🔔 BELLS IN WITCHCRAFT 🔔

GETTING STARTED

PROTECTION

DISCERNMENT

CONJURING

COMMUNING

BINDING

I’ll leave you all with a note that I am an urban apartment-dwelling witch through and through, so I understand that we can’t all be jangling away at all hours. I myself have a glass windchime in my front window that makes a distinct but muted sound when disturbed by passers-through, and highly recommend wooden ones also. I also only use my small and relatively quiet suzu bell for my crafting – one given to me by my baba herself.

Feel free to add any of your own findings, and happy tolling.

I’ve been both hesitant and too lazy to write this up, but here it goes (for better or worse)

A UPG Post about my experiences with Astral Travel and Fence Hopping (containing advice and tips)

——————

Ways of Astral Travel

There are various ways of Astral Travel. The most common ways that I hear of are through

they’re definitely some of the “easiest” methods for those who are comfortable with controlling dreams, meditation, relaxation, and concentration.

I, personally, find that these methods are easier to do with the assistance of an outside substance like alcohol, or the action of sleep deprivation. I’ll talk more about these in a bit~ 

With these three ways, the use of visualization, concentration, and relaxation are important. You must be able to sit still and focus. Using your mind’s eye (visualization) is an important part and needs lots of concentration. 

From things I’ve read, people typically have a “focus point” that acts as their entrance into the astral. For some it is a door, for others it is a gate, for others its fence, etc.

The Focus point will differ for everyone due to what works best for them. 

When I do my fence hopping, my focus point is a mirror, in which I will use to switch perspectives (I’ll talk more about this later~)

Our Realm — In Between Place—- Other Realms 

The “astral” plane is made up of various different realms. In order to get from one realm to another, one must (but not always due to the large amount of variants that can occur) go through the “in between place”. Its the “empty” space/extra space that the realms in the “Astral” plane exist in. 

Its like going down a hallway to get from one room to another, or using the stairs to get from upstairs to downstairs. Its like a transportation area to move from one realm to another (though variants do exist).

To get from one realm to another, you should (as an example) exit the door, go through the hallway, and open another door.

Remember the holiday trees found in “The Nightmare Before Christmas”? Imagine the area right beyond the door and before the new holiday area as the “in between place" 

The old way of how I used to Travel

When the “Common” methods just don’t work

You’ve tried for a while. Lucid dreaming, meditation, trying through day dreaming, but nothing seems to work!

Fret not, it is like most things not everyone can do things the same way as others do. Just like I can’t feel comfortable doing something like others do, the same can be said with astral travel.

Not every one method will work for every person. 

Just like with many things, you will need to find the method that works best for you. Now, what are some alternative ways?

Trance Methods 

Trance methods are some different ways that can induce astral travel. 

What are some various trance methods? You can easily google different  trance inducing methods. A few of them include

This Crooked Crown’s Trance Tag

A useful ask that Crown answered 

Crown’s tag on astral stuff

Hedge’s post about Hedge crossing (which can be helpful for trance work information)

Duskenpath’s post on astral travel how-to stuff

Prepping for astral travel: The Rose Bell

My advice for those having trouble with “traditional methods” of astral travel

I want you to know that there are various different ways to astral travel, all of the ways are equally valid and effective for the individual person. If one method isn’t working, I would try another and another. There are a thousand different ways to paint a painting, but all of them end with a painting no matter what c: 

What is Astral travel? What is the Astral? Is any of this really happening? 

Dusken’s answer to “Is it all real?”

Crown’s answer to “What is the Astral?”

UPG stuff: Astral Travel, as I see it, is the movement of your astral self across the astral. Its not a dream (a dream is when you merely are inside yourself or traveling within your own mind). You actively leave yourself to go somewhere else. The act of leaving your body (whether or not you leave this realm doesn’t matter) and enter into the astral. 

You are on a different level of perception, a level that our physical self have trouble perceiving on a normal day-to-day basis. 

The Astral Self

We all have different Selves. The physical self, the dreaming self, the astral self, etc

Some believe the astral self is our spirit our “soul”. That when we lose our physical body, we are able to fully enter into the astral with nothing really keeping us hooked to the physical realm. 

I believe that our astral self is our energy. Our physical self is the temporary container that holds our energy as it is “shaped”. 

Our Physical perception and awareness is limited

Because of our physical limitations, we are missing much of the world around us. Without technology, we wouldn’t be able to see the microscopic world, we wouldn’t be able to see ultra violet lights, we wouldn’t be able to see planets lightyears away.

Our eyes only have 3 different color spectrums, so imagine all the things we are missing just because we can’t see them as the color they really are.

The astral self is able to see beyond our physical limitations. Its perception of reality could possibly be more accurate than how we physically perceive it. 

The dangers of astral travel

Yes, they do exist. The astral plane is not separate from the truths that we live with.

Horrible things still happen, but don’t forget that good things can happen too. 

Sometimes your actions dictate what happens to you, and sometimes shit just happens no matter what you do. 

Can we die in the astral? 

Yes we can. Death is present everywhere. 

Remember what I stated before? Our astral self is our energy. Energy cannot be created nor destroyed (as we understand it). It merely changes form.

When your astral form is  "killed”, you are not destroyed, but rather changed in some way.

Typically as I found it to be, your astral self will either be “respawned” in a new area of the astral, or in a new form (variants exist)

or you will be booted and synced back to your physical form (you return to your body). 

Can things enter your body? Your body is meant for you, so it is difficult for anything else to try and take it. Your body will usually try to reject the foreign object. It takes something pretty strong to take your body (or if you allow it, and even then its iffy). 

Even when you’re astral self is not within the physical self, you still own and control it. Its still yours. A trace of you will always be connected to the body. Its difficult to overcome that link and take control of the body (most things don’t bother due to the difficulty or are unable due to their limitations). 

Can things follow you back? Yes they most certainly can; however, you can use methods to prevent this and even make it mostly impossible. Some ways include

The Astral follows our basic rules that we follow everyday. 

My advice is to stray away from dangerous neighborhoods and to not give trust easily to strangers.

And importantly, don’t eat/drink/take something from a source you don’t trust (getting drugged is not fun).

Trust your gut and if something feels dangerous get away from it. 

Dangerous things exist there, but safe things too. Its just a place, in which many variants exist in. Expect many things, for many things exist.

