dappermouth:

Aries: Beauty
awaits you where others will not see it. It gleams on the surface of a stagnant
canal; you will feel it in the coolness of loamy soil and the scratching,
toiling insects. It calls you into the rustling green, and begs you to sink
forever in the reeds.

Taurus: On
ink-black nights, your spirit slips through your bones and walks free. It
wanders in its thousand silent forms, passes ghostly below cedar trees and across rolling plains. It
returns to fill your head with animal memories, raw and alive with longing.

Gemini: Something
has followed you, one part gnawing and another sighing, full of mournful sound
that makes the hair on your nape prickle like a cornered dog’s. To its eyes you
are a hazy ghost of familiar scent and color—it is afraid, too, and alone, and
only seeks comfort from you.

Cancer: A roaring
black horizon stretches along your tender spine, just below the skin. It
distorts sound and memory, turns bird song into ancient tongues, and from the
other side you can feel something searching, pressing, seeking a way through.

Leo: When the
call comes, it will ring out from nowhere—a low cry buzzing through the air
after dark. Your blood and bones will remember what it means even if you do
not; follow their lead as they pull toward the door and the yawning night
beyond.

Virgo: Black fur
will begin appearing, tangled in trees and brush, meant for your eyes only.
Collect it where you find it, hide the lush dark tufts in a secret pouch and
keep it close at hand. It will protect you when its owner arrives in the shape of a beast, beautiful but wrong, like a limb twisted out of place.

Libra: As you
sleep, a lean dark figure approaches, tall and stooped at your bedside. Its
hands are cold and damp, dappled with sap, grass sprouts breaking through skin.
It leaves a familiar branch by your side before departing. Perhaps now you can
remember the way back.

Scorpio: Clear
days blur the boundary between your skin and the brisk air. High in a pine, a
hawk tucks strands of your hair into the lining of its nest, and its chicks
dream of you, of your voice and hands, unknowing, forgotten on waking.

Sagittarius: A
narrow farm shed sits abandoned in an open field; it’s been many years but the
gift that was left for you still rests inside. Pull down the damp-rotten door
and find it in a tangle of oak branches on the concrete floor, dried leaves
humming over the flesh of your second body.

Capricorn: Look
up when flocks of birds are in the sky—they have been sent to tell you
something. In the shifting sea of starlings you will see the beauty and terror
to come, and crows stand by to warn you when the danger draws close. Keep seeds
in your pocket; your allies are always near at your side.

Aquarius: A
juniper will grow beneath your bed, its thin scrub branches spilling out onto
the floor, dotted with clusters of berries whose dusty blue surface conceals
something, like a figure shifting behind frosted glass. Tend to it carefully,
and you will see clearly what lies beyond their muted veil.

Pisces: A
wilderness begins in your chest, slowly at first and then growing vast, your
heart swallowed in the trees. You must walk there to learn, to make sense of
the strange beasts who flicker between the trees, to uncover the weeping
leviathan deep in its glacial lakes.

rowan-lupine:

Questions to ask and tips for new Therian and Otherkin.

Or, for those questioning any new Therio/kintype!

This is mainly intended for those who have absolutely no idea what their “new” potential identity is, rather than someone who may have a clue to what it could be. (But anyone can use it as an aid!)

• Questions to ask yourself •

• Is this new shift a herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore? Or does it have another source of sustenance.

• Do I feel like I belong in this time-period/plane of existence/planet? (If not, perhaps look into extinct organisms or fictional/extraterrestrial entites.)

• When I phantom-shift, do I feel fur/hair/scales/feathers, do I feel paws/hands/flippers, is my tail short and thin, or long and elegant, or do I lack one entirely?

• Bipedal? Quadrupedal? Or could I alternate between.

• (If carnivorous or omnivorous) Was I primarily a hunter or a scavenger? Or an opportunistic feeder.

• Terrestrial (Land-dweller) Aquatic (Water-dweller) or Aboreral? (Tree/Height-dweller)

• Mammal/Amphibious/Reptilian or other?

