Witchcraft For When Depression Hits 🥀

My Favorite Plants & Care Guide

some plants that I adore and how to care for them - advice from a green witch and self proclaimed plant enthusiast

plants are a great way to brighten up a room and your mood and a great way to make your space feel more witchy. enjoy :)

1.) jade plant

level: easy

water: once a month

light: full sun (put on or near a window)

2.) zz plant

level: easy

water: once a month

light: any kind of light (put any where in the room)

3.) paddle plant

level: easy

water: once a month

light: full sun (put on or near a window)

4.) pothos/philodendron

level: easy

water: every 2 weeks

light: indirect light (near a window but not in its direct light)

5.) snake plant

level: easy

water: every month

light: any kind of light (put anywhere in the room)

6.) chinese evergreen

level: easy

water: every 2 weeks

light: any kind of light (put anywhere in the room)

7.) monstera deliciosa

level: medium

water: every 2 weeks

light: indirect light (near a window but not in its direct light)

hope you guys enjoyed and buy some of these plants!

BEKKATHYST HALLOWEEN 2020 GIVEAWAY

~This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Tumblr.~

Please read thoroughly before entering!

Hello lovely Tumblr folk! It’s that time again- I have a giveaway for you all. Unlike previous giveaways, this one has been made possible by the lovely human @classicintp who graciously sponsored the gift card prize. The crystal prize is coming straight from our shop as our contribution 🥰

We have both an online store and a physical location that could use your support!

My business is just a small, family run establishment that I started here on tumblr in 2013. I’ve been lucky enough to grow to the point where my husband and I opened a brick and mortar store and I’ve been able to employ my mother and several of my siblings! I’ve been supporting my mom and younger siblings since 2016 💜 I’ve always put compassion and ethics above all else in my business!

This giveaway is in honor of the rare blue moon that will happen this Halloween 🥰

This giveaway will have two winners - a grand prize winner and a runner up.

What the grand prize winner receives:

A $200 gift card that can be used for our online store or for any of our Tumblr sales!

What the runner up receives:

The pictured crystals which include: an agate geode dragon head, a laser quartz point, a rose quartz moon bowl, tumbled larimar, a labradorite heart, a fluorite sphere, a rough rose quartz chunk, an idigo gabbro palm stone, tumbled dragon's blood jasper, a tumbled blue aventurine, a tumbled rose quartz, tumbled ruby in zoisite, and a couple miscellaneous rough pieces (total retail value about $150)

Rules:

You must be 16 or older. (If under 18 you MUST have parent’s permission)

You don’t have to live in the US to join!

Shipping is entirely free, I will cover it. But if you live outside the US and for whatever reasons your country wants to charge you import tax, you are responsible for it. If it gets sent back to me, you will need to pay shipping to have it sent again.

You must be following me, so you can get updates if anything about the giveaway changes.

Please check out our online shop!

DO NOT tag this post as giveaway. That will risk the notes getting messed up, and this will be ruined for everyone.

Reblog this post to enter. Likes count, too. No giveaway or spam blogs. If you reblog on a side blog, let me know in the tags what the name of your blog is that you’re following me with.

Please don’t spam people with reblogs- limit 2 reblogs per blog per day.  

At the end, each entry will be assigned a number and the grand prize winner will be chosen by a random number generator. The runner up will be chosen second.

The giveaway ends Sunday, November 1st, 2020 at 6 pm Pacific time.

The winners will be messaged and must respond with their full names and addresses within 24 hours, or new winners will be chosen.

Please respect me and my rules, and have fun!

About Iso'onna

Halloween is just around the corner so let's talk about something similar to a vampire. Blood sucking yōkai is rare in Japanese Folklore, but there is one kind of vampire-like (in terms of sucking the victims blood) yōkai indigenous throughout Kyūshū Region [九州地方] called Iso'onna [磯女] (blow) (or Isohime [磯姫] including other regional variations).

Generally, Iso'onna is described as a anthropomorphic, serpentine yōkai with a women-like appearance with long dark hair, but in most cases, observers fails to distinguish her with any ordinary coastal rock due to her elusiveness when lurking near or in the ocean for hunting her victims. ①

Similar legend ① is also told in Amakusa City [天草市] (Kumamoto Prefecture). Locals are warned not to sleep in a fishing boat with the fishing net still casted on its sides because Iso'onna would use that net to climb onboard to suck the blood of sleeping fisherman using her hair.

