Ways To Use Sigils Masterpost

Where may I purchase a pair, please and thank you.

in the late 1790s it was in style to wear earrings depicting the execution of louis xvi.

witches, let’s talk spell books.

this is such a huge part of our craft, and i think its about time we talk about it.

a side note before we start, there is an amazing video that personally inspired me by a witch (herspeak) that you can watch here! i will include some of the information she gives in her video in this post for those of you who don’t have the time to watch!

first off… grimoire? book of shadows? whats the difference? what on earth even is a book of mirrors?? wait… there’s even more??

well first lets quickly talk about the different types of books!

grimoire: a textbook of magick, a reference book filled with anything you desire or need to remember (lists, correspondences, how-to’s, spells)

book of shadows: for wiccans/pagans, this can be seen as more religious, but it is typically more known for its personal/spiritual journal aspects (religious or not); some may use it for references also

book of mirrors: a book of reflections, for recording experimentation and its results including successes and failures (some like to keep their book of shadows pure with only successes)

book of light: a book used usually by wiccans/pagans that is used by eclectics, referring to light as knowledge; used for notes and information often to be shared whereas a book of shadows is personal and private (sort of makes me think of a less organized/personal grimoire)

the tree: a seax-wica (an anglo-saxon paganism) version of a book of shadows

book of ways: a devotional book for wiccans/pagans

(of course all of these things are up to further interpretation!)

back in the day when witchcraft was more ruled by covens, only one spell book was required for each coven, but now that witchcraft is often a solitary and/or personal path, witches are often encouraged to have their own! most witches will have either a book of shadows or grimoire. some witches will have both, and some will have one book that includes the aspects of both and call it one or the other.

let’s start with the basic thing nobody talks about… the book itself!

what should you use? well first off, you don’t need some big, expensive, and fancy leather book straight out of hocus pocus. if its so fancy that you aren’t going to work in it, don’t use it! you could use…

a sketchbook

you could make a book (a traveler’s notebook is a great idea)

an online book

a binder and insert pages

an old thrift store book and paint over the pages

you could even write and paint on paper and paste all over your walls and work space and make a room your ‘book’

you could choose something that relates to your field of magick if you have a defined one, get creative!

make sure your book a reflection of you. but remember, we are what makes books come alive. reading is what makes languages have purpose. without you there to read it, your book is meaningless. the connection between you and your book is beyond special from the first moment you begin working!

so where on earth do i start? if you already have one, what’s holding you back from working more?

well what interests you? if you don’t know yet, here is a wonderful masterpost of types of magick! find what you like, what sounds cool to you, what resonates with you, research it! (maybe make an entry about it and your discoveries!)

once you know your interests, don’t waste time on things you aren’t interested in. if you don’t care about herbal magick, don’t write down a seven page list of all herbs and their properties. i personally had to retry creating a grimoire a few times in order to learn that lesson.

so how do i bond and grow comfortable with my book? how do i create a connection? how do i give it my personal touch?

do what makes you happy.

create your own aesthetic. maybe ask friends around you what your aesthetic seems to be if you don’t know yourself. don’t follow that big ole leather book stereotype unless you like it. if you do, another great idea for aging your pages are coffee and tea stains on your paper. 

sleep with your book under your pillow! bond with it like you would your tarot deck. carry it around throughout the day. let it become a companion.

your book isn’t just a place to write about your craft, infuse your craft! if you like lunar magick, bathe it in moonlight. if you like herbal magick, spray your pages with an herb and water mix.

don’t stress about organization or a table of contents yet. you can put an index at the end when you know you’re done. its your book so you’ll probably have a sense of where things are anyways, but if you’re forgetful like me, use some labelled bookmarks!

in fact, don’t stress about it at all if you can! your book shouldn’t stress you out. mistakes happen. keep negative energy away. you and your book are a conjoined, powerful force! you can paste over pages, paint over them, or even just rip them out. in the wonderful words of herspeak in the aforementioned video, nothing is special until you say it is. 

remember, it might take a couple tries to get it right, and that’s okay! you might have to make a couple throughout your lifetime to hold all the knowledge you learn, so no worries.

