10 Different Crystal Shapes And How To Use Them

128 Words to Use Instead of ‘Very’

She traveled the world and wrote books and took lovers and broke hearts. She didn’t allow life to just happen to her. She punched and pummeled and beat the living shit out of it.

Rick Yancey, The Last Star (via journaling-junkie)

Lavenderwhisp’s Types of Witches Master Post

Add on anything missed!

Witch: magical practitioner

Elemental Witch: Witches who work around the 5 elements: Water, Earth, Air, Fire, and Spirit.

Earth Witch: Witches who specifically work with their magic around the element of Earth, through grounding exercises, rock/soil collecting, crystal magic, and Green Witchery. Earth zodiac signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Types of Earth Witches: Green Witch: use plants/herbs/flowers in herbal and natural magic, such as using them in spells and creating remedies with them. Garden Witch: A version of a Green Witch, they enjoy working with the earth through gardening and using their herbs and plants to help and care for their families and loved ones. Flora Witch: Similar to the above witches, they work with flowers in their practice. Their Book of Shadows would likely be full of Green Witchery, such as than herbs and herbal recipes, and flower classifications and associations. Marijuana Witch: A type of Green Witch, Marijuana has been used for spiritual and medicinal purposes throughout history. These witches use marijuana for magical purposes and use herbal recipes with marijuana. Rock Witch: Witches who work with all rocks, including stones and crystals. They enjoy geology and their Book of Shadows is full of geology and crystal healing. They are most likely involved in a scientific field, such as geography or archaeology where they can be close to the Earth. Crystal Witch: Witches who work with stones and crystals, such as through crystal healing. Their Book of Shadows will most likely have information about the stones, chakra balance, and crystal meditation. Forest Witch: A witch who enjoys the company of trees and live amongst them. The seclusion is perfect for cottage magic and tree magic. They also enjoy the company of fey and woodland animals, and use local plants. Swamp Witch: Witches who live within the swamps, use swamp plants, and enjoy the company of swamp animals. Desert Witch: A witch who lives in the desert, enjoys the natural desert scenery, uses desert plants, bones, sand in their practice, collects desert rocks, and befriend desert animals such as snakes, lizards, and scorpions. They also tend to use the elements of Wind and Fire as well as Earth in their practice. They normally worship desert deities and study desert lore in their area. Sand Witch: Sand witches live where a lot of sand is in the local earth, such as the desert or the beach. Their home is filled with different types of sand and rocks. Water Witch: Witches who work with the element of Water. Water magic includes water scrying, collecting water, swimming and other water-related actives. Water zodiac signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Types of Water Witches:

Sea Witch: They work with magic and deities around the ocean and oceanic world. The practice sea magic using seashells and bones, sea weed, beach sand, driftwood, ocean water, etc. They also may worship sea deities and enjoy the imagery of sea creatures.

Ice/Arctic Witch: A witch who lives amongst snow covered land for most of the year or have a deep appreciation for the cold and snow. They worship ice deities, use snow water, and enjoy the cold. 

River/stream/spring witch: Witches who work with running water, worship river deities, and study local river lore.

Lake witch: Witches who live around a lake. They fish, befriend frogs, observe wildlife, canoe or kayak in their spare time, and swim to feel grounded. They may worship water/lake deities and study local lake lore. Bath Witch: Another type of water witch, but much more domestic. These witches enjoy the calming effect of bathing, make bath salts, and enjoy bath magic. Air/Wind Witch: Witches who center around the element of Air. They work with wind, using tools, symbols, and deities associated with Air. Air zodiac signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius Fire Witch: Witches who focus on the element of Fire and fire magic, such as candle magic, and may worship deities associated with fire. Fire zodiac signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius 

Other Natural Witch types: 

