Tag Archives: Bitter

bitchcraft, Grimoire, Tarot, Witchy

Tarot 101: Six of Cups…

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We’ve made it past the half-way point of the Cups suit by this point. Sixes represent problem-solving and compassion. Cups represent emotion. So how can a card represent both emotions and compassion?

Six of Cups

As we can see in the card, there are two figures, a man handing a cup to a child. Both figures are both childlike; we can also notice that in contrast to previous Cups cards, this is one of the first times we see the cups full. Even in the Five of Cups where we see that the cups have been spilled, they are not visibly full. So if the cups are full this time, then we can infer that the Six of Cups represents sharing your feelings with others and helping others with their feelings and emotions, being generous with your emotions and spreading the good.

But what about when the card is reversed?

Six of Cups Reversed

When we see this card flipped, there isn’t exactly a negative connotation for the card. When these cards pop up with no express negativity, sometimes I just take it at face value to be cautious with sharing your emotions; while sharing your emotions is a good thing, so is taking caution in who you choose to share your emotions with.

So when this card pops up, remember:

  • Sixes represent problem-solving and compassion.
  • Cups represent water, emotion, and in reference to time, months.

Don’t forget that when it comes to reading the cards, as much as you can remember won’t always be helpful. Sometimes you need to take the card at face value and read it in context to other cards available.

bitchcraft, Grimoire, Tarot, Witchy

Tarot 101: Numbers in Tarot

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When it comes to learning Tarot, something every beginner needs to take into account is how numbers play into a reading.

Now, I know, I know; you don’t want to have to learn math or formulas! But you just have to bear with me. The numbers in Tarot don’t relate to math, which is a good thing most of the time. Mostly, the numbers relate to the cycle of the story.

Every suit follows a kind of story, broken down into chapters represented by the numbers of the suits. So the Aces are chapter 1 and Tens are the last chapter. Unless you get further into Numerology, for most beginner Tarot readers should focus just on how the story progresses through each suit. Then, after you get a little more comfortable with reading the cards, you should dive into Numerology and see if it fits with how you read.

So what do the numbers mean then?

Aces

Aces represent the beginning. Simple, right? They’re the first card in the Minor Arcana suits, therefore kicking off our Tarot numbers. Of course, between different suits, Aces can represent more; such as new business ventures in Pentacles or potential actions in Wands.

Twos

Twos represent either choices or balance. Twos are where we can start to see the multiple aspects of the numbers in Tarot. If we look at a Two of Swords and Two of Cups, we can see how the Twos in Tarot can differ; the Two of Swords represents choices and the Two of Cups represents romantic emotion.

Threes

Threes represent growth and relationships. Most Threes represent growth in either your wallet, your thoughts, or your social circle. With the exception of the Three of Swords, which depicts three swords through a heart, these cards are mostly positive and celebrate growth and friendships. But this is also where the story takes a turn.

Fours

Fours are where the story plateaus for just a moment. It’s as though we take a step back from the action to see the characters happy and stable. Which is what Fours represent; stability and structure. But the stability and structure see throughout the Fours is only leading up to the drama Fives bring to the table.

Fives

Fives are where the stories take a turn; Fives are conflict and loss, change. Five of Wands represent conflict and Five of Pentacles represent poverty. So the stability, celebration, and wealth seen earlier in the cards are now gone.

Sixes

But don’t get depressed over this story quite yet! Sixes are were things begin getting good again! Sixes represent problem-solving and compassion. So the issues that Fives have brought up, are now getting solved! Six of Cups shows fertility and celebration and the Six of Wands show victory! But the story isn’t over yet!

Sevens

Sevens are where we can see some of the personal growth that has come from the Fives’ conflicts. Sevens represent wisdom, faith, and understanding. Although not every Seven represents an immediate resolution of the conflicts beforehand, it does show personal growth in the characters and how conflict brings changes for the better.

Eights

Eights represent movement and change. Now, I know what you’re thinking; omg, more change, haven’t we had enough yet! But hold your horses, it’s a different kind of change! The Five of Wands represents conflict and fighting, and the changes that come with that, whereas the Eight of Wands represents the growth from change and how things have changed since conflict.

I think of the difference between Fives and Eights are Fives represent external change: changes brought about by forces you cannot control. Eights represent internal change: the change you can do in response to your life changing, the changes you can make to your own actions or thoughts.

Nines

Nines are where the story starts to come to an end. Nines represent fulfillment and completion. Now I know what you’re thinking; If Nines are the end then what do Tens have to do with anything! Slow down, kiddo! I’m getting there! Nines show the completion of the cycle, how everything ends up immediately after the changes and growth.

Tens

Now, how do Tens play into all of this? While Tens represent completion and transformation, there is a difference between Nines’ completion and Tens’ completion.

I like to think that Tens are the epilogue to the story, whereas Nines are the final chapter that finishes up the action of the story. If you compare the difference in the Nine of Pentacles and Ten of Pentacles, you’ll see that the Nine represents personal wealth and Ten shows community wealth; so in the short term, personally, you will experience wealth, and in the long-term, your community will experience wealth.

Now I can see your wheels turning; what about court cards? What about the Major arcana? What about-

Slow down and take a breath! We’ll get into the court cards soon and the Major arcana and the story of the Major arcana. There’s time to learn and there’s time to discover. Just be patient until I get everything written!

AcesBeginnings, Potential
TwosBalance, Choices
ThreesGrowth, Relationships
FoursFoundations, Stability, Structure
FivesConflict, Loss, Change
SixesCompassion, Problem-Solving, Harmony
SevensFaith, Wisdom, Understanding
EightsMovement, Change
NinesFulfillment, Completion
TensCompletion, Transformation
bitchcraft, Grimoire, Tarot, Witchy

Tarot 101: Five of Cups…

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The Five of Cups is smack-dab in the middle of Suit of Cups (Not counting the court cards here, because they have a lot going on outside of their Suits).

