Keeping Consumerism Out Of Your Craft

Keeping Consumerism out of Your Craft

Consumerism is a set of socioeconomic conditions and attitudes that encourage the continual acquisitions of goods and services. There is no “enough” in a consumerist society — members of the society are constantly pushed to buy new things, pay for new services, and keep up with the latest trends.

There are a few reasons consumerism is bad news. For one thing, it’s terrible for the environment — consumerist cultures usually have linear economies, where resources are extracted, consumed, then discarded, with no effort to replenish them. This is highly unsustainable, because at some point those limited resources are going to run out. Consumerism also has a human cost, as it often leads to the use of sweatshops, which violate basic labor laws. In many sweatshops, workers are not paid a livable wage, children are employed as workers, and working conditions are unsafe. Companies in countries like the United States get around labor laws by outsourcing labor to other (poorer) places. Consumerism also contributes to classism, as the acquisition of expensive items is often treated as a status symbol.

Consumerism is present in nearly every aspect of Western culture, and this includes spirituality and witchcraft. There are multiple “Beginner Witch Kits” for sale from Amazon and other online retailers which include candles, crystals, and incense — which is great, as long as that’s all stuff you’ll actually use in your practice. (I mean, do you really need twelve different varieties of incense?) Witchy authors and bloggers often treat magic like a matching game, where every problem requires a very specific herb or crystal. YouTube is full of “witch hauls,” videos solely dedicated to showing off new purchases. All of this contributes to a commercialized witchy aesthetic, which can only be achieved by buying the tools of the trade.

I get it. Shopping is fun, especially when you’re still learning about magic and magical items. It’s exciting to search for the perfect crystal or incense blend, especially if you have a local metaphysical store where you can shop in person. But owning the right stuff doesn’t make you a witch. All you need to practice magic is your will — everything else is optional.

I’m not saying every witch should be a hardcore minimalist, or that you can never buy new things. What I am saying is that all of us, witches or not, need to be more mindful of how we spend our money and the impact of our purchases on the world around us.

How to Avoid Consumerism

If you’re considering buying something, ask yourself if you’ll really get use out of it. For example, I don’t use a lot of tools in my practice because I prefer to work with my hands, so it wouldn’t make sense for me to buy an expensive wand or ritual knife. Don’t feel like you have to buy something just because another witch uses it — if you don’t think you’ll use it, don’t buy it.

Don’t buy multiples of the same tool. Instead of buying multiple different colored altar cloths for different times of year, buy one white altar cloth you can use year-round. Instead of buying multiple tarot decks, find one or two you really enjoy working with. You get the idea. (Obviously, there will be some items you need more than one of, like spell candles. This rule applies more to tools that can be reused.)

Replace things as they run out instead of buying them before you need them. Buying things in bulk can lead to unnecessary waste and drawers full of unused magical supplies. Buy things you know you’ll really use, and only buy one or two at a time. Use up the items you have before you buy more.

Invest in items that have multiple uses. For example, most kitchen spices can also be used in spells — search your spice cabinet before ordering special ingredients online. There are some items that have multiple magical uses, like rosemary and salt. Buy a couple of these multitaskers instead of a large collection of herbs with very specific uses.

Use the “two week” rule. This is something I do to keep myself from making impulse purchases. If I think I want to buy something online, I wait two weeks before I order it. If I still want it after two weeks, I take that as a sign that I’ll actually get some use from it.

Go “shopping” in your backyard. Familiarize yourself with the plants, animals, and minerals that are native to your area and go foraging for spell supplies instead of buying them. Items you can probably find near your home that could be used in ritual include leaves and flowers, pine cones, seed pods, tree branches, rocks, and naturally shed feathers. Just make sure you never harvest enough of a plant to hurt it, and make sure you properly disinfect any animal products you pick up.