don’t just copy and paste other peoples’ information into your book, that isn’t how you learn. take note of things that are important to you. are you memorizing or understanding? allow yourself to understand. if it shines and you find it important, write this information in your own words and in a setup you enjoy.

you don’t have to be an artist to make a beautiful book! your book is already beautiful, unique, and magickal because its yours!

here’s some ideas for pages in your book!

correspondence lists. i definitely think color correspondences are important for just about every witch! what do these things mean to you? how do they make you feel and what do you relate them to? do this with other things you find interesting!

devote a page to your sun and moon sign or maybe you and your partners signs and how they interact.

create a protection sigil just for your book.

make a page about your totem animal/spirit animal. please don’t appropriate these terms though, you can also use daemon, patronus, eomkin, or even just your personal corresponding animal.

you could make a page for each holiday, its history and dates, and add a paper pocket into the page filled with recipes.

you could collage things that make you think of a deity you like whether you’re secular or whether you participate. if enjoy and appreciate a deity, give em a page! if you worship or work with one or many, dive in much deeper and show how that relationship affects you.

paste in pictures from books or parts of posters that show what magick means to you.

practice spirit work? draw the spirit! collage the spirit. find art that makes you think of the spirit and pop it in there.

press plants you find, tape them in, bring a little greenery into your book. label them if you like. give them your own names if you don’t know your plants well.

write your dreams out, decorate in a way that feels right, use colors according to how it made you feel.

draw out the ingredients you want to use in a spell/potion/oil. dab a bit of the creation on the page.

make a page for your familiars. list any spells for them, where you found/adopted them, their breed and things about them, what’s their favorite snack, and if your familiar is cooperative, maybe try to get a paw/nose print!

make a pendulum chart.

find one of those adult coloring books. tear a few pages and stick them in either randomly or maybe in a page about meditation. when stressed, use it as a meditative practice.

chakras, what they mean to you, correspondences, and which you may need to work on. here is a fun test you can take that tells you if your chakras are under-active, over-active, or open.

any fictional/real witches or wizards that stood out to you? why?

write about magickal experiences you had as a child you can’t explain today. what about imaginary friends and were they imaginary?

get geeky. make spells about video games! inspire spells based on favorite characters and abilities or get inspiration from your favorite playable mages! get really creative with this one.

make a page about past lives if you know of any.

what do the elements mean to you? what are your favorites? which do you feel connected to?

stick envelopes in there and put recipes, spreads, all sorts of things in there to save some pages! utilize fold out pages for long chunks of information.

do you cast circles? what do you use? what do you think the energy looks like? the color? the shape if you don’t see it as a circle? draw the seen and unseen.

make a page about your spiritual or psychic gifts. how did you discover them?

make a list of things to research. cross them out as you do.

print out aesthetically pleasing pictures you find portray you and your craft. collage your personal aesthetic/witchy moodboard

i could list on and on, but i hope i’ve given you some creative inspiration! make your book what you want! keep researching and gain inspiration from others if you’re ever lost. feel free to message me if you ever have questions!

happy casting!

Things to Research Before Working with the Fae

Research is the most important thing to do before heading into Faery work and witchcraft. You want to have a lot of in depth and versatile knowledge covering many areas of the topic so you’ll be able to understand and interact with the Fair Folk! If you don’t want to work with the Fair Folk you can use this list to help yourself understand them and take the proper measure if you ever stumble upon them. I know the list could go on forever but I’m compiling the topics I find build a good foundation of understanding. I have compiled this list to give those interested guidance and a push in the right direction, it is best you do your own research before asking other’s personal knowledge and opinions!!

The Basics

Terminology ( Fae, faery, fairy, changeling, seelie, unseelie, sidhe, etc)

The Origins of the Fae (Tuatha de Dannan, Aos Sí, Tylwyth Teg)

Faeries in Different Cultures: Celtic (Irish, Scottish, Gaulish, French), Norse, Influences from Greek and Roman culture.

Folklore & Myths!! ex. Oisin and Tír na nÓg , Fenian Cycle, Arthurian Legend. 

Celtic Gods, Goddesses & Heroes- strong influences and connections to the Fae

Types of Faeries (study diverse types from pixies,brownies, pooka to Kelpies, Bwbach and Red caps) *Make sure you can at least answer who, what and where about them.

