The-horned-raven - The Horned Raven

Just reiterating that the heart of witchcraft is (just like science) experimentation and documentation. Try things out. Get them wrong. Mess up. Do better. Write down your efforts. Make changes and alterations based on what you have access to. Above all, if it works, it works; if it doesn’t, then it’s no good. Witchcraft is a results-based practice. 

“There is a luxury in self-reproach. When we blame ourselves, we feel that no one else has a right to blame us. It is the confession, not the priest, that gives us absolution.”

— Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray (via philosophybits)

Fungi dragons 😍🥺 🍄🐉by https://www.instagram.com/coliandrium/

Dream on. 🌙

20 Tips to being a Safe Witch

Altar Safety

When burning anything always keep a glass of water near you, unless you are working with burning oils, then keep a fire extinguisher or baking soda on hand.

When working with essential oils(EO), do not burn them they are highly flammable 

Never leave anything burning unattended, be it a burn bowl, candle, incense. DON’T LEAVE IT!

Please remove anything flammable such as paper or string from the candle, it will ignite and you will be alarmed.

Make sure that what you’re burning your candle in is fire safe, metal and cast iron are good bets. Do NOT burn in a glass, if you have to put it out and dump water on it, it will explode. 

Make sure you tie back loose hair and don’t have any floppy sleeves or necklaces to get in the way. 

When putting out a candle it is best to use a candle snuffer and do not use water. 

Don’t burn kitchen sage, it gives off a toxic smoke. Not something you wanna inhale.

Essential Oil Safety

Please, please dilute them properly. I have a chemical burn scar I can never get rid of due to undiluted cinnamon bark oil. The proper dilution is one drop per teaspoon.

Never ingest EO, there are some that are now generally recognized as safe by the FDA, but the quality of EO are not regulated. Who knows what a bad quality EO could do to your internal organs, not something I wanna test.

Essential Oils are photosensitive, meaning they deteriorate in light store them in a dark area to prevent them from spoiling.

DO NOT put them near on your skin and get in the sun or a tanning bed, especially citrus oils, they will blister.

Water will not dilute essential oils, only other oils(canola, olive, sweet almond, olive will all dilute). If you want to use them in a bath it is one drop per a teaspoon of oil.

Please seek medical attention if anything seems off after using EO, they seem harmless but can be very dangerous

Pets can be very sensitive to essential oils(particularly cats) and it is almost impossible to cover all my bases here. The sources provided below have some great resources.

Always go by the scientific name, German and Roman chamomile are very different products.

Kitchen Magic Safety

Wear shoes if you’re doing anything, I nearly lost a toe the other day cause I dropped a knife. I got lucky I was wearing boots. 

Wear correct clothing, and tie back hair. No matter if you have a gas, electric or induction stove, I’ve caught a lab coat sleeve on fire thanks to a torch while making a creme brulee. 

Use your knives correctly, learn about the pinch grip and use the correct knife for the job. Using a paring knife for chopping potatoes is asking for trouble. There are tons of videos online, I like the ones from Alton Brown and Jamie Oliver.

As a side note use sharp knives, a blunt knife will do more damage than a sharp one.

Don’t leave knives in the sink, someone could begin to wash dishes and cut themselves. 

Watch the steam. Steam can give a worse burn than dry heat, open pot lids away from you and don’t stick your face and phalanges in steam. 

Don’t leave food products unattended. 

Use your damn pot holders, they protect you and your counters. 

Store raw meat on the lowest shelves, and never store cooked meat on the same shelf

Wash your hands before, wash your hands after handling raw meats, wash your hands after. 

Don’t leave food that is meant to be cold or hot out for more than 2 hours, this is to decrease foodborne illness. 

When using the store turn handles in, to keep yourself from bumping them off the stove. 

Cook meats to proper temps(there is a chart in the sources)

If you are using herbs be sure to use kitchen grade herbs, those that are not kitchen grade are not held up to the same purity standards and could have more pesticide residue.

Herbal Safety

Please be aware a lot of herbs can work against prescription medications, or should only be taken in very specific doses( St. John’s Wort I’m looking at you.) Check in with your doctor or a licensed herbalist or naturopath before ingesting herbs.

Crystal Safety

Identify your crystals, some are water solvent some are not and it matters

Some that aren’t safe in water include malachite and selenite. They have copper and if aren’t sealed they can become toxic. There is no way to know for sure if it was sealed or not keep -ite crystals dry as a good rule of thumb. 

