Chakra Charts

The Mundane Beside the Magical:

You want to learn magic and witchcraft, awesome! Go you! You wanna know what's important though? Learning the mundane at the same time as the magical.

I'm a firm believer in learning as much as you can about the things you're working with. To know a paintbrush, you have to paint. To learn an instrument, you have to play it. Anything you work with is a tool that, in an ideal scenario, will become an extension of yourself. You want to be in tune with your tools, you want to understand them as much as possible. It's learning how the tools respond to your interference. When you know these things inside and out, that, to me, is when you become an expert. Don't just learn the meanings of things, learn the reasons behind the meanings. Look up the etymology of that magic word you saw before you do the spell. Learn the historical uses of that herb and connect that to whatever its correspondence is. Learn why things are the way they are.

You want to learn ocean magic? Learn about the tides while you're at it. Learn how the ocean behaves, understand the sheer power behind the waves, the creatures of the ocean and all of the treasures you can find on the seashore.

Thinking about getting into green craft? Don't just learn about the magical uses of plants, learn about botany, and how to identify plants, understand how plants grow and thrive, and how different plants exist in nature.

Considering animal magic? Learn the Latin name of the species, maybe check out their anatomy while you're at it. Where does this animal find its niche? What does it eat, where does it sleep?

Getting into forest witchcraft? Learn about your local forests and trees. What kinds of forests there are, what preserving a forest can look like. Can you identify any trees of your own? How do different trees propagate?

How about weather magic? Learn meteorology, how to identify storm clouds, what atmospheric pressure does. Start to observe changes in the weather daily, how weather affects the wildlife around you.

Cosmic witchcraft more your vibe? Learn a little about space, study a map of the stars, learn the constellations in your night sky. Branch off into learning astronomy and cosmology, learn about planetary systems other than our own. If you want to keep it basic, learn the time it takes each planet to complete a rotation and revolution.

Crystals seem to be up your alley? Don't stop at the metaphysical properties, learn their scientific properties as well. Where can these crystals be mined? How rare are they? Can you tell the difference between imitations and the real deal? What's their number on the Mohs hardness scale?

Whatever you want to learn, branch out further than the magical. The mundane is just as, if not more important.

~Wander

junior be like: 🏳️‍🌈?

Heaven's Mandate

Stars align in silent symphony How sweet and agonizing is the wait Tempting honeybees, bound by fate Plucking strands of cosmic destiny, Blossoming flower of heaven's mandate Coundown to our Raver Singularity

Witchcraft Types: Cosmic Witch

The Faerie Star

The seven-pointed star or Faerie Star is an emerging symbol in contemporary magick. It is most often used to represent the worlds of Faerie. It can be displayed as a protective shield, a powerful talisman, a focal point for meditation, or a symbol of the Shining Realms.

The seven-pointed star is called a septagram, septegram, or heptagram. This glyph has had mystical associations for centuries, probably longer, since the number seven is important in many spiritual traditions around the world.

Medieval alchemists used the seven-pointed star to stand for the seven alchemical metals and their corresponding planets. But it can also stand for the seven colors, the seven days of the week, the seven musical notes, the Seven Sisters (Pleiades), the seven chakras, or any of the many sacred things that come in groups of seven. In Hermetic Qabalah, the septagram can represent the sphere of Netzach and the corresponding planet of Venus. Aleister Crowley also chose a septagram as the Seal of Babylon, the Great Mother and Sacred Whore of Thelema.

The septagram, because it has an odd number of points, can be traced in a continuous line. Its unbroken form helps give the star its identity as a symbol of eternity.

The Faerie Star is most often shown as a continuous figure with elongated points. No one can really say how or when the motif became incorporated into modern Paganism, but it is now a common sight in books, on jewelry, and on altar tools. Many practitioners use the Faerie Star instead of, or in addition to, the familiar five-pointed pentagram. Some say that the seven-pointed star reflects planetary (celestial) magick, while the pentagram encompasses magick of the elements and the earth.

☀️Sun Salts☀️

These salts are super easy to make and are good for any sun magic, an offering to solar deities, solar bath salts, cleansing, energy, positivity, healing, creativity, protection, and more 🌞

What you need-

🔆A mortar and pestle

🌼Sea salt

🍊Dried orange peel (and/or orange essential oil)

🌻Chamomile, marigold, sunflower, or any yellow petaled flower (dried)

🌾A dash of cinnamon powder

Instructions:

🔆Gather your ingredients

🔆Combine them one by one in a mortar and pestle until the salt changes color (yellow or orange) or until its powderized

🔆Let it charge in the sunlight (sunrise-sunset) with your favorite sun crystal

🔆store in an airtight bottle and enjoy!