Fives are where the good vibes crash for any suit. Fives usually represent conflict or loss. Cups represent emotion.

Five of Cups

And looking at this card, we can see the conflict and loss already. A man stands, looking down at his spilled cups. Oh, the tragedy!

But what can this mean!

I’m kidding, it’s pretty simple actually. We can attribute this card to loss, and if we want to dive deeper we can even say it’s emotional loss or depression, considering how darkly-clad the man is in contrast to the bright background.

Five of Cups Reversed

The Five of Cups Reversed is a reflection of the upright card. Yeah, I know, a reflection. It’s the same card… But let’s think about what a reflection is; it’s an echo of the original, something that highlights certain aspects of the original.

So for the Five of Cups Reversed, it highlights aspects of the upright card; the upright card represents loss. The Reversed card represents the acceptance of that loss.

In the Reversed, the man is looking down at his cards, but he makes no move to right the cups or clean up the mess. He has merely accepted that it happened.

That’s also the tricky part of Reversed cards; sometimes we can clearly see, sometimes we need to analyze, and sometimes, well, we have to remember that the meanings go hand in hand between the upright cards and the reversed ones.

When the Five of Cups shows up, remember this:

  • Fives represent loss and conflict
  • Cups represent emotions, water, and months
bitchcraft, Grimoire, Tarot, Witchy

Tarot 101: Reading for Others for the First Time

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So you’ve been reading for yourself for a while now, you’re ready to take the next step.

But what is the next step? How could you possibly do more than drawing a card every day and reading your own spreads? How could you grow even more as a Tarot reader?

Naturally, the reason you’re here, the reason I made this post, the reason you already came up with, is reading Tarot for others.

One of the first things that stopped me dead in my tracks before I even asked any of my friends or family for practice, was… How do I arrange the cards? You know how in the movies, the reader lays the cards out so the cards face the client, then interprets them. But when you’re a still new(ish) reader, it would be hard to try to remember what a card means for the upright interpretation, while looking at the upside-down card, while READING FOR SOMEONE ELSE for the first time!

That scenario alone gave me anxiety for a week about if I was ready or not to actually read for someone else.

After I came to terms with the fact that even the pros began somewhere and even if I mess up a couple readings, it doesn’t mean I suck at reading Tarot, I had to come to terms with what I would do when I sat face to face with a person.

So I hit the blogs and forums, searching out if any of those gracious pros had any advice for baby readers like me. And there was advice aplenty.

And it ranged from who to start reading for to how to arrange you cards to what you should offer to read. So I decided to make a quick post about all the advice that I’ve read about.

Who to read for

To begin with, read for someone who is 1. receptive and open-minded to a reading, and 2. someone who you can ask to spend the time it will take to read for them. This can be your sibling, your crazy witchy aunt, your eclectic coworker, you significant other, your best friend. Just someone who will be comfortable sitting with you for a while you get some practice.

Reading for someone you know first before moving onto strangers (which is also a good way to get better at Tarot), will let you get a handle on your first-time nervousness, how you want to conduct a reading, how you want to work with your cards.

Cards and your readings

Without a doubt, the number one rule you will get is ‘Don’t let anyone else touch your cards!’

But with reading for someone else, you need to remember that they need to contribute some of their energy to the reading for it to be accurate. Otherwise, stuff will pop up for you in their reading!

If you have two decks (I know, fancy), you can dedicate one deck for personal use and one for ‘public’ use. If you only have one deck, just remember to cleanse and charge your deck regularly, to help negate using it for multiple people and multiple energies.

Next is how you want to arrange your cards.

I, personally, like to have the client cut the deck, then I shuffle the cards and then spread them across the table so the client can get a feel for which card they vibe with. You may feel better having the client shuffle the deck themselves. Maybe you don’t want the client to touch the deck at all! That’s completely fine! Whatever you feel works best.

But when you go to lay the spread out, take into account how you want to read. For the first time, try to sit next to your client so you can both see what’s going in the card at the same angle. With practice you can do things like sitting across from the client, and even reading the cards from the client’s point of view (like in the movies). But don’t rush yourself just yet.

Spreads

This is the biggest advice I got from countless bloggers and forum posts: DON’T START WITH A COMPLICATED SPREAD!!! Even a traditional Celtic Cross spread can be intimidating when reading for a client for the first time.

Even if you’re comfortable doing big spreads for yourself, you have to remember that for a client, they have limited time, limited patience, and limited comfort in the situation. And you’re going to go into this first reading nervous, and when you’re nervous, you’ll make mistakes.

So do a simple spread, 5 cards or less, that you can whip out at any location and know like the back of your hand. Then, when you get stuck on the reading (because you will the first time), you don’t have to interpret many cards and make the interpretations work together. It’s like a built in safety net, to keep you on track and able to process the reading and able to process the reading for the client.

What to do when you mess it up

You’re going to freeze the first time. You’re going to misinterpret a card and it will haunt you for a few days after the reading. You’re going to get sweaty and nervous and your hands may shake a little. Your first practice client, hopefully a person close to you, may laugh a little, may even denounce what you say. But just remember, all beginners fail and all pros were once nervously failing their first reading, just like you.

And even if you bunk up your first practice reading, it’ll all turn out okay, because you can practice more, you can still talk to your practice client, you can still learn and grow and discover new tricks and interpretations.

