Here’s my Pitch for why Pine Sap is Super for Survival. 🌲🌲🌲
1. First Aid. You can apply it directly to wounds and stop bleeding. It’s nature’s super glue. Pine sap contains antiseptic, anti-inflamitory, astringent, and antibacterial properties. You can heat a glob of pine sap if necessary to distribute it evenly for first aid. You can also chew soft pine sap straight off a tree like chewing gum to fight sore throat or a cold, and it helps clean your teeth!
2. Fire. The best way to start a fire in wet conditions is with a small slab of pine sap. Pine resin is highly flammable. Once lit, you can dry off your kindling to grow your fire. You can also make pine pitch torches if you’re on the move.
3. Waterproof Super Glue. Pine sap is ideal to use for gluing primitive tools such as arrowheads and fletchings, waterproofing containers or canoes, and patching just about anything.
Pine Keeps you Fine! Spruce and Fir Resin are also very similar and super.
Check out the article below for more gooey goodness on the amber epoxy.
#Survival #SurvivalSkills #Bushcraft #Prepping #PineSap #PineResin #PinePitch #PineGlue #FirstAid #Fire #SuperGlue #Nature #SHTF #ZOMPOC #ZombieApocalypse #Outdoors #Camping #Backpacking #Hiking #Redneck #Hillbilly #Backwoods #NativeAmerican #DentalHygiene #Spruce #Fir #Pine #Evergreen #PineKeepsYouFine
Tag: resources
Curses: An Informative 101 on What You May or May Not Already Know!
Hey! I was really bored and I haven’t done too much big stuff in a while.. So you know what I decided to do? That’s right. A little 101 post on one of my favorite kinds of spells; Curses.
It’s always fun to look at all sorts of different spells on my dash, but when a curse comes up? A little part of me just goes “ooooooh” and grabs the mental popcorn, cause you know shit is gonna go down, if it hasn’t already. They always put a smile on my face and make me feel badass, even if I’m not the one casting the curse… Cause you just know that someone is gonna use that curse… And someone else is gonna get some much due justice.
That being said, there’s a lot of stigma and misconceptions about curses that float around the community! You and I are here today to clean that up, and help all the witches who wanna reclaim what’s been taken from them, one of the best ways we know how. Magically.
I got a message from someone (wishing to remain private) asking about good, low spoon, devotional things for the theoi. I don’t deal with the issue of spoons though, so I wanted to put this out there to see what suggestions everyone has. My own suggestions are
- Read something, maybe not myths and academic texts, but things relevant to the deity you want to honor. Like poetry for Aphrodite, or a book of jokes for Hermes
- Watch videos on youtube that are relevant to the deity you want to honor, like maybe clips from an archery competition for Artemis or videos of the ocean and fish for Poseidon
- Hit play on a pre-made devotional playlist and just sit or lay and listen to the music
Spoonie here with low-spoon devotional activities!
- Talk to the gods. Like prayer, but more casual! Even if you’re stuck in bed and can’t get up or do anything, you can always give them a few words from the heart.
- Audiobooks are your friend. I’m listening to the Iliad on audible right now, and it’s been great and easy to do. Just enjoy the experience rather than try to understand every word.
- Documentaries and movies are great too, even if you can’t really concentrate. Sometimes I’ll put on one and end up falling asleep while watching it if I’m particularly drained, but hey, an attempt was made! It’s about the same as if you accidentally tuned out while listening to a playlist.
- Dedicate items to your gods. Get a cute cover for your pillow with an owl on it to remind you of Athene, for example. Or those really cute stuffed animals that work as heating pads! Those are great. (I have a pig one on my wishlist that makes me think of Hestia.)
- Make taking your medication a devotional activity! Say a few words in thanks to the gods before you take them.
And most importantly:
- Don’t hold yourself to unrealistic expectations. It’s okay if you can’t do something every day. It takes a lot of time and energy to do proper offerings and rituals, and it’s not something that everyone can do every day exactly perfectly. Especially if you’re a spoonie.
The Magical Home
Integrating your craft into your living space can be a daunting task. Unless you’re just a stellar housekeeper your home is likely at least a little messy all of the time. Unopened mail might still be sitting on the counter, that pile of laundry that you just didn’t get to this week is still on the floor or maybe you’ve just got a little extra clutter from too many missed spring cleanings. Despite how much these things can make your space feel distinctly un-magical, making your home into a sacred place for yourself can be quite simple.