While she does possess a Siren like quality as well. A legend ② from Minami-shimabara City [南島原市] (Nagasaki Prefecture) tells a story of a man spotting a woman at the coast who was idly looking at the tides. Then as soon as the man called her out as he approached her, the woman suddenly turned around and after making an ear piercing screech, she wrapped her long body around the man and began draining all the from him via her long dark hair. This is the reason why the locals are warned to not approach a woman near the coast especially during the night of New Years and Obon ③.

In a particular case ④, the locals of Ojika Town [小値賀町] (Kitamatsu'ura Dist. [北松浦郡], Nagasaki Prefecture) believes that the true identity of Iso'onna are the souls lost at sea who appears on the surface on a calm day; begging to return the souls within the sea back to the land.

Meanwhile, the legend ② of a perhaps identical yōkai called Isohime [磯女] from Nagashima Town [長島町] (Izumi Dist. [出水郡], Kagoshima Prefecture) is told to not only attack anyone near sea coasts to suck-out their blood, but some may die only by looking at her even a glimpse.

Sources:

1. "Yōkai-jiten" [妖怪事典] (2000) by Kenji Murakami [村上 健司](1968-present)

2. "Sōgō-nihon-minzoku-goi" (1st Edition) [綜合日本民俗語彙 (第1巻)] (1955) by Tokihiko Ōtō [大藤 時彦] (1902-1990) & et al

3. "Gensō-dōbutsu-jiten" [幻想動物事典] (1997) by Takumi Kusano [草野 巧] (n/a)

4. "Jōmin: Gotōrettō-ojikashima Chōsahōkokusho" [常民: 五島列島小値賀島 調査報告書] (1963) by Chūō University's Society of Flolkloristics [中央大学民俗研究会]

Hand Tapping Sigils

This is a sigil method that I have made, and I’d like to call them hand tapping sigils. Hand tapping sigils are sigils that are made from statements of intent, and are acted out through the tapping of certain spots on your fingertips. Certain spots of a finger will correlate to different letters allowing the practitioner to tap out their intention, so that they can send it out into the universe, while also reaffirming their intention in their subconscious. This sigil method is charged through your own energy, and focus, and will be activated and sent out by the act of you doing it. These sigils are versatile, and can be used anywhere without tools, or attracting attention.

1) First, like usual sigils you need to make a statement of intent. I will be using this one as an example.

“I Am Protected”

2) Next you’re going to want to shorten that statement of intent a lot.  hand tapping sigils can get quite complicated, quite fast. So in order to keep it on the simple side we need to only used the letters that really speak to your intention. It is primarily going to be the first letters of every word, or any other letters that you deem usable. It is really up to you what you want to use, but it should end up to be a small amount of letters, so that you can actually perform the hand tapping sigils. Feel free to put the letters in any pattern that you would like in order to make the sigil more personal and unique to you. This is what I ended up with for this statement of intent:

“A I P”

3)  Now that we have our letters we are going to tap them out on our fingers. In order to do this you’re going to need to use the chart below, so that you know the correct position to tap for each letter correspondence. Now you are going to want to put your hands palms facing each other, and in order to tap the letter you are going to push it with your opposite hand, much like you’re using your fingers as a keyboard on the correct position that corresponds to the letter that you want. This would be like if you wanted to tap the letter ‘R’ you would take one of the fingers of your left hand, and touch it to the middle finger middle position, or ‘R’ spot in order to tap it. You would do this with every letter left from your statement of intent, so that you can cast your sigil. The letter that is tapped will be the letter receiving the pushing force. This is so letters that are on the same position on the opposite hand are not mistaked for the tapping of one another, especially after a quick succession. This could be used in order to discern things like a 'B’ tap from an 'I’ tap. You would most likely not only tap the sigil out once, but do it multiple times much like if you were chanting silently with your hands. that’s all there really is to hand tapping sigils, and they are simple, but effective tools that can be brought into your working, and could be quite useful from time to time.

Sigil: “My heart will stop aching.”

A request from one of our followers. We all know that intense feeling of heartbreak and pain. It seems to bubble up from an endless well, so cold to the touch that it burns. It’s a wound you can’t touch, and at time it seems like the ache will never fade. But it does. Numb at first. Then roaring back to life when even accidentally touched. Eventually, it becomes a dull bruise, reminding you to step gingerly around it.

And then, when you least expect it, the pain is replaced by something else. The memory of that pain will always be there – it’s a scar, and a part of you – but it’s no longer the burning thing it was. That’s healing, and while it always seems to take far longer than it should, it does happen.

