🍞 Kitchen Magic 🍞

Divination Tips for Beginners

Divination can be hard and draining, it takes up a lot of energy. For those who are still new to it, it can really drain you and result in headaches and frustrations. Here are some tips to help all you beginners out with divination and how draining it can be.

Drink plenty of water, being dehydrated is not fun and especially not when you are using so much energy

Take a shower or bath before any divination work to help cleanse yourself 

Meditate before big divination work to help center and ground yourself

Crystals good for divination and psychic work: nuummite, amethyst, amazonite, fluorite, and aqua aura quartz

Clear Quartz is a good energy booster and can help you feel less drained after divination

Drink some black tea to help ground yourself and give yourself extra energy for divination work

If you are starting to feel tired during divination, that is okay, take a break or take a nap. Forcing yourself to keep going will only exhaust you further and make everything more difficult. You deserve breaks

It is okay to use notes during divination, don’t worry what others say. Its not ‘unprofessional’, even veterans in divination use notes. Keep a notebook with you full of different meanings of cards or stones or runes, take notes as you go, write down your thoughts and keep it near you every time you practice.

Yellow is the color of divination, keep yellow things around you to help. Yellow blanket(s), yellow pillows, yellow candles, yellow pieces of paper; anything you can find. Purple is also another color good to help with psychic abilities and awareness

Herbs good for divination and psychic work: cinnamon, lemon, cherry, lettuce, grapes, orange (orange peel), mint, pumpkin, celery, lemon balm, catnip, thyme, rose, seaweed, star anise, mullein, mugwort and rosemary can all help you. Bake with them, eat them, use them in teas or keep them near you in a sachet or jar

Stretch and take little walks. Sitting for a long time can be killer and make you sore. Stretch your legs and take little five or ten minute walks during long readings and psychic work. Muscle and joint stiffness is never fun

Rather than trying to tackle large readings every day, do small ones. Like a few questions to your pendulum, pull a single card, draw a crystal from a bag, etc. Small daily practices can help you in the long run without exhausting you. 

Open a window and let some fresh air in while you work, it will do wonders, especially since air is the element associated with divination work.

Keep a small bowl or cup of salt near you, it will absorb the negative energy about you especially if you are feeling frustrated

Moon water is great for divination: drink it, make tea with it, spray the room with it, anoint yourself with it, keep it near you, etc

Cleanse your space before divination work, again it will keep negativity away from you 

Cleanse and charge your divination tools regularly, it really helps in the long run. Put them in the moonlight at night (especially during full moons), keep salt near them, smoke cleanse them if you can, burn white candles, use crystals/gems, etc

Its okay if you get confused and don’t know how to interpret something. Take notes on it and with time it may become more clear to you. Don’t force yourself to try to understand

Mistakes happen, you won’t always be 100% right on things. No one is, divination is not a certain thing. Things change all the time, its okay. Don’t let it get you down.

If you are tired, sick, stressed, or anything else and don’t feel like doing divination work that is fine. Its okay, you don’t have to do it all the time. Especially not if you are feeling unwell and tired. Rest and take care of yourself, you can continue practice another time

If you use tools in your work like mirrors, tea cups/mugs, cards, crystals, etc try to bond with them. Creating a bond with your tools can improve your divination quite a bit

You don’t have to practice on other people, you can do it for yourself and your own questions. Its an old wive’s tale that you can’t use tarot or divination on yourself, you definitely can

Try to get a good nights sleep before and after divination

Once you finish, treat yourself. Get something to eat, watch a movie or show you like, curl up with a book, snuggle into a blanket, play with your pets, take a nap; do whatever makes you happy. You did a good job and deserve some time to rest and recharge afterwards

🍃Earl Grey Milk Tea.🍃

With everyone feeling under the weather, or having the feeling of panic in their bodies. I decided to share with you guys a recipie that helps me calm myself. I’ll add a list of the magick of the drink below the recipie.

What you need:

2 earl grey tea bags

4 cups of water

1 1/3 cup of half & half (or any other milk alternative. I wouldn’t suggest coconut milk however.)

3 brown sugar cubes

1 1/2 teaspoons of 100% pure honey

A pot

A spoon

A mug

What to do:

Bring the 4 cups of water to boil in the pot on the stove.