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Turning your home into a witchy haven isn’t for everyone, there are a lot of reasons to give it a go and everyone is going to have different motivations (or no motivation, which is ok too). Your home is where you base yourself. You sleep, eat and come together with loved ones there. Using witchcraft to ensure that space is always positive and energetic can improve the quality of the time you spend there, help you unwind more easily and give you a place of stillness in the midst of the chaos of life. Personally, I turned my home into a magic space to bring more focus on my craft, I take more time writing in my spiritual journal, traveling the realms and just generally maintaining my craft when my home looks and feels like a witchy home.
Start off just working on one room. It can be your kitchen, bedroom, living room, any room that you spend a decent amount of time in. It isn’t necessary to do a huge cleaning and wear yourself out, doing a little bit here and there can make a substantial improvement over time and you’ll be a lot more likely to continue maintaining your home instead of getting worn out and giving up.
Now, I’m certainly not your expert on cleaning, for those of you who really need help with this step I suggest checking out Unfuck Your Habitat. Personally, I like to do a deep cleaning using as few chemical cleaners as I can manage, I make all of my own cleaning agents with the purpose of magical as well as physical cleansing.
Cleaning Recipes
All Purpose Disinfectant Spray/Wash:
I use this for almost everything. I mix up 10 parts warm water with one part white vinegar and a few drops of essential oil OR I let the vinegar water sit with fresh or dried herbs in it for about a week before using it to clean. The herbs you use here can change depending on what your space needs. For example I use lavender for protection, purification and peacefulness. Basil draws wealth and soothes tempers between lovers. Orange is good for luck and wealth (though NOT good for cats so if you have kitties stay away from orange oil!). And mint is good for healing. This is great for wiping down counters, cleaning windows and mopping.
Shower Cleaner:
Cleaning showers is one of my least favorite tasks and trying to do it with safe cleaning products can be a nightmare but I’ve got a solution that does the trick. This isn’t so much a magical cleaning product (though I’m sure you could turn it into one) but it’s certainly a handy one to have around. Mix one part warm white vinegar with one part liquid dish soap in a spray bottle. It does require a bit of scrubbing if your shower is bad but compared to every other DIY shower cleaner I’ve tried it’s a miracle.
Floors
Sweeping has long been used by witches as a method of cleansing our homes magically and while a lot of sources will tell you to reserve a broom for the task and to sweep just above the floor to properly cleanse the area I just do it all at once. Who has time to sweep twice? I can do the same magical task with a little intent and focus while I’m also cleaning up pesky crumbs and cat hair.
Vacuuming is perhaps a less common way to tidy up the energy of a room but I find it works just as well as sweeping does! I make sure that when I empty a vacuum bag or dustpan I do it in the can outside to make sure I’m not just shuffling energy around in my house.
Mopping is another excellent mundane cleaning task for witches, especially when it comes to entryways and exits to the house. In addition to picking grime up off of your floor your mop water can be charged and used to lay down spells. I like using herbs for my mop water usually but once a year in the spring I mop with sun charged water to bring the vibrant spring/summer energy into my house and once a year in the fall I mop with moon charged water to welcome the introspective fall/winter energy in.
Doors and Windows
Doors and windows are important, they both protect our homes from the unwanted and welcome us in every day. When I make a magical wash for my doors and windows I like to use cinnamon, for protection, healing and enhancing my craft or, if I feel like I need a serious boost on my home protection or I need to break a curse I use chili pepper, which has the added bonus of strengthening love ties. In addition both of these are bug repellant.
One suggestion I would make is when you are cleaning your house you should try to have windows open. This allows fresh air to circulate into your home and it allows an outlet for all of the stagnant energy that you’ll be stirring up. Doors can be left ajar as well if you aren’t worried about pets taking themselves outdoors. Obviously this isn’t something you can do all the time, very hot or very cold weather would put a lot of strain on you heating/AC bill and it’s always best not to let the rain in.
Immediately post cleaning is a good time to place sigils on doors and windows as well. I like to use my Binding Chalk to make a line just in front of doors and windows, it acts very similar to having a line of salt in the same place.
Bedrooms
Bedrooms can be an excellent place to do magic. If you share a bedroom with a lover spells to enhance your relationship are favored. Tucking away herbal pillows or lighting candles can draw honesty and good communication for you and your partner or you could try something a little spicier and use spells intended to ignite a little passion.
