Types Of Divination

The questions I ask myself, roughly in this order, to interpret any* tarot spread:

How did the cards appear? Because I shuffle for jumpers, it matters whether cards pop from the deck together. They form pairs (or groups) which have stronger connections to each other than other cards in the spread.

What types of cards are on the field? Majors? Minors? All numerical cards? Court cards? What suits? What numbers? This is where I consider the raw, memorized meaning of individual cards and the archetypes they represent.

Are there obvious patterns or cadences in the order? Think like poetry, ABAB or AABB, but with the types of cards. In a hand of five, it's interesting if the order is Major-Minor-Major-Minor-Major. Or maybe the cards are in a descending numerical order, Nine-Eight-Seven-Six-Five. Or, perhaps Nine-Eight-Six-Five-Four -- the jump in the pattern matters.

Are there repeating numbers or suits? Repetition strengthens the significance of a number's or suit's meaning.

Are there repeating motifs in the card art? Again, repetition strengthens the significance. This includes colors, background details, people, animals, and so forth.

Where are figures in the art looking? Are they looking at other cards? At each other? Away from each other? The direction of figures' attention directs where that card's focus might be.

Is there a cohesion or flow in the spread, or is it interrupted and disorganized? Some spreads flow smoothly left to right, while others show disruption and a lack of coherency. This question looks a the spread as a whole again after all other questions have been asked to consider all elements together.

Does it make sense? Do the cards answer the question being asked? How do they apply? Is there something missing? Is there a deeper meaning to delve into? Do I need clarifiers? Do I need to try again with new cards? Can I explain these cards to the querent and have them understand my meaning?

And then I write out my analysis! There's obviously more to it than this, with a ton of nuance at every step, and I could probably write a whole essay about any individual part of this... and I probably still will, honestly. (And I started to, then decided to just write up a little list instead, lmao.)

*May not work for some tarot spreads, depending on the style.

Broke Boy Guide to Altar Offerings

Hey! Are you broke but still wanna offer something up to the gods? Don't worry! (So am i) So here's a guide of things that are either free, low cost or that you probably already own to slap onto those altars. Mind you: These are mainly modern offerings that I attribute to these different classification of gods. I'll likely update as time goes on with other classifications :)

General Offerings to Deities:

random flowers from outside

random sticks from outside

hand written letters/prayers

plushies of the animals they're connected to

raw/cooked meats as "sacrifices"

drawn symbols

Art/Creative Deities:

symbol painted bottle caps

pens/pencils/markers

old sketchbooks

stickers/prints

origami

comic books

figurines

Death Deities:

bones or meat from your meals

dirt from a dead plant

dying flowers

skull imagery

coins or other gifts for those passing

photo/belongings of your late loved ones

Familial/Household/Protector of Children Deities:

photobooth photos

jewelry gifted from family

baby teeth from your children

breast milk

old baby shoes

framed photo of family

cookies/bread

homecooked meals

Fire Deities:

birthday candles

charcoal discs

burnt herbs

alcohol

incense

tobacco

matchbox/lighter

Healing Deities:

your current medications

bandaids

water

skincare

vitamin gummies

spell jar in an empty pill bottle

Knowledge/Wisdom Deities:

old books & textbooks

pens/pencils

mini chess pieces

written down philosophical quotes

good test scores/report cards/degrees

Love/Lust Deities:

origami 3D hearts

chapsticks

unused makeup

love letters to deities

love letters about S/O or crush

current perfume/cologne

current lotions

apples

Nature Deities:

plants dedicated to them

herbal tea packets

feathers

milk

fruits/vegetables

spells using recycled materials (toilet paper rolls, etc.)

bread

acorns

Sea Deities:

beach sand

shells

sea water

tiny sea animal figurines

shared fish dinners

makeshift spell jar using a shell

Trickster Deities:

laffy taffy joke wrappers

cards against humanity packs

other comedy card games

did u see them btw...

