Asked & Answered

I've been ruminating on this since this question landed in my inbox, and I gotta say, I'm not sure! I haven't written a ton recently since I've been preoccupied with other projects (Pages' Journey, finishing my novel, TTRPG worldbuilding, IRL witchery, etc etc etc).

My "content" has changed quite a bit, and I haven't been posting educational content recently. So I wouldn't say there's anything I'd like anyone to learn from me.

Rather, I hope there are a few takeaways. Not lessons, necessarily, but things to pick up and carry along. In no particular order:

• Be curious
• Do what makes you happy
• Share what makes you happy to share
• Be silly with your friends
• Have hope for the future
• Anyone can do divination, it's a matter of finding the right method that suits you
• Anyone can do magic, it's a matter of finding the right method that suits you
• Soup good
• To change is divine

Hello! Thank you very much! I sometimes think about how hesitant I was to post that little story, because it's so deeply personal. I'm glad I did, though.

It didn't bloom last spring; instead, it put out a ton of new branches and big leaves to suck up the sun's rays. It might this year, but I don't know! I'm long past rushing this sort of thing. Better to have hope and forgive the slowness that comes from waking from the long sleep in the shade. Isn't that what we all deserve, after all?

Whenever it does bloom, I'll share the pictures. But it's not really about the flowers for me, though lots of folks get hung up on that part. No, for me, it's the endurance. The choice of hope and faith in the future, come what may. The survival. The flowers are a reward, but so are the leaves that grew even in the shade; so are the new little branches, sparse as they were for so long; so are the limbs reaching to the sky and the roots burrowing deep into the earth.

It doesn't matter if I see flowers, because the plant will be there either way. But I have faith that I will, someday. Even if that faith is misplaced, I don't mind. It's the keeping going that matters. It's the endurance. Y'know?

Hello! Y'know, honestly, I could not tell you the last witchcraft book I read from cover to cover. I either DNF out of boredom or get very little out of them at this point, so I can't really recommend any books reliably!

Instead, I read things like books written by local authors about my area's history, folklore, wildlife, and plants. Or I'll go looking for interesting books about niche subjects, like the history of specific food. The example I always reach for is the book I once read about the history of alcohol around the world and how alcohol has helped to shape culture. Super cool, and it gave me lots of ideas about what various alcohols could be used for in magic.

I find that a lot of witchcraft books are geared toward beginners on purpose. Looking elsewhere for ideas and inspiration is both a challenge for folks trying to go from "beginner" to "intermediate" and a useful tactic to diversify knowledge.

If you really want to dig deeper beyond beginner-level books, look at the sources cited in the books you've already read. Have you read all of those books? If not, pick one that sounds interesting and see if you can find a copy. This is something I do with books on history and folklore, too, and it helps to deepen my understanding on a given subject.

Beyond that, I'm afraid I have no specific suggestions!

Hello! Good question! I think there are a couple things going on here that are all getting mushed together. Let me break it down a little here since this answer got kinda long, and I want it to be cohesive, lmao.

Intuition vs Bias:

First and foremost, intuition can't be separated from bias. Bias is going to exist no matter what, because intuition is, in part, fueled by bias. You could get a bad vibe from someone based off intuition that your mind is providing to you... but it's based off internal biases such as racism, prior negative experience, religious or spiritual beliefs, etc.

The key isn't to remove bias from intuition, it's to recognize when your bias is getting in the way of interpreting information, signs, and messages. And it sounds to me like you're already partway there - you're aware that your gut feeling isn't always matching your divinatory results. Being aware of your biases is a good way to recognize when you're getting an Actual Vibe versus Wishful Thinking. Before you can trust your intuition, you must first challenge it.

In your case, my primary questions are: Which is turning out to be correct, your gut feeling or the contradictory divination? Do you have a way to verify one way or the other? Are you only asking questions you can't otherwise verify? (For example, asking whether you have an energy-draining hex on you when you're not skilled in other types of hex detection such as energy work.)

