Witchshkt

witches don't gatekeep knowledge or little aids, so I hope this cheat sheet is as helpful for you as it is to me.

(Slightly in response to a post seen on @starlightomatic 's Tumblr, posted by @jewish-harrypotter)

Okay I know we always talk about Jewish Wizards on Chanukah lighting candles with magic but

How about doing it the traditional way.

How about that one family who’ve been magical since the dawn of magic. They’ve been there since the beginning, learned traditional magic at the knees of their fathers in Egypt and from within secret caves while hiding from the Romans. They’ve watched the building of Hogwarts and the rise and fall of dark wizards, been expelled from Samaria and France and England and throughout it all, they have carried their traditions on. 

How about one family that has been lighting the Chanukah candles the traditional way, with a flame struck by a piece of wood and a dot of phosphorus or flint, anything that will light the way their forefathers did it. Every once in a while, the youngest child will ask why they do it the “muggle way”, and then the oldest of the elders - the matriarch, usually - will set the child down on a couch with a blanket and will tell them the story of their ancestors. 

Or how about the young muggleborn witch or wizard. 

How about the young muggleborn who has never really felt as if they belonged in either place - too muggle for magic, too magic for muggle, too religious for this secular school, not religious enough for her ultra-orthodox relatives; a foot in each world but unstable no matter where their foot lands. 

How about the young muggleborn who takes comfort in the customs and traditions of her parents in a place where everything is new and kind of scary. How about the feeling of comfort that comes from doing something that both predates you and will outlive you. 

Yes, an incendio would do just fine. Yes, magic is the life they live and the air they breathe. 

But tradition runs in their veins alongside the stories of their ancestors.

Sometimes, the magic doesn’t feel quite right... But tradition? That is enough.

I will be posting excerpts

My Digital Grimoire is Complete*!

All of the pages on my digital grimoire are complete! Feel free to look through them and reference them if you need to!

There are pages on:

color associations

animal associations

moon phase associations

associations of the moon in different signs

tarot card meanings (including yes/no)

associations of herbs and botanicals

crystal associations

hellenic deities

associations of different kinds of water (ex: moon, sea, river, well...)

associations of days of the week

associations of days in the wheel of the year

associations of planets

I hope this helps somebody!

*i will continue to add little things here and there to the site but all the basic stuff is done!

good questions to ask tarot

in my opinion you can ask the tarot anything, but here are some ideas for those who don’t know where to start

Love/Relationships:

- What kind of partner would be best for me?

- How will I know when I’ve found the right person?

- Is my heart ready for a relationship?

- Is the person I’m interested in right for me?

- Is there anything I need to know about the person I’m interested in/dating?

- Are there any red flags in my relationships that I’m oblivious to?

- Is the person I love deceiving me in some way?

- What purpose does this relationship serve in my life? 

- How can I build more emotional intimacy between me and my partner?

- How can I attract love into my life?

- What’s the biggest obstacle in my relationships?

- What stops me from getting emotionally vulnerable with my loved ones?

- How can I be more sensitive to my loved ones needs?

Career/Life Path

- How can I become more open to understanding my life’s purpose?

- What would be the result of pursuing the career I have in mind?

- What should I do to figure out which career path is meant for me?

- What obstacles do I need to overcome in order to achieve my goals? 

- Are the goals I’m working toward right for me?

- What can I do right now to better align me with my life’s purpose?

- How can I unlock my hidden talents?

- What skills do I possess that I can utilize to get closer to my goals? 

- What’s the best strategy to advance in my career path?

Feeling Stuck/Depressed/Anxious

- What is the root of my emotional turmoil?

- Why am I still carrying this emotional baggage?

- How can I let go of emotional burdens stopping me from being my best self?

- What is the reason that I feel stuck and directionless right now?

- Where can I find my next new adventure?

- Why does _________ bother me so much?

- What can I focus on to clear my mind of what’s weighing me down?