Getting Started

There’s a lot of differing opinion about what to call each hand. The left is sometimes called the hand of your past or the hand of your potential, while the right is sometimes called the hand of your future or the hand of your actualization. Generally speaking, think of your left hand as where you’ve been and your right hand as where you’re going.

Each hand differs in the way its mounts, special zones, and lines look, one hand may even have something the other doesn’t have! So it’s important to exam each hand on their own, and for a deeper reading put the information together. (In order to make the above diagram easier to read, I’ve separated the information across two hands, but all points are mirrored across the hands.)

This guide is a starter guide, however, and won’t be getting into advanced structure palmistry such as knuckles, nails, palm/finger shape, or special markers, so keep that in mind.

I suggest making sure your hands are clean, well moisturized, and rested before you read them so that you can get the most clear and accurate read possible.

Note: * I did my best to include as even number of pros and cons as I could for everything but the literature is very biased… Don’t be discouraged if you have many “bad” traits, as they are all strengths, tools, or things to learn from (in their own way).

Terms

Full: a large amount of skin/muscle

Flat: a small amount of skin/muscle

Weak: difficult to see

Strong: easy to see

Start, of a line: shortest distance to, or touching, the outer edge of the hand

End, of a line: shortest distance to, or within, the center of the palm

Short: line ends at the center of the palm or sooner

Long: line ends after the center of the palm

Fork: a line split into two or more parts

Break: a line is completely separated, but the two halves are close enough to reasonably be assumed a continuation

Branch: a “V”, line, or curve that the primary line passes through

Doubled: a second, smaller line that follows closely to a primary line without crossing it

* Note: Sometimes the meaning of start and end are flipped in other literature, but these are the definitions that make sense to me personally. Once you get familiar with palmistry you can decide for yourself where the start and end are.

Mounts

Venus ( ♀ ): [Love, friendship, self-care, intuition, vitality, success.] A full mount indicates someone who has many friends or romantic/sexual relationships, takes care of themselves but may over indulge, is frivilous and impulsive, enjoys the arts and “the finer things”, seeks instant gratification, and is influential or well respected. A flat mount indicates someone who is critical, more selective with friendships/romantic partners, is not close with their family, is a deep thinker and not superficial, independent, and may face many hardships.

Mars, positive ( ♂ ): [Courage, adventure, health, interpersonal, temperament.] A full mount indicates someone who enjoys “getting out there” and is unafraid to be in the spotlight, this person may be stubborn, aggressive, or may have a thick skull, they may have good health, and they communicate effectively but are very defiant. A flat mount indicates someone who has trouble expressing their feelings, is avoidant and anxious, easily over-stimulated, cautious, introspective, and reflective.

Jupiter ( ♃ ): [Willpower, personal philosophies, self-image.] A full mount indicates someone who cares about how they are perceived by others and therefore works hard to achieve their goals and be on top. This person is hard working, ambitious, responsible, cocky, spiritual, domineering, and may be self-centered but is willing to help others. A flat mount indicates someone who is clumsy, dishonest, self-conscious, has a lack of ambition, is frugal, goes with the flow, is spontaneous, and seems to be socially and spiritually disconnected.

Saturn ( ♄ ): [Intelligence, independence, patience, duty.] A full mount indicates someone who is in control of their life, responsible and trustworthy, sentimental, cautious, a bit of a show off, and can be depressive, shy, or withdrawn although they are friendly. A flat mount indicates someone who is superstitious, has strong religious or spiritual views, is superficial, disorganized, lacks introspection, this person may have a “go with the flow” attitude, and be more relaxed and carefree.

Apollo/Solar ( ☉ ): [Wealth, outlook, imagination, compassion.] A full mount indicates someone who is quiet or mild tempered, has many artistic interests or passions, is a modest philanthropist, a perfectionist, quick-tempered and sometimes prideful, and can be envious but is outgoing and flexible. A flat mount indicates someone who over-indulges beyond their means, is disinterested in art, they do not make decisions easily, they have little imagination, are rational and level headed, and may be drawn more to history and hard science.