If you can, make it yourself. Not only does making your own magic items save money, it also creates a much stronger personal link between you and that item. You can grow your own magical herbs in a garden or in indoor pots. Many common magical tools, like brooms and wands, are easy to make at home with some basic craft skills. Making your own items also means you can customize them, tailoring them to your own craft.

If you can’t make it yourself, but it used. There are some items you can’t reasonably make yourself, like incense burners, cauldrons, and books on the craft. But you can find most of these items used, either in thrift stores or online on websites like Ebay and Depop. Buying used almost always ends up being cheaper than buying new, and because you’re buying items already in circulation you aren’t contributing to a linear economy. Thrifting is also a great way to find unique items that won’t be like what anyone else has on their altar.

If you can’t find it used, support a small business. Sometimes, you can’t make what you need or find it in a thrift store. In that case, buying from a small business is preferable to buying from a big retailer like Amazon. When you support a small business, you’re supporting an individual rather than contributing to some CEO’s massive yearly bonus. A lot of small business owners make their items themselves, which avoids sweatshop labor. Pretty much everything I buy new for my craft comes from Etsy sellers — there are a LOT of witches on Etsy, so with a little digging you can easily find exactly what you’re looking for!

Don’t buy crystals. I know, I know. Thanks to social media, large crystal collections have become synonymous with witchcraft. But the crystal trade is highly unethical, with unsustainable mining techniques, dangerous working conditions, and child labor. Because of a lack of regulations, it’s virtually impossible to find crystals that are truly ethically sourced. Most sellers don’t know where their crystals come from and can’t guarantee that no workers were harmed in their extraction. No stone is worth the health and safety of other human beings, no matter how pretty.

Avoiding consumerism in your witchcraft means being less reliant on tools and set dressing. This will allow you to rely on your own energy and will, which will lead to a deeper and more meaningful spiritual practice.

Resources:

Revolutionary Witchcraft by Sarah Lyons

Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins

“11 Facts About Sweatshops” on dosomething.org

“Child labour in the fashion supply chain” from The Guardian

“Bangladesh factory collapse toll passes 1,000” from BBC News

“Are crystals the new blood diamonds?” from The Guardian

“Dark crystals: the brutal reality behind a booming wellness craze” from The Guardian

Storm Witch Tip:

A storm is likely to come when:

deciduous trees flip their leaves due to wind direction

birds fly low in the sky, and go quiet

there’s a southerly wind (in the US)

there’s a red dawn in the east

layers of nimbus clouds move in opposite directions

the morning grass is dry of dew

an earthy scent rises from the soil and flowers

pine cones remain closed

a halo rings the moon at night

nights are warm in winter (cloud cover insulation)

smoke swirls and descends, instead of a steady rise

Remember, low pressure brings wet weather.

Actually useful shit to have as a witch

You really don't need all the fancy bullshit every tumblr influencer will ever tell you to use. Here's my countdown ofaxtually useful shit.

A pocket knife, preferably with a wood handle. Use that bitch for everything, enchant it, carve symbols in it. It will absolutely be your best friend.

A good bag or backpack with a couple of plastic or ziploc bags in it. If you ever run off into the woods to find minerals, bones, plants, etc. A set aside bag and some things to store your treasures in becomes a necessity.

Basic divinatory sets. You don't have to buy fancy shit, learn to divine with playing cards and dice, or learn geomancy, lithomancy, or rune casting with homemade sets. A tarot deck is nice, but it isn't necessary when you've got so many other divinatory aids available.

A nice sized chunk of scrap cloth. When you process dried plants or sort new ones, that shit can and will get everywhere. A scrap piece of muslin or linen can help contain all of that mess and make clean up way easier.

A stash of good rocks. Draw sigils or symbols on those babies and leave them in the garden, the windowsill,property boundaries, under the stoop, etc. You can never have too many good rocks.

A pendulum, for fucks sake. The cards are going to be vague as hell when you're trying to figure out yes or no questions, and using a candle to communicate with spirits is really fucking hard outside. If you can't afford one, find a nice chunk of pointy quartz and learn to macrame.