Seasonal Witch: Witches who draw magic during a specific time of the year. They are known as Winter, Fall, Spring and Summer witches who have a deep connection to the season they love. A seasonal witch gains most of their power during and from the season they identify with. For example, a person who loves the heat and sunshine of summer will soak up the rays and become very magical during the summer. They practice magic throughout they year, but they have that favorite season, like we all do. They would incorporate seasonal specific plants, symbols, colors,deities, and so on. Their work could also be affected depending on where they live, such as one season occurs for a longer period of time more than any others instead of the distinct 4 seasons. North Witch: North witches identify with the direction of North and the symbolism it represents, such as infinite possibilities, earth, creativity, and home. East Witch: East witches worship the East Cardinal Direction and the associations East represents, such as the future, air, communication, and trust. West Witch: West witches identify with the direction of West and its associations of the past, confidence, water, emotion, and the psyche. South Witch: South witches enjoy the direction of South and its representation of the present, fire, energy, physical strength, and health. Sun Witch: A witch who enjoys sunshine, works with spell work involving the sun during the daytime, and sun deities. Lunar/Moon Witch: A witch who draws magic from the moon. They are nocturnal witches and closely follow the phases of the moon, and do magic according to the lunar calendar. They also tend to worship deities associated with the moon. Astronomical/Space Witch: Witches who focus on the planets and stars. Their Book of Shadows will have information about each planet, the zodiac and astrology, and the enjoy nocturnal magic based on astronomical charts and the alignment of the planets. Nocturnal Witch: A witch who works with nocturnal deities and magical work at night. They find solace in darkness, the darker side of life, and normally wear dark colors. There is a great book by Konstantinos called Nocturnal Witchcraft. Storm/Weather Witch: Witches who combine one’s energy with the energy of the weather and storms. They collect rain water, utilize the energy of a lightning storm, and so on. Animal Witch: Witches who have a deep appreciation for all animals and use animal materials, draw on their energy, and most of the time worship animal deities. Animal witches can worship and draw from any type of animal, but here are some popular examples. Empath Witch: An empath is a form of psychic who can feel other peoples feelings. It’s a knowing that goes way beyond intuition or gut feelings, even though that is how many would describe the knowing. Gray witch: Also known as a neutral witch, practices magic that does not harm nor benefit others. They will mostly benefit and harm at the same time, creating a neutral or balanced effect. They believe a witch who cannot curse, cannot heal, Also, to them nature is not completely positive, nor completely negative, it is neutral and balanced. Dream Witch: Witches who use their magic in dreams and to restore the body throughout the night often drawing energy from the moon or darkness while they sleep. These witches often keep dream journals and enjoy meditation. Specialty Witch types: Divination Witch: Witches who work with practices of divination, such as tarot readings, palmistry, tea leaf reading, and so on. Hedge Witch: Also known as shamans. They use a type of magic that is oriented around the spiritual world. Astral travel/projection, lucid dreaming, spirit-work, healing, and out-of-body experiences are some of the magic they do. Angelic Witch: Witches who work with and worship angels, such as the Archangels, guardian angels, and throne angels. Fairie/Faery/Fey Witch: Witches who communicate and work with the fey, such as calling on them and leaving them offerings regularly to thank them for their assistance. They study fairy and elemental spirit lore, especially in regards to their local area. Kitchen Witch: Witches who enjoy working in the kitchen and put their magic into herbal mixtures, brewing, baking, and cooking. Cottage Witch: A lot like a kitchen witch, they enjoy being in their home and doing things for their loved ones. Urban Witch: Witches who live in a urban environment and use more modern practices of magic. They may substitute traditional ingredients with modern ones, use traditional tools but in a new way, such as wearing sigils on their clothing or as a tattoo, use electronic sources, and have their Book of Shadows on their computer. Urban witchery is all about combining the old with the new. Religious Witch: Witches who practice their religious beliefs in cohesion with their craft. Common Types of Religious Witches: Pagan Witch: A Pagan formally means a person who worships more than one deity. Paganism is also normally an umbrella term for any religion other than the Abrahamic religions. Wiccan: Wicca is a modern Pagan religion. Wiccans worship nature and use magic for positive unharmful change. Wiccans follow the Wiccan Rede, which simply states that you will not use magic to harm others or yourself. Wiccans worship a God and Goddess, along with other Pagan deities, who embody femininity and masculinity. Wiccans have a calendar of 8 Pagan holidays and Wiccan traditions were influenced by many sources, such as Celtic traditions. Thelemic Witches: The Thelema philosophy is a precursor to Wicca created in the early 1900s, and has similar tenants to Wicca, such as “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will.” Modern Thelemics may practice more than one religion and worship other deities than the 3 main Egyptian deities in their texts, Nuit, Hadit and Ra-Hoor-Khuit. Witchcraft is also part of the Thelemic religion. Satanic Witch: Satanism includes symbolic association with, or admiration for, Satan, whom Satanists see as an inspiring and liberating figure. Satanic witches don’t always worship Satan, but rather follow the beliefs preached in Satanism. Christian Witch: Christian witches follow the teachings of Christ and worship God and Jesus through witchcraft. Jewish Witch: Another kind of Abrahamic witch, these witches follow the teachings within the Torah and worship God through using their witchcraft. Kemetic Witch: Kemetist witches practice a modern religion based upon the ancient Egyptian family of gods/goddesses and ancient Egyptian ritual practice. The Kemetic religion is primarily polytheistic. Depending on the practitioner, it can be hard polytheism to soft polytheism. The type of craft a Kemetic is most likely to practice is called Heka. It utilizes words and images to get things done. It is also important to note that the culture/religion is open to all people of different walks of life, anyone can be Kemetic, it was a open culture when it was alive. More important than the gods, the entire goal of the religion, is to uphold Ma'at. Ma'at is usually generalized as justice and being honest. Some Kemetics do not worship gods, but focuses on upholding Ma'at. In short, Kemetism is a reconstruction of the Ancient Egyptian religion. Buddhist Witch: A witch or Wiccan who also identifies as Buddhist. These witches believe all life is sacred, they practice compassion and nonviolence, and their ultimate goal on their spiritual path is to find Enlightenment. Many witches incorporate meditation into their witchcraft and many Wiccans also believe in reincarnation like Buddhists. Many witches and Wiccans also believe in karma, a Buddhist philosophy. Buddhism really works hand in hand with the already highly spiritual and natural Craft. Regionally Specific Witchery: most were originally tribal based and feature many similarities, such as Paganism and similar craft practices

Europe

Norse: Norse witches worship Norse deities. Witchcraft was very important in ancient Viking culture and a normal part of their everyday life. Warrior shamanism, runes, and sacrifices to the Gods were just some of their important practices. 

