Duskthewitchesblog - Dusk 🌸

𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐢𝐬 - 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠

this week i've really fallen in love with the act of praying.

i've been praying to my deities first thing in the morning and sometimes even right before bed. i've been keeping them updated on life, and really taking the time to strength my bond with them.

and it got me thinking - why didn't I do this earlier?

I think coming from a catholic background, I was always told how to pray and what to say. I was taught the structure from an early age and learned it until it felt comfortable and second nature.

but with paganism, there aren't any structures to follow - there aren't any rules to learn and memorise. you have the power of doing your acts of worship in any way you want - and that can be a little daunting for someone like me.

I didn't know the right things to say or how to structure it - and I guess I didn't want to look stupid 'doing it wrong' if that makes sense.

until it dawned on me that prayer is just a conversation. it doesn't have to be magical and one of a kind. It can just be a good morning or even a thank you to count and sometimes that is all you need to keep that connection alive with your deities + loved ones.

so for those overthinking it like I was - remember it doesn't have to be a massive grand gesture to be special.

sometimes deities just like to know that you're doing okay ‪‪❤︎‬

this gif is not mine.

Beware of the "I wish I was a cat" to "I am not human. This body is not mine, it's just an illusion designed for suffering." Pipeline

✨️🫙✨️Spells✨️🫙✨️

2025 Witches' Calendar

For all my witches out there, here’s a handy list of the 2025 dates for the solstices, some commonly-referenced holidays, full and new moons, and special astronomical events. I’ve listed my sources at the bottom.

Dates and times for all events are calculated for Eastern Standard Time, USA, Northern Hemisphere. Adjust for your location as needed and check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what special events will be visible in your area.

On a related note, readers are encouraged to create their own seasonal calendars, holidays, and observances based on your local biome and personal preferences. Enjoy!

Solstices, Harvests, Quarter Days, Some Common Dates

February 1-2 - Imbolc / Candlemas / High Winter

March 20 - Spring Equinox / Ostara

April 30-May 1 - Beltane / May Day / Walpurgisnacht

June 20 - Summer Solstice / Midsummer / Litha

August 1 - Lughnasadh / Lammas / Summer Harvest

September 22 - Autumn Equinox / Mabon / Fall Harvest

October 31 - Samhain / Halloween / Final Harvest

December 21 - Winter Solstice / Yule

Full Moons

January 13 - Wolf Moon ♋

February 12 - Snow Moon ♌

March 14 - Worm Moon ♍ (Lunar Eclipse)

April 12 - Pink Moon ♎

May 12 - Flower Moon ♏

June 11 - Strawberry Moon ♐

July 10 - Thunder Moon (aka Buck Moon) ♑

August 9 - Sturgeon Moon (aka Corn Moon) ♒

September 7 - Harvest Moon ♓ (Lunar Eclipse)

October 6 - Hunter's Moon (aka Blood Moon) ♈

November 5 - Frost Moon (aka Beaver Moon) ♉ (Supermoon)

December 4 - Cold Moon ♊ (Supermoon)

* The full moons in September and October are almost EXACTLY equidistant from the Autumn Equinox this year, so whether you'll have a Harvest Moon in September or October depends on where you live!

New Moons

January 29 ♒

February 27 ♓

March 29 ♈

April 27 ♉

May 26 ♊

June 25 ♋

July 24 ♌

August 23 ♍

September 21 ♍ (Seasonal black moon, second new moon in Virgo)

October 21 ♎

November 20 ♏

December 19 ♐

Special Celestial Events

March 14 - Worm Moon Total Lunar Eclipse

March 29 - Solar Eclipse

September 7 - Harvest Moon Total Lunar Eclipse

September 21 - Seasonal Black Moon / Solar Eclipse

November 5 - Frost Moon Supermoon

December 4 - Cold Moon Supermoon

(Check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what will be visible in your area!)

Mercury Retrogrades (in case you need them)

March 14 to April 6

July 17 to August 10

November 9 to November 29

Happy Witching!