How to make your first reading go right

  1. Choose somewhere comfy for both you and your practice client, to sit and read the cards
  2. If possible, get some drinks. If you’re meeting somewhere grab coffee or a smoothie with your practice client before sitting down to read. If you’re at a house, offer to make a pot of tea or some lemonade.
  3. Go over the rules of your deck, let them know whether it’s okay or not to touch the cards, just so everyone is aware of the boundaries before starting
  4. Also go over the ‘common misconception’ cards, like Death and The Devil. Explain that if these cards pop up, there is another meaning and you’ll answer any questions they have about card
  5. During your reading, just keep calm and remember that you are knowledgeable about Tarot and your practice client is there to support you
  6. Answer any questions you can. And if you can’t answer the right away, let them know! You can always send them a follow-up text or email and let them know that you did more research and wanted to give them a follow-up. While not standard practice, you’re still learning how to give a comprehensive reading to someone else.
  7. AND ABOVE ALL ELSE, THANK YOUR PRACTICE CLIENT!!! Thank them for letting you practice with them and thank them for taking the time out of their day to be with you, thank them for their patience while you learn, and thank them for being open-minded enough to have a Tarot reading done.

When is all is said and done, you’ll feel that you’re a better Tarot reader, no matter what. Even if you stumble and fail. But now that you’re taking that next leap into Tarot reading, keep practicing and keep working.

bitchcraft, Grimoire, Tarot, Witchy

Tarot 101: Four of Cups…

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As we continue on our Tarot journey, the next stop in the Minor Arcana is the Four of Cups.

Fours represent foundations and stability. Cups represent emotion. Before looking at the card, we can infer that the Four of Cups should represent stable emotions or the foundations of an emotion.

Four of Cups

However, when we do look at the card, we see a young man sitting under a tree. In front of him a three cups, with a fourth being offered by an unidentified entity. The man looks generally upset by this development, perhaps, unsure of the choices before or just angry some Amazon drone deity keeps giving him the same cup he only ordered once.

Although Fours should represent foundations, stability, and structure, this card seems to represent choices. Perhaps emotional choices, or perhaps, considering our angry friend, ‘picking your battles’ so to speak with picking which issue to truly get upset about.

Four of Cups Reversed

When this card appears reversed, there isn’t a huge difference in message. While it is always best to check what the Little White Book in your deck says for each card, as new artistic representations can change a cards meanings, it is also okay to read intuitively and try to interpret what the cards are telling you specifically.

When I see the Four of Cups reversed, I see a losing battle; a young man surrounded by choices and options and unsure of what to choose. He’s upset by the options before him because, maybe he would’ve preferred silver to gold, but all he’s receiving is gold, so he either has to live with the choices given to him or wait for a better option.

This card is also a good example of how reversed cards can be tricky, by either saying the same thing in different words as the upright card, or needing closer examination to understand the hidden messages.

When the Four of Cups pops up, remember these things:

  • Fours represent balance and stability
  • Cups represent emotion, water and months
  • The reversed card can be tricky and may resonate differently with you; don’t be afraid to look for other resources to define any cards that seem tricky, like blogs, forums, and the Little White Book that came with your deck

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bitchcraft, Grimoire, Tarot, Witchy

Tarot 101: Three of Cups…

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For our next card, we’ll be looking at the Three of Cups.

Threes in Tarot represent relationships and growth. Cups represent emotion. In contrast to the Two of Cups, the Three of Cups doesn’t involve romantic relationships.

Three of Cups

We can see in the card a trio of women, dancing around with their goblets held high in the sky. Clearly, this is a card celebrating friendship. It’s pretty obvious. Maybe Cups are just really obvious? We’ll check back on that later.

Depending on the context this card is drawn, the card can represent friendship, positive relationships with women, parties, or fertility. By all means, this card is very positive when it pops up.

Three of Cups Reversed

When the Three of Cups is reversed, we can see the trio is still dancing, but with their cups thrust high in the sky. I personally feel that this card isn’t completely negative when reversed, but more of a warning card, such as beware of high times with fast friends, because before you know it, your cup is empty and your friends are gone.

Things to remember when the Three of Cups pops up:

  • Threes represent relationships and growth
  • Cups represent water, emotions, and in time frames, months.
  • As we progress further through the cards, it will become easier and easier to interpret cards and interpret how cards interact with each other.
bitchcraft, Grimoire, Tarot, Witchy

Tarot 101: Two of Cups…

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The second card in the Suit of Cups, the Two of Cups is one of the most famous card within Tarot to represent love, the most famous, of course, being the Major Arcana card of the Lovers.

The Two of Cups is also one of the easiest cards to interpret, and interpret accurately. Cups represent emotion and Twos coincide with relationships and choices.

Two of Cups

Just looking at this card, you get an immediate sense of what it’s trying to tell you. A couple is standing, facing each other, holding goblets. A creature, perhaps (I’m not sure what exactly the winged lion head is supposed to be? If I’m wrong let me know please!) glides above them, watching over their actions. A green landscape lays behind them, obviously prosperous and rich.

It’s almost too obvious that this card represents love. Maybe even a healthy partnership, if this card shows up in certain contexts.

Two of Cups Reversed

The Two of Cups Reversed doesn’t mean that this the end of the happy relationship we saw in the upright card. If we look closely, we can still see the couple, both with generally positive body language. But, if we look closely, we can see their cups are upside-down. Perhaps this means a loveless relationship, or one that is founded on something other than love, like friendship, potential, or a partnership of some kind.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing, just maybe a snag in the relationship.

Things to keep in mind when the Two of Cups pops up:

  • Twos represent relationships and choices
  • Cups represent emotions, water, and coincide with months for a time frame questions
bitchcraft, Grimoire, Tarot, Witchy

Tarot 101: How to Shuffle your Deck

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If you’re new to Tarot reading, I bet you have the same question I did when I first started:

How in the world do you shuffle a Tarot deck?

