As appealing as the “you have always been a witch” narrative is, I think it does us all a little bit of a disservice. Yes, I think having an active imagination and being attached to spooky things made me witchcraft-inclined, but my choice to become a witch was just that: a choice. I made myself into a witch. I studied. I practiced. I made mistakes. I tried again. I think that the autonomy of claiming the work you put in is so much more to be proud of than the “potions” you made from mud in your backyard.

You are a witch because you made yourself into one. Isn’t that amazing? Aren’t you proud of the work you’ve done?

To all my fellow witches, losing interest in your craft due to depression doesn't make you a bad witch. You are not a bad witch if mental disorders keep you from practicing daily. Practicing daily isn't even an official rule or requirement. So tell your anxious brain to calm down, it is doing fine. You are doing fine. You are not worse than other witches if you feel an aversion to it bc depression is making you hate what you like.

it feels like the average true crime fan’s perception of a cult involves like. wearing hooded robes and doing sacrifices

When in reality actual cults are mormons. Like figuratively and literally. Mormonism is used as a basis for a lot of cult tactics, and cults will always try to be outwardly well-meaning, respectable, and polite, until you either mentally or physically are too reliant on the cult to leave. Every major cult does this and it was pretty much pioneered by mormons

cults are often framed as satanic and sinful and are presented in opposition to normative christian values in pop culture and yet in reality cults look and act very christian. really makes you think.

i got baptized in a christian flavored cult a few years ago. my boyfriends sister was spending all her time at this church, and we and their parents were concerned because she was talking about moving. so we agreed to go to a service and check it out. it was late at night, and i mean like 9 pm, but i was like whatever maybe its a youth group. it was in a rented office space in a building, but maybe their church is under construction. it didnt take long to hit me that it was a cult. as soon as we walked in, my boyfriend and i were separated. they took us to two separate cubicles with whiteboards and explained about how the bible predicts ww3/the apocalypse, which is coming soon, and only members of their church will be saved. if you are separated from the person you’re with and have lots of information thrown at you so rapidly you dont have time to disagree, late at night, in a nondescript rented office space, you might be tired enough for it to make sense. then they get to the part where a random korean lady is god, and also i have to be baptized or im going to burn in hell. i did it, cause it doesnt matter to me, and my boyfriend did as well. then we left, told the parents it was definitely a cult, and left it to them to get her out, but just because i walked out of the building doesnt mean they let me go (and trust me, they did NOT want us to leave that night, i called bullshit and said i’d had enough and power walked out of there dragging my boyfriend). multiple times a day, every day, for literal years they called and harassed me. “if you dont go to this gathering then you arent really saved so you have to come back”, anything they could do to get me back in the door. but they werent pushing kool aid or matching uniforms, or talking about how we were aliens who needed to die to go on a spaceship. it was what looked like a very strange flavor of christianity, if you didnt look hard enough. he and i broke up and i guess her parents gave up, because she ended up giving the church all her money and moving 1000 miles away from her parents to live in church housing. it is very, VERY easy to get sucked into a cult, especially if you are going through a difficult and isolating time (like a global pandemic). his sister is not someone i would describe as wacky, or stupid. she was lonely, and sad, and a cult saw a victim and grasped its claws around her. 

(i actually went to an LDS service this year with a visiting friend who is mormon-im trying to be supportive because screaming ITS A CULT at someone is not a good plan-, and it is like…. boringly insidious. almost like a regular christian church, except the first hour is listening to people talk about how they couldnt survive without the church and they would be nothing without the church and the church is their entire support system- if you hear this at ANY meeting or service, run)

Another thing I would like to add on since I’ve seen people think something like this before;

There is a VERY clear distinction between a cult and a religion. The idea that there isn’t a clear distinction between them is bullshit, and only benefits cults in recruiting people and outside acceptance. A cult can be based on religion, but it’s still its own distinct thing that can be identified separately.