The Otherworlds (Tir na Nog, Caer Arianrhod, Annwn, Alfheim, Svartalfheim, etc.)

Faery Landmarks (fairy tree, fairy ring, fairy hill)

Signs of the Fae

Sacred Trees and Plants (Hawthorn) 

Protection!! very important

*Bonus if you learn Celtic Culture

Getting into Working with Them

Connecting to Nature and the Land

How to Banish Faeries & Protect yourself, house, family, etc.

Faery Behaviour and Proper Etiquette

Proper Offerings, How to give an Offering

Animals associated with the Fair Folk and Why? (raven, deer, etc)

Faery Festivals and Holidays (Samhain, Midsummer, Beltane)

Why certain things offend them- iron, saying “thank you”,etc.

The Courts (Seelie, Unseelie, trooping fairies, solitary)

Setting up a Faery Altar

How to work with them in Rituals 

Faery Flowers, herbs and crystals

A proper and personal way to communicate with them!!this means developing psychic ability, tarot, meditation, signs, etc.

Hagstones, heptagram/faery star

Some Good Books :) 

The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries, by W. Y. Evans Wentz  

Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes 

Enchantment of the Faerie Realm by Ted Andrews 

Faery Craft by Morgan Daimler 

Celtic Mythology: Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes by Phillip Freeman

**if you have more topics, books or anything else feel free to add some!

All About Divination

Thank you for your trust in my guidance. But I have already answered many of your divination questions. Please refer to this list and explore as you wish.

Scrying 101

Runecasting 101

Runecasting vs. Tarot

Phyllomancy 101

Oneiromancy 101

Charmcasting 101

Cartomancy 101

Recommended Decks (with links to photos and a video)

How many decks should you have?

Who is better at which system?

Kipper vs. Tarot, Lenormand and Sibilla

Lenormand 101

How to Read with Lenormand

Answering Yes or No with Lenormand

How to Predict Timing with Lenormand

How Mirroring is Done

How Lenormand Interacts with Tarot

The Twin Cards in Lenormand and Tarot

Lenormand Cards as Feelings and Thoughts

Tarot + Oracle + Lenormand Spreads

Extra Man and Woman Lenormand Cards

The 12-Step Lenormand Grand Tableau

Lenormand vs. Tarot

Tarot 101

How to Truly Master Tarot

How Tarot Readings Really Work

Recommended Books

Tarot Meanings

What It Means to Keep Seeing the Same Suit

What It Means to Keep Seeing the Same Number

What It Means to Keep Seeing the Same Card

What It Means to Get Contradictory Cards

What Tarot’s Colors Say About Your Future

The Major Arcana as People

How to Remember the Major Arcana

How to Read “Good” Cards as “Bad”