Some crystals fade in sunlight like rose quartz, amethyst and citrine, in order to prevent fading try cleansing them with sound, flower petals, moonlight and energy.

VIV Sassmaster, WHC Blog Manager, WHC Moderator @thestudiouswitch

Sources

http://candles.org/fire-safety-candles/

http://www.pixiespocket.com/2016/03/lets-talk-about-candle-safety.html

https://naha.org/explore-aromatherapy/safety/

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=182.20

https://www.thespruce.com/dangers-of-essential-oils-555089

http://www.thelavendercat.com/images/PDF-TheLavenderCat_temp_use.pdf

http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/do-essential-oils-pose-a-risk-to-pets

http://www.usingeossafely.com/is-it-safe-to-use-essential-oils-with-dogs/

https://www.thespruce.com/top-kitchen-safety-tips-481834

http://www.dummies.com/food-drink/cooking/kitchen-safety/basic-rules-of-kitchen-safety/

https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html

http://www.amfed.org/editor/BEAC/Articles/2011/AdultArticlesAdv/16.Minerals%20Safe%20to%20Handle-Some%20Require%20Caution.doc

http://arccitius.tumblr.com/post/149575827181/crystal-safety

“no matter how badly you think you’re doing it, someone else has done it a lot worse and been fine” is applicable to a wide, wide range of things and i say it to myself all the time

𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𓋼 low energy witchcraft activities 𓍊𓋼𓍊𖡼.𖤣𖥧

• Tarot apps that give you a card pull for the day or let you do readings

•Apps that give you affirmations, guided meditations, etc. so you don’t have to search much for something to follow and get overwhelmed by choice.

•Drink sun or moon water, bonus if you add healing or energetic intent into it.

•If you need to cleanse and don’t have the energy, just let some incense burn, your oil diffuser run with cleansing oils, or take advantage of my personal favourite “lazy” option and let belongings cleanse on some selenite.

•We all know this but tea/coffee magic is great for when you’re low energy, especially since you’ll likely be drinking these for comfort anyway. If you don’t drink these don’t forget you can put intent into any food or drink, these are things you’re ingesting so you’re letting that intent go into you, think of ways to take advantage of that! (Bonus again for using sun/moon/etc water for drinks!)

•If you need to sleep but need to communicate with a deity/guide/etc invite them to communicate to you in your dreams. Take care of yourself first and let yourself rest but sometimes there’s moments where you need to talk to them and are struggling to find the energy.

•Simplify offerings to match your energy level, whether that’s saying you can’t give anything today, or finding something easy for you like a fresh glass of water, some herbs, whatever works with your needs.

•Audio books, podcasts, and youtube videos are great for when you want to learn but don’t have the brain power to read and research much, especially when you’re in an emotional rut vs. simply taking a few days off because you burnt yourself out. You can listen to these in bed, eyes closed, get those good feelings from being productive by learning more while not pushing yourself too far.

•Sigils are perfect low energy magic, even more so if you have sigils made ahead of time! Draw an energy sigil on you, put a pain-calming sigil under your pillow, a motivating sigil on your bath products to help you get through washing your face and/or brushing your teeth. Be mindful when using sigils off the internet that you don’t always know for sure what they’re made for, and it tends to work best when it’s your own. Using symbols like runes or bindrunes are also a great option if you want to play it safe but not make your own.

•rock. just pick the rocks you want in your pockets, on your bedside table. it’s pretty, it’s nice, they’re good fidgets, i don’t have to explain to other practitioners why crystals are great (coming from someone who barely uses them in their practice)

•Baths!! Baths aren’t as easy as a lot of people treat them, it’s totally okay to not have the energy to run a bath, especially if you want to wash out the tub a bit first, not have to deal with wet hair, all that. But if you can, it’s going to ease your body so much, use teabags you already have for simple herbs in the bath, water safe crystals, epsom salts are great for your muscles.

•Do some self love journaling, which is a great balance to doing shadow work. Look up self love journal prompts and go with whatever you can come up with things to write about.

•Music/sounds for everything! Youtube and other audio platforms are full of music and sounds that already are made with intention, or you can play intentionally to cleanse, protect, calm, bring joy, etc.

•Making online altar spaces or just collecting general fun inspiration, pinterest and tumblr are great for these!

•Sit outside, lay in the sun, watch the bugs, watch the weather, stare at the moon and stars.