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

Bree’s Lunar Calendar Series

Bree’s Secular Celebrations Series

Moon Info - Full Moon Dates for 2025

Calendar-12 - 2025 Moon Phases

Full Moonology - 2025 Full Moon Calendar

AstroStyle - All the 2025 Full Moons

Your Zodiac Sign - Astrology Calendar 2025

Old Farmer’s Almanac - Mercury Retrograde Dates 2024-2025

Sea and Sky - Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events 2025

DarkSky International - Dark Sky Placefinder for Stargazing

Patheos - 2025 Wheel of the Year Astrological Calendar

Image Source - How Stuff Works

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Hey! Wolf shifter here.

How do you know if you’re developing at a slow or fast rate after the awakening? When does the awakening finish? Is it after p-shifting?

Thanks!!

hello again!

I think in my opinion, "awakening" just means self discovery, and it depends on each person as to how short or long the process takes regardless if you've achieved some pshifting progress, whether that be a fully complete shift or not, but I assume that once you shift completely and see/feel your true form, that this is probably when the self discovery or awakening phase of your journey starts to close bc then you can see what you are for certain. I'm sure for some folks this might not be the case though because everyone is different and has different experiences/paths to take.

as for development, I'm not sure how to answer? if you're actively working on shifting or growing extra limbs you're bound to see more progress than someone who takes a lot of breaks or doesn't put in much effort, if that's what you mean.

Gentle and friendly reminder that not every label is catered to specifically you, and you/your experiences only.

Heavy /not being rude/ for the title.

It may be a hard pill to swallow, but some labels are meant to include certain demographics you want to stay away from, or dislike, and that is okay. Some labels are going to cater to a widespread of demographics that you may not even like, or care to interact with that side of it. Another reminder that many labels are umbrella terms for specific, different, experiences, even if it's not explicitly stated. No two beings will be identical in every way. The beauty in this community, is that things can change. Things are fluid. Identity is fluid. Biology and physicality is fluid. It isn't always static.

"Physical nonhuman" means many, many things for many different nonhumans. Some physical nonhumans are only physically nonhuman, but mentally human. Some physical nonhumans aren't fully nonhuman. Some physical nonhumans are fully nonhuman in absolutely every way. Some physical nonhumans weren't always nonhuman. Some physical nonhumans have traits that others consider nonhuman. Some physical nonhumans are physically nonhuman to cope. Some physical nonhumans experience delusions that allow for them to be physically nonhuman. Some physical nonhumans are physically nonhuman due to transitioning. Some physical nonhumans are born physically nonhuman. Some physical nonhumans can shift between human and nonhuman. Some physical nonhumans are nonhuman in a non-literal sense, and reclaim their body as physically nonhuman.

Physical nonhuman does NOT just mean the last sentence. It isn't always metaphorical for some folks. For some creatures, it's absolutely literal, and is to be treated as such. If you experience physical nonhuman in a non-literal sense, I think that's actually really cool, and I recognize you as physically nonhuman, regardless! However, it is not an excuse to push out those who literally are physically nonhuman. Sanism doesn't fix anything. It doesn't make you look any better.

"Yeah, I identify as physically nonhuman, but I don't literally think I am. That's when it's clinical zoanthropy."

"I'm a holothere, and all holotheres know they are biologically human."

"I'm physically nonhuman, but I think we shouldn't enable delusions by calling clinical zoanthropes and other delusional folks in the community nonhuman. They aren't actually nonhuman if they have a delusion."

"P-shifters don't count under the label physical nonhumans because p-shifting isn't real."

"Most physical nonhumans actually know they're human. They just physically identify as nonhuman non-literally."

"Physical nonhumans don't experience delusions regarding their physicality."

^ Examples of what it can look like to throw out a good portion physical nonhumans from their own community. Communities made for them. Forcefully assigning labels onto folks who are only presenting as themselves is very weird, in my opinion. Don't come into communities expecting them to cater specifically to you, and then pushing away existing community members for the sake of "reclaiming" a label to look more "sane".