The main things you want to look out for are isolation, control, gaslighting, obsession, and abuse. If they are trying to isolate you from friends and loved ones, if they are trying to control when you eat and sleep and making sure you get very little of either, if they are gaslighting you into thinking that wanting to leave is the worst thing you could possibly do and that you’re crazy for not thinking the same way as everyone in the group, if your entire existence is meant to be for one singular person or this one singular group, and/or if you are being abused physically/emotionally/mentally/spiritually/ect., that is a cult. You want to get out of there as soon as possible.

A cult isn’t just a group with funny beliefs. They are actively harmful to the people involved and should be taken seriously.

Here’s a video talking about how to recognize cults in more detail from a cult survivor and expert.

Just to reiterate: not all religions are cults and not all cults are religious. Cults are one of my weird special interests and they are present across all classes, races, interests, backgrounds, and religions. Like, some examples of actual cults that aren’t based in religion at all:

Anyone is capable of falling into a cult. It’s not something that only affects unintelligent and gullible people. Who it does affect:

People who fall into cults are, fundamentally, people in search of emotional connection and support, and the cult claims to provide that. It becomes hard to leave because leaving the cult means leaving your friends and family, and if the cult did its job right, you won’t have anyone to go to, having cut off any existing family or friends outside the cult. While religion is the most common (because a lot of people turn to religion in those same situations), not everyone will be attracted by that. They could be attracted to a political, therapy, or fandom cult instead.

Actually, now that I’m thinking about it: the best way to tell if something is a cult is to see how they react to someone leaving. 

If they act like a jealous, abusive partner, like, say:

you’re probably looking at a cult. 

Again: this behavior is not normal! A normal, healthy group of people does not do this! A normal, healthy group of people might be sad or disappointed if one of their number grows more distant, gets disinterested, or even does something against the group’s shared values, but they do not react by using every means necessary to retain that person.

DO NOT SUPPORT SALVATION ARMY 

I can back this up. It isn’t only their shelters.

I have a family friend who worked at our local Salvation Army headquarters as a a secretary. This particular office took all the Christmas donations for children in need, put them in a warehouse, and on a designated day the staff and their friends picked through them all, taking whatever they wanted. She saw people hauling away bikes donated for specific families. Some local children had hundreds of dollars of gifts donated in their name, and on Christmas they received three cheap things, items likely not even from the person who sponsored them.

My friend quit, and I’ve not given them a dime of my money since then.

Do not give to the Salvation Army.

Do Not. Give. To. Salvation. Army

My turn.

I’m a wildfire and disaster logistics specialist.

I deal with a lot of agencies who provide disaster relief.

I used to say the Salvation Army’s disaster services were the one (literally the ONE) good thing they did.

They would come in, set up a canteen trailer, make and pass out hot coffee and donated food in a disaster, usually being one of the first agencies to get there and the last to leave.

Then I found out.

Every time they did this, regardless of if they were actually invited or deployed by the agency in charge (usually FEMA, sometimes others) they would SELF-DEPLOY. Meanjng they would just show up. Ok. That’s not TOO bad, sometimes agencies have to take initiative and get there before the red tape is sorted out. BUT. They, after they left at the end of the incident, they would send FEMA or the host agency a BILL. They used one or two paid employees (usually the driver of the truck and a supervisor); and many VOLUNTEERS, but they would bill for EVERYONE’s Labor at standard federal rates. They would bill for the food they distributed even though it was all donated by another agency or private parties. They would bill for the coffee they made and the supplies. Except they would use electricity from the shelter location, water from donations or from the shelter, and in many cases, they would get the coffee and industrial filters DONATED, but bill for them at retail prices.

Don’t FUCKING give to the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army is also ass to the workers. A good number of people join it, naively thinking that it’s doing good, and end up leaving cynical and beaten down. The management is hostile, if not outright abusive, and demand some ridiculous hours of it lower to mid-level staff. Don’t support these people.

Unsettling update

Find better local charities and shelters and give to them instead!