- What action do I need to take to be more emotionally balanced?

- How can I find what makes me happy?

Relationship Troubles or Break-ups

- What is the root of the problems in my relationship?

- When did these problems start to cause conflict?

- Should I try to stay and work things out or should I just move on?

- Is my relationship causing more harm than good?

- I know this relationship is bad for me but I don’t know how to leave. What should I do?

- What purpose did this relationship and its ending serve in my life?

- What was I able to learn from this experience? 

- How can I ease my mind and let go of my grief?

- Why did this break-up have to happen? 

Spirituality

- How can I become more aligned with my spirituality?

- What purpose does spirituality serve in my life?

- What does my higher power look/feel like?

- What does the universe want me to know right now? 

- How can I open myself up to receive messages from the universe and/or my higher power? 

- How can I gain more awareness of my subconscious mind?

- What’s blocking my intuition?

- How can I become more in tune with the universe’s vibrations?

- How can I find my spiritual purpose in my life?

- What action can I take to strengthen my spirituality?

You!

- What’s something unique about who I am?

- How can I gain more awareness of my identity?

- What best describes my personality?

- What is a trait that others can see in me that I’m oblivious to?

- What kind of hidden talents do I possess?

- How can I unlock my true passion?

- How can I be more confident in my self-expression?

- What’s a good way to learn to express my true emotions? 

- Where do you see me in the future?

- What do I still carry with me from the past?

Mabon * urban witchcraft * some tips from traveling mystic *

Autumn is a special time for me when I stay in the mountains - at remote villages, wandering in the forest and climbing mountains to gather last herbs. And now to find myself in the heart of chaotic Hanoi, it’s completely different experience… 

These are the ways to celebrate autumnal transition, Mabon while staying in the chaos of city life:

***share the blessings*** 

open free tarot readings at your favorite coffee shop

volunteer your skills for project \ organisation which inspires you

invite your friends to sit together in autumnal moon light and share some food and stories

give away things  

***slow down and turn your mind towards meditation***

don’t rush for new projects

cut off senseless noise (music, small talks and messaging)

drink more water and keep healthy diet, enjoy the fruits of the season

walk with awareness, breath with awareness

burn candles in the evening while drinking your tea and reflecting on your accomplishments, goals, approaches to the things, journal about that

***do magic***

sigils on balance, healing, letting go old things, get rid of blockages  

do shadow work with tarot cards, journaling or create shadow altar and explore its opportunities

to dive into the energy of this time, pray, dream, visualize and do other witchy things - create a space filled with autumnal leaves, fruits, sweet gifts of nature, put there some ancestor photos, add symbols of death and old age

***have  long walks in parks and around city lakes, watch old people and kids***

***de-clutter your house or backpack, finish old projects***  

***share stories with travelers you meet on the road***

***drink local tea***

***use crystals: carnelian, lapis lazuli, tiger eye, amber, serpentine, amethyst, clear quartz 

and herbs: rose hips, chamomile, yarrow, marigold, sage, saffron***

🌱 • Herb Magick 101 • 🌱

Herb Magick is one of the oldest types of magick on Earth. It can be traced back to the early history of almost every ancient culture, and much evidence exists suggesting that herbal magick even existed in prehistory.

Put simply, herbal magick is the practice of utilizing the spiritual energy of non-living plant matter. It should not be confused with plant magick - which is utilizing the energy of living plants - or with herbalism - which is utilizing herbs for medicinal healing.

Every species of plant contains a unique type of energy, and using specific herbs (on their own or in combination) allows you to add specific energy to your spells.

In modern witchcraft, herbs can often be thought of as “ingredients” or “flavorings” to a spell. They’re not needed, but they add spice (buh dum tchhh 🥁).