If your bedroom is a solitary place it can be an excellent place to do dreaming magic, to meditate and to do spells for gentle self improvement.
In a child’s bedroom protective magic or sweet dream spells would be a good idea. A lot of small children have a fear of monsters and when I was little my parents would use “monster spray” every night to help me sleep. I know now that it was just water but infuse the water with lavender and it could easily double as a sleep aiding and protective spell.
A Few More Magical Home Ideas
- Enchant the mirrors in your house to give everyone who looks into them a boost in their self esteem/body image.
- Place a candle on the stove to symbolize the hearth fire tradition
- Make a magic welcome mat that draws in good company and keeps away the bad
- Pay close attention to the sort of energy your decor creates and adjust it to help create the energy you want in your home.
- Is the TV the center of your home? Electronics can drastically change the feel of a space, try moving it to a less central spot and focus your rooms on something else
- Playing music and changing the scent in a room can suffice for a quick energetic shift. Try setting a small pot of water with cranberries, orange peel, cinnamon or mint on the stove to simmer.
- Get rid of stuff! I say this for people like myself who have trouble letting go of anything. Your stuff hangs onto energy. Gifts from people you don’t like? Stop being polite and letting their energy invade your house. Chuck it. Anything that reminds you of past relationships can go. In fact, cleaning house post breakup is super important! Get rid of any lingering reminders, wash their smell out of everything and clean your mattress thoroughly.
- If it’s broken do away with it. I know, I know, you’re planning to get around to fixing it eventually. How often do you actually do that though? If you aren’t willing to sit down right now to fix it you probably won’t ever get to it. Throw it away or give it to someone who will have a use for it.
- If you haven’t used it in the last year, chances are you won’t use it in the next year either. Get rid of it.
- Make a habit of de-cluttering in small ways every day. Don’t let the mail pile up, clean up dishes left in odd rooms, pick up laundry, and just generally put things back where they belong. This goes a long way toward keeping the energy flow moving through your home smoothly.
- Put bells on your doors. Bells help to clear energy, every time you open a door that room gets a little cleansing boost.
- Cleaning your house can be turned into more than just house magic. You can visualize yourself sweeping away worries or scrubbing old habits that aren’t serving you away as well.
- Bake bread. This really falls more under the heading of kitchen witchcraft but the smell of baking bread (or cookies!) wafting through your home can alter the energy in lovely ways and it’s also great for bringing prosperity to the house.
Hopefully this gives you guys some ideas and motivation to start making your home a little more magical 🙂 Remember not to overdo it, making a home is a constant, gradual process, not a marathon. My ask box is always open if anyone has questions!
@dog-rose my friends refer to this as my “demon jar”.
so i relied entirely on my (irish) roman catholic upbringing to trap the evil spirit haunting my house.
first, i had to chase the evil spirit out into the open. i achieved that by praying the 91st Psalm over multiple candles, and then i set one in every room in the house. i also put incense burning in every couple rooms. i left the living room, where i was doing the ritual, unguarded – since that’s where i wanted the spirit to end up.
i usually never work with circles, but i cast one this time for extra protection, using the incantation they used in The Craft. i drew multiple defensive sigils on myself, such as “don’t fucking touch me” and “you have no power over me”.
now, the jar: i used pomegranateandivy’s trapping negative energy sigil & two of my own design. one was specifically made to hold the spirit in the jar, the other is a general defensive one i use all the time with spirits. i put a representation of St. Michael, the bottom had a cross, & the lid the Seal of Solomon.
i got a small black candle to stand upright in it by pouring hot wax in the bottom & then holding it in place until it hardened (it took several tries). the candle had a nickname for the spirit written on it – the spirit is a liar and i knew that it would take time i didn’t have to force its true name out of it. BUT, i’d given it a nickname that it liked so much it took it on as a name. so i figured “well, if i gave it a name it liked, maybe i can exert some control over it”. i was right, i could command it somewhat.
i poured holy water into the jar, along with salt, rosemary & sage. i lit the candle and said some prayers and verbal incantations – stuff like “you shall never leave this jar”. except i forgot to extend the life of the wards past my own life (haha whoops). the idea was that when the candle hit the water & fizzled out, the spirit would be trapped in the jar.