Heathen Witch:Heathenry is Norse/Anglo-Saxon/any Germanic Paganism, also called Asatrú: Ásatrú is a polytheistic faith based on pre-Christian Northern European Pagan beliefs. Emphasis on historical accuracy and the heroic tales as recorded in texts and personal honor, truth and integrity are considered to be some of the highest virtues.

Druid: Druidry means following a spiritual path rooted in the green Earth and hails from the United Kingdom. It means participating in Celtic wisdom teachings, but embracing the contributions of many peoples and times. Druids worship Celtic deities and practice earth based magic. Hellenic Witch: Witches who are Hellenic or Greek Pagans (Hellenists, Hellenes, Hellenism) are generally polytheists who worship the ancient Greek Olympian gods. Offerings to the Gods are an extremely important element of ritual practice. Hellenismos consider hospitality of great important and place great value on the study and use of classical Greek philosophical texts. Roman Witch: Roman Pagan witches practice Religio Romana, the pre-Christian religion of Rome. The modern religion reconstructs the ancient faith of Rome and its gods, goddesses and rituals as closely as possible. Every attempt is based on historical accuracy and archaeological evidence. Like their friends the Hellenic Witches focus on the original classical texts, writers and language of their ancestors. Italian Witch: Strega (Stregheria, La Vecchia Religione, “The Old Religion”), Italian witches practice a form of Witchcraft that encompasses elements of the pre-Christian European magical teachings and ancient Etruscan and Tuscan religions. Many modern Italian Witches today, especially those who still reside in Italy, are Christians who also practice their Old Religion. Slavic Witches: Today, old techniques of divination, magic, soul travel and healing is known from their ancestors and their native faith Rodnovery. These families, the volkhvy, who have “witchblood” have ancestors from ancient Rodnover priesthood. They are considered masters of a much larger tradition in Russia called koldovstvo, or chaklynstvo. One does not have to possess the lineage of the volkhvy to practice koldovstvo. The Russian volkhvy are thought to be descended from shamans who could shape-shift into bears and wolves, while in Macedonia and Bulgaria they are considered to be descended from dragons. Slavic witches also revere Baba Yaga, one of the most important witch lore figures in Slavic culture, who commonly appears as an old crone who flies within a mortar and holds a pestle. She has many faces, like the Wiccan triple Goddess, such as an Earth Goddess or a symbol of Death.

Africa

African Witch: African witchcraft varies region to region of the African continent and can be tribally specific. African witchcraft normally delves in spirit work and shamanism. The most well known type of African witchcraft is Voodoo (Vodou). Voodoo is an ancient West African religion based on spirit work. Voodoo is a religion of spirits. Voodooists believe that the world of humans is shared by the world of the spirits. When a person dies, his spirit passed to the world of the unseen but is still able to see the human world. Spirits, it is believed, in some cases can even impact the world of the living. They also seen as witch doctors in their communities who can heal, work with divination, and give their customers charms and amulets to bring them luck, love, harm to others, and so on.

The Americas

Native American Witch: Each region and tribe of Native Americans have its own unique kind of witchcraft. Each tribe has their own rituals, performed ceremonies, and ritual outfits. They each have their own tools, carvings, and totem poles. In spite of all their differences, Native Americans share a sense of oneness with their land, practice herbology, and hunt, use, and honor animals of Native America. A common magical practice known to have roots in Native American magic is the practice of smudging. Appalachian Witches:Witches within the Appalachian Mountains are a very isolated family from most other people. For most it is a family tradition to practice and they hand down a Grimoire, that are most likely written in a language early members created during a time when they couldn’t read/write English. Isolated witch groups and families can be found in any part of the world where geography isolates them, or did isolate the past generations, from the rest of the world. Haitian Vodou: A sect of African Voodoo, they believe in a supreme creator, Bondye, and worship the spirits subservient to him, the Loa. Every Loa is responsible for a particular aspect of life and they cultivate a relationship and worship them much like Pagans worship their Gods and Goddesses. Haitian religious culture is derived from the Kongolese tradition of kanga, the practice of tying one’s soul to something tangible, which is evident in Haitian Vodou. Fearing an uprising in opposition to the US occupation of Haiti, political and religious elites, along with Hollywood and the film industry, sought to trivialize the practice of Vodou. After the Haitian Revolution, many Haitians fled as refugees to New Orleans. Free and enslaved Haitians who moved to New Orleans brought their religious beliefs with them and reinvigorated the Voodoo practices that were already present in the city. Eventually, Voodoo in New Orleans became hidden and the magical components were left present in the public sphere. This created what is called hoodoo in the southern part of the United States. Louisiana Voodoo: A sect of African Voodoo, knowledge of herbs, poisons, the ritual creation of charms and amulets, and the intension to protect oneself or harm others are key elements of Louisiana Voodoo. Voodoo queens have great power in their communities, are ritual leaders, and draw crowds to buy their magical products, such as “gris gris” amulets and spells that will grant the customers desire. There also Voodoo kings, their male equivalent. American Hoodoo: A sect of Louisiana Voodoo that is ever evolving. Hoodoo practitioners use gris-gris items, such as amulets and charms, to cure their customers ailments, bring them luck and love, and whatever they desire. Some work closely with the Bible, and have said to see Moses as magical figure. Bruja/Brujo Witches:cWitches who practice witchcraft, brujeria, who are descended from, or live in Spanish speaking South America. Santeria and Folk Catholicism are practiced in nearly all of Latin America. They are worshipers, healers, priests, priestesses, and witches. For practice, they buy their goods at shops called Botanicas

