Honestly what kills me about witchblr is that every other week people will make soap box posts about how TERFS are nasty and witches of any gender are valid
But
Why do yall continue to post/reblog aesthetic picturesof/and or buy and share books that are openly transphobic with transphobic authors and have been called out as openly transphobic multiple times by multiple people in the community??
That don’t make no sense
I haven’t bought any books but I’m afraid I’ve shared posts so that said, can someone tell me who these transphobic authors or bloggers are so i can avoid them??
^^^^ This!!! It’s important to put your activism to work, meaning be thoughtful and apply it to what you blog, what you read, what you post, what you write, and how you act every day.
I wanna add a note though that sometimes it’s hard to avoid this altogether with Africana traditions because truthfully, we’ve got a lot of transphobia, homophobia, and other LGBT issues in black communities around the world.
So when it comes to the Africana traditions I practice, I can’t always avoid authors or sources that may have contributed to these problems, but I sure as hell talk about being non-binary and speak up on these issues when I can. Esp with regards to gender and cissexism in Ifá, hoodoo, and other traditions coming from my own perspective and experiences as a non-cis person.
Added: I should probably clarify. In Western, European-derived traditions (including mainstream, popular types of witchcraft) there are TONS of trans-inclusive, LGBT+ inclusive, non-cissexist, non-transphobic posts and materials. There’s no excuse for not drawing on that huge wealth of sources and reblogging material because there’s so much of it!
With most Africana traditions, we have a serious lack of materials, posts, and accurate information at all. We struggle to find that and to learn our own traditions because of centuries of slavery, colonialism, and other forces of oppression and racism. So that’s why it’s different when talking about Africana traditions and why I have to work on creating those trans-inclusive and LGBT+ inclusive resources since they don’t already exist enough to even find any. Although we can always use more of those resources in any type of magic practice too!
Hey so firstly thank you for bringing to my attention the fact that this is a similar problem when it comes to Africana studies as well. I didn’t really think about that so I’m going to keep that in mind for the future when I get back to studying again.
In regards to this shady lil post, I was originally referring to the New Age/Westerny side of Witchblr because this is the side of witchblr I ALWAYS see making multiple posts after posts in regards to TERFs and their ideology. Like every other day is there a post about witches of all genders being valid and transphobia being unwelcome to the community. And I’m not saying that other practitioners/the other parts of witchblr aren’t vocal about it. Because they are. But the New Age/Western part of the community is the ones I’m always seeing making soap box posts about inclusivity when it comes to gender and TERFS being evil blah blah yet be mad hypocritical about it
Bc this is also the side of witchblr I am ALWAYS seeing posting and recommending newbies to buy books that have been called out as openly transphobic before. This post was brought on bc even today did I see someone reblog on my dash another aesthetic post of that Witch book by Lisa Lister and her nasty self again. And it’s always different people in the community who I see share it. I’ve seen people recommend newbies buy the book, I’ve seen people post and share aesthetic pictures with the book as the main focus, I’ve seen people openly talk about how they found the book awesome and informative yet also say that the book isn’t inclusive but they like it anyway. Like…what? The author openly says in the book that she excludes trans people, you see this, but stick your fingers in your ears and proceed to say its quality anyway? Bc fuck trans ppl apparently?? Someone (i can’t find the post) even made a review about the book and it didn’t have nearly as many notes as the many aesthetic images/recommendation posts that include the book go around have.
What kind of hypocrisy is that? How can the community make constant posts about TERFS being unwelcome and transphobia being unwelcomed but books that other users have called out as transphobic still make it around the community? LIKE HOW??
How can one say “trans witches are valid and TERFS are bad” but then proceed to recommend and post about a book that literally in the first few pages talks about how the book is for “pussy power” and directly says trans ppl are unwelcome?
I’m not going to tag where I got the images from/who’s posts these are bc I don’t want to stir some shit up and have ppl start attacking the OPs but this is the sort of shit I’m talking about. There are more posts out there but a bitch lazy lol. These were all taken from multiple really popular bloggers in the community. I just wanted to show/prove with evidence what I’m talking about in regards to my experience on tumblr.
I love witchblr but it can be annoying and hypocritical as well. Like you can’t pick and chose when you want to be mad about something and when something is okay.
You can’t claim to care about ur trans witchy siblings and then proceed to push a shitty book like that. That’s fake and gross and does nothing for our trans witches. Don’t just be against something bc everyone else is doing it and it’s cool, actually do something about it when you see it. Don’t say that you care about your local trans witches and then…..do dat.
Like maybe I’m talking out of my ass bc im very much a cisgendered femme girl so what do I know about transphobia but like…come on now. Hopefully I’m not overstepping boundaries and speaking for/over trans people but I can’t help but think it’s hypocritical bullshit and that its not okay at all.
//finishes ranting
Lmao they got screenshots and EVERYTHING! 😂😂😂 Those books are trash anyway.
@witch-vomit Idk how others feel about this thread, but I deeply appreciate everything you’re calling out (as a sapphic nb person). thank you for the clarifications, thank you for the time and energy spent on this, thank you for the mf screenshots of this trash, thank you for acknowledging you’re cis at the same time. just thank you.
I checked out the book online to verify what you were saying about transphobia in the first few pages and noticed “Chapter 3: My Story – [G-SLUR], Sara La Kali and the Re-initiation.” Then I read the “About This Book” and found this…
“I thought… I’ll piss off Pagans for not being inclusive of all the possible paths. I’ll piss off men for not addressing them as witches. I’ll piss off the transgender community for not addressing them either. Yet this is the work I do. I do women’s work, and I’m definitely not going to apologize for that. That thought? That need to apologize? That’s the very reason why I HAVE to write this book. What I share is NOT intended to exclude others. But trying to be all-inclusive would totally miss the point.”
