG. What magic is, precisely, is an entirely different topic I won’t get into, primarily because we don’t know. My answer is different than others and their answer is different too. Various paths define it somewhat differently. [2]

All of the above isn’t the point and most certainly isn’t exactly what you’re here for. You’re here for a how to of where to start and what “rules” there are for it. And here they are:

“Rules” or the stuff you need to know about before you begin:

  • Practicing magic or witchcraft is a personal choice.
  • There are NO qualifying markers to decide who is an isn’t a witch or who is or isn’t practicing magic. If you define your practice as such, then it is. Similarly, do NOT label someone a title such as witch unless they identify as one. It’s rude at least and deeply offensive at worst. [3]
  • You have NO right to information. You have NO right to appropriate from native cultures or religions, especially if those cultures or religions have requested otherwise.
  • Cultural appropriation is a thing and you should know about it. [4]
  • Sexism, transphobia, homophobia, misogyny, racism, agism, predators, pedophiles, rapists, crepes, criminals, and sex offenders absolutely DOES exist in the community. They exist in ALL communities. Ignoring the issues because you want to promote a good image is negligent at best and criminal at worst.
  • Critical thinking is absolutely critical. So is critical reading. For many practices and paths, research and proper research is important and even necessary. Don’t trust everything you read and question everything. [5, 6, 7]
  • There is no Pope of witchcraft or magic. There are NO rules. There is no ONE deity or pantheon “we” must follow.
  • The Rede and Karma does not work the way you probably think it does. And they are not universal but specific to traditional Wiccan and Hinduism, respectively.
  • Wicca does not equal witchcraft and witchcraft does not equal Wicca. Witchcraft is an art, science, and technical skill of a witch while Wicca is a religion. One necessitates a religious foundation and and the other is entirely secular from it. Witchcraft can be added to most, if not all, religious practices. Witchcraft and magic are not nature-religions. They can be incorporated into a nature religion, however.
  • Books on history, superstitions, folklore, mythology, and anthropology are often keystones to many researchers. Those people who write those accessible 101 books? Those topics are the ones they gleam their information from.
  • Many practitioners takes years to develop their practice, some even take decades. Others can develop their practice in a few months. Progress as fast as you need to.
  • Remember while you may have a divine, known UPG truth of the world, it is RELATIVE. Your truth is not my truth and thus you don’t get to force your beliefs on others.

That’s the basic information you’ll want to know before you begin. This is the basis of how we generate conversation and how to start separating the bullshit from the good stuff.

Now, got that covered? Here’s what you need to do to start practicing witchcraft or magic:

  • Ask questions. Even if you have a stupid sounding one, ask it. Ask it to different people. Ask it of yourself.
  • Read everything. Well, not everything but go ahead and read topics that interest you and articles that are in opposition of what you believe. It can at least let you know what other people are talking about and at most will inspire you to new things.
  • Explore. Do you like the ocean? Ask sea witches what they do and read fisherman’s superstitions. Like cooking? Explore kitchen magic. You don’t need to focus on one thing. Witchcraft can very much be defined into separate categories like sea witchery or kitchen magic but it doesn’t have to be (and, likewise, you can absolutely just focus on one aspect and ignore everything else.)
  • If you want rules, restrictions, or a specific THING to follow, try a define tradition such as Wicca or another religion.
  • You can absolutely make up your own path. I’ve been doing it for close to twenty years.
  • Be afraid to make mistakes. Misspeaking a word in a spell will 99.9999999999% of the time result is absolutely no changes from the original intent.
  • Gods, spirits, guides, and people lie. They can be malicious. They can hurt you. And they can do it just for the fun of it. Don’t trust anyone just because they say they have your best interest at heart. They almost certainly have a game plan. Also, you don’t need them to practice witchcraft or magic and you can worship deities without magic or writchcraft.
  • Don’t buy things in one go. Witch kits are often useful but I’ve seen far too many practitioners going into stores with lists of things and you end up not needing half of it. Start small and cheap and pick up things as you go. In addition to being gentler on the wallet, each new piece added to you practice will mean that much more to you. You don’t need an altar or a work space or tools, but many find them useful or important to their practice.
  • Find a teacher. There are absolutely people out there that teach witchcraft or magic. i’m one of them. Most often they require payment of some kind or another in return for their time. This isn’t an option for everyone and sometimes not one you’ll want. I, for example, never wanted a teacher. I wanted to learn and hone my craft myself.
  • Find a coven, community, or group. This, again, might not be for everyone but it could be for some. You can learn things from one another and can always leave if you don’t like it.
  • Go ahead and jump right in. You don’t have to be serious business about it all right now. Just try your hand at it and see what happens.

Yeah, yeah, but that’s not STUFF. That’s not spells and shit. There’s no magic there.

Here’s the magic how to:

  • Starting with a protection spell is probably the safest way to start… but money spells are the way to go to prove it works. Do both and enjoy the outcome!
  • Energy manipulation is an easy way to learn a lot about what people talk about with energy.
  • Offerings of water, clear alcohol like vodka, incense, bread, or honey are good for a basic offering to any deity or spirit.

That’s it? Yeah, that’s it. If you want to do spells, just jump the hell in. There’s more background information to be known than anything else.

Other things you really should read that will help (besides my resources)

Now, as mentioned in a previous post, I am working on getting up online classes for witchcraft. It’s a slow process as I’m a rather spontaneous teacher that prefers to adapt to a singular student rather than a unknown group but it’s still happening. Also, beginners can always ask me question here or on any media form I’m in.

Sources:

  1. What does UPG mean? http://thiscrookedcrown.tumblr.com/post/56115685958/what-does-upg-mean-ive-never-heard-the-term-except-on
  2. Rambling on This Crooked Crown’s personal belief on what magic is: http://thiscrookedcrown.tumblr.com/post/67771760381/what-would-you-say-makes-spells-work-youve-said-its
  3. Scroll down to read my breakdown of this post: http://thiscrookedcrown.tumblr.com/post/26522396392/deep-within-your-belly-come-all-witches-be-one
  4. Rant on Cultural Appropriation: http://thiscrookedcrown.tumblr.com/post/18294572929/a-pseudo-rant-on-appropriation-in-paganism-and-research (check the notes).
  5. On critical thinking and reading: http://thiscrookedcrown.tumblr.com/post/39901394182/okay-this-may-sound-really-really-dumb-but-how-do
  6. Hellboundwitch’s how to read a fucking book: http://blog.hellboundwitch.com/post/27502384651/how-to-read-a-fucking-book-i-cant-teach-you-how-to
  7. Spiritscraft’s how to read a 101 pagan book: http://spiritscraft.tumblr.com/post/27508266438/how-to-read-a-101-pagan-wicca-witchcraft-book