Sometimes you may need a little help – someone to talk to, someone to reset the break, someone to help you stitch the wound – but as long as you’re still breathing in and out, you can heal.

Add Some Oomph to Your Spells with Magical Timing

Like herbs, oils, and crystals, you don’t need to work with magical timing for your spell to be successful. You can cast a spell at any time, no matter your intention, and get your desired results. However, working with the energy of the sun, moon, and days of the week can add an extra power boost to your magic.

Think of it this way: certain energies are dominant at certain times. Those energies are easier to connect with because they are closer at hand, so to speak, so you can bring them into your life and your spells more easily and in a more powerful way. That doesn’t mean you can’t call on other energies during these times — it just means that you may not connect to them quite so easily.

If you choose to work with magical timing in your spells, there are several yearly, monthly, weekly, and even daily cycles you can align your spells with.

The Cycle of the Sun: Solstices and Equinoxes

These are the turning points that mark the solar year, and are associated with the relationships between day and night, light and dark, summer and winter. Each solstice or equinox marks the end of one season and the beginning for the next. Because they are so rare and so potent, these days are a great time for your “big picture” spells or for spells that need a big power boost.

Winter Solstice. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, and falls between December 20 and December 23, depending on the year. In some pagan traditions the winter solstice, or Yule, marks the beginning of the new year — you may choose to set intentions for the coming year on this solstice. After the winter solstice, the nights start getting shorter and the days start getting longer — so spells related to healing and bringing things into the light are especially effective at this time of year. The winter solstice marks the end of the “dark half” of the year and beginning of the “light half” of the year; at this point, our focus turns from inward reflection to outward manifestation. You may choose to think of the time between the winter solstice and spring equinox as a “planning phase,” where you examine yourself and your desires, decide what you want to work on in the next year, and make plans for manifesting what you want.

Spring Equinox. An equinox occurs when the day and the night are exactly the same length, representing a perfect balance between light and dark. The spring equinox marks the beginning of spring and occurs between March 19 and March 22. The Christian holiday of Easter and the pagan holiday of Ostara are both related to the energy of this equinox. At this time of year, the natural world is coming back to life as winter begins to fade. Plants are beginning to grow, and baby animals are being born. This is a powerful time of year for fertility magic and any magic related to new beginnings. You may choose to think of the time between the spring equinox and the summer solstice as a “planting phase,” where you “plant the seed” of the things you want to manifest and begin doing the work to make it happen.

Summer Solstice. This solstice marks the longest day and shortest night of the year. It occurs between June 19 and June 23. As I am writing this post, we are coming up on the summer solstice (June 20, 2020). Life, fertility, and growth are at their peak during this time of year, which makes this solstice a perfect time for big manifestation spells. At the same time, this marks the end of the “light half” and beginning of the “dark half” of the year, so after the summer solstice our energy shifts from outward manifestation to inward contemplation. You may choose to think of the time between the summer solstice and fall equinox as the “harvest phase,” where you reap the results of your hard work and manifest your desires in the physical world.

Autumn Equinox. This is the other time of year when the day and night are perfectly balanced. The autumn equinox occurs between September 19 and September 23 and marks the beginning of autumn. This is traditionally the time of year when crops are harvested, and many pagan groups celebrate harvest festivals around this time. Nature is beginning to die or go into hibernation in preparation for the coming winter. This is an especially powerful time of year for shadow work or for magic related to endings and transitions. You may choose to think of the time between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice as the “reflection phase,” when you retreat from the outside world to rest, focus on yourself, and do your inner work and self-healing.

Important Note: This post lists dates for the solstices and equinoxes in the Northern hemisphere. In the Southern hemisphere, the seasons are reversed. If you live in the Southern hemisphere, you would observe the winter solstice in June, the spring equinox in September, the summer solstice in December, and the fall equinox in March.

The Cycle of the Moon: Lunar Phases

If you don’t have time to wait for the appropriate solstice or equinox, you can still connect with the cosmos in your magic. One of the biggest pros of the lunar cycle is that it happens roughly every month — so you never have to wait very long for the next full moon. The moon is also associated with magic and spirituality in several traditions, which makes it an especially powerful astral ally for witches.

New Moon. The new moon is when the moon is completely invisible in the night sky, and is the phase opposite the full moon. The new moon is a powerful time for shadow work (because it deals with things that are hidden) and for magic related to new beginnings.