Brazilian Shamanism(“Pajé”): Like other tribal or local shaman, they work with the spirit world,work with divination, and are seen as healers. Shamanism is often hereditary in Brazil and they work with a specific animals spirit to derive power from, such as the jaguar. Umbanda is the incorporation of catholic saints with the beliefs of afro-brazilians religions.

Kahunas of Hawaii: Like other shamans, they invoke spiritual help, conduct rituals, and have Pagan local gods who are given offerings. They also have various crafts of Kahunas, such as a high priest, dream interpreter, and reader of the skies. To the Kahunas, and many witches today and in the past, the subconscious is your greatest ally or greatest foe for achieving health, wealth, and happiness.

Asia

Japanese Witch: The Pagan Japanese religion of Shinto is shamanistic. Witch is a very positive term in Japan. Japanese witchcraft is commonly separate into two types: those who familiar snakes and those who familiar foxes. Korean Shamans( Muism or Sinism): Sinism is Pagan shamanism pre-dating Buddhism and Confucianism. The Mu, also known as magician, medicine man, mystic or poet, have the ability to will people into a trance state and astral project. The Mu provides physical, psychological, and spiritual healing. These shamans emphasize holistic living. There are different types of Mu and they are link to the mother goddess associated with a mountain. Each region has a different mountain association, thus a different goddess associated with that region. They make sacrifices to the gods, worship ancestors, sing songs, and meditate. Chinese Wuism: Chinese shamanism, also called Wuism, was first recorded in the Shang dynasty. These men and women are seen to meditate with the powers to generate things, worship ancestors, and can communicate with the spirits. Gods of nature are prominent in Wuism.

Filipino Witch: Kulam is a form of folk magic from the Phiippines. It emphasizes personal power and the secret knowledge of Magica Baja. Like other witches they practice candle magic, scrying, spell work, and a mangkukulam, a version of the Voodoo doll. They also are witch doctors like other folk magic practitioners who uses divination to diagnose a victim and try to cure them.

Eclectic Witch: Most modern witches follow many practices, traditions, may be religious or secular, and go by many titles.

You bored, or feeling artsy but don’t have any inspiration...? *updated!*

Do you need to distract yourself? Or are you simply bored? Here are some great websites to make the time pass.

create pixel art

Awesome photo editor and art program, all free…!

Totally free transparent textures

make a cute chibi

draw some cool generative art

be a graffiti creator

create a picassohead (you don’t need to be a picasso to do so)

paint online

another awsome site to create pixel art on

and another one

create your own mandala

or color one

create an avatar

or you can try creating your own superhero

here you can interact with organisms in different environments to see how to music changes

here’s a website that translates the time into hexidecimal colours,

Here is a website where you can travel along a 3D line into the infinite unkown

here is a website where you can listen to rain with or without music

Need a model in a certain pose for drawing? here

Want to build your own planet

here is a website where you can create your own galaxies

make your own pattern (very useful if you need a new background)

create next hit comic

make a city which looks like something from 90′s games

draw a mandala like design

jig saw puzzles

more jig saw puzzles to solve

create a stunning HTML5 animation - no coding!

make a movie

create and dress up dolls

play a piano

you can also play a guitar

create sounds

another sound creator

create a logo

design your dream home

sketch rooms

explore fashion trends and create your own sets

build a website

try this app for building a website

Or maybe start learning how to code!

design your own t-shirt or a beanie or sweatpants and order them

design your own phone case

pretend to be a graphic designer with this cool online tool

Make your own Glitch art

Here’s another glitch art maker

And another!

Holy hell, here’s a third!

make an image look like it was created by a commodore 64

freaking cool text generator!

Easy to use word processor

Make up really cool patterns or run your photos through it :)

Write an essay on anything with no hassle

Wanna see how something you write would look like if it was on JacksFilms YGS((Your Grammar Sucks videos on YouTube))?

