Tasseomancy: The Reading Of Tea Leaves

Spiritual Block

We’ve all been there. You want to do something, you want to write something, you want to make something… But you can’t. You can’t feel it. You can’t see it. You can’t hear it. You just feel disconnected and anxious.  I get a lot of asks from people who ask how to reconnect with gods, spirits, and their craft. They claim things have gone cold, gone quiet, gone silent. So here is a small list of my own suggestions to help with feeling this way. 

Get Out

Now a lot of practices aren’t nature based, so I’m going to word this a bit differently than I would if it applied solely to me. 

Get out of your everyday space. The space you sleep, you eat, you work. Go for a hike, go see a move, go to a cafe, go to a library, go down the road and just listen to the sounds around you. We isolate ourselves through routine and sometimes we put up walls without realizing it. Look at details, explore, investigate, question. Remember you are more than just a 9-5 job. Remember you are more than just the book you read on warding magic or the overwhelming schoolwork that has been draining your inspiration. 

Regroup

Look to what inspires you. Movies, artwork, other practices or crafts and allow yourself time to look through those things. Do not hold yourself to them, or compare yourself to them but rather think about what inspires you about them. What aspects do you admire? Can you incorporate those into your own practices? Can you change them to suit your own style? What can you add to make them your own, and in doing so make them something more to you?

Shuffle a deck of cards and just do a reading. Flip through a book and just read a page. Listen to a song or a playlist and skip around. Find small elements that you can use to build something bigger. Allow yourself space to write, to draw, to record these things however you can. They don’t need to be organized and they don’t need to be “proper” unless of course you’re into that. Just get it down for later when you can look it over and make sense of it all (if there is sense to make). 

Fake It

The best way to get over a block is to just keep going. After you’ve gone out and regrouped yourself just take another crack at it. Redo shrines or altars. Reorganize bookshelves and chests of materials. Check dates of herbs and cleanse crystals. Water and cull your plants. Now just do it. Don’t need anything yourself? Look to the many people in this world who need a hand. Do a spell for those who are hungry, those who are scared, those who are hurting. Or likewise do a spell against those who are greedy, those who are suffocating and killing, those who are hindering and disrupting.  Do a spell for your own land, your own home, your friends and family members (some people will warn against doing magic without permission but I’ll leave that choice to you). Do a spell for yourself. Clean yourself. Inspire yourself. Harness passion and dedication. Bathe in it. Sing to your gods or your spirits or if you’ve none sing to the spirits who have passed.  Turn up the music and dance. Dance for those fighting for clean water, for those fighting for their own land, for those fighting to put food on the table, for those who feel broken and wronged and desperate. It doesn’t have to be any one person or any specific people. It is still valid and is still worth doing.

Enjoy

Do what you enjoy. At the end of the day why pursue something if you aren’t enjoying it?

I mean this in a light sense. A lot of people chose this path for other reasons and many have made vows and promises but ultimately why stay if you aren’t enjoying any aspect of this? A duty? A responsibility? Maybe. But for those of us who don’t have those don’t feel restricted and restrained.

Do what you love.

If you love making wards. Make them.

Already have enough? Make some for other people. Make some for the forest. The library. Local soup kitchens.

Like writing spells? Share them. Write as many as you like. Like constructing rituals? Leaving offerings? Writing poems? Simply being around herbs and crystals and bones? Do that. Surround yourself.

There doesn’t always have to be a reason. Or be a need. You can just do. Don’t let your mind overthink something that is in essence just an action.

For me, witchcraft is an impulse and is sporadic. I do it when I feel I should. And I have found you do not need a reason to do it. I hope you can shake those cobwebs from your head and pursue what you enjoy.

*(Disclaimer) Some people may feel their own craft is sacred or very strict and serious. This post is very obviously not directed towards your own particular situation. Please do not apply this post to your own craft if you don’t think it is applicable. This is a personal post of a public format being shared with the sole intention of helping those in similar situations. Curseshamers are tiresome and boring. I’ll spare everyone else the trouble, “Not everyone follows the ‘rules’ and ‘laws’ you do so don’t apply them to other people”. Lastly permission and it’s place in magic is something argued about. This isn’t the post to do that arguing on. If you want to discuss it get your soapbox out and stand on it on your own blog. 

