Beginner Witch Tings

Shadow Work 101: Ruminating vs Reprocessing

I need to start this off with my usual disclaimer that I am not a therapist and really underline it here. I speaking on this based purely on my own experience and a little bit of reading I’ve done on the subject. It in no way constitutes a expert opinion. (Also it’s 3 in the morning here, so even if I was an expert, this would not exactly be optimal material here)

However, it’s important enough that I want to at least bring this part of shadow work up because I realized recently that I’ve not addressed it very explicitly.

When you’re working with difficult memories and even trauma in your shadow work, it is incredibly important to evaluate whether you’re reprocessing the memory when you bring it up to explore it and sit with it.

What I mean is usually in going through old memories there’s this discovery process, where you suddenly see your past experiences in a new light. But it’s important to then move to the next part which is reintegrating that memory in a way so that remembering it isn’t painful or causing dysfunction. There are a ton of ways to do that. Therapists have a ton of tools at their disposal to help with this so if you can see one, I highly recommend it. But tarot is also a good way to begin to reexamine and reintegrate these difficult memories. Spreads can help you see those memories in new lights and help balance out the intensity of our negative thinking.

However, there’s something I’ve seen with some folks where they’ll almost obsessively recall memories and do not reprocess them. Or they’ll bring up more memories than they can possibly do any sort of reintegration work at a time. This can be overwhelming and even damaging in my experience. It can lead to folks freezing and shutting down. It can wind up being used to justify poor behaviors that might have sparked the exploration in the first place, keeping the person locked in their dysfunctional patterns.

That sort of obsession without reprocessing is called rumination. Where you feel as if you can’t stop thinking about a difficult memory or that you have to in order to prevent something bad from happening again. Rumination can almost become a form of self harm depending on how it manifests in a person’s life. If when someone messes up they then recall a bunch of times they’ve messed up and they don’t follow that up with any sort of reframing, it’s essentially like yelling and humiliating yourself. Rumination, even in it’s milder forms, is highly correlated to depression and, at least in my experience, can totally stall the shadow integration/healing process.

So when trying to figure out if you’re ruminating or reprocessing a memory, here are some questions:

When you recall the memory, do you see it in a new more compassionate light (reprocessing) or do you feel as if that’s the end of line, there’s nothing more to do (rumination)?

Afterward, do you feel lighter and more relieved (reprocessing) or do you feel heavy and shameful (rumination)?

When you’re thinking about the memory, do you account for the complexity of the situation (reprocessing) or do you find yourself believing you or another person was all good or all bad (rumination)?

While these aren’t perfect in their wording, they’re at least a start. If you find yourself ruminating a lot, there are a host of strategies you can use to cut down on it. One option, is just not doing memory work until you’re better able to manage that rumination. Sometimes we push ourselves too far too fast and we just need a chance to recoup in order to get back to reprocessing. There’s plenty of other shadow work skills to work on in that time - keeping small daily promises, describing things neutrally, breathwork - that don’t require you to bring up memories in order to be helpful.

If you’re really in a rut, I recommend TMS journaling - stream of consciousness journaling for 20 minutes with the focus on writing down things we’re afraid to admit to other people and then deleting or destroying it - twice a day. It’s been incredibly helpful for me to break the habit of rumination. Another option is talking for 20 minutes into a camera if journaling that much is too difficult. My question and answer method I wrote about can also be helpful here.

But maybe you’re like some folks I’ve talked to and you’re realizing you don’t really know how to reprocess a memory. While I definitely recommend a therapist above all else, one way can be to select a card as a signifier for the memory, shuffle you deck, find the card, and the cards on either side will offer a different framing for how to think about it. You can also check out some of the spreads I’ve posted under shadow working in my free resources. Working with stuck points if you’re in a good enough place can also be one way to shift the needle forward.

So I just wanted to put this out there for folks who might not realize their shadow work is actually rumination heavy and as something to consider if you’re stalling out in your shadow work. I really hope you all are well and I’m looking forward to writing more about this in the future.

ASTRO NOTES LONG WRITE UP(6)🌸

•water risings tend to have a lot of trauma especially in the realm of emotions due to their water houses falling on the cusp of air/earth signs and their “water rising” is merely a unconscious reaction to the trauma they see in others—hence why they come across as either nurturing or mysterious as that is their response to the trauma they experienced.