Experienced readers kind of shrug at this question and just say, ‘well, you shuffle them?’

But that’s not what we’re asking as baby witches with our first deck! We’re not asking how to shuffle in general! We’re asking how we’re supposed to shuffle these larger cards that have SIGNIFICANCE!

So I’m here to help you out! Because I had anxiety for the first few weeks after I bought my first deck, of just how in the world I’m supposed to shuffle the deck?

Some of the things that hung me up for those first few weeks were how was I supposed to handle the deck in general. I was used to playing deck cards and just beating those decks up with playing. But a Tarot deck is special. You can’t quite use and abuse them like you would with a little ol’ playing card deck. These are cards you have to give a little extra energy and time and TLC.

Besides the reverence you should show your deck, Tarot decks are larger in size, which makes them difficult to handle the first few times you pick them up!

So after you get a little used to the feel of the deck, how do you shuffle them? How do you get so good at shuffling you look like one of those movie witches who can throw the cards all gracefully and artfully?

Handling a Tarot deck is going to take time and practice. For the first couple of months, I recommend one of two methods:

  • Good old fashioned kiddie shuffle, where you let be in a big messy pile and (GENTLY!) move the cards about. When you feel that they’re shuffled, you just scoop them back into a cohesive deck.
  • Or separate the cards into smaller decks and then gently shuffle the decks together by sliding a card off the top of each deck into a new new.

While these methods are not the fastest of shuffling, they will be gentle on the deck and help you get a feel of the card size and even the feel of the cards themselves.

You can always start with a smaller deck as well, as micro and travel sized decks are available and a good segway into a full-size deck.

Once you get a little bit more comfortable with the deck size you can get more into different types of shuffling. I personally shuffle by pulling chunks out of the deck and either putting them on top or on bottom of the remaining deck. Then, I shuffle the cards by bumping the top card into my right hand in various quantities; so with a full deck in my left hand, I swipe with my thumb a couple cards into my right hand, then I swipe a couple more cards under the new baby deck, then a couple more onto the top of the baby deck. I keep going until the whole deck is transferred from my left hand to the right. I’ll do that a couple of times until I feel like the deck is ‘ready’.

Don’t worry too much if the cards still feel a little unwieldy, you’ll get more comfortable in time. And don’t worry too much about if you’re shuffling is unsightly, ungraceful, or messy; grace and ease come with practice and time.

So don’t beat yourself up over being a beginner. Remember when you were first learning how to ride a bike and it was probably a little awkward, but as you practiced more and more, you became so much more good at riding a bike? Just let yourself learn and grow and before you know it, you’ll be able to handle whatever deck comes your way and shuffle like a queen/king/monarch (whatever you feel!)

While you’re still trying to figure out your style, watch Youtube videos and even practice different styles or whatever your hands feel like doing!

bitchcraft, Grimoire, Tarot, Witchy

Tarot 101: Two of Wands…

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Two of Wands

The Two of Wands is the second card the suit of Wands. Wands coincide with action and fire.

In the card, we can see a man, looking over a land. He holds a globe in one hand and a staff (or wand, I guess) in the other. The background shows a mountain on one side and an expanse of water, and what looks like a little town in the corner.

So what does the Two of Wands mean when it pops up?

Twos represent choices or decisions. You can see the man thinking about something, even weighing his decision, as he holds the world in his hand. With Wands representing actions, we can infer that the man is trying to trying to decide between two actions, or two decisions that will results in different actions.

Two of Wands Reversed

When the Two of Wands comes up reversed, we should take caution in what actions we decide on. Although this card doesn’t seem negative when reversed, a common theme with reversed cards is caution or reflected themes of the upright card. So with this card, while not forewarning of backfiring actions, should still be taken as warning of actions, because you hold the world in your hand with your decision.

Things to remember about the Two of Wands

  • Wands coincide with action, fire, and days. I, personally, feel like Wands are more closely aligned with fire, wind, and weeks, but what do I know, right?
  • Twos commonly represent decisions or choices. You may also feel that Twos represent duality, or balance, which is also how this card can pop up.
  • If asking a yes/no question, this card feels like a strong Maybe to me. It may have a different vibe for you.
bitchcraft, Grimoire, Witchy

Witchcraft 101: Candle Correspondences and Magic

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For all my baby witchlings, candles are some of the easiest to come-by witch supplies.

Candles are easily found at most stores, affordable, and good to keep around for emergencies (power outages, for instance). And good news, if you begin hoarding candles, no one will judge you because a lot people hoard candles. For instance, my mother loves receiving candles for any occasion, and has a half of a coat closet full of them.

So let’s go over the basics of candles, candle magic, and spells involving candles.

Candle colors and scents can correspond with the type of spell or intention you have in mind.

RedCourage, Love, Passion,
OrangeSuccess, legal actions, concentration
YellowHappiness, travel, intelligence
GreenGrowth, wealth, prosperity, fertility
Bluehealing, peace, loyalty, spirituatlity
Purplemeditation, psychic abilities, connecting to higher self and higher beings
Pinkfemininity, beauty, compassion, innocent or romantic love
Brownabundance, stability, gardening, family and friends
GreyLoneliness, wisdom, neutralizing energies and spells
BlackAbsorbing energy, banishing, protection, self-defense
Whitecleansing, purification, reflecting energy, can be used as substitute for all other colors
Colors and Correspondences

Below, I’ve listed some of the more common candle scents that you’re bound.