My Favorite Sunshine Productivity Spell

This may be one of my favorite and most useful spells I've cast. I'm an ADHD witch, with a particular knack for procrastination. Chores were always a bore, and ultimately I knew I wasn't living up to my potential. So I crafted this spell 🌞

Designed to be performed under the High Noon Father Sun & the Early Afternoon Warrior Sun, this spell not only brings focus to the task at hand, but makes chores feel more enjoyable.

Soon, you'll find doing chores more fun than playing The Sims 4 (or maybe that's just me...).

Here's what you need:

cinnamon, for success, power & strength

cloves, for a clear mind

sage oil, for mental clarity

rosemary, for wisdom & memory

coffee, for motivation

black pepper, to banish negativity

honey, to sweeten difficult tasks

rice, to absorb excuses

Sun crystals (I like citrine & tigers eye)

a small jar

golden candle

Sun oil, or olive oil

dried orange peel, for happiness

Here's what you do:

Arrange the crystals around the jar before lighting the candle, anointed.

Fill the jar with listed ingredients.

Close the jar and seal with the wax of the golden candle, praying thrice, "Father Sun up above, Lend your light to me. Powers of Productivity are asked of thee. Focus & motivation are what's meant to be."

Charge in the sunlight, or under a Sun charged clear quartz crystal. Shake to activate.

OPTIONAL: Sometimes I like to push my spells into action by sealing them with an action of my own. In this case, if you tackle a project you'd been avoiding right after casting this spell (something relatively easy without too much negative connotation), the magick may get a turbo speed boost -- or at least that was my experience (I sealed my spell by reorganizing my dresser drawers while the jar charged outside).

I hope you enjoy and feel empowered! I'm gonna go out and charge up my jar after posting this.

Cheers,

~ Sage 🏹

The Other Elements

This is the fifth part of my elemental series! Today we will explore other elemental systems, possible other elements within the system, and other cultural explorations into elemental systems!

So, we have looked at the basic elements, earth, air, fire, and water, but what about the rest? What about all the other magical systems out there?

Why are there sometimes other elements?

Often times when we are researching the elements, a lot of spaces will have other elements that are important to their culture or religious framework. The most basic outline we can see across multiple cultures is the veneration of 'earth, air, fire, and water' but most cultures also venerate elements outside of that, whether its the concept of a spirit or another element that plays a role in life like snow, they will be venerated differently.

As science progressed, and as esoterica were working on an elemental system, they started grouping together things. An example is with snow, WE know that snow comes from water, so it has become an aspect of water in western systems, however to an ancient culture that may not have known that, it became its own element with distinct lore and features. This can stem from multiple reasons, like if its a cold climate so half of the year is covered in snow spawning a cultures need to venerate it differently. Additionally societies each had their own needs and philosophical beliefs which called for the addition of multiple other elements. We will explore more about the nuances of this later.

Another aspect that is worth exploring is that some systems do away with the 4 main elements all together, take Feng Shui or Wu Xing a 5 element system that composes earth of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Now, this system came from need and philosophy, it is a reflection of the culture it came from (9th century China) with strong emphasis on harmony and figuring out a place in the world.

Now that we have looked into what I am talking about, lets look into some nuance.

What are aspects and names? Why are they not elements themselves?

As we previously explored in an example, lets look at snow. Snow is now an aspect of water in western elemental systems because we know that snow directly comes from water, why isn't it an element itself anymore? Snow has become an aspect, or a form of the element of water with its own distinct name, associations, and lessons outside of the whole of water. What gives?

Similar to how gods have epithets (aspects of their character) and archetypes told in stories, the elements have the same thing, instead its observable traits that come from the whole. For example, fire is also ember, charcoal, and wands because fire is associated with all of those things, they are extensions of the whole that offer a unique perspective. It is an aspect you can work with, like picking an epithet to work with in deity work.

