urban-witching

[urban-witching]

really do Not understand terfs and gender essentialists in witchy contexts. like how are you gonna recognize, use, and play with your gendered magics without mixing the pink and blue paint even a Little? like i just. dont get it. you're only gonna use the blue paint, mr. tuff stong 'viking' man? only pink, mrs. female honey homemaker? like, that's not ~Magic~, that's not exploration, that's not even control of your energies. that's just watching paint dry

[urban-witching]

A Complete Guide to Runestones

Casting and reading the runes is a popular form of divination in modern new-age practice. It is based on an old Germanic and Norse practice linked with the practice of Heathenry and the worship of Odin and other northern European pagan gods.

Like many other forms of divination, the practice is designed to help you access your intuition or your spiritual senses to bring to the surface truths that you already know in your heart. Your subconscious mind is much more powerful than your conscious mind and has information you simply cannot take in consciously. Practices such as rune casting let you quiet the conscious mind so that your subconscious mind has space to speak and reveal.

You can read more about the underlying philosophy of divination in our post about using the Tarot.

In this article, we will take you through several methods for casting rune stones for divination and how to interpret the runes. At the end of the article, we will also take a closer look at the history of the runes from ancient times to modern practice.

How to Read the Runes

Since rune casting is all about tapping your intuition and divine spark, there is no single right way to use them. Many experienced rune readers have developed their own approaches and shared them, so look around for ideas and inspiration.

But any approach will involve holding a question in your mind and then casting, placing, or selecting stones that will guide you toward a response.

Before you start, there are a few steps that you should take.

Find a set of runestones that speaks to you spiritually – you can shop our runestone collection here.

Connect with your rune stones by spending time with them. This should be physical, holding them in your hands and examining them, and intellectual, reading your guidebook and taking in the meanings associated with the different runes.

Prepare yourself through meditation that helps you to quiet your active mind and let your subconscious mind flow to the surface.

Learn how to ask questions, which should be open-ended, since all things are possible, rather than yes or no questions.

Read our more detailed guide to preparing for a divination session here.

Before every individual casting, you should also cleanse your rune stones of energy other than your own. You can protect your rune stones by storing them with energy-cleansing crystals such as black obsidian, citrine, or amethyst. You can also cleanse your cards by leaving them under the light of the moon for a night or smudging them with incense. You should then hold the runestones in your hands for several minutes before a reading to make a connection between yourself and the runes.

Casting Patterns and Methods

There are many different ways to then use the runes to find answers, but we will go through some of the simplest and our favorites below.

The Three Norns

Hold your runestones while considering your question, and then retrieve the rune stones that seem right either from your hands or from a sack. Place three runestones in a row in a horizontal line. The first runestone will reveal the major causes of your current challenges. The middle stone will represent the reality of your current situation, which we are often blind to. The final runestone will indicate the best course of action going forward.

The Four Dwarves

This casting works in the same way, except that you will place four runestones in a circle, working clockwise from the top. The top rune indicates the main causal factors of your situation. The runestone on the right suggests that you are doing that is influencing the current situation, while the left indicates what others might be doing or feeling. The bottom runestone indicates the reality of what is happening that is currently hidden from you.

Vé Branches

This is a more complex casting that uses seven runestones laid out in a V shape. Start with the bottom rune and work upwards, placing runes on the right and then the left. The rune at the bottom represents the truth of your current situation, and each line represents one of the most likely outcomes. The first rune represents your most likely action, the second your motivation for that action, and the third what the result is likely to be.

Rune Board

Other casters use a rune board. This can be designed in various ways but will have different areas that relate to different elements. It could be past-present-future, cause-affect-outcome, or different aspects of your personality. In this case, when you are ready to ask your question, you throw the runes over the board and make your reading based on where they land.

Individual Rune Meanings

There are many different rune designs, and each will come with its own guide with different meanings and interpretations. Also, as you become accustomed to the runes and grow close to them, you will start to develop your own meanings and associations.

Nevertheless, below are the most commonly accepted meaning for the Armanen runes, the runes most commonly used in rune casting.