Pre-Divination Gut Feelings:

I have a similar issue where I'll have a feeling before divining that I know the answer. Sometimes, I'm right! But sometimes, I'm wrong. What I do is I take note of the impulse and then set it aside for the actual divination. I tend to trust the divination itself more than my gut feelings, but if I'm in doubt, I'll ask the same question again with a different tool to see what result I get. If I'm getting different answers every time or I'm having problems with clarity, I set it aside, ask for a second opinion, or recalibrate.

"Recalibrating" for me looks like asking a question I can get an immediate answer for. "How will this movie end?" "Where are my keys?" "When will my food delivery get here?" "What color will the next car to drive by be?" Et cetera. If I get an accurate answer, I'm recalibrated. If not, I might need to do a cleanse or just set divination aside for a while to let things settle and reset.

I might also be using the wrong tool for the job. And sometimes, I'm just too close to a situation to get an accurate read on it. If my Gut Feelings are strong enough and I'm unaware, it'll completely change my divination output, because I'll be interpreting things through a particular set of expectations. In this case, I either leave it alone or ask for another diviner's input, either about the divination I've already done or to ask for an independent read on the situation.

Since I've been doing this for a long while, I can sort of tell when I'm not getting correct answers. It's different from simple intuition; it's a set of senses I've developed to detect interference, blockages, and other issues.

For me, intuition feels different than these senses. Intuition is very sudden and often unbidden, and a bit of dissection reveals the biases behind it. The extrasensory input is slower, and it often comes with a physical sensation to help me differentiate. Some folks don't or can't differentiate; I couldn't for a long time and had to put a lot of effort into it.

For you, I can't tell you one way or the other. The only way to figure it out is by practicing and questioning where the intuitive thoughts are coming from and whether they end up being correct.

On Doing Things Your Own Way:

Let's use the matchstick divination as an example. You're supposed to read the positions in the water according to the traditional approach. If you ignore the impulse to read the flames, are you getting accurate results? Do you have better results following your intuition and reading the match lighting itself?

The purpose of divination is to obtain reasonably accurate answers to specific questions. You can divine with damn near anything using damn near any interpretation method. It just has to make sense to the diviner. If traditional methods and guides don't give you accurate answers, then try it the way you feel it should be done and see how that goes. But if you're getting accurate answers from the divination despite them being not what you anticipated, then the issue is bias and wishful thinking.

The answer here really is to just try things out and see. Practice is the only way to learn accuracy.

TL;DR:

Determine whether your gut instincts or your divination results are more accurate. If you're using a guide online to interpret something, and your intuition turns out to be right, then I'd say you're onto something. But it's difficult to say one way or the other without more data. Ask questions you can easily test accuracy for, such as how your day will go or how a movie you haven't seen yet will end. I'd suggest keeping track of your divination with a journal or something similar. Take note of your chosen method (and whether it's the Traditional Way or Your Way), gut feelings (or lack thereof), the divination results, and then eventually the Actual Results.

Try different tools and methods. There may not be a pre-written guide for you to follow in the end if you want accurate results from a method that feels good to use. You might have to make up your own rules. The key is to abide by those rules once you've made them. Don't bend them around to suit your gut - because that is bias, and that's no good.

It's tough to give advice for this sort of thing, since I don't know how intrusive your parents are. In general, I would advise against any actions that would put you in danger or that would get you into anything more than "standard" trouble (scolding, etc.). Especially if you're reliant on your parents at the moment, it's better to wait until you're free to take risks like that. If you can successfully hide a deck of cards somewhere they're unlikely to find it, like somewhere not at home or in a box in your closet, go for it.

However! I love flashcards as divinatory tools, and I say good on you for taking initiative to make your own tarot cards. It's a great exercise! For those, I have advice: The flimsiness can be helped by laminating them.

The easiest way to do this would be to use two-inch clear tape. Stretch out a length of tape, enough to leave a half inch of space on both narrow sides and one broad side of the card. Lay it down gently, pressing the tape flat to the card's surface. Cover the entire surface; if your flashcards are standard size, you might only need two pieces of tape.

(Of course, it's 100% possible to do this with, like, clear scotch tape. It's just more time consuming!)

Once you've got one side covered, turn it over and do the same thing to the other side. Get all the air bubbles you can out of them. Then, trim the edges - not all the way to the card's edge, necessarily, but close to it.

