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theantarwitch · 11 days
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by Jessica Lowery
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theantarwitch · 13 days
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✨PSA/reminder for witches✨
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glitter is made of plastic!
you can get glitter that's made of glass (yikes) or biodegradable material (more $$$), but regular craft or cosmetic glitter is USUALLY plastic.
if you're doing outdoor ritual use something else. even paper confetti is preferable to plastic tinsel or glitter. please don't blithely sprinkle microplastics into the environment for witchcraft purposes.
thanks!
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theantarwitch · 18 days
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RIP my dear Misha. 2012-2024
You rest now in the roots of a 100 years old lemon verbena, flowers of sweet alyssium on your chest and 13 years of mischievousness on your paws. Thank you for the company, I will keep your memory on my heart and the scars of your claws on my skin. Bite some angels on my name, little demon. Love you.
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theantarwitch · 19 days
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ashwellscrystals on ig
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theantarwitch · 21 days
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Recently I’ve taken to thanking my candles if I need to blow them out or snuff them out before they’ve completely burnt down.
It’s a popular school of thought that blowing a candle out “blows the magic away” or ruins the spell. Realistically, I do not have time to sit and let an entire pillar or jar candle burn. Not to mention, large candles are expensive, and I like to enjoy them for multiple sittings.
And so, when I need to put a candle to sleep, I whisper to it:
              “Thank you for the help, candle, sleep well.”
And then I either snuff it with a candle snuffer, cover it with the jar lid, or simply blow it out.
When I need to use the candle again, I will tap it a few times, and say:
“Good morning/afternoon/evening candle, I need your help again.”
Then I will light it and go about doing my work.
It works well for me. Maybe it will work well for you.
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theantarwitch · 22 days
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important psa
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theantarwitch · 23 days
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moodylandscape on ig
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theantarwitch · 1 month
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10 Magic Herbs You Can Find at the Grocery Store
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When you’re first getting started with witchcraft or another magical practice, it can be easy to get caught up in all of the material stuff involved. Witchy hashtags on social media are filled with pictures of huge sparkly crystals, gorgeous handmade ritual tools, and beautifully elaborate altars. Many spells in books or online call for a long list of herbs, some of which are expensive or hard to come by. For baby witches, it’s easy to feel like you can never be a “real” witch unless you have money for these expensive tools and toys.
This is not true. As we’ve talked about in previous chapters of this series, you don’t need any tools or material components to cast a spell — however, harnessing the energy of plants, crystals, and imagery can be a helpful way to add energy to your work. This doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot of money. In fact, many of the most powerful and useful magical tools can be found on the spice aisle in your local supermarket, or even at the dollar store.
For example:
Salt. Salt is a witch’s best friend. It can be used for cleansing, banishing, protection, grounding, or to neutralize energy. Surrounding something with a circle of salt will protect it [Note: do NOT make salt circles outside, as salt will kill plant life!], and washing something with salt water will cleanse its energy. I often include salt in any spell that I feel needs an extra layer of protection.
Sugar. Just as salt banishes unwanted energy, sugar attracts the things you want into your life. Sugar can be used for any and all attraction spells, whether you’re looking to attract love, money, success, or something else. It can also be used to “sweeten” a situation, or make it more favorable.
Cinnamon. There’s pretty much no positive spell that doesn’t benefit from cinnamon. Cinnamon has associations with healing, love, success, and material wealth, but is also strongly associated with protection. I love burning cinnamon as incense — it fills the whole room with warm, cozy energy.
Cayenne. Cayenne is often used for banishing or binding spells, but a lesser known use is for getting things moving. Cayenne is a very fiery plant, so any spell dealing with passion, motivation, or drive can benefit from its inclusion. Cayenne can be used to “light a fire” under someone to motivate them to action. However, cayenne is a more harsh energy, so I often pair it with lavender or another soothing herb.
Coffee. I most often use coffee for grounding or to anchor things to the physical world. For example, I might include it in a prosperity spell to make sure the results manifest in my everyday life. Coffee is also energizing and brings mental clarity, and can enhance psychic abilities. Brewed coffee is also used in some traditions as an offering for spirits.