How do you know when a God has responded?

Let’s just say, when you know, you know.

I realize how vague and unhelpful this is, so I’ll list some common ways the Gods respond to people:

They appear in your dreams

You hear Their voice in your head

The elements around you respond when you pray to Them (i.e., the wind shifts, the candle rises or flickers, etc.)

Your mood changes abruptly

You feel Their touch

You feel another sensation come out of nowhere, such as a temperature change, or a feeling of a blanket on your shoulders when there is none

You constantly run into Their symbols (for example, suddenly the crows of Apollo are following you or being extra loud or something)

A circumstance in your life changes, or you run into serendipity at a much-needed time (proving that They’re watching over you)

You feel an irresistible gut feeling to do something, such as make an altar for Them, research Them, do a certain spell or the like

Gods responding is similar to spirit work or locating omens: when you know, you just know. It’s very intuitive. But sometimes it takes Gods a while to respond.

Just know that the Gods will respond to you. Blessed be lovely ~ ( ^ ω ^ )

Podcast Episodes for Witches and Occult Lovers

Suggested by @witchtips and @occultpassion

All completely FREE

* Please note that there is non-factual discussion and cross talk in these podcasts which can sometimes be slightly offensive and off color *

Dolls and Magic - New World Witchery

Magical Occupations Revisited - New World Witchery

Moon Magic - New World Witchery

Pretty much anything from New World Witchery

Protection Magic - New World Witchery

Feminist Witchcraft - Stuff Mon Never Told You

Occult Symbols - Last Podcast on The Left

Nazis and the Occult Part I: Severe and Annoying - Last Podcast on The Left

Nazis and the Occult Part II: White People Nerds - Last Podcast on The Left

Hollywood Witches - Stuff Mom Never Told You

Grimoire: Occult Books and the Magic of Writing - Stuff To Blow Your Mind

Wicca - The Ancient Way - Occult of Personality

Sinister Forces, Occult History, & The Nine - TheCarlwood

Superstars and Satan: Music and The Occult - Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know

Anything from Down At The Crossroads

The Illusion: Alchemy Reborn Through The Occult - History of Alchemy Podcast

History of The Occult - Out There Radio

Magickal Art in the New Aeon - Occult of Personality

Witchcraft 101 - The Unnormal Paranormal Podcast

Witchcraft - BBC Radio 4

Modern Witch Podcast

BONUS Personal Favorite Podcasts

Lore

The NoSleep Podcast

Astonishing Legends

Serial

Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know

Jim Harold’s Campfire

Criminal

Cheap, newbie lithomancy

Ok so I love the idea of divination by throwing things about, and lithomancy is stone divination. Now, you can use your lovely crystals or tumbled stones for this but a. I’m cheap so I don’t have too many and b. I am not gonna be throwing around my precious gem babies. Nooope. 

So, what to do? Go outside and grab a bunch of small to medium stones that appeal to you, you should need about 10-15 depending on what you wanna put on them. Give them a wash and dry. Take paint or use markers (I used gold and silver markers) to add symbols of meaning to each one. Common themes include the planets and elements along with some tarot influence.

Next, take a spare piece of paper and figure out what categories you want, 8 in total. I did: Self, love, money, work, friends, home, magic and health. Now you should make a circle with whatever you can that looks like the below, and place your categories in the 8 sections. Still with me? Cool.

Now here’s the fun part! Shake up your stones and (not too hard) cast them over the circle. They will scatter about and maybe bounce a little. Stones that lie outside the circle or lines are irrelevant and should be put back in the storage while you read. Depending on which section they land in, the stones will have a message about that topic. Stones in the centre circle show past/current events, the middle ring shows things to come and the outer is for future possibilities.

This is super fun, inexpensive and actually pretty accurate so if you get the chance, go do it!!

 Lots of love and good luck, 

Gazelle.

My witchy iOS apps.

Wow! I’ve never gotten more than MAYBE 15 notes in my many years on tumblr. Thanks, witch fam!

UPDATED*** Here are some app links for @valicorne​ and others who requested. They should all be free. Some of these are also in the Android Marketplace, and for those that aren’t, there are comparable ones.