Mercury ( ☿ ): [Wisdom, travel, communication, business.] A full mount indicates someone who is financially successful and shrewd in business, they are quick-witted and inventive but may have little follow-through, they may lie easily, and are flexible and adaptive. A flat mount indicates someone who is easy going although may be lazy, shy, and have difficulty communicating.

Mars, negative: [Self-control, endurance, enthusiasm.] A full mount indicates someone who is steady and stable, endures many hardships, and may not be too courageous. A flat mount indicates someone who is indecisive, has bad luck, has difficulty motivating, but is calm, tactful, and resilient.

Lunar ( ☾ ): [Imagination, intuition, creativity, emotion.] A full mount indicates someone who is very creative, spiritual, sentimental, and may be depressive or have their head in the clouds. A flat mount indicates someone who is steady, conservative, logical, and may be imaginative but doesn’t express it.

Neptune ( ♆ ): [Emotions, health, success.] A full mount indicates someone who is very emotional, sentimental, enjoys good health, is charming and charismatic, this person may be cruel, may face many challenges, and may be a talented musician, poet, or writer. A flat mount indicates someone who is unreliable, asocial, without drive, and may have trouble expressing their feelings.

Special Zones

Will, tip to first knuckle: If longer than #2 Logic, it’s indicated that this person is very reliable and hard working, but acts without thinking. If this portion is full, this person is egotistical; if flat, this person is irresponsible.

Logic, first to second knuckle: If longer than #1 Will, it’s indicated that this person comes up with ideas easily but has poor follow through and execution. If this portion is full, this person is bossy; if flat, this person is indecisive.

Love, second knuckle to wrist: Look at the thumb with the nail facing you. If this portion of the thumb widens as you move towards the wrist, it’s indicated that this person has a great capacity to love. If this portion remains the same width the entire length, then they are more reserved and closed off. (This change may be difficult to see, so really examine it.)

Relationships: The number of lines indicates the number of significant romantic or non-romantic-committed relationships in your life. This does not imply marriage and the relationship itself did not have to be serious for the person’s impact on your life (or your impact on theirs) to have been in a serious way. A fork or break at the end signifies a divorce. Strong lines indicate someone who is open with their feelings and is able to be vulnerable with others. Weak lines indicate someone who is more critical regarding who they get close to but commits more seriously.

Children: The number of lines indicates the number of children in your life. This does not necessarily imply children you may birth, adopt, or foster but instead reflects the number of lives you had a serious impact on. If a child line crosses a relationship line, you and a partner were both involved with that child. Strong lines indicate healthy children or children you were greatly involved with; weak lines indicate sickly children or children who were only in your life briefly.

Major Lines

If the line ends at the index finger then this person has a lot of love to share, is a dreamer, but may be let down by their high expectations. If the line ends at the middle finger then this person is more reserved and level-headed when it comes to building relationships. If the line ends between the index and middle fingers this person is very genuine, honest, is free with their relationships, and makes friends/falls in love easily.

A short line indicates someone who doesn’t think of relationships as being very important to them, they’re independent and some would call them loners, they’re more introspective and self-reliant although selfish and bad with communication. A long line indicates someone who is open and honest but may be harsh or blunt, they may have too high of standards, and be co-dependent.

Breaks indicate instances when you’ve made a major sacrifice for someone or the end of a relationship. Branches indicate this person is consistent and considerate. A fork indicates a major dispute, separation, or divorce.

If the line crosses the Heart Line it shows this person invests a lot of time in art and leisure, is very sensitive and sympathetic, but may have a lot of life troubles. If the line is very close to the Heart Line without touching it, relationships are a major part of their life, this person is comforting and supportive. If the line is joined with the Life Line at the start and branches quickly, then they are flexible and resilient. If the line is joined with the Life Line at the start and follows along, then they are introverted, indecisive, and cautious.