Make pictures out of text

ASCII word generator

Need an idea for some fanart-here :D

Still haven’t found something that would float your boat? Try these:

watch a documentary

learn to code

do something yourself

workout with the help of this great youtube channels

learn things

play pokemon or zelda or other awesome old school games

waste your time on miniclip

play games at additing games

or try games at agame

calm your thoughts

the quiet place

it will be okay

vent or listen to someone

pour out your soul

explore the sky

look at art from around the world

virtually visit museum of iraq

explore world with arounder

create a music playlist

list through rare books

scroll useful science website

create sand art

brain games

try out tastekid and discover new favorite band or movie or book

interactive 3D anatomy

random street view

post a secret

create a family tree

find our what’s the difference between x and y

help scientists and become volunteer researcher

create your own font

read a classic short story

In the mood to read, but not sure exactly what book to go for?

scribble on maps

listen to letters

play with acrobots

listen to podcasts

make a bucket list

Ever want to see the most truly useless websites in creation?

Prank a friend with this blue screen of death!

Zone out watching the colors drip down

Maybe none of these peeked your interest-maybe you’ve been wanting to create an o.c, but never really knew how to start-or you just enjoy making O.C’s….

This masterlist is to help you in making your own OCs….it can also apply to developing RP characters i suppose! (´ヮ`)!

How to Write Better OCs:

basic tips on how to make your oc even better

tragic backstory? learn how to write one/make yours great

writing specific characters

a wordier, great guide on how to develop your character

kick out those vague descriptions and make them AWESOME

Character Development:

how to actually make an OC

Q&A (to develop characters)

more Q&As

giving your character a backstory

how to write an attractive character

Need an Appearance idea?

Humanoid generator? check

Here’s another one

and maybe if you didn’t like those this’ll work

Need Monsterpeople?

Well, then here ya’ go

Maybe you need Cats?

Diversity

adding more racial diversity

avoiding tokenism, AKA, how to add diversity to your cast not just because you “need” it

writing sexuality and gender expression (doesnt include non binary, if you have a good ref to that, please add on!)

masterpost on writing more diversity into your story

cultures of the world

guides to drawing different ethnicities (not just a great art reference, but also really helpful in appearance descriptions!)

Mary Sue/Gary Stu

Test to see if your character is a Sue

Explains subdivisions of Sues/Stus

Powerful Characters Don’t Have to Be Sues

Villains

villain generator

need an evil sounding name for your evil character? bam

villain archetypes

what’s your villain’s motive for being a villain?

Relationships

character perceptions (What your character thinks of themselves and what others think of them)

how to write strong relationships between two characters

8 ways to write better characters and develop their relationships with others

OCxLove Interest Handbook

develop your couple with good ol’ Q&A!

how to write realistic relationships

how to write relatives for your characters (this is more OC related to a canon character, but will help in writing family members in general)

ARCHETYPES

12 common archetypes

8 archetypes for male/female characters

female archetypes (goes pretty indepth from two main categories)

a list of archetypes

NAMES

how to name your character

random name generator

most common surnames

surnames by ethnicity

APPEARANCE

tips for better design

basic appearance generator

pinterest board for character design (includes NSFW and images of skeletons/exposed muscle (?) so tread carefully!)

clothing ref masterpost

Clothing generator

Another clothing generator

More clothing generator

Aaaand even more

Steam punk clothing

Char Style preference

Dress Generator

DETAILS

give your character better powers

a list of professions

proactive vs reactive characters

positive and negative traits

interest generator

skills generator

motivation generator

123 ideas for character flaws

list of phobias

Oh shit someone died

Backgrounds and stuff? yep

Quirks

Personality. you need that shit

Need something fandom related?

City generator hell yeah

location? got ya

World-building?

make your own god damn laws

Landscape.

Need Item names?

Fantasy/sci-fi/etc. medicine names

Stuff to make things more interesting.Weapons, clothes, treasures… whatever your characters need.

Item & Artifact Generators

Other stuffs!

Genre, Plot, & Story Prompt Generators

How did your characters meet?

Fanfic plots. you bet your ass.

I wish people were as affectionate with other people as they are with animals/pets. I would love it someone were to tell me how handsome/cute/adorable I am as often as they tell their dogs, or even just show me as much affection as they do their pets and kiss me and hug me and cuddle me and just tell me how much they love me. But no, in our world, I'm lucky just to be looked at for more than a passing second. I'm lucky to be shown any affection outside of home. No one seems comfortable enough to show me any affection. No one will give me a hug, or link arms with me, nor will they throw their arm around my shoulder or hold my hand. I don't need anything romantic, all I want is to be shown that I mean something to someone, and that they genuinely like me. Why don't people do this?

---

Tari’s Spellbook Masterpost

My Spellbook is a sorted collection of all of the spells and spell ideas that I have reblogged or posted here on Tumblr.  The Spellbook is constantly under construction, with new categories being added, so please click here to see the updated version of this on my blog ^_^

NOTE: Please open this post in a separate tag, as the links are to tag groups and will not be supported in the sidebar blog format on Tumblr.  If you open this post in a sidebar, the links will bring you to my blog’s homepage.  