With this in mind, it explains how we get 'darker elements' or pieces of elements. Now some things cannot be classified in this way, so they become elements all on their own. For example, some groups will include elements like 'nature' to describe the living things and use earth to describe the unliving things, it is spiritually distinct from earth, and has its own associations. While in the west people lump that in with earth, it isn't true for every system and often times there is spiritual and religious significance to the distinction.

Because of all of this, personal elemental systems are extremely unique to someone's region and beliefs, Its why for some groups snow is still its own distinct element, or even sometimes considered a distinct byproduct of an element of a god, like a child, making it a distinct element. There is not right or wrong answer when it comes to the elements or elemental expression, what's important is that you find a system that resonated with you, the land you are standing on, and the lands that came before you.

Something important to recognize is that elements are very naturalistic and are intrinsically linked to human activity, things like climate change, terrain change, and more can influence how an elemental system evolves. It is why it matters that you research both the land you are standing on, and the land your ancestors walked on, so you get a more rounded view of how the elements have adapted and you start learning more about what resonates and connects with you personally.

What are some examples?

Keep in mind, these are just some examples and don't reflect every culture out there! I wanted to list a couple examples to get get you thinking about where these systems came from and why. As a reminder; people are not a monolith, lets not treat them as such, these are just a couple examples from around the globe, research is key when looking into personal associations. These are just some bite-sized beliefs Greek Classical Elements Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Aether Philosophy: Empedocles (5th century BCE): Proposed the four elements as eternal substances forming all matter. Aristotle (4th century BCE): Added Aether (divine, unchanging substance of the heavens). Celtic Traditions Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit/Otherworld Symbolized life’s cyclical nature and the connection between the physical and spiritual realms.

Hindu Panchabhutas Earth (Prithvi), Water (Apas), Fire (Agni), Air (Vayu), Space/Ether (Akasha) Foundational for Ayurveda and many spiritual traditions, they are the building blocks to life.

Hawaiian Elements Earth (ʻĀina), Water (Wai), Fire (Ahi), Air (Makani), Spirit (Mana) Reflects the balance of nature and spiritual energy (Mana) vital to Hawaiian culture. Native American Traditions Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Sacred Directions or Spirit (varies by tribe) Can be tied to the Medicine Wheel but not always, with an emphasis on balance and harmony.

Other System Ideas When in the process of researching, its possibly you will find other systems and beliefs, for example some sources online will say "The Norse believe in 12 classical elements" when in actuality it could be mistranslations, adaptations from medieval times, and so much more. Its important to consult with historical sources and people living within these cultures to make sure you are getting a full and accurate picture into their elemental systems! There are many, many others around the globe, with their own beliefs and systems, it is absolutely worth doing a deep dive to see what systems exist and why.

What is the western elemental system?

The western elemental system is a generalized system of elements (usually 4-5) that stems from ancient Greece, but was later expanded on by alchemistic and esoteric traditions! During the Hellenistic period, the Greek elemental system merged with Hermeticism and Alchemy in an attempt to build more with scientific practices, to which the western elemental system was finalized and integrated into western occult traditions during the medieval period! The things that made this system so unique is that it did not rely on any major mythology, but rather was used to explain concepts of the natural world. Because of the secular use, as well as a spiritual one, people began using this system to label tarot suits, herbs, astrology signs, and its where a lot of the 'elemental labels' come from today! A vast majority of sources you see use the western elemental system, which has its own pro's and con's especially when you cant pin point the origins to a belief, so remember to use researching skills when looking at these systems.

While we do have this system, we also began to see the spring of "cardinal witches", witches that use the cardinal directions to associate their practice to a certain element. The western system does attribute the elements to specific cardinal directions, so a west witch would mean a witch who delves into matters of water, the past, divination, and the psyche, because those are all associations with the western idea of 'west' These labels come from pop culture, folklore, and occult practices alike that have greatly shaped the way we view the western elemental system.

Final Notes

While no elemental system is perfect, we are exposed to it constantly on our spiritual and magical journeys. It can be a wonderful tool when learning about magic and how we interact with it on a worldly basis! I hope you found this informational piece as interesting as I did! Do you feel like you subscribe to an elemental system? where does it come from? Let me know in the comments below :) Fair Winds

Sources and Notes

On Verticality

Earth, Air, Water and Fire : The Verticality of The Classical Elements — On Verticality

Throughout human history, our ancestors have created myriad different theories and ideas to explain our world and how it’s composed. One the

en.wikipedia.org

Classical element - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Feng shui - Wikipedia

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