• What was my method/physical tactic of self-defense?

• What biome/habitat did I belong to?

• General Tips and information •

• Everyone discovers themselves at different speeds, take it as slow and smoothly as you need to, or on the contrary- don’t feel invalidated if you figured it out quicker than most!

• Spend time in nature, and with the Earth. It’s very therapeutic and comes with proven mental benefits.

• Meditation! It really does help, and there are guides out there dedicated for those with attention-issues, if you have troubles with such. (like myself.)

• Journaling- especially keeping track of different shifts, dreams and new feelings that may pop up during your discovery process.

• Patience. Like said above, self-discovery has no set speed. Don’t get overly frustrated and easily throw in the towel when you don’t get right the first few tries. It’s normal for it to take some time.

• Extra Informational Tidbits •

• Blue eyes in canines only occurs in domestic dogs and captive-bred ranch-foxes, there have been very rare and unconfirmed reports of southwestern coyotes having blue-eyes, but I am unsure of the complete credibility of them. All those “Elegant Wolves” with bright sky-blue eyes are photoshopped or low-content wolfdog hybrids.

• It’s going to be easier to assume you’re a commonly known animal than something unheard of, even if it isn’t your correct fit. Remember- there more animals that howl and live in social groups than canines. Expand your possibilities beyond well-known organisms.

neverkin:

what’s the best way to die? easy. you forget your name, your friends, your family, your home. you forget your wings and teeth and blood. you’re stripped bare of everything that made you you, and are forced into the next life. you live among them, unaware and uncaring of what you were in a past life. you were divine. they loved you, they hated you, they feared you. you had teeth. you forget everything. everything everything everything until there’s nothing more to forget. they build you back up, reconstruct your bones and reroute your brain. they call you human.

but death isn’t the end. you remember. you find it in hymns behind closed doors, in sloppy confessions between friends, in the feeling you get when no one is watching and the world is in your hands. you scream “i remember who i was i remember who i was i remember who i am.”

what’s the best way to die? easy. by never doing it in the first place.

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH Y’ALL

a-dragons-journal:

I AM HERE I AM QUEER

HAPPY PRIDE TO MY GAYS

HAPPY PRIDE TO MY LESBIANS

HAPPY PRIDE TO MY BIS

HAPPY PRIDE TO MY PANS

HAPPY PRIDE TO MY ACES

HAPPY PRIDE TO MY AROS

HAPPY PRIDE TO MY A-SPECS

HAPPY PRIDE TO MY TRANS FOLK

HAPPY PRIDE TO MY NONBINARY FOLK

HAPPY PRIDE TO MY GENDERFLUID FOLK

HAPPY PRIDE TO MY QUEER FOLK

HAPPY PRIDE TO MY QUESTIONING PEOPLE – MAY YOU FIND THE ANSWERS YOU SEEK

AND HAPPY PRIDE TO EVERY OTHER LGBT+ IDENTITY I MISSED

MAY YOU ALL BE BLESSED, RECOGNIZED, AND BELOVED FOR WHO YOU ARE! EVEN WHEN THOSE AROUND YOU MAY NOT RECOGNIZE YOU, OR YOU MAY BE AFRAID TO COME OUT, YOU ARE BELOVED! MAY YOU ALL BE SAFE FROM HARM THIS PRIDE MONTH!

(and, of course, a quick reminder because this is a ‘kin blog: being otherkin/therian/alterhuman does NOT make us LGBT+! Many of us are both alterhuman and LGBT+, however, and there’s nothing wrong with that either <3<3<3)

Been keeping all of my queer pride to my main, but this works too.

Spiced Woodland Milk

ranthimi:

kinfood:

It’s all kind of “add to taste,” but this simple beverage would probably be really good for any faekin or woodland-types. I’m demonkin and find the sweet-woodsy taste quite relaxing.