#Spellbook  - Original Spells - Spell Seeds - Spell Collections - Simple Spells - References

Spells Sorted By General Intent

Binding Spells

Blessings

Charms

Cleansing Spells

Curses

Enchantments

Glamours

Grounding Spells

Healing Spells

Meditation Spells

Protection Spells

Purification Spells

Spells Sorted By Type of Witchcraft & Magick

Air Spells

Animal Spells

Art Spells

Bath Spells

Bone Spells

Bottle Spells

Candle Spells

Coin Spells

Cord Spells | Knot Spells

Cottage Spells | Domestic Spells

Crystal Spells

Digital Spells

Divination Spells

Dream Spells

Earth Spells

Energy Spells

Fairy Spells

Feather Spells

Fire Spells

Flower Spells

Food Spells 

Green Witchery Spells

Hedge Witchery Spells

Herbal Spells

Kitchen Witchery Spells

Jar Spells

Jewelry Spells

Lunar Spells | Space Witchery Spells | Solar Spells | Star Spells

Mirror Spells

Music Spells

Paper Spells

Pop Culture Spells

Poppet Spells

Powder Spells

Ring Spells

Sachet Spells

Sea Spells

Seasonal Spells

Sewing Spells

Shadow Spells

Sigil Spells

Soil Spells

Storm Spells | Weather Spells

Subtle Witchcraft Spells

Stone Spells

Tea Spells

Techno Witchcraft Spells

Urban Witchcraft Spells

Water Spells

Woods Witchery Spells

Yarn Spells

Spells Sorted By Specific Desire

Spells for Anxiety

Spells for Beauty

Spells for Business

Spells for Calm

Spells for Clarity

Spells for Comfort

Spells for Communication

Spells for Concentration

Spells for Confidence

Spells for Creativity

Spells for Energy

Spells for Fertility

Spells for Friendships

Spells for General Health | Spells for Mental Health | Spells for Physical Health

Spells for Happiness

Spells for Holidays | Halloween Spells

Spells for the Home

Spells for Intelligence

Spells for Letting Go

Spells for Lost Things

Spells for Love

Spells for Luck

Spells for Marriage

Spells for Memory

Spells for Money | Spells for Prosperity

Spells for Motivation

Spells for Nightmares

Spells for Pain Relief

Spells for Passion

Spells for Patience

Spells for Personal Growth

Spells for Pets

Spells for Positivity

Spells for Privacy

Spells for Productivity

Spells for Protection

Spells for Rain

Spells for Recovery

Spells for Romance

Spells for School

Spells for Self Care

Spells for Self Love

Spells for Sleep

Spells for Strength

Spells for Stress Relief

Spells for Travel

Spells for Truth

Spells for Wisdom

Spells for Wishing

Spells Sorted by Kitchen Ingredient

Apple Spells

Citrus Spells

Coffee Spells

Egg Spells

Ginger Spells

Honey Spells

Lemon Spells

Milk Spells

Sugar Spells

Tea Spells

Wine Spells

A Basic Glossary of Herbalism Techniques

Image credit: Sage and Smudge

OK, so one thing that often comes up in Q&A sessions about witchcraft is herbalism. It’s extremely complicated in some parts, and this isn’t helped by the fact that there’s often a lot of new and complicated terminology that can really obfuscate the techniques used to people who aren’t used to it. 

This post is therefore meant to clarify a few things about terminology to help people decipher what the hell is going on. It does not go into the effects of herbs (like what the difference is between a sedative and a hypnotic), that’s for a later post. This one talks about actual techniques used to MAKE a herbal preparation.

NB: The terminology I use is the most common terminology and definitions used in Western tradition herbalism. Some terms have different definitions in biochemistry or in other herbalism traditions to the ones they have in Western tradition herbalism (WTH). If a term is likely to cause confusion, I’ll try to put an asterisk (*) beside it.

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Acetum* ­– A tincture that uses vinegar as its menstruum. The plural is aceta.

Active ingredient – The medicinally active component chemical(s) of a plant; these are what you’re trying to extract.

Aqueous* – An extract that is prepared with water is called an “aqueous extract”, or simply an “extract” (though this is correct, it is vague and therefore should always be clarified as an aqueous extract).

Aromatic* – A chemical that has an easily-discernible fragrance or smell, e.g. menthol from peppermint

Ayurveda – Literally “science of life”, this is a form of Indian herbalism. Included because people often ask what it is and I’m sick of answering.

Cold infusion – A form of herbal preparation in which a herb is steeped in room temperature water overnight as a means of extracting active ingredients.

Constituent – Any component chemical of a plant, regardless of activity.

Decoction – A herbal preparation in which plant matter is simmered in water without boiling until half the liquid has been evaporated.

Double decoction – A form of decoction where the water is evaporated down to a quarter of its original volume, rather than a half.

Elixir* – Any liquid preparation that contains both alcohol-extracted and aqueous-extracted components.

Ethanol – An alcohol with the chemical formula C2H4OH, also known as drinking alcohol and ethyl alcohol.

Extract* ­– Any liquid preparation in which plant matter is left in a liquid solvent for several weeks. The word “extract” can also refer specifically to aqueous extracts.