Also just for even more horrific context on the original twitter thread?

Salvation Army reached out to Milknmuffins and asked what shelter she’s at with the promise to address the abuse in it. She…ended up saying where she was. She was thrown out onto the street. It’s also all on Twitter.

They invited her to a personal talk so she could explain the situation in person.

And then they threatened her with a screenshot of a rape-threat made supposedly by her:

And then threw her out into the street while claiming she broke house rules that

So yeah, the Salvation Army is a bunch of entitled assholes that will treat the most vulnerable like shit if they dare try to do anything that makes them look bad

The “Fuck Salvation Army” posts are making the rounds again, so conisder this your reminder: Do. Not. Give. These. Assholes. A. Single. Fucking. Penny.

Do not support them in any way, shape, or form.

‘Tis the season to say FUCK the Salvation Army.

Friendly reminder that if someone tells you that you need to connect to a "source consciousness" in order to be a "real witch" and ESPECIALLY if that person tells you to stop taking your medication in order to do so....

THAT PERSON IS A FUCKING LIAR.

You are not required to "connect" to anything in order to be a real witch. You are a real witch because you choose to be a witch.

Your meds do not prevent you from being magical or from exploring any kind of greater potential. They are there to keep your body and your brain as healthy and functional as possible. Do not let anyone shame you for needing medication.

Please keep taking your meds!

ok, it's almost Christmas time, so here's a reminder to my fellow white witches & pagans that we are not systematically oppressed, and our religion/craft is not erased and appropriated in the same way/at the same level as jewish people, BIPOC, muslims, or hindus. even during this time of year.

PLEASE do not compare our struggles to that of these groups. we can sympathize that our winter holiday(s) are also erased/treated like another christmas, but our experiences are vastly different, mostly in the fact that we as white witches/pagans are not systematically oppressed.

if you're 13 or younger can you 1. unfollow me 2. delete your Tumblr and go do something else like hone a craft or read or bike or something or even just watch avatar the last Airbender I don't want you people on this terrible website

I'm not even joking this place rots your brain the internet is the worst I'm saying this as someone who was on the internet since age 9

Not to act my age but bruh... Let the kids scar themselves a little. There's no point in telling anyone "go ride a bike" after barking an order at them. No one's gonna listen to you.

This is not a clean website. It's dangerous and miserable and it feeds you exactly what you want it to feed you, sometimes amplified. That's true. But talking to them like they're dumb or like they can't think for themselves is useless.

So that said, you should probably reconsider giving advice to younger people.

no offense but please shut the fuck up as I said I've been on the internet since I was 9 and I have quite seriously been scarred by the shit that's on here. I'm not that old at all and I remember being a kid like it was yesterday. I know they're not gonna listen to me because I remember reading stuff like this at age 11 and being like "eh whatever" but I'm not gonna stop reminding everyone that it's deeply upsetting and wrong to have kids on the internet before they're 10 and really not good to be on Tumblr before you're 13.

the shit that goes on here, with pedophiles, nazis, terfs, discourse, etc., is so inappropriate for even 14-15 year olds and while it's important that we are all educated on the fact that vile things happen and we all need to be responsible for making positive changes, that's not the job of a 13 year old or younger.

kids can think for themselves, easily. that's why I posted this: to make it clear that it's unsafe and I deeply recommend they log off.

that being said: I'm blocking anyone 13 and younger that I find in my notes. I'm sorry, but this page isn't meant for you guys. I was 12 on this website once and knowing how it was then, I am almost certain you will appreciate this in the future. please stay safe if you choose to stay on here.

Breaking: CDC announces if you are fully vaccinated you can walk into a fairy circle.

*squints at username*

.....nah, I’m good.

Photographer: Miguel Melicias

With Halloween around the corner, I’d like to remind everyone again that there will be no screamers or jump scares or whatnot on here. This blog is safe from that.

I just don't agree with Ouija boards "summoning" things. If something is talking to you it's because it's already there. Same with all the new tech that's used to contact spirits nowadays, no one ever says that those devices summon anything.