This is some seriously good magic right here – I am very, very tired so I can’t provide much commentary aside from this looks extremely well worked out. I will message you later about it, for now, I wanna say well done! This is impressive work!
how to grow ginger indoors
Ginger takes 10 months to mature and it doesn’t tolerate frost. If you live in a place where it gets chilly in the winter, you’d be better off growing ginger in a pot indoors and bringing it outside in the summertime.
Ginger is one of those miraculous plants that grows well in partial to full shade, which makes it ideal for growing in your home, where most people don’t have full sun pouring on their windows all day long.
Little bits of the ginger root can be removed while it continues to grow. A little bit of ginger goes a long way, so these pieces can be used for cooking, brewing tea or for herbal remedies.
A few recommended witchcraft books
The Basics
Mastering Witchcraft by Paul Huson
This book is super popular. It is ceremonial in nature – don’t worry about needing to make Huson’s many ‘required’ items – but it has some really good stuff, especially the introduction and the Witch’s Pyramid.
Pure Magic by Judika Illes
This is the lady who wrote the Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells. Her book is good, leaning more towards New Age than Mr. Huson. I found the book to be generally well-rounded. It does cover a lot of basics, including plenty of rituals and spells.
The Sorcerer’s Secrets by Jason Miller
I have personally learned more from this book than any other. Instead of relying on spells, Mr. Miller teaches you the actual techniques of improving your magical skills. He also gives a reasonable explanation for how magic works and the ways you can practically apply skills to get what you want.
The Complete Guide to Psychic Development by Cassandra Eason
Mrs. Eason is the “if six candles are good, twelve is better!” type. I don’t agree with her that imagining a pink fluffy cloud (and I do not mock; this is literal) will remove all dangers. This book is perhaps best mixed with a more traditional one, such as Mastering Witchcraft. But if psychic stuff is for you, this book may be a great help.
Beyond the Basics
The Witch’s Familiar by Raven Grimassi
A surprisingly complete system of calling, working with, controlling, and dismissing familiars. If you have no idea where to start, and you prefer a slightly more ceremonial take on things, this is the book for you. It also holds value for those interested in spirit work.
Financial Sorcery by Jason Miller
You guys already know I have a thing for Mr. Miller, and I offer no apologies. He knows his stuff and he’s a good writer. Read this book if you want to make money with your magic in a way that actually works.
Seven Spheres by Rufus Opus
Not witchcraft – Hermetics. But it is a fantastic book, good for those who are looking for ‘the next step’ and are ready for spirit work and conjuration. I really learned a lot by reading this book, even if his tone is somewhat bro-ish at times.
Protection & Healing
Protection & Reversal Magick: Beyond 101 by Jason Miller
This was the first witchcraft book I ever bought! Gosh do I love it. Mr. Miller speaks in a straight-forward tone about certain dangers, and fills a book with different methods on how to fight, defend, and heal yourself after the battle. To those interested in Hekate, there are a couple original Hekatean rituals in this book. I highly recommend.
Psychic Self-Defense by Dion Fortune
An old, albeit still well-written handbook. Her accounts of psychic attack are fascinating and her solutions are practical and useful.
Spiritual Cleansing by Draja Mickaharic
This book is extremely practical and lays out several methods of cleansing for each problem addressed. Mr. Mickaharic loudly advocates against changing or substituting his spells, and basically says if you can’t do it the way he presents it in the book, don’t do it at all. So if you are the sort of practitioner who can’t get a hold of a pint of beer or seven walnuts to pop in the bathtub, this book is not for you. However, I was very pleased with the book and saw new content I had never seen before.
Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and References
Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham
Yes, it’s getting on in years now. If it were a human it would have bought it’s first home and have two kids at this point. But it’s survived this long because it’s a solid reference for plants. When you get your hands on a new plant and don’t know what in the dickens you can use it for, Mr. Cunningham will give you a good overview. When planning a spell and you need to know what plants follow your correspondences, his tables in the back will list plants in accordance with your intent.
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic by Scott Cunningham
What can I say. It’s like the plant book, but for crystams, gems, and metals.
The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall
This is the only book I’ll recommend that I haven’t *gasp* read personally. I’ve heard really good things about it. It is a big book of crystals. I just don’t care enough about crystals to get it, but if you care about crystals, then this is the book for you, I’ve heard.
