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•｡)
Updates: Periodically (multiple pages 1 – 2 a month) Recommended if you liked: 6 cm/s, The Last of Us, When The Wind Blows (James Patterson), The Cat Returns, Countdown to Countdown
Adrift by @hobermenart follows Anne, a girl with wings, who is trying to find out who she is and where she came from. With the help of her best friend Holiday, she sets out to find her origins.
Reading this story is an experience that begins with the framing of the panels on the website. Paige has created a background of ivy and bars that centres the the single panel pages. Once the reader is effectively grounded in the story, you begin to flip through each page: giving the effect that if you clicked fast enough you could almost get an animated “flipbook.”
This style makes the pacing and detail-oriented nature of the comic stand out. Each moment is giving the timing it deserves. Paige establishes in the very first panels that this isn’t a webcomic that shies away from taking its time. The movement of a drop of water is spread out over multiple pages, slowly moving into a narrower focus on an important icon. Adrift makes you aware of the passing of time, in the same way that Anne must feel with not being able to remember her past. By slowing the story down, the reader hones in on what is important, gently guided by the storytelling.
The artwork itself is also incredible to look at: environments, whether urban or natural, are drawn in intricate detail. The main characters have appearances that are at once fantastical and human-like. The loose brush strokes work together in a way that looks effortless (though we’re sure it takes a lot of effort!)
Oh, and we definitely love the facial expressions!
Familiars, not to be confused with the closed Native American term/concept of Spirit Animals, are, in short, familiar spirits that can aid a witch in their magical practices. In pop-culture, you mainly see familiars referenced as stereotypical witch-related animals such as ravens/crows, foxes, black cats, or bats. As with many witchcraft related things that are shown in pop-culture, this is a misrepresentation. Foxes, ravens, crows, and bats are not only quite dangerous to work with, but a familiar can range from your pet hamster Fluffy to your Great Dane named Tiberius. Note: not all pets are familiars! For people who believe in past lives and their domestic (note: physical) familiar has died, they may try to relocate the familiar spirit.
So, how do I obtain one?
Well, obtaining a familiar is both simple and difficult. People often jump right to their pet, thinking that of COURSE it’s their familiar, it’s their pet after all. But in reality, most pets have no interest in your practice, whereas a familiar will. It is a wild misconception that a familiar is only an animal, in reality, the familiar is not the body it inhabits, but the spirit. Meaning, you do not need a physical animal to have a familiar, but your familiar can take on the body of an animal/pet/etc. There are familiar summoning spells (some linked below) – and if your kitty takes an interest in your magic, it may very well be a familiar!
Spirit companions and familiars may seem to have a lot of crossover, but they are very different entities that hold a similar purpose. Spirit companions do not tend to take on a physical body, whereas often times familiars do. Spirit companions are also mainly astral and spirit work based, familiars have more of a physical world base and are not as related to direct spirit work.
Can my familiar perform magic?
In short, not really. Familiars are not there to cast spells (your cat isn’t going to give you a tarot reading, trust me, I’ve tried), but rather to help and strengthen YOUR magic/witchcraft. Familiars often help using their energy and presence rather than actually ‘casting’ spells, drawing tarot cards, etc.
How can I tell if my pet is my familiar?
Takes interest in your magical practice.
Does not shy away from witchcraft.
Seems to want to be around you when you are performing rituals/spells/etc.
Immediate strong bond.
Honestly, use your intuition! It will be different for everyone.
Spirit animals vs familiars:
So, I’m not going to discuss this much because the concept of spirit animals and totem is closed. But I will mention that familiars are NOT spirit animals, not even remotely the same thing. Please do not call your familiar a spirit animal and please do not use the term unless you are Native!
Everything else I could find was inaccurate, highly appropriative, outdated, or all three.
Conclusion:
Go with your gut feeling and intuition on familiars, sometimes you just “know”, sometimes you don’t. The experience of familiars is different for EVERYONE. It can take some time to actually find one. If you’re in the market for adopting a new pet, maybe take familiars into consideration! If you have an immediate strong bond with them, they may be your familiar.