They're simply tools to communicate with things that are already there.

I have the same view. "Oooh it opens up a portal to Hell!" Like.... no lmao

It's not a portal or a window, it's just a beacon at most. It just says "Hey! Let's chat!" and whatever decides to answer (if anything) is who you get.

How the fuck can there be anti vaccine “witches?” If you disagree with binding an invisible malignant entity into a single drop of potion that seals a subject’s blood against the full force of that very same entity’s curse then you are not and can never be a witch you’re just a karen who buys rocks

Why Research IS Important (And Why More Well-Established Practitioners Push It So Hard)

This is something I’m seeing on Tumblr a lot recently, so I figured I would throw in my two cents. I’ve been part of a variety of occult and witchcraft communities. One of the recurring pieces of advice I see for those who are new to the craft is “Do lots of research”. I also see just as many people get angry and throw temper tantrums because that is the primary piece of advice people are giving. I understand it is a frustrating thing when it isn’t explained in more great detail, so here is your little article to help you understand why research will always be one of the most important things to learn magick (aside from actually performing the magick; learning by doing is perfectly valid).

There is a lot of information out there when it comes to magick. What works, what doesn’t work, what is ethical, what is unethical… You can use Tumblr, Reddit, Instagram, Amino or even join Discord servers to find information you are looking for. It’s always nice when people are willing to give you their answer to a question, but taking people’s word alone can be a dangerous thing. There are a lot of people out there who share bad information. There are a lot of people who believe their craft is superior to everybody else’s, and that if you aren’t doing it their way then you are doing it wrong.

This is why research is pushed so hard on beginners. It can be easy to screw up when you are a beginner and don’t even have the basics down (in my opinion, the basics are: cleansing, warding, banishing and grounding). Many well-established practitioners have some very complex variables to their craft. They didn’t get to that point by listening to one or two people on the internet. So, how do you research for the occult and witchcraft?

Try to start small. There are a lot of topics that you can start with, depending on your own interests, so start with one topic and spend some time looking for information. Don’t look at two or three sources and call it a day. Look at multiple sources from different places to cross reference your information. That is gonna be one of your best friends: cross referencing. If you found the piece of information on some Tumblr pages, go to a different social media platform and try to seek more information about it there.

Pick up a book, too, if that’s something you wanna do. I know not everybody can afford to buy books, but if you can try to do a little background check on the author. See how the occult and witchcraft communities view them. You’d be surprised about how many are looked down upon because of bad information.

I know that some people have a hard time with the research part of learning. Coming from a person who as adhd, I understand. If I’m not super interested in the book I probably won’t pick it up, let alone finish it. I take my time when researching information. I don’t try to rush myself into learning anything and everything. This is one of the most important things you should develop when it comes to learning: patience.

Of course, it is okay to wear these crystals, but do not use them in elixirs or put them in water.

* Abalone: Organic material. May contain bacteria or pollutants/toxic materials from the water in which it was grown.

* Actinolite: May contain asbestos. Not for use in elixirs.

* Adamite: Contains arsenic

* Amazonite: lead and radiation

* Angelite: Converts to Gypsum when immersed in water.

* Aquamarine: Contains aluminum

* Azurite: Large amounts of copper

* Bastnaesite: Contains toxic elements which can react in contact with water.

* Brazilianite: Contains Aluminum. Not recommended to use in its raw form.

* Black tourmaline: radioactive

* Boji-stones (aka Moqui Balls,Shaman Stone, Shamanic Star Stone): Contains sulphur, pyrite and/or marcasite

* Bumble Bee Jasper (aka Bumblebee): Contains anhydrite, hematite, sulfur, arsenic. Care should be taken – polished stones typically have a protective coating. Wash hands after holding. Do not touch hands to eyes or mouth while holding. Not for use in elixirs.

* Chalcopyrite (peacock stone): Contains copper and sulphur

* Chrysocolla: Contains high levels of copper. Safe for handling but not for use in elixirs.