(Elemental) Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells by Judika Illes
Correct me if I’m wrong on this one, but the ‘elemental’ encyclopedia is the same as the regular, non-elemental edition. What I find to be of real value in this book is not the spells themselves, but the extensive forward which has a lot of magical knowledge. You can also pick up great tidbits by browsing the book. The formulary in the back has recipes for all kinds of oils, powders, and potions. It’s a good book, I highly recommend.
The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft by Judika Illes
I’ll tell you what, Mrs. Illes sure does love her elemental encyclopedias. This is a solid book, covering a vast range of topics such as animals, holy days, and tools. I find the ‘animals’ section to be particularly useful.
Fabulous Creatures, Mythical Monsters, and Animal Power Symbols by Cassandra Eason
The book is full of what the title says. A good resource for mythical and regular animals.
Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes
The most sellable property of this book is that it lists many spirits by name. If you come across a certain name and want to know if it is connected to anybody, Mrs. Illes has the book for you. I find general entries such as “Ghost” or “mermaid” to be frustratingly sparse, but if you want to know who ‘Atargatis’ is, forget about it.
A Dictionary of Angels by Gustav Davidson
Want to know about angels and fallen angels? This is the book for you. Detailed. Thorough. No complaints.
hi, i was wondering if there were english translations of the Iliad and the odyssey that’s easy to understand? my first language isn’t english and i have a hard time understanding old snglish :(
You and me both, anon, you and me both.
I can rec a translation of the Iliad that I’ve been listening to: Stanley Lombardo’s translation of the Iliad. It’s available in both print and audiobook form, although it was written mainly to be listened to (Lombardo worked on it by performing it live, similar to how oral poetry was originally performed). It’s easy to understand and very exciting.
As for the Odyssey, haven’t found one yet. But I’m specifically looking for accessible audiobooks, so maybe someone else might be able to point you towards a print translation.
Did you know that Appalachia has had Christian witches and rootworkers since the early settlers arrived in the area?
delilah-twisted-deactivated2015:
Again, they’re sinning against they’re own “lord and savior”.
There are a million things in the bible saying witchcraft is impure and forbidden
Ah, then I have a fun little literary-history factoid for you:
King James VI and I, as in The King James Bible upon which most modern versions of the text are based, was obsessed with and terrified of witches. His advisors traumatized him with tales of them since his childhood, so when the time came for this great project which was going to produce a new translation of the Bible, he basically told the editors that any reference to poisoning, assassination, sorcery, or magic was to be denoted as “witchcraft” and condemned in the text.
Which is where we get “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”
The original text for this passage uses a word which more closely translates to “poisoner,” as in apothecaries who made poisons and potions which were to be used in the commission of murder, usually against a ruling party.
And the only thing King James was more scared of than witches was good old-fashioned regicide. He was utterly convinced that there was some secret cabal of witches and sorcerers that were out to get him. He wrote a book on the subject entitled “Daemonologie.” In it, he supports the practice of witch-hunting and describes how best to reveal and subsequently punish witches. He even personally presided over some of the procedures he helped put in place.
As you can see, King James had a bit of a prejudice and one or two screws loose, and it’s his English version of the Holy Text that most people are familiar with today.
So, coming back around to Christian witches, the only magic that the Bible officially disapproves of is that which is not sanctioned by God, or more specifically, that which is not given strength by calling upon Him. There are dozens of instances in the Bible of the faithful crying out to God for help and He answers with miracles that if seen by an outsider could be construed as witchcraft.
Appalachian grannies, rootworkers, Santeria, vodou, hoodoo…all of these traditions call on God, Jesus Christ, The Virgin Mary, the Holy Ghost, and various saints in order to make their magic work.
Whether this is “acceptable” is between the practitioner and God, and is not for the rest of us to judge.
thank you
Very well said. History & research triumphs over prejudice & misconceptions once again.
Boom @breelandwalker drops knowledge and walks away.
Putting this in my resources to point any new Christian witchlings in the right direction
Technomancy Warding for Blogs & Sites
Because I am a huge technomancing nerd and value creation of sacred space:
Comments in Code: Hide warding words, charms, or runes in code comments in the code of your site (< ! – – your ward here – – > sans spaces)
Invisible Sigils: Place sigils as images on a <div> layer set to an opacity of 0
Overarching Wards: Put any wards or enchantments in the CSS stylesheet to ensure coverage over your whole site, or to use your site as a “table” or well for an altar or general spell
Ash
The Carving Witch 