Free Comic Book Day 2018 – The Legend of Korra: Lost Pets
That’s right, yesterday was the annual Free Comic Book Day and we got a new Korra comic short called Lost Pets! You can check it out in full above. (source – We’ll update with higher quality scans / the digital original as they come out.)
Of course, the point of FCBD is to get out and support your local comic book shops, which not only have an abundance of Avatar comics (and obviously others as well) but actually release them about two weeks earlier than the rest of the market (like Amazon)! In fact this fall, not one, not two, but THREE brand new full-length Avatar graphic novels are coming with the following two-week-early comic book store release dates:
The Legend of Korra: Turf WarsPart Three – August 22nd
First, thank you for coming to us, you didn’t come off as rude at all.
Well, we don’t have a tag or masterpost, but I can create a list of articles we have up at this point (May 14, 2018) that focuses on queer subjects from before Stonewall.
in case it isn’t clear, this is a shallow, broad overview of a beginner’s guide to spirit work! if you’re just starting out, this is the place to be.
this is a pretty long post, so i’m putting it under the cut!
here is a link to sun’s witch academy database, where you can find more in depth posts on many of the topics discussed here! (a work in progress)
a letter to spirit workers take everything i say with a grain of salt. i am not the Ultimate Expert on all things spirity!! in fact, i’m probably still considered a beginner – i just gather information from others, i still lack experience actually doing most things. things that are important to me might not be to you, and we’ll probably see things differently. that’s okay! your path is your own.
do your own research as well, and always check what you find against other sources as well as your own knowledge. be smart and use common sense. ultimately, YOU decide what you believe! (keeping in mind that some things in spirit work are common knowledge/should not be disputed. this mostly is pointed at cultural appropriation. that doesn’t mean that they aren’t disputed, but they shouldn’t be.)
have fun, and love yourself!
~ sun
a note: if you don’t understand something i’m talking about in this post, chances are it will be explained more in depth in another post from the database, or even farther down on this post! just be patient <333
what is spirit work?
it’s pretty self explanatory. it’s when someone works with spirits! spirit work can take many different forms, some people want to learn from spirits, be friends with them, or even have a romantic relationship with them. many spirits can also manifest in the physical world, though not with a tangible body. most spirits reside in a place called the astral – we’ll get to that later.
what is a spirit?
a spirit is a being that does not exist tangibly in our physical world. we can still communicate with them, however! and there are infinite different types of them too.
spirit vs. ghost vs. deity
a deity is a spirit who is seen as divine, and is often worshipped in a religion. they are considered to be more powerful than other spirits. spirits in general are of course these other beings with many subcategories – but they are very much alive. ghosts on the other hand, are humans or other beings who have passed on and perhaps still remain in our world.
key differential: ghosts=dead, spirits=alive. and deities are probably more of the immortal types.
the dangers of spirit work
this is bolded because it is so important for you to know. do not delude yourself. spirit work can be dangerous, if you let it.
you don’t need to be anxious about it – if you use the proper protections, and don’t go seeking out dangerous spirits and situations, it is unlikely that you will be attacked or harmed. it can happen, but that is why you use protections and make sure you are prepared for those situations. if you are attacked by a spirit you don’t know how to handle, immediately go to a more experienced spirit worker to help you. and for goodness’ sake try not to provoke any spirits without protecting yourself and without good reason.
beginner spirit workers are easy to target, because they don’t yet know how to protect themselves or how this all works. if you are a beginner learning how to communicate with spirits, and you find a spirit has come to you claiming that they know you in some way – a powerful guide, a long lost lover or family member, someone from a past life – be extremely skeptical. many spirits will try to manipulate you into believing in them and giving them energy to feed from. we can get into more detail on signs of a malignant spirit later.
just use common sense, protect yourself, and stay safe.
to learn how to ward, follow the link to the database (at the top of the post) and find the link for warding.
misconceptions
there are many common misconceptions regarding spirit work, and it’s likely that i haven’t caught all of them. one, of course, is the idea that all spirits are dead beings (as you read above, they’re not).
here are just a few common misconceptions for beginners:
spirit work is evil.
it’s not! what on earth would make it evil? sure, it’s “otherworldly,” but for those who would argue it “unnatural,” i counter: it has occurred in nature, this it is natural.
