the-cryptid-coven

[the-cryptid-coven]

Love the sigil idea. Would you make one for me? 🙏

Sure!! Dm me @cypress-gold

#lovely cryptid witch fam #witchblr #witchcraft #coven #cryptid coven

[the-cryptid-coven]

Hi, I’m so sorry if this has been asked a million times before (which it probably has) but.. can you recommend a good place to start regarding witchcraft? I’ve been on the edge of the community for a while but would love to educate myself further before I proceed. Is there a Witchcraft for Dummies link you could point me to?? Thank you 💚

Hi! It’s okay to ask! 💚 I just got back on this blog so sorry for the wait.

I personally started out with reading books on the craft after learning about it online.

The Modern Guide to Witchcraft is a big one for many people:

The Modern Guide to Witchcraft: Your Complete Guide to Witches, Covens, and Spells (Modern Witchcraft) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1440580022/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ttjfFb6P5E4Z9

I also like Wicca, A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner:

https://www.amazon.com/Wicca-Solitary-Practitioner-Scott-Cunningham-ebook/dp/B002AS9S80/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539704386&sr=8-1&keywords=scott+cunningham

And Wicca, by Harmony Nice:

https://www.target.com/p/wicca-by-harmony-nice-hardcover/-/A-54524395?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&CPNG=PLA_Entertainment%2BShopping&adgroup=SC_Entertainment&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=m&location=9003550&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3s_4BRDPARIsAJsyoLOTRa8GgDtaykSwm5rp9uXdspNRTns7WHhW3vNy8KYEWc0ChNO1GFMaAmCpEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Harmony Nice also has a YouTube channel, along with Witch of Wonderlust, MintFaery (be careful she works with the fae which I don’t recommend for beginners), the Green Witch, Witch Please, and Darienne Empire.

For actual practice I recommend setting intentions in daily tasks. I personally like to make tea in the morning and stir clockwise while speaking my intentions for the day, infusing the sugar and my words with the tea. I also make a lot of sigils and post them everywhere, even drawing them on myself when I feel like it is going to be one of “those days” where I am tired and the world feels meh.

Hope this helps!! 💚

#lovely cryptid witch fam #witchblr #witchcraft #coven #cryptid coven

[the-cryptid-coven]

hi so I just drew a sigil on me (a protection one) and I drew it on a piece of paper and I let the paper dissolve in water, is this right? like did it work? I feel better

It sounds like it did!! Drawing sigils on myself is the easiest way I get mine to work, and dissolving it in water sounds like an excellent way to cast when you can’t use fire.

I might need to try that!! Protection is easy to manifest with sigils (at least from my experience) so I think it worked. 👍🏼

#lovely cryptid witch fam #witchblr #witchcraft #coven #cryptid coven

[the-cryptid-coven]

can i get a tattoo of a sigil you've made?

Only if I get to see a pic!!! 💚💚💚

#lovely cryptid witch fam #witchblr #witchcraft #cryptid coven

[the-cryptid-coven]

Hey there! I'm a beginner to witchcraft, and I've realised that there are so many types of witches that I'm not sure which path is right for me. Do you have any advice for deciding what type of witch you want to be?

I do not mean to disappoint, but the only true way of learning what type of witch you are comes with simple experimentation. You find practices you like, which align with a type of witch, and that is who you become. Ask yourself- what draws me in? What do I wish to gain with my craft? How do my skills that are non-witchy help me with my witch practices? If you love to bake, maybe you are a kitchen witch. If you find yourself staring at the stars, maybe you are a cosmic witch.

Try all kinds of witchcraft. Don’t be afraid to do divination one day and start a fae garden the next. Even witches who define themselves take from other types, so you should truly be focusing on compiling a toolkit of knowledge to use.

You should also remember that you do not need to define yourself as a specific witch type. You have said so yourself that you are a beginner, so why pigeonhole yourself this soon? I understand wanting to fit in to a specific type. We all know our Hogwarts house. It creates a sense of knowing oneself and belonging.

You need to find yourself before creating a label. And don’t ever think that if you aren’t a specific type of witch that you do not belong. Take the time to learn yourself, and the type will come naturally.