Fa – Primal Fire – power of spirit, change, and creativity

Ur – Resurrection – physician’s rune for resurrection, eternity, and continuity

Dorn – Lightning and Thunder – targeting goals, activity, masculinity

Os – Mouth – spiritual power, voice, gaining power and respect

Rit – Ritual – orderliness, primal law, cynical events, rescue from an enemy

Ka – World Tree – power, generation, ability, and artfulness

Hagal – Hail – mother rune represents enclosure and contains potential for growth

Not – Necessity of Fate – karma, future existence

Is – Ego – self-control, personal power, obedience, compelling will

Ar – Leadership – beauty, fame, intelligence, virtue

Sig – Sun Power – success and victory

Tyr – Rebirth of the Sun God – turn a situation around, wisdom, spiritual understanding

Bar – Birth – creative power, becoming, song

Laf – A-rlog – defeat, laws or nature, water

Man – Manking – birth, health, increase, maleness

Yr – Bow – femaleness, nigh, death, instinct, anger, falsehood

Eh – Duality – love, trust, and marriage

Gibor – Gift of Life – cosmic consciousness and divine principle

Where do the Runes come from?

Various northern European peoples used runes as a system of writing. Probably the most widespread runic language was Futhark, used by the Norse people. They used a 24-character alphabet known as Elder Futhark between the 2nd and 8th centuries, which developed into a smaller 16-character alphabet known as Younger Futhark from the 8th century. At around the same time, the Anglo-Saxons and Frisians developed a related Runic alphabet known as Anglo-Saxon Futhorc.

Across all these groups, the runes became less popular with the rise of Christianity, and they were replaced by the Latin alphabet.

The Norse people believed that their runes were more than just a system of writing but rather a tool used to shape reality. The Norns, the fates in Norse mythology, write destiny into the bark of Yggdrasil using the runes. Odin, the most important Norse deity, saw the Norns at their work and was jealous of their knowledge. He hung himself from the World Tree, Yggdrasil, for nine days and nine nights while pierced by his own sword to learn the secrets of the runes, which he then shared with mankind.

In the Norse sagas, many heroes are described as runemasters who can use the runes to heal the sick and destroy their enemies. There are also many surviving archaeological examples of objects inscribed with runes seemingly meant to provide protection or ensure the quality of something stored. But, since the pagan Norsemen left no written records and our knowledge principally comes form later Christain texts, we do not know very much about how the Vikings used the runes.

We do know that centuries later, the Norse people of Iceland combined the runes to create runic staves believed to have magical properties. These are recorded in several magical grimoires surviving from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Some of the most famous runic staves in these magical texts include Aegishjalmur, also known as the Helm of Awe, a symbol of protection, and Vegvisir, also known as the Norse Compass, a powerful wayfinding symbol.

Ancient to Modern Runic Divination

We know that the Norsemen also engaged in divination. Volva were witch women highly respected in society that were often called upon to act as seeresses. That their practices may have included rune casting is indicated by a much older text.

The first-century Roman author Tacitus observed similar witches among the Germanic tribes of his day. He said that the runes were carved into small objects, such as sticks and bones, which would then be cast onto the ground. The seeress would make a reading based on how the runes fell.

But while runic divination seems to have existed in some form for at least 2,000 years, the modern practice dates to the 17th century. Johannes Bureus, a Swedish mystic, was inspired by the practices of his ancestors and made the modern system based on combining the Younger Futhark runes with the Kaballah, a Jewish mystical tradition.

His work was further developed in the 1900s by the Austral occultist Guido von List. This is the most common system used today and is known as the Armanen runes.

[Read The Full Blog Post Here]

#runestones

[urban-witching]

If there is one witchcraft aesthetic i’m completely in love with its that Deep Blue Fabric with the Gold Suns Moons and Stars all over it. I’ve ALWAYS wanted to own some of it but can never find it for the life of me

Literally my fave~

[urban-witching]

Cheat sheet for Tarot card meanings.

{Image from Google.}

#tarot #pic

[urban-witching]

there's such a huge emphasis on spending when it comes to witchcraft nowadays. 'in order to do this spell you need to buy candles, herbs, crystals, jars, incense' ?? in the past, witches used keys lying around the house and herbs from the kitchen pantry. its not a good idea to promote capitalism for something thats supposed to be universally accessible. your intention matters most.

[urban-witching]

Use your power, your words are magic

[urban-witching]

In general I believe in the supernatural but I still approach things with a healthy degree of skepticism. However if you tell me you saw something paranormal at sea I will 100% believe you no matter what. If someone tells me they saw ghosts on land I would need some proof before I’m onboard but if someone tells me they saw ghosts in the ocean I’d be like yeah man we all do

[urban-witching]

I was hoping to do a spell on the full moon to bring true love into my life (not a specific person, just to bring someone in general). What kind of spell would you suggest for that? (btw, LOOOOVE your blog! :D)

Mmmmmm, this one!

Or you could do the simplified version, which just involves writing down what you want in a lover, then putting some love-drawing herbs into a charm bag, and burning a red candle for a bit for each of seven nights leading up to the full moon.