CinnamonProtection, inflame passion, counter love spells, can be used in place of sage for cleansing when sage is unavailable
CitrusLemon is good for confidence, good luck and adding extra energy for spells
Orange is good for joy, good fortune, and prosperity
EvergreenWisdom, cleansing, protection, and money spells
Lavenderhealing, meditation, and cleansing and refreshing the body, soul, and mind (use with caution around cats)
Raincleansing, healing, and relaxing, calming anger, and bringing about new begingings
SandlewoodCan only be used in benevolent magics. use for consecrating, healing, wishes, peace, removing negativity, and blessing ritual space and altars
Vanillacalming, promoting mental and physical arousal, good luck, happiness, prosperity and knowledge seeking
Fresh LinenCan be used in place of Rain scent
Scents and Correspondences

So depending on the color of your candle, as well as the scent, you can craft a spell to suite all of your needs.

And sometimes the spell calls for something other than a scented candle. Sometimes, you have to ANOINT!

I know, big steps in our spellwork here, but just stay with me here.

So what does it mean when you anoint a candle?

Anointing a candle means giving the candle the intention you need for the spell. When you anoint a candle you use oils, herbs, and symbols to give a blank candle your intention.

Oils that can be used can be things like essential oils, which will give plain candles a nice scent as you burn them, or ‘natural’ oils, like olive oil and such. Dilute your essential oils in natural oils to use more of them.

Some natural oils that have the highest smoke point (how hot they can get before burning) are avocado oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, coconut oil, canola oil, then olive oil (in order of highest to lowest smoke point).

Anoint your candles by massaging them with oils, herbs and inscribing symbols or sigils. Rub your candles in one direction, depending on what your spells is doing; personally, I feel that rubbing from bottom to top banishes, and top to bottom attracts.

When burning anointed candles, ad regular candles too, just be careful and remember fire safety. Especially with hot oils near open flames.

So candles are the vectors of setting things in motions for spells. the energy from the flame interacts with your intentions and set your intentions into motion.

bitchcraft, Grimoire, Witchy

Witchcraft 101: Starting out…

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Are you a little witchling, much like myself, who is ready to jump into the deep end?

You’ve done a bunch of reading, followed a bunch of accounts across social media, you’ve saved a bunch of memes and such.

You are so ready for this.

But you don’t know where to even start.

Sure, you have an idea of how pretty your book of shadows is going to look, or how artful you’ll arrange your altar, or how many amazing spells you’ll perform surrounded by candles and herbs and spirit.

But you’re still a baby witch, you don’t where to begin.

So where do you even begin? Where do you even go?

Well, let’s start with gathering supplies!

I know what you’re thinking, ‘Excuse me, we just went over how I am brand spanking new at this whole witchcraft thing and I have no idea where to start!’

So I’m here to talk some sense into you!

You have supplies! You got junk all over the place you can lose! Think about how all the ancestors and witches from the previous times were able to do so much with what they had on hand! You are not starting off from scratch!

Look through your house! I’m sure you can find at least one (1) of the following some where in a junk drawer or under a couch.

  • Candle(s)
  • a pen
  • a solitary scrap of paper
  • An herb
  • A spice

How many did you find? I bet you found things like:

  • a pen
  • a half-melted candle
  • a pad of sticky notes
  • or a half-used notebook from grade school
  • Some salt or pepper, maybe both

See, you aren’t completely bad off. Just take it slow, and go at your own pace. It’ll all come in time. No one is a master overnight.

And don’t worry about having a beautiful Book of Shadows yet, or even having an organized one. Books are hard to write and organize. So just start a folder or a binder or a notebook. I’ll even write a post about how to write up your Book of Shadows.

Keep learning and growing, little witchlings!

bitchcraft, Grimoire, student life, Witchy

Witchcraft 101: Spells for closet witches

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Are you closeted? And not in the LGBT+ plus way (live your best life though).

I mean like, are you in the witch closet? Do you still want to participate in all the spooky happening and witchy going-ons?

Well do I have some neat little spells for you! Just 3 basic little spells to do when you need to recharge those batteries.

Simple Space Cleansing Spell

Are you worried about doing a cleansing spell, but can’t burn things because of where you are, such as living in a dorm (where you can’t usually burn things like candles or incense or have a hotplate)?

Here’s a little spell you can do during your usual cleaning.

Salt is also good for cleansing spaces, bringing in an element of earth into your space, which is also good for grounding yourself and your space.

Any kind of salt will do, so whether your stealing salt packets from the dining hall or just the kosher salt from your cabinet in the kitchen, you can do this.

So depending on the type of flooring you have, you’ll need a broom or vacuum (to clean up).

Items:

  • Salt (any kind)
  • Broom for hardwood/tile floors
  • Vacuum for carpet floors

Start by scatting the salt around the border of the room, where the walls and floor meet. Focus on the salt absorbing everything negative in the room, like chaos, negativity, and energy blocks.

If it’s hard to image the energy getting sucked up, think of the bad energies like a juice spill and the salt is a magic (hehe, magic pun) paper towel soaking it all up.

Then just sweep/ vacuum up the salt.

And boom! Space cleansed! No burning/ endangered sage necessary. And if you share the space with a roommate/dorm-mate, they’ll be none the wiser and probably even thank you for doing some chores.

Simple Self Cleansing Spell

Now that your space is cleansed, you gotta cleans your own energy.

Besides meditation, which is easy enough to do and so many people are doing it these days, that nobody would bat an eye at you, but maybe you need some a little more intense.

All you need is your shower.

When you stand in the shower, letting the water wash over you, image the water taking all the bad energy from you, from head to toe. Let the bad energy wash down your body, across your fingers and toes.

Stand in the shower after you turn to water off, waiting until the water drains away.

Then step out feeling refreshed, lighter and ready for the day (or to sleep, whenever you decide to shower).

