When one goes to Obaku temple in Kyoto he sees carved over the gate the words “The First Principle”. The letters are unusually large, and those who appreciate calligraphy always admire them as being a mastepiece. They were drawn by Kosen two hundred years ago.
When the master drew them he did so on paper, from which the workmen made the large carving in wood. As Kosen sketched the letters a bold pupil was with him who had made several gallons of ink for the calligraphy and who never failed to criticise his master’s work.
“That is not good,” he told Kosen after his first effort.
“How is this one?”
“Poor. Worse than before,” pronounced the pupil.
Kosen patiently wrote one sheet after another until eighty-four First Principles had accumulated, still without the approval of the pupil.
Then when the young man stepped outside for a few moments, Kosen thought: “Now this is my chance to escape his keen eye,” and he wrote hurriedly, with a mind free from distraction: “The First Principle.”
Provided he makes and wins an argument about Buddhism with those who live there, any wondering monk can remain in a Zen temple. If he is defeated, he has to move on.
In a temple in the northern part of Japan two brother monks were dwelling together. The elder one was learned, but the younger one was stupid and had but one eye.
A wandering monk came and asked for lodging, properly challenging them to a debate about the sublime teachings. The elder brother, tired that day from much studying, told the younger one to take his place. “Go and request the dialogue in silence,” he cautioned.
So the young monk and the stranger went to the shrine and sat down.
Shortly afterwards the traveler rose and went in to the elder brother and said: "Your young brother is a wonderful fellow. He defeated me.“
"Relate the dialogue to me,” said the elder one.
“Well,” explained the traveler, “first I held up one finger, representing Buddha, the enlightened one. So he held up two fingers, signifying Buddha and his teaching. I held up three fingers, representing Buddha, his teaching, and his followers, living the harmonious life. Then he shook his clenched fist in my face, indicating that all three come from one realization. Thus he won and so I have no right to remain here.” With this, the traveler left.
“Where is that fellow?” asked the younger one, running in to his elder brother.
“I understand you won the debate.”
“Won nothing. I’m going to beat him up.”
“Tell me the subject of the debate,” asked the elder one.
“Why, the minute he saw me he held up one finger, insulting me by insinuating that I have only one eye. Since he was a stranger I thought I would be polite to him, so I held up two fingers, congratulating him that he has two eyes. Then the impolite wretch held up three fingers, suggesting that between us we only have three eyes. So I got mad and started to punch him, but he ran out and that ended it!”
Always remember that each witch’s journey is a different one. You certainly do not have to research all of these in one go. Or all of it for that matter. Take your time and explore the possibilities of witchcraft, even if it’s one subject at a time. Witchcraft isnt strict on rules, find what suits you, there’s a place for everyone. And remember, always keep learning! :)
I tried to organize it somewhat (not really) Im going to start a series of master lists like this one for different types of witches too! So stick around for those but for now…
Enjoy!
the history of witchcraft
types of witchcraft
types of magick
types of spells
types of witches
types of divination
types of herbs
types of energy
talismans
deities
seals
alphabets
crystals
sabbats
altars
basic tools
lunar phases
candle magic
planetary correspondence
tarot cards
incense and oils
Animals and what they represent
cleansing
meditation
astral projection
celestial bodies
spirituality
familiars
edible plants
toxic plants
the tea sis
wheel of the year
Zodiac signs
moon/sun water
banishing
binding
sacred items
sigils
cleansing
grounding
witchy symbols
witches/wiccans terminology
witching on a budget
what is satanism and why do people confuse it with witchcraft?
Mindfulness is a meditative process that involves being attentive, intentional, and most of all present during even the mundane moments of your daily life. Today I’m writing about how to build up a mindfulness practice and how it can aid you in your craft.Continue reading
So your pet takes a special interest whenever you practice witchcraft. The good news: you may have a familiar! The bad news: there is now a cat tail swishing under your nose while you try to meditate. But it doesn’t have to be bad news. Here’s how I turned my mindset around when it comes to furry distractions. (more…)
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For those of you who may or may not know, I am autistic. Because of this, there are a few aspects of the witchcraft experience that can be, well, tricky for me.
When I started about 5-ish years ago, I figured that you had to do witchcraft exactly the way people told you. Some of the time, this wasn’t an issue. Other times, it was.
