Ex Penna

It just might be me.  Or you.  Let me explain.

In the most simplistic terms, magic is freedom and those who use it to better their lives are free.  We have realized our right to be happy, our right to withhold ourselves from those who don't deserve us, our right to choose the course of our lives.  We are self-aware and capable of handling the responsibility of being so.  That is the very nature of freedom, and to the establishment under which we live, it is a terror.

Those who are free don't feel the need to do what others do.  They don't rely on convention to train and control them.  They don't want what others want.  They are unpredictable, and that's a scary thing.  Are you that sort of unpredictable?  Do you go your own way no matter where it may lead?  Take a look at the following list of brave and bold thoughts that just such a person thinks and see just how dangerous you are!

1. Your Rules are for You

A witch doesn't have to subscribe to your ideas of right and wrong.  Not only do many of us take our magical practice as a spiritual discipline--and therefore hold values separate and distinct from other belief systems--but we also have a unique understanding of how right and wrong are measured, what happens in the event of each, and how imbalances are rectified. 

Because we have these feelings of our own, we're not waiting to be given limits by society.  Because we see how we are different, we know that options exist and are not afraid to choose. 

2. Doing What Needs Done Does Not Mean Waiting for Karma

Sitting on my ass was not in the brochure.  A powerful person who watches wrongs be committed, and then does nothing to prevent, stop, or serve justice for it, is culpable for that wrong.

Occultists are powerful people with talent and training behind us.  We can and should make things right.  I would never let the greater suffering of harm against an innocent exist just to spare myself possible retribution for harm against the guilty.  That's the price I pay for desiring the knowledge I now have.  If I can do something, I must do something.

3. It Doesn't Matter if We Agree

I genuinely don't care if we can't find common ground.  I didn't ask your permission any more than you asked mine.

That sounds a little harsh, but completely true.  I feel this way whether I'm being scorned by religious types who disapprove of my lack of godliness (despite following many more gods than them! Hmmmph!) or discussing my outsider attitudes with other magical folk.  We can talk about it but when it comes to being capital-R Right, I am going to throw up both hands and call it a day.  It isn't something that can be decided by two humans with disparate beliefs in intangible topics.

And I've got things to do, kid, I can't stand around arguing all day.

4. Freedom Gives Me Strength

I like--no, wait---I adore setting my own standards.   The gift of freedom is that I can choose what I personally feel is important, what is my weight in the world, and how I know if I'm doing the right thing or not.  That's far more than fear of divine smite.

5. Wisdom is Actually Really Simple

Because I Have Experienced, I Have Learned. Because I Learned, I am Wise.

It's just that easy.  And exactly that painful.

If you don't dare, you'll never understand, and understanding is the basis of all the great things humanity wishes for itself.  You must go into the scary, dangerous places to find treasure.  And this goes double for the places that the world around you keeps telling you is scary.  Don't follow in the fears of others.

6. I Have a Low Tolerance for Bullshit in My Personal Life

Ya know, I might cast a low-level curse on you just because you annoy me.  That's what the Evil Eye is all about, so don't start getting high and mighty on me!  I'll tell you like it is and then, if that's not enough, I'll mess up your world.  Simple as that. 

Witches must realize that who we are in magical terms is the same damn person we are in the mundane.  If you're a horrible bitch to me when you see me in the neighborhood, but then look down your nose at the thought of hexing because you'd never taint your soul that way, you've totally missed the train on your own ethical code.  And though you revile mine, I'm actually living by it.  Go figure.

So there's the rub--my love of all shades of magic can be unpopular in certain occult circles, but I dole out wickedness in my magic to the same degree that I do as a regular person.  I wouldn't run up to a stranger and punch them in the face, and neither would I cast a curse on someone who had done me no wrong.

The simple fact is that if you are in my way enough, bad enough, mean enough, and detrimental enough for me to bitch you out in regular life, then you can definitely expect a healthy dose of black magic coming your way.  Consider yourself warned.

7. However, I Have a Much Higher Tolerance for It in My Professional Work

This is where being objective really comes into play.

I'm not going to agree to curse your cousin Debbie just because she made you look stupid at the last family reunion.  Get your shit together.  I will offer advice--maybe a free tarot reading, too--but I'm not ruining people's lives over your small, unpleasant experience. 

Unless you pay me really well--then we'll do this thing!

And there's the other side of being a business--I'm selling what you're buying and not the other way around.  I set my limits on what I'll do with my magic, naturally, but sometimes the line drawn can be moved as the price rises.  I've turned down offers to blight, to disease, to tear relationships apart--and I've said no.  And then again, for other situations, for much, much higher fees, I've done all those things and been pleased at the results.



Real morality is complex and real freedom is almost frightful.  The level of accountability that comes with both is too much for some people, and defiantly too much for some witches.  But for those of us who tread outside the norm and dare to find our own way to the great repository of wisdom waiting for us all, the rewards are too great to ignore, the call to adventure too thrilling to let pass by unanswered.


Images from:
giphy.com/gifs/strength-tarot-cards
folkmagicfestival.com/2016-folk-magic-festival-schedule-of-events
gothicandamazing.tumblr.com

Continuing in the vein of my adoration for Hoodoo is this week's offering: Hot Foot powder.  If you've never heard if it before, sit yourself down and get ready.  If you have, well, watch where you walk.

Do you have shitty neighbors?  Hot Foot them. 

Does your co-worker annoy you, sabotage you, or get in your way?  Hot foot them. 

Is that ex-friend still hanging around talking smack about you to others?  Hot Foot them. 


The swifter you clear out what threatens to derail your success, the easier it is to achieve it.



