I’ve Been Meaning To Make Some Kind Of Portable Altar For A While, Figuring I’d Just Put Together

My favorite simple wards to guard the home

Hanging rosemary above the doorstep, and/or above doors of the house for protection.

Sprinkling a line of dried red pepper on a windowsill, to counter a curse.

Placing a mix of dried & ground eggshells and black pepper in every corner of a room to keep out unwanted spirits.

Placing a decoration representing a witch in the kitchen, to keep away illness and to favor health.

Crafting an effigie (no matter how crude!) and make it into the guardian of your home by charging it with your intent of protection by placing it near the front door.

Crafting small witch ladders to hang around the house.

i’ve noticed a recent uptick in practitioners feeling like they have to choose a specific “path” when it comes to their practice and i just wanted to remind my mutuals or anyone that stumbles upon this post that YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIFIC PATH.

paths are helpful sometimes but they’re never straightforward. they wind and bend and sometimes they just abruptly end.

you don’t need to scramble to find the path that’s perfect for you, because there might not even be one. and that’s okay! you aren’t abnormal or anything like that for not finding a particular path that fits you perfectly. that’s why i just call myself an eclectic practitioner. trying to fit myself into a neat and tidy label didn’t feel right to me so it wasn’t!

you can just be you. your “path” can just be your own personal practice. at the end of the day, no one needs to understand it but you.

You can and probably should buy your first tarot deck!

My first deck was gifted to me by friends on my birthday, following the tradition by all means and then some. It was my first real tarot deck, I loved everything about it and it was a very thoughtful gift by very good friends. A couple of years later, I came across another one I really liked and after some time of contemplating if I needed two decks (lol) I gave in and bought it

The connection I have with the deck I personally chose and got for myself is not even close to the connection I had with the gifted one

The gifted one would often "short circuit" and give random cards that had no correlation to my question and formed no answer, just pure nonsense. The energy would also feel heavy and thick like trying to run through a swamp. I tried everything to fix it with no result, eventually deciding it was because I was not very experienced but no, even after all this time it's still the same

The deck I chose hasn't given me any problems at all so far. The energy feels welcoming and refreshing, all the cards I pull work in perfect harmony with each other and the answers are clear as day

There's a lot of reasons why people gifted others their first tarot deck back in the day. People's views on witchcraft and divination meant it could be dangerous for you to buy a deck because everyone would know about it and assume stuff. Things were also more expensive and not (as) mass produced or easily accessible so a deck could be a family heirloom of sorts that was handed down to you

Things are certainly different now and at the end of the day, your deck is a tool and you have to vibe with your tools to use them effectively

The opps (forces beyond my understanding) are holding me by the scruff of my neck like a kitten (not letting me divine on what lies ahead) while I scratch and bite (continue to ask my cards what lies ahead)

🔮 Absolutely random, assorted facts from my experience with Tarot:

You can set rules with your deck. Don’t like reversed cards? Don’t pull them. Don’t interpret them. Request not to get them. Don’t care about the position of the card and want only its meaning? Ask for it.

You can pull confirmation cards. If you are working with a companion, you can set up their personal confirmation card. If you’re working with the deck and the general universe, you can pick a feel-good card (or a rare card if you want) and request it whenever you want to get a vibecheck.

You can repull. If it feels weird, it probably is weird. If you keep pulling the same card all over again, it’s probably correct. But if you pulled one weird one that just doesn’t seem like it belongs, repull. Your deck - your rules.

You don’t need to sweat too much over “official meanings”. So what if the Tower means “something bad”? If it means something positive for you, go with your feelings first. Each practitioner will have their own associations with the cards. I for one quite like the Tower, but I genuinely hate getting the High Priestess. It’s individual.

You don’t need to work with a specific Deity, spirit, or daemon. The cards are powerful tools without any additional presence.

You can assign a deck to a particular entity. I have four decks, out of which three belong to (a) companion(s) of mine. This is completely individual and fully relies on who you want to touch your cards.

You can confuse the cards. When the reading starts to feel like it just reiterates your feelings, it probably is. Or you worded your question badly and the cards don’t know what to tell you. Or you already know the answer. Or maybe something else.

You might be turning your spread into multiple spreads. If your session with tarot can be broken into a number of smaller sessions, you are probably overworking yourself. It helps to step back and think whether or not your multi-card spread turned into a multitude of smaller spreads. Is that why nothing is making sense?