•Virgo and Gemini have a natural connection and can easily interpret the ideas and concepts that the other is making out.

•the sign born in the year of that designated Pluto sign tend to be the most mature and or intense of the bunch. The elements aligned with that sign as well to a lesser extent. Ex. Pluto in sag gen; Sagittarius placements and or sun in sag born during this time are far more intense then they’ve previously been and have a more raw Plutonian energy along with the Leo and Aries of this generation. Cancer/Scorpio/Pisces born during the Pluto in Scorpio generation are far more intense then they’ve been and so on. This applies as well to signs sextile/trine the sign itself. And even more so for signs square and or opposite in close degrees.

•your Lilith sign and the house it’s sits in shows where you will face your greatest battle. It also shows what brings the darkness out in you. Ex: Lilith in the 8th might start to find themselves becoming more ravenous and even controlling once sex is involved. Lilith in the 4th might find that family brings the worse out of them and might be the types to grow hatred toward communities and even churches once introduced.

•5th house: is the more simple you, the playful you and the you people date within the first few months.

•The 7th house: is the you people notice immediately, the you that’s out of your line of sight! They see this in tandem with your rising which creates a contradiction. A Capricorn rising seems stern but also in need of comfort. A cancer rising seems nurturing but also out of reach.

•Your 8th house: is the you that appears once trust is reached, the you after years of being with someone. This is why marriages change and relationships transform because the real us comes into play.

•Your 8th house is your traumas so you want to deal with this before settling down with someone as they’ll make center stage.

•Juno in Scorpio or in aspects to Pluto can show that you need and crave transformation in your relationships and may even force breakups and or tension in order for you and your lover to constantly grow.

•Neptune above the ic can show highly attuned spiritual abilities but can show a lack of grounding to this world and even someone who isn’t really here.

•Pluto below the ic can show a native who’s in tune with their power as well as themselves.

•Pluto above the ic tends to project Pluto’s traits on to others whilst finding it hard to see those traits in themselves.

•venus is how we want to be pleased sexually and what arouses us in a seductive manner. Mars is how we go about expressing our sexuality and or what turns us on in a more lustful way. Ex mars in Virgo will be turned on when they feel as though they deserve it and when their s/o is gentle and sensual with them. Whilst their venus in Scorpio will be at their mercy if they’re intense and overwhelming along with that.

•earth risings are very intune with their sexuality and have a very big appetite for sex due to their water houses being in fire signs! So sex is both a passionate yet emotionally fulfilling experience for them.

•fire risings tend to get lost in the act of sex and can have trouble separating the experience from their ego and that of their lovers due to their water houses being in the sign as well causing their more fiery tendencies to disappear once in love! Which is often why people can wonder why fire signs become more submissive and or passive aggressive once in love.

•sun square Pluto can produce someone who’s both magnetic and soulful but also someone who’s extremely intense and someone you’ll never be able to control no matter how cunning and manipulative you might be—they just always know what’s happening even if they don’t say a word.

•moon square Pluto is someone who has a complex and even destructive emotional world! They can see through the hidden in others and can be very good parents because of their ability to see the pain in others.

•mercury and venus square Pluto are cunning in social situations often able to bewitch a crowd with nothing more than a smile but what they succeed in the public they lack in themselves and can have a hard time understanding their own motives and or desires

•mars square Pluto are very cozy in they sexuality! Be it same sex or otherwise! That being said they’re extremely private and those that aren’t necessarily “out” yet May shy away from someone who’s asking them to do so early on as they like to have control over what they put out into the world especially something as sacred to them as who and what they fuck.

•sign lords can vastly influence how a sign is expressed! Ex: a aqua moon in the third decan is ruled by Uranus and Venus correct? Now place Uranus in the 10th house(Capricorn/Saturn influence) and venus In the 6th house(Virgo/mercury influence) this person is going to come across far more grounded and even more serious/somber than most aqua moons. Or take a Aries moon in the first decan which is ruled by mars correct? Let’s put their mars in the 12th house and have it be mars in cancer—so this native is far more emotionally cautious and receptive than most Aries moons along with maybe their Aries moon already being situated somewhere like the 10th house which adds grounding to all of this.

