Y’all take this whole witch persona thing and modern paganism and this whole Witch Kit fiasco so deeply to fucking heart and then refuse to listen when black and poc witches call you out, then have the audacity to label us snowflakes and crying about nothing and insult us for saying “don’t cheapen and steal from cultures that aint yours” and similar shit but ok
I have seen so many posts from Black and Poc witches about this situation derailed because y’all stay making everything about you
I have seen so many posts from Black and Poc witches on the situation be derailed by “well meaning” white witches saying stupid fucking shit to make themselves feel better and look better, saying some fucking stuuuupid ass shit like “I’m just mad because now the people who bullied me are gonna think they’re so witchy” “now people will think witchcraft is just an aesthetic” “my religion isn’t a joke” essentially derailing the conversation and yet ironically saying the same things PoC have been saying for ages
Do y’all not see how self centered and selfish you’re STILL being???? YOU’RE STILL NOT LISTENING
Every single one of you who has done something like this is egotistical and selfish; NOT EVERYTHING IS ABOUT YOU. YOUR FEELINGS ARE NOT THE END ALL BE ALL. YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT WITCHCRAFT ARE NOT MORE IMPORTANT THEN MARGINALIZED GROUPS FEELING THE SAME WAY ABOUT *THEIR ACTUAL SACRED TRADITIONS*. Y’all will reblog the posts like “I AGREE BUT LET ME TELL YOU WHY I’M MAD ABOUT THE KIT” which usually boils down to “I don’t want witchcraft to be appropriated” “I don’t want people to take witchcraft as a joke” “I want people to respect witchcraft” “I don’t want to deal with disrespectful newbies” “people who bullied me for being a witch are now going to think they can call themselves witches for the aesthetic and that upsets me” <— SOMEONE ACTUALLY SAID THIS UNIRONICALLY ON ONE OF MY POSTS
Conversations get derailed about semantics of “white sage is endangered” “white sage isn’t endangered” instead of focusing on the fact that REGARDLESS it is appropriation no matter if it’s endangered or not
People seriously underestimate the impact the media has on notions of pet ownership and what people can handle in animals.
Books, movies, TV, and internet videos from Youtube, Instagram, and The Dodo often show animals in their best moments, or even acting because they’ve been trained to do certain tasks (or are animated as humanlike characters). The fact is that the vast majority of people, even those who already have pets, have a very low or nonexistent level of animal literacy; what they take away from that kind of media oftens turns into “I want that animal as a pet.”
People who watched Finding Nemo created an explosion of demand for clownfish and blue tangs; Harry Potter, owls; 101 Dalmatians for dalmatians, etc etc etc. When the decision to get a pet modeled after the cute, photo-ready animals seen on a screen is made, there is zero consideration as to whether or not their needs can be met and if people can actually handle them.
Media featuring animals inevitably creates a boom of abandonment and huge environmental impact precisely because people who were in over their heads and acted purely on a whim got their dose of reality, and it’s incredibly heartbreaking to have to see the news detailing such cases. These are just some examples:
Yearly reminders have to be passed around telling people not to buy rabbits on Easter unless they’re committed to actually taking care of them
Thousands of dalmatians were abandoned when families discovered that they are very energy intensive, broody work dogs that are not suited to families with small children, unlike the cuddly Perdita and Pongo
Similarly, huskies and malamutes were surrendered to shelters when people realised they are not loyal Westeros direwolves
Entire ecosystems in Europe and southern Asia lost valuable apex predators when people began poaching them to sell to fans who wanted their own Hedwigs and Errols, and again abandoning them en masse when they discovered owls are highly aggressive, loud, messy, and nocturnal
Japan imported thousands of North American raccoons after the release of the Disney movie Rascal, people let them loose in the wild, and Japan now has a problem trying to figure out what to do with their enormous pest population that has no natural predator in place to control their numbers
Pacific Reefs suffered greatly when people demanded to have clownfish and blue tangs as pets, especially considering they were caught by being stunned with sodium cyanide, which, additionally, severely damages coral as well. NatGeo estimates that up to 90% of tropical fish imported by the US are caught by way of cyanide fishing; this often ends up for naught as these fish are often flushed down the toilet or released to the wild in other ways, which is also why the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico are under threat by voracious invasive species like lionfish
The gist is that the media perpetuates this cycle of people reading about or seeing animal characters, demand is created, people impulse buy those animals, and then leave them for shelters to care for or release them to the wild when they get a rude awakening and find they’re actually unable to deal with those animals.