I’m sorry I don’t have a step by step guide on this, but there is no step by step guide on finding your true self. Only experience can give you what I cannot. 💚💚💚

#lovely cryptid witch fam #cryptid coven #witch community #witchcraft #witchblr

[the-cryptid-coven]

Could you make a Pinterest??? That’s be appreciated! I’m new to everything and a baby witch so it’d be helpful to follow someone I know that is into everything. If not, that’s alright! Do whichever you’d like :)

Guess who is back after another whirlwind of personal problems and also finally has a Pinterest. This gal!

https://www.pinterest.com/cryptidcoven/

[the-cryptid-coven]

A Grimoire/Book of Shadows is where you document your path. Whether it is writing down tarot sessions, or taking notes on what amethyst is useful for, it is always handy to have a book full of what you have learned throughout the years. I have recently started creating a proper book, since for many years I have done without one, so I am here to show you my book and tell you about some tips I have for note taking and having fun doing something you may see as mundane.

Go through Pinterest and Tumblr to find resources. It is easy to find a wealth of knowledge on any subject you need. Here is one page I did using this image from @cosmichealingreiki on instagram. I found this on Pinterest. (If anyone would be interested in me creating a Cryptid Coven Pinterest, notify me through my inbox or by message @cypress-gold.)

Don’t stress making your book perfect. It is easy to get wrapped up in looking at Pinterest and instagram- glamorous pages, but remember that it is not important. What is important is actually putting down info. Here is a messy look at notes I did when coming up with something I like to call “Deals.” I am going to be tidying the notes up, tweaking the steps, and will be making a post about it soon. So, be messy! Cross out things, and make mistakes.

Come up with one or two ways of writing down information that you like to use as a basic framework. This way, you don’t need to think about aesthetics- just the information. Here are what I like to use.

Make it funny! I like printing out memes and things that I like to make the process feel more lighthearted. I used to be afraid of starting a Book of Shadows because I felt it was incredibly serious and one wrong move inside would be a detriment to my craft. What it boils down is being a private journal for you to use. Don’t be afraid to have fun and make it however you wish it to be.

If paper isn’t for you, simply make a digital book! Many people on here already use their blogs to reblog and store information to use for later, which is perfectly fine! Save things on instagram, make Pinterest boards, write notes on Evernote. Witchcraft is about adapting information you learn in ways that works best for your needs! I have a folder of digital apps I like to use for my witchcrafting on the go.

I hope these few tips, however broad, help you with your craft.

-Cypress Gold

#witchblr #witchcraft #coven #cryptid coven #witch community #book of shadows #grimoire #witchlife #witchy #witchythings

[the-cryptid-coven]

Uhh... hi! I’m new to everything here and I was wondering about sigils? I was wondering if there was something you had to do to activate them or how to make them or just.... *sigh* I’m a baby witch and I have no idea what’s going on.

Hello! Don’t be embarrassed about being a baby witch. We all start where you are right now. 💚

Sigilmaking comes in many forms, but the method shown on my blog is simply meditating on your intent and allowing your hand to draw on its own.

I don’t personally always “activate” in any way. I have a collection of sigils I just draw crudely on myself when I need their help.

If you wish to activate one, I personally like to place it under the moon at night, or I meditate on it again, writing it on post it not paper so I can hold onto it or drawing it on my person (typically my arm) for a quicker method. You can cleanse the paper you write it on before creating it to help, although I personally prefer drawing them on my iPad so no paper is needed.

Sigils seem daunting at first, but it is literally making up a symbol and going “Yeah your intention to give me the courage I need to do my presentation at school.”

Always remember that witchcraft is personal, however, and you need to find what works for you.

You can speak to me with more questions, and I can go a little more in-depth and help you find a personal method to everything @cypress-gold , which is my personal account for whenever witches need any form of help.

I hope this answers your question and I hope to hear from you soon to help with whatever you need.

~Cypress 💚✨

#lovely cryptid witch fam #sigil #sigil crafting #witchblr #witchcraft

[the-cryptid-coven]

icarus: how would you describe yourself?  (hope your day’s been lovely!)

I would describe myself as someone who tries their best to always be kind even if it hurts me in the long run. I am trying to not do that as much, but the power of generosity is always tempting.

I hope this doesn’t sound like I’m stroking an ego, because this is really how I function lmao.

My day has been lovely, and I hope yours is as well!

#lovely cryptid witch fam #asks

[the-cryptid-coven]

Hephaestus

Hephaestus:What is your favorite form of art?

My favorite form of art has to be drawing in pen, because I do it so much. I also think that playlist-making is a form of art that I enjoy, as is crocheting.

#lovely cryptid witch fam #asks

[the-cryptid-coven]

I love it when people use pop culture and languages other than English in their spellwork!! I do it all the time and it makes things way more meaningful to me! These sigils are gorgeous!!!

Since I am a big fan of the Middle-Earth and the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien - which is pretty much real in my head - I decided to combine its elements with my spiritual path and magic practice.

Inspired by @the-cryptid-coven 's Sigil Crafting post, I drew my own sigils. The orange one is for better, easier learning and studying and the purple one is for the better divination practice.