•12th house is sex on instinct! It’s what you already know how to do and what you desire on a soulful level. 8th house is how you have sex in order to merge with someone! This is the real way you have sex when you are connected to someone. The 4th house is how you crave to be treated during sex! This is how you nurture during sex and or can give insight as to how gentle and or loving will be about the act based on their upbringing.

•Pluto/mercury/Neptune/venus/Saturn in the 7th can have really nice butts be it any gender! Mercury/Neptune and Saturn are more petite and small but Shapley whilst Pluto and venus are more plump and or curvy.

•having more than 4 planets in someone’s 8th house is a sign of a karmic meeting and something that needs to be resolved between the two. Having two or three planets in someone’s 2nd house romantically can show deep loyalty and love that creates an unbreakable bond as well as a connection based on equal give and take out of wanting to do so not out of needing to do so. Planets in one another’s 11th house even if it only hits once can show deep familiarity and love between two people as friends and lovers!

•in synastry it’s good if the house your personal plants fall in is present in synastry or of the similar house elements. Ex: venus in the 6th house would love 2nd house and 10th house synastry and to some extent water! Mars in a fire house might love a lot of 5th/9th/1st house!

•the signs your personal planets fall in are also important! For ex: a Aquarius moon might like mercury aspects and venus aspects in synastry or even Saturn. Or someone falling in their 11th/3rd/7th Houses.

•SYNASTRY IS FELT BOTH WAYS. House person feels it as if they were the planet and planet person feels it as if they were the sign itself! Both parties and how they react to one another depends on if they like one another, the nature of the relationship and wether or not they’re comfortable with the themes associated with the house overlay in question! So if one of you is more Plutonian and the other is more airy you’re going to feel that 8th house overlay differently from one another but you’re both still feeling it.

•composite and synastry progressed show how you guys have grown overtime and it doesn’t replace the natal synastry or composite it just shows how those energies have grown to manifest as time has gone by. Composite mars in the 3rd moving to the 2nd house I’m progressed shows that you’re growing to be more patient with one another as well as putting more value into security and comfort with one another! Less into “brainstorming” and more into sensual moments with each other. You’re still talkative and bubbly as you were but it’s channeled more into the theme of security and you’ve learned to allow one another to speak!

•NO ASPECT DETERMINES WHO YOU ARE! It’s a blueprint to yourself! Like a map of sorts so you do with it what you will but using the aspect as an excuse for your tom foolery is not what astrology is for it’s for self discovery and positive growth!

•Gemini sun struggle less with remaining focused on situations than Gemini moon and Venus.

•cancer sun is more emotive than cancer moons

•Aries suns are less impulsive and Carry a more relaxed energy than that of Aries moons who are far more impulsive and even energetic than their counterparts.

•Capricorn moons and Scorpio moons along with Aquarius moons aren’t the types to say they love you first and would rather show you than tell you.

•sun in the fire houses heals very quickly and have a high vitality. Sun in the earth houses have very sensual and intune body chemistry making it easy for them to sense issues in their bodies. Sun in the water houses can have influential energy even to the extent that it can feel like a wave washing over when they’re around—but they also seem less “here” than the rest of us. Sun in air houses often read body language better than anyone! Which is part of what makes them so likable in crowds because of how well they use this skill to navigate around them.

magick smoothie recipes

it’s actually quite easy to make a smoothie full of magick, as fruits and nuts typically have their own meanings and powers. here is a list of smoothies and the magick their ingredients possess.

milks: cow milk (comfort, protection), almond milk (good luck), soy milk (psychic awareness), rice milk (blessings, prosperity), coconut milk (purification, protection), cashew milk (money), oat milk (prosperity, wealth)

☾ triple berry blend

    ☼ blackberries: abundance, prosperity

    ☼ raspberries: love, fertility

    ☼ blueberries: protection, strength

☾ strawberry banana

    ☼ strawberries: overcoming barriers, good luck

    ☼ bananas: resilience, wealth, luck

☾ chocolate peanut butter

    ☼ cocoa powder: grounding, love, prosperity

    ☼ peanut butter: opportunities, wisdom

☾ summer peach-mango

    ☼ peaches: wisdom, love

    ☼ mango: romance

    ☼ bananas: luck, fortune

☾ raspberry orange

    ☼ raspberries: love, fertility

    ☼ orange juice: divination, wealth, luck

☾ cantaloupe lime

   ☼ cantaloupe: comfort, healing

   ☼ lime juice: purification, cleansing

☾ apricot almond butter

   ☼ apricot nectar: love, elegance

   ☼ almond butter: success

☾ pineapple coconut

   ☼ pineapple: luck, money

   ☼ coconut shavings: protection

☾ spinach apple banana

   ☼ spinach: money, prosperity

   ☼ apple juice: beauty, divinity

   ☼ bananas: resilience, fortune

bitches really listing Stardew Valley down as one of their calming games when you’re supposed to play it like you’re gonna die every 11 minutes, like an entire operation with at least a dozen tabs open and the townie’s favorite gifts on a spreadsheet and each crops yield-to-time ratio ranked and memorized