The only ingredients needed are milk (plus cream, if you want it to be rich), vanilla, (real) maple syrup, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Heat the milk in a saucepan and gradually add vanilla and syrup. Both can be experimented with in volume, but you probably want more syrup than vanilla. Whisk in a dash of nutmeg and a couple splooshes of cinnamon and then continue whisking to get a homogenous hot drink.

The resulting beverage is rich and reminiscent of sap and late-summer nights with plenty of sweet spice.

@necrophagist

How to start practicing magic

chaoskyan:

I keep getting this question in my inbox so I figured I’d post the answer publicly so I can refer to it instead. First of all though, there are tons of posts about this already and if you do a quick search through the “witchcraft community” tag or “witchcraft 101″ you’ll find a lot of great advice already circulating. What I’m going to outline here is my personal recommendation, and as for all my posts this is the “YMMV” disclaimer (your mileage may vary, i.e. do what works for you and don’t take this as absolute in any way). 

Step 1: Pick a spell. Any spell.
Seriously, it doesn’t matter. Well… okay, maybe don’t like… try to conjure Baphomet into your living room or something, but pick any rando spell that you feel like doing. Don’t worry about what it is, or who wrote it, or how “authentic” it is. Do these things matter? Sure, maybe, depends on who you ask, but you can figure this stuff out later. For now, just pick a spell. The only real guideline I’ll give here is that it should ideally be something with a measurable result within a reasonable timeframe. I’ll get to why later.

Step 2: Bake a cake.
Don’t actually bake a cake (unless you want a cake, in which case by all means please bake a cake), but this is the part where you gather whatever it is you need for the spell and perform it as it’s written. Spells can in some ways be considered recipes in that you want to try following the directions first, and make your changes afterwards. This is especially true for a beginner or someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing yet. 

Step 3: Mouth feel.
The spell is done, congrats. You probably feel… nothing, tbh, maybe even vague disappointment. Why? Because this wasn’t really your magic yet, and there’s very likely something (maybe even a lot) missing. This is the most crucial part of your process. What were you expecting? What did you like, not like? It’s time to write this down, and if you’re the type of person who wants to keep a grimoire this is a great first entry. Were you hoping for more ritual? Maybe ceremonial magic is what you should look into. Did you want there to be more bubbling cauldrons? Try looking into hearth magic or herbal magic. Were you missing a chant, a poem? Look more into spellcraft and the power of words. Some key subjects you can look up: crystal magic, herbal magic, hearth magic, cosmic magic, spirit work, death magic, healing magic, bane magic, divination, folk magic, chaos magic, technomancy, sigilwork, spellcraft, hedge walking, deity worship, sex magic, blood magic, etc. If any of these sound appealing to you, do a google search and read about them a little more so you can decide whether or not you want to delve in a little further.

Step 4: The cake is a lie.
This is where we drop the food metaphors, and get back to that thing I brought up in step one: measurable results within a reasonable timeframe. This is the part that seems to get lost the most in all the advice going around, and in my opinion it’s the second most important (the first one being that practicing magic feels good/right to you). Grimoires aren’t just supposed to be pretty lists of spells and correspondences, they’re supposed to contain spells that actually work. The key here is to figure out what feels right to you as far as method, and then to refine that method to achieve tangible results. If you already feel great doing magic, let me tell you… you’ll feel pretty fucking amazing when your magic starts having an actual effect on the world around you, and it shouldn’t take years of mastery for that to happen. Small magics and simple spells can be done effectively by beginner witches, and these are the things you build upon to form your craft. If your magic isn’t getting results, it’s not magic: it’s ceremony.

Step 5: Rinse and repeat.
For most people there is a specific facet of magic that attracted them to it before they ever cast a spell, and while some people might know what it is straight off the bat most people don’t, and that’s fine. You don’t need to know what you’re doing right at the start, and making mistakes isn’t going to curse your house or open up a portal into the dark realms by accident (still assuming you’re doing beginner stuff and not trying to invoke dark spirits to do your bidding or something). The witchcraft side of tumblr can often look really serious and like everyone knows exactly what they’re doing all the time, but the truth of the matter is there’s a lot of trial and error and that’s exactly what magic is supposed to be. If you’re looking towards magic as something to provide all the answers for you, you’re gonna have a real bad time. It’s about looking at how other people have gotten to where you want to go, and forging your own route from there.