Waxing Moon. The moon is waxing when it appears to be growing in the night sky; this is the phase between the new moon and full moon. This is a powerful time for any magic that deals with drawing something in, building something up, or strengthening something that already exists.

Full Moon. Many witches believe that the full moon is the most powerful time of month for any kind of magic. This is a good time to cast any spell that needs a serious power boost. The full moon is also an especially powerful time to release what no longer serves you or to work healing magic.

Waning Moon. The moon is waning when it appears to be shrinking in the night sky; this is the phase between the full moon and new moon. This is a powerful time for any magic that deals with sending something away, banishing negative energy, or bringing something to an end.

Dark Moon. The dark moon is the three day period immediately before the new moon. In some traditions, it is believed to be bad luck to cast spells during the dark moon. Other traditions hold that the dark moon is the best point in the lunar cycle for destructive magic, such as curses and hexes. Many modern witches don’t recognize the dark moon as a separate moon phase at all. I personally like to use the dark moon as a time for self reflection, and may focus on shadow work during this time.

Magical Correspondences for the Days of the Week

The days of the week also have their own unique magical energies, and each day is linked to a certain planet and to certain deities.

Sunday. Sunday is, of course, connected to the Sun and solar deities. Sunday is the best day of the week for any manifestation magic that needs an extra boost. Its energy is also associated with healing, personal growth, power, and success.

Monday. Monday is associated with the Moon and lunar deities. Monday is a quiet, introspective day, and can feel very ethereal. It’s the best day for magic related to intuition, nurturing, and shadow work.

Tuesday. Tuesday is associated with Mars and with gods and goddesses of war and action. (It is named for the Norse/Germanic god Tyr/Tiw.) Tuesday is a very “active” day, and is good for magic related to action, activism, victory, or finding courage.

Wednesday. Wednesday is associated with Mercury and with gods and goddesses of wisdom, learning, and communication. (It is named for the Norse/Germanic god Odin/Wodan.) Wednesday is all about mental activity. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to thought, travel, communication (written, spoken, or digital), and learning/study.

Thursday. Thursday is associated with Jupiter and with gods and goddesses of prosperity, wealth, and protection. (It is named after the Norse/Germanic god Thor.) Thursday, like Jupiter in astrology, is all about outward expansion. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to career, prosperity, and wealth.

Friday. Friday is associated with Venus and with gods and goddesses of love, fertility, and sensuality. (It is named after the Norse goddess Freyja, or perhaps the goddess Frigg.) The energy of Friday is fun, lighthearted, and sexy. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to love, beauty, and sex/sexuality.

Saturday. Saturday is associated with Saturn and with time and wisdom. (The day and the planet are both named after the Roman god Saturn.) Saturday is practical and wise, but it does have a little bit of a dark side. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to banishing and protection.

Magical Times of Day

Okay, so you’d like to start working with magical timing, but what about emergency magic and last-minute spells? What if you don’t have time to wait for the next full moon, or even the next Sunday? You can still align your spell with magical timing! There are several moments of power each day, and each has its own magical associations.

Sunrise. Sunrise is, of course, the birth of the new day. This makes it the perfect time for spells related to new beginnings or expanded possibilities.

Noon. This is the peak or high point of the day. This is a powerful time for healing magic.

Sunset. Sunset is the end of the day, and forms a gateway between light and dark. This is a great time for spells related to accepting endings, releasing that which does not serve, and moving on from the past.

Midnight. If noon is the peak of the day, then midnight is the peak of the night. Midnight has a very ethereal, transformational energy. Like with the full moon, some witches believe that any spell will be more powerful if cast at midnight. This is a powerful time for both banishing and attraction magic.

Resources:

You Are Magical by Tess Whitehurst

Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin [specifically the chapter on the sabbats]

Qabalah Made Easy by David Wells [Note: Qabalah is based on an appropriation of Jewish mysticism, and I am NOT endorsing its practice. However, much of the magical timing associations used in modern witchcraft is shared with Qabalah and other forms of ceremonial magic, which is why it’s referenced here.]

Aphrodite [Olympian, Greek]

A page from my grimoire.

Goddess of: love, beauty, pleasure, passion, procreation

Zodiac sign: Taurus [ruled by Venus]

Planet: Venus

Primary Cult Centres: Cyprus, Kythera, Corinth, Cnidus, Eryx [likely more]

Lineage: Born from the sea-foam, she was birthed when Ouranus’ penis was thrown into the sea by his son Cronus. In fact, aphros means “foam.”