Astral travel if you desire, but if you don’t want to (or are afraid) you don’t have to 

You do not need (in any way) to astral travel

Do what you want, do what you feel comfortable with, do what you feel safe with.

You won’t be losing anything from not traveling. Technically speaking, you’re still connected to the astral (as all things are). You just don’t travel.

And that’s a-ok. 

You can still interact with the astral without traveling, you can still travel without going through the astral, etc.

I think I’ve covered all the questions 

one last thing to talk about “Fence Hopping” its what I call my own way of “astral travel”

My astral self is split in two, in which one is within Arcadia and the other is with my physical body.

When I desire to travel, I merely switch perspective with the use of a mirror (hopping the fence between my selves).

my astral selves still act without my focused perception on them.

hope everyone enjoyed this post, even though I didn’t cover a lot of things :/

there’s just a ton to cover.

Spiritual Drug Use; Practical UPG Guide

Hi! I am calling this a UPG post because, well, it’s my UPG. I have NOT been formally trained in any shamanic system or system of spiritual drug use. This is just my system of being a drug user stoner witch and shamanic practitioner for the past five years. So y'know we’re gunna start with some basics such as

DONT’ START DOING DRUGS. FUCK. DON’T.

Look guys. Doing drugs is NOT a spiritual “shortcut.” Trust me. Doing drugs takes as much time, dedication, pain, sweat, tears, and metaphorical blood as sitting it out on the meditation mat every day. Doing drugs one time will NOT guarantee you a spiritual experience, no matter what Experienced Drug Users™ tell you. In my experience even if a person has an instant spiritual revelation, it’s like a rare candy – 500xp. And that’s it. If you want to learn more and gain more, you have to do more drugs and yeah for some of us it kind of becomes a habit, and no one should erase the fact that for certain spiritual drug users the line between recreational and spiritual is incredibly blurred. And drugs come with shit side-effects. Shit. Pleeeeease trust me. Please do not start doing drugs. It’s not worth it. It isn’t. Plus it’s fucking expensive.

However, in the interest of fuck abstinence-only education, I am going to make a guide. Because some people are going to try it. And I’m not going to stand on the sidelines and wave to those kids as they feel blindly along, laughing and smoking on my pipe and saying “gosh I sure remember when I desperately needed guidance and none was to be had.” So I’m going to write this post :)

Since drug culture is often verbal and stoners and drug users learn through tutelary and initiatory sessions with more experienced drug users around them, I am going to write this post as if the person reading it knows nothing about drug use. This is because I cannot determine the experience level of anyone reading this, so I want to cover every safety concern that comes up.

Oh also, I have not been doing psychedelics and other drugs for decades; I don’t know a whole heck of a lot about the chemical interactions. All I know are basic dumb-person stuff that us regular folks really need to know in order to have safe trips. And that is what I want to share with you today!

Sooooo let’s get started, curious Seeker. I’m going to assume a drug (besides cough syrup and caffiene) has never passed your lips before.

Obviously it would be of huge help to you if you had an IRL friend experienced in drug use to guide you during every session. As equally obvious is the fact that for some people this is impossible. So I give you this short guide as a tea light in the windy path <3

WHAT DO YOU NEED?

You need a certain level of emotional competence. If you cannot control your emotions, acid may not be your drug of choice. In certain psychedelic situations, you need to have a certain control over your own state of mind. On the other hand, it is possible some drugs like marijuana will have a calming effect on you and make it more possible to gain spiritual understanding.

You will need a safe place to trip. You need to have somewhere pretty far away from negative influence. Like, hearing your family yelling in the living room is not an optimal location to have a mushroom trip. If you are comfortable in nature, nature is a great place to trip. “Comfortable in nature” means having the survival skills to reasonably spend a night alone (or with company as your situation allows) in the terrain you choose to camp out in. For fuck’s sake, please don’t drop a ton of acid and wander out in to the forest and get lost with zero survival skills. The trees are not going to wake up and guide you back. You are going to die.

If camping out isn’t an option for you, a very good friend’s house makes an excellent place to take drugs. Especially seek out a friend who is spiritual or very chill with your spirituality; a confidant whom you can tell anything to.

I encourage everyone to wait and seek out a very safe place to trip. You have no idea how much your environment directly influences your trip. You are not going to have a beautiful trip with nature when your environment is dirty, chaotic, and riddled with negativity and human negative emotion. It is very alright to wait weeks or even months until you can have your optimal time to trip. If this means a camping trip half an hour outside of town, great. If this means waiting until the most miserable member of your family is on vacation, great. Do whatever you can. For people tripping inside homes this means thorough cleansing of the trip containment room (your bedroom). In the days or weeks leading up to your trip, try to clean your room as thoroughly as you can. You really want to feel you are in a beautiful temple-space where you are ultimately protected and ultimately able to be creatively free. For people tripping in nature, go to the area beforehand and scout out the energies and spirits there. Hit up a couple of different campsites or locations and just see which place you think will feel best for you. Choose locations which will bring you comfort and relaxation. Don’t show up at dusk on night 1 and find a pissed off and very territorial spirit protecting the campsite you chose online.

You will need basic trip supplies.

Water: ½ gallon for every half-hour of your trip. Multiply by number of trippers on your session. Obviously bring more if you are camping as you should probably not be tripping 100% of the time.

Food; optimally vegetarian (the stomach does flippy things when it sees rainbows and meat in the same sentence), such as PB&J or grilled cheese sandwiches, fresh fruit and vegetable snacks, and vitamin-enforced fruit gummy snacks. Choose things you might feed to someone coming off a stomach flu. Nothing greasy or too rich. Very strong flavor sensations such as those found in sour candy might not be highly appetizing. Prep what you need to beforehand because you may not be able or willing to prepare food for a while.

A cozy space to sleep, whether this be a sleeping bag reinforced with blankies inside a tent, or a bed with freshly made sheets and fluffed pillows. Sometimes when you’re high or tripping you just… need to hit the blankies.

Basic survival (or urban survival) kit. A basic survival kit would include things like first-aid, a knife, emergency lights, etc. A basic urban survival kit is a small bag, purse, fanny pack, satchel, or pocket filled with the following items: ID/driver’s license, all the emergency cash you can muster up ($5-15 is fine if you aren’t intending to go out; $40 if you are going out anywhere. I like a bit of change on hand in case the bros all want to order a pizza, or in case I need to take an emergency Uber, etc.), a list of all the medications you take including what dosage, a daily dose of medication in case you are going out and can’t make it home on time, a list of emergency contacts who are very reliable, a pack of gum (you will thank yourself later) and a small healthy snack (you will definitely thank yourself later!)