And my mom has a baller sigil making app on Android I envy: Sigil Automatron. Anyone know of a comparable one for iOS? (I don’t want just a paint or photoshop-like app, but one specific To making sigils)

Not all the full names show in the screenshotted app view, which is why some of you struggled to find them. Sorry!):

1. Tarot Card Memorizer: Pretty self explantaory. This is a nice reference when you’re trying to learn card meanings.

2. Pendulum Charts Free - a plethora of charts. I like using that on my iPad, not super useful on a smaller screen, aka my iPhone. Can also use to reference for making your own charts on paper, or woodburning like I’m working on.

3. Golden Thread Tarot - Really nice free eversion of great physical deck. Nice for witches on the go, or witches on a budget.

4. Crystals And Gems - Handy reference guide for both physical and metaphysical attributes.

5. Mighty Timer - temperature, time, and amount of tea you need for the perfect cup. Great kitchen witch app, especially if you grow some of your own herbs for tea, like I do.

6. TimePassages - Free daily horoscopes, meanings, planetary bodies glossary and then some paid options for chart downloads.

7. Herbs Guide - Herbs for health and cooking. ***never take any information found on the Internet or via apps as medical advice. Seek professional medical help if you have an issues. This witch is very pro-science and modern medicine, despite making teas, tinctures, and herbal salves. Those are merely supplements to help relieve symptoms.

8. Dreamboard - my favorite digital dream journal

9. Runes - pocket advisor - Get one, two and three rune readings. Also helps you learn the meanings of elder futhark runes. 10. SkyView Free -This overlays constellations and other astronomical information when you open the app and point it at the night sky. Uses your camera and GPS to know what it’s looking at. Works inside, too. I impress the heck out of people when I whip this out at stargazing events.

11. Best Essential Oils and Aromatherapy Guide Pro - This app, containing six broad sections - guides, application, single oil, oil blends, aromatherapy and weight loss. Again, this is not to be used in place of proper nutrition and medical attention, and be very careful when using essential oils. All need to be diluted with carrier oils, and some are dangerous if you’re pregnant, etc.

12. Spellcaster - tarot cards, horoscope and pre-written spells. Not my favorite, but fun to flip through.

13. Celeste -LOOOVE. Celeste allows you to calculate a natal chart, which you can view on a zodiac wheel. You also get a description of all the planets in signs, not just the sun sign.

14. Star Chart - This is similar to skyview. I haven’t played with it too much so I can’t vouch for it quite yet. I think I prefer the skyview interface.

15. Free Candle - Different candle options, and you cna blow them out. Great for on the go candle magick/meditation, and for those who aren’t allowed to use candles in apartments/dorms/etc.

16. The Pocket Pagan - “This unique Pagan app includes a map of the USA and Canada filled with Pagan, occult and New Age stores, a handy correspondence guide for quick magickal look-ups, and a calendar that shows you the next full moon and Sabbat dates. Quick links can help you find the latest news, blogs and videos too. One little widget shows the real-time moon phase too.”

17. Moon - current moon phase - Love this. Very simple interface for when you JUST want basic full, new, waxing, waning moon info.

18. Herbs in Magick - The application contains information about more than 200 herbs and their magickal use. No internet connection

advice for smol new witches

im writing this bc @cinnamon-starlight and i were talking and i wanted to offer something that wasnt ridiculously incoherent and babbling

THINGS I WISH I HAD KNOWN BEFORE I GOT INTO WITCHCRAFT

all witchcraft is valid. don’t shit on people’s methods. any way you want to witch is beautiful and wonderful. absolutely anything can be magic if you want it to be.

that doesn’t mean you can take whatever the hell you want. don’t take things from closed cultures if you aren’t in the culture. hellenic gods? you’re chill. “smudging kits” from urban outfitters? no. don’t do it. 

your meanings are your meanings. someone else might see a plant as one way, but that doesn’t make it the best way for you. witchcraft is personal. don’t let other people make your decisions.

be safe. don’t eat anything unless you’re 100% sure it is safe. don’t use magic instead of medicine. just don’t. mundane solutions are actually great! do your research before doing things, and make sure you understand how to protect yourself with wards before you do spirit work, curses, astral projection, etc. 

