So This Is My Backyard. I Guess I’ve Got A Lot Of Wishes To Make

🎵 Music in Witchcraft 🎵

I love music. More and more, I have been including music in my practice of witchcraft, simply by having a song in the background while cleansing or making kitchen magic, and singing or humming particular melodies in the shower, when I perform a spell or a ritual, etc. If you’re interested in music witchcraft, here are a few ideas to get you started. 

–

🎵 Singing out loud is a really powerful practice that can help when performing difficult spells, or rituals that are energy-draining. 

🎵 If you’re uncomfortable with singing, humming a melody is a good alternative. I love humming a simple, happy song while cleansing my home.

🎵 Charge your crystals, magical items and plants with soothing, dramatic and strengthening music. 

🎵 If you can play any instrument, include them in your practice - by playing before, during or after your daily practice, for instance. 

🎵 Sound playlists have their own power, especially if you’re working with the 4 elements:

🌱 Earth: listen to forest and nature sounds

🔥 Fire: listen to fire crackling

🌪️ Air: listen to birds chirping

🌊 Water: listen to ocean sounds and waves

🎵 Make very specific playlists on Spotify ; e.g. “Songs to dance around in your room by yourself”, or “Songs to listen when you’re angry about the world”. Having songs that reflect your feelings will be incredibly useful and can make you feel less alone in your happiness / or in your pain. 

🎵 Bring back your inner child by listening to nostalgic playlists of songs that came out when you were 5, 10, 15 years old. 

–

Here’s a great Spotify playlist with witchy music, if you’re interested. 

I picked up a few new bee books recently

🔮 Witchy Habits to Make 2021 a Magical Year 🔮

3 Daily Habits

🧘 Meditate and stretch every day, when you wake up or before going to bed, to recenter yourself and look inwards. 

📖 Keep a journal, grimoire or book of shadows and write as often as possible, to remember your thoughts and log your progress. 

✨ Find something to be grateful for every day, whether it’s a big event or simply watching a bird landing on a tree outside of your window. 

–

3 Weekly Habits

🃏 Make a past/present/future Tarot spread on Sundays to reflect on the week that has passed, your current feelings and the week ahead. 

🌲 Spend time around nature or observing the sky, at least once a week, to stay connected to the Earth and the Moon. 

🍞 Practice Kitchen Magic by making at least one special meal per week, where you pour positive energies and magical intentions. I try to learn a completely new recipe once a week to keep it fun and interesting.

–

3 Monthly Habits

📝 Make a list of your goals on the first of each month, and keep it close to your desk to stay on track every day. 

🌙 Follow the moon phases to connect to the Moon’s magic and power. Work hard, start projects and be productive when the Moon is waxing ; rest, recover and reflect when the Moon is waning. 

📚 Learn something new about witchcraft, spirituality, or a completely different topic that interests you. Staying curious, even when life gets busy and complicated, is what makes it worth living. 

–

3 Yearly Habits 

🧹 Fully cleanse your home after each witches sabbats to get a fresh start and throw out old energies. 

🕯️ Switch up and clean your altar at the end of each season, to keep it alive and filled with magical power. Decorate according to the coming season and sabbat. 

🌱 Adapt your behavior to the rhythm of nature: spring and summer are high-energy, starting big projects and spending time outside, while fall and winter are about rest, reflection and spending time indoors. 

Grimoire - Advice for New Witches

Getting Started and Going: “So, you want to be a witch?” Masterpost witchcraft masterpost Beginner Steps for Studying Witchcraft Basic research for beginner Witches “What Is My Path and How Do I Find It?” Tumblr as a resource When learning about witchcraft on Tumblr You're not going to find your spirituality on the internet Library Services for Witchcraft Research Setting Up An Altar Space Altar Building 101 A Beginners Guide to Spellwork 7 Ways to Strengthen Your Powers How to connect with your Spirit Guides Craft Names Magical Names Actually useful shit to have as a witch What to do when you first decide to start practicing witchcraft How you can subtly incorporate witchcraft into your daily life Misconceptions for beginner witches Witchy activities to strengthen your craft & relationship with yourself What Does It MEAN? Please read this if you practice witchcraft Witchy Things You Probably Did Before Learning/Realizing You Were A Witch Are you a natural witch? Ways to get closer to your craft Buying Your First Tarot Deck A beginner's guide to shadow work 20 ways to enhance your magic Focus - How to develop your Craft Things You Do Not Have to Be In Order to Be a Witch simple exercises for baby witches Grimoire Resources Use what you have at home Beginner Caution About Wicca Common Witch Misconceptions Pt. 1 Common Witch Misconceptions Pt. 2

