Keeping Yourself Protected

Ways to provide protection from spiritual and physical beings:

Sources: Charissascaulderon.com, scribol.com                                  

Stay safe and have a Happy New Year!

==Moonlight Academy==    

Things to Research as a Beginner Witch

• The history of witchcraft • Famous witches, if you’d like • Types of witches • Types of magick (white magick, chaos magick, etc) • Types of spells (curses, hexes, etc) • Types of divination (tarot, scrying, etc) • Talismans vs Sigils (and what each are) • Seals • Maybe some alphabets if that’s your thing • Some witchy symbols • Deities (For pagan witches) • Let it spread from there!

Pendulum 101

Alright, pals! Time to learn all about pendulum divination! Strengths: -Pendulums are best known for their ability to give quick yes/no answers! -Pendulums are don’t cost a lot of money and are easy to make. -Pendulums are very easy to pick up and learn quickly… no extensive training needed! Weaknesses: -Pendulums require a steady hand, which some people struggle with. -Pendulums don’t provide in-depth information, just surface-level answers. How To Do It: -First, set up a pendulum board. This can be a set board or cloth, or you can scribble it down on an index card. It’s traditionally two perpendicular lines, one for yes and one for no. Other things can be added as well! (Many people include a “Maybe,” “Rephrase the question,” add a circle of numbers or letters, even zodiac signs!) -Grab your pendulum and “set” it to the board. (I usually do this by tapping each point on the board with the pendulum and saying, “yes, no, one, two,” whatever is appropriate. -Give it a test run before asking the big questions. Ask it questions you already know, to make sure there isn’t anything interfering with the pendulum. Try to ask at least one yes and one no question! -Ask your question out loud. Then wait. Eventually the pendulum will start swinging towards your answer! How It Works: There are a few different schools of thought, here. Some say your Higher Self guides the pendulum, others say that spirits do. Some say the pendulum itself has a consciousness! Other people attribute its movements to the ideomotor effect. Many skeptics will try to discredit it this way. My personal response? So what if it uses the effect? We all know your subconscious is wayyy smarter than your conscious, so you probably know the answer to your question deep in your gut, somewhere and just need to bring it to the surface. This idea only increases the validity of pendulum divination, in my eyes. Tips: -You don’t need a fancy crystal pendulum. Any weighted object on a string will do! This includes necklaces, keys on lanyards, a needle and thread, you get the idea. -Pendulums are best used indoors in areas without drafts. These air movements could interfere with your reading! -I find it better to weigh my yes/no questions as a positive affirmation. For example, “Jenny likes me.” The yes/no response here would be very clear, where as “Jenny doesn’t like me” raises questions. Is a “No” because the statement is incorrect, or no because she doesn’t like you? Affirmations also give you the added help of gut feeling. If you say, “Jenny likes me,” and your gut feeling makes it feel like a lie, that’s important information. (Remember your subconscious is smart!) - If your pendulum is acting weird, try giving it a good cleanse! Sometimes they pick up “gunk” from extended use and get bogged down. -Pendulums are very useful for contacting spirits! If you hold your pendulum still and call for a spirit, they can signal their presence by moving it. I prefer this over tarot because tarot always guarantees a response, whether a spirit is there or not. Pendulum, meanwhile, is better for confirming your answers are genuine. If you’d like to see me do any other posts like this one, let me know! :)

Good Things to Research When You Don't Know What to Research

They don’t exactly teach this stuff in schools. This list is designed for the beginner witch, who keeps hearing the advice “Research!” but wants some better specifics on what exactly that means.

Now, you don’t have to be a complete expert on all of these or even most of these! You don’t even have to incorporate all of them into your practice. They’re just some stuff it’s good to have a basic working knowledge of in the Craft.

🌻Planetary Correspondences- Even if cosmic witchcraft isn’t your thing, a lot (and I mean a LOTTTT) of correspondences in any other category are going to eventually lead back to the planets. Having a basic understanding of what each planet governs is extremely helpful when learning the correspondences of basically anything else.

🌻Herb Correspondences- Herbs and spices are incredibly useful! They’re probably one of the most versatile of the “big categories” since they can be used in herbalism and kitchen witchery, as well as a great add-on to any other variation of witchcraft. It’s good to have a working knowledge of what herbs you can use in a pinch, especially the stuff you already have in your kitchen. When an emergency calls, it’s good to know how that chili powder can help you.

🌻Crystal Correspondences- This is another great add on! Crystals can often be used to enhance and focus the energy of a spell, as well as cleanse any ritual tools you have. Besides, who doesn’t like pretty rocks? Crystals can be particularly great for the witch who has a tactile mind, and likes to have things they can feel and roll around in their hand.

🌻Days of the Week- Knowing the right time to cast a spell can be very important! Casting a love spell on a Friday gives it an added boost, or at the very least creates a path of least resistance. Besides, there’s only seven of them, so it’s easy to learn quickly. You get a lot of bang for your buck!

🌻Phases of the Moon- We have a really big collective crush on the moon, it seems. And for good reason! The moon is a great source of power and mystery even in a completely mundane setting! Understanding the phases of the moon and how it can affect your craft is extremely important. (Hint: you can cast spells even when it isn’t the Full Moon.)

🌻Basic Mythology and Lore- This is an absolute must if you plan on going into any type of spirit work. Even if that isn’t your thing, it’s good to know a little bit. Firstly, because you may draw unwanted attention from spirits, and it’s good to know how to deal with them if it happens. Secondly, because if you draw from a path with any history behind it, it’s good to know how the rules go down on their turf.

🌻Basic Divination- Not everyone has the money or the time to pick up and learn how to read a 78-card Tarot deck, but things like scrying and pendulums are pretty easy to figure out quickly. What’s more, they can be done on little to no budget. Divination’s a useful tool to have on your utility belt, and who wants to pay someone to use a pendulum for them when you can learn it yourself?

🌻Anthropology of different cultures/religions- You don’t have to be a religious witch at all, but witchcraft still has its roots as a religious practice! Lot’s of practices have a cultural context as well, which can be important to know in order to fully understand the action you’re performing. A lot of correspondences, traditions, and rites come from cultural or religious roots. It’s good to know not only what people did, but why they did it! Does X tool have some symbolic meaning or was it just what was available at the time? What was simply a product of the culture around them?

🌻Science- It’s a HUGE category, and I left it that way on purpose. If something interests you, look at the mundane side of it as well! Do you like kitchen witchery? Read up on food chemistry and how different nutrients affect the brain. Into crystals? Learn about how they’re formed! Read about gardening or psychology, anything that can help enhance your path.

Happy researching!

Witchcraft basics: Plants - part 1

Here is a little list of what I consider to be basic plants in my witchy practice ;)