The leaves are changing colors and falling to the ground. Pick one up and use a sharpie to write down change you wish to manifest this fall. Crumple the leaf in your palm (it should go into many crunchy pieces) and blow it away like one would do with a dandelion. You will see the change in your life.
You’ve probably heard or seen talk of bonding with your tarot deck, and it might seem like an outlandish and strange practise (let’s be frank, and say that most of what we do is seen as outlandish and strange), but many witches and diviners swear by it, citing better readings and growth as a diviner upon bonding with their decks.
WHAT DOES “BONDING WITH YOUR DECK” MEAN?
Bonding with your deck is exactly what it describes: it means that you – the owner of the tarot deck – form a spiritual bond with your cards. That’s the bones of it!
WHY DO SOME CONSIDER IT IMPORTANT?
Some tarot readers believe that forming a bond with your deck means that your deck will be more compliant with you when you’re doing readings, resulting in clearer answers and more accurate readings overall.
It is believed by some, that decks have their own personalities and will choose whether or not to work with you and thus, bond with you. If you believe this to be the case, forming a bond with a deck that is initially vague and/or even hostile can change the dynamic over time and render the deck more co-operative, which may aid your ability as a reader. Trying to get a clear answer from cards that, in layman’s terms, don’t like you is like trying to get information from an enemy – difficult, frustrating, and draining.
Think of the bond you share with your deck like a friendship: both sides want to be happy and benefit in some way from the bond you share.
DO I HAVE TO BOND WITH MY DECK?
You don’t have to, no. It’s all down to personal preference and how you feel you work best as a diviner. Use your intuition and your beliefs to determine whether or not you’d benefit from bonding with the tools you use for divination.
As stated above, some practitioners feel that if they don’t form a strong and positive bond with their tarot decks, the deck will begin to give off negative energies that can be passed on to you by handling the cards. Some believe that you cannot truly and accurately interpret the cards you draw without this bond. Using the same analogy as before, think about friendships: friends are often more willing to give you detailed information than strangers.
WAYS TO BOND WITH YOUR DECK:
Sleep with it under your pillow.
Spend time shuffling them and drawing them to familiarise yourself with the energy of the deck as a whole, as well as individual cards.
Do daily one-card draws.
Shuffle them absent-mindedly.
Carry your deck on your person throughout the day, if you can do so.
Meditate with the deck in front of you or whilst holding it.
BONUS: You can do spreads like [X] and [X] to get to know your deck too!
Winter is coming quickly. A lot of people see this time of year as bleak, depressing, or just boring. Here are some tips to stay attuned to nature during these months.
❄️ Go outside. Even if it’s cold, the trees are bare, and the only colors are muted and dull. We often think that summer is the only time to enjoy the outdoors—the only time to hike, meditate outside, etc. In winter, there are no lush green trees or balmy days filled with sunshine and the smell of flowers. While summer is intoxicating, winter is a time to contemplate and reflect. Go outside. Feel the cold. Feel the mud and the dead grass and the chilly wind. Listen to how quiet it is. Understand that the dark half of the year is a time of silence, stillness, and death. It’s natural to have an aversion to these things, but take some time to sit down and just listen. Breathe. Feel the reality of silence and death around you. It’s a sobering experience, but also a very insightful one. If you have any fear of death or quiet, now is the time to go sit with those things as they appear in nature and just meditate with them.
❄️ Eat cozy foods. It’s cold outside—warm up with hearty soups, stews, homemade bread, and root veggies. Warm spices and hot drinks will keep you feeling grounded. This is a wonderful time of year to practice kitchen witchcraft—focus on coziness, family, protection, and rest.
❄️ Study magic! The Dark Half of the year is devoted to self-reflection, rest, and contemplation. Snuggle up indoors with a fluffy blanket and devote some time to studying magic and witchcraft with a hot cup of magically-brewed tea.
❄️ Think spirits are sleeping along with all the greenery? Think again! The Dark Half of the year, in many cultures and spiritual traditions, is considered extremely spiritually active. Deities like Odin, Berchta, Hekate, and spirits such as elves and ghosts are very active this time of year. You can choose to honor them if you want, or practice various spirit-working techniques. If you’re into necromancy or divination, this is a wonderful time of year for those things.
❄️ Be kind to local wildlife by installing things like bird feeders outside your home. We modern humans may have an easy time of it in winter, but animals struggle to survive during these months. Any bit of kindness will be much appreciated.