Bay leaves (Bay Laurel). Bay leaves are one of the most popular spell components because of their association with granting wishes. You’ve probably heard of the practice of writing a wish on a bay leaf and burning it to manifest your desire. I often include bay leaves in manifestation magic for this reason. Bay leaves can also be used for purification, cleansing, and exorcism.
Ginger. Ginger adds power to any spell it is included in. Ginger tea or gingery food can also give you a personal energy boost. I add ginger to any spell that needs some extra “oomph.” It is also associated with success.
Basil. Basil is very commonly used in money spells. Carrying a basil leaf on your person is believed to attract wealth. It also has associations with protection.
Peppermint. Peppermint is another herb that can add power to virtually any spell. It can bring healing and purification, can remove obstacles and free up stuck energy, and can enhance psychic abilities. Peppermint is a common ingredient in dream pillows. You can find peppermint tea at virtually any grocery store, and many stores also carry the essential oil.
Lavender. Lavender is my favorite herb for bringing peace to a situation. It’s very good for healing magic and for soothing difficult emotions. Lavender is also associated with love, and I especially like to use it in spells for self love. Most stores carry lavender essential oil, and you can also find herbal teas that include it as an ingredient.
With the above herbs at your side, you’ll have everything you need to cast virtually any type of spell. Honestly, even if you just have salt, sugar, and maybe some white candles, you can create powerful spells for dozens of different intentions, from protection to self love to getting a job. Remember, what matters isn’t so much what you have — it’s your intention.
These are also edible, so they can be incorporated into magical recipes for different intentions. In fact, most of the ingredients you cook with every day have magical associations and can do double duty as powerful additions to your spells. For more information about the magical uses of common household herbs and spices, I highly recommend the book A Green Witch’s Cupboard by Deborah J. Martin, which is where most of the info for this post came from.
Other useful magical items that you can pick up at the grocery store include:
Olive oil. Olive oil can be used as an all-purpose anointing oil for candles, ritual tools, or your body. It can also be used to dilute essential oil, or as a base for custom magical oils.
Tealight candles. These small candles are perfect for candle spells. White tealights can be used for any intention.
House plants. Many common houseplants have magical associations. For example, aloe brings protection and healing. You can also grow some witchy herbs, like peppermint or rosemary, indoors.
Epsom salt. Epsom salt is a great base for bath spells. You can add essential oils and herbs to make custom bath salts — just be sure to research oils and herbs ahead of time, as some can cause skin irritation. [Note: Epsom salt is not actually salt, and cannot be substituted for salt in spells.]
Notebooks. Writing things down is an important part of witchcraft. Keeping a record of your spells, divination, and magical experiences makes it easier to keep track of everything.
Again, I want to stress that you don’t need a specific set of tools to be a witch. In fact, you can do highly effective magic without ever working with herbs at all. But if you want to gather some items to add power to your spells or help you feel more witchy (after all, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to set the mood!), you can get everything you need for a few bucks at the local supermarket or dollar store. Remember, our ancestors worked magic with what they had — not with expensive crystal collections or exotic herbs.
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theantarwitch · 1 month
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˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗
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theantarwitch · 1 month
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theantarwitch · 1 month
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theantarwitch · 1 month
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I have a "dream" but I actually think I went to another dimension or something lol
First, I dream a lot, I remember mostly of my dreams and I know them, I know how they feel when I wake up like "nnngg wtf zzzz". This one didn't matched to anything I dreamed before. I don't do astral travel, I don't have lucid dreams. Maybe are they, maybe are not. Yet the thing was extremely interesting and detailed to just let it be.
Was like a switch, I was sleeping, typical emptiness ko sleep... and then... Peace, the most joyful, overwhelming, heart fiilling peace I ever felt in my entire life. There wasn't a hint of fear, nothing bad, not even confusion, neither a memory, it was as my brain was empty of all kind of experiences.
I was just a bunch of beautiful sparks floating around, I had no body, no parts, no nothing. The sparks were my body, my soul, my mind, my all. I floated softly around, there was no rush, just peace.
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I felt like I knew the place, but not a familiarity of "I was there before", way beyond that, was a "I born here, I belong here, me, them, you, all of us". There also was a beautiful feeling of familiarity with others, even when I was not seeing others, I was sure there was others, because is where we all belong.