You might be told to read cards some other time. Bias, moods, instability, or the cards just being not in the good state - all of these can affect whether they agree to work with you in the first place. I’ve had decks that stayed “silent” for months on and decks that were willing to work with me every day. It depends.

P. S. One more time: this is just my experience. It is not universal.

Deity Non-specific Altars - What they are and how to use them

What it is: A deity non-specific altar is exactly as it sounds - it is an altar that is not dedicated to any specific god or goddess (though it can be connected to say, a general concept of god/goddess). It is a place that is an altar for your craft, using your power, your passion, your energy, and any ancestors, spirits, or a general concept deity you may call upon.

What do you put on it: Anything that you have a strong personal connection to. Spell jars or other products, decorative pieces that you're passionate about (looking at you, fellow artists and art lovers), pictures of your loved ones, your favorite rocks, crystals, plants, or (ethically sourced!) bones, jewelry with sentimental value, your favorite books or resources, your tarot or oracle decks, your pendulum, positive affirmations, things that remind you of your own power, your own passion, your own personal craft. Almost like your bedroom, but with a more divine feeling.

Here's an example of mine:

As you can see, I've got bones, a spell jar, a heart plush I used in a spell (can post that spell later if you're interested), pictures of my boyfriend, things he's given me, a sailor moon ouija board because that was and is my comfort show(ironically it's the best quality one I own, too), a ouija board I got as a display piece, a coffin shaped vase for when I pick my flowers, a seashell ring holder that I put a severed porcelain baby arm in to hold it open, and a display piece to express my love of horror movies. Does all this amount to a single deity? Does it all scream ~*witchcraft*~ ? Not at all, because it doesn't have to. It just has to be me. My own resources for my rituals are all over my home because I've been practicing for a long, long time, but for newbies and baby witches, you can put your resources on or near it if you please.

How to use it: Well, you practice your craft with it, just without calling upon any specific god or goddess. This is an altar for you, your energy, your power, and for your craft, not a place of worship for a specific diety. If your rituals or spells require more space, you don't have to practice directly on it. But it should be a place you look at (preferably every day) and think, "this is me, this is mine, this is a product of my own divinity." If it doesn't feel empowering, it's not right. Don't worry about being "aesthetic", worry about making it a place that you love and feel connected to.

Gentle witch little things

Simple things you can do to bring more love and positivity into the world:

enchant the bus or train you’re on, so that everybody has a pleasant day or a safe travel home

paint protective sigils in the misty windows of buses or shops when it rains, and leave words of encouragement and praise on public bathrooms’ mirrors

bless passing ambulances and firefighter trucks with speed and safety for their patients/destination

wear an enchanted lipstick/gloss for your smile to brighten the day of everybody you meet

enchant your spare change so that it gives luck to the beggars you donate it to; they need it, don’t they?

actually, just enchant your money, so that retail and low-wage workers can have a better day when they serve you

leave blessed acorns and harmless trinkets in various places like buses or waiting rooms; give other people something to wonder about and make their day, and kids an item to roll in their hands mindlessly

bless food and leave it for stray animals; let birds be messangers of hope and miraclous event for everybody that sees them

whisper encouragement to trees and grass you pass by; let them know someone cares, someone sees their beauty, and awaits their bloom

smile at children and pets; provide them with the positive energy that the world is trying to kill in them

leave motivational notes, praise and silly drawings charged with love and hope on post-it notes as you go; they can brighten the day of those that find them

Pine cone wish spell

Items needed:

Pine cone, cinnamon, small pieces of paper, candle

1.) write your wishes on the pieces of paper.

2.) roll them up and stick one end in the wax and insert it into the pine cone.

3.) pour the rest of the wax on the pine cone and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Let dry.

4.) on New Year’s Eve burn in your fire to release your wishes into the universe.

*the photo features glitter added to the pinecone. You can add glitter or anything else you’d like.

Alchemy, the untouched friend of Witchcraft

If there is something interesting that is nearly not used on mostly of the witch community, is Alchemy, and is something from which we could take some few useful stuffs.

As always, disclaimer first, I’m not an expert on the subject and I barely if I read a couple of books about the topic (from another 10 untouched ones lol), so as always in life, take what I say with tweezers. This is meant to be a light superficial view to open a door of possibilities in a mix of Witchcraft and Alchemy, is not a thesis. Saying that, to the core of the question.

Alchemy use elements. A lot of them.