Keiichi T

Minor Arcana (Part 2)

Elemental Dignities 

If same suit, they Strengthen each other

Fire and Air are active, they support each other

Water and Earth are passive, they support each other

Fire and Water are enemies, they weaken each other

Air and Earth are enemies, they weaken each other

Fire and Earth are neutral, to each other

Water and Air are neutral to each other

Strengthen: Increases the intensity of the elements. Amplifies both positive and negative. 

Support: Build one another up

Weaken: Cancel each other out. Decrease each element. 

Neutral: Don’t affect one another

Fire Element Combinations

Fire/Fire - Strengthens 

Fire/Water - Weakens

Fire/Air - Supports 

Fire/ Earth - Neutral

Water Element Combinations

Water/Fire - Weakens 

Water/Water - Strengthens 

Water/Air - Neutral 

Water/Earth - Supports

Air Element Combinations

Air/Fire- Supports

Air/Water - Neutral 

Air/Air - Strengthens 

Air/Earth - Weakens

Earth Element Combinations

Earth/Fire - Neutral 

Earth/Water - Supports 

Earth/Air - Weakens 

Earth/Earth - Strengthens 

Court Cards

Pages: As people, they often represent young, energetic people who are at the very beginning of their personal journey. They are still developing a sense of self but they approach new challenges with fervent energy and with excitement. Look forward to learning new skills. On a physical level, they represent those who are young at heart or those who are discovering a new aspect of themselves. Often seen as messengers and come to you with a new opportunity. Symbolize new stages in life.

Knights: As people, Knights are highly action-oriented. Slightly more mature, have enough experience to know what they are doing, but not the full experience; prone to being extremists. Such behavior can be either positive or negative. Always consider both sides of a knight- helpful or harmful - what is excess, what needs moderation. On a physical level, adults aged 20 and 35. Knights reflect change, movement and action. Never still but constantly on the move.

Queens: Someone who has matured and who has a deeper understanding of self and others. Tap into feminine energy - nurturing, caring for others. Provides nourishment to keep her ideas and actions going. They mastered the power of gentle persuasion; influence without anyone really knowing. People aged 30 and 50 who have a good amount of life experience. Represent creativity and ideas coming into place. Taking care of others; feminine qualities.

Kings: Considered most mature. represent the fully developed personalities of each suit. As people, Kings have full control over feelings, thoughts and actions that form part of his personality. Stable and solid, highly capable of their goals and visions. Older males, ages 40+ or dominate masculine energy. Act upon ideas; Growth and maturity. 

a never-needy, ever-lovely jewel whose shine reflects on you.

Unique Grimoire Topics

While planning for this I looked through possibly every single post listing prompts for your grimoire on this site, and listen 98% of those lists are exactly the same. No shade on the ppl who make these lists, since I found that stuff really useful for brainstorming my own ideas, but here’s a list of ideas that I haven’t anywhere on tumblr. They’re unique, specific, and in no particular order, but they might help other witches. So:

Gardening Calendar - when to sow and when to reap, winter plants vs summer plants, etc.

Nice sounding words and names for when I want spells to sound good.

Cryptids/Myths - (fear gortach, baba yaga, the jersey devil, and kelpies are some of my faves)

Skill Building techniques - recipes for candle/incense making, book binding, sewing/patterns, tea making, etc. I tend to approach things as a jack of all trades/master of none, and it’d be nice to have one place with a lot of tips for things I’ve learned and can apply to my craft.

basics of chemistry and practical uses (i.e. removing rust, different colors of fire and how to use them in spells, etc)

Art pages for drawing new witchy tattoo ideas

A chart of which plants mix badly with medications I take (!!!!!)

an entire info page on practicing safely honestly

Witchcraft is about using all your senses to affect change in the world. A research page on senses other than the 5 that everyone knows?