This isn’t even counting other animals like “mini” pigs, chihuahuas, snakes, foxes, etc etc etc. And we can’t exactly blame this on over enthusiastic children when it’s adults who have the purchasing power to buy a pet, and who choose to do zero research, and who choose to indulge said children or even themselves when that I Want the TV Animal as a Pet urge comes on.
Ignoring what is essentially weaponised cuteness used for online likes is hard, especially when faced with such palatable stuff like that gif of the owl riding the tablet stylus, or the plethora of cat videos. But it costs very little effort to not only educate yourself on the needs of animals and to also not encourage a rapacious pet trade industry, but to communicate that to others so that, hopefully, we won’t have to see things like Peter Dinklage and Jo Rowling having to make statements to the news because of this problem.
if you identify as cis but haven’t actually taken time to sit down and examine and analyze your gender identity, it’s probably time to do that otherwise you’ve just given in to society forcing a significant part of your identity upon you.
if someones comfortable with their gender identity to the point that its not even on their mind then theres no need for them to analyse it
as someone who basically identifies as cis i think it’s very much important to examine your gender identity. it might lead to small things: e.g. after i did that i stopped shaving because i realized that i wasn’t doing it for myself. further, i’ve stopped seeing my own face as a gendered thing and this makes it easier for me to be respectful of the identities of others, and easier to be happy with the meatsack i live in. i think that it’s very important for cis people to consider what aspects of gendered existence we hold sacred. peeing in a segregated space? if so, why? i mean this is exactly the kind of question trans communities have been trying to get us to deal with forever and i think that answering it on a cultural level will come with exactly the type of introspection that OP is asking for.
some of the best advice i’ve got in college so far is “make strange what is comfortable” and hey, after you take it apart, you can put it right back together again if that’s what makes you happy but it’s still important to evaluate why you perform your gender the way you do and what rituals are essential to that? why are they essential? are they worth perpetuating? the answer might not always be yes EVEN for people comfortable with the label of their gender assigned at birth
while i’m at it. if you nonblack don’t use aave. don’t say:
lit
woke
hella
deadass/headass
any variation of “they be wilding” “they be killing it” or they be ______
finna
the n word
bae
ratchet
fleek
fuckboy
YASSSSSSSS/ yas boo yes hunty yes queen u fucking get it
fa sho
wack
holla
trippin
wildin’
bout that life
turnt up
lowkey
slay
and etc! y’all wanna argue it’s not well i could understand bc you think “it’s popular who cares it’s just words” yadda yadda. black people care bc nonblack ppl wanna use it so badly and make it look like they created this slang, when in actuality if u hear any nonblack person use it it probably sounds wrong out they mouth. nonblack ppl didn’t create aave. we did. it’s also disrespectful using it bc black ppl are mocked All The Time for using it bc we sound “uneducated” and “dumb” which plays into harmful stereotypes that gets black people harrassed and even killed. before touching this post, think about why you use it. think about why you think it’s just words. think about what you’re gonna add to this post if you’re nonblack. if i’m being honest, don’t reblog with a comment unless you tryna uplift, support, or help black people — not add on that we’re being “sensitive”. thanks.
Side Effects: Insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, irritability, upset stomach, fatigue, dry mouth, dizziness, headache, skin rash, and diarrhea.
Drug Interactions: Antidepressants, allergy medications, cough medicines, immunosuppressants, HIV medication, birth control, sedatives, anticoagulants, and other drugs.
Ginseng:
Side Effects: Insomnia, menstrual problems, breast pain, increased heart rate, high or low blood pressure, headaches, loss of appetite, diarrhea, itching, skin rash, dizziness, mood changes, and vaginal bleeding.
Drug Interactions: Anticoagulants, antidepressants, anti-diabetic medications, aspirin, and morphine
Valerian:
Side Effects: Headaches, excitability, uneasiness, and insomnia.
Drug Interactions: Alcohol, anti-anxiety medications, and sedatives.
Lavender:
Side Effects: Constipation, headaches, skin irritation, and increased appetite.
Drug Interactions: Sedatives
Chamomile:
Side Effects: Drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, and thinning of the blood.
Drug Interactions: Alcohol, anti-anxiety medications, anticoagulants, anticonvulsants, antifungal drugs, birth control, insomnia medications, and sedatives.
Echinacea:
Side Effects: Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, fever, sore throat, muscle or joint pain, dry mouth, headaches, dizziness, confusion, and insomnia.
Drug Interactions: Caffeine, immunosuppressants, and CYP’s
Aloe Vera:
Side Effects: Skin irritation, painful abdominal cramping, and diarrhea.