That’s the version that worked for me. :)

My sachet contained:

Orris Root

Rosebuds

Violet

Damiana

Strawberry Leaf

Savoury

Jasmine

#love spells

[urban-witching]

Come Hither Powder

For attraction of love, romance, and sensual pleasures. (Does not guarantee longevity or fidelity. USE SPARINGLY.)

Ingredients:

2 pt Sugar

1 pt Savoury

1 pt Red Roses

1 pt Honeysuckle Blossom

½ pt Ginger Root

½ pt Lovage Herb

½ pt Poppy Seeds

3 crushed Apple Seeds per ½ cup batch

Materials:

Mortar & Pestle or Spice Grinder

Funnel

Mesh Strainer

Collection Dish

Container

Grind each ingredient separately for several minutes to produce fine powder. Sieve the material through the mesh strainer into the collection dish; this removes the larger ungrindable pieces and gives you cleaner powdered herb. (Pro-Tip: Putting a funnel under the strainer helps reduce lost material.)

Retain any leftover unground material or large pieces that don’t make it through the strainer. You can use this for loose incense or charm bags later. Remember, witchlings: waste not, want not!

Combine the component powders in the collection dish, mix well, and bottle immediately.

Dust yourself very lightly with the powder before going to mixers or singles parties, or to any event where you feel you might meet someone exciting and attractive. If this is not your style, you can put a pinch in your shoes or carry a small bottle around your neck.

Cast a palmful into wind or fire on a full moon night to attract a lover. Add to love incenses for a spicy-sweet kick to your liaisons. Double the sugar and add olive oil to make a hand scrub for attracting a romantic partner.

(May be used to add a brief, adventurous zing to established relationships. Just make sure that all parties involved are aware and consenting, and be sure that you don’t rely on it to keep things together once the high wears off.)

This powder can be countered by Get Thee Hence Powder, should the need arise.

Note: All love magic should be undertaken with great care. Do not use this powder to attempt to ensnare a specific person; circumventing free will for love magic is deplorable, and besides, it will not work. Be aware that the person you do attract may not be your ideal match. The love this powder attracts burns hot and fast, and it is not made to last forever. Always protect yourself and practice safe sex!

#love spells

[urban-witching]

Apple/ apple seed magic

Apples are known for there powers of love, healing, garden magic and immortality. It is known for immortality because a single branch cane bare buds, flowers and fully ripened fruit. The apple is often used in love spells, added to love charms, brews and incense. Apples are also used in love divination; simply cut and Apple into half then count the number of seeds. if they are even then you’ll get married , or if there is an odd number then there is not marriage in the future. Apple wood makes wonderful wands specially suited to emotional magic. You can replace blood offerings with cider. You can use apples as poppets. It is said that if you string 7 apple seeds on red thread then love will come your way.

#apples #herb magic

[urban-witching]

Flower Petal Love Spell

Inspired by “Practical Magic” (1998), this is a love spell that I wrote partly for myself, but also for a friend of mine.

You will need:

Large bowl

Consecrated water

Rose oil (or Rosewater)

Garden with many flowers in bloom, or lots of leaves

River or stream with a good current, or a windy night

Timing: Full Moon

[Note: It is not a good idea to perform this spell with a specific person in mind, as those sort of spells easily backfire, or become disappointing if your crush turns out to be attached or not everything you hoped for. Instead, picture someone who you have not yet met who fulfills your heart’s desire.]

Ritual:

Record a list of desirable traits in your BoS or journal. Describe your ideal mate’s physical appearance, and mental, emotional, and spiritual habits. Be as thorough as you like. The more specific you are, the more likely it is that you won’t get pixed by a loophole. Try to present things in a positive fashion, i.e. “He/She will be kind,” but don’t be afraid to mark down traits that you definitely DON’T want, i.e. “He/She will not smoke.”

Cleanse yourself with a ritual bath and dress in something that makes you feel desirable and lovely. If possible, go barefoot. Taking the bowl in hand, walk into the garden and thank the earth and the plants for their gifts before you begin.

Walk through the garden. Pluck a blossom, petal, or leaf for every trait you desire in a lover or a mate, reciting each out loud as you do. (Be careful not to take too much from any one plant.) Place them into the bowl. Continue until you have gone through the entire list.

Rub the rim of the bowl with consecrated water and rose oil, clockwise, three times, while visualizing your energy pouring into the bowl to join the blossoms and petals, as an attractant to your prospective lover. Chant as you do:

Lover fair and Lover fine Come and join your heart with mine I pray you, love the whole of me And ever true and faithful be I offer up my love, my all And pray you heed my earnest call

Take up the bowl of blossoms and cast them either into a strong-flowing body of water or into a strong wind, saying:

Water/Wind, flow through hill and tree And bring a lover back to me

Go home and light a red candle. Sit for a while and muse on the idea of meeting the person your spell might bring into your life as the candle burns down.