And voila! The tape gives the cards more structure, and they'll be more durable, lasting longer and resisting warping. They might still be a touch more difficult to shuffle than normal cards, but you should try testing out different shuffle methods, too. Learn to riffle/bridge shuffle, or lay them down and mix them up.

Hopefully this helps some! If lamination isn't possible for whatever reason, the alternate shuffle methods is probably my #1 choice. Just because it isn't "standard" or "the way 'most people' do it" doesn't mean it won't work.

Hello! I recalled an ask put up by @crazycatsiren and added to by @windvexer on the same topic... and found that you've sent this ask to someone else already!

I don't have much to add, I'm afraid! I agree wholeheartedly with both Lorelei and Chicken. I struggle to maintain perfect focus in my spells due to ADHD, too, and I don't usually bother trying since it just causes frustration, making me want to quit.

If you really feel like you Need to Focus Really Hard, try doing so in fits and bursts. Design spells so that they're composed of several short segments to which you can fully apply your thoughts. And I do mean short, like, as short as 15 seconds short. Build up the energy and shove it all at once while you've got the focus. You know?

Alternatively, focus methods for other tasks can work. For me, a bit of ambient music without lyrics goes a long way. Divination, for example, requires quite a lot of focus; I put on lo-fi synthwave for that, since it's rhythmic and unobtrusive.

In the end, though, again: Losing focus or having wandering thoughts doesn't have to mean your spells fizzle. Adjust your paradigm and your methods of casting to fit your mind and your abilities, because trying to force your mind to do something it can't do "because it should" will suck the motivation right out of you.

Hello! The answer is, it depends. Partly, it depends on how the ghost is able to present. It depends on how they choose to present, too, since ability doesn't always equal choice.

It'll also depend on the perception of the person observing the ghost, too. Not everyone is going to be able to capital-S See Ghosts or other spirits. And not everyone will see them to the same degree or with the same clarity.

So, y'know, it depends.

Cleansing isn't a substitute for:

• Actual cleaning
• Warding a space
• Banishing
• Learning how to coexist with spirits
• Learning how to manage energy without wiping it clean

Secondary opinion: Cleansing can be done too often and to harmful extremes. It also isn't always harmless. Cleansing can be as baneful as a hex when aimed the right way!

(This ask was part of a larger ask game called "What's your opinion on...?")

Factually, shadow work is a Jungian psychological tool meant to be used during psychotherapy.

My opinion is that a lot of people should not be doing shadow work on their own. It can make trauma worse! It can cause new problems! It's a therapy tool, not a spiritual path to take, and like all therapy tools, if you don't know what you're doing, you can do quite a bit of damage to yourself (from experience!).

My secondary opinion is that shadow work can absolutely be useful for some people when done correctly. Personally, I very much dislike Jung and his theories. Not as much as I hate Freud, but he's up there. It's just not a model that I've ever found particularly helpful.

I think it's possible to set a generational curse, sure. But I also think they're pretty rare. Likelier suspects for multi-generational issues are simple bad luck and/or unresolved trauma.

When someone believes their family is cursed in some way, it's not usually a full-blown generational curse. However, it can certainly feel that way.

If you think your family has a generational curse, a good first step is to try and scrub it away. A strong cleansing or other working aimed at the "problem area" would be my first step. A cord cutting or other "severing" working would definitely be on the list, too, to get rid of the hooks and lines that tie the curse to the family.

All that failing, the best way to break a generational curse would be to break the cycle and become the change. This is a combination of magical work and mundane action -- wards against the effects of the curse and therapy to work through the foundation of whatever has caused the curse in the first place, for example.

All this to say, yes, I think they're a thing. But they're very uncommon, and there are plenty of solid strategies to break out of them.

Hello! No such thing as a stupid question, only a question you are nervous/embarrassed to ask!! And this is a very good and interesting question, actually!

The answer comes down to your personal preferences. For me, I wouldn't use expired herbs/spices in food or spells meant to be eaten. But I'd be fine dressing a candle with rosemary that's past its expiration. You might lose some potency, since herb/spice expirations are more about losing flavor and aroma over time than anything else.

As long as they're not moldy, clumped together, or otherwise spoiled, I think you're generally fine. If they're really old (like, three, four, five years old), you might consider replacing them even if they're not obviously moldy or smell okay.