I floated in what I can say was inside a kaleidoscope, a massive one, a soft one. There wasn't sharp points, no strong lights, there was softness, soft patches of reality, of flowers and clouds, where I could swear I could feel them with my fingers, even when I didn't have fingers of body.
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I floated for what my body on earth felt like minutes. Because I was aware of where was my earthly body, I knew I was in bed, I felt the smile on my face. Yet "me" wasn't with my body, was there, floating in the kaleidoscope of realities, in joy and peace. Minutes for me in earth, decades for my self on that plane. Because is what it felt, like if time was a second and a year at the same time, like if time was not longer time, not even a construct, time wasn't longer there. No time, no space, just a "there". Floating as a tiny spark in the kaleidoscope, for decades. A beautiful spark with many tiny sparks around, colorful and colorless, cause they were too many colors at once, it was white and all the colors at the same time.
I floated and I knew that each part of that kaleidoscope was a realm, a reality, a time, a space, a world, from countless worlds. Not in a scifi alien way, more like multiple realities one. All was happening there. I didn't saw anything but I felt it, I knew it, as everyone of us knew it. There was the past and the future and the present, of each reality of the endless realities. Endless living humans, endless deaths, endless births, endless love and suffering, endless laughter, endless dreams and conflict, endless war and peace, all happening together, all there at the reach of my "hand".
I knew what to do, I knew I was free to pick any of them to see, to help, to watch. I knew I will be free to choose where to born again, as soon I end here. Because I see it, each realm exploding there, there is no mystery anymore, all happened already and is happening at the same time.
I pick one, not to exist, hence I still exist here, but my soul can go. Is a beautiful place, a bunch of ladies reunited around a round table. They have factions that are a mild point between Arab and Oriental, dressed in their beautiful and colorful long clothes, similar to the ethnic traditional hindu style.
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They were sitted around the table, cleaning fruits, talking in a language I never heard before. Fruits I never saw before. In the table, between other things was a beautiful golden feather next a candle, somewhat I knew that it was in honor to her father of one of the young ladies. A deceased father. I felt like I got a order, to move the feather. I did it, the ladies gasped and got closer.
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When I did that, I felt like someone out there thought I spent way too much time on that beautiful land. Some kind of very old, very fatherly, very wise and lovingly massive energy just push me gently away, just like as we take and move our cat away of a candle. It felt like that, as if I wasn't supposed to be there for that long, I was going to hurt myself but I didn't knew. That force knew. It, they, it knew it ALL, it was the supreme force of compassion and endless patience.
It felt like a master watching a studen, as the hug of a beloved mother, with the patience and temperance of a hundred monks. It felt like if would smile if I insulted it, or would cover me with a blanket if I had a tantrum. Permissive, gently, quiet. No voice, it spoke with energy. No face, no body, nothing. Was not even "visually" there, it just felt as if it WAS literally everywhere around. As if me and the kaleidoscope of realms was inside it.
Who knew how long my soul spent there in that timeless land, it definitely felt like years, and maybe I wasn't supposed to stay years as I'm still alive. That ancient supreme force just gently shove me away, like "go back to dream, child" and I left in a blink, I get into another random dream, which felt like a normal dream, where I behave as a dream, absurd, pointless, in my brain, confusing and even scary. A dream that is don't even worthy to mention.
And I wake up. Was definitely not a dream, and my heart miss that place, that joy, I feel homesick and sad from a place beyond places. I cry because I'm here and I don't know why I'm here. I have questions that I can't answer and a mix of joy for be able to experience it, and the pain for being pushed away. Maybe that's what a cat feels when we put them down the table. I just have so many questions, and the need to be near that warm, massive ancient kindness that I can't avoid to see as a God-like. Who knows, maybe was just a dream… or not…
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theantarwitch · 2 months
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Magic for Witches with Limited Hand Mobility
Joint pain, stiffness, and limited hand mobility can be discouraging for when we want to practice witchcraft. Here are a few ideas on things you can still do even with limited hand mobility!
This post was released for early access over on Patreon! If you enjoy my content and want to show your support for my work, you can subscribe to my Patreon for as little as $2/month! You can sign up for a week-long free trial now and check out all the rewards I offer - including digital freebies, early access to my Tumblr posts, voting power on future blog posts, and access to my digital occult library and my research notes!