Drug Interactions: Laxatives, antidiabetes medications, anticoagulants, and diuretic medications.
Milk Thistle:
Side Effects: Nausea, diarrhea, indigestion, intestinal discomfort, bloating, pain, and loss of appetite.
Drug Interactions: CYP’s, cholesterol medications, and estrogen supplements.
WARNING: This is a short list of common herbs used by witches, and in witchcraft, and is by no means a completed list. Most herbs, if not all herbs, have side effects, or can potentially interact with other medications. So, please, never take any herbal supplements, or herbal remedies unless you have consulted with a doctor, or a medical professional beforehand. Stay safe, honey bees!
Don’t armchair diagnose mass shooters and other killers. The misconception that all violent people must be mentally ill (and the following conclusion that all mentally ill people must be dangerous) has horrible real life consequences for visibly mentally ill people.
50% of people killed by police are disabled or mentally ill (and the victims are disproportionately black or other people of color) because the unusual behavior of visibly disabled and visibly mentally ill people is read as inherently threathening and dangerous.
Please consider the real life consequences of reinforcing the association between mental illness and violence – people are dying because y’all want to blame all evil in the world on severe mental illness so that you can clearly separate yourself from it. You’re harming an already extremely vulnerable and marginalized group of people and it’s time to stop!
I encourage people who aren’t schizophrenic to reblog this. These stereotypes are literally getting people killed and I’ve seen no awareness around this on this website.
As someone with highly visible symptoms this affects me. There are periods in my life when my neurodivergence is extra obvious that I literally can’t leave the house without an escort because ‘concerned’ people will ‘intervene’ in violent and traumatic ways.
Every single time I see a report of a white man who went on a killing spree and the inevitable scapegoating of people like me I wonder if I’m going to be just a little less safe the next time I have to go to the store.
I love crime shows but this is extreamly important!! Sociopaths and psychopaths are the same. Not every one is a murderous maniac. Please stop this. ~MC
Hi! Non-violent diagnosed sociopath here! Just because I can’t experience empathy or guilt and lack a moral compass does not mean that I am inherently violent. I’m a pacifist that uses my words to articulate and solve problems.
Whenever I confide in others that I am a sociopath, I am usually met with violence and disdain. Whenever I go out, I have to make ‘escape plans’ with other people and ask them to call the police if I don’t respond in a timely manner to their texts just in case I’ve been assaulted. I’ve taken numerous self-defense courses to prepare myself for the inevitable “What if I made the mistake of telling this person about my illness?” scenario.
it’s interesting learning which homophobic ideas are confusing and unfamiliar to the next generation. for example, every once in a while i’ll see a post going around expressing tittering surprise at someone’s claim that gay men have hundreds of sexual partners in their lifetimes. while these posts often have a snappy comeback attached, they send a shiver down my spine because i remember when those claims were common, when you’d see them on the news or read them in your study bible. and they were deployed with a specific purpose — to convince you not just that gay men were disgusting and pathological, but that they deserved to die from AIDS. i saw another post laughing at the outlandish idea that gay men eroticize and worship death, but that too was a standard line, part and parcel of this propaganda with the goal of dehumanizing gay men as they died by the thousands with little intervention from mainstream society.
which is not to say that not knowing this is your fault, or that i don’t understand. i’ll never forget sitting in a classroom with my high school gsa, all five of us, watching a documentary on depictions of gay and bi people in media (off the straight and narrow [pdf transcript] — a worthwhile watch if your school library has it) when the narrator mentioned “the stereotype of the gay psycho killer.” we burst into giggles — how ridiculous! — then turned to our gay faculty advisors and saw their pale, pained faces as they told us “no, really. that was real” and we realized that what we’d been laughing at was the stuff of their lives.
it’s moving and inspiring to see a new generation of kids growing up without encountering these ideas. it’s a good thing. but at the same time, we have to pass on the knowledge of this pain, so we’re not caught unawares when those who hate us come back with the oldest tricks in the book.
Even in the 90’s I met people who believed, with the utmost sincerity and a sense of sheer terror, that gay people were agents of Satan who chose to become gay so they could deliberately spread STD’s, deliberately die of AIDs as part of their “fetish” and deliberately offend god into accelerating the end of the world. This does sound like absurd cartoonish nonsense to most people just a little younger than me but I heard it and worse growing up. Millions of people completely, totally believed that kind of thing with the most dire certainty. Today’s lizardman hollow earth anti-vaccine theories actually kind of pale in comparison.
That is what LGBT people were up against not long ago and the remnants of that fantastical-sounding hysteria and fanaticism are not only still here but regaining power again in the U.S. pretty rapidly.