demons are all evil.
not true! a demon is a species, like mermaid or dragon or elf, and there are good and bad members of every species.
ouija boards are dangerous and evil.
i’m kinda sensing a theme here, huh?
if there’s any being powerful enough to move shit around in your house and manifest in scary ways, they do not need a ouija board to get into your house. that’s why protection is so important. you should still protect yourself and ward the board when you use it, as you should with any divination or communication tool. a spirit who used a ouija board to communicate may try to scare you. but ultimately, if you protect yourself, you should be fine.
i personally will probably never use a ouija board, as i am an extremely anxious person and it is easy for my mind to get carried away being paranoid about being attacked. movies and media have had too much of an effect on me for that. but if you want to use a board, go for it.
vocabulary
discernment – the ability to differentiate what is happening from what your mind or imagination is making up. alternatively, the ability to determine when a spirit is lying to you or concealing its true identity.
callings – a feeling you receive from a certain spirit, typically one that is up for adoption. it is what signifies that the spirit would like to work with you or have you as a companion.
telepathy – a form of communication with spirits by directing thoughts towards them and listening for responses that are not your own voice. can be difficult for beginners – needs good discernment skills.
the Clairs – metaphysical sensing abilities (clairvoyance, claircognizance, clairaudience, etc.)
lulls – a period of time in which it is more difficult for you to commune with spirits. different frequency and length for everyone.
thoughtforms – a type of spirit that is created by someone’s mind rather than born, but they are still alive.
servitors – a type of basic thought form created to accomplish a certain task. typically simple and single-minded.
spirit guides – a spirit that will serve as a mentor and guide to you. some people believe that everyone has one, is assigned one at birth, etc.
banishment – a method of kicking a spirit out of your space. should only be used if the spirit is causing trouble and refuses to leave when asked.
companion – a spirit who is a member of your spirit family, who was found by adoption
reverse adoption (ra) – a conjurer takes a small piece of your energy and asks any safe/friendly spirits to step forward if they feel a calling
custom conjure (cc) – the same as a reverse adoption, but with more specifications (if you have a species in mind, or a type of magic you’d like them to be proficient in, or a relationship type you’re looking for
communication and tools
there are three basic ways to communicate with spirits, and only one of them requires tools.
divination
communing with a spirit through methods of divination, such as pendulum, cartomancy, shufflemancy, scrying, etc. can be unreliable, as these methods provide an answer even if the spirit does not give one.
astral
communing with a spirit by astral traveling or projecting, and speaking with them while in the astral. requires a decent clairaudience or claircognizance ability to be able to pick up and understand what they are saying. also requires decent discernment abilities to ensure your mind or imagination is not making up their responses.
telepathy
communing with a spirit by directing thoughts towards them. this does not mean that they can read your mind, or you theirs – the both of you will typically only pick up on thoughts directed as specifically communication. requires strong discernment abilities given the mind’s tendency to think quickly and fill in the most viable response. you have to be able to learn to listen pst that, ignore your own mind and imagination, and truly pick up on what the spirit is saying.
spirit adoption and shops
spirit adoption is the practice of “adopting” a spirit as your companion. this does not mean that they are your pet – the spirit is adopting you as much as you are adopting them. you can think of it a little bit like a matchmaking service. spirit shops (typically found on tumblr) provide information (a bio) about a spirit who is looking for a companion. if you feel a calling for a spirit who is up for adoption, consider sending in an application. this provides the spirit (and the conjurer) with information about you, so that they can judge whether or not they think you a good match. some spirits have specific requirements they’re looking for in a companion. these should be posted in the spirit’s bio. spirit companionship is not something to be taken lightly, and i would not recommend it for a complete newbie. in fact, i would advise against it as a newbie unless you were perhaps 25+ in age. having a companion requires dedication and it is long term, if not permanent. you should not be looking for a companion unless you are prepared to care for them and give them your time and energy. when you adopt a companion, you gain a friend, and you should treat them like you would a physical friend. make time for them. get to know them. if things go well, you will have this friend for years, and hopefully for life.
the drama of spirit companionship
oh look – bold! more important information!