❄️ Nurture your fire energy. During winter, it’s easy to internalize the cold and take on its characteristics—sluggishness, sleepiness, a foggy-headed feeling. Some crystals that are great for winter include golden rutilated quartz (aka Venus hair), citrine, carnelian, obsidian, and garnet. All of these crystals contain a strong fire element as well as offer grounding qualities, mental clarity, and protection.
❄️ Go out and forage for magical ingredients! Melted snow is extremely purifying and can be incorporated into spells for purification and cleansing. Icicles can serve as temporary wands, especially in spells that require a strong water element. The ash from bonfires (or hearth fires) can be used to make black salt. Fallen branches can be crafted into wands. There may be nothing growing this time of year, but you can get creative and still find magical ingredients in unexpected places. Just be respectful and don’t collect from places where it’s illegal!
This is by no means a comprehensive list—these are just some ways I’ve celebrated the colder months. I hope they’re helpful in any way!
Since a lot of people seemed to enjoy my Morning Routine for a Busy Witch, I’ve decided to write out my nighttime routine. Again, this post is only for ideas, and there’s no need to do this every night.
Tea is my absolute go-to for nighttime calm.
Herbal teas that don’t have caffeine, but can still calm you, include: chamomile, lavender, rose, valerian (do not take while already on a sedative), lemon balm, spearmint, sage, licorice root, rooibos, and blackberry leaves.
A lot of these herbs, such as chamomile, will also help you digest if you drink the tea after dinner.
Green teas do have a bit of caffeine, but can be very calming. I’ll often drink sencha at night.
Light a scented candle. Any floral scent, like the ones listed above, will help you relax before bed.
Baths and showers will not only relax your muscles, but also calm your mind. I personally refuse to bed with wet hair, so I usually take a bath with some scented candles lit and low light.
This has been said a million times before, but baths and showers make great cleansing rituals. Imagine scrubbing off your biggest worries and watching them swirl down the drain along with the soap bubbles.
When you rub on lotion, draw some sigils or runes on your skin before rubbing them in.
If you have a cleansing spray or air freshener, now is the time to use it. What better way to end the day than cleansing your house and having the air feel fresh?
If possible, go outside and sit with the moon for five minutes. I don’t know what it is about moonlight–it just heals the mind.
I struggle to do this myself, but in the best case scenario, it’d be great to wash your dishes before going to bed. It is so nice to wake up to a clean kitchen. Picking up clothes off the floor and throwing them into a hamper also greatly improves your morning. When your space is less cluttered, your mind is less cluttered.
Give a tiny offering before going to bed. It can be something you can leave overnight, such as water, salt, or herbs. It’s low-effort, spiritually attuning, and helps you feel satisfied with your day before bed.
I don’t personally do this, but I know a lot of people will meditate or stretch before bed. I find that grounding exercises also relax me before bed.
This is a personal routine of mine: I use a lavender salve I made and rub it on the bottom of my feet before bed. The lavender helps calm the body, and according to reflexology, your feet are connected to the rest of your body. Not to mention your feet get sore after a long day! Rubbing the salve on your feet will help you sleep.
You can do the same thing with lotion, preferably lavender scented.
I used to rub on hand cream before bed, and that helped me relax as well.
You can give your face a steam bath by boiling some water and adding a drop of essential oil into it, then bathing yourself in the steam. I’m wary of adding essential oil to my cooking pot because not all of them are edible, so I usually transfer the boiling water to another bowl and then add the essential oil. Still works like a charm.
When you get in bed, read something. Even like two minutes of reading will help calm you and (hopefully) make you drowsy. Unless you’re SUPER into the book. Then don’t read at night. Read something boring, like your homework.
Placing one of these crystals under your pillow may help you sleep: amethyst, labradorite, jade, black tourmaline, clear or rose quartz, selenite, or hematite.
Some people will place bags of pine, thyme, lavender, eucalyptus, or other calming herbs beneath their pillow. If you do this, be extra careful with how you bag them! My cousin ended up getting pine needles all over her bed because they weren’t secure. Use a ziploc bag or envelope to contain the herbs.