She was the patron goddess of all sex workers in ancient Greece. She was also the patron deity of the Lagid Queens & Queen Arsinoe II of Ptolemy Egypt (and many other prominent women).

She rewards those who honour her but her punishments can be swift and brutal.

She was by the accompanied winged godling Eros, the God of lust and sexual desire. Her main attendants are Charites, Zeus’ daughters, and goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity, goodwill, and fertility. Agae, Euphroyne, and Thalia; meaning, Shining, Joy, and Blooming. Her other attendants were the Themis, daughters of Zeus. The Themis are named Eunomia, Dike, Eriene; Good Order, Justice, and Peace. She is sometimes accompanied by Harmonia, her daughter, and Hebe, the daughter of Zeus and Hera.

Aphrodite makes Pandora the first woman. She pours grace over her head and equips her with painful desire and weakening anguish. They adored her with gold jewelry and made her very beautiful & sexually attractive.

The God of fertility, Priapus, is said to be her son by Dionysus; Hera was jealous and poisoned her, so he was born hideous, and she left the infant in the wilderness.

She is married to Hephaestus but had an affair with Ares.

She plays a prominent role in the Iliad. She granted Paris the most beautiful woman for declaring her the most beautiful goddess (out of Hera and Athena). This woman was Helen of Sparta and thus the Trojan war began. She inspired Helen to sleep with Paris & saved Paris from the battlefield when fighting Helen’s husband, Menelaus.

Aphrodite can help you accept and love all aspects as yourself. She can help you love the skin your in and learn to see yourself as beautiful and desirable. She can help you treat yourself with love, tenderness, and compassion. If you have difficulties with self love, passion, and intimacy, Aphrodite would be a good goddess to work with to overcome these. Aphrodite can also teach you to honour and respect yourself. Also, to love yourself enough to create boundaries, advocate for yourself, and not let others get away with treating you poorly.

Festivals & Worship

Aphrodisia - was celebrated on the fourth day of the month of Hekatombaion [July/August] in honor of Aphrodite’s role in the unification of Attica, also important in Cyrus but celebrated in many places

Kinyrades - Held in Hekatombaiōn [July/August] and was an initiation like festivals for those becoming priests of Aphrodite. Divided into three celebrations. First four days there was an exchange of coins for salt by priest and worshipper. This practice is said to celebrate the birth of the goddess from the sea. The celebration also included athletic competitions, sea-bathing, and bloodless sacrifices. These activities followed an all-nighter in her temple, followed by lamenting Adonis & celebrating his resurrection. 

Symbols

the sea, mirrors, mountains, conch shells

Animals: doves, sea birds, sparrows, swans, bees, goats

Plants/Herbs/Food: roses, myrtles, apples, pomegranate, artichokes, laurel, ash and poplar trees

Scent: stephanotis, musk, verbena, vanilla, incense, vervain, roses, sandalwood

Colors: pink, silver, violet, aqua, seafoam, light blue

  Offerings

Apples, pomegranates, lettuce, myrtle, myrrh, anemone, roses, poppies, pearls, shellfish, honey, incense, garlands of flowers, intimate acts, poetry, art, wine, honey cakes, fire, salt, jewelry, bread, olive oil

Crystals 

pearls, gold, purple amethyst, aquamarine, rose quartz, rubellite, jade, sapphire, silver, copper, moonstone

How to Worship

Self love: self care, bath rituals, reading romantic literature, creating romantic art, poetry carrying or wearing rose quartz, make up, music, tea, sweets & candy, wearing silver jewelry

Loving others: random acts of kindness, supporting all love, telling someone you love them, planning something romantic, intimacy, giving silvery jewelry, giving flowers

Loving the world: feeding fish & birds, bee & butterfly feeder, planting any plants and flowers associated with her 

Magic: love spells & sigils, self love spells, sigils, rituals etc, fertility magic, beauty spells, glamouring and/or blessing your make up, shoes, clothing

Epithets

Ourania - Heavenly

Aphrodite Areia -  In Sparta, the Warlike

Anadyo’Mene - Goddess rising out of the sea

Antheia - the blooming, or friend of flowers

Despoena - ruling mistress [title shared w/ other goddesses]

Game’lii - presiding over marriage [shared w/ other goddesses]

Genetyllis - protectress of births

Morpho - fairly shaped

*There are many more epithets for Aphrodite, especially surnames given by her cult centres

Sources

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"My Succulents Stay Healthy"

Draw this on the pot or enclosure you keep your succulents in, or draw it on the spray bottle you use to water/mist them with