Once the water is boiling set the heat on low and add the tea bags. Let the tea steep for 4 minutes.

After 3 minutes of steeping, add the half & half (or what ever other milk product you chose.) to the tea and stir for about 30 seconds . As you stir breathe deeply and exhale slowly; put intent into your movements.

Let the tea steep for another 3 minutes, remove it from the heat once finished and discard of the tea bags.

Add the brown sugar cubes and the honey to your favorite mug, **CAREFULLY** pour the hot tea into the mug and stir slowly, once again breathe deeply and put intent into your work.

Enjoy.

The Magick of the Tea:

Ingredients & their magical purposes:

EARL GREY: earl grey is a black tea which represents Winter, the energy is masculine and the best crystal to hold while sipping it would be Obsidian. Earl grey tea offers courage, rids of boredom and enhances a conscious mind.

HONEY:honey is mostly known for love spells, but it also offers a perfect substance for self-love. Honey sweetens a moment, a life.

BROWN SUGAR: brown sugar is amazing for overcoming enemies and negativity, much like honey it is a sweetener for life.

BELTANE

when it is, ideas to do, the hellenic version and how to celebrate whilst in lockdown

When does it occur?

In the Northern Hemisphere on April 31st to May 1st

In the Southern Hemisphere on October 31st to November 1st

What does it celebrate ?

The peak of spring and the fact that summer is coming

Honours the earth

Fertility, Sexuality and love

Light, life and growth for the coming summer

For Wiccans is the night of the sacred greenwood marriage

What crystals are important ?

rose quartz

emerald

sunstone

What to decorate your alter with?

flowers (daisies and roses in particular)

green cloth or ribbons

hanging or sprinkling seasonal herbs (thyme, rose , fern)

using candles or incense with earthy scents such as wood or rose or jasmine

hawthorn branches

red, green and yellow candles to represent love, fertility, growth and summer

What activities can I do in lockdown?

mediate with the crystals mentioned

make daisy or flower chains and crowns for good luck

braid flowers into your hair

make mayday masks from items in your garden or draw them from paper

make a small mayday pole and dance around it by yourself or with people your isolating with

if in isolation with them, have sex with your partner : it’s a traditional aciticity done today because of the sacred wedding but it’s also a celebration of love and fertility (only if legal and you feel comfortable ofc)

spend time with loved ones you’re in lockdown with or via ft

make baked goods and give them to friends, family and neighbours

create a wish box and put inside all your hopes and wishes for summer

cleanse your tools

wear red,green and pink and get dressed up even if you can’t go anywhere

practise self love

have a milk bath

make amulets for yourself and people you love

give rose quartz as gifts to those you love

send your loved ones handwritten letters

make sigils and herb pouches for a good summer

Be with nature : go for a walk if safe

Learn about herbs or nature if you are unable to be with it

masturbate and perform sex magic

make fresh juice from summer fruits

leave offerings of milk,honey, oats, lavender and rose for the fae: it’s their day too!

make oat based products : they’re sacred to beltane and are good for luck,hope, safety and love

What spells and rituals should i perform?

fertility

growth

love

safety

good luck

protection of the home

What Hellenic Gods are sacred today?

The day honours Lady Maia as it’s about summer and the earth growing

Apollo as it’s the beginning of summer and the days will start to become longer and sunnier

Dionysus as it’s the coming summer and beauty of nature is about to hit its peak : also the rising of Dionysus

Demeter was traditionally worshiped on this day

Aphrodite due to her being a fertility and love goddess

Hestia for cleansing the home and protection

What are some Hellenic things to do?

Do something to take care of the earth

give offerings to Apollo : traditionally fruit and cypress branches decorated with flowers were used or put on temples

cleanse the home : thank Hestia for keeping you safe

Look into all the gods and goddesses celebrated and connect with them

Learn about the rising of Dionysus or even reanact it

Give offerings to Demeter and perform a ritual for banishing poverty in her name

Traditionally there is a greek blessing that says “May you have all the goods of May” along with a curse that says “ May all the hours of may find you” : say these to people with the intention linked to it

I hope you find this helpful! What are your plans for this Beltane in lockdown?

Services are Open Again!

 ✨ Guidelines ✨

• PM to acquire 

• Choose the service or spread of choice with the quantity of cards you want

• No medical or health related questions 

• No direct third party questions

• Send Initials or sun, moon and rising sign.  