A short line indicates someone who is rash and bold, cares more about material or physical accomplishments than intellectual or spiritual ones, is easily distracted, but achieves goals quickly. A long line indicates someone who is focused, stubborn, and may procrastinate.

If this person has a doubled line, educational and intellectual pursuits are of highest priority, they have a high mental ability, and they like to look at issues from multiple perspectives. A palm-facing fork indicates someone who is imaginative, creative, and has a strong social bond. An outer hand-facing fork indicates someone who is clever and ambitious, but domineering and may not meet their high expectations. Breaks indicate poor health and career shifts, people with many breaks are strong-minded and need many relationships.

A short line indicates someone who is easily manipulated, deceived, and taken advantage of, this person may be sick often, is able to easily overcome obstacles, and must take special care to understand their own limits. A long line indicates someone who is very in tune with their intuition, is resilient, enjoys sports and physical activity, has a lot of stamina and vitality, has good health, and draws strength from pushing their limits.

Breaks indicate a serious illness or injury and unexpected changes in life. Outer hand-facing forks indicate someone who is diligent, ambitious, optimistic, and successful. Palm-facing forks indicate someone who focuses and work/school, is able to keep their personal and professional relationships separate, and will do a lot of traveling. Branches pointing to the fingers indicate success and achievement, branches pointing to the wrist indicate illness, worries, or life stresses as well as achievements

If the line stops at the Heart Line, then this person is ruled by their emotions and make many impulsive decisions. If the line stops at the Head Line, then this person will have a major career change, of their own choice, and break out into their dreams. A line that ends at Apollo indicates success in the arts. A line that ends at Jupiter indicates great power. A line that ends at Saturn indicates someone who will achieve great success with little effort.

A line that starts in Venus is destined to be wealthy or notable. A line that starts on the Life Line indicates someone who co-dependent, very emotional, and may have trouble with relationships. A line that starts in +Mars indicates someone who is very successful in business. A line that starts in Luna indicates someone who is very helpful and will network easily. A line that starts on the Heart Line indicates someone who will achieve success later in life.

Breaks indicate difficulties in school and work. Branches indicate someone who will have great success and affluence. Forks indicate someone who has many dreams and goals and may be involved in multiple business ventures.

No fate line indicates someone who is go with the flow and is happy to walk any path in life.

Minor Lines

Fortune/Sun: If this line is present, it indicates someone who will have major success. They are extremely capable and have great communication skills and follow through. People with this line are very creative, sensitive, and popular. The longer the line, the greater the success and the longer you will have success. A very short line indicates someone who is ordinary but doing well. No line indicates someone who will struggle to achieve their goals, consult the Fate and/or Life lines.

Health/Intuition: If this line is present, it indicates someone who stretches themselves to the limit. Generally this is the line of psychics, empaths, and healers. People with this line should take extra precautions when spending a lot of time around people in order to preserve their health. Consult the Life and Heart lines.

Rascette/Bracelets: Most people have 3-4 of these lines. A strong first bracelet indicates good health and few obstacles in life. A strong second bracelet indicates a stable career and financial situation. A strong third bracelet indicates someone who is well respected in the community, popular, and/or influential. The presence of a fourth bracelet indicates an extremely long life. Having only one line indicates serious health upsets or depression.

tips for adhd witches!

[[before you expand: LONG text post!!]]

I got diagnosed only a couple months ago, but I have been practicing witchcraft for a little bit now. So in retrospect, here is stuff that I realized I have been doing to cope the whole time, and some new things I'm tinkering with :) Please feel free to leave your own tips or thoughts!

At all costs, avoid promising gods and spirits that YOU WILL uphold a rigid routine.

Just do not promise to give daily offerings! JUST DON'T DO IT. If you struggle with upholding a regular routine, do not promise gods or spirits you will uphold a routine for them. You should only promise things you are confident you can deliver. ((If you identify as a beginner witch it's my personal belief that you should not be promising anyone anything.))

Delete from your mindset that all witches are supposed to uphold rigid routines.

