đ Witchcraft PSA: The Chakras & Cultural Appropriation â
đ Witchcraft PSA: The Chakras & Cultural Appropriation â
Warning: This is probably the longest post I've written so far, so be prepared for a VERY long read.
Disclaimer: I do not claim to be an expert, a historian, or a theologist. I am simply a witch, a student, and a POC living in the United States where many aspects of pagan spirituality are often appropriated from other cultures and perpetuated through simple ignorance. I'm sure this post will generate some type of controversy, but I do not mean to attack anyone or their beliefs with this post.
So. Here's the big one, guys. The post I've been dreading making but have really wanted to write for a while.
Cultural appropriation is one of the hottest topics in the modern witchcraft community, and the discourse about it on tumblr is far-reaching and incendiary at best. The problem: Where should witches draw a line between explorational spirituality and cultural appropriation?
I'm not here to lay down laws of morality. I'm not the cultural police. But I DID have a very eye-opening experience recently that led me to create this post.
I'm a white-passing minority, and I won't pretend that this doesn't lend me a degree of privilege in America. Especially as a witch, many doors are open to me. Just within the witchcraft community, I look white enough to be welcomed whole-heartedly into most neopagan circles. That's not to say that blatant racism is abundant within the pagan community, but we can't deny that many non-white cultural practices are heavily stigmatized. For instance, as SOON as any of my "light worker" friends hears that I have a family background in Santeria and Brujeria, the FIRST thing I hear is, "Oh, I don't mess with that dark stuff," or "Well, I don't like the idea of hurting animals and other people." And don't get me started on the ignorant conversations one of my dark-skinned, Vodou-practicing friends has had to sit through before.
Like, what?
Because of this, I'm often the first person within my social circles to stand up for cultural barriers and denounce cultural stigma. Above all else, I try to respect the hell out of closed cultures and educate myself about cultural appropriation.
So, it was much to my dismay when I discovered that I have been culturally appropriating the chakra system for the last 11 years of my witchcraft practice.
The chakra system and its use in western occultism is one of the most heavily debated topics in the witchblr community. A simple search will yield dozens upon dozens of posts, each filled with witches claiming that usage of the chakra system either IS or IS NOT appropriation. For the most part, I've tried to stay out of this debate. I've incorporated the chakras into my practice since I began, but I thought my oriental heritage and my "thorough" understanding of the chakras made this okay. But, lo and behold, I was sorely mistaken.
So, after some deep research into this topic, and after talking to several Hindus and Buddhists, here's my attempt to shed some light on this issue.
What are the chakras (according to Western occultism)?
As a brief overview, the chakras are believed to be spiraling energy centers that exist within the subtle body. There are seven of them, and they lie along the spine in places where large amounts of nerves and vital organs exist. Similar to the way our brain is a large compilation of nerves, these chakras are believed to be the intersection points of energy currents within our spirit.
Each chakra rules over a particular psychological, physical, and spiritual state of being, and disruptions within the chakras are believed to lead to different types of mental, emotional, and physical illnesses.
These chakras are depicted as lotus flowers with varying numbers of petals, and each is represented by its own color. Each one also corresponds to a Sankskrit syllable mantra which is believed to activate the chakra when spoken aloud.
In order, they are:
⤠Muladhara - The Root Chakra - Connection to the Earth and the Self - Located at the base of the spine - Depicted as a red lotus with 4 petals - Mantra: LAM
𧥠Swadhisthana - The Sacral Chakra - Connection to sexuality and instinct - Located near the sexual organs - Depicted as an orange lotus with 6 petals - Mantra: VAM
đ Manipura - The Solar Chakra - Connection to will and identity - Located in the Solar Plexus - Depicted as a yellow lotus with 10 petals - Mantra: RAM
đ Anahata - The Heart Chakra - Connection to love and relationships - Located in the heart - Depicted as a green lotus with 12 petals - Mantra: YAM
đ Vishuddha - The Throat Chakra - Connection to voice and communication - Located in the heart - Depicted as a blue lotus with 16 petals - Mantra: HAM
đ Ajna - The Third Eye Chakra - Connection to spiritual awareness - Located above and between the eyes - Depicted as a purple lotus with 2 petals - Mantra: OM
đ Sahastrara - The Crown Chakra - Connection to Source/the Universe - Located at the top of the head - Depicted as either a purple, rainbow, or white lotus with 144,000 petals - Mantra: Silence
Along with these associations, each chakra is often associated with various crystals, herbs, and spirits.