there is a lot of hate and lashing out against spirit companions and shops. this mostly comes from misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flat ignorance. let’s section this out.
vessels
there is a common misconception that spirits are forcefully bound to and trapped inside of a vessel for companionship. that’s not how it works. a spirit would not go up for adoption if they did not want to be a companion. furthermore, good spirit shops should never create bindings that hurt the spirit involved. a binding to a vessel usually serves one purpose: the vessel acts as a beacon to help the spirit locate you, and it can help strengthen the bond between you and your companion by familiarizing the two of you with each other’s energies.
money
some people believe that paying for a companion is bad – that you’re basically buying their friendships buying them like you would buy a pet. i agree. that is, if that’s how things really were, i’d be disgusted. when a conjurer asks for money for an adoption, it is typically because they would like compensation for the time put into conjuring (more common for ra’s and cc’s) or because they are providing a vessel with the companion that cost them money to provide and ship. this applies to good shops anyways. if a shop claims to ask money for the spirit itself, run like hell.
shops
there are bad shops and good shops. some are clear cut AVOID. some are pretty good! always make sure to check reviews and faqs/abouts to see if the shop seems suspicious at all. sometimes it can be hard to tell, but there are a few tells that can indicate whether a shop is a no go.
if they post culturally appropriative spirits.
spirits from closed cultures should not be put up for adoption. if they wish for a companion, it would be better for them to search for someone specifically from their culture.
if they post spirits who are children.
children and infants should never be posted for adoption. they are still in developmental stages and it is not fair to ask a spirit worker to take on the task of raising a child, when they are looking for a companion. additionally, most spirit workers are not capable of taking care of the needs of a spirit child or infant, especially if the child is from a different species.
if they post a spirit that seems dangerous or harmful
all spirits posted for adoption should be thoroughly vetted to ensure their safety and legitimacy. if a shop posts unsafe spirits, it is not a good shop.
if their stated vetting period is too short
it takes a long time to get to know a person. any spirit vetted for adoption should be in the process for three months at the VERY minimum, and that’s if the conjurer is spending time with the spirit most every day. (vetting periods for ra’s and cc’s are typically different, and can vary from shop to shop. no vetting period should be less than 2-3 weeks.)
if the shop asks for money to buy the spirit, and does not clarify that the money is for their effort and services or for a vessel provided.
if the shop treats a spirit like a pet or commodity up for sale, get the fuck away from them.
if you get a generally icky, nasty, or uneasy feel/vibe from the shop
some people are more sensitive to energy than others, but if you feel gross about the shop, consider avoiding it.
if the reviews are generally negative or troublesome, or if there are little to no reviews at all
troubling reviews will give you a clear idea of what’s going on behind the scenes. little to no reviews make it difficult to know what things are actually like! you can proceed if you like, but take caution.
please keep in mind that shops can change! if they pay attention to the criticism they receive and take steps to improve, you can be assured that they’re probably trustworthy! or at least, more so than they were before ❤️❤️❤️
cultural appropriation
cultural appropriation is a little different between witchcraft and spirit work, but the base idea remains the same. you should not use practices or commune with spirits from a closed culture. in spirit work, cultural appropriation can be much more serious. some spirits from certain cultures do not like outsiders, and you should not attempt to commune with them if you know they are not open to that. in addition, some spirits from closed cultures can even be incredibly dangerous and will attack those who are not members of their culture. please stay safe for your own good and don’t attempt to interact with spirits (or deities!) from closed cultures.
religion and spirit work
lots of people use spirit work to become closer to their faith! abrahamic religions use spirit work to commune with God and angels. pagans use spirit work to commune with the various deities and spirits of their belief systems!
i’m going to touch on a few different pagan religion systems that are commonly seen, because many people i know use spirit work to connect and work with their gods and goddesses. the most common pagan religions that i know people use are greek/roman, egyptian, and norse.
the astral
the astral is a place that exists outside of our physical world, and thus, really the only way to get there is through metaphysical means – by traveling and projecting. there are many different planes of the astral, and an infinite number of places and people. one of the astral planes corresponds to earth – it is basically a copy of our own earth, only it exists in the astral, right on top of/ in the same space as our physical earth.
