Charm To Strengthen Oneself

charm to strengthen oneself

🌱 a simple little easy spell/meditation for when you’re feeling physically or mentally weak/strained (due to chronic or mental illness for me at least)

mint oil

sun water/oil

clear quartz (all quartz’ bring great energy, but clear quartz is the strongest)

sunlight

Sit in some sunlight, indoors or outdoors. Take a moment to breath deeply; 5 second inhale, 8 second exhale, and feel the sun soak into your skin. The quartz can be placed in front of you.

Drop some mint oil onto your fingers and begin to gently rub your temples, applying a comfortable amount of pressure. Rub the oil into the centre of your forehead, between the eyebrows, again, applying comfortable pressure. Massage the excess of the oil into the centre of each wrist and slightly in towards the hand.

Do the former again, this time with sun water/oil, though while doing so, visualise yourself breathing out built up pressure and stress, whether it be mental or physical. Then breath in wellness, health and positivity.

Holding the quartz within your hands helps here too! It may take a few minutes to feel well drained of any negativity holding you down, but take as long as you need. Ask the sun for some of it’s energy and feel yourself soaking up the boundless energy of it.

What Makes a Reading Good?

Alternate title: How Can I Be Confident My Readings Don’t Suck?

This is mostly written with tarot in mind, but I think the sentiment can apply to any type of in-depth divination or metaphysical readings. Here’s some things to look for in readings, and if you are charging a set price for your own readings, things to demand from yourself. 

The information provided in a reading should be…

Relevant to the querents’ needs. If somebody comes to you asking about a specific question or topic, the reading should be designed to reflect that. This may mean using a different spread or focusing on details of meaning more relevant to the question than the traditional baseline meaning. (Example, if a querent is asking about money and I’m picking up signs of a new romantic relationship coming soon, it shouldn’t turn into a love reading. Rather, how might entering a new relationship affect ones’ finances?)

Abundant. Anybody can go online and find a random tarot card picker with a general description or some key words. If you’re providing a compensated service, your interpretation should have more meat than that. Allow yourself to explain your thought process or speculate on a deeper meaning, instead of regurgitating key words. After all, that speculation and personal insight is what they’re paying you for, otherwise they’d just find the bot! (For reference, I’m trying to give each of these points about the same amount of depth I would want to see in a really good tarot reading for each card.)

Nuanced. A lot of us are afraid to get into the details and specifics of an answer because we’re afraid of being wrong, so we just stick to being vague. Throw that out the window. Right now. Being specific HELPS your reading be more accurate, believable, and helpful, because if we’re too conservative with our details it gives the querent nothing to grab onto. Go for the specifics, the details, the things that make the querent say, “okay, I know exactly what that’s talking about.” (Example, what sounds better: “There’s conflict in the future” or “There’s conflict here, my gut says probably butting heads with an authority figure you’ve known for a while. Neither of you is right or wrong, but you’ll just keep wasting your time if you don’t compromise.”)

Understandable. Keep in mind that most of your querents will probably not practice the service you’re providing, or if they do they may just be beginners. Don’t shroud your reading in convoluted, arcane talk. If you can, explain some of how you’re getting the answers you getting. That doesn’t mean divulging secrets to your practice, but something like, “These runes are so close together, which to me means they’re working together, and the synthesis of their meanings could mean X.” Really helps a querent feel involved and more confident in your skills as their interpreter. 

Applicable. Give the querent knowledge they can walk away with. If you’re doing all of the above steps this is probably happening anyway, but it’s important to keep in mind. You should always be able to answer the question: “What is the best next step for the querent to achieve their goals, once they leave this reading?”  What can they do right now to develop themselves, prepare for success, repair that relationship, etc? Do they have a game plan? Basically, they should be able to take the insight you have provided them with and apply it to their life in a productive way.  