What are the chakras within their original cultural context?
The concept of 'chakras' arose from a practice known as Tantric Yoga. This was a spiritual system that began to gain popularity in India and other eastern cultures between 600-1300 CE. Up until this point (and concurrently as well), most types of spirituality in these cultures was very transcendental - that is, they had a fundamental belief that the Divine was transcendent and inherently 'above' the natural world. Therefore, in order to commune with the divine, it was believed that the material world had to be renounced and denied, and higher states of consciousness had to be achieved in order to commune with divinity.
Tantric spirituality flipped the script. It adopted the idea that divinity was an inherent quality of the natural world, and that a person could freely commune with the divine by opening themselves up to the world around them through mindfulness and all-embracing compassion.
The philosophies and teachings of tantric yoga (loosely known as 'tantras') became extremely widespread throughout this period and dramatically shaped many emerging sects of Hinduism and Buddhism. As this philosophy spread, many different types of specific spiritual practices arose, many of which can be recognized in our Western ideas of holistic meditation - such as mantras, mudras, mandalas, and even modern Western yoga.
One such concept that gained popularity was the idea of chakras - focal points of spiritual energy in the body. However, these chakras were very different than what Westerners think of today.
There were a LOT of different traditions that arose from Tantric teachings, and each one had its own unique belief about chakras. The most obvious difference between these chakra traditions was that each one believed in a different number of chakras. Some systems had three, others had six, others had seven, others had nine, others had 10, others had 21, etc.
Each one approached the chakras a bit differently, and so each one believed in a different number of chakra centers.
What are some of the primary differences between Western Chakras and Tantric Chakras?
The most eye-opening difference for me was that Tantric chakras have none of the associations that Westerners believe in today. Original practitioners of Tantric spirituality did not associate specific colors with each chakra, they did not associate physical or psychological states with them, they did not associate any herbs or crystals or planets with them, and they did not even associate Sanskrit syllables with them. What's more, they didn't even believe they were located in fixed points on the body.
Loosely, they believed that the chakras - like all things spiritual - were very fluid. They could often be accessed through general areas of the body, but they definitely were not stagnant, fixed points. This also accounts for the varying number of chakras, because it was believed that the chakras would manifest in different ways depending on what traditional practice you used to approach them.
Many traditions did believe that these chakras could be depicted as lotus flowers with various petals, but these were not meant to inherently describe the individual chakra. Rather, these depictions were meant to serve as a visualization for a person to meditate on when trying to access a specific chakra.
Along with this, these traditions did not assign specific names or syllables to these chakras - at least not the ones we use today. Rather, it was believed that Sanskrit syllables carried an inherent magic or divine energy within them (similar to Kabbalistic views of the Hebrew language), and they assigned various letters and syllables to the petals of each lotus flower, which corresponded to various energies in nature.
The symbols, names, and Sanskrit syllables popularized in the West today don't even correspond to any kind of Tantric chakras. They actually correspond to the elements within certain traditions of eastern spirituality. They also are not meant to be uniquely associated with any individual chakra. Rather, these syllables were used in meditation to invoke specific elemental energies into different chakras depending on the situation.
If your tradition believed that the heart chakra could affect the relationships in your life, and your personal relationships happened to be very stagnant, you could vibrate the syllable for the Wind element and invoke that energy into your heart chakra to help your personal relationships become more dynamic. Etc.
This brings me to the final thing I'd like to talk about: Westerners are NOT using the chakras for their original purpose.
The only concrete associations that tantric traditions had for the chakras were deities. These traditions believed that each of their chakras was associated with a specific Hindu deity (though the specific order or deities listed varies between tradition and time period).
The original purpose of 'working with chakras' was to eventually invoke the energy of these specific deities into a person's chakras in order to become closer to these gods and goddesses and emulate their behavior and teachings in daily life.
How did the original concept of chakras get misconstrued in Western culture?