On a final note, I’d just like to add that if anyone claims to be an absolute authority on any given topic of witchcraft or occultism, be extremely fucking wary. If anyone is saying you need to pay x amount of money or buy x number of things to be a “real witch”, be extremely fucking wary. Witchcraft existed before money, before capitalism, before industrialization and consumerism. 

As always, my inbox is open if you have any questions about this (or anything else). If I don’t know the answer, I can usually point you towards someone who does or at least give you a direction to search in. Happy witching!

“I’m a baby witch! What do I start learning?”

will-o-the-witch:

Here’s a quick-and-dirty list of things that I think sets up a good foundation for someone moving forward with magic work and why. They’re also in order of what I think is best approached first. (For a time reference, I recommend the whole thing taking at LEAST a year, but individual steps and overall length will vary in each person.)

  1. Learn basic magical theory. What is happening when you cast a spell? What is grounding? How do correspondences work? Why is X step or tool important? Learn about what it is you’re doing before diving into actual casting. Have a basic grip on how it works. 
  2. Some form of divination, even if it’s something as simple as a pendulum. Other people won’t always be there to help you answer questions, validate your interpretation of something, or offer direction. Having some form of divination under your belt helps you avoid dependency on other people. You can more easily answer your own questions, check your own intuition, and take matters into your own hands.
  3. Protection and Cleansing. No matter what path you go down or what type of magic you end up doing, these are two things that every magic worker needs to know how to do, and know how to do it well. They also tend to be fairly straightforward to learn. Cleanse your space, cleanse yourself, cleanse that object, cleanse your grandma. Then protect them. Learn how to set up wards and shields, which brings us to….
  4. Basic energy work. You’ve probably already run into it a lot by this point and it’s fine if you’ve already picked up some things. But now is the time to really focus on it and get comfortable with it. Learn how to confidently sense what’s around you and interact with it, fix gaps in your wards and shields, project your intent into things, you get the idea. Energy work will always be there in a pinch and requires no materials besides your body, and is extremely versatile. Plus, most paths really require at least a base-level understanding of it these days. Can’t hurt.
  5. Start honing your specific path. Here’s where the cookbooks, the old graveyards, the skulls on the shelf, the fairy figurines start really coming into play. If you have an idea of what sort of path you’d like to follow, start really getting into the meat of it! What does it look like? What are the first steps to that type of magic? If for now you’re still eclectic or aren’t sure, then just read what interests you or try more advanced general spells than you have so far.
  6. Go back and do it all again. That’s right. You can also put time into your path or your regular research, but go back and pick up those old books from step one. Read the old articles. Return to the basics and see how your views have become more nuanced, or how you disagree. What details flew over your head the first time? Can you pick up a new form of divination or try something new with your main form? Could those wards and shields be stronger? You get the idea. Once you’ve revisited it, you should have a really solid foundation that will help you no matter what direction you take next!

Other stuff to study on the side:
Local folklore, mythology, and types of spirits. You may not want to work with spirits, but sometimes spirits want to work with you! So it’s good to have an idea of what to do if they pop up. 
What plants grow in your area? What‘s edible? What is used in healing? 
What plants are NOT edible in your area? What’s poisonous?

If you think there’s another important step that you recommend that I didn’t include, feel free to add it! 🙂

📓Some Grimoire ideas📓

unabashedlyhauntednight:

🌿Basic concepts (Banish, bind, cleanse, ground, etc)
🌿The correspondences of herbs
🌿The correspondences of crystals
🌿The Wheel of the year (if you choose to follow it)
🌿The Moon’s phases
🌿Some constellations
🌿Tea! (What each tea is good for)
🌿Mythologies you’re interested in
🌿Candle Magic
🌿Color correspondences
🌿Soap magic
🌿Essential oils
🌿Write down your dreams
🌿Stargazing events of that year
🌿Info about spirits
🌿Moon water
🌿Sun water
🌿Chakras
🌿The elements
🌿Basic divination
🌿The goals of your path
🌿Your belief system
🌿Your daily rituals

esbaatwitch:

how & when to cleanse your tarot cards ✨

how to cleanse:

shuffle – shuffle your cards for some time with cleansing intent.