How to Tell Physical Appearance

How to Determine Locations

How to Read Pentacles for Love

How to Decide Which Meaning to Use

How Context Dictates Meaning

The Soulmate Cards

The Forever Alone Cards

The Polar Opposite Cards

The Major and Minor Twins

The “Bad” Cards as Advice

The Cards as Yes or No

The Cards as Someone’s Feelings

The Cards as Advice vs. Outcome

The Court Cards as Thoughts or Intentions

Tarot’s Extreme Meanings

Tarot’s Twins in Lenormand

Literal Card Meanings

Career and Finances Meanings

Meanings for Timing

When Reversed is Better than Upright

The Kings in Real Life

The Queens in Real Life

How the Men in Tarot Will Treat You

The Court Cards and Gender

Physical Attractiveness of the Court Cards

The Real Deal with Tarot’s Pages

The Knights in Fiction

The Queen of Cups in Fiction

When the Court Cards Refer to You

The Best Couples in Tarot

The Emperor’s Love Compatibility

Christian Symbology in Tarot

Tarot and Sexual Behavior

True Love Combinations

Old-time Tarot Meanings

The Past and Future Cards in Tarot

Tarot Meanings for Different Decks

Why We Read Tarot Symbolically

How to Read Reversals

Tarot Combinations for Health Issues

Tarot Combinations for Mental Illness

Tarot Combinations for Cheating

Tarot and Astrology

Tarot and Countries

The Kinds of Wedding in Tarot

The Hierophant is Forever

The Lovers is Not About Choices

The Hermit in Love

The Spokes of the Wheel of Fortune

The Tower’s Duality

The Moon is Not Your Friend

The Star is the Trickiest Card in Tarot

The World is Overrated

The Greco-Roman Gods in Tarot

My Favorite Card and My Least Favorite

The Three Most Misunderstood Tarot Cards

The Three Best Cards in Tarot

The 12 Most Underwhelming Tarot Cards

Tarot Spreads

Past Life Spread

Life Purpose Spread

General Life Prediction Spread

Soulmate Spread

Sex Life Spread

Future Children Spread

Death Prediction Spread

Dream Interpretation Spread

High Priestess Spread (For Quick Predictions)

True Colors Spread (For Questions of Intentions)

Two Paths Spread (For Making a Difficult Decision)

Combined Spreads (Tarot, Oracle, Lenormand)

Ancestors Spread (For Speaking with the Dead)

When Spread (Timing with the Celtic Cross)

Major Arcana Grand Tableau (Yearly Reading Spread)

The What If Spread

The Three Wishes Tarot Spread

The Storyboard Tarot Spread

Using Tarot to Find Your True Gods

Using Tarot to Find Your Rising Sign

How to Perform the Celtic Cross Spread

Tarot Tips

How to Achieve Truthful Tarot Readings

How to Be the Best Tarot Reader You Can Be

Never Pull Clarifiers

Never Use Significators

Never Hold Back Truths

Never Read for Someone You Dislike

The Perfect Deck for Everyone

Reasons to Have Multiple Tarot Decks

Where to Buy Tarot Cloths

Do Not Worry About Mercury Retrograde

How to Enchant Your Tarot Decks

How to Use Tarot to Protect Someone

How to Use Tarot to Control Another Soul

How to Use Tarot for Vengeance

How to Predict Sports Matches with Tarot

How a Tarot Reader Influences Readings

How to Use Tarot to Confirm Your Gifts

How the Rider-Waite Can Help You

What to Do with Rogue Tarot Cards

What to Do When Tarot Scares You

You are Not Cursed

The Importance of Reading Reversals

The Language of Tarot

Tarot Needs All of its Cards

Who to Invoke During a Reading

How to Stay Safe During a Reading

Do Not Confuse Honesty with Hate

On Using Playing Cards Instead

The Right and Wrong Ways of Mixing Decks

The Most Common Tarot Reader Mistakes

The Myth of Not Reading Tarot for Yourself

Tarot Rules and Superstitions

How to Close a Tarot Reading

Tarot Etiquette

Formally introduce yourself

Use it often

Acknowledge the card that it assigns to you

Respect its identity

Do not cleanse it

Never ask it the same question twice

When You Can Ask the Same Question Again

Do not ask it basic questions

Do not use it for spying

Never dismiss its predictions

Never use another deck to confirm its answers

Read with it when you are emotional

Do not talk about it negatively

Do not blame it for your own mistakes

Do not pull away from it

Do not think of it as evil

Do not anger it

Deal your cards the right way

Shuffle your cards correctly

Respect tradition

Practice etiquette, conduct and decorum

Tarot is easily offended

On Charging Your Tarot Decks

On Modifying Your Tarot Decks

On Not Using the Whole Deck

On Secondhand Tarot Decks

Pirated Decks Also Deserve Respect

How to Store Tarot Decks

How to Greet and Thank Your Tarot Deck

How to Make Amends with Tarot

Keep your tinctures away from it

Spend time with it

Never discard it

Use a cloth with it

Trust it

Sibilla 101

Sibilla Starter Kit

How to Predict Timing with Sibilla

Oracle Cards 101

How Oracle Cards Complement Tarot

Tarot + Oracle + Lenormand Spreads

Other Divination Systems

Alternatives to Tarot

How to Really Learn Palmistry

All About Spells | All About Astrology

Tasseomancy

For more go and check my Instagram.

What is tasseomancy?

Also known as tasseography or tassology, it’s an intuitive divination technique of reading tea leaves or coffee grounds. Images changes when viewed differently so depends on reader’s perceptions. Good tool to access subconscious.

