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garden in the void

@gardeninthevoid / gardeninthevoid.tumblr.com

🌿 Kris 🌷 24, he/she/fae*, russian 🌷 good omens and other things i like/care about 🌷 occasionally nsfw, be careful 🌷 deeply queer - gray ace and demi, bi and omnigay, genderqueer and bigender, and others 🌷 gray ace positivity blog: @gray-ace-space 🌷 bpd + adhd 🌷 current hyperfixation: good omens (as if you couldn't tell) 🌷 eternal hyperfixations: mlp:fim, lgbtq+ stuff 🌷 i just like a lot of stuff in general 🌷 teacher 🌷 learning spanish (b1) 🌷 enneagram 4w5 and it shows 🌷 *do not use she for me if ur cis and do not use it exclusively but if u alternate i will love u forever 🌿
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prokopetz

Given that evidence suggests all extant forms of cartomancy began as card games and were only later adapted as tools for divination, doing readings with your Pokémon cards is really just respecting the history and traditions of the practice.

#yes#pokémon#witchblr
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nightshadewolves
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bel69prickle4

Omg this is the first I've seen these. Is it even safe to soak your crystals in water then drink it? Surely there's a decent risk of getting way too many of certain minerals or metals?

Lolz anyone here have expert thoughts?

On either crystals or scams 😂😂🤣🤣

@earthstory @thebibliosphere

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thebibliosphere

It’s not safe. Some crystals are water soluble. Some will dissolve, others will crack or flake off with prolonged use. And even ones that don’t show signs of visible damage can leech harmful minerals into the water, like arsenic and silicon dioxide, to name two off the top of my head.

There’s also issues with people getting cheap crystals and claiming them to be things they’re not. I remember there was a batch of crystals found to have asbestos in them recently, that shouldn’t have asbestos in them. They found out cause people were putting them *inside* their bodies. Which yeah, don’t... don’t do that either. Buy a body safe dildo like everyone else and get your rocks off without rocks. Please.

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iwouldchoosethesea

Hi! Geologist here =D

@thebibliosphere​ is totally correct in this instance; not all ‘crystals’ are created equal!

While quartz- the three crystals in the advertisement above are all derivations of quartz- is relatively benign (sand, the primary ingredient of glass, is mostly ground up quartz), you have no guarantee that the crystals on the ends of these straws are going to be both quartz and only quartz, as opposed to some closer look-alike or a dyed stone or just glass.

The big issue with the ‘crystal’ supply chain is that it is almost entirely unregulated, a rabbit hole that starts with ‘cheap glass dyed to look like amethyst’ and ends with ‘literal slave labour was used to strip these stones from the earth in the most damaging way possible’ (which, okay, won’t poison you, but should  be a factor!)

In general, stones that are in any way green or blue will leach arsenic and/or toxic copper compounds - while very pretty, turns out copper isn’t very good for the human body in most forms. Stones that are at all metallic probably have lead in their chemical components somewhere so please don’t put them in your mouth. Stones that have pretty ‘inclusions’ - a different type of crystal inside of another - could have wildly different solubility conditions (the quartz is fine in your drink! the rutile inside of it significantly less so - to quote my mineralogy textbook, “when cleaning, avoid transferring material from hands to mouth”). Softer stones will chip, often microscopically, or dissolve depending on their chemical makeup.

A secondary issue here is anyone who actually buys and uses these straws: What are you drinking out of these straws? Is it always just water? You swear? Not lemon water, not electrolyte water, not sprite or some other soda, not any other liquid that may or may not react with the crystals in a way water doesn’t?

How are you cleaning them? Bleach is extremely reactive with certain minerals in a way that the cute crystal water is not. Pretty much all cleaners can induce a chemical reaction that you probably don’t want happening on something that goes into your mouth/body: vinegar, ammonia, alcohol, detergents, and common household soaps are all on this list.

And again: how are you cleaning these straws? A dishwasher is prrrrobably not a good environment for a lot of different crystals over time, not to mention the structural integrity of the things. Handwashing prrrrrobably isn’t doing the trick when it comes to bacteria, which are already a problem with reusable straws that are a single piece tub with no extra cracks for hiding out and multiplying.

I know, I know, they’re super cute (I’d wear them in my hair, personally!), but generally speaking it’s not a good idea to put a crystal in your body; this goes for... all your holes, folks, please by all the gods

If you have to have your crystal water, try something that is crystal-adjacent instead of crystal-immersive. There are (expensive) water bottles out there whose bases can be filled with the mineral of your choice and are much safer alternatives.

With my Witch Hat on, I can say this has pretty much the same energetic effect that the straws do, without chances of accidental lead poisoning!

tl;dr

a) Most minerals/crystals are toxic

b) The mineral/crystal industry is wildly unregulated so quality will pretty much always be suspect

c) Keeping these straws clean is a nightmare

d) Just... Don’t Do It?