I hope this helps some people assess their own readings, and gives new diviners a better idea of what they should be going for! Did I forget anything important? Let me know your thoughts! 

an incomplete list of unsettling short stories I read in textbooks

the scarlet ibis

marigolds

the diamond necklace

the monkey’s paw

the open boat

the lady and the tiger

the minister’s black veil

an occurrence at owl creek bridge

a rose for emily

(I found that one by googling “short story corpse in the house,” first result)

the cask of amontillado

the yellow wallpaper

the most dangerous game

a good man is hard to find

some are well-known, some obscure, some I enjoy as an adult, all made me uncomfortable between the ages of 11-15

add your own weird shit, I wanna be literary and disturbed

🌻🌷 Spring Witchcraft 🌹💐

a list of ideas and activities for seasonal and discreet witches, based on what is around to do / use in the springtime. based off my personal experiences 

🍄mushrooms

Often indicators of a fairy ring/realm, and though they shouldn’t be disturbed, they can be portals for fae work.

🍑 infused waters

Not a time for hot drinks, a subtle way to work magic into your day, some suggested recipes with correspondences

🍓wild berries

While it isn’t advised to eat them, they can be used as offerings to fae, gods, or used in spells. just be careful not to pick anything dangerous

☔ rain

Clouds and rain can be used for divination and grounding, but also spells of all kinds. A bit of rainwater is a powerful ingredient in any spell or ritual. 

💐 herb/floral bundles

Herbs are growing, it’s a good time to ready bundles of them to dry for the rest of the year.

🌸 flower crowns

You can make flower crowns according to each flower’s meaning and correspondences, and use their charms. here are some suggestions

🌱new growth

As the season changes over, it’s a good time for rituals and spells for shaking off the old and making way for the new, like this one

The Significance of Rings

Rings add weight to the area of life that the finger represents, or could reveal imbalances. A ring placed with intent can enhance areas of your life. This can be strengthened by rings with corresponding crystals. When a ring is worn unconsciously, it more likely refers to the negative trait or imbalance that corresponds with that finger. Left hand: Corresponds to your personal and private life. Connected to family and personal identity or internal issues. Your left hand reflects the energy you take in. Right hand: Relates to your public life. Connected to work and your relation to society. Your right hand reflects the energy you give out. Middle Finger Element: Earth Considered the finger of cultural identity. It reflects how you related to justice, law, order, and responsibility. Can also signify inner security or materialism. Consciously placed ring: Reduce anxiety, improve stability, desire for self-development. Unconsciously placed ring: domestic unhappiness, insecurities, judgmental, lack of security. Crystals: garnet, onyx, agate, topaz, tiger’s eye, jade.

Index Finger Element: Water Considered the finger of personal identity, how you relate to and see yourself. Associated with leadership, ambition, and self-confidence. Consciously placed ring: Boost self-esteem, increase authority, improve confidence. Unconsciously placed ring: Damaged self-esteem, feeling not good enough, feeling better than others, controlling personality. Crystals: tourmaline, lapis lazuli, peridot, opal, emerald. Ring Finger Element: Fire Represents your extra-personal identity and self-expression. It represents creativity and love of beauty. If it’s a wedding ring or engagement ring, it represents success in finding a mate. But if bought by the wearer it can represent self-love. Consciously placed ring: Strengthen creativity, express friendliness, improve aesthetic awareness. Unconsciously placed ring: Creative frustration, concern with image, desire to be liked. Crystals: garnet, ruby, pink tourmaline, diamond. Little Finger Element: Air Considered the finger of impersonal identity. It reflects communication and sexuality. Also represents confidence in relationships and strength. Consciously placed ring: Improve communication, express sexuality/sexual identity, gain confidence in regards to relationships. Unconsciously placed ring: Poor communication, lies, difficulty with sexuality/sexual identity Crystals: blue topaz, sapphire, aquamarine. Thumb Element: Ether Your thumb symbolizes your spiritual identity. It relates to your will power, determination, and application of personal energy. It also reflects your ability to reason and apply logic. As the thumb is separate from the rest of the fingers, and a very useful finger, it also represents strength, independent thought, and freedom. Consciously placed ring: Boost energy level, increase will power/motivation, provide comfort, increase reasoning, increase personal strength and independence. Unconsciously placed ring: lack of energy, feeling powerless, lack of control, poor reasoning, feeling trapped, stubborn/stuck in own way, need for control, aggressive/forceful Crystals: moonstone, diamond, amethyst. Rings on all/many fingers This can indicate a negative circumstance that you are being faced with. It shows a likely lack of feeling safe or secure in your world, and that your putting on a front. It can also signify avoidance to deal with issues affecting your life.

This plant thrives 🌱