sort the cards – put the cards back in the order of the major arcana from 0-21, wands, cups, swords, and then pentacles. let them stay like this for a short while, until you feel they’re cleansed, and then shuffle them again.

crystals – choose a crystal with your intent and place it on top of your deck, or create a crystal grid around it.

smoke cleansing – pass your deck through the smoke of burnt sage or rosemary, or through the smoke from insense.

sunlight/moonlight – natural light sources give healing energies to your deck. sunlight is more masculine, while moonlight is more feminine. keep this in mind when choosing a light source and what’s best for your deck.

meditation – meditate on the cards. this may be one card at a time or the whole deck at once.

yoga – do yoga with your deck, this will soothe and cleanse you both and create a stronger bond between you and your deck.

sound – use a song, a bell, or an instrument to wash vibrations over and through your deck to release energy.

salt – sprinkle salt gently over your deck or put your deck in an airtight bag and submerge it in a bowl of salt and let the salt absorb pent up energies.

sigils – write a cleansing sigil on a slip of paper and put it in the box or bag with your deck.

fresh air – set your deck on a windowsill by a cracked open window. allow the movement of fresh air to cleanse the pent up energy from your cards.

close contact – keep your deck beside or under your pillow as you sleep to both cleanse and build a close relationship with your deck.

when to cleanse:

brand new deck – if you bought or have been gifted a new or secondhand deck, the best way to sort out its energy is to cleanse it before the first use.

after each use – this is the best way to upkeep the health of your cards.

every day – a great way to take care of your cards, routine cleansing is a wonderful daily ritual for you and your deck.

when someone else touches it – energies can get muddled when someone other than the reader touches a deck.

after a complicated reading – your deck can run out of energy quickly when you ask it to do a complcated reading, and the best way to replenish these energies is to cleanse.

after not using it for a while – stagnant energies will build up in your deck if you go a while between uses. the best way to counteract this is a thorough cleansing.

with your life cycles – whether moon cycles, menstrual cycles, or sleep cycles, cleansing your deck when your energy is high can be a good idea.

whenever your deck tells you – sometimes you will be able to feel when your deck needs to be cleansed. a good cleansing and recharging is helpful when shuffling becomes difficult, you’re getting the same cards repeatedly, or you feel your deck run low on energy.

Witchy Crafts

witchthatiam:

I’ve been scouring pinterest lately for witchy crafts, and here are some I’ve found, along with what I would use them for!