A workspace. Everyone talks about having big fancy altars, but no one mentions that you need a good surface to do all your work on.

Storage, so much storage. I'm not talking about mason jars and pill bottles, I'm talking about where you put all the things you put in those jars. Having a workspace with drawers is immeasurably helpful.

A broom and water source. You're going to be cleaning up after yourself a lot, it's helpful to have a jug of water and a broom that stays by your workspace.

A mode of cleansing. I make a salt concoction to scatter around my workspace on short notice and store it close by.

On that note: SOMETHING TO CANCEL SPELLS WITH. Eventually, something will go wrong. You'll want to end that spell immediately. Have something to do it with.

A strainer. If you don't have a blender, rub dried plants across it to get a powder. If you do have a blender, you can strain that powder with it. Either way, if you intend to powder shit, get a strainer.

Small trays. It makes drying flowers so much easier if you have a small metal surface to contain them with- then just stick those suckers in a southern window and let em go.

Yarn/string scraps. Having a box or drawer of scraps makes trying this up to dry easier and a bit less wasteful.

A stash of offerings for whatever you work with. Honey for fae, coins for graveyard gatekeepers, alcohol for ancestors, etc.

Protective talismans or charms. Once you're into all of this stuff, you'll likely stick your nose in something you shouldn't. Having basic protection with you or in your workspace is incredibly important. A key and hagstone with red string is simple and effective.

A lighter- so many people forget the most basic shit. You're going to want to light shit on fire if you're a witch.

And a last tip- if something is too hard for a mortar and pestle, a plastic bag and hammer works too.

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grimoire-archives

1 year ago

Resources of Interest for Early Modern Magic in England & New England (circa the 1500s to 1800)

Primary Sources

The Key of Solomon. I’ve heard a lot of good things from several ceremonial magicians, including @thedesertgod , that the edition to go for is Skinner’s. He’s compiled, edited, and added scholastic commentary to The Veritable Key of Solomon, as well as The Magician’s Tables. Joseph Peterson, also recommended, has worked on The Lesser Key of Solomon and the Clavicula Solomonis (or Key of Solomon). I probably would read it in its original Latin, if you have the means.

Agrippa, Cornelius (false attribution). The Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy. 1655. Stephen Skinner also worked on an edition of this book. Unlike the actual Agrippa’s original three books, this volume does not hold much in the way of theory but offers plenty of practical instruction.

Casaubon, M. A True and Faithful Relation of what passed for many years between Dr. John Dee…and Some Spirits. 1659. As a record of the seances held by Dr. Dee and Kelley, it recounts the techniques used to conjure spirits.

Chamberlain, Richard. Lithobolia. 1682. One family’s account of witchcraft perpetuated by the fetch of a neighbor.

Culpepper, Nicholas. Complete Herbal. 1653. It provides a comprehensive description of the herbs, along with their medicinal uses and instructions on preparing them to treat illnesses.

Culpepper, Nicholas. The English Physician. 1652. The first medical guide published in the American colonies (apparently), it is intended for the average person.

Defoe, Daniel (assumed). A Compleat System of Magick; or, The History of the Black-Art. 1727. As a skeptic, like Reginald Scot, this anonymous author (who we’re pretty sure is Defoe) provides much information on the work of witches, conjurors, and cunning-folk.

Hale, John. A Modest Enquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft. 1702. After the Salem witch trials, he challenges the legal proceedings and religious principals of witch hunts in general.

Magnus, Albertus (false attribution). The Book of Secrets. “Provides a portrayal of the magical culture that predominated in the 16th century. This work includes secrets which are divided into five distinct parts: Of the Virtues of Herbs, Of the Virtues of Stones, Of the Virtues of Beasts, Of the Planets, and The Marvels of the World.”

Mather, Cotton. Memorable Providences. 1698. Having fanned the flames of the Salem hysteria, this book discusses several witchcraft cases in New England before the Trials arose.