The three primes or Tria Prima (the basic 3 materials): Sulfur (Related to the Soul and the principle of combustibility, so it has volatility, can burn, explode, combust), Mercury (Related to the Spirit, the principle of fusibility so the material can be fused together and volatility so a substance vaporizes), and Salt (Relate to the Body, the principle of non-combustibility and non-volatility).

Our beloved Four basic Elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Water.

The Seven Metals associated with the seven classical planets: Lead, corresponding with Saturn. Tin, corresponding with Jupiter. Iron, corresponding with Mars. Gold, corresponding with the Sun. Copper, corresponding with Venus. Mercury, corresponding with Mercury. Silver, corresponding with the Moon.

The 13 Mundane Elements and Later Metals: Antimony, Arsenic, Bismuth, Cobalt, Magnesium, Manganese, Nickel, Oxygen, Phlogiston, Phosphorus, Platinum, Sulfur, Zinc (All of them with a lot of interesting properties and functions, in and out the alchemy world).

The 10 Alchemical Compounds: Acid, Sal ammoniac, Aqua fortis, Aqua regia, Aqua vitae, Amalgam, Cinnabar, Vinegar, Vitriol, Brimstone (All of them also with amazing properties).

And what interesting me the most (at least to my way to do witchcraft), The 12 Alchemical Processes:

Calcination (Aries): The thermal treatment of a solid to removing impurities or volatile substances.

Congelation (Taurus): Term used in medieval and early modern alchemy for the process known today as crystallization. Process by which a solid form into a structure known as a crystal, by precipitating from a solution or freezing.

Fixation (Gemini): Process by which a previously volatile substance is "transformed" into a form (often solid) that is not affected by fire.

Solution (Cancer): Homogeneous mixture composed of two or more substances. In such a mixture, a solute is a substance dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent.

Digestion (Leo): A process in which gentle heat is applied to a substance over a period of several weeks.

Distillation (Virgo): Separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation.

Sublimation (Libra): The transition of a substance directly from the solid to the gas state, without passing through the liquid state.

Separation (Scorpio): Converts a mixture or solution of chemical substances into two or more distinct product mixtures. Process of distinguishing to two or more substance in order to obtain purity.

Ceration (Sagittarius): Chemical process, by continuously adding a liquid by imbibition to a hard, dry substance while it is heated. Typically, this treatment makes the substance softer.

Fermentation/ Putrefaction (Capricorn): A metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes/ Decomposition of organic matter by bacterial or fungal digestion.

Multiplication (Aquarius): Process to increase the potency of the elixir or projection powder, in order to increase the gains in the subsequent projection.

Projection (Pisces): Process to transmute a lesser substance into a higher form; often lead into gold.

Damn, alchemy even have symbols to Units: Month, Day, Hour, Dram (Unit of mass between 1 and 3 grams), Half Dram, Ounce (Unit of mass, weight or volume of 28 grams, Half Ounce, Scruple (1 grams), Pound (500 grams).

So just with this simple 2 pages of basic Wikipedia info, we have a ton of new things to use. Everything here has specific properties, some more physical and chemical oriented, but others (like the 3 Tria Prima and The 12 Alchemical Processes) have a lot of correspondences with the witch life itself.

The 12 Alchemical Processes could be absolutely used to represent an desired outcome.

Calcination uses thermal treatment, so it can boost the Fire element of a spell. It also “removing impurities or volatile substances”, so can be applied to generate a mild fever to get rid off the flu, or to boost the organs that clean the body (kidneys and liver mostly)

Congelation turns a solid by freezing, can boost the Water element, so all the “freezer spells” can be boosted with this.

Fixation? A volatile substance is transformed into a solid form? Sound pretty much to grounding, or to help to focus an ADHD head as mine, or to put down to earth someone who is VOLATILE AND VIOLENT. Also, Earth element.

Solution? Homogeneous mixture of two or more substances? It sounds like an aid to make two people on conflict to get into an agreement, or to boost a new business by mixing the opportunities with the action. Air element.

Digestion. A process in which gentle heat is applied to a substance over a period of several weeks? It sounds like something that can help any process that need digestion (bad news must be “digested”, hard choices must be “consulted with the pillow”), and the “gentle heat” sounds comforting. Someone is grieving? Maybe Digestion can help them to overcome the awful times.

Distillation. Separating the components or substances. Anything that need to be separated can be helped with this. Relationships that must end, breakups, cut the ties with older things or habits.