Thereafter, keep your eyes…and your heart…open!

#love spells

[urban-witching]

A Spell to Make Someone Think of You

Purpose: To remind someone of you.

You Will Need: A bell or windchime.

Notes: You can allow the windchimes to ring on their own, or do it yourself.

Step One - Hang your windchime outside, in the direction of the target’s home, where you met them, or where the meeting you want them to think about took place.

Step Two - Recite:

With every stirring of these chimes, Let my memory spring to mind. Tintinnabulation, be my friend. Help ________ to think of me again. This is my command to the bells, to let me be remembered well. 

#spells

[urban-witching]

Spells for Heartbreak and Repressing Love

Updated: August 30th, 2016

Spells for Heartbreak:

[‘Anti-Curse’ Breakup Healing Spell]

[Broken Heart Bath]

[Charm to Ease a Broken Heart]

[Fill in the Cracks with Gold - A Remedy for Heartbreak]

[Forgetting That Ex Spell]

[To Heal a Broken Heart]

[Heal Thy Heart Powder]

[Healing a Broken Heart Spell]

[Healing Heart Spell]

[Healing Hearts Spell]

[Mend a Broken Heart Spell]

[Positive Send Off Spell]

[Sage Drops Spell] (for overcoming grief, but it still suits)

[Selkie Spell to Heal Heartbreak]

[Shake Out Your Devils - To Remove Burdens of the Heart]

[A Simple Spell to Help Heal the Heart]

[Spell for Emotional Healing and Moving Forward]

[Spell to Heal a Broken Heart]

[Spell to Let Go / Heal]

[Throw Away the Key - A Spell to Banish Grief]

[“Without You” Spell for the Broken-Hearted]

[Words of Love] (a spell to deal with an ending of a relationship, either of love or friendship)

Spells to Repress Love / Repel Unwanted Love:

[Ash of Roses]

[Extinguish the Flame Spell]

[Infertile Heart: Love Repression Spell]

[“Leave My Heart Alone” Spell]

[Love Me Not]

[Powder to Repel an Unwanted Lover]

[Protection Satchel to Ward Off Ex-Lovers]

[Repelling Unwanted Romance]

[To Rid Yourself of an Unwanted Admirer or an Ex-Lover]

[Spell to Banish an Unwanted Lover]

[“Stupid Cupid” Spell]

[Warding Off Unwanted “Love” Interest]

Related Magics:

[Spells for Confidence]

[Spells for Self Love]

[Spells for Strength and Courage]

[Spells to Forget, Let Go, and Move On]

#love spells

[urban-witching]

Christian Witchcraft

Okay, I am not a christian witch, but rather an ex-christian who became a polytheistic witch. I know that christian witches sometimes aren't accepted in the witchy community, but yall are valid and your practice is valid, and my blog is a safe space for yall.

So for those of yall who do still want to practice christianity but also want to be a witch, this post may help you figure out just what that means, entails, and could help you find your way ❤️

(for those of you with religious trauma, feel free to skip right on past this)

Christian Witchcraft kind of sounds like an oxymoron at first glance, doesn't it? However, as we have said before, witchcraft is just a practice, it can be used in tandem with religion or be completely separate from it.

While the idea of Christian Witches may be highly debated in the witchcraft community, it is real and a valid form of practice. Considering all the flavors of magic, this lands firmly in the column of possibility

Like any other witchcraft practice that is paired with religion, you will have your practice overlap with your deity or deities of choice. This is no different for the Christian witches working with YHWH (Yahweh), or the holy trinity: The Father, The son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit, and sometimes Asherah. That is their chosen Pantheon for their practice, just like other witches may work with the Hellenic Pantheon, or the Egyptian Pantheon.

Christian witches are not bound to just practicing "light" or positive magic, though most seem to go that route. Christian witches will practice both benefic and malefic magic, but that all depends on the practitioner. The Christian god is a god of war, so it makes sense that they could ask for help in spells that not only come to the defense of themselves or others, but to take offensive measures against those who may hurt them. Whichever path you want to take as a Christian Witch is all up to you. There is no right or wrong way to practice your own craft and your own religion, as long as you dont infringe on closed practices, go crazy with it!

Practices of a Christian Witch:

(pick and choose if you want, this is just what I have found)

Making Prayer candles for saints, archangels, Jesus, Mother Mary, or any other deific representation in Christianity

Calling on Christ to guide personal actions and reactions.

Petitioning the Holy Spirit for better understanding and cleansing.