Give yourself breathing room: if you want to give scheduled offerings, maybe do one on the full moon. Or, plan it to coincide with other activities that interest you, and that you're likely to show up for.

Unless you have a few hours a week to devote to your practice, you should probably not be dedicating yourself to doing daily anything.

Rigid routine is not the only way to get regular experience with magic, build relationships with gods or spirits, or improve in your craft! You simply do not have to promise yourself or anyone else that you will do X actions at Y times.

Instead of having "do X for Y minutes on Z days" routines, try developing a streamlined ritual you can fit in anywhere for the really important stuff.

Maybe there are some really important things in your practice that you want to do on a regular basis. Maybe these are things like:

Quick personal shielding

Acknowledging and honoring spirits

General offering

Prayer for guidance

Instead of saying "I'll do shielding for 5 minutes every day after breakfast, then of course my offering ritual-", you can put a streamlined (short, easy) ritual together where you do all four of these things at once.

Deep breaths, acknowledge and honor the spirits, ask for assistance in raising a shield, offering excess raised energy to them, and praying for guidance in the upcoming task.

It should take maybe like, 2 minutes tops.

Then, slot this streamlined ritual in before most practice activities. Like:

Before other energy work

Before divination

Before spellwork

Or, use it as a sort of 'generic' access point of connection and perform this ritual:

When you shower, to calm down from the day

When you're on transit to prepare for the upcoming day

When you're feeling grateful and want to share the moment with the spirits

When you're feeling sad and need support

Instead of forcing important actions into routines that may be hard to follow, find a way to carry these actions around with you in an accessible ritual, like carrying snacks around in a bag. This way you can use other exciting activities, or other life events, as a reminder to practice your ritual of important things :)

Build a clear system of omens for yourself. Omens can intrude on your daily life and get your attention.

Maybe you have alarm blindness, forget to do divination, forget to check in with spells - so asking for omens can be a huge help. They are spontaneous messages that catch your eye. Helpful!

Research cultural omens

Research omens in your magical tradition

Journal and brainstorm personal omens

Write out, for yourself, a short list of personal omens.

Solid black pigeons mean a spirit wants attention. Seeing your favorite tree species means a spell was successful. Three gray dots means a spell failed. The scent of cinnamon buns means fortune is headed your way.

Perform a ritual announcing your chosen omens to the Powers That Be. Invite those Powers, Yourself, Life, the Universe, and Everything to send you true, accurate, and helpful messages through these omens.

Working with omens in this way is a skill that evolves over time. Your personal omen system will evolve over time if you use it. Think of it as another form of divination!

(Tip: Combine symbols with colors for an advanced system that's easy to remember. Oak trees are prosperity, but black means slow movement, red means powerful, and white means failure. After a spell you see a plumbing truck with a red oak tree logo; powerful prosperity. Etc.)

Build all your spells, rituals, and everything with the foresight that you are probably going to forget about it or not return to it for a long time.

Employ foresight and:

Encode retirement/shutdown functions into your spells!! Do you want the spell to burn out completely and leave the vessel hollow so you don't have to deal with the vessel later on? Specify that! Do you want the spell to go to 'power saver mode' and hibernate so you can save the vessel and recharge it later? Specify!

ENCODE OMENS INTO SPELLS TO REMIND YOU TO TAKE ACTIONS! "This spell brings me financial benefit, and when it runs low, I will see my omen of slow growth - a solid black tree."

Assume that you are going to completely forget that you're able to take care of this problem, so encode the spells assuming you will never remember to deal with this again:

Spell for people that will remember they want to deal with Monica (they will also be working with wards, divination, and subtle cunning): "Stop Monica at the front desk from assaulting me with her dark energies, or else limit how much of her energy can reach me."

Spell for people that are going to completely forget this is an issue they can take care of and won't do another spell on it for maybe 18 months: "Stop Monica from assaulting me with her dark energies, or reveal to everyone in the office her dark nature, but if neither of these things is possible, change something in the office so that we never interact again."

