How do you practice your craft?

[BeanSimulator]

By this, I of course mean witchcraft. I have now seen more than a couple of people involved here and thought this would be a good thread to share and discuss it! I left it out of the religion board because even though it is very much religious for me, it is not necessary to worship anyone. But please feel free to mention them if they are dear to you.

For me, I found a very strong pull towards the Norse gods even though my roots are deeply Celtic (my love for the Mabinogion knows no bounds). Freyr, or Yngvi, has brought me extreme comfort regarding my gender, my sense of self, and where I belong spiritually.

I honor him by always carrying his rune (which found me rather than the other way around- I highly recommend supporting WitchBabySoap.com, their bath bomb runes could be the perfect little sign or pick-me-up you're looking for) and writing of meditative states centered around him. This includes poetry, insight, reflected questions and feelings invoked by his presence in my heart. Im working on making an altar box to further my devotion.

Setting worship aside, I also look to the stars for comfort. I've been learning more of my correspondences and whoo boy is it a lot to learn, but having a grimoire/book of shadows/etc is always helpful in keeping up with what you've learned - I filled 10 pages in just a few short days.

There is so much more I'd like to discuss and learn from you all. From the stars, to tarot, other divination and spells, to who and what is important to you spiritually. Feel free to reply or message me about anything!

[Valerie]

Omg bless your heart for this thread!! Like honestly I'm always down for talking magic/witchcraft, but I barely ever get to because I barely know anyone other witches, and I'm sooo awkward to where I usually don't know how to talk to someone witches I follow on Tumblr, or who I met online through other apps.
As for how I practice my own craft, I honestly have no idea what I'm doing! I basically just wing everything & hope for the best. So I mostly mainly read, and research a ton of stuff, and I tend to do waaaayyyy more reading than actually practicing like I'd like to do. I actually don't follow, or do much of deity work, or idk I haven't found a deity that I've felt drawn to yet, idk I feel like I'm definitely much more agnostic with my craft in always thinking of universe/cosmos instead of a certain deity. Umm i myself am still a baby witchling in that omg I still need a lot of work in sending energy & how to meditate (I haven't been able to perfect energy sensing, and I still try to figure out how to get it right. And omg meditation is sooo much harder to even do since I have ADHD, and I have suuuuccchhh a hard time focusing my mind, and clearing it)
I have 2 tarot decks, runs stones, a TON of candles, Herbs, and crystals/stones. So far the only spells I've done is I tried a contacting a deceased loved one spell(the spell was to feel the energy of and maybe even dream of deceased loved one), but it didn't really exactly work, which I was really bummed about because it would have been nice to feel my mom around. I've also done a spell to banish a friend I was letting stay with me to help him out, but he kept stealing money from me, and lying to me about it when I'd confront him, so I did this banishing spell, and he was outta my house with in the week I cast the spell! Afterwards I made a promise to the universe to cut junk food outta my diet for a month as a way to show thanks and appreciation for them fulfilling my wish & spell.

Then I've done a spell to help my best friend fall asleep at night! She was caught in a riot during the uprising in Charlotte, NC last summer, and she had a lot of anxiety/hard time sleeping after literally having bullets fly past her, and her trying to get to her car & get home outta there. Anyways, I told her I'd try to help her by doing a spell to help, and I got a little sachet, put amethyst in it with lavender, chamomile, peppermint, spearmint, elderberry, and I had tried you know calling upon elements & blessing the herbal pouch through each element, but anyways it worked and my best friend told me how much she loved it, and she kept it in her pillowcase, and how she felt peaceful, safe, and how she was still have dreams but they were peaceful & happy ones, and just how thankful she was to me, and it felt great knowing my craft worked & helped someone I love for the better.
Those are just my major spell workings I've tried. As for other magic things I'd like to try is sigil magic! Like omg if I could figure out how to focus my attention & mind on creating sigils I could place them in sooo many places in my home, clothing, or even on my nails/ draw them on my body! Like ohh gosh all the possibilities with sigils!! I also want to dabble more in herbal magic, and try mixing different herbs in bath soaks too! Like ugghhh there's sooo much I wanna do with my witchy ways, but I'm such a horrible procrastinator, and lazy person that I find hard time finding energy, or motivation to do anything.
Oohh ohh there's another magical working I do almost everyday! It's a great tip I saw on Tumblr, and so when I have a cup of tea, I stir my tea clockwise, and keep thinking "this tea will improve my day" it seems to be quite helpful!

[EchelonHunt]

I have to thank Valerie for mentioning sigil craft. I'm in love!! I have already made a few, it's going to be tough trying to forget them ('cus I love them so much!) after I activate/charge them but I will do it!!

[muse]

I Honor Bast and Anubis myself. I was called by both, and I have been a practicing Pagan in one form or another since being a teen. I generally follow a more Hegewitch path and green path by growing my own herbs and making my own teas, meds etc. I recently put up Elderberry syrup for cold and flu season and try to remind my kids(actually young adults)to make sure they have some every day to keep their immunitites up. I am very exicted to find a thread for Pagans/Witches here!

[Valerie]

I’ve recently started praying to Aphrodite more for aiding me in better self care/ love and I felt so much better/happier that I ended up deciding to give her an offering as appreciation, & as I setting up altar for her, and getting her flowers, chocolate, honey, and an apple as an offering it hit me right in front me that I have a connection with her! I can’t believe I’ve never realized it until now it’s been clear in front of me all this time my connection with Aphrodite! Since I been working on my self love for 4 years now, how I’m all about self care/love, growing as a person, falling in love with my boyfriend, and with starting HRT/transition this year I think I definitely feel connection with Aphrodite! I like I wonder and feel like she’s perfect goddess for me to devote to and work with as I go through this transition especially with me coming to terms with being a trans feminine nonbinary girl! Aphrodite is the embodiment of love, beauty, femininity, and self care. Plus she’s has always been my favorite Greek deity! She’s the absolute perfect goddess for me & I wish I had realized this sooner! I’ve also researched what offerings & way to devote/dedicate to her, and I read that I can give my orgasms to her as offerings, which I’m excited about bc it makes masturbation more exciting, and sacred! I actually offered her my orgasm last night, and it was an amazing feeling! Like woooowww I’ve felt soo good and so much love and happiness all day! I plan on working with Aphrodite more!

I’m also much curious about sex magic especially with me being in a relationship now & I trust and feel comfortable with him enough to explore sex magic. That is of course if he’d be okays with it. I might ask him about it & see if he’d ever be okay with us exploring and trying sex magic more together or if we could offer a sex act or our orgasms together to Aphrodite.

I’m getting excited about getting back into my craft more again & actively practicing and I celebrated solstice yesterday which I felt sooo good afterwards! God, I love being trans queer witch! I feel as though my power is so strong & powerful in their own unique ways from how much work I’ve put into myself, and all my intersecting identities giving me more power and perspective to play with! Throw in that I’m an intersectional feminist & BAM I’m one badass witch! I just love this path & journey I’ve taken as a witch, and it has made so much progress in my self esteem, confidence, love for myself, and comfortability within myself & who I am! Thank the universe, cosmos, elements, Aphrodite, other deities I may not realize I have work with, but been with me, and thank my inner strength! Blessed be! Holy shit I’m so happy & in love with myself, life, my craft, and my boyfriend.