Bonus points, you can do this with a bath as well, if a bathtub is available. Just sit in your tub until all the water drains away at the end.

Simple Self Care Spell

So you’re space is cleansed, you are cleansed (and clean :)), so now what should you do? What else can you do while you’re trying to stay under the radar?

Get into some self-care! Everybody does self-care these days and your roomies won’t bat an eye at a face mask, a mani-pedi session, or some fuzzy socks and a soft sweater after a long day.

So add some witchiness to your self care with a little something extra.

I suggest teas! Teas of all kinds! A nice cup of tea is great for any day of the week, and relaxing too!

It can also help you get into learning herbs and their associations.

Don’t get disheartened by being a closeted witch, or that you can’t always do big, extravagant spells. Even experienced witches need to do simple things, like cleansing their space and giving their selves a little self-care.

bitchcraft, Grimoire, Witchy

Witchcraft 101: Do’s and Don’t’s of love spells

Today is the day for all things love, lust, and romantic.

But what they don’t talk about for Valentine’s day, is the requests for love spells. And you know the ones we’re talking about; the Hollywood movie magic where with a special incantation(in Latin, obviously) the one you desire will be utterly obsessed with you.

But we have to lay down some ground rules.

Do… define what kind of love someone is looking for. There’s all kind of safe, effective rituals and spells for self-love and selfless caring for an individual. These kinds of spells are good regardless of belief system, because spreading love to yourself and others is healthy.

Don’t… perform spellwork for unrealistic requests. Some boundaries cannot be crossed and manipulated, such as one-sided love or bringing the dead back. So if you get a hankering to work some spells on your crush, or get a request for conjuring a dead relative, maybe just say no until your more comfortable in your practice.

Do… work some spells for yourself. Today is about love. Work some spells and rituals to show yourself some love. Cleansing bath with herbs and crystals, buying yourself a box of chocolates, tending your garden (if applicable), stargazing, or even a break from witchiness. Whatever you feel you need.

Don’t… feel pressured to lie about love. Maybe you’re doing a reading for someone and the signs aren’t there. Don’t feel like you have to lie to your friends or clients about love being in their future when it’s not. The truth may hurt, but it hurts less than lies that lead people on.

But most importantly…

Do… remember to have fun! Do so safely, of course, using proper spiritual and physical safety precautions (wrap it before you tap it). But today is a day of having fun and spreading love.

bitchcraft, Grimoire, student life, Witchy

Witch 101: Finding your passion/direction/gift…

Some of the time I’ve been taking off, while away from school and my blog, I’ve been revisiting some of my old hobbies and new loves.

So for all my baby witches, myself included, how do you know when you’ve found your… focus, direction, gift?

I know when you start out as a witch, you see all these classifications of witchiness, like hedge witches, kitchen witches, green witches, white witches, dark witches…

And that’s not including all the religions and beliefs that go with the practice itself.

So how do you find what your type of witchiness is? How do you sift through all the history and beliefs and practices to find where you fit?

First things first, go slow. Dont rush through something unless it feels off.

For example, work with divination and gardening and cooking, unless you get a weird feeling in your intuition that says, ‘Hey, this just isn’t a good fit.’ Maybe you aren’t familiar with that intuition yet, so here’s a quick tip.

When you try on clothes before buying them, you know if something feels good or if it doesn’t. You don’t have to have a rational reason, sometimes that shirt just doesn’t feel right. Same thing with your intuition, you just know if something fits or doesn’t.

So try everything safely. Try gardening, try scrying, try baking bread, try divining via candles, try binding and healing spells. Don’t do anything you aren’t comfortable with

When you find a good fit, you’ll know it. It’ll come easy as riding a bike, or it’ll feel like a new pair of shoes, stiff and strange, but comfortable enough.

But now, you’re thinking about how your supposed to be classified. Are you supposed to be a green witch cause you’re a green thumb even though you love candle spell work and fire? Are you supposed to call yourself a white witch because you love healing magic and breaking through traumas, but you also love divination? Are you supposed to call yourself an eclectic witch just because you can’t pin down what you want to be called?

Good news, witchlings!

There’s no rules!

You can call yourself whatever you want. You can give yourself a title or not. You can give yourself a classification or not. You can invent your own if you’d like. And if anyone says anything, you have the most powerful banishing spell at the palm of your hands. Literally. Just flip off your nay-sayers and do your thing.

bitchcraft, Grimoire, Tarot, Witchy

Witch 101: Candle burning tips…

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My dear little witches, I’m sure you’ve been chomping at the bit to start spell work. And the easiest spells to start with is candle magic.

But let’s pump the brakes for a minute. Before we dive headlong into lighting shit on fire (I mean don’t get me wrong, I’m all for lighting shit on fire), we should go over some concerns.

Safety concerns.

The three things you need to consider before striking those matches:

  • Candle size
  • Time constraints
  • Fire safety

I know what you’re thinking Ugh, this isn’t the first time I’ve played with candles. Which I know. But this is the first time you’ve played with fire, literally, for other intentions than making a space smell nice or lighting your way during a blackout.

So let’s take candle size into consideration first.

One of the top social media witch tips is to use birthday candles is you’re worried about time, since they burn down fast.

But what about some old fashioned taper candles(like for a dinner party) or a votive candle or pillar candles? All of these bigger candles pack a bigger punch than a birthday candle or even a tealight candle.

But you have to be present with the flame burning otherwise you are compromising your own safety.

So rule of the thumb, the bigger the candle, the longer it burns. Duh.

But this pairs with our time constraints.

Any spell should be thought out, and you shouldn’t be doing a candle spell 20 minutes before you have to leave for work.

So you have to plan for a night in or something to work big candle magic, like burning a pillar candle or your big ass Yankee candle you got on sale.

