What Are The Claires?

Queen of Pentacles reversed and Three of Swords

You kid says your homemade mac and cheese is okay, but not as good as the instant kind that comes in a box.

Advice to witches and Pagans who wish to be allies

Here are some personal words of advice to those in the witch/Pagan communies who wish to be allies to witches and Pagans of colors/marginalized groups, sincerely from a Pagan witch who is a member of an ethnic minority.

Do Not:

Post/repost those lists of what are/are not cultural appropriation. Many of them are inaccurate and incorrect. Some of them are downright stereotypical and racist.

Use us as an excuse to attack people. Some people genuinely don't know better and mean no harm. Innocent mistakes happen. Publicly humiliating people and/or ruining their businesses doesn't help us at all. We've seen enough bullying in this world already without you adding more to it in our names. If you wish to educate someone on what you know/have learned from us, please at least do so in a tactful manner for a start.

Assume cultural appropriation at face value. Looks can be deceiving. The person who has a dreamcatcher hanging above their bed might have received it as a gift from a friend who's Native American. The person with a fresh henna tattoo might have just attended an Indian friend's wedding. The person who appears to have a light complexion might in fact, be a part of a closed culture and/or belong to a closed practice.

Take what you read on the internet as gospels. A handful of people whose online posts have gone viral might not actually represent the voice of the group from which they claim heritage. And guess what? People online can and do lie.

Support mass marketing that exploits native cultures for profits.

Go around preaching about a culture that you're not a part of. This includes what is/is not cultural appropriation from that culture.

Repeat what you've heard/think you know about a culture without having actually taken any time to talk with the people from that culture in real life or done any research to educate yourself about that culture.

Talk over us and speak for us. And this includes making the rounds on social media telling people what our cultures are/are not, what we allow/do not allow, what can/cannot be done with/from our cultures.

Do:

Listen to the native people of a culture. Take the time to get to know them. Spend time with them, if you can. And I don't mean on the internet. As much as possible, try to actually go places, explore different cultures, and learn by experiences.

Be a part of a culture's celebrations/special occasions if you're invited by the people of that culture.

Support local/small businesses run by ethnic minorities.

Appreciate different cultures. Enjoy and promote different cultures' arts, music, cuisine, and traditions in respectful manners. Celebrate diversities. Embrace differences.

Ask questions. If you're not sure about something, it's perfectly fine to just ask. Most of us are cool with sharing our thoughts on matters related to our cultures.

Understand that cultures are not monoliths. Even within a culture, there are going to be differences of opinions, across generations and geographical regions.

Actually be an ally instead of a mouthpiece. What we really want is for our voices to be heard and not drowned out. We would like to be able to speak our minds, without anyone talking over us, without anyone making it more about them than about us.

“You’re so quiet, what’s wrong?” I’m creating my own fantasy world to escape from reality so shut up.

🦋10, 13, & 30 for the soft asks🦋

10. What is something (or someone) you’re in love with?

🌙 (it’s about to get cheesy) I’m in love with the way my cat lays on my chest and pushes his head into my hand. I’m in love with the way fall smells and the way leaves crunch underneath my feet. The way a sweater feels against my skin, how a cup of warm tea feels between my hands. I’m in love with my fiancé and how we don’t just act like lovers but best friends as well.

13. What’s your ideal summer aesthetic?

🌙I’ve never been a huge fan of summer and I’m terrible at describing or choosing aesthetics but, I’m in love with early summer mornings when it’s chilly enough for a hoodie and the morning dew covers the grass. Sipping my cup of coffee with my feet in the pool as my dog curls up next to me. I miss summers at my parents’ house.

30. What do you do to feel at peace?

🌙Paint, draw, something creative. Something about getting lost in my art with music blaring through my headphones makes me feel so at peace. Being outside in the morning with coffee or tea, just taking in nature also gives me so much peace. Nature walks, reading, writing, ah there’s so much. Just stepping away from social media and the world, just taking in what’s around me is so nice.

Thank you for the asks!! ❤️

you don’t even have to be in love with me, just be suspicious

i hope i am not just a mutual to you guys but an online persona you’re both in love with and a little suspicious of

☀️

here's a reminder...

...to stop and breathe. maybe get a drink of water to hydrate yourself.

going on at it without a break can overwhelm you, rendering you unable to make rational decisions. hence it's important to take such small breaks when you feel burdened by work or emotions.

these can help you take it easy and regroup your thoughts to face the situation. keep calm and carry on ✨

PSA: rocks and shells, etc. you find outside for free are just as good bc they all bring joy

Steampunk Nintendo Mods made by IgnisFatuus

What to ask tarot

So tarot card questions are actually a lot different than asking a specific question. You wouldn’t say, for example, “Is my dad going to graduate?” because if you got the 3 of cups, you would be utterly confused as to why I did not provide a yes or a no. So below I am going to list questions that are good to ask the cards. 

• I’m at a fork in the road. Which way should I go?

• How do I weigh out the choices I have? What are the Pros and Cons?

• What do I need to know to make the best decision? What do I need to know?

• What do I need to know about a situation with a family member?

• What do I need to know about my love life?

• What do I need to know about my career?

Moving forward

• How do I move forward in my career?

• How do I move forward in my relationship/ love life?

• What is coming forth in my life?

• Which foundation is the strongest to build on in my life?

* What should I do?

• What should/ shouldn’t I do about a situation with my job?

• What should/ shouldn’t I do about a situation with a friend or family member?

• How can I restore my hope for the future?

• What overall positives do I bring to my life?

• What positives do the people in my life provide me?

• Is there meaning in my life?

• Is there love in my life? Hidden Elements

• Are there things I am ignoring that are important?

• What am I not seeing?

• What is holding me back?

• Are there truths that I am denying?

• Are there things that I see that are untrue?

• What important things have I forgotten?

• What could get in my way?

• What is most important for me to get done?

• How will a certain occasion or event turn out?

• What will be the best way for me to communicate with certain people?

• What should I learn from my past?

• What is the impending future telling me?

• What cycles am I stuck in?

• What have a learned from my past?

• Where am I strongest?

• What should I look out for?

I hope this helps!!!!