Oh, boy. This is a tough answer that's soaked in 1000 years of colonialism, racism, cultural and linguistic barriers, and simple misunderstandings.
But, simply put, the appropriation of tantric chakras can be narrowed down to four specific individuals.
In 1577, a spiritual teacher and academic named Purnananda Yati wrote a treatise of tantric teachings called the Shatchakra Nirupana, or roughly 'An Explanation of the Six Chakras'.
In this treatise, Purnananda lays out the modern framework we see today - six chakra centers within the human spirit, with an additional seventh chakra above the head that connects the spirit to the divine source. He based this concept off of an earlier writing from the 13th century, which also details this framework but openly acknowledges that this is just ONE tradition, and that many other traditions also exist.
In 1918, a British scholar named John Woodroffe translated Purnananda's treatise from Sanskrit into English, and unfortunately, there were many mistranslations in Woodroffe's version. This translation was what eventually gained extreme popularity throughout academic and occult circles in the West.
Throughout the 1930's, 40's, and 50's, the renowned European psychologist, Carl Jung (who you might recognize from your Psych 101 class), became fascinated with the idea of chakras and their relation to consciousness. Throughout this time period, Jung wrote extensively about potential connections between the seven chakra centers and various psychological states. This is where the chakras became associated with different states of being, such as instinct, will, and sexuality.
Finally, in 1987, an American occultist and spiritualist named Anodea Judith published a book entitled Wheels of Life. In this book, Judith talks extensively about the seven chakras, and even lists correspondences between the chakras and various herbs, crystals, elements, planets, tarot cards, deities, and archangels.
Her book became wildly popular within holistic and spiritual circles, and set in stone the way that modern neo-pagans view the chakras in the West.
So, are chakras part of a closed culture?
Yes and no.
Chakras as we view them in the West are, at best, a distorted and bastardized version of a beautiful, ancient belief. They were studied and theorized by many traditions for over a thousand years, and many of these traditions still exist today. Most commonly, they are still used in Shaivism, which is one of the most prevalent forms of Hinduism in the East.
Many of these living traditions ARE, in fact, closed. But more than that, to perpetuate (and worse, claim spirituality from) a distorted, white-washed version of an Eastern religious belief is just plain disrespectful and potentially racist at its worst.
That being said, though, there are certain living traditions which ARE NOT closed, such as the exceedingly popular Tibetan Buddhism. These traditions recognize many of the same teachings and are freely shared with people of any nationality or background - as long as you put in the work to learn about them.
The Main Takeaway
The chakras, as viewed in the West, are incorrect. This is not to disclaim any type of spiritual experience Westerners may have had by utilizing chakras in their practice, but I'm of the opinion that Westerners should recognize that the "chakras" they believe in don't actually have any basis in ancient spirituality.
That being said, the concept of a subtle body and energy centers within the human spirit is not unique to the Far East.
The concept of currents and centers of energy within the body can be found in cultures the world over, from India to Japan to Korea to Africa to the Middle East, and even among the Native Americans who never came into contact with these other cultures (as far as we know).
The human soul, the subtle body, and spiritual energy are concepts that supercede cultural boundaries, and if studying and utilizing them is an integral part of your craft, then I encourage you to follow your personal path and find connection with the Universe in whatever way you feel called to.
But. Perhaps developing your own unique system and beliefs about the energy centers within the body is the best course of action for us Westerners. Until we ourselves make the effort go join one of those (open) traditions, subscribing to the modern Western system of "chakras" is, in my opinion, cultural appropriation.