I’m sure at this point you’re blindly scrolling, rolling your eyes like I’m your mom giving you a lecture about the dirty dishes.

But I say this with love. And concern.

But what about some of your bigger candles? Do you have an idea of how to keep your tables safe from wax drip or heat marks? Do you have an idea of where in your space you can safely burn candles?

Here’s where I have some cheap witch tips for you baby witchlings.

To catch wax drippings…

Use a spare aluminum foil pan! A pie dish or a roasting pan, whatever you have available, will catch your drippings safely since the edges are raised. And when the pan is used up, you can get rid of the wax appropriately (recycle, reuse, dispose of correctly per city waste rules), and then recycle the pan.

You can also use an old plate or bowl you have sitting in the back of the cabinet. You know the one, it matches the set but the edges are busted from one too many upsets in the dish mountain in the sink, or theres a whole missing piece from an accident, but because it matches the set, you won’t just dump it. The plate is heat safe, since it holds hot food, and can protect your tabletops from heat damage from a low-burning candle.

Just remember basic candle safety anytime you want to do a candle spell:

  • Light candles on a sturdy surface, to reduce risk of knock overs and resulting fires.
  • Keep candles, especially open flames like on votive, taper, tealight, and even birthday candles, away from pets and children, even your familiar
  • Don’t leave candles unattended for periods of time, since fire is unpredictable and can cause problems when not properly contained or monitored.
  • And keep a safe method of putting fire out on hand. A fire extinguisher is always a good thing to keep on hand, whether to stop kitchen fires or candles that got out of control. If you’re worried about the flame getting out of control, keep calm, try to put you candle out safely with water first or an extinguisher, and remove the hot candle to a cool and safe location until the candle is completely cool to touch, such as a cement driveway, sidewalk or patio, or a bathtub/shower where more water is readily on hand. Always call the proper emergency response agency if an emergency occurs, whether fire or burns.

bitchcraft, Grimoire, Tarot, Witchy

Daily Draw November 11th

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Another Monday! With every day winter gets closer, as well as Thanksgiving (and my personal retail hell of Black Friday). As the world gets closer to the winter solstice and the new year, we should all be thinking about what we want to change in our lives and how we can start changing, day by day.

Because change doesn’t happen overnight.

Unless you’re a superhero.

So let’s see what the cards have in store today.

Justice Reversed

Here we have Justice reversed.

Now, most Major Arcana cards can be scary, but luckily, this is one of the nicer cards, in my book.

Most Major Arcana cards are upfront about what they represent, like the Lovers, Strength, the Sun.

Some like the character cards are harder to interpret because they are usually particular to the question or subject, such as how the High Priestess can be interprettted differently depending on whether the the question is about a person or a situation.

So Justice Reversed means a unbalance or dishonesty.

We can see in the card that the scales are balanced, but reversed can mean that we should be aware of scales that are not balanced. Justice is commonly referred to as being ‘blind’ because Justice acts on the facts and therefore has the scale to weight the facts.

I feel that today I should just be aware of the unfairness or dishonesty in my life, especially with myself and those in my close circle.

bitchcraft, Grimoire, Tarot, Witchy

Daily Reading November 9th

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Oh man, we’re almost a third of the way through November! Better start getting those Yule presents ready! Or at least, start making your list now so you don’t forget anyone by Yule.

So what does the fabulous Santa Muerte hold for us today…

Seven of Swords Reversed

The Seven of Swords Reversed. Ooh, interesting…

I’ve been getting a lot of Swords over the last few days, which is mildly concerning considering I have a very methodical way of shuffling my deck so that it becomes very improbable that all the Swords are still stuck together. Which means…

MY DECK IS CALLING MY ASS OUT FOR CONSTANTLY OVERTHINKING LITERALLY EVERYTHING!

Swords coincide with thoughts. Sevens are linked with those ‘keep going’ attitudes; discipline, faith in the process, working hard.

In the card, we see a man sitting on the edge of his coffin. It’s reminiscent of the coffin from the Four of Swords I drew earlier this week. He seems lost, unsure of where to go. In the top of the coffin, we can see the words Hope and Reflection carved into the fabric/wood.

Considering the Four of Swords I drew earlier, I believe he is getting out of the coffin, instead of going into it. So perhaps he has broken through some kind of thought process that had him trapped or held him back in some way.

But what about the card being reversed? I think it represents that his world has, literally, been turned upside-down. Perhaps with overcoming this thought process, he finds himself lost to what he could now become, what he could’ve been, and what lays in front of him. So what does this mean today?

I think it’s warning, for like the 20th time this week, to quit overthinking, I also think it’s trying to guide me into overcoming my usually ‘worst thing possible’ thought process. Knowing how bad I am at overthinking and leading myself down those thought-rabbitholes, I think this card is trying to get me to stop thinking so much about what might happen and enjoy what I can make happen in today.

So we’ll see how many more times I have to draw a Sword card to get this message across. Place your bets in the comments!

Are you needing some guidance yourself? Are you lost, looking for some answers that just seem out of reach? Want to know something about your day before your day begins? Order a monthly pack of Daily Tarot Readings!

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bitchcraft, Grimoire, Tarot, Witchy

Daily Draw November 8th

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Man, we’re already a week into this month! Before I know it, the year will be over and I still have some much left to do!

Queen of Swords

QUEEN OF SWORDS! I love this card! I love the queen cards in general; a strong female leader, each with her own strengths and values… Who doesn’t love a strong female character that doesn’t reject traditional feminine values to put others down.

Sorry, getting side tracked.

So Swords coincide with thoughts. And Queens coincide, usually with mother figures. But Queens can also women or feminine figures in your life.

