The Crafts: Wixes, Spells, and the Weaponized Placebo Effect

I think more of us work with tarot than runes unfortunately - here's my runes tag but it's Small.

also, show????

 

here is a picture of some of them displayed in splendor on a paper towel:

Spoiler

The mica powder didn't really stick evenly and I have to remake some of the ones I heated too long, because they're noticeably more rounded.. and I have to grind off some rough bits.. etc etc

 

They look nice! NGL if I got into the fusing end of things I'd just make a ton of dichro runes...

 

I would definitely do that if I thought I could get the dichro into the rune shapes - oh, but dichroic foil is a thing, isn't it? hmmmmm

 

Yep! There's a local lady who uses it with those little papercutter things to make like dragonfly pendants and stuff - here is a pretty good place to get the stuff.

 

i am really bad at keeping up with divination because i forget that asking The Powers That Be (who or whatever they are) questions is a Thing I Can Do.

also going to make luck charms for my friends based on what color they connect most with+green for luck. also: stars. plastic star beads, but stars nonetheless.

side note: i don't think i posted a pic of my rock collection and was wondering if anyone would be interested in seeing that?

 

my religions class was talking about magic and i thought about you guys

 

gasp

 

Soooo I have come to the conclusion that attempting to find Good Books for beginner witches such as myself that don't involve new agey stuff is Hard (I just found out that one of the books I have is very ~wooo~ and I am Annoyed but also relieved I never got very far in it). any suggestions for stuff that's general and not religion-based? i have a book on chaos magic that's on my wish list that looks like it won't be completely terrible but I'm suddenly not sure about everything else.

i would also like to look into the history of german and Scandinavian witches, since while i come from a family of Christian non-witches, i feel a connection to that part of my ancestry (my religion at this point is very ???? i feel Connected to Something but Who Knows what it even is, but History is Cool).

 

I don't have any suggestions for "general" things that aren't related to a particular practice or tradition because I don't really think a "general" thing even exists. They're all tied to specific traditions and backgrounds. All of them. General non-religious witchcraft and magic is, by its nature, in the SPECIFIC category of general non-religious witchcraft. And is likely borrowing from some other traditions to top it off. Anyway...

This article has some good information where Gaelpol magic is concerned. You won't be getting "spells" and such themselves, but you will be learning about the historical and linguistic backgrounds of things. As well as some of the types of magic out there and so on. Gaol Naofa is kind of sketchy in terms of how they treat trans people, but they do have very lovely information. Which I suggest stealing. Wholeheartedly.

This article goes into the idea of the Three Cauldrons mentioned in Irish tradition. It includes both a translation of the text and the author's interpretation of it. She also goes into some of her practices detail wise. The author has other similarly useful articles for Gaelic poetry which is synonymous with Gaelic magic.

Here are some rituals and practices Gaelic magic wise. Again it is associated with Gaol Naofa but the information is good and at the least it can be a starting place. They also have articles on other shit about their faith.

The Carmina Gadelica is technically a Christian text, but it does involve a series of prayers and blessings and the like. As I said earlier poetry literally is magic where Gaelpol is concerned so this shit is magic. Some of the prayers are more obviously "pagan" in nature than others. Ones that make reference to Land, Sky, and Sea for example are the melding of Gaelic pagan practices into the Christianity that people converted into.

I sadly don't have anything on Scandinavia and Germany though. Morven is a Norse polytheist though so you may want to ask her.

 

This is by way of a practical question. My grandmother died last year, and mum and I have been processing it in our own ways. Earlier this year she finally got to a point where she could manage to clean out the room Grandma had spent her last six years or so living in. She invited a friend from out of town to give her some impetus to make the room back into a proper guest room.

Well, now I'm here on my second visit of the year, and mum has invited me to sleep in the "guest bedroom" that's "west-facing". Which is nice but to me that is still "the bed my grandmother died in". (I suppose, given that she actually died in hospital, "the bed where she got her fatal head injury" would be more accurate.) The fact the drycleaners got all of the blood out of the tapestry is a very small comfort.

Predictably enough, I can't sleep in that bed for more than 2 hours before waking up completely non-tired. Does anyone have any ideas for making peace with that place?

 

... I'm fucked up that your mom is making you sleep there, tbh

 

My general suggestion for that sort of thing is to start with a saining. A sort of blessing and cleansing type thing? Basically get water and walk about the room in a sunwise fashion three times sprinkling water on things. Especially doors, windows, vents, and things that make you jumpy. Alternatively you can smoke cleanse it in this fashion. DO NOT WALK THE ROOM WIDDERSHINS AT ANY POINT. And it MUST be three times EXACTLY.

You could then try giving offerings of things to your grandma? Maybe drinks she liked or foods. Small bits and bobs she was fond of. Like set aside a little area for her where you leave stuff for her.

Though I'm not sure that might help you? Still it is the way I can think of with proceeding.

Also yeah it is kind of fucked she's having you sleep there. I'm not sure about your situation, but I'm guessing there isn't another place in the house you could sleep? Or talk with her about it?

 

My old room, which is currently mum's study/smoking room, still has all of my furniture, including the fold-down bed that blocks access to the computer desk when it's down. I'm kind of bad about putting the bed back up during the day when I'm staying there (at least partly out of a desire to stake out my own space, sort of thing). Plus it is where mum does her smoking, so I do get a bit of a headache from sleeping there.

 

oh. Well that answers my question.

 

Leaving offerings doesn't feel right. Grandma was a very pious Roman Catholic, she wouldn't want that sort of thing done for her. Besides, she was the sweetest and kindest person I know. Even in death, she is comforting to me. (Hm, maybe I will make breakfast tomatoes the way she used to like them, peeled of skin, sliced, and with salt and pepper. I'm not fond of those but I will have them in her memory.)

It's more the *place*. It's a place where something bad happened to someone I love. Where the final remainder of my Grandmother (she had been losing bits of herself for years) was given the last blow that forced to give up her physical shell. Sleeping there is a very stark reminder that she is gone.

 

...well I mean leaving shit for the dead especially on Día de Muertos and similar days is very much a super Roman Catholic thing? If it's not comfortable for you though it's not. Making the tomatoes might help though, yes.

Hrmmm...I don't really have any other suggestions at the moment. Sorry for that.

 

In Polish tradition, on November 1st we go clean up the graves of our loved ones, place flowers on them, light candles, and offer up prayers for their souls. I think a rosary or other talisman is the most "material" thing that would be appropriate. No favourite foods allowed in the Polish afterlife, I guess.

 

Huh. Good to know. Maybe try candles and such when the time comes then?

 

Hm... Treating the bed/bedroom the same way I would a grave would only reinforce the connection of bed = dead Grandma. Not what I'm going for.

Thanks for the patience. Spiritual stuff is kind of unfamiliar territory for me.