don’t leave rationality behind. this is important. just because there might be something ghostly doesn’t mean there is. do not begin to see omens everywhere. don’t trust your life to a pendulum. 

witchcraft is not a Super Serious Thing. it can be! but it doesn’t have to be. it can be casual. you can use pop culture. you don’t need special supplies or a whole room for rituals (though there’s nothing wrong with either of those!) don’t feel like you’re not a “real witch” because you aren’t constantly talking about astrological transits. 

have fun. do things you want to do. learn cool stuff. meet other witches. if one of them is rude tell me so i can go kick their ass. this should be a nice and supportive community for people doing something they care about. 

witches, pagans, and wiccans are not the same thing. witches do magic, pagans follow pagan religions, and wiccans follow wicca, a form of paganism.

don’t be afraid to be told you’re wrong. let people explain things. just be sure that they aren’t covering up your opinions, namely those meanings i talked about. suggestions are good. 

learn learn learn. it doesn’t happen overnight. everyone continues learning. keep learning. more learning. yessss that learning. but if at any point you don’t enjoy learning about something? you probably should stop studying it and go try something else instead. look at number seven.

now go out and witch! i just know you’ll blow them all away and i am so happy you’ve decided to be a witch! which, by the way, is a gender neutral term. 

-callis

To those who have swept or have blown the leaves from the walk, have rinsed the dishes or dusted their screens, Hestia looks on you from beneath her veil. She smiles, then wraps a shawl made of sunlit October air around you.

To those who remain in bed, who are on the edge of crying, who have turned on the tv to drown out the world, Hestia sits on the edge of your bed, patting circles on your back. I know, my love, she says, I know, I know. It can be so hard. My sweet, it’s time to get up. I need you, she says. Let’s make this home a sanctuary. Light a candle. Make your hands to care about this place. Let out the work of love.

Incense Blending: A Guide

Blending your own incense can be a very powerful tool for pagans, no matter what path they choose to practice. A blend you have made has the benefit of being filled with your intentions and power, as well as the more mundane (but no less important) benefit of knowing what has been put into it. This guide is for making cone incense, as it’s easier to form than stick incense and in my experience, burns longer. 

Items Needed (the recipe I’m using is mine for my Samhain incense; the steps are the same for all cone incense, but the recipe differs). 

Mortar and pestle: don’t use the same one you do for grinding herbs for tea or food, incense is not meant to be ingested and in some cases can be harmful.

¾ tsp. Makko or another natural incense base: Makko is a common incense base most notably used in incenses of Japanese origin. 

1 tsp. Myrrh resin: This has a very pungent aroma, but works very well at holding all the parts of the incense together. There are other resins that work just as well for other blends (i.e benzoin gum).

1 tsp.crushed mugwort leaves: You want them to be small enough to stick to the Myrrh resin

1 tsp. Frankincense tears: tears are small chunks of resin, If you grew up in a Catholic environment (like yours truly) you’ll likely recognize these as the incense from funeral masses and Christmas/Easter/Lent.

2 tsp crushed Rosemary Leaves.

Pipette or eyedropper for water.

1. Combine your ingredients in a small bowl. and mix them together, making sure they’re all nicely crushed up.

2. Begin to add small amounts of water to the mixture. Using a pipette or an eyedropper prevents you from adding too much. remember, you can always add more….you can never take it back out.

3. Stir until the blend reaches the consistency of play-doh.

4. Once that happens and your blend has formed a paste, you can begin to form incense cones with your hands, make sure the cones are flat on the bottom.

Once you’ve formed your cones….let them dry for 24-48 hours and they’re ready to go!

A Simple Bind To Shut Someone Up

For when you want someone to quit talking shit.

Procedure:

Take a piece of paper and draw a tongue (a horseshoe shape with a line going down the middle) then draw a large X through it.

Write beneath the drawing “You will hold your tongue.”

Fold the piece of paper over and glue it shut, or take a safety pin and pin it closed.

Slip this into a jar with a layer of black salt (or mud) at the bottom of it. Seal the jar and store in a place that light will not reach it.

* I did this simple binding when a manager would not lay off my ass and it worked fairly well for me. Happy binding!