Mather, Increase. Cases of Conscience. 1693. Intended to vindicate the Mathers’ involvement in Salem, it was intended to prove that witches and devils could assume the shape of an innocent person.

Scot, Reginald. The Discoverie of Witchcraft. 1584. By attempting to debunk witchcraft as a hoax, it managed to record a good cross-section of their formulae.

Turner, Richard. Botanologia The Brittish Physician: or The Nature and Vertue of English Plants. 1664. Another guide to British herbs and medicine, by an astrologer, occultist, and botanist.

Modern Accounts

Davies, Owen. Cunning-Folk: Popular Magic in English History. Hambledon and London, 2003.

Demos, John. Entertaining Satan: Witchcraft and the Culture of Early New England. Oxford University Press, 2004.

Godbeer, Richard. The Devil’s Dominion: Magic and Religion in Early New England. Cambridge University Press, 1989.

Merrifield, Ralph. The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic. Batsford, 1987.

Semmens, Jason. The Witch of the West: or, the Strange and Wonderful History of Thomasine Blight. Semmens, 2004.

Thomas, Keith. Religion and the Decline of Magic. Peregrine, 1978.

Weisman, Richard. Witchcraft, Magic, and Religion in 17th-century Massachusetts. University of Massachusetts Press, 1984.

Wilby, Emma. Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits: Shamanistic Visionary Traditions in Early Modern British Witchcraft and Magic. Sussex Academic Press, 2005.

A Bit Bout Yule

Hey lovely witches, Yule is almost upon us so here are just a few things about Yule that I would consider useful for everyone

❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄

Also known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, the sun’s “rebirth” was celebrated with much joy. On this night, our ancestors celebrated the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth. From this day forward, the days would become longer.

Symbols of Yule:

Yule log, or small Yule log with 3 candles, evergreen boughs or wreaths, holly, mistletoe hung in doorways, gold pillar candles, baskets of clove studded fruit, a simmering pot of wassail, poinsettias, christmas cactus.

Herbs of Yule:

Bayberry, blessed thistle, evergreen, frankincense holly, laurel, mistletoe, oak, pine, sage, yellow cedar.

Foods of Yule:

Cookies and caraway cakes soaked in cider, fruits, nuts, pork dishes, turkey, eggnog, ginger tea, spiced cider, wassail, or lamb’s wool (ale, sugar, nutmeg, roasted apples).

Incense of Yule:

Pine, cedar, bayberry, cinnamon.

Colors of Yule:

Red, green, gold, white, silver, yellow, orange.

Stones of Yule:

Rubies, bloodstones, garnets, emeralds, diamonds.

Activities of Yule:

Caroling, burning the Yule log, decorating the Yule tree, exchanging of presents, kissing under the mistletoe

Best spells during Yule:

Peace, harmony, love, and increased happiness.

Deities of Yule:

Goddesses-Brighid, Isis, Demeter, Gaea, Diana, The Great Mother. Gods-Apollo, Ra, Odin, Lugh, The Oak King, The Horned One, The Green Man, The Divine Child, Mabon.

❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄

Magic Correspondences of veggies and fruits (Eng//Esp//Cat)

I’m going to use this post not only as a correspondence guide but also as a traduction guide, since english is not my native language and I need to keep record as to what is what. So I’m posting the original english correspondence and just below the names in spanish and catalan with a spanish traduction of the correspondences.

BTW, the original correspondence list was made by @peachyymama. So all praise be to her.

————————————–

Apples: Love, fertility, marriage, beauty, vanity, wisdom.

Manzanas / Pomes: Amor, fertilidad, matrimonio, belleza, vanidad, sabiduria.

Avocado: Lust, love, beauty (carry pit around to radiate beauty).

Aguacate / Alvocat: Deseo, amor, belleza (puedes llevar un hueso de aguacate para irradiar belleza)

Apricot: Attracts love.

Albaricoque / Albercoc: Atrae el amor.