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Candles
Candle-Carving
Instead of tediously carving thin chime candles (which can be difficult to grasp for those with hand mobility issues), here are some alternate options.
Decorate your candles with permanent markers, acrylic paint, or stickers! Of course, be sure to take necessary precautions to protect yourself against fire hazards when planning on your decor options – for example, make sure acrylic paint is completely dry before deciding to burn your candle, don’t cover 100% of the candle in paint, and be sure to use non-toxic paint. For stickers and other decals, please be sure to use a burn-safe method, such as this! Please do not use regular stickers to decorate any candles you intend to burn, as it is a massive fire hazard. Of course, if you’d like to decorate candles that you do not plan on burning, more options open up for you! Decoupaging candles is a fun, creative way to make candles for your altar, or even to use as room decor. You could also decorate candles as offerings to your deities!
Something that would require a bit more use of your hands would be decorating you candles by painting them with candle wax! All you need is a few paintbrushes, the candle you’ll be decorating, and candles in the colors that you’d like to paint with. This TikTok is a great guide for getting started with wax painting! This option is great because it’s 100% safe to be burned.
Write whatever you want on your candle on a piece of paper, and place your candle on top of the piece of paper. I personally use tea light candles and place the piece of paper inside the metal casing, underneath the tea light candle itself. Again, be sure to take all precautions against fire hazards when burning candles!
Instead of drawing or carving into the candle itself, use a dry-erase marker to draw on your candle holder!
Lighting Candles
Using lighters and matches can be tricky - here are some alternate options for those who are unable to use lighters/matches, and for those who just aren't a fan of/can't utilize fire!
Use LED candles - you can write on them with markers, and they are a safe alternative for those who don't enjoy fire. They're also super portable which is great for travel! You may also use different LED lights - I've personally toyed with the idea of wrapping spell jars/crystals/other items in LED string lights to 'charge' the items.
Electric lighters - these lighters don't require any kind of 'flicking' motions like regular lighters do; plus, they're rechargeable! This electric lighter is the one I use at home, and I absolutely love it!
Keeping a Grimoire
Note taking, research, and keeping an organized grimoire is difficult enough without the troubles of limited hand mobility. Here are a few things to make it a tad easier.
Utilize text-to-speech and screen reader functions. When you find a tidbit of info you want to save (whether it’s from Tumblr, a book, or somewhere else), take an audio recording of the text-to-speech audio (or, read the content out-loud and record yourself) and save it for later! This saves you time and energy with hand-writing or typing notes.
If you don't utilize a digital grimoire already, you absolutely should! There are free and paid programs such as Google Docs, Evernote, Notion, and many others that are designed to be digital notebooks and are perfect for keeping a grimoire. You can attach images, videos, text, audio files, and so much more!
Cartomancy (Tarot & Oracle Cards)
Shuffling cards can be difficult and frustrating. Here are some ideas to avoid shuffling altogether!
Use a tarot app on your phone - I personally love the Labyrinthos app!
If you still prefer to have physical cards, a more crafty idea is to make your own tarot cards - either print them off or make them yourself (you can also use tarot stickers! I personally use these for my tarot journal), about 2-3" in size. (To make cutting the cards easier, you can get a large guillotine-style paper cutter, like this one that I use to cut my zines) Once your cards are ready, throw them in a bowl or in a large jar. To 'shuffle' the cards, mix them up by-hand or shake the jar! When you're ready to conduct a reading, simply pull cards out of the container. (You could do the same thing with your regular-sized cards, although they may get damaged from doing this, so I don’t entirely recommend it)
Spellcrafting
Spelljars
Spelljars are all the rage right now. However, they can be more rage-inducing for those of us who have trouble shoving a bunch of herbs into a tiny-mouthed jar. So, here are some alternate ideas!
Use bigger, wide-mouthed jars - is it a bit chaotic to use an old pasta jar as a spell jar? Yes. Is it just as effective as those tiny, aesthetic spell jars everyone else uses? Also yes. Plus, they're much easier to handle and easier to re-use!
Use alternate containers like ziploc bags, envelopes, or anything else you have in your house! Obviously, use common sense (you wouldn't want to put anything sharp in a ziploc bag, or anything wet in an envelope) - but you can use any old container or bag to carry out spellwork.