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iwouldchoosethesea

Please don’t... fuck the rock

For those who are wondering what is being alluded to by me and @thebibliosphere​

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thebibliosphere

Bless you for typing all this out.

#psa#witchblr#health#long post
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juniperwildwalk

The Etiquette of Herb-Gathering

As a practicing Witch and small-scale herbalist, I often find that when I’m out and about I’m also absentmindedly on the lookout for any new, interesting or useful herb species that might help me in my practice. I even carry a small clean jam jar and a sharp penknife in my handbag at all times for if I spot a herb I just can’t resist and need to take a cutting of it for my collection back home. However, while I’m avidly seeking out roadside feverfew or happily snipping cuttings of a rare cultivar of lavender or sage, I’m always acutely aware of why I call the etiquette of herb-gathering.

These are a few simple rules by which I suggest all foraging Witches, alchemists and herbalists should abide that dictate the correct course of action for those who seek to collect herbs from places other than their own gardens. They are mostly fairly common-sense, but a few are ones that might be overlooked, but which can actually be of profound importance!

I will list the rules below, but bear in mind that it’s not like this is some onerous obligation that must be fulfilled, and nor is it some sort of “Witchcraft commandment” or infallible and unchanging list of sacred laws. These are a few things that I created for my own usage, and nobody else is under any obligation to use them. If you choose to do so, I’ll be thrilled; if you find a way to improve them, please do reblog this post with your corrections! 

The Etiquette of Herb-Gathering

  1. Remember that all plants are living things, and if you harvest them too severely, they will die. This seems obvious, but you’d be shocked how many people forget! This is especially important when what you’re harvesting is the plant’s leaves - always remember that leaves are how plants make their food, so leave enough of them to enable the plant to keep growing strongly.
  2. Never forget that you may not be the only one foraging. Make sure that, when you harvest a wild growth of a herb, there may be others in the area who would also like to harvest that plant. Take only a little from a lot of patches, rather than using only two or three patches, but taking almost all of what is available at each one. This will not only ensure that other foragers can use that patch too, but will mean that when the patch regrows, you’ll know where to go back to in order to find it again instead of needing to hunt down a new patch each time.
  3. When foraging on another’s land, ask their permission first! This seems so straightforward, but sadly people forget that plants growing in other people’s gardens (yes, even their front lawn) are that person’s private property! Taking cuttings or fruits from plants on that property without the owner’s permission is legally theft, and can be punished just like shoplifting or stealing a bike from a railing. It also means that the owner will know that their plant is looking smaller because it’s been harvested, rather than them thinking it’s died or been eaten by some wild herbivore.
  4. Always cut stems at a diagonal angle. Never snip a stem so that it forms a circular, blunted end, because this can allow rainwater to build up on the surface of the cut. This rainwater can trap fungal spores, and cause the plant to get a serious fungal infection that may damage or even kill that whole patch. Instead, cut the stems at a roughly 45° angle, so that water beads up and rolls off more easily. 
  5. When collecting flowers, remember that other people like to look at wildflowers. Never take ALL the flowers from any wild plant, both because it prevents that plant from reproducing as it naturally wants to do, and because it means others who walk past the plant don’t get to see it’s beautiful blooms! If you own the plant, that’s another matter - you may WANT to snip off all flowers to prevent it from bolting, like with parsley. However, with wildflowers, always leave at least half the flowers on the plant so that it can continue to reproduce as nature intended.
  6. Never pick a plant you can’t identify with total certainty. Yet another seemingly-obvious one that is nevertheless often ignored. This is often quoted for fungi, because some fungi can be quite poisonous, but if anything it’s even worse for plants. The medicinally fabulous plant known as yarrow, Achillea millefolia, is a very useful plant and a common component of herbal medicines. However, it looks almost identical to spotted water-hemlock, a species of plant so deadly that one bite can kill you in 20 minutes. Make completely certain that all plants you collect are positively identified, and that you flag all plants with commonly-confused poisonous cousins for further identification later if you’re not 100% sure.
  7. Never harvest flowers from plants around beehives. Bees are one of the most important families in the natural world, being responsible for the pollination of tens of thousands of species of flowering plants all over the world and on every forested continent. Whilst most species of bees are solitary, and don’t form the large hives we assume are common to all bees, those that DO form vast colonies need similarly vast numbers of flowers to support themselves. When you come across a beehive, especially a boxed hive that’s clearly domesticated by humans, try to avoid harvesting any flowers from within 500 metres (about a third of a mile) around the hive(s). The hive needs all the nectar and pollen it can get, and due to the rising threat of colony collapse disorder the life of every single hive is a precious thing that must be preserved at all costs. It might be inconvenient for you, but it’s worth it.