A phone. You need a way to access the outside world. I do not condone tech-free nature trips :P especially not when they are nature “trips” and ESPECIALLY if you are thinking of going alone. Take your phone, take it fully charged, and splurge on a mobile battery pack for it. $10 at Wal-mart. Support the beast to keep yourself safe.

Electrolyte delivery system such as Pedialyte, Gatorade, Powerade, etc. You will need this a couple hours in when you start to get dehydrated. 1 liter of Pedialyte or 3-4 bottles of a sports drink.

Shit to do. You are going to need some stuff to occupy your time with. If you are dropping acid I can almost guarantee you will lost interest in meditation well before hour 7 kicks in.

#DrugUserTip! The real fun of a trip is letting the natural high of your trip wax and wane. There will be times when you want to connect and be spiritual, and other times when you would rather be communicating with someone, making art, writing an article ( ;] ), or watching television or the starry night sky. Ensure you have planned enough to do to occupy your time!

Suggestions are: coloring books and/or art supplies for drawing or painting or whatever medium you prefer. Games, especially if you are going to trip with others; Cards Against Humanity is fun (nothing feels better and gets you more grounded out than feeling like a horrible human laughing at terrible card combos. Great game.), or a deck of cards, kinetic toys, a 3Ds, even a playstation or laptop for playing videogames.

You will need time.

You are going to need to do thorough and accurate research on the drug you are going to use. More on that later, but you need to reasonably know how much time this is actually going to take. If you drop acid for the first time, and it’s a strong enough dose, you may be in for a 12 hour ride. So if you drop at 10am and you have to work at 6pm… not a great combo. Leave the cool “Imma sneak in some heavy drugs right before work because I’m a cool drug user” decision making to the kids who like to show up to work high.

Optimally you will want an entire day afterwords to unravel and ride it out. No work, no school, no family obligations. Just you chilling out with some hot coco alone in your room, processing what happened and getting reacquainted with the world. I will say that I’ve never found this necessary for even the most intense weed trip and I pop right back up like a weed ;) in the morning. If not optimal, just try to get 15 hours between the expected end of the trip and your first obligation. You’ll probably want to sleep a bit between the two.

You will need to research your drug of choice.

What I’m telling you here is just basic shit. You actually gotta go out and look up websites and books and stuff that tell you things because you gotta know about them.

You gotta know what drug interactions you may have. You gotta. This one is not optional. We’re talking like you could kinda literally fuck your shit up permanently if you take the wrong drugs together, so don’t fuck around with it. Go find out your drug interactions.

You gotta have a basic understanding of what this drug is actually doing to you and your brain. If you understand the trip, it makes the trip easier to process, understand, and that makes relaxation easier. If you’re just like IDK WTF IS GOING ON the entire time it won’t be super enjoyable for you. It’s not like cracking a new novel for the first time without reading the back cover first. You’re literally fucking with your brain so???? do the research??? and find out wtf it’s going to do to you??

TWO WORDS OF ADVICE

Do marijuana first.

Look, I like weed. But I’ve never ever ever met an Experienced Drug User™ who recommended doing “heavier”, “harder” drugs first. I’ve actually brought this exact question up to many people and they’ve all said the same thing: start by smoking weed. If you want to have wild acid trips, mind-blowing mushroom journeys, whatever – start with weed. You need to have that foundation level of experience knowing what it’s like to be high before you go get really fucking high.

Consider weed to be the tutorial mode of drugs. A…. gateway…. if you will, to drugs. A portal to step through to get to other drugs. A drug door? If that makes sense?

Don’t do crazy shaman-only drugs. Leave that for the shaman-guided trips.

Skip the Ayahuasca for now. Stick to things we know a little better domestically. If you want to pay for a trip to Peru and sign up for a guided shaman drug trip, you do you!! But don’t try to prepare and do rituals that should be preserved for those with serious spiritual background.

PREPERATORY TIME – WHERE THE SPIRITUALITY ACTUALLY STARTS

We’re talking about a spiritual drug trip :) so at some point, the research ends. You know your drug interactions, you know how this drug is going to affect you. You’ve done your best to create the safest space possible for your trip, with lots of preparations like food and water in the works. Now it’s time to get spiritual.

You will want to fully cleanse before any spiritual drug trip. Unless you want to spend five hours intensely focused on the spiritual grime coating you, please cleanse. A shower will work great :) Scrub yourself from head to toe, starting with shampoo, face, neck, and so on, down to the spaces in between your toes and the bottoms of your feet. As you scrub, just be aware that as you cleanse physical dirt you also cleanse psychic dirt. They are connected; as you clean one, you cleanse the other.

If you want to be more ritualistic about it, here you go:

Take a pot holding about 1 liter of water and boil it. Whenever you add an ingredient, say the following incantation over it: “Spirit of Substance, I ask that you awaken and arise, and add your powers of Powers to my brew, so I may become ultimately cleansed and purified in mind, body, and soul.”

Bring boil down to simmer. Stir ingredients with wooden spoon clockwise, focusing on how they blend together and form a perfect brew of cleansing, calming, and protective powers. Sooner or later (sometimes up to 15 or 20 minutes for me) you will feel the brew is “ready”. When you feel this, strain the brew out in to a heat safe container. Thank the plant remnants for their sacrifice and discard, but not in the compost (too salty!).

Scrub and clean your tub very well. Take a shower and wash yourself well. After you are rinsed and clean, turn the tub on to a comfortable temperature for soaking. Add your liter of witch’s brew to the bath water. As you pour it, ask the brew to infuse in to the bath water. Imagine your words touch the heart of this potion and speaks to all the spirits within. Soak in the water and let it cleanse you, calm you, and protect you. Light incense and candles in the bathroom if you can for some effective atmosphere.

No tub? No problem! Use a cloth or sponge to soak up the brew in the shower. Squeeze it over your body and pat it on your arms, torso, and legs. Sit quietly and soak in this brew and focus on the protection and cleansing you receive. Meditate to feel the calm.