Now before you go at me with a wagging finger and disapproving glare for giving unwelcome people the boot, consider how affecting they can be.  Consider the stress they cause, the ensuing arguments, misunderstandings, and undue tension just from their presence.  You're not killing anybody, merely relocating them.  That can actually be a good thing, if they choose to see it that way.

But that's not your problem.  They are your problem and the solution is to make them disappear.  So here we go.

This is another formula without exact measurements and ingredients, but there are a few herbs that must be present in the basic recipe: hot pepper, sulphur, and salt.  Everything else--including the amounts--is a matter of individual tradition and taste.  I've seen others use High John root, Black Mustard, gunpowder (to make it work even faster), wasps' nests (to make it meaner), and the toxic Bluestone.  Here is the one I use:

Hot Foot Powder

Graphology, in case you weren't aware, is the study of one's handwriting (also called "handwriting analysis") to determine the writer's personality.  Every nuance of the script holds information about one's outlook, goals, and secret feelings.  Though not actually a form of divination, it does have similarities with skills familiar to the occultist like tea leaf reading.  If you'd like to give it a try, the Internet Archive has uploaded this 1922 classic from Clifford Howard.

What's more, because it was scanned page by page, you can see the original handwriting examples as they actually appear in the book while also enjoying a true to life paper experience (something in which book-lovers like myself take a special delight).

Graphology: How to Read Character from Handwriting, with Full Explanation of the Science, and Many Examples Fully Analyzed

Whether you're a newcomer to the practice or this piques a long-time interest, Graphology is a fascinating read that should not be missed!

Let's be clear: I love occult shops.  There was a time when I, like many other practitioners, was penniless and couldn't afford anything in them.  And there was a time when I lived so deep in nowhere-land that, even if I could afford it, none were available to me (and yes, that means I lived *gasp* pre-internet for most of my life).

Now that I am a few years older, wiser, better traveled, and more prosperous, I take every opportunity I can to slow down and walk every inch of the occult shops I find.  They're always overflowing with inspiration and you're certain to come out ready to cast your fingers off!

But what if you're stuck in my former state?  What if rarity and poverty removes such opportunities?  Then it's time to take a trip to the mundane farmer's market instead and look at it with a magical eye!

Bewitching the Farmer's Market

Fresh Eggs

Eggs are a classic for cleansings of home, self, and spirit.  They're also oddly effective at cursing, and fresh laid eggs are required for this purpose almost exclusively, most likely so that the egg doesn't retain any connections to your own home.

  

Unfortunately, too many rooms are sadly wasted when their owners set out to make them magical.  Proud witches will show you photos of spaces full of cheap, pretty knickknacks and handfuls of vaguely occult cultural references from around the world.  That doesn't reflect them.  Hell, that doesn't reflect anyone; it's only scratching the surface of what they think they should be doing. 

• Is this shared space?  If so, how often will both owners be using it?  If it's shared by function (such as in a bedroom), at what times of day will the room be engaged in each? 
• Do you need room enough for rituals? 
• Will you host guests or clients here? 
• Do you have coven items that need to be stored? 
• Are you making and/or selling items out of this space? 

I seem to be the only witch who isn't amazed by the idea of using birthday candles for spells.  There are tons of reasons why it's dumb, but here's just a few:

1. First, it's unlikely that you have only two minutes in which to cast a spell and this is what you chose.  You must realize that there is a big wide world of magic at your disposal and many varieties of spellcasting are quicker than candle spells.  Next time, think about spoken charms, formulas, knots, sigils, or even the use of thoughtforms and golems.  You can do better!
2. Birthday candles don't come in many colors, and what you can find are either pastel, covered in glitter, or decorated with other colors in grooves or stripes.  You need a gray candle?  A brown one?  Good luck.
3. You can't use them for some of the most interesting and powerful methods of candle spells, namely inscribing and loading.  I guess you can dress and dust them, but you'll spend twice as long doing so as it takes for the candle to burn.
4. Unless you're sticking that thing in a cake, get ready to have a hard time making it stand upright the whole time.
5. If you've tried to get around any of these problems just so you can keep saying that they're a workable substitute, you're trying too hard. 

• Pop out the candle from its tin

• Remove the wick and set aside

• Fill a frying pan with 1/2 inch of water and heat on medium-low on the stove top
• Put the empty tins in the pan.  They should float on the water at this point.

• Dye your candles to match your intention: Sprinkle shavings from crayons in each tin (or, if you're a pro like me, just add liquid candle dye)

• Add a few drops of condition oils and/or powders or finely ground herbs to match your intention
• Drop into each tin the chunk of white wax
• Allow the warm water to slowly melt the wax (without boiling! It's too messy and can flip over your tins)

• Once all the wax is melted, and the color is to your liking, remove from the heat and let cool
• Before the candles solidify, put the wicks back in the center of each one.

• Sprinkle each candle with powders or ground herbs.  Make sure that the surface is cooled and solid or everything you add will just sink to the bottom.  I like to include some glitter, too!

• Now you're ready to cast a quickie spell any time, anywhere in style and with results as strong as a full-sized candle!

Free Dictionary of Occult Symbols PDF


A classic of its kind, The Dictionary of Occult, Hermetic, and Alchemical Sigils is a must-have for your magical library.


In this orderly (and you know how I love that!) collection of symbols can be found not only a great deal of rarely discussed information and origins but also all known variations, several magical alphabets, and an extensive bibliography for further reading.  You will want a printed copy of this, post haste!*







*Note, however, that in a scanning quirk, page 291 appears upside down.  If you make your own, switch it before binding.