Because I was diagnosed at a young age, I have learned a lot about how to mask my symptoms. This meant that my craft was also very heavily centered around neurotypical approaches to the craft (rituals, spellwork, etc.). It was fine for a while. However, recently I have been slowly working on unmasking and getting a better sense as to how I truly function, and I’ve found that more neurodivergent ways of doing witchcraft actually work better for me!
Recently, there have been many posts circulating around that focus on how traditional meditation doesn’t work for all minds, and people sharing their own ways of mindfulness without sacrificing things their neurodivergent mind needs.
I figured I’d share some ways I’ve been practicing “new mindfulness” and how it’s been working for me, as well as other techniques I have seen that could help others.
1. Lots and lots of stimming
Meditation/mindfulness requires a certain amount of brain power. Not much, but enough. The traditional ways of meditation normally involve you “staying perfectly still” and “clearing your mind”. For me, they did work, to a point. But coming out of meditation didn’t always leave me relaxed or more aware. A lot of the time it felt exhausting, like I was holding my breath.
For me, stimming is almost equivalent to breathing. I do it constantly, and if I’m not doing it in some capacity, my brain goes beserk. Stimming helps me to focus on something. It keeps my brain occupied, that way I can do other things that require an x amount of brain power. Stimming also helps me deter any anxiety/panic attacks that may arise!
Something you can do, which I’ve been testing out, is doing very “intense” stimming exercises to help practice mindfulness. What I do is put on some noise cancelling headphones, cover myself in blankets, and do some sensory stimming. The only thing I can sense is what I am feeling, and I focus on that to a strong degree.
2. Hyperfocusing
This is kinda related to stimming, but this is a bit different, and more like how traditional mediation actually works. In normal mindfulness, you pick something to focus on, and then you focus on it. You’re not necessarily “clearing your mind”, you’re just finding something to fixate on, and letting thoughts go past you without paying attention to them.
Normally what I do is focus on a sound or sensation, since a lot of my stimming habits revolve around these two things. I’ll either put on some music or some form of white noise and just focus on it. Or, when I’m charging something during my meditation, I focus on how it feels.
However,don’t force yourself to focus on one thing! I know that sounds hypocritical, but if you make yourself hear your ceiling fan and only your ceiling fan, you’re not going to meditate well and you’ll end up not feeling great when you come out of the session.
Instead, let your mind focus on something else. If your mind instead wants to focus on the traffic outside, let it. If your mind wants to focus on how the bed feels underneath you, let it. With practice, your mind will do these jumps less frequently, but jumping from one focus to another isn’t a bad thing, as a matter of fact it is 100% normal!
3. Movement
Contrary to popular belief, meditation doesn’t always have to be when you’re standing still. If it is easier to be calm while in motion, then do so! This can be something small as stimming to something big like going for a run. Ridding yourself of any internal or external distractions is key to successful meditation sessions. So, if motion helps you to focus and helps ease the mind, the motion you should do!
A lot of the times when I stim, I pace back and forth in one spot. I find that when I do that, I get a lot less brain fog. I can be more creative, think things through more efficiently, and help to fight back against any anxiety my brain tries to wrap me into. I end up focusing on one thing for long periods of time, which, in a way, is kinda like meditation if you think about it!
So, the takeaway…
When I’ve done some of these things stated above. I feel a lot more calm. Some of the grounding/charging exercises I did in the past would sometimes give me trouble. Now, I can do them a lot more easily I find I can practice my craft more effectively than before, meaning I can achieve better results in anything I do with it!
Am I telling you you should do exactly what I do to help you meditate? No, not in the slightest. However, it might give you some ideas as to how to better approach meditation and mindfulness. It may also help broaden your perspective a bit onto how meditationreally works, and that’s there’s no “one size fits all” way of doing it either.
It snowed again today; big, fluffy snowflakes. They fell for hours and are still falling now. But earlier, when the grass was still peeking through the white blanket accumulating on the ground, my mom and I went for a walk to get some fresh air.
As we were walking, we began chatting pleasantly about how easy it is to take each season for granted. Personally, I used to be very uneasy and displeased whenever summer approached, and for my mother that season was always winter. And honestly? I this past year has made me realize just how much I missed in life while thinking like that.