⢠⢠â˘
Brightest blessings, and best of luck đ
More Posts from Zen-the-wizard and Others
Different Types of Wood for Wands
Alder - Support, foundation, magical beginnings, fire and water magicÂ
Apple - An apple wand is used for love magic, for rituals designed to establish contact with the Otherworld, for initiation, and for fertility ritualsÂ
Ash - The ash is a great conductor of magical force, traditionally used for witchesâ broomsticks, druidsâ wands, and cunning menâs staffs; the use of the ash wand connects the magician to all three realms, and when using an ash wand he or she acts within all threeÂ
Aspen - The aspen is used to invoke magical shields, for protection, and for healingÂ
Bay - The bay tree is associated with the sun god and his powers of protection, healing, and divination; a bay wand may be used in all these ritualsÂ
Beech - The beech tree is associated with written knowledge; use a beech wand for spells and rituals concerning such knowledge, and in the consecration of written talismansÂ
Birch - The birch is a tree of fertility, but is also a powerful magical force in rituals of purification and the banishment of negativity
Blackthorn - A blackthorn wand can be used for great good or great ill; it is a powerful magical protection, but also an instrument of cursing, used anciently to invoke the Wild Hunt to carry off the soul of an enemyÂ
Bramble - HealingÂ
Buckthorn - Healing Cypress-Rites for the dead, crossing the gates of the underworldÂ
Elder - Rites of the crone goddess, rites of Samhain and winter, fairy contact, healing, and summoning spiritsÂ
Elm - Rites of the Goddess, feminine magicÂ
Hawthorn - Protection, invoking a psychic shield, fairy contact, the rite of Beltane, and Goddess magicÂ
Hazel - A good general-purpose wand, some say this is the most efficacious of all wands; a hazel wand is sometimes called the wishing rodÂ
Holly - Rites of male magic, warrior magic, protection from negative forces Ivy-Binding magic, protection from psychic attack Juniper-For warding off the evil eye, exorcismÂ
Linden - Feminine power and rites of the GoddessÂ
Maple - Handfastings, rituals of celebrationÂ
Mistletoe - Rites of healing, luck, and good fortuneÂ
Oak - Rites of protection, general-purpose magic, Midsummer, divination, fairy contact, Otherworld magicÂ
Pine - Gaining knowledge, fire magic, illuminationÂ
Poplar - DivinationÂ
Rowan - Protection, divination ServiceÂ
Tree - Protection, or as an all-purpose wand
Spindle Tree - Spinning and weaving magic, creating magic, Goddess magicÂ
Whitebeam - Earth magicÂ
Willow - Bardic magic, healing, Goddess magic, feminine magic, rebirth, purificationÂ
Yew - Initiation, funeral rites
*Credit to original author - If anyone knows who it is please let me knowÂ
I love you witchblr but some of yâall are actually truly batshit. Like you tripped over the thought that âhey maybe thereâs a sort of spiritual energy in the universe and maybe we call that magicâ and stumbled headlong into âliterally every minor occurrence is A Sign From The Gods and also science is fake and also if I get dizzy itâs a spirit trying to contact me and not even remotely related to my healthâ.Â
Hot Take: Most things that happen are ordinary. If you find yourself not even considering a mundane explanation for something thatâs happening or something youâre feeling, you maybe need to recognize that youâre getting overexcited about the idea of something Special taking place.
THE TOWER - Tarot Card Curse Jar
Hey y'all ! I made this because some people love to be absolute douche bags!!! So if your local douche bag is being extra douchey then this just might be for you
This curse is meant to fuck up five different aspects of someoneâs life (depending on the cards) which can be changed accordingly This is the first Curse/Spell Iâve ever written so go easy on me, yeah? If you do actually do this- tag me. Iâd love to see it ;0;
You Will Need:
* The Tower
* Chariot
* The Wheel of fortune
* Ten of Pentacles
* Three of Cups
* Knight of Pentacles
* A Mason Jar
* Taglock (preferably a picture)
* Curse powder (optional)
1. Print out the Tarot cards mentioned above (you can even use a scanner and scan your own cards) and cut them out. These are the cards youâll be using for the curse
2. Take your mason jar and your taglock. Tape the taglock on the inside of the jarâs lid.
3. Now youâre ready to start. Find a place where you wonât be interrupted and lay out all the cards in front of you
THE CARDS
* Pick up the chariot first. Hold it above the taglock and say: âThe Chariot, for determination and will powerâ now reverse the card and say âmay you lose your focus and motivation, especially in studyâ now tear up the card and place it in the jar
* The wheel of fortune is next. Hold the card above the taglock again and say âthe wheel of fortune for good luckâ reverse and say âmay your luck run dry and your path be strewn with mischancesâ tear and add to the jar.