Once cleansed you will want to place basic wards in the space you are tripping in. If you are in nature, why not a few nail crosses designed to keep away malicious and evil spirits? In your home, try brewing another potion. Use the incantation, “Spirit of Substance, awake and arise! Add your powers of Powers to my protective and defensive brew.” The three basic ingredients are cinnamon, cloves, and red pepper flakes (Powers: “fiery protection” for all three), mixed with frankincense if you have it, bay leaf if you don’t (Powers: “divine protection”). The purpose of this potion is to create a protective barrier. Create a very simple sigil meaning KEEP OUT MALICIOUS SPIRITS AND ENERGIES. When your potion is done brewing on the stove, use a paintbrush to paint large iterations of your sigil on walls, mirrors, doors, and window panes. ENSURE however the ingredients you have chose will not stain any surfaces first!!

Now that you are cleansed and prepped your space for protection, it is time for some relaxing journaling. Light a candle or get in a relaxed atmosphere and ask yourself what you really want from this trip. Is it communication? Learning divine truth? Trying to see spirits? Just hearing from the Universe itself? Whatever you are seeking, write it out. Write out questions as if you are preparing for an interview. Write out thoughts and what your greatest hopes are for this trip. Keep this journal with you to reference while you are high.

Right before the trip, the moments before you take the drug, do a ritual of dedication. This can be as simple as sitting cross-legged and closing your eyes and thinking, “I seek my highest good during this drug trip.” It can be as complex as a full ritual calling the quarters and announcing your intent to the Universe. Do what makes you feel comfortable. Here is a small example ritual if you would like one to reference:

Cast a protective circle. Take two of the following: a stick of incense, a candle, a dish of water, or an earthy stone. Sit in front of them and Name each as the element it represents. For example, “I sit here with this dish of water, which brings Water to my circle. I sit here with this stone, which brings Earth in to my circle.” You do not need all four elements present, this is only a simple ritual :) I think two is a good number but include all the elements you like.

Meditate with the good feelings these elements bring you. Surely it brings you a feeling of calm when you may be nervous about taking a serious drug. When you are ready, say,

“Element of Element, I brought you here today so you could support me and protect me during my trip. I am seeking a spiritual journey, and I want your guidance and support during this time.” Repeat this for each element. Speak to them honestly; tell them about your worries and fears. Get your anxieties out. Tell them about what you hope to achieve and what you are excited about!

When you are done talking, place the representations somewhere nearby. Ask the elements to stay with you, and if they are willing then you have a good valuable ally during your trip :) Erase your circle as you should no longer need it within your fully warded trip space.

ALRIGHT LET’S DO SOME DRUGS

Food and water? Check. All spiritual preparatory steps? Check. All physical safety preparatory steps? Check. Nothing left to do now but take some drugs, amIright?

At this point it basically becomes a personal experience but I can tell you some common things you may run in to and how I personally handle them.

Once I take a drug I usually feel a rush of nervous energy. I just strapped in for the rollercoaster ride and now, welp, I’m still sober and gosh that anxiety is getting bad…. some drugs, such as LSD or marijuana edibles, can take a long time to kick in. Do not take extra doses because nothing has kicked in after 30 minutes. You should know how long this drug is going to take to kick in for you. You should know how long you need to reasonably wait, even hours, to feel the effects.

I find that marijuana greatly increases the intensity and effect of every other psychedelic I take. If you are a marijuana smoker, try smoking weed to calm pre-trip anxiety and to help the trip “kick in” once enough time has reasonably passed for the drug you took.

Sometimes, laying down during a trip is really nice. But if I’m too high it turns in to a nightmare. If you are not feeling good, ask yourself if you are being very sedentary. Why not get up and move around? Try an activity like a coloring book or a simple task like taking a shower :)

Stay in communication!! Whether that be with your IRL trip buddies, your online friends, your spirit friends, your gods, the Universe… stay talking :) don’t go too deep inside your own head. Shit just gets weird in there. To me, the point of drug trips are the increased ability to communicate.

Doodle and journal whenever you feel the urge. It is quite nice to be able to reflect on your mushroom trip homebrew psychedelic drawings later on. As you practice being high, you’ll learn to write more accurate and concise reflections of your mental state that make more sense while you’re sober. Don’t mind if you can’t decipher your ramblings right away! It does take a bit of practice.

Allow your thoughts to carry you. Don’t trouble yourself with forcing a certain path. These drugs defy force and certainty. Let the trip take you where it wants to go. Of course you can guide it and stop negative thoughts :) but if you wanted to have a trip about seeing spirits, and it turns in to a trip about learning messages from your higher self, let the trip take its natural course. Don’t try and force it in to your idealized version of a trip.

If a negative thought does come up, there are some things I have trained myself to do: don’t dwell on it. When I trip, dwelling on a negative thought is like a freefall through the ocean depths. I spend just a few moments focused on negativity and when I’m ready to come out of it I realize I’m 20,000 leagues under the sea. So my trick is to squash that shit. Here are some methods I use to squash negative energy thoughts when I’m high:

No shame in hitting the blankie fort. Sometimes I get very over-stimulated. If you are feeling like input is too much, flop on the bed and put a pillow over your ears.

Try keeping lighting low to minimal depending on your comfort levels. Very bright lights just seem… harsh. It’s not fun. I typically do not prefer natural flame because I am very safety conscious while I’m high, so usually a dim lamp in a room is enough for me.

When you want to get started meditating, become comfortable and use your favorite techniques. Don’t focus too much on controlling your thoughts. Just focus on your goals for this session (you know, the ones you journaled about in the preparatory phases!) and let yourself relax, try to stay focused, and see what happens.

Drink water. Even when you don’t feel particularly thirsty. Switch between water and your electrolyte system. Don’t over-do it and get water poisoning, obviously. Just sip water regularly and drink electrolytes regularly.

Don’t double-dip. Eventually your trip will wear off. Don’t be tempted to take extra doses to make the trip last longer. It won’t work, you’ll waste drugs, and you’ll be disappointed. Even if you didn’t get your “guaranteed” full hours of trip, just let it go :) you got what you were there for! This just means more time to come down, get sleep, eat, and decompress before your responsibilities coming up.

COMING DOWN

You should definitely already know the come-down effects of the drugs you took. With a lot of psychedelics this can mean feeling like trash for days after. Combine this with a mental illness like depression or bipolar disorder and you’re gunna feel riggity-riggity-fucked up in a bad way, son. Get your support systems in order. These drugs are no joke and they will make you feel terrible under the right conditions. Hopefully you’ll be riding an amazing spiritual high that will get you through this time but in any situation, be prepared for the come-down.