You can also throw all your ingredients onto a pretty plate as you craft your spell! Lay it out however you’d like – you could even get creative and make something like a zen garden out of your ingredients. Once you have it completed, you can meditate on the spell for a while, and ditch the ingredients.
Ditch the container altogether – make potions! Throw everything in a big bowl or pot, stir it up, and utilize it however you see fit. You can make potions/perfumes for your deities, elemental potions/perfumes representing the elements for your altar, and so much more. I personally love to look at those “calm-down sensory-friendly glitter bottles” on Pinterest as inspiration when I’m in the mood for crafting potions – bottled potions also make for great props in Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, during Halloween, etc. It can be a  relaxing activity, even if you don’t intend on using it for witchcraft purposes.
Charm bags – charm bags, in my opinion, were the OG spell jar. Throw a bunch of herbs into a mesh or cloth bag and you’re all set! Charm bags are great for sleep/dream magic, bedroom magic, bath magic, and are great options for spellwork on-the-go – just throw a charm bag that corresponds with what you need in your purse/bag/backpack, and you’re good to go!
Digital Spellwork
Tech witchery is my favorite thing to recommend when it comes to those who may be bedridden, dealing with limited mobility, or even those in the broom closet. Here are just a few ideas to carry out spells in the digital realm!
Emoji spells! There are tons of examples available on Tumblr – emoji spells are a great low-effort, time-saving way of conducting spellwork.
Utilize objects in your favorite sandbox video games - Minecraft, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons are all great platforms to carry out some digital spellwork. @shadow-the-witchblog and @fernthewhimsical both have fantastic ideas on conducting spells in Minecraft, and @stardewspellshed is a blog entirely dedicated to laying out the correspondences and ways to utilize Stardew Valley in your practice. The fun thing about utilizing video games is you can really make it your own!
Create digital collages! Gather up images that remind you of your craft or evoke the outcome of the spell you want to conduct (for example, if you want to create a spell for self love, print out some images of rose quartz, pink/red imagery, confident motivational quotes, etc). Use these collages as your phone/computer background, or print them out and put them up in your room/car/cubicle!
To feel more connected with nature/plants, you may also download plant-care apps or games on your phone! Same goes for pets and familiars – apps are a great way to feel more connected to your practice.
Salves, Tinctures, Oils and More
Making tinctures, salves, oils etc. is a great way to kill two birds with one stone. This lemon & eucalyptus pain-relieving oil is an easy oil to make during flare-ups!
Spell powders and dusts are another great thing you can make with little-to-no-effort. Bree NicGarran (@breelandwalker) has a whole arsenal of spell powders available on her blog, and also in her book, Pestlework: A Book of Magical Powders & Oils. Instead of a mortar and pestle, however, you may opt to use an herb grinder, coffee grinder (just be sure to clean it before/after!), or even a blender with some extra care.
Room sprays are a great way to apply a general “mist” of something to an area. You can mix and match different elements such as moon water, sun water, herbs, crystals, and more to create a spray specific to your needs. Simply throw all the ingredients in a spray bottle and you’re good to go!
Altars, Prayers, Deity Work
Keeping up with deities and altars is taxing even when you’re able-bodied. For someone with limited hand mobility, it can be even more difficult to keep up with. Here are some ideas to aid you with your deity work!
Digital altars are one of my favorite things to utilize. They are easy, convenient, and you don’t have to worry about spending money, making space, or keeping your altar clean when it’s all digital! Pinterest, Discord, Tumblr, and other sites are all great ways of keeping altars. You can use photos, videos, audio, poems… anything you want!
Devotional prayer-writing or writing poetry is another great way to connect with your deities. Instead of hand-writing for your deities, you can opt for typing or voice-recording your devotions! In times of need, you can play your recordings back to yourself.
I feel that it’s worth mentioning that, no matter you energy level or where you’re at on the pain scale, your deities will meet you in the middle. They will be there for you, whether or not you’ve been offering them extravagant meals or can only muster up enough energy to light a candle in their honor. No offering or devotional act is too small, and they will understand that your health and well-being must come first.
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Spellbook divider from @firefly-graphics
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theantarwitch · 2 months
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theantarwitch · 2 months
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_marcelsiebert on ig | source
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theantarwitch · 2 months
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bripvanders on ig | source
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theantarwitch · 2 months
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