Because of the way I was thinking and the mindset I had chosen for myself, I was only seeing things how I wanted them to be and instead of for what they were. And when you look at anything through a lens of, “I wish things were this way,” you get stuck in an infinite loop of disappointment because obviously said thing isn’t going to fit in the perfect little box you’ve created in your mind.
This realization was why I’ve spent the last year being patient and observing things for what they are instead of what I want them to be. And what I found is that I became a lot more positive in response.
I wasn’t disappointed because I held no expectations to begin with. I wasn’t shocked and in distress when things suddenly changed because I wasn’t expecting anything to go as plan in the first place. I found myself more open, loving, and flexible than ever, and the only thing I actually changed about my life was that I changed one tiny aspect of my mindset.
It was a really cool experience to go through and was super beneficial in helping with a lot of the anxiety, depression, and other mental issues I’ve been dealing with for years.
If anyone would like me to make another post on exactly what steps I used to go about changing my mindset (because it’s not usually an easy-to-figure-out or immediate process), let me know!
For now, I love you all and wish you the best in each of your individual journeys and want to remind you that it is possible to heal from any wound. It just takes time, patience, and a little understanding. So be kind to yourselves, okay?
So I’ve noticed that during 2020 I became so melancholy and fractured at some points that currently my third eye and general spiritual awareness is borderline nonexistent. This, of course, can only mean one thing…
It’s time to break out my Astral Awakening tea again and get back into my meditation routine.
My tea recipe below is for more advanced practitioners and yes I am stating this for a damn good reason!! Two of the herbs involved in this tea have specific doses and several contraindications and one of them is psychoactive (although most places consider it legal since the effects are rather minor).
I cannot stress this enough: Always, ALWAYS! research each and every herb thoroughly before using, messing with, or adding them to literally anything! Even generally safe, common herbs such as chamomile can have contraindications (ie: chamomile should not be used by people who take blood thinners).
I have experience in this field. Years of it. I’ve done all of my homework six ways from Sunday. That is the only reason I personally even considered experimenting with more risky herbs and ingesting them.
But yeah now that that’s out of the way, here’s my Astral Awakening tea recipe to be used in conjunction with meditation to open your third eye and connect to the spirit realm!
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Blue Lotus → ½ tsp. Devil’s Claw → 1 tsp. Cornflower → 1 tsp. Lavender → 2 tsp.
**This should be steeped for 5 to 10 minutes in a small pot with hot water.
Blue Lotus is the psychoactive flower. It has long been associated with the spirit world and the astral realm. It also opens your third eye chakra and assists with astral travel, lucid dreaming, and general psychic ability boosting/awakening.
Devil’s Claw is something I always throw in because it is an extremely powerful protection herb and very, very much wanted when you are in such a vulnerable state as leaving your own body. When projecting, traveling, or even lucid dreaming it’s always a great idea to have some kind of backup, be it a charm, a ward, or a protective herb of some kind. Since you never know how deep or far you’ll travel with this specific tea, I chose Devil’s Claw as my guardian since it is ultra protective and hella good at its job.
Cornflower is strongly associated with the Indigo Children and Star Children in general. It is also known for its influence with deeper, inner connections, spiritual connections, lucid dreaming, and astral travel. Where as Blue Lotus is more like a ship since it kind of just…detaches you and throws you into the unknown, you could say that Cornflower would be a bit more like the starry night sky. It’s a natural compass to guide you through your journey as long as you’re willing to pay attention.
Finally, Lavender is my round-out herb that, although it is also associated with relaxation, sleep, and dreaming, is also pleasant to taste and should keep your travels on the mellow side and aid in side-stepping danger in that regard.
Egyptian: The material to be worked upon to achieve perfection through creative activity; the rough ashlar is unregenerate man, the perfect ashlar is the spiritual and perfected man.