Filtrate – The liquid retrieved from a physical filtering separation process.

Fluid Ounce – Also known as an ounce by volume, this is a measurement of fluid equal to 1/16th of a pint by volume, or approximately 0.03L metric. Weight-to-Volume ratios measure volume in fluid ounces most commonly. Symbolised as fl. Oz.

Folkloric extract – A herbal extract prepared without measuring weights or volumes of the marc or menstruum. Much more variable in dosage than measured extracts, and therefore more risky.

Glycerine – Also known as glycerine and glycerol. A chemical with the formula C3H5(OH)3, often used in the preparation of sweet-tasting extracts.

Glycerite – Any extract prepared using glycerine as the solvent. Glycerites should be a minimum of 55% glycerine by volume in order to preserve their contents against bacteria.

Hot infusion – A herbal preparation made by steeping plant matter in boiling or boiled water for at least 10 minutes. Less than 10 minutes forms a tea instead.

Inactive ingredient – Any molecule in a plant that does not have medicinal or biological value. A plant will always have more than one inactive ingredient, but a herbal preparation could theoretically have only one (although it never will).

Liniment – An extract, most usually a tincture, which is used topically on the skin rather than taken orally. Also known as an embrocation.

Lipid – Any fat. Often used as a solvent when dealing with fat-soluble compounds, for example cannabinoids.

Lozenge – A herbal preparation in which the active ingredient is made into a thick syrup, heated until candying occurs, and then allowed to cool and harden. Often used to make unpleasant-tasting medications more palatable, such as for children.

Marc – The solid matter in an extract or tincture.

Menstruum – The liquid component of an extract or tincture.

Ounce – A measurement of weight, 1/16th of a pound, and just under 30g metric. Symbolised as Oz.

Pastille – A herbal preparation similar to a lozenge, but unheated and therefore preserving many of the medicinal compounds that are otherwise heat-sensitive. Made by grinding herbs into a powder, and then mixing them with sugar and a binding agent. Maple syrup or honey is often used.

Preparation – Any herbal remedy, of any kind.

Poultice – A herbal preparation formed by mashing fresh, solid plant matter into a mash, and then directly applying it to the skin. Sometimes also involves wrapping the plant matter in gauze or fabric to prevent it coming apart.

Precipitate – The solid matter that forms from the marc when making a tincture or an extract of some kind.

Proof* – As it related to alcohol, this is a measurement that is equal to either two times the alcohol percentage (US definition) or is equal to 1.75 (4/7th) times the percentage (UK definition). Almost all sources use the US definition, but all sources will also use the alcohol-by-volume (ABV) metric, which is a simple percentage.  

Residue – The solid matter left in the filter after a physical filtration separation.

Solubility – The ability of a substance to dissolve in a solvent.

Succi ­– The preserved juices of a plant. Alcohol is the most common preservative.

Syrup – A decoction that has subsequently had sugar added to it, and is then simmered down further until it forms a thick, sweet liquid. Mostly used for making herbal preparations that are unpleasant-tasting easier to swallow.

Tea – When boiling water is added to plant matter and is left to steep for no more than 10 minutes. If it is left for longer than 10 minutes, it is described as a hot infusion.

Tincture* – Any liquid extract in which alcohol is the solvent. The word tincture is often used interchangeably with extract in herbal sources, but they are actually different things.

Weight-to-volume extract – Any extract in which the marc and menstruum are actually measured out before manufacture. This is a little more complicated, but makes the dosage much less variable and therefore much safer to use.

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This took bloody ages to write, so I hope like hell that someone finds it useful!

– Juniper

Book of Shadows

thebluechicory:

The Book of Shadows (BOS) is used to store information you’ll need in your magical tradition, whatever it may be. 

Many Pagans and Wiccans feel a BOS should be handwritten -this will not only transfer energy to the writer, but it also helps you to memorize the contents. (Make sure you write legibly enough that you’ll be able to read your notes during a ritual!) - but some use a computer to store information as well. 

Bear in mind that a BOS is considered a sacred tool, which means it is an item of power that should be consecrated with all of your other magical tools. 

To make your Book of Shadows, begin with a blank notebook. A popular method is to use a three-ring binder so items can be added and rearranged as needed. If you use this style of BOS, you can use sheet protectors as well, which is great for preventing candle wax and other ritual drippings from getting on the pages! 

Whatever you select, your title page should include your name. Make it fancy or simple, depending on your preference, but remember that the BOS is a magical object and should be treated accordingly. Many witches simply write, “The Book of Shadows of [your name]” on the front page.

What format should you use? Some witches are known to create elaborate Books of Shadows in secret, magical alphabets. Unless you’re fluent enough in one of these systems that you can read it without having to check notes or a chart, stick with your native language. While a spell looks beautiful written out in flowing Elvish script or Klingon lettering, the fact is that it’s just hard to read unless you’re an Elf or a Klingon.

When it comes to the contents of your personal BOS, there are a few sections that are nearly universally included.