There are things you can do to improve this process. In the days leading up to your trip catch up on chores so you have very little to do in the days following your trip. Prepare food ahead of time. Even trade shifts if you need to. Spend a lot of time with IRL people and friends, this helps take the edge off. Chamomile tea and other bright flavors and herbs will help “brighten” you up. Spend time in the sun. Get LOTS of sleep and lots of good nutritious food (your body has to rebuild all the chemicals it lost… needs good nutrition to do so!)

WAIT BUT I WAS JUST SMOKING WEED THIS ALL SOUNDS KINDA HARDCORE

Alright so you’re just smoking weed! Basically all this info still applies. Scale as necessary. You may not need such hardcore preparations and you won’t have a “coming down” phase.

Still prepare things to do. Still do a dedication ritual, a cleansing ritual, and set up protections. A spiritual drug trip is not the same as a recreational drug trip. You are calling and attracting and connecting with greater forces, and this does attract negative attention sometimes. So DON’T skimp on protections, even for weed. If you’re a lazy stoner mage like me, just permanently ward your room and have a few handy amulets you can carry with you when you need to go out. Easy-peasy.

THE END

Yep! This is all I got for ya! I hope this was helpful in a practical sense to anyone seeking spiritual drug use guidance. Again, I do not advocate anyone start using drugs. But as I stated earlier, I do not support abstinence-only education so this is why I have written this post :) I hope this can help keep at least one person safe on their journeys. Message me with any questions!

Excellent advice

this is a pretty good guide, and thanks for putting this together. I really like the “squash that shit” and “put it in the vault” advice. note tho that the “½ gal of water for every 30 min of tripping” is way too much (you can make yrself sick through too much water!) … like, 2/gal day is enough for tripping in the desert a la Burning Man (and still have enough water left for cooking/cleaning). also, re: drug research – Erowid is an awesome resource, as is DanceSafe for harm reduction & testing.

& yes even “minor” drugs like weed have come down and recovery times.

take good care of yourselves, fellow stoner witches!

Hi! I’m glad you liked my guide :D

I should have mentioned that I plan in excess! I drink TONS of water naturally for my biology so I plan for a lot. You should not force yourself to drink a gallon of water an hour or anything like that!!!! Just make sure you have plenty in case you are thirsty :)

Day 215: Tincturing Workshop

I’m leading a tincturing workshop this Sunday, so I thought it might be nice to share the packet I’m going to be handing out. It includes some tips on alcohol and vinegar tincturing, as well as recipes and some local Ozark yarbs to work into your herbal preparations. Enjoy!

Recipe Sheet – Tincturing Workshop

Brandon Weston ozarkhealing.com facebook.com/MountainManHealing mountainmanhealing@gmail.com

Alcohol Tinctures

Fresh Herb:

Dried Herb:

Alcohol Percentages*

40% – 50% (80-90 proof vodka)

67.5% – 70% (½ 80 proof vodka + ½ 190 proof grain alcohol)

85% – 95% (190 proof grain alcohol)

*information comes from the Mountain Rose Herbs blog

Macerating

Easy Alcohol Tincture Recipes

Sarsaparilla Tincture: Anti-Inflammatory, Tonic (do not take if you have kidney problems)

Wild Cherry Tincture: Antispasmodic, expectorant, sedative

Herbal Bitters (simplified): Tonic, diaphoretic, colds, flu, febrifuge, chills (contains thujone, may cause drowsiness)

Stomach Bitters (simplified): Stomach issues, cramps, urinary issues, digestive issues

Vinegar Tinctures

Easy Vinegar Tincture Recipes

Fire Tonic: Colds, flu, chills, general tonic

Vinegar Oxymels

Basic Oxymel:

Easy Oxymel Recipes

Colds and Immune System Oxymel:

Another for Colds with Cough Oxymel:

Stomach Complaints Oxymel:

Sinus Congestion Oxymel:

Beginners Ozark Medicinal Plants

Caution should always be taken when looking for medicinal plants out in the wild. Do not consume or use any plant that you are unsure about. The internet is a wonderful resource for plant identification. Look up photos and identification information for plants from reputable sources before collecting any plant out in the wild. NOTE also that many Ozark medicinal plants are endangered and should not be harvested out in the wild.

When wild-harvesting take only what you need at that time. DO NOT STOCKPILE! Chances are the plants will go bad before you can use them. A good rule of thumb for any plant is to count three plants then take one, that way there are plants left behind to go to seed. Leave the roots intact unless the root is being harvested, then try and leave a piece of the root or any seeds/berries behind in the soil.

Responsible harvesting means these medicinal plants will be around for many more generations.  

I’m not including photos of plants on purpose! I want folks to go look up the plants and find as many identifying photos and identifying information as they can. Do the work! Google is an amazing resource for plant identification.

+ means the plant is not native but is common in the Ozarks

Black-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta: Flowers, roots:

Root infusion used for dermatological needs. Used to wash snakebites. Decoction of whole plant taken to aid with heart disease. Decoction of root taken for colds and chills. Cold infusion of flowers taken for headache and as a febrifuge. Similar properties to other coneflowers (Purple coneflower, Missouri coneflower, etc.) Some say the active compounds are not water soluble. Better used as a tincture or extract.

*** Cautions: Asteraceae family ***

Cinquefoil, Five Finger Grass, Potentilla simplex: Leaves, root:

Leaves taken for colds and as a febrifuge. Root astringent, infusion taken for dysentery, diarrhea, and as a mouthwash for sores and thrush.

+Cleavers, Galium aparine: Leaves:

Strong infusion as laxative. Externally as a dermatological aid. Has been linked to aiding with lowering blood pressure.

*** Cautions: Laxative ***

Common Dittany, Cunila origanoides: Leaves, stems, flowers:

Related to Oregano and Marjoram and can be used in similar ways. As an infusion it’s good for colds and to help open up the sinuses. Boiled strong it helps the body sweat and can aid in lowering fevers. Infusion used to help aid a painful birth. Used as a stimulant and tonic. Contains trace amounts of thujone, an active chemical also found in wormwood, mugwort, and yarrow, and may cause drowsiness or headaches. Use only in small amounts and with caution.