* Third is the ten of Pentacles. Again, holding the card over the taglock say âTen of Pentacles for Financeâ reverse âmay you experience personal financial failureâ rip and toss it in the jar
* Now move on to the three of cups. Say: âthree of cups for friendship and joyâ next,you guessed it, reverse the card. âMay your bridges burn and your heart fill with sadnessâ tear up that baby and toss it in the damn jar
* Lastly (thank the lord) is the knight of pentacles. Say: âknight of pentacles for efficiency and hard workâ turn it upside down and continue. â May your efforts and hard work prove fruitlessâ throw the shreds in the jar
ââââââââââââ
Now that all the shredded cards are in the jar, throw in some curse powder or red pepper flakes to give the curse an extra kick. You can add other things like rusted nails or a tiny bit of war water etc, etc..
Close the lid of the jar. Shake the shit out of it. Let your anger bubble up and envision the target suffering the above mentioned misfortunes. Open the jar back up and place the tower, upright, into the jar.
Close the lid again. Say: âmay the tower bring the destruction you deserveâ Hide the jar in a dark place and shake it when you feel the curse needs an extra kick.
ââââââââ
To undo this curse open the jar and remove the tower. Reverse and rip it then throw it into the jar. Declare that the curse is lifted and dispose of the taglock and contents of the jar outside. Sweep the contents off of your property and dust off your hands. Now you can cleanse your jar for later use. Again, this is my first spell and curse Iâve ever written. If you decide to try it show me your results!!
đâđ¨Cheers!
âI Understand What I Hearâ
Personally, Iâm a big fan of the idea to get this tattood tight under the earlobe, but thatâs not exactly the most accessible method of use.
Draw this on a band-aid and place it behind or somewhere around your ear(s)
Anxiety Sigil đŚ
âI am untroubled by anxiety.â
Requested by @tardis-auto-pilot
Feel free to use, like, and reblog, but please donât remove my tag.
Open for commissions via PayPal, so feel free to reach out.
Buy me a coffee at: ko-fi.com/thegraywitchsigilist (not linked because Tumblr kills linked posts)
Blessings ~ đ
âI Recover From Fatigueâ
Draw this on a bottle/cup/mug of whatever it is youâre drinking be it coffee, tea, or water
Add Some Oomph to Your Spells with Magical Timing
Like herbs, oils, and crystals, you donât 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 doesnât mean you canât call on other energies during these times â 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 âbig pictureâ 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 â 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 â 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 âdark halfâ of the year and beginning of the âlight halfâ 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 âplanning phase,â 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 âplanting phase,â where you âplant the seedâ 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 âlight halfâ and beginning of the âdark halfâ 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 âharvest phase,â 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 âreflection phase,â 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 donât 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 â 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 donât 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. Itâs 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 âactiveâ 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. Itâs 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. Itâs 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. Itâs 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. Itâs the best day of the week for magic related to banishing and protection.
Magical Times of Day
Okay, so youâd like to start working with magical timing, but what about emergency magic and last-minute spells? What if you donât 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 itâs referenced here.]
 sheâs like a beautiful norse god come to life and she controls the cows
sheâs actually Swedish artist and singer Jonna Jinton and sheâs singing Kulning, an ancient Swedish herding call
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Call me clover or zen đ Head of a near abandoned covenđIm not wiccanđ He/She/Ey đ 23 yrs old đ two spirit and Genderfluidđ butch bisexual đ Alloaro đ my main devotion is to hera but i also work with Artemis, hermes, and many others đ Zeus stans can die off thx đ sigil/pendulum/card readings: open đ somewhat of a sigil blog somewhat of a general witchy blog đ Hellenistic/ astrological/polytheistic/native-religious wizard, druid, witchdoctor and tribal healer đ Inuit/metis/Cherokee mixed, not raised in culture and trying to reconnect to those roots as well as focus on my practice moređ i do not follow the 3 folds law, i support curse usage, you cant fuck and have a relationship with a god, you have no right to tell me how to practice, my magic is vaild without peer review, paganism dosent have dogma, i will always support patron gods/goddesses, Persephone was raped by hades so stop acting like their beauty and the beast and fuck off if you villianize the goddesses who are mothers, ur sus. No full religion is culturally exclusive, only certain practices and certain titles are. Cryptid worship is vaildđ always supporting jewish and muslim witches đ dni: racist, terf/transphobe/nbphobe/, tru/med, proship, anti-choice, fascist
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