Herbs are amazing because they’re so versatile. The most common ways of using herbs are in tinctures/potions (boiling herbs in water like a tea), in oils (extracting the essential oils from herbs by soaking them in base oils like almond oil or olive oil), in incense (burning the herbs on a candle or on charcoal), in candles (dressing candles with herbs to charge them), and in sachets (carrying the herb with you in a small bag). There are so many more techniques than these, too, and it’s up to you to decide how you like to work with herbs. Their uses are endless, though, and their energy will go wherever you place the herb, so sprinkle with caution!

Some Commonly Used Herbs:

• Sage - for cleansing

• Rosemary - for beauty, femininity, and empowerment

• Chamomile - for sleep, calm, and dreams

• Wormwood - for communicating with the dead and strengthening psychic powers

• Lavender - for calming and releasing

• Vervain - for binding, blessing, and tapping into the energy of the Goddess

• Dandelion - for luck and wishing

• Rose - for love and beauty

• Cinnamon - for good vibes and enticing spirits

• Apple - for abundance

• Cannabis - for detaching the Ego and elevating vibration

Some Herbs to be Cautious of:

• Belladona/Nightshade - poisonous - used for death, dreams, psychic powers, mind control, transformation, and certain types of astral projection

• Henbane/Wolfsbane/Aconite - poisonous - used for uncrossing and reversing

• Arnica - irritant - used for protection and regeneration

• Pokeroot - poisonous - used for aggressive purification

• Vervain - moderately poisonous

• Apple Seeds - poisonous in large amounts - used for tapping into nature energy

• Wormwood - mildly poisonous/hallucinogenic

• Many others so do your research!!!!!

Never ingest anything unless you absolutely know what you’re doing. I repeat, do extensive research!!

There are literally hundreds of types of herbs; study up, and practice!

Happy witching! 🕉

PS: I’ll be creating an herb master post soon, and I’ll update this post with the link when it’s ready.

What are your favorite Latin phrases or just phrases in general?

omg this is a cool question, let me try to recall some of my favs:

per adua ad astra, and all it’s variations (per aspera ad astra, sic itur ad astra, and so on). they’re all various ways of saying “through hardship, you will go the stars”. Idk, ever since I first learned the phrase, it’s always stuck with me as one of the most beautiful expressions.

Veni, vidi, vici- I came, I saw, I conquered. It sounds imposing and powerful and like something i’d have tattoed on myself if i was a battle-scarred warrioress.

semper ad meliora- always towards better things. I like it simply because a) it sounds nice to say (which is a common factor for all my favorite phrases, tbh) and b) it’s inspirational, as cheesy as that seems.

Auribus Teneo Lupum- “I hold the wolf by the ears,” this one is actually an ancient proverb.

bellum se ipsum alet- “war feeds itself”

capax infiniti- “holding infinity”

luctor et emergo- “I struggle and emerge”

dum vivimus, vivamus- “while we live, let us live”

“ita vero” is a phrase I always wish I could have courage to throw out in casual conversation, since it just means “thus indeed” and it’d be hella eloquent to use it while trying to sound smart.

lux aeterna- “eternal light”

nec aspera terrent- “they do not fear the difficulties”

I wanna share my favorite source’s keywords for the planets:

Sun: affection, ambition, authority, burning, children, citrus fruits, coins, constitution, courage, creativity, dignity, domineering, ego, emperors, energy, extravagance, fame, father, fiery, fire, gambling, generosity, gold, haughty, health, honour, hot, husband, identity, individuality, jewellery, joy, laughter, life, light, lions, magnanimity, nobility, ostentation, orange, passion, peacocks, pomp, popularity, positive, power, pride, prosperity, purpose, royalty, simplicity, spine, spirit, spotlights, stardom, strength, Sunday, superiors, vitality, warmth, will, yellow

Moon: agriculture, changes, childbirth, community, dairies, emotions, families, fecundity, feelings, fermentation, fluctuation, fluids, general public opinions, health, insanity, instinct, intuition, mariners, maternity, Monday, moods, mother, nursing, oats, plumbers, public, reproduction, response, silver, tears, the common people, the people, water, women, women