*** Cautions: Contains trace amounts of thujone ***

Elderberry, Sambucus nigra or Sambucus canadensis: Berries, flowers, leaves, bark:

Berries used in formulas against chills and cold. Helps support the immune system. Infusion of berry used internally for rheumatism. Flower infusion used as a febrifuge and to sweat out a cold. Leaf infusion used to wash sores and prevent infection. Bark poultice used on sores, wounds, rashes, and other dermatological needs.

*** Cautions: Berries mildly toxic when unripe, foliage toxic in large quantities ***

Goldenrod, Solidago: Leaves, Flowers:

There are many different varieties of goldenrods, all of which have very similar medicinal uses. Topically the plant has traditionally been used in salves to help with sore muscles and arthritis. Internally it has traditionally been used as a diuretic to help bladder and kidney issues and to help break up “stones”. It is also a good diaphoretic that can help reduce a fever, and an astringent that can aid in remedying diarrhea. The flowers also make a wonderful yellow dye.

*** Cautions: Asteraceae family, may cause skin irritation ***

Horsemint, Monarda bradburiana: Leaves, flowers:

Infusion used for colds, chills, as a febrifuge, and for bowel complaints. Can be used externally in oils and salves for dermatological needs. Used in many of the same ways as Monarda fistulosa.

Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis: Leaves, stems, flowers:

Sap produced by the leaves and stems used for poison ivy, rashes, burns, and other dermatological needs. Cold infusion of leaves as a febrifuge. Infusion whole plant taken internally for stomach cramps.

*** Cautions: Seeds toxic ***

+Mullein, Verbascum thapsus: Leaves, flowers, root:

Leaves and flowers can be used to clear chest congestion (smoked or as an infusion), as an analgesic for rashes, aches and pains. Leaves can be wilted and used in poultices for swollen glands. Roots can be used in decoctions for gynecological issues.

+Plantain, Plantago major “Broadleaf Plantain” or Plantago lanceolata “Ribwort Plantain”: Leaves, roots, flowers:

Leaves used in poultices for bug bites, inflammations, rashes, cuts, bruises, stings, and other skin complaints. Whole plant infusions for colds, fever, upper respiratory complaints, rheumatism, hypertension, regulating blood sugar, bladder problems, kidney problems. Root used as a gentle expectorant and in helping sinus issues. “Snake Weed” because of the belief that the plant can help draw venom out of a snakebite. It was also thought that a person could carry the plant to help ward off snakes.

Self-Heal, All Heal, Prunella vulgaris: Leaves, flowers:

Infusion is an analgesic used to wash sores, wounds, and used in salves for many dermatological needs. Used to flavor other medicines. Infusion used as a febrifuge and against colds. Used for sore throats. Mild sedative. Helps with stomach and bowel complaints. Antidiarrheal. Respiratory aid.

Spicebush, Lindera benzoin: Leaves, Bark:

The red berries of the spicebush have long been used as a substitute for cinnamon or allspice in mountain recipes. The leaves can be made into a pleasant infusion for colds and headaches while the bark can be brewed strong for fevers and chills. The leaves can also be used topically for skin irritations, rashes, and bites. 

Sumac, Rhus glabra “Smooth Sumac” or Rhus typhina “Staghorn Sumac”: Berries, Leaves, Bark:

The berries are used in a tasty beverage I’ve heard called “sumacade”. It’s lemony taste is quite pleasant, and the drink is high in vitamin C. The berries and bark are astringent and can be used as an effective gargle for a cough or mouth sores. A decoction of the bark can also be taken internally for diarrhea. In the Fall the red leaves can be dried and smoked to induce dreaming.

Sweet Everlasting, Rabbit Tobacco, Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium/Gnaphalium obtusifolium: Leaves, flowers:

Decoction whole plant used as a sedative and to aid sleeping. Analgesic for sores, pains, aches, wounds, and many other dermatological needs. Antirheumatic (internal). Decoction for colds and chills. Smoked and used in infusions to clear chest congestion. Chewed for sore mouth and throat. Used in sweat baths against many illnesses. NOTE harvest leaves in the Fall when they start to turn brown.

*** Cautions: Asteraceae family ***

Sweetgum tree, Liquidambar styraciflua: Leaves, bark, gum, balls:

Leaves can be used in poultices for several dermatological issues, cuts, and bruises. Gum and inner bark used for diarrhea and flux. Infusion of bark taken for “flooding” (gynecological). Infusion of bark given as a sedative. Sweetgum balls, when green in the Spring before seeds have formed can be soaked in alcohol then given for colds and the flu (antiviral, antibacterial due to contained shikimic acid).

White-Leafed Mountain Mint, Pycnanthemum albescens: Leaves, Flowers, Stems:

As an infusion, can be used to help treat headaches, stomach complaints, and colds. Brewed strong it can help to reduce fevers.

Wild Bergamot, Beebalm, Monarda fistulosa: Leaves, flowers:

Infusion used for coughs, colds, and sore throats. Carminative for stomach complaints. Diaphoretic, febrifuge, and diuretic. Mild sedative. Abortifacient, so caution should be taken. Externally an analgesic used in poultices for pains, aches, cuts, and rashes.

Witch Hazel, Hamamelis vernalis (Ozark Witch Hazel) and American Witch Hazel, Hamamelis virginiana: Leaves, bark:

Leaves and bark astringent used externally as a skin toner and for many dermatological issues. Infusion taken for colds and as a febrifuge. Antirheumatic. Decoction of bark taken as an emetic.

*** Cautions: Bark emetic***

+Yarrow, Achillea millefolium: Flowers, leaves:

Leaves astringent, used in bowel complaints and with dermatological needs. Foliage infusion used for colds, as a febrifuge, upset stomach, and as a mild sedative. Leaves can be smoked to loosen phlegm and clear chest congestion.

*** Cautions: Asteraceae family ***

I got in through one of those recruitment drives they keep holding

I collected the box tops and turned them in. Just paid separate shipping and handling.

I forgot to uncheck a box when I was installing something.

i found a rainbow ticket inside a chocolate bar

A bird flew up and handed me a letter. 

I was the one billionth customer.

Sorting hat.

went into a home depot on Pride weekend and it was a door prize like, weird, but okay

I forgot to install an adblocker and got a pop up on a website that congratulated me on being LGBT

I successfully forwarded a chain e-mail to ten LGBTQIA+ friends in the allotted amount of time.

It was hidden in the extra fees on my phone plan.