“I’ve studied not just the practices of my own [G-SLUR] tradition, but witchcraft in all its forms for over 10 years now, including… – The Stregheria of Italy – the roots and bones of Hoodoo – Shamankas – Mayan medicine women – Gardenerian and Alexandrian traditions of Wicca” [x]
In case yall didn’t know, Lisa Lister isn’t just someone who is incredibly transphobic and believes that witches can only be women. She frequently drops the g-slur in her book. She also appropriates hoodoo, indigenous shamanism, and Mayan cultural practices.
So if you’re promoting this book, you’re promoting transphobia, racism, and cultural appropriation in many different forms all at once.
Ugh. Disgusting.
I dont think its hella awful (^-^)/ i just think everybody has an opinion 👏🏻
Vita Sackville-West: Violet, Virgina, and all the others
Marriage is one of those things that just fascinates me, particularly as marriage equality becomes more and more of a reality (yay). I don’t really see the appeal of a piece of paper saying that I’m essentially contractually bound to someone, on pain of losing tons of cash in a divorce. Still, I expect I’ll do it, partially because—in America, at least—marriage on paper brings a lot of legal advantages that I’d like to indulge in, and partially because I like me-centric parties. Also I’m really into wedding dresses. And wedding cake.
Still, what makes marriage so special? Legal marriage. Because, in a sense, isn’t anyone who commits to one’s partner “married”? (Not that marriage equality isn’t important, because everyone should have the same legal rights no matter what the gender of their partner.) But yeah. What I’m getting at is “Portrait of a Marriage” by Vita-Sackville West (via her personal journals and writings) and her son, Nigel Nicolson. The marriage in question? That of Vita and Nigel’s father, Harold Nicolson. They were both rather upper-crust, rather snobby (particularly in Vita’s case) and rather rich. They were also—both–rather bi.
There’s actually a lot of kitchen witchcraft you can do without an actual kitchen.
Make tea. As long as you have a microwave and a mug (or if you are super lucky an electric kettle) you pretty much have the recipe for your most basic spell/remedy/warm-cozy-snuggle-in-a-cup! You can pretty much get just about any herbal tea out there at your local super market and probably at your campus convenience store or even cafeteria. If you have the space and the money and want to get fancy, you can even buy loose teas and start blending your own It’s actually not as expensive as you’d think–as long as you get them from somewhere besides Teavana.
Add spices to your frozen food. I used to buy a lot of steamer bags of rice and flavor them up with whatever I had on hand. You can buy some cheep spices (hit up the ethnic food isle and check out the goya and other spices there because they are always super cheep). Microwaved baked potatos are also great for this. You can match the seasoning to your intent.
You don’t just have to use these teas and spices for the obvious though. You can make sachets, witch’s bottles, powders and other charms with those things too. Save free t-shirts and clothes that are old and damaged to use for cloth for the sachets and recycle bottles and jars for the charm. Kitchen witchcraft is magic for the broke as fuck, so really, it is the college student’s magic.
If you can have plants in your dorm room, you may want to try growing some herbs in your window sill, or even just some flowers. You can keep a succulent or two for protection. But really, if you can throw some fresh thyme in your can of chichen soup or in your ramen, you will feel so fancy!
Make soups on trips home add intent and ingredients that match that intent and freeze them in Tupperware. They’ll stay good for up to 6 months, and you can warm them up in the microwave when you need them.
Dry herbs you get at the supermarket or plants you forage. You can put a command strip on your wall and tie them there with a bit of yarn. They’ll make your dorm smell awesome!
See if there is a campus gardening club or if the Bio department has a greenhouse you can volunteer in. Take a plant science class. A hiking or excursion club will get you out where you can do some wild crafting too.
See if there is a pagan student union or club. So many schools have them now. You can pool resources with other people, some of whom may have apartments or access to kitchens.
Learn to knit or crochet. I met someone in college who was crocheting her own cloak for ritual wear. She had braided together a bunch of yarns with different intents. The resulting yarn ball was massive. She called it Rygal.
Here’s a comic I made about identifying as asexual and aromantic! I made it for an anthology which ended up falling through, so I thought it would be a good idea to post it on Valentine’s Day.
I love the concept of Link’s character so much I drew 72 frames about him coming to terms with his shitty destiny with the help of his former selves, and I regret nothing :V I started this back in august 2017 but only got about halfway before I got distracted, so there’s some jarring style changes at times but at least it only looks better the further you get. Hope you guys like it, I love this song with the triforce trios and it was really fun to make! (I tried to put this on youtube btw but it got taken down within minutes so the tumblr player will have to do)
“The patient: this 3-day-old little boy was born with torn upper and lower wings. Let’s see how we can help!”
Today the Department of Awesomely Good Deeds salutes costume designer and master embroiderer Romy McCloskey who used her fine skills with delicate materials to help a monarch butterfly she’d raised and who’d emerged from his cocoon with damaged right wings.
“The operating room and supplies: towel, wire hanger, contact cement, toothpick, cotton swab, scissors, tweezers, talc powder, extra butterfly wing”
“Securing the butterfly and cutting the damaged parts away. Don’t worry it doesn’t hurt them. It’s like cutting hair or trimming fingernails”
“Ta-da! With a little patience and a steady hand, I fit the new wings to my little guy”
“The black lines do not match completely and it is missing the black dot (male marking) on the lower right wing, but with luck, he will fly”
“FLIGHT DAY! After a day of rest and filling his belly with homemade nectar, it is time to see if he will fly”
“With a quick lap around the yard and a little rest on a bush, he was off! A successful surgery and outcome! Bye, little buddy! Good luck”
teakepp 