Sublimation. The transition of a substance. I heard trans rights? Can this maybe help with your hormones? Or even to transition from what you previously left behind with the distillation, to focus in a new better future.

Separation. Process of distinguishing to two or more substance in order to obtain purity. How to choose from two or more choices? How to pick the better one? The one with purity? Separation maid aid.

Ceration. A hard, dry is heated to make it softer. Make that person less frigid, make the boss less bitchy, make your chronic pain less hurtful, make your bills less heavy, all that you can think in make softer.

Fermentation/ Putrefaction. I personally love this one. Produces changes in organic substrates and decomposition of organic matter by bacterial or fungal digestion. Prime element to curses. All what you want to rid off in the most disgusting way. May their flesh get rotten under a car in a hot summer.

Multiplication. Process to increase the potency of the elixir in order to increase the gains in the subsequent projection. MONEY MONEY MAKE MORE MONEY, all what need to be increased and all what you want to multiply, go go go!

Projection. Transmute a lesser substance into a higher form “lead into gold”. Perfect to get better as a person, to learn to adapt, accept, to grow compassion, love, etc.

At this you can add the Units, the metals and mundane elements, the 4 elements, the tria prima, your crystals and herbs and sigils and all. And your spells will be filled with components and correspondences.

What’s better, a lot of the physical elements are not too hard to get (some yes, they are, but you are not here to make lead into gold with a full set of chemistry), but alchemy use a lot of symbology, so even if you don’t have the physical element, you can use their properties with the symbol, just as any other sigil.

Salt is easy. Tin in a food can. Antimony in mostly all the rocks. Arsenic in apple seeds (technically no but still). Cobalt and Manganese basically everywhere. Magnesium in your own body. Nickel in coins. Oxygen in the air., Phosphorus, Zinc and Sulfur in food. Acid in anything acid lol. Aqua vitae in alcohol (especially Whisky). Vinegar in vinegars.

Long story short, if you feel that maybe you are lacking something, check some books about alchemy would maybe help. Don’t pick super chemical specific pro books and don’t be discouraged by the terms, pick what can be useful to you, and I hope this open some doors and bring more curiosity about this amazing topic.

Occultists, witches and spiritualists really need to stop peddling the lie that spirituality, witchcraft, paganism, etc. isn’t a psychological phenomenon as well as a mystical one. Your psychology will in fact, fundamentally inform your experiences with spirituality.

And we also need to stop pretending that spirituality and witchcraft are somehow contrary to mental illness. Or that having a mental illness means you can’t do witchcraft.

I’ll be completely honest with you guys and say that certain people with certain afflictions are more predisposed to different “mystical” experiences than others. I don’t think it’s a great coincidence that I am so great at visualization given that I was raised in a severely neglectful household. It doesn’t surprise me that many pagans are lonely people. This doesn’t mean to say that spirituality is “filling” a hole within anyone (although if it is, that’s great for you) but more so that, well, this path is unpopular for a reason. Alternative subcultures are alternative for a reason, and outcasts and rejects usually find a home there for a reason.

This also doesn’t mean to say that people who engage in witchcraft and spiritualism are inherently mentally ill. There is still a difference between hallucinations and spiritual encounters. And there was never any rule that said that both of these things cannot happen to a single person. For the safety of yourself and others we should be aware of the warning signs of dissociation and hallucination, but that doesn’t make anyone “wrong” for experiencing those things. And experiencing those things doesn’t mean you cannot explore spirituality or do witchcraft.

I hate it when “spiritualists” who are actually just anti-vax conservatives push the narrative that people with mental health issues cannot participate in spirituality. I also despise the notion that mental health issues are inherently a sign of an energetic imbalance. We’re all walking around with a special concoction of brain soup in our heads, it doesn’t surprise me that Ares devotees tend to have BPD, that many Aphrodite devotees struggle with self harm, that many people who work with angels have paranoia or generalized anxiety.

There was never any rule that said that you cannot use your deities or magic to help you cope with your mental health. I know some people will say “the Gods aren’t here to be your friend or hold your hand through life” but I’ve seen no evidence to suggest that’s true. I see no reason why a God like Ares couldn’t help his devotee with BPD come down after a bout of rage, I see no reason why Dionysus couldn’t help his devotee with their alcoholism or substance abuse, I see no reason why Aphrodite couldn’t help a devotee with relapse or negative self talk.

Witchcraft and paganism were historically used as a tool for survival, to bring people ease, to help people feel safe and secure, blessed and protected. That applied to all people, including those with mental health issues.