What Coffee Is Your Favorite?

New Witches: IMPORTANT Tip

Research everything before doing it. Ensure a practice is not closed before doing it. Ensure a tool or item is not closed before doing it. Make sure to only rely on sources who are part of the culture the practice is from.

When something is "closed," this means it is specific to a culture and/or practice, and anyone outside of that culture should not use it. In some cases, someone who is part of the culture can invite you to use that practice, but not often. And don't beg them to either.

"But shouldn't we be sharing?" No. BIPOC cultures have no obligation to share anything. Not after the millennias of oppression, genocide, and worse.

Stealing more of their cultures is racist. It is oppressive. It is perpetuating colonization. Do. Not. Do. It.

When in doubt, don't do it. Find some other way to achieve your goals.

🌿🌿🌿Plant Asks 🌿🌿🌿

🌿English Ivy: Coffee or Tea? How do you like it?

🌿Aloe Vera: Ocean, River or Lake?

🌿Squash: Guilty pleasure?

🌿Parsnip: Where are you from? What are your roots?

🌿Evergreen: Something that has never failed you..?

🌿String Beans: What forces you to grow/change? What makes you want to grow/change?

🌿Lettuce: What is your healthiest habit?

🌿Ash Tree: Lighter or Matches?

🌿Basil: Can you cook? What is your favorite dish to make?

🌿Rosemary: What is your favorite memory? Your most vivid memory?

🌿Cinnamon: What gives you energy? What gets you moving?

🌿Thyme: What promotes healing in your life?

🌿Purslane: What ordinary or mundane thing do you make magical?

🌿Roses: What is romantic, to you?

🌿Chamomile: What does relaxing look/feel like to you?

🌿🌿🌿

Today's herb of the day is Rosemary!

Gender: Masculine

Planet: Sun

Element: Fire

Magickal uses:

Burn by itself or with charcoal to get rid of negative energy and purification(especially before spells), wear while reading or completing tasks to improve memory of the material and aid in clear thinking, place in a dream pillow fo prevent nightmares, use an infusion of rosemary to wash hands before any healing magick, add to baths for purification, use in incenses for love and lust and is a good substitute for frankincense. Good for baby blessing, sleep, youth, love, faerie, cleansing, purification, memory, psychic power, longevity, exorcism, lust, friendship and healing workings.

Other uses:

Rosemary is used for improving memory, indigestion, arthritis-related joint pain, hair loss, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses. In foods, rosemary is used as a spice. The leaf and oil are used in foods, and the oil is used in beverages.Extracts and the volatile oil have been used to promote menstrual flow and as abortives. Rosemary extracts commonly are found as cosmetic ingredients and a lotion of the plant is said to stimulate hair growth and prevent baldness.

Deities:

Faeries, Sea Spirit, Virgin Mary

Important Reminder:

Being racist/bigoted/homophobic/transphobic/xenophobic/trans-exclusionary/etc.

IS NOT WITCHY

We are all connected. There are no exceptions just because your rhetoric doesn’t line up. You cannot be any of these things and also call yourself a witch. We don’t want you.

Birders, 2019 (dir. Otilia Portillo Padua)

★ STUDIO GHIBLI HOMES ★

🏠 requested by @seniorwitch 🏡 

Ways to Celebrate Samhain

Since ancient times people have celebrated this wonderful fall holiday. However, the way it is celebrated has changed many times over the years. So how do you celebrate this spooky season?

What is Samhain?

Pronounced SAH-Wen. In case you missed it, I have a post explaining what Samhain is here. :)

How do witches and pagans celebrate?

There are many ways to celebrate this fire festival. This list consists of the ways I personally celebrate Samhain, as well as ways that are commonly practiced in the witchcraft community.

Have a bonfire! One of the more common and ancient ways is to have a bonfire with your community! This could mean your neighborhood or just you and some of your friends and family.

If you're more of an introverted type having a little hearth fire or even lighting a candle can work just as well to embody the spirit of Samhain!

Cooking and baking fall foods, especially if you use things you've harvested yourself works wonders for a Samhain celebration.

Making mulled wine or spiced cider (virgin options are just as good here).

Have a feast with the wine/cider and foods you're making! Invite your friends and family over. Remember, they don't have to witches to enjoy a good meal and some homemade BOOze.