…and I don’t think people should forget that for all I just described and all OP just described, the hatred for trans people was several times worse. Their very existence was treated as UNSPEAKABLE by even the Satanic HIV Apocalypse theorists. This is why it’s so bizarre and ridiculous to see people today whining about “PC culture” like that’s the problem, like people who were condemned as loathsome hellspawn within most of their own lifetimes somehow have it “too good” practically overnight.
do you have any idea what the AIDS funerals were like back then
I will harp on this until the day I die. It’s not information that people have nowadays both because it’s not really needed – thank GOD – and it’s been erased – not so cool.
pastors would take payment to perform the ceremony and then not show up. crematoriums would sometimes refuse to handle the bodies; funeral homes were no better, and my dad once walked in on a mortician dumping rubbing alcohol all over himself after he’d BEEN IN THE SAME ROOM as the body of one of my father’s dead friends. the funerals were held in people’s basements, the very very few churches at funeral homes willing, meeting halls, and in the homes of lesbians, who were some of the most steadfast allies during that time period. The few straight allies pitched in where they could – like that one woman who buried a lot of them herself, in her own cemetery, because their families wouldn’t come claim the bodies – but it was awful.
my dad was a reformed catholic but he knew the words and twice he had to perform the funerals to lay these people to rest because he was the most qualified. I stood next to him as he tried not to cry over his dead friends and to let them rest in peace. I watched my mother, at the back of wherever she was, quietly sobbing, and her lesbian friends who had ACTUALLY watched the person in question die, still comforting her.
I got told by other adults that my entire family was going to hell because we deigned to care for queer people (and my dad especially, as a nurse, deigned to “waste” his knowledge and time and energy on easing suffering).
I was six years old. Freddie Mercury hadn’t even died yet.
recently a friend and I formed a queer social group/activism group and some older gay men came. And they cried, because, and I quote
“This is how it started, back then. we just got together, ten or twelve of us, and decided we were going to do something about it. And we made it out, despite everything, despite AIDS, despite the stigma. And you will too.”
And I had to respond, because I was little, but I was THERE for that, and I grabbed his hands and told him that his history is our history and we need to learn it.
we need to remember. the dead, the living, and their stories.
if you know an older queer person, inquire if they’d be interested in writing down their memoirs. If they’re not writers but want to tell the story, hit me up – I am, and I am absolutely willing to do a living memory.
they’re the only history books we have.
THEY ARE THE ONLY HISTORY BOOKS WE HAVE! It’s so important to record them at last.
Because lgbt+ history hasn’t been recorded, nor told forward by others. What we learn we learn from morgues, criminal records etc. Only ‘unlucky’ persons have been recorded in any ways and most of happy couples, lives and tales have been lost to history as they were not spoken about.
okay listen, i get what you guys are saying about the importance of listening to older lgbt people, obviously, that’s very right!
but you guys gotta know… they are NOT “the only history books we have.” because… we have actual history books. just because they are rarely taught in schools does not mean they don’t exist!
i’ve been keeping a list of all the lgbt books i want to read or reread, which are mostly history, and it is, at this moment, 239 books long. and that’s excluding quite a few that i was less interested in.
obviously, it can’t cover everything; obviously, it is skewed toward white american experiences; obviously, we should always be supplementing it by talking to older people in our community as much as we can. but it does us no favors whatsoever to pretend that all the knowledge in these books is lost to history, existing only in individuals’ minds, when actually so many people have taken great pains to write it down and make it available for us to explore!
so yes, meet older people and talk to them and take them seriously! but also please, i beg of you, read a book.
p.s. a note because i regret not making this clear enough in my original post: there is absolutely nothing wrong with gay men having many consenting sexual partners! homophobes’ statistics are obviously falsified for bigoted purposes, but that doesn’t mean those gay men who do have large numbers of partners are any less deserving of dignity and life, and they too deserve our defense.
I agree with the above, but also if you are someone who wants to record history or hear more oral histories there are a few oral history archives dedicated to doing this already! It’s possible to engage in that history right now:
Here are all the transcripts for the NYC Trans Oral History Project
Here’s the ACT UP oral History Project which has videos and transcripts
Here’s a list of a bunch of known oral history projects
And this is the podcast Making Gay History, which is taped interviews done for the book of the same name (with a bit of context added beforehand)
being half native, i am beyond tired of this reoccurring theme. for all of you cryptid fans, the wendigo, thunderbirds, skinwalkers, etc. are NOT cryptids. they are a part of indigenous culture and are spirits/entities, and not anything like mothman. they are religious and cultural folklore, despite the fact that cryptozoologists try to classify them as cryptids.
also, do not associate any non-indigenous oc’s with ANY spirits from native culture and folklore, as it is very insensitive (i.e. kylo ren wendigo, named “rendigo”) to the culture and considered white-washing. our culture, practices, and religion has already been stretched far and thin over the years. be respectful please.