My intent, that is the key word, is written on Quenya (The language of the Noldor - High Elves) with Tengwar (Elvish writing system created by Fëanor, son of Finwë).

#witchcraft #sigil magic #sigilwork #lovely cryptid witch fam #sigil #the hobbit #silmarillion

[the-cryptid-coven]

Thank you for using my method! These are lovely!! 💚💚💚

Here’s some sigils I’ve been working on

I was inspired to make these from @the-cryptid-coven I loved their method to making sigils since other methods I tried just didn’t seem to work with me, however their method was perfect to mess around with. (Thank you for posting about how you made your sigils 💕)

#sigil crafting #sigils #lovely cryptid witch fam #pretty!!!

[the-cryptid-coven]

I’ll be making my last post on tarot prettier soon! I know it is a lot of text. My iPad and IPhone tumblr apps seem to want to make my life as hard as it can, with me trying TWICE to update the post and it failing (each attempt being about ten minutes of work so as to make it nicer and tidier). I’m so tired of things not working 😞😞😞

I hope ur days are blessed and tranquil.

💚💚💚

[the-cryptid-coven]

A word before I begin on this topic- I must apologize for taking so long to post another informational blog piece about witchcraft. I did not believe this blog would blow up as big as it did in the first post alone! So thank you so so so much if you liked, reblogged, and/or followed me!! I am so blessed to have had this occur to me.

Also, please tell me using @cypress-gold what you would like to learn more about. I would love to hear from you guys!! You can also mention this blog or my personal blog in a post, and I will most likely reblog!

And always remember that this is not the only way to do tarot, or the only opinion you can have of tarot. Always do what feels right to you and always look through multiple sources for information.

Now, onto the tarot-

With tarot, the first two things you need to do are-

Select a Deck

Cleanse the Deck

We will be going over these two in this post, along with other topics in the near future.

Selecting a deck-

When selecting a deck, there are a few things people think of that make picking a deck a daunting challenge.

Does the deck have to be gifted?

Where do I get a tarot deck?

What deck do I get?

The first question is a simple answer- no, it does not need to be a gifted deck. Although some do believe in this practice, I personally do not. However, if you must get one gifted, maybe use a recommendation from a friend as your “gifting.” Pick three or so that you like and ask a friend which one seems “the most like me.” Whichever one they believe is the most like you could be them gifting you that knowledge and recommendation. This eliminates having to ask people to buy you things or hint at relatives to get you tarot decks for the holidays (although those are also legitimate if you so wish).

I can also do a free personal consultation where you specify your interests and aesthetics and I can show you some tarot deck options @cypress-gold

When buying your own deck, you can find solid options at bookstores, Amazon, and Etsy. (My first deck was one I happened upon at a Spencer’s and I knew couldn’t leave the store without buying it.)

When deciding on what deck to buy, I believe that you actually do have to judge a book by its cover. Decks are stories, and you need to be able to read the illustrations clearly to understand the stories your deck is telling. By choosing a deck that has imagery you personally vibe with, you will have an easier time reading them. I also suggest that beginners get a deck that is not minimalist. The less illustrations to go off of, the less likely you will be able to read them. Your first deck should be full of rich colors and symbolism, which makes readings easier and more fun!

My first deck general recommendation for beginners is the Modern Witch Tarot deck by Lisa Sterle. It is a modern twist to the original Rider deck, with beautiful art and is an easy read for almost anyone. You can find it on Amazon-

The Modern Witch Tarot Deck https://www.amazon.com/dp/1454938684/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_B.D0Db8NZKGR3

My favorite deck to recommend as a second deck is the Unknown Tarot by Kim Krans. It is a universally loved deck with an in-depth booklet, amazing art, and is great for a witch who isn’t necessarily a beginner, but wants another deck to add to their collection after their first ever one. It can also be found on Amazon-

The Wild Unknown Tarot Deck and Guidebook (Official Keepsake Box Set) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062466593/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_eaE0DbAV7W9TZ

Also, if you are a closet witch, I recommend using a tarot app. My favorite is the Golden Thread Tarot by Labyrinthos. It is a somewhat minimalist design, true, but each card comes with a full description of what it means, and when you are finally out of the closet, you can purchase a physical copy of the deck that you are used to.

Now that you have your deck, it is time for-

Cleansing!

Cleansing a deck before use is essential, according to most witches. Witch tools have many energies that are passed onto them, from the time they are made to the time you own it. With carriers, manufacturers, and so on, other people have touched the deck, and therefore have messed with it and subconsciously made the deck their own in a small way. Think of cleansing like cleaning off other people’s fingerprints.