 • Readings will be delivered three days at the most after payment confirmation 

• Method of payment is Paypal 

• Feel free to provide more information with the question, if you want it to be more directed to a specific point  

• You can select the deck you prefer 

 Available Decks: Giovanni Vacchetta Tarot, Delphi Oracle, Belline Tarot and Spanish Tarot. 

Feel free to ask anything and add a question if you have any.   

What Native people say about the use of sage: you can use sage, but you cannot smudge as nothing you are doing (waving sage around) is actually smudging. Smudging is a ceremony and you are, we promise, not smudging. Please buy sage from either us, or someone who sources the sage from us. White sage may not be considered endangered by the US government but corperate sourcing is making it difficult for us to source sage for our own religious purposes. Let alone to sell it.

What white people hear: never use sage ever, don’t ever buy it, don’t own it, don’t even look at it.

Look, y’all. There’s a couple of facets to my talk today.

1) Yes! You can buy sage! You really, truly can! Buy it from either native sellers (go to a powwow! Eat our food, buy our stuff, watch some dancing!) Or buy it from a seller who sources the sage from native people. Pick one. And no, buying it from 5 Below doesn’t count.

2) you CANNOT smudge. This isn’t just you “shouldn’t”— this is a YOU ARE INCAPABLE OF SMUDGING. Waving a sage stick around your doorways IS NOT SMUDGING. It is smoke clensing. Smudging, depending on the tradition and tribe, could easily have dancing and drums involved. You, as a white person, do not have the cultural BACKGROUND to even know how it works. At all. Period.

3) please, for FUCKS SAKE, stop making posts here on tumblr where you tell other white people about cultural appropriation and what they can and cannot do. Please stop, your license has been revoked because none of you bother to get the facts right. We native people are FULLY CAPABLE OF DOING IT OURSELVES. Consider instead: a) reblogging our posts where we talk about it! We’re here! We have made posts!! b) Making a post that states what we said and then LINKS BACK TO US. Screenshot with a link if you must. Stop centering your own voices in these conversations. You are already centered in everything, stop centering yourselves in a native space.

I’m tired of this nonsense, y’all.

Thanks for coming to my TedTalk ™

App Recommendation for Green/Garden Witches: Vera

I looked into a watering schedule app that sends notifications because all of my plants need different watering times right now. I tried a few that were in the App Store and this one is by far the best in my opinion. I enjoy using this, I didn’t enjoy any of the others.

Pros

You create the entirety of the plant’s profile. You can put in a name, species, photo, what date you got the plant, where it is, and there’s a note section designated for special care info. This customizable setup is so much more user-friendly than the apps that make you scroll through a list of plants to select yours (if they even have it) and then gives you the uneditable watering schedule that doesn’t take into account your humidity, plant’s life stage, etc

You can choose what day of the week the watering schedule starts, how often (in days) you’ll be notified to water, and when in the day to set off the notification. You can also change the watering schedule of a plant at any time. Similar apps I’ve tried haven’t been as customizable

You can select multiple plants or a whole location group to mark as watered at once, instead of having to go through each individual profile to mark them

You can go on to a plant’s profile to see when it was last marked as watered and what day it’ll next need to be watered. I find this helpful to be able to check and some other apps didn’t have that info available to the user

You can use this app to track your plants growth progress through photos. It puts photos in the activity feed so it logs the date/time at which you upload a photo to the app, making it time-trackable. There’s also a ‘photos’ tab next to the activity feed if you only want to see the photos, so they’re easily accessible

To me at least, this app is a lot more visually pleasing and user-friendly to navigate than similar apps I’ve tried. The font is big but not overwhelming, the layout is aesthetically simplistic but not dumbed down, and everything makes perfect logical sense as to where they put it and such. As for app layout, left to right there is a home page (first picture), a menu of all your plants sorted by location (third picture), a button to add a new plant, a page to mark plants as watered (second picture), and lastly an info/your profile/social page (that last one doesn’t do much except let you log in and leave a review). As you can tell, the app is very straight forward and I like the layout

Cons

You can’t undo a watering. If you accidentally mark a plant as watered that day I haven’t found any way to reset it to needing to be watered. So just be careful of which plants you’re marking!