When burning anything always keep a glass of water near you, unless you are working with burning oils, then keep a fire extinguisher or baking soda on hand.
When working with essential oils(EO), do not burn them they are highly flammable
Never leave anything burning unattended, be it a burn bowl, candle, incense. DON’T LEAVE IT!
Please remove anything flammable such as paper or string from the candle, it will ignite and you will be alarmed.
Make sure that what you’re burning your candle in is fire safe, metal and cast iron are good bets. Do NOT burn in a glass, if you have to put it out and dump water on it, it will explode.
Make sure you tie back loose hair and don’t have any floppy sleeves or necklaces to get in the way.
When putting out a candle it is best to use a candle snuffer and do not use water.
Don’t burn kitchen sage, it gives off a toxic smoke. Not something you wanna inhale.
Essential Oil Safety
Please, please dilute them properly. I have a chemical burn scar I can never get rid of due to undiluted cinnamon bark oil. The proper dilution is one drop per teaspoon.
Never ingest EO, there are some that are now generally recognized as safe by the FDA, but the quality of EO are not regulated. Who knows what a bad quality EO could do to your internal organs, not something I wanna test.
Essential Oils are photosensitive, meaning they deteriorate in light store them in a dark area to prevent them from spoiling.
DO NOT put them near on your skin and get in the sun or a tanning bed, especially citrus oils, they will blister.
Water will not dilute essential oils, only other oils(canola, olive, sweet almond, olive will all dilute). If you want to use them in a bath it is one drop per a teaspoon of oil.
Please seek medical attention if anything seems off after using EO, they seem harmless but can be very dangerous
Pets can be very sensitive to essential oils(particularly cats) and it is almost impossible to cover all my bases here. The sources provided below have some great resources.
Always go by the scientific name, German and Roman chamomile are very different products.
Kitchen Magic Safety
Wear shoes if you’re doing anything, I nearly lost a toe the other day cause I dropped a knife. I got lucky I was wearing boots.
Wear correct clothing, and tie back hair. No matter if you have a gas, electric or induction stove, I’ve caught a lab coat sleeve on fire thanks to a torch while making a creme brulee.
Use your knives correctly, learn about the pinch grip and use the correct knife for the job. Using a paring knife for chopping potatoes is asking for trouble. There are tons of videos online, I like the ones from Alton Brown and Jamie Oliver.
As a side note use sharp knives, a blunt knife will do more damage than a sharp one.
Don’t leave knives in the sink, someone could begin to wash dishes and cut themselves.
Watch the steam. Steam can give a worse burn than dry heat, open pot lids away from you and don’t stick your face and phalanges in steam.
Don’t leave food products unattended.
Use your damn pot holders, they protect you and your counters.
Store raw meat on the lowest shelves, and never store cooked meat on the same shelf
Wash your hands before, wash your hands after handling raw meats, wash your hands after.
Don’t leave food that is meant to be cold or hot out for more than 2 hours, this is to decrease foodborne illness.
When using the store turn handles in, to keep yourself from bumping them off the stove.
Cook meats to proper temps(there is a chart in the sources)
If you are using herbs be sure to use kitchen grade herbs, those that are not kitchen grade are not held up to the same purity standards and could have more pesticide residue.
Herbal Safety
Please be aware a lot of herbs can work against prescription medications, or should only be taken in very specific doses( St. John’s Wort I’m looking at you.) Check in with your doctor or a licensed herbalist or naturopath before ingesting herbs.
Crystal Safety
Identify your crystals, some are water solvent some are not and it matters
Some that aren’t safe in water include malachite and selenite. They have copper and if aren’t sealed they can become toxic. There is no way to know for sure if it was sealed or not keep -ite crystals dry as a good rule of thumb.
Some crystals fade in sunlight like rose quartz, amethyst and citrine, in order to prevent fading try cleansing them with sound, flower petals, moonlight and energy.
Small psa to remember to thank your tarot cards, your pendulum, your crystals, your stored herbs, your plants, your pets, your tools, your grimoire, your friends, your spirits, your family, and anything else you may think of. They stuck with you through thick and thin during the last year or however long they’ve been with you, so show them some simple appreciation and start the new year on a positive note!
teakepp 