Techniques

There are different ways to interpret which area of the cup corresponds with what. There are also special cups for divination with symbols painted on its inner surface. Check diagrams: 1. Rim to bottom layout where rim area is for present, sides for near future and bottom for far future. 2. 12 month layout where you divide cup into 12 areas, from left to right each is a further future. 3. Past/future layout where left side represents past and the right side future. 4. Importance layout - rim: most important; sides: relevant; close to bottom: rival, bottom: unlucky, right from handle: lucky. Those are not all possibilities!

Reading

Get mentally prepared. Meditate, focus on the preparation of the tea and the reading. Find calm place to perform.

You’ll need a cup with a light surface, loose tea or coffee ground, stove, kettle/pot and water. Place 1 teaspoon of tea leaves in a cup, bring water to a boil and pour over your tea. Steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir and let to settle. If you’re using coffee grounds first heat them in a pot, pour into your cup and let to settle.

Focus on your question while enjoying the drink. Leave a small sip of drink in the bottom of cup. Swirl the leaves three times and turn the cup upside down on the saucer to drain the liquid. Turn the cup back and examine. What do you see?

**Reminder that "smudging" is part of a closed practice. Please call it smoke cleansing.

Myths, Creatures, and Folklore

Want to create a religion for your fictional world? Here are some references and resources!

General:

General Folklore

Various Folktales

Heroes

Weather Folklore

Trees in Mythology

Animals in Mythology

Birds in Mythology

Flowers in Mythology

Fruit in Mythology

Plants in Mythology

Folktales from Around the World

Africa:

Egyptian Mythology

African Mythology

More African Mythology

Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

The Gods of Africa

Even More African Mythology

West African Mythology

All About African Mythology

African Mythical Creatures

Gods and Goddesses

The Americas:

Aztec Mythology

Haitian Mythology

Inca Mythology

Maya Mythology

Native American Mythology

More Inca Mythology

More Native American Mythology

South American Mythical Creatures

North American Mythical Creatures

Aztec Gods and Goddesses

Asia:

Chinese Mythology

Hindu Mythology

Japanese Mythology

Korean Mythology

More Japanese Mythology

Chinese and Japanese Mythical Creatures

Indian Mythical Creatures

Chinese Gods and Goddesses

Hindu Gods and Goddesses

Korean Gods and Goddesses

Europe:

Basque Mythology

Celtic Mythology

Etruscan Mythology

Greek Mythology

Latvian Mythology

Norse Mythology

Roman Mythology

Arthurian Legends

Bestiary

Celtic Gods and Goddesses

Gods and Goddesses of the Celtic Lands

Finnish Mythology

Celtic Mythical Creatures

Gods and Goddesses

Middle East:

Islamic Mythology

Judaic Mythology

Mesopotamian Mythology

Persian Mythology

Middle Eastern Mythical Creatures

Oceania:

Aboriginal Mythology

Polynesian Mythology

More Polynesian Mythology

Mythology of the Polynesian Islands

Melanesian Mythology

Massive Polynesian Mythology Post

Maori Mythical Creatures

Hawaiian Gods and Goddesses

Hawaiian Goddesses

Gods and Goddesses

Creating a Fantasy Religion:

Creating Part 1

Creating Part 2

Creating Part 3

Creating Part 4

Fantasy Religion Design Guide

Using Religion in Fantasy

Religion in Fantasy

Creating Fantasy Worlds

Beliefs in Fantasy

Some superstitions:

Read More

May Money Find You. Like to charge, reblog to cast!

Basic Homesteading Skills

Crafts

quilting

embroidery

cross-stitch

knitting

crochet

sewing

Cooking and Baking

homemade bread

homemade butter

homemade extracts

dandelion jelly

Canning

26 canning recipes

canning jars 101

60 canning recipes

Gardening

edible trees to plant

what to plant to save the bees

cure and braid garlic

save seeds for next year

braid onions for long term storage

build a greenhouse

Animals

homemade chicken feed

raising mealworms for chickens

why to raise nigerian dwarf goats

Outdoors

starting a fire with sticks

trail signs

knotting

find true north without a compass

Medicine

homemade neosporin

all purpose healing salve