* Cinnabar: Contains mercury. Wash hands after holding. Do not touch hands to eyes or mouth while holding. Not for use in elixirs.

* Covellite: Contains copper and sulphur

* Crocoite: Contains poisonous/toxic levels of Chromium. Do not touch hands to eyes or mouth while holding. Not for use in elixirs.

* Cuprite: Contains poisonous/toxic levels of copper. Wash hands after holding. Do not touch hands to eyes or mouth while holding. Not for use in elixirs.

* Dioptase: Contains high levels of copper. Safe for handling but not for use in elixirs.

* Fluorite: Fluorine, dissolves in water

* Galena: Contains lead. Not for use in elixirs.

* Gem Silica: Contains high levels of copper. Safe for handling but not for use in elixirs.

* Lapis Lazuli: Contains Pyrite inclusions, which contain Sulphur.

* Labradorite: Aluminum

* Iolite: Contains aluminum

* Malachite: Contains poisonous/toxic levels of copper. Polished stones typically have a protective coating. Not for use in elixirs.

* Marcasite: Exposure to oxygen may form a white powdery residue which is poisonous/toxic Sulfuric Acid. If this occurs, do not touch or wear next to skin. Not for use in elixirs.

* Mohawkite: Contains copper and Arsenic

* Orpiment: Contains HIGHLY TOXIC levels of Arsenic. Wash hands after use, keep away from CHILDREN!! Do not put hands near eyes or mouth before washing hands. Not for use in elixirs.

* Paragasite: Contains Aluminum. Not recommended for elixirs.

* Pietersite: Fibrous form contains asbestos

* Pyrite: may contain intermixed Marcasite. The Marcasite with time and exposure to oxygen, may form a white powdery residue which is poisonous/toxic Sulfuric Acid. If this occurs, do not touch or wear next to skin. Not recommended for Elixirs.

* Realgar: Contains HIGHLY TOXIC levels of Arsenic. Wash hands after use, keep away from CHILDREN!! Do not put hands near eyes or mouth before washing hands. Not for use in elixirs.

* Serpentine: Fibrous form contains asbestos. Wash hands after use. Not for use in elixirs.

* Smithsonite: Contains zinc and may contain copper (green Smithsonite). Safe for handling but not for use in elixirs.

* Stibnite: Contains lead and antimony. Not for use in elixirs

* Tiger Eye: Fibrous form contains asbestos. Raw forms not for use in elixirs.

* Torbenite: Radioactive

* Tremolite: Fibrous form contains asbestos. Wash hands after use. Not for use in elixirs.

* Turquoise: Contains high levels of copper and Aluminum. Safe for handling but not for use in elixirs.

* Ulexite: Contains toxic Boron.

* Unakite: Contains Aluminum and may also contain Zirconium (Radioactive).

* Vanadinite: Contains poisonous Vanadium.

* Wulfenite: Contains lead and molybdenum. Safe for handling but not for use in elixirs.

* Zircon: Contains zirconium (Radioactive)

Crystals you can’t go wrong with:

* Clear Quartz

* Rose Quartz

* Amethyst

* Smokey Quartz

* Citrine

* Agate

So basically most quartz and agate are fine-

If any of them are dyed, they are not safe to put in water.

Reblog far and wide.

Purity in witchcraft is overrated in my opinion.

"Make sure you're in a good state of mind" this, and "Don't be afraid" that.

Anger, fear, grief, exhaustion... are all emotions that can be used in witchcraft. Learn how to wield them properly, and see just how much power they hold in your craft. Just like a weapon.

"I Am Stronger Than My Eating Disorder"

Keep this sigil somewhere on you, preferably your wrist. Keep this sigil somewhere in your bathroom, around the toilet Keep this sigil in your kitchen somewhere

Your life and your ability to function are so much more important than looking thinner. Take it from somebody whose struggled with eating disorders on and off since childhood.