Shadow Work

Origins, Meaning and Utility

The Structure of the Mind

Carl Jung theorized the existence of three levels/spheres in the human psyche: the Ego, representing the conscious mind, the Personal Unconscious where memories are contained and the Collective Unconscious, where all knowledge and experiences of the species are shared.

Each Sphere has in it a certain number of Archetypes, used to better describe the components of those structures, and the Shadow is one of them.

What is the Shadow

The shadow can be seen as a instinctual or primitive part of ourselves, it exists as part of the unconscious mind and is composed of repressed ideas, weaknesses, desires, instincts, and shortcomings.

It is this archetype that contains all of the things that are unacceptable not only to society, but also to one's own personal morals and values, normally going against social norms and rules as well as what we personally consider right.

The Shadow is often described as the darker side of the psyche, representing wildness, chaos, and the unknown, and it is common for people to deny this element of their own psyche and instead project it on to others.

The Shadow in Witchcraft and Benefits of Shadow Work

Art: Unknown

The Shadow, in witchcraft, can represent The Unknown, hidden depth of ourselves. Speaking in terms of energy, this is an area that can be a deep source of energetic issues, because it’s locked up in the dark and always striving to reach the light.

To not work with one’s Shadow is to make it greedy and aggressive, as well as denying a big part of oneself, making everything a half of a whole.

Through that brief explanation, we can already establish the importance and role of the Shadow in witchcraft, and with that in mind, comes the concept of Shadow Work.

Shadow Work can be seen in a number of practices, meditation, trances, inner journey’s, lucid dreaming, astral travels, spells and divination.

The method can change, but the principle is simple: Centering your intent to self discovery, self knowledge and self acceptance.

Working with one’s Shadow is not only beneficial to one’s craft, as it allows one to get in touch with their intuition as well as allows for easier connection with one’s guide/guides, but it also allows for healing and acceptance of one’s feelings and needs.

Think of all aspects of life as a wheel. If there is one part bent, the wheel can turn, but with more effort. If the owner spends time fixing that bent part, the wheel will turn in a much more smooth manner.

That is what happens when you take the time to do Shadow Work, you have to put in effort, and most of the time it’s not easy, but once done, all other components on the wheel of your life will be relieved to move on without that obstacle that makes their job harder.

The Shadow is not evil, as evil is just a moral compass invented by humans. It is a part of one’s nature, and to deny it is to supress a connection with yourself.

Take the time to know and accept your shadow, and you’ll see that life will be a little easier.

References:

A Natureza da psique (Structure & Dynamics of the Psyche) by C.G. Jung

The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious by C.G. Jung

50  witchy things to do in quarantine:

cleanse your house thoroughly

banish any unwanted energies

put some time into making solid wards

rearrange/cleanse your altar space and tools

take inventory of your supplies

make new batches of sun and moon waters (and any salts, tinctures, etc. you like to keep on hand)

start a dream journal now that you have the time

find a witchy article or book on somewhere like JSTOR and learn something new (and tell other witches about it)

try kitchen witchcraft if you haven’t already

create a new sigil or charm to display in your house

bless or add a glamor to an item in your home (ex. adding a glamour to a centerpiece so the food always looks good or to the welcome mat so people don’t notice the messes so much)

send a blessing to those who are helping (and donations, if you can)

or perhaps jinx, hex, curse, or bind those doing harm

set aside time each day to meditate– it’s the perfect time to start such a habit!

leave an offering to or commune with a spirit or deity you have not in a while due to time constraints

try a type of magic you are interested in, but struggle with

practice with your divination tools to get better at them

update your grimoire with things you’ve been meaning to write down

make a crystal grid of your own

make your own pendulum and board

make your own oracle deck

using the items you already have, make a new powder, oil, or tincture for an intent you have often

make a sigil and set it as your phone background

paint your phone case with a sigil, a symbol, or a color coordinated with your intention (use acrylic and then coat it in mod podge!)