Things to Beware of: The Dangers of the Perception of Witchcraft Why the “Law of Attraction” is actually a toxic mindset The Law of Attraction, Prosperity Gospel, and Other Ways of Controlling How People Think You Don't Need to do Shadow Work Witchy Mistakes to Avoid SPIRITUAL TRAPS Why Witchcraft Might Not Be Working For You practicing safe witchcraft Safety 101 in witchcraft Covens vs Cults: How to tell if its a harmful cult or a helpful coven! Cults? In my life? It’s more likely than you think. “Hey. Don’t join cults.” Example red flags.

Advice from Seasoned Witches: Practicing witchcraft when your religion tells you you’ll go to hell 101 Your Witchcraft Isn’t Ancient (and why that’s ok). What to do with your witchy motivation What to Do if Witchcraft Drains You When to take a break from witchcraft Why skepticism is important in witchcraft Fighting consumerism in magic How to be a functional witch Witchcraft, and all of its subcategories, is individualistic at heart Advice for the Beginner: You don't have to become a full-time witch Advice for the beginner: Start with the herbs you know Advice for the beginner: Don't get it until you need it Advice for the Beginner: Look for the Mundane before you assume it's Magical Advice for the Beginner: Know what you're going to do with your spell remains Advice for the Beginner: Be cautious, but don't live in fear How Correspondences Work The problem with correspondences Developing Your Own Correspondences Discipline in Witchcraft Covens How Find Safe Groups, Teachers, and Authors in the Pagan and Witch Community Tips for Discernment How to Become a More Confident Witch Doing Your Own Research

Just a Bunch of Tips: Big Compilation of Useful Witchy Tips Tips for baby witches, lazy witches, tired witches, or any witch really Witch Tips Basic Witch Tips & Advice 11 witchy tips for a healthy life "Ten witch tips I wish someone had given me before I started practicing magic" basic ass witch tips

Advice From Me: Books and websites to jumpstart your witchcraft journey We never have to be on our own Let me put your minds at ease You don't have to do it all Let's talk about fear Witchcraft "Rules" Not being a hereditary witch Anyone can be a witch Simple advice: start simple What I would tell my younger self So what do witches "look" like? Witchcraft is messy business.

Cedar - Magical Uses

Gender: Masculine Planet: Sun Element: Earth Deity: N/A Plant type: Evergreen Tree

Uses: Remove negative energy, open up to higher levels of spiritual consciousness, chase away nightmares, attract love, cocoon with your spiritual essence

Burned as incense to banish negative energy, raise spiritual vibration

Used to aid during meditation

Put inside of the pillow for a good night's sleep

For protection, keep a cedar box or animal carved in cedar wood in your home

Hung in the house to protect from lightning

Keep in pockets/wallet to attract money

A cedar stick carved into 3 prongs, placed into the ground near home protects from evil

Loving yourself is not (necessarily):

Thinking you’re gorgeous

Not wanting to change anything about your body, personality, or life

Loving yourself is:

Knowing you have inherent worth regardless of your physical appearance or life circumstance

Knowing you deserve good things

Wanting to take care of yourself because you deserve good things

@elbavdh

This is about 20 minutes from my house.

Just Texas things…

Photo by me

Cheap Witches: Thrift Stores!

I have always loved thrift stores. When my family was poor-ish back in the day, I would often get one shopping trip a year for clothes at the thrift store and I would get all my halloween costume pieces there. Maybe it’s the nostalgia, maybe it’s that I myself am now poor-ish but either way I think we can all appreciate a good deal regardless. Especially on staple pieces that can be used for your practice. Now ON TO THE FINDS!

Books

Sometimes it takes a little luck but I’ve found a couple great useful books for 3$ or less each along the shelves of books in my local Value Village. The crystal healing ones I found were a huge deal to me back in the day when I was but a baby witch and they were dirt cheap.