travel vs. projection
many beginners get confused about the astral because they don’t know that astral traveling and astral projecting are actually two completely different things. in astral travel, you simply cast your consciousness into the astral, but still remain awake and aware of your physical body. in projection, you fall into a deep trance and enter the astral completely, leaving your physical body behind so you are no longer aware of it. if you chose to project, make sure you protect your body heavily so that no other spirit attempts to inhabit it while you are gone.
conjuring, and why we won’t be talking about it.
conjuring is the practice of summoning spirits, either to speak with for a short time or for companion adoptions. beginners should not attempt to do this. intermediate level spirit workers should not attempt to do this until they have a capable mentor who is willing to spend the time to teach you properly and make sure you are protected. no spirit worker should ever conjure alone or unprotected.
seriously – don’t try conjuring. you might think i know a lot, right? i have not attempted to conjure yet and i know i will not be ready for a good long while. knowing isn’t everything. i do not have the experience and skill needed to conjure. i’ve been working hard learning about spirit work for roughly six months. if i’m still not ready, what makes you think a new beginner would be?
but i’ll help you get started.
simple practicing ideas
practice energy work (check out the database to find the energy work post!)
make wards
research different types of spirits
research spirit shops and find out if you would like a companion
practice communicating with plant and crystal spirits
try to astral travel (for methods how, check the database and look for the astral post)
practice improving your clair- skills
meet other spirit workers!
spirit work is a huge topic. there’s so much to explore! be safe, and have fun.
Although this resource is focused on Black witches, I do encourage people who do not identify as Black, or a person of colour, to read this so that they have some idea of the differences in practices so that you do not insult someone’s practices unknowingly.
Everyone sees spirits differently, some don’t see them at all. This list is here to help you identify the way you may see spirits or sate your macabre curiosities.This is not a complete list by any means and is made to be a reference, not a how-to guide or a method of invalidation.
Astral Travel
Astral Travel is one of the most coveted tools in a spirit workers arsenal, as it takes time and practice to even end up on the astral, let alone be able to see everything vividly. Astral Travel allows the person to travel to a plain where spirits are naturally, making communication, relationships, and physical contact with them (via your astral body) possible. Despite popular belief, you do not have to astral travel to be a spirit worker, and in all honesty, I would not recommend it for a beginner as you can die on the astral and it has many other risks associated with it.
The Second Sight
The sight has been spoken of for centuries, sometimes with reverence, other times with dread. If you have the sight you are born with the innate ability to see otherworldly creatures and ghosts, and while this may sound amazing, it’s horrifying. You cannot turn it off, they know you can see them so they seek you out, and its there forever. If you do manage to shut them out you have definitely caused a major energy block which will have damaging effects in the future such as losing touch with spirituality, chronic migraines, and reoccurring nightmares. No one knows for sure why some people are born with the sight, some say its a curse, others say a Faery blessed you.
Energy Signatures
Energy Signatures is one of the most basic forms of seeing spirits that is common when you start spirit work. It is defined as seeing trace amounts of a spirit’s energy, whether it be a colored tendril, smoke, shadows, or even sparkles. It is the shadow you see out of the corner of your eye, the strange subtle light you see in a pitch black room, the fog in a room that doesn’t belong.
Assisted Energy Signatures
Assisted energy signatures are when a spirit manifests their energy to let you see it or to let you know they are there and is fascinating to witness as it is normally stronger than unassisted energy signatures.
Forced Mental Imagery
Forced mental imagery is when a spirit sends a mental image into your mind for one reason or another. It could be as simple as an eye, a mouth, or a hand or as complex as whole scenes, actions, and words.
Mental Imagery
Mental imagery is when you see spirits in your mind, sometimes its just a face, other times it’s a full body image. You normally can see the spirit in your mind if you look around the room and it is easy for you to know where in the room they are.
Mind Scrying
Mind scrying is something I never really see anyone talk about. It is similar to mental imagery but more in-depth and requires more focus/control. You see spirits in your mind, but you can look through your house, property, or even general location and see what is around you. If you want to know what someone is doing you simply focus on them and you can see what they’re doing in great detail and where they are, you can easily check your house for intruding spirits, etc.
teakepp 