Current politics. Yeah, really. There’s this curse Trump movement going on, or it was going on a while ago. You don’t have to use curses I feel to affect some change, at least in your local government. Of course, witchcraft should only be a supplement to actually voting/calling senators.

How to attract pollinators - butterflies, bumble bees, etc.

also how to get rid of invasive species

History of the Satanic Panic and how that affected witchcraft

Grimoire - Magical Topics

Magic/Witchcraft Masterposts: An Leabhar na Draíochta (The Mori Witch’s Book of Magick) Witchcraft 102 Masterpost Gender Magic Rejuvenating Witchcraft witch self care masterpost! Love Magick Masterpost Beauty Magic Masterpost Valentine's Witchery Ultimate Protection Magic Masterpost; Part 1 Ultimate Protection Magic Masterpost, Part 2 coffee witchcraft Gentle Witchcraft Periods suck. Witchcraft helps. Travel Witchery Housewarming Magic Sick Witchery Witchcraft for the grieving Self-Care Tips Masterpost Energy Work Masterpost Energy Work Masterpost Protection Magick (A Masterpost) Tea Magic Drink Magic Masterpost

Some Types of Magic: Types of Magic Sympathetic Magic Knot, Thread & Cord Magic Sex Magic Witchcraft 101: Binding Magick Witchcraft 101: Uncrossing Hearth Witchery Ideas House Witch’s Chores and Witchy Home Quick Kitchen Witchcraft

Helpful Information: Liminal Spaces in Witchcraft Liminality & Liminal Spaces Consent vs Defending Sovereignty Law of Return Energy Work Terminology Energy Manipulation Guide: Sensing Energy Signs you may have been cursed/hexed Charms - Magic Without Tools Shadow Work 10 Prompts for Shadow Work A Long List of Ways to Spiritually Protect Yourself Localizing Your Practice Witchcraft 101: Veiling What to use when in witchcraft Some things you can keep track of as a witch Tapping Into Your Psychic Senses What are the Claires?

Witchcraft Practice in General: Grounding & Centering CENTERING Visualization Manifesting! Magical Journaling Gentle witch little things Manifest your dreams and desires Reconnecting with your craft Witchy Journal Prompts Become inspired again in your craft Come on, let's go for a walk and talk about Intuition Mindfulness Spiritual Burnout: Tips and Reminders What to do when you fell out with your practice Mundane Magic: Laundry Edition Mundane Magic: Office Edition Mundane Magic: Hand Washing Witchy “Planner” Magical Parenting Meditation: myths vs reality Write your Witchcraft Toxic Positivity Spiritual Bypassing & Why It’s Harmful Toxic positivity and spiritual bypassing in the witch and spiritual communities Racist Stereotypes About Magic witchcraft and the law Traditional Witchcraft is regional witchcraft How to make offerings to the Major Spirits (i.e. Gods), the Animal Familiar or the Household Fairy... with GIFs :)

Various Witchy Tips: Witch Tips for City Witches Magickal and Non-Magickal Tips for Writing Tips for the traveling witch Artsy Witch Ideas/Tips Glamour Witchcraft Tips

My Witchcraft Practice: Mentoring - something for experienced witches to consider Let's talk about ableism Let's talk about witchcraft and emotions The "advanced" witch The Empathic Witch Advice to witches and Pagans who wish to be allies Frequently Asked Questions For The Modern Day Witch Karma, what exactly is it? Meditation tips

MARY’S SONG She said, I was seven and you were nine I looked at you like the stars that shine In the sky, the pretty lights And our daddies used to joke about the two of us Growing up and falling in love and our mamas smiled And rolled their eyes and said oh my my myTake me back to the house in the backyard tree Said you’d beat me up, you were bigger than me You never did, you never did Take me back when our world was one block wide I dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried Just two kids, you and I Oh my my my my SEVEN Please picture me In the trees I hit my peak at seven feet In the swing Over the creek I was too scared to jump in But I, I was high in the sky With Pennsylvania under me Are there still beautiful things? Sweet tea in the summer Cross your heart, won’t tell no other And though I can’t recall your face I still got love for you Your braids like a pattern Love you to the moon and to Saturn Passed down like folk songs The love lasts so long