I think this card is representing me today; the Queen of Swords is a strong feminine figure, ushering in new thoughts and growing the thought process. Considering I’m in school, trying to grow mentally and intellectually, I think this card is supposed to remind me why I’m doing this. Why I’m going to school, why I’m trying to better myself.

Are you lost day to day? Want some advice or direction? Order a whole month of Daily Tarot readings to get some direction every day!

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bitchcraft, Grimoire, Tarot, Witchy

Daily Draw November 7th

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So we’re a bit late today with our drawing, because school and such have kept me busy all morning (yay, group projects!)

So we’ll use today’s draw as a reflection piece and see how it applies to what I have done today.

Ace of Cups

Oh man, let’s jump right into this one!

The Ace of Cups is a great card for a single reading.

Aces mean beginnings, the start of the story. Cups coincide with emotion. If you look at this card, there is so much going on. A rainstorm is filling up the cup, a dragonfly sits on the rim. A little frog sits in the back. If you look closely, you can see a preying mantis in the foreground, near the base of the cup.

So what does this mean? How does this apply to my day?

Well, when you have a full cup, it usually means prosperity or excess. Cups coincide with emotion, so I’m probably full of emotion.

And knowing how my day has gone, yeah I am full of emotion. It’s getting close to the end of the semester, so I’m stressed out and I’m still dealing with a lot on my plate between work, school, maintaining a romantic relationship, and helping my family through some tough times.

When you draw a card for the day and you can’t figure out the meaning, or connect it to a message for the day, save it and reflect on it; maybe something will be revealed to you throughout the day!

Do you want your own Daily reading? Want to know what the day has in store for you? Order a whole month of Daily readings!

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bitchcraft, Grimoire, Tarot, Witchy

Tarot: What to do when you Break the ‘Cardinal’ Rules…

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So you’re brand new to Tarot. You’ve done your research, you’ve memorized this and that for all the rules.

You start practicing, and reading for yourself, maybe a friend or family member… until.

Oh no.

You broke one of the Rules.

What do you do now? Are the Tarot police going to come for you? Are your ancestors and spirit guides going to kick your ass from the spirit plane?

No, probably not, (depending on who your ancestors are).

So I’ll break down the ins and outs of the Rules.

Someone touched your deck.

If someone else touches your deck, it’s not something to get crazy about. Unless they touched it without permission, it’s a fixable issue. While everyone and their mother will preach about not letting someone touch your deck, it is up to you. I personally don’t mind, especially if it’s a reading for someone because you need their energy in the reading to get a good answer for the question. And shuffling will dispel all the energy from a reading.

If it is an issue where someone handled your deck, maybe unintentionally, such as, your mother-in-law moves your deck in the office to look for some documents, then a heavy shuffle and a moon bathe won’t hurt.

This is also why many preach about crystals in addition to your reading, to help balance energies, as well as storing decks with crystals to help recharge the deck and ward off unwanted energies.

You dropped your deck on the ground

It’s okay, take a second. Now pick up your cards one by one and brush each one off and give each dropped card a quick cleanse. Then shuffle the whole deck together again.

If you drop a couple cards on the ground during a shuffle, it’s no big deal. Some say that those cards that fly out of your hand even have a message for you. And when you’re still learning how to handle the size of a Tarot deck, both in card volume and size of the deck itself, you will inevitably drop a few here and there.

If some of the cards get damaged, then that’s okay too. Things happen, and decks will come and go in your life. If you’re not ready to give up the deck, or can’t afford a new deck yet, use this deck as your home-copy until you can get a new deck. Then you can re-purpose the damaged deck into art work, a show deck (you know, you leave it out on the coffee table for those more conservative relatives to bitch about), or as a reference deck if you get lost in your Tarot studies.

You have to get up in the middle a reading/meditation.

It’s okay. Tarot is a gentle tool; you won’t be penalized if something happens and you have to move away from the reading for a moment.

If you have to get up because the weather suddenly changes (during an outdoor read), an urgent call comes through on your or your client’s phone, an emergency like a fire or earthquake, or your pet/familiar/child is being naughty and you have to step in immediately to prevent loss or injury, then get up.

After the issue is dealt with, if an issue that can be rectified like moving inside from the rain or preventing your baby from eating your crystals, then just take a moment to meditate and reset the energy of the reading. Clear your mind and return to the reading.

If this is an issue where you cannot immediately return to the reading, such as a life emergency you or the client must attend to, a fire destroyed the cards, or another emergency where the reading must be abandoned, then don’t worry. If possible, shuffle the cards together and store properly. If the cards are gone, then meditate for a moment and let go of the energy from the reading.

If there is a client and an emergency occurs, make every effort to help the client let go of the reading energy, then attempt to either reschedule with the client, or send good energy to the client.

You asked a bad question and got a weird answer.

When you’re learning still, you’re going to make mistakes. It’s okay, as long as you’re willing to learn how to do it the right way. Think of all the things you couldn’t do as a child, but can now because you asked questions.

So maybe, you asked a bad question, but didn’t think it was a bad question. And I’m not talking about one of the questions like ‘will I win the lotto’ bs. I’m talking about the ‘what can you tell me about this too-specific topic’ questions.

When you get weird answers, sometimes you need to analyze the question. Think about how many times you asked Google what you thought was a good question, only for Google to give you all sorts of weird and unrelated topics in response.

So take a moment and analyze whether the question is too specific or if you have something else on your mind when you think about the question.

For first-timers, think about writing down your question first to help you focus on it.

Don’t stress so much about if you mix things up when you’re learning. Don’t worry about it too much. You’re learning, and honestly, if you get lost there are so many people out in the witchy community that are willing to help and guide.

Good luck!