If you're versed in energy work at all, or if you're an animist, you could try connecting with the herbs/spices/salts to detect their magical potency. That'd be a pretty good way to decide which ones can stay and which ones should be tossed.

I think I'll kick this one to the dashboard for other opinions, also! What does the Grouch think, mutuals?

Hello! So, it isn't silly, but this is a very google-able question. I don't much appreciate being treated like google.

In the name of kindness, though, I'll give you my personal definition:

A hex is a short-term baneful spell or charm cast upon a person or object in order to cause immediate discomfort, bad luck, harm, or other negative effects. (A long-term one would be a curse.) Hexing, therefore, would be the act of casting such a spell or charm.

Some folks frown upon hexing. I say, fuck around and find out. Here's a hex I wrote to fuck up a shitty ex's sex life.

I've given it some thought, and here's what I would do:

• Write a list of desired traits. Be specific, from appearance to personality to how they'll treat you. Whatever is important to you.
• Fold the list and place it in a bowl or on a plate.
• Lay a magnet on top of the folded list.
• Sprinkle red rose petals (dry or fresh) and cinnamon over the list and magnet. Include any other love/relationship based ingredients as you see fit.
• Place the bowl/plate where it won't be disturbed, preferably near a window or your front door. Continue seeking a relationship via mundane ways and wait for results. Refresh/recharge by replacing the herbs.

Best cast, I think, right before or during a full moon. I would perform this at dawn or noon, but only when the sky is perfectly clear. Use more specific or general timings as you see fit and as works within your paradigm.

Hopefully this helps! I've used this structure to attract friendships and, on one memorable occasion, an impromptu job interview in the middle of a cafe.

So I've been pondering this for like. half an hour. And I have three answers, depending on the Particular Context of the question.

If we're talking about a purpose, I'd say foundations is a correspondence I don't see people using a lot. We see success and luck and protection, but not the foundations they grow from. It's a fundamental precursor, I think, to most magics. If your foundation is no good, and you're not thinking about the thing you're tacking all this magic onto, it's gonna be shaky and may not hold together as well as you like. (Think oils, flour, stone, soil, jars, and the like. That which we build upon.)

If we're talking about a particular thing with an underrated correspondence, I'd say glass's property of refraction. Glass, I think, isn't just for clarity, but for changing perceptions. Glass is so good for this, particularly when you get to blow or form it yourself. A good piece of crystal glassware full of water set in the sun to reflect the light everywhere does wonders for changing the energy of a room.

If we're talking just about a particular material in general, non-crystal stones. Rocks. Not quartz or amethyst. Rocks. Shale, granite, gneiss. Folks just aren't using enough plain ass rocks. Go outside, pick up a rock, and learn what it is. Figure out what it could do. If nothing else... they're great for foundations.

A money bowl is a spell designed to draw money to the target. The idea is that you take a vessel (a bowl, most typically, hence the name) and fill it with herbs, stones, dollar bills, coins, and other things with the goal of attracting wealth. Some focus on just drawing in money, others emphasize the flow of money coming in and going out.

In my case, the targets are me and my partner, since we function as a household unit. My vessel is a small, green bowl filled with salt, basil, oregano, cinnamon, bay, and other money-related herbs. I also include a set of handwritten instructions for the spell, sealed with green wax. The exact construction of a money bowl depends on the practitioner's preferences.

So does the upkeep. I've made a lot of money bowls in the past with different casting methods and upkeep needs. This current iteration uses a tall, green taper candle stationed just behind the bowl. I burn it every day for at least 30 minutes, but sometimes longer, while I'm working. When I blow the candle out, I pick up the bowl and wave it through the smoke, too, to pick up any escaping energy.

I've done bowls that require burning a single candle at the new and full moons, ones that need just one candle at casting, ones that use little tealight candles, ones that just take pure energy, ones that require exchanging dollars/coins... Basically, the upkeep is recharging the spell's batteries and recasting it on a schedule (day before the full moon each month).

They're fairly simple spells to set up! I highly recommend them to beginners who are interested in money magic. The Witch of Wonderlust on YouTube has a great video on working a money bowl that's a really friendly guide on setting one up and taking care of it.