Banana: Fertility, potency, prosperity

Plátano / Plàtan: Fertilidad, potencia, prosperidad.

Blackberry: Healing, protection, money.

Mora / Mora: Curación, protección, dinero.

Blueberry: Peace, protection.

Arandano / Nabiu: Paz, protección.

Broccoli: Leadership, protection, strength.

Brócoli / Broquil: Liderazgo, protección, fuerza.

Brussels Sprouts: Protection, endurance, protection.

Coles de Bruselas / Cols de Brusseles: Protección, resiliencia, protección.

Beets: Love.

Remolacha / Remolatxa: Amor.

Cabbage: Good luck, money, fertility, lunar magic.

Repollo / Col: Buena suerte, dinero, fertilidad, magia lunar.

Carrots: Lust, fertility.

Zanahorias / Pastanagues: Deseo, fertilidad.

Cauliflower: Protection.

Coliflor / Coliflor: Protección.

Celery: Mental & psychic powers, lust, fertility.

Apio / Api: Poder mental y psíquico, deseo, fertilidad.

Cherry: Love, divination, happiness.

Cereza o Guinda / Cirera: Amor, adivinación, felicidad.

Coconut: Purification, protection, chastity.

Coco / Coco: Purificación, protección, castidad.

Corn: Protection, good luck, divination.

Maíz / Blat de Moro: Protección, buena suerte, adivinación.

Cucumber: Healthy, chastity, fertility.

Pepino / Cogombre: Salud, castidad, fertilidad.

Garlic: Healing, protection, purification, exorcism, guards against negative energy.

Ajo / All: Curación, protección, purificación, exorcismos, guarda contra las malas energias.

Grape: Money, fertility, mental powers, garden magic.

Uvas / Raïm: Diners, fertilidad, poderes mentales, magia de jardín.

Grapefruit: Cleansing, purification.

Pomelo / Aranja: Limpieza, purificación.

Lemon: Cleansing, purification, removes blockages.

Limón / Llimona: Limpieza, purificación, remueve bloqueos.

Lettuce: Divination, protection, sleep, lunar magic, love spells.

Lechuga / Enciam: Adivinación, protección, sueño, magia lunar, hechizos de amor.

Lime: Protections, purification, promotes calmness.

Lima / Llima: Protección, purificación, promueve la calma.

Mushroom: Psychic awareness.

Setas / Bolets: Conciencia psíquica.

Onion: Stability, money, lust, protection, prosperity.

Cebolla / Ceba: Estabilidad, dinero, deseo, protección, prosperidad.

Orange: Love, joy, happiness.

Naranja / Taronja: Amor, felicidad, alegría.

Peach: Fertility, love, wisdom.

Melocotón / Préssec: Fertilidad, amor, sabiduria.

Pear: Lust, love.

Pera / Pera: Deseo, amor.

Peas: Luck, money.

Guisantes / Pèsols: Suerte, dinero.

Pepper (green): Growth, prosperity.

Pimiento verde / Pebrot verd: Crecimiento, prosperidad.

Pepper (red): Energy, strength.

Pimiento rojo / Pebrot vermell: Energia, fuerza.

Pepper (yellow): Creativity.

Pimiento amarillo / Pebrot groc: Creatividad.

Pineapple: Luck, money, chastity.

Piña / Pinya: Suerte, dinero, castidad.

Plum: Healing, peace, love.

Ciruela / Pruna: Curación, paz, amor.

Pomegranate: Divination, wishes, wealth, fertility.

Granada / Magrana: Adivinación, deseos, riqueza, fertilidad

Potato: Healing, money, luck.

Patata / Patata: Curación, dinero, suerte.

Pumpkin: Healing, Prosperity.

Calabaza / Carbassa: Curación, prosperidad.

Radish: Protection, lust.

Rábano / Rave: Protección, deseo.

Raspberry: Love, protection, happiness, stamina.

Frambuesa / Gerd: Amor, protección, felicidad, estamina.