Assume you will forget about individual spells, that you will accumulate way to many spells than you can individually attend to, and that you may never take final steps like cleansing and deconstructing old spell vessels.

Build a spellcasting altar, or a spell recharging altar, where you store up all your vessels. Recharge them all at once, as often as you remember to.

Poor plan: "And when this vessel runs down I will recharge it with the waxing moon as I stand under the orange tree-" More tenable plan: "And when this vessel runs down let it drink energy from my altar; let it take up any energy that suits it; let it feed on what is available to it, according to its needs."

Focus on learning how to tie spells to external energy sources so they will stay charged for way longer.

For easy deconstruction, set blanket conditions for every vessel that it be undone and the magic erased if you take a simple action. This is called a kill code. You bake it into spells and it makes deconstruction way easier.

Try developing a barbarous word of undoing and using it every time you want to undo a vessel or a spell; this word will gain power and can become very helpful in other ways.

Once again, plan spells with the foresight that it will be difficult/unlikely for you to re-engage for formal deconstruction procedures. So, anticipate your future needs during spellcasting: "And if I ever open this jar and take out the things inside it, let this spell be released and return to the earth, let it fade away without trouble and nourish anything around it as fallen logs nourish the forest floor." This way, you know that if you accidentally forget about a spell or just take it apart, the magic already has instructions to safely dissipate and you don't have to worry.

Develop a visual language to remind you of what collected objects and spell vessels are.

This folds in real nice with a personal omen system!!

Use a combination of colors, established symbols (planetary, alchemical), and personal symbols to develop a visual conlang that helps you keep track of what things are.

If applicable, decorate or modify spell vessels so you can tell at a glance what the spell is for (violet symbol of Venus next to a paw: a spell to improve relationships with the spirits that help you with psychism)

Build a system that makes intuitive sense to you, perhaps folding in with your color correspondence associations, magical headcannon, or any other mnemonic device:

All the spells in jars are protective

Everything that's tied into a witch's ladder is about prosperity

If it has a red X on it, that's a hex

If it has a 7-pointed star, it involves your dragon guide

If you store it in a bag that has blue on it (blue print, blue button, blue tie-string) then that object is related to cleansing

Your personal visual language will gain its own power over time if used regularly, in the way that egrigores or sigils can gain power if used consistently over time :) It can become a real magical tool, not just a mnemonic device!

During spirit work, just clearly communicate that your sporadic presence has nothing to do with your dedication 🤷

When you conjure/talk to/pray to gods, spirits, or anything, address the fact that your communication/rituals/etc ARE going to be sporadic. Explain yourself and ask the spirits to extend understanding.

Some spirits/gods/etc are going to demand regular routine. AND IF THEY EXPECT THAT, then you guys need to get on the same page ASAP as to whether or not that's possible.

Spirits can be incredibly forgiving and understanding, but unless you tell them why you are sometimes around and sometimes not, they do not necessarily know what's going on.

Your spirit guide may have not read the DSM-5. Obelon the Fox-Man might not be up-to-date with the 2025 diagnosis criteria for ADHD, and Obelon might not recognize that you are struggling with a disorder that can mimic inattentiveness. Obelon might be asking why you appear to be so enthusiastic, and yet only call for him once every 5 weeks.

Just explain!! Explain what you are comfortable explaining. Give them reassurances and ask them to not misinterpret your ability to be present.

At all costs, avoid making your path a carrot that you dangle in front of yourself to try and force yourself to fix your brain through sheer force of will.

If the way you talk to yourself about your path sounds like someone struggling with unhealthy dieting, maybe it's time to readjust.

"I just need to do my daily offerings, on schedule, for two weeks. Then I will have earned researching tarot spells."

Maybe it's not a good idea to intentionally include witchcraft in a cycle of reward and denial that will ultimately drain joy from the process until your passion is a withered husk.