create a new talisman

write a hymn or incantation

create a playlist to listen to during witchy things

buy a service from a local witch if you can afford to– many are in need of money right now, especially

draw, paint, or sculpt a deity you worship and add it to your altar

use notecards to write down and categorize things you have for each basic intention (ex. write down all of the herbs, crystals, etc. you have for love, for money, etc. so you never have to sit and think hard on what you can use– it’s a quick-reference for yourself)

write down your favorite spells or ones that you want to try

in your school or work space, add a sigil or charm for productivity, focus, or stress-relief

make a new sachet for sleep

contact a witch friend and facetime them to meditate together or do readings for each other. it’s important to stay in touch!

make shoebox, on-the-go, or pocket altars so when quarantine is over you’ll keep your practice up in daily life

write yourself affirmation cards or letters to open in a month/year/whenever you like

make your own runes

enchant a piece of clothing or jewelry for stress-relief or motivation

learn more about your own natal chart

transfer the info you look for in your grimoire most often to make a quick-reference book of the most important pages for yourself

learn about the plants and trees around your house and their properties

sit in your yard for a little while and enjoy nature and it’s sounds

open your curtains and blinds and windows to let in a little fresh air and sun into the house

start journaling– being in-tune with yourself will improve you as a witch

write letters or send care packages to witchy friends with things like bay leaves, sigils, and kind notes

on your next grocery run, grab some seeds or plants and plant whatever is in season where you are. try something that can grow in your windowsill, if you’re new! this is a way to have sustainable ingredients for your witchcraft that has no pesticides and is cultivated with your energy.

alternatively, get flower seeds and plant them around your home. this will also give you a reason to step outside to tend to them from time to time.

learn a new song or hymn and perform it as an offering to your deity of choice

make a list of this year’s dates of full and new moons, transits, and holidays and mark them in your calendar or put them in the notes of your phone

take the time to monitor your own energy and take care of yourself <3

🛡 Warding 🛡

Disclaimer: This is all based on my research, path, opinion & experiences! Intro: I really was holding out on doing this post because it’s such a big, important topic to cover and I really don’t want to mess it up or get anything wrong. This post needs to be done though, people have asked if I have such a post and an anon suggested it. So finally, here it is.  - What Is Warding? Warding is a type of magick, it is the act of creating an energetic barrier around you, your home, an object, ect. They can be temporary or permanent, although typically they are cast with the long term in mind. They can banish or turn away whatever you choose. Warding is an excellent skill to have because it can keep you, and even others safe and with practice you can do it anytime with just about whatever you have on hand.  When Should I Ward? Whenever you want an energetic barrier around you, most people consistently ward their home, themselves or their place of practice. Some people even ward their space every time they prepare for a spell. It should be done consistently in any area you want protected, but exactly where and how often is entirely up to the practitioner.  What Should I Do Before? Cleanse, a ward is a barrier of energy and in the same way that it keeps things out it also keeps things in. You don’t want to trap anything inside of it. Cleanse yourself before you ward yourself. Cleanse your space before you ward your space!  Tips Before You Ward- Phrasing Keep the phrasing in mind! You don’t want to keep anything out that you want in, or let something in that you want out. If you’re chanting or using sigils ect keep in mind exactly what you want to keep out both in your methods and in your mind. Covering everything Make sure to cover everything, a ward is useless if there’s a weakness in it or if the ceiling & floor aren’t probably covered. Be super thorough!  Layering Your Wards One small little wimpy barrier? Ha, the spirits say as they scramble into your home to wreak havoc! You need to layer your wards, don’t just use one method one time, there’s no such thing as too much warding.  What Are Some Ways That I Can Ward? Now we’ll get right down to the methods you can use to ward yourself and your space! Remember that warding is important and needs to be effective, don’t try anything that you don’t have experience with for warding. At first, focus on the stuff you know. If you like sigils, use sigils at first and slowly work your way into using other more complex methods or methods that solely rely on your abilities. Circle Casting You cast a circle by summoning the four elements to protect & energize what is in the circle.  - Here’s my post about circles & how to cast them  Chanting/Speaking Come up with a protective chant you can use to ward your space. This chant could be someone else’s or your own as long as you feel it’s effective. Speak it aloud and visualize a layer of energy protecting your space.  Incense Burn a protective incense in the space you’d like to ward and visualize a barrier protecting your space. Athame Draw out the line of your ward with your athame, visualize the wall appearing, covering everything with a thick layer of energy.  Spraying Spray a mix of blessed/magickal waters and or herbs with protective properties in the space you want to ward.  Sigils Create a sigil using your favorite method with the intent to “ward” or “protect/protection.” Then charge and activate it as a layer of protection! Here’s my post on sigils if you’re interested in that: - Sigil Post Jar Spells You could mix up a jar spell for warding, set it in your house and forget it as a layer of warding.  - My protective jar spell post Anointment Anoint the doorways of your space, you could also anoint the ceiling, floor, walls, corners, honestly go for it.  Salt Sprinkle salt all around the edge of your home or space. Make sure to sprinkle salt on the INSIDE of your harm as salt can harm plants & wildlife if used outside. If you’d like to make a barrier on the outside of your home, you can use dried & crushed eggshells in place of salt. - Post on how to make eggshell powder here -  Hag stones Hag stones are stones with holes in them that have been corroded into the stone because of rushing water. It is believed rushing water is protective & cleansing so if you wear a stone that sat in it long enough to have parts corroded away, that the stone will maintain and keep those properties with it. It’s a great way to personally ward yourself, and an excuse to go out in nature.  They look like this! 