Scratch off tickets

Kinda got stuck on my cable bill one month

It’s one of the benefits included in salary packaging

Honestly it just followed me home? It’s not like I fed it or anything it just showed up and never left.

Found it tucked into the back of a library book.

weird contaminants in the stream, that one campout.

It was in the sauce at the Bunnings sausage sizzle.  Or maybe the onion.

I downloaded the app.

i deleted the (different) app. best mistake i ever made. :D

I woke up one morning to find the queerfairy had visited.

A friend gave it to me as a “happy divorce” present.

Melissa Etheridge gave me a toaster.

God sent an angel and the glory of the Lord was upon me.

One of those really fancy Christmas crackers. All my sister got was a wine charm, hah. 

Look, the landlord left a lot of random crap here when we moved in that he doesn’t want and that really aren’t household essentials, and the stuff I liked I’m keeping, OK?

Found mine in one of those prize packets in a box of Fruit Loops.

Fortune cookie.

Once I was at a plant store and I have this subconscious habit of pulling leaves of plants so I did that and stuck the leaf in my pocket and when I got home I found it and felt bad so I dropped it in a pot with a bromiliad and a few weeks later it had taken root and started growing and that’s the story of how I pirated a plant

you wouldnt DOWNLOAD a PLANT

The only rule in witchcraft. "What do you think?"

some fae facts from lore

What should I do when the decks get here? @static-chaos @ravenbara @tarotprose @intuitive-rose @princess-of-pentacles @psuedohuman @divinecrossroads @geminisaiah and anyone else I forgot. Or anyone else who wants to boss me around.

Definitely snap photos so we can see!!!!!! :)

Do a strength and weaknesses spread about the deck itself so we can learn what each one is most suitable for? 😊

Recreational Witchcraft: Simple Salve Recipe

Beeswax salves are a great recipe to have in your repertoire because depending on the herbs included they can be used for many purposes. Healing balms can be made for cuts, scrapes, bites, and for topically treating pain like menstrual cramps or sore muscles. Moisturizing salves can be used on the lips, cuticles or to combat any dry winter skin.  As for magical applications, the list is a long one. Protection salves, flying ointments, and glamour salves are just some of the more common ways beeswax salves have been used as a simple method of transferring the power and magic of specific herbs to the body. The possibilities are quite endless. 

You will need:

Stamp making

Step One Gather materials

- pen/sharpie/pencil to draw on your pattern - carving tools and or exacto knife - rubber carving block - scissors -ink pad - paper to stamp

Step two Measure and cut the size of your stamp ( you can buy smaller blocks of rubber that dont need to be cut or pre mounted/cut rubber)

Step three Draw out your design, for my lack of drawing and carving ability i try to avoid shading… so i keep it simple and color in what lines i am going to carve out. You can also reverse that and carve out all the white space…. depends on how you want your end result to look.

Step four

When your design is finished, time to cut!!

For this design i am using the small knife, just tracing the outer and inner red lines so it peels away.

Step five When your design is all carved out, time to test it  <3

whala! You’ve just made your own custom stamp. You can mount your piece of rubber on wood or a hard surface to make sure it doesnt break or get ruined.. OR you can flip it over and make another stamp on the back! ( <- thats what i do)

Custom stamps are awesome for etsy shop owners or anyone who crafts… 100% unique hand crafted stamps are a great way to add an extra little something to your customers packages <3

<3 

Saving for later 💗

Hello everyone! The sun has just risen here in Krakow, and thankfully, the air is quite nice and fresh today! Here, we have the second article in a multi-part series focused on hedgecraft and hedgeriding. If you missed the first article, it’s here, and addresses some terminology issues, also giving relevant history!

As always, I can only offer my own subjective approach, which shouldn’t be taken as gospel, but I hope you find it useful! This second article answers some more metaphysical-styled questions regarding my perspective on hedgeriding. So, here we go!

Where does hedgeriding “take” you?

As I’ve noted over and over, the experience of hedgeriding for me involves leaving one’s body and, furthermore, entering another state of being. In short, it involves travel to the spirit world.

As to the nature of this world, various cultures have many different ways of describing and subdividing it, ranging from the nine worlds described in Norse mythology to Christian conceptions of Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory.

We can probably argue that the spirit world is, in fact, singular, but our own conceptualizations and expectations about it help to create a variety of experiences that lead to the subjective experience of more than one world. I certainly see it as such.

Though, as I’ll explain, I do divide my experience of the spirit world into different realms, I recognize them all as my subjective experience of something that is, in actuality, unified.

Generally, most modern practitioners posit and experience the existence of three worlds. There is the upper world of essence, the lower world of substance, and the middle world of manifestation (the world we usually inhabit). The image below is my attempt at a neat record of these and their basic natures. It’s a vesica pisces.

This shape is commonly used in this context because, rather than showing a hierarchy, it demonstrates how the interaction between the essential quality of the upper world and the substance provided by the lower world seem to give rise to the manifest reality of the middle world that we live within.

You’re free to see reality in other ways, and no doubt your experiences will reflect how you view it, but for me, I find this paradigm most useful. 

Insofar as this is, and will always be, a somewhat subjective experience, many different practitioners divide their spiritual journeys in all kinds of diverse ways, which often makes for interesting reading.

For me, though, the notion of a world of essence, one of substance, and one of manifestation works quite well. I want to say that a lot of us don’t exactly consciously choose the way we see the architecture of reality, though there is, without a doubt, a small element of choice.

 I could argue, probably, that a lot of it has to do with how we structure our thoughts (the microcosm) affecting how we perceive the Universe (the macrocosm).

What about spirit guides?

I’ve been rather biased against the notion of spirit guides in the past, particularly New Age concepts of them. I owe this to having had some very bad experiences with people claiming to be led by spirit guides or similar beings.

I had an acquaintance for a while who constantly chattered about how he had “like twenty Native American spirit guides,” and his views of them played with the most ridiculous stereotypes about Amerindians you’d ever hear.

A lot of this, and other New Age ideas about spirit guides make little sense in reality. Why would a bunch of spirits from random distinct and unrelated cultures (as Amerindian tribes are) decide to follow some white guy around and give him advice? 

Why would any deceased person in spirit form decide to do that, unless they had an existing connection to the person, such as knowing them in life, etc.,?

Nowadays, I do accept the notion of spirit guides, after a fashion, though. The term, for me, just refers to any spirit (and you’ll encounter many) who helps you to experience the spirit world. 