Witchcraft isn't going to force your brain to change any more than Stardew Valley was going to force your brain to change. Or that time you got super into succulents. If your time spent studying wool quality in heritage European sheep breeds didn't cure your disorder, witchcraft won't either.

Witchcraft, I think, deserves to be something that is a part of your joy - not a part of a system of stressful attempts at making yourself into someone you're not because "real witches" all do such-and-such routine (I assure you, they do not) so you must force yourself to do it too.

(Incidentally, if you have a 'streamlined ritual for the important stuff' and it becomes a barrier that prevents you from practicing, then maybe that's not a good idea for you - or maybe it's not as simple and streamlined as you need it to be)

STOP trying to build a static path. Lean into temporary hyperfixations.

There is SO MUCH to learn in witchcraft. It's never-ending. The more you learn, the more doorways open for you with more things to learn behind them.

This is not college, you do not have to declare your major. You don't have to wait to decide on your 'magic specialization' before you start learning.

This is not college, you don't have to take semesters of boring general ed classes before you're allowed to start studying what interests you.

Unless you are getting into very serious initiations, learning stuff, advancing your skills, and building your path is not going to shut doors and prevent you from getting into something else.

If something excites your interests, GET INTO IT! Don't force yourself to ignore what you're passionate about because you think serious, responsible witchcraft is supposed to be rigid, boring, and tedious. (It isn't!)

Avoid declaring your major. As in, maybe the idea of energy glamours is super exciting, so on day 1 you create a lesson plan that will realistically take you 70 weeks to complete. Based on your history, is it reasonable that you will maintain this specific interest in glamours for over a year?

Avoid making lesson plans that intentionally slow you down and make shit boring for no good reason. If energy glamours interest you, are you (*scrolls up*) using energy glamours as a carrot to force yourself to engage in a tedious magical workout routine? Is the reason the lesson plan takes 70 weeks because you decided to spend weeks slowly moving through each phase so you have time to spam energy work exercises?

You know yourself better than I know you. Maybe wanting to slow down and engage in your focuses in a new way is the goal. Of course, listen to yourself first!

But if you have a temporary burst of energy and focus to learn a new skill, and learning that skill won't require you to make unhealthy personal or financial decisions, why not just lean into it and explore it moment by moment, wherever your interests take you?

I think you'd probably learn a lot more doing and undoing 20 glamours in a week, because you're freaking out about how fucking cool it is, than if you practice 1 basic glamor exercise once a day because that's what real disciplined witches do, and then 11 days later you forget it once and never do it again and now your interest has faded because glamouring is just another boring chore.

Invest some time and energy into figuring out exactly what your bare minimum of responsibility and upkeep actually is.

How often do you need to recharge your wards to keep them functioning normally?

Once you've explained your own needs and limits, how often do your spirits actually request offerings?

Are you 100% sure the spirits you're working with expect offerings in the first place?

Are those offerings expected to be physical, or do thoughts and prayers suffice?

How often should you perform a personal cleansing to keep yourself feeling magically refreshed?

Feeling anxious or guilty over whether or not you're supposed to be taking certain actions is NO FUN.

It is much less fun if you don't actually know how often you need to do these things. Then it's just all guessing, all the time, and nothing is ever good enough.

If at all possible, avoid putting yourself into a situation where you feel that you are supposed to be doing something responsible in your practice, but you're never sure exactly what it is.

Spend some practice time, learn some skills, and make notes, to discover whether or not you do have any minimum engagement requirements in the style of practice you want. And most importantly, having clear 'deadlines' so you don't have to keep guessing at what you're forgetting about this time.

Here's a reminder that I don't tolerate TERFs in pagan spaces, and if anyone following me is a TERF, get out.

The gods don't subscribe to your hateful rhetoric, and they love all of their trans worshippers.