***************

These are just a few of the major rules that I personally suggest all foragers and herb-gatherers take to heart. Remember that you’re not the only Witch who needs their supplies! Thank you for reading :)

– Juniper

#psa#plants#witchblr#long post
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Smudging & Smoke Cleansing: A Comparative Post

Okay, so I guess we need to talk about smudging vs smoke cleansing (which is not a wide-spread term, but it’s what I’m going to use to help differentiate between the two practices for this post). Now, there are a lot of similarities between traditional smudging and smoke cleansing. Both are methods of cleansing that utilize the smoke of sacred herbs and plants to cleanse and purify a person, place, or thing.   

Here’s a visual, but don’t worry, we’ll discuss below:

First, Smoke Cleansing:

  • Like traditional smudging, this is the practice of cleansing somewhere, something, or someone with smoke. 
  • Most commonly, white sage (or, as we call it sacred sage or ceremonial sage) is used in this practice, but other things can be substituted. There are many cultures who have practiced smoke cleansing, so you can find an herb or resin that’s applicable to any path. 
  • Smoke cleansing is usually done in a circular, sunwise path. The direction in which you being may very depending in your path or tradition, but most books will tell you to begin in the east.
  • Smoke is fanned into every corner and crevice of whatever you’re cleansing in order to remove spirits, negative energy, and evil. 
  • Smoke cleansing may be accompanied by a chant or something similar. This can be personal or textbook and is generally said out loud. 
  • Because this practice is passed down from book to person or from mentor to student, it remains relatively the same between most people who use it—tools, smokes, and chants, on the other hand, may vary. 
  • Smoke cleansing is considered a very important practice because of the act of cleansing. 
  • It can be use before, during, or after ritual or spellwork. 

Traditional Smudging:

  • Traditional smudging is a pre-ceremony element used to cleanse and purify and area of ceremony as well as any of the people who are going to pass into the circle—dancers, veterans, storytellers, etc.
  • Like a lot of our ceremonial practices, the concept of smudging is usually passed down through oral tradition and generally through a family line. There is not a lot of accurate representation of this practice in books; so, without oral tradition, the practice as Native Americans know it would cease to exist. 
  • Some elements of smudging will differ from group to group. There is no one way for Native Americans to do things. Every tribe, clan, and family will have their own set of practices; and every person will have their own prayers.
  • Tools for smudging are usually traditional—at least for ceremonial purpose. Though the actual practices vary, the tools are almost always familiar. 
  • Smudging is accompanied by constant prayer (generally said in the heart) and uses specific movements when smudging your smudge fan, yourself, or someone else.
  • The prayers that accompany this practice are not written down and are totally different from person to person. We are never taught how to pray. 
  • Traditional smudging also utilizes white sage—however, it is usually incorporated into a blend. My family, for example, uses sage, tobacco, and cedar. 
  • Unlike smoke cleansing, traditional smudging is not often used to get rid of spirits. In fact, because the practice has been used during the prayers of our race since the first people, it’s often thought of as a way to connect with the spirits of our ancestors. Sometimes, it’s taught that our prayers are carried along with their prayers.
  • The smoke from smudging also serves to put a person into a community mindset. Because we have passed this tradition down from first people, the smell of the smoke evokes a feeling of being at home no matter where you are or who you’re with. It’s something that the entire community can share, whether they are related or not. 
  • Smudging is considered sacred both because of spiritual practices and the connection to community and is often used as a way to honor ancestors while cleansing. 
  • EDIT: I forgot to mention we also have specific ways of disposing of ashes. :O

One day, when I’m less afraid that everything I say will be taken by appropriators, I’ll write about these practices. One day…

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elleyena-rose

TIL: Ok so I saw several posts about how smudging is not ok, but smoke cleansing is. I didn’t realize they were different so I looked it up. Sage is ok. Smudging is not, unless you’ve been taught/given permission to use this practice.

#witchblr#witchcraft#psa#long post
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antigone-funn

it's 8 am and I'm still tired but I just wanted to wish everyone a

happy Lughnasadh!!!!!

it doesn't look like it's gonna be as sunny today as I hoped but I think I've got everything I need to make some cinnamon rolls and I'm excited about that!

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gardeninthevoid

hey it's 11 pm where i live and we're still not done making bread

#lammas#witchblr
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smooth-endo

Blessed Lughnasadh everyone! ☀️🌾

Although I have to work today, I’ll be spending my free time baking, harvesting from my garden, and tending to my altar.

Stay safe and best of luck on your path!

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gardeninthevoid

have a fruitful day💛

#lammas#witchblr
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