Decorate your altar with fall items like leaves, acorns, pinecones, a cool stick, whatever calls to you!

Make a temporary altar for the Samhain celebration for offerings.

Speaking of which: Give offerings to your deities, ancestors, spirits, or other deities that are associated with the season.

If you're comfortable and experienced, talk with the dead. Whether it's your grandma or that nice ghost chilling near your home, say hello! The veil between our world and theirs is thinner this time of year. Invite them to join in on your feast. Catch them up on your life events or the latest drama!

Cleanse your space-literally and metaphysically. You don't need to do a deep clean, but taking a broom or the vacuum to your floors and dusting off your shelves is a great way to make you feel cleaner on the inside too! Take an incense, incense spray, or smoke bundle (of appropriate herbs) and use them accordingly to cleanse your house. DO NOT USE CLOSED PRACTICES OR THEIR HERBS unless you're apart of that culture. Do research on the herbs you have if you're not sure.

You can also find plenty of wonderful rituals, spells, or recipes online, just make sure you do research on herbs and practices so that you don't hurt yourself.

Practice fire safety!

If you have anything to add, please let me know, I'd love to hear how other people are celebrating Samhain this year.

Tasseography

•Tea leaf reading•

You might be wondering where this unusual form of divination came from, so here’s a short history on tasseography. Shortly after tea was introduced to Europe, tea leaf reading, as it’s now recognized, was born. Similar divination tools had been used with an assortment of other materials. The art of tea leaf reading spread through Europe, and is now practiced throughout the world.

Doing a tea leaf reading involves you indulging in a delicious cup of tea and putting your sharp intuitive skills to work. After you enjoy your warm cup of loose leaf tea, you’ll leave the loose tea leaves at the bottom, where some of these leaves will form symbols, each having their own meaning. That’s where your keen intuitive abilities come in! Anyone can see a triangle at the bottom of a teacup, but your job is to intuit what it means for you or the person you’re reading for.

WHAT YOU NEED FOR A TEA LEAF READING

Tea cup with a wide brim that’s light enough to easily see your tea leaves.

Saucer

Loose leaf green or black tea, preferably organic.

Napkins

Pen and paper

Water

HOW TO PERFORM A TEA LEAF READING

1. BREW YOUR TEA

Gather all of your materials. Boil your water. Place about a teaspoon of loose tea in your cup. Pour your water in and steep tea to your preference.

For the next 3 steps, if you’re doing a reading for someone else, have them do the following steps.

2. SIP & SWIRL

Before you take your first sip, gently swirl tea counter clockwise three times. Sip and enjoy your tea, but don’t drink it all! When there’s about 1 tablespoon of tea left in your cup, swirl it again 3 times counter clockwise and think about or speak your query aloud.

3. CREATE YOUR TEA READING CANVAS

Turn your cup upside down onto your saucer to remove the remaining water, allow it a minute or so to drain, then turn it back up right.

4. LOOK FOR SYMBOLS

Look over your loose leaf tea pieces and see if any symbols or shapes jump out to you immediately. Don’t fret if you don’t see anything immediately, similar to scrying with a crystal ball, it can take some time for imagery to form for you. Try looking at the inside of the cup from different directions to see shapes. Keep in mind the images formed are formed from tea leaves, so you will really need to use your imagination.

5. RECORD & DECIPHER YOUR FINDINGS

If you do start to see some shapes, begin writing them down on your piece of paper so you can decipher them later, note where in the cup they are too. Now you’re ready to decipher your findings! Here’s a guide for the most common symbols found during tea leaf readings:

6. UNDERSTAND THE TIMELINE

Where your tea leaves are situated in your cup relate to when they will happen. This is why some of the tea leaf reading cups you find have circles inside of them. Timing is broken into thirds as follows:

Bottom third: farthest away from happening, think 3-5 years out.

Top third: will be happening in the near future, think within the next few weeks.

Middle third: will happen in about a year from now.

7. FORM YOUR READING

Like most divination tools, a honed intuition is key for success, so be sure to lean on any gut instincts as you form the story for your reading. Once you understand the meaning behind the symbols it’s time to put all of the information into a story that makes sense for you or the person you’re doing a reading for.

🌙

Rye, East Sussex, England