A Brief Introduction to Energy Work

Energy work as most of us know it was heavily influenced by certain beliefs that the body's health depended on a healthy flow or balance of vital force, and that said force could be manipulated through certain practices. The whole concept of qi energy and qigong were pretty big influences here. Other influences included persistent European beliefs in vitalism, the concept of animal magnetism, and a rising awareness of electricity and radiation, which to many people seemed to provide justification for many old paranormal and metaphysical beliefs.

Now of course, we now know that vitalism just isn't a thing and that flickering lights in your house have more to do with bad wiring than ghosts, but energy work itself continues to persist. (Although these days, it's often justified with terrible misunderstandings of quantum physics.)

I also feel that I'd be irresponsible not to mention that there is no evidence that energy healing can be relied upon to heal serious medical issues, and that many people offering energy healing sessions for sale are basically just scammers. If you ever find yourself in a position where you have to choose between paying for an energy healing service and paying for evidence-based medicine, put your money on evidence-based medicine.

With that out of the way, I do believe that energy work can have benefits. Like in my own experience, energy work can't cure chronic depression, but it can sometimes lift some of those heavy feelings. It might not completely cure your flu, but it can most probably help you relax, which will help your immune system work better. And I really can't argue with the efficacy of energy shielding so far as warding goes.

So with all that out of the way, how does one practice energy work?

Energy work is often practiced by visualizing energy moving and converging wherever you need it, often using your hands, fingers, or something like a wand to focus it. Let's say for example that you feel a sense of tightness or heaviness in your sternum area. You might place your fingers over it and visualize a white light clearing away the tension.

Energy work can also include drawing symbols. My go-to for banishing that sense of heaviness is to trace my finger over my sternum in a sun shape (a regular old circle with rays, much like this one 🌞), visualizing the lines in a bright sunny yellow.

It can also include breathwork. Here's one possible personal shielding technique using this: Take a deep inhale while visualizing protective energy from the earth coming up into your body and filling your core. Then exhale while imagining this energy pushing out of your body and forming a protective shield.

Also, while many energy work techniques involve using energy from positive emotions, you don't have to limit yourself to them. You can put your shitty emotions to good use. For example, if you're warding your space by tracing protective symbols on your walls, you might channel aggressive feelings into them to give them some bite.

Now of course, these aren't all the things you can do with energy work, or all the ways you can practice energy work. This is just a quick intro. But if you combine even just this basic comprehension with a broader comprehension of color correspondences and symbology, you'll find that it's pretty versatile.

Happy witchin'!

the gods understand your disabilities, mental health, and neurodiversities.

they understand if your disabilities, mental or physical, prevent you from being able to go outside.

they understand you even when you cannot articulate what you mean during prayer or cannot find the words to express gratitude and love.

they understand if you can't spend much time or stand still at their altars.

they understand if executive dysfunction keeps you from making offerings or doing a lot of active practice.

they understand if you have to take breaks and hiatuses from practicing to focus on yourself and your mental or physical health.

they understand if you lose focus during meditation/trance work or cannot do it to begin with.

they understand you and are with you when you cannot get out of bed for mental or physical reasons.

they understand you and are with you during times when you cannot care for yourself or love yourself.

the gods will always understand, love, and accept us for who we are. we are all valid, and we are seen and heard by the gods, even when it feels as if we are alone. 💙

People don’t realize how much we sound like other things because we are created from the same laws of physics. “That potato in the microwave sounds like it’s screaming” is funny because it really is, air is vibrating out of a small hole which is how our throat works too. The babbling river that sounds like humans whispering, that’s because it’s a wet hollow cave with echo delivering the same functionality. The river doesn’t just sound like us, we sound like a river. They use a metal trashcan to create a lion’s roar for movie sound effects. But the truth is, not only does a trashcan sound like a lion, a lion sounds like a trashcan. Cars purr when you turn them on. Everything is like everything else. Inanimate objects are not so far away from life as it seems.

Remember the next time you feel more alone in the company of large buildings, or maybe less alone among the rocks of the river, that they are not completely unlike the parts of you.

hey we’re gonna go down to the creek and yell in an hour if you’re interested