Energy Manipulation If you’ve got a knack for manipulating energy, you can create a barrier through work and visualization that surrounds yourself or your space. This isn’t recommended for beginners though! Links: - Horse Warding Charm By @anothersusurrus - House Warding Spritz Mixture By @seleneblackwell Both of these are great if you’re looking for specific spells, types of magick, correspondences, sigils, ect! - Protection Magic Masterpost Part 1 By @auricwitch - Protection Magic Masterpost Part 2 By @auricwitch Personal Wards Also remember not just to ward your space but yourself, if you layer your home with wards, what happens when you leave? Exactly. Keep yourself safe too! Circle casting & hag stones are great methods I mentioned above that are good for personal warding.  Can I Ward Specific Things And Not Others? Absolutely! I mentioned this in the phrasing section of this post, keep in mind exactly what you want to keep out when you’re warding. I like words like “negative” or “harmful” or “with ill intent” because they don’t necessarily keep out the Fae or positive/neutral spirits but it does keep out anything that wants to harm you in general. Just think about it ahead of time, find wording or a phrase you like and keep that in mind as you ward.  What If I Live With People? If you’re out of the broom closet, explain to your family/roommates what you’re doing and why you’re doing it and make sure they’re cool with it and are aware of what’s going on. If you’re not out of the broom closet, you may have to resort to only warding yourself/your room, & that’s okay!  I hope this helps someone or teaches them something new! Enjoy! Have a lovely day 💖

✨ Chai spells ✨

Now that it’s getting colder I feel like it’s time to post about chai spells! 

✨  Basic recipe for chai  ✨ - ¾ mug of milk (or milk alternative) - ¼ mug of water - Any tea that goes with milk (so no green or fruit teas) - Sugar or honey to taste

Heat up your milk, water and sweetener, once boiling whisk in your tea. If using black or milk oolong tea then do not exceed 45 seconds of stirring - it seems like a small amount of time but your chai will be bitter if you go over this time! Any tea other than black tea would be alright for a bit longer, but you shouldn’t need much time at all! 

Pour the chai through a strainer and serve! Drink this while hot for the best flavour (though it doesn’t taste bad if it gets cold either)

_

For the following spells, use the milk, water and sweetner and then add the tea specified! Feel free to personalise your blends!

✨  Self love chai  ✨  - Black tea - Culinary dried rose petals 

✨  Protection chai  ✨ - Black tea - Cinnamon - Ginger  - 2 peppercorns

✨  Banishing chai  ✨ - Black tea - Basil leaves (chopped) - Ginger 

✨  Sleepy time chai  ✨ - Culinary lavender - Culinary dried rose petals

✨ Happiness chai  ✨ - Black tea - Cinnamon - Orange peel

✨  Confidence chai  ✨ - Black tea - Nutmeg - Cinnamon

✨  Divination chai  ✨ - Milk oolong tea - Peppermint 

✨  Purity chai  ✨ - Milk oolong tea  - Coconut

✨  Lucky chai  ✨ - Black tea - Cardamom - Cinnamon - Clove

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Happy brewing everyone! Enjoy many cups of magical chai  ✨

(Credit for our basic chai recipe goes to @sidewalk-crystal  - thank you lovely!)