Calling on Saints and Archangels for an appropriate need: like St Anthony to help recover a lost item, or wearing a St Michael medallion for protection.

Creating an altar for god and the holy trinity (optional) and giving offerings of a candle, olive oil, incense, salt, water, Frankincense, Myrrh, unleavened bread, honey, milk, goat meat or roasted meat, and other offerings you may see being given in the bible.

Use the Psalms for magic and spellwork.

Christian Witches may also…

Follow the wheel of the year calendar in addition to the christian holidays

observe lunar cycles and festivals

use blessed items to produce a charm or amulet

use astrology for improving one's awareness of fate, fortune, time, space, and energy

learn about the different properties of herbs and plants for spellwork and anything else that is traditionally "witchy".

But the Bible Condemns Witchcraft! Does it really? Let's look back at some things in the bible that can help remedy that.

Joseph had a cup for divination during his time in Egypt, and he used sand as divination as well to help the Pharoah.

Numbers 5:11-29 has a ‘test for an adulterous wife,’ which is a straight up potion. You can’t get around it.

Numerous passages specifically address the use of “casting lots”, which is absolutely a form of divination.

The book of Psalms is entirely a book of spells for various afflictions or needs (protection, cursing, healing, etc. Just take a look)

Even the specific word used to describe "witchcraft" isn't witchcraft at all. It was actually a word meant to describe a poisoner or someone who blends herbs to harm another person.

(i will always suggest doing some bible deconstruction and further research into context of the scripture, things that were changed to fit the narrative, different translations from Greek and Hebrew, and more to get a better understanding of the teachings and concepts that are taught in the bible)

More importantly, you don’t have to practice divination, mix potions or keep a grimoire to practice witchcraft, just like you don’t have to go to Sunday school to be a Christian. These things are merely elements of witchcraft.

A lot of the time in the church, we are told that we will have "gifts of the spirit" or something along that line (it's been well over 10 years since i have stepped foot in a church so excuse me lol). Visions, Hearing "the word", and Prophetic Dreams are the three heavy hitters here that I remember. The thing is, if these "gifts" aren't used outside of the traditionally christian scope, or we see spirits of the dead, or are able to see bad things before they happen, they are no longer gifts, but curses, brought on by (uncomfortable cringe) "Satan". Honestly, Satan isn't a bad guy, so he really can't be blamed for that. We have these gifts and they should be used in their full capacity.

If you have been told that your gifts are curses or they aren't "godly" or anything like that, maybe they are wrong. If you were born with or learned these abilities, then they were no mistake. Christians believe God doesn't make mistakes and that things happen for a reason. So you were given these gifts for a reason. Now it's just time to figure out what to do with them!

Another fun tidbit is that these gifts are CLAIR ABILITIES!!! Everyone has access to them, some senses may be stronger than others, but they are real things you can learn and practice to improve your life or get insight on the world around you.

ALL IN ALL… Christian witchcraft is entirely what you make it. This is your own craft and your own journey. You should do what feels right to you. Integrate God, Asherah, Archangels, Saints, Mother Mary, or The Holy Spirit into your craft. OR you can pick one, or a few, or all of them! There is no right or wrong answer here. I know Christians don't always work with or believe in Saints, but hey, if it works for you then it works for you! No shame there.

#christian witchcraft

[urban-witching]

Resources for Closet Witches (Or Anyone On A Budget)!

Getting started in witchcraft can seem like a financially daunting task if you look at many pages online. However, there are lots of ways to find witchy resources all around you that doesn’t require too much extra spending! Looking to what you already have also improves the sustainability of your practice, reducing your potential carbon footprint as we all try to do better in this capitalist society.

Embrace your inner forager and let’s get started!

Keep reading

#resources

[urban-witching]

Tough as a Nail, Sharp as a Thorn Protection Spell

This is a spell to help protect you from physical or emotional harm.

Ingredients:

Storm water

Rose thorns

Nails

Herbs for protection and strength (I used black pepper, ginger, basil, and oregano)

A jar

Optional: paper and something to write with, if you don’t want to say the spell out loud

Instructions:

Add protective herbs to your jar.

Add storm water to about halfway up the jar.  While you add it, say “Strong as lightning, thunder, and rain, all attempts to harm me will be in vain.”  If you can’t say the spell out loud, write it down on a piece of paper and add that into the jar.

Add the thorns and nails into the jar and say “Tough as a nail, sharp as a thorn, though this spell new strength will be born.”  If you can’t say the spell out loud, write it down on a piece of paper and add that into the jar.

#witchcraft #spell

[urban-witching]

something charmingly twentieth century about this