Spinach: Prosperity.

Espinacas / Espinacs: Prosperidad.

Strawberry: Success, good fortune, love, luck, romance.

Fresas / Maduixes: Éxitos, buena fortuna, amor, suerte, romance.

Sweet Potato: Grounding, love, lust.

Batata o Boniato / Moniato: Anclarse a la tierra, amor, deseo.

Tangerine: Protection.

Mandarina / Mandarina: Protección.

Tomato: Healing, love, prosperity, protection.

Tomate / Tomàquet: Curación, amor, prosperidad, protección.

Watermelon: Healing.

Sandía / Sindria: Curación.

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grimoire-archives

1 year ago

The gods see you. They hear you. You are not forgotten. Your prayers have not been ignored. What you need will come soon. The gods see you, even if you don’t see them.

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grimoire-archives

4 years ago

energy cleansing and healing spell

-🎐🌿✨🤍💧

this spell isnt necessarily overly complicated as far as components, but it’s a little physically involved, just a note if you’re a witch that has to worry about spoons and such, but on an okay day id say it’s perfectly doable

[ what you’ll need; ]

• white candle

• light pink candle

• yellow candle

• light blue candle

• sage incense

• three small bowls/plates

• mortar and pestle

• rose petals

• fresh thyme

• sugar

• honey

• lavender water

[ steps ]

light your candles, then your incense using the white candles flame. make sure you’re catching the ash cause you’ll need it later in the spell as well

in three separate bowls have your rose petals and then your thyme, then mix your sugar, honey, and lavender water into the third bowl.

place the rose bowl in front of your pink candle, charging it with self love, healing, forgiveness, and compassion.

place the thyme bowl in front of the yellow candle, charging it with healing, energy, happiness, and fulfillment.

finally, place your third bowl in front of the blue candle, charging it with soothing, healing, emotional strength, love, and gentleness.

gently grind together your petals and thyme, then add in some of the incense ash and use a bit of the lavender water to bring it to a pasty-paint-ish consistency of sorts, then add in the third bowls contents and combine, add more water if needed to keep the consistency where we need it

take the sludge and spread it across your face how you see fit, be messy if you want, get carried away, be as gentle or chaotic as you feel necessary and once you’re satisfied that everything’s been perfectly scrubbed with your new intent, rinse it all off with nice cool water and pat dry, follow up with a lavender/rose water/tea tree toner if you’d like, and a light moisturizer ✨

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grimoire-archives

4 years ago

I know this is cliche' is there a spell to win the lotto or get rich?

Cliche because it’s a popular need for magic to address. After all, as Wu-Tang so eloquently put it, cash rules everything around me. I think you’re after luck spells and money spells friend. Here are just a few:

Midas Oil

Luck correspondences

Bottle of Luck

Masterpost of Luck Spells

Luck and Money Powder

This spell is for help on a Final Exam, but much of the structure would be adaptable to a luck/money/lotto spell.

Money Attraction

Prosperity Jar

You might also think of petitioning your ancestors for aid in choosing numbers or tickets. My grandmother leaves her stack of scratch-off tickets (and a few quarters) on her family altar for a few days while burning candles and leaving offerings. Eventually she scratches them with the quarters from the altar (and if you’re not winning, you swap quarters).

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grimoire-archives

4 years ago

This is probably the witch advice you didn’t ask for, but I’ve found it’s much easier to remember to do general periodic maintenance that’s otherwise easily forgotten or put off when tied to milestones such as solstices, equinox, new, or full moons.

For example: Stow your winter blankets or clothes on the Vernal Equinox and take them out again on the Autumnal Equinox. Replace your air and water filters on solstices and equinoxes (every 90 days). Begin new 30-day challenges or do reset/cleaning of your living space on the new moon (every month).

Living cyclically breaks life down into manageable little blocks of time and helps us live in the moment by paying attention to the ebb and flow of the Earth.

Khaire 💫💀🖤

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