  • Wall Hanging – Okay so I made a really cool wall hanging for someone a while ago, and with their permission, I enchanted it to bring motivation, happiness, and warmth to their space. I feel like you could do the same with any wall hanging. I added braids, chestnut halves, and even color coordinating yarn to make mine. 
  • Star Light Garland – Great for Cosmic Witches! Or for those of you who need a little light around your altar, around your bed for soft light, etc. 
  • Flower Candle Holders (Plaster Dipped Flowers) – Yes, you can buy these already made, but aren’t the ones linked so awesome? I think it makes perfectly preserved flowers to keep all year, and the flame of the candle might help draw their energy out!
  • Concrete Dragon Egg Candle Votives – While we’re on the topic of candle holders, why not take a look at these amazing ‘dragon egg’ ones? If you work with dragon spirits, or really any animal/creature spirit with eggs, it will look amazing on your altar!
  • Watercolour Painted Pillow – For all of you who use magic to work your way into your dreams, or are looking for a fun way to calm yourself before bed, try this! You can even paint it with moon water!
  • Dream/Wish Jar – All you have to do is write down your dreams/wishes on the paper of your choice, and throw them in a jar. I suggest making matching sigils for each one, and burning them at the full moon. I made one, and it looks so cute in my room! Super great for hidden witches!
  • Moon Rocks – I know, I know, not exactly a moon rock, but if you make these with moon water in place of regular water, and charge them under the full moon, they could stand in for the moon on cloudy nights, charge your crystals, etc. 
  • DIY Essential Oil Diffuser Necklaces – Obviously, this is a really inconspicuous way to use essential oils! You could wear one for protection when you’re feeling unsafe, attract love on the days you want too, and even give them away as gifts to other witches!
  • DIY Detoxifying Activated Charcoal Soap – Okay, but how much witchery could you do with these? So much!! After you are finished cursing, or perhaps on the night of a full moon, you could scrub up with this and get all kinds of cleansed!
  • Ombre Mermaid Soap – All the yes. Sea witches could use this in Mermaid beauty bath spells, or give it up as an offering! They’re so pretty, and with a little enchantment, could be magical!
  • Jellyfish in a Bottle – Do you interact with spirits of the sea? Maybe Jellyfish? Then go ahead and capture their beauty with this awesome DIY, and use the bottle as a spirit vessel for your jellyfish guests!
  • Mini Natural Brushes (Brooms) – These are great for on the go witchery, or for painting out your spells. You can keep dried ‘brushes’ in mini altar kits to use as a besom, or use them as brushes for making sigils, etc. 
  • Lay-Flat Storage Mat – Divination Supplies, witchy spell kits, enchanted jewelry- the opportunities are endless! Use black to keep the energy locked inside, and paint or draw sigils on it for an added boost!
  • DIY Hand Cast – Make your own palmistry guide using this neat craft. You can cast your hand and paint on it however you’d like!
  • Pressed Flower Candles – Preserve the beautiful energy of almost any flower by creating a candle with it! Burn the candle when you need the herb or flowers energy for your spell, and Make as many as you can while the flowers are blooming!
  • Wind Chimes – Perfect for alerting you of potential intruders, Wind chimes placed inside can add a natural, as well as witchy, flair to your space. If you hear it, but there is no wind, you’ll know someone has come to visit!
  • DIY Candles – Add your energy as you make these candles for a boost in your spells. There’s even a ‘Sprinkes’ candle you can enchant to grant wishes, and you can light this every year on your birthday. 
  • Bird’s Nests – Yes, you can make a nest of your own! Using special herbs, you can make a home fit for a spirit, or use it as a shrine to the Air element. 
  • Wooden Spoons (Personalized) – With a wood burner and some concentration, you too can make a Kitchen Wand! Enchant soups and pastas with special energy with your very own wooden Spoon Wand!
  • Gazing Ball – So, this isn’t exactly a crystal ball, but it will work just like a scrying mirror. Simply follow the directions, and, if you wish, exclude the additions to the sphere. Then, you’re good to go!
  • DIY Succulent Planters – Green witches, I got a DIY for you, too! Make these succulent planters, and put them near a window, especially if your altar is near by. They’ll provide protection and hardiness to your home and its defense systems!
  • Crystal Candle Votives – These crystals are 100% made by you. You can give them special intentions and colour them accordingly. Have fun making your own set of crystals!
  • Paper Leaf Garland – A little bit of nature for your altar! I know it isn’t real, but for those of you who can’t grow a plant near your altar, it will work beautifully!
  • Wish Bracelets –  I loved mine when I had it! They’re super fun to wear, and will be a discreet witchy project for you to try. Just make a wish, and wait for it to fall off!
  • Rustic Twig Ornaments – Use these as wards throughout your home, and enchant them to bring you whatever you need. 
  • Button Bicycles – To help your spell get going, throw in a button bicycle! Use it inside poppets, sachets, etc. 
  • Packaging Tape Image Transfers – These can help you label your herbs, crystals, and spell jars! Have fun coming up with cute designs and whimsical fonts!
  • Paper Envelopes – For those of you who send letters, write them, or use envelopes in your spells, you can create them using paper with this method!