Laws of your coven or tradition: Believe it or not, magic has rules. While they may vary from group to group, it’s a really good idea to keep them at the front of your BOS as a reminder of what constitutes acceptable behavior and what doesn’t. If you’re part of an eclectic tradition that doesn’t have written rules, or if you’re a solitary witch, this is a good place to write down what YOU think are acceptable rules of magic;

A dedication: If you’ve been initiated into a coven, you may want to include a copy of your initiation ceremony here. However, many Wiccans dedicate themselves to a God or Goddess long before they become part of a coven. This is a good place to write out who you are dedicating yourself to, and why;

Gods and Goddesses: Depending on what pantheon or tradition you follow, you may have a single God and Goddess, or a number of them. Your BOS is a good place to keep legends and myths and even artwork concerning your Deity. If your practice is an eclectic blend of different spiritual paths, it’s a good idea to include that here;

Correspondence tables: When it comes to spellcasting, correspondence tables are some of your most important tools. Phases of the moon, herbs, stones and crystals, colors – all have different meanings and purposes. Keeping a chart of some sort in your BOS guarantees that this information will be at the ready when you really need it;

Sabbat rituals: The Wheel of the Year includes eight holidays for most Wiccans and Pagans, although some traditions do not celebrate all of them. Your BOS can include rituals for each of the Sabbats. Click here for more information.

Other rituals: If you’ll be celebrating each full moon, you’ll want to include an Esbat rite in your BOS. You can use the same one each month, or create several different ones tailored to the time of year. You may also wish to include sections on how to cast a circle and Drawing Down the Moon, a rite that celebrates the invoking of the Goddess at the time of the full moon. If you’ll be doing any rites for healing, prosperity, protection, or other purposes, be sure to include them here;

Herbs/Crystals: Ask any experienced Pagan or Wiccan about a specific herb or crystal, and chances are good that they’ll expound on not only the magical uses of them but also the healing properties and history of use. Herbalism and crystology are often considered the core of spellcasting, because plants and crystals are ingredients that people have used for literally thousands of years. Put together a section in your BOS for herbs, crystals and their uses. Click here and here for more information;

Divination: If you’re learning about Tarot, scrying, astrology, or any other form of divination, keep information in here. When you experiment with new methods of divination, keep a record of what you do and results you see in your Book of Shadows.

Sacred texts: While it’s fun to have a bunch of new shiny books on Wicca and Paganism to read, sometimes it’s just as nice to have information that’s a little more established. If there is a certain text that appeals to you, such as The Charge of the Goddess, an old prayer in an archaic language, or a particular chant that moves you, include it in your Book of Shadows;

Magical recipes: There’s a lot to be said for “kitchen witchery,” because for many people, the kitchen is the center of hearth and home. As you collect recipes for oils, incense, or herb blends, keep them in your BOS. You may even want to include a section of food recipes for Sabbat celebrations. Click here for more information;

Spell workings: Some people prefer to keep their spells in a separate book called a grimoire, but you can also keep them in your Book of Shadows. It’s easier to keep spells organized if you divide them up by purpose: prosperity, protection, healing, etc …

The biggest dilemma with any Book of Shadows is how to keep it organized. You can use tabbed dividers, create an index at the back, or if you’re really super-organized, a table of contents in the front. As you study and learn more, you’ll have more information to include (this is why the three-ring binder is such a practical idea).

Keep in mind that as our technology is constantly changing, the way we use it does too - there are people who keep their BOS completely digitally on a flash drive, their laptop, or even stored virtually to be accessed by their favorite mobile device. A BOS pulled up on a smart phone is no less valid than one copied by by hand in ink onto parchment.

You may want to use one notebook for information copied from books or downloaded off the Internet, and another for original creations. Regardless, find the method that works best for you, and take good care of your Book of Shadows. After all, it’s a sacred object and should be treated accordingly!

Book of Shadows consecrating ritual

You can consecrate your new Book of Shadows and Pen(s) of Art with a simple ritual:

On the night of a New Moon, cast a Circle as you feel comfortable doing, and gather together your book and pen(s), along with a blessed bowl of water, inside the circle. By candlelight, consecrate your writing equipment by holding your hands out, palms down, over the equipment and saying words like these:

Book of Shadows, leaves of white Pen of Art with point so fine Soon be filled with Sabbat rite Magick charm and chanted spell. Day by day and night by night, White pages pen of art will fill.

Then anoint each pen, book, etc. with a symbol of your choosing (Pentagram, Crescent Moon, etc.) saying something like:

From this night of the moon, I dedicate this book and this pen (etc.) To the Mysteries of the Ancient Ways. As I will, so mote it be!

Now inscribe the first page of the book with its title, whatever you choose to call it, using your Pen of Art. Below the title write the date in Pagan terms like “The third night of the Wolf Moon, 1999,” - whatever the date is, along with whatever you feel should be there along with the title.

“She says nothing at all, but simply stares upward into the dark sky and watches, with sad eyes, the slow dance of the infinite stars.” ― Neil Gaiman, Stardust

The best of Tumblr: Harry Potter

(The best of Tumblr: Marvel, The best of Tumblr: Disney)