Man, could you imagine me doing all of this every night? No way! But these are fun things to consider when you want to clear your mind before bed. Happy witching! ✩°｡⋆⸜(ू｡•ω•｡)
Alright brujitas, I’m not quite sure how often studyblr would cross with witchblr. But what I do know is a lot of witches, me included, have limited space and need our precious tables or nightstands for our every day objects. Altars are traditionally a desk of some sort, with flat surface space for all necessary items and a storage space for items not currently in use (spare candles, matches, etc).
I want to say that a lot of the “best” and idolized altars are giant wood desks with statues and figures, crystal grids of all specimens, and candles upon candles with plenty of space for a thick grimoire. But this isn’t necessary, it’s difficult to maintain (especially college kid witches, apartment dwellers, and more), it also isn’t really better than any other altar. What works for your space and your abilities is what is best for you! For some of us, a cork board altar would be a great place to start.
How to use:
I say “altar” because it could be used as an extension to your grimoire, if you are someone who loves theorizing then it could easily be used to connect and visualize your thoughts or findings before you write them. If you have an altar with limited space, having a cork board near the altar for current spell workings would also be fantastic!
*Make sure your cork board is properly secured to the wall, and that your pins are sturdy
What to pin:
Any papers relevant to your studies is an obvious go to, but here are some tips to make it a bit more unique and witchy:
Pouches: Small pouches meant to be stuffed into gift bags or for herbs would be perfect to store here. They don’t weigh a thing and be easily secured with pins while maintaining easy access to the materials inside. You can store herbs, flowers, some offerings, crystals, or various candles in these pouches. If you find pouches small enough, you could also make a quick crystal grid.
Sigils: Cork boards are perfect for sigils, and you have wider options than just pinning up one drawn on paper. You can make your sigils from formations of the pins (and when the pins are actually used and the sigil is broken up, you can consider it activated then). Or, if you like being crafty, a really quick string art of your sigil can be done in seconds (all you need now is embroidery floss).
If you do happen to be studying for something, you can use your cork board to post all of the needed information and use it as a charging station to aid in your studies. Part of being a witch is to set yourself up for success after all, and having your information in a location you are going to visit every day is a pretty solid step to take.
And of course, images. You do not need a big fancy statue, when you can easily find a historical art concept of your deities. Or brilliant pictures of the animals, planets, etc that you use in your craft. This is a much cheaper alternative and easier to move on from if your craft is ever adjusted. Tip – make a collage on your cork board as an offering to one of your deities.
Don’t forget the decorations! You can also add strings and ribbons, dried flowers, pendants, among other things to the board.
Sometimes we do spells and the outcome comes about negatively. For example, a money spell could lead to a car crash that would result in the insurance giving you money. The spell technically worked, but not in the way that you wanted or expected. These tips can perhaps prevent these negative or unwanted manifestations.
–Add honey to a spell. Honey can sweeten the results of a spell since it is a natural sweetener. Sugar is also another ingredient that can sweeten the manifestation of a spell. –Add jelly or jam to a spell. Like honey and sugar, jellies and jams can create a more positive manifestation due to their sweet nature. Use the different flavors to your advantage, too. Strawberry jam can sweeten the outcome of a love spell, grape with prosperity, etc. –Close any loopholes. Adding a few extra words can save you a ton of trouble. “This spell shall manifest without any negative consequences by this Friday” is a way to avoid negative results and speed the process of the spell’s manifestation (the faster you want it to manifest, the more energy is required). –Clear your mind before performing a spell. Meditation, grounding, and centering are just a few simple things that you can do to clear your mind before doing a spell. It isn’t necessary, but it is helpful to just focus on the spell rather than other things in your life. I’ve found that when I think about other things during a spell, my spell will get clouded up with emotions that I do not want attached to it, like anger or sadness, and that that can sometimes lead to negative manifestations. –Keep your spells in appropriate places. Keeping curses in the dark and keeping positive spells in the light will help the spell to manifest as you want it to. For example, if you have a spell jar for love, putting it in a dark closet may result in a darker manifestation due to it being infused with the dark’s energy whereas putting it in the sunshine or by a rose quartz will give more positive results due to the more positive energy that is associated with the sun and the quartz. This may not be possible for all witches, so if you cannot have your spells in open places, remember to close the loophole. –Add spell ingredients that have a strong connection to the spell’s intent. Some ingredients have more of a connection to the spell’s intent than others. For instance, if a person wanted to be a hired at a certain company, they could add the dirt from the company’s premises into their career spell. Doing so could greatly increase the spell’s chances of manifesting as desired.
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