This can take many forms, ranging from planetary genii to landwights, to egregores and thoughtforms. I just use the word to mean “any spirit that guides you.”

For me, though, I decidedly don’t believe that everyone is born with some spirit guide assigned to them, or that most people have a passel of them wandering around guarding them.

Most people would probably have a spirit or two that takes interest in them through happenstance (or perhaps due to their heritage, as is the case with spirits of the departed), but I don’t really see this as a systemized thing, nor do I think most such spirits exist simply to serve and protect an individual person.

For me, I think most spirit guides must be met and befriended before they’ll fill that role. It’s quite similar to everyday life. Think about it: aside from your family members, who cares about you? 

Probably a lot of people, and they’re people you met and interacted with in some fashion throughout your life. Similarly, unless a spirit has an existing connection to you, you’d have to build that connection in order to receive help from the spirit.

And furthermore, it’s a two-way street. Just as a person entering into a friendship or other relationship would expect reciprocation and a fairly equal relationship, so would a spirit.

Many hedgeriders tend to experience spirits as curious entities that gain a lot in terms of knowledge and perspective from interacting with humans, just as we do with them. 

Obviously, any interaction with a benevolent spirit must be based on mutual respect, and that includes when engaging in more traditional spirit conjurations, as well as when hedgeriding.

What is the fetch? Why is it important?

The term “fetch” originates from the Germanic word “fylgja.” This term refers to the apparent double of an individual that acts in their stead in a spiritual fashion. Though the word was used in a manner very different than we use the word “fetch” today, that’s the etymology of it.

As you can see from the below passage from Lecouteux, the fylgja was considered a separate spirit or entity from the individual, and thus, wasn’t considered to actually be their sál or soul.

A lot of people have this notion that the astral body or “stuff” that a person is made of when hedgeriding or astral traveling is, in fact, the soul. To me, it’s more (and less) than that. A soul, in my perspective, wouldn’t be able to interact, even with spiritual realms, in a naked fashion.

As such, the fetch or astral body is, to me, a vehicle just like a physical body, albeit made of different substance. You create or project this body via visualizing and constructing it from the raw substance of magical power.

This is why most books on astral travel or hedgeriding will tell you that it’s important to visualize a “double” of yourself just above you, then “jump” into it, pushing your consciousness into the double, and then “riding it” into the astral or the beyond. In By Land, Sky, and Sea, Gede Parma writes about this process as follows:

This author continues in the book to talk about how to transfer consciousness to this double, and how doing so allows you to interact in spirit form with entities and, in short, cross the hedge.

One often-overlooked fact is that the astral double (or chariot, as Parma calls it) need not be a carbon copy of your physical form. In fact, it can be anything you choose and may even take the form of an animal (a practice often termed shapeshifting). Experimenting is key to finding out what works for you, in all cases.

Thanks for reading!

 I hope you’ve enjoyed this article on the trickier issues that surround hedgeriding! Stay tuned - soon I’ll be posting the third installment in this series, which discusses some practical matters such as safety, as well as the complex question of why we even do this! All the articles in this series will be tagged with #hedgecraft, so check them out as they’re posted.

If you like my writing and want to help me produce more content (and improve my quality of life), consider purchasing a reading from my shop! I’ve lowered all my prices specially to celebrate the coming of spring here in the north. Plus, if you enter the promotional code “HELLOFROMTUMBLR” you’ll receive an extra $5 orders over $15!

BEKKATHYST WINTER 2017 GIVEAWAY

~This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Tumblr.~

Please read thoroughly before entering!

Hello lovely Tumblr folk! It’s that time again- I have a giveaway for you all. This time I’m celebrating the wonderful year you all gave my shop in 2016, and the hope of an even better 2017!  

All these items came from my shop (minus the sage!).

What you get:

Rules:

I would use it if the Grimoire was in some way cantered around the bible. Either drawing power or inspiration from the scripture or by bastardising the text if anti Christianity magic is your thing. But if your practice is completely removed from Christianity or the bible then I don't really see the point in using bible. There will be a lot of conflicting residual energy coming from the contents of the book. Also the pages are typically too thin to do anything with them. Any kind of modification would result in tearing.

Goals

Enchanting things with touch -

A lot of witchcraft seems to be focused on visualisation as a means of imbuing things with magic, energy work seems almost entirely written to suit those who can visualise images.  I am extremely tactile, I am a touchy feely person with busy hands so I decided to share how I “enchant” items.

Enchantment in my book means to take an object and make it magical, whether it be a charm, a ward, an agent of the spell itself.

Kissing things - your lips are far more sensitive than your fingers, they are also very close to your nose so you can incorporate smell into this, too. Take the item, and bring it too your lips gently, place a plush firm kiss whilst focusing on planting your into into the item.

Stroking or brushing - I have heard people try knot magic by braiding their hair, my hair is too short for this, but you could start by brushing your hair. Really smoothing it out, deeply brushing hair or even fur is a great way to transfer magic from your mind to the hands to the object, brushing is very therupeutic and could almost be a trance inducing activity. When I had hair I could sit on, it was a wonderful sensory experience to hand brush it after a wash. 

You could also feel the surface of your item by smoothing it with you hands, really get to know the texture, let the magic explore the grain of the wood, the crevices in the stone or the cool touch of the metal.

Crumbling something - You could do this with breadcrumbs for kitchen magic or a bath bomb for bath magic (I wouldn’t crumble a bath bomb imo but I have heard some people prefer to do that.) Guide your intent to your hands and let it over whelm the object in your palms.

Stepping on something - This could be very destructive and great for curses.

Walking around it - Walking around an object features a lot in folk lore, perhaps you could use it to slowly build up intent and magical energy within you? 

Throwing or juggling - Juggling is a great skill to learn and I can well and truly say kinetic energy is magical very powerful, throwing and catching something in the air until your satisfied is a fantastic way of enchantment, the weight as you catch it in your hand and watching it fly in the air is just fantastic.

Rubbing it to give it body heat - This is very physical, you can feel the warmth you’ve transferred to this object and its very responsive as well.

In addition, if I might add, other actions like jumping over something or stepping over it, like jack be quick, jack jump over the candle stick, are also aspects of certain things. Like jumping over an obstacle.

are tea bombs the new thing

I really hope so

@averageskeleton @teal0cean