Making blanket statements like these do more harm than good. There's a reason why physical nonhumans, especially on this site, are getting angrier and louder about the tireless disrespect, even indirect disrespect. It's disrespectful to come into a community, choose to learn absolutely nothing about said community, and then proceed to push out anyone you think doesn't fit your narrative of what physical nonhumanity should look like. It's disgusting.

Holothere, especially on Reddit, began losing its meaning because self-proclaimed holotheres would use the label, and then go on to claim that biological nonhumans aren't actually included. Girl, are you the coiner of the term? Did the coiner tell you that? Did you even read the Carrd? The Carrd that's literally on the front page, and one of the top search results on Google when you simply type in "holothere"? Did you? Did you look into the community and read and take time to digest our experiences, and accept that every holothere is different? Words cannot describe how *frustrating* it was to see a Reddit post that discussed the term, only for other holotheres to kick ME, a holothere, out of my own community. The term was literally made for me in mind, too? Like wtaf.

Again, there is NOTHING WRONG with being figuratively physically nonhuman. I can see why someone would do this for various reasons, and I think you guys count. This isn't directly JUST concerning these nonhumans who identify that way, but this is definitely directed towards nonhumans who decide to push each other out for the sake of sanism, and as a result of ableism. Let's face it, denying a delusional individual's right to autonomy of the usage of a label, or usage of something that makes them comfortable in their delusions is ableism. Pushing out delusional folks because they are experiencing something you consider not real is ableism.

Absolutely nobody is forcing you to interact with delusional nonhumans. If you decide not to, that's cool, but don't erase them because you don't like what they have to say. Don't erase physical shifters and automatically discredit them just because you don't believe in physical shifting. Don't armchair diagnose and mislabel literal physical nonhumans just because you don't think it's possible outside of a metaphorical/figurative experience. That's where the issue lies. It isn't about how you experience your identity, but folks with this type of physical identity do tend to be very exclusive and close-minded when it comes to physical nonhumanity. It very well seems to be in a way to make themselves look better. It's easier for most non-physical nonhumans to digest in most spaces.

Please, for the love of everything, DO NOT try to push someone out of a community that is literally meant with them in mind, simply because they seem "weird", "too intense", "delusional", or "scary". We wouldn't be so scary if you would listen, and kill the idea that we need to latch onto the idea of "being normal" in order for us to be taken seriously.

Vintage black cat and moon.

Angrboda

~As Above, So Below~

low effort witchy things ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ

first thing in the morning—take three slow deep breaths (air/sky) more grounding than immediately checking a phone

notice your feet on the ground taking root when you stand up for the first time of the day, take a little stretch (earth/land)

wash or splash your face to get alll the way awake. then chug a big glass. (water/sea)

appreciate any trees, plants, dirt, or clouds you see

place both hands on your heart to feel your own heat and warmth. feel your heart beating. “i am alive” (fire)

wear or carry a rock, hagstone, crystal, talisman, or amulet

in times of stress or dissociation, rub your thumb in small circles on the back of your other hand to ground and soothe. (clockwise for attracting an intention, counterclockwise for banishing)

color magic with clothing

add cinnamon, lavender, or peppermint to coffee according to intention if you don’t want to drink tea

stirring tea/coffee according to intention

sometimes i pick a little affirmation for the day— “may i forgive myself” “the universe is within me/the wild is within me”

visualization—inhale a bright light and let it fill your lungs, exhaling clouds of negativity

or create a shield with breathing. with each breath, imagine a bubble forming around your body, then your aura, growing with strength.

cleansing shower at the end of the day (intending it to cleanse my aura makes me more motivated to take one, idkw)

if taking a bath, add a dash of moon water

sniff lavender essential oil before bed

look at the moon, talk to it. remind yourself that it’s the same one your ancestors knew.