There are many ways to cleanse, so make sure you find which one is right for you. Here are my favorites, including one I “created” myself.

Cleansing with incense or an herb bundle is the most common way to cleanse an item. By waving your deck through the smoke, it is cleansed by the element of air. I recommend sage or palo santo, but you can also use an herb that you feel represents you.

Cleansing during a moon phase is also common. Pick a moon phase you feel the most connected to (I personally prefer the full moon), and keep your deck at a windowsill for the night. It is cleansed and ready when you wake up!

Keeping it in your bed at night with you, along with a crystal like amethyst or quartz, also helps cleansing and to also imbue your personal energy into the deck along with it. Make sure it is at a point on the bed that you know you won't roll onto it.

My final and favorite way is one I sort of created on my own (although others may do this and I simply do not know. Feel free to tell me). I call it-

Mindfulness Shuffling

What you do is simply count the cards out into piles. You will create-

7 stacks of 10

And

2 stacks of 4

Start with three stacks, placing three initial stack cards down and deal nine more cards onto each pile (going clockwise or left to right), ending up with the three stacks having ten cards in each.

Now do the same thing with four stacks, and then the two with four.

Combine all of the stacks together and repeat two more times.

While you are counting and dealing out the cards, it is important to only focus on cleansing energies and the numbers you are counting. Think of it as a form of meditation. The only thing that matters is making sure you have 78 cards (this also helps if you take your cards on the go and want to make sure you have not dropped any).

I also like to keep around me crystals, some candles, and incense that I feel represents me so as to start imbuing my energy into my deck the first time I cleanse. For me these crystals are white jade, green moss agate, amethyst, and rose quartz, with candles and incense being either frankincense and/or myrrh, and a Leo candle (my sun sign) with palo santo and warm amber.

I like to use this to cleanse and shuffle my cards after cleansing with one of the other techniques, and I also use this shuffle cleanse as a sort of maintenance for my decks. If I don’t do this for some time, my decks seem to keep giving me the same few cards and stop showing me new readings. This used to happen when I first started out, since overhand shuffles aren’t full shuffles and sometimes keeps cards bundled together for a long time without you realizing.

I hope this beginning lesson helps you with your first steps to obtaining a deck. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in my inbox here or go to @cypress-gold

The next parts shall be about tarot spreads, setting up a personal space at your altar for full tarot divination rituals, how to log your tarot readings, and how to get a feel of your deck’s personality.

Blessed be and may the universe provide for you.

~Cypress

#witch #witchcraft #divination #divination witch #pagan #wicca #tarot #witchblr #tarotreading #coven #magick #tarot reading #magic #witch community #cryptid coven #learning tarot #practicing tarot #cleansing #selecting a deck

[the-cryptid-coven]

I love these so much! The sigil for inspiration one really speaks to me!! 😱💚😱

Here's some sigils I made. You're welcome to use these :)

#sigil crafting #sigil #lovely cryptid witch fam #i love these!! #moon and sun for the win!!

[the-cryptid-coven]

OMG THIS IS GORGEOUS!! 😱😱😱💚💚💚

This is the first sigil I've created, based on this post by @the-cryptid-coven .

It's for focus and determination. I'm using it to get my school assignment done on time.

#witchblr #sigil crafting #sigil #lovely cryptid witch fam #i love it #!!!

[the-cryptid-coven]

What are sigils exactly? I'm curious about them, but the only thing I can think to compare them to are runes. Is that accurate?

Sigils are symbols and drawings created with a certain intention in mind to give them power. By giving a symbol what we wish to manifest, it acts as a sort of spell to tell the universe what we want. I tend to use my sigils a lot for protection and grounding to help with my anxiety, and whenever I have one on me, I immediately feel better.

Sigils come in all shapes and forms and are typically created by the person who wants it, but I do include a free service to make one if you go over to my personal blog, @cypress-gold.

They are like runes in the sense that each symbol means something, but they are different in many aspects, like with runes being a sort of language of symbols and Sigils being drawings created individually for purposes. You want something, you sit down, you draw a sigil, and there you have it.

There are many ways to create sigils, and I have my way on my blog (which I assume you have seen since you are asking me about them), but I believe that you should find the way that works for you!

I recommend watching this video to learn more. They are just an easy form of magic that I feel like I have crafted to a point where I am comfortable sharing them.

I hope this answered your question!

Blessed be.

~Cypress

https://youtu.be/jVV1Jx3rmX8

#sigils #sigil crafting #sigil magic #sigil making #witchblr #magic #magick #witchcraft #witch