[Source: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols by J.C. Cooper]
It’s no secret that I am spiritual, but if you didn’t know now you do. (I will explain in full later) but for starters
I was originally born into the African Methodist Episcopal Zion denomination and I sort of separated once I left high school in 2013. Since leaving high school I’ve grown so much and learned a lot about life as a 25 year old. While in college…
Hey everyone! I put out a call for more people to follow and then sorta… uh… disappeared. Yay, Real Life! Between Work, immigration for The Spouse, and getting a New Venture off the ground, time has been EXTREMELY limited. There’s a few new posts in the work (that I swearare not related to The New Venture!) But, this one post is, to be 100% truthful, is a bit of a shameless plug of said New Venture. Glass Owl is the name - focusing on Tarot and a touch of philosophy, for the time-being; meditations, ASMR, and a few other things that I have to keep under wraps are in the works. So if any of y’all are interested, pop over to the new Facebookpage for a Like, and give Glass Owl’s Tumblrpage a follow! I promise I don’t bite…
- Burn some incense. Lavender and holy basil work really well for getting you into a meditative mindset.
- Listen to some calming music. Focus on the music rather than any intrusive thoughts. I like looking up rainforest sounds on Spotify.
- Chant some mantras. I usually end up taking snippets of words and phrases from rituals and spells to use for this. (Ex. “I am protected by your might; O gracious Goddess, through the night”- Scott Cunningham)
- Take a bath or shower beforehand. It can symbolize the cleansing and purifying of your body to permit you to concentrate without distractions. Bonus points if you use herb sachets and crystal waters!
- WEAR SOMETHING CONFORTABLE! I love meditating in sweatpants and a baggy shirt. If you’re not comfortable, your clothes will be the only thing on your mind.
- Draw sigils on your skin to bring out your calmness and focus.
- Burn some nice candles. Use blue candles for calmness and tranquility. Scented candles are quite nice for meditation, too!
- If you have the time, cast a circle before you meditate. The act of circle casting can even get you in the mindset to meditate.
- Use some crystals. Smoky quartz is good for grounding, clarity, and cleansing. Lapis lazuli is good for peacefulness, past life recal, and insight.
- Drink some tea. Nettle and chamomile are both good choices. For some extra omph, use moon water or crystal water.
This is a fact we’ve all know for a long time. Anyone who practices in anyway is ultimately a witch, as long as they’re comfortable with the title. When I first started my practice I avoided calling myself a witch, since I felt it was too feminine of a title for the kind of person I am. After some meditation and talk with other witches of the world I saw how the term is meant to be used and started my journey on the path of the masculine witch.
My journey started in college when I first discovered the Celtic gods and the druidic practices that they were associated with. I felt an immediate connection, and after many weeks of research and soul searching I decided to become a Celtic Druid, somewhat to the dismay of my parents. It wasn’t long after that that I was writing my first spells and crafting my first sigils.
At first I was extremely rigid in my practices; I followed spells to the letter and used formulas to write anything of my own. While this was great for me to learn as a beginner, it ultimately left me limited in what I did with my practice. It wasn’t until I finally broke a mold that I saw the possibilities. The first time I did anything completely original was when I learned how to meditate while I sparred. I had been inspired by Star Wars: Knight’s of the Old republic’s concept of a battle meditation and did it literally as I fought.
This led me down many rabbit holes as I found my personal best way to practice. I made my first altar at which I pray daily, I joined my first traditional martial arts school since middle school to train my body, and I started exploring the fandoms I loved for things to bring into my daily life and practice.
Today that has turned me into the person writing this blog: I practice Celtic Druidry using Chang Quan Kung Fu for active meditation, while trying to live my life in a way that fits my Mandalorian values. This might not be the best way for everyone to practice, but it is for me, and I hope my sharing it here will give other people the jumping off point they need.
Hello everyone! Apologies for the unscheduled disappearance. I experienced some technical difficulties, by which I mean my laptop refused to boot up. While waiting to get a new laptop setup, I have been doing what I can in the Winter Witchery Challenge, which comes to a close today.
I’ve been doing various things to keep up with the challenge after my computer failed. I experimented with using…
Three weeks into December already! Where has the time gone?
This was a very low spoons week for me, which you’ll see reflected in this update. I hope everyone is taking at least a little inspiration from my Winter Witchery Challenge!
December 15th: Spirit sensing. I didn’t get much for sensing my spirits individually, but did notice their energies as a whole. I made the mistake of lying down…
Hello everyone! Micah here with an update on my Winter Witchery Challenge. We’re a week into December, so here’s a quick summary of what I’ve done for each day so far:
December 1st: A brainstorming day for where I wanted to go from here. I asked myself 4 questions: what do I want to continue or resume in my Craft? What would I like to explore? What do I want to do more of? What do I want to do…