Candle supplies

Every witch needs something to burn candles on/in. Now I’m not saying it needs to be fancy, for a long time I used a dollar store plate (psa, do not burn candles on surfaces you care about because scraping wax off things is not a delicate process) but picking up some candle holders for less than 2$ is going to help keep candles from falling over and lighting your house on fire. You can also find some wicked pretty ones.

Curtains/Tablecloths/Pillowcases

Yes, I buy thrift store curtains. As I mentioned in my previous post in this series, many things may require scrap fabric and although you can get the dollar store scarves I prefer using old curtains or tablecloths from the thrift store. Not only will you be getting WAY more fabric but it doesn’t cost too much more than the dollar store.

String and/or Ribbon

Some of my spells and my favorite hex require some kind of yarn/string/thread. If your local thrift establishment of choice has any kind of craft section, no matter how big, you are in business. Bags of embroidery thread, spools of twine or other string and skeins of yarn are all SUPER cheap and often great quality. (Note: I mean the yarn, the other two options are pretty standard) Sometimes I can even find ribbon spools but those are interchangeable with plain old coloured string.

Picture Frames

Are you setting up your altar? Do you wish you had something nice to put the picture of your deity(ies) in? Look no further than the thrift store for GORGEOUS frames of literally every size imaginable. 

Vases

You actually can not find nicer vases for cheaper than a thrift store. I don’t know what else you’d use them for, crystals maybe? Dried flowers waiting to be used? Candles? Either way, if you need one, there are virtually none cheaper or easier to find. Same goes for crystal or glass bowls. Besides, if you kill plants like yours truly, having flowers that are guaranteed to die is a nice way to enjoy plants without having to remember to water them.

JARS

That alone should be enough but I do want to chuck in one piece of advice. Do not forget about the cup aisle! I got a sweet glass skull that screws closed with your standard mason jar lid because it was donated with one of those lids with a hole and a straw. Hence it was a “cup” but NOT ANYMORE! It holds my dead flowers. I named him Herman.

As always, feel free to send me a message if you’d like/have more questions. Hopefully soon I’ll make a trip to IKEA for the next post in this series! If there’s something you’d like me to cover, let me know.

Much love ~ ♥

You guys all know these dresses right? Both of these are made from thrifted linen skirts, so you can make one! Make sure the skirt can fit your chest, and you're ready to go!

Materials + tools : thrifted flared skirt, misc fabric scraps or lining fabric, embroidery threads or lace, scissors, scalpel/seam ripper, sewing machine, chalk, iron.

Step 1 - Lay out your chosen flared skirt. Material is important, go for something sturdy eg linen or needle cord. Find a scalpel/boxcutter/ seam ripper.

Step 2 - Remove waistband lining, waistband, and zip to use later. Use your seam ripper or scalpel etc to cut the stitches so we dont waste any material.

Step 3 - Lay skirt with zip gap at the back. Chalk/ mark round a sewing pattern or your favourite sundress to map out the neckline and arm holes should be.

Step 4 - Cut arm holes. Take waistband and cut in half for shoulder straps. Get your fabric lining/scraps ready. Mark round the straps and the top of the skirt onto your lining fabric and cut out. These pieces will help make your dress neat and strong! Make sure theres a space for the zip.

Step 5 - Sew your straps ; place fabric and lining right sides together and seam the long edges to make a tube with a gap at each end. Turn the tube inside out et voila. Iron both straps flat.

Step 6 - Sew your neckline ; sew sides of lining together. Place lining right side down on outside of skirt. Take your straps and tuck in between lining and skirt. Sew all around the top edge, including the straps. Flip the lining round to the inside and iron.

Step 7 - Add the zip, by any means necessary. It's hard, please do your best/ check out your preferred YouTube zip sewing tutorials.

Step 8 - try it on! This will help you figure out where to attach your straps to the back of your dress. Getting a friend to help is a good idea. When you have them where you like them, pin and sew your straps. You can also make your dress more fitted by taking in the sides or adding a waist tie.

Step 9 - Decorate! Lace? Embroidery? Collar? Doilies? Pockets??? Go wild!!!

Optional step 10 please show me if you make one 💕🌱💕