Mercury: air travel, authors, bargaining, books, clerks, clothing, commerce, computers, dealing, documents, editors, history, hygiene, intellect, language, lectures, logic, mercury (metal), messages, mind advertising, nerves, post, respiration, signals, talking, telephones, trade, transport, transportation, typewriters, Wednesday, wind, wit, writing, youth

Venus: amusement, art, beauty, boudoirs, brass, confectionery, dance, desire, dimples, doves, emeralds, entertainment, fashion, femininity, flowers, grapes, humour, immorality, intimacy, justice, lingerie, love, marriage, marriage, money, music, partnership, partnerships, pleasure Adornment, relationships,social interactions ,romance, relaxation, sexual intercourse, social centres, societies, style, women

Mars: armour, armies, blood, butchers, cars, controversy, disease, drive, energy, engineering, executives, garlic, guns, heat, heroes, incense, inflammations, iron, knives, locks, murder, passion, penetration, pipes, pirates, radiators, razors, sarcasm, stamina, sport, surgery, tobacco, virility, war, wrestlers

Jupiter: amplification, big, capitalism, celebrations, college, courts of law, doctors, expansion, feet, foreign countries furry animals, glory, gluttony, grand, humour, joviality, large, law, legality, luck, ceremonial magic, merchandise, merit, millionaires, monasteries, optimism, orthodoxy, over-indulgence, philanthropy, philosophy, preachers, prestige, professors, profit, pulpits, religion, science, ships, splendour, success, thighs, tin, Thursday, travel, truth, wisdom, religion, priests, The Law, courts and justice, aristocracy, publishing, overseas travel

Saturn: agriculture, archaeology, architecture, bones, cattle, civil service, death, domination, fatigue, history, land, leather, minerals, monogamy, monotony, obstacles, old age, perseverance, restriction, Saturday, self control, time, twilight, underground, widows, yesterdays. Old Father Time, Traditions, history, stability, authority, order, mines, death

Uranus: attraction, break-ups, chaos, disruption, divorce, earthquakes, eccentric, exciting, fanatical, freedom, major change, outrageous, quirky, rebellious, revolutionary, shocks, sudden, surprises, unconventional, unprecedented, unpredictable, unusual,  changes, revolutions, anarchy, innovations, technology, earthquakes

Neptune: alcohol, art, confusion, cynicism, deception, deep, disguise, disillusionment, dissolving, dreams, drink, drugs, escapism, fraud, ideas, imagination, instability, music, mystery, mysticism, oceans, poisoning, sea, smoke-screen, socialism, softness, transcendence, veil, water, yearnings, reform, ideals, trends, art

Pluto: communism, compulsive, crime, darkness, death, deep, hidden, magic, mystery, nuclear energy, occult, orgasm, paranoid, profundity, psychology, rebirth, recycle, reform, renewal, reproduction, revolutionary, self-transforming therapies, healing, sex, subconscious, taboo, transformation, unconscious, underneath, undermining, underworld, volcanoes, the underworld, detectives, disruption, decline, regeneration

Tarot Reading for Pets

Ever wonder what your furry (or feathered, or scaly) friend is really feeling? Tarot can help bridge the communication gap between you and your beloved companion.

Here’s a gentle 3-card spread to tune into your pet’s energy:

1. How is my pet feeling?

Uncover the emotions or energies your pet is experiencing—comfort, anxiety, joy, or perhaps something deeper.

2. What does my pet need right now?

This card highlights what they may be craving—more rest, stimulation, space, or simply extra cuddles.

3. What can I do to support my pet better?

Receive intuitive guidance on how to show up for them more lovingly and intentionally.

This reading is especially helpful if your pet has been acting out of character, recovering from something, or just seems off. Pull with compassion and keep treats nearby—you might just unlock a new level of connection.

Don’t forget: animals feel energy too. Be soft, be open, be love.

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